《Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan)》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 It was 7 pm on a Wednesday night, and Estelle Macin showed up on time at the Sapphire Hotel. Her phone beeped, Estelle clicked opened her Whatsapp, there was a message from Bet Macin ¡°Estelle, thanks for agreeing to help Dad. I¡¯m stuck in a bit of traffic, you just go straight in first¡± Estelle slowed down her pace, wondering how to greet Jonathan Lamont when she saw himter They¡¯d been married for three years, but they had never met in person. It was clear that Jonathan didn¡¯t agree and even hated this marriage Can¡¯t me Jonathan, though. The Macin¡¯s family business was in crisis when they knocked on the Lamont family¡¯s door, asking them to fulfill their original marriage agreement. The Lamont family¡¯s eldest son was already married, so the marriage fell on the younger son, Jonathan. It made sense that he was unwilling to do this. Naturally, the Lamont family wouldn¡¯t be that easily to be manipted. They gave out three hundred million as dowry to help the Macin family go through the crisis, but only on the condition that the marriage would be dissolved automatically in three years. Three years ago, she wasn¡¯t yet of legal marriage age in Country C. The two went to V City to get their certificate. To be precise, neither of them showed up. Each party sent people with their documents to handle the paperwork. As soon as they got married, Jonathan went to M Country and had stayed there until now. Just three months before the dissolution of their marriage. His intention was pretty obvious. Unfortunately, today, her father needed to bring her to ask for his help again for their business. Estelle scoffed and raised the corner of her lips. How was she going to introduce herselfter? ¡°Mr. Lamont, hello, I¡¯m your wife!¡± Should he show her the respect that she deserves? Rumor had it that before Jonathan went to M Country, he was a notorious bully in J City, ruling J City with an iron fist, and he was ruthless and decisive in his actions. But a few days ago, she saw Jonathan on a TV finance channel. He didn¡¯t look like what she had imagined. He was in an expensive business suit, although he looked proud, his demeanor was elegant and steady. She hoped today he would show the same grace and poise as he did on TV, sparing her from embarrassment. The entire Sapphire Hotel was luxuriously decorated with a ssic elegance. It felt like a mansion. Estelle went to the Pearl ce¡¯s third floor ording to the room number Bet gave her. The third floor was all suites with carpeted wooden floors and dim lighting, incredibly quiet. Outside of the suite, Estelle inconspicuously took a deep breath and knocked on the door. The door was slightly ajar, and as she touched it, the golden door opened a crack automatically. Estelle was taken aback. Was Jonathan waiting for her? Out of politeness, she knocked on the door again. There was no answer. Estelle raised an eyebrow and walked a few steps inside. She discovered that only the entrance hall had a dim light. The inside was pitch dark. Anybody in here? The suite wasrge with a living room in the middle and a leisure room and bedroom on both sides. 1/3 She had entered the living room when an uneasy feeling emerged. She was about to turn back when she suddenly heard the sound of water and a low, painful voiceing from the bedroom ¡°Come in Estelle¡¯s instinct told her that she should leave without hesitation, but she stood in the dark for three seconds before heading towards the bedroom ¡°Is it Mr. Lamont? What happened to you?¡± Estelle pushed open the bedroom door and asked softly. Suddenly, a hand reached out and pulled her directly into the bathroom. The man had one hand against the wall and use another hand choke her neck. His voice, suppressed with pain but still cold and furious, said, ¡°You dare to drug me? Are you out of your mind?¡± The living room still had some light from the windows, but the bathroom was pitch dark. Estelle endured and didn¡¯t fight back. Her throat was constricted, her voice hoarse and calm, ¡°Not me ¡°Then who are you?¡± The man seemed to have been soaked in cold water for a long time, his body icy, but his breath scorching Estelle was somewhat stunned in the exchange of cold and heat. In the darkness, they stared at each other silently. The man¡¯s breathing grew heavier with each breath, as if he had reached his limit. The hand choking her throat suddenly put around her neck, and he kissed her hard. His lips were ice-cold and overbearing! Estelle¡¯s eyes widened in shock as she stretched her leg against the man¡¯s body with all her strength. The man¡¯s strength and speed were no less than hers. His long leg pressed against her knees as he hoarsely, said, ¡°Help me, and whatever you need, I¡¯llpensate youter!¡± Estelle took a deep breath quietly, never had she ever imagined that she would encounter a situation where Jonathan had been drugged. In the darkness, the man¡¯s breath enveloped all her senses. She weighed the options of helping him or leaving. him to find some other women when his all-epassing kissesnded. Estelle had forgotten how they got from the bathroom to the bedroom. While she was still hesitating whether to resist or to surrender, the man had already pulled her into the erotic abyss before she could say no. It was not like she hadn¡¯t thought about this., But it was in no way under such circumstances. The short time tangling with him in bed felt like an eternitypared to their three years of marriage. After it was over, someone happened to enter the suite, approaching the bedroom, ¡°Mr. Lamont?¡± ¡°Don¡¯te in here!¡± The man¡¯s voice was deep, carrying a hint of sexyziness after being satisfied. The footsteps outside stopped abruptly. A momentter, Jonathan got up, put on a bathrobe, didn¡¯t even look at the woman on the bed, and walked out. Estelle pulled the quilt up to her neck, noticing a beam of light shining through the ajar door from the illuminated outside. Jonathan went to the living room, leaned on the couch, his handsome face expressionless, his eyes showing at touch ofziness. The assistant approached, asking, ¡°Mr. Lamont, are you alright?¡± Jonathan had suddenly left the party earlier and didn¡¯t allow anyone to follow him. After more than two hours without hearing anything from him, the assistant couldn¡¯t help bute to check. Just now, he seemed to 2/2 have heard the sound of two people¡¯s breaths? Jonathan slightly pinched his brow, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± The assistant snapped back to reality, ¡°Bet booked room 1009 at the Diamond Inn and wants to meet you at nine o¡¯clock sharp. It¡¯s almost time¡± Jonathan casually asked, ¡°Which Bet?¡± After he said that, he seemed to remember, and asked indifferently. ¡°Hasn¡¯t it been three years already?¡± The assistant replied, ¡°It¡¯s still a few months away¡± Jonathan¡¯s tone was mocking. ¡°What¡¯s the difference then?¡± The assistant said, ¡°Bet has called several times to see you. He probably has a favor to ask of Mr. Lamont¡± Thinking of the woman in the room, Jonathan felt somewhat irritable, ¡°He already sold his daughter once Now he wants to sell her again? Who does he think he is, expecting me to always This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. indulge him? Or does he think his daughter is worth a fortune and can always sell her for a good price? No way!¡± Thest two words were cold and ruthless! Inside the bedroom, Estelle heard every word of the outside conversation. Her slightly flushed face turned pale gradually. If Jonathan found out that the girl lying on his bed was Bet¡¯s daughter, he would probably be even more sarcastic about that ¡°sell¡± word! She endured her difort, got up from the bed, found her clothes and put them on, then casually took something from her pocket and put it on the table. Without looking back, she walked straight to the balcony, pushed open the window, and jumped down. After a few spins in the air, the girlnded on a bluestone path several meters away. Her slender figure quickly disappeared into the dim lights. Jonathan and the assistant talked about some other things outside. Finally, Jonathan ordered, ¡°Find out who yed dirty at the party today.¡± The assistant was momentarily stunned, then immediately understood and replied solemnly. ¡°Yes!¡± Jonathan got up and went back to his bedroom. He nced at the bed in the dim light and said indifferently, ¡°Get up, take the money, and get out of my life!¡± There was no answer. Jonathan frowned and turned on the light. Under the dim glow, the bed was a mess, but the girl had disappeared! He turned to the bathroom, and it was also empty. His narrow eyes shed a hint of surprise. Was the person he just slept with was a ghost? However, he distinctly saw the bloodstain on the bed. Jonathan furrowed his brow, turning to look at the cab opposite the bed. He slowly walked towards it. picked up the thing under the vase, and his face instantly darkened. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 He had a hundred dor bill in his hand. What did she think he is, leaving him money after sex? The man¡¯s face darkened, and he strode towards the balcony. The window was indeed open. The stairs in this building was built higher than other ces and the third floor was as high as the average fourth floor. How did she manage to jump down? Was he really that horrifying? That she¡¯d risk her life to escape? The wind blew in from the window, sending a chill down the spine, but it couldn¡¯t extinguish the evil fire in the man¡¯s heart. This woman not only humiliated him with a hundred bucks, but she also jumped out of the window and ran away¡­ Just wait till he catches her! Estelle sneezed on the taxi, and the driver looked back through the rearview mirror, ¡°Hey youngdy, are you alright?¡± Beautiful as she was and all soaked, something definitely had happened to her.. Estelle smiled softly, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± The driver chuckled, ¡°You must be a student. Be careful out there on your own.¡± ¡°Thanks, sir.¡± Estelle nodded and quickly typed on her phone, ¡°Destroy the surveince footage of me at the Sapphire Hotel around 7 and 9 o¡¯clock. Make it disappear!¡± ¡°Ok!¡± The person on the other end didn¡¯t ask any questions, just simply took the orders. The thought of the man¡¯s harsh words infuriated her. Estelle didn¡¯t want to dwell on the useless question of whether or not she should have met Jonathan. She just wanted to make sure he never knew she¡¯d been there. After getting off at Maple Street, Estelle paid double the fare for wetting the taxi¡¯s back seat. Back at the vi, maid Wilma was startled by Estelle¡¯s soaked clothes, ¡°Ma¡¯am, what happened?¡± ¡°Minor issue, I¡¯ll go up to take a shower.¡± Estelle headed upstairs. ¡°I¡¯ll run the bath for you, ma¡¯am.¡± Wilma didn¡¯t dare to ask further and hurried upstairs to prepare. A few minutester, Estelle soaked in the warm bathtub, her body gradually rxed. Her mind was a mess. She forced herself not to think about what had happened that night and put her head underwater as well. After her bath and changing into clean pajamas, Bet called just as Wilma was blow-drying Estelle¡¯s hair. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Estelle was displeased, and she asked Wilma to leave, then went out to the balcony to answer the call. As soon as it got through, Bet asked hastily. ¡°Estelle, where are you? Have you met Mr. Lamont?¡± There was no emotion that could be detected from her voice, ¡°Dad, you must¡¯ve been so worried that Mr. Lamont and I can¡¯t get along, so you decided to spike the drink, huh?¡± Bet paused, ¡°What do you mean, spike the drink? I didn¡¯t!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t?¡± Estelle smirked, ¡°Then why did you tell me to meet at 7, even though you made the arrangement with Jonathan¡¯s assistant to meet at 9?¡± There was silence on the other side. Estelle¡¯s heart sank, and she prepared to hang up. 1/2 ¡°Estelle¡± A sudden voice came through, Bet sounding quilty. ¡°I was wrong I wanted you to meet Mr Lamont earlier, hoping that you two spending some time alone would make him less reluctant to this marriage¡± He asked worriedly. ¡°What happened, are you alright?¡± Estelle could hear a hint of genuine concern in Bet¡¯s voice and asked, ¡°It really wasn¡¯t you?¡± Bet replied firmly. ¡°Of course not! I may be desperate, but I would never stoop so low as to plot against my own daughter!¡± Estelle said nothing Bet carefully asked, ¡°Estelle, are you alright?¡± She replied lightly. ¡°I¡¯m fine, I didn¡¯t see Jonathan.¡± Bet didn¡¯t dig further into this, seemingly sighing in relief, ¡°Anyway, I failed you in this, and I won¡¯t make you see him again. If you don¡¯t want to live in the vi on the hill, I¡¯ll pick you up right now and take you home.¡± Estelle¡¯s voice softened a bit, ¡°I¡¯ve been living here for over two years, and I don¡¯t mind staying for a few more months. Dad, don¡¯t worry, I kinda like it here.¡± The vi was a private property of Jonathan¡¯s. She had moved in as soon as they got married and she had been living there for almost three years. Bet sighed in relief, ¡°Alright, then stay for a while longer, once the three years are up. I¡¯ll personally pick up my baby girl back home. Oh, by the way¡­¡± He paused, saying. ¡°This Saturday is your mom¡¯s birthday. Why don¡¯t youe home? She feels bad about the things she saidst time you were home, and she¡¯s just too stubborn to apologize.¡± Estelle nodded, ¡°I have a ss on Saturday morning, I¡¯ll go back after the ss.¡± ¡°Alright, if you have any problems, give me a call.¡± After hanging up, Estelle made another call, ¡°Pa, please prepare thetest spring ne and earrings set for me. I¡¯ll pick them up in a couple of days.¡± With the confirmation on the other end, Estelle put down her phone, and her thoughts unintentionally wandered back to the things that happened tonight. The man¡¯s heavy breathing seemed to linger in her ears¡­ her arms resting on the stone railing, her head low, torn between regret and hatred. At eleven that night, Jonathan left the Sapphire Hotel. His assistant followed, whispering, ¡°Mr. Lamont, we found out it was TC Group¡¯s Vice President Hale. He nned to drug hispanion tonight, but somehow you ended up with the spiked drink. He¡¯s terrified, already fled J City for H City.¡± A fierce look shed in Jonathan¡¯s eyes, ¡°Since he¡¯s left, he better nevere back!¡± The assistant lowered his head, ¡°Understood!¡± When Jonathan returned to the Lamont family¡¯s residence, it was already past midnight. His elder brother and his wife had gone to the L City for an economic seminar, his parents also tagged along. Only leaving his brother¡¯s daughter and son at home, who were already asleep. Jonathan went straight to the third floor, took a shower, and sat down on the rattan chair on the balcony wrapped in his bathrobe, lighting a cigarette from the coffee table. The flickering ember shone under the moonlight, his slightly damp hair hanging over his forehead, the dim light. casting a shadow on his handsome face. He thought of that girl tonight. Sensing her vulnerability, he kissed her for so long. He didn¡¯t make a further move until she responded, and she grabbed his arm, calling his name in fear. 2/3 14 He was not himself at that time due to the heat from being drugged, so now when thinking about it, he couldnt be sure whether she called out his name or not Jonathan took out the hundred bucks, a new version, soaked through with water. Who carries that much cash around? Why did she show up in his room? Who was she? Jonathan was suddenly curious. Picking up his cell phone, Jonathan made a call, ¡°Find the woman who jumped from the third floor tonight!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Assistant Mird only took orders, he nerver say more than he should. The next day, after finishing ss in the morning, Estelle received a call from her advisor, asking her to organize the materials for the schrship application and bring them to the office. After Estelle had prepared these materials, before she could go, she received another message from her advisor, ¡°Estelle, there was something urgent that I need to take care of in the meeting room on the ninth floor. you can bring the materials there.¡± After replying her advisor, Estelle headed towards the office building. Outside the office building, a ck Bentley was parked on the greenwn. Just as Estelle was about to walk past, she saw a tall, handsome figure stepping out of the car. Estelle¡¯s heart raced as she saw the man¡¯s profile and turned away subconsciously. Jonathan might not recognize her since they didn¡¯t turn on the lightsst night, but she was the one that didn¡¯t know how to face him¡­ Estelle only continued walking after the car left and the man turned into the office area. But then, as she turned the corner, she saw the man standing there on the phone again. Estelle stopped and pretended to look at her own phone. When she looked up, Jonathan had already walked away. Estelle took a deep breath, puzzled as to why Jonathan was here. She entered the office building, and the man was just getting on the elevator. Estelle slowed down her pace, waiting for the elevator doors to close before walking up. Her hand had just reached the elevator button when the already closed doors opened again. Estelle looked up, caught off guard, directly meeting the questioning, cold gaze of the man. 3/3 Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Estelle spaced out for a moment. The man spoke in a cold tone, ¡°What are you following me for? Are you a student at the University of J City?¡± He had noticed the girl following him all the way, stopping whenever he stopped and even followed him to the elevator Estelle¡¯s face flushed, but quickly returned to a calm expression, ¡°Is this the way to your home? It¡¯s a public ce, why do you think I am following you?¡± A hint of coldness shed in the man¡¯s eyes. He leaned back a step to make way for Estelle to get on the elevator. Estelle scoffed, ¡°Never mind, I don¡¯t want any misunderstandings.¡± She then turned and headed for the stairs. The elevator doors closed behind her, blocking out the sight of the man¡¯s narrowing eyes. Afraid of bumping into Jonathan again, Estelle decided to take the stairs up to the ninth floor. When she arrived at the conference room, her advisor and the dean of the economics department were discussing something. They gave her a look, signaling her to wait a bit. A few other students were also there to hand in their documents, among which a pair of gloomy eyes stared at Estelle maliciously. Pretending not to see, Estelle took out her phone and yed Sudoku for a while. In less than five minutes, she solved a round and heard footsteps approaching. ¡°You¡¯ve been back for a while, huh? It¡¯s about time you came back!¡± With the principal¡¯s voice, two people entered the conference room, one was Mr. Ingram, and the other¡­. Estelle couldn¡¯t help but frown. What are the odds? This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Jonathan also saw Estelle, his gaze sweeping over her without stopping. The dean hurriedly greeted the principal and introduced Mr. Lamont, the former student and current president of the Lamont Group, as the sponsor of several schrships. The dean¡¯s demeanor instantly became more respectful after shaking hands with Jonathan. He mentioned that today was the deadline for students to submit their schrship applications, and all the students present had benefited from Mr. Lamont¡¯s schrships before. Jonathan nced over and seemed to spend more time looking at Estelle, then smiled faintly. ¡°The University of J City has always been a ce where talent emerges! Estelle looked at the handsome side profile of the man, her eyes rolling, wondering whether the real Jonathan was the yboy they talked about or the refined gentleman he had just portrayed. Suddenly, the principal called on a few students to stand up in front of Jonathan, some looking up at him in awe, while others shyly looked away. The girl who stared at Estelle just now suddenly stepped forward and chimed in, ¡°Since Mr. Lamont, the sponsor of the schrship, is here, I have something to say.¡± The advisor frowned, not knowing what Brooke Hester was up to. Mr. Ingram gently said, ¡°If you have something to say, just say it.¡± Brooke nced at Estelle and said, ¡°Mr. Lamont¡¯s schrship is meant to reward outstanding students at the University of J City. I think that being outstanding should not only include academic performance, but also 1/3 good moral character, right?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Mr. Ingrarn nodded. Brooke took out her phone and showed everyone a post on the university forum ¡°A few days ago, someone saw Estelle getting into a luxurious car after school Estelle¡¯s family is pretty average, so they probably can¡¯t afford a car like that I think we can all guess what she was doing is someone like this really an outstanding student?¡± Except for Jonathan, everyone¡¯s face changed. The advisor whispered, ¡°Brooke, why are you saying this in front of Mr. Lamont?¡± Brooke raised her eyebrows, ¡°I want to let Mr. Lamont know what kind of people his schrships are supporting Isn¡¯t that a waste of his money?¡± The dean¡¯s face darkened as he took a look at the phone, there was only some blurry photos of Estelle getting into a Mercedes S600 with an older man whose face was unclear. ¡°Estelle, how do you exin this?¡± Brooke looked at Estelle provocatively. Estelle¡¯s delicate face was expressionless, her usually gentle eyes now icy cold, ¡°Who are you? Why should I exin anything to you?¡± As Brooke was about to reply, Jonathan suddenly interjected in his signature sarcastic tone, ¡°What era are we in that students of such a prestigious university would still use such baseless rumors to nder someone¡¯s reputation?¡± Brooke clenched her teeth and retorted, ¡°There are photos, Mr. Lamont, how can you say it¡¯s baseless?¡± Jonathan sneered, ¡°What did you see in those photos? If I speak up for her now, do you also want to say that there is something going on between us?¡± Estelle¡¯s eyelids twitched. She was suddenly grateful that Jonathan hadn¡¯t recognized her, which allowed him to speak up for her so confidently. Jonathan added, ¡°This is how prestigious students behave?¡± He emphasized the word ¡°prestigious¡±, which was clearly a satire on Brooke¡¯s previous statement. Brooke was silenced by Jonathan¡¯s overwhelming presence. Everyone¡¯s facial expressions slightly changed, Brooke was embarrassed, and the rest were also ufortable. Estelle, however, raised her eyebrows in surprise, not expecting that Jonathan would her defense. Mr. Ingram frowned and spoke in a deep voice, ¡°Mr. Lamont is right. A few blurry photos shouldn¡¯t be used to judge someone, and it shouldn¡¯t be on the University of J City¡¯s forum in the first ce.¡± The advisor immediately responded, ¡°I¡¯ll have someone delete the post right away.¡± Brooke was still not satisfied and wanted to say something more, but the advisor stared her down. Mr. Ingram turned to Jonathan and said with an elegant smile, ¡°Since the principal, Mr. Fletcher, is using the conference room, why don¡¯t we go to my office instead?¡± Jonathan nodded, ¡°That sounds good.¡± ¡°Please, this way!¡± ¡°Mr. Ingram, please!¡± After Mr. Ingram and Jonathan left, the advisor turned to Brooke angrily, ¡°Brooke, you really don¡¯t know any better, do you?¡± 9/3 Brooke clenched her teeth without saying a word, red at Estelle, and stormed out of the conference room The advisorforted Estelle for a bit Estelle didn¡¯t say much else, handed in her materials, and then excused herself. Around the corner of the hallway, Brooke was standing there, coldly staring at Estelle Estelle walked past her without looking sideways As they brushed by each other, she stopped and said casually. ¡°If you like Saul just go after him. Using these low and dirty tricks just makes you look She nced sideways, her face should be pure and innocent, but instead, it carried an icy coldness, utterly stupid¡±¡± Brooke¡¯s entire body tensed up for a moment, angrily said, ¡°What did you say?¡± Estelle took a nce at her and then walked away calmly. Unable to contain her anger, Brooke went to catch up with her but was stopped by another girl, ¡°Brooke, calm down, we¡¯re in the office building!¡± Brooke stood still, her eyes menacing as she stared at Estelle¡¯s retreating figure, ¡°I¡¯ll get her one day!¡± Estelle didn¡¯t have sses in the afternoon. During noon time, she took the bus back to her hillside vi. Sitting on the bus, she couldn¡¯t help but think about Jonathan again. The first time they met, they slept together without getting to know each other, and the second time they met, she was treated as some stalker and was used of being a mistress in public¡­. Resting her forehead against the bus window, Estelle raised her eyebrows slightly, thinking he must be her nemesis! An hourter, Jonathan declined Mr. Ingram¡¯s invitation for a dinner party and drove away from the University of J City. The driver asked, ¡°Mr. Lamont, there¡¯s a development meeting at the Golden Pce Vi Area at 3 pm this afternoon. You have some time to rest before that. Where would you like to go?¡± Jonathan nced at the documents in his hand, and after hearing the word ¡®vi¡¯, an idea popped up in his mind, he said indifferently. ¡°Let¡¯s go to Vi del Sol.¡± ¡°Roger that!¡± The driver turned the car towards Vi del Sol. Jonathan¡¯s cell phone suddenly rang. After answering the call, Mird¡¯s voice came from the other end, ¡°Mr. Lamont, I¡¯ve found the woman fromst night!¡± Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Jonathan asked Mird to investigate the woman who jumped out of the window that day, so Mird immediately checked the surveince footage of the Sapphire Hotel Oddly enough, there was a nk space in the footage between 7 and 9 PM Even the hotel¡¯s security personnel couldn¡¯t exin. They could only guess that the inte connection might have been lost at that time. But Mird still found someone-Hattie. Hattie was a small-time actress going for an innocent and gentle image, never quite making it big She was seen entering the Sapphire Hotel at 6:50 PM yesterday, heading towards the Pearl ce. After that, there was a gap in the surveince footage, so it wasn¡¯t clear which room she went to At 9:05 PM, Hattie¡¯s agent helped her exit from the Pearl ce. She was limping with a pain-filled expression, clearly injured. Since the footage after that was gone, Mird took some time to find out which hospital Hattie was staying at. She had undergone surgery on her left leg the night before. Mird had also checked her medical records: it was a fall injury. Hope Hospital In VIP room 706, the woman lying on the bed sped her hands together, looking uneasy at Jonathan sitting on the sofa across from her. ¡°Mr. Lamont, may I help you?¡± ¡°How did you hurt your leg?¡± Jonathan asked nonchntly. Hattie, with her leg in a cast, hesitated for a moment before replying in a low voice, ¡°Does it have anything to do with you?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to hide it. I had someone check the surveince footage. Last night around 9 o¡¯clock, your agent helped you get into a car and leave. Your leg was already broken at that time. You¡¯re the one who jumped out of my room that night, right?¡± Jonathan¡¯s tone was as indifferent as ever. Since there were no cameras facing the guests¡¯ room windows in the Sapphire Hotel due to privacy concerns, it was unclear where Hattie had jumped from. However, her movements were consistent with the events of that night. Hattie was momentarily stunned, then nced over with confusion in her eyes, her mind already working on a n. Her agent, standing beside her, didn¡¯t dare to interrupt. Jonathan crossed his legs and said calmly. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. As I¡¯ve said before, if you help me, I¡¯ll make it up to you.¡± Mird put a bank card on the table, with a straight face. There¡¯s 10 million in it. Don¡¯t ever mention that night. again.¡± Biting her lower lip, Hattie hesitated for a moment before responding. ¡°I don¡¯t want the money. I um¡­ I wanted to do that¡­ And please rest assured, Mr. Lamont, I won¡¯t say anything to anyone.¡± ¡°I always keep my word. If you don¡¯t want the money, you can make another request.¡± Jonathan spoke up. Seeing her agent giving her a signal with the eye, Hattie squeezed her palms tightly and cautiously said, ¡°I don¡¯t want anything. If, if Mr. Lamont don¡¯t mind, just treat me as a friend.¡± Jonathan interrupted her coldly. ¡°I think it would be better if you made a more practical request!¡± Hattie¡¯s face turned a shade paler, looking awkward and embarrassed. After some thought, she said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay in my currentpany anymore. Can Mr. Lamont help with that?¡± Jonathan paused before responding, ¡°Would you like to join Lamont Group¡¯s Firefly Media Group?¡± 1/3 14:41 The agent¡¯s eyes lit up Firefly Media Group was one of the top entertainmentpanies in the country, which had produced countless first-tier stars. Once they joined Firefly Media Group, resources wouldn¡¯t be a problemnt Hattie¡¯s eyes softened, and she nodded gently ¡°Thank you, Mr Lamont¡± Jonathan stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll have Aaron from Firefly Media Group contact you regarding contracts As for the penalty fee with your currentpany, he will help you sort that out as well Hattie thanked him again, her voice soft and gentle. Her pale face from the injury made her look even more pitiful. As Jonathan was leaving, he suddenly turned back and asked, ¡°Why did you go to my roomst night?¡± Hattie was taken aback but quickly replied, ¡°I was supposed to go to the room next door for an audition, but I got the wrong room.¡± It took a while for Hattie to regain her senses after Jonathan left. She remembered everything that had happened the night before, of course. She had gone to the Sapphire Hotel to discuss a new acting role, and the assistant director wanted to take advantage of her under the pretext. Refusing to give in, she had struggled for a while before jumping out of the window in desperation. Before Jonathan arrived, her agent had been lecturing her, saying that in order to seed in the industry. sacrifice is inevitable! Her agent now realized what was going on and asked anxiously, ¡°Did Mr. Lamont mistake you for someone else? Will we get in trouble for tricking him?¡± Paler than ever and clutching the nket tightly, Hattie responded, ¡°What else can we do? Sleep with that pig-like assistant director?¡± The prospect of signing with Firefly Media Group was too tempting to resist, but what excited her even more was the chance to build a connection with Jonathan. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. The Lamont family controlled the economic lifeline of not only J City but the entire C Country, with influence reaching from the government to businesses. Everyone relied on the Lamont family. If she could win Jonathan¡¯s favor, she¡¯d have nothing to worry about! With fate providing her this opportunity, why should she push it away? Just thinking about putting those who had looked down on her in the past beneath her feet, and having those high and mighty peopleing to tter her in the future, what was the harm in taking a risk? She wasn¡¯t afraid that the assistant director, would expose her. That night when she suddenly jumped off the building, he was scared to death. So now he couldn¡¯t wait to get out of her way! After being discharged from the hospital, Jonathan got into the car with a gloomy face. He didn¡¯t expect her to be a small-time actress. She looked pretty good, but he felt a weird mix of annoyance and disappointment deep down. Maybe because of this sudden annoyance, he found that the fact that she had humiliated him with 100 yuan. was no longer interesting. He didn¡¯t want to pursue it anymore and just wanted to get it over with. On Saturday, after finishing herst ss in the morning, Estelle took a car to the Macin family. The Macin family lived in Peaceful Meadows Vi in N City, which was not essible by bus, so Estelle had to take a taxi there. By the time she arrived at the Macin family, it was eleven o¡¯clock. The sky was gloomy, and it looked like it was about to rain. When Addy, the servant, saw Estelle, she tried to put on a smile and said, ¡°Miss Estelle is 2/3 14:41 back!¡± Estelle just nodded and changed her shoes as she walked in. Addy¡¯s attitude was neither cold nor warm, ¡°Mr. Macin went out with Mrs Macin, they won¡¯t be back for a while. Make yourselffortable¡± ¡°Is my sister here?¡± A surprised voice came from upstairs, and soon after, a young girl ran down the stairs with a beautiful, beaming smile. She quickly approached Estelle, ¡°Sis, what took you so long? I¡¯ve been waiting for you all morning¡± Estelle smiled and greeted her, ¡°Carme.¡± Addy faced Carme with a smile on her face, ¡°Miss, the dessert is ready in the kitchen, do you want blueberry mousse or chocte?¡± With a sweet smile, Carme said, ¡°Thank you, Addy, we¡¯ll decide on the dessertter. Don¡¯t worry about us. I want to have a chat with my sister.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Addy answered respectfully. As she was about to leave, she nced at Estelle and then turned around toward the kitchen. Carme showed off her newly done hair, holding a pair of sharp scissors in her hand. ¡°Mom dragged me to the salon early this morning and insisted I change my hairstyle. What do you think, sis?¡± Estelle nodded, ¡°It looks good.