《A Beauty With Multiple Masks》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1


    On an uninhabited ind.Raindrops pelted down like bullets, and the crashing of the waves was like


    drums.With a dagger, Arielle Moore was shaving the wooden piece down with difficulty.It was as if she


    felt nothing as the rain continued to hit her face.She had lost contact with her family for ten years.


    Just as she finally found the Southalls¡ªjust as she was about to find out the truth about her mother¡¯s


    death and her kidnapping¡ªa group of people who imed to be the ones to bring her home tried to kill


    her.She sessfully defeated them, but the ship sunk, and she ended up on this uninhabited ind.


    It was her seventh day on the ind, and she had yet to see any passing ships.


    Fortunately, there were many trees and nts on the ind, and she had built herself a simple wooden


    boat.


    Right when she moved to work on the oars, it had abruptly rained heavily.


    Rising to her feet, Arielle was about to stretch when she spotted something dark by the rocks.


    Walking over suspiciously, it startled her to find out it was a man.The man was handsome, but his face


    was pale.


    He had an injury on his waist, and his blood was mixing together with the seawater, forming a sunset in


    the water.


    Arielle ced her finger under the man¡¯s nose.


    When she realized the man was not dead, she began dragging him further into the ind and into the


    cave she had been sleeping in for the past few days.


    After starting a fire, she ran back out into the rain.It was only a brief while before she returned with


    some herbs.


    "You¡¯re lucky that you¡¯ve met me," Arielle said as she reached out to take off the man¡¯s clothes.


    A quick nce at the man¡¯s waist told her that it was a deep knife wound.


    Did it hit his internal organs? The moment she reached out for his wrist to take his pulse, a hand


    grabbed onto hers instead.


    "W-Who are you?"


    The man¡¯s voice was almost a whisper, but the grip around her wrist was firm.


    Shooting the man a look, Arielle gloomily said, "Who am I? I¡¯m your savior.If you¡¯re not going to let go


    of me anytime soon, I¡¯m going to have to build you a gravestone.In memory of Nameless.Does that


    sound good?"


    The man only furrowed his brows in silence.


    Then, his eyes drifted toward the crushed herbs in her hands.


    "What¡¯s the matter? Take it off! I¡¯ll help you." With that said, Arielle¡¯s hand reached toward him again.


    "I¡¯ll do it myself."


    With a look of disdain, the man pushed her hands away and took off his shirt himself.The entire time,


    his dark eyes watched her warily.


    Once his shirt was off, Arielle saw the man¡¯s eight packs and the V cut abs that ran down his body and


    into his pants.


    This man¡¯s figure¡­ is a little too great, isn¡¯t it? Unable to help herself, Arielle gulped.Blushing, she then


    carefully ced the crushed herbs on the man¡¯s body.


    "What is this?" the man asked.


    His voice was low, and she could not hear any emotions in them.


    "Antiseptic herbs for stopping the bleeding."


    "Where am I?"


    In the beginning, Arielle was a little shy to be around him.However, upon hearing his constant stream of


    questions, she raised her head to look at him impatiently.He¡¯s handsome, but he has too many


    questions.


    If I know where I am, I wouldn¡¯t need to be trapped in this ce for seven days, would I?


    "If you have questions, you can ask your teacher instead.Why don¡¯t you save your strength and lie


    down to rest instead of speaking?"


    Irritated, the man muttered, "This isn¡¯t how a doctor should talk to her patient."


    "Excuse me?"


    Arielle deadpanned, "Is this the way you should be talking to your savior?"


    At that, the man furrowed his brows.


    "Woman, you¡¯re rude."


    "Dude, you¡¯re impolite."


    The two then red at each other as the tension in the atmosphere rose.


    In the end, Arielle was the one to give up.


    She saw no point in settling the score with an injured man, so she stood up and said, "The rain is quite


    heavy, so it¡¯ll be much colder at night.I¡¯m going to start the fire again.Stay right there."


    As Arielle walked toward the corner, the man spoke again.


    "Hey."


    "What is the matter with you again?" Arielle spun around.


    If I don¡¯t start this fire now, we¡¯re both going to freeze to death tonight.


    The man¡¯s mouth opened, but he ended up saying, "Nothing."


    Rolling her eyes, Arielle returned to her fire-starting.There was only one way to start a fire on the humid


    ind¡ªdrilling the wood.


    Arielle took over an hour to finally get a tiny me going.


    However, the wind outside blew in and ended its short life.


    "Hey," the man said again.


    "What?" Arielle shrieked.


    The moment she spun around, she heard the sound of something metallic dropping onto the


    ground.Then, she spotted the lighter by her feet.


    Huh? Oh! After a three-second silence, Arielle cursed out loud, "Aren¡¯t you a despicable man? You


    b*stard!"


    The man slowly closed his eyes and turned away, but there was a small smile growing on his lips.Night


    soon arrived.


    The two rested on the two sides of the caves.


    In the middle of the night, Arielle woke from grunting sounds.


    Opening her eyes, she realized the man¡¯s pale face waspletely white.


    He curled into himself, cold sweat beaded all over his forehead.


    "Hey, jerk.Are you okay?"


    Arielle walked over to poke his arm, but the man did not even react to it.


    Hastily, she reached out to put her hand on his temple, only to find it scorching.


    His wound must be infected.That¡¯s why he¡¯s having a fever.


    Two amoxicillin would have done the trick, but where would she find amoxicillin on the uninhabited


    ind? Left without any options, Arielle resorted to other methods to cool him down¡ªby taking off his


    clothes.


    However, although that lowered the man¡¯s temperature, he began shivering and mumbling about how


    cold it was.


    Hence, Arielle moved him closer to the fire, but his condition did not improve.


    "Damn it,"


    Arielle cursed before taking off her clothes.She theny down and hugged the man to share her body


    heat with the man.


    Who cares if he¡¯s a jerk? It¡¯s more important to save his life first.


    Saving someone is a good deed.


    Maybe God will let me survive my way back to find out the truth with the Southalls.


    If the ones who came to bring me home tried to take my life, it means that there¡¯s something wrong


    with the Southalls.I¡¯ll be merciless if I find out that my father is the one who did this.


    Arielle lost herself in her thoughts as she hugged the man.


    Soon, she fell asleep.


    When she woke again, she heard voices and footsteps outside the cave.


    There are other people around? Shocked, she sat up to realize that the man¡¯s jacket was on her, but


    the man himself was gone.


    Hurriedly putting on her clothes, she then warily walked out of the cave.If these are the ones who tried


    to kill me¡­ How professional of them.


    However, when Arielle reached the cave entrance, she realized there was a line of bodyguards clothed


    in ck.


    A distance away was a helicopter, and the leader of the bodyguards was speaking to the man she


    saved.


    Right then, the man turned around.It was the first time Arielle had seen the man¡¯s face with proper


    lighting.He was still handsome, and he was quite intimidating just by standing there.


    Other than his pallor, he looked like any other individual.He¡¯s quick to recover.


    "You¡­"


    Just as Arielle started speaking, the man interrupted, "What do you want?"


    "What?" His question threw her off.


    Expressionless, he exined, "You saved me, so I¡¯ll fulfill a wish of yours."


    Arielle was rendered speechless for a moment.


    "How rude can you be? I saved you, but you don¡¯t even have a word of thanks?"


    Right as those words left Arielle¡¯s lips, the bodyguards all stared at her, aghast.It was as though she


    had said something strange.


    On the other hand, the man¡¯s expression remained neutral.


    "You¡¯ll regret it if you miss this chance."


    Arielle was fuming, but she thought, My wooden boat might notst until I reach thend.


    Gritting her teeth, she squeezed out, "Bring me home."


    Now, it was the man¡¯s turn to look astounded.


    "That¡¯s all?"


    "What else?"


    She only had one wish, which was to leave the godforsaken uninhabited ind.


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    ncing at her as if she was an idiot, the man then headed toward the helicopter.


    Three hourster, the helicopter was hovering in Jadeborough¡¯s skies.


    "Is that the ce?" the man asked, pointing at the manor below.


    "I think so¡­"


    Arielle barely had any memories of her childhood, but she had investigated the Southalls before


    returning to the country.


    That ce was supposed to be the Moores¡¯, but it now belonged to the man who never bothered


    looking for her during her ten-year disappearance, her father.


    "Down," the man ordered.


    The pilot instantly replied, "Yes, sir."

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2


    At the Southall residence.


    The entire ce was set up for a birthday party.


    Shandie Southall, who was wearing thetest season¡¯s dress from LV, was surrounded by socialites


    buttering her up.


    "Shandie, your dress is beautiful! It¡¯s like a milky way."


    "This is the dress from LV¡¯s spring edition, isn¡¯t it? I couldn¡¯t even rent it, but you actually managed to


    buy it! Your dad is so nice to you!"


    "Happy birthday, Shandie.I heard Sam Sleight has offered you a role.You¡¯re definitely going to be the


    most popr actress of the year.Don¡¯t forget about us when you be famous."


    "Who cares about the entertainment industry? Shannie¡¯s just there for fun.Who is she? She¡¯s Shandie


    Moore.It¡¯s so easy for her to be famous."


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    Concealing the glee in her eyes, Shandie uttered, "Thank you very much.Let me go and check when


    the cake¡¯sing."


    When Shandie returned to the mansion, she nearly collided with her mother, who was heading toward


    the outside.


    "Mom."


    Lowering her voice, she whispered to Cindy Moore.


    "Has my cousin¡¯s men returned yet? It¡¯s my twentieth birthday today.I don¡¯t want others to find out that


    our family has a girl who was kidnapped by human traffickers."


    Lovingly tidying the edge of Shandie¡¯s skirt, Cindy murmured, "No news is good news.Don¡¯t worry.She


    won¡¯t be able toe back.Even if she does, the traffickers had sold her to some faraway vige.What


    can a country bumpkin like her do?"


    Shandie nodded in agreement.


    In fact, a part of her hoped that the country bumpkin would be able to return.


    That way, she would be able to relish the fact that she was the true daughter of a wealthy family.


    "Bad news, Mrs.Southall," the housekeeper cried out as she rushed in.


    "A Nightshire helicopternded on thewn outside.


    "The Nightshires?" Shandie¡¯s eyes lit up.


    "Mom, say, do you think Dad invited Vinson Nightshire?" Cindy was surprised as well.


    Although the Southalls were running one of the top businesses in the country, and they were one of the


    prominent families in Jadeborough, the Nightshires were one of the top families in the world.


    Vinson Nightshire was the heir of the Nightshire Group, and the Southalls still did not have the


    capability of inviting Vinson to their daughter¡¯s birthday party.


    Maybe Vinson thinks that the business deal with our family is important?


    "Let¡¯s have a look."


    Cindy was perplexed, but it was a pleasant surprise for her.


    If our family gets to build a rtionship with the Nightshires, we won¡¯t need to worry about anything


    anymore.


    After the mother and daughter touched up their makeup, they then excitedly rushed toward thewn.


    By then, a group of nouveau riche had already gathered on thewn.


    The moment Shandie walked over, the socialites crowded around her with jealous looks.


    "Shannie, you actually invited the Nightshires! You¡¯re amazing."


    "How could you not have told me something as important as this? I should¡¯ve hired a professional


    makeup artist to put on my makeup today."


    Shandie smiled, but in her mind, she scoffed.


    The Nightshires are here for me.


    Why would you need to put on any makeup? I must have caught Vinson¡¯s interest in the ceremony held


    by the Nightshiresst month.


    I¡¯m going to be Mrs.Nightshire soon! Right then, the helicopter door slowly opened.


    As everyone watched in anticipation, a young woman in ragged clothes jumped down from the vehicle.


    She was a slender young woman whose face was coated with dirt and dust.


    No one could see how she originally looked like.


    Even her hair was in a tangled mess as if she had not washed her head for an entire month.


    "What¡­"


    Everyone then turned to look at Shandie.


    Those who did not like her began mocking, "Shannie, is this your esteemed guest? A beggar?"


    Livid, Shandie stormed over and questioned, "Who are you? Who do you think you are to join my


    birthday party?"


    "Birthday party?"


    Instantly, Arielle realized who the arrogant girl was.


    It was known to others that she was Cindy¡¯s adopted daughter, but the detective had told her that


    Shandie was actually Cindy and Henrick¡¯s illegitimate child.


    He doesn¡¯t even know whether his real daughter is dead or alive, but he¡¯s holding a birthday party for


    his illegitimate daughter? Ha.


    "Who am I?" Arielle stared at the girl.


    "I am your father."


    "You¡ª"


    Right as Shandie was about to lose her temper, Arielle btedly added, "Your father¡¯s real daughter."


    Shandie froze, and the others around them instantly looked interested to watch the scene unfold.When


    Shandie came back to her senses, she stammered, "Y-You¡¯re Arielle Moore?"


    That country bumpkin? She¡¯s¡­ really a country bumpkin, huh? Fortunately, Cindy was smarter than


    her daughter, for she hurried forward.


    "Arielle, is that you? I¡¯ve been waiting for you for so long.My poor child, you¡¯re finally back¡­"


    Arielle¡¯s lips curled.


    "Hello, Aunt Cindy, it¡¯s been a while."


    Despite the smile on her lips, her tone was sarcastic.


    My mother¡¯s younger sister married my father? My father married my aunt? What nonsense is this?


    Something must be up.


    The guests began whispering to each other.


    "I heard that Mrs.Southall used to be the previous Mrs.Southall¡¯s sister."


    "This must be Ms.Moore, who was kidnapped by human traffickers ten years ago."


    "The Southalls used to be Moores; Henrick Southall actually married into the Moore family.Once


    Maureen Moore died, the Moores all took on the family name Southall instead."


    "That actually happened? Seriously¡­"


    Upon hearing their chatters, embarrassment flooded Cindy¡¯s mind.She cleared her throat and


    muttered, "Darling, as long as you¡¯re back.I¡¯ll bring you to wash up.Look at you.You¡¯re so¡­ dirty.You


    must have had a difficult life in the countryside."


    She¡¯s still reminding others that I came from the countryside.It seems like she really hates me.


    Right as Arielle was about to speak, a low voice sounded out behind her.


    "Hey."


    Everyone immediately turned to the owner of the voice.


    Once they saw the personing down from the helicopter, they stiffened.It was Vinson.It was Vinson,


    whose every move dictated the global economy.


    "Mr.Nightshire?"


    Shandie excitedly darted forward to wee him.


    "A-Are you here to join my birthday party? Thank you!"


    Shandie could not conceal the joy in her eyes, and the blush on her face was for all to see.


    At the start, she thought Vinson had only sent someone to send her birthday greetings, but it turned out


    Vinson himself came.


    The time for my spring¡ªthe time for my happy life¡ªhase! If she could, she would have jumped in


    joy.


    Those around her were casting envious looks at her.Although she was just an adopted daughter, she


    seemed to have gotten Vinson¡¯s attention.She had nothing but good days ahead of her.Yet, in the next


    second¡­


    "Who are you?"


    Vinson¡¯s brows knitted as if he had just noticed Shandie.The impatience and confusion in his eyes


    were visible to everyone.


    Vinson did not know the woman in front of him.


    "Pft¡ª"


    Some of the guests could not hold back theirughter.


    "I thought Mr.Nightshire was here to wish Shandie a happy birthday, but it turns out he doesn¡¯t even


    know who she is."


    "Hahaha! This is hrious.If I were her, I¡¯d bury my whole body in the sands and nevere back out."


    At that moment, Shandie¡¯s expression changed from delight to shock, then to embarrassment.


    In the end, she red at the twoughing socialites.


    At the end of the day, Cindy was the quickest to recover.


    She stepped forward and said, "Mr.Nightshire, we didn¡¯t know you¡¯d being today.What an honor for


    us to have youe.It¡¯s my daughter¡¯s birthday today, so she thought you were here to wish her a


    happy birthday.It seems like you¡¯re here to discuss the business coboration with Rick.He¡¯s upstairs,


    so pleasee in."


    The mocking gazes from the guests instantly disappeared.


    It was also an honor to have Vinson go to his business partner¡¯s ce to discuss a deal.


    Yet, once again, in the next second¡­ "Do I know you?"


    Cindy¡¯s gesture of invitation froze midair.


    Mr.Nightshire¡­ doesn¡¯t know me? Once again, the guests were trying to hold themselves back from


    laughing.


    Is the mother-and-daughter duo here foredic purposes? Cindy was internally cringing from the


    awkwardness.


    If Vinson doesn¡¯t know me, then who¡¯s he here for? All of a sudden, she recalled that the Arielle Moore


    that everyone looked down on hade out of Vinson¡¯s helicopter.


    Arielle¡¯s appearance had been too sudden and shocking, as she was in such a disheveled state.


    For a long moment, she simply could not think that Vinson and Arielle might be connected.


    Does Arielle know Vinson? Right as that thought emerged in her mind, she saw Vinson walking past


    her toward Arielle.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    Vinson pressed his voice and said, "Are you sure that¡¯s your wish? I¡¯ll give you another chance."


    Arielle knitted her brows and looked at him.


    "You want to grant me another wish? Do you think you¡¯re the magical Genie?"


    Everyone, including Shandie and Cindy, looked at Vinson and Arielle in disbelief.


    What¡¯s going on? Does this beggar know Vinson? Vinson gazed into her eyes.When he was about to


    respond to her question, Henrick interrupted.


    "Nice to see you, Mr.Nightshire! Why didn¡¯t you tell me you¡¯reing?"


    All the guests¡¯ jaws dropped when Henrick greeted Vinson.


    Cindy instantly closed her eyes as she dared not imagined what would happen next.


    What on earth is happening? Henrick finally noticed something was amiss and started looking around.


    A sudden frown warped his face the moment he saw Arielle.


    Henrick turned to Shandie and said, "Why did you invite a beggar to our birthday party? Get her out of


    here!"


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    Shandie froze for a moment even though deep in her heart she was pleased with his reaction.


    "Dad, she¡¯s¡­"


    "Dad!" Arielle interrupted.


    "Don¡¯t you remember me? I¡¯m Sannie!"


    Sannie was Arielle¡¯s nickname.


    "San¡­"


    Henrick raised his brows and widened his eyes in shock.


    "You¡¯re Arielle?"


    "Yes, Dad.I¡¯m Arielle," she walked up to him.


    Arielle did not remember anything that had happened a decade ago, but she remembered that familiar


    face.


    Upon hearing that, Henrick staggered.


    Fear was written all over his face as he was afraid that his secret would be exposed.


    Arielle knew what was going through his mind.


    In a steady voice, she continued, "We have not met for years.I miss you so much!"


    Henrick was at a loss for words.


    He had no choice but to give her a pat on the shoulder.


    "Wee back, honey, but¡­ what happened to you and Mr.Nightshire? Why do the both of you look


    so messy?"


    All the guests then started paying attention to Vinson¡¯s clothes.


    They were so drawn to the man himself that they did not notice how wet his clothes were.


    Shandie cast a puzzled look at Arielle and Vinson.


    Is there something going on between these two? But she somehow dismissed her suspicion.


    Vinson falling in love with this country bumpkin? No way! Unless he¡¯s blind! Upon seeing how awkward


    the atmosphere had be, Cindy stepped in and said, "I think it was Mr.Nightshire who brought


    Arielle home."


    "Really?"


    Henrick seemed to be a little less disgusted by Arielle after hearing that.


    Since she was still young and doesn¡¯t remember a thing from her childhood, I guess she doesn¡¯t


    exactly know what happened.


    Imagine the benefits we can reap if we could use her to get closer to the Nightshires.


    Henrick instantly stered a smile to his face and looked at Vinson.


    "So you¡¯re Arielle¡¯s friend? Thanks for bringing her back to us.If you don¡¯t mind, would you like to stay


    back, clean up a little, and dine with us?"


    Cindy added, "Oh, yes.We have extra pairs of clothes for our guests."


    Vinson initially wanted to turn down their offer, but he could not stand wearing that sea-soaked clothes


    anymore.


    Since Vinson did not reject his officer, Henrick extended his hand and showed him the direction to the


    guest room.


    He then whispered in Cindy¡¯s ear, "Clean Arielle up too."


    Cindy and Henrick had been married for nearly a decade, so she understood what he wanted her to do.


    It was clear that Henrick wanted to use Arielle to get in the Nightshires¡¯ good books.


    Damn it, why is luck on Arielle¡¯s and not my daughter¡¯s side? Maureen had been oppressing Cindy


    when she was still alive.


    I¡¯ll never allow her daughter to step all over mine! Cindy nodded and yed along.


    She then pulled Shandie aside and said, "Bring her to the bathroom.She¡¯s your older sister now, so be


    nice to her."


    Shandie was able to read between the lines.She turned around and put on a smile.


    "Hey, Arielle.Let¡¯s go to the bathroom, shall we?"


    Arielle did not believe that the mother-daughter duo would ept her into the family.Yet, she hid her


    suspicion and responded with a grin.


    "Okay!"


    They held hands and walked into the mansion.


    Meanwhile, other guests continued to exchange whispers as they tried to figure out what Vinson was


    doing here.


    No matter what the reason was, it was clear that from now on, they would have to show more respect


    to the Southalls.


    At the guest room upstairs, Shandie said, "You can stay here temporarily while we tidy up your room,


    and you can also find all the toiletries here.I¡¯ll bring you a dress."


    "All right.Thank you," Arielle responded.


    "Oh, before I forget,"


    Shandie turned around and asked, "Do you know how to use the water heater? We¡¯ve fixed the


    temperature, so you don¡¯t have to adjust it anymore," she reminded kindly but somehow forgot to hide


    the disdain in her eyes.


    Arielle seemingly did not notice her expression.


    She responded with a gentle smile.


    "Thanks."


    Does she really think I don¡¯t know how to use the water heater?


    "Great.I¡¯ll bring your dress over."


    Sandie smiled and walked out of the room.


    After closing the door, the smile on her face disappeared almost instantly.


    She took out a handkerchief and cleaned her hands thoroughly before throwing it on the floor.


    Her hand stinks, and her body stinks.


    Everything about her stinks! Vinson must have brought her here by ident.


    I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t like a filthy woman like Arielle! Meanwhile, Arielle was taking her own sweet time


    enjoying a nice warm bath in the bathroom.


    Even she felt disgusted by how she looked and smelled after spending a week on the ind.


    As the warm water streamed down from her head to toes, she wiped off all the dirt on her face,


    revealing her fairplexion.


    Her delicate face with fine features made her look like a dainty little fairy.


    About ten minutester, Shandie knocked on the door.


    "Arielle, can you please open the door? I want to pass you the dress.I¡¯ve also ced a pair of heels


    near the door.You can wear themter."


    "All right."


    Arielle opened the door slightly to retrieve the dress.


    Once again, she did not see the disgust and mockery on Shandie¡¯s face.


    The dress Shandie gave to Arielle was a couture dress by Gi.


    It was more costly than the dress she was wearing now.


    Though it took her some effort to get her hands on the dress, she could not wear it as it had a specific


    cut.


    Its wearer must be slim and possess a supermodel-like physique.


    At the same time, the person needed to have a busty, curvaceous figure to be able to fit in the dress.


    Without an hourss figure, any ordinary woman would look plump in it.


    Since Shandie had broad shoulders but no corbones, the dress would look unttering on her.


    This was why she did not wear it for tonight¡¯s party.


    Once that hideous womanes out with that dress, I¡¯m sure all the guests wouldugh at her!

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4


    There isn¡¯t any exquisite dress she could wear to hide the fact that she was just a foolish country


    bumpkin! At the same time, Shandie was not afraid that Henrick would me her for turning Arielle into


    aughingstock.


    After all, she had given Arielle her most expensive dress.


    She only has herself to me for not being able to fit into that dress! On top of that, the heels Shandie


    prepared for Arielle were also four inches high.


    I bet this country bumpkin had never worn any heels in her life.


    She might slip and fall in those stilettos when she walks downstairster.


    Ha! Shandie was so proud of her wit that she almost wanted to apud herself.


    She could not wait to see all the guests¡¯ reactions when they saw her in that dress.I want everyone to


    know that this country bumpkin doesn¡¯t deserve to be my sister!


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    "Hey, Arielle.I¡¯ll be downstairs, okay?"


    Shandie said, "Dinner¡¯s about to start.Come down once you¡¯re ready!"


    "Okay¡­"


    Arielle replied from the room.


    Upon hearing her response, Shandie turned around and left.


    Let¡¯s get the party started so that all the guests, especially Vinson, will have a chance to see how


    hideous she is! Shandie hummed a cheerful tune as she made her way downstairs.


    She seemed to have forgotten how Vinson had embarrassed her earlier.It¡¯s okay.People will forget


    about it soon.


    The only thing they¡¯ll remember is how ridiculous Arielle looks! Back in the room, Arielle altered the


    dress a little so that it would fit her nicely.


    Knowing that Shandie would embarrass her by giving her an ill-fitting dress, she found a sewing kit in


    the living hall and brought it into the room.


    After putting it on and seeing how she looked in the mirror, she was pleased with the results.


    The couture dress looked great on her tall and slender body, and her corbones became even more


    apparent after spending a week on the ind.


    It fit her like a glove as if it was tailor-made.


    Since when is Shandie this kind-hearted? Is she not as evil as I thought she was? Arielle decided to


    trust her initial gut instinct.


    She removed the dress and examined it carefully once again.


    After a five-minute inspection, she did not find anything fishy about the dress.


    Hmm.That¡¯s strange.


    Arielle put it on, looked into the mirror, and studied the cut of the dress closely.


    She soon realized how challenging it was for someone to look great in this dress.


    The wearer must not only be tall and slender but must also have a nice bust size to entuate the


    specific cut of the dress.


    Any woman with thick arms andrge shoulders would not look graceful in it.


    But if the wearer fulfilled all the criteria, she would look glorious in that dress.


    A corner of Arielle¡¯s mouth quirked up.


    So that has been Shandie¡¯s intention all along, huh? Too bad! I exercise regrly and have an ideal


    body shape that will look amazing in the dress.


    I can¡¯t wait to see the disappointment on her faceter! Initially, Arielle wanted toy low as she did not


    want to be the center of attention of someone else¡¯s birthday party.


    But what Shandie did made her realize she had no choice but to do something to stir up a ho¡¯s nest


    in this family.


    Once the seemingly peaceful family became chaotic, Arielle believed the truth would eventually


    surface.


    After putting on the silver heels Shandie had prepared for her, she stepped out of the room.


    The heels were so high that had she lost focus, she would fall.


    Shandie decided to start the party early.


    She turned on all themps in the hall that had been extravagantly decorated.


    All the guests held a ss of champagne in their hands while they listened to Shandie¡¯s speech.


    Vinson, who had done sprucing himself up, stood among the crowd too.


    He was neither interested in the birthday party nor the pretentious socialites around him.


    He only stayed back to bid Arielle, his savior, farewell.


    Though he thought the girl he rescued was crude and unsophisticated, it was the right thing to do.


    Shandie got up the stage and took a nce at Vinson.


    Upon realizing he was still around, she believed he had stayed for her.


    Someone as esteemed as him must be too embarrassed to admit that he¡¯s interested in me.


    That¡¯s why he pretended he didn¡¯t know me.


    Oh well, I guess all powerful men are like that.


    She decided to take the initiative to express her interest in Vinson.She walked up to the mic and tried to


    make eye contact with Vinson.


    "Good evening, Mr.Nightshire, wee to my birthday party.I¡¯m so pleased to see you here."


    A crease appeared between Vinson¡¯s brows when he heard that.


    Who on earth is this ridiculous woman? Why does she act as if I know her very well? And where is that


    girl? Why hasn¡¯t shee down yet? A big part of Shandie¡¯s speech revolved around Vinson.


    It was as if she was trying hard to remind her other guests of his presence here.


    At this point, a housekeeper walked up to her and whispered, "Ms.Moore ising down now."


    "Great! Turn on all the lights near the stairs!"


    I want everyone to turn their attention to the clown!


    "Yes, Miss!" The housekeeper replied.


    The stairs were lit up all of a sudden.


    Anyone who stood there would have been thrust into the limelight.Can¡¯t wait for the clown to take


    center stage!


    "Ladies and gentlemen, today is indeed a meaningful day for our family as my sister from the same


    father is finally home!"


    With enthusiasm, Shandie spoke into the mic once again.


    "Human traffickers kidnapped her ten years ago, and today, she finally returned from the vige! I¡¯m


    truly d¡­"


    Before Shandie could finish her sentence, all the guests turned their heads around and when they


    heard footstepsing down from the stairs.


    Shandie¡¯s face looked distorted as she tried to suppress her sarcastic smile.


    She raised her hand and pointed at the stairs.


    "Let us put our hands together to wee my sister!"


    All the guests did not know what was going on but yed along by pping their hands reluctantly.


    Why should we p our hands to wee a girl from the vige? They only did what she told them to


    because they had to show the Southall family some respect since they were one of the prominent


    families in Jadeborough.


    Otherwise, they would not even bother to look at a disheveled beggar! Upon hearing how Shandie


    introduced her, Arielle raised her brows and smirked.


    She can¡¯t wait for me to make a fool of myself, can she? Arielle was not someone who took pride in her


    looks as she knew appearance was just a fa?ade.


    But under such circumstances, she wished to take this opportunity to show Shandie how she looked.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5


    Arielle lowered her head to hide her emotions, lifted up the dress, and walked down the stairs.The


    guests first noticed a pair of slender legs d in Jimmy Choo.


    The light that hit on her further entuated her dainty toes and silken ankles.


    Just the sight of Arielle¡¯s legs had fueled the guests¡¯ imagination.


    Shandie, too, was taken aback by how perfect her legs were.She took a sidelong nce at some of the


    male guests and saw that they were all swooning over her.She also noticed Vinson could not keep his


    eyes away from her legs.


    Shandie began to panic and began to wonder if she had made the wrong move.But soon, she


    managed to regain herposure.It¡¯s just a pair of legs, anyway.


    They¡¯ll probably throw up right away after seeing her face! By the time Shandie turned her attention


    back to the stairs, Arielle was already walking down to the hall.


    Go on.


    Walk faster! I can¡¯t wait for you to fall in those crazy heels! It¡¯ll definitely be quite a scene! To Shandie¡¯s


    surprise, Arielle did not wobble at all.


    Instead, she was able toe down from the stairs in steady steps.


    It was impossible for Arielle to fall because every step she made was so steady.


    Disappointment was written all over Shandie¡¯s face.


    How did she do manage to walk in those heels? Shandie did not know Arielle had had the experience


    of wearing a pair of six-inch heels when she stood in for a friend in a fashion show.


    To Arielle, these four-inch heels were just a piece of cake.


    I remember how some drama series depicted vigers walking on those ridiculous stilts during


    celebrations.


    Is that how Arielle learned to walk in heels? At this point, Shandie could already see Arielle¡¯s slender


    waist as thetter continued to walk down the stairs.


    How is this possible? She didn¡¯t look like this when she came down from the helicopter in her dirty and


    baggy clothes earlier! Shandie was utterly jealous.


    Fine! She might be skinny, but I bet she¡¯s an ugly b*tch! Once again, Shandie convinced herself that


    Arielle would eventually shock everyone with her unsightly appearance.


    Come on! Speed up! Just as she wished, Arielle picked up her pace.


    After seeing her slender lower torso, Shandie¡¯s eyes were then drawn to her well-defined corbones


    and neck.


    Shandie¡¯s fear continued to grow, and without her realizing it, she was already clenching her fists.


    The light finally shone on Arielle¡¯s face, revealing her well-defined and delicate features.


    Never in Shandie¡¯s life had shee across such a perfect face.


    Her dark and sparkly eyes were exceptionally stunning, and they shone like a pair of exquisite


    diamonds.


    No words could describe Arielle¡¯s wless beauty.


    Shandie¡¯s jaw dropped, and she could not believe her eyes.


    That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s Arielle? Is that really her? Are you kidding me? The color instantly drained out of


    Shandie¡¯s pale face.


    At the same time, a vortex of anger swirled inside her.


    Did I just give her a dress that tters and made her shine like a star? Oh my God, what have I done?


    Shandie was overwhelmed by all kinds of emotions.


    She felt she was about to burst from rage.Her pallid face was now flushed with jealousy and


    hatred.She did not even want to take another nce at Arielle as it would only make her feel bad about


    her looks.Shandie observed the guests and noticed all of them were spellbound by Arielle¡¯s beauty.


    Vinson, who had all this while been carrying a deadpan expression on his face, began to look at Arielle


    differently.


    Is that awestruck in his eyes? Is an esteemed noble like Vinson Nightshire struck in awe over Arielle


    Moore¡¯s beauty? Arielle¡¯s beauty had also dazed Cindy.


    She was aware that her sister, Maureen, was a stunning beauty but was still surprised to see how


    gorgeous her daughter was despite growing up in the countryside.


    In fact, Arielle looked even prettier than her mother! Damn it! She¡¯ll steal Shandie¡¯s thunder for sure!


    Cindy immediately looked at Henrick.


    Henrick was just as bbergasted.


    Of course, he did not react like how the other gentlemen did.


    He was Arielle¡¯s father, after all.But it was undeniable that there were sparkles in Henrick¡¯s eyes.


    This old man must have thought he has found a long-lost gem.


    No way.I¡¯ll not allow Arielle to enjoy the privileges we have in this family! I have underestimated this girl.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    I have to get rid of her.I must get rid of her! Arielle took a quick look at Shandie and realized this


    "beloved sister" of hers was so shocked that her face was all crumpled up.


    She¡¯ll probablye to me and throw a punch at my face if there aren¡¯t guests around.


    That¡¯s what jealousy does to girls! Arielle pretended she did not understand Shandie¡¯s expression and


    walked up to her with a smile.


    "Happy birthday, Shandie! Why do you look so unhappy? What¡¯s wrong?"


    Shandie was disgusted by Arielle¡¯s silvery voice.


    To her, Arielle sounded just like the friction between a saw de and a chalkboard.


    Shandie tried her best to hide her emotions and stered a smile on her face.


    "I¡¯m fine."


    "I¡¯m d to hear that, Shandie." Arielle grinned.


    "Oh, take a look at this dress you¡¯ve lent me! It¡¯s a great fit!"


    She intentionally emphasized the words "great fit".


    Rage throbbed in Shandie like a heartbeat, and she was on the verge of losing her cool.


    She¡¯s doing this on purpose!


    "You¡­"


    Shandie opened her mouth but fainted before she could finish her sentence.


    "Oh, no! Shandie!"


    Arielle did not expect Shandie to faint.She tried to grab her arms, but it was toote.


    With a thunderous crash, Shandie copsed to the ground.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6


    Her hair essories were all out of ce and her hair was disheveled.The woman, who was supposed


    to be in the spotlight, turned pale and was in a pathetic state.


    ¡°Shannie!"


    Cindy eximed as she rushed on stage.


    Even though she was extremely worried, Cindy did not forget about Arielle and used her shoulder to


    nudge Arielle aside.


    Arielle was wearing heels that were four inches high and was standing on the edge of the makeshift


    stage.


    The force of Cindy¡¯s push sent Arielle tumbling sideways as she lost her bnce and was about to fall


    off the stage¡­ However, she reacted swiftly and protected her head with her hands.


    That way, even if she had fallen down, it would lessen her chances of having a concussion.


    However, to Arielle¡¯s surprise, she did notnd on the ground.


    Instead, she felt a strong hand supporting her back steadily while another hand was wrapped around


    her waist as she was being carried off stage.


    After Arielle stood firmly on the ground, she instinctively turned to look at the person who had saved


    her.


    What greeted her was a cold and perfectly sculpted face.


    Frowning, the man said, "Why are you wearing such high heels? Are you nning to fall to your


    death?"


    I didn¡¯t have a choice! Arielle wanted to retort but controlled her mouth.


    After all, that man was just concerned about her safety.


    If not for him, she might have already been badly injured from the fall.


    Arielle swallowed her words and was about to thank him when Henrick rushed over.


    "My darling daughter! Are you hurt? Dad was going to help you just now but Mr.Nightshire was a step


    ahead of me¡­ Mr.Nightshire seems to treat you really well!"


    Henrick said meaningfully with a concerned expression.


    On the other hand, Henrick did not even look at Shandie, who was being carried upstairs.


    That was interesting to Arielle.


    Regarding her dad¡­ she had almost believed that he was a loving dad who doted on his daughter.


    What Arielle could not understand was, why would her mother, who seemed so perfect on paper,


    choose to marry a man like Henrick? Since she was back, she was determined to find out the reason,


    as she suspected there was more to that than meets the eye.


    There had to be a secret that she did not know.


    "I¡¯m fine, dad.You should go upstairs and take a look at Shandie.I¡¯m not sure what was going on but


    she suddenly fainted just now.Hopefully, it isn¡¯t anything serious that we should be concerned about."


    Arielle¡¯s expression was soft and serene as she spoke, without a hint of the disgust she felt towards


    Henrick.


    She behaved exactly like a sensible and obedient daughter, which Henrick was extremely satisfied


    with.


    The man could even be convinced that he must have saved the universe in his past life to have such a


    perfect daughter! Henrick quickly replied, "You¡¯re right.I¡¯ll go and take a look at Shandie right away and


    shan¡¯t disturb you and Mr.Nightshire.Mr.Nightshire, please make yourself at home!"


    A crease appeared between Vinson¡¯s brows when he heard that.


    Make myself at home? Do the Southalls really think that we are on the same level? The man took a


    nce at Henrick but decided to spare him the ridicule.


    After Henrick left, Vinson said, "I¡¯m not here to attend the function.I only waited until now to make sure


    that there are really no wishes you want me to fulfill for you.Are there?"


    Arielle was feeling somewhat helpless.


    The truth was that before she returned to the country, she had only gathered detailed information on


    the Southalls and knew nothing about the economic situation in the country.


    However, the Nighshire family had such a powerful influence in the country that one would have heard


    of them even without research.


    Besides, from the guests and Henrick¡¯s reactions, it was apparent that Vinson was definitely a big shot


    in the country.


    However, Arielle had only performed the duties expected of a medical personnel on the ind and


    nothing more.


    Except for the fact that¡­ they had slept together.


    But the woman would rather believe that nothing of that sort had happened.


    In a determined manner, Arielle replied, "Vinson, I appreciate your kind offer, but there¡¯s really no need


    for that."


    If there was really something she wanted, she was fully capable of getting it herself.


    The woman had never depended on anyone else.


    The crease between Vinson¡¯s brows deepened when he heard Arielle¡¯s words.


    "Woman, do you know what you have just turned down?"


    Vinson did not believe that there was anyone who would reject such an offer from him¡ªany wish that


    he would grant.


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    As such, it did not make sense to him that Arielle kept rejecting him.


    Vinson wished he could check if there was something wrong with that woman¡¯s brain! Looking at how


    serious Vinson was with regards to granting her that wish, for some unknown reason, Arielle couldn¡¯t


    help but feel amused by it.


    She shrugged and replied, "Maybe you could enlighten me on what I have just turned down? Was it my


    Mr.Right? Oh, also, my name is not ¡®Woman¡¯."


    "What¡¯s your name then?"


    "My name is¡­ Sannie."


    Sannie was Arielle¡¯s nickname given to her by her overseas adopted parents.


    "Got it.You still haven¡¯t told me what your wish is."


    Seeing how insistent the man was, Arielle joked, "If you really want to repay me, why don¡¯t you¡­ marry


    me?"


    Vinson was speechless after hearing Arielle¡¯s "wish" and had aplicated expression on his face.


    Seeing how tensed the atmosphere had be, Arielle cleared her throat and tried to ease the


    tension.


    "I was just joking.Anyway, just forget it.There¡¯s really nothing I need."


    "I can do that," Vinson suddenly spoke.


    "What?"


    Arielle was stunned and asked in disbelief, "What can you do?".


    Vinson regained hisposure and with his usual cold expression, he replied, "I can grant you your


    wish, but I have to discuss it with my family first as it does not concern me alone."


    "Hold on¡­"


    Arielle widened her eyes in shock and was at a loss for words.


    "You didn¡¯t take my words seriously right? I¡¯ve already said that I was just joking!"


    "Well, sometimes people disguise their true thoughts as jokes."


    "But I really meant it as a joke! I¡¯m not interested in you at all!"


    Vinson looked lost for a moment before he replied, "Why? Every girl in Jadeborough dreams of


    marrying me."


    "But that doesn¡¯t include me!"


    "Anyway¡­ I¡¯ll be giving you my answerter on.I¡¯ll get going first."


    Vinson left after he finished speaking, obviously not trusting that the woman was really just joking.


    After Vinson left, his bodyguards, who were waiting at one corner, followed behind him.


    "Hey! Stop right there! We haven¡¯t finished talking yet!"


    Arielle shouted behind Vinson as she chased after him.However, she was blocked by the man¡¯s


    bodyguards.


    "Sorry, Miss, you can¡¯t go there!"


    "But I¡¯ve something important to tell him!"


    However, the bodyguards did not allow her to pass.


    Apparently, without Vinson¡¯s permission, no one was allowed to get near him.


    That was also the reason no one dared to approach Vinson, including the socialites who admired him


    and other men who want to make use of him to climb up the socialdder.


    As such, Arielle had no choice but could only watch as Vinson left in his helicopter, feeling frustrated


    that the man seemed to have taken her joking statement seriously.


    However, her worries dissipated soon after.


    After all, no one in their right minds would take that seriously.


    Repay someone by marrying her? Such ridiculous practices are non-existent in the modern era! It¡¯s just


    not possible that anyone would really consider that proposal seriously.


    That guy must be just joking with me.


    I almost fell for it as he looked so serious! I guess that¡¯s just his unique style.


    Arielle pouted at that thought, quite certain that she had been tricked by Vinson! As such, she was no


    longer fretting over how she should exin to the man.


    Instead, she started wondering about the manor that used to belong to the Moores.


    What actually happened that wiped out the Moores who got reced by the Southalls?

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7


    While Arielle was deep in thought, a few socialites approached her in a friendly manner.


    "Ms.Moore, you look like a really nice person.Shall we be friends?"


    "Ms.Moore, you have such a good figure.Do you mind sharing some tips to keep fit?"


    "We should exchange contacts.Since you¡¯re now back to Jade borough, we should keep in touch more


    often."


    Those women appeared to look really friendly and seemed to be truly interested in befriending Arielle.


    However, Arielle could easily see through their real intentions.


    However, she pretended to be ignorant and nodded with an innocent expression.


    "Sure¡­ I would love to make some friends here."


    While the socialites gathered around Arielle and chatting with her enthusiastically, Shandie, who was


    upstairs, finally woke up.


    She saw Cindy, who was holding her hand tightly, with a worried expression, while Henrick looked


    distracted as if he was not concerned about her at all.


    Shandie¡¯s resentment festered at once.


    It¡¯s all because of that b*tch, Arielle, that my dad doesn¡¯t love me anymore! Feeling aggrieved and


    frustrated, tears streamed down the woman¡¯s face.


    "Mom¡­ "


    "Darling, you¡¯ve finally woken up! Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry¡­"


    Cindyforted her daughter and could feel her heart aching.


    After seeing that Shandie was fine, Henrick told the two women that he was going to head back


    downstairs.


    "There are still a lot of guests downstairs.I¡¯ll go and entertain them first," the man said.


    Before the mother-daughter pair could reply, Henrick had already turned around and left.


    After the door was shut, Shandie could no longer contain her frustration and threw a pillow against the


    door.


    "Mom! Just look at dad! I can¡¯t stand it anymore! I want Arielle to disappear right away!"


    Cindy was also burning with anger.


    It was supposed to be her darling daughter¡¯s birthday party.


    However, Arielle had stolen all the attention instead.


    Cindy took a deep inhale to calm herself down and tried tofort her daughter instead, "Darling, let¡¯s


    not rush it first.If something bad happens to her right after she returned to the country, your dad would


    definitely suspect us.As you know, your dad is really chauvinistic and hates it when people don¡¯t listen


    to him.So, you have to be patient and don¡¯t act rashly yeah!"


    "So what should we do now?"


    Shandie covered her face with her hands and started bawling her eyes out.


    "My birthday party is ruined! Everyone will start making fun of me.Those women¡¯s favorite activity is


    gossiping behind other people¡¯s backs!"


    Just when Cindy was about to reply, J knocked and entered the room.


    Holding an envelope in her hand, the nanny eximed in delight, "I have great news! Mrs.Southall,


    Ms.Shandie, there¡¯s another joyous asion to celebrate!"


    Shandie was not interested in knowing what it was at all and looked away.


    "There¡¯s absolutely nothing to celebrate, everything is so screwed up! Today is the worst day ever in


    my entire life!"


    Not to mention that Arielle was the center of attention throughout the party, and Shandie had even


    fainted in front of everyone! Who knew what those socialites would gossip about? Meanwhile, Cindy


    remainedposed and asked J, "What¡¯s the good news about? What¡¯s that in your hands?"


    J walked towards them excitedly and exined, "I have just received a document for Ms.Shandie.It


    has the emblem of the Crown Coffee Academy on it."


    "Really?"


    Cindy immediately took over the envelope from the nanny.


    After opening the envelope and looking at its contents, she tugged on Shandie¡¯s hand excitedly and


    eximed, "Shannie, it¡¯s really good news! You¡¯vee in first in the Socialite Coffee Competition!"


    The Socialite Coffee Competition was apetition organized by the top baristas around the world.


    The winner of thepetition would be the ambassador of Soir Coffee, which belonged to the


    Nightshire Group.


    To be able to take part in thepetition was already not easy.


    Cindy was over the moon that her daughter had emerged as the winner of thepetition! To her, it


    was indeed a great honor.


    Sharing her mother¡¯s excitement, Shandie had also looked through the document a few times.


    Apart from the usual congrattory words, it was also stated on the document that she had to attend


    the awards ceremony held at the International Hotel at Norham the following week.


    ording to tradition, Vinson would also be at the awards ceremony to personally announce the new


    ambassador of Soir Coffee, as well as to give out the awards.


    Shandie suddenly felt energized at that thought.


    Cindy was smiling from ear to ear as she said, "I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve made an impression on Mr.Nightshire


    at the birthday party.When you turn up at the awards ceremony, I¡¯m sure he will be surprised and see


    you in a different light."


    Shandie clenched the paper tightly and replied in excitement, "Exactly! Mr.Nightshire will definitely


    remember me well.After I officially be the ambassador, those gossipy socialites will naturally have


    to shut their mouths!"


    Not only could she be the center of attention again, but Shandie was also hoping that she would


    leave an unforgettable impression on Vinson.


    "It¡¯s a joyous asion worthy of celebration indeed!"


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    Cindy removed the jade bangle on her wrist and gave it to J while saying, "This is your reward for


    bringing us such great news."


    However, J refused the gift instinctively.


    "Mrs.Southall, I can¡¯t take this! All I did was receive the document¡­ This bangle must be worth at least


    a few hundred thousand?"


    Cindy forced the bangle back into the nanny¡¯s hands and said, "Well, this is worth way more than a few


    hundred thousand! Just take it to any random shop and they will quote a price of at least a million.Of


    course, other than this being your reward, I¡¯ll need your help in something else as well."


    A hint of greed shed across J¡¯s eyes.


    Tempted by the offer, she kept the bangle and asked, "What is it that I can help with? Just tell me,


    Mrs.Southall, I¡¯ll do my best!"


    "Help me keep an eye on Arielle and report to me whenever you notice any unusual activities on her


    end!"


    "Understood! I¡¯ll definitely keep a close watch on that hoyden from the countryside!"


    There was a trace of sorrow in Cindy¡¯s eyes when she heard the nanny¡¯s words.


    Is Arielle really from the countryside? Cindy could not help but wonder as there was no news from the


    men she had sent and they were still not back yet.


    Besides, the address provided by Arielle was at South Ind, which was certainly not the countryside.


    When Arielle stated her address, Cindy did not think much about it.


    She thought that Arielle might have gone to work at South Ind as it had been so many years after all.


    However, judging by the current circumstances, Cindy felt that she should investigate in detail what


    Arielle had been up to and where she had been to during these past ten years.


    It did not seem possible for a girl who grew up in the countryside to have such a ssy demeanor.


    At that thought, Cindy could not help but remind her daughter, "Shannie, mom thinks that Arielle is not


    as simple as she seems.


    Before Ie up with a n, don¡¯t do anything rash yeah? We should lie low and avoid any


    complications for the time being."


    "I know, I know."


    Even though Shandie agreed, she did not think that her mom¡¯s concerns were warranted.


    Apart from inheriting her mom¡¯s good looks, she¡¯s probably just a country bumpkin.


    How threatening can she be? She can¡¯t possibly have also inherited her mom¡¯s intelligence? To


    Shandie, intelligence and talents were a result of nurture and not nature.


    Shandie was good at arts and had a good reputation in the socialite¡¯s circle.


    Besides, her achievements so far were attained after spending huge amounts of money on various


    sses and training.


    As such, the woman found it ridiculous at the notion that she had to be cautious of a country bumpkin.


    What happened was just the result of a one-off miscalction on her part.


    "Mom, I have an idea.I want to invite Arielle to attend the awards ceremony with me so that she would


    realize that we are worlds apart and feel bad about herself."


    After giving it some thought, Cindy agreed that it might be a good idea.


    "Sure.Let¡¯s ask both Arielle and your dad to go.That will make your dad see that you are the more


    valuable daughter between you and Arielle!"


    The mother-daughter pair were getting excited at the thought of Arielle being utterly humiliated at the


    awards ceremony.


    After all, looks alone would not be sufficient for a country bumpkin to gain a foothold in Jadeborough.

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8


    Shandie¡¯s mood improved greatly after knowing that she was the winner of the Socialite Coffee


    Competition.


    After tidying up her appearance, she went downstairs with Cindy again.


    Once they reached downstairs, Shandie started looking all around for Vinson but the man was nowhere


    to be seen.


    Just then, she saw another socialite whom she was on friendly terms with and asked, "Did you see


    Mr.Nightshire?"


    "Mr.Nightshire has left long ago."


    "Did he say anything before he left?" Shandie pressed on.


    The socialite gave it some thought and replied, "He kept talking to your sister.There were bodyguards


    around him and I couldn¡¯t hear their conversation, but they did not look too happy."


    "Did not look happy?"


    Shandie¡¯s face lit up and continued asking, "What do you mean by that?"


    "I¡¯m not sure.In the end, Mr.Nightshire just walked away after saying something.Your sister chased after


    him, wanting to continue the conversation, but was stopped by his bodyguards."


    "That means she and Mr.Nightshire are not that close after all," Shandie analyzed.


    The socialite nodded and replied, "Well, of course, that¡¯s the case.


    No matter how pretty your sister is, she¡¯s still a country bumpkin.


    Given the status of the Nightshade family, how is it possible for a girl from the countryside to have any


    connections with them? Shannie, don¡¯t be discouraged yeah? You¡¯re definitely the only one in the


    whole of Jadeborough who is good enough for Mr.Nightshire!"


    Happy to hear that, Shandie raised her brows and said, "I like you very much! I¡¯ll tell my dad to give


    your family more businesses."


    "That¡¯s wonderful! Thanks Shannie¡­"


    While the two women were chatting away, Shandie suddenly heard a few other socialites mocking her


    from a distance away.


    "I can¡¯t believe Shandie even has the cheek toe downstairs! She even fainted after seeing how


    gorgeous her sister was¡­ "


    "Exactly! If I were her, I would hide at home for at least three years and onlye out when everyone


    forgets about the incident!"


    Fuming, Shandie was just about to argue with that group of women before she suddenly stopped in her


    tracks.


    Nope! I shouldn¡¯t do that.


    She knew that those people were opportunists who would sway towards whichever side would benefit


    them.


    They were not worth her energy at all.


    If she argued with them, it would only hurt her image as a socialite.


    Jadeborough would be holding a judging session for all the socialites in the city soon and every single


    action of theirs would be taken into ount.


    Currently, Shandie¡¯s priority was to deal with Arielle.


    As long as she got Arielle out of her way, there would be absolutely no one else who could steal her


    limelight.


    Those people would also naturally stop gossiping about her.


    Just then, a n began to form in Shandie¡¯s mind.


    She needed to get rid of Arielle as soon as possible.She should not listen to her mom and wait any


    longer.


    Who knew what Arielle would be up to if she dyed it further? At night, after all the guests had left,


    the housekeepers tidied up the hall and went to bed.


    Arielle¡¯s room had already been prepared for her.


    Henrick had allocated a room with an attached balcony to her.


    Such treatment also showed how much Henrick valued her.


    Of course, Arielle was well aware that she was not what Henrick valued, but rather, the benefits that


    she could potentially bring to him.


    At the same time, Arielle also noticed that one of the housekeepers had been spying on her since the


    second half of the function.


    As such, even though Arielle had already washed up and was preparing to go to bed, she intended to


    continue staying alert.


    After all, there was a possibility that anyone in the mansion could be plotting something against her.


    Meanwhile, Shandie was tossing and turning restlessly while trying to think of a way to deal with Arielle.


    Suddenly, an idea stuck her.


    "J, pleasee to my room for a while."


    J reached Shandie¡¯s room soon after receiving her call.


    "Ms.Shandie, how can I help you?"


    The nanny asked once she entered the room.


    After receiving that bangle from Cindy that was worth a million, J had pledged her loyalty to the


    mother-daughter pair.


    To her, Shandie was the only heiress of the house she would serve.


    "Did you notice any unusual behavior from that b*tch?" Shandie asked.


    J shook her head and replied, "After the banquet, Ms.Moore and Mr.Southall went into the study


    for a chat.When she came out, she was holding an ATM card.That should be her allowance given to


    her by Mr.Southall.She returned to her room to rest right after that.Other than asking for a ss of


    water, everything else seems normal."


    Shandie was overwhelmed with jealousy after hearing the nanny¡¯s words.Her mom was the only one


    who had been giving her allowance all along.


    She knew that Henrick was very petty by nature and was shocked that he had given Arielle an ATM


    card on the first day she returned! That reinforced Shandie¡¯s decision to get rid of Arielle as soon as


    possible.


    "J, there¡¯s something I need you to get for me.ce it in her room after you get it."


    "What is that?"


    "A venomous snake!"


    Shandie had already thought it all out.


    Their manor was situated on a hilltop.


    Even if a snake crawled into Arielle¡¯s room in the middle of the night and bit her to death, the incident


    would most likely be ssified as an ident.There was no way others would find out that it was her


    who did it!


    "V-venomous snake? You want her to die from a snake bite?"


    J¡¯s hands were trembling in fear when she asked that.


    Even though she had actively participated in some of the mother-daughter pair¡¯s evil deeds, she had


    not caused anyone¡¯s death before.


    "Is there a problem? Are you not willing to do it?"


    "No, no.I will follow your instructions¡­ I¡¯m absolutely loyal to you and Mrs.Southall,"


    the nanny exined and continued, "However, I remembered that Mrs.Southall had told us to stay low


    for the time being¡­"


    "Enough! I¡¯m not listening to all those.My mom¡¯s a coward.She doesn¡¯t know that the longer we dy


    dealing with her, the more trouble she will bring us.The right way to do it is to strike first! If you¡¯re not


    willing to do it, there are others who would.However, J, if I¡¯m not wrong, your youngest son is a


    gambling addict and in order to cover his losses, you¡¯ve taken quite a few items from this house, am I


    right?"


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    J let out an incredulous gasp and looked at Shandie when she heard that.


    She could hardly believe that Shandie was even resorting to ckmailing at such a young age! J


    was well aware that the items which she had taken from the manor were all of high value.


    If she were caught, she would definitely be sentenced to jail for a long time¡­ Just then, Shandie spoke


    again, "But of course, J, since you have watched me grow up, I will not be so ruthless.As long as


    you do ording to what I say, I will make sure no one else knows your secret.Besides, if you need


    money next time, you can just ask from me directly.So, J, what is your choice? Are you doing it?"


    J closed her eyes slowly.


    Do I really have a choice? Arielle fell asleep eventuallyter into the night.


    However, she remained cautious so that she could be alerted to possible danger and wake up


    immediately when necessary.


    In the middle of her sleep, she suddenly heard noisesing from the window.


    Arielle awoke at once but she remained motionless and continuedying in her bed.


    She could hear footsteps on her balcony.


    However, after a few seconds, the footsteps gradually became distant and eventually could no longer


    be heard.


    She knew that someone had been on her balcony! However, the trespasser did not enter her room and


    Arielle was not sure what they had done.


    After staying in her bed for a while more and making sure that the trespasser wasn¡¯t returning, Arielle


    switched on the phone given to her by Henrick and used the light from the screen to illuminate her


    surroundings.


    Indeed, the trespasser had already left.


    However, she wondered what they could possibly have done for just such a short while.To spy on me?


    No, it can¡¯t be that simple!

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9


    Arielle decided to get up to look around.


    But instead of turning on the lights, she chose to rely on her phone¡¯s illumination as she searched


    every corner of the room.


    Hiss! All of a sudden, she heard something odd that sounded like someone was breathing rapidly.


    It took a while, but Arielle managed to pinpoint the source of the sound.


    It came from her bed and was only about three feet away from her.


    What the hell is it? Arielle hurriedly increased the brightness on her phone screen and shone it in the


    direction of the sound.


    To her horror, it was a cobra angrily hissing away.


    The cobra had long set its sight on Arielle as it reared itself up and stared at her with a pair of piercing


    green eyes.


    If she hadn¡¯t gotten up because the noise bothered her, Arielle would have fallen victim to the cobra¡¯s


    venomous bite.


    All of a sudden, the cobraunched itself toward Arielle, aiming for her neck.


    Thanks to her training, Arielle had lightning-fast reflexes and dodged the cobra¡¯s attack in the nick of


    time.


    She then swiftly caught the cobra by its tail and flung it hard against the floor, knocking it out almost


    immediately.


    Eager to cut off the head of the cobra, Arielle whipped out the scissors she had initially kept under her


    pillow as a precautionary measure.


    However, before she could deal the finishing blow, Arielle was hit by a sudden realization.


    The snake was indeed a cobra, but it would never be found here in the North since its species lived in


    the South.


    This cobra couldn¡¯t have identally crawled into my room.


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Someone must have put it here! Arielle recalled the footsteps she had heard earlier and put two and


    two together.She finally understood the intention of the person who had stood briefly on her balcony


    before leaving.


    These people want me dead! The wheels in Arielle¡¯s head started turning as she thought about the


    possible perpetrators who could want to harm her.


    Henrick thought very highly of her and was confident he could rely on her to climb the ranks in the


    Nightshires.


    He was only too eager to pamper her, so there was no way he could have done it.


    The only possibilities left were Cindy and Shandie.


    Then again, Cindy was a clever and collected person.


    It was unlikely that she¡¯d carry out such a n on the first night of Arielle¡¯s return.


    That meant that Shandie was the most likely perpetrator.


    Arielle¡¯s eyes narrowed at the thought of that, her gaze turning colder under the illumination of the


    moon.


    Shandie Southall, you¡¯ve grossly overestimated yourself.


    If you want me dead, you¡¯re going to have to try a lot harder! The clock had just struck one, and the


    night was even darker than before.


    Almost everyone in the vi had fallen into a deep slumber.


    All except for Shandie.


    Shandie was wide awake and waiting to receive the news of Arielle¡¯s death.


    However, it had already been a few hours, yet there was still no good news for her.


    After waiting around for so long, Shandie could no longer stand it.


    She dialed J¡¯s number and ordered her up to her room.


    As soon as J stepped in, Shandie asked, "Did you not do as per my orders? If that¡¯s the case, you


    can wait for the police toe to you in the morning!"


    J panicked and immediately exined, "You¡¯ve misunderstood, Ms.Shandie! I did as you instructed


    and bought the most venomous snake I could find.I had already set it loose in her room two hours


    ago."


    "Then why haven¡¯t I heard anything? If the snake had bitten her, she¡¯d have woken up, screaming in


    pain.My room is so close to hers, yet I haven¡¯t heard any screams," Shandie replied with brows knitted


    together.


    "That¡­ I have no idea."


    "Could it be that the snake doesn¡¯t bite?" J shook her head.


    "No, the seller assured me that the snake he picked is very aggressive.He had even starved the snake


    for days, so it¡¯s guaranteed to attack any living body."


    Shandie was even more puzzled now.


    "So, what could have happened?"


    J scratched her head as she pondered.


    "The seller also said that the snake¡¯s venom is very potent.Without treatment, the victim will surely


    die.Perhaps the snake had already bitten her? But before she could react, the venom had taken effect,


    which means she¡¯s¡­"


    "She¡¯s already dead!"


    Shandie interrupted with a glint in her eye.


    "In that case, Ms.Shandie, should I find an excuse to enter her room so I can check?"


    "No need," Shandie replied with a wave of her hands.


    "We have to keep this on the down-low.


    You¡¯d only incur suspicion if you were to go to her room.


    Besides, what if she gets sent to the hospital and they manage to revive her? I say we let the night


    pass, make sure she¡¯s dead, then collect her body the next day."


    J nodded in agreement.


    "You¡¯re right, Ms.Shandie.It¡¯d be more prudent to wait till the morning.She¡¯d be long gone by then, and


    not even the best doctor, or even God himself, would be able to bring her back to life."


    Shandie smiled gleefully, unable to contain the excitement bubbling inside of her.


    After a while, she removed her ne and handed it to J.


    "You¡¯ve done well, and this ne is your reward.Feel free to let me know if there¡¯s anything else


    you need in the future."


    "Thank you, Ms.Shandie!" J eximed.


    The initial fear she had from having murdered Arielle disappeared as soon as she saw the ne.


    I don¡¯t think what I¡¯ve done counts as murder anyway.


    After all, it was the snake that killed her.


    My conscience can remain clear.


    "All right then, you can go back now.I can finally have a good night¡¯s sleep tonight," Shandie said as


    she shooed J out of her room.


    In her head, Shandie had started to picture how she¡¯d let things y out as soon as she woke up.


    She would pretend to stumble upon her sister¡¯s body, and when it came to the funeral, she¡¯d cry a river


    of tears for all to see.


    If my acting is convincing enough, people might even believe that I have empathy.


    Shandie knew the practice woulde in handy, especially when she had lofty ambitions to join the


    entertainment industry.


    With such ster acting skills, gaining poprity and fans would be a piece of cake.


    The more she thought about it, the happier Shandie got.


    The night was indeed shaping up to be one of the best nights ever for her.


    Her smile never once left her face, even as she turned off the lights and crawled into bed.


    Exhausted but happy, Shandie quickly found herself falling into a deep slumber.


    The cherry on top was the sweet dream that followed.


    In her dream, Shandie was at a graduation ceremony where she caught the eye of Vinson.


    He was so taken in by her talent that he publicly announced he was going to marry her.


    From then on, she steadily climbed the socialdder and lived happily ever after.


    With a dream so beautiful, Shandie smiled in her sleep, blissfully unaware that someone had, at that


    moment, snuck onto her balcony.


    As the night passed into the pre-dawn hours, there was nothing but peace and silence.


    Everyone was still sound asleep when an ear-piercing scream suddenly broke the silence and rocked


    the vi.


    Even the birds in the trees outside were startled by the noise and immediately flew away.


    "What¡¯s going on?"


    "What happened?"


    "I don¡¯t know either.I only heard a scream, like a scream for help¡­"


    "Hurry! I think it came from Ms.Shandie¡¯s room!"


    The housekeepers had all been jolted awake and hurriedly made their way to Shandie¡¯s room.


    Thankfully, Shandie hadn¡¯t locked her door, so the housekeepers opened it with ease and ran in.


    To their horror, they found Shandie lying by her bed, convulsing wildly and foaming from her mouth.Her


    face had turned blue, and it didn¡¯t seem like she¡¯d be able to hold on much longer.


    Everyone was dumbfounded, with one asking the same question they all had, "What on earth is


    happening?"


    A few seconds had passed before one of the housekeepers regained herposure.


    She was about to rush toward Shandie when another yelled, "Wait! Don¡¯t go over yet! There¡¯s a snake


    on the bed!"

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10


    "What?"


    Everyone looked in the direction the housekeeper had pointed at, only to see a snake ring back and


    hissing at them.


    The snake was unlike any the housekeepers had seen before.It had a big head, and it had red its


    neck as if ready to attack.Everyone was petrified and stumbled backward in a panic.


    "Hurry! Run!" the housekeepers screamed as they collectively fled from the room.


    Just then, Henrick and Cindy finally came to Shandie¡¯s room.


    Upon seeing the snake still writhing and hissing away, Henrick too retreated, afraid of getting bitten by


    it.


    Cindy¡¯s face had turned green as she shakily asked, "What¡¯s going on? Why is there a snake? What¡¯s


    everyone standing around for? Someone go kill it now!"


    The housekeepers exchanged looks of apprehension, no one wanting to volunteer to take out the


    snake.


    To let any of them deal with a venomous cobra would be akin to sending them to their deaths.


    Nobody was going to take that risk.


    J, who had taken her time toe up, was now paralyzed by fear.


    Isn¡¯t that the snake I released into Arielle¡¯s room? What is it doing here? Even carrying the box with the


    cobra earlier was enough to turn J¡¯s legs into jelly.


    Now she was even more afraid to go any nearer because she knew how venomous the cobra was.


    J knew Shandie would be dead if she weren¡¯t given the antivenom within the hour.


    Yet, that was something she had to keep to herself, no matter how much it pained her.


    Seeing how no one was keen to take any action, Cindy tugged at Henrick and cried desperately, "Dear!


    Go kill that snake!"


    Henrick, like the others, didn¡¯t dare go near the snake.


    However, he also had his pride as the man of the house to consider.


    If word got out that he couldn¡¯t save his daughter from a snake, he¡¯d lose all the respect he had.


    Damn these useless, cowardly housekeepers! And Cindy too! If it weren¡¯t for them, I wouldn¡¯t be in


    such a dilemma! Henrick gritted his teeth and bit the bullet.


    Just as he was about to step forward with a broom in hand, a voice rang out in the hallway.


    "Dad, it¡¯ste at night.What¡¯s everyone doing here?"


    Henrick turned around, only to see a sleepy-eyed Arielle in her pajamas.From the looks of it, the


    commotion had just woken her up.


    "There¡¯s a snake in the room.Your sister fainted after being bitten by it.I have to go save her¡­" Henrick


    replied hesitantly.


    "No way!" Arielle eximed, fully awake now.


    "Dad, this is too dangerous! You can¡¯t go in!"


    Cindy¡¯s blood boiled after hearing those words.


    Without a second thought, she raised her hand and went for Arielle¡¯s face.


    Given her reflexes, that was a p Arielle could have easily avoided, except she decided against it at


    thest second.


    p! The sound was loud and crisp as the pnded squarely on Arielle¡¯s cheek.


    Arielle¡¯s fair and tender cheek instantly swelled up with Cindy¡¯s handprint imprinted clearly on it.


    "You b*tch! You want to see your sister die, don¡¯t you? Get out of my sight, you vicious wench! Alfred!


    Throw her out now!" Cindy bellowed.


    Cindy¡¯s request ced Alfred in a sticky situation.Whether he did as she instructed or not, he¡¯d risk


    angering either Cindy or Henrick.


    Unsure of how to proceed, he turned to Henrick to observe his reaction.


    Tears had started to stream down Arielle¡¯s face.


    Before Henrick could say anything, she cried out, "Dad, I¡¯m only concerned about your safety.After all,


    you¡¯re the head of the family.What would we do if something happened to you? I¡¯ve only just found you,


    Dad.I can¡¯t lose you!"


    Arielle¡¯s words, so honest and sincere, cut Henrick to the heart.She¡¯s right.


    As head of the family, everyone¡¯s survival depends on me! If something were to happen to me, they


    wouldn¡¯t have it easy either.


    Of course, only my precious daughter knows me best and can empathize with me.


    To hell with everyone else! With that thought, Henrick furrowed his brows and red at Cindy.


    "Why the hell did you hit her? She¡¯s only worried about my safety!" he scolded.


    "But she clearly wants Shannie to¡­"


    "Aunt Cindy!" Arielle suddenly interrupted.


    "If you want to think of me that way, I¡¯ll just have to prove with actions that I do not wish for any harm to


    come to my sister!"


    Arielle then grabbed the broom from Henrick and walked toward the snake.


    There was hardly any fear or hesitation on her part.


    Concerned, the housekeepers shouted, "Be careful, Ms.Arielle! That snake is venomous!"


    Henrick¡¯s face scrunched up in worry.Compared to Shandie, Arielle was more precious to him, and he


    couldn¡¯t risk losing her.


    "Arielle, don¡¯t go!" Henrick pleaded as he tried to stop her.


    However, Arielle brushed him off and continued walking toward the snake.


    Seeing Arielleing closer, the cobra got even more provoked andunched itself toward her.


    Arielle pretended to struggle with dodging the snake¡¯s attack before swiftly turning around to hit the


    snake¡¯s tail with her broom.


    It wasn¡¯t difficult to tell that the cobra had gotten even angrier, especially when its hiss had also


    be louder and more menacing.


    Everyone else was so petrified by now that they could only stand and watch from a distance, leaving


    Arielle alone in the room to fight with the cobra.


    In their eyes, Arielle was undoubtedly the bravest warrior of all warriors.


    After a long and arduous fight, Arielle finally caught the snake, all while keeping up the pretense that


    she had done so with much difficulty.


    "Get me a pair of scissors or a knife!"


    "I have a knife here!" one of the bolder housekeepers shouted as she walked toward Arielle and


    handed over a paring knife.


    Arielle held the knife against the snake¡¯s head and shut her eyes.


    Despite looking squeamish and terrified, she eventually got the deed done.


    With its head cut off, the cobra finally stopped writhing.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    "Darling, are you okay?" Henrick anxiously asked as he ran up to her.


    Arielle was on the verge of tears, her nerves yet to settle.


    When she saw Henrick, she immediately leaped into his embrace.


    "Dad! I¡¯m so scared¡­"


    "There, there.It¡¯s okay, darling.The snake¡¯s dead now!"


    "As long as Dad is here, I won¡¯t be afraid.But, Dad, don¡¯t worry about me now.You have to send


    Shandie to the hospital first!" Arielle said with determination.


    Henrick¡¯s heart melted upon those words.


    Not only is my daughter brave, but she¡¯s also considerate! She truly is my greatest gift! When he


    noticed the handprint still on Arielle¡¯s cheek, Henrick¡¯s face contorted in rage as he glowered at Cindy.


    "Look what you¡¯ve done! She risked her life to protect Shandie! And you still used her of wanting to


    harm Shandie?"


    "I-I¡­" Cindy stuttered.


    "If you can¡¯t even tell right from wrong, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re qualified to handle any household


    affairs.From now on, I¡¯ll handle all the finances myself!"


    Cindy¡¯s face instantly drained of all color.


    "Dear, please, I only¡­"


    Before she could exin herself, Henrick interrupted her, "Shut up! I don¡¯t want to hear anything else


    from you! I want you to stay in your room to reflect.And don¡¯te out until you¡¯ve understood what


    you¡¯ve done wrong!"


    Just then, one of the housekeepers ran in and reported, "Mr.Southall, the ambnce has arrived."

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11


    It was only then that Henrick remembered Shandie was still on the floor, twitching non-stop.


    He ordered the housekeepers to carry Shandie downstairs while he prepared to take Arielle along to


    the hospital.


    "Dear! Please take me with you!" Cindy pleaded, tears flowing uncontrobly.


    "Shannie is my¡­ She¡¯s one that I watched growing up.I can¡¯t possibly stay at home!"


    Despite how pitiful and terrified Cindy looked, Henrick steeled his heart against her.


    "No! I want you to reflect on yourself! Can someone take Mrs.Southall back to her room? No one is to


    let her out without my orders!"


    One of the housekeepers immediately nodded and dragged a crying Cindy away while Arielle


    apanied Henrick into the ambnce.


    "Dad, why don¡¯t we let Aunt Cindye along? I can see how close she is to Shandie.Leaving her at


    home will only worry her sick," Arielle softly pleaded.


    s, Henrick refused to yield.He turned his gaze toward Arielle and sighed deeply.


    "You silly child.Life overseas must have been tough, hasn¡¯t it?"


    "Not at all.Life was good," Arielle replied and meant every word of it.


    She had had a wonderful life abroad, and it couldn¡¯t have been any better.


    However, Henrick thought his daughter was merely putting on a brave front and sighed again.


    "You¡¯re too naive.How will you survive here in Jadeborough? I¡¯ll have to slowly teach you the ways so


    you won¡¯t feel out of ce."


    "Thank you, Dad!"


    "We¡¯re family.You don¡¯t have to thank me¡­"


    Before long, the ambnce had arrived at the hospital.


    Shandie was immediately wheeled into the emergency room because her heart had stopped beating.


    Worried and anxious, Henrick and Arielle paced outside the emergency room as they waited.


    Of course, Henrick was the more worried of the two.


    Both Arielle and Shandie were his biological daughters and were crucial to the future of his career.


    Now that something had happened to Shandie, Henrick was naturally scared to death.


    After what felt like an eternity, the emergency room doors finally opened.


    As soon as the doctor walked out, Henrick hurriedly went up to him.


    "Doctor, how¡¯s my daughter?"


    "The patient may be out of danger but will still need to be monitored for a few more days.This snake


    venom is especially deadly.If you hadn¡¯t sent her here in time, no one would have been able to save


    her! But, I have to ask, how did she get bitten? This snake shouldn¡¯t have appeared in Jadeborough."


    Henrick frowned in confusion as he asked, "What do you mean by that? We live in a manor on top of


    the hill.It¡¯smon for snakes to crawl in, isn¡¯t it?"


    The doctor shook his head gravely.


    "This snake species belongs in the South, so you won¡¯t be able to find any in the wild here.It had to


    havee from there.I think this is something you might want to look into."


    Henrick¡¯s face fell, finally understanding what the doctor meant.


    "Are you saying that this could have been an intentional hit?"


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    "That¡¯s very possible."


    Henrick clenched his fists so hard that his fingernails bit into his palms.


    "Who? Who the hell wants to harm my daughter?"


    His gaze instinctively fell on Arielle as a glint of suspicion shed across his face.


    Arielle didn¡¯t seem to have noticed her father¡¯s doubts and fumed with anger.


    "How dare they! Whoever brought the snake into our manor is pure evil! Dad, you have to get to the


    bottom of this.We can¡¯t let them get away with murder!"


    Hearing those words from Arielle cleared whatever suspicion Henrick had of her.


    He was sure that a girl who had only just arrived in Jadeborough couldn¡¯t have carried out such a n.


    Besides, if Arielle had ulterior motives, she wouldn¡¯t have risked her life to fight the snake.I shouldn¡¯t


    have suspected her! "Let¡¯s go home first, Arielle.I have to investigate this properly and find out who the


    culprit is!"


    "You¡¯re right, Dad, we have to investigate it thoroughly! The snake bit Shandie today, but what if it bit


    you tomorrow? Please get it checked out as soon as possible and bring the perpetrator to justice!"


    Arielle said with a stern voice.


    Henrick couldn¡¯t agree more.


    Once I find out who brought the snake in, I¡¯m not going to let them off easy! After ordering a couple of


    housekeepers to stay and look after Shandie, Henrick and Arielle left the hospital for the manor, ready


    to get to the bottom of the matter.


    Back at the manor, Cindy was busy checking her phone while being confined to her room.


    As soon as she got the message that Shandie was safe and sound, she heaved a sigh of relief.


    However, that relief didn¡¯tst long.


    After being told that the release of the snake had been an attempt on Shandie¡¯s life, Cindy seethed with


    rage.


    Just then, one of the housekeepers whispered outside the room, "Mrs.Southall, Mr.Southall is home!"


    Cindy had had enough of being confined to her room.


    She desperately wanted to get out, but Henrick had locked the door and kept the key.


    After pacing about in the room, she decided to throw caution to the wind and broke the door lock with


    an ornamental stone.


    Henrick and Arielle had only just stepped into the house when they saw Cindy running down the stairs.


    "Dear! It must be Arielle! That b*tch wants to get rid of Shannie, so she brought a snake back from the


    South! She¡¯s the only one who hade from there.It has to be her! We have to seek justice for


    Shannie!"


    Arielle backed away with a pained expression on her face.


    "Aunt Cindy, because of your suspicions toward me, I had to risk my life to prove my innocence.I did all


    that to save Shandie, and yet, you still use me? Now you¡¯re even iming that I brought the snake


    back?"


    Cindy pointed angrily at Arielle and continued shouting, "It has to be you! I know it is! Stop pretending


    to be pitiful! Henrick, please, lock her up and begin the interrogation!"


    "Enough!" Henrick bellowed.


    "You¡¯ve already used her once, can¡¯t you stop? I will get to the bottom of this and give you an


    answer! Now, get the hell back into your room and stay there! Can someone take her back to her


    room? And this time, make sure she doesn¡¯t escape again!"


    Once again, the housekeepers nodded and forcefully led Cindy away.


    "Dear, you have to trust me! You have to investigate thoroughly¡­"


    As Arielle watched Cindy get dragged away, kicking and screaming, she was even more sure that


    Cindy had nothing to do with the cobra incident.


    After all, if Cindy had a part in this nefarious n, she wouldn¡¯t have implored Henrick to investigate


    thoroughly.


    Perfect.


    Shandie¡¯s going to have to pay for her stupidity and viciousness! Arielle turned to Henrick and said


    solemnly, "Dad, I noticed there are many surveince cameras here, so you should check out the


    footage.You should also send people to ces where snakes can be bought and ask if any seller has


    sold any recently."


    Henrick listened intently and nodded in agreement.


    "Alfred, I want you to get started on it immediately.Also, I need you to check all the rooms in the manor,


    make sure there aren¡¯t any more snakes."


    Even though it was in the wee hours of the night, Henrick was raring to go.


    After the cobra scare, his priority was to make sure there wouldn¡¯t be any other surprises.


    After a while, the housekeeper in charge of the surveince cameras came running back with his


    report.


    "Mr.Southall, we¡¯ve checked the footage.Last night at around eleven, the only person who had left the


    manor was Ms.Shandie¡¯s nanny, J."


    "J?"


    Henrick¡¯s eyes narrowed quizzically.


    "Bring her here immediately to be questioned!"

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12


    Soon, J had been brought over to Henrick forcefully.


    As soon as she saw Henrick, J started shouting in panic, "Mr.Southall, I¡¯m innocent! I went out only


    because my useless son got into trouble again! I have nothing to do with the cobra incident! Please,


    I¡¯ve always been loyal to the Southalls!"


    J¡¯s pleas fell on deaf ears as Henrick ordered for her to be tied up.


    Without any hesitation, the housekeepers did as instructed.


    Still ignoring J¡¯s cries, Henrick walked around the hall and found a leather belt left behind by a


    guest.


    "Whip her!" he ordered as he handed the belt to the housekeeper.


    Despite his initial hesitation, the housekeeper eventually carried out Henrick¡¯s orders.


    Snap! With just one whip, J¡¯s skin instantly split open.


    The pain was so unbearable she started screaming and writhing on the floor.


    Arielle watched silently by the side, her gaze cold and unfeeling.


    It looks like the person who had snuck onto my balcony to release the snake is this old hag.


    Arielle was furious and felt no pity toward J.


    It¡¯s only fair that she pays the price for this.


    After tenshings, J was drenched in a cold sweat, unable to make a sound anymore.


    Despite the pain she was in, she still refused to tell the truth.


    She¡¯d be charged with murder if she did, and she couldn¡¯t let that happen.


    The housekeeper who had been whipping J couldn¡¯t tolerate any more and spoke up.


    "Mr.Southall, we can¡¯t hit her anymore.At her age, if we keep this up, she¡¯s not going to be able to take


    it."


    Henrick understood the concern, and likewise, he didn¡¯t want any mishaps before he got to the bottom


    of the matter.


    Before he could give the order to stop hitting J, another housekeeper returned from his


    investigation.


    "Mr.Southall, I¡¯ve asked around the markets in the southern district.One of the sellers said he sold


    someone a venomous snake at midnight."


    J froze when she heard that, and the subtle change in her demeanor didn¡¯t go unnoticed by the


    eagle-eyed Arielle.


    "Was it J who bought the snake?" Arielle asked.


    The housekeeper shook his head.


    "I didn¡¯t ask, but I did bring the seller here.He¡¯d also be able to confirm if the snake dide from him."


    "Very good," Henrick replied.


    "Bring the man in!"


    Soon, the snake seller walked in cautiously and greeted Henrick.


    After getting someone to bring the severed snake over, Henrick asked, "Is this the snake you sold?"


    It only took one nce before the seller nodded.


    "Yes, sir, this is the one.Some of the scales on its tail hade off during the transaction.That¡¯s why I


    recognized it immediately."


    Henrick scoffed and walked over to J, who hadn¡¯t dared to look up since the mention of the snake


    seller.


    He brought her to the seller and once again asked, "Did this olddy buy the snake from you?"


    The snake seller had no idea what was going on, only that he shouldn¡¯t lie to a man like Henrick.He


    took one good look at J and nodded.


    "Yes, that¡¯s her.She said she wanted to try making some exotic snake wine, so I rmended her the


    most venomous snake I have."


    With a witness and evidence, the truth was finally out.


    Henrick pushed J away angrily and asked coldly, "So? What do you have to say for yourself now?"


    J sat on the floor shaking like a leaf.And yet, she remained silent.


    "J, look what this hase to," Arielle chimed in.


    "It¡¯s time toe clean about everything.Before the police get here, tell us why you want to harm


    Shandie! You watched her grow up, and yet you want to see her dead? Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s too cruel


    of you?"


    "No, I didn¡¯t.Why would I want to harm Ms.Shandie? She¡¯s like a daughter to me!"


    "Then who exactly did you want to harm? Is it my father?" Arielle continued.


    "Did someone else put you up to this to frame me? Or are you going to say I was the one who got you


    to buy the snake?"


    J was taken aback by thatst sentence.She had wanted to insist that Arielle was the mastermind


    behind all this.However, now that Arielle had brought it up herself, it¡¯d be foolish to use her.


    Just as J was hesitating about telling the truth, Arielle turned to her father and said, "Dad, call the


    police.


    Someone as vicious as her deserves to spend the rest of her life behind bars!"


    J immediately looked up at Arielle and pleaded, "No! Please don¡¯t! Both my sons still need me."


    "Then tell us the truth.If you do, Dad might still let you off on ount of your long service."


    J had given uppletely.She knew what she had to do.


    If she told the truth, there was still a possibility that she could get away with it.If she didn¡¯t, she¡¯d be


    serving jail time for Shandie.


    No matter what Cindy and Shandie had done for her, J wasn¡¯t going to sacrifice that much for


    them.


    "I¡¯ll tell you everything¡­" J cried out.


    "It was Ms.Shandie who instructed me to do it! She ordered me to buy the snake and release it into


    Ms.Arielle¡¯s room.But I don¡¯t know how the snake ended up being in Ms.Shandie¡¯s room¡­"


    Arielle immediately piped up, "My room is very near Shannie¡¯s, so the snake could have crawled over


    from the balcony.I just never expected Shannie to hate me this much.I thought she had always treated


    me well¡­"


    Arielle¡¯s voice trailed off as she stared into the distance in shock and disbelief.


    "You old scumbag! And that little b*tch! You reap what you sow!" Henrick hollered.


    He let out a deep sigh and took a few deep breaths to calm himself down.


    "Bring Cindy down.Let her see for herself how her good daughter had turned out!"


    Henrick had spent so much money and effort on Shandie, only to have her turn out to be so cold and


    vicious.


    What have I done to deserve this? "Dad, don¡¯t get too mad,"


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielleforted.


    "I showed up so suddenly that Shandie probably couldn¡¯t ept it.But I believe she will ept me in


    time¡­"


    "You¡¯re still speaking up for her even after all this? Your kindness is going to be your downfall! If things


    had gone her way, you¡¯d have been the one bitten by the snake!"


    Arielle shook her head sadly.


    "Everyone makes mistakes.Shandie is still young.There¡¯s much for her to learn¡­"


    Before Arielle could go on, Cindy had been brought down from her room.


    After J recounted the entire incident again, Cindy¡¯s face instantly paled.


    How could I have given birth to such a foolish daughter? Cindy had reminded Shandie over and over


    again how the time wasn¡¯t right to strike at Arielle.


    Not only did her words fall on deaf ears, but Shandie had even gone to extremes behind her back.


    "I¡¯m sorry, dear.I¡¯ve failed to teach our daughter.When shees back, I¡¯ll give her a good lecture!


    Arielle, I¡¯m so sorry.I¡¯ve let you down and even used you.But, please, forgive your sister.I¡¯ll get her


    to be a good sister to you."


    Seeing how Cindy had taken the initiative to apologize to Arielle, Henrick calmed down a little.


    "Fine.I don¡¯t want to air our dirtyundry in public, so this matter ends here," Henrick said before


    looking at J.


    "As for this old hag, she has to go.Get someone to send her to the farm, and make sure she doesn¡¯t


    come into contact with anyone!"


    With that, J was taken away, never to step into the Southall residence again.Before long, Henrick


    received a call from the hospital.


    "Mr.Southall, Ms.Shandie has woken up, but she doesn¡¯t want to stay in the hospital.She wants to


    come home as soon as possible."


    "She can do whatever she wants!" Henrick replied harshly.


    I still can¡¯t believe Shandie can be so vicious.


    If she has the gall to harm Arielle now, she might do the same to me in the future! How did my daughter


    turn out to be such a monster? Shandie had signed the discharge papers at the hospital and couldn¡¯t


    wait to return to the Southalls.


    Even though her initial n had gone awry, she was going to use it to her advantage by telling Henrick


    the snake had been ced in her room by Arielle.


    She was going to tell everyone that Arielle wanted her dead!

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13


    This little b*tch is so evil.


    Dad¡¯s definitely going to get rid of her.I¡¯ll be the one and only Ms.Southall.


    "Drive faster! I want to get home immediately!" Shandie urged the driver.


    Soon, they arrived at the Southall residence.


    The moment she stepped out of the car, she noticed that the lights in the mansion were turned on.It


    was as though no one was asleep.


    Everyone must be worried about me.That¡¯s why everyone¡¯s still awake.I¡¯m still the precious princess of


    the Southalls.


    With those thoughts in mind, Shandie gleefully headed toward the door.


    She could imagine the way Henrick and Cindy would ask about her wellbeing once she stepped into


    the house.


    When that happened, she would then point out to them that Arielle was most likely the one to get the


    snake to hurt her.That way, Arielle would have to pack her things and leave immediately.


    Wait.


    Arielle didn¡¯t even bring anything with her.


    She can just leave immediately! The more she thought about it, the more excited she became, and the


    quicker she walked.


    Just the mere thought of Arielle getting chased away made her giddy.


    At that moment, she had almost forgotten about the aches and difort she felt after getting


    poisoned and injured.


    "Mom!"


    Finally, Shandie entered the living room.


    The lights in the living room were all turned on, and the housekeepers were all silently standing in


    there.


    The atmosphere of the room was tense as if something bad had happened.


    That was not the scene she had imagined.


    "Mom, what happened?" Shandie asked Cindy, who was silent like the others.


    Cindy then walked toward her, anger burning bright in her eyes.


    However, she could not find it in herself to berate Shandie after seeing her daughter¡¯s deathlike pallor.


    Instead, she asked, "What happened? Why are you in such a rush to leave the hospital?"


    Right then, Shandie recalled what she had wanted to tell them.


    Ignoring the odd tension, she uttered, "Mom, I¡¯m fine.I¡¯m back because I have something important to


    tell Dad."


    A foreboding sense crept into Cindy¡¯s heart, and she swiftly stopped her.


    "Let¡¯s talk the next morning.It¡¯s been an eventful day.We¡¯ll talk when you recover."


    "No, Mom, I have to tell him now!"


    Who knows if I¡¯ll get another opportunity to get rid of Arielle like this next time? I can¡¯t wait anymore!


    Shandie felt that her mother was too hesitant.


    At a time like this, she should be decisive.


    Thus, she pushed away Cindy and headed toward Henrick.


    "Dad, I have something to tell you."


    As she spoke, she nced at Arielle with arrogant, gloating eyes.


    Spotting the look in Shandie¡¯s eyes, Arielle cocked her head, her interest piqued.


    "What is it?"


    Henrick questioned with a cial expression.


    If Shandie admits to her mistake, I might forgive her this time.


    Yet¡­ Shandie said, "Dad, Arielle was the one to let that venomous snake into my room! She doesn¡¯t


    like me, so she¡¯s trying to kill me.She¡¯s a wicked woman.Dad, you mustn¡¯t keep her around! Henrick


    froze.He had not expected Shandie to me Arielle for it despite being the culprit.How did I raise such


    a vicious and stupid daughter? Hearing his silence, Shandie thought it was because he was reluctant to


    get rid of Arielle.


    Thus, she added, "Dad, you can¡¯t give in now.She failed to kill me this time, so she¡¯ll definitely try it


    again.If she has the guts to hurt me, she¡¯ll have the courage to hurt you too!"


    At that, Henrick narrowed his eyes.


    Then, unable to hold himself back anymore, he raised his hand and pped Shandie.


    p! The loud sound reverberated in the living room.


    It was much harder than the one Cindy had dealt with Shandie.


    Almost immediately, Shandie spat a mouthful of blood out.


    Along with her blood was a white tooth.


    Henrick¡¯s p had made her lose a tooth.


    At that moment, Shandie was dumbfounded.


    What¡­ is going on? Shouldn¡¯t Dad be pping Arielle? Why is he hitting me? Shandie covered her


    cheek in disbelief.


    Just as she was about to ask why Henrick had hit her, Cindy ran over and grabbed Shandie.


    "Don¡¯t say anything.Let¡¯s go up first."


    "No! Why do I have to go upstairs?"


    Shandie was frustrated.


    Breaking free from Cindy¡¯s grasp, she spun around and questioned, "Dad, why are you hitting me? The


    one who¡¯s in the wrong is clearly Arielle.Why are you standing on her side and hit me, the victim?"


    "Victim? Is that who you think you are?"


    Rage boiling, the rest of Henrick¡¯s words died in his throat; he could only pant in anger.


    "Am I not? I was hospitalized.The doctor even said that if I were to be there a few minutester, I


    wouldn¡¯t be breathing right now!"Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Recalling it now still sent shudders down her spine.


    Arielle¡¯s lips curled, but the smile soon dropped.


    Taking a step forward, she muttered, "Shandie, why are you still refusing to speak the truth even at a


    time like this? Must you anger our father and give him a heart attack?"


    Shandie furrowed her brows in disdain.


    "When did you have the right to speak in this house?"


    At that, Arielle lifted a brow.


    "Shandie, it seems like you have no idea everyone knows how depraved you are."


    A tinge of guilt seeping into her heart, Shandie clenched her fists and stammered, "W-What do you


    mean?"


    Arielle smiled.


    "You really don¡¯t know anything, do you? J has told us everything.You¡¯ve asked her to buy a


    venomous snake to murder me, but the snake slithered into your room from the balcony.Shandie, it¡¯s


    time toy on the bed you make."


    Upon hearing that, Shandie¡¯s eyes widened almostically.


    J¡­ betrayed me? Abruptly, she recalled the odd tension in the air and the way Cindy kept trying to


    stop her from talking when she entered the house.


    So they all know the truth now? No wonder.


    No wonder there was a taunting look in Arielle¡¯s eyes.No wonder Dad pped me.


    Shandie panicked.


    She tugged Cindy¡¯s sleeve and mumbled, "Mom¡­"


    At the end of the day, Shandie was still Cindy¡¯s daughter, and she could not help but feel upset about


    the situation.


    Pulling the younger woman into her arms, she whispered, "Stay quiet and follow me upstairs."


    Shandie finally heeded her words.She no longer made a sound as she followed her mother up the


    stairs.


    "Stand right there!" Henrick demanded.


    "From now on, you¡¯re grounded.You¡¯re not allowed to leave your room for a month.I¡¯ll be hiring a


    teacher from an etiquette school to teach you how to be a decent human being."


    Shandie took a step back in shock.


    Henrick Southall was the one to decide everything in the family.


    Without his love and trust, Shandie might be the one to be kicked out of the family.


    With that thought in mind, the colors drained from Shandie¡¯s already pale face.It was then she regretted


    doing what she did, but there was no point crying over spilled milk.

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14


    Arielle watched Cindy bring Shandie upstairs with unsympathetic eyes.


    In fact, there was a solemn look in them.It seems like the p from Cindy is worth it.However, this will


    be thest time Cindy will be allowed to hit me.


    Once Shandie was gone, Henrick walked toward Arielle and said, "Sannie.I remember you used to be


    called Sannie, right?"


    Arielle nodded.


    Her nickname had sounded like Shandie¡¯s name, so she did not like it much anymore.


    "What about this, Sannie?" Henrick sighed before pursing his lips.


    Then, he said, "I¡¯ve spoiled Shandie.It¡¯s partially my fault that she has done such a horrible thing.We


    should¡¯ve called the cops, but she¡¯s still your younger sister, and we¡¯re a family.Moreover, you¡¯re fine,


    and she has reaped what she sowed.Let¡¯s forget about this, all right? However, I¡¯ll still punish her and


    compensate you.Is that okay?"


    Arielle balled her hands into fists under the sleeves of her pajamas.


    What do you mean by "you¡¯re fine?"


    If I was really bitten by the snake, Shandie would have made sure no one knows about it.


    By the time the sun rises, my body would have gone cold.


    Yet, you¡¯re asking me to pretend as if nothing has happened? You¡¯re only grounding her for a month?


    At that very moment, Arielle knew what kind of person Henrick was.


    As long as it was nothing threatening to him, he would not easily abandon Shandie.


    After all, the more daughters he had, the more chances for him to cling to a wealthier family.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Henrick was a man who would do anything to get what he wanted.


    Arielle could not wrap her head around why her mother had fallen in love with someone like him.


    Arielle was thoroughly disappointed.


    It did not matter to her that Henrick was her biological father anymore.


    However, she showed none of that on her face.


    Instead, she stered a sweet smile on her face and nodded.


    "I can¡¯t decide, so, Dad, I¡¯ll just heed your words.Shandie¡¯s still young, so I won¡¯t me her for


    anything.I¡¯ll pretend nothing happened, and I¡¯ll still be a good sister to her.I just hope Shandie won¡¯t


    mind too."


    "Don¡¯t worry.I¡¯ll ask her to forget about this as well.No one will mention this anymore.I¡¯m sure the two of


    you will be able to get along fine."


    "Of course." Arielle smiled, her dimples emerging on both sides of her face.


    Anyone who looked at her would assume that she was innocent and sensible.


    Henrick sighed in relief, feeling d about the situation.


    Not only was this daughter of his pretty and forgiving, but she was also obedient.


    She¡¯s much more obedient than I thought she would be.That¡¯s good.She¡¯ll be easy to control.


    "It¡¯s gettingte.I¡¯m sure you must have been shocked today too.Rest earlier.Tell me what you need,


    and I¡¯ll do my best to fulfill your requests."


    Henrick was in a good mood.


    For once, the miser was not stingy, for he handed Arielle another card.


    "There¡¯s one million in this.In total, you¡¯ll have two million, including the other million I¡¯ve given to you


    earlier.You can spend it on anything you like.Once you¡¯ve spent it all, you cane and ask for


    more.You shouldn¡¯t live as you used to in the vige.You¡¯ve got to act like the daughter of the


    Southalls.I¡¯ll ask Alfred to bring you to shop for clothes tomorrow."


    "Thank you, Dad! You¡¯re the best!" Ego stroked, the upset from Shandie¡¯s incident dissipated from


    Henrick¡¯s mind.


    He then hummed a tune as he went upstairs.


    The moment Arielle returned to her room, the sweet smile on her face disappeared.


    Even if Shandie¡¯s stupid, she has Cindy watching out for her.


    On the other hand, I have no one.I only have myself.


    Balling her fists, Arielle slumped onto the bed, staring at the ceiling with lifeless eyes.


    Maybe there¡¯s nothing bad with being alone.Moreover, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m alone.


    Dad and Mom overseas are very nice to me.And my brother, too.He¡¯s dependent on me.He must miss


    me a lot while I¡¯m gone.


    To make sure they were not involved in the mess, Arielle had to temporarily cut ties with them.


    Yet, when she thought about her brother, the corners of her lips curled upward.Right then, her phone


    rang.


    When she picked up the call, she realized it was from a friend from Moranta.


    "Sannie, how are you?" the other person on the line had an ent.


    "I¡¯m quite fine, Vance.To be honest, I¡¯m back at my old family home in the country.Although I¡¯ve


    encountered some minor matters, it¡¯s been resolved now.Why are you calling, by the way?"


    Arielle was speaking in fluent Ustranasion, as if she was born and raised overseas.


    Sounding a little embarrassed, the other person continued, "You know I¡¯ve been working on an ind


    project, but the ending part of the project costs a lot, and I¡¯m having issues with the funds.I was


    wondering if you could lend me some money, or perhaps invest into my project."


    Arielle answered, "I¡¯m quite interested in your ind project.What about this? How much do you need?


    I¡¯d be happy to join you."


    "That¡¯s great.We¡¯d be even better with you joining us.I¡¯ll be needing a billion.Are you all right with that?"


    "No problem," came Arielle¡¯s swift response.


    Upon ending the call, Arielle contacted her overseas personal financial advisor.


    She then used herputer to transfer a billion into Vance¡¯s ount before asking herwyer to sign


    the contract for the investment.


    When she was done, she then nced at the two cards Henrick had given to her and barked out a


    laugh.


    The next thing she did was delete the history of the transactions on theputer.


    On the other end.


    After Cindy brought Shandie back to her room, she finally cursed at her out loud.


    "You idiot! How many times have I told you not to do anything rash before figuring out Arielle


    completely? Why won¡¯t you ever listen to me?"


    As tears streamed down Shandie¡¯s face, she sobbed out, "I-I didn¡¯t think things would turn out this


    way.But, Mom, you have to believe in me.Arielle must have been the one to let the snake bite me! I¡¯ve


    clearly asked J to let the snake into her room."


    "I know!" Cindy gritted out.


    At the harsh tone, Shandie froze.


    Then, she muttered, confused, "Why aren¡¯t you helping me exin the situation if you know the truth?


    Arielle¡¯s a wicked person."


    Cindy sighed.


    "I¡¯ve taught you so many things, but until now, you haven¡¯t been able to read the room.Your father


    clearly trusts her now.Moreover, you were the one to put the snake into her room first.How are you


    going to exin that? Nothing you say will help you; you¡¯ll only make your father even angrier."


    "Then what do I do? I can¡¯t be ndered in this way! Have you seen how the housekeepers look at


    me? Everyone in the manor thinks I deserved this."


    At that, Cindy was silent for a moment.


    "It seems like Arielle is much moreplex and difficult to figure out than I thought.I¡¯ll try my best to


    find out her history.Before that, you¡¯ll have to get along with her.Even if it¡¯s tough, you have to do it


    well.Pretend to admit to your mistakes and live in harmony with her for now.That way, your father will


    be happy.You know he hates family conflicts and disobedient people."


    "But¡­ I¡¯ve been grounded.I can¡¯t go out."


    "Silly girl, have you forgotten about how you¡¯re going to get your certificate in a week¡¯s time? Be patient


    for a week.Once you be a star at the ceremony, everyone will forget about this matter."


    "All right.I¡¯ll work hard with practicing this week.I¡¯ll definitely stun everyone at the ceremony."


    "I¡¯m d you can think this way."


    In a blink of an eye, five days went by.

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15


    Neither Shandie nor Cindy did anything.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Likewise, Cindy no longer begged Henrick to shorten Shandie¡¯s punishment.


    Cindy even took increasingly good care of Arielle, which Henrick approved.


    That incident with the venomous snake was explicitly banned.No one was allowed to utter a single


    word about it.


    Hence, the manor¡¯s inhabitants resumed their following days as if nothing happened.


    Likewise, Henrick returned to his and Cindy¡¯s bedroom after five days of sleeping in the study.


    By the sixth day, Henrick headed out with a bounce in his step; even Cindy had a glowing and cheery


    expression.


    It wasn¡¯t hard to guess what happened the night before.


    Things became so amiable that Cindy offered an entire drumstick to Arielle during dinnertime.At this, a


    delighted smile crept onto Arielle¡¯s face.


    She responded in a sweet tone, "Thank you, Aunt Cindy."


    "Call me Mom from now on."


    Cindy beamed back as she continued, "I¡¯ll look after you as my own child.Just like Shannie.She¡¯s not


    my biological daughter, but I¡¯ve always cared for her like she is.So, don¡¯t hesitate to ask me if you ever


    need anything."


    Arielle scoffed inwardly.


    Not your biological daughter? I don¡¯t believe it one bit.


    Shandie is only a couple of months younger than me, which means that Henrick had an affair with


    Cindy during my mother¡¯s pregnancy.


    Henrick obviously won¡¯t allow this scandal to leak.


    Cindy must be up to something.Why else would she suddenly suggest that I call her "Mom"?


    Still, she¡¯s got some nerve asking me to call her that.I only have two mothers: my biological mom and


    my adoptive mother.No one else is worthy of that title.


    Skeptical, Arielle looked at Henrick for help.


    "Dad.I-it¡¯s too soon.I¡¯m not used to calling her that¡­"


    She shed a pair of puppy-dog eyes at him.Her eyes rounded and became slightly moist as she put


    on a pitiful act.


    If this were an award show, Arielle believed that she would have won the title of Most Convincing


    Actress.


    True enough, Henrick¡¯s features softened after ncing over at her.No man could resist Arielle¡¯s puppy


    dog eyes, not even her own dad.


    Henrick cleared his throat and consoled, "That¡¯s quite alright.Take it slow and go at your own


    pace.There¡¯s no need to rush into calling her Mom."


    "Thanks, Dad."


    Arielle then cast an apologetic look whilst saying, "And I¡¯m really sorry, Aunt Cindy.I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll


    eventually ease into your new title."


    Anger welled in Cindy¡¯s chest.


    This wretched brat! How dare she refuse to call me Mom! Even so, Cindy was better at tamping down


    her emotionspared to Shandie, so she feigned a kind smile.


    "I understand that this must be difficult for you.Please don¡¯t apologize.I should be sorry for pressuring


    you.Don¡¯t worry, dear, take all the time you need to adjust.After all, we¡¯ve got the rest of our lives as a


    family for you to do so."


    "Thanks, Aunt Cindy."


    "It¡¯s nothing, child."


    The two yed out a harmonious pretense as if they were happily getting along at the dining table.


    Henrick¡¯s spirits instantly improved; the exhaustion he felt from work faded away at the sight of this


    merry atmosphere.


    As the saying goes, a family in harmony will prosper in everything; I¡¯m content as long as they don¡¯t pull


    any more stunts against one another.


    Just as Henrick thought so, Cindy parted her lips to speak.


    "There¡¯s something I have to tell you, dear.It¡¯s about Shannie."


    The mention of Shandie¡¯s name ruined Henrick¡¯s mood.


    He mmed his spoon onto the table and thundered, "Let me guess, you¡¯re trying to put in a good


    word for that brat? Considering how grave her actions were, I¡¯ve been more than merciful by grounding


    her for only a month.So forget it! Don¡¯t bother defending her."


    Arielle threw a suspicious nce at the woman.


    How uncharacteristic of her to blurt out.


    She¡¯s normally good at gauging situations before speaking.


    Surely she knows that this isn¡¯t the best time to defend Shandie? What exactly is Cindy ying at? At


    that moment, Cindy¡¯s face scrunched up in distress.


    "I¡¯m not pleading on behalf of her, dear.It¡¯s about something else.I¡¯m just not sure if I should tell you¡­"


    Henrick¡¯s frown lifted slightly at this.


    Regardless, he still growled at a dangerously low pitch, "What¡¯s the matter?"


    Cindy sighed dramatically, then pulled out a sheet of paper from her pocket.


    She stated, "I just received a notice letter today.Remember the Crown Coffee Academy¡¯spetition?


    Well, Shannie won it.She¡¯s the champion."


    "What!" Henrick eximed.


    He obviously knew about thepetition.


    Its winner would obtain a brand ambassadorship contract with Soir Coffee¡ªthe internationally


    renowned coffee franchise.


    Henrick was overjoyed.He snatched the letter from Cindy and went through its contents thoroughly.


    When he noticed that Vinson would be an honorary guest, greed flitted across his eyes.


    He clutched the letter with trembling hands whilst his voice quaked with excitement.


    "That¡¯s great news.Well, why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier? The award ceremony is tomorrow afternoon!"


    At once, Cindy¡¯s shoulders slumped exaggeratedly in dejection.


    She exined, "It¡¯s because of that rash mistake that Shannie made.When I told her about the


    ceremony earlier today, she wasn¡¯t keen on attending.She wanted to stay home and reflect on her


    actions."


    "That¡¯s absurd!" Henrick protested.


    This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to mingle with influential figures! How can she not go? Has she lost


    her mind? When he finally broke out of his thoughts, he happened to meet Arielle¡¯s innocent gaze.


    It was as though she saw right through to his calctive schemes.


    Flustered, he cleared his throat and said, "Shandie seems like she¡¯s realized her mistakes and is taking


    responsibility for her actions now.So I don¡¯t think we have to ground her any longer.What do you think,


    Sannie?"


    Arielle sneered internally.


    That¡¯s my biological dad for you.


    Truly a loving dad, isn¡¯t he? Nevertheless, Arielle wasn¡¯t one to reveal her true feelings.


    She shed a gentle smile and spoke in a considerate manner, "Dad, I meant to tell you a while ago; it


    will do no good to ground her for as long as a month.We should let her off early.Besides, she¡¯s not a kid


    anymore.She¡¯ll know how to discern right from wrong after making a mistake once.Plus, you can


    always enforce stricter punishments if she regresses to the making the same mistakes."


    Cindy, who sat opposite them, gnawed so hard on her lips that she almost drew blood.


    Arielle, that brat! When she puts it that way, it means Henrick will never let Shandie off the hook if she


    messes up again! It was just as Cindy predicted.


    Henrick¡¯s brows knitted taut as he dered, "That¡¯s right, there won¡¯t be a next time.Cindy! Pass the


    message to her: she¡¯ll be disowned from this manor if she pulls another stunt again!"


    Anger sizzled in Cindy¡¯s chest, yet she had to y along.


    "I¡¯ll ry it to her, don¡¯t worry.She knows that she¡¯s done wrong.Sannie, thank you so much for


    forgiving her."


    Arielle looked at her with a smug smile.


    "We¡¯re all family, after all.Andpromise is a crucial part of being a family, even if Shandie wanted to


    kill me."


    Cindy¡¯s smile tensed.She couldn¡¯t handle Arielle¡¯s not-so-subtle jabs any longer.


    Shooting onto her feet, she then announced, "I¡¯ll go pack my things for the journey to Norham


    tomorrow."


    With that, she paced over to the stairs but quickly stopped halfway.


    Then she extended a friendly offer, "Tomorrow¡¯s a weekend, dear.You won¡¯t be going to the office.Why


    don¡¯t you and Sanniee along?"


    Henrick immediately nodded as he thought about Arielle and Vinson¡¯s rtionship.


    "Absolutely! Could you pack Sannie¡¯s things as well? And get her some new clothes for the trip to


    Norham, if you can."


    "Yes, dear."


    Cindy finally let out a victorious smile.


    Hmph! Just wait and see, Arielle.


    My daughter will be the star of the award ceremony.Then, you¡¯ll be left standing in her shadow.

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16


    Once Cindy left, Henrick¡¯s gaze darted over to Arielle. ¡°Sannie. Tell me the truth, how did you meet


    Vinson? Are you two close?¡±.


    Henrick wanted to ask this long ago. However, he worried that Arielle would think he was using her as


    a stepping stone. Hence, he refrained from asking up till now.


    At this rate, it seems like she¡¯s too naive to question my motives. I may as well cut to the chase and


    ask whatever I want to know. This silly girl will tell me anyway.


    As expected, Arielle answered him without a sliver of hesitation. ¡°I don¡¯t actually know him that well. I


    encountered him by chance when my ship sank at sea. He was injured at the time, so I treated his


    wounds with whatever herbs I could find. It waster when his subordinates came for him that I got


    rescued and brought back here.¡±


    What he didn¡¯t know was that Arielle had summarized the story. She omitted the details where they


    undressed and huddled up for warmth, as well as the truth that she saved Vinson¡¯s life.


    Hearing her story, Henrick felt both disappointed yet pleased.


    He was disappointed because he had hoped for some emotional entanglement between Arielle and


    Vinson, but there were none.


    At the same time, he was buzzing with joy that Arielle had aided the Vinson Nightshire. Because it


    meant Vinson owed Arielle¡¯s family a favor for her kindness.


    Imagine that. A favor from the Nightshires! That experience alone is worth its weight in gold!


    ¡°Wonderful! That¡¯s great, Sannie! As expected of my daughter!¡± Henrick chortled.


    He stared endearingly at her as if he was looking at the world¡¯s rarest gem.


    Arielle put on an innocent and unknowing expression. She shed a quick appreciative smile at this


    compliment, then resumed with her dinner.


    The next day had arrived at the speed of light. All four of them departed Jadeborough and headed


    towards Norham.


    For the journey, Arielle and Shandie sat beside one another in the backseat.


    Shandie wore the Crown Coffee Academy¡¯s yellow team uniform. A soft and morous makeup was


    applied on her face, befitting her aristocratic status.


    Inparison, Cindy had prepared minimalistic clothing for Arielle. She also hadn¡¯t hired anyone to do


    Arielle¡¯s makeup. Thus, Arielle waspletely bare-faced and had her hair up in a simple bun; she


    looked like an ordinary high school student.


    Even without any form of embellishment, Arielle was irresistible to the eye. Her presence glowed with


    angelic purity, almost like a blooming orchid whose beauty was so rare that people could only


    appreciate from afar.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    She was the definition of true beauty. Not the kind that was sought after by many men, but a true


    beauty that made men reflect on whether they were worthy of being by her side.


    Shandie initially felt like the brightest star in the sky, knowing that her makeup was worth six figures.


    Yet, that confidence plummeted after seeing Arielle¡¯s simplistic beauty. Shandie now felt like a


    miserable side character while Arielle was the lead of the show.


    Outshined, Shandie clenched her fists so hard that her w-like nails nearly cut into her palms.


    Ahem! Cindy cleared her throat from the front passenger seat.


    At this, Shandie broke from her daze and refocused on the present.


    So what if Arielle is pretty? She¡¯s nothing but a pretty face that men keep around like toys. I¡¯m the real


    deal with both the body and looks; the kind of woman that men want to make their ¦Ô¦Éves.


    Shandie suppressed her anger. She cracked a stiff smile and said, ¡°Arielle, I haven¡¯t had the chance to


    apologize. So now that we¡¯re both here, I just wanted to say I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have thrown that


    childish tantrum and put you in jeopardy. Please forgive me.¡±


    Arielle knew that Cindy must have scripted this whole apology, and Shandie was merely acting


    ordingly.


    Childish tantrum?Humph. What kind of child harbors murderous intentions during a tantrum?


    Regardless, Arielle cast a gentle gaze as she held Shandie¡¯s hand. Then she soothed in a honeyed


    voice, ¡°It¡¯s alright, Shandie. There¡¯s no need to dwell on the past or apologize anymore. We¡¯re family,


    after all.¡±


    Caught in Arielle¡¯s tight grip, Shandie bit down her repulse. She desperately wanted to fling Arielle¡¯s


    vermin-like hand away but couldn¡¯t.


    Hence, she resisted and continued to smile stiffly.


    Meanwhile, Henrick smiled contentedly at his daughters¡¯ reconciliation from the driver¡¯s seat.


    They went on their merry way to the airport. When they arrived, Henrick led his family through the


    check-in process and to the departure halls. Arielle trailed behind them throughout this.


    ording to the regtions, first-ss passengers were given priority to board the ne before


    others.


    So the Southalls had to wait in line as Henrick had bought economy-ss tickets for the flight from


    Jadeborough to Norham.


    When it was finally their turn to board the flight, Henrick suddenly halted and looked in the other


    direction. He eximed, ¡°Mr. Nightshire?¡±


    Shandie hadn¡¯t expected to see Vinson at the airport either. Now that it had happened, Shandie batted


    hershes and cleared her throat shyly to attract Vinson¡¯s attention.


    Vinson¡¯s assistant was reporting the progress of their recent project. Now that Henrick had rudely


    interrupted, Vinson shot a re in Henrick¡¯s direction.


    Seeing how Henrick and Shandie threw themselves at him, Vinson¡¯s re turned murderously cold yet


    confused at the same time. He growled, ¡°Do I know you?¡±


    Henrick brushed his nose awkwardly at this. He was startled that Vinson didn¡¯t recognize him.


    Shandie, on the other hand, clenched her jaw in irritation.


    We¡¯ve already met plenty of times. How can Vinson not know who I am?Is he really that forgetful?


    In reality, Vinson had an excellent memory. He was simply selective about whom and what he felt was


    worthy of remembering.


    Thus, he wouldn¡¯t waste even a drop of his time or mental effort on people whom he deemed


    unimportant.


    As for Arielle, she had noticed Vinson as well but didn¡¯t intend to greet him.


    We¡¯re just passing by. There¡¯s no need to engage in pointless conversation.


    Henrick frowned at how Arielle was letting this golden opportunity slip. Nevertheless, he quickly


    introduced himself, ¡°I¡¯m Henrick Southall. Surely you remember me, Mr. Nightshire? You attended my


    daughter¡¯s birthday party a few days ago,¡±


    Vinson tried to recall. However, he had attended four birthday parties this week, so he couldn¡¯t quite


    figure out who this man named Henrick was.


    Sensing the confusion on Vinson¡¯s face, Henrick briskly shoved Shandie aside while yanking Arielle


    forward. He then reminded, ¡°Seems like you have forgotten about me, Mr. Nightshire. But perhaps you


    remember my daughter?¡±


    Arielle was now visible to Vinson. He hadn¡¯t seen her earlier, no thanks to Cindy, who questionably


    stood in front of Arielle and blocked her.


    Vinson¡¯s eyes roamed over Arielle¡¯s appearance. Unlike the other three, who wore fancier clothing,


    Arielle seemed like a regr student. It was as if they were from different ss groups.


    Vinson raised a brow, curious to see Arielle¡¯s reactions. He feigned confusion as he asked, ¡°Apologies,


    I¡¯m not very good with remembering faces. May I ask who you are, miss?¡±


    Arielle blinked. Did he forget who I am?


    Despite her initial shock, Arielle wasn¡¯t at all sad that he didn¡¯t recall her.


    She responded cidly, ¡°That¡¯s normal. You must see too many faces every day to remember mine.


    We won¡¯t be in your way now. Dad, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Now that she had excused their family, Henrick couldn¡¯t prolong the conversation with Vinson. Without


    a choice, Henrick begrudginglyplied with Arielle¡¯s request.


    What rubbish was that?How can my eldest daughter be so inept at seducing men? How stupid can she


    be?


    Henrick grew more frustrated at the thought of this. It was evident in the way he quickly stormed over to


    the boarding gate.


    Cindy and Shandie were pleased with how things turned out. They stood straighter with delight as they


    watched Henrick leave.


    What perfect timing for Arielle to ruin things. I doubt Henrick will continue to spoil her rotten after this.


    Thinking this, Cindy paced in Henrick¡¯s direction.


    Shandie and Arielle quickly followed suit. At that moment, Shandie¡¯s mood soared sky-high. It wasn¡¯t


    long before a mischievous thought flitted through her mind.


    Walking alongside Arielle, Shandie mocked in a quiet voice, ¡°Oh dear. I assumed that something


    special was going on between you and Mr. Nightshire, but I guess not. I can¡¯t believe that he didn¡¯t


    even recognize you. Well, don¡¯t be sad. It¡¯s normal for busy men like Mr. Nightshire to forget a country


    bumpkin like you.¡±


    Shandie made sure to emphasize the words: country bumpkin. She stared excitedly at Arielle, hoping


    to see her face blow up with anger.


    Nothing would please her more than to see Arielle red-faced with helpless frustration.

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17


    Yet, Arielle remained emotionless as if she weren¡¯t the least bothered.


    And that was the truth; she truly couldn¡¯t care less about being forgotten by Vinson.


    She knew that the Southalls wanted connections with the Nightshires because of their elite social


    status. Despite this, that prestige wasn¡¯t what she wanted or needed.


    So, it didn¡¯t matter whether Vinson remembered her at all.


    Shandie scoffed when Arielle didn¡¯t react to her.


    Liar! Keep acting like you don¡¯t care then, Arielle. I bet that deep down, you¡¯re crying like a big baby


    who¡¯s hurt about the whole thing. Serves you right!Vinson would never be interested in a in country


    bumpkin like you!


    Little did the four Southalls know, Vinson¡¯s eyes had burned holes in the back of Arielle¡¯s head for quite


    some time.


    He stayed that way until Arielle boarded her flight. Only then did he let out an intrigued chuckle.


    Beside him, the assistant¡¯s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.


    What¡¯s going on?Mr. Nightshire neverugh. He¡¯s usually unsmiling, and some would even


    say intimidatingly distant. I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s chuckling to himself now.Also, this isn¡¯t sneeringughter.


    No. It¡¯s more genuine, like an amusedugh thates from deep within one¡¯s chest. It¡¯s been ages


    since Ist saw Mr. Nightshireugh like this.


    While the assistant was deep in thought, Vinson¡¯s voice suddenly sounded. He asked, ¡°Did you notice


    a difference between her and the others?¡±


    There were three women in that family. Which is he referring to?


    The assistant had worked alongside Vinson for several years now, so he knew better than to ask


    Vinson outright. He pondered for a while before recalling that Arielle had dressed differently from the


    others.


    Then he answered hesitantly, ¡°Indeed. The other three have donned well-known designer brands while


    that youngdy¡¯s clothes¡­ Well, they seem like some randomly bought clothes from an unknown stall.¡±


    Even with such a sharp observation, Vinson still shook his head.


    The assistant instantly stiffened in shock. Did I guess wrongly? Was Mr. Nightshire not referring to that


    lady?


    Just as the assistant felt flustered, Vinson¡¯s voice spoke up once again. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about her


    clothes.¡±


    The assistant heaved a sigh of relief since he had at least guessed correctly.


    Still, he frowned in confusion. ¡°If it¡¯s not the clothes, then what is it?¡±


    Within seconds, Vinson¡¯s facial expression returned to its usual indifference. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s


    resume.¡±


    Then the assistant dropped the topic altogether. He didn¡¯t dare to probe any further, so he continued


    with his report.


    On the ne, the four Southalls sat in the same row. Henrick had been in a foul mood ever since


    Arielle¡¯s stunt. Because of this, he ordered Arielle to carry out several mindless tasks throughout the


    flight. She was told to move their luggage to the overhead cabin, then tidy their coats and put them into


    the luggage, followed by taking out their chargers and so on¡­


    Everyone else on the ne assumed that she was merely their housekeeper


    Arielle wasn¡¯t bothered with doing all those tasks. All she did wasply with Henrick¡¯s request without


    anyints.


    Eventually, Henrick couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. He boomed icily, ¡°Enough! Get over here.¡±


    Once Arielle sat down next to Henrick, he interrogated with a sharp tone, ¡°I thought you said that you


    helped Mr. Nightshire. So why didn¡¯t he remember you at all?¡±


    Arielle shook her head candidly. ¡°I only did him a small favor then, so it¡¯s normal that he doesn¡¯t


    remember me.¡±


    ¡°Then you should have¡­¡± Henrick faltered as he looked at Arielle. I guess having a naive daughter isn¡¯t


    always a beneficial thing. If only it were Shandie who knew Vinson¡­ she would have immediately


    caught on to my intentions and tried to get closer to him.


    Henrick then huffed begrudgingly, ¡°Forget it. We¡¯ll talk about thister. There¡¯s still much you have to


    learn.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Arielle nodded obediently. With eyes rounded and lips parted, she feigned a child-like


    innocence as if she didn¡¯t know what she had done wrong.


    Right then, the flight attendant approached them. ¡°Good day, Mr. Southhall. ording to your flight


    mileage, we¡¯re able to give you a free upgrade to first-ss.¡±


    Henrick deliberately chose economy-ss seats not only out of stinginess but also because he knew


    that they could get a free upgrade.


    Pleased, Henrick beamed as he bounced onto his feet. ¡°Thank you. Please lead the way.¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Shandie and Cindy stood as well.


    The flight attendant soon noticed Arielle, who was thest to stand. Then he immediately exined,


    ¡°My apologies, sir. You only have enough mileage for three free upgrades. Here, have a look.¡±


    ¡°Three?¡± Henrick¡¯s temples started to ache. Then who will go with us to first-ss?


    Shandie or Arielle?


    Seeing that Henrick was conflicted, Cindy chimed in, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve realized that Arielle isn¡¯t very


    quick-witted. She won¡¯t be of much help at all. Plus, we¡¯re heading to Shandie¡¯s awards ceremony. So


    why don¡¯t we give the seat to Shandie this once, hmm?¡±


    Henrick¡¯s face turned grim before he finally agreed.


    He promptly turned to Arielle and exined in a matter-of-fact tone, ¡°I can¡¯t help that there are only


    three seats. We¡¯ll still see each other once the nends. Ergo, it¡¯s not all that different.¡±


    Arielle stared intensely at Henrick.


    Disappointment shrouded in her chest, but she couldn¡¯t show it on her face. She


    refused to let Cindy and Shandie feel triumphant.


    Thus, Arielle pressed her lips into a tight smile and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Sorry about this,¡± Henrick uttered while averting her gaze. He then pranced away with Cindy and


    Shandie for the first-ss cabin.


    Shandie intentionally slowed her steps. Once their parents were a good distance away, she taunted in


    a low voice, ¡°It seems like Dad loves me more. You¡¯ll have to work harder to catch up now! I¡¯ll be off to


    the first-ss cabin, so you rest up here in economy-ss, hmm? There¡¯s actually not much difference


    between the two cabins, save for the bigger seats and better service in mine. But hey, don¡¯t let that get


    to you.¡±


    Arielle gritted her teeth at how Shandie was gloating around like some proud peacock.


    Face twisting into a mocking smile, Arielle motioned towards the first-ss cabin. She then provoked,


    ¡°You¡¯d better hurry over. Dad might change his mind and let me go with them if you keep dilly-dallying.¡±


    Shandie panicked upon seeing Arielle¡¯s maliciously gleaming eyes.


    Then she grabbed her bag and shot straight for first-ss, fearing that Arielle would somehow end up


    in the superior cabin instead.


    Soon after, all three Southalls plopped downfortably in their first-ss seats. Shandie had even


    ordered a ss of the cabin¡¯splimentary red wine.


    In economy-ss.


    Arielle could finally shut her eyes to rest now that Henrick and the others were gone.


    Her chest sank with sorrow at that moment. She was human, after all; she felt sadness like every other


    person on this. However, she was terrified of revealing her emotions and vulnerabilities as


    anyone could use them against her. So she concealed everything, hiding away under the guise of an


    unbothered girl.


    Fake it till you make it, she reminded herself.


    Just as she gotfortable in her newfound peace, a voice suddenly sounded beside her.


    ¡°Excuse me. Are you here by yourself, miss? May I sit next to you?¡±


    A man had politely asked Arielle that question. He watched her with a set of wide eyes as his throat


    bobbed, gulping anxiously,


    Arielle met his gaze with an icy expression. She turned him down, ¡°Sorry, my family will be back soon.


    These are their seats.¡±


    The man didn¡¯t need to be told twice. He turned to leave while letting out a wistful sigh. Who am I


    kidding! I¡¯m out of her league. There¡¯s no way I can get a gorgeous girl like her. Although, I wonder


    what kind of man will be able to reel in such a great catch¡­


    Not long after the man left, someone else approached Arielle. ¡°Excuse me, miss¡­¡±


    Arielle¡¯s head flung upward with a pinched expression. Just as she took in the person¡¯s face, her mouth


    fell open.


    Isn¡¯t that person who was reporting stuff to Vinson at the airport?


    The man proceeded to introduce himself, ¡°I¡¯m Mr. Nightshire¡¯s assistant. He would like to invite you


    over to his private jet. I¡¯ve already taken the liberty to rify things with the attendants on your current


    flight, so pleasee with me.¡±


    Arielle hesitated for a moment, then promptly nodded when she thought about the man who


    approached her earlier.


    There were many people on this flight, and she wasn¡¯t keen on being interrupted again.


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Arielle


    ¡°Follow me then. This way, please.¡± The man gestured towards ahead.


    They needed to pass through the first-ss cabin to exit the aircraft.


    As they walked by, Shandie immediately took notice.

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18


    She shot onto her feet and shrilled, ¡°Arielle, what¡¯s the meaning of this? Can¡¯t you suck it up this once


    instead of vying against me for the first-ss seat? Need I remind you the reason we¡¯re on this flight?


    It¡¯s because we¡¯re going to my awards ceremony! Mine!¡±


    Arielle spat coldly, ¡°Rx. I¡¯m not here for your precious first-ss seat.¡±


    Shandie knitted her brows before interrogating loudly, ¡°Then why are you here?¡±


    Right then, Henrick had overheard themotion and joined in with a thunderous voice. ¡°What do you


    think you¡¯re doing, Arielle? And here I thought you were a sweet and obedient girl. Was that all just a


    fa?ade?¡±


    Arielle was about to respond, but the man beat her to it. He interjected with a sharp gaze, ¡°I¡¯m afraid


    you¡¯re all mistaken. Ms. Moore is not here for the first-ss cabin. Rather, I¡¯m escorting her to that


    private jet, the one next to this aircraft.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Shandie bellowed as her eyes shot over to the window in disbelief.


    What she saw next clouded her thoughts with resentment. It was a luxurious private jet with an


    extremely sleek and polished exterior. Across the jet¡¯s body was an elegantly written word with fine


    penmanship-Nightshire.


    That¡¯s the Nightshire family¡¯s private jet!


    Shandie whipped around to stare daggers at Arielle, jealousy flitting across her dark eyes.


    Even Cindy, who had been silently observing, balled her fists after seeing the Nightshires¡¯ jet.


    Henrick soon snapped back to his senses and quickly asked the man, ¡°Sir. I¡¯m Sannie¡¯s father, and our


    family is traveling together on this flight. If it¡¯s alright, can the rest of us go as well?¡±


    The man maintained a neutral expression as he pointed out, ¡°Apologies, Mr. Nightshire has only


    extended his invitation to Ms. Moore alone. Not to mention, the three of you got a cabin upgrade but


    chose to abandon Ms. Moore in economy-ss by herself. Is that how a family should be with one


    another?¡±


    Regret festered in Henrick like a tumor.


    Damn it! I should have upgraded Arielle¡¯s seat to first-ss too. If I had done that, then maybe I would


    be lounging in Vinson¡¯s private jet at this very moment¡­


    The man couldn¡¯t care less about what Henrick thought. He swiftly turned on his heel and bowed


    respectfully to Arielle. ¡°This way, Ms. Moore.¡±


    Arielle nodded, then cast an icy stare at Henrick. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you guys at the airport.¡±


    With that, Arielle held her head high like royalty and disregarded Shandiepletely. She followed


    closely behind the man as they exited the airne.


    Shandie¡¯s and Cindy¡¯s faces twisted with jealousy at the luxurious private jet that parked beside them.


    Shortly after, Arielle boarded the jet. The first thing she saw was Vinson, whose head was lowered to


    focus on reading a contract.


    The assistant spoke up, ¡°Mr. Nightshire. I¡¯ve brought Ms. Moore over.¡±,


    Vinson hummed a simple Mm-hmm in reply without even looking up.


    Arielle felt uneasy. Not knowing how to respond or what to do, she tensed with her feet nted on the


    ground.


    Thankfully, the assistant came to her rescue. He advised, ¡°Mr. Nightshire is currently busy. You may


    make yourselffortable in the cabin that¡¯s inside.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Arielle nodded. She then cautiously walked past Vinson and entered the cabin.


    Once inside, Arielle¡¯s jaw dropped in shock. She eximed, ¡°Rain?¡±


    The blonde man lifted his gaze and gawked, equally as surprised. ¡°San? I never thought I¡¯d see you


    here. Have you returned to this country?¡±


    ¡°Mm-hmm, I just got back some time ago.¡±


    Rain cheerily patted at the seat beside his, beckoning her over. ¡°Come sit with me.¡±


    Arielle obliged. Once she sat down, questions about her current life came out of Rain¡¯s mouth with


    burgeoning excitement. He also invited, ¡°I¡¯m heading to Norham for the academy¡¯s award ceremony. If


    there¡¯s nothing on your schedule, would you like to attend as well since you are one of our academy¡¯s


    founders?¡±


    Rain was the principal of the Crown Coffee Academy and a world-renowned coffee sommelier.


    Back then, Arielle and Rain were the ones who came up with as well as established the Crown Coffee


    Academy.


    They wanted to create a ce where coffee enthusiasts could expand their knowledge on coffee-


    making.


    What they never expected was for the academy to develop into a well-known spot for socialites. Hence,


    Rain created a restriction whereby only ten students may receive the expert level barista certificate.


    This way, only the elite, talented, and worthy coffee connoisseurs could receive these certificates.


    Arielle¡¯s lips curled into a devious smile when she heard that Rain was on his way to Shandie¡¯s award


    ceremony. She stated, ¡°What a coincidence. I¡¯m heading there myself.¡±


    Rain beamed at once. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! The students will be ecstatic to meet the academy¡¯s founders.


    They¡¯ll be over the moon!¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Arielle shook her head and requested, ¡°I was hoping that you¡¯ll keep my identity confidential.¡±


    Rain¡¯s vibrant smile fell glum in an instant. He then inquired, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I have some personal reasons.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll be more than pleased as long as you attend the event.¡±


    Arielle shed a faint smile but didn¡¯t say anymore.


    Two hours of flightter, the jet gradually made its descent into Norham airport.


    Vinson had already left by the time Arielle disembarked from the jet.


    Unbothered, she exchanged goodbyes with Rain and went to look for the other three Southalls.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    That¡¯s strange. Didn¡¯t we agree to meet up after getting off our flights? So why aren¡¯t Henrick and the


    others here at the arrival hall as promised?


    Airelle held her ground in silence. She knew that Henrick wouldn¡¯t abandon her because she was still


    of value to him. So she waited.


    Right then and there, a bodyguard dressed in a coal-ck suit strode towards Arielle¡¯s direction.


    Beside him was a man that she would recognize anywhere Vinson.


    Despite standing next to a tall bodyguard, Vinson still towered with his superior stature.


    Some passersby curiously paid attention to Vinson. Their faces either turned a bashful shade of red or


    gawked as they vividly babbled about Vinson¡¯s appearance.


    ¡°That guy¡¯s incredibly handsome! Do you think he¡¯s a celebrity?¡±


    ¡°No way. If he is, then he should have blown up all over the inte by now. Even those influencers


    can¡¯tpare to his good looks.¡±


    Compared to the eagerly buzzing crowd, Arielle¡¯s skewed frown was an underwhelming reaction.


    She nced briefly at him before focusing on her phone and dialing Henrick¡¯s number.


    The call went through, yet Henrick had instantly rejected. Arielle knew that this must have been


    Shandie¡¯s doing.


    Although Cindy is a wicked woman, she wouldn¡¯t be so stupid to use such sloppy tactics against me. It


    seems like Shandie is trying to get on my nerves by keeping me in the dark about their whereabouts.


    Game on, then. I¡¯ll patientlywait here for them.


    Noticing a lounge nearby, Arielle headed over for some refreshments.


    What she hadn¡¯t realized was that she walked right into the lion¡¯s den; just as she entered, the lounge


    door flung shut behind her.


    Arielle instinctively turned around but was shoved to the wall by a towering man. His powerfully built


    body pressed against hers, trapping her.

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19


    Immediately, Arielle prepared tosh out. However, her movements came to a screeching halt when


    she caught sight of the man¡¯s face.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire? Y-you¡­¡± She stared at him and blinked in utter disbelief.


    Vinson interjected before Arielle could finish speaking. ¡°Why did you pretend not to recognize me?¡±


    Arielle looked at Vinson with a gaze full of puzzlement. On the other hand, Vinson¡¯s stare resembled


    the look of a ferocious and enraged lion.


    Is he angry because I didn¡¯t greet him when I walked past him earlier? Doesn¡¯t that mean he


    recognized me? Then why did he act like we were strangers in the airport? He even ignored me when


    we were on the ne!


    ¡°You were the one who ignored me first! Besides, how would I dare disturb such a busy man like you?¡±


    Arielle replied in bafflement.


    What on earth is he thinking? He clearly recognized me. Yet, he pretended like he didn¡¯t. He should


    have continued the act. Why is he cornering and berating me for doing the same thing?


    Arielle tried to push Vinson away to put some distance between them. ¡°No matter what¡­ you should let


    me go first. People will misunderstand if they see us like this.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s words seemed to go in one ear and out the other. Vinson¡¯s gaze remained fixated intently on


    hers.


    He found that her bright eyes were like pools of clear water. At the same time, her gaze was as deep


    as the bottomless ocean.


    There wasn¡¯t a trace of fear nor ttery present in her brilliant gaze. The only thing Vinson saw was


    suspicion. She treated him like he was an ordinary person.


    An ordinary person¡­ How long has it been since someone treated me this way?


    ¡°Are you angry because I couldn¡¯t recognize you at the airport?¡±


    ¡°I did not get angry,¡± Arielle said and jutted out her bottom lip. Why would I get mad?


    Vinson fell silent after he heard her answer.


    He could not express theplicated feelings within his heart.


    After a brief moment of contemtion, Vinson released her from his grasps and stepped back all of a


    sudden. ¡°Why did youe to Norham? Are you following me because I haven¡¯t given you an


    answer?¡±


    ¡°Following you? I¡¯m not as free as you think; I certainly don¡¯t have the time to be following you.


    Besides, what answer do I need from you?¡± Arielle replied with a confused look.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    All of a sudden, she recalled thest words Vinson had said during the birthday dinner.


    Her eyes widened as round as saucers as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. ¡°Are you still


    thinking about the joke I made the other day?¡±


    ¡°As I said, the truth is hidden within your joke. You don¡¯t have to worry; I¡¯m still thinking about it.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± Arielle burst out inughter as she tilted her head. ¡°I wish I could peer inside that head of yours


    to find out if your brain is made out of cotton!¡±


    ¡°That is something I should say to you instead,¡± Vinson replied impassively.


    ¡°What on earth are you talking about¡­¡± Right at that moment, Arielle¡¯s phone began to ring.


    The moment she answered the call, Henrick¡¯s voice echoed through the phone. ¡°Arielle, where did you


    go? Why did you keep your sister waiting for so long?¡±


    Waiting? I haven¡¯t even seen Shandie¡¯s shadow.


    Immediately, Arielle acted as if she had been wronged. ¡°This was the first time I took the ne¡­ I must


    admit that I was totally clueless. Dad, I¡¯m sorry. Where are you? I¡¯ll try to look for you.¡± Arielle


    murmured softly.


    ¡°Look for the airport staff. We are at the information desk.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll head over right now!¡± The moment Arielle ended the call, her image of a


    prim and proper woman vanished into thin air.


    ¡°My Dad is looking for me. I¡¯ll take my leave first. Also, let me repeat myself. I was joking the other day!


    You can forget about it!¡± Arielle called out as she waved her phone in Vinson¡¯s direction.


    With that, Arielle turned on her heel to leave.


    She only managed to take two steps before Vinson¡¯s suspicious tone echoed behind her. ¡°What is your


    rtionship with your family?¡±.


    His question left her confused. ¡°We are just family.¡± Arielle whirled around to face him again.


    ¡°Yet, I think that they don¡¯t see you like family,¡± Vinson replied in a monotonous voice.


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°My assistant told me that you were the only one who did not sit in the first-ss cabin when we


    boarded the ne.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s what you are referring to; I have aplicated rtionship with my family. Ten years ago, I


    went missing. Now that we are reunited, these trivial issues don¡¯t matter to me anymore.¡± Arielle


    grinned as she said this.


    Vinson opened his mouth as if to say something. A look of hesitancy painted his face. In the end, he


    handed her a gold business card. ¡°Call me if you need anything. You can also bring this card to the


    Nightshire Group if you want to meet me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright¡­¡± Arielle raised her hands to decline him. Yet, Vinson merely shoved the card into her palm


    before he left the lounge.


    Arielle nced at the gold card in her hand. Emzoned on the card were the words- Nightshire


    Group.


    Is he trying to... show off?


    Arielle owned apany located overseas. Although it wasn¡¯t as renowned as Nightshire Group, her


    company was quite famous too.


    Just as she made a move to discard the card, she changed her mind and kept it instead.


    Vinson is correct, what if I need his help? This card will be useful. After all, Jadeborough is a ce I¡¯m


    unfamiliar with.


    Arielle ced the card in her pocket as she changed her mind and walked out of the lounge.


    When she finally arrived at the information desk, Henrick looked like he was on the verge of exploding


    in anger. It was clear that he was impatient after waiting for her.


    ¡°There will be dire consequences if you dy your sister¡¯s ceremony!¡± Henrick scowled.


    In contrast, Cindy spoke in a very demure and gentle tone. ¡°It¡¯s still early. She won¡¯t dy the


    ceremony. I was just scared that Arielle would have gotten lost in this foreign ce. Arielle, look at your


    sister; she was so worried that she burst into tears when she couldn¡¯t find you at the exit.¡±


    Arielle turned to look at Shandie. True to Cindy¡¯s words, Shandie¡¯s eyes were red and swollen. There


    were even glistening tears around the corners of her eyes. ¡°Arielle, it¡¯s alright¡­ I¡¯m just d that you


    are safe.¡± Shandie sniffled as she said this.


    When Arielle shifted her gaze downwards, Arielle caught sight of several red gashes across Shandie¡¯s


    thigh underneath her skirt. !


    In order to make Hendrick scold Arielle, Shandie had resorted to such extreme tricks and schemes.


    When Shandie noticed Arielle¡¯s gaze, she quickly used her hand to cover her thigh.


    Immediately, Arielle looked away under the pretense that she hadn¡¯t noticed anything. She did not


    provide an excuse to Henrick. Instead, she apologized profusely. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m so sorry that I made


    everyone worry. I¡¯ll make sure to sit next to everyone so that this incident won¡¯t happen again.¡± Arielle¡¯s


    face was pale as she murmured apologetically.


    Upon hearing Arielle¡¯s statement, Henrick finally remembered that they had booked first-ss seats on


    the ne. On the other hand, Arielle sat in the economy ss.


    Henrick coughed awkwardly; it seemed like he couldn¡¯t find it in himself to remain mad at her anymore.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll bete if we don¡¯t set off now.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Arielle nodded her head obediently. She even reached out to help Cindy with her luggage.


    In the blink of an eye, Henrick¡¯s anger dissipated.


    Yet, this experience seemed to show that his eldest daughter was someonepliant and weak-willed


    Perhaps I should shift all of my attention to Shandie instead.


    In a sh, Shandie garnered his love and attention again. Henrick went out of his way to book the hotel


    located closest to the ceremony. He even reserved a suite just for Shandie.


    In the room, Shandie was utterly delighted. ¡°Mom, isn¡¯t my n brilliant?¡± She beamed and asked


    Cindy.


    ¡°I told you not to make any move behind my back!¡± Cindy did not seem to share Shandie¡¯s joy. Instead,


    a deep frown graced her forehead.


    Seeing Cindy¡¯s anger, Shandie tugged on her arm in a coy manner. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t be angry anymore¡­


    Wasn¡¯t the final result satisfactory?¡±.


    Cindy suddenly remembered that Henrick had arranged for Arielle to stay at the cheapest room in the


    hotel. Immediately, her mood brightened. ¡°You rascal. The next time you try to do anything, you should


    let me know first,¡± Cindy chastised Shandie and flicked her nose mischievously.


    ¡°Rx, Arielle isn¡¯t as strong as you im to be. I bet she¡¯s throwing an enormous tantrum right now!¡±


    On the other hand, Cindy was deep in thought.


    Anyone who fell into Shandie¡¯s schemes would haveshed out or defended themselves. Yet, Arielle


    did not. She merely admitted her mistake and tried to improve her ws.


    This means that Arielle is someone who can endure hardships and stay calm despite


    being med. She would be extremely dangerous if she decides tosh out.


    ¡°Darling, listen to me. I¡¯ve thought about it. You should just receive your trophy obediently. Don¡¯t try to


    say anything else. We should try out best to understand her. There will be plenty of chances to deal


    with her in the future,¡± Cindy said solemnly.


    Alright, Mom.¡± Shandie nodded her head in agreement. Despite her actions, she didn¡¯t seem to share


    the same thoughts as Cindy.

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20


    Shandie¡¯s lips curled up into a smile as wide as that of some socialite and froze in ce while her brain


    thawed.


    What¡­ Arielle?Did I hear that right?


    There was a flurry of discussion within the crowd as well.


    ¡°Who¡¯s Arielle Moore?¡±


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Shandie Southall the champion? Why isn¡¯t she made the brand ambassador? Is Soir Coffee


    breaking the convention this year and opting for someone else apart from thepetition winner?¡±


    ¡°Even if they are not picking the champion, should they not select a candidate amongst the top three


    finalists? I don¡¯t see this Arielle Moore amongst any of them.¡±


    In the gallery, the unsettled Cindy turned and red furiously at the equally stunned Arielle in the row


    behind, who wondered why Vinson would make her the ambassador of the coffee chain.


    ¡°Arielle!¡± Cindy snarled. ¡°What have you done? Why did you pull something like that on your sister?¡±


    Cindy¡¯s eyes looked like they were about to pop, and were they not in a public space, Arielle was sure


    that the woman would have skinned her alive.


    Henrick, too, had a look of surprise on him, but it quickly evolved into a smile.


    As both the girls were his daughters, it made no difference to him who got the job since he was going


    to get paid either way.


    Henrick set aside some of his biases toward Arielle and regarded her warmly. ¡°How could you not


    share this great news with me earlier, Sannie?¡±


    Arielle was quite impassive inside.


    How did he manage to forget that he was her father when he upgraded himself to first ss seats and


    left her all by herself in the economic ss?


    As disgusted as she felt, she did not show her emotions as she shrugged nonchntly. ¡°I only got to


    know about this too, Dad.¡±


    ¡°Liar!¡± Cindy seethed through gritted teeth. ¡°You clearly did this on purpose!¡±


    She was in the opinion that Arielle held back in a bid to see Shandie and herself sorely disappointed.


    The vicious girl!


    ¡°Cindy!¡± Henrick bristled at her. ¡°What are you doing? There¡¯s no need to differentiate because Sannie


    and Shandie are both our children. So stop this.¡±


    Cindy raged until she was heaving, but had to rein herself in in the presence of Henrick.


    Arielle only smiled wryly when she looked at Cindy.


    She had no desire to be some ambassador as she thought it was too much of a hassle and an


    impediment to the advancement of her ns. Seeing the hatred in Cindy¡¯s eyes, however, made her


    feel that this was one possible way by which she could get back at them-pissing Cindy off and dashing


    Shandie¡¯s hopes would surely rend this family apart.


    So long as there was disharmony between them, fault-lines which she could exploit would surely


    surface, and that suited her just fine.


    Upon seeing the sliver of a smile upon Arielle¡¯s lips, Cindy became even more unwavering in her belief


    that it was all intended on Arielle¡¯s part, and was determined to not let the girl clinch that role which she


    felt rightfully belonged to her own precious daughter.


    At that moment, the host took center-stage after conferring with Vinson. ¡°Could we have you on stage,


    Ms. Moore?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s eyes coincidentally met Vinson¡¯s when she looked toward the tform, and though she could


    not tell what sort of mood he was in through his dark gaze, she could onlyply at the host¡¯s behest.


    As Arielle ced one foot before the other in the direction of the stage, all everyone else could see was


    a slender silhouette from the rear.


    Nevertheless, that was enough to impress upon them her gracefulness. Her poise was like a butterfly in


    flight, and the majestic air she exuded was not to be understated.


    Arielle¡¯s unadorned face did little to diminish her ability to dazzle. Her visage, as radiant as the sun and


    as pristine as the crescent moon, left the observing Shandie gnashing her own teeth onstage.


    She slowly turned herself around after she stepped into the spotlight while the audience enthralled by


    her back-view continued to be transfixed in anticipation.


    Gorgeous!She is simply gorgeous!

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21


    The girl on stage had defined, exquisite features and wless looks on that most perfectly oval-shaped


    face to go with her almost nine-head tall frame. Her package practically reduced Shandie beside her to


    a figurative ugly-duckling.


    Never mind the ugly-duckling, even ordinary swans would be put to shame before the real swan-


    princess.


    Most significantly was the fact that she wore no make-up. There was no telling how breathtaking she


    would be if she had put some color on, as a girl like her could overshadow even the female stars in the


    beautyden entertainment industry.


    No one dislikes beautiful women. Not even the girls present at the ceremony whose eyes glistened in


    awe.


    By just standing there, Arielle was that brightest light who condemned Shandie to a mere wallflower,


    drawing away all the attention that ought to have belonged to thetter without exception.


    Vinson¡¯s eyes, too, were riveted as well, as if everyone else had be non-existent to him.


    The manner in which Shandie¡¯s eyes reddened in jealousy did not elude Arielle. The former¡¯s rage and


    anguish were exactly what she wanted, but she quickly averted her gaze and walked right up to


    Vinson. ¡°Why did you¡­¡±.


    Then, Vinson interjected, ¡°I haven¡¯t decided whether to marry you, so consider this a little forwarding


    of interest.¡±


    Arielle was stumped, as she wondered whether it was solely for the payment of interest that he decided


    to hand such a critical endorsement role to her.


    She had no idea what was going on inside Vinson¡¯s head, but she felt that that role would be worth


    taking up just to see Cindy and Shandie throw a fit.


    Vinson took up the microphone. ¡°As you may understand, Soir Coffee has always picked the winner of


    the coffeepetition to be our spokesperson, but I¡¯ve decided that this year, we¡¯ll only choose the


    one whose image best represents our brand. That, I feel, belongs to Ms. Moore. So, why don¡¯t you


    come forward and say a few words to all our friends out there?¡±


    Arielle took over from Vinson and was about to speak when someone rushed out and snatched the


    microphone from her.


    ¡°I won¡¯t stand for this!¡±


    When Arielle reflexively turned around, her gaze collided head-along into Shandie¡¯s, whose reaction


    came as no surprise to her.


    Arielle¡¯s brows perked up, questioningly. ¡°What are you doing, Shandie?¡±


    Shandie ignored her and addressed the crowd directly instead. ¡°The brand ambassador of the coffee


    shop has always been selected from amongst those who have proved themselves to be the most


    proficient attte art. How could someone with no knowledge of it was chosen this year? This is just


    uneptable!¡±


    Cindy was the first to take to her feet.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Mr. Nightshire! Your decision is too arbitrary and unprecedented, and we should have


    been informed even if you wish to make an exception to this. How can you have a country girl who isn¡¯t


    even a coffee drinker be your brand ambassador?¡±


    Cindy¡¯s words had the entire hall uproarious.


    ¡°A girl from the countryside? This chosen ambassador can¡¯t carry the image of an international chain


    like Soir Coffee!¡±


    ¡°Disregarding the fact that she¡¯s from the country, but not even a coffee drinker? That¡¯s a little too


    much.¡±


    Emboldened by the supportive crowd, Shandie spoke into the microphone again, ¡°Don¡¯t tell us that


    you¡¯ve seduced your way into this role, Arielle?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s dagger-like icy stare gave Shandie quite a fright, while Vinson¡¯s even colder re unnerved


    thetter so much that she dared not even look at him twice.


    She took a deep drawl and a moment to collect herself before she continued, ¡°Otherwise, kindly exin


    to us how someone who doesn¡¯t even drink coffee managed to snag this endorsement role.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡°Who told you that I don¡¯t drink coffee?¡± Arielle retorted calmly.


    That drew a sneer from Shandie. ¡°Then, do you dare ept my challenge? If you could beat me at


    latte art, then I¡¯d willingly give up the role of brand ambassador to you!¡±

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22


    Vinson wanted to speak up but Arielle shot him a look before she replied with a meaningful smile, ¡°Very


    well. Challenge epted!¡±


    Shandie was momentarily taken aback but recovered quickly with a smirk. ¡°Good! Let¡¯s do it. Right


    here, right now!¡±


    Cindy was not idling away in the gallery either as she went over to hash things out swiftly with the


    organizers, after which two coffee tables were moved onstage and equipped properly.


    Vinson looked a tad apprehensively at Arielle who remained silent throughout.


    Once the host saw that both of them are ready, he said, ¡°Ladies, you may begin.¡±


    Shandie burst into action the moment his voice trailed off.


    The first step to creatingtte art was, of course, to prepare the espresso which had to be hand-brewed


    by the participants themselves.


    The assiduous Shandie weighed up fifteen grams of coffee beans and fed them into the grinder with


    tremendous refinement.


    She was surprised to see Arielle appearing quitepetent when she stole a nce over, as though


    thetter actually knew what she was doing.


    Arielle had fluidly set up the paper filter inside the filter holder before she raised the kettle to pour the


    boiling water in, clockwise and in a circr movement.


    Shandie was unable to contain herself when she observed that, noting that this was something only


    professional brewers would know. Pouring clockwise would allow for the filter to adhere better to the


    holder, and at the same time, eliminate the starchy taste from the paper and warm up the receptacle.


    The resultant would be a much more vorful cuppa.


    It was easy to tell from Arielle¡¯s understanding of this coupled with her deft gestures that she knew how


    to make coffee.


    How can it be possible for this country girl to know how to brew?


    In spite of her certainty that she was not hallucinating, Shandie waspletely bamboozled.


    Isn¡¯t Arielle from the countryside?


    Shandie remained stumped for some time before she pinched herself hard and turned her focus back


    to the task at hand.


    Brew it!Even if Arielle knows how to make coffee, will she be able to dotte art?


    Shandie took a deep drawl in a bid to settle herself and resume her own work.


    Traditional pour-over coffee required two infusions of water, after which an aromatic cup would be


    ready


    Shandie quietly chuckled when she saw Arielle still awaiting her second infusion while she herself was


    already done, and dismissed Arielle¡¯s knowledge as something thetter must have picked up from a


    stint at a coffee shop.


    Shortly after, Ariellepleted her brewing as well, and in response, the hostmunicated that they


    could both proceed with the creation of theirtte art.


    Compared to brewing, thette art was the real litmus test.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    The creation oftte art required the use of whole milk, and each person needed to conceive their


    theme before they began.


    Maintaining an elegant smile, Shandie was first to speak, ¡°My chosen theme is: A Snow-Covered


    Cottage in Freezing Weather¡­¡±


    When the microphone came to Arielle, she paused before replying staidly, ¡°Mine will be: The Bloom of


    a Thousand Pear-Flowers Ushered Forth by the Night Breeze of Spring.¡±


    Shandie twitched her lips upon hearing Arielle simrly reciting a verse from ssical poetry.


    Is this little b*tch trying to be pedantic like me? How many years did she spend in school?I am, of


    course, an arts graduate from the University of Avenport.


    Shandie scoffed at the thought of Arielle¡¯s proposed theme in the assumption that thetter was only


    going to put together a few pear-flowers, and went on to


    concentrate on shaping out her own designs with the whole milk.


    First, Shandie covered the top of the coffee with froth from the whole milk, and then employed the use


    oftte art pen to tease out a snow-capped mountain and a little wooden house upon it.


    At a nce, it did foster the feel of A Snow-Covered Cottage in Freezing Weather.

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23


    When Shandie¡¯s swiftly realized theme was shed on the screen, it drew gasps of astonishment.


    ¡°This artistic conception is pretty good. If this cup of coffee were to be offered in a coffee shop, surely it


    could fetch a good twenty?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t coffee art, but art itself!¡±


    ¡°No wonder Crown Coffee Academy has the reputation of being the best ce to learn the techniques


    of brewing!¡±


    Cindy was extremely pleased at the reactions received, and was proud that the daughter she


    painstakingly nurtured had not let her down.


    Shandie quietly began to grow in hercency as she was able to listen in to the discussions


    taking ce and praisevished upon her off-stage.


    She just knew that she would be the one toe up on top!


    Her theme was secretly conceived by a famous designer, and one which she had spent a week


    practicing at home. There was none who could rival her work in terms of visual impact.


    She could just imagine the legions of fans she would be able to garner when the video was posted onto


    the blog, and all before she even starred in any movie.


    On top of that, Vinson would also be mighty impressed, making her a winner in both love and her


    professional life!


    The more Shandie thought about it, the more her delight grew. She then needed to pinch her own thigh


    in order to stop herself fromughing aloud.


    Of course, she had not forgotten about Arielle, who was still busying away.


    Shandie thought that though Arielle¡®s Bloom of a Thousand Pear-Flowers did showcase a considerable


    degree of skill, its few pear-trees with budding blossoms nheless paled in contrast to her own


    creation.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    When Arielle was finally done, she raised a hand and asked the host, ¡°Could you do


    me a favor here?¡±


    The host immediately went over.


    Shandie sneered inside: Sensationalist much!


    Never mind getting the host to help, Shandie deemed that her opponent had no chance of beating her


    even with Vinson¡¯s backing. As this was an open challenge witnessed by the masses, there was no


    way she would be able to pull strings here.


    By this time, the host was already next to Arielle. ¡°May I know if there¡¯s anything that you¡¯d like me to


    do?¡±


    Arielle turned to the big screen behind her which was now focused over her coffee, and decided that


    the timing was right.


    ¡°Do you mind lending me the script you have in your hand?¡±


    ¡°Certainly,¡± replied the host who was happy to assent to a beautiful woman¡¯s request, and generously


    passed his own script along.


    To the side, Shandie appeared even more disdainful when she saw Arielle¡¯s design on the big screen.


    So you drew up some nice looking pear-flowers?Big deal.


    She wondered what other tricks Arielle might be up to, but remained skeptical as to whether it would


    make any difference to the oue.


    Arielle reached out to receive the script from the host and at the same time, sought out the angle she


    wanted. Once she got a handle on the amount of force she wanted to apply behind it, she started to fan


    at the coffee with the script in hand.


    Shandie was dumbstruck.


    How could you fan at thette art?Wouldn¡¯t that mess up your original drawing? You¡¯re an ignorant


    country girl after all!What a joke!


    While Shandie ridiculed away at Arielle inside, an astonishing sequence was unveiled in the next


    instant as the buds on the pear-trees seemed to bloom under Arielle¡¯s steady fanning


    Then, a few blossoms appeared to detach from the branches and scatter upon the ground bellow.


    With that, Arielle stopped fanning and extended a bow to the audience and guests. ¡°This is my work:


    The Bloom of a Thousand Pear-Flowers Ushered Forth by the Night Breeze of Spring. Thank you for


    watching.¡±

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24


    All presents were so stunned that the entire hall remained hushed even after her voice faded out.


    Latte art had always been static, but Arielle¡¯s effort was animated!


    A cup of coffee was a one-off, but this one was worth a few times more because that few seconds of


    motion itself could sell for hundreds!


    While the audience below was still awestruck, Vinson in the front row was the first to start pping


    There was no exaggeration to The Bloom of a Thousand Pear-Flowers Ushered Forth by the Night


    Breeze of Spring, as that scene they witnessed expressed just that.


    Now he understood why Arielle epted the challenge.


    There was not only curiosity in Vinson¡¯s eyes but also an element of admiration, as he did not expect


    that this uncouthss could also exhibit such elegance and finesse.


    What else was there to her that he did not know about?


    Vinson¡¯s apuse brought the crowd back to their senses.


    ¡°Marvelous! I¡¯ve never seen this form oftte art in my life. Could this be patented?¡±


    ¡°This is going to go viral. If the video goes online, it is going to take the coffee industry by storm!¡±


    ¡°Is she a student of the Crown Coffee Academy? How is it that I¡¯m not able to find her within the list of


    alumni? Could it be that she isn¡¯t from the school?¡±


    Henrick was delirious with glee and almost lost control as he jumped onto his feet. ¡°She¡¯s not a student


    of the Crown Coffee Academy. She¡¯s my daughter, Arielle.¡±


    ¡°So she¡¯s your daughter? I recall that you have another daughter onstage. You are one lucky man to


    have two talented girls like them!¡±


    ¡°The video! Could we y that segment again? I¡¯d like to see it one more time!¡±


    ¡°Me too! Me too!¡±


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    ¡°Could I get a sip of that coffee? Just one sip?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, sir? Could you introduce me to your daughter? I¡¯m the manager at Orhiette Cafe¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the CEO of XX Coffee and I¡¯d like to get to know her too¡­¡±


    Henrick¡¯s face was flushed red by the courtship of all the countless parties moring for his attention


    as never in his life had he been so popr with the sponsors, and for this, he had to credit his darling


    daughter Arielle for it!


    Next to him, Cindy was already red in the face from rage, unaware that her fingernails had dug so deep


    into her own flesh that she was bleeding from it. All she could do was re at Arielle onstage.


    Why?How did things turn out this way?


    There were no words to describe the hatred in her heart!


    In less than the short one week since Arielle¡¯s return, she and Shandie had already lost out to her three


    times. And each time, it had been aplete ughter.


    Her own daughter who she thought the world of kept getting her thunder stolen by that wily fox Arielle!


    She had to find out which burrow this vixen crawled out of so that she could bring the wholeir down


    as soon as possible!


    Compared to Cindy, Shandie looked like she was about to explode onstage as the immense


    amazement she felt she saw the pear-flowers bloom and fell was supnted by an irrepressible fury.


    ¡°You are a liar!¡±


    Shandie stormed up and grabbed Arielle by the cor. ¡°Aren¡¯t you someone who doesn¡¯t even drink


    coffee? How do you learn abouttte art? You liar!¡±

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25


    Shandie¡¯s expression bordered on savagery, to which Arielle responded with a stern rebuke. ¡°Get your


    hands off. You¡¯ve been warned!¡±


    She had really been overtly polite to Shandie all the time.


    Shandie was stewing as she stared straight into Arielle¡¯s eyes, but what she saw hidden inside was like


    a gargantuan cier that could swallow someone whole.


    That intimidating coldness shocked Shandie as it was something she had never seen before.


    Arielle tugged Shandie¡¯s offending hand off her own cor and turned to the host. ¡°Sir, I think my sister


    might be a little agitated, so it might be best if you could bring her backstage to cool off.¡±


    Before the host could react, two ck-d bodyguards walked onstage and positioned themselves


    either side of Shandie before they escorted her off.


    Arielle was a little taken aback by the appearance of the duo as she did not bring along any


    bodyguards herself on this trip back.


    In the next second, a tall and stalwart man steadily approached her.


    It was Vinson.


    His standout chiseled face appeared unapproachable without a smile, but perhaps owing to the lighting


    from behind him, he seemed a little more genial at this time,


    ¡°Are those two bodyguards working for you?¡± Arielle asked.


    Vinson stopped less than two feet away from her and extended his right hand. ¡°Congrattions for


    bing the brand ambassador to Soir Coffee, the retail chain under Nightshire Group. I¡¯ll have my


    Arielle did not manage to reply before Henrick¡¯s voice rang out again. ¡°Thank you for giving Sannie this


    opportunity, Mr. Nightshire. As she¡¯s still young and unfamiliar with contractual agreements, I¡¯ll be


    standing in as her manager. So please, direct yourwyer to follow up with me.¡±


    Vinson evoked a rare smile at Henrick. ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll be in touch again.¡±


    Seeing that Vinson was about to leave, Henrick quickly called after him. ¡°Wait, Mr. Nightshire! To


    facilitatemunications, would you be able to give me one of your name-cards?¡±


    That only earned him a frosty look from Vinson.


    The demeanor of his assistant beside him was just as aloof. ¡°Mr. Nightshire¡¯s name card is custom-


    made and is not something granted to just anyone. There¡¯s no need for you to try to reach us either, as


    we¡¯ll contact you as and when there¡¯s a need to.¡±


    Henrick¡¯s face shriveled and reddened and he cleared his throat awkwardly, not daring to bring up the


    issue of the name-card again.


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    The observing Arielle was a little taken aback by this.


    Isn¡¯t the assistant overreacting a little? It¡¯s just a name-card.


    After Vinson departed, the curious Arielle inquired of her father, ¡°Why won¡¯t he give us a name-card,


    Dad? Is there any special meaning to it?¡±


    ¡°Of course, my girl.¡± Henrick looked upon Arielle with the eyes of a kindly father as he patiently


    exined. ¡°Mr. Nightshire¡¯s name-card isn¡¯t handed out freely, so when he chooses to give it to


    someone, it means that he¡¯s taken that person into confidence. Anyone in possession of Mr.


    Nightshire¡¯s name-card will be held in esteem, and will be able to enter and leave Nightshire Group¡¯s


    premises at will.¡±


    Arielle instinctively reached over the pocket holding the name-card Vinson gave her.


    If what Henrick said was true, she had nearly thrown away an invaluable gift.


    She supposed that she probably would not find a use for something like that, but even if she did, she


    was certain she would not want to hand it over to someone like Henrick who would more than likely


    abuse the privilege.

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26


    ¡°That¡¯s why, girl,¡± Henrick continued, ¡°You¡¯ve to try to get me one of those when you¡¯re better


    acquainted with him, got it?¡±


    Arielle sneered quietly but nheless nodded dutifully. ¡°Yes, Dad.¡±


    She then continued, ¡°I¡¯m going need more knowledge to perform my role as ambassador, Dad. As I


    haven¡¯t attended much school, could I use your study to do some reading? I noticed that you have


    quite a collection in there.¡±


    What she figured was that there might be some clues in there which may reveal the cause of her


    mother¡¯s death.


    Henrick¡¯s study was not a ce which she was allowed to ess freely, so over the past week, she


    had not managed to find an excuse to get in.


    The man hesitated before he nodded. ¡°Sure! But you are not to go through any documents or the likes


    inside.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Thanks, Dad!¡± Arielle¡¯s sweet smile drew the eyes of the people around her, and only she herself


    was oblivious to how captivating she was.


    Those looks only served to improve upon Henrick¡¯s good mood, as he thought to himself what a gem


    he lucked out on.


    Not only was she beautiful, but she was also skilled attte art as well. He felt that somebody up there


    must really like him, and thought how much of a travesty it would be if he could not manage to put the


    Southalls on the map.


    At this moment, Cindy hastened over. ¡°Dear, I saw someone take Shannie away so could you help find


    out where she is? I¡¯m afraid that she might be in trouble¡­¡±


    It was only then that Henrick remembered that he still had another daughter, and proceeded to search


    for her alongside Cindy.


    However, Shandie showed up when they were about to set off.


    The aggrieved and irate woman ranted at Henrick, ¡°Dad! Arielle had Mr. Nightshire¡¯s men lock me up


    inside a house! She¡¯s an evil woman! You¡®ve to set this right by punishing her!¡±


    Henrick¡¯s face darkened as he barked hoarsely, ¡°What are you raving on about? Keep acting out like


    that, and see whether I¡¯ll smack you!¡±


    Shandie was stunned and reflexively raised a protective hand over her own tender face.


    It took three days of icing for her to get the swelling down thest time she got hit, and she had not


    even had that broken tooth of hers patched up to date.


    Shandie staggered back two paces. She could not understand why her father was yelling at her when it


    was clearly Arielle who was at fault.


    Henrick continued to lecture her, ¡°Don¡¯t you know the principle of seniority? You are not to speak of


    your big sister again that way cause if you do, you¡¯re going to get it from me!¡±


    ¡°Mom..¡± Shandie was tearful and trembling all over.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Cindy steadied her by her shoulders. ¡°Quickly now. Congratte your sister.¡±


    Shandie managed to rein herself in but was unable to eke out a smile. Hence, she said stiffly,


    ¡°Congrattions, Arielle¡­¡±


    Arielle curled her lips and her eyes hinted at a smile. ¡°If not for you giving me a chance, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be


    unable to get this endorsement deal with Soir Coffee. So thank you, Shandie. You truly are my dearest


    sister.¡±


    ¡°You..¡± Shandie tried to take in a deep drawl, but she was so angry that she could neither breathe in or


    out. She felt her sight cken and would have passed out again in public had Cindy not caught her in


    time.


    ¡°Arielle!¡± Cindy could not help but re at Arielle as she watched Shandie recover. ¡°You¡¯ve already cost


    Shandie the ambassadorial role, so would you stop provoking her already!¡±


    Arielle replied innocuously, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not sure how I might be provoking her¡­ Are you alright,


    Shandie?¡±

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27


    Shandie¡¯s frustration kicked in upon seeing how fake Arielle was, and she fainted right away.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Henrick knitted his brows and said, ¡°What an embarrassment. Quick! Send her back to the hotel!¡±


    Cindy shot daggers at him at first but immediately hid the disdain on her face. She then called a waiter


    to help carry Shandie away.


    The sponsor did not expect Shandie to faint. Just when he was about to defuse the tension, a group of


    sponsors representing various coffee brands came over.


    One of them said, ¡°Would you like to be the ambassador for our brand? We¡¯ll reward you handsomely.¡±


    The other sponsor echoed, ¡°Choose us, Miss. We¡¯re a world renown brand!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right! As if no one knows you¡¯re just apany that sells cheap instant coffee!¡± another sponsor


    mocked. He then turned to Arielle and said, ¡°Please work with us!¡±


    More and more sponsors from different brands walked up to them. Some even started fighting amidst


    themotion.


    The situation spiraled out of control so quickly that the sponsors even pushed Henrick out of the crowd.


    He was utterly at a loss for words.


    Are these sponsors fighting to get my daughter to be their ambassador? My daughter who grew up in


    the country? Well, well, well¡­ Despite growing up in the countryside, she has a great charisma like


    me. I guess she takes after me.


    Henrick looked at his daughter and nodded with a smile.


    Shandie finally woke up when the waiter carried her to the entrance of the ceremony.


    one


    She opened her eyes and noticed those sponsors had all surrounded Arielle. No one paid attention to


    her anymore.


    All this happened because she wanted to challenge Arielle, thinking she would crush her in public.


    But who knew, her n had backfired.


    Shandie felt a jolt of anger and fainted once again.


    Shandie fainting for the second time made Cindy even more nervous. She could hardly pay attention to


    Arielle anymore.


    By the end of the awards ceremony, Arielle received a stack of name cards from representatives of


    different coffee brands.


    Henrick eventually snatched the cards away and started going through them one by


    one.


    Arielle responded with a sigh upon seeing the excitement on Henrick¡¯s face. What have I gotten myself


    into? All I wanted was just to teach Shandie a lesson¡­


    But she was still d that she had sessfully disturbed the family, and she knew the mother-


    daughter duo would not let her off easily.


    Cindy had been trying to get rid of Arielle the moment she decided to return to the family. Arielle knew


    she would have to face Cindy head-on eventually.


    Bring it on, Cindy. Bring it on!


    Before leaving the ceremony, Henrick took out a card from his wallet and gave it to Arielle. ¡°This is a


    supplementary card. If you¡¯ve maxed out the other two cards, you can still use this.¡±


    ¡°Buy yourself some nice clothes and doll yourself up,¡± he added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the money.¡±


    After a few perfunctory rejections, Arielle epted the card.


    The card woulde in handy for her to investigate Henrick¡¯s current assets.


    Arielle had once hired a private investigator to find out more about her mother, Maureen. She


    eventually learned that Maureen had ten billion worth of liquidity in cash flow before she passed away.


    So she was curious how much did the Southall Group own after they took over the Moore Group


    Arielle and her family soon got on a flight, and in the blink of an eye, she arrived back at Jadeborough.


    They did not interact with each other when they stepped out of the airport.


    Henrick had to leave for work, so his chauffeur was already waiting there to pick him


    While waiting for their car to fetch them back to the manor, Shandie could no longer


    contain her anger anymore. She shot daggers at Arielle and warned, ¡°My patience has limits. You¡¯d


    better watch it.¡±

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28


    Arielle responded with a shocked expression. ¡°Oh, really? You actually have the concept of limits?¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised that someone who has resorted to using a venomous snake to attack others understands


    what the word ¡®limit¡¯ truly means,¡± Arielle said with a smirk. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Shandie. I¡¯ll be more careful


    next time, okay?¡±


    Just when Shandie was about to explode with rage, she somehow managed to read between the lines.


    She took a few steps back and asked, ¡°You knew it? So it was you who put the snake in my room?¡±


    Arielle responded with a grin. ¡°Oh, calm down. I had to send it back to where it belongs. It¡¯s yours, isn¡¯t


    it?¡±


    Shandie widened her eyes and threatened, ¡°That¡¯s enough! I¡¯m going to tell Dad!¡±


    Arielle nonchntly nodded. ¡°Sure. Go ahead and tell Dad about the snake. You¡¯re the one who


    released it in my room first, remember?¡±


    Shandie, who was about to dial Henrick¡¯s number, froze instantly.


    Damn it, she¡¯s right. If I were to report her to Dad, then he¡¯ll know what I did to her!No. I can¡¯t tell Dad


    about this.


    Shandie¡¯s eyes glowed with a towering rage. ¡°Go to hell, b*tch!¡± She charged at Arielle and tried to


    scratch her face.


    She had been wanting to disfigure Arielle¡¯s face for a long time!


    Yet unexpectedly, just when Shandie¡¯s hand was about to reach her face, Arielle grabbed her wrist and


    twisted it hard. In a snap of a finger, Arielle dislocated Shandie¡¯s wrist.


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Shandie¡¯s wrist was so weak that Arielle broke it with just a minimal force.


    Arielle looked at her icily. She did not sympathize with Shandie at all.


    Cindy has pped me once, and I swore I¡¯ll not allow her and her daughter to do that to me anymore.


    Shandie was in so much pain that she almost fainted. She could not even move her wrist at all.


    Shandie took a deep breath and was still in shock. She could not feel a thing with her hand at all.


    Did she just snap my wrist?


    Shandie gave Arielle a terrified look. She¡¯s much petite than I am. Where did she find the strength to do


    that?Don¡¯t tell me she knows martial arts?


    Shandie instantly stay away from Arielle. She turned around and shouted for help. ¡°Mom! Arielle broke


    my wrist!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Cindy was stunned. She did not know what happened between them as she was busy looking


    after the luggage.


    The moment she saw how pallid Shandie¡¯s face was, she shoved the luggage aside and ran toward her


    daughter.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Tears rolled down Shandie¡¯s cheeks. She pointed at Arielle with another hand and wailed, ¡°She broke


    my wrist!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Cindy could not believe what she heard, and she did not think Arielle had the strength to do


    that.


    She then went up and touched Shandie¡¯s hand gently, causing thetter to scream in excruciating pain.


    Upon seeing that reaction, Cindy finally believed Arielle had broken Shandie¡¯s hand.


    She instantly picked up her phone and was ready to report Arielle to the cops.


    I¡¯m calling the cops. There¡¯s no point telling Henrick about this. He¡¯ll side with Arielle because of all the


    benefits he got from her.

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29


    Arielle acted as if she was not aware that Cindy was reporting her to the cops.


    Soon, a cop stationed at the airport arrived alongside the medical team.


    Arielle seized the opportunity and walked up to Shandie, then grabbed her by the arm when thetter


    was not paying attention.


    Once again, Shandie roared in pain. She pushed Arielle away and screamed, ¡°Mom! She did it again!¡±


    When Cindy was about give Arielle a p on the face, the cops arrived. Cindy had no choice but to


    stop. ¡°Get her! She broke my daughter¡¯s hand!¡±


    The cop took a nce at the innocent-looking Arielle and wondered if she was capable of doing that.


    ¡°Doctor! Please examine thisdy to see if she¡¯s all right,¡± the cop turned to the medical team and said.


    Shandie pointed at her injured hand and said, ¡°Take a look at my hand. It hurts so badly when I move.¡±


    The doctor got up and did a thorough examination. After some time, the doctor knitted his brows and


    took several nces at Shandie and Arielle.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, doctor?¡± Shandie asked, ¡°Is there something wrong with my hand?¡±


    Cindy gasped and exploded. ¡°Nab this woman right now!¡±


    With a deadpan expression, Arielle said, ¡°Can you please show me some respect, Aunt Cindy? You are


    aware that I can sue you for defamation, right?¡±


    ¡°Defamation?¡± Cindy pointed at her and raised her voice. ¡°How did I defame you? You broke Shandie¡¯s


    wrist!¡±


    Arielle raised her brows. ¡°Please watch your words. Let¡¯s see what the doctor has to say.¡±


    Cindy panicked upon seeing how calm Arielle was.


    But with all the evidence pointed against Arielle, Cindy believed there was no way she could deny what


    she had done.


    You are going to jail, Arielle!


    Cindy immediately asked the doctor, ¡°So how is her hand?¡±


    The doctor gave Cindy a disdainful look and answered icily, ¡°Is this a joke? You think we have nothing


    better to do but to solve your family dispute?¡±


    Cindy froze for a moment. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    The doctor ignored her and turned to the cop. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with her hand. I have to go and


    attend to the other patients now.¡±


    Both Cindy and Shandie were stunned.


    What? How is that possible?


    Shandie tried moving her hand, and oddly enough, her wrist did not hurt anymore.


    She exerted more force on her hand and realized she could move it freely again.


    ¡°How¡­ howe?¡± Shandie looked at Cindy in disbelief. ¡°Mom, I think there¡¯s nothing wrong with my


    hand now¡­¡±


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Cindy touched her hand, and Shandie did not scream like how she did earlier anymore.


    Cindy heaved a sigh of relief at first before rage seared through her again. She gave Arielle a sullen


    re and asked, ¡°What on earth have you done to my daughter?¡±


    Arielle said in an aloof voice, ¡°I should be asking you this question. How could you file a false police


    report? I feel like you¡¯re doing this to air our dirtyundry in public.¡±


    Shandie roared furiously, ¡°I didn¡¯t file a false report! You broke my wrist! Stop acting like you¡¯re


    innocent!¡± She then turned to Cindy. ¡°Mom! Look at her!¡±

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30


    Arielle acted as if she was not aware that Cindy was reporting her to the cops.


    Soon, a cop stationed at the airport arrived alongside the medical team.


    Arielle seized the opportunity and walked up to Shandie, then grabbed her by the arm when thetter


    was not paying attention.


    Once again, Shandie roared in pain. She pushed Arielle away and screamed, ¡°Mom! She did it again!¡±


    When Cindy was about give Arielle a p on the face, the cops arrived. Cindy had no choice but to


    stop. ¡°Get her! She broke my daughter¡¯s hand!¡±


    The cop took a nce at the innocent-looking Arielle and wondered if she was capable of doing that.


    ¡°Doctor! Please examine thisdy to see if she¡¯s all right,¡± the cop turned to the medical team and said.


    Shandie pointed at her injured hand and said, ¡°Take a look at my hand. It hurts so badly when I move.¡±


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    The doctor got up and did a thorough examination. After some time, the doctor knitted his brows and


    took several nces at Shandie and Arielle.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, doctor?¡± Shandie asked, ¡°Is there something wrong with my hand?¡±


    Cindy gasped and exploded. ¡°Nab this woman right now!¡±


    With a deadpan expression, Arielle said, ¡°Can you please show me some respect, Aunt Cindy? You are


    aware that I can sue you for defamation, right?¡±


    ¡°Defamation?¡± Cindy pointed at her and raised her voice. ¡°How did I defame you? You broke Shandie¡¯s


    wrist!¡±


    Arielle raised her brows. ¡°Please watch your words. Let¡¯s see what the doctor has to say.¡±


    Cindy panicked upon seeing how calm Arielle was.


    But with all the evidence pointed against Arielle, Cindy believed there was no way she could deny what


    she had done.


    You are going to jail, Arielle!


    Cindy immediately asked the doctor, ¡°So how is her hand?¡±


    The doctor gave Cindy a disdainful look and answered icily, ¡°Is this a joke? You think we have nothing


    better to do but to solve your family dispute?¡±


    Cindy froze for a moment. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    The doctor ignored her and turned to the cop. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with her hand. I have to go and


    attend to the other patients now.¡±


    Both Cindy and Shandie were stunned.


    What? How is that possible?


    Shandie tried moving her hand, and oddly enough, her wrist did not hurt anymore.


    She exerted more force on her hand and realized she could move it freely again.


    ¡°How¡­ howe?¡± Shandie looked at Cindy in disbelief. ¡°Mom, I think there¡¯s nothing wrong with my


    hand now¡­¡±


    Cindy touched her hand, and Shandie did not scream like how she did earlier anymore.


    Cindy heaved a sigh of relief at first before rage seared through her again. She gave Arielle a sullen


    re and asked, ¡°What on earth have you done to my daughter?¡±


    Arielle said in an aloof voice, ¡°I should be asking you this question. How could you file a false police


    report? I feel like you¡¯re doing this to air our dirtyundry in public.¡±


    Shandie roared furiously, ¡°I didn¡¯t file a false report! You broke my wrist! Stop acting like you¡¯re


    innocent!¡± She then turned to Cindy. ¡°Mom! Look at her!¡±

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31


    The color drained out of Cindy¡¯s face. She realized they had fallen into Arielle¡¯s trap once again. This


    girl is not as na?ve as we thought. The cop reprimanded the mother-daughter duo. They had no choice


    but to apologize since there were no surveince cameras around to record the incident.


    This incident also marked the fourth time they fell prey to Arielle¡¯s trap. From now on, we have to put


    our guard up! Once the cop left, Shandie immediately yelled at Arielle. ¡°Stop acting, b*tch! What a


    coward!¡± Arielle shrugged. ¡°What? How could you expect me to confess something I¡¯ve not done?¡±


    ¡°You are a shameless b*tch!¡± Shandie cursed. Arielle snorted. ¡°The pot calling the kettle ck.¡± ¡°You!¡±


    What Arielle said had rendered Shandie speechless. Had Cindy not stepped in to stop her, Shandie


    would have thrown a punch at Arielle. Since their car had arrived, Cindy immediately told Shandie to


    get into the car, leaving Arielle alone at the airport.


    Arielle did not intend to travel with them, anyway. She had even thought of making an excuse to get


    down halfway through the journey home. A corner of her mouth quirked up when Cindy and Shandie


    left without her. It was difficult to hail a cab at the airport, so Arielle had no choice but to wait patiently.


    Soon, a ck SUV arrived. Arielle put her guard up and took a few steps back. The person sitting at


    the passenger¡¯s seat behind then winded down the window. It was Vinson. Just when she was


    hesitating on whether to greet him, Vinson initiated the conversation. ¡°Have you lost your memory


    again?¡± Arielle was at a loss for words. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Come on, get in,¡± Vinson did not give her a chance to turn


    him down. Arielle hesitated and rejected.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡°I think I should get a cab¡­¡± ¡°Are you scared that I might take advantage of you?¡± Vinson took a


    sidelong nce at her. The way he looked at her was as if he looked down on her. Arielle did not know


    how to react to that question. Excuse me? I¡¯m not that narcissistic, okay? Since Vinson had made an


    offer, Arielle decided not to waste time anymore. She opened the door on the other side and got into


    the car. After closing the door, Arielle said, ¡°Please drop me at any bank around this area.


    Thank you.¡± Vinson kept mum and read the newspaper in silence. It was as if Arielle was invisible to


    him. Vinson¡¯s assistant, who sat next to the chauffeur, wondered why he decided to read a newspaper


    when he never had the habit of doing so in the past. After noticing how he deliberately ignored Arielle,


    the assistant figured what Vinson was thinking.


    He only did it on purpose because he cares about her. The assistant believed Arielle was someone


    special to Vinson. He then replied on Vinson¡¯s behalf, ¡°We¡¯ll drop you at the bank in Tribusbridge then.


    It¡¯ll be easy for you to get a cabter too.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Arielle expressed her gratitude.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± The assistant could not stop himself from smiling at that beautifuldy. All of a


    sudden, he saw a hard glint shed across Vinson¡¯s eyes. Vinson¡¯s murderous look sent chills down


    the assistant¡¯s spine.


    He instantly refrained from talking to Arielle. Half an hourter, Arielle arrived at the bank at


    Tribusbridge. When she was about to thank them after stepping out of the car, Vinson ordered the


    chauffeur, ¡°Go!¡± The car then immediately peeled out, leaving Arielle stunned in disbelief. What¡¯s wrong


    with him?


    What a weirdo! Arielle then took out the supplementary card Henrick gave her and walked into the


    bank. The information the bank provided her took her by surprise. She walked out of the bank a few


    minutester.

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32


    She could not believe that there was only twenty million worth of cash in his main ount. Is that all


    the cash flow the Southalls have? Does Henrick still have some other cards that I¡¯m not aware of?


    Arielle dialed an overseas number and instructed, ¡°Help me investigate all the assets under the


    Southall family, including their overseas assets.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡°All right!¡± her subordinate replied. By the time Arielle arrived at the Southall residence, her subordinate


    had sent her a detailed email. Arielle opened it and was instantly struck dumb. Henrick¡¯s total assets,


    including fixed assets, were less than five hundred million.


    The Moores¡¯ assets were in the billions during their heyday, yet the figure had dwindled to less than five


    hundred million since Henrick took over. What has he done to the family wealth? Did he transfer most


    of the assets to Cindy? Arielle texted her subordinate another message: Investigate Cindy Moore¡¯s


    ount.


    Arielle then pressed the gate bell outside the manor. Someone in the manor then reported this to


    Shandie immediately. ¡°She¡¯s back!¡± Shandie¡¯s eyes brightened as she looked at the young woman.


    This young woman was Yvette Actonward. She looked like a life-sized Barbie doll as she had delicate


    features and long and wavy blonde hair. Yvette was Shandie¡¯s cousin, and she was also voted asst


    year¡¯s top socialite in Jadeborough.


    The Actonwards were also one of the prominent families in Jadeborough. Yvette¡¯s father had a close


    rtionship with the Bakers, so he had arranged for Yvette to marry their eldest on when they grew up.


    Knowing that she would eventually marry into the Baker family, Yvette had been acting willfully among


    the socialites in the city.


    Once Shandie got home, she immediately called Yvette over and sought her help. Yvette stood up


    slowly and said, ¡°Come, let¡¯s go and teach her a lesson.¡± Shandie asked, ¡°What¡¯s your n?¡± ¡°I


    brought Magnus over today,¡± Yvette said, ¡°A vicious dog will know how to deal with a vicious b*itch.¡±


    Magnus was Yvette¡¯s belovedrge-sized pit bull. Upon hearing that name, Shandie shuddered. ¡°Bring


    Magnus over!¡± Yvette ordered her bodyguard. Soon, the bodyguard, who was fully armed, brought the


    drooling pit bull over. Shandie nudged Yvette and asked in fear, ¡°Are you sure? Dad will kill me if


    anything bad happens to Arielle!¡±


    Yvette pursed her lips in annoyance. ¡°Since when have you be a scaredy-cat? Tell your Dad I did


    it. Besides, I only nned to teach her a lesson, not kill her. Okay?¡± Shandie took a deep breath as she


    was relieved to hear that. Well, if Yvette said so, we should let Magnus teach Arielle a lesson then!


    When they were about to reach the gate, a housekeeper walked past them and shrieked after seeing


    Magnus. Magnus charged at her and bit her ankle. Instantly, blood seeped through her pants and


    started dripping all over the floor.


    She could not help but scream in pain. ¡°Stop it! Don¡¯t you dare hit Magnus!¡± Yvette warned. The


    housekeeper could only look at her colleagues, hoping that they would step forth and help.


    Yet, all the other housekeepers exchanged nces with others, but none of them had the courage to


    go up and help her. When Yvette brought Magnus to the Southall residence in theirst visit, the pit bull


    even gnawed at one of the housekeeper¡¯s arms.


    The housekeeper continued to scream in pain and tried to defend herself by pushing the dog away.

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33


    Yvette approached the pit bull and said something to it, which had managed to calm it down as if it


    understood her. While the housekeeper was brought for treatment, Yvette led Magnus, her dog, to the


    main gate.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    As she was on her way, she noticed Arielle standing outside the metal gate. Though she could not see


    the other woman¡¯s face due to the distance, she could feel Arielle¡¯s unique charisma. Even so, she was


    unbothered.


    Shandie had described Arielle¡¯s physical appearance to her, but she could not care less because she


    was confident that she was the prettiest woman in the whole of Jadeborough. In no time, Yvette had


    arrived at the gate, and this time, she could see Arielle¡¯s face as clear as day.


    Arielle was indeed wless. Although she was  wearing an extremely ordinary outfit, she still looked


    breathtakingly graceful that even the word ¡°gorgeous¡± could not begin to describe this woman. Yvette¡¯s


    eyes went as round as a te the more she studied Arielle. What the hell.


    How could a country bumpkin like her be this stunning? On top of being such a beauty, her charisma is


    also splendid. Maybe even more so than me¡ªthe prettiest woman in this city. How could this be? Are


    my eyes ying tricks on me? In an instant, jealousy took the better of Yvette.


    Now that I know how she looks, instead of a quick lesson, I will put her in her ce with a harsh


    method. Before anyone notices her beauty, I must get rid of her! On the other hand, Arielle noticed


    Shandie behind an insufferable-looking blonde woman holding a big dog. ¡°What the hell are you doing,


    Shandie?


    Open the gate!¡± she eximed with a frown. Shandie looked at Yvette, who took a piece of raw meat


    from the bodyguard and threw it to the gate, whichnded on the ground. ¡°You must be Arielle,¡± uttered


    Yvette arrogantly. ¡°I¡¯ll give you two choices if you want to get in. Either you feed my Magnus or crawl


    through me. It¡¯s your call.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Arielle¡¯s expression gradually turned indifferent. ¡°Who are you? Did your mom not


    teach you any manners?¡± ¡°Who do you think you are to be saying that?


    If you don¡¯t make a choice, then go back to your vige and remain a mere country bumpkin!¡± Arielle¡¯s


    eyes turned frostily cold. She had found her way back just to seek the real reason behind her mother¡¯s


    death and why the Moores had be the Southalls. From the looks of it now, I can¡¯t take a step


    closer toward my goals if I don¡¯t deal with these people first.


    ¡°Do you really want to do this?¡± she questioned coldly. Despite her tone, Yvette was not frightened.


    Shandie, however, felt fearful when she noticed Arielle¡¯s expression.


    The pain of the woman breaking her arm still lingered deep inside her, and she felt chills traveling down


    her spine every time she recalled the painful sensation.


    ¡°Yvette, I think we should just let this go.¡± ¡°Hell no!¡± shouted Yvette. Shandie might be afraid of Arielle,


    but I¡¯m not. A pretty country bumpkin is never a threat to me. ¡°You better make a choice now.


    Or else, you can kiss your ass and go back to your vige!¡± Putting her phone back into her pocket, a


    smile slowly spread across Arielle¡¯s face.


    I will not mess with people if they don¡¯t mess with me. But if they do, I won¡¯t show mercy at all. That has


    always been my life principle. With that thought in mind, Arielle took two steps forward before stating,


    ¡°Okay. Open the gate. I choose to feed your dog.¡±

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34


    A ridiculingugh immediately escaped Yvette¡¯s mouth. What a stupid woman! She should have gone


    for the other choice! With a smirk disying on the corner of her lips, she instructed the bodyguard to


    open the gate. Since she had chosen to feed Magnus, she better not me me when she gets bitten!


    ¡°Go, Magnus. There¡¯s food right there,¡± uttered Yvette after untying Magnus. The pit bull slowly


    approached Arielle with low, fierce growls as if the woman were its prey. Oh damn, this is not good! The


    housekeepers covered their eyes, not daring to watch the scene in front. However, Arielle stood there


    unmoved as if she was totally oblivious of the danger.


    When Magnus was only a few steps away from Arielle, it increased its speed, preparing to attack the


    woman. ¡°Ah!¡± screamed one of the housekeepers, which triggered the pit bull as it jumped up, aiming


    for Arielle¡¯s face¡ªthe most dangerous spots. One bite was enough to tear Arielle¡¯s face apart.


    Still, Arielle remained there calmly, waiting for the perfect timing. Right before the moment of attack,


    Arielle turned sideways to avoid Magnus. When everyone had not even processed what had


    happened, she quickly turned around and grabbed Magnus by its neck before the pit bullnded on the


    ground.


    Magnus was at least sixty pounds. To be able to hold him the way Arielle did, especially with one hand,


    must mean that she was stronger than she appeared to be. Witnessing everything with both her eyes,


    Yvette, who had anticipated Magnus to bite Arielle¡¯s face, was shocked to the core.


    Where did this country bumpkin get such strength? She must have been carrying things non-stop back


    in her vige, and that¡¯s something wealthy socialites like me would never do! ¡°You hoyden! How dare


    you! Let go of my Magnus!¡± she shouted, deeply worried about her dog.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    However, instead of listening to her, Arielle shook the pit bull in her hand to show dominance. Then,


    she used her free hand to pat certain parts of Magnus. Not understanding what tricks the other woman


    just did, Yvette saw it as bullying. Enraged, she took a big step forward. ¡°You scoundrel! Are you deaf?


    I said let go of my Magnus!¡± As soon as she said that, her eyesnded on her dog, only to notice that it


    was gradually calming down from its struggles.


    Slowly but surely, it was now waggling its tail toward Arielle, taking everyone else by surprise, including


    Yvette. Am I seeing it right? Is my Magnus seriously waggling its tail at Arielle?


    It even seems like it adores her more than me. Since Magnus had been trained by a professional dog


    trainer before, it had always listened to Yvette and would never take anyone else as its


    owner. However, how could a country bumpkin make it behave like this? Do dogs also judge people by


    their looks?


    Thinking about this, her rage increased as she yelled, ¡°What did you do to my Magnus, you wretch? Let


    it go!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything,¡± replied Arielle with a small smile. ¡°I¡¯m just feeding your dog.¡±


    ¡°Bulls***! Let it go!¡± ¡°Okay, then. You asked for it,¡± uttered Arielle as her eyes sparked a hint of hostility


    and mockery. With that, she released the dog before bending down to pick up the raw meat near her


    feet. ¡°Magnus!¡± called Yvette as soon as Arielle let it go. ¡°Bite her!¡±

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35


    The housekeepers turned to look at Yvette in shock. She is certainly spoilt, but isn¡¯t this too much? This


    is a crime, for heaven¡¯s sake! Poor Ms. Moore. Contrary to their expectation, instead of biting Arielle as


    per Yvette¡¯s order, Magnus turned toward thetter and started at her dangerously.


    ¡°Magnus, you¡­¡± Yvette trialed off, shocked by its behavior. On the other side, Arielle crouched down to


    feed the pit bull and waited for it to finish.


    When it was done, she patted Magnus¡¯ leg before instructing, ¡°Go!¡± Letting out a loud bark as a


    response, Magnus began running toward Yvette, not to return to her but to bite her. Upon noticing the


    dog¡¯s intention, Yvette¡¯s face lost its color as she turned around and ran as fast as she could.


    Magnus chased after her while barking fiercely as if it wanted to tear Yvette apart. The turn of events


    shocked the housekeepers so much that they forgot how to react even when Yvette was shouting for


    help. At this moment, Cindy hastily ran out to see what was going on. One of the housekeepers feared


    that the situation between Arielle and Yvette would blow up, so she went to get Cindy.


    Yet, when they walked out, the sight of Yvette being chased by Magnus greeted them, which was


    confusing, as they knew that Magnus had always been obedient toward the woman. Meanwhile, Yvette


    had stopped running because she ran out of breath. When Magnus caught up, it immediately bit on the


    corner of her skirt, causing her to lose bnce and fell to the ground.


    She looked utterly miserable, but it was not the time for her to worry about her image. Right now, all


    she thought about was the threat of getting bitten by the pit bull to death. ¡°Help!¡± she wailed. Regaining


    her senses, Cindy frantically looked around before spotting a stone.


    She then picked it up and threw it toward Magnus, hitting the dog in the head. Bam! Magnus fell to the


    ground but quickly got up, and this time, its attention shifted to Cindy as it charged toward her. ¡°Help!


    Somebody help me!¡± Cindy shouted, hiding behind the housekeeper, but thetter also ran for her life.


    As if she was awaiting death, Cindy stood rooted with her eyes shut tightly. However, when she fell to


    the ground, all she could feel was the dog¡¯s weight on her body with a stream of liquid dripping on her


    face. Fluttering her eyes open, the first thing she saw was a hole in the pit bull¡¯s head.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Magnus had died on her. Who shot the dog? Her eyes instinctively darted toward a spot nearby, finding


    a handsome man standing there. It was not just any man, though. It was Jordan Baker, the man with


    whom Yvette had a marriage arrangement. ¡°Mr. Baker!¡±


    Yvette called out aftering back to her senses. Though the man was holding a silver-colored gun


    with both his hands, he seemed calm. He was here because his family had forced him to invite Yvette


    to dinner, but he didn¡¯t expect to encounter such an interesting scene.


    And there¡¯s also someone interesting. Jordan retracted his gaze from Arielle and stared at Yvette with


    an arched brow. ¡°If my mom finds out that your hobby is ordering your dog to bite others, she will


    definitely fancy you more,¡± uttered the man sarcastically.


    Yvette turned pale after hearing his words as she quickly exined, ¡°That¡¯s not true, Mr. Baker.


    I was just taking my dog out for a walk. But that woman did something to Magnus, and before I knew it,


    Magnus was determined to bite me!¡±

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36


    Unbeknownst to her, Jordan was watching everything from the start, for he had arrived quite a while


    ago. A smile tugged on the corner of his lips as he replied, ¡°I see. Well, you can rest assured now since


    it won¡¯t bite you anymore.¡± His statement caused Yvette¡¯s face to turn paler as realization dawned on


    her.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    My dog¡¯s dead! Magnus had been with me for three years, but it left me just like that. This is all Arielle¡¯s


    fault! Yvette red at Arielle. I will not let you off! In the meantime, Shandie already helped Cindy to get


    back on her feet. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry you had to see that, Mr. Baker,¡± uttered Cindy.


    ¡°I failed to teach Arielle well. She just came back from the vige.¡± Jordan threw a nce at Arielle,


    who was not even attempting to defend herself, which sparked something within him. Shrugging, he


    stated, ¡°I heard a beautiful woman has returned to the Southalls, and she¡¯s indeed gorgeous.¡±


    Both Cindy and Yvette¡¯s faces darkened upon hearing hisment. ¡°Well, this has been interesting,


    but I should take my leave now. Let¡¯s go, Yvette. My mom has invited you to dinner.¡± Without bidding


    goodbye to Cindy, Jordan turned and left. Cindy didn¡¯t mind that Jordan ignored her, though, as she


    watched him leave with a smile on her face.


    After all, she didn¡¯t dare to show him an attitude. On the other hand, Yvette instructed her bodyguard to


    bring along Magnus¡¯ body before chasing after Jordan. ¡°Wait for me, Mr. Baker!¡± Despite hearing


    Yvette¡¯s call, Jordan didn¡¯t wait for her. However, he slowed down when he passed by Arielle.


    Ignoring both the man and Cindy, who was calling her, Arielle entered the mansion. Henrick was the


    master of the mansion. If Arielle could convince him and get on his good side, then Cindy would not be


    of use anymore. Though flushed with anger, Cindy could not do anything to Arielle.


    In the meantime, Jordan and Yvette had arrived at the Bakers, but the man remained in the car after


    she hopped off. Staring at him quizzically, Yvette questioned, ¡°Aren¡¯t youing, Mr. Baker?¡± Deciding


    not to hide it from the woman, Jordan smiled wryly before dering, ¡°You know, Ms. Actonward.


    Since there¡¯s no one else here, I¡¯m going to be blunt with you. I¡¯m not done fooling around, and you¡¯re


    not my type, so I don¡¯t want to get married. Before I cancel the marriage arrangement, you¡¯d better talk


    to my mom about it. Otherwise, people willugh at you if I¡¯m the one who cancels it.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s face reddened as she clenched her skirt. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. What about me that you don¡¯t like? You


    never told me you hated me before.¡± The man shrugged. ¡°Initially, I was fine with marrying anyone.


    After today, I realized that I¡¯m fine with marrying anyone but you.¡± Hearing that, Yvette¡¯s flushed face


    instantly turned pale. ¡°Why?


    Am Icking something? I¡¯ll change! I swear!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that. I don¡¯t want to marry a murderer,¡± replied


    Jordan as he stared at her, causing the woman to stiffen.


    ¡°Are you referring to me? When did I-¡± ¡°If that dog of yours weren¡¯t restrained, that woman would have


    been dead by now. I¡¯m sure you are aware of that.¡±


    ¡°I told you I didn¡¯t order Magnus to bite her. It was the other way around.¡± After hearing her exnation,


    Jordanpletely lost his patience. ¡°Do not take me for a fool, Yvette.¡±


    With that, he rolled up the window and stepped on the pedal, leaving the woman standing alone in the


    night breeze.

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37


    Yvette¡¯s hands slowly balled into fists as immense hatred filled her wards. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for this, Arielle.¡±


    On the flip side, Jordan had arrived at a bar and was lying on the deck. When he caught a glimpse of a


    tall man approaching him, he immediately sat up straight. ¡°Mr. Nightshire, I¡¯m d you came,¡± he


    greeted as the said man sat down.


    With his arrival, the most prominent men from the four most significant families in Jadeborough were all


    there¡ªVinson, Jordan, Harvey, and Carter. Among the four, except for the Nightshires, the other three


    families had always been rivals. However, in this generation, all four of them were good friends.


    ¡°Since you asked me out here, is there anything important to discuss?¡± questioned Vinson coldly as he


    stared at the other three. ¡°The womanizer of our group, Mr. Baker, said he finally found his true love,¡±


    stated Carter. Vinson remained expressionless even after learning that. ¡°If it isn¡¯t something important,


    then I¡¯ll take my leave.


    ¡± With that, he stood up, trying to leave as soon as possible so he could continue running a background


    check on Arielle. Usually, it would take him only ten or more minutes to get the results of someone¡¯s


    background. This time, it had been one week since he started investigating Arielle¡¯s background, but he


    had yet gotten any results.


    Even if some data came up, he couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Hey! Wait!¡± Jordan quickly grabbed the corner of


    Vinson¡¯s clothes. ¡°It¡¯s for real this time. I met a unique woman at the Southalls today.


    Um, it¡¯s my fianc¨¦e¡¯s cousin¡¯s house.¡± Upon hearing the particr family¡¯s name, Vinson halted his


    steps, allowing Jordan to pull him back to his seat. Thetter was delighted because he thought Vinson


    was interested in listening to his story. ¡°Why do you think she¡¯s unique?¡± asked Vinson.


    Pouring Vinson a ss of wine, Jordan ced the bottle down and rubbed his hands together.


    ¡°Because she¡¯s calm, smart¡­¡± Jordan then proceeded to recap the Magnus¡¯ incident, which managed


    to pique Harvey¡¯s interest, who had been bored all this time. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not talking about the


    plot of a movie?¡±


    questioned Carter yfully. ¡°I swear I¡¯m not. If this tale is fake, then I shall be struck by lightning!¡±


    ¡°Then, you should think about it thoroughly,¡± Carterughed. ¡°It will be hard for you to manage a


    woman who¡¯s not even afraid of a fierce dog.¡± Jordan shook his head. ¡°You have no idea what she¡¯s


    like.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Not only does she have a good personality, but she¡¯s also extremely gorgeous. Oh, gosh. That face,


    that body-¡± ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡± questioned Vinson out of the blue. ¡°Err¡­¡± ¡°Dear Mr. Baker, were you


    smitten by her that you have forgotten to even ask for her name?¡± teased Carter.


    Jordan let out an awkward cough before saying, ¡°It¡¯s not like that. That woman only nced at me once


    the whole time I was there, so I didn¡¯t have the chance to ask her. Besides, my fianc¨¦e was there too,


    so it would be inappropriate.¡± Images of Arielle instantly invaded Vinson¡¯s mind.


    It seems like she¡¯s not only indifferent to me but to Jordan as well. For some reason, Vinson¡¯s mood


    had improved. Instead of hurrying to leave, he was now taking sips of wine. ¡°Oh?¡±


    Carter¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°It¡¯s rare that a woman would not be interested in you. Now I really want to meet


    her.¡± Hearing that, the corners of Vinson¡¯s mouth curled up a bit. While they don¡¯t even know her name,


    I¡¯ve already gotten intimate with her.

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38


    However, Vinson¡¯s smile faded gradually. Having intimate contact with a girl from an ordinary


    background was not something to rejoice over. He was still considering if he should marry her. In fact,


    he might not even be interested in her! Just when Vinson was silently debating about it, Carter patted


    his shoulder and asked, ¡°What about you, Vin?


    Why don¡¯t we ask her out to meet her?¡± ¡°That¡¯sme. I refuse to meet her,¡± rejected Vinson


    expressionlessly. Not surprised by Vinson¡¯s reaction, Jordan teased, ¡°Mr. Nightshire¡¯s only interested in


    work. It¡¯ll be a miracle if he starts developing an interest in women. But isn¡¯t your mother forcing you to


    go on blind dates?


    She¡¯s waiting to have a grandchild. Are you really that not interested in women?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Vinson


    firmly. ¡°Women are so troublesome. Amongst the four of us, you¡¯re the only person free enough to be


    interested in them.¡± Women meant trouble. His parent¡¯s marriage was aplete disaster¡ªone that


    even resulted in his father¡¯s death.


    Hence, he was reluctant to marry. In fact, he was afraid of it. ¡°Who says that I¡¯m the only person free


    enough?¡± Jordan did not notice the grim expression on Vinson¡¯s face. Pointing at Harvey, who was


    drinking gloomily, he said, ¡°Didn¡¯t this dude be depressed because he¡¯s been looking for a


    woman?¡±


    Carter denied, ¡°Harvey¡¯s not like you. He¡¯s trying to find his savior, so don¡¯t you drag him down with


    you.¡± Jordan scoffed, ¡°Look at his lifeless gaze and gloomy look. Is he just looking for his savior?


    Who¡¯d believe that?¡± Vinson nced at Harvey, who looked dazed. Then, he snatched Harvey¡¯s ss


    away.


    ¡°Stop drinking! How much have you had already?¡± Harvey frowned. However, as Vinson was the one


    who robbed him of his alcohol ss, he could not snatch it back. Hence, he merely sat there silently.


    Carter asked curiously, ¡°It¡¯s already been half a month. Why haven¡¯t you found the girl who saved you


    when you were overseas?¡±


    Jordan chimed in and teased, ¡°If even you can¡¯t find her, do you think that she¡¯s a ghost? Did you get


    saved by a female ghost?¡± Vinson immediately frowned. He had been investigating Arielle for almost a


    week but discovered nothing. But, she was definitely a human being, not a ghost.


    He chided coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t make such ame joke!¡± When Jordan noticed Vinson¡¯s serious expression, he


    shrugged and protested indignantly, ¡°I¡¯m just joking! Why are you overreacting? You only defend


    Harvey, you biased jerk!¡± Ignoring Jordan, Vinson lowered his head and took a sip.


    A gloomy feeling surfaced within him. What¡¯s the girl¡¯s backstory? Meanwhile, in the Southall


    residence, Arielle finally received the information about Cindy¡¯s financial assets sent by her


    subordinate. Cindy¡¯s assets amounted up to three billion.


    Furthermore, most of them were deposited in secret ounts overseas. The fixed assets overseas


    were all managed by the same man. Staring at theputer screen, Arielle narrowed her eyes.


    If she was not wrong, Henrick probably did not know about all those money. In addition to Henrick¡¯s


    poor management, most of the Moores¡¯ money most likely found its way into Cindy¡¯s pockets.


    Looks like the real owner of Southall Group isn¡¯t Henrick, but Cindy. This is an interesting


    discovery¡­ Just when Arielle was reviewing the email attentively, someone suddenly knocked on the


    door.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39


    Arielle walked to the door and opened the door warily, revealing a slight gap. Holding a te of fruits


    reluctantly, Shandie said, ¡°Dad told me to give this to you. He wants you to go over to the study room.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± replied Arielle as she took the te of fruits from her hands. Shandie nced into the room


    subconsciously, but Arielle took a step to the left and blocked her view.


    She asked coldly, ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Shandie pouted and left. After closing the door, Arielle


    walked back to herputer and cleared her browsing history.


    Only then did she open her door and head toward Henrick¡¯s study room. Unbeknown to her, Shandie


    crept to the door two minutester, holding a pair of backup keys. With a click, the door opened. She


    entered briskly and shut the door behind her. Scanning the room, she mumbled to herself, ¡°Arielle


    refused to let me see her room.


    I wonder if she¡¯s hiding something bad in this room¡­¡± Shandie quickly rummaged through Arielle¡¯s


    shelves, but did not find anything. Just when she was about to leave, she suddenly caught sight of


    Arielle¡¯s coat, which was hung on the coat rack. She walked over briskly, patted the pockets and fished


    out a name card from within.


    After seeing whose name card it was, a greedy glint immediately appeared in Shandie¡¯s


    eyes. It¡¯s Vinson¡¯s name card! Arielle actually has his name card! Evidently, she didn¡¯t tell Dad.


    Otherwise, the name card would be in his study room instead of here. How bold of her to hide this from


    Dad!


    I¡¯m going to tell on her. Shandie was about to visit Henrick with this name card. However, when she


    reached the door, her mind suddenly changed. Instead of giving this name card to Dad and letting him


    gently chide Arielle, why don¡¯t I keep it for myself? With this name card, isn¡¯t it easier for me to meet


    Vinson or to create opportunities for myself?


    After making up her mind, Shandie returned everything in the room to its original form. She hid the


    name card well and snuck out of Arielle¡¯s room secretly. Meanwhile, Arielle had arrived at Henrick¡¯s


    study. When she pushed the door open and entered, Henrick grinned brightly and beckoned her to take


    a seat.


    She obediently sat opposite him. Henrick pushed a stack of contracts toward her and said, ¡°I¡¯ve got the


    contract for Soir Coffee¡¯s ambassador. After reviewing the contract, I think that it¡¯s fine. You should


    review it too. If you¡¯re also fine with it, you can sign the contract.¡±


    Henrick¡¯s tone was affectionate yet firm, not giving Arielle any chance to not sign the contract. Arielle


    took the contract and scanned it silently. The remuneration offered by Nightshire Group was extremely


    high. In fact, it exceeded the endorsement fees top celebrities usually received.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Furthermore, after bing the ambassador of Soir Coffee, she could enjoyplimentary stays in


    any of Nightshire Group¡¯s hotels for ten years. Even without the remuneration, the offer of staying in


    any of Nightshire Group¡¯s hotels for free for ten years was already tempting enough.


    However, Arielle was still unfazed. She had absolutely no interest in bing an ambassador.


    However, to achieve her goal, she had no choice but to agree and feign delight. cing the contract


    down and suppressing her unhappiness, Arielle said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m fine with it! I¡¯m going to sign it,


    then.¡±


    ¡°Just sign it. I¡¯ll apany you to Nightshire Group tomorrow and pass the contract to them. Since


    you¡¯ve just arrived in this bustling city, I¡¯ll be worried to let you go to an unfamiliar ce alone.¡± Since


    when is Henrick so nice? He definitely has an ulterior motive!

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40


    Feigning an innocent and happy look, Arielle nodded and eximed, ¡°Thank you, Dad! I was just


    feeling scared to go there alone.¡± Henrick was over the moon. It was his fortune to have such an easily


    manipted daughter. Taking back the contract, he stood up and said, ¡°We¡¯ll head to Nightshire Group


    tomorrow morning at ten. I¡¯ll bring you to the stylist two hours before that. It¡¯s gettingte, so I¡¯ll go to


    sleep now.


    You should rest earlier too.¡± Grabbing the opportunity, Arielle asked, ¡°Dad, I still can¡¯t sleep. Can I read


    in your study room?¡± Henrick hesitated for a few seconds before nodding. ¡°Sure, but you can only read


    the books on the left side of the shelf. Don¡¯t touch the other areas.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Dad,¡± replied Arielle. After Henrick left, the obedient look on Arielle¡¯s face disappeared. Standing


    up, she closed the door before turning around and scrutinizing the room. The shelves, tables and


    chairs were all made from luxurious rosewood. Furthermore, they looked quite old.


    Arielle ran her fingers over the shelf. Mom has probably touched these spots before, right? She had


    lost all her childhood memories due to a high fever. All she could remember was her mother. She could


    still remember the feeling of her mother¡¯s hands gently caressing her face. In addition to her gentle


    smile, Arielle could also remember her saying, ¡°Run away, Sannie!


    When you grow up, take revenge for me¡­¡± However, she could not remember what exactly happened


    that prompted her mother to say that. When she investigated her mother¡¯s cause of death, Arielle


    discovered that she had been going for health check-up every year. Even though her health report did


    not show anything wrong with her mental state, she hadmitted suicide due to depression.


    She had asked the doctor who gave her mother the check-up. The doctor had a strong impression of


    Mom and was certain that she did not have depression. In that case, her mother did not die of suicide.


    Instead, she was murdered! Arielle closed her eyes. She felt ayer of mist obscuring her vision,


    preventing her from discovering the truth. When she opened her eyes again, she could finally think and


    see clearly. I will definitely discover the truth!


    Arielle rummaged through the shelf carefully, but did not discover any of her mother¡¯s belongings.


    There was not even a photo in sight. Logically speaking, after someone¡¯s wife died, he would still keep


    a few photographs of her. However, she could not spot a single momento of her mother in the study


    room.


    There were two possibilities for this¡­ Either Henrick did not disy a photograph because he was


    scared that Cindy would be jealous, or he did not have any feelings for her mother at all. In fact, he


    might even have detested her. It was impossible for him to be scared that Cindy would be jealous. His


    male chauvinistic ego would have no room for Cindy¡¯s crap. Hence, thetter exnation had a higher


    possibility.


    Of course, there was another alternative¡ªHenrick was so scared of her mother that he did not even


    dare to look at her photograph. Regardless of whether it was the second or third reason, both proved


    that her mother¡¯s death was closely rted to Henrick. Although others imed that Arielle¡¯s mother


    committed suicide due to depression,


    it was impossible for someone like that to tell her daughter to ¡°run away quickly¡± and ¡°take revenge¡± for


    her. In the meantime, she had also conducted an extensive investigation on Henrick. Back then, the


    Southalls was just a small family in Jadeborough who owned a coal business.


    On the contrary, the Moore Group was considered one of the major corporations in Jadeborough.


    Based on her mother¡¯s status back then, she would never have married the son of a coal mine owner.


    If Henrick was someone with good morals and principles, it would still be understandable.


    However, he was the opposite. The investigation also revealed that they got married in a sh. After


    being introduced to each other, they married within a week.


    The fact that they married was already very strange. After rummaging the shelf, she went to search the


    drawers in the desk. There were a total of four drawers. Afterbing through the first three, Arielle


    still did not find anything. When she tried to open the fourth drawer, she realized that it was locked and


    she could not pull it out.


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    Just when she was about to find something to unlock it, she heard the sounds of footstepsing from


    the corridor. A few secondster, the door to the study room was flung open quickly.

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41


    Arielle, who was sitting at the desk and ¡°reading her book¡± attentively, raised her head in confusion. Her


    gaze coincidentally met that of Henrick¡¯s. She saw a flustered look in his eyes. He quickly concealed it,


    but Arielle still noticed it clearly. She asked calmly, ¡°Why are you back, Dad?¡±


    When Henrick saw Arielle reading her book attentively at the desk, he became relieved. Clearing his


    throat, he said, ¡°I suddenly remembered that I still have unfinished work. It¡¯s gettingte, so you should


    go back and rest first. You shoulde back another day.¡± Arielle did not want him to notice anything


    amiss.


    After all, she already discovered that the locked drawer contained something that would make Henrick


    panic. That was already an achievement. ¡°Okay.¡± She flipped the book, Global Finance, closed. When


    Henrick saw her reading the book, he shook his head and said, ¡°This book is too advanced for you.


    Girls have no need to learn things like this too. I¡¯ll find something more suitable for you to read next


    time.¡± ording to Henrick, girls should not even think of dabbling in business and finance. All they


    needed to do was to look pretty and marry a rich man. Business and finance should be left solely to


    men.


    Women would only stir up more trouble if there were to get involved. However, in reality, Cindy was


    almost done emptying out thepany¡¯s assets. Henrick just had not realized it. Arielle could not even


    be bothered to secretly insult Henrick. Instead, she walked out of the door calmly. ¡°Oh, right! Sannie?¡±


    Henrick suddenly called out to her. Arielle turned around and saw Henrick staring at her with a sharp


    gaze. He asked, ¡°Where did you learntte art from?¡± Initially, she thought that Henrick only cared


    about the oue and would not ask about the details. Seems like he¡¯s starting to get suspicious.


    Unfazed, she said, ¡°I learned it in Norham. Back then, I worked in a cafe. The store owner is an


    extremely skilled barista who just returned from overseas. I learned it from him.¡± ¡°I see¡­ After you


    be sessful, you should thank him.¡± ¡°Okay, Dad. I have the same thought too.¡±


    The grateful and innocent look on Arielle¡¯s face dispelled any suspicions Henrick had. She turned


    around and walked to her room. On the way there, she surprisingly found out that her palm was


    sweating. Things had not made any significant progress yet. Hence, she must not let Henrick realize


    anything amiss and be alerted.


    However, it was obvious that Henry felt wary from when she lingered in the study room. That was why


    he returned mid-way. She was too rash. Arielle returned to her room, shut the door and leaned against


    it. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. Don¡¯t be too rash. The truth will eventually be exposed, so


    all I have to do is to be patient.


    After half a minute, she finally opened her eyes. Yet, she immediately realized something¡­ Someone


    had entered her bedroom! As she was very alert, she deliberately scattered some inconspicuous silver


    powder on the floor. There was an obvious footprint on it. It was not big, which meant that the intruder


    was female.


    Arielle went to check theputer immediately. She had already cleared the browsing history, so the


    culprit probably did not discover anything. Furthermore, as the mouse was still in its original spot, the


    computer had not been switched on. She went to search the other areas again.


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    Eventually, she realized that Vinson¡¯s name card in her coat was gone. ¡°Shandie¡­¡± She must have


    taken it. That girl never stops, huh? However, as the name card was insignificant to Arielle, she


    nned to feign ignorance. People who stole things that did not belong to themselves would always


    meet their karma. Soon, the second day arrived.


    Arielle was woken up by the housekeeper early in the morning. When she went downstairs, Henrick


    and the others were already eating breakfast.


    However, the moment Shandie saw her, she stood up and announced that she was already done


    eating. Avoiding Arielle¡¯s gaze, she directly walked out of the house.

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    Chapter 42


    Arielle knew the reason¡ªShandie was afraid that she would use her of stealing the name card.


    Henrick nced at Shandie¡¯s barely-touched breakfast and asked Cindy, ¡°Where is she rushing to so


    early in the morning?¡± Cindy replied with a grin, ¡°Do you know Sam Sleight, the director?¡± Henrick


    nodded.


    ¡°Of course.¡± She continued, ¡°Mr. Sleight¡¯s choosing the cast for his new show today. Shannie received


    a chance to do the audition.¡± Although Shandie told everyone else that Sam had given the role to her,


    all she got, in reality, was merely an audition spot. Furthermore, she only got the opportunity due to


    Cindy¡¯s bribery.


    However, Henrick did not know that. He eximed happily, ¡°That¡¯s great! As their father, I¡¯m so proud


    of my two talented daughters. Let¡¯s go out for a meal tonight. I¡¯ve never properly weed Sannie


    after she returned.¡± When Cindy heard Arielle¡¯s nickname, she felt slightly unhappy.


    The reason why she gave Shandie her name was because Arielle¡¯s nickname was Sannie. She wanted


    toe up with a name that sounded simr. Her intention was to steal everything away from


    Maureen, her sister. However, it sounded exceptionally unpleasant now. Forcing out a smile, she said,


    ¡°Sure!


    Shandie also said that she¡¯s quite confident in securing the role. It¡¯s a great day today. Let¡¯s go out as a


    family and have a sumptuous meal together!¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Henrick beckoned Arielle over.


    ¡°Sannie, finish your breakfast quickly. We need to leave soon.¡± ¡°Okay, Dad.¡± ncing in Shandie¡¯s


    direction, Arielle could already guess why she said that she was confident in securing the role. She had


    heard of Sam¡¯s reputation before. As his movies all featured magnificent scenes, they required


    extremely good acting skills.


    Even if Shandie managed to get the opportunity, it all depended on whether she was capable enough


    to grasp it well. Arielle averted her gaze nonchntly, sat down and ate her breakfast quietly. When


    Cindy raised her head subconsciously, she saw the warm morning sunlight shine on Arielle¡¯s face.


    A faint golden glow enveloped her face, making her look as beautiful as an angel. Her side-profile


    resembled that of the deceased Maureen. Cindy could not help but tighten her grip on her spoon. The


    person she had instructed to investigate her would report back to her today.


    Soon, I find out this b*tch¡¯s true colors. Just you wait! Your good days won¡¯tst any longer. After


    suffering for two hours, Arielle finally walked out of the changing room.


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    She wore a tailored gown that had a slit up to the middle of her thighs, revealing her beautiful legs. Her


    hair was tied up in a bun, making her look as exquisite as a doll. No one could tear their gazes away


    from her. Arielle could tell that Henrick had spent a lot of money on her. Her gown alone already cost a


    lot, let alone the handcrafted shoes that she was wearing.


    The moment she walked out of the changing room, the foreign stylist immediately gasp and pped.


    ¡°This is simply perfect and unbelievable!¡± Even Henrick was stunned when he saw Arielle. He could


    see a shadow of his deceased wife on her. In the past, he had loved Maureen deeply.


    However, as time passed, he grew to hate her. She was simply too talented and intelligent, so much so


    that she stole the limelight away from him. Every time he saw Maureen, he would be reminded of the


    fact that he was the Moores¡¯ live-in son-inw. Would Arielle be someone like Maureen in the


    future?


    Henrick clenched his fists tightly, forcing himself to stop thinking about that. He walked toward Arielle


    and said with a smile, ¡°This look fits you so well. You should wear gowns more often in the future.¡±

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    Chapter 43


    Arielle pulled the slit of her skirt cautiously, like a girl who hadn¡¯t worn a short skirt. She asked timidly,


    ¡°Is the slit of the skirt too high?¡± The stylist understood Chanean and replied immediately using her


    poor Chanean. ¡°It¡¯s not too high! It¡¯s just right. You have beautiful legs, so you should show them off.


    Be confident and face your strengths, miss. You¡¯re the most beautiful girl I¡¯ve ever seen. No one looks


    better in this gown than you! I¡¯m speaking from my heart.¡± Arielle knew her strengths, but how could a


    countryside girl like her had such confidence? She looked towards Henrick timidly, he nodded at her


    and said, ¡°Trust the stylist. People are more open in this era.


    The skirt is not too short, let¡¯s pick this. Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s gettingte.¡± Arielle nodded and followed Henrick


    with her head low. Seeing how Arielle acted made Henrick¡¯s worry about the possibility of her bing


    the second Maureen disappeared. They arrived at Nightshire Group¡¯s building at the promised time.


    Located in the most affluent area in the CBD of Jadeborough, the Nightshire Group owned the whole


    street, not to mention the headquarters building- an unimaginably tall skyscraper. The person in charge


    of Soir Coffee was already waiting at the door. He was mesmerized when he saw Arielle in the video


    from the inte.


    Now that he saw the person in real life, he was stunned at the spot. How could a girl look so


    perfect? Perfect features, a perfect figure, and she even had incrediblette art skills. No one else


    could be more perfect than her to be the ambassador for Soir Coffee. Nevertheless, the person in


    charge had been around.


    He pinched his ears to collect himself and went up to them with a smile. ¡°You must have had a tough


    journey. Please follow me upstairs.¡± The person in charge brought Arielle and Henrick to the eleventh


    floor. The staff of the Nightshire Group, who was either holding their coffee or documents whirled


    around to look at her, with a mesmerizing look in their eyes.


    They arrived at the eleventh floor shortly after. The person in charge brought them to a meeting room


    for a sit. ¡°Please take a rest and have some water. Our team will arrive shortly.¡± Henrick quickly nodded


    his head. ¡°It¡¯s alright, we¡¯re not in a hurry.¡± The person in charge left with a smile.


    He didn¡¯t go to the headquarters of the Nightshire Group. Instead, he took the elevator to the office on


    the highest floor. The person in charge walked briskly after reaching the top floor and arrived at the


    CEO¡¯s office. An assistant immediately came and stopped the person in charge. ¡°Which department


    are you from?


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    What¡¯s your business here? Did you make an appointment?¡± Even though Soir Coffee was arge-


    scale global project, but even the in charge of Nighshire Entertainment would need to book an


    appointment with the CEO, let alone Soir Coffee. It was the first time the person in charge went to the


    top floor.


    He was stunned when he heard the assistant and replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t make an appointment. But the CEO


    mentioned that if the ambassador of Soir Coffee was toe to sign the contract, he would like me to


    inform him.¡± The assistant was new and studied overseas with a good educational background.


    Moreover, she was interviewed personally by the CEO, and that made her proud. Those who would


    come to the top floor were usually the higher-ups of Nightshire Group.


    What rights does a mere in charge of a project have to meet the CEO? She said nonchntly, ¡°Okay, I


    understand. I will ask for the CEO when I¡¯m done with my task.¡±


    The person in charge waited aside after replying ¡°Sorry for the trouble¡± politely. After waiting for over


    ten minutes, the person in charge was losing his patience. ¡°Miss, the client is waiting downstairs. If


    you¡¯re still busy, can I greet the CEO on my own?¡± The assistant frowned. ¡°Client? Many clients are


    waiting to meet the CEO.


    Are they dignitaries? Can¡¯t they even wait for a while?¡± The person in charge furrowed his brows and


    could only wait patiently. When the assistant saw that the officer had a good temper, she lost interest.


    After another ten minutes, she finally stood up and knocked on the CEO¡¯s office door.

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    Chapter 44


    ¡°Come in.¡± A deep voice rang out from inside. The assistant¡¯s face went red immediately upon hearing


    his voice. She groomed the stray strands of her hair beside her ears and checked her makeup before


    entering. ¡°Mr. Nightshire.¡± The assistant gazed shyly towards the man seated at the huge desk.


    His deep eyes and beguiling face, coupled with that serious look on his face while diligently working,


    were more than enough to make the assistant¡¯s heart thump faster. Vinson¡­ She exhausted all of her


    resources andworks to acquire the chance for the interview, all for his sake.


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    ¡°Speak,¡± Vinson spoke without raising his head and continued flipping the documents in his hands.


    ¡°Ahem¡­¡± The assistant cleared her throat and spoke with the gentlest voice she thought she had.


    ¡°There¡¯s a project manager outside. He mentioned that there¡¯s an ambassador who will be signing a


    contract here¡­ But if you¡¯re busy, I¡¯ll let him know.¡±


    The assistant had watched thette art video online, and she knew the ambassador was pretty. So she


    was reluctant to let Vinson meet her. This was also why she purposely dyed the time. The assistant


    was ready to leave after she spoke. If ten people demanded to meet the CEO, five of them would be


    rejected for the reason being, ¡°if he couldn¡¯t resolve such trivial matters on his own, why keep him?¡±


    However¡­ ¡°Wait.¡± Vinson¡¯s voice came from her back. She stopped in her tracks, turned around, and


    asked sweetly, ¡°Mr. Nightshire. Is there anything else I can help you with? ¡° But as she raised her gaze,


    Vinson was already in front of her. The face that she had always dreamt of was only inches before her.


    She could even hear her own heartbeat. Is he leaning in so closely¡­To kiss me? Her face flushed red,


    extending down to her neck. She whined bravely, ¡°Mr. Nightshire¡­¡± The assistant called out to Vinson


    in a sickeningly sweet voice, as her right hand slowly reached out to Vinson¡¯s waist¡­


    Just as she was about to touch Vinson, the back of her hand was gripped by a hand, followed by


    intense pain. ¡°Ah!¡± The assistant¡¯s face turned pale from the pain as she stared at Vinson in disbelief.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire¡­¡± ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Vinson was expressionless. His gaze was dark and


    cold, sending chills down her spine.


    The assistant turned pale from the pain, she felt as if her arms were about to snap into two! ¡°Mr.


    Nightshire¡­ it hurts¡­¡± Vinson shook off the assistant¡¯s hand in disgust and said coldly, ¡°You crossed


    the line.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Who would have thought that all that was nothing but a pipe dream?


    Vinson was never interested in her! She wished the earth could swallow her up right then and there.


    She quickly exined, ¡°I¡­I have low blood sugar. I was only finding support instinctively¡­¡± Vinson


    couldn¡¯t be bothered and asked, ¡°Which project manager did you say?¡± With a sigh of relief, the


    assistant replied honestly, ¡°He is the project manager of Soir Coffee.¡±


    Vinson¡¯s lifted his eyes suddenly and asked, ¡°How long has he been here?¡± ¡°A-about twenty minutes¡­¡±


    ¡°Twenty minutes! Why are you only informing me now!¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Vinson raised his hand. ¡°Save your exnation. Just head to the HR department and settle your


    sry. You don¡¯t have toe tomorrow.¡± The assistant widened her eyes in shock. She thought she


    had escaped a cmity. She offended Vinson, yet he didn¡¯t fire her. But now he is going to fire her


    because she made the project manager wait for twenty minutes?


    Before the assistant realized, Vinson had already stepped out of the office. She felt cold all over, and


    her body lost its strength as she crumpled to the ground.

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    Chapter 45


    At this moment, she was regretful for her superiority and cheeky thoughts that made her lose her


    decent and high-paying job. But there was not use crying over spilled milk. She brought this upon


    herself. At the eleventh floor. Arielle and Henrick had waited in the meeting room for almost half an


    hour.


    But the people from the Nightshire Group were nowhere to be seen. A staff came in between to refill


    the water for them, and he asked the staff for them, but the staff couldn¡¯t answer. Henrick was getting


    anxious as time went by. Did the Nightshire Group found out that Arielle was from the countryside,


    and they¡¯re trying to back out because she might not fit the image of an ambassador?


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Henrick stood up. They had already signed the contract. All we needed was the stamp from the


    Nightshire Group, and the deal for the ambassador would be sealed.


    How could I afford to lose this coboration? Henrick lost the glistening gaze he had on Arielle before


    and felt her useless. ¡°What¡¯s your education level? Did you graduated from high school?¡± Henrick


    asked coldly. When Arielle was about to make up a story, someone opened the meeting room door.


    Both of them looked towards the door at the same time. Headed by Vinson, around ten higher-ups from


    NIghtshire Group came in. Most of them were prominent figures in the business circle. Henrick stared


    in surprise. At the same time, he was also in a panic. ¡°M-Mr. Nightshire¡­¡± Henrick stuttered his words,


    ¡°D-do you think my daughter¡¯s educational background is too low, so you don¡¯t want her?


    I can find someone to help with her studies. Even though she might be dimwitted and cowardly, but if


    we package her nicely, I think we can continue our coboration. We can even negotiate again about


    the remuneration¡­¡± ¡°Dimwitted and cowardly?¡± A hint of amusement shed under Vinson¡¯s eyes, and


    he chuckled under his breath.


    Was he talking about Arielle? It seems like Henrick does not know his own daughter. The information


    showed that it was not long after Arielle had returned to the Southalls. If she hid it purposely, it would


    indeed be difficult to understand her. Because even he wasn¡¯t sure what kind of person was Arielle.


    Henrick was afraid to look directly at Vinson. When Henrick heard a chuckle from Vinson, he thought


    that he guessed Vinson¡¯s thoughts correctly. Henrick quickly added, ¡°My daughter is very honest. She


    would definitely cooperate with you earnestly. Please give her another chance!¡±


    After he finished his words, he turned his head towards Arielle andmanded, ¡°Arielle,e over


    here and get down on your knees!¡± ¡°Get down on my knees?¡± Arielle thought she had known Henrick


    well, but what he said today had given her a whole new perspective of him. Henrick was furious when


    he saw Arielle didn¡¯t budge an inch.


    He roared, ¡°Why are you still there? Get your *ss here now!¡± He didn¡¯t show Arielle any respect at all.


    Arielle bit her lips. This was the first time she felt such humiliation in her life. She never kneeled to


    anyone. But¡­if this was for the sake of finding the truth and avenge for her mom, she was willing to do


    anything.


    Arielle clenched her fist and walked forward. But when she set her foot out, Vinson suddenly spoke,


    ¡°Mr. Southall, there might be some misunderstanding here. We¡¯re not dissatisfied with Ms. Moore.


    On the contrary, we feel that Ms. Moore is perfect for the role of our ambassador. We just have to verify


    some minor details with Ms. Moore again.¡± Arielle looked at Vinson in shock. His expression was cold


    as if he was suppressing his anger. He is angry? But why?

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46


    Henrick didn¡¯t give it much thought and was ted at the fact that the coboration with Arielle was not


    cancelled. ¡°That¡¯s great, that¡¯s great! Sannie, thank Mr. Nightshire quickly!¡± Arielle gazed at Henrick


    intently. Henrick would call her ¡°Sannie¡± when she was useful. But when she was useless, Henrick


    would call her ¡°Arielle¡±.


    What a stark contrast¡­ She turned towards Vinson and forced out her words. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°No


    problem. Instead, I should thank Ms. Moore for coborating with us.¡± Vinson said and he continued to


    talk to Henrick. ¡°I would like to speak to Ms. Moore privately for the details of the coboration.


    Mr. Southall, please follow my staff to sign the contract next door.¡± ¡°Sure, sure. Take your time.¡± Henrick


    followed the staff to the meeting room next door to sign the contract with a smile. The meeting room


    was now left with Vinson and Arielle. Arielle bit her lips and broke the silence.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you have to see my dad like this¡­¡± ¡°You did nothing wrong. Why are you apologizing?¡±


    Arielle looked at Vinson. His gaze was dark, and she couldn¡¯t find a hint of disdain nor sarcasm in his


    eyes. He protected her dignity. Arielle pursed her lips and said, ¡°Thank you¡­¡±


    Vinson pointed at the seat beside her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t thank or apologize anymore. Take a seat. Let¡¯s


    talk about business.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Arielle pulled out the chair and sat. They sat facing each other closely,


    and she could even see Vinson¡¯s eyshes clearly. Vinson took out a contract and said, ¡°The Soir


    Coffee is an important project for us this year.


    We will start the advertising and marketing campaigns tomorrow. Your shooting task might be tough for


    the following days. This is your schedule for the week. Take a look.¡±


    Arielle took over the densely packed schedule. Besides shooting tasks, there was a stream of tasks


    such as live streams and ribbon-cutting ceremonies. She carefully looked over and nodded. ¡°Alright, I


    will cooperate with you.¡± After a brief silence, Vinson spoke, ¡°I thought you were not in favor of being


    our ambassador. What made you change your mind?¡± Arielle smiled lightly. ¡°I have my own reason. But


    you don¡¯t have to worry,


    since I have agreed to this, I will give my best.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Vinson stood up and said, ¡°They should be


    done with the contract soon. You can go back and rest for the day. Tomorrow onwards, there will be a


    team following you throughout. Let them know if you need anything.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Arielle stood up as well. Vinson gazed at her with a doubtful look and asked suddenly, ¡°Is Henrick your


    biological father?¡± Arielle was stunned. ¡°Otherwise?¡± Even though my mom had passed away, but it


    was true that she and Henrick were a married couple. If my biological father was not Henrick, who else


    could it be?


    ¡°Maybe you should take a test. You¡¯re nothing like your father.¡± Arielle went silent. Henrick was indeed


    very different from her in terms of look and personality. But she never thought Henrick was not her


    biological father. But since Vinson had mentioned it, a seed of suspicion was nted in her head


    unknowingly.


    Arielle left the meeting room. Henrick was hugging the signed contract as if it was his precious baby.


    ¡°Let me walk you down.¡± Vinson made a gesture with his hand.


    Henrick quickly waved. ¡°I¡¯m honored enough to have Mr. Nightshire sign the contract personally. How


    can I trouble you to walk us down?¡± Vinson replied without changing his expression. ¡°This project is


    very important to the Nightshire Group. So I will follow through with the project personally.¡±


    The person in charge behind him was stunned upon hearing his words. How can Soir Coffee be


    compared to the other projects on Vinson¡¯s te? The person in charge nced at Arielle with a


    knowing nce. He felt that he had probably discovered a shocking secret.

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    Chapter 47


    In the end, Vinson walked Arielle and Henrick to the main door. Meanwhile, Jadeborough¡¯s Midnight


    Theater was bustling with activity. It was one of thergest theaters in Jadeborough, thanks to


    Nightshire Group¡¯s investment. Therefore, it was only fitting that Shandie would be auditioning for one


    of Nightshire Group¡¯s movie projects at the Midnight Theater.


    The audition was for a sci-fi disaster movie, Monsters in Jadeborough. It told of how the female lead, a


    police officer, bravely protected a building full of people from an alien invasion and led them to safety.


    Movies of that genre were a rarity in the country, and with an excellent story and production crew,


    Shandie knew it would do well at the box office. That was why she was determined to get the female


    lead role. After a long, painful wait, it was finally Shandie¡¯s turn for the audition.


    As Shandie made her way up the stage, Sam looked through her acting resume, only to find that other


    than having been in a music video, she had zero acting experience. ¡°I see you¡¯ve never done any


    acting, so let¡¯s get down to it. You¡¯re now ying the female lead, and monsters have eaten your


    mother.


    And, action!¡± Since she had never been to any auditions, Shandie was taken aback by the director¡¯s


    abrupt request. It took her a while to regainposure and get in character. Monsters have eaten my


    mother, so I¡¯d be devastated. And with sadnesses tears. Yes, that¡¯s it! All I have to do is cry!


    With that thought, Shandie knelt on the floor and started howling and crying in pain. ¡°Mom! What would


    I do without you? Please, don¡¯t leave me!¡± Sam looked on, both shocked and bemused. Even the rest


    of the casting directors had also fallen into an awkward silence. The female lead Shandie was


    auditioning for had both brains and brawns.


    With her mother dead, there would undoubtedly be brief emotional distress. But then, she¡¯d either go


    on to avenge her mother or continue to lead her convoy to safety.


    Either way, she¡¯d never be reduced to a bawling mess like what Shandie was doing now. Besides, the


    world that the female lead was in had monsters everywhere. Even a brief moment of weakness might


    lead to the character¡¯s death the next second. The casting directors continued to look on in disdain and


    confusion.


    Who is this woman? Why would she still portray the character like that even after reading the story


    outline and character breakdown? Are we just letting anyone audition for Sam¡¯s movies now? Sam had


    had enough of watching Shandie bawl her eyes out when he sounded the bell and shouted, ¡°Cut!¡±


    Shandie looked up, bewildered. It had only been a few seconds since she got into character, and she


    still had many lines in mind to deliver. Was my crying so good that the director has decided to cast me


    as the lead? Shandie got up from the floor excitedly and smiled at Sam.


    ¡°Mr. Sleight, how was my performance? I haven¡¯t had much preparation, so my crying might not be as


    good. If there¡¯s anything I can improve on, please let me know.¡±


    Shandie beamed with pride, behaving as if the lead role was in her bag. The rest of the crew


    exchanged nces and sniggers, wondering how Shandie had so much arrogance and impudence.


    Sam was not a man to beat around the bush or show much sympathy. He looked at Shandie and said


    coldly, ¡°There¡¯s nothing you need to improve on.¡±


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Shandie¡¯s eyes lit up at his words. Is the role already mine? And that wasn¡¯t even my best


    performance! The more she thought about it, the happier Shandie got. It looks like I truly have a talent


    for acting.


    I knew I was born to be a star! Just as Shandie was relishing the moment, Sam added, ¡°But if I must


    give you a word of advice, then I¡¯d say¡­ leave this industry.¡±

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48


    Shandie stared at Sam, dumbfounded. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re suited to be in this


    profession. You¡¯ve got no talent, and you don¡¯t seem to have put in any effort. That is why I¡¯d advise


    you to stay away from acting.¡± So, when Sam cut me off so early on, it was because my acting was


    atrocious?


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    For someone who had already pictured herself as a top-billed actress, Shandie couldn¡¯t ept the


    sudden turn of events. ¡°No, no,¡± Shandie whimpered as she rushed down the stage and toward Sam.


    ¡°Please, Mr. Sleight, give me another chance! I haven¡¯t been feeling well, so I didn¡¯t get to read the


    script properly.


    If you give me one more chance, I promise I won¡¯t let you down!¡± Shandie had to do whatever it took to


    get back into Sam¡¯s good books. As the youngest award-winning director, being in his movies would


    only help propel her to stardom. ¡°You want me to give you another chance?


    Every actor only gets one shot at an audition, so they cherish any chance they get. Not only have you


    not prepared well, but you also have no talent, yet you¡¯re demanding to have a go again? Who do you


    think you are? Do you own the entertainment industry? With your kind of attitude, you¡¯ll never


    seed!¡±


    Shandie¡¯s face turned a bright shade of red after being admonished by Sam so publicly and


    tantly. So what if I want to cut corners?


    I¡¯m sure I¡¯m not as bad as he ims! Shandie felt her temper rising as she fished a card from her


    pocket and mmed it down on the table in front of Sam. Her actions were so sudden and rude that


    everyone could only stare in stunned silence. As a world-renowned director, even the biggest names in


    the entertainment industry treated Sam with politeness and respect.


    Shandie was a nobody, yet she dared to throw a fit at Sam. At that point, everyone only had one


    thought in their heads: Is she crazy? Curious, they turned their gazes toward the card, only to


    collectively reel back in shock. It was a name card, but importantly, it belonged to Vinson Nightshire.


    ¡°Vinson Nightshire¡­ this woman is a friend of Mr. Nightshire¡­¡± ¡°No wonder she¡¯s so cocky. Our movie


    requires a huge budget, and there¡¯s no way we can get itpleted without Nightshire Group¡¯s


    funding¡­¡± In just a blink of an eye, everyone¡¯s initial disdain toward Shandie had turned into fear and


    respect as they talked amongst themselves in hushed tones.


    Despite the slightmotion, Sam remained indifferent. ¡°What do you mean by this? Are you


    threatening me?¡± Shandie raised her chin toward Sam and scoffed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not threatening you, but here¡¯s what¡¯s going to happen. If you don¡¯t make me the female lead, you


    can kiss your entire movie goodbye.¡± Upon hearing her words, Jerry, the producer sitting next to Sam,


    went into a full-blown panic. He hurriedly leaned in and whispered, ¡°Mr. Sleight, please make an


    exception just this once.


    The award-winning actresses you¡¯ve worked with didn¡¯t all start out with good acting skills, did they?


    With your guidance, I¡¯m sure you can turn this one into award-winning material too.¡± Sam¡¯s expression


    slid into a frown. There was a world of difference between having acting skills that could be improved


    on and having zero talent.


    Besides, Shandie had no respect for the profession. To put it bluntly, she was a helpless case. Still,


    Jerry pressed on. ¡°Please, Mr. Sleight, I beg of you. You and the screenwriter have spent two long


    years just to develop the script.


    You can¡¯t let your hard work go to waste!¡± Sam instantly fell silent as he contemted his options. After


    three minutes, he finally came to a decision. ¡°I won¡¯t ept any imperfections.


    If you lot insist on casting her, I¡¯ll quit as the director.¡± Having made his stand clear, Sam walked away


    without any hesitation and with his head held high.

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49


    No one had expected Sam to walk away from it all, so when he did, it shocked everyone, including


    Shandie. Even though he knew how big and profitable the movie would be, Sam refused to betray his


    principles for money. It was no wonder he had a reputation for being tenacious and unrelenting.


    Jerry had a moment of panic but soon regained hisposure as he smiled at Shandie. ¡°Please wait


    here. Let me persuade the director.¡± Watching Sam leave had honestly terrified Shandie because


    unbeknownst to the people present, everything that she said had been a lie. Even Vinson¡¯s name card


    was a stolen item.


    Nevertheless, Shandie coughed in response, determined to carry on with her act. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll wait for


    you.¡± Jerry finally caught up with Sam and tried, once again, to talk him out of quitting the movie.


    Thankfully, he seemed to have changed his mind but still hoped to speak with Vinson to exin the


    situation.


    ¡°I¡¯ve met Mr. Nightshire a couple of times, enough to know that he isn¡¯t an unreasonable man. I don¡¯t


    want to put you in a spot either, Jerry, so get me his number, and I¡¯ll talk to him myself.¡± Oh


    gosh, I¡¯m just a producer. Why would I have the number of a prominent figure like Vinson Nightshire?


    Jerry was starting to panic again when he remembered Shandie¡¯s card with Vinson¡¯s number on it.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be right back with the number!¡± After running back to the stage, Jerry approached Shandie


    and asked politely, ¡°Miss, could you give Mr. Nightshire a call? Mr. Sleight would like to speak with


    him.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Shandie became flustered at that sudden request. One call to Vinson was all it needed to expose her


    lies, and that was something she couldn¡¯t allow to happen.


    The wheels in Shandie¡¯s mind started turning as she thought of an idea. Vinson had no reason to help


    Shandie, but it would be a different story with Arielle. After all, Arielle had helped him before, and he


    owed her a favor. Shandie cleared her throat and handed the name card to Jerry.


    ¡°Tell Mr. Nightshire that I¡¯m Shannie and that I want to be in this movie. I also promise that I won¡¯t let


    him down.¡± At the rate things were progressing, Shandie had no choice but to take a gamble. She


    hoped Vinson knew that Arielle was Sannie, which sounded a lot like her own nickname, and that he


    would be willing to give Arielle a hand. The call went through almost instantly, and a deep voice rang


    out from the other end.


    ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Hello, Mr. Nightshire!¡± Jerry said excitedly. ¡°I¡¯m the producer of the movie, Monsters in


    Jadeborough. Your friend, Ms. Shannie, is here for an audition and wants nothing more than to be in


    this movie. However, our director has some objections to casting her and would like to speak with you.


    Would that be all right?¡±


    ¡°Sannie?¡± Vinson asked in surprise. I didn¡¯t know Arielle liked acting. There¡¯s clearly a lot more about


    her that I don¡¯t know. Despite that disappointment, the fact that Arielle was willing to use his name card


    still made Vinson¡¯s heart flutter with joy.


    On the other end of the call, Shandie was so nervous that her palms had started to sweat. After a


    pause, Vinson continued, ¡°I¡¯m still in a meeting, so here¡¯s what I propose.


    Have Sam pick a ce to meet, and I¡¯ll join him in an hour when my meeting¡¯s over. I¡¯ll talk to him


    then.¡± ¡°That¡¯s brilliant! Thank you so much, Mr. Nightshire.¡± After ending the call, Jerry gazed at


    Shandie, this time even more respectfully. ¡°Ms. Shannie, why don¡¯t you head back first. I¡¯ll inform you


    later of any news.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Shandie replied before strutting out of the theater. She had to mask the excitement in her voice


    even though she was over the moon at how well her idea had panned out. Shandie couldn¡¯t believe


    that Vinson had agreed to help Arielle, and even though she was happy for herself, there was also a


    twinge of jealousy.


    Never mind. Once I be famous, Vinson is going to notice and remember me. He¡¯ll forget about


    Arielle and only care for me. I have to be patient and take this slow.


    An hourter, in a caf¨¦ opposite Midnight Theater, Sam and Vinson sat facing each other. Sam decided


    to cut to the chase and spoke up. ¡°Mr. Nightshire, I¡¯ve met you twice before and know that you¡¯re a


    reasonable man. S


    o I¡¯m going to be straightforward about this. Your friend has no talent for acting and doesn¡¯t deserve to


    be in my movie. If we insist on casting her, the box office results and reviews will be severely affected.¡±

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50


    Vinson had always held Sam in high regard. One of the reasons that made him decide to invest in the


    movie in the first ce was that Sam would be directing it. After taking a sip of his coffee, Vinson


    looked earnestly at Sam. ¡°Sannie is very important to me. I know she doesn¡¯t have any acting


    experience, but I also know how serious she is when she sets her mind to something.


    Once filming begins, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll wow you. As such, I hope you can give her a chance.¡± Sam was


    taken aback at Vinson¡¯s words. From what he remembered of Vinson, he was a righteous man who


    would never allow anyone to gain an advantage by using connections. This time, however, he had


    made an exception and was speaking up on behalf of Shandie.


    Vinson continued, ¡°You haven¡¯t known her for long, so I don¡¯t me you for not knowing better. I¡¯m


    prepared to vouch for her, though. You¡¯ll have no regrets if you cast her, trust me.¡± Seeing how Vinson


    had even vouched for Shandie, Sam had no choice but to give in, no matter how reluctant he was.


    However, now that Vinson had spoken so highly of Shandie, Sam got even more curious. ¡°I¡¯ll cast her


    per your request.


    But what I don¡¯t understand is, what do you see in her?¡± Shandiecked manners and responsibility. As


    if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, she was alsozy and spoilt. How a man like Vinson could still be friends


    with someone like that was beyond Sam. Not only that, Vinson was even willing to put in time and effort


    to help this friend of his.


    ¡°She saved my life. And she¡¯s also special to me. So, Sam, if you agree to this, I¡¯ll owe you


    one.¡± Vinson Nightshire owing me a favor? That¡¯s like winning the lottery! Sam sighed and nodded. ¡°I


    understand, and I¡¯ll try my best. But if I find her still not up to the mark after a few scenes, I¡¯ll have to


    insist on dropping her as the female lead.¡±


    ¡°No problem. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll promise not to intervene anymore,¡± Vinson replied. For some reason,


    Vinson had the utmost confidence in Arielle and knew she wouldn¡¯t let him down. ¡°That¡¯s settled then,¡±


    Sam said as he got up from his seat. ¡°I shan¡¯t take up any more of your time.


    I¡¯ll be leaving first, goodbye.¡± Vinson watched as Sam left the caf¨¦ before sending a text to Arielle.


    Arielle had just returned to the Southall residence when she received the text. Since she had


    exchanged numbers with Vinson after signing the contract, she knew instantly that the text was from


    him.


    Curious, she read it. The text was short, with just one sentence: You owe me a favor. Arielle stared in


    confusion. What favor? After racking her brains, the only possible reason she could think of was how


    he had stopped Henrick from making her kneel in the meeting room. Is that it? What a petty jerk!


    To think I even saved his life! If I hadn¡¯t helped him at the ind, he¡¯d still be floating about in some


    ocean, barely alive. Annoyed, Arielle replied with another text: A petty man will be single for life! Vinson


    was excited to hear back from Arielle so quickly, but the content of the text left him bewildered. As he


    re-read the text, he pictured a fuming Arielle huffing away, which made him chuckle out loud.


    Shandie returned to the manor just as Arielle made her way into the living room. As soon as she


    stepped into the house, she shouted gleefully, ¡°Dad! I got the role!


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    I¡¯m the female lead for Monsters in Jadeborough!¡± Henrick¡¯s eyes lit up instantly. ¡°That¡¯s my girl! I¡¯m so


    proud of you! Order whatever you want to eat tonight!¡± Shandie yed coy and replied, ¡°Why don¡¯t you


    order, Dad? I shall be in charge of eating it!¡± Henrick burst into a heartyugh, tickled by his daughter¡¯s


    cheekiness.


    Cindy had also made her way downstairs and shrieked with joy upon hearing Shandie¡¯s good news.


    Arielle watched from the side as the three of them looked like the picture-perfect family full of love and


    joy. Arielle, on the other hand, felt like an outsider, alone and forgotten.


    She couldn¡¯t help but avert her gaze as she tried to hide the tears welling up in her eyes. Arielle


    thought she had gotten used to feeling left out, but clearly, that wasn¡¯t the case. Not wanting to stay a


    minute longer, she made her way upstairs and into her room. After changing out into a set of


    comfortable loungewear, she immediately called her overseas assistant.


    ¡°Ashley, I want you to find out who the person in charge of handling Cindy¡¯s overseas assets is,¡± she


    ordered, her gaze turning cold and distant.

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51


    If Cindy had the gall to siphon off that much money from Henrick without his knowledge, then it only


    proved how little she truly cared for him. Arielle had always believed that what Henrick and Cindy had


    was true love. Why else would Cindy have done something as unmorous as marrying her sister¡¯s


    husband? However, judging by how things were going now, Arielle could tell that Cindy was up to no


    good. Perhaps, Henrick was merely a pawn in her game.


    Once she had gotten to the bottom of the matter and exposed the truth, Arielle had no doubts that


    Cindy and Henrick would be at each others¡¯ throats. It couldn¡¯t have been more than a couple of


    minutes after thest phone call when Ashley called again. ¡°You¡¯ve found out so fast?¡± Arielle asked in


    surprise. ¡°No. There¡¯s something I forgot to tell you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Someone here has been


    investigating you recently. Yourpany came close to being exposed, but I managed to thwart their


    n.¡±


    ¡°Investigating me?¡± Arielle asked worriedly. ¡°Is it Cindy?¡± ¡°No. I traced the search back and realized the


    other party wasn¡¯t even covering their tracks. It¡¯s Harvey Jupiter, CEO of Jayhawk Group.¡± ¡°Harvey


    Jupiter? I don¡¯t think I know him¡­¡± Arielle muttered. ¡°Regardless, don¡¯t let him find out about my


    identity. I can¡¯t risk getting exposed now.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± After the call, Arielle again tried to recall if she had


    evere across a Harvey Jupiter in her life.


    Try as she might, the name didn¡¯t ring a bell at all. However, there was still a possibility that Cindy had


    sent him to do the dirty work. No, wait. Ashley did mention that Harvey¡¯s the CEO of Jayhawk Group, a


    world-renowned technologypany. There¡¯s no way Cindy would be able to get a man like him to be


    at her beck and call. So the question is, why is he investigating me? Frustrated with theck of


    answers, Arielle decided to give it a rest. She was confident that her real identity would be safe, given


    how she had spent a lot of money and effort to conceal it.


    If anyone were to try, all they could ever dig up was the fake identity of Arielle being the girl who grew


    up in the countryside. However, the fact that someone had managed to track her down overseas


    remained a cause for concern. Back in the living room, Cindy finally got the call from Matthias. Not


    wanting to attract Henrick¡¯s suspicion, she walked to an empty corner before answering her phone.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Cindy whispered gently.


    ¡°You¡¯re back already?¡± ¡°Yes. Cin, I want to see you¡­¡± Cindy smiled tenderly as her heart filled with


    warmth. ¡°I know. I miss you too. Henrick¡¯s bringing Shannie and me out for dinner tonight, and I¡¯ll try to


    get him drunk then. Once I¡¯ve sent him home, I¡¯ll go to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see you at our usual ce then.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Cindy replied, her voice so sweet and gentle it¡¯d turn anyone into mush. Despite being over


    forty, Cindy maintained her looks well, thanks to a strict beauty regime.


    She might pale inparison to Maureen, but her beauty still left men breathless and wanting more.


    Besides, she had her ways with men and knew how to please them. That was also the reason why


    Henrick hadn¡¯t strayed since his second marriage with Cindy. Cindy was the only one with the patience


    to put up with him and spoil him at every chance avable. Unfortunately, Cindy had yed Henrick for


    a fool. The only time a woman could have that much patience for a man was when she didn¡¯t love him.


    Soon, night had fallen. As promised by


    Henrick, he took the entire family out to a famous restaurant in Jadeborough for dinner. During their


    meal, the eagle-eyed Arielle noticed that Cindy kept plying Henrick with wine. What is Cindy up


    to? Despite her suspicions, Arielle kept her face straight as she pretended not to have noticed anything


    amiss. Henrick, on the other hand, was blissfully unaware of his wife¡¯s intention. He was enjoying the


    day with his family and downing wine one ss after the other.


    After several sses in a row, Henrick soon became drunk and started spouting nonsense. ¡°You all


    better watch out! The one thing I hate the most is people who betray me. If any of you dare do that, I


    swear I¡¯ll skin you alive!¡± Henrick¡¯s sudden outburst scared Cindy as a pang of guilt struck her. She


    steadied a woozy Henrick and gently said, ¡°Let¡¯s head home. You¡¯ve had too much to drink, and it¡¯s


    also gettingte. The kids have work tomorrow too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right! There are movies and money to be made! Let¡¯s go home right now!¡± Henrick was bubbling


    over with excitement as he made his way to the car, but once he got into it, he instantly fell into a deep


    slumber. With her father dead to the world, Arielle also shut her eyes and pretended to sleep. During


    the journey home, she took several peeks at Cindy and realized she had been on her phone the entire


    time, busy replying to messages. Cindy¡¯s up to no good!This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52


    If Cindy had the gall to siphon off that much money from Henrick without his knowledge, then it only


    proved how little she truly cared for him. Arielle had always believed that what Henrick and Cindy had


    was true love. Why else would Cindy have done something as unmorous as marrying her sister¡¯s


    husband? However, judging by how things were going now, Arielle could tell that Cindy was up to no


    good. Perhaps, Henrick was merely a pawn in her game.


    Once she had gotten to the bottom of the matter and exposed the truth, Arielle had no doubts that


    Cindy and Henrick would be at each others¡¯ throats. It couldn¡¯t have been more than a couple of


    minutes after thest phone call when Ashley called again. ¡°You¡¯ve found out so fast?¡± Arielle asked in


    surprise. ¡°No. There¡¯s something I forgot to tell you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Someone here has been


    investigating you recently. Yourpany came close to being exposed, but I managed to thwart their


    n.¡±


    ¡°Investigating me?¡± Arielle asked worriedly. ¡°Is it Cindy?¡± ¡°No. I traced the search back and realized the


    other party wasn¡¯t even covering their tracks. It¡¯s Harvey Jupiter, CEO of Jayhawk Group.¡± ¡°Harvey


    Jupiter? I don¡¯t think I know him¡­¡± Arielle muttered. ¡°Regardless, don¡¯t let him find out about my


    identity. I can¡¯t risk getting exposed now.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± After the call, Arielle again tried to recall if she had


    evere across a Harvey Jupiter in her life.


    Try as she might, the name didn¡¯t ring a bell at all. However, there was still a possibility that Cindy had


    sent him to do the dirty work. No, wait. Ashley did mention that Harvey¡¯s the CEO of Jayhawk Group, a


    world-renowned technologypany. There¡¯s no way Cindy would be able to get a man like him to be


    at her beck and call. So the question is, why is he investigating me? Frustrated with theck of


    answers, Arielle decided to give it a rest.


    She was confident that her real identity would be safe, given how she had spent a lot of money and


    effort to conceal it. If anyone were to try, all they could ever dig up was the fake identity of Arielle being


    the girl who grew up in the countryside. However, the fact that someone had managed to track her


    down overseas remained a cause for concern. Back in the living room, Cindy finally got the call from


    Matthias. Not wanting to attract Henrick¡¯s suspicion, she walked to an empty corner before answering


    her phone. ¡°Hello?¡± Cindy whispered gently. ¡°You¡¯re back already?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Cin, I want to see you¡­¡± Cindy smiled tenderly as her heart filled with warmth. ¡°I know. I miss you


    too. Henrick¡¯s bringing Shannie and me out for dinner tonight, and I¡¯ll try to get him drunk then. Once


    I¡¯ve sent him home, I¡¯ll go to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see you at our usual ce then.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Cindy replied, her voice


    so sweet and gentle it¡¯d turn anyone into mush. Despite being over forty, Cindy maintained her looks


    well, thanks to a strict beauty regime.


    She might pale inparison to Maureen, but her beauty still left men breathless and wanting more.


    Besides, she had her ways with men and knew how to please them. That was also the reason why


    Henrick hadn¡¯t strayed since his second marriage with Cindy. Cindy was the only one with the patience


    to put up with him and spoil him at every chance avable. Unfortunately, Cindy had yed Henrick for


    a fool. The only time a woman could have that much patience for a man was when she didn¡¯t love him.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Soon, night had fallen. As promised by Henrick, he took the entire family out to a famous restaurant in


    Jadeborough for dinner. During their meal, the eagle-eyed Arielle noticed that Cindy kept plying Henrick


    with wine. What is Cindy up to? Despite her suspicions, Arielle kept her face straight as she pretended


    not to have noticed anything amiss. Henrick, on the other hand, was blissfully unaware of his wife¡¯s


    intention.


    He was enjoying the day with his family and downing wine one ss after the other. After several


    sses in a row, Henrick soon became drunk and started spouting nonsense. ¡°You all better watch out!


    The one thing I hate the most is people who betray me. If any of you dare do that, I swear I¡¯ll skin you


    alive!¡± Henrick¡¯s sudden outburst scared Cindy as a pang of guilt struck her. She steadied a woozy


    Henrick and gently said, ¡°Let¡¯s head home.


    You¡¯ve had too much to drink, and it¡¯s also gettingte. The kids have work tomorrow too.¡± ¡°Oh, right!


    There are movies and money to be made! Let¡¯s go home right now!¡± Henrick was bubbling over with


    excitement as he made his way to the car, but once he got into it, he instantly fell into a deep slumber.


    With her father dead to the world, Arielle also shut her eyes and pretended to sleep. During the journey


    home, she took several peeks at Cindy and realized she had been on her phone the entire time, busy


    replying to messages. Cindy¡¯s up to no good!

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53


    ¡°Who exactly are you?¡± Arielle asked. The man was in such a stupor that none of his words made


    sense. In the end, he started stripping off his clothes instead. Arielle¡¯s eyes widened in shock as she


    stumbled backward and instinctively shielded her chest. ¡°Why are you taking off your clothes? Don¡¯t


    you dare do anything funny! I¡¯ll fight back!¡± Realizing that he might have frightened Arielle, the man


    immediately stopped in his tracks.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    After a brief hesitation, he pulled up his sleeve to reveal a bandage over his shoulder and proceeded to


    pull it off. One look at the wound and Arielle instantly recognized it as a knife wound. The wound was


    deep as if the knife had cut to the bone. Because of the stitches, the wound looked like a big, red, and


    angry centipede. Due to the force of ripping the bandage off, the wound had reopened, and Arielle


    gasped as blood started seeping out of it.


    It was at that moment that Arielle suddenly recalled an incident. Back when she was living overseas,


    there was one night when she walked past a street after dinner. To her horror, a group of men with


    machetes was beating up another man. Incidents like those weren¡¯t an umon sight, and Arielle¡¯s


    initial thought was to walk away. However, when she saw the attackers start to sh the man with their


    machetes, she hurriedly ran over and fought them off.


    No matter how good she was at fighting, she was still one lone woman up against a group of men. In


    the end, she escaped with the injured man in tow. They ran for almost ten blocks before they managed


    to shake his attackers off. Once the coast was clear, she gave the man some money and even got a


    car to send him to the hospital. The man¡¯s knife wound, if she recalled correctly, was right on his


    shoulder de, just like the man in front of her now.


    In that instant, everything came flooding back as she finally recognized the man. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± Arielle


    asked in disbelief. The man let out a deep sigh of relief despite his wound still bleeding. ¡°I¡¯ve looked for


    you everywhere overseas, but when one of my friends got missing, I had no choice but toe back


    here. Even then, I kept sending people to look for you, and just when I thought I had finally found you, I


    lost the lead again¡­¡±


    Arielle suddenly recalled the phone call she had with Ashley. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Harvey! I¡¯m Harvey


    Jupiter!¡± Everything became clear in that instant, and Arielle¡¯s earlier concerns were gone. She gazed


    deep into Harvey¡¯s eyes and smiled. ¡°Who knew I¡¯d identally save the CEO of Jayhawk Group. How


    are you doing now?¡± Harvey nodded excitedly. ¡°I¡¯m good. Everything¡¯s good.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that.¡±


    Arielle pointed at this shoulder and added, ¡°Your wound¡¯s bleeding again.


    You might want to get it checked out at the hospital. I should be going home now too.¡± ¡°No problem!¡±


    Harvey replied confidently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about a small wound like this. What about you? Where are you


    living now? C-Can I get your contact number? I want to repay you.¡± Arielle groaned silently, feeling


    somewhat helpless.


    Why does everyone like to repay others? She smiled faintly and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m doing very well,


    thank you. And you don¡¯t have to repay me. I¡¯m just happy that you¡¯re well and good. Right then, I


    should leave now. Bye!¡± With a wave of her hand, Arielle turned and walked away.


    A few feet in, Arielle realized Harvey was still following behind. She turned around and looked at him


    quizzically. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± ¡°No¡­ There¡¯s nothing else,¡± Harvey mumbled while scratching his


    head. ¡°It¡¯ste, and I¡¯m worried to let you walk these streets alone. Can I walk you home? Don¡¯t worry. I


    promise not to bother you.¡±

 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54


    No matter how well-intentioned Harvey was, Arielle still stood her ground and declined his offer. ¡°It¡¯s not


    that you¡¯re bothering me, but you know I¡¯m skilled enough to protect myself. You, on the other hand,


    shouldn¡¯t probably stay out sote. What if someonees after you again?¡± Harvey once again


    scratched his head while his face turned pink from embarrassment. ¡°I had been ambushed thest


    time. Someone injected me with drugs which left me weak and powerless. Besides, I¡¯m now back in my


    territory. I don¡¯t have to fear a repeat of that incident.¡±


    Harvey had such a determined look about him that Arielle knew he wasn¡¯t going to give up that easily.


    ¡°All right then, you can send me to the neighborhood gate. I¡¯ll get a car home from there.¡± Happy as a


    pig in mud, Harvey nodded his head and grinned. ¡°Okay!¡± With Harvey quietly following behind Arielle,


    they soon walked to the gate. As luck would have it, there was a taxi parked there, which Arielle


    promptly boarded. Harvey paid the fare in advance and reminded the driver to drive safely. The driver


    chuckled at how worried Harvey sounded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I promise to send your girlfriend home safe and sound!¡± ¡°Not girlfriend¡­.¡± Both Harvey


    and Arielle replied simultaneously. Except one was frowning while the other was still smiling happily.


    The driver only saw Harvey¡¯s expression, which was enough to make him break into augh before


    driving off. Youngsters these days don¡¯t often mean what they say. I wish they¡¯d stop lying to


    themselves!


    During the drive home, Arielle¡¯s face was illuminated by the soft glow of the passing streetmps,


    making her look even dreamier and more beautiful. Yet all she had on her mind then was what Cindy


    had been doing in that vi. Just as she was about to get lost in her thoughts, Ashley called her again.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got it. The vi belongs to Matthias Ford.¡± ¡°Matthias? Isn¡¯t that the man who manages Cindy¡¯s


    properties overseas?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    I¡¯ve also found out that Matthias had had many hotel rendezvous with Cindy and that the vi is a


    recent purchase.¡± Hotel rendezvous¡­oh my! There was a glint in Arielle¡¯s eyes when she realized she


    had dug up dirt on Cindy. Sure enough, falling in love did make people stupid. Even at that crucial


    moment, Cindy still threw caution to the wind and visited Matthias. Has she gone insane? Over the


    phone, Ashley continued, ¡°Matthias is also the one who went to the countryside to investigate you and


    ordered people to hunt you down on the cruise.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s grip on her phone tightened as she felt her blood boiling. ¡°I got it. I want to know more about


    Matthias. Continue your investigation on him. No matter how irrelevant it may be, give me every bit of


    information you can find on him.¡± Once Ashley had ended the call, Arielle¡¯s lips curled into a smile, but


    the look in her eyes remained cold and distant. Back at the vi, Cindy had only just shut the door


    when a topless man scooped her up in a tight embrace. Cindy yelped in shock.


    Before she could say anything else, Matthias had already pinned her against the wall. ¡°Cin¡­¡± he


    groaned as he started kissing her hungrily. Cindy and Matthias kissed each other with such a burning


    passion that it didn¡¯t take long before they were both panting heavily. At that rate, things were inevitably


    going to happen.


    Everything happened so fast that Cindy soon found herself stripped off of her clothes. Stunned, she


    hastily pushed Matthias away. ¡°Slow down. Tell me what you¡¯ve found out first.¡± Her words fell on deaf


    ears as Matthias carried her and made a beeline for the bedroom upstairs.


    Soon, Cindy found herself being tossed onto the bed by Matthias, who was now eyeing her with hungry


    eyes. ¡°The night is precious. Let¡¯s do what we came here for, and then we can talk about other things.¡±

 Chapter 55

    Chapter 55


    Panting, Matthias undid his belt as he spoke. Then, he pinned Cindy down. By then, Cindy felt as if her


    body had melted. She could not push Matthias away. Not that she wanted to, anyway.


    Although Henrick was a domineering man, he was as good as a dead fish in bed. She could only


    pretend to enjoy every time. Only Matthias could fulfill her. Forget about Arielle first. We¡¯ll talk about her


    later. Cindy then took off her panties herself. After the activity, the two were covered in sweat.


    The musty scent of love filled the air in the room. As Matthias lit a cigarette, he sighed in satisfaction.


    With a nket wrapped around her, Cindy drawled, ¡°Shall we talk business now? What have you found


    out?¡± Matthias flicked the ash off his cigarette before muttering, ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re so anxious.


    The girl¡¯s nothing but a country bumpkin.¡± Hearing him, she instantly furrowed her brows and sat


    upright. ¡°What? Did you not find out about anything?¡± Flicking away his cigarette, Matthias then turned


    to kiss Cindy, but thetter pushed him away.


    ¡°Spit it out,¡± Cindy hissed. Matthias knew she was two seconds away from losing her temper. Stunned,


    Matthias then solemnly borated, ¡°Everyone in the vige knows the girl. They say she¡¯s raised there.


    I investigated her schools too.


    She studied her elementary, middle, and high school there. Her name is in the graduation records.


    There¡¯s no way that¡¯s an error.¡± After a few seconds of silence, Cindy asked, ¡°What about her


    teachers? Have you asked them?¡±


    Matthias nodded. ¡°I have. I found her high school homeroom teacher. She said her grades are not bad,


    but she flunked her high school final examination, so she only managed to get into a third-rate


    university. However, due to its horrendous results, the university has now closed down.¡± At that, Cindy


    knitted her brows. Have I really overestimated Arielle? Is she really just a hillbilly? Matthias then leaned


    closer to her. ¡°Cin, she¡¯s just a little girl.


    You¡¯re thinking too highly of her. Maybe she¡¯s a little witty, but she¡¯s still no match for you.¡± Hesitating,


    Cindy muttered, ¡°But Henrick values her greatly now. He even loves her more than Shannie. How can I


    not be anxious about that? Moreover, there¡¯s something between Vinson and her. I can¡¯t let her keep


    this up.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Matthias kissed her earlobe. ¡°In half a year, Southall Group will be ours. Henrick


    can love whoever he wants to.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Why do you need to bother yourself with these minor matters?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± The worry remained in Cindy¡¯s


    eyes. Henrick was not as foolish as he looked. When the Moore family turned into the Southall family, a


    bunch of Moores had appeared, trying to get rid of Henrick. Yet, Henrick managed to suppress them.


    In fact, he even turned some of them into his men. In other words, Henrick was more than capable of


    scheming on his own. Cindy desperately needed Henrick¡¯s love, and she wanted to turn his men into


    hers. That way, she would be able to stop the internal conflict from happening again.


    However, Matthias did not know that she was contemting such things. He whispered, ¡°If you really


    don¡¯t like her, I¡¯ll deal with her again. Back then, at the sea, she was lucky. I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll be that


    lucky again at Jadeborough.¡± Rubbing her temples as a headache began to made itself known, Cindy


    mumbled, ¡°Let me think about it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t. Let¡¯s do it again¡­¡±

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56


    On the other side, Harvey had just received Carter¡¯s message. He sent a voice message back. ¡°Hey


    Harvey, are you home yet? Don¡¯t sleep on the road. Some wild dogs might eat you alive.¡± ¡°Hahaha!


    He¡¯ll be able to feed five dogs.¡± In a good mood, Harvey refuted, ¡°Shut it, Jordan. I¡¯m not going to drink


    anymore.¡±


    The other three thought they were hallucinating when they heard Harvey, the man who essentially lived


    in a bar, announced that he was not going to drink anymore.


    Carter then texted: What? Jordan was equally quick to add to that. What the heck? Right then, Vinson,


    who rarely appeared in the chat, sent a voice message to the group. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Upon


    his arrival, Jordan shrieked and sent a voice message. ¡°Holy f*ck! Harvey, your nonsense forced our


    busy man out from his hiding! Hurry and tell us you¡¯re joking.¡± He had been drinking continuously


    because he was unable to find her.


    Now that he had found her, there was no reason for him to keep drinking. As long as Arielle was in the


    country, even if she did not give him a way to contact her, he would still find a hundred other ways to


    get to her. Then, he would create the opportunity for them to encounter each other.


    Love at first sight. That was what happened to him. It sounded absurd, but that was the


    reality. Who wouldn¡¯t fall for a brave, kind, and pretty girl?


    The moment Harvey¡¯s voice message was sent out, Jordan sent back a celebratory


    emoji. Congrattions! May we know who this girl is? Hurry and propose to her! If she doesn¡¯t agree to


    it, we¡¯ll kidnap her and get her to your bed for you! Upon reading the message, Harvey frowned.


    Perhaps he had been drinking too much, for he started imagining Arielle on his bed. Unable to help


    himself, he turned and looked toward the bed.


    However, in the next second, he pped himself. p! With the loud sound came his soberness. What


    kind of scumbag am I? San¡¯s a goddess to me. How can I think of her in that way? Irritated, Harvey


    responded, ¡°Jordan, if you say something like that again. I¡¯ll skin you alive!¡± Jordan¡¯s reply came quick.


    ¡°Oh?


    Are you angry? It seems like you¡¯re serious this time. I won¡¯t say that anymore, all right? Let me


    apologize to your future wife. Come on, tell us who she is.


    Your grandma¡¯s been waiting to hug her grandchild. As long as shees from a decent family, it¡¯s


    fine even if she¡¯s a little poorer.¡± Then, Jordan sent another voice message. ¡°You won¡¯t be like our Mr.


    Nightshire. Mr. Nightshire, your family only lets you marry princesses, right?¡±


    In the beginning, Vinson was in a good mood after getting Arielle to owe him a favor. However, when


    he heard the voice message, his expression darkened. Throwing his phone aside, he then returned to


    hisputer. After a while of working, Vinson could not help but pick up his phone again.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    He called his assistant and asked, ¡°What¡¯s on the schedule tomorrow?¡± The assistant was used to


    receiving midnight calls from Vinson, so he was swift to exit his groggy state. After checking the next


    day¡¯s schedule, he replied, ¡°You¡¯ll need to check the new plot tomorrow morning, as well as have a


    meeting with the engineer.


    In the afternoon, you have a golf session with Mr. York. Your dinner will be with¡­¡± ¡°Clear my schedule


    tomorrow.¡± The assistant went silent for a moment before quietly asking, ¡°Is there something important


    tomorrow?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to oversee the shooting of Soir Coffee tomorrow.


    You can represent me in the meeting with the engineer. Push back the rest of the appointments.¡± ¡°Yes,


    sir.¡± Once the assistant ended the call, he reached out to pat his face. Ouch. I¡¯m not dreaming. Mr.


    Nightshire¡¯s ditching a project worth hundreds of billions to oversee an ambassador¡¯s shooting?

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57


    The assistant took a long while to recollect himself after the call. Is there something wrong with my


    ears, or is there something wrong with Vinson¡¯s head? Could it be that he¡¯s in love? In that case¡­ Who


    cares about the project worth hundreds of billions? It¡¯s more important to produce the next heir of the


    Nightshire Group. The next day arrived in a blink of an eye. Early in the morning, the housekeeper


    woke Arielle. ¡°Ms. Arielle, the people from Nightshire Group has arrived. It¡¯s time to wake up.¡±


    After finding out about Matthias and Cindy¡¯s rtionship the night before, Arielle¡¯s mood was greatly


    lifted. For once, she had a good night¡¯s sleep. However, she was not grumpy about her sudden


    awakening. After rubbing her temples, she went to wash up. The moment she went down the stairs,


    she saw dozens of people standing around. Even the spacious living room seemed cramped with them


    around. That many of them?


    Arielle could feel an oing headache. It¡¯s going to be a tiring shoot, isn¡¯t it? Right as she was about


    to go down the stairs, footsteps from behind her traveled into her ears. Turning around, she spotted


    Shandie walking toward her, an elegant makeup on her face. On Shandie¡¯s head were the two buns


    that Arielle wore the day before. However, it did not fit her like it fitted Arielle, as Shandie had a sharper


    face and longer eyes. Instead of looking cute, Shandie looked odd. ¡°Shandie,¡± Arielle greeted with a


    smile. Henrick was dead drunk, and Shandie knew he would not be waking until noon.


    Hence, Shandie saw no point in keeping up with the act. She rolled her eyes at Arielle before


    continuing her way down. When her eyesnded on the dozens of people in the living room, they lit up.


    The film crew had informed her that they would be sending someone over to pick her up, but Shandie


    never thought so many would be here for her. It seems like Vinson¡¯s business card is quite a good card


    to use. I knew it. I¡¯m Vinson¡¯s friend.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Even Sam Sleight¡¯s got to get on his knees and beg me to be in his shows. See? I¡¯m right. He¡¯s already


    disying such a grand gesture in picking me. I¡¯m going to forgive him for being so rude to me during


    the audition. As she was in a much better mood after seeing the scene in the living room, she turned


    around to say to Arielle, who she had ignored earlier, ¡°Arielle, I heard you¡¯re going for the filming too?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Arielle did not know why Shandie was concerning herself with her, but she nodded nheless. The


    next thing she heard was Shandie¡¯s pretentious and proud voice saying, ¡°You don¡¯t need to be too


    nervous. It¡¯s quite simple to film promotional videos, unlike the movie I¡¯m going to film today. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll


    be exhausted by the end of it. All right, we¡¯ll stop talking about it. Look, there are so many people


    waiting for me downstairs.


    I¡¯ll go ahead first.¡± Arielle froze, and that was when she realized Shandie must have misunderstood the


    situation. She was about to speak when she saw Shandie turned and ran down the stairs. To those


    people, she said, ¡°All right. I¡¯m ready, so let¡¯s head to the filming site now.¡± Then, Shandie walked


    toward the door.


    It only took her two steps before she realized something was amiss¡ªno one was following her. Casting


    a perplexed look behind, she saw the people sharing a confused look with each other. ¡°What¡¯s the


    matter? Are we not leaving now?¡± Walking down the stairs, Arielle cleared her throat.


    ¡°Shandie, you¡¯ve misunderstood this. They¡¯re here for me.¡± Shandie was silent for a moment before


    she blurted out, ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± It¡¯s just amercial shooting; there¡¯s no need for so many


    people to be here. ¡°Arielle, there¡¯s a limit to your daydreaming, you know?¡±

 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58


    Right then, a young woman walked into the house and asked, ¡°May I know if Ms. Shannie who¡¯s filming


    today is ready to leave?¡± When Shandie turned around, she spotted the young woman standing alone


    by the doorway. Sannie?


    She must be calling Arielle. I knew it. She doesn¡¯t need so many people just formercial


    shooting. Amused, she turned to Arielle and crowed, ¡°Do you see her, Arielle? She¡¯s the one who¡¯s


    picking you up for your shooting.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    It seems like this is a major misunderstanding.¡± However, in the next second, the young woman said,


    ¡°Ms. Shandie Southall, is there a misunderstanding? I¡¯m here to pick you up for the filming.¡± The young


    woman had recognized Shandie. At that very moment, something exploded in Shandie¡¯s mind.


    She stared at the young woman in disbelief before turning to look at the dozens of people in the living


    room. They¡¯re really all here to pick Arielle up for amercial shooting? It¡¯s just amercial. Does


    she really need a crowd to take her there? With a smile that did not quite reach her eyes, Arielle walked


    toward Shandie and muttered, ¡°Shandie, a major misunderstanding indeed.


    Hurry along for your filming. Don¡¯t let the film crew all wait for you. I¡¯ll go for my shooting too.¡± With that


    said, she nodded at the group behind her before walking out of the house. Promptly, the group followed


    her after a simultaneous respectful nod. The anger that rose in Shandie¡¯s chest made her shake.


    B*tch. A shameless b*tch! Arielle¡¯s shooting was located in Jadeborough¡¯srgest Soir Coffee shop.


    The shop had yet to have its official opening, but the renovations were allpleted. When Arielle


    arrived at the scene, the others were all ready for the shooting. After all, the higher-ups had told them


    to take good care of the ambassador as the CEO valued her greatly.


    Therefore, everyone treated her well. However, there are always outliers. ¡°Is the ambassador here


    yet?¡± came a stern female voice. When Arielle looked over, she spotted a solemn woman walking over


    with a darkened expression. Immediately, Arielle¡¯s temporary assistant introduced, ¡°Ms. Moore, she¡¯s


    Serena Assange, the person in charge of our shooting. She used to be an assistant to the CEO, and


    she¡¯s now in charge of the promotions of Soir Coffee.


    With her around, I¡¯m sure the shooting would be smooth sailing.¡± Arielle nodded and reached her hand


    out to Serena. ¡°Hello, Ms. Serena. I¡¯m Arielle, but you can call me Sannie. I look forward to working


    with you.¡± However, instead of reaching out to shake her hand, Serena folded her arms and


    questioned, ¡°Do you know what time our shooting is at?¡± Arielle froze for a millisecond before replying,


    ¡°Eight.¡± ¡°So it seems like you do know what time it¡¯s meant to start.¡±


    Serena then pointed at her watch. ¡°It¡¯s already ten after eight. We¡¯re heading out for outdoor shooting


    as well, and the rental is calcted per minute. Do you know how much you have wasted?¡± Serena


    made it seem as if she was being professional, but she actually despised Arielle.


    If not for Arielle, she would not have been transferred from the CEO¡¯s office to be in charge of a


    trivial shooting. Moreover, she had taken everything to avoid getting dismissed from thepany; she


    had pulled all of her strings to remain in Nightshire Group. This is all Arielle¡¯s fault.


    Therefore, even if Arielle made a minor mistake, she would never let her off easy. Arielle sensed


    hostility radiating off the other woman. However, this was the first time she had seen Serena, so Arielle


    could not understand why the other seemed to hold a grudge against her. Am I overthinking this?

 Chapter 59

    Chapter 59


    Arielle opened her mouth, about to apologize, when her assistant spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Serena. Ms.


    Moore isn¡¯t the one at fault. There was a car ident earlier, so we were trapped in the traffic for quite


    a while. If not for it, we would¡¯ve arrived half an hour earlier.¡± However, Serena refused to ept the


    exnation. Instead, she uttered, ¡°Then you should¡¯ve left earlier. I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t bete if you


    were to leave your ce an hour earlier, right?¡±


    The assistant, Iris, froze. She never thought the person in charge would be such a difficult person to


    deal with. Just as she was about to continue her exnation, Arielle reached out her hand to stop her.


    With a solemn expression, Arielle said, ¡°Ms. Serena, regardless of everything. It¡¯s wrong of me to have


    beente. Let me apologize to you and the rest of the staff.¡± ¡°Do you think an apology would be


    sufficient? Have you watched any shows? Do you think apologies can salvage everything? If you killed


    a man, do you think an apology would bring him back to life?¡±


    At that, Arielle creased her forehead. By now, she knew the other woman was just picking a bone with


    her. Taking in a subtle deep breath, Arielle said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll be responsible for this. I¡¯ll do my best to


    speed up the shootingter. However, if we still spend more time than we¡¯ve nned to at the outdoor


    shooting, I¡¯ll pay the extra.¡± Serena burst outughing. ¡°Ms. Moore, are you being serious? As far as I


    know, you have zero filming experience.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Beforeing to Jadeborough, you only lived in a small vige. Do you know what filming is? Filming


    isn¡¯t the same as taking photos. You need to meld with the environment, the clothes, and the theme¡­¡±


    Arielle interrupted, ¡°Ms. Serena, if you keep this up, you¡¯ll only waste more time. Since the outdoor


    location charges per minute, let¡¯s not waste any more time and get into it.¡± Serena¡¯s expression


    darkened. She¡¯s using my words against me.


    Annoyed, she huffed. ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to your shooting, then.¡± Instead of answering her, Arielle headed


    to the dressing room to change her clothes. The first set of costumes was Soir Coffee¡¯s employee


    outfit. It was dark blue with a chef¡¯s hat. Anyone else would look like an ordinary coffee shop employee


    in that outfit, but Arielle looked gorgeous in it. It was as if she was born for fashion; any clothing fitted


    her well. No matter what she wore, others could not tear their eyes off her.


    The makeup artist gasped. ¡°Ms. Sannie, it¡¯s such a waste that you¡¯re not a model with a face like


    yours.¡± Arielle smiled but said nothing to that. She had once been a model on an international catwalk,


    but she had been wearing a mask back then. However, upon walking out of the dressing room with her


    makeup, Serena frowned. ¡°No coffee shop staff wears makeup. This will affect the taste of the coffee.


    Remove it right away!¡± There were two reasons for Serena to say that.


    Arielle was too pretty and eye-catching, so she did not want the others to think that she was a wless


    woman; she only wanted others to think that Arielle was unworthy of being Soir Coffee¡¯s ambassador.


    The other reason was that she wanted to waste Arielle¡¯s time so that Arielle would have to pay for the


    extra.


    Ever since she was demoted, she had been earning three times lesser than before. Hence, she had to


    make Arielle suffer with her. Yet, Serena had forgotten that her arrogance and selfishness were the


    reason for her downfall. After hearing her, Arielle quietly returned to get the makeup artist to remove


    her makeup.


    Meanwhile, Serena waited outside for Arielle to reappear with an ugly face. To her, Arielle¡¯s beauty was


    too surreal, so Serena was sure that Arielle was only beautiful because of her makeup. Once she


    removed her makeup, Serena was certain that she would be nothing but an ugly witch. The more


    Serena thought about it, the more eager she was to look at the hideous Arielle.

 Chapter 60

    Chapter 60


    In the dressing room. Arielle rarely put on makeup, but for the shooting, she had applied ayer of


    foundation beforeing. Yet, she now had to take them all off. I should¡¯ve skipped on the makeup


    from the start. I could¡¯ve saved myself some time. The makeup artist was carefully removing Arielle¡¯s


    makeup, but she identally hurt Arielle when she was pulling off the fakeshes. Arielle hissed in


    pain. Hearing that, the makeup artist paled and began profusely apologizing.


    She had done makeup for many kinds of people. If mistakes like these happened, she would generally


    have to suffer a bout of reprimand. Some with fouler tempers would even demand her to leave


    immediately. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry!¡± The makeup artist was shaking like a leaf. Arielle was the one her


    higher-ups had reminded her to take good care of, but she had just offended her. What if Nightshire


    Group won¡¯t work with me anymore?


    To her surprise, a gentle voice traveled into her ears in the next moment. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can continue.¡±


    The makeup artist stiffened. When she raised her head, she was greeted with the sight of Arielle¡¯s soft


    smile. She¡¯s really not angry with me. While the makeup artist was surprised, she also sighed in


    relief. Arielle¡¯s definitely earning brownie points from me. While she continued to remove Arielle¡¯s


    makeup, she grumbled, ¡°Ms. Sannie, I¡¯ve been working with Nightshire Group for many brands¡¯


    commercial shooting, but I¡¯ve never heard of any who has to go on camera without any makeup.


    I¡¯d say Ms. Serena is targeting you.¡± Arielle was not a fool; she knew that. However, she was confident.


    Nevertheless, she shed the other woman a grateful smile. ¡°Thank you, but I think it¡¯s better for me to


    go along with her words.¡± The makeup artist could only sigh in her mind. Arielle¡¯s a meek little sheep. I


    feel bad that she¡¯s going to have to suffer a lot today. Soon, the makeup was all gone. At that moment,


    the makeup artist widened her eyes and stammered, ¡°M-M-Ms. Sannie, y-you look virtually the same


    with or without makeup!¡±


    In fact, without makeup, her skin looked even smoother, and her natural blush was visible. Arielle was


    one of the prettiest bare-faced women the makeup artist had seen. She finally knew why Arielle wasBelonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    silent after Serena asked her to remove her makeup; there was no need for Arielle to say anything.


    Arielle smiled at the makeup artist before she walked toward the outside. In the meantime, Serena was


    getting impatient waiting by the doorway of the dressing room.


    Why isn¡¯t that ugly womaning out yet? Is she too ashamed toe out because she¡¯s hideous


    without makeup? That must be why. Right as those thoughts passed Serena¡¯s mind, the door opened.


    Excitedly rushing over, a mocking look entered Serena¡¯s eyes before she even saw Arielle. However,


    upon taking in the sight of Arielle¡¯s face, her eyes widened. This was a woman loved by god. Her skin


    was fair, and she had a natural rosy blush.


    She had a sharp nose that fitted her face perfectly, and her bright eyes seemed to hold a story in them.


    Moreover, she had a divine figure, and it was as if flowers would sprout where she walked. Just her


    face alone could make sure she would live without any worries for money for the rest of her life. How


    can this be?


    Where¡¯s the ugly monster I¡¯m waiting for? How can she still be so pretty without makeup? Stunned by


    the scene, Serena¡¯s phone fell on the ground with a loud thud. Right then, she began to shake in anger.


    She had been waiting in anticipation outside, but this was not the scene she was waiting for.


    The hatred Serena had for her was carving itself in her bones. When Arielle saw Serena¡¯s reaction, the


    corners of her lips tilted upward. However, she was quick to let it drop as she picked up Serena¡¯s


    phone. ¡°Ms. Serena, why did you drop your phone?¡±

 Chapter 61

    Chapter 61


    Serena gave Arielle an evil look and said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t waste time. Let¡¯s start shooting!¡± So what if she


    is pretty? Most importantly, she has to be natural andfortable in front of a camera. Otherwise, she


    is just going to be a blockhead. There were countless opportunities for Serena to drag Arielle¡¯s time


    and make her lose money. The outdoor shooting location was held at Themis Castle. It was an old


    ancient castle. It costed ten thousand per minute.


    She wanted Arielle to go bankrupt! Ten thousand was an astronomical figure, especially for a girl who


    grew up in the countryside. Not long after, Serena put a cold smile on her face and gloated over Arielle.


    The photographer was stunned for few seconds when he saw Arielle. He walked over tomunicate


    with Arielle about the shooting content. ¡°We will take some photos first before filming the video. The


    first scene is going to be at the entrance of the coffee shop.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    We will need you to push the door open, then look back and smile. That¡¯s all for the first scene.¡± ¡°Sure.¡±


    Arielle smiled slightly. She followed behind the production crew and headed out. Soir Coffee had a


    forest theme interior design. The storefront and signboard were all made out of antique elm wood. The


    shop was full of green nts, and vines were hanging on the door. From afar, it looked like a tree


    hollow in an anime instead of a coffee shop. ¡°Alright, Ms. Sannie. Let¡¯s get started. You push the door,


    then turn around and smile at me.¡± Arielle nodded solemnly.


    After that, she reached out to push the door¡­ Serena smiled mockingly beside the photographer. She


    was waiting for Arielle to make a mistake. Meanwhile¡­ Arielle pushed the door slightly with one hand


    and turned around to look at the photographer with a lovely smile. Right at that moment, a breeze


    swept across and blew through Arielle¡¯s hair. A wisp of hair rested on her lips and covered half of her


    eyes. Click!


    With the camera shutter sound, a freeze-frame shot was captured. As soon as Serena heard the


    shutter sound, she immediately leaned over and asked the photographer without even looking at the


    photo. ¡°How was it? Is it bad?¡± The photographer froze when he looked at the camera. He was at loss


    for words for a moment. Serena thought the photographer was shocked to see Arielle¡¯s terrible


    expression and posture. Immediately, she reprimanded her, ¡°What are you doing?


    It looks so unnatural. Stop being phony! Start over again!¡± However, just as Serena finished speaking,


    the photographer regained hisposure and hurriedly waved his hands. ¡°No. There¡¯s no need to


    retake. That was a good shot! Your movement and facial expression looked so natural. We will use this


    one!¡± Serena was dumbfounded at that moment. ¡°What are you talking¡­¡± The photographer excitedly


    handed her the camera. Serena¡¯s brows knitted and looked at the screen.


    She saw ady smiling brighter than the sun, turning around and stared at the camera, as if she was


    inviting her friends over to have a cup of coffee. That wind put her hair into disarray at the perfect


    timing. She looked so gorgeous despite the messy hair. The picture gave a great sense of motion.


    Serena tightened the grip as she held on to the camera. H-How could this be? Is this an ident? The


    photographer captured the moment by chance.


    So, the picture is perfect? Serena would definitely never admit that Arielle was actuallypetent in


    front of the camera. She then took a deep breath. Serena wanted to say something but she was


    completely speechless. In the end, she angrily returned the camera and said coldly, ¡°That was barely


    qualified. Carry on with the shooting!¡± Serena gritted her teeth in anger. She didn¡¯t believe that luck was


    on Arielle¡¯s side all the time.


    She could be really lucky for the first time but it didn¡¯t mean things would go perfectly smooth for her


    every single time. It was impossible for a person who had no experience in filming to do it perfectly


    without making any mistake. Thest short video clip was supposed to be shot in the rain.


    Arielle would be acting as a waitress of Soir Coffee. She had to open the door and put up an umbre


    for her customer who was walking towards the coffee shop in the rain. The photographer exined to


    Arielle, ¡°This video clip is to reflect the customer service quality of Soir Coffee.


    Therefore, when you see a customer walking in the rain, you have to quickly run towards them.¡± The


    content was notplicated. The difficult part was the emotional expression. She had to walk a fine


    line between being in a rush and being exaggerated.

 Chapter 62

    Chapter 62


    Arielle nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve got it.¡± The filming started. Arielle held an umbre and hurriedly rushed towards


    her customer. She managed to protect the customer from rain but half of her shoulder was soaking wet.


    ¡°Cut!¡± Both the film director and photographer were satisfied with her performance and apuded.


    ¡°Very good! That was perfect!¡± Finally, Arielle heaved a sigh of relief. It was half an hour earlier than the


    expected time topletion of the shooting.


    Just as she was about to change out of her wet clothes, she heard Serena¡¯s voice in the next second.


    ¡°This clip is below eptable. Reshoot!¡± Obviously, Serena was deliberately picking on Arielle. She


    frowned and looked at her. ¡°Ms. Serena, our film director and photographer have just approved the


    clip.¡± The director nodded and said, ¡°Ms. Serena, that clip was already perfect. Her emotional


    expression is on point. There¡¯s no need for a reshoot.¡±


    Serena crossed her hands across her chest with her chin held high. ¡°I¡¯m the person in charge of this


    shooting. No means no.¡± Arielle gave Serena a cold-eyed stare. Initially, she wanted to be friendly with


    her on the surface. But it seemed that she didn¡¯t have to pretend anymore. Arielle said, ¡°Serena, if


    there¡¯s anything I need to improve on the filming, please enlighten me. I¡¯ll definitely film it all over again


    until you¡¯re satisfied with the result.


    But if you were to make me reshoot for no reason, then please forgive me for not ying along with


    your unreasonable demands!¡± Unreasonable? How dare this little b*tch say those words to


    me? Believe it or not, I will make up excuses to rece her with someone else. Serena¡¯s face turned


    grim in an instant. But she noticed the strange way that the other crew looked at her. She had no


    choice but to swallow her words.


    Suddenly, an idea came to her mind. She thought of an excuse and said coldly, ¡°It¡¯s true that the clip


    was above average. However, I think there¡¯s something to be improved on, in terms of content.¡± ¡°For


    example?¡± ¡°For example, you shouldn¡¯t have put up the umbre for yourself after pushing the door.


    Instead, you should run towards the customer in the rain and open the umbre at the same time. It will


    make you look even more worried for your customer.¡±


    ¡°Ha¡­¡± Arielle couldn¡¯t helpughing upon hearing Serena¡¯s words. Her intention was too obvious. She


    was trying to make Arielle film in the rain again. With this sudden change in weather, and the


    temperature had even dropped a few degrees. The artificial rain made it even colder. Moreover, she


    was feeling especially cold as she was on her period. She would have caught a cold if she were to


    continue shooting in the rain. Serena had it all nned out.


    ¡°What are youughing for? Are you just going to stand there and waste our time? Reshoot now!¡±


    Serenamanded with a domineering tone, providing no room for negotiation. Serena was the


    person in charge of the shooting. Apart from that, she had given the reason why they need to reshoot.


    Hence, the production crew had no choice but to let Arielle film it once again. The director cautiously


    persuaded, ¡°Ms. Sannie, our person in charge¡­ She is indeed demanding a little too much. But we¡¯re


    running out of time. Perhaps¡­ Could you perhaps do it?¡± Arielle looked at the pleading expression on


    the director and photographer¡¯s faces. She could have refused to listen to Serena¡¯s orders. But if she


    rejected it, then the production crew wouldn¡¯t be able toplete their task.


    She couldn¡¯t resist any requests from those innocent people. Arielle heaved a sigh, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do that


    again.¡± ¡°Sure! You¡¯re so talented. I¡¯m sure that you could ace it perfectly in one take!¡± But Serena fixed


    her eyes on her at the side. Can she really do that? Arielle wasn¡¯t so sure about it. She could only try


    her best. Then, they started reshooting the scene. Arielle was holding an umbre with one hand while


    pushing the door with another hand.


    Without any hesitation, she ran straight into the rain. Just as she was about toe in front of the


    customer, then only she put up the umbre and protected her from the rain. ¡°Thank you.¡± The


    customer thanked her with a smile. After that, both of them walked into Soir Coffee side by side. Finally,


    the shoot was over.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Arielle walked out of the coffee shop and asked, ¡°Was that okay?¡± ¡°The oue is amazing too. We


    could use that.¡± As the director said, he subconsciously took a nce at Serena. Serena was looking


    carefully at the video over and over again from the monitor. Not long after, Serena said, ¡°No. Reshoot!


    Arielle, you purposely avoided the puddle of water just now. You shouldn¡¯t do that. Instead, you should


    step into it. It will look more natural.¡± The director couldn¡¯t help but speak up for Arielle, ¡°Ms. Serena,


    that¡­ I don¡¯t think that is necessary.¡±

 Chapter 63

    Chapter 63


    Serena red fiercely at the director. ¡°Are you the person in charge or me?¡± ¡°Uhm¡­¡± The director


    didn¡¯t dare to voice out again. He looked at Arielle pleadingly. Without uttering a single word, Arielle


    turned around and headed back to the coffee shop. Soon, she changed into a fresh pair of clothes and


    filmed again. She continuously did it for the second time and the third time¡­ Arielle had already lost


    count of how many clips that she had filmed.


    Eventually, she was running out of strength. Her lips turned from cherry-red to pearly-white. However,


    Serena clearly had no intentions of letting her go. Her expression had be increasingly insane.


    ¡°Again! You should run faster!¡± Arielle remained silent and got changed. The shooting had started once


    again. She pushed the door of the coffee shop. She ran two steps forward and a tall figure appeared in


    front of her.


    The figure had blocked Arielle¡¯s path ahead. Thus, she hurriedly stopped in her tracks. However, she


    staggered backward due to the slippery road. The umbre in her hand fell onto the ground. Arielle


    thought she would end up falling down like that umbre. But, a strong hand held her waist and


    steadied her. As soon as she bnced herself, she felt something blocking her view. A ck jacket


    covered her head from the rain.


    That strong hand wrapped his arms around her waist tightly. W-Who is this? She struggled instinctively


    to break free. Suddenly, she heard a deep and maic voice. ¡°Turn off the rain machine! Stop


    filming!¡± Isn¡¯t that¡­ Vinson? She couldn¡¯t help but stop struggling. In the next second, the sound of rain


    had stopped. Artificial rain machine had been turned off. Serena was shocked to see that scene from


    the monitor. Vinson rushed into the rain to stop Arielle and caught her in his arms.


    Her heart ached terribly. Then, the feeling of fear started in her brain and spread through her


    limbs. Vinson and Arielle¡­ What¡¯s between them? ¡°Mr. Nightshire!¡± Someone broke the silence with a


    greeting. Then, everyone else chimed in and greeted Vinson. Some of them unintentionally nced at


    Serena when they saw Vinson holding Arielle in his arms.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    A chill ran down Serena¡¯s spine. She felt as if she had fallen into an icy abyss. I¡¯m doomed¡­ I¡¯m totally


    screwed¡­ Who would have thought that Vinson would protect a brand ambassador? Vinson held


    Arielle¡¯s waist and walked towards a ck MPV some distance away. He strode forward. Suddenly, he


    stopped his footsteps when he passed Serena by. Vinson¡¯s gaze was as cold as a sharp de,


    piercing through Serena. She immediately broke out in a cold sweat.


    She dared not even look up. She wanted to bury her head in the sand so badly. She didn¡¯t know how


    much time had passed. Or perhaps, it was only a few seconds. Vinson left together with Arielle. He


    didn¡¯t say anything¡­ It was probably because Serena had previously been his assistant. Apparently,


    Vinson and Arielle weren¡¯t as close as she thought. Phew! Thank goodness¡­ Serena felt as if she had


    been brought back to life.


    Thus, she let out a long breath. Then, she reached out and realized that a cold sweat had broken out


    on her forehead. However, in the next second, Serena heard Vinson¡¯s voice from the front. ¡°Tell


    everyone! Everypany under Nightshire Group is not allowed to hire her in the future!¡± W-What? Is


    he talking about me?


    Serena instantly snapped her head up and met Vinson¡¯s dark eyes. His eyes were sharp as a knife,


    showing no mercy to her. If Nightshire Group announced that they would cklist a person from


    working in thepany forever, it actually meant that the otherpanies wouldn¡¯t dare to hire her


    either.


    She was being banned by the entire industry! Serena¡¯s legs gave out and fell onto the ground. The


    road was wet due to the artificial rain. She looked miserable. How could this be?


    I was just doing my job. How could Vinson ban me without even asking anything? No way! Serena


    struggled to get up from the ground and quickly ran towards Vinson. ¡°Mr. Nightshire! Hear me out! You


    cannot fire me without understanding the situation!¡±

 Chapter 64

    Chapter 64


    Serena was only five feet away from Vinson. In no time, his bodyguards ruthlessly blocked her like an


    iron wall. ¡°Let go off me! I need to talk to Mr. Nightshire!¡± The bodyguards were like a robot, looking at


    her expressionlessly. Serena stood weakly to the spot. She turned her head and looked behind, hoping


    someone could step forward and speak up for her. However, when she looked back, she realized that


    everyone was looking at her indifferently.


    Some of them even gloated over her in disdain. Bang! The car door closed. Serena turned around. All


    she could do was to watch Vinson getting in the car without turning back. The door was mmed shut.


    All her hopes were gone. Her life waspletely ruined¡­ Serena¡¯s tears streamed down her face, but


    no one pitied her. At that moment, she finally understood the true feeling of regret. She shouldn¡¯t have


    stopped the project manager from entering the CEO¡¯s office.


    Then, she wouldn¡¯t have been demoted to the coffee shop. If she hadn¡¯t been demoted, she wouldn¡¯t


    have been banned by the entire industry¡­ However, it was toote for regrets. There was no use


    crying over spilled milk. Meanwhile, inside the ck MPV, Vinson said, ¡°Go to a hotel nearby.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡°Yes.¡± His assistant responded. After that, he immediately rolled up the partition screen, separating the


    car into two different worlds. Arielle was brought into the car all the way by Vinson. She couldn¡¯t see


    anything. At that moment, Vinson was still wrapping his arms around her waist. After getting in the car,


    she finally remembered to free herself from Vinson¡¯s hands. She moved aside to escape from his arms.


    Then, she reached out her hands to take away the jacket on her head.


    Finally, her world was lit up again. Subconsciously, she squinted her eyes because her eyes couldn¡¯t


    adapt to the light for a moment. Vinson looked at his empty hands. He could still feel the warmth of


    Arielle¡¯s body on his hands. Arielle¡¯s waist was indeed slender. No man could refuse a slender waist.


    His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down in his throat. Vinson thought he had not much interest in


    women. He thought all he cared about was his career. But at that moment, he suddenly realized that he


    was probably just a normal human being. ¡°Thank you.¡± Her eyes had finally adapted to the light. Hence,


    she turned to look at Vinson and expressed her gratitude. But when she turned her head, she saw


    Vinson spacing out as he stared at his hands.


    He seemed to be in a daze. Arielle didn¡¯t know what he was thinking. Is there anything on his


    hand? Arielle looked at him curiously. Suddenly, she noticed Vinson¡¯s hands were wet because of the


    water on her body. ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Arielle hurriedly took out a piece of tissue and tried to wipe off the


    water for him. All of a sudden, Vinson pulled his hands back like he had been electrocuted. His gaze


    darkened. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Arielle raised the tissue innocently. ¡°I¡¯m helping you to wipe off the water¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for it.¡±


    Vinson averted his eyes coldly. Then, he turned his gaze to look outside the car window. Arielle was


    confused about why was he losing his temper so suddenly. But she suppressed the confusion in her


    heart since Vinson had fired Serena for her previously.


    She gently said, ¡°Thank you so much. I think those clips that we shot earlier are good enough. We


    could definitely use some of them. Should we head straight for the outdoor shooting? Or¡­ If you have


    something else to take care of, you can just drop me off at the roadside. My assistant wille and


    pick me up.¡±


    Upon hearing her words, Vinson turned around. He looked at Arielle from head to toe. He immediately


    frowned when he saw her pale lips. ¡°How are you going to film with this condition?¡± Arielle lowered her


    head and took a look at herself in confusion. She then asked, ¡°This condition? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Take a warm shower before you go for the shooting. Ourpany is not that harsh. I will not allow our


    brand ambassador to fall sick because of a shooting.¡± ¡°T-There¡¯s no need for it. It¡¯s fine.¡± Arielle quickly


    rejected. She was indeed feeling cold. She was chilled to the bone. However, she thought her health


    condition was not bad. She just needed to get herself changed and have some warm water. Then, she


    would be able to continue shooting.


    Meanwhile, as soon as she spoke, she felt a little tickle in her nose. Achoo! Arielle sneezed. She


    covered her mouth immediately. You can carry on being stubborn and acting tough. She felt as though


    Vinson was trying to tell her those words just by looking in his eyes.

 Chapter 65

    Chapter 65


    Arielle¡¯s cheeks heated up. She covered her nose and let out an embarrassed cough before saying, ¡°I


    shall take a hot shower then.¡± After returning to the country, she didn¡¯t work out every day. As she had


    also suffered on the uninhabited ind back then, her body wasn¡¯t as strong as before. Vinson¡¯s lips


    curled up subconsciously when he saw how awkward Arielle was. The moment he realized he was


    smiling, he hurriedly pursed his lips. Soon, they arrived at the nearest hotel, which happened to be


    owned by Nightshire Group.


    As Vinson had his personal suite in every hotel under Nightshire Group, he brought Arielle straight to


    the presidential suite on the top floor of the hotel. ¡°They will deliver your clothes soon. I¡¯ll wait for you


    outside,¡± he announced as he made himselffortable on the couch with a tablet in his hands. His


    brows were knitted up as he clicked on the tablet in all seriousness as though work was troubling him.


    Arielle never expected that Vinson would stay right here. She felt extremely ufortable.


    This was the first time someone of the opposite sex was in the room while she took a shower. Still, as


    Vinson was clearly busy working, it was unreasonable for her to express her difort. At that


    thought, Arielle spun on her heels and entered the bathroom without a word. She had no idea Vinson


    was clicking randomly on his tablet and only snapped back to reality when an ¡°input error¡± message


    popped up on the screen. Heaving a breath, he lit a cigarette before inhaling deeply.


    After a few puffs, he finally managed to tamp down his irritation. Suddenly, the sound of running water


    came from the bathroom. ¡°Damn it,¡± cursed Vinson. He rose to his feet hastily and headed out. At the


    door, he bumped into the assistant, Iris, who was holding a bag of clothes. She immediately greeted


    him timidly. ¡°M-Mr. Nightshire.¡± Vinson nced at her and inquired, ¡°Were you the one who called me?¡±


    Iris nodded nervously.


    When she saw how Serena told Arielle to shoot the rain scene countless times, she recalled what the


    person in charge of Soir Coffee told her and made the call. To her shock, Vinson was the one who


    arrived at the scene. Vinson was saying, ¡°You don¡¯t have to return to Nightshire Entertainment anymore


    as you¡¯ll be working with Arielle from now on.¡± Iris was shocked. ¡°Mr. Nightshire, are you dismissing


    me?¡± Vinson was confused. ¡°Huh?


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    From today onward, you¡¯ll be working under Nightshire Group, but your job scope will remain the same.


    Give me a call if youe across a problem you can¡¯t solve.¡± He whipped out his name card from his


    pocket and gave it to her. ¡°Here¡¯s my contact number.¡± Utterly delighted, she thanked him profusely.


    ¡°Thank you so much, Mr. Nightshire!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just keep my name card. If I find out she¡¯s being


    mistreated, you shall be fired.¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll take care of Ms. Moore!¡± Iris promised earnestly. ¡°Well then.


    You can head in now. I¡¯ll be waiting in the lobby.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Nightshire!¡± Iris hopped into the suite


    happily.


    She knew that Arielle was her only hope. If Arielle seeded, she would seed as well. Otherwise,


    she would end up being the second Serena. Meanwhile, Arielle was done with her shower. Her clothes


    were wet, and she couldn¡¯t put them on. Uneasily, she wrapped a towel around herself. Vinson said the


    clothes will be here soon, but I don¡¯t hear anymotion out there. Should I go out wrapped in the


    towel?

 Chapter 66

    Chapter 66


    Arielle was contemting when someone knocked on the door. Iris¡¯ voice rang out, ¡°Ms. Sannie, your


    clothes are here.¡± As it wasn¡¯t Vinson¡¯s voice, Arielle heaved out a sigh of relief. She opened the door


    slightly to take the bag from Iris. Shortly after, the door opened again. Steam escaped from the


    bathroom as a figure slowly stepped out. The outfit Iris gave her was a dress prepared for the outdoor


    shootter.


    Not everyone would look good in the pink and purple fairylike dress, but Arielle was fair enough to pull


    it off with her glowing skin. It was as if a fairy princess was stepping out from the fairy realm when


    Arielle walked out with the steam floating around her. Arielle noticed Iris was staring at her intently once


    she came out. Chuckling, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Iris regained herposure and proceeded to


    praise her.


    ¡°You¡¯re so gorgeous! I thought a princess had escaped from a fairytale.¡± Arielle giggled. ¡°You¡¯re so


    sweet. Time¡¯s running out, so we have to leave. I don¡¯t want to hold everyone up.¡± Iris promptly recalled


    what Vinson told her earlier and blurted out, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Drink this cup of warm tea.¡± Arielle took one


    nce at the steaming tea and shook her head. ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s go. I can¡¯t dy the shoot.¡± Right then,


    the door was pushed open to reveal Vinson.


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. I¡¯ve sort things out, so drink that cup of tea to warm yourself up.¡± Arielle parted her


    lips to say no, but Vinson added, ¡°That castle belongs to a friend of mine. He will be there, so we won¡¯t


    need to pay a fee to rent it.¡± After hearing that, Arielle sat down obediently and sipped on her tea. As


    the tea was hot, Arielle took small sips before realizing someone was gazing at her. Instinctively, she


    turned at her shoulder and noticed it was Vinson who was staring at her. Hmm?


    Does he think I¡¯m pretty? Arielle was about to speak when Vinson broke the silence. ¡°This dress is


    quite pretty. It suits the theme of the outdoor shoot today.¡± Arielle was speechless. Oh, turns


    out he¡¯s looking at my outfit. I was overthinking it. Arielle pursed her lips and mumbled in


    acknowledgment before returning to her tea. She might seem calm on the surface, but inwardly, she


    felt suffocated. Arielle didn¡¯t notice how Vinson breathed a sigh of relief after she turned away.


    When she finished her tea, Iris gave her a warm scarf, which she draped over her shoulders. Finally,


    she felt much warmer now. Even so, the moment they stepped out of the suite, Vinson suddenly took


    off his zer and tossed it to her as though he were tossing trash. Arielle was taken aback, but she


    swiftly shed a smile and said, ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯m not freezing anymore.


    It¡¯s fine.¡± It was only early autumn, so the weather was still alright if one didn¡¯t get dunked in the water.


    ¡°This is not for you to keep warm,¡± came Vinson¡¯s icy reply. ¡°Before themercial is released, the


    dress can¡¯t be revealed to the public.¡± So, he¡¯s giving me his zer to cover the dress?


    Arielle stiffened before draping his zer over herself. This was the second time she had


    misunderstood Vinson¡¯s words, so she told herself to not let it happen a third time. Downstairs, Vinson


    got into his car while Arielle and Iris got into their MPV to head toward the castle.


    Arielle seemed to be in a foul mood, so Iris tried hard to cheer her up. ¡°Ms. Sannie, Mr. Nightshire


    adores you! He told me to prepare hot tea for you and even gave you his zer. Do you think he¡­¡±N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

 Chapter 67

    Chapter 67


    ¡°Stop it,¡± interjected Arielle. ¡°I¡¯ve helped him once, and he returned my favor. We¡¯re even now. It¡¯s


    purely business between us, so don¡¯t get it wrong and say something like this again.¡± Iris wisely shut


    her mouth. Arielle rarely spoke to her that harshly, so it was evident that Arielle was mad.


    Oh, I should stop gossiping. Meanwhile, Arielle stared at thendscape in reverse motion outside as


    she fell deep into thought. I don¡¯t have time to be in a rtionship. Before finding out the truth behind


    Mom¡¯s death, I can¡¯t get distracted. Besides, I don¡¯t think Vinson is interested in me. I even got things


    wrong twice.


    A strangely disappointed Arielle quickly shook off her sorrow. She wasn¡¯t one who would overthink


    things and never wanted to hear simrments again. Meanwhile, Vinson received a call from


    Harvey right after he entered his car. ¡°I¡¯ve contacted the person whose slot is right after yours. They


    agreed to reschedule their reservation to tomorrow, so you will have the castle to yourself for today.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Wow, it¡¯s really rare to hear you thank me.


    Is thismercial shoot that important to you?¡± After a brief silence, Vinson answered, ¡°Mm. Soir


    Coffee is an important project.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll let them know about the change. I haven¡¯t been here for a


    while. It¡¯s time for an inspection.¡± ¡°Okay. See youter.¡± ¡°See ya!¡± Vinson cut the line and shut his eyes


    to rest. Strangely, the scene of Arielle in that elegant dress popped up in his mind. He had a sudden


    urge to keep Arielle to himself so no one would see her in that dress.


    An hourter, they arrived at the entrance of a castle. The castle was located in a private park. Years


    ago, an Epean tycoon gave orders to build the medieval castle. That had been a long time ago.


    Flowery vines had crept up along the walls, filling the air with their sweet breath. It was a magnificent


    castle that looked like it belonged in a fairytale. Thismercial was about a princess waking up


    feeling tired and ordering her servant to prepare a cup of coffee for her.


    As the princess was very picky, she wasn¡¯t satisfied with the various types of coffee prepared by her


    servant. In the end, the servant bought her coffee from Soir Coffee before she was satisfied. Arielle


    was pleasantly surprised by how pretty the castle was. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s beautiful,¡± she sighed. Vinson


    happened to hear her praise. ¡°If you like it, I can ask my friend to let you stay here for a few days,¡± he


    blurted out without warning upon seeing how enthralled she was. ¡°Huh?¡±


    Arielle spun on her heels in surprise. ¡°Is this part of your employee benefits?¡± It was expensive to rent a


    castle like this for amercial shoot, so she couldn¡¯t believe it when Vinson told her she could stay


    here for a couple of days. Vinson btedly realized what he had said and was about to add on when


    Harvey came toward them.


    Harvey could only see the back of Arielle¡¯s head, so he didn¡¯t pay attention to her and teased, ¡°Oh?


    When have you ever paid so much attention to your employees? Are you seriously renting my castle


    for them?¡± Vinson let out an awkward cough. ¡°Few people can afford to rent your castle. My employee


    here can prevent the rooms from growing moldy and bring a breath of fresh air.¡±


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Arielle pursed her lips. I knew he wasn¡¯t that kind. Turns out he wants me to suck the moldy air! Turning


    toward the owner of the castle, she uttered, ¡°No need for that. We were just jok¡­¡± She trailed off when


    she realized who she was talking to.

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    Chapter 68


    The owner of the castle is the man I bumped intost night? When Arielle stopped talking, Harvey


    finally saw what she looked like. Arching his brows, his expression softened immediately. He stepped


    forward excitedly and eximed, ¡°San? Is it you?¡± Arielle stretched her hand out. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Arielle


    Moore.¡± She didn¡¯t want others to find out she used to reside overseas and went by the name ¡°San.¡±


    Harvey gave her a surprised look before noticing she was frowning and shaking her head slightly.


    Immediately, he corrected himself. ¡°Hello there. I¡¯m Harvey Jupiter. You look like a friend of mine who¡¯s


    overseas, so I nearly made a mistake. Sorry for that!¡± He shook her hand warmly as though this was


    the first time they¡¯ve ever met. Arielle shed a grin. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have amon face, so it¡¯s normal for


    you to get the wrong person.


    I have to apologize for beingte and dying the shoot, though.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine! You can have the castle for


    yourselves today. If you like it, you can stay here for a few days. No, you can stay for as long as you


    like.¡± ¡°No need. I have a house.¡± But my house is deste and full of traps. Vinson¡¯s brows furrowed in


    displeasure upon hearing their exchange. He stepped forward and stood between them. ¡°A friend you


    met overseas?


    I thought you don¡¯t have any female friends?¡± he demanded coolly. Harvey took one look at him and


    exined, ¡°She¡¯s a business partner who resembles Ms. Moore.¡± Vinson red at him. ¡°Stop it. That¡¯s


    such an old-fashioned pickup line. Besides, our contract stated that the ambassador isn¡¯t allowed to


    date as long as the contract is valid.¡± Arielle was stunned. ¡°Is that condition in our contract?¡± ¡°No,¡±


    answered Vinson with his chin stuck up.


    ¡°But I¡¯m going to add it in. You represent Soir Coffee, so I won¡¯t allow you to date some crazy man and


    affect Soir Coffee¡¯s reputation.¡± ¡°Hey! This is unreasonable¡ª¡± Vinson interrupted, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just


    apologize for beingte? It¡¯ste, so we should start shooting now. Stop wasting time.¡± Arielle was


    puzzled. Why did he get mad all of a sudden? I don¡¯t understand why his mood can fluctuate so


    easily. ¡°I¡¯ll head in now.¡±


    Arielle stormed away. Suddenly, she turned and tossed the zer on her shoulder back to Vinson


    before leaving with a visibly trembling Iris. Grabbing the zer in his hand, Vinson lifted his leg to go


    after them. However, Harvey stood in his way. ncing at Harvey, he asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    The impatience and agitation in Vinson¡¯s gaze were evident. Why is he this impatient? After a few


    seconds of silence, Harvey asked, ¡°Vin, are you keeping a secret from us?¡± Knitting up his brows,


    Vinson narrowed his gaze and scanned Harvey carefully. ¡°I should be the one asking this question.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    I thought you find women annoying? Why did you try to hit on her today?¡± Harvey shook his head and


    denied it. ¡°I didn¡¯t try to hit her up. It¡¯s because I¡¯ve gotten the wrong person. You, on the other hand,


    find women annoying. Why are you so concerned about Ms. Moore, huh?¡± Vinson¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple


    bobbed up and down awkwardly.

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    Chapter 69


    He swiftly regained hisposure and uttered icily, ¡°What do you mean by that? I¡¯m just concerned


    about the ambassador and the shoot. I would also be concerned if the ambassador happened to be


    someone else. Is that a problem?¡± This time, it was Harvey who scanned Vinson skeptically. However,


    as Vinson didn¡¯t even flinch, he failed to find a crack in his friend¡¯s facade. Heaving a sigh of relief,


    Harvey announced, ¡°Since you don¡¯t care for her, I¡¯ll be frank.


    I fell in love with your ambassador at first sight. I¡¯m going to court her.¡± Immediately, Vinson¡¯s head


    snapped up as a gleam shed across his eyes. He masked his emotions into an expressionless


    facade in an instant though he had no idea why he did so instinctively. Harvey was staring at his castle,


    so he didn¡¯t see the change in Vinson¡¯s gaze. A warm smile flitted across his lips. ¡°It¡¯s rare to fall in love


    at first sight.


    My friend, if you don¡¯t mind, I shall take action. Don¡¯t add that stupid use of stopping her from getting


    a boyfriend. An overbearing contract like this should be abolished years ago.¡± Vinson replied coolly,


    ¡°Harvey, I picked her to be the ambassador, so she¡¯s mine. You know how protective I am. If you¡¯re just


    fooling around, get someone else. There are plenty of women who¡¯d fulfill your fantasies in the club.


    They are willing, and you can do whatever you want without ruining your family¡¯s reputation.¡± Harvey


    gave Vinson a displeased stare. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m Jordan? I¡¯m going to court her sincerely and date her


    with marriage as my end goal. I was born into a military family, so I don¡¯t fool around with women. I¡¯m


    serious.¡± Vinson¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°Do you even know what she¡¯s like? Love at first sight rarely ends


    up well.¡± Harvey chuckled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m a good judge of character. We will get along well. Besides, we shall know if we are a


    perfect match after we try it out.¡± Vinson fell silent. After a while, he spoke up. ¡°Whatever!¡± With that, he


    stormed into the castle. Inside the castle, Arielle was preparing for her shoot. It was a different concept


    from the shoot at Soir Coffee. This time, she was to act as a princess, so she had to put makeup on.


    The makeup artist was used to Arielle¡¯s skin and features.


    She put on light but stunning makeup for thetter. After the job was done, even the makeup artist


    herself was mesmerized by how Arielle was. ¡°Are you done?¡± Iris broke the silence. ¡°Why didn¡¯t the


    fairy inform the mortal world prior to her arrival?¡± Everyone in the room burst outughing as they


    snapped out of their trance. Right then, someone pushed the door to the dressing room open.


    Bang! Everyone looked at the door instinctively and saw Vinson striding in, his expression grim. As he


    had an imposing aura, no one dared to look at him and hurriedly lowered their heads. Arielle parted her


    lips to ask, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Look at how grim he is. Is he trying to scare someone?


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Vinson swept his icy gaze across everyone. ¡°Get out. I need to talk to the ambassador in private.¡± The


    rest immediately scuttled out without a word. Standing up from her chair, Arielle met Vinson¡¯s gaze and


    repeated, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    The next moment, Vinson took her hand. Arielle gasped in pain and tried to struggle, but the man


    merely tightened his grip. Giving him a furious stare, Arielle demanded, ¡°Vinson, are you crazy?¡±

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    Chapter 70


    Vinson¡¯s gazended on Arielle. This isn¡¯t the first time she appeared in my mind. What is going


    on? When Harvey announced he had fallen in love with her at first sight, anger swelled up in my heart.


    I nearly couldn¡¯t control my frustration. I¡¯ve always been good at keeping my emotions in


    check. ¡°Vinson!¡± Arielle¡¯s voice pulled him out of his reverie. He swiftly regained his senses and


    released Arielle¡¯s hand. At once, he spotted Arielle¡¯s wrist had reddened from his tight grasp.


    It was about to swell into a bruise. Why is her skin so delicate? Guilt rose in Vinson¡¯s heart as he put up


    a calm front. ¡°I haven¡¯t decided how I shall repay your favor. But before Ie up with something, you


    can¡¯t get involved with another man.¡± Arielle¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°What are you talking about? When


    have I ever gotten involved with another man? Also, why are you still talking about the favor? That was


    just a joke.¡±


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    s, Vinson ignored her and spun on his heels to leave. His deft action created a breeze that sent her


    hair flying. ¡°He must be crazy!¡± Arielle massaged her wrist and muttered angrily. I wonder where he


    got his bad temper from! Shortly after, the shoot began. It went on smoothly until the director decided to


    add another scene at the very end. ¡°After the princess fell in love with Soir Coffee¡¯s coffee, she gives a


    cup of coffee to the indifferent prince.


    The prince gets attracted to her because of the coffee, and they live happily ever after!¡± the director


    dered excitedly. ¡°If we add this scene, themercial will be perfect!¡± Arielle forced a smile. ¡°The


    prince fell in love with the princess because of a cup of coffee? Won¡¯t that be too illogical?¡± The director


    shook his head. ¡°There is no logic in fairytales. Otherwise, the prince wouldn¡¯t have found Cindere


    with just a pair of crystal slippers.


    There are plenty of girls of the same size, but why did he seed anyway?¡± Arielle was rendered


    speechless. The director had a point, so she couldn¡¯t refute. Iris, who was standing beside them,


    delivered a blow. ¡°Where can we find an actor to act as the prince at thisst minute?¡± The director was


    stumped. Yes, Arielle was so gorgeous she could pass off as a modern fairytale princess. They couldn¡¯t


    just get any random actor to act as the prince as it would ruin the whole shoot.


    Right then, someone spoke up. ¡°Let me do it!¡± Turning at her shoulder in astonishment, Arielle saw


    Harveying over to them, d in a ck casual outfit. He came to a stop a meter away from Arielle


    and told the director. ¡°I have nothing to do, so I can take up the role. What do you think?¡±


    Harvey was tall and well-built. With his thick brows, manly features, and mixed ancestry, he seemed


    like the perfect prince charming. His muscr body and tanned skin scored him extra points,


    too. Oh, he¡¯s a hunk! The director¡¯s eyes lit up with delight. If I can cast a handsome man and a


    stunning woman, mymercial will be a st! He immediately nodded. ¡°That¡¯s brilliant! But we need


    to get you suitable clothes.


    The outfit you have on is too casual. A suit would be perfect.¡± As Harvey was born into a military family,


    he rarely wore suits unless it was a formal event. Harvey was momentarily lost. He nced around and


    noticed Vinson standing aside silently. Arching his brow in delight, he eximed, ¡°Ah, I got it! Vin, I


    need to borrow your suit.¡±

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    Chapter 71


    Upon noticing how Vinson cringed and furrowed his brows, Harvey recalled that Vinson was a clean


    freak. Immediately, Harvey gestured as he said, ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll ask him to get a new set.¡± Before Harvey


    could reach for the phone, Vinson stopped him and uttered casually, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Let me do it.¡± Hearing


    that, Harvey grinned. ¡°You¡¯re the best bro ever! With you lending it to me, we can save a lot of time.¡±


    ¡°Who said you can borrow mine?¡±


    Vinson narrowed his eyes. Harvey was perplexed. Then, Vinson stated indifferently, ¡°Since you don¡¯t


    have the right clothes, use me as the model then. After all, it¡¯s my ownmercial.¡± Harvey stared at


    Vinson in surprise and questioned, ¡°I thought you loathed putting yourself in the limelight? It is a global


    commercial we¡¯re talking about. You know that, right?¡± ¡°So?¡± Vinson replied with a nk face. So? This


    is so unlike Vinson¡¯s personality to agree to something like this.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Equally baffled, the director tried to confirm what he had heard. ¡°Mr. Nightshire, are you sure you want


    to participate in the shoot personally?¡± Vinson became impatient. Frowning, he retorted, ¡°What¡¯s with


    all these questions? Get going right away! I don¡¯t have much time to spare.¡± ¡°Oh, sure! Duly noted.¡±


    The director¡¯s hands were shaking when he walked Arielle and Vinson through the scenes and camera


    movements.


    Actually, there was nothing much to exin as the storyline for the shoot was very straightforward.


    Arielle could not help but keep gazing at Vinson. What¡¯s wrong with this guy? He seems to be a very


    difficult person to work with. He¡¯d rather do the shoot himself than lending his clothes to


    others. That¡¯s quite a serious obsessivepulsive disorder. Whoever marries him in the future is an


    unlucky soul! While Vinson was focusing on the director, he realized that Arielle stole nces at him


    every now and then.


    Suddenly, he felt uneasy and started fidgeting with his hands. What¡¯s this woman looking at? Vinson


    had the impression that she secretly coveted him albeit saying otherwise. With Arielle kept staring at


    him, his ears started to turn red. Finally, he could not tolerate it anymore. Pretending to be upset, he


    red at Arielle. ¡°What on earth are you staring at?¡± Arielle glimpsed at him and smirked in the most


    disdainful manner.


    Just as I¡¯ve predicted, he¡¯s such a demanding person. He doesn¡¯t even allow people to look at


    him. Vinson caught her contemptuous expression. Have I always been mistaken that she adores me?


    Why is she grimacing at me? That expression of hers ticked Vinson off, but there was no way for him to


    release his anger. He could only clench his jaw to suppress his emotions. When the director had


    finished giving his advice, it was time for the two to rehearse.


    As expected, the take was just perfect. ¡°These two are like a match made in heaven!¡± As soon as Iris


    eximed, someone stared daggers at her. She traced the gaze and caught Harvey looking away. His


    sudden action left Iris confused. Hmm? Did I see it wrongly? I¡¯m pretty sure it was a death stare. But


    why would ite from Mr. Jupiter?


    While Iris was still trying to figure out an answer to her question, Arielle had begun shooting for her


    scene. With a cup of coffee in her hand, Arielle approached the hostile Vinson. Thetter did not even


    need to act as he had always been wearing an icy-cold attitude toward everyone.


    However, the director was worried about thest scene where Vinson had to stare at Arielle


    affectionately. He thought it would be quite a challenge for Vinson to do that.

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    Chapter 72


    Lo and behold, Vinson handled thest scene superbly well. It went way beyond the director¡¯s


    expectations. When the camera zoomed in, Vinson looked deeply into Arielle¡¯s eyes as if she was the


    goddess that he truly adored and loved. It was unbelievably real! ¡°Cut!¡± The director walked away from


    the monitor feeling smug. He pped his hands andplimented the duo, ¡°I¡¯m so impressed with Ms.


    Sannie¡¯s sensitivity toward the camera while you, Mr. Nightshire¡ªyour acting blew my mind away!


    You¡¯re so talented. It¡¯s such a waste that you¡¯re not considering to enter the show business¡­¡± Vinson


    found hisment ridiculous. What acting skills? All I did was epted a cup of coffee, took a sip, and


    then stared at Arielle in the eyes. There wasn¡¯t even a line uttered. Were there any skills required? Yet,


    he kept his thoughts to himself and listened to the director¡¯s praise. He merely asked, ¡°Is that all to the


    shoot?¡±


    The director nodded his head. ¡°Yes, yes, it¡¯s a wrap! You guys are excellent. That one take was simply


    perfect!¡± Upon hearing that, Vinson creased his forehead disapprovingly. Aren¡¯t kissing scenes


    necessary in romantic dramas when the lead actor and actress became a couple? Why didn¡¯t I get a


    chance to even hold Arielle¡¯s hand? Such a useless director! Looking glum, Vinson ordered, ¡°Pack up


    and leave immediately since the filming is over.


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    Get ready for tomorrow¡¯s shoot.¡± The director hesitated. ¡°The shoot tomorrow requires an office


    building as the location. Unfortunately, we haven¡¯t found a suitable one to date. Hence, we might see a


    dy in the schedule.¡± Vinson was never bothered about petty operational matters. He simply


    murmured in acknowledgment and walked toward Harvey. ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯re done here. Since there¡¯s


    nothing on my schedule today, let¡¯s call up Jordan for a meal together.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a rain check¡­¡± Harvey rejected. ¡°You guys go ahead. I want to treat Ms. Moore to a meal.¡±


    Vinson¡¯s face instantly turned solemn at his words. He felt somewhat irritated¡ªthe same uncontroble


    feelings he had when he heard that Harvey fell in love with Arielle at first sight. He tried taking a deep


    breath to maintain hisposure.


    ¡°You can save it. From my limited understanding about her, she won¡¯t go out to a meal with you so


    easily.¡± Harvey shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll never know if I don¡¯t give it a shot.¡± He looked forward to


    asking her out. In fact, he had been waiting for this moment for ages. With his arms folded across his


    chest, Vinson let out a skin-deep grin. ¡°Well, good luck! I bet you won¡¯t seed.¡± He thought he knew a


    fair bit about Arielle.


    Though she appears to be obedient and good-natured in front of Henrick, she¡¯s actually a sly fox that


    bites. For someone as shrewd as a fox, would she go out with a man whom she¡¯s just met for the first


    time? Vinson was as confident with his assumption as he was with Arielle¡¯s personality. Right then,


    Arielle walked out. She had removed her make-up and put on a in white t-shirt and a pair of faded


    jeans. Typically, lighter colors were known to make people look plump.


    However, that was not the case for Arielle. The jeans actually entuated her figure and her pair of


    long legs, in a way that made people gawk. Harvey strode toward her. ¡°Ms. Moore.¡± Arielle had quite a


    good impression of Harvey. She smiled at him and replied, ¡°Mr. Jupiter, thank you for getting us this


    ce as the filming set.¡±


    Harvey shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Vin and I are like brothers, so this is nothing. By the way, are


    you free? I heard from your assistant that this is yourst shot of the day?¡±


    ¡°Yup, I¡¯m going home, and have a good rest.¡± Harvey checked his watch. ¡°Since you¡¯re not rushing to


    go anywhere and it¡¯s already noon¡­ May I have the pleasure of treating you to lunch?¡± Vinson stood


    nearby and eavesdropped.

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    Chapter 73


    Vinson was extremely certain that Arielle would not say yes. Yet, in the next second¡­ ¡°Sure! I happen


    to have something that I want to tell you.¡± Vinson immediately frowned. She actually


    agreed? There¡¯s even something that she wants to say to him? What gives? Whatmon topic do


    they possibly have? It¡¯s their first time meeting each other! Vinson could no longer contain himself. He


    approached Arielle and warned her intentionally, ¡°Arielle, there¡¯s one more shot tomorrow.


    Watch your diet. Don¡¯t consume any junk and affect your performance tomorrow.¡± Before Arielle could


    answer, Harvey chimed in, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Vin, the CEO. Rest assured that I won¡¯t treat her to any junk


    food that will pose an adverse effect on her work tomorrow. We¡¯ll have a healthy diet, all right?¡± With a


    darkened face, Vinson muttered, ¡°It¡¯s up to you.¡± Then, he left. The perplexed Harvey stared at his back


    and grumbled, ¡°This fellow¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Arielle asked, ¡°Did you guys have any prior arrangement?¡± ¡°Yeah, initially, he wanted to gather with a


    few friends because he has no ns today. Oh well, it doesn¡¯t matter. We have plenty of chances to


    meet up anyways.¡± ¡°I see. Shall we go?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go! What would you like to have?¡± Sitting in his car,


    Vinson witnessed the two of them chatting happily as they boarded their vehicle. Subconsciously,


    Vinson tightened his grip on the documents in his hand.


    His assistant, who was at the driver¡¯s seat held his breath as the air was as thick as butter and the


    tension so thick one could cut it with a knife. After half an hour, they arrived at an Italian restaurant.


    Arielle and Harvey sat opposite each other, enjoying some delicious pasta. She ate hastily and then


    went straight into the topic. ¡°Mr. Jupiter, I need to tell you something¡­¡± He put down his fork and


    interrupted her words. ¡°Are you trying to hide your identity abroad from everyone else?¡±


    Stunned, she nodded. ¡°I have my reasons. So, do you mind pretending that you don¡¯t know me when


    we meet in the future? Nothing like today shall ever happen again.¡± Arielle articted her intention


    calmly, but firmly. An unfathomable coldnessyered her tone, making Harvey feel like she was


    keeping him at arm¡¯s length. It was exceptionally hard for him to take it. He felt his throat tightened at


    that moment.


    As an assertive man, he was a hundred percent sure that everything would go as nned under his


    control. His self-assurance came from his excellent family background as well as his outstanding


    abilities. When he was in the army, he was a marvelous soldier. In the business sector, he remains a


    competitor that others revered. The Jupiters were one of the most prominent families in Jadeborough.


    He could basicallymand anyone to do anything as he wishes within a snap of his finger. However,


    he felt like a hopeless small fry in front of Arielle.


    Harvey stered a smile on his face. ¡°Okay, I understand. You can rest assured that no one else will


    know that you¡¯re San. But¡­ can I get to know you as Arielle?¡± Tilting her head, she had a bad hunch


    about where he was going with that. ¡°What do you mean?¡± He took a deep breath and plucked up the


    courage to make a confession. ¡°Ms. Moore, I like you and I want to date you!¡± Arielle was


    dumbfounded. ¡°You¡­¡± His chiseled face blushed like a tomato.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    Clenching his fists, he continued, ¡°I¡¯m not a sophisticated person because I grew up in the army with


    my parents. So, I don¡¯t usually beat around the bush. I¡¯m always straightforward about my intentions.¡±


    That was not the first time someone had confessed to Arielle, but it was definitely her first experience at


    an abrupt one.


    She was at a loss for words, allowing Harvey to continue speaking. He took a generous sip of the wine


    before continuing, ¡°I can¡¯t forget how you saved my life. You¡¯ve got no idea how attracted I am to a


    heroic and cool girl like you. Since that very day, I¡¯ve been looking for you.


    At first, I thought that I just wanted to repay you for your kindness. Then, as time goes by, I realized that


    I really like you.¡± She gazed at him quietly, overwhelmed by his sincerity and anxiousness.

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    Chapter 74


    After a long moment, Arielle finally responded. ¡°Thank you. Frankly, rtionship matters are at the


    bottom of my priority list. I¡¯m sorry, but I have countless issues to deal with.¡± Immediately, Harvey¡¯s


    bright gaze dimmed with disappointment. His joy seemed to dete like a balloon pierced with a


    needle. Yet, he regained hisposure in the blink of an eye. ¡°It¡¯s all right. I understand this confession


    must have taken you by surprise as I said it without warning. Can we remain friends?


    I won¡¯t tell anyone that we have met overseas. Today is the first day we¡¯ve met.¡± Harvey forced a smile


    to mask his sorrow. ¡°I-I¡­don¡¯t even want to make new friends. However, thank you for your offer,¡±


    Arielle replied after a moment of hesitation. ¡°What are you nning? Why do you need to conceal your


    identity and avoid any romance?


    You can¡¯t even make new friends?¡± Harvey asked suspiciously. Arielle averted her gaze guiltily. ¡°I¡¯m


    handling some private matters¡­¡± Harvey sensed that Arielle¡¯s mood had dropped. Immediately, he


    apologized profusely. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve overstepped my boundaries. I shouldn¡¯t have pestered you with so


    many questions. However, you can contact me anytime if you need help. No matter the situation, I will


    help you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Arielle beamed her reply. On the other hand, Vinson was feeling frustrated when he


    received a phone call from Carter. ¡°Vin, we managed to capture one of the men from the gang that tried


    to assassinate the two of you when you were overseas.¡± ¡°Where is he?¡± Vinson raised a brow when he


    heard Carter¡¯s statement. ¡°He¡¯s in my car. I¡¯ll bring him over. It will probably take half an hour before we


    reach Jadeborough.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    He was stranded at sea for nearly a month and that has taken a toll on his mental health.¡± ¡°Got it. Send


    him to Harvey¡¯s residence. We will head there,¡± Vinson ordered after a brief moment of pause. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Vinson was in great spirits after Carter¡¯s call. Quickly, he called Harvey. After all his efforts, Harvey


    finally managed to get past Arielle¡¯s defenses. Just as they were about to start a conversation about


    the issues overseas, Vinson¡¯s call came in.


    Harvey declined the call swiftly and nned to continue the conversation. Yet, his phone rang once


    again as Vinson called him for a second time. Harvey couldn¡¯t help but feel frustrated. Vinson is the


    kind who keeps to himself and never gets into a rtionship. But why is he ruining it for me? ¡°Please


    excuse me while I answer this call,¡± Harvey said with an apologetic smile.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Finally, Harvey rose to his feet and strode towards the window to answer the call. ¡°Vin, why are


    you calling me right now? Can¡¯t you wait¡ª¡± Harvey snapped impatiently. ¡°Where are you?¡± Vinson


    interjected before Harvey could finish talking. ¡°I¡¯m at the Irushean restaurant located opposite the


    shopping mall near my home. What do you want?¡± ¡°We captured the assassin who tried to murder us.


    My men are bringing him to your house right now.


    You shoulde right away!¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we deal with such matters at the Themis Mansion?¡± Harvey


    jolted in shock. ¡°It¡¯s not convenient for me to go there right now. Hurry up ande over!¡± Vinson


    continued in an urgent tone. ¡°But I¡¯m still in the middle of my meal¡­¡± Harvey mumbled. Vinson hung up


    before Harvey finished his sentence.


    ¡°This b*stard,¡± Harvey cursed under his breath. When he whirled around, he found that Arielle had


    packed her things into her purse, waiting for him patiently. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Go ahead; you don¡¯t have to worry


    about me.¡± Arielle cut him off before he could continue. ¡°Let me send you back,¡± Harvey added in a


    hurry. ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± Arielle refused his offer politely. ¡°I noticed a shopping mall opposite. I want to go for


    a walk and get some clothes.¡±


    Henrick had assigned her countless tasks yesterday; he also asked her to enhance her


    appearance. It¡¯s impossible that Cindy will help me purchase any clothes. I should look around the


    shopping mall and find something before I head back. ¡°You want to head to the shopping mall?¡± Harvey


    asked.


    Arielle nodded her head. In response, Harvey smiled at her. ¡°All right, take your time. You can contact


    me if you need anything.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Arielle replied in puzzlement when she noticed his smile. On the


    other hand, she did not take Harvey¡¯s words to heart. After all, Arielle didn¡¯t like bothering others.


    They both descended to the ground floor. Just as Harvey was about to send Arielle off, a ck car


    pulled up in front of the duo. The car window rolled down to reveal Vinson¡¯s handsome face.

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    Chapter 75


    ¡°Vin? Why are you here?¡± Harvey eximed in astonishment. Vinson cleared his throat.


    ¡°Coincidentally, I was on the way. I thought that I¡¯d pick you up.¡± ¡°I can drive myself there. Why don¡¯t


    you go ahead? I¡¯m sending Ms. Moore to the shopping mall. I¡¯ll be there in a jiffy.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you walk such


    a short distance alone?¡± Vinson gave Arielle a cold stare. A deep scowl graced Arielle¡¯s forehead upon


    his brusque words. He must have been a saint in his past life.


    How on earth does Vinson have friends when he¡¯s so short-tempered? Arielle pouted before she turned


    towards Harvey with a smile. ¡°Go ahead; I can walk over myself. You don¡¯t have to send me off.¡± ¡°But


    ¡ª¡± ¡°Stop dallying! Let¡¯s go!¡± Vinson urged again. Vinson exited the car and dragged Harvey in. Next,


    he shoved his own assistant out of the car.


    Arielle looked at Vinson with confusion. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Can¡¯t you go shopping with another


    person? Why must Harvey be the one who sends you there?¡± Vinson replied nonchntly. ¡°No¡­ I


    don¡¯t need anyone to¡ª¡± Before Arielle could finish her sentence, Vinson ordered the driver to start the


    car. The car sped off into the distance, leaving Arielle and the assistant behind.


    Vinson¡¯s assistant had a personality that was a stark contrast to Vinson himself. The assistant wore a


    bright smile and a cheerful demeanor. ¡°Ms. Moore, it is an honor to keep youpany whilst you shop.


    What brands are you looking at?¡± The assistant nced at Arielle as he spoke. Arielle returned his


    gaze with a sharp and cold look. Under her re, the tone of his voice dropped until it was as soft as a


    mouse. In the end, the assistant coughed awkwardly.


    ¡°I won¡¯t interrupt your shopping. I¡¯ll follow after you to ensure your safety,¡± he said. ¡°I said that I don¡¯t


    need someone to keep mepany. You should find Vinson or return to thepany. I wish to shop


    alone,¡± she insisted. Seeing Arielle¡¯s insistence, the assistant left in a hurry.


    The enormous shopping mall located opposite the restaurant was called Sunway Mall. Despite its size,


    there weren¡¯t many people in the mall that day as it was a weekday. The few customers wandering


    around the mall were mostly rich wives or mothers with their children. The moment Arielle stepped foot


    into Sunway Mall, she felt a prickling sensation across her skin. It felt like someone was watching her.


    Immediately, Arielle whipped her head around.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    However, there wasn¡¯t anyone there¡ªonly the asional customer who crossed the path behind


    her. Was it just my imagination? Arielle turned around again. She looked around and walked into a


    clothing store that caught her eye due to the beautiful clothes on disy. The moment Arielle stepped


    foot into the store, the shop attendant hurried over to greet her. Yet, the friendliness in her eyes


    vanished the moment she caught sight of Arielle¡¯s simple clothing.


    ¡°You are free to look around as you please. However, no touching is allowed,¡± the shop attendant said


    rudely. ¡°How am I supposed to know the material if I can¡¯t touch the clothes?¡± Arielle frowned. The shop


    attendant clicked her tongue impatiently. ¡°This is Feature. Don¡¯t you know all of our clothes are made


    out of high-quality cotton and linen?


    Naturally, the prices of these clothes are expensive, starting at five digits figure. If you are


    ufortable with the pricing, you should visit other shops.¡± When she was overseas, Feature was a


    clothing brand that Arielle wore often. The clothes felt extremelyfortable when worn. Additionally,


    the designer was a friend of hers. For the sake of her friend and thefort of the clothes, Arielle


    ignored the shop attendant¡¯s scorn.


    She continued to choose the clothes in earnest. Since it¡¯s Feature, I don¡¯t have to touch the material. I


    just have to pick a style that catches my eye. The shop attendant scowled when she noticed that Arielle


    refused to leave. She even has the audacity to continue shopping! Her canvas shoes look so dirty and


    ugly. How dare she even step foot into the store! How bold!


    The shop attendant ridiculed Arielle in her thoughts as she trailed after Arielle. It looked like she was


    afraid that Arielle would steal the clothes. However, Arielle was someone who wasn¡¯t easily intimidated


    by such rude attendants. Despite being aware of the negative thoughts that the shop attendant


    harbored towards her, Arielle maintained her calmposure.


    She remained unbothered and continued to pick the clothes at her own pace. Anyway, I¡¯m not here to


    bring the shop attendant home. I¡¯m here to buy some clothes. Right at that moment, a high-pitched yet


    familiar voice echoed from the entrance. ¡°Hey, have the new seasonal pieces arrived yet? Do you have


    the shirt that I reserved during myst visit?¡±

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    Chapter 76


    Upon hearing the voice, the shop attendant hurried towards the entrance as she ignored Arielle. ¡°Mrs.


    Actonward! You are here! We¡¯ve kept all the clothes just for you. The new clothing has just arrived


    today; we haven¡¯t put them on disy yet. Why don¡¯t you wait for a short while? I will bring the clothes


    here for your selection,¡± the shop attendant said in an attempt to tter Yvette. ¡°All right, pick up the


    pace! I have a lunch appointment with my friendter.¡±


    ¡°It will only take a short while.¡± The shop attendant assured her. After hearing their conversation, Arielle


    thought that the woman¡¯s voice sounded extremely familiar. It feels like I¡¯ve heard of it


    before. Subconsciously, Arielle tilted her head to look at the source of the voice. She caught sight of a


    woman with exquisite makeup, dressing in a trendy miniskirt.


    A look of arrogance painted the woman¡¯s face as she sat in a cross-legged position. There was a cup


    of tea poised in her hand. asionally, the woman would take a delicate sip from the cup. On the


    other hand, Sharon stood by her side as she picked at her manicured nails with a look of boredom.


    Arielle recognized the woman in a blink of an eye. Isn¡¯t she the woman who set her dog on me before?


    She must be Yvette!


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ording to the gossip amongst housekeepers, Yvette had an engagement contract with one of the


    four most eligible and powerful bachelors of Jadeborough. If it weren¡¯t for them, I wouldn¡¯t have


    encountered so many problems trying to uncover the truth behind my mother¡¯s death. Arielle looked


    away quickly and shifted her attention back to the clothes. Coincidentally, she spotted a blue short-


    sleeved shirt.


    Immediately, Arielle took it and headed towards the cashier. All of the clothes manufactured by Feature


    were one-size-fits-all. Thus, Arielle didn¡¯t need to test it out before buying it. However, Arielle barely


    managed to take a few steps before she bumped into the shop attendant. The shop attendant red at


    her with contempt when she noticed the shirt in Arielle¡¯s clutches. ¡°What are you doing? Are you trying


    to steal it? I¡¯m warning you.


    There are surveince cameras all over the shop!¡± The shop attendant snatched the shirt from Arielle


    rudely. Arielle couldn¡¯t believe the shop attendant thought that she was about to steal the shirt. Despite


    her high tolerance for rude behavior, Arielle¡¯s patience couldn¡¯t endure it any longer. ¡°I was about to


    make a payment,¡± she replied darkly. The shop attendantughed mockingly. ¡°You want to make a


    payment?


    Have you seen the price tag of this shirt? Are you sure that you can afford it?¡± she sneered. ¡°So? Is


    there a rule on the price tag that says I can¡¯t buy it?¡± Arielle¡¯s gaze was as cold as ice. Seeing Arielle¡¯s


    dark stare, the shop attendant flinched in terror. She has such a cold re. The shop attendant gave


    Arielle another once over. Despite Arielle¡¯s simple outfit, there was an aura of elegance that radiated


    from her figure.


    Her distinguished temperament was not one that amoner would have. Have I offended a


    renowned customer? The shop attendant was so scared that she was at a loss for words. Right at that


    moment, Yvette made her way over to the duo. ¡°What¡¯s happening here? Where are the new clothes


    you promised to show me?¡± The shop attendant snapped out of her daze. ¡°No¡­ there was a


    misunderstanding,¡± she exined.


    ¡°Are you really going to pay?¡± the shop attendant asked Arielle hesitantly. ¡°What else would I do? Did


    you think that I was going to steal your clothes when there are so many surveince cameras around?¡±


    Arielle frowned in displeasure. ¡°T-Then please go ahead,¡± the shop attendant stuttered and gulped


    nervously when she spotted the scowl across Arielle¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± Yvette blurted out all of a


    sudden. Arielle turned towards Yvette.


    Simultaneously, the two women locked gazes. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. How are you, Ms. Actonward?¡± Arielle


    replied calmly. Immediately, Yvette looked amused. ¡°I never expected that the distinguished Ms. Arielle


    would be mistaken as a shoplifter. Wouldn¡¯t you be theughing stock of town if someone finds out


    about this mistake?


    However, I can see why she viewed you as a thief. After all, you came from a lowly vige. Why don¡¯t I


    buy this shirt for you? Come, put this shirt on my tab,¡± Yvette sneered as she instructed the shop


    attendant. The shop attendant was a quick thinker. In the blink of an eye, she realized Arielle¡¯s high


    status.


    Additionally, she could see the hostility that Yvette wielded towards Arielle. She beamed, ¡°Ms.


    Actonward, you are as kind as ever. Let me pack this shirt for you.¡± The shop attendant then turned to


    Arielle. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that. I will pay for the shirt with my own money,¡± Arielle replied


    impassively.


    She had no wish to argue against Yvette¡¯s mockery. Because of Arielle¡¯s words in the past, Yvette


    harbored a strong hatred for Arielle. Upon seeing that Arielle had no ns to entertain her, Yvette


    dropped her facade in the blink of an eye. ¡°I changed my mind. I want to buy this shirt,¡± Yvette


    announced in a cold voice.

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    Chapter 77


    The shop attendant was stunned. Yvette must have hated Arielle so much that she won¡¯t even let


    Arielle retain her dignity. Yet, she was unsure about Arielle¡¯s background. On the other hand, Yvette


    was an important customer and benefactor. Last year, she managed to achieve outstanding sales due


    to Yvette. Thus, the shop attendant merely hesitated for a brief second as she came to a decision. ¡°All


    right, I will wrap this up right away,¡± she beamed brightly and followed Yvette¡¯s instructions.


    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Arielle called out in a frigid tone. ¡°I wanted to purchase this shirt first. Shouldn¡¯t you


    wrap it up for me?¡± It was tantly obvious that Yvette¡¯s request was aimed at her. The conflict


    between the two women seemed unresolvable. Since we cannot resolve it, why should I concede to


    her?


    There¡¯s nothing that I yearn for in this entire world. Even so, why should I let others take


    away what¡¯s mine? ¡°You peasant! Do you think that you are in your vige? This is my territory! Quick,


    pack it up for me right now,¡± Yvette sneered cruelly. Caught between a rock and a hard ce, the shop


    attendant looked at Yvette and Arielle in a conflicting manner. By right, she should sell the shirt to


    Arielle. Additionally, Arielle seemed like a person she shouldn¡¯t cross. Yet, Yvette was someone she


    couldn¡¯t afford to offend either.


    The shop attendant gritted her teeth. ¡°Miss, I¡¯m terribly sorry. Ms. Actonward is one of our esteemed


    customers. She has the privilege to buy the clothes first. Why don¡¯t you take a look around the other


    clothes?¡± Yvette¡¯s lips curled into a triumphant smile when she heard the shop attendant¡¯s words. ¡°Did


    you hear that?¡±


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    she gloated and crossed her arms over her chest proudly. Just as Arielle was about to reply, the


    manager rushed over. ¡°Have you cleaned the shop? The designer ising over to inspect our store


    soon. Quick, tidy up the clothing racks!¡± the manager instructed urgently. Right after the manager


    finished speaking, she noticed Yvette. Immediately, a courteous smile appeared on her face. ¡°Ms.


    Actonward, are you here to look at our clothes?¡±


    Yvette nodded arrogantly and extended her finger to point at Arielle. ¡°I came here to buy some clothes.


    However, this idiot insists on buying the same product. Who do you want to sell this shirt to?¡± she


    turned to address the manager haughtily. Immediately, the manager gave Arielle a once-over. Despite


    her ordinary outfit, Arielle had a sophisticated temperament that was unlike ordinary people. After


    giving the question a brief thought, the manager cleared her throat.


    ¡°There is only one of Feature¡¯s clothing pieces in each of our stores. However, we restock our clothing


    on a regr basis. Miss, why don¡¯t you leave this shirt for Ms. Actonward? You can leave your address


    with us, and I¡¯ll personally deliver the shirt when it¡¯s back in stock,¡± the manager offered politely. Arielle


    frowned when she heard the manager¡¯s decision. ¡°I first assumed that the problem only existed in your


    shop attendants.


    Seeing your attitude now as a manager, I¡¯m now worried for the future of this brand.¡± Immediately, the


    manager¡¯s mood darkened. ¡°Miss, I don¡¯t think a customer like you should be worried about our brand.


    I¡¯ve suggested a logical solution to the problem. If you aren¡¯t satisfied, you can leave without buying.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not worthy?¡± Arielle chuckled in amusement. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that your designer ising soon?


    Which designer is it?¡±


    she asked the manager. Arielle¡¯s statement earlier had offended the manager. ¡°I don¡¯t think that you


    have any business being involved in this matter,¡± she replied stiffly. Immediately, the woman who


    apanied Yvette called out mockingly, ¡°The exit is right there! See yourself out!¡±


    Arielle¡¯s cold gaze swept towards the group. She looked at them as if they were her sworn enemies.


    Just as she opened her mouth to retort, a stylishly dressed woman apanied by an entourage of


    guards entered the shop. The moment she spotted the well-dressed woman, the manager leaped to


    her feet and pushed Arielle towards the exit.


    ¡°Stop meddling around. I¡¯m going to lodge a report if you continue to cause a scene. Quick, bring her


    out via the back door!¡± the manager hissed lowly.

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    Chapter 78


    The shop attendant then pulled Arielle over to the other side of the door. After tidying herself up a little


    and whispering in Yvette¡¯s ear, the manager then brought Yvette and her friend over. She then greeted


    Fanny with a smile. ¡°Ms. Fanny! I didn¡¯t expect you toe so early. Our VIP guest is here too. Why


    don¡¯t you have a little chat with her?¡± Yvette, too, greeted Fanny with a grin. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet


    you.


    I love your designs, especially yourtest collection. I came here to buy them.¡± Fanny kept a distance


    from her and responded with a smile. She then asked, ¡°I heard amotion. Did something happen?¡±


    The manager panicked. The motto that the brand lived by was ¡°the customers are always right.¡± They


    were supposed to provide the best service to all their customers. The manager smiled wryly and


    exined, ¡°Someone came and stirred up trouble earlier, but we managed to get her out of the


    premises.¡±


    Fanny knitted her brows. ¡°What do you mean? Is she not happy with our after-sales service?¡± ¡°Oh, n-


    no¡­¡± The manager immediately denied it. ¡°She was just being difficult.¡± Meanwhile, the shop attendant


    was about to drag Arielle out of the door. But Arielle stood rooted that the shop attendant could not get


    her out. She did not stop the attendant from pulling her because she was so shocked that they treated


    her in such a manner.


    But by the time she came to her senses, she instantly swung her hand from the attendant¡¯s grip and


    stormed back to the shop. ¡°Is this how you treat your customers?¡± Arielle exploded with rage. Not only


    did the shop attendant look down on me, she even tried to kick me out of the shop? Suddenly, she


    noticed Fanny standing in the middle of the shop. Fanny looked over and froze for a bit upon seeing


    Arielle from afar. Yet, the manager and Yvette did not notice the expression on Fanny¡¯s face.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    The manager shot daggers at the shop attendant before confronting Arielle, ¡°Why are you still here? Do


    you want me to call the cops?¡± Yvette, too, stepped in and reprimanded Arielle, ¡°Are you not


    embarrassed? You are not wee here! Yet, you¡¯re still here causing trouble!¡± Fanny still could not


    believe Arielle was standing before her. ¡°Ms. Sannie? Are you Ms. Sannie?¡±


    Arielle did not expect to see Fanny too. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± Fanny nodded repeatedly and was pleasantly


    surprised that Arielle still remembered her. ¡°You remember me?¡± The manager and Yvette were utterly


    stunned. They know each other? Yvette was even more shocked. How on earth did this country


    bumpkin get to know this famous designer? Arielle nodded and continued, ¡°They said the designer is


    coming over, and I thought they were talking about Phyllis.


    I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡± Fanny responded with a nod. ¡°I used to work as Ms. Reinley¡¯s


    assistant, but I¡¯m a designer now. Ms. Reinley told me she couldn¡¯t get past her creative block ever


    since you left.¡± The manager¡¯s jaw dropped after listening to their conversation.


    The shop attendant then mumbled by the manager¡¯s ear, ¡°Ms. Reinley? Isn¡¯t she the founder and the


    chief designer of our brand?¡± The manager shuddered at that thought and staggered almost


    instantly. Oh God. Who have I offended! Meanwhile, Yvette was at a loss for words at the turn of


    events.


    Not only did this country bumpkin know Fanny, but she¡¯s also a friend of the founder of Feature? Did


    Fanny mistake Arielle for someone else? That was just Yvette¡¯s wishful thinking. Judging by their


    banter, it was clear that they were close friends. Both Arielle and Fanny seemed to have forgotten that


    there were people around them.

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    Chapter 79


    Suddenly, Fanny recalled the drama earlier and asked Arielle, ¡°What happened just now? Why did they


    say you caused trouble here?¡± Arielle gave the manager and the shop attendant a sullen re and


    said, ¡°I wanted to purchase a dress, but one of them used me of stealing, while the other gave the


    dress to your VIP guest. She even instructed the shop attendant to kick me out of the shop.¡± ¡°What!¡± A


    fierce glint shed across Fanny¡¯s eyes.


    How dare they do that to Ms. Sannie? Even Ms. Reinley has to show her respect! Arielle took a deep


    breath and advised, ¡°Instead of hiring high-profile designers, why don¡¯t you spend on training your staff


    on customer service?¡± That was quite a p in the faces of the manager and the shop attendant. They


    tilted their heads and noticed Fanny was looking up at them with a scowl.


    Feature offered great remuneration packages to all its employees, especially those holding managerial


    positions. Even a shop attendant could earn up to five figures a month on top of their sales


    commissions. It would be disastrous for them if they lost this job! The manager instantly grabbed


    Arielle¡¯s arm and begged for her forgiveness. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss. It¡¯s all my fault. Please give me another


    chance to redeem myself!¡±


    Tears started rolling down the shop attendant¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Please forgive me too, Miss. I swear I¡¯ll treat


    all the customers equally in the future! Please!¡± They were on the verge of kneeling before Arielle. Yet,


    Arielle responded with a deadpan expression, ¡°You have to swear that you¡¯ll treat all your customers


    equally when it¡¯s your responsibility in the first ce? How pathetic.¡± ¡°No, no, no, that¡¯s not what I


    meant¡­¡± she immediately tried to exin.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m really sorry!¡± Arielle pulled her hands away and said icily, ¡°That¡¯s enough. Had I not


    bumped into Fanny today, you all would have treated me like a thief and reported me to the cops.


    Instead of begging for my forgiveness, go and talk to Fanny!¡± Both the manager and the shop attendant


    looked at Fanny in fear. The grim-faced Fanny turned around and told her assistant, ¡°Kick them out of


    thepany, and cklist them!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss!¡± The assistant then signaled the security guards toe in and pulled them out of the


    shop. Though the guards had removed them from the shop, Arielle could still hear them wailing from a


    distance. But she did not sympathize with them at all. They deserve no mercy. The other shop


    attendants looked at Arielle differently now.


    They were relieved that they were not involved in the drama earlier. A few of them even took the


    opportunity to wrap the dress Arielle wanted to purchase. Nobody bothered to entertain Yvette, who


    used to enjoy all the VIP privileges. Yvette, who grew up living the life of a princess, had never


    experienced such humiliation.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    It was as if no one cared that she was engaged to one of the Bakers and the number one socialite of


    Jadeborough. She became even more emotional when she recalled how they had killed her Pitbull right


    before her eyes. Her helplessness soon turned into anger. I don¡¯t care what brand it is or how famous


    their designer is, and I don¡¯t give a damn about Arielle Moore.


    I want them to vanish from Jadeborough once and for all! Yvette¡¯s fingers curled into fists of rage. Upon


    noticing Yvette¡¯s resentment, Sharon wanted to stop her from acting impulsively, but Yvette brushed


    her aside. She then strode in Arielle¡¯s direction.

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    Chapter 80


    I don¡¯t believe someone as lowly as Arielle are friends with these people! Fanny must have mistaken


    her for another Ms. Sannie, and Arielle must have taken advantage of it and yed along! ¡°Arielle


    Moore!¡± Yvette walked up to her and raised her voice. ¡°Enough with your act! Aren¡¯t you from the


    countryside? How did you know a designer from Feature?¡± When Arielle was about to defend herself,


    Fanny stepped in. ¡°So you¡¯re saying I don¡¯t know who am I talking to?


    Do you think I¡¯m blind? We don¡¯t wee uncouth customers in our shop. Please leave.¡± Yvette looked


    at her in disbelief. ¡°How dare you? Do you not know that I can easily destroy yourpany with a snap


    of the fingers?¡± Fanny titled her chin. ¡°Try me.¡± ¡°You!¡± Yvette eximed, ¡°Don¡¯t you regret what you¡¯ve


    done today!¡±


    She turned around and stormed away in frustration. I¡¯m going to ask Dad to get Feature out of


    Jadeborough! No. I should talk to the Jupiters instead since Feature¡¯s shop was in their shopping


    mall. Since her fianc¨¦, Jordan, and Jupiter Group¡¯s CEO, Harvey, were good friends, she decided to


    get Harvey¡¯s help to avenge her. Harvey treats me with great respect because I¡¯m Jordan¡¯s


    fianc¨¦e. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll do me this favor!


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Yvette dashed out of the shop and bumped into a man. The man, who had a cup of coffee in his man,


    identally sshed the drink all over Yvette. The coffee was so hot that Yvette shrieked in pain. ¡°Are


    you okay?¡± Sharon checked on her before reprimanding the man, ¡°Are you blind?¡± The man was


    stunned for a moment. It seemed he was surprised that someone actually talked to him in such a


    manner. A sudden frown warped his face. He responded, ¡°She knocked into me first.¡±


    Upon noticing the coffee stain on her new dress, Yvette shot daggers at the man. ¡°Do you know how


    much this dress cost? Do you know who I am? I can ban you from entering this shopping mall for the


    rest of your life!¡± The man, who initially had a smiley face, instantly turned grim. He snorted and


    retaliated, ¡°And do you know who I am?


    I can ban you from entering this shopping mall for the rest of your life!¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± Yvette


    bellowed. When she lifted her head, she saw another man standing behind him. The man had a


    manager badge pinned on his zer. Great! Yvette walked up to the manager and said, ¡°Kick this man


    out of the shopping mall.


    I¡¯m Jordan Baker¡¯s fianc¨¦e, and your CEO, Harvey Jupiter, is my friend.¡± The manager froze for a


    moment and took a nce at the man before giving Yvette a response. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss. I have to ask


    you to leave the shopping mall right now. Please leave before I call the security guards.¡± ¡°What the


    hell? I¡¯m your CEO¡¯s friend! How could you not take my instruction?¡±


    The manager extended his hand and exined to her who the man was. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re a friend


    of our CEO, but this is Mr. Nightshire¡¯s assistant, Mr. Rayson Seet.¡± Yvette and Sharon¡¯s eyes widened


    in disbelief. Vinson Nightshire¡¯s assistant? Yvette recalled how her father had been trying to get in


    Vinson¡¯s good books but to no avail.


    She also remembered her father had been giving Rayson some gifts in the hope of gaining Vinson¡¯s


    favor. Did I offend someone whom Dad has been trying hard to please? Did I try to throw him out of the


    shopping mall? Fear throbbed in Yvette¡¯s veins, and her face started twitching involuntarily.


    ¡°What are we going to do?¡± Sharon asked. I don¡¯t know, Sharon. I don¡¯t know! I just got kicked out of a


    shop, and now I offended the assistant of a big shot? What¡¯s with my luck today? Yvette swallowed the


    fluid lodged in her throat and immediately stered an apologetic smile on her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr.


    Seet. Please forgive us.¡±

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    Chapter 81


    Rayson looked at the coffee stain on her dress and said, ¡°I went all the way to buy this cup of coffee,


    and this happened. Do you know who I bought this coffee for?¡± His expression turned grim. The color


    drained out of Yvette¡¯s face. Did he buy this coffee for¡­ Vinson?


    No one should ever mess with Vinson as he was the most difficult person to deal with among the four


    young men from Jadeborough¡¯s prominent families. Unlike Harvey, who had shown her some respect,


    Vinson had never paid attention to her. And now, she knocked over his coffee and reprimanded his


    assistant.


    Yvette could not stop her body from shaking and asked in a trembling voice, ¡°Where did you buy the


    coffee? I¡¯ll go and get another one¡­¡± ¡°Yes! We¡¯ll get you another cup of coffee right now!¡± Sharon


    echoed. Sharon had to be even more mindful than Yvette because the Nightshire Group could destroy


    her family more easily than the Actonwards. When Rayson was about to respond to their plea, he saw


    a familiar face from a stone¡¯s throw away.


    He grinned and greeted, ¡°Ms. Sannie!¡± Rayson ignored the two women and ran toward the entrance of


    Feature. Yvette knitted her brows, looked in his direction, and saw Arielleing out of the


    shop. Arielle Moore? The coffee was for her? What? Besides Vinson, who else could get Rayson to


    work for them? She could not believe it when she saw how Rayson was trying to curry favor with


    Arielle. ¡°I walked past a caf¨¦ earlier and bought you a cup of coffee. I believe you like coffee right?¡±


    Rayson asked. Arielle responded with a wry smile. She did not expect to see Vinson¡¯s assistant here.


    ¡°Yeah, I do drink coffee. So¡­ where is it?¡± Seeing Arielle got him so excited that he forgot he no longer


    had the coffee. He hesitated for a bit, turned around, and shot daggers at Yvette. Yvette¡¯s mind went


    nk upon seeing his reaction. He really bought that coffee for her? What has she done to deserve


    such a privilege?N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    Yvette could not help but look at Arielle¡¯s face. That vixen! She must have seduced him! She¡¯s really


    good at finding the right target. What a shameless woman! Now it all made sense. Arielle must have


    gotten to know Fanny through Vinson¡¯s assistant! Yvette remembered Shandie had once told her about


    the rumors between Vinson and Arielle, but at that point, she believed the man whom Arielle was


    involved with was Vinson¡¯s assistant.


    I wonder how Vinson would think of their rtionship. Yvette thought since she had offended Rayson,


    she might as well take this opportunity to get rid of him! You chose to fool around with Arielle,


    so don¡¯t me me for being cruel! The fear in her had vanished into thin air. A corner of her mouth


    quirked up, and she decided to give them the final blow.


    Time for revenge, suckers! Arielle followed his line of sight and saw Yvette. Yvette strode in their


    direction with a condescending look on her face. ¡°You seem to be very good at seducing men. That¡¯s


    quite an achievement for a country bumpkin,¡± Yvette mocked.

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    Chapter 82


    Arielle¡¯s brows clumped together in a frown. ¡°What nonsense are you spewing now?¡± Beside her,


    Rayson shot a sharp gaze at Yvette as well. He warned, ¡°Do mind yournguage, Miss.¡± Rayson


    assumed that Yvette would shrink away like some frightened rodent and apologize to Arielle, but that


    wasn¡¯t the case. Yvette raised a leering brow at him while rebuking, ¡°Mr. Seet, is your boss aware of


    your gallivant ways out here?


    I suggest you be careful while ying with fire because Mr. Nightshire is not a lenient man. He won¡¯t


    tolerate a sloppy assistant.¡± Then she yanked Sharon¡¯s wrist and sashayed off without waiting for


    Rayson or Arielle¡¯s response. Sharon walked with shaky knees as she asked, ¡°Yvette¡­ Is it wise to


    speak so rudely to Mr. Seet?¡± Yvette huffed, ¡°Why does it matter? That pathetic assistant will be


    relieved from his position and left to roam the streets soon.


    Once he bes useless, I doubt Arielle will stick to him as she¡¯s doing now!¡± She scowled


    inwardly. Arielle is just like her scheming father, Henrick¡ªpower-hungry monsters. ring with


    irritation, Yvette dialed her butler¡¯s number. ¡°Edmund, find out Mr. Nightshire¡¯s current location at once.¡±


    Edmund paused nervously on the other end of the call. He eventually stuttered, ¡°A-are you referring to


    Mr. Nightshire of Nightshire Group, Ms. Yvette?¡±


    ¡°Who else, captain obvious?¡± ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s impossible to track the current whereabouts of a big


    shot like Mr. Nightshire.¡± Within seconds, Yvette¡¯s expression darkened as cried, ¡°I don¡¯t care! You¡¯ll do


    as I say and track him now. Otherwise, you can kiss your job goodbye!¡± Edmund hung up shortly after.


    His blinking gray eyes stared gravely into the space. How on earth will I track him¡­ Coincidentally, one


    of the Actonwards¡¯ housekeepers had just returned from delivering gifts to Jordan.


    They mentioned that Jordan was visiting Vinson at the Jupiters¡¯ residence. That housekeeper was quite


    the babble mouth. He rambled on, ¡°I don¡¯t get why these men gather so frequently. What a waste of


    leisure time! I personally think that Mr. Baker should be using this opportunity to spend more time with


    Ms. Yvette.¡±


    Nevertheless, Edmund¡¯s eyes lit up gratefully for this newfound information. He instantly dialed Yvette¡¯s


    number. ¡°Ms. Yvette, I found it. Mr. Nightshire is currently at the Jupiters¡¯.¡± ¡°The Jupiters?¡± Yvette


    casually checked on her nails. Her lips curled with delight as a n hatched in her mind. ¡°That¡¯s even


    better. Rayson and Arielle were frolicking about in the Jupiters¡¯ territory. What a perfect opportunity to


    rat them out to Mr. Nightshire.¡±


    Once their call ended, Yvette turned to look at Sharon. ¡°I¡¯m going to visit Mr. Nightshire. You should


    head home if you¡¯re too much of a chicken. Also, inform the others that I¡¯m off to see Mr. Nightshire.


    Tell them that I won¡¯t be joining them for tea.¡± Sharon had initially crossed her arms tightly in panic.


    However, this changed at the mention of Vinson¡¯s name; an eager gleam flitted across Sharon¡¯s eyes.


    Yevette¡¯s family, the Actonwards, were close with the Bakers because of the marriage contract between


    her and Jordan.


    Hence, this gave Yvette frequent ess to meeting men from Jadeborough. Sharon had always envied


    Yvette for this, because her chances of encountering those handsome men from Jadeborough were


    zero. The more Sharon thought about this, the more a steadfast determination surged through her


    veins. She stated, ¡°How could I let you face that alone? I¡¯ming with you!¡± Yvette¡¯s eyes roamed


    over Sharon, studying her in approval.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed. You¡¯ve always seemed like an opportunistic minion, but I guess you¡¯re pretty loyal to


    me, huh? Alright then, let¡¯s go together and make sure those two get kicked out of Jadeborough for


    good!¡± ¡°Absobloodylutely!¡± Sharon nodded with passion. Perfect! I¡¯m finally meeting Mr. Nightshire! My


    looks areparable to Yvette¡¯s, so maybe Mr. Nightshire might fall in love with me at first sight.


    I don¡¯t care if I¡¯m not worthy of marrying into the Nightshire family. Just spending a passionate night


    with Vinson Nightshire is more than enough for me. I¡¯ll be living out every girl¡¯s dream! The two had


    different ns, but both merrily went their way to the Jupiters¡¯ residence. Meanwhile, Arielle hadn¡¯t paid


    any mind to Yvette¡¯s ultimatum.


    Arielle had dismissed Rayson, instructing him not to follow her around, to which heplied. Then she


    spent the rest of her day shopping with Fanny. While they browsed through some clothing racks, Arielle


    exined her current situation and expressed her wish to keep her identity a secret.

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    Chapter 83


    Fanny readily agreed, ¡°Sure. Do reach out if you ever need my help. I¡¯m taking part in a fashion design


    TV show, so I¡¯ll be in the country for the next few months.¡± ¡°All right!¡± The two chatted for a bit before


    exchanging contact details, then going their separate ways. Arielle was about to hail a cab, but an MPV


    suddenly drove up to her¡ªit was Rayson. He rolled down the window and tee-heed. ¡°Ms. Sannie, it


    won¡¯t be easy to get a cab from here.


    I¡¯ll give you a ride home instead.¡± He mentally justified his actions. Mr. Nightshire instructed me to stay


    by Ms. Sannie¡¯s side. Plus, I can¡¯t help but worry about letting her go home on her own. Who knows?


    She might be the future Mrs. Nightshire. As Mr. Nightshire¡¯s assistant, how can I allow such a


    distinguished figure to travel home in some dodgy cab? Arielle¡¯s shoulders fell, giving in to his


    persistence. Still, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything better to do?


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    Like helping out at Nightshire Group?¡± Rayson chuckled awkwardly at her question. Little did she know,


    he had sorted out Mr. Nightshire¡¯s schedule for tomorrow and looked through three of thepany¡¯s


    documents while waiting for her to shop. Arielle didn¡¯t decline and got into his car. Unfortunately for


    them, their car broke down halfway. Then the two of them stood by the roadside while staring at each


    other.


    Various cars drove by as they waited for the tow truck to arrive. As time passed, Rayson frowned


    deeper and deeper. He then checked their location and awkwardly uttered, ¡°Ms. Sannie, the tow truck


    might take another half an hour to arrive. It¡¯ll also be difficult to hitch a ride on this highway. I happen to


    know that Mr. Jupiter lives within this area. Perhaps we should head over and see if he¡¯ll lend us his


    car¡­?¡±


    Arielle heaved a sigh before nodding. We can¡¯t keep waiting aimlessly here for the next half hour. The


    Jupiters lived in the northern suburbs, near the national park. Their home sat on arge estate. It had


    traditional architecture, featuring pirs as well as white and ck color schemes. Tall white fences


    surrounded the house, guarding the artistically built home inside as if it were a portal to another world.


    By the time Vinson and Harvey arrived, Carter had already moved the person down to the spare


    garage in the basement.


    The otherwise pitch-ck garage was now brightly lit. As soon as Vinson entered, he saw that the man


    had crouched into the corner. The man rocked his body slightly while mumbling a series of nonsensical


    words. His clothes were in tatters; the white shirt he wore was heavily stained and had multiple holes.


    On top of that, the man¡¯s unkempt hair looked like overgrown weeds. His frazzled appearance


    resembled that of a beggar who had gone insane. Even so, Vinson immediately recognized the man¡ª


    he¡¯s one of the assassins on the cruise. Carter noticed that Vinson and Harvey had entered. He


    nudged his gold-framed sses and joined Jordan in approaching them. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Harvey


    nced at the disheveled man before resuming, ¡°This guy stabbed me when I was overseas. Back


    then, he looked like some CEO of an internationalpany or something.


    So why does he look like this now? Is he faking it?¡± Jordan shrugged. He tossed the toy rat aside and


    shook his head in response. ¡°I¡¯ve tested him, and it doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s faking it. He really is insane.¡±


    The rubbery rat that Jordan threwnded on Carter¡¯s foot. Disgusted, Carter kicked it away. He nudged


    his gold-rimmed sses once again and said, ¡°This man drifted at sea for about a month. The local


    fishermen said that he encountered a shark before they found him.


    Luck was on his side, but it seems like the whole thing scarred him mentally. We won¡¯t get much


    information from interrogating him while he¡¯s in this state. All we can do now is treat him in my family¡¯s


    private hospital.¡± Harvey cussed at this, ¡°This b*stard nearly killed me! And you want to treat him?


    Where the hell is the logic in this?¡±


    Boisterousughter roared out from Jordan. He teased, ¡°Hah! Would you look at that? I didn¡¯t think you


    knew such colorfulnguage. It looks like you¡¯re back to normal now, eh?¡± Harvey¡¯s face puckered into


    a re. Then he walked closer to the deranged man and looked him coldly in the eye. ¡°I get that we¡¯re


    sending you for treatment, but I gotta get my revenge!¡±


    With that, Harvey gripped the cor of the man¡¯s shirt and rammed a fist into his stomach. The impact


    rattled the man, who spewed a mouthful of blood before passing out cold.

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    Chapter 84


    The other three dropped their jaws at the sight of the unconscious man. They were well-acquainted


    with Harvey¡¯s tactless ways; they knew that he would never think twice before doing or saying anything.


    However, they couldn¡¯t help but freeze in shock after seeing Harvey knock the man out. Jordan was the


    first who broke out of his trance. He pped his hands dramatically and eximed, ¡°Well, that¡¯s just


    splendid! We spent ages going after this guy to use as bait, and now you¡¯ve killed him!¡±


    Darkness loomed over Vinson¡¯s face. He frowned at the severity of Harvey¡¯s actions; they needed this


    man alive. Catching him wasn¡¯t the primary goal because they still needed him as bait to lure out the


    mastermind behind the assassination attempt. Vinson hurried over and ced a finger under the man¡¯s


    nose. He let out a relieved sigh after feeling faint breathing from the man. Then he whipped around to


    inform Carter, ¡°He¡¯s still alive.


    Get him to your family¡¯s private hospital right away.¡± ¡°On it.¡± Carter instantly pulled out his phone,


    dialing for a private ambnce. Once sorted, Vinson shed a furious gaze at Harvey as if warning him


    to never pull another stunt like this again. Harvey only wanted to teach the man a lesson. Now that he


    locked eyes with Vinson¡¯s deadly gaze, he scratched the back of his head guilty. ¡°I-I have the right to be


    upset too¡­


    This man nearly killed me, just like he almost killed you too¡­¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Vinson¡¯s brows twisted into a


    frown as he continued, ¡°Don¡¯t let it happen again. And remember, he¡¯s not the one who wants us dead


    ¡ªwe¡¯re after the person who¡¯s giving this man orders.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Jordan chimed in with


    uncharacteristic seriousness. ¡°This guy is merely a pawn. Our main objective is to seize the big guy, so


    quit acting on impulse, all right?


    I prefer you drinking your sorrows away.¡± Harvey red daggers at Jordan. Before he could retort, a


    bodyguard knocked and peeked in from the door. The bodyguard quickly reported, ¡°A guest has


    requested your presence, Mr. Jupiter.¡± Harvey cast a questioning look at Carter and asked, ¡°Did you


    get caught while bringing the man back?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± Carter denied with an amused scoff. ¡°I¡¯m


    not Jordan.¡±


    At once, Jordan¡¯s chest puffed up in offense. ¡°Hey! Who do you think you¡¯re throwing jabs at, Mr. Carter


    Morgan?¡± Carter sneered through a chiding tone, ¡°Simple. I¡¯m insulting the person who just responded


    to my jab.¡± Seeing the two men rile up, Vinson thundered, ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Only then did the fiery


    anger between the two dissipate. Then Vinson questioned the bodyguard, ¡°Who¡¯s the guest?¡± The


    bodyguard was so terrified by Jordan and Carter¡¯s dispute earlier that he promptly answered, ¡°Ady


    named Yvette Actonward.


    She requests Mr. Jupiter and Mr. Nightshire¡¯s presence.¡± ¡°Yvette?¡± Jordan¡¯s eyelid twitched, signaling a


    bad omen. ¡°What is she doing here? And why is she requesting to see them?¡± The bodyguard shook


    his head. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure¡­ But Ms. Actonward seemed like she had something urgent to inform the


    two gentlemen about.¡±


    Coincidentally, the private ambnce arrived and swiftly brought the unconscious man away. With


    nothing left to do, Vinson looked over at Harvey and stated, ¡°Let¡¯s go see what she¡¯s fussing about.¡±


    Harvey looked as confused as Jordan. He pondered, Isn¡¯t Yvette supposed to be Jordan¡¯s


    fianc¨¦e? What does she want from Vinson and me? The four men decided to head up to the living


    room together. There, Yvette and Sharon tapped their feet anxiously as they had waited for some time.


    When the men approached, Yvette immediately noticed Jordan, whose features had darkened in


    displeasure.


    A shiver crept down Yvette¡¯s spine as she no longer felt as eager about ratting Arielle out as


    before. Sh*t, Edmund! That goddamned butler! I can¡¯t believe he didn¡¯t tell me that Jordan was here


    too! How will I pretend to be super close with Jordan and win over Vinson, as well as Harvey¡¯s support


    against Arielle? Since they were in the Jupiters¡¯ territory, Harvey initiated pleasantries, ¡°It¡¯s been a


    while, Ms. Actonward. Is there a reason for your visit?¡± Yvette stole a nce at Jordan. However, he


    averted her gaze and appeared nonchnt altogether.


    Pain prickled across Yvette¡¯s chest at his ignorance. Still, she feigned a bright smile and replied, ¡°I have


    something to tell you and Mr. Nightshire¡­ But I didn¡¯t know that Mr. Baker would be here too.¡± Jordan


    raised a brow. ¡°Why? Am I not allowed to be here? Or is my presence causing you any


    inconvenience?¡± Anger broiled in Jordan. He had witnessed Yvette¡¯s vile nature during the dog incident


    at the Southalls¡¯ residence. Now that Yvette showed up here, he couldn¡¯t help but doubt her


    intentions. Did she seriously try to wreak havoc among my brothers? And behind my back too?


    How shameless. Meanwhile, Yvette assumed that Jordan had misunderstood the situation. She


    thought he was jealous that she was seeking out other men. In reality, the romance between her and


    Jordan was one-sided; she was keen on their marriage while Jordan was not. Although she often


    wished for Jordan¡¯s presence, this wasn¡¯t one of those times. Rats, he¡¯s here. I can¡¯t make use of my


    title as Jordan¡¯s fianc¨¦e toin about Arielle now.


    Yvette contemted her next move extensively before finally answering, ¡°Your presence isn¡¯t


    inconvenient per se, it¡¯s just that this matter involves Mr. Nightshire and Mr. Jupiter¡­¡± Vinson had sat


    onto one of the sofas. His face was devoid of emotions, uninterested in joining the conversation. Left


    without a choice, Harvey brought the conversation back to its original focus. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Get to


    the point.¡± The one thing he loathed with all his might was when people beat around the bush. Stifled


    by the threatening aura from all four men, Yvette cut to the chase.


    ¡°I was at Mr. Jupiter¡¯s shopping mall today and saw Mr. Nightshire¡¯s assistant. He and his girlfriend


    were causing trouble in the mall. I stepped in to prevent things from escting. But they wouldn¡¯t see


    reason. They even forced me to leave¡­¡± Vinson¡¯s uninterested gaze became more alert now that his


    assistant was involved. Unnerved, he locked eyes with Yvette. ¡°Did you say Rayson¡¯s girlfriend?¡± He


    had always known that Rayson had a unique sexual preference.


    Still, he couldn¡¯t help but mentally cheer for Rayson now that he finally got himself a partner. Thank


    goodness. Rayson¡¯s Mom won¡¯t have to worry about his love life anymore. Even better, she¡¯ll stop


    begging me to convince Rayson into getting a partner. Yet, Yvette dropped a bombshell when she


    announced the girlfriend¡¯s identity, ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m sure you know her as well, Mr. Nightshire. Her


    name is Arielle, the Southalls¡¯ long-lost daughter from the country. ¡°What!¡± ¡°What?¡±


    Vinson and Harvey shot onto their feet at once. Jordan hadn¡¯t connected the dots about who Arielle


    was, so he looked quizzically at the two startled men. Not only were they taken aback, but Yvette was


    too. She yelped backward in utter shock. What¡¯s up with these guys? Why are they so shocked? Are


    they upset with Rayson¡¯s misbehavior? They must be. Confident with her guess, Yvette went on with


    her made-up story, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, your assistant is plenty arrogant. His girlfriend too!


    She thinks she¡¯s so high and mighty; she even name-dropped you, Mr. Nightshire, to steal the clothes I


    was keen on buying and force me out of the shop. You mustn¡¯t allow such vermin to continue working


    alongside you!¡± For some reason, Yvette felt as if her words had garnered some vicious gazes. She


    instinctively looked up. It turned out that Harvey and Vinson were ring at her with malice burning in


    their eyes. These men were different from the average person; Harvey was a member of the armed


    forces, while Vinson was a top-notch leader in the business industry.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Their res were so intense that Yvette¡¯s knees weakened. Yvette reached out, motioning Sharon to


    support her. However, Sharon was spineless and had already fallen onto the ground. So Yvette


    focused all her might, propping herself upright by pushing against the sofa behind her. Fear rattled


    deep in her bones. Still, she mustered every bit of courage she had to ask, ¡°I-Is something wrong, Mr.


    Nightshire? I swear I¡¯m telling the truth.


    You have to believe me!¡± Vinson¡¯s eyes narrowed as a murderous shade of purple flickered in his eyes.


    Beside him, Harvey was equally fuming. He had always been a straightforward person, so he spoke up


    as soon as Yvette stopped talking. ¡°You said Arielle stole the clothes that you were interested in?¡±


    Yvette nodded profusely. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± A smug grin spread across Harvey¡¯s face. He told her off, ¡°Then


    you should have given it to her. I own that shopping mall, and this is what I have to say about your little<pint; Arielle can have whatever she wants from my mall.¡± This deration caused Yvette¡¯s


    features to harden.

 Chapter 85

    Chapter 85


    Did my ears deceive me¡­? Yvette stuttered in disbelief, ¡°Y-You¡­ what did you just say?¡± Harvey


    shoved his hands into his pockets and asserted impatiently, ¡°I said Arielle can have whatever she


    desires. No one is to get in her way. Now, as for you¡­ Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but were you speaking


    ill of her?¡± Despite Harvey¡¯s good looks, his chiseled features twisted into a sharp, distasteful frown. A


    dangerous aura emitted from him as if he was taunting Yvette for her recklessints.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    In response, Yvette shuddered even more. She panicked. How could this happen¡­? I came here to tell


    them that Arielle had mistreated me. So why is Harvey looking at me like I¡¯m the viin in this story? On


    the other hand, Sharon remained kneeling on the ground. Her face had paled to a ghostly white that


    was full of regret. Why did I think that following Yvette here would benefit me? I should have just gone


    for tea with the others! What the hell was I thinking¡ªsleeping with Vinson?


    I can¡¯t even think about it after witnessing how scary he is. No ordinary person can look at him without


    getting chills; I can¡¯t stop shaking after looking at his dark eyes. Sharon was on the verge of tears.


    Compared to her, Yvette had more mental resilience and quickly got over her fear. Yvette then took a


    gamble by cing all her hopes on Vinson to react ordingly. ¡°Mr. Nightshire¡­¡± Yvette mewled with


    a small panicky voice, ¡°I-I¡¯m not speaking ill of Arielle¡­ I¡¯m telling the truth because I worry for you.


    Your assistant¡¯s arrogance is disgracing your reputation. For your sake, you should do something about


    him¡­¡± Vinson¡¯s lips pressed into a thin line as he glowered at Yvette. Who does she think Arielle is? I


    may not know Arielle very well, but I don¡¯t believe a single word that spews out of Yvette¡¯s foul mouth. I


    would have asked the housekeepers to escort Yvette out by now if she wasn¡¯t Jordan¡¯s fianc¨¦e. Vinson


    bit down his irritation while uttering a tart reply, ¡°Let me spell it out for you, Ms. Actonward. I don¡¯t


    appreciate you meddling with the affairs of my assistant.¡±


    He had unknowingly said assistant as opposed to Arielle, which he initially intended to say. All color


    drained from Yvette¡¯s face. ¡°I¡­¡± she opened her mouth, but the words never came as her mind went


    nk. Never in a million years could she have predicted this to happen. Great! That one is biased to


    the country bumpkin for no damn reason, while this guy wholeheartedly trusts his assistant. Why isn¡¯t


    anyone on my side?


    Regret festered in Yvette¡¯s chest. Damn it all! I should have just hired some men to beat Arielle into a


    pulp! Anger and fear battled inside Yvette like waves crashing against each other. She couldn¡¯t


    comprehend how things ended up this way. Curses filled her mind as she had never been this


    humiliated in her life. Just as Yvette was frantically searching for an excuse, she suddenly noticed


    Jordan from the corner of her eye.


    Hope swelled in her chest. I¡¯ve still got Jordan! Surely he¡¯ll take my side? ¡°M-Mr. Baker?¡± Yvette shed


    a set of teary, puppy dog eyes. Then she resumed with a small voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t know Mr. Jupiter and


    Arielle were friends¡­ I¡¯m so sorry. I won¡¯t ever get in her way when she¡¯s shopping again. Please don¡¯t


    be mad at me¡­¡± Yvette was extremely skilled when it came to putting on a pitiful act. Her shivering


    pretense was so believable that Jordan caved in.


    Yvette is still my wife nominally. Plus, if what Yvette says is true, then she technically didn¡¯t do anything


    wrong. There¡¯s no need to kick her out in such a humiliating manner. If anything, my fianc¨¦e is the


    victim in this situation. She had to surrender the clothes while shopping because someone else wanted


    them.


    Then she came here to rant and seek assurance from my friends, but they¡¯re kicking her out instead.


    This humiliation will also affect my reputation since I haven¡¯t called off the marriage contract. Jordan¡¯s


    expression softened. He cast a look at Harvey and Vinson before saying, ¡°Come on, guys.


    Let¡¯s drop this¡­¡± Right then, the Jupiter family¡¯s butler came rushing in. ¡°Mr. Jupiter, there are two


    guests outside. They¡¯re asking to borrow one of your cars.¡± Harvey was already in a foul mood but


    grew frustrated at the news of more guests, who also wanted to borrow his car. He barked out, ¡°Who is


    it this time? The butler threw a nervous look at Vinson and said, ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Nightshire¡¯s assistant, Mr.


    Seet.¡±

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    Chapter 86


    ¡°Rayson?¡± Harvey frowned at Vinson. ¡°Didn¡¯t you instruct him to stay by Arielle¡¯s side? Why has he


    come here to borrow one of my cars?¡± Vinson reacted with an equally puzzled gaze. At this, Harvey


    knew that there was no use questioning Vinson. He turned his attention back onto the butler and briskly


    instructed, ¡°Let them in.¡± ¡°Right away, sir.¡± The butler spun on his heel. It wasn¡¯t long before he returned


    with the two guests.


    Almost instantly, Harvey¡¯s gaze found its way onto Arielle, who was walking behind Rayson. His brows


    raised in shock as he hadn¡¯t expected her to show up as well. A pleasantly surprised grin spread on his


    lips while he dashed over to her side. ¡°Arielle, what brings you here? Are you here to see me?¡±


    Meanwhile, Arielle was busy being in awe of the stunning wall carvings and ented details around


    her. She had lived abroad for so many years that this was her first time seeing a traditional-themed


    architectural build.


    It''s grandness mesmerized her. Once she finally stopped admiring the walls, her eyes roamed past the


    faces of Harvey and the others in the room. A lopsided sneer soon spread on Arielle¡¯s face when she


    saw the woman standing behind Jordan¡ªYvette. What¡¯s Yvette doing here all of a sudden? Yvette is


    just like Shandie; they¡¯re both tarred with the same brush. I can¡¯t bring myself to be nice to her. Arielle


    sharply withdrew her gaze from Yvette.


    She then exined her reason for being here, ¡°Our car broke down nearby. So, Rayson suggested that


    we borrow one of your cars to get us back home. Will that be fine with you?¡± ¡°Absolutely! Which cars


    would you prefer? Please, take your pick from my garage.¡± Harvey had be uncharacteristically


    generous. His current behavior was nothing at all like how he had treated Yvette moments ago. He


    whirled around and motioned them to head for the garage. As he did so, Yvette finally got to see who


    the guests were.


    Her jaw clenched tautly with resentment. Why the hell is this b*tch here? Oh well, this is even better!


    Jordan was just about to defend me. Now that she¡¯s here, Jordan might give her hell for mistreating


    me! Yvette pouted at Jordan. She simultaneously pointed at Arielle and whined, ¡°Mr. Baker! That¡¯s the


    woman who stole my clothes and forced me out of the shopping mall.¡± Jordan wasn¡¯t the least bit


    interested in Rayson¡¯s affairs.


    Thus, he hadn¡¯t bothered to look at the guests earlier. Now that Yvette was whining, Jordan instinctively


    nced over in the guests¡¯ direction. Upon taking in the sight of Arielle¡¯s face, his eyes rounded in


    surprise and recognition. It¡¯s her! The goddess. The woman of my dreams! Yvette hadn¡¯t noticed the


    subtle glee in Jordan¡¯s eyes because she had fully immersed herself in ying the victim. ¡°She is truly


    a wicked woman. Please, you have to help me get even!¡±


    Atst, everything clicked into ce for Jordan. He now understood who Yvette had beenining


    about this whole time. His dark eyes narrowed to slits, radiating hatred at Yvette. His voice boomed.


    ¡°Zip it!¡± Yvette was taken aback. She pursed her lips, unsure of why he shut her up. Without a moment


    to waste, Jordan disregarded Yvette and mbered over to Arielle. He clumsily introduced himself,


    ¡°Hi¡­ do you remember me?


    We met at your family home. And uh, oh right! I was the one who saved you from the dog!¡± All color on


    Yvette¡¯s face paled to a chalky white. What the devil is happening now? Arielle tilted her head in


    confusion. Gradually, she recalled bits and pieces of meeting him. Then she calmly said, ¡°Oh¡­ it¡¯s


    you.¡± From afar, Yvette cast a stormy gaze at the two¡¯s reunion. She could tell that Jordan was


    behaving differently towards Arielle.


    Jordan had always been a smooth-talker when it came to women. Yet, this was Yvette¡¯s first time


    seeing him in such a flustered state. So, something about it felt fishy to her. White-hot rage burned in


    Yvette¡¯s throat as she clenched her fists. Despite her anger, words refused toe out of her mouth.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Meanwhile, Vinson grew annoyed since Arielle had acknowledged everyone but him. He cleared his


    throat and began questioning Rayson, ¡°Why are you guys here? Did something happen at the


    shopping mall?¡± Rayson grimaced at the sight of Yvette. His voice was dangerously low while he


    recounted everything that had happened earlier.

 Chapter 87

    Chapter 87


    ¡°Ms. Actonward here was making a fuss at the shopping mall. As a result, the store¡¯s staff nearly kicked


    Ms. Moore out. Oh, right. Ms. Actonward also demanded to have the shirt that Ms. Moore was about to


    purchase¡­¡± Rayson¡¯s merciless confession caused Yvette to turn paler, like a thief caught red-handed.


    She clenched her fists and frantically exined through downcast eyes, ¡°That¡¯s not true! They¡¯re lying!


    They¡¯re trying to frame me¡­¡±


    Jordan snorted coldly, ¡°So they¡¯re framing you now, huh? Then what about thatst incident with the


    dog? Did someone else frame you?¡± Beads of nervous sweat formed on Yvette¡¯s forehead. All she


    could manage was a simple squeak, ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Jordan interrupted. His ears burned a tinge redder


    with rage.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you once, never take me for a fool. But this is the second time you¡¯ve lied straight to my face!


    Since you refuse to call off our engagement, I¡¯ll have a word with my Mom tonight to jumpstart the


    process!¡± Call off the engagement? Yvette¡¯s legs wobbled, causing her to take two steps back. What


    respectable family will have me if the Bakers call off my engagement? Absolutely not! I won¡¯t allow


    it! Yvette mustered up all her courage in one final attempt to save things. She dashed to Jordan,


    wrapping her arms around his thigh as she cried out fat drops of tears.


    ¡°No¡­ please, Mr. Baker! I made a foolish mistake. Please forgive me just this once! I swear I¡¯ll never


    cause trouble again. Please don¡¯t call off our engagement¡­¡± This incident had cut off any strand of


    patience or pity that Jordan felt for Yvette. Jordan¡¯s gaze shot over at the butler as he roared, ¡°Well?


    Why aren¡¯t you getting rid of this nuisance?¡± The butlerplied. He hurriedly called for two


    bodyguards, who pried Yvette off Jordan¡¯s thigh and dragged her out of the Jupiters¡¯ estate.


    Likewise, they removed Sharon from the estate. Vinson hadn¡¯t even spared her a single nce, much


    less fall in love with her. Not that she minded because she was now terrified of Vinson. The two looked


    utterly miserable as they boarded their car and returned to the Actonwards¡¯ residence. Yvette remained


    dumfounded during their journey home. I came here to gather the guys¡¯ help in teaching Rayson as


    well as Arielle a lesson.


    However, this wasn¡¯t how I predicted things to end; not only did I fail to get Arielle in trouble, but Jordan


    also canceled our marriage contract. What the hell am I going to do now? ¡°Aargghhhh!¡± Yvette wrapped


    her hands around her head and let out a skin-crawling scream, startling both Sharon and the driver. In


    the living room. Arielle was left in a daze after Jordan had kicked Yvette out. Deep down, she wondered


    why he did so.


    Still, she could not have been more delighted. I don¡¯t know what happened exactly, but I¡¯ll befriend


    anyone who¡¯s mean to my enemies! Hence, Arielle beamed brightly at Jordan, ¡°Thanks for saving me


    back then.¡± If Jordan hadn¡¯t been around, that dog would have mauled off my face. Arielle¡¯s eyes


    sparkled with adoration at Jordan. At that moment, he felt like the world was spinning gleefully like a


    carousel.


    He was about to speak, but Harvey butted in, ¡°You know Ms. Moore?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Jordan happily met


    Harvey¡¯s gaze and answered in a whispering voice, ¡°She¡¯s the goddess¡ªthe one that I told you guys.


    I¡¯m going to pursue her.¡± Harvey¡¯s face turned grim within seconds of hearing this. So Jordan met


    Arielle half a month earlier than I did? Annoyance washed over Harvey. Simrly, Vinson¡¯s features had


    darkened to a raging shade of maroon. Vinson scowled inwardly. Why is she such a ball of sunshine to


    every person but not me? What did I ever do to upset her?


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Unable to tolerate this any longer, Vinson opened his mouth but was interrupted by his ringing phone.


    The caller ID showed ¡°Sam.¡± Sam, the director? Why is he calling me? Vinson answered the call with


    an annoyed tone, ¡°Hello?¡± Sam¡¯s irritated voice thundered from the phone like a furious storm. ¡°Mr.


    Nightshire, the woman that you rmended won¡¯t cut it as our movie¡¯s main lead! I want her


    reced at once! If you insist on having her as the lead character, then you can count me out of


    directing this film!¡±

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    Chapter 88


    As Sam ranted, a hint of confusion shed in Vinson¡¯s eyes. He instinctively looked at Arielle, who was


    still conversing with Jordan. Then he patiently asked Sam, ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡± In mere seconds,


    Sam¡¯s voice roared from the phone. ¡°She¡¯s the female lead of this disaster film, yet sheined


    about her makeup being hideous. Then she beautified her makeup without consulting me or any of the


    film crew members! Need I exin more?


    We¡¯re filming a disaster film! How can our female lead escape life-threatening obstacles in full-on


    costume and makeup? Even if we let that slide, another issue arose earlier. She just refused to


    cooperate in filming the close-up stunt scenes! She whined about the harness being too ufortable


    to wear, then demanded a stunt double. Can you believe this? It¡¯s a close-up, for mercy¡¯s sake!¡± Vinson


    could already sense Sam¡¯s erupting anger from the phone.


    However, he cast a subtle frown at Arielle after hearing thest part that Sam mentioned. ¡°What did you


    say¡­ earlier? Just refused? When did this happen?¡± ¡°Seconds ago. Right before I called you.¡±


    ¡°Seconds?¡± Vinson realized that something was off. He contemted for a moment before asking,


    ¡°What¡¯s the actress¡¯ name?¡± Sam replied, ¡°Shannie. Short for Shandie


    Southall.¡± Shannie¡­ Sannie¡­ Vinson¡¯s frown intensified as he finally put the pieces together.


    Now, he understood why Arielle said she wanted to star in a movie. He also realized why Sam was


    mad at Arielle¡¯s outrageous demands on set. Because that¡¯s not Arielle who¡¯s on set¡ªit¡¯s f*cking


    Shandie! ¡°That b*tch,¡± Vinson cursed in a growling voice. Sam was confused at this. Before he could


    ask what was wrong, Vinson ended the call. Elsewhere, Shandie¡¯s dramatic whines filled the set. ¡°I


    already told you. I want a stunt double!


    Pronto! Get me a stunt double, or I¡¯ll have Nightshire Group withdraw their investment in this film!¡± Sam


    massaged his temples before tossing the script aside. Then he snarled in response to Shandie, ¡°That¡¯s


    it. I quit!¡± At the Jupiters¡¯ residence. Arielle was enthusiastically chatting away with Jordan. Between


    them, Harvey was brimming with rivalry and kept interjecting their conversation. Truthfully, Arielle only


    wanted to borrow a car and be on her merry way.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    However, she didn¡¯t get the chance to do it. Just as she was getting desperate, she noticed Vinson


    from the corner of her eye. He stormed over to her with a grim expression. A momentter, Jordan was


    no longer standing before Arielle. Vinson had shoved him away and was clutching Arielle¡¯s hand. He


    ordered, ¡°Come with me!¡± Then he led Arielle out of the Jupiters¡¯ home before she could react. ¡°Wait!¡±


    Jordan and Harvey yelled in unison at once.


    Just as they were going after Vinson, Carter extended his arms and blocked them. ¡°Seriously¡­¡± Carter


    knitted his brows and asked, ¡°Have you forgotten that we have important matters to attend to?¡± Right


    then, Jordan and Harvey remembered that the unconscious assassin was currently on his way to the


    private hospital. At the same time, Vinson had brought Arielle onto his car. ¡°Where are you taking me?¡±


    Arielle hissed in pain as she massaged her reddened wrist. Must he be so forceful?


    He yanks my wrist tightly every time! Beside her, Vinson frowned at the redness around Arielle¡¯s


    wrist. Is she made of fine china or something? How can she be so fragile? All I did was grab her wrist


    lightly. Although, she does resemble fine china in some ways; she¡¯s got the curves of a teapot, and her


    skin is so smooth¡­


    His thoughts ran wild. The way Vinson daydreamed about her made Arielle shift ufortably in the


    front passenger seat. She hid her wrist and asked once again, ¡°Where are you taking me? If there¡¯s


    nothing urgent, I¡¯d like to go home now.¡± At this, Vinson¡¯s gaze drew away from her wrist andnded on


    her porcin-like face instead.


    He stared for a second before responding with a question of his own, ¡°Do you want to be an actress?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Arielle asked while wide-eyed. Vinson replied casually, ¡°I seem to have messed up some


    things. You and I are heading over to correct them.¡±

 Chapter 89

    Chapter 89


    Arielle was even more confused. ¡°You got it wrong yourself. Why do I need to be there to correct your


    mistake?¡± Vinson ignored Rayson, who was waving like a madman outside and sped away in his car.


    On the way to the scene, Arielle finally understood what was going on. ¡°So, she stole the name card


    from me?¡± she nced at Vinson and asked. Vinson was overwhelmed with mixed emotions. Many


    people would die to get his name card, but the name card he gave Arielle was stolen easily.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    He wanted to yell at her, but it didn¡¯t seem right to do so. In the end, Vinson said nothing. His silence


    caused the air in the car to tense up. At the filming site, Shandie finally showed her true colors after


    signing the contract. Like a diva, she dered, ¡°I said, I don¡¯t want to look grimy! That will affect my


    poprity!¡±


    Jerry shed an apologetic grin and exined, ¡°But this is a disaster film. The audience willin if


    you don¡¯t look like the character. Can you please cooperate? I can ask the makeup artist to make you


    look less dirty.¡± m! Shandie mmed on the table furiously. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? I said, no!¡±


    Suddenly, the door was pushed open. Jerry nced at the door and promptly stiffened. He forced out a


    smile and went over.


    ¡°Mr. Sleight, sorry for the long wait. The makeup will be done soon.¡± ¡°Save it.¡± Sam tossed his staff ID


    to Jerry and announced, ¡°I quit. Get yourself another director.¡± A shiver ran down Jerry¡¯s spine as he


    nearly fell to his knees. ¡°Mr. Sleight, you can¡¯t quit all of a sudden!¡± pleaded Jerry. On the contrary,


    Shandie was crossing her legs impatiently. Ha! Sam is upset at me because I didn¡¯t receive any


    professional training! Initially, Shandie picked Sam for he was a famous director.


    Still, as she got to know more about the film industry, the respect she had for Sam dwindled away. This


    was the first blockbuster disaster film in the country, adapted from a popric series that had


    topped the charts for two years. The cast consisted of popr actors and actresses, so changing the


    director wouldn¡¯t be a big deal. With her legs crossed, Shandie uttered, ¡°Let him go. Get another


    director now. I can¡¯t believe he used me of being an unprofessional actress.


    He¡¯s the unprofessional one! Even if he didn¡¯t quit, I¡¯d fire him! If you don¡¯t get another director, I shall


    ask Nightshire Group to pull out their investment!¡± Oh, no. Jerry was in a tight spot. Sam red at


    Shandie and retaliated, ¡°I shall kowtow to you if the film seeds! You¡¯re the reason the film is ruined!¡±


    Given an actress like her¡­ No, she doesn¡¯t deserve to be called an actress. I don¡¯t understand why


    Vinson insisted she should take up the lead role. I can¡¯t believe I agreed to his condition!


    I shouldn¡¯t have done so! Shandie jumped up in anger and dashed toward Sam. She grabbed the


    corner of his shirt and demanded, ¡°What did you say? Say that again if you dare! Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯d


    ask Mr. Nightshire to cklist you in the film industry?¡±


    Right then, a tall figure strode in. ¡°Nobody told me I¡¯d be cklisting Mr. Sleight,¡± came a low and icy


    drawl. Immediately, everyone turned toward the door. Shandie was irritated by how bossy the


    neer was. She nced at the door in displeasure, but the moment she saw who it was, the color


    drained from her face.

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    Chapter 90


    Vinson Nightshire? Why is he here? If he¡¯s here, I can no longer pretend I¡¯m good friends with him! To


    her utter shock, another slender figure appeared from Vinson¡¯s back. The young woman was


    enchantingly beautiful with her minimal makeup. Her skin was as fair as porcin. Though she was just


    standing there without doing anything, she was a sight for sore eyes. It seemed as though they were


    only there toplement her presence.


    It¡¯s Arielle! Shandie¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as the sparkle in her gaze disappeared. Arielle stared at


    an obviously frightened Shandie and smirked. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have realized I¡¯m now a female lead of a film


    if Mr. Nightshire hadn¡¯t mentioned it. Shannie, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re impersonating me just to secure the


    role. Is this fun?¡± Shandie clenched her fists and took two steps backward in humiliation. She found


    out. Everyone is going to find out about the truth.


    Shandie could hear the others whispering beside her. ¡°What? So Shandie impersonated that pretty


    young woman to get this role?¡± ¡°I knew it! Mr. Nightshire insisted she must be the female lead, but


    there¡¯s no way he likes someone like her.¡± ¡°Wow, this young woman is really pretty¡­¡± ¡°Wait, she


    resembles the female lead in theic, right¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right!¡± Upon hearing the crowd¡¯s excited


    chatters, Sam turned toward Arielle.


    He froze the moment his gazended on Arielle. She really does resemble the female lead in the


    comic! If she were at the audition, I would¡¯ve chosen her because of her simr features. Sam¡¯s gaze


    flitted across Arielle and Vinson. He tamped down his excitement and went to Vinson. ¡°Mr. Nightshire,


    what is going on? I couldn¡¯t quite understand this youngdy.¡± Vinson glowered at a silent Shandie and


    revealed coolly, ¡°My choice has always been Ms. Arielle Moore. Her nickname is Sannie, which is


    simr to her nickname.¡± He gestured at Shandie before continuing, ¡°That was why I got confused.


    I¡¯m here to correct my mistake.¡± Sam was still puzzled when Jerry stepped out and voiced his doubts.


    ¡°But Ms. Shandie Southall here has your name card.¡± Vinson gazed at Arielle, who coughed before


    asking, ¡°Shandie, when will you return the name card you took from me?¡± Shandie nched, feeling


    utterly humiliated.


    Arielle¡¯s words had stripped off herst shred of dignity. She could feel everyone shooting her mocking


    nces. It felt as though a knife was cutting off her flesh slowly. Shandie couldn¡¯t help but glower at


    Arielle menacingly. If looks could kill, Arielle would be dead right now. Arielle met Shandie¡¯s gaze


    calmly.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Tilting her head, she inquired, ¡°Why are you staring at me? Give me back the name card.¡± Shandie was


    trembling with rage. She whipped out the name card from her pocket and flung it at Arielle. ¡°It¡¯s just a


    name card!


    You can have it back. It¡¯s no big deal!¡± With that, she spun on her heels and stormed out. However,


    when she walked past Vinson, he stretched his arm out to stop her. Looking up, Shandie met Vinson¡¯s


    icy re.

 Chapter 91

    Chapter 91


    Shandie¡¯s back was soaked with sweat by now. ¡°M-Mr. Nightshire¡­¡± She could yell at Arielle easily, but


    she dared not yell at Vinson. Vinson retracted his arm and announced coldly, ¡°I know plenty of people


    are dying to get my name card, so I¡¯ve never seen someone discarding my name card like trash. Ms.


    Southall, do you resent me that much?¡± Shandie¡¯s gaze narrowed in shock. She swallowed hastily and


    found her voice.


    ¡°N-No. It¡¯s because Arielle was outrageous. It has nothing to do with you. I¡­¡± ¡°Pick up that name card!¡±


    Vinson cut in impatiently. Shandie¡¯s fists balled up at his order. Did he just ask me to pick it up? This is


    so humiliating! s, she didn¡¯t have the courage to go against Vinson¡¯s orders. With an ugly scowl, she


    went back to pick up the name card and handed it to Arielle reluctantly as the crowd gave her mocking


    gazes.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    She had just stretched out her hand to give Arielle the name card when Vinson seized it. Confused,


    she turned toward Vinson. He asserted, ¡°Since the Southalls resent me, I shall take back the name


    card none of you wanted.¡± With that, he tore the name card into pieces. Shandie froze in fear as sweat


    trickled down her back. Tossing the pieces into the trash can, Vinson announced, ¡°I heard your family is


    trying to strike up a deal with ourpany.


    I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to work. Hence, I shall call off all the coborations with Southall Group.¡±


    Shandie¡¯s face instantly drained of all color. She knew how hard Henrick worked to strike up a deal with


    Nightshire Group. If he found out she caused the deal to go down the drain, he¡¯d kill her for sure. She


    started shivering in fear and grabbed Vinson¡¯s sleeve pitifully.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire, please don¡¯t call off the deal. It was all my fault. You can punish me, but please don¡¯t


    involve my dad and hispany.¡± Vinson wasn¡¯t at all empathic, so he merely felt annoyed by


    Shandie¡¯s pleading wails. He shoved her away and responded coolly, ¡°It¡¯s toote. Why didn¡¯t you


    realize it was wrong to steal my name card? Don¡¯t beg for my forgiveness.


    This is irritating.¡± Shandie cowered back in fear. Arielle¡¯s my only hope now. ¡°Arielle, I shouldn¡¯t have


    stolen the name card from you. You can¡¯t watch and do nothing as the deal goes down the drain!


    You¡¯re part of our family, too!¡± Arielle was sneering inwardly. Ha! You wanted me dead back then. Have


    you forgotten about the venomous snake and vicious dog you let out to kill me? Is this how family treats


    one another?


    Arielle pretended to stretch her hands helplessly. ¡°I¡¯m not close to Mr. Nightshire either. As I¡¯m a


    country bumpkin, I have no say in this. I think you should go home and talk to Dad so he can figure out


    a solution.¡± Shandie couldn¡¯t believe Arielle turned her down. She hissed angrily, ¡°If our family bes


    bankrupt, you¡¯ll lose everything. Do you want to return to the countryside?¡±

 Chapter 92

    Chapter 92


    Arielle¡¯s remained cool. I¡¯ll lose everything? No, the Southalls will lose everything. I¡¯ve never been a


    Southall. I¡¯ll never be one of them as they¡¯ve never treated me like family. Arielle¡¯s heart clenched


    painfully. She no longer wanted to stay and argue with Shandie, so she turned to leave the scene. One


    shouldn¡¯t sin if one didn¡¯t want to get caught. Since Shandie stole something that didn¡¯t belong to her,


    she had to bear the consequences.


    As Arielle left without saying anything, Vinson ran after her hastily. ¡°Hey! Wait up!¡± Shandie watched


    them leave while gritting her teeth in fury. Look how fast Vinson caught up to Arielle. How dare she say


    she isn¡¯t close to him? Bullshit! She must¡¯ve said that on purpose to harm me! ¡°B*tch! That b*tch!¡±


    Shandie barked out with all her might. On the other hand, Sam frowned in displeasure when Shandie


    began yelling like a madwoman.


    Since she was just an impersonator, he didn¡¯t have to worry about offending the woman. There was


    also no need to tamp down his irritation for Shandie. At once, he ordered, ¡°Kick this impersonator out!¡±


    Shandie glowered at him. ¡°How dare you?¡± Sam clearly didn¡¯t expect that Shandie would still be so


    arrogant. Amused, he responded, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I dare?¡± Shandie stuck her chin up. ¡°We¡¯ve signed a


    contract!


    So what if I got the name card from Arielle? She¡¯s my sister! Everything that belongs to her is also


    mine. Anyway, since we¡¯ve signed the contract, you need to treat me with respect. Otherwise, I shall


    quit!¡± Sam burst out inughter. Shandie knitted her brows furiously. ¡°Why are youughing?¡± Sam took


    Jerry¡¯s arm and massaged his temples in exhaustion. ¡°Exin to her.¡± After what had happened earlier,


    Jerry was no longer polite.


    He dered, ¡°Ms. Southall, didn¡¯t you read the contract carefully? If you breach the contract, we can


    kick you out from the film crew and demandpensation of one hundred million. You should go home


    and prepare the money. Our legal team will be in touch with you soon.¡± Shandie paled visibly. ¡°What


    the heck are you talking about?


    Why do I need topensate you?¡± Jerry retorted, ¡°You refused to go along with our arrangements


    and refused to put on makeup, among others. That¡¯s considered breaching the contract.¡± If


    it weren¡¯t for Vinson, I would¡¯ve kicked her out ages ago! ¡°You didn¡¯t say that earlier!¡± insisted Shandie.


    Jerry pulled out the contract and pointed at the use. ¡°Have a look for yourself.¡±


    Shandie grabbed the contract and read the stipted use, which stated that if she refused to


    cooperate, she had topensate one hundred million. Instantly, her expression clouded over.


    One hundred million! That¡¯s a lot of money! It didn¡¯t take a fool to realize how Henrick would react the


    minute he found out about it. ¡°I-I¡­¡± She grabbed Jerry¡¯s sleeve and desperately pleaded, ¡°I was just


    joking. I promise I¡¯ll cooperate from now on.¡±


    Jerry shoved her away impatiently. ¡°It¡¯s toote. You can discuss this with our legal team. Take her out!¡±


    ¡°No! Let me go! I promise I¡¯ll cooperate and act in a professional manner. Don¡¯t kick me out!¡± The


    production assistant dragged her out of the set without hesitation.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

 Chapter 93

    Chapter 93


    None of the film crew liked Shandie. She had brought this upon herself. Still, if they had kicked the


    female lead out, who will take over her ce? Both Jerry and Sam were caught in a dilemma. The


    female lead of the movie was a young girl in her twenties who had just graduated from the police


    academy. Most of the experienced actresses in the entertainment industry were in their thirties.


    Nowadays, it was rare for veteran actresses to take up young roles, so the crew had initially auditioned


    actresses in their twenties. After the news of Shandie being epted for the role using her connections


    went viral in the industry, no one would want to rece her. The film had begun shooting. It was hard to


    get a suitable recement whose schedule was empty on such short notice even if they used Sam¡¯s


    name.


    Right then, a face that resembled the original character in theic popped up in Sam¡¯s mind. His


    eyes lit up. ¡°I have someone in mind!¡± He dashed out of the set immediately. ¡°Hey, Mr. Sleight! Who are


    you talking about?¡± Jerry ran out after him. That was the first time he had ever seen Sam sprinting this


    quickly. Outside, Arielle was about to get into Vinson¡¯s car when Shandie¡¯s voice rang out from behind.


    ¡°Arielle! Wait up!¡±


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    When Arielle¡¯s head jerked around subconsciously, she saw Shandie sobbing sadly. ¡°Arielle, it was all


    my fault. Can you please tell Mr. Nightshire not to pin the me on our family?¡± Arielle scanned


    Shandie carefully and realized thetter¡¯s gaze was full of hatred though tears were streaming out of


    her eyes. Snickering inwardly, she thought, Look at how bad her acting skills are. She isn¡¯t fit to be the


    female lead.


    Putting on a helpless expression, she uttered, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you. Mr. Nightshire won¡¯t


    change his mind easily. You can get mad at me, but why did you throw his name card onto the ground


    right in front of him? Also, I wanted to give this name card to Dad. How could you take it away from


    me?¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Shandie was at a loss for words. Her heart was simmering in resentment, but she


    couldn¡¯t vent her frustrations right now.


    At this point, she had no choice but to bow down to Arielle. She was prepared to get on her knees to


    beg for Arielle¡¯s help when someone rushed past her. She blinked twice and saw Sam standing in front


    of them, panting heavily. The director seemed like he wanted to say something, but couldn¡¯t do so as


    he was short of breath. Hence, he bent down slightly and took deep breaths. Huh? What is he doing?


    Oh, has he regretted kicking me out? Is he here to beg me to resume shooting? The most important


    thing right now is to resume shooting. If I¡¯m still the female lead, Henrick might forgive me this


    once. I¡¯ll be a popr celebrity after the film¡¯s release. By then, I can earn more than the profit


    that my family is set to earn from the deal they struck up with Nightshire Group


    . Ha! I don¡¯t have to beg for Arielle¡¯s help, then! Shandie grew increasingly excited. As Sam was rude to


    her earlier, she decided to insult him before agreeing to return. I must make him beg for my


    return! Ignoring Arielle, she turned to Sam and announced arrogantly, ¡°Look at how anxious you are.


    You¡¯re only realizing your mistake now? Let me warn you. I won¡¯t agree to return easily! You need to


    visit my house and apologize sincerely before I agree to forgive you and resume shooting. Besides


    that, everyone on the film crew needs to listen to my instructions, get it?¡±

 Chapter 94

    Chapter 94


    Shandie was all cocky now. She would¡¯ve lifted her tail haughtily if she had one. Sam shot her a look


    full of disbelief as his lips twitched. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Shandie furrowed her brows. ¡°I¡¯m


    talking about the future arrangements! If you want me to return, please show me your sincerity!¡± ¡°Ha!¡±


    Sam sniggered. He nced at Arielle before looking at Shandie. ¡°You¡¯re wrong.¡± Shandie was


    dumbstruck. Without hesitation, Sam ignored Shandie and went to Arielle.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ¡°Miss, do you have any acting experience?¡± Shandie was speechless once again. Why is Sam posing


    that question to Arielle? A strong sense of foreboding nagged at her. Arielle¡¯s puzzled voice rang out.


    ¡°No. Why?¡± Sam hesitated before blurting out, ¡°Miss, you resemble the original character in theic


    that was adapted to our film. I was wondering if you¡¯re interested in taking up the female lead role of


    our film?¡±


    Shandie¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Wait. Sam isn¡¯t here for me. He wants Arielle to rece me? So I


    said those words for nothing? At once, Shandie felt her cheeks burning up in embarrassment.


    Humiliation, fury, and chagrin overwhelmed her.


    She couldn¡¯t stop herself from shooting daggers at Arielle and Sam. I can¡¯t let Arielle steal the spotlight


    from me again and again. She must disappear right now! Shandie kept her resentment in check as she


    red at them both for onest time before stalking away.


    As Shandie left without warning, Arielle narrowed her gaze. After a brief silence, she gazed at Sam and


    rejected his offer. ¡°Thank you for your offer, but I¡¯m not interested in joining the entertainment industry.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Sam didn¡¯t expect that she¡¯d reject his offer. He immediately tried to convince her. ¡°I¡¯ve been


    working on this film for a few years. Please consider my offer. We have an excellent film crew and


    production team.


    If you can act well, you¡¯ll definitely bag the Best Actress Award next year. I guarantee you¡¯ll propel to


    stardom!¡± Arielle remained unfazed while she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not interested, and I


    don¡¯t have time for this. Thank you for the offer, though.¡± She gave Sam a wave before entering the car.


    Vinson had overheard the entire exchange in the car. He turned to Arielle and inquired, ¡°This film has


    potential.


    I think it will be a hit, so you should consider his offer.¡± Arielle shook her head without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m


    busy with something else.¡± Vinson¡¯s gaze darkened. Confusion flitted across his face as he blurted out


    curiously, ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve been wanting to ask you some questions.¡± Arielle met his gaze.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Vinson paused for a moment before asking, ¡°Who are you?¡± Arielle was taken aback, but


    Vinson continued, ¡°You¡¯re one of the Southalls, but we first met on an uninhabited ind. To be honest,


    I ran a background check on you and found out you grew up in the countryside. I don¡¯t believe that,


    though. Who are you? And why did you return to the Southalls?¡±

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    Chapter 95


    Arielle lowered her gaze silently. Vinson couldn¡¯t tell what was on her mind because her eyes weren¡¯t


    visible to him. Just when Vinson thought he wouldn¡¯t get an answer, she suddenly looked up.


    ¡°Revenge.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Vinson thought he was hearing things. Arielle stared at thendscape outside and


    revealed, ¡°I came back to take revenge for my mother.¡± ¡°Revenge?¡± Vinson was astonished. He


    immediately realized who she was talking about.


    ¡°Oh, you mean Mrs. Southall¡­ No, Ms. Moore. Rumor has it that your mommitted suicide


    because she suffered from depression. You don¡¯t think she killed herself?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Arielle


    stated firmly. ¡°I don¡¯t remember my childhood clearly, but there are snippets I remember. There are


    clues to prove my mom didn¡¯tmit suicide. For example, the moment she died, the Moore family


    became the Southall family.


    Also, I couldn¡¯t find any traces of my mom in that house. I¡¯m pretty sure she was murdered instead.¡±


    Vinson¡¯s gaze grew dark. ¡°Who do you suspect? Your dad?¡± Arielle nodded before shaking her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s either him or Aunt Cindy. Perhaps they both did it together. I¡¯m still investigating the


    matter. When the truth is revealed, I shall make sure the culprit gets punished!¡± Vinson inclined his


    head.


    ¡°No wonder you said you¡¯re busy. If you discover your dad was the culprit, what will you do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make


    sure he gets what he deserves,¡± came Arielle¡¯s calm reply. She wouldn¡¯t let him off easily! ¡°Got it.¡±


    Vinson stared at her. ¡°If you need my help, just let me know. You don¡¯t have my name card, but you


    have my number. Just give me a call.¡± Arielle lowered her gaze. ¡°Thank you.¡± Strangely, Vinson¡¯s words


    gave her a sense of security.


    Before she realized it, he had be her pir of strength and support. Vinson inquired, ¡°By the way,


    do you want me to call off the coboration between mypany and Southall Group?¡± Arielle


    stiffened. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ll call it off?¡± ¡°It depends on you,¡± Vinson responded, his gaze tender.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Warmth spread in Arielle¡¯s heart as she told him, ¡°Go ahead and call it off. Shandie¡¯s too annoying, so I


    want her to shut up for now.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± answered Vinson with a nod. ¡°If you want me to resume the coboration, just call me.¡± Arielle


    suddenly had an urge to spill everything out, but she only managed a curt, ¡°Thank you.¡± Vinson


    pretended to touch his ears impatiently. ¡°I told you that you don¡¯t have to thank me.¡±


    Arielle couldn¡¯t stop herself from giggling. The reason she returned to the country was to find out the


    truth and avenge her mom before restoring the Moores¡¯ former glory. Before she achieved her goals,


    she wasn¡¯t thinking of extending her social circle lest her friends got implicated.


    Right then, it suddenly urred to her that it would be nice to have a friend like Vinson. Soon, they


    arrived at the Southall residence. Arielle got off at the foot of the hill lest someone else grew


    suspicious. Vinson gave her onest look and parted his lips to say, ¡°Do you remember my


    suggestion? You should run a DNA test if possible. If you find it ufortable to do it at other


    hospitals, you can ask for my help.¡±


    He made a gesture for her to give him a call. Arielle inclined her head before closing the door. She


    watched as Vinson drove away. Meanwhile, Shandie arrived home a few minutes earlier than Arielle.


    Immediately, she went toin to Cindy.

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    Chapter 96


    ¡°Mom! I can¡¯t take it any longer. I want Arielle to move out now and disappear from my sight! I never


    want to see her again!¡± she dered the moment she stepped into the house. Cindy was busy dealing


    with her secret overseas slush fund, so she replied impatiently, ¡°I know you don¡¯t like her. Do you think I


    like her?


    I told you we need to wait for an opportunity to make her slip.¡± It didn¡¯t matter whether Arielle grew up in


    the countryside or not, for she was just a young girl in her twenties. Arielle was young, so it was pretty


    easy for her tomit a mistake, especially when it concerned her love life. Cindy was already busy


    finding the perfect candidate to seduce Arielle. Right then, she was irritated by how Shandie was


    kicking up a fuss.


    If Shandie was half as clever as Arielle, I wouldn¡¯t have to do so much. As Cindy ignored her, Shandie


    grew increasingly antsy. ¡°Mom, it can¡¯t wait! If this goes on, we shall be the ones who get kicked out!¡±


    Cindy continued typing furiously on the keyboard and replied without looking up, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll be


    fine as long as you shoot your film obediently. Stop provoking Arielle behind my back.¡± Shandie bit her


    lips as her face turned ashen.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    She had no idea how to inform Cindy about the earlier incident at the film set. Shandie¡¯s sudden


    silence had Cindy feeling puzzled. Thetter looked at her daughter quizzically. It suddenly urred to


    her that Shandie should be on the film set instead of at home. She shut herptop and asked, ¡°Why are


    you home at this hour?


    Are you done for the day?¡± In response, Shandie stuttered, ¡°Uh, something happened at the film set.


    I¡­ Uh, they said¡­¡± Cindy¡¯s scowl deepened. She knew her daughter well enough to know that


    something had happened. ¡°What on earth happened!¡± she demanded sternly. Shocked by Cindy¡¯s


    expression, Shandie¡¯s eyes reddened as she exined hastily, ¡°Arielle took the female lead role away


    from me. I can¡¯t resume shooting, and I also have topensate them one hundred million for


    breaching the contract.


    Mom, I need your help!¡± Cindy¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°What did you say? She took away your role,


    and you have topensate one hundred million for breaching the contract?¡± Shandie nodded


    profusely. ¡°Yes, she brought Mr. Nightshire to the set to insult me! Mom, I can¡¯t take it anymore.


    You need to help me. That country bumpkin bullies me! After what her mom did to you, are you going


    to let her daughter bully me?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Cindy mmed the table in fury. She had lost it at the mention


    of Maureen. Her eyes reddened while her face contorted in anger.


    Shandie knew her mom would lose it when she mentioned Maureen, but she had no idea it would be


    such an intense reaction. Her body was shuddering in fear, but deep down, she was pleased by


    Cindy¡¯s reaction. Mom has been living peacefully for too long. I need to provoke her so she regains her


    senses.


    ¡°Where is Arielle?¡± Cindy choked out. Shandie¡¯s right. Maureen has always been above me. Even


    though she¡¯s dead, thedies in Jadeborough have alwayspared us in secret. I can¡¯t let her


    daughter bully my daughter. No way!

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    Chapter 97


    Shandie answered, ¡°She entered Mr. Nightshire¡¯s car, so I don¡¯t know where she is.¡± Right then, the


    housekeeper knocked at the door. ¡°Mrs. Southall, Ms. Shandie, Mr. Southall is back. He wants to see


    both of you downstairs.¡± When Shandie heard that Henrick¡¯s back, her whole body trembled in dread.


    She tugged at Cindy¡¯s clothes instinctively. ¡°Mom, what should I do? Dad¡¯s going to punish me.¡± Cindy


    didn¡¯t even flinch and replied calmly, ¡°That¡¯s good news.


    Since Arielle bullied you, I shall inform your dad. He won¡¯t let this slide! Don¡¯t worry. Your dad adores


    you more than Arielle as you grew up by his side.¡± Cindy turned on her heels to leave. Shandie was


    flustered, for she had pushed the me onto Arielle out of fear. She didn¡¯t even tell her mom that


    Vinson had called off the coboration with Southall Group. Shit, Dad¡¯s back. How should I


    exin? She was sweating profusely when the housekeeper urged, ¡°Ms. Shandie, you should head


    downstairs now.


    Mr. Southall wants to talk to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not deaf. Stop being annoying!¡± Shandie gave the housekeeper


    a menacing re and pushed her away before stalking down the stairs. Fine. I shall head downstairs.


    Mom will deal with it. I don¡¯t think Dad will disown me just because of one contract.


    Shandie caught up to Cindy and appeared rxed. Downstairs, Arielle had just arrived when she saw


    Henrick storming in furiously. She immediately knew Nightshire Group had informed Henrick about the


    revocation of their deal. Pretending not to know anything, she went to him with a concerned expression


    on her face. ¡°Dad, what happened? Why are you so upset?¡± Henrick furrowed his brows and snapped,


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.


    Is Shandie back? I want to see her and her mom now!¡± Arielle shot the housekeeper an uneasy look,


    so thetter immediately scurried upstairs to summon Shandie and Cindy. Soon, they both walked


    down the stairs. When Cindy spotted Arielle, she immediately averted her gaze and gave Henrick a


    warm smile.


    ¡°Dear, why are you back at this hour? Are you suffering from a headache because you drank too much


    last night?¡± ¡°The nerve of you!¡± Henrick barked out angrily and pointed at Shandie. ¡°Ask your daughter


    how she offended Mr. Nightshire! He called off the deal with ourpany out of anger!¡± Cindy¡¯s lips


    parted in shock as she had no idea about this. Her astonished gazended on Shandie, who cowered


    back in fear.


    ¡°I know nothing. D-Dad, is this a misunderstanding?¡± ¡°Misunderstanding?¡± Henrick raised his phone. ¡°I


    had just returned from work when Nightshire Group called me. The person in charge told me you


    offended Mr. Nightshire, so they are canceling all coborations with us! Tell me. What happened?¡±


    Cindy¡¯s shock heightened when she heard what Henrick had said. Clenching her fists, she demanded,


    ¡°Shannie, what happened? Did you upset Mr. Nightshire?¡± ¡°No! Of course not!¡± A terrified Shandie


    denied instantly. She had already calmed down before getting downstairs. Now, upon seeing how


    furious Henrick was, she couldn¡¯t stop her legs from trembling.


    ¡°Hmm? Are you telling the truth?¡± Strangely, Henrick calmed down after venting out his anger. He took


    a deep breath before uttering with an indecipherable expression, ¡°Exin what happened today in


    detail.¡±Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

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    Chapter 98


    Cindy didn¡¯t think much about it as she thought Arielle was trying to sow discord among them. Gently,


    she urged, ¡°It¡¯s alright, Shannie. Tell the truth. Was it Arielle who got you into trouble?¡± Shandie hung


    her head low silently. She wanted to pin the me onto Arielle with her mom, but her lies could be


    debunked easily. Hence, she dared not utter a word. Cindy thought Shandie was afraid of Henrick, so


    she turned to Henrick and said, ¡°Dear, I know you¡¯re protective of Arielle.


    However, this has nothing to do with Shannie. Earlier, Shannie came home and told me that Arielle


    brought Mr. Nightshire to the set to take away the lead role from her. I believe Arielle must¡¯ve said


    something for him to call off the deal.¡± She then turned to Arielle and dered frostily, ¡°Arielle, I can¡¯t


    believe you¡¯re so evil!


    Never mind if you hate your sister and took the lead role from her. Why are you doing this to our


    company? What evil ns are you hatching?¡± Henrick felt his head throbbing. Still, the slightest trace of


    sanity that remained told him the usually obedient Arielle wouldn¡¯t do something this horrible.


    Holding back his fury, he demanded, ¡°Is this rted to you?¡± Arielle shot Cindy a taunting nce before


    replying, ¡°Dad, I have no idea Aunt Cindy hates me that much to suspect that I¡¯m involved in this. I


    didn¡¯t want to reveal the truth, but since she tried to pin the me on me, I have no choice but to reveal


    everything.¡± Her demeanor was cool. Hearing her words, Cindy began to panic. Arielle raised her chin


    and revealed, ¡°It all started with Mr. Nightshire¡¯s name card.


    I¡¯m the ambassador of Soir Coffee, so he gave me his name card. I wanted to give it to you, Dad, but it


    disappeared after I went out.¡± ¡°What?¡± Henrick hissed. ¡°That name card is extremely important. Why


    didn¡¯t you keep it well?¡± Arielle didn¡¯t bother beating around the bush. ¡°Because Shandie took the name


    card without telling me and even used it to gain her lead role¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Shandie shrieked, unable to


    stand the humiliation.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Henrick red at her and barked out, ¡°You should shut up! Let her continue!¡± Shandie dared not go


    against him. Hence, Arielle exined how Shandie used the name card to get the lead role. After


    Vinson found out the truth, he brought Arielle to the set and revealed everything. In the end, the film


    crew kicked Shandie out.


    At this, Arielle exhaled sharply. ¡°After losing her lead role, Shandie flung Mr. Nightshire¡¯s name card


    onto the ground in anger. Mr. Nightshire was terribly upset and announced he¡¯d call off all


    coborations with our family.


    On the way back home, I tried to persuade him to change his mind to no avail,¡± shemented and gave


    Shandie an exasperated re.


    Shandie burst out angrily, ¡°Liar! I bet you didn¡¯t even try to persuade Mr. Nightshire to change his


    mind!¡± Arielle shook her head sadly. ¡°Shannie, why are you still ming me? Don¡¯t you know your


    mistake? We are all family. Why would I risk Dad¡¯spany just to get back at you?¡±

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    Chapter 99


    Shandie shouted in anger, ¡°No! You didn¡¯t even try to help me¡ª¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Henrick roared. He could


    no longer master his fury and started heaving like he was short on oxygen. Shandie panicked instantly.


    She grabbed Cindy¡¯s arm and wailed, ¡°Mom, help me! It was all Arielle¡¯s fault.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Cindy cut in


    and gave Shandie a forceful p. Smack! Shandie was stunned by the sudden re of pain that


    attacked her.


    The p was so forceful that she could even see stars in her vision. Her cheek promptly turned numb.


    She reached out to caress her cheek and realized the dental crown she had just paid for was broken.


    Staring at Cindy in disbelief, she uttered, ¡°Mom?¡± Did Mom just p me? Seriously? Cindy held back


    her guilt and shook her head. ¡°Stop it. You¡¯ve brought harm to the entire family. Get on your knees and


    beg for your dad¡¯s forgiveness.¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡± ¡°Get on your knees!¡± Cindymanded sternly. Shivering in shock, Shandie trudged


    obediently to Henrick and dropped to her knees. s, Henrick didn¡¯t even spare her a nce. His team


    had poured in a lot of effort to strike up a deal with Nightshire Group. They were about to sign the


    contract, but it all went down the drain at the veryst minute. It was all Shandie¡¯s fault. Suddenly, he


    wanted to disown this daughter of his. He would¡¯ve given her a beating, but since Cindy had already


    pped her, he couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste his energy.


    Henrick announced, ¡°Don¡¯t kneel in front of me. Go to your Aunt Louisa¡¯s monastery to kneel and pray.


    Six monthster, if you have no remorse, you shall follow in your Aunt Louisa¡¯s footsteps in bing a


    nun!¡± Shandie¡¯s eyes widened in consternation. ¡°Dad! Are you throwing me out?¡± Henrick was too


    exhausted to talk to her. He waved and ordered the housekeeper, ¡°Pack up her stuff and send her to


    the monastery now!¡±


    The housekeeper nced at Cindy instinctively. Parting her lips, Cindy was about to plead with Henrick


    to change his mind when she noticed her husband¡¯s expression. She shut her eyes in agony and


    ordered, ¡°Go, help her pack up now.¡± ¡°Mom! How could you agree with Dad?


    I don¡¯t want to be a nun! I want to get married¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up! You don¡¯t even know your mistake. You


    should repent at the monastery!¡± Cindy shot the housekeeper a look, and thetter immediately


    dragged Shandie out. Even though Shandie had been brought out, her cries could still be heard from


    afar. Cindy closed her eyes in pain.


    She couldn¡¯t bear to let her daughter leave, but she had no choice. If Henrick couldn¡¯t relieve his anger,


    he might do something even more extreme. Hence, she pped Shandie first so he wouldn¡¯t beat her


    up. I wonder if Shandie understood my intentions.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

 Chapter 100

    Chapter 100


    Cindy opened her eyes and gazed at Arielle viciously. Arielle pretended to not see her. I knew Henrick


    will lock Shandie up or send her somewhere else. Turns out, he decided to send her to the


    monastery. She¡¯ll definitely suffer there. Right then, the housekeeper came downstairs with six pieces


    of luggage. Arielle questioned, ¡°Does she need this much stuff at the monastery? I think Aunt Louisa


    can provide her with the clothes, right?¡±


    Cindy glowered at her. ¡°It¡¯s getting cold. She needs to bring more clothes to stay warm.¡± Henrick spoke


    up. ¡°Sannie¡¯s right. The monastery has everything she needs, including winter clothes. Besides that,


    she¡¯s not allowed to bring any electronic devices. If she goes there to y games and such, she can¡¯t


    reflect on her mistake!¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± Cindy was about to refute his words, but Henrick shut her up with an icy


    re.


    ¡°I thought you agreed that she needs to reflect on her mistake, but it seems like you don¡¯t share my


    sentiments. So did you p her to put up a show?¡± Cindy hastily changed her mind. ¡°I¡¯m worried she


    might get sick. Forget it, then.¡± Therefore, the housekeeper packed everything in one bag. When


    Shandie arrived at the monastery and realized there was only one piece of luggage with her


    undergarments, she nearly lost it. My phone! Where¡¯s my phone?


    ¡°Tell Mom to send me my phone now!¡± The housekeeper parted her lips to reply, but Henrick¡¯s sister,


    Louisa Southall, ambled out before she could say anything. Louisa had only taken her temporary vows


    as a nun. When she saw how Shandie was kicking up a fuss, her brows scrunched up. ¡°How dare you


    kick up a fuss in the monastery?¡± Shandie shook in dread upon seeing Louisa. Before Louisa became


    a nun, she was stern to both Shandie and Cindy.


    She preferred Maureen to Cindy. After that, she came to the monastery and became a nun. Shandie


    had no idea what made her do so. ¡°A-Aunt Louisa,¡± she greeted Louisa as her teeth chattered. Louisa


    eyed her coldly and ordered, ¡°Come in and pray.¡± Shandie was utterly disheartened.


    She could only ce her hopes on Cindy to get her out of this ce. When she recalled how Cindy


    pped her, she grew increasingly dejected. Mom must¡¯ve abandoned me, her only


    daughter! I¡¯ve made up my mind. If she doesn¡¯t rescue me from this ce, I¡¯ll no longer regard her as


    my mom! At the Southall residence, Arielle took the letter she had intercepted from the housekeeper.


    This was the letter Cindy wrote to Shandie.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    Arielle bribed the housekeeper to lie to Cindy that the letter had been delivered to Shandie. The future


    letters Cindy wrote would all be sent to her instead. As the housekeeper was paid, she agreed to help


    Arielle without hesitation. ¡°Ms. Arielle, I shall take my leave now.¡± ¡°Alright.¡±


    Arielle waited for the housekeeper to leave before she took out the letter. The letter was scribbled


    sloppily, showing how anxious Cindy was. Of course, she would be flustered seeing her darling


    daughter being sent to the monastery. Still, the moment she regained her senses, she¡¯d target Arielle.


    I need to prepare myself for her retaliation. Arielle squinted her eyes to read the letter, which exined


    how Cindy pped Shandie to relieve Henrick¡¯s anger. She also assured Shandie she would save her


    soon. Shandie was to listen to her Aunt Louisa¡¯s instructions and not create any trouble there. There


    was no useful information until Arielle reached the end of the letter.

 Chapter 101

    Chapter 101


    I have already thought of the perfect n to deal with Arielle. I¡¯ll find a man for her and stir up some


    scandalous news about their rtionship. When that happens, your father will be d he still has you.


    Trust me, darling. It won¡¯t be long before you can make a grand return! Having read the letter, Arielle¡¯s


    narrowed eyes stared coldly into the distance.


    Just when she thought Shandie was bad, Cindy turned out to be even worse. However, the one mistake


    that Cindy had made was to underestimate Arielle. If she thinks she can destroy my reputation, I¡¯d like to


    see her try!


    With a flick of the lighter, Arielle lit up the letter and let it burn to a crisp. Meanwhile, Cindy was pacing


    about in her room, her anxiety increasing with every passing second. Suddenly, her gazended on the


    wall calendar, and an idea hit her. Yvette¡¯s birthday ising up, and I bet she¡¯s still mad at Arielle over


    that dog. Perhaps I could use that to my advantage? With that thought in mind, Cindy quickly fished her


    phone out and called Yvette. Once the call got through, Yvette didn¡¯t even bother masking the


    annoyance in her voice. ¡°What do you want?¡± she barked.


    Even though Yvette was rude, Cindy didn¡¯t seem to mind. She was merely a distant rtive, and a


    socialite like Yvette would never care to show her much respect. ¡°Oh, my. Who has offended you? Tell


    me, and I¡¯ll stand up for you!¡± Yvette scoffed and replied, ¡°No need for that! If it weren¡¯t for your useless


    daughter, the Bakers wouldn¡¯t have called off my engagement! I don¡¯t want to speak to anyone from your


    family!¡± Even Cindy was taken aback by this sudden turn of events. ¡°The Bakers called off the


    engagement? What happened?¡± Yvette was reluctant to borate, but she was no match for Cindy¡¯s


    powers of persuasion. After some coaxing, she eventually shared a summary of what had happened.


    Cindy¡¯s lips curled into a smile as she listened intently, pleased that the grudge between Arielle and


    Yvette was even worse than she had thought. Cindy sighed before chiming in, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know


    about this. But Yvette, neither me nor Shannie is to be med for that. In my opinion, it¡¯s all Arielle¡¯s


    fault! If that slut hadn¡¯t bewitched Mr. Baker, he wouldn¡¯t have called off the engagement with you!¡±


    Knowing that Cindy was on her side made Yvette feel a lot better and more forting. ¡°We haven¡¯t told


    anyone else about the engagement, so please keep it to yourself.


    As for Arielle, I won¡¯t let her off easy! I hope you won¡¯t stand in my way when I go after her.¡± ¡°Why would I


    do such a thing?¡± Cindy replied. ¡°The truth is, I¡¯ve already thought of how we can get back at her. All I


    need is for someone to work with me¡­¡± With Arielle as theirmon enemy, it was easy for Cindy and


    Yvette to talk for more than two hours as they hashed out their devious n. Before long, it was time for


    dinner.


    As she made her way to the dining room, Arielle saw that only Cindy was at the table. Having lost the


    partnership deal with Nightshire Group, Henrick was probably still busy panicking about how he could


    salvage it. Arielle remained calm as she sat opposite Cindy and quietly tucked into her meal. For a while,


    all was peaceful until Cindy broke the silence.


    ¡°Sannie, you¡¯re too skinny. Here, eat more,¡± she said while cing a drumstick on Arielle¡¯s te. Arielle


    looked up, only to see Cindy smiling at her with seemingly no hint of malice in her eyes. Seeing her so


    calm and collected, Arielle could only guess that Cindy had formted a n.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    Despite that, Arielle pretended not to suspect anything and smiled warmly back. ¡°Thank you, Aunt


    Cindy.¡± Now, let¡¯s see what else she has to say. If Cindy wanted to y the long game, Arielle would be


    more than happy to y along. Right on cue, Cindy let out a deep sigh. ¡°Speaking of Shannie, it¡¯s all my


    fault for spoiling her¡­¡± There we go. The game¡¯s in y.

 Chapter 102

    Chapter 102


    ¡°If I had known she¡¯d make those mistakes, I¡¯d have been stricter on her from young!¡± Cindymented.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t me yourself, Aunt Cindy,¡± Arielle replied. ¡°After all, she¡¯s only your adopted daughter.


    From what I¡¯ve heard, adoptees usually have personality issues. If you find her to be a handful, we can


    always disown her, can¡¯t we?¡± Cindy stared wide-eyed at Arielle as her face turned pale with rage. If


    she didn¡¯t have a n to follow, Cindy would¡¯ve blown her top at Arielle. Regaining herposure, she


    forced a smile and nodded her head.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. But I can¡¯t bear to let her go, especially since she¡¯s been with me for so long. You, on the


    other hand, have suffered so much while you were overseas. Even though you¡¯re finally home, you


    haven¡¯t been able to enjoy much peace, have you? I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve truly let you down.¡± Arielle shook her


    head. ¡°You¡¯re not to me, Aunt Cindy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a good kid¡­¡± Cindy whimpered as she pretended to


    wipe a tear away. ¡°The thing is, there¡¯s a party I was supposed to attend with Shannie.


    Many socialites from Jadeborough will be there, and getting invitations to it wasn¡¯t easy at all. But, with


    Shannie being such a letdown, there¡¯s no way I can bring her with me now. I was thinking of bringing


    you along instead and use the chance to introduce you to everyone. What do you think?¡± Arielle¡¯s eyes


    lit up immediately, unable to hide the excitement on her face. ¡°Really? Come to think of it, Dad hasn¡¯t


    formally introduced me to the other socialites, so this would be the perfect chance.


    I shall go along with you then, Aunt Cindy. I¡¯d still need your guidance when I¡¯m there, though, in case I


    make a fool of myself.¡± Arielle was so quick to agree that Cindy heaved a sigh of relief. She may be


    scheming, but deep down, this slut is just like any other girl. All they want is to mingle with and be a


    part of Jadeborough¡¯s high society.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll guide you along,¡± Cindy assured. Her smile radiated warmth on the outside, but inside,


    she was cold as ice. She was ready to destroy Arielle¡¯s reputation and make her theughing stock


    amongst Jadeborough¡¯s most famous socialites. Let¡¯s see how much disdain Henrick would have for


    his precious daughter when that happens! Arielle¡¯s lips curled upward as she studied Cindy¡¯s every


    move. A party?


    I can¡¯t wait to see what Cindy has in store for me then. It was almost ten when Henrick finally got home


    and called Arielle to his study. Henrick had been under so much stress and fatigue that Arielle could


    see his bloodshot eyes and graying hairs. Seeing him in such a state made her heart sink. If her


    mother¡¯s death had nothing to do with Henrick, Arielle would be more than happy to help him grow


    Southall Group. Her wish would be to let Henrick enjoy his twilight years without having to worry about


    anything. After all, despite Henrick¡¯s character ws, he was still Arielle¡¯s father and her only blood


    rtive.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡°Dad, don¡¯t push yourself too hard. No matter what, your health should alwayse first,¡± Arielle said,


    her voice gentle and filled with concern. Henrick merely sighed in response. ¡°I can¡¯t afford to ck


    when this household depends solely on me. What would all of you do without me?¡±


    Hearing that, Arielle¡¯s heart sank even more. She had always found Henrick to be a terrible father, only


    to realize that she hadn¡¯t been a good daughter either sinceing back. The more she thought about


    it, the more she was ovee by guilt. Arielle was about toe clean to Henrick about her having


    money to help him when he held her hand.


    ¡°The truth is, ourpany is in distress. So many of our projects have fallen through, including the


    major partnership project with Nightshire Group. I had hedged my bets on that partnership to get the


    company back on track, but then your sister had to do what she did¡­¡±


    Before Arielle could blurt out her true identity, Henrick continued, ¡°As such, I don¡¯t have a choice but to


    ce all my hopes on you. Here, this is Mr. Nightshire¡¯s room key. Take it.¡±

 Chapter 103

    Chapter 103


    Arielle was perplexed as she looked down at the room key Henrick had shoved into her hand All the pity


    and sadness she had felt earlier disappeared in an instant, leaving her in stunned silence. When Arielle


    still didn¡¯t say anything, Henrick thought she had gone into shock. ¡°Sannie, being innocent and naive isn¡¯t


    a bad thing, but that¡¯d only work if you were still living in the countryside. Now that you¡¯re in


    Jadeborough, you have to learn our ways, no matter how underhanded they might seem. There are


    times when making sacrifices is necessary.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s face had gone pale as she mumbled, ¡°Are you telling me to use this room key to get into


    Vinson¡¯s bed?¡± Henrick wrinkled his nose as if Arielle had offended him. ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as it sounds,


    Sannie. Once you¡¯ve gotten together with Mr. Nightshire, you¡¯d officially be part of their family and the


    Nightshire Group. Imagine the fame and fortune you¡¯d have! Not only is this for our family, but it¡¯s also for


    your future. Marrying into the Nightshires is something many people won¡¯t even dare to think about, and


    now, you have the chance to that life!¡±


    Arielle felt nothing but a lump in her throat. No matter how nicely Henrick put it, his intention was still for


    her to sleep with Vinson. Arielleughed bitterly at the whole idea. ¡°Dad, if word got out about what I had


    done, I¡¯d be mocked and looked down upon by everyone.¡± Henrick immediately retorted, ¡°No, you won¡¯t!


    Those cowards only bully people who have a lower status than them. Once you be Vinson¡¯s wife,


    nobody would dare criticize you!¡± Even with his reasoning, Arielle¡¯s gaze turned even colder. ¡°Then, what


    happens if Vinson doesn¡¯t marry me and tosses me aside?¡±


    Henrick shook his head with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can tell that Vinson has feelings for you. You ought to


    have more confidence in yourself, Sannie. Seize this opportunity, and you¡¯ll have a bright future ahead!¡±


    Henrick might not have said it out loud, but he was very confident in Arielle¡¯s looks. Even as a father, he


    had been blown away by Arielle¡¯s beauty the first time he saw her all dolled up. There was no doubt that


    other men would also feel the same.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    s, the determination on Henrick¡¯s face only hurt Arielle even more. She thought she had learned


    enough about Henrick, yet he never failed to surprise her with something new. Regardless of how his


    daughter felt, Henrick could send her to another man¡¯s bed as long as he could benefit from it. Arielle


    tightened her grip around the room key so much that it was cutting into her palm. Even so, she was


    numb to the pain.


    After all, the physical pain could neverpare to the heartbreak she felt. It was painfully clear to her


    that Henrick had never treated her as his daughter or as a person. In his eyes, Arielle was nothing but a


    pawn. To think I had almost told him my truth and even wanted to help him. Arielle chuckled bitterly, tears


    welling in her eyes.


    ¡°Sannie¡­¡± Henrick said, a little flustered at her reaction. ¡°My good girl, our family can¡¯t end like this. If


    not for yourself, do it for the rest of us! I know you¡¯re the kindest and most obedient. You¡¯ll do what I say,


    won¡¯t you?¡± Arielle pursed her lips and suddenly asked, ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to go?¡±


    A deep-set frown immediately formed on Henrick¡¯s face, and Arielle could feel the anger emanating off of


    him. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he coldly replied, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, then I won¡¯t be able to keep you


    here!¡±

 Chapter 104

    Chapter 104


    ¡°Dad¡­ you¡¯ve really surprised me.¡± Henrick continued to fix his icy gaze on Arielle. ¡°Are you saying you


    don¡¯t want to go?¡± Arielle looked deeply into her father¡¯s eyes before finally shaking her head. ¡°No. I¡¯ll


    go.¡± Those words were like music to his ears as Henrick¡¯s expression instantly brightened up. ¡°Sannie,


    are you serious?¡± Arielle merely nodded in response, once again looking like the well-behaved


    daughter Henrick had always thought her to be.


    Except her eyes no longer held the same warmth and sincerity she once had, thanks to Henrick single-


    handedly destroying what little affection she had left for him. However, Henrick was utterly clueless to


    Arielle¡¯s change in heart as he continued to beam in joy. ¡°I knew you¡¯d agree to it. You¡¯re my best


    daughter,pletely different from that useless Shannie. I¡¯ll only dote on you in the future!¡± No matter


    how much he praised her, Arielle felt nothing. Instead, she asked inly, ¡°Time and ce?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the suite on the top floor of Jadeborough Hotel. I spent the whole night getting that room key, so


    you¡¯d better not lose it. Mr. Nightshire is currently at a banquet in the hotel, and I¡¯ve also talked it


    through with the banquet organizer. All you have to do is to wait patiently in his room.¡± Just then,


    Henrick thought of something else and quickly added, ¡°By the way, you should change your clothes


    too. Your usual get-up is too in, and that won¡¯t work.


    However, there¡¯s not much time left. Just pick any clothes to wear to the hotel, and I¡¯ll get someone to


    send a different outfit to the suite.¡± It was only then that Arielle realized the real reason for Henrick to


    get home thatte. It wasn¡¯t because he was busy with work, but rather, he was running himself ragged


    getting a key to Vinson¡¯s room. So that¡¯s how it is¡­ Just when Arielle thought she couldn¡¯t feel any


    more disappointed with Henrick, his words once again felt like a stab to her heart.


    As she had found out the hard way, one could never get used to the pain of being hurt, regardless of


    how many times it had happened. Arielle found her mind wandering when the white hairs on Henrick¡¯s


    head suddenly caught her attention. Recalling what Vinson had told her before, she said, ¡°Dad, you


    have a strand of white hair on your head.


    Let me help you pluck it.¡± Henrick had wanted to turn her down, but seeing as how she had agreed to


    go with his n, he decided to return the favor. As such, he lowered his head and bore with the pain as


    she plucked the strand of hair off. Henrick chuckled afterward. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to pluck it, you know?


    White hair ismon when I¡¯m getting old. However, if you do seed tonight, I reckon it¡¯ll help shave


    a few years off my age.¡±


    Unbeknownst to Henrick, Arielle had stealthily pocketed his strand of hair as she pretended to nod her


    understanding. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad. I won¡¯t let you down. How can I not repay you when you¡¯ve treated


    me so well?¡± Touched beyond words, Henrick felt like he was on the verge of tears. He pulled Arielle


    into a tight embrace and muttered, ¡°My darling daughter, I¡¯m sorry to have to put you through this.


    You¡¯ve done well for the family!¡±


    Even though she had returned the hug, Arielle felt nothing but utter disgust toward her father. ¡°Dad, if


    we don¡¯t hurry, Mr. Nightshire is going to return to his room before me.¡± ¡°Oh, gosh! You¡¯re right!¡±


    Henrick eximed before rushing off to bark orders at his staff. He got the housekeepers to get a set of


    clothes and the driver to prepare to send Arielle to the hotel.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Even Cindy was startled by themotion as she walked into the living room in her pajamas. ¡°It¡¯s


    already sote. Where are you going?¡± she queried, alternating nces between Arielle and Henrick.


    Cindy¡¯s appearance reminded Henrick of the mess Shandie had made, and he became visibly


    annoyed.


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business, so go back to your room! Also, you¡¯re no longer allowed to visit Shandie.


    You¡¯ll only be a distraction to her. After all the mess she has created, it¡¯s time she reflects on herself!¡±


    Cindy had nned on going to Louisa¡¯s the next day to visit Shandie, but now that Henrick had


    dropped the bomb on her, her face immediately fell. ¡°Dear, Shandie¡¯s our¡­¡±

 Chapter 105

    Chapter 105


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Henrick interrupted and gave Cindy a death stare. ¡°You¡¯d better learn what can be said and


    what can¡¯t! I¡¯ll sleep in the study room these few nights. And don¡¯t go out as you please. I¡¯ll have you


    followed, so you won¡¯t go looking for that willful child!¡± Cindy was so enraged that she clenched her


    fists tight. It looks like I have to speed up my n of taking over Southall Group. I¡¯ve had enough of


    you, Henrick Southall! Arielle smirked when she saw how Cindy¡¯s face had contorted in a bid to


    suppress her rage. Cindy sure can tolerate and put on an act.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    If Shandie had half of her mother¡¯s tolerance level, she wouldn¡¯t have been chased out that easily by


    Henrick. It was Arielle¡¯s turn to put on an act as she gently urged Henrick, ¡°Dad, when do I leave?¡±


    Henrick recovered from his anger and looked at Arielle. ¡°Go now. The driver¡¯s already waiting for you. I


    won¡¯t see you off, but please be careful. If it doesn¡¯t work out, thene straight home. I won¡¯t me


    you.¡±


    Making her daughter sleep with another man was something Henrick never wanted to do. If Vinson


    didn¡¯t fall for it and word got out about what Arielle had done, he would only end up losing her.


    However, with the dire state that hispany was currently in, he had no choice but to go with that


    last-ditch effort. Arielle waved Henrick goodbye and walked out of the house, disappearing into the


    night. As he watched her leave, Henrick was overwhelmed by an inexplicable feeling of having lost


    something important.


    He soon shook off that feeling with a self-deprecating chuckle. What is this? Am I getting more


    sentimental with age? Henrick was aware that one couldn¡¯t make an omelet without breaking eggs. He


    had to make that painful decision for the sake of thepany. Thankfully, Arielle was sensible enough


    to understand his plight and not me him. Satisfied that he had done the right thing, Henrick headed


    up to his study to await Arielle¡¯s good news.


    Cindy, on the other hand, had gotten busy investigating Arielle. Soon, she found out the long and the


    short of it from Matthias. ¡°I always thought Henrick truly loved Arielle as his daughter. But now, I know


    he sees her as just a pawn and a means for him to grow his business,¡± Cindy said mockingly. ¡°Why are


    you still thinking about that?¡± Matthias replied, his voiceced with concern. ¡°Haven¡¯t you always seen


    that b*tch as your obstacle?


    If she gets together with Vinson, wouldn¡¯t that be worse? She might even be a threat to us¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That won¡¯t happen,¡± Cindy said calmly. ¡°Henrick may be smart, but there are times when


    he¡¯s aplete idiot. If he had bothered to check up on Vinson, he wouldn¡¯t have hatched this n in


    the first ce. Given Vinson¡¯s status, he could have any woman he wants, but have you heard of any


    scandals involving him?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Exactly. Vinson is a respectable and honest man. No matter how beautiful Arielle


    is, he wouldn¡¯t ept any woman who shamelessly throws herself at him. Besides, I had seen how


    coldly he treated Arielle previously when we were on the ne.¡± Despite Cindy¡¯s reassurance, Matthias


    still couldn¡¯t shake off the worry that was bothering him.


    ¡°But you told me this afternoon that the b*tch had worked with Vinson to set Shannie up. If it weren¡¯t for


    them, Henrick wouldn¡¯t have sent Shannie away to the monastery! Maybe Vinson does have feelings


    for the b*tch?¡±

 Chapter 106

    Chapter 106


    Cindy shrugged it off and chuckled. ¡°You think Vinson willingly helped Arielle? He only did it because


    he didn¡¯t want to be exploited by Shannie. No man with his kind of power and status could stand being


    exploited by others. Trust me, Vinson¡¯s going to chase Arielle away! Maybe I wouldn¡¯t even need to


    carry out my n. After tonight, she¡¯d be theughing stock of the entire city!¡± ¡°Okay, it better be like


    that¡­¡± ¡°Leave this be for now and find a suitable man as discussed.


    If Vinson forgives Arielle for having helped him before, then we¡¯ll just have set our n in motion to


    destroy her reputation.¡± Cindy hadn¡¯t been in a good mood the whole day, but after the call with


    Matthias, she felt like she had finally caught a break. It was deep night and the streets of Jadeborough


    remained as lively as ever. Just like the streets outside, the banquet hall in the hotel was just as lively.


    A group of prominent socialites sat around Vinson as they dined and drank, each trying to tter him so


    they could be a part of Nightshire Group¡¯stest project.


    Vinson sat at the head of the table, swirling his wine sszily. He was so engrossed in his thoughts


    that he had barely spoken ever since the meal started. The light that shone on his handsome face


    entuated his features and made him even more dignified. Despite his silence, he was still like the


    brightest star in the sky, one that people couldn¡¯t help but admire. The people around Vinson started


    discussing amongst themselves in hushed tones as they watched Vinson warily. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Mr.


    Nightshire today? He hasn¡¯t said anything at all. Is he unhappy with the meal?¡±


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire has always been a man of few words. Maybe he isn¡¯t in a good mood today.¡± ¡°Has the


    person I arranged for been sent over?¡± ¡°I just received the call that she¡¯s at the hotel entrance.¡± ¡°Are


    you sure this arrangement would be okay? There have been others with the same gift ideas before,


    only to have Vinson scream his head off at them¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This time around, the head of Southall


    Group has offered me his daughter.¡±


    ¡°Shandie Southall? I know she looks all right and is quite a popr socialite too, but I don¡¯t think Vinson


    would take a liking to her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not Shandie but the other one. I¡¯ve seen a picture of her, and I


    guarantee she¡¯ll do just fine!¡± ¡°Show me the picture! I¡¯m curious to know who has gotten the approval


    from an experienced old man like you.¡±


    Before the man could fish his phone out, Vinson suddenly stood up, shocking everyone into silence.


    The man with the phoneughed and stood up as well. ¡°Are you tired, Mr. Nightshire? You¡¯ve had so


    much to drink, so why don¡¯t you rest here in the hotel?


    We could set off together in the morning to view thend in the western suburbs.¡± Vinson was about to


    reject the man¡¯s offer when he felt his phone vibrate. He checked his phone, only to find a text from his


    mother: Come back earlier tonight. The Greenes are here, and I find their daughter rather delightful. I


    would like you to meet her too. Frustrated, Vinson knitted his brows. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he


    turned to the man and asked curtly, ¡°Which room?¡±


    The man was happy toply and handed over the room key to the suite on the top floor. ¡°I shall retire


    for the night first. Enjoy the rest of the night, everyone,¡± Vinson said politely before making his way out


    of the banquet hall. However, he had only taken a few steps when he felt a throbbing in his head.


    He had been so preupied with Arielle that he inadvertently downed a lot of wine throughout the


    banquet. If it were someone else, they would have been ckout drunk from all that alcohol. Vinson


    rubbed his temples as he waited for the elevator, eager to get some much-needed rest so he could


    apany Arielle on her shoot the next day.

 Chapter 107

    Chapter 107


    Arielle had only just entered the suite on the top floor when one of the Southalls¡¯ housekeepers


    delivered a bag of clothes to her. To her surprise, nestled on top of the clothes, was a disc. ¡°What¡¯s


    this?¡± Arielle asked quizzically. The housekeeper cleared her throat before replying, ¡°About that¡­ I¡¯m


    notfortable saying it. You¡¯ll know once you y it.¡± Though still curious about its content, Arielle


    decided not to probe further and went back into the room.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Instead of leaving, the housekeeper followed Arielle into the suite. ¡°Mr. Southall has instructed that I


    make sure you change into the clothes.¡± Arielle frowned but said nothing. As she reached into the bag


    for the clothes, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder why they felt so odd to her touch. Bracing herself, she


    took the clothes out and gasped in shock at her discovery. These are all sexy lingerie! Arielle gritted her


    teeth in anger as she cursed Henrick silently under her breath. Henrick really would do anything as


    long as he could benefit from it! What a sc*mbag!


    Arielle¡¯s blood was boiling as she stared at the clothes, wishing she could shred them to pieces right


    there and then. s, with the housekeeper keeping an eye on her, Arielle could only suppress her


    anger and proceeded to change in the bedroom. When Arielle finally walked out dressed in her lingerie,


    even the housekeeper was blown away by her beauty. The sexy lingerie entuated all the best


    features of Arielle, from her beautiful corbone to her slender legs and thin waist.


    She was simply breathtaking. Arielle stared coldly at the astounded housekeeper. ¡°I¡¯m all changed, so


    can you leave now? Or are you going to stay with me to apany Mr. Nightshire?¡± The housekeeper


    instantly turned red in embarrassment and mumbled, ¡°I¡¯ll leave right now. The disc is already in the


    yer, so you can just press yter. Right, goodbye then¡­¡± With that, the housekeeper hurriedly left


    the suite, still blushing from the encounter.


    Ms. Arielle has such irresistible charm that Mr. Nightshire¡¯s in for a ride tonight! Mr. Southall will be so


    pleased with my work! Though still a little embarrassed, the housekeeper left contentedly, knowing that


    she had fulfilled her duties. With the housekeeper gone, Arielle was now all alone in the suite.


    She tugged at her lingerie, ufortable with how revealing it was, and felt nothing but a chill in her


    heart. These will be my first andst times wearing such perverted clothes! Arielle wanted to change


    back into her clothes when she realized, to her horror, that the housekeeper had taken them away.


    ¡°F*ck!¡± As someone who had always been able to control her emotions well, not even Arielle could


    refrain from swearing at that moment. She had no choice but to meet Vinson dressed like


    that. Vinson isn¡¯t interested in me, though. So, what I wear wouldn¡¯t pose much of a problem. Feeling


    more at ease, Arielle decided to check out the disc that the housekeeper had popped into the yer.

 Chapter 108

    Chapter 108


    Aren¡¯t the clothes enough? What else would Henrick have prepared for me? The more Arielle


    wondered, the more curious she became. Eventually, her curiosity got the better of her, and she yed


    the disc. A good-looking couple on the couch immediately showed up on the screen. Is this some kind


    of romantic drama? Arielle tilted her head in confusion as questions started going through her


    mind. Does Henrick think this drama would spark some romance between Vinson and me?


    Before she could question any further, the couple on screen had gone on to engage in various


    embarrassing acts. Arielle gradually went from a state of confusion to a state of utter shock. What the


    hell is this? As she stared wide-eyed at the screen, Arielle felt numbness all over her hands and feet.


    Even though she considered herself to be knowledgeable, there was still a first time for everything. All


    Arielle wanted to do then was to drag Henrick out and curse angrily at him.


    Due to abination of shock and rage, Arielle¡¯s hand trembled and dropped the remote


    control. Thud! The loud sound finally brought Arielle out of her daze as she quickly leaned forward to


    pick up the remote control so she could turn the television off. However, in her hurry, her foot


    identally kicked it under the couch. ¡°F*ck!¡± Arielle once again swore loudly. The more panicked she


    was, the messier things got. Arielle tried to calm herself by taking a deep breath and forcing herself to


    block out the moans the couple was making on-screen.


    After a few more deep breaths, Arielle finally found herself in a moreposed state. She used her


    phone to illuminate the bottom of the couch and look for the remote control. Seeing as how it was quite


    a distance back, Arielle knelt on the floor and stretched her hand out to try to reach for the remote.


    Meanwhile, Vinson felt himself getting more drunk by the second. When he got to the suite, it took two


    tries before he managed to unlock the door with his key.


    As soon as he stepped into the suite, Vinson heard strange noises that sounded a lot like a man and


    woman having sex. Have I entered the wrong room? Vinson stepped back out of the suite to check his


    room key, only to confirm that he hadn¡¯t made a mistake. At the same time, he was also sure that he


    hadn¡¯t made a mistake with what he had heard. As a grown man, he was only all too familiar with what


    those sounds were.


    Who the hell has the guts to do that in my room? Under the influence of alcohol, Vinson had lost all


    rational thought and let his emotions get the better of him. With a stoic face, he marched into the living


    room, only to see a scantily d woman kneeling on the floor with her back facing him. The woman


    had a superb figure, especially her thin waist that he found extra alluring. However, what he found even


    more appealing, was the white bunny¡¯s tail at the back of her costume that swished away with every


    movement the woman made. No man, under those given circumstances, would still be able to remain


    calm andposed.


    Vinson swallowed hard, trying to resist the temptation in front of him. He was a man, but he was also


    one who would never engage in casual sex. If there weren¡¯t feelings involved, he wouldn¡¯t bother


    wasting his time with those women. The more he reasoned with himself, the soberer he got. He


    suddenly recalled how the men had all looked at him when he left the banquet table earlier. And now


    that he was looking at the woman squirming about on the floor, everything instantly became clear to


    Vinson.


    Having recovered from his initial shock, Vinson¡¯s expression darkened as his eyes zed with


    rage. Those a*sholes! They had sent women to Vinson before, but they were all admonished by him.


    But instead of learning from it, they had the gall to do it again. How dare they don¡¯t show me any


    respect!


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    The disdain in Vinson¡¯s gaze grew even more intense as he continued staring at the woman. Just then,


    the strange moans once again came from the television. Vinson turned toward the screen, only to see


    the couple engaged in unbelievably embarrassing acts. So that¡¯s where the sounds came


    from. Vinson¡¯s face turned even darker with anger. Not only did those old b*stards send a woman to his


    room, but they also yed such filthy shows.


    They make me sick to my core! Having run out of patience, Vinson marched toward the woman and


    bellowed, ¡°Get the hell¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, the woman on the floor had finally


    noticed his presence and turned around in shock. Upon seeing the familiar face staring back at him,


    Vinson was at a loss for words.

 Chapter 109

    Chapter 109


    A look of surprise surfaced on his face as he raised his right hand and pinched his nose. Indeed,


    alcohol was the greatest saboteur. He actually had an illusion that the woman sent to him was Arielle. I


    must be out of my mind! Wake up! Vinson closed his eyes forcefully. Just when he was about to open


    them and take another look, he heard Arielle¡¯s voice beside him. ¡°You¡­ Why did you enter so quickly?¡±


    Even her voice was identical to Arielle¡¯s.


    Looks like I¡¯m really drunk. pping his head, Vinson averted his gaze and snapped in frustration, ¡°I


    don¡¯t care who sent you here, just get lost!¡± His breathing became heavier. When he saw the


    resemnce between Arielle and the woman¡¯s face, he realized that he was starting to lose control of


    his senses. However, he did not dwell on the reason why he was losing control. Instead, all he wanted


    to do was to chase the woman out.


    He was a clean freak in real life. Simrly, he was very particr about his feelings. He would never


    sleep with any woman whom he did not have any feelings for. This was the reason why he had never


    touched a single woman after he hade of age. He did not wish tomit a mistake that would


    disgust himself. ¡°Did you hear me? Get lost!¡± urged Vinson furiously. It was Arielle¡¯s first time seeing


    such an unpleasant look on Vinson¡¯s face. Surprised, she quickly exined, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand me,


    Vinson. I¡­ I didn¡¯t n on being here on purpose. I just want you to put on an act with me.¡±


    An act? The veins on Vinson¡¯s forehead throbbed. Her voice is so clear that it doesn¡¯t seem like an


    illusion. Although I¡¯m slightly drunk, it¡¯s not to the extent that I¡¯ll actually hallucinate. Could it be


    that¡­ she¡¯s really Arielle? Vinson turned around slowly and stared at the woman¡¯s face


    intently. She¡¯s really Arielle! He subconsciously reached out his hand and pinched her cheek. It feels so


    soft and nice to touch¡­ ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Hissing in pain, Arielle pped Vinson¡¯s hand away. The spot where he pinched her reddened


    gradually. Vinson was finally certain that she was actually Arielle. She¡¯s the real deal! After confirming


    that he was not hallucinating, the veins on Vinson¡¯s forehead throbbed again. Noticing that his


    expression was still unpleasant, Arielle clutched her hurt cheek and asked, ¡°If you don¡¯t wish to see me,


    can I spend the night in the toilet?


    If not, can I leave after an hour?¡± Arielle¡¯s long string of words brought Vinson out of his daze and back


    to his senses gradually. He checked Arielle out from head to toe, his Adam¡¯s apple bobbing


    subconsciously. Noticing his gaze, Arielle looked at him warily and asked, ¡°What are you looking at?


    You must be drunk!¡±


    Usually, Vinson deigned to even spare a single nce in her direction. Even if she dressed herself up


    nicely for the shoot, he would only praise her clothes. Hence, he must be drunk. Anyone under the


    influence of alcohol would do literally anything. Although Arielle initially did not have her guard up


    against Vinson, she now took a few steps back, starting to feel afraid. However, her foot tripped over


    the side of the couch, sending her toppling backward.


    She stretched out her arms subconsciously to grab something, but ended up grasping Vinson¡¯s tie. As


    Vinson was pulled by Arielle all of a sudden, he fell forward to her. Thud! With a loud thud, both of them


    fell onto the couch, with Vinson¡¯s body lying above Arielle¡¯s. Coincidentally, his lips pressed against her


    smooth forehead.

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    Arielle¡¯s breath hitched in her throat. Forgetting how to react, she simply froze under Vinson¡¯s body.


    Vinson was not in a better state either. He could feel the smooth sensation under his lips, while Arielle¡¯s


    natural scent wafted into his nose. It smelled different from other perfumes, resembling the scent of


    milk and fresh flowers. For a moment, he could not bear to leave her. All he could feel was that his


    body had be stiff, rendering him motionless.


    However, every inch of him had the urge to move. His masculine impulses came over him rapidly,


    causing his breathing to be heavier. When Arielle could barely breathe with Vinson¡¯s body


    pressing against her, she returned to her senses. Pushing his chest away and blushing, she said, ¡°Go


    away¡­¡± Vinson was jolted awake the moment he heard her voice. He quickly left her body. While


    tidying his clothes, he concealed the passionate look burning in his eyes.


    Then, he shot a disdainful nce at Arielle and chided, ¡°Why did you drag me down when you fell? If I


    get injured, how can youpensate me?¡± Arielle initially felt so embarrassed that she did not even


    dare to look at Vinson. However, when she heard his words, she immediately red at him furiously


    and snapped through gritted teeth, ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Nightshire!¡± Hmph! I didn¡¯t do it on purpose, so


    why is he so fierce?


    He¡¯s such a hot-tempered and cruel person. It¡¯s no wonder that no girls like him! He¡¯ll just be a single


    pringle forever. Vinson raised his chin arrogantly and said, ¡°Good that you know your mistake. When


    you fall down the next time, don¡¯t drag me down too.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Arielle was so furious that she wanted to


    lash out at him. Widening her eyes, she spun around angrily. Forget it. I won¡¯t feel angry if I don¡¯t see


    him. I should be more forgiving, and shouldn¡¯t get pissed over a weird man like him.


    When Vinson saw the tail on Arielle¡¯s clothes facing him, his emotions, which he had suppressed with


    much difficulty earlier, arose again. ¡°Darn it!¡± Vinson averted his gaze and cursed under his breath. He


    asked in frustration, ¡°Why were you kneeling on the floor?¡± ¡°I was looking for the remote control¡­¡±


    Blushing, she reached her arm out to grope under the couch. However, as the remote control was too


    far inside, she could not reach it no matter what.


    At that moment, the voices from the television were cut off. Surprised, Arielle turned her head around


    and saw Vinson standing beside the television expression, an electric cord in his hand. She had not


    thought of unplugging it directly. Sighing in frustration, Arielle stood up. Vinson tossed the cord aside,


    took off his suit and threw it to Arielle. She quickly grabbed the suit and draped it around her body.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    His suit was so big that it covered her thighs, making her look like a child wearing an adult¡¯s clothes.


    Vincent fished out a cigarette from his pocket and inhaled deeply. Only then did he finally calm himself


    down. He walked to the window, pushed it open and let the smoke drift outside.


    After a few puffs, he said with his back facing Arielle, ¡°Speak, what the hell happened?¡± ¡°Ahem¡­¡±


    Arielle cleared her throat, trying to exin the slight mishap that urred earlier. After narrating what


    had happened, she said, ¡°I¡¯d like to do a DNA test.¡± Vinson had already finished the cigarette by the


    time she stopped speaking. He turned around to look at Arielle, his gaze was unfathomable to her.

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    Afraid that he would chase her out, Arielle quickly added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t disturb your sleep. I¡¯ll


    just sit in the living room. When the time¡¯s up, I¡­¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the hair?¡± Vinson suddenly asked. Arielle


    was stunned before reacting. She took off her shoes and retrieved a ball of tissue. The strand of hair


    which she had secretly plucked from Henrick¡¯s head was wrapped inside. Feeling relieved, she said,


    ¡°Luckily, I was careful enough to hide the hair on my way here.


    I¡¯m afraid that if I kept it in my pocket, I¡¯d lose it identally.¡± As she spoke, she took out the hair and


    passed it to Vinson. He took it disgustedly and said curtly, ¡°Wait.¡± Then, he whipped out his phone and


    made a call, ¡°Send someone over. I need to conduct a DNA test.¡± Carter, who was on the other end of


    the call, widened his eyes. He asked in shock, ¡°No way! Did you fool around outside and get someone


    pregnant?


    You aren¡¯t that type of man¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that shameless. Cut the crap and send someone over. I¡¯m in the


    penthouse suite at Jadeborough Hotel. Keep the matter hushed and tell the person toe over


    secretly.¡± With that, he hung up the call. Arielle subconsciously said, ¡°Thank¡­¡± Before she could even


    finish her sentence, Vinson scratched his ears impatiently and interrupted, ¡°I¡¯ve told you not to say


    those two words, right?


    It¡¯s annoying.¡± She was speechless. ¡°You¡¯re really such a¡­¡± He¡¯s a kind man, but his style of speaking


    is really so unlikeable. ¡°What about me?¡± Vinson raised his chin and stared at her. ¡°Nothing.¡± Arielle


    shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m saying that you¡¯re a nice guy.¡± Vinson snorted in disdain. ¡°I don¡¯t like you, so you


    don¡¯t need to friendzone me by calling me a nice guy. I¡¯m not a nice person at all.¡± Looking at him,


    Arielle shook her head and insisted seriously, ¡°No, I really think that you¡¯re a nice person. If you¡¯re


    somebody else, I wouldn¡¯t have dared toe here.¡±


    Vinson frowned. If she dares to go to someone else, I¡¯ll break her legs. Upon the thought of legs,


    Vinson could not help but stare at Arielle¡¯s legs. Her legs were so fair, slender and long that he had an


    urge to touch them and see how they felt like¡­ Suddenly, Vinson had a feeling that the temperature inBelongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    the room had risen. Gulping, he instructed, ¡°Wait in the living room. I¡¯ll take a bath first.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ You


    don¡¯t have to care about me at all. Just rest well.


    I¡¯ll leave after a while.¡± Not replying to her, Vinson headed straight to the bathroom. Arielle soon heard


    the sound of water running in the bathroom. Although she was initially sitting obediently, she started to


    be restless. Being alone in a room with another man and listening to him bathing was quite


    strange to her. Arielle could not help but stand up and pace around the living room. Soon after, the


    sounds of water stopped and she could hear footstepsing from the bedroom.


    As the footsteps became louder, her heart started to beat even faster. Feeling frustrated, she clutched


    her right chest. What¡¯s going on? Why am I feeling nervous? It¡¯s not like anything¡¯s going to happen


    between us. However, the more she wished to calm herself down, the more rapidly her heart beat.


    When the door was pulled open with a creak, Arielle¡¯s heart leapt to her throat. She clenched her fists


    tightly and swallowed her saliva. At that moment, someone knocked on the door. ¡°The person you¡¯ve


    asked toe is here!¡± Arielle stood up, about to open the door. ¡°Wait!¡± Vinson strode toward her.

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    Arielle turned around to look at him subconsciously, only to find that there was only a towel wrapped


    around his lower body. There was nothing covering his muscr figure. A droplet of water slide down


    his toned abs and fell onto the towel¡­ Immediately blushing, Arielle averted her gaze guiltily and


    asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you wearing anything?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t bring any clothes,¡± replied Vinson matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Let me open the door¡­¡±


    Not wanting to meet his gaze, Arielle took a step forward, about to open the door. However, Vinson


    pulled her into his arms in the next moment. His warm body pressed against her back. It was as if the


    air was charged with passion and seduction. Arielle¡¯s mind immediately went nk. She instinctively


    shoved Vinson away and jumped far away. Wrapping her arms around herself, she shot a terrified gaze


    at him. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Vinson¡¯s expression froze on his face. He had pulled her into his arms out of panic. There was nothing


    else on his mind. When he hugged him, he could feel how slender her waist was. It was a difficult feat


    for him to cool himself down with the cold shower, yet he could feel his body temperature rising again.


    He said in frustration, ¡°What else will I do? I just wanted to stop you. Don¡¯t overthink.¡± Arielle shot a


    suspicious nce at Vinson and asked, ¡°Why are you trying to stop me?¡± ¡°They won¡¯t be here so


    quickly. Go to the bedroom first while I check who it is.¡±


    As Vinson spoke, he turned his head toward the bedroom, signalling for her to hide inside. Arielle


    paused for a while before nodding and entering the bedroom quickly. The scent of Vinson¡¯s shower gel


    still lingered in the room. The image of Vinson¡¯s face surfaced in her mind subconsciously¡­ However,


    in the next second, Arielle shook her head violently, dispelling these irrational thoughts in her mind.


    This isn¡¯t the time to think about this. She leaned against the door gently to hear what was happening


    outside. After Vinson opened the door, he asked coldly, ¡°It¡¯s already sote. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Indeed, it¡¯s not someone whom Vinson¡¯s expecting! Luckily, he¡¯s careful


    enough.


    Otherwise, everything might¡¯ve been exposed. Just when Arielle heaved a sigh of relief, she heard a


    deep voice from a middle-aged man. ¡°I¡¯m here to see if you¡¯re drunk and to send you some remedy for


    a hangover.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m not drunk. I still have something important to do, so don¡¯t disturb me.¡±


    Vinson¡¯s voice was cold and emotionless. However, his words were enough to make one


    misunderstand. ¡°Okay, okay! I won¡¯t disturb your rest.


    I shall leave now too.¡± There was an obvious hint of amusement in the man¡¯s voice. Then, Arielle heard


    the door being closed. After two seconds, she walked out and asked softly, ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°A designer.


    He often coborates with your family¡¯spany. He and your father probably arranged for you to


    come over.¡±


    As Vinson spoke, he nced at her and asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°What?¡± As Arielle did not know what


    he was asking about, a puzzled look crossed her face. Vinson¡¯s lips parted as he hesitated to speak.


    After a while, he cleared his throat and exined, ¡°Are you sad that your own father set up this entire


    scheme against you?¡±


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Silly girl! Why are you making me say it so directly? ¡°I¡¯m not sad.¡± Arielle shook her head and remarked


    indifferently, ¡°He has always been like that. I¡¯ve already seen his true colors a long time ago.¡± Vinson


    snorted, evidently not believing her. Waving the ball of tissue paper in his hands, he asked, ¡°If you


    aren¡¯t sad, why do you want to test this?¡±

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    ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Arielle, you don¡¯t have to put up a strong front in front of me¡­¡± As Vinson spoke, he suddenly


    realized that he did not sound like himself at all. Hence, he hurriedly added, ¡°Your act doesn¡¯t work in


    front of me. I can see through everyone¡¯s pretenses, so you should just save your energy.¡± Initially,


    Arielle felt slightly touched by Vinson. However, her expression now turned cold. ¡°Thank you for helping


    me save my energy, but I¡¯m really not upset.¡±


    She never told anyone about her vulnerabilities. Gazing at her deeply, Vinson felt a strange sense of


    frustration. He was about to speak when someone knocked on the door again. ¡°Shh¡­¡± Vinson made a


    shushing gesture. Understanding his intention, Arielle hid in the bedroom again. However, the moment


    she entered, she heard Vinson. ¡°Come out. He¡¯s one of us.¡± Arielle quickly pushed the door open and


    returned to the living room.


    She saw the bespectacled man, whom she had seen in the Jupiters, standing in the living room. He


    was holding the tissue paper which contained Henrick¡¯s hair. The man sniffed it, scrunched his nose


    and asked, ¡°Why is there a smell?¡± Arielle blushed. As she had hidden it in her shoe, it smelled a


    little¡­ Just when she was feeling embarrassed and unsure how to exin, Vinson said calmly, ¡°You¡¯re


    such a clean freak. I have only held it in my hand for a few minutes.


    If it smells¡­ It¡¯s probably the scent of my body.¡± Arielle was stunned. When Carter heard that, he did


    not dwell on it further and shoved the tissue paper into his pocket. Then, his gaze fell onto Arielle and


    lingered there for a moment. When he nced at Vinson, who only had a towel wrapped around him, a


    look of surprise crept into his eyes. ¡°Are both of you¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s something personal, so we need to hide it


    from some people.¡± ¡°Looks like thisdy is the one who requires the DNA test.¡± Carter stretched his


    hand out to her. ¡°Please give me a strand of your hair too.¡±


    Arielle immediately plucked out a strand of hair and passed it to Carter. He grabbed a piece of tissue,


    wrapped the strand and said to Vinson, ¡°About that dude in the hospital¡­ We¡¯ve tried all kinds of


    methods, but none of them works. The doctor said that he has post-traumatic stress disorder, so the


    treatment¡¯s going to be tough. It¡¯ll take at least a year.¡± ¡°A year?¡± Vinson immediately frowned and said,


    ¡°We can¡¯t wait for so long.¡±


    At that moment, Arielle took a step forward and asked, ¡°Post-traumatic stress disorder?¡± When she


    suddenly chimed in, Carter adjusted his spectacles unhappily. To him, all women were trouble.


    However, as Arielle was Vinson¡¯s friend, he had more patience for her than for other women. As he had


    already argued with the other two in the hospital because of Arielle, he was so annoyed that he had a


    headache.


    Hence, he was starting to lose his patience with her. ¡°It¡¯s between both of us, so Ms. Moore, you


    shouldn¡¯t¡­¡± Before Carter could finish his sentence, Vinson raised his hand and interrupted him.


    Confused, he heard Vinson ask Arielle, ¡°Do you know about post-traumatic stress disorder?¡± She


    nodded and said, ¡°The acronym for post-traumatic stress disorder is PTSD.


    My¡­ My friend from overseas¡ªor to be more specific, a couple¡ªis doing research in this area. They


    aim to cure it through traditional Chanaean medicine. When I was free, I picked up some knowledge


    from them.¡± Carter asked in surprise, ¡°Treat a psychological illness with traditional Chanaean


    medicine? Are you joking?¡±Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

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    Arielle¡¯s expression became serious. ¡°Traditional Chanaean medicine has been in existence for


    thousands of years and it is a very profound field of knowledge. Moreover, there are many people


    learning it now; so how can you look down on it as a Chanaean?¡± As Carter¡¯s family owned a modern


    medicine hospital, he naturally looked down on traditional Chanaean medicine. Amused, he said, ¡°I¡¯m


    not saying that traditional Chanaean medicine is useless.


    It can cure cold and fever, but isn¡¯t it ridiculous to suggest that it can treat a psychological illness too?¡±


    Arielle frowned. Her adoptive parents were currently doing research on that. After a few experiments,


    they discovered that it was actually effective. Yet, Carter rejected all of their efforts just like that. She


    said disapprovingly, ¡°I¡¯m not being ridiculous. If you agree, I can give it a shot.¡± Carter refused without


    any hesitation.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. If traditional Chanaean medicine¡¯s as amazing as you im it is, you can use


    it for your DNA test.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Arielle was at a loss for words, not knowing how to rebuke him. However,


    Vinson immediately said, ¡°Just let her try.¡± Carter and Arielle looked at him simultaneously. Carter


    protested, ¡°Vin, you know very well how important that guy is to us.¡± Vinson replied calmly, ¡°I let her


    give it a shot precisely because he¡¯s important.


    If we stick to modern treatments, we¡¯ll have to wait for a year. We are facing a lot more obstacles now.


    In fact, my life and Harvey¡¯s are being threatened, yet we don¡¯t even know who the enemy is. Do you


    think that we can afford to wait for another year?¡± Carter fell silent. It¡¯s true that we can¡¯t wait for so


    long. Who knows what the opponent¡¯s next step would be? Arielle nced at Vinson in surprise.


    Strangely, he seems to trust me a lot. Is it because I¡¯ve saved him before? Since Vinson trusts me so


    much, I will not disappoint him. She took in a deep breath and said, ¡°There are a lot of side-effects


    associated with modern medicine, but there¡¯s none for traditional Chanaean medicine. Even if I fail, it


    won¡¯t be your loss at all.¡± When Carter heard that, the wary look in his eyes faded slightly. ¡°Fine, then


    let¡¯s give it a shot. Just don¡¯t kill the person.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, even if I don¡¯t cure him, I will not let anything happen to the patient.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go now.¡± Carter


    headed out. ¡°Wait¡­¡± interrupted Arielle embarrassedly. ¡°Can you please prepare a set of clothes for


    me? Also, I can¡¯t leave from the front door. There are countless pairs of eyes staring at this room right


    now.¡± Vinson said, ¡°Get her a set of clothes and some ropes. If we could not leave from the front door,


    we¡¯ll have to flip through the window.¡±


    Carter nodded. ¡°When I entered, I could feel that someone is guarding the entrance of the hotel.


    However, you said in your call that I shouldn¡¯t alert others, so I deliberately wore a hotel staff¡¯s uniform.


    I came up while avoiding the watchful eyes. However, this is the eleventh floor. Even if we can climb


    down, can she?


    Are you going to carry her down?¡± Vinson was about to say that he would carry Arielle down, when she


    interrupted curtly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. I can climb down myself.¡± The two men stared at


    her simultaneously. After meeting Arielle¡¯s determined gaze, Vinson turned back and instructed Carter,


    ¡°Go and prepare everything.¡±


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Although Carter was still suspicious, he still left the room. Soon, he brought back everything that was


    needed. After changing into her clothes, Arielle was the first to grab the ropes on the floor.


    ¡°As I¡¯m wearing the hotel staff¡¯s uniform, I won¡¯t attract much attention. I¡¯ll go down first to keep a


    lookout for both of you.¡± Carter could not help but remind her, ¡°Ms. Moore, we¡¯re on the eleventh floor.


    Are you sure you can go down alone?¡±

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    ¡°Yeah.¡± Arielle swiftly hooked the safety belt. Before Vinson and Carter could speak, she walked to the


    window and propped her arms against the rims. She flipped over and jumped onto the condenser


    outside swiftly and urately. Her actions were so swift that Carter, who initially did not believe that


    Arielle could not make it, was stunned. ¡°She¡­¡± He asked Vinson in surprise. ¡°Who is she? Isn¡¯t she a


    daughter whom the Southalls found in the countryside?


    How can a vige woman like her know how to flip out of a window and even possess medical


    knowledge?¡± Vinson did not reply to him. Instead, he walked to the window to check if Arielle was fine.


    He saw her nimbly climbing down the rope, had descended two floors within a few seconds. He


    immediately suppressed his urge to voice out his concern. Turning around, he said to Carter, ¡°Don¡¯t


    look down on women.


    I¡¯ll go down next, and you¡¯ll be thest.¡± Carter went to the window and was utterly stunned after he


    saw that Arielle was already halfway down. He could not help but exim to Vinson, ¡°She¡¯s really very


    impressive. I now understand why Harvey¡¯s treating her so differently. He hates weak and fussy


    heiresses the most. Instead, he has a peculiar liking for a strong woman like her.¡± Annoyed, Vinson


    nced at him and said, ¡°Cut the crap and prepare to go down.¡±


    When he recalled Harvey saying that he fell in love with Arielle at first sight, a sense of agitation


    surfaced within him. He did not even know what was wrong with him. Within ten minutes, the three of


    themnded on the ground safely and drove to the Morgans¡¯ private hospital. The Morgans had


    established private hospitals all around the world, with five in Jadeborough alone. The person they


    intended to treat stayed in the Hillview Hospital, which only epted special patients.


    Because of that, the hospital was extremely empty. When Arielle alighted from the car, she did not see


    anyone else except for the few medical staff on shift. ¡°This way.¡± Carter walked in front to guide them.


    However, he still did not trust Arielle much. Traditional Chanaean medicine can cure a psychological


    illness which modern medicine needs one year to treat? I will never believe that! But


    since she¡¯s already here, I¡¯ll just let her try.


    The three of them walked to the wards located at thest building. There was only one patient in the


    entire building¡ªthe person whom they had captured. Walking along the abnormally quiet corridor,


    Arielle could not help but exim, ¡°This is the emptiest hospital I¡¯ve been to.¡± Hospitals were forever


    crowded whether they were local or overseas. Carter said proudly, ¡°Not everyone can be admitted to


    this hospital. Only the rich and powerful cane here.¡±


    Furthermore, they only took in the richest and most powerful of them. Arielle shook her head in


    disagreement. ¡°That¡¯s not right. The patients¡¯ lives are at stake. Hospitals are supposed to treat


    illnesses and doctors are supposed to save all lives, regardless of status and background. If you refuse


    to save patients, how is it different from murder? How can you select your patients based on these


    conditions?¡± Carter wanted to rebuke her, but gave up eventually.


    When Arielle saw the conflicted look on his face, she stopped trying to convince him. Such ssist


    ideologies were entrenched in the mindsets of those at the top of the socialdder. She could not


    change their minds just by saying a few words. All she could do was to prove it through her own


    actions.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    That was what her adoptive parents taught her. If her adoptive parents had discriminated against their


    patients based on ss, she would have been dead a long time ago after being abandoned by the


    human traffickers. Hence, Arielle¡¯s expression was extremely serious. Vinson tried to say something a


    few times, but decided against it.


    However, he could sense that Arielle¡¯s attitude toward him and Carter was much colder than before. He


    felt speechless and frustrated. Soon, Arielle was led to the thirteenth floor.

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    She had just stepped out of the elevator when she heard Jordan and Harvey bickering. ¡°That¡¯s enough


    from you. Calling that true love? Which one of your exes didn¡¯t you consider your true love?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had


    enough of you myself. What does a lifelong bachelor like you know? And love at first


    sight? Pfft. Sounds more like hoes before bros to me! I think you should be the one to give her up to


    me instead!¡± ¡°Maybe you should ask my fists what they think about that!¡±


    ¡°Oh, getting serious here now, are we?¡± ¡°Damn straight we are!¡± Unsure as to what the disagreement


    was about, Arielle intervened immediately upon seeing how close they were toing to blows. ¡°We¡¯re


    in a hospital, so what the heck do the both of you think you¡¯re doing?¡± The two men were caught off


    guard and both appeared surprised when they turned and saw Arielle in the lift lobby. ¡°What are you


    doing here, Arielle?¡±


    Harvey was first to approach, with Jordan close behind. Arielle was about to speak when Vinson got in


    ahead of her. ¡°I brought her over to take a look because she said that she may have an idea for a


    treatment. If there¡¯s nothing better for the two of you to do here, quit messing around and just go home


    to sleep already.¡± ¡°Nah! We¡¯re plenty busy, aren¡¯t we, Harvey?¡± Jordan ignored him and turned to


    regard Arielle instead.


    ¡°Are you able to address psychological ailments?¡± Arielle replied humbly, ¡°I just happen to know a little


    about post-traumatic stress disorder, so I thought it might be worth giving a shot. Which ward is the


    patient at?¡± Carter pointed to the right. ¡°This one.¡± Arielle strode forth and went on inside. Carter¡¯s eyes


    dimmed as he watched her silhouette disappear beyond the door. He then pulled out his phone to


    make a call. ¡°Where are you?


    Come up to the thirteenth floor and check on your patient right away.¡± Vinson frowned when he cast his


    gaze upon Carter. ¡°Who did you summon?¡± ¡°His attending doctor, Dr. Jankowitsch. It wasn¡¯t easy for


    me to bring him in from overseas.¡± Vinson have heard of that distinguished professional, a protege of


    the Wilhelms who themselves were considered amongst the top psychologists in the world. This fact


    alone spoke volumes of the doctor¡¯s expertise.


    However, that gave him a moment for pause. ¡°If Arielle¡¯s already looking into it, then what are you


    getting Jankowitsch over here for?¡± Carter shrugged. ¡°What else. To have him oversee things and


    make sure that she doesn¡¯t get the patient killed! We¡¯re clueless about her level ofpetency, so I


    don¡¯t think you ought to ce too much trust in her just because she¡¯s friend of yours. You know how


    important this fe is and why we need him alive.¡±


    Vinson appeared doubtful but made noment before he made his way in with the others in tow.


    Inside the ward, Arielle began examining the emaciated man lying on the bed using the Four


    Diagnostic Methods based on ancient Chanaean medical traditions. ¡°Disorientation, sluggishness,


    disharmony and dredging imbnce in the liver, hyper-arousal, palpitation and other symptoms¡­ it


    does appear to be characteristic of post-traumatic stress disorder.¡±


    The observing Harvey and Jordan pped enthusiastically in approval. ¡°Spot on, Ms. Moore! Bravo!¡±


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t have known that you also possess such a talent. We¡¯re mighty impressed!¡± Carter


    twitched his lips as he did not think much of Arielle merely parroting what he had already said about the


    patient¡¯s condition.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    At this moment, the door to the ward was pushed open. ¡°Dr. Jankowitsch!¡± Carter hailed the neer


    before he regarded Arielle. ¡°This is the internationally renowned Dr. Jankowitsch who studied under the


    illustrious Wilhelms.¡± Arielle¡¯s eyes widened when she heard name ¡°the Wilhelms¡± mentioned, because


    they were her adoptive parents.

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    Chapter 117


    As Arielle was unfamiliar with the innumerous students that they mentored, she was a little concerned


    about being recognized. us¡¯ expression was indecipherable under his surgical mask. He extended a


    hand and greeted her in Ustranasion, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Dr. Jankowitsch. Are you the patient¡¯s family?¡± Arielle


    sighed in relief that he did not recognize her. She was about to reply when Carter interjected. ¡°Do you


    understand Ustranasion, Ms. Moore?


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    He¡¯s extending a greeting to you. I can help trante if you can¡¯t.¡± He did not think her Ustranasion


    would be any good, considering that she grew up in the countryside. But to Carter¡¯s astonishment,


    Arielle started to converse fluently with us in Ustranasion while also interspersing their exchange


    with some profound terminology like ¡°acupuncture¡±, ¡°moxibustion¡± and ¡°neurasthenia¡± which stumped


    him.


    Not only did Arielle understand Ustranasion, hermand of thenguage might even surpass that of


    those specialists who tutored him at home throughout his formative years. Carter could feel his own


    face burning up. Just as Carter was mired in self-conflict, he heard Vinson whisper in his ear, ¡°Didn¡¯t I


    tell you not to underestimate women?¡± Never mind speaking Ustranasion, women could literally carve


    out his face when they got serious.


    He now highly doubted that Arielle grew up in the rural areas, and became convinced that there was


    more to her than just her revenge motive. Carter took in a deep drawl to settle his own emotions. He


    supposed that some people just had a knack for picking upnguages. On top of it, with her own


    mother being Jadeborough¡¯s previously heralded Maureen Moore, it shoulde as no surprise that


    Arielle could be so aplished at spoken Ustranasion.


    Hence, he paid little more attention to it. Being good at Ustranasion doesn¡¯t mean one will also be a


    skilled medical practitioner. Like she said, she has only a limited understanding of the affliction, so


    when she does fail to cure the patient, she¡¯ll only end up embarrassing herself. Of course, Carter had


    nothing personal against Arielle. It was just traditional Chanaean medicine that he was skeptical about.


    Hailing from a family of modern healthcare providers, his aversion to traditional Chanaean medicine


    was inherent.


    That proved even more to be the case for him when its representative was a young countryss, and a


    very pretty one, at that. Suffice to say, his confidence in her healing skills was practically non-existent.


    Over the other end, us pulled down his mask and cast a questioning look at Arielle after they


    concluded their discussion of the patient¡¯s prognosis. ¡°Could we have, by any chance, met somewhere


    before?¡±


    us suddenly switched to speaking in Chanaean. Arielle was taken aback, but came to realize that he


    did not speak to her in Ustranasion because he wanted to make things difficult for her, but because he


    knew that she had no rtion with the patient right from the start. His code switching also conveyed a


    shift in attitude toward her. ¡°I¡¯m sure that we¡¯re meeting here for the first time,¡± Arielle replied. ¡°But I


    keep having this feeling that I¡¯ve seen you before¡­¡±


    us was wracking his head trying to sift through his own memories when he felt Jordan bump against


    his arm. ¡°Man, you¡¯d best be trying something else cause this method of hitting on girls has long gone


    out of style in our country. But nope. You still have to get in line.¡± ¡°Get in line¡­ to do what?¡±


    us asked, quite confounded. Jordan was about to expound upon it when Carter cut him off. ¡°What¡¯s


    your verdict about her idea of employing traditional Chanaean medicine after all that discussion? Is it


    complete nonsense?¡± us scratched the back of his head. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean by that,


    but I do think thisdy¡¯s proposal may be worth trying.¡±


    ¡°And her proposal is?¡± asked Carter uncertainly, as he was unable to grasp what Arielle said in


    Ustranasion. us pointed at the unconscious man. ¡°She has suggested using traditional Chanaean


    medicine¡¯s acupuncture approach in conjunction with repeated application of Transcranial Maic


    Stimtion¡­¡±


    Carter did not understand thetter half of what he heard. ¡°Could we treat mental illnesses with just


    acupuncture? Then, what use is there for the multitude of medications avable in modern medicine?¡±

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    us shook his head in disagreement. ¡°The field of traditional Chanaean medicine is wide-ranging and


    profound. Even my two mentors have previously traveled far and wide ten years ago to do research


    and learn from various established practitioners here, so I think you shouldn¡¯t be too quick to dismiss it.


    Perhaps, we could really give it a go.¡± Hearing that the Wilhelms had also studied traditional Chanaean


    medicine more or less helped ease Carter¡¯s concerns that Arielle might end up making things worse.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s do it then! Go on ahead and help her prepare whatever she needs, but in the event that you


    sense the patient isn¡¯t doing well, you are to stop her immediately. I cannot allow anything untoward


    happening to him.¡± ¡°Will do, Mr. Morgan. I shall proceed to get what she just asked for.¡± us nodded


    politely at Arielle before he turned to walk out. Without having gone for more than a few steps, us


    stopped and looked back.


    ¡°May I ask if you are acquainted with the famous Wilhelms in the field of Psychology?¡± Arielle¡¯s fingers


    tightened around themselves while she shook her head sheepishly. ¡°No.¡± She could deny anything with


    a straight face, but was somewhat ill at ease disavowing the adoptive parents who have treated her like


    their own. Her difort did not escape the stolid us, but he did not press further. ¡°I see¡­ I just


    thought that you might.¡±


    ¡°The Wilhelms are world-ss experts in Psychology, so how could I have known them? I guess you


    must be overthinking this,¡± Arielle said. ¡°I considered the possibility that you might because they so


    happened to be actively looking into using acupuncture to treat post-traumatic stress disorder these


    past few years, so don¡¯t mind me for casually asking,¡± us replied with a smile. Carter waved him off.


    ¡°I seriously doubt that they would have known each other.


    You should go on and make preparations.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± us regarded Arielle intently before he


    departed. Arielle was a little unnerved by the way us looked at her, and was relieved to finally be


    away from his presence. She was quite worried that this us Jankowitsch might had actually seen


    her previously, as her adoptive parents often invited their students over to their home for lessons. While


    she was lost in her own thoughts, Vinson stepped in front of her.


    ¡°Are you really not acquainted with the Wilhelms?¡± That took Arielle a little by surprise, but she was


    prompt to dismiss his suggestion. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of them, but we¡¯ve never met.¡± Carter hastened to chime


    in. ¡°Now that y¡¯all mentioned it, I kind of feel that we could consider inviting the Wilhelms here to treat


    this guy.¡± That drew a reaction from Arielle, who responded quickly to veil her emotions before anyone


    noticed. Vinson exhaled.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have Arielle have a crack at it first. The two of them are so well-known that they would probably


    cause quite amotion should they suddenly show up here.¡± Carter nodded in agreement. ¡°You may


    be right about that. Dr. Jankowitsch must have learned something under their tutge, so we should let


    him try first. As for Ms. Moore¡­¡± His tone was telling in spite of him stopping short of spelling things out


    explicitly.


    A silent Arielle earnestly returned to reading the patient¡¯s pulse. It was then that the man suddenly


    came to. ¡°Ah ah¡­ don¡¯t eat me¡­¡± He then shoved at Arielle beside him. Taken off guard and given no


    time to grab onto anything, Arielle stumbled backwards, but was firmly intercepted by arge mitt in the


    small of her back.


    When she reflexively looked over, she saw Vinson staring coldly at the man on the bed. As her gaze


    shifted onto the patient, Harvey hade out of nowhere to slug the patient across the face. The


    man¡¯s eyes rolled and he lost consciousness after a dull thud. ¡°Harvey!¡± Carter had to jump in swiftly to


    stop him fromnding a second blow.


    Only Jordan¡¯s brain struggled to keep up with everything that transpired, but he did have a subtle sense


    that he had been robbed of an opportunity for to save the girl.

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    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Vinson looked back and asked. Arielle shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m okay. Please do not


    rough up the patient, Mr. Jupiter. Sufferers of trauma tend to be more sensitive toward external stimuli,


    so he didn¡¯t mean to.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Only then did Harvey withdraw the hand that Carter held onto, but he


    remained where he was and kept a vignt eye on the man in the bed. Carter winced and massaged


    his own temple.


    ¡°Hey, Harvey. How about you hit the fe harder next time and kill him outright so we don¡¯t have to go


    through all this trouble of trying to fix his kooky head?¡± Harvey cleared his throat sheepishly in


    response, and found it inexplicably vexing to see Vinson and Arielle stand in close proximity.


    Even though he understood that Vinson did it to save her, that did not stop him from feeling sore about


    it. us returned with a box shortly after, only to see the patientpletely out cold with a bloodied


    nose and with fate uncertain. ¡°What¡­ what¡¯s going on here?¡± All eyes then fell upon Harvey, who felt


    the pressure from that a little overwhelming. ¡°I¡¯m going to head outside for a breather.¡± With that, he


    turned around and stepped away.


    The confounded us went on to examine the patient alongside Arielle. ¡°Is he alright?¡± Carter asked


    with a frown. us waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, but he can¡¯t sustain any more of these


    injuries, as it would onlypound upon his condition. Sufferers of PTSD are emotionally fragile, so


    I¡¯m not sure if he would be able to take it should this happen again.¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m going to test it out,¡±


    Arielle said while she opened up the box us brought in. Inspecting its contents, all the various


    acupuncture needles were there as she requested. ¡°Are these the ones?¡±


    us asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Arielle replied in the affirmative. ¡°I¡¯m going to get started, so it¡¯s just as well that


    he¡¯s unconscious. It would be impossible for me to work if he stayed alert, considering his


    unpredictability.¡± ¡°Please go ahead.¡± us spoke diffidently without realizing it. Before Arielle began,


    she took the time to remind Carter. ¡°Please help me get the DNA testing done. As for the issue over


    here, I¡¯ll do my best to deliver a satisfactory oue.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Carter replied. He then started for the door with the two strands of hair, but not before issuing


    us another reminder. ¡°Watch her. Have fun, but don¡¯t overdo it.¡± us bowed in response. ¡°Don¡¯t


    worry, we won¡¯t.¡± Carter then exited and closed the door to the ward behind him. Arielle retrieved a


    copper-ted needle and approached the patient. ¡°Are you going for the head?¡± us said, seemingly


    a little unsure.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be incredibly risky. Are you sure you can handle this?¡± Arielle blinked. Steadying the needles in her


    hand, she proceeded to jab them into the Baihui, Sishencong, Shenting, and Fengchi acupuncture


    points on the head with pinpoint precision. Jordan¡¯s eyes were riveted as he watched on at the side,


    positively certain that Carter would have lost his marbles if he were there because he himself could not


    help but worry for the patient.


    He could not hold himself back from approaching Vinson. ¡°Would poking this thing into his head kill


    him?¡± Vinson shot Jordan a look andmunicated with his eyes for thetter to be quiet before


    turning back to observe Arielle at work. With the needlingpleted, Arielle¡¯s forehead started to bead


    with sweat.


    Most acupuncture services avable on the market do not get to the root of the ailments, and its effects


    were not felt by the practitioners themselves. While that of true traditional Chanaean medicine from


    antiquity, though quick and effective, often took its toll on the practitioner¡¯s own energies. After the


    cement of the four needles, Arielle¡¯s face appeared to be drained of color.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

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    Vinson was concerned at Arielle¡¯s worn disposition. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Arielle responded in the negative


    even though she was a little short of breath. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Combining needling on the head with that on the


    body will produce the best results, so I must continue.¡± With that, she produced a handful of silver-


    ted needles from the pouch and removed the patient¡¯s shirt so that she may begin to ce the


    needles sequentially.


    Compared to the initial cements on the head, the rapid pace at which she worked on the body was


    so many times faster that all Jordan could see was the trail of her right hand. Before he could catch the


    sight of her hand in full, a total of twelve silver-ted needles had already been jabbed into eight


    acupoints located throughout the man¡¯s body. Jordan gasped in astonishment, ¡°This speed¡­ How long


    have you been single, Ms. Moore?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    That drew a quizzical look from Arielle. Jordan giggled nervously. ¡°Uh, never mind. How long do they


    need to stay on?¡± ¡°Ten min¡­¡± Before she was able to enunciate ¡°minutes¡±, Arielle¡¯s strength deserted


    her. Her vision ckened and her entire body slumped backwards. ¡°Look out!¡± Vinson rushed over and


    was able to catch the fainting woman in time, and discovered that her body was mmy when his arm


    identally came in contact with her neck. ¡°Dr. Jankowitsch!¡±


    Vinson shouted while he lifted up and carried Arielle over to the hospital bed. us was taken by


    surprise as well and hastened over to check on her. An unsettled Vinson asked after a series of


    examining. ¡°How¡¯s she doing?¡± ¡°It was nothing serious. Just exhaustion. She should be better after


    lying down for a while, but I could get the nurse over to put her on a drip if you are still worried,¡± us


    replied, looking a little more rxed.


    ¡°Then hurry.¡± us grunted in acknowledgment and hurried outside, only to crash head-along into


    Carter who wasing in from the opposite direction. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± us groaned while he rubbed at his


    head. ¡°What are you in such a hurry for?¡± Carter barked in displeasure. Before us could answer,


    Carter had already spotted Arielle lying in the one bed, and the foreign man with needles in his head on


    the other. ¡°How could you let her poke needles into that bugger¡¯s head?¡±


    he fumed with a furrow before he stormed toward the bed with the intention of pulling the needles off..


    ¡°Carter!¡± The eagle-eyed Vinson swiftly seized upon his hand. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± ¡°What do


    you think?¡± Carter¡¯s eyes reddened amidst his own consternation. ¡°As if it¡¯s not crazy enough to have


    needles in body, you had to have them in his head as well? Let go!¡± Not only did Vinson not relinquish


    his grip, he went on to hold on ever more firmly.


    ¡°Arielle said that these need to stay in for half an hour. Dr. Jankowitsch has been keeping watch by the


    side so it¡¯s going to be fine. Don¡¯t mess this up.¡± That had Carter scoffing, ¡°Not only was that punk


    Harvey bewitched, and now you too? This is the human head we¡¯re talking about!


    If this continues and that guy dies, how are we to find those who put him up to it?¡± The observing


    Jordan could no longer withhold himself. ¡°Ms. Moore has already passed out, Vin, so I don¡¯t think we


    can count on her to treat the guy any longer. Maybe we should remove the needles as it¡¯s kind of


    creeping me out¡­¡±


    Vinson remained unmoved as he spat, ¡°Heck no!¡± ¡°Vinson Nightshire!¡± Carter said in dismay, ¡°You¡¯re in


    over your head and going to ruin everything! Hands off now, or you¡¯ll regret it!¡± Vinson¡¯s eyes darkened.


    ¡°Not happening. If you want to pull them out, you¡¯ll have to get past me first!¡±

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    Carter¡¯s face turned severe. ¡°Are you sure this is what you want?¡± ¡°Try me.¡± Carter gritted his teeth.


    ¡°You asked for it!¡± The moment his voice trailed off, Carter raised his other hand and swung a swift


    punch that blitzed through the air and right at Vinson¡¯s face. When Vinson jerked back to avoid the


    blow, Carter seized the chance to free his own restrained right hand and shove Vinson away before he


    raced toward the bed.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Just before Carter¡¯s fingers were upon the needles on top on the man¡¯s head, Vinson grabbed onto the


    back of the former¡¯s cor and yanked him away.


    Then the two men became entangled in a heap. As the men were both familiar with the other¡¯s


    tendencies in a fight, neither was able to break the deadlock. Jordan could only stand by in distress.


    ¡°Why have you started fighting? Stop it!¡± But neither Vinson nor Carter were listening.


    It was Carter who realized that he had a helper in Jordan, and called out while he grappled with Vinson,


    ¡°Go, Jordan! Pull out the needles!¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Jordan was in a dilemma. ¡°Get on with it!¡± Carter cried. Jordan


    bit down and made a dash for the man¡¯s bed. Vinson¡¯s attempt to intercept was forced back by Carter¡¯s


    aggressive advances. He recovered after dodging only see that Jordan had already reached his target.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Moore. I can¡¯t risk it¡­¡± Jordan mumbled under his breath before he reached for the


    charged copper-ted needles. At this instant, a white silhouette drifted past and wrapped itself around


    Jordan¡¯s waist, dragging him away. A startled Jordan turned around to see us¡¯ apologetic face. ¡°I¡¯m


    sorry, Mr. Baker. You can¡¯t touch that needle¡­¡± ¡°Damn you!¡± Jordan cussed, ¡°Are you betraying us


    now? Get your hands off! Doesn¡¯t the needles on his head scare you?


    We can¡¯t let anything happen to him, so let go!¡± us clung onto Jordan as if his life depended on it


    and refused to budge. Carter had not expected us to turn on him. ¡°Do you understand what you¡¯re


    doing, Dr. Jankowitsch!¡± The doctor continued to hang on. ¡°I believe that this acupuncture therapy can


    work, Mr. Morgan. Please trust me on this one!¡± ¡°Do you know the cost of failure here? Do you have


    any idea how important this man is to us!


    Sticking needles on the body is fine, but it could kill if ced in the head!¡± ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t¡­¡± us wavered.


    Just then, the man on the bed jolted awake. ¡°Ahem! Ahem¡­¡± When everyone froze and turned toward


    the bed, the dazed man¡¯s deep blue eyes flickered and he asked in Ustranasion, ¡°Where am I?¡± His


    voice was clear and his eyes lively; a radical departure from the slurred speech and confused look he


    had from before.


    Everyone was stunned as they wondered if he was fully self-aware. us released his own grip,


    ignoring Jordanpletely as he threw himself onto the side of the bed. ¡°How are you feeling, sir?¡±


    The man replied with some difficulty, ¡°I feel¡­ sore all over. Where is this ce?¡±


    us was beside himself. ¡°Are you able to understand my question? Are you back to normal?¡± ¡°Why


    wouldn¡¯t I be. How did I get here? Aren¡¯t I supposed to be at sea?¡± us turned to Carter in delight and


    switched to speaking in Chanaean. ¡°He¡¯s speaking coherently, Mr. Morgan.


    He¡¯s cured! I can¡¯t say for sure if he¡¯spletely well, but you should have no problems getting the


    answers you¡¯re looking for.¡± Carter¡¯s eyes widened behind his gold-rimmed spectacles.

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    How is this possible? Jordan, who stood not far from the patient¡¯s bed, reacted as though it was all


    surreal to him. On the other side, Vinson regarded Carter who had firmly trapped his wrist. ¡°Will you let


    go now?¡± Carter did as asked, and self-consciously cleared his own throat. Who would¡¯ve guessed that


    a few needles ced by a youngss into the patient would be able to cure him. She has proven


    herself to be infinitely more capable than the internationally renowned Dr. Jankowitsch!


    But didn¡¯t she say that she only understood a little? How could this be considered just little? By now,


    Arielle¡¯s fingers moved and she frailly opened her eyes. What greeted her was a scene of carnage in


    the room; the smashed fragments of the vase that used to stand by the doorid all over the floor; the


    television turned over¡ªit was as though some fierce battle had taken ce. She sat up, confounded.


    ¡°What just happened?¡±


    Vinson strode toward her, but did not give her a straight answer. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Arielle shook


    her head and was about to speak when the man in the bed next to hers eximed in Ustranasion, ¡°It¡¯s


    y¡¯all!¡± Carter chopped down on the man¡¯s neck with his back of his hand posthaste, causing the man¡¯s


    eyeballs to roll into his skull and fall into unconsciousness. That shocked Arielle but she quickly


    recovered. ¡°Was he conscious?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Vinson nodded as he nced meaningfully at the difited


    Carter before withdrawing his gaze. ¡°All thanks to you.


    Otherwise, we might have to tend to him for an entire year.¡± The increasingly embarrassed Carter


    pulled out his phone and made a call. ¡°Send a few guys upstairs and move the fe back to my ce.¡±


    Since the man was able tomunicate normally, it was time for him to begin his ¡°interrogation¡±.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    Full of admiration, us came before Arielle toud her with praise. ¡°Your medical expertise is truly


    astonishing! My two teachers were right inmending the profundity of traditional Chanaean


    medicine, and truly, there is much from which our modern medicine can learn from.


    To be honest, I did not think much of it in the beginning and thought they were just wasting time making


    the long trip to this backwater, but it would seem that I was too ignorant.¡± Arielle replied in way that was


    neither servile nor overbearing, ¡°Indeed, there¡¯s quite a lot that modern medicine could learn from


    traditional Chanaean medicine,


    but to me, the two have always beenplementary in nature. It¡¯s just the prejudices of some that


    prevented them from being more open to exploring it.¡± Carter was pertinent when he heard that, but he


    was not the type too prideful to admit his own mistake.


    After a brief pause, he regarded Arielle solemnly. ¡°The truly ignorant one is me, Ms. Moore. Please


    ept my sincere apologies! I hope that you would be able to forgive me for my transgressions.¡±


    Arielle could sense Carter¡¯s sincerity and decided to let things slide. ¡°It¡¯s okay since you just didn¡¯t


    understand it before, but I hope that you would eventually be able to let go of your apprehensions


    against traditional Chanaean medicine.¡± ¡°Sure thing.¡±


    Carter seemed quite invigorated. ¡°I¡¯ll go speak to my father first thing tomorrow morning and ask him to


    include ns for a traditional Chanaean medicine hospital in our developmental blue-print.¡± Arielle


    twitched her lower lip weakly. ¡°If traditional Chanaean medicine could find greater development within


    your family, it can only be a good thing.¡±


    Vinson¡¯s brows became bound in a tight furrow. ¡°What has traditional Chanaean medicine¡¯s


    development to do with you? Dr. Janokowitsch, go get the nurse to put her on a drip.¡± Arielle


    instinctively rejected it. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Vinson was expressionless while he remained cautionary.


    ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself. Remember that you¡¯ll still need to climb your way back into the hotel.¡± Arielle fell


    silent upon hearing that. She knew her own body well, and understood that it needed attention owing to


    the delicate state it was in. Vinson¡¯s expression seemed to softened after seeing that she was no


    longer resistant. ¡°Alright, you should rest up. Try to speed up the DNA processing on your end, Carter.¡±

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    Carter nodded promptly as whatever misgivings he had against Arielle from before had be a thing


    of the past. ¡°I¡¯m going over there myself to expedite it, but no matter the level of urgency, processing


    will still take up to a day. I believe that if I were to head down personally, we should be able to get the


    results before tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been a great help to us, so that¡¯s the least I


    could do,¡± Carter said while he looked to the man in the bed.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ¡°When will we be able to remove the needles?¡± Jordan pouted at Carter for stealing all the lines. Who


    was it who ordered to have the needles removed in the first ce? Arielle nced at the man. ¡°If he¡¯s


    already conscious and you don¡¯t need me toplete the treatment, then you can remove them now.


    I¡¯ll¡­¡± ¡°Stay put!¡± Vinson held her down by the shoulder. ¡°Allow me.¡± Jordan warily eyed the hand


    Vinson ced on Arielle, feeling a little jealous inside.


    He very much wanted to say something, but lost his courage to do so when he recalled how he


    distrusted Arielle just as Carter did. Thus, he decidedly slinked away quietly to the sidelines. Just then,


    Harvey led a few bodyguards through the door. ¡°I heard that the man has been cured?¡± In the next


    second, his attention was caught by the sight of Arielle on the bed and the mess in the room, and that


    prompted him to re at Carter.


    ¡°What the hell did you do?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Carter scratched his nose ufortably. Vinson had just finished


    removing the needles. ¡°Go out, all of you. Arielle needs to rest.¡± Harvey asked with a grimace, ¡°What


    actually happened here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Carter¡¯s going to have nowhere to hide himself if you keep


    asking. Come on. Let¡¯s get him out of here. His head¡¯s fixed, so we should get down to business,¡±


    Jordan said as he nudged Harvey along.


    Soon, it was just Vinson and Arielle left inside the ward. Looking at the drip bag hanging above her


    head, Arielle said weakly, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, so you should go back and rest. I can watch it myself.¡±


    Vinson remained poker-faced. ¡°I don¡¯t like owing anyone favors, so don¡¯t mind me. Go to sleep.¡±


    Arielle seemed to have wanted to say something but ultimately did not do so as she was far too weary,


    and so instead, she quietly closed her eyes to get rested.


    It did not take long before her breath steadied and she fell into a deep sleep. Initially seated with his


    back to Arielle, Vinson slowly turned around when he heard her breathing settled. His gaze then fell


    upon her face. The slumbering woman waspletely unguarded, and as docile as a snoozing


    Persian cat. It was as though Arielle¡¯s face had some sort of maic draw to it, because by the time


    he came to his senses, his hand was already almost upon her cheeks.


    Bemused, Vinson quickly withdrew it, feeling quite annoyed with himself. Had deprivation made him


    that desperate for a woman? Come to think of it, Arielle was really more outstanding than thoseme


    socialites and heiresses that his mother had been introducing to him. If it was her, he would not have


    been so averse to spending the rest of his life with a woman.


    The way Arielle upied his every thought made him shake his own noggin in frustration. He did not


    want to continue being alone in Arielle¡¯spany, lest he needed to take another cold shower. Hence,


    Vinson got up and walked to the window for a smoke.


    He pushed the window wide open to prevent the fumes from drifting inside, but this let in the chilling


    night air which gave him quite a headache. Just as Vinson was wrapping up his smoke break, a call


    from his mother Susanne came through.

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    A quick nce at the time showed that it was already three in the morning, so he wondered why she


    might be calling at this ungodly hour. Vinson answered ndly wearing a frown on his face. ¡°What is


    it?¡± Susanne¡¯s displeasure seeped through the receiver from the other end. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you toe


    home earlier tonight? I have Mrs. Greene over for cards and have held her back until now, so why


    aren¡¯t you back yet?¡±


    Vinson replied with indifference, ¡°I was at a dinner and had a little too much to drink, so I¡¯ll be putting up


    at a hotel tonight.¡± Susanne¡¯s voice elevated several notches. ¡°Dinner? Don¡¯t you start bringing some


    loose woman back from there! The Greenes¡¯ youngdy seems to be of good breeding and is highly


    educated, and not bad looking as well. Their whole family would be returning to Horington tomorrow so


    you muste have a look at her right away!¡±


    Vinson sounded a little impatient. ¡°I¡¯ve no ns to get married these few years, so don¡¯t bother


    introducing women to me.¡± That got Susanne vastly worried. ¡°My dear boy, why are you talking like


    that? What do you mean you have no ns to get married? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m asking you to do so right


    away. I¡¯m only suggesting for you to keep an eye out for prospective partners, that¡¯s all, cause you¡¯re


    always either working or hanging out with those three friends of yours. What about yourself, seeing


    how they¡¯ve been swapping one girlfriend after the other?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve my own ns,¡± he stated inly. ¡°Tsk! Your ns are exactly what I left you to thest two years,


    and what happened after that? I¡¯ve organized so many banquets for you, and yet you¡¯ve shown no


    interest in anyone. So, how do you expect me not to worry? You should know for yourself that things


    have not been dandy inside thepany, and it¡¯s only by bearing me a grandson could we stabilize


    things.¡±


    ¡°You can rest assured that I won¡¯t allow things to go sideways there.¡± ¡°I¡­ Ah, there are some things


    that I can¡¯t share with you right now, but you absolutely have to bear this in mind¡ªget married as soon


    as you can.¡± Amidst his own vexation, Vinson found his gaze falling upon Arielle.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think you could wriggle yourself out of this by staying silent. If you won¡¯t find a partner for


    yourself, then I will¡­¡± Before Susanne could finish speaking, someone else was heard urging her


    along over the other end.


    ¡°Are you done inside yet, Mrs. Southall? It¡¯s your turn to deal.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right there¡­¡± Susanne then


    continued in a hushed tone, ¡°Are you listening? Hurry up and get yourself back here!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be


    coming home today.¡± ¡°What? Noting home? I¡¯m doing my best to stall them, so you better get


    yourself in no matter what!¡± ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m noting home cause I¡¯m outside with your future


    daughter-inw.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Susanne howled in horror. He could not be bothered to continue prattling, Vinson hit the end-


    call button, and looked quite dour when he walked over to Arielle¡¯s side. Since it was Arielle¡¯s wish for


    him to repay her by virtue of marriage, and with his own family also piling on the pressure, he thought


    he might as well choose Arielle in spite of his own reluctance. He figured that since the whole point was


    to get married, why should he not just settle for someone who was easier on the eyes?


    ¡­¡­ As the hours whiled away, dawn had crept up upon them. Arielle was awaken by a knocking at the


    door. The moment she opened her eyes, she was greeted by the sight of Vinson hunched over the side


    of the bed with his faceid on the inside of her palm. He appeared to be fast asleep.


    He flinched, perhaps because he heard the knocks too. Arielle took the opportunity to withdraw her


    hand and whisper, ¡°Someone¡¯s out there.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± The man¡¯s half-sober voice wasnguid yet


    alluring. He stood up nonchntly to answer the door. ¡°Vin¡­¡± In came Carter with two set of reports in


    hand.

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    Arielle¡¯s drowsiness dissipated. She jumped right off the bed and approached Carter. ¡°Are the results


    out yet?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Carter nodded as he regarded Arielle with mixed feelings. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me asking, but


    apart from your own hair, does the other sample¡­ belong to your father Henrick Southall?¡± Arielle


    nodded. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right.¡± Carter looked troubled. ¡°The results¡­ I¡¯m not sure how to put this, but you


    should take a look at it for yourself.¡±


    Arielle was quite mystified when she received the report, and appeared flummoxed when she finished


    scrutinizing it. It said that her gic type did not match that of the other report, which meant to say


    that Henrick was not her biological father. ¡°This¡­ How¡­¡± The rosiness that returned to Arielle¡¯s face


    after her rest seemed to have turned ashen again. One reason why she did a paternity test was


    because Vinson had asked about it twice.


    Another stemmed from a vengeful impulse which arisen from her disappointment with Henrick. In her


    own heart, she had never doubted that he was her birth father, so the contents of the report came to


    her as a bolt out of the blue. She had thought Henrick to be her only remaining blood rtion but


    unexpectedly, even he was not. Who exactly am I then? If not for the grains of childhood memories she


    had retained, she was almost beginning to believe that she might not even be Arielle Moore.


    At the side, Vinson, who also saw what was written on the report, felt it unexpected. Nevertheless, he


    thought it logical as well. It seemed inconceivable to him how a w-riddled man like Henrick who bore


    not one sliver of virtue could have had an almost perfect daughter like Arielle.


    Not that he thought Arielle was actually perfect. It was just an impartial appraisal. Moreover, when


    Maureen was around, rumors were abound within the Jadeborough circle¡­ Vinson scrutinized Arielle¡¯s


    expression before he spoke, ¡°Don¡¯t be so upset, as this may not necessarily be a bad thing.¡±


    An anemic looking Arielle bit her lip. ¡°I¡¯m not upset¡­ It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t know how I should feel about


    this. If I¡¯m not his biological daughter, then could my mother still be my own birth mother?¡± CarterBelongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    followed up right after Arielle. ¡°Would you like to see the other report?¡± Arielle looked up at Carter, a


    little surprised. ¡°The other report?¡±


    He then passed along the paternity report he had in his hand. Arielle read the header and discovered


    that it had her mother¡¯s and her own name written on it. ¡°A paternity test report for my mother and


    myself?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Carter said. ¡°We¡¯ve kept your mother¡¯s blood samples like we do with the rest of our


    hospital¡¯s VIP clientele, in case of emergencies.


    I was just as surprised at the results of the test between Henrick and yourself, so I took the liberty of


    having my guys do one for your mother and you.¡± Arielle could feel her own heart-rate pick up. If it


    turned out that even her mother was not her own, then she would have lost all purpose returning here.


    Even her existence would be devoid of meaning.


    She was apprehensive about reading the conclusion of this report, and took a deep drawl before she


    mustered the courage to do so. The statement of results was as follows: The alleged mother cannot be


    excluded as the biological parent of the tested child. Based on the analysis as listed above, the


    probability of paternity is ny-nine point nine percent.

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    Maureen was indeed her biological mother. As Arielle heaved a long sigh, a scary thought suddenly


    dawned on her. Mom¡¯s only been married to Henrick, who¡¯s been recognizing me as his biological


    daughter. In this case, wouldn¡¯t it mean that Mom has¡­mitted adultery? Henrick found out about it


    and killed her?


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Then again, he¡¯s not the type who would allow someone who¡¯s not his blood and flesh to enter the


    family. It was then that Arielle realized she had a big mystery to solve. She had returned to investigate


    her mother¡¯s death but to no avail. In addition, she now was confused about who her actual father was.


    Her mind was in a total mess. Carter broke the silence. ¡°It¡¯s still early. Why don¡¯t you two have a chat


    while I check if they¡¯ve gotten any useful information from that guy?¡± With that suggestion, Carter went


    out and shut the door behind him, leaving Arielle and Vinson alone in the ward. With a wry smile, she


    looked at Vinson. ¡°You must be thinking that I¡¯m a joke. Neither am I the morous Ms. Moore nor Ms.


    Southhall. I¡¯m just¡­ an illegitimate child.¡± He frowned at her words. Putting on a stern face, he tried to


    correct her understanding. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re an illegitimate child.


    So what if you¡¯re one? To me, you are who you are.¡± Though he appeared to be icy-cold, his gaze was


    unexpectedly warm. Arielle moved her stiffened fingers. His unswerving attitude and that one firm


    sentence uttered had effectively cleared the doubts she had and given her the courage needed to sail


    through these trying times. Vinson had once again reminded her that she would always be Arielle,


    regardless of whose daughter she was.


    He continued, ¡°We can¡¯t choose our parents and family background, so that¡¯s no fault of yours. It¡¯s the


    adults who¡¯ve made a mistake.¡± Biting her lips, Arielle shared, ¡°From what I can remember, Mom wasn¡¯t


    that kind of a person¡­ I don¡¯t know why¡­ why would she do that.¡± Vinson paused for two seconds.


    ¡°Actually, there¡¯s something about your mom that I think you should know. I didn¡¯t tell you this earlier


    because I thought it¡¯d be rude for me to say this.¡±


    Stunned, she lifted her head immediately. ¡°About my mom? What¡¯s it about? I¡¯ve looked up a lot of


    information about her before going back to the Southalls. I believe I know everything about her.¡± He


    shook his head lightly. ¡°There¡¯s something not recorded in those files you read.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Gossips


    shared amongst the socialites in Jadeborough. It didn¡¯t cross my mind until I saw your DNA paternity


    report. Maybe you should hear this.¡±


    Clenching her fists, Arielle fretted. ¡°Go on¡­¡± He looked her in the eyes and articted all the tittle-


    tattles about Maureen within the Jadeborough social circles. ¡°You should know that your mom and


    Henrick got married in a sh. Based on her backgrounds, it would¡¯ve deemed inappropriate for her to


    be married into the Southall family.


    The Southalls made a fortune from coal mines and then purchased properties in Jadeborough. He got


    married with your mom not long after settling down here. Don¡¯t you think that this is so strange?¡± ¡°Yup,¡±


    she acknowledged. ¡°Rumor has it that your mom lost her virginity to a thug when she went hiking one


    day.


    As soon as she found out that she was pregnant, she looked for the Southalls anxiously¡­¡± Arielle¡¯s


    brows were knitted together. ¡°You¡¯re saying that my mom was rape¡­ that¡¯s why she had me? She


    married my dad in order to give me a legitimate identity?¡±

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    ¡°That¡¯s right, butpared to this one, I think another rumor is probably more realistic. Given that your


    mom is a smart, capable, and agile woman, I doubt she would end up getting assaulted.¡± ¡°There¡¯s


    another piece of gossip?¡± ¡°Yes, the other version says that your mom dating a guy with an exceptional


    family background. He dumped your mom after facing rejection from his family to marry her. Your mom


    did not want to abort the baby, so she chose the Southalls and made a decision to marry Henrick.¡±


    Hearing these, Arielle was even more perplexed. She questioned, ¡°The Moores were at its prime


    because of how capable my mom was. In fact, the Moores could be regarded as an equal to the four


    big prominent families in Jadeborough, joining all of you to be the fifth distinguished family. What kind


    was man was that who would disregard her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got no clue about that.¡± Vinson was rather hesitant. ¡°I heard about this from my mom, who was a


    close friend of your mom for a period of time. Though it might have sounded absurd, but there¡¯s


    probably some truth in it if ites from my mom.¡± Arielle requested, ¡°I want to meet your mom.¡±


    Vinson¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he was not prepared for that. To him, it was quote a boring chore to


    bring a girl to see his parents.


    However, he actually felt delighted to do that albeit knowing Arielle wanted to see his mother for a


    different reason. What¡¯s wrong with me? Seeing that Vinson fell silent, Arielle faltered, ¡°Is it a bad idea?


    If it¡¯s not convenient for you, I¡¯ll find a way to see her¡­¡± Shaking his head, he returned to his senses.


    ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s fine. I just need toe up with an excuse.¡± ¡°An excuse?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he exined, ¡°My mom has


    all the pet peeves of the rich and famous that you can think of. She usually doesn¡¯t meet any stranger.


    Moreover, the Southalls is nothing like what the Moores used to be in the past.


    She won¡¯t be willing to see anyone from the Southall family. Anyhow, it¡¯s not impossible. I just need to


    create a reason for that.¡± ¡°What would it be?¡± ¡°Be my girlfriend.¡± She gasped in disbelief. ¡°What? What


    did you just say?¡± He put on a poker face. ¡°Frankly, my mom has been pushing me to go for blind dates


    recently, but I¡¯m not interested at all. If you could pretend to be my girlfriend, it would save us a lot of


    trouble.


    She wille looking for you naturally.¡± Arielle was caught in a dilemma. ¡°Um¡­ this is going to get


    veryplicated. What if we can¡¯t find another lie to cover up the lies said? I¡¯m referring to my dad¡­ I


    mean, Henrick. Once he has the impression that we¡¯re an item, he will do everything to make me marry


    you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with that,¡± Vinson replied casually, ¡°Both our courtship and marriage could


    be a fake rtionship.


    I don¡¯t n to get married. So, if you don¡¯t n to either, we can possibly coborate and create a win-


    win situation for ourselves. After all, isn¡¯t a dreame true for you to marry me?¡± Arielle almost puked


    and choked herself to death at the sound of that. She rified, ¡°I¡¯ve said this repeatedly, that was just a


    joke¡­¡± He insisted, ¡°You should seriously consider it even if it¡¯s a joke. With the title ¡®Mrs. Nightshire¡¯


    bestowed upon you, you can easily uncover the truth about your mom¡¯s death or take any revenge.


    Things will definitely be so much smoother than now. As soon as your objective is achieved or once


    I¡¯ve found the love of my life, we can get a divorce. I can see only pros and no cons in this ideal n.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Carter walked in to them and interrupted the conversation.N?velDrama.Org content rights.

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    ¡°It¡¯s about time we have to leave for the hotel.¡± After reminding them, Carter asked curiously, ¡°By the


    way, who are you putting up a show for?¡± Averting his gaze, Arielle muttered, ¡°My dad, or should I


    say¡­ my so-called dad.¡± Carter shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Fine, whoever it¡¯s for, let¡¯s go now. I¡¯ve


    arranged for someone to check the surroundings. There¡¯s no one guarding the hotel at the moment. I¡¯ll


    hack into their systems, so that the surveince cameras won¡¯t capture your images.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much,¡± Arielle expressed her gratitude earnestly. Feeling shy, Carter adjusted his


    spectacles. ¡°Cut the formalities, we¡¯re a team. Let¡¯s go!¡± Ever since the acupuncture incident, Carter


    hadpletely changed his views about Arielle. He had fully epted her like one of his own. Arielle


    nodded and followed suit. When she walked past Vinson, she heard him say under his breath, ¡°Please


    consider what we¡¯ve discussed carefully.¡±


    She froze for a moment and then continued walking. The inquisitive Carter asked, ¡°What¡¯s that about?¡±


    Seeing that Arielle ignored his statement, Vinson smirked, and strode ahead. Carter grumbled,


    ¡°Whatever! I bet it must be something dreadful, judging from that cunning smile.¡± Momentster, both


    Vinson and Arielle had returned to the hotel without attracting any unnecessary attention. As soon as


    the door was closed, Arielle let out a sigh of relief. When she turned around and looked into the


    direction of the kitchen, a towering figure was rolling up his sleeves.


    Next, the man picked up a frying pan with the hand that would usually hold a tablet. Interested, Arielle


    approached him. ¡°Wow, Mr. Nightshire can cook?¡± A proud smug settled upon his face. ¡°Cooking is a


    piece of cake. Anyone with hands can do it. I¡¯m just going to cook some noodles, do you want some?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please!¡± she responded right away. After an eventful night, she felt so hungry. Ten minutester,


    two bowls of lumpy noodles greeted Arielle. She tried to suppress herughter. I must have been out of


    my mind to believe that he who was born with a silver spoon knows how to cook.


    Are these noodles even edible? ¡°No need to hold it. Go ahead andugh as much as you like.


    Everyone¡¯s a master in their own field. It¡¯s my first time cooking a meal, so it¡¯s understandable that I


    didn¡¯t manage it well,¡± Vinson said disapprovingly while cing the cutlery on the table. It was hard for


    Arielle to acknowledge his viewpoint that cooking instant noodles required the same skills as making a


    full course meal.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m notughing at you. Considering this is your first experience of ¡®making a meal¡¯, it¡¯s¡­ not bad.


    However, let¡¯s forget about these two bowls of noodles. I saw that there¡¯s some flour and basic


    ingredients in your kitchen. I¡¯ll make some ravioli. Would you like some?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Vinson nodded his


    head reluctantly and discarded the two bowls of noodles thereafter. He knew that the food he cooked


    was not up to standard, but did not expect to receive disdainful feedback on his maiden dish.


    He was looking forward to seeing what Arielle coulde up with using the simple ingredients in the


    kitchen. I might have a chance to tease her too! She looks like she only knows how to brew coffee. I


    doubt she¡¯s able to make a dish sessfully. Arielle went into the kitchen and checked on the


    ingredients, only to realize that they were very fresh staples.


    She picked a few types of vegetables then proceeded to wash and cut them into pieces. Subsequently,


    she mixed them together with some minced meat and added various seasonings. Fascinated, Vinson


    watched her every move without blinking his eyes.

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    It was Vinson¡¯s first time seeing how an oily and smoky affair in the kitchen could look like a work of art


    when Arielle did it. Perhaps it is because she has slender fingers and her skin is as white as


    snow. Arielle did not notice that Vinson had his gaze fixated on her. She was paying full attention on


    making the stuffing and getting the dough ready. While she was preparing the stuffing, she let the


    dough rest. Thereafter, she ttened the dough into many thin discs, wrapped the stuffing, and skillfully


    shaped each ravioli. He could not help but asked, ¡°Do you do this often?¡±


    ¡°You can say so. When I was living in another country¡­ um¡­ countryside, I¡¯d sometimes make ravioli


    on my own when I¡¯m tired of ordering take-outs. Ravioli seem easy to make as it only involves a few


    steps. Once it¡¯s steamed, you can eat it right away.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Vinson pretended that he did not notice


    Arielle¡¯s slip of the tongue and took the initiative to make ravioli too. He copied her actions and the


    oue seemed to be quite favorable. Although he messed up a few times, he somehow managed to


    make some decent ones too. Without another word uttered, the two of them continued to shape the


    ravioli quietly.