¡± Carme touched the hair near her ear, ¡°I looked in the mirror for a long time and felt that this part wasn¡¯t good. I tried to fix it, but I¡¯m still not satisfied. Can you help me trim it?¡± Estelle nced at the scissors handed to her, she took them, and asked, ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Right here, near the ear. I¡¯ll hold it, and you can just cut it off,¡± Carme said, tilting her head slightly and pointing at a strand of hair under her ear. Just as Estelle was about to cut with the scissors, a horrified voice came from the doorway. ¡°Estelle, what are you doing?!¡± Chapter 5 Chapter 5 The woman rushed over, and the flowers in her hand hit Estelle directly. She pushed her back violently and pulled Carme into her arms. Simone Kaiser anxiously checked Carme, ¡®Are you hurt? Are you bleeding? Where does it hurt?¡± With dewy petals scattered all over the floor, the thorns on the flowers pricked Estelle¡¯s neck, causing a slight sting She looked at the woman¡¯s anxious expression and was stunned for a moment. Bet quickly came over and asked Estelle, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Simone suddenly turned around, staring at Estelle with a fierce look, ¡°What are you trying to do? Kill Carme?¡± Estelle was shocked by the disgust and hatred in the woman¡¯s eyes. Carme nced at Estelle and hurriedly grabbed Simone¡¯s wrist. ¡°Mom, you misunderstand. I asked my sister to help me trim my hair. She didn¡¯t hurt me.¡± ¡°Oh, I see!¡± Betughed and scolded Simone, ¡°You¡¯re always so impulsive. You get angry without figuring things out. Look at Estelle¡¯s clothes, you¡¯ve messed them up.¡± Simone, knowing she had wronged Estelle, looked embarrassed and defended herself, ¡°I just saw Estelle holding scissors to Carme¡¯s neck. How was I supposed to know she was cutting hair?¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Bet shot Simone a look and turned to Carme, ¡°Take your sister to change her clothes; she looks all dirty now.¡± ¡°Sister,e with me!¡± Carme tried to hold her hand, but Estelle subtly avoided her, her fingers brushing off the petals on her shoulder. As they entered the bedroom on the second floor, Carme apologized guiltily, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, sis. I didn¡¯t expect mom toe home at this time and get you hurt.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault!¡± Estelle¡¯s innocent face showed a faint smile. Carme fetched a white T-shirt from the wardrobe and put it on the sofa. ¡°This one is new and I have never worn it before. Try it on, sister, I¡¯ll wait for you downstairs. ¡°Okay.¡± After Carme closed the door, Estelle looked at the shirt on the sofa, her expression dulling. What a coincidence-one wanting a haircut and the other just happening toe home! After putting on the new shirt, Estelle walked down the hallway, and a door that wasn¡¯t closed tightly let out Bet¡¯s voice, ¡°How could you hit Estelle with flowers? That was too much!¡± Estelle slowed her pace. Simone was still unconvinced. ¡°How could I have known she was cutting hair? She was holding scissors horizontally to Carme¡¯s neck. I waspletely freaked out!¡± Bet sighed, ¡°Don¡¯t you think the way you¡¯ve been treating Estelle is wrong? Don¡¯t forget that Estelle is our biological daughter!¡± Simone argued, ¡°I know. When she returned home three years ago, I wanted to make up for it, but she insisted on moving out. How could I make up for it?¡± ¡°Have you tried to keep her from moving out?¡± Bet asked. ¡°I know you love Carme, but Estelle was taken. away at birth and suffered so much outside. Can¡¯t you treat her more kindly?¡± Simone¡¯s voice was helpless, ¡°I want to treat Estelle better, but for twenty years, I¡¯ve loved and pampered 1/3 14:42 Carme as my own. It is not something that I can change overnight. Plus, Carme is so talented- no, painting, violin-she excels at everything, so sensible and smart. Well, Estelle, she has nothing to show for herself; I just can¡¯t bring myself to like herr ¡°How could you say that about your own daughter?¡± ¡°At least I¡¯m not saying that in front of her, am 17¡ä Simoneined, ¡°You¡¯re also to me for inviting her here. Her presence has ruined a perfectly good birthday party!¡± Darkness clouded Estelle¡¯s eyes, and she didn¡¯t bother to listen further. She took the light gray jewelry box out of her bag and put it on the outdoor flower stand, then walked downstairs. Carme was holding a ragdoll cat downstairs. Seeing Estelle, she immediately asked with a smile, ¡°Does the shirt fit, sis?¡± ¡°It¡¯s perfect, thank you!¡± Estelle replied politely. ¡°Why are you being so polite? We¡¯re sisters!¡± Carme smiled innocently. Estelle smiled faintly, ¡°I just got a call, there¡¯s something that I need to take care of back at school. So I have to go, please tell Dad for me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re leaving so soon? We haven¡¯t even had cake yet!¡± Carme showed a disappointment expression. ¡°Please apologize to Mom for me, I didn¡¯t mean to ruin her birthday,¡± Estelle said and headed for the door. Rain was falling outside, lightly pattering, making the groundpletely wet. Carme turned to Addy. ¡°Where¡¯s Calvin? Ask him to drive my sister.¡± Addy run over, quickly nced at the rain and sighed, ¡°Oh dear, what a pity! Mr. Calvin just left to pick up the birthday cake, and he hasn¡¯t returned yet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Can you please get me an umbre, Addy?¡± Estelle asked. ¡°Okay, sure!¡± Addy turned and quickly returned with an umbre, handing it to Estelle, and not forgetting to remind her, ¡°This umbre costs thousands, please take good care of it, miss.¡± With a hint of mockery in her eyes, Estelle maintained herposure, opened the umbre, and ventured into the drizzle. As soon as Estelle left the house, Carme saw Calvin holding an umbre, walking towards the yard. Addy looked embarrassed. ¡°Oh, Mr. Calvin returned half an hour ago; letting our youngdy walk alone in this rain is so thoughtless of me.¡± Carme hugged the cat, her smile gentle and harmless. ¡°Maybe you¡¯ve been working too hardtely I¡¯ll find a chance to talk to my mom about giving you a raise.¡± Addy instantly beamed, looking grateful. ¡°Thank you, Miss, I¡¯ll do whatever you say from now on.¡± Carme turned and went upstairs, instantly saw the jewelry box on the flower stand, and picked it up. Before she could open it, Bet and Simone came out. Knowing Estelle had left, Simone felt relieved. Bet didn¡¯t want to argue with Simone on her birthday, so he changed the subject, looking at the jewelry box. in Carme¡¯s hand andughing. ¡°Is that for your mom?¡± Simone took the gift with a smile, opened it and was momentarily stunned, then her face lit up with surprise. ¡°The new release from GK Jewelry studio! It¡¯s still in the promotion phase, I heard there¡¯s only one set of each design, and they¡¯re pretty hard to get your hands on. Carme, did you buy this as a birthday present for mom?¡± A hint of astonishment shed in Carme¡¯s eyes, but she simply smiled and didn¡¯t deny it. ¡°As long as mom likes it!¡± 2/3 14:42 ¡°My sweet little girl!¡± Simone was moved to hug Carme, and any guilt she had for hitting Estelle instantly vanished Meanwhile, Estelle had left the Macin family and was walking back along the road. This was a vi Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. area with no buses, and even cabs were rare The rain hit the umbre, the sound was clear and chaotic Estelle walked at a steady pace, stepping in the puddles. The chilly spring rain mirrored her current mood As cars passed by on the road, in one of them, a Bentley, was a girl in the passenger seat who suddenly looked out of the window and said to the man in the backseat, ¡®Uncle, I see a ssmate of mine. There are no buses here, can we give her a lift?¡± Jonathan looked at the documents in his hand, his handsome face indifferent, and gave a slight nod Norah Lamont instructed the driver to reverse, rolled down the window, and called out to Estelle, ¡°Estelle, get in!¡± Estelle was taken aback, ¡°Norah?¡± The two were in the same department but they weren¡¯t exactly close. Norah gave a charming smile, ¡°Come on, get in and we¡¯ll talk.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Estelle expressed her gratitude, opened the car door, closed her umbre, and got in. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone sitting next to her, turned her head to have a look, and was instantly caught off guard. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Without lifting his head, Jonathan was speed reading the documents in his hand, looking all high and mighty and cold, totally unapproachable Norahughed and said, ¡®Estelle, are you here to be a tutor?¡± She knew Estelle lived in the poorer eastern suburbs, and here was the rich area, so she naturally assumed Estelle was here to make some extra cash as a private tutor Estelle smiled faintly, ¡°Good thing I ran into you¡± How did she forget that Norah was Jonathan¡¯s niece? They hadn¡¯t seen each other in almost three years, and now they¡¯d run into each other three times in one week. Estelle thought to herself, did Cupid just remember her? Norah turned to introduce Estelle, ¡°This is my young uncle!¡± Estelle pretended she didn¡¯t know already, and nodded, ¡°Mr. Lamont!¡± Hearing a familiar voice, Jonathan¡¯s gaze shifted and his eyes narrowed slightly. Estelle clutched the umbre handle, her heart in turmoil, thinking about how he might know she was a student at University of J City at most, so there was nothing to be nervous about. Norah, who was naturally warm and friendly, initiated a conversation with Estelle, ¡°Is Brooke chasing after Saul?¡± Remembering what happened yesterday, Estelle¡¯s eyes turned cold and she casually replied, ¡°Seems so!¡± Norahughed mockingly, ¡°The whole school knows Saul has liked you for three years, you two are so close! How could Saul ever take a liking to Brooke?¡± Instinctively. Estelle nced at Jonathan and smiled, ¡°Saul and I are just ssmates. It¡¯s none of my business who he gets together with.¡± Norah gave her a look that seemed to say ¡®yeah, right, like I buy it, and Estelle felt wronged. Whether her marriage was by agreement or not, she was still married now! When they got back to the city, there was a traffic jam due to an ident. Norah covered her stomach and said, ¡°When will this road open up? I¡¯m hungry. Why don¡¯t we go grab something to eat?¡± Estelle quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ll just get off here and go back to school myself.¡± ¡°Forget going back to school, it¡¯s already noon. Let¡¯s go have lunch together!¡± Norah made the decision without hesitation. Jonathan, who hadn¡¯t said anything the whole ride, looked at his watch and told Mird, ¡°Pull over.¡± There happened to be a French restaurant on the right, and the three of them went in and sat down. Fearing that Estelle might not be familiar with dining at such fancy restaurants, Norah took the initiative to order for her after asking her preferences. After ordering, Norah went to the restroom, leaving Jonathan and Estelle sitting at the table. Jonathan was leaning back against the sofa,zily checking his phone with half-closed eyes, his handsome. face was breath taking. Estelle¡¯s gaze fell on the man¡¯s handsome face, in a trance, remembering that night, when he was so passionate and gentle, yet fierce at times,pletely different from his current elegant demeanor. Looking back on that night, she wondered why had she given in so easily and even paid him a hundred dors. Was she out of her mind? But now, sitting here, looking at the handsome man across from her, she finally felt at peace; the money wasn¡¯t 1/3 14.42 spent in vain. Jonathan sensed the gaze on him and slightly furrowed his eyebrows, looking up at her Estelle shifted her gaze nonchntly to the window, her ears turning red Daydreaming, for shame! With a hint of curiosity, Jonathan¡¯s cool eyes met hers and his lips parted. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Estelle tensed up, and softly said, ¡°Estelle.¡± His handsome face remained expressionless, and his eyes showed no surprise, obviously having no recollection of the name In Estelle¡¯s mind, as expected, he never cared about the name of the woman he married Just as the dessert was served and Estelle¡¯s phone received a message, their conversation came to an abrupt end Clicked open her WhatsApp. Magdalen messaged, [E, guess who I saw? Jonathan! He¡¯s having lunch with a woman, and I couldn¡¯t see her face clearly. Dating a vixen as soon as he gets back to the country, does he even remember that he¡¯s married?] Estelle stared at her phone, feeling a mix of emotions, and it took her a while to reply. [Sorry, I¡¯m that vixen.] Magdalen Sampson was a long-time friend and confidante. Besides her father Bet, Magdalen was the only one who knew about Estelle¡¯s marriage to Jonathan. Magdalen sent a shocked emoji with its eyes popping out, then quickly texted, [How did you end up with Jonathan? Have you two formally met as husband and wife?] Husband and wife? Estelle looked at these words and found it hard to exin. She nced at Jonathan before texting back, [No, it¡¯s a coincidence. I¡¯ll exinter.] Magdalen¡¯s curiosity was piqued, and she wouldn¡¯t easily let it go, [I¡¯m on the third floor, I¡¯ming down to find you.] Estelle quickly texted back, [Stay put. Don¡¯t move!] Magdalen sent a pitiful emoji and Estelle ignored it. Just as she closed her phone, she suddenly smelled a light. and fresh perfume. A woman in a GK Jewelry Studio spring beige suit walked over, sitting directly next to Jonathan. With her exquisite makeup and elegant demeanor, she briefly nced at Estelle before yfullyining to Jonathan, ¡°I called you this morning to have lunch together and you said you were busy. Turns out you¡¯ve already had ns.¡± Jonathan¡¯s face remained cool, ¡°There¡¯s always a firste, first served rule.¡± The woman chuckled, her gaze on Estelle became sharper, ¡°Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Lucille Hammer. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. What¡¯s your name, Miss?¡± Estelle sensed the hostility and was just about to respond when Jonathan unexpectedly pushed the dessert. over to her. With a nearly imperceptible hint of affection, he said, ¡°You like raspberry mousse, don¡¯t you? Try this.¡± Estelle actually didn¡¯t like raspberry mousse, but she obediently picked up her spoon. Lucille¡¯s smile faltered, but she still tried to maintain it, ¡°Why are you being so protective? I was just asking for her name. I didn¡¯t mean any harm!¡± 2/3 14:42 Jonathan had a poker face, ¡°She¡¯s shy. Just a bit stranger anxiety¡¯ Estelle tried to swallow a mouthful of mousse with great effort. Lucille mocked, ¡°Shy? I think some girls are pretty gutsy. unting their good looks and looking for men everywhere. Jonathan, you better watch out¡± Jonathan crossed his knees, thin lips curled indifferently, ¡°As long as she¡¯s good looking. I¡¯m not asking for anything else¡¯ Estelle¡¯s hand shook once as she held the spoon, feeling like she couldn¡¯t continue to eat the cake Could they at least consider the feelings of the innocent bystander? Lucille didn¡¯t hide her displeasure this time, clearly feeling Jonathan¡¯s defense of the girl. She was frustrated but didn¡¯t dare to vent it on him. The problem was she had no right to be jealous either their parents were friends and her father wanted to set them up, but Jonathan never showed any interest. Knowing that she had to maintain herposure at this moment, Lucille gracefully stood up and smiled, ¡°I won¡¯t disturb your meal, I¡¯ll visit Auntie some other day.¡± Jonathan responded with an indifferent ¡°Mhm,¡± and Lucille, holding back her bitterness, left in her high heels. Estelle had eaten half of the cake on her te. Seeing the woman leave, she immediately put down her spoon. Jonathan looked over and his voice returned to its previous distant tone, ¡°Don¡¯t take it wrong.¡± Estelle calmly replied, ¡°I get it. You bought me a meal, I¡¯ll do you a favor, and we¡¯re even.¡± 3/3 Chapter 7 Chapter 7 A sh of surprise went past Jonathan¡¯s eyes as he looked at her for a moment longer Just then, Norah was back, sitting beside Estelle,ughing heartily. ¡°Ran into a high school ssmate and chatted for a bit The waiter served the main course, and the three of them began to eat. asionally, Norah would speak up. chatting with Estelle about their school days. After dinner, they bumped into Magdalen and her group as they headed out. Magdalen was treating some clients to dinner. They met at the entrance, and Magdalen raised an eyebrow at Estelle. The two pretended not to know each other, and brushed past. However, two senior executives recognized Jonathan and greeted him respectfully. The rain outside had stopped, and the road was clear. Mird drove the car over, and the three got in.. ¡°Estelle, where are you headed?¡± Norah, sitting in the passenger seat, asked, looking back. *Just drop me off at the entrance of University of J City if it¡¯s on your way,¡± Estelle replied. ¡°It¡¯s on our way, no problem, My uncle is quite easygoing.¡± Norah said with a meaningful smile. Estelleughed dryly, thinking that if she hadn¡¯t heard how sarcastic he could be, she might have believed Norah¡¯s words. As the car approached the school, she chatted with Norah while Jonathan sat silently next to them, going through some documents. His intense personal presence was hard to ignore. Seeing the couple together in the car, Estelle felt a peculiar sensation. The car stopped at the entrance of the University of J City, and Estelle said goodbye to Norah, ¡°Thanks, Norah.¡± ¡°No worries, just treat me to some drinks someday,¡± Norah said yfully, her eyes twinkling. Estelleughed and agreed. With her umbre and bag in hand, she turned to Jonathan and said, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Lamont.¡± Jonathan simply grunted in response. Estelle got out of the car, waved goodbye to Norah, and headed to the bus stop. Inside the car, Norah watched Estelle walk away, then suddenly turned to Jonathan, ¡°Uncle, I want Estelle to be Henson¡¯s tutor.¡± Her parents were often away, and they had recently gone to London for an economic conference, taking her grandparents as well. As soon as they left, Henson Lamont¡¯s tutor resigned, leaving Norah in charge of disciplining Henson, so she was in a hurry of finding someone to help her divide the burden¡­ Jonathan frowned, ¡°Why not hire a professional tutor instead of a student?¡± Norah huffed, ¡°The professionals can¡¯t handle him! Besides, Estelle needs the money for her tuition. I want to help her.¡± ¡°You can just give her money directly,¡± Jonathan retorted. ¡°She has her pride, okay?¡± Norahughed, ¡°Uncle, please agree. We can just give her a try. If she can¡¯t handle Henson, she¡¯ll quit on her own.¡± Jonathan snorted, thinking that controlling Henson would be a feat, ¡°Fine, let her try.¡± Norah excitedly nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll call her right away!¡± Estelle got off the bus at Maple Street, chatted with the store clerk, Emily, at the trams dessert shop for a while, and returned to the vi just before dark. 1/3 14:42 As soon as she entered, Max rushed over to her, eager for affection Max, a Samoyed, was Jonathan¡¯s dog Estelle had been taking care of him since he was three months old, and now he was three years old She couldn¡¯t help but feel like she was raising someone else¡¯s child There was also Wilma, the maid who looked after her in the vi, and the old butler, Mr Wagner The three of them and the dog had been living together for almost three years, bing as close as family After ying with Max for a while, she took a shower and received a call from Norah. Norah asked if she could go to their house and give Henson tutoring Tutoring at the Lamont family? Estelle imagined the scene, then shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not a professional tutor, and I don¡¯t want to hold Henson back. You should find someone from a tutoring agency¡± ¡°We¡¯ve tried a bunch of professionals, Henson likes none of them. Estelle, please help me out. My family¡¯s not home, and my uncle¡¯s busy Can you just do me this favor?¡± Norah pleaded yfully. After being pestered by Norah for some time, Estelle finally agreed to give it a try. Til be waiting for you at our house tomorrow morning. Don¡¯t let me down!¡± Norah quickly hung up the phone, fearing that Estelle might change her mind. Estelle looked at her phone and blinked helplessly, wondering what was going on. Soon after, a message from Norah arrived, ¡°Estelle, where do you live? I¡¯ll have the driver pick you up tomorrow morning.¡± Estelle replied, ¡°9 a.m., I¡¯ll be waiting at the entrance of University of J City.¡± ¡°Deal!¡± After hanging up, Estelle felt dazed. Max jumped up onto the couch and bit her pajamas. Lying on Max, Estelleughed softly. ¡°Tomorrow I¡¯m going to see your master. Do you have any messages for him?¡± Max looked at her nkly. Estelle patted his big head and giggled, ¡°Silly dog!¡± That night, she talked on the phone with Magdalen, who was shocked to learn Estelle was going to tutor Jonathan¡¯s nephew. Magdalen excitedly said, ¡°Sweet E, this is your chance! Now you can go see him. legitimately, seduce him, pin him down, sleep with him before the agreement ends, and then throw the divorce papers in his face. That¡¯ll show him!¡± Estelle paused for a moment, then hung up the phone. She was afraid that if she listened any longer, Magdalen would brainwash her. But she really needs to think about how she should deal with Jonathan if she¡¯s gonna run into him often at the Lamont family gatherings. The next day, at 8:50 am, Estelle arrived at the entrance of the University of J City. After waiting for five minutes, a Mercedes stopped in front of her. The driver got out of the car and politely asked, ¡°Are you Ms. Macin?¡± Estelle nodded, ¡°Yes!¡± The driver became even more polite, ¡°Miss asked me to pick you up.¡± 2/3 This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. 14:42 ????? Estelle thanked him and got into the car. The Lamont family¡¯s old house was located in the south of the city The outer wall was a ck hollow iron railing with vines all over it. The car drove along the flower wall for ten minutes before reaching the entrance Through the ck iron gate, a single-family vi and garden could be seen. The servant standing at the entrance nodded at her and opened the door for her to enter Estelle took off her shoes and stepped inside. Before she had time to observe the interior decoration of the vi, she caught a glimpse of a ck shadow rushing towards her from the corner of her eye Estelle¡¯s face changed drastically in an instant, and she raised her legs and ran inside. Seeing someoneing down the stairs, before she had time to think, she jumped up and hugged the man, and then quickly jumped up, her arms tightly hugging the man¡¯s neck. She was afraid of all dogs in the world, except Max! ¡°Milo!¡± The man¡¯s voice was dull, with a warning tone. The approaching dog suddenly stopped at Jonathan¡¯s feet, curiously looking up and scanning Estelle. Jonathan turned his head to look at the woman hanging on his body, his handsome face darkened, ¡°Get down, or I¡¯ll use you of harassment!¡± Estelle blinked and looked at the man¡¯s tense side profile, then her gaze fell on the scar behind his ear. After all these years, the scar had be very light, almost invisible, but the presence of such a mark on a pampered man still stood out. Jonathan frowned and tried to shake Estelle off. Estelle tightened her grip on his shoulders first, whispering. ¡°You make it go away first!¡± Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Jonathan nced at her slightly chubby baby face, fair and soft, with a faint blush spreading from the base of her ears, like a cloud flushed with twilight, revealing the innocence of her youth. She looked more like a high schooler than a college student Feeling a bit of elder¡¯s pity, he subdued his own irritation, waved Milo off, and said casually. ¡°You can Estelle looked back before pretending to calmly jump down,nding behind him and avoiding eye contact with the staring dog. Jonathan seemed to chuckle as he walked towards Milo. She,te to realize, had been so close to him that she caught a whiff of his scent, like a cold spring in early spring, chilly and clear, with hints of wood. He walked over to Milo, squatted and patted its neck, saying lightly, ¡°Milo usually doesn¡¯t attack people.¡± But Estelle sensed something off in his words-what did he mean? Didn¡¯t she look like a good person? Only then did she realize he had a purebred adult German Shepherd, even bigger and more intimidating than most. She looked down and adopted his indifferent attitude, ¡°How familiar,. You can hear it all the time in the news where innocent people get bitten by dogs.¡± Jonathan paused, his dark eyes flicking over, and let out a scoff, ¡°A little girl with such a sarcastic tone!¡± Estelle was about to retort when Norah, with a big smile, came running down the stairs, ¡°Estelle, you¡¯re here!¡± Norah had worn delicate makeup, she greeted Estelle warmly and introduced her, ¡°My parents aren¡¯t home, and we don¡¯t have a lot of peopleing here. This is my uncle, whom you met yesterday. Just call him ¡®Uncle!¡± Estelle looked at Jonathan with a surprised expression, but kept her lips sealed. Jonathan, seemingly holding a grudge for the previous remark, gave her a cold look, ¡°No greetings for your elders? I¡¯m starting to doubt your qualifications as a tutor.¡± Norah, clueless about Jonathan¡¯s issue with Estelle, shot him a warning look, which he ignored. Estelle took a deep breath, finally squeezing out a begrudging. ¡°Uncle!¡± Jonathan gave a nomittal grunt and sat down on the sofa with Milo. As she observed Jonathan¡¯s arrogant demeanor, Estelle suddenly believed the rumors that he used to be the big bully of J City. ¡°Henson¡¯s upstairs; I¡¯ll take you to meet him.¡± Norah¡¯s smile unfolded as she led Estelle upstairs. Walking on the wooden floor, Estelle couldn¡¯t help but notice how cozy the man and his German Shepherd appeared together. Feeling a pang of sadness for Max, who clearly still missed Jonathan, often listening outside his former study for any trace of his former master, even as Jonathan had long found a ¡°new favorite¡± and forgotten about Max. As they turned the corner, Norah apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Estelle, I didn¡¯t mean to put you in an awkward situation on your first visit. You might don¡¯t know my uncle. But he is very protective. You called him uncle today, and he answered. If you ever need help, just ask him.¡± Estelle thought to herself, she wouldn¡¯t need his help! Still, she gave a polite smile, ¡°Thank you, Norah.¡± Norah responded, ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. We may not have been close in school, but I¡¯ve always admired you and wanted us to be friends.¡± 1/3 14.42 Estelle beamed, ¡°We¡¯re friends I¡¯ Norah¡¯sughter was particrly sweet. As Norah reached out to take Estelle¡¯s hand, though Estelle Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. stiffened momentarily, she didn¡¯t shy away. Outside Henson¡¯s room, Norah knocked and called out, ¡°Henson, Iming in No one inside answered, so Norah pushed the door straight in The door opened to a small foyer, to the right a bathroom and to the left the bedroom, decorated in a style that boys would loveics, space, replicas of firearms, a bit of everything but not messy A 10-year-old boy was curled up on the couch, ying games on a tablet, not looking up at their entry ¡°Henson, this is your new tutor, and she¡¯s my friend. Do not bully her, got it?¡± Henson gave a nomittal ¡°oh¡± before resuming his game. Norah inhaled deeply, keeping her cool, not wanting Estelle to get discouraged, ¡°My brother can be difficult. Don¡¯t give up on him!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Estelle gave her a reassuring nce. Despite her irritation with Jonathan, Norah was very kind to her. Norah led Estelle around the room, inputting Jonathan¡¯s number into her phone, then said in a low voice, ¡°I had an appointment, so I¡¯ll leave you and Henson to get acquainted. If he gives you any trouble, just get my uncle.¡± Estelle felt that even if she was kicked out of the Lamont family by Henson, Jonathan wouldn¡¯t care about her! Norah left, and Estelle walked around the room before stopping at Henson¡¯s desk, where his untouched homeworky. She sat down next to him and said softly, ¡°You don¡¯t do your homework and make a big fuss¡­ are you trying to get your parents¡¯ attention?¡± As soon as they left, his tutor had resigned, obviously Henson was deliberately pissing off the tutor! Henson¡¯s hands faltered as he yed, giving her a dark look that was too malicious for his age, ¡°Mind your own business, or I¡¯ll make sure you won¡¯tst a day! Estelle didn¡¯t flinch, insisting, ¡°Rebellion is a childish way to seek parental attention.¡± Henson clenched his tablet and refused to speak. Leaning in, Estelle said, ¡°You¡¯re ying games. How about doing your homework first, then I¡¯ll y with you?¡± Henson scoffed, ¡°You were just making fun of me for being childish, and now you¡¯re trying to trick me like a child. Are all you adults this hypocritical?¡± Estelle frowned, ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m still a kid too!¡± Henson couldn¡¯t help but snicker when he saw her serious face, so he turned his head and let out a littleugh. Estelle rolled her eyes and took out her phone, ¡°Forget it, I don¡¯t have the skills to handle this, but since I¡¯m here, I¡¯ll y a game with you for a bit and then I¡¯m out.¡± Henson eyed her suspiciously. Estelle had already started the game and looked at him nonchntly, ¡°I¡¯m serious, I didn¡¯t n to tutor you anyway. Teaching rich kids isn¡¯t a piece of cake. It was your sister who felt sorry for me and insisted Ie!¡± Henson frowned, ¡°Why would she feel sorry for you?¡± Estelle pursed her lips, her voice bing softer, ¡°I had no parents growing up, it was my grandpa who worked hard to raise me and paid for my tuition. Just a few days ago, he got sick, and I wanted to earn some money to get him to see a doctor.¡± 2/3 14:42 As she said this, Estelle even choked up a little. Henson furrowed his brows even more and hesitated for a moment. He put down his tablet. So being my tutor will give you enough money to help your grandpa¡±¡± Estelle felt a secret joy because she had guessed correctly that Norah had a stronger rtionship with hes grandparents than her parents, so when she heard about someone else¡¯s grandpa being ill, he¡¯d feel empathy Estelle looked at him with round, watery eyes hiding her sorrow, and said frankly. ¡°Yeah, tutoring you pays more than others, and it would help me to get my grandpa to see a doctor sooner Henson rolled his eyes, putting on a reluctant face. ¡°Fine then, I¡¯ll let you stay, but it¡¯s only because of your grandpa¡¯ Estelle wanted tough; he didn¡¯t even know who her grandpa was, yet he imed to do it for his sake! She kept a straight face, acting somewhat troubled, ¡°It won¡¯t be enough for me to stay, you have to cooperate with me and finish your homework as quickly as possible. If I can¡¯t prove my worth as your tutor, your uncle will kick me out soon. Rich people¡¯s money ain¡¯t easy to make!¡± ¡°What a pain!¡± Henson threw down his tablet and walked over to his desk, ¡°Hurry up and get started! And don¡¯t forget what you said earlier when we¡¯re done with the homework, y games with me!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Estelle stood up, grinning. Jonathan had been waiting downstairs for an hour. When he passed by Henson¡¯s room on his way upstairs, he wondered whether Estelle could actually discipline Henson. The door was half-open, and before he got close, he heard Estelle shouting from inside,¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to die!¡± ¡°Where are you? Save me!¡± Henson¡¯s annoyed voice rang out simultaneously. ¡°You noob, what the heck were you trying to blow up? That was me!¡± ¡°What?¡± Jonathan pushed open the door and entered, just as Estelle looked up, probably still lost in the game, with a dumbfounded expression on her face! ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± The man asked with a stern face. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Estelle instinctively wanted to hide her hand behind her, but then she thought that this action would seem too guilty, so she held back and didn¡¯t move. In the game, she had blown up Henson, and she herself had been killed by someone else with a single shot Henson resisted the urge to kick Estelle to death, but instead defended her, saying. ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m done with my homework!¡± Jonathan was a bit surprised, nced over Estelle¡¯s face, and walked towards the desk, ¡®Let me seel Henson showed his homework to Jonathan, and, as expected, it was allpleted and corrected. The mistakes were fixed, and some even had summaries. Jonathan became even more amazed and looked at Estelle. Estelle stared back with her clear, big eyes, ¡°I promised Henson that I¡¯d y the game with him after finishing the homework.¡± Jonathan smiled faintly, put down the homework, and said to Henson, ¡°Good job, keep ying!¡± After saying this, he left the room. Estelle let out a breath without changing her expression, and exchanged a nce with Henson, both feeling like they had survived a disaster. Henson mocked, ¡°Are you so afraid of my uncle?¡± Estelle blurted out, ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± Henson raised his eyebrows, ¡°My uncle would scold me when he¡¯s angry, but he¡¯s not gonna scold you, what are you afraid of?¡± ¡°I, Estelle stammered, awkwardly saying, ¡°Who said I¡¯m afraid of him?