    Surprisingly, Vinson did not feel that it was a bore to do such trivial things. In fact, he really enjoyed the


    peaceful moments spent with Arielle. Shortly after, all the ravioli were steamed and ready to be eaten.


    ¡°Let me try your masterpiece.¡± He took one and stuffed it inside his mouth. Even though Arielle


    appeared to be very skillful throughout the process and she even did it from scratch, Vinson had very


    high expectations because he had tasted an array of good food.


    Moreover, one of thepanies under Nightshire Group had produced a special type of premium


    frozen ravioli, which was very delicious yet expensive. He had tried them all and took pride in his own


    products. Hence, he did not expect much from Arielle and was actually ready toment on her food.


    However, the moment he ate one, he stared at Arielle with his eyes wide opened. He was so shocked


    to have such a rich burst of vors inside his mouth.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Thebination of savory gravy, crunchy vegetables, and perfectly marinated minced meat was such


    a tease to his tastebuds. It was his first time to have tasted something so delectable even though the


    ingredients that she used were just the basic ones provided by the hotel. There was even a sparkle in


    his eyes. Arielle had not had a bite yet, so she could notprehend Vinson¡¯s reaction. ¡°Is it not


    good?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡±


    He continued speaking after swallowing a mouthful, ¡°It tastes all right, especially when I made it


    myself.¡± Arielle was rendered speechless. He was making them at a snail¡¯s pace. When I


    finished, he¡¯s only done six of them. The one he¡¯s eating might not even be his work. Anyhow, Vinson


    was not a man who would praise others easily. Thus, Arielle took his response as apliment. She


    did not ask him further.


    Instead, she lowered her head and continued eating. After having only one, she realized that half of the


    thirty-odd pieces of ravioli on the te were gone. While chewing one in his mouth, Vinson kept serving


    himself albeit already having a full bowl in front of him. His actions brought a smile to her face.


    The following day, Arielle put on the clothes that Vinson had asked someone to prepare for her and


    walked out of the hotel in the scorching hot weather. Right when she wanted to call a cab, a luxurious


    MPV, which belonged to the Southalls, stopped in front of her. The driver came down to get the door for


    her. ¡°Ms. Arielle, Mr. Southall has instructed me to wait for you here. This way, please.¡±a

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    With a light sneer, Arielle simply nodded and boarded the MPV. There was a change in the driver¡¯s


    attitude. Henrick must have said something to him. Apparently, she would only receive a decent


    treatment when she yed the role of a useful Sannie. However, all these no longer mean anything to


    her ever since she found out that Henrick was not her biological father. She looked up at the hotel from


    the car window and caught the curtains in her room moved, as if someone was standing there,


    observing her. Am I seeing things?


    It¡¯s impossible that Vinson will want to see me off. Retracting her gaze, Arielle sank into deep thoughts


    again, trying to figure out a way to resolve all these problems she faced. She was confident that the


    truth would be at her fingertips as soon as she had discovered about her real identity. Soon, they


    arrived at the Southall residence. Arielle did not get much sleep, except for the short time when she


    was getting a drip. In the manor, there were also two other people who stayed up all night.


    Upon receiving the news that Arielle had arrived, Henrick immediately went out of his study room and


    dashed downstairs. Meanwhile, Cindy got the news too. ¡°Is she back?¡± Cindy could not believe what


    she had heard. The housekeeper nodded. ¡°Yes, Mr. Southall is on his way to wee her.¡±


    ¡°Wee¡­¡± Cindy¡¯s hands started to tremble. If Henrick is weing Arielle personally, that


    means she¡¯s sessfully bonded with Vinson. It¡¯d be much harder for me to tackle her


    henceforth. Feeling like a cat on hot bricks, Cindy paced back and forth after sending the housekeeper


    away.


    She called Matthias and told him all about Arielle. ¡°I told you so, but you didn¡¯t believe me. Considering


    Arielle¡¯s alluring look, who wouldn¡¯t like getting entangled with her?¡± Matthias uttered with much


    annoyance. Cindy shushed him and retorted, ¡°This isn¡¯t the time to criticize me. Hurry up and think of a


    solution.¡± Matthias replied, ¡°What else is there to think about? Just go with the original n. This might


    not be a bad thing, after all.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s with Vinson now. Is this not the worst thing that could have happened?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t fret and listen to


    me. ording to our initial n, she¡¯d be given a bad name at best. However, things have gotten more


    interesting now. If our n goes well, the person that she¡¯s betraying is Vinson. You and I know that the


    consequences are severe when one offends the Nightshires.¡± Upon hearing that, Cindy became


    hopeful again.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right! When Vinson blows a fuse, he might take revenge on Henrick too. If the time is right,


    we can even seize the opportunity and defeat Henrick once and for all. Then, the Southall Group will be


    entirely ours.¡± ¡°When that timees, Cin, you¡¯ll be mine and mine only¡­¡± Cindy simpered.


    ¡°Yup. You¡¯ll have to arrange this quickly and get the drug that you¡¯ve been looking for as soon as


    possible.¡± ¡°All right.¡± She ended the phone call and headed downstairs happily to take a good look at


    Arielle. The happier she is now, the more dejected she will beter. The difference between


    heaven and hell is mind-blowing.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    Henrick was over the moon when he saw Arielle. ¡°Sannie, my darling daughter is back! Is everything


    okay?¡± It¡¯s a redundant question. Anyone can tell that everything went smoothlyst night, judging from


    the time Ariellees home. She smiled bashfully. ¡°I¡­ guess so?¡±

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    Henrick was finally relieved after receiving the much needed reassurance from Arielle. He queried


    further, ¡°Did Mr. Nightshire say anything else?¡± Right when Arielle was about to answer, Henrick¡¯s


    phone rang. He took a nce at it and quickly picked up the call. ¡°Hello, Mr. Chance? Continuing the


    coboration? Oh, how wonderful, thank you very much! Yes, even if we have any disagreement in the


    future, we shouldmunicate more effectively.


    Sure, you go ahead.¡± After hanging up, Henrick stared at Arielle approvingly. ¡°That¡¯s my daughter,


    smart and capable! The other party has confirmed their willingness to coborate with us.¡± Arielle


    shed a faint smile. Am I not smart and capable? I have to promise to make a ravioli feast for Vinson,


    in exchange for that business opportunity. Right when she wanted to respond to him, Cindy came out,


    all smiles. ¡°I¡¯ve heard¡­ Shannie, thanks for saving my family.¡±


    Arielle scrutinized Cindy¡¯s expression and realized that she was truly d. It did not look like she was


    faking it. Seems like Cindy¡¯s plot is going well so far. She¡¯s probably waiting to see how I¡¯ll fall from the


    throne and into a quagmire. Arielle pretended not to suspect anything and smiled sheepishly. The next


    moment, Cindy held Arielle¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ve asked the kitchen to make some herbal soup for you. My heart


    aches seeing you so tired.


    Go and drink it while it¡¯s hot. Besides nourishing your body, it has other advantages too.¡± I guess the


    other benefit of the soup is to boost fertility, especially at this so-called critical moment. Arielle studied


    Cindy¡¯s every gesture. She must be scheming something huge this time. Henrick was pleased to see


    how polite and courteous Cindy was. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t sleep in the study room and neglected Cindy.


    No matter how misbehaved Shandie is, it¡¯s got nothing to do with Cindy.


    I shouldn¡¯t have med it on her. ¡°Go ahead and finish your soup. Don¡¯t waste Cindy¡¯s effort. We¡¯ll


    catch up thereafter,¡± Henrick advised. As he spoke, he held Cindy¡¯s hand like a loving couple. If it was? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    in the past, Arielle would have turned sour seeing such a scene. That was because she felt so sorry for


    her mother. Conversely, there was no negative emotions felt by her now. She could even smile sweetly


    at them.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll drink it now.¡± This couple deserves to be with each other, or they will harm more people. Then


    again, Cindy might not want to be locked down with just one man¡­ With her own thoughts ying in


    her mind, Arielle strode toward the kitchen and drank the herbal soup. Cindy was not a fool to do


    something nasty to the soup which others knew was served by her. However, to be safe, Arielle


    smelled the soup first.


    The herbs would be nutritious enough to supplement her body¡¯s needs after receiving acupuncture


    treatments. When she was done, Henrick asked to see her. He requested for all the housekeepers to


    leave the room, keeping only Cindy by his side. Chuckling, he asked, ¡°Last night¡­ did Mr. Nightshire


    promise you anything?¡± Arielle nodded. ¡°He did mention that Nightshire Group won¡¯t terminate our


    projects.¡±


    Henrick was rather frustrated. ¡°No, I¡¯m not asking about this. Besides this¡­ is there anything else? Did


    he promise to marry you?¡± A mocking look flitted past Arielle¡¯s eyes. Given an inch, he¡¯s trying to take a


    mile.

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    Chapter 132


    After obtaining the contract, Henrick wanted Arielle to marry into the Nightshire family. Concealing the


    expression in her eyes, Arielle shook her head. ¡°No, he didn¡¯t say anything else besides agreeing to


    this.¡± Sighing, Henrick was disappointed. ¡°Forget it. As long as we¡¯ve won this contract, it¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°How is


    that possible?¡± Cindy was enraged. ¡°Sannie is a pure and innocent girl. How can we just let him be


    after our dear girl has lost her virginity to him? Dear, are you out of your mind? We must insist that he


    take responsibility for this.¡± Henrick was in a dilemma.


    I do want him to pay for it, but it¡¯s Vinson Nightshire we¡¯re talking about. He¡¯s no Tom, Dick or Harry.


    What if we identally step on his toes and get ourselves into deep trouble. We might lose more than


    just a contract. Is that worthwhile? Cindy continued to chime in, ¡°Dear, you can¡¯t just think for the sake


    of yourpany, you need to prioritize Sannie. Don¡¯t you know that a girl¡¯s dignity is of utmost


    importance? How should Sannie marry others if the word gets out?¡± Henrick fell silent. He did not


    consider anything else at that time, except for ways to save hispany.


    Cindy added fuel to the fire. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Nightshires! They can¡¯t deny this. If they do, we¡¯ll report it


    to the police. Dear, think carefully.¡± Henrick felt so ufortable and nervous at the same time; he


    could not seem to bring himself to do what Cindy had suggested. On the other hand, Cindy¡¯s got a


    point. It¡¯s the best time now to make demands from Vinson. If we drag it longer, the police won¡¯t be able


    to test anything. In addition, Vinson can deny it all. Upon contemting, Henrick finally decided to seize


    the opportunity and take action. He said righteously, ¡°You¡¯re right!


    I can¡¯t allow him to trample on my daughter¡¯s dignity!¡± Arielle could see through the both of them. Cindy


    is paving the way for her vicious n whereas Henrick is blinded by greed. They¡¯re always up to no


    good. Henrick doesn¡¯t realize that my reputation will be totally ruined once he makes a scene about


    this. Will the Nightshires feel threatened? Absolutely not! Unfortunately, Arielle would be the only victim


    in this incident.


    Henrick¡¯s n could only work provided that Vinson did sleep with Arielle and treated her like a jerk


    thereafter. The more Arielle thought about this, the more she grew to hate them. The persistent Cindy


    continued to persuade Henrick. ¡°Dear, do you want to do it now? Bring Sannie over to the Nightshires


    and gain the upper hand.¡±


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    His greedy eyes lit up. Yes, that¡¯s right! Good point. Turning to Alfred, he ordered, ¡°Ask the chauffeur to


    get ready. I¡¯m going to see Mr. Nightshire.¡± Cindy quickly reminded him, ¡°Although Mr. Nightshire is a


    brilliant man, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not his decision to make when ites to marriage.


    He has to obey his elders, so we should pay Mrs. Nightshire a visit.¡± Henrick hesitated at the sound of


    the suggestion. Susanne was well known for her peculiarity. She cared a lot about family backgrounds


    and would disregard anyone from a certain walks of life even if that individual wasparatively


    wealthy. ¡°Is it a good idea to go straight to¡­ Mrs. Nightshire? She¡¯s¡­ Um¡­ You do know what her


    response was when I wanted to arrange you to y cards with her, right?¡± Cindy¡¯s face darkened as


    she recalled a humiliating incident.

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    Once, Henrick arranged for Cindy to meet Susanne at her regr card game ce because Cindy


    wanted to get into the same social circle as Susanne. Thetter did not even take a nce at her when


    she shooed Cindy away. Till date, Cindy was still scarred by Susanne¡¯s scornful remarks, ¡°Who in their


    right mind would think that a ragtag and bobtail can y cards with me?¡± From that day onward, it had


    never crossed Cindy¡¯s mind to make any contact with Susanne.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Trying to shake herself off the bad memory, Cindy spoke assertively, ¡°No matter how powerful the


    Nightshires are, I¡¯m certain that they won¡¯t like any gossips and scandals to taint their family name.


    We¡¯re living in the Inte era. If this matter goes viral, she¡¯ll no longer have thest say in this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. We should go to them now.¡± Henrick instructed Arielle, ¡°Go and get changed into


    something more decent. We¡¯ll head to the Nightshire residence right away.¡±


    Arielle squinted her eyes and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± Henrick furrowed his brows while Cindy


    rushed to speak first, ¡°Sannie, don¡¯t be stubborn. We are doing this for your sake. Marrying into the


    Nightshire family is the best option to ensure that you live a life of abundance and with dignity.¡± Cindy


    insisted to bring Arielle along to the Nightshires and force them to ept her. We have to make a big


    fuss about this, so that people will know that Arielle and Vinson are together.


    Then, we shall expose her scandal with another man that willpletely ruin her reputation. This is the


    only way for Arielle to get in the bad book of the Nightshires. Cindy rehearsed her wicked n in her


    head. Henrick gave Cindy an approving look. Subsequently, hemanded, ¡°Cindy is thinking for your


    sake. Go get ready!¡± Am I an obedient person who would just wee any kind of oppression? Sorry,


    that¡¯s not part of my characteristics. Surely, Arielle had sniffed out Cindy¡¯s evil scheme. Although she


    was confident that she could tackle any of Cindy¡¯s move, things would be very different once they


    stepped foot into the Nightshire residence.


    Arielle did not wish to be the subject of everybody¡¯s gossip. She only wanted to investigate her


    mother¡¯s case secretly, without anyone¡¯s knowledge. At least for this period of time, I must stay out of


    the limelight. She nced at Cindy and smirked. ¡°Dad, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m not willing to go, but there¡¯s no


    reason to go.¡± Puzzled, Henrick asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Arielle sighed. ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t want to


    tell you earlier because I was still deciding.¡±


    Her statement made Henrick even more baffled. ¡°Deciding on what?¡± ¡°Before leaving the hotel today,


    Mr. Nightshire asked me to consider being his girlfriend,¡± Arielle said timidly. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Both


    Henrick and Cindy snapped their heads upward instantly. One was shocked to the core whereas the


    other beamed with joy. Henrick interrogated her, ¡°Are you serious? Is that true? What else did Mr.


    Nightshire say?¡±


    Arielle continued to put on an act. ¡°It¡¯s true. Well, this is a private matter¡­ I won¡¯t lie to anyone about


    this. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Mr. Nightshire. I¡¯ll give him a call now.¡± Arielle pretended to


    fish for her phone from her bag. ¡°No, no, don¡¯t.¡± Henrick stopped her instantly.


    If Vinson has said so, Arielle absolutely has an advantage in this matter. Calling him would be


    redundant and make us look too petty. A girl should y hard to get in order to make the guy go crazy


    about her. Henrick was thrilled but pretended to be angry. ¡°You¡¯re such a nuisance. Why did you keep


    this important detail a secret? Between us father and daughter, you shoulde clean with me.¡±

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    Chapter 134


    Wearing a naive expression on her face, Arielle replied, ¡°I¡­ I haven¡¯t thought it through yet. After all,


    I¡¯ve only known him for a short while. Won¡¯t it be too reckless if I say yes to him hastily?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!


    Don¡¯t give him an answer now. Otherwise, he might think that you¡¯re an easy target.¡± Henrick was


    super satisfied with his daughter. Luck favors the gullible one. Perhaps that¡¯s what Vinson was


    attracted to, the sweet and ignorant type. Seeing how astonished Cindy was, a smug appeared on


    Arielle¡¯s face. ¡°Do we still need to go to the Nightshire residence?¡±


    ¡°No, we are not!¡± Of course not. We shouldn¡¯t disrupt it since everything seems to be going


    well. We¡¯ll shoot ourselves in the foot if we were to show our cards to early and demand benefits at this


    point. ¡°Since we¡¯re not heading out¡­¡± Arielle yawned. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go upstairs and take a rest. I¡¯m really


    exhausted. I have one more shoot this afternoon as the ambassador of Soir Coffee.¡± ¡°Quickly go and


    have a good rest.¡± Henrick held her hand and asked with utmost concern, ¡°Can you go up by yourself?¡±


    Arielle nodded. He said affectionately, ¡°Rest well. I¡¯ll make sure no one disturbs you until you wake up.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Dad. I¡¯ll go up now.¡± Arielle smiled. Before striding upstairs, she purposely said to Cindy,


    ¡°Thanks, Aunt Cindy. I¡¯ll remember your kind thoughts and return you the favor when I¡¯m married into


    the Nightshire family.¡± Her words sent a cold chill down Cindy¡¯s spine. At the same time, she was


    infuriated. How dare she threatens me! It¡¯s such a pity to lose even before the game begins. Cindy


    could only faked a smile and gestured Arielle to go to her room. Henrick was grinning from ear to ear.


    After sending Arielle upstairs, he instructed Cindy,


    ¡°Henceforth, you should personally supervise the kitchen to make more nutrient-dense foods for


    Sannie every day. She¡¯s been working really hard recently. Also, get her the best etiquette coach


    soonest possible.¡± Cindy¡¯s smile stiffened. The best etiquette coach for that country bumpkin? What


    gives? My darling daughter has never even had one. While Arielle could enjoy scrumptious food daily,


    Shandie was suffering in the temple. Cindy almost broke down at the thought of it. I must think of a way


    to get Shannie back and destroy Arielle once and for all at Yvette¡¯s banquet.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Clenching her fists, glints of hatred shed across her eyes. You¡¯re smug? It won¡¯t be for long until


    you¡¯re doomed, Arielle. Meanwhile, the exhausted Arielle removed her shoes and crawled into her bed


    the moment she entered her room. Although she was tremendously tired, she still spent some time


    recalling the series of events throughout the day, to check that there was no loophole. Then, she slept


    soundly. Three hourster, Arielle was woken up by the rm clock.


    She had applied for a half-day leave from Vinson. Therefore, she needed toplete themercial


    shoot in the afternoon. She wanted to aplish all the projects rted to Soir Coffee and


    concentrate on her personal matters. Since it was still early, Arielle slept in a little bit more. She felt


    more refreshed after getting some shuteye. Picking up her phone, she realized that there was a text


    message from Iris. ¡°Ms. Sannie, the filming set for today is confirmed to be at Southall Group.


    It¡¯s a stone¡¯s throw away from where you¡¯re at, so you cane over slightlyter. By the way, I¡¯ve got


    some news for you. The outrageous woman has been fired and reced by a new person in charge.


    As to who that is¡­ you¡¯ll find out as soon as you¡¯re here.¡±

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    Chapter 135


    Arielle really liked Iris¡ªan active girl who treated everyone sincerely. She did not ask further but just


    simply acknowledged her text message, knowing that Iris wanted to keep her in suspense. After


    washing up, she went downstairs calmly. She was guessing Henrick would be waiting for her since the


    location of the shoot was at Southall Group. Just as she had expected, the moment she walked into the


    living room, Henrick was already there, reading newspaper on the couch.


    Alerted by the footsteps, Henrick turned his head, all smiles. ¡°My darling daughter is up? Soir Coffee


    contacted me an hour ago to ask for my permission to use our premises as a filming set. Fortunately


    for them, it¡¯s not a hectic period at the office, so I gave them the green light. I¡¯ll go to thepany with


    you and take a look at how the shoot will be done.¡± Arielle responded obediently with a sweet smile,


    ¡°Sure.¡± She scanned the living room and Cindy was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Where¡¯s Aunt Cindy?¡± ¡°Oh¡­


    She¡¯s been learning how to do business with me over the years.


    Now that I¡¯m apanying you to the shoot today, I¡¯ve deputized her to monitor some projects.¡±


    ¡°She¡­ as your deputy? Dad, I don¡¯t know if I should say this¡­¡± Arielle said with a hint of dread. ¡°Go


    ahead.¡± He looked at her with a gentle gaze. Arielle shared, ¡°When I was in the countryside, I¡¯ve seen


    many women betrayed their men after having a taste of wealth and power. Dad, you should take note


    of these things and don¡¯t hand over all of your business to others. I¡¯m not doubtful of Aunt Cindy¡¯s


    character, but isn¡¯t it safer to remain wary than to be sorryter?


    What do you think?¡± Henrick waved his hand. ¡°Rest assured that your Aunt Cindy only has a soft spot


    for me. Whatever you¡¯ve said won¡¯t happen. I know what to do. Don¡¯t worry about these things.¡± Even


    though Henrick said so verbally, he was reminding himself deep down to be more vignt. It¡¯s funny


    how a gullible girl like Arielle can think of such things whereas I¡¯ve not paid attention to it. Perhaps


    it¡¯s time to watch out for Cindy.


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Arielle pretended not to take the matter to heart. However, she knew that her analogy


    would sow a seed of suspicion in Henrick¡¯s heart as he had always been a skeptical person. With this


    seemingly unintentional reminder, Arielle believed that Henrick would start to be more cautious around


    Cindy. When the time is right, Arielle would expose the love affairs between Cindy and Matthias and


    send the Southalls into a frenzy of rage. ¡°Oh, yes, there¡¯s one more thing I forgot to tell you. Mr.


    Nightshire suggested for me to acquire some knowledge in business if I were to be his girlfriend.


    Do you¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy!¡± Henrick interrupted her, ¡°Come with me to thepany once you¡¯re done


    shooting for Soir Coffee. As his fianc¨¦e, you should indeed learn about trading. This will equip you to


    help him out in the future.¡± At that moment, Henrick hadpletely forgotten how much he loathed for


    women to get involved in business back then. Marrying any ordinary rich man was iparable to


    marrying into the Nightshire family.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Though Henrick had suspected something between Arielle and Vinson, he never took it seriously. It


    was something he could only dream. Thinking that the faint thought in the past could now be his


    dreame true made him unbelievably happy. Needless to say, learning something other girls don¡¯t


    know will give Arielle that added value and advantage to be married into the Nightshires, an


    extraordinary family.


    In his excitement, he was tremendously satisfied with his daughter, Arielle. He then thought about


    Maureen. That woman was so strict. She never consumed any salty or oily food, and we¡¯ve only slept


    together once from the day we got married till the day she died. Yet, she¡¯s given me such a pleasant


    surprise, my good-natured daughter.

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    Chapter 136


    Henrick regretted not making a police report in order to save his reputation. He should not have


    dyed his search for this gem-like daughter. He stroked Arielle¡¯s hair lovingly. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you to


    work and give you a tour around thepany. You haven¡¯t seen it since you came back, right?¡± Arielle


    nodded with an excited expression and followed Henrick into the car. Soon, they arrived at Southall


    Group. Staring at the skyscraper, bits and pieces of memories started flooding back to


    her. Sannie, I¡¯m going to a meeting. You stay in the office and do your homework, okay?


    Don¡¯t roam around. She recalled how Maureen would not leave her alone at home and brought her


    along to her office. She also remembered the secretpartment in her mother¡¯s office, which had a


    lot of things kept inside. She wondered if the secretpartment was discovered when it changed


    hands from Moore Group to Southall Group. she might be able to find some clues about her biological


    father if thepartment still existed. ¡°Sannie, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Henrick walked to her after noticing that


    she had not followed behind him.


    Regaining her senses, Arielle replied, ¡°It¡¯s my first time here, so I want to take a good look¡­ After


    being kidnapped, I had a high fever and lost some memories about the past.¡± ¡°I heard. It¡¯s okay if you


    can¡¯t recall the past. What¡¯s more important is to live in the present. I¡¯ll make it up to you.¡± Henrick¡¯s


    gaze was filled with fatherly love, yet Arielle saw something more than that. She saw greed in it. Arielle


    was well aware that Henrick was not being genuine to her. She was not what he valued, but rather, the


    genie in themp that he had found. ¡°Yup, I know you¡¯re the best to me.¡±


    In contrast to her warm and submissive smile was her icy-cold heart. He caressed her head again. ¡°At


    first, Soir Coffee could not find an ideal location for the shoot because it¡¯s a challenge to rent an entire


    building like this where many people work in it. When I heard about it, I made a majority of the


    employees go on paid leave and rented the premises to your team. I did that for you. Therefore, enjoy


    your day at work.¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Thank you, Dad.¡± Arielle tried her best to suppress her disgust whenever Henrick touched her.


    Pretending to be gleeful, she followed him into the building. Theyout of Southall Group felt so familiar


    yet distant to Arielle. Her memory was fragmentary. Besides Maureen¡¯s former office, she could not


    remember much about anything else. Upon entering the lobby, she saw Iris waiting for her at the


    reception desk. ¡°Ms. Sannie, you¡¯re here.


    I was about to give you a call.¡± Arielle nodded. ¡°My dad was heading to thepany too, so I came


    early. Where¡¯s everyone?¡± Iris greeted Henrick and then answered Arielle, ¡°The rest of them are at the


    highest floor. You¡¯re ying two roles today; a CEO and a white-cor worker. We¡¯ll shoot you as the


    CEO first and the scene will take ce at the highest floor.¡± Arielle blinked. ¡°That means I¡¯ll have to do


    it at the CEO office?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Iris smiled politely. ¡°Mr. Southall has been so kind and cooperative. He¡¯s asked


    someone to tidy up his office. They are now setting up the filming equipment and tools.¡± Both of them


    chatted as they walked into the elevator. Henrick pressed the button for them but did not enter.

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    Chapter 137


    Confused, Arielle asked, ¡°Dad, didn¡¯t you say you want to keep mepany? Aren¡¯t youing in?¡±


    Henrick coughed. ¡°Your team is very professional, it¡¯s best I don¡¯t disturb your flow. I¡¯ll go and check on


    your Aunt Cindy. She isn¡¯t familiar with certain things, so I¡¯m afraid she can¡¯t handle it on her own. Call


    me when you¡¯re done, I¡¯ll treat your team to a good meal.¡± At that moment, Arielle realized that Henrick


    started having dubious assumptions about Cindy. That was a good chance for Arielle to find out if the


    secretpartment in her mother¡¯s office was still there.


    ¡°Okay, you go ahead. I¡¯ll look for you when I¡¯m done.¡± She smiled. ¡°Sure, have a good time. I¡¯ll get


    going.¡± Henrick said as he turned to leave in a rush. Obviously, he had no trust for people around him,


    including his wife. Ament from others would easily sow a seed of doubt in him. Arielle thought that


    it would be quite easy and yet challenging to attack people who were not resolute. She could not give


    herself away in front of Henrick, otherwise, she would be suspected too.


    The smile on her face remained until Henrick disappeared from her sight when the elevator door


    closed. Iris did not notice the changes in Arielle¡¯s expression. She teased her, ¡°Ms. Sannie, do you


    remember my text message? There¡¯s a new person in charge today. Do you want to know who it is?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s response was slightly dyed as she was not paying attention. ¡°Who?¡± To her, she could not


    be bothered about the new personnel. All she wanted was a smooth day at work. Iris chuckled. Before


    she could say anything, they had arrived at the top floor.


    The elevator door opened, revealing a towering figure. That man outside the elevator was exceptionally


    good-looking. He had a pair of deep-set eyes, a chiseled face, a defined jawline, and outstanding


    features. Who else could it be if it¡¯s not Vinson? Arielle was so stunned to see Vinson showing up at the


    elevator. The next moment, she turned to Iris as she recalled her text message. Iris giggled. ¡°Ms.


    Sannie, Mr. Nightshire is the person in charge of today¡¯s shoot.¡± Arielle was bbergasted. Why is he


    the person in charge? As the CEO of Nightshire Group, is he that free?


    Vinson was nning to go downstairs and pick Arielle up. Seeing that she had arrived, he took a step


    back and cast a look at Iris. Instantly, Iris got the cue. Keeping her head low, she scurried away and left


    them alone. Confused, Arielle asked, ¡°How did you be the person in charge? You don¡¯t have


    anything to do in yourpany?¡± Vinson replied casually, ¡°It¡¯s just a simple shoot that won¡¯t take up a


    lot of my time.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Moreover, I can continue working from here. I¡¯m more worried about your performance as the


    ambassador. This is a project that I ce great emphasis on, don¡¯t you mess it up.¡± Arielle assumed


    that he came because of her. After hearing his exnation, she pursed her lips. I knew it!


    Thankfully, I¡¯m aware that he doesn¡¯t have any feelings for me. Had I not known that, I might have


    thought in the wrong direction. She answered, ¡°I can guarantee that I won¡¯t let you down. Let¡¯s get


    started!¡± She had toplete quite a bit in the afternoon due to the fact that she had requested for a


    half-day leave in the morning.


    It should not be too stressful to look through the to-do lists for both the morning and the afternoon tasks


    in the absence of the woman who liked finding fault with her. Soon, both of them entered the CEO¡¯s


    office one after the other. When she was passing by an office, she could hear children¡¯sughter. She


    stopped in her tracks and queried the staff, ¡°Why are there children at the office?¡± The staff replied,


    ¡°This is ourpany policy.


    Working parents are allowed to bring their children in and stay in the kids yroom. With a specialized


    person taking care of the children, employees can be more devoted to their work.¡± Arielle nodded.


    When the staff left, she turned to Vinson andmented, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that my dad is quite¡­


    humane to his employees.¡± ¡°Humane?¡± Vinson chuckled as if he had just heard a joke. Dumbfounded,


    she asked, ¡°Why? What are youughing at? Did I say anything wrong? It¡¯s not easy for females to find


    a suitable job after bing a mother.


    He¡¯s willing to hire them and amodate their needs by setting up a kids yroom. Isn¡¯t that a


    humane move?¡± Vinson shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s what you think when you don¡¯t know the full story.


    Henrick did employ working mothers, but he pays them ording to part-time wages although their


    workloads are more than full-time staff. This isn¡¯t a humane move, but an act of oppression. Do you


    really think that the yroom has a conducive environment?¡± As soon as Arielle heard that, she


    opened the door to the yroom and was immediately greeted by a pungent stench of pee and poop


    lingering in the air. Some of the kids were ying by themselves but a majority of them were crying.


    The so-called ¡®specialized staff¡¯ was seen sitting at the side, ying games on her mobile phone.


    Arielle was dumbfounded. There¡¯s nothing humane about this whole situation. In fact, it¡¯s a form of


    oppression in disguise. She was horrified at the sight. Yet, she was not too surprised that it happened


    because it did seem like something Henrick would do. How selfish and immoral could he be to recruit


    employees through such despicable means? Arielle made a firm decision to reorganize Southall Group


    back to what was originally Moore Group.


    Regardless of whether Mom¡¯s death has anything to do with Henrick, it¡¯s an indisputable fact that he


    has snatched away Mom¡¯s business empire. I must take possession of Southall Group! ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s face darkened as she went ahead to the CEO office. Vinson had no idea why she suddenly


    looked glum; he suspected it was rted to Henrick. He blurted, ¡°If you beg me when I¡¯m in a good


    mood, I can help you teach Henrick a lesson.¡± ¡°No need. I can handle it myself.¡± Arielle appreciated


    Vinson¡¯s good intentions even though she did not express it so.


    The CEO office was thest room at the end of the hallway. It was extremely spacious and nicely


    decorated with French windows and potted nts. Compared with the dirty and smelly yroom, they


    are worlds apart. Iris quickly approached Arielle. ¡°Ms. Sannie, the equipment have all been set up.


    Pleasee with me to get changed. Your clothes have been carefully selected for you.¡± Arielle


    nodded and followed Iris to go get herself ready.


    Watching Arielle leave the room, the director could not help but voice his concerns to Vinson, ¡°Mr.


    Nightshire, although Ms. Sannie is a gorgeous girl, do you think that something is missing if she were


    to assume the role of a CEO? Something about her aura.¡± ¡°Aura?¡± The director nodded. ¡°Yes, you


    know, an air of dignity thatizens talk about. She¡¯s such a goody two shoes. So, I¡¯m afraid that she¡¯s


    not able to y the role well. Consequently, it will have an adverse effect on themercial. I¡¯d rather


    we select another person to y this role.¡±

 Chapter 138

    Chapter 138


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary.¡± Vinson smirked and said confidently, ¡°She can do a good job. Just wait and


    see.¡± The director hesitated and made no more effort to justify his point. He mumbled inside. I¡¯ve not


    seen a CEO that looks so pretty. It¡¯s all about the charisma, not the looks. Someone who¡¯s young and


    lovely will never be able to portray that well. This is literally testing my patience and skills. Ten minutes


    later, Iris opened the door to the CEO office. Grinning, she introduced loudly, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen,


    please wee our CEO, Ms. Moore.¡± The director scoffed without lifting his head.


    With that face, she¡¯s more suited to act as a beautiful secretary instead of a CEO¡­ We¡¯ll probably


    have to make a lot of post-production editing to get that desirable effect. He was still adamant and did


    not bother to pay any attention to Arielle when he heard the photographers surrounding him sang


    praises about her beauty. ¡°You look amazing!¡± It¡¯s already a known fact that Arielle is good-looking.


    However, we¡¯re shooting a CEO. There must be something more than meets the eyes. However, the


    chattering grew louder. ¡°How attractive! What an imposing look!¡±


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! This is my first time seeing how a girl with long hair could look so cool in a suit!¡± ¡°Ms.


    Sannie is a born model, isn¡¯t she? She is what she wears and she can basically be any character. If


    she enters the entertainment industry, she¡¯ll definitely put all the actresses to shame.¡± ¡°Oh my gosh, I¡¯m


    tearing up! She¡¯s exactly how I envision a CEO to look like. I hereby dere that Ms. Sannie is my


    husband, no one shouldpete with me.¡± Following the discussions, the director was utterly lost for


    words. The team is aware that Arielle is Vinson¡¯s friend, the one whom he has shown extra favor upon.


    There isn¡¯t a need to exaggerate and butter Vinson up though he¡¯s in our boss, is there? I want to see


    with my own eyes what Arielle looks like as a CEO. As the director slowly lifted his head and casually


    gazed at Arielle¡­ Arielle¡¯s hair was tied up neatly into a simple ponytail. Her eyes were cold yet sharp


    while her brows were slightly knitted together as if she was thinking about a big project. Arielle looked


    dapper in a ck suit.


    The dress pants entuated her long legs, giving an illusion of her towering height. She looks just like


    a domineering CEO! The director gaped in disbelief! How¡­ How is this possible? He could not believe


    his own eyes; rubbing them again and again to give himself a reality check. When he opened his eyes,


    he saw Arielle walking toward him. At that moment, he felt an overwhelming and intimidating presence


    engulfing him.


    It¡¯s not my imagination. Arielle does have a domineering presence, unlike most females. Her aura is


    comparable to Vinson who¡¯s standing next to her. There¡¯s no wonder Vinson was so certain that she


    could y the role well. When she gets serious, she can take up any role! Had I not seen it with my


    own eyes, I wouldn¡¯t have believed that a sweet-looking girl that usually depicts a standard image of a


    secretary could act so well as a cool and domineering CEO!


    The director¡¯s hands trembled as he came into realization of what Arielle was capable


    of. I¡¯ve underestimated her. I should grumble no more! Vinson gave her a once-over and curled his lips


    upward. Arielle¡­ never disappoints me. He turned to seek the director¡¯s opinion. ¡°Do you believe me


    now that she can handle the role?¡±

 Chapter 139

    Chapter 139


    The director opened his mouth wanting to say something, but uttered only two words, ¡°I¡¯m impressed.¡±


    He was in awe! Faced with an ambassador like Arielle who could easily transform into any roles, he felt


    blessed to have found such a rare gem. Arielle had no clue what the two men had spoken about. She


    approached the director and asked, ¡°I¡¯ve gone through the script. We can start now.¡± Recollected


    himself, the director scrutinized Arielle and gave her an approving nod. ¡°All right, let¡¯s roll the camera!¡±


    He became so motivated and energetic as he strongly believed that themercial would undoubtedly


    send the entire nation into a frenzy.


    It might even gain unimaginable poprity globally too. As the director of themercial, he felt


    extremely honored. Within an hour, all of the shoots were carried out sessfully. While everyone was


    busy changing the set, Arielle treaded the office floors leisurely, pretending that she was touring


    around. In actual fact, she was examining every nook and cranny. Henrick was very thrifty. Ever since


    the day he took over Moore Group and developed it into Southall Group, the internal decorations still


    remained the same.


    To Arielle, that was a good news. Without any renovation, no one would¡¯ve discovered the secret


    compartment. She made a big round around the office and finally stopped in front of a safety deposit


    box. If I¡¯m not mistaken, it¡¯ll automatically open once the correct passcode is keyed in. When the safety


    deposit box has unlocked, key in the passcode one more time, and the switch controlling the ess to


    the secretpartment will appear. She stared intensely at the safe. I¡¯ll return when no one is


    around. She had a hunch that something inside the safe was what she needed.


    While she was trying hard to recall the passcode, a voice questioned her abruptly, ¡°What are you


    looking at?¡± Startled, she shook her head. ¡°Nothing¡­¡± Vinson took a nce at the safety deposit box,


    knowing that Arielle did not tell him the truth. Anyhow, he did not query her. Who doesn¡¯t have any


    secrets? He did not intent to pry into her privacy, likewise, he hoped no one would do the same to him


    too. Vinson retracted his gaze from the safe and said, ¡°If you¡¯re ready, let¡¯s get to the next filming set,


    the lobby at the ground floor. All of the employees present today will be included as extras.


    All of you will be required to hold a cup of Soir Coffee and walk around the lobby.¡± ¡°Okay, noted.¡±


    Nodding, Arielle exited the office. When the filming is over, I¡¯ll find an excuse toe up here again. At


    that time, there should be no one in the office and it¡¯s the best time to ess the secret


    compartment. The group then went to the lobby together. Around fifty to sixty of the employees who


    clocked in on that day had already gathered there.


    When the director was giving instructions to the extras, a thunderous explosion was heard from


    upstairs. Bomb! The ground started shaking and everyone jumped out of their skin. ¡°It¡¯s rattling! Is it an


    earthquake?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. It seems like something has exploded upstairs!¡± ¡°It¡¯s an explosion! I can


    smell the smoke. Run for your life, everyone!¡± Someone initiated a panic-stricken response and


    triggered everyone else to dash toward the exit and flee from danger.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Unfortunately, Arielle was in the dressing room and did not know what happened outside. The make-up


    artist said calmly, ¡°I think the director has arranged for some fireworks.¡± Right when he finished his


    sentenced, the makeshift door was kicked open. Thud!

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    Chapter 140


    Vinson barged in looking very serious. Shocked, Arielle stood up. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s an explosion, hurry


    up and get out of here!¡± He grabbed her hand and ran away as fast as he could. The people at the


    dressing room were stunned for a second and then scrambled out of the ce at once. By the time


    Arielle got out of the dressing room with Vinson, there was chaos everywhere and mes were seen


    zing from the stairwell.


    ¡°Gasoline! Someone spilled gasoline!¡± A staff screamed at the top of his lungs as he ran past the


    dressing room. While running toward to exit, Arielle asked Vinson, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is this a prank?¡±


    Before he could answer, his phone rang. It was Carter. He answered the call. A nervous Carter spoke


    over the phone, ¡°Vin! Where are you? That dude escaped, leaving a note behind which says stop


    wasting effort because it¡¯s doomsday for us.¡± ¡°Okay, make a police report now. There¡¯s an explosion


    here at Southall Group.¡± ¡°What? An explosion? Darn it! It must have been those who helped that dude


    escape.


    They knew you¡¯re there, and¡­ Are you all right? We¡¯re on our way.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m okay for now. I¡¯ll


    hang up now.¡± Vinson continued running as he updated Arielle, ¡°It¡¯s not a prank, but an attack. Hurry


    up!¡± She did not ask further. Holding his hand tightly, she quickened her steps. When they were about


    ten meters away from the main entrance, they realized that the crowd stopped moving. ¡°What¡¯s


    happening? How do we get out?¡±


    Vinson asked fiercely. Iris approached them, crying breathlessly, ¡°The entrance¡­ It¡¯s locked. None of


    us can get out of here. The fire is spreading fast. Nobody knows if there will be more explosions. Mr.


    Nightshire, Ms. Sannie, are we going to die here?¡± Arielle released Vinson¡¯s hand and held Iris¡¯ hand to


    comfort her. ¡°Rest assured that we won¡¯t die here. If the entrance is locked, then break it


    open!¡± When there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way. I¡¯m not going to die today, not here, not now. She asked Iris


    to stay on the spot while Vinson and her squeezed themselves through the crowd to get to the


    entrance.


    There were a few security guards trying to pry the door open. A few desperate employees even lifted


    the stool and smashed it on the ss door. To their dismay, no matter how hard each person tried, the


    seemingly fragile ss doors showed no signs of damage. One of the security guards even tossed


    away the tool in his hand andmented hopelessly, ¡°It¡¯s useless¡­ After the terrorist attack in another


    country two years ago, the ss doors in ourpany have all been reced with A-grade tempered


    ss which is harder than diamond.


    Even a bomb can¡¯t break it, let alone the chair.¡± Arielle walked toward the security guard and


    reprimanded him, ¡°Don¡¯t utter anything negative! How is this door shut tight? With a lock? If so, pick it.¡±


    Dejected, the guard shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not so simple. This is a smart door. I¡¯ve tried it a few times at


    the security room just now. The smart system has been destroyed and it can¡¯t detect anything. There¡¯s


    no way we can open it¡­¡±


    Vinson interrupted, ¡°Where¡¯s the security room?¡± The guard revered Vinson and pointed at the floor


    above them without any further ado. ¡°It¡¯s the first room on the first floor¡­¡± Vinson nodded and informed


    Arielle, ¡°Someone must have modified the program. Stay here, I¡¯ll go and take a look.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll go with


    you!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t take the risk. Stay here!¡±? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

 Chapter 141

    Chapter 141


    Arielle replied unswervingly, ¡°I¡¯m not messing with you. I do know some programming, so maybe I can


    be of help. Trust me.¡± Vinson looked deeply into her bright eyes. They were crystal clear and yet icy-


    cold. Seeing there was no way to stop her, he obliged. ¡°Okay, you cane with me.¡± They exchanged


    nces and then ran up to the first floor against the crowd. The elevator was out of order during


    emergency.


    Both of them carefully avoided the gasoline on the floor until they reached the first floor. Although they


    had been very cautious, their feet were still injured to a certain extent. Ignoring his own wounds, Vinson


    noticed Arielle¡¯s burnt ankle first. He stopped. ¡°Your feet¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother, get the door to open first.¡±


    Arielle did not care about her injuries and continued rushing to the security room. Having left with no


    other option, Vinson followed suit. Soon, they arrived at the security door. Unfortunately, it was locked


    and bolted! ¡°Take a step back,¡± Vinsonmanded and did the same himself.


    Then, he dashed to the door andnded a powerful kick on it. The door shook, but remained tightly


    shut. Right then, plumes of smoke filled the entire building, causing them to have breathing difficulty.


    Arielle started coughing. Suddenly, she recalled seeing a fire emergency kit at the corner of the


    stairwell. Her eyes lit up. ¡°There¡¯s an ax over there. Let me grab it!¡± She made a dart for the kit and


    found the ax. Without further ado, she broke the ss covering the kit and retrieved the ax. While


    reaching for the ax, she identally cut the back of her hand and blood gushed out of her wound.


    ¡°Darn it!¡± cursed Arielle. She hastily wiped the blood on her blouse and hurried back to Vinson. ¡°The


    ax¡­ is here¡­¡± She panted. The dense smoke rampaging in the air triggered her to cough severely. As


    it grew thicker, Arielle could feel the scalding heat engulfing her surroundings. Judging from the


    dreadful situation, it would not be long until they inhale too much smoke, suffocate, and die¡­ Anxious,


    Vinson took the ax from her and asked,


    ¡°Are you okay? Why don¡¯t you go down and wait for me?¡± Arielle insisted, ¡°No need. Hurry up and open


    the door.¡± He clenched his jaw as he removed his gaze from her reluctantly and mmed the ax on the


    lock. He hit it once, twice¡­ Finally, on the fifth time, it broke. Both of them sprinted into the security


    room and saw tenputers before them. They followed thebels in front of eachputer to locate


    the one which controlled the main entrance.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Hovering over the keyboard, Vinson typed at lightning speed. Arielle could only catch the shadows of


    his finger movements for he was super-duper fast. In a sh, Vinson identified the problem. Pointing at


    a folder appearing on the screen, he announced, ¡°This is where the hacker inserted a disruptive


    programming code and locked the door.¡±


    ¡°Can it be deleted?¡± Vinson shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve tried, but to no avail. I¡¯m not an expert in this area. Let


    me call Carter and consult him.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Arielle nodded and waited for Vinson to make the call.


    However, he realized that the phone line was not working because the signal in the building had been


    blocked.

 Chapter 142

    Chapter 142


    ¡°And so it seems like we might actually die in this room.¡± Vinson smiled wryly. Yet, he had no fear of


    death. The word ¡®fear¡¯ did not even exist in his vocabry. Come to think of it, it¡¯s not too bad to die


    here with Arielle by my side. ¡°No way!¡± Arielle was very firm in her belief. ¡°I can¡¯t die yet, I still have lots


    to do.¡± His heart sank. I was just thinking it¡¯s nice to stay together at the face of death. Lo and


    behold, she¡¯s not even thinking about this¡­ at all. I want to curse so badly, but I can¡¯t. He coughed


    lightly. ¡°What shall we do now? I¡¯ve tried opening the door, but all efforts are in vain.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    If we keep waiting for people toe and rescue us, we would¡¯ve turned into ashes then.¡± Staring at


    the programming code which got hacked, Arielle fell silent for a moment. ¡°Move aside, let me try.¡±


    ¡°You?¡± Vinson remembered that Arielle knew some programming. However, he was doubtful of her


    skills. With only limited skills, can she do what I couldn¡¯t achieve? While he was still contemting, his


    body had subconsciously shifted to give space for Arielle to take her seat in front of theputer.


    Calmly, she assumed her role and started searching for files on theputer without first addressing


    the programming issue.


    Vinson saw how she worked on the keyboard. She did not use the mouse, but merely carried out all


    operations on the keyboard swiftly. Her speed was even faster than his typing. It suddenly dawned on


    him that they might have a chance to escape death. Gradually, his trust for Arielle increased multiple


    folds. Seeing how she operates on theputer, I¡¯m afraid she¡¯s just being modest with her earlier


    statement. When she said she knows a little bit about acupuncture, she ended up demonstrating


    exceptional skills and healed the guy we caught. A few minutester, Arielle stopped.


    ¡°What did you find?¡± Vinson asked. She pointed at the D drive on the screen. Narrowing her eyes, she


    exined, ¡°The problem doesn¡¯t lie in the program which can¡¯t be removed, but here. This section has


    been tampered with. Originally, thisputer controls the program. Now that it¡¯s been modified, the


    control system automatically relocates to a different ce.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s that?¡± he pressed on in curiosity.


    She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.


    I need to break the firewall in order to hack into their ultimate terminal and locate the ce. Also, when


    I get there, I need to delete the control system.¡± Vinson turned solemn. ¡°Entering their terminal¡­ This


    requires an expert level hacker. Can¡­ can you do it?¡± Arielle took a deep breath. ¡°I can¡¯t promise you


    anything, but this is the only way. We¡¯ve got to try it. Otherwise, everyone will die. Considering the


    material of the ss door, I¡¯m not too hopeful that it could be broken from the outside either.¡±


    A rare and frightful uncertainty settled upon Arielle¡¯s face. Gazing at her deeply, Vinson was about to


    say something when another deafening explosion came from upstairs. Bomb! That was the second


    explosion and it urred right above their heads! A humungous hole cracked open from the ceiling,


    apanied by raging mes.

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    Chapter 143


    ¡°Beware!¡± Vinson¡¯s immediate reflex action was to cover Arielle¡¯s head with his bare arm. Unfortunately,


    his arm got hit by the debris and was severely injured. Terrified by the gory sight, Arielle quickly


    checked on him. Before she could have a look at it, he withdrew his arm. ¡°You¡­¡± He interrupted her,


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Quick, keep trying and see if it works.¡± Though worried sick, Arielle kept quiet and tried to


    focus her attention on theputer. Frowning, she returned to her seat. Debris and residual mes


    kept falling from the floor above. Soon, the entire room was on fire before they realized it.


    At that critical moment, Arielle could not be distracted. I must hurry up before the room gets


    burnt down. By then, theputers will bepletely destroyed. Consequently, the ss door will


    remain shut forever. Thump! Another big piece of concrete dropped and hit the chair not too far from


    Arielle. Biting her lips, she ignored it and continued typing away on the keyboard. She was determined


    to hack into the attacker¡¯s terminal and open that dreaded door. Even if it¡¯s not for me, I must do my


    very best and fight till the end for all the innocent lives still trapped in this building. After all, I¡¯m not


    alone.


    She took a quick peek at Vinson, who was covering her head with a block of wood, then channeled her


    attention back to theplicated operation. With grit and full concentration, Arielle managed to break


    the attacker¡¯s firewall within five minutes. At the same moment, fire had started devouring the room.


    Vinson walked to the window and pulled down all the curtains forcefully. He stepped on them to


    extinguish the parts which were on fire.


    Then, he used them to douse the fire on other areas of the room. However, it was more like a never-


    ending story. The earlier explosion on the floor above had caused tiny mes to keep falling into their


    room. Sweating profusely, Vinson was just not able to stamp out all the mes before they grow again.


    Persistently, he wiped away the sweat that blurred his vision and kept fighting the fire. Just in the nick


    of time¡­ Arielle managed to break through another firewall and began searching for the attacker¡¯s


    terminal. Thetter was so devious. A few simr codes were set up to mask the actual location of the


    terminal.


    Arielle fell into their traps a few times and made several mistakes. At this point in time, the fire started


    burning out of control. ¡°Arielle, we¡¯ve got not much time left to spare. If we don¡¯t leave in five minutes,


    this building is going to copse!¡± Vinson warned while putting out the mes. Covered with ashes, his


    handsome face could hardly be recognized. Even so, he was still alluding an extremely strong aura.


    Looking decisive, intimidating, and hostile, he stood firm like a mountain, ready to battle with the fire


    until the very end. Arielle said, gritting her teeth, ¡°Ten minutes, give me another ten minutes! I¡¯ll sure be


    able to find it.¡± Meanwhile, a piece of burning wood suddenly fell from the top. ¡°Watch out!¡± Vinson


    attempted to leap to her side, but he was toote.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    Fortunately, Arielle was fast to react. She rose to her feet, leaned sideways, and performed a fierce


    spinning kick which sessfully broke the block into two. ¡°You¡¯re not hurt, are you?¡± Fretting, Vinson


    held her hand as soon as he got to her side. ¡°We can¡¯t stay here any longer. We have to leave


    immediately.¡± ¡°No! I¡¯ll be done in a jiffy, just give me ten more minutes!¡±

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    Chapter 144


    Arielle and Vinson locked eyes. Her unwavering gazemunicated her firm stance whereas his stern


    gaze reflected the ze surrounding them. The two looked like they were battling in silence. In the end,


    Vinson could not bear it and gave in. Turning his head away, he agreed. ¡°Fine, ten minutes. I¡¯ll give you


    ten more minutes.¡± Without any further dy, he removed his jacket and put it on Arielle. Afterwards,


    he went back to the corner where the mes were burning and continued to fight it. Even if I¡¯ll die here


    eventually, I¡¯ll strive for that ten minutes for Arielle.


    ¡°Ahem¡­ Ahem¡­¡± Arielle coughed while covering up her nose. Speedily, she returned to her previous


    position and searched for the terminal that was controlling the smart door. The congration consuming


    the premises did not spark even a hint of fear in her. Focused, she was adamant in her quest. Come


    on, just a little bit faster. I can¡¯t let Vinson down, I must bring him out of here. In the midst of it all, the


    concerned Vinson would still keep an eye on Arielle. Sitting upright, the bright light of the fire reflected


    on her fair skin, giving her ayer of radiant glow.


    What a breathtaking side profile! As his gaze grew to be more intense, he willfully turned away and


    carried on with fire fighting. He had made an attempt to open up the windows, but they were all sealed.


    The worst thing was that the windows were made out of the same material as the ss door, which


    would not crack nor break. It seems like someone has it all nned out. Someone wants me


    dead. Vinson had been tricked several times by the mastermind behind all these evil deeds. He knew


    that the other party was insidious, but he did not expect him to be so vicious, to the extent of sacrificing


    so many innocent souls just to get him killed.


    This is absolutely ruthless and cruel! Meanwhile, on a private ind in the west coast, where winter


    spanned all year round¡­ Covered in a silver fox coat, a man with regal dignity sat in a dark room. His


    eyes were fixated on the burning woods in the firece. Picking a lit firewood up with his slender


    fingers, he chucked it into the ze urately. Let it burn, let it burn fiercely¡­ The man curled his thin


    lips slyly, showcasing his angr jaw line.


    Right then, the door opened abruptly and interrupted the tranquility in the room. The man furrowed his


    brows and stared into the direction of the door. The light beaming through the door aperture shone on


    the man, revealing the lower half of his stunning face. ¡°What is it?¡± the man spoke with an Ustranation


    ent. The person who barged in said breathlessly, ¡°Finally, I found you! I already said you¡¯d be here


    at the old house, but Gerald insisted that you¡¯ve gone hunting with the wolves. I¡¯ve wasted so much


    time¡­¡± Impatiently, the man tapped the floor twice with his foot.


    ¡°Get to the point.¡± ¡°Oh, yes! Gerald would like you to make a trip there. He says that the server has


    been hacked. The IP of the intruder shows the location of Southall Group, which is where our people


    ambushed¡­¡± The man stood up at once and left the room rapidly like a gust of wind, leaving behind his


    footprints on the snow.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Duke, wait for me!¡± Putting on his hat, his subordinate chased after him. A few minutester, the duke


    arrived at a medieval castle. He headed straight into the basement and entered the veryst room. The


    moment he stepped in, a wave of instant noodles aroma hit him in the face. He lowered his eye and


    saw the cup of instant noodles on the floor and an unkempt blonde.

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    Chapter 145


    The duke strode across and asked coldly, ¡°What happened?¡± Cringing, Gerald cried in disbelief, ¡°My


    carefully designed firewall and programming codes were cracked¡­¡± ¡°Get to the point,¡± the Duke


    demanded. ¡°I don¡¯t care about the process, I just want to know the results.¡± Gerald stammered, ¡°Re¡­


    Results? They will be able to track us within two¡­ two minutes.¡± The Duke was perturbed by his


    statement. He knew that Vinson had many talents around him, officially and in secret. He even had


    Carter, who was an adept at everything rted to technology.


    Hence, he picked Southall Group as the location tounch his attack. He terminated all of their


    communication signals to cut off any contact between Vinson and Carter. There shouldn¡¯t be an issue


    since Carter isn¡¯t in the big picture. What went wrong? Does Vinson have other professionals around


    him whom I don¡¯t know? Gerald exined, ¡°Duke, we have a decision to make. Their intention is


    obvious, they want to take control of the systems. If we grant them ess, they won¡¯t have the time to


    track our location. If we don¡¯t, they¡¯ll be able to locate us in no time.


    Consequently, we won¡¯t be able to stay in the dark anymore. Once we¡¯re exposed, it¡¯s harder for us to


    fight them¡­¡± The duke fell silent. Once we give them full control, this n will be ruined. Should I make


    this easy for Vinson? He was very reluctant. To him, the current n was the most ideal one as it took


    ce at the right ce and the best time when Vinson was fully unaware of the trap ahead of him. He


    wondered if he could score another opportunity in the future to deceive Vinson and pin him down.


    Clenching his fists in anger, his bulging veins shown. Clicking on the keyboard, Gerald urged, ¡°Duke,


    you¡¯ve got to make a call now. They¡¯re getting insanely fast. I can¡¯t even rebuild the firewall quickly


    enough to stop them from getting through.


    Oh no, I can¡¯t hold it any longer. They are going to nail us in no time!¡± ¡°Duke!¡± Frantically, Gerald stood


    up and yelled in a high-pitched voice. Gritting his teeth, the Duke uttered, ¡°Give it to them.¡± Relieved,


    Gerald pressed the key¡­ Across the coast, the third explosion just happened at Southall


    Group. Bomb!


    A loud crash sounded from upstairs. Thankfully, it urred far away from the first floor. Thus, it did not


    impact the security room directly. However, the ceiling which was already crumbling shook vigorously


    due to the tremor. Losing its pivot, it was copsing gradually. ¡°It¡¯s toote!¡±


    Vinson grabbed Arielle¡¯s hand and shouted, ¡°Let¡¯s go now, it¡¯s going to fall in ten seconds!¡± Motionless,


    Arielle stared at the screen. ¡°I¡¯m almost there. Soon, I¡¯ll seed.¡± ¡°Forget it! Leave now!¡± Right then, a


    large concrete steel fell off the ceiling from the opposite corner across the room. Comically enough, the


    windows stood rooted on its fixtures, as stable as rock, without a single crack. Arielle pushed him away


    and yelled, ¡°You go first, let me try once more!¡± She wanted to take a risk without dragging him down


    with her.N?velDrama.Org content rights.

 Chapter 146

    Chapter 146


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Vinson cursed under his breath. He decided to ignore Arielle¡¯s words and take matters into


    his own hands. Then, he picked her up from the chair and walked towards the exit. ¡°Let go of me !¡±


    Arielle struggled. Give me five more seconds! Just five seconds!¡± ¡°It¡¯s toote for that now!¡± Vinson


    carried her as he ran. Yet, a white box popped out on theputer screen and it had ¡°Software


    deleted¡± written in English.


    Arielle¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°We¡¯ve regained ess to control!¡± Vinson stopped in his tracks as soon as he


    saw the screen too. Arielle quickly scrambled out of his arms and ran towards theputer. She began


    to type rapidly across the keyboard. A secondter, theputer prompted an instruction that said,


    ¡°The door is open.¡± ¡°It¡¯s open!¡± she eximed excitedly. Her excitement did notst long before the


    ceiling began to copse.


    It all happened so quickly, even Vinson didn¡¯t see iting. Fortunately, Arielle was quick on her foot to


    avoid the ceiling from crushing on her. She somersaulted and threw herself on Vinson. Vinson was


    instantly pulled into reality as he grabbed her and dragged her out of the room. The ceiling copsed to


    the ground the moment they stepped out of the ce. It turned into ruins in the sea of fire and dust.


    Consequently, Arielle could hear the sound of the door on the lower floor of the building opened.


    Many people shouted in joy, ¡°It¡¯s opened! It¡¯s finally opened! Run!¡± Arielle let out a sigh as he locked


    eyes with Arielle. ¡°I told you, there was no chance for us to die in here.¡± He smiled in relief. Vinson


    looked deep into her eyes and replied, ¡°Yeah. I guess I owe you another one.¡± Great, now I owe her yet


    another one for saving my life again. She nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t forget to wire me the money.¡± I am never


    going to crack a ¡°marry me¡± joke anymore. Or else, he¡¯s going to say crap like I was hinting at him or


    something. Vinson, on the other hand, nodded solemnly. ¡°I got it.


    I¡¯ll give you whatever¡¯s left in my ount once we get out of here.¡± Arielle was stunned as she could


    not tell if he was joking or did he mean it. Do you want to give me all your money? Well, I


    certainly can¡¯t take that! ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She ignored him to avoid further misunderstanding as she walked


    towards the stairway that led to the safety tunnel. However, she suddenly thought of something as she


    reached the stairway. Oh yeah, I haven¡¯t opened the secretpartment in the CEO¡¯s office! I¡¯m sure


    there wouldn¡¯t be anyone up there. So, if I go over right now, I can find what I want without being


    spotted.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She halted in her tracks and turned to Vinson. ¡°You go ahead, I¡¯ll meet up with you very soon.¡± He


    frowned and stared at her suspiciously. ¡°What else do you need to do? The door¡¯s opened.¡± ¡°I have left


    something on the top floor and I have to get it back. Go, I¡¯ll meet you in five minutes.¡± Vinson disagreed


    and dragged her by the arm towards the safety tunnel. ¡°Absolutely not! I¡¯m not going without you. No


    one can guarantee if this building might blow up again.


    What if the entire building copses? You have to go with me now!¡± Arielle tightened her grip onto the


    door of the safety tunnel as the other hand tried to break free from Vinson¡¯s grip. ¡°I¡¯m not going


    anywhere until I get it! This is very important to me and this is myst chance!¡± Before Vinson could


    persuade her any further, she quickly took a step backward and closed the door. She then locked the


    door behind her.

 Chapter 147

    Chapter 147


    ¡°Arielle,e back here! Are you out of your mind?¡± Vinson banged the door forcefully. ¡°Leave now!


    Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll meet you as soon as I retrieve what I want. I promise you that I won¡¯t die in here.¡± With


    that, she ignored Vinson¡¯s screams and sprinted towards the top floor. The entire building was filled


    with thick smoke from the fire. It wasn¡¯t for long before the fire-rescue department and the police


    arrived. Vinson was found by a group of firefighters.


    ¡°Sir, I need you to leave with us immediately. We have to evacuate as there may be another explosion!¡±


    He rejected them and said, ¡°No! My friend is still up there!¡± A firefighter looked at him, wide-eyed.


    ¡°What? You mean there¡¯s someone up there?¡± At the same time, another firefighter appeared.


    ¡°Captain, I have bad news! ording to some witnesses, there¡¯s a bunch of kids stuck at the top floor!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The captain adjusted his helmet and said to Vinson. ¡°Sir, I need you to leave with them right


    now! I will bring your friend back to you.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ming with you. Get someone to pry open the door!¡± ¡°Sir, I can¡¯t let you take the risk. It¡¯s too


    dangerous. Hey, someone get him out of here!¡¯ Then, a few fire fighters dragged him towards the exit.


    At this moment, there was a fourth explosion. Themotion of the explosion shook the entire


    building. ¡°Captain, the building might crumble any time and we don¡¯t know if there would be another


    explosion. Should we retreat?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    The captain hesitated when he heard those words. It was a split decision to head up or head out. In the


    meantime, the female employees thought that their children were evacuated by the caretaker when the


    explosion happened. To their dismay, the ¡®specialized staff¡¯ only cared for herself and had left the


    children behind. They were furious and shocked when they heard the news. With that, they turned and


    ran towards the building.


    However, they were stopped by the firefighters before they could even reach the entrance. ¡°The


    building¡¯s going to copse any moment. You can¡¯t go up there!¡± ¡°Let us in, please! Our children are still


    inside the building! Please, I beg you!¡± ¡°Please save our children! I can¡¯t lose her.¡± She sobbed. ¡°Get


    out of my way! I need to get in there!¡± The scene was a mess and filled with cries of helplessness and


    car sirens. At the moment, Arielle was out of breath when she reached the top floor of the building. The


    air was coated with thick smoke and the oxygen levels were running dangerously low.


    She tore a piece of cloth from her top and drenched it with water. Then, she lowered her body as she


    approached the office. Suddenly, she stopped walking when she heard a loud


    cry. Who¡¯s crying? Perhaps someone was still on the top floor? I thought everyone has left the


    building. She thought it was her imagination. However, she realized it was real and more than one


    person was crying. What¡¯s going on here?


    She followed the direction of the sound and arrived at the kids yroom. She opened the door and


    found a bunch of children in the room while the ¡®specialized staff¡¯ was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Damn it!¡±


    She gritted her teeth. I always knew the fellow didn¡¯t have the heart to take care of children, but how


    could she abandoned them when the building exploded.


    What a monster! Forget it, now¡¯s not that time to point fingers. She walked up to them and said, ¡°Hey


    kid, could you lead the other kids to safety? Just take the stairs and get to the bottom. There¡¯s a fire


    going on so you can¡¯t stay here anymore.¡± ¡°Mommy, I want my mommy¡­¡± the child whimpered.

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    Chapter 148


    Arielle tried to convince them patiently. ¡°Your mom¡¯s waiting for you at the bottom. You¡¯ll all see your


    moms as soon as you reach the exit.¡± The older ones began to calm down when they heard her words.


    Then, they helped a few children on their feet and ushered them towards the exit. However, a few


    children were too young and could barely walk. Consequently, the older ones had a difficult time


    managing every child with their hands full. She initially wanted to go to the CEO¡¯s office but hesitated


    when she saw what happened.


    I¡¯m pretty sure there¡¯s something that I want hiding in the secretpartment, but these kids¡­ their


    lives matter too¡­ The ground beneath her shook even more vigorously when she was in a dilemma.


    Arielle knew that the building would copse at any moment. She took one look at CEO¡¯s office that


    was wide open. She made up her mind and carried two babies and ran towards the exit. As soon as


    she walked out of the door, she heard a loud voice ringing through the stairway. Arielle¡¯s eyes gleamed


    in surprise, ¡°Vinson? What¡¯re you doing here?¡±


    He looked at her and replied, ¡°I told you, I¡¯m not letting you die here! Give me the child!¡± Arielle quickly


    handed him the child and was ready to head back to the room to get the remaining children. ¡°Wait,


    aren¡¯t you going to get what you left behind?¡± Vinson called out. Arielle stopped and turned back to


    him, ¡°I think you¡¯ll need my help. It¡¯s going to be a little challenging for you to lead them all by


    yourself¡­¡±


    ¡°But, you said that that thing was very important to you, right? We don¡¯t have much time now. It¡¯d be


    toote for you toe back up once we¡¯ve sent the children to safety. Go and get it and catch up with


    us.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No buts! Just go!¡± he urged. He¡¯s right. I wouldn¡¯t make it if I followed them to the bottom


    and make my way up again. This is myst chance. If I don¡¯t do it now, my questions might remain


    unanswered forever.


    She frowned at the choice given to her as she struggled to make a decision. Finally, she made up her


    mind and strode to the office. It¡¯s a great opportunity that I just can¡¯t miss. I¡¯ve been plotted against aAll rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    few times as soon as I returned to the country in secret. I did all this to get to the bottom of the


    truth. I can¡¯t hesitate anymore! She hastened her steps and arrived at the CEO¡¯s office. Vinson stared


    at Arielle¡¯s figure for a brief moment before leading the children down the stairs.


    The older children walked at the front while Vinson led a group of young children of six with two in his


    hands. Suddenly, another explosion urred on the floor Vinson and the children were at. ¡°Ahh!¡± they


    screamed. The oldest children who had been the calmest were instantly ovee with fear when they


    heard the explosion. ¡°Mom!¡± An older child wailed. He panicked and ran towards the exploded floor,


    leaving behind the younger children.


    ¡°Hey, kid! Come back!¡± Vinson yelled. The explosion had just happened moments ago, so the ground


    beneath them might break away anytime. Yet, the child quickly disappeared before Vinson could stop


    him. He wanted to chase after him desperately, but he was tied down by two children in his hands and


    many other panicky children around him. I could go after him, but what would these kids do if I


    did? They¡¯re way too young to be able to take care of themselves.

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    Chapter 149


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Vinson cursed as he was stuck in a dilemma. The air was surrounded with smoke from the


    burning objects in the building and the temperature had risen to an unbearable level. Huh, what do I do


    now? Do I leave that child? Vinson nced at the crying babies and decided to head


    downstairs. These kids might die if I choose to save that one guy. I have no other option. Just as


    Vinson took a couple of steps down the stairs, he heard a trail of footsteps behind him. He turned and


    saw Arielle running towards him. ¡°Are the kids alright?¡± she asked worriedly.


    ¡°Did you find what you were looking for?¡± he asked in astonishment. Arielle shook her head silently, ¡°I


    was worried you wouldn¡¯t be able to handle things alone when I heard the explosion. So, I decided to


    circle back.¡± ¡°Then, what about the stuff you wanted?¡± He frowned. Arielle opened her mouth but didn¡¯t


    know what to say. Human life was far more important than the things in life. If I dumped these kids to


    search for the item, I would be no different than the murderer who killed my mother. Vinson knew what


    was on her mind judging from her expression.


    ¡°You¡¯re such an idiot!¡± He nced at her. Arielle rolled her eyes at him as she carried a wailing child in


    her hand. ¡°No one was hurt from the explosion, right?¡± Then, Vinson thought of the kid that ran off by


    himself. ¡°No, but one of the kids ran off by himself.¡± He shook his head. ¡°What?¡± Arielle was shocked.


    Vinson shoved the baby into her arms while taking a few steps down and said, ¡°You take the children


    down first and I¡¯ll catch up with you once I find him!¡± ¡°Vinson!¡± Arielle hugged the child tightly. ¡°Your life


    belongs to me! So don¡¯t you dare die until I say so!¡±


    Vinson was stunned for a second as his lips curled into a grin. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No one can take my life but


    you,¡± he reassured. He turned and ran into the floor that was on fire as soon as he said so. Arielle had


    no choice but to watch his figure vanish in the thick smoke. She could not help but feel a weird feeling


    creeping up to her.


    It was as if a seed was nted in her heart and now it was slowly sprouting¡­ ¡°Miss, I want my mom¡­¡±


    A child who held the edge of her shirt cried out. Arielle was immediately pulled back into reality andN?velDrama.Org content rights.


    said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take you to your mom now!¡±


    She wasted no time as she carried two children in her arms and led the group of children to safety.


    Going down ten flights of stairs would be a piece of cake if it was Arielle alone. Yet, she had so many


    children with her while carrying two in her arms. As a result, she felt so weak and exhausted. Moreover,


    she had inhaled the smoke in the air, causing her to cough which slowed down the pace. She had no


    strength left in her when they reached the lobby on the first floor.


    Meanwhile, the group of female employees was pleading for the firefighters to save their children.


    ¡°Please save my child! Please, she¡¯s only six months!¡± ¡°My son! He¡¯s still in there! Please, let me in!¡± ¡°I


    won¡¯t want to live anymore if anything happens to my child!¡± someone cried. ¡°Let go of me! If you won¡¯t


    save them, let us do it! Let me go now!¡± The scene was gradually bing chaotic as the firefighters


    could not contain the panicked female employees.

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    Chapter 150


    The firefighters nced at one another and back at the parents. They understood how important their


    children meant to them. One of the firefighters stood out and said, ¡°Captain, let us in! It¡¯s my job to


    bring every person to safety and I¡¯d feel better of myself even if I could only save only one child!¡± The


    captain¡¯s eyes were scarlet as he shouted, ¡°It is themander¡¯s order for all of you to stay put! Now,


    help me stop these parents from rushing in. I will not allow any of them to risk their lives like this!¡± The


    firefighter was indignant. ¡°Captain!


    There are approximately a dozen lives stuck up there. Besides, they¡¯re kids! How could you be so cold-


    hearted?¡± The captain replied emotionlessly, ¡°You¡¯re right. I am cold-hearted. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t allow


    you to enter the building.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± the firefighter asked. The captain wore his helmet and


    answered, ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? I¡¯ve been here all this while and I didn¡¯t enter the building. So if the


    commander asks, you know what to say. Got it?¡± The firefighter¡¯s eyes were instantly filled with tears,


    ¡°Captain, are nning to go on your own?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    ¡°The building¡¯s about to copse any time and I can¡¯t watch you risk your lives. So, I¡¯ve decided that if


    death was going to take someone away today, it¡¯d be me. Standby, everyone! I¡¯m going to the toilet!¡±


    Then, he rushed into the building as he said those words. On the other hand, Arielle waspletely


    exhausted. She was merely ten meters away from the hall, yet she couldn¡¯t move another inch. Her


    breathing had be very difficult for she had inhaled too much smoke. Consequently, her vision


    started to blur. She knew she was at her limit. Then, her feet gave away as she fell forward. However,


    she instinctively rolled over as she knew she had carried two children in her arms.


    Her head was first toe into contact with the ground as she fell. ¡°Miss!¡± The older children rushed to


    her side. ¡°I can¡¯t take another step. So, could you please take these kids to their mothers? Just walk


    another ten meters and you¡¯ll see the door. Your moms are waiting for you there,¡± Arielle croaked. A


    few children shook their heads and cried, ¡°No, I want you to go with us¡­¡± A child even tried to help her


    to her feet.


    Nheless, the child had very little strength to support Arielle¡¯s weight. So, she fell to the ground once


    more. She shook her head and said weakly, ¡°There¡¯s no time left. You go first and call for help. Alright?¡±


    The children nodded, teary-eyed as they grabbed the two babies from Arielle and rushed towards the


    exit. Arielle exhausted herst bit of energy to watch them run out of the door and sighed in relief. She


    was relieved that the children were away from danger, but her vision had worsened at the same time.


    She could not help herself but gave away to darkness as her eyes closed.


    Before she lost consciousness, she vaguely saw a man in a fire-fighting suit rushing towards her. ¡°Miss,


    can you hear me? Wake up!¡± Arielle did not respond to the captain¡¯s words but he noticed she was still


    breathing. Hence, he immediately carried Arielle on his back and made their way out.


    Running while carrying someone on their backs was an easy task due to their years of training. Thus,


    both he and Arielle got out of the building in no time. The children had finally reunited with their parents,


    and the sound of crying was heard. Iris rushed to Arielle¡¯s side and cried, ¡°Ms. Sannie, is she alright? Is


    she still alive?¡± ¡°Yes, she¡¯s alive! Water! I need water over here!¡±

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    Chapter 151


    After the procedures werepleted, an oxygen mask was ced on Arielle¡¯s face. Her burns had


    also received temporary treatment. ¡°The patient¡¯s severely dehydrated and is suffering from burns of


    varying degrees. She needs to be sent to the hospital immediately,¡± said the nurse as she instructed


    two medical staff to lift Arielle onto the stretcher. All Arielle could think about was how noisy it was.


    Frowning, she opened her eyes slowly. The first thing that entered her vision was the blue sky and


    white clouds. She blinked twice, ensuring that she was not dreaming.


    I¡¯m out! Arielle quickly nced at her surroundings, she realized that she was not far away from the


    building. After casting her gaze around, she did not catch sight of Vinson. Everyone including her had


    retreated. Arielle immediately sat up. Stopping someone randomly, she asked, ¡°Why is everyone


    retreating?¡± The person was stunned for a while before eximing happily, ¡°You¡¯re awake? When I


    carried you out, I thought that you¡¯ve died¡­ Are you the one who rescued the children?¡± She did not


    reply. Instead, she jumped out of the stretcher and asked anxiously, ¡°You saved me?


    After I left, did my friende out too? He¡¯s very tall and is wearing a suit¡­¡± The man asked in


    surprise, ¡°There¡¯s still someone in the building? It¡¯s going to copse after a minute! The building is


    already leaning to the side¡­¡± Arielle¡¯s heartbeat quickened. ¡°Are you saying that he hasn¡¯te out


    yet?¡± Grabbing his cor, she instructed, ¡°Save him now! He went to find a child who got lost. He¡¯s right


    inside!¡± As Arielle spoke, tears rolled down her cheeks. When someone in the crew heard that, he


    eximed in surprise, ¡°Mr. Nightshire¡¯s still inside?


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Save him! Vinson Nightshire, the CEO of Nightshire Group, is inside! If something bad happens to him,


    we¡¯re doomed!¡± At that moment, an employee of Southall Group ran over in tears. She grabbed


    Arielle¡¯s sleeve and demanded, ¡°They said that you brought the children out. Where¡¯s my son? Why


    are everyone¡¯s children out except for my son?¡± Arielle¡¯s arm was already injured. When the woman


    tugged on her, she felt an excruciating pang of pain. Enduring the pain, she said, ¡°Your son¡­ might still


    be inside. He got scared by the explosion and ran away from us.


    However, my friend¡¯s already looking for him¡­¡± The woman did not even finish listening to her


    sentence before breaking down into tears and shaking Arielle¡¯s shirt violently. ¡°Return my son to me!


    Return my son to me!¡± Iris immediately shielded Arielle and yelled, ¡°Ma¡¯am, please be more careful!


    Ms. Sannie¡¯s injured.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care! Her family owns thepany. If something bad happens to my


    son, I¡¯ll not let any of you off the hook!¡± The woman red at Arielle viciously. The captain of the


    firefighters called two members over to bring the woman, who was kicking up a fuss, away.


    Shooting a look of pity at Arielle, Iris held her hand and reassured her, ¡°Ms. Sannie, you shouldn¡¯t have


    saved the children out of kindness. Now that you didn¡¯t manage to rescue all the children, she¡¯s


    actually ming you for it. How unreasonable is that!¡± Iris felt indignant even though Arielle didn¡¯t say


    anything. ¡°You spent so much effort rescuing the children. Not only did none of them thank you, but


    someone also scolded you for it!


    Is your arm fine?¡± Arielle shook her head slowly. There was no hint of regret in her beautiful eyes.


    Averting her gaze from the yelling and struggling woman, she replied expressionlessly, ¡°I didn¡¯t save


    the children for their parents¡¯ gratitude. Even if I had to choose again, I will still save them.¡±

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    Chapter 152


    Still feeling indignant, Iris mumbled something in protest. Then, she started to worry about Vinson. ¡°I


    wonder how Mr. Nightshire¡¯s doing. Why isn¡¯t he out yet?¡± After shooting a nce at the burning


    building, Arielle pulled the captain of the firefighters back and asked anxiously, ¡°How long more before


    the building copses?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Judging from the angle of the building, it won¡¯tst for


    more than half a minute. We cannot go in anymore. Your friend¡­ can only depend on himself.¡± Arielle


    immediately panicked. ¡°If none of you can do it, I¡¯ll go in!¡±


    As she spoke, she charged toward the building. However, immediately afterward, the captain blocked


    her swiftly. ¡°Ma¡¯am, the building¡¯s going to copse soon. If you go in right now, you¡¯ll only meet death.


    Calm down!¡± ¡°Let go of me! I¡¯m entering! He must have met some trouble!¡± ¡°Calm down!¡± The captain


    hugged Arielle¡¯s waist tightly while looking at the building which was on the brink of copsing. Gritting


    his teeth, he said, ¡°Okay! Wait here, I¡¯ll go in again. Cooperate with the doctors and go to the hospital. I


    promise you that I¡¯ll rescue your friend!¡± Arielle finally calmed down. With her current state, she would


    certainly die if she charged in right now. Biting on her lips, she stopped struggling and reminded the


    captain, ¡°Be careful. If the situation doesn¡¯t look optimistic¡­¡± She paused and said with much difficulty,


    ¡°Retreat immediately.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± The captain immediately ran toward the building. However, he had just taken a few strides


    before a loud explosion sounded from the building. The entire structure started to copse while the


    ground trembled violently. The captain froze in his tracks and yelled, ¡°Retreat! Everyone, retreat!¡± As


    she spoke, he dragged Arielle, who was closest to him, and ran backward. Boom! A series of


    thunderous explosions resounded across the venue. Within a few seconds, everyone could see the


    dust billowing in the sky, concealing even the sun in the sky. The initially azure sky had now be a


    misty gray. When the captain pulled Arielle, she lost her bnce and copsed onto the ground.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    Raising her head, all she could see was the dust obscuring everything else. The initially tall building


    was now gone, leaving behind a dust-covered pile of rubble. The color drained from Arielle¡¯s face as


    tears rolled down her cheeks. ¡°Damn it!¡± Pounding her fist against the ground, she sobbed and yelled,


    ¡°Vinson, you liar! You promised me that you¡¯ll not die inside! You liar! You big, fat liar! I will never trust


    you again!¡±


    At that moment, a few sports car stopped behind her. Carter¡¯s voice sounded behind her. ¡°Ms. Moore,


    where¡¯s Vinson?¡± Arielle raised her head while tears streamed down her cheeks. She was already


    breathless from crying. Pointing at the rubble, she said, ¡°He¡­ He¡¯s dead¡­ It¡¯s all my fault! I should¡¯ve


    looked for the child with him. It¡¯s all my fault!¡± ¡°D-Dead?¡± Carter widened his eyes in shock as he shook


    his head in disbelief.


    Laughing, he said, ¡°Ms. Moore, don¡¯t joke around with me like that.¡± Arielle opened her mouth, wishing


    to speak. However, all she could do was sobbed. Carter¡¯s face instantly drained of all color. She¡¯s not


    joking? Stunned, he stared at the rubble. At that moment, the dust surrounding the rubble was blown


    away by the wind gradually. As the dust and smoke cleared, they could finally see the rubble clearly.

 Chapter 153

    Chapter 153


    Unable to look at it anymore, Carter lost the strength in his legs. His face turned pale as he fell to his


    knees beside Arielle. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault¡­ It¡¯s mine. The others deliberately blocked my way, but I


    should¡¯ve ignored them and rushed here directly. Right from the start, I shouldn¡¯t have gone to the


    seaside to bring that dude back¡­ His death is all my fault!¡± mumbled Carter. It was unclear if he was


    talking to Arielle, or to himself. He punched the ground repeatedly, causing his knuckles to start


    bleeding. When Arielle saw that, she immediately pulled Carter¡¯s hand and urged, ¡°Are you out of your


    mind?


    If you continue punching, you¡¯ll cripple your hand!¡± ¡°Let go of me! If it bes crippled, so be it! I killed


    him, so I need to repay him with my own life!¡± Arielle refused to release her grip. At that moment, the


    woman who had been kicking up a fuss earlier rushed over and pped Arielle. She was caught off


    guard, her cheek burned due to the pain. However, the second p soon came. Arielle subconsciously


    wanted to grab the woman¡¯s hand, but someone intervened before her and grabbed the hand. A loud


    crack sounded as the woman cried out in pain. ¡°Argh! My hand! It dislocated!¡±


    When Arielle nced at the person, she saw a chiseled face that was covered in ck ash. Yet, she


    could not tear her gaze away from his brooding eyes and intimidating aura. ¡°Vin¡­ Vinson¡­¡± Arielle


    uttered his name in disbelief. Carter was so ted that he burst into tears. ¡°You damned jerk! I knew


    that you won¡¯t die so easily!¡± As Vinson gazed at both of them, an amused look appeared in his eyes.


    Arielle¡¯s tears gushed out again. She pped a hand over her mouth, preventing herself from crying


    out loud. He¡¯s not dead! Vinson¡¯s not dead! He didn¡¯t go back on his words. He isn¡¯t a liar! As if he


    could read her mind, Vinson smirked and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I promise you? I won¡¯t die here without your


    permission.¡±


    The hint of amusement in his eyes caused her heartbeat to quicken. However, the woman¡¯s sharp


    voice shattered the initial atmosphere. ¡°Return my son to me! Why did you save everyone else but my


    son? Return him to me now!¡± Arielle nced at the woman. Although she tried to stay calm, she still felt


    extremely upset. It felt as if someone had sshed her with a bucket of cold water. It did not feel good


    to be scolded after doing something good. It felt like someone was piercing her heart¡ªnot fatal, but


    intolerably painful. She bit her lips and lowered her head.


    The amused look disappeared from Vinson¡¯s eyes and was reced by an icy-cold glint. Even his


    expression turned colder. ncing at the woman, he said in a frosty tone, ¡°Looks like I wasn¡¯t harsh


    enough, huh?¡± ¡°Just beat me to death! Kill me, and I¡¯ll still take revenge on you even in hell!


    You made my son die inside! All of you deserve to die too!¡± Losing his patience, Vinson stretched out


    his arm to choke her. Suddenly, a child-like voice sounded. ¡°Mom¡­ Stop scolding them!¡± Surprised, the


    woman immediately looked in the direction of the voice. Her disheveled-looking son walked out from


    behind the firefighters. She widened her eyes, her gaze brimming with renewed hope. ¡°Baby!¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 154

    Chapter 154


    He¡¯s not dead! My son¡¯s not dead! Like a madwoman, the woman broke free from Vinson¡¯s grip and


    sprinted toward the boy. She stretched her arms out to hug her son. However, to her surprise, the little


    boy took a few steps backward fearfully and avoided her arms. She widened her eyes in disbelief.


    ¡°Baby¡­?¡± The little boy shook his head. ¡°You scolded the woman and man who saved me. You¡¯re a


    meanie! I don¡¯t want you to hug me!¡± As he spoke, he ran toward Vinson and hugged his right leg


    tightly. The woman watched as her own son hugged someone else¡¯s leg while he refused to let her


    approach him.


    She froze as if she had plunged into a pool of icy-cold water. How is this possible? How can my


    precious son refuse to acknowledge his mother? She took a few steps forward, but her son


    immediately yelled, ¡°Don¡¯te here, you meanie!¡± ¡°Son?¡± Tears rushed out of her eyes as she stood


    there helplessly. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m your mother.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not my mother! You¡¯re a meanie! My mother won¡¯t hit the


    people who saved me!¡± The woman was rendered speechless. She opened her mouth to speak, but


    could not even utter a single word. Vinson did not expect the little boy to act like that either.


    Expressionless, he nced at the woman who was in utter disbelief. Then, he said coldly, ¡°I believe in


    karma. This is what you get in return for pping her.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± The woman felt like her strength had been drained from her. She gazed at her son, feeling


    helpless for the first time in her life. The others surrounding them started to scold her as well. ¡°They


    risked their lives to save our children, but not only were you ungrateful! You even hit her¡­¡± ¡°Yeah!


    You¡¯ve crossed the line! I was so concerned about my child that I forgot to thank his savior. Yet, when I


    came here, I saw you pping her! You¡¯re not even fit to be a human!¡± ¡°If I were them, I wouldn¡¯t have


    saved your son.¡± ¡°You deserve the treatment from your son!¡± The employees, whose children had been


    saved by Arielle, felt unjust for Arielle. The ones who were considerate passed a bottle of water and


    some tissue papers to her.


    ¡°Wipe your face. If a pretty face like yours bes dirty, it won¡¯t look good anymore.¡± When the rest


    spoke to Arielle, they smiled benevolently. It was drastically different from the woman¡¯s attitude when


    she spoke to her earlier. Arielle¡¯s fingertips trembled as she took everything the others passed her. Her


    arms were soon filled with all sorts of items. She nced at the rest with tears brimming in her eyes.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± She had never expected anyone to thank her, so she felt extremely touched. Everyone


    else smiled. ¡°We should be thanking you instead. You¡¯re such a nice person, Ms. Moore!¡± ¡°Yeah! If it


    were not for you, we can¡¯t even bear to think of what¡¯ll happen to our children¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re our savior!


    We¡¯ll definitely work hard for Southall Group. Even if this ce had be a pile of rubble, we¡¯ll


    always be your employees!¡±


    As they spoke, they pulled their children over and bowed toward Arielle with gratitude. Everyone looked


    very sincere. Before Areille could speak, she heard Iris wiping her tears and sobbing quietly. Sniffling,


    she said, ¡°Indeed, good things happen to kind people. I¡¯m so touched¡­¡± Although Arielle initially felt


    like crying, she could not help but chuckle when she saw Iris.

 Chapter 155

    Chapter 155


    She passed a pack of tissue paper to Iris and shoved everything else to Carter. Then, she strode


    toward Vinson. ¡°Vinson.¡± The moment Arielle walked over, the little boy ran toward her happily and was


    about to hug her thigh. Before he could touch Arielle¡¯s leg, he felt his cor tighten around his neck.


    The next moment, his feet dangled mid-air as someone lifted him up. The little boy turned around in


    surprise but saw that it was Vinson who carried him. He looked so serious. ¡°Didn¡¯t your family teach


    you that men and women should not be too intimate with each other?¡±


    When the little boy met Vinson¡¯s cold gaze, he was instantly terrified. Even adults could not bear


    looking at Vinson¡¯s cold gaze, let alone a child like him. The boy raised his head and burst into tears.


    His mother ran over subconsciously. However, when she was a metre away, she stopped in her tracks


    hesitantly. She¡­ felt too shameless to protect her son. His son was grateful to his saviors, but not her.


    It was no wonder that everyone else chided her. She should not have acted in that manner. When


    Arielle saw the mother¡¯s downcast expression, she paused for a while before saying, ¡°Vinson, return


    the child to his mother. You have scared him.¡± Vinson scrunched his nose. I¡¯ve never raised any


    children, so how would I know that they¡¯re scared so easily?


    How troublesome! Carrying the little boy, Vinson ced him in front of his mother and said without any


    expression, ¡°I¡¯m going to return this crybaby to you. Don¡¯t let me hear you say something stupid again.¡±


    Children were very forgetful. After being shocked, he immediately pounced into his mother arms. The


    woman quickly hugged him back. It was only until her son hugged her that she finally felt relief that her


    son was still alive. ¡°My son¡­ It¡¯s all my fault¡­¡±


    Hugging her son, she started to sob. She only stopped crying after a long while. ncing at Arielle,


    she opened her mouth and tried to say something. However, all she did, in the end, was to bow toward


    Arielle while carrying her son. Actions spoke louder than silence. That bow represented all her grateful


    and apologetic feelings. I¡¯m sorry, and thank you. Arielle nodded slightly at her¡ªa sign of forgiveness.


    The woman yelled and pped her out of panic, not because she had vicious intentions.


    If Arielle had lost her adoptive parents and brother, she would not even know how she could survive.


    Hence, she understood how the woman felt. Reading her mind, Vinson snorted softly and said, ¡°You¡¯re


    the good person, while I¡¯m the viin.¡± Feigning anger, Arielle red at him and said, ¡°Who are you to


    say that? Didn¡¯t you promise me that you¡¯lle down as soon as possible? Don¡¯t you know that you


    almost scared me¡­ and Carter to death?¡±


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    When Vinson heard the first half of her sentence, a brooding look crossed his eyes. However, after she


    finished speaking, the look quickly disappeared. Pouting slightly, he mumbled, ¡°It¡¯s all because of


    you¡­¡± Arielle did not catch that and asked in confusion, ¡°What did you say?¡± Vinson retrieved


    something from his inner pocket and tossed it casually into her arms. Arielle subconsciously grabbed it


    and nced down.


    It was a yellowish notebook. She asked in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Vinson said calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t know if


    this is what you¡¯re looking for, but just take a look at it. I¡¯ll ask Carter what happened.¡± As he spoke, he


    walked toward Carter without sparing a second nce at Arielle. She gazed at Vinson¡¯s back, thinking


    that he looked like an arrogant brat. What is this?

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    Chapter 156


    Averting her gaze, she flipped open the first page of the notebook in confusion. When she saw the


    words written on it, her eyes widened. This is¡­ There were a few words written in beautiful and elegant


    handwriting: Maureen¡¯s diary. This is Mom¡¯s diary! Arielle quickly flipped through a few pages and


    realized that the diary was filled with words. Back then, she was too young to know that her mother had


    a habit of keeping a diary. This was a pleasant surprise! As she was so surprised, she could not help


    but hug the notebook tightly. Even though she did not usually express her emotions, she had burst into


    tears of happiness. Not only would this diary resolve her confusion, but it was also her mother¡¯s


    belongings.


    Despite searching the Southall residence secretly for a long time, she could not find any of her


    mother¡¯s belongings. Surprisingly, there was one here. When she was rescuing the others, she thought


    that she would never find it. Arielle suddenly understood why Vinson took so long to find the child, and


    only reappeared a second before the building copsed. He did it for me¡­ Arielle could not help but


    walk toward Vinson. Meanwhile, Vinson had walked over to Carter and asked, ¡°How was that guy


    rescued? What happened?¡± With an unpleasant expression, Carter said, ¡°It was a hacker infiltration.


    After the dude was brought back, we locked him up for an interrogation. However, he refused to say


    anything.


    As we were scared that we might torture him to death, we left him locked up for the time being.¡± ¡°What


    happened next?¡± ¡°The door was controlled by aputer. I thought that it was the safest method, but


    the hacker on the enemy¡¯s side was very skilled. He hacked the smart electronic door without me


    noticing.


    By the time I realized, the man had been rescued. The only thing left was a note demanding your life.¡±


    Vinson frowned. ¡°The doors in Southall Group are also smart electronic doors. That¡¯s why we were


    locked in, unable to get out.¡± Carter nodded. ¡°When I saw the note, I called you and came over to look


    for you. However, some people blocked me mid-way. Harvey and Jordan hadn¡¯t arrived yet.


    They did not attack us, but merely stopped us from looking for you. Looks like you¡¯re their only target.¡±


    Vinson fell into deep thought. Who is it that wants to kill me so badly? ¡°But it was fine after all.¡± Carter


    heaved a sigh of relief and said, ¡°Luckily, you smashed through the door. Otherwise, everyone,


    including you, would¡¯ve been stuck inside and couldn¡¯t get out. As long as you¡¯re alive, we have a


    chance of finding out who the mastermind is!¡± ¡°The door wasn¡¯t smashed open.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Stunned,


    Carter asked in surprise, ¡°How did you get out?¡±


    When Vinson nced at Arielle, she was coincidentally walking toward him. He smirked proudly and


    said, ¡°Arielle hacked into their terminal.¡± ¡°What?¡± Carter widened his eyes in shock. ¡°The enemy¡¯s


    hacking skills are even better than mine. How did an ordinary girl like her achieve that?¡± There was a


    global ranking for hackers. He ranked second ce, only a position below a mysterious hacker


    nicknamed ¡®Noddles¡¯. ncing at him calmly, Vinson asked, ¡°Do you still think that she¡¯s an ordinary


    girl?¡±


    Carter was rendered speechless. In the past, he had thought that Arielle possessed zero medical skills.


    However, she immediately cured an illness that an internationally renowned doctor needed to spend a


    year on. Still, he assumed that Arielle was nothing but an ordinary girl. Yet, how could her hacking skills


    surpass his, given that he was ranked second in the entire world? That was ridiculous.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 157

    Chapter 157


    However, the reality tantly showed that Arielle was not just an ordinary girl. His judgement was


    inurate. Laughing bitterly, Carter said to Vinson, ¡°I think that I need to visit the ophthalmology


    department. My judgement of people is ridiculously inurate.¡± Just when Vinson was about to speak,


    Arielle reached them. Hugging the notebook tightly, Arielle opened her mouth, looking like she wanted


    to say something but was hesitant. After staying silent for a while, all she could say in the end was,


    ¡°Thank you¡­ Vinson.¡± Thank you for risking your life to retrieve my mom¡¯s diary for me.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    Vinson shrugged. ¡°Looks like you can¡¯t even remember what I said. If you like thanking me so much, go


    back and cook some ravioli for me.¡± Arielle nodded firmly. ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll cook it for you and make sure you


    have enough!¡± Gazing into her eyes, Vinson said with an ambiguous smile, ¡°Your ravioli is delicious. I


    want to eat them forever. Will you be willing to cook it for me?¡± ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Carter choked on his saliva. Is


    Vinson saying what I think he¡¯s saying? Or am I misunderstanding him? Is he, the cold CEO amongst


    the four of us going to find love soon?


    In that case, three of them will be in love with the same woman. Wow, that is indeed a tricky


    situation. Puzzled, Arielle stared at Carter as he suddenly coughed violently, his face turning pale. It


    was only cooking ravioli. Although she would have to cook for him forever, she could still do it before


    she turned really old. Why is Carter¡¯s reaction so dramatic?


    However, since she could never understand those few men from Jadeborough, she did not ask


    anything. Instead, she turned around and nodded firmly at Vinson. ¡°Sure. As long as you want to eat it,


    I¡¯ll cook for you. Just don¡¯t get tired of it.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    An unreadable look appeared in his eyes. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll cook for you then.¡± Arielle nodded. Carter nced


    at Arielle and saw her innocent gaze. For a moment, he suspected if he had misunderstood. However,


    he suddenly remembered something. Not dwelling on it further, he pulled Arielle and asked, ¡°Ms.


    Moore, did you hack into their terminal?¡± Arielle nodded but shook her headter. ¡°I only infiltrated a


    few of their firewalls. When I was about to infiltrate into their terminal, they have already returned the


    control over the smart electric doors. So¡­¡± ¡°So you still didn¡¯t find their terminal,¡± said Carter


    disappointedly. Indeed, how can Arielle achieve something that even I can¡¯t do?


    Looking at Vinson helplessly and disappointedly, he said, ¡°Looks like we couldn¡¯t use this opportunity to


    find them.¡± Vinson was not in a rush to act. Judging from how harsh the enemy¡¯s attack was this time, it


    was evident that they had run out of patience. Once they started panicking, they would definitely give


    themselves away. He replied without many expressions, ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll have plenty of opportunities in


    the future.¡±


    ¡°Did someone n this explosion because they want to kill you?¡± asked Arielle in surprise. Vinson


    replied, ¡°Yeah. Do you remember the previous time when you saved me? It¡¯s done by the same group


    of people. Unfortunately, we still don¡¯t know who the enemy is.¡± Arielle bit her lips and protested


    indignantly, ¡°Which lunatic wants to kill a hundred other people just for the sake of killing one person?¡±


    Sighing, Carter said, ¡°The enemy¡¯s well-hidden. It¡¯s rare that they¡¯ve appeared again, but it¡¯s too bad


    that you didn¡¯t locate them.¡± ¡°Who said that?¡± Arielle¡¯s eyes sparkled.

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    Chapter 158


    Stunned, Carter quickly asked, ¡°Have you located them? But didn¡¯t you fail to infiltrate their terminal?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s eyshes fluttered as she said, ¡°I didn¡¯t fully infiltrate their terminal. However, since they


    created too many virtual spots, I located them when I found the correct terminal. The final one was


    located on an ind around the west coast. I can find the approximate coordinates for you.¡± Carter


    immediately felt a rush of excitement surge through him. As he was too excited, he could only exim,


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing! You¡¯re too simply amazing, Ms. Moore!¡±


    Vinson did not say anything, but a meaningful look crept into his eyes as he stared at Arielle. On the


    contrary, she did not think she did much. After all, she only did it out of convenience. She said coldly,


    ¡°They ruined the building, so please help me capture the culprits.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry and leave it to me! As


    for the building, the Morgans will pay to help you rebuild it!¡± Arielle¡¯s gaze turned downcast. The


    building was the product of her mother¡¯s lifelong efforts. It would not be the same even if it was rebuilt.


    She would never have a chance to look at the secretpartment again as well. At that moment,


    someone wailed. ¡°Mypany! Mypany!¡± The three of them looked toward the direction of the


    voice simultaneously.


    Henrick was kneeling on the ground and crying out loud. He looked utterly ridiculous. Carter shot


    Arielle a look of pity and said, ¡°This old man doesn¡¯t even care about your life. All he sees is this


    building.¡± However, she was stoic. Ever since she discovered that Henrick was not her biological father,


    she no longer had any genuine feelings of kinship for him. As a result, nothing Henrick did could affect


    her emotionally. ¡°I¡¯ll go over first. Help me take care of this first and I¡¯ll get it from you when I¡¯m free.¡± As


    Arielle spoke, she passed the diary, which she had been hugging tightly in her arms, to Vinson.


    Knowing that it was extremely important to her, he took it from her solemnly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll protect it


    for you.¡±


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Arielle nodded slightly. When she realized that she thanked him again, her expression


    turned stiff. Vinson smiled in exasperation and said, ¡°If you can¡¯t change your habit of thanking me, it¡¯s


    fine. Just go. After sorting out that man, remember to treat your injury. It won¡¯t be nice for a girl to have


    scars.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Arielle nodded and walked toward Henrick. The moment she left, Vinson turned around


    and nced at Carter coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that in front of her again. She¡¯ll feel sad.¡± Unlike


    Jordan and Harvey, he was smart.


    Remembering what Vinson said to Arielle about the ravioli, a thought surfaced in his head. He asked,


    ¡°Do you like Chief?¡± To him, Arielle was a chief¡ªand a very impressive chief at that. Vinson denied, ¡°I


    don¡¯t like her.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t, why are you treating her so nicely? Don¡¯t think that I can¡¯t see it. You


    almost died inside just to retrieve this diary for her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because she saved my life. If it were not for


    her, everyone in the building would die.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Carter spread his arms. ¡°How are you going to exin what you said about the ravioli, then?


    Also, during the acupuncture in the hospital, why did you trust her instead of me? And¡­¡± ¡°I said that


    because I owe her my life. Also, didn¡¯t she cure the person? I didn¡¯t just trust her blindly.¡± ¡°Fine, fine,


    fine. You don¡¯t like her, okay?¡± After speaking, Carter suddenly nced behind Vinson nervously. ¡°Chief


    got beaten by her father!¡±

 Chapter 159

    Chapter 159


    Vinson immediately turned and ran toward Arielle. However, in the next second, he saw Arielle helping


    Henrick up from the ground. Henrick had not hit Arielle. Carter was lying to him. Damn it! Vinson spun


    around to re at Carter. Holding back a grin, Carter stepped forward and asked, ¡°Are you still in denial


    about your feelings for her?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s different,¡± Vinson replied. What he felt for Arielle was gratitude and admiration, not love between a


    man and a woman. Carter shrugged before falling silent. Vinson could lie to everyone, but he could not


    lie to himself. Love was something that would spill from an individual¡¯s eyes even if they covered their


    mouth. He was waiting for the day when realization would strike Vinson hard.


    Meanwhile, Arielle was helping Henrick up with effort as she said, ¡°Dad,e up quickly. It¡¯s bad to


    dwell in misery. We can rebuild the building if it¡¯s gone, but you might not recover if you ruin your


    health.¡± Henrick grabbed Arielle¡¯s wrist and questioned, ¡°What¡¯s going on? What happened? It was still


    fine when I left. How did it copse?¡± A startled expression emerged on Arielle¡¯s face, and she


    stammered, ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. Dad, I¡¯m scared!¡± It was then he realized Arielle was just a young woman.


    There was no way she would know why there was an explosion in the building.


    It was already a miracle that she survived. Right then, Henrick came back to his senses and sighed in


    relief, d that Arielle was not dead. As long as Arielle was alive and capable of marrying into the


    Nightshire family, losing one building was nothing. Arielle was the best cash cow he could get. Instantly,


    Henrick¡¯s expression softened, and he patted Arielle¡¯s trembling shoulders as if he was a good father.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine now, Sannie. Don¡¯t be scared. It¡¯s all right about the tower, as long as you¡¯re unhurt.¡±


    A mocking look flitted past Arielle¡¯s eyes.


    Right then, Cindy arrived. When she saw the Southall Group¡¯s building reduced to shambles, she


    froze. This is my building¡ªone of my assets! Why is it ruined? When Cindy turned toward Arielle, the


    fury in her eyes would have bored holes into Arielle if it could. At that very moment, all of her rationality


    fled her mind. She stormed toward Henrick and pulled him toward her. ¡°Dear, have you not realized that


    Arielle is nothing but a jinx? Her return resulted in the copse of the building. You have to get rid of


    her! Or maybe you should make herpensate the victims of this incident. I¡¯m sure many have died


    in there. If everyone demandspensation, our family will go bankrupt!¡±


    Henrick¡¯s lips moved, but he said nothing as his heart ached. Hearing his silence, Cindy continued,


    ¡°Dear, don¡¯t you believe in God anymore? She must be a demon! Think about it. How many


    misfortunes have our family borne upon her return? We were doing so well before! Now, we¡¯re on our


    way to be beggars.¡± Henrick was wavering in his determination. She¡¯s right. Ever since Arielle


    came back, it has been chaotic in the family. Are Cindy¡¯s words true? Is Arielle really a jinx? A cash


    cow that only brings misfortune isn¡¯t someone good to keep around.


    When Henrick returned his gaze to the copsed building, his heart ached. How many have died in


    there, and how much would I have to spend topensate them? Arielle has yet to bring in any


    money, but she¡¯s already spending all of what I have. ¡°Dear!¡± Cindy raised her volume. ¡°She¡¯s nothing


    but a useless bringer of misfortune. What¡¯s there to hesitate after she brought down the entire building


    with her ill luck?¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 160

    Chapter 160


    Cindy¡¯s words only made the frustration in Henrick grow. Regardless of everything, Arielle had made


    him lose too much. He could not lose this cash cow, but he could not keep her around either. Maybe


    I should leave her in a monastery. Right as that thought emerged in his mind, Henrick spotted a group


    of employees from hispany walking toward him. Instantly, he gulped. They¡¯vee to ask for


    compensation. These useless rubbish! Instinctively, Henrick wanted to flee. However, the words he


    heard in the next second stunned him. ¡°Mr. Southall, thank you!¡±


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    After that, they all lowered their head at Henrick with looks of gratitude. Thousands of questions


    immediately flooded Henrick¡¯s mind. What¡¯s going on with them? Not only are they not asking for


    compensation, but they¡¯re even thanking me? Even Cindy was dumbstruck by the scene. What¡¯s going


    on? On the other hand, Arielle was calmly standing at the side, her eyes dull. The representative of the


    group then stepped forward and eximed, ¡°Mr. Southall, you¡¯ve raised a good daughter. We¡¯re


    grateful for her as well as you who have brought her into this world.


    I¡¯ll only work for you for the rest of my life.¡± Confounded, Henrick nced at Arielle and asked the


    employee, ¡°W-What do you mean?¡± The employee gave Arielle an equally confounded look before


    saying, ¡°Mr. Southall, it seems like you don¡¯t know about this. Ms. Arielle was the one who helped us


    out during the explosion.¡± Cindy stiffened. Still shocked, Henrick turned toward Arielle and mumbled,


    ¡°Y-You saved them?¡± Arielle nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t want them to die in there, so I ran to the control room on


    the second floor and unlocked the door.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not all of it!¡±


    A female employee who had been reprimanding Arielle earlier squeezed her way out of the crowd with


    her son and said, ¡°Ms. Arielle even risked her life to save all the children at the daycare. She¡¯s my


    savior!¡± As she spoke, tears of gratitude and regret flowed down her cheeks. At that, Henrick hurriedly


    asked, ¡°How many died in the copse?¡±


    The crowd was quick to reply, ¡°None.¡± ¡°The only reason we could escape unscathed is all thanks to Ms.


    Arielle!¡± ¡°From now on, our lives belong to Ms. Arielle and the Southall Group.¡± ¡°Ms. Arielle is a saint!


    She is an excellent woman.¡± After a brief pause, Henrick grinned. No one died. That means


    I don¡¯t need topensate for anything.


    In his excitement, he hugged Arielle and eximed, ¡°My dear daughter, you¡¯re the best!¡± ¡°Dad, I¡¯m just


    doing what I should,¡± Arielle quietly answered. Hearing that, Henrick¡¯s impression of Arielle


    improved. There¡¯s no way she¡¯s a jinx. In fact, she¡¯s Lady Luck herself! The employees left after


    expressing their gratitude. As Cindy watched the father and daughter hug, wrath poured into her heart.


    She never thought that Arielle was capable of saving everyone in the building.


    How am I going to use Arielle now? Right as she was cursing at Arielle inwardly, Cindy sensed a


    burning gaze on her. When she raised her head, she saw Henrick¡¯s furious eyes ring at her. Henrick


    was a roly-poly who could never make up his own mind. Now that he was leaning toward Arielle, it


    would only be normal for him to turn his hatred toward Cindy. Panicking, Cindy took a subconscious


    step back before squeezing out a smile. ¡°D-Dear, w-why are you looking at me in that way?¡±

 Chapter 161

    Chapter 161


    Chapter 161 Do Not Cross Me,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    Henrick gritted out, ¡°Why, you ask? Jinx? Is that how you describe your own niece? I hope you don¡¯t


    forget that you¡¯re her mother right now.¡± Anxious, she pursed her lips, cursing at herself for rashly


    calling Arielle a bearer of ill luck. However, she blinked, and a new idea formed in her head. ¡°It¡¯s true


    that she has saved them, but the tower is copsed. It¡¯ll be quite a sum to rebuild it. Moreover, of all


    times for it to explode, the explosion happened while she was filming at thepany. She really is the


    bearer of ill luck who has destroyed the building.¡± Again, Henrick hesitated. She¡¯s right. I don¡¯t need to


    compensate anyone, but I still need to rebuild the building. Thepany has been on a tight budget


    recently.


    For the building to copse now¡­ Right then, a cial voice traveled into their ears. ¡°Who did you say


    is the bringer of ill luck?¡± Instinctively, Arielle turned toward the owner of the voice. She saw Vinson


    striding toward them, a frigid look on his face. Yet, his presence somehow calmed her. The first thing


    Cindy sensed was a sharp gaze staring at her, and that gaze was like a knife pressing onto her back.


    Turning around, she saw Vinson¡¯s eyes fixed on her as he strode toward their direction. The confidence


    in her left instantly, and she stuttered, ¡°M-M-Mr. Nightshire.¡± Vinson took a step forward and stood


    beside Arielle before uttering, ¡°Did you say that Arielle is the bearer of misfortune because there was


    an explosion in the building?¡±


    The menacing aura that Vinson emitted was suffocating Cindy. Gulping, she struggled to find her voice


    and whispered, ¡°M-Mr. Nightshire, I know you like Arielle, b-b-but what I¡¯m saying is the truth. The


    building copsed on her first visit. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s reasonable for me toe to this conclusion?¡±


    Cindy knew that Vinson had a one-night-stand with Arielle, but she also knew that the richer an


    individual was, the more superstitious they were.


    Families with old money like the Nightshires would never ept a bringer of bad luck like Arielle to


    their family. With that thought in mind, Cindy¡¯s confidence returned. Lifting her head to look at him inBelongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    the eyes, she said, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, I know you¡¯re interested in her, but you should keep a distance from


    her.


    She¡¯s the cause of her mother¡¯s death, and now, she¡¯s the cause of the building¡¯s copse. I¡¯m sure


    you don¡¯t want her to be the cause of your downfall, right?¡± Cindy was sure that Vinson valued his


    life more than the interest he had for Arielle. After all, everyone would want to avoiding into contact


    with a bearer of ill luck.


    ¡°Ha,¡± Vinson scoffed. His voice was maic and attractive, but a chill ran down Cindy¡¯s spine upon


    hearing that. Subconsciously, she balled her fists and crumpled the edges of her shirt in her tight


    grasps. ¡°M-Mr. Nightshire, what are youughing about?¡±


    she asked, her back stiffly straight. Ignoring the anxious Cindy, he turned toward Henrick and uttered,


    ¡°Mr. Southall, I¡¯d like to apologize to you.¡± Henrick was still worried about whether Vinson would give up


    on Arielle after hearing Cindy¡¯s words. When he heard Vinson¡¯s apology, instantly, his heart raced.


    Is he going to deny having slept with Arielle? This is all that damn Cindy¡¯s fault. We could¡¯ve had this


    conversation privately. Why did she have to raise this topic in front of Vinson? The only asset we have


    left is Arielle! Henrick¡¯s hands were shaking, and in the next second, Vinson said, ¡°It¡¯s my fault for the


    explosion and the copse of the building.¡±

 Chapter 162

    Chapter 162


    Chapter 162: Getting Rid Of Cindy


    ¡°What?¡± Both Henrick and Cindy snapped their heads upward instantly. Then, Vinson continued, ¡°I


    have a bad temper, so I have many enemies. Among them are many who want to take my life. The


    explosion in the building was supposed to be an assassination attempt meant for me.¡± At that, the


    colors drained out of Cindy¡¯s face. If what Vinson said was true, that meant that she was iming that


    Vinson was the bringer of ill luck, for she thought it was Arielle¡¯s fault the building copsed. She would


    never dare to insinuate that if she knew what was actually going on.


    At that very moment, Cindy¡¯s mind was filled with an overwhelming buzz. With thest bit of her


    courage, she murmured, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, even if you¡¯re interested in Arielle, there¡¯s no need to be a


    scapegoat for her.¡± Almost immediately, Vinson shot Cindy a cold re that made her break out in cold


    sweat. ¡°Give me the thing,¡± Vinson said to Carter as he kept his eyes on Cindy. Carter had been


    enjoying the show from the side, and finally, it was his turn to enter the stage. Without saying anything,


    he took out a piece of note. ¡°Have a look.¡± Cindy and Henrick then simultaneously turned to look at the


    paper.


    On it was: I¡¯ll be bringing them back. Vinson Nightshire will have to pay with his life for frightening my


    subordinate. Upon reading the note, Cindy shuddered. The building really exploded because of


    Vinson! Fixing his cial eyes on Cindy, he asked, ¡°Have you read it?¡± Cold sweat began beading on


    her forehead. stering on a forced smile, she stammered, ¡°S-So that¡¯s what happened. It seems like I


    have misunderstood the situation.¡± Tilting his chin higher, Vinson said, ¡°It¡¯s one thing for you to


    misunderstand Arielle, but another for you to im that I¡¯m a bringer of misfortune.


    Tell me, how should I settle this score with you?¡± A shudder wracked Cindy¡¯s body as she mumbled


    with trembling lips, ¡°This is a misunderstanding. Mr. Nightshire, you know I wasn¡¯t talking about you. I¡¯d


    never say that you¡¯re a bringer of misfortune.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± came Vinson¡¯s response. ¡°But I don¡¯t think


    there¡¯s anything wrong with my ears. Mr. Southall, what do you think I should do about this?¡± HenrickBelongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    was fuming. Cindy¡¯s nothing but trouble! She nearly ruined Vinson¡¯s impression of Arielle, and she even


    infuriated him. Henrick was simultaneously enraged and afraid.


    The first thing he did was apologize to Vinson. Then, he pped Cindy. It was somethingmon he


    did at home, but this time, it was in public. Everyone was watching them, including the reporters who


    were here for the scoop. At that moment, the only two senses Cindy felt were shame and pain. Yet, she


    didn¡¯t dare lose her temper nor make a sound. All she could do was quietly endure Henrick¡¯s p. In


    the end, Arielle was the one to stop Henrick.


    ¡°Dad, don¡¯t hit her anymore. Everyone¡¯s watching. If you¡¯re really angry, you can send Aunt Cindy and


    Shandie to the monastery for a while. Once she clears her mind there, you can ask her toe back.¡±


    Snapping her head up, Cindy snarled, ¡°How dare you try to get rid of me, Arielle?¡± Pretending to be


    terrified, Arielle hid behind Henrick. In the beginning, Henrick did not bear any thoughts of sending


    Cindy away, but when he saw the way she treated Arielle, his anger burned anew.


    ¡°It seems like you still have no idea what you¡¯ve done wrong. Sannie¡¯s right; you should head to the


    monastery with Shandie to clear your heads.¡± ¡°No, no¡­¡± Cindy¡¯s tone instantly weakened as she


    grabbed Henrick¡¯s arm and began pleading, ¡°Dear, I know I¡¯ve done wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have said


    Sannie¡¯s a bringer of misfortune. I only said it because I was upset. Please let me off this time. I swear I


    won¡¯t say anything like this anymore. Please forgive me!¡±

 Chapter 163

    Chapter 163


    Chapter 163: Persuading A Child


    She could not be sent to the monastery, for she did not want to see a certain sinister woman there.


    Everywhere was fine but the monastery. That old woman has always been hostile toward me,


    and she¡¯s a tough one to deal with. The monastery is the one ce I should never go. Blinking, Cindy


    hastily said, ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve saved up some money of my own recently. I can use it to rebuild the office


    building.¡± Hearing that, Henrick wavered in his decision again. It was true that he did not have the funds


    to rebuild the building. Right then, Vinson spoke.


    ¡°Mr. Southall,¡± he said, ¡°since I was the one who caused the explosion in the building, I shall be the one


    to pay for the expenses of rebuilding the office. I¡¯ll be covering the payment of the designs and the


    rebuilding. In three months, I¡¯ll return to you a brand-new office for the Southall Group. Also, I¡¯ll be


    covering for the employee¡¯s pay for these three months, as well as the rental for the temporary office.


    As for thepensation for the employees¡¯ emotional distress, you can send me an estimation of the


    amount after you¡¯ve calcted it. I¡¯ll have my finance department transfer the amount to you.¡±


    Henrick¡¯s eyes lit up. The office building was old, and it was great to have it reced. Moreover, Vinson


    was offering to pay for the rental of the temporary office. In other words, he could profit from the


    situation. Furthermore, Arielle had gained the loyalties of the employees during the incident. The


    situation waspletely advantageous to him. Yes, I love this explosion. Henrick promptly thanked


    him. However, Vinson was not done speaking yet. ¡°But I have a request of my own.¡± ¡°Please go


    ahead,¡± Henrick swiftly replied. ncing at the depressed Cindy, Vinson continued, ¡°I don¡¯t wish to see


    this woman who has said I¡¯m a bringer of misfortune.¡±


    Instantly understanding what Vinson meant, he hesitated no second in summoning two of his


    subordinates. ¡°Send her to the monastery. After sending her there, guard that ce. She¡¯s not allowed


    to step foot out of the monastery unless she has my permission.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The subordinates then


    waved at Cindy and huffed, ¡°Mrs. Southall, time to go.¡± Cindy was reluctant to leave, of course, but the


    one who made the decision was Vinson. Unlike Shandie, she knew when to stop.


    Hence, she did not continue pleading. After telling Henrick¡¯s subordinate to wait for her for a moment,


    she walked toward Arielle and said in a seemingly sincere tone, ¡°Sannie, this is all my fault. I was too


    anxious, so I spewed nonsense without thinking it thoroughly. Please forgive me. When I¡¯m at the


    monastery, I¡¯ll reflect on myself and pray for you and the family.¡± In surprise, Arielle turned to look at


    Cindy.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Cindy¡¯s smarter and better at holding herself back than Shandie. From the corner of her eyes, Arielle


    could see that some of Henrick¡¯s anger had dissipated. After two seconds of silence, Arielle slowly


    said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, Aunt Cindy. Even if you don¡¯t think of me as family, you¡¯re still my Aunt Cindy. Don¡¯t


    worry. Once you¡¯ve thought things through, I¡¯ll ask Dad to bring you back.¡± Arielle¡¯s words were


    effective in pulling Henrick back to her side.


    With a cold tone, Henrick uttered, ¡°That¡¯s enough. Take her away.¡± Every few steps Cindy took, she


    turned to look at them. It was as if she truly regretted her words. However, Henrick did not spare her


    another nce. After thanking Vinson again, he left with Arielle. On their way back, Arielle received a


    message from Vinson: I¡¯ve helped you get rid of your evil aunt. How will you be thanking me?

 Chapter 164

    Chapter 164


    Chapter 164: Hacking Skill


    Just by looking at the message, Arielle could imagine Vinson¡¯s sloppy face. She typed her message


    swiftly and sent it to him: I¡¯ll have ravioli then. You can pick the vor. On the other end, Vinson let out


    an unsatisfied smile. Is she cajoling me like I am a child? He replied, ¡°You¡¯ve promised to cook me


    ravioli for all your life. Why don¡¯t you apany me to a banquet next week? That¡¯s settled, then.¡±


    Vinson did not give her a chance to reject. Arielle stared at her phone screen in hesitation.


    She was reluctant to do anything that did not contribute to her purpose¡ªparticrly this sort of


    banquet, which required her to meet many people. Nevertheless, she felt strange that she somehow


    did not feel annoyed by Vinson¡¯s invitation. As Arielle always followed her heart, she epted the


    invitation with a brief reply. Driving on the road slowly, Arielle gazed at the scenery along the way while


    pondering about the recent events.


    Even though she managed to eliminate Cindy temporarily, she bet that thetter would find her way to


    get back in the game. She will try toe back by all means. Hence, Arielle needed to bribe all the


    housekeepers before Cindy got back. Other than that, she got to investigate the manor thoroughly by


    then. Who knows. Maybe I will discover some new clues or find out about some history. As long as


    Cindy was not around, there was plenty that Arielle could achieve. That was precisely why she


    suggested Cindy clear her thoughts at the monastery, even just for a short period. Upon arriving at the


    house, Henrick asked the doctor to take care of Arielle¡¯s wounds.


    Most of the wounds were not serious, and along with the best medicine from the doctor, most probably,


    they would not leave a scar after recovery. Upon knowing that, Henrick let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Sannie,


    you have to be more careful next time.¡± Arielle nodded and pretended to be touched. ¡°Thanks, Dad. I¡¯ll


    be careful. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Henrick nodded with satisfaction and headed towards his study room to


    complete his works. He was trying to acquire money from Vinson through all possible methods but in


    an unobvious manner. Strangely, all the potential projects in thepany ended up losing money


    recently.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    If this continued, Henrick was afraid thepany would not be able to hold up for long. That was why


    his current priority was to boost the cash flow, as that was the only way thepany could survive.


    Meanwhile, Vinson and Carter had gotten back to the Jupiters¡¯ residence. Harvey and Jordan had also


    returned after being trapped for such a long time. Four of them met and started catching up with each


    other.


    Harvey uttered, ¡°Those assassins were highly skilled. I recognized one of them¡ªhe was the third-best


    assassin. The person who engages such a top assassin must be powerful.¡± At the same time, Jordan


    reached his hand to check the wounds on Vinson¡¯s body. His expression turned relieved after


    confirming there was no severe injury. The Nightshires was the leader among the four families, as


    Vinson was also the core person among the four of them. If anything were to happen to him, the other


    three families would not be able to escape the blow either.


    Nheless, Jordan¡¯s care for Vinson acted out from pure brotherhood. Secondster, Jordan¡¯s relief


    turned into fury. ¡°That guy is a snake in our backyard. If we cannot find out who he is, there is no way


    we can hit back!¡± ¡°Who says that we cannot find him?¡± Just then, Vinson stated faintly, with a bit of


    pride within his smile. Harvey and Jordan stared at him simultaneously. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

 Chapter 165

    Chapter 165


    Chapter 165: A Precious Item


    Vinson cast a nce towards Carter, and thetter stepped forward to exin, ¡°Chief has located the


    approximate location of that man. I¡¯ll confirm with herter. She should be sending the location over


    here soon.¡± Harvey was confounded. ¡°Which Chief? Aren¡¯t you the best hacker in Jadeborough?¡±


    Carter added casually, ¡°The chief is Ms. Moore.¡± With that, Harvey¡¯s eyes widened in bewilderment.


    ¡°Does Arielle also know how to hack?¡± Jordan was also left surprised by that fact. ¡°Is there anything


    that she cannot do? How could someone from the countryside know so many skills?¡±


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Upon hearing that, Carter tried to defend Arielle. ¡°Please give her some respect. How could you look


    down on someone just because of their background?¡± Jordan stared back at Carter with puzzlement.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who did not like her?¡± Right then, Carter¡¯s eyes shed with displeasure. ¡°That was


    before. I¡¯m going to call her now. Vin, could you send me her contact?¡± Indeed, Carter¡¯s attitude


    towards Arielle had transformed thoroughly, as though he had forgotten how he used to distrust her.


    Just then, Vinson spoke, ¡°Before that, I need you to do something important for me.¡±


    Carter asked confusedly, ¡°What is it?¡± About ten minutester, Vinson arrived at the underground vault


    strictly guarded inside Carter¡¯s house. The Morgans¡¯ vault stored countless antique jewelry with top-


    notch security. While Carter was opening the vault, he could not help but question, ¡°What is it that you


    want to put in here? Don¡¯t you have your vault at your house?¡± Vinson responded sternly, ¡°Yours is


    safer.¡± Carter nodded confidently. ¡°Indeed, this is the safest ce in Jadeborough. We should have


    locked the culprits in here. But, what exactly are you going to store?¡±


    Vinson did not answer the question directly. ¡°Open the vault first.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Carter signaled the guards


    to leave the scene before opening thest lock¡ªa pupil identification lock. Beep. The heavy doors of


    the vault swung open ceremoniously. Vinson scanned inside the vault and was rendered speechless in


    amazement. There were all sorts of precious items inside. Besides all the expensive gems and


    antiques, there were even some green casings containing rare flora species.


    That was the first time Vinson ever entered the Morgans¡¯ vault. After a short while, he took something


    out of his pocket. Carter stared directly at Vinson¡¯s hand, eager to find out what treasure he would be


    holding. To his befuddlement, it was an old notebook. Carter could not wrap his head around it.


    ¡°What?¡± What¡¯s so valuable about this old notebook? Carter nearly cursed out of startle. It turned out it


    was a notebook that belonged to Arielle. In fact, even the cheapest gold in his vault was worth multiple


    times more than it.


    Putting such a notebook was an insult to the vault. ¡°Why?¡± Looking at Carter¡¯splicated expression,


    Vinson asked, ¡°Do you mind?¡± ¡°No¡­ not at all!¡± Carter immediately shook his head. ¡°As long as it


    belongs to Chief, anything will be fine.¡± Vinson cast him a nce. ¡°Cut the crap. Where¡¯s the safest slot


    here?¡± ¡°Over there.¡± Carter guided Vinson to an intricate ss-made slot. After he unlockedyers of


    passwords, he carefully ced Arielle¡¯s notebook into it.

 Chapter 166

    Chapter 166


    Chapter 166: Bribing


    The old notebookid quietly beside a precious amber fossil, seeming awkwardly out of ce.


    However, Vinson felt it was the right ce for it. ¡°Great. Let¡¯s go. Now we can call Arielle to send us the


    location.¡± One way or another, he was determined to find out the man who tried so hard to kill him.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Carter spoke as they headed outside. ¡°Give me her contact then.¡± Just then, Vinson¡¯s eyes


    narrowed as if he did not trust Carter. ¡°I¡¯ll contact her.¡±


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Carter noticed something off about Vinson¡¯splexion, but he could not figure out why. Meanwhile, at


    the Southall residence, Arielle was bribing Larissa, one of Cindy¡¯s spies. That was when she received a


    message from Vinson. Back to the bribing, Arielle had been secretly observing Larissa for a long time.


    She found out that thetter had a child with polio, and she needed a lot of money for treatment. That


    was also how Cindy manipted Larissa to conduct crime by giving thetter the money she needed.


    In fact, Larissa had submitted to Cindy countless times for the sake of her child.


    Nheless, Arielle did note after Larissa because of her soft spot but because she had worked


    at the Southalls¡¯ house for a long time. Larissa had started working here when Maureen was still


    around. If Arielle were looking for new clues, Larissa was surely the person to start with. However,


    Arielle¡¯s bribe tactic did not seem to work well. When she asked Larissa to spy on Cindy, Larissa


    responded with defensive eyes and a fake smile. ¡°Ms. Arielle, what are you doing? The house has


    been giving me decent pay. How could I ask for more money?¡±


    Secondster, Arielle slowly pulled out two flight tickets from her pocket. Larissa studied those tickets


    and understood it was an overseas flight. At that instant, the smile on Larissa¡¯s face disappeared. ¡°Ms.


    Arielle, what do you mean? Are you going to send me overseas if I refuse to receive your money?¡±


    With that, Arielle pulled out another name card. Looking at the particr name card, a surprised glint


    fleeted across Larissa¡¯s eyes, as she stared at Arielle in awe. Arielle smiled at her faintly. ¡°This polio


    specialist is a friend of mine, and she is internationally renowned.


    Usually, people have to wait at least a year to get an appointment with her. Those tickets are not for


    you; you must find an entrusted person to bring your child for treatment. I¡¯ll sponsor all the treatment


    and daily expenses over there. How does that sound? Do you want this deal?¡± Larissa¡¯s heart skipped


    a beat.


    All this while, Cindy had been giving her money. But the best doctor could not be bought with money


    alone, as one needed some connection. Never did she expect a housekeeper like her would have a


    chance to get such a good specialist. Right then, Arielle tapped on the table impatiently. ¡°I¡¯m running


    out of patience here. What do you say?¡± Larissa bit her lips tightly.


    In fact, her child¡¯s condition was critical, and she had not much time to waste. Frustration began to


    rece Arielle¡¯s calmness as she rose from her seat. ¡°Fine. Since you¡¯re so loyal, forget about what I


    said then. You can leave now.¡± Upon saying that, she reached her hand to take back the name card


    inside Larissa¡¯s hand. Just then, Larissa immediately grabbed the name card tightly. Arielle arched her


    brows, trying to convey her iprehension. Larissa took a deep breath. ¡°Ms. Arielle, tell me what I


    should do. As long as my child can recover, I would do anything!¡±

 Chapter 167

    Chapter 167


    Chapter 167: Anything Unusual


    Arielle let go of the name card. ¡°Okay. The flight is tomorrow. Send your child overseas and keep a low


    profile. I promise I¡¯ll bring him back safe and healthy.¡± Larissa¡¯s heart was beating fast, with her eyes


    brimming with tears. ¡°Thank you so much, Ms. Arielle. I knew that you were a good person all along.


    But, what is it you want me to do for you?¡± ¡°I¡­ I want to know about my Mom.¡± Right as those words


    left Arielle¡¯s lips, Larissa¡¯s face paled in fright, as though the former had mentioned something


    terrifying. ¡°Why?¡± Arielle asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Larissa said with a soft voice, ¡°We¡¯re forbidden to mention Mrs. Moore in this house. Arielle furrowed


    her brows. ¡°Fret not, Mrs. Southall is currently at the monastery, while Dad is upied with his works.


    They won¡¯t show up here. Just tell me everything you know about my Mom.¡± Larissa carefully headed


    to shut the door, beforeing back to the conversation. ¡°Ms. Arielle, to be frank, there¡¯s a rumor


    among the elder staff here. ¡°Rumor?¡± Arielle shook her head right away. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear any


    rumor, just the facts that you know. Starting with the day my Mom got killed, did you notice anything


    unusual that day?¡±


    Larissa pondered earnestly for a while. ¡°It was just the same as other days. Mrs. Moore headed to work


    after sending you to school. Thenter, we received the news that she jumped from the top floor of the


    company.¡± Arielle¡¯s gaze dimmed. ¡°I know about all these. Please tell me something that I don¡¯t know.


    Think carefully, was there anything odd that day?¡± ¡°If you say odd¡­ I suppose there¡¯s one thing. Mr.


    Southall used to wake upte, and he would join his friends for card games after that. But he woke up


    early that day. And instead of his usual sportswear, he went out in his suit.


    I remember it well as he seldom wears his suit.¡± Arielle bit her lips to suppress her emotions. It seemed


    like her prediction was correct that her mother¡¯s death was closely rted to Henrick. However, she


    needed more information than that. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°I could not recall anything else about that day.


    But I remember that Mrs. Southall cried hard at the funeral, even though they were not close as sisters.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    However, Mrs. Southall did not live here during that time. So if you¡¯re suspecting her with the death of


    Mrs. Moore, there¡¯s nothing I can help.¡±


    Larissa added, ¡°Plus, Mrs. Moore was also not close with Mr. Southall. She used to attend all


    asions alone without him. As Mr. Southall was the one who married into her family, he got a low


    status during the time. He got looked down on by some of the housekeepers, and Mrs. Moore would


    not allow him to be part of your life.¡± Thinking that Henrick was not her birth father, Arielle could


    comprehend her mother¡¯s action fully. Larissa spoke while observing Arielle¡¯s expression.


    ¡°Shortly after we heard about Mrs. Moore¡¯s suicide, we heard that you were gone. Rumor has it that it


    was because Mrs. Moore didn¡¯t pick you up at school, so you tried to find your way to thepany but


    were abducted on the way. Strangely, Mr. Southall did not call the cops, as he said he had hired people


    to search for you. That¡¯s all I know.¡±

 Chapter 168

    Chapter 168


    Chapter 168: Cannot Stay Here


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Arielle nodded as she knew Larissa was speaking all the truth she knew. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s all for today.


    Tell me again if you remember anything.¡± ¡°Okay. Is there anything else you want me to do?¡± Arielle


    shook her head. ¡°Not for the moment. I¡¯ll find you if I need you. You continue to work for Aunt Cindy


    and don¡¯t let her suspect anything. One more thing, please prepare a list for me. I want to know who is


    on her side in this house.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Ms. Arielle. Then I¡¯ll excuse myself.¡± Larissa bowed gratefully to Arielle and left with the


    flight tickets and the name card. After Larissa left, Arielle sat alone in the room, pondering for a long


    while. After she cleared her thoughts, she took out her phone to check her messages. She saw a brief,


    straightforward message from Vinson: Come over when you¡¯re free and help us to locate the


    man. Without wasting any time, Arielle turned on herputer and started pinpointing the location.


    She tried her best to narrow down the scope.


    Even so, there were still quite a few private inds that matched the search. By the time Arielle sent


    the location, Cindy had also just arrived at the monastery entrance. Just when she got off her car,


    Louisa walked out with a cold expression and said rudely, ¡°Are you guys treating here as a motel?¡±


    Cindy let out an unnatural smile and greeted her, ¡°Hello, Louisa.¡± Louisa¡¯s stare was still cold. ¡°We


    have a lot of pilgrims at the moment, and we have not enough rooms. So you¡¯ll stay in the same room


    with me.¡± Upon hearing that, Cindy¡¯s expression stiffened. ¡°How could I interrupt your meditation? I¡¯ll


    stay with Shannie.¡± ¡°Shannie?¡± Louisa smiled awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯ve asked her about that, but she¡¯s reluctant


    to stay with you.¡±


    Cindy lifted her head in awe. ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°Feel free to ask her yourself,¡± Louisa said


    indifferently while heading into the monastery. Later, Cindy asked for directions along the way and


    finally found Shandie, who was chopping the wood up. From afar, she could see clearly that Shandie¡¯s


    face had turned pale and tiredpared to a few days before. She was heartbroken as she stepped


    forward to grab the ax in Shandie¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Why¡¯re you doing such harsh work? Look at your skin!¡± Shandie snatched back the ax coldly, without


    even looking at Cindy. ¡°You¡¯ll need to do it starting from tomorrow until Dad decides to fetch us back


    home.¡± Both of them were in total blind that Arielle had blocked all their letters. That exined why


    Shandie acted so cold towards Cindy, as she thought thetter had been ignoring all her letters.


    Disappointed by Cindy, Shandie felt that she could only count on herself.


    The main priority within these walls was not how to protect her skin but to please Louisa in order not to


    starve. Cindy noticed Shandie¡¯s peculiar behavior towards her. ¡°Shannie, is this how you speak to your


    own mother?¡± Shandie cast a resentful smile. ¡°Mother? Do you think you deserve that title? Don¡¯t think


    I¡¯m a fool. I know that you¡¯re with another man beside Dad.¡± ¡°You¡­ what¡¯s wrong with you? Are you


    trying to piss me off?¡±


    Exasperated by those words, Cindy uncontrobly threw a p on Shandie¡¯s face. A loud smack was


    heard. Dumbfounded, Shandie covered her face with both hands. With that, Shandie¡¯s gaze turned


    extremely malicious. She even started to suspect if she was really Cindy¡¯s birth daughter.

 Chapter 169

    Chapter 169


    Chapter 169: The Prohibited Drug


    After throwing the ax away, Shandie walked out of the courtyard. Fraught with remorse, Cindy went


    after Shandie to apologize to her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Shannie. I didn¡¯t mean it. Even if you were being impudent


    just now, I shouldn¡¯t have hit you. Tell me, has Aunt Louisa been bad-mouthing about me?¡± Louisa


    deplored the marriage between Cindy and Henrick. She had been disparaging Cindy ever since Cindy


    and Henrick were married. Louisa must¡¯ve been behind this. Peeved, Shandie pushed Cindy aside and


    left without saying a word. Cindy couldn¡¯t catch up to Shandie.


    Thus, she had no choice but to sleep on the same bed with Louisa that night. Tossing and turning on


    the bed, Cindy was having a hard time sleeping. When the next morning came, Cindy woke up with


    dark circles under her eyes. I can¡¯t stay here any longer! I¡¯ll go gonzo if this continues! Cindy went to a


    secluded corner before giving Matthias a call. Upon hearing Cindy¡¯s current situation, Matthias


    immediately replied, ¡°I¡¯ll send someone over to pick you up now! We shouldn¡¯t care about the assets of


    the Southall Group anymore. Just get back here right now and tell Henrick that you¡¯re going to divorce


    him!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t divorce him now!¡± ¡°Why? You were left in the monastery by him.


    Do you still think that he cares about you?¡± Matthias lowered his voice, ¡°Cin,e and live with me


    instead. I will treat you well!¡± Cindy wasforted by his words. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to live with


    you, but I just can¡¯t right now. I assume you already knew about the incident regarding the copse of


    Southall Group¡¯s building. But what you don¡¯t know is that Vinson is willing to pay for the aftermath of


    this incident. Knowing Henrick, he¡¯ll use this chance to wring out as much money as he can from


    Vinson. By then, we should make moves of our own and try to take the money from him. Not to


    mention, we can also use this opportunity to get the directors on our side,¡± exined Cindy.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Matthias was pensive. ¡°T-Then what should we do now? Henrick has eyes all over the monastery right


    now. You can¡¯t do anything while you¡¯re in there.¡± Cindy was reticent for a few seconds. ¡°That¡¯s why I


    need to get out of here as soon as possible. To that end, I need you to prepare a certain drug for me.¡±


    ¡°What kind of drug?¡± After hearing the name of the drug from Cindy, Matthias hurriedly went to do some


    research on it. He was quick to discover the ce which sold that sort of prohibited drugs. ¡°I¡¯ll go and


    buy the drug right now. However, there¡¯s a small problem.


    This drug requires daily consumption to work. Once you stop taking the medication, the symptoms will


    be obvious.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok. I¡¯ll drink it every day if that¡¯s what it takes. You should just focus on getting me the


    drug.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll personally go abroad to buy the drug.¡± After the call ended, the frustration that had


    been gripping Cindy¡¯s chest finally loosened a little. Cindy turned around and saw Shandie sweeping


    the floor from a distance.


    Seeing that, she dashed over to Shandie and grabbed her arm. ¡°Shannie, why are you up so early


    today? Also, why are you bothering yourself with this mundane task?¡± Shandie shook off Cindy¡¯s hand


    and gave her a sneer. ¡°You¡¯ll need to do it too eventually.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been looking all over for you. Where on


    earth have you been?¡± The voice of Louisa was heard behind them.


    Cindy turned her head around and was met with Louisa, who was walking toward her in a green dress.


    In Louisa¡¯s hand was another green dress made from coarse cloth. ¡°Louisa¡­¡± Before Cindy could


    finish her sentence, Louisa lobbed the dress onto Cindy and uttered, ¡°I don¡¯t like people cking off.


    Change these gaudy clothes that you¡¯re wearing right now and get back to work. I need you to carry


    the firewood in the mountains.¡±

 Chapter 170

    Chapter 170


    Chapter 170: She Will Pay


    ¡°What?¡± Cindy was perplexed. I have never takenborious work my whole life! Did Louisa hit her head


    or something? Cindy rejected Louisa¡¯s order. ¡°Louisa, I¡¯m feeling a bit under the weather today. I don¡¯t


    think I can help you with the firewood.¡± ¡°Is that so? I didn¡¯t know you were as frail as your sister,


    Maureen. Despite having a weak body, your sister always does what I tell her to do. You ought to learn


    from her more.¡± Enraged, Cindy was gritting her teeth. She¡¯sparing me to a dead person


    huh? Louisa continued, ¡°Fine. If you don¡¯t want to work, then there won¡¯t be any food for you tonight.


    Shandie, you¡¯ll have to cover for her. Come with me to the mountains after you¡¯re done sweeping.¡± ¡°I¡­¡±


    Gazing at Louisa¡¯s minatory eyes, Shandie had no choice but toply. Having been in the monastery


    for quite a while now, she was used to being pushed over by Louisa. Cindy clenched her teeth and


    uttered, ¡°I-I¡¯ll go with you. This sort of work isn¡¯t suitable for Shannie. She¡¯s just a child¡­¡± Unperturbed,


    Louisa turned around and left. Shandie took the broom and continued sweeping the floorpletely


    ignoring Cindy. Cindy was livid.


    Arielle! We¡¯re down to this state because of that b*tch! Just you wait, Arielle. I¡¯ll make sure to pay you


    back two-fold! In the meantime, Arielle was waking up from her bed. Since Cindy and Shandie weren¡¯t


    around, Arielle felt refreshed. It¡¯s nice to be free of their revolting faces for once. After getting up, Arielle


    ran a fewps around the manor. My body isn¡¯t as strong as before. Acupuncture wouldn¡¯t have made


    me queasy if I were still as healthy as before. I guess I really have to train my body consistently to stay


    healthy. Just as Arielle was getting ready to take a bath, she received a call from her subordinate, who


    was keeping an eye on Matthias.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    He must have something serious to report to me. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t call me at a time like


    this. Arielle locked her bedroom door before answering the phone. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she queried as she


    walked toward the bathroom. Her subordinate responded reverently, ¡°Ms. Sannie, Matthias is currently


    at the airport. He isn¡¯t bringing any luggage with him, though. He seems to be in a hurry to go


    somewhere. I¡¯ve taken a peek at his flight ticket¡ªhe¡¯s heading to Manchernius.¡± ¡°Manchernius?¡±


    Arielle frowned incredulously. The situation over at Manchernius is dire. Why would Matthias want to go


    to a ce like that? ¡°Yeah. Also, he bought the tickets rather precipitously. He must have something


    urgent to attend to. Should I follow him?¡± ¡°Follow him. Find out what he¡¯s up to. Just remember to keep


    out of his sight. Oh and, be careful.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Sannie!¡± The subordinate hung up after that. Arielle went into her bathroom to take her


    shower. Matthias must¡¯ve gone to Manchernius on Cindy¡¯s orders. That being said, what does she wish


    to aplish at Manchernius? That¡¯s okay. I believe my subordinate will find out soon enough. Once I


    figure out what Matthias¡¯ purpose at Manchernius are, I¡¯ll be able to crush Cindy once and for all.

 Chapter 171

    Chapter 171


    Chapter 171 A Meal


    Even if she wasn¡¯t the one responsible for my mother¡¯s death, the things that she did to me after she


    returned home are more than enough of a reason for me to despise her! Meanwhile, Cindy, who was


    carrying firewood in the mountains, suddenly sneezed. Is someone cursing me? Miffed, Louisa turned


    around and yelled, ¡°Hurry up or we won¡¯t be able to make it back by sundown!¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Cindy replied


    with a sullen look on her face.


    After I¡¯m done with Henrick, I¡¯ming for you next, you little wench! In the meantime, Arielle was


    heading back to the set for hermercial shoot. She could finally continue with the shoot now that the


    incident pertaining to the explosion had settled down. Vinson, on the other hand, was woken up by a


    call from the director on set. ¡°Mr. Nightshire, we are ready for the shoot now. Can youe over?¡±


    Surprised, Vinson got up from his bed and asked, ¡°You¡¯re ready for the shoot? Is Arielle already there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Moore has already arrived.¡±


    Vinson was stupefied. Does she not feel exhausted after what happened yesterday? I don¡¯t know if


    she¡¯s hardworking or just in stupid. Nevertheless, that¡¯s her character. He let out a resigned sigh


    before replying, ¡°Okay. You guys can start the shoot first. I¡¯ll head there as soon as I can.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr.


    Nightshire.¡± The director hung up the call. Vinson did a few stretches and went to brush his teeth. I


    wonder if Arielle has eaten her breakfast yet?


    I should buy breakfast for her on the way there. Vinson suddenly recalled the question asked by Carter


    yesterday on whether or not he had a crush on Arielle. To avoid any misunderstandings, Vinson


    decided to buy breakfast for everyone on the set. After Vinson was done brushing his teeth, he dashed


    downstairs. Just as he got down to the living room, his path was obstructed by a hand that had a jade


    bracelet on it.


    It was his mother, Susanne. Vinson raised his eyebrows and asked impatiently, ¡°What¡¯s the matter,


    mom?¡± Susanne pursed her lips. ¡°I told you countless times toe home earlier. Why won¡¯t you


    listen? I¡¯ve been staying up to wait for you!¡± Vinson replied apathetically, ¡°I¡¯ve been busy with work


    recently. You don¡¯t need to wait for me.¡± Susanne scowled at Vinson. ¡°Is your work more important to


    you than your marriage?


    Enough of that, I want you to eat with me and Ms. Greene. It¡¯s been a long time since west had a


    meal together.¡± Vinson aligned his eyes with Susanne¡¯s. ¡°Ms. Greene?¡± Susanne smiled before


    answering, ¡°The Greenes were originally supposed to return to Horington today.


    However, now that Ms. Greene has been enrolled in a university here, they are here to stay. In fact,


    Ms. Greene will be staying with us throughout her study period.¡± Vinson¡¯s eyes looked lifeless and


    cold as he remained silent. Seeing as Vinson was quiet, Susanne quickly dragged him over to the


    dining table.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Come, let me introduce Ms. Greene to you.¡± Delighted, Susanne had a big grin on her face. Not only


    was Ms. Greene from a prestigious family, but she was also very polite anddylike. Moreover, since


    the Greenes had quite an influence in Horington, marrying her would definitely benefit the Nightshires.

 Chapter 172

    Chapter 172


    Chapter 172 The Humiliation


    Susanne liked Ms. Green a lot and saw thetter as a potential daughter-inw candidate. ¡°Come,


    Wendy, say hello.¡± Susanne grabbed Vinson with one hand and Wendy with the other. ¡°This is my son,


    Vinson. The two of you will be living under the same roof from now on. By the way, he¡¯s an alumnus of


    Jadeborough University. You can ask him anything regarding the university.¡± Wendy, who was very shy,


    finally built up the courage to look at Vinson.


    Upon seeing his face, Wendy was stunned in ce. She was captivated by Vinson¡¯s suave appearance


    and the aloof aura surrounding him. With just one nce of his face, Wendy was enamored of him. I


    knew that he was good-looking, but I didn¡¯t know that he was this attractive! Even the faces of famous


    actors on TV pale inparison to his face. It seems like God has spent a little more time on this


    human being here!


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Even though Wendy was a fairlyposed woman, she couldn¡¯t help but blush after seeing Vinson¡¯s


    face. It was literally impossible for a woman to keep herposure in front of this man. After seeing


    Wendy¡¯s facial expression, Susanne knew that Wendy was into her son. In high spirits, she let out a


    bright smile. As she turned around to nce at Vinson, she was disappointed to see him staring at his


    phone and ignoring Wendy. This daft son of mine! Peeved, Susanne exhorted, ¡°Vin, this is not the time


    for work. You should say hello to Wendy!¡± Vinson would¡¯ve pushed Susanne aside if she wasn¡¯t


    wearing high heels.


    ¡°Vin?¡± Susanne frowned and snatched his phone from him before uttering, ¡°Hey, I¡¯m talking to you. Do


    you hear me?¡± Vinson finally lifted his head up to look at Wendy in the face. Wendy deliberately


    straightened her back to appear more elegant. She was rather confident with her own looks. My


    appearance should be more than enough to please him. Her skin was bright and firm while her ck


    lustrous hair was soft and fluffy.


    Furthermore, she had charming features. She was the epitome of beauty from the south. However,


    Vinson showed no interest in her. He gave her a quick nce and nodded out of courtesy. The time he


    spent ring at her didn¡¯t evenst a second. Wendy was chagrined. It was the first time she got


    neglected by a man. In an instant, Wendy¡¯s face turned pale. Is myplexion a bit off today? It must


    be because of theck of sleep yesterday.


    Vinson directed his eyes toward Susanne and said, ¡°Something urgent came up at work. I can¡¯t


    apany you any longer. I might just sleep in my office over the next couple of weeks.¡± He turned


    around and walked away. Gazing at the mncholy look on Wendy¡¯s face, Susanneforted her with


    a few words before going after Vinson.


    She even took off her high heels in order to catch up to him faster. Having caught up to Vinson, she


    blocked his path. ¡°Vinson! Do you not even see me as your mother anymore?


    I told you to greet Ms. Greene, but you just gave her a nod instead. And also, what do you mean you¡¯re


    going to sleep in the office? How do you think Ms. Greene would feel when you said that? You¡¯re


    making her feel unweed!¡±

 Chapter 173

    Chapter 173


    Chapter 173 Each With Their Own Thoughts


    ¡°She¡¯s right.¡±


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What?¡± Susanne asked in shock, unable to immediately process what her son said. Vinson replied


    coldly, ¡°Why should I be weing to a stranger? But you can let her stay here if you really like her


    that much. Just inform me when you get sick of seeing her around.¡±


    ¡°You¡± Susanne¡¯s face was flushed red with anger. ¡°I dare you to say that again! I¡¯m helping you choose


    your future wife and not a ymate!¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to worry about that. I can find my own wife. Besides, I¡¯ve already found her.¡±


    Susanne was startled at Vinson¡¯s words and suddenly recalled the phone call earlier. Her pupils


    constricted as she eximed, ¡°You didn¡¯t make that up just to brush me off?¡± Not wanting to continue


    the conversation, Vinson nced at his watch and said, ¡°I have work to attend to.¡± Then, he strode off.


    Only then did Susanne realize Vinson was being serious and pressed on excitedly, ¡°Who is she? What


    are her qualifications? What¡¯s her name? Have I met her before?¡±


    Of course, she was most concerned about the woman¡¯s family background. She would never ept a


    woman from an average family to be her daughter-inw. Even though it was extremely rare that her


    son took interest in a woman, Susanne would not make any exception. ¡°You will meet her someday,¡±


    Vinson said before entering the elevator, which took him straight to the underground garage. He then


    drove off in his sports car. Susanne did not have the patience to wait. I need to find out who this woman


    is and run a background check on her.


    After all, the Nightshire family shall ept women of prestigious families only. As such, she ordered the


    butler to find out Vinson¡¯s recent whereabouts and consolidate a list of the women whom he had


    interacted with. After giving her instructions, Susanne returned to the dining room. With an apologetic


    smile, she said, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Wendy, my son is good at everything except dealing with women. Please


    don¡¯t take it to heart, yeah?


    It will be fine once you two get to know each other better.¡± However, Susanne was not aware that


    Wendy had heard their entire conversation. Worried that the mother-son pair would end up in an


    argument, thetter had chased out after them. But Wendy pretended that she knew nothing. Looking a


    little upset, she replied obediently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Ms. Stone. It¡¯s normal for Mr. Nightshire to be


    dismayed.


    After all, it¡¯s true that I¡¯m imposing on your family. M-Maybe I should just stay at the house.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t


    do! Jadeborough is still an unfamiliar city to you. I will worry if I leave you all by yourself. Just stay here


    and ignore that fe. I¡¯ll be happy to have you as apany.¡± Susanne smiled warmly at Wendy and


    held her hand. However, the woman had her own ns.


    If Vinson¡¯s love interest had a family background and qualificationsparable to that of Wendy¡¯s,


    Susanne would allow Wendy to leave, citing the reason that she was already familiar with


    Jadeborough and that she should move out so that she could enjoy her privacy. However, Wendy,


    who could read people well, fully understood Susanne¡¯s intentions. She would have left immediately if


    it were another man. Back in Horington, she was the picky one.


    She would not have expected for herself to be the subject of selection. However, after meeting


    Vinson, and taking into ount the Nightshires¡¯ prestigious status, the woman was willing to stay and


    take a gamble. As she was the most outstanding woman in Horington, she would naturally want a man


    who shared the same status or more superior.


    Hence, Vinson was the ideal candidate. Even though both women looked happy on the surface, they


    each had different aspirations. Meanwhile, Vinson sped all the way to the filming site.


    After Vinson arrived, he got Iris to distribute the breakfast which he had bought to everyone while he


    and his assistant made sure that the filming surroundings were safe. Vinson only entered the studio


    after he had finished inspecting the area.

 Chapter 174

    Chapter 174


    Chapter 174 Secret Diary


    They had a few scenes left to film when the explosion happened abruptly on the previous day. As such,


    the director amended the script so that no additional filming was required. The agenda for that day was


    just to take some promotional materials which were rather rxed. When Vinson entered the studio,


    Arielle, dressed in Soir Coffee¡¯s waitress uniform, was carrying a coffee cup and following the


    photographer¡¯s instructions.


    When the director spotted Vinson, he immediately walked up to him and greeted, ¡°Mr. Nightshire¡ª¡±


    Vinson made a shushing gesture and continued gazing at Arielle. Arielle was a natural in front of the


    camera. She did not need any additional prompting to get into position and could perfectly execute any


    pose requested by the photographer. The director, who was observing the shot, said softly, ¡°Ms. Sannie


    is born to be a model.


    Mr. Nightshire, you¡¯re in luck to be able to find such an ambassador.¡± Even though Vinson never liked


    ttery, for some reason, he felt really happy to hear the director singing Arielle¡¯s praises. Arielle


    managed toplete the filming tasks for the next two days within that day itself. After she was done


    with work, the woman found Vinson, who was working on his tablet. ¡°Are you free tonight?¡± Vinson¡¯s


    heart started beating faster when he heard Arielle¡¯s question.


    Pretending to be busy, he cleared his throat and replied, ¡°I¡¯m quite busy, but I guess I can still squeeze


    out some time for dinner. If you are asking me out for dinner¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± Arielle interrupted the


    man and continued, ¡°You still have my stuff. When are you passing it to me?¡± Vinson froze for a


    moment and his expression darkened. Why did I overthink? Pulling a long face, Vinson passed his


    tablet to his assistant and replied, ¡°I¡¯ve already called Carter.


    He will be sending it overter.¡± Just when Vinson finished speaking, Carter arrived. ¡°Chief,¡± Carter


    greeted Arielle before handing over a password-protected briefcase to her and said respectfully, ¡°Your


    item is inside.¡± Arielle was stunned to see the password-protected briefcase. What the heck is


    this? Carter cast a nce towards Vinson and said, ¡°Someone told me that your item has to be stored


    safely. That¡¯s why I found a briefcase for it. I¡¯ll open it for you now.¡±


    At once, Carter unlocked the briefcase and took out the diary. Arielle took over the diary and looked at


    Vinson instinctively. With an awkward expression, Vinson replied, ¡°I always do my best to fulfill my


    promises to others. Now that you¡¯ve gotten your stuff back, I¡¯ll make a move first.¡± To prevent Carter


    from uttering more nonsense, Vinson dragged Carter along with him. Arielle, who was hugging the


    diary to her chest, stood rooted to the spot for quite a while before suddenly letting out a chuckle.


    She suddenly realized that Vinson could actually be quite adorable. On her way back home, the


    promotional videos and photos, which the post-production team had worked overtime toplete,


    were released on the inte. Netizens were astonished by the promotional materials and started


    following Arielle on social media.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Within minutes, Arielle¡¯s follower count rose to millions and wasparable to any other popr artiste


    out there. However, that did not interest Arielle. Once she reached home, she locked herself in her


    room and sat at her desk, where she started reading her mom¡¯s diary. The first diary entry was written


    before Maureen got married. She wrote mainly about work and there was nothing unusual about the


    content that was useful to Arielle.


    After reading for a while, one of the entries caught the woman¡¯s eye. 20th June, rainy day. What a


    day! I almost got robbed. Thank goodness I was saved by a kind passerby. He is really good-looking.


    I haven¡¯t seen him around before so I don¡¯t know who he is. Sigh, I should have at least asked for his


    name.

 Chapter 175

    Chapter 175


    Chapter 175 Biological Father


    The veins in Arielle¡¯s temples throbbed as she read that entry and wondered if that ¡°he¡± whom her mom


    was referring to could be her biological dad. She could not wait to read the next entry, which was


    written two months after. 17th August, sunny day. I met him again today. I was ready to ask for his


    contact and mustered up the courage to do that. However, he was one step ahead of me and asked for


    mine first.


    He even asked me out for dinner tomorrow. However, there¡¯s something strange. I¡¯ve been trying to


    find out his identity for the past two months but I couldn¡¯t find any information on him. Who is


    he? Arielle scanned through her mom¡¯s writings quickly. The man and her mom fell deeply in love with


    each other within one month after knowing each other. Arielle couldn¡¯t help but smile at some parts of


    the diary as she got to know her mom in her teenage years.


    However, Arielle had also noticed that her mom had always harbored doubts regarding that man¡¯s


    identity. Even after being together for almost three months, she was still clueless about his identity. She


    only knew that he was from a distinguished family¡ªso distinguished that she might not even be worthy


    of him. As such, during the period when they were together, Maureen had worked hard on improving


    herself.


    She not only expanded thepany¡¯s business overseas, but Moore Group had also even risen to the


    same level as the four most prominent families in Jadeborough under her management. That was also


    the peak period of development for the Moore Group. After reading through the entries about her


    mom¡¯s dating life which spanned across three months, Arielle stopped at two empty pages which


    followed. She quickly flipped past those two pages and realized that the next entry was written after five


    months.


    15th April, cloudy day. I finally found out about his identity and I finally know that there¡¯s an


    insurmountable distance between us. His mom is right¡ªI¡¯m not good enough for him and I don¡¯t want


    to be his burden. But, I¡¯m pregnant and the baby is innocent. What should I do? Arielle¡¯s heart


    clenched when she read that entry. She knew almost certainly that ¡°the baby¡± mentioned in the diary


    was her and quickly read on. 18th April. He was taken away by his family and he will never be back


    again. Although I understand his situation, I can¡¯t help but hate him.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    At the same time, I still love him so much. The baby is innocent and deserves to live. Even if this is a


    mistake, I¡¯ll make sure I take it to my grave. 27th April. I¡¯m getting married but he¡¯s not the groom. I


    want to give our child aplete family so that she can grow up happily and enjoy a proper


    status. I¡¯ll do whatever it takes even if it means sacrificing my own happiness. Tears started streaming


    down Arielle¡¯s face when she read that.


    She finally knew the truth. It was only because of her that her mom had hastily married a man whom


    she had no feelings for and who did not deserve her. However, that was not the end of the diary. After


    crying for a while, Arielle wiped off her tears and continued reading. The rest of the entries were rather


    disorganized and did not even have dates tagged to them. That could possibly mean that her mom¡¯s


    mindset was no longer as peaceful as before.


    We held a simple wedding ceremony today. I feel really bad towards Henrick. However, I still can¡¯t bring


    myself to love him. But I will make it up to him in other ways. When the child is born, I¡¯ll tell him the truth


    and let him me me for all he wants. I won¡¯t have anyints. We¡¯ve been married for a month.


    Henrick turned out to be apletely different person from that man I met on our blind date.


    He¡¯s narrow-minded, materialistic, and short-sighted. Even though it¡¯s hard to be around him for even a


    single second, I will endure it. I did not expect Henrick to have such violent tendencies. He beat me up


    aftering home drunk tonight. Thank goodness my baby is fine. It has been six months since we got


    married.


    I no longer feel bad towards Henrick anymore because of everything he has done so far. I have


    decided to divorce him once I give birth! It¡¯s impossible for my child to be happy with a father like him. I


    finally got to meet my darling daughter today. It¡¯s the happiest day of my life.


    His family came to look for me. They might have suspected that my Sannie is their blood. I will never


    allow them to take her away! However, that would also mean that I can¡¯t divorce Henrick¡­ The


    remaining entries were all written far apart from each other and consisted of random stuff. Until¡ª

 Chapter 176

    Chapter 176


    Chapter 176 He Has Fallen For Arielle


    I found out that Henrick and Cindy have been poaching our employees. The rtionship between


    the both of them is also questionable. But most importantly, I discovered that Henrick has been in


    contact with his family. For Sannie¡¯s sake, I can¡¯t keep them around anymore! That was thest entry in


    the diary. After checking the timeline, Arielle estimated that the entry was written three days before her


    mom passed away. Perhaps, Henrick and Cindy killed mom because she wanted to chase them away


    after finding out about their evil plot! But, what is ¡°his family¡± about?


    Is she referring to my biological father¡¯s family? If that¡¯s the case, how did Henrick manage toe into


    contact with that family that was so out of reach that even mom wasn¡¯t worthy of? As Arielle was lost in


    her thoughts, her phone chimed. The woman nced at her phone and saw that it was a message


    from Vinson. He texted: Are you asleep? The live stream is tomorrow. Are you nervous? After Arielle


    returned home, her mind was entirely focused on her mom¡¯s diary and she did not think about anything


    else.


    It was only when she saw Vinson¡¯s message that she remembered she had a live stream the next day.


    She took a look at the time and realized that it was already past 11 p.m., which meant that she should


    be going to bed. Arielle could not stop thinking about the ¡°him¡± who was mentioned multiple times in


    her mom¡¯s diary. There was so much that she needed to find out but she knew that she had to be


    patient.


    Henrick might hold the key to the answer. Arielle closed the diary and rubbed her eyes. After locking


    the diary away, she quickly washed up and headed to bed. Before she slept, she texted a reply to


    Vinson: I¡¯m not nervous. Gonna sleep now. After seeing Arielle¡¯s short reply, Vinson, who was resting in


    hispany¡¯s lounge, tossed and turned restlessly, unable to fall asleep. He had thought so hard to


    come up with a topic to chat with Arielle about, but she had simply ended the conversation just like that.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    That made him feel exasperated and frustrated at the same time. Suddenly, Carter¡¯s words came to his


    mind and he felt a flicker of irritation. Have I really fallen for Arielle? Ha! How is that even


    possible! Vinson got up and took a sleeping pill. Only then did he manage to fall asleep. The purpose of


    the live stream was to promote Soir Coffee. The audience¡¯s response to the live stream was extremely


    favorable and the viewership was high.


    Arielle stretched her body after the live stream ended. Just then, an attractive woman whom Arielle had


    not met before walked in holding two bags of desserts. ¡°Excuse me.¡± The woman approached Arielle


    and asked, ¡°May I know where Vinson is?¡± Arielle was about to remove her cap and turned around


    when she heard the woman¡¯s voice. Dressed in branded clothes, the woman looked just like an


    exquisite doll with a pair of big and bright eyes.


    Even the way she spoke was soft and gentle. However, for some reason, Arielle did not tell her where


    Vinson was right away but asked, ¡°Why are you looking for him?¡± Wendy had approached a random


    coffee shop employee to ask for Vinson¡¯s whereabouts and was shocked to see how stunningly


    beautiful Arielle was when she turned around.


    Wendy had met her fair share of beautiful women when she was in Horington. However, it was the first


    time she hade across someone with Arielle¡¯s elegance. Wendy froze for a second and felt enmity


    towards Arielle. It was natural for an attractive woman to feel that way towards another woman who


    was better looking than her.


    After pausing for a second, Wendy raised the bags in her hands and replied, ¡°Ms. Stone told me to


    deliver some desserts to Vinson.¡± After she finished speaking, she added intentionally, ¡°Oh, Ms. Stone


    is Vinson¡¯s mom. Can you please let me know where Vinson is?¡±

 Chapter 177

    Chapter 177


    Chapter 177 Have You Forgotten About Me


    Arielle¡¯s eyshes fluttered, but she quickly covered it up by emotionlessly pointing in a direction. ¡°He


    is in that room, looking at today¡¯s live broadcast record.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. Thank you.¡± Wendy beamed her


    reply, revealing her cute dimples before fixing her bangs. Then, she strolled toward the room. Thetter


    was watching Wendy¡¯s every move until she entered the room. ¡°Ms. Sannie? Ms. Sannie?¡± called the


    assistant.


    Breaking out of her trance after some time, she turned to the assistant. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± The


    assistant stared at her strangely. ¡°I¡¯ve been calling you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Maybe it¡¯s the pressure from the live


    broadcast. Anyway, why are you here?¡± ¡°Nothing, I just want to bid my farewell. Since the filming is


    concluded, we might not meet each other again.¡± The assistant had always been kind toward Arielle, so


    thetter felt a bit reluctant to part ways.


    ¡°Although there¡¯s a possibility that we won¡¯t work with each other again, we can still hang out


    sometime.¡± ¡°Sure, it¡¯s a promise then!¡± The assistant raised her pinky finger, which Arielle epted.


    The two then stared at each other with a smile. In the meantime, the person in charge of the Soir


    Coffee project was reporting to Vinson in glee, ¡°We¡¯re getting great response from the live broadcast,


    and the discount coupons are sold out.


    Maybe we can expect long lines of customers when we officially open the store tomorrow.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope


    so,¡± replied Vinson indifferently. ¡°The promotion went well. Now it depends on the sales department to


    come up with ways to retain the customers. Instead of profit, they should focus on the quality first.¡±


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll make sure to let them know.¡± Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and a sweet voice echoed


    from outside.


    ¡°Excuse me, is Vinson in here?¡± Everyone in the room, including Vinson, turned toward the door.


    Wendy spotted the man among the group. Though this was their second time meeting each other, she


    was still attracted to his charm. Her heart inevitably picked up its pace. ¡°Um, Vinson, I brought dessert


    for you. Have a taste.¡± I have never been this nervous since the college entrance examination. Fearing


    that Vinson would refuse her, she wanted to cover it by saying Susanne was the one who asked her to


    bring him the dessert.


    However, before she could, his cold voice sounded across the room. ¡°Who are you?¡± Wendy stiffened


    as she stared at Vinson in disbelief. Has he forgotten about me? Feeling humiliated, Wendy bit her


    lower lip indignantly. After a while, Rayson stood up and approached Wendy.


    ¡°Sorry, miss. Outsiders are not allowed in here. Please leave.¡± The woman felt even more embarrassed


    when he referred to her as an outsider.


    ¡°I¡¯m not an outsider,¡± she refuted courageously. ¡°I¡¯m currently living with the Nightshires. Vinson, Ms.


    Stone asked me to bring you this dessert. Have you forgotten about me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you,¡± uttered Vinson after hearing her exnation.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 178

    Chapter 178


    Chapter 178: The Only Exception


    Everyone in the room stared at Wendy differently now, especially Rayson. Living with the


    Nightshires? Rayson knew that Susanne was searching for a suitable spouse for Vinson. Could she be


    that person? But what about Ms. Moore? ¡°What are you doing here?¡± questioned Vinson. ¡°I made some


    dessert earlier, and there¡¯s extra, so Ms. Stone asked me to bring it here for you to share with the


    others,¡± replied Wendy as she raised the dessert in her hands.


    At the same time, Arielle, who was delivering materials on behalf of the filming director, halted her


    steps by the door. As she noticed Vinson and the woman standing there looking at each other, all she


    wanted to do was put the items down and leave as quickly as possible. ¡°No, thanks,¡± Vinson refused. ¡°I


    don¡¯t eat desserts.¡± Wendy froze. ¡°But Ms. Stone said you love dessert.¡± ¡°I used to. Not anymore,


    though.


    Now I only like to eat ravioli.¡± Upon hearing his words, the materials fell from Arielle¡¯s hands, which


    created a loud sound, causing everyone in the room to look at her. Noticing their attention on her,


    Arielle apologized before running out of the room with a flushed face. Vinson stared at her back with a


    small smile, which didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Wendy as she, too, looked at the woman who had just left in


    a hurry.


    Recalling the conversation between Vinson and Susanne this morning, the light in her eyes gradually


    dimmed. Oh, so it¡¯s her. She¡¯s merely a caf¨¦ waitress. Susanne definitely won¡¯t fancy her. But how did


    she manage to get Vinson to notice her? No, I can¡¯t let this be. She¡¯s not suitable for Vinson. If


    anything, I¡¯m the only perfect match for him. When Vinson was about to chase after Arielle, Wendy


    pulled him back by the corner of his shirt. ¡°The dessert, Vinson,¡± she said meekly.


    The woman seemed so aggrieved that everyone almost pitied her. However, when they thought Vinson


    was going to show somepassion toward her, he relentlessly pulled his shirt back before fishing outBelongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    his branded handkerchief to wipe the spot that she had touched. Then, he threw the expensive cloth in


    the trashcan as if it were dirty. Shocked by his behavior, Wendy turned pale as her lips trembled. ¡°W-


    What¡¯s the meaning of this, Vinson?¡± Am I that disgusting to him? ¡°There¡¯s no meaning,¡± he replied


    coldly. ¡°I hate it when people touch me.


    From now on, please don¡¯t send anything to me anymore. Otherwise, all of them will end up in the


    trashcan, just like that handkerchief. Since this is your first time making such a mistake, I¡¯ll let you bring


    it back home. Also, tell my mom to stop doing things on her ord.¡± With that, he left without so much


    as a nce toward Wendy. What he said was not only aimed at Wendy but every woman in the world.


    He had no patience for them.


    The only exception was Arielle, and that was something he also could not quite decipher. Wendy


    watched as Vinson left her just like that. She could feel the ridiculing stares of everyone else in the


    room. Enraged, her eyes reddened as she bit her lip before running out of the room. They will pay for


    humiliating me like this, especially that stupid waitress! On the other side, Vinson ran as fast as


    possible and finally caught up to Arielle, who was about to enter the cab.


    Grabbing her by the arm, he asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± Arielle didn¡¯t know why she suddenly


    found it hard to face Vinson now. Sometimes, I seem to have no control over which direction to go


    to. Not looking him in the eye, Arielle lowered her head. ¡°The shooting¡¯s finished, so I¡¯m going home.


    Where else can I go?¡± Vinson asked the taxi driver to leave before closing the door. ¡°I have something


    to ask you.


    Please don¡¯t leave first. I¡¯ll drive you hometer.¡± Staring at the taxi that was driving away, Arielle


    inhaled deeply before turning to the man. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Um, I have nothing to do with that woman


    earlier. I¡¯m not even familiar with her. My mom¡¯s the one who let her stay in our house, so please don¡¯t


    get the wrong idea,¡± he exined.


    ¡°Why would I get the wrong idea?¡± questioned Arielle. ¡°What happens between you two isn¡¯t my


    concern at all. If this has been troubling you, you can rx now because I don¡¯t care. Well, if that¡¯s all,


    I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± With that said, she extended an arm to hail a cab once again.


    However, Vinson grabbed her wrist and turned her body around, forcing her to look at him. His veins


    were popping out on his forehead as if he was restraining a specific emotion. ¡°Do you really not care?¡±


    he asked in a low voice as he stared at her intently. ¡°Not even a bit?¡± ¡°Why should I care when I¡¯m


    nobody to you?¡±


    ¡°Who said you¡¯re nobody to me?¡± Vinson¡¯s voice suddenly raised. When he realized what he just said,


    his body stiffened. Yeah. Why should I worry about what she thinks if she¡¯s not anyone special? Upon


    hearing his question, Arielle froze as she gulped. ¡°Then who am I to you?¡±

 Chapter 179

    Chapter 179


    Chapter 179 He Likes Someone Else


    ¡°You¡¯re my¡­¡± he trailed off for a moment before continuing, ¡°You¡¯re my friend, business partner, and


    savior.¡± ¡°Which means I still shouldn¡¯t care that you¡¯re involved with other girls,¡± stated Arielle with a


    laugh. Vinson held his head high. ¡°In my circle of friends, we ask each other¡¯s opinions whenever one


    of us has a girlfriend. That woman is not my type, and since you¡¯re my friend, please don¡¯t


    misunderstand.¡±


    Arielle was at a loss for words. Somehow, part of her felt happy, but another part of her felt


    disappointed, and she didn¡¯t know why she was having these feelings. ¡°Oh,¡± she replied in the end, not


    knowing what else to say. ¡°You said you have something to ask me? What is it?¡± Hearing her question,


    Vinson remembered the question he initially wanted to ask before getting carried away with the whole


    Wendy affair.


    ¡°About being my pretend girlfriend. Have you thought of the answer yet?¡± Arielle was stupefied


    because she had forgotten everything about this. ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea.¡± She paused for a


    moment before continuing, ¡°What if I end up getting in the way of your suitors? I heard that your mom¡¯s


    looking for a partner for you.¡± ¡°That is exactly why I need you to be my pretend girlfriend.


    Truthfully, that woman from earlier was a blind date my mom had set up for me, but I want to marry


    someone of my choice, so I need your help.¡± ¡°I see,¡± replied Arielle. ¡°Since it¡¯s a blind date, I think you


    should go along with it. That woman has the looks, to be frank.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not my type.¡± ¡°Then what is your


    type?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Vinson stared at her intently with mouth agape. ¡°As long as it¡¯s not someone like her.


    Please help me.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s in it for me if I help you?¡± ¡°You can enjoy all the benefits of being Mrs. Nightshire.¡± Arielle


    smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll consider it.¡± ¡°For real?¡± Vinson¡¯s eyes lit up. Letting out a cough, Arielle uttered, ¡°Let¡¯s talk


    about it some other time. Henrick asked me to return home as soon as the shooting¡¯s done. Maybe he


    needs me for something. Well, I¡¯ll be taking my leave first.¡± Vinson felt like he was walking on a


    tightrope when he didn¡¯t receive an answer from her, but he didn¡¯t want to force her, so he only nodded.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ll drive you home.¡± ¡°No need,¡± replied Arielle hastily. ¡°Henrick will be delusional again if he sees you


    driving me home. I¡¯ll just take a cab.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not safe for a woman to take a cab alone. I¡¯ll let Rayson drive


    you home.¡± With that said, he immediately instructed Rayson to drive Arielle home. When Arielle left


    the ce, Vinson instantly felt lost with her absence. Could Carter be right? Have I fallen for Arielle?


    He then shook his head, trying to get himself back on track. No. It couldn¡¯t be! I know damn well that


    Arielle doesn¡¯t like me in that way. And I definitely will not have feelings for someone who doesn¡¯t have


    feelings for me. I must be hallucinating. As I said earlier, she¡¯s only a friend, business partner, and a


    savior to me. I chose her to be my pretend girlfriend to drive off other suitors and nothing more. Yes.


    That must be it!


    Meanwhile, Wendy had arrived home, and Susanne was coincidentally standing at the door. Noticing


    Wendy returning with the dessert, Susanne hurriedly approached her. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why do you


    still have the dessert?¡± Wendy¡¯s eyes reddened as tears trickled down.


    ¡°I-I¡­¡± She could not bring herself to exin as she kept on crying. ¡°He bullied you, didn¡¯t he?¡± said


    Susanne as she fished out her phone. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask him toe home right now and apologize to


    you!¡±


    ¡°Wait¡ª¡± uttered Wendy, grabbing Susanne¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t call him, Ms. Stone. He likes someone else.


    So, naturally, he didn¡¯t want to ept my dessert in front of her.¡± Susanne¡¯s eyes twitched upon


    hearing her word. ¡°He likes someone else? Did you see her?¡±

 Chapter 180

    Chapter 180


    Chapter 180: Out Of Her League


    ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Wendy as another stream of tears escaped her eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that he has


    someone else already. Now that I know, I¡¯m not going to bother him anymore. Ms. Stone, I know that


    you want me to be your daughter-inw, but I guess I¡¯m not meant to be.¡± Wendy sounded so pitiful


    that Susanne¡¯s heart ached for her. ¡°No, don¡¯t say that. Do you know who he likes, though? The


    Nightshires won¡¯t let anyone in that easily.


    For me, you¡¯re still the best choice.¡± Wendy pretended to think for a while before saying, ¡°Yeah, and


    she¡¯s quite beautiful. When I saw her, she was wearing Soir Coffee¡¯s uniform, so she might be a


    waitress there.¡± ¡°What!¡± shouted Susanne in disbelief, face turning dark. ¡°She¡¯s a waitress!¡± Wendy


    nodded. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, yes. Otherwise, why would she be wearing Soir Coffee¡¯s uniform?¡± ¡°No!


    This is uneptable!¡±


    Susanne yelled furiously. ¡°Does she seriously think that the Nightshires will recognize a mere waitress


    like her? We¡¯re way out of her league!¡± Seeing Susanne¡¯s reaction, Wendy was secretly


    delighted. Yes, that¡¯s more like it. Without Susanne¡¯s recognition, that waitress will not surpass me,


    even if she¡¯s the one Vinson likes. Her dad had a mistress once, and the mistress was so haughty that


    she wanted to marry into the family.


    However, the elders of the Greenes refused to recognize her, so the mistress had to leave Horington in


    the end. In this day and age, status matters the most. Those without any significant background will


    always remain a small fry. At that moment, Geoffrey, the butler, came rushing in.


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire¡­¡± He stopped talking when his eyesnded on Wendy.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°School is about to start, Ms. Stone. I¡¯ll head back to my room to do revisions,¡± uttered Wendy sensibly.


    She was enrolled in Jadeborough University¡¯s elite ss. Unlike regr sses, the elite ss would


    conduct monthly exams. If the students performed poorly, they might not get the graduation certification


    from the university. She prided herself on good grades, but she had heard that the courses and


    examinations in the elite ss were challenging, so she could not take it lightly.


    ¡°Stay.¡± Susanne grabbed her hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re a stranger.¡± Since the other woman was merely a waitress, Wendy remained her top


    choice of bing Vinson¡¯s wife. Raising her chin slightly, Susanne motioned for Geoffrey to start


    talking.


    ¡°Regarding the woman who managed to get Mr. Vinson¡¯s interest, I¡¯ve found her.Here¡¯s a photo of her.¡±


    Geoffrey handed Susanne the photo.


    Since Susanne had met countless beautifuldies in her life, she was not expecting anything. However,


    just when she thought she would be unimpressed, her eyes widened twice as much when she saw the


    woman in the photo. How can a caf¨¦ waitress be this stunning?

 Chapter 181

    Chapter 181


    Chapter 181 Convince The Woman,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    Even though it was just a passport photo, the woman looked graceful with a smile that bright. One


    could only imagine how ethereal she must be in real life. Stunned by the beauty, Susanne gradually


    realized that the woman looked awfully alike to her deceased friend. The uncanny resemnce made


    her recall horrible memories, which gave her the chills. This must only be a coincidence. ¡°Is this the


    woman you saw?¡± she asked, showing the photo to Wendy. ncing at the unforgettable beauty,


    Wendy immediately recognized Arielle. ¡°Yes.¡± Upon hearing her reply, Susanne let out a breath in relief.


    See. I knew this is just a coincidence. There¡¯s no way she¡¯s that woman¡¯s daughter. Then she turned to


    Geoffrey with a frown. ¡°How did she get close to Vin?¡± A waitress like her shouldn¡¯t even have the


    chance to approach my son. ¡°She was Mr. Vinson¡¯s g-gift from his business partners at the banquet in


    the hotel two days ago,¡± replied Geoffrey a bit shyly. In an instant, a stormy look swept across


    Susanne¡¯s face. Did he seriously reject ady from Horington, whom I¡¯ve personally selected, just for


    this ¡°gift?¡± How foolish! He really can¡¯t see who matches him best!


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°That stupid unfilial son! How dare he get together with such a dirty woman! Phone him right now and


    tell him toe back right this instant!¡± she ordered in rage. Other than a mere waitress, Wendy didn¡¯t


    expect that Arielle was also Vinson¡¯s sex ve gifted by somebody else. A sex ve


    surely won¡¯t challenge my position because the Nightshires definitely won¡¯t ept her.


    Wendy tried her best to control the smirk that threatened to appear as she held Susanne before saying


    softly, ¡°Vinson is still young, and that woman is indeed gorgeous. It¡¯s normal that her beauty entices


    him.¡± ¡°He can be normal all he wants, but not with her. I can¡¯t let this be. I¡¯m going to bring him back


    here by myself. Get the car ready, Geoffrey!¡± ¡°Calm down, Ms. Stone!¡± eximed Wendy. ¡°Vinson is at


    the rebellious stage now.


    The stricter you are on him, the more he will do the opposite. Do you really think he¡¯ll willingly return


    home with you? If anything, it will only make things worse.¡± Susanne was quiet for some time before


    asking, ¡°Then what am I supposed to do? Let him mess around with that woman?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡±


    Wendy answered. ¡°You know, if you can¡¯t persuade Vinson, then you can persuade the woman. I


    mean, women like her only approach Vinson with one purpose, don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Susanne¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Money!¡± If I give that vixen enough money, she will stop sleeping with him.


    I bet she¡¯s aware that the Nightshires will never wee her into the family. ¡°You¡¯re brilliant, Wendy!¡±


    Susanne patted Wendy¡¯s shoulder in satisfaction. ¡°A clever woman like you is really deserving to be


    Mrs. Nightshire.¡±

 Chapter 182

    Chapter 182


    Chapter 182 What A Small World,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    Wendy blushed and said, ¡°Ms. Stone, you¡¯re making fun of me again.¡± Susanne smiled in response and


    was satisfied with Wendy. Then, Susanne turned to Geoffrey and instructed, ¡°Send her contact number


    to me.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Geoffrey quickly sent Arielle¡¯s number to Susanne¡¯s phone. Miles away, Henrick


    asked to see Arielle as soon as she returned to the Southall residence. ¡°Dad, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Arielle asked smilingly.


    Sitting at the desk, Henrick waved at Arielle delightedly and said straightforwardly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you


    wish to work in ourpany?¡± Arielle nodded. ¡°Do you allow me to work there?¡± Henrick responded


    affirmatively, ¡°I have rented the new office and need more staff over there. So, you can work with me


    starting from tomorrow and learn how to manage apany from the managerial staff.¡± After falling


    silent for a few seconds, Arielle proposed, ¡°Dad, I wish to start working from the bottom instead of


    joining the managerial level right away.


    If I can be one of the managerial staff without any experience, I¡¯m afraid that your reputation might be


    affected.¡± Henrick cared about his reputation above everything else. Once Arielle finished, he nodded


    satisfactorily. ¡°You¡¯re right. The staff love to gossip about everything. Besides, it¡¯s good to have fun


    while learning about how thepany works from the bottom. So, which department would you like to


    join?¡± Arielle replied excitedly, ¡°I heard from Aunt Cindy that there are not many profitable departments


    in thepany, while the most profitable department is the AI technology department. Since I have


    some knowledge about AI, I hope to get some experience there.¡±


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Based on the information she acquired, the only department in Southall Group that made a profit was


    the AI technology department. Therefore, she wanted to find out how it continued making profits while


    all other departments suffered losses. ¡°Sure!¡± Henrick agreed to it right away. He didn¡¯t think much and


    only thought that Arielle wanted to have some fun there. Since the AI technology department produced


    robots, he thought Arielle was intrigued by them.


    As I have expected, girls only think about having fun. Also, Henrick thought Arielle was different from


    Cindy. After Arielle mentioned how Cindy might turn against him, he eventually believed that Cindy was


    hatching a plot secretly. Therefore, he decided to send Cindy to another ce to reduce her chances of


    interfering with thepany affairs. On the other hand, he didn¡¯t feel the need to keep his guard up


    against Arielle. Now that she was close to the Nightshires, she had no reasons to scheme against


    Southall Group. Besides, how ill-intentioned can ady from a vige be?


    ¡°Well, get some rest for two days and report for duty at the AI technology department on Monday. The


    department is located in our branch. By the way, you can hide your identity if you wish to do so


    because the staffs have never seen you before. On Monday, you can go to thepany with Mason.


    Since he studied AI design before, you can ask him if you have any doubts.¡± Arielle rolled her eyes


    upon hearing it. Mason?


    Arielle believed that he was probably the man sent by Cindy to kill her. Well, what a small world! Back


    then, Arielle was forced to stay on the uninhabited ind alone for a week. While Arielle was looking for


    ways to retaliate against Mason, an opportunity appeared all of a sudden. What a coincidence. ¡°Sure,


    I¡¯ll learn from Mason.¡± As Arielle smiled, a glint shed across her eyes. Meanwhile, Henrick was


    satisfied with Arielle because she seemed to be obedient.


    He was narrow-minded and still thought that women with intentioans were not good women. ¡°Well, you


    should get back to your room and get some rest. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re tired. Besides, I¡¯ll have to discuss the


    rent with Mr. Nightshire,¡± Henrick said while putting both of his hands on the desk. Also, there was a


    pile of bills next to him.

 Chapter 183

    Chapter 183


    Chapter 183 Okay To Spend The Night Elsewhere,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    Arielle nced at the bills and the numbers with contempt. Nheless, she didn¡¯t reveal her emotions


    but merely answered cutely, ¡°Alright.¡± She turned around and left the study. The moment Arielle turned


    around, her smile faded away. Later, once Arielle arrived at her room, she received a call from an


    unknown caller. She tilted her head and gazed at it bewilderedly, for the calling code indicated that it


    was from Jadeborough. Since Henrick registered the number for her, not many people would call her


    on it. In that case, who is calling me?


    Out of curiosity, she picked up the phone and asked, ¡°Hi, may I know who this is?¡± The next moment, a


    woman replied crossly, ¡°Where are you? Let¡¯s meet up.¡± After confirming that the voice was unfamiliar,


    Arielle frowned and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you have the wrong number.¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± she said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m


    Vinson¡¯s mom. I¡¯ll meet you at Soir Coffee in Nightshire Square half an hourter.¡± With that, she ended


    the call without giving her a chance to say no. Arielle¡¯s gaze dimmed as she put her phone


    down. If I¡¯m not mistaken, Vinson¡¯s mom is Susanne Stone.


    To a certain extent, Susanne¡¯s attitude was simr to Vinson¡¯s, for both of them didn¡¯t give others any


    chance to say no. Arielle remembered Vinson said that Susanne and her mom used to be good friends.


    Therefore, Arielle thought she could get some information from Susanne about her father. Although


    Susanne didn¡¯t talk nicely, Arielle wanted to meet her anyway. She told Henrick that Vinson was


    bringing her out for supper. Meanwhile, Henrick was delighted upon hearing it and agreed to it right


    away. He even reminded Arielle caringly, ¡°I¡¯m not a conservative man. So, I won¡¯t ask you toe


    home early. Have fun.¡± In other words, he won¡¯t mind if I spend the night elsewhere.


    What an open-minded father! Arielle pretended to smile in response and called a cab to the cafe. Soon,


    the sky turned dark. There was no traffic jam in Jadeborough at this hour. As such, Arielle arrived at the


    meeting ce proposed by Susanne within half an hour. Arielle used to visit Soir Coffee formercial


    shooting. As such, the staff weed her excitedly once she entered. ¡°Ms. Sannie, it¡¯s our honor to


    have you here. Would you like to have coffee? We have justunched a new drink today. Would you


    like to try it?¡± Arielle declined the offer with a smile.


    Then, she nced around the coffee shop but didn¡¯t see Susanne. A momentter, she asked, ¡°Is


    there any private room here? I¡¯m expecting someone but not sure where she is now.¡± ¡°Oh, we do have


    a private room. The two guests in the room also say they are expecting someone. Pleasee with


    me.¡± ¡°Sure, thank you.¡± Arielle nodded and followed the staff to the private room. Once the staff opened


    the door, Arielle saw the graceful Susanne in the private room. Also, a girl with a sweet smile on her


    face was sitting next to Susanne.


    She was the one who came to see Vinson after the shooting ended. Since Susanne brought this girl,


    her message was clear. Meanwhile, the two of them looked in the direction of the entrance and frowned


    in unison the moment they saw Arielle. Wendy frowned because she was shocked by Arielle¡¯s beauty


    and felt displeased. Meanwhile, Susanne was stunned once she realized that Arielle looked like her old


    friend who passed away more than the photo.


    Apart from Arielle¡¯s physical appearance, her demeanor was also simr to herte friend. Susanne


    couldn¡¯t help but feel that they didn¡¯t have to apply any makeup to showcase their beauty. As Susanne


    was deep in thought, she instinctively gripped the cup of coffee. How is it possible that they look


    alike? Could it be a coincidence?


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 184

    Chapter 184


    Chapter 184 A Billion,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    Arielle was unperturbed by their slightly contorted faces. Keeping her courtesy, Arielle walked into the


    room, nodded at both of them, and greeted, ¡°Hi, Ms. Stone, how can I help you?¡± Meanwhile, Susanne,


    who frowned a lot, began the conversation without beating around the bush. ¡°I know what happened


    between you and my son. Tell me, how much do you need in order to stay away from my son?¡± Arielle


    was startled by Susanne¡¯s directness. Also, Susanne seemingly didn¡¯t take into consideration the


    friendship between Arielle¡¯s mom and her.


    Since Susanne was so cold, Arielle decided to stop being polite to her. She sat in front of Susanne,


    crossed her legs, and said coldly, ¡°What happened between your son and me? Ms. Stone, I¡¯m forgetful


    and not sure which incident it was. Was it the day I saved Vinson¡¯s life on the uninhabited ind? Or


    was it two days ago when I saved Vinson once again during the explosion at the building?¡± Susanne


    stared at me in disbelief and asked, ¡°What nonsense is that? When did you ever save my son?¡± At the


    same time, Wendy couldn¡¯t help but interrupt, ¡°Miss, please don¡¯t make lies that will be exposed within


    seconds.¡±


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Slowly, Arielle looked up and nced at Wendy nonchntly. Instantly, a shiver ran down Wendy¡¯s


    spine. Given that Wendy¡¯s family pampered her since she was born, she had never seen someone with


    that demeanor before. All of a sudden, Wendy was rendered speechless. After ncing at Wendy for a


    moment, Arielle ignored her and responded to Susanne, ¡°Ms. Stone, if you doubt my words, why don¡¯t


    you call Vinson to verify them? Please find out if the two incidents actually happened between us.¡±


    Susanne gritted her teeth in anger.


    Deep down, she felt that Arielle was witty and different from herte friend, who was quite reticent.


    Since Susanne wanted to end the conversation with Arielle as soon as possible, she proposed, ¡°Vinson


    is at a loss because you have charmed him. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll cover up your lies for you. Name your price


    now, and don¡¯t show your face before me ever again!¡± A momentter, Susanne added, ¡°You should


    know your ce. My son is way out of your league. Besides, you¡¯ll never have the chance to be


    married into the Nightshires. If you are smart enough, just grab your money and leave now.


    Otherwise, you won¡¯t get even a penny!¡± Arielle burst intoughter upon hearing Susanne¡¯s offer. My


    god, it¡¯s so hard tomunicate with this opinionateddy. In that case¡­ ¡°A billion,¡± Arielle proposed


    coldly. ¡°What?¡± Susanne was at a loss upon hearing it. She couldn¡¯t believe that Arielle would make


    such a crazy offer. A momentter, Arielle put on a faint smile and gazed at Susanneposedly. ¡°Ms.


    Stone, don¡¯t you think that your son is worth the price?¡±


    With that, Susanne¡¯s expression turned grim. She threw a question at Arielle furiously, ¡°Why isn¡¯t my


    son worth more than a billion?¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Arielle tabbed the table twice as she continued, ¡°In that case,


    we¡¯ll settle it at one billion. After all, your son is worth a lot more than that.¡±


    Susanne was stunned when she realized that Arielle used reverse psychology against her. ¡°You filthy


    woman¡­¡± Susanne stood up in anger and yelled, ¡°You¡¯re outrageously greedy! A waitress like you


    can¡¯t even make a million in your life. How dare you ask for a billion?¡± ¡°Waitress?¡±


    Arielle raised her eyebrows and asked bewilderedly, ¡°Since when have I be a waitress?¡± As


    Susanne was startled as well, she turned to Wendy.

 Chapter 185

    Chapter 185


    Chapter 185 Three Questions,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    After gulping down her saliva, Wendy stood up and exined to Susanne, ¡°When I saw her yesterday,


    she was wearing the waitress uniform of Soir Coffee.¡± Instantly, Arielle figured it what went wrong.


    Despite being a good friend of Arielle¡¯s mom, Susanne was hostile toward Arielle because she thought


    she was a waitress. Arielle shrugged and exined, ¡°It appears that there is a misunderstanding. I¡¯m


    not a waitress here.¡± Susanne frowned as she asked, ¡°If you¡¯re not a waitress, why were you wearing a


    uniform? Stop making up stories.¡± Arielle gazed at Wendy for a while before turning to Susanne.


    ¡°Ms. Stone, can I have a word with you for a while? I¡¯ve something to tell you. If you can give me the


    time, I can lower the price from a billion to ten. Give me ten minutes, and you can then pay me ten to


    leave your son.¡± Miles away, Vinson, who was working overtime, suddenly sneezed. ¡°Ah-


    choo!¡± Who¡¯s scolding me? Over at the cafe, Susanne felt tempted by Arielle¡¯s offer after listening to


    her. Although Susanne could afford to pay Arielle a billion, she felt that a vixen didn¡¯t deserve the


    amount. Nheless, she also felt ufortable to pay Arielle ten as though Vison was worth nothing


    more than ten.


    In the end, Susanne queried seriously, ¡°What do you want to tell me?¡± Susanne was intrigued to find


    out what nonsense Arielle would spew. Meanwhile, Wendy, who stood beside Susanne, felt nervous


    unknowingly. Given that Arielle looked surprisinglyposed, Wendy instinctively felt that it probably


    wasn¡¯t a good idea to let Arielle and Susanne talked in private. As such, Wendy couldn¡¯t keep her cool


    and pulled Susanne¡¯s arm anxiously. ¡°Ms. Stone, please don¡¯t fall for her sweet talk. Why don¡¯t we give


    her the money and let her leave Jadeborough?


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    I mean, a lowly woman like her is good at deceiving others with sweet words!¡± Susanne had simr


    thoughts. Even if Arielle wasn¡¯t a waitress, she was not from a wealthy and noble family either.


    Otherwise, Arielle wouldn¡¯t have been sent as a gift to Vinson. However, Susanne didn¡¯t think that


    Arielle could manage to deceive her with just words. Who am I? How can a vixen deceive me with


    only a few words? Susanne looked at Wendy, patted her arm gently, andforted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry,


    Wendy. You can wait for me outside. She can never deceive me.¡±


    Wendy wished to dwell on it but was afraid that Susanne would be unhappy As such, she had no


    choice but to bit her tongue. Besides, Wendy was confident that the lowly woman surely couldn¡¯t sway


    Susanne¡¯s mind. Wendy told herself silently not to be frightened by Arielle¡¯s demeanor. Hence, she


    took a deep breath to calm herself down and grabbed her handbag to leave the room. Once the door


    was closed, Susanne began to look more ferocious.


    Apart from being Vinson¡¯s mother, Susanne had been through all sorts of dangers and bloodshed with


    Vinson¡¯s dad. Although she had retired now, her murderous and overbearing aura could still be felt.


    She stared at Arielle nonchntly and instructed, ¡°Go ahead. You only have ten minutes.¡± Arielle didn¡¯t


    mind if Susanne was impolite to her. Since Arielle wasn¡¯t interested in marrying Vinson to climb to a


    higher social stratum, she didn¡¯t care if Susanne liked her or not.


    Instead, Arielle only wished to get the answer she wanted from Susanne. Shortly afterward, Arielle said


    calmly, ¡°Rest assured that we won¡¯t need ten minutes. I¡¯ll ask three questions and leave once you


    answer all of them.¡± Susanne frowned and asked curiously, ¡°What are the three questions?¡±

 Chapter 186

    Chapter 186


    Chapter 186 Not The Sort To Kill Herself,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    Arielle unhurriedly fished out a photograph from her pocket and turned it to Susanne. Susanne nced


    at it impatiently. Upon recognizing the face in the photograph, however, her gaze lingered on it.


    Depicted in the photograph was none other than her very good friend¡ªMaureen. Susanne gaped at


    Arielle, her eyes widening in disbelief. This vixen looks just like her! She gives off the same air too.


    Besides, she was able to produce a photograph¡­ Thoughts raced wildly through Susanne¡¯s


    head. It can¡¯t be! After a moment, Ariellemented coolly, ¡°It looks like you do know my mom.¡±


    Dumbfounded, Susanne continued staring at Arielle wordlessly. She raised a trembling finger and


    pointed at Arielle. Her lips parted as if she were about to speak but only managed to croak out a single


    syble, ¡°You¡­¡± Arielle nodded calmly. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m Arielle Moore, Maureen¡¯s daughter.¡± Susanne felt her


    head spinning. She had interrogated the butler for every detail about Arielle except for her name. If


    Susanne had known that this woman shared the samest name as Maureen, she would have been


    able to deduce her identity more urately.


    It took Susanne a long while to recover from the shock. Gulping, she asked doubtfully, ¡°Weren¡¯t you


    kidnapped ten years ago by those traffickers?¡± Susanne felt a wave of regret wash over her. When


    Maureen died and her only daughter had vanished, Susanne had done her best to look for the


    daughter. However, the chaos in Susanne¡¯s own home fully absorbed her attention for a long while.


    The missing person¡¯s case had grown cold since then. Arielle nodded slightly. ¡°I was, but a kind soul


    rescued me. I had a high fever then and lost my memory, so I never came home. I only reunited with


    the Southalls recently.


    There were too many things to deal with, so I was only able to meet with you now.¡± Thoughts mored


    in Susanne¡¯s mind. She felt ashamed for having cursed Arielle privately just moments before. However,


    Susanne had never expected that Arielle, her dear friend¡¯s long-lost daughter, would ever appear


    before her eyes again. From the troubled expression on Susanne¡¯s face, Arielle guessed at what she


    was thinking and said earnestly, ¡°Please don¡¯t feel bad. You had no idea who I was, so I understand


    why you reacted the way you did.


    Besides, you thought that I was Vinson¡¯s one-night stand. Let me exin everything. That night was a


    complete ident, and nothing happened between Vinson and me. We¡¯re just friends that intend to


    stay that way. Please don¡¯t think that I¡¯m trying to marry into the Nightshire family to improve my social


    status.¡± Susanne felt her face grow hot with embarrassment. She felt thoroughly put to shame by


    Arielle¡¯s maturity.


    As an older woman, Susanne could not be certain that she had behaved with equal magnanimity.


    Susanne bit her lip, then said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being rude to you earlier. You mentioned that you had three


    questions you wanted to ask me. What were they? Go ahead with them.¡± The tone with which Susanne


    addressed Arielle had transformedpletely into a meeker, kinder one. Arielle twisted her hands


    together nervously.


    ¡°Was my mom¡¯s death really due to suicide?¡± Susanne stared at Arielle, her eyes darkening. She


    examined Arielle, then said cautiously, ¡°Are you suspecting that your dad¡­?¡± Arielle nodded firmly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Susanne sighed heavily. ¡°At first, I suspected that as well, so I conducted a private


    investigation of my own.


    I didn¡¯t manage to uncover anything. They either managed to cover up their trackspletely, or it


    wasn¡¯t done by them at all.¡± Arielle¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t them, I can¡¯t think of anyone else who


    would hurt my mom. I can tell that you know this, just as well as I do. Mom¡¯s not the sort who would kill


    herself.¡±


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

 Chapter 187

    Chapter 187


    Chapter 187 Terror,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    Susanne fixed a steady gaze on Arielle. ¡°Focus on living the best life now that you¡¯re back. Stop


    meddling with the dark shadows of the past! Sometimes ignorance is bliss. So what if you manage to


    find out the truth? You can¡¯t bring your mother back to life.¡± Arielle, however, looked defiant. ¡°I¡¯ll be able


    to deliver some justice to Mom, at least!¡± Susanne softened her tone. ¡°If she were watching you from


    heaven right now, she¡¯d want you to live a good life too.¡± Arielle shook her head vehemently. ¡°The only


    reason I came back here was to seek revenge for my mother.


    If I can¡¯t even do that for her, what¡¯s the point ining back?¡± To Arielle¡¯s surprise, the expression that


    flitted across Susanne¡¯s face was one of approval. However, it quickly faded and was reced with a


    look of helplessness. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t help. I couldn¡¯t uncover anything ten years ago, and it¡¯s


    definitely more difficult now. If there was any proof then, it would most probably have been destroyed


    by now.¡± Arielle had not expected to get anything out of Susanne. It was sufficient that her suspicions


    regarding Maureen¡¯s suicide were confirmed.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°The second question,¡± Arielle prompted, taking out two pieces of paper from her pocket. She held


    them out towards Susanne. Susanne took them with considerably less impatience than before and


    peered at them closely. When she finally read thest line, Susanne froze. She then raised her head


    and looked at Arielle in bewilderment. The shock on Susanne¡¯s face was even more obvious than it


    had beenpared to the revtion of Arielle¡¯s identity. In a quivering voice, Susanne stammered,


    ¡°You¡­You¡¯re not Henrick¡¯s daughter?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Arielle said soberly, lifting her head to meet


    Susanne¡¯s gaze levelly.


    ¡°Henrick¡¯s not my father at all. I looked at my mother¡¯s diary but could get no answers out of it. I know


    that you were her good friend. You must know something!¡± The blood had drained from Susanne¡¯s face


    entirely. She looked at Arielle with a gaze of mute horror. Susanne nodded instinctively, then shook her


    head violently when she recollected herself. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know anything. Your mom kept most


    things to herself.


    She didn¡¯t tell me about anything like that.¡± Arielle wrinkled her brow, then insisted, ¡°Ms. Stone, I think


    you know more than you¡¯re choosing to say. What do you know? Why are you so afraid?¡± Susanne¡¯s


    eyes darted nervously from side to side. She then hastily leaned forward and whispered, ¡°Shh! Stop


    talking! If you want to stay alive, don¡¯t ever mention that ever again!¡± Susanne picked up the two pieces


    of paper that contained proof of Arielle¡¯s kinship and ripped them into a million tiny pieces. Arielle was


    too taken aback to stop Susanne in time.


    When she had regained herposure, she immediately raged at Susanne, ¡°Ms. Stone! What on


    earth are you doing?¡± Susanne grabbed Arielle¡¯s slender arm tightly. With a grave look on her face, she


    said emphatically, ¡°I¡¯m doing this for your own good. Listen to me! Stop pursuing this matter any


    further!¡± Arielle looked cynical. Seeing that she was about tounch into another tirade, Susanne swiftly


    mped her hand over Arielle¡¯s mouth. Susanne shook her head vigorously with unmistakable terror in


    her eyes. Arielle realized then that she would get nothing out of Susanne on this front.


    She made eye contact with Susanne and nodded in agreement. Susanne then rxed her hold on


    Arielle and lowered her hand. The entire affair, however, had left Susanne immensely wary. Evidently in


    a hurry, she picked up her bag and said briskly, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll head home now.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Ms. Stone! I haven¡¯t asked my third question yet!¡± Arielle said, tugging at Susanne¡¯s sleeve


    relentlessly. Susanne, however, cupped her hands over her ears and cried, ¡°I don¡¯t know! I don¡¯t know


    anything!¡± Bemused at Susanne¡¯s childish response, Arielle said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This question has


    nothing to do with the previous two.¡± That was sufficient to cause Susanne to lower her hands


    tentatively.

 Chapter 188

    Chapter 188


    Chapter 188 The Third Question,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    Arielle then asked, ¡°The third question is this. Do you think choosing Vinson¡¯s future wife for him will


    make him happy? Do you think that¡¯s fair to him?¡± The abrupt shift in conversation startled Susanne,


    who was left speechless. By the time Susanne couldprehend what was happening, Arielle had


    already strode over to the door and opened it. It was vividly clear to Susanne that the third question


    was meant to be a rhetorical one. Susanne stood rooted at the spot, staring after Arielle¡¯s departing


    figure. Her dark gaze was clouded and unfathomable.


    Wendy, who had been waiting at the door throughout the entire exchange, burst in upon seeing Arielle


    left. Wendy immediately bolted over to Susanne and probed inquisitively, ¡°Ms. Stone, did she take the


    money?¡± Susanne snorted. She shook her head, then said scornfully, ¡°No.¡± The money had been the


    least of her worries just then. Wendy then noticed the odd expression on Susanne¡¯s face. Anxiously,


    she asked, ¡°Ms. Stone, what did that woman say to you? Don¡¯t take it to heart! If she doesn¡¯t want to


    leave, I¡¯ll chase her out of here myself.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that,¡± Susanne said, exhaling slowly. ¡°I misunderstood her. Besides, she¡¯s not


    interested in Vin in that way. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Wendy stared at Susanne in astonishment. ¡°What do you


    mean, she¡¯s not interested? He rejected me because of her!¡± Wendy argued passionately. Vexed,


    Susanne replied shortly, ¡°Vin has never liked girls who were too forting. It¡¯s normal for him to


    reject you at first. He¡¯ll get used to you after further interaction.¡± She massaged her temples, then


    continued wearily, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯m going back to rest now.


    You can stay as long as you like, but I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Susanne made no dy in making her


    exit, not even turning to give Wendy a second nce. Wendy felt disturbed by the encounter. Why is


    she suddenly treating me so coldly? Wendy reflected. Is it because of that vixen? Wendy gnashed her


    teeth, determined not to allow Arielle to get the better of her. She whirled around and dashed out after


    Susanne.


    Inside the car, Susanne remained silent for the entire journey while she looked grim. Wendy had


    racked her brains to think of an appropriate topic of conversation but failed miserably. Atst, when


    they arrived back at the residence, Wendy managed feebly, ¡°Ms. Stone, what on earth did that woman


    say to you? You¡¯ve been looking disquieted since she left. Was she rude to you?¡± Susanne shook her


    head but said nothing. Wendy mistook Susanne¡¯s silence for agreement and dered, ¡°She¡¯s a


    nobody! How dare she show you no respect?


    I¡¯ll get all of my friends in Jadeborough to teach her a lesson! That¡¯ll make her think twice about ever


    being rude to you again!¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Susanne suddenly erupted with a sh of wrath. ¡°Don¡¯t interfere


    with any of Arielle¡¯s matters anymore. It ends here today. I don¡¯t want to hear her name mentioned ever


    again!¡± There was a note of warning in Susanne¡¯s outburst. Wendy gazed at Susanne wretchedly.


    Susanne had raised her voice on Wendy. That vixen must have said something to her! She¡¯s bewitched


    Ms. Stone! Wendy thought bitterly. Wendy¡¯s heart was full of resentment but she dared not reveal it.


    She could only nod obediently, concealing the hatred she had for Arielle. However, Wendy vowed


    privately that she would seek Arielle out and destroy her. Arielle, in the meantime, had just returned to


    the Southall residence when she received a text message from Vinson. Don¡¯t forget that you promised


    toe with me to the banquet tomorrow.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    The reminder shed across the screen in luminous words. Arielle suddenly recalled with a start the


    agreement she had made with Vinson back then. But¡­ Arielle¡¯s gaze shifted to the invitation beside


    her. It was an invitation to Yvette¡¯s birthday party.

 Chapter 189

    Chapter 189


    Chapter 189 Incorrigible,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    Cindy had dropped off the invitation earlier, and the butler had reminded Arielle several times about the


    party after that. It was utterly coincidental that Yvette¡¯s birthday party fell on the following day. Arielle


    was sure that it was a trapid for her. She had resolved to not only avoid it but to retaliate instead. If


    Arielle missed this opportunity, she did not know when the next one would arise or if she would even be


    able toe by one. This was her best shot to clear the obstacles in her way. Arielle thought about it


    and immediately dialed Vinson¡¯s number on her phone.


    Vinson answered almost immediately. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Arielle replied frankly, ¡°I have a birthday party to


    attend tomorrow, so I don¡¯t think I can join you at the banquet. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Vinson contemted this for a


    moment, then asked, ¡°What time is the birthday party?¡± Arielle nced down at the invitation in her


    hand. ¡°Seven.¡± Unfazed, Vinson replied, ¡°That¡¯s perfect. The banquet I want to bring you along for is at


    four in the afternoon. I can apany you to the birthday party after that.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be too much


    of a rush? Why don¡¯t you find another girl to go with you?¡±


    Arielle stammered. Vinson replied persuasively, ¡°I¡¯ve already gotten someone to tailor the gown to your


    measurements. It¡¯ll be toote to ask someone else. Why don¡¯t youe with me, and then I¡¯ll keep


    youpany at the birthday party after that?¡± Vinson was afraid that Arielle would refuse, so he hastily


    added, ¡°You did promise me, after all. Take it as repayment for what I did to get the diary for you.¡± At


    the thought of how Vinson had risked his life for the diary, Arielle felt it was impossible to reject Vinson.


    Clenching her jaw, Arielle agreed reluctantly, ¡°All right.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send a car over to pick you up at three in the afternoon tomorrow then,¡± Vinson said cheerfully.


    ¡°OK,¡± Arielle replied. She suddenly remembered her conversation with Susanne a few hours ago, and


    began, ¡°Tonight¡­¡± Arielle abruptly trailed off, deciding that it was of no further use to recount the


    conversation to Vinson. They had rified matters between them, after all. At the other end of the line,


    Vinson sensed Arielle¡¯s hesitation. ¡°What happened tonight?¡± he asked. Arielle shook her head


    instinctively, then realized that Vinson could not see her. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.


    I¡¯m a little tired tonight, so I¡¯ll hang up first. Try to get an early night as well.¡± ¡°Sure, goodnight,¡± Vinson


    said tenderly. There was more like a note of affection in his voice. Arielle found herself panicking


    slightly but steadied herself and grunted a reply. She then hung up immediately. Arielle sat down on a


    chair, feeling upset. The image of Susanne leading that girl into the private room to have a cup of


    coffee together stirred up a vague feeling of discontent in Arielle. ¡°Forget it!¡± Arielle told herself firmly,


    forcing her mind not to dwell on the meeting that had happened that night. After washing up, shey in


    her bed, anticipating the trap that Cindy must have designed for her.


    Since Arielle believed that the trap lying ahead of her was at Yvette¡¯s birthday party, Cindy and Yvette


    must naturally be conspiring with each other. Yvette¡­She didn¡¯t even hesitate tomand her dog to


    bite me! It looks like she¡¯s still looking to draw blood. Arielle shut her eyes. As she let her thoughts


    wander, a clever n suddenly struck Arielle like a bolt out of the blue. Pleased with the ingenuity of


    the n, Arielle fell asleep to the luby of the gentle breeze blowing in from the window.


    The next day when she awoke, Arielle bumped into Henrick first thing in the morning. Henrick had risen


    early in preparation to head to the office. Poring over the ountsst night had left Henrick satisfied


    with the returns, and he strode down the stairs with a beam on his face.


    At the sight of Arielle, Henrick smiled fondly, then asked, ¡°You¡¯re up early. Why not sleep in a little


    longer?¡± Arielle shed him a bright smile. ¡°I had an early night, and I¡¯m well-rested. Dad, there¡¯s


    something I¡¯d like to discuss with you.¡± Jovially, Henrick replied, ¡°What is it? I¡¯ll do whatever I can help


    you with!¡±


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 190

    Chapter 190


    Chapter 190 Bringing Shandie Home,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    Arielle noted that Henrick was in high spirits and smiled demurely at him. ¡°Actually, I received


    invitations for two events tonight. The first is for a banquet that Mr. Nightshire is also attending, and the


    other is for Yvette¡¯s birthday party. However, the timing between them is rather tight, so¡­¡± Without a


    second thought, Henrick replied, ¡°Of course you should go to the banquet with Mr. Nightshire! Sannie,


    Dad knows that you¡¯re still young and naive, but you should know how to differentiate important events


    from the less significant ones.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Arielle said, nodding.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Yvette engaged to Jordan, though? Besides, she sent the invitation to me, and if I don¡¯t show up,


    I¡¯m afraid that the Bakers might say¡­¡± At that moment, Henrick was still unaware that the Bakers had


    decided to withdraw from the marriage arrangement with the Actonwards. Henrick¡¯s expression thus


    looked rather uneasy. The Actonwards were arge and distinguished family but were no match for


    Vinson. However, the matter took on a more delicate nature with the Bakers in the picture. Henrick was


    torn between both choices.


    Arielle pretended to weigh both options equally, then concluded, ¡°I thought of a n. We can get


    Shannie toe back and attend Yvette¡¯s birthday party instead! We¡¯ll avoid offending either party,


    then.¡± Henrick¡¯s face immediately turned dark when he heard the mention of Shandie¡¯s name. He


    vividly recalled that he had almost lost Nightshire Group as a client because of her. Testily, Henrick


    retorted, ¡°That foolish, incorrigible girl! She¡¯ll only embarrass herself and the rest of us if she represents


    us at the birthday party.¡± Arielle then innocently replied, ¡°You can¡¯t leave Shandie at the monastery


    forever though.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    She¡¯ll have to get married eventually. Aunt Cindy might be able to reflect somewhat, but it¡¯d be better if


    you bring Shandie home to keep a watchful eye on her. Who knows if Aunt Cindy is tainting her mind


    with all sorts of irrepressible ideas over there?¡± Henrick felt himself wavering. During the process of


    purging thepany, Henrick discovered that Cindy had bought over multiple directors. Indeed, she


    might corrupt Shandie instead of teaching her how to behave properly.


    If Shandie took after Cindy¡¯s wicked ways, it would be an uphill task to find someone who would be


    willing to marry her. Henrick soon became convinced that bringing Shandie back home was the most


    sensible solution. Having thus made up his mind, Henrick nodded fervently. ¡°All right, let here


    home then! If she refuses to mend her stupid temper and behave ordingly, I¡¯ll ship her back to the


    monastery so she can spend the rest of her life there!¡± Arielle immediately praised Henrick¡¯s decision,


    ttering him by saying, ¡°Dad, I knew that you always had your children¡¯s best interests at heart.


    I¡¯m sure that Shandie has turned over a new leaf. I¡¯ll go and bring her back home myself.¡± Henrick


    looked at Arielle with pride. I¡¯m d Arielle isn¡¯t petty. After all, family members shouldn¡¯t bear grudges


    against each other, Henrick thought approvingly. Henrick nodded, smiling affectionately at Arielle. ¡°I¡¯m


    d that you¡¯re so mature, Arielle. Go on and fetch her. Don¡¯t tire yourself out on the journey!¡± ¡°Sure,


    Dad. I¡¯ll leave once I¡¯ve gotten changed,¡± Arielle replied, already turning to head back up the stairs.


    ¡°OK, I¡¯ll get the driver to wait for you at the door.


    I¡¯ll be off to work now,¡± Henrick called, getting to his feet. ¡°See you, Dad!¡± Arielle chirped, waving at


    him. She watched as Henrick shut the door and got into his car before ascending the stairs. Arielle did


    not truly want Shandie¡¯s return, of course. However, Cindy and Yvette had alreadyid the trap, and


    Arielle needed a substitute to take the fall. Once Shandie returned, she would take up her position in


    Arielle¡¯s perfect scheme.


    Arielle had barely shut the door when the butler came rapping sharply on it. She flung open the door


    and was unsurprised to see Alfred standing outside. Larissa, the maid who Arielle had secretly bought


    over, had once given Arielle a list of Cindy¡¯s secret allies. Alfred¡¯s name had been right at the top of that


    list. Arielle put up a naive face and asked, ¡°Alfred, is there anything I can help you with?¡±

 Chapter 191

    Chapter 191


    Chapter 191 Ulterior Motives,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    Holding a luxurious gift box, Alfred handed it to Arielle with a smile. ¡°Ms. Arielle, Ms. Actonward has


    prepared this gown for you. Since Mrs. Southall isn¡¯t at home, she said she was worried that you didn¡¯t


    prepare one. Hence, she took the liberty of doing so.¡± Arielle raised her eyebrow slightly. Since when


    did Yvette be so kind as to prepare a gown for me? It must be a trap. I had better be more


    vignt. However, Arielle didn¡¯t reveal her true emotions.


    Instead, she received the box with a smile and even opened it in front of Alfred. ¡°Wow! It¡¯s beautiful!¡±


    Arielle eximed. Alfred¡¯s eyes were filled with disdain. Mrs. Southall even imed that Arielle was as


    sly as a fox. But now, isn¡¯t she just an innocent and vain little girl? Hiding his contempt, Alfred replied


    with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s good that you like it.


    If you wear this gown to Ms. Actonward¡¯s birthday party, she will definitely be delighted.¡± Arielle


    nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will not disappoint Yvette. In that case, let me try it on, and I will wear it to the


    birthday party.¡± Alfred acknowledged, ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. After all, it would be rude if you didn¡¯t wear the


    gown she prepared for you. Anyway, please go ahead and try it on. Feel free to let me know if you have


    any problems.¡± ¡°Alright. Thanks, Alfred.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. It¡¯s the least I can do.¡±


    Alfred left, smiling. Arielle maintained the wide grin on her face until Alfred was out of sight. Closing the


    door behind him with a frosty gaze, sheughed at herself in a self-deprecating manner. At this


    rate, I¡¯ll get an award for Best Actress. Turning back into her bedroom, she carefully opened the box


    Yvette had presented her. Inside, there was a gown, a pair of heels, and some essories. Everything


    she needed was there. Arielle examined the items carefully and even used a special method to test the


    material. Strangely, she didn¡¯t find anything wrong with them. After trying them on, she verified that the


    gown and shoes fitted without any problems at all.


    Can it be that Yvette didn¡¯t sabotage the items and sincerely prepared them for me? With the gown on,


    Arielle twirled herself in the mirror. It was a ck-themed gown where the back and corbone portions


    were covered withce. It looked gorgeous and dignified, just like a charming ck swan in the middle


    of ake. The gown was gorgeous regardless of whichever angle one looked at it. If she wore the gown


    to Yvette¡¯s birthday party, she would undoubtedly be the focus of everyone¡¯s attention.


    It was just that¡­ Is she really that kind? Arielle dispelled that thought at once. After all, no one would


    want to be outshone on their own birthday. Therefore, something was definitely amiss, just that she had


    yet to discover what. What could it possibly be? As time flew by, a car arrived at the monastery


    entrance.


    Shandie, who had been told of the news by Louisa, was eagerly waiting there. Finally, she saw the car


    arrive at sunset. With her luggage in tow, Shandie headed toward the car. Suddenly, a hand appeared


    out of nowhere and stopped her. As Shandie lifted her gaze, her eyes met with Cindy¡¯s worried


    expression.


    The moment Shandie saw Cindy, she asked coldly, ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Shandie! Where are you


    going?¡± Holding Shandie back, Cindy anxiously asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you are going out?¡±


    Henrick had called Louisa directly. Hence, Cindy wasn¡¯t aware. Furthermore, Shandie had lost all trust


    in Cindy.


    Therefore, she too didn¡¯t inform her. Nevertheless, Cindy¡¯s intuition told her that wherever Shandie was


    going, it was definitely not a good idea to do so.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 192

    Chapter 192


    Chapter 192 Despair,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    Shoving Cindy¡¯s hand away, Shandie thrust her chin into the air. ¡°Where else can I go? I¡¯m going home,


    of course.¡± ¡°Home?¡± Cindy asked in surprise, ¡°Why would your dad suddenly let you go home?¡±


    Shandie dug her ears in frustration. ¡°I¡¯m my dad¡¯s biological daughter after all. Of course, he won¡¯t let


    me stay in there my entire life.¡± However, Cindy was still puzzled. ¡°Your dad is not someone who would


    call you home for no reason. You shouldn¡¯t go, it may be a trap!¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?¡± Shandie rebutted with a frown, ¡°Just because you are cruel and


    abandoned your own daughter, it doesn¡¯t mean everyone in the world is the same as you. Move aside!


    I¡¯m leaving.¡± Just as she spoke, Shandie nudged Cindy aside and strode to the waiting car. ¡°Shannie!


    Don¡¯t go!¡± Cindy wanted to stop her still but was met with the sound of Shandie mming the car door


    shut. ¡°Drive!¡± Shandie ordered the driver, leaving Cindy, who was desperately chasing them, in the


    dust. Looking at Cindy¡¯s distant silhouette, Shandie let out a mocking smile.


    It is now Cindy¡¯s turn to wait indefinitely in the monastery. For being a heartless mom, she should have


    a taste of what despair feels like. By the time the car was out of sight, Cindy frantically made a call.


    However, just before she could press the call button, her phone was snatched away from her. Lifting


    her gaze, her expression drastically changed. It was Louisa. ¡°Louisa, what are you doing?¡± Cindy


    asked while trying to remain calm. Louisa replied with an indifferent expression. ¡°I was wondering how


    you can have food being discreetly delivered to you every day.


    Now, I finally know how. I am taking your phone!¡± ¡°No! Louisa! Let me make a call, I have something


    urgent¡­¡± Ignoring her, Louisa turned and left. When Cindy pursued her, two young men stopped her.


    ¡°Mrs. Southall, please go back.¡± ¡°No, my phone! I need my phone back!¡± Cindy¡¯s scream thundered


    across the sky. However, the only response she got was the sound of birds fluttering out from the


    forest. Meanwhile, after driving for half an hour, Shandie realized that the route they were taking didn¡¯t


    look familiar. Can it be that Cindy is right about someone trying to harm me?


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Cringing anxiously, Shandie asked, ¡°Where are we going? This isn¡¯t the way home?¡± The driver replied


    with a smile, ¡°Ms. Shannie, Mr. Southall has instructed me to take you to Yvette¡¯s birthday party first


    before sending you home.¡± ¡°Yvette¡¯s birthday party¡­¡± Shandie mumbled as her fears were eased. I


    see. Yvette must have said something favorable on my behalf. That¡¯s why Dad has allowed me to


    come home.


    When I see herter, I must thank her properly. The next moment, Shandie ordered the driver to stop


    the car. ¡°I can¡¯t go dressed like this, I need to change into a gown.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Yvette has


    prepared them for you. The gown is on your right. Why don¡¯t you take a look.¡± Only then did Shandie


    notice the luxurious gift box beside her.


    When she opened it, a ck gown made of expensive-looking fabric was nestled inside. Shandie¡¯s


    eyes lit up the moment she saw it. What a gorgeous gown! Hugging the gown fondly, she couldn¡¯t stop


    running her fingers over its fabric. She didn¡¯t expect Yvette to treat her so well on such an important


    asion despite being nasty to her all the time.

 Chapter 193

    Chapter 193


    Chapter 193 I Should Not Have Brought You,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    Given how beautiful the gown was, she could imagine how stunning she would look in it. It was obvious


    to her that the gown was extremely expensive. So what if Arielle is born pretty? She is alone in


    Jadeborough and doesn¡¯t have any money nor power. There is no way she would wear a gown as


    luxurious as this. As the saying goes, ¡°Clothes maketh the man.¡± With this gown, I will impress


    everyone at the party! After suffering in the monastery for such a long time, this will be my reward.


    I will make a glorious return! ¡°Hey, go faster!¡± Shandie pestered impatiently. ¡°I want to arrive at the party


    right away.¡± The driver replied with a smile, ¡°Ms. Shannie, don¡¯t worry. We have to get you to the stylist


    first. Other than your clothes, your makeup will also have to match the asion.¡± ¡°Yes, of course!¡±


    Shandie tried her best to keep herself calm. However, she couldn¡¯t stop her smile from widening still.


    After all, she just couldn¡¯t wait to impress everyone there! Meanwhile, at the Spaunia International


    Conference Hall. There was a gathering of the elite from every industry in the nation.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Only figures of exceptional stature were invited. Vinson arrived at the red carpet dressed in an all-white


    suit, looking the part of a dignified nobleman. The reporters who were lined up on both sides of the red


    carpet raised their SLR cameras and began snapping furiously. Meanwhile, the emcee spoke gleefully


    into his mic, ¡°Let us wee the CEO of Nightshire Group, Vinson Nightshire! Last year, Mr. Nightshire


    attended the event by himself. Will he have a plus one this year?¡±


    A few other socialites that were walking on the red carpet slowed down on purpose. Every year, Vinson


    came alone and this year was not expected to be any different. Therefore, whoever could walk the red


    carpet with him would have bragging rights amongst the other socialites given how great an honor it


    was. However, instead of walking the red carpet right away, Vinson turned around and opened the car


    door fully. Putting one hand underneath the roof to shield her, he offered his other hand in a chivalrous


    manner. The socialites were stunned.


    Can it be that Vinson has brought apanion this year? One of them shook her head in denial. ¡°It¡¯s


    definitely not a femalepanion. It must be Mdm. Stone instead.¡± However, a hand with wless


    white skin gently epted Vinson¡¯s hand. After that, an equally fair pair of legs stepped out of the


    car. Judging by how taut her skin is, it definitely isn¡¯t Susanne. The socialites widened their eyes in


    shock when they saw ady gracefully emerging from the car.


    She was wearing a white-feathered gown that was so white that it seemed to glow under the lights. The


    perfect curves of her body were all entuated by how the gown was tapered. When they lifted their


    gazes, they saw ady with a dainty face and high nose. Her eyes sparkled like the stars while her


    luscious lips were pursed slightly. She was the epitome of rare but noble beauty and her appearance


    awed everyone present.


    Every other beautiful phenomenon in the world paled inparison next to her. At that moment,


    everyone¡¯s attention was focused on Arielle. No one was able to peel their eyes away. Even the


    photographers who were used to taking pictures of gorgeous women were so astounded that they


    forgot to work their cameras.


    This is the kind of beauty that couldunch a thousand ships. Once she got out of the car, Arielle could


    sense that everyone¡¯s attention was focused on her. The very next second, she felt Vinson lean closer


    and whisper by her ear, ¡°I am beginning to regret bringing you along.¡±

 Chapter 194

    Chapter 194


    Chapter 194 Being Chased Out,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    Stunned, Arielle asked curiously, ¡°Why?¡± Just as she spoke, her breath blew past two strands of stray


    hair, tempting Vinson to tuck them back behind her ear. However, he tried hard to suppress the urge to


    do it. Chuckling awkwardly, he averted his gaze and held her hand. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± He just resented


    others ogling at her beauty. Arielle felt puzzled over the exchange. Nevertheless, as his plus one, she


    naturally epted the hand he offered.


    Holding each other¡¯s hands, they sauntered down the red carpet together. Given how amazing both of


    them looked, they were undoubtedly the mostpatible couple at the event. As the emcee was the


    first to regain his senses, he remarked excitedly, ¡°It¡¯s a surprise to see Mr. Nightshire attending this


    year¡¯s event with apanion. Mr. Nightshire,e, please sign here before you enter.¡± After


    receiving a fountain pen from an usher, Vinson signed his name neatly before leading Arielle inside.


    Many of the guests regained their senses only after Vinson and Arielle disappeared into the venue.


    ¡°Who is that girl? She¡¯s absolutely stunning!¡± ¡°Given that she came with Mr. Nightshire, she definitely


    isn¡¯t someone ordinary. I must chat them upter.¡± Of course, there would naturally be negative


    comments. ¡°I know who she is. So what if she¡¯s pretty? She is the daughter that the Southalls were


    reunited with. She grew up in the vige. Other than being pretty, I don¡¯t think she is good for anything


    else.¡± ¡°Huh? She grew up in a vige? Tsk-tsk, that means she won¡¯t amount to much at all.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°It is a tradition of this event for everyone to participate in a round-robin chess tournament. The


    participants ranked at the bottom ten will be asked to leave the venue. As a vige girl, I¡¯m not sure if


    she even knows what chess is¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha, it seems she is going to be forced to leave right after


    entering.¡± While making snide remarks, they just couldn¡¯t wait to see Arielle being kicked out after


    losing. Coincidentally, Vinson heard their conversation and shot a re in their direction.


    The few of them quickly lowered their heads in guilt. They might dare to ridicule Arielle, but definitely


    did not have the guts to do the same to Vinson. After recovering his gaze, Vinson led Arielle into the


    venue. Having heard their words also, Arielle asked curiously, ¡°What kind of gathering is this?¡± ¡°This is


    the national Haut Monde, where all the elites from every industry and the top financiers of the country


    gather.


    They also include top detectives and police officers in the country. I will introduce you to themter. In


    the event you need any help, you can always look for them. Of course, they aren¡¯t the main reason why


    I have brought you here. Instead, we¡¯re here to see Josiah Doyle.¡± ¡°Josiah Doyle? Who is he?¡± Vinson


    exined, ¡°The chairman of Noah Group who is also a chess fanatic. Coincidentally, your mom is a


    very skilled chess yer.


    Based on my investigations, he is a friend of hers and likely knows who your biological father is.¡± Arielle


    widened her eyes in shock. So, it seems Vinson didn¡¯t bring me here to apany him.


    Instead¡­ Touched by his gesture, Arielle replied, ¡°Thank you. I realize that there¡¯s no way I can thank


    you enough for all that you have done for me.¡± Vinson couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°It¡¯s not like you did any


    lesser for me.¡± Returning his smile, Arielle asked, ¡°So, why is chess yed during the Haut Monde?


    Also, why does the bottom ten need to leave the venue?¡± Vinson replied, ¡°The very first Haut Monde


    was founded by Mr. Hans Jewell. He was renowned for his skills in chess. Ever since then, ying


    chess became a tradition to kick off the event.¡±

 Chapter 195

    Chapter 195


    Chapter 195 Leaving Early Voluntarily,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    Vinson added, ¡°But, you don¡¯t have to worry as I have made some arrangements. As you are my guest


    and not a member of the Haut Monde, you don¡¯t have to participate in the chess tournament.¡± However,


    Arielle was stunned. Hans Jewell? My student, Hans? Arielle had a talent for chess. During an


    international tournament, she had beaten Hans before. Ever since then, Hans pestered her to be his


    teacher until she had no choice but to take him in as her student.


    So, it seems Hans is a renowned chess yer in this country. What a coincidence. However, a


    few years have passed since then, I wonder if his skills have improved. Lifting her gaze, Arielle


    requested, ¡°In that case, can I trouble you to let the organizers know that I want to participate in the


    chess tournament too? The round-robin format sounds exciting.¡± When Vinson saw the sparkle in


    Arielle¡¯s eye, he raised his eyebrow in surprise. ¡°Do you know how to y chess?¡± ¡°A little bit.¡±


    Vinson fell silent. During the acupuncture session and explosion incident, Arielle used the words ¡°a


    little¡± too. Therefore, he would be a fool to believe Arielle when she used the words ¡°a little¡± ever again.


    ¡°Fine. Since you¡¯re keen to y, I¡¯ll let them know. Go ahead and have some hors d¡¯oeuvres while you


    wait for me here. Just don¡¯t stray away.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Arielle let out a mesmerizing smile, causing Vinson¡¯s


    heart to race.


    He assumed that he had a high level of self-restraint. But, when it came to Arielle, he just couldn¡¯t keep


    himself in check. It¡¯s better not to look at her so often. Averting his gaze, Vinson went off at once. The


    moment he left, many other guests approached Arielle to greet her. In a very short time, her hands


    were full of name cards. Meanwhile, she nced at the chairman of Noah Group and realized that he


    was an elderly man. Silent the entire time, he didn¡¯t greet anyone at all.


    Anyone who approached him would be quickly dispatched after a quick exchange of pleasantries. That


    was the reason why Vinson didn¡¯t introduce her to him. Instead of taking the initiative to meet him, she


    might as well wait for him toe over. However, she just wasn¡¯t sure how skillful he was at chess and


    whether she was good enough to attract his attention. Just when Arielle was feeling conflicted, a few


    morous-looking socialites approached her with champagne sses in their hands.


    The leader among them, who was wearing a striking yellow gown, was the first to greet her, ¡°Ms.


    Moore, it¡¯s been a while. Do you still remember me?¡± Looking at her, Arielle couldn¡¯t recall who she


    was. After apologizing cordially, she asked, ¡°I have just returned to Jadeborough and don¡¯t know many


    people.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    May I know who you may be?¡± Thedy thrust her chin proudly into the air to reveal a ne filled


    with Swarovski diamonds. She borated, ¡°My name is Kelsea Morgan and Carter is my cousin. We


    met at Shandie¡¯s birthday party before this.¡± Arielle had a sudden realization. Since she is Carter¡¯s


    cousin, I suppose she is a friend? Just when Arielle smiled, she heard Kelsea sneer. ¡°It seems clothes


    do make the man.


    Thest time I saw you at the Southall residence, you smelled terrible, just like a beggar. But today,


    your beautiful outfit makes a world of difference. However, I still wonder if you have taken a proper


    bath? After staying in the vige for so many years, had the stench gotten into your blood too?¡± Her


    snide remarks wiped the smile off Arielle¡¯s face.

 Chapter 196

    Chapter 196


    Chapter 196 Are They Bullying You,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    Arielle answered coldly, ¡°I had no recollection of you thest time. This time, given that you are wearing


    diamonds the size of pigeon eggs, you really look different too. Next time, I¡¯ll just remember you as the


    pigeon eggdy.¡± Kelsea¡¯s expression darkened at once. ¡°Shut up! Who do you think you¡¯re talking to?


    I¡¯m one of the Morgans!¡± Kelsea¡¯s friends felt indignant on her behalf. ¡°You really are an impudent girl


    from the vige. You have no shame at all!¡±


    ¡°Exactly! The chess tournament is going to start soon. If you don¡¯t want to be kicked out, you¡¯d better


    leave voluntarily now.¡± When Kelsea heard how her friends ridiculed Arielle, her mood improved


    tremendously. She was looking forward to the moment when Arielle would be asked to leave. So what


    if she is Vinson¡¯spanion? Given that ying chess is a long-time tradition of the Haut Monde, she


    would be asked to leave in the event she loses even if she is Vinson¡¯s guest. By then, she will be


    humiliated and won¡¯t dare to show her face in Jadeborough anymor


    Holding that thought, Kelsea pretended to show some concern. ¡°Enough, everyone. It wasn¡¯t her


    choice to grow up in a vige. If you happen to y against herter, remember to take it easy, so that


    she wouldn¡¯t lose the game too badly.¡± The girlsughed together. ¡°We do want to help her. But, if she


    doesn¡¯t know how to arrange the pieces or even their names, there¡¯s very little we can do about it.¡±


    Arielle found their words amusing. Even if all of them were rolled into one, they wouldn¡¯t evene


    close to beating her still.


    Tucking aside the stray hair over her forehead, she inly replied, ¡°Since the few of you know how to


    y, I will see you at the chessboardter.¡± Just as she spoke, Vinson came back. When he saw


    Arielle being surrounded, he quickly returned to her side. Standing in front of her to protect her


    subconsciously, he red frostily at the group. As the socialites felt a chill down their spine, all of them


    fell silent at once. Only Kelsea, on the ount she was Carter¡¯s cousin, dared to greet Vinson.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Vinson¡­¡± She was aware that he and Carter were good friends. Hence, she expected him to at least


    show her some respect on Carter¡¯s ount. However, Vinson ignored her as if she was invisible.


    Feeling humiliated, Kelsea bit her lip in shame. All she saw was Vinson turning to ask Arielle in a


    protective tone. ¡°Are they bullying you?¡± When Kelsea saw how gently Vinson spoke to Arielle, she bit


    her lip even harder, to the extent it lost all color.


    She had a crush on Vinson since they were young. However, she never dared confess her feelings as


    she felt no one in Jadeborough was worthy of him. Since nobody ever snagged him, she too resigned


    herself to fate. Unfortunately, when she saw how much concern Vinson was showing Arielle, which had


    never happened to anyone else before, she felt as if her world had imploded. As hatred welled up


    within her, both her hands clenched into fists.


    When Arielle heard Vinson¡¯s reassuring words, her heart melted inexplicably. Shaking her head, she


    replied with a smile. ¡°No, they didn¡¯t bully me. Instead, we were talking about the chess tournament.¡± ¡°I


    see.¡± Vinson nodded. Ignoring Kelsea and the others, he continued, ¡°There¡¯s a friend whom I would like


    you to meet. Come with me.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Arielle nodded before leaving with Vinson. Once both of them had left, Kelsea and her friends


    began to chatter incessantly. ¡°Why does Mr. Nightshire fancy someone from the vige? Are looks


    everything? I can¡¯t believe it!¡± ¡°That aside, I must admit there¡¯s really no one prettier than her.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t


    her mom use to be the prettiest girl in Jadeborough?


    It appears she has taken after her mom.¡± ¡°Huh, if only I was half as pretty as her. I wouldn¡¯t have lost to


    Yvette during the beauty contest¡­¡± Kelsea¡¯s expression darkened when she heard their discussion.


    Unable to bear it anymore, she barked, ¡°Enough! Stop talking about it!¡±

 Chapter 197

    Chapter 197


    Chapter 197 Know Thyself And Know Thy Enemies,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    Her friends were so shocked that they shut up immediately. They had never heard Kelsea scream with


    such a high-pitched voice before. Nevertheless, they were all good friends and quickly understood her


    feelings after they saw the look in her eye. Kelsea was obviously jealous. When the fact dawned upon


    them, all of them smiled wryly. No longer able to praise Arielle¡¯s beauty, they changed their tack


    instead. ¡°Arielle has no reason to feel smug.


    Once the chess tournament is over, she will be asked to leave.¡± ¡°Exactly! Kelsea, we won¡¯t be able to


    see that irritatingdy anymore. Thinking about it makes me miss her already.¡± ¡°Tsk-tsk. If she meets


    Kelsea in the first round, she is finished. Kelsea¡¯s chess mentor is Mr. Jewell, the founder of Haut


    Monde. Arielle would be trashed by Kelsea in just a couple of moves.¡± ¡°That goes without saying. Given


    the participants today, only Mr. Nightshire, who wasst year¡¯s champion, is good enough to take on


    Kelsea. Therefore,paring Arielle to Kelsea is by itself an insult to her.¡±


    After hearing their words, Kelsea¡¯s gloomy expression turned into a smile. Every year during the Haut


    Monde, her goal was to beat Vinson at chess so that she could impress him. Unfortunately, she would


    never get the chance to face him because she would be defeated by Everett Eakins first. After a whole


    year of hard training, she was confident of beating Everett so that she could finally face Vinson. With


    that, Kelsea began to calm herself down.


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    She knew that she shouldn¡¯t lose her focus because of Arielle. After all, Arielle was just a distraction


    while her real rival was Everett. Holding that thought, Kelsea made an excuse to leave the group. After


    that, she found a quiet ce on the balcony and discreetly watched the videos of Everett¡¯stest


    games. After all, ¡°Know thyself and know thy enemies¡± was the secret to victory.


    Meanwhile, as Vinson introduced Arielle to other guests who were elites in their own fields, one famous


    detective caught her attention. She made an effort to obtain his contact and nned to get in touch


    after the banquet. Soon, the chess tournament began. The opponents in the first round were decided


    by a draw. Coincidentally, Arielle¡¯s first opponent was one of Kelsea¡¯s friends from earlier. However,


    anyone who attended the Haut Monde was an elite in their own right.


    It had nothing to do with them being socialites. When Vinson saw the draw she picked, he couldn¡¯t help


    but feel worried. ¡°If you don¡¯t feel confident, I can have a word with the organizer.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Arielle


    remained exceptionally calm as she tightened her grip on the lot. When Vinson saw the expression on


    her face, he didn¡¯t remonstrate further. After wishing her good luck, he headed to his allocated


    chessboard. By the time Arielle found hers, Kelsea¡¯s friend was already seated at the board. Her name


    was Zany Zane.


    The moment she saw Arielle, she sneered, ¡°Oh, why does it have to be you, Arielle. Do I need to go


    through the basic rules with you?¡± The moment Zany spoke, the person on the board next to them


    turned around in shock. He couldn¡¯t believe that there was someone present who didn¡¯t know the rules


    of chess. How did she get in here?


    Looking at her face, they surmised that Arielle must have attended the event because of her looks. Mr.


    Nightshire shouldn¡¯t have brought someone who doesn¡¯t know chess to the banquet. Wouldn¡¯t he just


    disgrace himself? Arielle ignored what everyone else thought. Instead, she calmly made eye contact


    with Zany and tried to hold back a smile. ¡°Thank you for your offer. I appreciate it.¡±

 Chapter 198

    Chapter 198


    Chapter 198 Checkmate,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    Zany didn¡¯t think that someone who grew up in the vige would know how to y chess. Therefore,


    Arielle must just be putting up a strong front. Unbeknownst to her, reality was different from what she


    expected. The tournament was about to begin in two minutes, and Zany noticed that many people had


    gathered around them to watch. Pretending to be magnanimous, she exined, ¡°I had better run


    through the ground rules with you.


    The chess pieces are already in ce so I don¡¯t have to show you that. I¡¯m ck while you¡¯re white. I¡¯ll


    move the ck pieces and you will do the same to the white pieces. Based on the rules, white will


    move first. If you want to surrender, all you need to do is to topple your king¡­¡± Zany acted as if she


    was an expert while going through the rules with Arielle.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    However, Arielle didn¡¯t interrupt and quietly listened to her show off. In the eyes of others, Arielle looked


    as if she was learning the game earnestly. Finally, the tournament began. Zany gestured courteously


    for Arielle to start. Smirking, Arielle made the first move. Without any hesitation, Zany followed by


    capturing Arielle¡¯s pawn. Arielle made her second move¡­ and third¡­ and fourth. Gradually, Zany¡¯s


    expression turned into one of disbelief.


    Her eyes opened so widely that they were about to pop out of their sockets. How is this possible?


    Arielle¡­ has actually captured so many of my pieces. Rubbing her eyes, she couldn¡¯t believe what was


    going on. Nevertheless, the reality was exactly what she saw. Her queen had been captured, causing


    her hands to tremble. Lifting her gaze at Zany, Arielle asked, ¡°Are you moving?¡± Zany stared intently at


    the board. This way?


    Checkmate! That way? Checkmate! No matter what moves she made, her king would end up being


    captured. Therefore, it was just a matter of time before she was defeated. Sweat began to break out of


    Zany¡¯s forehead. She couldn¡¯t believe that she, an amateur chess yer with outstanding results,


    would lose to a country bumpkin. Knock¡­ Knock¡­ At that moment, she heard Arielle¡¯s fingers tapping


    on the table, as if to hurry her up.


    What an insult! Unfortunately, there was no way for her to turn the game around. Closing her eyes with


    a pale expression, Zany toppled her king¡­ That was a sign that she had admitted defeat. Arielle stood


    up and extended her hand to shake. However, Zany simply walked off in humiliation. Arielle grinned as


    she watched Zany flee in disgrace. Sometimes, it¡¯s better to ignore the taunts and insults of others. All I


    need to do is to defeat them when it mattered.


    Given that Zany had admitted defeat, Arielle won the round in a quick two minutes. The scorekeeper


    noted down Arielle¡¯s points on a scoreboard. The participants would be eliminated based on their


    score. Given how low Zany¡¯s score was from losing to Arielle, she would likely be asked to leave Haut


    Monde. Meanwhile, Kelsea had just ended her game.


    When she saw her opponent topple his king, she let out a triumphant smile before heading over to the


    scoreboard. She wanted to see how many moves Zany defeated Arielle with. Perhaps¡­


    she didn¡¯t even need any? After all, Arielle doesn¡¯t even know how to y. However, before she got far,


    Kelsea ran into Zany whose face was pale in shock


    She was holding her bag and looked as if she was about to leave. Stunned, Kelsea stopped her and


    asked, ¡°Are you feeling okay? Where are you going?¡± Looking at Kelsea, Zany forced an awkward


    smile, ¡°Erm¡­ yes. I¡­ I¡¯m not feeling well. I¡¯m going off first as I need to see the doctor.¡±

 Chapter 199

    Chapter 199


    Chapter 199 Useless Trash,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    Kelsea didn¡¯t doubt Zany¡¯s words. In fact, she held onto Zany¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Are you all right?


    Shall I get the driver to send you to the hospital?¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s no need. My driver is here. Off I go now.¡±


    Zany declined immediately. She was worried that Kelsea would find out she had lost to Arielle and


    admonish her in public. Furthermore, she had drawn her next opponent, who happened to be Everett.


    She knew there was no chance of her beating him.


    If she lost two games in a row, she would definitely be asked to leave. Therefore, she felt it was better


    for her to leave on her own ord. That way, she could still preserve her dignity. After waving goodbye


    to Kelsea, Zany left in a huff and was a miserable sight to behold. Kelsea raised her eyebrows


    curiously. Isn¡¯t she sick? Why can she still walk so fast? Nevertheless, she didn¡¯t make too much of it


    and just assumed Zany wasn¡¯t feeling well.


    Even if she is feeling under the weather, it would still be impossible for her to lose to Arielle. Smirking,


    Kelsea proceeded to the scoreboard. When she arrived, there was already a crowd. Tip-toeing to take


    a look, her eyes widened at what she saw. Zany¡­ lost to Arielle! Moreover, it was a decisive defeat!


    How¡­ is that even possible? There was no way the scoreboard would make a mistake. The fact was


    Zany had lost. Recoiling in shock, Kelsea almost lost her bnce. Does that country bumpkin actually


    know how to y chess? This is way beyond my expectation.


    No wonder Zany left in such a hurry. She has been humiliated just now. That useless piece of


    trash! Meanwhile, Kelsea¡¯s other friends ended their game and rejoined her. When they saw the result


    on the scoreboard, they were equally shocked. ¡°What happened to Zany? How did she lose to


    someone who doesn¡¯t even know how to y?¡± ¡°Where is she? I want to ask her what happened.¡± ¡°Did


    Arielle pay her off?¡± ¡°Kelsea, what do you think?¡±


    By then, Kelsea had regained herposure. Shaking her head, she replied, ¡°Arielle couldn¡¯t have


    paid her off as Zany doesn¡¯t need the money at all.¡± Her friends covered their mouths in shock. ¡°Does it


    mean that country bumpkin really knows how to y chess?¡± Kelsea gave an expressionless nod.


    ¡°Mmm-hmm. It appears that viges nowadays are much more developed than we think. They have


    even been exposed to chess.


    Therefore, if any of you face herter, you cannot afford to be careless.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,


    Zany is the least skillful among us anyway. If Arielle ys against any of us, she will not escape


    defeat.¡± Feeling confident, they brushed aside Arielle¡¯s capabilities and simply assumed Zany was a


    terrible yer. However, with a grim expression, Kelsea studied the scoreboard thoughtfully.


    Meanwhile, Vinson casually ended his game.


    Someone approached and remarked with a smile, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, congrattions!¡± Vinson shook his


    head calmly. ¡°It¡¯s only one game. There¡¯s nothing worth congratting over.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t congratting


    you.¡± The person puckered his lips in Arielle¡¯s direction. ¡°I was congratting yourpanion as she


    had won her game. Furthermore, she was the first to do so.¡±


    Vinson¡¯s raised an eyebrow. Despite the surprising nature of the result, he felt that it was within his


    expectation. ¡°Just as expected¡­¡± he chuckled softly. Whenever Arielle uses the phrase ¡°a little bit¡±, it


    will be an understatement. Nevertheless, he was still curious to find out the true extent of how


    understated that phrase was.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 200

    Chapter 200


    Chapter 200 Undefeated,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    Soon, the next round of the tournament began. Unfortunately, Arielle didn¡¯t encounter any of Kelsea¡¯s


    friends in the next few rounds. Before long, a list of the bottom ten yers was disyed.


    Consequently, all of them left the venue awkwardly. Standing in front of the scoreboard, Kelsea¡¯s


    expression grew solemn. When she saw that Arielle had won all her games, just like her, panic began


    to set upon her.


    During the first game, the sense of dread she felt wasn¡¯t strong. In fact, she was mostly filled with


    contempt for Arielle. But now, that sensation had intensified to the extent that her heart pounded


    furiously. Unable to tolerate it any further, she went to the organizer and asked for the videos of every


    one of Arielle¡¯s games. She wanted to see how good Arielle really was. Before long, she had finished


    watching all of them.


    Although Arielle had won all her games, none of her opponents were really strong. Furthermore, the


    moves she made looked ordinary, and one couldn¡¯t tell that she was an expert at all. After watching the


    videos, Kelsea surmised that Arielle was definitely not good enough to defeat her. She was being too


    careful and had overestimated Arielle. From her perspective, Arielle had gotten lucky and was an


    ordinary yer at best.


    After heaving a sigh of relief, the tension on Kelsea¡¯s face eased. After all, she was certain that Arielle


    wasn¡¯t proficient at chess. Instead, it was her anxiety over the tournament that had fueled her paranoia


    over something so trivial. Closing her eyes, she took a few deep breaths and finally calmed down.


    Before long, the tournament entered its final stages. By then, only eightpetitors were left. Vinson


    faced awyer while Everett yed against a professional chess yer.


    The third pair was also highly skilled. Andstly, Arielle would face Kelsea. Kelsea¡¯s friends cheered


    enthusiastically for her. ¡°Kelsea, defeat her in twenty moves!¡± ¡°No, I think you should take your time and


    torment her instead.¡± ¡°It¡¯s such a pity I didn¡¯t get to face Arielle. She was really lucky to not have yed


    anyone strong on her way to the finals.¡± Kelsea¡¯s ego was inted by the praise her friends showered


    on her.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Furthermore, she no longer saw Arielle as a threat after watching the videos of her earlier games.


    When there was no one around, she couldn¡¯t resist patting Arielle on her shoulder. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you


    to know how to y chess.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Arielle replied indifferently, not showing any emotion. ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Kelsea added, ¡°However, it¡¯s a pity that you have to face me now. After this, you won¡¯t have the


    opportunity to y against Everett and Mr. Nightshire anymore.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Thrusting her chin in the air, Arielle met Kelsea¡¯s gaze and held back a smirk. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Whenever Arielle stared intently at someone, her eyes would sparkle, causing the other person to feel


    embarrassed. Suddenly, the confidence that Kelsea was brimming with earlier dissipated.


    Pressured by Arielle¡¯s intimidating vibe, Kelsea was overwhelmed with frustration. Dropping the act,


    she asserted, ¡°Do you know who my chess mentor is?¡± ¡°Who?¡± Arielle casually asked. Snorting, Kelsea


    dered haughtily, ¡°The renowned chess yer, Mr. Jewell. Have you heard of him before?¡± ¡°¡­who?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s lips twitched. That old man?

 Chapter 201

    Chapter 201


    Chapter 201 Extremely Talented,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    Kelsea thought that Arielle had not heard of him before. Rolling her eyes, she sneered, ¡°You really are


    a dimwit. How can you not know who Mr. Jewell is? Let me tell you now. He is the founder of this


    annual event called the Haut Monde. If you don¡¯t even know who he is, what gives you the right to


    attend this banquet?¡±


    From her perspective, an ignorant country bumpkin like Arielle doesn¡¯t deserve to be invited to such a


    prestigious event. Kelsea added snarkily, ¡°If you know what¡¯s good for you, you should leave right now.


    Don¡¯t wait till I have wiped you out in the game.


    By then, even your mom wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize what¡¯s left of you.¡± Just a moment ago, Arielle


    had a rxed expression on. In fact, she had nned to y to a draw with Kelsea so as to not


    humiliate her. After all, she was Carter¡¯s cousin. But after Kelsea brought up her mom, Arielle¡¯s gaze


    turned frosty instead. Giving her an icy re, Arielle asserted, ¡°You wanted to know why am I worthy to


    be here? I¡¯ll show you by defeating you in two minutes.¡± ¡°Hah?¡±


    Kelsea responded as if she had heard something ridiculous. Rubbing her eyes, she wiped away her


    tears ofughter. She replied to Arielle in a condescending tone, ¡°My dear, you can¡¯t actually believe


    that you will be undefeated till the end?


    To be honest, the reason you won your earlier games was that your opponents weren¡¯t very good


    anyway. You were lucky not to have faced anyone strong. In fact, you can¡¯t even beat my friends, let


    alone me!¡± ¡°Is that so? What happens if I beat you?¡±


    Despite her chilly gaze, Arielle was grinning ear to ear. Kelsea scoffed, ¡°If you beat me, I will kneel and


    admit my defeat to you in front of everyone here! However, if you lose, you will do the same and


    apologize for your impudence.¡± Arielle chuckled. ¡°Do we have a deal?¡± Kelsea gritted her teeth.


    ¡°We do!¡± Arielle scratched her ear. ¡°In that case, see you at the chessboard.¡± With that, Arielle left in


    search of Vinson without saying another word. As for Kelsea, she was utterly infuriated by Arielle¡¯s


    attitude. She swore to herself that she would make Arielle kneel before her in defeat. Clenching her


    fists, Kelsea turned around and headed for the break room. She needed to carefully consider which


    strategy to adopt in her attempt to decisively defeat Arielle. Meanwhile, Arielle found Vinson who was


    chatting with someone else. When Vinson saw her, his frosty expression broke into a smile.


    He remarked, ¡°Congrattions. I heard that you¡¯re still undefeated.¡± Arielle humbly replied, ¡°I¡¯m just


    lucky to not have encountered anyone strong. However, the opposite seems true for you as you kept


    drawing formidable opponents. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so good in chess though.¡± ¡°Everyone has their


    hobbies.¡±


    Just as he spoke, Vinson gestured toward a man who looked to be born of mixed parentage and


    introduced him to Arielle. ¡°This is Mr. Eakins and he is Mr. Jewell¡¯s favorite student. ording to Mr.


    Jewell, Mr. Eakins is now a better yer than he is. If you beat your opponentter, you will have to


    face him.¡±


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle had heard Hans mention Everett before. At that time, Hans told her that he had a very talented


    student, Everett. Therefore, she now had the opportunity to face her student¡¯s student. After all, she


    was looking forward to seeing for herself how talented Everett was given the fact that Hans held him in


    such high regard.

 Chapter 202

    Chapter 202


    Chapter 202 Lightspring Maneuver,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    Arielle nodded politely at Everett. ¡°Hello, I am Arielle and I¡¯m looking forward to ying against you.¡±


    However, Arielle was surprised when Everett only responded with an arrogant nod. After that, he took his


    leave from Vinson and headed toward his chess table. Arielle had just been disrespected by her


    student¡¯s student. This feels¡­ weird. ¡°Don¡¯t take it personally.¡±


    Worried that she was offended, Vinson exined, ¡°Mr. Eakins is a chess fanatic and only respects those


    who are good at it. If not for the fact that I¡¯m a chess yer, he wouldn¡¯t be talking to me too, not to


    mention you.¡± Arielle¡¯s mind was put at ease having heard Vinson¡¯s reassurances. Nodding, she replied


    with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s now rare to find someone who only admires ability and doesn¡¯t fear the


    powerful.¡± ¡°As long as you¡¯re not upset by it.


    It was inappropriate of me to have introduced you to him.¡± Arielle waved her hand casually to show that


    she was fine. ¡°By the way,¡± Vinson continued, ¡°you will be facing Kelseater, Carter¡¯s cousin. She is


    also one of Mr. Jewell¡¯s students who lost to Mr. Eakinsst year. If you find her to be a challenging


    opponent, there¡¯s no shame in losing to her.¡± Looking displeased, Arielle asked, ¡°Are you expecting me


    to lose to her?¡± Usually, she didn¡¯t care about what others thought. However, when Vinson made that


    comment, she somehow felt unsettled by it.


    Vinson shook his head in response. ¡°I¡¯m not saying that. I just want to tell you that it¡¯s okay to lose. To


    me, you are more amazing than anyone else. Whether you win or lose, it doesn¡¯t change my opinion.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s heart warmed in response. Biting her lip, she replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, as your plus one, I won¡¯t let


    you down.¡± Vinson gazed deeply into her eyes and grunted in acknowledgment. Soon, the finals began.


    Arielle and Kelsea were seated opposite each other.


    This time, she was ck while Kelsea was white. Based on the rules, Kelsea would make the first move.


    In chess, the one who made the first move had arger advantage. However, Arielle didn¡¯t care. Fiddling


    with her queen, Kelsea sneered, ¡°You were just lucky before this. But, your luck ended when you ran into


    me. If you admit defeat now, I will not require you to kneel for me.¡± When she finished, Kelsea waited for


    Arielle¡¯s response. However, Arielle dug her ear and asked nkly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I wasn¡¯t paying attention.


    What did you say just now?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Kelsea was filled with exasperation when her insult fell on deaf ears. ¡°Arielle!¡± Seething, she


    barked, ¡°You had better not go back on your word. Whoever loses will have to kneel!¡± Shrugging her


    shoulders, Arielle tapped on the timer and casually replied, ¡°Let¡¯s start!¡± Kelsea took a deep breath to


    calm herself. When she was in the break room earlier, she had decided to use the Lightspring Maneuver


    against Arielle.


    It was taught to her by her mentor. ording to him, he had learned it from an international chess


    grandmaster during his time in Lightspring. Therefore, he named it the Lightspring Maneuver. Initially,


    she had decided to use it against Everett. However, to guarantee her victory against Arielle, she decided


    to pull out all the stops. She didn¡¯t want to leave anything to chance even if Arielle could be easily


    squashed.


    Letting out a grin, Kelsea made the first move. Without a second¡¯s dy, Arielle replied with her own.


    When she used to y overseas, she would y lightning chess where the bet was a hundred for every


    game.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Just by doing that, she had won herself a small fortune. That was how she trained to think rapidly on her


    feet. When Kelsea saw how rapidly Arielle made her moves, she assumed Arielle hardly knew how to


    y at all.


    Proper chess yers like her would make every move after careful consideration. By moving very


    quickly, Arielle seemed to be ying without thinking. With that thought in mind, Kelsea regretted using


    the Lightspring Maneuver on Arielle. After all, it wasn¡¯t worth the effort at all.

 Chapter 203

    Chapter 203


    Chapter 203 Just Admit Defeat,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    The reason was that even Hans had not discovered the solution against it. Therefore, using it was


    Arielle was overkill. However, given that she had started the sequence, it was toote for her to turn


    back. All she could do was to continue ying the Lightspring Maneuver agonizingly. As Arielle yed,


    she didn¡¯t suspect anything in the beginning. However, after a minute¡¯s time had passed, she suddenly


    found Kelsea¡¯s move to be familiar.


    No, it doesn¡¯t just look familiar. In fact, I know it extremely well! Arielle couldn¡¯t help but pause to look at


    the chessboard intently. Finally, she lifted her gaze and recalled where she had seen the gambit


    before. Isn¡¯t this simr to the game I yed with Hans in Lightspring? During that time, she had made


    the move on a whim and beat Hans with it.


    Consequently, Hans was so astounded that he asked her to be his mentor. So why is Kelsea thinking


    the same way as I did? Suddenly, Arielle recalled that Kelsea had mentioned her chess mentor was


    Hans. Therefore, it was likely that Hans had told her about the match at Lightspring. Feeling amused,


    Arielle lips twitched. However, when Kelsea saw Arielle slow down her game, she broke into a smile


    and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?


    Do you not have any moves left? It¡¯s still not toote to admit defeat. Just prepare to kneel!¡± Arielle


    looked earnestly at Kelsea as she already knew what her next move was going to be. Recovering her


    gaze, Arielle pretended to be oblivious and continued their game. As the game progressed, Kelsea


    watched Arielle fall into the traps of the Lightspring Maneuver. She sneered, ¡°Are you crazy? With that


    move you made, I¡¯m going to win in two more steps.


    So, are you sure about it? I¡¯m going to make my move soon.¡± All Arielle did in response was tap on the


    table to motion Kelsea to continue. ¡°You are really good at acting calm in the face of being ughtered.


    What a joke!¡± Kelsea snorted as she moved ording to what Hans had taught her.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When Arielle saw Kelsea make the exact same move she did, she nced at the timer. She then


    inly asserted, ¡°I told you that I would defeat you in less than two minutes and you would then have to


    kneel before me. Now, there are thirty seconds left. If you admit defeat, I won¡¯t require you to kneel.¡±


    She wanted to give Kelsea an opportunity on Carter¡¯s ount. However, Kelsea scoffed at her


    suggestion. ¡°Do you even know what you¡¯re saying?


    You are going to lose in the next move.¡± Instead of answering, Arielle reminded her, ¡°You still have


    twenty-seven seconds left.¡± Kelsea rolled her eyes. In the finals, the games were open for everyone to


    watch. Therefore most of the guests were either at Vinson¡¯s game or Everett¡¯s, leaving no one to watch


    Arielle y. Coincidentally, someone came over out of boredom. The person eximed all of a sudden,


    ¡°Everyone! Come quickly!


    The famous Lightspring Maneuver is being executed here.¡± Arielle looked at the person in shock. Did a


    move I make on a whim evolve into the ¡°famous Lightspring Maneuver?¡± Right after the person


    shouted, many others began to crowd around. ¡°It really is the Lightspring Maneuver!¡±


    ¡°She has learned the Lightspring Maneuver. I expect no less of Mr. Jewell¡¯s student.¡± ¡°What? She¡¯s a


    student of Mr. Jewell¡¯s? I would havee over much earlier if I knew it.¡± There was a good Samaritan


    who advised Arielle, ¡°Miss, until today, no one has managed to find the solution to the Lightspring


    Maneuver. Hence, I think¡­ it¡¯s better that you concede defeat.¡±

 Chapter 204

    Chapter 204


    Chapter 204 Do You Concede,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    With a conflicted expression, Arielle asked the person, ¡°What¡¯s so great about this¡­ erm, Lightspring


    Maneuver?¡± When the crowd heard Arielle¡¯s question, many of them scoffed at her. ¡°How can you y


    chess and not know what the Lightspring Maneuver is?¡± ¡°It is an amazing gambit! Until today, no one in


    the nation knows how to counter it. Even Mr. Jewell hasn¡¯t found a solution after researching it for a


    long time.¡±


    ¡°Given how ignorant you are, you should just concede defeat. At this stage, you are just wasting


    everyone¡¯s time by stalling. After all, Mr. Eakins has ended his game. Once you surrender, we can all


    watch Kelsea y against Mr. Eakins. It will be an exciting game between two of Mr. Jewell¡¯s best


    students.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, admit defeat now!¡± Arielle was bewildered. Is it really that powerful? Why don¡¯t I


    know anything about it?


    At that moment, Everett walked over. When he saw their game, his eyebrows furrowed in response.


    After all, the Lightspring Maneuver was soplex that even he couldn¡¯t solve it. Therefore, he felt


    Kelsea was being a bully by using that tactic. Nevertheless, all was fair in love and war. When Arielle


    saw Everett, she asked, ¡°Mr. Eakins, do you think this is a difficult gambit to ovee?¡± Everett nce


    at her and replied, ¡°Of course.


    My mentor was defeated by it during apetition in Lightspring. It was developed by my mentor¡¯s


    mentor. Until today, I have yet to discover a solution for it.¡± Arielle raised her eyebrows in surprise. She


    didn¡¯t expect Everett to find such a simple gambit difficult to solve. Standing up in resignation, she


    remarked, ¡°This tactic isn¡¯t difficult to solve. It¡¯s just that all of you are overthinking it.¡± Kelsea sneered,


    ¡°Arielle, stop pretending and just concede defeat.


    I have never seen anyone as unsporting as you in my entire life.¡± Shooting Kelsea an icy re, Arielle


    reminded, ¡°Thirty seconds have passed. I¡¯m making my move now.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± Kelsea replied with a smile,


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to hold out till the end. Go ahead then.¡± Arielle picked up her queen casually.


    Trailing along with the ck squares, she ced it right in the center of Kelsea¡¯s formation. Just when


    Kelsea picked up her pawn to advance on Arielle¡¯s formation, her gaze suddenly froze in disbelief once


    she got a proper look.


    In just one move, Arielle had turned the tide of the entire game. Kelsea had no moves left as she had


    been checkmated. Kelsea¡¯s expression evolved from shock to anger before ending in


    disbelief. Arielle¡­ Arielle has won? Meanwhile, the spectators clearly saw what had urred.


    Just by moving her queen, Arielle had turned the entire game around, to the extent Kelsea had no


    moves left. If the Lightspring Maneuver was one that still left a sliver of hope for its opponents, Arielle¡¯s


    move gave them no hope of aeback at all. At that moment, everyone looked at Arielle in shock.


    Even the poker-faced Everett reacted no differently. This girl¡­ actually solved the Lightspring


    Maneuver? Kelsea was stunned in her chair. Until then, she couldn¡¯t believe that she had lost to Arielle.


    Furthermore, she had used her ultimate move, the Lightspring Maneuver¡­ When Arielle saw Kelsea¡¯s


    expression, she sneered, ¡°Do you want to concede defeat? Or¡­ continue?¡±

 Chapter 205

    Chapter 205


    Chapter 205 Never Kneel No Matter What,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    Continue? I have no moves left. No matter what I do, it will end in defeat. Smiling slightly, Arielle threw


    Kelsea¡¯s insult back at her, ¡°Kelsea, why don¡¯t you say anything? I have never seen anyone as


    unsporting as you in my entire life.¡± Despite how refreshing Arielle¡¯s smile was, it caused Kelsea to


    break out in cold sweat. Biting her lip, Kelsea closed her eyes as she toppled her king, conceding


    defeat. The surrounding crowd cheered in response.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing! The Lightspring Maneuver has finally been solved!¡± Unlike checkers, chess originated


    from Ibica but wasn¡¯t popr domestically. Therefore, there were fewer skillful yers locallypared


    to foreigners. Therefore, when Arielle countered the Lightspring Maneuver, it wasn¡¯t just a personal


    victory for her, but a momentous leap for the domestic chess scene. She had brought glory to the


    nation!


    Even Everett expressed excitement over the momentous asion. Meanwhile, Vinson had ended his


    game and walked over. When he saw Arielle solve the Lightspring Maneuver, he gazed at her


    intently. Is there anything that she doesn¡¯t know? He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Have you seen the


    Lightspring Maneuver before? How did you solve it?¡± The surrounding spectators quietened down and


    waited in anticipation for Arielle¡¯s sophisticated answer.


    With a puzzled expression, Arielle asked, ¡°Doesn¡¯t anyone know?¡± Everyone shook their heads. If they


    knew how to solve it, they would¡¯ve done it long ago. After all, anyone who did it would be


    famous. Arielle nced at the crowd in exasperation. Pointing at the chessboard, she exined, ¡°It¡¯s


    actually elementary. Don¡¯t read into the game, just look at how the pieces are arranged. What do they


    look like?¡±


    Everyone tried to cast aside their knowledge of chess and looked at how the pieces were arranged.


    Suddenly, everyone saw that it formed a single word in Chanaean. One of them read it out by reflex.


    ¡°Stupid¡­¡± Snap! Arielle snapped her fingers and remarked, ¡°That¡¯s it! It just reads ¡°stupid¡±. Once you


    can see it, the answer is obvious.¡± Boom! Everyone¡¯s mind was blown. After all the time and effort they


    spent researching the move, they realized they had been looking at it in the wrong direction.


    It simply boiled down to one word which was ¡°stupid.¡± Just when they were struck by the epiphany, they


    felt as if the word was describing them. Stupid! Aren¡¯t we all? With awkward expressions, many of them


    were ashamed of themselves. They had oveplicated the matter when a child could have easily


    solved it. Meanwhile, Kelsea was trembling in defeat. Her ultimate gambit which she was so proud of


    ended up forming the word ¡°stupid.¡±


    At that moment, she just wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole. Arielle continued,


    ¡°Sometimes, there¡¯s just no need to overthink, just like life itself. Simplicity brings happiness. Kelsea,


    aren¡¯t you supposed to fulfill your promise now?¡± The deal between them was that whoever that lost


    would have to kneel.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Given that Kelsea was the loser, she naturally had to kneel in front of everyone. As her expression


    darkened, Kelsea gritted her teeth. ¡°You have cheated! How can a word be considered a chess tactic?


    You were just lucky. I don¡¯t consider myself to have lost the game!¡± Arielle raised her eyebrows.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you being unsporting?¡± Kelsea remained defiant. ¡°I have already told you that I didn¡¯t lose.


    Therefore, I won¡¯t kneel. Even if I died, I still won¡¯t kneel to you!¡± Just as Kelsea spoke, a white-haired


    old man with a walking stick approached them.

 Chapter 206

    Chapter 206


    Chapter 206 Do You Have The Right,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    That¡¯s¡­ Kelsea Morgan¡¯s eyes lit up as she rushed toward the elderly man. At the same time, she


    proudly shouted, ¡°Mr. Jewell, you¡¯re here!¡± The others instinctively turned toward where Kelsea was.


    Then, they saw the founder of Haut Monde, Hans Jewell. With the help of his assistant, he was walking


    toward them with a cane. Almost immediately, looks of respect crept onto everyone¡¯s faces. Even the


    usually expressionless Everett Eakins walked over to lower his head at Hans and greeted, ¡°Mr. Jewell.¡±


    Hans nodded. ¡°I¡¯m old, and it¡¯s now inconvenient for me to travel around. I wasn¡¯t nning toe, but


    I heard that someone has solved Lightspring Maneuver.¡± Everett nodded. ¡°Yes. Someone has solved


    Lightspring Maneuver. This is the person.¡± Just as Everett was about to move aside to introduce Arielle


    to Hans, Kelsea huffed. ¡°What Lightspring Maneuver?


    Mr. Jewell, you have no idea that Lightspring Maneuver is nothing but a mocking move. This isn¡¯t chess


    at all!¡± Frowning, Hans scolded, ¡°Kelsea, mind your words. This is my mentor¡¯s game you¡¯re talking


    about. How could you say that it¡¯s not chess?¡± Kelsea hurriedly pulled Hans closer and pointed at the


    board. ¡°Mr. Jewell, look. Don¡¯t look at the chess pieces, but at the white pieces alone. What does it look


    like?¡± ¡°What does it look like?¡±


    Hans narrowed his eyes before widening them. ¡°Fool! I see. Once you fill in the Os, you¡¯ll resolve the


    tactic.¡± When Kelsea saw the way Hans was all excited, she furrowed her brows. ¡°But Mr. Jewell, don¡¯t


    you think that this has no ce as a chess tactic? It¡¯s clearly just mocking the opponent as an idiot.¡±


    However, Hans was uninterested in her words. Turning to the crowd instead, he asked, ¡°Quick,


    someone tell me.


    Who resolved this? I must meet them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± came a clear voice. Arielle then emerged from behind


    the crowd and smiled at Hans. ¡°Old boy, is Kelsea your student?¡± The moment Hans saw Arielle, his


    eyes lit up. Isn¡¯t this my mentor? However, upon hearing Arielle¡¯s words, Kelsea snapped, ¡°Arielle, what


    did you just call my mentor? Old boy? Do you think you have the right to do that? Hurry and apologize


    to my mentor right away!¡±


    Hans waved his hand dismissively. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine.¡± However, Kelsea shook her head. ¡°Mr. Jewell,


    you¡¯re a big-hearted man for not holding her ountable for this, but we can¡¯t just keep quiet and


    watch her do that. Don¡¯t you know that this woman was born in a vige? She has no sense of culture


    and manners.