¡± Henson looked at her sarcastically. Estelle, annoyed, picked up her phone, ¡°Forget about your uncle, let¡¯s continue the game.¡± Henson opened his tablet, threatening, ¡°If you dare blow me up again, I¡¯ll shoot you first!¡± Estelleughed guiltily, ¡°No more, no more!¡± When Estelle left, she didn¡¯t see Jonathan. It was still the driver who sent her back. As soon as she left the vi, her mood suddenly brightened. With some people, you don¡¯t need to see them. Just in the same room with them will put you under tremendous pressure. Jonathan hadn¡¯t gone out all morning. During lunch, therge dining table wasid out with a vorful ten-course meal and a soup, but Jonathan and Henson were the only two people eating. Jonathan took a few sips of soup, put down the spoon, and asked, ¡°How do you feel about the new teacher?¡± ¡°Not bad!¡± Henson nodded. Jonathan mocked, ¡°Because she ys games with you?¡± Henson unimpressed, ¡°There are many people who are willing to y games with me, but I didn¡¯t say they are. good!¡± He looked proud, ¡°Actually, I just pity her!¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°Why is she pitiable?¡± Jonathan asked casually. 1/4 Henson frowned, ¡°She didn¡¯t have parents since childhood, only a grandfather, who is sick ¡° Jonathan raised his eyebrows, Did she tell you that?¡± ¡°Yeah¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t keep her just for this reason Im hiring a tutor, not helping the poor Jonathan said indifferently Henson thought for a moment. It¡¯s not entirely because of that Anyway, I can actually follow her lessons¡± ¡°Okay¡± Jonathan didn¡¯t say anything else, ¡°As long as you can ept her, then let¡¯s settle this¡± Henson nodded in agreement. Jonathan suddenly felt that whether Estelle was really miserable or just pretending, she did have some talent Estelle took the Lamont family¡¯s car and got off at the University of J City. She then took a bus back to the vi After passing the eastern suburbs, the road gradually widened, and the green trees on both sides formed a canopy. Therge forest park, the famous Whispering Lake of J City and the rolling mountains could be seen. High-scale vi districts were hidden among the green trees, with beautiful scenery and fresh air. Compared to the crowded and noisy city center, this ce was heaven on earth. As she went to pick up her bike, Emily from the coffee store called out to her, ¡°E,e in!¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Estelle replied. She entered the store which wasn¡¯t too crowded, with a few groups of customers sitting in the corners. Emily pulled Estelle over to a wooden chair by the floor-to-ceiling window, ¡°Hang on!¡± Estelle saw a wooden table with a ss vase containing blooming yellow daisies, which perfectly matched the refreshing day. Emily brought over a wooden tray filled with pastries and put them one by one on the table: a peach pudding, a chocte mousse, and arge cup of passion fruit iced tea.. Estelle¡¯s eyes sparkled ¨C she loved all of these. ¡°Enjoy, they¡¯re all yours!¡± Emily had a round face, big eyes, ck-rimmed sses, and when she smiled, two dimples appeared on her cheeks she looked very cute. Estelle began eating the pudding with her spoon. Emily propped her face up with her hands and grinned at her. Estelle would always leave her bike outside the coffee store when she went out. After doing that a few times, the two became friends. ¡°E, during your summer vacation this year, you can do an internship. Do you have any ideas what you want to do?¡± Emily asked. Estelle held her spoon and shook her head, ¡°Haven¡¯t thought about it yet.¡± ¡°So, do you have any dreams or things you want to do?¡± Estelle thought for a moment and said earnestly. ¡°I want to buy Vi del Sol.¡± She loved Vi del Sol, but it wasn¡¯t hers. If she and Jonathan divorced, she would have to move out. Emily tapped the table, ¡°Can you think of something more realistic?¡± Estelle stopped talking, finished her pudding, and started eating cake. 214 ¡°By the way, E, have you ever encountered Jonathan while working at Vi del Sol? Emity suddenly asked with a gossipy tone Emily had always thought Estelle was working at Vi del Sol to earn tuition fees Estelle replied truthfully, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Emily rested her chin, ¡°That¡¯s a pity!¡± Emily was studying architectural design, and it was said that Vi del Sol¡¯s vi was designed and built by Jonathan himself. She had always admired Jonathan. After chatting for a while, Estelle got up to leave, and Emily gave her another piece of cake. Estelle took the cake, rode her electric bike, turned around Maple Street, and entered Vi del Sol. Vi del Sol was a hill, a privately-owned little hill. On both sides of the winding road, there were towering trees blocking out the sunpletely. As soon as you step onto the green path, the heat vanishes, and you feel refreshed and energetic. The vi was located halfway up the hill. When a small bike driving towards it, the carved iron gate automatically opens. Inside, there¡¯s a vast and neatly maintainedwn, a ss greenhouse, centuries- old flowering trees¡­ To the right of the bluestone path is the main living area with an American-style design. Through therge floor-to-ceiling windows, you can see Max lying on the pure white carpet. Seeing her enter, Max races out. Estelle squats down and hugs Max, thinking about the dog that Jonathan has now, feeling a bit heartbroken. She pats the cake box in her hand, I¡¯ll share half of this with youter!¡± Max gets even more excited, spinning around Estelle non-stop. Once inside the house, before Wilmaes out of the kitchen, Max has already brought over the soft slippers, waiting for Estelle to change her shoes. ¡°Why are you so well-behaved today?¡± Estelle says with a warm smile. Wilmaes out, takes the cake from Estelle¡¯s hand, andughs gently, ¡°If you wanted cake, ma¡¯am, you could¡¯ve just told me. The ones from outside aren¡¯t that good.¡± ¡°It¡¯s from Emily!¡± Estelle exins. Wilma loves to make her all kinds of snacks and doesn¡¯t like her eating stuff from outside. Knowing Emily, Wilma smiles and nods, ¡°Then tomorrow, I¡¯ll have Mr. Wagner bring some fresh fruits to Emily when he goes out.¡± ¡°Just do it as you see fit!¡± Estelleughs and heads upstairs with Max. After taking a shower and sharing the cake with Max, Estelle gets a call. She nces at the phone and answers, ¡°Jason.¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± The man¡¯s voice is deep and maic, with a subtle hint of a smile. ¡°Eating.¡± Estelle sips the cream from her fingertip. ¡°Today, Lady Copnd, the third wife, called and specifically asked King himself to design a jade ne. The offer is 10 million, just for the design fee.¡± Estelle raises her eyebrows. The third wife of the Copnd family? She¡¯s quite generous this time.¡± This third wife is a senior VIP of GK Jewelry Studio, a former model. Although she married into a wealthy family, she¡¯s a bit petty. She buys hundreds of thousands of jewelry pieces, but haggles over a thousand-dor packaging box with the salesperson. Howe she suddenly became this generous this time? ¡°Next month is Old Mrs. Copnd¡¯s 80th birthday, and it¡¯s almost time to divide the family property. The third wife wants a bigger share, so she has to find a way to please the olddy. Are you avable? Do you want to 3/4 take the job?¡± Estelle chuckles, ¡°Why not? Money is there for the take. A month should be enough.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll let her know tomorrow.¡± Jason pauses, and then asks, ¡°When are youing to the design studio?¡± Estelle yfully rolls her eyes, sucking on a yogurt straw, ¡°How about the weekend? I¡¯ll let you know.¡± ¡°Great, see you then!¡± Chapter 10 Chapter 10 It was past 10 PM when Norah got home and saw Jonathan sitting on the living room couch. She rolled her eyes, gave a wink to the maid who was going to talk to her, and tiptoed upstairs. ¡°Come here the man leaned on the sofa¡¯s backrest, holding a book in his hands, and spoke calmly Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Knowing that she couldn¡¯t avoid him, Norah boldly walked over. ¡°Uncle, you¡¯re still awake?¡± Jonathan looked at her. ¡°No wonder you¡¯re so eager to find a tutor, turns out you¡¯re busy going on dates. You got a boyfriend?¡± ¡°No!¡± Norah shook her head immediately. I just went shopping with my ssmates!¡± ¡°Your boyfriend is your ssmate?¡± Jonathan stated. Realizing she couldn¡¯t hide it from her uncle, she sat down and honestly said, ¡°Yes, I have a boyfriend. I know our family is special, but can you not investigate him and not follow us? I just want a normal rtionship. Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s very good, and I¡¯ve never told him anything about our family.¡± Jonathan put down the book, took a sip of tea before slowly saying, ¡°It¡¯s normal to have a rtionship in your junior year. I won¡¯t investigate, but you should be careful. Your parents aren¡¯t home, and I¡¯m responsible for you.¡± Norah¡¯s face lit up with a smile. ¡°Thank you, Uncle! You¡¯re the best!¡± ¡°No need to butter me up. Go to bed,¡± Jonathanughed and added, ¡°Oh, right. Henson epted your ssmate as his tutor. Have here by again next week,¡± ¡°Really?¡± Norah¡¯s grin grew even wider, and while grabbing her phone, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell her right away!¡± Jonathan heard Norah call out as she walked to the center of the stairs, ¡°Estelle, are you asleep?¡± The other one on the phone said something, and Norahughed, ¡°My uncle said you did a good job teaching. my brother, so you¡¯re officially Henson¡¯s tutor now! Every Saturday and Sunday morning. What do you think?¡± Lowering his eyes, he unconsciously furrowed his brow. When did he say she did well? As Norah disappeared upstairs, the man figured he didn¡¯t need to argue with a young girl and continued reading his book. On Monday afternoon, Estelle and Blythe went to ss together, and as they walked past thenguage building, a group of people rushed over. The guy at the front was tall and handsome, his eyes fixed on Estelle. ¡°It¡¯s Saul!¡± Blythe excitedly tugged Estelle¡¯s sleeve. Seeing the bouquet of roses in Saul¡¯s hand, Estelle frowned and tried to leave the scene. However, she was blocked by Brooke and a few other girls, all looking unfriendly. Brooke liked Saul, but Saul liked Estelle-it was the hot gossip around the University of J City. In seconds, Saul was in front of her, his attention unwavering, his voice gentle. ¡°Estelle, I like you. Be my girlfriend!¡± Blythe was more excited than Estelle, pinching her arm and giving her signals to say yes. Saul was rich, handsome, and student council president. Such a remarkable person has been steadfastly in love with Estelle for three years. What more could she want? The crowd chanted, ¡°Kiss! Kiss!¡± The noise was deafening. A man passing the hallway in the administration building noticed themotion and looked downstairs, his pace slowed down as he recognized a familiar figure. Estelle took a deep breath. She had shut the world out once, and she tried hard to be gentle and adapt since. But the noise was too much, and she couldn¡¯t help feeling irritated. She looked at Saul, seriously said, ¡°I don¡¯t like you!¡± Saul¡¯s smile stiffened but was unwilling to give up since they were graduating soon. He fell to one knee, his face resolute. ¡°Estelle, don¡¯t test me anymore. You like me, and I know it!¡± He didn¡¯t see a reason for Estelle to refuse him and she was only ying hard to catch. ¡°I¡¯m not testing you. I really don¡¯t like you!¡± Estelle replied emotionlessly. Saul looked up at her, and the others fell silent. The atmosphere became awkward. Standing up, Saul was in disbelief-this was his first public confession, and he¡¯d put his reputation on the line. He tried to brush it off. ¡°Estelle, if you don¡¯t want so many people watching, we can talk somewhere quiet.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve made myself clear enough,¡± Estelle didn¡¯t budge. She believed in rejecting someone decisively, as ambiguity would only hurt both sides. Saul¡¯s face got darker. ¡°You really don¡¯t like me?¡± ¡°Not at all!¡± Estelle answered without hesitation. Saul dropped the roses, and his face turned pale. He red at Estelle, then turned to Brooke. ¡°Do you want to be with me?¡± Brooke hesitated, clenched her teeth, then walked over, asking, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Saul looked at Estelle, pulled Brooke closer, and kissed her passionately. There were gasps all around! Estelle rolled her eyes, turned, and left. Blythe snapped out of her shock and followed. ¡°Estelle!¡± Saul suddenly shouted hoarsely. Estelle stopped, but didn¡¯t look back. ¡°If you take one more step, you¡¯re going to regret it!¡± Saul¡¯s eyes were red, staring at Estelle with rage. Estelle continued walking away without looking back. Brooke pushed Saul¡¯s arm away and yelled, ¡°What am I to you?¡± Then, ring at Estelle, she stomped off. On the third floor, Jonathan watched the drama unfold silently, his hands in his pockets. ¡°Jonathan!¡± Mr. Ingram approached, his elegant smile shining. ¡°What are you doing here? Come inside, and I¡¯ll make you a nice cup of tea!¡± Jonathan nced at the girl who had already walked away and gave a subtle smile, ¡°It¡¯s stuffy inside, just getting some fresh air.¡± ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, I had to deal with something. Let¡¯s talk in my office.¡± Mr. Ingram courteously ushered Jonathan into his office. Downstairs, Saul angrily left with a sullen look, followed by everyone else dispersing. Blythe looked back at Saul¡¯s retreating figure with regret, and couldn¡¯t help butin to Estelle, ¡°What were you thinking? You don¡¯t think Saul is good enough? Who do you think is good enough for you then? If Saul really ends up with Brooke, you¡¯ll be crying your eyes out!¡± Estelle looked helpless, ¡°I really don¡¯t like him. Do I have to ept him just because he likes me?¡± ¡°Who do you like then?¡± Estelle hesitated, ¡°No one!¡± Tad Een locked at her with sig surprise you forget something at home when you fushed out today? Blythe rand on mystrom. ¡°What thing? Blythe finally got it and reached to pinch Estelle¡¯s arm You a brat. Exteller fm trying to hate you and you dare to tease me Exteleughed and ran away Knock it off Today in the ss of your crush, you are gonna bete ¡± Chapter 11 Chapter 11 The French teacher is a French man with elegant looks. Blythe often talks about him, saying that he¡¯s her Prince Charming and her crush. As they walked into the ssroom for ss, many people looked at Estelle. They must have seen or heard about what happened earlier downstairs. People¡¯s reactions were mixed, with some admiring Estelle and others scoffing at her for being stuck-up and not appreciating Saul¡¯s attention. Estelle seemed unaffected and sat down with her friend, ready for ss. After the ss, and Blythe took the chance to get closer to her ¡°crush¡± by asking questions. Estelle waited for her in the ssroom. After waiting for 10 minutes, Estelle went to the bathroom as Blythe was still not finished. Just as she was returning to the ss, she bumped into Brooke and her entourage. Brooke stared at Estelle with a gloomy face, blocking her way and warning her in amanding tone, ¡°Stay away from Saul!¡± Estelle replied calmly. ¡°You should talk to Saul about that.¡± Brooke¡¯s face changed instantly, and she tried to p Estelle in front of everyone, hoping to help Saul pick up his dignity. However, Estelle kicked Brooke¡¯s left leg before her hand could even touch her. Brooke¡¯s leg was broken instantly! Estelle¡¯s delicate and elegant features would give people the illusion that she is easy to bully. In reality, she¡¯s quick and decisive in solving problems and never talks more than needed. An hourter, Estelle was standing in the principal¡¯s office, and Brooke had been sent to the hospital. Brooke¡¯s father, Murray Hester, was arguing with the school advisor. The advisor defended Estelle, iming that it was self-defense since Brooke attacked her first. Murray angrily. pointed at him, ¡°Why are you protecting this little whore so much? She seduced Brooke¡¯s boyfriend; she¡¯s clearly not a good person. Are you two having an affair?¡± These words made the advisor¡¯s face pale with anger. ¡°Watch your mouth!¡± The principal backed him up. warning Murray that they could sue him for defamation. Murray was furious with embarrassment, ¡°I don¡¯t care about what¡¯s going on between you two, but I demand. justice for Brooke. If you don¡¯t expel this brat, give me back the 10 million dors I donated to the school!¡± The Hester family was wealthy, and Murray donated 10 million dors to the University of J City for a new libraryst year. ¡°I contributed to the University of J City, and now you¡¯re treating me like this because of some poor student? Give me my money back now!¡± Murray demanded arrogantly. ¡°Then please give us a few more days, President Hester,¡± the principal said, unable toe up with 10 millig dors on the spot. But the principal is a man of letters and has his own moral. ¡°No negotiation, give it back now!¡± Murray insisted. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the money!¡± A cold, maic voice came from behind the sofa. A tall figure stood up and walked over. Murray stared at the man, dumbstruck. ¡°L- Mr. Lamont?¡± Estelle, who had been standing in the back, looked up suddenly. 1/2 14:4 There had been someone sitting on the sofa throughout the argument, his back to everyone, so no one saw his face. Estelle was calm earlier, but now she was a bit uneasy, not expecting to run into Jonathan in this situation, and especially with Murray¡¯s loud usations, he must have heard everything. Murray lost all his bravado since Lamont was much more influential. Mr. Ingram, the principal, said, ¡°Jonathan, this is a matter between the school and one of our students, don¡¯t need to get involved.¡± you Murray didn¡¯t know that Mr. Ingram and Jonathan had a friendship, and he quickly put on a smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t know Mr. Lamont was here. You don¡¯t have to give the money back. I was just kidding.¡± Jonathan ignored him, called his assistant to transfer 20 million dors to the school, hung up, and told Mr. Ingram, ¡°Give him the interests as well!¡± Murray¡¯s face turned pale. He had just offended Jonathan before even getting a chance to kiss up to him. Seeing the situation was resolved, Mr. Ingram didn¡¯t say more, and the money was transferred. Murray left awkwardly, thinking about how to regain his dignity in front of Jonathan. The principal and the counselor went out together to see Murray off, leaving Estelle and Jonathan alone in the office. Estelle felt awkward. She was the Lamont family¡¯s tutor and Henson¡¯s teacher. Now she was standing here because of a fight, which was paid for by Jonathan to settle the matter. Feeling that she should say something, Estelle looked up at Jonathan. She was about to speak when Jonathan said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t thank me; I didn¡¯t do it for you.¡± Estelle held her breath, feeling suffocated by his biting words but managed to say, ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to thank you!¡± Jonathan looked down at her, ¡°Judging by how you kicked Brooke¡¯s leg, have you been trained somewhere else?¡± The surveince footage in the hallway has been checked, and Jonathan saw it too. At that time Brooke was imposing, hitting with a quick and hard hand, Estelle did not blink and kicked Brooke in the leg. And how could an ordinary girl possibly break someone¡¯s leg with just one kick? A shadow flickered in Estelle¡¯s eyes, she said calmly, ¡°I had some self-defense training when I was young.¡± Jonathan nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fair. I won¡¯t expel you because of this.¡± Estelle was about to speak when she heard footsteps approaching, so she stopped talking and lowered her head. Jonathan found her pretending to be well-behaved a bit amusing. Mr. Ingram came in, looked at Estelle and said earnestly, ¡°Estelle, I believe you¡¯re a good student, but no matter what, you shouldn¡¯t have used violence. Don¡¯t let it ruin your future.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. With her long eyshes lowered, Estelle nodded gently, ¡°Yes, thank you, Principal.¡± ¡°Thank me?!¡± Mr. Ingram said with a gentle smile, ¡°You should thank Mr. Lamont; he¡¯s the one who helped you!¡± Estelle took a subtle deep breath, stepped forward, raised her head, and softly said, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Lamont!¡± Jonathan¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, only a hint of mockery shone in his eyes, seemingly teasing her previous words of not thanking him, ¡°No need to thank me, but,¡± Jonathan spoke unhurriedly, ¡°as a student, it¡¯s best to know your ce and not tarnish the century-old reputation of the University of J City with all these messy incidents.¡± Estelle¡¯s face paled, biting her lip, not saying a word. 5/3 Mr. Ingram stepped in to defuse the situation and redirected the conversation, ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry for making you spend 20 million out of the blue. The school will repay it Jonathan gave Estelle a side nce, ¡°Let her repay it!¡± Estelle gasped and stared at him incredulously. Mr. Ingram thought Jonathan was joking, smiling warmly at Estelle, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, Estelle, you should go home. School will take care of this.¡± Estelle thanked Mr. Ingram again and didn¡¯t dare look at Jonathan. She turned around and left the office. After Estelle left, Mr. Ingram invited Jonathan to sit back down andughed, ¡°Don¡¯t scare her, she¡¯s just a kid!¡± Jonathan smiled lightly, ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s scared at all. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Blythe had been waiting for Estelle in the office building Seeing here out, Blythe immediately ran over and asked, ¡°So, what did the advisor say? How are they gonna punish you?¡± Estelle, carrying a backpack with both hands on the straps, replied calmly, ¡°Why would they punish me? It was self-defense!¡± Blythe looked at her disbelievingly, ¡°Brooke¡¯s leg is broken, and her dad came in all angry. You think they¡¯ll just let it go?¡± Estelle chuckled, ¡°Well, it¡¯s all settled now!¡± Although Blythe had doubts, she breathed a sigh of relief, followed Estelle out of school while murnbling, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. If I hadn¡¯t been obsessed with my crush, we would¡¯ve left earlier, and this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡± Estelle didn¡¯t mind, ¡°Brooke seemed prepared, maybe she was waiting for me out there. Leaving early orte wouldn¡¯t make a difference!¡± ¡°Serves her right for breaking her leg!¡± Blythe was furious, but then her expression changed, and her eyes lit up while looking at Estelle. ¡°Estelle, have you practiced martial arts? Teach me how to take down Brooke with just one move!¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Estelle pursed her lips, ¡°It was probably just a coincidence!¡± Blythe rolled her eyes, ¡°I got excited for nothing, I thought you were from some mysterious martial arts family!¡± Estelle sneered, ¡°Watch fewer novels; they¡¯re not good for your brain development!¡± As they talked andughed, they slowly walked out of the school gate. Just outside the gate, Blythe tugged Estelle¡¯s arm and gestured to the left, ¡°Look, it¡¯s Angel Carme!¡± Estelle looked over to see a Mercedes parked by the side of the road. The driver had stepped out and was helping Carme into the car. Many people stopped and stared, girls filled with envy and boys filled with admiration. Some even shouted ¡°Goddess!¡± Blythe sighed, ¡°Why is Carme so lucky? Good at academics, pretty and born into a rich family! If I had just one of these things, I¡¯d worship the god for treating me well!¡± Estelle averted her gaze, smiling, ¡°Thest two are predetermined, but you can work hard on the first one!¡± ¡°Forget it, with my IQ, I can¡¯t catch up even if I work hard. But you can!¡± Blythe turned to look at Estelle, ¡°Honestly, if you had a rich dad, the Campus Queen title wouldn¡¯t belong to anyone else. Unfortunately, you lost to Carme in family background, so you can only be a Campus Princess.¡± Estelle nodded in agreement, ¡°You can secretly call me the Campus Queen.¡± Blythe burst intoughter, dragging Estelle to buy ice cream across the street, ¡°Stop dreaming! It¡¯s my treat today to help you calm down!¡± ¡°Then I want two!¡± Estelle took advantage. ¡°Fine, you¡¯re pretty, so you get to decide!¡± Carme returned to the vi by car. Today Bet came home early, and the family of three had dinner together. Sitting at the main seat of the table, Bet said to Simone, ¡°When you have time, call Estelle and invite her home for dinner this weekend.¡± Simone looked up, ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just invite Estelle for dinner without any reason? Bet frowned slightly. ¡°Besides, there was a misunderstanding on your birthday. If we meet, the misunderstanding will be cleared up.¡± Simone felt guilty and said, ¡°You call her then!¡± Carme scooped a spoonful of sd for Simone, smiling softly, ¡°Dad¡¯s right. There¡¯s no overnight hatred among family members. I¡¯ll make a cake for Estelle this weekend.¡± Simone looked pleased, ¡°Carme is so thoughtful! Oh, by the way.¡± She put down her spoon and quickly said, ¡°Mr. Mullins called me this afternoon. He mentioned there¡¯s an art exhibition at the art museum in early June. He suggested you prepare a painting that might be exhibited there.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Carme¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°I¡¯ll start preparing right away!¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Simone nodded. After dinner, Carme went to her room to think about the theme for the exhibit. Simone came in with a bowl of Strawberry Soup. ¡°I noticed you didn¡¯t eat much tonight. I asked Addy to make this.¡± Carme took out her previous paintings and asked Simone to help her decide. As the mother and daughter talked, Carme yawned and suggested that Simone keep looking while she went to take a shower. Simone tidied up the desk a bit. Her finger touched theputer mouse, and the screen lit up right away. Simone nced at it inadvertently, and her brows furrowed. It showed the University of J City forum, with the eye-catching title: Estelle and Brooke went at it for a hot guy on campus! Simone skimmed through the post, which was about Estelle and another girl fighting over a boy at school. Thement section was lively, filled with various opinions. Simone frowned as she read, only taking a few nces before closing the page. Her face turned sour. Estelle was her biological daughter, mistakenly switched at birth and didn¡¯t return to the family until she was seventeen. Simone wanted to make up for it, but after seeing Estelle¡¯s attitude, how could she not favor Carme, who was smart and sensible? She couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved that they had never disclosed that Estelle was the daughter of the Macin family. She couldn¡¯t face such embarrassment! After leaving Carme¡¯s room, Simone¡¯s mood remained gloomy. Returning to the bedroom, she saw Bet about to make a call, ¡°Don¡¯t call Estelle!¡± Bet was startled, ¡°What happened?¡± Simone¡¯s face darkened, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see her!¡± ¡°Is something wrong? It was all fine during dinner,¡± Bet frowned. ¡°It¡¯s nothing; I just don¡¯t want to see her!¡± Simone snapped before grabbing her sleeping clothes and heading to the bathroom. Bet threw his phone on the table, sighing heavily. Vi del Sol Estelle came back from jogging, took a shower, and snuggled up on the sofa, stroking Max¡¯s head with one hand and clicking open a mobile game with the other. As soon as she logged in, the system notified her of a friend invite. Estelle clicked on it and couldn¡¯t help butugh, it was Henson. 2/3 She sent a voice message first, ¡°Finished your homework yet?¡± Henson, ¡°Why don¡¯t youe over and check now?¡± Estelle didn¡¯t bother with small talk, ¡°Follow me, I¡¯ll help you level up!¡± Henson sent her an eye roll. Estelle wasn¡¯t really good at gaming, and Henson looked down on her for that. But he always loved to y with her, probably because he wasn¡¯t that great either and wanted to feel better about himself. They yed for an hour and a half, and when Estelle looked at the time, it was almost ten o¡¯clock. She urged Henson to go to bed. Henson didn¡¯t reply, but his character logged off in the game. Estelle took out the newly bought third-grade textbook and started to read.. Since she became Henson¡¯s tutor, she had to do her best. She never went to primary school, nor had learned any primary school curriculum. So now she had to catch up. On Saturday, it was still the Lamont family¡¯s driver who picked her up to go to the Lamont family¡¯s vi. bed. When she went upstairs, Estelle didn¡¯t see Jonathan. She didn¡¯t know if he went out or was still Norah wasn¡¯t there either, probably out on a date. in She knocked on the door and entered Henson¡¯s room where he was still gaming. Estelle put down her bag and gently said, ¡°Today, let¡¯s review all the knowledge points you¡¯ve learned this week.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Henson sat on the sofa, agreed but didn¡¯t budge. Estelle waited for him, five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen minutes. Almost half an hour had passed, and Henson still hadn¡¯t moved an inch. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Estelle finally understood why Henson¡¯s tutor quit. Rich kids are untouchable and unscoldable. They found it annoying when you tried to reason with them. When you started to coax them, they would find you childish. That feeling of helplessness just makes people give up. Estelle got up and saw darts on the table. She nced at the dartboard, picked one up, and threw it, hitting the bullseye! By the time she hit the third bullseye, Henson looked up at her, his eyes filled with surprise. Estelle picked up darts in both hands, casually threw them without even looking. Both darts flew at the same speed, squeezing the previous ones out, and pierced the bullseye. Henson stood up, walked over to Estelle, and looked at her sideways, ¡°Have you practiced before?¡± Estelle raised her eyebrows without denying or confirming. Henson took an interest, ¡°Then teach me.¡± Estelle crossed her arms, pointed at the desk, ¡°Finish today¡¯s study task, and I¡¯ll teach you!¡± Henson scoffed, ¡°Can¡¯t you think of another way?¡± Estelle shrugged, ¡°What can I do? I can¡¯t be kicked out of your house for being ipetent on my second visit. I have a reputation to protect.¡± Henson disdainfully replied, ¡°Actually, my uncle could teach me. He¡¯s better than you!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you go ask your uncle now and see if he¡¯ll teach you?¡± Estelle was fearless. If his uncle was willing to teach, he would have done so by now.. Henson¡¯s face shed with embarrassment. He seemed to weigh his options and nodded, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll follow your advice and study. But after that, I want you to teach me archery. Deal?¡± ¡°Archery?¡± Estelle frowned slightly. Henson looked somewhat smug, ¡°Can¡¯t do it? My uncle¡¯s an excellent archer, too!¡± ¡°Who says I can¡¯t? Let¡¯s focus on studying first!¡± Estelle walked toward the desk. ¡°What if you¡¯re lying to me? Throwing darts and shooting arrows are two different things!¡± Henson challenged. Estelle paused, then turned back, ¡°If I¡¯m lying to you, then I¡¯ll call you my teacher!¡± ¡°Deal!¡± Estelle squinted with a smile as the morning sun spread a soft gold light on her fair and soft face. Perhaps it was his exceptional family genes, but Henson was smart and quick to learn. An hourter, the two hadpleted their reviewing and were standing on the vi¡¯swn. Henson wanted to practice archery, so the butler had prepared everything in advance: moving targets, bows and arrows, and protective gear. Henson put on the protective gear and looked skeptically at Estelle, ¡°Can you even pull the bow? You could just admit defeat now. You know if you can¡¯t even shoot an arrowter, you¡¯ll be super embarrassed!¡± Estelle smirked, ¡°Giving up without trying would be embarrassing!¡± She picked up the bow and arrow, stood straight, drew the bow, and aimed. It had been a long time since she hadst practiced archery. As she looked at the distant target, her memory of that moment seemed to ovep with the present, and she had a moment of disorientation. 14:44 With a ¡°hum¡± sound, the arrow whizzed through the air, creating a gust of wind. It hit the bullseye with a loud sound. Henson cheered and rushed over, ¡°How did you do that?¡± Estelle smiled calmly, ¡°How about that?¡± ¡°Teach me!¡± ¡°Sure, but you have to promise me that from now on, every time Ie here, you will study and work with me, no stalling!¡± Estelle took the opportunity to propose conditions. Henson agreed immediately since his mind was focused on learning archery. On the third-floor balcony overlooking thewn, Jonathan leanedzily against the railing, talking on the phone, but his gaze was on the two people practicing archery on thewn. Estelle had hit the bullseye again. Her pretty eyes were full of vitality, and the spring sunshine danced on her fair soft face, making her seem full of life and brightness. Jonathan hung up the phone and stood there, watching for a while. He saw Estelle hit three consecutive bullseyes. Henson was so excited that he almost jumped up, looking at Estelle with admiration in his eyes. Jonathan squinted slightly. He had seen Estelle¡¯s hidden martial arts skills when she kicked Brooke before, but was her perfect archery skill also a part of her self-defense? Estelle yed with Henson for an hour. Around noon, she packed up her things and headed home. As she came down from the second floor, Lucille happened to be walking in with something. Lucille stared at Estelle, her face darkening. Jonathan had actually brought her home. Was he serious? ¡°We meet again!