    I lost in that ridiculous game, but she¡¯s demanding me to get on my knees! Don¡¯t you think that she¡¯s


    crossing the line?¡± Now that Kelsea¡¯s backup was here, there was no way she was not going to stand


    up for herself. After all, she did not want others to think that shecked sportsmanship.


    Many around her were also Hans¡¯ students, and they toomented, ¡°It¡¯s rude to call someone that.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Moore, even if you¡¯re brilliant in chess, Mr. Jewell is the leading figure of the world of chess here in


    this country. Please have some respect.¡±


    Right as Vinson was about to speak on behalf of Arielle, Hans knocked the ground with his cane.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± The others instantly fell silent, waiting for Hans to demand an apology from Arielle


    himself. Yet¡­N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

 Chapter 207

    Chapter 207


    Chapter 207 Kneel Before Her,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    Hans only pulled Kelsea toward him and uttered, ¡°Get on your knees.¡± Kelsea could not believe that


    Hans was asking her to kneel despite hearing what had happened earlier. Scrunching up her face, she


    refused to get on her knees. ¡°I won¡¯t! The only ones I will kneel before are my parents and my mentor.


    I¡¯ll never get on my knees in front of her for a ridiculous chess game.¡± Everett frowned and agreed with


    Kelsea.


    ¡°Mr. Jewell, I don¡¯t think that there¡¯s a need for her to kneel. Even if they did make a promise, kneeling


    seems a little too much. I¡¯d say Ms. Moore is at fault for this, not Kelsea.¡± Kelsea nced at Everett


    with a grateful look. She was sure that others would listen to Everett¡¯s words, for he was Han¡¯s favorite


    student. Yet, Hans¡¯ expression remained grim as he uttered, ¡°I¡¯m asking you to get on your knees. Ev,


    get on your knees as well.¡±


    Instantly, Kelsea and Everett both widened their eyes. Confounded, Kelsea asked, ¡°Why? Mr. Jewell,


    it¡¯s one thing for me to kneel before her, but why are you asking Everett to kneel too? What has he


    done wrong?¡± Unlike the agitated Kelsea, Everett was first to calm down. He was sure that his mentor


    was not someone unreasonable.


    In the next second, Hans announced, ¡°That¡¯s because she¡¯s my mentor, and therefore, your mentor as


    well.¡± Those words made Kelsea freeze. With trembling lips, she whispered, ¡°W-What did you just


    say?¡± Hans repeated, ¡°She¡¯s technically your mentor as well. She¡¯s the mentor I learned from while I


    was in Lightspring. She¡¯s the one who hade up with Lightspring Maneuver.¡±


    Everyone fell silent. They had only heard of Hans meeting an excellent chess yer overseas, but they


    had never expected his mentor to be so young¡­ and pretty. Vinson, too, nced at Arielle, but there


    was more admiration in his eyes than shock. It was difficult for him to feel surprised about Arielle


    anymore. In fact, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be surprised by anything Arielle does or who she turns out to be. After


    all, she¡¯s the wless Arielle Moore.


    After clearing his throat, Hans continued, ¡°Kelsea, you said you would kneel before your parents and


    your mentors. Now she is in front of you, aren¡¯t you going to get on your knees?¡± Kelsea clenched her


    fists and took in several deep breaths. Never in her life had she ever been struck so hard by a


    revtion. The one she despised and looked down on most turned out to be her mentor¡¯s mentor.


    Kelsea could not ept that fact.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    On the other hand, Everett, who loved chess and admired skilled yers instantly kneeled in front of


    Arielle. ¡°Ms. Moore, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. I¡¯m Everett Eakins.¡± Arielle raised a brow, her


    admiration for Everett growing with each passing second. This is how a man should be. ¡°Please stand


    up,¡± Arielle muttered as she helped him up.


    Then, her eyes drifted toward the motionless Kelsea. Upon sensing Arielle¡¯s gaze, she stiffened. It was


    then she heard the whispers of those around her, talking about how she was rude, unlike Everett.


    Ashamed, she shut her eyes and went down on her knees. However, before her knees coulde into


    contact with the ground, a pair of soft and slender hands held her arms and helped her up.


    When Kelsea raised her head, her eyes met with Arielle¡¯s. There was a smile on Arielle¡¯s lips, but there


    was ack of emotions in her eyes. At that moment, cold sweat soaked Kelsea¡¯s back. Shaking, she


    stammered, ¡°W-What are you doing?¡±

 Chapter 208

    Chapter 208


    Chapter 208 Most Shameless Person On Earth,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    Arielle¡¯s lips parted, and she muttered, ¡°Don¡¯t kneel. I wouldn¡¯t dare to let you. If you do that, the others


    will say that I¡¯m crossing the line and being mean to you.¡± Hearing that, Kelsea began gritting her


    teeth. If I kneel, but Arielle doesn¡¯t ept it, Hans would be furious. Hence, she had to put on a smile.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, of course not. I¡¯m your student¡¯s student. It¡¯s normal for me to be respectful.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Arielle


    mumbled with a nod.


    ¡°So you¡¯d like to kneel now? But it¡¯s toote. I don¡¯t want to ept it.¡± The colors drained out of


    Kelsea¡¯s face as she cast a pleading look toward Hans. Unfortunately, Hans was not looking at her; his


    eyes were fixed on Arielle as if he was looking at the most precious treasure in the world. Right then, a


    thought entered Arielle¡¯s mind. ¡°There¡¯s something else. Although I don¡¯t mind others talking behind my


    back, I hate being ndered the most.


    Therefore, I¡¯d like to rify something.¡± As she spoke, she took out her phone. An ominous feeling


    began to grow in Kelsea.. In the next second, after a few rapid taps, a female voice sounded out from


    the speakers. ¡°You¡¯ve always won because your opponents are all third-rate chess yers and


    hobbyists. You¡¯ve never encountered a real yer.


    In fact, you won¡¯t even be able to defeat my friends.¡± The moment that voice sounded out, the


    expressions of several individuals around them darkened. ¡°If I haven¡¯t gotten this wrong, this must be


    Kelsea¡¯s voice. So, Ms. Kelsea Morgan, am I a third-rate chess yer to you? Didn¡¯t you lose to me


    last year at the tournament?¡± Just then, someone at the side voiced, ¡°I thought Ms. Moore was the one


    whocks manners, but as it turns out, Kelsea¡¯s the one who¡¯s rude.


    How vile can her words get?¡± Paling even further, Kelsea hastily exined, ¡°N-No! I-I didn¡¯t mean to


    say that to you¡ª¡± However, the yback of the recording had yet to end. ¡°Is that so? What if I winAll rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    against you?¡± ¡°If you win against me, I¡¯ll get on my knees and admit my defeat! However, if you lose,


    you¡¯ll have to apologize on your knees for your ignorance and ill-manners.¡± That was when the


    recording ended. Quiet gasps sounded out from the crowd.


    ¡°So the one who suggested for the loser to get on their knees isn¡¯t Ms. Moore but Kelsea herself.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the one to suggest it, but she can¡¯t even stick to her words. My, she¡¯s the most shameless


    person on earth.¡± ¡°I dare say that if the one who lost was Ms. Moore, Kelsea would certainly force her


    to kneel.¡± In fact, some even began urging Kelsea to get on her knees. ¡°Kelsea, hurry up and kneel.


    You were the one who proposed that the loser has to kneel, so why aren¡¯t you on your knees yet?¡±


    ¡°I was siding Kelsea earlier but turns out I was the clown. Kelsea, hurry and go down on your knees


    now.¡± The pressure was evidently getting to Kelsea, for her eyes were red by now. She was still casting


    pleading looks at Hans, but thetter only gazed at her with cold eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I had a student


    like you. From now on, I¡¯m no longer your mentor. Do not refer to me as your mentor, for I don¡¯t have a


    student like you.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Jewell¡­¡± Hans¡¯ words had taken her aback. If she were to be dismissed as Hans¡¯ student, her


    parents would definitely punish her severely for embarrassing them. However, instead of sparing


    Kelsea another nce, Hans muttered respectfully, ¡°Ms. Moore, it¡¯s been a long time. I had just


    obtained some premium tea. Please,e with me and have a taste.¡± Arielle nodded. Then, she


    turned to Vinson and asked, ¡°Do I need to finish thepetition before leaving?¡±


    Vinson gave her a sweet smile and said, ¡°You¡¯re Mr. Jewell¡¯s mentor. How could I possibly win against


    you? Come on, let¡¯s have some tea.¡± Right as those words left his mouth, another elderly man stepped


    forward and lowered his head at Arielle. ¡°Ms. Moore, would you mind having me join you for tea?¡±


    All Arielle needed was a nce before realizing that was the chairman of Noah Group, Josiah Doyle.


    When Hans saw Arielle stiffening, he thought she did not recognize Josiah. Hence, he introduced,


    ¡°Josiah is an old friend of mine in chess. Let¡¯s go. Josiah,e along. I¡¯ll treat you and my mentor to


    tea.¡±

 Chapter 209

    Chapter 209


    Chapter 209 Sess,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    With a radiant smile on his face, Josiah left happily with Hans. Right then, Arielle peeked at Vinson,


    who gave her a congrattory look. They exchanged no words, but the look itself told Arielle


    everything. They had seeded. With a nod, Arielle then led Vinson to join Hans in a room for tea.


    Hans had several chess clubs and tearooms in the country.


    Those popr tearooms were all his. That was why the tea he served them would definitely be the best


    in quality. After taking a sip of the tea that Hans served her, Arielle gave the eager man a thumbs-up


    and praised, ¡°This is amazing.¡± Hans sighed in relief. ¡°I¡¯m d that you like it. By the way, weren¡¯t you


    abroad? Why did you suddenlye back here?¡± Arielle tensed up for a brief second, but she soon


    rxed.


    With a smile, she replied, ¡°I¡¯m born here, so of course, I have toe back. But I have to ask, why


    didn¡¯t youe and find me?¡± Hans sighed again. ¡°It¡¯s because of your Lightspring Maneuver, Ms.


    Moore. I¡¯ve said you I won¡¯t meet you until I solve it, but I never thought that¡­ in the end, you¡¯re the


    one who solved it.¡± The way Hans spoke to Arielle was of utmost politeness. Noticing that, Josiah kept


    quiet, unsure of how he should address Arielle.


    Exasperated, Arielle mumbled, ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that if you¡¯re adamant about making me your mentor, we¡¯ll


    stand on equal grounds? I¡¯ll address you normally, and vice versa. If I call you old boy, you¡¯ll call me


    Arielle. So let¡¯s call each other by names, all right?¡± It was then Everett and Josiah finally realized why


    Arielle could address Hans so impolitely. In fact, Hans would have been the rude person to call Arielle


    by her given name.


    After their tea session, Hans was the first to leave. He was old, so he tired out quickly. After Hans and


    Everett left, Arielle called out to Josiah to stop him. ¡°Mr. Doyle, may I have a few words with you?¡±


    Despite the confusion he felt, Josiah¡¯s reply was quick. ¡°Sure.¡± When Arielle looked at Vinson, thetter


    said, ¡°Actually, we were here to meet you as well, but we couldn¡¯t find a good opportunity to speak to


    you.¡±


    A straightforward man, Josiah said, ¡°Speak your mind. There¡¯s no need for courtesy and such. I have


    great respect for Ms. Moore, and if there is anything I can help with, I¡¯ll definitely do it. However¡­ I just


    hope that you¡¯ll be able to y chess with me if you¡¯re ever free.¡± Without hesitation, Arielle promised


    him that she would do so. Vinson then continued, ¡°We¡¯d like to find out if you know Maureen Moore.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Hearing that name, Josiah shuddered. He then averted his eyes and mumbled, ¡°Why do you ask about


    my long-deceased friend?¡± Straightening her back, Arielle divulged, ¡°Mr. Doyle, Maureen Moore is my


    mother.¡± At that, Josiah¡¯s head whipped back in her direction. Then, with a frown, he muttered, ¡°No


    wonder you were excellent in chess. Talent is needed to excel in it. Your mother was a brilliant chess


    yer.


    It is a pity that she¡­¡± Josiah sighed. After a pause, Arielle queried, ¡°Mr. Doyle, what I wanted to ask


    was whether my mother had someone she loved before she got married.¡± There was a brief moment of


    silence before Josiah answered, ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I mean¡­¡± Josiah trailed off as


    he worried his lips.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that man, and your mother has never introduced him to me formally.¡± Arielle¡¯s eyes


    widened, bright with hope. ¡°Then, do you know his name?¡± Josiah shook his head before nodding. ¡°I


    don¡¯t know his full name, but I know he¡¯s a foreigner.¡±

 Chapter 210

    Chapter 210


    Chapter 210 Are You Mental,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    After a short pause, Arielle asked, ¡°Then, do you still remember how he looks like? What does he do


    for a living? How did he know my mom?¡± ¡°Why are you so eager to know about your mom¡¯s previous


    lover?¡± Josiah asked curiously. Arielle hesitated for a while before voicing her suspicion, ¡°He might


    have something to do with my mom¡¯s death.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Josiah then fell into silence, dumbstruck. After a few minutes, he spoke up, ¡°I only know that


    they met each other at Jadeborough University. Perhaps he is still there, so you can try and look for


    him. Well, that¡¯s all I know. He¡¯s very mysterious, and it seems like he has a strong background.


    He was a bit rude, so I didn¡¯t really like him. I didn¡¯t interact with him much at that time. I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t


    really recall how he looks like since it¡¯s too long ago. All I remember is that he is very handsome. If he


    ever shows up, I can definitely recognize him.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Doyle. You¡¯ve helped a lot.¡± Arielle


    bowed at him to express her gratitude. Thetter waved his hand dismissively. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Well, I¡¯m


    sorry that I can¡¯t provide you with more details.


    If I happen to recall how he looks, I¡¯ll inform you.¡± ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll give you my contact number.¡± Arielle then


    told Josiah her phone number. After exchanging contact numbers, the two parted with each other. After


    Josiah had left, Vinson uttered, ¡°Since Henrick wants you to continue studying, you might as well look


    for that man in Jadeborough University.


    I¡¯ll make the arrangements for you. Also, you can use this opportunity to search for your childhood


    memories with your mom at that university.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Arielle nodded firmly. ¡°Tha¡ª¡± Before she could


    finish her words, Vinson made a shush gesture and reminded, ¡°Have you forgotten again about what


    you should say?¡± Hearing that, an awkward look appeared on Arielle¡¯s face. She then shot a re at


    Vinson. ¡°Vinson Nightshire, are you out of your mind?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Vinson gave a nonchnt shrug before he went on saying, ¡°Either you say what I want you to


    say, or you keep the thanks to yourself. It¡¯s not like we are strangers to each other, there¡¯s no need to


    be so courteous.¡± Arielle was stumped. She merely wanted to express her gratitude, not expecting him


    to react this way. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Vinson beckoned to her. ¡°I¡¯ll send you to Yvette¡¯s birthday party. After that, I


    have something I need to attend to.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    The next moment, Arielle blurted out, ¡°Then I shouldn¡¯t bother you. Go ahead with your work. I can go


    there on my own.¡± As she made her way to the door, Vinson halted her in her tracks when he suddenly


    carried her in bridal style. ¡°Arghh¡ª¡± she cried out. Before she had even realized it, the man had stuffed


    her into the car.


    After sitting up, she roared, ¡°Vinson Nightshire! Are you mental?¡± Vinson raised his brow at her. ¡°Well,


    maybe.¡± Or else, why would I act so weird? He was not like his usual self anymore. Whenever he met


    Arielle, he would want to talk to her.


    Even when she was not around, he would miss talking to her. Eventually, Arielle decided to let it slide.


    After all, she owed Vinson a big one for inviting her to Haut Monde. On their way to Yvette¡¯s house,


    Vinson asked, ¡°Do you know Ev¡¯s background?¡±

 Chapter 211

    Chapter 211


    Chapter 211 The Taboo Of The Actonwards,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle thought for a while before answering. ¡°He said his name is Everett Eakins. And¡­ he¡¯s a


    professional chess yer?¡± Vinson shook his head at first and then nodded in response. ¡°Apart from


    being a professional chess yer, he¡¯s also a senior official of Jadeborough Court.¡± Arielle was slightly


    surprised at the revtion.


    ¡°If that¡¯s so, then he indeed has the right not to greet me.¡± ¡°But now he¡¯s be your student¡¯s


    student,¡± Vinson said smilingly, ¡°If you ever file awsuit in the future, you don¡¯t need to worry that no


    one will back you up.¡± Hearing that, Arielle raised her brow. ¡°It seems like I now have a powerful and


    influential grand-disciple. Nevertheless, instead of relying on backup, I will find the evidence and hold


    the person responsible for my mom¡¯s death liable.¡±


    Vinson nodded. At that moment, the man¡¯s eyes were full of admiration for Arielle. He then recalled


    when Arielle amazed everyone earlier that day. ¡°Do you need me to ask everyone to keep your identity


    as a pro chess yer a secret?¡± Casting her eyes outside the car window, Arielle rejected, ¡°Nah-uh.¡±


    She was no longer the Arielle who had just stepped foot in Jadeborough.


    Since the Southall family had copsed, it didn¡¯t matter anymore if Henrick found out about her real


    identity. Even if he found out about it, it was impossible that he would kick her out. In the end, she could


    still stay in the Southall family and investigate Maureen¡¯s death. Besides, after suffering such a huge


    defeat, Kelsea would never want the news to spread.


    Hence, she need not do anything since Kelsea would make sure no one knew about what happened


    that night. From that day onwards, Arielle had decided not to hide her identities anymore. Soon, it was


    almost time for Yvette¡¯s birthday party to begin. When their car almost reached Yvette¡¯s house, Arielle


    curled her lips into a smile and asked Vinson, ¡°Do you know of the Actonwards¡¯ taboo?¡± Vinson wasn¡¯t


    close to Yvette.


    Even if they were acquainted, he wouldn¡¯t care about her family¡¯s taboo. Hence, he shook his head.


    ¡°What is it?¡± With her eyes gleaming and a bright smile on her face, Arielle answered, ¡°ck color.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Vinson was confused. ¡°Why is that so?¡± Arielle exined smilingly, ¡°I only learned about it today


    when I looked into the Actonwards¡¯ family history. It turned out that Yvette¡¯s father is from Guzzur ¨C an


    ancient tribe. ck color is taboo amongst the Guzzurns.


    Her father resides overseas most of the time, but he came back two days ago. Most probably, he will


    attend Yvette¡¯s birthday party, so¡­¡± Hearing that, Vinson cast a nce at his ck tie. ¡°So, I guess I


    should take off my tie?¡± Arielle nodded. ¡°They think that the ominous ck color will bring bad luck, so


    you better take it off.¡± Vinson nodded understandingly. ¡°Fortunately, you didn¡¯t pick a ck suit for me,


    or I might unknowingly offend others.


    You can go in first, and I¡¯ll join youter. We¡¯ve found some clues about the guy who nted the bomb


    in the building, so I need to share the information with Jordan and the rest.¡± ¡°All right then. But if you¡¯re


    busy, you don¡¯t have toe. I¡¯m more than grateful when you helped me make the appointment with


    Mr. Capello, the top makeup artist.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t mention it.¡± Obviously, Vinson thought it was no trouble at all. Arielle looked into the distance


    and soon fell into deep thoughts. I suppose Shandie must be heading to the Actonward residence in


    that ck gown by now.


    I wonder what Yvette¡¯s reaction will be when she sees Shandie in that ck gown that she prepared for


    me. In the meantime, after having done with her makeup, Shandie headed to Yvette¡¯s house and had


    reached her doorstep.

 Chapter 212

    Chapter 212


    Chapter 212 The ck Gown,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Looking at her reflection in thepact mirror, she was amazed by how beautiful she looked in the


    ck gown and matching makeup. ¡°The top makeup artist¡¯s makeup skill is indeed on another level. I


    almost couldn¡¯t recognize myself! Yvette is so kind to make an appointment for me with Mr. Capello.


    Oh, you can¡¯t imagine how difficult it is to get an appointment with him.¡±


    After the car came to a halt, the chauffeur turned to face Shandie and ttered her, ¡°Ms. Shandie,


    you¡¯ve inherited those beautiful facial features from Mr. and Mrs. Southall. You¡¯re a natural beauty! You


    look stunning even without makeup on. That has nothing to do with the makeup skill of the makeup


    artist.¡± Shandie raised her brow at the chauffeur¡¯s words. Although she was pleased, she remained


    silent as the mention of Cindy left her seething with anger.


    Cindy had always imed to be a clever woman. However, in the end, even Yvette was more helpful to


    her than that woman was. ¡°I¡¯m going now. I¡¯ll call you when the party ends.¡± With that, Shandie eagerly


    got out of the car. Unbeknownst to her, the chauffeur called to report to Arielle as soon as the door was


    closed. During the period when Cindy was not around, Arielle had bribed the housekeepers in the


    manor.


    Those people all had soft spots. Hence, their loyalty to Arielle was unquestionable. As for those who


    were unbribable, she didn¡¯t get into contact with them so as not to alert Cindy. In the end, she had


    obtained information about the identities of those who were Cindy¡¯sckeys. It was a good thing that


    she didn¡¯t try to bribe all of them in the beginning.


    As soon as she answered the call, the chauffeur reported through the phone, ¡°Ms. Arielle, I¡¯ve let Mr.


    Capello do Ms. Shandie¡¯s makeup and watched her enter the venue as per your order.¡± Arielle uttered


    a response before ending the call. Sitting next to her, Vinson shifted his gaze from the document to her.


    While scrutinizing her expression, he asked, ¡°Who¡¯s that? Why do you look so happy?¡± ¡°Is it that


    obvious?¡±


    Arielle touched her own face. Then, she stated smilingly, ¡°Well, someone called to tell me that a good


    show is about to start.¡± ¡°Good show?¡± Vinson repeated after her. Nheless, seeing her in a good


    mood seemed to have made him feel happy as well. Hmm¡­ How weird it is¡­ Meanwhile, Shandie


    hurried into the Actonward residence as soon as she got out of the car. The yard was full of guests in


    their white suits and colorful gowns.


    None of them wore ck outfits or even ck essories. All of them had avoided dressing in ck,


    for they knew Yvette¡¯s father was around and that ck color was taboo for the Guzzur tribe. Being the


    only one dressed in ck, Shandie stood out as soon as she entered the yard.


    Nevertheless, she didn¡¯t think too much. She counted herself lucky that not only did she wear the most


    stylish gown, but its color also didn¡¯t sh with that of other guests¡¯. Ha! God is on my side! I


    will definitely shine at the birthday party tonight! Thinking that she was about to stun everyone, she was


    so excited that she couldn¡¯t suppress her smile.


    However, poor Shandie failed to notice the shock or malicious pleasure in the guests¡¯ eyes. Finally, the


    party began. The guests handed over their invitation cards before they entered the mansion hall.


    Initially, Shandie nned to enter the mansion as soon as possible, yet she soon changed her mind.


    She quietly walked toward the end of the line, wanting to make a grand appearance to grace the


    party. Everyone should get the chance to admire the most beautifuldy at the party!

 Chapter 213

    Chapter 213


    Chapter 213 Deny Her Entry,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    A chandelier, in which its Swarovski crystals sparkled and glittered, illuminated the magnificent hall.


    The Actonwards was prominent. Its business, including overseas properties, had flourished even more


    ever since it came together with the Bakers by a marriage contract. Hence, the guests being invited to


    Yvette¡¯s party were all but influential figures. Yvette looked like a princess with the red butterfly knot


    hairpin and her fishtail dress trimmed with gold sequins.


    ¡°Yvette, you look amazing!¡± ¡°Happy birthday, Yvette. I¡¯ve prepared a star-shaped diamond as your


    birthday present. Later, when you unwrap it, remember to read the card.¡± Yvette thanked her friends


    with a grin on her face. Just then, a youngdy came rushing in. She grabbed hold of Yvette¡¯s hand


    and gabbled, ¡°Yvette, guess what I saw outside?¡±


    Thetter tilted her head. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a girl attending the party wearing a ck gown!¡± The


    youngdy¡¯s face was full of anger as she spat out, intentionally emphasizing the word ¡°ck.¡± The


    youngdy was unhappy seeing that someone actually dared trifled with Yvette. ¡°You mentioned that


    your father would be present when you sent the invitation card earlier. How dare she show up in a


    ck gown?


    That¡¯s a huge disrespect toward the Actonwards!¡± At first, Yvette was slightly bewildered when she


    heard the youngdy talking about a ck gown. The next moment, she sneered. Who else could it be


    wearing a ck gown, if not Arielle? Good gracious, that idiot really shows up in that ck


    gown! Before this, she was still worried that Arielle might not wear the ck gown.


    If that really happened, she still had a backup n in finding fault with Arielle, saying that thetter


    didn¡¯t wear the dress she prepared for her. That way, the guests would naturally think of Arielle as an


    ungrateful person. On the other hand, if everything went ording to her original n and Arielle


    really wore the ck gown, that would be a great disrespect toward Russell.


    Right then, the youngdy went on saying, ¡°Yvette, you¡¯d better ask the bodyguards to deny her entry,


    or it will be big trouble if your father sees her.¡± Yvette nodded with a scowl on her face. ¡°She¡¯s here to


    ruin my birthday party! Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let her enter!¡± Unbeknownst to anyone, she was so excited


    that she couldn¡¯t wait to see Arielle. Excusing herself, she rushed downstairs to find her father.


    After knocking on the door, she entered the study. It was an all-white study where not a single ck


    item could be seen. At first nce, it looked like a snow wondend. Smiling sweetly, she made her


    way toward Russell. ¡°Dad, most of the guests have arrived. Why don¡¯t you go down and give a


    speech?¡±


    Russell furrowed his brows as he folded the newspaper up. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going. I still feel


    uneasy about hiding the canction of engagement with the Baker family from others. Besides, we


    didn¡¯t invite the Bakers to the party. What if the guests be suspicious?¡± Upon the mentioning of


    the engagement, Yvette¡¯s smile stiffened.


    Yet, she managed to collect herself in no time. Once Arielle¡¯s reputation got ruined, the Bakers would


    realize how important it was to let Jordan marry her¡ªa socialite from a respectable family. Well, at


    least she wouldn¡¯t disgrace her family name. After all, marriage between prominent families was not


    only about the union of two families. More importantly, the married couple represented the dignity and


    pride of the two families.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Even if Jordan doesn¡¯t like me, what can he do? He can¡¯t possibly defy his family, can he? In truth,


    people like them had no say in their marriage. They could only ept arranged marriage for the sake


    of their family¡¯s interest. Hence, Yvette was determined to ruin Arielle!

 Chapter 214

    Chapter 214


    Chapter 214 That Is Too Much For Russell,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    A smile reappeared on Yvette¡¯s face. She held Russell¡¯s arm and reassured him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad.


    After today, the Bakers will definitely reconsider the engagement. I¡¯ve had everything nned out.


    Besides, the Bakers haven¡¯t made known the cancetion of the engagement, which means to say that


    they are still hesitating.


    Hence, we need to make my birthday party exceptionally grand. Dad, you must make an opening


    speech.¡± Having yielded to his daughter¡¯s persuasion, Russell ced the newspaper aside and stood


    up. The doting father gazed at his daughter with his eyes full of affection. ¡°Oh, how could I say no to my


    only daughter?


    I¡¯ll go down and make a short speech then.¡± Little did he know that his indulgence toward Yvette was


    the very thing that ruined her. Yvette was relieved, seeing that she had sessfully persuaded Russell.


    Later, while Russell was preparing to make his speech in the hall, she ordered the housekeeper to


    inform the bodyguards to allow the entry of ady who wore a ck gown. Meanwhile, Shandie was


    blocked by the bodyguards at the entrance.


    ¡°How could you not let me enter? I¡¯m Yvette¡¯s cousin! She will fire all of you if she knows you guys


    denied my entry!¡± The youngdy was acting in a supercilious manner. She looked as if she wanted all


    of the bodyguards to apologize to her. Hearing her threats, the bodyguards exchanged nces with


    each other. They had received many guests, yet none were as haughty as Shandie. To them, her


    haughtiness wasparable to Yvette¡¯s.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Nheless, this was the Actonward residence, not the Southalls¡¯ territory. Hence, with a cold


    expression, one of the bodyguards warned, ¡°Ms. Southall, if you refuse to leave, don¡¯t me us for


    being harsh to you. We will chase you out of this ce by force.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Shandie snorted as though


    she had heard a funny joke. ¡°Chase me out? Who do you think you are?¡± With much patience, the


    bodyguard exined, ¡°No matter who you are, you shouldn¡¯t wear¡ª¡± Just then, a woman¡¯s voice


    interrupted his words.


    ¡°Miss!¡± The bodyguards turned around to find ra. Instantly, they greeted respectfully, ¡°ra.¡± That


    woman was none other than Yvette¡¯s nanny. ¡°I could hear themotion from some distance away.


    Don¡¯t you know today is Ms. Yvette¡¯s birthday? Do you think it¡¯s appropriate to cause such disturbance


    at her party?¡±


    she scolded the bodyguards. One of the bodyguards immediately pointed in Shandie¡¯s direction.


    ¡°ra, do have a look at this youngdy.¡± That was when ra shifted her attention back to Shandie.


    Her eyes twitched the moment thetter¡¯s ck gown came into sight. Not only that, that youngdy


    had even applied dark makeup and ck lipstick! Oh God, this is too much for Mr.


    Actonward! Regardless, ra was there to lead Shandie into the house under Yvette¡¯s instruction.


    She believed Yvette must have her reason for doing so. Soon, she calmed her nerve, trying hard to


    prevent herself from passing out. After having reprimanded the bodyguard, she turned to face Shandie


    and forced a smile at her. ¡°Ms. Yvette has ordered me to wee an esteemed friend of hers.


    I suppose you must be the one she was talking about. Please don¡¯t take offense at the bodyguards¡¯


    discourtesy; don¡¯t let them ruin your mood. I will make sure they receive punishment for that. Now,


    pleasee in.¡± Shandie¡¯s anger dissipated when ra treated her with respect.


    My, my¡­ Yvette is so nice to me. She even asked someone to wee me into the house! Holding


    her head high, Shandie snorted derisively at the bodyguards before following ra into the house. As


    their figures vanished from sight, the bodyguards started to exchange whispers.


    ¡°Is ra starting to have poor vision? How could she let thatdy dressed in ck join the party? Even


    us bodyguards need to wear white suits.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m afraid we might get scolded for letting that<pdy enter.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t bother. After all, ra was the one who led her in, not us.¡±

 Chapter 215

    Chapter 215


    Chapter 215 Ruin Her Reputation,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    Back in the hall. Russell took the mic and started his speech on the tform, ¡°Today is my daughter,


    Yvette¡¯s, birthday. Thank you all foring to her party tonight. As her father, my only wish is for her


    happiness and well-being. Yvette, happy birthday!¡± Then, Yvette made her way onto the stage to give


    Russell a hug. ¡°Thanks, Dad. And also, thanks to everyone foring to my party.¡± A thunderous


    apuse erupted in the hall.


    Just then, Russell¡¯s eyes widened in shock. He looked terrified while pointing at the entrance. ¡°T-


    That¡­¡± The guests were confused at the drastic change in his expression. Subconsciously, they


    looked in the direction where he was pointing and saw Shandie standing at the door, looking baffled.


    Since Shandie had wasted much time dealing with the bodyguards earlier, she hastily rushed into the


    house, afraid that she might bete. As soon as she entered the hall, she saw Russell standing on the


    tform, pointing at her. The man¡¯s face was a look of anger and terror. As others turned around, their


    expressions stiffened as if they had seen something out of this world. A first, Shandie had no idea what


    was going on until the ear-piercing sound of Russell¡¯s mic dropping grated her ears.


    That was when she suddenly recalled that ck color was taboo for Russell. She, unfortunately, had


    dressed in ck from head to toe! At that instant, her face was drained of all colors, and her mind went


    nk. Why is Uncle Russell back? Meanwhile, the guests were all staring at her and gossiping about


    her. ¡°Mr. Actonward is here today, so how could she dress in ck? Is she here to ruin the party?¡±


    ¡°Whose daughter is she?


    How wicked! Didn¡¯t she know that ck color is taboo for the Guzzurns? ck outfits are only allowed


    at a funeral.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not here to ruin the party but to put a killing curse on Mr. Actonward!¡± Since


    Shandie had always hung out with Yvette, some of the socialites had recognized her. ¡°Isn¡¯t she


    Shandie? Has she gone crazy? How could she wear a ck gown to the party!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she close to


    Yvette? Why did she show up in a ck dress?


    From the look of it now, it seems like they are frenemies. What an eye-opener!¡± ¡°Oh dear, Shandie


    must have gone insane! I heard she made a mistake and was sent to the monastery by her father. It


    looks like the life in the monastery has driven her crazy.¡± Shandie froze on the spot as those murmurs


    crept into her ears. Poor Shandie never thought the grand appearance that she imagined would turn


    out that way.


    Everyone was tearing her down with the most spiteful remarks. She was at a loss, not knowing how to


    respond. For a long time, Russell remained silent on the tform. He fixed his eyes on Shandie,


    irritated at the sight of thetter¡¯s ck gown. The man got emotional when he recalled the issues


    faced by hispany recently and his daughter¡¯s canceled engagement. As his brain was deprived of


    oxygen, he passed out and copsed onto the ground. ¡°Dad!¡±


    Yvette called out and immediately rushed to her father¡¯s side. The guests all rushed to his aid. One of


    them helped pinched Russel¡¯s philtrum while another helped call the ambnce. The hall was in


    instant chaos. Everyone was in a state of panic; all except for Yvette. The youngdy had feigned a


    worried expression. In fact, she couldn¡¯t help it when her heart leaped with joy.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Ha! Dad was so angry that he passed out! I thought he would only scold Arielle and kick her out at


    most. Things have turned out way better than I expected! It turned out that Yvette had purposefully


    avoided looking in ¡°Arielle¡¯s¡± direction just now, afraid that she might burst outughing after seeing


    ¡°Arielle¡¯s¡± stupefied state. Hence, she still thought it was Arielle who showed up in that ck gown. Yet


    when they failed to resuscitate Russell, only did she start to worry about him.

 Chapter 216

    Chapter 216


    Chapter 216 Murderer,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    ¡°Dad! Dad, are you alright?¡± Yvette shook Russell violently, but the man remained still as though he


    was dead. Shocked, she staggered backward. It took her a while before she mustered up her courage


    to check Russell¡¯s breath. Two secondster, Yvette¡¯s face drained of color as she murmured, ¡°Dad¡¯s


    dead.¡± ¡°What?


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Mr. Actonward is dead?¡± ¡°How did that happen? Did someone call for the ambnce?¡± The scene


    became chaotic. Instantly, Shandie was pinned to the ground. ¡°Murderer! You murdered Mr.


    Actonward!¡± ¡°Tie her up and send her to jail!¡± Yvette couldn¡¯t be bothered to reprimand ¡°Arielle¡± as she


    was at a loss. Her n was to pull a prank on Arielle and use thetter of being rude. She didn¡¯t


    expect her father would end up dead.


    This isn¡¯t part of my n! Why did this happen? The Actonward family was a prominent family, but she


    was the only daughter of her parents. Her mother had passed away due to illness the year before, so if


    her father ended up dead, the Actonward family would lose its pir of support. Besides, the Baker


    family had just called off her engagement. Hence, she had nowhere else to go. Without her father¡¯s


    support, her downfall would arrive soon.


    Dejection and fury swamped her instantly. Suddenly, Yvette felt like choking Arielle to death. Yes! I shall


    kill Arielle as she killed my father! I need to take revenge! At that moment, Yvette had lost her mind. Her


    rationality had deserted her. Right now, she wanted to kill Arielle without caring that she might need to


    serve a sentence for taking someone¡¯s life.


    As Yvette leaped to her feet to seek revenge, a clear voice rang out amidst the chaos. ¡°Everyone,


    please make way. I know some first aid knowledge. The ambnce takes some time to get here, and


    time is precious. Let me take a look.¡± Yvette was shocked to hear that voice. Isn¡¯t that Arielle? How


    dare she offer to save my dad? She was the one who killed Dad! Yvette whipped her head around to


    re at Arielle.


    When she saw that Arielle was d in a white evening gown instead of the ck dress that she


    prepared ahead, she was dumbstruck. Shouldn¡¯t Arielle be wearing the ck evening gown which I


    prepared for her? Why is she wearing a white one? Wait. If Arielle is wearing white, who was the one in


    that ck dress?


    Yvette turned to stare at the girl d in ck, who was now surrounded by the crowd. The girl was


    cornered and tied up, but her face was still visible. Wait¡­ Is that Shandie Southall? How could it be? I


    delivered the dress to Arielle! So Arielle wasn¡¯t the one who killed Dad. It was¡­


    Shandie? No! That¡¯s impossible! How could that be? Yvette was still speechless as Arielle made her


    way over. Arielle had arrived when Shandie just entered the hall, so she saw everything that happened.


    Though she was snickering inwardly, it was still a narrow escape for her. After all, if she hadn¡¯t thought


    of investigating Yvette¡¯s family history, she would be used as the murderer now. And it wouldn¡¯t be


    easy to remove the me pinned on her.

 Chapter 217

    Chapter 217


    Chapter 217 Killing Her Own Dad,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    At that thought, Arielle¡¯s gaze turned icy and menacing. Yvette wants to destroy my reputation, huh?


    Well, it shall backfire on her! Nheless, Arielle kept her real feelings hidden, so others only saw how


    concerned she was about Yvette. She patted Yvette¡¯s shoulder and assured her, ¡°Yvette, don¡¯t worry. I


    know some basic first aid knowledge. Let me try it on Mr. Actonward. Perhaps it¡¯s not toote to save


    him.¡±


    Instantly, Yvette snapped back to reality. She pped Arielle¡¯s hand away forcefully and screamed,


    ¡°B*tch! Leave my house now!¡± Her reaction caused the others to shoot disapproving looks in Yvette¡¯s


    direction. The youngdy offered to help Russell, but Yvette was rude to her. Does she want to save


    her dad or let her dad die? It¡¯s bad enough that Shandie became mad after going to the monastery.


    Has Yvette gone mad, too?


    Does she want her father to die so she can inherit the Actonwards¡¯ wealth? That¡¯s crazy! At that point,


    ra couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She grabbed Yvette¡¯s hand and wailed, ¡°Ms. Yvette, please let this


    youngdy try and save Mr. Actonward.¡± The rest chimed in, ¡°Yes, Ms. Actonward. Don¡¯t be heartless.


    Your dad is in danger!¡± ¡°If something happens to him, you will need to bear some sort of responsibility!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! It doesn¡¯t hurt to give it a try.


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    Miss, please help Mr. Actonward!¡± Yvette hung her head low upon hearing the crowd¡¯s voices. She


    trembled in anger and tamped down the urge to give Arielle a forceful p. Everyone was staring at her


    like she was a madwoman, so she dared not stop them from inviting Arielle to save Russell.


    Arielle was certain that Russell knew nothing about Yvette¡¯s scheme. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have died


    in a fit of fury. Thus, she wanted to save Russell for he was innocent. Besides, saving Russell¡¯s life


    would help her to gain a firm foothold in Jadeborough. At that, she had made up her mind. Her adoptive


    parents wanted to develop traditional Chanaean medicine, but they were foreigners and couldn¡¯t open


    a traditional hospital here.


    After saving Russell, she would proceed to open a hospital that practiced traditional Chanaean


    medicine and bring her adoptive parents over so they could reunite. But, can I save Russell? Arielle


    then took Russell¡¯s pulse without hesitation as her gaze turned serious. It was worse than what she


    had imagined.


    Not only had Russell copsed out of shock, but he also suffered from serious cardiovascr disease.


    Now, Russell had stopped breathing without warning, causing sudden death. ¡°Miss, how is Mr.


    Actonward doing?¡± asked ra in concern. Arielle shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s not faring well.


    Can you ask someone to bring Mr. Actonward to the waiting room? I need to treat him using


    acupuncture.¡± In modern medicine, doctors would have to operate on someone who had sudden death.


    The chance of a sessful operation was extremely slim, though.

 Chapter 218

    Chapter 218


    Chapter 218 Intentional Homicide,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    In traditional Chanaean medicine, the doctor would only need to let out blood to decrease the blood


    pressure. Still, it was a risky procedure. If she slipped up, it would only speed up Russell¡¯s death


    instead of rescuing him. Arielle was certain that no one could save Russell for the medical industry


    wasn¡¯t that developed locally yet. Hence, she could give it a try. At that, ra immediately ordered a


    few bodyguards to bring Russell to the waiting room beside the living room.


    Arielle stood at the door and stopped the Actonwards and Yvette froming in. ¡°I need a quiet


    environment to carry out my treatment. ra can stay. The others, please remain outside,¡± she


    announced coolly. One of them asked, ¡°Are you capable of treating him? You look young. What if


    something happens to Russell because of what you did?¡± Meanwhile, Yvette had never trusted Arielle.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get tricked by her!


    I know her well. She¡¯s a vicious and lying b*tch! She killed my dog previously. I know she¡¯s trying to


    dy treatment for Dad as she hates me. Don¡¯t trust her. Kick her out now!¡± Yvette dered. Instantly,


    the others began losing trust in Arielle. ¡°That¡¯s true. She¡¯s around Yvette¡¯s age. How skilled can she


    be?¡± ¡°I think we should wait for the ambnce. I checked Russell¡¯s breathing earlier. He can breathe in


    but can¡¯t breathe out.


    He can¡¯t handle more stress!¡± ¡°Youngdy, we know you¡¯re kind enough to offer help, but this concerns


    a person¡¯s life. This isn¡¯t a game.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± The people who initially wanted Yvette to save Arielle


    started having doubts after hearing Yvette¡¯s words and told her not to butt in. Right then, Arielle gazed


    at Yvette. ¡°Is your reputation more important than your dad¡¯s life? Is it more important to defeat me now


    than saving your dad?


    Yvette, you know well why your dad copsed without warning, right? Do you want me to tell everyone


    about it?¡± Right after Arielle had said that, everyone cast dubious stares at Yvette. Yvette panicked


    instantly. Without warning, a daring thought appeared in her mind. If Arielle can¡¯t save Dad and causes


    his death, she will be a real murderer!


    As that thought urred to her, she made up her mind. ¡°Since you¡¯re confident, go ahead and try. But


    if you can¡¯t cure my dad, I shall sue you for intentional homicide!¡± Arielle frowned at the unexpected


    statement. After pondering briefly, she nodded. ¡°Okay!¡± Even if it wasn¡¯t for her hospital, Russell was


    her rtive.


    She couldn¡¯t just watch him die and do nothing about it. Hence, as soon as she finished speaking, she


    spun on her heels and entered the waiting room. Arielle then ordered ra to lock the door and started


    examining Russell thoroughly. She made sure her initial diagnosis was right before opening her bag.


    ra peered at her bag curiously and saw a row of gold needles. The shortest needle was around half


    an inch, while the longest was three inches long. Shocked, ra queried, ¡°Miss, why did you bring this


    to Ms. Yvette¡¯s birthday party?¡±


    Arielle took out her tools one by one and replied calmly, ¡°Doctors would bring these everywhere they


    go.¡± Actually, she had brought her stuff along just in case Yvette set up a trap for her. Turned out they


    really came in handy.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 219

    Chapter 219


    Chapter 219 Bloodletting,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    ra wasn¡¯t an educated woman. So fortunately for Arielle, she thought Arielle was a doctor who was


    used to bringing her medical equipment out, so she didn¡¯t press on. Rubbing her hands nervously, she


    asked, ¡°Miss, do you need me to help you?¡± Arielle pushed her needles into various acupoints on


    Russell¡¯s body and replied, ¡°Get me a towel.¡±


    ra immediately handed her a towel. She thought she was about to help Arielle in her treatment, but


    to her surprise, Arielle¡¯s request was to let ra wipe her sweat. At that, ra was confused. ¡°My


    sweat will affect my vision. Your job is to keep my vision clear,¡± exined Arielle. When she was


    focused on her treatment, it was as if there was a halo above her head. Thus, ra dared not go


    against her order.


    Soon, Russell¡¯s body was full of needles that had been soaked in special medication earlier. He looked


    like a hedgehog. Arielle started needling maniption. Compared to inserting the needles, it was


    tougher to do so. A few secondster, beads of sweat formed on her forehead. Arielle was focused on


    the maniption of the needles and directed all her energy to her fingers.


    It was an action that would use up all her energy. Soon, her whole body was soaking wet as though


    someone had doused her body in a bucket of water. ra immediately wiped the sweat on Arielle¡¯s


    brows to prevent the sweat from trickling down her face and blurring her vision. Finally, Arielle finished


    the needling maniption process and heaved a sigh of relief. After that, ra nced at Russell,


    expecting him to wake up immediately. s, the man remained motionless. She reached out to check


    his breath. Russell was still breathing in but not out.


    ra panicked instantly and demanded, ¡°Miss, why is Mr. Actonward still unconscious?¡± ¡°That was just


    the first step,¡± Arielle responded and brought out another tool from her bag to carry out the bloodletting


    procedure. ra parted her lips in astonishment when she saw Arielle cutting Russell¡¯s arm using aText ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    sharp scalpel. The minute she regained herposure, she yelled, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Bloodletting.


    Mr. Actonward will regain consciousness after this step,¡± said Arielle. Immediately, blood gushed out of


    Russell¡¯s arm. It was the first time ra had witness such a horrifying procedure. She flung her arms


    around Arielle to stop her. ¡°Stop it! I¡¯ve never heard of this procedure. Stop right now! He¡¯ll die of


    excessive blood loss!¡± she screamed. Upon that, Arielle steadied her hands and whipped her head


    around to warn ra.


    ¡°Your rash actions might cause Mr. Actonward to die right here!¡± ra froze immediately. She had no


    idea whether she should stop Arielle from going further. Still, Arielle¡¯s calm gaze gave her some


    assurance. ra hesitated for a moment before finally yielding. Then, she released her grip and stared


    at the blood puddle on the ground.


    cing her palms together, she began praying fervently, ¡°Dear Lord, please let this youngdy be a


    doctor and not some crazy person.¡± Resigned, Arielle pursed her lips and continued the bloodletting


    treatment. It wasn¡¯t just a simple treatment, for Arielle wanted to find out the blood clot¡¯s exact location


    and removed it once and for all.


    In order to do that, she had to drain out some blood. It was even trickier as it was a form of ancient


    medicine which existed before traditional Chanaean medicine. Most people had no idea that this form


    of treatment existed. Even if they do, they couldn¡¯t carry it out as they might kill the patient identally.


    Hence, Arielle didn¡¯t me ra for panicking.

 Chapter 220

    Chapter 220


    Chapter 220 An Eye For An Eye,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    Time ticked by. Arielle was so focused that she didn¡¯t even know what time it was. Finally, thest


    acupoint which was on the brain remained. In modern medicine, doctors would draw blood to treat


    stroke patients. It was rare to draw blood in traditional Chanaean medicine, though. Drawing blood from


    the brain was the hardest part of all.


    With that, Arielle took a deep breath. She quickly located the acupoint and was about to draw out some


    blood when someone pounded on the door. ¡°ra! Open the door! The ambnce is here!¡± It was


    Yvette¡¯s voice. As ra was Yvette¡¯s nanny, she adored thetter and spoilt her a lot. This time, she


    nced at Arielle to gain her approval. Despite that, Arielle didn¡¯t look up and remained fixated on


    Russell¡¯s bleeding arm.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Sensing ra¡¯s gaze, Arielle ordered, ¡°Stop them froming in!¡± ra hesitated. ¡°But¡­¡± As ra


    didn¡¯t open the door as ordered, Yvette realized something was wrong. She pounded even louder on


    the door. ¡°Open the door now! Otherwise, we shall break in now!¡± Right then, ra was starting to


    pace around anxiously. ¡°What should we do? Oh, no¡­¡± As the door showed no signs of opening,


    Yvette got the key from Edmund.


    When she ced the key in the keyhole, she realized it was locked from the inside. ra had betrayed


    me! Yvette¡¯s gaze turned icy as shemanded a bodyguard, ¡°Kick the door open!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The


    bodyguard stepped back before kicking on the door forcefully. Thump! The door trembled from the


    force and was about to fall from its hinge. Inside the room, ra was flustered. ¡°What should we do?


    They¡­¡± ¡°Stop them!¡±


    Arielle raised her voice. ¡°If you want Mr. Actonward to survive, listen to me!¡± Strangely, ra could only


    hear Arielle¡¯s voice as though she was bewitched. ncing around, she spotted a wooden table and


    pulled it to block the door. Thump! Thump! The people outside continued kicking on the door forcefully.


    Nheless, Arielle ignored themotion and focused on her treatment. Thump! Finally, the door


    was kicked open.


    Luckily, the table behind the door stopped it from crashing onto the ground. It hung on its hinge


    precariously. Still, everyone could see what was happening inside. Instantly, Yvette and the crowd


    could see Russell lying in a pool of blood. It was a shocking sight, as the pristine bedsheet was stained


    with his blood.


    At that moment, Arielle was holding a knife to Russell¡¯s neck, cutting it open without hesitation. Blood


    trickled out immediately in a horrifying manner. Yvette and the others were stunned into silence.


    Meanwhile, ra was wailing, ¡°Ms. Yvette, please give this youngdy some more time.


    Please¡­¡± Her wails caused Yvette to snap back to reality. ¡°ra, are you crazy? How could you allow


    Arielle to kill my dad? Hurry and get in there!¡± she ordered. Everyone else was gasping in horror, too.


    ¡°Murder!¡± Thump! After a few attempts, the table blocking the door was kicked out of the way.


    The door immediately crashed onto the ground, which trembled from the tremendous crash. Yvette was


    the first one to rush in. She dashed toward Arielle and screamed bloody murder. ¡°Arielle, you need to


    pay for taking my dad¡¯s life!¡±

 Chapter 221: Miracle Doctor,A Beauty with Multiple Masks

    Chapter 221: Miracle Doctor,A Beauty with Multiple Masks


    Yvette wanted to grab Arielle¡¯s hair and hit her head against the wall. But before Yvette couldy a


    hand on Arielle, thetter grabbed Yvette¡¯s arm instead and pinned her facedown. Thud! Yvette was


    forced to kneel.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Yvette let out an ear-splitting scream.


    ¡°You murderer! How dare you hurt me?Help! Help!¡± Before the bodyguards realized it, Arielle had


    already forced Yvette to get on her knees.


    They finally came back to their senses and rushed ahead to save Yvette. The others started hurling


    usations, too. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I trusted that vicious woman!


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Beat her up! Kill her!¡± Suddenly, a voice rang out.


    ¡°Stop!¡± It was a weak voice, but everyone immediately stopped in their tracks and whirled around in


    disbelief. Russell, who had been unconscious in his own puddle of blood moments ago, had regained


    consciousness. He opened his eyes and was trying to sit up. Yvette was stunned as she blurted out,


    ¡°Dad?¡± After losing so much blood, Dad didn¡¯t die? He is still alive?


    What¡¯s going on? Arielle nced at Russell and let out a sigh of relief. She immediately released her


    grip on Yvette. After regaining freedom, Yvette scurried over to Russell and wailed, ¡°Dad! Dad, you¡¯re


    okay?¡± ¡°Why? Do you want something to happen to me?¡± Russell red at Yvette.


    His gaze was no longer gentle and adoring. Everyone was afraid of dying. Russell had regained


    consciousness a while ago, but he couldn¡¯t open his eyes yet. Hence, he overheard the entire


    exchange. If ra hadn¡¯t blocked the entrance, Yvette would¡¯ve rushed in to stop the youngdy from


    saving him.


    There was a possibility that he might die in the middle of the treatment, so his affection for Yvette


    disappeared into thin air. A chill ran down Yvette¡¯s spine. Russell¡¯s frosty re seemed to insinuate that


    he had seen through her trick. She gulped and asked guiltily, ¡°Dad, why are you staring at me like


    that?¡± Russell¡¯s voice was icy. ¡°If you had entered earlier, I would¡¯ve died on the spot! This youngdy


    had saved my life. How could you call her a murderer?


    Are you even my daughter?¡± Yvette had guessed that Arielle was the one who saved Russell¡¯s life. Still,


    when she heard it from Russell¡¯s own lips, her mind went nk. Arielle saved dad. Our family now


    owes her a favor. Then, what am I now? Everyone else began murmuring in wonder when they heard it


    was Arielle who saved Russell¡¯s life.


    ¡°She drained out that much blood to treat him. I¡¯ve never seen such a bizarre treatment. ¡°She¡¯s a


    miracle doctor!¡± ¡°I wonder which family she is from. My son is single.¡± ¡°What a coincidence. My son is


    also single. He¡¯s a handsome bachelor!¡±


    They were all nning on introducing Arielle to their sons! However, Arielle ignored the ttery and


    went to Russell. ¡°Mr. Actonward, how are you feeling?¡± Upon seeing Arielle, Russell shoved his


    daughter away and gestured for the former toe to him.

 Chapter 222

    Chapter 222


    He took Arielle¡¯s hand and expressed his heartfelt gratitude. ¡°I¡¯m fine now. I even feel much better.


    Miracle doctor, can I know your name?¡± Arielle took Russell¡¯s pulse and introduced herself. ¡°My name


    is Arielle Moore. Henrick Moore¡¯s my father.¡± Russell¡¯s eyes lit up excitedly. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re my cousin¡¯s


    daughter! That¡¯s great news!¡±


    Upon hearing that the miracle doctor was Russell¡¯s first cousin once removed, the crowd grew


    increasingly envious. They might be rich, but money couldn¡¯t buy health. Russell was lucky today for


    the miracle doctor was here to save his life. At once, everyone in the Actonward family came to strike


    up a conversation with Arielle warmly. As Arielle had stolen the limelight, Yvette was burning in


    jealousy. Her jealousy overwhelmed her entire being until she didn¡¯t even feel happy that her father


    was still alive.


    She gave Arielle a menacing re and spoke. ¡°Dad, do you know she¡¯s from the countryside? I have


    no idea where she learned the crazy treatment. Perhaps it was a coincidence that you could regain


    consciousness. The doctor is here, so you should let him examine you.¡± She refused to believe that it


    was Arielle who saved her father. It must be a coincidence! However, Arielle merely smirked upon


    hearing her words. Clearly, she was confident in herself.


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    She was worried that people would think of Russell¡¯s recovery as a coincidence, so Yvette¡¯s suggestion


    came just in time to dispel everyone¡¯s doubts. At the same time, Yvette promptly regretted her


    suggestion when she saw the smirk ying on Arielle¡¯s lips. It was toote, as Russell¡¯s private doctor,


    Ford Jangler, and a specialist had arrived at the scene. They were taken aback to see the blood in the


    room.


    Ford immediately asked, ¡°W-Why is there so much blood? Didn¡¯t Mr. Actonward lose consciousness


    from severe shock?¡± The other guests hurriedly chimed in, ¡°The miracle doctor, Ms. Moore, did it!¡±


    ¡°Yes! Ms. Moore is a miracle doctor. She saved Mr. Actonward¡¯s life!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ve never heard


    of the bloodletting treatment. It was really fascinating!¡± Ford¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Nonsense! Only


    uneducated witches would resort to pseudoscientific treatments like this!¡±


    Yvette¡¯s expression brightened. She rushed over to agree to Ford¡¯s statement. ¡°You¡¯re right, Dr.


    Jangler! Yvette is from the countryside. She didn¡¯t save my dad. It must be a pure coincidence that my


    dad regained consciousness!¡± Ford nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s just a coincidence.


    Bloodletting is a dangerous practice. You¡¯re a person of influence in Jadeborough. How could you


    believe in that sorcery? You must¡¯ve gone crazy.¡± Yvette was thrilled for she finally found someone who


    sided with her. ¡°Dad!¡± She turned to Russell. ¡°Did you hear what Dr. Jangler said?


    Arielle isn¡¯t your savior.¡± She refused to regard Arielle as her father¡¯s savior. The more she thought


    about it, the more she felt disgusted. Still, Russell didn¡¯t believe Ford¡¯s words as he trusted his own


    intuition.

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    After waking up, he felt slightly weak, but his body felt stronger than before. He shook his head and


    stated firmly, ¡°Dr. Jangler, you¡¯ve got it all wrong. It was indeed my niece who saved me. I can feel it


    myself.¡± Ford stepped ahead. ¡°Mr. Actonward, you must be still muddled after your narrow escape from


    death to believe in the pseudoscientific treatment!


    Let me examine you. The modern medical equipment won¡¯t lie.¡± Hearing that, Russell nced at Arielle


    doubtfully. Nevertheless, a smile flitted across Arielle¡¯s lips as she gave a firm nod. ¡°Traditional


    Chanaean medicine might beplex, but I believe the modern medical equipment will provide a more


    urate diagnosis.


    You¡¯re Dr. Jangler, right? Please give Mr. Actonward a thorough examination.¡± Ford didn¡¯t even bother


    looking at the miracle doctor everyone was praising earlier. He thought it would be an old witch, but to


    his surprise, it was a young woman. The disdain on Ford¡¯s face heightened. Several prominent families


    hired him to be their private doctor, as he was highly educated and experienced. He snorted and said,


    ¡°Oh, so the ¡®miracle doctor¡¯ is just a youngdy.


    I thought it would be some nonsensical witch!¡± Arielle frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you have to


    resort to personal attacks, Dr. Jangler. So what if I¡¯m a youngdy? Can¡¯t I have medical skills?¡± Ford¡¯s


    contempt was clear. ¡°I¡¯m not. It¡¯s the truth. You¡¯re young, so you don¡¯t have experience. Female doctors


    usually treat general illnesses. It¡¯s rare to see aplished female doctors in this field.¡± Ford had


    always looked down on female doctors, as he felt they couldn¡¯t be good doctors.


    Arielle red at him and responded, ¡°Since you don¡¯t trust me, let the medical equipment do its job.¡± As


    soon as she said that, Ford gave her a mocking look and remarked, ¡°You just won¡¯t give up, huh?¡± With


    that, he ordered his staff to bring the medical equipment from the ambnce into the room. Soon,


    various types of medical equipment were hauled into the room. It did not take long for the results to


    appear.


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    Yvette nced at the report in Ford¡¯s hand impatiently and asked, ¡°Dr. Jangler, what is it? Arielle wasn¡¯t


    the one who cured Dad, right?¡± Simrly, Russell and the other guests perked their ears up earnestly to


    hear Ford¡¯s answer. They were curious as to whether Arielle was a miracle doctor. Only Arielle stood


    there unbothered like the whole thing had nothing to do with her. At that moment, Ford was staring at


    the report in shock.


    He didn¡¯t even hear Yvette¡¯s question. An impatient Yvette grabbed the report from Ford and scanned it


    swiftly. s, she couldn¡¯t understand the data on the paper. She tugged at Ford and demanded, ¡°Dr.


    Jangler, speak! What does the data mean?¡± Ford was shaking his head in disbelief.


    ¡°Impossible. That¡¯s impossible.¡± Yvette¡¯s brows knitted up. ¡°What is impossible?¡± Ford¡¯s gaze then


    swept across Yvette andnded on Arielle. A few secondster, he scurried ahead and fell on his


    knees in front of Arielle to everyone¡¯s shock.


    Yvette and the guests parted their lips at the revtion. Meanwhile, Arielle was asking calmly, ¡°Dr.


    Jangler, what are you doing?¡± Ford seemed shy about expressing his thoughts. After a brief


    deliberation, he gave himself a p on the face.

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    p! After giving himself a crisp p, Ford lowered his head. ¡°I was too arrogant and ignorant. Please


    forgive me for being young and cocky. Would you take me as your apprentice?¡±


    When Ford¡¯s assistant heard him admitting himself to be ¡°young and cocky,¡± the corners of his lips


    twitched in disbelief. Young and cocky? Pfft, more like old and clumsy! Besides the assistant, no one


    else heard how Ford describing himself as ¡°young and cocky.¡±


    Instead, they focused on how Ford had asked Arielle to take him as her apprentice. Yvette tugged on


    Ford¡¯s arm furiously and eximed, ¡°Dr. Jangler, what is this? Exin yourself!¡± Take him as her


    apprentice? Why did he say that all of a sudden? Did Arielle cure Dad for


    real? No, that¡¯s impossible! ¡°Hurry up and make yourself clear!¡± Yvette stomped and urged. Then, Ford


    gazed at Yvette and took the report from her.


    He pointed at a string of numbers and exined, ¡°The data shows that Mr. Actonward had suffered


    from a stroke. No stroke patient will be able to recover themselves.¡± Yvette¡¯s eyes went wide in


    aghast. I can¡¯t believe Arielle was the one who cured Dad! Russell scrambled up from his bed and fell


    to his knees before Arielle. ¡°Arielle, you saved my life! The Actonward family owes you one!¡± He then


    proceeded to bow to Arielle.


    Many people had knelt before Arielle today, but none of them had bowed to her. She took Russell¡¯s arm


    and pulled him up. ¡°Mr. Actonward, you don¡¯t have to do that. I¡¯m only doing my job.¡± Yvette¡¯s


    expression contorted in anger when she saw her father kneeling to the person she hated the most.


    Quickly, she pulled Russell away. ¡°Dad, what are you doing? She knows first aid care, so it¡¯s perfectly


    normal for her to save you.


    It¡¯s just a coincidence!¡± Right then, Ford, who had the report in his hand, spoke up. ¡°No!¡± Everyone


    turned to him instinctively. Are things about to take a turn? Yvette reacted swiftly. She thought Ford had


    misread the report and queried immediately, ¡°Dr. Jangler, you got it wrong, right? Dad didn¡¯t suffer from


    a stroke. He only fainted in a fit of anger, right?¡± Ford shook his head and turned the report over so


    everyone could see it clearly.


    He pointed at another string of numbers and exined, ¡°These indicators should be in red. Mr.


    Actonward had been suffering from cardiovascr disease for a long time. I hadn¡¯t been able to cure


    him. In fact, I daresay no doctor can cure him as of now. But, take a look. The indicators are all green


    now.¡±


    He was saying that Arielle had cured Russell¡¯s chronic disease that no doctors could cure. Yvette was


    appalled at the turn of events. Right then, everyone else¡¯s gazes turned respectful. As Arielle managed


    to cure Russell¡¯s stroke, she was an exceptional doctor. If Russell was sent to the hospital on time, he


    could recover from his stroke as it wasn¡¯t deadly.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    However, they found Arielle¡¯s treatment strange as they had never seen it before. Now, even the


    medical expert was saying that Arielle cured a chronic disease that he and other doctors couldn¡¯t cure.


    Clearly, Arielle was a miracle doctor and not just a normal medical expert. A miracle doctor was in a


    different range than a medical expert.

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    The guests were jealous. ¡°Mr. Actonward, you¡¯re so lucky to have met a miracle doctor who¡¯s your


    niece!¡± ¡°Dr. Moore, if there¡¯s a medical emergency in my house one day, please help me out!¡± ¡°Yes, Dr.


    Moore. If you need our help, let us know as well!¡± The guests couldn¡¯t hide their respect for Arielle. No


    one would want to cross a miracle doctor, as they might need her expertise one day. Though everyone


    was clearly ttering her, Arielle remained humble.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Thank you, everyone. I¡¯m nning on opening a traditional Chanaean medicine hospital soon. When


    my hospital is open for business, you¡¯re wee to see me. Of course, I hope I won¡¯t see you there as


    I hope you will all be healthy.¡± Arielle¡¯s words sessfully pleased the crowd.


    They might¡¯ve called her a miracle doctor, but she was still young. Hence, they were charmed by her


    wishes. ¡°Ms. Moore, you¡¯re indeed cultured and educated. If you need any sort of investment or help to


    open your hospital, let us know!¡± ¡°Yes, you might¡¯ve grown up in the countryside, but you¡¯re as capable


    as Ms. Maureen Moore.


    The new is constantly recing the old, huh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! By the way, your mother used to be very


    influential in Jadeborough.¡± Arielle shed a faint smile and said nothing else. She knew her


    boundaries well. Meanwhile, Yvette was certain that Arielle was a disgusting sham. Yet, she couldn¡¯t


    express her displeasure for everyone would only scoff at her in return. Russell felt better after getting


    some rest. He smoothened his shirt and announced, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for ruining the mood of the party.


    I¡¯ll ask my housekeeper to prepare some gifts for everyone. Please return to the party.¡± Initially, Russell


    wasn¡¯t interested in the birthday party, but after he survived and got his chronic illness cured, he


    couldn¡¯t conceal his delight. He decided to make the party a grand event. ¡°Dad!¡± Yvette didn¡¯t want to


    see Arielle any longer. She parted her lips to persuade Russell. ¡°You¡¯ve just woken up, so you need to


    rest. Let¡¯s call off the party, shall we?¡±


    I won¡¯t let the guests I invited tter Arielle at my own birthday party! To her astonishment, Russell


    furrowed his brows. ¡°Of course not. I haven¡¯t thanked those who helped me today! This isn¡¯t just your


    birthday party. Starting now, it¡¯s also my thank you party!¡± After saying that, he ignored Yvette¡¯s protests


    and led the guests back to the hall before heading up to change his clothes. Right then, Arielle took his


    arm to give him a reminder.


    ¡°Mr. Actonward¡ª¡± Russell cut in warmly. ¡°Why are you still calling me Mr. Actonward? I¡¯m your Uncle


    Russell.¡± Arielle obliged with a nod. The Actonwards weren¡¯t as distinguished as the four most


    prominent families, but they were wealthy enough. As the Actonwards¡¯pany sold medical


    instruments, she needed Russell¡¯s help.


    ¡°Uncle Russell!¡± she greeted with a smile before going straight to the topic. ¡°Your chronic illness is hard


    to cure, but it wasn¡¯t serious enough to cause a stroke. I was herete, so I didn¡¯t know why you


    suddenly fainted.¡± Russell was too excited and had forgotten the reason he got mad in the first ce.


    At Arielle¡¯s reminder, he finally recalled the youngdy dressed in ck as his expression turned grim.


    Yvette paled visibly and changed the topic. ¡°Dad, that isn¡¯t important. Look, your shirt is stained. You


    should go and wash up. I shall handle everything else.¡±

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    In the past, Russell would¡¯ve left the situation to Yvette. However, he no longer trusted Yvette. ¡°This is


    an important matter. I nearly died because of that youngdy, so I need to get to the bottom of it.


    Edmund, bring that youngdy in ck to me now!¡± Russell dered. All color on Yvette¡¯s face paled to


    a chalky white as panic rose in her heart. She red at Arielle furiously. In return, Arielle shrugged and


    responded, ¡°My darling cousin, that youngdy in ck isn¡¯t me.


    Why are you ring at me?¡± Russell turned to look at his daughter, who hurriedly offered a smile.


    ¡°Arielle, you must be mistaken. I¡¯m wearing a pair of ck contact lens which might be scary when I


    look at someone. If you dislike it, I shall not look at you.¡± Arielle shook her head.


    ¡°I must¡¯ve been mistaken, then.¡± Yvette was raging inwardly, but she had no choice but to force out a


    smile. Ugh, this is terribly frustrating! Right then, a tied-up Shandie was brought in by the bodyguards.


    There was a towel stuffed in her mouth. Upon seeing Yvette, she started struggling and yelling, but her


    voice was muffled. It was right at this moment that fear crept into Yvette¡¯s heart. She had prepared the


    evening gown for Arielle.


    After all, she could pin the me on Arielle and silence her once and for all, but unexpectedly it was


    Shandie who ended up wearing the ck dress. It¡¯s Arielle! She saw through my n and gave the


    dress to Shandie! What a scary woman! Sweat formed on Yvette¡¯s forehead as she lowered her gaze


    fearfully. She stared at her feet and prayed that her scheme wouldn¡¯t be revealed.


    At the sight of Shandie¡¯s predicament, Arielle pretended to ask in astonishment, ¡°Shandie, it¡¯s you?


    How could you show up in this dress? Don¡¯t you know Uncle Russell hates the color ck?¡± Shandie


    was furious and humiliated, but her mouth was stuffed, and she could only wail in desperation. Russell


    immediately felt dizzy at the sight of Shandie¡¯s dress.


    The butler immediately grabbed a white towel to cover Shandie up so Russell could calm down. Still,


    he couldn¡¯t hold back his fury. ¡°Shandie Southall! Are you here to upset me?¡± Shandie shook her head


    hastily. No! I know nothing! I didn¡¯t even know Uncle Russell is back! Russell frowned and ordered,


    ¡°Remove the cloth from her mouth and let her exin herself.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    I want to know why she wants me dead.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Edmund stretched his hand out to remove the cloth


    from Shandie¡¯s mouth. Before he could do so, Yvette stopped him anxiously and said, ¡°Dad, the truth is


    out. You don¡¯t have to question her.


    I think we should send her back to the Southalls, so her father can discipline her!¡± Her n had gone


    off the rail, so she had to sacrifice Shandie! Shandie¡¯s a fool, so there¡¯s no harm in sacrificing her. ¡°Mm,


    mm!¡± Shandie¡¯s muffled voice rang out.


    She initially thought it was Arielle¡¯s n, but since Yvette was trying to stop her from saying anything, it


    was clear thetter was the mastermind. It was Yvette who did this to me! That b*tch!

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    She couldn¡¯t understand why Yvette tried to harm her. Have I ever offended Yvette? On the other hand,


    Arielle was waiting to see them turning against each other. She put on a concerned look and said,


    ¡°Yvette, you can¡¯t say that. Shandie and I aren¡¯t that close, but I know she isn¡¯t that evil. Besides,


    there¡¯s no bad blood between her and Uncle Russell. Why would she harm him? This must be a


    misunderstanding.


    You need to give her a chance to exin herself.¡± Shandie nodded vehemently. Yes! I want to exin. I


    shall reveal Yvette¡¯s evil deed! Yvette gritted her teeth in anger. ¡°Arielle, stay out of our family¡¯s


    business. There¡¯s nothing to exin!¡± Russell shook his head. ¡°Arielle¡¯s right. She¡¯s our rtive, so we


    should give her a chance to exin herself. Edmund, remove the cloth in her mouth so she can talk.¡±


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Before Yvette could stop Edmund, he had already removed the cloth from Shandie¡¯s mouth.


    Immediately, Shandie yelled out, ¡°Uncle Russell! It was Yvette who set me up! My father locked me up


    in a monastery, so I knew nothing about your return. Yvette gave me the dress. She set me up and


    tried to kill you!¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Russell¡¯s question was directed at Shandie, but his furious gaze


    hadnded on Yvette.


    Yvette felt like her blood had frozen in her veins. She took a step back instinctively. ¡°Dad¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call


    me Dad!¡± Russell dered icily. ¡°Is Shandie telling the truth? Were you the one who prepared the


    dress?¡± Yvette shook her head in terror. This was the first time she had ever seen Russell this mad. He


    looks like he¡¯s questioning a criminal.


    No! I can¡¯t admit to that mistake. She forced herself to calm down and pinched her thigh without


    anyone realizing it. The pain caused tears to stream down her cheeks. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t you trust your


    daughter? Shandie is just an adopted daughter. Even if she¡¯s your niece, you shouldn¡¯t side with her


    and doubt your daughter!¡± In response, Shandie clenched her teeth and eximed, ¡°I¡¯m not adopted!


    I¡¯m my dad¡¯s biological daughter!¡±


    Her sudden revtion shocked both Yvette and Russell into silence. Arielle, who was usually calm,


    couldn¡¯t stop herself from arching a brow in surprise. Huh. I can¡¯t believe Shandie revealed Henrick and


    Cindy¡¯s biggest secret in public. It was, indeed, a big scandal. By iming she was Henrick¡¯s biological


    daughter, Shandie was announcing that Henrick had cheated on Maureen with Cindy before Maureen¡¯s


    death.


    Arielle snickered silently. Shandie didn¡¯t inherit Cindy¡¯s IQ, but she inherited Henrick¡¯s rashness. Ha! I


    get to kill two birds with one stone tonight. Pausing for a while, Arielle pretended not to believe


    Shandie¡¯s announcement and responded, ¡°Shandie, what are you talking about?


    You¡¯re adopted by Aunt Cindy. How could you im to be Dad¡¯s biological daughter?¡± ¡°I am!¡± Shandie


    stuck her chin up and insisted. ¡°We can take a DNA test if you don¡¯t trust me!¡±


    Right then, Arielle could barely hold in herughter. Isn¡¯t the main point about the dress? Why is she


    insisting she¡¯s Henrick¡¯s biological daughter now? In the end, Shandie¡¯s foolishness turned out to be a


    great help to Arielle.

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    Arielle grew excited. There were plenty of guests here, so this piece of news would spread quickly in


    their circle. I wonder how Henrick will react after finding out about it? Her expression remained


    doubtful. ¡°Shandie, this isn¡¯t the time to spout nonsense. Hurry, tell us about the dress,¡± she reminded


    Shandie grimly. Realization dawned on Shandie as she turned to Russell and divulged, ¡°Uncle Russell,


    I¡¯m telling the truth!


    I had been in the monastery all along and only got to return today. I have plenty of witnesses! If you


    investigate about it, you¡¯ll find out where the dress came from!¡± Russell couldn¡¯t quite catch up with the


    turn of events. He remained silent for a while before announcing, ¡°I shall get to the bottom of this.¡±


    ¡°Dad!¡± Yvette stomped her feet and came up with a lie. ¡°I did send Ari¡­ Shandie a dress, but I swear


    on Guzzur¡¯s name that it was a white dress instead of this one. Someone must¡¯ve exchanged it to


    frame me!¡± Yvette¡¯s gazended on Arielle once she said that. Nevertheless, Russell trusted Arielle


    and didn¡¯t connect the matter to her.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough! I¡¯ll investigate the matter and get to the bottom of it. Shandie, change your clothes and


    go back home. Yvette, you¡­ Forget it. Before I find out the truth, we shall stop talking about this


    matter!¡± In the end, Russell chose not to trust Shandie¡¯s deration for Yvette was his daughter, after


    all.


    There was no way he¡¯d believe his daughter tried to kill him just because of what Shandie said. Still, he


    made up his mind to get to the bottom of it. Yvette could heave a sigh of relief for now. She still had


    time to cover up her mistake and get a scapegoat to take the me. In the meantime, Shandie was


    also relieved, as she was no longer used of being a murderer.


    Still, she didn¡¯t stop to think of the consequences of her previous statement and only thought that she


    had gotten out of trouble. Edmund released Shandie and led her out of the back door. The party went


    on as usual. As expected, the housekeeper in the room quickly spread the juicy gossip around. Soon,


    everyone at the party started discussing the gossip happily. Arielle bribed the Actonwards¡¯


    housekeeper to spread the word that Yvette was the one who sent the dress to Shandie.


    The guests at the birthday party were extremely excited as they talked about tonight¡¯s events. As the


    star of the party, Yvette was ignored by everyone.


    What was worse was that she even heard the guests gossiping and criticizing her. She had no choice


    but to pretend not to hear them. Otherwise, the guests might spread a new rumor about her. After that,


    Yvette couldn¡¯t bring herself to mill around the hall as though nothing had happened, so she stepped


    out of the house for a breather when no one else was noticing.


    At the door, a man d in a ck tuxedo and ck top hat stood in her way. Yvette red at him with


    a frown marring her face, prompting him to exin why he was blocking her way. The man lifted his hat


    and revealed his eyes.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

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    Yvette did not recognize this man and wanted to walk past him. I can¡¯t bear to stay here any longer.


    This is no longer my birthday party, but Arielle¡¯s party to shine. The man stretched out his hand to block


    her path. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Actonward.¡± He grinned. Yvette was stunned when she


    heard his voice. ¡°You¡¯re the guy who contacted me on behalf of Cindy!¡± she eximed in surprise. She


    instinctively looked around the hall and noticed Arielle chatting happily with someone else.


    Yvette sighed in relief when she knew Arielle didn¡¯t notice the mysterious man. She then turned to him


    and said, ¡°Let¡¯s head to the garden.¡± Then, she headed toward the backyard as the man followed


    closely behind her. The both of them quickly disappear as they reached the entrance. At the same time,


    Arielle¡¯s eyes fell upon them as soon as they turned and headed to the backyard. If I¡¯m not mistaken,


    that¡¯s Matthias.


    Arielle narrowed her eyes as the corner of her lips curled into an unnoticeable smile. ¡°Ms. Moore? Ms.


    Moore?¡± someone called as he followed her gaze. ¡°What¡¯re you looking at?¡± he asked. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Arielle turned back to face the guest and smiled. ¡°I have a feeling it¡¯s going to rain.¡± ¡°Rain?¡± The guest


    was confused. ¡°The weather today seemed rather nice. How could it possibly rain?¡± Arielle smiled.


    ¡°Because there aren¡¯t any stars.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. There are no stars tonight.¡± The guest nodded. Nheless, Jadeborough was decorated


    with bright lights, so it would make sense if one could not spot any stars. As the night went by, the


    backyard was rather dim as only a fewmps were situated around while the stars hid in the clouds.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Therefore, it was a perfect ce to talk in private. The man took off his hat, revealing his handsome


    appearance. Although he was on the older side, one could tell that he was an extremely good-looking


    man in his younger days. Yet, there was big scar on his face. The man smiled and greeted, ¡°Hello, Ms.


    Actonward. My name is Matthias.


    I¡¯m Cindy¡¯s assistant, and I was sent here to help you.¡± Yvette had experienced an embarrassing


    moment moments ago, yet she was still as arrogant as ever. She grunted and said harshly, ¡°You want


    to help me? Even Cindy had been sent to the monastery. What can an assistant like you do? I¡¯d rather


    do things myself! The reason I asked you over was merely to avoid suspicion and nothing else. Hence,


    you may leave!¡±


    Matthias looked at her and replied, ¡°Ms. Actonward, I saw what happened earlier. If you went with the


    n, things wouldn¡¯t have turned out this way.¡± ¡°That was an ident! Who knew Shandie would end


    up wearing that dress? That stupid b*tch! She¡¯s always getting in the way of my ns!¡± she quickly


    exined. Matthias loved Cindy very much; hence he loved Shandie as well. So of course, his


    expression darkened when he heard those words.


    ¡°Ms. Actonward, did you really think that it was an ident? Perhaps it was a coincidence that Shandie


    wore your dress to the birthday party as soon as she left the monastery?¡± Yvette frowned as she


    pondered for a moment. ¡°What¡¯re you trying to say?¡±

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    ¡°It seems that you have underestimated your enemy, Ms. Actonward. It was all part of Arielle¡¯s n.


    She knew that the dress you¡¯ve provided her was a setup,¡± Matthias answered coldly. Yvette bit her


    lip. Well, I, too, thought it could be Arielle¡¯s n. Yet, I hate to admit that I was outsmarted by her. I feel


    so embarrassed now that Matthias had revealed it so directly. ¡°Okay, fine. It¡¯s my fault that I


    underestimated her! So what?


    Mark my words¡ªI will get my revenge one day!¡± she said angrily. Matthias shook his head and said, ¡°If


    I¡¯m not mistaken, your father has grown suspicious of you. If you don¡¯t handle things diligently in the


    future, I¡¯m afraid you would be in deep trouble before you can deal with Arielle.¡± Upon that, Yvette


    clenched her fists, and her eyebrows creased in worry. She then bit her lip harder this time and nced


    at him.


    ¡°Then tell me what you have in mind?¡± Matthias met her nce with a cold look and responded, ¡°Why


    don¡¯t go with our original n of taking her out. It¡¯ll solve all our problems at once.¡± ¡°But today¡­ She


    became the center of attention while everyone imed her as a miracle doctor.¡± Yvette hesitated. ¡°So?¡±


    Matthias lifted his chin. ¡°One who stands at the highest point would only suffer a greater fall. You can¡¯t


    hesitate any longer, Ms. Actonward. This is your best chance to take action.¡± Even so, Yvette didn¡¯t


    budge. ¡°But Mason¡¯s reputation would be affected.¡± Matthiasughed. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t hurt for a man to


    have a few dating scandals. In contrast, it might add some spice to his life. Haven¡¯t you noticed that the


    way Mason looks at Arielle is very different?


    Ever since he couldn¡¯t get rid of her and things backfired terribly, he¡¯s been waiting for a chance to


    strike. Are you sure you want the both of you to miss this golden opportunity?¡± Yvette could no longer


    contain the irritable feeling in her heart and said, ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s go with the n! Where¡¯s the stuff that


    you¡¯ve mentioned during our phone call? Give it to me!¡± Matthias took out an aroma diffuser from his


    bag and handed it to her.


    ¡°Light it at the ce where we¡¯ve discussed.¡± With a sneer, Yvette held the aroma diffuser in her hands


    and asked, ¡°This is it? How is an aroma diffuser going to help me? Didn¡¯t you say you were going to


    hand me a drug that would arouse her sexual desires?¡± Matthias raised an eyebrow. ¡°Yes, we were


    nning to pass you that. However, Arielle has a medical background, and she would have seen


    through our tricks.


    Besides, I coincidently came across something more subtle yet effective when I was abroad¡ªwhich is


    what I¡¯ve given you. It is colorless and tasteless, so most people wouldn¡¯t be able to spot anything.


    Even if they did, it would be toote. Besides, no one else besides the one who developed this aroma


    diffuser knows the secret to its cure.¡± Yvette began to shift ufortably with the aroma diffuser in her


    hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Ms. Actonward. It would only work once it¡¯s lit.¡± Matthias let out augh. Yvette


    instantly rxed. ¡°So you¡¯re saying it would be as effective as the hormone-inducing drug, right?¡± she


    asked in curiosity. Matthias shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s different. Not only would this aroma diffuser induce


    sexual desires, but it also causes one to hallucinate and picture anyone to be their loved ones. Once


    the drug takes its effect, the rest is history.


    The most important thing about this aroma diffuser is, the drug is ced in the wick. Hence, it would be


    an empty aroma diffuser once it¡¯s used up. No professionalboratory or institutions would be able to


    find any traces of the drug.¡± That means no one would suspect me!


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    That¡¯s thest thing I want right now! She was relieved when she heard Matthias¡¯ exnation. Matthias


    then gave her a pill and said, ¡°This is the cure for Mason.¡± ¡°I know what I need to do now. Don¡¯t worry,


    Arielle¡¯s not going to know what hit her this time! I¡¯m going to ce a screen and broadcast it live! Just


    wait and see what the world has to say about her when it happens!¡±

 Chapter 231

    Chapter 231


    Chapter 231 Hit Me With Your Best Shot


    However, Matthias shrugged his shoulders and objected to the idea.


    ¡°This wasn¡¯t part of my n as broadcasting it might gain suspicion from others. Hence, I wouldn¡¯t


    advise you to do this.¡±


    ¡°Rx, I¡¯lle up with a logical exnation. I could just say it¡¯s an introduction video about my


    house. Everyone would think of it as a coincidence.¡±


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Well, go ahead if you insist. But remember to strike at the right timing. Don¡¯t let this chance go to


    waste.¡±


    ¡°I got it,¡± she responded as she hid the aroma diffuser in her purse. Then, she quickly headed back to


    the mansion.


    Yvette was apletely different person when she returned to the hall. She had a smile on her face as


    spoke gently to the guests, just like how she was at the start of the banquet.


    ¡°I bet the rumors were fake! Don¡¯t you think it wouldn¡¯t make sense for her to harm her father? Besides,


    how would it benefit her if Russell died?¡± the guests whispered among each other.


    ¡°I agree. She doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s after the family¡¯s wealth as well. She is the Actonwards¡¯ only heir.


    Hence, Russell would eventually pass everything down to her. There¡¯s no reason for her to be so


    impatient.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps we¡¯ve misunderstood her.¡±


    ¡°Anyhow, I¡¯m going over to give her a toast. It is her birthday, after all.¡±


    Yvette became the center of the attention in no time.


    At the same time, Arielle was quietly observing Yvette as the corner of her mouth tugged slightly. She


    then turned her gaze elsewhere as she scanned the room in search of Matthias. However, there was


    no sight of him.


    Perhaps everything¡¯s in ce?


    At this moment, a few chefs brought out an eight-story high cake.


    ¡°Look! Herees the cake!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s such a beautiful cake! Yvette, why are you standing over there? Come over and cut the cake!¡±


    the crowd cheered.


    Yvette was quickly led by the crowd to stand by the cake.


    The lights in the hall dimmed as soon as the candles were lit, and everyone sang the birthday song.


    Yvette ced her hands together as she closed her eyes to make a wish.


    ¡°Please allow my n to seed this time! Please help me get rid of Arielle!¡±


    As soon as Yvette finished making her wish, she felt that everything would most definitely go smoothly


    as nned.


    Hence, as the crowd urged her to cut the cake, she looked up and passed the cake-cutting knife to


    Arielle.


    Arielle looked at her in confusion, just like an innocent child.


    Yvette secretly sneered in her heart while responded with gratitude, ¡°You save my father, and I won¡¯t


    forget this. Hence, you should cut the cake!¡±


    At that, Arielle smiled and shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s your birthday. How can I take the limelight away from


    you like that? I think you should do it yourself.¡±


    However, Yvette shoved the knife into her hands. ¡°Absolutely not! You have to do this! You¡¯ve done


    nothing but good for our family! No one but you deserves to cut this cake!¡± Yvette exined as she led


    Arielle to the cake.


    Nheless, Arielle did not show any traces of panic or surprise but calmly observed her instead.


    I believe this is the start of Matthias¡¯ n. Should I go with it? Or not?


    Of course I have to y along! I need to know what tricks she has in store for me!


    Sure enough, Arielle heard Yvette cried out as she was walking to the side of the cake. She turned and


    saw her falling toward her.


    Consequently, the cake was situated right behind Arielle.


    Arielle could have easily avoided it, yet she purposely pretended she was taken back by Yvette¡¯s


    ¡°idental¡± fall. So, she allowed her to fall on her as Arielle fell backward against the cake.

 Chapter 232

    Chapter 232


    Chapter 232: Paranoid For Nothing


    However, she chose a spot on the edge where she could avoid falling entirely against the cake.


    Instead, only the edge of her dress came in contact with the cake.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Arielle! Are you okay?¡± Yvette was concerned as she grabbed her hand.


    The crowd quickly gathered around them. ¡°Dr. Moore, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Dr. Moore, you¡¯ve stained your dress. Let me help you with it!¡±


    Yvette felt disgusted when she saw the crowd trying their best to please Arielle.


    She quickly feigned a look of remorse and said, ¡°This is all my fault. I¡¯m wearing new shoes today, and


    they don¡¯t seem to fit me very well. I¡¯m so sorry, Arielle. Let me lead you upstairs and get changed.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s expression was so sincere that it almost seemed real.


    Although some of the guests med her for her clumsiness, no one suspected that she had done it on


    purpose.


    Arielle shed her a sincere smile, showing her pearly whites, and answered, ¡°Sure.¡±


    Chills went down Yvette¡¯s spine when she looked at Arielle¡¯s smile. Did she notice anything?


    That¡¯s impossible! I actually fell, and my ankles are hurting!


    I must be overthinking.


    Yvette shrugged away her thoughts and carefully led Arielle upstairs with the same guilty expression on


    her face.


    No one would suspect anything from a minor ident. Besides, she didn¡¯t directly crash into the cake.


    Instead, only her dress and hair came in contact with the cake.


    With that, Arielle followed Yvette to a guest room on the second floor.


    She opened the door and said, ¡°This is the guest room, and there¡¯s a bathroom inside. Go ahead and


    wash your hair while I get you something clean to put on.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Arielle nodded.


    Yvette then left the room with a cold smile on her face. However, she pressed the aroma diffuser on her


    purse the moment she closed the door.


    However, Yvette didn¡¯t ce the aroma diffuser earlier as she was worried she might inhale the drug


    and that it¡¯d be used up by the time Arielle had arrived.


    She nned to wait until the moment Arielle entered the bathroom, then enter the room once again


    with some fresh clothes. Only then would she take the chance to light the aroma diffuser.


    Yvette carefully ced her ear by the door as she waited for the sound of water rushing through the


    tap.


    She had deliberately chosen this room as it had poor soundproofing. Hence, she could hear everything


    happening inside.


    Momentster, she smiled as she heard the sound of running water.


    I bet she¡¯s washing her hair now!


    Once she had the confirmation she needed, she quickly went away to get some clothes.


    In a blink of an eye, she opened the door to the guest room with some clothes in hand.


    Yvette¡¯s heart almost stopped the moment she opened the door. She was so surprised to see Arielle


    standing in the room that the former almost dropped the clothes in her hands. There Arielle was,


    looking at her with smiles in her eyes, half-naked.


    Why¡¯s she waiting for me here? Did she figure things out?


    Yet, she could still hear the sound of water.


    Yvette instinctively looked over to the bathroom and found the door wide open. The showerhead in the


    bathroom was still running.


    Thinking that she was busted, Yvette¡¯s heart was pounding rapidly when Arielle asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong,


    Yvette? Did I scare you?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Yvette trailed off. She was unsure of what to say.


    She forced a smile and asked, ¡°W-why are you standing here? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be washing your


    hair? Why¡¯re you standing by the door with the water running ?¡±


    In reality, the only question that she wanted to ask Arielle was if thetter had found out about her n.

 Chapter 233

    Chapter 233


    Chapter 233 Your Filthy Tricks


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it take a while for the water to heat up? When I was living by the countryside, it¡¯d take about


    five to six minutes before the water bes warm.¡± Arielle smiled innocently.


    Yvette studied her face to make out if she was speaking the truth. She was relieved when she found


    nothing odd.


    No wonder she¡¯s out here while the water was running in the bathroom. This country girl probably didn¡¯t


    know that the water system in my house maintains at a constant temperature, and hot water would run


    from the showerhead instantly.


    ¡°I knew you were going to hand me some clean clothes anyway. Thus, I decided to wait until you bring


    me the clothes before I hop into the shower,¡± Arielle continued.


    Yvette¡¯s suspicion instantly vanished when she heard Arielle¡¯s exnation.


    I guess I¡¯ve overestimated her.


    Yvette smiled and said, ¡°Actually, our house runs on a constant temperature water system. So there¡¯s


    no need to wait.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Arielle eximed in surprise. ¡°How advanced! It¡¯s not like this back at in my ce.¡±


    Yvette had never showered at the Southalls, so she didn¡¯t know that Arielle was lying.


    Thus when Yvette heard that, she secretly sneered at Arielle¡¯s statement and looked down on the


    Southalls too.


    I can¡¯t believe they¡¯d have to wait for the water to heat up!


    ¡°Alright. You can take a shower now. Do have some cake when you¡¯re done. My dad¡¯s probably done


    with his shower as well and is waiting for you. I believe he has prepared a surprise for you. I hope you


    won¡¯t refuse it because you deserved it!¡± Yvette said.


    Well, the huge surprise I¡¯m about to gift you is also something only you deserve. It¡¯s a shame you¡¯re


    always in my way. Or else I wouldn¡¯t have to do this.


    Yet, she did not know that Arielle had understood the hidden meaning behind her words. She had


    already guessed what the ¡°huge surprise¡± was about.


    Both Matthias and Yvette had exposed themselves by revealing clues like the guest room and the


    aroma diffuser. Hence, Arielle figured out their n.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    I knew they were going to set me up. Yet, I didn¡¯t expect it to be this! Well, they won¡¯t seed.


    Arielle smiled at her gratefully before picking up the clothes on the ground and headed toward the


    bathroom.


    Nevertheless, she stopped halfway and turned to face Yvette. ¡°There¡¯s a huge crowd today, and I¡¯m


    worried that someone might identally barge in. So why don¡¯t you wait for me outside? I¡¯ve locked


    the door from the outside.¡±


    Yvette began to worry when she heard Arielle¡¯s words.


    How am I going to carry out my n if she locks me outside? She is, indeed, a very careful person.


    Things were not going as Yvette nned, but she was very calm.


    I will find it weird if things go as nned without any mishaps and thought that she was just ying


    along on purpose.


    Hence, Yvette calmed herself down and took out the aroma diffuser from her purse before cing it by


    the door.


    Arielle eyed the aroma diffuser and asked, ¡°Is that a candle, Yvette? It¡¯s super bright in here, so why


    are you lighting a candle?¡±


    Yvette secretly sneered at herment. How could she not know what an aroma diffuser was?


    Nevertheless, she held back herughter and exined patiently, ¡°Oh, this is an aroma diffuser. It


    functions as an air purifier once it¡¯s lit. We had a few guests who stayed in this room in the past. I was


    worried there might be traces of an odd smell. So, I¡¯ll light it up for you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so thoughtful, Yvette. Thank you, but I¡¯m not particr about such things.¡± Arielle smiled faintly.


    Yvette smiled back.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s okay. But you¡¯ve done us a great favor, and we can¡¯t thank you enough. It¡¯s the least that I


    can do for you.¡±


    Then, she took out a lighter and lit the wick of the aroma diffuser.


    Once it was lit, Yvette held her breath and said, ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll leave you to take a shower. But, I don¡¯t


    think you should lock your door. I¡¯ll just wait outside and keep an eye out for you.¡±


    Arielle hesitated for a moment and replied, ¡°Okay. But be sure to keep an eye out for me. There are


    way too many people today, and it¡¯ll be a catastrophe if someone barge in unintentionally.¡±


    Yvette was nearly out of breath but managed to answer, ¡°No worries. I¡¯ll be on the lookout.¡± Then, she


    quickly left the room.


    Arielle watched Yvette close the door behind her and listened carefully to make sure she had gone


    away. Then, Arielle quickly walked to the window, opened it, and gasped for fresh air.


    She noticed Yvette began to hold her breath the moment she lit the aroma diffuser.


    Hence, she followed suit and held her breath until now. It was apparent that there was something


    wrong with the aroma diffuser.


    Once Arielle regained steady breathing, she took a deep breath and held it until she reached the aroma


    diffuser to blow it out.


    Concurrently, she brought the aroma diffuser by the window to allow the remaining scent to disperse


    into the air before examining it.


    She couldn¡¯t find anything wrong with it at first. The aroma diffuser was made of conventional paraffin


    wax. Yet, she discovered something out of the ordinary when she looked at the wick.


    The wick of themp had a hollow space that contained some light blue solids.


    So that¡¯s what it is¡ªthese little solids hidden in the wick.


    Arielle whipped out her bag and grabbed some tools before she extracted the wick to examine the


    mysterious blue solids.


    In the meantime, Yvette had rushed downstairs to look for Mason.


    Mason was both Shandie and Arielle¡¯s cousin. Hence, he was only considered a distant rtive of the


    Actonwards.


    Yvette found Mason drinking by himself, and she believed he was a little tipsy as his cheeks had turned


    red.


    Mason wasn¡¯t the best-looking guy out there, and unfortunately, the pimples he had on his face made it


    worse.


    He came from average family background, and his tertiary education funds were also sponsored by the


    Actonwards and the Southalls. As soon as he graduated, he was immediately hired as an employee to


    the Southall Group with Cindy¡¯s help.


    Yet, his ability onlynded him as a project lead despite sharing a rtionship with the owner of the


    company.


    Cindy assigned him to get rid of Arielle and promised to promote him as a manager. However, he failed


    miserably and almost lost his life at sea!


    Ever since that ident, Cindy began to ignore him. Thus, he felt greatly dejected.


    When he saw Arielle again, he was surprised to see her transform from a country girl to a beautiful,


    nobledy. To add on, she also possessed extraordinary medical skills. Her transformation had made


    him doubt himself.


    How did a country girl change so much in a blink of an eye? I was born and raised in Jadeborough, yet


    I only earn seven thousand per month. This is so unfair!


    Mason thought to himself as he sat alone and drank his sadness away.


    He took another ss of champagne and drank it quickly.


    Before the ss could reach his lips, a long and slender hand reached out and stopped him.


    Who is this? How dare you interrupt me?


    Mason looked up impatiently and found a beautiful face in front of him. His heart skipped a beat, and


    he hurriedly got up from the chair. ¡°What is it, Yvette? Did something happen to your father?¡± he asked.

 Chapter 234

    Chapter 234


    Chapter 234 Anything For You


    Yvette always knew Mason cared for her like cousins. Yet, she felt rather ufortable when she


    noticed the way Mason looked at her now.Am I imagining things?


    Ignoring her thoughts, she cleared her throat and said, ¡°My dad¡¯s fine. I just wanted to ask you


    something.¡±


    ¡°What is it? If there¡¯s anything I can do for you, let me know. I¡¯ll definitely do my best!¡± Mason replied.


    Yvette shifted ufortably as the odd feeling in her heart had significantly increased.


    But she didn¡¯t allow her personal feelings to get in the way of the n, so she brought Mason to the


    balcony.


    I wonder why she is being so secretive. ¡±Yvette, what¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked.


    Yvette looked around to make sure no one was nearby and said, ¡°Mason, do you remember who Arielle


    is?¡±


    Mason nodded. ¡°Of course. What¡¯s up? Did she bully you?¡±


    At that, Yvette shook her head and bit her lip. ¡°To be honest with you, I really dislike her. She ruined my


    marriage with the Bakers and murdered my dog.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Mason widen his eyes in surprise while his heart leaped with joy.


    He suppressed the joy in his heart and asked solemnly, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of this until now. But, cheer


    up, Yvette. I¡¯ll make sure to teach her a lesson!¡±


    She lifted her head to meet Mason¡¯s gaze and said, ¡°Actually, I might have a perfect chance right now.


    But I¡¯ll need your help, Mason!¡±


    Yvette was none other than the number one socialite in Jadeborough with an outstanding appearance.


    Thus, there was no way a man like Mason would reject her request.


    ¡°I¡¯d do anything for you, even if it meant taking someone¡¯s life!¡± Mason said in determination.


    Yvette couldn¡¯t help but realize Mason was acting really weird around her.


    She frowned and wanted to him a few questions but held back.


    It doesn¡¯t matter why¡¯s he acting all weird around me now. I¡¯ll deal with it once tonight is over.


    After that, Mason secretly crept upstairs to the second floor as Yvette instructed and stood by the guest


    room where Arielle was in.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    He imagined a thousand ways to get his revenge on Arielle¡ªlike kidnapping her after the birthday party


    and ending her life in the middle of nowhere. Yet, he didn¡¯t expect Yvette¡¯s n of revenge was to sleep


    with her.


    I admit that Arielle is a gorgeousdy, but I have my eyes on someone else. Thus, I have no sexual


    intentions toward her.


    Mason stood by the door of the room but didn¡¯t open it. His mind was all over the ce, and he couldn¡¯t


    think straight.


    Then, he opened his palm and revealed a pill on it. Yvette had warned him earlier that the air in the


    room would cause hallucinations, so the pill would help keep him awake.


    Once the deed was over, he nned to ce Arielle on top of himself. That way, it would seem like it


    was Arielle who forced him to do it. Then, she would be theughing stock of Jadeborough.


    It was a smart and effective n to ruin Arielle¡¯s life once and for all without killing her. Besides, it is the


    only thing I can do for Yvette.


    Mason took a deep breath and gritted his teeth before he entered the room.


    The moment he pushed the door open, he threw the pill onto the ground.


    I know I can stay wide awake even without the help of the pill. I know perfectly well that I like Yvette,


    and only her!


    But I also know that I can¡¯t have her when I have nothing at all. Hence, I¡¯ve hidden my feelings for her


    deep inside my heart.


    As soon as he entered the room, Mason did not pick up any scent. Then he remembered what Yvette


    told him¡ªthe drug had no scent, but Arielle was definitely lying somewhere in the room.

 Chapter 235

    Chapter 235


    Chapter 235 Hallucination


    Even afterbing through the bathroom, he couldn¡¯t find anyone.


    All of a sudden, he heard a slight rustle that resonated from the bedroom.


    Immediately, Mason made his way toward the bedroom.


    When he entered the room, he caught sight of a seductive figure on the bed. Yet, the woman looked


    like she was in great pain.


    Mason stared at the woman for several moments before he strode toward the bed. Carefully, he pulled


    Arielle¡¯s hand away from her face.


    Immediately, Mason jolted in astonishment.


    Instead of Arielle, the woman was actually Yvette.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Why on earth is Yvette here?


    Mason quickly moved to help Yvette into an upright position. ¡°Yvette, are you alright?¡± he coaxed gently


    as he shook her shoulders in an attempt to wake her up.


    Upon Mason¡¯s words, Yvette¡¯s eyes fluttered wide open, and she locked gazes with him.


    Just as Mason wanted to ask her why she was in the room, he felt a throbbing pain that pounded in his


    head. Immediately, his vision turned blurry.


    ¡°Yvette¡­¡± Mason mumbled before he copsed onto the bed. Promptly, he lost consciousness.


    Arielle pushed Mason¡¯s limp body off her and rose to her feet with an impassive expression.


    To tell the truth, she wasn¡¯t Yvette. In fact, the woman¡¯s identity belonged to none other than Arielle.


    Mason had hallucinated and mistook her for Yvette instead.


    Arielle tucked her gold needle away. For a brief moment, she looked at Mason with an expression of


    slight surprise before a mischievous smile tugged the corner of her lips upwards.


    It seems like my cousin has a crush on Yvette. No wonder Cindy picked him. Mason is an excellent


    candidate because he will not betray Yvette. He also harbors a deep hatred toward me. After all, I once


    hurled him into the sea.


    The room was so quiet that it was pin-drop silence. Gradually, the warmth in Arielle¡¯s bright gaze faded


    away.


    If I had been an ordinary woman, Yvette and Cindy would have torn me to pieces! Fortunately, I have a


    few tricks up my sleeve.


    Coincidentally, the contents found within the aromatherapy candle that Yvette had prepared were


    substances that Arielle invented a few years ago.


    She created the substances by ident. However, experimentation with her creations revealed that it


    could act as a cure for victims with autism as it strengthened their mental health. I can¡¯t believe that it


    got leaked into the market, and people are now using it for harm instead of good.


    Yet, she looked at the situation from a different perspective. The drug that she¡¯d created was extremely


    effective. It could cause hallucinations, and anyone who fell under the drug¡¯s influence would not be


    able to distinguish reality from illusion.


    With a determined look, Arielle bent forward to hoist Mason¡¯s body upwards.


    Despite her immense strength, carrying a fully-grown man was no easy feat. It¡¯s a relief that Mason is


    as skinny as a stick. I can still withstand his weight. On the other hand, Vinson has a tall and muscr


    figure. I wouldn¡¯t be able to move him at all!


    Wait a minute, why was I thinking of Vinson all of a sudden?


    Is the cure starting to lose its effect? No, no, the drug will reveal the true feelings of one¡¯s heart. I don¡¯t


    have any feelings for Vinson. Even if I begin to hallucinate, he won¡¯t appear. I¡¯m overthinking things.


    Arielle inhaled deeply to calm her nerves and continued to move Mason.


    The y had just begun; thus, Arielle didn¡¯t want to waste any more time lingering on such thoughts.


    Back in the lobby, Yvette tricked a young woman. Foolishly, the young woman fell for her schemes and


    shifted their conversation topic to talk about the renovations in Yvette¡¯s mansion.


    The young woman was the one who had tried to use Arielle in Harvey¡¯s home. Yet, at that time,


    she¡¯d ended up humiliating herself instead.


    ¡°Yvette, I heard that you just finished renovating your housest year. The new designs must look


    stunning! Once the birthday party is over, you should bring us around for a tour!¡± The words spilling out


    of the young woman¡¯s mouth were nothing but white lies to tter Yvette.

 Chapter 236

    Chapter 236


    Chapter 236 You Are Finally Here


    Yvette smiled proudly. ¡°Since everyone wants to have a look. Why don¡¯t I show you right now? I¡¯ve


    installed surveince cameras in every room to ensure the safety of my house. Let me ask someone to


    bring the projector so that we can all see it together. Even the guestrooms in my house have unique


    designs. However, the designer I hired is rather young, so I¡¯d appreciate any form of feedback about


    the designs.¡±


    The young woman didn¡¯t know that she was being used as a pawn. ¡°Alright!¡± She nodded her head


    enthusiastically.


    Quickly, Yvette brought out the projector.


    Various designs of the rooms were soon disyed on the screen.


    Originally, only a few women had gathered to watch. As time passed, many bored guests began to


    flock over to view the designs.


    Although the designer who the Actonwards hired was young, he was an internationally renowned


    interior designer.


    The guests were amazed by the beautiful designs as they watched on with admiration. Even the guest


    rooms had been built borately to resemble fancy hotel rooms.


    Hence, they started murmuring excitedly amongst themselves. ¡°This design is amazing!¡±


    On the other hand, Yvette had different thoughts. When Arielle¡¯s room is shown, you won¡¯t think that


    that way anymore. It¡¯s going to be an extremely disgusting and debauched disy!


    But when Yvette thought about Arielle having a great figure, she became jealous. I¡¯m sure that the male


    guests will drool over the footage.


    Finally, Yvette¡¯s wishes were answered as the room that Arielle was in was shown.


    Yvette felt her heart pounding erratically in her chest. She was so excited that she found herself holding


    her breath in anticipation. A dangerous gleam flickered in her eyes, her gaze so sharp that it looked like


    a cat that swallowed a canary.


    It¡¯s here! It¡¯s finally here!


    The camera panned around to show the room¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°Is the entrance made out of pear wood?¡± one of the guests eximed in admiration. ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful!¡±


    Yvette offered the guest a gracious smile, yet deep down, she was snickering evilly. There¡¯s something


    even better to watchter!


    The camera paused at the entrance for a brief moment before turning to enter the room.


    Yvette was so excited that it felt like her heart might leap out of her throat.


    Finally, the bed was disyed in the surveince footage.


    The excitement had Yvette on the edge of her seat. Yet, the suspense ended abruptly. The bed was


    empty. Although the bedsheets looked rumpled, there wasn¡¯t any trace of Arielle nor Mason.


    W-what is this?


    In the blink of an eye, Yvette¡¯s face lost its smugness as her mood took a drastic turn.


    Right at that moment, a slender and fair hand patted her shoulder. ¡°What are you watching, Yvette?¡± A


    clear voice echoed behind her.


    This voice¡­


    Yvette¡¯s back stiffened and forced herself to turn around rigidly. Right away, Yvette was greeted with


    the sight of Arielle¡¯s brilliant smile.


    In the blink of an eye, Yvette¡¯s face drained of any color. ¡°Why are you here?¡± she cried out in utter


    disbelief.


    Immediately, Arielle acted as if she had been wronged. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that my clothes were too dirty.


    Thus, I came downstairs after cleaning it up. What¡¯s the matter? Am I not allowed to be here?¡±


    The sight of Arielle¡¯s innocent and puzzled gaze forced Yvette to snap out of her momentary shock.


    ¡°Not at all; I was just surprised that you came downstairs so quickly,¡± she remarked with a reluctant


    smile. ¡°D-did you see someone else while you were upstairs?¡±


    Arielle tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Who are you talking about? I didn¡¯t see anyone at all.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ I think one of my friends got lost,¡± Yvette replied hurriedly. ¡°Let me take a look.¡± With that, she


    hurtled upstairs at a frenzied pace.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    I clearly instructed Mason to look for Arielle! I even lighted the aromatherapy candle a long time ago!


    Why does Arielle look like she¡¯s unaffected by it? Does this mean that the object that Matthias gave me


    ispletely useless? What on earth is happening?

 Chapter 237

    Chapter 237


    Chapter 237 The Protagonist Has Changed


    The more she pondered about it, the more Yvette felt confused. She moved as quick as a hare. I need


    to go upstairs and find out what happened!


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Due to Yvette¡¯s hastiness, she did not notice that Arielle was staring intensely behind her. A cold smile


    spread across Arielle¡¯s face when she saw Yvette panicking.


    At the same time, one of the guests sped Arielle¡¯s arm. ¡°Ms. Moore, are you alright?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s smile melted off her face as she turned to face the guest. ¡°What is everyone looking at?¡± she


    asked him.


    The guest answered her question warmly. ¡°We were looking at the designs of the Actonwards¡¯


    mansion. Ms. Yvette is so considerate. A few guests mentioned that they wanted to explore the


    mansion, so she immediately moved a projector here to show it to us. The mansion¡¯s rooms are being


    disyed right now.¡±


    Hearing the guest¡¯s exnation, Arielle shifted her gaze to the screen. True to his words, there were


    surveince cameras fixed in every room.


    Seems like Yvette had intended to broadcast it live! Well, that¡¯s too bad because the protagonist of her


    little show has changed.


    Once again, a small smile twitched Arielle¡¯s lips upwards. ¡°Can I look at the previous rooms? I missed


    quite a few of them when I was upstairs earlier,¡± she asked the housekeeper.


    ¡°Of course, once we finish looking at the other rooms. We¡¯ll go through them once again!¡± the


    housekeeper eximed.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Despite Arielle¡¯s grin, there wasn¡¯t a trace of humor present in her eyes.


    Since Cindy and Yvette tried to y such lowly tricks on me, I¡¯ll give them a taste of their own


    medicine.


    On the second floor, Yvette finally arrived at the room that Arielle was in earlier.


    However, Yvette did not burst into the room right away. Instead, she waited until the screen at the hall


    had stopped ying the surveince footage within this room before she stepped in.


    The room was empty, and not a single soul was in sight.


    Slowly, Yvette surveyed the room carefully until her gaze fell on the candle that she ced.


    She noted that it was still burning.


    Nevertheless, she wasn¡¯t worried. After all, Matthias informed that the drug within the aromatherapy


    candle would diffuse after ten minutes. After fifteen minutes, it would vanish without a trace in the air.


    It has been more than fifteen minutes since I lit the candle, so I¡¯m safe.


    After that, Yvette wandered toward the bed. Apparently, she couldn¡¯t seem to grasp an answer to the


    question. Why didn¡¯t Arielle fall under the drug¡¯s influence? I might as well call Mason and ask him


    about it.


    Just as she was about to call him, Yvette heard a noise from the toilet. It sounded like someone was


    inside.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Yvette frowned and called out.


    The bathroom door swung open, and Yvette¡¯s eyes widened as round as saucers when she saw the


    man that stumbled out of the bathroom. Jordan! Why is he here?


    Immediately, Yvette felt a mixture of delight and shock. Did Jordan regret breaking our engagement? Is


    that why he¡¯s here?


    For a moment, Yvette couldn¡¯t believe her own eyes. She rubbed her hands over both her eyes to clear


    her vision before opening them again. Yet, the man standing before her was still Jordan.


    Simrly, a look of delight and astonishment crossed Jordan¡¯s face when he saw her.


    Standing right by the door, Mason had just awoken when he saw Yvette.


    Just as he opened his mouth to ask Yvette what happened, Yvette hurried toward him excitedly, much


    to his surprise.


    Throughout the past, Yvette had never looked at him with such a tender and loving gaze. Her warm


    look caused him to seize up in shock.


    Yvette then made her way toward Mason. ¡°Why¡­ are you here?¡± she asked him carefully.

 Chapter 238

    Chapter 238


    Chapter 238 Mesmerizing


    Due to her excitement, Yvette blushed as she batted hershes at him. Her demure and innocent look


    would have won the hearts of many men. Naturally, Mason fell for her charms.


    Nheless, Mason was staring at her doubtfully. Wasn¡¯t Yvette the one who asked me to enter this


    room? Why is she asking me that?


    Before he could reply, Yvette leaped into his embrace.


    The moment her soft body collided against his, Mason was so taken aback that he became as stiff as a


    board.


    Gulping nervously, Mason was dying to return her hug. However, he was too timid to reciprocate the


    action.


    After hesitating for a few seconds, Mason finally mustered his courage to hug Yvette.


    Cautiously, he wrapped his arms around her slim waist to pull her closer as he held her like she was


    the world¡¯s most precious jewel.


    ¡°Yvette¡­¡± Mason¡¯s voice wavered when he spoke her name.


    He had fantasized about this moment countless times. Yet, never in his wildest dreams did he imagine


    that it woulde true.


    Just then, Yvette crooned softly in Mason¡¯s embrace, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯d made several mistakes in the


    past. I did them all for you, though. Yet, you began to detest me after all that.¡±


    Upon that, a trace of uncertainty blossomed in his heart. However, he discarded his doubts after giving


    them a brief thought. Although Yvette offended him in the past, he never held it against her.


    But what Yvette said was true too. I am, indeed, useless.


    He shook his head profusely and patted Yvette¡¯s head fondly. ¡°No. Yvette, you¡¯ve misunderstood. I¡¯ve


    never hated you. Never! No matter what you do, I will never loathe you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Yvette looked up at him, her eyes sparkling as bright as stars. Mason found Yvette¡¯s gaze to


    be extremely mesmerizing.


    Mason nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right! Throughout my entire life, you were the only person that filled my heart.


    Oh, how I longed for you every single day. If I could marry you, I¡¯d be the luckiest man alive!¡±


    Yvette felt her heart skip a beat upon hearing his promation of love.


    For this whole time, Jordan actually love me? If Arielle hadn¡¯t caused the death of my dog, Jordan


    might have confessed his love for me by now!


    Yvette bit her lip. ¡°If you don¡¯t like to see me hurting Arielle, I¡¯ll forgive her¡­¡±


    ¡°Why do you have to forgive her?¡± Mason erupted in anger. ¡°I can, sorta, guess what happened today.


    It must have been another one of Arielle¡¯s schemes! She¡¯s a cruel-hearted woman who deserves the


    worst ending possible!¡±


    Yvette was equally stunned and delighted by the man¡¯s outburst. I didn¡¯t know that Jordan favored me


    so much!


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Feeling over the moon, she tiptoed to nt a kiss on Mason¡¯s cheek.


    Although her brief peck onlysted for a second, Mason found it extraordinarily memorable.


    Unable to control his feelings for Yvette anymore, he lunged forward and sealed his lips over hers.


    Even if Yvette had acted out of impulse, I can¡¯t hold myself back anymore! I want to im Yvette as


    mine. If I can only do it just once, I¡¯ll die a happy man!


    Mason deepened the kiss as they continued the kiss with great fervor.


    After the long kiss, they were filled with unbridled joy.


    After all, they were both each other¡¯s object of affection. The things that they were going to do next fell


    into ce very quickly.


    When Yvette reopened her eyes once more, she found herself sprawled across the bed.


    Nervously, she nudged his chest lightly and suggested shyly, ¡°This is the guest room¡­ Should we take


    it to my bedroom instead?¡±

 Chapter 239

    Chapter 239


    Chapter 239 Burning Passion


    Mason shook his head and continued to indulge in that passionate kiss. In the midst of their make-out


    session, he said while panting, ¡°It¡¯s alright if we stay here; I¡¯ve locked the door. Let¡¯s pretend that this


    room is our own world. No one else is allowed to enter.¡±


    His reassurance calmed Yvette¡¯s anxiety. Demurely, she nodded her head. ¡°Alright¡­ However, you


    have to promise that you¡¯ll marry me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve said it before¡ªmarrying you is my greatest wish. As long as you give me your consent, we can


    get our marriage certificate tomorrow!¡±


    Yvette let out a noise of agreement before pulling ¡°Jordan¡± in for another kiss.


    The kiss turned Mason giddy with excitement. This is the happiest day of my life!


    An intense passion filled the room¡¯s atmosphere.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Back downstairs, Russell regained his vigor after he downed a bottle of vitamins.


    He adorned a brand-new silver suit and went downstairs in great spirits.


    At the same time, the projector started to disy the footage from the first guest room once again.


    Seeing that, Arielle showered the disys withpliments. Although the guests had seen the same


    designs, they followed suit and praised the designs in an attempt to tter her.


    ¡°The interior designer who came up with these designs is truly impressive. Coincidentally, I just


    purchased an office building. I¡¯ll hire him to design it!¡±


    Russell was delighted when he heard the guests praising the designs of his mansion. Hence, he


    walked toward Elias Smith, one of his guests, and said, ¡°Mr. Smith, you shouldn¡¯t be too confident yet!


    It¡¯s not cheap to hire this man. He calctes his payment ording to the size of the building. Your


    new office building is seventeen stories high, so it wouldn¡¯t be cheap!¡± Russell said as he stepped


    forward.


    The guests burst intoughter. ¡°Mr. Actonward, didn¡¯t you know that he earned quite a fortune while he


    was overseas? How is it possible that he can¡¯t afford to pay the design costs when he can purchase a


    CBD office building?¡±


    Russell smiled and nodded his head in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s true. It seems I¡¯ve underestimated him.¡±


    Right at that moment, the projector disyed a different room.


    Excitedly, Arielle and the guests craned their necks to watch. An entrance made out of pear wood was


    disyed on the screen at that moment.


    Just as Elias was about to offer hispliments about the design again, the camera shifted to show


    the room¡¯s bed.


    Much to everyone¡¯s surprise, there was a couple entwined together on the bed like a pair of snakes.


    The sight of the couple had a severe impact on Russell. It was much more devastating than the time he


    saw Shandie in a ck dress.


    For a moment, everyone was struck silent.


    The birthday party, which was bustling and cheerful, turned deathly silent.


    Right at that moment, everyone widened their eyes in disbelief as they watched the couple on-screen


    continue their frivolous activities.


    One of the younger guests smirked yfully. ¡°The woman has a great figure! Although she¡¯s skinny,


    she has curves in all the right ces!¡±


    Following the joke, the guests began to snap out of their shock.


    A few older guests covered their eyes to shield their vision from the debauched disy. ¡°How rude!¡±


    they cried out angrily.


    Meanwhile, Elias shook his head in exasperation. ¡°Mr. Actonward, how could you be so lenient when it


    came to the guest list? Go and get someone to drive the couple away!¡± he said as he turned to Russell.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Kick them out! How could they do this at the owner¡¯s birthday party! How offensive and


    rude!¡±


    ¡°They must be extremely uneducated to act in such a disgraceful manner! How embarrassing it is for


    their families!¡±


    A few of the older guests began to condemn the couple. On the other hand, the younger guests


    recorded videos and posted them on the inte.


    The moment the videos were published, it caused a ruckus.


    At once, those videos with titles like A Birthday Party Scandal and Pornographic Videos Broadcasted At


    A Birthday Party became the trending topic of the night.


    However, the videos were quickly taken down due to explicit content.


    Nevertheless, the videos had been saved on everyone¡¯s phones. Following that, a heated discussion


    began to surface as everyone tried to guess the couple¡¯s identity.

 Chapter 240

    Chapter 240


    Chapter 240 Nothing Can Be Kept From Him


    Meanwhile, at the birthday party, Russell had never felt so embarrassed in his life. Who on earth are


    these shameless people? How dare they do something like this at my house? I¡¯m utterly humiliated by


    them!


    He quickly ordered his housekeeper to turn off the projector.


    However, just as she was about to turn it off, someone shouted, ¡°Look! It¡¯s Yvette!¡±


    The housekeeper was dumbfounded upon hearing that as she nced at the screen in disbelief.


    The people in the video were now directly facing the surveince camera and both their faces could be


    seen clearly.


    Yvette! The woman is actually Yvette!


    My dear daughter!


    Russell¡¯s face instantly turned pale, feeling both furious and ashamed at the same time.


    Fury burned in him, and he looked like he was about to explode with rage soon.


    If Arielle hadn¡¯t cured him of his cardiovascr disease, he would have fainted from his anger by now.


    Despite so, all he wanted to do at that moment was to faint.


    The guests were getting louder with their chatters and discussions.


    ¡°D*mn! I didn¡¯t expect that woman to be Yvette!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised, to be honest. I mean, who else would be so impatient and do something like this at


    someone else¡¯s home? Of course it was her¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait, if the woman¡¯s Yvette, who¡¯s the man?¡±


    Someone quickly recognized him and eximed in shock, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Mason?¡±


    Mason¡¯s face was revealed in the video as well.


    The disy was so clear that all his pimples and scars could be seen clearly.


    Everyone grew even more surprised at the sight of his face.


    ¡°What the hell? I never knew Yvette¡¯s so easy to please. Mason¡¯s such an ugly person, and yet she¡¯s


    doing it with him¡­¡±


    Not many have heard of this name so they asked in confusion, ¡°Who¡¯s Mason?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know? He¡¯s Yvette¡¯s cousin!¡±


    ¡°What? Cousin? She can do it even though they¡¯re rted by blood? Wow. Just wow.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s always acting so arrogantly as though she¡¯s a princess. I thought that she¡¯d have an exquisite


    taste for men. If I knew that she¡¯s so desperate, I would have made my move.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha. I think you¡¯d seed. Even though you¡¯re not handsome, you still look better than Mason.¡±


    ¡°That may not be true. Looks don¡¯t matter to her. Maybe Mason is a gifted person!¡±


    As time ticked by, more and more vicious words started echoing through the hall.


    One of the guests sighed and reminded Russell, ¡°Hurry up and get someone to turn off the projector.


    This is just¡­ preposterous! I think you should just find Yvette a mother so that she¡¯ll be able to learn


    how to act like ady.¡±


    Only then did Russell finally recovered from his embarrassment and shock.


    The man quickly ran toward the projector. Then, without a care for the guests, he brought a group of his


    trusted housekeepers and went upstairs to look for Yvette.


    Arielle didn¡¯t feel as happy as she thought she would be as she listened to these awful words.


    However, she knew that she would have been their target if she hadn¡¯t noticed that there was


    something wrong with the aroma diffuser.


    There were so many people in the hall, yet she felt lonely.


    Even though Yvette was such an evil person, she still had a father to protect her. But what about me?


    I¡­ I have nothing.


    Right at that moment, she felt a warm hand on her shoulder.


    Arielle turned around to look instinctively and saw Vinson looking at her with a slight smile. ¡°It looks like


    a lot of things happened when I wasn¡¯t here. Hmm¡­ I¡¯m guessing this is all your handiwork?¡±


    He had been taking care of the mysterious opponent¡¯s matters and heard about everything that


    happened just as he stepped foot into the hall. The moment he was made clear of the situation, he


    made a beeline for Arielle, feeling shocked and worried.


    It wasn¡¯t until when he saw her standing in the corner unhurt that a sense of relief washed over him. He


    even started joking around with her.


    However, he noticed the gloomy look on Arielle¡¯s face the moment he finished speaking.


    Vinson¡¯s heart tightened as he asked with furrowed brows, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you okay?¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 241

    Chapter 241


    Chapter 241 I Will Remain By Your Side


    The worry written on Vinson¡¯s face was crystal clear.


    Arielle was originally feeling forlorn earlier, but now that she saw Vinson, sadness welled up in her and


    she had an urge to cry.


    I was still doing okay earlier. Why did I feel so weak now that Vinson is here?


    She gave herself a self-mockingugh and sniffled before saying, ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m not doing okay?


    You should check on Yvette and see if she¡¯s alright.¡±


    Vinson still looked worried nheless. He continued to stare at her, observing for any tiny change of


    expression on her face.


    He could tell that there was still a hint of sorrow that she failed to cover up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if Yvette is not okay. I just want to know what you¡¯re thinking. Why do you look so


    unhappy?¡± Vinson asked with a frown.


    Arielle knew that she could hide what she was feeling from a lot of people, but Vinson wasn¡¯t one of


    them.


    It was as though he could see right through her.


    ¡°Fine, you caught me. I just think that even someone like Yvette has a father who loves her. I¡¯m the only


    one who¡¯s alone. That¡¯s why I was feeling down about it. It¡¯s not a big deal. I¡¯m already feeling better,¡±


    Arielle said helplessly.


    As she spoke, she forced herself to put on a bright smile.


    However, Vinson¡¯s expression remained the same.


    He gazed at her intently and suddenly said, ¡°I¡¯ll always remain by your side.¡±


    Arielle was stunned but she quickly nodded. ¡°I know. You¡¯re a great friend and I¡¯m very lucky to have


    you as my friend.¡±


    Vinson opened his mouth as if he wanted to exin but couldn¡¯t get anything out.


    He had always been someone who would say the opposite of what he actually meant and he knew it as


    well. However, it wasn¡¯t an easy task to change so suddenly.


    In the end, all he said was, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. There¡¯s something I need your help with,¡± Arielle said suddenly.


    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked.


    He would help her no matter what it was.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Arielle smiled at that, happy that there wasn¡¯t a need to beat around the bush with her friend. She got


    straight to the point and told him what she needed help with.


    Upon hearing her request, Vinson instantly made a call and ryed her words to Rayson. He then


    added in the end, ¡°Stop whatever you¡¯re doing right now and settle this first.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± his assistant quickly answered and went to handle the matter.


    Meanwhile, in the guest room on the second floor, Yvette was still mesmerized by Jordan¡¯s supposed


    gentleness and dominance. Suddenly, a bang sounded. Someone had kicked down the door.


    The room she chose didn¡¯t have good soundproofing and the door panel was weak. As such, it doesn¡¯t


    take much force before the door fell onto the floor from the kick.


    The two people that were entangled in bed sat up upon hearing themotion.


    Yvette quickly looked toward the doorway and saw Russell, who was ring coldly at her, along with a


    group of housekeepers.


    ¡°Dad¡­¡±


    She jumped from shock at the sight of him.


    Once she snapped out of it, she quickly covered herself up with the covers.


    Even though Yvette was shocked that her father had barged into the room, she wasn¡¯t the least bit


    afraid.


    The reason being the one she had slept with was Jordan. She wasn¡¯t afraid that word about this would


    get out since this would mean that Jordan would not be able to get out of marrying her even if he


    wanted to.


    How will the Bakers deny it now that everything is toote?


    They say that one must notpletely believe in a man¡¯s words. She had to take advantage of this


    chance.


    To her, it seemed like Russell had appeared right on time.


    Yvette didn¡¯t forget to cover up ¡°Jordan¡± as she covered herself up. But she didn¡¯t cover up his face, for


    she wanted everyone to see the man she had slept with.

 Chapter 242

    Chapter 242


    Chapter 242 Disgusted


    Once Yvette was done, she met eyes with her father and asked somewhat helplessly, ¡°Dad¡­ Why did


    you barge in here?¡±


    Russell was still burning with anger, and his face was flushed a dark shade of red.


    If he wasn¡¯t all cured now, he definitely would have had a heart attack right then.


    ¡°Why did I barge in? You dare ask me that when you did such a shameless and embarrassing thing?


    Don¡¯t you feel ashamed? Don¡¯t you have any f*cking sense of shame at all?¡± he roared.


    Russell, who had never cursed before, couldn¡¯t keep his cool anymore.


    Yvette didn¡¯t understand why he was so angry. Doesn¡¯t Dad wish for me to get married to Jordan?


    I only did this because I like Jordan. Besides, with this, our family would be able to grow stronger and


    be the second Southall Group.


    ¡°I know that it¡¯s not right to do something like this before marriage. But do you have to get so angry?


    We¡¯re going to get married anyway,¡± she said in dissatisfaction.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Russell eximed as his eyes widened.


    He was so angry that his chest began heaving rapidly as if he wouldn¡¯t be able to get enough air in his


    lungs if he didn¡¯t do so.


    He couldn¡¯t believe that not only was his daughter unrepentant, but she even said that they would be


    getting married in such a justified tone.


    At the sight of this, ra instantly consoled, ¡°Please calm down, Mr. Actonward. Your body won¡¯t be


    able to take it.¡±


    As she spoke, she turned to Yvette and said, ¡°Hurry up and get dressed, Ms. Yvette. Kneel and


    apologize to Mr. Actonward once you¡¯re done. You¡¯ve made a grave mistake. This is just ridiculous!¡±


    Annoyance washed over thetter as she said with a frown, ¡°Ridiculous? How is sleeping with my


    husband-to-be ridiculous? You¡¯re thinking like an old geezer, Dad! To us youngsters, sleeping with


    someone we¡¯re going to marry is a normal thing.¡±


    Russell fumed even more at her words.


    He took in a few deep breaths before shouting, ¡°Getting married? Have you gone nuts? I don¡¯t care


    how much alcohol you drank earlier, you must kneel and apologize right this instant! And you! Mason


    Moore! Is this how you repay me for supporting you financially for your studies and providing you with a


    house in Jadeborough?¡±


    Having heard that, Yvette said in confusion, ¡°Dad, did Arielle do something and made you catch


    another disease? What do you mean Mason? This is J-¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, she heard Mason¡¯s weak voice from beside her, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Uncle


    Russell.¡±


    The Moores and the Actonwards were actually distant rtives. The only reason he called Russell


    ¡°Uncle¡± was just to sound like they have a close rtionship with each other.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    However, the way he addressed Russell wasn¡¯t the point. It was his voice.


    Upon hearing the familiar voice and recognized that it wasn¡¯t Jordan¡¯s, Yvette¡¯s body stiffened and her


    head snapped to look at the ¡°Jordan¡± next to her.


    At some point, his handsome face had turned into Mason¡¯s ugly one.


    It¡¯s Mason Moore¡­


    How could it be Mason?


    Wasn¡¯t I with Jordan the whole time?


    How can it be Mason?


    Her face turned as white as sheet, and she was at a loss for words.


    A disgusted feeling entangled her, and she even thought of ending her own life.


    A momentter, she watched as Mason cover up his important parts with the covers before he knelt,


    facing Russell¡¯s direction. Even though he looked guilty, his tone was firm as he said, ¡°Uncle Russell,


    Yvette and I¡­ Both our families are just distant rtives so we don¡¯t have to avoid the rule of direct


    rtionships within three generations. My feelings for Yvette are true and I will take responsibility for


    her. I¡¯ll treat her well for the rest of my life. Please believe me.¡±

 Chapter 243

    Chapter 243


    Chapter 243 Get Lost


    It was then that Yvette finally snapped out of her daze and screamed, ¡°No!¡±


    I don¡¯t want Mason to take responsibility!


    I want Jordan! I only want Jordan!


    Mason was shocked at her sudden outcry.


    He looked at her in bewilderment, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Yvette?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! Don¡¯t call my name either! I don¡¯t want to hear your disgusting voice! Get lost! Get lost


    right now!¡±


    As she screamed and bellowed, she kicked Mason and he instantly fell off the bed.


    He hissed in pain and was unable to understand her sudden change in attitude toward him.


    Is it because Uncle Russell is here?


    Mason suddenly had the feeling that he had lost something precious to him and he instinctively tried to


    climb back onto the bed.


    However, he had only touched the sides of the bed when Yvette kicked him again.


    ¡°Get lost! I said get lost!¡±


    Her face was so twisted in fury that it was hard to see how she actually looked anymore.


    Mason fell into a daze.


    He couldn¡¯t understand why she had such a big change of attitude.


    But whatever Yvette said goes. As such, Mason quickly picked up his clothes and made a dash for the


    door after he put on his underwear.


    Russell couldn¡¯t understand what was wrong with her daughter as well. Both of them were having such


    a passionate time earlier. Yet, now that things had gone south, she¡¯s asking him to get lost?


    Just what kind of daughter did I raise?


    Of course, Russell wanted Mason to get lost as well. But it was all toote now.


    Everyone already knew about this. It was pointless even if Mason were to offer his life as penance.


    The only way to continue was to endure the disgusting feeling and make the best out of it.


    Yvette was his only daughter after all. He could only choose to protect her.


    At the thought of this, Russell reached out and stopped Mason who was about to run out.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Thetter could tell that Russell was feeling guilty. He knew that there was no way he could impress


    Russell on his own. Besides, their family was rted. Even though it had been three generations, it still


    wasn¡¯t a good thing to tell others.


    They weren¡¯t living in ancient times, after all. In the past, cousins marrying each other was a normal


    thing. But it wasn¡¯t like that now.


    Seeing that Russell had stopped him, Mason was feeling even more confused. I thought Uncle Russell


    wouldn¡¯t want to see me either, am I wrong?


    ¡°U-Uncle Russell, what¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked curiously.


    Russell¡¯s face darkened as he answered with a question, ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±


    ¡°I- Yvette told me to leave.¡±


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s downstairs right now and all of them knew what you did. Aren¡¯t you just asking to be


    shamed even more by going downstairs now?¡± Russell said coldly.


    Both Yvette and Mason were shocked to hear that.


    Yvette broke down as she asked, ¡°How did they know?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all because you wanted to show off the renovations of the house! You put up surveince cameras


    and even showed the surveince footage in the hall downstairs. Everyone saw for themselves what


    the two of you did!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Yvette let out an agonizing scream upon hearing that.


    Her thoughts were in a chaotic mess and her chest rose and fell with her breaths. She even had


    thoughts of killing herself.


    It would have been fine if people saw her with Jordan. But instead, they saw her with Mason, who was


    such an ugly man.


    No. Something¡¯s wrong¡­


    Yvette suddenly realized that she had only taken a few sips of wine. How did I mistake Mason for


    Jordan when both of them lookpletely different?


    Her head snapped to the aroma diffuser near the entrance. It was still burning and the glowing embers


    reminded her of a poisonous snake that was hissing at her.

 Chapter 244

    Chapter 244


    Chapter 244 Promiscuous


    The aroma diffuser!


    Yvette was sure the problemid with the aroma diffuser. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have mistaken


    Mason for Jordan.


    Didn¡¯t Matthias say the effect would onlyst for fifteen minutes? How could I still have been affected


    by it?


    Unless¡­ does Arielle have something to do with it?


    After giving it much thought, Yvette eventually shook the idea off. Matthias was the one who obtained


    the drug from overseas, and even if Arielle had medical expertise, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to


    extend the effects.


    Matthias must have been careless and left the smell lingering in the air. That¡¯s why I got affected!


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    For a while, Yvette was at a loss for words and overwhelmed by despair.


    She had intended to set Arielle up, but s, the n backfired on her. What made it worse was that


    she couldn¡¯t tell anyone about it without exposing her malicious intent toward Arielle.


    How am I supposed to go on after what happened?


    Jordan definitely wouldn¡¯t want me anymore!


    Despite her mounting anxiety, Yvette had no choice but to suffer in silence.


    Russell felt a pang of sympathy when he saw how pale and helpless Yvette looked.


    She was his daughter, after all, and he couldn¡¯t leave her in the lurch.


    Having made up his mind, Russell gritted his teeth.


    Fine. Let¡¯s make the best out of a bad situation.


    ¡°Mason!¡± Russell eximed, mixed feelings swirling inside of him. ¡°Do you swear to treat Yvette well for


    the rest of your life? Will you love her, care for her, and never let her down?¡±


    Mason instinctively straightened his back and raised his right hand. ¡°I promise to love Yvette and care


    for her as long as we both shall live!¡±


    Russell sighed in resignation and nodded. ¡°Okay. I got it.¡±


    Stunned by the sudden promation, Yvette trembled as she asked, ¡°Got what, Dad? What are you


    nning to do?¡±


    Try as she might, Yvette couldn¡¯t shake off the bad feeling of what was to follow.


    ¡°What do you think I n on doing?¡± Russell bellowed. ¡°We owe everyone an exnation after your


    shameful act! Otherwise, how are you going to live with it? How will our family be able to face society


    again?¡±


    Yvette stared open-mouthed before stuttering in disbelief, ¡°S-So¡­ What are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°The two of you are going to get married!¡±


    Thrilled by the decision, Mason¡¯s eyes lit up. Yvette, on the other hand, was so overwhelmed by rage


    that she felt her vision blurring.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to marry him. I want to marry Jordan¡­¡± Yvette muttered under her breath before she


    cked out.


    Unfortunately, Mason had heard her words, and his face immediately fell.


    ¡°Yvette, didn¡¯t you say you like me?¡±


    s, Yvette was already dead to the world, so all Mason got in response was utter silence.


    Despite seeing his daughter faint from the shock, Russell remained unfazed, his sympathy for her long


    gone.


    ¡°ra, get Yvette dressed and have Dr. Jangler check on her!¡± Russell said coldly. ¡°Mason,e with


    me. I need to give an exnation to everyone. All you need to doter is to listen, and don¡¯t say a


    word.¡±


    As reluctant as he was, Mason put his worry for Yvette aside and followed Russell downstairs.


    Unsurprisingly, all the guests were still milling around downstairs. To them, the whole fiasco was a good


    show that they couldn¡¯t afford to miss.


    Even those who initially turned down the party invite had shown up after hearing about the juicy


    scandal.


    As such, guests continued to stream in, making the hall livelier than ever.


    After all, to gossip was human nature.


    Once they saw Russelle down the stairs with Mason, the male lead in the video, the excitement


    among the guests got even more intense.

 Chapter 245

    Chapter 245


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 245


    ¡°What¡¯s happening now? Is Russell going to punish Mason right here?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like it, though.¡±


    ¡°D*mn. I¡¯m so d I made it in time for this!¡±


    ¡°Am I the only one who finds it strange that none of the Bakers has turned up for Yvette¡¯s birthday


    party? No matter how busy they are, surely they can afford toe over for a while?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps the Bakers already knew what a shameless and promiscuous woman Yvette is!¡±


    Arielle remained silent even as the guests continued with their fervent discussion and spections.


    She had already guessed Russell¡¯s next course of action, but thankfully, she had a backup n.


    Arielle was no saint, and she especially couldn¡¯t forgive Yvette for wanting to destroy her reputation.


    For those who loved her, she loved them fiercely back. But for those who meant her harm, it was


    an eye for an eye. Thus, Arielle was determined to let Yvette have a taste of her own medicine.


    Why isn¡¯t Vinson back yet, though? It has been so long. Could he have run into some obstacles?


    Meanwhile, under the watchful eyes of his guests, Russell calmly led Mason onto the stage.


    This time, however, Russell was in a different state of mind.


    The first time he stood on the stage, he was happily celebrating his daughter¡¯s birthday. Now, he was


    going to have to put on a pretense and lie through his teeth.


    Russell epted the microphone from his housekeeper and took a deep breath.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    It was tough having to face a group of guests, who had only swarmed in to watch the show. Russell


    wanted nothing more than to chase all of them out, but he knew he couldn¡¯t do that.


    If he did, not only would the Actonwards not be able to live down the


    embarrassment, but they would also offend many people in their circle. It might even lead to them


    spreading the rumor about Yvette being nothing more than a promiscuous woman.


    As such, there was nothing else Russell could do other than to offer a reasonable exnation.


    Ove


    Steeling himself, Russell forced a smile and pulled Mason toward him. ¡°Everyone, what happened


    today was truly shameful, and I sincerely apologize for it. I have prepared a gift for each of you which


    you can take on your way out. And now, I have two other announcements to make.¡±


    The guests craned their necks excitedly, waiting to hear what Russell had to say


    However, no matter what Russell said, they knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to hide the fact that Yvette had


    messed around with Mason while being engaged. There was no way he could exin his way out of


    that.


    After a pause, Russell continued, ¡°The truth is, I had intended to make one of those announcements


    right from the start. But as you know, I fainted and


    subsequently forgot about it. I gues¡¯s now¡¯s as good a time as any to break the news.¡±


    Everyone got even more curious and started chattering among themselves.


    ¡°Truth be told, Yvette had broken off her engagement with the Bakers a while back.¡±


    After such shocking news, the room was instantly in an uproar.


    ¡°So the Actonwards called off the engagement with the Bakers? No wonder the Bakers didn¡¯t respond


    even with what was happening on the inte.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! But why would Yvette ditch a perfect man like Jordan Baker to be with Mason Moore?¡±


    Just then, someone shouted, ¡°Even with the engagement called off, it¡¯s still inappropriate for Yvette to


    be involved with Mason, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Russell knew the question wasing and calmly replied, ¡°That¡¯s what I was about to announce.


    Yvette is already engaged to Mason.¡±


    Once again, everyone was taken aback.


    Russell added, ¡°My original n was to announce this tomorrow after they¡¯ve collected their marriage


    certificate. But after what happened, I can¡¯t dy that anymore. I do believe that you aren¡¯t pedantic


    people, so naturally, you can understand the needs that an engaged couple might have at home.¡±

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    Chapter 246


    Several older guests nodded at Russell¡¯s words. ¡°Indeed. That¡¯s very understandable.¡±


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    The younger guests, on the other hand, were dubious about it. ¡°How is it that we haven¡¯t heard


    anything about Ms. Actonward getting married?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Actonward, is this just an excuse to cover up the scandal?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯ve also heard that Yvette and Mason are cousins!¡±


    Russell broke intoughter as he exined, ¡°We¡¯re distant rtives with the Moores, and it¡¯s only out


    of affection that Yvette calls him her cousin. As a father, do you think I¡¯ll let them be together if they


    were closely rted?¡±


    The crowd seemed to have bought into Russell¡¯s exnation. Even those who still harbored suspicions


    decided to hold their tongues.


    After all, this was the Actonwards¡¯ family matter, and it would be more prudent for outsiders to stay out


    of it.


    .


    Pleased with how everyone seemed to have epted his rification, Russell pulled Mason in closer.


    ¡°From tomorrow onward, Mason will officially be my son-inw. As such, I¡¯d like to ask you to


    delete the video recordings you may have taken. If I find anyone circting the video, I¡¯ll have to go


    through the legal channels.¡±


    The guilty parties cleared their throats awkwardly and proceeded to delete the video from their phones.


    No one wanted to invite trouble to themselves, especially when the rtionship between Yvette and


    Mason was now legitimate.


    Just then, one of Russell¡¯s housekeepers suddenly rushed in with a note in his hand.


    ¡°Mr. Actonward! I¡¯ve found everything out!¡± he shouted excitedly.


    Everyone had their attention fixed on the housekeeper, not realizing that Vinson was hiding behind the


    door.


    Arielle, however, saw him.


    Vinson gave her a look of assurance, and


    Arielle nodded knowingly with a faint smile.


    The final act of the show had begun, and Arielle couldn¡¯t have asked for better timing.


    Russell barely had time to react to the sudden interruption. ¡°What have you found?¡±


    Unbeknownst to everyone, Vinson had bribed the housekeeper, who was now giving it his all to act out


    the scene. ¡°I¡¯ve found out who was responsible for your stroke!¡±


    Russell wanted to hear it in private, but he was toote to stop the housekeeper. ¡°Ms. Yvette was the


    one who bought the ck evening gown! She chose it herself before getting one of the shop assistants


    to send it to the Southalls. I¡¯ve even found that shop assistant, and you can verify it with him!¡±


    Everyone gasped.


    ¡°So Ms. Yvette nned to frame Arielle Southall, only to end up almost killing her own father!¡±


    ¡°D*mn, I¡¯m getting goosebumps just by hearing this. What kind of grudge was it that made Yvette do


    something so heinous?¡±


    ¡°Women can be so vicious when they¡¯re mad! My advice to us men is to treasure our life and stay away


    from women. But more importantly, stay away from Yvette Actonward!¡±


    Russell¡¯s hand started to tremble as he felt cold shivers run down his spine.


    If Yvette¡®s the mastermind, does that mean she has been making use of me this whole time?


    She¡®s this ruthless even though I¡®m her father. What else can she not do?


    Before Russell could say anything, Mason suddenly yelled, ¡°That¡¯s impossible! Yvette isn¡¯t like that!¡±


    Arielle, who had been waiting for this moment, finally chimed in, ¡°Mason, one can never judge a book


    by its cover. There¡¯s even evidence to prove it, and yet you still won¡¯t believe it?¡±


    Mason stared daggers at Arielle and snarled. ¡°Shut up! You¡¯re the worst of them all, you vile woman!¡±


    Before Arielle could reply, Vinson, who had wanted to stay out of the limelight, decided to show himself.

 Chapter 247

    Chapter 247


    As soon as Vinson walked into the room, all eyes were on him.


    He was a powerful man whose presence alone couldmand a room even without him saying


    anything.


    Vinson¡¯s unexpected visit had dealt another shock to Russell as he stuttered, ¡°M-Mr. Nightshire, what


    are you¡­¡±


    Before Russell could finish his question, Vinson had raised a hand to interrupt him while fixing a cold,


    hard stare at Mason. ¡°You won¡¯t admonish the truly vicious one, but you¡¯ll call Arielle a vile woman?


    Have you forgotten that it was Arielle who saved Mr. Actonward? I¡¯m starting to wonder if there¡¯s


    something wrong with your head.¡±


    Despite boiling with rage, Mason didn¡¯t dare raise his voice at Vinson. ¡°Mr. Nightshire, you can¡¯t just


    listen to one side of the story. These days, anything can be made up, including sales slips and shop


    assistants. I know Yvette well, and I can vouch for her integrity. Besides, what good is there if she killed


    Mr. Actonward?¡±


    Russell stood by silently with his eyes tightly shut, his mind in utter confusion.


    Yvette was his daughter, and he refused to believe that she could be capable of such malice.


    However, after witnessing everything that Yvette had done that day, he was starting to wonder if he had


    misjudged his daughter.


    Vinson merely looked Mason in his eyes, the disdain in his gaze growing even more intense by the


    second.


    Mason felt increasingly ufortable by the mounting pressure as Vinson continued to stare him


    down.


    Mustering up his courage, Mason asked, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, I¡¯m sure my suggestions are reasonable. Why


    are you looking at me like that?¡±


    Vinson pursed his lips and smiled. ¡°You want to know the truth? Why not just get the person in to ask?¡±


    Mason intentionally turned his gaze toward Arielle as he replied, ¡°Because it isn¡¯t difficult to bribe


    people.¡±


    With a nonchnt shrug, Arielle quipped,


    ¡°With Mr. Nightshire here, who would dare


    to lie?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s reply had stumped Mason as he continued to re at her as if wanting to swallow her whole.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Mr. Actonward, I think we should get the person here and hear what he has to say.¡± Vinson suggested.


    es


    After a slight hesitation, Russell gave a dryugh. ¡°Mr. Nightshire, I wouldn¡¯t want to waste your time


    with our family affair. Once the birthday party is over, I will get the person here and ask Yvette myself.


    Rest assured that I¡¯ll get to the bottom of this.¡±


    ¡°Ha! Mr. Actonward, do you think this only concerns your family? Ms. Actonward¡¯s actions have also


    hurt Ms. Southall, so this is no longer just your family affair.¡±


    Russell finally buckled under the pressure and nodded in agreement. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get the person here


    then. I know Yvette has been spoilt rotten by me and offended countless people. Who knows if


    someone¡¯s using this opportunity to use her of being unfilial and


    unfaithful?¡±


    Deep down, Russell still refused to believe that Yvette had made use of him to frame others.


    To every father, their daughters were always the most innocent and could never do any wrong.


    Vinson raised an eyebrow and nced at the housekeeper, who immediately understood his intention.


    Soon, the housekeeper returned with a neatly suited up salesman in tow.


    When he saw how big the crowd was and felt the tension in the air, the salesman gulped, apprehension


    filling him.


    Mason marched up to the salesman and barked, ¡°Tell me, who bribed you to frame Yvette? Do you


    know that you can go to jail for making false statements?¡±


    Frightened by how menacing Mason looked, the salesman didn¡¯t dare to make a peep.

 Chapter 248

    Chapter 248


    Thankfully, Arielle stepped in to save the salesman. ¡°Mister, we¡¯ve called you here today to uncover the


    truth. As long as you¡¯re honest, nobody can send you to jail.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Arielle, with her beautiful and gentle eyes, was a stark contrast to Mason. The salesman immediately


    calmed himself down and nodded his thanks.


    ¡°Do you remember Ms. Actonward? Did she buy a ck evening gown from your shop?¡± Arielle asked.


    ¡°Yes. Ms. Actonward is our shop¡¯s regr and also a VIP. Two days ago, she bought a ck evening


    gown from us. I remember it well because it was one size smaller than her usual sizing. She said it was


    for a friend and had me send it directly to the address she gave. I did as told and have no idea what


    happened after.¡±


    ncing at Mason, the salesman added, ¡°Everything I¡¯ve said is the truth. You can hold me


    responsible for it.¡±


    ¡°What do you have to say now, Mason?¡± Arielle asked with raised brows.


    Mason took a while to collect his thoughts


    before replying, ¡°He could still be lying about it. Bribe him with enough money, and he might be willing


    to risk going to jail over a false statement.¡±


    Just then, the salesman butted in, ¡°I have other evidence to prove that I wasn¡¯t lying!¡±


    No matter what it took, he was going to prove that he was telling the truth. No


    way am I going to jail for something I didn¡®t do!


    The salesman walked to the housekeeper and took the slip of paper from him. ¡°This is the receipt that


    has the member and credit card details. Not only will you find Ms. Actonward¡¯s name, but you¡¯ll also


    find her signature.¡±


    Mason was about to verify the receipt¡¯s authenticity when Russell beat him to it.


    A few secondster, Russell¡¯s expression changed drastically


    He recognized the card instantly because it was the supplementary card he had gotten for Yvette.


    Besides, he was so familiar with her signature that there was no way he could


    have mistaken it.


    Yvette¡®s responsible for everything!


    ¡°D*mn that child!¡± Russell snapped, his eyes zing with anger. How he wished he could have another


    fainting spell to hide from the ugly truth. The pain and shame were just too much to endure.


    Russell¡¯s reaction was all the crowd needed to know that the salesman hadn¡¯t been lying.


    Yvette had bought the gown to frame Arielle, which almost drove her father to his death.


    Her actions were so vicious it was almost unbelievable.


    Russell might be better off with a venomous pet snake than Yvette. Snakes at least knew not to bite


    their owners, but Yvette had shown that she would stop at nothing to achieve her goals, even if it meant


    hurting her family.


    To put it simply, she was worse than a snake.


    Right at that moment, Yvette was hurriedly making her way down the stairs.


    After hearing from ra that her father was marrying her off to Mason, Yvette had thrown caution to


    the wind and rushed to find Russell.


    In her hurry, Yvette failed to notice how everyone in the hall was giving her odd looks. Her only goal


    was to get to Russell before it got toote.


    As soon as she saw Russell, Yvette cried out, ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t want to marry Mason!¡±


    Mason stiffened momentarily before whispering, ¡°Yvette, now¡¯s not the time to talk about that, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    It hade to a point where Yvette found Mason so revolting that she couldn¡¯t stand to look at his face


    nor listen to his voice.


    If only I could go back in time and prevent this ugly monster from touching me! I¡®m too good for him!


    Mason was neither blind nor dumb. He


    could see from Yvette¡¯s eyes just how much contempt she had for him.


    The pain he felt from being snubbed was so overwhelming that it left him speechless.

 Chapter 249

    Chapter 249


    Yvette tugged at Russell¡¯s sleeve and continued to plead, ¡°Dad, please. I know what I did was wrong,


    but I don¡¯t want to marry him!¡±


    Russell flung her hand away and scowled, his expression a mixture of sorrow and disgust. ¡°What


    exactly have you done? I¡¯ve let yourte mother down for not having raised you well! Confess all your


    dirty deeds now, and I never want to see you again!¡±


    Yvette froze as all the color drained from her face.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Confess?


    Sure, I did sleep with Mason. It may be shameful, but it¡®s not a crime. So


    what¡¯s there for me to confess?


    ¡°Yvette, you¡¯ve let my family down too.¡± Arielle said with sadness in her voice. ¡°To think our mothers


    even share the same family name. The Moores have always been kind and just. How is it possible that


    you turned out like this?¡±


    Besides Mason, the other person Yvette least wanted to see was Arielle, but now


    there was no running away from that.


    If it weren¡®t for Arielle, I wouldn¡®t have be like this!


    ¡°You b*tch! Since when is it your ce to intervene in my family matters? You¡¯re just a country


    bumpkin. What gives you the right to lecture me?¡±


    Arielle shook her head helplessly before continuing, ¡°Even now, you¡¯re still unrepentant. I hate to say


    this, but it seems like you¡¯re beyond help. I have no right toment on the rtionship between you


    and your cousin. But I can¡¯t let you off for what you¡¯ve done to Shandie! I¡¯m going to call the police!¡±


    Yvette drew a sharp intake of breath as she looked on in bewilderment. ¡°What do you mean?


    Arielle pulled the salesman toward her and asked, ¡°Maybe this man will jog your memory?¡±


    Yvette nced at the salesman and recognized him within seconds, much to her horror.


    Face ashen, Yvette shook her head defiantly. ¡°I don¡¯t know him!¡±


    Arielle smirked and showed the receipt in Russell¡¯s hand to Yvette. ¡°Then surely you can recognize


    your own signature?¡±


    Panic surged through Yvette as she looked at Russell warily.


    All she saw was the disappointment and anger in her father¡¯s eyes.


    Yvette finally realized why the hall had been so quiet ever since she walked in. It was because


    everything she did, had been brought to light.


    It¡®s over. I¡®m doomed!


    How is this possible, though? I had bribed this salesman with arge sum of money


    to shut him up. How could this still happen?


    Yvette felt her pulse racing as she nced furtively around. All of a sudden, she snatched the receipt


    from Arielle¡¯s hand and shredded it into pieces.


    Still boiling with rage, Yvette walked up to Arielle with the intent of taking her anger


    out on her.


    However, before Yvette could p Arielle, a hand had firmly grabbed her wrist and shoved her away.


    The force was so strong that it sent Yvette tumbling onto the floor as she yelped in


    pain.


    When she looked up, all she saw was a handsome face with a pair of piercing, cold eyes. Those eyes


    stared at her so intensely that she felt herself cowering in fear.


    ve


    Shit. It¡®s Vinson!


    Yvette¡¯s eyes grew impossibly wide as questions started flooding her mind.


    What is Vinson doing here? I never invited


    him!


    Arielle! It had to be her! She called Vinson


    here!


    Everything started to fall into ce as Yvette connected the dots.


    No wonder the salesman¡®s here running his


    mouth instead of keeping it shut as we agreed. It¡®s all because Arielle had gotten Vinson to help her.


    Arielle, you b*tch!


    After what Arielle had done, Yvette was even more determined to drag Arielle down with her, no matter


    what it took.


    Consumed by rage, even her initial fear for Vinson had disappeared. Yvette¡¯s only target now was the


    woman who hadnded her in this mess. I¡¯m going to f*cking kill Arielle!


    With that thought, Yvette got up to her feet and dashed toward Arielle.


    ¡°B*tch! I¡¯m going to kill you!¡±


    However, Yvette had barely taken two steps forward when a hand pped her hard across her face.

 Chapter 250

    Chapter 250


    Yvette hadn¡¯t even seen the ping until she felt it on her. Once again, she found herself on the


    floor, seeing stars from the sheer force of the p.


    As soon as she got back to her senses, Yvette realized there was blood trickling from her mouth


    To her horror, on top of the pain on her face, she could also feel a toothing loose.


    Yvette grimaced as she clutched her face, staring in utter disbelief at the person who had just pped


    her.


    ¡°Dad?¡±


    Am / seeing things?


    Dad loves me the most, so why would he be so heavy¨Chanded on me?


    s, there was no denying that Russell had indeed pped his daughter.


    Mason quickly made his way toward Yvette and tried to help her up.


    However, before he could even reach his


    hand out, Yvette had unceremoniously kicked him away.


    ¡°Go away! Don¡¯t touch me!¡±


    There was so much contempt in Yvette¡¯s gaze that it seemed as if she couldn¡¯t wait to get rid of Mason.


    Even with enemies, there was no need to harbor that much hatred.


    ¡°Yvette?¡± Mason whispered, sadness flitting across his face.


    However, Yvette had no interest in returning Mason¡¯s gaze as she continued to stare nkly at her


    father.


    Russell looked away in a mixture of shame and anger before turning to his housekeepers. ¡°Take her


    back to her room and lock her up. No one is to let her out without my orders!¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Yvette whimpered, shaking her head frantically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dad! I was wrong. I know I was


    wrong!¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Before she could say anymore, two of Russell¡¯s bodyguards had already stepped


    forward and dragged her back upstairs. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn¡¯t get out of their


    grasp.


    Yvette¡¯s screams gradually faded into the distance, and silence once again filled the hall.


    Not wanting to stay on any longer, some of the guests went up tofort Russell before bidding


    goodbye.


    Try as he might, Russell couldn¡¯t force any smiles out as he thanked his guests and had his


    housekeepers send them out.


    Once the first guest had left, the others soon followed suit.


    Before long, there were only a handful of people left in the hall.


    With the matter resolved, there was no reason for Arielle to stay on any longer as she made her way


    toward Russell. ¡°I¡¯ll be going now. Well, I hope you won¡¯t be too sad. Yvette is still young, and mistakes


    are inevitable. With the right guidance, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll work out. As for my family, rest assured that I¡¯ll


    intercede for Yvette.¡±


    Russell looked on with weary sadness on his face and bloodshot eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said apologetically. ¡°When Yvette lost her mother, I chose not to remarry because I was


    afraid she might not like having a stepmother. I spoiled her out of love, and look what good that did her.


    I¡¯ll visit your family tomorrow to offer my apologies. But for tonight, please apologize to Rick and


    Shandie on my behalf.¡±


    With that, Russell beckoned for his housekeeper to pass a gift to Arielle.


    Arielle instinctively rejected it. ¡°Oh, no. There¡¯s no need for this¡­¡±


    Ultimately, Arielle had a part to y in everything that happened that night.


    Even though she had no regrets, she still didn¡¯t feel right to ept Russell¡¯s gift.


    However, Russell remained insistent on her keeping the gift. ¡°You saved my life. I¡¯d feel bad if you don¡¯t


    ept it.¡±


    Left without a choice, Arielle epted the gift with a polite smile.


    On her way back in Vinson¡¯s car, Arielle opened the gift box out of curiosity.


    To her surprise, it was a gorgeous diamond bracelet.


    Vinson took one nce at it and immediately recognized it. ¡°That bracelet has been in the royal family.


    I heard that Russell had gotten it at an auction for two hundred million. I¡¯m impressed he could part with


    it that easily.¡±


    Looking at the bracelet, Arielle let out a deep sigh. ¡°Vinson, do you think I¡¯ve gone overboard?¡±


    Rate the Trantion to Get 2 Pearls.


    ¡­ Wait! I Have Something to Say!

 Chapter 251

    Chapter 251


    Raising his gaze to her, Vinson asked curiously, ¡°How can you think that? Yvette is responsible for


    everything that happened tonight. She is just reaping what she sowed. If you hadn¡¯t been smart enough


    to see through her plot, you would have been the one suffering the consequences.


    Arielle couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Vinson, suddenly get the feeling that you know me very well.¡±


    Vinson shrugged. ¡°I feel otherwise. The better I know you, the more I don¡¯t understand you.¡±


    Laughing, Arielle replied, ¡°Yvette isn¡¯t the only one responsible for tonight.¡±


    Vinson raised his eyebrows at once. ¡°Who else is involved?¡±


    ¡°I also saw Cindy¡­ and her lover,¡± Arielle answered.


    Vinson was slightly surprised but quickly digested the fact that Cindy had a lover.


    Given that she could still get married after having an affair with her brother¨Cinw, I


    shouldn¡®t be surprised by the fact that she has a lover


    With a darkened expression, Vinson remarked, ¡°Despite being exiled to the monastery, she still has a


    lover doing her bidding. That¡¯s quite a surprise. What¡¯s his name? Give me his details and I¡¯ll take care


    of him.¡±


    Arielle shook her head to decline. ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯m not the one who wants him disposed of;


    Henrick is. If he knows about that guy¡¯s existence, he will definitely be ¡°pleasantly surprised¡¯.¡±


    Vinson smirked. ¡°No wonder you refrained from making any moves. That¡¯s a good idea. We can use


    her lover to destroy her. But still, nothing much can be done with her being in the monastery-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Arielle replied as she watched the passing scenery outside the window. ¡°I have a feeling that


    Cindy will be returning soon.¡±


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Vinson was puzzled. ¡°Since Cindy is already there, wouldn¡¯t Henrick not think of her for the time


    being?¡±


    Climatet 251


    Pursing her lips into a smile, Arielle replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s just a gut feeling. Haven¡¯t you heard how


    urate a woman¡¯s sixth sense is?¡±


    ¡°In that case, we will wait for her to return and deal with them all at once.¡±


    Arielle nodded in agreement. However, she knew deep down that the matter wasn¡¯t as simple as


    Vinson was making it out to be.


    Furthermore, she was curious as to how Cindy nned on returning.


    Going on a hunger strike or attempting to mutte herself would only anger Henrick further.


    In spite of that, Cindy and her lover were both shrewd characters. Hence, she would definitely not stay


    in the monastery for long.


    Nevertheless, Arielle was already prepared for Cindy¡¯s return


    As she looked out the window and thought about Cindy, the car suddenly came to a stop


    Just when she thought they had arrived at the Southall residence, she realized that they were in front of


    a different mansion.


    There was ake in front of the mansion. Even at night, it was still a beautiful sight to behold.


    In Jadeborough, a simrkeside mansion would cost hundreds of millions. Even then, theck of


    avability made it difficult to buy one even if one could afford


    Arielle gave Vinson a curious look. ¡°What is this ce?¡±


    ¡°My home.¡± Just as he opened the door, Vinson remarked, ¡°I¡¯m hungry. Make me some ravioli.¡±


    Arielle was stumped.


    She was annoyed at Vinson trying to take advantage of her despite how tired she felt.


    Knitting her eyebrows, Arielle asked, ¡°Can do it another day? I¡¯m exhausted today. Besides, there¡¯s


    something else I need to do-¡±


    Raising his eyebrows to make a point, Vinson asserted, ¡°No, you promised me that you will prepare it


    whenever I want it.¡±

 Chapter 252

    Chapter 252


    ¡°You¡­¡± Arielle was filled with exasperation. Nevertheless, she knew that she had to keep her promise.


    Left without a choice, she let herself out of the car under Vinson¡¯s watchful eye. After that, she dragged


    herself and followed him into the mansion.


    Despite how extravagant the mansion looked on the outside, Arielle was surprised to find the interior


    furnishings to be simple.


    The rooms werergely painted in ck. Even the walls were covered with dark colored tiles.


    It was one thing for the hard furnishings to be ck, but another for the soft


    furnishing to also be in ck. Other than some basic furniture, the living hall had nothing else. Even the


    sofa was a single seater, causing the mansion to look eerily empty inside.


    ¡°Does anyone live here?¡± Arielle couldn¡¯t resist asking.


    Vinson grunted before replying, ¡°When I¡¯m not at the manor, I¡¯ll usually be here.¡±


    Chiar 752


    Arielle was shocked. How can it be so spartan with someone living here?


    Cognizant of what was going through her mind, Vinson exined, ¡°I don¡¯t like anyone to disturb me


    here. Besides, the minimal furnishings make it easier to clean.¡±


    Does that mean even a cleaner isn¡®t allowed here?


    The next moment, he added, ¡°Other than Carter and the other two, you¡¯re my first


    guest.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°You seem to be quite the loner.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps.¡± Vinson pointed at the fridge. ¡°The ingredients are all in there.¡±


    Resigned to the fact that she wasn¡¯t there on a tour, Arielle sighed before heading into the kitchen.


    The moment she opened the fridge, she was stunned.


    There were only two eggs inside the fresh vegetablepartment.


    How am I going to make ravioli with just two eggs? Is Vinson overestimating me? know how to


    cook ravioli, but I can¡®t make them out of thin air!


    Just when she was about to question Vinson whether he actually bought any ingredients, his voice


    rang out from outside. ¡°They¡¯re in the freezer.¡±


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    With that, Arielle opened the freezer and saw a few packets of frozen ravioli inside.


    After rummaging through thepartment, she noticed there was nothing else other than the ravioli.


    Did he just bring me here to cook this? Why can¡®t he do something as simple as this himself?


    Vinson exined from behind her, ¡°This batch of ravioli is a new product yet to beunched. We¡¯ll try it


    after you cook them. If they¡¯re uneptable, I¡¯ll stop them from bringing it to market.¡±


    Stunned, she turned around to look at Vinson, who had appeared out of nowhere. She asked, ¡°Did you


    invite me here to test the ravioli?¡±


    After all, anyone could have cooked it. There was no need for her, specifically, to do it.


    Can it be that he is worried that I¡®m hungry? Actually, I haven¡®t eaten anything the entire day, and my sto


    The next moment, she heard Vinson¡¯s reply. ¡°In your dreams. You are good at cooking ravioli. Hence, I


    just want your honest opinion.¡±


    Arielle was exasperated.


    Can I be any more narcissistic? As if he would be someone so attentive and thoughtful. Even if he


    is, he wouldn¡®t behave that way to a friend like me. Instead, he would reserve it for his loved one. What w


    Vinson pestered her, ¡°What are you spacing out for? Get cracking now! I¡¯m hungry. Cook some of each


    avable vor and tell me what you think. If you don¡¯t give me a satisfactory answer, I¡¯m not going to


    let you leave tonight.¡±


    Gritting her teeth, Arielle red at Vinson, ¡°Given that attitude of yours, aren¡¯t you


    worried that you will never get a girlfriend

 Chapter 253

    Chapter 253


    Vinson shrugged. ¡°What¡¯s the use of having one? Stop wasting time and start cooking. I¡¯ll be waiting


    outside.¡±


    Just as he spoke, he walked out with his cutlery and te, as if she was his housekeeper.


    Arielle stomped her feet in frustration, However, she had no choice as she was bound by her word.


    Taking a deep breath, she reminded herself to not make a fuss over the matter. After all, Vinson had


    helped her significantly that evening.


    With that thought in mind, Arielle calmed down and began cooking.


    Obeying Vinson¡¯s instructions, she cooked some of every different vor. Soon, she had prepared two


    tes of freshly cooked ravioli.


    After making the sauce, she poured it over the ravioli before bringing out the tes.


    Vinson was on the phone when he saw Arielle approach. Pointing at the food, he gestured for Arielle to


    start first.


    Coincidentally, Arielle was hungry. Disregarding Vinson, she began to dig in.


    She didn¡¯t feel hungry earlier because there were too many things going on. But now that she had a


    break and Vinson was still on the phone, she realized she was famished. In no time at all, she finished


    a significant portion of the ravioli.


    The amount she ate was a lot more than her usual capacity.


    Putting down her cutlery, she sighed in satisfaction.


    Since she was done, she subconsciously looked in Vinson¡¯s direction.


    He had a grim expression on as he uttered into the phone, ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do if we were


    discovered. You should continue your search and see if you can find anything useful.¡±


    When he was done, Vinson ended the call with a grunt.


    Looking at his solemn face, Arielle couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What happened? Is there anything I can do to


    help?¡±


    Vinson replied candidly, ¡°Harvey has gone to the location you provided and found their hideout.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s eyes lit up before she asked curiously, ¡°So what¡¯s with that expression of yours?¡±


    Sighing, Vinson exined, ¡°By the time they arrived, it was toote as the men were gone. However,


    there was some stuff left behind which I instructed them to recover.¡±


    After pondering a moment, Arielle suggested, ¡°We can conduct a fingerprint analysis of the items and


    see if there¡¯s a match in the database.¡±


    Smiling wryly, Vinson replied, ¡°They already did that, but it was a dead end. The perpetrators¡¯ identities


    are very well hidden. Despite matching against the global database, we were still not able to find any


    matches.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s heart sank in response.


    The killers that were after Vinson were ruthless. Arielle began to worry now that they were unable to


    find them.


    When she saw the ravioli that was getting cold, she reminded Vinson, ¡°At least we discovered their


    hideout. I¡¯m sure we can find a lead in there somewhere. Anyway, don¡¯t dwell on it so much. Have


    some ravioli before it gets cold.¡±


    Vinson replied, ¡°I already had dinner so I¡¯m not hungry. Anyway, I¡¯ll send you home now.¡±


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Just as he spoke, he got to his feet.


    Stunned, Arielle asked, ¡°But I haven¡¯t given you my opinion about the ravioli.¡±


    Isn¡®t that why he wanted me to eat them?


    However, Vinson waved his hand and answered, ¡°The marketing department has specialists to do it.


    So, you don¡¯t have to. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Arielle was dumbstruck as she watched Vinson¡¯s silhouette as he walked out.


    So why did he invite me here? Is it just so that he can treat me to ravioli?


    Arielle didn¡¯t ask nor think too much of it, worried that she would get carried away


    again and feel a sense of inexplicable disappointment.


    Just as their car left the residential area, Arielle made an effort to look at the sign by the entrance. On it


    were the words ¡°Maplke Manor¡± emzoned in gold.

 Chapter 254

    Chapter 254


    Shandie had once mentioned that those who stayed in Maplke Manor were all wealthy, and it was


    her dream to live there one day


    Soon, the car arrived at the Southall residence.


    By then, Arielle was dozing off when she saw Vinson working on something on his tablet intently.


    Arielle then nced over and saw that he was replying to an email.


    For a moment, she had mixed feelings.


    I didn¡®t know Vinson is usuallyso busy.


    Even so, he still brought me out to attend the elites gathering and Yvette¡®s birthday party. But why? Wh


    at¡®s going on in his mind? Is it because I saved his life before?


    Vinson, who was staring at his tablet, suddenly raised his head.


    With that, their gazes met. Arielle was caught off guard, and her cheeks blushed as if she had done


    something guilty.


    Vinson grinned and teased, ¡°Do I look


    good?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s heart palpitated as she coughed to break the awkwardness. With contempt, she said, ¡°You¡¯re


    so narcissistic!¡±


    Seeing her embarrassed look, the smile on Vinson¡¯s face widened as he suddenly stretched out his


    hand to caress Arielle¡¯s soft hair.


    Arielle froze with that one simple action of Vinson¡¯s.


    She had gone through a lot and had met different people in her life. However, she had never had a


    man stroking her hair before.


    The temperature in the car rose rapidly as its atmosphere changed.


    Vinson¡¯s gaze was deep, and his action was gentle. His eyes were filled with emotions that Arielle


    could notprehend.


    ¡°You¡­¡± blurted Arielle.


    Her voice seemed to have snapped Vinson back to his senses.


    He calmly retrieved his hand and asked, ¡°What brand of shampoo do you use? Your hair is really


    smooth.¡±


    With flushed cheeks, Arielle shot him a furious stare and scowled. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡±


    Vinson merely shrugged and replied, ¡°Well, your hair is a mess. I was just trying tob it for you.


    Why are you reacting so strongly? Don¡¯t tell me no man has ever touched you? Now that we are on this


    topic, have you ever been in a rtionship?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Arielle, who had been single all her life, gave an exaggerated smile and answered, ¡°I¡¯ve dated


    many more times than you.¡±


    Vinson arched a brow at her. ¡°Trying to act experienced, are we? Anyway, let¡¯s head back quickly. I


    think the Southalls are still unaware that Yvette was the one who prepared the gown. Shandie is


    probably getting disciplined by Henrick now. Hurry up so you can get a good show.¡±


    Arielle merely felt ufortable and tense when she was alone with Vinson.


    Hence, she only agreed in a whisper and opened the car door without looking back at Vinson.


    I must have been mesmerized by his


    beauty. I can¡®t believe my heart was pounding madly just now. In fact, I¡®ve never felt like this before.


    Halfway through her journey to the doors of the Southall residence, Arielle could not help but touch the


    spot that Vinson had caressed.


    Why is it that the feeling of myself stroking my hair isn¡®t the same as Vinson stroking it? Wait a moment,


    why am I thinking of Vinson again? I must stop thinking about him!


    With that, Arielle patted her face lightly to force herself to stop thinking about Vinson.


    Soon after, she arrived at the mansion.


    Although there was a slight distance before Arielle entered the mansion, she could already hear


    Shandie¡¯s voice begging for mercy as she tried to exin herself.


    ¡°Stop spanking me, Dad! I¡¯m sorry!! shouldn¡¯t have worn the gown. But I did not purchase it myself!¡±


    Smack! A loud spank on the flesh could be heard, followed by Henrick¡¯s scolding.


    ¡°Stoping up with excuses! I thought you would have turned over a new leaf after spending some


    time in the monastery. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re dumber and more evil than before. I¡¯m ashamed to have a


    daughter like you!¡±


    Shandie had once mentioned that those who stayed in Maplke Manor were all wealthy, and it was


    her dream to live there one day


    Soon, the car arrived at the Southall residence.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    By then, Arielle was dozing off when she saw Vinson working on something on his tablet intently.


    Arielle then nced over and saw that he was replying to an email.


    For a moment, she had mixed feelings.


    I didn¡®t know Vinson is usuallyso busy.


    Even so, he still brought me out to attend the elites gathering and Yvette¡®s birthday party. But why? Wh


    at¡®s going on in his mind? Is it because I saved his life before?


    Vinson, who was staring at his tablet, suddenly raised his head.


    With that, their gazes met. Arielle was caught off guard, and her cheeks blushed as if she had done


    something guilty.


    Vinson grinned and teased, ¡°Do I look


    good?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s heart palpitated as she coughed to break the awkwardness. With contempt, she said, ¡°You¡¯re


    so narcissistic!¡±


    Seeing her embarrassed look, the smile on Vinson¡¯s face widened as he suddenly stretched out his


    hand to caress Arielle¡¯s soft hair.


    Arielle froze with that one simple action of Vinson¡¯s.


    She had gone through a lot and had met different people in her life. However, she had never had a


    man stroking her hair before.


    The temperature in the car rose rapidly as its atmosphere changed.


    Vinson¡¯s gaze was deep, and his action was gentle. His eyes were filled with emotions that Arielle


    could notprehend.


    ¡°You¡­¡± blurted Arielle.


    Her voice seemed to have snapped Vinson back to his senses.


    He calmly retrieved his hand and asked, ¡°What brand of shampoo do you use? Your hair is really


    smooth.¡±


    With flushed cheeks, Arielle shot him a furious stare and scowled. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡±


    Vinson merely shrugged and replied, ¡°Well, your hair is a mess. I was just trying tob it for you.


    Why are you reacting so strongly? Don¡¯t tell me no man has ever touched you? Now that we are on this


    topic, have you ever been in a rtionship?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Arielle, who had been single all her life, gave an exaggerated smile and answered, ¡°I¡¯ve dated


    many more times than you.¡±


    Vinson arched a brow at her. ¡°Trying to act experienced, are we? Anyway, let¡¯s head back quickly. I


    think the Southalls are still unaware that Yvette was the one who prepared the gown. Shandie is


    probably getting disciplined by Henrick now. Hurry up so you can get a good show.¡±


    Arielle merely felt ufortable and tense when she was alone with Vinson.


    Hence, she only agreed in a whisper and opened the car door without looking back at Vinson.


    I must have been mesmerized by his


    beauty. I can¡®t believe my heart was pounding madly just now. In fact, I¡®ve never felt like this before.


    Halfway through her journey to the doors of the Southall residence, Arielle could not help but touch the


    spot that Vinson had caressed.


    Why is it that the feeling of myself stroking my hair isn¡®t the same as Vinson stroking it? Wait a moment,


    why am I thinking of Vinson again? I must stop thinking about him!


    With that, Arielle patted her face lightly to force herself to stop thinking about Vinson.


    Soon after, she arrived at the mansion.


    Although there was a slight distance before Arielle entered the mansion, she could already hear


    Shandie¡¯s voice begging for mercy as she tried to exin herself.


    ¡°Stop spanking me, Dad! I¡¯m sorry!! shouldn¡¯t have worn the gown. But I did not purchase it myself!¡±


    Smack! A loud spank on the flesh could be heard, followed by Henrick¡¯s scolding.


    ¡°Stoping up with excuses! I thought you would have turned over a new leaf after spending some


    time in the monastery. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re dumber and more evil than before. I¡¯m ashamed to have a


    daughter like you!¡±

 Chapter 255

    Chapter 255


    Arielle immediately hurried into the mansion as she could not bear seeing Shandie being disciplined by


    Henrick.


    Besides, Henrick would feel apologetic to Shandieter on for being so fierce once the truth was


    revealed.


    By then, things would just get messy.


    Arielle stepped into the living room and saw Henrick whipping a badly-bruised Shandie with a leather


    belt.


    ¡°Dad!¡± Arielle hurried forward and grabbed Henrick¡¯s arm before he could hit Shandie further.


    Henrick calmed down slightly when he saw Arielle. Nheless, he was still furious over Shandie¡¯s


    mistakes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop me, Sannie. You have no idea what this girl did. Russell was so mad at her!¡±


    Nheless, Arielle did not release her grip on Henrick. She looked at him and exined, ¡°Dad, I¡¯ve


    just returned from the Actonward residence and am fully aware of the whole situation now. Listen to


    me,


    Shandie has nothing to do with it.¡±


    With that, Henrick loosened his grip on his belt and asked with a frown, ¡°What do you


    mean?¡±


    Arielle then briefly exined everything to him, and to sum up her story, she said, ¡°All in all, Yvette


    wanted to set Shandie up. Hence, this has nothing to do with Shandie. So could you please stop


    disciplining her?¡±


    Upon hearing Arielle¡¯s exnation, Henrick was stunned and Shandie, who was on the


    floor, wailed even louder.


    Shandie was no fool. After all the misunderstandings had been cleared, she naturally had to milk the


    grievances she suffered for all it was worth.


    Ultimately, Shandie was his biological daughter whom he had taken care of since she was a baby.


    Hence, the bond between the both of them would naturally be stronger thanpared to Arielle. A


    regretful expression appeared on his face.


    Feeling guilty, Henrick squatted down and helped Shandie up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Shandie. It¡¯s


    so harshly. You should have exined yourself sooner.¡±


    Shandie thought to herself that she had, in fact, tried to exin herself but was ignored. Nheless,


    she still shook her head pitifully and replied nonchntly, ¡°It¡¯s all right, Dad. You disciplined me


    because you were not aware of the full story. But I¡¯ve really reflected a lot after returning from the


    monastery. I¡¯ll definitely not do anything that will make you and Arielle mad again in the future. Also, will


    both of you please forgive me for my past mistakes?¡±


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Seeing how matured and thoughtful Shandie had be, Henrick felt even guiltier.


    He gently helped Shandie up and ordered the butler, ¡°Call a doctor over to treat Shandie¡¯s wounds.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± replied the butler as he turned to leave the living room.


    Right then, Arielle spoke. ¡°Wait a moment!¡±


    The butler froze and turned over to look at


    Arielle nervously. ¡°Ms. Arielle, is there anything else? If not, I would need to call a doctor for Ms.


    Shandie.¡±


    Shandie narrowed her eyes when she saw Arielle stopping the butler. She thought Arielle wanted the


    wounds to leave a scar on her.


    As expected, Arielle is still an evil b*tch!


    With that, Shandie immediately put on a pitiful look and tugged Henrick¡¯s arm. ¡°Dad, why is Arielle


    stopping the butler from calling a doctor over? Is she not willing to forgive me? But I¡¯ve admitted my


    mistakes already.¡±


    Henrick was displeased when he saw the teary look on Shandie. He then turned to Arielle and


    questioned coldly, ¡°Sannie, your sister has apologized to you and has guaranteed that she won¡¯t repeat


    her mistakes. Why won¡¯t you forgive her? As an older sister, can¡¯t you be more forgiving?¡±


    Arielle sneered inwardly when she heard Henrick. Now you¡®re saying that I¡®m not forgiving?

 Chapter 256

    Chapter 256


    Arielle showed no signs of authentic emotion on her face in response. Instead, she shrugged


    innocently and uttered, ¡°Dad. Shandie. You¡¯re both mistaken. I called out to him not because I wanted


    to stop him from visiting the doctor but because of the ck gown incident. I suspect that Alfred is


    involved in this matter as well.¡±


    Upon hearing her words, Shandie felt a little embarrassed. Darn it! Arielle has


    taken advantage of a loophole once again!


    Henrick softened his expression slightly after listening to those words and said to Shandie, ¡°You


    shouldn¡¯t doubt Arielle at the drop of a hat every time.¡±


    He then shifted his gaze toward Alfred, his expression instantly chilling. ¡°Are Sannie¡¯s words true?¡±


    Feeling a chill running down his spine, Alfred exined hurriedly, ¡°H-I know nothing about that, Mr.


    Southall!¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Arielle smirked when she heard those words and responded, ¡°Frankly speaking, Alfred was the person


    who brought me this gown, Dad. Because the size was too big for me, I gave it to Shandie since she


    was going to Yvette¡¯s birthday party. As I¡¯m from the countryside, how could I have known that ck


    was a taboo color for Mr. Actonward? It¡¯s also understandable for Shandie since she has only returned


    from the monastery and had no idea about Mr. Actonward¡¯s return to the country. However, Alfred has


    already worked here for so many years. How is it possible for him not to know this kind of stuff?¡±


    Those words from Arielle caused Henrick¡¯s countenance to darken even more as he red at Alfred


    intimidatingly.


    Alfred could not help but tremble in fear at that re as he noticed the murderous intent in Henrick¡¯s


    eyes.


    Since he had worked for the Southalls for many years, Henrick had always trusted Alfred. Sure


    enough, Henrick had never red at him in such a manner before.


    ¡°H did nothing but receive the gown on Ms. Arielle¡¯s behalf. I didn¡¯t have a clue what color it was back


    then¡­¡± Alfred tried to defend himself in panic.


    ¡°Nonsense! Don¡¯t believe in his words, Dad. I suspect that Yvette bribed him from the


    very start. When I opened up the parcel of the gown, he urged me to wear it to the Actonward


    residence no matter what. I didn¡¯t give it too much thought back then, but I feel like something is very


    fishy the more I think about it now. You have to investigate this matter thoroughly. Having a spy from


    another family sneaking into our family is not a desirable thing. You know that.¡± Arielle spoke to Henrick


    with a cold tone.


    In response, Alfred shook his head vehemently. ¡°I-It was only a coincidence! I didn¡¯t even have a clear


    look at it! You can¡¯t dere me guilty because of Ms. Arielle¡¯s spections, Mr. Southall! I¡¯ve served


    you for so long! You should know my character!¡±


    To Alfred¡¯s dismay, his defense of himself failed to dissipate the iciness from Henrick¡¯s expression.


    Henrick had always been a skeptical person and would never tolerate any wrongdoings.


    Besides, he had nothing to be wary of since Alfred was only a subordinate.


    He thenmanded his bodyguard to pin Alfred down and requested his assistant to Investigate


    Alfred¡¯s bank ount.


    The pale-faced Alfred¡¯s pupils constricted in shock as he protested, ¡°Y-You can¡¯t look into my bank


    ount just like that, Mr. Southall! You¡¯re invading my privacy!¡±


    When he heard that remonstration, Henrick narrowed his eyes. ¡°The investigation hasn¡¯t even started


    yet. Is that a demonstration of fear out of guilt? Do you still have the nerve to say you have nothing to


    do with this matter? How can you work with outsiders to frame my daughter when I¡¯ve treated you


    decently all these years?¡±


    Those words rendered Alfred utterly speechless.


    Not long after, Henrick received a return call from his assistant and turned on the phone¡¯s speaker. ¡°I¡¯ve


    looked into his bank ount, Mr. Southall. There are quite a fewrge transactions from a card he


    rarely uses. The most recent remittance was yesterday. The amount is, um, two hundred thousand.¡±


    For a butler who had a sry of around ten


    thousand a month, two hundred thousand was a lot of money.

 Chapter 257

    Chapter 257


    Two hundred thousand was not an amount most ordinary people could easily earn.


    Moreover, it was technically impossible for Alfred to earn that amount of money overnight since he was


    only an unknowledgeable butler and had no involvement in any businesses outside.


    Upon listening to the assistant¡¯s words, Alfred began to quiver in fear while his face twisted into a


    terrified expression.


    If that¡®s not an indication of guilt, what is? Henrick cast a fierce nce at Alfred before questioning the


    assistant, ¡°Who¡¯s the sender?¡±


    Unlike before, the assistant was a little hesitant when he spoke this time. ¡°I-It¡¯s, u um¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop stuttering! Tell me already! Is it Yvette Actonward?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not Yvette, but Mrs. Southall¡­¡± The assistant¡¯s startled voice sounded from the other end of the


    line.


    ¡°What!¡± The bewilderment in Henrick¡¯s tone was even more striking than the


    Before he could ask more questions, his assistant continued, ¡°That remittance is not the only


    transaction from Mrs. Southall. All of thoserge transactions ! mentioned earlier were also under her


    ¦°¦¡¦°¦°¦¡.


    That devastating statement from his assistant made Henrick widen his eyes in shock. He would have


    never imagined that the person who bribed Alfred was his wife, Cindy, instead of Yvette.


    If Cindy were beside him right now, Henrick would have given her a brutal p on her face without


    question. I knew it! That woman must have been scheming something! Why would she want to


    curry favor with my shareholders otherwise? Thank goodness I¡®ve discovered everything in time!


    Little did he know, the person standing behind him, Arielle, was grinning mischievously


    ¡°You b*stard!¡± Henricknded a kick on Alfred¡¯s face to vent his anger.


    Consequently, Alfred shrieked in pain with blood dripping out from his nose.


    As if that was not enough, Henrick nted two more kicks on Alfred while roaring at him, ¡°What an


    ungrateful sc¡¯mbag! I¡¯m your rightful owner! How can you betray mel¡±


    He was exuding a terrifying and murderous aura at the moment.


    Shortly afterward, Alfred barely had the strength to scream because of the excruciating pain.


    Meanwhile, Shandie also widened her eyes in stupefaction after hearing the assistant¡¯s


    words. Is it true? Did Mom partner with Yvette to frame me? No, that¡¯s impossible!


    With that thought, Shandie suddenly recalled the period before she left the monastery. Back then,


    Cindy had tried to stop her desperately, even telling her that it could be a trap.


    However, she had not taken Cindy¡¯s words to heart as she didn¡¯t trust her at all.


    If it wasn¡®t Mom¡®s doing, who could it be? Following a couple of seconds of pondering, Shandie


    abruptly nced toward Arielle.


    Coincidentally, Arielle was looking at her as well.


    The second their eyes met with each other. Shandie noticed the cold glint in Arielle¡¯s eyes and felt


    shivers down her spine. T-The culprit is Arielle! / freaking knew it!


    Arielle then curled her lips into a smirk deliberately and asked, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that,


    Shandie?¡±


    Her innocent look sessfully infuriated Shandie.


    Shandie¡¯s face fell before she grabbed Henrick¡¯s arm and pointed at Arielle. ¡°Arielle also has something


    to do with this matter, Dad! She must¡¯ve known about the Actonwards¡¯ taboo and ordered someone to


    deliver the gown over to me! You must investigate her too!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± The rage in Henrick¡¯s heart had not faded even the tiniest bit.


    The reason he kicked Alfred was not so much for his indignance toward the butler but Cindy. Given that


    Cindy was not around, he could only vent his anger on the unfortunate Alfred.


    Thanks to Shandie¡¯s interference, he became even more enraged as he red at her with disdain.


    ¡°You and your mother are both heartless wretches! Not only did Sannie stop me from teaching you a


    lesson earlier, but she also rified the matter for your sake by revealing the truth! How can you


    nder her now? Why did I even decide to raise a daughter like you? What a shame it is to have you


    as my bio adopted daughter!¡±


    Two hundred thousand was not an amount most ordinary people could easily earn.


    Moreover, it was technically impossible for Alfred to earn that amount of money overnight since he was


    only an unknowledgeable butler and had no involvement in any businesses outside.


    Upon listening to the assistant¡¯s words, Alfred began to quiver in fear while his face twisted into a


    terrified expression.


    If that¡®s not an indication of guilt, what is? Henrick cast a fierce nce at Alfred before questioning the


    assistant, ¡°Who¡¯s the sender?¡±


    Unlike before, the assistant was a little hesitant when he spoke this time. ¡°I-It¡¯s, u um¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop stuttering! Tell me already! Is it Yvette Actonward?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not Yvette, but Mrs. Southall¡­¡± The assistant¡¯s startled voice sounded from the other end of the


    line.


    ¡°What!¡± The bewilderment in Henrick¡¯s tone was even more striking than the


    Before he could ask more questions, his assistant continued, ¡°That remittance is not the only


    transaction from Mrs. Southall. All of thoserge transactions ! mentioned earlier were also under her


    ¦°¦¡¦°¦°¦¡.


    That devastating statement from his assistant made Henrick widen his eyes in shock. He would have


    never imagined that the person who bribed Alfred was his wife, Cindy, instead of Yvette.


    If Cindy were beside him right now, Henrick would have given her a brutal p on her face without


    question. I knew it! That woman must have been scheming something! Why would she want to


    curry favor with my shareholders otherwise? Thank goodness I¡®ve discovered everything in time!


    Little did he know, the person standing behind him, Arielle, was grinning mischievously


    ¡°You b*stard!¡± Henricknded a kick on Alfred¡¯s face to vent his anger.


    Consequently, Alfred shrieked in pain with blood dripping out from his nose.


    As if that was not enough, Henrick nted two more kicks on Alfred while roaring at him, ¡°What an


    ungrateful sc¡¯mbag! I¡¯m your rightful owner! How can you betray mel¡±


    He was exuding a terrifying and murderous aura at the moment.


    Shortly afterward, Alfred barely had the strength to scream because of the excruciating pain.


    Meanwhile, Shandie also widened her eyes in stupefaction after hearing the assistant¡¯s


    words. Is it true? Did Mom partner with Yvette to frame me? No, that¡¯s impossible!


    With that thought, Shandie suddenly recalled the period before she left the monastery. Back then,


    Cindy had tried to stop her desperately, even telling her that it could be a trap.


    However, she had not taken Cindy¡¯s words to heart as she didn¡¯t trust her at all.


    If it wasn¡®t Mom¡®s doing, who could it be? Following a couple of seconds of pondering, Shandie


    abruptly nced toward Arielle.


    Coincidentally, Arielle was looking at her as well.


    The second their eyes met with each other. Shandie noticed the cold glint in Arielle¡¯s eyes and felt


    shivers down her spine. T-The culprit is Arielle! / freaking knew it!


    Arielle then curled her lips into a smirk deliberately and asked, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that,


    Shandie?¡±


    Her innocent look sessfully infuriated Shandie.


    Shandie¡¯s face fell before she grabbed Henrick¡¯s arm and pointed at Arielle. ¡°Arielle also has something


    to do with this matter, Dad! She must¡¯ve known about the Actonwards¡¯ taboo and ordered someone to


    deliver the gown over to me! You must investigate her too!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± The rage in Henrick¡¯s heart had not faded even the tiniest bit.


    The reason he kicked Alfred was not so much for his indignance toward the butler but Cindy. Given that


    Cindy was not around, he could only vent his anger on the unfortunate Alfred.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Thanks to Shandie¡¯s interference, he became even more enraged as he red at her with disdain.


    ¡°You and your mother are both heartless wretches! Not only did Sannie stop me from teaching you a


    lesson earlier, but she also rified the matter for your sake by revealing the truth! How can you


    nder her now? Why did I even decide to raise a daughter like you? What a shame it is to have you


    as my bio adopted daughter!¡±

 Chapter 258

    Chapter 258


    Henrick looked at Arielle instinctively as he had been very close to giving himself away with thatst


    sentence. To his relief, Arielle had no reactions on her face. Since Arielle is my cash cow right now,


    it won¡®t do me any good if she knows Shandie is my biological daughter.


    In the meantime, Shandie could not believe that she would receive Henrick¡¯s disgust toward her in


    return for using Arielle.


    Widening her eyes in disbelief, she uttered dumbfoundedly, ¡°I¡¯m telling you the truth, Dad¡­¡±


    ¡°Say that again if you dare!¡± Henrick smacked Shandie on her face after that rebuke.


    As a result, that p left a visible imprint on Shandie¡¯s face. She covered it while tears sprung to her


    eyes. ¡°D-Dad? Why did you¡­¡±


    Why does Dad choose to believe in a country


    bumpkin like Arielle instead of a daughter he raised? We¡®re both his biological daughters!


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me Dad! I don¡¯t have a shameful


    daughter like you!¡± Henrick continued to berate Shandie.


    Still, he felt exhausted because of the continuous outrage as his expression turned dull


    After taking a deep breath, he turned around and instructed the housekeeper, ¡°Monitor her and deliver


    food to her every day. Do not allow her to leave her room. Anyone who neglects their duty by letting her


    leave will suffer severe consequences. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, Mr. Southall!¡± the housekeeper answered with a shudder.


    Soon after that instruction, two tall and muscr bodyguards grabbed Shandie¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Please! No!¡± Shandie struggled to break free from the bodyguards with all her might and strength.


    I¡®d rather stay in the monastery if he locks me up again. At least the monastery has


    a much bigger space for activity than the house. I will lose my freedom if this persists. No, no!


    She also wondered why Henrick had a sudden change of attitude after Arielle¡¯s words. He was still


    feeling sorry for me only minutes ago! Why did things take such an abrupt turn? I can¡¯t ept this! I


    won¡®t!


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Seeing that the bodyguards had not brought Shandie upstairs yet, Henrick frowned in displeasure. ¡°Are


    you two weaklings? Can¡¯t you take a woman who¡¯s much smaller in size than you upstairs?¡±


    That derogatory remark stamped out the bodyguards¡¯ concern instantly as they dragged Shandie


    upstairs by force straight away.


    As expected, no one gave a rip about Shandie when she was wailing non-stop in anger.


    ¡°How will you deal with Alfred?¡± Arielle questioned Henrick as soon as Shandie had disappeared from


    their sight.


    Henrick took a cold nce at the half-dead Alfred before replying emotionlessly, ¡°I remember he has a


    son who is searching for a job. I will inform thepanies associated with me to refuse to hire him as


    their employee!¡±


    Even though Southall Group was not as influential as Moore Group, its connection was still pretty


    decent. Once Henrick notified his associates, more than half of the majorpanies in Jadeborough


    would never hire Alfred¡¯s son.


    Upon hearing that upsetting statement, Alfred pleaded, ¡°I-It¡¯s all my fault, Mr. Southall! I shouldn¡¯t have


    listened to Mrs. Southall and acted so recklessly. I¡¯m willing to return the money she has given me to


    you, so please spare my son!¡±


    Shooting Alfred one final prating gaze, Henrick waved his hand and ordered, ¡°Break his legs and


    kick him out. If I see him again, you¡¯ll receive the same fate as his. Let me give all of you a solemn


    reminder. If I find out any one of you still recognizes Cindy as the only head of the house in the future,


    your fate will be even more horrifying than his!¡±


    Those words stirred the housekeepers to reconsider doing things for Cindy.


    In the end, Henrick was the true head of the house, after all.


    Despite looking tranquil, a chilling glint


    shed across Arielle¡¯s eyes when she heard Henrick¡¯s words. In this way, things will never be the


    same as before even if Cindy returns by some unknown method.

 Chapter 259

    Chapter 259


    Since Henrick had gotten rid of Alfred ¨C Cindy¡¯s best right hand other than Matthias ¨C Arielle believed


    Cindy would not be able to cause any trouble in the manor anymore.


    Nheless, Arielle did not let down her guard because of


    that. I¡®m heading to the only profitable department in Southall Group tomorrow. Making early preparatio


    ns is essential.


    Early next morning, a piercing scream from the same floor that Arielle stayed in awakened her from


    sleep.


    She woke up as soon as the scream sounded as she was a light sleeper. What happened?


    After putting on a jacket, Arielle left her room hastily and discovered quite a few people standing


    outside Shandie¡¯s room.


    At first, she thought Shandie was making a scene for refusing to be locked up, but she sensed


    something off when she saw the housekeepers¡¯ unwillingness to enter the


    room. It doesn¡®t seem like Shandie is causing trouble intentionally. It looks more like she¡®s


    Arielle then walked over to the room while furrowing her brows. Stepping inside, she saw a motionless


    Shandie lying in a pool of blood.


    There was a wound on Shandie¡¯s wrist, and the blood most likely came from there.


    D-Did Shandie slit her wrist?


    She noticed that the blood on the ground had coagted, while the wound on Shandie¡¯s wrist had


    stopped bleeding as well. Those were indications that Shandie had slit her wrist for a while already.


    Witnessing such a scene, Arielle was in utter shock as she never thought Shandie would take her own


    life. Shandie is pretty foolish, but I¡®ve never imagined she


    would be that nonsensical. What in the world is going on? What she has done


    is far beyond what I expected


    Just as she was about to check whether Shandie was still breathing, Henrick strode toward the room


    while shouting in a displeased tone, ¡°What is this shameless woman up to this time!¡±


    ¡°D-Dad, something terrible has happened


    to Shanniel Take a look at her, quick!¡± Arielle said, her expression frozen in shock


    The annoyed Henrick walked over reluctantly in response. When he saw the pool of blood on the


    ground, he widened his eyes in bewilderment.


    Subsequently, he snapped back to his senses and yelled with a trembling voice, ¡°S-Shandie? S-


    Shannie?¡±


    To his dismay, Shandie neither responded nor moved.


    ¡°Calm down, Dad. I¡¯ll go and have a look.¡± Arielle told Larissa to support Henrick before crouching


    down beside Shandie to check her breathing.


    However, she had no intention of doing that as soon as her hand touched


    Shandie. Her body is as cold as a corpse already. There¡®s no way she¡¯s still breathing.


    At the outset, she had thought that this was probably another one of Shandie¡¯s schemes. However,


    reality had proved that was not the case as her body was already thoroughly cold. She¡®s dead without


    question


    Regardless, Arielle did not understand why Shandie wanted to take her own life. It¡¯s not as if Henrick


    has never hit her before. Why couldn¡¯t she take it this time? That is unusual of her indeed.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°H-How is she? l-Is she alive?¡± Henrick questioned with a quivering voice.


    Arielle turned around and shook her head at Henrick, her expression sorrowful. ¡°There¡¯s no heat left in


    her body¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Henrick dashed forward in disbelief to personally check Shandie¡¯s breathing and nearly ran


    into Arielle.


    Fortunately, Larissa managed to steady Arielle in the nick of time, thus preventing her from falling into


    the pool of blood.


    A few secondster, Henrick¡¯s wail of agony echoed around the room. ¡°Why were you so foolish,


    Shannie! Why did you have to take your own life? I chose to discipline you for your own good! Don¡¯t


    you understand? Shannie!¡±

 Chapter 260

    Chapter 260


    Disheartened upon seeing Shandie¡¯s corpse, tears slid down Henrick¡¯s face uncontrobly.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Witnessing the man grieving over his deceased daughter, the bystanders inevitably felt distressed.


    It was almost like he really was a father crying over his daughter¡¯s death.


    The housekeepers crowded around Henrick and offered their condolences, but only Arielle understood


    what he truly felt.


    He had spent immense effort and money to nurture Shandie, and she was quite pretty when dressed


    up appropriately. With her appeal, she could undoubtedly marry into a wealthy family in Jadeborough.


    Her sudden death was solely a blow to his master n.


    Hence, he was not grieving for the loss of a daughter but a useful pawn.


    Arielle did not further contemte Henrick¡¯s feelings. She merely stared intensely at the dagger in


    Shandie¡¯s hand.


    Suddenly, she found something wrong.


    She stealthily took out her phone and snapped some pictures of the scene.


    Only then did she walk toward Henrick and feign sorrow. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m as saddened as you are. However,


    now is not the time to mourn because I think Shandie¡¯s death might not be as simple as it seems.


    We should contact the police first.¡±


    As Shandie and Arielle did not see eye to eye, unfavorable rumors would arise from the former¡¯s death.


    To prevent troublesome gossips, she had to prove her innocence.


    However, Henrick immediately refused, ¡°Why should we contact the police? Look at her! It¡¯s obvious


    that she cut her wrist. Do you want the outsiders to gossip about us?¡±


    His words were indeed true. Besides, the injuries on Shandie¡¯s back were his work. Thus, if the police


    were to investigate, he would be the first suspect.


    Even if he could prove his innocence, rumors would still spread among the public


    As he was concerned about his reputation, he would never agree to the risky measure.


    Disappointed, Arielle mentally shook her head. She had anticipated his refusal, which was why she


    discreetly took the photos earlier.


    As Henrick was adamant in his stance, she did not bother mentioning the police again. Instead, she


    suggested, ¡°Still, we should hold a funeral for Shandie. However, regarding Aunt Cindy¡­¡±


    Henrick stood up and assured in a pained tone, ¡°T¡¯ll appoint someone to fetch her. Also, we¡¯ll announce


    to the public that Shandie passed away from an illness. You don¡¯t need to worry about this matter


    anymore. If the news gets out, it will impede your marriage into the Nightshire family. Right now, you


    should head back to your room and take a rest. I¡¯ll handle this matter.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Arielle nodded docilely as she secretly scorned


    him, He¡®s still thinking about my marriage to the Nightshire family at such a moment? What an unbelieva


    Before leaving, she stole a nce at Shandie¡¯s corpse. Upon confirming she had not overlooked any


    details, she turned and walked back to her room as she gestured for Larissa to follow her.


    Right after they entered her room, Arielle immediately questioned, ¡°When I arrived, you were already


    there. Do you know what happened? Who was the first to discover the corpse?¡±


    With Arielle¡¯s help, Larissa¡¯s child had received treatment abroad and convalesced after some time. As


    such, she had now devoted herself wholeheartedly to Arielle.


    She answered truthfully, ¡°I¡¯m in charge of the cleaning of this household. The first person to discover


    the corpse was a housekeeper working with me today. As you and Mr. Southall asionallye back


    late, we usually start mopping the floor around five in the morning, avoiding idents from urring


    due to the slippery floor.¡±

 Chapter 261

    Chapter 261


    Larissa paused for a while before continuing, ¡°That housekeeper is not one of Mrs. Southall¡¯s people as


    she arrived quite recently. While she was mopping the corridor on the second floor, she noticed some


    red fluid seeping through the gap under Ms. Shandie¡¯s door. Then, she quickly called me over as I was


    on the second floor. We asked a bodyguard to open the door. Upon seeing the corpse, we were


    shocked. After that, you arrived at the scene.¡±


    Arielle nodded and asked, ¡°Did anything happenst night after I went back to my room?¡±


    Larissa pondered for a moment and shook her head. ¡°No. Nothing happenedst night. Although Ms.


    Shandie didn¡¯t take her dinner, she sounded fine. Also, she asked us for a cream that would heal


    wounds without leaving scars. It did not seem to me that she intended to take her own life.¡±


    Hearing that, Arielle was sure that Shandie did not take her own life.


    Why would someone concerned about leaving scars on her back consciously seek death?


    Bowing her head, Arielle said, ¡°I understand the situation now. You can head back. Report to me if


    anything urs.¡±


    Before Larissa left, Cindy¡¯s image shed across her mind. Worried, she turned and reminded, ¡°Ms.


    Arielle, Mrs. Southall will definitely suspect you for Ms. Shandie¡¯s death. P-Please be careful.¡±


    Although she found Arielle clever, she was concerned about Cindy¡¯s vindictive nature.


    She understood very well that a mother who lost a daughter could perform any unthinkable deed, as


    she hadmitted numerous wrongdoings for her child in the past.


    Upon seeing the genuine concern brimming in Larissa¡¯s eyes, Arielle smiled and reassured, ¡°I know,


    and I¡¯ll be careful of her. Thank you for reminding me.¡±


    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m the one that should be grateful. If it wasn¡¯t for you, my child would have¡­¡± Larissa choked


    up and could not finish her sentence.


    Arielle gently smiled andforted, ¡°As


    you work for me, I need to take care of your troubles too. Don¡¯t worry. Nothing will happen to me. I¡¯m


    still looking forward to seeing your reunion with your child.¡±


    ¡°All right!¡± Larissa wiped the tears lingering at the corner of her eyes and headed out.


    Arielle then sat down and contemted Shandie¡¯s death. After Larissa mentioned the scar prevention


    cream, she had ruled out the possibility of Shandie taking her own life.


    Who could be the murderer? Who couldmit the crime


    without anyone¡¯s knowledge and simte a suicide? What is the murderer¡®s intention, and what


    benefits can the murderer gain? I don¡®t recall her making any vindictive enemies. Although she acts ha


    ughtily, she would only make some trivial enemies. However, none of them should be after her life.


    Ding! As she was immersed in her thoughts, herputer suddenly rang, starting up by itself.


    The atmosphere instantly turned uncanny.


    Arielle immediately jolted up.


    Unafraid because she did not believe in ghosts, she frowned in bewilderment as she drew closer to the


    computer.


    Theputer was installed after I returned to Henrick. A newputer will never start up by itself,


    unless¡­ Someone hacked myputer!


    As expected, the desktop did not show up after theputer started. Instead, the screen was a dark


    red.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle somberly questioned, ¡°Who are


    you?¡±


    Very soon, a sentence in ck appeared on the dark red


    screen: Ms. Moore, do you like my gift for you?


    It was referring to Shandie. Arielle immediately grasped the meaning and frowned as she asked, ¡°You


    killed Shandie?¡±

 Chapter 262

    Chapter 262


    A new message showed up on the


    screen: It seems like you dislike my present for you. That¡®s strange. I thought you hated Shandie.


    Arielle balled her hands into fists, then replied, ¡°Who are you? What are you trying to do?¡±


    There came another message shortly after the previous one: I think


    you¡¯ve misunderstood me, Ms. Moore. I was simply trying to help you, but it appears / caused you


    some problems instead. I¡¯m truly sorry about that.


    Without waiting for Arielle¡¯s reply, a new sentence popped up: Ms. Moore, why don¡®t you consider


    joining our team? Imend your skillfulness in hacking.


    As soon as Arielle came across the word ¡°hacking,¡± all she could think of was the recent explosion of


    the building. She narrowed her eyes and answered, ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s trying to kill Vinson.¡±


    Another line of text appeared: Aren¡®t you a clever one, Ms. Moore?


    How about joining us? I¡®m sure you¡®ll be one of the world¡®s highest¨Cranking hackers in no time, a


    normalputer with no cybersecurity software to protect her from malicious attacks. Thus, it had


    been a piece of cake for the experienced hacker to infiltrate herputer.


    She rebooted herputer and coded an intermediate firewall to prevent the hacker from invading the


    system again.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    The firewall she programmed was not only strong, but it could also immediately lock on to the


    attacker¡¯s IP address if he attempted to hijack herputer again.


    If that happened, she could finally uncover the mastermind behind these malicious acts!


    After setting up the firewall, Arielle dialed Vinson¡¯s phone number. A few seconds flew by before Vinson


    answered the call. ¡°Hello? Arielle?¡±


    Vinson had just woken up. His deep and husky morning voice was sensually maic. Arielle was


    distracted by his alluring voice for a short while before she managed to clear her thoughts and mutter,


    ¡°The person who was attempting to assassinate you tracked me down.¡±


    especially under my guidance. However, if you choose to refuse, then you be our enemy


    Arielle turned down the offer without the slightest bit of hesitation. ¡°I¡¯ll never work with some


    underground hacker who doesn¡¯t even dare reveal their identity to their recruits. If you have the


    capability, you¡¯ll challenge me openly!¡±


    Promptly, a different message emerged on the screen: Don¡¯t reject us so soon,


    Ms. Moore. You have three days to consider this carefully. See you again in three days.


    Arielle was boiling with rage while she spat out icily, ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about looking for me because I¡¯ll


    come for you, you cold blooded murderer!¡±


    Yet, theputer shut down automatically before she could finish her sentence.


    ¡°Dang it!¡± Arielle cursed, irritated by the unknown hacker¡¯s influx of uncertainty into her life.


    She had not expected the hacker to find her here. It would seem like he had tracked her down so easily


    because she was using


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you at the entrance.¡±


    Arielle washed up and got changed hurriedly as soon as she ended the phone call with Vinson.


    The housekeepers were still cleaning up Shandie¡¯s room, and Henrick wasn¡¯t home as he was


    purchasing the necessary items to prepare for Shandie¡¯s funeral.


    Therefore, Arielle went to Maplke Manor without announcing her departure from home.

 Chapter 263

    Chapter 263


    ¡°What?¡± Vinson was put in utter shock by Arielle¡¯s words and instantly sobered up. He asked frantically.


    ¡°Where are you now? Are you all right?¡±


    Arielle gripped the phone tighter in her hand and replied, ¡°I¡¯m doing fine at home. He only hacked my


    computer this time and didn¡¯t harm me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to know you¡¯re okay.¡± Vinson let out a relieved sigh and asked, ¡°So, why did he hack your


    computer?¡±


    Fearing the hacker was listening in on the phone call as well, Arielle did not answer him immediately.


    She paused for a moment before saying, ¡°When are you free to meet up? I¡¯ll tell you when we see each


    other in person.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to your ce right now.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t. Our house is quite messy today. How about visit you instead? Where are you now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m at Maplke Manor. You were here yesterday, remember?¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll meet you there.¡±


    as she stepped into the mansion.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Vinson led Arielle toward the dining hall and suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s have our meal before we discuss what


    happened. Health is the most important after all.¡±


    Arielle was moved and wanted to thank him for his thoughtfulness, but before she could show her


    appreciation, Vinson continued, ¡°I¡¯m just concerned about falling sick myself. I didn¡¯t cook this for you


    on purpose, got it?¡±


    After hearing Vinson¡¯s forced exnation, Arielle swallowed her words instantaneously and kept quiet.


    She realized he was simply too embarrassed to admit his concern for others, so she didn¡¯t say much as


    she slowly finished the ravioli he had prepared.


    Arielle was a fast eater and finished her te of food quickly. She then diverted her attention to Vinson,


    who was still eating his food.


    This was the first time she had observed Vinson¡¯s eating style with no distractions, and she was


    pleasantly surprised by how gracefully he exhibited his proper table


    Maplke Manor was even more beautiful during the day than it had been when Arielle first visitedst


    night. Lush maple trees surrounded thepound, creating a splendid city jungle.


    Yet, Arielle was too engaged in her thoughts to admire the scenery and entered the mansion as soon


    as she saw Vinson.


    Vinson greeted Arielle while still in his pajamas, his hair unkempt.


    He had stayed upte working the night before, so he had nned to sleep in the next day. However,


    Arielle¡¯s call that informed him she had be the mysterious man¡¯s target jolted Vinson awake. Not


    only did his drowsiness vanish in the blink of an eye, but he was also too worried about Arielle¡¯s


    wellbeing to take care of his appearance.


    Although Vinson wasn¡¯t in the mood to tidy up, he still got a hold of himself and cooked Arielle some


    ravioli before her arrival.


    Hence, Arielle was weed by two warm tes of ravioli on the dining table as soon


    Arielle nodded and borated on the security measures she had put in ce to prevent the hackers


    from hijacking her system again.


    ¡°Good job, Arielle!¡± Vinson praised her quick-wittedness and continued, ¡°This time, I will surely find this


    man and punish him for what he did!¡±


    ¡°I hope so too.¡± Honestly, she was more worried that the man would track her down in real life rather


    than try to hack into herputer again.


    Apparently, Vinson shared the same concern as her as he offered, ¡°I¡¯ll hire a bodyguard to protect you.


    I won¡¯t let that man hurt you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve found myself a bodyguard. You don¡¯t have to worry about my safety.¡± Arielle paused briefly before


    continuing, ¡°There¡¯s something else I have to tell you.¡±


    Vinson recalled Arielle¡¯s reason for not meeting at her house and soon realized there might be another


    truth behind it, so he asked, ¡°What happened back home?¡±


    With her lips pursed, Arielle mumbled


    manners. It was as if Arielle was watching a duke enjoying a delectable full-course meal.


    Vinson sensed Arielle¡¯s gaze and lifted his eyes to nce at her, which caused thetter to look away


    awkwardly.


    Luckily, Vinson didn¡¯t tease her like how he didst night. He merely increased his speed of eating,


    then began the discussion with Arielle about the serious matters on his mind.


    ¡°So, what happened to your family? Also, what did that man do after hacking into your


    computer?¡± Vinson inquired.


    Arielle answered truthfully, ¡°That man wants me to join his team and promised to contact me in three


    days.¡±


    Somewhat startled by the response, Vinson lifted one brow andmented, ¡°He appears to be


    interested in your hacking abilities.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve set up a customized firewall on myputer. It can perform reverse tracking on the attackers¡¯ IP


    addresses if they try to invade myputer system in the future.¡±


    softly, ¡°Shandie is dead.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Vinson¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, then he frowned. ¡°Is this case rted to that man?¡±


    Arielle was momentarily stunned by his response and chuckled. ¡°I assumed you¡¯d immediately suspect


    me in causing Shandie¡¯s death.¡±


    Vinson shook his head in disagreement and instinctively replied, ¡°I know you¡¯re not that kind of person.¡±


    At that moment, Arielle¡¯s heart was filled with a warm and fuzzy feeling.

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    Chapter 264


    Surprisingly, Arielle¡¯s irritation the entire morning was soothed by a single remark from Vinson.


    Sure enough, I don¡¯t need to exin myself to someone who understands me!


    She stared at him intently. Suppressing the odd feelings within her, she answered with a nod. ¡°It wasn¡¯t


    me who killed Shandie, but the man who hacked into myputer. He said he wanted to give me a


    hand. However, I think this is actually a warning instead. He has investigated everything that happened


    while I was in Jadeborough, so he knows that Cindy will definitely push the me on me


    when something happens to Shandie¡­¡±


    Casting her gaze into the distance, Arielle looked out the window at the drizzle that had started without


    her knowing. Then, her eyes narrowed while she continued, ¡°A car has probably been sent to pick


    Cindy up by now.¡±


    And she¡®ll certainly kick up a fuss of epic proportions when shees back! I¡®ve imagined a myriad of r


    easons that might bring her back, but this reason never


    once crossed my mind. But then, even she herself


    probably never expected that she¡®d be returning to the Southall residence to


    attend her biological daughter¡®s funeral. Speaking of that, it¡®s truly ironic. She must have been


    hankering toe back, buting back to attend her daughter¡¯s funeral was definitely not something


    she had hoped for.


    Visualizing Cindy¡¯s expression when she flew into a rage upon her return, a faint shiver ran down


    Arielle¡¯s back.


    At that precise moment, Vinson, who was sitting across from her, dered out of the blue, ¡°Let¡¯s get


    married.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Arielle lifted her eyes in utter surprise, only to meet the man¡¯s profound ck ones.


    As the two of them locked gazes, she seemingly smelled the fragrance of roses.


    Nheless, she snapped back to her senses in no time. Bursting intoughter, she teased, ¡°Are you


    still joking with me at such a time?¡±


    Conversely, Vinson¡¯s expression was exceedingly serious


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking with you. I¡¯m serious.¡±


    Hearing that, Arielle couldn¡¯t quiteugh anymore. Her chortles ceased, and she inquired, ¡°In that case,


    what did you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°If you marry me, you can live here. No matter how great Cindy¡¯s wrath, she can¡¯t possibly get into this


    ce. Besides, with me here, she has to consider twice before doing anything to you.


    Furthermore, despite the sparse interior of this mansion, it¡¯s surrounded by bodyguards who


    have masked their presence. And if you live with me, you don¡¯t need to worry about the threat of the


    man who hacked into yourputer.¡±


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Admittedly, Arielle was enticed.


    After contemting for two seconds, she admitted, ¡°It¡¯s indeed a brilliant idea, but¡­ will it be a


    hardship to you?¡±


    Vinson was taken aback for a moment before he gave a cough and replied, ¡°No, not at all. Don¡¯t forget


    that my mother has arranged a blind date for me. I¡¯m not interested in the woman, so you¡¯ll be helping


    to shield me from that delusional


    woman if you marry me.¡±


    For some inexplicable reason, Arielle¡¯s mood lifted when she heard him calling Wendy ¡°delusional.¡±


    ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Vinson looked at her intently, asking, ¡°Shall we get married?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so hasty to decline.¡± Vinson then added, ¡°This is something that will only benefit you. If we


    both find someone whom we love in the future, you¡¯ll be getting half of my assets after we divorce.


    Perhaps you¡¯ll even be listed on Forbes¡¯ Billionaires List.¡±


    Inwardly, Arielle muttered, I¡¯ve already been on Forbes¡¯ Billionaires List long ago with


    my identity abroad. But undeniably, I rank a little lower than him. However, that¡®s only one


    of my identities. Summing up all my identities, my assets aren¡®t necessarily lesser than his.


    As such, it¡®s uncertain yet who¡®ll be benefitting from the divorce.


    Of course, she wouldn¡¯t say that outright since she knew that he wasn¡¯t the kind of person to care


    about such a thing.


    Arielle lowered her head and turned the matter over in her mind. Vinson didn¡¯t pressure her either, so


    the two of them merely sat there quietly.


    Unbeknownst to her, the man who was usually calm and collected in everything actually had a thin


    layer of sweat on his palms right that moment.


    Truth be told, he was afraid that she would decline his offer.

 Chapter 265

    Chapter 265


    Serious? You¡¯re truly giving your agreement to marry me?¡±


    Arielle nodded and replied, ¡°As you said, getting married now will be beneficial to us both. However¡­¡±


    The moment Vinson heard the contradicting word, his heart lodged in his throat again, and he promptly


    questioned, ¡°However?¡±


    ¡°However, I¡¯ve got toy down a ground rule with you. Although we¡¯re only getting married on paper,


    you can¡¯t hook up with another woman before we divorce. Likewise, I¡¯ll be keeping my distance


    from the opposite sex. We must keep each other¡¯s dignity and reputation intact. If either of us falls in


    love with someone else, it¡¯s best if we inform the other at once and get a divorce.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s expression was extremely solemn.


    While this is only a sham marriage, I don¡®t want to be cheated on. Cindy and Henrick¡®s matter is alread


    y nauseating enough


    to me, so I really don¡®t want to experience the same thing my mother went through


    Despite his nervousness, Vinson himself had no idea why he was feeling a tad fearful.


    As time ticked by, he felt that time had never gone so slowly in his entire life, nor had he ever


    experienced such torment.


    At longst, Arielle jerked her head up and looked at him. Nodding, she replied, ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll get


    married, then.¡±


    It¡¯s just a sham marriage, so I don¡¯t have to think too much about it. As long as


    we both benefit from it, I don¡®t have to turn his suggestion down. As he said, this will only be beneficial t


    o me. Even if I¡®ve got to give him half my assets after we divorce, I don¡®t mind sharing some of my mon


    ey with a kind person like him.


    Naturally, Vinson had no inkling that he had been againbeled as ¡°kind¡± by her. He only felt that he


    had never been as euphoric as he was at that moment.


    He even wondered if it was real or whether he was dreaming.


    Thus, he couldn¡¯t help seeking confirmation, asking once more, ¡°Are you


    Upon hearing her stiption, Vinson¡¯s heart finally settled back in his chest.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± He stared straight at her and promised, ¡°There won¡¯t be any other woman for me besides


    you throughout the duration of our marriage. I¡¯ll keep your dignity intact and make you the most


    enviable Mrs. Nightshire.¡±


    Having said that, he queried, ¡°Do we need a ck and white contract? If I breach our agreement, I¡¯ll


    leave the marriage without taking anything with me, and Nightshire Group will be yours.¡±


    At that, Arielle waspletely dumbfounded. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re taking this too far?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± Composing himself, Vinsonnguidlymented, ¡°I¡¯m confident that I¡¯ll never do such a thing.


    What about you? Will you hook up with another man?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Arielle answered resolutely


    ¡°All right, it¡¯s a deal, then. When should we get married?¡±


    Arielle pondered for a moment before replying, ¡°Anytime works for me, but since we¡¯ve decided on the


    matter, it¡¯ll be best to seal the deal as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Vinson got to his feet. ¡°Let¡¯s go, then.¡±


    For a moment, Arielle was still rather lost. ¡°Where to?¡± she inquired in bewilderment


    ¡°To City Hall to get married!¡± Vinson answered matter-of-factly.


    Arielle was instantly stunned and only found her voice after two seconds. ¡°R Right now?¡±


    Vinson nodded in affirmation. ¡°Of course. Didn¡¯t you say it¡¯s best to seal the deal as soon as possible?¡±


    All at once, Arielle was rendered speechless. I never thought that it¡®d be this soon!


    A few secondster, she remarked, ¡°Don¡¯t you need to discuss with your mother when it¡¯s a crucial


    matter such as marriage? She might not necessarily


    agree¡­¡±


    Arielle pondered for a moment before replying, ¡°Anytime works for me, but since we¡¯ve decided on the


    matter, it¡¯ll be best to seal the deal as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Vinson got to his feet. ¡°Let¡¯s go, then.¡±


    For a moment, Arielle was still rather lost. ¡°Where to?¡± she inquired in bewilderment.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°To City Hall to get married!¡± Vinson answered matter-of-factly.


    Jelly


    Arielle was instantly stunned and only found her voice after two seconds. ¡°R Right now?¡±


    Vinson nodded in affirmation. ¡°Of course. Didn¡¯t you say it¡¯s best to seal the deal as soon as possible?¡±


    All at once, Arielle was rendered speechless. I never thought that it¡®d be this soon!


    A few secondster, she remarked, ¡°Don¡¯t you need to discuss with your mother when it¡¯s a crucial


    matter such as marriage? She might not necessarily


    agree


    In response, Vinson sneered as a gleam of coldness glinted in his eyes.


    ¡°Getting married is my personal affair. No one can sway my decision, not even her.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ What about your household registry and the like?¡±


    Turning to her, Vinson replied, ¡°I¡¯ve mentioned this suggestion to you back then, no? After that, I¡¯ve


    been carrying my household registry with me everywhere. It¡¯s in the car.¡±

 Chapter 266

    Chapter 266


    Upon hearing that, Arielle suddenly felt that Vinson seemed to have been plotting the marriage for a


    long time.


    But¡­ he doesn¡®t have romantic feelings toward me, so there¡¯s no reason for him to do so, no? I must


    be reading too much into things


    Vinson continued, ¡°You, however,ck the necessary documents. I¡¯ll go to your ce with you to


    retrieve your household registry. I don¡¯t think your father will object.¡±


    Chuckling bitterly, Arielle scoffed, ¡°How could he possibly object when he has gone as far as handing


    me to you on a silver tter?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, then.¡± As Vinson said that, he started heading out.


    He was taking huge strides as though he couldn¡¯t wait to arrive at City Hall.


    Seeing that, Arielle hastily put down her cutlery and followed after him.


    Well, this is indeed the best time to go to City Hall. When Cindyes back, she¡¯ll


    definitely be downright astonished!


    At the visualization of Cindy¡¯s possible expression then, anticipation inundated Arielle.


    While Arielle went back to the Southall residence to retrieve her household registry, Cindy finally


    managed to escape Louisa¡¯s monitoring and met up with Matthias under the locust tree beside the wall


    in the monastery.


    Matthias had been waiting under the locust tree for a very long time. When he first caught sight of


    Cindy, he couldn¡¯t quite believe his eyes.


    In just a few days, Cindy had turned as thin as a stick, and her skin had lost its fairness since she had


    been working under the sun for an extended period.


    Besides that, her skin was no longer as taut or supple as before now that she wasn¡¯t doing any facial


    treatments. On the whole, she looked as though she had aged ten years in the blink of an eye.


    Matthias, who was five years younger than her, was wholly stunned.


    Is this really my goddess, Cindy Moore?


    Afraid that Louisa would abruptly wake up, Cindy was in a hurry and didn¡¯t notice the peculiar


    expression on Matthias¡¯ face. The moment she opened her mouth, she demanded, ¡°How is it? Has


    Arielle¡¯s reputation been ruined now?¡±


    Only then did Matthias snap back to his senses. Shaking his head, he muttered,


    ¡°No.¡±


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°What?¡± Cindy¡¯s voice went up several decibels at once. With her brows deeply creased, she snapped,


    ¡°What do you mean by that? Didn¡¯t you tell me that the n was foolproof?¡±


    Heaving a sigh, Matthias replied, ¡°The n was foolproof, but Yvette made a mistake. For some


    unknown reason, the person in bed with Mason wasn¡¯t Arielle but Yvette herself. Now, her father is


    forcing her to marry Mason.¡±


    At once, Cindy¡¯s knees went weak. If Matthias hadn¡¯t supported her in time, she would have copsed


    onto the ground.


    A long while passed before she finally


    found her voice. She immediately snarled, ¡°How useless! She couldn¡¯t even aplish her task when


    it was such a perfect n! How dumb! She¡¯s no more than a stupid pig!¡±


    ¡°Calm down.¡± Matthias then mollified her, saying, ¡°We might have lost the opportunity this time, but


    there¡¯s always another time. I don¡¯t believe I can¡¯t handle a mere slip of a girl. If worsees to worst,


    I¡¯ll just hire an assassin and have her dealt with somewhere.¡±


    Despite his words, regret swamped Cindy that she chose the wrong person to coborate with.


    Argh! I really shouldn¡®t have chosen to work with that foolish woman Yvette!


    Recalling what happened with Shandie, Matthias spoke again. ¡°There¡¯s something else I forgot to tell


    you. Yvette arbitrarily got Arielle a ck evening gown, but the evening gown ended up on Shandie


    instead for some inexplicable reason. Russell was so incensed that he almost kicked the bucket.


    Fortunately, Arielle saved him. However, Shandie¡¯s reputation might suffer for quite some time.¡±


    Henrick had been keeping Shandie¡¯s death a secret from the outside world, so Matthias didn¡¯t yet know


    that thetter had already passed away.

 Chapter 267

    Chapter 267


    Despite that, Cindy¡¯s blood was already boiling when she heard that Shandie wore the evening gown


    Arielle should have worn instead


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to wait. If all else fails¡­¡± Cindy¡¯s voice was as cold as ice. Gritting her teeth, she


    hissed, ¡°You know what? I can¡¯t wait anymore. I want you to find an assassin and have Arielle


    eliminated at once!¡±


    Matthias was taken aback for a moment. While he had indeed done a lot of dirty work for her, he had


    never done something of that magnitude.


    Seeing that he wasn¡¯t saying anything, Cindy put on a pitiful expression and questioned, ¡°What¡¯s


    wrong? Are you not willing to do so? Do you not love me anymore? You said that you¡¯d do anything at


    all for my sake.¡±


    In the face of her weathered countenance, Matthias truly couldn¡¯t bring himself to say that he loved her.


    Nheless, his love for her throughout the years remained, so he inhaled deeply and relented, ¡°Okay


    In the next moment, a smile bloomed on Cindy¡¯s face. But little did she know that she now looked even


    more unsightly when she smiled since wrinkles creased the corners of her eyes.


    As Matthias beheld her in her current condition, he had mixed feelings.


    Nevertheless, his love for her had persisted for so many years that it couldn¡¯t possibly fade so easily


    just because of her appearance. After epting the change in her, he sorrowfully remarked,


    ¡°You¡¯ve suffered so much. I brought the medicine you want, and you¡¯ll be able to leave this ce soon.¡±


    ¨C


    While saying that, he took out a bottle of medicine concocted from herbs from his backpack and


    handed it to her. ¡°This is the medicine you requested. However, it doesn¡¯t work with a single


    consumption. You¡®ve got to boil and drink the herbs every day to maintain the efficacy you desire. The


    conditions here don¡¯t lend to you being able to boil the herbs every day, so I¡¯ll bring you readymade


    medicine every day.¡±


    Cindy¡¯s eyes lit up, and she quickly took the sealed bottle of traditional medicine


    Southall Group. We¡¯ll travel the globe, visiting every nook and cranny.


    ¡°No way!¡± Cindy countered staunchly. ¡°It¡¯s almost time, and we¡¯re just a step away from stealing


    Southall Group for ourselves. We¡¯ve plotted for many years, so how could we possibly give up at this


    critical juncture? Furthermore, I¡¯ve still got Shannie. What is going to be of her if I leave?¡±


    After bing a mother, she couldn¡¯t snuff out her motherly instincts despite being a vicious woman.


    No matter how horrible Shandie was toward her, she was still her precious daughter who was born of


    her, after all.


    Knowing that he wouldn¡¯t be able to persuade her otherwise, Matthias sighed helplessly and relented,


    ¡°All right, then. No matter what, I¡¯ll help you. Starting tomorrow, I¡¯ll bring the medicine over every day at


    this time.¡±


    No sooner had he finished speaking did Louisa¡¯s bellow ring out from a near distance away. ¡°Cindy!


    Cindy!¡±


    from him. After opening it, she guzzled it down at a single go.


    The medicine was extremely bitter, but she drank it all without even batting an eysh.


    I want to leave the monastery! I must leave this awful ce as soon as possible! Even if it¡¯s dog poop,


    I¡¯ll eat it without the slightest hesitation as long as I can get out of this ce, not to mention traditional


    medicine!


    After drinking it, she impatiently demanded, ¡°How long before it takes effect?¡±


    ¡°If you drink it every day, you¡¯ll see the results within a week,¡± Matthias replied.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait for a week.¡±


    A weekter, I¡®ll be getting out of here!


    At that moment, Cindy finally saw a ray of hope in her life.


    Noticing her expression, Matthias reluctantly uttered, ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t have to do this at all. You can


    just leave with me and forget about Henrick and


    As soon as Cindy heard her voice, her eyelid twitched, and she felt as though she was going to pass


    out anytime


    Only God knows what I¡®ve experienced in the past few days! She¡®s simply the devil!

 Chapter 268

    Chapter 268


    Matthias heard the voice as well. After hugging Cindy hastily, he spun around and climbed up the


    locust tree to the wall before leaping down outside.


    ¡°Cindy!¡±


    Louisa¡¯s voice sounded increasingly nearer.


    Pretending as though nothing had happened, Cindy whirled around in


    surprise and trotted over to her. ¡°Why are you up so early, Louisa?¡±


    Louisa regarded her coldly and drawled, ¡°I | seem to have seen someone else here earlier.¡±


    In response, Cindy spread her hands innocently. ¡°There¡¯s no one else here. You must have been


    seeing things, Louisa. I


    just got up early and didn¡¯t want to wake you, so I decided to get out of bed and take a walk to get


    some fresh air.¡±


    Louisa¡¯s expression was grim, making it clear as day that she didn¡¯t believe the other woman.


    But just as she was about to say


    something else, a monk in green robes came over and whispered a few words in her ear.


    Her expression changed slightly, and there was a conflicted look in her eyes as she gazed at Cindy


    Cindy felt very much ill at ease at her odd scrutiny.


    Don¡®t tell me they spotted Matthias? But that shouldn¡®t be possible. He was in the army many


    years back, and he still keeps in shape to this very day. As such, his movements are


    exceedingly light and agile. He couldn¡®t possibly have been discovered so easily


    While she was panicking inwardly, Louisa finally murmured, ¡°You can go back now.¡±


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Cindy didn¡¯t realize the meaning of her words at first and even thought that Louisa was asking her to go


    back to her room. Thus, she nodded fervently. ¡°I¡¯ll go back and wash up right away in preparation for


    fetching water.¡±


    However, Louisa¡¯s brows furrowed, and she retorted, ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to return


    to your room. I¡¯m saying that you can go home.¡±


    Cindy was instantly stumped. With her eyes almost popping out of her head in disbelief, she eximed,


    ¡°Are you joking with me, Louisa?¡±


    Louisa merely uttered with a frigid expression on her face, ¡°The car is already waiting outside. Wait for


    me for a bit. I¡¯ll pack some things and go back with you.¡±


    At that turn of events, incredulity was written all over Cindy¡¯s face.


    ¡°Did Rick finally decide to allow me home?¡±


    After grunting in affirmation, Louisa was just about to get to the main point when Louisa interrupted her


    excitedly, eximing, ¡®T¡¯ll go back to the room and wash up for a bit before going home!¡±


    As she said that, she dashed toward her bedroom without waiting for Louisa to


    finish speaking


    Upon seeing that she couldn¡¯t get Cindy to listen, Louisa decided to just forget about


    1. it. Anyway, she¡®ll know about Shandie¡®s death after arriving back at the Southall residenceter.


    She then sped her hands together and offered up a prayer for Shandie¡¯s soul with her eyes closed.


    The death of a person was just like the dousing of a candle, but Shandie¡¯s death was too early and


    sudden.


    After the simple prayer, Louisa sighed and muttered, ¡°Sure enough, one has to do


    good to have good karma¡­¡±


    She packed up in no time and waited at the gate. But even after she had waited for a long time, there


    was no sign of Cindy. Just when she was at the end of her patience and decided to go in and look for


    her, Cindy finally appeared at the monastery gate.


    Louisa looked up, only to see that Cindy had changed into the dazzling dress she wore when she first


    came to the monastery and had put on heavy makeup on her face. In short, she looked extremely


    striking.


    Her brows immediately knitted together,


    and she snapped in displeasure, ¡°Why are you dressed in such a manner considering the asion


    today? Go back and change into something else!¡±


    Cindy, however, merely shrugged and replied, ¡°This is the only outfit I brought here. I can¡¯t wear those


    dull clothes of yours back, can 1?¡±


    Louisa stared at her coldly.


    ¡°Dull clothes? They were all made painstakingly. Wearing my clothes is far better than this attire of


    yours.¡±


    At that, Cindy snorted. ¡°Louisa, I no longer have to stay in the monastery, so why do you have to bother


    about how I dress? You have no more say in whatever I wear now,¡± she retorted.


    Since I¡®m now


    out of that ce, I¡®ll never again return! As such, I don¡®t need to ingratiate myself to her. And in turn, I na


    listen to her. What if peopleugh at me if I were to wear those dull clothes of hers back? How


    am I to survive in the elite circles of Jadeborough?


    Her brows immediately knitted together,


    and she snapped in displeasure, ¡°Why are you dressed in such a manner considering the asion


    today? Go back and change into something else!¡±


    Cindy, however, merely shrugged and replied, ¡°This is the only outfit I brought here. I can¡¯t wear those


    dull clothes of yours back, can 1?¡±


    Louisa stared at her coldly.


    ¡°Dull clothes? They were all made painstakingly. Wearing my clothes is far better than this attire of


    yours.¡±


    At that, Cindy snorted. ¡°Louisa, I no longer have to stay in the monastery, so why do you have to bother


    about how I dress? You have no more say in whatever I wear now,¡± she retorted.


    Since I¡®m now


    out of that ce, I¡®ll never again return! As such, I don¡®t need to ingratiate myself to her. And in turn, I na


    listen to her. What if peopleugh at me if I were to wear those dull clothes of hers back? How


    am I to survive in the elite circles of Jadeborough?

 Chapter 269

    Chapter 269


    ¡°How dare you!¡± Louisa was so enraged at Cindy¡¯s attitude that she almost cked out.


    But after so many years of meditation, she managed topose herself in no time.


    Casting her a sidelong nce, she murmured, ¡°All right, then. Go ahead and dress however you want.


    Just don¡¯t regret itter.¡±


    Cindy felt that something was off, but she couldn¡¯t exactly put her finger on it.


    Failing to discern whatever was bugging her, she decided to just put it to the back of her mind. With a


    sneer tugging at her lips, she climbed into the car.


    To her surprise, Louisa slipped into the car as well in the next moment.


    ¡°You¡¯re going back with me, Louisa?¡± Cindy queried in puzzlement.


    However, Louisa ignored her and closed her eyes as she started meditating on scriptures again.


    Inwardly, Cindy groused, Could it be that she ns to speak ill of me in front of


    Henrickter? Ugh! She¡®s truly an evil old biddy!


    Seething on the inside, she inwardly decided that she would make the first move this time around.


    First things first, I¡®llin about Louisa before Henrick! After all, I¡®ve been put through the wringer d


    uring my time at the monastery, so she can¡®t deny it even if she wants to do so! Henrick is my husband,


    after all, so I don¡®t believe that he¡®ll remain unmoved!


    The car moved slowly, but it soon went onto the main road and headed toward the Southall residence.


    While Cindy was on her way back, Arielle had already arrived at the Southall residence with Vinson.


    Now that she was back an hourter, the entire ce was bedecked in white.


    The rednterns at the entrance to the manor had been changed to white, and the red paper cutouts


    above the door had also been reced with white paper cutouts. Countless white flowers could be


    seen both inside and outside the manor. From a far, the entire Southall residence seemed to be


    nketed by ayer of white mist.


    When they reached the manor gates, the flower stands there were particrly conspicuous.


    Meanwhile, the help was also dressed in ck mourning garments.


    Arielle stood at the door for several seconds before she turned and said to Vinson in a conflicted voice,


    ¡°Even now, I find it all rather unreal.¡±


    Shandie¡®s death was too sudden, catching me wholly off guard. However, it¡®s also apparent that whoev


    er the killer is truly ruthless. To warn me, he actually killed Shandie. It¡®s truly quite scary!


    For the first time, she felt a chill running down her spine as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on


    end.


    Vinson said nothing, merely taking her hand in his.


    Arielle reflexively wanted to retract her hand, only to hear the man reminding her in a whisper, ¡°If we¡¯re


    putting on an act, we¡®ve got to make it believable. We¡¯re going to be getting married soon, after all.¡±


    Only then did Arielle remember their reason foring back here. She grasped his hand in return, and


    the two of them walked into the manor hand in hand.


    Henrick was in the living room, directing the help in decorating the ce.


    ¡°Remove the red flowers in the vase¡­¡±


    Before he had finished speaking, he spotted Arielle and Vinson the moment he turned his head.


    Fear struck him when he saw thetter, fearing that Vinson was disgruntled because he was asking for


    too much inpensation.


    But in the next moment, he glimpsed their sped hands. All at once, his fright turned into delight, and


    he rushed forward with a wide smile on his face. ¡°Why are you here, Mr. Nightshire? Could it be that


    Sannie brought you here to offer your condolences?¡±


    Vinson nodded in response. ¡°I heard from Sannie that Shandie had suddenly passed away, so I came


    over to have a look. My deepest condolences to you and your family. Do take care of yourself.¡±


    Hearing that, Henrick put on a grief stricken expression at once. He pretended to wipe his tears while


    nodding andmenting, ¡°Fortunately¡­ Fortunately, I found Sannie. Otherwise, I¡¯d be all alone in the


    world right now.¡±


    Not in the mood to watch him putting on a show, Arielle cut straight to the point. ¡°Dad, there¡¯s actually


    another reason Vinson and I came over today.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Henrick grew apprehensive once more, and he swallowed before asking, ¡°Is there anything else, Mr.


    Nightshire?¡±

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    Chapter 270


    Holding Arielle¡¯s hand, Vinson dered, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not quite appropriate to mention this matter


    today, but I¡¯m the kind of person who doesn¡¯t like to dy anything, including marriage.¡±


    Taken aback, Henrick repeated his words with eyes as wide as saucers. ¡°Including marriage? What¡­


    do you mean by that?¡±


    ncing at Arielle, Vinson replied, ¡°Mr. Southall, I¡¯d like to marry Arielle, so I came here with her to get


    her household registry.¡±


    Henrick was instantly stupefied. Likewise, the help who heard that from the side were all struck dumb.


    Without waiting for him to gather his wits about him, Vinson continued, ¡°I¡¯m nning to register my


    marriage with Sannie today. The wedding will be heldter when we both have the time to do so. After


    all, preparations are needed for a wedding. I want to give Sannie a grand wedding when all


    preparations have been made. I wonder if you¡¯ll agree to us getting married, Mr. Southall?¡±


    While Henrick was still dazed, words had already escaped from his mouth. ¡°Of course!¡±


    Of course, I agree! My greatest dream is to have Arielle marry into the Nightshire family so that I can al


    so benefit from it! Why would I possibly object? I¡®ve even had several dreams where I wanted to move


    City Hall right before them both!


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Snapping back to his senses from the great surprise, Henrick ecstatically eximed, ¡°I¡¯ll get the


    household registry for the two of you right away!¡±


    ¡°Dad! Arielle grabbed Henrick, her face a mask of worry. ¡°When we made this


    decision, we didn¡¯t expect Shandie to suddenly pass away today... Wouldn¡¯t it be inappropriate for us to


    register our marriage at such a time?¡±


    She wasn¡¯t just pretending to be a sensible daughter in front of Henrick in making that remark, but it


    was also for the sake of her reputation.


    After all, the fact that she registered her marriage on the day her sister passed away would tarnish her


    reputation if it were to get out.


    ¡°No, no, of course not!¡± Henrick waved his hand fervently. ¡°It¡¯s impossible for the dead toe back to


    life, but the living has to continue with their lives! I¡¯ll go and get the household registry for you both!


    When your sister has been buried and several days have passed, I¡¯ll find a time to announce this good


    news to everyone!¡±


    As he spoke, he couldn¡¯t even fake sorrow anymore. He rushed up the stairs with jubnce written all


    over his face. In no time, he handed the household registry to Arielle.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t forget to hand them the two mary gifts he had just prepared. Taking their


    hands, he asserted, ¡°Go and have your marriage registered and live happily ever after.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Dad!¡± Arielle shed him a sweet smile. With the household registry in hand, she then left


    with Vinson.


    As Henrick gazed at their interlinked hands, utter tion was etched on his face. His exhration right


    then was beyond words.


    He couldn¡¯t help eximing, ¡°God is really


    good to me!¡±


    Although I¡®ve lost a daughter, God gave me an affluent son¨Cin¨C


    law! When I think about it that way, God is really good to me! When the funeral ends, I can soon host a w


    inw of Vinson Nightshire!


    Glimpsing the joy on his face, the new butler hesitantly went up to him and asked, ¡°Mr. Southall¡­ are


    we having a funeral or a wedding now?¡±


    The newly appointed butler was rather dense, and he was Arielle¡¯s choice of candidate.


    Ultimately, nothing good ever came out of appointing someone too smart as the butler. Conversely, an


    idiotic person wouldn¡¯t be able to go against his master.


    Henrick¡¯s expression changed drastically, and he stared at the new butler coldly. ¡°Of course, we¡¯re


    having a funeral when Shandie has just passed away! What nonsense are you spouting?¡±


    Stricken, the new butler stammered, ¡°Yes,


    yes, of course! I was just spouting nonsense¡­¡¯

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    Chapter 271


    Henrick shook his head and barked, ¡°Convey my orders that no one is to mention the wedding. No


    matter what, the dead takes precedence, so we¡¯ll have Shandie¡¯s funeral first before we talk about the


    weddingter.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± The new butler hastily left to execute his orders.


    Despite his slow-wittedness, he was rather efficient in performing his tasks. Soon enough, no one in


    the manor dared to mention that matter, for the previous butler¡¯s fate was still vivid in their minds.


    Just after Arielle and Vinson drove away from the Southall residence, the car that was driving Louisa


    and Cindy finally arrived at the manor gates about half an hourter.


    The moment Cindy alighted from the car, she sensed something amiss. White flowers hung above the


    door as though a funeral was in progress.


    Hmm? Why would there be a funeral at home?


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When she strode in anxiously, she


    immediately caught sight of the wreaths that were ced everywhere.


    Her heart abruptly jolted, and her joy at returning home waned.


    Someone in the family has truly passed away?


    She unconsciously clenched her hands into fists. But in the next moment, her apprehension was swiftly


    reced with delight at the thought that popped into her mind.


    I reckon that Henrick must have kicked the bucket! After all, there are only four people in this family. He


    smokes and drinks heavily, so he has quite a


    number of minor ailments though there¡®s nothing major. Besides, he¡®s impulsive and irritable, so he mig


    ht copse anytime. Therefore, it¡®s not entirely surprising if he suddenly contracted some illness and pa


    ssed away!


    Cindy¡¯s heartbeat abruptly sped up, and excitement gripped her.


    If he¡®s dead, Arielle came from the vige, so she doesn¡®t have any inkling ofying im to his inherita


    nce. At that time, I can


    bribe thewyer and have him give Southall Group to me legally!


    Right at that moment, she was even tempted to startughing uproariously.


    No wonder Louisa


    came back with me! It turns out that Henrick is dead! I initially thought that it¡®d take some time


    for me to get my hands on Southall Group, but I never thought that God would be so good


    to me and hand it to me on a silver tter! This is truly a miracle! I¡®ll soon be able to take Shannie away


    to stay with Matthias! As for Southall Group, I¡®m going to change its name to


    Cindy Group at once after seven days have passed since his death!


    ¡°Cindy Group¡­¡± Cindy muttered to herself.


    What a wonderful name! And I¡®m sure Maureen, who was far superior to me back when she was alive,


    never would¡®ve thought that thepany that she painstakingly brought to glory would end up


    bing Cindy Group in the end. If she¡®s looking down at us from heaven, she¡®ll surely be so irate that


    she keels over and dies again!


    Ever since Arielle came back, she had never been this happy in a long time. As


    she got all the more worked up, she couldn¡¯t helpughing aloud. ¡°Haha¡­¡±


    Coincidentally, one of the help in mourning attire walked out.


    Upon noticing the smile on Cindy¡¯s face, he was instantly floored.


    Why is she still grinning in tion despite the death of her daughter? Don¡®t tell me that the rumor of Sha


    Cindy and Henrick¡®s biological daughter is actually


    false? But even if so, she


    raised her ever since young. How could she still smile so brightly when Shandie has passed away? She


    As soon as Cindy lifted her head, she spotted the chagrined expression on the man¡¯s face. Her


    expression went frosty. Frowning, she demanded hotly, ¡°What kind of expression is that?¡±


    I know I¡¯m not supposed tough since Henrick is dead, but as the help, what right does he have to look


    first person I dismiss! I¡®m going to fire all those who are dense and disobedient! Anyway, I¡®m


    going to have the final say here in the future! I can do whatever I want! After I¡®ve dealt with the few


    insignificant figures, I¡¯ll make a move against Arielle and Vinson!

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    Chapter 272


    The help felt a chill traveling down her spine as Cindy stared at her. She immediately caved in. ¡®I¡¯m


    sorry, Mrs. Southall. I could¡¯ve seen it wrongly. You should head in and see for yourself.¡±


    With that, she hurried away.


    As Henrick had released news about Shandie¡¯s death, many guests had arrived to pay theirst


    respects to her in the backyard, where her coffin was ced. Everyone working in the residence was


    busy serving the guests and had no time to talk to Cindy


    Cindy stared at the help¡¯s back in a sinister manner and memorized her features before entering the


    mansion.


    There was a mournful air about the mansion.


    Cindy sighed. We¡®ve been married for years, and I used to love him. Though I¡¯m d


    he¡®s dead, I still feel bad about it. Life is


    short, so I must live for myself! Hmm, where¡®s the coffin, though? Is his body still at the hospital mortuar


    y?


    Confused, Cindy stopped a maid that was


    heading out. ¡°Where is the coffin?¡± she demanded.


    The maid was none other than Larrisa.


    She blinked guiltily at the sight of Cindy. Calming down, she answered politely, ¡°It¡¯s in the backyard.¡±


    Larissa¡¯s answer only served to heighten Cindy¡¯s confusion.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    After all, ording to the local customs, an elderly person¡¯s coffin should be ced in the hall. Only the


    younger generation¡¯s coffin would be ced outside.


    Henrick¡®s the oldest in the family, so his coffin should be in the hall. Why is it in the backyard?


    Cindy shrugged off that thought. She wasn¡¯t at home, so it was perfectly normal for Arielle, Shandie,


    and the help to not understand the local customs. The young people must¡®ve thought


    it was inappropriate for the coffin to be ced in the hall and moved it to the backyard instead. Clearly,


    the family can¡®t make do without me!


    Her eyes were twinkling with mirth as she


    made her way to the backyard.


    On the way there, she nced at her attire. After a brief hesitation, she decided not to change.


    No one knew about the funeral, so she didn¡¯t have to put up an act.


    In fact, she had no intention of putting on mourning clothes for Henrick.


    She headed for the backyard and bumped into Louisa


    Louisa suffered from rheumatoid arthritis. Her legs would hurt when the weather got bad, and she¡¯d


    have to walk slowly. As it was a rainy day today, she soon fell behind Cindy.


    Cindy was no longer afraid of Louisa when their eyes met.


    Louisa can¡®tin to Henrick now. He¡®s dead, and there¡®s no


    way he¡®lle back to punish me. I even went out to celebrate Maureen¡®s death with a drink back then.


    way I¡®m afraid now that Henrick¡®s dead!


    Nevertheless, Cindy was sensible enough to put up an act so that Louisa wouldn¡¯t interfere with the


    inheritance.


    Louisa might be a nun, but no one would refuse money.


    The smugness in Cindy¡¯s gaze faded away as she greeted Louisa. ¡°Louisa, you should¡¯ve informed me


    earlier. How can I ept this? My life is in tatters!¡±


    Calmly, Louisa uttered, ¡°I told you to do charity work, but you refused to listen to me. After the funeral,


    be benevolent and do good deeds

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    Chapter 273


    ¡°Mm, got it. After the funeral, I¡¯ll make a donation to a school,¡± Cindy offered with a sugary sweet smile.


    Louisa nodded and fell silent.


    Though she despised what Cindy did, Shandie had just passed on. I should not make it worse for her.


    As Louisa didn¡¯t talk to her sharply as usual, Cindy thought the former had backed off without Henrick¡¯s


    support.


    Feeling smug, Cindy¡¯s lips twitched upwards in an imperceptible smile.


    Parting her lips, she said, ¡°Louisa, take your time. I¡¯ll head to the coffin to take onest look. I have


    prepared a speech.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Louisa dismissed her with a wave. ¡°It¡¯s thest goodbye.¡±


    Cindy murmured in acknowledgment and hastened her footsteps.


    She couldn¡¯t wait to take onest look at Henrick and tell him she had had enough of him over the


    years. It was time to get back everything that belonged to her.


    There was a long path leading from the mansion to the backyard. Cindy scurried along the path and


    suddenly heard noises when she was ten meters away from the backyard.


    Coming to a halt, she stared in disbelief at the huge crowd. Why is the backyard this


    crowded?


    Cindy nced around and spotted a few higher-ups from theirpany. Some of their business


    partners were milling around. Even Russell was there.


    Huh? How did they know when I didn¡®t even inform them? I


    should¡®ve listened to Louisa and put on my habit instead of wearing a shy dress if I knew guests


    had arrived. Goddamn it, why didn¡®t the help tell me that there are


    so many guests here to pay their respects?


    When Cindy was about to head back to change her attire, someone spotted her and yelled, ¡°Mrs.


    Southall!¡±


    Everyone promptly looked in her direction.


    Cindy froze. It was toote to return and change her attire now.


    She regretted not listening to Louisa¡¯s advice.


    Clenching her teeth, she strode forward so no one would use her of feeling guilty.


    If someone gossips, I¡®ll just tell them I¡¯ve just returned from


    the monastery and have no idea what happened.


    Thus, she schooled her expression into a look of despair and entered the backyard.


    Indeed, someone instantly chided, ¡°Why are you dressed in a shy dress at a funeral?¡±


    Cindy pinched her thigh when no one was noticing and forced out tears. She used her sleeves to wipe


    her tears away and replied, ¡°I¡¯ve been in the monastery all the while and only found out about this when


    I arrived home. There was no time to change my attire¡­¡±


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    The person coughed awkwardly. ¡°Oh, I see. Go pay yourst respects before it¡¯s toote, then.¡±


    Nodding, Cindy walked toward the coffin as tears pooled in her eyes. She didn¡¯t even


    look at the body and promptly copsed beside it, bursting into noisy tears.


    In one corner, Henrick was talking to Russell when he noticed Cindy¡¯s outfit. He frowned in displeasure.


    If there weren¡¯t people staring, he would¡¯ve marched over and given her a big fat p for showing up at


    a funeral inappropriately dressed.


    However, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to reprimand Cindy after seeing how she was sobbing sadly.

 Chapter 274

    Chapter 274


    Before Henrick couldfort her, he heard her hollering, ¡°Rick, how could you leave me alone?¡±


    Henrick staggered to a stop in shock. What did that b*tch just say? Was I hearing things?


    Cindy continued wailing, ¡°You¡¯re the head of our family. Now that you¡¯re dead, what will happen to us?


    You b*stard! You promised to take care of me forever when we got married. Why did you leave me this


    soon?¡±


    Her words rendered Henrick and everyone else dumbstruck.


    Especially Louisa, whose lips parted in shock.


    Has Cindy lost her mind? Instead of mourning her daughter, why is she cursing Rick?


    Suddenly, realization dawned on Louisa. She must¡®ve gotten it wrong!


    Finding the situation both amusing and embarrassing, she shut her eyes and fled the scene.


    I shouldn¡®t show up here. After all, Shandie¡®s birth was a mistake. Cindy spoiled her rotten, so it¡®s a goo


    d thing that she¡®s dead. At least she won¡®t humiliate the Southall family further


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Before anyone could notice her, Louisa left the scene. Henrick had to face everyone¡¯s curious looks


    alone, his face crimson red.


    Henrick wasn¡¯t at all embarrassed; he was actually seething with rage.


    Does that b*tch want me dead for real? She must¡®ve had that thought for ages! I shall teach her a lesso


    n today!


    Henrick quivered in anger, veins popping out of his forehead. His eyes were burning furiously, but his


    expression was as icy as an iceberg.


    Clearly, it was the calm before the storm, signaling that Henrick was about to lose it.


    The help stood aside and dared not make a sound.


    Cindy was still sobbing. ¡°How could you leave me alone? I won¡¯t forgive you even if we reunite in the


    afterworld!¡±


    If she had said those words at Henrick¡¯s funeral, the onlookers would have felt sorry for her. s, they


    only had the same thought now-Cindy Moore had gone nuts.


    Henrick finally blew up.


    Without a care for his reputation, he stormed over to Cindy, tugging her hair and hitting her head


    against the coffin.


    Thump! Cindy felt a ring pain and momentarily lost her vision.


    The moment she regained her sight, she saw the man tugging her hair. Henrick?


    The man¡¯s face was ghastly pale. Though the sun was shining on him, it struck her as an ominous


    sight.


    ¡°R-Rick¡­¡± Cindy¡¯s eyes widened in utter horror and rm.


    Is Henrick¡®s ghost haunting me in broad daylight? So ghosts do exist!


    She promptly shrieked, ¡°Ah! It¡¯s a ghost! Someone, help me!¡±


    Those words from Cindy caused Henrick¡¯s


    countenance to darken even more. That was the final straw.


    Even the air he breathed in felt scorching to his lungs.


    Henrick took in a deep breath before hitting Cindy¡¯s head against the coffin again. ¡°I¡¯m still alive! How


    dare you curse me? You shall die ahead of me!¡±


    Cindy¡¯s ears were ringing as blood trickled down her forehead.

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    Chapter 275


    ¡°Enough! Stop it!¡± Russell leaped into action and dragged Cindy away from Henrick.


    Pain squeezed her head, and she felt her legs go limp. Russell had to support her.


    Clenching his jaw, Henrick dered, ¡°Russell, stay out of this. I shall beat her to a pulp today!¡±


    Russell stood in front of Cindy in a protective manner. He had one arm before her and another on


    Henrick¡¯s chest. ¡°Rick, calm down. You¡¯ll have to go to jail if you kill her.¡±


    Henrick regained hisposure at his words. The menacing re in his eyes faded away.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Take a few deep breaths to calm down,¡± Russell advised.


    Cindy stood behind Russell, watching as the raging Henrick simmered down. She took one look at


    Russell, who seemed torn. Her mind turned nk briefly before the wheels in her head started turning.


    If Henrick isn¡®t dead, whose funeral is this?


    Could it be Arielle¡®s? She¡®s from the countryside, so it¡®s possible that she died after failing to adjust to th


    e new environment


    Cindy nced around, but Arielle was nowhere to be seen. Is Arielle dead for real?


    Delight, disappointment, and regret filled her heart at that thought.


    She was delighted that the annoying Arielle was finally dead, but she felt disappointed at the fact that


    Henrick was still alive. She also regretted not finding out who was in the coffin before wailing her heart


    out


    An array of emotions shed across Cindy¡¯s face.


    In the end, she calmed herself down and shot Henrick a pitiful look. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rick. I was too upset


    and got a little lost. I didn¡¯t mean to curse you.¡±


    The sight of the blood on her forehead and her tears softened Henrick¡¯s heart.


    He knew how much Cindy adored Shandie,


    so it was normal for her to lose her sanity now that Shandie was dead.


    Sighing, Henrick realized he couldn¡¯t bring himself to yell at Cindy. He averted his gaze and said,


    ¡°Forget it. Go take onest look at Shandie. It¡¯s almost time to shut the coffin.¡±


    Cindy nched at his words. ¡°W-What did you say? Shandie?¡±


    Displeasure rose in Henrick¡¯s heart as he


    furrowed his brows. ¡°Of course it¡¯s Shandie. Who else could it be?¡±


    Cindy chortled, refusing to believe his words. She lost her mind and blurted out, ¡°Arielle¡¯s dead, right? It


    can¡¯t be my Shannie. Rick, you¡¯re joking, right?¡±


    My Shannie¡®s a healthy young girl. How could she die at a young age?


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Henrick balled his fists. ¡°Arielle¡¯s alive and well! She has just¡­¡± He trailed off upon


    realizing it wasn¡¯t time to reveal Arielle and Vinson¡¯s marriage. ¡°Shandie¡¯s dead! She had a rpsest


    night without warning, and we discovered her dead body this morning. Hurry, go pay


    your respects to her!¡±


    ¡°No! Impossible!¡± Cindy screamed her lungs out.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    There¡¯s no way Shandie dead!

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    Chapter 276


    Henrick must be joking. Perhaps he¡®s mad and is getting back at me!


    Russell had enough of her antics. He was their rtive, and he didn¡¯t want to see Henrick being


    humiliated in public. He parted his lips to reveal, ¡°Cindy, Shandie¡¯s dead. I know it¡¯s hard to take, but it¡¯s


    the truth. My condolences.¡±


    In fact, Russell felt drained.


    After getting into trouble, his daughter had kicked up a huge fuss and refused to head to the City Hall to


    get married. Before leaving home today, he had told the help to tie her up before bringing her there by


    force. I wonder how she¡®s doing now.


    Meanwhile, Cindy still refused to ept


    the truth. After all, part of the reason she schemed and worked so hard was to benefit her daughter.


    There was simply no way she would ept Shandie¡¯s death easily.


    ¡°No¡­¡± She retreated two steps back and shook her head. ¡°Impossible.¡±


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Henrick lost all patience and announced,


    ¡°You can see for yourself!¡±


    Women are annoying. She¡®ll know when she sees it for herself!


    Cindy swallowed hard and went toward the coffin.


    She wanted to make sure Shandie wasn¡¯t in the coffin.


    Shandie won¡®t die!


    Her legs trembled as she made her way to where the coffin was ced slowly.


    Her gazended on the coffin hastily before she even arrived.


    Shandie¡¯s dead body was lying inside the coffin surrounded by flowers.


    Cindy¡¯s eyes widened in utter horror. Her hopes were shattered, and her heart sank to the bottom of a


    deep, endless abyss.


    ¡°Shandie?¡±


    It¡®s Shandie!


    Reality hit her like a thunderp,


    shattering her sensespletely.


    Utterly drained of energy, Cindy copsed to the ground.


    Russell instinctively tried to catch her, but she slipped through his fingers and sank to the ground.


    Russell asked in concern, ¡°Cindy, are you okay? She has passed on, so take care of yourself. You and


    Rick are still young; you can give birth to another child to make it up¡­¡±


    Obviously, Russell was bad atforting others.


    Cindy paled and red at him.


    She wanted to yell that Shandie was her biological daughter, but herst shred of sanity told her that


    the secret should remain buried.


    If I reveal the secret, I won¡®t get to live.


    Russell did not know why she was ring at him that way. He scratched his head in


    confusion. Ugh, why did I even interfere in their family¡®s business?


    Henrick took one step forward and said, ¡°Get up. Don¡¯t be an embarrassment.¡±


    ¡°Embarrassment?¡± Cindy finally snapped. With bloodshot eyes, she demanded, ¡°Are Shandie and I are


    an embarrassment to you? Are we a joke to you?¡±


    Henrick¡¯s expression froze. Sensing the guests¡¯ gazes, he hissed, ¡°What are you talking about? We


    brought Shandie up together, and you¡¯re my wife. Of course, you¡¯re not a joke to me. I¡¯m upset that


    Shandie¡¯s dead, but we¡¯re both adults. We don¡¯t have to cry to show our distress, get it?¡±

 Chapter 277

    Chapter 277


    ¡°No!¡± Cindy shook her head vehemently to deny the fact. ¡°My Shandie isn¡¯t dead. She¡¯s just asleep.


    Why did you put her in a coffin? Take her out!¡±


    The guests shook their heads at her antics. She¡®s gone nuts.


    One guest remained puzzled and asked softly, ¡°That¡¯s her adopted daughter. Why is she this upset?


    No matter how much she adores her adopted daughter, there¡¯s no reason for her to lose her mind. She


    can just adopt another daughter, no?¡±


    Another guest instantly quipped, ¡°Did you not attend the Actonwards¡¯ birthday partyst night? Shandie


    was there, and she revealed that she¡¯s Henrick and Cindy¡¯s biological daughter.¡±


    That revtion immediately attracted the other guests¡¯ attention.


    ¡°Seriously? She¡¯s their biological daughter? The timing¡¯s strange. Does that mean they got together


    before Maureen Moore died?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right! I thought that sounded ridiculousst night. But now, Cindy is acting like she has lost her


    biological


    daughter for real!¡±


    ¡°Even if they didn¡¯t get together before Maureen died, it was wrong for Cindy to marry her brother-in-


    law!¡±


    ¡°Shh, lower down your voice. They might hear you.¡±


    Nevertheless, Henrick had heard every word clearly


    His eye twitched.


    Shandie didn¡®t forget to create trouble for me before she died. I can¡®t believe she


    revealed the secret to everyone. Why did / give birth to a fool?


    He had never been so humiliated in his life.


    In fact, he started regretting cheating on his wife with Cindy. If that did not happen, people wouldn¡¯t be


    gossiping about him when he already had one foot in the grave.


    Henrick¡¯s face turned several shades darker.


    s, Cindy couldn¡¯t even hear the guests¡¯ criticisms. She grabbed Henrick and


    demanded, ¡°Get Shandie out! If she wakes up and finds herself in a coffin, she¡¯ll burst into tears!¡±


    Indeed, Cindy had gone mad.


    She refused to ept the fact that Shandie was dead and kept asking Henrick to get her daughter out.


    Henrick shoved her arm away and gave her a tight p.


    Instantly, pain red up Cindy¡¯s cheeks. She touched her face to find blood flowing down her nostrils.


    ¡°Blood¡­¡± Her legs turned to jelly, and she copsed to the ground once again.


    Finally, she regained her senses thanks to the p.


    Staring at the coffin, she finally took in the fact that Shandie was dead. It wasn¡¯t Henrick or Arielle but


    her beloved Shannie who died!


    ¡°No!¡± she wailed in desperation, her sharp shriek piercing the air. Everyone shuddered at how horrifying


    her wail was.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Losing all patience, Henrick summoned Alfred. ¡°Bring her back to her room and get her a psychologist!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± Alfred waved his hand, and two bodyguards promptly dragged Cindy away.


    ¡°Let go! Let me go!¡± Cindy screamed. ¡°I want to avenge my daughter. Someone must¡¯ve killed her! It


    must be-¡±


    Before she could finish, Henrick gave Alfred a look, and thetter swiftly covered her mouth.


    Getting cut off mid-sentence, Cindy glowered at Alfred.


    Alfred waved his other hand. The bodyguards picked up their pace and left with Cindy in tow.

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    Henrick sighed in frustration.


    I shouldn¡®t have brought this crazy b*tch back! Her antics have thoroughly embarrassed me.


    The backyard once again regained its serenity after Cindy had been escorted back to the house.


    ¡°Apologies, everybody,¡± Henrick started. ¡°Cindy is too distraught tonight to think straight. She has made


    a fool of herself in front of all of you.¡±


    The crowd exchanged nces before dismissing his apology by waving their hands. ¡°Not to worry, it¡¯s


    completely understandable.¡±


    ¡°Make sure Mrs. Southall takes care of herself. You can always try for another child. It wouldn¡¯t do if


    she fell ill.¡±


    ¡°You must take care of yourself too and be strong throughout this ordeal.¡±


    With the words of constion offered by his guests, Henrick felt much calmer.


    Russell hesitated before stepping forth.


    ¡°Henrick,¡± he said, tugging his arm. ¡°Cindy doesn¡¯t look too well, I¡¯m afraid. We should find a good


    doctor to have a look at her. I¡¯m worried for her if this goes on.¡±


    Henrick nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll do that.¡±


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Speaking of doctors,¡± Russell continued, with a thumbs-up of admiration, ¡°your daughter Arielle is an


    excellent one. If it weren¡¯t for her, I would have died from a cerebral hemorrhagest night.¡±


    Henrick was shocked. ¡°Arielle practices medicine?¡±


    Russell returned Henrick¡¯s look of surprise. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that your daughter is a miracle doctor?¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Henrick murmured, his mind a nk.


    Didn¡®t Arielle grow up in the vige? From where would she have learned the art of medicine?


    Shocked by Henrick¡¯s ignorance on the matter, Russell immediately recounted the events of the night


    before. His narration was so fanciful and exaggerating that


    Henrick¡¯s surprise soon turned to astonishment.


    ¡°Your daughter is amazing,¡± Russell concluded atst with a pat on Henrick¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You must treat


    her well! Don¡¯t let the incident with Shandie happen again.¡±


    Barely hearing what Russell said, Henrick nodded in a daze. Despite the humorous circumstances, he


    felt fearful.


    How am Ipletely unaware that my daughter is skilled in the medicinal arts? Did she keep it from m


    e on purpose? Why would she do such a thing? Is Arielle up to something like Cindy is? Or did she retu


    rn here with a motive all along?


    Henrick felt the hairs on his back standing erect as rm bells began ringing in his head. His gaze


    darkened as he fought the urge to sumb to panic.


    Perhaps I need to take the initiative to know my daughter better.


    He clenched his fists and narrowed his eyes as he thought about his other daughter.


    At that moment, Arielle, who had just emerged from the City Hall after obtaining her marriage


    certificate, gave a sneeze.


    Rubbing her nose, she felt a sense of foreboding.


    ¡°Did you catch a cold?¡± Vinson asked concernedly.


    Arielle shook her head. Suddenly remembering that she had left her coat in the City Hall, she said, ¡°I¡¯ve


    left my coat behind. I¡¯ll go get it.¡±


    Arielle turned around, but Vinson gently pressed her shoulder. ¡°Get in the car. I¡¯ll get it for you. We¡¯ll go


    for lunch after that. It would be pretty messy at your house right now, you might not be able to have


    much to eat.¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°Okay. I don¡¯t want ravioli, though.¡± After having it for several meals in a row, she felt


    nauseated just thinking about it.


    Vinson chuckled. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll take you for ravioli as our first meal as a married couple? Arielle, I


    don¡¯t think you know your husband well enough.¡±

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    Vinson¡¯s dark eyes glimmered mischievously under the bright sunlight, causing Arielle to feel a blush


    creeping across her face.


    Clearing her throat loudly, she attempted to disguise her emotions with levity. ¡°I know you are rich. I¡¯ve


    married a wealthy old bachelor.¡±


    Vinson missed the point entirely. ¡°Old?¡± he repeated with a frown. ¡°I¡¯m only three years older than you!¡±


    Arielle thought it was funny to see him get riled up over their age difference. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that three


    years is as much as a generational gap these days?¡±


    Vinson¡¯s frown deepened in rm as he took Arielle¡¯s words literally.


    ¡°I¡¯m joking with you,¡± she said helplessly. ¡°You can¡¯t even take a joke.¡±


    He¡®s taken my remark about marrying him seriously. And this time, he¡®s sulking over the generational g


    ap thing... I get it now.He is an obtuse guy who can¡®t take any jokes.


    Even Arielle¡¯s reassurance did not ease his


    frown.


    ¡°Wait for me in the car,¡± Vinson said rather dully. ¡°I¡¯ll get your coat.¡±


    Without another word, he disappeared back into the building.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Arielle called after him, but he did not turn back. It was hard to tell if he was doing it on purpose.


    Arielle scratched her head. Is he seriously angry?


    She was worried that she had inadvertently offended him as she had never flirted with men before.


    Just as she was feeling guilty, she suddenly noticed a car stopping by the road. Several familiar faces


    emerged from within.


    Isn¡®t that Yvette and Mason?


    Yvette was handcuffed by the bodyguard. It was obvious that she had been forced to the City Hall


    against her will.


    It did not take long for Arielle to deduce


    that they were at the City Hall to get married.


    Not only did Yvette fail to destroy Arielle, but she had also pushed herself deeper into the abyss of her


    own creation.


    It was very unlikely that Yvette would be able to find happiness with Mason through forced marriage,


    given her character.


    Arielle smirked at the opportunity. ¡°Yvette, Mason,¡± she greeted them right before the couple saw her.


    Turning around to see that it was Arielle, they scowled at her.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Yvette looked as if she would like nothing more than to skin Arielle alive.


    If Yvette was not held by the bodyguard, she would have pounced on Arielle and scratched her eyes


    out.


    Arielle pretended not to understand Yvette¡¯s hostile stare. ¡°Yvette, what¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked


    innocently. ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you?¡±


    ¡°B*tch!¡± she screamed as she struggled. ¡°It


    was you! You plotted all of this, didn¡¯t


    you?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s eyes shed coldly.


    How dare she? Does she not remember what happened?


    ¡°Yvette, you seem to have an awful prejudice against me,¡± Arielle protested with an irritating smile. ¡°But


    it¡¯s fine. I forgive you. By the way, what are you doing here at the City Hall?¡±


    The innocuous remark by Ariellepletely broke Yvette.


    ¡°B*tch!¡± she howled, sounding quite deranged. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you!¡±


    However, Arielle remained unaffected. At that moment, the bodyguard gripped Yvette¡¯s elbow like he


    was escorting a particrly fierce dog, rendering any


    further struggling futile.


    To Yvette, the handcuffs were symbolic of her life imprisonment in the bonds of matrimony.


    ¡°Mason, you¡¯re here too!¡± Arielle¡¯s eyes met


    Mason¡¯s furious ones. ¡°Wait a minute. Are the two of you here to get married?¡±

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    Mason gritted his teeth, unable to respond to Arielle in a diplomatic manner.


    He had spent nights dreaming about


    getting married to Yvette and was eager to announce it to the whole world.


    After Yvette¡¯s repeated and cruel refusal to ept his hand, he finally came to the conclusion that that


    night was a misunderstanding-Yvette had never liked him.


    With the surprising turn of events, the marriage that he was going to have


    simultaneously excited and frustrated Mason. The strength of the prizing emotions within him


    caused him to be on edge for the past couple of days.


    He took a deep breath and growled, ¡°That¡¯s none of your business!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Arielle said abruptly as a thought struck her. ¡°Mr. Actonward mentioned that you guys are


    here to obtain your marriage certificate too. Forgive me for my poor memory, and also congrattions


    to both of you!¡±


    Yvette was further incensed by the


    sarcasm. ¡°B*tch! Is this a joke to you? Go to hell!¡±


    Mason reached out instinctively tofort Yvette. Before his hand touched her, she whipped around to


    give him such a fierce re that his hand never found her shoulder.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Feeling hurt, Mason vented all of his anger on Arielle. ¡°How kind of you toe all the way here to


    share our joy,¡± he sneered, cold fury ringing in every syble. ¡°Now that the party¡¯s over, get lost! Or I


    might do something I regret!¡±


    Arielle pouted. ¡°It looks like there¡¯s a huge misunderstanding between us,¡± she said


    jeeringly. ¡°Apologies, I¡¯m not here to celebrate your marriage. I¡¯m here to have one of my own.¡±


    She waved her red marriage certificate, the sight of which stunned Mason.


    Even Yvette, who had been in a towering rage, was startled into silence at the sight of Arielle¡¯s


    certificate. ¡°Who¡­ Who did you marry?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret!¡± Arielle smiled enigmatically.


    Yvette burst outughing all of a sudden. ¡°Hah! I knew it! Evil b*tches like you will get your punishment


    one day. You must be sold to a rich old man so that your father can gather enough money to rebuild his


    office building!¡±


    Mason looked equally scornful. ¡°I thought


    you have high standards,¡± he said with disdain. ¡°Turns out you¡¯re nothing but a pawn for your father.


    How dare you torment Yvette like that?¡±


    Yvette realized with a start that her marriage with Mason was miles better


    than Arielle¡¯s fate of marrying an old man.


    Though Mason was penniless and not very good-looking, at least he was head over heels for her.


    Even if she were to sleep around, Mason wouldn¡¯t be able to control her. Perhaps he would even cover


    up for her.


    At that moment, Yvette¡¯s mood took a dramatic turn for the better. Arielle¡¯s news felt like a gust of wind


    scattering the stormy clouds of Yvette¡¯s own predicament.


    She felt so victorious that she even began to develop a sense of pity toward Arielle.


    So what if you¡®re pretty and are a skilled doctor? You¡®re still going to marry some old fart! Your destiny h


    ¡°Arielle,¡± Yvette proimed vehemently, ¡°you will never ever be happy in this life!¡±


    ¡°Her happiness is not for you to decide.¡± All of a sudden, a low, attractive voice sounded


    Yvette froze. That sounds like¡­


    She whipped around, only to find Vinson¡¯s cold re on her.


    What is Vinson doing here? Yvette wondered before she saw the red marriage certificate in his hand.


    A marriage certificate¡­ Arielle¡­


    Yvette¡¯s eyes widened; her pupils dted in shock.

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    Chapter 281


    Is Arielle married to Vinson instead of some old man?


    Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!


    Arielle


    is a country bumpkin. How is she worthy of Vinson who is such a fine specimen of a man that even I da


    re not fantasize about?


    It must be a coincidence. I must have been mistaken.


    As if to prove Yvette wrong, Vinson walked over to Arielle¡¯s side and wrapped his right arm tenderly


    around her waist.


    Without a word, the gesture confirmed all of Yvette¡¯s suspicions and more.


    Herst scornful remark of Arielle never finding happiness returned to her like a p in the face.


    Yvette¡¯s face was drained of color as an overwhelming feeling of dissatisfaction and rage engulfed her.


    Why? How dare she?


    Why does a country bumpkin like Arielle get


    to marry Vinson and all that I¡®m good for is Mason, this useless degenerate?


    Yvette clenched her fists hard, not feeling her nails digging deep into the flesh of her palms.


    Vinson gently pulled Arielle¡¯s coat over her shoulders before casting a cold re at Yvette and Mason.


    ¡°I am putting up with you guys for thest time. If I catch you disrespecting my wife again, I will make


    sure you regret it.¡±


    Combining his icy cold threat and hisrge frame, Yvette and Mason were left cowering in fear.


    Vinson¡¯s presence was not something an ordinary person could withstand. Even less so for Mason and


    Yvette who were bullies and who dared not stand up to people putting them in their ce.


    When Vinson turned to face Arielle, his expression switched back to one of warmth and tenderness,


    completely at odds with his hostile behavior. Yvette felt so jealous that she wanted to throw another


    tantrum.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting chilly,¡± Vinson said gently to Arielle. ¡°Get in the car before you catch a cold.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Arielle nodded. Without sparing Yvette and Mason another nce, she turned and walked


    toward the Maybach.


    Vinson remained behind. ¡°If you wish to stay in Jadeborough, leave her alone. Arielle is my wife now. If


    you bother her again, I¡¯ll take it as a provocation against me.¡±


    He gave the couple a final cold gaze before departing.


    Yvette felt beads of sweat rolling down her temples as she watched Arielle and Vinson climb into the


    Maybach.


    The sound of the doors mming shut alerted Yvette to the fact that she and Arielle had be


    people from two different worlds.


    Arielle¡®s world is one where she will never have to worry for the rest of her life, whereas mine is¡­


    At the thought of the prospect of her own


    marriage, Yvette¡¯s knees gave way like a lifeless doll, with her gaze remaining dully on the ground.


    Mason jumped and hurriedly caught Yvette who did not even push him away as she did previously


    Mason felt his heart leap with joy before realizing that something was wrong with Yvette.


    Her eyes were unfocused. At that moment, she seemed indifferent toward the entire world, even him.


    ¡°Yvette! Yvette!¡± Mason shouted in a panic.


    Is there anyone who can help me?


    The only people who responded were his bodyguards who were even more shocked than he was.


    Rate the Trantion to Get 2 Pearls.


    ¡­ Wait! I Have Something to Say!All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 282

    Chapter 282


    When Vinson entered the Maybach, the chauffeur noticed his scowl and tactfully lowered the blinders.


    Being arge man, Arielle felt the air in the carpressing as it was disced by Vinson¡¯s body


    Coupled with the sudden change in atmospheric pressure within the vehicle with the fact that the


    chauffeur had lowered the blinders, Arielle felt deeply uneasy.


    Vinson, on the other hand, looked as carefree as ever.


    Arielle kicked herself for being so easily frightened.


    It¡®s only a sham wedding. Why do I have to be as nervous as an actual new bride?


    Arielle was inwardly frustrated when Vinson suddenly handed her a document that looked like an


    agreement


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± she asked in surprise.


    ¡°The ground rules which you¡¯veid out,¡± Vinson answered carelessly. ¡°Tve taken the liberty of drawing


    up an agreement. Go ahead and sign it if everything looks good to you. We¡¯ll each keep a copy.¡±


    Stunned, Arielle dropped her eyes to the


    agreement.


    It was so detailed that it filled an entire page. In a formal and somewhat pompous air, Arielle was ¡°The


    Wife¡± while Vinson was ¡°The Husband.¡±


    Arielle thought that Vinson had drawn up the agreement with the purpose of taking advantage of her.


    Upon closer inspection, she realized that she was the benefactor in almost all of the terms while they


    were constrictive for Vinson. One of the terms stated that ¡°If The Husband is found to be overly intimate


    with the opposite sex, The Wife has the right to call for a divorce and up to a hundred percent of The


    Husband¡¯s asset as alimony.¡±


    There was only one constraint for her. She, too, was required to not be overly intimate with the opposite


    sex. If she was found to have vited the agreement, she too would be required to surrender all of her


    assets as alimony.


    In other words, it was an agreement that only benefitted her.


    Arielle gazed at Vinson in shock.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Vinson,¡± Arielle blurted. ¡°Did you draft this agreement?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Yes, I did. Is there anything wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, there isn¡¯t.¡± Arielle replied as she pointed at the agreement. ¡°Did you make a mistake? Why are


    there so many constraints on yourself?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; there is no mistake.¡± Vinson gazed deep into her eyes. ¡°If you have no otherments,


    go ahead and sign it.¡±


    Arielle was bbergasted. He seems awfully sure he didn¡®t make a mistake.


    What reason does he have for doing so?


    Vinson seemed to have read her thoughts. ¡°This is the only way to assure you to marry me without any


    worries, is it not?¡±


    Arielle jumped, question after question racing through her mind. ¡°Vinson, you¡¯re not in love with me, are


    you?¡±


    That is why he proposed to me so many times. To appease me, he even went ahead


    and drafted so many constraints for himself.


    Out of Arielle¡¯s sight, Vinson¡¯s fist clenched slowly


    A couple of secondster, he looked away. ¡°Though I don¡¯t hate you,¡± he dered, ¡°I dont like you that


    way too. You¡¯re not worthy. This is only a sham wedding, so don¡¯t get any ideas.¡±


    Arielle was indignant. ¡°Who do you think you are for me to develop feelings for you?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep it that way.¡± Vinson grunted.


    Arielle gritted her teeth and signed the agreement.


    This only benefits me. Why shouldn¡®t I sign it?


    It¡®s better if Vinson doesn¡®t like me. If he does, I won¡®t agree to this marriage!If feelings were to get in the


    it wouldn¡®t be a simple sham wedding anymore.


    After both parties signed the agreement, the pair of them turned away from one another to gaze out of


    their windows.


    The silence was so palpable that it seemed to solidify in the air.


    After ten minutes, the Maybach rolled to a stop before the entrance to a private restaurant.


    Arielle got down and looked at the sign. Being greeted by the words ¡°Maureen¡¯s Kitchen,¡± she froze.

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    Chapter 283


    Maureen¡­


    Maureen Moore¡­


    Isn¡¯t that Mom¡®s name?


    ¡°What are you standing there for? Go on!¡± Vinson said, interrupting her stunned reverie as he gave her


    a little shove from behind.


    Arielle entered the restaurant withoutment, dismissing the naming as a coincidence.


    It was only eleven in the morning, the restaurant was nearly empty as it was not lunchtime.


    Arielle nced around and thought the decor to be expansive and simplistic. Though it looked good,


    she found nothing special about it aside from the name


    Arielle sat across from Vinson without a word. She did not speak until Vinson started browsing the


    menu. ¡°What is special about this restaurant?¡±


    ¡°Why? Is it not good enough?¡¯ Vinson asked, ncing up at her.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t have many demands about that.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I just thought that you would bring


    me to an exotic restaurant that was difficult to make reservations.¡±


    ¡°You like foreign food?¡± Vinson asked, his eyebrows raised


    ¡°No.¡± She shook her head once more. ¡°I just thought that¡­ Ah, never mind. Forget I asked.¡±


    When Vinson had said ¡°You don¡¯t know your husband well enough,¡± Arielle thought that he would at


    least take her to somewhere much pricier than this. She did not expect to be brought to a ce where


    an entire family can get full for the price of an appetizer.


    However, she meant what she said about not being particr about what she ate.


    Arielle dismissed the peculiar feeling and after ordering her meal, she passed the menu to Vinson.


    Vinson ticked off several items on the menu for himself before summoning the waiter.


    It did not take long for the food to arrive.


    Upon the very first spoonful, Arielle detected a familiar taste.


    Initially, she did not think much of it. She simply thought that the chef had a knack to cater to the taste


    of the general public.


    Upon the second bite, the sense of familiarity became stronger, as though it was food that she had had


    many times before.


    In disbelief, Arielle tasted a different dish. The sense of familiarity did not only diminish but became


    more overwhelming. It was as if she had been here once before.


    How is this possible?


    Arielle gazed at Vinson. ¡°Have I been here before?¡± she asked Vinson in wonder.


    ¡°Yes, you have.¡± Vinson nodded a tender smile spreading across his lips.


    ¡°How do you know?¡± Arielle demanded, her


    astonishment growing,


    Vinson wiped his mouth with a napkin before responding, ¡°I¡¯ve investigated old articles regarding your


    mother. There was an old photo of you taken by the paparazzi of your mother bringing you here. It


    seemed that you were brought here more than once. I thought you might like it here.¡±


    Arielle felt her nose twinge. Gazing at the food before her, she felt an old forgotten sense of warmth


    creeping up her heart. It was as though her mother had brought her here again.


    Arielle suddenly recalled the first instance of her surprise when they arrived. ¡°What about the name of


    the restaurant?¡±


    At that, Vinson snapped his fingers.


    The waiter who had brought them their food earlier reappeared with a smile as he ced an agreement


    before her.


    She nced at the title and found it to be a transferal agreement of the restaurant.


    ¡°Is this your restaurant?¡± Arielle asked,prehension dawning on her face.


    ¡°It¡¯s yours after you sign that.¡±


    Arielle gazed back at the agreement.


    ¡°You¡­¡± she began, unable to find the words as


    she clutched the document.


    Vinson cleared his throat. ¡°This is my wedding gift to you. Do you like it?¡±


    Arielle nodded as tears welled up in her eyes, rendering Vinson¡¯s face a blur before her.


    But that did not matter as Vinson¡¯s face was already etched in her memory.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

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    Chapter 284


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Arielle choked.


    ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Vinson stood up uncertainly as he leaned over and wiped her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Arielle said with a shake of her head. ¡°I¡¯m just happy. Thank you.¡±


    Vinson sighed. ¡°If I knew you were going to cry I wouldn¡¯t have done this.¡±


    I only wanted to see her smile. Not her tears.


    Arielle¡¯s fingers tensed up at his words before ckening. She felt the toughness of her heart give way


    as it was being filled with something soft and warm.


    ¡°Vinson, though you have plenty of issues¡± Arielle hupped=¡±you¡¯re a good man after all.¡±


    ¡°Are you praising or insulting me?¡± Vinson frowned


    ¡°It¡¯s apliment. Take it.¡± Arielle wiped her tears and looked at him seriously. ¡°Whoever marries you


    in the future will be very lucky.¡±


    ¡°Are you referring to yourself?¡± Vinson gazed at her.


    Arielle forgot that she was already married to him.


    owners was enough to attract scores of new customers.


    At the dining table, Arielle was trying hard topose herself by focusing on her meal.


    Though she said nothing throughout the rest of the meal, her heart was bursting with happiness


    My tastebuds clung on to my past even if my memories did not


    I used to have this with Mom all the time,


    Vinson did not interrupt Arielle¡¯s thoughts. Instead, he focused on his own meal.


    When she was almost done, Vinson finally


    spoke. ¡°Do you recall anything?¡±


    Arielle took a moment to return to the present. ¡°Are you hoping that I will regain my memories?¡± she


    asked.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Vinson nodded, ¡°You have a lot of things you don¡¯t remember, do you? Instead of searching


    for evidence from another ce or person, why don¡¯t you try and look within? Anything you remember


    might help to locate your mother.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Arielle said wearily. ¡°But it¡¯s no use. Before I returned, I had consulted many doctors with the


    hopes of regaining my memories, but nothing worked.¡±


    ¡°That was because you were still away¡± Vinson said firmly. ¡°Now that you are back, try revisiting some


    familiar things. It will be more effective than any treatment.¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Arielle¡¯s voice trailed off. She took a deep breath and smiled. ¡°No matter what, I think I¡¯ve


    made progress by recalling the taste of my childhood here. I wille back more often in the future.¡±

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    Chapter 285


    ¡°Come whenever you want. This restaurant is yours, anyway.¡±


    Arielle was about to thank him when Vinson raised a hand to stop her. ¡°Save it if you¡¯re going to thank


    me again. I¡¯ve heard it so many times over the course of this meal that I¡¯m sick of it.¡±


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As he spoke, he stuck his fingers into his ears.


    Arielle burst outughing. ¡°What kind of person does not like receiving thanks?¡±


    As she spoke, her phone, which was on the table, rang


    With a nce at the screen, Arielle was informed that Larissa was calling.


    She nced at Vinson before picking up. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked without hesitation.


    Larissa told her everything about the people who had turned up to the wake. ¡°Has she gone crazy?¡±


    Arielle asked with a hopeful smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure she was cross-eyed. I don¡¯t think it was an act, though. It looks like this has i really hit


    her hard. Be careful, Ms. Arielle.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Arielle nodded. ¡°Aside from that, did anything peculiar happen?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing, but I¡¯m not sure if I


    should tell you.¡±


    ¡°Speak.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ I heard Mr. Actonward telling your father that you saved his life at the Actonward residence. It


    should be a good thing, but Mr. Southall looked a bit strange after being told about that¡­¡±


    Arielle¡¯s face fell. ¡°I know,¡± she repeated before hanging up.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Vinson asked, noticing the change in her expression. ¡°What happened? You were smiling


    just a minute before.¡±


    Arielle set down her cutlery, ¡°Good news and bad news,¡± she said in an air of forced calmness. ¡°Which


    do you want to hear first?¡±


    ¡°T¡¯ll have the good news first,¡± Vinson said after considering for a moment.


    ¡°The good news is that Cindy is so traumatized by Shandie¡¯s death that she isn¡¯t right in the head


    anymore, though I¡¯m not sure if she is faking it. After all, acting deranged has been known as an


    efficient method to obtain Henrick¡¯s trust.¡±


    Vinson frowned. ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like good news. What about the bad news?¡±


    ¡°Henrick is beginning to suspect me,¡± Arielle


    said with a grim look on her face,


    Vinson raised his eyebrows. ¡°What makes you think that?¡±


    Arielle recounted what Larissa had told her earlier. ¡°He is a man full of doubt,¡± she concluded as she


    heaved a sigh. ¡°During the barista championship, I was positive that he was beginning to suspect me.


    But brewing coffee isn¡¯t particrly difficult, is it? Anybody can make fte art with some practice.


    However, the medical arts take much more than that to achieve mastery. It is impossible to do so


    without systematic studying from a mentor.¡±


    Vinson fell silent. ¡°Arielle,¡± he said after a while. ¡°Now can you tell me where you learned all of it?¡±


    Before she could respond, Vinson added, ¡°If you are not willing to share, you don¡¯t have to tell me


    anything.¡±


    Arielle bit her lip as she clutched the transfer agreement in her hand. ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t stay in the


    vige at all.¡±


    She paused to allow Vinson to react. However, he remained impassive.


    ¡°You already know?¡± she asked, shocked.


    ¡°I guessed it. There is no way for someone to


    grow up in a vige to have encountered so many things likette art, chess, and most


    astounding of all, your medical skills. The only thing that I do not know is where you grew up.¡±


    ¡°Do you know the Wilhelms?¡± Arielle asked.

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    Chapter 286


    After a moment¡¯s thought, Vinson asked, ¡°Are you referring to the famous psychologists?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s them.¡± Arielle nodded. ¡°They were the ones who saved my life. They¡¯re also my adoptive


    parents.¡±


    Vinson¡¯s eyes widened in shock. After several seconds, he found his voice. ¡°No wonder you knew how


    to treat PTSD. But if I remember correctly, you employed traditional Chanaean medicine, didn¡¯t you?


    Did the Wilhelms teach


    you that as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they did.¡± Arielle nodded again. ¡°They are not just psychologists. Being aware of the power of the


    unexplored branch of medicine, they are conducting deep research on traditional Chanaean medicine.


    To be more urate, they wanted to learn ancient Chanaean medicine. That was the reason why they


    came to the vige to learn from an expert who lived in seclusion there. It was by fate that they found


    me abandoned there and took me with them. That was why I grew up abroad. The rumor of me


    growing up in the vige is a lie i fabricated at great expense.¡±


    ¡°That exins everything.¡± Vinson stared at her. ¡°Everybody thinks you came from the vige.


    To think that you are the famous adopted daughter of the Wilhelms!¡±


    ¡°Yes, they are very good to me. However, I still cannot reveal their identities.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Vinson fell silent again. ¡°Tve suddenly recalled,¡± he eximed. ¡°There is a name that


    might be of help to you.¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Arielle asked, her eyes brightening up.


    Vinson gave a mysterious smile. ¡°It looks like we have to resume our act as loving husband and wife


    for a while.¡±


    Half an hourter, the Maybach rolled to a halt outside the Southall residence.


    Most of the mourners had already departed when Vinson and Arielle arrived. Being engaged in


    conversation with Henrick, only Russell remained.


    His eyes brightened at the sight of Arielle. ¡°Sannie!¡± he cried with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re back. Where did you


    go? I didn¡¯t see you earlier.¡±


    Arielle studied Henrick carefully. True enough, the doubt which was never there before appeared in


    Henrick¡¯s eyes when she appeared before him.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Before that day, Henrick had never looked at her that way.


    Arielle pretended not to notice as she greeted Henrick like she normally did before returning Russell¡¯s


    greeting. ¡°I took care of some business with Vinson.¡±


    It was at that moment when Russell noticed Vinson. ¡°Mr. Nightshire,¡± he said at once with a courteous


    nod.


    ¡°Hi¡± Vinson responded tersely. ¡°How are you feeling today, Mr. Actonward?¡±


    Russell thumped a fist on his chest. ¡°I¡¯m doing great! As long as nothing weird happens at home, I feel


    strong enough for anything.¡±


    Vinson appeared pleased with Russell¡¯s answer. He took the lead in the conversation. ¡°I¡¯m happy to


    hear that. If you still feel unwell, you could look for Dr. Jankowitsch at Carter¡¯s hospital. Though he is a


    psychologist, he is a student of the Wilhelms who is skilled in ancient Chanaean


    ¡°No need for that,¡± Russell interrupted. ¡°I don¡¯t need any other doctor when we have a miracle doctor


    standing in our midst!¡± He beamed at Arielle.


    Arielle noticed that Henrick¡¯s scowl had deepened.


    She was about to say something when Vinson spoke again. ¡°Arielle got her skills from Dr. Jankowitsch.


    What she knows pales inparison to his. She is not even worthy of the title of miracle doctor. All that


    she knows is because of Dr. Jankowitsch.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Russell and Henrick were startled.


    ¡°Sannie, where did you learn medicine from?¡± Henrick asked urgently.

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    The trap has been sprung, and these fools have fallen into it. ¡°Yes, I grew up in the vige,¡± she said


    with a nod as they had rehearsed. ¡°From where could I have learned medicine? It was a while ago


    when Vinson brought me to meet Carter that we coincidentally saw Dr. Jankowitsch saving somebody¡¯s


    life. I thought it was interesting, so I learned a couple of moves from him. I didn¡¯t expect to put it into


    use one day!¡±


    Henrick appeared satisfied with the exnation as his suspicion toward Arielle decreased visibly.


    Russell, on the other hand, was in awe. ¡°If you were able to save my life with just a couple of moves,


    Dr. Jankowitsch¡¯s skills must be


    formidable.¡±


    ¡°Yes, they are,¡± said Arielle with a smile. ¡°However, the Wilhelms are even better. Mr. Actonward, you


    actually owe your gratitude to Dr. Jankowitsch and the Wilhelms. Not to me¡±


    Russell nodded, his gaze toward Arielle dipped in admiration as he did not attempt to conceal his


    disappointment.


    I have gone out of my way to


    attend the funeral just to be able to meet my savior. If I knew that Arielle had learned it from somebody


    else, wouldn¡®t havee here to waste my breath.


    Russell cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯ve overstayed my


    wee,¡± he told Henrick. ¡°I must be going. Goodbye, all.¡±


    ¡°Thank you foring. Let me see you out.¡± Henrick departed with Russell.


    When he returned, Arielle was pleased to see Henrick smiling again. Though she heaved a sigh of


    relief, she did not let her guard down.


    ¡°Sannie, Mr. Nightshire, how was your Wedding?¡± Henrick asked, appearing in the best of spirits.


    Arielle showed him her marriage certificate, looking like a young girl deep in love. ¡°Dad, look. This is my


    marriage certificate.¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡± Henrick smiled contentedly at the sight of the certificate. He took it and studied it for a long


    time before returning it reluctantly to her.


    ¡°Would you like to spend the night here, Vinson?¡± Henrick turned suddenly to address Vinson


    Arielle¡¯s smile froze. Henrick is going too fast with this, isn¡®t he?


    It didn¡®t take long for him to be on a first¨Cname basis with Vinson.


    Besides, does Vinson staying over mean that/ have to share my room with him?


    Arielle turned to give Vinson a warning look, hinting that he should find an excuse to reject.


    Vinson did not even look at her. ¡°I would love to. On our way over, Sannie was saying that she did not


    dare to sleep alone. As her husband, I must oblige her.¡±


    Arielle wanted nothing more than to yell at him, but there was nothing she could do in front of Henrick


    besides maintain her fake smile.


    Henrick¡¯s smile widened even further. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have the servants clean Sannie¡¯s bedroom and put in a


    larger bed for your stay. We will move her to arger room in the future for your convenience should


    you choose to visit.¡±C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Thank you, Dad.¡±


    Henrickughed heartily at being greeted in such a manner by Vinson.


    Arielle nced at Vinson, bewildered. This fellow seems to be getting into character really quickly


    At that moment, a servant came running down the stairs. ¡°Mr. Southall, the lunch that we brought up to


    Mrs. Southall was smashed to pieces by her. Would you like toe up and have a look?¡±


    Henrick scowled. ¡°Leave her alone if she doesn¡¯t want to eat,¡± he grumbled. ¡°She will eat


    when she¡¯s hungry. Let¡¯s see how long she keeps this madness up.¡±

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    Chapter 288


    Arielle yed dumb and pretended to ask in confusion, ¡°What happened to Aunt Cindy, Dad?¡±


    ¡°She couldn¡¯t ept the fact that Shandie is dead and has been causing a ruckus, so I had someone


    lock her in her room. Wouldn¡¯t want to scare the guests who havee to mourn,¡± Henrick replied with


    a sigh.


    Arielle nodded. ¡°Aunt Cindy really loves Shandie and treats her like her own daughter, even though she


    was adopted. It¡¯s only natural that she doesn¡¯t take too well to her sudden death.¡±


    Henrick cleared his throat awkwardly upon hearing that. ¡°Ahem¡­ No need to concern yourself over


    this. She¡¯lle to terms with it over time.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ We can¡¯t just let Aunt Cindy stay depressed like this. Prolonged grief can be really bad for her


    body. How about we have Dr. Jankowitsch take a look at her?¡±


    Henrick arched an eyebrow at her and said, ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Will he be willing to travel all the way


    here?¡±


    Vinson was quick to reassure him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad. I¡¯ll give Dr. Jankowitsch a call right away and


    have hime over!¡±


    ¡°All right, then! Thank you very much, Vinson!¡±


    ¡°No need to thank me. We¡¯re family, after all!¡± Vinson said as he pulled out his phone and gave us a


    call.


    To ensure that everything would go smoothly for Arielle, he had already told us about their n


    when he came over that morning


    us said he wasn¡¯t on duty that night and could pay them a visit right away.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Vinson then hung up the phone and told Henrick, ¡°He¡¯ll be here in half an hour.


    ¡°Thank goodness Dr. Jankowitsch is able to make it. With his medical skills, I¡¯m sure Cindy will be back


    to normal very soon!¡± Henrick eximed while breathing a huge sigh of relief.pletely oblivious to


    the sudden twinkle in Arielle¡¯s eyes as she thought of an idea that would destroy both Cindy and


    Matthias in one


    1. go.


    Naturally, Vinson noticed that look in her eyes and whispered to her when Henrick was in the backyard,


    ¡°Come on, out with it. Let¡¯s hear this bright idea of yours.¡±


    Arielle pouted. ¡°What¡­ Are you able to read minds or something?¡±


    Vinson simply shrugged in response and waited for her to continue.


    Arielle then shed him a smile and decided to


    keep him in suspense as he did before. ¡°Looks like I¡¯m going to have to put on another show! All you


    have to do is sit back and watch as everything unfolds!¡±


    Vinson wasn¡¯t bothered by it and carried on waiting with a look of anticipation on his face.


    us arrived shortly after and got all excited when he saw Arielle, but he did his best to contain his


    excitement as told by Vinson beforehand.


    He then put on his usual attitude and asked Vinson, ¡°Where is the patient, Mr. Nightshire?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s upstairs.¡± Vinson then turned toward Arielle after a brief pause and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go get Henrick, you


    can have a little chat with Dr. Jankowitsch in the meantime.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Arielle nodded and led us upstairs before sneakily handing him something when no one was


    watching.


    ¡°What is this?¡± us asked in confusion.


    Arielle leaned in close to whisper something into his ear, and us¡¯ eyes lit up in surprise. ¡°What?


    Where did you get something like this? I heard it got banned immediately after it was developed!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. Just make sure you do as I sayter on, okay?¡± Arielle said


    with a faint smile.


    us nodded profusely and patted his chest as he reassured her confidently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll surely


    put this to good use!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Arielle then quickly made a shushing motion at him when she heard Henricking up the


    stairs. She even pretended to be worried and pleaded with us, ¡°Please, you have to treat my aunt,


    Dr. Jankowitsch!¡±

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    Chapter 289


    us felt flustered when he heard that, but he kept hisposure and cleared his throat as he said


    professionally, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Moore. I¡¯ve dealt with a lot of simr cases, and assure you it is no big


    deal. She¡¯ll be all better very soon!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to know.¡±


    Henrick arrived on the second floor with Vinson right after she said that, and he held us¡¯ hand


    excitedly the moment he saw him.


    ¡°Your reputation precedes you, Dr. Jankowitsch! Please, do take a look at my wife. I¡¯ve justst my


    daughter, and I can¡¯t imagine what I¡¯d do if I were to lose my wife as well!¡±


    Heh... Henrick is only trying to get Cindy treated so that she won¡®t humiliate him with her


    crazed antics! Arielle thought to herself but held herself back from showing any of her true emotions.


    She even added on to Henrick¡¯s words by saying, ¡°We¡¯re all counting on you, Dr. Jankowitsch!¡±


    us nodded and turned toward Henrick as he asked, ¡°Which room is the patient in?¡±


    ¡°Here, I¡¯ll show you the way!¡±


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Henrick motioned at us to follow him as he led him to the bedroom door.


    The sounds of furniture being smashed against the floor could be heard the moment they opened the


    door, and Arielle saw Cindy throwing cups on the floor upon entering the room.


    She looked up at them with her hair all messy the moment she heard theming in, and the look in


    her eyes grew cold when she saw Arielle.


    She looked a lot skinnier. It was as though she had aged ten years overnight.


    The next thing they knew, Cindy began charging toward her with bloodshot eyes and a vicious


    expression on her face.


    ¡°Arielle, you b*tch! I¡¯ll kill you!¡± she screamed like a malicious spirit seeking vengeance, and even


    Arielle found herself a little scared as she had never seen Cindy like that before.


    Henrick stepped forward and stopped Cindy in her tracks by wrapping his arms tightly around her


    waist. ¡°Get a hold of yourself, Cindy!¡± he shouted out loud.


    ¡°Let go of me! She¡¯s a murderer! She must pay with her life!¡± Cindy shrieked and continued to struggle


    with all of her might.


    ¡°Someone get the bodyguards to tie her up! Hurry!¡± Henrick shouted while maintaining a firm grip on


    her.


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± The butler quickly ran off upon receiving the order.


    Arielle took a moment to regain herposure before saying with an innocent look on her face, ¡°Why


    would you think that I killed Shandie, Aunt Cindy? Her death really has nothing to¡±


    ¡°Shut up! You¡¯re going to hell!¡± Cindy¡¯s voice was so shrill that it hurt Arielle¡¯s ears.


    Suddenly, Cindy broke free from Henrick¡¯s grip, grabbed a shard of the broken cup, and hurled it at


    Arielle.


    As Arielle wasn¡¯t expecting a skinny woman like Cindy to struggle free like that, she wasn¡¯t able to


    dodge in time and instinctively shielded her face with her arms instead.


    The next thing she knew, Vinson appeared in front of her and took the hit on his right shoulder


    ¡°Vinson!¡± Arielle went wide-eyed instantly when she saw his white dress shirt stained red with blood.


    Vinson simply shook his head calmly and reassured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Arielle was about to say something when several bodyguards came running in and pinned the crazed


    Cindy to the ground.

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    ¡°Vinson! Your arm¡­¡± Henrick came running over frantically.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Just need to get some bandages on the wound. Do we have a first aid kit at home?¡±


    Henrick nodded. ¡°Yes, we do! It¡¯s in my study! Follow me!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Arielle was about to go with Vinson, but he motioned at her to stay put instead.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    That was when Arielle realized Vinson could¡¯ve pulled her away from the broken shard but deliberately


    let it hit him so he could get Henrick away


    He knows what I¡®m up to! Damn it, Vinson, you idiot! Why¡®d you let yourself get hurt because of me? Yo


    u¡®re such an idiot!


    Arielle bit down on her lip and teared up at the thought of that.


    Henrick brought Vinson over to get patched up in his study


    Arielle hesitated for a few seconds but chose not to go with them in the end as she didn¡¯t want to let


    Vinson¡¯s injury be in vain.


    She took a deep breath and told us, ¡°Dr. Jankowitsch, could you please get Aunt Cindy


    looked at? Her condition seems really serious!¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± us nodded and the two of them walked up to Cindy who was still writhing about on the floor.


    Arielle nced at Cindy who even attempt to bite her from time to time and told us, ¡°) don¡¯t think you


    can treat her in this state, Dr. Jankowitsch. Maybe you should try sedating her or something.¡±


    us understood what she meant and retrieved a sedative from his medical kit. He then adjusted the


    dose before injecting it directly into Cindy¡¯s lower back.


    Cindy struggled for a couple more seconds before slowly closing her eyes, and the bodyguards then


    carried her onto the bed when she had stopped moving.


    Arielle nced at Cindy who was unconscious and told the bodyguards, ¡°All right, your work is done


    here. Please step outside so Dr. Jankowitsch can focus on carrying out the treatment.¡±


    ¡°Roger!¡± The bodyguards immediately stepped out of the room, leaving only the butler who was a little


    slow in the head.


    It wasn¡¯t until Arielle shot him a re that he understood what she meant and bowed before leaving the


    room.


    Honestly, hiring a stupid butler isn¡®t necessarily a good thing sometimes!


    Arielle shook her head at the thought of that and turned toward us as she asked, ¡°You didn¡¯t give a


    huge dose of the sedative, right? This stuff evaporates pretty quickly, so you need to time it well.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯ll wake up very soon. I used a very low dose.¡±


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll be on my way out too. Here¡¯s the antidote. Make sure you take it so you don¡¯t get


    affected,¡± Arielle said while handing him a green-colored pill


    us hesitated for a bit but swallowed it when Arielle urged him to.


    Arielle left us in the room and headed for Henrick¡¯s study after closing the door behind her.


    Vinson had taken off his shirt in the study, revealing his firm chest and abdominal muscles which were


    only possible due to his long-term training and great genes.


    Any other woman would¡¯ve dropped their jaws if they saw him, and even Arielle was quick to avert her


    gaze when she did.


    ¡°How deep is the wound?¡± she asked Henrick.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little deep¡­ It¡¯ll take about a week to recover,¡± Henrick said with fear written all over his face.


    Although Vinson was his son-inw, their statuses were worlds apart. Henrick was afraid that Vinson


    would get mad at being injured and make Southall Group go bankrupt as a result.


    Fortunately for him, Vinson showed no signs of anger whatsoever

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    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m okay. I¡¯m not a porcin doll. you know? Just need to apply some ointment on it and


    I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Arielle opened her mouth, but the words were stuck in her throat.


    She wanted to tell Vinson that he didn¡¯t have to do so much for her as she didn¡¯t want to owe him such


    a huge favor, but she couldn¡¯t say it with Henrick around.


    All she could do was watch as the servant tended to Vinson¡¯s wound.


    After the wound was bandaged up, Arielle saw that they still needed a bit more time and stalled Henrick


    with some idle chit-chat.


    Vinson yed along and asked him some questions about Shandie, but Henrick seemed rather


    distracted with his replies.


    Eventually, Henrick couldn¡¯t hold his anxiety back anymore and said, ¡°Maybe we should go check on


    the treatment progress. In the worst case scenario, we¡¯ll just send her to a mental hospital for further


    treatment.¡±


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Worried that us wasn¡¯t done ¡°treating¡± Cindy, Arielle racked her brains to think of how she could stall


    Henrick further when someone knocked on the door.


    ¡°Come in!¡± Henrick said.


    The butler then came in through the door and reported, ¡°Dr. Jankowitsch says he¡¯s almost done with


    the treatment and has prescribed her some medicine. He would like you all to go have a look.¡±


    Arielle let out a sigh of relief and smiled at Herrick as she said, ¡°Come on, Dad! Let¡¯s go see how Aunt


    Cindy is doing!¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Henrick motioned at Vinson to go ahead, and the three of them then headed over to the


    bedroom


    When they got to the bedroom door, Henrick stepped forward and told them, ¡°I¡¯ll go in first. Wouldn¡¯t


    want that woman to go crazy and hurt you two again.¡±


    Arielle nodded as her gaze fell upon the aroma diffuser that had been put out on the table.


    I got


    that from the Actonward residence. Honestly, I didn¡®t think it woulde in handy today. By using it to d


    rug


    Cindy, I can have her develop hallucinations when she regains consciousness. We¡®ll all be in for a grea


    t


    show when she sees Henrick as Matthias! Cindy has lost all sense of rationality, and irrational people c


    an do some pretty


    crazy stuff. I have to make sure she loses Henrick¡®s trustpletely so he¡®ll divorce her! Arielle thought


    to herself as she followed behind Henrick, hiding her raging emotions beneath her calm expression


    However, for some reason, Arielle had a bad feeling that her n wouldn¡¯t go so smoothly


    Cindy opened her eyes the moment Henrick walked up to her bed, and us secretly gave Arielle a


    thumbs up from the side.


    Arielle rolled her eyes at how childish he was and shifted her gaze back to Cindy as she waited for her


    response.


    Cindy nced about the room nkly for a moment before staring right at Arielle. She instinctively took


    a step back.


    Vinson quickly stepped in front of Arielle to protect her in case Cindy tried to attack her again.


    Why is Cindy immune to the drug from the aromatherapy candle? This shouldn¡®t be the case¡­


    Cindy tried to get out of bed while Arielle was still puzzled and lost in her thoughts but couldn¡¯t as her


    limbs had been tied down.


    ¡°Shannie? You¡¯re alive?¡± Cindy shouted desperately while struggling against her restraints, much to


    Arielle¡¯s confusion.

 Chapter 292

    Chapter 292


    Cindy broke down in tears as she cried out.¡± knew it! I knew you wouldn¡¯t just leave me like this! I knew


    they were lying to me! You nearly scared me to death, Shannie!¡±


    A look of surprise shed past Arielle¡¯s eyes when she heard that, but she quickly regained her


    composure when she realized what was going on.


    I knew it! There¡¯s no


    way she¡®s immune to the drug¡®s effects! Turns out, Shandie is the person that matters most to Cindy, n


    ot Matthias. / suppose motherly nature is a thing that every woman has inmon, even


    one as vile and heartless as Cindy¡­ If that¡®s the case, then I¡®m sure my mom feels the same


    way about me. What about Henrick, then? Who is the one that matters most to him? Or does that perso


    n not exist at all?


    For a split second there, Arielle felt a conflictingbination of pity and hatred toward Cindy


    ¡°Wake up, Cindy! Shandie is gone! She¡¯s dead, and she¡¯s noting back!¡± Henrick shouted coldly.


    Cindy gave Henrick a weird look and pointed at Arielle as she asked, ¡°What are you saying? Can¡¯t you


    see? Shandie¡¯s right there! Why would you joke about such a thing?¡±


    Henrick instinctively looked in Arielle¡¯s direction as he thought Cindy had seen a ghost.


    However, the expression on his face turned grim when he saw Cindy pointing at Arielle. ¡°Dr.


    Jankowitsch, why has my wife¡¯s condition worsened? She¡¯s even hallucinating now! Is¡­ is


    there even a cure for her at this point?¡±


    us cleared his throat awkwardly as he wasn¡¯t sure what Arielle¡¯s actual n was.


    Thinking Arielle was probably trying to get rid of Cindy, he said, ¡°I tried treating her with hypnosis just


    now, but it doesn¡¯t seem to be working for Mrs. Southall here.¡±


    What? Who else could possibly treat Cindy if even Dr. Jankowitsch can¡®t? People are going tough at


    me for having a crazy wife! No, I can¡®t let


    that happen! She has humiliated me a lot today, and I¡®m not about to suffer any further humiliation!


    Henrick was panicking so much that he ignored Vinson and grabbed us tightly like he was hisst


    hope. ¡°Is there nothing else you can do to treat her, Dr. Jankowitsch?¡±


    us stole a nce at Arielle who subtly shook her head in response and quickly took the hint.


    ¡°Hypnosis is the best form of treatment I can offer. I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Southall, but there is nothing more I


    can do¡­¡± he said with an apologetic


    expression.


    Henrick took a few steps back with a nk look


    on his face, and Arielle quickly stepped forward to hold him steady.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Dr. Jankowitsch is no longer involved in psychology. Maybe we can send Aunt Cindy somewhere else


    with professionals who can provide her with a systematic form of treatment. Who knows, she might be


    able to get better soon!¡±


    Vinson chimed in as well, ¡°She¡¯s right, Dad. Carter¡¯s family has recently started a mental hospital. I¡¯ll


    make sure to have their best doctors treat her!¡±


    ¡°A mental hospital? Why are you sending me to a mental hospital? I¡¯m not crazy! I don¡¯t want to go


    there!¡± Cindy asked in disbelief.


    Even Henrick was a hesitant about the decision.


    Wouldn¡®t sending Cindy to a mental hospital be the same as telling everyone she¡¯s crazy?


    Cindy began shouting at Arielle again, ¡°I¡¯m not sick, Shannie! Tell your dad I¡¯m not sick! Please,


    Shannie!¡±

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    Chapter 293


    Cindy broke down in tears as she cried out.¡± knew it! I knew you wouldn¡¯t just leave me like this! I knew


    they were lying to me! You nearly scared me to death, Shannie!¡±


    A look of surprise shed past Arielle¡¯s eyes when she heard that, but she quickly regained her


    composure when she realized what was going on.


    I knew it! There¡¯s no


    way she¡®s immune to the drug¡®s effects! Turns out, Shandie is the person that matters most to Cindy, n


    ot Matthias. / suppose motherly nature is a thing that every woman has inmon, even


    one as vile and heartless as Cindy¡­ If that¡®s the case, then I¡®m sure my mom feels the same


    way about me. What about Henrick, then? Who is the one that matters most to him? Or does that perso


    n not exist at all?


    For a split second there, Arielle felt a conflictingbination of pity and hatred toward Cindy


    ¡°Wake up, Cindy! Shandie is gone! She¡¯s dead, and she¡¯s noting back!¡± Henrick shouted coldly.


    Cindy gave Henrick a weird look and pointed at Arielle as she asked, ¡°What are you saying? Can¡¯t you


    see? Shandie¡¯s right there! Why would you joke about such a thing?¡±


    Henrick instinctively looked in Arielle¡¯s direction as he thought Cindy had seen a ghost.


    However, the expression on his face turned grim when he saw Cindy pointing at Arielle. ¡°Dr.


    Jankowitsch, why has my wife¡¯s condition worsened? She¡¯s even hallucinating now! Is¡­ is


    there even a cure for her at this point?¡±


    us cleared his throat awkwardly as he wasn¡¯t sure what Arielle¡¯s actual n was.


    Thinking Arielle was probably trying to get rid of Cindy, he said, ¡°I tried treating her with hypnosis just


    now, but it doesn¡¯t seem to be working for Mrs. Southall here.¡±


    What? Who else could possibly treat Cindy if even Dr. Jankowitsch can¡®t? People are going tough at


    me for having a crazy wife! No, I can¡®t let


    that happen! She has humiliated me a lot today, and I¡®m not about to suffer any further humiliation!


    Henrick was panicking so much that he ignored Vinson and grabbed us tightly like he was hisst


    hope. ¡°Is there nothing else you can do to treat her, Dr. Jankowitsch?¡±


    us stole a nce at Arielle who subtly shook her head in response and quickly took the hint.


    ¡°Hypnosis is the best form of treatment I can offer. I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Southall, but there is nothing more I


    can do¡­¡± he said with an apologetic expression.


    Henrick took a few steps back with a nk look


    on his face, and Arielle quickly stepped forward to hold him steady.


    ¡°Dr. Jankowitsch is no longer involved in psychology. Maybe we can send Aunt Cindy somewhere else


    with professionals who can provide her with a systematic form of treatment. Who knows, she might be


    able to get better soon!¡±


    Vinson chimed in as well, ¡°She¡¯s right, Dad. Carter¡¯s family has recently started a mental hospital. I¡¯ll


    make sure to have their best doctors treat her!¡±


    ¡°A mental hospital? Why are you sending me to a mental hospital? I¡¯m not crazy! I don¡¯t want to go


    there!¡± Cindy asked in disbelief.


    Even Henrick was a hesitant about the decision.


    Wouldn¡®t sending Cindy to a mental hospital be the same as telling everyone she¡¯s crazy?


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Cindy began shouting at Arielle again, ¡°I¡¯m not sick, Shannie! Tell your dad I¡¯m not sick! Please,


    Shannie!¡±

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    Chapter 294


    ¡°So¡­ You¡¯re saying that you were the one who killed Maureen, then? What about Dad? Did he have


    anything to do with it?¡± Arielle asked.


    ¡°Of course he did! He hates Maureen just as much as I do! The brighter she shone, the more


    humiliated he was. Despite marrying into the family, he was more ambitious than anyone else! It¡¯s only


    natural that he would try to get rid of her!¡± Cindy replied with a wry chuckle.


    Arielle¡¯s veins were bulging from her forehead, and it took her every ounce of willpower she had just to


    maintain herposure as she continued asking, ¡°How did you two do it, then?¡±


    Cindy shook her head in response. ¡°Her death wasn¡¯t a simple one, and that¡¯s all you have to know. I


    will take everything else to the grave.¡±


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    Naturally, Arielle wasn¡¯t content without getting the details, but Cindy refused to say anything further.


    Arielle was about to try and throw a tantrum like Shandie when she heard footsteps outside the door.


    ¡°Wait for me to get you out of there!¡± she whispered before pulling her hand back and rposing


    herself.


    She then opened the door and felt a little nervous when she made eye contact with Henrick who was


    standing outside.


    I¡¯m pretty sure my reaction time was quick enough, but


    the door isn¡¯t really soundproof¡­ I wonder if Henrick heard any of that?


    Fortunately for her, Henrick didn¡¯t hear anything and simply asked curiously, ¡°Why are you still inside?¡±


    Arielle calmed herself down and replied, ¡°Aunt Cindy sees me as Shandie, so I figured I¡¯d let her live in


    her little fantasy world and y along. She can¡¯t recognize who I am, but her mental state is a lot more


    stable now.¡±


    Henrick nodded andplimented her, ¡°I knew I could count on you. You¡¯re such a good daughter,


    comforting your Aunt Cindy even though she scolded you and misunderstood you like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just doing my part. We¡¯re a family, and family members help each other out!¡± Arielle said while


    shaking her head firmly.


    ¡°Yeah. It seems you were well-educated in the vige. We should make a trip to your hometown


    someday and thank the couple who raised you,¡± Henrick suggested.


    Arielle tensed up and stole a quick nce at Henrick¡¯s expression.


    She didn¡¯t stare at him for long as she didn¡¯t want him to notice, but she was able to detect a look of


    suspicion in his eyes.


    So, Henrick is still somewhat suspicious, huh¡­ He sure is a difficult one¡­


    ¡°I think you should stay away from the office for the time being,¡± Henrick continued momentster.


    Arielle nodded in agreement. ¡°Sure, everything else can wait till we¡¯re done with Shandie¡¯s funeral.¡±


    Henrick cleared his throat awkwardly. ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­ You shouldn¡¯t show your face


    around thepany now that you and Vinson are married. Just let me know if there¡¯s something you


    want to learn, and I¡¯ll help you make the arrangements for further studies. That school you went to was


    simply terrible. I¡¯ll try to pull some strings and get you into a prestigious university so you can get a


    decent diploma or degree.¡±


    Hearing that further confirmed Arielle¡¯s suspicions that Henrick was still afraid of her genius and


    intellect, even after she had us pretend to be her teacher.


    ¡°That way, Vinson¡¯s mother would be more likely to ept you. If my guess is correct, she still doesn¡¯t


    know about you two being married, right?¡± Henrick added.


    ¡°Yeah, Vinson married me without her knowing,¡± Arielle replied with a nod.

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    Chapter 295


    Henrick sighed andmented, ¡°That¡¯s right. She¡¯s so shallow and vain! She even used to look down on


    me, let alone someone like you who grew up in a vige. It¡¯s all my fault for failing to locate you


    earlier¡­¡±


    Although Henrick looked riddled with guilt, Arielle was unmoved.


    He¡¯s so good at putting up an act that he can be an actor.


    Arielle also showed off her acting chops by shaking her head and saying, ¡°That¡¯s all right. I¡¯m back


    now, aren¡¯t I? Anyway, I¡¯ll listen to whatever you say.¡±


    ¡°Good girl,¡± Henrick replied, reaching out to stroke her head gently.


    At that moment, Vinson¡¯s voice could be heard from the stairs. ¡°Dad, the car is here to pick Aunt Cindy


    up.¡±


    Neither Vinson nor Arielle called Cindy ¡°Mom¡±.


    If it were not because Vinson was ying along with Arielle, he would not have called Henrick ¡°Dad¡±


    either.


    A scumbag like him doesn¡¯t deserve it!


    Henrick did not notice anything strange about Vinson¡¯s gaze. In truth, he still did not quite dare to look


    directly at Vinson.


    Although Henrick clearly knew for a fact that Vinson was now his son-inw, it still seemed surreal to


    him.


    It¡¯s all thanks to my darling daughter, Arielle. All I hope is that she doesn¡¯t harbor any ill intentions.


    Anyway, regardless of whether she has any ill intentions or not, it never hurts to be careful. Even the


    person closest to me ended up betraying me, let alone Arielle.


    Henrick hid the emotions coursing through him as he instructed Alfred to bring the bodyguards over.


    Soon, the bodyguards had Cindy tied up and sent her off in the car to the psychiatric hospital run by


    Carter¡¯s family.


    Meanwhile, Arielle stood at the manor¡¯s door and watched the car disappear into the distance before


    looking away.


    She did not know why, but she had an ominous feeling that Cindy would return soon.


    Previously, my gut feeling about Cindy returning from the monastery proved to be urate. I wonder if


    it¡¯ll be the same this time.


    Suddenly, Henrick¡¯s voice interrupted Arielle¡¯s thoughts.


    Henrick said, ¡°Ah, it¡¯s already time for lunch. Vinson, I had the kitchen help prepare a simple meal. Let


    me know if the dishes are to your taste. If you don¡¯t like them, I¡¯ll get the help to prepare something


    else.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m not a picky eater,¡± Vinson replied with a slight nod.


    Then, Henrick led them back inside and sat down at the dining table.


    Arielle was surprised when she saw the dishes that had been prepared.


    Therge, round dining table wasden with a wide variety of dishes.


    Arielle had not seen so many different dishes together on one table after her return, and she could not


    help ncing at Vinson.


    Tsk tsk! I¡¯ve heard people say that having a son-inw is almost like having a son. The way Henrick


    treats Vinson is a hundred times better than the way he treats his biological child!


    Nheless, Arielle did not show her real emotions as she sat and ate what Henrick referred to as a


    ¡°simple meal.¡±


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    At the end of the meal, Arielle was so stuffed that she just felt like lying down.


    However, some people came to pay theirst respects, so Arielle had no choice but to go to the


    backyard and receive their condolences.


    Since it was not appropriate for Vinson to be present, Henrick arranged for him to wait in Arielle¡¯s room.


    By the time Arielle saw off thest guest, it was already dark. Looking up at the sky in the backyard,


    Arielle


    could see the faint glow of stars.


    I wonder if people¡¯s souls really do wander after death. If they do, I wonder what¡¯s running through


    Shandie¡¯s mind when she sees me looking up at the sky.

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    Chapter 296


    Arielle was still caught up in her thoughts when Henrick rushed up and said, ¡°Sannie, I have to go to


    the office for a while. I almost forgot that there¡¯s a shareholder meeting tonight. I need you to take care


    of things here, but I don¡¯t think anyone wille at night. Oh, and remember to take good care of


    Vinson. Make sure that he has everything he needs, okay?¡±


    Arielle nodded and replied with a smile, ¡°Sure. Leave it to me.¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll be going now.¡± With that, Henrick turned and hurried off.


    He did not notice that the moment he turned his back to Arielle, her gentle gaze turned into a cold,


    piercing re.


    As she narrowed her eyes, the flickering candlelight in the backyard shone on the side of her face and


    made her look even more menacing.


    Just as I thought, Henrick and Cindy are involved in Mom¡¯s death! However, it¡¯s strange that Cindy


    refused to divulge any details. It¡¯s as if someone else is also involved in it. Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll


    find out sooner orter. I¡¯m in no hurry. Since I¡¯ve confirmed that both of them are involved in Mom¡¯s


    death, I can begin to exact revenge. I¡¯m not going to spare either of them!


    Apart from the flickering light from the candles and the sound of leaves rustling in the gentle breeze,


    the backyard was quiet.


    Anyone else would have deemed it eerie, but Arielle stood there quietly for a long time. She looked


    calm, as if she was merely casually taking a stroll in the backyard.


    Alfred was passing by the backyard on his rounds when he saw Arielle standing there all by herself. He


    hurried over to her immediately and said, ¡°Ms. Arielle, you don¡¯t have to stay here if you¡¯re afraid. We


    can stay instead.¡±


    ¡°Afraid?¡± Arielle echoed with a smile on her lips.


    Why should I be afraid of the dead? Should I be afraid of ghosts? If there are indeed such things as


    ghosts, Mom would¡¯ve dragged Henrick and Cindy with her. The dead are gone and helpless. That¡¯s


    why I have to live and bring the culprit to justice!


    The night air was chilly.


    Arielle pulled her coat around herself tightly and said, ¡°Well, I am a little afraid¡­ I think I¡¯ll have to


    trouble you to stay here and keep watch.¡±


    Alfred scratched his head. Despite her words, he did not think she seemed afraid at all.


    Am I mistaken? I would¡¯ve thought ady her age would be afraid of the dark.


    However, Alfred did not bother to dwell too much on it. He merely nodded and replied, ¡°You should go


    and rest. Dinner is ready. You can have it with Mr. Nightshire.¡±


    Arielle had not seen Vinson the whole afternoon, and she only remembered that he was still in the


    house when Alfred mentioned his name.


    She quickly asked, ¡°Where is he?¡±


    Alfred pointed upstairs and answered, ¡°He¡¯s been in your room the whole afternoon. He did not call for


    any of us. Why don¡¯t you go and check on him?¡±


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go now.¡± Arielle straightened her clothes, then hurried through the backyard up to her room.


    He has been in my room since afternoon¡­ I wonder if he¡¯s bored to death by now.


    However, when she opened the door to her room, it waspletely the opposite of what she had


    thought.


    Vinson was on herputer in the midst of a video conference.


    When he heard the door open, Vinson turned to nce at Arielle. Then, he motioned for her to wait for


    him for a while.


    Arielle nodded before sitting on the couch quietly.


    The entire video conference was held in Ustranasion.


    Vinson spoke Ustranasion fluently. With his deep, maic voice, Arielle felt as if she was listening to


    ASMR.

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    Chapter 297


    Arielle was also proficient in Ustranasion, so she could understand what was going on during the video


    conference.


    She gathered that Nightshire Group wanted to expand their ravioli business globally.


    Although it did not seem like much, they felt that they could potentially make a huge profit if they


    released it internationally.


    As Arielle listened, her gaze was drawn toward Vinson.


    Dressed in ck from head to toe, he exuded an understated coolness that added to his charm. She


    gazed at his handsome face with chiseled features, unable to look away.


    As she listened to his low voice, she started to feel drowsy, and her vision began to turn blurry.


    Eventually, her breathing steadied, and she dozed off.


    After the video conference ended, Vinson was surprised when he turned around and saw Arielle fast


    asleep on the couch.


    Is she simply too exhausted? Or is she too trusting? How could she fall into such a deep slumber with


    only two of us in the room?


    Vinson turned off theputer and walked over to the couch without making a sound. He gazed down


    at Arielle, studying her carefully.


    His gaze first fell on her lips.


    She had rosy pink lips that were not too thick nor too thin. Although they exuded an air of youthful


    innocence, her well-defined cupid¡¯s bow added a hint of sexiness to them.


    Vinson could not help swallowing hard.


    Lips like these can really be¡­ one¡¯s undoing.


    Vinson forced himself to look away, and his gaze then fell upon her brow.


    When he saw her furrowing her brows, he could not help doing the same.


    Why is she still so troubled when she¡¯s asleep? When will she ever be able to truly feel happy?


    At that thought, his hand reached out toward her brow as if it had a mind of its own.


    However, before his fingers could touch her, Arielle suddenly opened her eyes. In one swift motion, she


    grabbed his arm and pulled him toward her.


    Caught off guard, Vinson fell forward, feeling as if the room was spinning around him.


    When he could see clearly again, he realized that he was lying on the couch with Arielle on top of him.


    Her hands were around his, holding them in a death grip.


    She¡¯s much stronger than other women!


    Vinson could sense murderous intent radiating from her.


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    In the blink of an eye, Arielle wrapped a hand around his throat.


    ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± Vinson choked out frantically.


    She froze, then her fingers loosened their hold at once.


    When she jolted back to her senses and saw that her fingers were around Vinson¡¯s throat, she was


    shocked. Then, she quickly apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I always wake up in a foul mood.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. That¡¯s a good habit to have. At least no one will be able to harm you when you¡¯re asleep,¡±


    Vinson replied nonchntly.


    Seeing that Vinson did not me her, Arielle felt even more guilty. She shifted uneasily and exined,


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose. A-Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°My neck is fine, but this is not.¡± As he spoke, he pointed toward the wound Cindy had inflicted.


    Arielle looked down at Vinson¡¯s arm immediately, aghast.


    There were blood splotches on the clean shirt he had just changed into that afternoon.


    It was clear that his wound had opened up after she


    grabbed him and flung him down.


    ¡°It¡¯s bleeding¡­ Your wound must have opened up. Let me take a look.¡±

 Chapter 298

    Chapter 298


    Arielle leaned over to check on Vinson¡¯s wound.


    Some strands of her hair fell forward and brushed against his forehead. The touch was light, making


    him feel slightly itchy, and his heart skipped a beat.


    For some reason, Vinson¡¯s mind was all over the ce, and he swallowed hard again. However, Arielle


    continued sitting on top of him without noticing anything.


    It was the type of torturous feeling only a man could understand.


    Unable to bear it any longer, Vinson said in a low voice, ¡°Arielle.¡±


    Arielle was rolling Vinson¡¯s sleeve up. As soon as she heard him call out her name, she looked up


    instinctively.


    However, it would have been better if she did not do so. When she did, the tip of her nose brushed


    against Vinson¡¯s nose bridge


    With their noses touching, their eyes met.


    Their breaths mingled, and the atmosphere was intimate.


    Arielle let out a cry of surprise.


    She finally realized that they were in a potentiallypromising position.


    Her ears and neck were flushed as she jerked back her head and quickly climbed off Vinson.


    She moved at the speed of lightning as if her life depended on it.


    In an amused and exasperated tone, Vinson said, ¡°I¡¯m not a wolf. You don¡¯t have to be so afraid of me.¡±


    Of course, she¡¯s right to be afraid. If this keeps up, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll end up doing.


    Vinson hade to terms with the fact that he was a man with desires.


    ¡°I¡¯m not scared¡­¡± Arielle muttered.


    Suddenly, she remembered that she was supposed to be tending to Vinson¡¯s wound. Hence, she got


    up and hurried to get the first-aid kit.


    Vinson sat quietly on the couch as he watched Arielle flitting about busily. Subconsciously, his lips


    curved into a smile.


    Things feel different now that I have a wife¡­


    Meanwhile, Arielle focused all her attention on cleaning his wound. When she finally finished and


    looked up, she realized that he was gazing at her.


    Vinson¡¯s eyes were dark and mesmerizing.


    Her heart began to race, and she could not help holding


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    her breath.


    Secondster, Arielle averted her gaze and asked ufortably, ¡°W-Why are you looking at me?¡±


    Inexplicably, Vinson felt pleased when he saw the tips of her ears reddening.


    He arched his eyebrow slightly and said with a smile, ¡°We¡¯re already husband and wife. Can¡¯t I even


    look at


    you?¡±


    Arielle shot him a look, then said, ¡°Stop joking around. Let¡¯s get back to business. I used something


    today that made Cindy think that I was Shandie. She told me that she and Henrick were involved in my


    mom¡¯s death.¡±


    Vinson frowned. ¡°Did you record the conversation?¡±


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°With the state that she was in, even if I did record it, the recording would be


    useless. I wouldn¡¯t be able to use it to bring her to court. We¡¯ll need to proceed slowly.¡±


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s start with Henrick,¡± Vinson replied.


    Once again, Arielle shook her head. ¡°Henrick is starting to be wary of me. He won¡¯t even let me go to


    the office. Instead, he wants me to further my studies. Clearly, he doesn¡¯t want me to get involved in


    the business because he¡¯s afraid I¡¯m up to something. It¡¯s going to be difficult to find out anything from


    him.¡±


    Vinson was not surprised to hear that. He nodded and


    answered, ¡°I¡¯ve managed to get a good understanding of his character. He¡¯s someone who is wary of


    everything. What¡¯s more, since he¡¯s involved in your mother¡¯s death, it¡¯s only natural that he¡¯s


    intimidated by what you¡¯re capable of.¡±


    Arielle sighed. ¡°Then what should I do next? Should I continue pretending to be their sweet and naive


    daughter?¡±


    After pondering for a moment, Vinson said, ¡°One is only likely to reveal deepest, darkest secrets when


    they¡¯re pushed to the brink of a meltdown. Take Cindy, for example. Even if she thought you were


    Shandie, she wouldn¡¯t have revealed something like that under normal circumstances.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a n?¡± Arielle asked, her eyes lighting up.

 Chapter 299

    Chapter 299


    The corners of Vinson¡¯s lips curled into a smile. ¡°Finding out the cause of your mom¡¯s death is not the


    only way to defeat him. Think about it. What does he care about the most?¡±


    Arielle remained silent for a moment before answering, ¡°Money!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Vinson raised a brow. ¡°You should focus on your studies, as well as searching for your


    biological father for now. I¡¯ll find a way to bring Southall Group down.¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Arielle expressed her gratitude.


    The next moment, Vinson reached out a finger to press her lips. There was a faint scent of sandalwood


    and tobo on his finger, but it did not smell bad.


    He said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that. I want you to say something like ¡®Vinson, you¡¯re the best.¡±


    Arielle frowned as she smacked his finger away. ¡°What¡¯s with that weird fetish of yours?¡±


    Vinson raised his chin and replied casually, ¡°I¡¯m always this weird. Now, cut the crap and say that to


    me!¡±


    Arielle pursed her lips. ¡°Vinson, you¡¯re the¡­ b-best.¡± She looked embarrassed, and her tone was a little


    awkward.


    Vinson wagged his finger. ¡°That was too awkward. Say that again.¡±


    For some reason, Arielle felt even more embarrassed upon hearing that.


    She lowered her gaze to stare at her feet. After a few seconds, she finally muttered, ¡°Vinson, you¡¯re the


    best.¡±


    Upon noticing her reddened ears, Vinson nodded with satisfaction. ¡°All right. You can start going to the


    university after the arrangements are made. Feel free to let me know if you have any problems with


    your studies.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Arielle shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve already obtained my doctorate degree overseas. But, of


    course, I didn¡¯t use this identity. Hence, what I¡¯m going to study locally doesn¡¯t really matter.¡±


    ¡°But it matters to me. I want to give you the best life since you¡¯re now married to me.¡± Vinson looked at


    her solemnly. His eyes were brimming with affection. ¡°I¡¯ll find a way to send you to Jadeborough


    University. After all, your mom graduated from there, and she used to work for quite some time in the


    university. Perhaps you can find your biological father there.¡±


    Arielle nodded, biting her lips. ¡°Thank¡­¡±


    ¡°Mm?¡± Vinson raised a brow to interrupt, ¡°What did I just say?¡±


    Arielle had no choice but to rephrase her sentence. ¡°Vinson, you¡¯re the best. Are you satisfied now?


    Can we go down for dinner? Henrick is always reminding me to take good care of you.¡±


    Vinson rolled down his sleeves and said, ¡°Okay, Darling. Let¡¯s go downstairs.¡± As he said that, he put


    an arm on Arielle¡¯s shoulder.


    His action made Arielle stiffen, and she pushed him away reflexively.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? We should make sure that our behaviors are convincing,¡± Vinson asked.


    Arielle mumbled, ¡°But Henrick is not even here right now.¡±


    Vinson nced sideways at her. ¡°Are you sure that no one in the house will report anything to him?¡±


    As the realization struck her, Arielle had no choice but to withdraw her arms. They then walked down to


    the dining room while holding hands.


    The table was alreadyden with a sumptuous meal.


    Suddenly, Vinson received a call halfway through their dinner.


    As soon as the call was disconnected, he turned around to look at Arielle. ¡°Yvette has been


    hospitalized.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡±


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    ¡°You should ask me which hospital she is staying in right now.¡±


    Arielle yed along with him. ¡°Which one is it?¡±


    ¡°The hospital where Aunt Cindy is at.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s eyelid twitched upon hearing that. Isn¡¯t that a psychiatric hospital?


    ¡°If I were her, I would end up going to a psychiatric hospital too,¡± she responded without hesitation.

 Chapter 300

    Chapter 300


    Soon after, the news that Yvette had gone crazy spread across the elite circle like wildfire.


    Yvette, who used to be the top socialite, had turned into a crazy woman in a blink of an eye.


    Everyone was shocked upon hearing that. Life was indeed unpredictable.


    The socialites, who used to butter Yvette up, gathered around to gossip about the news.


    They had been adding insult to injury every now and then. Moreover, Yvette had never respected them


    at all, so they would not want to miss the chance to make fun of her.


    However, Arielle and Vinson were not interested in Yvette¡¯s problem. After finishing their dinner, Vinson


    sat in front of hisputer and worked. Meanwhile, Arielle helped Henrick to settle the invitation list for


    the funeral. She was also responsible for arranging the seats.


    In truth, she did not do that because she was free. Instead, she wanted to take that opportunity to


    review Henrick¡¯s strong connections.


    She was shocked upon seeing the name list Henrick had sent her. Although she hated him a lot, she


    could not help but feel amazed by his connections.


    Not only did he know the four most prominent families in Jadeborough, but he also kept in contact with


    all the


    big shots from various businesses.


    ¡°Tsk!¡± Arielle realized that she had underestimated Henrick.


    Then, she continued to scan through the name list. As soon as she saw ¡°Mason Moore¡± on the paper,


    her gaze darkened.


    Yvette had suffered because of Arielle, so Mason would never let her off.


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    Therefore, Arielle expected that something would happen during the funeral.


    Soon, the night arrived.


    Arielle had just finished arranging the seats when suddenly, a long shadow fell on her desk.


    She turned around instantly and saw Vinson¡¯s face. Only then did she recall that there was someone


    else in her


    room.


    A few hours flew by, and Arielle had forgotten about Vinson¡¯s existence.


    She nced at him, frowning. Why is he not leaving yet? Do we really have to sleep together tonight?


    After stretching her arms, she stood up and asked, ¡°You¡¯re not leaving yet?¡±


    Vinson ignored her question with a casual look. Then,


    he asked, ¡°Who¡¯s going to use the shower first? You?¡±


    Arielle blushed upon hearing that, and the back of her ears turned hot. However, she decided to ask


    again, ¡°Do you really want to spend the night here?¡±


    Ignoring her question again, Vinson turned around and walked toward the bathroom. ¡°I¡¯m going to take


    a shower first. Prepare a set of pajamas for me. Also, I need a towel¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not doing it.¡± Arielle pursed her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t have any extra clothes and towels in my house.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Vinson turned around to nce at her. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll just take yours.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go and look for them now!¡± Arielle ran out of the room after saying that.


    Vinson raised a brow as he watched Arielle leave. A satisfied smirk appeared on his face.


    After some time, Arielle came back with some toiletries and a set of new pajamas.


    She had a lot of extra toiletries at home. As for the pajamas, they were brand new clothes that


    belonged to Henrick.


    However, as soon as Arielle pushed the door open, she noticed that Vinson had already gone into the


    bathroom. How am I going to pass these to him?


    After pondering for a moment, she walked toward the bathroom door.


    She could see Vinson¡¯s tall and slender figure through the frosted ss door.


    The sound of running water echoed from the bathroom, followed by hot steam that escaped through


    the door gap. Arielle could not help but feel her cheeks turn warm.


    She stood still at the doorway, feeling like she had been waiting for eternity. Finally, she took a deep


    breath as she reached out a hand to open the door.


    Right then, the door opened from the inside.


    Upon seeing that, Arielle got so shocked that she closed her eyes hurriedly.


    Rate the Trantion to Get 2 Petal.


    Wait! I Have Something to Say!

 Chapter 301

    Chapter 301


    ¡°Aaargh!¡± she screamed, using the clothes to block her line of sight. ¡°Vinson! Are you an exhibitionist?¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­¡± A yful chuckle escaped his lips. ¡°See for yourself if I¡¯m one.¡±


    Half doubtful, Arielle lowered her hands slightly, catching a glimpse of his chiseled chest. The fog did


    nothing to dampen those alluring abs stered on his body, a masterpiece produced from years of


    working out. Each line seemed to be crafted to perfection.


    It took her about two seconds to realize she had been ogling his chest. Flustered, she shut her eyes


    tight. ¡°You clearly are! You¡¯re not even wearing anything.¡± A mottled pink flush covered her cheeks.


    Argh¡­ Why did I look when he told me to!


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stare at my chest. Look down. I am wearing something,¡± he replied softly.


    Vinson was speaking the truth. He had on a pair of boxers, but Arielle refused to look lest she got


    tricked by him again.


    Even though Vinson had helped her a lot, but he made the worst first impression on her. He had acted


    like a douchebag, watching her struggle to start a fire, only to take out his lighter after she had


    sessfully started


    one.


    She learned best not to take words from a man like him too seriously.


    In a swift motion, she threw his clothing and toiletries above the cab and strode off.


    Vinson was thoroughly amused by her flustered behavior. Never had he expected that beneath the


    steely cold facade was an endearing maiden¡¯s heart.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    After closing the bathroom door, his smile disappeared. At the back of his mind, he knew that even


    though this marriage did not result from love, he would still act his part, treating her as if she was his


    real wife.


    And as her husband, Vinson believed it was his duty to let Arielle live a carefree life, free from any


    worries.


    Back in the bedroom, Arielle was busyying the mattress on the floor. I can¡¯t possibly sleep with him!


    Just as she finished preparing the mattress, the sound of the shower faucet stopped. The brief silence


    amplified the churning noisesing from her stomach. Unbeknownst to herself, she had been


    swallowing nervously.


    About two secondster, the bathroom door opened.


    She turned toward him, coincidentally meeting his eyes. Vinson was already effortlessly good-looking,


    but that after-shower lookpletely blew her mind away. The leftover water droplets clung to his


    disheveled, wet hair like a scene from a movie.


    Out of embarrassment, she averted her gaze, the sheets tautening under her nervous grip. Then, she


    pointed to


    the mattressid out. ¡°You take the floor. If you¡¯re not okay with that, you may leave.¡±


    Instead of answering her, he asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the blow dryer?¡± Of which, Arielle took that as a yes.


    Deep down, she felt puzzled as to why Vinson cared about this husband-wife act more than she did.


    But, one thing for sure, she was tired of guessing whether he had real feelings for her. This time


    around, she would be nothing but professional.


    She handed him the blow dryer, grabbed one of her most conservative nightgowns, and headed to the


    bathroom.


    Soon after, she came out of the bath hearing Vinson in the middle of a call about the foreign exchange


    market. It was not surprising that he knew this topic well. She took a seat on the bed, listening in on the


    conversation.

 Chapter 302

    Chapter 302


    Through his responses, she could tell that he was well versed in this area. His remarks were straight to


    the point and insightful.


    The callsted for around ten minutes. During that time, Arielle gained quite a bit of knowledge.


    ¡°Vinson, you really are quite good at running a business!¡± she blurted.


    Heynguidly on the mattress. ¡°I¡¯m good at other things as well.¡±


    Despite the obvious insinuation, Arielle was not getting it. ¡°That¡¯s true. You¡¯re good at chess, coding¡­


    Ah! But not cooking.¡±


    He pouted in displeasure upon hearing her oblivious statement. She always seemed to be on a


    different wavelength from him.


    Feeling frustrated, he turned away abruptly. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Switch off the lights and sleep,¡± he said


    tly.


    Despite sensing a hint of displeasure from his voice, Arielle brushed it off as just part of his


    unpredictable temperament. She was pretty used to it by now.


    The night got deeper. With the lights off, the room was pitch ck except for the streaks of moonlight


    pouring in through the sheer curtains.


    Tomorrow will be a good day¡­ As her thoughts wandered, her eyelids got heavier. Just as she was


    about to fall asleep, she was alerted by the sound of Vinson


    tossing and turning on the floor.


    Being a light sleeper, his every movement made it almost impossible for her to fall asleep. Annoyed,


    she shifted her position in an attempt to sleep.


    And just as she was about to fall asleep for the second time that night, Vinson turned again.


    ¡°Vinson, what exactly are you doing instead of sleeping?¡± she asked frustratedly.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°The floor¡¯s too hard. I can¡¯t fall asleep,¡± he replied sullenly, followed by another turn.


    ¡°That¡¯s why you should¡¯ve listened to me when I told you to go home and sleep¡­¡±


    ¡°Am I not doing all this for you? We need to keep up with appearances.¡± He paused for a second


    before suggesting, ¡°Can I¡­¡±


    ¡°No!¡± she interrupted.


    Vinson sighed heavily. ¡°I¡¯m not even done speaking.¡±


    ¡°Fine. What?¡±


    Receiving her permission, his voice perked up. ¡°Can I sleep together with you?¡±


    And he received the same old answer. ¡°No.¡±


    Approximately half an hourter, Arielle could not bear


    the sounds any longer, so she sat up on her bed.


    Cluck. She switched on the lights.


    Confused by her abruptness, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Get in bed!¡±


    ¡°What are you saying! I¡¯m not going to¡­¡± Then her words caught up to him. ¡°You¡¯re allowing me in


    bed?¡± His eyes lit up.


    ¡°Stop asking. If you continue moving in bed, you¡¯re going home immediately.¡±


    ¡°Roger that!¡± With two fingers, he tapped on his non existent earpiece, re-enacting a spy movie. Then,


    he bunched up his sheets and got onto the bed.


    Arielle shifted further to one side, leaving a pillow in between them before switching off the lights.


    By then, it was one in the morning. Fortunately for her, his tossing stopped, allowing her to fall into a


    deep slumber.


    However, the man himself was wide awake. This was the first time in his life that he was sleeping with


    a woman on the same bed.


    Despite the two-person wide gap between them, it felt surprisingly pleasant.

 Chapter 303

    Chapter 303


    Chapter 303 His Wife


    The next morning, Arielle¡¯s first instinct was to look for Vinson, but she was greeted with an empty bed.


    Hmm? Where did he go?


    She got out of bed, beginning her search for him. Later, she found out from Alfred that he had left for


    work thirty minutes prior. For some reason, she felt her heart sink a little at that piece of news. Then,


    she walked back to her bedroom dispiritedly.


    It was then that she discovered a posh ck box ced on the coffee table in the living room with a


    note beside it: Wedding gift for you.


    His handwriting was cursive and rushed.


    This gift came as a surprise for her. She opened the box, revealing an exquisitely crafted diamond ring


    that almost blinded her eyes. The shine sucked her in like a ck hole.


    Receiving a ring was beyond anything she could have imagined from a fake marriage. Even giving her


    Maureen¡¯s Kitchen seemed over the top, especially since they were not truly a couple.


    A rush of warmth enveloped her body as she took out the ring with trembling hands and ced it on


    her right ring finger. She was pleased to realize that the ring fitted her to a tee.


    As she grazed against the diamonds on the ring, the corners of her lips turned up slightly. It was only


    after some time that she snapped out of her trance.


    After long deliberation, she finally picked up the courage to craft Vinson a short and sweet


    message: The ring¡¯s beautiful.


    But her fingers hovered above the send button, not daring to click on it.


    For some reason, she felt trepidation.


    What¡¯s wrong with me?


    The logical side of her knew this was a fake marriage and that they would break up eventually. Yet, the


    emotional side of her was saying otherwise. The ring churned out happy emotions within her, making


    her feel contented.


    Arielle had always seen herself as a dandelion, floating to wherever the wind took her, but this ring


    seemed to have a grounding effect on her.


    She hated to admit it, but his gift gave her a feeling of reassurance. Arghhh¡­ Stop it. This isn¡¯t real!


    Just as her conflicting thoughts wrestled, she received a text from him: Awake?


    Her hands froze momentarily before she rewrote her text: Just did. Then she sent it out.


    The next moment, she received a call from Vinson.


    Seeing his name appear on her phone screen made her face burn. She picked up the phone as she


    cleared her throat and took a deep breath. ¡°Hello?¡±


    His deep voice fell on her ears like a stroke of velvet. ¡°Morning. Had your breakfast?¡±


    The grip on her phone tightened. ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°Mmm. Something cropped up at work. Once I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll have to make a trip down to Epea. I will be


    back in a week¡¯s time.¡±


    ¡°What time¡¯s your flight?¡±


    ¡°I will be leaving for the airport in around half an hour.¡±


    Her expression darkened as she knew that she would not make it in time to send him off at the airport.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve prepared everything. Your school and¡­ the bodyguards. They¡¯ll protect you from any


    danger. I¡¯lle back earlier if work permits.¡±


    Idiot! You should worry more about yourself!

 Chapter 304

    Chapter 304


    She could not contain herself and advised, ¡°Be careful of your safety when you go outside. You¡¯re not


    on your own territory. You must exercise caution.¡±


    Vinson was quiet for two seconds before he asked, ¡°Are you worried about me?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s expression stiffened. Although she did not mean it, she replied, ¡°I was worried about myself.


    Who¡¯s gonna help me with my mess if something bad happens to you?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Sounding a little dejected, Vinsonforted, ¡°Rest assured. A fortune teller once told my mom


    that I can live up to a hundred years old. I¡¯m invincible! All right, time¡¯s almost up. I have a meeting to


    attend, and I¡¯ll have to leave right after that. I¡¯ll let you know before the ne takes off.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± She twisted the ring on her finger and took a deep breath. ¡°The ring is stunning. I really like it.


    Thank you!¡±


    She then hung up the phone as soon as she finished speaking. It was as if she was trying to avoid


    something.


    On the other end of the line, Vinson¡¯s mood went from gloomy to joyful in an instant.


    His lips tilted upward into a smile, chuckling as he stared at the ground.


    Who would¡¯ve known, deep down, that she¡¯s still a shy


    little girl?


    At that precise moment, a senior executive entered the room and reminded Vinson of the meeting.


    Vinson¡¯s bright smile caught the executive¡¯s eyes at first sight. He was stunned instantly, and his eyes


    widened in disbelief.


    Oh my god. What did I just witness?


    Is the ever-so-cool Mr. Nightshire actually smiling?


    The executive hastily rubbed his eyes to be sure he wasn¡¯t hallucinating. When he lifted his face to


    Vinson, all he saw was the cold expression of Vinson, who was staring back at him.


    The executive immediately became flustered on the inside.


    He stuttered, ¡°M-Mr. Nightshire, it¡¯s time for the meeting.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Vinson responded without emotion. He stood up and brushed across the executive¡¯s shoulder


    as he walked out.


    The executive let out a long sigh and followed suit to the conference room.


    At that moment, every seat in the conference room had long been fully upied. Vinson proceeded to


    his own seat and sat down.


    Someone immediately got up and stated in an instant, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, we¡¯ve just learned that a couple


    more employees from our Epea branches have resigned. This is the third time this month that arge


    number of key technicians have resigned.¡±


    The branches in Epea mainly manufactured advanced technological products. Managers could be


    quickly reced if they quit thepany. However, finding recements for the main technicians


    would be pretty difficult in a short period of time.


    Without a doubt, this had to be the work of the culprit hiding in the dark.


    Since that person couldn¡¯t get his hands on the employees from within the country, he began to poach


    the staff in the international branches.


    He truly went to great lengths in order to stir trouble for Vinson.


    Vinson nodded, indicating that he understood the problem. Another executive then stood up and gave


    his report.


    The reports were pretty simr. Either the main technicians resigned as well, or the coborating


    companies abroad had canceled their partnership.


    Vinson listened patiently until the end. He concluded by saying, ¡°I am aware of the situation. Take no


    action on those who wish to resign. I¡¯ll be going to Epea in a short while to have a personal discussion


    with them.¡±


    After the meeting ended, Vinson promptly boarded the car to the airport.


    While on his way, he called Carter and inquired, ¡°Have you gotten any findings from your


    investigation?¡±


    Carter replied, ¡°They left a bunch of insignificant things in their hideout. A majority of them are


    produced in Epea. Thus, we followed that lead and came to Epea today. I was just about to inform you


    when you called.¡±


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What a coincidence.¡± As he looked outside the car window, Vinson said, ¡°I¡¯m heading to Epea now. I¡¯m


    currently on the way to the airport.¡±

 Chapter 305

    Chapter 305


    On the other end of the line, Carter was surprised. He asked, ¡°Why are youing to Epea? Aren¡¯t


    you busy with yourpany¡¯s new big projects?¡±


    Vinson exined the situation on his side to Carter. Thetter remained silent for two seconds before


    responding, ¡°Don¡¯te to Epea. I believe that the culprit is setting up a trap for you. If you¡¯re here, it


    could end up like thest time. We don¡¯t have many connections abroad. We don¡¯t know how this will


    end in the event of an emergency.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Holding his phone, Vinson said, ¡°I¡¯ve long guessed that he¡¯s going to dupe me


    into going to Epea. That is why it is important for me to be there. If I don¡¯t, we¡¯ll never find out who this


    person is.¡±


    ¡°F*ck!¡± Carter exploded. ¡°You¡¯re dicing with death, and you¡¯re going to get yourself killed! It¡¯s too


    dangerous! You can¡¯t take this risk!¡±


    ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    After hearing what Vinson said, Carter knew he couldn¡¯t stop the man. With a sigh, he responded,


    ¡°Okay, fine. Bring along your bodyguards from The Crew discreetly. With them around, we won¡¯t have


    to go through what we went throughst time.¡±


    Vinson¡¯s finest bodyguards were known as The Crew, and they had all been rigorously trained from a


    young age. Antoni, Anders, Sasha, and ke were the four members of The Crew.


    The next second, Vinson stated, ¡°I left them in the country.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Carter¡¯s voice rose in pitch. He couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. ¡°Why did you leave them


    there?¡±


    ¡°To protect Arielle,¡± Vinson replied concisely.


    Carter fell silent for some time before he went on to say, ¡°I¡¯m aware that Chief is in a chaotic state. But


    even so, it¡¯s not necessary to appoint The Crew to protect her. A few ordinary bodyguards would work


    just fine.¡±


    Vinson responded stoically, ¡°If it were only her own problems, she¡¯d likely be able to handle them just


    fine.


    However, she has caught their attention, and they even hacked herputer.¡±


    Initially, he didn¡¯t want to leave Arielle within three days. Thus, he had gone to bed with herst night.


    However, he had no idea how long he could continue to defend himself against the other party.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Instead of having to be constantly cautious, it would be best to take the initiative to put an end to it.


    A trip to Epea would allow the culprit¡¯s attention to shift from Arielle, making it less likely for her to be


    the target. This was also one of the main reasons he had to travel to Epea.


    Carter sighed after hearing what Vinson had to say. ¡°Well, we did drag her into this mess. I suppose


    leaving


    The Crew with her isn¡¯t such a bad idea. Let me know when you arrive, and I¡¯lle to get you.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Vinson hung up the phone and rested his eyes.


    He was definitely exhausted after staying up for the entire night.


    Meanwhile, Arielle was checking herputer¡¯s firewall when she heard a knock on her door. She


    immediately switched herputer screen to y a romantic drama series.


    In the next second, Henrick pushed open the door and entered the room.


    ¡°Dad.¡± Arielle pretended not to have heard someoneing in and asked in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s the


    matter?¡±


    .


    Henrick took a look at herputer screen, which was disying the romantic drama. ¡°Are you


    watching a show?¡± he asked, smiling.


    She nodded. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m just chilling and watching some series. Everything all right, Dad?¡±


    ¡°We have to fetch your grandma from her ce,¡± he replied after nodding.


    ¡°Grandma?¡± Arielle had no memories of her paternal grandmother.


    Her memories were already iplete, to begin with. She didn¡¯t even have many memories of her


    mother, let alone her grandmother, who lived in the countryside.


    Rate the Trantion to Get 2 Petal.


    ¡­ Wait! I Have Something to Say!

 Chapter 306

    Chapter 306


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t intended to tell her the news either. I knew it would only break her heart. However, she¡¯d


    caught wind about it somehow, and she¡¯s now insisting that I go and get her. Since you¡¯re not upied


    with anything here and haven¡¯t seen your grandmother for years, I suggest youe along with me,¡±


    stated Henrick firmly. Knowing she did not really have the option of saying no, Arielle readily agreed,


    ¡°Sure! Just give me a moment to get dressed.¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯ll wait for you downstairs. You might want to


    pack another set of clothes to bring along. The ce is rather far away, and we¡¯re most likely staying


    overnight there.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Arielle nodded and watched as Henrick left her room. Once she was certain


    he had gone far enough, she reopened the firewall¡¯s page. It indicated that nobody had hacked into her


    computer throughout that day. Looks like whoever it is seems to have no problem keeping his cool,


    or¡­ has he forgotten about me? After some thought, she figured the former possibility was more likely.


    Following that, she added anotheryer of security to the firewall and connected the settings to her


    phone before starting to pack her things. By the time she arrived downstairs, Henrick was already quite


    fed up with waiting. He frowned at her, asking snappishly, ¡°What took you so long?¡± Arielle unzipped


    her backpack and smiled as she showed him the contents. ¡°I packed more stuff since we¡¯re spending


    the night there.¡± With a nce, Henrick saw a messy assortment of girlish objects in the bag. It really


    did look like a bag packed by a young girl to bring for a vacation. If it had been Shandie, he would


    definitely have reprimanded her, but it was Arielle.His expression softened the instant he saw the


    chaotic jumble of stuff in her bag. In a way, the more childish and girlish she acted, the more relieved


    he felt, as it would mean she was easier to control as well. For a moment, he seriously wondered if his


    wariness toward the girl waspletely unfounded. After all, no matter how smart she was, it did not


    change the fact that she was only a girl who had grown up in the countryside and lost her memory.


    Averting his gaze, he stated, ¡°Let¡¯s go, then. We have to arrive before it gets dark or it¡¯ll be too hard to


    drive.¡± ¡°Yes, Dad.¡± Arielle did not waste another minute but entered the car at once. The car was filled


    with an unusual silence as they drove toward their destination. Ding! Arielle¡¯s cell phone chimed


    suddenly. Tapping into the notification, she saw a brief message from Vinson: Taking off soon. After a


    moment¡¯s thought, she replied just as briefly: Have a safe journey. Right after she sent it, Henrick


    asked from her left, ¡°Who was that?¡± ¡°Vinson. He¡¯s traveling to Epea for a business trip,¡± she answered


    honestly. Upon hearing that, Henrick immediately furrowed his brows. ¡°Vinson¡¯s going on a business


    trip? Why didn¡¯t he bring you along, then? Did he even invite you?¡± Arielle shook her head. ¡°No.


    Something urgent popped up, so he left in a hurry.¡±. ¡°In the future, always follow your husband if he¡¯s


    going away for business trips,¡± Henrick gritted out disapprovingly. ¡°He¡¯s young, rich, and important. Do


    you have any idea how many women are trying to climb their way into his bed? And the myriad of


    methods they would use to seed in doing that? Besides, he¡¯s just an ordinary man. There¡¯s no way


    he would be able to resist that sort of temptation. You¡¯ve got to watch out for yourself, okay?¡± Despite


    feeling rather ufortable at his words, Arielle suppressed her displeasure and smiled at him. ¡°Sure,


    Dad.¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 307

    Chapter 307


    Seeing Arielle¡¯s innocent smile, Henrick shook his head in exasperation. ¡°I don¡¯t think you understood a


    word of what I just said! Anyway, after this, just think of a way to hire someone who will stay around him


    at all times, like a bodyguard or an assistant. You need to watch him closely, Arielle, and bear his child


    as soon as possible to consolidate your position.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s sweet smile remained on her lips. ¡°Okay,


    Dad.¡±


    Mumbling something inaudible in response, Henrick shut his eyes and pretended to sleep.


    He had not realized that although Arielle was smiling, it never reached her eyes, which had been cold


    as ice throughout their entire exchange.


    Even so, as she gazed through the car window at the scenery they were passing by, she could not help


    but think about what her father had just said.


    Would Vinson really be surrounded by lots of women out there? Would those women be fighting to


    climb their way into his bed? Why wouldn¡¯t they, though? After all, besides his unpredictable temper, he


    really doesn¡¯t seem to have any other ws.


    However, she quickly shook off the thought. Why would he sign the contract with me if he was that sort


    of man?


    Thus, she simply massaged her forehead and tried not to overthink the matter.


    The sky soon darkened.


    After an entire day journeying through highways and then mountainous roads, they finally arrived at


    Henrick¡¯s hometown, the vige of Bellridge.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    The vige was rich with coal mines. As proprietors of the coal mining business, it was exactly this


    reason that the Southalls had managed to make their fortune.


    However, as Arielle gazed at her surroundings, she observed something strange about the vige.


    By right, given the nature of this area, every family should be loaded with wealth. Yet, every house they


    passed by was badly damaged.


    Not only that, but there was not a single decent-looking house in sight. Instead, the houses throughout


    the vige were all old and dpidated.


    How could this be?


    Just as Arielle was puzzling over the question¡­


    Boom! A loud rumbling reverberated through the air, and she could feel the earth shaking even though


    she was in the car.


    Is that¡­ an earthquake?


    Instinctively ncing out of the car window, she


    watched as tiles fell off the roof of a house, shattering into pieces as they hit the ground.


    ¡°Was that an earthquake, Dad?¡± Arielle turned to Henrick anxiously.


    Looking as if he was still groggy with sleep, Henrick rubbed his bleary eyes as he assured, ¡°No, it isn¡¯t.


    Don¡¯t worry, that¡¯s just the sound of them using explosives in the coal mines.¡±


    Arielle instantly felt relieved.


    He¡¯s right. It can¡¯t be an earthquake since there aren¡¯t any cracks on the ground. It must indeed just be


    the effects of the explosives going off.


    However, the next thought that popped into her mind was how drastically these urrences must be


    affecting the vigers.


    In certain countries, once the authorities were alerted of such happenings, they would inevitably shut


    down the relevant coal mines or otherwise prohibit them from carrying on with their operations.


    Before she could ponder more about it, however, the car stopped before a house of which the main


    structures were built with steel.


    ¡°We¡¯re here. Let¡¯s get off!¡± stated Henrick.


    Hearing that, Arielle opened the door and exited the car at once.


    As she observed the house, she noticed it was still rather poorly constructed despite being built with


    much stronger materials. In fact, it lookedpletely ordinary and did not bear the image of Henrick¡¯s


    ancestral home at all.


    What¡¯s wrong with this man? Is he so stingy he could not be bothered to build a nicer home for his


    mother?


    However, she dispelled the thought almost at once. After all, she could not deny the fact that the pocket


    money he had given her was seven figures and above when she first returned home.


    Her confusion was soon cleared up when she stepped into thepound and the cynical voice of an


    old woman rang out from within the house.


    ¡°I¡¯ve said this numerous times before ¨C I don¡¯t have money to pay any of you to fix your homes! Aren¡¯t


    your houses still standing? What¡¯s there to fix? Besides, look at the state of my house. I can¡¯t afford to


    fix it either! Why then would I have any money for any of you! Look, the coal mine isn¡¯t making any


    profits at the moment. You should be grateful that you¡¯re even given a paycheck at all!¡±

 Chapter 308

    Chapter 308


    Peering through the windows, Arielle saw Malorie Thisdale¡¯s wrinkled face illuminated by a single


    yellow lightbulb. Her expression was exceedingly pitiful as she pleaded, ¡°Please, I¡¯m just an old


    woman. I¡¯m begging you to please let me go. I swear if I had any money at all, I would have given


    some to you all!¡±


    A shabbily dressed man stood before her. Arielle caught sight of multiple patches on his trousers with


    her sharp vision.


    Beside him stood a little boy who looked about ten years old. d in simrly ragged and filthy clothes,


    he gazed at the adults with big, bright eyes.


    The man sighed wearily. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to force you either, Mrs. Southall, but we¡¯re really at our wits¡¯


    end! It¡¯s the rainy season now, and once the rain pours, my house turns into ake! It¡¯spletely


    uninhabitable!¡±


    Hearing that, Malorie fished around in her pocket and retrieved some cash. She handed it to him,


    stating, ¡°Here¡¯s two hundred. It¡¯s all I have on me now. Take it and fix your roof. Now, please leave. At


    least let me have a moment¡¯s peace before I attend my granddaughter¡¯s funeral tomorrow!¡±


    A blush quickly spread across the man¡¯s cheeks when he heard those words. Embarrassed, he quickly


    tugged at the boy¡¯s hand and left the house.


    They walked out of the front door only to see Henrick and Arielle standing outside.


    ¡°Henrick?¡± The man¡¯s eyes lit up at once as if he had just found a glimmer of hope.


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    Inwardly cursing himself for his untimely appearance, Henrick cleared his throat and put on a sorrowful


    expression.


    ¡°Hello, Dileon. It¡¯s been a while,¡± he greeted the man, deliberately dabbing at the corner of his eye as


    though he was drying his tears.


    Seeing him so devastated, the man, Dileon Lowe, could only swallow the rest of his words.


    Patting Henrick on the shoulder, he said instead, ¡°My condolences, Henrick.¡±


    1


    Henrick gave him a slight nod. ¡°Give me some time. Once Shandie¡¯s burial is over and the coal mine¡¯s


    business picks up, I¡¯ll definitely look into renovating your houses. You¡¯ve all been working with me for


    years. I promise I won¡¯t let you suffer like this for long.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this for the moment. Just carry on with the funeral first. I¡¯ll pass on your words to the


    others.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Dileon.¡± Henrick stretched out his arms and gave the man a hug. Then he bent down toward


    the little boy. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s Teddy, isn¡¯t it? Do you remember who I am??


    The little boy, Teddy Lowe, gazed at him innocently with hisrge round eyes. ¡°Old Mrs. Southall just


    said


    she doesn¡¯t have any money. Aren¡¯t you living in Jadeborough, Mr. Southall? Do you not have any


    money as well? I haven¡¯t been to school for two years now¡­


    An awkward expression immediately spread across Henrick¡¯s face. He was just about to answer the


    child when Dileon hurriedly pped his hand over Teddy¡¯s mouth and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry,


    Henrick. He didn¡¯t mean it. We¡¯ll make a move first. You go ahead and catch up with your mother.¡±


    With that, he hastily turned and left, holding Teddy¡¯s hand in his.


    Arielle¡¯s gaze happened to fall upon Teddy¡¯s hands that were entirely covered with coal ash. Even his


    fingernails had been stained ck. Clearly, he had been spending his days working in the coal mines


    with Dileon.


    In that instant, everything became clear to her.


    Henrick was brutally exploiting the vigers.


    Not only had they ended up so poor that they were forced to live in broken-down homes, but they could


    not even afford to send their children to school.


    She could not believe this level of poverty still existed in this day and age.


    Suddenly, it also made sense to her why Henrick had chosen to drive the cheapest Volkswagen in his


    garage


    to this ce. That car barely cost one hundred thousand, and he hardly ever drove it in Jadeborough.


    As this thought crossed her mind, Arielle instantly felt rage firing up in her heart.


    This man never ceases to surprise me with how disgusting human nature can possibly get!


    Seething with rage, she was suddenly struck with an idea ¨C one that was enough to take down the


    Southalls.

 Chapter 309

    Chapter 309


    The moment Dileon and Teddy left, Henrick¡¯s face resumed its normal expression. He smiled at


    Malorie, asking, ¡°How have you been, Mom? Have you been taking the supplements I bought you?¡±


    Malorie nodded at him. ¡°I¡¯ve been well. And this must be¡­ Sannie?¡±


    Arielle immediately felt Malorie¡¯s sharp gaze piercing her face as thetter openly scrutinized her.


    She knew at once that this woman before her eyes was not going to be easy to get along with.


    Nevertheless, she quickly shed a radiant smile at her and answered in a sweet voice, ¡°Yes,


    Grandma, I¡¯m Sannie.¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡± Malorie nodded curtly as she walked around Arielle in a circle, scanning her from head to toe,


    at the same time muttering, ¡°Your looks indeed resemble that dead mother of yours. Hopefully, your


    fate and temper are nothing like hers.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s hands immediately balled into fists under the sleeves of her coat as she struggled to suppress


    her rising fury.


    Taking in a deep breath, she forced herself to maintain the same pleasant smile as she responded,


    ¡°Thanks for your concern, Grandma, but I¡¯ve always been in good health.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re healthy.¡± Malorie narrowed her


    eyes and shot her a disdainful look before going on, ¡°But you¡¯re way too skinny! That isn¡¯t ideal for


    childbirth. You need to put on some weight. Look at you, barely having any flesh on your bum! The rich


    folks don¡¯t like your sort, you know, as you¡¯re unlikely to give birth to sons!¡±


    At that, the smile on Arielle¡¯s face was beginning to falter.


    Are women merely birthing machines in this old woman¡¯s eyes?


    Arielle finally understood the reason for Henrick¡¯s personality. Like mother, like son!


    Timing her reaction perfectly, she turned toward him with a helpless and aggrieved look in her eyes.


    It seemed to work well on Henrick, who immediately stepped forward.


    ¡°Mom, Sannie¡¯s still young. Let¡¯s not terrify her just yet. Anyway, we¡¯ve been traveling all day. Have you


    prepared any food?¡±


    Furrowing her brows, Malorie reprimanded him at once, ¡°Look at me and think of how old I am! Were


    you really expecting me to cook for you? Guess what! I¡¯ve been waiting here all day for you to arrive


    and cook for me,


    too!¡±


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    At this, Henrick cleared his throat and retorted, ¡°Well, I suggested hiring a live-in cook for you, but it


    was you


    who turned the idea down.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see what happened just now?¡± Malorie snapped back at him without missing a beat. ¡°How


    can we hire a live-in cook under these circumstances? Those bastards woulde banging on our


    doors, begging us for money every day!¡±


    Her words instantly caused Henrick to silence himself.


    Then Malorie nced at Arielle and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you grow up in the countryside? Can you cook? Or


    are you like that dead mother of yours, thinking you¡¯re too good for that?¡±


    Forcing herself to keep smiling, Arielle did not even bother to answer her question but asked instead,


    ¡°Sure,


    I¡¯ll cook. Where¡¯s the kitchen, Grandma?¡±


    Malorie pointed toward its direction haughtily. ¡°Right there. There¡¯s nothing in there, by the way. You¡¯ll


    need to dig for some vegetables yourself. The patch is opposite the front door, on the other side of the


    fence.¡±


    Arielle froze on her spot, taken aback by the extent of Malorie¡¯s meanness.


    She was just about to nod when Henrick stepped in. ¡°I¡¯ll send the chauffeur to get it. She¡¯s just a girl.


    Let¡¯s not be too hard on her.¡±


    ¡°Chauffeur? What chauffeur?¡± Malorie scoffed, raising her eyebrows at him. ¡°I¡¯ve been telling people


    that the chauffeur is a friend of yours, and the car belongs to


    him as well. Who on Earth asks their guest to dig for vegetables? Besides, it¡¯s just digging for


    vegetables! Are you afraid she¡¯ll break her fingers at it?¡±


    Henrick felt a little awkward. He was simply worried that Arielle wouldter tell Vinson about this.


    However, on second thought, it did not seem like a bad idea. After all, Arielle had been enjoying the


    easiest life ever since he brought her home. This would not be a bad opportunity for her to toughen up.

 Chapter 310

    Chapter 310


    With that thought, he quit arguing with Malorie and simply reminded Arielle, ¡°Just be careful.¡± Then he


    turned back to Malorie and began chatting with her about Shandie.


    Without a word, Arielle picked up the basket beside the door and headed out.


    She had barely taken a few steps before she remembered she would need a few tools for digging and


    turned back to obtain them.


    However, as she approached the front door, she overheard the conversation between Malorie and


    Henricking from within the house.


    ¡°Mom, you never used to treat Shandie this way. What¡¯s up with you now?¡± came Henrick¡¯s puzzled


    voice.


    D


    Hearing that, Arielle stopped in her tracks unwittingly and quietly shifted to a blind spot where no one


    would notice her.


    Malorie let out a long sigh. ¡°I hated that high and mighty mother of hers, and I hate her as well! You¡¯re


    my precious son, whom I had worked so hard to raise and send to university in Jadeborough. You¡¯d


    finally made it! Yet, that woman forced you into a matrilocal marriage, and you were silly enough to go


    behind my back and agree to it! Even though you¡¯ve now gained full control of the Moore family, I still


    can¡¯t stomach this humiliation! If that b*tch hadn¡¯t died, I would still be a joke in everyone¡¯s eyes till this


    day!¡±


    ¡°Mom, this is all in the past. What¡¯s the point of bringing it up now? Besides, Arielle is nothing like her


    mother. She¡¯s a very sweet and obedient girl.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, sweet and obedient? Didn¡¯t you see her clenching her fists just now? That girl may


    look docile on the surface, but her heart must be spilling with hatred for me! She¡¯s nothing but a


    hypocrite! You better watch out.¡±


    ¡°Mom, you¡¯re overthinking this. With the way you spoke to her just now, it¡¯s only natural that she felt a


    little sensitive.¡±


    ¡°We can only hope so! It¡¯s either you¡¯re right, or you¡¯ve really brought a beast home!¡± Malorie barked.


    Eavesdropping on their conversation from the front porch, Arielle could not help being secretly


    surprised.


    Who would have thought this old woman possesses such sharp observational skills? She¡¯s practically


    seen through me! I must be more careful from now on!


    Gripping the basket tightly in her hands, she changed her mind about going in to grab the tools and


    went straight to the vegetable patch instead.


    Arriving at the patch, she realized despite being barely an acre wide, there seemed to be almost every


    type of vegetable nted there.


    After some thought, she figured she could whip up some ravioli.


    Once she¡¯d gathered the vegetables that she needed, she turned and headed back to the house.


    On her way back, she happened to spot the little boy she had encountered earlier, Teddy.


    Stopping in her tracks, she called him over.


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, the boy remained rooted in his spot as he stared at her unwaveringly.


    Thus, she went toward him. Bending down before him, she greeted him in a friendly manner, ¡°Hello! Is


    your name Teddy?¡±


    Giving her a small nod, he asked timidly, ¡°What about yours?¡±


    ¡°My name is¡­ Sannie.¡± Sensing his apprehension toward her, she assured him, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be


    afraid of me. Just think of me like your elder sister, okay?¡±


    Teddy shook his head. ¡°No. I don¡¯t need you. I already have a sister.¡±


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    With raised eyebrows, Arielleughed in amusement. ¡°Is that so? Then you must be very close to her.


    What¡¯s your sister¡¯s name? How old is she? Is she still going to school?¡±


    Again, Teddy shook his head. ¡°She¡¯s passed away.¡±


    Stunned, Arielle stammered as she asked, ¡°W-What


    happened¡­¡±


    Lowering his head, Teddy exined, ¡°She had a high feverst year. Our family couldn¡¯t afford a doctor


    for her, so we only treated her with herbal remedies. However, she was gone the next day. Daddy said


    she¡¯s gone to a nice ce where no one suffers. I wish to go to that nice ce as well, but I¡¯m


    scared¡­¡±


    Hearing that, Arielle could not help but feel terribly shocked and upset at the same time.


    Coal mining was supposedly a profitable field. If it were not for the Southalls¡¯ greed and exploitation of


    their workers, the vigers should not be so poor that they could not even afford medical care when it


    was necessary.


    Above all, things should not have been so unbearable that a ten-year-old child had to wish he could go


    to ¡°the nice ce.¡±


    Rate the Trantion to Get 2 Petal.


    ¡­ Wait! I Have Something to Say!

 Chapter 311

    Chapter 311


    Arielle gritted her teeth and took out a piece of paper and a pen before handing it over to Teddy. She


    said, ¡°Help me with something, Teddy¡­ Look, as long as you get this done, I assure you that you¡¯d be


    able to study and your house won¡¯t be flooded when it rains anymore.¡±


    Teddy¡¯s eyes glimmered when he heard that as he asked, ¡°Really?¡±


    Arielle nodded and said, ¡°I won¡¯t lie to you.¡±


    ¡°Pinky swear then!¡± Teddy extended his little finger.


    After hooking her finger with his, Arielle began exining to him everything that he needed to do.


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    Although Teddy was young, he had an impable memory. He was able to perfectly repeat her words


    after Arielle said everything to him once.


    Suddenly at this moment, Malorie¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°I told you to dig out some vegetables! What in the


    world are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back!¡± Arielle snapped back at her before winking at Teddy. ¡°This will be our little secret, so


    you can¡¯t tell anyone. Not even your father, okay? Don¡¯t go breaking our promise now.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I am a man of my words, so my lips are sealed!¡± Teddy¡¯s reply made Arielleugh. Thus,


    she patted his head and left with the basket.


    After all the evil deeds the Southall family had done, she vowed that she would have her vengeance


    against them.


    After an hour of Malorie¡¯s relentless nagging, Arielle¡¯s ravioli was finally done.


    However, Malorie gave Arielle a disgusted look the moment the food was served. She said, ¡°I¡¯ve waited


    for


    so long, and yet all you¡¯re serving me is just a simple ravioli?¡±


    Henrick shook his head and said, ¡°Sannie, your grandma doesn¡¯t like ravioli.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Arielle wondered why Malorie did not say a word when she saw her working on the


    ravioli in the kitchen earlier. This showed that Malorie was intentionally bullying her.


    Thus, Arielle replied with an apologetic tone, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Grandma. I only made this because I thought


    that you had bad teeth¡­¡± In all honesty, Malorie would have no idea what she put in the ravioli. That


    was exactly why she chose to make this dish in the first ce.


    After that, Arielle continued, ¡°How about I make you a few more dishes? It¡¯s already thiste, though.


    Why don¡¯t you take a few bites of ravioli just to satiate your hunger a little first?¡±¡¯


    ¡°Forget it!¡± Malorie snapped with a frown. She then continued, ¡°I¡¯d starve to death if I had to keep


    waiting. If I¡¯d known sooner, I would¡¯ve made dinner myself.


    Hmph, you¡¯re so unreliable!¡± As Malorie spoke, she took a bite of ravioli.


    The ravioli was made with all kinds of fresh ingredients and tasted amazing.


    The delicious vors burst in Malorie¡¯s mouth instantly with a bite. It tasted absolutely divine.


    Malorie¡¯s eyes glimmered after that bite. This is the best ravioli, no, the best food I¡¯ve ever tasted in my


    life!


    After the first bite, she excitedly dug in.


    This time, she took a bigger bite as the mixed vors from the stuffing and the sauce made it even


    better. Malorie was so blown away by the taste she excitedly devoured the te of ravioli.


    Henrick was slightly puzzled when he watched his mother devour the entire te since she was not a


    fan of


    ravioli in the first ce.


    I thought she doesn¡¯t like ravioli; what happened? Is it really that good though?


    Feeling unconvinced, he reached over and took one for himself. It looked firm and close to bursting


    with filling. However, he was not sure how it would actually taste.

 Chapter 312

    Chapter 312


    Unlike Malorie, he had tasted all kinds of amazing food in Jadeborough. Thus, he did not expect much


    from a simple ravioli.


    Out of curiosity, Henrick immediately shoved it into his mouth.


    The delicious juices burst in his mouth with a single bite. The ravioli was indescribably delicious to him.


    So much so that he wanted a second one immediately after the first one.


    Soon, the entire te of ravioli was almostpletely devoured by Henrick and Malorie.


    However, when there was only a single piece left, both of them reached for it at the same time. Henrick


    paused for a second before reluctantly withdrawing his hand and saying, ¡°You can have it, Mom.¡±


    Suddenly, Malorie realized that Arielle had made it, so she scoffed and put her fork down. She then


    sneered, ¡°It seems to me that even garbage will taste good when we¡¯re hungry. I¡¯m done. You guys can


    carry on.¡± As she spoke, she took onest look at the piece of ravioli before forcing herself to get up


    and return to her room.


    Malorie¡¯s reaction amused Arielle. Oh, she¡¯s eaten so much. She¡¯ll definitely feel it tomorrow, all right.


    After that, she asked Henrick, ¡°Are you still hungry, Dad? I actually made another te, so if you want,


    I can bring it out for you.¡±


    The truth was that Henrick still wanted more indeed. However, he did not want Arielle to think that he


    loved her cooking, so he waved his hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m done too. You can go ahead and eat it. Since


    we have a long drive ahead, I¡¯ll be off to bed now. I¡¯ve had the chauffeur make your bed already. You


    should sleep early after you¡¯re done as well.¡±


    ¡°Will do, Dad,¡± Arielle replied with a gentle smile.


    Arielle then went to the kitchen after Henrick had returned to his room. She did not eat the ravioli but


    simply made another meal for herself.


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    However, as soon as she was done eating, her phone rang. Checking the screen, she saw it was from


    Vinson.


    Upon seeing this, she went out of the house and only answered when she was in a secluded area.


    Vinson asked, ¡°Were you asleep?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m in Henrick¡¯s old home. I couldn¡¯t exactly answer the call in the kitchen.¡± She held her phone


    with her shoulder while ying with a de of grass. ¡°Have you arrived yet?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I justnded. I¡¯m waiting for Carter. Why did you go there all of a sudden anyway?¡±


    Arielle replied in a helpless tone, ¡°Well, after Malorie found out about Shandie¡¯s death, she insisted


    Henrick bring her back to attend the funeral in Jadeborough, so he brought me here as well.¡±


    Vinson hummed in reply before asking, ¡°Is Malorie friendly then?¡±


    Hearing this made Arielle chuckle as she said, ¡°Oh please. I finally understand why Henrick is like this


    after meeting her.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you had a really hard time with her.¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± Arielle replied. She took a nce at the vige before saying, ¡°I finally know how I¡¯m going


    to deal with the Southalls. You don¡¯t have to do anything to Southall Group¡¯s stocks anymore. I have a


    way to cause their stocks to plummet.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Vinson was intrigued, so he asked, ¡°How exactly then?¡±


    Arielle chuckled and said, ¡°Well, since the Southalls have no respect for anyone and treat everyone as


    a tool for them to make money, they¡¯ve forgotten that the very people they trample on are the ones who


    keep theirpany standing.¡±


    ¡°You sound confident.¡±


    ¡°Not really. It depends if that kid I bribed seeds or not¡­ Either way, you don¡¯t have to worry about


    me.


    You, on the other hand, need to be careful out there. The person that was responsible for trying to kill


    you might have a hard time doing much here, but things might be different overseas.¡±

 Chapter 313

    Chapter 313


    Upon hearing what Arielle said, Vinson paused for a moment before asking, ¡°Are you concerned about


    me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just returning the favor. Don¡¯t you care about me as well?¡±


    ¡°Fine. I mean, don¡¯t focus on me. Tomorrow happens to be the third day of the deal you had with that


    guy, so be careful.¡±


    Arielle answered, ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not in Jadeborough anymore. He won¡¯t be able to find me


    here. It¡¯ll already bete at night by the time I eventually return too.¡±


    ¡°All right. Call me when you¡¯re in Jadeborough.¡±


    Carter¡¯s voice could be heard from the background after Vinson said that, so Arielle said, ¡°You should


    get back to work. I¡¯ll be going to bed soon.¡±


    ¡°All right. Good night.¡±


    Arielle very softly muttered good night to him before swiftly hanging up the call. She was not


    comfortable with how intimate that sounded.


    After keeping her phone away, Arielle let out a heavy sigh. However, when she lowered her gaze, she


    was shocked to see that the de of grass she had been ying with had been weaved into the shape


    of a ring.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Arielle screamed and immediately threw the grass ring away. I¡¯ve gone mad. I¡¯ve truly gone mad!


    Smacking her head, she dared not even nce at the grass ring as she rushed back inside.


    Arielle had a hard time falling asleep as she tossed and turned for a really long time. This might be due


    to the hard bed or the new environment that she was in. Eventually, she only fell asleep at dawn.


    However, she suddenly felt cold after only sleeping for a short while. It seemed that someone had


    pulled her nket away.


    This caused her to panic, and she was tempted to jump out of bed and strangle whoever did that.


    However, before she decided to do that, she got a clear look at the person who pulled her covers away


    in the dim light of dawn.


    It was none other than Malorie. Thus, Arielle held back her urge to strangle Malorie and pretended to


    be asleep


    The next thing she heard was Malorie¡¯s dissatisfiedints as the older woman shook her. ¡°How


    are you still asleep after that? Hurry up and get up!¡±


    When that happened, Arielle acted as if she had just woken up by rubbing her eyes and asking in a


    hoarse voice, ¡°Grandma? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


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    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Just look at the time. Hurry up and make me breakfast! I¡¯m hungry!¡± Malorie sneered


    impatiently.


    ¡°I understand, Grandma,¡± Arielle replied before getting


    out of bed.


    Since she was being quite obedient, Malorie did not say much as she left after pursing her lips.


    Arielle switched on the lights while staring at Malorie¡¯s back. Her obedient demeanor faded into a cold


    look underneath the room lights.


    Malorie deserved no respect despite her age, so Arielle was not in a hurry to get out of bed. Since she


    had sleptte, she decided to sit on her bed for a moment.


    Anyone would feel tired from having to wake up early after sleepingte the night before. However,


    Arielle was d that she slepttest night as her reaction speed was slower than usual. She might


    have actually snapped Malorie¡¯s neck if that was not the case. If that had happened, she would no


    doubt raise Henrick¡¯s suspicions while angering the unreasonable Malorie.


    Thank goodness that didn¡¯t happen. Arielle let out a huge sigh and only got up after making sure that


    she waspletely awake.


    However, since she was sitting in her room for a couple of minutes, Malorie yelled at her the moment


    she went out. ¡°What took you so long? Are you a tortoise? I¡¯m about to starve to death! Hurry up and


    make me something to eat!¡±

 Chapter 314

    Chapter 314


    Arielle knew what Malorie wanted ¨C the ravioli she madest night.


    Perfect! Everything is going ording to n.


    Scoffing mentally, she replied in a gentle tone, ¡°The fastest food that I can make will be the leftover


    ravioli from yesterday. Is that okay with you, Grandma?¡±


    Malorie snorted and replied in a reluctant tone, ¡°Fine, the ravioli it is!¡±


    Arielle nodded and entered the kitchen after that.


    Soon, a te of ravioli was served.


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    Malorie was already waiting at the dining table with her


    fork when Arielle brought the food out.


    Arielle was quite confident in her cooking, so she was not surprised by Malorie¡¯s reaction. However,


    she pretended to not notice Malorie¡¯s excitement as she put the food down and asked, ¡°Is there


    anything else that you need me to do for you, Grandma?¡±


    However, Malorie simply replied impatiently, ¡°Go feed the pigs then. You know how to make their food,


    right? You¡¯ve spent so long in a vige, so you must¡¯ve raised pigs before?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll get to it right away,¡± Arielle replied as she desperately held herself back from clenching her


    fists. She was afraid of Malorie noticing that, so she left soon after.


    As Malorie stared at Arielle¡¯s back, she scoffed and muttered to herself, ¡°So much for looking down on


    me, Maureen. Just look at your daughter. She still has to serve me and feed the pigs, right?¡± The more


    she thought about it, the more delighted she felt, so the ravioli only tasted better for her. She was easily


    able to finish a two-person serving of ravioli alone.


    When Arielle returned from feeding the pigs, Malorie was done with her meal as she belched.


    Arielle secretly grinned as she stared at the empty te.


    Soon, Henrick woke up as well. With that, the quartet, including their chauffeur, got ready to head to


    Jadeborough.


    However, just as they were about to leave, Teddy came over to them.


    Malorie was annoyed when Teddy appeared, so she impatiently said, ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you that we don¡¯t


    have the money to renovate your house? Hurry up and leave!¡±


    However, Teddy ignored Malorie and simply approached Arielle.


    Arielle grew nervous when he approached her, worried that he might bring up what she said yesterday.


    However, he merely uttered, ¡°I thought you told me that you¡¯de to y with mest night, but it


    was toote. When will you be free to y with me again?¡±


    Arielle was relieved to hear that. It seemed that Teddy was a bright child and meant to tell her that it


    had been tootest night and there were still plenty of things that he had not collected yet. He was


    asking her when she woulde back here again.


    So, Arielle smiled and said, ¡°I need to head back now, but I¡¯lle when I¡¯m free again next time. If I¡¯m


    too busy, I¡¯ll have some other kidse to y with you, okay?¡±


    When Malorie and Henrick overheard their conversation, they simply assumed that Arielle was making


    an arrangement to y with Teddy.


    However, Teddy immediately understood what Arielle was telling him, so he nodded and said, ¡°All right.


    Remember toe to y with me when you return. Bye!¡±


    He waved and immediately ran away after bumping into Malorie. This caused Malorie to stumble, so


    she yelled at him, ¡°Are you blind, you insolent brat!¡±


    However, Teddy simply made an ugly face at Malorie before rushing away.


    Malorie was so furious that her expression turned bitter. However, due to her age, she was unable to


    catch up to him.


    However, Henrickforted Malorie, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mom. He¡¯s just a kid, so don¡¯t let him affect you too


    much. Come on, you understand how a kid raised in a vige


    is like. Don¡¯t let him bother you too much.¡± After that, he suddenly realized the implications of his


    words, so he shot a guilty nce at Arielle.

 Chapter 315

    Chapter 315


    He noticed that Arielle was staring into the distance and seemed as if she had not heard anything at all.


    Thus, he let out a sigh of relief and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mom. If we leave earlier, we¡¯ll make it in time for


    dinner.¡±


    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s go.¡± Malorie rubbed her forehead and got in the car.


    She wondered if she had eaten too much that day as her belly felt awful, so she decided to take a nap


    in the car.


    Arielle got in the car silently as well.


    Soon, they were on their way to Jadeborough.


    However, they were in a very rural area, and it would take them a three-hour drive to get to the freeway.


    Moreover, the mountain path was winding. This drive would be brutal to anyone prone to getting car


    sick, let alone the elderly.


    This was one of the reasons why Malorie rarely visited Jadeborough


    As expected, Malorie began toin about how awful she felt after only a short while.


    When Henrick heard Malorie¡¯s ufortable groans, he took out the medicine he had prepared


    beforehand and handed it over to her.


    However, they did not notice Arielle¡¯s subtle grin when she noticed the pill.


    Indeed, Arielle had added some extra ingredients when she made those ravioli. Although it was


    harmless on its own, if it was taken with the medicine for carsickness, it would only make the person


    feel worse.


    Arielle had expected Malorie to be carsick and also knew that Henrick would prepare some medicine


    beforehand, so she decided toy a simple trap when making the raviolist night.


    This was a brief taste of Arielle¡¯s vengeance toward Malorie.


    Since she¡¯s an extremely rude old woman, she¡¯ll have to face the consequences of her actions. Or it


    could be said that this is the price she pays for making me feed the pigs.


    Soon, they pulled over at a corner and watched Malorie puking out of the window.


    The sounds of her vomiting echoed within the car.


    Since Arielle had not eaten the ravioli and had taken some medicine for her car sickness, she was


    completely fine as she slept peacefully in the car.


    Henrick, on the other hand, was starting to feel sick after hearing the sounds of Malorie puking, so he


    immediately took a pill tobat his car sickness.


    However, since Henrick did not eat any ravioli for breakfast, he was not as badly affected. Although the


    effects of his carsickness had dissipated significantly, he


    felt incredibly drowsy.


    After about half an hour had gone by, Malorie no longer had anything left to throw up anymore. Water


    was the only thing left that she expelled from her body.


    She was in so much agony that she groaned and muttered, ¡°Stop the car, Rick. I-I can¡¯t¡­¡±


    Henrick was able to regain his senses as he immediately told the chauffeur to stop and helped Malorie


    to get out of the car.


    Henrick would much rather that he did not see anything.


    The moment he helped Malorie out of the car, he noticed just how terrifyingly pale she looked. She


    seemed to be on the brink of copse.


    This apparently startled him so much that he kept trying to feed her some water while he panicked.


    However, Malorie¡¯s condition did not seem to be improving even after a long time had passed. Her face


    looked inhumanly pale as well.


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    Henrick was in so much panic that he paced around the same spot.


    They were out in the middle of nowhere, so there was no hospital in sight.


    After pondering for a moment, he noticed Arielle, so he grabbed her and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you learn from


    Dr. Jankowitsch? Please help ease your grandma¡¯s pain!¡±


    While Arielle pretended to worry, she realized that Henrick actually did have a good quality after all. He


    happened to be quite the filial child,


    However, she immediately heard him say, ¡°Your grandma still needs to look after our coal mining


    business. She has to be fine!¡±


    Hearing this made Arielle speechless. It seemed that she had expected too much from Henrick.


    Thus, Arielle shook her head and helplessly replied, ¡°I¡¯ve only learned some first-aid techniques from


    Dr. Jankowitsch. I-I can help Grandma if she has brain damage, but her symptoms aren¡¯t that.¡±

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    Chapter 316


    Malorie was livid when Arielle said that she had brain damage. She pointed at Arielle with her shaking


    hand and eximed, ¡°Y-You! Are you cursing me!¡±


    However, Arielle maintained an innocent demeanor as she turned to Henrick and said, ¡°Dad, you know


    that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    Henrick nodded and told Malorie, ¡°Mom, there are some things that you don¡¯t know about. That isn¡¯t


    what Sannie meant.¡±


    Malorie felt weak and helpless as all she could do was sit there and breathe heavily.


    Suddenly, Arielle¡¯s eyes glimmered, and she told Henrick, ¡°Things will be bad if this keeps up, Dad.


    Why don¡¯t we open up the sunroof and have Grandma stand up in the car instead? Everything will be


    all right once we arrive at a hospital.¡±


    After pondering for a brief moment, Henrick agreed with a nod and said, ¡°Mom, why don¡¯t you rest a


    little while longer. You can stand in the carter, and once we arrive at a hospital, the doctors will be


    able to help


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    you.¡±


    Seeing there was no other way, Malorie agreed.


    They finally left after staying there for a good long while. Malorie stood in the car as she tried to catch


    her breath while holding onto the sunroof. Finally, she was able to feel slightly better.


    However, another problem soon arose. Although Malorie was feeling better about her carsickness, the


    strong winds were giving her a headache.


    Malorie was still able to keep herself together when it was just a headache. However, she started


    coughing and sneezing after a while, signs that she was starting to catch a cold.


    Unfortunately for her, they spotted no hospitals along the way. Malorie was starting to shiver when they


    were approaching the freeway.


    When Henrick felt Malorie¡¯s forehead, he helplessly said, ¡°You¡¯re having a fever, Mom!¡±


    However, Malorie was so ufortable that she could barely speak. She was on the brink of tears as


    well.


    She was at her breaking point when they were barely even halfway through their journey. In a dazed


    tone, she asked Hendrick, ¡°I¡¯m dying, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    Henrick frantically shook his head and replied, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about, Mom? What do


    you mean that you¡¯re dying? You¡¯re fine; you¡¯ve just caught a cold, that¡¯s all.¡±


    However, Malorie simply shook her head. She was certain that her time was up and that she would go


    to Heaven soon.


    Heaven? Oh please, Hell suits her much better. Arielle scoffed as she wondered how someone as evil


    as her


    could even go to Heaven.


    Henrick was in aplete panic at the moment. Suddenly, a roadside signboard showed him that there


    was a nearby port. Seeing this, he excitedly eximed, ¡°There we go! Mom, let¡¯s take the ferry to an


    airport. You can take the ne back. Besides, there must be an infirmary onboard the ferry. You¡¯d be in


    tip-top shape real soon.¡±


    The moment she heard that, she struggled to get up as she urged, ¡°Well, hurry up then!¡±


    She did not want to die just yet. She still wanted to live a long life and enjoy her golden years!


    However, Arielle was slightly annoyed by this. Shemented just how lucky Malorie was. Otherwise,


    the old woman would have to continue suffering as they returned to Jadeborough. Even if she was not


    dead, she would be aplete wreck by the time they arrived.


    On second thought, she did not want Malorie to die that soon. She still had her uses for the old woman


    and still needed to keep her alive. Thus, Arielle simply remained silent as they made their way to the


    nearby port.


    It did not take long for them to arrive. However, what surprised them was its size. There was even a


    cruise ship docked by the port when they arrived.


    Henrick immediately dered, ¡°That one will do!¡±


    It did not take their chauffeur long to take care of


    everything. Malorie was already on her way to the infirmary by the time Arielle arrived at her own room.


    However, someone grabbed onto her door handle when she was about to shut the door.


    Since the weather was cloudy, the tall and burly man¡¯s face was obscured as he barged into her room.

 Chapter 317

    Chapter 317


    This startled Arielle as she asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    However, the moment she asked the man, she could smell the heavy scent of blood from the man¡¯s


    body. She immediately knew by instinct that this was a very dangerous man.


    ¡°Please get out, or I¡¯ll scream!¡± As Arielle forced herself to stay calm, she secretly reached for her bag


    with her right hand.


    She had a dagger in her bag that she could use to stab the man. However, as soon as she touched her


    bag, she was immediately shoved to the wall and had a sharp de pressed against her neck.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, throw your bag away!¡±


    Arielle¡¯s back stiffened immediately, but she stubbornly stood still. With that, she could feel the de


    pressing even closer against her neck.


    Pain red from her neck, and she could feel warm blood dripping on the back of her hand.


    At first, she thought that her neck had been unknowingly cut by the de. However, through the dim


    light, she noticed that the man¡¯s shoulders were bleeding. That meant the blood belonged to him as he


    was clearly injured.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to repeat myself,¡± the man sneered coldly.


    Out of options, all Arielle could do was get rid of her


    bag that contained her pepper spray. A loud thud could be heard when her bagnded on the ground.


    Feeling satisfied, the man simply said, ¡°Good girl.¡±. After that, he muttered in amanding tone,


    ¡°Strip.¡±


    Arielle went wide-eyed when she heard that. So he wasn¡¯t after my valuables in the first ce?


    However, the only thing was, the man looked different than regr creeps. This man actually looked


    attractive and did not seem as unkempt as regr perverts. He appeared to have mixed-blood


    ancestry, lending him an elegant and noble air.


    He was also extremely handsome and looked quite young, maybe about the same age as Arielle.


    The man looked familiar to her somehow, but she was unable to say where exactly she had seen him


    before.


    However, Arielle was uninterested in handsome men.


    Arielle was stunned for two seconds before regaining her senses. She then gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I


    can give you as much money as you want!¡±


    At this moment, she could hear somemotioning from the hallway. Some people were saying,


    ¡°He ran this way earlier¡­ He must be hiding on this floor! I want you guys to search every room on this


    floor!¡±


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Hearing this, Arielle instinctively looked at the injured


    man in front of her. She guessed that he was the one being hunted. However, the man pressed the


    knife closer to her neck at the very next second.


    Since the de was incredibly sharp, she immediately felt a wave of paining from her neck. This


    caused her to gasp in pain, and she knew for a fact that she was the one injured this time.


    ¡°I told you to strip!¡± the man hissed as he inched closer to her ear. He was so close to her that she was


    able to feel the warmth from his breath.


    Cornered, she realized that she had no other options but toply. Therefore, she bit her lips, closed


    her eyes, and undid her buttons one by one.


    However, when she reached the third button, the man reached out to grab her cor. Without warning,


    a loud rip could be heard before every single button fell onto the ground.


    He had ripped her clothes off. Before she could even react, the man had already picked her up in his


    arms.


    Within two seconds, she was thrown onto the bed by the man.

 Chapter 318

    Chapter 318


    Just then, a wave of relentless knocks came from the other side of her door. Someone yelled, ¡°Room


    inspection! Is anyone in there?¡±


    However, before she could even react, the man was already on top of her.


    It only took the man a second to strip her. For a brief moment, Arielle¡¯s chest felt cold before the man


    pinned her body to the bed with his.


    This made her grunt. However, her voice sounded slightly seductive, which only added fuel to her dire


    situation.


    Feeling frustrated, she reached out to push the man¡¯s chest and eximed, ¡°Get off me!¡±


    However, her voice sounded quite soft and sweet even when she was in aplete panic.


    The man¡¯s back grew stiff before he once again ced the de against her throat.


    ¡°y along, or else¡­ I will slit your throat right now!¡± The instant he said that, he pressed the de


    closer. It seemed as if he was about to slit her throat in the very next instance.


    Thus, she had no choice but to stop struggling. She asked, ¡°H-how can I y along?¡±


    ¡°Scream!¡±


    ¡°Scream?¡±


    ¡°Have you ever been with a man?¡± the man whispered as his warm breath caused her body to tense


    up. What he said made her feel incredibly humiliated.


    This man better pray he doesn¡¯t fall into my hands next time, or else I¡¯ll return the favor a thousandfold!


    She bit her lips and replied, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Using the dim lights, the man nced at her slender body and asked, ¡°Y-you¡¯ve never been


    with a man before?¡±


    With that said, he directed his gaze to her face.


    She looked incredibly beautiful. However, he had met countless beautiful women before, so no matter


    how pretty she was, he had very little reaction.


    However, the part that truly caught his attention was her eyes. They resembled someone that he


    absolutely resented.


    This immediately disgusted him. It felt as if someone had tarnished a priceless painting.


    The man tsked regretfully. Anyone who resembled his father was no saint.


    Right then, loud banging noises could be hearding from the outside.


    ¡°There¡¯s someone in there! Open up, or else we¡¯ll kick the door open!¡±


    This made her nervous, but she realized that she would be safe if that man was captured. However, the


    man was able to read her mind as soon as that thought urred to her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about being rescued. They¡¯re here to kill me. Do you think they¡¯ll leave you alive


    knowing that you saw themmit murder?¡± the man whispered


    This made Arielle frown as she knew those men would no doubt kill her just to silence her.


    When the man noticed her expression, he smiled and said, ¡°Be smart. You have no other option but to


    y along with me. If you do, I will let you live.¡±


    Hearing this, Arielle bit her lip without saying a word. It seemed that she had silently agreed to y


    along. She knew that she no longer had any options left.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± the man muttered as he brushed his fingertips across her face. However, all Arielle could


    feel was danger.


    Soon, they could hear the person outside the room trying to kick down the door. The entire room was


    seemingly shaking from the force of the kicks, and the door felt as if it would swing open at any given


    moment.


    After that, the man ripped his shirt off and threw it aside before wrapping his hand around Arielle¡¯s neck


    and ordering, ¡°Scream! If you can¡¯t scream, then at least try panting!¡±


    In the next instance, the door swung open with a loud bangC0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 319

    Chapter 319


    Before the man could do anything further, Arielle¡¯s hand snapped forward to seize his wrist. In one swift


    motion, she flipped them over so he was lying face up beneath her. Then, she climbed on top of him.


    With that, their roles were reversed.


    ¡°Scream! Scream for me!¡± Arielle cried as she pped the man¡¯s face.


    The domineering man was instantly dumbfounded at the blow.


    The instant the person outside barged in, he was greeted by the sight of a couple in a veryprising


    position.


    The woman¡¯s smooth long hair was covering most of her back as she sat on top of a topless man.


    One could obviously tell what they were up to.


    It was a mortal sin to ruin someone else¡¯s fun, so the person let out an awkward cough and asked,


    ¡°Hey, have you guys seen-¡±


    Arielle pretended like she had only just noticed the person by the door. She immediately turned around


    and yelled in a drunken and furious tone, ¡°Get out!¡±


    Her incredible beauty along with her furious expression stunned the person at the door.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    After that, the man beneath Arielle chimed in with a deep voice, ¡°My apologies. My wife is drunk and


    has


    Before the man could do anything further, Arielle¡¯s hand snapped forward to seize his wrist. In one swift


    motion, she flipped them over so he was lying face up beneath her. Then, she climbed on top of him.


    With that, their roles were reversed.


    ¡°Scream! Scream for me!¡± Arielle cried as she pped the man¡¯s face.


    The domineering man was instantly dumbfounded at the


    blow.


    The instant the person outside barged in, he was greeted by the sight of a couple in a veryprising


    position.


    The woman¡¯s smooth long hair was covering most of her back as she sat on top of a topless man.


    One could obviously tell what they were up to.


    It was a mortal sin to ruin someone else¡¯s fun, so the person let out an awkward cough and asked,


    ¡°Hey, have you guys seen-¡±


    Arielle pretended like she had only just noticed the person by the door. She immediately turned around


    and yelled in a drunken and furious tone, ¡°Get out!¡±


    Her incredible beauty along with her furious expression


    stunned the person at the door.


    After that, the man beneath Arielle chimed in with a deep voice, ¡°My apologies. My wife is drunk and


    has


    quite the temper. Is there anything you need?¡±


    The man had intentionally deepened his voice and sounded nothing like before.


    Thus, the person at the door waved awkwardly and was no longer suspicious. He said, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s n-


    nothing. I¡¯m sorry for bothering you. You guys carry on then¡­¡±


    After that, he immediately left.


    Someone else out in the hallway asked, ¡°He¡¯s not in there?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I didn¡¯t see him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll head inside and have a look-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t! You shouldn¡¯t bother them. I have to say though, that woman is incredibly pretty¡­¡±


    Their voices gradually softened as they left. A whileter, the room was silent once more.


    The man then looked at Arielle, who was still on top of him. ¡°And you tell me that you¡¯ve never been


    with a man before? You¡¯re quite the feisty one.¡±


    Suddenly, Arielle smiled and lifted the man¡¯s chin seductively. She asked, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you help me in


    return since I¡¯ve helped you already?¡±


    With that said, she gave the man a seductive wink. This help she needed from him required no further


    boration from that wink alone.


    However, the man raised his brows in a suggestive manner and intentionally asked, ¡°How do you want


    me to help you?¡±


    What an interesting Chanaean woman indeed.


    Arielle smiled and questioned him, ¡°You started something. Don¡¯t you think you should help me end it


    as


    well?¡±


    The moment she finished saying that, she grabbed the man¡¯s arms and lifted it over his head before


    leaning forward for a kiss.


    The man did not resist as he allowed everything to happen by closing his eyes.


    Shameless pervert! Arielle cursed at him in her heart before swiftly feeling around her neck.


    To pretend to be an innocent and naive woman in front of Henrick, she wore plenty of essories.


    There was a long ne around her neck as well.


    With a quick tug, she pulled the ne off her neck.


    Before the man even noticed, she swiftly tied his hands using a very special knot to the headboard.


    The entire process took less than two seconds.


    Since the man had let his guard down and was also injured, the moment he thought about struggling,


    his


    hands were already bound.


    It was a really expensive ne that was made with quality materials, so the man could not easily


    break free from his restraints.


    This immediately angered him, and he started struggling even harder to break free from it. He was so


    furious about what happened that his eyes werepletely red.

 Chapter 320

    Chapter 320


    Arielle covered her chest with one arm before climbing off his body. After putting on some clothes, she


    turned toward the struggling man and scoffed. You look down on women, don¡¯t you? Now, do you still


    think that women are helpless and can be bullied as you please? Keep dreaming!


    The man was struggling so much that his hands were turning red. Blood was also trickling out of his


    shoulder wound. He never expected that he would be set up by a woman.


    After putting her clothes on, Arielle reminded him, ¡°I suggest that you stop struggling. This is a very


    tight knot. It¡¯ll only get tighter the more you struggle, so best you behave and wait for the cabin crew to


    find you tomorrow.¡±


    Finally, the man stopped struggling as he stared intently at her. Anyone would be furious or terrified in


    such a situation, but the man was calm after only being mad for a brief moment.


    His reaction only made Arielle more cautious of him, so she instinctively took a step back.


    All she could see was the man¡¯s grin as he asked her, ¡°You¡¯re quite the interesting kitten. Say, what¡¯s


    your name?¡± He was behaving as if he was staring at a pet.


    This angered Arielle as she coldly reminded him, ¡°Know your ce! You are in no position to ask me


    for my name!¡±


    ¡°Aaron.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my name.¡±


    This only made Arielle frown harder as she wondered if a person that was being hunted by others


    would actually reveal their real name.


    However, the man continued, ¡°Since you know my name, that means you¡¯re mine from now onward.


    Coincidentally, my family is forcing me to get married. Since it doesn¡¯t really matter who I end up


    marrying, you¡¯ll do just fine.¡±


    This made Arielle roll her eyes at him. After that, she approached the man and kicked his belly.


    Her kick turned out to be quite the violent kick as the man was visibly in pain. However, he did not


    seem bothered by it at all. It was as if he had just been wed by a pet cat. Although it hurt, he did not


    like her any less.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Arielle was incredibly furious upon noticing his reaction, so she decided to ignore the creep. She


    wanted to call the police on him. However, having to report that a man had intruded into her room


    sounded inappropriate, especially when Malorie was present as well. She could only imagine the verbal


    abuse she would be getting from Malorie if she did so.


    After pondering for a brief moment, she realized that


    there was nothing she could do but to leave the man to his own devices.


    Dang it! That would be letting him off too easy! Arielle felt a little displeased when she thought about


    that, so she gave the man another kick.


    This time, the man was ready and swiftly dodged her kick. He was even giving her advice as he said,


    ¡°If you want to kick someone next time, don¡¯t stare at where you¡¯re going to hit. Your opponent will


    notice it. Most importantly, you need to be fast and ruthless¡­¡±


    It sounded as if he was trying to teach a kitten how to bite someone.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Arielle decided to ignore that man. After that, she swiftly packed her things and got out of


    there.


    She nned on getting another room with a different identity. It was not like Henrick or Malorie knew


    where she stayed anyway.


    Yet, the instant she opened the door, the man¡¯s voice sounded out again. ¡°Where are you going? Don¡¯t


    you need my help?¡±


    Upon hearing that, Arielle red at the man and sneered. ¡°Where I¡¯m headed has nothing to do with


    you! Just stay put and ept your fate.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the man raised his brows, lifted his finger, and said, ¡°I can pretend that none of this


    has ever happened if youe back here and release me. Heck, I


    can even let you in on a little secret. But if you leave now¡­ I can assure you that you will regret


    crossing me.¡±


    His calm demeanor infuriated her to the point that she wanted to murder him

 Chapter 321

    Chapter 321


    Arielle ignored him and forcefully opened the door. Just as she was about to get out of the room, the


    man said, ¡°There¡¯s a bomb on this ship.¡±


    Halting in her tracks, Arielle stared at the man closely, trying to see if he was telling the truth or not.


    However, the man¡¯s intentions were difficult to read, and it was hard to tell if he was lying or not.


    He¡¯s too good at hiding his emotions. I can¡¯t tell what he¡¯s thinking or feeling at all with that neutral


    expression of his!


    As the man watched Arielle¡¯s cautious demeanor toward him, he chuckled and said, ¡°Look, if you don¡¯t


    believe me, why don¡¯t you open up the wardrobe in room 1201


    and find out.¡±


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    A loud thud rang out in the very next moment as the door mmed shut.


    The man smirked as he remained in the empty room. What an interesting little kitten indeed.


    Soon, his face morphed back into his usual cold expression as he used his chin to touch his


    special watch.


    In less than two seconds, a man¡¯s polite voice came out from the watch. The voice was asking in a


    foreignnguage, ¡°Mr. Aaron, is there anything that I can do for


    you?¡±


    ¡°Those men have discovered me. I also found out that


    they nted a bomb on the cruise ship. However, I was unable to find out who they were after. Pin-


    point my location and get me out of here.¡±


    The voice replied without any hesitation, ¡°Yes, sir! Be careful. We¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± After the call ended, the man¡¯s handsome features rxed slightly. Under the dim lighting, he


    looked particrly attractive.


    The man suddenly recalled Arielle. Don¡¯t even think about running now that you¡¯ve crossed me, little


    kitten.


    He had never expected that he would run into an interesting pet while he was looking into his enemy¡¯s


    background. She was calm in the face of danger and quite attractive too. It was a surprise for him. He


    decided that he wanted to keep her after capturing her.


    Arielle put on a jacket and rushed toward room 1201.


    After experiencing an explosion once, bombs or other explosives were a sensitive topic for her.


    Regardless of whether it turned out to be true or not, she decided to have a look first.


    The twelfth floor of the ship was extremely quiet and empty as she stopped outside room 1201.


    She gave the door a knock first. When she did not receive a reply from the other side, she took a few


    steps back before rushing forward with a kick. She was finally able to break into the room after several


    attempts.


    Since the curtains were drawn in the room, it was dark. Thus, Arielle clutched her dagger and entered


    the room cautiously.


    The first thing she did was make sure that there was no one in the room. After doing so, she shut the


    door and switched on the lights.


    When the room was lit, she approached the wardrobe that the mysterious man told her about.


    However, she was utterly startled the moment she opened the wardrobe. Sitting inside was a literal


    ticking time bomb. Upon closer inspection, she realized that if the bomb went off, the entire ship would


    be destroyed.


    Just our luck that you picked such a ce, Henrick.


    After that, she crouched down and stared at the timer. She was shocked to see that there were only


    three minutes left on the timer.


    At that moment, Arielle¡¯s phone rang. She was startled by the sudden ringing since there was quite a


    powerful bomb in front of her now.


    She took a deep breath topose herself before taking her phone out. However, she was greeted by


    a foreign number.


    Third day¡­ overseas¡­ Suddenly, Arielle turned her attention to the bomb and realized that perhaps it


    was


    not a coincidence that Henry picked this ship. Instead, someone had nted the bomb after he picked


    it.


    This bomb might actually be meant for me!

 Chapter 322

    Chapter 322


    Arielle¡¯s back was instantly drenched in a cold sweat at the thought.


    She could not believe that the hacker was able to track her here all the way from Jadeborough.


    Moreover, he had even nted a bomb on the ship.


    This reminded her about the conversation the hacker had with her. She was warned that if she refused


    to join them, the bomb in front of her would be her only oue.


    Thus, she took several more deep breaths before picking up the call.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Arielle questioned coldly.


    A robotic-sounding voice came from the other end, saying, ¡°Ms. Moore, are you always this cold when


    you receive a call from an unknown number?¡± The person was speaking in a foreignnguage, their


    original voice masked behind a voice changer. Even so, she could tell how cold the voice sounded.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    As expected, it was none other than the hacker. This only confirmed her initial suspicion of the bomb


    being nted just for her.


    She could not believe how ruthless that person was to cause so many innocent deaths just to get to


    her. This was just like a repeat of the bombing at the Southall Group building.


    Thus, she gritted her teeth and questioned, ¡°What do


    you want?¡±


    The robotic voice replied, ¡°Your three days are up. I only want an answer from you.¡±


    However, Arielle did not reply to him immediately. Instead, she crouched down to inspect the bomb.


    She was trying to see if she would be able to throw it into the water.


    However, due to how close the bomb was nted to the wardrobe, there was no way she could


    separate the bomb from it. The only way would be to throw the entire wardrobe into the water.


    The main problem was that the wardrobe was mounted to the ceiling and the ground. She could not


    possibly throw it into the water.


    What if I have the cruise crew deal with it?


    However, Arielle soon decided not to do that because no one would believe her. Moreover, it would


    take longer than three minutes for her to get anyone there.


    ¡°Did you hear what I said, Ms. Moore?¡± The voice sounded impatient.


    Closing her eyes, she tried hard to suppress her unease and disgust. ¡°I¡¯m willing to join you guys.¡±


    She decided to y it safe and not gamble with everyone¡¯s lives.


    However, the person scoffed and said, ¡°Ms. Moore, we have a lie detector beside us, and the data


    shows us that you¡¯re lying.¡±


    Arielle was stunned and immediately said, ¡°I believe that there¡¯s something wrong with your lie detector


    then. Vinson and I had an argument, so I no longer wish to work with him anymore.¡±


    ¡°Heh¡­¡± The person scoffed and said, ¡°Our lie detector has never been wrong. Oh, Ms. Moore, you¡¯re


    too smart for your own good. Such a shame that someone as smart as you will soon disappear from


    the face of the world. Goodbye, Ms. Moore.¡±


    ¡°Wait, I-¡± The call ended before she could finish.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Arielle eximed and furiously pounded the wall.


    Although she could jump off the ship and leave the st radius of the bomb, all the other people on


    board would not have that luxury. She recalled overhearing a crew member saying that there were


    more than three hundred people on board the ship when she first boarded.


    Three hundred lives¡­ Thus, she took a deep breath to calm herself.


    After two seconds, she called a bomb expert she knew from overseas. There was only a minute left on


    the timer.


    She switched it to a video call. When the person picked


    up, he said, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, San. How have you been doingtely? You look pale. What¡¯s going


    on?¡±


    Arielle went straight to the point. ¡°Ronald, I don¡¯t have the time for small talk right now. I have a bomb in


    front of me. Could you walk me through how I could defuse


    it?¡±


    Ronald was startled by what she said. However, without wasting any more time, he ordered, ¡°Show it to


    me.¡±

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    Thus, Arielle turned the camera over and showed the bomb to Ronald. After a couple of seconds,


    Ronald replied with aplicated look, ¡°San, this bomb¡­ is extremely simple.¡±


    Arielle was delighted when she heard that, so she immediately said, ¡°Since it¡¯s simple, hurry up and tell


    me how to defuse it.¡±


    However, Ronald shook his head and said, ¡°Well, here¡¯s the problem. This bomb is so simple that it¡¯s a


    gamble to defuse it.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Arielle asked with a frown.


    Ronald exined in a serious tone, ¡°Do you see those two exposed wires?¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°I do. There¡¯s a ck one and a white one.¡±


    Ronald nodded and replied, ¡°Yes. Only by cutting the right wire can you defuse the bomb, or else it will


    explode.¡±


    ¡°What happens if I cut the wrong wire then?¡±


    Sucking in a breath, he said, ¡°If you¡¯re wrong, the bomb will explode immediately.¡±


    Arielle was annoyed to hear that, so she bit her lip and asked, ¡°So, which one should I cut, Ronald?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no sure answer to your question. It alles


    down to how the person who made this bomb thinks,¡± he answered with a shake of his head.


    At that, she mumbled to herself, ¡°How he thinks¡­¡±


    I¡¯ve never had any prior interaction with that person, nor have I ever met him. How could I possibly


    know what he thinks?


    Ronald¡¯s voice echoed from her phone again. ¡°Are you close with that person? Or know anyone that is


    close to that person and might know what color that person hates? That might be the key to knowing


    which wire shouldn¡¯t be cut.¡±


    However, Arielle shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t even know that guy¡­¡¯


    ¡°What are you waiting for then? Run!¡±


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    However, Arielle bit her lips and said, ¡°There are more than three hundred people on board this ship¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Arielle¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Perhaps he would know about it.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°A¡­ friend. I¡¯m going to ask him about it, so I¡¯ll hang up now.¡±


    Ronald immediately said, ¡°Hurry up! You only have


    thirty seconds left! If you see no way out of this, just run! Run for your life, okay?¡±


    Arielle chuckled bitterly when he said that.


    She could run, but what would happen to everyone on board that ship?


    Although she hoped that the explosion would take out Henrick since it would save her a world of


    trouble, why should everyone else on board perish along with him?


    ¡°I know. Thanks.¡± Arielle hung up immediately and called a different number.


    The call was ced to Epea, located in the Western Hemisphere.


    After much effort, Vinson was finally able to gather everyone that was about to quit or had already quit.


    The branch office¡¯s staff rushed over to the director¡¯s office and politely reported, ¡°Mr. Nightshire,


    everyone has arrived. A few of them were adamant about leaving the moment they arrived. You should


    go.¡±


    Vinson gave him a grunt in acknowledgment before making his way over to the meeting room.


    However, his phone suddenly rang just as he arrived at the meeting room.


    The call was from Arielle, which made him wonder why she was calling him at this hour.


    However, right when Vinson was about to answer the call, his assistant urged him, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, we


    can¡¯t dy any longer! Those people are extremely arrogant. If you don¡¯t enter now, they might be


    even more displeased¡­¡±


    Vinson paused for a moment before picking up the call and telling his assistant, ¡°You can head inside


    first. I need you to buy me five minutes.¡±


    His assistant was stunned as he stammered, ¡°This¡­


    However, Vinson ignored him and walked to the end of the hallway while asking Arielle through the


    phone, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Arielle?¡±


    Although Arielle could tell that he was busy, she could not be bothered by it as she asked, ¡°Vinson, do


    you know that enemy of yours well?¡±


    Vinson paused and asked in a serious tone, ¡°Why the sudden question?¡±

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    Arielle, who was on the cruise, stared at the two threads as she summarized Ronald¡¯s words for


    Vinson.


    -Instantly, Vinson looked even tenser. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about him since he¡¯s very secretive¡­ But I


    remember hearing his voice when those people tried to kill me at sea. He called me a ¡®dirty ck rat.¡¯ I


    guess he hates the color ck.¡±


    At once, Arielle ced the dagger below the ck thread. She put her phone between her shoulder


    and her cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll cut the ck one, then¡­¡±


    Vinson¡¯s forehead began to perspire heavily. Agitated, he paced back and forth. ¡°Wait! How much time


    do you have left?¡±


    Arielle nced at the timer. ¡°Fifteen seconds.¡±


    ¡°Let me think. Let me think¡­¡± Upon closer observation, there was a slight tremble in Vinson¡¯s voice.


    Never in his life had he felt this nervous before.


    A few secondster, Vinson gritted his teeth and cried, ¡°Don¡¯t cut it! Arielle, run! Jump overboard! I¡¯m


    not entirely sure about this!¡±


    At that very moment, immense fear, helplessness, and anger overwhelmed Vinson.


    He hated that he did not catch that bastard who caused this mess and did not know much about that


    person. As


    a result, he put Arielle in harm¡¯s way.


    Vinson understood that he could not gamble with her life based on the limited info he had about that


    perpetrator.


    He dared not take any chances.


    Hence, Vinson tightened the grip on his phone and said with a quiver in his voice, ¡°Ignore them, Arielle!


    Run! I can¡¯t let you die for me! We can¡¯t take chances!¡±


    Arielle chuckled wryly. ¡°Vinson, if I manage to escape in one piece today, I¡¯ll live in remorse and agony


    for the rest of my life. My conscience will keep haunting me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about that! There¡¯s always hope as long as you¡¯re alive!¡± Vinson added hastily, ¡°Even if you


    don¡¯t care about yourself, you gotta consider your mother, too! Who¡¯ll find out the truth about her if


    you¡¯re dead? Didn¡¯t you tell me so? Apart from Henrick and Cindy, there could be another


    perpetrator¡­¡±


    ¡°But if I run away, I¡¯ll be no different from Henrick. I¡¯ll be a killer like them¡­¡± Arielle spoke before


    cing the phone away from her. Then, she turned on its loudspeaker and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to cut it,


    Vinson.¡±


    ¡°No! Arielle, don¡¯t cut it!¡± Vinson yelled.


    At that moment, the man with bloodshot eyes gave off a murderous aura. He seemed to be shrouded in


    a dark mist, and nobody would dare to look him in the eye.


    Meanwhile, Arielle smiled bitterly and looked at the timer. There was only eight seconds left. ¡°Vinson,


    getting to know you is the best thing that has happened to me since my return. Actually, I kinda like


    you. If I survive, perhaps, we can be lifelong friends.¡±


    Vinson shrieked, ¡°Arielle! No! Don¡¯t do it!¡±.


    He hated himself deeply for approaching her. As a result, he brought danger to her.


    Furthermore, he resented himself for his uselessness and for going overseas at this time.


    Arielle inhaled deeply and ced the de against the middle of the folded ck thread. She was


    about to cut it when she heard Vinson¡¯s voice again. ¡°Arielle! Don¡¯t cut the ck thread! Cut the white


    one!¡±


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    She paused and asked skeptically, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°That fellow is a twisted pervert. His brain is probably wired differentlypared to a normal person. If


    you really want to bet on it, cut the white thread, then!¡±


    Arielle tensed up. Next, she moved the de from the ck thread to the white one

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    Only two seconds were left on the timer.


    Arielle closed her eyes and let out a cry inwardly. Mom! Then, she cut the white thread.


    Snap! The thread broke.


    Then, the timer let out a long beep.


    Arielle lowered her head immediately and closed her eyes. It was something one naturally did in the


    face of death.


    Everything was quiet on Vinson¡¯s side as he was holding his breath anxiously.


    It was eerily quiet in the cabin.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Tick tock, tick tock¡­


    The ticking of the clock was exceptionally clear inside the silent cabin.


    As Arielle listened to it, she noticed that the clock had ticked twice, which meant two seconds had


    passed.


    Slowly, she opened her eyes. She was surprised to find that the bomb¡¯s timer had stopped at precisely


    one second left.


    I have¡­ sessfully disarmed the bomb! I was right!


    Arielle finally found her voice after a few seconds. She picked up the phone excitedly and eximed,


    ¡°Vinson!


    I¡¯m still alive! Vinson! Are you there?¡±


    However, there was no reply.


    A few seconds ago, in a high-rise building in the Western Hemisphere, Vinson had ced his phone on


    the window sill. He forced himself to shut his eyes. Then, he lit a cigarette and took a drag.


    He was afraid of looking at his phone.


    Arielle had said that if she survived, she would live the rest of her life in remorse.


    However, if she died, he would be the one living in guilt instead.


    At that moment, he wished that he never knew Arielle so that she did not have to go through all of this.


    Soon, half of his cigarette was gone.


    With the smoke surrounding him, Vinson finally got the courage to check his phone again.


    His phone screen indicated the call was still ongoing.


    Vinson¡¯s heart began to beat rapidly, and a glimmer of hope began to appear within his forlorn gaze.


    As he quickly pressed the phone against his ear, Arielle¡¯s concerned voice could be heard from the


    other end. ¡°Where are you? Why aren¡¯t you answering?¡±


    Vinson could not help but let out augh.


    Arielle¡¯s alive! She¡¯s still alive!


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± The towering manughed like a lunatic.


    He pursed his lips, took a deep breath, and uttered, ¡°Arielle¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Arielle sounded weak, but there was a hint of delight in her voice. ¡°I¡¯m not dead! We were


    right! It was the white one indeed! That fellow has a loose screw!¡±


    While Arielle bellowed, Vinson listened quietly, and his lips gradually curled into a smile.


    For the first time in his life, he found her scolding to be pleasing to the ears, as though he was listening


    to an orchestra.


    He even wanted to continue listening to her.


    Suddenly, Jordan¡¯s voice appeared. ¡°Why aren¡¯t youing over yet? Had it not been for my help,


    those people would have escaped!¡±


    Vinson looked up and saw a scowling Jordan. For once, he found thetter to be tolerable.


    Arielle also overheard Jordan, so she interrupted Vinson. ¡°Go help him, then. For now, everything¡¯s fine


    on my side.¡±


    ¡°All right. Call me if anything happens,¡± Vinson replied. He put his phone into his pocket after Arielle


    ended the call.


    Jordan asked him with a frown, ¡°Who were you talking to? You had tears in your eyes, but you also


    laughed like a madman¡­¡±


    Vinson raised a hand. Instinctively, Jordan closed his eyes, for he thought the former wanted to hit him.


    To his surprise, he merely felt a weight on his shoulder. When he opened his eyes, he saw that Vinson


    had ced his hand on his shoulder. There was a subtle smile on Vinson¡¯s face. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll go


    now.¡±

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    Jordan was puzzled to see Vinson walking away.


    Something¡¯s not right about him. Could he be¡­.


    Jordan widened his eyes in fear.


    Don¡¯t tell me that Vinson is interested in me? After all, I¡¯m good-looking and charming.


    The thought of this possibility gave Jordan the shudders.


    No way¡­ That can¡¯t be it. Vinson couldn¡¯t be interested in me, right?


    Jordan wanted to rify this, but Vinson had already stepped into the conference room.


    Hence, he had no choice but to keep this question to himself and walked into the conference room as


    well.


    It was noisy inside in the room as the director was trying tofort the technical staff but to no avail.


    Right then, a burst of intimidating aura entered the conference room.


    Everyone fell silent at that moment as they turned around to look at the man who walked in.


    He was wearing a luxurious ck suit with his cuffs fastened, walking into the room with a confident air


    about him.


    It took only one nce for everyone to feel his domineering presence.


    No one dared to utter a word as they were all intimidated by him, holding their breaths unwittingly.


    Some people were meant to be leaders, and he was undoubtedly one of them.


    The crowd needed no introduction from him, for everyone recognized him as Vinson Nightshere, their


    former chairman.


    Right then, Vinson unbuttoned the bottom two buttons on his suit, but instead of taking a seat, he stood


    there by the desk and swept a cold nce across the room.


    Those who had met his gaze subconsciously lowered their heads.


    His aura was just too domineering.


    After ncing at everyone in the room, Vinson finally started speaking in a deep voice, ¡°I apologize for


    keeping you waiting. Something urgent came up just now, and I had to settle it first.¡±


    Those who were making a fuss about leaving earlier on cleared their throats upon hearing that, not


    daring to say a word.


    However, there was a blonde guy with blue eyes who mustered up his courage and said, ¡°Mr.


    Nightshire, I¡¯ve already tendered my resignation, but they¡¯ve been


    dying to confirm it. May I know what¡¯s your intention of asking me toe here?¡±


    Vinson narrowed his eyes at that blonde guy.


    ¡°You¡¯ve proven your ignorance by not knowing why I asked for you to gather here. I don¡¯t need ignorant


    people in mypany. You may leave now.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± The blonde guy gaped at him in surprise.


    He had been picturing what Vinson would possibly say to them, and he had alsoe up with different


    responses to deal with the respective scenarios. Yet, he didn¡¯t expect Vinson to ask him to leave right


    away.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Shouldn¡¯t he be begging us to stay?


    He didn¡¯t know how to react to Vinson¡¯s words.


    Meanwhile, the others were stunned too, especially Jordan and the director in charge of this subsidiary.


    They were both shocked as they looked at Vinson with widened eyes.


    What¡¯s he trying to do? Is Vinson out of his mind?


    Vinson then continued, ¡°I¡¯ve traveled 11 hours toe here and another 11 hours to gather all of you. I


    didn¡¯t get to rest for the past 22 hours. So I¡¯d like to think I¡¯m here with great sincerity to meet all of


    you.¡±


    Everyone present was a little relieved to hear that.


    Vinson paused for a few seconds before he added, ¡°I don¡¯t know how much or what positions they¡¯re


    offering you. But seeing that all of you have resigned, it¡¯s obvious that they¡¯re offering you much more


    than I do.¡±

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    The blonde guy raised his chin upon hearing this as if he had once again mustered up his courage. ¡°Mr.


    Nightshire, I will stop beating around the bush now that you¡¯ve learned about everything. It¡¯s like what


    you Chanaeans always say, water always flows toward the lownds, whereas men will always try to


    climb up the ranks. Simrly, I think I can achieve more by leaving thispany. Mr. Nightshire, I¡¯m


    sure you won¡¯t me us for this decision, will you?¡±


    Vinson nodded in agreement. ¡°I don¡¯t me you. In fact, I agree with you. Every one of you here has


    great potential and talents, so it¡¯s only normal for you to want more than this. Let me get straight to the


    point then. For those of you who want to stay, thepany will reward you ording to your


    contribution in each project you participate in from now on.¡±


    Upon hearing his words, everyone began murmuring.


    ¡°Is he saying he will give us thepany shares?¡±


    ¡°Reward us ording to our contribution¡­ Yes, I think that¡¯s what he meant.¡±


    The blonde guy sneered with disdain. ¡°How much are the shares even worth? They¡¯re offering me the


    general manager position, and I can earn ten million in a year!¡±


    Vinson raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. ¡°I believe every one of you here shouldn¡¯t be earning less


    than ten million a year. The bigger the projects are, the bigger your contributions will be to the


    company, and of course, the more thepany will be rewarding you.


    Don¡¯t you wish to see how much you can make? Inparison to being promised a stable position and


    a fixed pay, don¡¯t you want to try and see how much more you can achieve?¡±


    His words stunned the blonde man.


    Not only ten million but higher than that!


    Almost all of them were wavering upon hear that.


    Vinson continued saying, ¡°All of you have been working in thispany for years, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve


    developed certain feelings for this ce. What do you think? Will you be willing to stay here and see


    how far you can go, or will you be leaving for a differentpany in exchange for a fixed sry and a


    nd life?¡±


    The blond guy gritted his teeth and was the first to say, ¡°I will stay!¡±


    He was keen to see how much he was worth to thepany and how far he could achieve with his


    skills.


    Following the blonde guy, many among the crowd raised their hands too.


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to stay as well.¡±


    ¡°Same here.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    More and more people had their hands raised.


    As Jordan looked over at the staff, he saw that everyone¡¯s hands were in the air, indicating their


    intention to stay.


    He was shocked at the oue, wondering what he did wrong earlier on.


    Why is it that Vinson managed to convince them by just saying a few words, but I couldn¡¯t even keep


    them under control at all? What just happened?


    Carter who had been standing by the door slowly curled his lips into a smile.


    He had heard everything that happened in the room.


    From the moment Vinson walked in, he had been keeping the situation under control with his


    domineering aura. Through his conversation with the blonde guy, Vinson made them believe that the


    company could still operate without them.


    Vinson then started showing his sincerity before he lured them to tell him how much the opponent was


    offering them.


    After that, he started reassuring them by giving them a better offer and showing them the bigger


    picture. Of course, he was not merely giving them empty promises.


    The staff members were either international award winners or graduates from prestigious universities,


    so


    they were confident and proud of their achievements.


    For people like them, they wouldn¡¯t be contented with a fixed sry. They wanted to work at a


    company where they would be appreciated for their skills and talents.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Vinson¡¯s promise gave them the opportunity to do so.


    Needless to say, this strategy was not necessarily suitable for all employers. Since Nightshire Group


    was one of the toppanies worldwide, its employees had nothing else to worry about except for


    their capabilities to keep up with the group¡¯s reputation.

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    Chapter 328


    Carter shook his head. It was terrifying for them to have Vinson, who was good at maniption, as


    their boss.


    Luckily, I¡¯m not his staff nor his rival. Otherwise, I would have been a victim to his mind games, too,


    without me even realizing it.


    He was impressed by Vinson¡¯s ability to settle the issue.


    Before leaving the conference room, they had to sign a contract stating that they wouldn¡¯t resign in the


    next three years. Even after all of them had left, Jordan was still looking at Vinson with admiration.


    Carter chuckled as he pushed up his sses and patted Jordan on the shoulder. ¡°Are you still in


    shock?¡±


    Feeling the pat on his shoulder, Jordan immediately returned to his senses. He grabbed Vinson and


    asked, ¡°How did you do that?¡±¡¯


    Vinson nced at him and said, ¡°You just have to find out what they want, and then, you satisfy them.¡±


    Jordan took a notebook and a pen, ready to jot down Vinson¡¯s advice.


    However, Vinson stopped talking.


    Jordan tilted his head. ¡°What¡¯s next then?¡±


    Vinson was typing rapidly on his phone as he replied to Jordan, ¡°Nothing else.¡±


    Jordan was once again left puzzled.


    Nothing else? That¡¯s all? But I still have so many unanswered questions.


    Jordan was still pestering Vinson with questions, but thetter¡¯s gaze was fixed on his phone screen


    instead.


    Jordan was upset with his attitude. ¡°Who are you texting? Your inte girlfriend?¡±?


    Vinson shot him a cold re, and Jordan immediately kept quiet.


    Carter, who had been standing at the side, felt that something was off. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Vinson¡¯s expression turned solemn. ¡°I sent The Crew to protect Arielle in the dark, and I was informed


    that none of them turned up when Arielle almost died in an explosion. I suspect that they might have¡­¡±


    Hearing this, Carter and Jordan¡¯s hearts skipped a beat.


    Jordan blurted out, ¡°Almost died in an explosion? What do you mean? Is that guy after Ms. Moore?¡±


    Vinson nodded. ¡°Not only that. I waste just now because they installed a bomb on the cruise Arielle


    and her family were on.¡±


    Upon hearing that, the talkative Jordan suddenly looked solemn and remained silent.


    Carter¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°I¡¯ll send some of my men to protect her now. You should focus on


    finding The Crew and also investigating the incident.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Vinson nodded and started calling The Crew again.


    However, he couldn¡¯t get in touch with all four of them, nor could he locate them. It was as if they had


    just disappeared into thin air.


    However, all signs clearly pointed that they were still alive out there¡­


    What happened to them?


    Vinson got irritated as he abruptly suggested, ¡°Come on. I want to go shopping. It¡¯s been a while since I


    last shopped in Epea.¡±


    Carter immediately caught the implicit meaning of his words. Vinson was trying to lure the mastermind


    out by using himself as bait.


    He frowned. ¡°Let me make some arrangements first¡­ Don¡¯t rush into this. Let¡¯s wait for Harvey to


    return. He¡¯s got a lead, and I¡¯m sure he¡¯sing back soon.¡±


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    However, Vinson remained silent.


    He was never a reckless person, but somehow, he was always edgy whenever Arielle was involved.


    Suddenly, Vinson was reminded of Carter telling him


    that he was falling for her.

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    His gaze darkened as his memories shed back to that night when he shared a bed with Arielle and


    how he tossed and turned the entire night.


    Vinson closed his eyes as his heart started thumping wildly at that thought.


    He suddenly said to Carter, ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right.¡±


    Feeling puzzled, Carter asked, ¡°What?¡±


    However, Vinson didn¡¯t exin his words. ¡°Nothing. You can go ahead and make arrangements first.¡±


    Carter left while feeling confused. Meanwhile, Jordan was even more perplexed. He gathered his


    courage and asked, ¡°Vin, let me ask you something, and you have to be honest with me. After all, we¡¯re


    friends, and there should be no secrets between friends.¡±


    Vinson was still trying to locate The Crew as he replied, ¡°I¡¯ve already answered you just now.¡±


    ¡°No. This isn¡¯t about that.¡± Jordan inhaled deeply as if he had finally made up his mind and asked, ¡°Tell


    me. Are you falling for someone?¡±


    Is it¡­ Could it be me?


    Jordan didn¡¯t dare to ask thatst question.


    Vinson looked up at him, and there was a hint of surprise in his eyes.


    Was it so obvious that even the insensitive Jordan noticed my feelings?


    Vinson paused for a while before saying, ¡°Maybe¡­¡±


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    He wasn¡¯t sure either, and he needed more confirmation.


    However, Vinson didn¡¯t notice the astonishment in Jordan¡¯s eyes.


    What? Does Vin like me? All this while, I¡¯ve been treating him as my friend, but he seems to think of me


    as more than that


    ¡°I-I have to leave now!¡± Jordan didn¡¯t dare to stay in the same room as Vinson anymore. Immediately,


    he left the room as if he was escaping from some terrifying monster.


    Although I do have respect for Vinson, I¡¯m straight! I only like women!


    Vinson was confused to see Jordan fleeing from the room.


    Nheless, he didn¡¯t dwell on the matter as this wasn¡¯t the first time Jordan was acting weird. Soon,


    he prepared himself for the ¡°shopping trip.¡±


    Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, a helicopter was flying above Arielle¡¯s cruise.


    The door to the helicopter wasn¡¯t closed, and strong wind was constantly blowing into the helicopter.


    However, Aaron who was sitting by the door didn¡¯t seem to be affected at all.


    The man had oval-shaped blue eyes and porcin skin, with half of his face covered by his hair.


    His bodyguard couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Mr. Aaron, are we not leaving yet? What are you waiting for?¡±


    Aaron raised his brow. ¡°Waiting for the fireworks.¡±


    Waiting for my kitten to explode in the ¡°fireworks.¡±


    The bodyguard didn¡¯t understand. ¡°What?¡±


    However, Aaron stopped responding. His attention was focused on the cruise beneath them.


    If what he heard from those guys was true, the cruise would be exploding anytime soon.


    He had reminded her out of kindness so that she could find a way to hop off that cruise. However, he


    still didn¡¯t see anyone leaving the cruise.


    Maybe she didn¡¯t believe what I told her. Gee, what a pity. Looks like my interesting kitten will soon


    vanish with the fireworks.


    After waiting for a while, there was still no explosion at all. Aaron then saw the cruise docking near the


    shore.


    Aaron was puzzled at the situation.

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    What happened?


    The next moment, Aaron saw his ¡°kitten¡± supporting an olddy down the cruise.


    The ¡°kitten¡± seemed to have sensed something, and her gaze fell upon Aaron, who was a hundred


    meters away.


    Before Aaron could react from his helicopter, Arielle flipped him off secretly when Malorie was not


    looking.


    Although Aaron was not from Chanaea, the middle finger gesture had a universal meaning.


    ¡°Haha!¡± Instead of looking furious, Aaronughed out loud.


    It seems that my ¡°kitten¡± has dismantled the bomb. The situation is bing even more interesting.


    He turned over and instructed the bodyguard through the helicopter headset, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Also, find out all


    her details.¡±


    The helicopter stopped at the pier for another two seconds before leaving.


    As if she had seen nothing, Arielle softly reminded Malorie to mind the stairs in front of her.


    Malorie did think of creating trouble for Arielle. However, she had not recoveredpletely and thus


    did not have the strength. Also, Henrick was busy with work and was picking up work calls from time to


    time,


    so he had no time to take care of her.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    As a result, Arielle had be her only support.


    It was not afortable feeling for Malorie.


    She murmured in acknowledgment and climbed the stairs with Arielle¡¯s support.


    Soon, it was dusk, and Arielle and the others finally returned to the Southall residence.


    Upon reaching the manor, Malorie headed straight into the room prepared for her and fell asleep. She


    did not even have the strength and energy to go to the backyard to look at Shandie.


    Arielle predicted that Malorie would need at least another week to recoverpletely, given her age


    group¡¯s metabolic rate.


    Shandie¡¯s burial would probably happen after the seventh day.


    It was not possible for Malorie to cause any more trouble, but Arielle still had to put her guard up


    against Mason and Matthias.


    She sat in the backyard, where Shandie¡¯s body was ced, deep in thought.


    At this moment, she heard a loud noise on top of the wall behind one of the locust trees in the


    backyard.


    She stood up cautiously and looked in the direction of the sound


    The flower pot on the wall was moved half a meter away and there was a hand clinging to the wall.


    Soon after, a woman half covered in blood climbed over.


    Arielle walked over instantly and shouted coldly, ¡°Who are you? What are you doing? I will shout if you


    come in!¡±


    The woman panted and said weakly, ¡°Ms. Moore, I-I am one of the people sent by Mr. Nightshire to


    protect you. We were attacked, and I am the only one left. They are still chasing me.¡±


    Arielle recalled Vinson had indeed mentioned there were bodyguards protecting her from the shadows.


    However, she could not trust a stranger so easily.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move. Let me check first!¡± she said as she gave Vinson a video call.


    After experiencing two explosion incidents, she had no choice but to be wary of everything as there


    could be traps.


    It did not take long for Vinson to pick up the call. ¡°Arielle, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Arielle switched the view of the camera and aimed it at the woman on the wall. She asked, ¡°Is she one


    of yours?¡±


    Vinson¡¯s eyes immediately widened. ¡°Sasha!¡±


    The woman acknowledged weakly. Tears slid down her face as she said, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, they are all


    dead. Those people crashed our car into the river. I was the only one awake, and I broke the car


    window and escaped.¡±


    Rate the Trantion to Get

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    Vinson¡¯s expression turned grim. He told Arielle, ¡°I sent her to protect you. Could you take care of her


    for a while? She has a special identity, so it would be better not to let anyone know about this. I will


    come back immediately once I¡¯ve settled my matters here.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Arielle hung up without saying another word. She brought a chair to bring the woman down


    from the wall carefully.


    There was an injured woman in their house. As it was not a simple matter and Vinson had also


    emphasized the woman¡¯s special identity, Arielle could not just bring her to Henrick.


    After contemting for a while, Arielle supported the woman around the backyard and toward the


    servants¡¯ quarters.


    They met Larissa on the way, and Arielle stopped her and said, ¡°This is my friend. Bring her to your


    room; she can¡¯t show her face openly. Help me take care of her for a while. I will go and take some


    medicine to treat her injuries.¡±


    Larissa nodded her head quickly and brought the woman into her room.


    Luckily, there was no one near the servants¡¯ quarters, and they were able to enter Larissa¡¯s room


    sessfully.


    Although there were many servants¡¯ quarters, there were not many servants in the Southall residence.


    Every servant had their own room, so no one would discover


    anything if Larissa was careful.


    This was also the reason Arielle ced the woman in Larissa¡¯s room.


    After a while, Arielle returned to Larissa¡¯s room without anyone noticing, covering the first aid kit with


    her jacket.


    Larissa was helping the woman wipe her wounds. However, the woman had her guard up and did not


    want to take off her clothes.


    Only when Arielle returned did the woman¡¯s expression slightly rx. She greeted respectfully, ¡°Ms.


    Moore.¡±


    As she was greeting, she tried to stand up from the bed. Arielle quickly stopped her. ¡°You don¡¯t need to


    stand. Let us deal with your wounds first.¡±


    The woman¡¯s gaze fell upon Larissa.


    Arielle could feel her hesitance. She exined, ¡°She¡¯s one of mine, and she¡¯s reliable. You don¡¯t have


    to worry.¡±


    The woman nodded and finally cooperated with Larissa as she took off her clothes.


    When her clothes removed, Larissa gasped in shock.


    Arielle nced up and noticed that the woman had many wounds on her body. However, there was a


    wound on her waist that stood out among the rest.


    There was a piece of ss about an inch long pierced deeply into her waist. Blood kept gushing out


    from the wound non-stop.


    Larissa squeezed her eyes shut, unable to bring herself to see the wound again.


    Arielle¡¯s expression did not change as she inspected the wound carefully. She then took a pill out of the


    first aid kit and said, ¡°This is to relieve your pain. It takes effect faster than the painkillers on the market.


    I don¡¯t have any injections, so we can only use this as a substitute. Is that all right?¡±


    Sasha shook her head nonchntly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t need to eat it. I¡¯m not afraid of pain.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not fine. Although you are not afraid of pain, it does not mean that your body is not afraid of


    pain. You are hurt badly, so you have to eat medicine or you will faint.¡±


    After Arielle said that, the woman nodded and swallowed the pill.


    Arielle estimated the time the pill would take effect. She then wore her gloves and grabbed the ss. ¡°I


    am going to pull it now. It will still be a little painful, so you have to bear with it.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Sasha nodded her head and bit the cloth that Arielle had prepared for her.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Larissa did not dare to look at both of them. She stood


    at the side and stared at her toes.


    Whoosh! Larissa only heard the sound before Arielle threw the ss shard into the trashcan in front of


    her. Then she heard a flurry of actions.


    When she finally had the courage to look, Arielle had already finished stitching up Sasha¡¯s wound.

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    That lengthy wound shaped like a centipede extended from her wrist to the tip of her fingers when


    Larissa measured her own palm against it.


    She could not imagine how Arielle was able to stitch up such a gruesome gash without flinching as the


    sight of it made her own skin crawl. At the same time, she also felt sorry for her.


    When she looked over at the other woman, she found that apart from being more pallid than before,


    she had nary a frown on her.


    My word. They are really badass, these two.


    After Arielle had carefully treated every single injury on the woman¡¯s body, she helped her into a fresh


    change of clothing that was loose andfortable.


    Her own back, though, had be slick with her own perspiration once all these were done with.


    She then exhaled and said, ¡°All right. Now you can tell me what happened.¡±


    The woman eyed Larissa again with the same degree of apprehension as she did before, or it might be


    that she did not trust anyone outside of Vinson, so much so that even the confidence she had in Arielle


    seemed to stem from the former.


    The discerning Larissa then spoke up, ¡°Take your time, both of you. I¡¯ll head outside to keep watch.¡±


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Arielle nodded, and the woman only broke her silence after the door closed. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Moore.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the least I could do,¡± Arielle replied while she shook her head. ¡°Go on and tell me what happened


    back there.¡±


    The woman pursed her lips briefly and her brows creased into a taut furrow, as though she had been


    ovee by some painful recollection. ¡°While we were tailing your car for your protection yesterday, a


    truck that was parked by the side suddenly rammed into us. The size of the vehicle and the sudden


    impact sent our car over the edge and into the river below while we were all still in it.¡±


    She fell quiet for some time afterward, but Arielle waited patiently and made no attempt to harry her.


    A whole two minutes passed before the woman continued, ¡°Both Toni¡¯s and Andy¡¯s hearts stopped


    beating when we hit the water, and ke was rendered unconscious¡­ Water kept rushing inside so I


    smashed the side windows to pull ke out but¡­¡±


    The woman was close to choking up at this point.


    ¡°I was hurt and my head was already submerged, so I had no choice but to get myself out first. When I


    wanted to go and get help, those guys found their way to us. I had to leave ke and swim across the


    river alone, but they kept hunting for me. It took several hours before I could find an opening to


    escape.¡±


    With that, the woman buried her face in her hands and sobbed uncontrobly.


    Arielle could tell that the woman desperately wanted to suppress her own emotions by the way she


    quivered all over. Thetter let out nary a sound even as her tears gushed like a burst dam.


    Arielle closed her eyes and turned away as she did not know how best to console her.


    It took some time, but she waited until the woman regained herposure before she spoke again. ¡°I¡¯ll


    help seek revenge on your behalf!¡±


    Be it the deaths of those three individuals or the two explosions prior, she remembered well the


    payback that was due.


    The baleful expression Arielle evoked drew a quizzical look from the woman who thought that was at


    complete odds with the former¡¯s exquisite appearance. The vibe she picked up on Arielle almost


    reminded her of Vinson.


    That left her stunned for a moment there. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Moore, but you don¡¯t have to do anything;


    it¡¯s our job to protect you. So as long as you remain safe, my brothers will not give their lives in vain.¡±


    The woman¡¯s loyalty took Arielle by some surprise and that put a smile on her face. ¡°Looks like Vinson


    has been great to each and every one of you.¡±


    The woman shook her head and said, ¡°We¡¯re in his debt. Had it not been for him, we¡¯d have all died in


    Manchernius. Our lives are his tomand.¡±

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    Unsure as to how to continue this conversation, Arielle paused before she asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Alexandra. Alexandra Jeannot.¡±


    Arielle acknowledged that with a nod. ¡°Then I shall call you Sasha. You don¡¯t have to worry about


    anything. Just rest up and get well. ke may still be alive. I¡¯ll send someone out to find him.¡±


    Sasha¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard what Arielle said, and it was then that Larissa knocked and


    entered.


    ¡°Mr. Southall¡¯s asking for you, Ms. Arielle.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± Arielle then got back to her feet. ¡°Take care of her.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured that I will.¡±


    Arielle nodded before she made her exit to the living room where Henrick awaited.


    He frowned when she approached and castigated her, ¡°Where have you been? I¡¯ve been looking for


    you all day!¡±


    Arielle bowed her head and came across a little aggrieved. ¡°I went to the backyard to leave some


    flowers for Shandie.¡±


    There was not much Henrick could have reasonably said to that. ¡°Your grandmother has just woken up.


    She hasn¡¯t eaten anything all day and refused to have


    anything that the servant brought up. Go make her some ravioli again; she seems to quite fancy those.¡±


    The cheery-looking Arielle appeared to be quite amenable to what was proposed. ¡°So as long as it


    pleases her, I¡¯ll get down to it right away.¡±


    After that, she hurried off.


    Her lips twitched at the smack of satisfaction she saw on Henrick¡¯s face, which was reflected in the


    ss pane she passed by before she strode into the kitchen.


    In the kitchen, several chefs lined up and were on standby at the side, presumably having been notified


    to do so earlier.


    Arielle addressed them candidly, ¡°I¡¯ll take it from here; all of you may go.¡±


    Not daring to defy her, the chefs made a swift exit.


    She then went on to rummage through the fridge and casually put together a few ingredients before


    she proceeded to prepare the filling.


    As she worked, she also made a call to her own subordinates.


    The call got through quickly and an obsequious voice came through the other side. ¡°Ms. Sannie.¡±


    Arielle was prompt to cut to the chase. ¡°Did we manage to catch Matthias outside of the psychiatric


    hospital?¡±.


    ¡°Not yet. I¡¯m guessing that he hasn¡¯t received the news. But I¡¯ve set up a surveince camera outside


    Cindy¡¯s room so that I¡¯ll be able to know the second he shows


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    up.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± said Arielle in satisfaction. ¡°Try to spread the word about Cindy¡¯s admission, and also¡­¡±


    She continued as she deftly chopped the spinach, ¡°There are two more tasks that I need done.¡±


    Her subordinate replied respectfully, ¡°Please instruct


    us.¡±


    Arielle kept the order to locate ke concise and also directed them to seek out a little boy named


    Teddy at the old Southall estate.


    ¡°Go to him with my photograph and he¡¯ll pass you something which you must bring back to me.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    The filling for the ravioli was done by the time the call concluded.


    As there were already pasta sheets avable in the manor, Arielle simply called upon two of the chefs


    to


    fold the filling in, and soon, a te of piping hot ravioli was ready for her to present to Malorie


    personally.


    Henrick happened to be inside Malorie¡¯s room as well when Arielle came through the door. He said


    smilingly, ¡°Arielle has made you ravioli, Mom. Would you like to


    have some?¡±


    Malorie¡¯s eyes widened slightly when she heard that and she replied rather reluctantly, ¡°Bring it to me.¡±


    When Arielle brought it before her, the matron did not even take one look at her. She simply sampled a


    piece from the te which she received before her forehead creased into a furrow. ¡°This is positively


    awful! Are you doing this on purpose? Do you mean to starve me to death?¡±


    Arielle widened her eyes innocuously. ¡°I followed the same recipe that I used before, Grandma¡­¡±

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    Henrick cast Arielle a reassuring look before he regarded his own mother. ¡°You¡¯re unwell, Mom, and


    that¡¯s why your appetite is poor. Regardless, you should at least try to have some¡­¡±


    Through Henrick¡¯s persuasion, Malorie managed to consume a few butpletely lost her enthusiasm


    by the fourth piece. ¡°Enough. I¡¯m done eating.¡±


    With a sigh, Henrick motioned for Arielle to leave with his hand, and thetter vocalized her


    acknowledgment before she turned to head out.


    No one noticed the sly curl upon her lips.


    Of course it¡¯s awful.


    She had a reason to make it tasty while they were out in the countryside. Now that the situation did not


    call for it, why would she put in the effort at all?


    It was not as if she was here to be Malorie¡¯s personal cook!


    Henrick, though, was not going to suspect foul y because how would it have urred to him that a


    dutiful and filial daughter like her could harbor such deviousness?


    Apart from Vinson, she had no desire to spend the rest of her life making ravioli for anyone else as far


    as she was concerned.


    That was when she became aware of those intrusive


    thoughts about Vinson sneaking up on her. She shook her head and cast them out before she returned


    to the room to make some preparations for the matter concerning Teddy.


    Now that she had ascertained that Henrick was her enemy, there was no reason to dy things further,


    and being tired of pretending to be docile, she wanted to see this through as soon as possible.


    Meanwhile, elsewhere in a sales office in the Western Hemisphere.


    This was Epea¡¯s only sales office that dealt exclusively in premium luxury real estate and also where all


    relevant transactions throughout Epea would be conducted


    If he were to pretend to shop, he had to do so at a ce that seemed fitting for him so that those who


    hid in the shadows would not question their motives.


    Vinson and Jordan hence strode inside confidently.


    The dignified air with which the remarkable-looking duo carried themselves immediately impressed


    upon the sales manager there that these were two exceptionally wealthy individuals, and that prompted


    the manager to approach them with a weing smile.


    The sales manager, Charles Bose, was a polyglot who promptly addressed them in fluent Chanaean


    when he recognized their nationality. ¡°A very good afternoon to you, gentlemen. Might you be


    interested in acquiring


    some property?¡±


    Vinson did not reply and acted casually, but in truth, he was carefully scrutinizing his surroundings.


    Jordan, to his side, looked the part of a loaded scion with his hands stuck inside his own pockets.


    ¡°What do you have to rmend? Money is no object.¡±


    That certainly got Charles¡¯ undivided attention.


    He immediately gestured cordially and led the duo to the front of a scaled architectural model where he


    enthused, ¡°Here¡¯s a building located in the south of Chanaea. It¡¯s twenty-seven stories high and has a


    floor area spanning some forty-thousand square meters¡­¡±


    Vinson raised a hand and stopped the sales manager, catching thetter off guard. ¡°What¡¯s the matter,


    Sir? Do you not like it?¡±


    The poker-faced Vinson replied, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in properties within Chanaea.¡±


    ¡°We want something in the area that we¡¯ll be able to view in person today,¡± added Jordan.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Charles scratched his head and replied, ¡°That has to be the modern mansion in Lightspring then. It¡¯s a


    three hour drive from here.¡±


    Vinson looked toward Jordan who read his mind right away. ¡°The scaled model won¡¯t tell us much. It¡¯ll


    be better if you can take us there directly.¡±


    ¡°All right. Let me go fetch the key and then we can be on our way.¡±


    Charles hurried away after a bow and returned with a key card in short order. ¡°We can go now. Shall


    we take my car, or?¡±


    ¡°Ours. You¡¯ll take the wheel.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± said Charles who then quickly followed the two out of the door.


    En route, the sales manager continued to sing the praises of the mansion in Lightspring.


    ¡°This particr mansion, which spans thousand-five hundred square meters, is the creation of the


    luxury architectural maestro Clean. It features your archetypical open concept living space and


    automated full-length casement windows¡­¡±


    Vinson nearly dozed off in the backseat while he listened.

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    The next instant, however, Charles said, ¡°By the way, the seller of the property is an exceptional head-


    turner named Ms. Sannie. She seems to be Chanaean, I think¡­¡±


    That caused Vinson¡¯s eyes to widen.


    ¡°What did you say the owner¡¯s name was?¡±


    Charles was so spooked by Vinson¡¯s sudden input that he nearly lost control of the steering wheel.


    To him, the man in the back seat looked to be one of high standing and few words. For him to speak up


    so abruptly did indeed cause the sales manager to jump.


    However, Charles was also one who was suitably experienced, having dealt with his fair share of


    affluent folk. Thus, he was able to recover quite ably. ¡°Her name is Ms. Sannie¡­¡±


    The pronunciation of that name was the same as that of Arielle¡¯s, and for some inexplicable reason, it


    gave Vinson a peculiar feeling when he heard it.


    He could not help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s her Chanaean name?¡±


    ¡°That, I¡¯m unsure,¡± Charles replied as he shook his head. ¡°Ms. Sannie only came by once, and it was


    her finance department who took over correspondence after. Besides¡­ I must apologize, for I¡¯m not


    exactly at liberty to divulge personal information about our clients. However, Ms. Sannie will surely


    come in person to


    finalize the paperwork should you like to confirm your interest in acquiring this mansion.¡±


    Vinson lowered his eyes and fired off a text t¨° Arielle who was working on a form in her room when she


    received it.


    Its content was to the point and contained only one question. Did you put a property up for sale in


    Lightspring several months ago?


    Arielle hesitated for a moment but decided against keeping things from Vinson. That¡¯s right. Why do


    you ask?


    On the other end, Vinson curled his lips.


    It would seem that one¡¯s intuition could sometimes be quite dependable.


    ¡°San¡± was the name she went by while overseas, and that drew a chuckle from Vinson. Isn¡¯t this quite a


    coincidence?


    Even if he had not run into Arielle before, this could have been an opportunity for them to be


    acquainted, only that their story might have yed out differently had they met under such differing


    circumstances.


    Vinson allowed his own thoughts to wander until the sales manager¡¯s voice droned back into his


    consciousness. ¡°Despite the size of the estate, it has only five bedrooms. Make no mistake, however,


    for


    each of these measures over a hundred square meters. There¡¯s also an infinity pool, wine cer,


    gallery, and a private film theater. Its most unique feature, though, is the automated bonfire which you


    could ride a swing and bask in the nighttime scenery beside¡­¡±


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Jordan, who was riding shotgun, had already plugged his own ears in annoyance. Only Vinson


    continued to listen in earnest while he envisioned how Arielle would have looked regarding the bonfire


    from the swing where she was seated.


    It was around this time that they arrived at that mansion which Charles spoke of, and Jordan was the


    first to alight, having had quite enough of the man¡¯s incessant prattling.


    It was not as though they were seriously here to shop for real estate because this hillside mansion was


    one which they had selected beforehand and deployed their men all around


    The trap had beenid and was ready to be sprung.


    Having not received a response from Vinson after a protracted period, the somewhat curious Arielle


    sent over yet another text message.


    How do you know that I have a house in Lightspring up for sale?


    Arielle¡¯s message reached Vinson as soon as he got out of the car. He lifted his gaze and paused to


    take in the sight of this breathtaking hillside mansion before he


    responded. It¡¯s just a mere coincidence. I honestly couldn¡¯t tell that you¡¯re a little rich woman.


    Thatment caused Arielle to raise an eyebrow.


    Aren¡¯t you being a bit dismissive with that ¡°little¡± adjective that you used?


    She replied with a smiley emoji, put down her phone, and resumed her own work.


    Once she had whatever Teddy was holding onto for her in hand, she would be able toplete the


    form, and what awaited Henrick would be a series of nasty surprises.

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    Round the other side, along the edge of the pristine aquamarine pool, a devilishly handsome man in


    floral trunks with only a white towel draped over his torso was stretched out leisurely upon a deck chair.


    Next to him was an attentive bikini-d woman who served up a mojito which the man took one nce


    at but otherwise left untouched.


    The woman was wary and knew not to get too cozy. Therefore, she returned to the pool where she


    frolicked with another simrly skimpily dressed woman.


    Babes, bikinis, and pools were the fantasy of many men, but the man¡¯s attention seemed to be


    elsewhere, as thoughpletely unmoved by everything before him.


    It was then that a ck-d blond man approached him.


    The man¡¯s eyes finally perked up when his counterpart¡¯s outfit drew a frown from him. ¡°You look like a


    swarthy rat dressed up like that today, Gerald.¡±


    The swarthy ratughed it off. ¡°Heading outter, so I¡¯ve got to keep a low profile. Do you know what


    I¡¯ve found out?¡±


    The man pursed his lips and was in no mood for mind games. ¡°Out with it.¡±


    Electing not to continue beating about the bush, Gerald said, ¡°Vinson Southall has returned, and he¡¯s


    pretty capable too to turn back the heads of those who we


    broke the bank to bring over to our side.¡±


    Anticipating that there might be more to it, the man prompted staidly, ¡°Continue.¡±


    Gerald was about to when he was interrupted by theughter of the two beauties in the pool. He shifted


    his eyes over and saw that they were in the midst of teasing a bodyguard.


    The bodyguard, though drenched all over, dared not lose his cool and could only stand there stiffly as


    he tried to dry himself off.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Gerald was about to avert his own gaze when he heard the frosty voice of the man rang out from


    behind him. ¡°Shoo!¡±


    When the two terrified women looked over, they trembled when their eyes met the man¡¯s monstrous


    gaze before they reacted and half-fled from the scene.


    Gerald, though, was not all that fazed. ¡°You really don¡¯t know how to treat women, Duke.¡±


    ¡°Cut the crap and keep talking,¡± was the man¡¯s cold response.


    Making no further attempts at being humorous, Gerald continued, ¡°Vinson has gone to purchase a


    property, and he has his sights set on that modern mansion in Lightspring. Do you think we should


    seize this opportunity to¡­¡±


    He then drew a finger across his own throat.


    The man shot to his feet with a face full of murderous rage.


    ¡°Why are you informing me of such an important matter only now? Put a team together and get on it!¡±


    While he spoke, he picked up his pace and made his way to the mansion. His aggressive movements


    caused the towel he had on him to fall onto the floor and that exposed the massive tattoo on his back to


    Gerald.


    It was an unusual-looking crimson dragon with seven heads that donned seven crowns. A third of its


    tail was made up of stars, and its entire length extended to underneath the man¡¯s trunks. The entire


    creature was simultaneously eye-catching and intimidating.


    This was a tattoo that Gerald had seen many times before, but he had yet to decipher its meaning to


    date.


    He withdrew his gaze and picked up the dropped towel before he caught up, and when he did, he


    heard the manmunicate with and gather his men over the walkie talkie.


    He could not refrain from asking when the man was finished, ¡°Do you intend toe along, Duke?¡±


    The man¡¯s expression was resolute and terrifying.


    ¡°I¡¯ve allowed him a chance to elude me once before, but this time, I¡¯m going down there to cap him


    myself!¡±


    It was a vendetta almost twenty years in the making, so he no longer wished to wait. He wanted to


    im Vinson¡¯s life right away!


    The man opened his wardrobe and retrieved a revolver from within one of the partitions, for it was not


    illegal to bear firearms in Epea.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Upon hismand, a few dozen ck vehicles raced toward Lightspring.

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    Chapter 337


    Back at this end, Vinson and Jordan followed the sales manager through the gates of the mansion.


    Charles eagerly got down to making his pitch, ¡°The design of the lighting throughout the entire hillside


    mansion ispletely decentralized, and it has naturally illuminated interiors¡­ Of course, the pool! Let


    me take you there to have a look!¡±


    He extended a hand cordially, and the two kept up the charade by following the man over as genuine


    buyers would.


    The blueness of the sky was mirrored in the reflection of the infinity pool which was clear all the way to


    the bottom.


    Upon the pressing of a button, a massive LED screen was steadily elevated to the side of the pool.


    That led Jordan¡¯s brows to perk up. ¡°Now that¡¯s something I haven¡¯t seen before. Swimming and


    watching a game at the same time. Marvelous! The owner of this house really knows how to enjoy life!¡±


    Vinson¡¯s lips curled into a slight smirk when he realized howid back a lifestyle Arielle led overseas,


    and consequently, his mood dampened when he contrasted that with what she had to contend with


    back home.


    Anyone else would have struggled to adjust but not his own wife, who endured bouts of loneliness and


    kept her desire for vengeance under wraps.


    While Charles expounded upon his exnations, he took the effort to offer them a reminder, ¡°The


    asking price by the owner is in the region of two hundred million. That¡¯s a very reasonable amount for ?


    property of this sort, so I wonder if you gentlemen have any thoughts about that?¡±


    Jordan looked toward Vinson who replied calmly, ¡°It¡¯s very affordable. We would like to take a look


    around for ourselves, so we won¡¯t keep you.¡±


    The ecstatic Charles nodded his head profusely. ¡°Aside from being more careful around the paintings


    inside the gallery and the wine in the cer, please feel free to explore the rest of the house.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± acknowledged Vinson before the sales manager wisely made himself scarce.


    Jordan let out a sigh of relief the moment the man disappeared from his sight. ¡°What a wordy fellow!


    This house is splendid though, and I must confess that I¡¯d be seriously tempted if we weren¡¯t here on a


    mission. What¡¯s more, the owner does possess a tremendous sense of refinement, and ording to


    him, is extremely beautiful as well, so I do wonder if we¡¯ll ever get the chance to meet. Personally, I


    wouldn¡¯t mind buying the house for myself if she¡¯s as lovely as she was described.¡±


    Emotionally, Vinson appeared quite distant. ¡°You¡¯ll get an opportunity to see her eventually.¡±


    Perhaps more than a passing opportunity, they had


    already met previously.


    Not quite catching on, an astounded Jordan asked, ¡°Do you really intend to purchase it?¡±


    That yielded no direct response from Vinson. ¡°Let¡¯s head up and check out the top floor.¡±


    Jordan was left even more stunned by that and sought to rify things. ¡°Are you serious? Don¡¯t you


    forget our purpose for being here, my good man.¡±


    Vinson took one nce at hispanion and said, ¡°The view up there would be better.¡±


    We¡¯ll be able to spot any vehicle that may be headed our way.


    Finally, Jordan understood and replied with a drawn-out grunt. He felt much more at ease inside, for


    they were here to catch prey and not to shop for real estate.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Then, to his dismay, Vinson subsequently added, ¡°We¡¯ll hit up the sales manager for a contract after all


    this is over.¡±


    That caused Jordan to freeze in his tracks. ¡°What contract???


    ¡°For the purchase of the house.¡±


    The stumped Jordan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Good grief. You really are serious about this.¡±


    Vinson said no more and started his own ascent up the well-carpeted steps and onto the top level.


    Specifically, it was not the house that he was into, but its owner.


    Of course, it would be more urate to say that he was looking at the possibilities than anything else.


    Ever the cautious type, he was even more so where affairs of the heart were concerned. He was not


    going to reveal his own feelings in the slightest to Arielle before he was sure of them himself.


    An anxious Jordan raced to catch up. ¡°You travel to Lightspring, like, maybe once every year, tops. So


    what¡¯s the point of buying this?¡±


    In his perturbation, Jordan almost let slip on his Jadeborough ent.


    From Vinson, he heard only a sedate reply. ¡°For my potential future partner.¡±

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    Chapter 338


    Since the Wilhelms were from Lightspring, Arielle might eventually end up settling down here, so it


    would make better sense for her to stay somewhere familiar if she was to return.


    =That was interpreted differently by Jordan, whose voice shuddered upon feeling a chill down his


    spine. ¡°That future partner of yours¡­ I think you shouldn¡¯t speak so prematurely. Besides, y¡¯all haven¡¯t


    even gotten close enough to starting a rtionship, and you¡¯re both so different¡­¡±


    Not to mention being different types, even their gender is a mismatch!


    Certainly, he was not opposed to same-sex rtions, but he did find it uneptable when it involved


    himself.


    Jordan was in panic mode, so much so that beads of sweat mounted on his forehead.


    He did not want to lose a buddy like Vinson, but he simply could not ept having to be the


    latter¡¯s partner!


    While he wracked his brain trying to figure out how to navigate this conversation, he heard Vinson bring


    a finger to his lip and shush him.


    Jordan traced Vinson¡¯s line of sight into the distance, but all he saw was a gallery filled with paintings.


    One which hung on the outermost wall featured a foreigndy dressed in a white coat. Seated upright


    in a


    chair, she was rxed and smiling and looked extremely lifelike.


    At first nce, Vinson was able to recognize this as Andrea, even though the eyes were left


    iplete. That, however, did not detract from the aesthetic quality of the portrait.


    The painting was so realistic that Jordan momentarily forgot about the matter that preceded it. He could


    not help but gasp. ¡°This evokes the impression of Mona Lisa¡¯s smile¡­ Damn, it¡¯s awesome! Is it signed


    off? I want to buy this artist¡¯s work for disy in my own living room!¡±


    Vinson¡¯s finger pointed to the bottom right and Jordan eximed when he saw what was written there.


    ¡°Damn! It was done by the owner of this house! Looks like she could be an artist by profession!¡±


    Juxtaposed against Jordan¡¯s dramatics, Vinson¡¯s response wasparatively muted.


    Not that he was not blown away by Arielle¡¯s talent for drawing himself, but rather than surprise, his


    sentiment was closer to concluding that it could only have been her handiwork.


    ¡°Strangely, though, Vin¡­¡± Jordan muttered aloud. ¡°Have you noticed that none of the figures in these


    portraits have their eyes painted in? In their ces are just smidgens of white. Could it be that she


    doesn¡¯t know how to paint eyes?¡±


    Vinson did not believe that to be the case, but he was simrly mystified by that.


    Jordan wanted to continue admiring the paintings but was held back by Vinson. ¡°Don¡¯t forget what


    you¡¯re here for. Get upstairs!¡±


    The former was not quite done yet and shot a re Vinson¡¯s way as he thought to himself, Is this how


    you ought to treat your own romantic interest?


    Never mind winning him over, Jordan supposed that Vinson might even struggle to be sessful with


    women with this sort of attitude.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    He let out a muted snort and headed up the steps once he realized that Vinson hadrgely ignored


    him.


    The two of them quickly found themselves at the top level of the hillside mansion.


    Many rare trees were nted there and at its heart stood


    a little fountain. The environment was a picture of scenic splendor, as though they had arrived in some


    ssy park.


    Right at the edge of the highest vantage point avable, Vinson was able to see half of Lightspring


    when he peered into the expanse below.


    From there, he found a good angle from which he could survey the only road which led toward the


    mansion.


    His eyes narrowed as he had not noticed that to be the


    only way in until he was standing at this elevated position.


    He lifted his right wrist and spoke into the small ck microphone he had hidden inside of his sleeve.


    ¡°Set yourselves up at the fork in the road two kilometers out. There are forested areas on both sides


    where you can conceal yourselves. Engage them immediately when they arrive.¡±

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    Chapter 339


    Carter¡¯s voice came back promptly from the other side.


    ¡°I was about to inform you that I¡¯ve just received a topographic map of the area. I¡¯ll be making my way


    over and will be nting two mines when I get there,¡± said Carter. ¡°Acquiring mines in a dump like


    Lightspring is as easy as buying a pack of chips, but it took me half the day just to get my hands on this


    map.¡±


    Vinson merely grunted as he watched the few cars parked by the hillside mansion drive over to the


    fork.


    Carter¡¯s car could cover five kilometers in the blink of an eye, and the mines were buried in ce in a


    jiffy.


    Once the cars were cleared out, his subordinates spread themselves out andy in ambush nearby in a


    process that came up to no more than ten minutes.


    His enemies were the ones who had the advantage of striking from the dark, which he had no means of


    retaliation from his own vulnerable position. This time, the roles were reversed as they were the ones


    who now wielded the element of surprise.


    Vinson¡¯s clutched fingers tightened against themselves, for what was owed to Arielle and himself from


    before would be settled here once and for all.


    Letting his enemies die in an explosion would be too easy on them, but he was more concerned about


    complications should he fail to see through a swift resolution.


    Beside him, Jordan¡¯s perturbation percted as well, and he persisted in asking, ¡°What if that bugger


    doesn¡¯t show up himself? What if he only sent out some small fries to us? Wouldn¡¯t our efforts all end


    up in vain?¡±


    Vinson¡¯s steely eyes were riveted to that distant fork in the road. ¡°He¡¯ll be here.¡±


    Did we not go to extreme lengths and do everything possible to lure him out?


    He remained uncertain of his counterpart¡¯s identity and was even less clear as to why thetter had


    been scheming against him so viciously time and again. However, the depth of his enemy¡¯s desire to


    end him meant that he or she would not likely walk away from this golden opportunity to tread on his


    own corpse for him or herself.


    Be it just a gut feeling, he was almost certain that he might be right about his conjecture.


    He had been quite dismissive when Arielle spoke of a sixth sense previously, but now, he had actually


    felt its relevance for himself.


    Jordan shrugged. ¡°You better be right about that. That fe¡¯s beening at us time and again, so he


    should consider himself lucky to be blown to bits! I¡¯m sure as hell going to give his dead body a good


    flogging afterward just to let off some steam!¡±


    Without answering, Vinson kept his eyes to the fore and narrowed them suddenly a couple of minutes


    later.


    ¡°We¡¯ve gotpany!¡±


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Jordan craned his neck over and saw scores of ck vehicles race their way.


    He cussed and said, ¡°How brazen of them to travel with so many men in tow! From the looks of it, it


    might seem that the head honcho¡¯s really here!¡±


    ¡°Hardly so.¡± Vinson shook his head. ¡°It seems that our enemy was so certain of my demise that he has


    toe to see to it personally.¡±


    Jordan was irked into a scoff. ¡°Better for us then! Let¡¯s see who gets to walk over whose cadaver! I¡¯m


    definitely going to cut him up and feed him to the dogs!¡±


    His agitation was understandable, as not only did their foe target Vinson alone while they were hidden,


    they had also indiscriminately brought harm upon the four most prominent families which they led.


    Thus, the four of them, inclusive of Harvey, had nothing but contempt for their counterpart.


    Vinson took a deep drawl, and anyone who knew him understood that this was habitual to him


    whenever he was pumped up.


    This was the decisive moment, be it for victory or defeat, as only a few hundred meters separated the


    convoy and where the mines were buried.


    In thest ck vehicle, a man in pure white with a


    handgun tucked inside the belt around his waist evoked a blood-lusted visage.


    Gerald, who was riding shotgun, had never seen this expression on the man before and could almost


    feel the temperature inside the car plummet.


    It¡¯s a good thing that the mansion¡¯s finally within reach!


    Gerald pointed to the hillside mansion not too far away. ¡°There it is! Shall we stop the car somewhere


    and try to sneak up on it, Duke?¡±


    The man shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ll hit it straight on!¡±

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    Chapter 340


    No more cat-and-mouse games. This time, he would face down Vinson in a duel to the death, for his


    thirst for vengeance could only ke through his own hands!


    The phone in the man¡¯s pocket started to ring in an untimely manner.


    He meant to pull it out and reject the call but found cause for pause when he saw that the call came


    from Chanaea. Nevertheless, he answered.


    The party on the other end of the line hailed him before continuing, ¡°I¡¯ve just received word from those


    useless fools. Arielle is alive!¡±


    ¡°Arielle who?¡± The name mentioned eluded the man and did not register with him.


    The caller grew audibly upset. ¡°That¡¯s the woman who infiltrated our systems and forced us to abandon


    the whole ind!¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes froze over for a moment. ¡°How?¡±


    On the other end, the caller said briskly, ¡°We¡¯ve already rigged several explosives on the cruise she


    was on, but the vessel did not blow up when we pulled out! When I sent someone up to investigate, we


    discovered that the wires had been cut!¡±.


    By this point, the lead vehicle of the convoy was a mere two meters from the fork in the road.


    ¡°Pull over!¡± the man suddenly shouted.


    Clueless as to why the man wanted them to stop, Gerald dared not question him either, and so he


    yelled into the walkie-talkie to those ahead of the pack. ¡°Stop the car!¡±


    With a loud screech, the entire convoy mmed on the brakes immediately.


    Up at the top of the hillside mansion, Vinson saw how close the cars were from where the mines were


    buried. They were less than half a meter away from impact when they pulled up.


    That drew a frown between his brows.


    Jordan tapped his feet impatiently and hollered, ¡°Come on! Get moving, dammit!¡±


    The lead vehicle would be destroyed if it continued its advance. That would have set off a chain


    reaction which would have taken out the entire convoy!


    He was miffed that the car simply stopped and did not resume its forward trajectory.


    Inside, the confounded Gerald turned around to check in with the man in the backseat. ¡°Why did you


    make us stop, Duke?


    60


    ¡°Something¡¯s off.¡± The man¡¯s expression was severe.


    The dismantling of the bombs established that Vinson must already have been informed of it, so why


    would he be so leisurely as toe and shop for real estate here under these circumstances?


    With a solemn look on his face, the man said, ¡°This isn¡¯t a bid for the property, but an attempt on our


    lives! We have to turn back. Now!¡±


    The frustrated Gerald¡¯s gaze switched between the hillside mansion in front of him and the man


    himself. ¡°Are we really going to walk away like this? This is a tremendous opportunity!¡±


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Regardless, the man was not to be persuaded. ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself.¡±


    On any other day, he would surely have thought things through more meticulously, but this time, he had


    allowed his thrill of being sessful at what had been a considerably daunting task of luring Vinson


    over to Epea to ultimately get the better of him.


    This must be a trapid by Vinson, that wily fox!


    Seeing that there was no changing the man¡¯s mind, Gerald could only gnash his teeth and pick up the


    walkie-talkie once more. ¡°Turn around and pull out, all of you!¡±


    In the next second, the vehicles variously spun around and dropped back.


    As he watched the cars retreat in the direction from where they first came, Gerald could no longer


    restrain himself. ¡°Why, Duke? We¡¯re already here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a trap,¡± came the man¡¯s perspicuous reply.


    Disappointed as he might be, it conversely invigorated him.


    If Vinson had been some witless fool, it would be meaningless to hunt him the way he did, so it seemed


    to the man that his road to vengeance had only grown more interesting.


    Rate the Trantion to Get 2 Petal.


    Wait! I Have Something to Say!

 Chapter 341

    Chapter 341


    Gerald remained skeptical. ¡°What makes you think it¡¯s really a trap? Are you sure of this?¡±


    The man sounded a little impatient. ¡°You can have the lead vehicle drive over again if you don¡¯t believe


    me.¡±


    Gerald did just that andmanded the car in front to push on toward their original destination, and a


    few seconds passed before an earth-shattering explosion was heard and the lead vehicle was ripped


    up in two amidst a ferocious ze.


    As the mes spread, the sections of the road behind, too, erupted in a series of detonations.


    The thunderous aftermath left Gerald a little aghast. He felt the entire ground tremor and no matter how


    hardy their car was, he could still sense the potency of the aftershocks that ensued.


    It took Gerald a while to recover himself, and he drew a cross upon his chest. ¡°Lord have mercy¡­¡±


    They had narrowly escaped an ominous fate!


    Across the way, Vinson narrowed his eyes as he watched the lead vehicle blew to smithereens. ¡°He¡¯s


    onto us.¡±


    Jordan was positively fuming and close to tearing his own hair out. ¡°Did that fe have a mine detector


    with him? How did he manage to discover our setup and intentionally sacrifice a car just to prove a


    point to us?¡±


    In the next second, Carter¡¯s voice came through the receiver. ¡°What now, Vin? Shall we pursue them?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Vinson as he watched the convoy fade into the distance. ¡°We won¡¯t be able to catch up.¡±


    Since their enemies had already been alerted, there was no more advantage to be had, especially on


    the former¡¯s turf.


    Even if they were able to catch up, their odds of victory would have been diminished by half and it was,


    as such, not worth the risk.


    Unlike his counterpart, he was not one who would readily gamble with the lives of his own people.


    Just as Jordan was cussing away, a shuffle of footsteps came up rapidly from the direction of the stairs.


    The duo reflexively turned, only to see the rotund sales manager huffing and puffing as he ran over.


    ¡°Oh no! Oh no! It¡¯s terrible! A car out there has spontaneouslybusted! Are you gentlemen all


    right?¡±


    He was more worried that he would miss out on the plumpmission to be had upon closing the deal


    if his two honored customers were to get frightened off.


    It had Jordan nervous for a moment as he was half expecting for their enemies tounch a sneak


    attack after they created a distraction, so he simultaneously let


    his guard down and breathed out a long sigh.


    He had grown quite weary of ying pretend with Charles and said candidly, ¡°I¡¯m going out to Carter


    and the rest and see if we can find anything useful since we got at least one of them.¡±


    With that, he skirted around the sales manager and made a beeline for the stairs, leaving thetter


    quite


    bbergasted.


    Did they know it was going to blow¡­ or could it be that they are the ones who set it off?


    Charles suddenly felt a chill down his spine, as though a wind of foreboding had swept over him.


    While he contemted whether or not to call in the police, Vinson started, ¡°I¡¯m very satisfied with this


    house and I want it. What about the contract?¡±¡¯


    With a single sentence, Vinson managed to cast out any fear or tension Charles might have


    experienced to the back of his mind.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    It did not matter much to thetter whoever was responsible for the explosion so long as he was not


    caught in it. Conducting the sales took priority!


    The mansion was unlike any other piece of real estate, hence he considered any sales made by the will


    of the fates.


    That reminded him of a Chanaean idiom ¡ª I¡¯ve sought


    him among the masses, only to find him close by the dimmest of lights.


    The client of his destiny was nowhere else but right there before him!


    Charles ignored the matter of the explosion and hastened to fish out the contract that he had brought


    along with him from his briefcase. Had it been any ordinary piece of property, sales managers would


    not typically have the contract with them, but it was different for mansions. The odd temperament of the


    ridiculously affluent made them unpredictable, so it was hard to ascertain whether they would want to


    close the deal on the spot.


    It¡¯s absolutely the right decision to have it at the ready!


    Charles gleefully rummaged out a pen for Vinson to sign the contract.

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    Chapter 342


    Once Vinson¡¯s John Hancock wasmitted to paper, Charles carefully, and almost delicately, ced


    the contract back into his own briefcase. ¡°For the payment process afterward, you need only provide


    the supporting documents and we¡¯ll be able to assist you inpleting the rest. In less than a week,


    this house will be yours. Since the paintings and wine collection of the previous owner are still here, we


    may still need a few days to clear them out before it would be possible for you to move in.¡±


    Vinson amicably waved him off with his hand. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m in no rush so you can hand me the keys


    whenever you¡¯re done packing.¡±


    That left Charles delirious with joy. This seemingly mean-looking customer¡¯s actually quite pleasant to


    deal with!


    When Charles turned to regard the mes licking around the car in the distance, he suddenly thought


    the whole spectacle involving the vehicr explosion to be a thing of beauty.


    After the paperwork waspleted, Vinson headed straight for the site of the explosion.


    By the time he got there, his subordinates had already put out the mes, leaving behind a stinging and


    noxious charring that assailed his nostrils as soon as he neared,


    Carter was in the middle of inspecting the insides of the car while Jordan was hunched over and


    retching by the


    roadside.


    Vinson ignored the stench and approached Carter. ¡°Do you have anything?¡±


    Carter shook his head and pointed toward the insides of the car. ¡°Everything¡¯s been turned to ashes.


    There were four of them inside, and they were all armed.¡±


    The scene inside the car was indeed nauseating when Vinson cast an eye within. The imagery of those


    four burned men was clearly not for the fainthearted.


    Compared to Jordan, he had not as an adverse a reaction to it himself and merely furrowed his brows


    before he said with a straight face, ¡°Get samples of their DNA. Their boss has to be someone


    prominent; we should be able to get something off of them.¡±


    Initially downcast, Carter apuded when he heard that. ¡°You¡¯re right! No matter how well hidden


    whoever is behind them, surely his subordinates have to be people we¡¯ll be able to trace? If we follow


    this lead, who knows whether we¡¯d be able to uncover the identity of their leader!¡±


    Jordan, who was hopping mad before, heard this, and his eyes brightened up. He got back to his feet


    and seemed to want to say something.


    That was before he had to dash back and stoop down by the roadside to regurgitate his lunch. He was


    puzzled as to why he was the only one to have such an extreme reaction. Did those two lose their


    sense of smell? How


    could they still be in a mood to discuss anything?


    It did not take two long for them to collect the gic samples they needed, and they quickly worked to


    clean up the site before they made a hasty retreat.


    Jordan was doing slightly better now, and he opened up the side windows to let the air circte. ¡°I¡¯ve


    been seriously traumatized and in need of a vacation. None of you are to bother me.¡±


    Carter paid no heed to him and turned to Vinson instead. ¡°It¡¯ll probably take three days after the results


    are out for us tob through the global database. Are you going to head back, or stay here and await


    news?¡±


    After some consideration, Vinson said, ¡°I¡¯ll go back tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow?¡± asked a confused Carter. ¡°It¡¯s still early so do you have something that you need to see to


    here?¡±


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Vinson grunted and said, ¡°I do, and it¡¯s very important.¡±


    With a good understanding of Vinson¡¯s temperament, Carter declined to probe, and as for Jordan,


    sharing the same space with Vinson sort of made him queasy.


    Very quickly, the car was almost back at the entrance of the branch office. As the vicinity was crawling


    with their own people, any movement from the other camp would not go unnoticed for too long.


    Vinson did not alight but plopped himself in the driver¡¯s


    seat instead.


    Jordan did not turn back either as he went right inside the building. He behaved as though he was


    running for his life.

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    Chapter 343


    Carter asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him? Why does he seem to fear you?¡±


    Vinson was unfazed. ¡°Isn¡¯t he afraid of me since young?¡±


    Carter pushed his sses up his nose bridge. ¡°Right. He saw you kill a chicken when he was seven


    and that was when he started looking at you differently. All right, then. Be careful. Remember to bring


    someone along wherever you go. We¡¯re not on our turf, so we need to be extra careful.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Vinson nodded. After Carter left, he took out his phone and set the navigation to lead him to a


    shopping mall.


    When Vinson exited the mall, he had various shopping bags full of expensive stuff in his hands. After


    dropping the bags into the trunk, his bodyguard took his ce. He changed a few cars and made sure


    no one was after him before he headed to his destination.


    Half an hourter, the car rolled to a stop before an apartment.


    Vinson gathered the shopping bags and went upstairs. He pressed on the doorbell.


    Ding dong! Ding dong!


    He rang the doorbell twice and a little boy shouted, ¡°Coming!¡±


    Soon, someone pulled the door open.


    An adorable little boy with sparkling blue eyes stood in front of him.


    The boy was obviously sweating after ying for a long time. Upon spotting him, he asked in


    Ustranasion, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Before Vinson could answer, ady¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°Pat, is Dad back?¡±.


    The boy turned at his shoulder and yelled, ¡°No! It¡¯s a handsome young man!¡±


    Thedy immediately scurried out of the kitchen.


    She stared at the handsome man standing against the sunlight at the door with chiseled features that


    would put any other man to shame.


    He was wearing a in ck suit that didn¡¯t look simple at all on him. It was a refreshing sight for sore


    eyes.


    Thedy¡¯s gazended on the shopping bags full of gifts in the man¡¯s hands.


    Is he my husband¡¯s patient, here to offer his gratitude?


    She shed a grin and stepped forward. ¡°Sir, who are you looking for?¡±


    Feeling embarrassed, Vinson coughed and answered,


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to visit you, Mrs. Wilhelm. I¡¯m friends with Arielle. She helped me tremendously back in


    Chanaea. I happened to be in Lightspring and decided to visit you.¡±


    Before Andrea Dupont could speak, the little boy¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Are you San¡¯s friend? How is she? She


    hasn¡¯t been back for a long time. She told me she woulde back soon. Does she not want me


    anymore?¡±


    He chattered on about Arielle, making it clear to Vinson that he adored her.


    Strangely, he felt jealous at the thought.


    Vinson felt exasperated that he couldn¡¯t reveal his feelings easily, yet the little boy could say it out loud.


    Rather than feeling jealous, he actually envied the little boy.


    However, he was sensible enough not to argue with a boy.


    Vinson bent to meet the boy¡¯s gaze. ¡°She¡¯s in the middle of something really important now. She¡¯ll be


    back after settling the matter. Don¡¯t worry; she¡¯s doing well back there. I¡¯m one of her many friends. I


    came here today under her request, too.¡±


    The boy beamed. ¡°I know San won¡¯t forget about me!¡± He took Andrea¡¯s hand. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m going to see


    San soon, right?¡±

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    Chapter 344


    Andrea forced a smile. It took her a while before she nodded. ¡°Yes, she¡¯ll be back soon.¡¯


    The little boy whooped excitedly.


    Patting his head, Andrea added, ¡°Prepare some coffee for San¡¯s friend, will you?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± the boy answered and dashed away.


    Andrea gave Vinson a helpless smile. ¡°Thank you foring to visit us.¡±


    In response, Vinson raised the shopping bags in his hands. ¡°Please ept a little token of appreciation


    from


    me.¡±


    Andrea waved her hand. ¡°No, no, no. These are too expensive. I¡¯m thankful enough that you came to


    update us about her life.¡±


    The concern and sincerity in Andrea¡¯s gaze was evident.


    He rxed. Looks like the Wilhelms treated her well. Thank goodness they adore her.


    ¡°Mrs. Wilhelm, just take it. I¡¯ve already bought the gifts. I can¡¯t bring them back home, now can I?


    Besides, Arielle has been a great help to me. I¡¯m merely repaying her favor.¡±


    Andrea had no choice but to ept his gifts.


    She invited Vinson into the living room to have a seat.


    ¡°Pat isn¡¯t here. Can you tell me the truth? How is San doing?¡±


    Clearly, she didn¡¯t believe what Vinson told Pat earlier.


    As she knew why Arielle returned to Chanaea, Vinson¡¯s words were obviously fake.


    After a brief silence, Vinson chose not to be the bearer of bad news. ¡°Mrs. Wilhelm, don¡¯t worry.


    Arielle¡¯s a smart girl. If she runs into trouble, she¡¯ll resolve it easily. As friends, we¡¯ll definitely help her.


    She¡¯s doing well now. Though her goal hasn¡¯t been achieved, I believe she¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    Andrea heaved a sigh of relief at his assurance.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that.¡± She shed a proud smile. ¡°San¡¯s indeed smart. She is a fast learner and


    always outdoes her teachers. I wonder who gave birth to her. If San¡¯s mother isn¡¯t dead, I¡¯d want to


    meet her in person.¡±


    Vinson nodded. ¡°Yes, I have the same thought, too.¡±


    He wanted to meet Maureen and thanked her for giving birth to a brilliant daughter.


    s¡­


    They fell silent as their expressions turned grim.


    Right then, Hubert Wilhelm arrived home.


    Hubert might¡¯ve aged, but he was still handsome and


    robust. His figure was well kept, and he didn¡¯t have a beer belly.


    When he found out Vinson was Arielle¡¯s friend, he immediately gave thetter a warm hug.


    Vinson was rendered confused by the sudden hug. He wasn¡¯t used to intimacy, but the Wilhelms didn¡¯t


    repel him. In fact, they made his heart soften.


    Besides Maureen, they were the only parents-inw that he acknowledged.


    After all, Henrick was a despicable being.


    When they bade each other goodbye, Pat took Vinson¡¯s arm and whispered, ¡°Can you help me?¡±


    ¡°Sure, no problem.¡± Vinson shot him a nod.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle¡¯s brother was also his brother, anyway.


    Pat took out a wrinkled letter from his pocket and whispered, ¡°Daddy and Mommy won¡¯t let me contact


    San, but I miss her a lot. Can you deliver this letter to her and promise not to peek?¡±


    Vinson chuckled. ¡°Of course. I shall deliver the letter to her without peeking.¡±

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    Chapter 345


    Pat nodded and said calmly, ¡°Okay. Swear on your heart.¡±


    Vinson fell silent. Is he just a kid?


    Under Pat¡¯s solemn gaze, he said, ¡°I swear on my heart that I¡¯ll deliver the letter to San without peeking


    at it.¡±


    Pat nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Thanks!¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± Vinson straightened up. What a funny and cute boy.


    Of course, that was because Pat was Arielle¡¯s brother. Even if Pat was unreasonable, he¡¯d find the little


    boy cute.


    Right then, the Wilhelms came out of their room with a bag in each of their hands.


    Hubert handed the bag to Vinson. ¡°Mr. Nightshire, this is a gift for you.¡±


    Before Vinson could say no, he continued, ¡°You look under the weather. I believe you¡¯ve overworked


    yourself. If this goes on, you¡¯ll lose sleep and be easily irritated. I¡¯ve prepared some medicine for


    you. Have one every day. You¡¯ll feel much better when you finish the medicine.¡±


    Hubert was famous for his medical skills. Thus, it was hard to get him to write a medical prescription.


    Even the rich and powerful had to wait in line for their turn.


    Vinson couldn¡¯t reject his offer, so he nodded. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Wilhelm.¡±


    Hubert waved his hand in reply. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much.¡±


    Andrea then gave him another bag. ¡°San has always been a light sleeper. It¡¯s hard for her to sleep


    soundly. I¡¯ve prepared some medicine for her. She¡¯ll know how to use them.¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll deliver this to her as soon as possible.¡± Vinson took the bag from her.


    He peeked inside and saw plenty of unique scented candles that were normally used by the


    Chanaeans.


    He ced the bags into his car, and they waved goodbye to each other.


    After his car drove off, he could still see the three of them at the entrance of the house through his


    rearview mirror.


    It was the highest form of respect in Lightspring.


    Clearly, the Wilhelms adored Arielle and extended the adoration to him.


    When Vinson was looking at them through the rearview mirror, the Wilhelms were talking about him,


    too.


    It was mostly Andrea doing the talking.


    ¡°What a nice young man. He¡¯s handsome and eloquent.


    Judging from his actions and gifts, I guess he¡¯s from a wealthy family. San has a lot of friends, but they


    are mostly older than her or already married. I think he is still very young; they will make a good match,


    don¡¯t you think?¡±.


    Hubert shook his head and reminded her, ¡°Don¡¯t forget the reason San went back. She didn¡¯t go back


    to find herself a partner for life.¡±


    Andrea¡¯s expression fell. She stopped the conversation and led Pat back into the house.


    ¡°Pat, you haven¡¯t finished your homework. Don¡¯t forget you have to write a self-rmendation letter.¡±


    Pat immediately scowled and muttered to himself as he followed her in.


    Hubert remained standing at the door, though Vinson¡¯s car had already disappeared from sight.


    Before Arielle recalled her past and returned to Chanaea, he had advised her many times to forget


    about her past grudges and move forward.


    However, Arielle¡¯s reply was, ¡°Dad, if the same thing happens to you, will you forget your past grudges


    and


    give up on finding the truth?¡±


    Obviously, the answer would be no.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

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    Chapter 346


    One would be as heartless as an animal if one couldn¡¯t be bothered about one¡¯s mother.


    Thus, he allowed Arielle to return in the end.


    However, he did not know if the decision was right.


    Vinson¡¯s car was no longer visible, and the exhaust had already faded away. It was as though he had


    nevere here.


    Hubert let out a long sigh and turned to go back home.


    In a manor in Lightspring, Gerald knocked on the door carefully. He only pushed the door open when a


    voice answered, ¡°Come in.¡±


    The lights were off, and it was freezing inside.


    Even so, Gerald could see the scowl on the man¡¯s face.


    He plucked up his courage and said, ¡°Duke, I¡¯ve confirmed the news. The bomb wasn¡¯t dismantled.


    Someone cut the wire off to defuse it. It wasn¡¯t Arielle who did it, though.¡±


    When Gerald came to a stop, the man¡¯s expression rxed.


    My n was thorough. Arielle couldn¡¯t have known about the bomb, let alone cut the correct wire to


    dismantle it. She¡¯s just a woman. She must be terrified upon seeing it. There¡¯s no way she¡¯d be brave


    enough to cut the wire. We¡¯re not shooting a movie here.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± he demanded, tamping down his irritation.


    Gerald took a deep breath. ¡°It was Aaron Holt.¡±


    The man¡¯s brows furrowed upon hearing the familiar name. ¡°Why is he in Chanaea?¡±


    Gerald shook his head. ¡°The exact reason is not known. Our men saw him on the cruise. He must¡¯ve


    held a grudge after we took his gun back then and kept an eye on us. I believe Aaron dismantled the


    bomb to save himself and saved Arielle in the process.¡±


    The man¡¯s expression rxed slightly.


    He¡¯d rather find out it was Aaron behind it than admit that a woman had done it.


    Gerald studied his expression and said, ¡°Should we go to Aaron? He has ruined our n more than


    once.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the man uttered icily. ¡°His family is mysterious. Before we find out more about them, we should


    stay low. Inform the others to stay out of their family¡¯s affairs.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Gerald answered. ¡°What about Arielle?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s just a woman,¡± scoffed his superior. ¡°Ignore her for now. She won¡¯t do anything serious. Our


    targets are Vinson and the other three. Leave the others alone for now.¡±


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Understood!¡± Gerald gave him a polite bow and turned


    to leave the room that soon fell into silence.


    The man¡¯s gaze fell on a photo of a delicate woman with a baby in her arms.


    The baby was him, and the woman was no longer alive.


    Anguish shed across his gaze as he suddenly lost it and swept everything to the ground. The room


    was aplete mess as though a tornado had just passed.


    The next day, back at the Southall residence, Arielle finally finished her work.


    However, her subordinate sent a text saying Teddy wasn¡¯t done yet.


    Arielle wasn¡¯t really worried. Cindy¡¯s matter remained unresolved, so even if Teddy was ready, she had


    to stall for time and wait for the perfect opportunity to arrive.

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    Chapter 347


    Sometimes, one has to wait for the perfect opportunity to arrive to carry out one¡¯s n.


    She had been waiting for a long time and didn¡¯t mind waiting a little longer.


    Her patience and determination would persist until the very end.


    At noon, Henrick was home for lunch.


    They both sat across from each other and ate silently.


    Arielle heard Henrick sigh and put his utensil down as he stared at the seat Cindy used to upy.


    They had been married for ten years, so it was normal for Henrick to miss her.


    Taking note of everything, Arielle waited for the right moment to ask, ¡°Dad, are you free this afternoon?


    Should we go visit Aunt Cindy?¡±


    Her words struck a chord with Henrick.


    He hesitated, and Arielle promptly satisfied his vanity by adding, ¡°Though Aunt Cindy humiliated you,


    she¡¯s still your wife. A married couple shouldmunicate often. For now, the most important thing is


    to treat Aunt Cindy¡¯s condition. Let¡¯s pay her a visit. Perhaps she has recovered?¡±


    Henrick nodded. ¡°I¡¯m free in the afternoon. Let¡¯s visit her a littleter.¡±


    Arielle grinned and shot him a nod.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Cindy had most probablye back to her senses now, so she was curious about how Cindy would


    react upon seeing her.


    I¡¯m thest person she wants to see after she revealed that important secret to me.


    She rose to her feet and went upstairs to dress up for the visit. After dressing up morously, she went


    downstairs and followed Henrick to the psychiatric hospital.


    Today, Henrick drove to the psychiatric hospital himself as he didn¡¯t want anyone else to know Cindy


    was currently hospitalized there.


    It was stressful for Arielle to be in the same vehicle as him, so she wound down the window and rested


    her chin on it to take a breather.


    Henrick smiled and told her, ¡°You¡¯re still the same.¡±


    As Arielle arched her brow, Henrick continued, ¡°When you were young, you loved resting your chin on


    the window. Then after I told you a story about a naughty kid who stuck his head out and got hit by a


    car in the oppositene, you took the hint and no longer stuck your head out.¡±


    He nced at her regretfully. ¡°But you don¡¯t remember your past.¡±


    Arielle mumbled in agreement and Henrick went on, ¡°Don¡¯t you remember anything about your past?¡±


    A look of caution shed across Arielle¡¯s eyes.


    If Henrick said it once, perhaps he felt regretful. Since he repeated the same thing twice, it meant that


    he was sounding me out! Looks like he¡¯s still wary of me. What a paranoid man.


    Turning at her shoulder, Arielle put on a mournful and contrite look.


    She shook her head and replied, ¡°No. I want my memory back, but I can¡¯t remember anything. I don¡¯t


    even remember what Mom looked like. I had to find Mom¡¯s photo on the inte. Dad, do you have a


    photo


    of her?¡±


    Henrick¡¯s grip on the steering wheel tightened. He let out a dry cough before answering, ¡°No. Your


    mom didn¡¯t like taking photos. Besides, we didn¡¯t have camera phones back then. The only photo left of


    her is the portrait used at her funeral.¡±

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    Chapter 348


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Arielle seemed disappointed by his answer.


    Henrick said nothing else and focused on driving.


    However, Arielle noticed he kept blinking, which was a sign that he felt guilty.


    Of course, he feels guilty. After all, he killed someone. She sneered inwardly. It¡¯s disgusting to be in the


    same car as him. Why aren¡¯t we at the psychiatric hospital yet?


    When they were about to reach their destination, Henrick¡¯s phone rang.


    As his phone was mounted to the phone holder, Arielle saw the caller¡¯s ID on the screen¡ªMatthias


    Ford.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Matthias Ford? He¡¯s in contact with Henrick?


    It came as a surprise to Arielle, but she managed to conceal her emotions well.


    Henrick connected his phone to the Bluetooth speaker in his car and answered the call.


    ¡°Hello, Matthias.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Southall.¡± Matthias¡¯ voice rang out. ¡°Mrs. Southall¡¯s overseaspany has a new project that


    needs her signature, but she¡¯s not answering her phone. I wonder if you can contact her on my behalf.¡±


    Those words took Arielle by surprise.


    Oh? So Henrick knows about Cindy¡¯s overseaspany?


    Seemingly embarrassed, Henrick asked hesitantly, ¡°Do you need her to sign the document personally?


    You¡¯re her right-hand man. Can¡¯t you sign it on her behalf?¡±


    Matthias replied, ¡°This project is beyond my authority; it involves millions. I need Mrs. Southall to sign it


    in person and record the whole process.¡±


    ¡°Millions?¡± Henrick¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I thought herpany has always been in the red. When did you


    suddenly receive a huge order?¡± Surprise and confusionced his voice.


    The words registered differently to Arielle.


    Her investigation results reported that all of Cindy¡¯s overseas investments were extremely profitable.


    None of them were losing money.


    Thus, she concluded that thepany Henrick knew was different from the ones she knew.


    Looks like Cindy and Matthias have been fooling Henrick all the while. If Henrick finds out Matthias is


    Cindy¡¯s lover instead of her employee, how will he react? I believe he¡¯ll want to kill them in a fit of rage.


    As Arielle¡¯s lips curved into a grin, Matthias continued, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I spent over six months


    striking the deal. Mrs. Southall and I are waiting to close the deal to turn thepany into a profitable


    one. What happened


    to Mrs. Southall? Why can¡¯t she sign the contract in person?¡±


    Henrick was in a dilemma.


    He was caught between money and reputation, which he both valued importantly.


    Matthias urged, ¡°Mr. Southall, if we close the deal, ourpany will receive simr orders every


    quarter. We can¡¯t miss this opportunity!¡±


    Henrick promptly made up his mind after Matthias said that.


    Exhaling sharply, he dered, ¡°Got it. I¡¯m going to her now, so you can join me.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the address?¡± asked Matthias.


    ¡°Morgan Psychiatric Hospital,¡± came Henrick¡¯s reply.


    ¡°What?¡± Matthias eximed in surprise.


    Nevertheless, it was obvious to Arielle that he had orchestrated the situation.


    Matthias is smart. He knows it¡¯s more convenient and safer to visit Cindy with Henrick. She arched a


    brow at the thought.


    ¡°I¡¯m nearby. I¡¯ll be there in ten minutes!¡± Matthias replied.

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    Chapter 349


    ¡°All right,¡± Henrick said. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you at the hospital entrance.¡±


    After the call ended, Arielle noticed the embarrassment on Henrick¡¯s face.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    To him, it was embarrassing for his wife to suffer from mental illness.


    She looked out the window as though the previous phone conversation had escaped her ears.


    Soon, they arrived at Morgan Psychiatric Hospital.


    Arielle got down from the car and saw Matthias waiting at the entrance.


    When their gazes met, she spotted a sh of hatred in his eyes which disappeared in an instant. He


    promptly put on a smile.


    ¡°This must be Ms. Moore.¡± Matthias stepped forward to


    greet them. ¡°Mrs. Southall told me that you have a gorgeous daughter, Mr. Southall. Looks like she¡¯s


    right! You¡¯re one lucky man!¡±


    Henrick loved it when people heaped praises on him. A pleased expression flitted across his face.


    Matthias then asked, ¡°What happened to Mrs. Southall? Is she¡­ Is she ill?¡±


    Henrick¡¯s face clouded over at once.


    ¡°You¡¯ll know when we meet her,¡± he said, finding it hard to reveal the truth.


    Matthias nodded. He walked beside Arielle as they made their way into the hospital.


    After they filled in the visitation form, the medical staff led them to Cindy¡¯s ward.


    The psychiatric hospital resembled any normal hospital with the exception of a grill in front of every


    ward as though animals were locked inside.


    When the door to Cindy¡¯s ward was pushed open, Arielle saw that Cindy was tied to the bed.


    She was d in a hospital gown, and her hair was messy. Pale as a sheet, she seemed really


    lethargic.


    Arielle nced at Matthias, who had widened his eyes in devastation.


    Oh, Matthias really loves Cindy.


    Both Henrick and Matthias said nothing. The former found the situation humiliating, and thetter was


    afraid he¡¯d expose his identity the minute he spoke.


    Arielle broke the silence. She greeted Cindy, who was staring at the ceiling nkly, ¡°Aunt Cindy, we¡¯re


    here to visit you.¡±


    Cindy swiveled to look at them upon hearing her voice.


    She seemed startled to see Matthias with them.


    Henrick went up to her. ¡°Are you recovering well?¡±


    Cindy wasn¡¯t even looking at him. She red at Arielle and yelled, ¡°It was all your fault, you b*tch! You


    must¡¯ve done something to me!¡±


    She¡¯s the reason I started hallucinating. Henrick thought I have gone mad and sent me to this ce.


    Even normal people would go crazy here! I¡¯m seriously going nuts having to hear the patients¡¯ wails


    every day!


    Arielle turned to shoot Henrick an innocent look. ¡°Dad, looks like Aunt Cindy is still ill.¡±


    Stunned, Cindy howled, ¡°You b*tch! You shall die a horrible death!¡±


    She struggled to break free, and the chains tying her to the bed nged noisily. It felt like she was


    about to take Arielle¡¯s life herself right then and there.


    s, her efforts were in vain. The chains were specially made to lock up patients with manic episodes.


    A strong man couldn¡¯t break free from the chains, let alone


    Cindy, a woman who had never lifted a finger in her life.


    Henrick shook his head in disappointment. ¡°She¡¯s still the same. Matthias, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to


    cometer. There¡¯s no way she¡¯s going to look normal in the video.¡±

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    Chapter 350


    Something shed across Matthias¡¯ gaze and swiftly disappeared. He answered, ¡°I¡¯ll stall for some time


    ande visit her daily. Mrs. Southall can sign the contract when she recovers.¡±


    Henrick nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the only way. Thanks, Matthias. I¡¯ll give you a bonus at the end of the year.


    Please take care of her business. Let me know when she gets better. I don¡¯t have time to visit her every


    day.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Southall. I¡¯m just doing my job. Let me talk to Mrs. Southall and see if she can calm


    down,¡± Matthias offered.


    Without thinking much, Henrick waved his hand. ¡°Sure, you can stay. I need to leave now. By the way,


    don¡¯t reveal her condition to anyone lest it affects ourpany.¡±


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Matthias nodded profusely. ¡°Got it.¡±


    Henrick then turned to leave with Arielle in tow.


    Arielle took one look at Matthias before she followed Henrick out obediently.


    When they both disappeared from sight, Matthias shut the door and hurried to Cindy. Taking her hand,


    he asked, ¡°Cin, how are you?¡±


    Though Cindy was brimming with hostility, she calmed down after Arielle left. Meeting Matthias¡¯ gaze,


    she demanded, ¡°I¡¯m not crazy. I didn¡¯t go mad. Arielle did this to me! Trust me!¡± Her eyes were


    bloodshot.


    Matthias nodded vehemently. ¡°Others might choose not to trust you, including Henrick himself, but I


    trust you. Of course I know you¡¯re not crazy.¡±


    Cindy felt her heart soften as tears rolled down her cheeks indignantly.


    Matthias waited patiently until she vented all her frustrations. ¡°What happened? I heard Shannie¡­


    Something happened to Shannie, and I never heard from you ever since. It took me some time to


    discover you were admitted to this hospital. I had to find an excuse to visit you with Henrick, as I was


    afraid it was a trap. Tell me, what happened?¡±


    He could only figure out a solution once he found out what was going on.


    Cindy bit her lip grimly. She had epted the fact that her daughter was dead, though it tortured her


    every night and broke her heart.


    Nothing could change the fact that Shandie was dead. She hadn¡¯t gone mad and had to ept the fact


    sooner orter.


    She stopped biting her lip, but the bite mark remained. Grinding her teeth, she dered, ¡°Arielle


    must¡¯ve killed Shannie! I was too upset over her death and acted recklessly. Back in my room, I


    suddenly hallucinated and thought Arielle was Shannie. I even told her how I killed Maureen.¡± She


    grabbed Matthias¡¯ arm in fear. ¡°Arielle must¡¯ve returned to take her revenge! She must¡¯vee to


    avenge her mother! Matthias, what


    should I do?¡±


    Cindy had never been this flustered.


    She did not know she¡¯d leave the monastery to get locked up in a psychiatric hospital.


    Matthias caught the keywords and inquired, ¡°You said you started hallucinating?¡±


    Cindy nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not sure whether Arielle did that to me, or if I was too devastated by the news.¡±

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    Chapter 351


    ¡°I know,¡± Matthias cut in. ¡°She stole my drug!¡±


    ¡°What drug?¡± Cindy asked in disbelief.


    Matthias told her what happened at Yvette¡¯s birthday party angrily. ¡°It was my fault. You suffered


    because of me!¡± He med himself for the mistake.


    Shaking her head, Cindy assured him, ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault. Arielle¡¯s too cunning. She didn¡¯t fall for it


    and even stole your drug to use it on me!¡±


    Matthias inhaled long and deep. He grabbed Cindy¡¯s shoulder and stated, ¡°Cin, you need to pull


    yourself together. You¡¯ll only get to leave and take revenge on Arielle once you calm down!¡±


    In a trembling voice, Cindy answered, ¡°The hospital belongs to the Morgans. Carter and Vinson are


    friends, and Arielle has something to do with Vinson. This must be a trap! I need the doctor¡¯s approval


    to leave the hospital, but Arielle won¡¯t let that happen. Matthias, I could be stuck here forever!¡±


    Clenching his jaw, Matthias dered, ¡°If they won¡¯t allow you to leave, I¡¯ll take you out! We¡¯ll leave


    Southall Group behind and flee the country!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. We¡¯re in a psychiatric hospital, not a normal hospital. There are surveince


    cameras and nurse aides everywhere to stop patients from escaping We can¡¯t make it out of here. If


    you do that, our rtionship will be exposed. Henrick won¡¯t let us escape easily if he finds out. He¡¯s


    more brutal than both


    of usbined!¡±


    Matthias punched the bed as mes of anger licked through him. ¡°Why can¡¯t I be of help?¡±


    Two minutester, his eyes lit up. ¡°I got it! We can go with our original n. By then, Henrick will have


    no choice but to let you leave the hospital.¡±


    Cindy was slightly confused. ¡°What original n?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember the medicine I gave you back then?¡± Matthias reminded with a smile.


    Slowly, a grin tugged at Cindy¡¯s lips. ¡°Yes, we can do that!¡±


    When the drug takes effect, Henrick will let me leave for sure. Perhaps he would have to carry me out


    carefully!


    ¡°I will bring you the medicine every day from today onward. I¡¯ve found a reason to visit you without


    alerting Henrick,¡± Matthias revealed.


    Cindy nodded firmly. ¡°Good!¡±


    As Matthias couldn¡¯t remain here for long, heforted Cindy briefly before standing up to leave.


    Cindyy back in bed in relief with a calm expression on her face. I¡¯ll have to wait patiently. After I get


    out of this ce, I can exact revenge! There¡¯s no way that brat can defeat me again!


    They did not know that Arielle, who was back at the Southall residence, was watching their entire


    exchange in the ward.


    Her gaze fell on the grin that was ying on Cindy¡¯s lips.


    Besides offering Cindy an idea to leave the psychiatric hospital, Matthias also gave her hope. This


    must be the power of love. Hmm¡­ I wonder what their n could be. They were grinning from ear to


    ear in the psychiatric hospital.


    Back at home, Henrick reverted to his normal grumpy self and kept picking on the help, iming that


    they had given him scorching hot tea and didn¡¯t clean the fruits thoroughly.


    Arielle went out for a stroll in the backyard and left him alone.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

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    Chapter 352


    Arielle was wandering idly in the backyard when Larissa scurried over to her. ¡°Ms. Arielle, that young


    lady fainted,¡± she whispered.


    At once, Arielle got to her feet and strode toward the servants¡¯ quarters.


    As Larissa had dismissed the other helpers, no one saw Arielle heading into her room.


    After pushing the door open, Arielle saw the girl buried in the covers, her face drained of color. Her


    eyes were shut as though she were in agony.


    ¡°Sasha? Sasha!¡± Arielle gave her shoulder a gentle push.


    Frowning, the girl started mumbling incoherently.


    Arielle leaned nearer and heard her muttering, ¡°Revenge¡­ ke¡­¡±


    Larissa stepped in and asked worriedly, ¡°Ms. Arielle, what should we do?¡±


    Arielle turned at her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve bandaged her wound, so this shouldn¡¯t be happening. Did you feed


    her the medicine on time?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I made sure she finished everything before I go to work after every meal,¡± Larissa answered.


    Arielle was confused.


    She touched Sasha¡¯s forehead and realized it was burning. She must be having a fever of over thirty-


    nine degrees Celsius.


    ¡°Sasha¡¯s running a temperature,¡± Arielle told Larissa. ¡°Go to my room and grab the medical kit


    underneath my desk. If someone asks, tell them your distant cousin


    is here to visit you but got ill.¡±


    ¡°All right!¡± Larissa spun on her heels and rushed out of her room.


    Arielle pulled back the covers to check on Sasha¡¯s wound, but thetter¡¯s shoes caught her eyes


    instead.


    Her shoes were covered with mud and had leaves stuck on them.


    Did she go out earlier?


    Frowning, Arielle pulled the covers further down and saw that the bandage was utterly wet.


    Right then, Sasha groaned and opened her eyes slowly.


    ¡°Ms. Moore¡­¡± Her voice was weak.


    Though Sasha was technically a patient, Arielle¡¯s expression fell as she demanded, ¡°Did you go out


    earlier? Where have you been?¡±


    Sasha bit her lip. ¡°Where the car fell¡­¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Arielle had the urge to crack open her


    skull to see what was inside.


    She tamped down her irritation and dered, ¡°Don¡¯t you know you¡¯ll die if this goes on?¡±


    Sasha looked away guiltily. However, she refused to admit to her mistake.


    The desperation and survival instincts Arielle had seen in that man no longer applied to Sasha.


    She spoke gently. ¡°I¡¯ve sent someone to go after ke. When there¡¯s news, I¡¯ll inform you


    straightaway. You¡¯re badly injured, but you went out and wet your wound. If something happens to you,


    how will ke react when he returns? What if he takes his own life out of misery?¡±


    Sasha¡¯s initial indifference disappeared as she looked up.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Moore,¡± she uttered, remorse filling her eyes.


    Though she had no intention of troubling Arielle, she was worried about ke.


    After all, ke was the youngest among them, and he was only eighteen years old. She couldn¡¯t lie


    here and recuperate calmly when he was still missing.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she apologized again.


    Arielle sighed. ¡°I¡¯m d you know your mistake.¡± Her


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    voice grew stern. ¡°Even if I only recover ke¡¯s body, you can¡¯t give up. Have hope. They are waiting


    for you to avenge them. You can¡¯t die before doing that. Otherwise, you¡¯ll feel ashamed to reunite with


    them in the afterlife!¡±

 Chapter 353

    Chapter 353


    After a brief silence, Sasha made up her mind. ¡°Ms. Moore, please do your best to treat me. I¡¯ll


    definitely cooperate with you and get better soon.¡±


    Arielle heaved a sigh of relief, for her reverse psychology worked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll decrease your temperature for now. Your wound is infected and I need to clean it


    again. It might hurt, so bear with it,¡± she warned.


    ¡°Mm!¡± Sasha nodded obediently.


    Larrisa arrived with her medical kit the moment Arielle finished disinfecting the wound. She brought


    along good news as well.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Ms. Arielle,¡± said Larissa happily. ¡°Mr. Nightshire is here! He¡¯s talking to Mr. Southall in the living room.


    Mr. Southall wants you there, and I told him you¡¯re strolling in the backyard to buy you some time.¡±


    Arielle brightened at the news. Vinson¡¯s back!


    She was actually quite worried about his overseas trip, so the news of his safe return relieved her no


    end.


    However, Sasha¡¯s response was huge.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire!¡± She made to get up.


    Arielle pushed her back to the bed. ¡°I¡¯ve just disinfected your wound. Don¡¯t you move around! I¡¯ll give


    you an injection to lower your temperature. Stay here. I¡¯ll bring


    him here if there¡¯s a chance.¡±


    Nodding profusely, Sasha returned to her original lying position on the bed.


    Arielle prepared the dose and injected the medication into Sasha¡¯s body. She then told Larissa to stay


    here with Sasha before heading toward the living room.


    In the living room, Henrick was turning down Vinson¡¯s gift.


    ¡°Why did you waste money to get me a gift on a working trip?¡± was what Henrick said, but he took the


    gift, anyway. ¡°Can I unwrap it?¡± he asked.


    Vinson motioned for him to go ahead, and he immediately unwrapped the gift.


    There was a delicate cake sitting inside the box.


    The smile on Henrick¡¯s lips froze at once.


    Vinson exined, ¡°I bought this cake from the most popr bakery in Lightspring for you. I had to


    queue up for two hours to buy it. I wanted to buy an expensive watch or something simr, but it then


    urred to me that buying expensive gifts for my family is too much of a trouble. Thus, I bought you


    this cake instead.¡±


    Henrick¡¯s lips twitched as he thanked Vinson reluctantly.


    At the sight, Arielle¡¯s lips curved into a smirk.


    She stered an indifferent expression on her face as she stepped into the living room. ¡°Vinson, you¡¯re


    back?¡±


    When Vinson met her gaze, for some reason, his heart started thumping furiously.


    Coughing lightly, he nodded and answered, ¡°Yes, I just got back. I have some gifts for you.¡±


    Henrick took one look at the cake and felt extremely annoyed. ¡°You must miss each other a lot. I won¡¯t


    take up your time, then. Go upstairs and talk in your room.¡±


    ¡°All right. Thanks, Dad,¡± Vinson replied. He grabbed the other two gift boxes and turned to Arielle.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go upstairs. I have some gifts for you. You can unwrap them in your room.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Arielle shot him a nod, her eyes twinkling with mirth. It seemed that she was really thrilled to be


    reunited with her husband after a long separation.


    Vinson felt his heart racing at the sight.


    When did my heartbeat be this irregr?


    He pressed his chest silently and followed Arielle up the stairs.


    Back in her room, Arielle put away her smile. She checked Vinson out and inquired, ¡°How are you? Did


    you get hurt? Did you run into any trouble?¡±¡¯

 Chapter 354

    Chapter 354


    Vinson started feeling himself shaking after being pulled by Arielle. Smiling, he helplessly asked, ¡°I¡¯m


    totally fine. Don¡¯t worry!¡±


    Arielle looked at him from head to toe again. After making sure that he was unhurt, she finally heaved a


    sigh of relief and said, ¡°The guy who hid in the dark is really devious. Try not to travel abroad as often


    as possible.¡±


    Looking at the worried expression on her face, Vinson felt utterly warm.


    Just then, he thought about the gifts he brought over. ¡°Oh yeah! I bought you something. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll


    like it.¡±


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°What¡¯s with the sudden gifts? I¡¯m not Henrick.¡±


    ¡°Take a look first. Maybe you¡¯ll like it,¡± Vinson said, setting the gifts down on the table. ¡°There are two


    gifts here. You may choose and unwrap one first.¡±


    Arielle couldn¡¯t bring herself to say no. She then simply picked a smaller one.


    ¡°This one!¡±


    Vinson gestured at her with his chin, signaling her to unwrap it herself.


    While unwrapping the gift, Arielle couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Did you really queue for two hours to buy a


    cake for


    Henrick?¡±


    Vinson smiled. ¡°I bought it at the airport.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Arielle paused and chuckled.


    At the same time, the wrapping of the gift box was removed.


    It was a red velvet jewelry gift box.


    The moment she opened the box, she was aghast at the sight of a pair of expensive-looking amber


    earrings.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle knew a thing or two about this kind of ornament. Judging from their color and workmanship, they


    minimally cost tens of millions.


    ¡°Try them out!¡± said Vinson.


    Arielle grunted in reply and tried to put on the earrings.


    However, she hadn¡¯t worn earrings for a long time, so she seemed to have trouble putting the earring in


    her right earlobe.


    Just as she was about to go to the washroom, Vinson suddenly grabbed the earring and said, ¡°Let me


    help


    you.¡±


    Arielle subconsciously wanted to reject his offer, but Vinson already started to put it in.


    She had no choice but to relent.


    The next second, she could feel his wrinkly hand on her earlobe. Since it was one of the most sensitive


    parts of the body, she couldn¡¯t help feeling ticklish.


    She wanted to turn her head. Just then, Vinson¡¯s other hand reach out to support her chin before she


    could make a move. Holding her face, he said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    As he spoke, she could feel his breath on her ear. Instantly, her ears turned bright red.


    Perhaps Vinson sensed something. It took him a few minutes to put it in.


    After that, he even squeezed her ear and asked, ¡°Why are your ears so red?¡±


    Arielle immediately pped his hand and huffed, ¡°Don¡¯t touch!¡±


    However, Vinson stared at her and said, ¡°Gorgeous!¡±


    She was not sure if heplimented her or the earrings.


    This time, Arielle would not be self-obsessed again. She replied, ¡°I know that you have good taste. Are


    you satisfied now?¡±


    Pfft! Vinson then asked, ¡°How did you know that I¡¯m not talking about you?¡±


    Arielle was at a loss for words. Feeling embarrassed, she shot a re at Vinson. ¡°People like you¡­ will


    die


    alone sooner orter.¡±


    Vinson shrugged. ¡°Impossible. I¡¯m rich and handsome. I even have a wife. There is no way I will die


    alone.¡±


    His words choked her off. ¡°Your ego is really out of this world. I¡¯ll file for divorce tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Vinson immediately gave in and said, ¡°My bad! Okay? To express my sincere apology, I¡¯ll give


    you the description of these earrings.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so interesting about the description?¡± Arielle was puzzled.


    Vinson then handed over a document that resembled a certificate to her.


    Arielle was mystified. She then flipped open it and fixed her gaze on the designer¡¯s name.

 Chapter 355

    Chapter 355


    Designer: Maureen Moore


    ¡°Mom?¡± She turned to look at Vinson in disbelief. ¡°My mother designed this pair of earrings?¡±


    Vinson nodded. ¡°I was at an auction, and it so happened that I saw the earrings. Of course, the


    interesting thing is that the designer is your mother. What a great coincidence!¡±


    In fact, he had spent a lot of time and energy finding this pair of earrings.


    Tears welled up in Arielle¡¯s eyes. She was clear that the coincidence he mentioned was just a made-up


    story.


    There are no such coincidences in this world.


    She sniffed and said gratefully, ¡°Vinson, thank-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it!¡± Vinson cut her off by cing his finger on her lips. ¡°Have you forgotten what I said


    earlier? What should you say instead?¡±


    Arielle blushed. She then pulled his hand and awkwardly replied, ¡°Vinson, you¡¯re the best!¡±


    He snapped his fingers upon hearing that. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. But I guess you have to say it againter.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°Take a look at the other gift!¡±


    After unwrapping the first gift, Arielle couldn¡¯t help wondering what the second gift would be.


    Without wasting any time, she removed the wrapping of the gift, only to find that the gift was packed in


    a in and undecorated bag.


    However, Arielle knew that the thing inside must be something that would again take her breath away.


    She then opened it. The box was filled with scented candles.


    Arielle recognized that they were therapeutic candles that were made by Andrea to help one rx and


    prepare for sleep.


    Basically, they were not avable on the market, and Andrea had never gifted them to anyone. It was


    merely for own use.


    Fixing her gaze on the candles, Arielle was at a loss for words.


    Seeing her remain silent, Vinson didn¡¯t say anything. He just quietly watched her as she stared intently


    at the candles.


    After a while, Arielle finally came to her senses. She picked up one of them and took a sniff of it. That¡¯s


    a familiar smell.


    She turned to look at Vinson. For the first time, she took the initiative and said, ¡°Vinson, you¡¯re the


    best.¡±


    Vinson was startled for a moment before putting on a smile. ¡°If I had known that seeing Andrea would


    make you happy, I would have visited her earlier.¡±


    Arielle remained silent for a moment before asking anxiously, ¡°No one found you when you were


    there?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I was also worried that I would cause them trouble, so I changed a couple of cars on the


    way there.¡±


    Arielle heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°How are things going with Mommy and Daddy?¡± she asked.


    Vinson nodded. ¡°They are doing fine. It¡¯s just that they miss you.¡±


    Her eyes reddened. She quickly wiped her tears away and forced a smile. ¡°Thank you, Vinson!¡±


    Shaking his head, he replied, ¡°I just dropped by.¡±


    As he spoke, he suddenly thought of something. ¡°Oh yeah! It almost slips my mind.¡±


    Confusion overtook Arielle¡¯s features. She then saw him fishing out a letter from the pocket of his coat


    and handed it over to her. ¡°Pat asked me to pass this to you.¡±


    Arielle took it, but she didn¡¯t open it immediately because she had something more important to do.


    ¡°Sasha is now in the housekeeper¡¯s room. I just gave her


    an injection to reduce fever. I think her fever is gone now. She really misses you. You should go check


    on her.¡±


    At the mention of her name, Vinson¡¯s rxed facial expression was gone and was reced by a


    solemn look.


    After a brief moment of happiness, it was time to face the cruel truth.


    He had already learned that Toni and Andy were killed and ke was still missing.


    If only I had killed him the other day¡­ He felt irritated at the thought of that.

 Chapter 356

    Chapter 356


    Vinson nodded coldly and said, ¡°Let¡¯s pay respects to your sister, then.¡±


    Understanding his intentions, Arielle kept the things he brought and led him to the backyard.


    Coincidentally, since Henrick had just left, they did not need to pretend anymore. After sending the


    housekeepers away, they quickly entered the maid¡¯s


    room.


    Sasha was drinking water inside.


    When she heard some noises, she immediately turned to look at the entrance.


    Upon seeing that handsome man stride in, Sasha¡¯s eyes lit up as she quickly scrambled to get out of


    bed.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Lay down!¡± Vinson walked over and pressed her shoulders down.


    Thinking that it was still rude of her, Sasha insisted on standing up.


    Vinson had no choice but to pass her a pillow and let her continue sitting.


    Before she could say anything, tears streamed down her


    face.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Vinson¡­¡± Sasha sobbed. ¡°I couldn¡¯t protect them.¡±


    Although she was a woman, her abilities surpassed that of the other three. Hence, she thought that it


    was her responsibility to protect the rest.


    Vinson shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. My men are looking for ke too. He¡¯s a smart boy, so I¡¯m


    sure that he¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Sasha nodded, though tears kept gushing out of her eyes. She kept mumbling under her breath, ¡°It¡¯s all


    my fault.¡±


    ¡°Sasha.¡± Vinson repeated solemnly, ¡°I said that it¡¯s not your fault!¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Sasha shook her head vigorously. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I should¡¯ve dragged ke out¡­ He¡¯s still so


    young! Only my death can absolve me from my sins.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±manded Vinson grimly. ¡°Your life¡¯s mine. Without my permission, you are not allowed to


    say something like that.¡±


    Sasha instinctively fell silent.


    Sighing, Vinson said in a gentler tone, ¡°You heard me? Other than me, no one else can take your life


    away¡ªnot even yourself.¡±


    Sasha nodded and wiped her tears away forcefully.


    As Arielle witnessed this scene, an inexplicable feeling rose within her.


    For some reason, she felt a little upset.


    Hence, she called Larissa over and left the room quietly, leaving some space for Vinson and Sasha.


    After Arielle left the room, she raised her head and gazed at the sky. For once, she felt lost.


    What¡¯s up with me?


    She did not know how much time had passed¡ªit could be ages or merely ten minutes¡ªbefore Vinson


    slowly opened the door behind her.


    She turned around subconsciously and heard him say, ¡°Why are you waiting at the entrance? I thought


    that you¡¯d left.¡±


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°I have nothing to do now. How¡¯s Sasha? Has she calmed down?¡±


    Vinson mumbled an acknowledgment and said, ¡°I¡¯ll bring her to Carter¡¯s hospital so she won¡¯t trouble


    you here.¡±


    When Arielle heard the word ¡®trouble¡¯, she paused for a while.


    Since when did Vinson start acting so formally toward me?


    However, she proceeded to mock herself. We¡¯ve barely known each other for two months. In reality,


    we¡¯re just close acquaintances.


    To be honest, I don¡®t even really know Vinson. All I know is that he loves ravioli.


    Arielle cast her gaze downward, feeling frustrated.


    After two seconds of silence, she suddenly raised her head and smiled. ¡°Okay, go ahead. The hospital


    is more convenient than my ce, anyway. She should seek treatment quickly and get discharged


    sooner. Her wound mustn¡®t be infected anymore.¡±


    When Arielle was speaking, Sasha called out to Vinson.


    Oblivious to theplicated look that shed past Arielle¡¯s eyes,


    Vinson turned around and shouted a response to Sasha. Only then did he look at Arielle and excuse


    himself, ¡°Let me go in and take a look.¡±

 Chapter 357

    Chapter 357


    Arielle did not say anything else and merely nodded.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    When Vinson entered the room, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Sasha bit her lip and asked, ¡°Have you found Toni and Andy¡¯s corpses?¡°:


    Vinson nodded. ¡°After hearing about the incident, I sent my men to look for you. Their corpses are with


    the traffic police now. After I send you to the hospital, I¡¯ll retrieve them.¡±


    Sasha¡¯s tears streamed down her face again.


    Vinson said, ¡°Don¡¯t bother yourselves with too much. Spend your effort on recovering instead. We¡¯ll


    host a funeral for themter on.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Sasha nodded firmly and promised, ¡°I¡¯ll recover as quickly as possible!¡±


    At that moment, it was the first time Sasha genuinely regretted sneaking out to look for ke when


    Larissa was not around.


    If she had not left, she could have recovered faster and met Toni and Andy for thest time before they


    died.


    After a while, Vinson¡¯s men arrived.


    Arielle instructed those in the manor whom she had bribed to free up the exit route through the back


    gate.


    From there, she sent Sasha out.


    As Vinson had note with anyone else, he carried Sasha out himself.


    Arielle followed behind silently.


    She did not know what to say, nor did she want to say anything.


    Vinson ced Sasha into the car carefully. Sighing, he turned around and said to Arielle, ¡°You should


    go back so no one will be suspicious. Aren¡¯t there Cindy¡¯s spies in the manor as well?¡±


    Arielle nodded and told Sasha, ¡°Rest well, okay? I¡¯ll try my best to look for ke.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ms. Moore.¡± Enduring the pain at her waist, Sasha squeezed out a smile.


    When Arielle saw her forced smile, she felt even more bothered. I must be crazy to feel this upset. The


    hospital is much cleaner and more hygienic than Larissa¡¯s room. Since she¡¯s going there, why am I


    feeling unhappy? I should be delighted!


    Arielle scolded herself for feeling upset for no reason. Forcing a smile, she waved goodbye to Sasha


    and closed the car door.


    She turned around and said to Vinson, ¡°I¡¯m going back. Drive safely, okay? Her wound¡¯s deep, so don¡¯t


    make her move about.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know.¡±


    Arielle nodded and returned to the manor with Larissa.


    Vinson kept watching Arielle¡¯s back until she disappeared around the corner. Only then did he avert his


    gaze and get into the car.


    The car drove forward slowly in silence.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always wondered¡­¡± Sasha, who was sitting on the backseat and clutching her wound, broke the


    silence. ¡°About the kind of woman you¡¯d find to apany you for the rest of your life.¡±


    When Vinson heard that, he remained expressionless, though his grip on the steering wheel tightened.


    Feigning a look of nonchnce, he asked, ¡°What kind of woman do you think I¡¯d find?¡±


    Sasha smiled and asked, ¡°Haven¡¯t you found her already?¡±


    ¡°Who are you referring to?¡± Vinson gulped, but his expression remained the same.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, am I right???


    A hint of an emotion crept into Vinson¡¯s face.


    He cleared his throat. ¡°Why would you say that? We¡¯re only friends.¡±


    .


    Friends who are married.


    Sasha burst outughing when she heard that. However, having identally pulled on her wound, she


    immediately paled.


    Luckily, the pain subsided quickly.


    Breathing slowly, she said, ¡°Friends? Mr. Vinson, you¡¯ve never acted like that even toward the four of


    us and Mr. Morgan.¡±


    ¡°This is a special circumstance,¡± replied Vinson calmly. ¡°I brought Arielle so much trouble, so it¡¯s only


    reasonable that I should protect her.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Sasha shook her head in disbelief. ¡°Just like a sneeze, love is something that can never be


    concealed. There¡¯s no use in lying to me¡ªI can still sense it.¡±


    Vinson subconsciously touched his nose.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    When he realized that he was doing that, he was stunned.


    Gulping, he insisted, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I need to confirm it.¡±


    Sasha asked in confusion, ¡°Do you even have to confirm if you like somebody?¡±?


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    As he had never liked anyone, he did not know how it


    felt like.


    Hence, he needed to confirm it.


    Sasha asked curiously, ¡°How do you n on confirming


    it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± replied Vinson exasperatedly. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought of it yet. Do you have any suggestions?¡±


    Sasha thought about it for a while before saying, ¡°I have an idea. When I was at the borders of


    Manchernius, I liked someone. To confirm if I actually liked him, I chose to avoid him for a week. I told


    myself that if I could endure the wait, I merely had a good impression of him. If I couldn¡¯t, it meant that I


    really liked him.¡±


    Her words piqued Vinson¡¯s interest.


    ¡°What happened? Were you able to endure it?¡±


    Sasha averted her gaze and smiled bitterly. ¡°You know how chaotic the Manchernius borders are. On


    the second day of my decision, I heard that he died from a bomb dropped from the fighter jets. Even his


    corpse couldn¡¯t be found.¡±


    Vinson shot a brief nce at Sasha. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± said Sasha dismissively. ¡°If you didn¡¯t arrive in time and saved us four from the rebels, we


    would¡¯ve died there. I¡¯m grateful for every subsequent day that I¡¯m alive. I was too rash just now. I


    promise that I will only give up on my life with your permission,


    regardless¡­ regardless of whether ke is still alive or not.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d that you think that way,¡± said Vinson as he stepped on the elerator. ¡°After your wound is


    healed, I¡¯ll leave Arielle in your protection.¡±


    Sasha was stunned for a while before nodding. ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    The four of them never refused Vinson¡¯s orders.


    Furthermore, she had a feeling that Arielle would be her future master as well. It was her honor to


    protect Arielle.


    Luckily, Arielle escaped unscathed from this incident. Otherwise, Sasha would never be able to absolve


    herself from the guilt.


    Sitting on the driver¡¯s seat, Vinson gripped the steering wheel as a grim look crossed his eyes.


    Can I endure it for a week? Do I wish that I can endure it or not?


    Vinson racked his brains over it, but could not arrive at an answer. Perhaps, the answer wille


    soon.


    Meanwhile, at the Southall residence, Arielle returned to her room and sat for a while to calm herself


    down.


    She needed time to deal with herplex emotions.


    The curtains in the room were open slightly. In the dark room, a ray of light shone through the gap,


    landing on Arielle¡¯s cheek.

 Chapter 358

    Chapter 358


    Half an hour passed before the ray of light dimmed. Even till then, Arielle still could not figure out what


    caused thoseplicated emotions.


    She shook her head, deciding to stop thinking about it. Standing up, she turned on the lights, took out


    Pat¡¯s letter, and read it silently at the desk.


    Pat always loved to use that kind of paper for his letters. At the top, he even drew a red heart.


    When Arielle saw that, her heart melted.


    My dear sister, it¡¯s been ages since I¡¯ve met you. I really want to go to Chanaea and meet you, but


    Daddy and Mommy said that you¡¯re doing something important, so I shouldn¡¯t disturb you. Alright, then.


    A mature kid shouldn¡¯t disturb an adult from doing something important. Still, I have a lot of things that I


    want to tell you and I don¡¯t know when you¡¯ll see this letter¡­¡±


    Pat drew a sad face after that. Arielle chuckled as she continued reading


    I made a new friend this semester and even found myself a girlfriend. Her name¡¯s Sofia and she¡¯s the


    one who pursued me. Since she gave me a packet of milk each day, I agreed. However, she¡¯s really


    clingy! She would insist on ying with me every day after school. Since I¡¯m already her boyfriend, I


    have to take responsibility for her and bear with her clinginess. Don¡¯t tell Daddy and Mommy about this!