¡± Lucille handed the gifts she had brought for the Lamont family to the maid, took two steps forward, smiled coldly, and spoke with a frosty re in her eyes. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Estelle nodded slightly and walked outside. Lucille stopped her and sized her up, lifted her chin with an air of arrogance and elegance, ¡°A family like the Lamonts would never let Jonathan marry an ordinary girl like you. Do you understand?¡± Estelle suddenly smiled. Lucille was puzzled by her smile, then regainedposure and continued, ¡°I¡¯m always direct, and I don¡¯t like beating around the bush. There¡¯s no future for you and Jonathan, and I think you know that. What are you after by being with Jonathan? Money? How much do you want? I can give it to you!¡± Estelle looked innocent, like a girl who knows nothing about the world, ¡°Can you offer more than what Jonathan¡¯s giving me?¡± Lucille immediately replied, ¡°I promise, whatever he gives you, I won¡¯t give you any less!¡± Estelle pretended to think for a moment, ¡°One billion; and I won¡¯t show up here again-deal?¡± Lucille was stunned, then suddenly looked behind Estelle, Jonathan, did you hear that? She¡¯s only with you for the money!¡± Estelle¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she turned around to see Jonathan standing in the middle of the staircase. The man was wearing a beige shirt and coffee-colored casual pants. He appeared less cold and moreid-back, exuding an innate sense of nobility and elegance. Estelle heard the woman next to her holding her breath, and the corner of her mouth curved slightly. She had to admit that this man was truly handsome. Jonathan slowly walked down the stairs, keeping his eyes on Estelle, with a low and maic voice, ¡°I¡¯ll walk you out!¡± Lucille¡¯s face changed instantly, looking at Jonathan with some disbelief, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what she just said?¡± Jonathan¡¯s expression was indifferent, neither joyful nor angry, ¡°I¡¯ve heard it, so what?¡± ¡°What?¡± Lucille let out a mockingugh, took a deep breath and maintained herposure, ¡°Jonathan, you two are not a good match!¡± Jonathan frowned with impatience, ¡°Whether we are a good match or not is for me to decide.¡± He then looked at Estelle and lowered his voice, ¡°Shall we?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Estelle nodded and walked out of the door first. Lucille stood there, watching the two of them leave one after the other, and suddenly felt like a fool. Because of this unexpected event, Jonathan personally drove Estelle home. Sitting in the back, she watched the scenery outside the window quickly passing by and couldn¡¯t help but want tough when thinking about today¡¯s events. Jonathan nced at the rearview mirror and suddenly asked, ¡°Why are youughing?¡± Chapter 14 Chapter 14 ¡°Huh?¡± Estelle got a little confused and quickly said, ¡°I didn¡¯tugh!¡± Jonathan raised his eyebrows, ¡°Are you afraid of me? You¡¯re Norah¡¯s ssmate and Henson¡¯s tutor, you can call me ¡®Uncle¡¯ just like them. I¡¯m always kind and gentle to the younger ones¡± Estelle wanted tough even more, but pretended to be calm and nodded, ¡°Alright.¡± Jonathan¡¯s gaze swept across her face, and he looked forward again, speaking. ¡°If you bump into Lucille again, just ignore her.¡± Estelle looked innocent, ¡°She was blocking my way.¡± Jonathan said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you good at kicking people?¡± Estelle raised her eyebrows, ¡°I can kick Ms. Hammer too?¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Jonathan¡¯s voice was emotionless, ¡°Of course, you can kick her and I¡¯ll handle the consequences!¡± Handle the consequences? Estelle slightly raised one eyebrow. This sentence revealed his previous way of handling things! Jonathan was probably afraid that she would overthink, so he added, ¡°After all, I was the one who caused trouble for you, so naturally, I should deal with it.¡± Estelle looked at the man¡¯s exquisite jaw. Was he implying she could do whatever she wanted? There was a moment of silence in the car, and then Jonathan asked, ¡°How much money do you want from me?¡± Estelle was taken aback but quickly understood. She had asked Lucille if she would offer more money. She replied calmly, ¡°Norah said it¡¯s a thousand per ss, and if my sry is paid by Mr. Lamont, you have to pay me 8,000 a month.¡± Jonathan nodded, ¡°Then you made quite a deal asking for a billion!¡± Indeed, even if Estelle tutored Henson until he went to college, she wouldn¡¯t earn a billion. Estelle smiled in disappointment, ¡°It¡¯s a pity,¡± The man asked, ¡°What¡¯s the pity?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Ms. Hammer didn¡¯t give it up.¡± Jonathan paused for a moment, ¡°¡­¡­¡± He realized that Estelle was mocking him for not being worth a billion dors. She was indeed a grudge-holding and sharp-tongued girl who wouldn¡¯t miss any opportunity to make fun of him. Estelle turned to look at the scenery outside the window, a slight smile forming at the corner of her lips, inexplicably in a good mood. On Monday, there was a bustling crowd at the entrance of the University of J City, with peopleing and going. In a Maybach, Lucille sat in the back seat, staring outside until she spotted Estelle, she immediately turned to the man next to her and said, ¡°It¡¯s her, Estelle, a third-year student studying Business Management at the University of J City.¡± The man looked up, followed Lucille¡¯s direction, and saw the girl at a nce. She was wearing a simple white shirt, light-colored jeans with rolled-up cuffs, and white shoes underneath. What caught people¡¯s eyes was not her attractive features but her cleanliness, giving off a feeling of innocent at first nce. Maybe others would be amazed, but not Manley Scott, who had seen countless beauties. He just gave a cold smile and said, ¡°It¡¯s Monday, I have an important meeting in the morning. Did you pull me here just to see a girl?¡± Lucille didn¡¯t waste any words either and said directly, ¡°Get her, and I¡¯ll give up the two percent of shares that the Scott family offers.¡± Lucille is the daughter of Manley¡¯s aunt. The Scott family¡¯s old man left a will, and two percent of the shares would be given to Lucille, his granddaughter, after he died. The two percent was worth hundreds of billions. Manley¡¯s handsome face finally showed a hint of astonishment, and he looked at the girl again, raising a disapproving eyebrow, ¡°Is she worth that much money?¡± Lucille¡¯s beautiful face showed determination, ¡°Will you do it or not?¡± Manley smiles wickedly. ¡°Well, of course, I¡¯ll get both the beauty and the money, where else can I find such a good deal?¡± Lucille looked at him, ¡°How long will it take to win her over?¡± Manley¡¯s face was full of self-assurance as he answered, ¡°At most three days, I¡¯ll have her in my bed Lucille nodded, ¡°Alright, show me a picture then, and I¡¯ll sign the agreement to give up the shares.¡± ¡°Deal!¡± Isis had something to do today, so she left after finishing her morning sses. There¡¯s an authentic pasta restaurant in the street alley near noon, and Estelle and Isis are regr customers there. After having lunch by herself that day, Estelle was stopped by a few girls at the alley exit. One of them, dressed in jeans, stood in the front, staring at Estelle coldly, ¡°Brooke is still in the hospital, do you think it¡¯s all over?¡± Estelle didn¡¯t change her expression, ¡°What do you want?¡± The girl said coldly. ¡°Go p yourself in front of Brooke¡¯s hospital bed and apologize. If Brooke feels satisfied, we¡¯ll let it go!¡± Estelle looked at her calmly, ¡°And what if I don¡¯t?¡± ¡°You tell me,¡± a girl behind her took a step forward, holding a baseball bat, and looked threateningly at Estelle. Estelle¡¯s eyes grew cold. ¡°Since you¡¯re so close to Brooke, how about I send you all to the hospital to keep herpany?¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking for trouble!¡± The girl with the baseball bat showed a fierce expression and swung the bat towards Estelle¡¯s head. Estelle was about to raise her leg when suddenly an arm stretched out and caught the bat. A man wearing a light blue shirt revealed a white wrist as delicate as a woman¡¯s. At the same time, a mocking voice said, ¡°So many people bullying one person. Have you got no shame?¡± Estelle turned her head and saw a man standing beside her. He was tall, with skin even paler than the woman¡¯s, slightly nted foxlike eyes, and a faint smile on his red lips, but emanating an air of wickedness. After saying that, he swung the bat with the hand grabbing it, and coldly spat out a word, ¡°Off!¡± The girls were initially stunned by the man¡¯s beauty, but when theirpanion stumbled from being pushed 14:44 away, their expressions changed. The girl in denim clothes flickered her gaze and said, ¡°Mind your own business!¡± The man smiled sardonically, his cold face showing disdain, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in other people¡¯s business. Just hers.¡± The girl in denim frowned. ¡°Who are you to her?¡± The man stood in front of Estelle, turned back to look at her, and smiled charmingly, ¡°Her boyfriend!¡± Estelle looked at him, her eyes as clear and calm as ever, like a mountain spring. Seemingly gentle and fluid, but also cool and sharp. Seeing the man so confident and disying his wealth, the girls across couldn¡¯t figure out his identity and spoke a little softer, ¡°She broke our friend¡¯s leg and must apologize!¡± ¡°Your friend?¡± the man squinted. The girl immediately answered with some pride, ¡°Yeah, Brooke. Her dad is the chairman of the Hi-Co Group.¡± The man suddenlyughed, a taunting and disdainfulugh, ¡°I thought it was someone important. If my girlfriend apologizes to Murray¡¯s daughter, it might scare Murray to death!¡± The girls were taken aback, and the one holding the baseball bat whispered something to the girl wearing a denim jacket. Her face changed, from surprise to fear and confusion as she looked at the man standing in front of Estelle and then suspiciously at Estelle. No wonder Estelle rejected Saul. It turned out¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s forget about what happened today.¡± The girl in the denim jacket said, her voice clearly losing its confidence. She took a few steps back, gave a signal to the other girls, and then left. A trace of astonishment flickered in Estelle¡¯s eyes, but she didn¡¯t inquire further. After they were gone, she turned back to the man and said, ¡°Thank you!¡± Her tone was genuine, and she was about to return to school. The man, with his hands in his pockets, looked at the delicate profile of the young girl and lightly smiled, ¡°I saved you, and all I get is just a thank you?¡± Chapter 15 Chapter 15 His voice was soft andzy, with a touch of warmth. It felt like the sunshine on a spring afternoon, not too cold, not too intense, and just the right kind offortable. Estelle turned around, looking at this unfamiliar man with confusion. The man took two steps forward, gazing at Estelle with fox-like eyes that seemed to sparkle, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t give your heart to me, at least having a meal together is basic courtesy, right?¡± After saying that, he stretched out his right hand, ¡°Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Manley!¡± Estelle looked at his slender palm but didn¡¯t shake it. She just turned around and continued walking. Manley paused, caught up to her quickly, ¡°Yo, didn¡¯t you understand what I said?¡± Estelle stopped, giving him an indifferent look, ¡°I got it. I don¡¯t need you to treat me to a meal. I could have dealt with that situation myself without your help just now. We¡¯re just strangers who crossed paths. There¡¯s no need to get acquainted. Let¡¯s end it here. I have to go to ss!¡± With that, Estelle spun around and walked away without looking back. Manley stood there, watching the girl¡¯s retreating figure, stunned for a long time. He was actually rejected by a girl?! Even if she didn¡¯t know him or his background with the Scott family, his mere appearance alone was usually enough to swoon any girl. Where did she get the nerve to reject him? Manley snorted, and refused to believe that. The next day on Tuesday afternoon. Estelle only had one ss. As she was leaving the school gate, she saw a group of girls gathered together discussing something. She walked towards the bus stop and heard a girl next to her excitedly shout, ¡°Is it really Manley?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve seen him in a photo with Honey V. It must be him,¡± replied the other girl. Estelle subconsciously nced towards the crowd of people and paused in her footsteps. Right in front of the school gate was a parked Rolls-Royce Phantom convertible, with the back seat filled with vibrant red roses, drawing everyone¡¯s attention. Even more attention was drawn to the man sitting in the car: white shirt, tailored vest, gold-rimmed sses, and his exquisitely handsome facial features. He looked like a prince stepping out of aic book. Manley had be increasingly famous in J City over the past two years. The Scott family was already a renowned wealthy family in J City, and Manley was the sole heir of the Scott family. However, his fame was not due to his sessful business ventures, but rather his never-ending scandals with female celebrities. Handsome, yboy, extravagant spender, and yet possessing business acumen, these were thebels bestowed upon him by the people of J City. At this moment, the prince from theic book stepped out of the car, his long legs striding forward. He held a red rose in his hand as he walked towards Estelle. A chorus of screams erupted from the group of girls, and all eyes focused on Estelle, filled with jealousy or admiration. On the opposite side of the road, there was a Bentley parked there. Mird looked outside the car window and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Ms. Macin?¡± Jonathan, sitting in the backseat, was engrossed in reading a document. He didn¡¯t immediately realize who ¡°Ms. Macin¡± referred to in Mird¡¯s words. He absentmindedly raised his head and saw Estelle, causing his gaze to deepen as it fell upon her surprised face. The driver who was supposed to pick up Norah after school had an unexpected matter to attend to Jonathan and Mird happened to be passing by the University of J City and decided to pick her up. The car was parked here, waiting for Norah toe out. They hadn¡¯t expected to witness someone confessing their feelings to Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Estelle. Mird exined, ¡°Manley is Vicente Scott¡¯s son. He grew up abroad and coincidentally returned when you went abroad. In recent years, he has joined the family¡¯s Scott Group and made quite a name for himself. By the way, Manley is the onepeting with us for thend near Golden Bridge.¡± Jonathan nodded without emotion, his eyes following Manley as he approached Estelle. Estelle was, indeed, a little surprised. It wasn¡¯t strange for Manley to know she was a student at the University of J City, but the fact that he hade prepared and was waiting here today indicated that he already knew which ss she belonged to. What was he up to? She couldn¡¯t believe that a person like him would fall for her after just one encounter. As Manley approached, Estelle maintained a calm expression, her clear eyes showing no delight nor deliberate indifference, but a hint of alertness deep within. Manley stopped in front of her, the surrounding sounds consisting of gasps and sighs. His fox-like eyes curved, the depths filled with rippling emotion as he stared intently at Estelle, speaking in a low voice, ¡°You may not believe it, but I truly fell for you at first sight. You didn¡¯t want me to treat you to a meal yesterday, so how about giving me a chance today and letting me treat you to a meal?¡± Estelle heard someone in the crowd of girls whisper, ¡°My heart skips a beat, someone call an ambnce Estelle looked at the rose Manley held up to her face, and gently shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have other ns.¡± Manley seemed a bit surprised but smiled warmly, ¡°It¡¯s just a meal. It doesn¡¯t represent anything specific. Think of it as a constion for me not being able to sleep all night because of you.¡± Another round of screams emerged from the girls. With his looks, wealth, and heartfelt words, it was like a scene from a television drama. The girls watching were instantly filled with adrenaline, more excited than the protagonist. Noticing people taking photos, Estelle felt agitated, maintaining a stoic face but a more determined attitude, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡± As she started to walk away, Manley stepped in front of her, his eyes cool and a hook-like smile on his lips, lowering his voice, ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. There are so many people watching. Give me a break. Have dinner with me, and I¡¯ll drive you home afterward.¡± Still unwilling to continue this charade, Estelle rejected him again and kept walking. Manley frowned and instinctively reached out to grab her arm. Estelle immediately took a step back, looking at Manley with a sudden sharpness in her eyes. Manley hesitated, seeing that Estelle¡¯s gaze was filled with caution and irritation. She wasn¡¯t just ying hard to get; she was genuinely fed up. His lips tightened, and he took a step back, ¡°Fine, if you won¡¯t have dinner, at least take these.¡± He gestured to the car full of roses behind him. Estelle¡¯s attitude was cold, ¡°I don¡¯t want them!¡± ¡°So you want us to keep fussing here for everyone to enjoy the show?¡± Manley¡¯s eyes hid a hint of mischief as he chuckled. He figured it out; Estelle didn¡¯t like to be watched by others. 14:44 Estelle took a deep breath, ¡°Do I really have to ept it?¡± Manley¡¯s gaze was fervent and persistent. He teased, ¡°Yep, you ain¡¯t leaving until you take it!¡± In the Bentley, Mird frowned and said, ¡°Manley seems to be giving Ms. Macin a hard time.¡± Jonathan noticed it too. A dark shadow shed in his eyes as he ced his hand on the car door, just about to get out when he saw Estelle suddenly turn and walk toward Manley¡¯s sports car. He didn¡¯t move any further, curious to see what she would do. Manley was also watching Estelle with amusement in his eyes. With all those flowers, Estelle couldn¡¯t possibly take them all herself. In the end, she would have to get in his car and go with him. After all, she was still a young girl who hadn¡¯t entered society yet, always carrying herself with a bit of reserve and pride. Well, he would give her a way out. As long as she got in his car, they could discuss having dinner together. After dinner, heading to a hotel would seem natural. In psychology, it¡¯s called Foot-in-the-Door technique. He told Lucille he¡¯d seal the deal in three days, but it seemed he wouldn¡¯t even need that long! Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Estelle walked straight to the sports car, but didn¡¯t give a damnn about those bright red roses She just opened the door, got in the driver¡¯s seat, closed the door, and started the engine. She swiftly turned the steering wheel and sped off onto the main road. Everyone was dumbfounded by her series of actions, including Manley. Manley¡¯s smug smile slowly froze on his face. He never expected Estelle to ignore the flowers and just drive away with the car-flowers and all. Now, he was standing in the middle of the crowd, still holding a flower in his hand, looking like an idiot. His face turned from red to white, and then to pale. Anger and frustration choked him, making him want to strangle Estelle in that moment. What kind of chick did Lucille send him after? No wonder she was willing to give up billions! Was she ying with him on purpose? The crowd buzzed, and one unnoticable voice asked softly, ¡°Howe Estelle knows how to drive a Rolls-Royce?¡± ¡°She seems pretty good at it. Isn¡¯t her family supposed to be poor?¡± In the Bentley nearby, Mird, who rarely showed any emotions, looked stunned and said softly, ¡°Ms. Macin¡­¡± After a moment, he squeezed out two more words, ¡°Nice move!¡± Manley must have never been yed like this in his life. Jonathan, who had lowered his hand from the car door, looked at the sports car that had disappeared into the distance and couldn¡¯t help but smile. Manley from the Scott family? A sudden thought crossed Jonathan¡¯s mind. He picked up the phone and dialed a number. After two rings, the other side answered with excitement, ¡°Jonathan!¡± ¡°Did you ask Manley to go after Estelle?¡± Jonathan asked directly. Lucille seemed taken aback, but she didn¡¯t expect Jonathan to find out so quickly. She didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment, so she instinctively denied it, ¡°Not me.¡± After a pause, she added, ¡°Who can control a guy like Manley? How could I possibly influence who he likes?¡± ¡°Good,¡± Jonathan said indifferently. ¡°Stay away from Estelle. Don¡¯t mess with her, or don¡¯t me me for the consequences.¡± There was an obvious choke in Lucille¡¯s voice as if she was struggling with feelings of grievance and unwillingness. ¡°Do you really like her that much?¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with you!¡± Jonathan hung up the phone. He hated lingering drama and hoped Lucille would stop so he wouldn¡¯t have to use Estelle as an excuse anymore. Manley took a taxi back to the Scott family vi, where the servants were surprised to see him back so soon. They approached him to ask if he wanted something to drink, but when they saw his angry face, they pretended to be busy and stayed away. Manley was moody and unpredictable, and the servants wanted to avoid irritating him. He surely had never been yed like this before. The women around him had always tried to please and tter him. If some were ying hard to get, they never dared to annoy him. But today, he was not just annoyed-he was infuriated! That girl named Estelle showed him absolutely no respect! He went upstairs to shower and change clothes. He wasn¡¯t in the mood for anything, even in the games he yed on his phone, his teammates let him down. Throwing his phone away, Manley suddenly wondered how Estelle would return the car to him. His car was limited edition, with only two in the whole city. He didn¡¯t believe she¡¯d dare to drive it home or just dump it somewhere, She might ask the police for help, and they wouldn¡¯t let her go easily. At that time, he could just say a few words, and she might have a tough time getting out of it. In the end, she would have to ask for his help! While Manley was plotting, an unfamiliar call came in. He swiped to answer, and the other side spoke with an official tone, ¡°Is this Mr. Scott?¡± Feeling a bit smug as he¡¯d been expecting this, Manley lounged on the sofa and replied, ¡°Who¡¯s calling?¡± ¡°Hello, Mr. Scott, I¡¯m the traffic police officer at Rosewood Drive. We just saw a car parked by the roadside, and after checking the license te, we found that it belongs to you. Selling flowers by the roadside is not allowed. Please move your car as soon as possible.¡± Manley frowned, ¡°Selling flowers? What flowers?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Well,¡± the police officer hesitated, ¡°it would be better if youe and see for yourself, Mr. Scott.¡± Mr. Manley hung up the phone, went to the garage, and took another car. After leaving the vi, he quickly drove onto the road. Half an hourter, Manley looked at the sports car Estelle had taken, his face as dark as a storm cloud. The car had been parked on the street, with a sign on it, reading, ¡°Flowers for sale, 10 dors each, cash only. self-serve.¡± Half of the valuable roses were already gone, and a pile of change was on the passenger¡¯s seat, along with the car key. Since not many people carry cash around these days, some clever person saw a business opportunity and offered to exchange 10-dor bills for people to buy flowers. Scan the code and pay 12 dors, and you could get a 10-dor bill in return. And surprisingly, many were attracted to this deal. There were five or six people exchanging cash and buying roses right in front of Manley. This bustling scene even caught the attention of the traffic police. Manley almostughed out of anger. Not bad, a whole industry chain was almost formed! Someone else came over to buy roses, but he red at them fiercely causing them to leave, muttering, ¡°Why is this flower seller so damn arrogant!¡± Manley, ¡°¡­¡± The traffic police officer originally intended to educate Manley with a few words, but saw his angry face and decided against it. Instead, he told Manley to just move his car as soon as possible. Suppressing his fury, Manley called his driver to move the car. At this moment, the boy who had been exchanging cash walked up to Manley and looked up at the 6- foot-tall Manley. ¡°Are you Mr. Scott? That¡¯s my family¡¯s store.¡± The teenage boy pointed to a convenience store nearby and continued, ¡°A prettydy came to buy water earlier 14:44 and told me I could make some extra money by helping people exchange cash.¡± Manley narrowed his eyes and grabbed a handful of cash from the car and stuffed it into the boy¡¯s hands ¡°What else did she say?¡± The boy pocketed the money and grinned, ¡°Thatdy said to keep an eye on the car while I made money. When an angry and fierce unclees over, I can go home.¡± Manley.¡±¡­ Angry and fierce? She even anticipated his expression, but she always caught him off guard! For some reason, the anger in his chest dissipated, and a sense of determination arose within him. He refused to believe that he couldn¡¯t handle a little girl. He smirked coldly and patted the boy¡¯s head. ¡°Alright, go home now!¡± The boy happily ran off with his loot. Just then, Lucille called. ¡°Did you get her?¡± Manley replied irritably. ¡°It¡¯s only been two days, what¡¯s the rush?¡± He hung up right after that. With a frown, Manley got into his car. The phone rang again, and he thought it was Lucille. His face darkened as he picked up the phone, only to realize it was Clement. Clement asked him toe to Midnight Bar. By the time he arrived, it was already dark. He pushed open the door to the private room, and the noise inside was deafening, apanied by the strong smell of alcohol, a scene of debauchery. As soon as he entered, everyone ying cards, singing, or embracing hostesses stood up to greet him and made way for him to sit in the center. Manley sat down, waved for everyone to continue their fun, and the room instantly became lively again. Clement sat next to him and smiled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Not in the mood?¡± He could tell from the earlier phone call. ¡°It¡¯s nothing!¡± Manley poured himself a drink. ¡°We¡¯ve got some new girls here, untouched. Wanna have some fun?¡± Clement smirked meaningfully. Manley nced at him. ¡°Is it your first day knowing me?¡± Clement raised his eyebrows and extinguished his cigarette. ¡°Isn¡¯t it because of that female student?¡± Manley nced at him with questioning eyes, how did he know? Clementughed, ¡°You forgot, my sister is at the University of J City. I saw your photo in her social media ount. What¡¯s the deal with that girl, rejecting our Mr. Scott?¡± Manley drank sullenly, not saying a word. Clement leaned in closer. ¡°Want me to give you some advice?¡± Manley sneered, ¡°Your women are just attracted by money. That won¡¯t work on her!¡± Clement clicked his tongue, ¡°You don¡¯t get it. You can¡¯t use money on this kind of righteous girl, or she¡¯ll think you¡¯re insulting her!¡± Manley looked at him, ¡°So what should I do?¡± ¡°These girls have read too many books and have little experience in the world. They¡¯re all about heroism deep 1444 in their bones, so the best strategy is to y the hero and save her. Then she¡¯ll think you¡¯re noble, and you¡¯ll have your chance¡± ¡°It won¡¯t work.¡± Manley told him about the first time he met Estelle. ¡°That doesn¡¯t count. Those girls weren¡¯t a real threat in the first ce. You have to wait until she¡¯s genuinely in danger and desperate for help. Clement raised his eyebrows suggestively at Manley Manley fell into deep thought, and after a moment, his lips slowly curved into a wicked smile. Chapter 17 Chapter 17 The next day, Manley calcted the time Estelle woulde out of the alley after finishing her meal. He gave a subtle signal to the several bodyguards behind him and softly instructed, ¡°Don¡¯t hold back, guys! Show some real strength!¡± The bodyguards, dressed as local youths, nodded to show they understood and walked deeper into the alley Manley leaned against the wall and smoked for about ten minutes, thinking the timing was about right. He extinguished his cigarette and walked in casually. There were more college students eating at this time, so his guys took Estelle to a secluded corner. They were separated by a few walls, so no sound could be heard. He imagined Estelle disheveled, held down by several men, and at her most desperate moment, he would appear like a god. Her eyes would be filled with twinkling stars, looking at him with gratitude and admiration. In return for saving her life, she would offer herself and be devoted to himpletely! Manley imagined this, and a doof smile spread across his face. As he got closer, he could hear the sounds of fighting and men groaning. He was surprised to see an unexpected scene before him. The people being beaten on the ground were not Estelle, but his bodyguards. Their faces were bruised, and theyy on the ground, clutching their stomachs and moaning in pain. Estelle had her hair in a ponytail, wearing a beige hoodie, her right foot stepping on a man¡¯s chest, looking calm and collected. However, an icy aura surrounded from her, freezing the air around. The bodyguards on the ground were battered and bruised, suffering from the beatings. Seeing Manley, they subconsciously begged, ¡°Mr. Scott, save me!¡± Manley¡¯s face changed instantly as Estelle¡¯s icy gaze fell on him, filled with lethal intent. Startled, Manley turned and ran, only to feel a gust of wind behind him as his shoulder was grabbed. Next, hel was lifted off the ground, spinning 360 degrees, and crashing heavily onto the floor! ¡°Damn!¡± Manley¡¯s eyes bursting with golden stars. A dazzling sight, just like he imagined. When Lucille called, the Scott family¡¯s private doctor was treating Manley¡¯s wounds. Manley¡¯s face turned pale as he swiped his phone and angrily wiped the blood from the corner of his lips, cursing. ¡°Screw you! If you dare to mention Estelle in front of me ever again, you won¡¯t be able to hang around in J City anymore!¡± With that, Manley threw down his phone. The private doctor trembled, holding the cotton swab shakily. Manley was panting heavily, as if his chest was about to explode. He would get his revenge! He would! On Saturday morning, Estelle went to the Lamont family¡¯s house. Jonathan didn¡¯te homest night, and Henson got caught up ying games and lost track of time. When Estelle arrived, he hadn¡¯t even gotten up yet. Norah also got upte and hurriedly greeted Estelle before rushing out Estelle waited for an hour until Henson appeared in front of her after washing up, having breakfast, and changing clothes. However, he followed their previous agreement, not beingzy or procrastinating, and obeyed Estelle¡¯s instructions. Because they were one hourte, by the time they finished their sses, it was already noon. A servant came over and said that the youngdy. Norah, had invited Estelle to stay for lunch. Jonathan wasn¡¯t home, and there was only Henson. Estelle agreed and kept himpany for lunch. To their surprise, just as they sat down, Jonathan came back! A servant asked if Jonathan had eaten lunch, and efficiently prepared his utensils when they found out he hadn¡¯t. Estelle didn¡¯t expect him toe back and stood up, saying, ¡°Since Mr. Lamont is back, why don¡¯t you have lunch with Henson? I¡¯ll leave now.¡± Henson frowned, ¡°You want to leave as soon as Unclees back. Are you afraid of him or do you dislike him?¡± Estelle took a deep breath. Well she did give him a few difficult problems during ss. Did he have to retaliate like this? She red at Henson and when she turned her head, she saw Jonathan looking at her, seemingly waiting for her response to Henson¡¯s question. He took off his suit jacket and draped it over his arm, wearing only a light blue shirt with the top two buttons undone, revealing his delicate corbone and a glimpse of well-defined muscles. Estelle averted her gaze and smiled gently. ¡°How could it be? I only have respect for Mr. Lamont.¡± Jonathan didn¡¯t seem interested in arguing with her either and said calmly, ¡°You two go ahead and eat. I¡¯ll go upstairs and change clothes.¡± He finished speaking and went upstairs, but Estelle, as a guest, still felt that it would be more polite to wait for the host to have the meal together. Henson didn¡¯t touch his cutlery either. As Jonathan¡¯s figure disappearedpletely at the staircase, Estelle snorted, ¡°If you don¡¯t want me as your tutor, just say so. There¡¯s no need to set me up like this.¡± Henson looked a bit embarrassed, ¡°Ever heard of children saying thoughtless things?¡± Estelle retorted, ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me not to treat you like a child?