    This is a secret between both of us. Yesterday, I heard Daddy and Mommy say that Reya from next


    door is going to get


    married. When are you going to get married? Have you found a boyfriend?


    Arielle smiled bitterly.


    Pat had always been a mature child. He was even starting to feel worried about her marriage.


    Pat¡¯s letter continued. However, I hope that you¡¯ll not marry, Arielle. After Reya got married, she


    stopped bringing me to the yground. When will youe back? I can already help Mommy with the


    chores. I clean your room every day too! My friend gave me a gift, but I haven¡¯t even unwrapped it yet.


    Let¡¯s unwrap it together after youe back. Arie,e back quickly. I really, really, really miss you!


    Missing you eternally, Pat


    At the end of the letter, he drew a string of colorful hearts.


    After Arielle finished reading the letter, she was surprised to find herself crying.


    She smirked self-mockingly. I¡¯m already an adult, but I still cry when reading a letter.


    Arielle wiped her tears with a tissue before folding the letter neatly and inserting it inside a favorite book


    of hers.


    Then, she dialled a number and asked, ¡°How¡¯s it going?


    The person replied courteously, ¡°Teddy¡¯s progress is a bit slow. He¡¯s barely found half of the items.


    Without your instructions, we don¡¯t dare to intervene either. Do you think that we should intervene?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯re in no hurry,¡± said Arielle calmly. ¡°If we act too rashly, we might alert the enemy


    unnecessarily. There must be Henrick¡¯s men there too, so you mustn¡¯t reveal yourself. Let Teddy do it.


    No one will care about or suspect what a child is doing.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    After the call ended, Arielle gazed into the distance.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    I mustn¡¯t be distracted by Pat¡¯s letter. If I get anxious, I might be flustered and loopholes will


    appear in my n. In that case, I can only go back to Dad, Mom, and Pat eventer.


    I must stay calm and take slow, steady steps.


    Soon, night arrived.


    Arielle did not receive any messages from Vinson. She wanted to text him about Sasha, but she


    deleted the message she drafted.


    Forget it. There are a lot of talented doctors in Carter¡¯s hospital. Furthermore, Sasha isn¡¯t diagnosed


    with some terminal disease, so there¡¯s no need for me to be so worried. Since Vinson didn¡¯t message


    me, that¡¯s good news.

 Chapter 359

    Chapter 359


    Arielle sighed gloomily. Lighting the therapeutic candles which Andrea had given her, she switched off


    the light and went to sleep.


    The therapeutic candles were very effective and she soon fell into a deep sleep.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Meanwhile, Vinson kept tossing and turning around on his bed after turning off the lights.


    He stopped himself from contacting Arielle for six hours. Over that period of time, he had been busy


    with work, so he couldn¡¯t contact her. However, now that he was back in the Maple Mansion, his urge to


    contact Arielle increased.


    Upon recalling what Sasha said about waiting for a week, he forcefully held himself back. Just go to


    sleep. The night will end soon!


    Two hourster, Vinson sat up abruptly in the darkness and switched the bedsidemp on.


    I can¡¯t sleep! D*mn it. Why is my insomnia acting up now? Is it because of the time difference? It must


    be!


    Vinson grabbed his phone from the table and looked through his messages. There were a bunch of


    texts, but none of them was from Arielle.


    This cruel woman! Even though I didn¡¯t contact her, doesn¡¯t she know how to call me and ask if I¡¯ve


    reached home?


    Frustrated, Vinson leaned against the headboard and lit up a cigarette.


    Through the hazy smoke, he suddenly spotted what he had brought back from Hubert¡¯s ce.


    Standing up, he drank the medicine in one gulp before returning to bed.


    Perhaps it was because of the medicine or his biological clock, he finally felt drowsy. Closing his eyes,


    he drifted off to sleep.


    When one was awake, time passed by slowly. However, when one was asleep, time passed in the blink


    of an eye.


    Vinson was woken up by his phone.


    As he was easily annoyed when woken up, he barked in annoyance after picking up the call, ¡°What¡¯s


    the matter?¡±


    Terrified by his fierce tone, the person on the other end introduced himself with a trembling voice,


    ¡°Good morning, Mr. Nightshire. I¡¯m Marcus Brown, the principal of Jadeborough University.¡±


    Vinson fell silent for a while. His temper subsided as he greeted, ¡°Good morning, Mr. Brown.¡±


    Only then did Marcus heave a sigh of relief. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ve disturbed your rest.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Please go on.¡± Vinson put the call in speaker


    mode while he threw on his clothes.


    Marcus sounded delighted as he spoke, ¡°I have some updates regarding your rmendation of your


    friend to our school.¡±


    Vinson¡¯s lingering annoyance disappeared. He asked, ¡°How did it go?¡±


    Marcus replied, ¡°We¡¯ve just weed a teacher from Maxwell University, who has established a ss


    that only enrolls exceptional students. I¡¯ve reserved a spot for your friend and you can ask her to sign


    up for the ss today. The timing is at noon. After she signs up, the ss will start at two in the


    afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thank you, Mr. Brown.¡±


    Pleasantly surprised, Marcus said, ¡°You¡¯re very wee. Without your help, the Jadeborough


    University wouldn¡¯t have thergest library in the entire nation!¡±


    Vinson replied calmly, ¡°That¡¯s nothing. After my friend graduates, I¡¯ll donate ab building to the


    school.¡±


    The principal¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°Tell your friend to visit my office earlier. I¡¯ll handle all the paperwork for her, so she won¡¯t have to


    wander around in an unfamiliar ce.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°My pleasure!¡±


    An entireb building! With that, I won¡¯t have to be afraid that Barnold University, currently ranked


    second, will surpass us. All the best teachers and resources will be surging to us.


    The principal thanked Vinson profusely before ending the call.


    Immediately after, someone knocked on the door and entered the principal¡¯s office.


    When Marcus saw who it was, his eyes lit up.


    ¡°You¡¯re here, Mr. Baxter! Please take a seat.¡± Marcus stood up and greeted the man warmly.


    The man had a pair of dark eyes, a chiseled face, and thin lips. There was a hint of aloofness in his


    elegant demeanor.


    He wore a ck suit and a pair of polished shoes. From head to toe, he exuded a solemn aura.


    When Marcus met his cold gaze, his enthusiastic smile faded gradually. Passing the guest a cup of tea


    awkwardly, he asked, ¡°Why did you suddenlye, Mr. Baxter?¡±

 Chapter 360

    Chapter 360


    Donovan gave Marcus a knowing nce.


    He had graduated from Jadeborough University with a PhD at a young age before heading overseas to


    further his studies. After teaching for three years, he returned home and was employed by


    Jadeborough University, racking in a high sry. However, money was of no importance to him.


    Coming from a family of teachers, his only aim is to nurture outstanding students.


    Before the ss started, Marcus was already adding a few useless students whose grades were so


    poor that they could not even enter a normal university. Now that he forcefully stuffed an additional


    student into the ss on its first day, Donovan could not endure it anymore.


    Marcus stood there andughed foolishly without


    saying anything.


    Donovan stated directly, ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve added another student into my ss.¡±


    Looking apologetic, Marcus sped his hands together and pleaded, ¡°I promise that this is thest


    time, Mr. Baxter!¡±


    Unconvinced, Donovan said grimly, ¡°When the Morgans insisted on adding someone, you said that it


    was thest time. The previous time, you even added someone who has been expelled from high


    school!¡±


    Marcus interrupted him, ¡°Mr. Baxton, trust me for one


    Donovan pushed aside the cup of tea that Marcus offered him and shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s not going


    to be another time. Either you let your new student join and I leave, or I stay and she goes.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do this!¡± Marcus protested anxiously, ¡°She¡¯s rmended by the Nightshire family, who owns


    the Nightshire Group!¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± A capable teacher like him did not need to fear rich families.


    Seeing how determined Donovan was this time, Marcus sweated nervously.


    He gritted his teeth and insisted, ¡°Mr. Baxter, haven¡¯t you always wanted aboratory? Mr. Nightshire


    said that if the new student can graduate on time, he¡¯d donate ab building to us! An entire building!


    When the timees, I¡¯ll give one floor to you. How about that?¡±


    Donovan frowned. ¡°Mr. Brown, you know very well why I started this ss. I wanted to nurture a batch


    of exceptional students who could make a national or even global impact in the future. There are


    already a few ck sheeps in the ss, so why are you still adding more?¡±


    Donovan smiled appeasingly. ¡°Well, since there are already a few ck sheeps, it doesn¡¯t matter if


    there are more. Since you¡¯re so skilled, Mr. Baxter, an additional one won¡¯t make a difference to you,


    right?¡±


    Donovan¡¯s expression turned grim.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the time to be joking, Mr. Brown!¡±


    The smile on Marcus¡¯ face disappeared as he resumed a serious expression. ¡°Don¡¯t reject her so


    quickly! What if she¡¯s different from the rest? I don¡¯t know her identity or her educational background.


    Perhaps, she¡¯s the talented student you¡¯ve been looking for!¡±


    Donovan fell silent for ten seconds before continuing, ¡°Fine. If the new student fails to be one of


    the top twenty students in ss, please kick her out. In addition to that, I have another condition.¡±


    Since Donovan had finally relented, Marcus nodded vigorously.


    ¡°Tell me! As long as I can fulfil it, I¡¯ll agree.¡±


    Donovan continued calmly, ¡°I¡¯d like to add another student to the ss.¡±


    ¡°What? That¡¯s it? I thought it¡¯s something significant. Just go ahead with it! As long as the ssroom


    can amodate everyone, you can even add ten more students.¡± After a slight pause, Marcus


    asked, ¡°Is the student your rtive?¡±


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Donovan stiffened up before saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know her.¡±


    ¡°Who is she, then?¡±


    ¡°Wendy Greene. She joined Jadeborough University as the top student of the batch.¡±

 Chapter 361

    Chapter 361


    ¡°Wendy Greene, huh¡­¡± Marcus had heard that name before. She was the top student of both Hawen


    and Jadeborough.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    After two seconds of silence, he added, ¡°However, you need to check if she¡¯s agreeable with enrolling


    in your ss.¡±


    Donovan said, ¡°I¡¯ll look for herter myself, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Marcus agreed, ¡°That¡¯s settled, then. You¡¯ll add one student, and I¡¯ll add another. It¡¯s fair!¡±


    Donovan realized that Marcus was on an entirely different page from him. Hence, he stood up and took


    his leave. ¡°I¡¯ll go now. Please continue with your work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you off¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± refused Donovan before striding out of the principal¡¯s office.


    Marcus heaved a sigh of relief and copsed on his chair.


    It¡¯s exhausting being the principal. If it weren¡¯t for the bunch of professors urging me to build ab


    building and the insufficient funds from the ministry of education, I¡¯d be reluctant to offend Donovan.


    After all, he¡¯s now the key attraction point for Jadeborough University.


    I just hope that the student whom Vinson rmended can make it through the first examination.


    God help me, please!


    Meanwhile, Arielle was taking a nap in the Southall residence.


    Just when she was in deep sleep, she was woken up by a series of urgent knocks on the door.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Arielle propped herself up on the bed.


    Henrick¡¯s voice sounded from outside. ¡°Are you awake, Sannie?¡±


    Arielle massaged her temples, forcing herself to wake up. She replied, ¡°I¡¯m awake, Dad. What¡¯s the


    matter?¡±


    Henrick eximed happily, ¡°Get up! I have great news for you!¡±


    By then, Arielle hadpletely woken up. After mumbling a brief response, she quickly left her bed


    and washed up.


    What great news can there be?


    The moment Arielle went downstairs, Henrick approached her with a bright grin. Without beating


    around the bush, he said, ¡°Sannie, Mr. Nightshire helped to enroll you into a ss at Jadeborough


    University! After you¡¯re done with lunch, go and register yourself.¡±


    Arielle nced at him. So it¡¯s about this¡­


    Since Teddy¡¯s progress is still slow, I can take this opportunity to go to Jadeborough University and look


    for my mysterious father, as hinted in Mom¡¯s notebook. Perhaps, I might remember something.


    Nodding, she smiled and said, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go prepare for schoolter!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Henrick shot a hopeless re at her and said, ¡°Most importantly, you should call Vinson and


    thank him!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Arielle nodded. While Henrick urged her on, she dialed Vinson¡¯s number.


    However, after her phone rang a few times, she heard a robotic voice informing her that the call had


    been rejected.


    Arielle¡¯s expression froze on her face. If she was not wrong, this was Vinson¡¯s first time rejecting her


    call.


    Not bothered by it, Henrick said, ¡°He¡¯s probably busy. Don¡¯t forget to call himter! It¡¯s time for me to


    head to thepany and see how¡¯s the construction of the new building is going. Oh, right¡­¡±


    Recalling the university ss, he reminded again, ¡°Go to the principal¡¯s office directly to look for the


    principal. Just say that Vinson rmended you. Also, you must obey the school rules and not waste


    this precious opportunity that Vinson got you. Since your grades are


    quite poor, consult Vinson if your academics are falling behind. It¡¯s a great chance for both of you to get


    closer too, understand?¡±


    Henrick was as naggy as a sixty-year-old woman.

 Chapter 362

    Chapter 362


    Arielle nodded and said obediently, ¡°Okay.¡±


    After hearing that, Henrick finally rxed and left for work.


    As he was in a good mood, he even started humming a tune on his way out. ¡°This is the best time of


    my life¡­¡±


    It did not seem like his other daughter had just passed away.


    Looking at Henrick¡¯s back, Arielle scratched her ears.


    How annoying¡­


    During lunch, Arielle took out her phone, which had not rung for the entire day. Feeling frustrated, she


    wondered what Vinson was busy with. Why did he reject my call?


    After her meal, she was about to call Vinson when she suddenly froze mid-way. Before she could press


    the dial button, she retracted her hand.


    Forget it. If Vinson¡¯s busy, he¡¯ll reject my call again. I might as well wait for him to call me when he¡¯s


    free. He can¡¯t possibly be busy for the whole day, right?


    Arielle felt much better after thinking about that. She headed upstairs, changed into a casual outfit, and


    tied her hair up into a ponytail before leaving the house.


    After she obtained her PhD, it had been ages since she experienced campus life. It was a good chance


    to distract herself from her gloomy mood recently too.


    Meanwhile, Donovan finally found out Wendy¡¯s address


    -the Nightshire Manor.


    The Nightshire Manor was huge. The garden in front of the main building was bigger than a football hill,


    while the road leading to the back gate seemed to extend forever. There was even a church and a


    private hospital in the manor. In other words, one could spend his entire life there till his death.


    Donovan stood in front of the Nightshire Manor. A hint of surprise crept into his usually stern gaze.


    He came from an academic background, with his parents and the generations before them all teachers.


    Although his family was quite rich, he had never been to such a luxurious ce like this.


    Furthermore, the manor was located in Jadeborough, wherend was a huge premium.


    ording to his preliminary estimations, the manor probably cost more than four billion.


    However, what surprised Donovan more was not the manor¡¯s luxurious appearance of its size. Instead,


    it was the fact that Wendy lived with the Nightshire family, which Marcus had mentioned earlier.


    Is Wendy the student whom Marcus added to the ss? If so, I¡¯ll feel much better.


    Donovan calmed himself down and pressed on the doorbell.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Soon, a guard walked out and asked sternly, though without any contempt, ¡°Who are you looking for?¡±


    Donovan brandished his name card, which proved that he was a teacher at Jadeborough University.


    He introduced himself, ¡°I¡¯m a teacher at Jadeborough University. I¡¯m here to look for Wendy. Is she


    around?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Greene, huh?¡± The guard told him to wait for a while before heading back to the security room and


    making a call to inform the rest of the guards.


    Meanwhile, Susanne and Wendy were having lunch in the manor.


    While eating, Susanne reminded her, ¡°You¡¯re going to report to the school this afternoon. Don¡¯t forget


    all your luggage. Even if you do, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just ask someone to send them over to you.¡±


    Wendy nodded with a smile. ¡°Okay, Ms. Stone. I¡¯ll check one more time before leaving.¡±


    Immediately afterward, the guard entered.


    Both of them nced over subconsciously. The guard bowed to them courteously before saying, ¡°Mrs.


    Nightshire, there¡¯s a teacher from Jadeborough University looking for Ms. Greene.¡±


    Wendy opened her mouth slightly in surprise and asked nervously, ¡°Why is he looking for me? What¡¯s


    his name?

 Chapter 363

    Chapter 363


    Did someone find out that I cheated during the entrance examinations?


    Dear lord! I only snuck a few forms into the examination venue to steal a peek.


    The guard replied, ¡°It¡¯s someone called Mr. Donovan Baxter.¡±


    ¡°Donovan Baxter!¡± Wendy stood up excitedly.


    Realizing that she had lost herposure, she shed an awkward smile at Susanne and exined,


    ¡°Mr. Baxton is a newly hired teacher at Jadeborough University. Although he¡¯s very young, he is


    extremely capable. He¡¯s taught at elite universities overseas before! Apparently, he has received so


    many awards that it can fill an entire house!¡±


    Susanne had always admired talents like him. When she heard that, she immediately instructed the


    guard, ¡°Please invite Mr. Baxter in!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± The guard left.


    After ten minutes, Donovan was led to the mansion.


    When he walked past a corridor, he noticed that the walls were decked with expensive artworks. Even


    the frames were made of premium wood. As expected of the richest family in Jadeborough!


    Finally, he reached the living room.


    A wealthy-looking woman greeted him with a smile. ¡°Please take a seat, Mr. Baxter.¡±


    Donovan nodded. ¡°Nice to meet you. Are you Wendy¡¯s mother?¡±


    Susanne chuckled while covering her mouth with her hand. ¡°No, but I¡¯m her future mother-inw.


    Wendy,e here and greet Mr. Baxter.¡±


    When she turned around, Donovan spotted Wendy standing behind her.


    As he had checked Wendy¡¯s background, he recognized her.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    She was wearing green overalls with a white Gi shirt. At first nce, she looked just like an


    obedient and quiet student.


    Satisfied, Donovan stated the intention of his visit, which was to invite Wendy to join his ss.


    CA


    He even added, ¡°Although you¡¯re already officially enrolled into Jadeborough University and could


    attend other sses, my ss is different from the rest. My teaching style follows that of Moranta¡¯s elite


    universities. After a year, if your grades are exemry enough, I can rmend you to Maxwell


    University. So, please consider my offer.¡±


    Wendy¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Maxwell University!


    Although she was enrolled into Jadeborough University as the top student, her grades were far too low


    to enter Maxwell University


    This offer was like a gift from the heavens!


    However, Wendy still put up an act. Pretending that she was not that keen on joining Maxwell


    University, she hesitated for a few seconds. In the end, Susanne had to agree on her behalf.


    ¡°That¡¯s settled, Mr. Baxter. Wendy is an extremely talented and holistic child. If she joins your ss,


    she is definitely qualified to be enrolled at Maxwell University!¡±


    Donovan nced at Wendy and said, ¡°I still need her agreement.¡±


    Seeing that the time was right, Wendy nodded. ¡°Okay, then. I look forward to your guidance, Mr. Baxter.


    I¡¯ll definitely study hard.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Looking at how firm and poised Wendy was, Donovan was even more pleased with her.


    ¡°When you report to ss, head to the lecturer¡¯s block and look for me in the office at the end of the


    corridor. I¡¯ll bring you to the principal, Mr. Brown, to handle the paperwork. That way, you won¡¯t have to


    run around unnecessarily.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Baxter!¡±


    Wendy was overjoyed.


    Since young, she waspetitive and always yearned to win. As long as she was learning something,


    she was determined to be the best.


    Now, she made a resolve to emerge as the top student in Donovan¡¯s ss. In that case, she could


    prove to Vinson that only a girl like her was worthy enough for him to spend his entire life with.


    As for that female waiter? Just get lost!

 Chapter 364

    Chapter 364


    However, before Donovan left, recalling that the principal had shown special favor to put the girl in his


    ss, he couldn¡¯t help asking: ¡°Madam, are you Mr. Nightshire¡¯s mother?¡±


    Susanne nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Vinson¡¯s Mom. He graduated from Jadeborough University. After that, he


    furthered his studies at Maxwell University. Have you heard about him?¡±


    Donovan nodded and then shook his head.


    He had heard about Vinson at Maxwell University but what he heard was that Vinson had donated a


    gymnasium to the university.


    Apparently, he had entered Maxwell University through the backdoor. In Donovan¡¯s opinion, someone


    with Vinson¡¯s status could hardly settle down to be serious with his studies.


    Nevertheless, he was not about to mention this. Even though he did not like it, he would not say this


    openly to Susanne.


    Donovan spoke, ¡°In fact, Mr. Nightshire rmended a student to Mr. Brown for my ss. It seems


    that Wendy is this student.¡±


    Wendy hesitated, then she nced at Susanne.


    I know what Vinson thinks about me ¨C absolutely nothing. Why would he suddenly rmend me to


    Donovan¡¯s preparatory ss?


    Could he have¡­ rmended someone else?


    However, Susanne was overjoyed. She smiled and said to Wendy, ¡°Wendy, what did I tell you?


    Outwardly Vin looks cold and distant, but inwardly, he is really a softie. See, he has rmended you


    to Mr. Baxter.¡±


    Wendy was still uncertain. ¡°You really think so?¡±


    Susanne was very sure. ¡°Of course! Who else would he rmend?¡±


    Hearing this, Wendy was finally able to dispel any doubts she had. Her heart leaped with joy and a


    smile appeared on her delicate face.


    Apparently, Vinson did not really dislike her as he appeared to. At the very least, he had rmended


    her to Mr. Baxter.


    It was as she had suspected! I¡¯ve got to be more important to Vinson than that waitress.


    Who would imagine that Vinson would y hard to get!


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Wendy tried hard not to express her pleasure but she could not help showing a bright smile.


    As ady of a prominent family, she ought to hide all emotions in her heart and not easily reveal them


    for all to see.


    Luckily, Susanne was not too focused on her, rather, she was busy advising Donovan, ¡°Wendy is a


    good girl. So,


    Mr. Baxter, please watch out for her on campus. She is not from Jadeborough and unfamiliar with the


    people and ces around here.¡±


    Donovan nodded. ¡°I will.¡±


    Susanne ended the conversation, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll see you out, then.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need. I know my way around here.¡± With that, Donovan turned toward Wendy and said,


    ¡°See you in the afternoon, then, Wendy.¡±


    ¡°See youter, Mr. Baxter.¡± Wendy bowed, respectfully as a good student would.


    Satisfied, Donovan turned and left.


    After the incident with Donovan, Susanne felt more pleased than ever with Wendy. She will make such


    a good daughter-inw. I¡¯ve got to catch hold of her for Vinson.


    So, when Wendy went to the campus to report for registration, she found that she had two more


    suitcases. When she opened them, she found that they were full of expensive clothing and daily


    necessities.


    Wendy was in a good mood and she hummed a song as she pushed her luggage along. After cing


    her luggage in the luggage room for freshies, she walked into the campus.


    There was a crowd forming around a spot, as if


    watching something.


    Naturally, Wendy went over to check it out and saw a handsome man with amanding presence


    standing upright in the middle of the crowd.


    Wendy immediately recognized him as Donovan whom she met earlier.

 Chapter 365

    Chapter 365


    The students were talking excitedly, ¡°Is this our lecturer? As expected of Jadeborough University, even


    the teachers are so handsome! I really love it!¡±


    Another senior student answered in amusement, ¡°Hey junior, this is the most handsome lecturer on our


    campus. Most of the lecturers are in-looking and bald. In fact, one of my tutors is spotting a shaved


    head to hide the fact that he is balding. You shall see them and admire them!¡±


    The other students listened on enviously and were heard asking, ¡°If he is my lecturer, I would never


    skip a ss. I would attend every ss, every day. What course is he teaching?¡±


    ¡°Me, too. Me, too. If he is my lecturer, I would be the top student.¡±


    The senior student shook his head, saying, ¡°You guys, stop-day-dreaming. He does not teach normal


    courses. He only teaches one ss, the preparatory ss. Those of you who are taking normal


    courses wouldn¡¯t be seeing him.¡±


    ¡°What? This is so unfair!¡±


    ¡°How do we enter the preparatory ss? Is it toote for me to change courses now?¡±


    The senior student shook his head again. ¡°No way. Preparatory ss studentse in by


    rmendation only.¡±


    The crowd was full of disappointment.


    Hearing their sighs of dismay, Wendy felt really lucky.


    These students wanted so badly to be in Donovan¡¯s ss but she had received a personal invitation.


    How honored was she!


    Thinking of this, Wendy waved and called out loud, ¡°Mr. Baxter!¡±


    Hearing the voice, Donovan turned in her direction and their eyes met. His face which was stern only


    moments ago became friendly and he walked toward her.


    The crowd made way for him.


    At that instant, Wendy clearly sensed the envy and jealousy that the crowd felt toward her.


    She lifted her chin and walked proudly in Donovan¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Mr. Baxter,¡± Wendy asked with a sweet smile, ¡°what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Waiting for you,¡± Donovan spoke matter-of-factly. ¡°I was afraid you wouldn¡¯t be able to find the


    lecturers¡¯ block.¡±


    He¡¯s waiting for me!


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Baxter,¡± Wendy replied gratefully while trying hard not to smile too much.


    Donovan¡¯s expression remained the same. In his ss, there were two important students one of which


    was Wendy. The other student was a new boy. It was quite normal for him to receive them personally.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said as he led her towards the lecturers¡¯ block.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    The crowd watched in surprise and envy as Wendy walked away with Donovan.


    From the crowd, someone could be heard whispering, ¡°Who is this girl? Is she the handsome lecturer¡¯s


    girlfriend? She¡¯s so pretty!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not his girlfriend¡­ That is Wendy, my schoolmate in high school.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Wendy?¡±


    ¡°She is¡­ the best student in the entrance exams. I guess Mr. Baxter has selected her for the


    preparatory ss.¡±


    ¡°Darn it! Beauty and brains! Now she will be the most popr girl on campus!¡±


    Hearing these remarks, Wendy¡¯s hunger for praise was satisfied. Instinctively, she slowed her steps.


    However, the crowd of students suddenly changed their tone.


    ¡°What a beautiful girl! Is she an actress?!¡±


    ¡°She is so beautiful and her physique is so attractive. She must be a movie star! Indeed, a movie star is


    a cut abovepared to mere mortals. Compared to her, Wendy is nothing.¡±


    Hearing this, Wendy stopped in her tracks, wanting to look back.


    She needed to find out how beautiful this person was that the crowd described as ¡°a cut above.¡±

 Chapter 366

    Chapter 366


    A girl walked in through the university entrance, wearing a stunning red dress. Her figure was


    voluptuous while her legs were slim and shapely. No one could take their eyes off her.


    What was more amazing was the beauty of her face.


    Her forehead was full and rounded but her face was oval. Her chin was pointed. Her face was a perfect


    blend of sharp angles and rounded softness. She looked beautiful and cheery.


    On this perfectly shaped face, were perfect facial features. They were overall delicate, dainty, and well


    shaped, especially the eyes, which wererge and expressive. When her eyes moved, the beholder


    immediately felt being drawn to her.


    Wendy felt amazed at first sight.


    Her beauty seemed so heavenly that it was out of this world.


    In the next instant, Wendy felt that she looked familiar.


    Wait!


    Wendy clenched the helm of her dress. Isn¡¯t this¡­ the waitress?


    What is she doing here?


    At this moment, from a short distance away, came the sound of Donovan¡¯s voice, ¡°What are you staring


    at?¡±


    Wendy turned around and shook her head. ¡°Nothing¡­ I saw a friend.¡±


    Instinctively, Donovan looked in the same direction. The girl¡¯s beauty was beyond question but he only


    noticed her red skirt.


    ¡°What type of student dresses up like this on campus?¡± Donovan said in a displeased voice.


    ¡°Student?¡± Wendy shook her head and said, ¡°Mr. Baxter, you¡¯re mistaken. She¡¯s not a student. She¡¯s a


    waitress from the coffee shop. I¡¯m not sure why she¡¯s here. Perhaps, she¡¯s here to look around.¡±


    After all, besides being the top university in the country, Jadeborough University boasted a beautiful


    campus, especially during the season for cherry blossoms. Cherry blossoms bloomed all over the


    campus and many visitors came to take photos and to check in.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    This waitress with a beautiful face must be here to check in, that¡¯s all!


    When Donovan heard that she was not a student, he was relieved. Turning to Wendy, he said, ¡°It¡¯s


    almost time. I¡¯ve arranged for an assessment test, so let¡¯s not bete. Come on.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Wendy stopped bothering about Arielle and quickened her steps to catch up with Donovan.


    Since Vinson was pleased with her, she should not begrudge a waitress, or else Vinson and Susanne


    would


    feel that she was acting below her ss.


    At the campus entrance, Arielle did not notice Wendy. She was looking for someone to give her


    directions.


    Before she could say anything, she was surrounded by a crowd.


    ¡°Missy, are you a movie star or a model? What movies have you starred in? I like your appearance!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your name, Missy? Are you here to take photos and to check in?¡±


    Arielle was embarrassed. Does this mean that I do not look like a student at all?


    Then she looked down at the dress she was wearing and realized why. She suddenly felt helpless.


    When she left home, she was not dressed this way. Unexpectedly, on the way here, Soir Coffee caf¨¦


    needed her for an advertisement photoshoot, so she went.


    After the shoot, she was short of time and she hurried here without changing her clothes. She never


    thought that the crowd would mistake her for a celebrity.


    Arielle shook her head and exined, ¡°I¡¯m not a movie star. I¡¯m here to attend sses.¡±

 Chapter 367

    Chapter 367


    When she said this, everyone looked surprised.


    They found it hard to believe that someone so good looking was not a movie star, but rather their


    university mate.


    They could boast to outsiders that there was a goddess on their campus! This was truly a goddess who


    had both beauty and brains.


    Some seniors immediately pointed Arielle in the correct direction: ¡°Do you see the white turret? The


    one with the big clock built into it.¡±


    Arielle spotted it at once. It was a beautiful building.


    She could not help thinking. When mom was here as a guest lecturer, she must have loved the scenery


    here.


    ¡°Oh!¡± A freshie suddenly announced, ¡°We are going to bete for registration!¡±


    ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    The crowd moved forward together and Arielle, too, came out from her reverie and moved toward the


    building with the turret.


    There were signs on the grounds indicating that the principal¡¯s office was on the top floor.


    Arielle hurried upstairs and knocked on the door of the principal¡¯s office which was slightly ajar.


    On hearing a voice say, ¡°Enter,¡± Arielle pushed open the door and went in.


    When she went in, she saw the principal busying himself with the mouse in front of theputer.


    Arielle was full of curiosity and finally, she said, ¡°Mr. Brown?


    ¡°One moment, one moment, please! It¡¯s thest game!¡±


    Arielle was even more puzzled.


    A minuteter, the principal put down the mouse sullenly and a proud voice from theputer said,


    ¡°Hahaha, Marcus, I won, you will participate in the opening ceremony tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t do that¡­¡± Marcus said. ¡°The speech is so long. I will lose my voice delivering the


    speech.¡±


    ¡°You must keep your word. We agreed on two wins in three games, I won!¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Marcus gritted his teeth. ¡°Do you want to lose your job as the assistant principal?¡±


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve reached retirement age. Sack me if you like!¡± The speaker finished speaking and with a


    ¡°ding¡±, he ended the call.


    Arielle looked on in total surprise.Is this type of principal someone we can rely on?


    In the next instant, Marcus remembered that someone had knocked on the door and entered the office.


    He looked up from hisputer, saw Arielle, and was stunned.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    The principal shook his head, saying, ¡°Sorry, Miss, we do not make promotional videos.¡±


    Arielle smiled and thought to herself. Another one to mistake me for a model. I should change my


    clothes in the bathroom beforeing in.


    Patiently, Arielle exined again, ¡°Mr. Brown, I¡¯m here to report for sses.¡±


    The principal was taken aback. ¡°Are you joking with me?¡±


    Arielle told him, ¡°Vinson said that I should report directly to you, that¡¯s all.


    Marcus stood up immediately, ¡°You are the one Mr. Nightshire rmended, Ms. Moore, aren¡¯t you?


    Arielle nodded, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Arielle Moore.¡±


    ¡°Have a seat, have a seat. I¡¯ll get you some tea.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary.¡± Arielle nced at her watch, replying, ¡°It¡¯ste. Isn¡¯t it better if we proceed with


    the registration first?¡±


    Marcus pped himself on the forehead. ¡°Oh dear! Look at me. I forget what¡¯s important. Let me


    register you first.¡±


    What surprised Arielle was that the principal looked very¡­ unreliable just now, but he was meticulous


    in handling affairs.


    With Marcus¡¯ help, the registration was quickly done.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you to your ss. Your homeroom teacher is giving out an assessment test. The test is on high


    school knowledge. After that, you will be seated ording to your grades. But don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s okay if


    the test results are not good now. Donovan¡¯s ss is brand new, everything will start from scratch in


    the future. You and everyone are the pioneer ss, just work hard and learn.¡±


    Marcus had already formed an opinion that Arielle was not a good student.

 Chapter 368

    Chapter 368


    A knock came as Marcus and Arielle approached the door.


    Marcus quickly opened the door and grinned brightly. ¡°Mr. Baxter! I was just about to see you!¡±


    Just when Donovan was about to speak, Wendy, who was behind him, noticed Arielle in a red dress


    behind Marcus.


    She was taken aback at first, and she looked at her with


    scorn.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Just what I thought. She hooked up with another rich man after Vinson abandoned her. It¡¯s no surprise


    she¡¯s a student at Jadeborough University now when she was merely a waiter. It¡¯s only that her taste is


    different this time, as she chose an old skinny man. At the very least, she isn¡¯t going to starve to death.


    She couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Ms. Moore! You really opened my eyes to a whole new world!¡±


    ¡°Do you know each other? You¡¯re Wendy, aren¡¯t you? You scored the highest on the entrance exam.¡±


    Marcus didn¡¯t understand what Wendy was saying, but


    Arielle did.


    That look on her face was filled with disdain, so it was a no-brainer that she didn¡¯t mean it in a positive


    way.


    Arielle didn¡¯t want to cause a fuss at the university where her mother worked, so she simply nodded in


    response.


    Seeing that Arielle wasn¡¯t affected by what she said, Wendy was infuriated.


    This b*tch is always hooking up with men. What a pretentious woman!


    However, she didn¡¯t lose her temper since Marcus and Donovan were present, and she turned away in


    disgust.


    It wasn¡¯t worth it for her tosh out now that Vinson was hers.


    She then lifted her head and smiled proudly at Marcus. ¡°Yes, Mr. Brown! I¡¯m Wendy. Mr. Baxter said I


    needed your signature to switch sses, so we came to see


    you.¡±


    ¡°Oh. No problem! Hand the form to me.¡±


    Without dy, Wendy handed him the form. Marcus then signed the paper on the wall and returned it


    to Wendy. ¡°It¡¯s strange to phrase it this way, but congrattions on being epted into the


    matriction.¡±


    ¡°Not at all!¡± Wendy shook her head, suppressing her disgust, and smiled warmly.


    Marcus didn¡¯t prolong it any longer and shifted his gaze on Donovan. ¡°Mr. Baxter, I¡¯ll introduce


    someone to you.¡±


    Hearing that, Wendy was surprised. Mr. Brown is truly shameless. Does he have to go to the extent to


    introduce his lover?


    Right then, Marcus brought Arielle to the front and introduced, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you know her, but this is


    Arielle Moore. She¡¯s thest student of your ss.¡±


    Just then, Wendy stared at them in astonishment.


    Is Arielle also going to my ss? Is she even eligible for matriction? Is Mr. Brown out of his mind?


    He¡¯s bringing his lover into the matriction, where all the brilliant kids have gathered!


    Not only Wendy but Donovan, too, was surprised.


    However, the surprise on his face only remained for a few seconds, and he quickly recovered.


    Looking at Arielle, he understood why Vinson wanted to introduce her to his ss.


    Whoever attempted to get in through the backdoor would be chased out by him soon.


    No matter who was supporting her or how close she was to Vinson, if she didn¡¯t ce in the top twenty


    of the ss in the first monthly test, she¡¯d be tossed out.

 Chapter 369

    Chapter 369


    Donovan gazed coldly at Arielle and said without mercy, ¡°Oh. You¡¯re the one that Vinson shoved into


    my ss.¡±


    Upon hearing, Arielle drew her brows together.


    Wow. No mercy at all.


    However, Arielle rxed. He is correct. Vinson shoved me into his ss. He hasn¡¯t contacted me in a


    long time,


    and he¡¯s been missing in action.


    Arielle quickly recovered from her thoughts and looked at Donovan. ¡°Yes, Mr. Baxter. Nice to meet


    you.¡±


    Donovan then turned away with scorn, indicating that he had little regard for those who got in through


    the backdoor. However, since Marcus had agreed to it, he had to take her no matter what.


    She¡¯s going to leave anyway.


    When Marcus and Donovan were holding their conversation, they didn¡¯t see Wendy¡¯s mind was racing


    with emotions.


    The feeling of surprise, disbelief, jealousy, rage, and embarrassment was going to swallow her whole.


    With all of her overwhelming feelings, she had to support herself by holding on to the wall.


    The one Vinson introduced to Donovan was her and not


    me!


    Wendy had almost reached her breaking point when she received such a blow.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m not sure whether Mr. Brown told you, but if you don¡¯t ce in the top twenty in the next


    monthly test, you¡¯ll be kicked out.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Wendy was astounded.


    Top twenty? Mr. Baxter¡¯s ss is full of top domestic students! Even I¡¯m not sure if I can achieve the


    top twenty, let alone Arielle, a lowly waitress. The sky will fall before she gets top twenty.


    Wendy was confident Arielle would be removed after the test.


    By then, Vinson would know that Arielle was just a good-for-nothing


    Meanwhile, Arielle spotted Wendy¡¯s expression and replied with a sly smile, ¡°Mr. Baxter, I got it. I will


    give it my all.¡±


    Donovan was displeased with her uncollected temperament, and he didn¡¯t think such a lovelydy who


    got into the matriction through the backdoor would make it to the top twenty.


    This girl doesn¡¯t know her ce at all.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Donovan didn¡¯t respond to her at all, and he turned toward Wendy. ¡°Head back to ss first. I¡¯ll help


    you submit this form to the admissions. After this, there will


    be an open test for everyone to assess their level of high school knowledge. Following that, you will be


    seated ording to your score.¡±


    ¡°All right, Mr. Baxter!¡± Wendy responded loudly, as though she were bragging about her victory to


    Arielle.


    However, when she nced back, she noticed Arielle was not paying attention and was scrolling


    through her phone


    It seemed like what she had said had no effect on Arielle, and she was irritated.


    As she gritted her teeth and looked away, she bade Marcus goodbye and proceeded toward her ss.


    I will ace this test and watch Arielle get seated to the back!

 Chapter 370

    Chapter 370


    When Arielle checked if she had any missed calls, Donovan asked, ¡°Did you not hear what I said?


    There¡¯s a testing up, and you¡¯re still on your phone?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s eyes caught his grave look, and she kept her phone quietly.


    On the other hand, Marcus felt awkward. After all, he was the one who introduced Arielle, and he was


    unhappy with how she was treated. ¡°Mr. Baxter, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being a little too strict? It isn¡¯t


    even time.¡±


    Before Donovan could reply, Arielle said, ¡°Mr. Brown, Mr. Baxter is correct. The test is important since it


    determines the seating. He was just being considerate of me. I¡¯ll go prepare for the test now.¡±


    She didn¡¯t mind what Donovan said to her, but she didn¡¯t want them to fight over her.


    Donovan then nodded at Marcus and went to the admissions office because she had already said what


    he intended to say.


    Then, Marcus stopped Arielle and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Arielle. Mr. Baxter¡¯s attitude is bad, but


    you¡¯ll soon see that he¡¯s not a temperamental person; he¡¯s simply too forthright. If you study well, he


    will have a better impression of you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the advice, Mr. Brown,¡± Arielle thanked him and walked toward the lecture hall.


    Soon, she bumped into Wendy downstairs.


    Arielle didn¡¯t know where the lecture hall was, so she slowly followed Wendy.


    Wendy could sense she was being followed, so she turned around and saw Arielle. ¡°I was wondering


    who was following me. It¡¯s you, Ms. Moore, who entered the university through the back door.¡±


    Arielle didn¡¯t respond, and she continued to walk straight ahead as she could finally see the lecture


    hall.


    Seeing that Arielle ignored her, Wendy snarled, ¡°What¡¯s with that attitude? Did you not hear me? That


    is basic manners!¡±


    Arielle then replied dispassionately, ¡°I only understand humannguage.¡±


    Wendy¡¯s face darkened, but she scoffed when she thought of what Donovan said. ¡°You¡¯re leaving in a


    month anyway. Since you are going to get kicked out, why not leave early? What do you think?¡±


    Right then, Arielle eventually lifted her head to look Wendy in the eyes.


    When she stared intently at someone, her eyes would glint with coldness.


    Wendy could feel pressure on her, and she clenched her


    fists as she took a few steps back. ¡°W-What are you trying to do?¡±


    She felt that Arielle was going to hit her.


    However, Arielle smiled. ¡°Do you know what happened to the girl that messed with mest time?¡±


    Before Wendy could answer, Arielle did it herself. ¡°She was dead after three days.¡±


    Wendy was taken aback and growled, ¡°Are you threatening me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just telling you the truth,¡± Arielle said tly.


    With that, she left without saying another word.


    She remembered that Marcus had told her that the matriction lecture hall was on the first level of


    building A.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    When Wendy was about tosh out, a few professors with briefcases walked past them, causing her to


    shut her mouth immediately as she suppressed her anger.


    On the way to the lecture hall, she kept reminding herself that it was not worth it tosh out at someone


    like that.


    Does one bite a dog back after being bitten by it?


    At the thought of that, Wendy gradually calmed herself down.


    They were almost at the lecture hall, but Arielle stopped in her tracks abruptly.

 Chapter 371

    Chapter 371


    When Marcus exined the matriction to her, she was told that Donovan had purchased the lecture


    hall¡¯s facilities, including soundproof walls. Even when the door was opened, it would slowly close on


    its own.


    It was suggested that it could help students in the lecture hall perform better in ss.


    However, the door was ajar at that moment.


    Is the door broken? No, the door has just been installed a while ago. It will not be broken in such a


    short period of time. There¡¯s got to be something wrong!


    Wendy was still muttering behind Arielle, and her displeasure with her had clearly reached its peak.


    Arielle turned toward her and said, ¡°Sorry, my mind nked out. Please go in first.¡±


    Wendy sneered and walked in proudly, thinking Arielle finally knew her ce.


    When she pushed the door open, there was a noise on top of it.


    Wendy then looked up subconsciously and noticed a basin full of water.


    Wendy¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, but the water in the basin poured down on her before she could


    avoid it.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Wendy screamed at the top of her lungs, and soon, water flowed into her mouth.


    Wendy spat the water out and wiped her face with her hand. Her palm, though, was covered with


    mascara and red lipstick the moment she came to a halt.


    To make a good impression on her new ssmates, she began putting on makeup after eating lunch,


    and the


    fine makeup she had spent an hour applying was entirely ruined at that point.


    She knew she looked embarrassing.


    However, something even more embarrassing urred in the next split second. The basin fell directly


    on her head.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Laughter erupted throughout the lecture hall.


    At that point, all Wendy wanted to do was dig a hole and hide in it.


    She threw the basin away and ran away shamefully with her face covered.


    When she reached the door, she identally bumped into someone.


    She then looked up and met with Donovan¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Mr. Baxter¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t keep her emotions under control after running into Donovan, and she


    began to sob.


    Donovan quickly took off his jacket and covered


    Wendy. ¡°Head to the changing room to change first. I¡¯ll postpone the test for you.¡±


    Hearing that, she lowered her head and walked to the staircase.


    When she walked past Arielle, she suddenly remembered that Arielle stopped right before the door as


    if she had known that something was wrong with the door. She did it on purpose!


    Wendy gave her a deadly re and stormed away.


    Her makeup had been ruined, and her clothes were soaked. This is not the time for vengeance, but I


    will never forget this moment!


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Meanwhile, Arielle did not respond to Wendy¡¯s stare, and she was stopped by Donovan before entering


    the lecture hall. ¡°Arielle!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Baxter?¡±


    ¡°Follow me,¡± said Donovan solemnly and headed to the end of the corridor.


    Arielle had no choice but to follow him.


    ¡°I saw everything,¡± stated Donovan coldly.


    ¡°What?¡± Arielle didn¡¯t understand what he meant.


    ¡°You were walking in front, then you abruptly halted and let Wendy in first. Do I still need to further


    rify


    your intentions?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Arielle burst outughing when she heard thest few words.


    ¡°What are youughing at?!

 Chapter 372

    Chapter 372


    ¡°Iughed because you questioned a potential victim rather than finding out who put the basin on the


    door. Isn¡¯t that ridiculous?¡± Arielle said casually.


    Donovan was stunned, and he couldn¡¯t refute her words.


    Arielle continued, ¡°I¡¯m intrigued. I would have been the victim if I hadn¡¯t stopped to call someone and let


    Wendy in first. Will you also interrogate Wendy in this manner?¡±


    Donovan was rendered speechless, but he already knew the answer. No, of course.


    Arielle smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Baxter, I know what you¡¯re thinking. Wendy is a talented student, and I¡¯m


    just someone that got in from the backdoor, but we¡¯re all your students. Can you at least treat me like


    one?¡±


    Donovan moved his lips, but he couldn¡¯t say anything to express his frustration.


    In that regard, he did make a mistake, but it was undeniable that Arielle was not an outstanding


    student, so he felt that questioning her shouldn¡¯t be a concern.


    After all, he expected Arielle to be the victim, but she let Wendy in instead.


    Thus, he couldn¡¯t help but feel suspicious.


    Donovan gazed deeply into Arielle¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°You¡¯re good at debating. I hope you keep that


    intelligence in studying too. Don¡¯t get kicked out after


    just a month.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Mr. Baxter for the advice. I will do my best. If there isn¡¯t anything else, I¡¯ll head back to ss


    first.¡±


    Having that said, she turned around and left before Donovan could reply.


    Seeing how she swaggered to the lecture hall, the regret in Donovan dissipated immediately.


    That¡¯s what I assumed, a lousy student. She has no idea how to respect a teacher. In school, the


    teacher is the authority, but she treats me with such an attitude. She has no idea what politeness is!


    That is the distinction between a good and a bad student.


    He discreetly decided that only the top twenty students would be allowed to stay, and he was


    specifically targeting Arielle as well as the other students who had enrolled in the ss through the


    backdoor.


    Otherwise, they would be bad influences to the good students.


    Meanwhile, when Donovan arrived to help Wendy, everyone in the lecture hall fell silent.


    Even the worst students were a little afraid to see him, let alone the other good students.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    The air was deafeningly quiet when Arielle entered the lecture hall.


    Until she got into her seat, whispers could be heard throughout the hall.


    ¡°Yo! Is this our ssmate? She¡¯s so beautiful!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s an angel! It looks like I have a motivation to wake up every day now.¡±


    ¡°Angel? She must be a princess from a fairy tale!¡±


    Suddenly, an irritated voice said, ¡°Why are you guys still gossiping? Didn¡¯t you see Mr. Baxter¡¯s face


    just now?¡±


    Hearing that, the hall fell silent again.


    In the meantime, Arielle raised her gaze and saw someone familiar.


    The girl who spoke just now was someone she met at Haut Monde, Kelsea.


    She was defeated by Arielle, and she was also Carter¡¯s cousin.


    She wore a yellow dress, her hair was soft, and her makeup was wless. It was obvious that she had


    dressed up on purpose.

 Chapter 373

    Chapter 373


    However, the spotlight was stolen by Arielle instantly, which infuriated Kelsea.


    Furthermore, they were feuding as a result of her defeat in the chess game and the fact that her


    instructor demanded her to kneel before Arielle.


    Arielle noticed Kelsea¡¯s hateful look, but she ignored her and took a seat in thest row.


    Soon, Donovan came in.


    His face had darkened, and his gaze could send shivers up one¡¯s spine.


    Many of the students were astonished when he pushed open the door because he was so attractive.


    If there was a ranking of the most attractive teachers, Donovan would be at the top.


    However, Donovan¡¯s expression at the time was gloomy, and nobody dared to take another nce at


    him.


    He then wrote his name on the ckboard with chalk.


    Later, he turned around and looked about, scanning everyone with his gaze. ¡°This is my name, and you


    can address me as Mr. Baxter. I shall be your homeroom teacher from now on, and I will be in charge


    of everything that has to do with you guys.¡±


    He paused for a brief moment and said, ¡°Now, I¡¯m done


    with my self-introduction. Let¡¯s talk about what happened just now. Tell me who did that.¡±


    At that moment, the hall was quiet, and nobody stood §Ú§â.


    ¡°Too afraid to own up? Fine. When the test ispleted, everyone in this ss will be punished in the


    office of academic affairs.¡±


    With that, many students began toin, ¡°I didn¡¯t do it, so why should I get punished?¡± |


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We didn¡¯t do it. Whoever did it will face the punishment alone.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you being too strict, Mr. Baxter? This is unfair!¡±


    Right then, Arielle saw the boy beside her sat up straight with his hands on the table, intending to stand


    up.


    However, his deskmate stopped him and stood up without hesitation.


    ¡°I did it. I¡¯ll face the punishment alone, and the others don¡¯t have to be dragged into it.¡±


    Everyone, including Arielle, looked at the boy that stood up.


    That handsome boy had thick eyebrows and a tidy hairstyle. He didn¡¯t look like someone who was


    unruly.


    ¡°Jared!¡± the boy who wanted to stand up eximed.


    Jared red at him and asked Donovan, ¡°Where do I


    go?¡±


    ¡°Office of academic affairs, but clean up the entrance first,¡± Donovan answered with his brows


    furrowed.


    Jared then picked a mop and began cleaning the floor without saying anything else.


    His deskmate quickly followed him and helped him as


    well.


    After a while, the floor was dry, and Wendy was back at the same time.


    Her makeup was fixed, and it was wless.


    Donovan looked down to Jared and demanded, ¡°Please apologize to her.¡±


    A vein popped in Jared¡¯s forehead, but he apologized anyway. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Originally, Wendy despised pranksters the most, but her rage subsided after seeing his face.


    In this world, outward appearance meant everything. People¡¯s tolerance would grow when confronted


    with a good-looking person.


    Wendy smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Without casting a nce at her, he asked Donovan, ¡°Can I go to the office now?¡±


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Donovan did not want his student punished on the first day. He tried to forget about it after he


    apologized, but Jared¡¯s demeanor wasn¡¯t convincing enough for him to forgive him.

 Chapter 374

    Chapter 374


    Besides, if Donovan remembered correctly, Jared entered his ss by means of a back door.


    As expected, poor students arepletely hopeless. Other than damaging the ss reputation, they


    can¡¯t contribute a single thing to the ss.


    With that, Donovan darkened his face and said, ¡°Head to the office of academic affairs on your own


    after the exam. Don¡¯t waste the time of the other students and prepare for your test now. Wendy, follow


    me to collect the exam scripts.¡±


    ¡°All right, Mr. Baxter,¡± answered Wendy. She then followed behind Donovan obediently.


    Right after they left, a small discussion broke out in the ssroom.


    ¡°I did not realize just now. But now that I have a look, there are many good-looking people in our ss.¡±


    ¡°I think our ss will be the center of attention of our school soon.¡±


    Jared did not pay attention to those discussions. Instead, he went straight to his seat.


    The moment he sat down, Arielle heard Jared¡¯s deskmate whisper to him, ¡°Jared, why did you take the


    me on yourself? I was the one who did it after all, and you had been sleeping all the while. You¡¯ve


    done nothing wrong, and there¡¯s no need for you to be my scapegoat!¡±


    Jared merely answered nonchntly, ¡°It¡¯s just a punishment. It¡¯s nothing much.¡±


    ¡°No. I can¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°Stop it! I didn¡¯t do it for you, but for myself. I don¡¯t want to study anymore, and I want to join the army.


    Wait till my dad and brother realize that I¡¯m not fit to be studying. They will then give up on forcing me


    to.¡±


    ¡°Sigh. Why are you making things difficult for yourself? Your family too. They have been in the army for


    generations, but now they are forcing you to study. Jared, why don¡¯t you head back and speak nicely to


    Old Mr. Jupiter instead of trying to force your way through?


    Arielle arched her brows upon hearing their conversation.


    The Jupiters? What¡¯s the rtionship between Harvey and Jared?


    Out of curiosity, Arielle turned her head and nced at Jared.


    After all, she did not have a proper look at Jared prior. Now that she looked at him properly, Arielle felt


    a sense of familiarity from him.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    His face, nose, eyes, and even skin tone were just so simr to Harvey. Well, the only difference was


    that Jared looked much youngerpared to Harvey.


    Arielle suddenly found it to be a little funny.


    With someone from the Morgans, the Jupiters, and myself, who was introduced over by Vinson, the


    four most prominent families are almost gathered here. It¡¯s no wonder Donovan doesn¡¯t seem to like


    me. If I am in his shoes, I will be unhappy either.


    Suddenly, Arielle came to understand Donovan¡¯s attitude toward her.


    Well, if it¡¯s possible, I¡¯ll try my best to not drag Donovan¡¯s ss down.


    At that point in time, Donovan arrived at the ssroom with Wendy, where each of them was carrying a


    stack of paper. One was the exam script, and another was the answer sheets.


    Wendy was holding the answer sheets. That way, she would not be able to see the questions that


    would be tested, which would be fair to everyone.


    ¡°All right. You can have a seat,¡± said Donovan as he gave Wendy a nod.


    With that, Wendy returned to her seat in the first row.


    Donovan then nced at the ss and ordered in a serious tone, ¡°Please ce all your belongings


    into the drawer under the table. After that, turn the table around so that the drawer is facing the front.


    Once you¡¯re done, take out your pen and prepare for the test.¡±


    Once Donovan finished speaking, all the students followed his instructions and started turning their


    tables.


    There were some female students who were struggling to turn their table around, and many of the male


    students were kind enough to offer their help.


    Arielle ced her bag into her drawer. Just when she was about to turn her table around, the guy in


    front of her turned over and asked, ¡°Do you need any help?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± answered Arielle as she swiftly turned the table a hundred and eighty-degree around.


    The guy was in awe as he saw Arielle¡¯s swiftness.


    She has such a small body, and she does not seem to have much strength. How is it possible that she


    seems to be stronger than me?


    The guy merely gave an awkward smile as he returned to his seat.

 Chapter 375

    Chapter 375


    Arielle was not trying to humiliate him. Instead, she just did not want to owe someone a favor.


    After all, Arielle was not sure when she would stop studying. Hence, it would be difficult for her to return


    the favor then.


    Just when Arielle was about to have her seat, she heard a soft chuckleing from someone next to


    her.


    Arielle nced sideways and saw Jared looking at her with an ambiguous smile, though she had no


    idea what he was smiling about.


    Soon, the exam script was passed to them.


    Donovan stood at the podium and said, ¡°Have a look at the exam script. The questions are all high


    school standard questions and the subjects tested are Chanaean, mathematics, and Ustranasion. All


    the subjects can be


    found on one exam script. Thest question of each subject tested is a critical thinking question.


    Answer it if you know the answer. If you don¡¯t, leave it nk. After all, the marks for thest question


    are bonus marks. Also, remember to take note of the time and don¡¯t spend too much time on thest


    question.¡±


    He then paused a moment before continuing, ¡°Also, it¡¯s all right if you don¡¯t do well this time. Just study


    harder in the future. However, if I were to catch anyone cheating on this test, you may leave my ss


    immediately. The only thing that I cannot tolerate in my ss is cheating!


    Wendy¡¯s heart went cold at Donovan¡¯s words. This was because she cheated during her college


    entrance exam.


    Nheless, Wendy was lucky that there was no way Donovan would find out about it.


    Once everyone had received their exam script, they then started answering it.


    Arielle opened her script and wrote her name on it. Unfortunately, she was stuck when she saw the first


    question.


    The first subject tested was Chanaean, and the first question was to test their spelling. It was a multiple


    choice question where they had to pick the correct spelling for the word.


    Sad to say, Arielle grew up overseas. Though holding a normal conversation here was not an issue for


    her, but spelling words out was definitely something she was still struggling with.


    Arielle stared at the question for a long while. Jared¡¯s friend then whispered to her when he saw she


    was staring at the paper nkly. ¡°Do you not know the answer too?¡±


    Arielle nced at the boy, who was clearly an underachiever, and she was embarrassed to admit that


    she was clueless as well.


    Forget it! I¡¯m giving up!


    Arielle immediately picked B as her answer.


    If there are three long choices, and one short choice, I¡¯ll pick the short one. If the length of all the


    choices is the same, I¡¯ll pick B.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle had never imagined that she had to guess the answer for all five of the multiple-choice questions


    asked.


    What was worse was when Arielle realized that the next question was to fill in the nks toplete a


    poem by a Chanaean poet.


    Arielle had never attended high school in Chanaea. Therefore, she had no idea what the poem was.


    Arielle had never felt so helpless in her studies.


    With no choice, she gave up, left the question nk, and moved on to the next question.


    The next question was not any better than the prior. It was a question about Old Chanaean literature.


    As for


    someone who grew up overseas, reading Old Chanaean literature was extremely tough for Arielle.


    Therefore, she merely tried to answer a few questions about it.


    Right then, Donovan walked down from the podium to patrol around the ssroom. He nced at


    Arielle¡¯s paper when he walked near her.


    She chose B for all the multiple-choice questions and left nks for the question on the poem.


    Although she


    answered a few questions on the Old Chanaean literature, her answers are all wrong.


    Donovan shook his head in dissatisfaction. He was now more certain that Arielle was a poor student


    who only knew how to talk back.


    This kind of student will only bring about a bad influence on the rest of the students in ss.


    Donovan then walked over to look at the other students who came in through connections. Without


    even writing his name, Jared was sprawled over the table, sleeping. His deskmate had about the same


    standard as Arielle.


    Only Kelsea managed to answer most of the questions, though many of them were wrong.


    As expected! None of those that came in through connections are diamonds. They are all stones! The


    only person for who I have some hope is Kelsea.


    Right then, Arielle finally managed to finish the questions on Chanaean and had started on


    mathematics.


    She quickly nced through the questions and wrote her answers down immediately.


    It took Arielle less than ten minutes to answer all the questions on mathematics.

 Chapter 376

    Chapter 376


    The questions asked in the exam script were, in fact, rather difficult. However, it was simple for Arielle,


    who had a Ph.D. degree and was naturally good at maths.


    Therefore, Arielle could actually answer the question by just having a glimpse of it.


    Only the critical thinking question that Donovan had prepared was rather difficult for Arielle, which took


    her about three minutes to answer.


    Thest subject tested was on Ustranasion.


    Looking at the questions that were simr to the daily conversations she held, Arielle answered the


    questions without much thought.


    In less than five minutes, Arielle had finished all the questions, including writing an Ustranasion essay.


    It took about half an hour for Arielle to finish the whole paper.


    With that, she immediately raised her hand and asked, ¡°Mr. Baxter, can I submit my paper earlier?¡±


    In reality, Arielle wanted to check her phone to see if Vinson had given her a call.


    However, Donovan darkened his face and was about to reject Arielle¡¯s request by telling her that she


    could only submit her paper half an hour before the test ended. On second thought, Arielle would be


    disrupting the other students from answering their exam as the boys in the


    ss were ncing at her red short skirt and not focusing on their paper.


    Hence, Donovan merely replied, ¡°You may leave. Please also change into another set of clothes before


    coming back. You¡¯re not allowed to be dressed in this manner in the future.¡±


    Arielle was delighted with the reply. She immediately got up to hand in her exam script.


    When Arielle walked toward the podium, many of the boys were attracted by the revealing clothes she


    wore.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    After all, this was the time where boys hit puberty and their hormones would be raging over the roof.


    Even an exemry student would not be able to resist the effects of their hormones.


    Upon seeing the boys¡¯ reaction when Arielle walked past them, Donovan knocked on the table and


    remarked firmly, ¡°Pay attention to your exam!¡±


    Only then did the boys shift their gaze from Arielle¡¯s slender legs to their exam script.


    Nheless, Arielle was not aware that the way she dressed up affected the other students when she


    walked past them. She happily ced her exam script on Donovan¡¯s desk and left the ssroom.


    Donovan took a look at the first page of her script. It was nk. He then immediately covered the exam


    script.


    He was unwilling to mark such an exam script, where he felt that even ncing at it was a waste of


    time.


    On the other hand, Arielle was walking to the luggage deposit area as she scrolled through her phone.


    Sadly, there was no missed call and no new messages.


    Arielle got frustrated.


    What is Vinson busy with now? Is he overseas again?


    Arielle shook her head to prevent herself from overthinking.


    The luggage deposit area was very near to the lecture hall. Hence, Arielle retrieved her luggage quickly


    and arrived at the dorm ording to the room number that was given by Marcus. Once she arrived,


    Arielle cleaned up the dorm a bit, changed into the clothes she wore when she arrived at school and


    removed her makeup.


    An hour had passed since Arielle finished her paper. Keeping in mind the time left before the students


    had to hand in the exam script, Arielle walked back to the lecture hall slowly.


    The scenery on her campus was rather beautiful. When she walked along a long corridor, Arielle took a


    seat there and closed her eyes to imagine if her mom would also take a rest as she walked past here.


    Is my biological father really in Jadeborough University? I need to quickly take some time out to


    search for the mysterious man Josiah mentioned.


    On the other hand, the other students had started handing in their exam scripts. Once they had all


    handed in, Donovan sorted them nicely and left for his office to mark the scripts.


    When Donovan was marking Wendy¡¯s paper, his tensed expression finally loosened slightly.


    Indeed, Wendy is an exemry student who I referred to this university personally. Her answers are


    mostly correct and urate. She managed to score in the critical thinking questions for all subjects,


    except for mathematics. If all goes well, Wendy would definitely be in the first ce.


    The next script belonged to Kelsea. Though she had quite a number of wrong answers, Donovan could


    tell she tried her best to answer the questions.


    Once Donovan was done marking her paper, he was certain that Kelsea would only be ranked


    somewhere at the bottom of the ss. Nheless, Donovan admired her attitude toward her studies.


    If I must only let one of the four who entered through connections remain in my ss after the first test,


    that person will definitely be Kelsea.

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    Chapter 377


    Donovan¡¯s face fell when he marked the next script.


    It was Jared¡¯s deskmate, Henry¡¯s, script. He chose C for all his multiple-choice questions and left the


    rest of the questions nk.


    Donovan took a deep breath and ced the exam script at the side and decided not to mark it.


    Arielle¡¯s script was after Henry¡¯s. Donovan did not even flip open her script and immediately ced it to


    one side.


    As for the next script, which did not have a name on it, Donovan didn¡¯t even have to guess to know that


    it was Jared¡¯s script.


    Donovan closed his eyes to calm himself down. He told himself that there was no need to have his


    mood ruined by such a student.


    After taking a few deep breaths, Donovan finally calmed down slightly.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Quickly, Donovan arranged the exam scripts of his students ording to their marks. He then carried


    the answer script and the ranking list of the students and left for the lecture hall.


    Right then, Arielle arrived at the ssroom as well.


    The moment she entered, she saw Wendy and Kelsea having a conversation in a corner. They were


    like soulmates,ughing happily in their conversation.


    Just when Arielle was about to enter the ssroom, Wendy looked at her and mocked, ¡°Oh dear, isn¡¯t


    this the genius in our ss that was the first to hand in her paper? Arielle, do you think you can score


    top three in our ss?¡±


    Arielle ignored Wendy and walked straight into the ssroom.


    ¡°You!¡± Infuriated, Wendy wanted to go after Arielle.


    However, Kelsea quickly grabbed Wendy and advised, ¡°Just ignore her. It won¡¯t do you any good if you


    be mad at her. You are a rich socialite in Horington. Why stoop yourself low to a country bumpkin


    like her?¡±


    Kelsea was not happy in the beginning when she found out that Wendy was staying in the Nightshire


    Manor. However, she was relieved when she realized that there was no way Wendy and Vinson would


    get together.


    Thinking of Arielle being together with Vinson, Kelsea would rather have Wendy and Vinson being a


    couple instead.


    She was fine with someone else being with Vinson as long as it was not Arielle.


    Wendy, on the other hand, heard the keyword in Kelsea¡¯s mockery. Confused, she asked, ¡°Country


    bumpkin? What about it?¡±


    Shocked by Wendy¡¯s question, Kelsea asked in return,


    ¡°You mean you don¡¯t know Arielle¡¯s background? Though she is the eldest daughter of the Southalls,


    she was sold by human traffickers into a remote vige. Arielle only returned to her family this year!¡±


    Wendy widened her eyes in disbelief. ¡°I thought she was just a waitress?¡±


    ¡°What waitress?¡± Kelsea was puzzled.


    It was then Wendy felt that she did not know Arielle well.


    I always thought that Arielle was a mere waitress. I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s the eldest daughter of the


    Southall Group. Nheless, so what about it? Southall Group is nothing whenpared to my family.


    There¡¯s no way Arielle canpete with me.


    Wendy dismissed her question with a wave as she smiled and replied, ¡°I-It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Jared, who was smoking at the side against the railing, threw away his cigarette bud as he was


    annoyed by the conversation he overheard.


    How can these people be socialites? If socialites are all like them, I need to go back and convince my


    dad to not introduce any socialites to Harvey anymore. Marrying a girl from a vige will be much better


    than marrying a socialite.


    In fact, Jared felt that Arielle was far better than Wendy and Kelsea.


    At the thought of Arielle, the image of her wearing the red dress shed across Jared¡¯s mind.


    However, Jared quickly shook his head forcefully to snap back into his senses. Is there something


    wrong with me?


    ¡°ss!¡± Donovan called out to grab his students¡¯ attention and continued, ¡°The results are out.


    Everyone please enter the ssroom and take your seat ording to your ranking.¡¯


    This indicated that those students who ranked behind would not be able to have a good seat in ss.


    All the students immediately returned to the ssroom.


    The seating in the ssroom mattered a lot to all the students. This was because those who sat in the


    front rows could better listen to the teacher¡¯s teaching. Nheless, everyone was in fact more


    interested in finding out the academic level of their new ssmates whom they had not met.  !

 Chapter 378

    Chapter 378


    At ss. Arielle had just sat down when Henry came to chat with her. He shared, ¡°I see you chose B for


    all the multiple choice questions. You should follow my suit and choose C instead. The chances are


    much higher that way.¡±


    Arielle simply found it funny.


    Oh dear lord, the one who failed his ss is sharing his experience with me¡­ This has got to be the


    funniest sh*t ever.


    Arielle shook her head and replied, ¡°I know the answer to most. I¡¯m just a little confused about the


    Chanaean


    paper.¡±


    It was obvious that Henry didn¡¯t think she was telling the truth because he worked with her and nodded


    before saying, ¡°Me too. Those are the only questions I can¡¯t answer. All the other subjects¡¯ questions


    can be done by guessing, but Chanaean is impossible.¡±


    Arielle was speechless and exasperated. I wasn¡¯t lying, you know.


    Just then, Donovan knocked on the desk and announced, ¡°Be quiet. Follow my instructions as I


    announce your results. Those whose names are called are to queue up outside and wait for your seats


    to be assigned.¡±


    Everyone instinctively sat up straight. Even Henry had his guard up.


    Arielle scanned the ce from the corner of her eyes. Everyone was on high alert except Jared. He


    remained leaning against his desk and looked like he would never get enough sleep.


    That was when Donovan announced, ¡°The first position goes to Wendy Greene who scored one


    hundred and fifty-seven points.¡±


    The test totaled one hundred and eighty points, so one hundred and fifty-seven was an incredible


    score.


    Donovan shot a look of approval at Wendy, who stood up with a smile and headed out to queue up.


    Before she left, she turned nonchntly in Arielle¡¯s direction, as if to brag about her victory.


    Arielle, however, never even noticed Wendy. The former was curious about how well she did in the two


    other subjects after she abandoned hernguages test.


    If everything goes ording to n, I should have perfect scores for those two subjects.


    Perfect scores for those two subjects plus the potential lucky strike in the five multiple-choice


    questions¡­ I should have at least one hundred and thirty points.


    I wonder how well I¡¯d rank with one hundred and thirty points?


    The names were called one after another. Those with one hundred and thirty points were called soon


    after, but


    Arielle wasn¡¯t one of them.


    One hundred and twenty-five¡­ she still wasn¡¯t on the list.


    Donovan kept calling out names, but Arielle¡¯s name was never called out, even after Kelsea¡¯s ny-


    three points were mentioned.


    Donovan paused and told Kelsea, ¡°Keep it up, Kelsea. Your foundation is weak, but most of the sses


    I offer are not rted to the subjects taught in previous years. Work hard. You have a lot of potential.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Baxter,¡± replied Kelsea with a smile. She might¡¯ve been the fourthst student of the


    ss, but Donovan¡¯s encouragement prompted her to go queue up with a smile.


    Donovan watched as Kelsea left. He then turned his attention to the remaining students before


    informing, ¡°The rest of you can go out on your own. Pick a seat only after everyone else has taken


    theirs.¡±


    Arielle frowned instantly. She sprung up and called out to Donovan, who was about to leave. ¡°Mr.


    Baxter!¡± said Arielle.


    Donovan paused and frowned a little before he turned to her and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°What is my score?¡± asked Arielle icily as she red at Donovan and pointed out, ¡°You haven¡¯t


    announced my score or the score of the two other students here.¡±


    Her words got Jared, who had been dozing off, to sit up slowly and shift his gaze over. He raised his


    brows and stared meaningfully at Arielle.


    She spoke politely, but her aura was strong. She was so powerful that she overwhelmed Donovan.


    Jared suddenly found that to be fun, so he kicked Henry, who was sitting at the side.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    The two of them had been terrible friends with horrible influences on each other for years. Hence, even


    the slightest hint would tell Henry what Jared was thinking.


    After being kicked, Henry received the message immediately and stood up beside Arielle. The former


    told Donovan, ¡°That¡¯s right, Mr. Baxter. Why didn¡¯t you announce my score? I have the right to know


    how well I did even if I end up being ranked thest in ss.¡±

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    Chapter 379


    Donovan¡¯s expression turned grouchy before he chuckled softly. He refuted, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to embarrass


    you, but you can¡¯t ept even that, huh? One of you never even wrote your name on it, while the other


    two guessed all the answers. Do you really think there is a need to announce your points ?¡±


    Arielle understood what was going after she heard those words. He never even checked my papers!


    Earlier, she thought that she could somewhat understand Donovan¡¯s actions. However, at that moment,


    she discovered that there was nothingmon between them at all.


    Henry, who was standing at the side, suddenly felt ashamed. T-there really is no need to announce my


    scores. I can take whatever seat there is. D*rn it! This is all Jared¡¯s fault. Why did he ask me to help


    her?


    Just then, Arielle spoke up, ¡°I don¡¯t care what they think, but I want to know how well I did.¡±


    Donovan shot a confused look at Arielle after hearing those words. He couldn¡¯t understand what was


    going on.


    Why is she so adamant about knowing her scores? She obviously guessed everything, so is it


    necessary for her to know the number? She¡¯s probably just looking for trouble.


    However, it¡¯s also obvious that she has guessed that I never checked her papers.


    Donovan didn¡¯t bother hiding it. He admitted, ¡°Okay since you are so eager to know your scores, I¡¯ll


    confess. I never checked your papers, but I will do it right away. Once everyone else chose their seats,


    I will grade your papers in front of the entire ss and announce your results.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± replied Arielle with a straight face.


    Donovan¡¯s stare at Arielle became tainted with even more confusion.


    Why would she want to get herself in so much trouble?


    Once I grade her papers and make the announcement, even those who didn¡¯t know that she only got


    epted through the back door means would learn that truth. What could she possibly gain from all


    this?


    Still, since she insisted, I¡¯ll just spend the next two minutes grading her papers.


    After making that decision, Donovan walked to the door and instructed, ¡°Everyone is to choose their


    seats now. Wendy, you¡¯re ranked the first, so you can choose first.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Mr. Baxter.¡±


    Wendy saw Arielle there as soon as she opened the door.


    There is no need to guess. She must have scored worse than Kelsea. That¡¯s why Mr. Baxter never


    asked her to queue up, thought Wendy. Oh well, she¡¯d score badly,


    anyway, so whatever seat would do for her.


    Wendy scanned around before she picked the center seat in the second row.


    It offered the perfect distance from the ckboard and wouldn¡¯t strain Wendy¡¯s neck when she read


    along. It was the perfect seat.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take this seat, Mr. Baxter.¡±


    Donovan nodded and replied, ¡°Go retrieve your things after you¡¯ve chosen your seat. You will sit there


    until the test next month.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Mr. Baxter,¡± replied Wendy while nodding. She looked especially obedient at the time.


    Donovan was ever so delighted with Wendy. Students should all behave like Wendy does.


    It didn¡¯t take long before the second student entered. That student chose the seat next to Wendy, and


    the two of them started chatting away.


    ¡°Wendy, did you do the mathematics and Ustranasion questions?¡±


    Wendy shook her head and replied, ¡°Those questions are too difficult, and I didn¡¯t have enough time,


    so I gave up on it. However, I managed to make up for lost points in another section in Chanaean. My


    grandpa happened to have done a thesis on that subject, so I learned a lot from him.¡±


    The student sitting beside Wendy looked shocked. She said, ¡°Wow, your grandpa graduated from


    university? Darn, I¡¯m jealous.¡±


    Wendy grinned lightly. She immensely enjoyed being praised like that, but she acted like she was just


    okay with it.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    At the desk.


    As the students chose their seats, Donovan picked up his pen and started grading the papers.


    The first one he checked was Jared¡¯s paper. He didn¡¯t even write his name on it. Zero points for him!

 Chapter 380

    Chapter 380


    The second paper he graded was Henry¡¯s paper. Henry picked C for absolutely every question. As the


    rule dictated, his method would earn him a resounding zero as well.


    Donovan flipped through it a little before he immediately gave Henry zero.


    Thest paper was Arielle¡¯s.


    She chose B for the fivenguage questions. Without a doubt, that would earn her zero points in that


    section.


    However, when Donovan moved on to check her mathematics sections, his gaze fluttered, and ripples


    of


    emotions spread out in his eyes.


    She didn¡¯t actually guess the answers for this paper? Holy¡­ She got all ten questions correct. She


    even managed to get the tougher questions and used the correct forms!


    There was a moment when Donovan couldn¡¯t believe that Arielle was the one who answered the


    questions on the paper.


    What astounded Donovan even more, was that Arielle had answered the extra questions as well.


    One particr section was beyond the student¡¯s level and was meant for the students in the more


    advanced sses.


    Donovan only included those questions there because


    he wanted to use them as a gateway to introduce his students to the new sses. No one was able to


    answer those questions.


    In fact, those questions needed advanced knowledge and special training, so even students who were


    in the advanced sses would need several hours to solve the equations. We only gave the students


    an hour to write the answers, so even if she is capable of doing it, there simply isn¡¯t enough time for her


    to do so.


    That was why Donovan was surprised to see that Arielle had filled out the empty space. Still, he didn¡¯t


    expect her to get the answer right.


    He forced himself to be patient and read on.


    Donovan¡¯s lips curved up when he saw the first form written there. Oh dear, that is the simplest


    form. Does she actually expect to get an answer using that form?


    I knew it. I shouldn¡¯t hold out any hope for her.


    Donovan was going to put a huge cross on it, but he suddenly caught sight of the final answer written


    at the bottom. That stunned him.


    The answer Arielle wrote was 1.3129.


    The correct answer¡­ was also 1.3129!


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    It might be possible to guess some answers, but to get the answer right down to thest decimal point?


    That


    was more than luck.


    Donovan¡¯s gaze paused for several seconds. He checked and re-checked to make sure that he got it


    right. After that, he started paying attention and re-analyzing the form and process Arielle used to


    get the answer.


    As he read on, he became engrossed.


    Arielle actually managed to use the simplest form to solve an equation that epassed


    complicated numbers and technical know-how. The step-by-step analysis was virtually perfect.


    As he read the answer, Donovan felt the urge to write a thesis on that form.


    Just then, a student asked, ¡°Mr. Baxter, should we revise on our own or will the ss begin?¡±


    Donovan looked up from the sheets and replied, ¡°Revise on your own for now. The ss will


    commence in five minutes.¡±


    After saying his piece, Donovan ignored the other students and memorized the form and steps


    Arielle used to solve the equation. Then, he continued grading the rest of the paper.


    Thest section was the Ustranasion section, and after reading it, Donovan couldn¡¯t help twitching his


    lips. He simply couldn¡¯t control himself anymore.


    She actually got the perfect score for these two sections?


    The Ustranasion question was an essay question with a lot of foreign and umon words used.


    Donovan himself had stayed overseas for six years, but even he had to turn to the dictionary. Yet,


    Arielle managed to get it all right.


    No, it wasn¡¯t just her Ustranasion part. Her mathematics is perfect as well.


    If her Chanaean section hadn¡¯t dragged her a little, her total score would, no doubt, be better than


    Wendy¡¯s!


    Donovan stared at Arielle in astonishment.


    All he saw was how Arielle was leaning on the table. There was no saying whether she was asleep or


    just daydreaming


    There was a moment when Donovan felt like his understanding of Arielle hadpletely been


    overturned.

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    Chapter 381


    This is not a bad student. She is an amazing student with just one weakness!


    Didn¡¯t Wendy say that Arielle was just a waitress? How did thise to be? It looks like I will have to


    take a closer look at Arielle¡¯s particrs when I have the time.


    Just then, Wendy noticed that there was something off about the way Donovan looked.


    Donovan, who had always been calm and stern, was shrouded in surprise. A hint of glee oozed out of


    his surprised gaze as well.


    What is he so surprised about?


    Curious, Wendy traced Donovan¡¯s line of sight and saw how he was staring at Arielle, who was dozing


    off a little.


    That prompted Wendy to frown right away. She guessed, He¡¯s not attracted to her sexiness and beauty,


    is he?


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    The mere thought of that possibility got Wendy so angry that her hand trembled as she held her pen.


    She thought that Donovan was a righteous man who was different from the other guys. She assumed


    that he wouldn¡¯t fall for Arielle¡¯s pretty face. It turns out he is just like the others and is an idiot who


    thinks with his d*ck!


    Just then, Donovan knocked on the desk.


    Knock!


    Knock!


    The ssroom, which was initially noisy, suddenly calmed down. Everyone waited for Donovan to


    speak up.


    All they heard was Donovan staying quiet for a few seconds before he announced, ¡°I have yet to


    announce three students¡¯ results. I will do that now.¡±


    Which three students is he referring to? It didn¡¯t take long before everyone guessed it. Arielle, Henry,


    and Jared were the only ones who didn¡¯t go out to queue up.


    An evil grin crept up on Wendy¡¯s face. Hah, how badly did Arielle score? Announcing her result will be


    equivalent to delivering her a fatal blow! I guess Donovan isn¡¯t only into looks, after all.


    A look of disdain shed across Kelsea¡¯s face.


    She was ranked as one of the bottom few in ss, but that was only because she had to excuse


    herself from sses all the time. Kelsea had a lot of International Chess Competitions to participate in,


    so she had to skip many sses. If she had attended all her sses, she was confident that she could


    beat even Wendy¡¯s score.


    Arielle¡¯s score? How can a person from a poor vige and limited resources score well? I heard that the


    vige she is from doesn¡¯t even offer kindergarten-level education. Oh gosh, is her score a single digit?


    Kelsea grinned evilly and waited for Donovan to make the announcement.


    Donovan, in his deep voice, announced, ¡°Jared Jupiter, zero points.¡±


    Jared, whose name was called, didn¡¯t even budge. He continued lying on his desk, asleep.


    Donovan ignored him. The kid will be gone in a month, and I don¡¯t have the time to waste on a kid like


    him.


    ¡°Henry West, zero points,¡± continued Donovan after he shifted his gaze.


    Henry¡¯s eyes bulged in disbelief. He challenged, ¡°Mr. Baxter, did you make a mistake? How could I


    have possibly gotten every answer wrong?¡±


    Donovan red over like he was staring at an idiot. He told Henry, ¡°You chose C for every single


    question. As dictated by the rules, that is regarded as cheating, so you get zero points for it.¡±


    Henry¡¯s expression became gloomy, and regret donned his face.


    Darn it. If I had known that is how things would be, I would¡¯ve just tossed a dice. Gah, it¡¯s so annoying


    to be ranked thest


    Henry recalled how Arielle chose the same option for the first five questions as well. He sighed pitifully


    and spoke up to offer somefort. ¡°That means you got zero as well. Don¡¯t be sad. At least all three


    of us are together,¡± said Henry.


    Arielle ignored Henry. She was waiting for Donovan to announce her score.


    Finally, Donovan said, ¡°Arielle Moore¡­¡±


    Arielle tilted her head up.


    All she heard was Donovan saying, ¡°Aside from the first two seats chosen, you can choose whichever


    seat you like. Every other student is to readjust your seats if she chose your seat.¡±


    His words immediately got many people upset.

 Chapter 382

    Chapter 382


    ¡°Why should we? We scored well and earned our seats fair and square. Why should we let her take our


    seats?¡°¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right. This is not fair, Mr. Baxter!¡±


    Wendy clenched her fists. She was about to lose control andin with the other students when


    Kelsea shouted, ¡°Mr. Baxter, did you ept some bribes from Arielle? Why does she get special


    treatment while the rest of us are bound by the rules?¡±


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Every student, including Wendy, was taken aback. They stared at Kelsea in surprise.


    Holy¡­ that is too straightforward and a total diss at Donovan.


    Despite that thought, Wendy was rather happy with the result. Kelsea¡¯s rant had made it so that


    Donovan had to be fair to protect his own reputation.


    Unless he¡¯d rather be fired, that is.


    Just as Wendy thought that Donovan would take his words back, he spoke up.


    He stared strangely at Kelsea and replied, ¡°I wasn¡¯t giving her any special treatment. Like everyone


    else, she gets to choose based on the score she got.¡±


    Kelsea couldn¡¯t figure out what Donovan was hinting, so she asked directly, ¡°Then why does she get to


    choose any seat other than the ones chosen by the first two students?¡±


    Kelsea never believed that Arielle could get a good score.


    We both got in through the back door. Why does she get to have more privilege than me?


    ¡°Mr. Baxter, just how much is my score?¡± asked Arielle, who couldn¡¯t bear to keep watching. She felt


    like things were pretty difficult for Donovan, so she ripped the band-aid off for everyone.


    Donovan shot a look at her before replying, ¡°One hundred and forty-eight points.¡±


    Everyone, including the sleepy Jared, stared in astonishment as their eyes bulged.


    Wendy and Kelsea thought, One hundred and forty eight? Her?


    Henry thought, One hundred and forty-eight? The beautiful student who guessed her answers like I did


    got one hundred and forty-eight points? What the hell?


    Too many were in disbelief, so Donovan picked Arielle¡¯s paper up in exasperation and announced,


    ¡°Chanaean, eight points.¡±


    Wendy was about toin that it was impossible for Arielle to get a total of one hundred and forty-


    eight when her Chanaean section only got eight points. However, Donovan flipped the pages and


    continued, ¡°Mathematics, perfect score.¡±


    Wendy¡¯s expression instantly filled with curiosity.


    She hadn¡¯t had the chance to digest what she heard before Donovan continued, ¡°Ustranasion, perfect


    score.¡±


    Wendy felt attacked. She even started questioning her life.


    Kelsea, on the other hand, was calmer. She demanded, ¡°Even if she got the perfect score for those two


    sections, she would only total to one hundred and twenty points. How did she get one hundred and


    forty-eight?¡±


    Even Wendy, who was ranked the first, only managed to get one hundred and fifty-seven points!


    That was when Donovan added, ¡°That¡¯s because she answered the two extra questions in the


    Mathematics and Ustranasion sections. An extra question earns her an additional ten points, so two


    questions totals to twenty points.¡±


    After saying his piece, Donovan looked right at Kelsea, who was starting to question her own life. He


    challenged, ¡°Any other questions?¡±


    Donovan¡¯s tone was filled with hostility and impatience at the time. The good impression Kelsea left on


    Donovan had since faded, and he was getting annoyed with her.


    Kelsea noticed that, too. Her beautiful face flushed red before she mumbled, ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°Then please take a seat.¡±


    Kelsea sat down while blushing hard. If she could, she would dig a hole in the ground and hide there


    forever.


    Despite all that, she refused to believe that a viger from a poor environment could score that well. If


    she can do all that, then what does it mean for a rich socialite like me?

 Chapter 383

    Chapter 383


    Wendy felt just as terrible as Kelsea.


    She was angry, and hatred was burning wildly in her. The pen she had with her almost snapped in half.


    Even I can¡¯t solve those two extra questions, but Arielle managed to do it? And she got the perfect


    scores for them?


    Just¡­ who is this Arielle?


    For the first time in her life, Wendy felt like she had been overpowered.


    She couldn¡¯t ept or believe that Arielle was actually smarter than her.


    Donovan scanned the entire ss and asked, ¡°Anyone else have any other questions?¡±


    The other students didn¡¯t have anything against Arielle, so they didn¡¯t protest when they heard her


    score.


    That got the entire ss to fall into an eerie silence.


    ¡°I guess everyone is okay with it,¡± announced Donovan before he turned to Arielle and added, ¡°You can


    choose your seat now.¡±


    Many instinctively turned to Arielle. They prayed that she wouldn¡¯t take their seat.


    However, Arielle replied nonchntly, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯ll just sit here.¡±


    Many sighed a breath of relief after they heard what Arielle said.


    If Arielle had chosen their seats, they would have to switch to thest row, and that was the seat for the


    worst students. Everyone there was a top student in their previous schools. Their ego couldn¡¯t bear it if


    they had to sit there.


    Hence, many shot an appreciative look at Arielle. What they didn¡¯t know was that Arielle was simply too


    lazy to carry her things, so she didn¡¯t want to switch seats.


    All she ever wanted was the fair treatment that she was owed. The seating arrangement meant nothing


    to her. She was a master¡¯s student, and her being there already upset everyone. There was no need to


    cause any additional problems.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    What Arielle didn¡¯t know was that her behavior made Donovan assume that she was simply out looking


    for trouble.


    She was the one who insisted on getting her results announced. Now that it is announced, she refuses


    to choose a seat. If that is not her looking for trouble, then I don¡¯t know what is!


    Students with behavior like that¡­ She won¡¯tst long in society even if she is a genius.


    We live in a cruel world, and being capable will only get someone so far¡­ Well, unless she¡¯s a super


    genius who is beyond what most humans are capable of.


    She only scored eight points in her Chanaean section, though, so she is definitely not one of those


    geniuses.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± replied Donovan icily, ¡°Since you won¡¯t switch your seat, then let¡¯s not waste any more


    time. The ss willmence now. This is the content for today¡¯s ss. Wendy, please pass this


    around.¡±


    Wendy murmured a reply while having aplicated gaze on her face. Her mind was nk when she


    passed the papers around.


    She felt terrible until she saw the score on the paper. That got her to feel better.


    So what if she did well, and so what if she solved the questions I couldn¡¯t? I still got the best score in


    the ss.


    I will skip the details when I tell Susanne my score, and she will still be proud of me.


    Wendy got to the point of lying to herself and tried to convince herself that Arielle simply got lucky.


    Maybe she dealt with simr questions before? Yes, that has to be it! That is why she managed to


    answer those two questions!


    Wendy finally calmed down and started paying attention to Donovan.


    I must study well. I can¡¯t let Arielle beat me.


    Donovan¡¯s ss was just like his style. It was boring and stiff, but it was to the point. He exined


    everything clearly and sinctly.


    As Wendy listened, she learned what the problem was. The issue is that I have never learned these


    forms before.


    Wendy finally sighed a breath of relief when she heard him say, ¡°Once you¡¯ve memorized these new


    forms, the additional questions will no longer be as tough.¡±

 Chapter 384

    Chapter 384


    I guess that means Arielle learned these forms beforehand. That¡¯s how she managed to solve those


    equations.


    Hah, that means she¡¯s not smart! She¡¯s just an idiot who memorized sh*ts ahead of schedule.


    Wendy couldn¡¯t resist turning around. She saw that Arielle was snoring away on her desk.


    That got Wendy to sneer before turning back.


    Is that how she treats her studies? Hah, she is no match against me at all!


    In front of the ss.


    Donovan was having a hard time teaching his lesson. He had been questioning his method ever since


    he saw how Arielle solved those equations.


    What¡¯s the point of teaching advanced,plicated forms like these when the same equations can


    be solved easily using the simplest forms?


    Donovan instinctively turned to Arielle and saw that she was dozing off. That instantly got him irritated.


    m! Donovan mmed his chalk onto the floor. He suppressed his anger and demanded, ¡°Go home


    if you want to sleep. Don¡¯t disrupt everyone else!¡±


    The students turned around and saw the three students at the back. Two of them were sleeping away.


    Arielle sensed that everyone was staring at her, so she stretched a little and sat up.


    After that, she got up and made a bee¡¯s line to the exit while everyone stared.


    No one registered what was going on until they saw Arielle disappearingpletely behind that door.


    She actually left?


    ¡°Is she going home to sleep?¡± blurted a student in astonishment and envy.


    That arrogance and cool, brave stance was something they could never manage.


    Donovan looked so mad that his eyes were oozing immense fury.


    That attitude and temper¡­ She is not a good student even if she manages to score perfectly on all


    three subjects!


    What a disappointment.


    Donovan was almost certain that Arielle wouldn¡¯t stay after the test the following month.


    Just as Donovan was adjusting his emotions, he saw Jared standing up as well.


    Donovan frowned and asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Jared turned to Donovan nonchntly before calmly


    replying, ¡°Home, to sleep.¡±


    After saying his piece, Jared left via the backdoor.


    Donovan could no longer control his anger. He shouted, ¡°Get back here!¡±


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    Unfortunately, the only response Donovan received was the sound of the door closing.


    Click! The clear but soft sound of the door closing almost broke Donovan and made him


    act impulsively.


    However, Henry reacted at that moment. He had been secretly ying video games under his


    desk. He never even looked at Donovan before he got up and ran out. As he chased after Jared, he


    called out, ¡°Oy, Jared. Wait for me!¡±


    The door closed once more.


    Donovan was so angry that a headache was getting to him.


    Murmurs became abundant.


    ¡°I thought that no one in our ss will go against the teacher like this. Who would¡¯ve thought that


    there¡¯d turn out to be three?¡±


    ¡°Only three? Have you forgotten about the girl who challenged Mr. Baxter earlier?¡±


    ¡°D*mn, our ss is truly unique. Still, it would be so


    boring if students like them aren¡¯t around.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true. Moreover, the three who left the ssroom are pretty good-looking.¡±


    ¡°Pretty good-looking? Puh-lease, they¡¯re downright hot!¡±


    As the discussions got louder, Donovan mmed his heavy palm on the desk. Bang!


    The ssroom instantly became quiet.


    Donovan forced his anger down and challenged, ¡°Who else would like to go home and nap? Leave


    now so you won¡¯t disturb everyone else!¡±

 Chapter 385

    Chapter 385


    Naturally, no one else left. The remaining students were so scared that they tilted their heads down.


    Who would¡¯ve thought that a guy that handsome would turn that scary when he lost his temper? He is


    like a demon, and his reddened face is downright terrifying.


    ¡°Mr. Baxter, please continue. Those three are not interested in the ss, but we are,¡± informed Wendy.


    The other chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right. You haven¡¯t finished exining that new form¡­¡±


    Donovan reminded himself that the three punks weren¡¯t worth his anger. They certainly aren¡¯t worth


    everybody¡¯s time! Donovan took a deep breath and tried his best to forget what had just happened


    before he continued with his lesson.


    ¡°This form introduces a new concept¡­¡±


    Wendy was strangely delighted.


    Hah, I can¡¯t believe I saw Arielle as a threat! She doesn¡¯t even pay attention. How I wish she skips


    ss every day.


    Outside the ssroom.


    Arielle was heading over to the dorm.


    She had just left the mathematics building when someone called out to her. ¡°Hey!¡±


    Arielle instinctively turned around and saw Jared approaching her with his hands in his pocket. He


    seemed amused.


    Arielle felt close to Jared because she had known Harvey for a long time. Hence, she felt like she was


    looking at her own baby brother.


    Arielle grinned and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up, my baby


    brother?¡±


    ¡°Baby brother?¡± repeated Jared while frowning. It seemed he disliked that title.


    Arielle replied after giggling, ¡°You¡¯re younger, so I¡¯m calling you my baby brother. What else am I


    supposed to call you?¡±


    ¡°How do you know I¡¯m younger?¡± challenged Jared as he approached her.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle replied, ¡°I¡¯m twenty-five years old. You?¡±


    Jared was taken aback. He was only twenty-one¡­


    D*mn it, I am the baby brother!


    Arielle didn¡¯t look like she was older than Jared, though. Her height, in particr, made her seem


    younger. She was taller than the average woman, but he was over 1.8 meters tall.


    ¡°We¡¯re ssmates, so we should just refer to each other by our names. I¡¯m Jared Jupiter,¡± replied


    Jared after he


    thought about it.


    ¡°Arielle. Arielle Moore.¡±


    ¡°Oh, where are you headed?¡± asked Jared after he nodded.


    Arielle wanted to answer and tell him that she was heading back to her dorm to sleep. However, she


    soon saw a figure running over.


    When that figure got close, Arielle saw that it was Henry.


    Henry was handsome, and he had been frequenting the gym, so he was muscr.


    As Henry panted, he tugged at Jared and demanded, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wait for me?¡±¡®


    Henry had just finished asking that question when he saw Arielle, who was standing across from them.


    His eyes glowed and asked, ¡°Hey, beautiful. I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re here too!¡±


    Arielle nodded to greet him back.


    After that, Henry told Jared, ¡°I just used my phone to download the game and realize that some punks


    are iming, via the forum, that they¡¯d take us down. Oh, that arrogant tone. I¡¯m furious! Let¡¯s head to


    the inte bar now and retaliate.¡±


    Henry was so angry that his face had reddened.


    Jared was bored, and he couldn¡¯t return to the Jupiters¡¯ residence just yet, so he nodded and replied,


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Arielle got curious, though. She asked, ¡°What game are you boys ying?¡±


    Henry replied, ¡°It¡¯s a shooting game for us men. It¡¯s called PUBG!¡±


    Arielle¡¯s brows raised. Isn¡¯t that the game my foreign friend designed? Heck, I helped deal with the


    bugs in the game when they were doing internal testing.


    Arielle thought about it. It¡¯d be boring to return to the dorm, anyway¡­ That thought prompted Arielle to


    offer, ¡°How about I head over with you boys?¡±¡®

 Chapter 386

    Chapter 386


    ¡°You?¡± Henry asked hesitantly, ¡°You y PUBG too?¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°Just a little. Let me team up with you guys. Perhaps I can assist you in some way.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Henry burst outughing and said, ¡°Forget about it. I¡¯ll let you join us since each


    team requires three to five members. All you have to do is search for decent loots and pass it to us.¡±


    Are they treating me like a tool?


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    Although she was dumbfounded by the man¡¯s words, Arielle still agreed to the arrangement. ¡°All right


    then.¡±


    Just a while ago, she checked her phone and noticed Vinson had yet to call her back. In order to


    prevent herself from overthinking, she decided to go to an


    inte caf¨¦ to kill time.


    ¡°Okay, that settles it! Let¡¯s go!¡± Henry waved his hand. However, upon recalling how Jared disliked


    ying with newbies, Henry immediately became hesitant.


    Jared was the most insensitive man he had ever met. Previously, he brought a girl into the team, but


    Jared immediately left before the game even began, iming that it was too noisy.


    His sudden exit made things awkward for Henry. Hence, Henry was not sure if Jared would be willing to


    y with Arielle this time.


    After pondering for a moment, Henry finally broached


    the question. ¡°Jared, are you okay with-¡±


    Unexpectedly, Jared interrupted Henry before thetter could finish his sentence. ¡°Whatever. The


    enemy ranked third on the leaderboard likes to hide in the dark and take people by surprise. It wouldn¡¯t


    make a difference even if you bring three people of her caliber on board.¡±


    Henry immediately let out a sigh of relief. At least he agreed to include Arielle in the team.


    He turned toward Arielle, shing her a smile as he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Missy. Oh, right. What¡¯s your


    name?¡±


    ¡°My name¡¯s Arielle Moore, but you can call me Sannie.¡±


    ¡°All right, Sannie. I¡¯m Henry West, and my nickname is Gibby. Feel free to call me by my nickname.¡±


    After scrutinizing the man¡¯s physique, Arielle could not help but notice his muscr figure. His biceps


    are massive.


    On the other hand, Henry failed to notice the look on Arielle¡¯s face and instead inquired, ¡°How did you


    manage to get such a high score? I¡¯m curious because I saw you randomly picking an answer, which


    was what I did too.¡±


    ¡°I cheated!¡± Arielle smiled enigmatically.


    Henry was at a loss for words when he heard that.


    It¡¯s just cheating, but it does require some skill as well. It¡¯s especially impressive since she managed to


    cheat right under Donovan¡¯s nose without being caught by his eagle eyes.


    He could not help admiring Arielle and began introducing her to PUBG. ¡°Anyway, you should start


    collecting loots as soon as you touch the ground. After that, if you happen to find some level three


    armor, helmet, and some decent guns, run to our coordinates to pass it to us.¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve got it.¡±


    There were numerous inte caf¨¦s around Jadeborough University. Henry found one that had a


    decent environment. Although it was expensive, he did not hesitate to book a private room for the


    group.


    The two men would usually pick an inte caf¨¦ at random, but since they were apanied by a


    beautiful girl this time, they decided to go with a high-end caf¨¦ instead.


    This was Arielle¡¯s first time visiting an inte caf¨¦ in her own country. Upon seeing the equipment and


    facilities in the private room, she was taken aback for good while. Furthermore, there were beds


    prepared for them as well.


    The inte caf¨¦s here are on a different scalepared to those overseas. This is so much better!


    Arielle then picked aputer that was against the


    wall. After turning it on, she immediately checked its specifications


    ¡°Wow, the specifications aren¡¯t bad,¡± Ariellemented. She considered upgrading the specifications


    of herputer to match the one in the inte caf¨¦. After all, with her currentputer¡¯s capabilities,


    it would take far too long if she were to attempt to crack a higher-level security wall.


    Skills and goodputer specifications were essential for a hacker.


    If I used thisputer thest time, I could¡¯ve saved so much time and defeated my opponent quicker.


    When Henry noticed her remark about theputer, a smiled appeared across his face as he asked,


    ¡°Missy, do you know a thing or two aboutputer specifications?¡±

 Chapter 387

    Chapter 387


    ¡°Just a little,¡± Arielle replied.


    If Vinson were here, he would understand what Arielle meant by ¡°a little.¡± On the other hand, Henry


    only chuckled in response as he did not take her words seriously.


    Well, she¡¯s a girl, so she probably equates good specifications with fast inte speed and a smooth


    screen.


    Much to his surprise, Arielle suddenly spoke up. ¡°Thisputer has sixteen thousandputing


    nodes and 2.2GHz processing power. Aside from that, its information processing speed is also quite


    fast. I think thisputer¡¯s specifications might be one of the best in the market.¡±


    Henry was dumbfounded and could not understand a single word Arielle had said. Nheless, when


    he heard her exnation, he, too, thought theputer sounded great.


    Henry then eximed, ¡°Wow, so you¡¯re an expert! I was wondering if this ce is a scam because it


    costs a hundred for an hour.¡±


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°Equipment of this caliber is truly worth a hundred for an hour. I¡¯m going to ask


    the ownerter and see if I can find out where to buy aputer build like this one.¡±


    At that point, Henry was utterly confused by Arielle. The only thing he could process was Jared¡¯s


    nonchnt


    response. ¡°If you¡¯re thinking of changing yourputer¡¯s build, I can introduce you to my friend.¡±


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    Arielle turned to look at him and asked, ¡°Is it better than this one?¡±


    Jared nodded his head. ¡°The Bakers manufacture a wide range of technology in Jadeborough. A


    simpleputer build is nothing for them.¡±


    ¡°The Bakers¡­¡± Arielle murmured, ¡°Are you talking about the family that Jordan belongs to?¡±


    Upon hearing her question, Jared was taken aback. ¡°You¡¯re acquainted with Jordan?¡±


    There was a slightly change in Arielle¡¯s expression as she replied indifferently, ¡°I guess you can say


    that.¡±


    However, she had not seen Jordan or Harvey in a long time, which exined why she had no idea


    what they were up to at the moment. Furthermore, she was unaware of what Vinson was busy with as


    well.


    While Arielle was deep in her thoughts, the PUBG application was done downloading.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Arielle stated.


    Henry rolled up his sleeves in preparation for battle and roared, ¡°Let¡¯s go! It¡¯s time to kill!¡±


    On the other hand, Arielle was rendered speechless by Henry¡¯s childish battle cry.


    After clicking on the login page, Arielle wanted to log into the game using her test ount. However,


    she went back on it after realizing it might arouse some suspicions from the two men. Hence, she


    asked, ¡°I haven¡¯t registered yet. Do you guys have any spare ounts?¡±


    When the game was first released, Arielle used her test ount and yed the game for a month


    straight. Suffice to say, she was quite addicted to the game back then.


    Before she retired from the game, Arielle was ranked first on the leaderboard and was a celebrity in the


    server. At that point, she was curious to know if anyone had broken her record of finishing the game


    within twelve minutes.


    Meanwhile, beads of cold sweat began forming on Henry¡¯s forehead when he realized Arielle did not


    even have an ount.


    It was already difficult to fight alongside a newbie, and carrying someone who waspletely new to


    the game was even harder. Furthermore, they were up against the team who was currently ranked third


    on the leaderboard


    While Henry was panicking inwardly, Jared¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°I¡¯ll give you my older brother¡¯s ount.


    His username is ¡®harveyjupiter.¡±


    Oh wow! What a small world. The ount belongs to Harvey.


    As soon as Arielle logged into the ount, it immediately showed her the ranking ofst season¡¯s


    leaderboard. The ount she was using was ranked tenth in Chanaea.


    Just then, Henry, who was beside her, exined, ¡°Jared¡¯s brother is an expert! If he wasn¡¯t busy with


    work, he would¡¯ve been ranked first on the leaderboard. But, no one¡¯s more impressive than ¡®test001.¡¯


    Nobody has been able to break his record thus far, and it¡¯s Harvey¡¯s goal to do so.¡±


    In Henry¡¯s opinion, ¡°test001¡± was so impressive that the thought of the person behind the ount


    being a girl had never crossed his mind.


    Upon hearing his words, Arielle could not help but be amused.


    Oh, so Harvey¡¯s current goal is to break my record? This is indeed amusing.

 Chapter 388

    Chapter 388


    ¡°Cut the crap!¡± Jared urged, ¡°Find out his location right now!¡±


    ¡°All right!¡± Henry looked at the screen for a moment before saying with disappointment, ¡°He¡¯s not


    online.¡±


    As soon as his words fell, Henry noticed that the profile picture of that man had lit up.


    Seeing that, he instantly mmed at the table energetically. ¡°H-He¡¯s online now!¡±


    Arielle was speechless. She did not understand why Henry got so excited.


    The next moment, a new message popped up in the chatbox: Jared, do you dare to challenge me?


    It seemed like that was the man who wanted to challenge Jared.


    ¡°What does he mean by that?¡± Arielle turned around to ask Henry.


    Henry exined, ¡°There¡¯s a new rule for this season¡¯s match. If Jared epts his opponent¡¯s


    challenge, then that opponent will get to take over Jared¡¯s ranking if he manages to defeat his whole


    team on his own.¡±


    Arielle nodded. She finally understood why that man would try to provoke Jared. It seemed that he was


    trying to take over Jared¡¯s ranking to win the champion.


    She turned around to look at Jared, who was sitting


    behind her, ¡°ept his challenge. I¡¯ll make sure you win the match.¡±


    Jared¡¯s face darkened upon hearing that, while Henry simply gawped at her in disbelief.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    In truth, Jared had already nned to ept that challenge no matter what.


    He was the highest-ranked yer in that season, and Henry was ranked fourth. The man with the


    username ¡®King¡¯ was the man who challenged them. He was ranked third on the scoreboard.


    However, Jared did not care about the numbers two and three on the lists. After all, their scores were


    way lower than him, so he was not afraid to ept King¡¯s challenge.


    Besides, he did not take what Arielle said seriously.


    Without saying anything, he pressed the button and epted the challenge.


    The next second, both parties entered a lobby.


    Henry¡¯s face turned grim as soon as he looked at the names of the opponents. He bit his lips hard and


    said, ¡°Oh no. King has invited the yers that were ranked two and fifth to join his party. It might be


    challenging for us to win the game with you.¡±


    In other words, he hoped that Arielle could leave their party of her own volition.


    However, before Arielle managed to say anything, Jared interrupted, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Start


    the game now.¡±


    Henry looked at Jared with aplicated expression. ¡°Are you sure? She doesn¡¯t even have an


    ount.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. They have to kill three of us to win the game, anyway.¡± Jared did not care whether


    Arielle would survive the game or not.


    Henry let out a sigh. ¡°All right, Missy, ready up then. Find a house to hide as soon as the match starts.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Arielle responded.


    By then, there were ten seconds left for the matchmaking


    Ten secondster, the image on the screen changed. A gigantic ne was flying above and.


    Arielle stared at the screen. I¡¯ve never seen this map before. It must be a new one.


    Jared clicked on one point and said, ¡°We¡¯re going tond here.¡±


    ¡°The pier?¡± Henry was shocked. He hurriedly warned him, ¡°That¡¯s not a good idea. There would be


    many yers who would choose tond on the pier. What if we got killed instantly? How about wend


    at the airport? We can farm more items before starting a battle.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Nobody wille.¡± Jared was determined.


    King and the yer who was ranked second are timid yers who loved to attack from behind. So,


    Jared was confident that they would notnd in such a dangerous ce.


    Henry sighed. He had no choice but to do as Jared said.


    Upon seeing that, Arielle decided to follow them too.


    Soon, the three of themnded on the pier.


    Arielle noticed that there were many parachutes around them before shended. Well, seems like it¡¯s


    true that there are indeed many yers who choose tond here.

 Chapter 389

    Chapter 389


    Previously, Arielle used tond in Paradise Town every time she yed the game. There were many


    yers whonded in that area. Hence, she could start killing other yers as soon as shended.


    Moreover, she would not even pick up any armor before the battle. She would only focus on taking over


    the yers¡¯ items after killing them.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    That was not considered immoral. After all, many yers would do that in the game. As a yer died,


    they would turn into a box with their equipment inside.


    Arielle was thest one in the team tond on the pier.


    Henry had already killed two yers with a pan by the time shended. He then turned around to look


    at her proudly and said, ¡°Missy, go and look for some supplies there. Let me know if you manage to


    find any top quality armors. Also, remember to find us some better


    guns.¡±


    Arielle nodded before she started to gather some supplies.


    However, no one knew that she had never gathered supplies in the game before. She took all the guns


    and armors by killing other yers.


    Fortunately, she managed to find a level three helmet and armor. She immediately ran back to Henry


    and gave him all the supplies.


    ¡°Great!¡± Henry praised Arielle, ¡°Missy, I didn¡¯t know that you¡¯re so talented in this game. We can form a


    team


    and y together in the future.¡±


    Suddenly, Arielle shouted, ¡°Watch out!¡±


    Bang! Bang! However, It was toote. Henry¡¯s armor got destroyed after the gunshots, and there was


    only a quarter of HP left in his health bar.


    ¡°F*ck!¡± Henry cursed as he crawled and hid behind an obstacle. ¡°They set up a trap on us again! How


    dare they ambush us in the pier!¡±


    Arielle ran to the obstacle after some time. However, before she managed to heal Henry, the enemies


    began shooting again.


    She gritted her teeth and ran toward another obstacle. The next second, Henry turned into a box.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Henry mmed the table furiously. ¡°They¡¯re so despicable! They don¡¯t even give us the


    chance to farm!¡±


    As he spoke, he stood up and approached Arielle. ¡°Missy, I can take over your position.¡±


    ¡°No need for that.¡± Arielle had witnessed Henry¡¯s capability just now. She had deemed that his reaction


    speed was too slow. So, she decided to finish the game herself.


    Henry turned around to ask Jared for help upon getting rejected. ¡°Jared¡­¡±


    Unfortunately, Jared replied, ¡°You¡¯re already dead. Why are you trying to take her position? Just sit


    down and spectate.¡¯


    Henry had no choice but to sit down beside Jared.


    He reckoned that Arielle was going to die soon. Therefore, he decided to watch the process of Jared


    killing the three enemies on his own. It¡¯s time to show them our true power!


    Meanwhile, Arielle had discovered the enemies¡¯ locations. After making sure that they could not see


    her, she crawled back to the ce where Henry died to take all of his equipment.


    Jared was well-equipped since he had killed two yers with a pan just now. He had two pairs of


    quality guns that he could use during close-ranged and far-rangedbats. Moreover, he had


    gathered sufficient bullets.


    After equipping the armors, Arielle headed toward another direction sneakily.


    Right then, Jared had found a cabin that was full of supplies.


    Suddenly, a loud gunshot echoed as he walked past the cabin window. Just like that, his level three


    helmet was gone.


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right!¡± Jared frowned. ¡°That window is located right opposite of a mountain. But then,


    that mountain is far away from here. By right, his bullet


    should not have hit me in such shooting distance.¡±


    Henry widened his eyes. ¡°That bastard is hacking the game!¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Jared instantly used a first-aid kit on himself.


    However, somebody tossed a grenade into the cabin before he managed to get himself fully healed.


    Jared tried to escape, but the grenade exploded right in front of him. His screen turned ck a second


    later.


    Unfortunately, he was dead too.

 Chapter 390

    Chapter 390


    ¡°F*ck!¡± Henry cursed. ¡°I knew it! They are hacking the game! Otherwise, no one can ever throw a


    grenade from such a great distance.¡±


    Meanwhile, Jared remained expressionless. He saved the clip and pressed the ¡°report¡± button. With


    that, he stood up and turned around. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m not dead yet,¡± Arielle reminded as she climbed up the hill.


    Henry got excited upon hearing that. ¡°That¡¯s right! Missy¡¯s not dead yet! Missy, you can go ahead and


    get yourself killed by other teams on purpose. You can also toss a grenade in front of you. As long as


    that guy doesn¡¯t get to kill you, he won¡¯t be able to take away Jared¡¯s rank.¡±


    Jared agreed with Henry¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Good idea.¡±


    The reporting system in that game was rather useless. Although Jared had submitted his report, the


    rtive feedback would only release after three days. Moreover, not all reports would work.


    Anyway, he had lost interest in that game. There were too many hackers, so he could not even enjoy


    the gaming experience.


    Jared approached Arielle to teach her the steps to use a grenade. At the moment, she was aiming in a


    direction from a gigantic rock.


    Seeing that, Jared got a little surprised. She doesn¡¯t look


    like a newbie. Her postures and aiming techniques are skilled. If she¡¯s ying the game for the first


    time, she shouldn¡¯t be that familiar with all the keys.


    Henry got confused as well, but he could not notice the details like how Jared did. Instead, he was


    curious about what Arielle was doing. ¡°Missy, who are you aiming


    at?¡±


    Arielle was so focused on the game that she did not even shift her gaze. ¡°The yer who killed you


    guys.¡±


    Henry burst intoughter. ¡°Missy, are you kidding me? They¡¯re a bunch of hackers. Besides, I doubt


    you¡¯ll be able to beat them even if they¡¯re not hacking. Do you know how to control your recoil? It¡¯s not


    all about aiming. You should throw a grenade and end the game


    now.¡±


    He could not believe that Arielle could win the game. After all, their enemy was ranked third on the


    leaderboard.


    Meanwhile, the challenge between King and Jared had spread across the gaming channels of


    Chanaea like wildfire.


    Spectators were allowed for the match. Hence, many yers had noticed that there was something


    fishy going on with King. At that, everyone began discussing across the channels.


    He¡¯s definitely hacking. There¡¯s no way that he can throw a grenade from that far.


    I¡¯m really left speechless. How dare he hack during a challenge? That¡¯s such a shameless act.


    How can he start a challenge and hack the game? If he wants to achieve a higher ranking, he should


    y more matches to get more scores.


    Only losers do that. Good yers will admire and learn from each other¡¯s skills.


    Of course, there were also yers who tried to interpret King¡¯s action from a more rational perspective.


    The reporting system in PUBG is useless. I don¡¯t think they can get King reported.


    There is only one yer left on Jared¡¯s team. Moreover, the yer¡¯s number ten on the scoreboard. I


    guess it¡¯s time for Jared to give his position away.


    That yer should throw a grenade in front and end their team now. We can¡¯t let that hacker be


    the highest-ranked yer on the scoreboard!


    However, just when everyone else assumed that Arielle would kill herself with a grenade in the match,


    she insisted on climbing up a mountain and continued the game.


    Meanwhile, Henry got nervous upon seeing that. ¡°Missy, please don¡¯t be reckless. The best thing you


    can do now is to throw a grenade¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± Arielle fixated her gaze on


    the screen as she said, ¡°I¡¯ll win the game and take over his position for you.¡±


    Her face was so serious that Henry could not bring himself tough.


    Just then, a yer ran down the mountain.

 Chapter 391

    Chapter 391


    King and his teammates were the only people on the mountain.


    Henry gasped and pleaded, ¡°Missy, please, I¡¯m begging you, Just throw a grenade now!¡±


    Arielle remained motionless as she continued peeking at the enemy.


    Henry wanted to plead to her again, but Jared reached out a hand to press the former¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Keep quiet!¡±


    Henry got frightened upon seeing the stern expression on Jared¡¯s face. Subconsciously, he turned


    around and stared at the screen with thetter. There¡¯s no way that she can kill King. Jared should


    really stop daydreaming!


    Right then, Jaredmanded, ¡°Shoot now.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Arielle adjusted the crosshair of her gun and pressed the fire button swiftly.


    Bang! The next second, the location of where King was standing turned red. It turned out that Arielle


    had shot him through his head.


    ¡°Holy sh*t!¡± Henry got so shocked that he could not help but cuss.


    Arielle did not hesitate. She continued to fire another two shots in the same direction.


    Soon, lumps of green smoke appeared on top of King¡¯s corpse, followed by a sentence on the bottom


    left of the


    screen: King has been killed by Harvey.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Henry widened his eyes in disbelief as he stared at Arielle incredulously. He was on the verge of


    doubting reality. Who am I? Where am I? What¡¯s going on?


    Jared, too, was stunned. In fact, he was only trying his luck when he asked Arielle to shoot, so he did


    not expect Arielle to actually hit the target.


    Moreover, she managed to fire three shots without any intervals. All of her shots were urate enough


    to hit King¡¯s head.


    However, Jared looked way calmerpared to Henry.


    A momentter, Arielle broke the silence and said, ¡°There are still two yers left. One of them is on


    the mountain, but I don¡¯t know where the other one is. I¡¯ll kill that guy on the mountain first.¡±


    Jared opened his mouth, but the words never came as his mind went nk.


    Right then, Henry had regained his senses. He yelled excitedly, ¡°Kill them! Kill all the stupid hackers!


    You can do it, Boss!¡±


    He had begun to see Arielle as his new leader in PUBG. She¡¯s an incredibly professional yer!


    Initially, Henry thought that he had overestimated Arielle¡¯s capability. After all, the main reason King got


    killed was due to his negligence.


    However, Arielle did not let him down. She continued to charge forward to the mountain. As soon as


    she reached where the other yer was, they started a gun battle. Although the enemy was well


    prepared, his uracy and reaction speed were not as good as Arielle¡¯s.


    With that, she instantly killed him with a headshot. After picking up that yer¡¯s equipment, she ran


    down the mountain to look for thest enemy.


    However, thest man in King¡¯s team decided to hide after the rest of his teammates got killed.


    Arielle did not rush to find him. Instead, she began a massacre and killed everyone she saw.


    As soon as the zone closed in until a small circle, she killed thest enemy and won the game.


    The match ended soon after.


    Based on the rules, since Jared had epted the challenge, the whole team would be involved in it


    too.


    Therefore, Arielle became a ranked two yer on the scoreboard after killing all three yers in King¡¯s


    team.


    Henry¡¯s expression changed from disbelief to shock in a few seconds. Finally, a horrific look appeared


    on his face. Did she just kill everyone in the game? How is that possible?


    He found it hard to believe everything he saw. Not only


    did Arielle destroy King¡¯s team, but she also killed the rest of the yers in a short time.


    It seemed like she was almost as capable as Zero One, the highest-ranked yer throughout the


    seasons.

 Chapter 392

    Chapter 392


    Meanwhile, the yers who were spectating the game got hyped as they started a discussion across


    the channels destroy King¡¯s team?


    He killed all the yers in only sixteen minutes.


    His skills reminds me of Zero One.


    He¡¯s still not a match for Zero One, though. Zero One had killed the rest of the ny-nine yers in


    twelve minutes.


    Anyway, he¡¯s still strong! King¡¯s going to get so angry. He thought he could win the challenge by killing


    the two enemies. But, he ended up getting killed by a yer in rank ten. What a joke!


    Everyone let out a sigh of relief upon knowing that the hacker got defeated.


    When Henry and Arielle were celebrating their victory, Jared suddenly received a reply from the


    reporting system.


    ¡°How is it? Did the report work?¡± Henry took a step forward to look at theputer.


    A sentence appeared in the middle of the screen: Sorry. Your report toward yer King is not epted.


    The user did not vite any rules after our investigation.


    ¡°What? How is that not epted? They¡¯re obviously hacking the game!¡± Henry got infuriated.


    Jared shrugged as if he had expected that oue. ¡°Forget it. That¡¯s normal.¡±


    After all, the game developer had too much to take care of. They did not have sufficient employees to


    investigate the hacking system. Hence, they used bots to handle all the reports.


    Just then, Arielle took out her phone and said, ¡°Give me a moment.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do, Boss?¡± Henry asked curiously.


    Arielle dialed a number based on her memory. Then, she mumbled as she waited for the call to


    connect, ¡°I¡¯m going to report that hacker.¡±


    Henry shook his head helplessly. ¡°Are you calling the customer service? That¡¯s not going to work. I¡¯ve


    called them before. They said that they needed twenty-four hours to review the problem, but they did


    not do anything in the end. Just give up. It¡¯s not going to work.¡±


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not calling the customer service.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Henry teased, ¡°Who are you calling, then? The boss of the game development


    company?¡±


    He did not believe that she would have the boss¡¯ number. Moreover, he reckoned that the boss would


    never bother to care about such trivial things.


    However, as soon as the call connected, Arielle said, ¡°Hey, Ryan. It¡¯s me, San.


    Jared and Henry were dumbfounded. Ryan? Isn¡¯t he the CEO of the game developmentpany for


    PUBG?


    Arielle continued to speak on the phone, ¡°Can you help me to settle something? A yer with his ID


    named King has hacked a match at four in the afternoon, Chanaea time.¡±


    A momentter, she responded with a ¡®Thank you¡¯ and hung up the call.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Henry frowned as he asked in disbelief, ¡°Boss, don¡¯t tell me that you know Ryan. Did he actually agree


    to help


    Suddenly, a notification sounded from Jared¡¯sputer. It was a message from the reporting system.


    Jared rushed forward to open the message. A page popped out again in the middle of the screen: Your


    report has been approved. After our investigation, we¡¯ve noticed that the yer, King, has used hacks


    during the game. We will proceed to ban his ount. Thank you for reporting. You will receive a set of


    limited skins as a reward. We hope you enjoy the game.

 Chapter 393

    Chapter 393


    Henry saw the message from the system as well and immediately urged Jared to check the type of skin


    that had been sent.


    Jared clicked on his inventory, and he realized that the system had sent him a skin of epic grade. It


    looked really cool, and the parachute even had some special effects.


    ¡°Oh my!¡± Henry was so jealous.


    After all, that skin cost three thousand, and one needed to enter a lucky draw in order to obtain the right


    to buy it. Each lucky draw entry required fifty from the yer, and the least number of lucky draws in


    the forum was more than eight hundred times.


    This is such a huge gain!


    Henry got so envious that he turned around and started to suck up to Arielle.


    ¡°Boss, I never doubted you for a second! Can you also get Ryan to send me one?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Arielle nodded, and it took her quite a while to send the message.


    Before Jared could recover from the surprise of Arielle¡¯s gift, he saw an announcement in the chatbox:


    After our investigation, yer King was found to have vited the regtions of the game. As such, he


    will be permanently suspended. As for the rest of his teammates, they will be suspended for a year as


    a


    penalty. PUBG has always advocated fair gaming. We hope that all yers will abide by the rules and


    regtions. Please remember to y in moderation.


    There was no way that any of the yers in PUBG could have missed the message.


    King and his two teammates immediately became theughingstock of the gaming world.


    Ten minutes earlier at Actonward residence, Mason saw that he had been defeated by a yer who


    was ranked tenth and wanted to smash the keyboard.


    But when he remembered that he was at Yvette¡¯s house, he had no choice but to suppress his anger


    and log off the ount.


    Mason had spent lots of money to hack the game for that fight. After defeating the yers that were


    ranked number one and fourth, he did not expect to be defeated by a yer who was ranked tenth.


    If he was the only one who was killed, that would have been fine. What he did not expect was that tenth


    ranking yer to start a massacre and finish his entire team off.


    This yer is no ordinary person!


    Perhaps that¡¯s why Jared epted my challenge.


    It must have been a trap!


    This is so humiliating!


    However, for him, the heartache was worse than the humiliation.


    He was not gifted in his studies and work. But, when it came to gaming, that was a whole different


    story. It was something he was good at. That was why he would ept orders after work and y for


    others.


    King was one of the ounts he had epted. Although the ount owner was very poor in his


    gaming skills, he was also extremely wealthy.


    The ount owner¡¯s father had promised him five hundred thousand if he became number one on the


    scoreboard.


    Five hundred thousand was definitely no small sum.


    If Mason could earn that kind of money, perhaps Yvette¡¯s father would be impressed with him instead of


    treating him like a pest.


    However, his n had been ruined because of the tenth ranking yer, and he was beside himself with


    fury.


    Nheless, the sponsor¡¯s father had promised a payment of two hundred thousand if he managed to


    get into any of the top three positions.


    Two hundred thousand is a lot lesser than five hundred thousand. But, money is money, right? At the


    very least, I can show off my gaming skills in front of Russell.


    For all I know, Russell might even arrange for me topete professionally, and I can eventually b


    sports yer.


    Nowadays, e¨Csports yers are able to earn quite well.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Perhaps I can get rich by doing this. And when the timees, Yvette mighte


    to like me even more.


    The more Mason thought about it, the happier he became. He passed up on the


    idea of achieving number one on the scoreboard and made a call to the sponsor¡®s father to ask for his tw

 Chapter 394

    Chapter 394


    However, the moment the call was answered, the other party started scolding him. ¡°You bloody b*stard!


    You¡¯ve ruined my ount! I have several limited edition items in there. You¡¯ve ruined everything!¡±


    Mason was stunned when he was berated. Once the other party had cooled off a little, he asked, ¡°Mr.


    Wayne, are you mistaken? Since when did I ruin your ount? I simply failed to attain first in the


    ranking, that¡¯s all. But I did manage to get your ount into the third position. Shouldn¡¯t you be giving


    me the two hundred thousand that you have promised?¡±


    ¡°Go to hell! You have no idea what just happened, do you?¡±


    ¡°W-What happened?¡± Mason waspletely clueless.


    His customer took a deep breath and said, ¡°See if you can log in. If you can, I will give you two million


    instead!¡±


    Mason was puzzled.


    How difficult can it be to log into the ount? Why crazy?


    Well, who cares whether he is crazy or not? If logging a fool would refuse such an offer.


    Mason was simple-minded enough not to ponder too much about his customer¡¯s weird behavior. He


    started to log in with excitement.


    During the logging-in process, Mason was even nning on how he was going to spend the money.


    Perhaps, I will buy Yvette a luxurious car that is worth more than a million and use the rest of the


    money to buy a branded watch for Russell.


    The more he thought about it, the more hyped up he became. In fact, he felt that this moment was the


    peak of his life.


    Two million, here Ie!


    Mason located the chat history with the ount holder¡¯s father and attempted to log into the ount


    again.


    Just as Mason clicked on the login button, he failed to enter into the games page. Instead, a white


    frame popped up.


    He squinted his eyes and saw the message.


    This is a gentle reminder: Your ount has been permanently suspended due to a vition of our


    rules and regtions. Should you have any dispute regarding this matter, kindly click here to submit


    your reasons.


    The excitement on Mason¡¯s face disappeared instantly. He stared at the message and thought that his


    eyes were ying tricks on him.


    How is this possible?


    I¡¯ve purchased thetest and the best software. The seller has guaranteed that PUBG¡¯s bot would not


    be able to detect it!


    So how did this happen?


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it! I must have seen wrongly!¡±


    With trembling hands, Mason forcibly closed the page and tried to log in again same white frame


    appeared. The content was still the same as before. It stated that he had vited the regtions and


    was being suspended permanently.


    As for the reason for the ount¡¯s suspension, it was a no-brainer. Once the other party started to


    delve deeper, they would surely discover his illegal use of third-party software.


    At that moment, Mason¡¯s mind had gone nk.


    What should I do? What am I going to do?


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    This ount is worth millions. I¡¯m just a clerk earning six thousand a month. How am I going to find so


    much money to pay him back?


    Mason felt cool dampness on his back. He reached behind and realized that he had been sweating


    profusely. His shirt was so drenched that the perspiration could be wrung out of it.


    ¡°Did you see it?¡± yelled the ount owner. ¡°My ount has been suspended for good because of you!


    I want you topensate me for my losses! Otherwise, I will sue you in court!¡±

 Chapter 395

    Chapter 395


    Mason wiped off the sweat on his forehead as he stammered into the phone, ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. The game


    should never have picked up on the hack in the first ce. I have no idea how their bots managed to


    detect it. Mr. Wayne, please give me a bit more time. I swear I can create a new ount and be


    the highest ranked yer in the game by the end of this season.¡±


    ¡°F*ck you! Do you think this is a matter of ranking? My ount is worth millions! What makes you think


    that creating a new ount is enough topensate for my losses?¡±


    Mason swallowed nervously and asked, ¡°T-Then, how do I fix this?¡±


    ¡°How? Money, of course! Two million, and not a dime less!¡±


    ¡°Two million?¡± Mason gasped, struggling toe up with a coherent reply. ¡°I¡¯m just an ordinary Joe.


    How am I supposed toe up with two million?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your problem, not mine. If I don¡¯t see that money in my ount by midnight, I¡¯ll see you in


    court!¡±


    His caller hung up without giving Mason a chance to reply.


    Mason slumped in his chair. He regretted how he had allowed his greed to blind him into challenging


    the highest-ranked yer in the game. All this just so I could get an extra three hundred thousand


    more¡­


    Achieving the third-highest rank in the game was a result of his hard work. He had never used a hacker


    ount before this match.


    Nheless, it was toote for any regret now.


    After staring nkly for a while, Mason suddenly recalled thepany who had sold him the hacks.


    That¡¯s it! I could contact them and im damages worth two million!


    His hope reignited, Mason immediately dialed the number of thepany.


    The line, however, went unanswered.


    Just as Mason was about to give up, someone answered his call.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Heunched into an impassioned plea. ¡°They discovered the hacks you sold me and took my


    ount off the server forever. I¡¯m demandingpensation!¡±


    ¡°Hah! Compensate you? We were just about to look for you when you came knocking on our door!¡±


    Mason frowned in confusion, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°What do I mean?¡± The person on the other end of the phone sounded far more agitated than Mason


    had been. ¡°Your hacking incident has be public knowledge. The developers traced your hacks to


    us, and they¡¯re nning to sue us! We¡¯re looking at awsuit worth at


    least tens of millions! It¡¯s all because of you that we¡¯re facing this massivewsuit!¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Mason added in disbelief, ¡°I¡¯m just a normal gamer like everyone else. Why


    would the developers of a game as famous as PUBG take notice of me? Maybe they¡¯ve already had


    their eyes on yourpany for a while?¡±


    ¡°F*ck you!¡±


    Mason sighed inwardly. I¡¯m like everyone¡¯s punching bag today.


    The employee of the hackerpany continued, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, why don¡¯t you create a new


    ount and log into the game? The developers have made an in-game announcement about your little


    fiasco, and they¡¯re nning to take legal action against future incidents of hacking. You¡¯ve basically


    tanked our entire business!¡±


    Mason hastily logged into his original ount. There was indeed such an in-game announcement


    posted by the developers, along with the name of the hackerpany whose services he had


    engaged.


    They weren¡¯t lying about the developersing after them.


    Mason felt like his heart was about to leap out of his


    throat. He had never felt this hopeless in his life.


    Meanwhile, angry words continued drifting in through


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    the receiver. ¡°Tens of millions! Dear God! Where the hell are we going to get this money? I¡¯m telling


    you, you must¡¯ve gotten yourself on someone¡¯s bad side. I bet the highest-ranked yer in the game


    has ties with the developer, or they wouldn¡¯te down on us so strongly!¡±


    Mason wiped the cold sweat off his forehead subconsciously.

 Chapter 396

    Chapter 396


    Mason had always been a calctive character. The only reason he considered using a hack was


    because he thought that the highest-ranked yer in PUBG was a poor, inconsequential chap.


    I bit off more than I could chew!


    After a few seconds of silence, the employee of the hackerpany warned, ¡°You¡¯d better give us


    every single penny you have, or we¡¯ll turn your life into a living hell!¡±


    Mason sputtered in fright, ¡°I-I don¡¯t have money.¡±


    ¡°Are you dirt-broke or something? Hah! Say goodbye to your legs then!¡±


    The call ended abruptly, leaving behind a dejected Mason who was struggling toe to terms with


    how quickly things had gone downhill.


    I would never have challenged the highest-ranked yer if I knew things were going to turn out like


    this!


    He no longer had the luxury to stew in regret. Mason knew he needed to start gathering money for


    compensation


    Money¡­


    He surveyed the luxurious room he was in.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I don¡¯t have money, but the Actonwards are swimming in cash. I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t notice a thing if I


    stole some


    stuff. No, no, that doesn¡¯t even entail stealing. Yvette and I are legally married, so this is just me selling


    some items that I own.


    After convincing himself of thewfulness of his actions, Mason got up and left the bedroom.


    He nned to take a gander around the Actonward residence and make a note of any items he could


    sell.


    Meanwhile, in a private booth in an Inte cafe, Jared


    and Henry were awestruck at Arielle¡¯s skills.


    Within a few short minutes, they watched Arielle trace the exact location of King¡¯s ount based on


    the yer¡¯s IP login. Some typingter, she hacked into another system and managed to identify the


    hackerpany behind King¡¯s ount.


    Within the day, PUBG¡¯s developers had posted an in game announcement dering their intention to


    crack down on hackers in their game.


    They had no idea how she had single-handedly destroyed King and the hackerpany with


    seemingly nothing but some rapid strokes of her keyboard.


    She¡¯s freaking amazing!


    ¡°B-Boss,¡± Jared had unknowingly addressed Arielle as his boss like Henry. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you went a


    tad overboard with your revenge? All we had to do was to ban King¡¯s ount. Y-You didn¡¯t have to go


    so far for us.¡±


    Arielle hung up on her call with Ryan before turning to Henry. ¡°Remember to im the free skin in your


    ount.¡± Only then did she face Jared and say, ¡°I didn¡¯t do all this for you. It was for me.¡±


    Confused, Jared asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    She smirked and replied, ¡°I happen to be acquainted with the yer behind this ount.¡±


    Arielle never imagined that her random foray into a game would cause her to cross paths with the


    despicable Mason.


    It¡¯ll be such a waste if I didn¡¯t teach him a memorable lesson.


    Taking down Mason in such a grand fashion also guaranteed that he would not show up during


    Shandie¡¯s funeral and create a scene.


    I can finally rx. That a*shole¡¯s probably busy collecting money to pay off the people after his neck.


    Arielle was incredibly pleased with how everything had turned out.


    Her smile, however, sent chills through Jared and Henry¡¯s spines.


    We underestimated our ssmate! She¡¯s a triple threat! Studies, gaming, and even hacking! What


    can¡¯t she do?


    Jared was even rejoicing in the fact that he was not


    Arielle¡¯s enemy. I wouldn¡¯t even know how I died if she was behind it.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s over,¡± Arielle said as she stretched her tense muscles. ¡°Any of you still want to game? If


    not, let¡¯s get something to eat. My treat!¡±


    Henry nodded eagerly. ¡°Anything you say, Boss!¡±


    What an honor!

 Chapter 397

    Chapter 397


    The next moment, Jared piqued up, ¡°You did us such a huge favor. We should be the ones treating you


    to a meal!¡±


    Henry nodded as eagerly as before. ¡°Yes! He¡¯s right! Please ept our treat. It would be rude to have


    a girl treat us anyway.¡±


    Arielle refused their offers. ¡°I¡¯m in a great mood today. So let me have my way; you can treat me


    another day.¡±


    ¡°Alrighty then!¡± Henry asked, ¡°So, where should we eat?¡±


    Before Arielle could answer, the door to their booth was suddenly kicked open, followed by a familiar


    voice.


    ¡°Jared, what the hell did you do this time?¡±


    Isn¡¯t this Harvey¡¯s voice? Arielle was stunned.


    As expected, Harvey stormed into the room soon after.


    Jared scrunched his brows and was about to reply when Arielle cut in, ¡°Harvey Jupiter?¡±


    Harvey froze in motion before whipping around to stare at Arielle.


    Once he recognized her, he asked in surprise, ¡°Arielle, what are you doing here?¡±


    She smiled in response. ¡°I should be asking you the same thing. Aren¡¯t you abroad? When did you get


    back?¡±


    Harvey¡¯s anger seemed to dete in an instant as he said, ¡°I just got back. I got a phone call from the


    principal the minute I got off the ne, telling me that my younger brother¡¯s in trouble.¡±


    As he mentioned his younger brother, Harvey¡¯s gazended on Jared, who was next to Arielle.


    ¡°Wait. You guys know each other?¡±


    Arielle eyed Jared and realized something akin to reverence in thetter¡¯s gaze. He must be pretty


    scared of his older brother.


    Recalling how furious Harvey had been when he


    soothe some of the tension. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re ssmates now. We¡¯re both in the preparatory ss for


    Jadeborough University. I practically begged him to show me around Jadeborough.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Harvey nodded as thest hints of anger left his features. He turned to Jared next. ¡°That


    was kind of you. If Arielle¡¯s bored, you should show her around town. I¡¯ll keep this from grandpa.¡±


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Jared¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    I thought he would hit me for sure! How did he make aplete one-eighty after a word from Arielle?


    Could it


    be¡­


    His gaze darted between Arielle and Harvey as he came to a realization.


    She might be my sister-inw in the future. That would be awesome! She¡¯s the coolest! So what if


    those fake socialites said she¡¯s from the countryside? Arielle¡¯s insanely talented and friendly to boot.


    She¡¯s more than a fitting match for Harvey!


    Their conversation, however, told Jared that Harvey¡¯s pursuit of Arielle had yet to seed.


    He decided right then and there to help them speed things along. ¡°Thanks, Harvey. Boss was about to


    treat us to a meal. You probably haven¡¯t eaten anything after getting off the ne; would you like to join


    us?¡±


    Harvey looked at his younger brother approvingly before speaking to Arielle. ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten. You


    wouldn¡¯t mind me tagging along, would you? I swear I won¡¯t eat you out of house and home.¡±


    Arielle smiled and shook her head. ¡°Of course not. I¡¯ve got things to ask you anyway.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. Lead the way, then.¡±


    The four of them left the inte cafe. The attractive group invited admiring stares from other patrons in


    the inte cafe.


    Someone even pulled out his phone to discreetly snap a shot of the group. He posted it online and


    added a cheeky caption: Ran into some hotties in the inte


    cafe. Yay or nay?


    The person who uploaded the photo happened to be a popr game streamer, and his post was soon


    bombarded withments from his followers.


    Where¡¯s this ce? Sign me up!


    Yay, a billion times yay! Especially that gal!


    Arielle remained blissfully unaware of her anonymous stardom on the Inte. She walked ahead with


    Harvey, while Henry and Jared kept a distance to give them


    some privacy.


    Hmm? This route seems oddly familiar.


    Henry piqued up, ¡°Aren¡¯t we walking back to the university? Is Boss treating us to a meal at the


    cafeteria?¡±


    ¡°Hey, a treat is a treat. Be grateful,¡± came Jared¡¯s curt reply.


    Henry grew more perplexed. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a picky eater? Why are you suddenly so considerate?¡±


    Jared left his friend¡¯s question hanging in the air.


    Once Harvey¡¯s married, he won¡¯t have the time to interfere in my business anymore. What¡¯s a bit of


    cafeteria food for the sake of his marriage and my independence? I can eat anything


    Jared¡¯s expression changed slightly. Okay, maybe not anything


    As Arielle led them toward Jadeborough University, she whispered to Harvey, ¡°Did you find any clues


    during your trip overseas?¡±


    Harvey nodded and did not bother sugarcoating anything since Arielle was now fully involved. ¡°We


    tracked the coordinates you gave us, but the ce was empty when we arrived. We did find something


    useful, though. The clues are presently pointing us toward a shippingpany.¡±

 Chapter 398

    Chapter 398


    ¡°A shippingpany?¡± Arielle asked suspiciously, ¡°The legal owner of thatpany is behind all this?¡±


    Harvey shook his head and continued, ¡°No, he¡¯s an average businessman. Something doesn¡¯t add up,


    though. It¡¯s kind of odd for the legal owner of such a bigpany to be your average Joe. Anyway,


    once we¡¯ve properly identified the guy, we can continue our investigations.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Arielle muttered to herself thoughtfully, ¡°A shippingpany.¡±


    Shippingpanies typically did note across as morous as real estate, luxury goods, or


    technology giants, but it would be ill-advised to underestimate their profitability. It was also easy for


    shippingpanies to smuggle other items with legitimate cargo.


    They were privy to all sorts of intel thanks to their ess to ports across the globe.


    They couldn¡¯t have picked a better front for their operations.


    Arielle said coldly, ¡°By the way, Chanaea strictly forbids the private sales of guns and explosives. But


    look at me; I¡¯ve encountered two explosions already! They must¡¯ve been able to smuggle those things


    into Chanaea under the guise of shipping cargo.¡±


    Her guess seemed to remind Harvey of something. He pped his hands once and said, ¡°I can pull


    some strings with my friends at customs and get my hands on


    thatpany¡¯s cargo log.¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle voiced her agreement but advised him to act cautiously. ¡°Remember to stay under the radar; we


    don¡¯t want to lose this lead. We¡¯re dealing with some very cunning enemies.¡±


    Harvey nodded a few times for good measure. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll get in touch with them and discuss our next


    steps. I would¡¯ve called them while I was abroad, but I was worried that they might¡¯ve bugged our


    phones.¡±


    His caution impressed Arielle. ¡°You¡¯re right. They have some pretty skilled hackers, and we shouldn¡¯t


    drop our guard.¡±


    Soon enough, the four of them arrived at the university¡¯s cafeteria.


    ¡°You brought us to the cafeteria?¡± Several moments passed before Harvey realized where they were.


    ¡°Uh-huh. Do you mind? I¡¯m kind of strapped for cash these days, so this is all I can afford.¡±


    ¡°Of course not! Why would I mind?¡± Harvey added hastily, ¡°Just let me know if you¡¯re short on cash.


    What¡¯s your ount number, and how much do you need?¡±


    Arielle rejected his offer immediately. ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯m really okay. I have enough money; I just can¡¯t


    use it too freely at the moment.¡±


    Now that Vinson¡¯s enemies had their eyes on her, she refrained from essing her offshore ount to


    protect her identity. Consequently, Arielle only had ess to her allowance from Henrick.


    It was not a measly sum either, amounting to two million. Still, it was prudent to spend frugally and save


    the funds for unforeseen emergencies.


    Harvey stood by his offer. ¡°Just let me know if you need money.¡±


    She shed him a grateful smile. ¡°I don¡¯t, but thank you for your thought. All right, then, less talking and


    more eating! Get whatever you want!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything as long as meat¡¯s on the menu! But Jared-¡±


    Harvey¡¯s words had Jared piquing up, ¡°I¡¯m not picky either! I¡¯m fine with anything!¡±


    Henry stared at his friend in disbelief.


    Jared was notorious for being a fussy eater.


    ¡°Do you have a crush on Boss?¡± Henry asked under his breath.


    Jared stared at his friend like he was daft. ¡°No! That¡¯s my future sister-inw, you dumb*ss!¡±


    A look of realization appeared on Henry¡¯s face, and he added loudly, ¡°I¡¯m not fussy with my food either.


    Boss,


    you can just order some food for us to share.¡±


    ¡°All right, then. Why don¡¯t you get yourselves some pasta and grab a seat? I¡¯ll be over soon.¡±


    ¡°Pasta?¡± Henry was confused. ¡°Where¡¯s the counter?¡±¡¯


    Arielle pointed at a corner and said, ¡°Over there.¡±


    She froze as soon as the words left her mouth.


    Why would I know where the pasta counter is?

 Chapter 399

    Chapter 399


    Arielle suddenly recalled Vinson saying that her mother used to work as a guest lecturer in the


    university and that her mother asionally brought Arielle along.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    So this is what Vinson meant when he said that visiting familiar ces of my past would help to jog my


    memories. It¡¯s working! I should stay at the university


    longer, then. It¡¯s probably more effective in jogging my memory than digging for clues from more than


    ten


    years ago.


    The others did not find her knowledge of the cafeteriayout surprising. Harvey merely said, ¡°I¡¯ll help


    you with the shared dishes. Jared, Henry; the two of you can


    Arielle did not refuse his offer, and they headed to the main counter to order some dishes.


    The cafeteria had a vast selection of dishes to choose from, and Arielle ended up ordering eight dishes


    and a soup. She and Harvey carried the tes to the table where Jared and Henry were waiting.


    Kelsea and Wendy happened to be in the cafeteria as well, basking in Christopher¡¯s attention and


    personal food-ordering service. There was no shortage of people moring to assist them thanks to


    their beauty, even in an unfamiliar environment such as Jadeborough University.


    The three of them were looking for seats in the cafeteria when amotion broke out.


    ¡°Oh my God! That girl is gorgeous!¡±


    Both Kelsea and Wendy smiled knowingly.


    They must be talking about one of us.


    Christopher did not even bother lifting his head as he said, ¡°They must be talking about the two of you.


    Even the students in my year can¡¯t stop going on and on about you two. You should start preparing


    your speech for homing queen.¡±


    Kelsea arched her brow arrogantly while Wendy tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and said shyly,


    ¡°Christopher, you¡¯re making us blush. The campus is brimming with beautiful girls. They might not even


    be talking about us.¡±


    Her words were but a show of faux modesty. Wendy was confident that the students in the cafeteria


    were


    Kelsea is pretty, yes, but she¡¯s so uptight. Her beauty is rather old-fashioned, I suppose.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible; I¡¯m sure they¡¯re talking about you.¡± Christopher finally raised his head and stared at


    the source of themotion.


    Wendy and Kelsea¡¯s eyes followed the direction of his gaze out of curiosity,


    To their surprise, the student who had gasped was not pointing at Kelsea or Wendy at all. ¡°Calling her a


    goddess is an understatement!¡±


    The girls¡¯ expressions darkened instantly when they realized that neither of them had been the subject


    of that student¡¯s admiration.


    Christopher seemed to catch on to their displeasure and tried to coax them, ¡°They probably didn¡¯t see


    the two of you yet.¡±


    Kelsea and Wendy ignored him in favor of figuring out who theirpetitor was.


    A figure moved slowly through the crowd, offering them only a glimpse of her profile, which was more


    than enough for Kelsea and Wendy to recognize her.


    Of course it has to be Arielle!


    Wendy¡¯s jaw clenched involuntarily.


    Freaking Arielle! She¡¯s always ruining my parade! Isn¡¯t it enough for her to steal my thunder in ss?


    Now she¡¯s even to trample all over me in the cafeteria? What sort of a twisted association is this?


    Kelsea was not faring any better. Arielle, Arielle, Arielle! Why is she everywhere?


    In the next instant, however, Kelsea¡¯s eyes brightened as she spotted the figure next to Arielle.


    Isn¡¯t that Harvey?


    Carter was always hanging out with Harvey, so she had spoken to him a few times before this.


    Harvey hade across as a sort of honest fellow then. He may seem a bit stoic at times, but he¡¯s


    freaking loaded. And it¡¯s not just money; his family is super powerful as well. Since Mrs. Nightshire¡¯s


    already decided on Wendy as her daughter-inw, I¡¯ve lost my chance with Vinson; he¡¯s in some


    ambiguous rtionship with Arielle anyway. It¡¯s a good time for me to switch targets.

 Chapter 400

    Chapter 400


    Harvey seemed much more approachable than Vinson and his cold demeanor.


    Kelsey thought Harvey looked pleasant as well. Though his skin was on the fairer side, he had striking


    features, and the faint scar on his face simply elevated his masculinity.


    Battle scars had always been fatally attractive to women like Kelsey


    Harvey it is then! I can¡¯t possibly spend my whole life ying chess. Plus, I¡¯m a Morgan. I¡¯m sure his


    family will ept my background, even if all I know is ying chess.


    As Kelsea plotted her way to marrying into the Jupiter family, Wendy was stewing in annoyance and


    hatred.


    Christopher followed Kelsea and Wendy¡¯s gaze quizzically.


    How beautiful could she be that even these two are agog?


    His eyes soon widened with surprise and understanding.


    Christopher spied Arielle just as she was taking a seat.


    She seemed to be born with a natural halo that demanded attention and admiration. Christopher knew


    without a doubt that he would be able to spot her even in a crowded cafeteria.


    I can¡¯t evene up with a word that can adequately epass her beauty.


    His gaze traveled across her pearly white teeth and sparkling eyes. Her smile looked like a work of art.


    Christopher was tongue-tied as he admired Arielle¡¯s beauty from afar.


    He had never behaved in such a manner before Kelsea and Wendy. He finallyprehended the fact


    that true beauty was breathtaking and untouchable. It was a far cry from Kelsea and Wendy¡¯s attention-


    seeking ways.


    Christopher racked his brains for a word worthy enough of Arielle¡¯s beauty. He came up short and


    eventually mumbled, ¡°Beautiful.¡±


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Kelsea and Wendy both turned around and red at Christopher.


    He realized the error of his words and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. ¡°The two of you are


    beautiful as well. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder,


    Christopher¡¯s reply merely infuriated the girls further.


    What do you mean by ¡®beautiful as well?¡¯ We don¡¯t want to hear anything nice about freaking Arielle!


    Kelsea decided to ditch Christopher as she said woodenly, ¡°Thanks for lunch. We¡¯re leaving.¡±


    Astonished, he asked, ¡°Where are you going? You haven¡¯t eaten any of the food.¡±


    She merely straightened herself and said disdainfully, ¡°I saw someone I knew over there. We can grab


    a meal together next time. Let¡¯s go, Wendy.¡±


    She dragged Wendy and began walking toward Arielle.


    Worried and confused, Wendy asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you think you were too rude to Christopher earlier?¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± Kelsea scoffed. ¡°He may be the president of the student council, but he¡¯s nothing once we


    get out of the university gates. Don¡¯t forget that we¡¯re not just students here. We carry the prestige of


    our families¡¯ names.¡±


    Wendy¡¯s concern dissipated instantly. After enrolling in university, she had almost forgotten her status


    as the heiress of the Greene family.


    Everyone knew of the formidable Greene family of Horington. She may be an average student in


    university, but the Greene heiress should have no qualms about dismissing someone as


    inconsequential as the student council president.


    She rxed and asked, ¡°So, where are we going?¡±


    Kelsea replied, ¡°To find Arielle.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Wendy almost jumped in shock. But before she could warn Kelsea against it, they found


    themselves


    standing next to Arielle¡¯s table.


    Rate the Trantion to Get 2 Petal.


    Wait! I Have Something to Say!

 Chapter 401

    Chapter 401


    Wendy had no idea what Kelsea was trying to do.


    She looked at Kelsea with confusion. Thetter was already smiling sweetly. Somehow, that sweet


    smile looked awkward on her cold and apathetic face.


    Kelsea wasn¡¯t even looking at Arielle. Instead, she was greeting the man sitting beside Arielle, ¡°Harvey,


    you¡¯re here too?¡±


    Harvey turned around upon hearing her voice and said calmly, ¡°Hey, Kelsea.¡±


    Kelsea grabbed Wendy and sat down next to Harvey. She then asked in a sweet tone, ¡°Harvey, do you


    mind if we join you?¡±


    With how powerful and influential the Jupiters were, it wouldn¡¯t make sense if they minded her to join


    them for a meal.


    However, almost right away, Harvey answered with a frown, ¡°I do mind.¡±


    Kelsea stiffened at that moment, and she wondered if she had heard him wrongly.


    Wendy, who was sitting next to her, felt awkward too.


    Kelsea took a deep breath and forced a smile. ¡°Harvey, you¡¯re joking, right?¡±


    Without sparing her any mercy, Harvey answered, ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m not the host today. If you wish to join


    us, you


    should ask the host instead.¡±


    Kelsea had a bad feeling about this, but she still forced a smile and asked, ¡°May I know who the host is


    then?¡±


    Arielle stared at Kelsea and Wendy with a neutral expression. ¡°Me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s you, Ms. Moore. Well, why don¡¯t I pay for the meal instead? It has been a while since I¡¯ve


    seen Harvey, and it¡¯d be a great time to catch up,¡± Kelsea said.


    Arielle was still expressionless upon hearing that. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯ve already paid for the


    meal. You can treat him next time. Besides, I don¡¯t want to see you. So, please leave now.¡±


    Kelsea could no longer force a smile. Her expression darkened. ¡°Arielle, are you this ill-mannered?¡±


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle raised a brow. ¡°Speaking of manners, Ms. Morgan, if you emphasize this much on manners,


    shouldn¡¯t you kneel and call me grandmaster by now?¡±


    Kelsea¡¯s cheeks flushed at once.


    Damn it! She just had to rub it in my face! How I wish I could just get rid of her right now!


    Harvey was curious to hear that. ¡°What grandmaster?¡±


    Arielle gave Kelsea a meaningful look before saying, ¡°It¡¯s just something that happened between us.


    Ms.


    Morgan should know what I¡¯m referring to.¡±


    Kelsea¡¯s face paled with anger.


    It seemed like she had to start ying pitiful instead of facing Arielle head-on.


    I refuse to believe that Arielle would be more important to Harvey. After all, I¡¯m his best friend¡¯s cousin.


    Kelsea pinched hard on her thigh, and soon, tears started rolling down her cheeks.


    She started ying the victim. ¡°Harvey, don¡¯t be fooled by her appearance. In the Haut Mondest


    time, I used a chess tactic that she came up with, but I didn¡¯t know it was hers. She even formed the


    word ¡®stupid¡¯ on the chessboard. She¡¯s nothing but a scheming witch!¡±


    Harvey¡¯s eyes narrowed at that. A hint of hostility shed in his gaze. ¡°Witch?¡±


    Kelsea noticed that Harvey was boiling with rage, and she assumed he was falling for her tricks and


    hating on Arielle already.


    She immediately added, ¡°Yes, she¡¯s a witch. She tends to skip sses and argue with the teachers.


    Not only that, she has a messy private life too. Even after knowing that Vin has a fianc¨¦e, she¡¯s still


    keeping an ambiguous rtionship with him. And now, she¡¯s even having a meal with you. I¡¯m sure you


    know of her ulterior motives by now. Isn¡¯t it suspicious how she¡¯s trying to shoo me away as soon as


    she saw me? She¡¯s


    afraid that I¡¯d expose her true colors in front of you!¡±

 Chapter 402

    Chapter 402


    However, to Kelsea¡¯s surprise, Harvey didn¡¯t even look at Arielle. Instead, he turned to re at her.


    She felt like she was being frozen on the spot under his re.


    Kelsea was suddenly scared. She leaned back in her seat and stuttered, ¡°H-Harvey, why are you


    looking at me like this?¡±


    Harvey let out a lowugh. ¡°Kelsea, since you¡¯re Carter¡¯s cousin, I can forgive you for being rude to


    Arielle. I don¡¯t want to see this happening again. You should leave now! Scram!¡±


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Kelsea was in disbelief. ¡°Harvey, you¡¯d rather believe in her but not me? If she¡¯s not guilty of anything,


    why is she in such a hurry to chase me away when I did nothing at all? Why can¡¯t you think about this?¡±


    Arielle raised her chin, and without bothering to conceal her disgust, she spat, ¡°Because I hate you.¡±


    Kelsea¡¯s face fell upon hearing that. She red at Arielle. ¡°You hate me? Aren¡¯t you afraid of me


    instead?¡±


    Arielle reacted as if she had just heard a joke. ¡°Why should I be afraid of you?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯ll be exposing your true colors! Otherwise, why will you even hate me?¡±


    Before Arielle could say something, Jared suddenly


    broke his silence. ¡°Harvey, just chase this woman away already.¡±


    Kelsea stared nkly at Jared. She had heard of Harvey¡¯s younger brother. But with Jared living


    abroad all this while, she had never seen him in person. It was as if she was suddenly reminded, upon


    hearing his voice, that this young man was Harvey¡¯s younger brother.


    She broke into a smile, clearly misunderstanding Jared¡¯s words, and said excitedly, ¡°Harvey, did you


    hear that? Even your brother agrees that Arielle isn¡¯t what she seems to be.¡±


    ¡°Is there something wrong with your brain?¡± Jared was helpless. ¡°I was telling you to get lost. You, not


    Arielle.¡±


    Kelsea stiffened up with embarrassment and confusion written all over her face. ¡°Why?¡±


    Jared couldn¡¯t be bothered by her question as he turned around to Harvey. ¡°I heard these two women


    mocking Boss for being some country bumpkin. I hate them too. They¡¯re fake and boring. I¡¯m disgusted


    by their presence.¡±


    Jared¡¯s criticism included Wendy as well.


    Wendy could no longer stay seated anymore. She stood up and walked away without bothering Kelsea.


    I must be out of my mind toe here with Kelsea and


    let them humiliate me like this! I¡¯m so done with Arielle and that idiot Kelsea!


    ¡°Wendy!¡± Kelsea called out to her, but Wendy had already walked out without looking back. It was as if


    she didn¡¯t want to be associated with Kelsea at all.


    Kelsea felt angry and humiliated. She couldn¡¯t believe that neither Harvey nor Jared was taking her


    side. She was supposed to be the one who was closer with the Jupiters.


    Arielle nced at her. ¡°Well? Aren¡¯t you leaving?¡±


    She wouldn¡¯t bother showing any mercy to people who she didn¡¯t like or were not worthy of her


    attention.


    Kelsea wanted to curse at Arielle, but people around them were already scolding her instead.


    ¡°What a weird woman. She ims that the prettydy over there has no manners, but to me, she¡¯s the


    rude one who tries to join the table but not being polite at all.¡±


    ¡°Nothing decent everes out of her mouth.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sick of people like her. I saw her pinching her thigh earlier before ying the victim. She¡¯s such


    a pretentious little b*tch.¡±

 Chapter 403

    Chapter 403


    Henry also heard what the crowd said. He turned around to Kelsea and asked in disbelief, ¡°Did you


    pinch your thigh to y the victim? My goodness! You¡¯re despicable.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Kelsea looked even more embarrassed. She hadn¡¯t been humiliated like this ever


    since Haut Monde.


    Tears began welling up in her eyes.


    She thought Harvey would be easier to convince whenpared to Vinson, yet Harvey had proven to


    be harsher. At least, Vinson was more subtle in his choice of words to not offend Carter¡¯s feelings.


    Kelsea turned around to leave before her genuine tears fell.


    She would never drop a tear in front of Arielle as that would only mean a sign of defeat.


    Before she could walk any further, a familiar figure appeared by the cafeteria entrance.


    Isn¡¯t that¡­ Carter?


    Kelsea rubbed her eyes, thinking that she had seen it wrongly. It is Carter!


    And he¡¯s walking in my direction.


    Kelsea suddenly became excited.


    Finally, Carter is here to back me up!


    She immediately hurried over to Carter¡¯s direction.


    At the cafeteria entrance, Carter was searching for Harvey among the crowd.


    He was informed that Harvey was flying home that day. After waiting around for a while, Harvey was


    still nowhere to be seen.


    Carter was worried that Harvey might be in danger, hence he found Harvey¡¯s location on the


    navigation. In the end, it showed that Harvey was at the Jadeborough University cafeteria all this while.


    Knowing that Jared was a student here, Carter immediately rushed over.


    The cafeteria was crowded with students, but Carter still managed to spot Harvey and Arielle at first


    nce.


    He was just walking in that direction when a hand suddenly grabbed him.


    Carter turned to look at that person with displeasure when his expression softened a little upon seeing


    who it was. ¡°Kelsea.¡±


    Kelsea¡¯s tone was excited yet upset. ¡°Carter, why are you here? Did you know, someone bullied me


    just now. Can you help me deal with them?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Carter wasn¡¯t that close with Kelsea, but due to their


    family ties, he couldn¡¯t refuse her either. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Kelsea immediately replied, ¡°There¡¯s a girl in my ss who scolded me in public and even chased me


    away. You have to help me in this.¡±


    Carter frowned upon hearing that. ¡°Where is she? How dare she bully one of the Morgans? Bring me to


    her.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Kelsea nodded and led Carter toward Arielle¡¯s direction.


    Country bumpkin, you think you¡¯re the winner just because you seduced Vinson and Harvey with your


    appearance, don¡¯t you? Just wait and see. Carter isn¡¯t someone that superficial. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll reveal


    your true colors soon!


    Picturing the possibility of intimidating Arielle, Kelsea was no longer feeling defeated. Instead, she was


    exhrated.


    She knew Carter too well. Under his gentleman¡¯s disguise was a vicious and cruel heart.


    I will ruin you today, Arielle!


    With that thought in mind, Kelsea got more and more excited. She straightened her back as she led


    Carter to them. ¡°That girl is from the countryside. She has a pretty face, but she¡¯s been using that to


    her advantage and stepping all over me. Carter, promise me you wouldn¡¯t get bewitched by her!¡±.


    Carter gave Kelsea an incredulous look.


    Kelsea then stopped in her tracks.

 Chapter 404

    Chapter 404


    ¡°That¡¯s the girl!¡± Kelsea pointed to a girl sitting by the dining table. With Carter there to back her up, she


    was fearless. ¡°She¡¯s the one bullying me and chasing me away. She¡¯s even influencing Harvey to do


    the same!¡±


    Carter was overprotective of his family, and upon hearing that, he walked toward the girl with an icy


    expression.


    After noticing who it was, Carter gaped in surprise. ¡°Chief?¡±


    ¡°C-Chief?¡± Kelsea was dumbfounded too. She turned around to look at Carter.


    What chief? Who is he calling chief?


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Carter¡¯s expression darkened as he red icily at Kelsea. ¡°Is she the one you called country bumpkin?


    Are you iming that she bullied you with her pretty face?¡±


    Kelsea was confused at the sudden change in her cousin¡¯s attitude. She suddenly got a bad feeling


    about this, but she still nodded. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s her¡­¡±


    Carter nced at Kelsea for a moment before saying coldly, ¡°Leave now, and don¡¯t expect me to


    interfere in you and your family¡¯s matters anymore.¡±


    Kelsea was shocked. She immediately grabbed his hand. ¡°Carter, why are you saying this? You weren¡¯t


    like this just now¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I didn¡¯t know who you were referring to.¡± Carter looked at Kelsea as if he was looking


    at a stranger


    He finally got to see Kelsea¡¯s true colors that day.


    How dare she ims that Arielle bullied her? Why would Arielle do that to a student? Although Arielle


    herself is a student too, I know for sure she wouldn¡¯t do something like this if Kelsea didn¡¯t provoke her


    first.


    Carter didn¡¯t want to waste any more energy in exining. ¡°Kelsea, let me give you a piece of advice.


    You can provoke anyone you want in Jadeborough but Arielle.¡±


    Kelsea widened her eyes in shock after hearing that.


    She finally understood the sudden change in Carter¡¯s attitude.


    It¡¯s all because of Arielle! That b*tch! She even managed to seduce Carter! Great. This is just great!


    I¡¯ve underestimated her!


    ¡°Carter, you¡¯ll regret this! Just wait until you see her true colors, and you¡¯ll regret doing this!¡± With that,


    Kelsea turned around and walked away.


    Carter wasn¡¯t bothered by that at all. He took a seat next to Harvey and said apologetically to Arielle,


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Her family must have spoiled her too much for her to throw such a tantrum. I hope you won¡¯t


    take offense to whatever she said. If she¡¯s still causing you trouble,


    please just let me know. I¡¯ll help you teach her a lesson.¡±


    Harvey said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Juste and find me if Kelsea causes you any trouble, or you


    can find Jared too since you¡¯re both in the same ss. It¡¯s more convenient that way.¡±


    Jared was no longer acting all cold and arrogant, as he said cheekily, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, guys. I¡¯ll take good


    care of Boss. No one in this university can bully her!¡±


    If anyone dares to bully my future sister-inw, I swear I¡¯ll kill them!


    Harvey gave him a look of admiration. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Harrison, our grandfather, about you joining the


    military.¡±


    Jared¡¯s eyes lit up at that as he looked at Arielle gratefully.


    Arielle chuckled. She had never expected Harvey and Carter to be taking her side this firmly.


    This made her heart feel warm. Although she didn¡¯t say a thing, she would always remember their


    kindness.


    She would repay them for this some day.


    Time ticked by, and it was already gettingte. Harvey and Carter were saying goodbye to Arielle.


    Carter said, ¡°We still have to investigate that guy, so


    we¡¯ll take our leave now and let you get back to your studies.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Arielle nodded. ¡°Just tell me if you find anything.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Before they left, Arielle reluctantly asked, ¡°Is Vinson busy recently?¡±

 Chapter 405

    Chapter 405


    When he heard Arielle mentioning Vinson, Harvey felt an indescribable emotion surging in his heart.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Naturally, he could tell Vinson treated Arielle differently. Yet if there was one thing that best buddies


    could not share, it was a woman.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just returned to the country and haven¡¯t contacted him, so I¡¯m not sure.¡± Harvey averted his eyes


    as he spoke.


    Arielle had no choice but to shift her gaze toward Carter.


    Pondering for a few seconds, Carter answered, ¡°I¡¯ve only returned to the country this morning as well,


    so I¡¯m not sure about Vin¡¯s situation too. Regardless, I believe he has a lot of work to deal with in the


    company since he was out of the country for two days. What¡¯s the matter? Is there anything you want


    to tell him?¡±


    Upon hearing his answer, Arielle felt very frustrated but still maintained her calm look outwardly.


    Shaking her head, she replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing too urgent. He received a patient from me yesterday, and I


    wanted to ask him about her condition. As I¡¯m worried that I might disturb him from working, I decided


    to ask you guys.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about Sasha, right?¡± Carter put on an assured look before continuing, ¡°Vin gave me a


    call about this matter. Anyway, I¡¯ve found the best surgeon in the country for Sasha. Before I set off, the


    surgeon even called to inform me that her fever has abated. If everything goes well, she can have her


    stitches removed


    and be discharged from the hospital after a week. By the way, the surgeon told me that the stitches on


    her wound were pretty well done and are even better than his technique. Let me guess. You¡¯re the


    person who stitched the wound. Correct?¡±


    Arielle nodded in response and uttered absentmindedly, ¡°Thank goodness she¡¯s fine. You may leave


    now. I don¡¯t want to waste any more of your time.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving then. See you.¡± Carter waved his hand and walked toward the school exit.


    As for Harvey, he did not leave immediately but took out a small box from his pocket after a moment of


    deliberation.


    Once he saw what Harvey was doing, Jared hurriedly grabbed hold of the gossipy Henry and dragged


    him away.


    ¡°I-Is this for me?¡± Arielle questioned after hesitating for a few seconds.


    Harvey nodded and replied, ¡°I made it myself. I hope you like it. Goodbye.¡±


    He pushed the box into Arielle¡¯s hands promptly as if she would reject his gift and left hastily.


    Soon after Harvey disappeared from her sight, Arielle opened the box and was stunned to see what


    was inside.


    It was a ne. Due to the disproportionate thickness


    of the leather strap, Arielle discerned that it was most definitely handmade. She then rubbed the


    pendant and was shocked by its material. T-This is a shark¡¯s tooth!


    Thanks to the pendant, she recalled a saying she heard when she spent her time at Epea¡¯s seaside.


    The saying imed that a man would hunt for sharks when he was in love with a woman. If he


    managed to extract a shark¡¯s tooth and give it to his loved one, the woman would ept his love for


    her.


    Such a saying was widespread around that area, so much so that even Arielle¡¯s adoptive parents knew


    about it. Thus, it became that any man who went for business trips in that area would give their other


    half a shark tooth as a souvenir when he returned home to express his love.


    Regardless, she had never heard of anyone who genuinely hunted Sharks for that purpose before.


    Instead, purchasing a shark tooth as a souvenir was the norm. There¡¯s no way Harvey captured a


    shark by himself and plucked out its tooth, right?


    However, the ne did not look like it came from a souvenir shop as the chain¡¯s handicraft was very


    rough. Even a cheap ne would not look like this.


    Tightening her grip on the ne, Arielle felt uncertainty in her heart.


    Nheless, she knew she had to make her feelings clear to Harvey at the proper time, regardless of


    how the


    ne came to be. I¡¯m in no ce to be in a rtionship with my current situation. Besides, I see


    Harvey as nothing but a friend.


    While she was pondering how to exin it to Harvey, her phone suddenly chimed.

 Chapter 406

    Chapter 406


    Arielle straightened her back and took out her phone from her pocket at lightning speed. Is it a


    message from Vinson? Did he finally have the time to reply to my message?


    There was a mixture of anger and happiness in her heart at the moment.


    To her dismay, it was a message from her ssmates¡¯ chat group, not Vinson. Everyone has to return


    to ss before six. Taking leave or skipping ss is strictly forbidden.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    It was pretty apparent that thest sentence was taking shots at troublemakers like Jared and herself.


    Seeing that the message was not from Vinson, Arielle felt an ineffable feeling of disappointment and


    frustration.


    She then let out a deep sigh before cing her phone back into her pocket.


    After telling herself not to overthink things, she headed to the lecture hall.


    As the sun had begun to set, the sky looked magnificent with its iridescent light.


    A few momentster, Arielle arrived in the ssroom with the beautiful light entuating her beauty.


    Her appearance had mesmerized her ssmates to the point that they held their breaths.


    ¡°I feel like an angel has descended from heaven as soon as she walked in. The sky looks gorgeous


    right now, but it¡¯s no match to her beauty!¡± one of the students uttered in a low voice.


    ¡°Even though this is not the first time I¡¯ve seen her, I still think her beauty is out of this world!¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more. Say, what is she doing here in the preparatory ss? With her beauty, she


    should enroll in the film academy.¡±


    ¡°You have to consider the bigger picture, dude. There are too many moronic celebrities these days. It


    will be a tremendous advantage for her to educate herself before entering the entertainment industry.¡±


    ¡°I have to take this opportunity to take photos with her and get her autograph then!¡±


    Following that student¡¯s words, they took action swiftly by surrounding Arielle¡¯s seat.


    Meanwhile, Wendy felt disgusted when she listened to her ssmates¡¯ praises for Arielle. These


    people are nuts! How can they treat a country bumpkin like an angel while neglecting a socialite like


    me? What a freaking joke! Do they not realize that my words alone can help them secure jobs that


    most people can only dream of? Conversely, Arielle¡¯s photo is not even worth a penny!


    Upon those thoughts, Wendy could not help but look toward Kelsea¡¯s usual seat, only to discover that


    she was


    absent.


    She had not seen Kelsea ever since she left the cafeteria earlier. Is she feeling too embarrassed to


    show herself? Regardless, confronting Arielle without Kelsea by my side is not a wise choice.


    During that moment, Donovan entered the ssroom and witnessed the students surrounding Arielle¡¯s


    seat, wanting her to either take pictures with them or sign her autograph. As a result, the ssroom


    had turned into something like a chaotic meet-and-greet event.


    Sure enough, Donovan¡¯s countenance fell in an instant.


    ¡°Mr. Baxter¡¯s here!¡± The students surrounding Arielle fled to their respective seats as soon as they


    heard that shout.


    Shortly afterward, Donovan stood in front of the podium with a stern look and shot a piercing nce at


    the students. The ssroom was in pin-drop silence.


    Compared to Donovan losing his temper, the students thought his silence before the storm was even


    more terrifying


    With everyone holding their breaths in nervousness, Donovan finally spoke to the ss. ¡°I believe


    you¡¯re aware of what type of ss this is. Yes, some students are fundamentally poor in studying and


    do not belong to this ss. I can understand why such students have no motivation to learn. However,


    how can those I invited personally have the same attitude? Inconceivable!¡±


    When they heard that indicting remark, the students hung their heads in fear, not wanting to have eye


    contact with Donovan.


    Despite not naming names, it was clear as daylight who that ¡°fundamentally poor in studying and do


    not belong to the ss¡± student mentioned by Donovan was ¨C Arielle.


    Arielle frowned in displeasure and cast a re at Donovan.

 Chapter 407

    Chapter 407


    Arielle stood out from the rest who kept their head low since she was the only one who didn¡¯t.


    Donovan noticed her instantly and gave her a stony look.


    Arielle reciprocated with a stern nce that shook him slightly. Her stare was so hostile that it sent


    shivers down his spine.


    The way those eyes pierced through him felt familiar. He¡¯d experienced something simr when a high-


    octane professor from overseas was in a rage.


    It was apparent that Arielle¡¯s stare was so much more intimidating that he lost his train of thoughts.


    ¡°Mr. Baxter, why isn¡¯t someone like you, who received the best education in the nation, doing


    something more constructive?¡± Jared askednguorously.


    Donovan was vexed by the remarks. ¡°How could you say something¡ª¡±


    ¡°Something like what?¡± Jared talked back. ¡°The moment you got in here, you started pouring oblique


    usations on a poor girl. What¡¯s wrong with people asking for her autograph? What does that have to


    do with her? What made you think shecks the fundamental knowledge to join this ss? Doesn¡¯t it


    take time to assess if someone¡¯s suitable for a certain role? As a lecturer, it¡¯s too much of you to say


    things like that, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Jared was never a chatty one, but this time he bombarded Donovan with a string of questions and


    points to ponder. Thetter was embarrassed.


    Someone in the ss couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore and stood up. ¡°Mr. Baxter, this has nothing to do with


    Arielle. I thought she looked pretty and wanted a photo with her. If you¡¯re talking about interrupting


    studies, I was the one who interrupted her studies.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Baxter, she¡¯s right. It was me who went up to Arielle too. Since there was still some time before


    you arrived, I don¡¯t see anything wrong with it.¡±


    One by one, the students stood up and expressed their discontentment.


    ¡°Mr. Baxter, aren¡¯t you being too strict on Arielle?¡±


    ¡°She has nothing to do with this.¡±


    More and more students stood up for Arielle. Donovan was the cr¨¨me de cr¨¨me in his industry and


    was highly sought after by prestigious schools around the country. He¡¯d never bathed in such


    humiliation in his life.


    He tried to suppress his seething fury and finally spoke. ¡°Enough! This case is closed! Now, let me talk


    about something more important.¡±


    ¡°Hold on a second. Who are you to decide whether we should stop talking about this?¡± a student


    questioned firmly.


    Donovan looked toward the source and saw it was none other than Arielle herself.


    He frowned. ¡°What else do you want?¡±


    ¡°An apology.¡± Arielle looked deep into Donovan¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°What did you just say? An apology? I¡¯m your lecturer!¡±


    Unbelievable! It makes no sense for a lecturer to say sorry to his students.


    Arielle sneered, ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s okay for a lecturer to scold students as he pleases? This attitude of yours is


    a disgrace to this honorable profession! What you¡¯ve just done abused my human rights. Is it so hard to


    say sorry?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. What you¡¯re saying is that you can scold your students anytime you see fit. Does that mean


    you should be pardoned for murdering someone too?¡± Henry interfered.


    Donovan¡¯s face turned sour at being taken down a peg or two.


    It was apparent that no one was on his side.


    At this critical juncture, Wendy stood up and turned to Arielle. ¡°Arielle, don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve gone a bit


    too far? Is it right for a student to reprimand her lecturer?¡±Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 408

    Chapter 408


    Arielle leaned back in her chair and gave Wendy an enigmatic gaze.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong in the first ce, and all I wanted was a simple ¡®sorry¡¯. So, Ms. Wendy


    Greene, where did I go overboard? Anyway, this has nothing to do with you, does it? Also, Mr. Baxter


    didn¡¯t even get a chance to say anything, and I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s appropriate for you to put an oar in at


    this point in time. I¡¯m only asking him to apologize. The way you put it was as if I¡¯m asking him to beg


    for forgiveness on his knees or something.¡±


    Henry snapped his fingers and pointed at Wendy. ¡°Precisely! Who are you to speak for him?¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡­ No! I¡¯m trying to¡ª¡± Wendy flushed, and her face turned as red as a tomato.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Donovan bawled. ¡°Wendy, you have nothing to do with this. Please sit down.¡±


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Showered in embarrassment, she pursed her lips and unwillingly took her seat.


    Donovan took a deep breath and looked at Arielle. ¡°Arielle, my apologies for scolding you before having


    a clear picture of what was going on.¡±


    Arielle raised her brow and replied, ¡°Apology epted. Now you may talk about that important


    something.¡±


    Donovan pulled a long face. Being under someone¡¯smand was disconcerting for him.


    He somehow managed to calm himself down with a few deep inhales and exhales.


    A few secondster, he spoke again, ¡°The purpose of gathering all of you here was to see if anyone of


    you could perform at tomorrow¡¯s school opening ceremony. Each department is required to have two


    students perform. As for us, we aren¡¯t under any of the departments, but the school wants us toe


    up with two performances. Any volunteers?¡±


    The students dropped their heads in unison, with their chins almost touching their chests.


    They were mostly nerds, and even a simple self introduction would throw them into a tizzy. Performing


    in front of the whole school would¡¯ve squeezed their poor souls out of them.


    Donovan wasn¡¯t surprised.


    He didn¡¯t select these elites to perform in a talent show, and he did try talking to the principal about


    that. However, the principal held on to Jadeborough University¡¯s tradition and insisted that someone


    had to go up the stage, even if it was to do a poem recitation.


    Right when everyone was evading Donovan¡¯s gaze, someone from the second row raised her hand.


    ¡°Wendy? Are you interested in performing in the talent show?¡±


    Wendy nodded. ¡°I do y the piano. Maybe I could


    y that tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Great! One more to go. Anyone else? A poem recitation would also do the trick.¡±


    Poem recitation? Goodness! That unlucky person will no doubt be the joke of the whole campus! It¡¯s


    not happening! The students tensed further.


    Seeing that, Donovan sighed and stated, ¡°Well, since no one is willing to offer their talent, let¡¯s draw


    lots. Everyone, except Wendy, pleasee forward.¡±


    He tore some papers into pieces and drew a star on one snippet.


    ¡°The person who gets the star will perform at the opening ceremony. Any objections?¡±


    The students shook their heads.


    Their chances of getting the star were one out of forty three, and they thought that was fair.


    Very soon, the students formed a beeline and started showing the papers they¡¯d drawn to Donovan.


    When it was Arielle¡¯s turn, he intentionally pushed one of the folded strips toward her.


    Not noticing his furtive action due to the angle of the podium, she picked up the one closest to her and


    unfolded it.

 Chapter 409

    Chapter 409


    It was a nk piece of paper.


    Arielle put the paper back on the podium and went back to her seat.


    Donovan was befuddled.


    He remembered clearly that that was the paper with the star. Did he make a mistake?


    He didn¡¯t want his elites to waste time on the talent show, and that was why he tried to set Arielle up


    since she wasn¡¯t interested in learning. Unfortunately, it was a blunder.


    Ugh. Guess she¡¯s lucky, Donovan thought to himself.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    After Arielle, a chubby girl walked up to the podium and, with her trembling hands, drew her destiny.


    She unfolded the piece of paper, and the star that came into her sight made her blood run cold.


    W-What? Me? The odds of getting the star¡­


    This youngdy was painfully shy. Talking to a stranger would easily make her blush, what more


    performing in front of hundreds? She¡¯d die of the embarrassment.


    ¡°M-Mr. B-B-Baxter, can someone p-perform in my stead? I really h-have zero talent.¡± She managed to


    muster some courage to say that.


    ¡°As long as someone is willing to,¡± Donovan coldly


    responded.


    She froze. And who¡¯s gonna do that? We¡¯re all scared of performing!


    She had no choice but to ept her fate with bloodshot eyes.


    Donovan showed no sympathy and started flipping through his lecture papers. ¡°Right, everything¡¯s set


    for the freshman party. So the two of you, hand me a brief about your performances by tomorrow noon.


    I need to show them to themittee. Moving on, we¡¯re going to work on Ustranasion. Do give me


    your full attention and take notes as I¡¯ve included some exam questions from Maxwell University.¡±


    Including Arielle, everyone opened their books.


    For someone who grew up overseas, these textbooks were like children¡¯s books, and thatpletely


    doused


    Arielle¡¯s enthusiasm. She mimicked Henry and Jared by catching forty winks.


    Seeing them affixing their cheeks to the desks with their eyes tightly shut, Donovan could only knit his


    brows and shake his head.


    With this kind of attitude, it¡¯d be a miracle for them tost more than a month here. Maybe it¡¯s a


    blessing since they¡¯re the thorns among my roses.


    He let them be and continued, ¡°You have to memorize these root verbs¡­¡±


    During ss, Wendy peeked at Arielle only to find her sleeping. She stared at thetter with total


    contempt.


    I heard that if she failed to get into the top twenty in a month, she¡¯d have to pack her bags. I¡¯m so going


    to see that happen!


    She then turned back and focused on the lesson.


    There was one thing different about Jadeborough University. All freshmen, sophomores, and juniors


    were required to attend morning and evening self-study sessions.


    These sessions were generally pretty rxed. All the students had to do was some revision and


    perhaps prepare for uing lessons, all at their own pace. However, for the preparatory ss, self-


    study sessions were lectures.


    Donovan had been giving lectures the whole evening, and it was starting to take a toll on his throat.


    Ring! The bell finally rang, causing him to let out a sigh of relief. He realized that there was no way for


    him to sail through the term all by himself. He needed help from other lecturers, at least for a few


    sses, while he focused on advanced mathematics and other major subjects.


    Jadeborough University prided itself on advanced mathematics and was more lenient on other


    subjects.


    Donovan took a sip of water and wrapped the lesson up.


    ¡°We¡¯re done for the day. Go through your lesson notes again and if youe across anything that


    needs more rification, text me anytime. Here¡¯s my number.¡±


    He wrote down his number on the board, and by the time he finished writing and turned around, the


    three students who were sleeping were already gone.

 Chapter 410

    Chapter 410


    Catching Jared¡¯s hint through his nce, Henry trotted toward Arielle and halted her. ¡°Boss, we¡¯ll be


    heading out to have supper. Are youing with us?¡±


    Arielle shook her head as she rejected, ¡°I¡¯m not going. I need to head back to my dorm, unpack my


    luggage and arrange my stuff.¡±


    ¡°All right then.¡± Henry lifted his phone and suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s exchange our numbers. If anyone dares


    bully you, you can ask us for help.¡±


    Jared nodded silently


    Arielle smiled politely and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No one willy a hand on us. Conversely, you two should


    take care of yourselves. If anyone bullies you, you can give me a call.¡±


    She took out her phone and exchanged it with Henry. After entering her contact number, she returned


    his phone.


    Only then did Arielle excuse herself and return to her dorm.


    As she was first to arrive at her double room dorm, she had yet to meet her roommate. If she did n


    to stay here for some time to hopefully regain some memories, befriending her roommate would be


    necessary.


    Her dorm was situated quite far away from the lecture hall. Not in a hurry, Arielle enjoyed the night view


    of her campus leisurely as she ambled her way back.


    Suddenly, a tall figure blocked her.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    Arielle stopped and raised her eyes, only to see a man with a red armband with ¡°student council¡±


    printed on it.


    Puzzled, she queried, ¡°How can I help you?¡±


    The man introduced himself, ¡°I¡¯m Christopher Grey, the president of the student council here. You¡¯re


    Arielle Moore, right?¡±


    She nodded. Thinking that he might be inviting her to join the student council, she refused before he


    could utter another word, ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t n to join the student council.¡±


    ¡°No. That¡¯s not my intention.¡± Christopher gulped and continued, ¡°I¡¯m here to warn you about


    something. Is there a girl named Kelsea Morgan in your ss?¡±


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    Arielle nodded. ¡°Yes, there is. Why?¡±


    Christopher exined, ¡°When I was leaving the cafeteria just now, I overheard Kelsea on the phone,


    requesting for someone to teach you a lesson. After that, I ran to your ss during recess. However,


    your ssmates told me that you had left. I thought you might be on your way back to your dorm, so I


    came here to look for you.¡±


    Upon hearing his reasonings, Arielle scowled. ¡°She wanted to teach me a lesson?¡±


    Christopher nodded and reminded, ¡°Yeah. Therefore, you should not walk alone at night. Unlike the


    day, there¡¯s no one nearby. You need to be wary of your surroundings. Also, I overheard her requesting


    to leave a scar on your face. So, you need to be cautious, all right?¡±


    Arielle nodded indifferently and thanked him, ¡°Thank you for alerting me. I understand the situation


    now.¡±


    ¡°Great. Why did you have to choose this path? It¡¯s usually very secluded. Anyway, since I need to head


    to the male dorm next to yours, I¡¯ll apany you back to your dorm now,¡± Christopher proposed. With


    that, he turned and walked in front of her, safeguarding her.


    Since Wendy and Kelsea were ignoring his authority, he would not let them have their way. If he caught


    them breaking the rules, he would definitely report them to the school.


    Arielle did not refuse his offer. In truth, she was not afraid of Kelsea. Instead, she was worried that she


    might identally incapacitate the people Kelsea sent after her. If that happened, the school would


    never allow her to continue pursuing her studies. Her n to retrieve memories of her mother would be


    ruined.


    They walked wordlessly back to the female dorm.


    Christopher stopped and turned toward Arielle. He opened his mouth, intending to warn her again.


    However, under the bright lights outside the doors, he could clearly see her enchanting appearance.


    Enamored,


    he froze and stared intently for a moment.


    What an appealingdy she is! No wonder the girls were jealous of her. Sadly, this beauty is way out of


    my league.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Arielle¡¯s gratitude pulled him back to his senses.


    Embarrassed, he cracked an awkward smile. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go first. Take care of yourself. If anything


    happens, find anyone with red armbands the same as mine and they¡¯ll dly help you. I¡¯ll inform them


    later, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°All right. I understand. Thanks.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± Christopher waved his hand as he proceeded to the male dormitory.


    Watching his silhouette disappear from sight, Arielle finally turned, intending to go back to her dorm. To


    her surprise, a familiar girl walked toward her.


    Rate the Trantion to Get 2 Petal.


    ¡­ Wait! I Have Something to Say!

 Chapter 411

    Chapter 411


    The girl was wearing an enthralling white dress, looking like a white lotus as it fluttered in the gentle


    breeze.


    Judging from the ostentatious appearance, Arielle reckoned it was Wendy.


    She decided to ignore her and marched toward her dorm.


    Unfortunately, Wendy scuttered forward and reached out her hand to stop Arielle.


    Thetter stared icily at the former and questioned, ¡°What do you want to say this time?¡±


    Her apathy irked Wendy. Thetter gnashed her teeth as she took out her phone, which was recording


    their conversation. She looked at Arielle in disdain and sneered, ¡°Arielle, sometimes I¡¯m truly impressed


    by your shamelessness. You¡¯re acting virtuously now? What for? Seducing Vinson and Harvey was not


    enough for you, so you¡¯reying your eyes on the president of the student council now? How do you


    retain this much energy to flirt around? Are you collecting standby lovers? What¡¯s your next goal?


    Turning all men in the world into your backup boyfriends?¡±


    As she finished her sarcasm, Wendy nced at Arielle, anticipating thetter to rebuke her in vexation.


    To her surprise, Arielle¡¯s expression remained as indifferent as before.


    Bewildered, Wendy¡¯s mouth dropped open slightly.


    What¡¯s happening? Why isn¡¯t she having any reaction?


    Unaffected, Arielle inquired with a cold voice, ¡°Are you done? I¡¯m heading in if you¡¯re done.¡±


    With no intention to squander time on Wendy, Arielle instantly walked past the former and strode inside


    the building


    Wendy¡¯s frustrated shouts red behind her. ¡°Arielle! You wait and see! I¡¯ll definitely expose your ugly


    side one day!¡±


    Unmoved, Arielle rubbed her ears without slowing her pace and continued marching back to her room,


    leaving the enraged Wendy staring intensely as she impatiently stopped her recording.


    Even such unpleasant words can¡¯t provoke her? What should I do to expose her now?


    Arielle walked back to her room, which was number 201.


    Right before she opened the door, she could hear sobbinging vaguely from within, as though


    someone was deliberately concealing their despair.


    For a moment, she thought she got the wrong room.


    Hence, she took a step back and confirmed the room number again. 201. It was indeed her room. Only


    then did she open the door and enter.


    She walked in carefully, only to see a chubby girl crouching down at her bedside, burrowing her head


    into both her arms while whimpering.


    Worried, Arielle gently asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Hearing her voice, the girl immediately stopped sobbing. Embarrassed, she hastily wiped her tears and


    shook her head as she replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Um, do you need to use the bathroom? If not, I¡¯ll be taking a


    shower.¡±


    Arielle put on a tender smile and said, ¡°Go ahead. I need to arrange my stuff.¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll take a shower then.¡± The girl grabbed a pair of pajamas and hurried to the bathroom.


    Arielle watched her nervously scurry away. Upon seeing the bathroom door close, she retracted her


    gaze.


    She recognized the girl as the one who drew the unlucky lot to perform on stage.


    Arielle sauntered toward her loft bed, where a study desk sat directly under it.


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    She turned and looked around, finally realizing that the room was neat as a pin. When she came back


    earlier to change her clothes, it was chaotic, with rubbish scattered everywhere.


    Undoubtedly, her roommate must have tidied it up.


    She unzipped her luggage and unloaded her belongings, then stood silently at the entrance of the


    bathroom, awaiting the girl.


    As thetter cleaned the room, she intended to repay her kindness.


    A few minutester, the door opened.

 Chapter 412

    Chapter 412


    The girl emerged from the bathroom, clearly surprised to find Arielle standing right in front of the door.


    Having mild social anxiety, her face reddened with embarrassment instantly.


    ¡°I¡­ You¡­¡± she stuttered.


    Sensing that she was having trouble speaking, Arielle started, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for you. Were you crying


    because you got picked to perform on stage?¡±


    The girl nodded silently. The motion caused her tears to leak out, startling even herself. She then


    rubbed her palms hurriedly across her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± she apologized awkwardly.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be sorry about.¡± Arielle¡¯s voice was noticeably softer. ¡°Do you have any talents? If


    you¡¯re too embarrassed to sing or dance, you could y an instrument.¡±


    The girl shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to y any¡­ but I can draw and write calligraphies.¡±


    ¡°Drawing and calligraphy¡­¡± Arielle repeated softly. All of a sudden, her eyes lit up. ¡°How about drawing


    something on stage?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ My mind goes nk whenever there¡¯s a lot of people staring at me,¡± the girl admitted.


    ¡°In that case¡­¡± Arielle shrugged her shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll perform on behalf of you.¡±


    The surprise offer rendered the girl speechless for a few seconds. Then, she stared at Arielle in


    disbelief as she confirmed once more, ¡°Will you?


    Arielle nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not bluffing you here. But, if you¡¯d like, we could always perform together.¡±


    ¡°Together?¡± The girl considered her proposal seriously. ¡°Never mind. I think it¡¯s best I don¡¯t¡­ I¡¯ll only


    hold you back.¡±


    ¡°Just listen to me for a second¡­¡± Arielle proceeded to convince her.


    That little prep talk managed to convince the girl as thetter nodded her head enthusiastically. ¡°Okay,


    let¡¯s do it together! And, as repayment for your help, I¡¯ll take charge of cleaning our room in the future.


    I¡¯m really good at it!¡± she proimed proudly.


    Arielleughed. ¡°I can tell. I¡¯ll let you handle this week¡¯s cleaning. We¡¯ll take turns afterward.¡±


    ¡°All right!¡± The girl¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I¡¯ve always thought it would be hard to converse with a prettydy


    such as yourself. But¡­¡± she trailed off.


    ¡°But? Looks aren¡¯t everything you know. Even a prettydy farts and shit like everyone else. Besides,


    you¡¯re pretty adorable yourself.¡±


    Beingplimented for the first time, the girl¡¯s face reddened, making her look much like a ripe apple.


    Seeing that made Arielle find her even more adorable. ¡°Oh, right. We haven¡¯t introduced ourselves yet.


    What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Trisha Hughes.¡±


    ¡°Even your name¡¯s cute. Can I call you Trish?¡±


    Trisha nodded shyly. ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    CO


    ¡°So that settles it. Just inform Donovan we¡¯ll be performing together.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go shower now. In the meantime, wipe away those tears. I hate seeing cute girls like you cry.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t cry anymore! I promise.¡±


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    Only then did Arielle feel reassured enough to head inside the bathroom.


    By the time she finished, it was past lights out. Since the dormitory lights automatically turned off at ten,


    it was dark out there. Just as Arielle was about to feel her way to bed, Trisha turned on the shlight


    from her phone, lighting up the path to her bed.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Arielle smiled gratefully.


    The night went on.


    Arielle went under her sheets, switching on her phone.


    There were still no signs of any iing calls or messages, except for two advertisement messages


    that she deleted.


    She could not help feeling a void in her chest.


    Amidst the pin-drop silence of the night, Arielle found her thoughts running wild. She recalled the first


    time she had met Vinson, the first time they made ravioli together¡­ All those memories stirred


    something within her, making her feel too restless to sleep. She got out of bed and lit up the therapeutic


    candles Andrea had gifted her.


    The candles proved to be effective, as she felt her eyelids getting heavier by the minute. It was


    specifically designed for Arielle and would not affect Trisha the slightest bit.


    Just as she was about to fall asleep, her phone rang.

 Chapter 413

    Chapter 413


    Her eyes snapped open as she started fumbling for her phone. The caller ID revealed it to be a call


    from Henry.


    Why¡¯s he calling me at this hour?


    Afraid that she might wake Trisha up, Arielle headed to the bathroom to pick up the call.


    ¡°Henry, why¡¯re you¡­¡±


    ¡°Boss! Save me!¡± Henry¡¯s panicked voice crackled through the speaker.


    His desperate plea was very quickly followed by the sound of fighting


    Arielle¡¯s expression turned grim. ¡°Where are you?¡± she asked firmly.


    ¡°At the supper stand behind school!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right there!¡± She hung up the phone and bolted straight to the door.


    Right then, she heard ruffling noisesing from her roommate. Trisha had sat up and was looking at


    her. ¡°Arielle, where are you going thiste at night?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m heading to the food stand behind the school! My


    friend¡¯s in trouble.¡±


    ¡°The dormitory should be locked by now. I¡¯lle down with you. Thedy warden¡¯s my rtive, so I


    can get her to open the gates for you.¡±


    ¡°All right. Sorry for the trouble.¡± Arielle nodded.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°No worries. I¡¯m d I could repay you for your help.¡± While saying this, Trisha got out of bed swiftly.


    With Trisha¡¯s help, Arielle managed to get out of the dorm past the restricted hours smoothly.


    Though the former volunteered to apany her, Arielle t-out refused for fear of her safety. ¡°It¡¯s not


    a big deal, Trish. Go back to sleep. Oh yeah, help me apply for leave if I¡¯m not back by tomorrow


    morning.¡±


    Afraid that her presence would pose a hindrance, Trisha did not insist any further. ¡°All right. Come back


    safe.¡±


    At the supper stand, a group of masked men was chasing after a pair of boys.


    The food ce was aplete wreck, with broken alcohol bottles and overturned tables scattered


    everywhere. Amidst themotion, all the customers had fled the scene except for the store owner,


    who was hiding in one corner.


    Just as he was about to dial for the police, one of the masked men smashed his phone against the


    floor. ¡°We¡¯ll pay you for your losses! But, if you dare call the police¡­¡± The man left his threat hanging,


    leaving the poor store owner to his imagination.


    And that did the trick as thetter cowered in fear. ¡°I-I


    won¡¯t call the police!¡± he promised.


    The masked man released an unfeelingugh before continuing his chase with two of hispanions.


    Inside the store, Henry had just ended his call with Arielle when he noticed a beer bottle flying fast


    toward him. With no time to react, he braced himself for the impact, only to see someone had deflected


    its course in mid-air with a kick.


    The sound of ss breaking filled the room.


    ¡°Henry, what the hell are you doing?¡± Jared red at him.


    Only an idiot would use a phone in the middle of a fight!


    ¡°Since you didn¡¯t want me getting help from your family or mine, I called Boss! We at least need more


    backup, don¡¯t we?¡±


    Jared¡¯s stare almost bore a hole right through him. ¡°Help? Do you really think Boss will make a


    difference here? You idiot! No matter how great her hacking skills are, she¡¯s still a girl. You better pray


    she doesn¡¯te!¡± He felt that her presence would only give them one more liability.


    Besides, the duo had already defeated half of their dozen over captors. With only a few of them left, it


    was nothing they could not handle.


    Jared was reluctant to call the Jupiters as he did not want them to think he was physically weak, lest


    they


    forced him to study again.


    Meanwhile, his words had struck a chord within Henry. It was then thetter realized how stupid he


    was, calling a girl into a fistfight.


    Just as he was about to call Arielle not toe, the remaining captors walked into the store.

 Chapter 414

    Chapter 414


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother calling her again! We just need to settle this before Arielle arrives,¡± Jared instructed while


    charging toward their captors with a broom.


    Henry, too, picked up a frying pan lying nearby and charged at them. It was two against six as the


    messy battle ensued.


    Approximately ten minutester, the duo had defeated all their enemies, except for one. ¡°Come if you


    dare!¡± Jared challenged, with one foot still pressing against one of the unconscious masked men.


    Thest guy retreated a few steps and, with his fingers, whistled loudly.


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    Right then, Jared heard the sound of footsteps approaching


    Both Henry and him stared in disbelief as they saw a dozen men appear from an alley, heading toward


    them.


    Their number was not the biggest issue here. It was the bulky metal rods they were carrying that posed


    a problem.


    ¡°T-They¡¯ve got backup! Shouldn¡¯t we get help?¡± Henry choked out. The duo had only just defeated a


    batch of them; handling another wave now would be pushing it.


    A single blow from those weapons was enough to kill someone.


    Assessing that their depleted bodies stood no chance


    against their enemies, Jared caved in. ¡°I¡¯ll block while you make the call.¡±


    ¡°Who do I call?¡±


    ¡°Harvey!¡±


    ¡°Okay, all right!¡± Henry started scrolling through his contacts frantically.


    Meanwhile, Jared was already engaged in a fight with the front few men.


    It was the sound of his broom being split into two by the enemy¡¯s metal rod.


    Jared retreated a few steps, using a table as cover. Then, he turned toward Henry, ¡°Are you done yet?


    Hurry up!¡± he shouted anxiously.


    Feeling pressured, Henry¡¯s hands trembled even harder while searching for the phone number.


    Just as he managed to spot Harvey¡¯s contact, a metal rod came flying in his direction, which he


    instinctively evaded.


    After a series of loud noises, Henry looked down and was horrified to see that his phone had been


    smashed into pieces.


    ¡°My phone!¡± He looked at Jared helplessly. ¡°What are we going to do? Your phone¡¯s outside and mine¡¯s


    broken!¡±


    ¡°What else? We fight till the end!¡± Jared stated coldly. Without any external help, they only had


    themselves to rely on.


    Resigned to their fate, Henry picked up the frying pan once more and joined his friend in the battle. But,


    before he could even strike any of them with his pan, the enemy had hit it away.


    To make matters worse, the frying pan rebounded against the wall andnded on the back of his head.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡± he screamed in pain. Then, he saw a blotch of ck and fainted.


    ¡°Henry!¡± Jared shouted while running toward his friend. ¡°Hey, Henry! Are you okay? Wake up!¡± he


    yelled repeatedly.


    Yet, Henry remained unresponsive.


    ¡°You assholes!¡± Jared turned and red viscously at the


    group of men. His voice was unfeeling and cold when he questioned, ¡°Who sent you here? Do you


    know who we are?¡±


    Putting aside the Jupiters, Henry¡¯s background alone should be enough to make them turn tail and run


    away. After all, he was the only son of the highest-ranking official in the city.


    The enemyughed coldly. ¡°We¡¯re only doing what we were paid to do. I don¡¯t care who you are. Even


    if you¡¯re the son of a royal family, we¡¯re still going to beat you up today. Guys, get them!¡±


    Uponmand, the dozen over men started running toward them.


    Right then, a female voice shouted from behind the group of men, ¡°Wait!¡±

 Chapter 415

    Chapter 415


    Jared turned his head to the voice subconsciously and was utterly stunned to see Arielle.


    Why is Arielle here? She shouldn¡¯t be here!


    Meanwhile, the group of men instinctively turned around too.


    The customers who were having supper there earlier were all scared off. As such, they wondered who


    would be daring enough toe again.


    Everyone there stared at Arielle, who was standing upright in her pajamas and two different shoes, with


    their mouths agape.


    Her hair was unruly, yet everyone could not take their eyes off her, as she still looked gorgeous with her


    fair skin and perfect features.


    1


    The leader of the gang fixed his gaze on Arielle intently and subconsciously gentled his tone as he


    murmured, ¡°Hey, littledy, this isn¡¯t somece you should be wandering around in.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± she responded ndly. ¡°Leave now, or I will make you guys leave myself!¡±


    Hearing her cold and arrogant tone, all of them could not help but feel slightly intimidated by Arielle¡¯s


    voice.


    The leader was stunned by her bold response. He sneered, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing to stand up for injustice.


    However, you should evaluate the situation before


    deciding to be a hero. Any one of us can easily break your bones. I¡¯ll count to three. If you¡¯re too


    stubborn to leave, don¡¯t me me for what happens next.¡±


    As he spoke, his gaze trailed across her form lecherously.


    His lustful look caused Arielle to frown in distaste. As she was about to dash forward to make a move,


    Jared interjected, ¡°Arielle, leave now! You shouldn¡¯t be here!¡±


    Ariellended her gaze on Jared, only to see Henry lying behind him. Right away, her face darkened


    and filled with rage.


    She then looked away and stared sternly at that group of men in front of her.


    All of them were armed with metal rods or even machetes.


    Before this, Arielle had participated in a bigger fight overseas when she attempted to rescue Harvey.


    Hence, fighting these men was a piece of cake to her.


    Upon hearing what Jared said, the armed men realized that Arielle was not attempting to be a hero.


    Instead, she was there because of Jared. Straight away, all of them burst intoughter.


    ¡°Hahahaha! Are you guys being serious? How embarrassing is it to get help from a girl? I¡¯ll give her


    one more chance to get lost. Or else, we¡¯re going to do


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    something bad to her.¡±


    One of the leader¡¯sckeys went up to him and whispered, ¡°If I didn¡¯t hear wrongly, that girl¡¯s name is


    Arielle. Isn¡¯t she one of our targets too?¡±


    The leader was taken aback and stared disbelievingly at Arielle. ¡°You¡¯re Arielle Moore?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s eyes were full of disgust as she responded, ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to say my name.¡±


    The leader smirked lightly. ¡°What a coincidence for everyone to gather here. Since you don¡¯t want to


    leave, then I have no choice but to do things my way.¡± He turned to his men and ordered, ¡°Go get her


    and disfigure her pretty face!¡±


    ¡°What a pity to do that though¡­¡± he mumbled to himself regretfully.


    If it were not for the huge amount of money, he would not think about going after a gorgeous girl like


    Arielle.


    At the leader¡¯smand, two men strode in Arielle¡¯s direction.


    Seeing that, Jared wanted to rush over, but one of the men instantly whacked him in the stomach with


    his metal rod.


    With a grunt, Jared coughed out a mouthful of blood.


    Before Jared coulde back to his senses, his limbs


    were grabbed by the men forcefully.


    ¡°Let me go! She¡¯s not my friend! She¡¯s merely my ssmate. Do whatever you want to me, just don¡¯t


    hurt her, please!¡±


    The leader chuckled softly. ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t do that. My customer wants all three of you.¡±

 Chapter 416

    Chapter 416


    With that said, the leader urged the twockeys who were still making their way to Arielle, ¡°What are


    you guys doing? Quickly get it over with. Otherwise, we¡¯ll be attracting the police! Be fast!¡±


    The two men then hastened their pace as ordered.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Arielle voiced out of the blue.


    ¡°Are you finally afraid? It¡¯s toote now.¡± The leader smirked.


    Arielle pursed her lips and voiced, ¡°Get all of them toe at me all at once. I¡¯m in a rush. My warden


    is waiting for me to lock the door.¡±


    The leader nced at her with a quizzical look as he could not believe his ears.


    Nevertheless, he knew that Arielle was not joking around when he saw the stern expression on her


    face.


    Jared yelled worriedly, ¡°Arielle, run! Someone hired them to do this! You can¡¯t fight them alone!¡±


    ¡°Stop talking.¡± Ignoring Jared, Arielle shifted her attention to the leader and said, ¡°Are you deaf? Ask


    your men toe at me all at once!¡±


    Feeling his pride being threatened by a girl, the leader gritted his teeth furiously,


    With that, he cried out, ¡°You brought this upon yourself! Get her, guys!¡±


    Arielle was merely a pretty and vulnerable girl in the men¡¯s eyes. Taking their leader¡¯s order, all of them


    rushed forward to attack her.


    Meanwhile, one of them tried to take advantage ofProperty ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle by aiming right at her breasts.


    As he was about to touch her chest, he noticed that Arielle still stood rooted to the ground.


    He scoffed as he thought, Haha! I must have scared her out of her wits to the extent that she¡¯s unable


    to move an inch! What a perfect time to take advantage of her!


    The man felt an immense excitement surging through him as he quickened his footsteps. His hand was


    so close to reaching Arielle¡¯s chest, but Arielle abruptly disappeared.


    Baffled, he immediately reversed and subsequently tripped on something. He lost his bnce with that


    and fell t on the ground face-first.


    It was at that moment the man realized that Arielle had tricked him. Instantly, rage pulsed through his


    veins.


    As he attempted to climb to his feet to get his revenge, he felt a force on his back. It was Arielle¡¯s foot


    stomping him right in the middle of his spine.


    A wave of pain pierced through the man from his back


    just before he passed out.


    With that, Arielle pped her hands with a satisfied look and swiftly retracted her foot.


    She had utilized her knowledge by stepping on the acupuncture point on his back, which would cause


    severe pain to a person.


    With that, she turned her sharp gaze on the other men. ¡°What are all of you waiting for? Come on!¡±


    Arielle was smart enough to avoid making the first move. That way, if she was caught by the


    authorities, she could im that she was merely acting in self defense.


    Meeting her cold gaze, all of them took a step backward in fear.


    They had witnessed Arielle¡¯s extraordinary speed when she fought the man a while ago. It was quick


    as lightning


    In the meantime, Jared¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief after witnessing everything.


    Besides being good at gaming and hacking, Arielle is also good at fighting! How is that humanly


    possible?


    Unknowingly, Jared started to wonder if Harvey was out of Arielle¡¯s league.


    She¡¯s really something else. Of all the people I know, I think Vin¡¯s probably the only one worthy of her.

 Chapter 417

    Chapter 417


    The leader was stunned. He did not expect the youngdy, who seemed so frail, to be this capable at


    fighting.


    Nevertheless, he quickly regained his senses.


    She¡¯s just quick. If we attack together, she¡¯s no match for us!


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Take her down!¡± the man shouted at his subordinates.


    His face fell right after he finished the sentence as he realized it was what Arielle had just said. Feeling


    frustrated, he yelled, ¡°Are you guys afraid of a girl? If others ever find out about this, don¡¯t mention


    you¡¯re my subordinates! Move! I want her dead today!¡±


    He waspletely infuriated by Arielle.


    It didn¡¯t take long before everyone else came around.


    They could not believe they were taken aback and fearful of a girl. As such, they convinced themselves


    she merely had quick reflexes. It would be utterly shameful if word got out about this. No matter what,


    they had to earn their dignity back today.


    With that, they charged forward all at once.


    Bending backward, Arielle avoided the metal rod they swung at her. Shortly after, she nted one hand


    against the floor and pushed herself upright again, her leg swinging out in a wide kick.


    She had not held back. All of those who got kicked fell to the ground and were unable to get up again.


    The rest of them were startled to see that.


    Before they could react, Arielle punched them on the acupuncture point in their chests.


    All Jared saw was a shadow moving around swiftly.


    Suddenly, the men surrounding Arielle fell to the ground with a few thuds.


    Nobody saw how Arielle did it, except Jared.


    It was a one-sided ughter where one party crushed the other.


    Her movements had been so graceful and swift that it looked more like she was doing a performance


    than engaging in a battle.


    Arielle then dusted her hands as if she had touched something dirty.


    Looking up at the only man left standing, which was the leader, she asked, ¡°So are you going to make


    a move?¡±


    His face fell immediately.


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    It was already shocking for him to see her knock out the very first man, not to mention she even


    defeated a bunch of men by herself.


    This girl is terrifying!


    However, the man¡¯s ego hade to y at her provocation.


    He refused to believe that he would be defeated by a mere slip of a girl like his subordinates.


    Ignoring Jared, he rushed at Arielle while yelling, ¡°Your time¡¯s up, b*tch!¡±


    S


    The mission he received was to disfigure Arielle¡¯s face, so he did not have any intention to kill her at


    first. However, Arielle had defeated too many of his subordinates. If word got out, it would be too


    humiliating for him. He might even lose his job because of this.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± He swung his machete at Arielle¡¯s chest, aiming right for the heart.


    Jared was so scared that he closed his eyes.


    That¡¯s a machete! Even if Arielle¡¯s good, there¡¯s no way she won¡¯t bleed when stabbed with that sharp


    de!


    On the other hand, Arielle seemed unbelievably calm.


    She did not budge as she looked at the machete that wasing her way. Just when the weapon was


    about to pierce into her chest, she took a step to the side. Before the man could react, she struck him


    on the arm.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡± the leader howled in pain before the machete


    dropped from his hand.


    Before it could fall to the floor, Arielle swiftly kicked it up, and with another kick, sent it flying toward the


    man.


    The man widened his eyes in shock as he saw that.

 Chapter 418

    Chapter 418


    The fear the man was feeling at the moment was overwhelming


    Just when he thought his time hade, a slender hand reached out and grabbed the machete by the


    handle. The tip of the machete stopped right in front of the man.


    Bringing the machete to the man¡¯s neck, Arielle asked indifferently, ¡°Whose time did you say was up?¡±


    The man was trembling in fear. His face was as pale as death. ¡°M-My own¡­ No, please. I¡¯m sorry!


    Please spare my life!¡±


    Jared, who had just opened his eyes, was looking confused.


    What? Can somebody tell me what just happened?


    She patted the man¡¯s trembling shoulder with the back of the machete. ¡°Good boy. Now, tell me who


    sent you toe after us?¡±


    He swallowed. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. I-I¡¯m just doing my


    job!¡±


    Arielle raised her eyebrows. ¡°Are you sure? I¡¯m giving you onest chance to think harder. Who is it


    that sent


    you?¡±


    He was taken aback by Arielle¡¯s cold gaze.


    Even though what had happened might not seem to be something remarkable, he was someone who


    earned


    money by fighting. He could tell from how Arielle


    controlled her speed and strength that he was no match for her.


    Moreover, Arielle seemed to have some medical skills too. When she attacked his subordinates, she


    had hit the same ce. It must be some acupuncture point.


    Gritting his teeth, he said, ¡°All right! I¡¯ll tell you!¡±


    He then whipped out a note that looked like a mission card from his pocket and gave it to her warily. ¡°I


    have no idea who she is. These are the number and ount she used to contact us. We¡®re an


    underground organization specializing in taking orders for beating people up. Sometimes, just


    sometimes, we also help to kill people.¡±


    Arielle read the header and saw ¡°ck Manor¡± written on it.


    ¡°This is the forum. You can go have a look. On the forum, you can ept missions or ce orders.


    Everything is anonymous, so we¡¯ll only get the contact number and will never know who that person is,¡±


    he


    exined.


    ¡°Okay. I got it.¡± Arielle nodded, then turned to see the men that were on the floor and continued, ¡°Bring


    them away. Also, leave all the cash you have aspensation for the stall owner.¡±


    The man let out a long breath and bent over to creep past the machete Arielle was still holding. He then


    pulled up the subordinate that was closest to him, and the rest of them climbed to their feet shakily.


    Within two minutes, they left a stack of cash and ran for their lives.


    Jared limped toward Arielle with a funny look on his face. He was more than shocked at what he had


    just seen.


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    ¡°Boss, a-are you okay?¡± he stuttered.


    Arielle shrugged. ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m not?¡±


    He shook his head.


    Not at all!


    Pausing briefly, he then asked, ¡°Those people¡­ You¡¯re just letting them go like that?¡±


    Raising her eyebrows, she said, ¡°It¡¯s toote. If I call the police, it¡¯ll just waste my precious sleeping


    time. I¡¯ll take care of this matter once I find out who is it that¡¯s behind this.¡±


    Jared was once again bbergasted.


    Wasting her precious sleeping time? What is she talking about?


    Just then, Henry woke up.


    Arielle and Jared walked over at the same time.


    As soon as Henry opened his eyes, he saw Arielle. ¡°Boss, run!¡± he shouted.

 Chapter 419

    Chapter 419


    Arielle¡¯s gaze turned soft as she said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯re gone.¡±


    ¡°Gone?¡± Henry turned to look around, and all he saw was the stall owner cleaning up the mess.


    ¡°W-What happened?¡± he asked quizzically.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Just when Jared was about to say that it was Arielle who chased them away, she spoke first. ¡°Jared¡¯s


    good. He¡¯d already defeated all of them when I got here.¡±


    Henry immediately turned to look at Jared with admiration. ¡°Oh my gosh, Jared. They had machetes!


    No wonder you¡¯re one of the Jupiters. I¡¯ll tell your grandfather about this tomorrow. You¡¯re totally born


    for the military!¡±


    Jared turned away with mixed feelings.


    I won¡¯t ever say that I¡¯m good at fighting and that I¡¯m made for the military ever again. Maybe I¡¯m just


    not talented. Maybe I should listen to Harvey and Granpa and focus on my studies instead.


    Not knowing what Jared was thinking about, Henry keptplimenting him.


    Arielle interrupted Henry, who was talking non-stop, ¡°It¡¯ste. Let¡¯s go back to campus before the


    school finds out we had a fight outside.¡±


    Henry nodded eagerly. ¡°Yes, especially Donovan. If he finds out about this, it¡¯s for sure you¡¯ll be in huge


    trouble. He has always been targeting you.¡±


    Arielle gave him a faint smile. Then, they helped Henry up and went back to campus.


    The campus was quiet, but Jared felt at ease.


    At the same time, he felt ridiculous. He had promised Harvey that he would protect Arielle at all costs,


    but the truth was, Henry and himself were the ones that ended up getting protected by Arielle.


    Soon, they arrived at the dorms.


    Arielle waved goodbye at both of them. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep now. Remember to bring Henry to the


    hospital tomorrow. You don¡¯t want him to have any internal bleeding or anything,¡± she said.


    However, she knew that was not likely to happen because she had secretly read their pulses earlier.


    They were fine


    Jared opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but nothing left his lips.


    Seeing that, she pulled him to the side and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Why did you say it was me who chased them away?¡± Jared said awkwardly.


    Arielle chuckled. ¡°It¡¯d be too troublesome to exin.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± He scratched his head and continued, ¡°What are you going to do about this matter?¡±


    Arielle thought for a while before she replied, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about this first. I¡¯ll take care of this. All


    you have to do is not mention this to anyone.¡±


    He immediately nodded. ¡°Okay! Go back and take a rest. We should head back, too.¡±


    He had witnessed Arielle¡¯s capability and had decided to do whatever she told him to do.


    She nodded as a response and watched the two of them leave toward the male dorm.


    Trisha was asleep by the time Arielle returned to their room.


    She tiptoed her way to her bed, trying her best not to wake Trisha. Before shey down, she checked


    her phone.


    There were no missed calls or texts.


    Arielle¡¯s gaze dimmed as she convinced herself not to think about it anymore.


    This is for the best. I don¡¯t want Vinson to mess with my feelings any further.


    Soon, she was fast asleep with the help of the therapeutic candles.


    ¡°Arielle, Arielle¡­¡±


    The next day, Arielle woke up to the voice of Trisha.

 Chapter 420

    Chapter 420


    Arielle rubbed her eyes and sat up. ¡°What time is it?¡± she asked.


    Trisha replied hurriedly, ¡°It¡¯s almost time for ss. Get up quickly! I¡¯ve already wakened you up before I


    went to shower so I thought you¡¯ve already got up. I didn¡¯t expect you to still be in bed even after I


    finished my shower and bought breakfast.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m up now.¡± Arielle pressed her temple before quickly getting out of the bed to take a shower.


    Even so, the two were stillte to the ss, and the bell had already rung.


    The ssroom was full, and Donovan was already there. His expression turned solemn when he saw


    Trisha but didn¡¯t say anything. He just reminded her, ¡°Get up early next time so you won¡¯t enter the


    ss after the bell


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    rang.¡±


    Trisha¡¯s face turned red in an instant and she answered him carelessly before hurrying to her seat.


    Arielle felt apologetic and nned to tell Trisha to not wait for her from now on.


    She was different from Trisha, as thetter was really here to study. Arielle, on the other hand, was


    here to recover her memory. Hence, she didn¡¯t want to interfere with Trisha¡¯s studies.


    After Arielle went to her seat, she nced around and found that Jared and Henry weren¡¯t there.


    It was within her expectations.


    But Arielle soon noticed Kelsea, who wasn¡¯t there during the self-study sessionst night, sitting


    properly upright. When she sat down, Kelsea turned to look and she appeared surprised.


    Although it was only in an instant, Arielle caught her shocked expression.


    She pretended she didn¡¯t see it and turned around to look at the podium. But a cold glint appeared


    deep in her eyes.


    She had suspected that the thingst night had something to do with Kelsea, but she was not


    completely sure about it. Judging by the look in Kelsea¡¯s eyes just now, however, she knew that her


    guess was right


    Kelsea actually hired people to attack them on the forum. What a girl.


    Meanwhile, on the podium, Donovan reported his name first. His face showed a hint of disgust when he


    called out Jared and Henry¡¯s names.


    But he didn¡¯t make anyment and instead just cleared his throat. ¡°Our ss will start today. As it will


    be too much of a pressure teaching all of your subjects by myself, I¡¯ve invited several equally excellent


    teachers for some subjects. You will know them when theye to teach their subject. Now, turn to the


    first page of Advanced Mathematics.¡±


    Arielle opened her book casually before putting one hand under the table to send a message to a


    subordinate who had some hacking skills.


    ¡°Track this ount and find the person. Do it as quickly as you can.¡±


    Her subordinate swiftly replied, ¡°Got it.¡±


    Donovan spoke again at this moment. ¡°Oh, yes, there¡¯s one more thing. My ss will be twice as fast


    as the progress of the other normal ss, so our monthly test will be earlier than theirs. Our monthly


    test will be held in two weeks.¡±


    He nced at Arielle rather intentionally as he said this, but she acted as if she didn¡¯t hear him. She


    proceeded to put her head on top of the two books she found on the table to take a nap.


    Donovan gritted his teeth in annoyance.


    Arielle was not a genius and even if she was, it would be strange if she was able to be ranked in the


    top twenty in the monthly test when all she did was sleep in ss!


    Donovan ignored Arielle, who was sleeping. He didn¡¯t need to waste any more time on a student who


    would be gone in two weeks.


    The students all sighed when they heard theter part of Donovan¡¯s announcement.


    Isn¡¯t this kind of teaching too intense?


    But no one dared to protest.


    They had seen Donovan¡¯s temper, so no one dared to make him angry.


    Kelsea didn¡¯t hear what Donovan said at all, as she was filled with anxiety.


    Rate the Trantion to Get 2 Petal.


    ¡­ Wait! I Have Something to Say!

 Chapter 421

    Chapter 421


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 421


    Why does Arielle look fine?


    Didn¡¯t they say that those three would be dealt withst night?


    Or was it because they didn¡¯t have the time to find a chance to do anything to her so they could only deal


    with Jared and Henry?


    But if they didn¡¯tplete the task, then shouldn¡¯t those people inform me?


    Two people appeared at the door of the ssroom just as she thought of this.


    ¡°Sir!¡±


    It was Henry¡¯s voice, and he sounded hazy, as if he hadn¡¯t woken up.


    Kelsea immediately raised her head to look, and she saw that both Henry and Jared were full of bruises.


    Especially Henry, whose face was so swollen he looked as if he was bitten by a colony of bees. Jared


    was rather fine as his face only had a few scratches here and there.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Kelsea frowned once she saw their appearance.


    The task she published on the forum was to abolish these two. So why were they only bruised?


    Did Jared beat the people I hired?


    That was the only logical exnation.


    It seemed that Jared from the Jupiter family had some skills.


    Kelsea gritted her teeth angrily and decided to go to the forum and demand a refund once the ss was


    over.


    The cost of hiring people in that forum wasn¡¯t low.


    They didn¡¯t evenplete the task and still wish to take my money? Dream on!


    Donovan heard the voice and looked up unhappily. His expression immediately darkened after seeing


    the injuries on their faces.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you two? Fighting is prohibited in this school and you will be directly expelled if


    the situation is serious. Do you know that?¡± Donovan coldly asked.


    ¡°Who said we had a fight? We were still sleepy when we¡¯re on our way to school so we identally fell


    into a manhole and end up like this,¡± Henry retorted.


    Donovan¡¯s eyes narrowed as he scrutinized them to judge whether Henry was lying or not.


    But Henry¡¯s face was so swollen that no expression could be seen. And Jared always had a straight


    face, so there was nothing to glean from him.


    Finally, Donovan warned them, ¡°If I find out that you¡¯re lying, I will immediately go to the headmaster to


    request for your expulsion.¡±


    ¡°Can we go in now?¡± Jared spoke tly just as Henry was about to talk back to Donovan.


    Donovan said, ¡°You¡¯re more than ten minuteste. I¡¯ve already taught two topics so you don¡¯t have to


    attend this ss. Go and stand outside.¡±


    Jared frowned upon hearing this. He had never seen such an unreasonable teacher before and would


    really like to pummel Donovan¡¯s face.


    But he remembered what happenedst night, so he took Henry out to do as they were told.


    ¡°Jared, do you really want to stand outside?¡± Henry asked as they walked outside with a puzzled


    expression.


    Jared stood with his back against the wall. He didn¡¯t answer Henry¡¯s question verbally, but with action.


    Henry was even more puzzled.


    ¡°No¡­ Why? You wake me up so early in the morning for ss just to receive punishment?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Jared answered. ¡°We¡¯re indeed more than ten minuteste, so it¡¯s only normal for us to


    stand outside. You can go back to sleep if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Henry¡¯s swollen face wrinkled even more as he frowned. He then reached out a hand to touch Jared¡¯s


    forehead to check whether thetter had a fever.


    But his hand was swatted away before he could touch Jared¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Jared asked, disgruntled.


    ¡°I should be asking you. What exactly what are you up to? You¡¯re not acting like yourself at all, you


    know?¡±


    Jared looked down and said, ¡°I¡¯ve decided to study well.¡±

 Chapter 422

    Chapter 422


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 422


    ¡°W-What?¡± Henry was shocked to the core.


    As his face was swollen, Henry asked directly without showing any change in his facial expression,


    ¡°Why? You said yesterday that you would ask your future sister-inw for a favor. Then, she¡¯ll convince


    your brother to let you join the military. Why have you changed your mind all of a sudden?¡±


    Jared turned away with mixed feelings.


    After what happenedst night, he opined that he didn¡¯t have talent in martial arts.


    Since I couldn¡¯t even defeat Arielle, why should I join the military to embarrass myself? I should heed my


    family¡¯s advice to study hard and be an entrepreneur in the future.


    After pondering over it, Jared heaved a sigh and said, ¡°Please don¡¯t ask me why, for I¡¯ve already


    decided. I¡¯m going to stay in this ss to study hard. Then, I¡¯ll help grow my family¡¯s business based on


    their arrangement.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think your decision isn¡¯t bad either. After all, being a soldier is an arduous journey, and I can only


    see you once in a few years. But are you aware of the criteria to stay in the ss? You¡¯ve to be ranked


    top twenty! Are you sure you can outmatch the bookworms in your ss?¡±


    Unperturbed, Jared replied determinedly, ¡°As they say, if you never try, you¡¯ll never know.¡±


    Rendered speechless, Henry decided to apany Jared, who was instructed to stand outside as


    punishment.


    Jared will have one less opponent if I¡¯m at the bottom of the ss.


    That¡¯s right! I can¡¯t let Donovan get rid of me before the monthly exam. I¡¯ve to stay here to be at the


    bottom of the ss for Jared!


    The bell finally rang when both of them were about to go weak at the knees.


    When Donovan came out of the ssroom, he was shocked to see the two boys standing outside.


    Immediately, Jared walked toward him and asked, ¡°Mr. Baxter, we¡¯ve stood here throughout the ss.


    Can we go in to attend the next ss?¡±


    As Donovan couldn¡¯t believe his ears, he instinctively nced at the sun to check if it rose from the west.


    Aftering to his senses, Donovan turned around to gaze at Jared and Henry.


    They seem eager to attend sses.


    Donovan responded, ¡°Do whatever you like! However, I hope that your determination won¡¯t be short-


    lived.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t.¡± Seeing that Jared answered resolutely, Donovan couldn¡¯t help but think that he had gone


    cuckoo.


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    Nheless, Donovan didn¡¯t speak his mind. Instead, he merely gazed at Jared curiously for a while


    before leaving.


    Despite that, Donovan¡¯s perception of Jared didn¡¯t trouble him. When Jared pushed the door to enter the


    ssroom, he bumped into Kelsea, who wanted toe out.


    The moment their eyes met, Kelsea felt slightly guilty and left hastily.


    While Jared didn¡¯t think that something was off, Henry had a different opinion. As such, he whispered,


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think the girl is afraid of you? I mean, her expression turned grim the moment she met your


    eyes.¡±


    Jared didn¡¯t think much about it and replied, ¡°Well, perhaps I look ferocious.¡±


    Henry couldn¡¯t help but look at himself in the mirror. Ferocious? But I¡¯m more ferocious than Jared!


    Later, Arielle sobered up when she heard them pulling out their chairs to sit down. Sitting straight, she


    looked at Jared and asked, ¡°Have you guys woken up?¡±


    Jared nodded and asked softly, ¡°Have you found any information?¡±


    Arielle stretched her back and told him to wait for a second. Then, she grabbed her phone from the


    drawer.


    Only then did she realize that her subordinate had sent her a text message nearly ten minutes ago.


    Arielle¡¯s lips curled into a smile after she read the text message. Then she turned to Jared and


    responded, ¡°Found it.¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Jared asked hastily.

 Chapter 423

    Chapter 423


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 423


    Arielle didn¡¯t reveal it right away. While replying to her subordinate, she said hintingly, ¡°How do you think


    she will react when her prey doesn¡¯t fall into her trap?¡±


    Jared continued to ask, ¡°How will she react?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll feel frustrated and lose her rationale. Then we can grab the chance to catch her in the act.¡±


    Feeling convinced, Jared didn¡¯t dwell on the identity of the mastermind. After all, he believed that Arielle


    would uncover the mastermind sooner orter.


    Although Henry didn¡¯t understand what they said, he admired Arielle unwittingly.


    ¡°Well, everything that Boss says is different from that of ordinary people.¡±


    Arielle smiled but didn¡¯t utter a word. She beat around the bush just now to ensure that Kelsea¡¯s friends


    couldn¡¯t overhear their conversation.


    Outside of the ssroom, Kelsea walked to an empty corner and dialed the number on the receipt.


    No one answered when Kelsea made the first call. When Kelsea tried calling again, someone picked up


    the call and asked impatiently, ¡°Hello?¡±


    Kelsea went straight to the point. ¡°I¡¯m your customer. What happened to my orderst night? You


    promised to get rid of all three of them for me. However, all of them came back in one piece. Worse still,


    the girl remains


    unharmed. Is this how you do business?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you.¡± After figuring out who was on the line, he yelled, ¡°We¡¯ll reimburse your money. However,


    I¡¯m warning you. Stop calling us!¡±


    The call ended abruptly before Kelsea could say anything


    Kelsea was startled by his response. When she wanted to call him again, she received a text message.


    Your money has been fully reimbursed.


    Furious, Kelsea stomped her foot. But I don¡¯t want the money! All I want are Arielle¡¯s face and the


    rascals¡¯ arms!


    As Kelsea was infuriated, she dialed the number once again.


    Instantly, someone picked up the call and said, ¡°How dare you call us again?¡±


    Besides anger, Kelsea was overwhelmed with bewilderment. She asked in a deep voice, ¡°Since you¡¯ve


    already epted my order, why did you reimburse the money? I don¡¯t want the money! I want her


    disfigured!¡±


    ¡°Disfigure? Hehe, why don¡¯t you try it yourself?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Let me be clear. We cannot ept your order. In fact,


    no one from the forum can ever ept it.¡±


    Confused, Kelsea continued to ask, ¡°Why can¡¯t you ept my order? I mean, how can you guys be no


    match for a weak girl?¡±


    ¡°A weak girl? My goodness, she almost crippled us. If she¡¯s weak, I¡¯d be a frail old man then!¡±


    ¡°What the¡±


    ¡°Enough b*llshit. Check the surveince footage of the stalls near the school¡¯s rear gate, and you¡¯ll


    understand why. I¡¯m warning you. Stop calling me, or else you¡¯ll get me killed!¡± With that, he hung up the


    phone abruptly.


    At that moment, Kelsea¡¯s mind was flooded with questions.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She couldn¡¯t understand why a professional hired gun was so frightened to the extent that he didn¡¯t want


    to answer her call anymore.


    Kelsea dared not bete to Donovan¡¯s ss. As such, she texted her butler, asking him to check the


    surveince footage of the stalls near the school¡¯s rear gate.


    After that, she rushed back to the ssroom.


    When Kelsea instinctively nced at where Arielle sat, thetter happened to be looking at her as well.

 Chapter 424

    Chapter 424


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 424


    The moment their eyes met, Kelsea noticed the cold glint in Arielle¡¯s narrowed eyes, and a chill ran down


    her spine.


    Frightened, Kelsea instinctively wanted to escape from the ssroom. Nheless, she was rooted to


    the floor and couldn¡¯t move an inch.


    At the same time, Kelsea¡¯s back was covered in a cold sweat.


    At that moment, a thought shed through her mind. Has Arielle found out about it?


    However, Kelsea soon ruled out that possibility since the forum always kept their clients¡¯ information


    confidential.


    Well, even the one who epted my order doesn¡¯t know who I am, not to mention the country bumpkin


    Arielle. Besides, I guess she doesn¡¯t even know about the forum.


    As such, Kelsea felt that she was only overthinking because of Arielle¡¯s odd gaze.


    She felt relieved and forced herself to avert her gaze from Arielle.


    Then, she quickly returned to her seat and dared not look behind again.


    ¡°Kelsea.¡±


    When someone next to her called her name, Kelsea


    nearly jumped out of her skin and screamed out aloud.


    ¡°Kelsea, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Wendy asked curiously.


    Why was Kelsea so shocked when she heard my voice?


    Kelsea only loosened up when she saw Wendy.


    s, one will feel guilty for doing bad things.


    Deep down, Kelsea swore that she would only do it once. After that, she wouldpensate for her sins


    with good deeds.


    ¡°Kelsea?¡± Wendy felt even more bewildered upon seeing Kelsea¡¯s response.


    Kelsea cleared her throat and replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I only felt a little dizzy because I didn¡¯t sleep wellst


    night.¡±


    Wendy didn¡¯t suspect anything. Instead, she merely sat next to Kelsea and said apologetically, ¡°Are you


    angry because I left suddenly yesterday? I wasn¡¯t targeting you. I was only disgusted by the sight of


    Arielle.¡±


    ¡°Me too!¡± Kelsea responded while gritting her teeth. Realizing that they were in the ssroom, Kelsea


    calmed herself down and said, ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you. After all, I understand that it¡¯s hard for anyone to stay


    under such circumstances.¡±


    Wendy felt relieved and continued, ¡°Anyway, I was surprised to find out that Arielle knows a lot of people.


    For instance, Jared is from one of the four most


    prominent families! He chatted with Arielle after ss, even though he has only been here for two days. I


    can¡¯t help butmend Arielle for her ability in seducing


    men!¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Kelsea sneered and responded, ¡°It looks like she only learned the ways to seduce men when


    she was in her vige. I mean, all country bumpkins dream about going from rags to riches, and she is


    obviously using her good looks to her advantage. Nheless, rest assured that she will lose the


    opportunity soon!¡±


    Kelsea wished to figure out what transpired before making another order in the forum.


    Deep down, she believed it was only a matter of time for her to get someone to disfigure Arielle.


    Having understood the implicit meaning of Kelsea¡¯s words, Wendy asked hastily, ¡°Oh? Do you have a


    n?¡±


    Kelsea shook her head and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to know the n. The only thing I can tell you now is


    that she won¡¯t be able to seduce men soon.¡±


    Wendy felt delighted and didn¡¯t dwell on the matter.


    Since Kelsea was going to bring Arielle down, Wendy thought she didn¡¯t have to be involved. After all,


    there was no guarantee that Kelsea¡¯s scheme would be fruitful. As such, Wendy didn¡¯t want Vinson to


    me her if Arielleined to him.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Nheless, Wendy wished that Kelsea¡¯s n would be sessful.


    The bell rang soon, and the next lesson was Ustranasion ss taught by Arthur Sleight, a new lecturer.


    He was humorous even though he appeared to be rather old.


    When Arthur came in, Arielle initially prepared to continue sleeping. However, she couldn¡¯t help but listen


    andugh at his jokes with other students.


    This lecturer is cuter than Mr. Baxter!


    Toward the end, Arthur became more serious. He grabbed the textbook and said, ¡°Let¡¯s get down to


    business. I¡¯ll choose two students to read the passage.¡±

 Chapter 425

    Chapter 425


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 425


    At that moment, the students were nervous.


    The passage wasn¡¯t long, only consisting of two paragraphs with more than two hundred words.


    However, many words were unusually long and difficult to pronounce. Although Arthur had read the


    passage twice, most students couldn¡¯t remember the meaning and pronunciation of some words.


    Arthur flexed his fingers while he asked, ¡°Any volunteers?¡±


    Upon hearing it, the students lowered their heads silently.


    Deep down, they didn¡¯t want to embarrass themselves before everyone.


    Just then, someone raised her fair-skinned hand, which was adorned with a branded diamond bracelet.


    Everyone, including Arielle, turned around and realized that Wendy had volunteered.


    Feeling intrigued, Arielle raised her eyebrow.


    Meanwhile, Arthur was happy to see a volunteer and asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    Wendy replied softly, ¡°Wendy Greene.¡±


    Immediately, Arthurmended, ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re Wendy! Mr. Baxter used to tell me that you¡¯re talented.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Professor Sleight.¡± Although Wendy looked calm on the outside, she felt overjoyed deep


    down.


    ¡°All right: Since our ss is ending soon, we have to make it fast. Please read the first paragraph.¡±


    ¡°Sure, Professor Sleight.¡± With that, Wendy grabbed the textbook.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    During thest summer holiday, Wendy purposely attended sses and jotted down notes on the


    punctuations of words. Given that she had read the passage many times, she was confident about


    reciting it smoothly.


    A few secondster, Wendy began, ¡°Large corporations like Microsoft¡±


    In no time, Wendy finished reading the passage, having only paused for a short while. On the whole, it


    was considered fluent


    Upon listening to it, Arthur nodded with satisfaction. ¡°Well done. You read it fluently. Did you practice it


    beforehand?¡±


    Wendy¡¯s fingers stiffened instantly. Then, she clenched her fists to stay calm and shook her head in


    response. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. I¡¯m familiar with most of the words because I always read Ustranasion news.¡±


    Feeling satisfied, Arthur touched his beard and said, ¡°In that case, you¡¯re indeed talented and


    hardworking.


    Guys, please learn from Wendy. Spend more time reading Ustranasion magazines and news to enhance


    your vocabry. For the Ustranasionnguage, vocabry is more important than grammar. Besides,


    since all of you wish to apply to Maxwell University, it¡¯s important to be able to listen in sses.¡±


    The students nodded and gazed at Wendy in admiration.


    Meanwhile, Wendy felt that she was on cloud nine.


    Ever since she was young, she had been an ambitious girl and always coveted admiration and envy from


    others.


    I wonder how many people will have their dreams crushed if I marry Vinson?


    ¡°Wendy?¡±


    When Arthur snapped Wendy out of her reverie, she was startled and looked at him in a daze. Arthur


    then asked bewilderedly, ¡°Did you not hear what I said? You may sit down.¡±


    With that, Wendy hastily sat down with a blushing face.


    She heaved a sigh of relief as the students only thought she fell into a trance.


    The next moment, Arthur said, ¡°Alright. Wendy has read the first paragraph fluently. Is there any other


    volunteer who might be able to outperform Wendy?¡±


    Most of the students were introverted and lowered their heads again.


    Arthur nced around and didn¡¯t see anyone raising their hand. As such, he took the name list and said,


    ¡°Since there is no volunteer, I¡¯ll choose one of you then.¡±

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    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 426


    No one opposed the roll call. However, the only problem they were worried about was bing the


    unlucky chosen person.


    After all, whoever was chosen to read the passage would simply be embarrassing themselves in front of


    Wendy, the ss¡¯ most outstanding student.


    It was for this reason that everyone was praying earnestly in their hearts. Please don¡¯t say my name,


    please don¡¯t say my name¡­


    At this moment, Arthur came upon a name that piqued his interest. ¡°Trisha Hughes. Who is Trisha


    Hughes?¡±


    Trisha, who was sitting in the fourth row, flushed deep crimson when she heard her name.


    As she blushed, her entire body began to quiver violently.


    This kind of situation was excruciatingly agonizing for her.


    Oh God, why of all people did he have to call my name?


    Trisha was so terrified that tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to fall at any minute.


    From her vantage point, Arielle could clearly see


    Trisha¡¯s side profile. With her brows furrowed slightly, she raised her hand just as thetter was about to


    get up.


    ¡°Professor Sleight, I would like to read. Could you please give me this opportunity?¡±


    Kelsea and Wendy both turned their heads at the same time when they heard this.


    When they realized it was Arielle who had said it, their expressions soured.


    Why would a country bumpkin like her want to speak Ustranasion in front of the entire ss? What a


    shameless weirdo.


    Wendy suspected that Arielle was aiming to defeat her, but could someone like thetter actually


    outperform her?


    Even a single strand of my hair is worth more than hers!


    Meanwhile, Trisha was so grateful that she nearly cried;


    Arielle was the kindest girl she had ever met.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    However, Trisha felt a little apprehensive. Won¡¯t Arielle feel embarrassed when she stands up to read the


    passage aloudter? Wendy¡¯s reading just now was incredible, after all.


    She couldn¡¯t help but worry for Arielle.


    Simrly, Jared was concerned since he knew that Arielle was from the countryside. Will she be all right?


    ¡°You want to read?¡± Arthur asked Arielle with a smile.


    In his opinion, Ustranasion was all about having the courage to speak up. Therefore, regardless of how


    well or poorly they performed, he must encourage those who volunteered to read the passage.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Arielle responded with a nod.


    ¡°Good! Very good!¡± Arthur nodded appreciatively as he said his catchphrase. ¡°Okay, please read the


    second paragraph. Rx and don¡¯t worry if you make a mistake.¡±


    With Wendy in the ss, Arthur didn¡¯t think Arielle¡¯s pronunciation could be any better than hers, but he


    admired her bravery nheless.


    Just as Arielle stood up, Jared, who was sitting beside her, anxiously murmured, ¡°Boss, can you do it? If


    you can¡¯t, I¡¯ll help you. I¡¯ve studied abroad since I was a child.¡±


    Arielle shook her head but froze when she picked up the textbook.


    When Kelsea witnessed Arielle¡¯s reaction, she couldn¡¯t help but snort. ¡°Arielle, do you even know how to


    read the first word?¡±


    Disregarding Kelsea, Arielle asked Arthur apologetically instead, ¡°Excuse me, Professor Sleight, but your


    lecture was quite interesting just now. Could you please tell me which page of the article you were


    reading?¡±


    Arthur was astounded for a brief moment and didn¡¯t know how to respond to her question.


    I thought she was a good student. Howe she doesn¡¯t even know which page it was?


    Wendy couldn¡¯t help but smirk at this point.


    It looks like Arielle¡¯s willing to take a risk just to defeat me.


    Arthur regained hisposure and replied, ¡°Page twenty-four.¡± But then he couldn¡¯t help but add, ¡°If you


    can¡¯t read it, let Trisha do it ¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the second paragraph, right?¡± Arielle cut him off before he could finish his sentence.


    Arthur nodded. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the second paragraph¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t even know which page we were on, so how could she be so sure that she could read it


    fluently?


    Arielle quickly flipped to page twenty-four of her textbook, picked it up, and casually nced through the


    page.

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    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 427


    It was a news release announcing a trial implementation of a new workweek system in a particr


    Western metropolis.


    In an instant, Arielle¡¯s gaze was drawn to the word ¡°Lightspring.¡±


    Since Lightspring hadn¡¯t implemented the four-day workweek system in a long time, this textbook had to


    be published a few years ago.


    Arielle¡¯s attention subsequently returned to the second paragraph, and she began to read aloud, ¡°With


    no corresponding increase in productivity¡­¡±


    Before she could finish reading the first sentence, Kelsea¡¯s expression darkened.


    Arielle¡¯s pronunciation, ent, and fluency made her sound almost like a foreigner, whichpletely


    astonished Kelsea.


    She didn¡¯t know how to pronounce several words in the passage, so she assumed that Arielle wouldn¡¯t


    know how to read the first word and humiliated her in front of everyone just now.


    But it turned out that she was the one who couldn¡¯t read all along.


    At that moment, Kelsea felt like a foolish clown in front of Arielle.


    Kelsea finally understood why Arielle didn¡¯t answer her


    just now. Thetter merely had to read the text in order to humiliate her.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Meanwhile, Wendy, who still had a contemptuous expression on her face, turned pale as soon as Arielle


    finished the first sentence.


    She could feel all of her blood rushing up to her head. It was as though her brain was ready to explode


    with emotion at any minute.


    Her reciting was only considered smooth at most,pared to Arielle, who even managed to stir up


    emotions in everyone when reading about employers protesting the four-day workweek.


    Wendy stiffened just as Arielle finished reading the paragraph, and the rest of the ss were astounded


    as well.


    Arielle sounded eerily simr to the recording that Arthur had yed in the previous lesson when he


    taught them this article


    Next to her, Jared¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    As expected from Boss!


    Like the rest, he had assumed that Arielle would make a fool of herself, but the reality was quite the


    opposite.


    Arthur, who was standing on stage, was equally taken aback, and it took him a long time to return to his


    senses.


    Arielle was quite proficient in Ustranasion, and she didn¡¯t falter when she came across new words. Not


    only that, but she even had a Lightspring ent.


    Most people were unaware of the diverse ents and intonation patterns that existed among


    Ustranasion speaking countries and regions. Out of them, the Lightspring ent was recognized as the


    best-sounding one.


    While the other students couldn¡¯t discern it, Arthur, who had taught in Lightspring for many years before


    returning home, heard the ent in Arielle¡¯s reading right away.


    Arielle spoke with the typical Lightspring ent, which many foreign nobles would deliberately try to


    imitate.


    For this very reason, shepletely caught him off guard. It took him a long time toprehend what


    had just happened before he could finally say, ¡°Good, very good¡­¡± As he said this, he realized that his


    compliment did not do Arielle¡¯s outstanding pronunciation justice. Thus, he added, ¡°You will be our ss¡¯


    representative for Ustranasion ss in the future. So if any of you are having trouble speaking it, you


    may all approach her for advice and learn from her. In fact, I strongly advise all of you to learn from her.


    Her pronunciation is far superior to mine!¡±


    Arielle¡¯s ssmates all threw envious nces her way. Even though they didn¡¯t know what the


    Lightspring ent sounded like, they could tell that she sounded almost exactly like the recording.


    At that point, everyone was aware that Wendy¡¯s proficiency was in no wayparable to Arielle¡¯s.


    Trisha looked at Arielle with awe and admiration in her eyes.


    At that moment, Arielle was her goddess, her idol!


    ¡°Okay, Arielle, you may sit down. In the future, I¡¯ll ask you more about speaking Ustranasion,¡± Arthur


    stated calmly and matter-of-factly.


    There was a saying that one could never be too old to learn something new. Hence, he didn¡¯t think it was


    disgraceful for teachers to learn from their students. Instead, he was pleased to have such apetent


    student in his ss.

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    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 428


    Arielle humbly thanked the professor and sat down in her seat


    As she took a nce at her surroundings, she saw the anger in Kelsea¡¯s eyes and Wendy¡¯s stiffened


    back.


    Arielle didn¡¯t want to make her ability to speak Ustranasion known, but for the sake of Trisha, she had no


    choice.


    When the bell rang, Arthur walked toward Arielle excitedly and asked, ¡°Arielle, where did you learn the


    Lightspring ent?¡±


    In order to hide the truth, Arielle had no choice but to lie, ¡°I love listening to foreign news when I¡¯m free.


    After some time, I just picked up their ent.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good! It¡¯s a good habit! Honestly, no lecturer in our university could speak the ent so fluently


    like you.¡±


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle smiled in reply. ¡°Thank you, Professor Sleight. By the way, I can¡¯t be the Ustranasion ss


    representative. I¡¯ll be leaving soon.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Arthur asked confusedly, ¡°What do you mean by leaving?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s a long story. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know.¡±


    After all, Arielle only returned to seek revenge for her mother. She didn¡¯t want to waste her time at


    Jadeborough University.


    Arthur¡¯s face was full of disappointment. ¡°Okay. If you change your mind, do let me know. You should


    continue your studies. Even if Maxwell University refuses to ept you, I can still refer you to my alma


    mater, Oakfield University.¡±


    Oakfield University was also a top university. Its ranking was merely a ce behind Maxwell University.


    However, Arielle remained expressionless even after hearing Arthur¡¯s words. ¡°Thank you, Professor


    Sleight. I¡¯ll consider it.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll leave you now.¡± Arthur then left with a smile, unable to contain his excitement.


    Meanwhile, Kelsea who had heard the entire conversation stood up and walked to Arielle before


    questioning her, ¡°Arielle, did you practice beforehand?¡±


    Arielle frowned at her question. ¡°I didn¡¯t have the time.¡±


    Kelsea chuckled at her reply and continued, ¡°There were so many new words in the passage you read.


    But you¡¯re merely a country bumpkin, so how could you have known how to pronounce them? No one


    would believe that you didn¡¯t practice beforehand.¡±


    Arielle raised her brow and returned Kelsea¡¯s gaze. ¡°So what if I did practice beforehand? I don¡¯t see


    how it¡¯s your business.¡±


    Kelsea bit her lip upon hearing her reply. When she was about to snap back at her, Jared spoke coldly,


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m trying to sleep! I¡¯ll make you regret if you disrupt my nap again.¡±


    When Jared¡¯s expression darkened, coupled with his tan skin, he looked rather fierce.


    Upon hearing his remark, Kelsea felt embarrassed. She could only bite her lip and head back to her seat.


    However, deep inside her heart, she was boiling with anger. After all, Kelsea was a Morgan, and no one


    had ever dared to disrespect her.


    She med the guys for failing to teach Jared a lesson the night before. If they had seeded, Jared


    wouldn¡¯t have had a chance to help Arielle.


    Now, Kelsea was trying to look for another opportunity to teach Jared a lesson. She wanted to ensure


    that he wouldn¡¯t dare speak to her with such an attitude in the future.


    While immersed in her thoughts, Kelsea didn¡¯t notice that her ssmates were shooting strange looks at


    her.


    After seeing how Kelsea targeted Arielle multiple times, all of them realized that Kelsea was trying to stir


    up trouble with Arielle.


    Hence, they tried to distance themselves from Kelsea.


    Wendy, on the other hand, noticed their gazes. She was


    grateful that she had held back the urge to question Arielle. Otherwise, she would be the one being


    scolded by Jared.


    Wendy then closed her eyes and tried to calm herself down.


    So what if Arielle¡¯s Ustranasion is good? She just said that she would be leaving the ss soon. That


    means she knew that she couldn¡¯t be in the top twenty for the next monthly exam. I¡¯ll just wait for that


    day toe.


    Meanwhile, Arthur got out of the ssroom and immediately rushed toward the lecturers¡¯ block.


    ¡°Mr. Baxter! Where is Mr. Baxter?¡±

 Chapter 429

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    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 429


    Arthur tried looking for Donovan everywhere.


    At the same time, Donovan came back from the washroom.


    When Arthur saw Donovan, he quickly rushed up to him, grabbed his sleeve, and eximed, ¡°Mr. Baxter,


    I¡¯ve finally found you!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Donovan asked wearily.


    He was up all night, not just preparing for sses, but also studying the Advanced Mathematics


    questions done by Arielle. He didn¡¯t want to tell others that he still couldn¡¯tprehend Arielle¡¯s


    answers.


    After all, no teacher would allow his student to be smarter than him. Moreover, that particr student


    didn¡¯t excel academically nor have good manners.


    Arthur didn¡¯t notice the fatigue on Donovan¡¯s face as he waspletely immersed in his excitement. ¡°Mr.


    Baxter, why didn¡¯t you tell me that you have a student like Arielle before?¡±


    Upon hearing Arielle¡¯s name, Donovan instantly furrowed his brows as he instinctively thought that


    Arielle had caused trouble.


    At this moment, there were a dozen lecturers in the office. So he immediately stopped Arthur from


    continuing by saying, ¡°Professor Sleight, let¡¯s take the conversation elsewhere. I don¡¯t want to disturb the


    other lecturers.¡±


    Donovan had been transferred over to Jadeborough University from Maxwell University. In a way, he


    always felt that he was better than the other Jadeborough University lecturers, so he didn¡¯t want those


    lecturers to know that his preparatory ss had a bad student like Arielle.


    However, Arthur shook his hand dismissively and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I know them well. I¡¯m sure that they


    won¡¯t mind us. Anyway, I just want to tell you that Arielle


    is¡­¡±


    Before Arthur could finish his sentence, Donovan had dragged him out of the office.


    Arthur was confused by his action. ¡°Mr. Baxter, what are you doing?¡±


    Donovan sighed and apologized, ¡°I do have two or three students like Arielle, Professor Sleight. I hope


    that you remain silent about them. They will be leaving soon anyway.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Arthur was even more confused. He asked, ¡°Why are they leaving? And what do you


    mean by two or three students? Do you mean you have more students like Arielle? That many?¡±


    Donovan nodded in reply. ¡°Yes, because I¡¯ve given them a timeline. If they couldn¡¯t be in the top 20 in the


    next monthly exam, they would have to leave. Please be assured that the exam won¡¯t be easy to pass. I


    can¡¯t let Arielle and the others stay.¡±


    At that point, Arthur finally realized that he and Donovan were talking about different things.


    After a moment of hesitation, he said, ¡°Mr. Baxter, I don¡¯t understand. Why would you want to force


    Arielle to leave the ss? She¡¯s an excellent student.¡±


    Without registering Arthur¡¯s words, Donovan blurted, ¡°She¡¯s a bad student. Of course¡­¡±


    Midway through his sentence, Donovan looked at Arthur and asked in shock, ¡°Wait, did you just say


    excellent?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Arthur nodded with force. ¡°She¡¯s amazing! She speaks Ustranasion with the Lightspring ent.


    Do you know about Lightspring? All of Epea¡¯s nobles originated from there. Their ent is the best


    among all the Ustranasion-speaking countries. Many nobles even buy houses there to learn their


    ent.¡±


    Donovan frowned as he didn¡¯t believe Arthur. ¡°Are you joking with me, Professor Sleight? Arielle? Do you


    know how she got into my ss?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± replied Arthur.


    ¡°She paid her way in! I hate students like her! Are you sure that she has the ent?¡±


    Arthur was stunned to hear that, but after a moment, he said firmly, ¡°Even if she paid her way in, it


    doesn¡¯t mean that she¡¯s a bad student. At least, her Ustranasion is better than mine. If you don¡¯t believe


    me, why don¡¯t


    you check it out yourself?¡±


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 430

    Chapter 430


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 430


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± Donovan furrowed his brows. ¡°Speaking with the Lightspring ent is not


    such a big deal. Professor Sleight, please don¡¯t discriminate based on ents.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. But I¡¯ve stayed overseas for years, so I know about the Lightspring ent. You¡­¡±


    ¡°Professor Sleight!¡± Donovan interrupted him abruptly. ¡°Please don¡¯t mention Arielle anymore. One way


    or another, I¡¯m casting her out. Not to mention, she always sleeps in ss. There will be no prospects for


    a student like her, so I suggest you stop wasting your time on her.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can wait for the monthly exam result. I¡¯m sure she¡¯llest.¡±


    Arthur disyed a baffled look as he shook his head. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s wait for the result then. But if she fails


    to get into the top twenty, I¡¯m willing to let her join my ss. I don¡¯t want to lose a talent like her.¡±


    Donovan was the one who got confused this time.


    He could notprehend how such a terrible student could catch Arthur¡¯s eyes.


    Hence, he shook his head while disying an arrogant look. ¡°It¡¯s up to you then. Please don¡¯t regret it


    later.¡±


    To him, Arielle was like a virus that would infect the


    other students in his ss.


    With that, the conversation ended in displeasure, and Arthur left with a darkened expression. Donovan


    cast a nce toward the lecture hall as his hatred toward Arielle grew deeper.


    How dare she learn the Lightspring ent to please Professor Sleight. After all, he is the best


    Ustranasion teacher at Jadeborough University.


    It looks like Arielle paid no attention to her studies at all. She knows that I don¡¯t like her, so now she¡¯s


    trying to win Professor Sleight¡¯s heart by learning all these useless things!


    Nheless, Arthur¡¯s words triggered Donovan¡¯s curiosity toward Arielle. Getting back to his desk, he


    looked through Arielle¡¯s profile.


    It showed that Arielle studied in a remote vige, and sheter got into an infamous university.


    Her college entrance exam result was also shown there. But at that moment, Donovan had no interest to


    look further into Arielle¡¯s profile and closed the webpage directly


    In fact, Arthur¡¯s words were getting to him as he started to feel that Arielle¡¯s case was not hopeless.


    Nevertheless, he was still reluctant to invest his efforts and time in her.


    Just then, a meek voice sounded. ¡°Mr. Baxter.¡±


    Donovan turned around and saw a girl with reddened cheeks. He recognized her as Trisha from his


    ss.


    Donovan nodded slightly. ¡°How may I help you?¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Trisha was not good with words, so she chose to pass the paper note that she had prepared to Donovan.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Donovan took a nce at the paper after taking it. It wrote a piano song named In the


    Moonlight.


    In the Moonlight was the most famous song from a musical in the 16th century, and it was also the most


    challenging piano piece to perform.


    Many well-known pianists could hardly perform the piece, let alone the music teachers of Jadeborough


    University. And Kenny Roberts got famous for performing this song live.


    The fact that no one dared to perform it in Chanaea proved its difficulty.


    Rate the Trantion to Get 2 Petal.


    Wait! I Have Something to Say!

 Chapter 431

    Chapter 431


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 431


    Donovan had just been informed of Wendy¡¯s performance piece that morning, and it was a famous piano


    piece from the 16th century¡ªReborn.


    Although this piece was difficult to perform as well, it paled inparison with In the Moonlight.


    He was shocked upon knowing that Wendy intended to perform Reborn. However, little did he expect


    that Trisha would give him a bigger surprise.


    Unable to suppress his excitement, Donovan asked to confirm, ¡°Are you going to perform In the


    Moonlight? Do you know how to?¡±


    Trisha did not know much about ssical music, failing toprehend Donovan¡¯s anticipation.


    She nodded but then shook her head. After some hesitation, she blurted, ¡°It¡¯s not me but Arielle. She¡¯s


    willing to go on stage with me to perform In the Moonlight.¡±


    ¡°Arielle?


    Donovan furrowed his brows upon hearing that name.


    Earlier on, when he was checking Arielle¡¯s information, he found that thetter was born in the


    countryside, unlike Wendy who came from an affluent family.


    It was not that he looked down on low-ie families. In fact, there were plenty of poor students in his


    ss.


    What truly concerned him was Arielle¡¯s ability to y the piano. Has she ever touched a piano before?


    And can she really perform In the Moonlight? It just seems unbelievable.


    Moreover, he had never heard that In the Moonlight needed to be yed by two people. After all, it was


    not a duet piece.


    Donovan hesitated for a while before saying, ¡°It¡¯s not advisable for the two of you to perform the same


    song. And Arielle is not as trustworthy as you. So I hope that you keep your distance from her.¡±


    Trisha immediately shook her head. ¡°Arielle is excellent. Besides, we won¡¯t both y the piano. One will


    be ying while the other will make a sand painting¡­¡±


    ¡°Sand painting?¡± Donovan raised his brow upon hearing that.


    Since there¡¯s a lot of sand in the countryside, I suppose it¡¯s not strange if Arielle knows to make sand


    paintings.


    Trisha was worried that Donovan would disagree, so she pleaded sincerely, ¡°Mr. Baxter, please¡­ I¡¯m not


    brave enough to do this alone¡­¡±


    Seeing Trisha almost burst into tears, Donovan rubbed his forehead in frustration. ¡°Fine. It¡¯s up to you.


    But your priority should be your studies. Don¡¯t invest too much effort in these activities.¡±


    Trisha¡¯s eyes shed with hope. ¡°Mr. Baxter, is that a


    yes?¡±


    Donovan nodded. ¡°Mm. Please go back now. The ss is about to start.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Trisha bowed to Donovan happily before rushing out of the room.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Staring at Trisha¡¯s disappearing figure, Donovan shook his head lightly.


    I doubt if she can even y a verse of In the Moonlight, but it doesn¡¯t matter. I won¡¯t need another great


    performance since there¡¯s someone who¡¯ll be performing Reborn.


    In other words, Donovan figured even if Arielle and Trisha ruined their song, it would not matter as the


    other teachers would be impressed by Reborn.


    With that, Donovan stretched out before getting ready for his next ss.


    Meanwhile, at Yvette¡¯s home.


    Mason had just gotten back from visiting Yvette at the psychiatric hospital. He initially wanted to ask for


    some money from thetter. But the moment Yvette heard him mention money, she lost it and started


    acting violently toward him.


    In the end, he had to flee the scene.


    He rubbed the back of his head where a clump of hair had been yanked off by Yvette as he entered the


    Actonward residence.


    At that moment, Russell had just sat down to eat his lunch. Upon seeing Mason, he asked in


    displeasure, ¡°How was Yvette?¡±

 Chapter 432

    Chapter 432


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 432


    Mason shook his head with a darkened expression.He dared not confess that Yvette was, in fact,


    emotionally stable before he mentioned money.


    But after he said that he wanted to borrow some money, Yvette turned utterly hostile, and the doctor had


    to calm her down with sedatives.


    Mason gulped with guilt under Russell¡¯s stare. ¡°She was


    still the same. I saw the doctor giving her sedatives.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± A dark expression loomed over Russell¡¯s face. A secondter, he knocked gently on the table.


    ¡°Have a seat. There¡¯s something I want to tell you.¡±


    Mason¡¯s heart skipped a beat upon hearing that.


    Does he know that I¡¯ve identally upset Yvette again?


    Russell made a gesture the next moment, and Edmund brought out a package and ced it on the table.


    After that, Russell pushed the package toward Mason and said, ¡°Have a look yourself.¡±


    Mason opened the package with extreme caution. The color drained from his face when he saw what


    was inside.


    It was none other than a divorce agreement.


    Besides the divorce agreement, there was a check. But he did not even bother to look at the amount on


    it. After


    all, he only wanted Yvette.


    ¡°Mr. Actionward!¡± Mason questioned immediately, ¡°What¡¯ve I done wrong? Tell me, and I¡¯ll correct it!¡±


    Russell shook his head, his face devoid of expression. ¡°You¡¯ve done nothing wrong. But we both know


    that you¡¯re not the one Yvette likes. Back then, I had no choice but to agree to your marriage. But now,


    it¡¯s time to fix everything,¡±


    Russell hade to a realization recently that his daughter was more important than his reputation.


    And the main reason Yvette was admitted into the psychiatric hospital was her marriage to Mason.


    Russell would do anything for Yvette to return to normal as she was his only bloodline. Hence, he figured


    the best way was to have her get a divorce.


    After all, we have given it a shot, and the guests at the birthday party won¡¯t be able to say anything. So


    it¡¯s time for a divorce.


    ¡°No way¡­¡± Mason shook his head frantically as he grabbed Russell¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Mr. Actionward, I


    promised you that I would take care of Yvette for the rest of her life. Even if she doesn¡¯t recover, I will not


    leave her. I love her very much. So please don¡¯t separate


    us!¡±


    Russell furrowed his brows as he freed his hand from Mason¡¯s grasp. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? Yvette got


    crazy


    to separate both of you. Her heart was never yours, to begin with.¡±


    Mason¡¯s lips trembled incessantly as he spoke, ¡°If I lose her, I¡¯ll go crazy too!¡±


    Russell showed utter indifference toward Mason¡¯s words. ¡°How could a man get crazy over such a small


    matter? Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re stronger than you think.¡±


    Noticing Russell¡¯s determination, Mason bit his lip. ¡°But how are you going to exin it to the public?


    We¡¯ve just gotten married. Aren¡¯t you afraid of others gossiping about us? Don¡¯t you care about your


    family¡¯s reputation?¡±


    Russell¡¯s frown deepened.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Of course, I care about my reputation. But reputation is nothingpared to family.


    Russell shook his head firmly. ¡°That¡¯s enough. We both know it was merely a misunderstanding, no


    matter what others might say. Yvette got drunk and slept with you. Isn¡¯t that normal for young people


    these days? I¡¯m sure people will forget about it soon enough, or maybe they already have. No one would


    bother to stick their noses into others¡¯ family matters.¡±

 Chapter 433

    Chapter 433


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 433


    Mason felt as though a thousand needles were stabbing his heart at that moment.


    He sat on the floor despondently as tears streamed down his face.


    Russell could not bear to see Mason¡¯s sullen state. After all, he was the one who raised thetter.


    As such, Russell let out a sigh. ¡°There¡¯s a check in the package. It should be enough for you to live


    comfortably for the rest of your life. And I¡¯ll help you with anything in the future. But one way or another,


    you¡¯ll be getting a divorce.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Actionward!¡± Mason shouted desperately. ¡°It¡¯s unfair to me!¡±


    Russell¡¯s expression darkened instantly. ¡°Don¡¯t try to test my patience. It was your fault, but I didn¡¯t me


    you. If it were another person, you might not have gotten away with it. I only chose to forgive you since


    we are distant rtives.¡±


    Staring at Russell¡¯s unyielding expression, Mason knew there was nothing he could do to change the


    former¡¯s mind.


    So my dream lifested less than a week¡­ I can¡¯t ept this! No way!


    Bawling out his eyes, he asked emotionally, ¡°Or do you think I¡¯m not good enough for Yvette? I swear I¡¯ll


    work hard to be a better man. Would you please give me aOwned by N?velDrama.Org.


    chance? I need three more¡­ No, just give me one more year to prove myself. One more year, and you


    can decide if we should get a divorce by then. Who knows? Perhaps Yvette will ept me after one


    year. Would that be okay?¡±


    At that moment, Russell¡¯s steeled heart was softened by Mason¡¯s sincerity.


    Putting all the issues aside, he¡¯s undoubtedly sincere toward Yvette.


    Russell kept silent for a long while before speaking, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll give you another three months. If Yvette


    still doesn¡¯t ept you within three months, and I see no improvement from you, then you must sign the


    divorce agreement.¡±


    If they get divorced after three months, there will be less gossiping too. After all, the public has expected


    that the marriage won¡¯tst long. If they get divorced so soon, it will indeed cause an uproar.


    Mason felt relieved instantly as he bowed gratefully to Russell.


    ¡°Thanks, Mr. Actionward! Thank you so much!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me. Just apany Yvette more and make sure she recovers soon. Only


    then will our family beplete.¡±


    Mason immediately nodded. ¡°I got it, Mr. Actionward. I¡¯ll try my best to help her recover.¡±


    Russell let out a long sigh. Without any appetite left, he went upstairs to the study.


    Edmund kept the package and followed him upstairs.


    As soon as they got into the study, Edmund could not help but ask, ¡°Mr. Actonward, why did you allow


    him to stay married to Ms. Yvette? You know very well that Ms. Yvette has no feelings for him. If it


    weren¡¯t for him, she wouldn¡¯t have be like this.¡±


    Russell lowered his head. ¡°I¡¯ve only got a daughter and no son. Besides, you saw how sincere he was. I


    bet he won¡¯t even refuse if I ask him to change his surname. It would be best if Yvette develops feelings


    for him within three months. After their rtionship bes stable, I¡¯ll teach him about business. With


    that, we¡¯ll have an heir for the family.¡±


    Right then, Edmund started toprehend the reason behind Russell¡¯s decision. He thought Russell


    was merely moved by Mason¡¯s sincerity, but it turned out that he had other intentions.


    Edmund replied with hesitation, ¡°But I¡¯m not sure if his character and capability are good enough to be


    our heir.¡±

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    Chapter 434


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 434


    Russell rubbed his forehead while saying, ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ll observe him for three months. If he behaves


    well and Yvette is willing to ept him, so be it. Please keep an eye on him during this period. If he


    makes any mistake, then I won¡¯t give him a chance anymore.¡±


    Edmund nodded right away. ¡°Leave it to me, Mr. Actonward.¡±


    Meanwhile, Mason went back to his room, still in a state of shock.


    Initially, he thought that since he had gotten married to Yvette, they would be together forever. He never


    expected Russell to change his mind all of a sudden.


    What should I do now?


    As he was smoking one cigarette after another, his phone rang suddenly.


    The moment he picked up the call, he heard an exasperated voice from the other end. ¡°Is the two million


    ready? Today is yourst day. If you fail to pay out, I¡¯ll see you in court! Let me warn you now. I have a lot


    of connections in the legal field. So there¡¯s no way you can win thewsuit!¡±


    Mason trembled as he begged, ¡°Harvey, could you spare me a few more days? You only gave me two


    days. How could I possibly get so much money in such a short time?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your problem. Cut the crap! You have to pay by


    today, or you¡¯ll rot in prison!¡±


    Without giving Mason a chance to speak, Harvey hung up the phone abruptly.


    Mason stomped his feet in anxiety.


    Just then, his phone rang again. Mason immediately answered it as he thought Harvey had decided to


    give him more time. But after picking it up, he realized that it was from the hackers.


    ¡°We¡¯ve gotten sued, and we¡¯re going to court. Weck the legal fees, so please transfer five hundred


    grand to


    us.¡±


    Mason¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Five hundred grand? Do you want to see me dead? I only have fifty grand with me


    now!¡±


    The other party sneered coldly. ¡°You caused this. The gamingpany wouldn¡¯t have found us if you


    hadn¡¯t challenged the highest-ranked yer. You¡¯re responsible for this!¡±


    ¡°Why should I be responsible? I¡¯m a victim too. The ount owner asked me topensate him two


    million! Not only did you refuse to fork out that amount, but you¡¯re even asking me for money now?¡±


    ¡°Haha. So you¡¯re not going to pay us, are you? Fine, I¡¯ll destroy you in the forum!¡±


    Mason knew perfectly what the other party meant by ¡°the forum.¡± It¡¯s an online tform where one can


    pay


    anyone to do anything. It¡¯s no joke if he resorts to that!


    ¡°Please don¡¯t¡­¡± Mason¡¯s tone turned fearful. ¡°Harvey, we can talk this out. Please don¡¯t do this to me¡­¡±Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You forced me to. So what¡¯s your choice? Five hundred grand or your leg?¡±


    Mason got utterly desperate. ¡°But I don¡¯t have money¡­¡±


    ¡°Fine. Say goodbye to your leg then!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Mason bit his lip tightly. ¡°I¡¯ll go find the money now. Please give me your bank ount number.


    I¡¯ll transfer to you as soon as I get the money.¡±


    ¡°Okay then. Five hundred grand. Not a penny less!¡±


    After the call ended, Mason slumped onto the floor dispiritedly.


    As if there are not enough miseries in my life! I haven¡¯t even settled the matter with Yvette, and yet, two


    debtors areing after me for money.


    At that moment, Mason regretted challenging the highest-ranked yer with a hacker ount.


    Who the hell is the highest-ranked yer anyway? How was he able to make the gamingpany


    investigate the hacking? I wouldn¡¯t have challenged him if I knew his background! It¡¯s all because I was


    greedy!


    As Mason was pondering over the matter, an idea


    suddenly crossed his mind.

 Chapter 435

    Chapter 435


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 435


    When Russell gave Mason the divorce agreement, thetter noticed there was a check in the envelope.


    Russell had told him that the amount of money was enough for him to spend for the rest of his life.


    However, he had to sign the divorce agreement first before he could take the check.


    Mason was lost. He did not know whether he should choose Yvette or the check. He felt like his head


    was about to explode.


    After a moment, an idea crossed his mind, and he immediately got up to find Edmund.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    ¡°Edmund, where did you keep the divorce agreement?¡±


    Edmund nced suspiciously at Mason and asked, ¡°Mr. Moore, have you agreed to a divorce?¡±


    ¡°No, no¡­¡± Mason waved his hands. ¡°I just want to try and see if Yvette will get better if I divorce her. If


    so, I am willing to divorce her. Just get me the envelope and I¡¯ll bring it to Yvette.¡±


    Edmund looked at him in astonishment and felt that Mason was really good to Yvette.


    Edmund sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯m d to know that you¡¯re such a devoted husband, Mr. Moore. I¡¯ll get the


    divorce agreement for you so that you can give it a try.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Edmund.¡± Mason watched as Edmund went


    upstairs.


    Soon, Edmund came down with an envelope.


    Mason took over the envelope and did not dare to say anything further, for fear of revealing his real


    intention. He then left in a hurry.


    He only opened the envelope when he walked outside and ensured that there was no one around. He


    was relieved to see that the check was still inside.


    He took the check to the bank to cash it.


    Mason handed the check to the bank counter and said, ¡°I would like to cash out two million and five


    hundred thousand.¡±


    The staff at the counter took a nce at the check and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. This is not a


    nk check. You can only cash for whatever amount that has been specified.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine. Anything will do. Please help me to cash all of it and deposit it into my bank ount.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± The staff nodded. After a moment, she said, ¡°The money in the check has been deposited into


    your bank ount. You may check it now.¡±


    Mason immediately took out his phone to check his bnce and saw that it was fifty-five hundred


    thousand.


    ¡°Why is there only five hundred thousand?¡± Mason was


    stunned.


    The staff nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right, sir. There¡¯s five hundred thousand in the check, and all have


    been transferred into your bank ount.¡±


    After reconfirming with the staff for the umpteenth time, Mason¡¯s face darkened in disbelief.


    ¡°When Russell said that the money is enough for me to spend for the rest of my life, he meant five


    hundred thousand? The renovation fee for just one room in their house could easily cost more than five


    hundred thousand! This is beyond an insult to me! What an as*hole!¡° Mason stomped out of the bank


    while cursing Russell.


    Meanwhile, Russell was in the study when he suddenly received a phone message.


    He frowned after reading the message and knowing that Mason had cashed the check.


    He immediately called Edmund over to find out what was going on.


    Edmund repeated what Mason had said to Russell. After that, he felt like something was off. He shook


    his head and said, ¡°That¡¯s odd. He shouldn¡¯t have been able to reach the psychiatric hospital in such a


    short time. Besides, it¡¯s peak hour now. So why would he cash the check already?¡±


    After listening to Edmund¡¯s words, Russell¡¯s face


    immediately darkened.

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    Chapter 436


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 436


    Meanwhile, after Mason left the bank, he immediately transferred the money to the hackerpany.


    After they promised him that they would not harass him anymore, he continued to wander around for a


    while before he went back to Actonward residence.


    As soon as he entered the house, he saw Russell sitting on the couch and drinking tea. Thetter was


    staring at him with a solemn face.


    Seeing that, Mason¡¯s heart fell, and a panic feeling rose in his heart.


    He tried to calm himself down and forced a smile. ¡°Dad, why are you home today? Is thepany not


    busy?¡±


    Still staring at Mason, Russell said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing much at thepany today. Edmund told me that


    you took the divorce agreement to visit Yvette?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mason immediately nodded his head.


    Russell raised his brows and asked, ¡°Is Yvette getting any better?¡±


    Mason sighed, pretending to be upset. ¡°There was no response from her. I think she¡¯s really sick. But I


    believe she¡¯ll get better soon under the treatment and care of the doctors. By the way, the doctor told me


    today that we¡¯d better not disturb her while she¡¯s under treatment.¡±


    Fury surged within Russell, but he managed to tamp it


    down.


    He answered lightly, ¡°Then, let¡¯s not disturb her for the time being. We¡¯ll visit her after some time.¡±


    ¡°All right, Dad. I¡¯ll be going upstairs now. It¡¯s been a tiring day, and I need to get some rest.¡±


    Sure.¡± Russell waved his hand, still remaining expressionless.


    Mason was afraid that his lies would be seen through by Russell. He did not dare to talk too much and


    hurriedly went upstairs.


    Russell watched as Mason walked upstairs until he disappeared from his sight. His expression was icy


    cold.


    At this moment, Edmund walked in.


    Russell asked in a low voice, ¡°Have you investigated it thoroughly?¡±


    Edmund nodded. He looked in the direction of the staircase to make sure that Mason was noting


    down before he said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve investigated it thoroughly. Mr. Moore did not go back to the hospital


    again. Besides, I¡¯ve heard from the doctor that Mr. Moore tried to borrow money from Ms. Yvette when


    he visited her earlier today.¡±


    ¡°Borrow money?¡± Russell¡¯s face darkened even more.


    Edmund nodded slightly and continued, ¡°The doctor said Ms. Yvette was in a stable emotional state


    before Mr. Moore¡¯s visit. After he left, Ms. Yvette became delirious again. The doctor even had to give her


    a tranquilizer to stabilize her.¡±


    Bang! ¡±B*stard!¡± Russell mmed his palm on the armrest.


    Edmund was so frightened that he dared not utter a single word.


    After a moment of silence, Russell spoke again. ¡°Watch him closely! I would like to see what¡¯s the reason


    for him borrowing money.¡±


    Edmund asked in a puzzled expression, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just kick him out? From this check incident, you


    should already know that he¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°I want to know what he¡¯s trying to do, and I¡¯ll only decide on what to do about him based on the


    situation.¡±


    Edmund nodded. ¡°I see. Mr. Actonward, I will install some cameras at home to monitor his actions.¡±


    ¡°Okay, go ahead,¡± said Russell while rubbing his temples.


    He had given his son-inw ast chance, but evidently, Mason did not grab it.


    In the evening, when Mason saw that Russell had left the house, he immediately started making his


    move.


    He put on a sweater with pockets and wandered around the mansion.


    After about half an hour, he went out carrying a backpack


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Just when he was about to leave the main entrance of the mansion, Edmund¡¯s voice suddenly came


    from behind him. ¡°Mr. Moore, where are you going?¡±

 Chapter 437

    Chapter 437


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 437


    Mason stiffened, then turned around slowly. He gave a dry chuckle and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to the library. I¡¯m


    thinking of furthering my studies so that I¡¯ll be a good match for Yvette.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Edmund drawled. He smiled and continued, ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard then, and don¡¯t


    stay out toote.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Mason forced a smile before leaving hurriedly.


    As soon as Mason had his back turned, Edmund¡¯s amiable smile and demeanor disappeared. His


    expression turned icy cold.


    He fished out his phone and called Russell immediately. ¡°You were right, Mr. Actonward. He left not long


    after you did.¡±


    On the other end of the line, Russell sneered. ¡°Is someone trailing him? Good. Send me his location. I¡¯ll


    go and see what he¡¯s up to.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    ¡°Right away,¡± Edmund replied.


    About half an hourter, Mason arrived in front of a jewelry store.


    He cast a furtive nce around to make sure that no one was watching him before going in.


    When the store¡¯s owner saw him, he pushed his sses up his nose and asked, ¡°Are you here to buy or


    pawn


    jewelry?¡±


    ¡°Are you the owner?¡± Mason asked.


    The man nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Are you here to pawn something?¡±


    ¡°I have something very valuable with me. Could you take a look and see how much it¡¯s worth to pawn?¡±


    As Mason spoke, he opened his backpack and carefully took out a jade statue asrge as his palm.


    The store owner looked excited as soon as he caught a glimpse of the statue.


    ¡°Y-You want to pawn that?¡± he asked in surprise.


    Mason ced the jade statue in front of the man. ¡°Go ahead and take a look. How much is this worth?¡±


    The owner took out a special light used to appraise gemstones. As he checked the jade statue, he would


    make remarks about the material, color, and rity.


    Mason did not understand a word the man said. He asked again, ¡°Tell me, how much is it worth?¡±


    The owner fell into deep thought. A rough piece of jade with such quality and color could go for millions,


    let alone one with such masterful craftsmanship.


    He raised his head and cast a nce at Mason. Seeing that Mason did not look like someone particrly


    well off, he asked warily, ¡°Where did you get this? I don¡¯t


    ept pieces with unknown origins.¡±


    Mason swallowed hard before replying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I took it from my house. I¡¯m pawning it because my


    wife is ill and needs arge sum of money for her treatment. I¡¯lle back for it in the future when I have


    the money.¡±


    The man was still doubtful.


    I¡¯m sure that there¡¯s more to it than he lets on. However, it doesn¡¯t make sense for me to turn down a


    chance to make money. Moreover, it¡¯s clear he¡¯s young and naive. I can quote him a much lower price


    than what it¡¯s actually worth.


    With that thought in mind, the man said, ¡°Three million. No more than that. Although it has a beautiful


    color, the craftsmanship isn¡¯t that good. If I were to try and sell it, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    Without waiting for the man toe up with an excuse, Mason nodded. ¡°All right. Three million it is.


    Please transfer the money to my ount immediately.¡±


    The owner looked at him, thrilled. I can sell this piece for tens of millions, but he agreed to pawn it for


    three million. If he¡¯s not a fool, then he must¡¯ve stolen it. Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. I have my ways to sell it


    off.


    ¡°Wait right here! I¡¯ll make some calls to our other branches and get the money. I¡¯ll transfer it to you soon!¡±


    the owner said excitedly.


    Just as he stepped out of the store to make the calls, he saw more than ten men dressed in ck suits


    standing in front of him.

 Chapter 438

    Chapter 438


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 438


    The men did not look like they were there to pawn something. Instead, they seemed like they hade


    to wreck the store.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Momentarily dumbfounded, the owner quickly recovered and asked weakly, ¡°A-Are you here to pawn


    something?¡±


    The men in ck suits stepped aside to form two lines, and a middle-aged man walked up from behind.


    The owner read the financial section of the paper enough to recognize the person standing in front of


    him. Stunned, he eximed, ¡°M-Mr. Actonward?¡±


    Russell turned to look at the owner, his face devoid of emotion. ¡°Someone took something from my


    house. I¡¯m here to catch him. Please don¡¯t try to get in our way.¡±


    The owner hesitated for a moment, and he immediately thought of the jade statue.


    Thanking the heavens that he had not transferred the money to Mason, he gestured toward the store


    and said politely, ¡°It just so happens that there¡¯s a customer inside. Please go ahead and see whether it¡¯s


    the person you¡¯re looking for.¡±


    Russell nodded and strode past him.


    Meanwhile, Mason was waiting impatiently inside the


    store.


    There isn¡¯t much time left. I hope the owner hurries up.


    At that moment, he heard the door to the store open.


    ted, he turned around and said, ¡°Can you transfer it to me¡­¡±


    His voice trailed off when he saw the person walking into the store.


    It¡¯s Russell!


    Mason took a few steps backward. There was an expression of utter shock on his face as if he had just


    seen a ghost. ¡°Dad! What are you¡­¡±


    ¡°Transfer what to you?¡± Russell asked coldly despite knowing the answer.


    Mason moved instinctively to block the jade statue from view. His mouth twitched, and he gave an


    awkwardugh. ¡°N-Nothing. I-I just came to see whether there was anything Yvette would like. I want to


    give her a surprise.¡±


    ¡°Oh? A surprise, or a scare?¡± Russell arched an eyebrow.


    Cold sweat broke out on Mason¡¯s forehead.


    Russell continued, ¡°How much was the jade statue worth? Did you get enough to buy a present for


    Yvette?¡±


    In the blink of an eye, Mason¡¯s face turned deathly pale.


    He knows! How did he find out?


    ¡°I-I¡­¡± Mason stammered. He wanted to try and exin, but he could not think of what to say.


    Russell snorted and said in a low, chilling voice, ¡°Mason, my dear boy. I gave you a chance, and this is


    how you repay me? How dare you steal something from my house and try to sell it off? You¡¯re truly


    something else.¡±


    Mason¡¯s heart sank, and it felt as if it was about to stop beating


    ¡°You¡¯re going to go back with me and sign the papers. From now on, you¡¯ll have nothing to do with the


    Actonwards and Yvette,¡± Russell intoned. His words jolted Mason to his senses.


    There¡¯s no point in exining, is there? I¡¯ve already been caught red-handed, so what can I say?


    Falling to the floor, Mason grabbed at Russell¡¯s leg and pleaded, ¡°You have to listen to me, Dad! I didn¡¯t


    want to do it, but I had no choice! If I don¡¯t give them the money, they¡¯ll kill me! You have to believe me!


    I¡¯ve never done something like this before! I promise I won¡¯t take anything from the house ever again!¡±


    Russell kicked him aside and said disdainfully, ¡°That¡¯s quite enough. You¡¯ve disappointed me. You can


    rot in jail, or you can get a divorce and get out of my sight forever. It¡¯s your pick.¡±


    Mason shook his head vehemently. ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to leave Yvette! I¡¯m begging you! Please give me


    onest chance! He tricked me, and I had no other way! It was all because of that highest-ranked yer!


    That b*stard tricked me!¡±

 Chapter 439

    Chapter 439


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 439


    Russell did not understand what Mason meant. He said, ¡°Since you¡¯re unwilling to get a divorce, then I¡¯ll


    see you at the police station. Do you have any idea how much that jade statue is worth? I bought it for


    sixty million! Sixty million! That¡¯s enough tond you in jail for at least two hundred years!¡±


    Mason was dumbstruck.


    Sixty million? That much?


    He watched as Russell felt in his pocket for his phone, ready to call the police. Seeing that Russell


    showed no hint of mercy, Mason¡¯s helpless gaze gradually faded and was reced with a steely glint in


    his eyes.


    He has never thought of me as part of his family! Their entire family has only ever regarded me as a


    disgusting street rat, including Yvette! None of them, not even the help, ever treated me as a human


    being! That¡¯s it! I¡¯ve had enough!


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    His eyes were no longer misty with tears. Instead, they were shing with hostility.


    He lowered his gaze and stood up slowly. Just as Russell dialed the number to make a police report, he


    grabbed Russell¡¯s phone and flung it onto the floor with all his might


    Russell red at Mason, frowning, and hissed through gritted teeth, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you thinking


    of hitting me?¡±


    When the bodyguards heard themotion inside the store, they rushed in immediately. All of them


    looked at Mason warily as if they were ready to take action at any moment.


    Mason shook his head with a bitter smile. ¡°Although you have never thought of me as part of the family,


    I¡¯ve always respected you as a father. So, how could I think of hitting you?¡±


    ¡°Then, what do you mean by smashing my phone? Do you agree to get a divorce?¡± Russell demanded,


    narrowing his eyes.


    Mason nodded with a pained look on his face. ¡°If you think that I¡¯m not worthy of Yvette, then I¡¯m willing


    to get a divorce. I admit that what happened was my fault.¡±


    Russell looked at him suspiciously and asked, ¡°Are you really willing to get a divorce? You promise never


    to pester Yvette again?¡±


    After a brief pause, Mason replied, ¡°Yes, but let me meet with Yvette onest time. That¡¯s all I ask. If you


    agree to it, I promise I won¡¯t appear in front of you ever again.¡±


    Russell felt a little relieved. In truth, he did not want to make a police report either. If I make a police


    report, everyone will find out that my daughter married a scumbag. That would be utterly humiliating. It¡¯s


    good that Mason made the right choice.


    Russell no longer minded that his phone had been smashed to pieces. He told his bodyguards to retrieve


    the SIM card, then said to Mason, ¡°Deal. I¡¯ll let you meet Yvette onest time. And apart from the five


    hundred-grand cheque, I¡¯ll give you another hundred grand for your transportation fees. After meeting


    with Yvette, you are to leave Jadeborough and never return.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Mason answered at once.


    Russell felt somewhat disconcerted at Mason¡¯s unhesitating behavior.


    Nheless, he did not give it a second thought. He just took it that Mason had seen the light.


    ¡°Go and meet her now, thene back and sign the divorce papers. After that, you can leave with your


    hundred grand,¡± said Russell.


    Mason nodded. ¡°Okay¡­ Oh, there¡¯s no bus stop nearby. Could you lend me a car to use, Dad?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Also, you shouldn¡¯t be calling me ¡®Dad¡¯ anymore. Your dad passed away in a car ident more


    than ten years ago.¡± Russell waved his hand as he spoke, and a bodyguard stepped forward


    immediately with a set of car keys.


    If I¡¯m being honest, I hate it every time he calls me ¡®Dad.¡¯


    The look of contempt on Russell¡¯s face did not go unnoticed. Mason gritted his teeth as he took the car


    keys. Then, he turned and left.


    Just as Mason was leaving, Edmund arrived. Edmund nced at Mason¡¯s retreating figure and asked,


    ¡°Mr. Actonward, why did you let him go?¡±


    ¡°He said that he¡¯s willing to get a divorce after he meets with Yvette onest time. He promised not to


    show up in front of me ever again,¡± Russell replied.


    Edmund nodded, but he could not stop the ominous feeling that grew within him.

 Chapter 440

    Chapter 440


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 440


    After pondering for a moment, Edmund enquired whether he should send someone to trail Mason.


    However, Russell waved his hand dismissively.


    ¡°If he tries anything funny, I¡¯ll track him down to the ends of the earth. Let him go. We¡¯ll go back and wait


    for him toe and sign the divorce papers.¡± With that, Russell strode out of the store.


    The owner of the jewelry store trembled in fear. He did not dare to look directly at Russell.


    Thank God he didn¡¯t try to make things difficult for me and just took the jade statue without saying


    anything. If he did try to cause trouble and sent the authorities knocking on my door, I¡¯d be doomed. I¡¯ve


    done too many shady dealings!


    As soon as he heaved a sigh of relief, a police car pulled up in front of the store.


    A few policemen stepped out of the car and pped a pair of handcuffs on him immediately. In a grim


    tone, they said, ¡°We received a tip that your store is involved in illegal dealings. You¡¯reing with us to


    the police station. We¡¯d like to ask you a few questions.¡±


    The owner felt his vision go ck, and he fainted.


    Meanwhile, the sun dipped behind the horizon, bathing the sky in a warm, red glow.


    Many people were heading home after a day¡¯s work. However, students of the preparatory ss were


    waiting for their ss to start.


    A few minutes before ss, someone could not helpining, ¡°This is too hard. I can hardly take it


    anymore.¡±


    ¡°Same here¡­ If I knew it was going to be so exhausting, I would¡¯ve chosen toplete my junior year of


    high school, then apply for Jadeborough University,¡± someone else piped up.


    ¡°Maxwell University may be the top university, but this is just too torturous. I don¡¯t know how much more I


    can take it,¡± another studentmented.


    While the room was filled with the wearyints of the other students, Jared was hunched over his


    table doing practice questions.


    Jared was clever and did well in his studies when he was abroad. However, because he dreamed of


    joining the military, he used to skip his homework even though he knew how to do it.


    Hence, the Jupiters thought that he was not a good student.


    That assumption could not be farther from the truth.


    Henry was astonished as he watched Jaredplete a set of advanced math questions.


    Although he saw it with his own eyes, he could not refrain from asking, ¡°D-Did you really do this?¡±


    Jared shot Henry a look that seemed to say, ¡°Who else could it be if it wasn¡¯t me? You?¡±


    Ignoring Henry, Jared got up and walked over to Arielle, who was busy doing something on her phone.


    ¡°Boss, can you help me check my answers? These questions don¡¯te with answers, so I have to get


    your help.¡±


    After sending the text message she had been typing, Arielle raised her head and looked directly at Jared.


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    Wendy, who happened to pass by, overheard them. She clenched her fists as she hurried to her seat.


    I was appointed as the advanced mathematics ss representative this afternoon, but everyone goes to


    Arielle for help! It¡¯s like I¡¯m getting shunned! It¡¯s like they¡¯re treating me with silent contempt! How


    insulting and humiliating!


    Fuming, she plopped onto her seat and began scribbling on a nk piece of paper angrily to vent her


    frustration.


    At that moment, the person sitting next to her leaned over and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to solve this math


    question. Could you help me out?¡±


    Wendy¡¯s hand froze, then she answered happily, ¡°Okay!¡±


    Finally, someone recognizes my ability as the advanced math ss representative!


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Hiding her excitement, she took the paper from the student next to her and studied the question.


    Many students had brought their own practice questions, and the student next to Wendy had also done


    the same.


    After studying the question for a few minutes, the smile on her lips froze.


    I¡­ I don¡¯t know how to solve it.


    In the end, she could onlyugh awkwardly and say, ¡°This question is out of my league. It contains


    elements of quantum mechanics, so I¡¯m not too sure how to solve it either. Why don¡¯t you ask Mr. Baxter


    later?¡±


    He stood up and said, ¡°That¡¯s all right. Mr. Baxter said that he¡¯d be half an hourte. I¡¯ll go ask Arielle.


    She might know how to do it.¡±

 Chapter 441

    Chapter 441


    As soon as Wendy heard that, her face fell.


    She could not stop herself from saying, ¡°This question is so difficult that she probably doesn¡¯t know


    how to solve it either. It¡¯s not like she knows everything. Also, she sleeps during ss. You¡¯d better not


    waste your time.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s all right. It won¡¯t take too much time. I¡¯ll go and ask her.¡±


    With that, he went over to Arielle.


    Wendy followed him with her gaze.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Well then, I¡¯d like to see Arielle solve that difficult question. However, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s likely she¡¯ll be


    able to. She might be clever, but that doesn¡¯t mean she knows anything about quantum mechanics.


    As that thought crossed Wendy¡¯s mind, she stood up and walked over to Arielle¡¯s seat too.


    I want to see her experience the same humiliation I did.


    At that moment, Arielle was busy checking Jared¡¯s answers.


    She excelled at mental calctions, so she could quickly calcte the answers in her head.


    When Wendy and the student who sat next to her arrived in front of Arielle¡¯s seat, Arielle had just


    finished checking the answers.


    Arielle put down her pen and looked up when she sensed someone approaching her.


    ¡°Arielle, can you take a look at this question? I have no clue how I should go about solving it.¡±


    Jared piped up, ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯m in no hurry. You can help him first.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Arielle replied while nodding.


    Wendy could not help saying, ¡°Arielle, this question is rted to quantum mechanics. It doesn¡¯t matter


    if you don¡¯t know how to solve it. We can ask Mr. Baxter togetherter.¡±


    Arielle ignored Wendy and lowered her head to study the question.


    About two minutester, Arielle picked up her pen and quickly wrote down a few forms.


    ¡°The answer is pi. I¡¯ve written down the steps to solve the equation, but I didn¡¯t input the exact


    numbers. You can try using my method to solve the equation. If you still aren¡¯t able to solve it, you can


    come and ask me again,¡± said Arielle.


    ¡°Oh, thank you! That really helps! You¡¯re amazing!¡± the student eximed joyfully.


    Wendy frowned and asked suspiciously, ¡°How did you manage to get the answer so quickly? Are you


    sure you didn¡¯t make a mistake?¡±


    The student who sat next to Wendy interjected, ¡°Arielle didn¡¯t make a mistake. I have the answers to


    this set of practice questions, and the answer is pi. However, the answer doesn¡¯t show the


    mathematical working. That¡¯s why I thought to ask you at first.¡±


    Wendy¡¯s expression darkened at once, but he was hopelessly clueless and did not notice it at all.


    Instead, he continued, ¡°You weren¡¯t able to solve it, but Arielle managed to in just two minutes! Arielle,


    you¡¯re amazing! You¡¯re a math genius!¡±


    He did not hold back on his praise, nor did he try to hide his admiration.


    His words struck Wendy like a p in the face.


    I didn¡¯t expect Arielle to be able to solve it. Could it be a coincidence? After all, many students must


    have bought the same set of practice questions. Maybe


    That must be it!


    Just as Wendy was about to expose Arielle¡¯s ¡®stroke of genius,¡¯ the hopelessly clueless student


    suddenly pointed at Jared¡¯s examination papers and asked in surprise, ¡°You¡¯re doing the Advanced


    Maths Exam Papers?¡±


    Wendy¡¯s ears pricked up at once. She had heard about those exam papers before. She had bought


    them, but its difficulty level was so advanced that she could not even solve one question. In the end,


    she had to give up. I can¡¯t believe Jared is able to do those questions!

 Chapter 442

    Chapter 442


    Jared nodded indifferently. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve done all the questions and wanted Bo- I mean Arielle to help


    check the answers.¡±


    Wendy could not hold in her giggles.


    It was not until Jared gazed at her coldly that she stoppedughing. Then, she said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m


    sorry, that was rude of me. I just think it¡¯s best not to ask Arielle to check such difficult math questions.


    It¡¯d be better to ask Mr. Baxter instead. Even my previous teacher wasn¡¯t able to do them. I think no


    one other than Mr. Baxter is capable of solving those questions.¡±


    After all, the Advanced Maths Exam Papers are much more difficultpared to the question that the


    guy asked earlier. She may have been able to solve that question on her own. However, these exam


    papers will stump her for sure.


    Jared frowned as he nced at Wendy.


    She¡¯s just as bad as Kelsea. The mere sight of her makes me want to puke!


    ¡°Why do you care who I ask to check my answers? What does it have to do with you? Why do you


    want to stick your nose into other people¡¯s business? This has nothing to do with you,¡± Jared retorted


    mercilessly.


    Never in a million years did Wendy think a handsome and cheerful person like Jared would say such


    nasty things.


    Her face turned a deep shade of red, and even her neck was flushed. She wanted nothing more than to


    dig a hole and hide in it.


    When have I ever suffered such an injustice? No. I never had to put up with such treatment before I


    met Arielle, but after she showed up, everything changed.


    Wendy was infuriated and resentful, but her resentment was only toward Arielle.


    She bit her lip, forcing herself to calm down. Then, she replied, ¡°I was merely reminding you out of the


    kindness of my heart. You don¡¯t have to be so mean-¡±


    ¡°Kindness? Thanks, but no thanks,¡± Jared said bluntly.


    Suddenly, Henry stood up and gave Wendy a little push. ¡°How dare you bully my boss? Do you have a


    death wish?¡±


    It was the first time Wendy had encountered such a situation. She nearly fell over when Henry pushed


    her, and she struggled to regain her bnce. Her face was as pale as a sheet.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Worried that they would try to hit her, Wendy returned to her seat quietly.


    It felt as if everyone wasughing at her.


    Her red-rimmed eyes shed with anger, and she fought to hold back her tears. Suddenly, she heard


    the clueless student who sat next to her ask Arielle, ¡°Can you really


    check the answers for the Advanced Maths Exam Papers?¡±


    Arielle murmured her assent softly, but it was audible in the quiet ssroom. Everyone heard it,


    including Wendy


    Wendy let out an angry snort.


    Who is she trying to fool? Those are the Advanced Maths Exam Papers, for crying out loud! Did she


    be big-headed after a fewpliments and think that she¡¯s really a genius?


    However, she heard the clueless student answer excitedly, ¡°Can I watch you check them, then? I¡¯ve


    done the first paper before, so I¡¯d like to have a look.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s voice rang out loud and clear. ¡°Sure.¡±


    As Wendy turned to look at Arielle with a doubtful gaze, she saw Arielle¡¯s hand flying over the paper.


    Soon, Arielle had finished checking all of the answers.


    The clueless student cheered.


    Wendy could not believe it. How could she havepleted it so quickly? She even checked Jared¡¯s


    answers for him!


    Wendy heard Arielle say to Jared, ¡°Not bad. You got seventy-three marks. The ones you got wrong


    were those that incorporated elements of other subjects. Other than that, you did well. I¡¯ll write out the


    mathematical workings for those that you got wrong.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± Jared replied. He did not doubt the truth of Arielle¡¯s words and seemed to trust that her


    answers were correct.


    Wendy could not bear it any longer. She rose to her feet and asked loudly, ¡°Does anyone here have the


    answers for the Advanced Maths Exam Papers?¡±

 Chapter 443

    Chapter 443


    The Advanced Maths Exam Papers is a set of papers that didn¡¯t include a marking scheme in the book.


    If one needed the marking scheme, one must purchase them separately. However, because those


    answers were not from the original author, they weren¡¯t guaranteed to be the most urate solutions to


    the questions.


    Following Wendy¡¯s inquiry, someone in the ssroom raised their hand hesitantly and said, ¡°I have the


    answers¡­¡±


    ¡°Can I borrow it from you? Marking those papers must be really tiring for Arielle, so I wanted to help by


    lending her the marking scheme.¡± Wendy pursed her lips.


    The ssmate was amicable and agreed to Wendy¡¯s request immediately. Plus, she was also curious


    to find out if Arielle could genuinelyplete those questions in such a short timeframe.


    After getting her hands on the marking scheme, Wendy mustered up her courage and paced toward


    Arielle before handing thetter the sheets of paper. Along the way, she tried her best to ignore Henry¡¯s


    fierce look and Jared¡¯s icy gaze. She put up a kind facade and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you use the


    marking scheme? I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll make it easier for you to mark those papers.¡±


    Arielle muttered expressionlessly, ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡±


    C67


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you need it? Do you think your answers will be more urate than those given in the


    marking


    scheme itself?¡± Wendy smirked, to which Arielle calmly responded, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s arrogance left Wendy speechless. She opened her mouth slightly but could note up with a


    good argument as she didn¡¯t expect Arielle to express her egotism without the slightest hesitation.


    That¡¯s too bold of you! Do you think you¡¯re the author who wrote these examination papers?


    Little did Wendy know, Arielle was indeed the author of the widely known book.


    Even her nickname, ¡®San,¡¯ was printed at the back of each set of papers.


    That was the reason why Arielle couldplete a full set of questions from the Advanced Maths Exam


    Papers within a few minutes. After all, it would be preposterous if she did not know the answers to the


    questions she designed.


    Of course, Arielle had no intention of disclosing her qualifications to Wendy because thetter was


    nothing but an unworthy opponent in her eyes.


    However, to Wendy, Arielle¡¯s conceitedness was simply ridiculous. She had never seen someone so


    vain.


    Wendy clenched her jaw and suggested, ¡°Although you refused to use the marking scheme, we are


    curious to see if your answers were undoubtedly correct. Do you mind if I check Jared¡¯s paper again?¡±


    Arielle remained emotionless, as if she weren¡¯t the least bothered by anything happening around her.


    She replied nonchntly, ¡°This is Jared¡¯s paper, so please ask him for his permission instead of me.¡±


    Wendy hated Arielle¡¯s unbothered attitude. She felt like she was being looked down on by thetter,


    even though she was clearly the best amongst everyone in this ssroom.


    Without saying a word, Wendy snatched Jared¡¯s paper away from Arielle and began checking the


    answers ording to the marking scheme.


    The ssmates couldn¡¯t hide their peaking interest and were curious about the results. Some of them


    turned to look at Wendy as she cross-checked the answers on Jared¡¯s paper and the marking scheme,


    while others surrounded Wendy to get a better look at what was going on.


    Wendy couldn¡¯t help but scoff at Arielles confidence when she saw thetter¡¯s remarks beside each


    mistake.


    Henry was starting to feel anxious about the situation, so he turned around and whispered to Jared,


    ¡°Jared, do you believe Boss will mark some questions incorrectly? ording to what I¡¯ve heard, the


    difficulty of this set of papers is extremely high. How about we stop Wendy right now?¡±


    Jared hesitated for a split second before he shook his head and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± He was


    confident in Arielle¡¯s intelligence.


    Besides, the questions were challenging, so what if she got some of them wrong? After all, the answers


    in the marking scheme were not perfect either. Thus, it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal even if Arielle made


    mistakes.


    Meanwhile, Wendy was fixated on checking the


    answers, and she was more serious about this task than she was aboutpleting her own papers.


    Finally, Wendy went through every multiple-choice question on the paper.


    Yet, her face darkened at the oue.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

 Chapter 444

    Chapter 444


    Out of ten multiple-choice questions, Jared did three of them wrongly. However, the answers written by


    Arielle when she marked the papers were precisely the same as the answer sheet.


    This would also mean that Arielle did every question correctly without referring to the marking scheme


    at all.


    This is impossible!


    Wendy¡¯s anxiousness rose. Don¡¯t tell me that she¡¯s really able toplete the whole paper with no


    mistakes!


    As she held the pen in her hand, her grip tightened, but she quickly persuaded herself.


    Even if she could get all multiple-choice questions correct, those are merely the easiest questions in


    the paper! I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll make some slips in the harder questionster!


    With that thought in mind, Wendy took a deep breath and carried on with checking the answers.


    However, she was upset and bewildered when she realized Arielle¡¯s answers matched the ones she


    saw in the marking scheme even when she had already reached the subjective questions which were


    supposed to be much moreplex.


    By then, Wendy was sweating profusely at the thought of facing a bacsh from her ssmates if she


    couldn¡¯t spot any of Arielle¡¯s mistakes after disying her suspicion toward Arielle.


    Please don¡¯t make that happen!


    Her hand began to tremble uncontrobly.


    Finally, Wendy found a mistake in Arielle¡¯s answer while checking thest question. She was visibly


    relieved and pointed at the answer before yelling victoriously, ¡°Look! This answer that Arielle gave was


    wrong! It was a different answer than what was written in the marking scheme! She¡¯s wrong!¡±


    Her voice was obnoxiously loud, as if she was trying to prove a significant discovery to everyone.


    Wendy raised her eyes and looked around, hoping to see everyone¡¯s disdain for Arielle, but all she saw


    were looks of admiration directed at thetter.


    Wendy was dumbfounded by the unexpectedly positive reaction of her ssmates. What¡¯s going on?


    Did everyone not hear what I just said?


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°We all know that the difficulty level of these questions was exceptionally high, but Arielle still managed


    to get only one question wrong. I would say she did quite a great job.¡± Jared spoke before Wendy


    could.


    Henry chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right! Do you think you can make only one mistake if we let you finish the


    question instead?¡±


    Wendy was stumped and gulped before retorting, ¡°But her attitude was so arrogant a moment ago. She


    acted as if she could get a perfect score for the questions! Isn¡¯t


    that ridiculous?¡±


    However, Wendy didn¡¯t get the response she expected, and everyone around was staring at her with a


    strange expression.


    Even Trisha, who was the timidest girl in ss, couldn¡¯t help but stand up for Arielle. ¡°Why is that


    ridiculous?¡±


    As soon as the others saw Trisha speak up, they followed suit. ¡°Trisha¡¯s right! Those are questions


    from the Advanced Maths Exam Papers, yet Arielle hardly got one question wrong! Isn¡¯t she a genius?¡±


    ¡°I know, right? Wendy is so weird. She couldn¡¯t even solve her deskmate¡¯s question, but she dared to


    make fun of Arielle for one blunder she made whilepleting the Advanced Maths Exam Papers?


    You¡¯ve got to be kidding me¡­¡±


    ¡°I feel the same way, too. Isn¡¯t she just being jealous that Arielle is prettier and smarter than her?¡±


    1


    Naturally, Wendy picked up on what her ssmates were talking about her. It was a first for her to hear


    someone call her ¡®weird.¡¯


    Her face turned scarlet, and she felt her earlobes burning, as she was embarrassed by the bacsh


    she was facing.


    At this moment, Arielle, who remained quiet throughout the chatters, blurted, ¡°I wasn¡¯t wrong.¡±


    Confused, Wendy looked in Arielle¡¯s direction, to which thetter continued, ¡°The answer for thest


    question is ¡®one.¡¯ The answer in the marking scheme is wrong.¡±


    ¡°Huh? How dare you question the preciseness of the marking scheme?¡± Wendy scoffed and asked.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I?¡± Arielle remained poised and continued, ¡°After all, there is no specific marking scheme for


    these sets of papers. The solutions you have were solved by someone other than the author. So, isn¡¯t it


    natural for it to have some errors in them?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me, right?¡± Wendy mmed the papers onto Arielle¡¯s desk and retorted, ¡°These are all


    answers given by a lecturer from Jadeborough University¡¯s mathematics faculty. You¡¯re merely a


    student, and yet you dare doubt the uracy of a lecturer¡¯s answer?¡±


    Arielle nced at Wendy coldly and muttered, ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me that lecturers can¡¯t be wrong?¡±


    Right then, a booming voice came from outside the door. ¡°Why are all of you being so noisy during


    ss? Don¡¯t you all know when you should and should not have idle chatters?

 Chapter 445

    Chapter 445


    The others turned around subconsciously and noticed Donovan approaching with a darkened


    expression.


    Most of them scurried back to their seats. However, Wendy¡¯s eyes glinted at the sight of him as she


    picked up the paper and answer sheet before walking over to his side.


    ¡°Mr. Baxter, we¡¯re discussing the questions for the Advanced Maths Exam Papers. Could you help us


    out by taking a look? May I know what¡¯s the answer to thest question right here?¡±


    Upon realizing that his students were merely discussing schoolwork, Donovan¡¯s sullen expression


    eased a little.


    He didn¡¯t think of himself as a very strict teacher. Besides, he was d that his students took their


    schoolwork seriously.


    His anger soon dissipated into thin air as he reached out to take over the paper in Wendy¡¯s hands.


    After taking one look, he realized that it was a challenging question. He told her to wait before writing


    the question, as well as its solution on the ckboard.


    After about ten minutes, Donovan finally solved the question.


    Using a chalk, he wrote the number ¡®l¡¯ on the ckboard.


    Wendy widened her eyes in disbelief.


    The answer is really ¡®l¡¯ instead of the ¡®0.618¡¯ written on the answer sheet. Wait, this means Arielle¡¯s


    right!


    Wendy suddenly heard a buzzing sound ringing through her head.


    She had the feeling that everyone was silently ridiculing her for even questioning Arielle in the first


    ce.


    D*mn it, how did she get it right, though?


    Her grip tightened on the pencil in her hand as it punched a hole through the question paper.


    Donovan did not notice that Wendy was almost breaking down. He ced his chalk back down and


    turned around to say to his students, ¡°This question is really quite the challenge as it requires


    knowledge in both chemistry and physics to solve it. This is way beyond your sybus and it¡¯s not


    necessary for all of you to understand this. Given your current understanding of the subject, it¡¯s not


    likely that you will be able to understand the solution anyway. So, I think it¡¯s good enough that you guys


    have a rough understanding of it.¡±


    Henry spoke up right away. ¡°Mr. Baxter, someone in our ss solved it!¡±


    Stumped, Donovan lifted his head and asked in a surprised tone. ¡°Who managed to answer it?¡±


    He subconsciously turned to ask Wendy, ¡°Was it you, Wendy?¡±


    Sure enough, Wendy¡¯s face darkened as she bit her lip in indignation.


    Somehow, the clueless ssmate beside her could not seem to read the room and said, ¡°Mr. Baxter,


    it¡¯s not Wendy. She can¡¯t even solve my practice questions. Arielle¡¯s the one who solved the question.¡±


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Wendy felt her heart sting. She did not even dare to lift her head to meet Donovan¡¯s eyes.


    He must really admire Arielle now, right?


    Unexpectedly, Donovan grimaced in response.


    He looked at Arielle who was sitting right behind and said with an impassive voice, ¡°These questions


    are a waste of time. Don¡¯t squander your time solving it, or


    Arielle did not seem to mind Donovan¡¯s words. Wendy, however, was pleasantly surprised.


    Yes, that¡¯s right. As long as Mr. Baxter doesn¡¯t like Arielle, it won¡¯t matter even if she¡¯s the smartest


    student in the whole damn world. He¡¯ll still chase her out one day! It doesn¡¯t matter if she¡¯s a genius at


    advanced math. People out there wouldn¡¯t even pay heed to her once they know she¡¯s been expelled


    from Jadeborough University anyway.


    Wendy started to feel all was right with the world again.

 Chapter 446

    Chapter 446


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 446


    Jared furrowed his brows and wanted to say something to defend Arielle. He cast a nce over at


    Arielle and noticed that she was shaking her head, signaling for him to just keep it to himself.


    He understood what Arielle meant and lowered his head as he bit his tongue.


    He did not understand the reason Donovan favored an average student like Wendy over a top student


    like Arielle. Is he blind or what?


    He was not the only one thinking that way as other students started to feel quite indignant on behalf of


    Arielle.


    ¡°Why do I get the feeling that Mr. Baxter¡¯s picking on Arielle?¡±


    ¡°Well, I hear that he absolutely loathes nepotism and I think Arielle got in through connections.¡±


    ¡°So what if she got in through connections? She¡¯s better than me by leaps and bounds even though I


    was offered a ce here.¡±


    Donovan could not hear what his students were talking about as they were murmuring in between


    themselves.


    Displeased, he mmed on the desk and bellowed, ¡°Silence!¡±


    Only then did the ssroom fell silent.


    Donovan said, ¡°All right. We¡¯re going to start the ss right now. I¡¯m going to start with the attendance.¡±


    Soon, it was Arielle¡¯s turn. For some reason, he grew so exasperated at the sight of the name that he


    just skipped over it altogether.


    She won¡¯t be my student after the next test anyway.


    Skipping over Arielle¡¯s name, he proceeded to call out Kelsea¡¯s name.


    However, nobody answered him.


    He lifted his head and nced in the direction of Kelsea¡¯s spot, only to notice that the seat was vacant.


    Furrowing his brows, Donovan asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Kelsea?¡±


    Her deskmate shook her head and replied, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. She did not turn up for the revision session


    either.¡±


    Donovan¡¯s face sank. It was already the second time Kelsea was absent without a valid reason.


    Among the four students who entered his ss by means of a back door, he had thought that Kelsea


    would be the most malleable one. Donovan was even thinking that Kelsea might be the only one out of


    the four to be able to make it through his ss.


    It seems like I¡¯ve made the wrong judgment. I should have known that people who got in through


    connections


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    are hopeless at best.


    After he was done taking the attendance, Donovan said, ¡°We¡¯re going to start the ss now. Flip your


    textbook to page 14. We¡¯re going to discuss a new topic¡­¡±


    Someone knocked on the door right after Donovan was done speaking


    He thought it was Kelsea, but it turned out to be members of the student council.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Donovan raised a brow.


    Arielle looked toward the door and noticed that it was the president of the student council, Christopher,


    the guy who warned her to be wary of Kelsea.


    Christopher was holding onto a name list as he replied, ¡°Mr. Baxter, I¡¯m here to call out three students


    in your ss who are involved in the freshman party. They need to follow me to the hall for the


    rehearsal.¡±


    Donovan wasn¡¯t too pleased with the request but agreed nheless. ¡°All right then. Let theme


    back as soon as possible, though. I¡¯m teaching a new topic today.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Christopher held up the name list and said, ¡°Wendy Greene, Trisha Hughes, and uh¡­ Arielle


    Moore. Please follow me.¡±


    Wendy stiffened when she heard Arielle¡¯s name.


    She¡¯s joining the freshman party too? This Arielle is such a copycat. Why does she have to tag along


    with everything I do? Does she really wish to stand out that much?


    Wendy grew exasperated at the thought.


    She knew she was no match for Arielle in math. However, she was adamant that she would not lose


    out to a country bumpkin like Arielle in terms of performing arts.


    Wendy held her head high as she walked over to the door.


    Just when Arielle was about to exit the ssroom, she noticed that Wendy was giving her the stink eye.

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    Perplexed, Arielle did not understand the reason behind Wendy¡¯s dirty look. She decided to just ignore


    Wendy and wait for Trisha.


    Trisha blushed furiously as she gulped and stuttered, ¡°Arielle, c-can I really make it?¡±


    Arielle smiled and said, ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll let them know that it¡¯s not necessary for you to show up on


    stage. You could just stay behind the curtains and draw.¡±


    Trisha heaved a sigh of relief after listening to Arielle before thanking her, ¡°Thank you so much,


    Arielle¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re most wee.¡± Arielle¡¯s smile was a great reassurance to Trisha.


    Right then, Wendy stepped forward and said mockingly, ¡°You¡¯re quite adept at winning over people¡¯s


    hearts, huh? I see that you¡¯re able to charm both men and women alike. I gotta say I¡¯m impressed.¡±


    With half a smile, Arielle rebutted, ¡°I know, right? My charisma knows no bounds. I could open a ss


    and teach you my secrets if you¡¯d like.¡±


    Wendy was infuriated by Arielle¡¯s deliberate provocation and spat, ¡°You b*tch!¡±


    Christopher stepped forward when Arielle was about to rebuke her. ¡°Wendy, if I hear you cursing out


    loud again, I¡¯m going to demerit you. You best keep in mind that 12 demerit marks will earn you a


    punishment.¡±


    Wendy did not understand why Christopher was siding with Arielle as she grew even more frustrated.


    This further cemented her impression that Arielle was a seductress who would get it on with just


    anybody.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Arielle said, ¡°or else we¡¯re going to miss the rehearsal.¡±


    She knew she did not need a rehearsal to perform well, but Trisha needed one.


    Christopher nodded at Arielle and paid no heed to Wendy again as he led them toward the hall.


    Despite feeling frustrated, there was nothing Wendy could do except catch up to them.


    With Christopher backing Arielle up, Wendy did not dare to scold Arielle anymore.


    What will Susanne think of me if I received a punishment?


    With that thought, Wendy decided to stay calm and be patient. The best time to show Susanne how


    different she was from Arielle would be during the freshman party.


    It did not take long for the four of them to reach the hall.


    The rehearsal was arranged ording to their sses, and Arielle arrived just in time for her turn.


    The teacher who was in charge of the rehearsal did not seem too pleased at the sight of them. ¡°Why


    are you guys sote? Other sses are already done with their rehearsal practice at least once.¡±


    Arielle was about to apologize but was interrupted by Wendy as she said in an indignant manner, ¡°I¡¯m


    sorry. Our homeroom teacher is quite strict.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s your homeroom teacher?¡±


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Mr. Baxter.¡±


    The teacher in charge of the rehearsal seemed to understand their conundrum and said, ¡°Then you


    guys might as well wait a little while longer for other sses to finish the practice. You guys can then


    practice two rounds after they¡¯re all done.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Wendy nodded her head as she shed a sweet smile at the teacher.


    Meanwhile, Arielle was rendered speechless at the side.


    How could she pretend like she¡¯s the best student ever in front of Mr. Baxter, and then turn around to


    sell him out like that? I wonder what will Mr. Baxter think if he knew about this?


    Nheless, Arielle said nothing as she led Trisha to take a seat.


    Trisha could not help butin, ¡°Arielle, how could Wendy say that? Mr. Baxter treats her so well¡­


    and yet


    she med everything on him.¡±


    Arielle merely shrugged and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know, really. Since we¡¯rete, there are fewer students


    around. I think you can really rx and just do your best. Have you asked them to prepare everything


    needed for your sand painting?¡±


    Trisha nodded. ¡°My dad said he will ask his friend to send it over. I think he will be here soon.¡±


    Right after she was done, Trisha¡¯s eyes glinted as she pointed at the entrance of the hall and said, ¡°My


    dad¡¯s friend is here!¡±


    Arielle turned around and noticed the signature shiny bald head of the principal, Marcus Brown

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    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 448


    Arielle noticed that two security guards were trailing behind Marcus as the two men carried the


    equipment needed for Trisha¡¯s sand painting.


    Stumped, Arielle asked, ¡°Your dad¡¯s friend is Mr. Brown?¡±


    Trisha nodded. ¡°We¡¯re neighbors.¡±


    Despite being shocked by the news, Arielle could understand why Trisha had never mentioned it. If it


    were anybody else, they would have kept bragging about how they¡¯re neighbors with the principal. But I


    guess it¡¯s different with Trisha. She¡¯s really a down-to earth and humble girl.


    Arielle grew fonder of Trisha.


    She walked over to the entrance of the hall with Trisha.


    Just then, a thin silhouette rushed past them and reached the principal first. Wendy was all smiles


    when she greeted Marcus. ¡°Hello, Mr. Brown. Are you here to watch the rehearsal?¡±!


    Arielle let out a low chuckle as she led Trisha to approach Marcus.


    The principal merely uttered a generic reply to Wendy before greeting Trisha with a broad smile. ¡°Hey,


    Trish!¡±


    ¡°Hey, Uncle Brown.¡± Trisha smiled back at him. ¡°Sorry for troubling you.¡±


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m d that you¡¯re performing. Good luck! I¡¯ll be cheering you offstage.¡±


    Trisha went crimson red as she nodded her head.


    Abashed as she was, Trisha did not forget to introduce Arielle. ¡°Uncle Brown, this is my friend, Arielle,


    from the same ss. She will be performing together with me. If it wasn¡¯t for her, I wouldn¡¯t have the


    courage to perform.¡±


    Marcus turned to Arielle and said merrily, ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you, Arielle. I remember you. Thank you for taking


    care of Trish. She¡¯s quite a shy girl so you¡¯d have to bring out her courageous self. You¡¯re more than


    wee to look for me should you encounter any problems at school.¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Brown.¡±


    ¡°Ah, no worries. I watched Trish growing up. She¡¯s like a daughter to me.¡±


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Arielle smiled and said nothing. Then, she turned her head around to look at Wendy who was being


    completely ignored by Marcus.


    Sure enough, Wendy was sulking with a familiar grimace.


    Amused, Arielle chuckled and checked on the sand painting equipment together with Trisha.


    A storm was brewing in Wendy¡¯s chest as she was left all alone.


    Arielle Moore, you again! You vixen! How are you everywhere? Ahhhh!


    Soon, students from other sses left after they were done with their rehearsal practice, leaving Arielle,


    Trisha, and Wendy behind.


    Wendy raised her hand and said, ¡°Sir, I¡¯d like to go first.¡±


    The teacher had quite a good impression of Wendy and smiled. ¡°All right then. The piano is already on


    the stage. Students from other sses are going to y the piano too. By the way, what song are you


    ying?¡±


    Wendy deliberately said with a straight face on, ¡°Reborn.¡±


    ¡°Reborn?¡± Startled by the piece, the teacher¡¯s voice rose an octave, garnering the attention of other


    teachers.


    Even Marcus overheard it and came over. ¡°Wendy, are you going to y ¡®Reborn¡¯?¡±.


    Wendy, nodded, knowing full well that it was an impressive feat. That being said, she continued to


    feign ignorance and asked, ¡°Yes, Mr. Brown. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Clearly, Marcus was impressed. ¡°No problem at all. This piece is quite the challenge, though. It seems


    like this year¡¯s freshman party will be quite interesting. I think I¡¯ll need to invite some media outlets over


    to report this. We could use your performance to promote


    our university as being an institution that cultivates all rounded individuals.¡±


    Wendy suddenly felt that her indignation from being ignored dissipated into thin air.


    She snuck a nce in Arielle¡¯s direction.


    To her dismay, Arielle did not hear a single thing and was instead engrossed in checking the condition


    of the sand painting equipment with Trisha.


    She¡¯s just pretending to not hear me, right?


    Wendy knew that Arielle was going to y the piano as well. Hence, she was positive that nobody


    would care to pay heed to Arielle once everyone knew that she was going to y ¡®Reborn.¡¯


    The teacher in charge of the rehearsal was excited to hear that Wendy was going to y the


    challenging song and hurriedly ushered her on stage. ¡°The piano¡¯s been tuned. So why don¡¯t you go on


    stage and y ¡®Reborn¡¯ now? I¡¯m really eager to listen to it.¡±

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    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 449


    ¡°All right, sir,¡± Wendy replied with a sweet smile. Gracefully, she made her way on stage and yed a


    few notes to test the piano¡¯s pitch.


    As soon as her fingers touched the keys, Wendy realized that the piano had poor craftsmanship. Never


    in her life had she yed on a piano with such horrendous quality. It looks like I¡¯ll have to borrow the


    Nightshire Manor¡¯s grand piano from Susanne.


    After Wendy tested the piano, she ced her fingers on the keys and began to y. Immediately, a


    harmonious melody filled the air.


    ¡®Reborn,¡¯ the piece Wendy yed, was inspired by the character Adonis from ancient Greek mythology.


    He was a man with mesmerizing looks and would reincarnate every year.


    ording to the song, thousands of creatures mourned his tragic death each time he died. When


    Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, first set her sights on Adonis, she became enamored


    instantly.


    Wendy¡¯s skillful ying mesmerized her audience. Her touching melody seemed to bring Aphrodite to


    life.


    Even Arielle couldn¡¯t help but lift her head to look at Wendy.


    Though Wendy¡¯s technique was impressive, Arielle noticed that Wendy had made a handful of


    mistakes when she first began ying.


    Although these mistakes would have been detrimental to a pianist, it was no great matter because


    Wendy was performing at a freshman party. Furthermore, this was an advanced song.


    The corners of Arielle¡¯s lips curved upward as she looked away from Wendy and focused her attention


    on Trisha¡¯s drawing instead.


    Trisha¡¯s drawing depicted a veiled goddess under the moonlight.


    This goddess was the main female protagonist in the song Arielle would perform¡ªIn the Moonlight.


    A few momentster, Wendy¡¯s piece came to an end. Immediately, the audience responded with


    thunderous apuse.


    The loud cheers prompted Trisha to look up as a doubtful look crossed her face. ¡°We are performing


    right after Wendy. Seeing she did so well, will people still pay attention to our performance?¡± Trisha


    asked hesitantly.


    ¡°They will,¡± Arielle replied firmly. ¡°Trust me; our performance will be much more exciting than hers.¡±


    Though Trisha trusted Arielle, Wendy¡¯s superb performance caused her confidence to waver.


    Yet, she soon changed her way of thinking. Who cares if we can¡¯tpete with Wendy? As long as we


    give it our best, I¡¯ll be more than happy.


    Gradually, Trisha regained her confidence.


    All of a sudden, a loud crash echoed on stage.


    When Arielle looked up, she saw that Wendy had bumped into the decorative vase on the piano by


    ident. Upon impact, the water in the vase spilled all over the keyboard.


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Wendy stammered in panic.


    But Arielle¡¯s keen eyesight noticed that Wendy had done it entirely on purpose.


    A few teachers hurried on stage to test the piano keys. After ying a few notes, their moods visibly


    darkened.


    One of the teachers sighed and shook his head in exasperation. ¡°It¡¯s ruined. Looks like we¡¯ll have to get


    someone to fix it. But since the freshman party is happening tomorrow night, there might not be enough


    time to get it done by then¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Wendy apologized profusely. ¡°I can bring over the piano in my home. Additionally, I¡¯ll pay


    for all the reparation expenses and send over a new piano. I promise that it will be delivered before the


    freshman party.¡±


    Hearing her words, a look of relief washed over the teachers¡¯ faces.


    ¡°Since you are willing to take responsibility for your actions, we will go along with your ns.¡±


    Just then, Marcus turned toward Arielle and Trish before he said, ¡°Doesn¡¯t this mean that Trish and


    Arielle cannot rehearse their performance?¡±


    Wendy smirked. That¡¯s right, I wanted to stop Arielle from rehearsing


    Without any rehearsals or practice, I doubt Arielle will be able to perform wlessly at the freshman


    party.


    Arielle, you can¡¯t me me for being cruel. Your actions have repeatedly caught me off guard. It¡¯s in my


    best interests to protect myself.


    Despite Wendy¡¯s malicious thoughts, she maintained a perfect mask of anguish and innocence. ¡°Mr.


    Brown, I¡¯m terribly sorry for my actions. It¡¯s all my fault,¡± Wendy mumbled apologetically.

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    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 450


    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± Arielle called out calmly. ¡°We havepleted our rehearsal.¡±


    Arielle pointed toward Trisha¡¯s sand painting as she spoke.


    From their position on stage, the teachers had a perfect view of Trisha¡¯s sand painting.


    The goddess in her painting looked so realistic that it felt like she could step out of the sand painting at


    any moment. Trisha¡¯s talented artistic skills further enhanced the painting¡¯s beauty.


    Amongst the teachers, Marcus was the first to offer his praise. ¡°That is a beautiful painting. Trish, I¡¯m


    proud to have you as my goddaughter.¡±


    Hearing his words, the other teachers jolted in shock.


    Although they knew that Marcus had a son studying at Maxwell University, they weren¡¯t aware of his


    goddaughter. I can¡¯t believe Marcus¡¯s goddaughter¡¯s attending the freshman party!


    ¡°I have a piano at home. If the two of you don¡¯t mind the hassle, I can offer you a lift. There, you can


    rehearse your performance.¡± One of the teachers who were eager to gain Marcus¡¯s favor stepped


    forward and extended an invitation to both girls.


    Arielle rejected his offer with a shake of her head. ¡°It¡¯s all right. We can perform tomorrow without any


    more rehearsals.¡±


    The teacher was stunned by Arielle¡¯s response. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need a rehearsal?¡¯


    ¡°Nope. I am familiar with this piece. I¡¯m confident that I don¡¯t need any more practice.¡± Arielle shook her


    head again.


    ¡°Okay.¡± The teacher relented. ¡°Then, topensate for theck of rehearsals, I¡¯ll give you the green


    light on the proposal you suggested before. Trisha can sit backstage and use the projector to project


    her painting on the big screen.¡±


    His words caused Trisha¡¯s heart to leap with joy as she clutched Arielle¡¯s hand in excitement.


    On stage, Wendy looked at their sped hands with simmering jealousy.


    Being the principal¡¯s goddaughter, shouldn¡¯t she befriend someone like me? Since I¡¯m from Horrington,


    it¡¯s only right if she mingles with someone of simr status. I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s so close with Arielle.


    Isn¡¯t she embarrassed to be seen with a country bumpkin like Arielle?


    Envious of Arielle¡¯s connections, Wendy seized the opportunity to approach Trisha when Arielle went to


    the washroom.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Is your name Trish?¡± Wendy asked sweetly.


    Wendy knew Trisha¡¯s personality like the back of her hand. Due to Trisha¡¯s timidity, she made sure to


    look as


    friendly as possible. But the moment she opened her mouth, Trisha was so startled that she stumbled


    backward in fear.


    Trisha¡¯s actions left Wendy displeased. Why is she so afraid of me? Although my looks aren¡¯t drop-


    dead gorgeous, I¡¯m still beautiful enough to pass as a celebrity. So why is Trisha looking at me with


    such a fierce gaze?


    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Trisha asked warily.


    Her question left Wendy stunned. Arielle must have been spreading spiteful lies about me behind my


    back! No wonder Trisha is so wary of me.


    Right away, Wendy acted as if she had been wronged. ¡°It looks like Arielle has been telling you lies


    about me In truth, I¡¯m nothing like the person she makes me out to be. Don¡¯t you know that Arielle is


    the problem here? She¡¯s nothing but a s*ut who tricked Christopher. Didn¡¯t you see him defending her


    earlier? Let me give you a piece of advice; it¡¯d be best if you keep your distance from her.¡±


    ¡°Wendy, Arielle has never spoken badly about you. Instead, you are the one who keeps belittling her.


    Has she ever done anything to earn your insults? She¡¯s clearly a good person.¡± Trisha mustered her


    courage to defend Arielle fiercely.


    ¡°A good person?¡± Wendy felt disgusted by Trisha¡¯s description of Arielle. ¡°I don¡¯t think a good person


    would act like such a s*ut. You shouldn¡¯t hang around


    with her so much,¡± Wendy replied coldly.


    Promptly, a dark look loomed across Trisha¡¯s face.


    ¡°Wendy, if you nder Arielle again, I will not hesitate to report you to the student council!¡± For the first


    time in her life, Trisha raised her tone.


    ¡°You-¡± Wendy gritted her teeth in anger. Knowing that she couldn¡¯t sway Trisha anymore, Wendy spun


    on her heel and left after a final sentence. ¡°You can¡¯t tell the difference between good and evil!¡±


    At the same time, Arielle emerged from the washroom and caught sight of Wendy, who left the scene


    with a dark look. From a distance, Trisha red at Wendy¡¯s retreating figure as she huffed angrily.

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    When Trisha was angry, she would puff her cheeks, and it looked like she held two buns in her mouth.


    At the sight of that, Arielle immediately questioned her, ¡°Did Wendy bully you?¡±


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Trisha shook her head. ¡°No, but she was speaking ill of you, so I scared her away.¡±


    ¡°Huh, who knew you were this fierce?¡± Arielle chuckled in amusement.


    Nodding, Trisha scoffed, ¡°Well, I could be terrifying when I¡¯m angry.¡±


    Her reaction only made her seem more endearing in Arielle¡¯s eyes. Grinning, she teased, ¡°Do take me


    under your wing and protect me when we are in school then.¡±


    Trisha nodded fervently and earnestly stated, ¡°Arielle, we have to out beat her with the performance


    tomorrow night!¡±


    Raising her brows, Arielle pointed out, ¡°As long as you don¡¯t get nervous, we can definitely pull it off


    without a hitch.¡±


    The way that Wendy looked down on Arielle made Trisha feel really offended. As such, she was more


    determined to put up a good show.


    At the psychiatric hospital, Mason made sure to circle the building first. He wanted to make sure that


    Russell had not sent anyone to tail him. After confirming it, he


    parked his car at the back door and went into the hospital.


    The evening was ending, and the sky had darkened. From time to time, ghostly wails and howls


    traveled from the wards. Like it was a haunted house, it was frightening


    Given so, most people would not visit this ce at this hour. Despite so, Mason trudged through the


    hallways of the hospital with an indifferent expression, seemingly unaffected by the disturbing noises.


    He went straight to Yvette¡¯s ward and pushed open the door to enter.


    At that time, Yvette was lying in bed. Although her anesthesia had already worn off, she still felt hazy.


    Therefore, she had a dyed response in looking at the door.


    She initially thought it was the nurseing to take her temperature. Yet, to her surprise, she saw


    Mason. Staring at the man¡¯s face filled with pimples, she could not conceal the look of disgust on her


    face.


    She did not bother to try either.


    Without holding back, Yvette snarled, ¡°What are you doing here? Get out right now! I feel repulsed


    every time I look at you and there is no way I will lend you a single cent. If Dad finds out you came to


    me for money, he would be first to object to it. Therefore, you¡¯d better


    leave this instant and stop appearing before me!¡±


    In the past, Mason might have been affected to hear those words, and it would make his heart ache.


    However, he did not seem bothered by herments this time. Instead, there was a hint of a smile on


    his face.


    Sensing that something was not right, Yvette inched away from him.


    Unfortunately, she did not have much space to move since her limbs were tied up.


    She shrieked, ¡°Are you deaf? I told you to scram!¡±


    ¡°Shh.¡± Mason ced his finger on his lips and walked to her bed. He whispered, ¡°Yvette, keep it down


    because I have sneaked in here. I¡¯ll take you out, so you don¡¯t have to stay in this dreadful ce


    anymore.¡±


    Not a second goes by without Yvette thinking about leaving the psychiatric hospital. Thus, when she


    heard his n, her expression softened. Uncertain, she stammered, ¡°R-Really?¡±


    Mason nodded. ¡°Like I mentioned this morning, I ran into some issues with my debt. I spent the entire


    day thinking about it and realized that I was unworthy of you. As such, I don¡¯t want you to continue


    suffering. I¡¯ll free you from this ce, and-¡± He paused before dropping his tone. ¡°I will not bother you


    ever again.¡±


    Instantly, Yvette¡¯s heart leaped with joy.


    She wanted to leave this ce as soon as possible.


    ¡°Untie me and let me leave right now then!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Mason fished out his dagger and helped to sh the leather shackles holding her down.


    Soon, he managed to undo all four straps, and Yvette hopped off the bed while twisting her wrists. A


    rare smile appeared on her face.


    Raising her head to look at Mason, she gratefully dered, ¡°Mason, don¡¯t take whatever I¡¯ve said


    earlier to heart. I don¡¯t actually hate you, but we aren¡¯t suited to be husband and wife. Do you


    understand where I¡¯ming from?¡±

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    ¡°I understand.¡± Mason nodded slowly.


    A mysterious cold look shed across his eyes.


    Letting out a long breath, Yvette patted the man¡¯s


    If we had made things clear from the start, we would not have ended up in this situation.¡±


    Turning to nce at Yvette, Mason nodded again. ¡°Yes, I should have seen the truth earlier.¡±


    In response, Yvette acknowledged hisment before she rambled on. ¡°I believe Dad doesn¡¯t think


    that I¡¯m mentally stable enough to leave this ce. He would not agree to take me out of here so soon.


    Thankfully, you are here to set me free. When I get home and put up a crying act, I¡¯m sure Dad will


    soften.¡± Then, she swirled around to face Mason and added, ¡°Anyway, I will take care of your debt.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    Mason grimly nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s take the opportunity when the medical staff is changing shifts to get out of


    here. Otherwise, they would notice us leaving. I know how to get to the backdoor, and I have left it


    open. We can take that route.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Yvette excitedly wore her shoes.


    I¡¯m finally getting out of this horrible ce! The first thing I¡¯m going to do is look for Arielle and take


    revenge. If she did not provoke me at City Hall¡¯s entrance, I would not have lost my marbles. Dad


    would not have sent me to this psychiatric hospital either.


    While quietly following Mason out to the backdoor, she formted a n in her head.


    Within minutes, they left through the backdoor, and the first thing Yvette saw was her family car.


    Instantly, it made her feel safe. With utmost trust in Mason, she thanked him again. ¡°Thank you, Mason.


    If you are in a fix in the future, especially if it has to do with money, do let me know. Don¡¯t worry about


    it. Oh, and how much money did you need? I will send you the amount as soon as I get home and have


    my phone with me.¡±


    With a grin, Mason shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve settled it.¡±


    ¡°How did you settle it?¡± It took Yvette by surprise.


    ¡°Get into the car first. It¡¯s not safe to stay here for too long.¡± Mason seemed unwilling to answer her


    question.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Without pressing for more, Yvette quickly climbed into the car.


    ¡°You can take a nap because there is likely to be a jam. I will take another route to avoid it, but there


    might be a one-hour dy to get to your house.¡±


    Yvette obediently nodded. Feeling as though the anesthesia was still in her body, she felt her head


    growing heavier and thought sleep sounded good.


    Closing her eyes, she tiredly agreed. ¡°Let me know when we have arrived, Mason. I shall take a nap


    then.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Mason looked at Yvette longingly before he turned back to face the front. He switched on the


    car engine and stepped onto the elerator.


    The car drove off and soon disappeared amongst the traffic.


    The sun had set, and it was night time.


    While Yvette was deeply asleep, the car suddenly shook violently. Jolted out of her sleep, she


    subconsciously looked out of the window.


    It was pitch ck outside, except for some street lights. She could tell that they were on a mountainous


    path.


    Are we on a path up to the mountain? Why would he need to take this route to avoid the jam?


    Fear enveloped Yvette¡¯s heart as she anxiously looked at Mason, who was sitting beside her. ¡°Mason,


    where are


    we?¡±


    A warm smile appeared on Mason¡¯s face as he chuckled. ¡°Northern Scenic Mountain.¡±


    Yvette¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    ¡°What?¡±


    This is so far away from my house! How long did Mason drive to get us here?


    Anxious, Yvette hurriedly ordered, ¡°Turn around and


    get out of here! I will take a taxi home myself.¡±


    However, Mason remained silent, with a small smile still stered on his face.


    The dim street lights that fell on his side profile made him look extra terrifying.


    It scared Yvette, and she repeatedly yelled, ¡°Stop the car! Right now!¡±

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    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 453


    ¡°Darling, stop shouting. I will stop the car in time toe, but I want to take you to the summit first.¡±


    While speaking, Mason nced at Yvette with a gentle smile.


    Yvette felt goosebumps all over her body, and it took her a while before she realized that Mason called


    her ¡°darling.¡± Feeling a mix of disgust, anger, and fear, she scowled. ¡°Don¡¯t call me that! I am not your


    darling, and I want you to stop the car right now!¡±


    Even the psychiatric hospital seemed to be a better ce than where she was.


    She was not an idiot, and she could guess what Mason was about to do next.


    He wants tomit suicide with me. It was no wonder why he wanted to take me out of the hospital


    and wanted to avoid everyone. He also suggested that I took a nap earlier.


    The more Yvette pondered, the more terrified she felt.


    Her voice started to sound like a plea. ¡°Please, I¡¯m begging you to stop the car. I don¡¯t want to go home


    anymore. I want to get back to the hospital-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Darling. The medicine I have will not cause you any pain. I¡¯m sure you will not feel


    anything in the next few minutes. Besides, the view at the summit is beautiful, and we can live our lives


    here forever. By then, we can be together forever, without


    anyone toe between us.¡±


    The corner of Mason¡¯s lips curled upwards even more, and his expression seemed eerier than ever.


    His words only confirmed Yvette¡¯s thoughts, and her heart was racing


    Crying and shaking, she begged, ¡°Mason, I don¡¯t want to die! If you don¡¯t want to get a divorce, I will let


    you have your way. I will not leave you! Can we please turn back?¡±


    Mason¡¯s smile disappeared. Shaking his head, he uttered, ¡°Yvette, my pockets may be empty, but my


    brain is not. I know that once we head back, your family will throw me in jail.¡±


    ¡°N-No! Please believe me. I will not send you to prison, and I will stay by your side forever! I swear I will


    do just that.¡±


    If they were not in the car, Yvette would be kneeling before Mason.


    Regardless of whatever Yvette said, Mason ignored her. In an indifferent tone, he stated, ¡°We are


    reaching soon, Yvette. When we get to the other world, we can be together forever.¡±


    Mason has gone crazy!


    Yvette felt a chill down her spine, and all she could think about was how she did not want to die.


    She was crying and yelling. Despite her efforts, Mason was still unfazed, as though he did not notice


    her behavior.


    Yvette was in despair.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    She have never felt as helpless as she was now.


    It never urred to her that Mason would want her to die with him.


    Lunatic! I don¡¯t want to die with him!


    Her eyesnded on the steering wheel.


    I¡¯ll take the risk! Once we reach the summit, I can¡¯t save myself anyway.


    Gritting her teeth, Yvette pounced over to take control of the steering wheel.


    However, the road was narrow, and her move sent the car towards the cliff.


    rmed, Mason quickly took control of the steering wheel to put the car back in the right direction.


    ¡°Yvette, what the hell are you doing?¡± Mason¡¯s eyes were burning with anger.


    ¡°We are several hundred meters up. If we fall off, we will die!¡±


    Yvette was also in shock, but she quickly regained her


    After a moment of silence, Mason gave a one-word reply, ¡°Okay.¡±


    For a split second, Yvette let out a breath of relief.


    I survived a hurdle!


    Unfortunately, she did not expect to hear Mason¡¯s next reply. With a bitter smile, Mason emotionlessly


    dered, ¡°Since you want to choose this method to die, I will grant you your wish.¡±


    I might be scared of being crushed after driving off the cliff even if I have epted my fate to die.


    However, I will do anything for Yvette.


    Hearing those words, Yvette immediately froze.

 Chapter 454

    Chapter 454


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 454


    Yvette felt her pupils shrinking from the sheer terror she felt.


    Panicking, she fervently denied, ¡°No, that is not what I meant. I don¡¯t want to die! Mason, I¡¯m begging


    you to let me off. I really want to live.¡±


    While she hollered, she began thumping on the car window with all her might.


    Despite that, the car had already deviated from its original path, and it was headed towards the cliff.


    A scream was stuck in Yvette¡¯s throat, and her hands flew up to cover her eyes. Her mind drew a


    nk.


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    Thest thing she heard was Mason¡¯s enthusiastic deration of his love for her. ¡°Yvette, I love you!¡±


    With that, the car with Actonward Enterprise¡¯s logo flew off the cliff at full speed and fell straight down to


    the valley.


    The birds that were in the air collectively chirped.


    Upon impact, the car exploded.


    Clouds of dust wafted in the air.


    A few minutester, it turned peaceful again, as though nothing had happened.


    At Jadeborough University, Arielle had just returned to the ss, but Donovan had finished the


    sybles for


    night ss. He turned on the projector in the ssroom.


    Meeting her gaze by ident, he quickly looked away coldly and turned his attention to Wendy and


    Trisha, who sat behind her instead. ¡°You can revise today¡¯s lesson with Trisha¡¯s help. If you have any


    questions, feel free to let me know.¡±


    Following that, he clicked on the news link on hisputer. ¡°Watch the news program today carefully


    as it will be the content for ourst lesson. Today¡¯s homework is for you to select a piece of news to


    trante to Ustranasion. Professor Sleight has asked me to arrange this. As for your advanced math


    lesson, you only have to do revision. Do take note that I will conduct an in-ss test for today¡¯s lesson


    content during ss tomorrow, and those who score below sixty will have to run ten rounds around the


    track.¡±


    All the students looked gloomy.


    This was the heaviest workload they had ever handled.


    Despite so, no one dared toin about it, and everyone began to listen to the news. On the other


    hand, Arielle casually propped her hands on the table and prepared to sleep.


    The first piece of news was on a nuclear leak issue. There were too many technical words, and many


    students chose to skip them.


    At that moment, the news anchor suddenly reported, ¡°This is breaking news. Ten minutes ago, a car


    drove


    off the cliff of the Northern Scenic Mountain, and it crashed into the valley. ording to the information


    gathered, Actonward Enterprise¡¯s young mistress, Yvette Actonward, has been identified as a victim.


    Investigations are still ongoing.¡±


    Immediately, Arielle snapped out from her intentions to sleep and looked up.


    At the end of the news, the video panned to a live scene at the ident site.


    In the image, smoke filled the sky, and there was a shattered car.


    Arielle looked stupefied. She thought about the two victims that the news anchor mentioned and


    instantly connected the dots to what had happened.


    Her original intention was for Mason to be busy with trying to please the Actonwards, but she did not


    expect things to escte like that.


    I guess Mason was a lunatic, but when I think more about it, he did seem pitiful. Well, there is a reason


    for everything, so there must be an exnation to what he brought upon himself. It seems like after I


    attend Shandie¡¯s funeral, I will have to attend Yvette¡¯s funeral too.


    Arching her brows, Arielle¡¯s expression was indifferent.


    After all, there was nothing more you could do after a person passed on. She would have to bury the


    hatchet


    on her issue with Yvette and Mason.


    Out of the blue, a knock sounded on the door.


    ¡°Mr. Baxter.¡±


    Looking at the visitor, Arielle saw Kelsea, who had been missing from the night ss, energetically


    standing there.

 Chapter 455

    Chapter 455


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 455


    Arielle frowned at that sight.


    Kelsea and Wendy were annoyingly persistent, and Arielle could never get rid of them.


    She came to Jadeborough University to look for Aaron, but he made Vinson¡¯s mother, Susanne, so


    scared that it was hard to find him.


    Therefore, she did not manage to find him since she entered school. She wanted to get used to the


    environment and understand it inside out before she continued to look for him.


    However, those two girls she could not shake off posed more trouble for her.


    Nheless, from the looks of it, she might be able to get Kelsea off her back now.


    For a hunter that gets bitten after setting a trap and ending up with no prey, she would be mad.


    Slowly taking out her phone, Arielle wanted to send out the text she had drafted earlier. Her finger


    hovered over Vinson¡¯s name before she decided to click on Harvey¡¯s contact to send it to him.


    Since Vinson was busy, she decided not to bother him.


    At the ssroom¡¯s door, Kelsea greeted Donovan. Thetter frowned and unhappily asked, ¡°Why are


    you sote for ss?¡±


    Shrugging, the girl replied, ¡°I had something on. Mr. Baxter, could you step out for a minute? I have


    something important to tell you alone.¡±


    Although Donovan was not happy, his affection for her had not dissipated.


    He let out a grunt and still got up to follow Kelsea out to the corridor.


    It was empty, and there was no one else besides the two of them there. From time to time, they heard


    voices from the ssroom.


    After Donovan and Kelsea were in the corridor, Donovan questioned, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Instead of going straight to the point, Kelsea started with a question. ¡°Mr. Baxter, you ever mentioned


    that a student who engages in a fight has to leave school immediately. Is that right?¡±


    Donovan nodded. ¡°Yes, but why are you asking about this?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Baxter, look at this.¡± Kelsea thrust her phone into his hands. ¡°Is that considered a fight?¡±


    Curiously, Donovan looked at it.


    It was a video with a girl using inhumane means to fight over ten men. At the end of it, she even held


    her knife to thest man¡¯s neck.


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    There was no sound to the video, but one could see the expression on the girl¡¯s face. She was


    threatening that


    man.


    At the end, the video froze at the girl¡¯s face.


    Donovan could clearly tell that it was Arielle.


    With a face as dazzling as hers, he would not mistake her for someone else.


    Meanwhile, Kelsea studied the teacher¡¯s expression and tried to suppress her smile. ¡°Mr. Baxter, truth


    to be told, these are my friends. Tonight, I waste because I had to take care of this. I only hope you


    can help my friends get the justice they deserve.¡±


    A frown appeared on Donovan¡¯s face.


    He had taught several students, and there was no doubt they were all exemry students. However,


    Arielle was an exception. She even fought off a gang brutally.


    This was not only against the school rules but also against thew.


    While Donovan felt frustrated, he felt somewhat happy too because, in this situation, even the principal


    would not be able to help Arielle out.


    Drawing a long breath, he tightened his grip around the phone and told Kelsea, ¡°Go back to ss, and


    I¡¯ll keep your phone for the time being. I will take this up with Mr. Brown. Before he does anything, do


    not tell anyone about this, especially Arielle.¡±


    Kelsea nodded.


    Of course; she did not n to share it with Arielle. Otherwise, thetter might ask Vinson for help.

 Chapter 456

    Chapter 456


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 456


    In order to obtain this recording, she camete for the self-study session.


    Arielle was sly enough to blur out most of the surveince cameras. However, Kelsea was lucky


    enough to have connections to a hacker who could recover one of the tapes.


    It took her so much effort to obtain the evidence, so she would not do anything to jeopardize it.


    On the other hand, Donovan had no idea what Kelsea was thinking. After telling her to return to ss,


    he headed straight to the lecturers¡¯ block with her phone.


    This time, he was determined to kick Arielle out.


    At Marcus¡¯ office, Marcus and the Dean were trying to arrange the freshman party for the next night.


    Suddenly, someone barged into his room.


    Looking up, Marcus spotted Donovan at the door, looking rather unhappy.


    Slightly startled, Marcus probed, ¡°Mr. Baxter, your expression¡­ did something happen?¡±


    Donovan did not beat around the bush and passed the phone in his hands to Marcus. ¡°Mr. Brown, take


    a look at this video. When you are done with it, please expel Arielle.¡±


    Instantly, Marcus stiffened butter chuckled. ¡°Mr. Baxter, why are you trying to hold on to such a small


    matter?¡±


    Frowning, Donovan protested, ¡°Mr. Brown, you will understand where I¡¯ming from after you watch


    this. It is not a small mistake, but it is something against thew.¡±


    Hearing that it was illegal, the Dean looked up too. He interrogated, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Marcus¡¯ expression grew serious. Without answering the question, he began watching the video.


    Curious, the Dean looked over too.


    When the recording finished ying, Marcus and the Dean were taken aback. Their eyes were as wide


    as saucers.


    The Dean was the first person to break the silence. ¡°Is this a student in our school?¡±


    Marcus closed his eyes, wishing to erase what he saw.


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle not only engaged in a fight at the back gate of the school, but it was also a brutal sight. It could


    hardly be considered a small mistake.


    Scanning the look on Marcus¡¯ face, Donovan emphasized, ¡°I guess you should make her leave. Right?¡±


    However, Marcus did not reply.


    He rewatched the video once more and paid more attention to it this time. Instead of focusing on


    Arielle, he looked at the people she was beating up.


    They were all wearing masks, and it was hard to discern who they were. It was an odd situation.


    Marcus narrowed his eyes. ¡°We should not make a rash decision about this. Let¡¯s investigate it first.¡±


    At once, Donovan¡¯s expression darkened. He scoffed, ¡°If you don¡¯t kick her out because of this


    behavior, I¡¯m curious about what constitutes as a reason to expel a student.¡±


    Without a word, Marcus stared at Donovan straight in his eyes. He exuded a majestic aura that showed


    his power at the principal.


    ¡°Mr. Baxter, do you understand what it means for Jadeborough University to expel a student? It means


    no other school would ept her anymore, and it would destroy her life. We cannot decide to kick a


    student out lightly. It will ruin her life, and I believe that goes against the teacher¡¯s code.¡±


    Donovan¡¯s expression changed.


    Gritting his teeth, he rebutted, ¡°This is the best evidence for her behavior. What more do you need?¡±


    ¡°Obviously, we have to ask her for a reason. What if she was doing this in self-defense?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Donovan barked, ¡°Look at her skills. Does it look like self-defense? She was the


    only person beating the others up. I¡¯m sure it is not a mistake!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Marcus nodded understandingly. ¡°If you happen to be wrong, I need you to apologize to Arielle


    at the freshman party tomorrow night. Can you do that?¡±

 Chapter 457

    Chapter 457


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 457


    Without hesitation, Donovan agreed.


    He was only afraid that Marcus would try to draw attention away from this matter because he had


    Arielle¡¯s back. Nheless, it was good enough that Marcus was willing to investigate.


    From his point of view, that was not an act of self defense. She definitely started it.


    After all, she even had the guts to taunt him, not to mention how she treated others.


    A student like Arielle should never have been epted into Jadeborough University!


    During preparatory ss, Arielle let out a few yawns. ncing around, she saw Kelsea giving her an


    amused look.


    Arielle raised her brows and looked back at her with a smile.


    Kelsea¡¯s expression quickly turned into a look of disgust before she looked away.


    Right on the bat, the ssroom door was thrown open.


    Excited, Kelsea looked over.


    Simrly, Arielle did so too.


    Donovan entered the ssroom first, followed by Marcus and the dean.


    They all wore grim expressions.


    The corners of Arielle¡¯s mouth lifted.


    She had been waiting for a long time, and they were finally here.


    ¡°Arielle, we need you to exin what happenedst night. Please fill us in on the gang fight that


    happened at the school¡¯s back gate,¡± Donovan announced while giving her a death re.


    Once those words left her mouth, Wendy¡¯s eyes lit up.


    A gang fight? Is Arielle courting her own death? She would be expelled from school for fighting! That¡¯s


    great! I don¡¯t even have to do anything, and Arielle is getting herself kicked out from Jadeborough


    University.


    Wendy could not help but turn to the boy sitting beside her. He idolized Arielle. ¡°How can Arielle act like


    that as a student? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s ridiculous?¡±


    However, the boy red at her in disapproval. ¡°It isn¡¯t the first day that Mr. Baxter showed hatred for


    Arielle. Who knows if he is telling the truth?¡±


    Wendy¡¯s face dimmed then she heard people behind her softly defending Arielle.


    ¡°Arielle was in a fight? How is that possible? She is usually very patient when she helps me with


    revision.¡±


    ¡°I guess it must be a misunderstanding.¡±


    More students joined in. ¡°Is Mr. Baxter trying to frame Arielle? I¡¯m rather disappointed with him.¡±


    Wendy¡¯s expression fell.


    She did not understand why everyone would take Arielle¡¯s word over Donovan.


    Mr. Baxter is our teacher!


    Jared and Henry looked over at Arielle worriedly.


    Only when they saw Arielle waving dismissively at them, they realize she had things under control.


    As the discussions amongst the students grew louder, Donovan caught wind of what they were saying,


    and he could not help but frown. In a loud voice, he roared, ¡°Keep quiet!¡±


    Immediately, everyone kept quiet.


    Donovan was about to continue when Marcus tugged his sleeve and softly reminded him, ¡°Before we


    rify the matter, you should not say anything to the rest of the ss. Let¡¯s invite Arielle out of the ss


    for further questions first.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Donovan¡¯s veins were throbbing with anger. He growled, ¡°Mr. Brown, Arielle is more cunning


    than you think. We have to get the facts straight right now. Otherwise, she mighte up with an


    excuse for what she did.¡±


    Instead of heeding Marcus¡¯ advice, he directly connected the phone to the projector and yed the


    video recording


    Once it was ying, the students began discussing among themselves again.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Trying to suppress her smile, Wendy turned to the boy she shared a table with again. ¡°There is a video


    now. Do you still think that Mr. Baxter is lying?¡±


    This time, he could only frown and remain quiet.


    Everyone was looking at Arielle in a different light.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe Arielle fights. Besides, she was relentless in the video, so I guess she might get


    expelled.¡±

 Chapter 458

    Chapter 458


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 458


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Arielle is that good at fighting. However, does that mean she has broken the school


    rules?¡±


    Hearing that, a girl suddenly exined, ¡°That isn¡¯t only against the school rules, but it is also against


    thew.¡±


    Arielle and the rest of the ss nced over at the source of the voice and saw Kelsea standing up.


    ¡°The victims in the video are my friends. Aren¡¯t you at least feel sorry for them, Arielle? They are all


    lying in hospital as we speak!¡±


    Kelsea chided Arielle.


    Yet, Arielle remained expressionless as shezily leaned back in her chair.


    Her eyes were sharp, and there was a look in her eyes that scared Kelsea. Thetter could feel her


    hair standing


    Does Arielle know that I sent those people there? That¡¯s impossible! The forum is anonymous, and I


    doubt Arielle would even know of its existence, much less figure out my identity. Even if Arielle


    managed to guess that it was me, what can she do to me without any proof? Besides, I have ordered


    the hacker to format the first half of the video such that Arielle can¡¯t exin herself even if she wanted


    to. Hmm¡­ she probably thinks she could exin herself, which is why she seems so calm.


    At that thought, Kelsea¡¯s racing heart began to calm


    down.


    She did not want to waste more time on Arielle. Anyway, the more she spoke, there would be more


    room for error. Turning to Donovan, she proposed, ¡°Mr. Baxter and Mr. Brown, I don¡¯t think someone


    like Arielle should be allowed in this ss. Please expel her!¡±


    Ahem! Marcus knew there was no way they could keep the matter under wraps anymore.


    Letting out a sigh, he did not bother asking Arielle to leave the ss with them anymore. Instead, he


    announced, ¡°We have yet to investigate the matter. It is only a video, and it is not enough to prove that


    Arielle was at fault-¡±


    Before Marcus could finish, Wendy stood up.


    ¡°Mr. Brown, we already have the video as evidence. Isn¡¯t that enough to prove that Arielle was involved


    in a fight? Are you only trying to protect her? Do you know that once the media catches wind of this


    incident, it will have a devastating impact on our school reputation?¡±


    Kelsea quickly jumped in too. ¡°You can¡¯t make all the students from Jadeborough University get


    affected because of one student.¡±


    Slowly, Marcus felt cold sweat on his forehead.


    Of course, he wanted to retain Jadeborough University¡¯s reputation.


    He might have allowed students into the school through connections, but they were all done for the


    sake of the school.


    Four students bribed their way into this school, and he did not take a single cent for himself. He had


    honestly used them all on the school.


    However, Kelsea was still berating Marcus and was only short of using him of siphoning the school


    funds and being corrupted.


    By now, Marcus was under a lot of pressure.


    Trembling, he closed his eyes.


    As much as he wanted to hide it from the public, the matter had escted to the degree that it was only


    a matter of time before the public knew about it.


    He could not put Jadeborough University¡¯s reputation at stake because Vinson promised to fund a


    laboratory building.


    I cannot be the one to ruin the school¡¯s hundred-year legacy. Otherwise, everyone will render me a


    viin for life.


    Gritting his teeth, he opened his eyes to look at Arielle. ¡°Arielle, do you admit being the girl in the


    recording?¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°Yes, that is me.¡±


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Immediately, the ss was thrown into an uproar.


    ¡°Mr. Brown, since she has admitted it, the next step should be to kick her out of school. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    Donovan did not miss the chance to make his point.


    Marcus waved his hands to get everyone to stay down.


    Sighing, he regretfully stated, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Arielle. You have broken the school rules this time, and the


    only thing I can do is to let you leave the school on your own ord.¡±

 Chapter 459

    Chapter 459


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 459


    Compared to being expelled from school, asking her to leave school herself was the bestpromise


    he could make.


    There was no alternative choice he could make.


    As soon as those words left Marcus¡¯ mouth, Jared hurriedly stood up to defend Arielle.


    But before he could talk, a timid small voice sounded. ¡°Uncle Brown, can¡¯t you give Arielle another


    chance?¡± It seemed like the girl had mustered up a lot of courage to speak up.


    Arielle looked over to see who it was, and it turned out to be Trisha, who was close to tears.


    One could see the true personality of people around them during a time of crisis.


    Although Marcus adored Trisha, he could not include his personal feelings in this decision.


    He did not wish to lose her as a student at Jadeborough University either, but the video was hard cold


    truth and evidence.


    Letting out a long breath, Marcus uttered, ¡°Trish, sit down. This has nothing to do with you.¡±


    Trisha was about to continue when Arielle interrupted her, ¡°Trisha, it¡¯s okay. You can take a seat.¡±


    ncing at the other girl with teary eyes, Trisha


    reluctantly plopped down into her seat.


    Marcus sighed for the umpteenth time. ¡°Well, I guess


    it¡¯s decided. Arielle, you can start packing your belongings. When you are done with it, please visit my


    office toplete the necessary procedure.¡±


    Overjoyed by Marcus¡¯ announcement, Kelsea and Wendy started grinning. The only difference was


    that Wendy tried to hide it a little more.


    As for Donovan, he did not bother hiding his distaste for Arielle. In a domineering voice, he urged,


    ¡°Arielle, leave this ce right now!¡±


    Meanwhile, Arielle did not seem surprised at all. She leaned back in her seat like she was waiting for


    someone to arrive as though she had not heard what Marcus said.


    Unhappy with her reaction, Donovan squinted and roared, ¡°Arielle, did you not hear what I said?¡±


    At that moment, a low and cold voice snarled, ¡°She isn¡¯t the one that needs to leave!¡±


    That voice made Wendy turn to the door in disbelief.


    Arielle was equally shocked it sounded like Vinson.


    The next thing they saw was a man with a long pair of legs and a handsome face stepping into the


    room.


    Surprised, Arielle¡¯s eyes widened.


    It was no mistake that Vinson, who had been missing, was standing in her ssroom.


    Staring at the visitor, Donovan could feel his murderous aura from miles away.


    He wanted to send the man away when he saw two other men behind him.


    They were dressed in a police uniform, and they looked serious.


    Why did he bring the police with him? Did Mr. Brown call the police?


    While Donovan was still confused with the situation, he heard Marcus stammer in shock. ¡°Mr.


    Nightshire, what are you doing here?¡±


    It was then that Donovan realized who this man was. He was Vinson, the person who had Arielle¡¯s


    back and the person who reigns over Jadeborough.


    He knew that Vinson was highly regarded, but he did not expect that the man was so young.


    Vinson growled, ¡°If I didn¡¯t make the trip here myself, you would have kicked Arielle out.¡±


    With a mix of awkwardness and guilt on his face, Marcus helplessly uttered, ¡°I apologize, Mr.


    Nightshire. I have broken the promise to let Arielle graduate sessfully. However, I can¡¯t do anything


    about this situation. She has to leave because she broke the school


    rules.¡±


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    Raising his chin, Donovan added, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, I know how powerful you are, but not only did Arielle


    break the school rules, but she was uwful as well. We can¡¯t keep someone like her as a student in


    Jadeborough University.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha,¡± Vinson chuckled. ¡°May I know whichw she has broken? Is self-defense against thew? If


    a person holds a knife to your throat, would you think it is against thew to fight back?¡±


    Donovan¡¯s face darkened almost immediately.


    The way Vinson spoke was just like how Arielle would talk to him, and it rubbed him the wrong way.


    Biting his lips, he tried to suppress his anger and calmly exined, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, I guess you do not


    know what had happened. Let me show you what Arielle had done.¡±

 Chapter 460

    Chapter 460


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 460


    As Donovan spoke, he walked towards the podium to rey the video from earlier.


    Kelsea was slightly startled to see Vinson there.


    She did not expect to see him here, or rather, she did not expect him to show up this quickly.


    Initially, she assumed that Arielle would not have the time to react. Even if she did try to, she would


    probably already have left school by the time Vinson rushed over.


    Sitting in the second row, Wendy expressed her jealousy by digging her fingers into the table.


    What a bitch! What else can Arielle do, besides relying on men?


    However, she was quick to calm herself down. As soon as Mr. Baxter ys the video for Vinson, he


    probably can¡¯t help her anymore. Perhaps, he might even break his ties with Arielle because of it and


    that will be great news!


    From her initial panic, she became moreposed. Now, she was excited to see what would happen


    next.


    She could not help but turn to look at Arielle¡¯s expression. To her dismay, Arielle still looked unfazed, as


    though nothing would rile her up.


    Only Arielle knew that her heart was racing at that moment.


    It was not because she was nervous. Rather, it was because she had not seen Vinson in a long time.


    Nervously sping her hands together, she tried to ignore what she was feeling. She did not want to


    know what she felt as she knew it would scare her.


    Minutester, Donovan finally connected the phone to the projector once more and managed to y


    the recording again.


    Wendy did not focus on the screen nor continue to look at Wendy. Instead, she was studying Vinson¡¯s


    expression.


    She was curious of how he would react to it.


    However, Vinson nced at it and let out a low chuckle.


    What is that supposed to mean? Wendy was confused.


    Simrly, Donovan was baffled by his reaction. Frowning, he asked, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, why are you


    laughing?¡±


    Vinson gave Donovan a cold look before he scoffed, ¡°I heard that you graduated from Maxwell


    University, and I thought their students weren¡¯t dumb. Well, I guess I have identified an exception now.¡±


    He was basically calling Donovan an idiot.


    Annoyed, Donovan¡¯s frown grew deeper, and his livid


    expression turned into a surprised one.


    Is Vinson also a graduate of Maxwell University? Otherwise, did he also give Maxwell University


    funding for aboratory building? That must be it! I don¡¯t think a rich yboy like him could ever get into


    Maxwell University.


    Trying to hold back himself from raging, Donovan snarled, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, don¡¯t you know how to treat


    others with basic respect?¡±


    ¡°I was only stating the truth.¡± Then, Vinson pointed at the screen. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell that the video has been


    edited?¡±


    Donovan froze. It was not that he could not tell, but he had not paid attention to it.


    On the other hand, when Kelsea heard what he said, she felt goosebumps all over her body.


    Please don¡¯t tell me Vinson had watched the entire video. That is impossible!


    To her horror, she saw Vinson connecting his phone to the projector. Then, he yed another video


    recording


    This time, the video started ten minutes before the one Donovan yed.


    The main character in it was not Arielle but Jared and Henry.


    The two of them were sitting face to face outside a food stall, ordering their dishes when a group of


    masked men appeared before them. They were obviously heading for the two boys.


    A masked man at the front was first to throw a punch at Henry¡¯s face.


    Henry fell backward onto the ground as he did not see thating


    Given that situation, they had to defend themselves, but they still had to retreat into a shop.


    Rate the Trantion to Get 2 Petal.


    ¡­ Wait! I Have Something to Say!Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 461

    Chapter 461


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 461


    Midway through the video, Arielle appeared to fend off these people who tried to create trouble for


    Jared and Henry.


    As for the part where Arielle started attacking first in Donovan¡¯s video, it did not appear in this one.


    Clearly, it had been edited.


    Not only did they cut out the victims, Jared and Henry, from the video, they also made it seem like


    Arielle was the bad guy when she was only trying to help her friends.


    By the time the video ended, everyone finally understood that Arielle was not the one who started a


    fight with them, but she was just a good Samaritan who was lending a helping hand.


    ¡°T-This-¡± Donovan stepped back in defeat, and his face turned pale.


    It was not the oue he was expecting.


    In contrast, Vinson looked more hostile than ever.


    After giving Donovan a death re, he turned his attention to Marcus. ¡°Now, do you still want Arielle to


    quit school?¡±


    Recovering from his shock, Marcus hurriedly waved his hands. ¡°No, of course not! Arielle¡¯s actions


    should bemendable. She was helping others, so why does she have to quit school?¡±


    While he tried to fix the situation, he looked at Donovan with irritation.


    ¡°Donovan! What the hell is going on? Did youmit such despicable acts just to kick Arielle out of


    school?¡±


    That usation gave Donovan a good scare, and he felt the zing looks that his students had cast in


    his direction. He felt humiliated.


    Quickly, he tried to exin himself. ¡°Mr. Brown, this is not what you think it is. This was not a recording


    from me. Kelsea handed it to me!¡±


    Kelsea, preparing to sneak out, looked up to see everyone giving her a contemptuous look.


    Her head felt like it was about to explode, and it drew a


    nk.


    Ugh, that hacker was no use at all!


    ¡°Kelsea!¡± Marcus interrogated, ¡°What the hell is going


    on?¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know either.¡± Feeling the pressure, Kelsea tried toe up with an excuse. ¡°This was a


    recording that someone else gave me too. I don¡¯t know what the truth was.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Vinson gave her a pointed look.


    Immediately, Kelsea fervently nodded. ¡°Vin, you have to believe me!¡±


    Despite her insistence, Vinson did not believe Kelsea at all. In a lower tone, he probed, ¡°I¡¯ll give you


    onest chance. Are you sure you have nothing to do with the edited video?¡±


    Kelsea felt her back being soaked with sweat.


    At this point, how could she admit to framing Arielle in front of everyone? Besides, she was the one


    who nned the whole thing from the start.


    Clenching her fists, Kelsea insisted, ¡°I really have no idea what happened.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Vinson nodded emotionlessly.


    At first, he wanted to give Kelsea onest chance because of Carter.


    But now, it seemed like there was no need for that, given how she shamelessly denied it.


    Turning slightly, the two policemen behind him took the hint and stepped forward. They headed for


    Kelsea.


    When Kelsea saw them approaching her, she widened her eyes and backed away until she hit the wall.


    Guiltily, she stammered, ¡°W-What do you want from me? I don¡¯t know anything, so why are you


    catching


    me?¡±


    The two policemen stopped in front of her and took out a stack of documents. Without anypassion,


    they stated, ¡°Kelsea, we managed to trace you on the forum


    for hiring a murderer and creating malicious rumors. You are now arrested, and we hope you can


    cooperate with us.¡±


    In the next second, Kelsea¡¯s face drained of blood, and she felt her brain splitting open.


    Her pupils shrank due to shock.


    Sh*t. I¡¯m done for! They manage to find out everything I have done.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Unable to take the pressure, she fainted.

 Chapter 462

    Chapter 462


    Kelsea knew that she was finished.


    Attempted murder by contract had a much more severe punishment than fighting. Kelsea would face at


    least three years in prison or the more severe punishment of paying with her life. It all depends on the


    abilities of her legal team.


    Not to mention that Vinson was Arielle¡¯s husband.


    If Vinson became involved in this issue, Kelsea¡¯s life would be over.


    Even if Kelsea did not die, the rest of her life would be


    over.


    In the end, Kelsea was arrested by two policemen.


    After a brief period of dismay, the students in the ss began to discuss it.


    ¡°Attempted murder by contract?! Kelsea is terrifying!¡±


    ¡°I believe that Kelsea¡¯s initial target was Arielle. If not, why isn¡¯t she mentioning Jared and Henry? She


    only mentioned Arielle.¡±


    ¡°She isn¡¯t a human being. She¡¯s a scumbag! I saw the unedited video, and those people were holding a


    knife. We won¡¯t be able to see Arielle again if she doesn¡¯t havebat skills.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too frightening. But, speaking of it, is Wendy involved in this incident too? She helped Kelsea to


    force Arielle to drop out of school just now..¡±


    Wendy overheard the students¡¯ discussion about suspecting her, and she was not pleased.


    She turned around furiously, noticing that all of the students were staring at her as if she were a part of


    it as well.


    Wendy felt she had been treated unfairly.


    I have nothing to do with it, so why is everyone on Arielle¡¯s side? Why?


    Wendy sobbed and turned around, hoping to find some sce from Vinson.


    Yet, Vinson walked straight past her as if he did not notice her at all and went toward Arielle.


    Vinson felt like a different person when he saw Arielle. His cold, fierce expression had vanished,


    reced by a soft, gentle one.


    Wendy was enraged by his gentle demeanor toward Arielle.


    Vinson softly spoke to Arielle, ¡°It¡¯s ok now.¡±


    He wasforting Arielle, although she was not scared at all.


    Arielle¡¯s heart was fluttering as a result of his action.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go out and talk,¡± she said timidly as she stood up.


    Many people in the ssroom were looking at them, either jealously or gossiping about them.


    Therefore, it was not a suitable ce to stay and talk.


    Vinson nodded in agreement. As they were about to step out, Marcus suddenly said, ¡°Mr. Baxter, I


    hope you don¡¯t forget your promise. You must apologize to Arielle in front of all the students at the


    freshman party tomorrow.¡±


    Donovan was not happy about it as he heard this. He struggled for a moment before saying, ¡°Mr.


    Brown, I¡¯m also unaware of this incident. You can¡¯t do this to me.¡±


    However, Marcus insisted on him apologizing to Arielle this time.


    ¡°Did you say you¡¯re unaware of it? Why do you want me to expel Arielle if you aren¡¯t aware? If you


    were not aware, why did you make this incident public and make Arielle the target of criticism?¡±


    Donovan could not refute his statement and noticed that the students¡¯ demeanor in the ssroom had


    shifted dramatically toward him. He did, however, believe Arielle was to me for everything.


    He was sickened by the mixed up of embarrassment and furious emotions in his heart.


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°All right. Then, it¡¯s settled.¡± Marcus paused for a moment before saying, ¡°If you can¡¯t do it, then I


    believe


    you are not qualified to be a teacher.¡±


    Donovan was taken aback by Marcus¡¯s statement, which implied that he would be fired if he did not


    apologize.


    Everyone was unaware that he had not obtained a teaching certificate from Maxwell University. The


    requirements for obtaining a teaching certificate at Maxwell University differed from those in the rest of


    the country. If the person wanted to get a certificate, they had to bring students to Maxwell University


    for an interview, and at least three students had to pass for the person to get the certificate.

 Chapter 463

    Chapter 463


    Jadeborough University was ranked first in the country¡¯s university rankings. He could only find


    students who could pass the interview at this university.


    That was why he asked Marcus to get him a preparatory ss.


    If Marcus fired him, he would not even get the graduation certificate.


    Although Donovan pretended he did not care about Jadeborough University, he actually could not


    leave if he wanted the certificate.


    It was not that the university needed him, but that he needed Jadeborough University.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll apologize to Arielle,¡± Donovan said, trying to hold back his rage and upset emotions.


    What¡¯s the big deal about apologizing? It¡¯s only a few words. Anyway, Kelsea has duped me as well.


    The students will understand me and forgive me for it.


    Donovan stared at Arielle with dissatisfaction as he agreed to apologize to Arielle.


    He guessed that Arielle must be pleased with herself right now.


    As Donovan turned around toward Arielle, she did not look at him at all. Instead, she walked out from


    the back door together with Vinson.


    Donovan was enraged as he was being entirely ignored by Arielle, and the unpleasant feeling made


    him feel uneasy.


    On this side, when Marcus heard Donovan promise to apologize, he abruptly ended the conversation


    with Donovan. Instead, he hurriedly exited the ssroom in search of Vinson.


    Then, the Dean stayed to advise the students not to discuss the incident in public.


    Donovan stood at the doorway, feeling guilty and conflicted. All he could think about was Arielle¡¯s


    dismissive look.


    He felt an indescribable rage in his heart, but he could not pinpoint the source. That was why he


    attributed all of his negative emotions to his failure to drive Arielle away this time.


    If there were a next time, he would do anything to get rid of her.


    Students who ignored Donovan did not deserve to be in his ss.


    Outside the ssroom, Vinson was leaning against the corridor railing with one leg against the wall,


    looking affectionately at Arielle.


    Arielle had a lot of questions for Vinson, but when she looked into Vinson¡¯s eyes, she felt as if she was


    muted and could not speak.


    At that moment, Marcus hurriedly walked over to Arielle, bowed, and sincerely said, ¡°Arielle, please


    ept my deepest apologies. It¡¯s all my fault for not investigating the matter first and causing you with


    such a great injustice.¡±


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle quickly lifted Marcus and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, Mr. Brown. I understand how it will affect the school¡¯s


    reputation.¡±


    Marcus was embarrassed. He would rather Arielle me him and scold him for it.


    Marcus shamefully said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already spoken with Mr. Baxter. He will apologize to you in


    front of all the students tomorrow at the freshman party.¡±


    Arielle nodded, indicating that she understood.


    This time, her trap was explicitly designed for Kelsea and had nothing to do with Donovan. On the other


    hand, Donovan was hostile toward her and was helping Kelsea to have her expelled from the


    university. That was why she did not want to stop Marcus from doing so.


    Then, Marcus paused for a moment before speaking to Vinson, ¡°This is entirely my fault, Mr.


    Nightshire. I can¡¯t bring myself to want theboratory building you mentioned earlier. But I¡¯ll make


    certain that Arielle graduates sessfully. Aside from that, I can assure you that there will be no more


    incidents like this in the future.¡±


    Vinson quickly used his gaze to prevent Marcus from continuing to speak about it, but Arielle had


    already heard it.


    She then puzzledly looked at Vinson.


    What is theboratory building?


    But she quickly realized that theboratory building mentioned by Marcus was the reason she was able


    to attend Jadeborough University.


    Vinson appeared to have promised Marcus aboratory building. But he never mentioned it to her.


    Arielle was saddened by him concealing the truth from her.

 Chapter 464

    Chapter 464


    Marcus was also a sensitive individual. He could tell that their rtionship was more than just


    friendship. He then hastily added, ¡°So I¡¯ll go deal with the situation on Kelsea first. I¡¯m going to leave


    you two alone to talk.¡±


    As Marcus finished speaking, he grabbed the Dean, who was walking out of the ssroom, and they


    left together.


    University was not like high school. Not to mention dating, many of them had reached the legal


    marriage age, and the majority of them were doctoral and postgraduate students at Jadeborough


    University. Even the teachers were assisting them in their search for a partner, which was why Marcus


    and the Dean were not surprised and even assisted in creating opportunities for it to happen.


    Instead, Arielle was uneasy about it, and with a puzzled expression, she inquired, ¡°Why did youe?


    I was asking for Harvey¡­¡±


    Vinson was upset when he heard that and asked, ¡°Why can hee but not me?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying¡­¡± Arielle paused for a moment before saying, ¡°Aren¡¯t you busy these


    days? I can¡¯t find you anywhere all day, so I just thought it¡¯s unusual for you toe.¡±


    ¡°Thest few days¡­ I¡¯ve been thinking about a problem,¡± Vinson said, staring at Arielle.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± asked Arielle.


    ¡°It¡¯s a problem that has a significant impact on my life. That¡¯s why I haven¡¯t looked for you in a while,¡±


    replied Vinson.


    ¡°So, have you finished thinking about it?¡± Arielle responded.


    Vinson felt pressured by her question.


    Cough! He then continued by saying, ¡°I¡¯ve given it some thought and have made a choice. But I¡¯m not


    sure how to deal with it.¡±


    Arielle sighed and said, ¡°Everything will be fine in the end. Slowly consider it, and you will eventually


    come up with a solution. Speaking of which, why are you the one who came but not Harvey?¡±


    When Vinson heard Arielle ask about it again, he responded, ¡°I¡¯m more suitable than him to deal with


    this.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Arielle.


    Vinson then blurted out, ¡°Because I¡¯m your husband.¡±


    Arielle was stunned, and her heart was pounding uncontrobly.


    However, Arielle quickly stated, ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that in the university. We only got married because it is a


    practical measure.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Vinson locked his gaze on Arielle¡¯s. Yet, in


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    his heart, he knew that it would soon be more than just a practical measure.


    He had not spoken to Arielle in a few days and had struggled to sleep during that time.


    It was only until today that he saw Harvey¡¯s message and could not stop himself from wanting to see


    Arielle.


    And it was also at that point that he realized he liked Arielle.


    His feelings for Arielle were not limited to normal friends. He wished for her to be her girlfriend or even


    his real wife.


    But first, he had to learn how to pick up girls from Jordan.


    He had never tried to approach a girl before. Not only that, but he had rarely gotten along with the


    opposite sex in the past. So that was why he needed to learn about it so Arielle would not be scared of


    him.


    Vinson was lost in thought and did not even notice Arielle was being shy about it.


    At the same time, Donovan¡¯s agitated sound could be heard from a distance ¡°Arielle! It¡¯s not yet recess


    time. How much longer do you want to stay outside?!¡±.


    Arielle snapped out of her shyness and cast a cold nce at Donovan. She then turned around and


    said to Vinson, ¡°You should go back first. Help me to take care


    of the thing with Kelsea. I don¡¯t want to see her anymore.¡±


    Vinson gave a slight nod and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Kelsea will not appear in front of you anymore.¡±


    Vinson would hire the best legal team for it. Even if Kelsea did not receive the most severe punishment


    of paying with her own life, he would ensure she received life imprisonment.


    He would not let those who wished to harm his future wife go unpunished.


    ¡°You should return to ss. I can handle the issue on my own.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Arielle appeared calm, but she was upset.


    She tried to appear cheerful and hurriedly walked back to the ssroom.

 Chapter 465

    Chapter 465


    Who knew her heart would pound so quickly when she saw Vinson?


    The resentment she had felt for not being able to contact Vinson for several days vanished the moment


    he appeared in front of her.


    What is going on with me?


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Arielle returned to her seat, and her gaze unconsciously drawn to the outside of the ssroom.


    It was just that the ssroom door would close automatically, and she could only see Vinson walk out


    the front door.


    Vinson was staring coldly at Donovan outside the door, and Donovan¡¯s confidence was gradually


    eroding by his gaze.


    What a terrifying and powerful man. I can¡¯t raise my head because he¡¯s staring at me. How does this


    dandy have such a menacing gaze?


    ¡°Donovan, right?¡± Vinson¡¯s gaze was finally drawn to Donovan, and without waiting for him to respond,


    he said once more, ¡°An eighteenth-year Maxwell University graduate student that has yet to receive the


    graduation certificate¡­ Does this imply that none of the students you taughtst year got admitted to


    Maxwell University?¡±


    Donovan was stunned and terrified as he looked at


    Vinson.


    He could not figure out why Vinson knew about it.


    The truth was that Vinson had also graduated from Maxwell University. He knew the university


    students, but he would not say anything to the public because he did not want to embarrass the other


    students who had not received the certificate.


    At that moment, Donovan was feeling nervous about it.


    ¡°Why did you investigate me? What do you intend to do?¡± He was trying to remain calm, but his voice


    was shaky.


    Donovan was well aware that once the news of him not receiving his graduation certificate was made


    known to his students, he would be looked down upon.


    Vinson, you treacherous man!


    Vinson smirked at Donovan and said, ¡°I¡¯m not attempting to do anything. It¡¯s just a friendly nudge.


    Arielle must be the most qualified of your students. You should not consider ways to drive her away


    from the university if you are wise. Instead, do your best to teach her so that she can assist you in


    obtaining your certificate.¡±


    ¡°Arielle?¡± Donovan hissed at Vinson and said, ¡°She is nothing more than your bed partner. You don¡¯t


    need to make so many excuses for her.¡±


    ¡°I dare you to say that to me again.¡± Vinson¡¯s gaze shifted dramatically.


    Donovan was even more nervous and terrified than before. With a trembling voice, he then said, ¡°I


    know what to do with my student.¡±


    ¡°You better be.¡± Vinson nced at him and said, ¡°If I find out that you want to drive her away again, you


    will no longer be able to obtain your certificate. So I¡¯ll only say it once, and I hope it sticks with you.¡±


    Vinson left as soon as he finished speaking.


    He still needed to take care of the matter with Kelsea and did not have time to deal with this useless


    teacher.


    Oh, wait, this guy hasn¡¯t even received his teaching certificate from Maxwell University. Therefore, he is


    ineligible to be addressed as a teacher. The teaching profession is sacred and should not be tainted by


    this kind of people.


    Donovan could only calm down after Vinson left.


    He then furiously spat onto the ground.


    What the heck! A dandy from a distinguished family background dare threaten me with the certificate?


    This kind of people can¡¯t control Maxwell University. I¡¯ll never use Arielle to get the certificate. There


    must be someone else that I teach that can enter Maxwell University.


    Donovan entered the ssroom calmly and cast a cold nce at Arielle. He then went on to say,


    ¡°Everyone study on your own. I¡¯ll collect the Ustranasion


    homework in ten minutes.¡±

 Chapter 466

    Chapter 466


    After Donovan said that, the students began toin.


    There are still twenty minutes until recess. Why does he want to collect our homework earlier?


    Donovan does not teach us Ustranasion. Even if he collects it earlier, he will not help us mark it. Is he


    doing this on purpose to make us look bad about our homework?


    Unlike in the past, the students only dared toin in their hearts. But, instead, everyone could not


    bear with it anymore this time and began to speak out against him.


    ¡°What are you doing, Mr. Baxter? You¡¯re not even going to give us this little time? Even the news hasn¡¯t


    finished yet.¡±


    ¡°I really believe he enjoys causing us unnecessary trouble.¡±


    ¡°I no longer want to study in this preparatory ss. In the beginning, I was sure that I could gain


    admission to Jadeborough University by myself. However, he advises me to skip the college entrance


    exam and instead attend


    the preparatory ss.¡±


    Donovan was losing control of the situation asints grew louder. Finally, he stated, ¡°Fine, just


    give it to me before recess. You can re-watch the news.¡±


    The projection screen changed to today¡¯s news once


    more.


    Arielle had to watch the news about Yvette again.


    There was a car ident, and Yvette passed on from it.


    Arielle sat through the rest of the news and then averted her gaze from the screen with no expression


    on her face.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    It was just that the time for vengeance had not arrived. Henrick and Cindy would have to experience all


    of this sooner orter.


    Arielle thought about it and sent a message to her subordinate at Henrick¡¯s old house, urging him to


    collect the evidence as soon as possible.


    When she sent the message, Jared, who was sitting beside her, gave her a strange look.


    Arielle looked toward him in a puzzled expression. She then asked softly, ¡°Is there any problem?¡±


    ¡°Nope, there¡¯s no problem.¡± Jared hurriedly shook his head, and after he pondered for a while, he


    asked, ¡°Boss, What¡¯s your rtionship with Vinson?¡±


    Arielle was stunned, then she coughed lightly and said, ¡°We are friends.¡±


    Friends who got married.


    ¡°All right¡­¡± Jared nodded, embarrassed to ask any more questions.


    Yet, he lowered his head to take out his phone and sent a text message out.


    Jared: What happened to you, Harvey? Why is it that other people have taken over the task of rescuing


    the beauty instead of you?


    He knew Arielle sent the message to Harvey because he happened to see Arielle type the message.


    But he had no idea why the person who had arrived was Vinson.


    At that time, Harvey was drinking beer with Carter. So when he saw the text message from Jared, he


    felt puzzled.


    After he replied a question mark to Jared, he turned around and asked Carter, ¡°What happened to Vin?


    I just went to the bathroom for a few minutes and haven¡¯t seen him since.¡±


    Carter felt uneasy about his question.


    Not long ago, he saw Vinson look over at Harvey¡¯s lit up phone, and he deleted the message on it.


    Vinson then told him not to tell Harvey before leaving the ce.


    ording to his understanding of Vinson, there was a good chance he went to find Arielle.


    But when Harvey asked him this, he suddenly was at a loss for words.


    Both Vinson and Harvey were his brothers. He would betray another no matter who he helped.


    Carter thought about it and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. You can ask him yourself.¡±


    But as soon as Harvey picked up the phone, he put it back down. He then took the special mixed beer


    and sipped it before saying, ¡°Never mind, this guy only thinks about business. He must have left to


    attend to business matters. Jordan, on the other hand, is the odd one out. He promised toe and


    drink beer with us, but as soon as he heard Vin was also invited, he changed his mind and said he was


    feeling ill and would be unable to attend. Do you think they¡¯re having a fight or something?¡±


    Carter shook his head, indicating that he was unaware of it.

 Chapter 467

    Chapter 467


    Jared quickly typed out a list of words and hit send.


    In the bar, Harvey noticed his phone¡¯s screen lighting up and opened it. It was a text message from


    Jared.


    Jared: Harvey, Arielle will be performing at the freshman party tomorrow. I¡¯m not sure when she¡¯ll be on


    stage. So it will be best if youe over at seven in the evening tomorrow. I¡¯ll help you get a seat first.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    When Harvey saw this text message, he suddenly felt excited about it.


    At that time, he was worried that he could not find a reason to find Arielle. But now, the opportunity had


    presented itself on its own.


    Harvey did not reply to Jared¡¯s text message. Instead, he transferred one million to Jared.


    When Jared saw that Harvey had transferred one million to him, he put away his phone in satisfaction.


    He then resumed writing his Ustranasion essay.


    For the time being, Jared created opportunities for Harvey not because he wanted Harvey to help him


    persuade his family to let him join the military.


    Instead, he merely admired Arielle and wished she could be his sister-inw.


    He would be proud to tell others that he had a sister-inw like Arielle.


    In the ssroom, Donovan at the podium was bing increasingly irritated with Arielle.


    His heart ached more when he remembered what Vinson had said to threaten him and when Vinson


    said Arielle could help him get the certificate.


    He was disgusted when he thought about how the student he despised helped himself to the certificate.


    Donovan took a deep breath before closing his eyes and ignoring Arielle.


    It would be better if he did not see her at all.


    On the other side, in the Actonward residence.


    Russell passed out after hearing about Yvette¡¯s car ident.


    The Actonward residence was in chaos. Fortunately, Russell¡¯s heart improved after being treated by


    Arielle thest time. As a result, the doctor was able to save Russell back from death.


    Russell stared at the ceiling and thought that he was having a nightmare.


    He then struggled to get out of bed and summoned Edmund


    ¡°Get the car ready! I need to see Yvette at the psychiatric hospital right now!¡±


    Edmund¡¯s stable emotion was getting roughed up again when he heard Yvette¡¯s name. He wept and


    said, ¡°Mr. Actonward, Ms. Yvette has already passed. She¡¯s no longer alive¡­ I¡¯ve already sent people


    to collect her body, but there¡¯s a chance it won¡¯t be aplete body¡­¡±


    Russell realized he was not dreaming as he stood by his bedside. He then yelled, ¡°You bastard! Mason


    Moore, you bastard!¡±


    He passed out again as he yelled due to his sudden blood surge.


    When Russell woke up again, he looked as if he was ten years older.


    Edmund did not dare to bring up Yvette again, but Russell was unexpectedly calm. He went on to say,


    ¡°Inform the people you¡¯ve sent to conduct a thorough search. I want Yvette¡¯s body to beplete.¡±


    Edmund suppressed his sadness and nodded. ¡°I understand, Mr. Actonward.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more.¡± Russell shut his eyes and said, ¡°Dismiss all the servants in the house. I don¡¯t need so


    many people to serve me. Tell them that I¡¯m no longer


    going to thepany for its matters. Let the other directors take charge of thepany.¡±


    Edmund was taken aback and eximed, ¡°You can¡¯t do that, Mr. Actonward. The Actonward Enterprise


    will be in disarray if you do this.¡±


    ¡°Let it be.¡± Russell let out a long sigh and then said, ¡°I¡¯m all alone now. It¡¯s pointless to have so much


    money. I¡¯ll leave Actonward Enterprise¡¯s future in the hands of God.¡±


    Edmund still wanted to persuade him, but in the end, he said nothing. He decided to go along with


    Russell¡¯s arrangement.


    As a result, Actonward Enterprise¡¯s stock market plummeted in a single night, and it could never be the


    same again.


    After that, the Actonwards were permanently removed from the list of noble families in Jadeborough.


    At the psychiatric hospital, Cindy learned about the Actonwards¡¯ downfall from Matthias.


    She held on to Matthias¡¯s sleeve, terrified, and eximed, ¡°It¡¯s Arielle. It must be her work. She¡¯s a


    demon!¡±

 Chapter 468

    Chapter 468


    Matthias was stunned by Cindy¡¯s statement, then shook his head in denial. ¡°That is impossible.¡±


    ¡°Why is that? Yvette tried to let the dogs out to harm Arielle, and she tried to set Arielle up during the


    birthday party too. I¡¯m sure this is Arielle¡¯s revenge toward everyone who had messed with her!¡± Cindy


    eximed while quivering with fear.


    One would only shiver with fear when one was immensely terrified. Yet, in Matthias¡¯ eyes, Cindy was


    just paranoid for nothing.


    He denied it again and reassured Cindy about the truth. ¡°It is definitely not Arielle¡¯s fault this time. I¡¯ve


    asked the Actonwards¡¯ housekeeper for details immediately after watching the news. The man who


    married Yvette didn¡¯t want a divorce, so he ended himself and brought her along. The man¡¯s name was


    Mason Moore, and he¡¯s your rtive.¡± Matthias paused for a short while before continuing, ¡°This is


    Mason¡¯s n, and it has nothing to do with Arielle at all.¡±


    It was all thanks to Matthias¡¯ assuring attitude that allowed Cindy to calm down.


    Matthias sighed. Then he gently stroked Cindy¡¯s hair, tucking some loose strands behind her ear, and


    said tenderly, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink. Try to get some rest and take your medicine. You¡¯ll be dismissed from


    the hospital soon.¡±


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°All right.¡± Matthias¡¯ reminders relit Cindy¡¯s faith. She took the thermos handed to her by Matthias and


    consumed her medication in an instant.


    The next day, Arthur was reading Arielle¡¯s Ustranasion essay. His eyes lit up, and he brought the


    homework to show Donovan.


    ¡°Mr. Baxter!¡± Arthur ced the essays in front of Donovan and said eagerly, ¡°You didn¡¯t believe me


    when I told you Arielle speaks fluent Ustranasion. This time, she wrote essays in Ustranasion. Try


    reading it!¡±


    Donovan, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t so enthusiastic about Arielle¡¯s skills and frowned upon hearing her


    name.


    He didn¡¯t bother to look at the papers and responded, ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t confiscate their smartphones


    during the evening self-study session. It¡¯s no surprise she could write well when she could use her


    phone to look up new vocabries.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Arthur pointed at Arielle¡¯s essay and continued, ¡°Some vocabries she used couldn¡¯t even be


    searched online! They are authentic Lightspring vocabries!


    This essay is a report about nuclear pollution, and the way it was written looked exactly like an article


    from Lightspring¡¯s newspaper!¡±


    Donovan was getting impatient at Arthur¡¯s interest in Arielle¡¯s academic aplishments. He nodded


    and tried to brush it off. ¡°All right, Professor Sleight. If you value her that much, assign her as your ss


    representative. However, if she can¡¯t rank top twenty in ss after the examination in two weeks, she


    would be


    expelled from Jadeborough University. If that happens, you¡¯ll have to choose a new ss


    representative.¡±


    Arthur stared at Donovan confusingly and asked, ¡°Mr. Baxter, I can¡¯t seem to understand the reason


    you¡¯re so unfond of Arielle.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because she got in this university through connections!¡±


    Arthur sighed at Donovan¡¯s stubbornness and said, ¡°Not all students who entered through connections


    are idiots. To me, Arielle is a genius. Well, at least in Ustranasionnguage.¡±


    Donovan pursed his lips unhappily and asked Arthur to leave. ¡°Professor Sleight, is there anything else


    I can help you with? If not, I must prepare for my lessons


    now.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Please look at this essay too.¡± Arthur handed another paper to Donovan, to which thetter took it


    over instinctively.


    Donovan will give anyone else an opportunity as long as they weren¡¯t Arielle. However, before he could


    read the essay, Arthur spoke, ¡°This was written by Jared. Although he wasn¡¯t as outstanding as Arielle,


    he did quite a good job too!¡±


    Donovan¡¯s expression froze as he pushed the papers in Arthur¡¯s direction. ¡°This student also got in


    through connections. Professor Sleight, can¡¯t you just pay attention to other students¡¯ essays, such as


    Wendy¡¯s?¡±

 Chapter 469

    Chapter 469


    ¡°Wendy Greene?¡± Arthur was puzzled by the name. He sunk into his thoughts for a short while before


    finally associating the name with someone he had heard of and pped. ¡°Oh, do you mean the student


    who enrolled into this university with the highest rank in her major?¡±¡¯


    Donovan nodded slightly. ¡°She¡¯s my favorite student.¡±


    Donovan¡¯s reply left Arthur dumbfounded. He even wondered if he had heard Donovan wrong.


    Displeased by Arthur¡¯s reaction, Donovan furrowed his eyebrows and asked, ¡°Professor Sleight, what¡¯s


    that face supposed to mean?¡± To which Arthur responded with a click on his tongue andined,


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about Wendy¡¯s performance in other subjects, but her Ustranasion is average.¡±


    ¡°That is impossible!¡± Donovan retaliated and added, ¡°She ranked first in Ustranasion during the first


    test!¡±


    Except for Arielle, whom Donovan was still unsure of how she scored full marks.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ That¡¯s weird.¡± Arthur shook his head slowly and said, ¡°Her essay was horrible. There were


    multiple grammatical errors and many wrong usages of vocabries in her work. ording to the


    average standard of your ss, she shouldn¡¯t be making such careless mistakes.¡±


    Donovan was mildly surprised, but he remained hisposure. ¡°She was probably affected by


    Kelsea¡¯s incident. I can guarantee you Wendy is a student full of


    potential. Please be her mentor if you can, Professor Sleight.¡±


    ¡°All right, then. I¡¯ll observe her progress. As for Arielle and Jared, they are both gifted students as well,


    so please pay more attention to them too.¡±


    Arielle and Jared are troublemakers who entered the university through connection. I would never pay


    attention to them!


    Donovan scoffed disdainfully at Arthur¡¯s sincerity in secret, yet maintained his professionalism and


    pretended to agree. ¡°I will.¡±


    Arthur finally stepped away from Donovan after receiving a firm reassurance from thetter. Before


    leaving, he reminded Donovan once again, ¡°Don¡¯t forget to read through their essays! They¡¯re


    absolutely well-written!¡±


    ¡°Will do.¡± Donovan raised the corner of his lips and pretended to smile.


    As soon as Arthur left his sight, the smile on Donovan¡¯s face disappeared, and he swiftly threw the


    papers into the bin without hesitation.


    Those troublemakers are not worth my time.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    After that, Donovan clicked into a folder on hisputer and essed his thesis. He couldn¡¯t graduate


    last year, so his previous thesis was no longer usable.


    This year, his mentor, Noah, had set the sybus of the thesis¡¯ subject to be advanced mathematics.


    Donovan sat in front of hisputer and dived deep into his thoughts, then typed in the first choice of


    title for his thesis: Utilizing high school basic maths to solve advanced maths¡­


    After a few amendments to his topic, Donovan sent his final decision to Noah.


    Noah responded promptly: Your topic is great. However, it might be difficult to write. You can start


    searching for some sample questions while I help you figure out the methodologies to solve advanced


    maths with high school basic maths.


    Donovan hesitated briefly before replying: Actually, I¡¯vee across a sample¡­


    After sending out his reply, he uploaded a question solved by Arielle during her first test.


    Donovan felt a mixture of guilt and disgust gushed all over him as he sent the file to Noah. He didn¡¯t


    wish to use Arielle¡¯s way of solving the mathematical problem, but he genuinely couldn¡¯t find a better


    example to be used in his thesis.


    This time, Noah¡¯s response was dyed. After a few minutes, Donovan received a series of


    exmation marks from Noah, following a long wall of text filled withpliments: The method and


    thought process used to solve this question was exceptional! To put it in


    better terms, it was exquisite beyondpare! Mio, I didn¡¯t think you would improve this much after


    returning to Chanaea for merely a few months! You¡¯re guaranteed to get your graduation certificate and


    teaching certificate this time!

 Chapter 470

    Chapter 470


    Mio was Donovan¡¯s name in Ustranasion.


    However, there was not even a tinge of happiness in Donovan even after receiving Noah¡¯s generous


    compliments.


    He tightened his grip on the mouse and didn¡¯t know how to reply to his mentor, as he was disgusted by


    the fact Noah just praised his most disliked student.


    While he was contemting his reply to Noah, a new message appeared: Thest step in the solution


    reminded me of a student at our university who used to solveplicated questions using the simplest


    methods.


    Frantically, Donovan asked: Who¡¯s that?


    He desperately needed simr equations to solve his questions, yet he couldn¡¯t bring himself to ask


    Arielle. Therefore, this mysterious person mentioned by Noah was of utmost importance to him.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Noah replied: Her name is San. She¡¯s your senior, but she¡¯s younger than you. She had achieved a


    post doctorate degree at a very young age and was profoundly valued by our principal, too. The


    principal even offered her a position as a lecturer at Maxwell University, but she turned down the offer. I


    think you could try searching for her as she could help you with your thesis.


    Donovan¡¯s eyes lit up instantly. ¡°San¡­¡± Donovan mumbled.


    He had heard about the name many times when he was a student at Maxwell University. San was


    almost like a god back at Maxwell University. s, her personal information was kept confidential by


    the university for some unknown reason.


    Donovan¡¯s only knowledge of San was that she was a stunning woman from Chanaea.


    Of course, these were all rumors, and Donovan didn¡¯t have the slightest idea how San looked like.


    However, he knew a senior from a previous intake. He might be able to find out something about San


    from this senior.


    Donovan¡¯s fingers danced on the keyboard rapidly while he replied Noah: Thank you, Mr. Noah. I¡¯ll look


    for San.


    Out of pure excitement, Noah sent a voice message to Donovan. ¡°Go ahead. Be sure to get her


    autograph for


    me too!¡±


    Donovan¡¯s face was brightened up by a smile filled with admiration.


    If he could find San, he would be able to answer a slew of questions and ovee obstacles in his


    academic journey. San was a goddess to him!


    Being all fired up, Donovan closed the window of his chat with Noah and contacted Christopher, who


    was the senior he knew back at Maxwell University.


    In the blink of an eye, it was afternoon. The piano purchased by Wendy for the university had arrived at


    five o¡¯clock.


    Zelda, who was the teacher handling the freshman party, contacted Wendy to notify her about the


    piano. ¡°Wendy, the piano you bought for the university had arrived. Please inform Arielle toe


    earlier to practice for her performance too.¡±


    Instantaneously, Wendy nced at Arielle, who was surrounded by her ssmates.


    Following the incident the night before, Arielle¡¯s ssmates became more passionate and enthusiastic


    toward her, to the point of admiration. They saw her as a gifted individual with brains and brawns, and


    they would seek her out whenever the opportunity arose.


    Instead, Wendy, who was assigned as the ss representative by Donovan, was being ostracized by


    the entire ss.


    Unable to hide her jealousy toward Arielle, Wendy bit her lips and answered, ¡°All right, Ms. Zelda. I¡¯ll


    inform Arielle.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zander ended the call.


    As soon as the call was hung up, Wendy¡¯s gaze was as cold as ice.


    Practice? Don¡¯t even think about it! Be prepared to embarrass yourself in front of everyone, Arielle!


    Wendy red at Arielle for onest time before exiting the ssroom and dialed a number on her


    phone.


    The call was picked up not long after, and Susanne¡¯s loving voice from the other side of the phone.


    ¡°Wendy, I was just about to call you. The piano you need had been tuned, and I¡¯m on my way to the


    university to watch your performance.¡±

 Chapter 471

    Chapter 471


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 471


    Wendy was overjoyed to learn that Susanne was on her way to the university.


    She tried her best to remain poised and said assuringly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Stone. I will do my best to


    perform!¡±


    ¡°Good. The song you¡¯re performing, Reborn, is an extremely challenging piece. I hope you¡¯ll stay calm


    and don¡¯t be too stressed over it. It¡¯s okay to make slight mistakes during your performance. You¡¯re fine


    as long as you¡¯re well-prepared. Remember to perform the entire piece no matter what happens.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Ms. Stone. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m well prepared.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. I¡¯ll see youter, then.¡±


    ¡°See youter, Ms. Stone.¡± Wendy smiled sweetly as she bid goodbye to Susanne.


    After ending the call, she sighed in relief and returned to the ssroom with a big grin on her face.


    Somehow, her envy for Arielle, who was still being surrounded by her ssmates, had faded.


    She didn¡¯t care whether her ssmates liked her anymore. To her, Susanne¡¯s approval was way more


    important.


    She could easily make her move at Vinson as long as she got Susanne¡¯s blessing.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    After all, the sons of the rich could never disobey their family¡¯s order.


    A crimson red glow painted the sunset sky.


    In preparatory ss, a loudmotion rang outside of the ssroom as soon as Arielle was done


    exining a question to her ssmate.


    Soon, a student ran into the ssroom excitedly and eximed, ¡°Everyone! Sennhein was delivered to


    our school!¡±


    Henry, who always loved joining in the fun, stood up from his seat and wanted to follow the student. Then


    he halted as he realized something and turned to Jared. ¡°What is a Sennhein?¡±


    Even Jared¡¯s usually calm demeanor was slightly stirred by the question. He exined, ¡°Sennhein is the


    name of a piano. There are only two of these pianos in the entire world. If a piano is deemed as the king


    of instruments, then Sennhein would be the king of all pianos.¡±


    Henry lost his interest immediately after learning Sennhein was merely a piano.


    What¡¯s so special about a piano, anyway?


    ¡°This piano¡¯s worth is equivalent to the price of two houses in Jadeborough,¡± Jared continued. Henry¡¯s


    eyes widened in disbelief at the information, then sprinted out of the ssroom in an instant to look at


    ¡°two houses in Jadeborough.¡±


    Jared hesitated for a split second before walking to Arielle and invited her, ¡°Do you want to go look at the


    piano with me?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Arielle nodded.


    Only two Sennhein pianos were known to exist in the world. One of the pianos was installed in the


    campus history museum at Maxwell University. The principal of Maxwell University allowed her to y


    the piano, and she found the tone to be brilliant and exquisite.


    It was such a pity that she could only y it once.


    It must be fate for her to encounter a Sennhein piano again at Jadeborough University.


    Arielle stood up from her seat and followed Jared. She saw Wendy walking in the same direction as them


    while thetter tossed a few nces at her.


    Arielle was confused by Wendy¡¯s gaze. She looked over to find Wendy sneering at her, then thetter


    bumped into her shoulder and walked past her.


    At the university gate, a few bodyguards were carefully unloading the Sennhein piano from the delivery


    truck.


    News always spread around the campus rapidly like a wildfire. As a result, the university gate was


    swarmed by a vast crowd before the piano was unloaded from the delivery truck.


    Arielle could finally see the piano clearly after Henry


    led her to stand on the flower bed.


    The piano had a pure ck finish with a glimmering dark glow, and the piano legs were adorned with


    elegant carvings inspired by ancient Greek mythologies. The grand and graceful design instilled a feeling


    of respect in people toward the piano.


    ¡°Sennhein truly is something else.¡± Arielle couldn¡¯t help but sing her praise for the piano, even if this was


    her second time seeing it in person.


    ¡°Ms. Stone!¡± A sweet voice was heard from the area and attracted the crowd to turn around and look.

 Chapter 472

    Chapter 472


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 472


    Arielle couldn¡¯t help looking over to see who was talking.


    To her surprise, it was Wendy.


    However, Wendy sounded different from usual.


    Henry shook his arm and said coldly, ¡°I can still feel the goosebumps on my arms. I never knew Wendy


    was a two-faced person.¡±


    At that moment, Wendy, who was passing them, stopped in her tracks when she overheard Henry¡¯s


    comment about her, but soon enough, she continued walking and pretended that she heard nothing.


    Shocked by what she said, everyone let her pass instinctively.


    Meanwhile, an elegant-lookingdy got out of a Rolls Royce parked behind a van.


    Someone recognized thedy and eximed, ¡°Isn¡¯t this Mrs. Nightshire? Her son is the director of


    Nightshire Group.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that she¡¯s Vinson Nightshire¡¯s mother?¡± one of Arielle¡¯s ssmates asked. ¡°Vinson came


    over to talk to the goddess of our ss yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Really? Who is she?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s Arielle! She¡¯s really beautiful!¡±


    The crowd was chattering away until they saw Wendy holding Susanne¡¯s arm. Instantly, they went silent


    for a moment before erupting into a new discussion.


    ¡°How is she on such good terms with Mrs. Nightshire? She can¡¯t be Vinson¡¯s fianc¨¦e, can she?¡±


    ¡°Even if she¡¯s not Vinson¡¯s fianc¨¦e, she must havee from a prominent family judging from how close


    she is to Mrs. Nightshire.¡±


    ¡°She looks innocent and adorable too.¡±


    Wendy smiled and greeted Susanne, ¡°Thank you for transporting Sennhein over for me, Mrs. Nightshire.


    I¡¯m sorry for causing you so much trouble.¡±


    Susanneughed. ¡°No trouble at all! After all, we are family. I¡¯ll get angry if you apologize to me again.¡±


    The crowd started to whisper among themselves again.


    ¡°Family? Is she really Vinson¡¯s fianc¨¦e?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that news before. If she is indeed Vinson¡¯s fianc¨¦e, she¡¯s keeping such a low profile!


    If I were Vinson¡¯s fianc¨¦e, I would have told the whole world about it.¡±


    ¡°Which ss is she from? She¡¯s left me a good impression.¡±


    Arielle frowned upon hearing their discussion.


    Fianc¨¦e?


    My husband has a fianc¨¦e?


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Just then, Wendy raised her head and nced at Arielle.


    When their gazes met, Arielle looked away immediately as an uneasy feeling rose in her.


    All of a sudden, Arielle lost interest in Sennhein. Turning to Henry and Jared, she excused herself, ¡°I¡¯ll go


    check on Trisha¡¯s sand painting in the hall.¡±


    As Arielle started to make her way toward the hall, she heard cries from the school entrance.


    ¡°Oh my god! Is that the Goddess of Hunting?¡±


    ¡°Holy sh*t! It is the Goddess of Hunting! And that¡¯s the piano shawl that costs up to millions! I¡¯ve seen the


    picture of this piano shawl in a magazine before. Another brand was fined millions for copying the design


    of the shawl. I won¡¯t be mistaken!¡±


    One of the students who did not know much about pianos asked, ¡°Is it necessary to take legal action for


    just a piece of cloth covering the piano? What¡¯s the big deal with the Goddess of Hunting? Is it worth


    more than Sennhein?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never heard of the Goddess of Hunting? It¡¯s on an entirely different level if youpare it to


    Sennhein!¡±


    The Goddess of Hunting?


    Arielle stopped in her tracks and turned around to look at the entrance.

 Chapter 473

    Chapter 473


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 473


    As a truck slowly entered the schoolpound, a piano draped with a simple yet elegant shawl came to


    the crowd¡¯s attention.


    Instantly, Arielle¡¯s eyes lit up.


    It¡¯s the Goddess of Hunting!


    She was absolutely certain about it.


    Both the Goddess of Hunting and Sennhein were designed by the famous Murphy Bell.


    The difference between the Goddess of Hunting and Sennhein was that the former was hisst piece


    and his favorite work.


    There were only two Sennheins in the world, and they were both avable for sale. However, the


    Goddess of Hunting was not for sale, and there were rumors that it was buried alongside Mr. Bell when


    he died. No one had ever seen the Goddess of Hunting other than in newspapers from thest century.


    To think that the Goddess of Hunting resurfaced!


    Arielle felt that it was worth the trip to the school that day. All of her worries dissipated the moment she


    saw the Goddess of Hunting.


    The piano shawl itself was a piece of art that cost millions or even billions in thest century. Hence, it


    must be invaluable by then.


    Suddenly, Sennhein was neglected as everyone turned


    their attention to the Goddess of Hunting and admired it as if it was a true goddess.


    It took a while for Wendy to recover from her daze after seeing the Goddess of Hunting.


    Her limbs were trembling with awe as she marveled at the piano. After all, it was every pianist¡¯s dream to


    have a look at the legendary piano.


    Finally, Wendy found her voice and tugged at Susanne¡¯s arm excitedly. ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, I¡­ I don¡¯t know


    what to say. Thank you so much for surprising me. I appreciate it. I¡¯ve been wanting to see the Goddess


    of Hunting in person for my whole life, and I thought it would not be possible, but you made it happen. I¡¯m


    so


    grateful, Mrs. Nightshire. I¡¯ll give my best performance on the piano!¡± Wendy stammered.


    She was so happy that tears rolled down her cheeks.


    At the same time, she had an understanding of Susanne¡¯s power.


    She must be pretty influential to be able to bring the Goddess of Hunting to the freshman party.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Even as Horington¡¯s top socialite, Wendy couldn¡¯t have managed that. Nightshire Group is indeed


    powerful!


    Those who were standing near Wendy were puzzled when they heard her thanking Susanne profusely.


    Sennhein and the Goddess of Hunting were prepared for


    Wendy?


    She is truly blessed to get this special treatment!


    ¡°She must be connected to the Nightshires, or else it won¡¯t make sense for Mrs. Nightshire to go to such


    lengths.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious that she¡¯s the future daughter-inw of the Nightshire family? Let¡¯s try to be friends with


    Wendy so that we may have a chance of entering Nightshire Group after graduating.¡±


    ¡°Comparisons are odious.¡± Someone sighed. ¡°God knows how many pianists are yearning to see the


    Goddess of Hunting, and yet Wendy has the privilege of ying it at a freshman party!¡±


    However, no one noticed that Susanne was smiling awkwardly as she kept trying to say something but


    was cut off by Wendy.


    At that moment, the car door to a ck MPV slowly opened.

 Chapter 474

    Chapter 474


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 474


    Wendy was enjoying the envious looks on her ssmates¡¯ faces while she continued thanking Susanne.


    It feels so nice to be envied!


    But right then, a devilishly handsome man stepped out of the car and immediately caught everyone¡¯s


    attention.


    The towering man had obsidian ck eyes, sharp brows, and exquisite facial features. As he exuded a


    domineering aura, everyone¡¯s eyes were drawn to him.


    It was none other than Vinson Nightshire.


    Not many people in Jadeborough had met Vinson personally, but almost all of them had heard of him.


    No introduction was required for people to know who he was.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°He¡¯s so handsome!¡± a girl gasped.


    Her face reddened as she thought Vinson would look toward her, but his gaze was fixated upon the


    Goddess of Hunting instead.


    The girl heaved a sigh of relief, yet disappointment could be seen on her face.


    Upon seeing Vinson, Wendy eximed, ¡°What brings you here, Vinson?¡±


    The students couldn¡¯t help but scrutinize both Vinson and Wendy


    Whenpared to Vinson, Wendy, who had always been considered pretty, suddenly seemed rather


    ordinary.


    Judging from their looks, they didn¡¯t seem like a pair.


    Vinson noticed his mother before his gaze fell on Wendy who was next to her.


    With so many people around, Vinson had no choice but to give Susanne a courtesy nod.


    Not expecting a reply from Vinson, Wendy was so happy that she ignored Susanne who was trying to


    pull her back and strode forward. ¡°What are you doing here,


    Vinson?¡±


    Vinson frowned and replied impatiently, ¡°I¡¯m here to deliver the piano.¡±


    Wendy followed Vinson¡¯s gaze and realized that he was referring to the Goddess of Hunting. Delighted,


    she asked, ¡°Are you the one who delivered the Goddess of Hunting to me?¡±


    Over the moon, Wendy didn¡¯t realize that Vinson wasn¡¯t here for her.


    Vinson was intending to ignore Wendy, but when he heard her assumption, he let out a snort.


    Contempt was written all over his face.


    By then, Wendy finally realized that something was off.


    What? Vinson isn¡¯t here to deliver the Goddess of Hunting to me? Could it be Susanne then?


    To prevent further embarrassment and mockery, Wendy wanted to walk away from Vinson, but it was too


    late.


    Vinson nced at Wendy and spat, ¡°For you? Do you seriously think you are worthy of it?¡±¡¯


    Wendy¡¯s face reddened with embarrassment instantly.

 Chapter 475

    Chapter 475


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 475


    ¡°But¡­¡± Wendy bit her lip and continued, ¡°Wasn¡¯t the Goddess of Hunting prepared for me? Mrs.


    Nightshire specially borrowed it for me.¡±


    ¡°For you?¡± Vinson scoffed, his tone more ruthless. ¡°Who do you think you are?¡±


    ¡°How is this possible?¡±


    Wendy stared at Susanne in disbelief.


    Susanne¡¯s expression froze as she walked over and exined awkwardly, ¡°Wendy, I¡¯m here to deliver


    Sennhein to you. As for the Goddess of Hunting, I don¡¯t know who sent it or who it is for.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Wendy widened her eyes in shock.


    Susanne forced out a dryugh as she had been wanting to tell Wendy about it, but thetter kept cutting


    her off.


    Wendy could tell that Susanne was telling the truth from her expression. The Goddess of Hunting wasn¡¯t


    prepared for her at all.


    The whole fiasco was a big misunderstanding and a joke!


    As her face burned, all Wendy wanted to do was to dig a hole and hide in it.


    She looked around instinctively only to find that the


    envious looks around her had been reced by sneers of mockery.


    This time, they didn¡¯t even bother to keep their voices down.


    ¡°What? The Goddess of Hunting wasn¡¯t prepared for Wendy?¡±


    ¡°How funny that she thinks the piano is for her! I will never forget that hrious look on her face.¡±


    ¡°Thank God I¡¯m not Wendy, or else I would have died of embarrassment.¡±


    ¡°Am I the only one who noticed that her voice was louder than usual? She must have been showing off


    to make us envy her. How b*tchy!¡±


    No one cared if they would hurt Wendy¡¯s feelings. Instead, they deliberately raised their volumes so that


    she could hear them.


    Most people were happier to witness other people¡¯s


    embarrassments than their achievements.


    This was part of human nature.


    Wendy¡¯s face turned pale as she had never suffered such humiliation in her whole life.


    Ever since she came to Jadeborough, nothing good had ever happened to her.


    This is all because of Arielle!


    At that thought, Wendy searched for Arielle in the crowd. She had no trouble finding her because the


    latter was standing on a flower terrace. With Henry and Jared beside her, they stood out in the crowd.


    Wendy red at Arielle with hatred.


    At the same time, Vinson spotted Arielle and waved at her. ¡°Come here, Arielle!¡±


    On the other hand, Arielle didn¡¯t notice Vinson and Wendy at all because she was focused on the


    Goddess of Hunting.


    When she heard Vinson calling her name, she finally came back to her senses and looked at him


    surprisedly.


    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Vinson put a hand into his pocket and used his other hand to point at the


    Goddess of Hunting. ¡°Come and try the piano to see if it suits


    you.¡±


    If it doesn¡¯t, I¡¯ll find a better one.


    However, there wasn¡¯t any other piano in the world that was better than the Goddess of Hunting.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

 Chapter 476

    Chapter 476


    Arielle was stunned upon hearing Vinson¡¯s words.


    After confirming that she wasn¡¯t seeing things and that Vinson was pointing at the Goddess of Hunting,


    her face lit up with joy.


    Vinson brought the Goddess of Hunting for me?


    ¡°Come here!¡± Vinson waved at Arielle again.


    The crowd turned around and stared at Arielle, who was standing at the back.


    Everyone was feeling surprised, envious, and confused at the same time, but the moment they saw


    Arielle¡¯s face, those emotions dissipated instantly. It was as though the piano was destined to be hers.


    Arielle had fair skin, bright eyes, and exquisite features, which were the definition of perfection.


    Besides having good looks, she also gave off an air of elegance that indicated that she was from a


    prominent family.


    Although Wendy was beautiful too, the difference between her and Arielle was apparent.


    Arielle finally walked toward Vinson after he waved at her several times.


    Everyone gasped as they marveled at how perfect the two looked together.


    Vinson was used to the attention that he got wherever he went.


    Upon seeing Arielle¡¯s delightful expression, he heaved a sigh of relief


    Having had no experience in pursuing girls, Vinson immediately asked Jordan for help the day before


    and found it weird that Jordan wanted to escape from him.


    Fortunately, he got hold of the secret to pursuing girls in the end.


    What Jordan said was, ¡°Understand what she wants and give it to her. Apany her and make her


    feel safe when she¡¯s with you. In short, you need to be brave and thick-skinned.¡±


    Hence, he checked on Arielle¡¯s situation and found out that she was going to y the piano during her


    freshman party.


    Only the Goddess of Hunting was worthy enough for Arielle in Vinson¡¯s eyes.


    Actions spoke louder than words, and that was the reason Vinson didn¡¯t tell anyone about his n.


    Arielle didn¡¯t know what was on Vinson¡¯s mind because she was still dazed from seeing the Goddess of


    Hunting.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Filled with doubts, she asked, ¡°Is this piano really for me?¡±


    Vinson nodded slightly and replied, ¡°Who else could it be for besides you?¡±


    Wendy¡¯s expression immediately soured.


    Feeling angry and wronged, she watched Arielle approach her dream piano as jealousy took over her.


    At that moment, Wendy thought of Susanne.


    Suppressing her emotions, Wendy put on a sad face and looked at Susanne. ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, why is


    this happening?¡±


    Susanne felt embarrassed too because Vinson personally brought the Goddess of Hunting and


    humiliated Wendy publicly.


    But she suppressed her dissatisfaction after taking a nce at Arielle.


    Turning to her son, she said, ¡°Vin, you should let Wendy y on the Goddess of Hunting too.¡±

 Chapter 477

    Chapter 477


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 477


    Susanne might not be able to interfere with Arielle¡¯s matters, but she thought she could ask a favor from


    her son,


    Since Wendy was the daughter-inw Susanne wanted, thetter insisted on having her use the best


    piano, the Goddess of Hunting.


    Instantly, Wendy felt better upon hearing Susanne speaking up for her.


    Wendy thought that even though Vinson was nice to Arielle, he couldn¡¯t change the fact that he was to


    marry her in the end.


    However, Wendy didn¡¯t stay pleased for long.


    Vinson replied to his mother coldly, ¡°No way.¡±


    Judging from his stern tone, it was evident that there was no room for negotiations.


    How could anyone else use the piano he specially prepared for Arielle?


    Not expecting her son to reject her in public, Susanne¡¯s expression darkened.


    Angry, she pointed at Vinson and scolded, ¡°How dare you? I¡¯m your mother! I have the right to have a


    say in your affairs!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Vinson raised his eyebrows and continued, ¡°But you have no right to this piano. It belongs to


    her.¡±


    He then pointed at Arielle.


    Arielle, who was admiring the shawl on the piano, was startled. ¡°Me?¡±


    As Vinson nodded, a bodyguard came forward and handed a contract to Arielle.


    Arielle saw that the contract had her name on it, stating that she was the owner of the Goddess of


    Hunting.


    Not far from Arielle, Wendy saw the contract too.


    She bit her lip in rage and jealousy.


    That¡¯s the Goddess of Hunting!


    How could Vinson give the piano to Arielle just like that!


    Wendy never expected Vinson to actually buy the piano for Arielle.


    Instantly, Jealousy filled Wendy¡¯s heart.


    After repeatedly checking that her name was indeed written on the contract, Arielle turned to Vinson,


    feeling confused.


    She didn¡¯t understand why Vinson would give her such an expensive piano, and she was afraid that this


    whole thing would turn out to be an embarrassing misunderstanding


    Vinson merely nodded at Arielle just as she was about to say something. Turning to Susanne, he said,


    ¡°Mom, you should know me well. I¡¯ve already let you have Sennhein. Since the Goddess of Hunting


    belongs to Arielle, you have no right to demand her to lend it to anyone else.


    Vinson¡¯s voice was firm and resolute.


    It was then that Susanne realized for the first time that her son was no longer under her control.


    She felt as if she was slowly losing Vinson, and it didn¡¯t feel good at all.


    Not knowing what to reply, Susanne bit her lip and kept quiet.


    Wendy was afraid to see Susanne arguing with Vinson as it wouldn¡¯t do her any good.


    Racking her brains, Wendy suddenly remembered that Arielle¡¯s piano skills were not as good as hers. It


    would be surprising if she could finish ying Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star without making any mistakes!


    So what if she is using the most expensive piano in the world?


    Her skills are not worth of the piano.


    The more Wendy thought about it, the more she felt that Arielle¡¯s possession of the Goddess of Hunting


    was devaluing it.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    At that thought, she let out a smirk.


    I¡¯m still going to perform than Arielle even if I¡¯m using Sennhein instead of the Goddess of Hunting.

 Chapter 478

    Chapter 478


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 478


    Wendy convinced herself that it wasn¡¯t a bad thing that Vinson gave Arielle the Goddess of Hunting.


    That way, Arielle would face more embarrassment when she failed to y on the piano perfectly.


    Feeling much better, Wendy put her arm around Susanne¡¯s and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mrs. Nightshire. Let¡¯s not


    fight with Arielle over the Goddess of Hunting. Compared to that piano, Sennhein is more suitable for the


    piece that I¡¯ll be ying, Reborn.¡±


    Wendy didn¡¯t forget to brag about the piece that she was going to perform while advising Susanne.


    She knew that it obviously did the trick when Vinson¡¯s expression changed slightly as he nced at her.


    Even though it was only for a second, Wendy was more than satisfied.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Moreover, the mocking expressions on the faces of those around her faded once they heard the title of


    her performance piece. Some of them even started discussing among themselves.


    ¡°Wendy is going to y Reborn? One of the world¡¯s hardest piano pieces?¡±


    ¡°She has to be really good to y it since there are only a few pianists in the world who can y the


    piece!¡±


    ¡°Now that she mentioned it, the Goddess of Hunting is indeed more suitable for lively songs, and


    Sennhein is


    more suitable for serene songs such as Reborn.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t wait for the freshman party! I wonder what Arielle is going to y on the Goddess of


    Hunting?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea, but I¡¯m very excited about it!¡±


    Susanne had to fight the urge to argue with Vinson since she had to maintain her image as an elegant


    socialite.


    Not wanting to risk providing gossip for other socialites, she yed along with Wendy.


    Shooting Vinson a cold nce, Susanne closed her eyes and said, ¡°Since Wendy thinks that Sennhein is


    better for her, she shall use it for her performance. You¡¯lle home with me once everything¡¯s settled


    here.¡±


    She needed to ask why Vinson had to give Arielle such an expensive piano.


    If there was really something going on between the two of them, she would do anything to stop them


    because of Arielle¡¯s background.


    She couldn¡¯t risk having her son deal with Arielle¡¯s family, whom she deemed a threat. In fact, she didn¡¯t


    even have the guts to bring them up.


    However, Vinson replied, ¡°I have something on tonight. Let¡¯s talk some other time.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Susanne frowned.


    Sensing that Susanne was going to lose her temper again, Wendy hurriedly appeased her, ¡°Mrs.


    Nightshire, aren¡¯t you here to watch my performance? I¡¯d love to catch up with you after the party, so why


    don¡¯t you have a talk with Vinson on another day instead?¡±


    Realizing that she almost argued with Vinson again,


    Susanne took a deep breath and calmed herself down. Nheless, her tone was still grumpy. ¡°If you


    don¡¯te home tomorrow, I¡¯ll go to the office to find you.¡±


    Vinson frowned and gave it some thought before he finally replied, ¡°I¡¯lle home.¡±


    The crease between Susanne¡¯s brows eased out as she said, ¡°Let me know what time you¡¯reing


    back so that I can cook for you. Let¡¯s have a good chat.¡±


    After all, there was no such thing as an overnight grudge between a mother and her son.


    Why bother arguing because of an outsider?


    At the thought of it, Susanne squeezed Wendy¡¯s hand and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m lucky to have you.¡±

 Chapter 479

    Chapter 479


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 479


    Luckily Wendy stopped me from losing my temper. Such a good daughter-inw is hard toe by.


    Wendy smiled and looked at Vinson with affection. However, Vinson only had eyes for Arielle. His voice


    was soft and gentle when he talked to her, ¡°Let¡¯s go. You can y the piano once it¡¯s moved to the hall.¡±


    Arielle had been wanting to lift off the shawl to look at the Goddess of Hunting, so she immediately


    agreed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    As she was making her way toward the hall, she thought of Susanne and greeted her politely, ¡°We¡¯ll


    make our way to the hall first, Mrs. Nightshire.¡±


    Susanne disliked Arielle, but given thetter¡¯s family status, she forced herself to reply, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Wendy didn¡¯t understand why Susanne would reply to Arielle.


    Mrs. Nightshire even looks down on the Southalls. Why did she bother replying to a nobody like Arielle?


    All of a sudden, Wendy felt a sense of crisis.


    She didn¡¯t have to be smart to know that Vinson didn¡¯t like her. Hence, her only chance of marrying into


    the Nightshire family was through Susanne. However, if Susanne liked Arielle, her status as the


    Nightshires¡¯ future daughter-inw would be in jeopardy!


    At that moment, the dean arrived and instructed the security guards to disperse the students to prevent


    chaos.


    Meanwhile, Wendy led Susanne to the hall and took the chance to ask, ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, what do you


    think of Arielle?¡± Susanne pursed her lips and said, ¡°Nothing much.¡± Even if Arielle was a descendant of


    the Moore family and the daughter of her ex-best friend Maureen, it couldn¡¯t change the fact that she was


    raised in the countryside and was unable to be a real socialite because she was never brought up


    to be one.


    Sensing that Susanne disliked Arielle, Wendy heaved a sigh of relief before she continued to ask, ¡°Then


    why did you reply to her just now? I remembered that you didn¡¯t let her in thest time the Morgans came


    over for a poker game.¡± Susanne was about to say something about Arielle¡¯s identity but decided against


    it.


    ¡°It¡¯s different this time. Stop asking. You¡¯d better stay out of her way.¡±


    Startled, tears started to form in Wendy¡¯s eyes as she asked innocently, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Nightshire. Did I


    annoy you?¡±


    ¡°No, what makes you think so?¡± Susanne hurriedly exined, ¡°You are the perfect girl to be my future


    daughter-inw. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t want you to be connected to a country bumpkin. That¡¯ll only devalue


    your status.¡±Only then was Wendy rest assured. She¡¯s right. Dealing with a country bumpkin like Arielle


    will only devalue my status. However, Wendy still needed to get rid of Arielle because Vinson was clearly


    in love with her.


    Wendy thought about it before continuing, ¡°You¡¯re right, Mrs. Nightshire. Although Arielle is the daughter


    of Southall Group, she certainly doesn¡¯t look like a socialite.¡±


    Even though Susanne couldn¡¯t care less about Arielle, she couldn¡¯t help asking Wendy because of her


    friendship with Maureen, ¡°Is she performing badly in school?¡±


    Wendy sighed pretentiously and said, ¡°Arielle¡¯s not only bad in her studies, but she¡¯s also rude to the


    professors. She is oftente, and Mr. Baxter dislikes her very much. Because of Arielle, Kelsea is still


    locked up at the police station now.¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

 Chapter 480

    Chapter 480


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 480


    Susanne had briefly heard of Kelsea¡¯s arrest and how it had to do with her hiring an assassin.


    Kelsea¡¯s family went to Susanne for help, but she didn¡¯t help them as they weren¡¯t lineal descendants of


    the Morgan family, and it would make her look bad if she did.


    Susanne never expected Arielle to be involved in the case.


    ¡°What exactly happened? Why is Kelsea in jail because of Arielle?¡± Susanne asked.


    Wendy let out a sigh and began exining, ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m not very sure about what had happened. I


    only know that Kelsea is innocent. She just wanted to get a few people to talk to Arielle, but Arielle ended


    up beating up those people. Moreover, it was Arielle who started their feud.¡±


    Wendy then faked a sad expression. ¡°In fact, from having a chat to being framed for attempted murder¡­


    The incident happened because of Vinson.¡±


    Susanne¡¯s expression immediately darkened.


    ¡°That rascal! The Morgans are family friends with us. How dare he go out of line to help Arielle! This is


    outrageous! He is bewitched by that girl! I need to talk to him tomorrow.¡±


    I can¡¯t defend her just because she¡¯s Maureen¡¯s daughter when she has such a bad attitude! To think


    that I even


    nodded to Arielle just now!


    She would never be nice to Arielle for the sake of Maureen again.


    Judging from Susanne¡¯s tone, Wendy knew that she had achieved her goal.


    To y safe, she added, ¡°This is just what I heard from others, Mrs. Nightshire. It may not be entirely


    true.¡±


    Susanne snorted. ¡°All rumors are based on truth. I know that Kelsea is very talented at ying chess.


    She would never do such a thing! Arielle must be the one behind all this!¡±


    Wendy had to suppress the urge to smile as she held Susanne¡¯s arm. ¡°All right, Mrs. Nightshire. Let¡¯s not


    talk about her anymore. I¡¯d like to go to the hall and practice the piano before my performance.¡±


    Susanne nodded and replied, ¡°You have made me proud. Reborn isn¡¯t some normal piece that anyone


    can y. I have another surprise for you, Wendy. I¡¯ve invited a few musicians from Epea, including Mr.


    Parker, to watch your performance tonight. If you perform well, they may take you in as their apprentice


    and bring you along when they tour around Epea!¡±


    Wendy¡¯s eyes lit up immediately.


    Mr. Parker!


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He is the most famous musician in the world!


    The Nightshires are indeed powerful to have invited Mr. Parker.


    Wendy was more determined than ever to marry into the Nightshire family.


    After all, the Greenes were merely the richest family in Horington. They could barely make it into the top


    one hundred corporations in the world.


    On the other hand, Nightshire Group was in the top ten!


    With the current circumstances, Wendy knew she had to put in every effort for the performanceter.


    ¡°Thank you so much, Mrs. Nightshire!¡± Wendy¡¯s eyes lit up with joy as she looked at Susanne, her key to


    bing one of the world¡¯s most famous socialites.


    Susanne smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that you are family? You don¡¯t have to thank me. Just practice hard while I


    stroll around the school and wait for the arrival of Mr. Parker and the others.¡±


    ¡°All right, please go ahead. I¡¯ll see that the piano is carried into the hall.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll see the principal too and inform him about Mr. Parker¡¯s arrival.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see youter, Mrs. Nightshire.¡± Wendy smiled sweetly as Susanne walked toward the principal¡¯s


    office.


    However, when Wendy turned around, she noticed


    Vinson standing a few feet away behind her.

 Chapter 481

    Chapter 481


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 481


    Wendy¡¯s heart skipped a beat with her blood running cold.


    V-Vinson? How long has he been standing behind me? D-Did he hear anything?


    Plugging into icy fear, beams of sweat formed on her forehead.


    Immediately after, she had the thought that Vinson might not be able to listen clearly to what she had


    spoken just now at such distance due to her soft voice.


    Perhaps he didn¡¯t hear me just now? I can¡¯t be flustered now. I must calm down!


    At that thought, Wendy took a deep breath to regain herposure before setting her eyes straight at


    him.


    Vinson¡¯s eyes were dark and deep. Meeting with his sharp gaze made her feel terrified.


    Wendy was once again fidgeted. She clenched her fist tightly and averted his gaze. Forcing out a smile,


    she greeted, ¡°Hey, Vinson.¡±


    Without replying to her, Vinson remained still as he stared at her in silence.


    Just as Wendy was on the verge of breaking down, Vinson shifted his gaze and walked toward the


    campus entrance.


    At that sight, Wendy heaved a sigh of relief and covered


    her chest with her hands.


    Oh my goodness! Luckily, he didn¡¯t hear anything! Otherwise, he would not give such a reaction.


    Just then, Vinson suddenly stopped and turned toward


    her.


    With her heart pounding against her chest, Wendy broke into a cold sweat.


    ¡°Wendy.¡± His tone was indifferent.


    She gulped hard before she could say out a word.


    ¡°Y-Yes?¡±


    Initially, he did not want to bother Wendy, but he could not allow anyone to nder Arielle. So, he walked


    back and stood in front of her. ¡°You better exin your lie to my mom.¡±


    Upon listening to that, Wendy¡¯s face turned ashen.


    S-So, he heard me just now?


    With her heart racing in her chest, she exined, ¡°Vinson, did you misunderstand anything? I-I didn¡¯t lie-¡±


    ¡°Wendy Greene!¡± Vinson raised his voice and said indifferently, ¡°Since the day you moved into my house,


    I never drove you away merely because I thought that it¡¯s all my mother¡¯s ridiculous n. I thought that


    you


    were innocent too. But, you¡¯re not. Either you exin everything to my mom now or get out of


    Jadeborough tomorrow and don¡¯t evere back again.¡±


    Wendy trembled in fear upon hearing that.


    C


    ¡°V-Vinson, I¡¯ve exined everything about Arielle to Ms. Stone. But, I¡¯m not clear what happened either. I


    also heard it from the others.¡±


    Vinson narrowed his eyes. ¡°So, you choose to get out of Jadeborough?¡±


    He did not want to be lenient to someone like her.


    Wendy¡¯s eyes reddened as tears trickled down her cheeks.


    ¡°Vinson, you can¡¯t do this to me! Ms. Stone chose me to be her daughter-inw!¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± Vinson sneered and continued, ¡°I¡¯m the one choosing my own wife, not my mom! Wendy, don¡¯t


    overestimate yourself. You don¡¯t deserve to bepared with Arielle! But, since my mom likes you, you


    can ask her to marry you. If she agrees, I won¡¯t oppose it.¡±


    ¡°Y-You!¡±


    Wendy was embarrassed and angry at the same time. She even had the urge to scream and ask him


    why he would choose a country girl over her.


    However, she had to hold onto herself, as she knew that once she did it, it would definitely be the end for


    them.


    For a perfect man like him, he would never like to be questioned and rebuked. It will be a better choice


    for me to admit my fault now.


    With that thought, Wendy said softly, ¡°I¡¯ll exin everything to Ms. Ster.¡±


    ¡°Great.¡± Vinson nodded and added, ¡°It seems like you¡¯re not that much of an idiot. At least, you made the


    correct choice.¡±


    Wendy bit her lips in indignation, trying to suppress her anger.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to do something like this anymore. I have no patience to deal with nonsense like this. Also,


    move out of my house as soon as possible. No matter what, I¡¯ll not marry you. So, please understand the


    situation and make a wiser choice. Don¡¯t try to challenge my patience. Otherwise, not only you¡¯ll be


    ashamed, but the Greenes as well.¡±


    With that, Vinson turned and left.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    It was amand that left no room for discussion.

 Chapter 482

    Chapter 482


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 482


    In the meantime, Vinson regretted not talking it out with Wendy earlier. Initially, he thought that Susanne


    was not serious about it. Besides, based on her pickiness, Wendy would definitely move out herself.


    To his surprise, she could stay until now.


    It seemed like Susanne really liked Wendy a lot. However, he was the one who was going to marry and


    not his mom. What was more, he already had a wife.


    It would be impossible for him to have a divorce. Only death would drift him and Arielle apart.


    As for Wendy, he would not have the time to bother about her.


    Standing under the scorching sun, Wendy felt cold with chills creeping up her spine.


    After a few seconds, she could no longer hold onto herself. She squatted down and burst into tears.


    Why? What does Arielle have that I don¡¯t? Why did he reject me without even giving me a single


    chance?


    After crying for some time, Wendy regained herposure.


    She stood up and narrowed her eyes.


    It¡¯s toote, Vinson. Everything¡¯s toote. I¡¯ve fallen for you. Not only for you but also for the power of the


    Nightshire family! No matter what you say, I have to


    give this a shot. As long as Susanne likes me, it will be sufficient. Even if I can¡¯t get your heart, I must be


    Mrs. Nightshire! I¡¯ll never allow Arielle to be in that position! Never!This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Wendy remained expressionless while wiping off her tears. Then, she walked toward the auditorium in


    determination.


    Vinson will be mine! Only mine! Whoever dares to snatch him away from me, I will never let her off!


    After walking out of the campus entrance, Vinson nced around and walked into a mart opposite their


    campus.


    Once the shop assistant saw Vinson, she widened her eyes in shock.


    ¡°V-Vinson¡­¡±


    In Jadeborough, it was not surprising that someone could recognize him.


    Vinson nodded his head and asked, ¡°Can you show me the way to the feminine products?¡±


    Stunned, the shop assistant asked, ¡°What kind of feminine product are you looking for?¡±

 Chapter 483

    Chapter 483


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 483


    ¡°Sanitary¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, he blushed.


    He paused for a moment before clearing his throat. ¡°The products that girls use during their menstrual


    period.¡±


    When he sent Arielle to the auditorium just now, Arielle suddenly suffered stomach cramps. He thought


    she was suffering from gastroenteritis, but it turned out to be her menstrual period.


    Luckily, Arielle¡¯s clothes were darker that day. Otherwise, she might be aughingstock.


    Therefore, Vinson had volunteered to help her buy sanitary pads. Meanwhile, Arielle would be waiting for


    him in the toilet.


    How would he be willing to let his wife buy it herself?


    After all, all his patience and gentleness were given to Arielle alone.


    Upon listening to that, the shop assistant understood instantly and was envious.


    The girl must be having a big blessing to have Vinson buying sanitary pads for her!


    Not daring to waste more time, the shop assistant immediately led him to a shelf and pointed toward the


    products. ¡°May know which type you need?¡±


    Vinson looked at her in puzzlement.


    Type? So, sanitary pads are differentiated into a few types?


    He shifted his gaze toward the shelf and saw colorful packaging in different sizes.


    At that very moment, he was confused.


    Looking at his expression, the shop assistant could tell that it was his first time buying sanitary pads.


    She immediately introduced, ¡°You can choose this brand. It¡¯s an imported brand. The material will be


    softer and have good absorption to prevent leakage. As for the length¡­ Does she usually have a big or


    small amount of flow?¡±


    At that instant, Vinson¡¯s expression looked more confused.


    What is leakage? What¡¯s flow? Are they even rted?


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    Knowing that he could not provide the answer, the shop assistant added, ¡°Why don¡¯t you give her a call?¡±


    Vinson nodded his head and dialed Arielle¡¯s number.


    These few days, he tried to suppress his feeling for Arielle and tried not to see her, but he could not stop


    himself from opening her phone contact. Therefore, he could remember her phone number.


    Meanwhile, in the female restroom, Arielle was sitting


    on a toilet bowl.


    Feeling an immense pain in her stomach, Arielle¡¯s face turned pale.


    After returning from overseas, she could not be ustomed to the environment there, causing the dy


    of her period. To her dismay, her period came that day, and Vinson was coincidentally beside her.


    It was truly an embarrassing event.


    Just then, her phone rang. It was a call from Vinson.


    Arielle blushed subconsciously. She then asked, ¡°You have bought it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m buying. But, I¡¯ve something to ask you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Vinson stammered for a few seconds and spat out, ¡°Is your period amount big or small?¡±.


    Initially, he had no idea what the amount meant. However, at that instant, he suddenly understood.


    His cheeks blushed even wilder than before.


    If Carter and his gang saw his expression, they might make a joke of him on it for at least a year.


    Arielle, who was in the toilet, was blushing as well.


    ¡°Please buy one pack of 240 will do.¡±


    ¡°240? Is that the price? But, all of them is only about ten to twenty.¡±


    the length. Or you can simply buy any one, and I¡¯ll buy another one myselfter.¡±


    With that, she immediately hung up the phone and fanned herself with her hands.


    Meanwhile, the embarrassment on Vinson¡¯s face was reced by a smile.


    He never thought that Arielle would feel embarrassed.

 Chapter 484

    Chapter 484


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 484


    Although Vinson had done something embarrassing, for some reason, he felt ted.


    Looking at his expression, the shop assistant could not help but smile. ¡°You called your girlfriend, right?


    What did she say?¡±


    ¡°She wants a 240 length.¡±


    ¡°All right!¡± With that, the shop assistant immediately took the sanitary pad to Vinson.


    He scrutinized it for a moment and asked, ¡°How can I know the length of it?¡±


    The shop assistant was stunned upon hearing that. After snapping back to her senses, she instantly


    exined, ¡°You can look at the right bottom corner. There is a table for length. The symbol of sun means


    for day use¡­¡±


    After a few moments of exnation, Vinson could fully understand the packaging and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll pay


    for it now.¡±


    In the auditorium, Wendy tested the piano by ying a few bars. She moved her fingers swiftly over the


    piano, and a harmonious melody filled the air.


    The piano sound was pure and suitable for Reborn.


    I¡¯ll be the center of attention tonight! Besides, I will get Mr. Parker¡¯s stamp of attention as well!


    The lecturer, who was in charge of the freshman party, pped her hands vigorously and eximed,


    ¡°Thebination of Sennhein and your song is excellent! Wendy, you make our school proud!¡±


    Wendy put on a faint smile.


    Just then, Marcus¡¯s excited voice sounded from the auditorium entrance. ¡°Please get ready, everyone.


    Mr. Parker is on his way here. Do set up a few seats for them and arrange for a lecturer to apany


    them. We must make them feel at home.¡±


    Upon listening to his remarks, all the lecturers widened their eyes in surprise.


    ¡°Mr. Parker? Isn¡¯t he being ranked as the most outstanding musicianst year?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s him! Oh my, I¡¯ve gone to his concert previously, but I can¡¯t get his signature. I must get it this time.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Brown, you¡¯re so amazing! We didn¡¯t expect you to give us such a big surprise by inviting Mr.


    Parker!¡±


    Marcus waved his hands. ¡°Oh no, no! It¡¯s not me. How would he ept my invitation.¡±


    With that, he motioned Susanne to go into the auditorium and said, ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, didn¡¯t you mention


    that you want to listen to Wendy¡¯s rehearsal? Pleasee in.¡±


    Susanne put on a smile and walked in.


    Wendy immediately approached her and greeted, ¡°Ms. Stone!¡±


    The moment she saw Wendy, Susanne¡¯s smile softened. She held Wendy¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Did you try


    the piano? Do you like it?¡±Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Wendy nodded her head frantically and said, ¡°Yes! It suits my song well! I¡¯ll try not to let Mr. Parker


    down.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Susanne nodded.


    In actuality, she was also not sure why Steven Parker would agree toe over.


    Steven had a weird temper. Even if it was Susanne, he might not even bother about her.


    No matter what, it will be great as long as he coulde.


    After listening to them talking, all the lecturers immediately realized that Wendy was the main reason why


    Steven would agree toe to the freshman party


    At that instant, Wendy became their precious student.


    Sensing everyone¡¯s attention on her, Wendy¡¯s hunger for praise was greatly satisfied.


    Immediately after, Vinson¡¯s threat shed across her mind and caused her beaming eyes to darken,

 Chapter 485

    Chapter 485


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 485


    Wendy¡¯s heart twitched in pain as she recalled Vinson¡¯s threat.


    Biting her lips, she pulled Susanne to a corner. ¡°Ms. Stone, please follow me. I¡¯ve got something to tell


    you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. Mr. Brown, please arrange for someone to wee Mr. Parkerter. I¡¯m not familiar with


    Jadeborough University, so I¡¯ll have to count on you.¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me, Mrs. Nightshire. We¡¯ll take good care of Mr. Parker and the other.¡±


    Marcus replied with a smile on his face. Even though he did not like Wendy that much, it was, without


    doubt, a great honor that Susanne invited Steven to Jadeborough University. Hence, regardless of what


    mistake Wendy had made, the former did not mind it.


    As for Kelsea¡¯s case, it was true that Wendy should not have stood for Kelsea. But since the police had


    proved today that Wendy was not involved in it, Marcus decided not to use her further.


    It was usual for young people to engage in conflict. Marcus figured it was still eptable as long as one


    did not break thew and the school rule like Kelsea.


    Meanwhile, Wendy brought Susanne out of the hall.


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    Susanne could not suppress her curiosity. ¡°Wendy, what¡¯s going on? Is there something wrong with


    Sennhein?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± Wendy shook her head, hesitating.


    Susanne¡¯s expression turned stern right away. ¡°Wendy, you know that I don¡¯t treat you as an outsider. I


    hope you can treat me the same. Feel free to tell me about anything. I¡¯ll help you to solve it.¡±


    Wendy was waiting for Susanne to say that.


    She uttered indignantly as her eyes started brimming with tears. ¡°Ms. Stone, it is all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t


    say that Kelsea¡¯s case is rted to Arielle. Everything I told you before is not verified yet. Please don¡¯t


    misunderstand Arielle. Maybe she is innocent.¡±


    Susanne furrowed her brows upon hearing that. After pondering for a while, she opened her mouth. ¡°Did


    he ask you to defend Arielle?¡±


    Wendy bit her lips and went silent.


    With that, Susanne confirmed her assumption instantly.


    She patted Wendy¡¯s shoulder gently. ¡°I know what kind of person you are. Even if you didn¡¯t tell me, I


    know what happened. Wendy, you don¡¯t have to fear Vin. He has a foul mouth but a soft heart. I¡¯ll talk to


    him about this matter.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Stone, please don¡¯t. Vinson says if he finds out I¡¯m still involved with Arielle, he will cast me out of


    Jadeborough.¡± Wendy¡¯s eyes were red with tears. ¡°Please don¡¯t mention it to him anymore. I¡¯m begging


    you. I don¡¯t mind if I can¡¯t marry him, but I want to


    Susanne was heartbroken upon hearing Wendy¡¯s words. She got even more determined to separate


    Vinson from Arielle at that moment.


    She could notprehend why Vinson would give up on such a good girl and choose someone from the


    vige


    If she knew this day woulde, she would have persuaded Maureen to abort her baby back then. With


    that, Arielle would not exist today to harm her son.


    Susanne took a deep breath whileforting Wendy patiently. ¡°Wendy, don¡¯t worry. As long as I¡¯m still


    alive, no one would be able to chase you out of Jadeborough. Please don¡¯t take what that b*stard said


    seriously.


    Upon hearing that, Wendy let out a sigh of relief.


    She had been pretending so diligently all this while for this.


    After all, Susanne¡¯s guarantee was equivalent to a trump card for her. Now even Vinson won¡¯t be able to


    do anything to me!

 Chapter 486

    Chapter 486


    Meanwhile at thedies¡¯ restroom.


    Initially, Arielle still felt awkward for Vinson to help her buy physiological supplies. But as the pain in her


    abdomen increased, she could not bother about other stuff. At that instant, her body fell utterly weak.


    Just when she thought she could not hold any longer, Vinson¡¯s voice echoed from outside. ¡°Arielle, are


    you still in there?¡±


    Arielle used her remaining strength to respond, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m in the first cubicle.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Vinson walked over to the front of the restroom and passed her the sanitary pads.


    Arielle lowered her body and took it with difficulty.


    She had a hard time just tearing the sanitary pad open and putting on her pants. She broke out in cold


    sweat and was drenched, by the time she was done.


    She had never encountered such a severe condition before, which was most probably due to endocrine


    imbnce and an unustomed climate.


    After confirming there was no leakage on her pants, she let out a sigh of relief.


    She stood up and wanted to open the door. But after she took a step, she cked out and fainted.


    NO


    Vinson, who was waiting patiently outside, heard an abrupt thud inside.


    He immediately shouted, ¡°Arielle, are you okay?¡±


    His question was greeted only with silence.


    With that, a bad feeling arose within him, and he kept on knocking forcefully on the door.


    ¡°Arielle, can you hear me?¡±


    Still, there was no response.


    ¡°D*mn it!¡± He cursed anxiously, still knocking on the door.


    A few secondster, he stopped and observed the restroom.


    The restroom was locked from inside, so he could not open it. And if he kicked it open forcefully, it would


    probably injure Arielle.


    After pondering for a while, Vinson took a few steps back. The next second, he suddenly took a jump as


    both his hands grasped the top end of thepartment door, pressing his body upward.


    He saw Arielle fainted on the floor, soaked in a cold sweat, her face utterly pale.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    Without hesitation, Vinson jumped through the space above. The next second, he carried Arielle and


    rushed


    outside.


    At that moment, ady came into the restroom.


    But Vinson¡¯s movement was so swift that thedy failed to notice what went past her.


    She nearly thought that she was hallucinating. Did someone walk past me just now?


    At the infirmary.


    Arielle finally opened her eyes, only to see a white ceiling above her. There was a smell of disinfectant in


    the air.


    ¡°Arie, you¡¯re finally awake!¡± Trisha¡¯s voice appeared beside her ears.


    Arielle was still blurred, and she only turned toward the direction of the voice after a few seconds.


    She saw Trisha staring at her with a worried look.


    ¡°Why am I here?¡±¡¯ Arielle opened her mouth only to discover that her voice had turned extremely hoarse.


    ¡°Let me pour you some water!¡± Trisha uttered. But the second she stood up, a hand already handed


    Arielle a ss of water.


    Arielle lifted her head and met Vinson¡¯s profound ck eyes


    Those eyes were filled with deep concern.

 Chapter 487

    Chapter 487


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 487


    Arielle seemed somewhat confused upon seeing Vinson. ¡°Why are you here too? Where is this?¡±


    Vinson decided to sit between Trisha and Arielle and started feeding Arielle the water. ¡°We¡¯re at the


    infirmary. You fainted.¡±


    Upon hearing that, pieces of memory slowly came shing back in Arielle¡¯s mind.


    She remembered that she had lost consciousness when she was about to leave the restroom.


    So¡­ he was the one who brought me out?


    At that moment, she tried hard to recall if her pants were on during that time.


    Noticing Arielle did not speak at all, Vinson could not help but worry. ¡°Are you feeling better now? Does it


    still hurt? If it¡¯s bad, let¡¯s go to the hospital.¡±


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Trisha, who was sitting beside Vinson, also nodded with concern. ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ll take you to the


    hospital if you don¡¯t feel well. Mr. Baxter will allow it, won¡¯t he?¡±


    Trisha¡¯s words reminded Arielle of the freshman party tonight


    She straightened up in her bed instantly. ¡°What time is it now?¡±


    Vinson took a glimpse on his watch. ¡°Seven fifty.¡±


    ¡°Seven fifty?¡± Arielle struggled to get out of bed. ¡°Trisha, let¡¯s go. It¡¯ll soon be our turn to perform.¡±


    Based on the schedule, their show would be at eight twenty.


    It would take at least ten minutes to reach the hall from the infirmary, which meant they only got twenty


    minutes left to prepare.


    With that, Arielle tried to get down from her bed nervously.


    But just when her feet were about to reach her shoes, the shoes got taken away by Vinson abruptly.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Vinson furrowed his brows.


    ¡°To perform!¡± Arielle added without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m fine now. I can attend the freshman party.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Vinson rejected without hesitation. ¡°The doctor says your condition is serious. You even


    fainted. You¡¯re not going anywhere tonight. Please stay here and rest well.¡±


    Trisha nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve just called the teacher in charge of the freshman party. I¡¯ve


    exined to her your condition, and she agreed to take our performance off the list.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Arielle sounded utterly unyielding. ¡°I know my body well. I can do it. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Vinson frowned as he felt something peculiar with Arielle.


    She¡¯s not someone that likes to show off. There must be a reason if she insists so.


    After pondering a while, Vinson turned to Trisha. ¡°Could you please wait outside for a while? Let me have


    a word with Arielle alone.¡±


    Trisha was indeed a timid girl, as she felt utterly uneasy the moment Vinson shifted his gaze toward her.


    If Arielle were not there, she would have run off instantly.


    Upon hearing Vinson¡¯s words, she nodded and made her way out of the infirmary. She even


    considerately closed the door behind her.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re about to say.¡± Arielle bit her lips slightly. ¡°Ie to Jadeborough University to find


    the man who is probably my father. Instead of dredging for a needle in the haystack, it is better to expose


    myself in front of everyone. Who knows if he mighte to find me once he sees me?¡±


    I resemble Mom a lot. If he pays attention, he will notice me.


    Vinson came to theprehension. ¡°No wonder you¡¯ll participate in the freshman party.¡±


    After all, he could not wrap his head around why someone like Arielle, who had rescued hundreds from


    an explosion, would bother to participate in such an


    unimportant event.


    ¡°And¡­¡± Arielle added after hesitating for a while. ¡°I can¡¯t waste the Goddess of Hunting that you gave.¡±


    Even though Vinson did not mention it, she knew it was not easy to purchase the Goddess of Hunting.

 Chapter 488

    Chapter 488


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 488


    Vinson got stunned momentarily as he did not expect he would be one of the reasons that Arielle wanted


    to perform.


    Could it be that she¡­


    Vinson clenched his fist slightly and cleared his throat. ¡°Go on then. But if you feel unwell, even for a


    little, stop your performance right away. I¡¯ll go on the stage to get you.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Arielle felt a warmth in her heart by Vinson¡¯s gesture.


    Meanwhile at the hall.


    The emcee announced in the middle of the stage. ¡°All the performances this year are indeed mind-


    blowing! We just watched a feverish dance. Now let¡¯s wee Wendy Greene from the preparatory


    ss to perform the piano solo, Reborn!¡±


    A round of apuse filled the air.


    As there were art students at Jadeborough University, many knew about Reborn, and also the piano,


    Sennhein.


    Those senior students, who missed the scene at the school entrance, were rushing into the hall to


    witness the attraction of Sennhein. Plus, they wanted to see which junior was bold enough to y


    Reborn.


    ¡°Finally, it¡¯s here!¡± One of the art senior students rubbed his hands in excitement. ¡°I wanted to enter


    Maxwell University because there is a Sennhein in the


    school museum there. Even though I failed to get in, I didn¡¯t expect I would have a chance to see a


    Sennhein in this university. What a stroke of luck!¡±


    Someone interrupted at that moment. ¡°What, Sennhein? Don¡¯t you want to see Goddess of Hunting? I


    heard the next piano show will be using Goddess of Hunting!¡±


    That senior shook his head right away. ¡°That must be merely a rumor or a scam. Didn¡¯t the Goddess of


    Hunting get buried together with its designer? Sennhein is a different story. I heard long ago that there¡¯s


    a Sennhein at the Nightshires.¡±


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Many shared the same thought as his.


    Even those, who witnessed the whole scene at the school entrance, were unsure if it was truly Goddess


    of Hunting hidden under the cloth.


    They needed to see it with their own eyes to confirm.


    In fact, many hadid their eyes on a Sennhein, but none had ever seen Goddess of Hunting before.


    Hence, the crowd had more anticipation for Sennhein instead of Goddess of Hunting.


    In the first row of the audience, Steven appeared among the teachers.


    Susanne was arranged to be seated beside Steven.


    She weed Steven passionately upon seeing him.


    ¡°Mr. Parker! I¡¯m Susanne, the one who talked with you on the phone.


    Steven nodded proudly, without any expression on his face.


    Susanne was not bothered at all by his cold behavior. Artists are usually proud. They always look down


    on everyone else. If an artist is friendly and easy to get along with, he¡¯s most probably not famous.


    Hence, not only was Susanne not offended, but she showed even more passion toward Steven. ¡°Please


    have a seat here!¡±


    Steven sat down and cut to the chase. ¡°Where¡¯s Sennhein?¡±


    Upon hearing that, Susanne let out a smile. ¡°The staff are carrying it onto the stage now. You can¡¯t see it


    with the curtain down. It shouldn¡¯t take long now. Butpared to Sennhein, I think you¡¯ll be more


    interested to see Wendy¡¯s performance. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll like it!¡±


    ¡°Performance?¡±¡¯ Steven sneered, ¡°I heard your Sennhein is more well-preserved than the one in Maxwell


    University. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here. Forget about the performance. I bet the best pianist in Chanaea couldn¡¯t


    even match with my student!¡±

 Chapter 489

    Chapter 489


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 489


    Steven made no secret of his disdain for the level of the pianists in Chanaea.


    Susanne let out an awkward smile, not knowing how to respond.


    The teachers around darkened their faces upon hearing that, and Marcus nearly stood up to confront


    Steven. But Zelda, the teacher in charge of the freshman party, held him down in time and whispered,


    ¡°Mr. Brown, please calm down. He¡¯s our VIP guest. Many schools wanted to invite him but got rejected.


    Please don¡¯t forget his status.¡±


    Marcus, who had a patriotic heart, could not hold his anger. ¡°I know he¡¯s the top pianist in the world. But


    how could he humiliate us like that?¡±


    Zelda¡¯s expression turned awkward. ¡°But¡­ he¡¯s speaking the truth. There¡¯s indeed no good pianist in


    Chanaea right now. Even if we pick the one with the best skills, it would pale inparison with Mr.


    Parker¡¯s students.¡±


    A dark expression loomed over Marcus¡¯ face.


    That is not false though¡­


    But soon, Marcus¡¯ eyes lit up with anticipation.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we listen to Wendy y Reborn before? She was good! Who knows, we could use this


    opportunity to change Mr. Parker¡¯s impression of Chanaea¡¯s pianist!¡±


    Upon saying that, Marcus urged Zelda. ¡°Please go to the back of the stage and check on Wendy. Tell her


    that Mr. Parker is here and ask her to perform well. She doesn¡¯t only represent herself, but the whole


    university. To look at a bigger picture, the pride of the entire Chanaea is on her shoulder!¡±


    Zelda nodded right away. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of props from the previous performance. It might take another


    five minutes to finish moving all the props and bring up the piano. I¡¯ll go check on Wendy now!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay!¡± Marcus was utterly anxious and excited at the same time.


    He was anxious that Wendy might not perform well. On the other hand, he was excited that she might


    end up winning Steven¡¯s heart with Reborn.


    Wendy got changed into a pretty silver dress at the back of the stage, getting ready.


    She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nervousness.


    Just then, Zelda appeared and informed her of what Marcus had said.


    Wendy¡¯s eyes widened upon hearing that.


    I thought Mr. Parker couldn¡¯t make it as I didn¡¯t see him just now. I didn¡¯t expect he woulde!


    Apart from her nervousness, she got filled with utter excitement. She had a feeling that the moment of


    her


    life had finallye.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Right then, she suddenly thought of Arielle as thetter had not shown up. ¡°Ms. Zelda, where¡¯s Arielle?¡±


    She wanted to show Arielle the gap between their levels.


    Zelda shook her head. ¡°She suddenly called in saying that she¡¯s not feeling well. So we¡¯ve canceled her


    show. Luckily, I didn¡¯t have high expectations from their show since the beginning.¡±


    Wendy asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s her song?¡±


    ¡°Something called¡­ Moon..¡±.


    Before Zelda could finish her sentence, a voice echoed from afar.


    ¡°Ms. Zelda¡­¡±


    Zelda and Wendy turned simultaneously toward the source of the voice.


    Wendy recognized the figure right away. Isn¡¯t she the brainless fan from Arielle¡¯s ss?


    Trisha uttered cautiously, ¡°Arielle had almost recovered. So I¡¯m here to tell you that we can perform


    tonight.


    The expression on Zelda¡¯s face instantly darkened.

 Chapter 490

    Chapter 490


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 490


    Zelda sounded utterly displeased. ¡°What do you think the freshman party is? Do you think you guys can


    come and go as you like? Please behave yourself!¡±


    Initially, when Trisha called Zelda to cancel their performance, thetter did not want to agree to it.


    We¡¯ve confirmed the schedule long ago. Why such a sudden change?


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Nevertheless, Zeldaplied with it due to Trisha¡¯s rtionship with Marcus.


    But never did she expect they would change their mind again in thest hours.


    Trisha¡¯s face paled in fright after getting scolded by Zelda.


    She already had difficultymunicating with people, to begin with. Thus, she feared handling such


    conflicts with another party.


    Meanwhile, Wendy sneered internally upon hearing their conservation.


    She must have gotten intimidated by my piano skill, so she decided to cancel her performance. But she


    chose toe back now, most probably because of Mr. Parker. She wants to show off using Goddess of


    Hunting in front of Mr. Parker. Who does she think is? She¡¯s only a country girl. In fact, no one besides


    Mr. Parker deserves it. What a joke! It feels so wrong to match Goddess of Hunting with Arielle.


    With that, Wendy was secretly delighted, imagining herself impressing Steven and making Arielle


    jealous.


    With an ted mood, Wendy started backing Trisha.


    ¡°Ms. Zelda, maybe Arielle was truly feeling unwell just now. Please give her another chance, would you?¡±


    However, Zelda disagreed as she shook her head. ¡°Mr. Brown takes all the performances seriously. First,


    Arielle didn¡¯t rehearse even once. Secondly, I¡¯ve never heard of that song before. I¡¯m afraid she would be


    an embarrassment to the school if I let her perform.¡±


    As such, Wendy became intrigued. ¡°What song is she ying?¡±


    Zelda pursed her lips. ¡°Some song called In the Moonlight.¡±


    Wendy widened her eyes in shock. ¡°In the Moonlight? Isn¡¯t that the famous song with extreme difficulty?¡±


    If she can y that song, my Reborn will pale inparison. How could it be In the Moonlight? How


    could a country girl possibly learn that song? Not many people are capable of ying that song. Thus,


    finding aplete version of its score isn¡¯t easy. Not to mention, even Mr. Parker might not be able to


    y it smoothly. How could Arielle be so bold? Or is she bluffing?


    At that moment, the color drained from Wendy¡¯s face as something came across her mind. Whenever I


    looked down on her, she would miraculously shock me. Could


    it be she truly knows how to y In The Moonlight?


    Just when Wendy started to worry, Zelda let out a smile. ¡°What¡¯re you talking about? It¡¯s just a


    misunderstanding. I¡¯ve seen her score. Even though it looks simr to the original song, there is still a


    huge difference. I guess it¡¯s only a rearranged version.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Wendy eased her frown.


    That makes more sense then.

 Chapter 491

    Chapter 491


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 491


    Wendy could not believe she had been scaring herself with unfounded thoughts.


    Even though Arielle is brilliant in studying, no one could be perfect. The piano is meant for someone from


    the rich. It¡¯s totally out of her league!


    Just then, an evil thought shed across Wendy¡¯s mind again. Determined to make Arielle embarrassed


    in public, Wendy tried to persuade Zelda once again. ¡°Ms. Zelda, please give Arielle one chance. After


    Mr. Parker sees my performance, he won¡¯t mind even if Arielle makes some mistakes. After all, it¡¯s just a


    freshman party, not a professional musical feast.¡±


    Zelda pondered for a long while and eventuallyplied with it.


    She grabbed Wendy¡¯s hand firmly. ¡°Please make sure you perform wellter. Mr. Brown and I are


    counting on you.¡±


    With that, Wendy nodded firmly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll y well.¡±


    Her initial nervousness was reced with anticipation to see Arielle making a fool of herself.


    Seeing Wendy¡¯s persistence only then did Zelda turn to Trisha. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll give you guys onest chance.


    But you¡¯re not allowed to change your mind again.¡±


    ¡°Okay! Thank you, Ms. Zelda!¡± Trisha immediately expressed her gratitude.


    Zelda furrowed her brows slightly. ¡°You should be thanking Wendy.¡±


    Trisha turned toward Wendy and thanked her with a nod.


    However, she had a feeling that there was something malicious about Wendy¡¯s smile.


    Am I overthinking?


    A momentter, the stage was finally cleaned. As Sennhein got carefully carried onto the stage, the


    emcee announced, ¡°Next, let¡¯s wee Wendy from the preparatory ss to perform Reborn for us.¡±


    Wendy took a deep breath and walked up the stage under Zelda¡¯s encouragement.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    At the same time, Arielle arrived backstage under Vinson¡¯s escort.


    She could walk by herself, but Vinson insisted on supporting her. That slowed down her pace, and she


    had to ask Trisha toe ahead.


    Right then, she took her hand off Vinson¡¯s shoulder as her face blushed with shyness. ¡°All right. We¡¯re


    here. Thanks¡­¡±


    Vinson feigned a stern look at her. ¡°What did I tell you? What should you say when you want to thank


    me?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s face became redder as she whispered, ¡°Vinson,


    you¡¯re so good¡­¡±


    He¡¯s so thick-skinned! There are so many people here. Isn¡¯t he afraid to get heard?


    Vinson let out a boisterousugh as he reached his hand to caress her head. ¡°Go get ready then.


    Remember. Please stop at once if you feel unwell. Don¡¯t worry about the rest. I¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    He sounded utterly domineering, giving her aplete sense of security.


    Arielle nodded and cast a final nce at Vinson before heading toward Trisha.


    After getting scolded by Zelda, Trisha¡¯s face was still pale from the shock.


    Arielle sensed something wrong with her the second she saw her. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Trisha shook her head. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    However, after Arielle¡¯s unyielding probing, Trisha finally gave in and confessed, ¡°Ms. Zelda thought that


    our performance might embarrass the school, so she refused to let us perform initially. But Wendy helped


    to persuade her¡­¡±


    ¡°Wendy?¡± Arielle¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    She¡¯s expecting me to embarrass myself. I¡¯m sorry, but she¡¯ll get disappointed.


    At that moment, the curtain on the stage was slowly

 Chapter 492

    Chapter 492


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 492


    Steven, who had almost dozed off, finally opened his eyes as the crowd also shifted their attention


    toward the middle of the stage.


    Wendy, in a silver dress, bowed toward them.


    With the light of the stage, her dress gleamed like a gxy, catching the eyes of the audience.


    However, it did not attract Steven, as thetter¡¯s focus was on the Sennhein behind her.


    Perfect! It¡¯s being preserved perfectly! I¡¯m not able to buy the Sennhein at Maxwell University, but if I


    could buy this one, my trip would be worth it!


    Nheless, Wendy thought Steven was here to witness her performance of Reborn.


    Picking up the mic, she uttered with a sweet voice, ¡°Good evening, I¡¯m Wendy Greene. Today I¡¯m going


    to y Reborn for you. I hope you guys will like it, and I¡¯d appreciate your guidance, Mr. Parker.¡±


    Thest part of her sentence was spoken in Ustranasion. Only then did Steven shift his gaze toward


    Wendy after hearing her mention his name.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    She has a good look and an elegant charisma. Look at her fingers. Those fingers are meant to y the


    piano.


    Right then, a round ofpliments came from the audience.


    ¡°That junior is so good-looking!¡±


    ¡°Is she from the preparatory ss? I remember the homeroom teacher of the preparatory ss is


    handsome too. I envy their ss!¡±


    ¡°Not only are their looks good, but they are geniuses too. Not to mention Donovan, their homeroom


    teacher graduated from Maxwell University, but the students are all tops in Chanaea.¡±


    Donovan, sitting among the audience, overheard thosements and felt proud.


    Recently, he could not stop worrying about Arielle. Fortunately, Wendy always managed to cheer him up.


    Meanwhile, Steven raised his brows and sat up straight.


    Let me check this girl out. If I can possess Sennhein along with an apprentice, it would be a great deal.


    Susanne noticed Steven¡¯s gesture and knew Wendy had gotten Steven¡¯s attention. With that, she


    secretly exchanged a look with Wendy.


    Upon seeing that, Wendy¡¯s confidence got boosted as she bowed again toward the audience before


    sitting down by the piano.


    Vinson had stepped toward the audience seat and found a seat at the corner right then.


    He was prepared to jump onto the stage in case


    something was off with Arielle.


    It was not a tactic that Jordan taught him to win over Arielle¡¯s heart, but something he wanted to do


    because he was genuinely concerned about thetter.


    At that moment, Steven wrapped his arms around his chest as he stared at Wendy with slight


    anticipation.


    He loved to collect piano, and he was passionate about talented people. A talented apprentice was as


    crucial as an excellent piano to him.


    Finally, Wendy began ying her song.


    As her finger yed the first note, the clear and ethereal sound of the piano spread throughout the hall


    like rain falling into the spring of a valley.


    Steven¡¯s eyes lit up at that instance.


    What a perfect sound!


    Susanne, observing Steven, was delighted to see thetter¡¯s reaction. ¡°Mr. Parker, what do you think of


    Wendy¡¯s skills? There are less than twenty people around the world who can y Reborn.¡±

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    But to Susanne¡¯s bewilderment, Steven furrowed his brows upon hearing her words.


    Susanne immediately stopped asking as she thought she interrupted Steven while he was enjoying the


    music.


    With that, she shifted her attention toward Wendy¡¯s performance as well. She¡¯s indeed a good pianist.


    Since not many can y Reborn, she must be a true talent to perform it live.


    Susanne was confident Steven would get impressed by Wendy


    By then, Wendy had finished ying the first verse.


    Due to her nervousness, she identally yed a wrong note.


    But she figured it was not a big deal as it was only one note. Immediately recollecting herself, she


    continued to y diligently.


    At that moment, Steven and the other musicians who apanied him here darkened their faces after


    hearing out Sennhein¡¯s sound for a while.


    Nheless, Susanne and Wendy had no idea about it.


    Meanwhile, the rest of the audience was attracted by the fancy stage effect.


    The crowd broke into loud cheers and apuse after Wendypleted her performance.


    Most of the audience did not know much about piano, but they knew that Reborn was a song that no


    ordinary person could master.


    Hence, they thought it was terrific for Wendy toplete the whole song.


    ¡°I envy Wendy so much. She got a good look and good talents. And her study is good too. This world is


    so unfair.¡±


    However, some art students expressed their doubts. ¡°But I thought her piano skill was average. She


    seemed to y a few wrong notes.¡±


    Right away, someone rebuked, ¡°Please. Why don¡¯t you go up the stage and y it then? Have you ever


    yed Reborn?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely! It¡¯s easier said than done. I bet all haters on the inte are like you. Wendy is contributing


    to the school¡¯s reputation, yet all you can do is give such a negative remark.¡±


    The art student blushed in embarrassment right away, not daring to utter another word.


    No one on the spot dared to criticize Wendy¡¯s skill after that. Some even startedplimenting her piano


    skill to show that they knew music.


    On the other hand, Wendy¡¯s forehead was drenched with cold sweat after finishing her performance.


    She then exhaled and picked up the mic again. ¡°Thank you, everyone, for your time.¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Just then, Susanne rose from her seat and apuded loudly. ¡°Bravo! Wendy, you did a good job!¡±


    Marcus, sitting beside her, did not know a thing about piano, so he stood up and pped his hands too,


    following Susanne¡¯s flow.


    With that, another round of apuse rose among the audience again.


    Now that the performance was done, Susanne dared to interrupt Susanne again. With an optimistic


    mood, she asked, ¡°Mr. Parker, you¡¯re Wendy¡¯s idol. She was thrilled after knowing you hade. What


    do you think of her piano skill? Are you interested in taking her as your apprentice?¡±


    Noticing Vinson sitting not far away, Susanne deliberately raised her voice while she spoke.


    After Wendy bes Mr. Parker¡¯s apprentice, he will surely change his impression of her.


    Right then, as the other students heard that Steven was present, they got even more jealous of Wendy.


    What an honor it would be to have Mr. Parker listen to her performance?


    At that moment, those who criticized Wendy¡¯s performance just now started to doubt themselves.


    So Wendy truly yed well?

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    However, when Susanne shifted her gaze from Vinson back to Steven, she noticed a dark expression


    looming over thetter¡¯s face.


    More than that, she was startled to notice that a few musicians who were here with Steven had dozed off


    in their seats.


    Right then, Steven opened his mouth.


    ¡°Take her as apprentice?¡±


    Wendy, still on the stage, felt a thud in her heart as she heard Steven¡¯s voice. Nheless, she could


    not see thetter¡¯s expression clearly from that distance.


    Is he going to take me as an apprentice for real?


    Wendy¡¯s heart was filled with utter excitement.


    Meanwhile, Susanne clenched her fists anxiously.


    She could notprehend why Wendy¡¯s performance would make those musicians fall asleep. And Mr.


    Parker seemed unimpressed at all.


    Just when Susanne was thinking to change the topic, she heard Steven sneering ruthlessly at her, ¡°Lady,


    are you kidding with me? With this standard? Please! Even my worst student could do better than her!¡±


    The hall was quiet at that time, so everyone could hear Steven¡¯s words clearly.


    Even though Steven spoke in Ustranasion, the majority of the Jadeborough University students could


    understand it.


    He means that Wendy does not deserve to be his apprentice.


    At that moment, the art student who got scolded for criticizing Wendy lifted his voice again. ¡°What did I


    say just now? Yes, I don¡¯t know how to y Reborn. But it doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t know how to judge it.


    Indeed, Wendy¡¯s performance was awful!¡±


    T


    ¡°I thought her performance was unnatural too, but I didn¡¯t have to gut to say it just now.¡±


    ¡°Haha, for those who praised her, I suppose they don¡¯t know piano at all, do they? What a joke!¡±


    After Steven had spoken, many weighed in to express their honest thoughts.


    ¡°Why did she even dare to choose such a difficult


    song?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an embarrassment for Chanaea!¡±


    ¡°Get off the stage! And thatdy who supports Wendy, please get lost from our school!¡±


    Susanne felt so awkward that she wanted to dig a hole and hide in there.


    Meanwhile, Wendy paled in fright on the stage; her


    mind became utterly nk.


    She felt like she had plunged from heaven to hell.


    She could not wrap her head around it. I thought I just yed two notes wrong. Why would Mr. Parker be


    so cruel to me? And how could the audience be so mean? Why don¡¯t they try to y it themselves?


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Overwhelmed with rage and disappointment, Wendy began losing her calm by questioning Steven using


    her mic. ¡°Mr. Parker, Reborn is a song with world-ss difficulty. Why are you being so strict with me?


    There are not more than twenty persons in this world who can y this song!¡±


    Steven let out a smile upon hearing that. He had been toning down his critics on Wendy for Sennhein¡¯s


    sake. But after seeing her rude gesture, he decided not to hold back anymore.


    He raised his voice and said, ¡°What an ingrate. Have you lost your mind?¡±


    Before Wendy could react, Steven continued to borate, ¡°Do you know what it means when the news


    says less than twenty people could y Reborn? It doesn¡¯t mean merelypleting the entire score, but


    it means being able to express the spirit of the song. What I saw from you was just a tense performance


    without any life. There are at least two billion people who can y like this!¡±

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    Upon hearing Steven¡¯s statement, the other musicians who had dozed off finally woke up.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    One of them weighed in, rubbing his eyes, ¡°Steven, you can¡¯t say it like that. Her performance was not


    completely worthless¡­¡¯


    Wendy, who felt utterly humiliated, saw a dim light of hope as she recognized the musician as the second


    top pianist in the world, only slightly below Steven.


    I knew it! It¡¯s not that my level is too low, but Mr. Parker¡¯s is too strict!


    But just when she was about to let out a sigh of relief, she heard the man speak again, ¡°I think her


    performance is good as a luby.¡±


    Wendy¡¯s chest heaved up and down as she tried to suppress her rage upon hearing that.


    Just then, the third pianist bit his lips, talking as mean as Steven. ¡°How dare she use Sennhein to


    perform with such low-level skill! I bet Sennhein is crying in despair right now!¡±


    Wendy¡¯s face blushed red with wrath.


    They don¡¯t even show me any form of respect!


    Eventually, Wendy could not hold it any longer as she ran off the stage, bawling her eyes out.


    Nheless, the third pianist, who¡¯s used to be


    straightforward, was not bothered by Wendy¡¯s reaction.


    Right then, Steven changed the topic as though nothing had happened. ¡°Heydy, so does this Sennhein


    belong to you? Could you please sell it to me? Just name your price.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Susanne was beyond exasperated by these three pianists.


    They¡¯ve just humiliated my future daughter-inw so badly. How dare they still want to buy my piano


    now?


    With that, Susanne did not bother to keep her manner either. ¡°I will never sell it to you! Because you


    don¡¯t know music at all!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Steven¡¯s face darkened.


    The other two pianists realized they had crossed the line, so they figured it would be impossible to buy


    Sennhein anymore. With that, they pulled Steven¡¯s sleeves slightly. ¡°Steven, forget it. Let¡¯s go. After all,


    this Sennhein is not pure anymore after being yed by such an amateur!¡±


    In the end, Steven let out a sigh. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s go then.¡±


    With that, the three of them stood up, getting ready to leave.


    Marcus wanted to persuade them to stay, but he hesitated, recalling how they scolded him.


    Apparently, they¡¯re only here for the Sennhein. It seems impossible to keep them anymore. I wonder


    what kind of skill could impress them. Could it be there¡¯s really no one in Chanaea who can y the


    good piano?


    Meanwhile, there was a disgruntled atmosphere rising among the crowd. His attitude is the worst!


    Butpared to their dissatisfaction toward Steven, they were more enraged and embarrassed.


    It¡¯s all Wendy¡¯s fault. If it weren¡¯t for her, Mr. Parker and his men wouldn¡¯te so far to humiliate our


    Chanaea¡¯s piano level. She is a massive humiliation for Jadeborough University!


    Just when Steven and the other pianists were about to leave their seats, a low voice echoed from


    nowhere.


    ¡°Mr. Parker.¡±


    Steven responsively halted his feet and turned toward the source of the voice.


    He spotted a tall, handsome man emerging slowly from a corner.


    His aura seemed even more dignified under those lights.


    With that, Steven naturally held back his pride and asked, ¡°Who is this?¡±

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    Vinson went after Steven, and when he was about a foot and a half from him, he stretched out his hand


    and introduced himself, ¡°I¡¯m Vinson Nightshire, Mr. Parker. I¡¯ve long admired you.¡±


    Steven widened his eyes and, in open-mouthed wonder, asked, ¡°Not the Vinson Nightshire, who


    composed Clouds?


    Vinson nodded slightly and said, ¡°That¡¯s me.¡±


    Vinson had had an exclusive education. He was a bit of a jack of all trades and had dabbled in piano and


    composing.


    A few years ago, he wrote a piece for piano called Clouds, which won an international award, but he


    gave up music after that and concentrated whole heartedly on business.


    Steven and the two other men immediately viewed Vinson in a different light.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire, I¡¯m very pleased to meet you. I find Clouds very ethereal. I have the greatest admiration


    for you!¡± Steven shook Vinson¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Do you have ns to make ae-back to the music


    world?:


    Vinson shook his head and replied, ¡°That was but a hobby. I don¡¯t have much interest or time for


    composing now, but I would like to ask a favor.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it,¡± answered Steven politely, but was


    careful to add, ¡°as long as it is not to ask me to ept the previous performer as my student.¡±


    Susanne happened to be passing by. Her face darkened at what she had heard, and she returned to her


    seat.


    She began to wonder about her choice.


    Perhaps, Wendy is not so suitable for my son, after all.


    Meanwhile, Vinson boldly made his request.


    ¡°Can I ask you to stay for a few more minutes to listen to my friend¡¯s performance? I will reimburse your


    air tickets and expenses.¡±


    Steven asked hesitatingly, ¡°Your friend is performing? I hope her standard is not simr to the one just


    now.¡±


    Vinson shook his head and said, ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never heard her y. All I can say is


    that she has never disappointed me in anything.¡±


    The three men looked at one another,


    In the end, it was Steven¡¯s approval of Clouds that swung it. He nodded and said, ¡°Okay, it¡¯s just a few


    more minutes.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much,¡± replied Vinson happily.


    Vinson¡¯s rationale was simple. If the guy that Arielle was looking for was no longer at Jadeborough


    University, then an endorsement by these three well


    known pianists would equally put her name on the international scene.


    Once that happened, it did not matter where that guy was. He would no longer be able to deny Arielle¡¯s


    existence.


    Arielle was right; it was too difficult to find a needle in a haystack. It¡¯s easier to get that person toe


    looking for her.


    Marcus was surprised to see the return of Steven and his friends.


    As the principal, Marcus had been humiliated and embarrassed by what had happened earlier.


    Steven¡¯s return to see the next performance is just asking for more trouble. His critique of Wendy¡¯s


    performance was very harsh and dismissive when we all thought that she had yed well. What will he


    think of Arielle who had nevere for the rehearsal? Moreover, she¡¯s only a yer from the provinces.


    I don¡¯t mean to look down on these yers, but good pianists need heavy financial investments.


    Marcus broke out in a cold sweat just thinking about it.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    He did not want a repeat of what had happened just now. He made up his mind to quietly slip away from


    the hall while no one was watching.

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    The light in the hall was dim. There was only a spotlight on the presenter on the stage.


    Marcus was creeping away stealthily when a person suddenly came out from one of the rows and


    collided with him.


    ¡°Ouch,¡± cried Marcus, putting his hand to his aching head.


    The other person fared no better, and he breathed in sharply in agony.


    Just as Marcus was turning to go, the man tugged at his the show is over?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Marcus raised his eyes and looked straight into the eyes of Donovan!


    With help from the stage light, Donovan managed to make out who it was and spoke in surprise, ¡°Mr.


    Brown, are you okay? I thought it was a student who was trying to slip away¡­¡±


    Marcus made a shushing gesture and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m okay. Please carry on. I¡¯m making a move first.¡±


    ¡°Going off?¡± asked Donovan as he blocked his way again. ¡°Mr. Parker and his friends are here. I was


    hoping that you could make the introductions so that I can get to know them.¡±


    Steven was also a graduate of Maxwell University


    though it was a long time ago since he graduated from their Arts department.


    ¡°Oh, forget it. It¡¯s too embarrassing,¡± sighed an upset Marcus. ¡°Let me advise you not to approach him.


    I¡¯m taking the chance to slip away.¡±


    The principal¡¯s unusual behavior confused Donovan. He pulled at his sleeves again and asked seriously,


    ¡°What happened, Mr. Brown?¡±


    Seeing that he could not get rid of Donovan, Marcus said, ¡°Come with me. We¡¯ll talk outside.¡±


    Donovan hesitated for a moment but went out of the hall with Marcus nevertheless.


    It was a moonlit night with few stars. The breeze was warm in sharp contrast to the coolness of the air


    conditioned hall.


    Marcus wiped the sweat from his brows and mincing no words, said, ¡°I¡¯m sure you heard what happened


    to Wendy. Mr. Parker used her performance standard to humiliate us. And now, Vinson has somehow


    managed to persuade him to stay on for Arielle¡¯s recital.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Donovan frowned and added, ¡°What can Arielle do when Wendy couldn¡¯t make a mark with


    them?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I mean!¡± Marcus gave a long sigh.


    Donovan was momentarily silent before he uttered, ¡°I¡¯m


    going backstage right now to stop Arielleing on.¡±


    Marcus waved his hands and said, ¡°No, no. That¡¯s not good. We should not dampen her enthusiasm. Let


    it be. I¡¯m leaving first. Get in touch with me after Mr. Parker is gone.¡±


    Without waiting for an answer from Donovan, Marcus took to his heels and disappeared.


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    His speed was incredulous; not what one would expect from someone his age.


    Donovan stood there for a while, then decided again to stop Arielle from performing.


    He was no expert in the piano, but he knew enough to know of theplexities of the piece Reborn.


    If an aplished yer like Wendy had been cut down to size by Steven so humiliatingly, what chance


    does Arielle have? She will only make a fool of herself.


    Thoughts were swirling in Donovan¡¯s mind. What was Vinson thinking of! Has he any brains in his head?


    It¡¯s foolishness to ask Arielle to y in front of Mr. Parker. If he is irritated by it, how can I make his


    acquaintance?


    Donovan was getting worked up as he strode toward the hall.

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    Wendy was sobbing as she ran backstage. On the way, she passed Arielle who was on her way to the


    stage.


    Arielle had not seen the live stream when she was backstage, but she had heard what Wendy said over


    the microphone.


    It was obvious that Steven had not been impressed by Wendy¡¯s performance.


    Anyway, that has nothing to do with me.


    Their eyes met casually. Wendy gritted her teeth and hissed, ¡°Arielle, don¡¯t tter yourself. You will be no


    better than me! If Mr. Parker saw nothing in me, it¡¯s best you don¡¯t go and make a fool of yourself out


    there!¡±


    Arielle swept her eyes over Wendy and said impassively, ¡°If that¡¯s meant as a bit of kind advice why,


    thank you. Otherwise, keep it to yourself.¡±


    Wendyughed and said, ¡°So, you are still set on performing, just to show that you can beat me?¡±¡¯


    Arielle looked Wendy up and down and said calmly, ¡°I have better things to do than that!¡±


    Arielle had her reasons for performing. Firstly, to help Trisha; secondly, to get the attention of the man


    she was seeking; thirdly, for the sake of the Goddess of Hunting, the gift from Vinson.


    She could not be bothered whether she could get even with Wendy


    However, Wendy was adamant and continued, ¡°Come on! Tell me then why you have usurped Trisha¡¯s


    performance slot? Let me tell you, Arielle, Vinson may be deceived by you, but I can see your true


    colors. One day, I will expose you.¡±


    Annoyed by her persistence, Arielle plugged her ears and said coldly, ¡°I have two funerals to attend


    recently; a third one makes no difference. If you bother me anymore, I¡¯ll willingly go to yours.¡±


    ¡°How dare you?¡± Wendy spluttered red-faced.


    At this moment, Wendy¡¯s Gxy was being moved from the stage while the Goddess of Hunting, under


    the careful handling by the security, was moved onto the stage.


    Wendy gave it a cursory nce.


    The Goddess of Hunting was made of crystal. In profile, it looked like a gleaming, glittery bow. The three


    feet of the piano were different from each other. Using thetest carving technology, the feet depicted the


    beautiful love story of the Goddess of Hunting in ancient Greek mythology.


    For a moment, Wendy¡¯s attention waspletely absorbed in the Goddess of Hunting, to the extent that


    she had forgotten that she had just had a quarrel with Arielle.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Taking the chance of this lull, Arielle came to Trisha and urged in a whisper, ¡°Remember, everyone will


    see


    only the artwork, so you need not feel tense. Just do what you normally do. It does not matter if you¡¯ve


    made a mistake. I¡¯m there for you.¡±


    The words warmed Trisha¡¯s heart, and she miraculously felt a lot better.


    She nodded vigorously and said, ¡°I¡¯ll not let you down!¡±


    ¡°Good girl,¡± said Arielle as she patted her head, her eyes filled with gentle love for her.


    Vinson was just backstage and about to inform Arielle about Steven when he saw the scene. His


    handsome face fell into wretchedness.


    When will Arielle show me the same concern as she did with Trisha? Does a girl whom she has known


    for just a few days mean more to her than me?


    When he looked up from this momentary pause, he saw that Arielle had started for the stage.


    Vinson decided not to go after her.


    It¡¯s probably better not to tell Arielle about Steven; it will only worry her. Heck! Now I¡¯m the one who¡¯s


    anxious. What if Arielle¡¯s standard is not as good as I¡¯ve expected? What if Steven ridicules her as he did


    with Wendy?


    However, Vinson managed very quickly to rpose himself.


    Arielle has never let me down, and this time will be no different.

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    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 499


    Vinson looked at Arielle¡¯s departing back, then took himself off to the audience stands. I must have faith


    in her!


    Meanwhile, Donovan had got back to the hall and immediately rushed backstage.


    However, he was toote. He was just halfway there when he heard the presenter¡¯s announcement and


    saw the curtains on the stage opening.


    He stopped and looked up toward the stage.


    If Arielle let herself and the school down, I can use this as an excuse to get rid of her. Thinking about it


    now, it¡¯s not a bad thing either.


    In the audience, Steven and his friends were looking nonchntly at the stage.


    The next moment, they found their eyes drawn simultaneously to one spot.


    The girl on the stage, unlike Wendy, was not wearing some expensive formal attire. She was in a simple t


    shirt and tracksuit pants; something that was totally incongruous with a piano recital.


    Amazingly, she carried herself with such elegance and grace that, had she performed in a sack, it would


    not have seemed out of ce.


    Arielle stood facing the audience. Then, with a bow, she


    said, ¡°A big wee to everyone. I¡¯m Arielle Moore from the preparatory ss. My friend, Trisha, and I


    will be performing In the Moonlight.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Steven¡¯s eyes widened.


    In the Moonlight? Did I hear that right?


    The old man next to him sneered, ¡°These young Chanaeans are inexperienced but think they can y


    anything. In the Moonlight¡­ I dare say, Steven, that even you won¡¯t im that you have mastered it.¡±


    Steven gave an awkward cough and tried to change the subject.


    Suddenly, he saw the piano behind Arielle.


    ¡°The Goddess of Hunting!¡± cried Steven, leaping up in his excitement.


    The old man next to Steven thought that he was trying to kid him. He sneered again, ¡°Try a better one.


    What Goddess of Hunting? How can it be?¡±


    As he spoke, he turned to look at the stage.


    The next instant, he, too, almost shrieked in astonishment.


    The Goddess of Hunting!


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    It really was the Goddess of Hunting!


    I cannot be wrong about the priceless crystal and the ancient Greek-style carving. I am definitely not


    wrong!


    The three fastidious and particr old fellows gazed in stunned pleasure.


    The one arguing with Steven was the first to recover his senses. He sighed sadly, ¡°What a pity! This


    pristine piano is about to be tainted!¡±


    Steven shook his head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. This girl is different from the previous one.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± asked his friend.


    Steven rationalized, ¡°The Goddess of Hunting is something that immediately draws your attention.


    However, from the start, we were only looking at the girl and did not even notice the Goddess of Hunting.


    This is the difference between this girl and Wendy. The radiance from her outshone that from the


    Goddess of Hunting.¡±


    The old man was not convinced.


    ¡°That was only because we never thought that The Goddess of Hunting would be here.¡±


    Steven shrugged his shoulders and said, ¡°Well, let¡¯s wait and see!¡±


    He had a strong feeling about this girl. She was like no other!


    At this moment, Wendy had alsoe from backstage to the front of the stage.


    She stared coldly at the Goddess of Hunting, her eyes bright with envy.


    y! y on, Arielle! Give the worst recital on the best piano. It¡¯s only a re-arrangement of In the


    Moonlight but you are shameless enough to use its original English name!


    Arielle was ready for the performance; she moved from the center of the stage to the crystal bench.

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    The moment Arielle sat down, therge screen on the stage lit up.


    A sand painting tray and two white hands appeared on the screen.


    A hand made the ¡°OK¡± gesture, and Arielle knew that Trisha was ready.


    She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and touched the first key on the piano.


    Ting


    The sound carried both depth and an ethereal delight.


    In his seat, an excited Steven pped his hands and eximed, ¡°This is the sound!¡±


    Not many people have seen the Goddess of Hunting, but there were many recordings made. This sound


    is proof that this is indeed the real Goddess of Hunting! It can¡¯t be wrong!


    Wendy, who was by the stands, snorted.


    So what if the sound of the piano is good? In the hands of a country girl, it is casting pearls before swine.


    After the first note, the hands on the sand tray started to move. In a few strokes, a rich and vivid scene of


    fields and forest appeared.


    The audience was taken by surprise.


    A piano apaniment to sand painting was an eye opening experience.


    After the first note, Arielle¡¯s fingers danced elegantly over the keys to begin the first movement of In the


    Moonlight.


    The hall immediately resounded with the sweet, mellifluous sound of the piano.


    The sound drew the listeners soaring into the air, over hills and valleys, with the gentle breeze caressing


    their faces. It was like being carried away on a fluffy cloud where one could gaze in wonderment at the


    beauty of the earth below.


    Everyone found themselves closing their eyes and letting the music lead them into this infinite realm of


    enchantment.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    The music slowly transitioned to a deep and low cadence. It conjured up an image of day turning into


    night.


    At the same time, the scene of the long winding river on the sand tray was swept away in a stroke,


    leaving a patch of ckness.


    Soon, the hand was in action again. A full moon appeared and slowly revealed the world below. The


    music gradually tailed off.


    This was the end of the first movement.


    Wendy¡¯s eyes were wide open. She was made aware that Arielle¡¯s performance had drawn her into


    another dimension.


    Realizing this, her eyes couldn¡¯t hide her dejection, and her face was a picture of disbelief.


    In the Moonlight! This is not a new arrangement. This is the original score! How can it be? How is it that


    Arielle can y it? And to y it with such mesmerizing enchantment that even I was carried away. This


    is too spooky!


    Following on from the first movement, the ying changed from the quietly soothing to a brisk, cheerful


    tempo.


    On the screen, the hand on the sand painting tray created ady in a light chiffon dress. Thedy had a


    crescent moon on her forehead, and she gave the illusion of a moon goddess walking gracefully under


    the moonlight.


    The ying picked up to an allegro. Faster and faster the tempo went.


    Wendy felt that her whole head was captivated by the sound and that her heart might pop any minute.


    At this moment, a handsome man appeared on the sand painting tray.


    Dong! The crash of the crescendo was timed perfectly to the moment the man anddy looked into each


    other¡¯s eyes in the painting.


    Wendy¡¯s heart pounded at that instant.


    She was not the only one; the entire audience held their breath in anticipation of the man anddy


    speaking,


    No one spoke. There was only the tinkle of the piano.


    The sound of the piano spoke volumes. The audience saw theing together of two souls, from the


    meeting, knowing, and finallymitting to each other.


    Arielle wasing to thest movement.


    Thisst movement was considered the most intense and passionate of the wholeposition.


    Rate the Trantion to Get 2 Petal.


    ¡­ Wait! I Have Something to Say!

 Chapter 501

    Chapter 501


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 501


    As the sand painting began, the audience could see a vivid image¡ªthe man¡¯s country had eventually


    be a war zone.


    With the intense but smooth piano piece, they couldn¡¯t help but clench their fists and feel worried for the


    man.


    Despite the ravages of war, the man was strong-willed and finally led his people to defeat the enemies


    and win the war.


    As the people cheered for the victory, the man was suddenly shot by an arrow.


    In no time, blood sttered out from his chest.


    Meanwhile, thedy with a crescent moon mark on her forehead finally escaped from Zeus and came to


    the battlefield.


    It was a bolt from the blue for her to see the man lying in a puddle of blood.


    Bam


    An ear-piercing noise came from the piano, indicating that thedy was heartbroken and devastated.


    Eventually, the sand painting became pitch-ck, and the piano-ying also stopped.


    Toward the end, a few words appeared in the sand painting: In the Moonlight.


    With that, the entire hall fell silent, save for sobsing from the audience.


    The audience was touched by the perfectbination of the sand painting and the piano performance,


    feeling as though the story depicted by Arielle actually happened in real life.


    When Wendy opened her eyes, she realized that tears had rolled down her cheeks.


    Shocked, Wendy nced at Arielle, who was in the limelight.


    At that moment, Wendy was finally aware of the insurmountable gap between Arielle and her.


    s, Ig far behind Arielle.


    Wendy couldn¡¯t continue thinking, for her mind had gone nk. Besides, she went weak at the knees


    and copsed onto the floor.


    Meanwhile, beads of perspiration formed on Arielle¡¯s forehead. After heaving a sigh, she walked to the


    center of the stage and bowed to the audience.


    ¡°And that is the end of my performance. Thank you.¡±


    Upon hearing Arielle¡¯s words, the audience, who had been captivated by the performance, slowly came


    to their senses.


    Wendy regained herposure faster than anyone else,


    for she had a deep prejudice against Arielle.


    p! p!


    When someone began pping, everyone in the hall followed suit.


    It was so loud that even those who happened to be near the hall could hear it.


    Aftering to his senses, Steven yelled excitedly, ¡°Incredible! Incredible!¡±


    Steven was surprised to listen to the live version of In the Moonlight. All the more so, he was impressed


    by the performance, for it was even better than the piece recorded by the most prominent pianist in the


    Meanwhile, two musicians who stood next to Steven also calmed themselves down. Instantly, one of


    themmended, ¡°Genius! She must be a genius! Who is she? I want to rope her in as my disciple.¡±


    ¡°Rope her in as your disciple?¡± Another musician shouted, ¡°I want to be her disciple!¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    ¡°Out of my way!¡± Steven pushed them aside and ran toward the stage.


    The next moment, he kneeled before Arielle and shouted, ¡°Miss, please ept me as your disciple! I¡¯m


    willing to do everything I can in exchange for learning from you!¡±


    The audience in the hall was stunned.


    Are we seeing things?


    The prominent pianist Steven is kneeling before Arielle and begging her to ept him as her disciple?


    Just then, the other two pianists also rushed to the stage and kneeled before her, for they refused to be


    left out.


    Although the prominent pianists weren¡¯t from Chanaea, they knew it was the country¡¯s culture for a


    disciple to kneel before his master.


    All the more so, they thought it was worthy to kneel before the talented girl.


    Wendy turned pale and shivered uncontrobly at the scene.


    She was shocked that Steven and the other musicians who snorted at her would kneel before Arielle.


    As such, Wendy thought it was a huge p in her face.

 Chapter 502

    Chapter 502


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 502


    Why? Wendy wanted to vent her dissatisfaction with the unfair treatment, but she was too weak to utter a


    word.


    Just then, Wendy noticed that Vinson was walking toward her.


    As if Vinson was herst hope, she lifted her hand in the hope that he would help her up.


    However, Vinson merely nced at her calmly before he walked past her and went up to the stage.


    As soon as Vinson walked past Wendy, she heard him saying, ¡°Tsk, she wasted my Sennhein.¡±


    Instantly, Wendy blushed in embarrassment.


    While Wendy was too weak to argue with him, Vinson didn¡¯t give her the chance to say a word either.


    Instead, he ignored her and walked straight toward Arielle.


    Meanwhile, Arielle was surprised as she had been unaware that the prominent Steven and the other two


    musicians were there to watch her show.


    All the more so, she was shocked when the three of them kneeled before her together.


    When Arielle was still clueless, Vinson suddenly said, ¡°Arielle, why are you standing there for? These


    three professionals came all the way to watch your performance and are even kneeling before you now,


    so


    you should ept their request.¡±


    With that, Steven and the rest cast a grateful nce at Vinson.


    Arielle wasn¡¯t sure why Vinson asked her to ept their request.


    After all, it didn¡¯t make sense for her to ept such prominent musicians as her disciples.


    Nheless, she knew that Vinson had a n when he asked her to do so.


    Hence, Arielle stopped hesitating about it and said with a nod, ¡°All right. Please stand up.¡±


    With that, she immediately helped them up.


    The three prominent musicians were delighted and almost burst into dance when Arielle agreed to their


    request.


    But their stiff bodies forbade them from doing so, so they only bowed to Arielle repeatedly and began


    introducing themselves.


    Meanwhile, the students downstairs began cheering, for


    Arielle salvaged not only the pride of their university but also Chanaea¡¯s pianist circle.


    With Arielle¡¯s world-ss performance, Chanaea¡¯s pianist circle could finally get rid of its bad reputation


    brought about by Wendy.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Hence, all of them felt proud of having such an outstanding college mate.


    ¡°Boohoo¡­ I can¡¯t help but cry. Arielle will be my goddess from today onward!¡±


    ¡°I guess no one will oppose it if we proim Arielle as the top goddess of our university, right?¡±


    ¡°By the way, has anyone noticed her Goddess of Hunting? It¡¯s the real deal! Well, she¡¯s the only one who


    deserves it!¡±


    ¡°Those who imed that the Goddess of Hunting is fake must feel a hard p in their faces right now.¡±


    ¡°It hurts, but I love it! I¡¯m willing to get a few more ps in my face from her!¡±.


    The merry atmosphere spread across the hall in no time.


    In a secluded corner, Donovan stood still with an unreadable expression.


    Deep down, Donovan knew that he would benefit from it when Arielle¡¯s talent was recognized by Steven


    and other prominent pianists.


    He believed that he would gain respect from everyone once he introduced himself as Arielle¡¯s homeroom


    teacher to the three prominent musicians.


    However, he didn¡¯t feel excited for some reason.


    Donovan couldn¡¯t help but punch his face to ascertain if he was dreaming


    ¡°Hiss¡­¡± The next moment, he withdrew his hand in pain.


    It hurts! I¡¯m not hallucinating!


    Arielle proved me wrong once again!


    As Donovan¡¯s expression turned grim, his phone suddenly rang.

 Chapter 503

    Chapter 503


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 503


    Who is calling me at this hour?


    Donovan massaged his temples to soothe his headache. Refused to see Arielle¡¯s arrogance on the


    stage, he left the hall and answered the phone.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    Immediately, a lecturer said over the phone excitedly, ¡°Don, I¡¯ve sent your mathematical solutions to a


    few directors of Maxwell University, and they are impressed! So, please work hard on your thesis. I heard


    that they might lower the standards of obtaining the certificate for you. Instead of sending three students


    to Maxwell University, they might lower it down to one student. So, your thesis will be of utmost


    importance!¡±


    Delighted, Donovan replied, ¡°All right, sir. I¡¯ll work hard on it!¡±


    ¡°Okay. Also, do you remember that I mentioned a senior who¡¯s good at advanced math? Get her help as


    soon as possible, and you¡¯llplete your thesis smoothly.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Donovan¡¯s hand shook visibly after the call ended.


    I was supposed to send three students to Maxwell University to get the certificate. Once I pass my


    thesis, I only need to send one student. That¡¯s good news! However¡­


    Donovan¡¯s countenance fell again, for he knew that he had the opportunity only because of Arielle.


    Instead of feeling delighted about the news, he was inexplicably upset and even disgusted for some


    reason.


    He had the same feelings in the hall earlier on. It was as if he had stolen from Arielle for his self-interest.


    Donovan shut his eyes and took a deep breath. After regaining hisposure, he slowly opened his


    eyes.


    Arielle won¡¯t know about it anyway. Besides, who knows if she only happened toe up with the


    mathematical solutions?


    Since I¡¯m Arielle¡¯s lecturer, why can¡¯t I use her work? After all, my students¡¯ work is the same as mine


    because I¡¯ve taught them.


    Donovan felt a lot more relieved at the thought.


    Since the board of directors valued him, he didn¡¯t have to return to the hall to greet Steven and the other


    musicians.


    Meanwhile, Susanne was in a trance even after Steven and the other musicians left the hall.


    She was deeply drenched in the melody yed by Arielle and couldn¡¯te to her senses yet.


    Deep down, she remembered only one man who had superb piano skills like Arielle¡ªMaureen¡¯s


    husband.


    Back then, Maureen¡¯s piano skills improved tremendously with the man¡¯s tutoring.


    He couldn¡¯t possibly teach Arielle because she doesn¡¯t even know him.


    In that case, it¡¯s possible that Arielle is his child.


    Susanne felt shocked but tempted to know more at the same time.


    After all these years, Susanne didn¡¯t know the man¡¯s whereabouts and whether his family punished


    Maureen and her child.


    They say parents would never harm their children. What if the family didn¡¯t get rid of Maureen¡¯s child but


    epted her instead? If that¡¯s true, does it mean that I lost the perfect daughter-inw?


    After hesitating for a while, Susanne finally decided to give up on that idea due to her fear.


    The Nightshire family is more than enough. I don¡¯t have to take the risk to build a rtionship with that


    family.


    As Susanne pondered over it, she suddenly heard Wendy¡¯s sobbing near her.

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    Chapter 504


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 504


    ¡°Boohoo¡­ Mrs. Nightshire, I don¡¯t understand why Mr. Parker and the other musicians value Arielle so


    much but ignore me. Will my effort all these years turn into nothing? Am I no match for Arielle in all


    aspects? Am I that unlikeable? Boohoo¡­¡±


    Wendyy on Susanne¡¯sp and began crying.


    Despite her fake cry, Wendy was indeed upset.


    At that moment, she could only seek sce from Susanne because she couldn¡¯t get any from Vinson.


    Arielle¡¯s superb piano skills mean nothing since Susanne has set her mind on me!


    The more convinced Wendy was, the louder she cried.


    Before that, Susanne was conflicted and intended to back Wendy anyway. But when Wendy cried non-


    stop, she suddenly felt impatient.


    Moreover, Susanne felt embarrassed when she recalled that Steven taunted Wendy on the stage earlier.


    At that moment, a thought shed through Susanne¡¯s mind.


    Would I not be embarrassed if my future daughter-inw is Arielle instead? There is no doubt that the


    answer is yes.


    Meanwhile, Wendy felt slightly puzzled, for Susanne didn¡¯tfort her even though she had gone all out


    to


    ¡°Boohoo¡­ Mrs. Nightshire, I don¡¯t understand why Mr. Parker and the other musicians value Arielle so


    much but ignore me. Will my effort all these years turn into nothing? Am I no match for Arielle in all


    aspects? Am I that unlikeable? Boohoo¡­¡±


    Wendyy on Susanne¡¯sp and began crying.


    Despite her fake cry, Wendy was indeed upset.


    At that moment, she could only seek sce from Susanne because she couldn¡¯t get any from Vinson.


    Arielle¡¯s superb piano skills mean nothing since Susanne has set her mind on me!


    The more convinced Wendy was, the louder she cried.


    Before that, Susanne was conflicted and intended to back Wendy anyway. But when Wendy cried non-


    stop, she suddenly felt impatient.


    Moreover, Susanne felt embarrassed when she recalled that Steven taunted Wendy on the stage earlier.


    At that moment, a thought shed through Susanne¡¯s mind.


    Would I not be embarrassed if my future daughter-inw is Arielle instead? There is no doubt that the


    answer is yes.


    Meanwhile, Wendy felt slightly puzzled, for Susanne didn¡¯tfort her even though she had gone all out


    to cry.


    When Wendy looked up at Susanne, she saw her frowning. Instead of the usual endearing warmth on


    Susanne¡¯s face, all Wendy could see was impatience.


    Wendy was shocked, and her mind went nk.


    Why is Susanne reacting in such a way?


    As fear rose in Wendy, her lips twitched.


    If Susanne loses her fondness for me, I¡¯ll have no chance to marry into the Nightshires!


    Wendy¡¯s face turned pale at that thought. The next moment, tears streamed down her face


    uncontrobly.


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire¡­¡± Wendy tried very hard to regain herposure as she asked, ¡°What is going on?¡±.


    Deep down, Wendy wanted to know what was on Susanne¡¯s mind when thetter behaved as such.


    Noticing Wendy¡¯s fear, Susanne came to her senses and shed Wendy an embarrassed smile. ¡°I¡¯m


    okay. I was only thinking about something. Don¡¯t cry. Your piano skills are better than most people. Your


    efforts won¡¯t be wasted. Mr. Parker only gave those remarks because he is the top pianist in the world.


    On the other hand, an ordinary pianist will definitely appreciate your talent.¡±


    Although Wendy nodded in response, she didn¡¯t listen to Susanne¡¯s words at all, for she was focused on


    reading


    Susanne¡¯s facial expression.


    Nheless, Wendy couldn¡¯t read Susanne¡¯s mind after observing her for a while.


    Susanne might be slightly dissatisfied with me after Steven taunted me.


    Wendy forced herself not to overthink it. The next moment, she pretended to look obedient and


    determined as she said to Susanne, ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Nightshire. However, I admit that I¡¯ve embarrassed


    you. From now on, I¡¯ll work even harder!¡±


    After a while, Wendy added, ¡°The first monthly test is around the corner. Mrs. Nightshire, I promise to get


    the first ce and work hard to be enrolled at Maxwell University!¡±


    Maxwell University isn¡¯t a ce for ordinary people.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    To put things into perspective, even my son Vinson devoted a lot of time and effort to be enrolled at the


    university.


    If Wendy can study there, I can still consider epting her as my future daughter-inw.


    Fortunately, Wendy is unaware that I¡¯m thinking about giving up on her!


    Feeling slightly better, Susanne blinked and asked Wendy for confirmation, ¡°What do you think the odds


    of you being enrolled at the university are?¡±

 Chapter 505

    Chapter 505


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 505


    Wendy shook her head, faking confusion.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. But Mr. Baxter said I have the highest possibility to enter the university within the entire


    ss.¡±


    ¡°Excellent!¡± She didn¡¯t need to consider Arielle as a risk then, with Wendy¡¯s words.


    After hesitating for two seconds, Susanne couldn¡¯t suppress her curiosity and asked, ¡°Do you know the


    probability of Arielle making it into Maxwell University?¡±


    Wendy¡¯s expression froze. Her fists clenched tightly. I knew it! There¡¯s no way Susanne will show that


    expression to me. So the reason is Arielle. She¡¯s actually considering that bumpkin, Arielle? Merely for


    that ridiculous song, In the Moonlight?


    Dang!


    At that moment, Wendy almost had a mental breakdown. She tried her best to mask her frozen


    expression. Finally, she shook her head andughed dryly.


    ¡°Ms. Stone, are you joking? Mr. Baxter had warned that she would be removed from his ss if she


    didn¡¯t make it into the top twenty. She might not even be studying in Jadeborough University after the


    monthly exam.¡±


    A sense of guilt rose within Wendy due to the warning by Vinson. But if I don¡¯t put it that way, I won¡¯t be


    able to stop Susanne¡®s thoughts toward Arielle. She saw Susanne let out a sigh and shake her


    head. There was a sh of disgust in thetter¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°One¡¯s learning environment is still important.¡± Susanne made her point without further borating. She


    didn¡¯t continue her interest in Arielle but focused all her attention on Wendy. The night darkened. Arielle


    had barely managed to escape from Steven¡¯s enthusiasm as she tugged Vinson to an empty


    corner. She whispered, ¡°Why do you ask me to take on Steven?¡±


    Vinson¡®s cheeks blushed pink at Arielle¡¯s closeness. She was so close that he could even count the


    number of eyshes she had. Arielle didn¡¯t get a response from Vinson for a while.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    She tilted her head and asked puzzledly, ¡°Did you hear me?¡±


    An unconscious movement from her closed the gap between them further. Vinson was swallowing the


    saliva in his mouth nervously. The thoughts of kissing her kept popping up in his mind.


    ¡°Vinson! Vinson!¡± Arielle called. Finally, she patted his head to snap him out of his train of thought.


    Vinson¡¯s mind nked out for a moment at the impact he felt on his head.


    However, he managed to collect himself. Taking a step back, he didn¡¯t dare to look at Arielle anymore.


    He was afraid he would lose control and do something to her. Vinson coughed dryly into his fist and


    shifted his gaze from Arielle.


    ¡°I heard you the first time. There¡¯s no need to get violent with me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Arielle chuckled awkwardly and muttered, ¡°I¡¯m not the one that¡¯s spacing out.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t! I was just¡­ Maybe I¡¯m just suffering from a mild case of heat stroke.¡± Vinson let out another


    cough and asked, ¡°What were you asking before?¡±. Arielle let out a resigned sigh and repeated.


    ¡°I asked why would you ask me to take on Steven?¡± Vinson shrugged.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want the guy you¡¯re searching for to notice you? The whole world will know of you once you


    take Steven Parker on as your student.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Arielle was panicking. She didn¡¯t want the whole world to know her. What was she going to do if


    her other identities were revealed?


    At that thought, she suddenly remembered that Henrick¡¯s matter would be resolved soon, so she didn¡¯t


    need to hide anymore. Arielle sighed. ¡°I hope the n works.¡± At that moment, Arielle¡¯s phone rang. It


    was a call from Henrick.

 Chapter 507

    Chapter 507


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 507


    He sat up straight abruptly. The grasp he had on his phone quivered with an expression of disbelief on


    his face.


    It was the first time the two women had seen such an expression on him. They leaned in for a closer look


    at his phone.


    They merely saw the beautiful face of a girl on the screen. Her beauty gave a strong impression, carving


    her every detail into their memory.


    The two women eximed, ¡°This girl is so beautiful! Do you know her, Aaron?¡±


    Aaron didn¡¯t reply to them, but the corners of his mouth curled up into a smile.


    He was too busy recently that he forgot about the kitten he met in Chanaea.


    Unexpectedly, his kitten was proficient in diffusing bombs and piano.


    Perfect! As expected of my kitten indeed!


    He rose from his luxurious throne-like chair and made a call as he paced, ignoring the two women.


    ¡°That girl in Chanaea I¡¯ve asked you to find out. Why haven¡¯t I received anything on her yet?¡±


    The subordinate on the receiving end answered respectfully, ¡°Mr. Aaron, I have sent you a copy of the


    findings to your mailbox. I¡¯ll send you another copy.¡±


    The call ended, and Aaron soon received a new mail.


    The email hadbeled the girl¡¯s previous resume and hertest whereabouts.


    ¡°Jadeborough University.¡± Another smile curled on Aaron¡¯s lips.


    To his surprise, she had a rough past. She was kidnapped and sold to a rural town when she was


    younger, but she made her way back to Jadeborough. She is the epitome of a damsel in distress waiting


    for my rescue.


    Aaron left his castle-like house and got in his car. However, two bodyguards stopped him before he could


    drive off.


    ¡°Apologies, Mr. Aaron. We were ordered not to let you leave.¡±


    Aaron frowned. ¡°Why?¡±


    The bodyguards exchanged nces. ¡°The Duke was not satisfied with the way you implemented your


    last mission. So, you¡¯re ordered to stay at home till the coboration with the Duke ends, for the Duke


    fears you might mess it up.¡±


    The creases on Aaron¡¯s forehead deepened.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to look for the Duke. I¡¯m helping him


    search for a pianist. Didn¡¯t he like ying the piano? I¡¯ll bring her to meet him.¡±


    The bodyguards stand firm with their decision. ¡°Apologies, Mr. Aaron. You can¡¯t leave.¡±


    Aaron¡¯s face darkened.


    These two have decent skills. I can overpower them and escape if I try my hardest. But the problem is I


    will definitely get caught.


    After a brief hesitation, Aaron said, ¡°Bring me to him. I¡¯ll talk to him myself.¡±


    Arielle asked around and found out Donovan was in the lecturers¡¯ dorm.


    She couldn¡¯t reach Donovan through her phone, so she came looking for him. She knocked on his door.


    If she didn¡¯t apply for leave before her departure, Donovan would find fault with her once shees


    back.


    Donovan had changed into his pajamas, ready to turn in for the night in his room. He was experiencing


    insomnia recently. He needed at least two hours of shut-eye before he could fall asleep.


    Unexpectedly, someone knocked on his door. He got up from the bed annoyingly to greet histe-night


    visitor.


    Aplicated look arose on his face, seeing Arielle outside his door.


    He didn¡¯t understand his feelings toward her.


    However, he could feel something blossoming deep within a corner of his heart when he saw her


    knocking on his doorte at night.


    That feeling made him anxious and scared.


    Donovan¡¯s face turned hostile. ¡°What are you doing in front of my room sote at night?¡±


    His words made him realize the peculiarity of Arielle¡¯s arrival.


    The kind which could induce dirty thoughts.


    But all Donovan felt was glee.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

 Chapter 508

    Chapter 508


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 508


    Arielle didn¡¯t expect the first words out of Donovan¡¯s mouth to be so rude.


    The respect she had for him was slowly reducing to dust.


    Arielle frowned, wanting to exin but said nothing in the end.


    A fight with that kind of person was merely a waste of time and energy.


    She ignored his words as though he never said them in the first ce and asked politely instead,


    upholding her upbringing. ¡°Mr. Baxter, I want to apply for leave for a day tomorrow. Please approve.¡±


    Donovan wrinkled his nose irritably while a sh of disappointment crossed his mind.


    He scolded. ¡°It has only been a few days since the term has started, and you¡¯re applying for leave


    already. If you don¡¯t want to study, then quit. There¡¯s no need for you to use such tactics.¡±


    Arielle retorted casually, ¡°It¡¯s not because I don¡¯t want to study. Tomorrow is my sister¡¯s funeral. Please


    approve my leave.¡±


    Donovan was stunned for a short second then was embarrassed.


    He hadn¡¯t thought of that possibility.


    But how would I know her words to be true?


    Many students had applied for leave with all kinds of excuses. Many had lied, saying their grandparents


    had passed away. So Arielle could be lying as well.


    Donovan asked coldly, ¡°How would I know you¡¯re not lying? You can apply for leave, but you need to give


    me your sister¡¯s death certificate.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Anger rolled through Arielle. It was her first time encountering such an unreasonable lecturer.


    However, she still didn¡¯t want to fight despite being angry. It was pointless to gain the upper hand through


    verbal dispute.


    ¡°Since you don¡¯t approve, then I will get it from the principal once I return.¡±


    Arielle turned to leave.


    ¡°Arielle Moore!¡±


    Donovan hadn¡¯t thought Arielle would leave without begging him. He felt disrespected as a lecturer.


    ¡°Arielle!¡± he shouted again.


    But her steps didn¡¯t falter.


    Seeing her back slowly disappear at the stairs, he began panicking, and so he threatened, ¡°If you dare to


    leave, I¡¯ll bring the principal to your house and expel you in


    front of your parents tomorrow.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s steps finally halted.


    Donovan released a relieved sigh, he was about to say something when he saw her head turn slowly,


    and there was solely coldness in those eyes of hers. He didn¡¯t dare to meet her gaze.


    Not giving him a chance to speak, Arielle turned her head back and continued forward. This time her


    pace had quickened. Her back soon disappeared in Donovan¡¯s eyes.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    Donovan was rooted in ce in shock for a few seconds.


    I was shocked by the look my student gave me.


    A huge wave of humiliation engulfed him.


    ¡°F**k!¡± he cursed, anger shot through him.


    He would bring the principal to visit Arielle¡¯s house tomorrow and expose her lie.


    He would use that chance to expel Arielle for good so that she would finally be gone from Jadeborough


    University and away from his sight.


    This is the price! The price for the look in her eyes!


    Arielle sat silently in Vinson¡¯s car.


    Even though she didn¡¯t fight with Donovan, her mood was affected.


    How did this kind of person manage to graduate from Maxwell University? I graduated from Maxwell


    University with a degree in Education, so I¡¯m well aware of the difficulty in obtaining the certificate of


    degree and the teaching certificate of Maxwell University.


    He must have found a loophole.


    Vinson noticed something was wrong with Arielle, but he didn¡¯t ask since she didn¡¯t say anything. He


    guessed it was probably rted to Donovan.


    When they almost reached the Southall residence, he finally asked, ¡°Do I need to make Donovan


    disappear?¡±

 Chapter 509

    Chapter 509


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 509


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    Arielle was stunned upon hearing Vinson¡¯s words. A momentter, she shook her head vigorously.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡±


    Vinson raised a brow and asked again, ¡°Are you sure? It¡¯s not hard to make him disappear from your


    sight.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Arielle nodded as she turned away to gaze out of the car window.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to do much to make him disappear too, but anyway, I¡¯m not here to study for a long term. As


    long as I find the person I want, I¡¯ll leave and never see him again. I can still stand him if he doesn¡¯t piss


    me off for the time being.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Vinson nodded. ¡°Just let me know when you¡¯re sick of him. Don¡¯t forget that we¡¯re married


    now. You can always rely on me.


    Arielle¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she turned to look at Vinson¡¯s face. Suddenly, the annoyance in her


    heart vanished.


    ¡°Okay.¡± She nodded. Her gaze softened.


    So, this is how it feels like to have a backup.


    Subconsciously, the corners of Arielle¡¯s lips curled into a smile.


    Soon, they arrived at the Southall residence.


    Arielle headed straight into the living room while Vinson went to park his car.


    The living room was brightly lit.


    Right then, Malorie was enjoying her tea in the living room. She looked very different from how she was a


    few days ago. She was energetic, and there was not a single sign of sickness on her face.


    Coincidentally, the effects of Arielle¡¯s drugssted for only a few days, so they were going to wear off


    soon.


    ¡°Grandma.¡± A warm and obedient smile appeared on Arielle¡¯s face.


    As soon as Malorie lifted her eyes, her eyes turned cold. She stared at Arielle sternly and asked, ¡°Where


    is it?¡±


    Arielle was confused. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Just then, Henrick walked out of the kitchen with a bowl of soup. He looked at Arielle and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t I


    ask you to buy Grandma¡¯s favorite cookies? Where are the cookies?¡±


    It was only then Arielle remembered about that matter. She had forgotten about it just now after what had


    happened with Donovan.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Grandma!¡± She immediately apologized.


    However, Malorie refused to listen. She struck the ground with her cane furiously, yelling, ¡°Rick, look at


    your daughter! She doesn¡¯t even have a ce for me in her heart! Why did you bring her back in the first


    ce? She¡¯s just as disrespectful as her mom. You should let


    her stay in the vige forever!¡±


    Arielle lowered her head. A murderous expression shed across her cold eyes, but she tried her best to


    suppress her anger.


    Frowned, Henrick walked toward her. ¡°Sannie, I¡¯ve asked you to buy the cookies. Why would you forget


    it?¡±


    Arielle did not lift her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Sorry? Do you think you can get away with that?¡± Malorie snorted. ¡°I need to teach you a lesson, so you


    won¡¯t forget about what the elders say next time! Go and kneel in front of Shandie¡¯s memorial tonight!


    Don¡¯t even try to sleep!¡±


    ¡°Mom¡­¡± Henrick found Malorie¡¯s words unbearable, so he tried to advise, ¡°Sannie still has sses


    tomorrow. What if her legs hurt tomorrow? How about I ask the housekeeper to go and buy the cookies


    for you now? As for Sannie,e over and give your grandma a massage, okay?¡±


    ¡°No way!¡±


    ¡°No way!¡±


    Two voices piped up at the same time.


    One of them came out of Malorie¡¯s mouth while the another echoed from the doorway.

 Chapter 510

    Chapter 510


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 510


    Subconsciously, everyone in the living room turned around to look in the direction of the doorway.


    Henrick froze as soon as he saw Vinson. He was surprised and terrified at the same time. I wonder how


    much Vinson has heard from the conversation just now. What if he gets annoyed because he wants to


    protect Arielle? Will he get angry with me too?


    As soon as he tried to greet Vinson, Vinson broke the silence with a cold voice, ¡°Why does she have to


    massage for that rude old hag? Henrick, is this how Arielle spends her days in your house?¡±


    Malorie furrowed her brows as she looked at Vinson.


    The next second, her eyes suddenly glinted.


    That was the most handsome young man she had ever encountered before. Moreover, Vinson exuded a


    noble aura that was simr to Maureen¡¯s. Malorie happened to like that temperament a lot.


    She then replied with a voice of displeasure, ¡°Who are you calling an old hag? Who the heck are you?


    Can you stay out of our family businesses?¡±


    Henrick¡¯s face turned pale. He rushed over to hold her down. ¡°Mom, that¡¯s enough. H-He is Mr.


    Nightshire. Mr. Nightshire, I¡¯m deeply sorry. She has just recovered from her illness, so she¡¯s still in a bad


    mood. She¡¯s not like this usually¡­¡±


    ¡°Rick, why do you have to exin to him? Mr.


    Nightshire? Who¡¯s that? Jadeborough is your turf. You have nothing to be afraid of in your own territory!


    Chase him out right now!¡± Malorie ordered haughtily.


    Malorie had not seen much in her life. Besides, Henrick was prideful and liked to boast a lot. Hence,


    Malorie thought that he was the most powerful man in Jadeborough.


    Henrick broke out in a cold sweat. That was the first time he regretted bringing Malorie over to the


    mansion.


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    Terrified, he turned around to gaze at Vinson.


    However, Vinson remained expressionless. Seeing that, Henrick was even more horrified.


    Meanwhile, Malorie was still urging him to make a move. ¡°What are you waiting for, Rick? Chase that


    ridiculous man out!¡±


    What¡¯s going on? Why is that young man trying to chime in our family issue? Malorie fell into her


    thoughts. A momentter, she finally came to her senses. There¡¯s no way that anyone will appear all of a


    sudden to stand up for Arielle unless he has something to do with her!


    Malorie pped her thigh and shouted, ¡°You little vixen! How dare you start seducing men at such a


    young age! You even brought him home to create a fuss, huh? I can¡¯t imagine what kind of woman you¡¯ll


    turn into in the future. I won¡¯t let you get away easily today!¡±


    Then, she stretched out her arm, trying to give Arielle a p.


    However, as soon as she raised her hand, two other hands took her wrist in unison.


    Malorie lifted her eyes and noticed that Vinson and Henrick were trying to stop her.


    ¡°Rick, what are you doing?¡± Malorie stared at Henrick in disbelief. She did not understand the reason


    why he stopped her from hitting Arielle.


    Henrick was utterly frightened. He could not bear to let her stay there any longer, so he turned around


    and shouted at the butler, ¡°Alfred, Mrs. Southall needs some rest. Bring her back to her room now!¡±


    With that, Alfred instantly called for two bodyguards.


    They walked forward to drag Malorie up to the second floor.


    ¡°What are you guys doing? Let me go!¡± Malorie struggled with all her might, but the bodyguards¡¯ grips


    were too strong


    Soon, she lost all of her energy. Before heading up the stairs, she turned in the direction of the living


    room and matched up Arielle¡¯s eyes.


    Although her gaze was dark and calm, it was icy-cold. The sight of it was terrifying.


    Malorie could not help but tremble in fear. What¡¯s wrong with her gaze? Is that how a child from the


    countryside behaves?


    Before she could look at Arielle¡¯s eyes again, the bodyguards had already brought her up to the second


    floor. They brought her into the room and locked her up.

 Chapter 511

    Chapter 511


    After going back to her room, Malorie was still in a state of shock. Arielle¡¯s gaze was too terrifying! That


    looks so much like Cindy¡¯s.


    Suddenly, goosebumps crawled all over her body. She also decided to chase Arielle away as soon as


    possible. That little minx! I can¡¯t let her stay any longer in our house.


    As soon as Malorie regained her sense, she rushed forward to the door to knock on the door intensely.


    ¡°Open the door! Open the door! I want to see Rick! I need to talk to him!¡±


    The bodyguard who guarded outside the room stuck his ear to the door and said, ¡°Mrs. Southall,


    please don¡¯t make this hard for us. ording to Mr. Southall¡¯s order, you¡¯re not allowed to go anywhere


    now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m his mom! If you don¡¯t open the door now, I¡¯ll fire all of you!¡±


    However, the bodyguard only responded with a short sentence, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Malorie started to panic and paced in circles. She had left her phone in the living room, so she could


    not contact Henrick right then.


    Had Henrick lost his mind? Why did he lock me up for Arielle and that uncivilized man? Malorie was


    utterly confused.


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    ¡°Hey! Open the door¡­¡±


    Meanwhile, Henrick lowered his head with an awkwardugh. Sweats appeared on his forehead as he


    pulled Arielle over. ¡°Sannie, tell Mr. Nightshire that your Grandma isn¡¯t always like this. She has been


    treating you nicely all along.¡±


    ¡°Treating me nicely?¡± Arielle stared into Henrick¡¯s eyes.


    Feeling a little guilty, Henrick turned away to avoid her gaze. ¡°Sannie, don¡¯t put me in a difficult position,


    okay? You can¡¯t deny that I¡¯m always nice toward you, right?¡±


    Arielle snorted under her breath, but she continued to put on an obedient expression. She looked at


    Vinson, letting out a sigh. ¡°Vinson, forget about it. Grandma is old now. I don¡¯t want to me her, so


    don¡¯t you take that to heart too.¡±


    In other words, she was hinting that Malorie did not treat her well. With that, she could also get herself


    some benefits.


    Vinson instantly understood what she meant. He turned around to re at Henrick with a frosty look.


    ¡°Mr. Southall, Arielle is always a good girl. Because of her personality, she always gets bullied by


    others. I thought that you would protect her since you¡¯re her father. Unfortunately, she gets mistreated


    even in her house. How can I not worry about her if this is the case?¡±


    Henrick¡¯s heart dropped upon hearing how Vinson addressed him.


    After all, Vinson had not paid him for the renovation cost for Southall Group yet.


    Henrick got so panicked that his face flushed red. Nervously, he asked, ¡°T-Then, Mr. Nightshire, how


    are we going to settle this?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s simple.¡± Vinson raised a brow. ¡°Just prove to me that you¡¯ll take care of Arielle properly in the


    future.¡±


    Henrick was puzzled. ¡°How am I going to prove that?¡±


    Vinson tilted his head toward the direction of the backyard. ¡°From what I know, you gave ten percent of


    your shares to Shandie when she was eighteen. Now that Shandie is gone, and since Arielle doesn¡¯t


    have any shares with her yet, how about¡­¡±


    Henrick replied before Vinson finished his sentence, ¡°I¡¯ll go get the agreement to transfer Shandie¡¯s


    shares to Arielle right now!¡±


    However, Vinson shook his head in a displeased manner. ¡°Isn¡¯t that too little? Arielle is also your


    biological daughter. Even Shandie gets ten percent ofpany shares. Don¡¯t you think you should give


    her another ten percent in that case?¡±


    Henrick¡¯s face darkened upon hearing that. If he gave another ten percent of thepany shares to


    Arielle, she would have twenty percent in total.


    Twenty percent is not a small amount! He gulped.

 Chapter 512

    Chapter 512


    After all, even Cindy got only twenty percent of thepany shares.


    If that happened, Arielle would have the same amount of shares as Cindy.


    Henrick was reluctant to do so. After all, Arielle was going to get married and leave the house in the


    end. However, her wife¡¯s shares would still belong to him.


    Suddenly, Vinson said with a cold voice while Henrick was still hesitating, ¡°You seem reluctant, huh?


    Does that mean that you don¡¯t care much about Arielle? If that¡¯s the case, the cost for your building¡­¡±


    He did not finish his sentence, but Henrick clearly knew that Vinson would never pay him if he refused


    to transfer twenty percent of thepany shares to Arielle.


    That was Henrick¡¯s weakest spot, so he had no choice but to give in. He gritted his teeth and


    responded, ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll give twenty percent of thepany shares


    to Sannie!¡±


    ¡°Great. Let¡¯s sign the agreement now,¡± Vinson ordered.


    He was worried that Henrick would change his mindter since thetter was a petty man.


    In fact, that was what Henrick nned to do. However, he had no choice but to do it immediately since


    Vinson had already mentioned that.


    After pondering for a moment, Henrick thought about Cindy. I gifted her twenty percent of the shares


    when we just got married. Well. It¡¯s time for me to take it back now.


    He rolled his eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯ll transfer Shandie¡¯s shares to Sannie tonight. Then, I¡¯ll bring Cindy here


    after Shandie¡¯s funeral tomorrow so that I can take the remaining ten percent out from Cindy¡¯s shares.


    So, can I transfer Cindy¡¯s shares to Sannie tomorrow?¡±


    Vinson¡¯s expression was grim. ¡°Mr. Southall, I¡¯m not bargaining with you.¡±


    With that said, an imposing aura from Vinson washed over Henrick like waves.


    Henrick¡¯s legs went weak upon hearing that. However, he was really obsessed with hispany


    shares, so he mustered up the courage to defend his point. He turned around to Arielle and said,


    ¡°Sannie, can you try to persuade Mr. Nightshire? I¡¯ll definitely give you the shares. After all, you¡¯re the


    only child left. Of course that I¡¯ll treat you like a treasure!¡±


    Arielle looked obedient, but she was impassive in her heart. She pulled Vinson¡¯s sleeve and said,


    ¡°Forget about it, Vinson. He cares about me a lot. Grandma is sick these days, so Dad has no choice


    but to take more care of her. Moreover, he already said he¡¯ll give me the shares after Aunt Cindy¡¯s back


    tomorrow. Right, Dad?¡±


    Henrick nodded. I¡¯m d that Arielle¡¯s not a smart one. She¡¯s not the aggressive and pushy type of


    person.


    ¡°See? Dad has promised to do so. Let¡¯s not talk about it anymore.¡± Arielle pulled Vinson¡¯s sleeves


    again, but harder this time.


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    Vinson knew that she was telling the truth, so he had no choice but to agree with that.


    Soon after, Henrick came back with the contract. Arielle and he signed the agreement together.


    With that, Shandie¡¯s shares will be transferred to Arielle.


    After making sure that there was nothing wrong with the contract, Vinson said, ¡°All right. Transfer the


    rest of the shares to Arielle after the funeral tomorrow. It¡¯ste now. Arielle, let¡¯s go back to the room.¡±


    Henrick immediately replied, ¡°Yes. Go and get some rest. You guys still have to wake up early


    tomorrow.¡±


    Then, he pushed Arielle to the stairs while Vinson followed behind them.


    As they arrived at the bedroom door, Arielle realized that Vinson was going to sleep in the same room


    as her


    She lowered her voice and asked, ¡°Why did you follow me here? Go and tell my dad that you¡¯re


    sleeping in the guest room tonight!¡±

 Chapter 513

    Chapter 513


    Whenever Vinson slept beside her, his presence made Arielle slightly ufortable. At the same time,


    there was an indescribable feeling that swept through her. I can¡¯t let Vinson sleep beside me!


    ¡°I was nning to sleep in the guest room.¡± He nced at Arielle before exining, ¡°I just obtained the


    shares for you, so it would be suspicious for me to sleep in a separate room. Or else, your father would


    get suspicious about us.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Arielle hesitated for a brief moment.


    What Vinson said was true, as Henrick was a sensitive man. Surely, Henrick would sense something


    was off if Vinson slept in the guestroom and would probably go back on his word.


    Well, that does make sense. However, I still feel ufortable sleeping together with Vinson.


    ¡°Besides, this isn¡¯t the first time of us sleeping together. Sooner orter, you¡¯ll get morefortable


    with this. By the way, we should wash up and go to bed soon. I¡¯m feeling sleepy.¡±


    Finishing his sentence, Vinson naturally made his way to the bathroom.


    Arielle bit her lip and murmured, ¡°We can sleep together, but not in the same bed.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Vinson nodded as a response.


    Afterward, she reluctantly gave in and grabbed her toothbrush.


    The air was so still in the bathroom as both of them quietly brushed their teeth.


    Arielle stared at their reflections in the mirror and noticed that they were moving strangely in


    synchronization.


    It was at that moment she felt her heart pounding furiously inside her.


    Wait¡­ Why is my heart racing?


    Subconsciously, Arielle ced her hand over her chest, attempting to calm herself down.


    Vinson shifted his attention to her with a strange look on his face.


    Noticing Vinson¡¯s gaze on her, Arielle left the bathroom hastily with a flushed face.


    After she left, Vinson let out a sigh, causing a spasm of nervousness to cross his face.


    As a matter of fact, Vinson had no idea that he liked Arielle and only managed toprehend his true


    feelings muchter.


    I finally get why I would unconditionally help Arielle and also marry her. I did that because I like her, not


    merely because she saved my life before. I wish to


    spend the rest of my life with Arielle, brushing my teeth together with her every night.


    As thoughts prowled through Vinson¡¯s mind, he could not stop himself from giggling.


    Why do I have such thoughts? I¡¯m such a shameless man.


    Soon, Vinson was done washing up too.


    When he entered Arielle¡¯s bedroom, Arielle had already set the bed on the floor for him.


    Not uttering another word, Vinson switched off the lights. He used his old trick by tossing and turning,


    attempting to make a rustling sound to distract Arielle.


    There was no response from Arielle, nheless.


    Curious, Vinson got up to take a peek at Arielle.


    As he got up, he saw the moonlight shining softly on Arielle¡¯s beautiful features.


    Vinson sat on the edge of the bed, unable to take his eyes off her, andter saw the earplugs in


    Arielle¡¯s ears. He also found a therapeutic candle on her bedside table.


    No wonder she was not affected by the noise.


    Upon his realization, Vinson heaved a sigh and lied down.


    I wish I could sleep beside Arielle, but I should also respect her as a woman. I should let things happen


    naturally between us instead of forcing her to do anything with me.


    Perhaps it was because of the therapeutic candles, Vinson slowly felt his eyelids getting heavier by the


    minute, and he soon fell into a deep sleep after suffering from insomnia for several nights.


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    A series of knocks woke Arielle up the following day.

 Chapter 514

    Chapter 514


    Hearing the footsteps from a distance, Arielle instantly sprung up from her bed.


    Meanwhile, Vinson moved even faster than her. He rapidly shoved the bedsheet on the floor into the


    wardrobe and climbed onto Arielle¡¯s bed to lie beside her.


    ¡°You!¡± Arielle got a shock and wanted to get up.


    ¡°Be quiet!¡± Vinson whispered before wrapping her into her embrace. He went on, ¡°Newlyweds don¡¯t


    wake up this early.¡± With that, Vinson reached his arm behind Arielle¡¯s head and pulled her closer.


    The footsteps were getting closer and closer, and Arielle dared not to move an inch. As she controlled


    her breath, she could smell Vinson¡¯s strong masculine scent.


    Concurrently, Alfred pushed open the door from the outside, barging into the room straight away, only


    to see the whole room in a mess. ncing around, he saw one pillow on the ground, and the couple


    was cuddling lovingly with each other on the bed.


    Seems like the newlyweds had a great night yesterday!


    As the thoughts filled Alfred¡¯s mind, he could not hold himself back and started to chuckle slightly. He


    then cleared his throat and voiced, ¡°Ms. Arielle, Mr. Nightshire, it¡¯s time to wake up!¡±


    With a sleepy look, Vinson turned his body and asked with a hoarse voice, ¡°What time is it?¡±


    Judging from his deep voice, he must be exhausted fromst night.


    Alfred¡¯s lips curled further into a crooked smile. Suppressing hisugh, he responded politely, ¡°It¡¯s four


    o¡¯clock. Both of you should get up now to get ready for the appointment at six o¡¯clockter.¡±


    ¡°All right. You may leave now,¡± Vinson replied casually


    ¡°Sure,¡± Alfred said.


    With that, he left the room and headed to see Henrick without dy. ¡°Mr. Southall, I¡¯ve done everything


    as you instructed! Both of them were sleeping together when I walked in, and their room is quite


    messy,¡± reported Alfred with a beam on his face.


    Upon hearing what he said, Henrick grinned along too.


    ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± Henrick smoothed his shirt in a good mood and continued, ¡°Get the breakfast ready for


    the newlyweds. Don¡¯t forget to send the breakfast over to Mrs. Southall too. Meanwhile, I¡¯ll go to the


    backyard to burn some joss papers for Shandie.¡±


    Maybe Shandie could bless Arielle and Vinson with a happy marriage. Hopefully, the couple could have


    a lovely baby soon! As long as they have a stable marriage, I won¡¯t have to worry about my twenty


    percent shares. Moreover, I¡¯m now rted to Nightshire Group because of their marriage. My life will


    be smooth sailing from now onward!


    That thought alone made Henrick smile widely. Apparently, he was not one bit sentimental about Arielle


    getting married like the other fathers.


    After Henrick left, Alfred headed to the kitchen to make the necessary arrangements as instructed.


    Meanwhile, Arielle ignored Vinson and went downstairs.


    What had happened earlier sent her pulse racing at once.


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    Ugh! What¡¯s happening to me? My heart is beating crazily! Could it be that I have dirty thoughts about


    Vinson? No, Arielle! What are you thinking? Stop!


    Arielle pondered over it in frustration and patted her head lightly, trying to shake off the thoughts. I


    should stop overthinking and focus on revenging for Mom. Furthermore, Vinson probably doesn¡¯t feel


    the same way as me. One-sided love could get me in trouble. I must keep my feelings under control.


    Feeling helpless, Arielle took a deep breath and picked up her pace to go downstairs.


    Meanwhile, for some reason, Vinson found Arielle¡¯s behavior amusing when she quickly escaped from


    him after what had happened. Immediately after that, the corners of his lips curled into a smirk.

 Chapter 515

    Chapter 515


    During summer, the sky was already bright, though the sun had not risen at four in the morning.


    It had been the eighth day since the passing of Shandie. Henrick was in the backyard burning joss


    paper for Shandie as he mumbled, ¡°Shandie, I¡¯vee to burn some joss paper for you. You can rest


    in peace now. Please guard over our family when you¡¯re up in heaven. Help me earn a big time. Make


    sure that Arielle and Vinson have a peaceful marriage. As for your mom, I¡¯ll send someone to bring her


    over for her to pay you herst respect.¡±


    Right then, Alfred came over.


    ¡°Mr. Southall, breakfast is ready. The car to the crematorium will be here half an hourter. You should


    go have some food first.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Henrick nodded before he asked, ¡°Is Mrs. Southall almost here?¡±


    ¡°She should be here soon¡±


    Just when the butler replied, a housekeeper came running over to report, ¡°Mr. Southall, Mrs. Southall is


    here.¡±


    Even before Henrick could reply, Cindy¡¯s cry was heard. ¡°Oh Shandie, my dear daughter!¡±


    Henrick turned his head over and saw Cindy in a hospital gown.


    Nheless, herplexion looked much better aspared to when she was just admitted to the


    psychiatric hospital. Even though Cindy had no makeup on, she was radiating positive energy.