¡± Henson raised his eyebrows, ¡°You don¡¯t see me as a kid, but does that mean I¡¯m not actually a kid?¡± Estelle refused to argue with a child. ¡°Well, next time we y a game, I won¡¯t scold you.¡± Henson offered a peace sign. Estelle took on a spoiled look, ¡°I¡¯m already quite skilled, thank you!¡± Henson said seriously, ¡°Do you have any misconceptions about the word ¡®skilled¡¯?¡± Estelle remained silent. While the two of them were bantering, Jonathan came downstairs. He had changed into a casual white shirt and beige trousers, making his tall, handsome figure even more prominent. Both Estelle and Henson shut their mouths. 14:45 Jonathan sat in the main seat and picked up his chopsticks. His voice remained light, ¡°Ms. Macin, this is your first time eating here, so just help yourself and don¡¯t be too polite.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Estelle chuckled, ¡°Thank you!¡± The kitchen had prepared two types of soups, seafood, and duck. The servants brought both and asked Estelle what she would like. She chose the duck soup, and the servant respectfully ced a bowl of it in front of her. Jonathan and Henson both picked duck soup as well. The three ate silently. Henson took a sip of soup and asked Jonathan, ¡°Uncle, is my sister dating someone?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Jonathan was surprised that Henson knew. Henson raised an eyebrow and snorted, ¡°She¡¯s nowhere to be seen every weekend, andst night I even saw her talking on the terrace, with a grin that looked like an emoji.¡± Estelle kept eating her rice silently. It seemed that Norah was really in love. A couple of days ago, Estelle saw her and a fair-looking guy sitting together in the school library, whispering andughing intimately. Isis mentioned that the guy is from the foreignnguage department and his name is Nics Hester. Jonathan¡¯s face remained calm, he said indifferently. ¡°Your sister is an adult. It¡¯s normal for her to be in a rtionship. There¡¯s no need for you to worry. Mind your own business.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need others worrying about me either!¡± Henson muttered and suddenly looked at Estelle, ¡°You¡¯re an adult too. Do you have a boyfriend?¡± ¡°Cough!¡± Estelle choked and quickly grabbed a tissue to cover her mouth. She looked at Henson and said, ¡°No.¡± ¡°You should hurry up then, then. If you are in college and still haven¡¯t been in a rtionship, people will say you have no charm,¡± Henson said with a smug look. Estelle squinted and smiled, ¡°What you¡¯re really thinking is that if I get into a rtionship, I won¡¯t have time to be your tutor, right?¡± Henson shrugged, ¡°I never said that. I¡¯m just concerned about you.¡± ¡°Thanks for your concern, then! Even my grandpa isn¡¯t as worried as you!¡± While Jonathan listened to their banter, he suddenly remembered something and nced at Estelle thoughtfully. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 When Estelle left, Jonathan also needed to go out, so he gave her a ride back to the city center. Sharing such a confined space with Jonathan, Estelle felt a bit ufortable and pretended to look at the scenery outside. As the car hit the asphalt road, Jonathan looked ahead and said calmly, ¡°So, Manley¡¯s pursuing you?¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°What?¡± Estelle was surprised and didn¡¯t expect Jonathan to know about it. ¡°I saw him giving you flowers outside the University of J City.¡± Jonathan exined, as if he knew what she was thinking. ¡°Oh!¡± Estelle nodded slightly. Jonathan¡¯s elegant hand held the steering wheel, and the noon sunlight shone on his profile, casting a halo that outlined his well-defined jaw, handsome and noble. His voice was low and steady, ¡°Before you consider Manley, there¡¯s something I need to tell you. He and Lucille are cousins. Lucille¡¯s mom is his aunt.¡± This surprised Estelle, so that¡¯s how it was! Jonathan continued, ¡°I don¡¯t know if Manley¡¯s pursuit of you is genuine, but I feel responsible to tell you about their rtionship. Whether you agree to be with Manley is up to you.¡± Estelle looked out the car window, her lips curved slightly, ¡°No need to make a decision, I don¡¯t think he wille to see me again!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Jonathan didn¡¯t understand what she meant and looked at her through the rearview mirror. Her eyebrows and eyshes were coal ck, her lips were rose red, and her teeth were pearl white. She had at natural sense of beauty. Under the sunlight, her slightly chubby face looked so tender, making people tempted to pinch it. Estelle stayed silent, just reveling in her thoughts, smiling to herself. She was in a good mood and said goodbye to Jonathan with a smile when she got off the car. Estelle bought two boxes of the popr ¡°starry sky¡± candies from a dessert shop near the school, took the bus back to Vi del Sol, and gave Emily one box after getting off at Maple Street. Back at the vi, she spent the afternoon reading, ying games, teasing Max, and time quickly passed. At six, she received a call from Magdalen, who was already on her way. Half an hourter, Magdalen parked her red Porsche outside the vi, took off her sunsses, and whistled, ¡°Hey, beauty! You¡¯re even prettier thanst time I saw you!¡± Estelle just smiled graciously and got into the car. Magdalen handed her a pile of shopping bags from the back, ¡°My mom just came back from France, and she bought all this stuff for you. There are clothes, jewelry, and bags. Check them outter.¡± Estelle, slightly overwhelmed by the gifts, said, ¡°Please thank godmother for me. But I don¡¯t usually need these things, so tell her not to buy them anymore.¡± Magdalen, while making a U-turn, said helplessly, ¡°I¡¯ve told her. I said, ¡®Estelle¡¯s got the entire GK Jewelry Studio. Do you think she will need these? But my mom said, ¡®My gifts are different!¡¯ Anyway, she just wants to satisfy her shopping cravings, you just ept it.¡± A warm feeling filled Estelle¡¯s heart, and she changed the subject, ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°One of my friends just opened a restaurant. She invited me to show support, and I thought it would be perfect 14:45 to bring you along for good food!¡± Magdalen grinned, beautiful and lively. Magdalen¡¯s friend¡¯s restaurant was located in the downtown, prime spot with elegant decorations and bustling traffic. Upon entering, Magdalen took Estelle straight to a reserved private room. The owner was a thirty-ish powerful woman named Kim Larsen. She was Magdalen¡¯s senior schoolmate when Magdalen studied abroad, and they continued to keep in touch aftering back. Kim greeted Magdalen warmly and helped them order signature dishes and drinks. The restaurant was busy, and many guests wanted Kim¡¯s attention. She had to leave but told Magdalen to take care of Estelle. The waiter soon served the dishes, mostly seafood: Honey Garlic zed Salmon, salt-grilled bream, Crab tostadas¡­ All delicious and well-prepared. As they ate, the topic naturally turned to Jonathan. Magdalen was quite curious, ¡°You¡¯ve been visiting the Lamont family so many times, and Jonathan still doesn¡¯t know about your rtionship?¡± Estelle calmly nodded, ¡°He doesn¡¯t!¡± Magdalen couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°This is interesting! What do you think his reaction would be if he found out?¡± Estelle recalled what Jonathan had said the night at the Sapphire Hotel and sighed, ¡°He might just throw me, out!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I told you to sleep with him first, to take the initiative! With Jonathan¡¯s physique and appearance, we definitely got the better end of the stick!¡± Magdalen schemed with a gleam in her eyes. Estelle looked at her, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s that easy to sleep with Jonathan?¡± The first time was purely idental. Magdalen smirked, ¡°Darling, you have to be confident! Or should I teach you a few tricks?¡± ¡°No!¡± Estelle eximed, ¡°Your tricks are for men, not for women. Save them for Morrison Langston.¡± Magdalenughed, ¡°Do I even need to use any tricks on him?¡± Estelle nodded in agreement, ¡°Morrison¡¯s the one doing all the work.¡± Magdalenughed so hard she almost spat out her drink. Halfway through the meal, Morrison called Magdalen. Estelle excused herself, fearing they¡¯d talk about something inappropriate, and went to the restroom. As she turned right down the corridor, a man and his entourage walked out from a side corridor. They were all trying to impress and pay respects to the man. The group stopped outside a private room, and someone pushed the door open, inviting Jonathan to enter first. A group of over a dozen people sat in the private room, standing up one by one as they saw Jonathan. ¡°Jonah!¡± ¡°Boss!¡± They all greeted him with respect. Jonathan had been away from J City for three years, but those who used to surround him still held the same reverence towards him. Everyone in the private room was standing, except for one guy who didn¡¯t even give Jonathan a nce. Nigel Bailey, sitting next to him, bent down andughed, ¡°Mr. Scott, this is Mr. Lamont ¡± Manley finally stood up, hands in pockets, and gave Jonathan a casual grin, ¡®Mr. Lamont, long time no seel¡± Jonathan calmly walked over to the seat across from him and sat down, then calmly said, ¡°Nice to meet you!¡± People started sitting down, pouring drinks, and making small talks, creating the atmosphere like a reunion of old friends. Nigel raised his ss andughed, ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to have a meal with both Mr. Lamont and Mr. Scott. Today, I¡¯m fortunate to have both of you here. Let me propose a toast.¡± Manley smirked, ¡°Nigel should¡¯ve done this for ages. After all, Mr. Lamont just got back. We should have thrown a wee banquet for Mr. Lamont long ago.¡± Jonny kept his poker face, ¡°No need to be so formal, we all know each other.¡± Manleyughed meaningfully, ¡°Yeah, we all do.¡± The Lamont Group and the Scott Family had coborations andpetitions in business. The Lamont Group ruled J City, while the Scott family was equally ambitious. Manley had heard of Jonathan while he was abroad, and both of them were heirs of their families, so they were bound to be rivals someday. Manley had been looking forward to that day, but when he returned to the country, Jonathan was already gone. -After three years, Jonathan finally came back. Everyone there noticed the underlying tension between Jonathan and Manley, so they spoke cautiously to maintain the atmosphere. After all, they couldn¡¯t afford to offend neither of them. Estelle was washing her hands in the restroom, while twodies were chatting behind her, applying makeup. The one in the blue dressughed and said, ¡°Hattie, how on earth did you get a job at Firefly Media Group?¡± Thedy in white, with a gentle face and soft voice, replied, ¡°Just good luck, I guess.¡± ¡°How could you keep it from me!¡± the girl in the blue dress teased her, ¡°I heard Jonathan handpicked you for the job. You really hit the jackpot!¡± She lowered her voice, insinuating, ¡°Tell me, how¡¯d you end up in his bed?¡± Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Her words were explicit, and Hattie felt a bit embarrassed. She initially wanted to deny it, but then changed her mind and just smiled subtly, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know why he likes me either¡± Estelle turned her head and nced at the woman named Hattie. At first, she seemed somewhat familiar, and soon she remembered. Hattie had yed a princess in a TV show that Isis had previously followed. She didn¡¯t have many scenes, but her performance was outstanding. Isis even said it was a pity that she hadn¡¯t be more popr. She also remembered the woman in blue. She was a minor celebrity, named Heather Vang. Heather couldn¡¯t hide the envy on her face, ¡°With Jonathan, you can have whatever you want. Don¡¯t forget to support me once you be a leading actress.¡± Hattie smiled gracefully. ¡°Why would I need to support you when you have Morrison.¡± Heather¡¯s eyes flickered, and she applied lipstick in front of the mirror, somewhat proud, ¡°I spent so much effort to win Mr. Langston¡¯s heart, but now it¡¯s not easy to ask for something.¡± Hattie chuckled, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t ask, Mr. Langston will give it to you!¡± Heather¡¯s lips were bright red, and she pretended to be angry, ¡°He only buys me jewelry and bags but refuses to give me a good role. Even the supporting role fromst time, I had to spend the whole night coaxing him before he agreed.¡± ¡°Mr. Langston is just afraid that you¡¯ll be too independent and ignore him!¡± Hattie teased. Heather pouted and giggled, ¡°Even if I be independent, I couldn¡¯t escape from him.¡± The private room in the club had its own restroom, so very few people came here. The two chatted carelessly for a while, and just as they were about to leave, they heard a cold voice from behind, ¡°Stop right there!¡± Both of them were startled and turned around abruptly. Behind them was a floor-to-ceiling carved wooden door. Hattie and Heather didn¡¯t know the structure of this ce, so they didn¡¯t care about what they said, not expecting it to be a door. The two looked at each other, not sure how much Estelle had heard. Heather was the first to speak, ¡°Who are you?¡± Estelle approached, looking coldly at Heather. ¡°Are you really involved with Morrison?¡± Heather immediately felt relieved, thinking that Estelle was just one of the many women who admired Morrison. She rolled her eyes, crossed her arms, and said, ¡°What¡¯s it to you? Mr. Langston hates clingy people. You better not cause any trouble for me. If he sees us together, I won¡¯t be able to help you!¡± Estelle raised an eyebrow, ¡°Is he here?¡± Heather lifted her chin arrogantly, ¡°Yeah, Mr. Langston brought me here for dinner.¡± ¡°Take me to him!¡± Estelle demanded. Heather scoffed, ¡°Who do you think you are?¡± Without saying anything else, Estelle grabbed Heather¡¯s cor, opened the door, and dragged her out. Heather got scared and stumbled along behind Estelle. She was a bit taller than Estelle, but she had no strength to struggle in Estelle¡¯s hands. ¡°Let go of me! Let go!¡± Heather tried to hit Estelle with her purse. Estelle¡¯s eyes were cold, and she threw Heather against the wall. Heather¡¯s head hit the wall, and she screamed 14:45 before slumping to the ground. Hattie¡¯s leg was still injured, so she was a step behind. She reached out to grab Estelle¡¯s arm, ¡°Who are you? Let her go!¡± Estelle shook off her arm, and Hattie staggered back, hitting the wall and crying out in pain. Hattie¡¯s agent Amy rushed over to help her up, yelling. ¡°Where¡¯s the security? Get someone over here!¡± The security and passing waiters all ran over, stopping Estelle. ¡°Miss, regardless of the reason, you can¡¯t hurt people here, or we¡¯ll have to call the police!¡± Estelle still held Heather by the cor, her face pale, her cold eyes filled with malice, ¡°Step aside!¡± Hattie spotted a familiar figure passing by and immediately called out, ¡°Aaron!¡± Aaron approached, looking astonished, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Tears streamed down Hattie¡¯s face, and she shook her head weakly, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Heather and I were having dinner, and that woman just came over and started hitting people for no reason.¡± Amy supported Hattie and said angrily, ¡°Hattie¡¯s leg was just starting to recover, and she was going to start filming next month. Now it might be worse.¡± Aaron¡¯s gaze darkened, and he whispered, ¡°Mr. Lamont is also here for dinner. I¡¯ll go talk to him.¡± Hattie was brought in by Jonathan, so Aaron naturally thought there might be a connection between her and Jonathan. Now that Hattie was injured, he felt it necessary to tell him. Hattie¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard Jonathan was there. ¡°Mr. Lamont is here too?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be right back!¡± Aaron nced at Estelle not far away and quickly walked towards Jonathan¡¯s private room. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Amy, knowing that Jonathan was there, became even more arrogant, shouting at the security, ¡°Hold her! Don¡¯t let her escape!¡± Estelle turned around, threw Heather aside, and said coldly, ¡°You sent someone for me, huh? I¡¯ll be waiting!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Kim heard what the waiter said and quickly walked over, standing next to Estelle, shocked, ¡°Estelle? What happened?¡± The waiter briefly exined the situation. They didn¡¯t know the exact reason, but they knew that Estelle had injured Heather. Kim apologized to Hattie, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! Estelle is young and didn¡¯t hold back. Please do me a favor and don¡¯t hold it against her. I¡¯ll pay for all the food and drinks tonight aspensation. If anyone is injured, I¡¯ll take full responsibility.¡± Amy sneered, ¡°No wonder she¡¯s so arrogant. She¡¯s a friend of Kim.¡± Kim replied respectfully, ¡°Yes, we are really sorry about this.¡± Amy¡¯s face tightened, ¡°No one¡¯s going to be able to talk their way out of this today! You thought Hattie was an easy target, but I¡¯ll show you that some people are not to be messed with!¡± Kim¡¯s face turned pale, her good temper suddenly vanishing, and she calmly smiled, ¡°Alright then, please call out Ms. Hattie¡¯s friend, so I can see who¡¯s got her back.¡± Hattie¡¯s eyes darkened, and a faint sneer appeared on her lips. Heather stood up, leaning against the wall, and slowly moved to Hattie¡¯s side, looking at Hattie with a questioning gaze. Hattie slightly curved her lips, and said softly so that only the two of them could hear, ¡°Mr. Lamont happens to be dining here.¡± Heather¡¯s eyes suddenly brightened, and she swung around fiercely, pointing at Estelle, ¡°Nobody¡¯s freaking leaving today! If I don¡¯t make you pay for this, screw me and I¡¯ll call you as my ¡®mom¡¯!¡± Aaron found the private room, knocked on the door, and went in. As everyone watched, he walked up to Jonathan, leaned down and whispered, ¡°Mr. Lamont, could you pleasee out?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Jonathan asked. ¡°Ms. Hattie has been assaulted, and the person responsible is still holding on to her.¡± Aaron replied. Jonathan¡¯s eyes were as dark as ink, asking softly, ¡°Who is it?¡± Aaron shook his head, ¡°Not sure, but they seem quite brazen.¡± Jonathan nodded and stood up, walking towards the door. The two of them left the room one after the other, Manley, with a mischievous look, raised an eyebrow, ¡°Is she Mr. Lamont¡¯s girl?¡± Nigelughed, ¡°Probably!¡± Manley grinned, ¡°Then I have to go see what kind of beauty can make Mr. Lamont so nervous!¡± Chapter 20 Chapter 20 The people watching in the corridor had already been cleared away by Kim, leaving only the security guards from the restaurant. The chandelier above emitted a warm yellow glow, but the atmosphere was tense. When Jonathan came over, everyone instinctively moved to the sides to make way for him. Hattie, supported by Amy, took a couple of steps forward. As she looked at Jonathan, her eyes filled with tears, appearing weak and fragile. She spoke with an aggrieved and apologetic tone, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Lamont, for disturbing your meal.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Jonathan asked, ncing over to Estelle, his eyes narrowing slightly. Kim didn¡¯t expect it to be Jonathan, her expression changed slightly as she swiftly positioned herself to shield Estelle. No wonder Hattie was so fearless! Amy quickly recounted the details of the incident, adding some embellishments, such as Estelle hitting Hattie and causing her to hit the wall, aggravating Hattie¡¯s leg injury. Estelle looked at Jonathan calmly, but didn¡¯t expect Hattie to be his lover for real! Kim stepped forward, protecting Estelle as she said, ¡°So, Ms. Hattie is a friend of Mr. Lamont. My friend identally hurt Ms. Hattie. I¡¯ll take responsibility for this matter.¡± ¡°You take responsibility?¡± Amy scoffed. ¡°Our Hattie was supposed to start filming next month as a major character. With her injury ring up, who knows how long it will dy her? The whole production will have to halt and wait. How can you be responsible for that?¡± ¡°How do you want her to take responsibility? Let us hear it!¡± A sneering voice came from behind the crowd. It was Manley, who walked over with a seemingly amused expression. He walked straight to Estelle and looked her up and down with concern, ¡°Baby, are you hurt? If theyy a finger on you, I¡¯ll make them all pay!¡± Everyone was stunned. Kim saw that Manley and Estelle seemed to have a close rtionship, so she stepped back to give Manley some room. Estelle raised an eyebrow, unsure of Manley¡¯s intentions. Manley stood protectively beside Estelle, his face turning cold as he stared at Amy, ¡°Come on, tell us, how do you want my babe to be responsible?¡± Manley, being even more famous in the entertainment industry than top-tier male stars, was well known to Amy, who turned pale and dared not to speak up. Manley snorted contemptuously, ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you, my babe doesn¡¯t like entertainers like you. You¡¯re all about scandals and showing off. I don¡¯t care who¡¯s backing you up. Today, if you upset my Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. babe, none of you will get off easy!¡± His words left Hattie and Heather looking even more embarrassed and awkward, their eyes filled with hatred, as if they wanted to rip Estelle apart. Estelle took a deep breath. She hadn¡¯t been sure about Manley¡¯s intentions earlier, but now it was clear that he was using her as an excuse to exact revenge. And since he seemed to have a problem with Jonathan as well, he even dragged him into it. Estelle turned to Manley, who happened to lower his head and give her a gentle, seductive smile, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. I¡¯ve got you!¡± With her eyes cold and deep, Estelle replied, ¡°I¡¯m not scared. Are you?¡± Manley¡¯s smile faltered slightly, but he quickly recovered, affectionately tousling her hair, ¡°No problem, for you, I¡¯m willing to face any danger!¡± Estelle smiled back, TII give you the chance The two spoke quietly, with Manley behaving in an intimate and tender manner, as if the two were real lovers Kim looked at Manley in confusion, wondering why it sounded like he was instigating trouble for Estelle! Among the crowd, only Jonathan remained calm andposed, his deep eyes revealing nothing of what he was thinking. There was a moment of silence in the corridor. Then, without warning, Jonathan walked over to Estelle, stopped in front of her, and asked softly, ¡°You saw me. Why didn¡¯t you say hello?¡± Everyone was taken aback ¨C she knew Jonathan, too? Estelle looked straight into his eyes without hesitation and called out, ¡°Uncle!¡± The crowd eximed, ¡°¡­!¡± Manley¡¯s unrestrained smile slowly crumbled, and he shot Estelle a surprised look. Estelle turned to Manley with a light smile, introducing, ¡°This is my uncle. You can call him uncle, too!¡± Manley remained silent, He had a feeling that Estelle and Jonathan were plotting against him, even though he had no proof! Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Jonathan looked at Manley too, all chill and rxed, not saying anything like he was waiting for Manley to call him uncle Manley¡¯s face was a bit stiff, and he forced a grin, ¡°Another day. Estelle and I wille to visit formally Hattie walked over the look in her eyes towards Estelle had changed From the previous hatred to now warmth, she smiled and said. ¡°So you¡¯re Mr. Lamont¡¯s niece! Gosh, what a huge misunderstanding! Amy has a quick temper and her wordsck discretion. Please don¡¯t take it to heart Amy quickly apologized. Treally had no idea you¡¯re rted to Mr. Lamont, it¡¯s all my bad ? Heather also came over, scared out of her wits. ¡°Estelle. fm so sorry!¡± Just because Estelle called Jonathan ¡°uncle,¡± everyone changed their faces in a snap Estelle¡¯s eyes were cold, ¡°Ms. Vang shouldn¡¯t be calling me Estelle, but rather as Mom!¡± Heather¡¯s face instantly turned pale! She thought that Jonathan would back up Hattie and say harsh words to Estelle, so she said those big words of calling Estelle ¡°Mom¡± if she didn¡¯t back off. But she spoke too soon. Estelle turned out to be Jonathan¡¯s niece, much closer to him than Hattie. And she could sense that Estelle was targeting her all along. Could it be that Jonathan¡¯s niece liked Morrison? Hattie awkwardlyughed, ¡°We all just got a little carried away by anger, don¡¯t take it personally, Estelle.¡± Heather blurted out, ¡°Yeah, consider my words as nonsense!¡± Manley couldn¡¯t help snickering, sarcastically remarking. ¡°True actors indeed, with superb acting skills to go along with the wind.¡± Both Hattie and Heather had unpleasant expressions on their faces. ¡°What happened?¡± A cold voice suddenly came from behind them. Kim looked back, and eximed, ¡°Magdalen, you¡¯re here!¡± Magdalen had been stuck with Morrison all this time, and finally got out to find Estelle, only to discover something went wrong. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. She walked up to Estelle, scanning Heather and the others, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Heather¡¯s face changed instantly as she saw Magdalen. She turned her head away and said to Hattie, ¡°Hattie, I have something to do. Gotta go!¡± Then, she pushed past security and hurried off. Hattie stared at Heather¡¯s back in disbelief, her eyes cold. So Heather had just left her here all by herself! ¡°It¡¯s all fine now!¡± Kimughed and said to Magdalen, then turned to Hattie, ¡°Ms. Hattie, is your leg still hurting? Do you want me to get a car to take you to the hospital for a check-up?¡± Hattie replied quickly, ¡°No need, it doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± After that, she turned to Jonathan and said softly, ¡°I won¡¯t keep Mr. Lamont any longer, I¡¯ll get going now.¡± Jonathan just hummed in response, and Amy immediately escorted Hattie away. ¡°Why did everyone run away as soon as I arrived?¡± Magdalen joked teasingly, coldness mixed with Kim gave a faint smile and answered, ¡°I guess your appearance is intimidating!¡± With the problem resolved, Jonathan just looked at Estelle indifferently, ¡°Having dinner with friends?¡± Estelle nodded, ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Alright, go ahead, I¡¯ll give you a callter.¡± Jonathan¡¯s voice was mesmerizing and soothing as always. ¡°Alright, talk to youter!¡± Estelle nodded slightly, not even ncing at Manley before leaving with Magdalen. Kim followed the two and casually told the security to leave as well. Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Only Jonathan and Manley were still in the corridor. They were about the same height, and both had remarkable appearances and extraordinary temperament. The atmosphere in the corridor grew heavy, and the lighting seemed dimmer. Cold light flickered in Manley¡¯s foxy eyes as he curled his lips and said, ¡°Is Estelle really Mr. Lamont¡¯s niece? Howe she doesn¡¯t have the samest name?¡± Jonathan replied nonchntly, ¡°No matter what herst name is, she still calls me uncle.¡± Manley clenched his teeth and forced a smile, ¡°Really? I thought it was just a temporary recognition!¡± Jonathan chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m not that bored to temporarily adopt a niece, nor a girlfriend!¡± Manley raised his eyebrows, ¡°Although Estelle just agreed to be my girlfriendst night, it¡¯s not temporary.¡± Jonathan suddenly realized, ¡°Well, then I can indeed be called Uncle by Mr. Scott!¡± Manley remained silent, ¡°¡­¡­¡± Damn! He tricked me! Just as Nigel and the others came out, the two engaged in an intense gaze battle for three hundred rounds before casually averting their eyes. Back in the private room, Manley always felt like he had been knocked down a peg by Jonathan. He was annoyed and couldn¡¯t enjoy anything. Before the banquet was over, he made an excuse and left. When Estelle and Magdalen returned to the private room, Magdalen sat down and asked directly, ¡°Is it because of that bitch named Heather?¡± Estelle looked up. ¡°You know her!¡± Magdalen sneered, ¡°I caught her once trying to send Morrison a gift in the middle of the night. I pped her face.¡± She thought that p would teach her a lesson, but it seemed not. Magdalen took a sip of red wine and asked, ¡°What did she say that pissed you off?¡± Estelle briefly recounted what she had heard in the restroom. Magdalen¡¯s face was unchanged, she took out her phone and called Morrison from her recent calls. He picked up after just one ring, and a refined, elegant male voice answered, ¡°Magdalen.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. She asked, ¡°Is Heather still at yourpany?¡± Morrison hummed in acknowledgement, ¡°Yeah, why?¡± ¡°No big deal, just that E overheard Heather bragging in the bathroom about how she got that female supporting role because she made you happy in bed. E got angry and pped her. I hope it won¡¯t affect her making money for you?¡± Magdalen tapped the table with her bejeweled fingernail, her smile sending shivers down one¡¯s spine. Morrison was silent for a full five seconds before calmly replying, ¡°It won¡¯t, because she be kicked out starting tomorrow!¡± He then lowered his voice, softly exining, ¡°I never slept with her, and there was no inappropriate rtionship.¡± Magdalen teased, ¡°But she sounded so sure, with all the details.¡± Morrison said, ¡°Are you still at the Hungry Spoon? I¡¯m on my way now!¡± He hung up the phone. Magdalen put down her phone and nced at the table, ¡°The food is cold. I¡¯ll have the kitchen prepare a fresh one.¡± Estelle didn¡¯t say anything, just took a sip of wine and asked softly, ¡°Is it tiring being with Morrison?¡± The Sampson family and the Langston family were old friends. Morrison and Magdalen had known each other since childhood and had a longsting rtionship. They got engagedst year. The Langston family¡¯s business was mainly in media and entertainment. Morrison, as the prince of the Langston family, was rich and handsome, and attracted a lot of women. Entertainment headlines often featured Morrison¡¯s romantic scandals with various celebrities. While Magdalen¡¯s status as his girlfriend would not change, it must be tiring to deal with all these annoying situations, right? ¡°I¡¯m used to it!¡± Magdalen sighed andughed, ¡°You know how I feel about him, and nothing will make me give up on him. Estelle understood, she just felt bad for her. Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Soon Morrison arrived and called Magdalen to ask which room she was in. Estelle got up and said, ¡°You guys talk, I¡¯m gonna head out first.¡± Magdalen frowned, ¡°I took you out, naturally I should take you back, you and Morrison know each other, why are you leaving?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t wanna stay and be a third wheel, do I?¡± Estelle winked and chuckled, ¡°And besides, you¡¯ve been drinking, how are you supposed to drive me? It¡¯s all good, I¡¯ll catch a cab.¡± Magdalen reluctantly agreed, ¡°Well, call me when you get home.¡± ¡°Sure thing!¡± Magdalen walked Estelle to the door, only to run into Morrison who was hurrying over in the hallway. The guy was dressed in a business suit with a hint of alcohol on him, seemingly justing from a social engagement. He had a refined, handsome face and wore a pair of gold-rimmed sses, greeting Estelle politely. He walked over to Magdalen and naturally held her hand. Estelle said goodbye to the two and went out the door on her own. A waiter at the door asked her if there was anything she needed. Just as Estelle was about to speak, she saw a group of people surrounding Jonathan as they walked out. She politely declined the waiter¡¯s help and stood by Jonathan¡¯s car, waiting for the group to leave before turning around and gently calling out, ¡°Mr. Lamont!¡± Jonathan turned around, his dark eyes seemingly deep as night, lightly watching her, ¡°Done with Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. dinner?¡± ¡°Yep!¡± Estelle nodded and said, ¡°Thanks for everything today, Mr. Lamont.¡± Jonathan put his hands in his pockets, tall and handsome as ever, ¡°No need to thank me, we¡¯re just helping each other out.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Estelle was a bit confused, how did she help him? ¡°Never mind.¡± Jonathan replied leisurely,¡± Manley told me you agreed to be his girlfriend, is that true?¡± Estelle showed a surprised and speechless expression, ¡°He told you that?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Estelleughed in disbelief, ¡°He¡¯s doing it on purpose to retaliate against me.¡± Jonathan raised an eyebrow, ¡°What happened?¡± Estelle briefly told him about how Manley had someone bother her earlier, but she exposed him and then beat him up. The bright lights from the roadside reflected in Jonathan¡¯s dark eyes, full of ripples. He listened to Estelle¡¯s words, first showing a bit of surprise, then the corners of his mouth hooked up into a smile. After a while, he calmly nodded, ¡°Good job!¡± Estelle smiled, her beautiful eyes bright and lively, her lips moist. Under the lights, her features seemed more alive. Jonathan averted his gaze, looking behind her, ¡°Are you alone? I can drive you home.¡± #Thank you but it¡¯s not necessary!¡± Estelle politely declined, ¡°My friend ising to pick me up, they¡¯ll be here soon. You should go ahead, Mr. Lamont.¡± Jonathan said nothing more, turned around and got into his car. Watching Jonathan¡¯s car merge into the traffic, Estelle slowly walked to the side of the road. Sitting in a taxi, Estelle suddenly realized that her rtionship with Jonathan seemed to have improved a lot, probably because Jonathan didn¡¯t like Manley either, so in dealing with Manley, both of them aimed at the same thing and naturally they were on the same battlefront. Estelle looked out the car window at the colorful neon lights, thinking about Heather and Hattie If Heather and Morrison were fake, then what about Hattie? Was she really Jonathan¡¯s lover? Magdalen, as Morrison¡¯s girlfriend, could openly hold Morrison ountable, while she, as Jonathan¡¯s wife, had to politely thank Jonathan! Oh, shoot! She really was a failed wife! Chapter 24 Chapter 24 By the time she got back to the vi, it was almost eleven. Estelle took a shower and was cuddling with Max on the couch while calling Magdalen to let her know she was safe. She also took the opportunity to inquire about her conversation with Morrison and whether they had an argument. The phone kept ringing until it was almost about to hang up before someone answered. It was Morrison¡¯s deep voice, ¡°She might not be able to take your call. Any message you want me to pass on?¡± Through the phone, Magdalen¡¯s moan could be heard, sounding like she had been crying, ¡°Morrison!¡± Estelle quickly hung up. Her cheeks flushed, she couldn¡¯t help but clench her teeth, thinking how Magdalen couldn¡¯t resist the enemy¡¯s dirty temptation! The next afternoon, when Estelle returned from the Lamont family¡¯s home, she received a package ¨C a This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. big box filled with the jewelry and clothes that Magdalen had given her the night before. From the box, she picked out a pair of earrings that didn¡¯t look too shy, nning to give them to Emily. But when she went to the dessert shop on Monday, the other employees told her Emily had taken leave and wasn¡¯t at work. On Wednesday afternoon, Estelle got a call from Henson asking her to meet up. Estelle thought something was wrong and took a taxi to the restaurant where they had agreed to meet. The Lamont family¡¯s car was parked outside the restaurant, with a bodyguard in a suit standing beside it. Entering the restaurant, she found Henson and asked in a serious tone, ¡°What happened?¡± Henson looked rxed, ¡°Nothing serious, just wanted to treat you to a meal. Rx!¡± Estelle looked at him suspiciously. ¡°Really, what do you want to eat?¡± Henson pushed the menu toward Estelle. Estelle put down her bag and leaned back in her chair. ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s going on?¡± Henson put both his hands on the table, looking serious, ¡°My uncle doesn¡¯t seem to be satisfied with you and wants to fire you.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Estelle breathed a sigh of relief, thinking it wasn¡¯t as serious as she thought. Henson was puzzled this time, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you worried?¡± ¡°Worried about what?¡± Estelle asked in return. Frowning, Henson asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to make money to help your grandfather get treatment?¡± ¡°Of course I do, but can I change your uncle¡¯s mind?¡± Estelle took a sip of water, her expression slightly helpless. ¡°You can¡¯t, but I can. I can put in a good word for you and have my uncle keep you,¡± Henson said. Estelle looked at the little brat in front of her and suddenly smiled, ¡°So you want me to help you with something?¡± Henson put on a wise tone, ¡°Youngdy, don¡¯t be so self-interested. Can¡¯t we help each other without having a vested interest?¡± Estelle nodded in agreement, ¡°You¡¯re right, I was too shallow.¡± 14:46 ¡°But, Henson grinned, ¡°I do want to ask you for a small favor.¡± Estelle snorted, her expression suggesting that she had expected as much. ¡°Go on, what is it?¡± Leaning forward, Henson said quietly, Tm telling you this because I consider you as one of us¡± Estelle squinted her eyes, I¡¯m honored!¡± Henson continued, ¡°My teacher wants me to call my parents to school. Can you go for me?¡± Estelle raised her eyebrows in surprise, ¡°You didn¡¯t do well on your exams?¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± Henson sneered arrogantly, then immediately revealed a hint of guilt, ¡°I got into a fight with two ssmates in our ss!¡± Frowning, Estelle looked him over, ¡°You got into a fight with your ssmates? Are you hurt?¡± ¡°No, the boxing training I¡¯ve had with my uncle is more than enough to deal with them.¡± Relieved, Estelle asked, ¡°Why did you fight?¡± ¡°Who let them bully others?¡± Henson answered angrily. ¡°They were upset because Anthony Stevens refused to let them copy his answers during the exam. They started bugging him every day and even pissed on his pants in the restroom today. I couldn¡¯t stand it, so I stepped in!¡± Stunned, Estelle remarked, ¡°You¡¯re being a hero. Is the teacher asking you to call your parents so they can praise you?¡± Henson looked at her in surprise, ¡°Are you being serious?¡± Chapter 25 Chapter 25 He thought Estelle would take the opportunity to lecture him, telling him that good students shouldn¡¯t fight. Estelle nodded sincerely, ¡°Of course, you helped a bullied ssmate, isn¡¯t that being brave and just?¡± Henson¡¯s innocent eyes sparkled for a moment, but then he became disheartened, ¡°But I busted their heads, and their parents all came. The teacher told me to call my parents to school this afternoon.¡± ¡°Your teacher doesn¡¯t know you¡¯re part of the Lamont family?¡± Estelle asked. Henson nodded, ¡°There are some people with the surname Lamont in the school, and my file only has my parents¡¯ names. My parents are very low-key.¡± Estelle realized, ¡°So you want me to pretend to be your parent?¡± ¡°Smart!¡± Hensonughed, showing his newly grown teeth. Estelle alsoughed, ¡°No way!¡± Henson¡¯s smile froze, ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°First, I¡¯m not your parent, and if your uncle finds out, I¡¯ll definitely lose my job!¡± Estelle said seriously, ¡°Second, I¡¯m technically your teacher too, so I can¡¯t help you deceive the other teachers.¡± ¡°No one will know if you don¡¯t say anything!¡± ¡°It¡¯s still not happening.¡± Estelle was firm and asked curiously, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to your uncle?¡± Henson lowered his eyes, ¡°My uncle promised me that if I didn¡¯t make any mistakes for a week, he would teach me horse riding on the weekend.¡± ¡°But this time, there was a reason for your actions!¡± Estelle said. Henson shook his head, ¡°My uncle is very principled; if it¡¯s wrong, it¡¯s wrong, no matter the reason!¡± Estelle shrugged, ¡°Well, that¡¯s a problem then!¡± Henson¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up, and he said to Estelle, ¡°How much does my uncle pay you for being our tutor?¡± ¡°Eight thousand, why?¡± ¡°As long as you help me, I¡¯ll tell my uncle how good you are, and he¡¯ll double your sry, what do you say?¡± Estelle took a sip of water and raised her eyebrows, ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± ¡°Absolutely!¡± Henson confirmed. Estelle was tempted. With eight thousand more, she could make an extra ny-six thousand a year, All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. getting her one step closer to buying Vi del Sol. ¡°But who should I pretend to be, your grandma?¡± Estelle asked doubtfully. She could try to look older, but she feared the teacher might be suspicious. Henson stared at Estelle and pulled out his phone from his backpack, ¡°I¡¯ll call my uncle right now and tell him you want to be his mom!¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Estelle spat out her water and rushed to grab some tissues while stopping Henson, ¡°Hold on, or I¡¯ll change my mind!¡± Henson was fearless, ¡°If you back out, I¡¯ll tell my uncle you tried to take advantage of him!¡± Estelle made an innocent face, ¡°Then who should I pretend to be? your teachers must have seen your mom, right?¡± Henson immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ve already thought about it, you can pretend to be my aunt!¡± Estelle widened her eyes,¡­ She had to impersonate herself? The two stared at each other for three seconds before Estelle spoke, ¡°If your uncle finds out, not only will he not raise my sry, but he might also kick me out!¡± ¡°He won¡¯t know!¡± ¡°You sure?¡± ¡°Absolutely!¡± Estelle took a deep breath, thought for five seconds, and then said with a tragic expression, ¡°Alright!¡± Henson seeded and was delighted, ¡°To show my gratitude, I¡¯ll treat you to dinner, you can order whatever you want.¡± Estelle flipped through the menu, suddenly feeling like she was being served ast meal. Chapter 26 Chapter 26 In the afternoon, Estelle took a day off from the school to keep Henson apany Upon arrival, they headed straight for the headteacher¡¯s office. The headteacher wasn¡¯t there, but another teacher knew that Estelle was the parenting to handle the situation. They were polite, pouring her a ss of water and asking her to wait for a moment. She overheard two teachers gossiping, ¡°Who is she?¡± ¡°A student¡¯s parent.¡± ¡®So young? She looks like a student herself!¡± Henson whispered to Estelle, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s all good. I¡¯ll exin to our teacher that my uncle likes younger people.¡± Estelle thought to herself. ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t need to exin. Men always like younger ones!¡± As more teachers came in, some recognized Henson and greeted him warmly, saying that he has improved in his studies recently. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Estelle took theirpliments as to her humbly. With more teachersing in and not wanting to disturb them, Estelle took Henson to wait in the meeting room next door. After waiting for about five minutes, a man in a blue striped suit and ck-rimmed sses entered. Henson stood up, ¡°Hello, Mr. Dunn, my aunt is here!¡± Estelle stepped forward and said with a warm smile, ¡°Mr. Dunn, I¡¯m Henson¡¯s aunt.¡± Mr. Dunn looked surprised, but then he smiled, ¡°Nice to meet you, Henson¡¯s aunt. I just called your husband as well.¡± Mr. Dunn turned towards the door and said, ¡°Mr. Lamont, what a coincidence, your wife is here too!¡± Estelle suddenly turned her head and met the man¡¯s pitch-ck eyes, her mind buzzing, and she was Henson was also startled, swallowing hard, and cried out, ¡°Uncle!¡± Jonathan¡¯s eyes swept over both of them, emitting a cryptic meaning. He simply responded with a nomittal grunt. Mr. Dunn told Henson with a smile, ¡°I called your dad, but he¡¯s abroad and couldn¡¯te. He gave me your uncle¡¯s number instead. I didn¡¯t expect that you¡¯d bring your aunt here yourself!¡± He then apologized to Estelle, ¡°Sorry for the trouble.¡± Estelle didn¡¯t dare look at Jonathan and forced herself to stay calm, ¡°It¡¯s alright. Henson asked me to ¡°Yes, it¡¯s fine whoeveres,¡± Mr. Dunn said with a warm smile. Jonathan looked at Estelle, ¡°Take Henson outside and wait. I¡¯ll handle this.¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± Estelle nodded repeatedly, not daring to look at Jonathan. She took Henson and hurried out the door. As soon as they left the office, Estelle¡¯s face changed. She stared at Henson angrily, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say he wouldn¡¯t find out?¡± Henson defended himself, ¡°The teacher asked me to call a parent. How was I supposed to know she¡¯d call my dad behind my back?!¡± 1/2 Estelle gritted her teeth, ¡°You¡¯re going to get me killed!¡± Jonathan drove to the school himself. One hourter, he sat in the driver¡¯s seat with Estelle and Henson in the back. The car stopped on the side of the road without moving. Jonathan answered a few phone calls to deal with matters within thepany, while Estelle and Henson sat upright, trying to minimize their presence Once Jonathan hung up, Estelle immediately said, ¡°Mr. Lamont, it¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have lied with Henson and failed to set a good example. I apologize to you and to Henson¡¯ Henson quickly interjected, ¡°It¡¯s not Ms. Macin¡¯s fault. I forced her to pretend to be my aunt.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my fault. Henson is young and doesn¡¯t know any better. I¡¯m an adult and should know right from wrong¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with you!¡± Henson defended her, ¡°You¡¯re taking money from my family, so of course, you should listen to me.¡± Chapter 27 Chapter 27 ¡°I¡¯m an adult, but more importantly, I¡¯m your teacher, I shouldn¡¯t be swayed by money, it¡¯s my fault¡± ¡°Wow, impressivel Jonathan suddenly spoke up, looking at the two of them through the rearview mirror, ¡°You guys are so loyal to each other? Why don¡¯t you be sworn brothers right now?¡± Estelle and Henson both went silent. Jonathan paused for a moment, then said to Henson, ¡°It¡¯s not wrong to stand up for justice and protect the weak when you are sure of your own safety, but when ites to your ssmates, you don¡¯t have to be so heavy-handed.¡± Henson obediently responded with an ¡°oh.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong overall, so I won¡¯t scold you!¡± Jonathan immediately beamed with joy. ¡°Thank you, Uncle!¡± ¡°But, Jonathan¡¯s tone darkened, ¡°what about you having Ms. Macin pretend to be your guardian? What do you have to say for that?¡± Estelle was about to speak when she saw Jonathan¡¯s profound gaze from the mirror and immediately closed her mouth. Henson bowed his head, ¡°I was wrong, and it won¡¯t happen again!¡± ¡°Mmm, it¡¯s not just about admitting your mistakes but also changing for the better!¡± Jonathan¡¯s voice softened, then he said casually. ¡°There¡¯s still one ss left. Go to your ss now!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Henson responded, and before getting out of the car, he looked at Estelle worriedly. ¡°Uncle, you¡¯ve forgiven me, can you also forgive Ms. Macin?¡± Estelle looked at Henson¡¯s innocent eyes, and her heart suddenly softened. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t fire her!¡± Jonathan said. Henson felt relieved and said goodbye to them before getting out of the car and being escorted by bodyguards into the school. As he left, only Estelle and Jonathan were left in the car, and the atmosphere suddenly became delicate. Just as Estelle was about to apologize again, she saw Jonathan¡¯s lips curling in the mirror as he spoke. nonchntly, ¡°Has your intelligence dropped to the level of an elementary school student? You said you were his aunt, and you just expect the teacher would believe it?¡± Estelle¡¯s face turned pale, and she argued righteously, ¡°First of all, elementary school students can have a high intelligence. It was my mistake to lie and not set a good example for Henson. You can fire me, but your shouldn¡¯t insult me or bring everyone else down with it. Also¡­¡± Her eyes shed, but she didn¡¯t continue. Jonathan¡¯s face remained impassive as he looked at her through the mirror, ¡°Go on, what else?¡± Estelle took a deep breath and put on a serious expression, ¡°Henson said you like younger women, so having a young aunt is not surprising.¡± Jonathan couldn¡¯t help but smile. He looked out the car window, his arm resting on the steering wheel, shirt cuffs rolled up, revealing a part of his strong, elegant arm. Estelle thought for a moment and then added, ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand. I have no intention of bing Henson¡¯s aunt.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just ttering yourself! The man interrupted her, seemingly amused, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, even if I do like younger women, I don¡¯t like underage ones. You don¡¯t have to be afraid.¡± Estelle frowned but didn¡¯t say anything, as speaking would only lead to unnecessary suspicions. Jonathan asked again, ¡°You said you were bought by money, how much did Henson pay you?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Estelle¡¯s face changed slightly. Did she say such a thing? Her intelligence must have really dropped, otherwise, why would she expose herself like this? Feeling like she had already lost enough face today, Estelle decided to just let it out, ¡°He said that once. everything was done, he would persuade you to double my sry.¡± Jonathan nodded, then said unhurriedly, ¡°Henson¡¯s study has indeed improved, and I did have ns to This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. raise your sry before.¡± Estelle¡¯s face lit up. ¡°But now,¡± Jonathan continued, ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind.¡± Estelle, ¡°¡­¡­ Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Estelle thought that he must have done it on purpose, trying to make her regret and feel disappointed, just as a way to teach and punish her. But thinking about it, she was the one who had made mistakes, and it was already nice of Jonathan not to fire her and not even to contemte the idea of firing her. Jonathan watched as the girl¡¯s expression slowly changed from frustration to calm, and even a hint of happiness. He couldn¡¯t help but smirk again, starting the car, ¡°Shall I take you back to school?¡± Estelle¡¯s mood was back to normal, ¡°Sure.¡± Half an hourter, a Bentley stopped at the entrance of the University of J City. Estelle prepared to get out of the car and chuckled, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Lamont.¡± ¡°No need to thank me!¡± the man said indifferently, ¡°I should thank you for only pretending to be my wife rather than my mother!¡± Estelleughed awkwardly, ¡°You¡¯re wee too!¡± It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to, but Henson didn¡¯t agree. Seeing her flushed cheeks, the man didn¡¯t tease her any further, ¡°Be careful when opening the door.¡± ¡°Yes, you drive safely too.¡± As Estelle got out of the car and headed straight for the school gate, Jonathan watched her slender figure. He didn¡¯t leave until she had entered the school. On that night, Henson approached her to y a game, subtly trying to find out what his uncle said to Estelle after he left, and whether he had vented his anger on her. Estelle didn¡¯t say anything, seeming to swallow all the grievances alone and bear everything by herself. As expected, Henson became restless and not only gave her lots of equipment but also protected her all night, taking a lot of damage himself. At half past nine, Estelle told Henson to go to bed. Unusually, Henson didn¡¯t refuse and went to sleep All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. right after getting off the game. Later, Estelle received a call from her father Bet saying that there was a big party at the family¡¯s old house this weekend. Her grandparents wanted everyone to attend. ¡°What¡¯s the asion?¡± Estelle asked. Bet exined, ¡°Your cousin Sabina is returning from abroad after graduating and getting dual master¡¯s degrees. The party is both a wee party for your cousin and a celebration for her joining the Lamont Group as the president¡¯s secretary.¡± Estelle¡¯s eyebrows twitched ¨C president¡¯s secretary? Her cousin was going to be Jonathan¡¯s personal secretary? ¡°I have ns this weekend, so I won¡¯t attend. Please apologize to my grandparents for me,¡± Estelle said. She had grown up away from home, and although she was now a part of the Macin family, she wasn¡¯t close to her older rtives. She had attended family reunions before, but she never seemed to fit in. Especially during such reunions, it was better if she didn¡¯t go. Bet tried to persuade her, ¡°It¡¯s a rare opportunity. Your cousin is very outstanding, you could learn a lot from her.¡± ¡°Dad, I really have ns.¡± Estelle¡¯s tone was mild, but her attitude was firm. *Alright then Bet could only chuckle, ¡°You¡¯ll have other chances to meet in the future¡± After hanging up the phone, Estelle yed the game for a while longer. Suddenly, a ck eagle emblem appeared on her phone, slowly changing from ck to transparent. Estelle exited the game, got up, and left her bedroom. Mr. Wagner was walking Max on thewn in the yard, while Wilma was preparing breakfast ingredients for tomorrow in the kitchen. The whole vi was as peaceful as usual. Estelle went to the study room next door, ced her fingerprint on the scanner, and entered. Inside the study room, there were no desks or bookshelves; instead, there was only aputer ced in the center, with two ck and white disy screens on the opposite wall. Chapter 29 Chapter 29 She stood in front of theputer, and both theputer and the screen opposite autornatically turned on Estelle clicked on a desktop icon with an eagle¡¯s head logo Upon entering, a password box popped up. She quickly typed in six digits, and a 3D file with pictures showed up immediately Estelle skimmed through it and said indifferently, ¡°Half a month ago, the Haney family auctioned a human-headed and bird bodied bronze artifact in London, UK. When they were shipping it back, the ne crashed near the Outer Mongolia border, and now the whereabouts of the bronze artifact are unknown. The Haney family is offering us 12 million to find it!¡± After finishing her statement, Estelle asked, ¡°Will you take the job?¡± A distorted, doll-like voice came from the white screen, ¡°Sure, I¡¯m nearby, and have some clues.¡± Estelle nodded, and theputer light reflected on her face, casting a cold glow, ¡°I¡¯ll send you the pictures of the bronze artifact and the files of the rted personnel. ¡°Blue Hawk,¡± Estelle ordered, ¡°you will assist Goshawk.¡± ¡°Roger!¡± Blue Hawk¡¯s voice was calm and low. The three further discussed some details, and around eleven o¡¯clock, Estelle left the study room. On Saturday morning, when Estelle arrived at the Lamont family¡¯s house, Norah surprisingly hadn¡¯t gone out yet. Knowing she had arrived, Norah pulled her into her room. ¡°Henson¡¯s exam scores have improved a lot this time, and my uncle is very satisfied with you, Estelle. Thank you so much for solving a big problem for our family!¡± Norah said excitedly. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Estelle smiled slightly, ¡°I¡¯m paid by your family; it¡¯s what I should do. You¡¯re wee!¡± Norah, who had already changed clothes and was about to go out, took out a few nes to try on her neck and asked Estelle which one looked good. All the nes were from famous brands, and some of them were limited editions. ¡°And this one!¡± Norah carefully opened the box to show Estelle, her voice filled with joy. ¡°This was just given to me by Nics. Do you like it?¡± Estelle stared at the ne in the velvet box without speaking. The ne was from GK Jewelry Studio and had a leaf-shaped pendant. This ne was Estelle¡¯s own design. The leaf had seven veins, which were filled with seven different colors of small diamonds iid onto the gold leaf using a special technique. The ne was gorgeous, with the sparkling diamond light and the veins resembling flowing water when the sunlight hit it. However, Norah¡¯s ne had eight veins, and cheaper moissanite diamonds were used instead. Seeing Estelle not speaking, Norah put the ne on her neck with a pure smile and said, ¡°I know the ne is fake. Nicses from an ordinary family, and he doesn¡¯t have that much money to buy a genuine GK Jewelry ne.¡± Estelle replied, ¡°He doesn¡¯t have to buy the genuine one if he can¡¯t afford it. There¡¯s no need to buy a fake one.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t told him about my family background, and our rtionship is very pure. He just wants to make me happy,¡± Norah tried to exin. Estelle couldn¡¯t agree, ¡°He is a student, so it¡¯s normal for him not to be able to afford luxury items. But buying a fake one means he either thinks you are materialistic or he thinks you¡¯re gullible enough to be deceived¡± Norah shook her head immediately. ¡°That¡¯s not true I know him, and he wouldn¡¯t try to deceive me on purpose Maybe he was deceived himself, or maybe he simply doesn¡¯t know about the brand GK Jewelry Studio After all, he has never cared about these things.¡± Seeing that Norah was very protective of Nics, and Estelle didn¡¯t know him very well herself, she didn¡¯t say anything more. Norah still wore the ne without caring, and her smile was still bright and innocent, ¡°I have to go now Please take care of Henson for me. I¡¯ll treat you to a meal to thank you properly another time!¡± ¡°Be careful,¡± Estelle said. Norah gave her a reassuring gesture and then flew out the door like a happy little bird. ¡°Love makes people stupid!¡± A mocking voice suddenly came from behind Estelle. She turned around and saw Henson standing by the railing, looking disdainful. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Estelle looked up, raised her eyebrows, ¡°You know love? Why would you say that?¡± ¡°Look at her, smiling like a fool!¡± Henson snorted Estelle walked upstairs. ¡°The essence of love is to make people happy.¡± Henson snorted again, ¡°Then I won¡¯t fall in love in the future, and neither should you.¡± Estelle was puzzled, ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I?¡± Henson confidently said, ¡°If you be an idiot, how will you teach me?¡± Estelle looked at him expressionlessly. ¡°Do you know what your uncle said to me that afternoon?¡± Henson asked curiously, ¡°What did my uncle say?¡± ¡°Your uncle said that my intelligence level is now as low as yours!¡± Estelle sneered and walked past him. Henson was stunned, and quickly caught up, ¡°My uncle couldn¡¯t possibly say that!¡± The one-and-a-half-hour ss quickly passed by, and as Estelle packed up her things and headed downstairs, she saw Jonathan sitting on the couch. Remembering the previous incident, she felt a little embarrassed, so she pretended not to see him and thought about sneaking away. But Henson, who was following her, suddenly spoke up, ¡°Ms. Macin, this afternoon my uncle and I are going to the Equestrian Center, you shoulde too.¡± Estelle hesitated, and Jonathan looked up as expected. He put down his phone, walked over, and said softly,¡± Is the ss over?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Estelle smiled and nodded. Henson repeated, ¡°Uncle, can Ms. Macine with us?¡± Estelle declined, ¡°No need, you guys go ahead!¡± Jonathan, as handsome as ever, said, ¡°If you have nothing else to do this afternoon,e with us. I have a meeting at the Equestrian Center, and Henson will have no one to keep himpany.¡± With Jonathan saying that, Estelle couldn¡¯t say anything else and agreed with a nod. Jonathan checked the time and said, ¡°Let¡¯s leave now then. There¡¯s a barbecue prepared at the mansion, and we can have lunch there!¡± ¡°Awesome!¡± Henson was so excited he almost jumped up and asked Jonathan excitedly, ¡°Can I go fishing?¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll have the fish you catch for lunch!¡± Jonathan ruffled Henson¡¯s hair, a faint smile in his dark eyes. Estelle saw Jonathan¡¯s gentle expression for the first time, couldn¡¯t help but stare for a few seconds before looking away. Everyone loves to appreciate beautiful things. Jonathan personally drove Estelle and Henson to the Equestrian Center. In the car, Estelle whispered to Henson, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that your uncle wouldn¡¯t take you horseback riding anymore if you made a mistake?¡± Henson said proudly, ¡°Yeah, but that promise was canceled. This time it¡¯s a reward for me standing up for what¡¯s right!¡± Estelle remained silent, ¡°¡­¡­¡± Is that really how it works? Is she supposed to praise him for being decisive or hold him ountable for his clear rewards and punishments? The ultimate authority lies with the decision maker! But Henson got a reward, and her supposed raise was taken away as punishment. What¡¯s the deal with that? When she has time, she¡¯ll have to settle this situation with Henson. Jonathan looked at Estelle¡¯s eye-rolling and speechless expression and immediately realized that she was concerned about her money. Unconsciously, a smile formed at the corner of his lips. The Equestrian Center belonged to the Lament family. It used to be where Jonathan raised his horses Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. before opening it to the public when he went abroad. It was located near the southern suburbs, covering arge area with a beautiful environment and It was a weekend, so there were more people than usual. The three of them went to change into their riding outfits. Estelle changed quickly and waited for the others in the lounge area. She took out her phone and replied to a message from Magdalen. While typing, she heard a girl next to her exim in surprise. She looked up and saw Jonathan walking over. -Wearing ck boots, pants, a white shirt, and a ck fitted vest, his tall and straight figure was even more prominent. Combined with his handsome, charming face, several women had already paused to admire him. For a moment, Estelle also forgot what she was going to say to Magdalen. Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Fortunately, Henson arrived and roused Estelle from her slumber, saving them from the awkwardness of being caught by Jonathan. The trio then headed to the stable to select their horses. Jonathan and Henson both had their own horses here, so only Estelle needed to pick one temporarily. Estelle opted for a pony, but Henson couldn¡¯t help butugh at her choice. Estelle didn¡¯t mind the ridicule. She loved keeping things under control, and since it was her first time riding a horse, she¡¯d rather choose a pony and beughed at by Henson than choose a bigger horse, risk falling off and being embarrassed and hurt. Seeing her determination and not being swayed by others, Jonathan showed rare appreciation. The pony was very obedient, and with a professional horse trainer¡¯s guidance, Estelle was able to ride it steadily and control it. Jonathan and Henson waited on horseback for her. When she became more skillful, they rode together. The three rode horses along a leisurely path, with tall cypress trees on both sides, and cherry blossoms. nted underneath. In the midst ofte spring, a gentle breeze carried a shower of petals through the air. Unburdened by worries, the flowers lightly brushed against their faces as they rode, causing a slight itch but filling them with a sense of rxation and exhration. Jonathan rode ahead and heard Estelle and Henson chatting andughing behind him. Henson He turned his head and saw Estelle in a white shirt and ck suspenders, her hair tied high, the sunlight dancing on her delicate features, Her expression was different from her usual modest demeanor, carefree and radiant. Jonathan couldn¡¯t help but think that this was the real Estelle. After more than ten minutes of riding, they turned into an asphalt road that led to a vi. The vi was in a British style, with a semi-wooden structure, a triangr roof, an exquisite chimney, and symmetrical floor-to-ceiling windows on both sides of the wooden door. A small crystal-clear river flowed in front of the vi, and the flower-lined path seemed straight out of a fairy tale world. The servant knew Jonathan wasing, and set up- the grill, prepared Henson¡¯s fishing gear, buckets, and a sunshade¡­ A car drove over, and Jonathan looked at it, saying to Henson, ¡°You and your tutor go fishing. I have to talk some business. After that, we¡¯ll eat the fish you caught.¡± Estelle smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of Henson.¡± Henson snorted, ¡°Maybe you are the one being taken care of!¡± Jonathan smiled and walked towards the man who got out of the car. Estelle nced back to see a tall, friendly-looking man greeting Jonathan. After exchanging a few words, they went into the vi. Henson had already started with the fishing rod. ¡°Let¡¯s have apetition to see who will catch the most fish!¡± Estelle baited her hook. ¡°What¡¯s the reward if I win?¡± ¡°Do you adults always have to make bets? Can¡¯t you just do something for fun?¡± Henson ridiculed Estelle. 1/2 Estelle nodded, ¡°I apologize, I was being superficial¡± Feeling victorious for schooling Estelle, Henson fiercely threw his hook into the river. Half an hourter, Henson saw Estelle¡¯s bucket with three lively fish, looked at his own empty one, and Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. dropped the fishing rod. ¡°I quit. This isn¡¯t fun!¡± Estelley back in a lounge chair, with her eyes half-closed andposed. Young man, be patient Getting angry won¡¯t improve your situation¡± Henson walked over, beaming, and invited Estelle ¡®Let¡¯s have a water fight Estelle cracked open one eye ¡®Aren¡¯t you getting bored?¡± she asked. Five minutester, the pair, filled with boredom, donned waterproof vests, each clutching a water gun, and stood facing each other with impassive expressions. Henson sneered, ¡°I¡¯ll give you three seconds to start running!¡± Estelleughed, ¡°One second is enough for me.¡± As she spoke, she did a backflip and got away, shooting at the same time. The guns were filled with water pellets the size of marbles, with a range of five meters. When they hit a person, they exploded, giving a thrilling sensation without pain. For the next half hour, Estelle and Henson weaved through the woods, attacking and escaping each other. Jonathan returned after seeing off his guest, and the two were nowhere to be found. Hearing noises in the woods, he walked in. After replenishing his water gun, Henson took aim in Estelle¡¯s direction and unleashed a relentless spray. ¡°Step forward and confront your impending drenching!¡± he eximed. Estelle was hiding behind a camphor tree, but got distracted when she saw Jonathan suddenly appear. Seeing the water pellets headed for him, she reflexively pounced on him, hugging him and using her back to shield him from the water attack. Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Jonathan stood there, unafraid of Henson¡¯s sneak attack, but quite startled by the girl who popped out of nowhere. However, he refrained from pushing her away immediately, sensing the intensity of her heartbeat. Lowering his gaze, he took note of her disheveled appearance and wet eyshes, noticing a flicker of fear in her eyes. Estelle saw the scar behind the man¡¯s ear for the second time. It was already a very light pink, almost the same as normal skin. For a full five seconds, Jonathan stayed silent. He waited for the girl to catch her breath before teasing her, ¡°How many times have you tried to throw yourself into my arms? Do you really want to be my wife?¡± Estelle snapped back to reality, her gaze meeting the man¡¯s sarcastic stare in the dim forest light. Blushing, she took a few steps back, offering a forced exnation. ¡°I-I was just trying to protect you.¡± Jonathan observed her evasive eyes, chuckling until her ears turned red. Then, he spoke slowly in a softer, gentler tone. ¡°Just kidding. Carry on and enjoy yourself!¡± His tone was like that of cajoling a child. Embarrassed and a little flustered by her reckless action, Estelle didn¡¯t notice his tone and pretended to be calm as she turned away. As she turned, a waft of grilled meat reached her nostrils, causing her eyebrows to raise in surprise. Over by the vi, the servants had already started grilling fish and brought out marinated beef and venison from the kitchen. The delicious smell instantly soothed Estelle¡¯s uneasiness, leaving her just hungry. Henson refilled his water balloons, boasting to Jonathan, ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m getting more and more urate!¡± Indeed, between Estelle and Henson, Estelle was the more disheveled, with wet hair and pants, while Henson had no traces of being attacked by water. ¡°That¡¯s because I went easy on you!¡± Estelle scoffed. ¡°Let my uncle be the referee. We¡¯ll keep ying until you admit defeat.¡± Jonathan intervened, ¡°You two, stop fighting for now and go eat.¡± Henson was hungry too and happily went to the vi, teasing Estelle along the way. Listening to their bickering, Jonathan watched them thoughtfully. Not that Estelle didn¡¯t hit Henson, but she aimed right at his waterproof vest, leaving no trace. The servants had already set up the dining table outside the vi,plete with a gold tablecloth, exquisite tableware, and blooming tulips. Even a casual outdoor meal was made luxurious. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Estelle went inside to change clothes while Jonathan and Henson sat down to wait for her. The chef brought over grilled fish and other dishes. Jonathan nced at the three fish on the te and asked Henson with a faint smile, ¡°Which one did you catch?¡± Henson snorted disdainfully, ¡°All the fish in the river today were male!¡± Jonathan raised an eyebrow in curiosity, prompting him to ask, ¡°What does that mean?¡± Henson grumbled with a hint of frustration, ¡°They were all drawn to Ms. Macin¡¯s beauty and swam towards her!¡± As Estelle came out from the house, she heard Jonathan¡¯s low chuckles. Coming closer, she asked, ¡°What are you twoughing about?¡± Jonathan replied casually. ¡°We¡¯re discussing the gender of the fish in the river.¡± Estelle was speechless. These two were too bored! Smiling, Jonathan gave her a nce, his grin widening. ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± They had been waiting for her. Once she sat down, they began eating. Jonathan grabbed a te of venison, slicing it into small pieces, and shared it with Henson and Estelle. Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Estelle said thanks and thought to herself that she lucked out today thanks to Henson, being taken care of like a kid by Jonathan. Henson also said thanks and thought that it was all because of Ms. Macin, that¡¯s why his uncle was being such a gentleman, taking good care of him. The three had their own thoughts, eating their meal quietly. Maybe it was the fantastic surroundings or the chef¡¯s amazing skills, but Estelle was very satisfied with her meal. As they neared the end of their meal, Henson requested some yogurt. The servant promptly went to retrieve it, and in a casual manner, Jonathan remarked, ¡°Bring two bottles.¡± Henson and Estelle whispered, debating whether to go horseback riding or y ball in the indoor court after their meal. Apparently, there were also two horse races in the afternoon. The servant brought the yogurt and ced a bottle in front of Henson. Jonathan naturally handed the other bottle to Estelle. They had discussed it well, but after eating meat and drinking yogurt, Henson didn¡¯t want to move anymore. Jonathan apanied them fishing by the river. It was perfect since it wasn¡¯t good to do vigorous exercise after a full meal. The threepeted in pairs, Estelle and Henson as a team, and Jonathan solo. The loser would treat This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. the others to dinner. As time passed, Estelle¡¯s expression changed from determined to indifferent. She looked at Jonathan¡¯s bucket full of fish and her empty one, and at Henson cheering her on. She admitted her defeat! Jonathan enjoyed the afternoon leisure and was gentler than usual. ¡°Is this the final result?¡± Estelle looked at Jonathan, ¡°Do you know what a ¡®jinx¡¯ is?¡± Considering Henson¡¯s streak of bad luck, she couldn¡¯t me herself for not catching any fish. Jonathan chuckled, offering a sympathetic expression, and then asked Henson, ¡°Didn¡¯t you mention that all the fish in the river were male?¡± Henson let out a sigh and replied, ¡°Perhaps they swapped shifts after they finished eating!¡± Jonathan couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter once more. After fishing, they went horseback riding. Jonathan personally taught Henson, while Estelle, unable to keep up, just rode a small horse along the edge of the grass. When Jonathan and Henson stopped to rest, they saw Estelle sitting on a bench with a guy talking to her. The guy wore a white equestrian outfit, tall and handsome, with a white horse beside him. As Estelle¡¯s radiant visagebined with Henson¡¯s dashing presence, they resembled a prince and princess straight out of a fairy tale. Jonathan stole a fleeting nce but quickly averted his gaze, opting to take a sip of water instead. Henson was intrigued, kept looking towards Estelle, gossiping with Jonathan, ¡°Is that guy pursuing Ms. Macin?¡± Jonathan nced at the still-talking pair and replied casually, ¡°Ms. Macin is beautiful, it¡¯s normal for someone to pursue her.¡± Henson giggled, ¡°So you think Ms. Macin is beautiful too?¡± Jonathan looked straight, ¡°Yes.¡± and thought to herself that she lucked out today thanks to Henson, being taken caken care of like innks and thought that it was all because of Ms. Macin, that¡¯s why his uncle waclovas being aking good care of him. new tutor own thoughts, eating their meal quietly. Maybe it was the fantastic surroundings or the or the out on stur Estelle was very satisfied with her meal. the on their meal, Henson requested some yogurt. The servant promptly went to retrievetheveld the horse¡¯s nathonathan remarked, ¡°Bring two bottles.¡± red, oenat, debating whether to go horseback riding or y ball in the indoor court after after re were alsore also two horse races in the afternoon. qurt andhet acut ced a bottle in front of Henson. Jonathan naturally handed the other other but after eatten eating meat and drinking yogurt, Henson didn¡¯t want to move anymore,wo em fishing by ing by the river. It was perfect since it wasn¡¯t good to do vigorous exercise s, Estelle and Hernd Manson as a team, and Jonathan solo. The loser would treat the of the xpression changed freed from determined to indifferent. She looked at Jonathan¡¯s bucket uke ne, and at Henson cheen cheering her on. She admitted her defeat! noon leisure and was divitis gentler than usual. Is this the final result?¡± . ¡°Do you know what avin: a 7nx is?¡± ak of bad luck, she couldnt him: me herself for not catching any fish. Jonathan thetic expression, and then asked asked Henson, ¡°Didn¡¯t you mention that all the fish in eplied, ¡°Perhaps they swapped snnes shots after they finished eating!¡± burst intoughter once noic. more seback riding. Jonathan personally canally taught Henson, while Estelle, unable to keep up, ng the edge of the grass. in stopped to rest, they saw Estelle sitono ottino on a bench with a quy talking to her. strian outfit, tall and handsome, with a with a whne horse beside him. stole a fleeting nce but quickly averty averted his gaze, opting to take a sip t looking towards Estelle, gossiping with Jonathanasham. is that guy pursuing Ms. till-talking pair and replied casually, ¡®Ms. Macim b?n is beautiful, it¡¯s normal for ink Ms. Macin is beautiful too?¡± (leted. But i dont ward Mi Mhar 1) trunk we get along well if she falls in love, you¡¯ll have to get me a new tutor. Who knows what the rehe fotor arend be lia Jonathan chuckled. ¡°You can¡¯t just hold her back from her love for your tak I stensonughed only my sister and Ms Macin cold fall love and they would have to go out on waak ande Put away that imagination¡° ?Jonathan eneret, kis time bing serious. ¡°Sit up straight, hold fra horse¡¯s belly Chapter 34 Chapter 34 The three of them stayed at the horse ranch for the whole afternoon and left in the evening. Jonathan first dropped Estelle off at the University of J City. Originally, Estelle lost the fishing bet and had to treat everyone to dinner, but since Jonathan had something to deal with in the evening, they agreed to reschedule. On the way, Estelle and Henson talked about their experiences at the horse ranch. Jonathan drove in silence, unaffected by the chatter emanating from the backseat. Rather, he found it oddlyforting, the sound providing a sense of sce. When the car stopped at the gates of the University of J City, Estelle said goodbye to the guys and got out. As she walked towards the entrance, a boy dressed in sportswear yelled her name and ran towards her, excitedly. Henson¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the guy we met at the horse ranch? Are they already nning to meet again so soon?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed, thinking that Estelle was falling in love and would turn into an idiot like his sister. Jonathan didn¡¯t turn the steering wheel right away, watching as Estelle and the boy walked together, talking about something. Then, the boy took out a cake, and Estelle epted it¡­ Jonathan watched the two figures standing together, smiling. This was the kind of romance Estelle should be experiencing at her age. He turned his gaze away, turned the steering wheel, and sped off quickly. The guy talking to Estelle was named Chris, and they had met at the horse ranch. It was only after a brief conversation that they discovered they were both students at the University of J City. Chris was a third-year foreignnguage major, studying French. They were working on a project when Estelle offered him some insight, which solved a problem he¡¯d been struggling with for days. To express his appreciation, Chris had bought a cake and went to the university hoping to bump into Estelle. He hadn¡¯t expected to see her so soon. Estelle epted the cake as a token of his gratitude, but refused his invitation to dinner. She took the cake and headed back to Vi del Sol. That night, Blue Hawk and Goshawk went online. The mission wasplete, and they received the full 12 million. As usual, the three of them split the money. Estelle urged Goshawk to rest for a while, as they wouldn¡¯t be taking on any new missions anytime soon. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Over the next week, Estelle prepared for an exam and spent her days in the library after ss. asionally, she ran into Chris, the handsome and friendly big guy, who enthusiastically greeted her. She also saw Norah and Nics eating together. Nics tenderly helped Norah with her meal and cleaned. soup from the corner of her mouth. They appeared to bepletely in the honeymoon stage of their rtionship. Estelle hoped that she was overthinking and that Nics genuinely didn¡¯t know about the GK Jewelry studio brand. Saturday arrived quickly, and Estelle went to the Lamont family house as usual but didn¡¯t meet Jonathan. At noon, when Estelle was about to leave, Jonathan came back from outside. Estelle greeted him first and asked with a smile, ¡°Mr. Lamont, are you avable tonight?¡± Jonathan, who was about to go upstairs, stopped and replied coldly, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± The man¡¯s indifference caused Estelle to pause briefly, but she persisted with a gentle smile I lost the bet when we went fishing together, and if you¡¯re avable tonight, I would like to treat you and Henson to dinner.¡± ¡°No need,¡± the man answered curtly without any exnation, then turned and walked upstairs. At first, she thought he was simply busy, but realizing his lingering coldness when they met again on Sunday, she understood that their rtionship would always be like this. She had thought that they had be acquainted, at least enough to greet each other when they met, but now she knew she¡¯d expected too much. As usual, she got off at the University of J City entrance and took the bus to Maple Street. Seeing the dessert shop again, she thought of Emily. It had been half a month since shest visited the dessert shop. Estelle took out her phone, found Emily¡¯s number, and called her. After a while, Emily¡¯s voice finally came through, ¡°E?¡± Estelle responded with a warm smile, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you visited the dessert shop in such a long time?¡± ¡°E!¡± Emily¡¯s voice choked up a bit, ¡°I¡¯ve run into some trouble.¡± Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Estelle¡¯s smile vanished, and she asked seriously. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Emily hesitated, trying to control her emotions, and then slowly began to exin, ¡°My dad is a gambler. He¡¯s been gambling since I was little and hasn¡¯t stopped until now. A month ago, he didn¡¯te home. But half a month ago, he came back and told us he owed someone 300,000 dors and had to sell the house. My mom. refused to give up the house no matter what. Finally, yesterday those people took my brother away Now my mom and I are desperately trying to sell the house to raise money. They said they want to get the money by tonight or we¡¯ll never see my brother again.¡± Estelle frowned, ¡°Did you call the police?¡± Emily sounded exhausted and helpless, ¡°My mom doesn¡¯t dare to call the police and she won¡¯t let me call either!¡± ¡°What about your dad?¡± ¡°He ran away!¡± Unable to hold back any longer, Emily burst into tears. ¡°Don¡¯t cry!¡± Estelle said calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry to sell the house. If you sell it, where will you and your mom. live?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been working part-time while studying, and I¡¯ve saved 20 or 30 thousand, but it¡¯s still not enough. Our rtives are afraid of my dad¡¯s borrowing, so nobody trusts us or is willing to lend us money.¡± Estelle could never have anticipated that behind Emily¡¯s perpetually optimistic facade,y a fractured family. She knew all too well that not all individuals deserving of the title ¡°parent¡± truly lived up to it. ¡°Emily, please don¡¯t sell the house,¡± Estelle said calmly, her voiceced with determination. ¡°I¡¯ll find a way to help.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just a student too, what can you do? You don¡¯t have to worry about it. Our house may be old, but it¡¯s still worth something.¡± Emily didn¡¯t want to trouble others with her problems, so she hadn¡¯t reached out to Estelle, even in her desperation. It was only today when Estelle called that she couldn¡¯t control herself. ¡°Don¡¯t you know I work for the Lamont family? I can borrow money from them,¡± Estelle said. ¡°Really?¡± Emily was shocked. Estelle tried to sound casual, ¡°Yeah, 300,000 dors is nothing to the Lamont family. It¡¯s easy to borrow.¡± Emily responded quickly, his voice filled with determination. ¡°Then please help me borrow the money. I¡¯ll give them an IOU, and I promise I¡¯ll repay it without fail!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that now. Do you know where your dad usually gambles?¡± Estelle asked. Emily said, ¡°I do. I¡¯ve even been there before and had a big fight with my dad.¡± ¡°Send me the exact location.¡± Estelle¡¯s voice was calm, ¡°Then go home for now, and I¡¯ll go with you tonight to hand over the money.¡± ¡°What do you need the location for?¡± Emily asked cautiously. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t do anything stupid,¡± Estelleughed, ¡°Take your mom home and wait for my news.¡± Hearing Estelle¡¯s calm voice, Emily felt a little more at ease. ¡°Alright, thank you, E!¡± ¡°No need to thank me, we¡¯re friends!¡± Estelle said. Emily choked up and hummed in agreement. After hanging up, Estelle sent a message, ¡°Blue Hawk, I need a favor.¡± At 9 o¡¯clock at night, Estelle and Emily appeared together at Blue Oasis. Blue Oasis is a rtivelyrge entertainment venue in S City and more affordablepared to the Midnight Bar. With widely varying prices, it attracted a mixed crowd, and there were often shady deals taking ce. After giving their room number, the waiter led them inside. This was Emily¡¯s first time in a ce like this. Seeing men and women cuddling in the halls, she was too nervous to open her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Estelle said, gripping Emily¡¯s hand firmly. Emily nodded, feeling a sense of reassurance in Estelle¡¯s presence. As they opened the door to their room, a cacophony of loud music and the pungent odor of alcohol overwhelmed them. Inside, people were singing, drinking, and the room was filled with a chaotic blend ofughter. Seemingly oblivious to the two neers, the partygoers carried on with their revelry, paying no mind to their Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. entrance. Emily¡¯s hand was trembling slightly in Estelle¡¯s grasp, and she felt an urge to leave. Estelle kicked the door with her foot, making a loud bang, and finally, the people in the room stopped their noisy activities; except for a few drunk ones, who kept swaying unconsciously. Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Sitting on the couch with his arms wrapped around a woman, a man in his forties nced over. His body was weakened from all the drinking and debauchery, and his eyes were unfocused. He smirked and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s Emily Sullivan?¡± Emily took a step forward and bravely met the man¡¯s gaze ¡°I am!¡± ¡°Noel, someone nearby said, lighting a cigarette for Noel Parks. The shing lights in the private room were turned off, and the lighting returned to normal. The scene inside became more apparent. Inside the room, approximately twenty men and women were present. The men, their faces flushed from imbibing, cast provocative nces towards Estelle and Emily, harboring unsavory intentions. Several of the women, leaning on the men, had the look in their eyes as if they were watching two Noel spat out a puff of smoke and leaned back on the couch with his gut sticking out. ¡°Did you guys bring the money?¡± Emily looked at Estelle. Estelle spoke up. ¡°I want to see Elliott Sullivan before I hand over the money.¡± Noel waved his hand, and two of his men went to the bathroom in the private room. They soon brought out a man whose hands and feet were bound and mouth was muffled. The man struggled violently upon seeing Emily. ¡°Elliott!¡± Emily shouted. Noel rolled up his sleeves, revealing a thick gold chain, and sneered, ¡°Hand me the money, and you can take him away!¡± Estelle reached into her pocket, but instead of a bank card, she pulled out a USB drive, tossing it onto the table. Noel squinted, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Estelle said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s the surveince footage of your ce. Your shady dealings and cheating are all crystal clear on camera. Therefore, Shawn Sullivan¡¯s money wasn¡¯t lost, but swindled by you, so I won¡¯t give you a dime!¡± ¡°Are you f***ing trying to die?¡± One of the men kicked Elliott, causing him to wail in pain. ¡°Elliott!¡± Emily yelled, wanting to run over and protect Elliott, but Estelle stopped her. Noel stared at Estelle. ¡°How did you get our surveince footage?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the point.¡± Estelle¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°Bring out the IOU and let Elliott go, or I¡¯ll call the police!¡± ¡°You b*tch, dare to y mind games with me?¡± Noel kicked the marble coffee table in front of him, causing bottles and sses to crash to the ground, making a loud noise. Noel, filled with confidence and anger, scowled. ¡°Once you¡¯ve entered this room, you won¡¯t be leaving. Try calling the police, and I¡¯ll cut off your hands right here!¡± Emily¡¯s shoulder shuddered as she clutched Estelle¡¯s hand tightly. Maintaining herposure, Estelle calmly stated, ¡°That is precisely why I took the initiative to notify the police beforeing here. They are expected to arrive in approximately ten minutes. Once the authorities intervene, I suspect the predicaments you all are entangled in will extend far beyond mere illegal gambling.¡± Estelle¡¯s gaze swept over the people lying in the corner with drug convulsion, conveying her meaning. As soon as site finished speaking, the expressions of more than a dozen people in the roorn changed. They stood behind Noel, their eyes full of wariness and malice as they stared at Estelle. ¡°Did you really call the police?¡± Noel asked. Estelle showed him her recent call log on her phone, revealing it prominently. Noel¡¯s countenance turned grim. ¡°You foolish girl, you have no idea of the consequences that await!¡± Estelle put away her phone ¡°Bring out the IOU and release Elliott!¡± Noel stared at Estelle, weighing his options with a sinister expression. Time passed quickly-five minutes had already gone by. Unable to bear it any longer, the men behind Noel began urging him to make a decision. Noel gestured for someone to bring him a bottle of liquor. They brought a bottle of white liquor, cing it on the coffee table. Noel poured two sses of liquor. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m just letting them go. What kind of message does that send? How can my bros and I continue operating like this? So here¡¯s the deal,¡± Noel pushed two sses of liquor forward. ¡°Each of you girls drinks a ss of this, and then I¡¯ll let him go!¡± The sses weren¡¯trge. Emily immediately volunteered, ¡°I¡¯ll drink it!¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Estelle stopped her, looking at Noel. ¡°I¡¯ll drink it for both of us, but you let them go first.¡± Noel observed Estelle closely. Despite her youth and striking beauty, her eyes carried a depth that spoke of -witnessing life¡¯s ugliness and cruelty. She seemed more mature and experienced than an average girl her age. A grin spread across Noel¡¯s face, causing the weathered skin beneath his eyes to tremble. With a sneer, he tore up the IOU andmanded his men to release Elliott. Emily ran over and helped her brother up, but neither of them was willing to leave just yet. ¡°E, I¡¯ll drink it. Let¡¯s leave together!¡± Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Estelle yfully winked at her and whispered, ¡°Quickly now, once the police arrive, your brother will find himself unable to make a swift exit.¡± ¡°E!¡± Emily was about to cry. ¡°Wait for me outside.¡± Estelle¡¯s voice was calm. Choking back tears, Emily nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you right outside!¡± Noel suddenly spoke, ¡°I can let them go, but first you have to drink this booze for Emily!¡± Without hesitation, Estelle picked up the ss and drank it all down. Emily cleaned the tears from her face and quickly helped Elliott out of the room. When the door closed, the others immediately surrounded Estelle. The room was silent, and the lights seemed to dim. Noel grinned, ¡°You¡¯re quite loyal and brave, little girl. Here¡¯s one more ss, bottoms up!¡± The other men egged her on, staring at Estelle like amb waiting to be ughtered, eager to pounce as if they could smell the fat dripping from her veins. Noel snickered, revealing his yellowed teeth, and picked up another ss of booze. With sinister intent, he offered it to Estelle. Estelle¡¯s gaze turned icy as she locked eyes with him. Without hesitation, she forcefully expelled the sip of alcohol she had just consumed, spitting it onto his face. In one swift motion, she seized hold of Noel¡¯s clothing and hurled him aside like a discarded sack of rubbish. ¡°Ah!¡± In an instant, the room was filled with screams, the sound of bones breaking, and ss shattering, all locked inside the door. Outside, the ce was still lit up with wine and song. Ten minutester, Estelle left the room, her coat stained with blood. She took it off and threw it into the trash before walking out wearing only a T-shirt. As Emily approached the doorway, intending to enter, she was taken aback when she spotted Estelle. Her initial panic swiftly transformed into pleasant surprise, and she eximed, ¡°E, are you okay?¡± The cops Estelle said hadn¡¯te even after ten minutes, she couldn¡¯t wait any longer and nned to go in to find her. ¡°I¡¯m fine, where¡¯s your brother?¡± Estelle asked. ¡°I got a taxi, and had the driver take him home.¡± Emily asked anxiously, ¡°Did they give you any trouble after we left? Where¡¯s your clothes?¡± ¡°I threw them away because they were soaked in alcohol!¡± Emily whispered, ¡°Didn¡¯t you call the police? Why haven¡¯t theye yet?¡± Estelle replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t call!¡± Emily was even more puzzled, ¡°Then your phone call history¡­¡± Bathed in the illumination of the streetlight, Estelle¡¯s eyes gleamed with crystal-clear rity: She let out a soft chuckle. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s your call history. I changed your name to 911.¡± Emily¡¯s eyes widened in realization. Estelle smiled warmly, her voice filled with understanding. ¡°We can¡¯t involve the police!¡± Tears welled up in Emily¡¯s eyes as sheprehended Estelle¡¯s intention. If they were to call the police, All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. her father¡¯s culpability would be exposed, potentially resulting in a criminal record. Emily had just graduated, and her father¡¯s criminal record would ruin her life. Estelle had thought of everything. A gust of wind blew, and Emily choked back a sob. ¡°It¡¯s all sorted out. You should go home too, your mom is waiting for you!¡± Estelle patted her on the shoulder. ¡°E!¡± Emily tightly held Estelle¡¯s hand, her eyes filled with tears. Words of gratitude caught in her throat, feeling that even expressing a simple ¡°thank you¡± would be insufficient to convey the depth of her gratitude. ¡°Go on!¡± Estelle pushed Emily a bit, ¡°Go home and check on your brother!¡± Emily let out a sob and asked, ¡°How will you get home?¡± ¡°I have a friending byter. She¡¯ll give me a ride back,¡± Estelle responded, nonchntly brushing aside the stray locks of hair that had fallen across her face. Her delicate features exuded a youthful aura, reminiscent of a carefree student. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave now. Don¡¯t forget to text me when you get home,¡± Emily waved at Estelle with her phone in hand and got into the taxi. She waved goodbye through the window. Watching Emily leave, Estelle furrowed her brow slightly. Something was off with her body. She felt weak and her heart was racing, as if it was about to burst out of her Chapter 38 Chapter 38 She was afraid that Noel¡¯s drink might be spiked, so she didn¡¯t dare to swallow any of it. Surprisingly, just holding it in her mouth for a while had an effect on her. Afraid she would pass out, she didn¡¯t dare take a taxi. Instead, she walked to the small garden across the street, sat down on a bench, and pulled out her phone to call Magdalen. Her vision was already blurry as she fumbled for her phone. She barely managed to find Magdalen in her contacts list. Behind her was the noisy singing and dancing, in front the hustle and bustle of cars, and the light above shining on her phone. All of that made Estelle feel dizzy. However, she didn¡¯t panic and remained calm. But when she finally called, Magdalen didn¡¯t pick up. Estelle¡¯s palms started to sweat, gripping her sticky phone. She breathed deeply, trying to stay awake. After a long time, it was finally answered. Estelle let out a sigh of relief and immediately said, ¡°I¡¯m in the little garden across from Blue Oasis on Cedar Road. Come find me right now!¡± She was already breathless after saying this, and then she hung up the phone and waited in silence, leaning against the chair¡¯s backrest. Magdalen woulde soon! Meanwhile, Jonathan was sitting in a private room of Midnight Bar, staring at his phone in a daze. Next to him, Charlie James peeked over andughed, ¡°Who called you?¡± Jonathan wondered if he had picked up the wrong call. Estelle would never talk to him in such a Her voice sounded a bit off. Jonathan picked up his suit jacket, which was hanging on the armrest, and said quietly, ¡°I have something to deal with. You guys carry on, I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Everyone else stood up, asking what¡¯s wrong. Charlieughedzily, ¡°Dude, that¡¯s not cool. You¡¯ve been back for so long but never hung out with us. You finally came today and now want to leave so soon?¡± Jonathan smiled, ¡°I really have something to do. You guys just have fun today, put the bill on me!¡± Charlie snorted, ¡°As if we need your money. Fine, go ahead. After you leave, it¡¯ll be my show!¡± Jonathan patted his shoulder, saying earnestly, ¡°Take it easy!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± After chatting for a bit, Jonathan drove his car towards Cedar Road at full speed. Estelle checked the time, 15 minutes had passed. Her body was getting hotter and hotter, the emptines her was about to swallow her whole. A couple had walked by earlier, probably noticed her odd behavior, and asked if she needed help. She tried her best to stay calm and told them she was waiting for someone. At this moment, she didn¡¯t trust anyone other than Magdalen. Lowering her head in her arms, her palms were about to be torn by her nails, the pain helped her to stay awake for a moment. ¡°What happened?¡± Suddenly, a familiar voice resonated from beside her. Estelle initially doubted her own ears, but she slowly lifted her gaze and found herself met with the man¡¯s profound eyes. His eyes were truly captivating akin to the abyss of the ocean, brimming with stars and tumultuous waves. They enticed you to draw nearer, only to engulf youpletely when you least anticipated it. Estelle was caught off guard, overwhelmed by the burning sensation inside her. Unable to help herself, she bit her lower lip hard to fight against the enemy inside her body, refusing to yield. However, this scene held a different meaning in Jonathan¡¯s eyes. The young girl sat with her knees drawn close, her head tilted ever so slightly, appearing immensely Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. captivating under the muted glow. Her cheeks adorned a delicate flush, her lips softly nibbled, and her gaze locked intently onto him¡­. When he first found her, she was curled up on the bench. He called her twice, but she didn¡¯t answer. He had no choice but to approach her and squat down to ask what was wrong, only to find her like this! Was she really drunk? ¡°Estelle?¡± Jonathan called her name again, ¡°Are you still awake?¡± Chapter 39 Chapter 39 ¡°You, you¡­ Estelle tried to suppress the chaos in her body, struggled to speak, but it was as if she was trapped in a dream and couldn¡¯t get the words out Jonathan leaned in slightly. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°You, get out!¡± Estelle¡¯s voice trembled in urgency, fearing she wouldn¡¯t be able to control herself from pouncing on him. Why was he here? Where¡¯s Magdalen? What on earth did Noel put in her drink? She only held it for a moment, and this was already happening. Jonathan nced at the girl, noticing something was off as he got closer. His eyes narrowed, ¡°You¡¯re not drunk, you¡¯ve been drugged?¡± *Please, don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t bother!¡± Estelle attempted to firm her expression, but her words came out feeble and unconvincing. ¡°Enough!¡± The man¡¯s deep voice scolded sharply as he reached towards her face. Estelle¡¯s instinct urged her to evade, but her body seemed to betray her control, causing her to stumble Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. and fall helplessly into his awaiting arms. Without a thought, Jonathan caught her, seeing her eyes closed and semi-conscious, her body burning hot, it was clear she had consumed something unclean. He looked coldly at the Blue Oasis club across the street, scooped her up, and strode out. cing her in the backseat and securing her seat belt, Jonathan called the private doctor at their old mansion. Dr. Campbell listened to Jonathan¡¯s description of the situation and cautiously asked, ¡°Do you know what she took?¡± Without looking back at the squirming Estelle in the backseat, who obviously couldn¡¯t answer, Jonathan said, ¡°No.¡± Dr. Campbell offered, ¡°There are only two solutions in this situation, one is sex, the other is a stomach wash at the hospital. However, a stomach wash is usually done before the drugs take effect, it might be toote now.¡± ¡°Will she die?¡± Jonathan calmly inquired. Dr. Campbell responded, ¡°There have been cases of death, it depends on how much she consumed.¡± Annoyed, Jonathan asked, ¡°Other than sex, is there any way to make her less miserable?¡± Dr. Campbell paused for an instant, saying calmly, ¡°Douse her in cold water!¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Ending the call, Jonathan pondered for a moment, then started the car and sped into traffic. Blue Oasis The manager knocked on Manley¡¯s private room and whispered, ¡°Mr. Scott, something¡¯s happened!¡± Half-drunk, Manley casually asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Someone in one of the rooms got beaten up.¡± Manley raised an eyebrow in curiosity. ¡°Well, that¡¯s rather unusual. Let¡¯s find out who has the audacity to cause trouble in my domain.¡± He stood up and confidently strode out, with Clement and a few others trailing behind him. In an ordinary room, the security guards stood outside, Manley pushed the door open and saw the people lying. scattered on the floor. He frowned slightly, whoever did this was quite ruthless! Clement was also taken aback, ¡°How many people came?¡± The manager furrowed his brows, ¡°It seems, it seems like just one person!¡± Clement¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Just one person?¡± Manley found it puzzling too. He found someone who was still able to speak and asked what happened. The man stuttered out an exnation.. Clement couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°And the assant was a woman?¡± By this time, the manager had downloaded the surveince footage and showed it to Manley, ¡°It should be her Manley gazed at the familiar face captured in the video, a flicker of astonishment crossing his eyes before it transformed into an eruption ofughter. Chapter 40 Chapter 40 The manager found some pink pills and white powder in the room and showed them to Manley ¡®Mr. Scott, should we call the cops?¡± Noel, who was lying on the ground with his head smashed by a wine bottle, staggered to his feet ¡°No, don¡¯t call the police! Pleasel¡± He was more afraid of the police than anyone else! ¡°Call the cops!¡± Manley said coldly, kicking Noel away ¡°How dare you do drugs in my ce? You¡¯re asking for The manager cautiously asked, ¡°What about the surveince footage? Should I hand it over to¡­¡± ¡°Destroy the footage!¡± Manley interrupted him, speaking softly. ¡°Destroy any footage with her in it. If the police ask, just say we had awork outage.¡± The manager didn¡¯t know why Manley was doing this butplied anyway. Manley then called over a waiter. ¡°You will go to the police stationter to be a witness. Just say that these people in the room got drunk and started fighting over the money. Understand?¡± The waiter nodded, signaling his understanding of the situation. Given the suspicious nature of these individuals, their arrival at the police station would likely trigger a thorough investigation. There would be plenty for the police to look into. Before leaving, Manley looked at the wailing group of people in the room. ¡°This girl¡¯s got a heavy hand,¡± he thought, then recalled his own beating from before. He couldn¡¯t help but smile, thinking she must have gone easy on him after all! Back in the private room, Manley had the manager transfer the video of Estelle leaving to his phone. He watched it twice, clearly enjoying it. After the fight, she left with a calm expression, casually taking off her jacket and throwing it in the trash. She looked incredibly cool! If it hadn¡¯t been for their feud, he would have wanted to be friends with her! But now that he had done her such a huge favor, he had to think about how to get something in return from her! Ten minutester, when Jonathan carried Estelle out of the car, she felt boneless and unusually hot. Entering the elevator, Estelle seemed to regain some consciousness, but it was almost worse. Now, she was like a starving little animal that had spent a day and night in the wild, eager for somefort. Jonathan tightened his grip, his fingers firmly pinching her face, as he spoke with a deep voice, ¡°Behave yourself, or I¡¯ll toss you out!¡± Estelle looked confused and blinked pitifully, then rested her head on his shoulder. Jonathan inhaled deeply to himself. The elevator ride felt like it took tens of minutes rather than tens of seconds. The silence was deafening, broken only by the faint sound of their quick,bored breathing. Both were exerting great self-control! Estelle was trying to suppress the effects of the drug, while Jonathan was controlling his urge to throw her down. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. The elevator stopped at the 31st floor, and Jonathan strode out, inputting his fingerprint to unlock the door. He didn¡¯t switch on the light and hurried into the bathroom. A sudden ssh. 14:47 Cold water washed over them, and Estelle shuddered, staring nkly at Jonathan as water flooded her mind. She clung to Jonathan like a lifeline, gasping for air. The cold water brought her to her senses. As they looked into each other¡¯s eyes, a sense of awkwardness grew like creeping vines, spreading between them. Estelle struggled to maintain her bnce, prompting Jonathan to grasp her waist for support as they confronted the chilling water. His voice, muffled by the rushing sound, barely reached her ears. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± Estelle took in deep breaths, her body gradually cooling down as the frigid water provided relief. However, an unsettling sensation persisted within her bones, akin to countless insects squirming restlessly, yearning for respite beyond the surface. Shivering, she suddenly remembered a simr scene from before: the same events, the same situation, the same person, only that now she needed him. The memory of that night shed through her mind, making her more restless. She could help him, so why couldn¡¯t he help her? Embracing Jonathan tightly, she pressed her body against his. Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Jonathan tensed up, grabbing her chin and speaking in a hoarse voice, ¡°Stop seducing me, I¡¯m a man!¡± In this enclosed, stuffy space, he was a man, and she was a woman constantly tempting him. Estelle lifted her head, her water-like eyes filled with a hint of brightness, she slowly parted her lips, ¡°Help me!¡± Jonathan¡¯s breath caught, his grip on her face growing tighter, and his voice sank even lower. ¡°Do you understand the gravity of your words?¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Estelle mumbled, her response a mix of uncertainty and involuntary reflex. Jonathan stared intently into her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m your¡­¡± He didn¡¯t finish his words, as she suddenly tiptoed and kissed him on the lips. She felt that if she didn¡¯t do something, she¡¯d be devoured by those insects and die.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Her past experiences and training told her that no matter what, protecting her own life came first-taking care of herself was being responsible to herself and others. Besides, she had once helped this man in front of her. He should help her this time. Jonathan remained motionless, his eyes growing even darker beneath the night sky. He closed his eyes, gently releasing her hands, and spoke in a hoarse voice, ¡°No!¡± His reply was so low, it was unclear if he was warning Estelle or himself. ¡°Why not?¡± Estelle leaned against the bathroom wall, her voice weak but calm, staring at the man without blinking. Seeing his refusal, she struggled, ¡°If you don¡¯t agree, I¡¯ll make love with someone else!¡± She pushed him away and walked out, but after only two steps, her arm was suddenly grabbed, and her body was embraced. She clung tightly to the man¡¯s neck, feeling the tension in his arm muscles. Jonathan held her tightly, his eyes filled with a mix of rationality and anger. However, it seemed that in that moment, his impulsive instincts had overridden his better judgment, as he leaned down to kiss her. The two kissed in the bathroom, with Estelle ced on the washstand, the perfect height for them to easily and passionately kiss each other. In the darkness, the temperature rose and rose. Jonathan felt like he¡¯d experienced this scene before, but before he could think deeper, his thoughts were interrupted by Estelle. She seemed innocently soft, but when given any indulgence, her true nature would be revealed: wild and unrestrained, just like that day when she rode the horse. Jonathan took off her top, carrying her into the bedroom, and theyy down together on the soft,rge bed. The man propped himself up slightly, pinching Estelle¡¯s chin and forcing her to meet his gaze, ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± Estelle was unable to speak anymore, only whimpering and nodding. The man¡¯s voice sounded hoarse as he spoke, ¡°Once we go through with this, there should be no regrets. When you wake up, please refrain from crying or causing a scene.¡± Growing impatient, Estelle leaned forward and sealed his lips with a kiss, silencing his words. She couldn¡¯t help but notice how amazing he smelled.. 1/2 That night, Estelle took in the warm, woody scent from his body, which soaked into every part of her like a brand, never to fade away. In a daze, she heard the man ask in her ear, ¡°Who did you give your first time to?¡± Estelle wanted to answer, ¡°You,¡± but it was as if she had fallen into a dream, unable to speak the words. Indeed, she was dreaming again, a long dream. There had been no lights on in the room since the beginning, and the moon and starlight outside spilled through the half-open window, casting a glow on Estelle, and also into her happy dream. From then on, her dreams were no longer filled with just blood and darkness. Chapter 42 Chapter 42 The following morning, Estelle awakened to the brightness streaming in through the windows. As she opened her eyes and surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings, memories of the previous night flooded her mind. She turned her head, and she was the only one on the bed. A sudden thought crossed her mind: Did Jonathan jump out the window and run away? Nope, because she soon heard his voice. Estelle looked in the direction of the sound and saw the man standing on the balcony with his back to her, talking on the phone. Jonathan was wearing a bathrobe, his broad shoulders and narrow waist, and long legs were undoubtedly attractive even just from his silhouette. He was asking Mird, ¡°How much longer is the agreement with the Macin family?¡± Estelle silently calcted to herself a little over a month. ¨C Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. On the other end of the phone, Mird gave him the exact number of days. Jonathan¡¯s voice was indifferent, ¡°Contact the Macin family, terminate the agreement early, and get the paperwork done in the next two days.¡± He thought it was simple: he had already given the Macin family what they wanted. Although he had never met Ms. Macin and had no feelings for her, he had respected the marriage enough during his three years. abroad, not crossing any lines. Now that he was back in his home country, the first time he was forced, and this time, for whatever reason, he had vited the principle of loyalty in marriage, it was not right to keep dying Ms. Macin¡¯s life. As Estelle watched the man¡¯s back, she couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°What a jerk, just after sleeping with me, and now he wants to divorce me!¡± As she mumbled in annoyance, the man concluded his phone call and entered the room. Their gazes locked momentarily, his demeanorposed while Estelle feignedposure of her own. ¡°Do you have any spare pajamas I could borrow?¡± she asked casually. They weren¡¯t in a hotel, with the room having a grayish-white tone and simple decorations. It looked like a temporary apartment Jonathan used for resting. Jonathan went out and quickly came back, holding a white shirt in his hand, ¡°Someone will bring clothes overter, put this on for now.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you!¡± Estelle nodded. As Jonathan turned away, he heard Estelle rustling behind him. After a moment, the girl spoke, ¡°All done!¡± He looked back and saw Estelle sitting up against the bed, wearing his shirt, which was so big and wide it almost swallowed her whole. She was bending down to fix the hem of the shirt inside the nket. As she did so, he could see the red marks on her fair skin through the wide cor of the shirt. Jonathan¡¯s gaze darkened, and he looked away, sitting on a sofa across the room. When she was done, Jonathan smiled lightly. ¡°d you¡¯re not making a fuss.¡± Estelle¡¯s face flushed crimson at his remark, and though her heart was in turmoil, she managed to maintain herposure. ¡°Certainly not,¡± she replied, her voice steady. ¡°I should express my gratitude to Mr. Lamont for his willingness to bear the cost.¡± 1/2 Jonathan¡¯s gaze intensified as he parted his thin lips slightly. ¡°How long have you been plotting for this moment?¡± he inquired. Estelle was taken aback, ¡°What?¡± ¡°From the day we met at school, you following me, to the encounters we had, and even everything that happenedst night, was it all a coincidence?¡± Jonathan¡¯s tone had no usation or coldness, it was just casual and normal, as if he were asking Estelle if Henson had been behaving in sstely. Estelle averted her gaze, deep in thought. She couldn¡¯t help but acknowledge that certain things seemed too coincidental, such as the events of the previous night. She found herself unable to provide a logical exnation for what had transpired. Jonathan took her silence as confirmation and asked, ¡°What do you want?¡± Estelle looked up quickly, ¡°I won¡¯t make you take responsibility.¡± Jonathanughed, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m saying this to shirk responsibility?¡± He got up and walked over to her, stopping right by the head of the bed. With his arms supporting him on either side of Estelle, he leaned down and stared at her intently, ¡°What do you want, little girl?¡± Despite considering herself to possess good self-control, Estelle found herselfpletely captivated by the man¡¯s alluring demeanor. In a moment of vulnerability, she stared into his eyes, her mind going nk as she blurted out her genuine desires, ¡°I¡­ I want a home. She wanted his Vi del Sol, and she was willing to negotiate the price! Jonathan lowered his head, looking at her pink lips, and spoke softly. ¡°You have a grandfather?¡± Estelle nodded lightly. Chapter 43 Chapter 43 ¡°You want a house for your grandpa?¡± Jonathan asked again. Estelle didn¡¯t say anything, they were too close, and she could hardly breathe. At this moment, she felt like she saw Jonathan¡¯s devilish side. Jonathan bent down and kissed her lips lightly, and then let go, his voice was husky and deep, ¡°I¡¯m a businessman, I don¡¯t make losing deals, a house for one night, I¡¯m at a loss.¡± The man exuded an air of tenderness andposure, but upon closer observation, his eyes betrayed a profound sense of indifference and coldness. Estelle didn¡¯t eatst night and had been exercising for so long. Her amino acids werecking, and her brain couldn¡¯t function properly, so she was confused. She didn¡¯t quite understand what he meant, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Jonathan stared at her, ¡°Did you have funst night?¡± Estelle took a breath, her hands under the nket were sweaty. ¡°This house is close to the University of J City. If you live here and have ss at 8:30 in the morning, you can still sleep until 8:15. After this housepletely belongs to you, you can even bring your grandpa over,¡± Jonathan said calmly. Smart people don¡¯t need to say things too bluntly. Estelle¡¯s eyes widened in slight surprise. ¡°You want me to be your mistress?¡± she repeated, taken aback. Jonathan¡¯s expression remained stoic. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you desire?¡± he replied. Estelle gazed at him, then suddenly turned her head and burst intoughter. The more she thought about it, the more funny she found it was. Shey down on the soft bed, buried her head in the nket, andughed, her shoulders trembling. ¡°What are youughing about?¡± Jonathan asked. Estelley on the nket, turned her head to look at Jonathan, her eyes filled with tears fromughing, sparkling. After a while, she calmed down and said softly, Jonathan, you¡¯re at a huge loss! With your looks and figure, you¡¯re losing out even if you sleep with a woman for free, let alone give her a house. Are you sure you¡¯re a shrewd businessman?¡± Jonathan¡¯s countenance remained unchanged, yet his eyes grew colder and deeper. ¡°What do you mean?¡± he questioned, his tone tinged with suspicion. Was she mocking him? Estelleughed again, then sat up on the bed, facing him, ¡°You¡¯re right, I had a great timest night, and we don¡¯t owe each other anything. But the part about me sleeping until 8:15 really tempts me, so I ept your proposal. However¡­¡± She looked around the room, ¡°If you rent this house, it would be about 30,000 to 40,000 a month, right? I only want to rent this room, and I¡¯m still a poor student, so how about I give you 5,000 a month for rent?¡± Sheughed and leaned closer to him, ¡°As for the rest, we do what we need. When youe, if I agree, we can have fun just like we didst night.¡± Magdalen said to enjoy life timely, she used to scoff at it, but now she thinks it¡¯s right, because the experience with this man twice made her happy, and she might consider having it long-term. This should have been her rightful marriage. Besides, this house close to the University of J City does tempt her. So, in an instant, she made this decision. Jonathan met Estelle¡¯s gaze with a prating stare, his own eyes narrowing as he questioned her with a hint of skepticism, ¡°Are you absolutely certain?¡± Estelle was very calm, ¡°Yes, if you agree to charge only 5,000 for rent.¡± Jonathan got up, regaining his elegant and indifferent appearance, looking down at her, ¡°If you were a hunter, you¡¯d be a good one.¡± Estelle maintained a calm demeanor as she responded, ¡°Rest assured, I have no intention of ying the role of a helpless victim.¡± Jonathan¡¯s gaze remained fixed on her, and after a prolonged moment, he mustered a smile that concealed any trace of emotion. ¡°Very well, let¡¯s keep it lighthearted and focused on enjoying ourselves. Money and emotions need not enter the equation.¡± Though he couldn¡¯t fully decipher her, it didn¡¯t hinder the mutual satisfaction they found in each other¡¯s With the marriage agreement dissolved, he could have a partner. He thought, someday he would find out what she really wanted. Estelle thought for a moment, and smiled faintly, ¡°If we find someone we like, we¡¯ll tell each other honestly and end it peacefully.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Jonathan nodded slowly, nced at his watch, ¡°It¡¯s Monday today, I have a meeting in the morning, I have to go now. Someone will bring clothes for youter. I don¡¯te to this house very often, you can use any room except for the master bedroom and my study.¡± Estelle kept a shallow smile, ¡°I really got a bargain, thank you for your generosity.¡± Jonathan nced at her with a half-smile, walked out and closed the door for her.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 44 Chapter 44 The moment the bedroom door closed, Estelle rxed and thought about her conversation with Jonathan just now. It seemed a bit unbelievable, but she didn¡¯t think she¡¯d acted impulsively. She turned to look for her phone and found it charging on the cab across the room. It had run out of power and shut down. When she turned it on, a bunch of missed calls and texts popped up. There were messages from Emily, Wilma, and thetest one was from Bet. She guessed what Bet wanted to say, so she called Emily and Wilma back first. Emily was almost in tears. Because she didn¡¯t receive a call from Estellest night, she kept calling and even went to Blue Oasis to find her. She was so worried that she¡¯d almost called the police. Estelle reassured her, saying her phone had run out of power. Emily sighed with relief on the phone, ¡°As long as you¡¯re okay. Oh, andst night when I went to Blue Oasis for the second time, I saw police cars outside and all those guys including Noel were arrested.¡± She was confused since Estelle said she didn¡¯t call the police. Estelle said calmly, ¡°Maybe the people at Blue Oasis called the police.¡± In her n, Noel wouldn¡¯t call the police himself. If the people at Blue Oasis did, she would have had Blue Hawk _delete the surveince footage by then. And even if the police found her, she had backup ns. But the sudden illness had thrown her ns off track, the monitoring was not deleted, and if Noel used her, the police should¡¯ve been looking for her by now. However, she checked her missed calls and there was no trace of the police. Afterforting Emily, she called Wilma to reassure her as well. Then she called Bet. Bet was worried, ¡°Estelle, I just got a call from the Lamont family. They said they want to end the marriage early. What¡¯s going on?¡± Estelle pondered for a moment and said softly, ¡°Leave it to me. I¡¯ll handle it.¡± ¡°Oh, if the Lamont family insists on divorce, just agree to it. You¡¯ve suffered enough these years!¡± Bet said in a low voice. Estelle¡¯s tone didn¡¯t change, ¡°I¡¯ll sort it out.¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. After hanging up, she stretchedzily, bearing the soreness in her legs, and walked towards the balcony. Her room had a huge balcony, and from there, she could see almost the entire University of J City; the Emerald River winding through high-rises like a silver ribbon; and even the iconic Lamont Group building in J City. Familiar with the property, Estelle recognized the Royal Mansion, conveniently located a mere 10- minute walk from the University of J City. She nced at the time, noting it was 8:20 a.m., with her ss scheduled to start at 9 a.m. It seemed she had just enough time for breakfast. Perfect timing! There were new toiletries in the bathroom. After freshening up, she came out and realized the house was enormous. The living room was connected to the outdoor balcony hallway, and across was the master bedroom-probably where Jonathan asionally stayed. The kitchen was spacious and fully equipped, but it looked untouched. Estelle walked around and, when she returned to the living room, heard the doorbell ring. Chapter 45 Chapter 45 As he made his way to the table, a rarely seen expression of astonishment flickered across his typically impassive face upon spotting Estelle. Rising from her seat. Estelle addressed him with politeness ¡®Please, have a seat. I¡¯ve ordered you an iced Americano.¡± Mird took his ce opposite her, his gaze fixed upon Estelle, his eyes filled with depth. So that¡¯s how it is! Unbelievable! Estelle chuckled lightly. ¡°No need to be surprised, because what I¡¯m going to say next might even surprise you more.¡± Half an hourter, Mird and Estelle left the caf¨¦ separately, one to the left and one to the right, as if they were strangers. It was impossible to tell that they had just reached a new agreement. Still somewhat in disbelief, Mird couldn¡¯t believe Estelle was Jonathan¡¯s wife, let alone that he would agree to help her hide the truth. In hindsight, he felt he had underestimated Estelle. Her innocent facade had fooled everyone. She managed to not reveal anything in front of Jonathan and even convinced Mird to help her hide the truth, showing she was not simple at all. If she were a sniper hidden in the shadows, she would be deadly. There was no need for the divorce procedure now. Mird wondered where he could go these days to keep it a secret from Jonathan. Fortunately, Jonathan had always trusted him. On her way back to Vi del Sol, Estelle received a call from Magdalen, who was very excited, ¡°E, are you home yet? I¡¯ll pick you up in a bit and take you out to have some fun.¡± Estelle replied tly, ¡°Not today, I need to pack up and get ready to move.¡± ¡°Move?¡± Magdalen asked curiously, ¡°Why are you moving?¡± Estelle scoffed, ¡°This is all thanks to you. Why weren¡¯t you therest night?¡± ¡°Where? What happenedst night?¡± Magdalen was confused. Estelle spoke without thinking, ¡°Didn¡¯t you get my call¡­¡± Before she could finish, she suddenly remembered something and quickly checked her call history. Sure enough, the call she made around 10 pmst night wasn¡¯t to Magdalen, but Jonathan¡¯s name was there! She gasped, her mind going nk for a moment. No wonder Jonathan asked her how long she had been plotting. Anyone would suspect she did it on purposest night! ¡°E? E?¡± Magdalen asked through the phone. Estelle¡¯s voice had already calmed down, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m on the bus, let¡¯s talk when I get back.¡± After hanging up, Magdalen texted her, asking where she was moving to and what happenedst night. Estelle summed up the whole story briefly. Upon hearing the whole story, Magdalen couldn¡¯t contain her surprise and eximed, ¡°OMG!¡± Later, back at the vi, during dinner, Estelle disclosed her n to move out to Wilma and Mr. Wagner. 1/2 Chapter Wilma was surprised. ¡°Is the three year agreement over? If the Lamont family didn¡¯t say anything, you could still stay here¡± Estelle smiled, ¡°There¡¯s one month left, but I¡¯m busy in studying, so I¡¯ve rented a ce closer to the campus Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. There was silence in the dining room Estelle¡¯s departure was too sudden for both Wilma and Mr. Wagner After a while, Mr. Wagner finally asked, ¡°What about Max?¡° Estelle replied, ¡°Max belongs to Jonathan, so he should stay here.¡± Mr. Wagner maintained a stoic silence, while a look of reluctance etched across Wilma¡¯s face. The three of them had been residing in this secluded vi for three years, forming a bond that had transforme them into a makeshift family. Any one leaving would be difficult to let go of for the others. Chapter 46 Chapter 46 After dinner, when Estelle went upstairs to pack her things, Wilma made a cake, ice cream, and chocte pudding, cing them all on the table. ¡°Ma¡¯am, if you crave these treats again, juste back, Il make thern for you Estelle wasn¡¯t typically emotional, but when she saw the affectionate and hesitant gaze in Wilma¡¯s eyes, she felt a momentary touch of emotion. She decided to approach and give Wilma a warm hug, saying, ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll return someday.¡± Wilma choked up a little and said slowly, ¡°Wagner and I will be waiting for your return.¡± Estelle nodded, ¡°Today I¡¯ll pack my clothes, and tomorrow I¡¯lle back to pick them up. In the future, please take care of Max for me, you and Mr. Wagner!¡± ¡°No problem!¡± Wilma patted her shoulder lightly, ¡°Take good care of yourself too.¡± ¡°Umm!¡± The following day, with no afternoon sses scheduled, Estelle returned to the vi to collect her belongings and prepare to move to the Royal Mansion. Her clothes and books were already packed, but there was still one book left in the deepest drawer of her desk. She took it out and opened to the page with the photograph. The photograph captured a primitive jungle as the backdrop, while nine individuals donned mercenary uniforms,plete with helmets and faces adorned with camouge paint. Only their piercing, wolf-like eyes remained visible amid the rugged terrain. The man in the middle had a defiant and unruly gaze, with an unbridled fierceness all around him. He had his hand on the shoulder of a shorter person next to him, in a protective posture. The individual, being small and slender, didn¡¯t exhibit clear signs of gender. Their eyes, equally bloodthirsty and cold, added to the ambiguity surrounding their identity. Suddenly, Estelle¡¯s pants were tugged, and she looked down to see Max. She closed the book and put it back into the deepest part of the drawer. Max seemed to know she was leaving, so he was sticking close to her. Estelle held Max and yed with him on the balcony sofa as usual. Suddenly, she remembered something and took out her phone to make a video call. The video call connected, and in the courtyard on the other side, an old man in a gray cloth gown was polishing a piece of wood. Seeing her, he asked with a smile, ¡°Are you going home?¡± Estelle shook her head, ¡°No, I¡¯m moving out, just wanted to let you know.¡± The elderly man became alert, his interest piqued. ¡°Are you moving? Did you end yourmitment to the Lamont family youngster?¡± Estelle couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then where are you moving to?¡± ¡°I¡¯m moving to another house that the Lamont family youngster owns.¡± Estelle answered. The old man stared at her for a while and then hung up the video call. Estelle frowned and muttered under her breath, ¡°He¡¯s still as bad-tempered as ever; no improvement at all.¡± Max whimpered in her arms. Estelle wore a serene expression on her face as she gently stroked the soft fur of herpanion, her gaze mountainndscape Late spring had arrived, and the trees on the mountainside had adorned themselves in deep shades of green, signaling the start of another annual cycle. Estelle sat there until evening, watching the sky fill with red clouds, like they were on fire. Her phone on the sofa rang, it was Magdalen picking her up. Estelle said goodbye to Wilma, Wagner, and Max, and got into Magdalen¡¯s car to go down the mountain. Magdalen praised her all the way, ¡°You truly are my friend, quick, urate, and ruthless!¡± She always took getting out Morrison when she was seventeen as a great achievement of her life. Estelle gave her a nce, ¡°We¡¯re not the same!¡± ¡°Of course not, if it were me, Jonathan wouldn¡¯t have been able to leave the country three years ago.¡± Magdale Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. scoffed. Estelle was speechless, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Magdalenughed and asked, ¡°So, how does it feel to be with him?¡± Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Estelle knew what Magdalen was asking and tried to y it cool, ¡°It¡¯s okay¡± ¡°What about any fetishes? Does he have any?¡± Magdalen continued to pry. Estelle¡¯s ears began to feel hot as she searched through her chaotic memory, ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Magdalen felt more at ease and took a small box from her purse, throwing it to Estelle, ¡°If you¡¯re not looking to get pregnant right now, take one of these each time. They¡¯re safe and have no side effects, but it¡¯s best to have him take precautions just in case.¡± Estelle¡¯s gaze fell upon the box, and she hesitated for a moment before opening it. Without further dy, she picked up one pill and ced it in her mouth. Memories flooded her mind as she recalled the tragic car ident that imed the lives of her adoptive parents when she was only four years old. Since then, she had been sent to an orphanage, and it was Magdalen who had taught her about women¡¯s physiology, emotions, and sexuality, filling the gaps in her understanding. The two of them were close friends, teachers, and family for each other. They arrived at the Royal Mansion, went upstairs, and entered the room which was the same as when Estelle left. Jonathan hadn¡¯t been back all this time. The sky was getting dark, so both of them put down their luggage and went downstairs for dinner. A decent Western restaurant was opposite them, and they chose a window-side table. ¡°Why don¡¯t you hire a maid since Jonathan isn¡¯t around much, and you don¡¯t know how to cook?¡± Magdalen asked. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Estelle casually cut her steak without looking up. ¡°Because of my identity as a poor student, it¡¯s more or less eptable for me to rent a room just because I can afford it. But hiring a maid would be too suspicious.¡± Magdalenughed, ¡°How long do you n to hide it from him?¡± Estelle didn¡¯t n to hide it initially, but what he said that night made it difficult for her to reveal her identity. What happenedter was indeed beyond her expectations. ¡°Just go with the flow,¡± Estelle said casually. ¡°Jonathan doesn¡¯te here often, but the room is clean. There must be a regr cleaningdy. As for the food, I can cook,¡± she continued. Magdalenughed out loud, ¡°You? Cooking? Well, at least it¡¯s just for yourself. But no worries, I¡¯ll treat you to dinner more often so you don¡¯t malnourish yourself.¡± Estelle¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly as a hint of self-doubt crept in. ¡°I suppose my cooking skills could use some improvement.¡± Magdalen couldn¡¯t help but stifle augh, pretending to exude confidence. ¡°Of course, of course! I have After chatting for a while, Magdalen said, ¡°Old Mrs. Copnd is having her 80th birthday party next Saturday, and I got two invites. One for thedy of the Sampson family and the other for the Langston family¡¯s future. daughter-inw. The Copnd family is so thoughtful.¡± Estelle replied indifferently, ¡°I received two as well.¡± One was for KING, the design studio partner, and the other for the president of GK Jewelry Studio. Magdalen took a bite of her foie gras, ¡°So, do you want me to pick you up next Saturday?¡± Estelle shook her head, ¡°I wasn¡¯t nning on going.¡± 1/2 14:18 ¡°Why would I?¡± Estelle retorted. ¡°I heard that Old Mrs. Copnd¡¯s will is being revealed that day, but I don¡¯t see why there would be any drama.¡± Magdalen blinked in response. ¡°You¡¯ll understand once the timees!¡± After dinner, Magdalen went to meet up with Morrison and Estelle returned alone to the Royal Mansion. The living room had arge floor-to-ceiling window with a view of the bustling J City skyline. The glittering lights were filled with people¡¯s exciting nightlife. Estelle turned on the lights, went into her room, and found the messy sheets from the morning reced with new ones. It must have been the cleaningdy. Estelle suddenly wondered if Jonathan had ever brought women here before, and whether the cleaning