    Though the sisters of the Moores were born to the same mother, Maureen was much prettier than


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    Even so, Cindy was still pretty.


    Henrick had not seen Cindy for a very long time. His heart leap a beat at the nce of her now.


    He gave a cough to rpose himself and went up to help Cindy up. ¡°Stop crying. Shandie will be


    upset if


    she was to hear you cry. Please be mindful of your health as well.¡±


    Cindy nodded in reply. With tears welling up in her eyes, she tilted her head and leaned it against


    Henrick¡¯s shoulders.


    Shortly after, tears started flowing down Cindy¡¯s cheeks as she said, ¡°Rick, Shandie has left us. I only


    have you left.¡±


    Cindy¡¯s vulnerable look softened Henrick¡¯s heart.


    With an arm around her waist and another holding her head, both of them leaned against each other


    harmoniously.


    Arielle, who just arrived in the backyard, almost vomited her breakfast out upon seeing that scene.


    Seeing the two of them, where one was full of suspicion of others and another evil-hearted, hugging


    together disgusted Arielle.


    Vinson, who came after, was filled with contempt upon seeing that scene too. He then turned to Arielle


    and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go greet Aunt Cindy.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Arielle nodded and went toward them with a smile on her face.


    ¡°Aunt Cindy.¡±


    Cindy, who was about to pay herst respect to Shandie, was stunned when she heard Arielle¡¯s voice.


    That was because Cindy had mixed feelings toward Arielle, where she hated and feared her. However,


    the moment Cindy saw Shandie¡¯s memorial tablet, she did not feel any fear toward Arielle. Instead, her


    heart was left with hatred only.


    Cindy forced herself to squeeze out a smile as she turned to see Arielle, who was walking toward her,


    and said, ¡°Sannie. You¡¯re here.¡±


    Seeing Cindy¡¯s goodplexion with blushed cheeks, Arielle smirked.


    Seems like Matthias has been taking good care of Cindy. I guess he has been delivering supplements


    to her every day. I can¡¯t believe Matthias is so caring.


    Arielle¡¯s face remained emotionless as she forced a


    smile out and replied, ¡°Aunt Cindy, you¡¯re looking great today! I was even worried that you will lose


    weight because of Shandie¡¯s passing. Seems like you¡¯re handling it well.¡±


    Cindy could not bear to put on a fake smile anymore upon hearing Arielle¡¯s sarcasm.


    She had no intention of continuing the conversation with Arielle further. Hence, Cindy merely brushed


    Arielle off and left toward Shandie¡¯s coffin.

 Chapter 516

    Chapter 516


    Just when Henrick was about to follow after Cindy, Arielle tugged his sleeves and asked gently, ¡°Dad.


    After Shandie¡¯s funeral, will you be sending Aunt Cindy back?¡±


    Henrick shook his head subconsciously. ¡°Nope. It seems like she has almost recovered. Hence, there¡¯s


    no need for her to remain in the hospital. After all, staying in a psychiatric hospital is nothing to be


    proud of.¡±


    Henrick paused for a moment as he studied Arielle for a moment before continuing, ¡°Sannie, can I ask


    you a


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    question? Do you hope that Cindy will not be back?¡±


    Arielle smiled and replied, ¡°How is that possible, Dad. She¡¯s my aunt and is your current wife. If she


    cane back and reunite with you, I¡¯ll definitely be happy. But¡­¡±


    ¡°But what?¡±


    Arielle then shook her head, forced out a smile, and waved her hands. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. It¡¯s just some


    rumors. I think it¡¯s better that you don¡¯t hear them.¡±


    However, Henrick got more curious about it and asked with a frown, ¡°Tell me. There¡¯s nothing that I


    can¡¯t take


    on.¡±


    With that, Arielle bit her lips and said ufortably, ¡°I think it¡¯s better that I don¡¯t tell you, Dad. The


    doctors and nurses were probably too bored that they start spreading rumors. Please don¡¯t take it to


    heart.¡±


    Upon hearing Arielle¡¯s reply, Henrick did not further question. However, his brows tightened further.


    He secretly made a memo of this in his head and walked toward Cindy casually.


    After seeing Henrick leave, Vinson then walked toward Arielle and whispered, ¡°What ns do you have


    now that Cindy is back?¡±


    Arielle stared at the scene of Cindy and Henrick walking away side-by-side. She then turned toward


    Vinson and asked, ¡°The psychiatric hospital belongs to Carter, right? Can you ask him to do me a


    favor?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Arielle then nodded and whispered a few words to Vinson¡¯s ears.


    Vinson could not help butugh upon hearing her and remarked, ¡°Your n is indeed brilliant.¡±


    Arielle merely shrugged and replied, ¡°Well, I have no choice. I¡¯ve pondered very long on how should I


    inform Henrick about Matthias and Cindy. In the end, I¡¯ve concluded that it will not be appropriate if I


    was the one who told Henrick about it. Hence, it will be better for him to investigate it himself. After all,


    Henrick is so suspicious about everything. I only need to hint to him slightly, and he will investigate it


    himself.¡±


    Just when Arielle finished her sentence, Cindy¡¯s wail could be heard.


    Cindy had been feeling much better after constantly beingforted by Matthias. However, she broke


    down the moment she saw Shandie in the coffin with her own eyes.


    Arielle arched her brows at that scene. Though Cindy was wicked from inside out, the motherly love


    she had for Shandie was still overwhelming.


    Right then, Arielle thought of her own mom, and her expression darkened.


    Vinson, who was by Arielle¡¯s side, noticed her change in expression andforted, ¡°You still have


    many people by your side. You have me, your step-parents, and Henry. Sannie, you¡¯re not alone.¡±


    Vinson seldom called Arielle ¡°Sannie.¡± Hence, she was startled when she heard it.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Arielle curled up her lips and thanked Vinson earnestly.


    ¡°Tsk!¡± Vinson shook her head. ¡°You¡¯ve forgotten again. What should you also say when you thank


    someone?¡±


    Arielle lowered her head helplessly and replied, ¡°You¡¯re so childish, Vinson.


    Vinson did not refute but nodded. ¡°Well, I guess so.¡±


    If I was mature enough, I probably will not need to do my research every day to find out how to pursue


    Arielle.


    Not longter, the car heading to the crematorium arrived.


    Arielle followed behind those who were carrying the coffin.


    The weather had been very hot recently. Besides, Shandie¡¯s body had been in the backyard for over a


    week. Hence, it had started to smell.


    Arielle was afraid that Vinson, who had been living afortable life, could not take on the smell.


    Hence, she whispered to him, ¡°Vinson, you can head on to do your own stuff. I can handle the matters


    over here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all-¡± Even before Vinson could finish his sentence, he received a phone call from Carter.

 Chapter 517

    Chapter 517


    Vinson thought that Carter called him to talk about something regarding the psychiatric hospital. To his


    surprise, Carter blurted out the moment the call was answered, ¡°Vin,e over quickly! We¡¯ve found


    ke!¡±


    Arielle, who was by Vinson¡¯s side, had her eyes lit up when she overheard it.


    She quickly urged Vinson, ¡°Go quickly! Sasha will be so happy to hear this.¡±


    Nheless, Vinson still hesitated. ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Arielle shot Vinson a smile and reassured him, ¡°Today is Shandie¡¯s funeral. Cindy will not


    hope for any hup to happen. Besides, Mason and Yvette died in a car ident. Hence, they will not


    cause a scene here.¡±


    Vinson felt relief slightly upon hearing Arielle.


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll head over to have a look first and see how Sasha has been recovering as well.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s hands stiffened when she heard Vinson. However, she quickly regained herposure and


    nodded. ¡°Head over quickly then.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Call me if anything happens here.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Arielle nodded and sent Vinson off with her gaze.


    Out of politeness, Vinson still greeted Henrick before leaving the funeral.


    Henrick nodded in understanding. ¡°Head over quickly.


    There¡¯s nothing much here. We will be having the ceremony in the afternoon. Do drop by if you have


    the time, but it¡¯s all right if you don¡¯t.¡±


    Even so, Henrick still hoped that Vinson could make it for the ceremony.


    After all, he had invited many guests over for the funeral ceremony. Though Henrick dared not


    announce the news of the marriage of Vinson and Arielle, with Vinson around during the ceremony, the


    guests would still treat Henrick with more respect.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll make a move first.¡± Vinson gave a nod and left.


    Vinson did not look at Cindy once throughout his own time there. It was as if Cindy was transparent to


    him.


    This made Cindy rather awkward, but she dared not utter a single word.


    After Vinson had left, she turned to Henrick and asked, ¡°Rick, did Mr. Nightshire and Sannie get


    together during the time that I was in the hospital?¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡± Henrick shot a proud smile and continued, ¡°That¡¯s my daughter! Although she might look clumsy,


    being able to have Vinson pursue her is something extraordinary of her! I know that you don¡¯t really like


    Sannie. However, with Shandie gone now, Sannie is our only child left. I hope you can see her as your


    own from today onward. She is very obedient, and she will definitely be filial toward us.¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Cindy gave a stiff smile and did not say anything further. However, her heart was filled with a grudge.


    That b*tch! She is definitely skillful at seducing men. Even Henrick has so much trust in her now! It¡¯s


    okay. Once Shandie¡¯s funeral is over, I will announce a piece of shocking news. By that time, Henrick


    will definitely not ce all his attention on Arielle.


    The crematorium was near.


    Cindy wailed when Shandie¡¯s body was being pushed into the incinerators.


    Her wailing sound was so loud that it almost shattered ss.


    However, Arielle remained a cold look. It was only when Henrick was about to turn over did she put on


    a look of grief.


    On the other hand, Henrick¡¯s face was filled with genuine sorrow, which was rather rare.


    Nheless, one would be totally inhumane if they were not sad when the daughter that grew up with


    them suddenly passed away.


    An hourter, Cindy hugged Shandie¡¯s urns in her arms


    as she sobbed. The three of them remained silent throughout their journey back to the Southall


    residence.


    Right then, it was also time for ss at Jadeborough University.


    Donovan had no ss then, as he had swapped with Arthur. Hence, he quickly headed to the


    principal¡¯s office to search for Marcus.

 Chapter 518

    Chapter 518


    Donovan speed walked to the principal¡¯s office as he wanted to bring Marcus to Arielle¡¯s house


    immediately to expose her lies.


    Lying to apply for leave was against the school rules, and it was strictly prohibited in Jadeborough


    University.


    The students of a normal ss would be punished if they were caught doing so. However, students in


    the preparatory ss would be expelled from the ss if they were caught.


    Though there was no way for Donovan to have Arielle out from Jadeborough University, kicking her out


    from his ss was sufficient for Arielle to not be an eyesore to Donovan.


    There was no one in the principal¡¯s office when Donovan arrived. He knocked on the door, but there


    was no reply. Nheless, the door was left ajar. Hence, the door was pushed open with the knock.


    ¡°Mr. Brown?¡± Donovan called out as he walked into the office.


    Sadly, there was no one in there.


    Donovan furrowed his brows and took out his phone to call Marcus.


    However, the moment Donovan took his phone out, a man appeared at the door. He was almost fully


    covered from head to toe with a fisherman¡¯s hat on his head and a mask covering his face.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Although the man covered himself quite thoroughly, Donovan still managed to recognize him with just a


    nce.


    ¡°Mr. Brown,¡± Donovan called out and asked curiously, ¡°It¡¯s so hot today. Why are you covering yourself


    from head to toe?¡±


    Marcus was shocked, as he had never expected that there would be someone in his office.


    After taking a good look at Donovan, Marcus let out a sigh of relief. He then looked around to make


    sure that there was no one in the corridor. Subsequently, he quickly entered his office and closed the


    door.


    After that, Marcus asked, ¡°How did you recognize me when I¡¯m dressed up in this manner?¡±


    Marcus was rather upset as he took about triple the time he usually used to get ready just to disguise


    himself. However, it seemed like his disguise did not work its purpose.


    Donovan was even more curious and asked once more, ¡°Why are you dressed up in this manner?¡±


    ¡°Sigh. It was all because of the incidentst night. Steven and his friends looked down and ridiculed


    Wendy¡¯s song. Not to even mention Arielle¡¯s as well. I¡¯ve gone through their details. They are all from


    the suburbs. Sigh. Steven must have said nastierments after I¡¯ve left. I¡¯m so ashamed now. To


    begin with, I shouldn¡¯t have even organized this freshman party!¡±


    Donovan¡¯s expression immediately became moreplex.


    Seems like Mr. Brown isn¡¯t aware that Steven did not look down on Arielle¡¯s song, but bowed to her and


    asked her to teach him.


    Just when Donovan felt a sense of relief, he felt annoyed at the same time.


    Steven was someone of the upper-ss society that even Donovan did not have the right to greet him.


    Hence, Donovan felt ashamed that Steven would bow to Arielle.


    After hesitating for about two seconds, Donovan decided to not tell Marcus about what actually


    happenedst night.


    Instead, he said, ¡°Now that you brought up the incidentst night, is it convenient for you to visit a


    student¡¯s home with me now? She applied for leave yesterday after the freshman party with the reason


    that her family member has passed away. However, I can tell that she was lying. Hence, I¡¯ll need you to


    go over to her house with me to verify it.¡±


    ¡°What? How can she use such an excuse to apply for leave?¡± Marcus¡¯ expression immediately


    darkened upon hearing Donovan.


    After all, Marcus was fine that his students were not high achievers. However, he could not allow his


    students to have such ill behavior.


    Using the passing of a family member as an excuse to apply for leave was strictly forbidden!


    ¡°Sure! After all, I don¡¯t want to stay in the school for the moment in case any teacher were to find fault


    with me. I¡¯ll follow you over now,¡± said Marcus. He then paused for a moment before asking, ¡°Oh right,


    what¡¯s the name of the student?¡±


    ¡°Arielle Moore.¡±

 Chapter 519

    Chapter 519


    Upon hearing Arielle¡¯s name, Marcus¡¯ face instantly hardened. ¡°It¡¯s her again?¡±


    Donovan nodded with nonchnce. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve told you time and again not to let anyone get into my


    ss through connections.¡±


    Yet, Marcus furrowed his brows. He clearly did not believe Donovan.


    After shaking his head, he exined, ¡°Mr. Baxter, you made a mistake about Kelsea¡¯s incident that day,


    and the school lost aboratory building because of that. I didn¡¯t even ask you forpensation. Why


    are you giving Arielle trouble again? Also, you were supposed to apologize to her on the stage during


    the freshman party. But since Mr. Parker was there, I canceled the session. However, it doesn¡¯t mean


    that you don¡¯t need to apologize to her. This issue has note to an end yet. Mr. Baxter, why are you


    making things difficult for her again? Do you have a problem with her?¡±


    Donovan¡¯s face fell upon hearing that.


    Initially, he thought that Arielle had framed Kelsea, butter he learned that Kelsea was putting on her


    own show. Due to the incident, his reputation among the students was ruined.


    Donovan¡¯s jaw tightened before he said, ¡°I was oblivious about Kelsea¡¯s incident. I¡¯m a victim as well,


    so you can¡¯t me that on me. Moreover, I¡¯m certain that Arielle is making up an excuse now. Although


    she was innocent in the previous incident, it doesn¡¯t mean


    she¡¯s also right this time.¡±


    ¡°But-¡± Marcus was in a dilemma.


    He did not want to suspect Arielle and repeat his mistake. That would make them end up in an


    awkward


    situation once again.


    However, since Donovan insisted, Marcus had to give in. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll go with you, but we¡¯ll have to bring a


    bouquet of flowers. If they¡¯re really having a funeral, we¡¯ll make a fool of ourselves.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible! When Arielle told me that one of her family members passed away, she didn¡¯t even


    look sad. She¡¯s definitely lying! There¡¯s no need to bring any flowers. We¡¯ll embarrass ourselves if we


    actually bring flowers with us,¡± Donovan stated confidently.


    Deep down, Marcus trusted Arielle. It had nothing to do with thetter having someone powerful to


    back her up. Marcus just had a gut feeling about it.


    Exasperatedly, he turned to Donovan and said, ¡°Fine. You don¡¯t have to bring any flowers. I¡¯ll bring


    some since I don¡¯t mind embarrassing myself. Okay?¡±


    Veins popped up against Donovan¡¯s tautly stretched skin. He had no idea why Marcus was defending a


    liar.


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you then,¡± he snapped after letting out a sigh.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s go!¡± Marcus then put on his sunsses and jacket before he left.


    Although he was worried that others would me him for the incident with Stevenst time, he had


    never med Arielle for it.


    He always encouraged his students to perform on stage.


    However, if Arielle was really lying, he would punish her ording to the rules of the school.


    ¡°My car is parked at the entrance. I¡¯ll drive the car over. Meanwhile, help me buy a bouquet of white


    chrysanthemums at the florist¡¯s opposite of the school.¡±


    The two of them split up after that.


    Soon, Donovan returned with a bouquet of flowers before they drove toward the Southall residence.


    In the car, Marcus reminded, ¡°Mr. Baxter, let me remind you. If Arielle is innocent and did not lie, you


    have to apologize to her for both of the incidents during the assembly tomorrow. Moreover, I¡¯ll deduct


    three months of your sry. You¡¯ll also have to move out of the dorm and rent a house for yourself


    outside. This will serve as a warning.¡±


    Donovan agreed without any hesitation. ¡°Okay!¡±


    He was confident that he was not making a mistake. Arielle Moore, you¡¯ll have to get out of my ss


    this time!

 Chapter 520

    Chapter 520


    In the moving car, Donovan¡¯s eyes were locked on the scenery outside his window. His grim gaze was


    filled with determination.


    Arielle can¡¯t me me for this. I have toplete my mission for my teaching career. With such a bad


    influence in my ss, my career would be ruined. I have no choice. I have to do this!


    Meanwhile, at the Southall residence, the funeral had


    just begun.


    One by one, all the guests had arrived.


    Cindy had changed into ck mourning attire. Her makeup was borate and wless, but she chose


    to wear a lighter shade of lipstick.


    She had cried several times since she returned. After talking with Matthias over the phone, she felt


    calmer.


    No matter how hard she cried and how upset she was, she could not bring Shandie back to life.


    Knowing that, she knew that she had to pull herself together. She was determined to avenge Shandie¡¯s


    death by taking Arielle¡¯s life in return.


    With that thought, Cindy picked herself up. She applied some makeup on the bridge of her nose to


    entuate her features.


    That morning when she saw Henrick, she had seen the desire in his eyes for her.


    She knew that she had to use him in order to take revenge for Shandie.


    After she finished putting on her makeup, she went downstairs, but Henrick was nowhere to be seen.


    Thus, she asked n, ¡°Where¡¯s Henrick? Is he greeting the guests in the backyard?¡±


    Thetter shook his head and answered, ¡°No. Mr. Southall informed that he needed to head out all of a


    sudden.¡±


    Cindy frowned suspiciously. All the guests are here now. Where did Henrick go?


    An ominous feeling began to grow in her.


    Right at that moment, a housekeeper came and reported, ¡°Mrs. Southall, there are two persons without


    invitation cards outside. Do you want to see them?¡±


    Cindy hesitated and questioned, ¡°Without invitation cards? Did they mention their identities?¡±


    The housekeeper nodded and replied, ¡°They¡¯re teachers from Jadeborough University.¡±


    ¡°Jadeborough University¡­¡± Cindy recalled that Arielle was studying at that university. Her face fell as


    she waved her hand. ¡°I¡¯m not going to greet them. Bring


    them to Arielle in the backyard.¡±


    ¡°All right, Mrs. Southall.¡± The housekeeper bowed and walked off.


    Cindy turned to look at n, who had just secured his job as the butler not long ago. With a smile on


    her face, she asked, ¡°How long have you been working here?¡±


    n answered politely, ¡°Six months now.¡±


    ¡°Six months¡­¡± Cindy repeated thoughtfully. She then added, ¡°Who appointed you to the job?¡±


    The half-witted butler did not even think before he replied, ¡°Mr. Southall did.¡±


    Cindy nodded before she removed one of the bangles on her wrist and handed it to n. ¡°I bought this


    for my birthday two years ago. It¡¯s made of jade. You can take this.¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Thetter was dumbfounded. Although he was not a bright person, he knew how the previous butler


    was fired


    Back then, Henrick was infuriated after he found out that the previous butler was bribed by Cindy.


    Hence, n hurriedly waved his hands. ¡°I don¡¯t need that. I¡¯m being paid quite a high sry, so I can¡¯t


    take anything more from you. I appreciate the thought though. Please just let me know if you need


    anything.¡±


    Then, he added, ¡°I need to help out in the backyard


    now.¡±


    With a pale face, n fled the scene.


    Cindy¡¯s face darkenedpletely. Why did Henrick let him be the butler? He¡¯s so cowardly,


    dumb, and uncontroble.


    With furrowed brows, she nced around the mansion.


    She figured that Alfred must have been transferred to another position or even got fired. Henrick


    wouldn¡¯t have the time and effort to do this, which means Arielle must¡¯ve done it!


    Thinking about Arielle, Cindy clenched her teeth in a fury.


    When she walked toward the backyard, the housekeeper had already led Donovan and Marcus there.

 Chapter 521

    Chapter 521


    There was an unspoken rule in Jadeborough.


    When a family member of a younger generation passed away, the funeral should not be too grand.


    Otherwise, it would bring bad luck to the elder generation of the family


    Due to that reason, Henrick did not ce any wreaths at the funeral except in the backyard. Hence, the


    manor appeared no different from usual.


    With Marcus beside him, Donovan started studying the Southall residence once they stepped in.


    They did not see any signs that showed there was an ongoing funeral. All they saw was a row of luxury


    cars parked in the parking area.


    Hence, Donovan was even more certain that Arielle was


    lying.


    Before they arrived at the backyard, Donovan said, ¡°Mr. Brown, do you see this? Does this look like a


    funeral? Arielle is lying! I need you to remove her from my ss right away!¡±


    Marcus¡¯ expression turned grim. Did Arielle lie just to apply for leave? Even going so far as to say a


    family member passed away? If that¡¯s true¡­ I¡¯ll have to remove her from the preparatory ss.


    When Donovan noticed that Marcus¡¯ face had darkened, the corners of his lips lifted.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    I knew it! I knew that Arielle was lying! I finally got her!


    A housekeeper was leading the way ahead of them. She did not hear their conversation at all.


    When they were about to enter the backyard, the housekeeper came to halt and made a gesture for


    them to go ahead. ¡°Please continue forward. Ms. Arielle is in the backyard.¡±


    Marcus lowered his head to look at the bouquet in his hands. He was about to dump it into the dustbin


    at the side when the housekeeper called out, ¡°Ms. Arielle!¡±


    Marcus instantly paused before he and Donovan lifted their heads.


    They saw Arielle in a ck dress. As the hem of the dress swayed, she looked like a ck butterfly.


    Marcus stopped his hand and did not throw the bouquet as he looked at Arielle in hesitation. Did


    Donovan make a mistake? Are they really having a funeral here?


    Arielle was shocked when she saw Donovan and Marcus, who had shown up at her house all of a


    sudden. Did Donovane to offer his condolences? Is he that thoughtful?


    She was surprised at that thought.


    Arielle walked over to greet them. ¡°Hello, Mr. Brown, Mr. Baxter.¡±


    Marcus did not want to continue guessing blindly. To know the truth, he asked, ¡°Arielle, I heard that one


    of your family members passed away. Is that true?¡±


    When Arielle was about to nod and answer, Donovan snorted coldly.


    Arielle tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Mr. Baxter, what are youughing at?¡±


    Donovan gave her a once-over before he replied, ¡°Arielle Moore! Even now, you¡¯re still trying to lie?¡±?


    Arielle was even more confused. ¡°What did I lie about?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?? Donovan pointed at her ck dress and continued, ¡°You knew that we were


    coming here, so you changed into a ck dress to pretend that there¡¯s a funeral. Don¡¯t you know that


    the truth can¡¯t be hidden for long? Your lie will be exposed after we ask your parents about it. I can¡¯t


    believe that you¡¯re still trying to cover up for your lies now. I¡¯m extremely disappointed in you!¡±


    Arielle looked at Donovan in shock. She finally understood what was happening. He didn¡¯te to


    offer his condolences; he came to find fault with me. It¡¯s such a pity that he¡¯s going to be disappointed


    again this time.


    Seeing Arielle remaining silent, Donovan thought that she was feeling guilty. A sense of smugness


    welled in him.


    For some reason, he enjoyed seeing Arielle being humiliated.

 Chapter 522

    Chapter 522


    Donovan was so excited he could hardly contain himself.


    While he tried to hide the smile on his face, he said seriously, ¡°Arielle, I don¡¯t want to embarrass you, so


    we¡¯ll resolve this matter privately. Now, apologize to me and Mr. Brown. When you return to school


    tomorrow, you can ask the other teachers to see who¡¯s willing to take you into their ss.¡±


    With that, he stood still as he waited for Arielle¡¯s apology.


    Yet, thetter chuckled loudly.


    She lifted her head and questioned, ¡°Mr. Baxter, what if I wasn¡¯t lying? Are you going to apologize to


    me and then see which ss would ept you as their teacher?¡±


    Donovan¡¯s face darkened upon hearing that. He yelled furiously, ¡°Arielle! Are you still being


    unrepentant and as stubborn as a mule even now?¡±.


    Turning to Marcus, he said, ¡°Mr. Brown, look at her. You brought her into my ss, so I¡¯ll leave her to


    you now!¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    Marcus cleared his throat. He was at a loss. Just who¡¯s telling the truth here?


    Arielle raised an eyebrow when she said, ¡°Mr. Brown, thank you foring. You brought the bouquet


    for my sister, right? Let me take you to the backyard so you can


    pay your respects.¡±


    After gesturing for Marcus to step forward, Arielle turned around and headed to the backyard.


    Donovan¡¯s veins were bulging from his forehead.


    He suddenly had a bad feeling about it.


    Donovan instinctively grabbed Marcus as he stated, ¡°Mr. Brown, the truth has been revealed. Don¡¯t


    continue to be fooled by her.¡±


    Marcus wrinkled his nose unhappily.


    ¡°What do you mean by that¡­ Mr. Baxter, you¡¯re being prejudiced against her! Since we¡¯re here, let¡¯s


    investigate further on the matter. Let¡¯s go with her.¡±


    Prying Donovan¡¯s hand from his arm, Marcus then went after Arielle.


    Donovan had no choice but to follow them. I don¡¯t believe that there¡¯s a funeral here. She looked so


    guilty just now. Also, there¡¯s not a single wreath around here. I even saw red paper cutouts above the


    door when I came in just now!


    In the backyard, many people were walking around. There was a circle of wreaths ced at the side.


    Upon entering, Donovan saw some candlesticks and a funeral portrait right in the middle of the


    backyard.


    In front of the portrait, there was a ck urn. Donovan could only stare at the white flower ced on


    top of the


    urn.


    The guests were all wearing ck as they took turns offering a white chrysanthemum to Shandie¡¯s


    portrait.


    In Chanaea, white chrysanthemums signified grief.


    At that moment, Donovan was dumbstruck.


    He widened his eyes as he stared at the scene in disbelief. It really is a funeral! They¡¯re having a


    funeral here! Arielle didn¡¯t lie. One of her family members truly did pass away. How¡¯s that possible?


    How?


    Donovan turned ghastly white, as if all the blood was drained out of his face.


    Arielle came to a halt before she turned around to look at Donovan. She raised her eyebrow and


    asked, ¡°Mr. Baxter, which ss are you transferring to?¡±?


    Although she looked calm, the words she uttered sounded particrly mocking.


    Donovan¡¯s face reddened in an instant. He could feel his ears and neck burning in embarrassment.

 Chapter 523

    Chapter 523


    Donovan had not expected this.


    He opened his mouth to exin himself, but he could not get anything out.


    Arielle snorted at his reaction.


    Hearing that, Donovan was agitated.


    He seemed to have lost his rationality.


    Right at that moment, Henrick walked over in his mourning attire and asked, ¡°Sannie, who do you have


    with you here?¡±


    Before Arielle could answer, Donovan seized Henrick¡¯s arm and questioned, ¡°Sir, is this a real funeral?


    Or are you putting up a show here?¡±


    Henrick¡¯s face turned ashen. ¡°A show? My daughter passed away, and you think that I¡¯m putting on a


    damn show?¡±


    He had never spoken nicely to people who he did not need to please.


    Donovan was stumped when he heard that.


    Beside him, Marcus quickly pulled Donovan away and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry! Are you


    Arielle¡¯s father? We¡¯re her teachers from Jadeborough University. We came here to pay our respects to


    Arielle¡¯s sister. This bouquet is for her.¡±


    ¡°Teachers from Jadeborough University???


    Henrick gave them an essing nce before he calmed down and replied, ¡°Thank you foring.


    But, what¡¯s wrong with this teacher? Why did he say that we¡¯re acting?¡±


    Donovan had already returned to his senses. He was in utter regret, but he was at a loss for words.


    Marcus then exined, ¡°Mr. Baxter had a misunderstanding. It was a mistake.¡± Hearing that, Donovan


    chimed in, ¡°Yes. It was all a misunderstanding.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    ¡°Misunderstanding?¡± Arielle was unwilling to let the matter pass just like that. She asked, ¡°Mr. Baxter,


    have you ever treated me like a student? First, you wrongfully used me of spilling water on Wendy


    in the ssroom. The second time, you used me of starting a fight. Now, you¡¯re using me of


    lying about my family member passing away. Mr. Baxter, are you even qualified to be a teacher?¡±


    Donovan¡¯s expression turned grim.


    Beside them, Henrick¡¯s face fell.


    ¡°You¡­ Is that how you¡¯ve been treating Sannie? Do you want me to show my second daughter¡¯s death


    certificate in order for you to approve Sannie¡¯s leave?¡±


    ¡°N-No. That¡¯s not what I mean,¡± Donovan stammered.


    This was the first time he felt so helpless. He could only turn to Marcus for help.


    However, thetter wished that he did not even know Donovan.


    However, since Donovan was a teacher from his school, Marcus had no choice but to help him.


    Apologetically, he exined, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Southall. We¡¯re in the wrong. I¡¯ll make Mr. Baxter apologize


    to Arielle in front of the other students in the school tomorrow.¡±


    Henrick waved his hand and said, ¡°Forget about it. I don¡¯t want to haggle over this at my daughter¡¯s


    funeral. However, I don¡¯t want to hear any prejudice against Arielle in the future. Also, I demand you


    compensate my daughter for the mental torture you put her through!¡±


    It was the first time he was hearing about this.


    If he knew about it earlier, he would have already asked for marypensation.


    Donovan could sense the suspicious nces from the other guests there. He clenched his teeth before


    he asked, ¡°How much do you want? I¡¯ll pay you right now.¡±


    Henrick replied, ¡°A hundred grand!¡±

 Chapter 524

    Chapter 524


    Donovan¡¯s face fell upon hearing the amount that Henrick demanded.


    He thought that thetter would ask for at most several thousand.


    In truth, a hundred grand was not a small amount of money to him.


    He had just started his career as a teacher. Therefore he had not even gotten his first sry from


    Jadeborough University yet.


    Moreover, his parents were teachers as well, and they could not earn much. Even though they were


    considered middle-ss people, a hundred thousand was still a huge amount of money to them.


    Not only that, but Donovan¡¯s parents were extremely strict. If they found out about this, they would


    certainly berate him.


    Since he had worked as a teacher for a year before, he could still afford to pay a hundred grand.


    However, he would have to struggle to make ends meet after forking out the money.


    Judging by the situation, he knew that he had to pay Henrick the money in order to resolve the issue. If


    he did not, things might get out of hand, and it would be bad if Maxwell University knew about the


    matter.


    After some hesitation, Donovan nodded in agreement. ¡°All right. Please give me your bank ount. I¡¯ll


    transfer the money to you right now.¡±


    Yet, Henrick gave him the ount number and said, ¡°I mean a hundred grand for one usation.


    You¡¯ve wronged her three times now. That¡¯ll be three hundred thousand, nothing less. Otherwise, I¡¯ll


    report you to the Department of Education!¡±


    Donovan¡¯s face darkened. Three hundred thousand! I¡¯ve only worked for a few years. How am I


    supposed to pay him three hundred thousand?


    Donovan¡¯s veins bulged on his forehead. Clenching his fists, he yelled, ¡°You¡¯re being greedy! Arielle


    didn¡¯t suffer any loss. Why do I need to pay such a huge amount ofpensation? If we bring this to


    the court, you¡¯re going to lose thewsuit!¡±


    Honestly, he felt that Arielle was not affected emotionally by what happened recently at all. Instead, not


    only had Arielle tarnished his reputation as a teacher, but he also had not been sleeping well because


    of her. That had made him extremely cranky every day. Who¡¯s going topensate me then?


    However, Henrick did notpromise. ¡°Fine. Since you¡¯re not willing to pay, we¡¯ll bring this to court.


    You¡¯ll pay based on the result of the judgment! Think about it. If you¡¯re involved in awsuit, will you still


    be allowed to continue teaching in Jadeborough University?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Donovan was infuriated as his chest heaved up and down.


    Just then, Marcus said, ¡°Mr. Baxter, just agree with it first. We¡¯ll negotiate the amountter. You can¡¯t


    lose your job just for three hundred thousand. Jadeborough University wouldn¡¯t ept a teacher with a


    criminal record.¡±


    Donovan¡¯s face turned several shades darker.


    He felt humiliated and furious as he said, ¡°I only have one hundred thousand. I can¡¯t pay the remaining


    two hundred thousand.¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Henrick then shook his head and replied, ¡°Fine. You¡¯ll have to pay the remaining two hundred thousand


    by next month. Or else, I¡¯ll see you in court! I¡¯ll never tolerate anyone bullying my darling daughter,


    especially in her school!¡±


    Donovan had no choice but to agree after Marcus¡¯ persuasion.


    If he could not scrounge up enough money, he would have to ask his parents for it.


    There was no doubt that it would be torture for him.


    At the side, Arielle was enjoying the show.


    She knew that Henrick was not doing that for her. He just wanted the money.


    Moreover, Southall Group had just shut down, and he desperately needed money.


    After getting three hundred thousand from Donovan, Henrick would have enough money to pay for the


    rental of his office building for the month.


    All this while, Arielle hated Henrick for being a money digger. However, that w had actuallye in


    useful that day. Not bad!


    Deep down, she was cheering and pping for Henrick.

 Chapter 525

    Chapter 525


    While pulling a long face, Donovan transferred the money to Henrick¡¯s bank ount. He hurriedly left


    after


    informing Marcus.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Thetter did not stop him. After Marcus ced his bouquet in front of Shandie¡¯s portrait, he pulled


    Arielle. ¡°Arielle, I¡¯m also responsible for this. I didn¡¯t keep a better eye on your teacher, and it has


    caused so many misunderstandings between both of you. I¡¯ll make him apologize to you in school. I


    hope that this doesn¡¯t affect your studies. If you have any other problems and you¡¯re unwilling to talk to


    Mr. Baxter about it, you can talk to me.¡±


    Arielle knew that Marcus was a nice person. She replied, ¡°All right. Thank you, Mr. Brown. After Mr.


    Baxter apologizes to me, I¡¯ll forget about this issue. I just hope that he¡¯ll stop finding fault with me.¡±


    Marcus nodded before he said, ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll talk to him about this. I promise that nothing like this will


    ever happen again. If this happens again, I¡¯ll take serious actions against him.¡±


    Arielle paused for a while before she questioned, ¡°What do you mean by serious actions?¡±


    Marcus furrowed his brows as he answered, ¡°If this happens again, it¡¯ll prove that he¡¯s not suitable for


    his job. I¡¯ll report him to Maxwell University so they¡¯ll transfer him away.¡±


    Arielle murmured her assent, ¡°I understand. Oh, right. I need to ask you something.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Marcus asked readily.


    After ncing around, Arielle felt relieved when she saw Henrick talking to other guests. Thus, she


    asked, ¡°Is there any male teacher who¡¯s a foreigner at school? Around forty years old.¡±


    ¡°Foreigner?¡± Marcus pondered the question and shook his head. ¡°No. There are only three teachers


    who are foreigners. One of them is a woman, and the other two are older men.¡±


    ¡°What about a foreign student? A student who studied at our school many years ago. I think¡­ in 2003.¡±


    Helplessly, Marcus exined, ¡°Every year, there are over tens of thousands of students studying in our


    school. Certainly, there are many foreigners among them. Since you¡¯re asking for a student from the


    past years, I can¡¯t remember all of them. I know that I was in the wrong this time, so I¡¯ll make an


    exception today and give you the key to enter the archives. You can find the person you¡¯re looking for


    in the room after ss.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s eyes brightened. She nodded and eximed, ¡°All right! Thank you, Mr. Brown!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee. I owe this to you. Please don¡¯t tell anyone about the incident with Kelsea. Otherwise,


    it¡¯ll ruin the school¡¯s reputation.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Once I find that man, I don¡¯t have to study at Jadeborough University anymore. Also, I


    won¡¯t have to see Donovan again.


    With that thought, she did not want to haggle over the matter.


    Marcus felt relieved after Arielle agreed to his request. He gave Arielle the key to enter the archives


    before he bid goodbye to Henrick and left.


    Arielle watched Marcus walk away. Once he was out of sight, she lowered her head to look at the key


    in her hand. She could not hide the smile on her face. Looks like meeting Donovan is a blessing in


    disguise. Although he¡¯s always giving me a hard time, I got this key because of him.


    Thinking about that, she was secretly grateful to Donovan.


    That was when Cindy came to the backyard.


    Even while looking pale underneath her near-wless makeup, she was still radiating an elegant aura.


    Henrick had suppressed the news that Cindy was sent to the psychiatric hospital for some time.


    Therefore, when she showed up, many wives from other prominent families started asking about her


    wellbeing.


    Cindy nodded as everyone consoled her.


    Right at that moment, a woman said, ¡°Don¡¯t be too upset about it. She¡¯s just an adopted child. If you


    really miss her, adopt another girl and name her Shandie again.¡±


    Cindy¡¯s face turned paler upon hearing that.

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    Chapter 526


    Back then when Cindy married Henrick, she announced to the public that Shandie was an adopted


    child in order to protect their pride and reputation.


    However, they both knew Shandie was actually their biological child.


    Cindy thought that it was a good way to let Shandie enjoy all the privileges as the daughter of the


    Southalls as well as protect Henrick and her reputation. However, at that moment, she hated herself for


    hiding Shandie¡¯s true identity.


    Now, she could not even reveal the truth that Shandie was actually her biological daughter.


    That woman was still consoling Cindy. Unable to bear listening to her any longer, Cindy told the guests


    she was not feeling well before she left the backyard.


    Arielle saw that scene.


    She hurriedly went after Cindy and called out to stop her.


    ¡°Aunt Cindy?¡±


    Cindy came to a halt. She did not want to act anymore. Since Arielle had made her spit out the truth


    using Matthias¡¯ herb and Henrick was not around, she knew that she did not need to put up an act


    there.


    Coldly, she asked Arielle, ¡°What do you want? I heard that you chased your homeroom teacher out of


    here. Do


    you think that your father was protecting you? He just wants the money. Although you¡¯re his biological


    daughter and Shandie was adopted, both of you are just his puppets to make money for him!¡±


    Cindy was trying to provoke Arielle. Since she was upset, she would not let thetter have it easy


    either.


    Yet, she was surprised that Arielle was not mad at all. Thetter smirked as she questioned,


    ¡°Adopted¡­ Are you sure?¡±


    Cindy froze for a while before she calmed herself. I didn¡¯t mention anything about Shandie¡¯s identity


    that day.


    She clenched her teeth and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡­¡± Arielle deliberately drawled. ¡°I just think you seem a little too upset with Shandie¡¯s death.


    It¡¯s almost as if she¡¯s not an adopted child but your biological child.¡±


    Cindy became anxious upon hearing that and tried to calm herself. ¡°What nonsense are you talking


    about? I raised Shandie, so she was like a biological child to me. Quit talking nonsense!¡±


    Arielle shrugged before she said, ¡°Maybe I¡¯m talking nonsense, but do you know where Dad went just


    now?¡±


    Cindy furrowed her brows.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    She wanted to know, but she could not ask Henrick about it with all the guests around.


    Besides, she had assumed that Henrick went out for business.


    However, she became curious after listening to Arielle.


    After pausing for several seconds, Cindy said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Let me tell you


    this. Your father and I love each other dearly. You can¡¯t do anything to separate us!¡±


    ¡°Love each other? Aren¡¯t you afraid of being struck by lightning for uttering such a lie?¡± Arielle


    questioned in a mocking tone.


    Cindy¡¯s gaze wavered when she yelled guiltily, ¡°Arielle! Stop with the nonsense! I¡¯m not feeling well. I


    need to take a rest now!¡±


    After that, she hurried off toward the mansion.


    She was extremely nervous as she left, worrying that Arielle knew about her affair with Matthias.


    However, upon further contemtion, she thought that it was impossible. If she knew about it, she


    would¡¯ve exposed me long ago. She wouldn¡¯t keep it secret till now.


    With that thought, she felt assured.


    That was when she walked past Malorie¡¯s room.

 Chapter 527

    Chapter 527


    Two bodyguards were standing outside the door of Malorie¡¯s room.


    Initially, it barely bothered Cindy. She thought that Malorie made two bodyguards stand at her door


    because she wanted to show off her distinguished status to others.


    However, she then heard Malorie shouting for the door to be opened inside the room, yet the


    bodyguards did not move an inch.


    That was when Cindy knew that Malorie was being locked up.


    She widened her eyes in shock.


    After she made sure that she had heard correctly, she walked toward the bodyguards.


    Finally, the bodyguards responded. They nodded and greeted, ¡°Mrs. Southall.¡±


    Cindy frowned as she asked, ¡°Are you deaf or blind? Senior Mrs. Southall is telling you to open the


    door. Can¡¯t you hear her?¡±


    When Malorie heard her voice, she shouted, ¡°Cindy! I¡¯m in here! Tell them to open the door! They¡¯ve


    already locked me in here for a day now!¡±


    Cindy could not believe her ears. She red at the bodyguards and chided, ¡°What? How dare you lock


    Senior Mrs. Southall in there? Open the door now!¡±


    Looking exasperated, the bodyguards exchanged looks with each other before one of them said, ¡°Mrs.


    Southall, this is Mr. Southall¡¯s order. We have no choice.¡±


    Cindy furrowed her brows tighter. ¡°Why? Why would Rick lock his mother inside her room? He¡¯s so


    filial.¡±


    When it came down to it, Henrick was sessful today because Malorie had worked hard to pay for his


    education back then. After Henrick went to university, he even had the chance to be the Moores¡¯


    live-in son-inw.


    Therefore, Malorie was undeniably one of the key reasons for Henrick¡¯s sess now.


    Moreover, Malorie had been keeping an eye on the family¡¯s coal mining business. Since Henrick could


    not trust anyone else, he had been treating Malorie well. Hence, there was no way he would mistreat


    Malorie like this.


    Hearing Cindy¡¯s question, the bodyguard exined, ¡°Senior Mrs. Southall had a conflict with Mr.


    Nightshire yesterday. Mr. Southall is afraid that she might provoke Mr. Nightshire again, so he ordered


    us to keep an eye on her.¡±


    Finally, Cindy understood the situation. So, she had a conflict with Vinson.


    Deep down, Cindy actually hated Malorie. She had had a difficult time buttering up thetter in the past.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Back then, Maureen did not pamper Malorie, hence thetter hated her. When Maureen died, Malorie


    did not even show up at her funeral.


    Therefore, Cindy knew that Malorie would certainly provoke Vinson again. Henrick had locked her up to


    protect her. Otherwise, Malorie would provoke Vinson and make things difficult for the Southalls.


    Suddenly, an idea appeared in her mind.


    Henrick wanted Arielle and Vinson to be together, but Cindy certainly did not want that. If I let her out


    now, she¡¯ll probably ruin their rtionship!


    With that thought, Cindy said, ¡°Vinson just left. You can let Senior Mrs. Southall out now. The funeral is


    starting soon, and she has to attend it.¡±


    The bodyguard replied in a conflicted tone of voice, ¡°But, Mr. Southall ordered-¡±


    Cindy lifted her head and said, ¡°If Mr. Southall asks, tell him that I told you to do so. That should be


    fine, right? Let me warn you. Senior Mrs. Southall¡¯s health is not exactly the best. If anything happens


    to her, you¡¯ll have to bear the consequences!¡±

 Chapter 528

    Chapter 528


    Under Cindy¡¯s pressure, the bodyguards could only open the door.


    ¡°You may go now! You might need to help out in the backyard,¡± Cindy ordered. After the bodyguards


    left, she quickly rushed inside the room.


    ¡°Mom, how are you?¡± Cindy asked in a worried tone.


    Malorie bought her act. She sighed andined, ¡°Rick has been bewitched by that little witch! He


    even locked me up because of her!¡±


    Cindy could tell that Malorie hated Arielle. She pretended that she did not know anything. ¡°Little Witch?


    Who is that? Did someonee here when I was hospitalized?¡±


    Malorie spat hatefully, ¡°That sted daughter he brought back! She even red at mest night!¡±


    ¡°Arielle did that?¡± Cindy pretended to be shocked. ¡°You¡¯ll need to tell Rick about this and have him


    make Arielle move out. Since I¡¯m her stepmother, it¡¯s not really my ce to do that, if you know what I


    mean.¡±


    Malorie replied, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Rick now!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± Cindy hurriedly stopped her. ¡°Shandie¡¯s funeral is more important. It¡¯ll be more appropriate to


    talk to him after the funeral ends and all the guests leave.¡±


    ¡°Fine!¡±


    Both of them walked toward the backyard together.


    When Henrick saw Malorie, his expression turned grim. He frowned and looked at Cindy.


    Seeing the cold re, Cindy felt that Henrick was unhappy with her.


    However, she did not think much about it. She assumed that he was unhappy that she had brought


    Malorie out of her room.


    Since Henrick did not say anything, Cindy tended to the other guests after talking to Malorie for a while.


    Soon, the funeral began.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Cindy could not help but cry again. In the end, she could not even stand still..


    Without the strength to even get up, she thought that Henrick woulde and help her. However, the


    latter was still talking to other guests.


    That was when Cindy realized that something was amiss. After the funeral ended and all the guests


    were eating, she pulled Henrick aside and asked, ¡°Rick, are you mad at me because I let Mome


    out of her room?¡±


    Henrick looked at her with aplex expression. As the veins bulged on his forehead, he replied, ¡°It¡¯s


    nothing! I need to take care of the guests now. We¡¯ll talk after they leave.¡±


    Since Henrick did not tell Cindy the reason right away, she got anxious.


    Before she could say anything though, Henrick went back to talking with the other guests again.


    Yet, Cindy and Henrick did not notice that Arielle was watching both of them from afar.


    There was a smirk on her face. She knew that Henrick went to the psychiatric hospital just now. Clearly,


    Carter had done as Arielle had instructed as well.


    Arielle raised her eyebrow and sat down in front of an empty table before she started eating. She


    looked extremely clueless and innocent.


    Beside her, the guests started talking about Russell.


    ¡°Why is Mr. Actonward not here? He was still here when Shandie passed away.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the news? Russell¡¯s daughter was murdered by her cousin. She suffered a terrible


    death!¡±


    ¡°What? Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I heard that Russell still hasn¡¯t found Yvette¡¯splete body yet. He certainly has no time nor


    mood to attend a funeral.¡±


    At that moment, another guest chimed in, ¡°The Actonwards and the Southalls have lost their daughters


    one after the other, and they¡¯re rtives. Maybe their


    families are having a stroke of bad luck due to a jinx?¡±


    Right at that moment, Cindy was approaching them with Malorie.


    Although Malorie was old, she still had a sharp sense of hearing. Her body stiffened upon hearing the


    guest¡¯s words.

 Chapter 529

    Chapter 529


    Our family¡­ A jinx¡­


    Malorie could not help shifting her gaze to Arielle, who was eating and minding her own business.


    Hatred began to fill her eyes.


    I didn¡¯t know that the Actonwards had a mishap. But, two youngsters passing away at the same time?


    Could this really be a coincidence? Maybe they¡¯re right ¨C our family hase across a jinx, and that


    jinx is none other than Arielle Moore!


    Malorie narrowed her eyes.


    Beside her, Cindy did not hear the guests¡¯ conversation. She was still thinking about why Henrick was


    being so cold to her.


    When Malorie came to a halt, Cindy finally returned to her senses. Curiously, she asked, ¡°Mom, what¡¯s


    wrong? Your seat is over there.¡±


    She pointed at the round table in the center of the backyard.


    That was the main table. Since Arielle was young, she was not allowed to sit there. Only Cindy and


    Malorie had the right to sit there.


    At Cindy¡¯s words, Malorie snapped out of her thoughts.


    She pulled Cindy to the side and asked in a low voice, ¡°Cindy, do you know any famous exorcists in


    Jadeborough? Someone who can get rid of the spirits of


    the dead.¡±


    Cindy was stunned. She frowned and asked, ¡°Why do you need someone like that? Shandie is going to


    be buried today. She¡¯s always been a good girl, so she won¡¯t disturb us even after her death. Besides,


    all the exorcists in Jadeborough are just scammers.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m not talking about Shandie. I¡¯m talking about Arielle.¡±


    Cindy raised her eyebrows in surprise. ¡°Arielle?¡±


    Malorie nodded and told Cindy about the guests¡¯ conversation just now. ¡°It must be Arielle¡¯s fault! She


    stayed in the countryside, right? She probably brought some malicious spirit here! That¡¯s why our


    family and the Actonwards have met with such terrible misfortune!¡±


    When she recalled the way Arielle red at herst night, she was extremely scared. She¡¯s not


    supposed to have that kind of look at such a young age. She must be possessed by an evil spirit or


    something!


    With that thought, Malorie added, ¡°People say that female spirits like to possess beautiful women. Isn¡¯t


    Arielle too beautiful? If we can¡¯t find an exorcist here in Jadeborough, I¡¯ll bring one over after Shandie¡¯s


    funeral ends. If it¡¯s a mistake, then that¡¯s fine. But if I¡¯m not wrong¡­ We need to force Arielle to stay


    away from


    us!¡±


    Cindy almost burst outughing as she listened to


    Malorie.


    Initially, she was worried, knowing that Malorie hade to Jadeborough. Cindy had clearly changed


    her mind now. This is wonderful! It¡¯s such nice timing for her to be here now! Arielle Moore, you¡¯re


    doomed! Malorie is not someone easy to deal with. Shandie must be watching me from above. She


    even sent me such a great opportunity!


    Clenching her fists, Cindy had an idea. ¡°Mom, I actually know an exorcist. Shall I bring her over after


    Shandie¡¯s funeral endster?¡±


    ¡°Sure! The sooner the better!¡± Malorie replied.


    She was extremely impatient. At the thought that there might be an evil spirit at home, Malorie felt


    goosebumps all over her body.


    She turned to look at Arielle instinctively.


    Right at that moment, thetter finished eating. She turned around, and her eyes met Malorie¡¯s.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Malorie shrieked in shock. Her scream attracted the attention of the other guests around her.

 Chapter 530

    Chapter 530


    ¡°Is that Senior Mrs. Southall? What¡¯s wrong with her?¡±


    ¡°Why does she look like she¡¯s possessed?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that at a funeral! You¡¯re scaring me!¡±


    ¡°We better hurry up and eat so we can leave!¡±


    The backyard was filled with discussion and chatter.


    Malorie heard theirments, and she became more certain about her decision.


    She tugged at Cindy¡¯s clothes and said, ¡°Don¡¯t waste time. Call the exorcist right now. After all the


    guests leave, bring the exorcist over!¡±


    Seeing Malorie so scared, Cindy was delighted. So being superstitious is not always a bad thing.


    However, she did not believe in any of these superstitions.


    She was not afraid of spirits at all. No, she was more afraid of Arielle, who hade to avenge


    Maureen¡¯s death.


    Cindy murmured her assent before she ordered n to bring Malorie back to her room.


    Just as Malorie walked off, Henrick came toward Cindy with a grim expression. He questioned, ¡°You


    just got back, and what are you up to now? What happened to Mom?¡±


    ¡°What happened to Mom? You¡¯re asking me? You locked Mom inside her room for a day! She wasn¡¯t


    emotionally well. If I didn¡¯t get her out, she would¡¯ve fallen sick! Rick, have you been bewitched? You


    were such a filial son!¡±


    Henrick froze and refuted, ¡°I did that for her! If she provokes Vinson again, she would have to face


    serious consequences instead of just staying in her room for a night!


    Cindy sighed and replied, ¡°Fine. Ask Mom to give you an exnation after all the guests leave. Apart


    from that, I have something important to tell you. But¡­ Let¡¯s wait until Shandie¡¯s funeral ends.¡±


    She did not want all these filthy matters to sully Shandie. My poor Shandie has to rest and reincarnate


    peacefully.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Henrick¡¯s brows were tightly clenched. Since many guests were still around, he could not press the


    matter further. He then continued tending to the guests.


    ¡°Please carry on. My mother is too upset. She¡¯s not feeling well, so she went back to take a rest.¡±


    When the guests heard that, they consoled Henrick before continuing their conversation.


    Henrick felt relieved. However, his gaze was locked on Cindy.


    Thetter was talking with a prominentdy with a


    smile on her face.


    Although she was almost fifty years old now, her figure looked gorgeous. From the back, she appeared


    to be a youngdy with a mature and charming aura.


    With that beauty, any man would easily fall for her. Initially, Henrick loved Maureen, but she was an


    aloof woman. After being looked down on constantly, Henrick gradually felt his dignity being


    threatened.


    Later on, the passionate and free Cindy appeared. Henrick was naturally attracted to her, so they got


    together after that.


    Even today, Henrick still had the urge of a man when he saw Cindy.


    However, looking at her now, his gaze was extremely cold.


    Clearly, a woman who¡¯s too beautiful and attractive doesn¡¯t benefit the family much.

 Chapter 531

    Chapter 531


    The more he stared at Cindy, the more dissatisfied Henrick became.


    He had gone to the psychiatric hospital after talking to Arielle that afternoon.


    Coincidentally when Henrick entered the hospital, a nurse and a doctor were talking about a man


    named Matthias who had visited Cindy there every day. Sometimes, Matthias even stayed in Cindy¡¯s


    ward for an entire day. Therefore, the nurse and doctor knew that something was fishy between them.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Hearing that, Henrick had to fight back the impulse to confront the nurse and doctor. He hurriedly left


    the hospital after that.


    If there was one thing he could not ept, it was his wife cheating on him. After all, he would never be


    able to hold his head high in Jadeborough anymore.


    However, if the nurses and doctors in the hospital were not just gossiping or speaking nonsense, he


    would not let Cindy off the hook.


    He would beat her to death if that happened.


    After letting out a heavy sigh, he tried to hide his emotions before he returned to talk to the guests.


    I¡¯ll confront her after the guests leave. I can¡¯t let any outsiders know about this!


    Meanwhile, Arielle put down her cutlery as she turned


    to look at a direction in confusion.


    She saw Malorie walking unsteadily with n holding her, as if she had just seen a ghost.


    It did not escape her notice that Malorie had be like that after thetter saw her and shrieked in


    shock just now.


    Touching her cheek self-consciously, Arielle wondered, Do I look that scary?


    On the other side of things, after leaving the Southall residence, Vinson finally met with ke, who had


    been missing for over two weeks, at the mansion.


    Sasha, who hadpletely recovered, was crying in ke¡¯s arms.


    When Vinson entered the mansion, Jordan took several steps back instinctively.


    However, no one noticed that.


    Vinson walked toward ke as he asked, ¡°You¡¯re back?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± ke wiped his tears and sniffled in embarrassment.


    ke was fifteen years old that year. He knew that he should not cry as he was a man now. However,


    he could


    not hold back his tears when he saw Sasha crying.


    After he saw Vinson, he quickly bowed down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Vinson! Sorry for getting you worried!¡±


    Vinson sighed and patted ke¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You silly boy. Tell me now. Where have you been the past


    two weeks?¡±


    Sasha had been too busy crying just now to ask the same question, so she hurriedly added, ¡°Yeah! We


    were looking for you. Where have you been?¡±


    ke kept his head low as he exined everything guiltily.


    ¡°Our car fell into the water, and I went into aa. When I opened my eyes, someone was breaking


    the window. The water level was already at my nose by then. I could tell that the person who was


    breaking the window was well-trained. Worried that it might be the driver who hit our car, we got out


    from the trunk of the car and swam out of the river. I was injured at that time. When I was about to lose


    all my strength, I saw a boat. The people on the boat saved me after they saw me. I lost my


    consciousness again after I was dragged onboard.


    After I woke up, I found myself in a town thousands of miles away near the sea. The people on the boat


    brought me there. They stay in a rural vige. Since I was injured and lost the device to contact all of


    you, and I was also afraid that those people would find me if I contacted you with a mobile phone, I


    begged them to let me stay for some time. After I recovered, I finally set off toe back. That¡¯s what


    happened.¡±


    ke suddenly pped his head and eximed, ¡°Oh, right! The people of the vige said that they¡¯re


    indebted to someone here. They wanted me to send my gratitude to this person in Jadeborough. Her


    name is¡­ Arielle Moore.¡±

 Chapter 532

    Chapter 532


    When Vinson heard Arielle¡¯s name, his gaze flickered. He questioned, ¡°What¡¯s the name of the


    vige?¡±


    After ke answered his question, Vinson smiled.


    ke asked curiously, ¡°Mr. Vinson, why are you smiling? Is Arielle Moore actually the same Ms. Moore


    you ordered us to protect? It can¡¯t be that coincidental, right?¡±


    Vinson smirked as he replied, ¡°You¡¯re really lucky. Arielle came from that vige.¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°Gosh! I can¡¯t believe that I still ended up near Ms. Moore after so many things have happened!¡± ke


    widened his eyes in shock.


    Beside him, Sasha smiled as she uttered, ¡°Ms. Moore has been looking for you too. You¡¯ll need to


    thank her. Also, you can tell her about your run-in with the vigers.¡±


    ke nodded in agreement. He asked Vinson, ¡°Should I go now?¡±


    Thetter shook his head and said, ¡°She¡¯s busy with a funeral now. You may visit her some other day.


    Before that, I¡¯ll tell her about it. The wound on your leg has not fully recovered yet. Go to Carter¡¯s


    hospital for a checkup and some tetanus shots. Then, take a rest with Sasha for a few days. Also¡­ I¡¯ve


    postponed Toni and Andy¡¯s funerals. After both of you have recovered, we¡¯ll pay our respects together.¡±


    ke had already heard about Toni¡¯s and Andy¡¯s passing. He murmured his assent as his eyes


    reddened.


    It wasmon to face death in their career. Although he was upset, he had to push through.


    Seeing ke being so strong, Vinsonplimented him for being a strong man. After that, Vinson


    nced at the people at the side.


    While Carter and Jordan were there, Harvey was nowhere to be seen.


    Feeling curious, Vinson asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Harvey?¡±


    Carter shrugged and answered, ¡°I was just about to tell you. We found a transportpany that day,


    right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and?¡±


    ¡°Then, we were nning to send an undercover agent there.¡±


    Vinson was stunned for a while, instantly understanding what was going on. ¡°Harvey went there?¡±


    Carter nodded as he added, ¡°He insisted on going. We couldn¡¯t even stop him. However, since he


    normally rarely shows his face, he¡¯s the best suited to be our


    spy.¡±


    ¡°When did he go?¡±


    Abruptly, Carter hit his head. ¡°Today. Oh, I almost


    forgot. Before he left, he told us to pass this letter to Arielle. Please hand this to her.¡±


    While speaking, he took out a letter from his pocket and gave it to Vinson.


    Carter was not on anyone¡¯s side. Yet, since both men were in love with the same woman, they would


    have to resolve the issue soon.


    He was just reminding Vinson about it.


    Vinson took the letter with an indifferent expression. Arielle¡¯s name was written on it. He did not know


    what the content was about, but he was not nning to look at it.


    After keeping the letter, he ordered Carter to send ke and Sasha to the Morgans¡¯ private hospital.


    When everything else was settled, Vinson grabbed Jordan, who was about to run away.


    Sweat beaded Jordan¡¯s forehead. He was anxious as only Vinson and he were left in the mansion now.


    ¡°V-Vin¡­ W-What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked while trying to calm himself.


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong with me, but something¡¯s wrong with you.¡±


    Vinson released his grip and crossed his arms in front of his chest. His gaze was locked on Jordan


    when he said,


    ¡°Out with it. What¡¯s up with you recently?¡±


    Jordan stammered, ¡°W-What do you mean?¡±

 Chapter 533

    Chapter 533


    Vinson gave Jordan a once-over before he asked, ¡°Do you know what you look like now?¡±


    Jordan covered his chest with his hands awkwardly, questioning, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Like a man who was caught cheating.¡±


    In other words, he looked like someone who was guilty and scared but still trying to appear calm.


    His face flushed red when he heard that. ¡°I have a girlfriend now, b-but I don¡¯t think that has anything to


    do with you. After all, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re in that kind of rtionship¡­ B-Besides, you can¡¯t force a


    rtionship.¡±


    Vinson¡¯s confusion grew upon listening to Jordan.


    He frowned and yelled, ¡°I didn¡¯t understand a single thing out of your mouth!¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Jordan clenched his teeth before he shouted, ¡°I know you like me! Stop hiding it from me!¡±


    Vinson was shocked. He furrowed his brows tighter as he questioned, ¡°Were you drinking?¡±


    ¡°No! I can tell that you like me from the way you look at me. Also, you even asked me how to court


    someone you like. Back then, I wanted to tell you that no matter what, I would never fall for you. You¡¯re


    just a brother to me. We¡¯ll never be together because I just don¡¯t swing that way. I¡¯m a straight man,


    which means I¡¯ll never fall for a man! Vinson Nightshire, just give up already!¡±


    Words instantly fled Vinson.


    The room fell silent for several minutes.


    After a few minutes, Vinson finally returned to his senses.


    His expression wasplex, with a hint of disbelief.


    He grabbed Jordan¡¯s cor and shook him violently.


    Thetter almost fainted when he stopped shaking. Vinson questioned, ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s


    water in your brain. Since your brain is not filled with water, why did you lose your mind?¡±


    Jordan was embarrassed to hear that. ¡°Vinson Nightshire! I¡¯m being serious! Please stop liking me. I


    only see you as a brother.¡±


    Vinson tried to hold back the urge to punch Jordan. With a grim expression, he said, ¡°I¡¯m being serious


    too. I see you as a brother as well. You¡¯ve misunderstood. I do not have any feelings for you. I like


    women!¡±


    Jordan was stunned.


    Then he became delighted.


    ¡°Are you telling the truth? You don¡¯t like me? Do you see me as a friend only?¡±


    Vinson massaged his temples and yelled furiously, ¡°How are you so confident? Who gave you the


    courage? I don¡¯t like you! I can repeat that a thousand times! I like women!¡±


    He had the urge to kick Jordan.


    This time, he could not control himself anymore and really did that.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    With a thump, Vinson kicked Jordan in his butt.


    Thetter almost fell onto the ground.


    However, Jordan was not unhappy at all. He rubbed his butt as he said, ¡°So, you don¡¯t like me? Haha!


    Great!


    You don¡¯t like me!¡±


    I was overthinking! Vinson doesn¡¯t like me!


    Jordan wished that he could set off fireworks to celebrate.


    He had been extremely nervous to see Vinson recently because of that. Now, he was relieved after


    knowing the truth.


    However, he became curious after that.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like me, who are you courting?¡±

 Chapter 534

    Chapter 534


    ¡°Arielle!¡± Vinson answered without hesitation.


    Initially, he was reluctant to tell Jordan about it because he knew that thetter would spread the news


    to the others. But, he knew that he had to clear the misunderstanding between them now.


    He had never discriminated against homosexuals, but he just did not want Jordan to misunderstand


    him.


    As a straight man, he hated being misunderstood.


    Since he had never dated anyone before, many people assumed that he was a homosexual. He did not


    want his close friends to misunderstand him.


    When Jordan heard Arielle¡¯s name, he was stunned.


    He asked in surprise, ¡°Goddess?¡®


    Vinson red at him and warned, ¡°She¡¯s not your goddess. She¡¯s your future sister-inw. Watch your


    language.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Jordan raised his hands in surrender and asked, ¡°But, Harvey¡¯s courting Arielle, right? He even


    went to an ind and killed a shark to gift her its tooth. I heard that gifting a shark tooth signifies a


    confession.¡±


    Vinson frowned upon hearing that, ¡°Did Arielle ept it?¡±


    Jordan shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. However, since both of you like the same woman, how are you going


    to share


    her?¡±


    Vinson red daggers at Jordan.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°Who said anything about sharing? Arielle is mine.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine. She¡¯s yours.¡±


    Jordan quickly made an ¡°OK¡± gesture to him. I almost fell for Arielle too. Luckily I got away before any


    damage was done. Otherwise, I¡¯ll diepeting with these two.


    Vinson did not want to continue talking to this idiot. He said, ¡°If you¡¯ve nothing to do, just put yourself in


    jail. Stop messing around. If Arielle finds out about this, I¡¯ll tear you apart. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Jordan nodded. He quickly left the mansion under Vinson¡¯s threatening gaze.


    At that moment, he was happy yet conflicted.


    He was happy to know that Vinson had not fallen for him but conflicted because the person Vinson


    liked was Arielle. They fell in love with the same girl. What now?


    Moreover, both of them were loyal men. Once they fell for a woman, they would be in love with the


    same person for the rest of their lives.


    What if they go against each other for Arielle?


    Jordan was frustrated.


    Thinking about that, he quickly took out his phone and sent Carter a message on WhatsApp.


    Carter! Breaking news! Vinson and Carter fell in love with your Chief! My goddess, Arielle!


    Carter replied him: ¡­


    In the car, Jordan typed another message proudly. Are you surprised? You¡¯re the first person I told this


    to! Is dinner on you tonight?


    Carter replied: Look at where you¡¯ve sent me the message.


    Jordan was confused as he nced around and sent back: I¡¯m in my car now. Why?


    Just when he sent the message, he saw the title of the chat above their conversation ¨C The Fantastic


    Four.


    That was the title of the group chat for the four of them.


    Jordan felt his world falling apart.


    The next second, a notification popped up. Vinson has left the group chat.


    One secondter, another notification chimed. Harvey has left the group chat.

 Chapter 535

    Chapter 535


    After a couple of seconds, another notification came. Carter has left the group chat.


    Only Jordan was left in the group chat now.


    He sat in his car, feeling at a loss about what just happened. Damn! Damn! I¡¯m such an idiot! A f**king


    idiot!


    Back in the mansion, after Vinson quit the group chat, he was prepared to return to the Southall


    residence.


    At that moment, Rayson phoned him. He sounded anxious.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire, something terrible has happened! One of the branches of Soir Coffee has a problem


    now! A customer was sent to the hospital after an allergy reaction. Seems like the situation is really


    bad.¡±


    Vinson frowned. ¡°Is it caused by something from our coffee shop?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure of the details yet, but the customer¡¯s family members areining about it at our office


    now. I¡¯m afraid it might cause a negative impact on us. What should we do now?¡±


    ¡°Try to calm the family members and stop this news from spreading. I¡¯m driving over now. I¡¯ll be there in


    around twenty minutes.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Mr. Nightshire.¡±


    Upon hanging up, Vinson walked out of the mansion while he sent a message to Arielle: Are you all


    right?


    Arielle replied quickly: Don¡¯t worry. Nothing¡¯s going to happen. Cindy won¡¯t let anything happen at


    Shandie¡¯s funeral.


    Then, Vinson sent another message: All right. I need to settle something urgent now. I¡¯ll be there after


    I¡¯m done.


    In the Southall residence, Arielle smiled as she typed her message. Do what you need to do. If you¡¯re


    busy, you don¡¯t have toe. I can handle it by myself.


    After giving it some thought, she sent another message: I¡¯ll call you if I have any problems.


    Some time ago, she had never thought that someone would have her back like this. However,


    everything was different now.


    Vinson replied quickly. Okay. Call me anytime.


    After Arielle sent an ¡°OK¡± emoji, she kept her phone back in her pocket. She started studying Cindy


    again.


    Thetter did not look as upset anymore as she tended to the guests.


    The more Arielle thought about it, the more she felt something was off.


    She had a feeling that Cindy was plotting something.


    However, Arielle knew that she could handle everything well.


    The funeral went on smoothly. Shandie¡¯s grave was in the second cemetery of Jadeborough.


    The grave plots of the first cemetery were extremely expensive. They cost much higher than the


    houses in the city of Jadeborough, which was why only truly prominent and wealthy people could be


    buried there.


    Henrick did not even want to pay for Shandie¡¯s grave at the second cemetery. In the end, Cindy had to


    fork out the money herself.


    Maureen was buried there as well.


    After making sure no one was keeping an eye on her, Arielle found Maureen¡¯s grave and ced a


    bouquet of flowers there.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    She looked at Maureen¡¯s photo sorrowfully as she said, ¡°Hey there, Mom. As I wished, the Southall


    family is now falling apart. Shandie is dead, whereas Cindy and Henrick are going to divorce soon. I¡¯ve


    always wanted to find the truth about your death before, but I no longer want to know the process, I


    only know that Henrick and Cindy are the murderers who caused your death. I will definitely punish


    them for you. Just wait for me!¡±


    Arielle had secretlye to Maureen¡¯s grave several times before. It was not the first time she talked


    to her


    mother here.


    Her gaze was firm as she looked intensely at Maureen¡¯s photo. A momentter, she pasted on a


    perfect smile before she walked toward Shandie¡¯s grave.


    A car was already waiting to drive them back home.


    Arielle climbed into the car with Henrick and Cindy.


    Right as the car was about to arrive at the Southall residence¡­

 Chapter 536

    Chapter 536


    ¡°Stop the car!¡± Cindy shouted.


    She was sitting with Arielle in the back seat.


    Thetter turned to look at her in confusion. Cindy looked pale and was clearly not feeling well.


    Since Arielle had medical skills, she could tell that Cindy was not faking it.


    She frowned and gave Cindy a concerned look. ¡°Aunt Cindy, what¡¯s wrong? Are you unwell?¡±


    In the passenger¡¯s seat, Henrick turned around and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Cindy covered her mouth with her hand and replied, ¡°I think I¡¯m having motion sickness. Stop the car.¡¯


    Henrick nced at the chauffeur before thetter pulled over at the side of the road.


    Once the car came to a halt, Cindy rushed out of the car and started throwing up beside amppost.


    Eventually, she was just vomiting water. She could only steady herself by holding onto themppost.


    Henrick furrowed his brows before he went to help Cindy. In confusion, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?


    You¡¯ve never had motion sickness before.¡±


    Cindy wiped her mouth with her sleeve and answered weakly, ¡°Maybe I was too upset today and it


    affected


    my body. Let¡¯s go home. Help me call the private doctor toe over to check up on meter.¡±


    Arielle was watching Cindy from the side. An idea urred to her, but she swiftly pushed it aside, not


    deeming it likely


    ¡°Forget about the private doctor. There¡¯s a hospital not far from here. Let¡¯s get a checkup there.¡±


    She wanted to know if Cindy was really having motion sickness or something else was up. At least I¡¯ll


    know what¡¯s going on with her if we go to a hospital.


    Cindy seemed reluctant as she looked at Henrick. ¡°No need for that¡­ Both of you must be tired. It¡¯s


    just motion sickness. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll just roll down the car windowter.¡±


    Right when she finished speaking, she started retching again.


    Although nothing came out, her face turnedpletely


    pale.


    Henrick then sighed and replied, ¡°It looks serious. We shouldn¡¯t get in the car. Let¡¯s walk to the hospital


    and get a checkup. You¡¯ve never had motion sickness before. Something must be wrong.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Cindy smiled apologetically before she began walking with Henrick¡¯s help.


    Arielle followed behind. Her mind was racing to


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    analyze the situation.


    I have a feeling her condition is probably caused by the thing that Matthias gave her. I saw her drinking


    it through the surveince cameras.


    However, Arielle did not say a word as she walked behind them.


    She knew that the truth would be revealed at the hospitalter.


    They spent more than ten minutes to arrive at the hospital which was only several hundred meters


    away.


    The three of them rushed to the emergency room together with their chauffeur.


    Since there were only a few patients in the hospital and Cindy looked extremely pale, two nurses sent


    her for a checkup right away. Arielle and Henrick had to wait outside the door of the emergency room.


    Arielle noticed that Henrick had his brows knitted tightly, looking worried.


    Clearly, he was suspecting that Cindy had cheated on him.


    That morning, Arielle had ordered Carter to have the staff of the psychiatric hospital gossip about


    Matthias and Cindy. Seems like it¡¯s working.


    At that moment, she suddenly noticed that the Morgans¡¯ family insignia was on the wall beside the


    name of the hospital.

 Chapter 537

    Chapter 537


    This is Carter¡¯s family¡¯s hospital!


    Arielle was delighted knowing that. This makes things a lot easier.


    Without hesitation, she told Henrick that she was going to the washroom before she hid in a corner of


    the hospital. Then, she phoned Carter.


    Thetter answered the phone instantly, ¡°Chief, what¡¯s up? Is there anything I can do for you?¡±


    Arielle nced around before she replied, ¡°Your family owns Morgan Hospital, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Are you there now?¡±


    ¡°Yes. My aunt and also stepmother¡¯s name is Cindy Moore. She¡¯s getting a medical checkup here. Can


    you send someone to have a look at her?¡±


    ¡°Not a problem. I¡¯ll call them right now.¡±


    ¡°All right. Thank you. Also, thank you for helping me with the psychiatric hospital matter. I¡¯ll treat you to


    a meal some other day.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Arielle hurriedly hung up the call and kept her phone before she returned to the emergency room.


    Henrick did not even realize that she had returned. He leaned against the wall, his gaze appearing


    nk and


    looking like he had aged ten years.


    It was the first time Arielle saw him looking like that. Deep down, all she felt was glee.


    He clearly can¡¯t ept the fact that Cindy is cheating on him, but has he ever thought of Mom¡¯s


    feelings when he cheated on her back then? This is karma. He deserves it!


    Arielle quickly hid the mocking look in her expression before she approached Henrick. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m back.


    Don¡¯t worry about Aunt Cindy. I think she¡¯s just too upset about Shandie¡¯s passing. Also, she stayed in


    the psychiatric hospital for some time. Her immunity might¡¯ve weakened there.¡±


    Henrick forced a grin and replied, ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m not worried.¡±


    A beatter, he added, ¡°Arielle, what do you think about Cindy?¡±


    Arielle paused for a while before she smiled. ¡°Aunt


    She knew that if she badmouthed Cindy now, Henrick would suspect that the rumor he heard in the


    psychiatric hospital might be fake.


    As expected, after hearing her answer, Henrick asked, ¡°I thought you two were always having


    misunderstandings? Why did you still say she¡¯s nice? What do you mean by that?¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Arielle smiled and answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to put it in words¡­ I just feel like she¡¯s treating you


    well. I think she¡¯s a nice person because of that.¡¯


    Seeing her being so pure and naive, Henrick¡¯s face turned darker.


    He knew that Cindy treated him well. But is she treating me well because she¡¯s feeling guilty and


    indebted to me?


    Thinking about it, Henrick recalled that Cindy had never once given him an attitude ever since they got


    married. That¡¯s really strange.


    Studying Henrick¡¯s changing expressions, Arielle knew that her n was working.


    She smiled gently as she asked, ¡°Dad, what are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°N-Nothing.¡± Henrick lowered his head guiltily.


    Right at that moment, a doctor walked toward them and asked, ¡°Is Cindy Moore¡¯s family around?¡±


    Henrick did not respond. Yet, Arielle raised her hand and replied, ¡°Right here. We¡¯re her family.¡±


    The doctor looked at her before he said, ¡°There¡¯s some problem with the patient, so we took her to do


    an in depth examination. You can wait for her in the waiting room. It may take an hour for the results to


    be out.¡±


    Henrick was stunned. He asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her? Why do we have to wait for so long? I


    thought she was only having motion sickness?¡±


    The doctor pushed his sses up and exined, ¡°We¡¯re not sure yet. Please wait patiently until the


    resultse out.¡¯


    Finished speaking, he turned around and left.

 Chapter 538

    Chapter 538


    Before leaving, the doctor nced at Arielle and mouthed at her. Let¡¯s talk outside.


    Although Henrick did not notice, Arielle saw that.


    She went to the waiting room with Henrick and found an excuse to leave. Then, she saw the doctor


    waiting for her at the entrance of the hospital.


    ¡°Are you Ms. Moore?¡± the doctor asked.


    Arielle nodded. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m Arielle Moore.¡±


    The doctor nced around before he said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk over there.¡± He then walked toward the garden of


    the hospital.


    Arielle followed him to a corner before they came to a halt. ¡°Ms. Moore, my name is Andrew Collins. Mr.


    Morgan ordered me to inspect Cindy Moore.¡±


    Arielle nodded and greeted him. After that, she asked in confusion, ¡°Dr. Collins, is there any problem


    with Cindy Moore?¡±


    Andrew shook his head and answered, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with the patient. However, we found out


    that she¡¯s pregnant.¡±


    Arielle widened her eyes in shock. ¡°Pregnant!¡±


    She wasn¡¯t having motion sickness; she¡¯s just pregnant! She¡¯s actually pregnant? Whose child is it?


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    It was the first time Arielle failed to control herself. However, she was lucky that Andrew was on her


    side.


    She took a deep breath to calm herself before she asked, ¡°Are you sure about that? She¡¯s almost fifty


    years old¡­¡±


    ¡°ording to the preliminary examination, the level of human chorionic gonadotropin in the blood of


    patient has increased significantly, which indicates that she is pregnant. However, since Mr. Morgan


    has called us personally, I¡¯m going to do more precise tests on the patient.¡±


    S


    After several seconds, Arielle questioned, ¡°I-Is there a chance that there¡¯s a mistake with the result?¡±!


    Andrew pondered about it before he answered, ¡°This index is high. It can also be affected by some


    medications. However, if an ultrasound is done, the result of the test is 100% urate. My staff is now


    taking her for B-scan ultrasonography.¡±


    Arielle murmured her assent and added, ¡°I understand. Please inspect her thoroughly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Moore.¡± Andrew nodded firmly before he turned around and headed back to the hospital.


    As Arielle watched Andrew leave, she fell into deep thought. If Cindy¡¯s truly pregnant, that¡¯s going to be


    bad news to me. Henrick doesn¡¯t have a son, and he looks down on women. He¡¯s going to wait until the


    baby is born to do anything, even if there¡¯s proof that she cheated on him with Matthias. I can¡¯t wait


    until the baby


    is born. This family has to fall apart in order for me to take advantage of them.


    Arielle shut her eyes and prayed that the result was wrong. She hoped that Cindy was not pregnant.


    A couple of secondster, her eyes flew open.


    She suddenly remembered the surveince cameras in the psychiatric hospital.


    In the footage, Matthias had Cindy drink something every day. It looked like some sort of herbal


    remedy. Could that possibly affect the result of the medical checkup?


    Arielle clenched her fists, suspecting that Cindy was faking a pregnancy.


    This is probably her trump card. If this is true, Cindy¡¯s really smart. However, the truth will be revealed


    eventually. By then, I won¡¯t have to do anything for Henrick to end her life. Henrick hates deception and


    betrayal the most. Not only that, but he¡¯s an incredibly prideful man. It will be the end of Cindy right


    after I expose the proof of her cheating on Henrick.

 Chapter 539

    Chapter 539


    Arielle¡¯s head was flooded with thoughts.


    After standing in the garden for several minutes, she managed to get a conclusion before she headed


    back to the emergency room.


    When she arrived at the entrance, she saw Cindy crying in Henrick¡¯s arms.


    Arielle rushed to them and asked, ¡°Dad, what happened to Aunt Cindy?¡±


    Henrick clearly did not know what was going on as well. He lowered his head and said, ¡°Stop crying.


    What happened?¡±


    Cindy pointed at a doctor and a nurse standing nearby while she uttered through her sobs, ¡°He


    molested me!¡±


    She shouted so loudly that almost all the people in the emergency room heard that.


    They turned to look at Cindy in surprise before casting a disdainful look at the male doctor she was


    pointing at.


    Several bad-tempered people walked over and started berating the male doctor.


    ¡°She¡¯s a patient. How could you be so disgusting? Have you forgotten about your medical ethics?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to be a doctor. Miss, call the police! We can¡¯t tolerate this kind of people! We have


    to punish him!¡±


    ¡°Yes! He has to be punished!¡±


    As everyone reprimanded the doctor, his face turned dark.


    The doctor warned, ¡°Ma¡¯am, please don¡¯t nder me! When did I molest you? You were brought to the


    room for an ultrasound. I haven¡¯t even started the inspection when you screamed and ran out the


    room.¡±


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    The nurse beside him nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Ma¡¯am, we haven¡¯t even finished the inspection. You¡¯re supposed to take off your clothes


    for the examination. You can¡¯t nder us like this.¡±


    Henrick was furious and embarrassed. He asked, ¡°Did the doctor molest you? Could it be a


    misunderstanding?¡±


    Cindy wiped her tears andined in embarrassment, ¡°I¡¯ve done this examination before. I certainly


    know that I¡¯m supposed to take off my clothes. Do you think that I can¡¯t tell the difference between


    molesting and examining? He molested me when the nurse wasn¡¯t paying attention. I swear that it


    wasn¡¯t a misunderstanding!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Henrick shot a look at the chauffeur, and thetter stepped forward to restrain the doctor


    immediately.


    Meanwhile, Henrick called the police.


    Since there was a police station beside the hospital, several policemen arrived in no time. They started


    asking about the situation.


    When they heard that a doctor molested his patient, their expressions became solemn.


    The nurse who was speaking for the doctor backed out when she noticed everyone around her was on


    Cindy¡¯s side.


    The doctor tried to defend himself, but no one believed him. Moreover, there was not a single


    surveince camera in the B-scan ultrasonography room. Hence, he could not do anything to prove his


    innocence. In the end, he had to go to the police station to record a statement.


    As Arielle watched the male doctor being dragged away, she was more certain than ever that Cindy


    was faking her pregnancy. It¡¯s obvious that she¡¯s trying to avoid the B-scan ultrasonography because


    she¡¯s faking her pregnancy.


    Clearly, Cindy had never thought that her actions might destroy the doctor¡¯s future and career.


    That was how evil she was.


    Henrick was infuriated and only calmed down after the doctor was taken away. Then, he started yelling


    for the management of the hospital topensate him.


    The hospital sent Andrew to negotiate with him.


    When Andrew came, he nced at Arielle. She sighed as she noticed how helpless he was.


    Andrew walked toward Cindy and Henrick before he bowed down to apologize.

 Chapter 540

    Chapter 540


    ¡°Sir, Ma¡¯am, after we confirm the situation with the police, the hospital will contact you to talk about the


    compensation.¡± Andrew did not forget about Carter¡¯s order. He added, ¡°The hospital will pay for the fee


    of all the medical examinations you¡¯ve done here today. For all subsequent examinations, we will


    arrange for a female doctor to do them for you. Pleasee with us.¡±


    Cindy instantly refused, ¡°I don¡¯t want to continue with the examination! Even if you arrange a female


    doctor, I¡¯m still afraid! You just need to give us the results of the tests I did before. I¡¯ll go to another


    hospital for other tests.¡±


    Hearing that, the other patients left the hospital as well, not daring to have their examinations there


    anymore.


    There was no doubt the news would spread like wildfire in Jadeborough. Morgan Hospital would suffer


    an unprecedented devastating blow after having its reputation tarnished.


    Thinking about that, Andrew looked exasperated. He nodded at the nurse beside him and said, ¡°Get


    the patient¡¯s examination results here.¡±


    ¡°All right, Dr. Collins.¡± The nurse walked off and returned with a report in her hand.


    Andrew nced at Arielle, seemingly asking for her permission. No one else understood that look.


    Arielle frowned while thinking about it. Since a male doctor¡¯s future was ruined now, she knew that she


    could


    not let anything bad happen anymore. Hence, she could only nod in agreement.


    Seeing that, Andrew walked toward Cindy and handed her the report. ¡°ording to the blood test


    results, Ma¡¯am, you¡¯re pregnant. Congrattions¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Henrick and Cindy gasped in shock at the same time.


    However, Arielle could tell that thetter was faking it.


    Although Cindy looked surprised, Arielle noticed that her eyes were filled with triumph.


    ¡°Congrattions, Aunt Cindy.¡± Arielle smiled as she stared at Cindy.


    Inexplicably, thetter felt guilty.


    Arielle¡¯s gaze was so sharp that it seemed to pierce through Cindy¡¯s mind. Cindy felt like Arielle could


    read her mind now.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    However, she quickly regained herposure. No one else knows about my n except for Matthias.


    Even if Arielle guessed it, she won¡¯t be able to expose me. Matthias told me that as long as I keep


    drinking the herbal concoction, I will have all the symptoms of a real pregnancy. If I don¡¯t do the B-scan


    ultrasonography, no one will ever find out that I¡¯m faking my pregnancy.


    Arielle is probably congratting me as a sign of her backing down.


    With that thought, Cindy covered her mouth and said, ¡°Don¡¯t congratte me¡­ I¡¯m so old now¡­ Oh


    no! I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    She then turned around to look at Henrick.


    The man had no son. As his wife, Cindy knew that he always wanted a son. However, after giving birth


    to Shandie, she was not able to conceive even though she had consumed all sorts of medicines in


    order to conceive. Henrick must be delighted because I¡¯m pregnant!


    Yet, when Cindy turned around to look at Henrick, thetter had aplex expression on his face.


    She had never expected him to react that way.


    Stunned, her heart started racing due to guilt.


    After taking a deep breath, she was about to speak when Henrick suddenly asked the doctor, ¡°How old


    is the baby?¡±

 Chapter 541

    Chapter 541


    Henrick¡¯s words caused Cindy to nch fearfully as her heart pounded wildly in her chest.


    Did Henrick find out about Matthias and me? Is he suspecting that the child isn¡¯t his?


    At once, her palms turned mmy.


    She convinced herself that Henrick merely wanted to know how old the child was.


    Cindy cast a nervous nce at the doctor, who answered, ¡°She¡¯s three to four months along.¡±


    ¡°Three to four months,¡± Henrick repeated. A look of relief washed over his face, and he finally allowed


    himself to beam happily.


    Three to four months ago, Matthias was managing Cindy¡¯s branch office overseas. We had sex at least


    once a week back then, which means the child is mine!


    As the doctor wanted to help Arielle out, he offered, ¡°If you want to know the exact date, we can carry


    out a thorough checkup for you for free.¡±


    Cindy rejected his offer at once. ¡°No need. I shall do that at another hospital. Thank you, though.¡±


    As she was insistent, the doctor had to give up.


    He shot Arielle an apologetic gaze before leaving with the nurse in tow.


    Arielle didn¡¯t me him, for Cindy was indeed too heartless.


    She¡¯ll get a taste of her own medicine someday!


    With a polite smile on her face, Arielle congratted Henrick, ¡°Congrattions, Dad. You¡¯re going to


    have a son!¡± She paused before adding, ¡°No, I should congratte myself as I¡¯m going to have a


    younger brother soon.¡±


    Her words struck a chord with Henrick.


    He shed a grin and gazed at Cindy affectionately.


    CC


    ¡°Cindy, you did a great job. If I knew you were pregnant, I wouldn¡¯t have sent you to the psy¡­ To that


    ce.¡±


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Hisforting words reassured her anxious heart.


    After heaving a sigh of relief inwardly, she put on a surprised but shy smile and offered, ¡°I¡¯m no longer


    young, so it¡¯s quite embarrassing to say it out loud. At least you can finally be proud of me if I¡¯m


    pregnant with a son.¡±


    Henrick¡¯s heart softened at her words.


    Looks like the rumors at the psychiatric hospital are fake. Not all doctors and nurses are kind souls. For


    example, that b*stard from earlier!


    At once, Henrick¡¯s suspicion faded away as he gazed at


    Cindy lovingly.


    He now felt increasingly remorseful. It wasn¡¯t easy for us to end up together. I shouldn¡¯t have suspected


    my wife.


    With that thought in mind, he ignored the others and pulled her into his arms.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be embarrassed. This is good news! Mom will be delighted to hear about it. A few monthster, I


    shall announce to everyone that I have a son, an heir!¡± He guffawed in excitement.


    Everyone shot him confused gazes, but he ignored them as he was too delighted at the news.


    All the while, he had been yearning for a son, so much so that he even entertained the thought of


    getting a mistress to bear him an heir to inherit his fortune. Now, his wish hade true.


    Cindy leaned into his arms shyly and sneaked a peek at Arielle.

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    Chapter 542


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 542


    She was curious as to how Arielle would react to the news.


    The reason Henrick defended Arielle was that she was his only child left. Now that he thought he¡¯d have


    a son, she wasn¡¯t that important to him anymore.


    If Cindy used Malorie to sow discord between Arielle and Vinson now, and they broke up, would Henrick


    still defend Arielle?


    The answer was no.


    Without having a rich son-inw like Vinson around, Henrick will definitely turn a blind eye to whatever I


    do to her. As long as I make sure not to leave any traces behind, I shall be able to avenge Shandie soon!


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Cindy was both curious and excited to find out Arielle¡¯s reaction. However, when her gazended on


    Arielle, she only saw thetter¡¯s slight smile.


    Her smile showed no hint of anger or rm. It seemed that her congrattions were sincere.


    She¡¯s congratting me sincerely? The person who killed her mother? That¡¯s impossible! Did she see


    through me? That sounds impossible, too.


    Contrary to her expectation, she felt a chill go down her spine.


    Cindy immediately hung her head low and gave Henrick a slight shove. ¡°Rick, we¡¯re at the hospital.


    Let¡¯s talk back home.¡±


    Henrick released his grip on her as though he had just realized that fact. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right,¡± he eximed


    gleefully. ¡°Let¡¯s go home and tell Mom about it. I bet she¡¯ll be delighted to hear the news!¡±


    With that, he helped Cindy walk in an exaggeratedly careful manner, as though he was afraid she¡¯d slip


    and fall any minute.


    She was pregnant with his son, and he wouldn¡¯t allow anything to happen to his beloved son.


    They held hands and walked out of the hospital.


    Cindy sped up and left Arielle behind. Thetter couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she had done this on


    purpose.


    Once Cindy entered the car, she told the chauffeur, ¡°Leave now. I don¡¯t want to suffer any longer.¡±


    Henrick immediately urged, ¡°Hurry up and drive!¡±


    Arielle hadn¡¯t gotten into the car yet, so the chauffeur was about to remind them when Henrick ordered,


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Can¡¯t you see Mrs. Southall¡¯s feeling ufortable?¡±


    The chauffeur had to swallow his words, for he knew Henrick would fire him if he dyed any further.


    When Arielle made it past the crowd and arrived by the


    road, she was greeted by the exhaust of the car speeding away.


    Henrick had left her behind!


    I¡¯m no longer important to him now that he has a son. Whatever. It¡¯s better if his attention isn¡¯t on me


    anyway.


    Nevertheless, she was a human being with feelings. It still felt dreadful to be left behind.


    As bitterness rose in her heart, she massaged her temples and chided herself for being too sensitive.


    Sighing, she stretched out a hand to hail a cab. Before she could do so, a car with the Morgans¡¯ family


    insignia rolled to a stop before her.


    Looking up, she saw Carter heading her way.


    ¡°Chief,¡± he greeted her.


    At the sight of him, Arielle shed an apologetic smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to drag your hospital into the mess.¡±


    Carter gave a dismissive wave. ¡°I¡¯ve sorted everything out. Our hospital only hires doctors with integrity.


    Cindy must be lying. It would happen even if you were not there. Besides, this hospital¡¯s location isn¡¯t


    that


    great. We were already nning on shutting it down this year and sending the doctors to other hospitals.


    Don¡¯t me yourself,¡± he assured her.


    ¡°Thank you for yourforting words.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m notforting you. I¡¯m just stating the truth,¡± Carter said. He pointed somewhere and requested, ¡°If


    you feel sorry, can you help me with something? Actually, can you help Vin out?¡±

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    Chapter 543


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 543


    Arielle instinctively turned in the direction Carter was pointing.


    It was a skyscraper with the signage ¡°Nightshire Group¡± on the top floor.


    Suddenly, Arielle recalled Vinson¡¯s text. He imed he was busy at work and couldn¡¯t return to the


    Southall residence immediately.


    Her eyes twitched as she demanded, ¡°What happened to Vinson?¡±


    Carter exhaled. ¡°I just found out about it, too. Vin told me to keep it a secret from you, but I came anyway


    ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just tell me what happened to him. How can I be of help?¡± she urged.


    Carter gestured for her to get into the car. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s talk on the way there.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Without hesitation, Arielle nodded and hopped into Carter¡¯s car.


    Carter stepped on the gas and started exining the entire incident. ¡°You¡¯re Soir Coffee¡¯s ambassador,


    right? A customer ate something in the cafe and had a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic


    reaction. He¡¯s receiving emergency treatment in the hospital now. His family came to thepany and


    demanded Soir Coffee be shut down. It¡¯s quite a serious matter, and everyone¡¯s talking about it online.


    Manyizens are starting to boycott Soir Coffee.¡±


    Arielle listened to everything carefully and thought over it. ¡°It¡¯s normal for a customer to have an allergic


    reaction. Thepany has to offer adequatepensation and settle the matter. Why did it escte


    into something this big?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± As the car stopped at a red light, Carter pulled out his phone and showed a few


    screenshots to her. ¡°Take a look at this.¡±


    Arielle nced at the screenshots taken from a few online articles. A few reported that a few customers


    had food allergies after dining at Soir Coffee. Some articles even outright reported that the customers


    had suffered from food poisoning.


    Food poisoning was way more serious than food allergies.


    Finally, Arielle understood the severity of the situation.


    Back when she was shooting the advertisement, she had heard Nightshire Group wanted to make Soir


    Coffee into a worldwide famous cafe. To achieve that, they had already invested an enormous sum of


    money and manpower.


    If multiple food allergy and food poisoning cases popped up, the brand was doomed.


    Arielle¡¯s expression turned grim.


    After a brief silence, she asked, ¡°Did you check the food in the cafe? Was it a case of contradictory food


    items?¡±


    Contradictory food items would cause food poisoning.


    Carter shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve asked Vin about it. When the first case happened, he ran a thorough


    investigation. The coffee shop doesn¡¯t use a lot of ingredients, so the results were out in less than a day.


    The ingredients were fine.¡±


    ¡°What about the customers? Could there be something wrong with their health?¡±


    Carter shook his head once again. ¡°The customers were all healthy young adults. This particr case is


    especially serious because the customer suffers from a blood disorder. He¡¯s still in a critical condition


    now. The family members of the other affected customers are gathered at Nightshire Group¡¯s entrance.


    Vin is figuring out a way to settle the matter in private. When you called me, I was right there. It was a


    chaotic scene.¡±Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 544

    Chapter 544


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 544


    Arielle¡¯s brows furrowed in concern. Her sixth sense told her it was a setup.


    Who would want to do this to Vinson, though?


    Suddenly, someone popped up in her mind.


    She turned to Carter. ¡°Did you monitor that person who ced the bomb? Could it be him?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve thought of that and nted Harvey as a spy. Though he hasn¡¯t infiltrated thempletely, he


    discovered they¡¯re currently in the middle of an important deal with a mysterious family. They don¡¯t have


    the time for this.¡±


    Arielle nodded in understanding as her confusion heightened.


    If it isn¡¯t him, who could it be? Is it really a coincidence? Or is there indeed something wrong with Soir


    Coffee¡¯s food?


    As her nails dug into her palm, Arielle urged, ¡°You said you needed my help. Exin.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about the patient,¡± Carter revealed grimly. ¡°The previous customers got better swiftly, but this


    particr customer is still in a critical condition. I need your help to check him out. Can you do that?¡±


    Arielle inclined her head. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    Carter heaved a sigh of relief before letting out a self


    deprecating chuckle.


    Not long ago, he had his doubts about her medical skills. Now, instead of going to the best doctor he


    had, he came to Arielle for help.


    The more he thought about it, the more absurd it felt.


    Arielle might be an expert in psychological illnesses, but this is different. I wonder if she can do it.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Carter to dispel his doubts, for he believed that she was the best doctor in the whole


    wide world.


    He floored the elerator and picked up speed.


    ¡°Before heading to the hospital, we need to stop at Nightshire Group and enter through the back


    entrance. I need to inform Vin and ask him toe with us,¡± he exined.


    Even if they wanted to treat the customer, his family might refuse to let them butt in.


    ¡°All right,¡± Arielle agreed. She promptly urged, ¡°Hurry!¡±


    If the customer¡¯s condition is as serious as he ims, it will be a race against time.


    Carter sped up. He ran two red lights before arriving at Nightshire Group.


    Though Arielle expected the chaos, she realized it was worse than what she had imagined earlier.


    The once empty area before Nightshire Group¡¯s building was crowded.


    The protesters even held up banners to attract everyone else¡¯s attention.


    Nightshire Group poisoned their customers! We demand the closure of Soir Coffee!


    Shut Soir Coffee down to protect the consumers!This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Soir Coffee, a subsidiary under Nightshire Group, is killing innocent people!


    After Carter parked the car, a group of people with white bandannas marched over while nging


    cymbals noisily. The word ¡°protest¡± painted in red over their bandannas immediately caught the


    bystanders¡¯ attention.


    Nightshire Group¡¯s entrance was packed, so Carter¡¯s car was instantly surrounded by people, too.


    Frowning, Carter whipped out his phone to call Vinson, but thetter¡¯s phone was engaged.


    ¡°I¡¯ll head up to look for him,¡± Carter said. He added, ¡°Now that the ce is crowded, I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll


    recognize you and harm you in a fit of rage. Stay in the car. I¡¯ll be back with Vin soon.¡±

 Chapter 545

    Chapter 545


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 545


    Arielle was the ambassador of Soir Coffee. Back when the advertisement was first released, it became a


    trending topic.


    Clearly, people would recognize her.


    Arielle had no intention of causing trouble. ¡°I¡¯ll stay in the car.¡± She reminded him, ¡°Be careful. I saw a


    few men with baseball bats in their hands.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± came Carter¡¯s reply. He then left.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    As he was d in an expensive suit and obviously stood out from the others, his appearance


    immediately attracted the protesters¡¯ gazes.


    ¡°Hey! Stop right there!¡± someone hollered.


    In the blink of an eye, Carter was surrounded.


    As those protesters couldn¡¯t enter Nightshire Group¡¯s building since it was guarded by burly bodyguards,


    they decided to stop any employee they happened to see.


    The leader demanded, ¡°Who are you? Do you work in Nightshire Group as an executive?¡±


    Carter adjusted his gold-rimmed sses and shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t work here. I¡¯m Nightshire Group¡¯s


    business partner. After hearing about Soir Coffee¡¯s recent negative incidents, I want to dissolve our


    contract.¡±


    The leader immediately shed a satisfied grin. He


    handed his baseball bat to someone else before stepping forward to shake Carter¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re on the same side. Did I scare you?¡±


    Carter nodded. ¡°To be honest, yes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re making the right decision by canceling your coboration with Nightshire Group. We¡¯re nning


    on blowing the matter up and making their share price hit rock bottom. You should hurry and dissolve


    your contract now!¡±


    Carter¡¯s expression froze for a split second.


    Make the share price hit rock bottom? This is clearly a part of a bigger scheme!


    He couldn¡¯t stop himself from saying, ¡°We¡¯re on the same side, so I should remind you that the police


    might arrest you for causing a scene here.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not afraid of that!¡± The man patted his chest and dered arrogantly, ¡°We¡¯re ordinary citizens


    cing our lives on the line! Besides, why would the police arrest us victims? They should arrest Vinson


    Nightshire of Nightshire Group!¡±


    Carter did his best to conceal his true feelings. His lips curved up as he nodded and reminded them to be


    careful. After bidding goodbye to those protesters, he headed for Nightshire Group¡¯s entrance.


    Arielle had her eyes on Carter, so she heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing him striding away from the


    crowd.


    Right then, someone turned to nce at the car.


    Arielle immediately turned her head aside so they wouldn¡¯t recognize her.


    s, it only took one nce for the man to realize who she was.


    After all, her arresting features would definitely leave an impression on anyone she met. One could


    easily recognize her from her side profile.


    The man yelled, ¡°Come here, everyone! Arielle Moore, the ambassador of Soir Coffee, is in the car!¡±


    At once, everyone clustered around the car.


    ¡°Are you sure this is the ambassador of Soir Coffee?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯d mistake that face for another person!¡±


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Let¡¯s drag her out! She must be an evil person for agreeing to be the


    ambassador of such an unscrupulous store!¡±


    ¡°The car¡¯s locked!¡±


    ¡°Smash the car! Do it now!¡±


    As Arielle was in the car, she thought she could stay inside even though they had recognized her. To her


    utter shock, those men started bashing the car forcefully!


    Bang! Bang! Bang!

 Chapter 546

    Chapter 546


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 546


    The crashing sounds became harder and louder by the minute.


    Though she was in an expensive car, a crack soon appeared in the ss window.


    On the other hand, Carter heard themotion even before he reached the entrance.


    It was too loud and noisy to ignore, after all.


    He turned to look over his shoulder and spotted the window beside the passenger seat shattering into


    pieces. Someone had stretched his arm in, attempting to open the door.


    Arielle¡¯s been discovered!


    Shocked, Carter dashed toward her.


    At the same time, in an office on the top floor of Nightshire Group.


    Rayson was reporting to Vinson. ¡°Mr. Nightshire, we¡¯ve hushed the media as per your order. Simr


    reports will be stopped before they get published. But if those family members keep protesting, we can¡¯t


    really stop theizens¡¯ gossiping.¡±


    Vinson inclined his head and inquired, ¡°What about the customer at the hospital? How is he doing?¡±


    Rayson shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s still in the emergency room. I¡¯ve asked Mr. Carter Morgan to send his best


    doctor to the hospital, but the customer is still in a critical state.¡±


    Solemnly, Vinson lit a cigarette and ordered, ¡°Tell the doctors to do their best and get the best specialists


    in town. For now, close every Soir Coffee store in Jadeborough. Make sure no employees stay behind so


    they won¡¯t get hurt.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll get it done right away.¡±


    Frowning, Vinson looked down and noticed a bunch of people hitting a car.


    Not far away, Carter was rushing toward that car.


    Surprise shed across Vinson¡¯s face.


    Carter isn¡¯t someone who¡¯d risk his life for a cheap car. There must be someone inside the car! Who


    could it be?


    Suddenly, a sense of dread welled up within him.


    At once, he turned on his heels and ran out while praying fervently, Please don¡¯t let it be Arielle. Please


    don¡¯t let it be Arielle!


    Downstairs, in the car.


    Arielle looked around for something to defend herself but to no avail.


    As a hand reached in to open the car door, she grabbed the person¡¯s wrist and twisted it forcefully.


    Crack! The


    sickening sound of bone cracking filled everyone¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Ah!¡± the man yelled in agony and withdrew his hand as the color drained from his face.


    Right then, Arielle suddenly noticed the logo of the car.


    It¡¯s a Rolls-Royce!


    Her eyes lit up. When the second person came at her, she pushed the door open forcefully and pressed


    a secret button.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Click! An umbre popped out.


    All Rolls-Royce cars were equipped with an umbre!


    Swiftly, Arielle opened the umbre and shoved the men closest to her away before anyone could realize


    what she was trying to do.


    As it was crowded, her action caused everyone else to stagger backward like dominoes.


    Arielle grabbed the opportunity to leap onto the hood of the car.


    She then propelled herself upward andnded at the other end of the crowd, rolling on the ground to


    break her fall.


    Her movement was swift and natural, as though she was a skilled martial artist.


    Everyone gaped in disbelief.


    Arielle rose to her feet swiftly. As everyone gazed at her in shock, she ran away, heading for the road.


    One man regained hisposure and hollered, ¡°She¡¯s running away! Hurry, go after her!¡±

 Chapter 547

    Chapter 547


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 547


    The road was full of cars.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    When Arielle arrived by the road, there were only three seconds left before the light would turn red.


    She dashed across the road so quickly that everyone could only see a shadow flitting past them.


    When the protesters arrived by the road, the light had already turned red.


    Watching the cars speeding across the road, most of the protesters came to a halt hesitantly. However,


    some ignored the red light and dashed across the road to go after her.


    Honk! Honk!


    At once, the vehicles on the road screeched to a halt.


    Bang! A car promptly rammed into the car before it.


    The owner hopped out of his car in fury and shrieked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the red light? Do you have a death


    wish? My car costs over two million! I demandpensation!¡±


    The road descended into chaos. Some took the chance to go after Arielle, but most of them got stopped


    by the car owner and the busy traffic.


    When Carter appeared beside the road, someone suddenly realized he had alighted from the same car


    that Arielle was in earlier.


    ¡°He didn¡¯te to call off the contract; he¡¯s on the same side as that woman!¡± someone roared.


    The crowd immediately made their way toward him.


    Carter had no choice but to turn and run in the opposite direction.


    It just so happened that the man who had talked to Carter earlier was right behind him, nked by two


    tall and muscr young men.


    It was three versus one. Unfortunately, Carter didn¡¯t have any weapons with him, while the three men


    were either holding baseball bats or knives.


    Clearly, Carter was at a disadvantage.


    Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t seem to have any other choice than to face them head-on.


    Carter took off his sses and ced them aside before shrugging out of his suit jacket. Pushing his


    sleeves up, he clenched his fists and dered, ¡°Come on!¡±


    Now that his sses were gone, an air of hostility reced his initial schrly impression.


    It¡¯s a piece of cake to defeat three men in one go.


    The leader cursed, ¡°B*stard, you lied to me! I shall let you know the consequences of lying to me. Get


    him!¡±


    Uponmand, the men brandishing knives ran toward


    Carter.


    He dodged an iing attack deftly and spun around to kick the attacker¡¯s back.


    The attacker shrieked in pain and copsed to the ground.


    The other man roared angrily and increased his speed, aiming his knife at Carter¡¯s chest.


    Though he was fast, Carter avoided him in time and punched his face.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± The man covered his cheek in anguish and spat out a tooth.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± he cussed. His expression turned icier as he attacked Carter again and again.


    Even so, he failed to gain an upper hand.


    The leader pulled off his bandanna and swung his baseball bat in the direction of Carter¡¯s head.


    Carter managed to avoid being stabbed by the knife but didn¡¯t notice someone behind him. Before the


    baseball bat couldnd on his head, a hand appeared out of nowhere and gripped the leader¡¯s wrist.


    He couldn¡¯t even move as the force immobilized him.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± He red at the culprit.


    The sunlight reflecting off the other man¡¯s face made him a gorgeous sight to behold. His chiseled


    features glinted dangerously under the sunlight. It was a daunting sight


    It¡¯s Vinson Nightshire!

 Chapter 548

    Chapter 548


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 548


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°Vinson Nightshire! Y-You opened an unscrupulous store to trick the consumers!¡± the leader eximed in


    a shaky voice, as Vinson seemed too intimidating.


    Vinson shoved his hand away coolly. ¡°After I find out the reason behind the incidents, you¡¯ll receive


    adequatepensation. But before that, please leave the premises now before the police arrive!¡±


    He initially didn¡¯t want to call the police so he could quash the affair. Now that more protesters had


    gathered though, he had no choice but to call the police.


    The man plucked up his courage and demanded, ¡°All businesspeople say the same thing. No one knows


    if you¡¯llpensate us for real! Besides, we don¡¯t want yourpensation. We want you to shut down


    that unscrupulous store!¡±


    ¡°If it was Soir Coffee¡¯s fault, I¡¯ll take your suggestion into consideration. Now, please leave!¡± Vinson


    warned.


    s, the man refused to listen to his warning.


    ¡°You¡¯re a liar! I don¡¯t trust you. Everyone,e and pin him down. We shall force him to get on his


    knees, apologize, and shut Soir Coffee down!¡± the man eximed, reaching out to grab Vinson.


    Before he could do so, Vinson grabbed his wrist instead.


    With a deft flick of his hand, the man was forced to turn around.


    Vinson then kicked the man in his butt.


    ¡°Ah!¡± he screamed in pain before falling to the ground.


    Carter was busy dealing with another man who he had underestimated in the beginning.


    After knocking that man out, he turned and spotted Vinson.


    The discovery made him heave a sigh of relief as the other protesters who were initially after Arielle


    scurried toward them at once.


    He could take three men down by himself, but a crowd was too much for him to handle.


    Before the other protesters made it to them, Vinson hollered, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± and promptly led the way to


    Nightshire Group.


    Carter took one look at the crowd who was pursuing them like zombies. He picked his stuff up and


    hurried


    It was time to beat a hasty retreat.


    Vinson¡¯s car was waiting for him before the entrance. Once they got into the car, Vinson reminded his


    bodyguards not to take action unless absolutely necessary. He then floored the elerator and left


    before the protesters could make it there.


    Naturally, they fell far behind his car.


    As the crowd grew smaller behind them, Carter exhaled sharply.


    He recalled the three men and parted his lips to state his opinion. ¡°Vin, something¡¯s not right. Those


    three men are experienced inbat. If you hadn¡¯t shown up in time, they would¡¯ve gotten me. The


    other protesters seemed trained too. I think someone must¡¯ve hired them to cause amotion.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Vinson¡¯s gaze darkened as he uttered icily, ¡°This is not an ident. Someone is targeting Soir


    Coffee. To be exact, I am that person¡¯s target.¡±


    ¡°But that snake who¡¯s overseas has been ruled out. Do you have other enemies besides him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Vinson responded with an equally puzzled gaze.


    Nightshire Group was a leading force in Chanaea, so it was normal to have somepetitors. Thus, he


    couldn¡¯t figure out who was behind this.

 Chapter 549

    Chapter 549


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 549


    After a while, the car merged into the traffic.


    The crowd disappeared from view.


    Recalling the crushed car, Vinson asked, ¡°They smashed your car earlier, right? Who was inside your


    car?¡±


    ¡°F*ck!¡± It was only then that Carter remembered Arielle was still being pursued.


    He eximed, ¡°It¡¯s Arielle. Hurry, let¡¯s go save her!¡±


    Vinson¡¯s heart sank at the news.


    Back when he hurried downstairs, he kept praying that no one would be in the car. Even if there was


    someone in the car, it shouldn¡¯t be Arielle! s, his hope was crushed.


    ¡°Where did she go?¡±


    ¡°She ran across the road when the light was green and


    she escaped into the shopping mall across the street. The mall should be crowded enough for her to


    shake those men off.¡± Carter paused, his expression scrunched up guiltily. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. If I knew this was


    going to happen, I wouldn¡¯t have brought her here.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have brought her here in the first ce.¡± Vinson¡¯s face fell as he tamped down his


    irritation.


    Carter said apologetically, ¡°I wanted to see if she could


    help save that customer in the hospital. I had no idea this would happen. It¡¯s all my fault, so you can


    punish me however you like.¡±


    Instead of replying, Vinson made a sharp U-turn and headed for the shopping mall.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Right before they arrived at the mall, Vinson finally spoke. ¡°We shall get to thatter. Now, we need to


    find where she is. You should contact the person in charge of the shopping mall and check the


    surveince cameras, and I¡¯ll look around for her. Keep in touch.¡±


    ¡°All right!¡± Carter agreed.


    He had barely finished his words when the car came to a screeching halt before the shopping mall¡¯s west


    entrance.


    At once, a security guard marched over to them.


    ¡°You can¡¯t park_¡± Before he could finish his sentence, he saw two men alighting from the vehicle.


    He froze and immediately hung his head low. ¡°Mr. Nightshire.¡±


    This very shopping mall belonged to Nightshire Group.


    Vinson mmed the door shut and told the security guard to bring Carter to the control room before


    striding off hastily.


    The security guard didn¡¯t even get to acknowledge his


    order as Vinson had already vanished from his sight.


    Wow, he¡¯s fast. Has something happened? Why is he in such a hurry?


    Carter urged, ¡°Lead the way!¡±


    ¡°All right!¡± The security guard brought him to the control room without further dy.


    Meanwhile, when Arielle ran into the shopping mall, she headed straight for the crowd as she nced


    over her shoulder.


    There were two mening for her.


    She was dressed in white today, which made her stand out in the crowd.


    ¡°That way!¡± Both men spotted her at once.


    Gritting her teeth, Arielle dashed ahead.


    After turning a corner, she spotted a clothing store.


    It only took her one second to make up her mind. She made a beeline for that store and grabbed an


    outfit before entering the fitting room.


    The fitting room was tiny, and the weather was especially hot today. Arielle was sweating by the time she


    was done changing into the new clothes.


    Her new outfit was a stylish outfit that made her look like a hip-hop musician.


    She faced the mirror and tugged off her hairband so her hair tumbled to her shoulders, creating a


    different vibe about her.


    Arielle then exited the fitting room and put on a cap.


    Right then, the men ran into the store.

 Chapter 550

    Chapter 550


    One man said, ¡°I saw her entering this store. Go in and search around while I stand guard at the


    entrance.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± The other man immediately strode into the store.


    He was less than ten meters away from her!


    Arielle turned her head and went in the opposite direction.


    It just so happened that a young girl was touching up her makeup nearby.


    Arielle went to her and asked softly, ¡°Hey there. Can I borrow your makeup products?¡±


    The girl lifted her head and met Arielle¡¯s gaze.


    Her eyes bulged at once. Wow, she¡¯s pretty!


    ¡°Pretty please?¡± Arielle pointed at the makeup products in her hand.


    The girl nodded vehemently and offered the makeup products to her. ¡°You look really pretty. Have I seen


    you somewhere? Are you a celebrity?¡±


    Arielle applied makeup on her face and answered, ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m not a celebrity.¡±


    She put on some makeup swiftly and applied purple eyeshadow to match her purple outfit. Through the


    mirror, she looked like an entirely different person.


    The young girl stared at her and blurted out, ¡°You look prettier without makeup. The makeup is covering


    up your beautiful features.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s lips curled up slightly, for this was the effect she desired.


    She nced at herself in the mirror, satisfied with the face that greeted her.


    After returning the makeup products to the girl, she said, ¡°Thanks for that. Can I buy you a drink?¡±


    Attracted by her beauty, the girl nodded happily. ¡°Sure!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go pay for my purchases and I¡¯ll buy you a drink after that.¡±


    The young girl motioned an okay sign. Arielle took her arm as they made their way to the cashier.


    Just then, the man who was after Arielle bumped into them.


    Arielle immediately looked away to avoid meeting his eyes.


    The man merely nced at them briefly before heading to the next rack.


    Arielle was relieved. She paid for her purchases at the cashier and led the girl toward the exit.


    Another man was waiting at the door.


    Arielle leaned on the girl¡¯s shoulder and reached into her pocket for her phone. Keeping her head low,


    she inquired, ¡°What would you like? Are there many coffee shops in this shopping mall?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s have some tea. I¡¯m on a diet.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re losing weight when you¡¯re this skinny?¡±


    ¡°Look at you. You¡¯re skinny, too!¡±


    They chatted away merrily.


    The man ignored them and stared at the interior of the store.


    When they walked past him, Arielle felt her heart leap to her throat.


    Though only two men came after her, and she was sure she could shake them off, there might be others


    who¡¯d arriveter. It was best to stay away from them now.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Finally, she made it past that man.


    Before she could breathe a sigh of relief, she heard that man ask, ¡°Hey! Girls, did you see a youngdy


    in white running into the store earlier?¡±


    Arielle tensed up, but she didn¡¯t turn around.


    The girl beside her took one look at the man and


    answered, ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t see her.¡±


    ¡°Oh, all right.¡± The man stood in his spot and turned his attention back to the store.


    Arielle let out a long breath and hurried away from the clothing store.


    Some distance away, she released her grip on the girl and pulled out a one hundred bill from her pocket.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I need to go. This is for your drink. I shall buy you another drink some other time.¡±


    She then stuffed the bill into the girl¡¯s palm and strode away without looking back.

 Chapter 551

    Chapter 551


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 551


    The girl stood rooted to the spot, staring at Arielle¡¯s departing figure. She stared at the money in her


    hand in confusion.


    Why does it feel like a man just flirted with me and dumped me after offering me one hundred?


    On the other side of things, Vinson called Arielle¡¯s phone as he looked around for her.


    The moment the call went through, he spotted a phone lying on the ground not far away. The screen


    showed an iing call from ¡°Backer.¡±


    Backer?


    It suddenly urred to Vinson that ¡°Backer¡± might be him.


    He strode over to pick the phone up and answered the call.


    At once, his call was connected, too.


    So ¡°Backer¡± is indeed, me.


    Strangely, Vinson felt a re of joy in his heart.


    Shortly after, he heard someone yelling at the entrance, ¡°Our men lost sight of her. Everyone, search


    around until we find her. Some of us will stay guard at the entrance. We can only get thepensation


    after we get


    her!¡±


    Turning slightly, Vinson spotted at least a dozen men running into the mall.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± He clenched his jaw, worried about Arielle¡¯s situation.


    After cutting the line, he called the person in charge of the shopping mall andmanded, ¡°Gather all


    the security guards. Arrest all the men standing guard at all the entrances of our mall with the reason that


    they¡¯re causing a scene.¡±


    The person in charge answered promptly, ¡°Got it!¡±


    Vinson hung up and continued his search.


    Soon, Carter¡¯s call arrived.


    ¡°Vin, I¡¯ve checked the surveince cameras. Arielle is in Zone A, but I¡¯m not sure of her exact location.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± Vinson ended the call and ran toward Zone A.


    Meanwhile, Arielle kept her cap down as she headed for the exit in Zone A.


    She spotted a bunch of men heading her way before she could reach the exit.


    I can¡¯t believe they made it here that soon!


    To y it safe, Arielle decided to head to another exit.


    She avoided meeting those men¡¯s gazes and scurried in the opposite direction.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    After turning a corner, Arielle suddenly noticed a familiar figure.


    It¡¯s Vinson!


    Her eyes sparkled in delight at the sight of the man. She was about to walk to him when some men


    strode out of the path beside him. They had bandannas with the word ¡°protest¡± painted in red wrapped


    around their heads.


    Those are the protesters from earlier! They will recognize Vinson for sure.


    Suddenly, a man behind her dered, ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that Vinson Nightshire?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s heart sank. An idea urred to her, and her eyes promptly popped out of their sockets.


    I got it!


    After dashing toward Vinson, she flung an arm around his neck. Before he could react, she forced him to


    bend over and chided, ¡°Hey, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re wearing an expensive suit after getting that promotion.


    Is being a real estate agent that much of a lucrative job? When will you share some of that wealth with


    me?¡±


    Vinson was confused when a strange woman suddenly approached him.


    He instinctively tried to struggle out of her embrace before btedly realizing the voice sounded familiar.


    This is Arielle!


    He instantly stopped struggling and yed along. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve earned some money, but I¡¯m nning to


    earn more for my wife.¡±


    The smile on Arielle¡¯s lips froze. Sheughed awkwardly and said, ¡°Well, first you gotta find a wife. Buy


    me lunch now. Come on, let¡¯s go!¡±


    With that, she kept her arm wrapped around his neck and headed toward another exit.

 Chapter 552

    Chapter 552


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 552


    The protesters were about to confirm it was indeed Vinson when they heard Arielle¡¯s words. One of them


    laughed. ¡°Vinson Nightshire? That¡¯s just a real estate agent. Come on, let¡¯s find that ambassador. It¡¯s


    easy to spot her in the crowd.¡±


    With that, they spread out and ignored Arielle and Vinson.


    Though Arielle was fooling around with Vinson, she kept an eye on their surroundings.


    After making sure those men weren¡¯ting after them, she heaved a sigh of relief silently.


    They stayed in this position until they arrived at the exit and saw the security guards of the shopping mall


    arresting the men at the door.


    Both of them exited the shopping mall without any hups.


    However, more people wearing white bandannas were swarming toward the shopping mall.


    As Arielle was racking her brain trying to figure out how to leave without alerting those men, an MPV


    screeched to a halt before them.


    The car window rolled down to reveal Carter¡¯s face.


    ¡°Get in!¡± he yelled.


    Arielle instantly rxed. She released Vinson and


    hopped into the vehicle swiftly.


    Vinson came in after her.


    Vroom! With a loud roar, the car sped away.


    In the car, Carter nced at them through the rearview mirror andughed. ¡°Chief, if I hadn¡¯t seen the


    surveince cameras, I wouldn¡¯t have recognized you. Your disguise is awesome!¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Arielle said and took off her cap coolly. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital now.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Carter nodded. Ignoring the lights, he floored the elerator as his expression scrunched up in


    anguish.


    I might have to retake my driving test to get my driver¡¯s license back. Ah, this is more important than my


    driver¡¯s license. I can ask my chauffeur to drive me around anyway.


    In the backseat, Vinson scanned Arielle carefully and made sure she was fine before letting out a sigh of


    relief. He chuckled and said, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you in this style.¡±


    Arielle shot him an exasperated look. ¡°How dare youugh at me? If I wasn¡¯t smart enough to put on a


    disguise, we would¡¯ve been beaten up by those thugs by now.¡±


    Though she was skilled inbat, there was no way she could defeat a bunch of men alone.


    The smile on Vinson¡¯s lips disappeared as he ruffled her hair affectionately. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have


    laughed at you. You¡¯re the smartest person I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    As a tickling sensation spread all over her scalp, Arielle felt her heart racing.


    She let out a dry cough and pped his hand away. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡±


    Before Vinson could answer, Carter pressed the button to raise the partition between them.


    Two seconds before the partition closedpletely, his voice rang out, ¡°I refuse to listen to your PDA.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s embarrassment heightened. She didn¡¯t even dare to look in Vinson¡¯s direction.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Unfazed, Vinson retracted his hand and uttered, ¡°This isn¡¯t a big deal. You shouldn¡¯t havee. What if


    something happens to you?¡±


    ¡°Your problem isn¡¯t a big deal?¡± Arielle¡¯s brows furrowed in displeasure. ¡°I don¡¯t like it when you act this


    way. When I was in trouble, you¡¯d offer help at once. But when you¡¯re in trouble, you don¡¯t even tell me


    about it. Don¡¯t you see me as a friend?¡±


    Vinson gulped at her words. He wanted to say that he never thought of them as friends but changed his


    mind instead. ¡°I want you to be safe.¡±


    Arielle blurted out, ¡°I want you to be safe, too!¡±

 Chapter 553

    Chapter 553


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 553


    At once, Vinson went rigid with shock.


    He smiled boyishly, crinkling his eyes in the process.


    Arielle stared at him unwittingly, for his smile could melt an iceberg.


    His loving gaze made her heart skip a beat.


    ¡°I-I¡­¡± she stuttered. ¡°Don¡¯t take it the wrong way. I¡¯m worried about you as a friend. That¡¯s all.¡±


    Vinson shot her a solemn nod. ¡°I know. I¡¯m your ¡®Backer.¡¯ I didn¡¯t say you had something else in mind or


    that you have a crush on me.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s cheeks flushed red as though all her deepest secrets had beenid bare.


    ¡°No one has a crush on you! Stop being narcissistic!¡± she raised her voice.


    Calmly, Vinson nodded and admitted to it. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a narcissist, so you don¡¯t have to mind my words.¡±


    Arielle was at a loss for words.


    She swiveled her head around in a fit of fury and ignored Vinson¡¯s presence.


    Vinson loved it when she acted this way. His smile grew wider. I¡¯m kinda d this happened to me now.


    At least I got to see how Arielle¡¯s worried about me.


    As Carter didn¡¯t slow down, they soon arrived at the hospital where the customer was admitted.


    It was General Hospital, a public hospital in Jadeborough.


    The most prominent doctors in all of Chanaea were here to treat the customer, excluding the doctors in


    Carter¡¯s private hospital, of course.


    Once the car rolled to a stop, Arielle hopped off.


    Vinson caught up to her and exined, ¡°He¡¯s in the VIP emergency room. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Arielle nodded. They then hurried into the hospital.


    When Carter alighted his car, they were no longer in sight.


    He muttered to himself, ¡°Did they turn into cheetahs?¡±


    Though I have long legs, I can¡¯t catch up to them.


    Shortly after, Vinson and Arielle arrived at the entrance of the VIP emergency room.


    The family members of the customer had their hands on the nurse as they wailed in distress.


    One of them was an elderlydy who was saying,


    ¡°Please save my son. He¡¯s a fresh graduate who has a bright future ahead of him!¡±


    The nurse assured her, ¡°The best doctors in our hospital are inside. Calm down. We¡¯ll do our best to


    save the patient.¡±


    The olddy refused to release her grip on the nurse as her tone turned furious. ¡°Do your best? You¡¯ve


    said that countless times! It¡¯s been ages since my son was wheeled into that room. I bet you aren¡¯t even


    trying to save him!¡±


    The nurse seemed stumped. It was normal for the patient¡¯s family to lose control of their emotions, but


    she couldn¡¯t refute their words and had to be at the receiving end of their unpleasant curses.


    Looking up, she spotted a man and ady rushing over to them from the other end of the corridor.


    The couple was both slender and tall, with attractive features. They exuded charisma as though they


    were the male and female lead of a romance novel.


    As the nurse admired their appearance, she suddenly realized who they were¡ªthe CEO of Nightshire


    Group and the ambassador of Soir Coffee.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire?¡± she greeted excitedly.


    The family members promptly turned at their shoulders to see who it was.


    The olddy recognized Vinson at once. She dashed over and grabbed his cor.


    ¡°This is all your fault! Your shop killed my son! Give me back my son! Give him back to me!¡± she


    demanded.


    Instead of retaliating, Vinson blocked her punches aimed at his chest.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    The man behind the olddy frowned at his actions and hollered, ¡°Murderer, how dare you block her


    punches? You deserve my mom¡¯s punches!¡±

 Chapter 554

    Chapter 554


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 554


    Having heard his words, Vinson looked up and gave that man an icy stare.


    His eyes were filled with utter coldness and a trace of hostility.


    The man gulped, for that single stare from Vinson had knocked his arrogance down a notch.


    That was how intimidating Vinson¡¯s presence was.


    Arielle had learned about micro-expressions from the Wilhelms. She stood aside, studying the elderly


    lady and the man silently.


    The anger and sorrow on the olddy¡¯s face were real, but the man was a different matter altogether.


    When he spotted Vinson, delight shed across his gaze.


    When Vinson met the man¡¯s eyes, Arielle also caught a glimpse of guilt in his gaze.


    Guilt? Why does he feel guilty? And what about that sh of delight?


    Besides guilt and delight, Arielle didn¡¯t find any trace of concern on that man, as opposed to the old


    lady.


    From the various clues, she knew something was wrong but still couldn¡¯t be sure about it.


    When thedy noticed her eldest son¡¯s silence, she burst out angrily, ¡°So what if you¡¯re rich? Give me


    back my son!¡± She then rained punches on Vinson¡¯s chest.


    This time, Vinson didn¡¯t stop her attacks, for he could understand how upset she was. Her son had


    indeed copsed after eating the food in his store, after all.


    Just as her fist was about tond on Vinson¡¯s face, a slender but strong arm stretched out to grab her


    wrist.


    Vinson nced sideways, and Arielle¡¯s frosty but protective expression appeared in sight.


    Touched, he parted his lips to say, ¡°Arielle, I¡¯m fine. Let her vent her frustrations on me.¡±


    How much damage could an olddy cause? He didn¡¯t mind getting punched as long as she could


    calm down.


    s, Arielle refused to listen to him. She gripped the elderly woman¡¯s hand tightly and reminded,


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, your son is still alive. Besides, we haven¡¯t gotten to the bottom of this incident. It isn¡¯t right to


    put the me on someone else right now!¡±


    The olddy knitted her brows together. ¡°My son ate something in his shop and fainted before he could


    leave! It must be that shop¡¯s fault. What else could it be?¡±


    Though the man behind the old woman was fearful of Vinson, he wasn¡¯t afraid of a youngdy dressed


    in a strange manner.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business, brat. My brother is in the emergency room because of him. He needs to


    compensate us!¡± he dered.


    ¡°Compensation?¡± Arielle drawled, amused by his demands. ¡°Sure. How much do you want?¡±


    The man froze as a glint of delight appeared in his gaze. He barked, ¡°Ten million and nothing less!¡±


    ¡°Ten million?¡± Arielle arched a brow. ¡°That¡¯s enough to buy a person¡¯s life. Do you mean ten million is


    enough if your brother were to die?¡±


    The man hesitated before answering, ¡°If my brother dies, besides the ten million, you need to close


    down your coffee shop forever!¡±


    Arielle nodded thoughtfully. ¡°If he survives, we don¡¯t have topensate you, right?¡±


    ¡°Er¡­¡± The man faltered.


    Right then, Arielle spotted the hesitance in his gaze.


    Obviously, ten million was more important to him than his brother¡¯s life.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Arielle uttered. ¡°Your brother will survive. We¡¯ll find out what happened to him.¡±


    Right after she made that announcement, the door to the VIP emergency room slid open.


    ¡°Is the patient¡¯s family here? Please prepare yourselves, for the patient¡¯s just gone into cardiac arrest.¡±

 Chapter 555

    Chapter 555


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 555


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°What?¡± the olddy blurted in a shrill voice. Her eyes widened in consternation before she cked out.


    ¡°Mom!¡± The man grabbed her before she copsed to the ground. He turned to Arielle and demanded,


    ¡°Ten million! We demand ten million!¡±


    ¡°His heart might¡¯ve stopped beating, but that doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s dead. Don¡¯t you go cursing your brother.¡±


    With that, Arielle spun on her heels and headed for the emergency room.


    The doctor shot her a curious nce. ¡°Who are you? Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to enter


    the emergency room.¡±


    Instead of answering his question, Arielle requested, ¡°Prepare a surgical gown for me. I shall try my


    luck.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± The doctor was taken aback. He then chuckled in amusement. ¡°Youngdy, are you sure?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Arielle stated firmly.


    The doctor ignored her and told the nurse, ¡°Call security to take her out. We¡¯re still trying to resuscitate


    him and can¡¯t afford any interference.¡±


    The nurse was busy holding the olddy who had fainted. She pointed at Vinson hesitantly and


    exined, ¡°Dr. Ziegler, Mr. Nightshire is here. He was the one who brought the youngdy here.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire?¡± Zachary Ziegler looked in the


    direction of her finger and saw Vinson.


    As Vinson was the one who brought him here from Rocher Private Hospital, he knew who the former


    was.


    Yet, he couldn¡¯t understand why Vinson summoned this strangely-dressed young woman.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire, did you ask for this¡­ Uh, doctor¡¯s help?¡± he inquired carefully.


    It sounded ridiculous to call this youngdy a doctor.


    After all, no doctor would be caught dead in a hip-hop outfit. She¡¯s quite pretty. Her thick makeup didn¡¯t


    even manage to cover her delicate features.


    Vinson nodded and said curtly, ¡°Just follow her orders.¡±


    Hearing Vinson¡¯s order, Zachary had no choice but to lead Arielle into the emergency room.


    The door slid shut after them.


    The man regained hisposure and stared at Vinson in disbelief. ¡°Did you just ask that brat to save my


    brother?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not a brat,¡± came Vinson¡¯s reply. ¡°She¡¯s a miracle doctor.¡±


    ¡°Miracle doctor?¡± A look of incredulity crept up his face. However, he didn¡¯t stop Arielle from carrying out


    her treatment.


    I can have ten million to myself if my brother dies. It¡¯s a good thing that this useless woman has gone in.


    As that thought urred to him, he stopped questioning Vinson. Turning to the nurse, he demanded,


    ¡°Hurry, save my mom!¡±


    The nurse had already summoned help. After the doctor she summoned arrived, the three of them


    brought the old woman to the nearest ward.


    Vinson ignored them and paced anxiously before the emergency room.


    Carter finally arrived.


    As Vinson was alone, he asked, ¡°Did she head in already?¡±


    Vinson nodded, his expression grim.


    Though Soir Coffee wasn¡¯t Nightshire Group¡¯s biggest investment, it was an important venture for their


    F&B division.


    If Soir Coffee ended up as a failure, it would hamper the development of the F&B division in Nightshire


    Group.


    In other words, the future of Nightshire Group¡¯s F&B division depended heavily on the customer¡¯s


    survival.


    Seeing how concerned Vinson was, Carter offered some constion. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s a great doctor,


    so we need to have trust in her!¡±


    After saying that, he exhaled sharply.


    Vinson took one look at him and revealed, ¡°Just now, Dr. Ziegler, who works in your hospital, came out to


    announce that the patient had a cardiac arrest.¡±

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    Carter parted his lips in dismay, not knowing what else to say.


    Though it wasmon knowledge that the customer was in a critical state all the while, the news still


    gave him a shock.


    Oh my God, I didn¡¯t expect things to be this bad! The chances of saving someone who had a cardiac


    arrest are slim. Can Arielle do it?


    Carter couldn¡¯t stop anxiety from overwhelming his heart. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t trust Arielle, but the


    chances of resuscitating a dead person were practically next to none.


    He gave Vinson a worried nce. ¡°Since he had a cardiac arrest, we need to prepare for the worst.¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± Vinson met his gaze. ¡°We¡¯ll wait for Arielle.¡±


    ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t you say his heart had stopped beating? Can she resuscitate the dead?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve witnessed that firsthand,¡± Vinson revealed calmly.


    Back then, when Yvette¡¯s father, Russell, suffered from a stroke, everyone thought he was dead. Even


    so, Arielle managed to save his life. She had sessfully resuscitated the dead once.


    Hence, he told the story of how she saved Russell.


    Carter felt pumped after hearing it.


    She did the impossible!


    ¡°Indeed, she¡¯s amazing,¡± he muttered. ¡°But if that¡¯s the case, why do you look more uneasy than I do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about this,¡± Vinson rified solemnly. ¡°I¡¯m concerned that Arielle¡¯s intervention will make


    her a target of the culprit.¡±.


    The recipient of his concern had always been Arielle.


    Carter nodded in understanding. He patted Vinson¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°If that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried


    about, you can rx. She¡¯s capable of protecting herself. Besides, we¡¯ll do our very best to protect her.


    She¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    s, Vinson¡¯s apprehension remained.


    Two explosion incidents had happened, so he refused to let his guard down.


    After a brief silence, Vinson said, ¡°After Toni and Andy¡¯s funeral, I¡¯ll station both Sasha and ke by


    Arielle¡¯s side.¡±


    Carter parted his lips to convince his friend that both Sasha and ke were capable and loyal to him,


    and they should be protecting him instead.


    In the end, he thought the better and nodded in agreement. ¡°They are your bodyguards, anyway. You


    can make your own arrangements.¡±


    In a way, he had finally epted Arielle as one of their own.


    I don¡¯t want Arielle to get dragged into our mess.


    Meanwhile, inside the emergency room.


    Arielle took the surgical gown from the surgeon¡¯s assistant and went into the changing room to change


    her clothes.


    The doctors surrounding the operating table shared curious nces. They were well-known surgeons


    from all over Chanaea, and Vinson had gathered them here.


    One doctor questioned, ¡°Is she really a doctor?¡±


    After all, Arielle¡¯s age, temperament, and the way she was dressed didn¡¯t look like one.


    Zachary gave a rather awkward nod. ¡°Mr. Nightshire said she¡¯s a doctor. Right, let¡¯s prepare the cardiac


    pacemaker and try to revive him onest time.¡±


    ¡°All right!¡± The other doctors nodded and got to work.


    Though his heart had stopped beating, it didn¡¯t mean that he was dead. He would only be pronounced


    dead legally the moment his brain stopped working.


    They still had a chance of reviving him!


    By the time Arielle stepped out in her surgical gown, the cardiac pacemaker was ready.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

 Chapter 557

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    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    The medical staff around the operating table turned to look at her instinctively.


    Arielle was a sight for sore eyes in her surgical gown after her makeup was removed. Even though only


    her sparkling eyes were visible above the mask, everyone could immediately tell that she was a


    gorgeous beauty.


    After she changed her outfit, it felt like she was indeed a miracle doctor.


    ¡°She resembles Queenie Mill, right?¡±


    Queenie Mill was the top female doctor working in a hospital managed by Morgan Enterprise. She was


    currently attending a medical conference in Epea as the representative of Chanaea, so Vinson didn¡¯t


    request for her to be here.


    Young and capable, Queenie was hailed as the next big star of Chanaea¡¯s medical world. With her


    gorgeous looks, she was practically every male doctor¡¯s dream girl, while all the female doctors looked


    up to her.


    Zachary frowned upon hearing that.


    He worked in the same hospital as Queenie. She was the woman of his dreams, so he had pursued her


    many times and got rejected every single time. To him, no one couldpare to her.


    Frowning, he cautioned, ¡°Are you here to chat? What about the patient?¡±


    Look at them, charmed by a pretty girl. They are gossiping without a care about their responsibilities!


    Zachary was the youngest doctor here. Both his and Queenie¡¯s families were prominent in the field of


    medicine, and he was a superb doctor, so everyone had respect for him.


    They snapped back to their senses and prepared the surgery to insert the cardiac pacemaker.


    The pacemaker they were using was different from the onesmonly used in the industry. Most


    pacemakers were imnted in the body to monitor heart rate and rhythm. It would provide the heart with


    electrical stimtion when it failed to beat normally.


    However, this pacemaker they were using was one of the twenty mini-pacemakers in the world. Each


    could only be used once.


    This pacemaker was thetest product developed by Sann Group and cost two hundred million each. An


    incision would be made in the chest to insert the pacemaker, which resembled a mini-robot, in the


    patient¡¯s chest to resuscitate a patient¡¯s heart that had stopped beating.


    Without Vinson¡¯s order, they wouldn¡¯t have dared to use this expensive medical device on an ordinary


    person.


    Two doctors took the pacemaker out of its box carefully while Zachary changed into a fresh pair of


    surgical gloves, ready to make an incision on the patient¡¯s chest.


    As the assistant disinfected the patient, Zachary nced at the pacemaker with his lips pursed. Queenie


    wanted to have a look at it, but the higher-ups kept rejecting her requests. Now that she isn¡¯t here, they


    are using it on an ordinary patient. She must regret not being here. Ah, what a pity!


    He looked away and shifted his attention back to the patient.


    Right then, Arielle came to him. ¡°Let me do it.¡±


    Zachary stared at Arielle in astonishment. He then sneered, ¡°Youngdy, I know Mr. Nightshire sent you


    here, but this pacemaker is incredibly expensive. We must make sure it¡¯s put to good use and not waste


    it. Just stand aside and watch me do it. I¡¯ve operated on at least a thousand patients, so just watch and


    learn.¡±


    The other doctors gazed at her, seemingly overwhelmed byplicated feelings. ¡°Youngdy, don¡¯t


    interfere in this matter. Just watch and learn from aside. It cost a lot to buy, so we need to imnt it


    carefully.¡±

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    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 558


    One by one, the doctors spoke up to persuade Arielle to stay out of the matter.


    Zachary didn¡¯t bother mincing his words. ¡°Youngdy, don¡¯t be a hindrance. The patient will wake up


    once the device is inserted.¡±


    There was ack of emotions in his eyes as he red at Arielle. How dare theypare her to my kind


    Queenie? They are total opposites!


    Unfazed, she parted her lips calmly and asked, ¡°Have you used it prior to this?¡±


    One doctor answered, ¡°No. There¡¯s only one in Chanaea, and our hospital was the one that received it.


    This is the first time we¡¯re using it, so it¡¯s especially meaningful to us. Miss, don¡¯t me us for not giving


    you a chance. This is an important surgery that might make it into Chanaea¡¯s medical history.¡±


    Zachary snorted. ¡°If we get the chance to record this surgery in the annals of Chanaea¡¯s medical history,


    I shall add your name on one condition-stand aside and don¡¯t interrupt my surgery. You have my word.¡±


    Arielle nced at him briefly and proceeded to ignore him. ¡°I know this is an important surgery, but this


    patient is extremely important to me too. You haven¡¯t used this pacemaker before, so I must head this


    surgery.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Zachary burst outughing. ¡°You must head the surgery? You¡¯re making it sound like you¡¯ve


    done


    this before. I bet you haven¡¯t even seen this device before, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, to be honest, I¡¯m the inventor of the robotic pacemaker,¡± Arielle revealed. She didn¡¯t want to waste


    more time and dy the surgery.


    Silence ensued.


    Zachary¡¯s guffaw soon broke the silence. ¡°Miss, stop joking around. Even if you want to show yourself off


    to Mr. Nightshire, boasting isn¡¯t the right thing to do! The patient is waiting for us to rescue him. He isn¡¯t a


    tool for you to steal the limelight!¡± he eximed.


    By now, his disgust for Arielle had heightened.


    If Vinson wasn¡¯t waiting outside, he would¡¯ve kicked her out without further dy.


    Arielle scowled and insisted, ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. I invented this pacemaker!¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Zachary responded with a nod. ¡°Why don¡¯t you say that you own Sann Group?¡±


    Arielle inclined her head. ¡°I actually do own Sann Group.¡±


    Sann Group, apany established overseas, was thepany she poured most of her investments


    and efforts into. It dabbled in thetest technologies of different fields, including medical technology.


    ¡°Ha! You¡ª¡±


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Dr. Ziegler!¡± Arielle cut him short. ¡°If you let me head the surgery, I can gift you ten robotic pacemakers.¡±


    Stunned, Zachary fell silent and studied her carefully.


    The young girl¡¯s expression was hidden behind her mask, but her eyes showed how determined she


    was. She didn¡¯t seem like she was joking or boasting.


    Could it be that she¡¯s really the owner of Sann Group? That famous technologypany is owned by


    this petite young woman? That sounds ridiculous!


    Before he had time to discern whether she was telling the truth, Arielle picked up the scalpel and


    announced coolly, ¡°There isn¡¯t much time left. If we wait till it¡¯s toote, even this pacemaker can¡¯t save


    his life. Please move aside.¡±


    Though her voice was polite, the oppressive air about her stunned Zachary into silence.

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    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 559


    She has a strong presence! The only other person who¡¯s this oppressive is Vinson Nightshire.


    The other doctors exchanged looks before turning to Zachary, signaling him to make the decision of who


    would head the surgery.


    Zachary hesitated briefly before making up his mind. ¡°You can head the surgery.¡±


    Though it was a simple surgery, if something were to happen and that expensive pacemaker went to


    waste, his career would be ruined.


    After all, the chief surgeon would have to bear the most responsibility. Now that someone was here to


    bear the load on his behalf, there was no harm in giving up the position to her.


    If she sessfully imnts the pacemaker, my name will still be on the record. No matter if the surgery


    seeds or fails, I¡¯ll still end up reaping all the benefits. I should¡¯ve thought of this earlier!


    Without hesitation, he gave up his position to Arielle and stood aside, doing nothing.


    As he had already made up his mind, the other doctors said nothing and proceeded to examine the


    device ording to the instruction manual.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Though the manual was in Ustranasion, they had studied overseas and could somewhat understand it.


    Meanwhile, Arielle had already made the marks on the patient¡¯s body. She reached her hand out and


    said, ¡°Scalpel!¡±


    The surgical assistant wasn¡¯t used to working with her, but he still gave her the equipment she needed.


    ¡°Gauze!¡±


    ¡°Hemostat!¡±


    ¡°Forceps!¡±


    The surgery went on smoothly under Arielle¡¯s direction.


    Next to her, Zachary¡¯s eyes rounded in surprise.


    Arielle was swift and precise, as though she was an experienced doctor.


    She looks younger than Queenie. How many surgeries has she done to be this experienced? Besides, it


    takes years to graduate from a medical program. She¡¯s too young to be an experienced chief surgeon.


    Zachary had the necessary connections and was talented, but he didn¡¯t get many opportunities to join


    complicated surgeries like this when he was her age.


    He mped his mouth shut and watched as Arielle operated on the patient.


    Soon, an incision was made on the chest.


    Arielle uttered, ¡°Pacemaker.¡±


    A doctor handed the tiny robotic pacemaker to her carefully.


    Parting his lips, Zachary read out the manual, which he knew by heart. ¡°Click on the green button. Then


    ¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish, he saw Arielle clicking on several buttons on the robotic pacemaker before


    connecting one lead wire to the patient¡¯s heart chamber. After attaching the other end to the generator,


    she then slipped the pacemaker under the skin through the incision just below the corbone.


    The whole procedure took less than twenty seconds.


    Twenty seconds! Even if I memorized the entire manual, I couldn¡¯t be as fast as her! Only someone that


    understands the device inside out and has plenty of experience in handling it can achieve that. Did she


    seed?


    The initially dormant line on the ECG machine started spiking from zero to a normal heart rate.


    ¡°It worked!¡± a doctor blurted out excitedly.


    Arielle replied nonchntly. ¡°All right. Stitch this up!¡±

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    What? She¡¯s done! The patient¡¯s vital signs are back to normal! Who exactly is this young woman?


    Zachary stared at Arielle as though she were a monster.


    Meeting his gaze, Arielle¡¯s voice remained calm as she said, ¡°Now that his heart rate is back to normal,


    let¡¯s start treating his condition.¡±


    The resident surgeon was already stitching the incision up.


    The other doctors turned to Arielle, seemingly forgetting about the patient on the operating table.


    This time, instead of suspicion and doubt, they regarded her with reverence.


    As doctors, they would only regard doctors with superb medical skills with admiration. Right now, Arielle


    had


    their full respect.


    Zachary¡¯s eyes bulged so much that it seemed like they were about to pop out from his sockets.


    Until now, he still couldn¡¯t believe what he had seen.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    However, Arielle had indeed seeded!


    ¡°W-Who are you?¡± he stammered.


    As the patient¡¯s heart rate was back to normal and he was currently in a stable condition, Arielle rxed


    and joked. ¡°A prettydy.¡±


    Zachary was speechless.


    He wasn¡¯t in the mood to joke around.


    Recalling Arielle¡¯s im earlier, he asked in a trembling voice, ¡°Y-You said you¡¯re the inventor of the


    robotic pacemaker and the founder of Sann Group. W-Was that true?¡±


    Everyone in the emergency room held their breaths as they waited for her answer.


    After a pause, Arielle shrugged and responded, ¡°That was a joke. Sann Group¡¯s a well-knownpany.


    If I¡¯m the owner, I wouldn¡¯t be here, would I?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Zachary choked on his saliva, his face turning red in fury.


    Was she just pulling us by the noses?


    Meanwhile, the incision had been closed with sutures, and the patient¡¯s vital signs were back to normal.


    The smile on Arielle¡¯s face disappeared as she asked, ¡°Who¡¯s the patient¡¯s attending doctor? I need to


    know his situation in detail.¡±


    A middle-aged doctor stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯ve been in charge of this patient ever since he got admitted to


    the hospital. This is his report.¡±


    Arielle took the file from him and scanned it quickly. She soon understood what was going on.


    The patient suffered from mild hemophilia. It wasn¡¯t that serious. After eating something he shouldn¡¯t, his


    condition turned serious.


    ¡°When the patient was brought in, what symptoms did he exhibit?¡± she questioned.


    The doctor pondered briefly before answering, ¡°When he was brought in, he was delirious and foaming


    at the mouth. He also had an epileptic fit every ten minutes or so.¡±


    Arielle confirmed her initial guess. ¡°He has been poisoned.¡±


    ¡°Of course we know that!¡± Zachary cut in. ¡°But we can¡¯t figure out what poison it is. If it remains in his


    body until he regains consciousness, he¡¯ll suffer from another cardiac arrest.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°I wish Queenie was here. Her family specializes in traditional Chanaean medicine. Rumor


    has it that they dabble in ancient Chanaean medicine, too. If she were here, she would definitely be able


    to find out what the poison is.¡±


    Arielle got curious. ¡°Her family specializes in traditional Chanaean medicine? What¡¯s their name?¡±


    ¡°The Jadeborough Mills!¡±


    Oh, I¡¯ve heard about them. The Mill family is famous for their skills in traditional Chanaean medicine.


    Many of their ancestors were famous ancient Chanaean


    medicine physicians. The development of modern medicine led to the Mill family¡¯s downfall, but they are


    still held in great respect.


    Zachary continued proudly, ¡°Queenie¡¯s the heiress of the Mill family. Let¡¯s not waste time and summon


    her back to treat the patient.¡±

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    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 561


    Queenie was attending a medical conference overseas, but if Vinson sent his helicopter to pick her up,


    she¡¯d be back in ten hours.


    He expressed his opinion. ¡°Queenie can be back in ten hours. It¡¯s perfectly fine to stabilize the patient¡¯s


    condition. Now that the robotic pacemaker developed by Sann Group is imnted in his chest, he won¡¯t


    be in danger. We can wait until Queenie¡¯s back to find an antidote.¡±


    The other doctors nodded in agreement.


    A while ago, Queenie had cured a patient who nearly died after being poisoned by a poison developed


    by Manchernius, a country famous for its deadly poisons. No one had developed an antidote for it yet,


    but Queenie managed to develop one.


    It proved that no one was better than Queenie in neutralizing poisons.


    Everyone reached a consensus. Before Zachary could leave to ask Vinson to give Queenie a ride back


    to the country, Arielle stopped him.


    ¡°Wait!¡± She spoke up. ¡°Ten hours is too long. The patient can wait, but Soir Coffee can¡¯t wait that long.¡±


    The public opinion would get out of hand ten hourster. Soir Coffee¡¯s reputation would be destroyed


    completely, and even Nightshire Group¡¯s share prices would be affected.


    Frowning in displeasure, Zachary spoke, disdain tinging his voice. ¡°If Queenie doesn¡¯te back, who


    will treat the patient? You?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Arielle nodded.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    He promptly snorted. ¡°Youngdy, even if you know how to insert a robotic pacemaker, that doesn¡¯t


    mean you can purge a poison. They arepletely unrted,


    get it?¡±


    Only ancient Chanaean medicine physicians were able to purge poisons, especially unknown poisons


    that rendered normal doctors helpless.


    Arielle couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with Zachary. ¡°You can ask that female doctor toe back if you


    want to. However, before she arrives, I shall try to treat the patient.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! You should find out what poison this is!¡± Zachary dered furiously. He stalked out and


    kicked the button to open the doors. After removing his gloves, he exited the emergency room.


    Arielle paid no attention to him. After making sure the incision was closed, she turned to the patient¡¯s


    attending doctor. ¡°I need some stuff. I¡¯ll prepare a list for you, so get those ready for me. If you can¡¯t get


    them, ask for Vinson¡¯s help. He¡¯ll get them for you.¡±


    The doctor nodded vehemently. ¡°All right!¡±


    He had seen with his own eyes how swift, precise, and


    delicate Arielle¡¯s actions were. She left a great impression on him, so he immediately prepared a pen and


    paper for her to make her list.


    After Arielle listed down everything she needed, the attending doctor scanned it and realized it was a


    long list that included acupuncture stuff and herbs.


    He had never even heard of some herbs on her list.


    Thus, he asked for Vinson¡¯s help.


    Arielle asked the assistant to draw two tubes of blood and took the patient¡¯s pulse.


    The other doctors were surprised to see her taking the patient¡¯s pulse.


    Her previous surgery made them think she studied modern medicine, but now she looked like an


    experienced traditional Chanaean medicine practitioner.


    Did she study modern medicine or traditional Chanaean medicine? Or did she study both, just like


    Queenie Mill? It¡¯s hard to learn and master different approaches to medicine. Only geniuses can achieve


    that. Is she a medical prodigy, just like Queenie? But this is the first time we¡¯ve heard of her!

 Chapter 562

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    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 562


    The doctors in the emergency room seemed to have a lot of questions to ask Arielle. Things like which


    university she graduated from, how many years she had been working as a doctor, who was her mentor,


    etc. filled their minds.


    At this moment, Arielle closed her eyes while checking the pulse with a serious look on her face.


    Everyone subconsciously held their breath as they watched.


    The General Hospital in Jadeborough had always faced a crisis-level shortage of beds. Despite that, the


    olddy was admitted to an istion ward due to Vinson.


    She had awoken as Vinson and Carter went to check on her, but she was still emotionally unstable.


    Just then, a nurse delightedly entered the ward and said, ¡°Madam, good news! Your son¡¯s heart has


    started beating again, and his vital signs are stable.¡±


    She was stunned for a moment before excitedly saying, ¡°Really? You¡¯re not lying, are you?¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    The nurse let out a smile. ¡°Of course not, why would I lie to you? You just have to wait until hees


    round. The best doctors of Chanaea are all here to treat your son. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Upon hearing that, she heaved a sigh of relief.


    She gave birth to her son at an old age. Perhaps it was the reason why her son had always been sick.


    That said, it was the first time his son experienced such a serious


    health condition.


    Vinson cast his gaze on the olddy before turning to look at her eldest son, who looked hesitant upon


    hearing the news.


    There wasn¡¯t even a trace of joy on his face.


    Deep down, he had an idea.


    However, it would only work after her youngest son regained consciousness.


    The nurse added, ¡°It was all thanks to the pacemaker that Mr. Nightshire bought over. Not only is the


    cost of the device astronomical, but it is also the only device in Chanaea, and we have used it on your


    son.


    The olddy looked at Vinson with a grim expression after hearing that.


    From what she learned from her firstborn, it was because her youngest son had eaten the food in Soir


    Coffee that had him ended up like that. But now, Vinson saved her son.


    Despite that, she didn¡¯t thank him. ¡°Well, I will just forget the whole thing if my son is fine.¡±


    ¡°How can we forget about it?¡± Her eldest son blurted out.


    Realizing his careless remark, he then added, ¡°It¡¯s because of his coffee shop that my brother has


    gone through all of this. Even if he regains consciousness, you all have topensate us. Otherwise,


    you have to close down your damn shop.¡±


    Vinson narrowed his eyes intimidatingly.


    His heart skipped a beat as he caught the change in Vinson¡¯s expression.


    Right then, the door was pushed open.


    Zachary walked into the room. Ignoring everyone, he went straight up to Vinson and said, ¡°Mr.


    Nightshire, Mr. Morgan, we have to ask Queenie toe over. Although the patient now is no longer in


    critical condition, the poison in his body has not been neutralized yet. He will experience the same


    symptoms again in the future. Queenie is a master at counteracting the poison. She will be able to cure


    the patient. The problem is that she is now abroad. Would it be possible if you could send a helicopter


    over there to pick her up?


    His words startled the olddy. She then asked, ¡°Poison? Did you just say that my son is poisoned? It¡¯s


    not food allergy instead?¡±


    There was a slight change in her eldest son¡¯s countenance upon hearing the remark. He thought that his


    brother would be gone. Never would he have expected that thetter would survive. Now that they had


    already found his brother was poisoned, he had a bad feeling about it.


    After hearing what Zachary said, Carter turned to


    Vinson and said, ¡°Queenie is a genius in the medical field. She is working in my hospital now. She has a


    traditional Chanaean medicine background, but now she focuses on modern medicine.¡±


    Vinson nced at her eldest son before asking Zachary, ¡°I got it. Could you inform her that I will ask


    someone to send a helicopter over to pick her up?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Zachary answered beamingly before leaving the room.

 Chapter 563

    Chapter 563


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 563


    Zachary immediately called Queenie as he walked out of the ward.


    The first call was rejected.


    Despite that, Zachary was not bothered by it at all. After all, Queenie had always hung up on him.


    Without a second thought, Zachary dialed her number again. This time, the call was connected.


    However, Queenie said in an annoyed tone, ¡°Zachary, are you done? Don¡¯t you know that I¡¯m having an


    academic conference now?¡±


    ¡°Queenie, You¡¯ve got toe back now,¡± Zachary replied. He then immediately recounted the event that


    happened in Soir Coffee in fear that she would hang up. ¡°Mr. Nightshire and Mr. Morgan already agreed


    to send over a helicopter to pick you up. Do you think you could request some leave ande back?¡±.


    There was a heavy silence on the other end of the line for a few seconds. Just when Zachary thought


    that Queenie had already hung up, she suddenly said, ¡°I¡¯m going to ask for a leave now and then head


    straight to Reynolds Airport.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Zachary was overjoyed as he heard that. Right when he wanted to share with her an update


    about the pacemaker, Queenie had already ended the call.


    Zachary was left bewildered. He thought that the reason she agreed was that she had changed her


    attitude toward him. But it seemed that it wasn¡¯t because of him that she was willing to return.


    Zachary did not think much about it. He was merely under the impression that it was for the sake of Mr.


    Morgan that she agreed toe back.


    After that, Zachary immediately made his way back to the ward and informed Vinson that Queenie was


    on her way to Reynolds Airport.


    Vinson nodded slightly. His fingers then flew across his mobile screen.


    ¡°Rayson, get a helicopter from Reynolds Airport and pick up a doctor named Queenie.¡±


    He then hung up after receiving a reply from Rayson.


    Rubbing his hands excitedly, Zachary said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you have a helicopter there. Awesome!


    The time can be shortened to five hours. After five hours, Queenie will be here.¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s three hours! He has a private helicopter route, which is shorter than the ordinary route.¡± Carter


    rified.


    Zachary was even more excited upon hearing that. The thought that Queenie was going to showcase her


    skills made him thrill.


    ¡°Well, Mr. Nightshire, Mr. Morgan, I¡¯ve got to go back to the emergency room.¡±


    Zachary then left the ward.


    Right after Zachary walked away, the attending doctor entered the room and respectfully handed a note


    to Vinson. ¡°Mr. Nightshire, the is the list that thedy passed to me. I¡¯ve already ticked off the things that I


    can prepare. As for those that are unfindable, I¡¯ve marked them with a horizontal line. Thatdy told me


    that I could reach out to you if there is anything that I can¡¯t find.¡±


    His voice was getting softer as he spoke, for the man in front of him was not only handsome and tall, but


    the aura that emanated from him was also intimidating.


    Stretching out his long and defined fingers, Vinson took the note.


    He nced at it. The ones that were marked by the horizontal line were all those pricey medicinal herbs


    and special devices. It was, however, easy for him to get hold of them.


    ¡°I got it, thank you!¡± Vinson replied. Following that, he ordered the bodyguard outside the ward to prepare


    the things that had been marked on the paper.


    ¡°Does Chief know how to counteract the poison too, which is why she asked you to prepare?¡± Carter


    asked.


    ¡°Yup!¡± Vinson nodded. He then added, ¡°Perhaps we don¡¯t need that well-known doctor. Arielle herself will


    be able to cure.¡±

 Chapter 564

    Chapter 564


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 564


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Carter shrugged. ¡°Fine. But trust me, you¡¯re gonna screw up should you continue to act like this. People


    who fall deeply in love with someone are often the ones who get hurt the most.¡±


    Vinson gave Carter the cold shoulder. He then returned to the ward and talked to the elderly woman,


    ¡°We¡¯re trying our best to rescue your son and find out the truth. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll take full responsibility, if


    it¡¯s our shop that triggered your son¡¯s illness, andpensate him ordingly.¡±


    Upon seeing how sincere Vinson was, the elderly woman¡¯s frown gradually disappeared.


    She coughed and responded, ¡°I just want my son to be safe. I¡¯ll not pursue the matter as long as he¡¯s


    healthy.¡±


    Her elder son immediately interrupted her and expressed his dismay. ¡°How can you say that, Mom? It¡¯s


    all their fault, to begin with!¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± She knitted her brows. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell that they felt sorry for the mishap? We don¡¯t need any


    compensation from them. We just want your brother to be safe!¡±


    The doctor, who was about to leave, overheard their conversation. He paused for a moment, turned


    around, and said to her. ¡°I¡¯m afraid he has a more severe health issue.¡±


    A line formed between the woman¡¯s brows. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Vinson, too, turned his attention to the doctor.


    The doctor exined, ¡°I suppose you¡¯re not aware of his health condition. Your son has hemophilia.


    Even if he manages to leave the hospital this time, he will still be hospitalized because of this disorder.¡±


    ¡°Hemophilia? How did he contract this disease? My son¡¯s body has always been weak, but¡­ could it be


    a misdiagnosis?¡±


    The doctor shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ve carried out a thorough checkup on him. We¡¯ve also checked his


    medical record and realized he hade to the hospital for treatment before this. Your son knew he was


    sick all along.¡±


    The woman looked at him in disbelief and asked her elder son in a trembling voice, ¡°Do you know about


    this?¡±


    Words stuck in his throat, as he did not know how to reply to her. The woman was appalled at his


    reaction. ¡°So you knew all along? How could you hide this from me?¡±


    ¡°We have no choice but to keep this away from you, Mom. You have a heart condition, and we can¡¯t


    agitate you further.¡± The son sighed.


    A vortex of anger swirled inside her. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have hidden it from me. You shouldn¡¯t have done


    that!¡±


    Vinson and Carter then walked the doctor out of the ward and asked, ¡°What else did Arielle say besides


    the thing she wanted?¡±


    The doctor shook his head. ¡°She didn¡¯t say anything. She asked us to retrieve the patient¡¯s blood serum


    and said she would know the cause once the result is out.¡±


    Vinson nodded. ¡°Got it. We just have to trust her judgment and give her all the assistance she needs.¡±


    ¡°All right, Mr. Nightshire.¡± The doctor nodded and left.


    Carter looked worried. ¡°It¡¯s going to be difficult to help this man recover since he has hemophilia.¡±


    Yet, Vinson was pleased that this had cleared one of his doubts. ¡°This exins why he was the only


    customer in danger. But right now, we still do not know if someone intentionally used him to take us


    down.¡±


    Carter gritted his teeth. ¡°That person must be a psychopath with no conscience! How could he put a


    man¡¯s life at risk just to get back at you? He¡¯s no different from the man who tried to hunt us down!¡±


    Vinson, on the other hand, was calm as usual.


    Instead of panicking, he decided to wait patiently for Arielle¡¯s update.


    The truth woulde to light when he regains his consciousness,

 Chapter 565

    Chapter 565


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 565


    Meanwhile, Arielle discovered a type of snake venom in the man¡¯s blood serum. ¡°The snake venom must


    havee from Manchernius.¡±


    ¡°Snake venom?¡± Zachary, who stood beside her, disagreed with her analysis. ¡°It¡¯s impossible! During our


    blood test earlier, his blood sample didn¡¯t match with all the snake venoms in our database!¡±


    Even the patient¡¯s doctor nodded in agreement. ¡°Dr. Ziegler¡¯s right. His blood sample didn¡¯t match with


    the snake venoms in our database. Yes, there¡¯s venom in his body, but we¡¯re not sure what it is.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s snake venom for sure,¡± Arielle refuted steadily. ¡°Some snakes are bred and farmed specifically, and


    they¡¯re fed with poison. The farmers would then mate those snakes to produce offsprings that are one of


    a kind. From what I know, they had sessfully bred seven types of snakes, and these snakes are


    called Seven Deadly Sins. The venom in the patient¡¯s body belongs to Furious Devil¡ªone of the seven


    snakes.¡±


    The patient¡¯s doctor was taken aback upon hearing that name. He stuttered, ¡°Fu¡­Furious Devil?¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    The snake must be the manifestation of anger. But why? What are they angry about?


    Zachary, on the other hand, snorted. ¡°Seven Deadly Sins? The manifestation of anger? Come on. We¡¯re


    not shooting a psychological thriller here, so please don¡¯t


    crack this kind of joke. Queenie¡¯sing back soon. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll know what to do with the patient as


    long as we keep him stable.¡±


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°We¡¯re running out of time. Of all the snake venoms, Furious Devil is the most


    powerful one, as it could destroy the telets in the victim¡¯s blood. It wouldn¡¯t pose a threat to ordinary


    folks because telets can regenerate rapidly, but it¡¯s fatal for the patient with hemophilia. He would be


    dead by the time the doctor arrives.¡±


    The doctor then checked the patient¡¯stest data and realized he had a low telet count, as Arielle had


    predicted


    Upon seeing the test results, Zachary panicked. ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    ¡°We need to clear the venom from his body,¡± she said.


    Now that Arielle had confirmed the source of venom, Arielle needed to wait for the items to arrive before


    she could proceed with the treatment.


    Zachary cast a doubtful nce at her. ¡°You said the venom is deadly. Are you capable of treating the


    patient?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Arielle replied without any hesitation.


    Yet, Zachary had no faith in her. Can I trust her?


    Before Zachary could make up his mind, the patient¡¯s


    doctor immediately said to Arielle. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, please clear the toxin from the patient¡¯s body, Ms.


    Moore. I¡¯ll get a few packs of telets from the blood bank and prepare him for the blood transfusion.¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Arielle nodded.


    At that moment, a nurse came in with the items that Arielle needed. ¡°Mr. Nightshire wanted me to pass


    this to you. It has all been sterilized.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Arielle took over the items andid them all on the desk.


    First of all, she had to perform acupuncture on the patient.


    In a body checkup conducted earlier, she found out there were not any snakebites on the patient¡¯s body.


    In other words, he was poisoned by ingestion.


    Hence, Arielle would need to perform acupuncture to purge a part of the venom from the body and then


    systematically remove the remaining toxic substance.


    After a telet transfusion, Arielle began her acupuncture treatment.


    Inserting the first needle into the acupuncture point on the patient¡¯s skull was a challenging task, as a


    slight misjudgment would lead to the patient¡¯s death.

 Chapter 566

    Chapter 566


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 566


    Arielle prepared the needles and other instruments that she needed to perform the acupuncture, but she


    did not begin just yet.


    She crushed some herbs and added a few drops of antibiotics. Then, she soaked all her silver-ted


    needles in the concoction.


    After about ten seconds, she pulled out the needles, waited for the liquid on the surface of the needle to


    solidify. Then, she began inserting the needles at several targeted areas.


    Zachary, who had studied traditional Chanaean medicine and acupuncture under Queenie¡¯s tutge,


    saw that Arielle was about to insert a needle into a fatal point and quickly grabbed her arm.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he yelled furiously. ¡°Are you trying to kill the patient? Do you even know what


    acupuncture point that is? If you put your needle there, it will be an instant death!¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Zachary¡¯s hand had shot out suddenly and grabbed Arielle¡¯s arm, almost scratching the patient¡¯s head in


    the process.


    Arielle¡¯s patience finally ran out. She turned her eyes to stare straight at Zachary.


    Zachary visibly shrunk away from her gaze.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Zachary hesitated, but still insisted, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? I¡¯m preventing you


    from


    identallymitting a murder! You will kill the patient if you stick your needle there!¡±


    Arielle yanked her hand away from him and said in a deadpan voice, ¡°Thank you for your kind warning,


    but there¡¯s really no need for that. The acupoint I¡¯m inserting the needle in is not the fatal point. Please


    do not bother me while I¡¯m performing acupuncture.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Zachary said anxiously. ¡°This patient is very important to us! We can¡¯t afford to have anything go


    wrong!¡±


    Arielle lost her patience and said simply to the attending physician, ¡°He is too distracting; get him out of


    here.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± The attending physician nced sheepishly at Zachary.


    Zachary was a much more well-known doctor than the attending physician. However, this was not


    Rocher Private Hospital. This was a public hospital, and here, everybody answers to the attending


    physician.


    The physician recalled that Vinson had requested him to help Arielle in any way he can and said through


    gritted teeth, ¡°Dr. Ziegler, you should not be distracting Ms. Moore! Mr. Nightshire knows what he was


    doing when he sent her here. Even if you don¡¯t trust in her medical


    skills, you should have faith in Mr. Nightshire!¡±


    Zachary mped his jaw and said, ¡°Fine! I won¡¯t say another word, but let me make it clear that I¡¯ll take


    no responsibility for what happens to this patient! I¡¯ll have


    nothing to do with this at all! It¡¯ll all be your fault!¡±


    Is she really going to stick that needle in there? These people are all fools! Idiots! I won¡¯t let these people


    drag me into hot water together with them! Zachary thought angrily to himself.


    He did want to stay in the emergency room any longer. He whirled around, pressed the switch on the


    lower right side of the door with his foot, and strode huffily out of the room.


    The attending physician turned his anxious eyes on Arielle. ¡°Ms. Moore, do you want me to ask Dr.


    Ziegler toe back in? He¡¯s the top surgeon at Rocher Private Hospital. He¡¯ll be of great help if


    something bad were to happen!¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Arielle replied lightly, ncing at the door that was slowly swinging shut behind Zachary¡¯s


    retreating figure. ¡°I can do it alone. If you have other matters to attend to, you may go as well.¡±


    The attending physician¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Does she mean that she doesn¡¯t need anyone else¡¯s


    help? Is she very confident or just very arrogant?


    In the end, the attending physician decided that Arielle was just very confident in her skills.


    Well, since she¡¯s so sure of her herself, I should stick around and watch how she deals with this snake


    venom. Maybe I could learn a thing or two from her..


    All eyes were trained on Arielle. Some of them wanted to see her fail, but even more of them wanted to


    see how she would neutralize the venom.

 Chapter 567

    Chapter 567


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 567


    They could already see that Arielle was much more skilled than Zachary. It seemed highly probable that


    Arielle would be able to save this hemophilic patient all by herself.


    Zachary loitered around the corridor outside, waiting for them to plead with him to go in again.


    After all, he was the best surgeon in there. In fact, he was the top surgeon at Rocher Private Hospital. If


    anything were to go wrong, they would not be able to handle it without him.


    Zachary deliberately slowed down his steps, waiting for someone from inside the emergency room to


    come running out after him.


    However, no one came, and he could hear the sound of the door slowly swinging shut behind him.


    Boom! The door mmed shut. Zachary¡¯s heart sank.


    He knew how important the patient was to Vinson, and if he were the one to cure the patient, Vinson


    would be indebted to him


    Besides, Carter Morgan, who runs Rocher Private Hospital, was a good friend of Vinson. If the patient


    was cured by him, his promotion within the hospital would be guaranteed.


    He had been so sure that they could not carry on without him and yet, they had let the door close behind


    him.


    Zachary looked over his shoulder at the closed door in disbelief.


    Even if he was unhappy about it, he could not deny the fact that he had just been rejected.


    Zachary clenched his fists angrily.


    However, since he had walked out on his own ord, it would be too embarrassing for him to go back


    inside again.


    Zachary¡¯s hatred for Arielle intensified.


    His eyes shone with resentment, and he secretly hoped that something terrible would happen and that


    brat would end up killing the patient instead.


    At that moment, Vinson and Carter appeared.


    Zachary quickly rearranged his expression and greeted them, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, Mr. Morgan!¡±


    Carter nodded back at him and asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you in the emergency room? How¡¯s the situation in


    there?¡±


    Zachary hesitated.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Please speak your mind,¡± Carter urged.


    ¡°Mr. Morgan, that girl does not know what she is doing at all! She tried to insert a needle into the patient¡¯s


    fatal point! This is instant death! I tried to stop her but she kicked me out of the room instead. Can you


    really trust


    her?¡± Zachary blurted out.


    He expected Carter and Vinson to react negatively to his outburst, but instead, they kept insisting that


    Arielle was extremely reliable.


    Zachary felt cornered.


    Why does that silly girl inspire such trust in them? Fine! So, she¡¯s very reliable, huh? I¡¯ll happily wait here


    for news of that patient¡¯s death!


    Zachary lowered himself into a chair outside the room and waited silently.


    At that moment, his phone rang.


    He nced at the screen. It was Queenie calling.


    Zachary¡¯s face lit up. He walked out through the fire exit for some privacy.


    ¡°Hi, Queenie.¡±


    Queenie¡¯s cool voice sounded through the phone, ¡°It¡¯s me. I¡¯m on the helicopter that Vinson arranged for


    me. How¡¯s the patient¡¯s doing?¡±


    Zachary gritted his teeth angrily and eximed, ¡°Queenie, you need to get here pronto! The patient¡¯s


    heartbeat returned to normal with the help of the pacemaker. However, Mr. Nightshire has given full


    authority over the patient to some brat. I don¡¯t know from which godd*mn hole he found her, but she has


    absolutely no idea what she¡¯s doing! Earlier, she tried to insert an acupuncture needle into the patient¡¯s


    fatal point. If you don¡¯t reach soon, the patient will be a goner!¡±


    ¡°Brat?¡± Queenie furrowed her brows. Her eyes clouded over with dissatisfaction.

 Chapter 568

    Chapter 568


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 568


    Queenie was a brilliant doctor who was skilled in both traditional Chanaean medicine and modern


    medicine. Although she was still young, she was already well known internationally. She was also the


    heiress of a family of Chanaean medicine practitioners.


    Besides, Queenie graduated from Maxwell University with a graduation certificate, not just apletion


    certificate like Donovan.


    She was clearly an extraordinary woman.


    However, what most people did not know was that Queenie and Vinson had graduated from Maxwell


    University in the same year. Although they were in different majors, they had shared severalmon


    sses.


    Since their time in university together, Queenie hadpletely fallen head over heels with Vinson.


    Although the Mills were a prominent family, they were still nowhere close to the Nightshires. Furthermore,


    Jadeborough was a city full of beautiful celebrities. Queenie knew she would never have stood a chance


    to win Vinson¡¯s attention, let alone his affection.


    However, after she had be a doctor, her social status had climbed higher and higher. When she had


    heard from Zachary that Vinson was sending a helicopter to get her, those old feelings stirred in her


    heart again.


    Perhaps this is God¡¯s n! His n for Vinson and me to meet again, and then¡­ fall in love!


    Queenie did not ask further about the ¡®brat¡¯. She merely said, ¡°I¡¯ll be there in three hours. Just keep the


    status quo for now. Don¡¯t let her harm the patient.¡±


    She must be the one to save the day in front of Vinson¡¯s eyes. She would not let him forget her again.


    Queenie ended the call and turned to the bodyguard who had picked her up. ¡°Hurry up! I want to take off


    immediately. I need to get there as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Sure, Dr. Mill,¡± the bodyguard affirmed with a nod. He could not help throwing a second nce a


    Queenie.


    This famous medical expert is more beautiful than I had expected. She could give one of those TV stars


    a run for their money!


    The bodyguard quickly looked away and went to the cockpit


    Soon after that, the helicopter rose into the air and headed for Chanaea.


    Back in the Jadeborough General Hospital, Zachary headed back into the emergency room after hanging


    up the call.


    He had to swallow his pride and go back in there to make sure Arielle would not harm the patient.


    Queenie trusted me! I can¡¯t let her down!


    When Zachary reentered the emergency room, he expected the brat to taunt him for walking in with his


    tail between his legs, however, she did not even nce at him. All her attention was focused on


    performing acupuncture on the patient.


    At that moment, Zachary saw her insert one of her silver-ted needles into a fatal point at the patient¡¯s


    head. The needle immediately turned ck.


    Zachary jumped in fright. He almost wanted to rush forward to yank out the needle.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    He quickly nced at the heart rate monitor next to the patient and was surprised to see that the


    patient¡¯s vitals were still normal.


    How is the patient not dead after she inserted that needle into the fatal point? How is this possible?


    Could it be that I was mistaken? Perhaps that acupoint isn¡¯t the fatal point? That¡¯s very unlikely though¡­


    However, no matter how puzzled Zachary was, the truth was right there in front of his own eyes.


    He said nothing and merely stood back, watching silently.


    All the doctors in the room, including the attending physician, were gathered around the operating table.


    The patient had thirty-two silver-ted needles inserted all over his body. The needles turned pitch ck


    as soon as they entered his body.


    The doctors were watching Arielle quietly as she worked. She did not seem to be affected by their


    presence.


    After Arielle inserted the final needle, she asked the attending physician, ¡°That thing I requested for, is it


    ready?¡±


    The attending physician immediately leaped to attention and quickly went over to the cabs. He pulled


    out a small ss vial.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Zachary asked, stepping forward for a closer look.


    ¡°This is the tonic that Ms. Moore has requested me to make. It contains the venom of three types of


    snakes and some herb that I¡¯ve never heard of,¡± the attending physician exined as he walked towards


    Arielle to hand her the vial.

 Chapter 569

    Chapter 569


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 569


    ¡°What?¡± Zachary eximed, his eyes widening with surprise.


    All of the snakes that the attending doctor mentioned earlier were extremely poisonous. One would


    definitely die if serum was not injected immediately after getting bitten by any one of the snakes.


    He stared fearfully at the tiny bottle filled with ck liquid before turning to the attending doctor, ¡°Don¡¯t


    tell me you¡¯re going to inject this bottle of liquid onto the patient¡¯s body?¡±


    Thetter nodded and said, ¡°The poison has already been diluted. As Ms. Moore said, the poison in the


    patient¡¯s body is just too strong. There¡¯s no way the serum would work now. That¡¯s why we¡¯re using


    ancient Chanaean medicine for this. We¡¯ll be fighting poison with poison.¡±


    ¡°Ancient Chanaean medicine?¡± Zachary repeated. ¡°Out of all the doctors in Jadeborough, I¡¯d say only the


    Mills would dare to say that they know about ancient Chanaean medicine. Who the hell does she think


    she is? Are you telling me you believe in her words?¡±


    His words made the attending doctor tense up before saying awkwardly, ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Dr. Ziegler¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll all be dragged into a big mess if I don¡¯t speak the truth!¡± Having said that, the man strode toward


    Arielle and questioned, ¡°You¡¯re trying to poison him because you couldn¡¯t kill him with your needles,


    aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Thetter was in the midst of observing the silver ted needles when she heard his words. Without


    sparing a nce at him, she ordered, ¡°Kick him out.¡±


    He¡¯s being too noisy.


    Zachary¡¯s face darkened in an instant as he barked furiously, ¡°This damned woman! Have you forgotten


    who¡¯s in charge here? Mr. Morgan has already given me full authority over this patient. You¡¯re the one


    who should be leaving this ce!¡±


    As he spoke, he pointed at the assistant he brought from Rocher Private. ¡°Why are you just standing


    there? Throw this murderer out!¡±


    However, the assistant stood rooted to the spot. Instead, he lowered his head, afraid to meet eyes with


    the former.


    Zachary furrowed his brows at the sight of this. ¡°Hey! I¡¯m talking to you. Are you deaf?¡±


    Right then, the attending doctor walked up to him and said, ¡°Sorry, Dr. Ziegler. Mr. Nightshire and Mr.


    Morgan had sent someone earlier to deliver a message. They want everyone in the emergency room to


    listen to Ms. Moore¡¯s orders. So, please, Dr. Ziegler.¡±


    He was trying to get Zachary to leave.


    The man was stunned at that.


    He finally managed to speak after a long moment,


    ¡°Alright. That¡¯s great. This is just great. Don¡¯te begging me for help when something actually


    happenster. Whether this patient lives or dies has nothing to do with me.¡±


    Having heard that, Arielle turned to him and said, ¡°Are you saying that even though there¡¯s a chance this


    case could be included in the medical history, you don¡¯t want your name to be included, Dr. Ziegler?¡±


    Zachary hesitated for a second before nodding. ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s no need to add my name anymore.


    That¡¯s why it¡¯s none of my business even if a medical ident happens.¡±


    This patient is going to die sooner orter under this kind of treatment. I might as well cut off any


    rtions I have with this when I have the chance.


    Compared to fame and reputation, having zero medical idents in his career was more important.


    Moreover, he felt that the patient Arielle was treating had no chance of surviving at all.


    He could only ignore Queenie¡¯s request for now.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    At the thought of this, Zachary walked over to the operation records and crossed off his name.


    This meant that he had nothing to do with this treatment anymore.


    It didn¡¯t matter if she became reputable in the country, or if she was reprimanded by the patient¡¯s family.


    It was none of his business.


    He didn¡¯t give Arielle any more chances of chasing him out as he strode out of the emergency room right


    after.

 Chapter 570

    Chapter 570


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 570


    The incident at Soir Coffee had spread all over the inte. Vinson needed to hold an emergency press


    conference to quiet down theizens and give those who were boycotting the coffee shop an


    exnation.


    Jordan immediately went with Vinson to the press conference venue the moment he found out about the


    incident.


    He was tactful and charming, while thetter was straightforward. The two contrasts wouldplement


    each other well.


    Seeing that Zachary was walking out of the emergency room again, Carter asked as he adjusted his


    sses, ¡°Why are you out here again?¡±


    Embarrassed, the former bit on his lips before answering, ¡°That b**** ¨C the woman told me toe out.


    She said she didn¡¯t need me in there.¡±


    Then, he added, ¡°Mr. Morgan, just who is the person Mr. Nightshire hired? Her treatment is absurd. From


    the looks of it, the patient is going to die sooner orter.¡±


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Carter frowned at his words, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear this from you again.¡±


    Zachary was shocked. He had never expected that not only Vinson, but Carter was also so protective of


    Arielle.


    Having no other choice, he changed the topic, ¡°Queenie has already boarded the ne and is on the


    way back.


    Why don¡¯t we talk more when she¡¯s back?¡±


    ¡°There won¡¯t be enough time,¡± Carter replied while shaking his head. ¡°Vin is already on his way to the


    press conference. We need to get a result here as soon as possible. Otherwise, we won¡¯t be able to hold


    off theizens.¡±


    ¡°But she-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. I¡¯m sure you have many other things to attend to at the hospital. You should head back


    first.¡±


    Carter made it very clear that it was time for him to leave, but he didn¡¯t want to. So he looked for an


    excuse to continue staying.


    He wanted to wait for Queenie¡¯s return, and for the patient¡¯s death.


    Meanwhile, in the emergency room, Arielle waited for all the needles to turn ck before removing them


    one by one.


    The other doctors had noticed something peculiar. With the needles¡¯ removal, the blood that oozed out


    was also ck in color.


    ¡°You guys squeeze the blood out from where the needles were earlier. I¡¯ll go prepare the other herbs,¡±


    Arielle said.


    When she was done speaking, she took the bottle of medicine from the attending doctor and headed to


    the


    cooler filled with herbs.


    Besides the poison in the bottle, she needed to add another expensive ingredient, the red ginseng.


    While it was difficult to gather all the poison in a short period of time, it was also difficult to find red


    ginseng in the cooler.


    She didn¡¯t expect Vinson to be able to gather these in such a short amount of time. It seems like I know


    too little about Vinson¡¯s capability.


    Arielle shook her head to clear her mind of these thoughts before going back to preparing the medicine.


    After cutting a piece of red ginseng, she ground it into a fine powder and measured the amount she


    needed. After the doctors were done squeezing out the dark blood, she used a syringe pump to infuse


    the medicine into the patient.


    The attending doctor couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Ms. Moore, would this be enough? The time for the


    anesthesia to be effective is almost up.¡±


    Shaking her head, Arielle answered, ¡°We still need to perform bloodletting therapy on the patient once


    we¡¯re done with the infusion. We¡¯ll only be done after that.¡±


    ¡°Bloodletting therapy? Are we going to remove the poisonous blood?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But he has hemophilia, so you guys should prepare a few bags of blood for him. Otherwise, we


    won¡¯t be able to stop the bleeding if blood clots don¡¯t form,¡± she answered with a nod.


    ¡°Alright,¡± the attending doctorplied.


    It wasn¡¯t entirely because of Vinson and Carter, but also because there was a unique temperament to


    her. People couldn¡¯t help but trust her and listen to what she had to say.

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    Chapter 571


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 571


    The attending doctor then went to the blood bags through a passageway in the emergency room.


    Arielle was grateful that most of the doctors believed in her. Just as she was about to check on the


    patient, her vision blurred and a pang of dizziness hit her. She felt like she was about to faint soon.


    The assistant standing closest to her quickly steadied her and asked worriedly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ms.


    Moore?¡±


    Arielle tried her best to steady herself, before saying in exhaustion, ¡°I¡¯m feeling worn out. Please get me


    an IV bag. I need to recover as soon as possible.¡±


    Ancient Chanaean acupuncture was different from traditional Chanaean acupuncture. It required a lot of


    energy from the practitioner, so it was rather lucky that Arielle didn¡¯t faint from it.


    One of the doctors quickly went to get her an IV bag and attached her to it.


    When she finally regained some of her strength, she went back to tending to the patient. The woman


    treated his needle wounds, and disinfected them, all while connected to the IV drip. The doctors standing


    on the sides couldn¡¯t bear to watch the sight of her.


    One of them finally said, ¡°You should really rest up in the break room, Ms. Moore.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright,¡± Arielle said as she shook her head. ¡°The anesthetics are going to wear off soon. I need


    to let out his blood before this happens.¡±


    The doctors exchanged nces. They knew that they couldn¡¯t leave her side, so they paid close


    attention to how she was doing while observing the patient.


    Soon enough, the syringe pump was done pumping all the medicine into the patient.


    Arielle waited for a moment more to make sure that the medicine was in the patient¡¯s blood before she


    stood up, and got ready to let the patient¡¯s blood out.


    She needed to be very careful with the location she chose to let the blood out. Detoxification wouldn¡¯t be


    complete if too little blood was released, while the patient might experience excessive loss of blood if too


    much blood was released.


    After choosing the right spot, Arielle began with the procedure.


    What shocked the other doctors the most was that the blood was as ck as ink when it was released.


    The patient was finally getting detoxified.


    Everyone was delighted at the sight of this.


    ¡°It seems like Ms. Moore¡¯s treatment is sessful!¡±


    ¡°Pay attention, all of you. He has hemophilia so his blood doesn¡¯t clot properly.¡±


    ¡°You should be careful too. Otherwise, you might faint again.¡±


    About three or four minutester, the patient¡¯s hand twitched


    At the same time, the blood that was being released was also returning to its original color.


    Arielle looked up at the patient and saw that he was slowly opening his eyes, looking weak and lost.


    ¡°What happened to me?¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°You¡¯re in the emergency room receiving treatment right now,¡± she said. Signaling the doctors, they


    started to stop the patient¡¯s bleeding.


    As expected, the patient¡¯s blood wasn¡¯t clotting properly. Fortunately, they had prepared bags of blood


    sma and blood telets, and they finally managed to stop the bleeding.


    The patient was weak all over. As he stared at the female doctor who was busy treating him even with an


    IV drip attached to her, he asked hoarsely, ¡°Am I¡­ in any life-threatening danger?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Arielle handed the work over to the doctors and walked over to the patient.


    He was still young and looked like a cheery person. However, he was pale and extremely weak.


    The woman took his pulse and made sure that all toxins had left his body. Heaving a sigh of relief, she


    looked at the patient and said, ¡°You would have died if it wasn¡¯t for me.¡±


    The young man was stunned for a second before he said gratefully, ¡°Thank you, doctor¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never asked for your gratitude.¡±


    The former was stunned, having not expected the woman to be so realistic.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you money as thanks after I¡¯m out of here,¡± he said.


    The other doctors also didn¡¯t expect this.


    They didn¡¯t think that after all this, Arielle was just doing it for money.

 Chapter 572

    Chapter 572


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 572


    The doctors¡¯ eyes that were once full of respect for Arielle now had a hint of contempt in them.


    As a doctor, helping the injured and the sick was supposed to be their job. Yet, she was asking for money


    from a patient who had just woken up.


    She was tarnishing their careers by doing so.


    It didn¡¯t matter how good her medical skills were, as it wasn¡¯t enough to cover up a taint like this.


    Just as they were about to criticize her, Arielle said coldly, ¡°Do you really think I want money? I saved


    your life, so you better tell me the truth.¡±


    Everyone was shocked by her words. However, the young man¡¯s eyes widened when he heard what she


    said, panic surfacing on his face.


    The woman caught the change in expression on his face and was convinced that her hunch was right.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    This young man had ingested the poison himself and med it on Soir Coffee.


    It¡¯s also obvious that his snobbish brother knew of this too.


    ¡°Does your mother not know what you and your brother nned?¡± Arielle asked coldly.


    ¡°I..¡± The patient didn¡¯t dare to meet eyes with her, as it seemed like she could read right through him.


    He looked away and came up with an excuse to brush her off, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.


    I¡¯m tired. I¡¯d like to get some rest.¡±


    ¡°Rest?¡± Arielle raised a brow and continued, ¡°It seems like you have no idea of your mother¡¯s condition.


    She fainted when she found out that you were in danger. I wonder if she finally woke up.¡±


    ¡°Mom¡­¡± The patient turned his head abruptly, panic filling his eyes.


    Arielle was sure that he wasn¡¯t the same as his brother.


    That¡¯s great. I found his weak spot.


    ¡°You have hemophilia, but the nurse outside told me that your mother has no idea of your condition. Let


    me guess¡­ You did this because of your medical fees, right?¡± she said.


    ¡°No¡­¡± the patient replied, instinctively shaking his head.


    Not wanting to waste any more time with him, Arielle got straight to the point and said, ¡°As long as you


    admit to it, Rocher Private Hospital will handle all your medical fees. You won¡¯t have to pay even if you


    need ? blood transfusion in the future.¡±


    Hearing this, the patient bit on his lips, his heart already wavering at the option.


    The woman then continued, ¡°But¡­ we still have a way


    to get you to admit to it even if you don¡¯t want to. The poison in your body is extremely rare, and it will


    only work when mixed with coffee. Besides, finding out which snake it¡¯s from isn¡¯t difficult. However, if


    that happens, not only will you not be able to get even anything, but there¡¯s also a possibility that you¡¯ll


    end up in jail. How do you think your mother will feel if she finds out that her son framed a coffee shop for


    the sake of money? She might think that it¡¯d be better for you to die from your sickness. Those without


    morals live a wasted life after all.¡±


    Arielle was absolutely straightforward with her words, and a pained expression shed across the


    patient¡¯s face.


    He was pure at heart and his conscience wasn¡¯t going to let that happen. His eyes reddened as he


    spoke, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll tell you what happened. But¡­ You have to promise that you¡¯ll keep this from Mom.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Arielle nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll let her stay in the hospital for free with the excuse of having to recuperate her


    body for one month. A monthter, once this crisis is over, no one will mention the incident. An olddy


    like your mother wouldn¡¯t be going on the inte either, so she wouldn¡¯t know. But you need to follow


    me to the venue of the press conference right after this. Exin what actually happened to the press,


    and you need to tell me who ordered you to do it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    The patient shook his head before adding, ¡°I told my brother immediately after I found out that I¡¯m sick. I


    don¡¯t know where he found out about this, but someone had promised us one million which we would be


    getting from them, and alsopensation from the Nightshire Group. That is if I inject the poison into my


    body, drink the coffee at Soir Coffee, and then put the me on the coffee shop. My brother was the one


    they contacted so I know nothing about it.¡±

 Chapter 573

    Chapter 573


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 573


    Arielle nodded and said, ¡°This is enough. Rest up for now. I¡¯ll bring you to the press conferenceter.¡±


    She then told the attending doctor to put up a drip that would replenish his energy and reminded the


    other doctors to prepare a wheelchair for the patient. Once she was done, the woman kicked the switch


    that controlled the door to the emergency room and strode out.


    The patient¡¯s eyes subconsciously flitted toward Arielle. The woman seemed to shine with every step she


    took.


    She seemed like she was able to sweep people off their feet.


    At that, he looked away.


    The attending doctor began exining the pacemaker in his body, and reminded, ¡°You mustn¡¯t perform


    any extreme sports from now on. Remember to return to the hospital every year to check up on the


    pacemaker¡¯s condition.¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°I understand.¡± The patient closed his eyes remorsefully.


    Previously, his brother had told him that there would only be symptoms of allergies for a short period of


    time when the poison took effect. Yet, he could clearly feel that he had just escaped death.


    True enough. I shouldn¡¯t have tried to earn money through evil deeds. I shouldn¡¯t have listened to my


    brother.


    Outside the emergency room.


    Carter instantly walked up to Arielle the moment he saw her. ¡°How¡¯s everything inside?¡±


    Zachary also stood still and was a little excited and emotional. He¡¯s dead!


    The patient must be dead!


    However, Arielle answered calmly, ¡°The patient¡¯s doing fine now.¡±


    Zachary replied immediately after, ¡°I knew he would die. I knew that- Wait. What did you just say?¡±


    He was stunned and couldn¡¯t help but think that he had heard her wrong.


    Not batting him an eye, Arielle turned to Carter and said, ¡°Send me two of your men. I already found out


    what happened. We need to look for his brother now.¡±


    Thetter nodded instantly, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Before Vinson left earlier, he had sent someone to let Arielle in on the overall situation, so both of them


    were on the same page.


    The woman asked as they walked, ¡°How long more until the press conference starts?¡±


    ¡°An hour. Can the patient go?¡±


    ¡°Tell Vinson to hold it off a little longer. We¡¯ll bring him there after he¡¯s done with his drip. I don¡¯t want any


    idents happening.¡¯


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Zachary was ignoredpletely.


    He stared nkly as the both of them left, before rushing into the emergency room.


    He managed to get in just as the doors were about to shut.


    ¡°Where is he? Is he really alive?¡±


    Zachary¡¯s sudden appearance shocked the entire room of people.


    The attending doctor was the first to snap back to his senses. ¡°Why are you shouting in such a ce?¡±


    he scolded.


    But Zachary couldn¡¯t care less about the doctor. He quickly went over to the patient instead.


    To his disbelief, the patient was staring back at him with widened eyes. Shock was written all over his


    face, obviously surprised that the doctor had barged in suddenly.


    After making sure that the young man was indeed still


    alive, he leaned closer and asked, ¡°How do you feel right now?¡±


    Thetter spoke after a moment, ¡°Besides not having any strength, I don¡¯t feel anything else.¡±


    The anesthetics hadn¡¯t worn offpletely, so he wasn¡¯t able to feel the pain from the surgery.


    ¡°What about the feeling when you were first sent to the hospital?¡±


    The attending doctor walked up to them and said, ¡°Ms. Moore has already detoxified his body.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. How can someone like her treat a patient affected by a poison that we don¡¯t even


    know the name of?¡±


    The former instantly handed Zachary thetest copy of the blood results.


    With a swoosh, he snatched it over and saw that the numbers were all in the normal range. His eyes


    widened instantly.

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    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 574


    The doctor¡¯s eyes widened in bewilderment when he realized what the young woman had achieved.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°How the heck did she do it? How did she find the cure? I don¡¯t understand.¡± Zachary could not believe


    that Arielle managed to find the cure on her own. She must¡¯ve figured out the properties of the poison.


    That¡¯s how she found the proper treatment for it.


    Arielle had put Zachary to utter shame since she was able to remedy a poison that even a doctor like


    himself could not.


    Seeing how devastated Zachary was, the attending physician decided to stop his fellow doctor¡¯s


    nonsense with a wave of his hand. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Dr. Ziegler. Let the patient rest. He has a press


    conference to attend toter on.¡±


    ¡°A press conference? What press conference? Are you seriously going to let a person who almost died


    walk around as if nothing happened?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s going to the press conference at Soir Coffee, so we¡¯ll get a PCA pump ready for him. The patient¡¯s


    made up his mind.¡±


    ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡± eximed Zachary before turning to the patient. ¡°Are you sure about this?


    Do you know how serious this is? Your life is on the line here. Do you know that?¡±


    For some reason, Zachary refused to let things go Arielle¡¯s way.


    Since he withdrew himself from the patient¡¯s operation, Arielle would take all the credit if the press


    conference were sessfully held. There was no way a proud man like Zachary would ever let the


    young woman steal the limelight from him.


    The patient then sighed in response. ¡°This is my choice, so I¡¯ll take full responsibility for it. If I die, that¡¯s


    on me.¡±


    ¡°This is insane! You¡¯re all insane! I¡¯m his surgeon, and I say he has to stay and rest right here!¡± shouted


    Zachary with bloodshot eyes.


    The attending physician scowled at the upset man and reminded sternly, ¡°Dr. Ziegler, in case you¡¯ve


    forgotten, you are no longer his surgeon because you quit halfway without any regard for the patient¡¯s


    wellbeing. He is not under your care anymore.¡±


    After that, the attending physician turned to the nurses in the emergency room. ¡°Please escort Dr. Ziegler


    out.¡±


    It was made apparent who the helpful one was and who should remain in the room, so the attending


    physician finally decided to send Zachary out.


    ¡°How dare you kick me out! Have you forgotten who I am? I¡¯m the top surgeon at Rocher Private! Just


    ask Mr. Nightshire and Mr. Morgan.¡±


    The attending physician unceremoniously gestured for the nurses to get a move on. ¡°Why is Dr. Ziegler


    still here? Do you want him to continue disturbing our patient?¡±


    With that, the nurses in the room hurriedly worked together and removed Zachary.


    That was the third time the doctor was sent out of the emergency room, but the others made sure that it


    would also be thest.


    ¡°Open this door now! Do you hear me? Open it now!¡± Zachary pounded on the door furiously before


    security at the hospital took him away for good and restored peace to the emergency room.


    Meanwhile, Vinson received a call from Carter while he was on his way to the press conference.


    ¡°How is he?¡± inquired the man as soon as he answered his phone.


    ¡°He¡¯s fine. Chief is asking you to buy them some time at the press conference. She said the patient will


    be there as soon as they¡¯re done with the injection.¡±


    Even though Vinson did not doubt that Arielle could save the patient, he was still stunned for two


    seconds when he heard the news. After getting poisoned and undergoing such a major operation, the


    patient is still able to attend the conference with just some pain medication? You¡¯re full of surprises,


    aren¡¯t you, Arielle?


    Only after a few seconds of silence did the man finally continue, ¡°Is she with you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Put her on.¡±

 Chapter 575

    Chapter 575


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 575


    ¡°Sure.¡± Carter then handed his phone to Arielle. ¡°Chief, Vin wants to speak to you.¡±


    At that moment, Carter was looking at Arielle with nothing but respect for the woman in his eyes.


    ¡°Hello?¡± greeted Arielle after putting the phone to her ear.


    Out of curiosity, Carter wanted to eavesdrop but could not because of how low the volume was on the


    phone. Although he could not hear anything, he could see Arielle¡¯s straight face slowly turning red.


    ¡°Money will do,¡± uttered Arielle before hanging up on Vinson.


    Since Carter had never seen the woman blush like that before, he wondered what Vinson could have


    said to make Arielle react that way.


    ¡°What did he say?¡± Dying to find out, Carter questioned Arielle the second she returned his phone to him.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°Nothing much,¡± answered Arielle briefly to brush the man off.


    She had no intention of repeating Vinson¡¯s narcissistic words. ¡°I¡¯d like to thank you with a mary


    payment, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not short of money. What youck, though, is a fine gentleman like myself.


    Lucky for you, I¡¯m avable. What do you say?¡± offered Vinson when the two were on the phone.


    Carter would have continued with his questioning had they not reached the patient¡¯s family. After


    swallowing his curiosity for the moment, Carter opened the door to see how the family was doing.


    The olddy was still crying but was doing much better than before.


    Sitting next to her was her eldest son swiping away on his phone. He seemed to have given up trying to


    stop his mother from crying.


    The two immediately turned to the door when they heard someone opening it.


    Like a machine, Arielle gazed coldly at the son¡¯s face, scanning every inch of it.


    Unnerved by the woman¡¯s relentless staring, he gulped before asking anxiously, ¡°Didn¡¯t you enter the


    emergency room just now? So how is my brother doing?¡±


    Without responding to the son, Arielle made a gesture and ordered mercilessly, ¡°Beat him up.¡±


    Naturally, the son was stunned, and so was Carter before he quickly regained his senses. Then, Carter


    turned around and gestured for the bodyguards behind him to give the son a good beating.


    Dumbfounded at the scene, the olddy took a while before jumping to her feet to defend her bloodied


    son. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? You can¡¯t just beat


    someone up like that. This is against thew! Stop it! Stop it now!¡± eximed the olddy as she tried to


    shield her son from the iing attacks with her body.


    ¡°Stop!¡± As soon as Arielle gave the order, the bodyguards stopped attacking, so the olddy was left


    perfectly unharmed. On the other hand, the man cowering behind her had blood dripping down from his


    already broken nose.


    ¡°What the hell was that for?¡± roared the injured man, who was as angry as he was terrified.


    His mother, too, was upset about the violence. ¡°That was uneptable! And here I thought you were


    good people. Now I see that my old age has made me a poor judge of character. You¡¯ll pay for what you


    did to my son! I¡¯ll make sure you answer for your actions in court!¡±


    ¡°Are you absolutely sure that¡¯s what you want to do?¡± Arielle raised a brow challengingly at the olddy.


    After second-guessing herself for a second, the olddy puffed up her chest once more. ¡°Of course!


    What reason could you possibly have to beat up my son like that?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I do,¡± responded Arielle before shifting her focus back onto the son. ¡°Before protecting your son


    like that, maybe you should ask him what despicable things he¡¯s done to deserve such a beating.¡±


    The old furrowed her brows in puzzlement. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me; ask him. Turn around and ask him about his n to kill his brother. Get him to tell you


    how he poisoned his brother and med Soir Coffee for it. Maybe he¡¯ll tell you if money is really more


    important than the life of his own brother.¡±

 Chapter 576

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    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 576


    The son¡¯s face got paler and paler as Arielle went on.


    By the time Arielle was done, he waspletely drained of colors and covered in cold sweats.


    The olddy was shocked to hear the truth at first, but then she refused to believe it. I don¡¯t believe a


    single word this woman is telling me! Why would my son hurt his own brother?


    However, she was convinced otherwise after turning to see how pale her son was.


    ¡°You¡­ It¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it? You really did try to kill your brother, didn¡¯t you?¡± stuttered the olddy.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t do anything like that! You have to trust me, Mom. Don¡¯t listen to them. They must be trying to


    me me because they couldn¡¯te up with a solution. Every word that came out of that woman is a


    lie!¡± The man started using Arielle and the others defensively.


    Still, as his mother, the olddy could easily tell if he was lying, and the look on his face was enough to


    confirm her worst fear.


    Angry and disappointed at her son, the olddy could not help but wonder how her children ended up


    that way.


    ¡°Do you still think it was unreasonable of me to have him beat up?¡± inquired Arielle at the right timing.


    The olddy slowly rose without responding as if she did not hear a word Arielle said.


    With a deadpan expression on the olddy¡¯s face, no one could tell what was going through her mind.


    Then, her face started to turn pale as well. It was as if she suddenly had trouble breathing.


    Seeing how devastated the olddy was, Arielle stepped forward to pat the elderly womanfortingly


    on the back.


    Arielle knew doing that would help the olddy calm down, and as expected, she managed to help the


    elderly woman rx and breathe properly again.


    The olddy then raised her hand up high before giving her son a hard p on the cheek.


    p!


    She hit the man as hard as she could and caused his face to be even more swollen than it already


    was.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Immediately afterward, the son inhaled deeply to ease the pain.


    ¡°You think that¡¯s pain? You don¡¯t know half the pain I¡¯m suffering right now because of what you did! Your


    brother is sick, and you know that. How could you poison him when you should be helping him with his


    condition instead? What did he ever do to you? You b*stard!¡±


    ¡°Mom! Stop it!¡± The man begged his mother to stop hitting him as he tried to defend himself.


    Seeing how Arielle already knew everything, he was convinced that his brother was the one who spilled


    the beans.


    The son then decided to justify his actions since he could no longer hide the truth. ¡°I only did it to help


    him. Do you have any idea how much it costs to treat his condition? This is the only way to get enough


    money to help him. I did it for him!¡±


    ¡°The end does not justify the means. So what if you manage to keep your brother alive? What you did


    was wrong. I¡¯d rather he die than be treated with your dirty money!¡± rebuked the olddy indignantly.


    Her strong moralpass and firm resolution were more than enough to impress Arielle, but not the


    son, who shook his head in response. ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying. You must¡¯vepletely lost


    your mind. Everything I did, I did it for our family!¡±


    ¡°Do you actually believe that?¡± Carter scoffed at the man before continuing, ¡°I think you¡¯re only capable


    of thinking for yourself. From what I¡¯ve gathered, you gambled away ten million in a casinost month


    and lost all the money Vin gave you. Is that how much your brother¡¯s life is worth to you?¡±


    ¡°How dare you poke your nose into my business!¡± roared the man pulsing with rage.


    Even more infuriated than before, the olddy raised her hand and tried to p some sense into her son,


    but he would not have it.


    The man pushed his mother away before making a break for it.

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    Chapter 577


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 577


    Stumbling backward, the olddy would have hit her head against the corner of the table had Arielle not


    broken her fall.


    ¡°Get him!¡±manded Arielle after catching the elderly woman


    Before the man could even reach the door, the bodyguard swiftly caught up to him.


    ¡°Get your hands off of me! Let me go!¡± The man struggled with all his might to no avail.


    With a wave of his hand, Carter gestured for the bodyguards to take their captive away.


    ¡°Now that you know the truth. Are you still nning to take legal action against us?¡± inquired Arielle.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I admit that I was confused. You can do whatever you want with him; I won¡¯t stop you, but please help


    my dear Caleb! He¡¯s a good boy; he only did those things because of his brother. Please! I beg you! At


    least cure him before bringing him to justice.¡±


    Arielle nodded before pulling down her face mask. ¡°I know Caleb¡¯s a good person. He was just


    misguided, that¡¯s all. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll do alright with proper guidance. The truth is that I promised him to


    keep something from you. But after some careful considerations, I decided that you should know.¡±


    Arielle knew that the olddy¡¯s eldest son would be sent to prison when the truth came out, so it was only


    a


    matter of time before the elderly woman found out. If nothing else, telling her the truth now will make


    things easier for her. Even if she were to pass out, this is the best ce to do so.


    Unexpectedly though, the olddy took it quite well.


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing. I¡¯m not going to hold Caleb responsible for what happened because I know he¡¯s


    a good person. However, the incident negatively impacted our reputation, so I¡¯ll need him to join our


    press conference. We¡¯ll need you by his side as well by then.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Whatever you need, we¡¯ll do what we can to help out.¡± The olddy nodded in agreement before


    sitting down and lookingpletely worn out. ¡°Do you mind if I rest a while first?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. Caleb needs some time with his medication before we can move out anyway, so rest up. I¡¯ll


    have the nurses check in on you.¡± With that, Arielle turned around and left with Carter to give the elderly


    woman some time to rest.


    On the other side, the press conference at Grandview Hotel was already packed with people.


    Soir Coffee was all over the inte, andizens could not stop talking about it online.


    That was why Vinson decided to have Soir Coffee¡¯s and the Nightshire Group¡¯s official webpage


    announce the press conference held at Grandview.


    As CEO of the Nightshire Group, Vinson nned to make an official statement at the press conference,


    addressing the Soir Coffee incident.


    Thements online had nothing good to say about Soir Coffee, and the number of people cursing the


    establishment was growing like bacteria.


    There were also some who refrained from foul mouthing but demanded that Soir Coffee be closed down


    immediately. On top of that, the establishment was requested topensate all their customers.


    The incident was so controversial that even the students at Jadeborough University were discussing it.


    Wendy had just returned to her ssroom after lunch when she overheard her ssmates¡¯ conversation.


    ¡°Have you seen the news online? Hundreds were sent to the hospital after drinking the coffee at Soir


    Coffee. I heard some even died soon after. How horrible!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I have. One of them was even my high school ssmate. I think he also enrolled at Jadeborough


    University, just not our preparatory ss.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s unfortunate of him.¡±


    ¡°Too bad. He was a pretty cool guy. This is all Soir Coffee¡¯s fault! How the hell did they even get the


    license to operate anyway? They even said that their goal is to be the world¡¯srgest chain of


    coffeehouses. I guess that¡¯s about to go up in smoke now.¡±

 Chapter 578

    Chapter 578


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 578


    ¡°They have to shut down now that people have died, right? Somebody has to stop their operation


    immediately to prevent further casualties.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to imagine that a trashy coffee shop like Soir Coffee is affiliated with the well-respected


    Nightshire Group. Vinson Nightshire probably only cares about making more money now, huh?¡±


    At that point, Wendy could no longer remain quiet, so she sprang up and reproached her ssmates.


    ¡°You people have no idea what you¡¯re talking about! Vinson Nightshire is nothing like that. I know there


    has to be more than what the media is telling us.¡±


    Shocked by Wendy¡¯s sudden reaction, her ssmates stared nkly at her and wondered what got into


    her.


    After a brief moment, one of the ssmates broke the awkward silence. ¡°What¡¯s your problem? It¡¯s not


    like we¡¯re gossiping about you. Who¡¯s Vinson Nightsire to you anyway?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m simply telling you that you don¡¯t know the man.¡±


    With that, Wendy¡¯s ssmates burst outughing before making fun of her. ¡°And you do? I seem to


    remember how the man brushed you off like you were nothingst time.¡±


    ¡°You shut your mouth now!¡± Wendy was so mad that veins popped up on her forehead.


    However, the student who offended her did not back


    down. ¡°And what if I don¡¯t? Are you going to make me? Everything I said was nothing but the truth.


    Somebody did die after drinking coffee at Soir Coffee. If you don¡¯t believe me, look it up on the inte.


    Vinson Nightsire is going to deliver a public apology in an hour at a press conference. If you really do


    know him, you should probably be there.¡±


    As soon as she was done speaking, the student turned around and left the ssroom.


    Even though she never liked the stuck-up Wendy, she wondered if the snob was right and if there was


    more to the Soir Coffee incident.


    After taking a moment to calm herself down, Wendy took her phone out and started searching for news


    regarding Soir Coffee.


    As her ssmates told her, the Soir Coffee incident was all over the inte. Hundreds of articles


    covered the incident and the victims involved.


    Almost every piece mentioned how customers of Soir Coffee suffered from various degrees of allergic


    symptoms. One of the victims even died as a result, as her ssmate said.


    However, the news only mentioned that the victim was sent to the emergency room, not dead.


    Seeing how the incident was covered by even the most prestigious media group, Wendy realized that


    Soir Coffee was indeed in deep trouble.


    Too troubled to stay for ss then, Wendy sent Donovan a message to take leave and hurriedly made


    her way to the Nightshire Manor.


    At the manor, Susanne had just woken up after pulling an all-nighter ying Poker when a housekeeper


    knocked on her bedroom door. ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, Ms. Greene is asking for you. She said it¡¯s about


    something urgent.¡±


    After checking the time, Susanne asked the housekeeper curiously, ¡°Wendy? Shouldn¡¯t she be at ss


    right now? Why is she back?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, ma¡¯am, but she looks very anxious. It must be something important,¡± replied the


    housekeeper on the other side of the door.


    ¡°Fine. Let me wash up first. I¡¯ll be down in a minute.¡± With that, Susanne got out of bed and entered the


    bathroom.


    While she was brushing her teeth, Susanne could not help but remember how Wendy embarrassed her


    at the freshman party. Luckily, that girl has good grades. She might just make me proud if she gets


    epted into Maxwell University in the future.


    Susanne¡¯s optimism helped bring a smile back onto her face as she made her way downstairs to see


    Wendy.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    The girl had been waiting in the living room for quite a while before she finally saw Susanne.


    Before Susanne could say anything, Wendy rushed over to the woman. ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, I know a great


    physician in Horington, and I can get him toe over right away. We just need you to lend us your


    helicopter.¡±

 Chapter 579

    Chapter 579


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 579


    Puzzled, Susanne raised an eyebrow at the youngdy ¡°Why would I need a physician? I¡¯m not sick.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second. You don¡¯t know?¡± Wendy was surprised to learn of the woman¡¯s cluelessness.


    Even though Wendy heard the news from somebody else too, she found it hard to believe that Mrs.


    Nightshire, a member of the Nightshire family, would be oblivious to the Soir Coffee incident. Is Mrs.


    Nightshire not involved in the family business at all? If that¡¯s the case, that means Vinson hasplete


    control of the Nightshire Group. How will she convince Vinson to marry me then? The woman has no


    power or control over Vinson at all!


    After recollecting herself, Wendy kept things simple to brief Susanne on the situation. The woman¡¯s


    expression went from looking surprised to anxiety-filled after listening to Wendy.


    ¡°Why the hell did that stupid boy keep something as serious as this from me?¡± Susanne could no longer


    keep her frustration in.


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, is the Nightshire Group managed by Vinson alone? Don¡¯t you share some of the


    responsibilities too?¡± inquired Wendy, trying to probe for information.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Feeling a little embarrassed, Susanne cleared her throat before answering, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be much help


    anyway. Plus, he¡¯s the one who inherited all his father¡¯s assets after the man passed away. Why would I


    bother myself with work when I can enjoy my retirement?¡±


    When her worst fear had been confirmed, Wendy¡¯s face turned pale as a sheet. Susanne has no


    authority in the Nightshire Group at all. Besides being Vinson¡¯s mother, she has no leverage whatsoever


    to force Vinson to marry me. Damn it! That means it¡¯s still up to Vinson to decide if I get to marry into the


    Nightshire family.


    Wendy¡¯s face quickly hardened at the thought of that, but Susanne was too busy trying to call Vinson to


    notice it.


    As soon as the call went through, Susanne could hear the person on the other end hang up on her.


    Ever since Vinson lost his father, he had been treating Susanne that way, and she was already used to it.


    However, Susanne could not ept being treated that way in front of Wendy.


    ¡°Damn it! How dare you hang up on me!¡± Annoyed, Susanne immediately made another call to Vinson,


    and the man finally answered that time.


    ¡°Why did you hang up on me, Vin?¡±


    ¡°I was busy. Anything I can help you with?¡± responded Vinson coldly.


    ¡°You¡¯re busy with Soir Coffee, aren¡¯t you?¡± Susanne then softened the tone of her voice. ¡°Wendy just told


    me about what happened. She said that she knows a well respected physician in Horington who can


    help. Let me go get him and see if he can save the dying patient. This is the food and beverage industry


    we¡¯re talking about here. We can¡¯t let anyone die because of what they consumed at our ce.¡±


    Getting more anxious, Wendy begged Susanne to pass her the phone. ¡°Please, Mrs. Nightshire, let me


    speak to Vin.¡±


    ¡°Fine. You talk to him then.¡±


    The second she put the phone to her ear, Wendy blurted everything out as fast as she could. ¡°Vin, the


    physician I know is not just any regr physician. My mother said that he¡¯s specialized in ancient


    Chanaean medicine and that he¡¯s extraordinarily talented. The physician just so happens to owe my


    family a favor, so if you need him, I can¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need him,¡± interrupted Vinson before Wendy could finish stating her offer.


    With that, Wendy¡¯s face stiffened even more as she clenched her fists. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like me, Vin. But


    you have to admit that things are getting out of hand. Even my entire ss was talking about it. Soir


    Coffee will be in deep trouble if that person dies, and you know it. Can you please just set aside your


    prejudice against me for once and let me help you?¡±

 Chapter 580

    Chapter 580


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 580


    Wendy was so agitated that her eyes turned crimson red, but Vinson remained calm as always as he


    responded over the phone. ¡°This has nothing to do with that. That customer of ours is doing fine now,


    and he¡¯ll be joining us at the press conference soon.¡±


    ¡°But I thought the news stated that he was still in the emergency room.¡± The girl widened her eyes in


    bafflement.


    That¡¯s true, but Arielle managed to treat him. He¡¯s doing better now, so I won¡¯t be needing your help.¡±


    There was pride in Vinson¡¯s voice as he exined the situation to Wendy.


    ¡°Wait. What?¡± The girl could not believe what she heard. Arielle? She¡¯s trained in medicine? How¡¯s that


    possible?


    Before Wendy could ask any more questions, Vinson continued, ¡°If you really want to help me, then


    leave my house as soon as possible. Like I told you, you and I, it¡¯s not going to happen. Please stop


    wasting both our time.¡±


    The call dropped the second Vinson finished his sentence.


    Obviously, the man thought he had said enough and made himself abundantly clear.


    As if her heart had been broken into a million pieces, Wendy then started crying uncontrobly.


    ¡°What¡¯s this? What¡¯s the matter, Wendy?¡± asked Susanne, who was caught off guard by the sudden


    weeping. ¡°Did that stupid boy turn you down? I know you¡¯re just trying to be helpful. He has no idea how


    lucky he is to have you. But don¡¯t you worry. I¡¯ll scold some sense into him. You¡¯ll see.¡±


    Having only raised up boys, Susanne had no idea how tofort the youngdy. All she could do was


    assure Wendy that she would give Vinson a piece of her mind.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that, Mrs. Nightshire.¡± More than anything else, Wendy worried that Susanne


    would despise her the way the woman did at the freshman party.


    That was why she had to prevent Susanne from finding out that not only could Arielle y the piano well,


    but her rival could also practice medicine.


    Before Susanne could reach the phone, Wendy quickly pulled the woman¡¯s hand toward her. ¡°I wasn¡¯t


    crying because I was sad. These are tears of joy. Vin didn¡¯t turn me down; he just told me that the


    physician was unnecessary because they managed to save the customer, who even promised to join the


    press conference to reveal the truth.¡±


    Still in doubt, Susanne narrowed her eyes at the youngdy before confirming with her. ¡°Are you sure?


    Because you looked pretty sad to me when¡­¡±.


    ¡°I was only sad because¡­¡± Wendy paused for a while and stered on a smile. ¡°It was only because I


    couldn¡¯t do much to help Vin. I felt useless since I didn¡¯t contribute much. That¡¯s why I was sad.¡±


    Susanne then breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°You silly girl. What did that boy do to deserve someone like you?


    Trust me when I say that you¡¯re the only person I want as my daughter-inw. Nobody else. Just you.¡±


    With that, a shy but grateful smile slowly appeared on Wendy¡¯s face. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say, Mrs.


    Nightshire.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything. Just go back to your ss and leave everything to me. I¡¯ll talk to Vin as


    soon as the Soir Coffee incident blows over.¡±


    As d as she was to hear that, Wendy was still concerned if Susanne, someone who had no authority


    in the Nightshire Group, couldmand Vinson to marry her against his will.


    Pursing her lips, the youngdy decided to hide her worries for the moment and embraced Susanne.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Nightshire. I¡¯ll do whatever I can to help Vin from here on out.¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Wendy also promised herself that she would do all she could to make Vinson fall in love with her.


    After much anticipation, the press conference was finally about to start.

 Chapter 581

    Chapter 581


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 581


    The press release was held at Grandview Hotel. At the moment, the hotel was already packed with


    people. Most of them were wearing a white bandana with the word ¡®protest¡¯ written over it. The remaining


    people were either there because they saw the news online, or because they wanted to get some


    compensation.


    They couldn¡¯t get in, of course, but they could see the live broadcast through the big screen on the


    hotel¡¯s front door.


    The only people who could get in were reporters, food quality assessors, and so-called independent


    media.


    Worried that the crowd might cause amotion when they saw Vinson, the bodyguard asked the driver


    to stop right at the entrance. Only then did Vinson manage to get in without a hitch.


    However, Vinson didn¡¯t go straight to the conference hall where the press release was held. Instead, the


    man went to the restaurant and ordered some food.


    Rayson was worried sick, and he said, ¡°Sir, it¡¯s chaos out there. Some of the media came uninvited, but I


    can¡¯t stop them, or that¡¯d be bad for our rep. You might have to chase them out yourself.¡±


    Vinson was flipping through the menu calmly. ¡°I don¡¯t see the need for that.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯ll be a Q&A sessionter. Some of their. questions might end up ruining Soir Coffee¡¯s reputation


    even more.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡± Vinson paused for a moment, then he added, ¡°This is the perfect chance to see


    which outlet sold themselves out.¡±


    Rayson was starting to sweat. He thought Vinson was calm. Too calm, actually. Shouldn¡¯t he be worried?


    Why is he having lunch instead?


    His concern did not escape Vinson. ¡°I can¡¯t work on an empty stomach. It¡¯s already one. Give me some


    time to get my lunch.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± Rayson answered and was about to leave Vinson alone, but Vinson stopped him.


    ¡°Hold it.¡±


    Rayson stopped in his tracks and turned around quickly, excited. ¡°Do you want me to chase the uninvited


    guests away?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He handed the menu to Rayson. ¡°Tell them to make two of everything I circled here. Send the extra


    to


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Arielle. You know where she is.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Rayson took the menu over, frustrated. I knew it. This guy never gets worried no matter how bad


    the crisis is. I shouldn¡¯t put myself in a rut over this. Might as well pray to God so Soir Coffee can get


    through this.


    Rayson didn¡¯t know the customer who was sent to the ER had already awakened and coulde over


    soon, so he was worried sick about the situation.


    However, Vinson didn¡¯t n to tell him. He didn¡¯t n to tell anyone about it. Once the customer made


    their appearance, it¡¯d be hell for everyone who tried to attack Vinson.


    At the same time, Wendy hurried back to Jadeborough University after saying goodbye to Susanne,


    since she only had a period off.


    She called Cecilia¡ªwho was in Horington¡ªon her way back. It went through quickly, but Cecilia


    sounded worried, ¡°I saw the news, Wendy. Soir Coffee¡¯s in big trouble. Did Vinson say anything about


    this?¡±


    Wendy hadn¡¯t told her mother about the recent happenings, including the time when Vinson suggested


    that she leave Nightshire Manor.


    She bit her lip and answered, ¡°Just ignore it, Mom. I need you to look into someone for me.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Arielle. She¡¯s my ssmate, and the young miss of Southall Group.¡±

 Chapter 582

    Chapter 582


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 582


    Cecilia knew her daughter was a smart woman who knew what she was doing, so she didn¡¯t ask any


    further questions. All she did was do as her daughter asked and sent someone to look into Arielle.


    Arielle had a simple background. Nothing too outstanding, but her photo caught Cecilia¡¯s eye. When she


    saw the photo, Cecilia was drawn to it, immersing herself in Arielle¡¯s face for a long while.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When she snapped out of it, she realized that she had stared at the photo for ten long minutes. And


    Cecilia was a woman. On top of that, Arielle didn¡¯t have any makeup on, since it was just an ID photo.


    All of a sudden, she knew why Cecilia wanted to know everything about Arielle. This girl is a threat. And


    a big one at that.


    Her husband used to cheat on her with another beautiful woman, but Cecilia won out in the looks


    department, so she managed to win her husband back in the end. After she collected her thoughts,


    Cecilia called her daughter.


    Wendy picked it up quickly. ¡°You¡¯re done?¡± She was curious. ¡°That¡¯s fast.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Sent you the email. Make sure it¡¯s not in the junk file.¡± Cecilia coughed. ¡°Wendy, she¡¯s a simple


    girl, but she¡¯s gorgeous. Ruin her if you can, and keep her away from Vinson no matter what.¡±


    Of course Vinson would fall for her. What man wouldn¡¯t? Heck, I almost fell for her too, but that¡¯s


    beside the point. The point is, this Arielle girl is bad news!


    Cecilia thought Wendy would say something, but when she didn¡¯t get any answer, her heart sank.


    ¡°Wendy, Vinson saw her already, didn¡¯t he? Don¡¯t tell me they¡¯ve already met?¡±


    Wendy still wouldn¡¯t answer, but Cecilia knew that her guess was true. After all, she was Wendy¡¯s


    mother.


    Cecilia gasped, but she calmed down quickly. ¡°Calm down, Wendy. I¡¯ve seen her r¨¦sum¨¦, and it¡¯s nothing


    to write home about. The only highlight is that some pianists praised her during the freshman party. I can


    tell you that a woman like her can never marry Vinson, so don¡¯t ruin your n just because of her. Keep


    calm and don¡¯t let anyone catch your opening, especially not Susanne.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Mom,¡± Wendy finally answered.


    Cecilia heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Justy low and don¡¯t do anything. Once your first monthly test is over, I¡¯ll


    teach that girl a lesson myself. She¡¯ll nevere near Vinson ever again.¡±


    Wendy was surprised. Ever since she was a child, Cecilia had always kept her under a lot of protection


    and never allowed her to do anything that¡¯d ruin their family¡¯s reputation. She never thought her mother


    would get rid of Arielle herself. Does that mean mom thinks Arielle is a threat as well? But I won¡¯t


    comin about her helping me out.


    Wendy bit her lip. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll just stay here and wait for you then.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now go back to the campus. I¡¯ll need to settle some things as well.¡±


    After she ended the call, Wendy opened her email right away. She clicked into the r¨¦sum¨¦ Cecilia sent


    her and looked through Arielle¡¯s background.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time she had seen it, but after finding out that Arielle was also a doctor, she started


    doubting the document she found.


    However, her mother sent her the same thing she scraped up. The only difference was that it was more


    detailed. Is Arielle really just a bumpkin who came back from the countryside? But if that¡¯s true, there¡¯s


    no way someone like her can y the piano and be a doctor.

 Chapter 583

    Chapter 583


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 583


    The more Wendy looked at the file, the more doubtful she became. Wendy thought about it for a while,


    and she called her friend who was working at the hospital.


    Her friend was a Jadeborough University graduate sponsored by the Greenes, but they were smart, and


    they got into the university through their own effort.


    After the call went through, Wendy said, ¡°Hi, Wendy here.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Ms. Greene. It¡¯s rare getting a call from you. Do you feel unwell?¡±


    ¡°I have something to ask. Is the one who treated Soir Coffee¡¯s customer ady about the same age as


    me?¡±


    ¡°A girl?¡± Her friend thought about it and shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t take part in that surgery, but the top


    doctors in Chanaea did. The oldest one is my ssmate. He¡¯s a guy.¡±


    Wendy kept quiet for a moment. ¡°Can you give me his number then?¡±


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll hit him up and give you his number.¡±


    Wendy¡¯s friend worked fast. The moment she got back to Jadeborough, she already got the number.


    Once she added his number to her contacts, the man texted, ¡®Hi, Ms. Greene. Anything I can help with?¡¯


    Wendy gave him a voice call. Once that went through, she said, ¡°Hi, Dr. Ziegler. I¡¯m Vinson¡¯s friend. This


    is


    about the patient from Soir Coffee. If it¡¯s possible, may I know if a girl roughly at the age to be in


    university took part in it?¡±


    Zachary paused for a moment, then he asked reflexively, ¡°Are you talking about Arielle?¡±


    Wendy¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Yep. Was she the one who handled the surgery? Or was she only helping?¡±


    ¡°Her?¡± Zachary scoffed. ¡°She knows barely anything. If it weren¡¯t for the serum she got from god knows


    where, she couldn¡¯t have cured the patient.¡±


    Wendy heaved a sigh of relief. So she wasn¡¯t the one who cured the customer. She just got the serum.


    And here I thought she¡¯s a pro.


    Wendy finally smiled again. ¡°I see. Thank you, Dr. Ziegler,¡± she said kindly. ¡°Call me if you need


    anything.¡±


    Zachary knew who Wendy was thanks to his friend, so he answered happily, ¡°Sure. Call me if you need


    anything as well. I¡¯m not a bad doctor myself.¡±


    ¡°See you around then.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    The call ended there and then, but Wendy felt refreshed. I knew it. A bumpkin like her couldn¡¯t be so


    skillful. She can y the piano just because she has some talent, just like her math skills.


    Wendy put her phone down and went to the lecture hall.


    At the same time, Arielle was at General Hospital, waiting for the patient to finish the IV infusion, while


    Carter was looking through the Soir Coffee victims¡¯ files.


    Suddenly, Carter pped his hands. ¡°I found it!¡±


    Arielle looked at him. ¡°You found the mastermind?¡±


    ¡°You can say so. Never thought it¡¯d be her though. Looks like I have to tell dad to call for a family


    meeting.¡± Carter¡¯s face fell. If looks could freeze, the whole ward would have been frozen.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

 Chapter 584

    Chapter 584


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 584


    Arielle was surprised that Carter was looking so angry. ¡°Who is it?¡± she asked curiously.


    When Carter told her who the mastermind was, Arielle finally understood why he looked so furious. ¡°So


    it¡¯s her..


    She had almost forgotten about that woman, but that woman never forgot about Arielle. She was like a


    viper, waiting for the perfect chance to strike.


    Carter sent his investigation results to Vinson.


    At the same time, Arielle saw Raysoning up to her. He was holding a lot of stuff, and he was


    drenched in sweat, apparently because he ran all the way here.


    Well, he actually did run all the way there. Since he got stuck in traffic halfway through, Rayson had to


    finish the rest of the trip on foot, as Vinson told him the food must not get cold. In the end, Rayson got to


    the hospital faster on foot.


    After hearing everything he went through, Arielle handed him a bottle of water to cool down. ¡°Sorry for all


    the trouble, but I already had lunch.¡±


    She ate all she could at Shandie¡¯s funeral banquet, and she was still stuffed from it.


    ¡°Um, well¡­¡± Rayson looked troubled. ¡°But I need to see for myself that you finish this before I can go


    back. Mr. Nightshire said so. Said it must be tiring treating the patients.¡±


    Carter crossed his arms, smirking. ¡°Just finish it, Boss,¡± he helped Rayson out. ¡°Don¡¯t make things hard


    for him. Vin is never kind to his employees.¡±


    Rayson nodded and put on an exaggerated look. ¡°He¡¯s a scary guy.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Never saw him flying into a rage. But he does seem scary when he gets angry, though I¡¯m


    not scared of him.


    In the end, Arielle nodded. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll take a bite.¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Carter was already starving, so he volunteered, ¡°I¡¯ll help.¡±


    After they came to the hospital¡¯s cafeteria, Raysonid out the food Vinson bought. Arielle almost fainted


    when she saw the food. All of them were healthy foods high in protein. There wasn¡¯t a single thing in


    there she liked. In fact, she hated all of it.


    ¡°Can I not eat these?¡±


    Arielle was about to negotiate with Rayson, but when she saw the look on his face, she stopped. Rayson


    was tearing up, as if he would cry if Arielle refused to eat.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, please. I¡¯ll eat it, alright?¡± Left with no choice, Arielle picked up her bowl and slowly ate the


    food Vinson bought, though it tasted more like medicine to her.


    Rayson finally stopped tearing up and filled her bowl


    with some chicken soup. She¡¯s the boss¡¯ wife in the future. Gotta take care of her.


    At the same time, back in Grandview Hotel, Nightshire Group¡¯s top brass finally made their appearance.


    All the media were excited, and they started asking questions. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s time for the press release.


    Where¡¯s Mr. Nightshire?¡±


    The top brass answered calmly, ¡°Now calm down, everyone. We have some snacks for you. The press


    release has been dyed for an hour or so. You¡¯ll have to wait for a bit longer.¡±


    Because of how powerful Nightshire Group was, most of the reporters had no choice but to sit back


    down.


    But then, an uninvited influencer stood up. ¡°Is Mr. Nightshire hiding from us because he knows the


    situation is bad for him? But even so, he has to answer to the patrons. How long does he n on


    hiding?¡±

 Chapter 585

    Chapter 585


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 585


    Everyone gawked at that influencer. Who the heck is this? Did the guy just insult Vinson in public? Even


    if Soir Coffee is shut down in the end because of its problematic ingredients, it still won¡¯t shake Nightshire


    Group. Vinson¡¯s gonna get back at his enemies by then. This guy¡¯s dead!


    Everyone turned their heads to the top brass on the stage.


    The management was surprised, but they collected themselves quickly. ¡°The CEO isn¡¯t hiding from this


    matter. He¡¯s just collecting some evidence. Once he¡¯s done, we¡¯ll tell everyone about the truth. No


    secrets.¡±


    Before anyone could ask him anything, the top brass put the mic down and left the hall.


    Right after he left, the influencer became more brazen. ¡°Evidence my foot. A group of patrons can¡¯t be


    wrong. What? Does he think someone¡¯s out there to set him up? I bet he¡¯ll only show up once someone¡¯s


    dead.¡±


    Everyone else started whispering among themselves.


    ¡°Do you think Mr. Nightshire is hiding because he¡¯s guilty?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Caf¨¦s can¡¯t be set up that easily. They have to go through a lot of quality inspection


    trials. One of the most important ones is food safety. Maybe Mr. Nightshire does have evidence on his


    hand.¡±


    ¡°Or maybe they¡¯re trying toe up with some PR stunt. Someone will probably be the scapegoat. I


    mean, not the first time apany has shifted the me onto an intern.¡±


    ¡°If even the industry leader does this, it¡¯s gonna ruin the consumers¡¯ goodwill.¡±


    ¡°Quiet, will you? It¡¯s just an hour. We¡¯ll know the truth then.¡±


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    The influencer scoffed at the media. It¡¯s useless. It¡¯ll still be the same thing tomorrow. I just know that guy


    is hiding from us. He won¡¯t show up even after a week.


    Part of these uninvited guests came because the victims paid them to, while some came willingly, like


    this influencer over here. He came to get some traffic and to protect the consumers¡¯ rights.


    He styled himself as the protector of justice, so he didn¡¯t take a single cent from the consumers.


    Since there was still time, he opened up his ount and realized he got a hundred thousand new


    followers over thest few minutes.


    The big screen on Grandview Hotel¡¯s front door was live-streaming the press release, so everyone saw


    the little ruckus that happened earlier.


    One of the protesters shouted, ¡°He¡¯s running away! Vinson¡¯s running away! He won¡¯t even show up! That


    proves that the caf¨¦¡¯s food is dangerous!¡±


    ¡°We demand an apology!¡±


    ¡°What is he waiting for? He¡¯ll have to apologize sooner orter. Why¡¯d he called this press release? To


    shift the me?¡±


    ¡°What a shameless guy he is!¡±


    The crowd was getting more agitated every passing moment. Some even wanted to barge in there and


    pummel Vinson.


    This matter went from trending to viral on the Inte. More and more people were protesting online,


    asking Vinson toe out and apologize.

 Chapter 586

    Chapter 586


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 586


    The manager went straight to the restaurant after he left the hall, and he told Vinson what happened


    earlier.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Vinson took a sip from his soup before answering, ¡°Let them do what they want. Just don¡¯t let the


    protesterse in and ruin the release.¡±


    The manager was a calm, rational guy, but even he got curious. ¡°Sir, we¡¯re really letting them do what


    they want? The Inte¡¯s swarming us. If we don¡¯t do some damage control, it might¡­¡±


    The manager didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but it was clear what he wanted to say. If they didn¡¯t do any


    damage control, not even thepany could censor the masses anymore, since they coulde up


    with a lot of ways to bypass the censorship.


    Nightshire Group was the secondrgest shareholder of Chanaea¡¯s biggest online tform, holding


    twenty percent of its shares. Even though the Inte was swarming them, it wouldn¡¯t be hard for


    Nightshire Group to quash the scandal.


    However, Vinson still wouldn¡¯t do any damage control, and he waved the manager down. ¡°Ignore them.¡±


    ¡°Yes Sir.¡± The manager left the restaurant so Vinson could have his lunch in peace.


    The moment he came out, the manager ran into Rayson. Rayson whispered, ¡°Did you tell the president?


    Did he say anything? Does he want us to censor them?¡±


    The manager smiled bitterly and shook his head. ¡°No. He said they can do whatever they want.¡±


    Rayson was still nervous a moment ago, but he calmed down after hearing that. ¡°He still won¡¯t do


    anything despite the severity of this crisis. I knew it. He has a n. The louder they shout, the more


    embarrassed they¡¯ll be. Just ignore them.¡±


    The manager thought the same thing as well, and he cheered up. ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on them for now.


    Some of them came uninvited, and I don¡¯t want them to ruin the release.¡±


    The manager asked curiously, ¡°What is it? Is it important?¡±


    Rayson nodded seriously. ¡°Yes. More important than this whole crisis.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± That got the manager more curious.


    However, Rayson shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s a secret. You¡¯ll know eventually. There¡¯ll be an official


    announcement.¡±


    ¡°Official announcement?¡± The manager frowned. You¡¯re making it sound like some celebrities are gonna


    announce that they¡¯re dating.


    He wanted to ask more, but Rayson had already gone


    into the restaurant, so he stopped and went back to the conference hall.


    After Rayson closed the door, he called, ¡°Sir.¡±


    Vinson had just finished his soup. He was enjoying his lunch, just like how a medieval aristocrat would.


    After he wiped his mouth, Vinson turned around. ¡°You¡¯re back. Did she finish her food?¡±


    ¡°She did.¡± Rayson scrolled through his photos and handed it to Vinson. ¡°But she can¡¯t finish all of them


    though.¡±


    Vinson took a look and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good enough for me. Is she done? How much time does she


    need?¡±


    Rayson answered, ¡°The patient¡¯s almost done with the IV infusion when I was there. Ms. Moore said he¡¯ll


    be here in half an hour. And¡­ she said she won¡¯te, since she has something else to do.¡±

 Chapter 587

    Chapter 587


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 587


    ¡°I see.¡± Vinson nodded, but he didn¡¯t borate. He knew Arielle must be exhausted from treating the


    patient, so she needed time to rest. It¡¯s fine if she isn¡¯t here.


    ¡°Oh right!¡± Rayson remembered something and handed a stack of documents to Vinson. ¡°Mr. Morgan


    asked me to give this to you. He said he¡¯ll apologize to you personally after this whole crisis is over.¡±


    Vinson was surprised. What did he do? Why¡¯d he wanted to apologize to me personally? Vinson took the


    file from Rayson and skimmed through it.


    A short whileter, he realized why Carter said he wanted to apologize, as Carter¡¯s family also yed a


    part in the Soir Coffee incident.


    Vinson closed the file and stood up. ¡°Tell them the press release will begin in half an hour. And get the


    Specialized Forces here.¡±


    Rayson wondered why. Specialized Forces was a special team in Jadeborough. Their job was to crack


    down on all the aristocrats¡¯ dirty business. They only answer to the leader of the Ministry of Justice, so


    nobody could threaten them.


    Once they had their eyes on someone, no secrets would be too deep for them. Thanks to that, all the


    aristocrats in the nation feared the Specialized Forces.


    Vinson was the captain of the Specialized Forces, but aside from his team members, nobody knew about


    that.


    He didn¡¯t want anyone to find out about it either, so he asked Rayson to get his team over.


    ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± Rayson answered, and he went out. Hm, is an aristocratic family behind this? Are they trying


    tond Soir Coffee in trouble? Wow, they¡¯re seriously trying to get themselves killed.


    Arielle was still in the General Hospital. After she confirmed that the patient couldst all the way to


    Grandview Hotel, she told the other doctors about the list of things to look out for before going back to


    the Southall residence.


    It had been three hours since Henrick and Cindy left her at the hospital, but still, Henrick didn¡¯t call her. It


    was obvious that he had forgotten all about Arielle.


    Arielle smiled coldly and was about to hail a taxi, but Carter offered, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a ride, Boss.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Arielle shook her head. ¡°I need you to keep an eye on the patient. I¡¯ll go back myself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave the chauffeur with you then.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have to go somewhere else first, so getting a ride myself is easier.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Carter stopped insisting after that and went back into the hospital.


    There were a lot of taxis in front of the hospital, so it didn¡¯t take long before Arielle managed to get one.


    Right before she got into the car, Zachary stopped her, ¡°Hey!¡±


    Arielle turned around, upset, while Zachary strutted up to her. ¡°Where¡¯d you get the serum?¡± he


    interrogated.


    ¡°I did not take it,¡± Arielle corrected. ¡°I made it myself.¡±


    ¡°As if. A girl like you can¡¯t have done that so quickly. Tell me where you got the serum and I¡¯ll rmend


    you to Queenie. Know who she is? Comes from a family of traditional Chanaean doctors, and the


    youngest, most talented doctor in Chanaea who studies both traditional Chanaean medicine and modern


    medicine.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Arielle looked at him like he was an idiot. ¡°No thank you. I don¡¯t want to see her.¡± She went into the car


    and closed the door, silencing Zacharypletely.


    ¡°To Morgan¡¯s psychiatric hospital please, driver.¡±


    ¡°You got it.¡± The driver stepped on the elerator, spewing fumes at Zachary¡¯s face.


    ¡°Why you¡­¡± Zachary stomped his foot. ¡°You damned girl!¡± he cursed. And then someone called him.

 Chapter 588

    Chapter 588


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 588


    The call was from Queenie, and Zachary switched his attitude to simp mode. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here, Queenie?


    Nothing happened on the way, I hope?¡±


    Queenie ignored his question and went out. ¡°How¡¯s the patient doing? I told the pilot tond the chopper


    at the nearest clearing. If nothing goes wrong, I should be there in ten.¡±


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Zachary coughed awkwardly. ¡°You don¡¯t have toe now, Queenie.¡±


    Queenie¡¯s face fell. ¡°What are you talking about? Are you joking?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± Zachary exined quickly, ¡°It¡¯s just that the patient¡¯s cured.¡±


    ¡°Cured? I thought you said he was in serious condition.¡± He made it sound like the patient¡¯s dying, but


    now he¡¯s cured right after I got off the chopper? And that¡¯s too fast! Even the normal flu would take nearly


    a week to heal.


    ¡°Arielle did it.¡± Zachary briefed her about how Arielle neutralized the snake venom in the patient¡¯s body.


    Queenie was quiet for a moment. ¡°You mean she neutralized the Furious Devil?¡±


    Zachary was surprised she knew that. ¡°You know the venom¡¯s name? So she didn¡¯t make it up herself?¡±


    Queenie snorted. ¡°Of course not. It¡¯s a powerful venom.


    This venom can cause difort that ranges from a week to a month, and that¡¯s only a thousandth of its


    original concentration. If it¡¯s not diluted, anyone who gets injected with it will die within a day.¡±


    Zachary wiped the sweat off his forehead. ¡°No wonder the patient was in critical condition.¡±


    Queenie was still confused about the situation. ¡°Who neutralized the venom?¡±


    ¡°A girl named Arielle,¡± Zachary answered. ¡°She doesn¡¯t look like a doctor to me. More like a celebrity. I


    bet she got the serum from someone else.¡±


    ¡°Impossible,¡± Queenie denied. ¡°As far as I know, not even the breeders have found the serum. She can¡¯t


    have gotten it from someone else.¡±


    ¡°You mean she neutralized it herself?¡± Zachary scoffed, ¡°Impossible. You¡¯ll know why when you see her.


    She¡¯s too gorgeous to be a doctor. I bet she¡¯s dealing in some shady business.¡±


    He saw Arielle¡¯s face right before she got into the taxi, and even though he liked Queenie, he had to say


    Arielle was gorgeous. To be precise, she was seductive, not at all what a doctor should look like. A vixen


    like her couldn¡¯t have neutralized the venom all by herself.


    If she did do it all by herself, she¡¯d be the greatest doctor alive. But I¡¯ve never heard of her before, so that


    can¡¯t be true.


    Zachary kept going on with his analysis, while Queenie only listened. A long whileter, she asked, ¡°You


    said the patient will attend the press release?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zachary nodded. ¡°That girl is either mad or trying to please Vinson. The patient has just gotten out


    of the woods, and she asked him to attend the press release right away. She¡¯s mad!¡±


    Queenie wasn¡¯t interested in what Zachary had to say, so she ended the call and hailed a taxi. ¡°To


    Grandview Hotel, please.¡±

 Chapter 589

    Chapter 589


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 589


    The driver had just finished listening to Soir Coffee¡¯s news, so he turned around to ask, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re there


    to ask forpensation as well, miss?¡±


    ¡°Whatpensation?¡± Queenie frowned. She didn¡¯t like the driver butting into her business.


    But since she was wearing a cap, the driver didn¡¯t notice her annoyance, so he continued, ¡°It¡¯s all over


    the Inte. The caf¨¦¡¯s customers who are at the scene will getpensated. I just sent one of their


    customers to the hotel earlier.¡±


    Queenie¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°I¡¯m not their customer,¡± she answered coldly.


    The driver realized that Queenie was getting irritated, so he turned around and told her to sit tight as he


    stepped on the elerator.


    They stopped before a red light a short whileter. Coincidentally, a branch of Soir Coffee was right


    across the traffic light, and the LED screen on the front door was ying its ambassador¡¯s clip.


    ¡°There, you see,¡± the driver started again. ¡°That girl there is Arielle. She¡¯s the ambassador, but guess it¡¯s


    not her lucky day. Everywhere she goes, she¡¯s bound to get spit on. Poordy.¡±


    Queenie wasn¡¯t going to talk, but when the driver brought Arielle up, she reflexively looked at the screen.


    Thedy in the video was wearing a resplendent dress,


    standing within a beautiful castle. Her skin was snow white, her beauty transcending reality. Not even the


    most beautiful celebrity could hold a candle against her.


    ¡°Arielle¡­¡± Queenie mumbled. So this ambassador saved the patient? She recalled Zachary¡¯s


    description, so she was sure the girl on the screen was the same one Zachary talked about.


    At first, she didn¡¯t believe it when Zachary said Arielle got the serum from someone. After all, Zachary


    might be a smart, capable man, but he¡¯d throw that out of the window whenever prejudice got in the way.


    But when she saw Arielle for the first time, Queenie had to agree with him. After all, who¡¯d be a doctor if


    they had that kind of beauty? Besides, if Arielle was really a great doctor, Queenie would have heard of


    her name by now, given how gorgeous Arielle was.


    Queenie squinted at the screen, etching Arielle¡¯s face into her memory. She started agreeing with


    Zachary about the fact that Arielle did all this so she could get Vinson¡¯s attention.


    Well, not on my watch. I¡¯ll have to keep an eye on the patient, or else this woman is going to get him


    killed. She urged the driver, ¡°Can you go any faster, driver?¡±


    Finally, after her incessant urging, the taxi came to Grandview Hotel, but the driver had to stop a few


    dozen meters away. The front door was packed, and more and more people were gathering before it.


    Not a single car could get close, for every road around the hotel was blocked.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Queenie paid the fare and got out of the car. The first thing she saw was the police trying to keep the


    crowd under control, but even with their help, it was hard to keep everything in order.


    At the same time, half an hour had passed.


    Queenie went around and went in through the side door. She showed her doctor¡¯s license to the


    bodyguard standing sentry, saying, ¡°Mr. Nightshire invited me here to treat the patient.¡±


    The bodyguard recognized her, but he had to confirm, ¡°You¡¯re Dr. Mill, right?¡±¡¯


    Queenie nodded. She wasn¡¯t surprised the bodyguard recognized her, since she was a famous doctor in


    Chanaea.


    Queenie raised her chin proudly. ¡°Yes. Now can I get in?¡±

 Chapter 590

    Chapter 590


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 590


    But to her surprise, the bodyguard shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dr. Mill. I¡¯ll have to ask Mr. Nightshire


    about it.¡±


    Queenie pursed her lips, annoyed that she couldn¡¯t get in despite getting recognized. But she couldn¡¯t


    make life hard for the bodyguard, so she said, ¡°Of course.¡±


    At the same time, Vinson was already prepared for the press release. When the bodyguard came to tell


    him about Queenie¡¯s arrival, he hesitated for a moment, but finally, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone unrted


    to this in.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Carter came back just in time to see this scene. ¡°Since Boss isn¡¯t around, I think we


    should have a medic on standby. We spent a fortune to hire her. The girl¡¯s a skilled doctor andes


    from a famous traditional Chanaean doctor family. We should have her around just in case.¡±


    Vinson nodded. ¡°Let her in then.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The bodyguard nodded and went away in a hurry.


    When Queenie saw the bodyguard again, she started getting nervous. Does he still remember me? Will


    he let me in?


    The bodyguard smiled at her and invited her in. ¡°Come in, Dr. Mill. I¡¯ll take you to Mr. Nightshire.¡±


    Queenie heaved a sigh of relief, but for some reason, she got even more nervous. Not even her first


    surgery made her that nervous.


    She patted her chest to calm herself down and followed the bodyguard in.


    Grandview was a big hotel, so it took Queenie a few twists and turns before she came to Vinson¡¯s


    waiting room.


    ¡°You may go in, Dr. Mill. Mr. Nightshire is inside.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She nodded and opened the door. The first thing she saw after she went inside was Vinson


    holding a document and having a discussion with Carter.


    Vinson turned around when he heard someone opening the door.


    Queenie gazed into his eyes. His eyes gleamed brightly, not unlike a starry sky. Not a night had gone by


    where she didn¡¯t dream of his eyes. How long has it been?


    ¡°Vinson¡­¡± Queenie called out to him.


    ¡°Ahem!¡± Rayson coughed, reminding her, ¡°Miss, please address our CEO as ¡®Mr. Nightshire.¡¯ Thanks for


    your cooperation.¡±


    He would not allow Vinson to get embroiled in any scandal. If something went wrong, it would be


    his trouble. He had seen too many women staring at Vinson like they want to getid, so he would stop


    anything before it could even bud.


    Queenie thought it was awkward now that the mood


    was ruined, so she changed how she addressed Vinson. ¡°Mr. Nightshire.¡±


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Vinson nodded calmly. Queenie knew he was saying hello, but that only made the situation even more


    awkward for her. And she also felt crestfallen.


    I bet he doesn¡¯t remember me anymore. I mean, we were only in the same ss for the general


    subjects. I didn¡¯t even say hi. Of course, he doesn¡¯t remember me. But I¡¯ll make sure he never forgets


    about me after this.


    Carter thought he should help out, since he couldn¡¯t allow his staff to just stand there awkwardly.


    ¡°Queenie, the patient¡¯s inside. You should take a look at him.¡±


    Queenie was a smart girl. She knew Carter was just giving her a way out of the situation, so she went to


    see the patient without saying another word.


    After Queenie was gone, Carter said, ¡°Don¡¯t give a talenteddy that kind of look. You scared her.¡±


    Vinson was not interested in small talk. ¡°Where were you? Get on with it.¡±


    Carter went back to business. ¡°This venomes from Manchernius,¡± he started seriously.

 Chapter 591

    Chapter 591


    ¡°Manchernius? Vinson frowned.


    Everyone knew Manchernius was the biggest drug supplier in the world. Because of that, a lot of


    countries banned any imports from Manchernius, including Chanaea.


    Anyone who wanted to import anything from Manchernius had to do it illegally, especially when it came


    to drugs. Vinson knew how they smuggled the items in. He told the Specialized Forces to look into it for


    a long time now, but still, he got nothing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Carter said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve sent someone to look into the family. Sure, cracking down on their system is hard, but getting one


    of their customers? That¡¯s easy. All we have to do is sprinkle some violence in it, and vo, you¡¯ll get


    the answer you wanted.¡±


    At the same time, Carter¡¯s phone rang. When he saw who the caller was, he eased up a bit.


    ¡°Looks like the chef is done cooking.¡±. Vinson nodded.


    ¡°Take him to the hall. I¡¯ll exin the truth to the public.¡± Carter nodded.


    ¡°You do your thing. Everything¡¯s ready now. I owe you one this time, and I¡¯ll be sure to pay it back.¡±


    Vinson pped Carter¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on yourself. Your family did this, not you. I¡¯ll be going now.¡± Vinson and Rayson left


    the room, and his team went straight for the conference hall. It had been a few minutes since she was


    in the waiting room¡¯s cubicle, but she still couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing.


    ¡°Are you really alright?¡± she asked again. Nobody could heal that fast even after having a pacemaker


    installed, let alone getting afflicted by the Furious Devil. But the truth couldn¡¯t lie.


    The patient was hooked up to the machines, and his stats all looked normal.


    The patient said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Really.¡±


    Queenie had to swallow the truth now, even though she didn¡¯t want to. She could see that the doctor


    who cured the patient was much more skillful than she was.


    ¡°Who treated you?¡± Queenie quickly asked.


    The patient started, ¡°It¡¯s a¡ª¡±


    ¡°A doctor twenty years older than he is,¡± the doctor cut the patient off. Before Arielle left, she told him to


    never tell anyone that she cured the patient.


    The doctor didn¡¯t know why she wanted to keep it a secret from everyone, so he just chalked it up to


    her personality. Guess that¡¯s how miracle doctors work. They don¡¯t want to get tied down by trouble.


    The patient gaped at the doctor, but the doctor shook his head, so the patient said nothing. Queenie


    didn¡¯t notice the silent interaction, so she nodded.


    At the same time, she heaved a sigh of relief. I knew it. It¡¯s not the woman in the ad. If it¡¯s really her, I¡¯d


    stand no chance in this fight for Vinson.


    Queenie asked, ¡°Do you know who the doctor is then?¡± The doctor in the room shook his head.


    ¡°No idea. All I know is that Mr. Nightshire¡¯s the one who hired him.¡± ¡°If you see the doctor again, please


    give me a call.¡± Queenie handed her card over. She wanted to be a miracle doctor too, so she would try


    to befriend any skilled doctor she met along the way.


    The doctor in the room took her card and said he¡¯d do it, though it was obvious he wouldn¡¯t. Back at the


    conference hall, Nightshire Group¡¯s top brass finally came in after much anticipation from the crowd.


    Everyone sat up straight.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°They¡¯re here,¡± they reminded their friends.

 Chapter 592

    Chapter 592


    The higher-ups filed into the room and made way for someone.


    A tall, handsome man with bristly brows dressed in a ck suit walked into the room with an air of


    arrogance.


    The paparazzi seized this opportunity to photograph Vinson since he rarely shows his face in public.


    His beauty was unrivaled with any male artist in the entertainment industry.


    ¡°What a waste that he¡¯s not in the entertainment industry!¡± One fellow reporter eximed.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± An onlookerughed. ¡°Have you forgotten that his family owns the entire


    entertainment industry? He¡¯s the person in charge of Nightshire Entertainment, so why would he even


    bother to get into the entertainment industry?¡±


    The reporter chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re right. I must be out of my mind.¡±


    Meanwhile, the influencer who had doubted Vinson in public overheard their conversation.


    He called himself Jack¡¯s Quest for Truth online and was known as Jack among his followers.


    Jack frowned. ¡°What are you on about? Lives are at stake here. Shouldn¡¯t you be exposing the truth


    and bringing justice to the public instead of discussing his


    looks?¡±


    Currently, Jack¡¯s followers had increased by twenty thousand because of how he went against Vinson


    some time ago.


    It wouldn¡¯t be long before he reaches one million followers. Hence, he viewed himself as a


    spokesperson for society and would scoff at reporters who didn¡¯t take their jobs seriously.


    Upon that, the two reporters cleared their throats awkwardly and kept their mouths shut.


    Meanwhile, Vinson was already seated on the stage with a microphone ced before him.


    The higher-ups then proceeded to sit down.


    The press conference finally started, and it was also broadcast live on the inte.


    There were a few million viewers watching the moment it went live, and viewers were stilling in.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    It just proved how seriousizens were about this issue.


    It was clear that the future of Soir Coffee depended heavily on this press conference.


    One of the higher-ups who spoke in Vinson¡¯s ce tested the mic before speaking up. ¡°Ladies and


    gentlemen, I¡¯m the person in charge of Soir Coffee from


    Nightshire Group, Mr. Green. We are saddened to hear that a few of our customers have experienced


    different levels of difort after consuming our food. Rest assured that all of our outlets source their


    food from a valid and credible supplier. We have set up a small team to investigate the matter the


    moment we received news of food poisoning. Up till now, we have yet to find out the cause for our


    beloved customers.¡±


    Someone immediately raised his hand the moment he paused in his speech.


    It was none other than Jack.


    Johnny was nning to ignore when Vinson spoke up. ¡°Let him speak.¡±


    ¡°What question do you have for me?¡± Johnny had no choice but to speak into the microphone.


    Jack stood up and introduced himself. ¡°Mr. Green, Mr. Nightshire, I¡¯m the influencer, Jack¡¯s Quest for


    Truth. I¡¯m not sure what point you¡¯re trying to make just now, but the only thing I got out from your


    speech was that you guys had nothing to do with the food poisoning, even though lives are at stake


    here. Is that what you¡¯re implying, Mr. Green?¡±


    As soon as Johnny heard that, his face darkened.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I¡¯m just saying, we won¡¯t be shirking our responsibilities nor admit that we¡¯re


    at fault here without having solid proof. I hope everyone here can wait patiently for us while we look for


    answers


    elsewhere before you judge.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Jack snorted.

 Chapter 593

    Chapter 593


    Johnny¡¯s face fell as Jackughed.


    Rage pulsed through his veins, yet he suppressed his anger and asked, ¡°What are youughing at?¡±


    Jack¡¯s smile faded right away. ¡°You said you¡¯re not shirking your responsibilities. But why does it sound


    like that¡¯s exactly what you¡¯re trying to do here?¡±


    Everyone turned to stare at Jack in awe.


    Just then, the reporters who came uninvited chimed in.


    ¡°You are shirking your responsibilities!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a hugepany, but you don¡¯t even dare to admit your mistakes?¡±


    ¡°What a joke. Why do we have to wait for your results when you¡¯re the one who served food that


    causes food poisoning, the one who investigated the issue, and the one to announce your findings? Of


    course you would have the final say since you¡¯re the one who instigated everything!¡±


    Seeing that the crowd was agreeing with him, Jack was ted. He picked up the microphone and


    continued, ¡°Mr. Green, are you still trying to shirk your responsibilities? From what I¡¯ve heard, the


    patient that has been admitted might very possibly have passed away. However, you merely mentioned


    ¡®difort¡¯ instead of the truth. Do you really think we will buy whatever you say in this press


    conference?¡±


    At that, Johnny couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. ¡°Who told you that he has passed away?¡±


    However, Johnny¡¯s agitation just confirmed Jack¡¯s suspicions.


    That customer must have passed away. Nightshire Group is doing everything they can to cover up the


    news, that¡¯s why no one has heard of it yet.


    Thus, Jack retorted coldly, ¡°Why are your people guarding the hospital¡¯s entrance if the patient is still


    alive? Why won¡¯t you let the media in? Why won¡¯t you give us an update on the customer or talk about


    it?¡±


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    However, Johnny didn¡¯t know that the patient had regained consciousness, so he said through gritted


    teeth, ¡°Because he is still receiving treatment!¡±


    CCT


    ¡°What treatment? I think he¡¯s already on the verge of death. Soir Coffee must close down immediately


    and let the professionals take over!¡± Jack bellowed.


    His voice echoed throughout the conference room.


    Moreover, there are millions of viewers taking Jack¡¯s side.


    In just a split second, Jack¡¯s Quest for Truth¡¯s followers surged to one million at that moment, and the


    numbers kept growing


    Right away, a barrage ofments started rushing in on the livestream tform,


    ¡°You¡¯re the coolest, Jack! It¡¯s so brave of you to do so!¡±


    ¡°You have my full support, Jack. This is how the media should act so that we can hear the truth!¡±


    ¡°Less talk, more action. Let¡¯s all like and subscribe to Jack to help him with his career. It will be very


    hard for him tond a gig from here on out after offending Nightshire Group. Let¡¯s do everything we can


    to help him out!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I will follow him right away!¡±


    And that was how Jack¡¯s Quest for Truth¡¯s followers surged to one million.


    Back on-site¡­


    Jack was checking in on how fast his followers were growing as he spoke.


    He almost burst intoughter when he reached one million followers.


    It didn¡¯t matter if he ticked Nightshire Group off because poprity was all he needed as an influencer.


    On the other hand, Johnny was so livid that he badly wanted to curse at Jack. However, he tamped


    down his fury since the event was being broadcasted live and was prepared to talk civilly to Jack.


    At that precise moment, Vinson, who hadn¡¯t spoken a word, spoke up. ¡°Excuse me, as someone who¡¯s


    working in the media industry, you should know the consequences of spreading fake news, right?¡±


    Jack lifted his head and met Vinson¡¯s gaze.


    His cold, piercing eyes intimidated those around him and sent shivers down their spine.


    Jack¡¯s heart skipped a beat, his forehead beaded with cold sweat.


    Vinson¡¯s gaze intimidated him.


    What an oppressive aura.

 Chapter 594

    Chapter 594


    Taunting Johnny was like a breeze for Jack. However, he realized that even his hand that was holding


    onto the microphone was shaking as he met Vinson¡¯s gaze.


    Hence, Jack had no choice but to force himself to look away.


    He finally regained hisposure after averting his gaze.


    Then, Jack gulped and forced himself to calm down.


    After taking a deep breath, he spoke up without looking Vinson in the eye. ¡°This isn¡¯t fake news. But Mr.


    Nightshire, are you threatening me in front of the public? If anything were to happen to me after I leave,


    you will be the prime suspect.¡±


    Johnny jumped to his feet. ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Johnny!¡± Vinson gave Johnny a look, and thetter sat back down.


    Unfazed by Jack¡¯s admonishment, Vinson replied tly, ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood me. I¡¯m not that free to


    take care of such meticulous matters. I¡¯m just wondering if you know how much money you¡¯re going to


    be fined for spreading rumors about people¡¯s death and making false statements about us creating


    videos to harm others.¡±


    Jack gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know about that, so you should direct that question to a


    lawyer! From what I¡¯ve heard, the patient was already in critical condition when he was admitted. It¡¯s all


    your fault that


    he¡¯s on the verge of death. I thought you wanted to apologize andpensate your fellow consumers


    through this press conference, but it looks like I¡¯m wrong. Mr. Nightshire, we are utterly disappointed


    with you and yourpany.¡±


    The rest of the reporters, whom Jack paid to attend the press conference, chimed in.


    ¡°We will help you sue Nightshire Group if anything were to happen to you, Jack.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire, you must apologize to all the victims andpensate for their loss!¡±


    ¡°Jack, you have my full support! We will deal with the consequences together. But first, Mr. Nightshire,


    Nightshire Group must take full responsibility for everything that has happened.¡±


    Vinson wasn¡¯t at all affected by their remarks as he remained calm and collected.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Just then, Carter entered from the side door and nodded at him.


    Vinson nodded and turned to face the media. ¡°Looks like everyone here is on Jack¡¯s side. Well then,


    please don¡¯t shy away from the legal consequences when the timees. Everything you said here


    has been recorded. Is there anyone else on his side? Please raise your hand so that I don¡¯t miss out on


    any of you.¡±


    The moment Vinson stated that, some of the media


    personnel lowered their heads upon his words, while others averted their gaze as if they have


    absolutely nothing to do with Jack.


    ¡°Great. It¡¯s just those few then.¡± After that, Vinson turned to face Rayson and asked, ¡°Have you noted


    them down?¡±


    Rayson nodded vigorously.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Nightshire.¡±


    Jack felt rather uneasy all of a sudden.


    Are things about to take a turn? That¡¯s not possible, right?


    How could all the others who felt different levels of difort online be an ident even if this one is?


    That¡¯s definitely impossible!


    Upon that thought, Jack spoke through gritted teeth. ¡°Mr. Nightshire, why don¡¯t you show us your


    sincerity so that we can forgive you instead of threatening us?¡±


    The viewers who were watching the live broadcast and the crowd standing outside watching the press


    conference from Jadeborough Hotel¡¯s big screen turned livid.


    ¡°How dare Vinson threaten the reporters at a time like this? Is he crazy?¡±


    ¡°Nightshire Group will be done for sooner orter with someone like him around.¡±

 Chapter 595

    Chapter 595


    ¡°Boycott Soir Coffee! Boycott Nightshire Group¡¯s products!¡±


    ¡°Guys, let¡¯s protect them once they step out of the conference room. Let¡¯s see how Nightshire Group


    will go up against them.¡±


    ¡°We need justice. My fellow police officers, are you watching? Vinson is threatening us!¡±


    The police officers were stumped as they tried to maintain order


    Meanwhile, inside the conference room.


    Vinson waited patiently for the media personnel to vent out their rage. ¡°Since you guys insist on your


    own views and want to continue spreading rumors, there¡¯s no point in discussing this anymore. Bring


    him up!¡±


    Carter made an ¡®OK¡¯ gesture, turned around and left.


    Murmurs erupted from the crowd.


    ¡°Who is Mr. Nightshire bringing?¡±


    ¡°Could it be that Nightshire Group has gotten their hands on some proof? Is this all just a set-up?¡±.


    Jack scoffed. ¡°Oh please, this whole thing is a set- up? Why don¡¯t you tell me this entire world is a set-


    up? I bet you he must have found someone to take the me.¡±


    Just then, two bodyguards opened the side door, and a man was wheeled into the room, followed by a


    medical personnel and a few bodyguards.


    Even though the person seated in the wheelchair had tubes all over his body, he looked to be in


    excellent condition aside from being a little nervous.


    The media could tell who the person sitting in the wheelchair was the moment theyid eyes on him.


    After all, they had been following this incident very closely.


    ¡°I-Isn¡¯t this Caleb, the man who was admitted?¡±


    ¡°I thought he¡¯s dead. How is he here? Gosh, so this is Mr. Nightshire¡¯s trump card. No wonder he


    used those media personnel of spreading rumors. Good thing I held back and didn¡¯t say a thing just


    now.¡¯


    Jack¡¯s face turned grim upon hearing that.


    He could tell that the patient sitting in the wheelchair was the person whom he said was already dead.


    But how is this possible?


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    His frail state was captured on video by the media when he was first admitted to the hospital. He


    looked like he wouldn¡¯t be able tost long, so what happened?


    How did he even muster up the energy to attend this press conference?


    Why is he not dead yet?


    However, Jack quickly regained hisposure.


    After all, he simply made his deduction ording to media news. The patient is alive, thanks to the


    doctors.


    This is totally out of my control, so Vinson couldn¡¯t possibly sue me because of this, right?


    Moreover, it should be up to Caleb to sue him, not


    Vinson.


    Besides, I¡¯m just trying to help. He wouldn¡¯t sue me.


    Jack calmed down upon that thought.


    After a while, Caleb was pushed onto the stage with the help of the medical personnel and the


    bodyguards.


    Vinson picked up the microphone and stood up. ¡°I assume everyone here already knows who he is,


    right? He is the customer you all thought were dead.¡±


    Caleb looked a little riled up upon those words.


    I already went through so much. Do these reporters want me dead for real?


    After a short pause, Vinson spoke up, ¡°Excuse me, sir, the stage is yours.¡±


    Caleb took the microphone from Vinson and snarled. ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m not dead. I am still alive and


    well!¡±


    Jack replied awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, sir. I¡¯m very happy to see you alive and well. I thought you were


    dead because of how the media news portrayed your condition, but trust me, I only have good


    intentions. In fact, we are protesting against Soir Coffee because of you. Can you tell us more about


    your condition? Did you be critically ill after consuming coffee from Soir Coffee?¡±

 Chapter 596

    Chapter 596


    Worried that the man wouldn¡¯t dare to speak the truth because of Vinson, Jack added, ¡°Don¡¯t be


    scared. We are going live right now. Tell us everything. Everyone here, including the viewers, will


    protect you, so just tell us the truth.¡±


    On the other hand, the reporters who were not on Jack¡¯s side shook their heads in dismay.


    It wasn¡¯t us!


    Caleb gave Jack a look and asked, confused. ¡°Why should I be scared?¡±


    He felt a little nervous as he stood before the media, but he wasn¡¯t scared at all.


    Not knowing what was going through Caleb¡¯s mind, Jack exined, ¡°I mean everyone here will protect


    you. Nightshire Group can¡¯t hurt you as long as you tell us the truth. Moreover, we will do everything in


    our power to help you recover your rights and yourpensation package.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re overthinking things.¡± Caleb was rendered speechless. ¡°Nightshire Group didn¡¯t threaten me nor


    try to intimidate me. In fact, they found the best doctor for me, provided me with thetest pacemaker,


    and took very good care of me. I, on the other hand, did them wrong.¡±


    Hearing that, Jack and his fellow supporters were utterly confused


    Therefore, Jack spoke up. ¡°My dear child, are you sure you¡¯re not being threatened to say all these?¡±


    Caleb didn¡¯t like being called a child, so he frowned. ¡°Even though I might be young, I¡¯m still a college


    student. I am willing to take full legal responsibility for everything I have said here.¡±


    Jack clenched his teeth. He must be unaware of the situation if he¡¯s not being threatened.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    He corrected Caleb. ¡°They found you the best doctor and provided you with the best pacemaker simply


    because they didn¡¯t want you to die. Soir Coffee will have blood on their hands if anything were to


    happen to


    you.¡±


    Caleb, who was originally against revealing the truth, flew into a rage upon Jack¡¯s words.


    Nightshire Group brought him back from the brink of death. Hence, of course, he couldn¡¯t stand seeing


    Jack defame Nightshire Group after all they had done for him.


    He didn¡¯t even need the microphone as he bellowed, ¡°Nonsense! Soir Coffee did no wrong. It was me


    who almost ended Soir Coffee and almost took Nightshire Group down.¡±


    Jack was stunned. What is he talking about?


    Has he lost his mind?


    Just as Jack was about to clear things up with Caleb, he spoke up once again. ¡°The food poisoning


    incident was a fake. It was my brother who injected snake venom into my body, and the poison will only


    be activated after I consume coffee. I headed straight to Soir Coffee for coffee right after the injection


    and cked out afterwards. I was already in the emergency room when I opened my eyes again. It was


    Mr. Nightshire who called Dr. Moore for help and brought me back from the brink of death.¡±


    As soon as he finished talking, dead silence ensued.


    Jack waspletely taken by surprise. He felt as if someone had just pped him awake from his


    dreand.


    At the same time, hisrades felt just as terrible as


    him.


    If what Caleb said was true, they would be aughing stock.


    The viewers who were watching the press conference online, as well as the people standing outside


    the hotel, were alsopletely caught off guard by the truth.


    So¡­ Everything was set up by Caleb himself?


    Just then, Vinson¡¯s gazended on Jack and said tly, ¡°Did you hear what he just said?¡±

 Chapter 597

    Chapter 597


    Of course Jack did.


    Not only him, but everyone at the scene and all the viewers heard it loud and clear even though Caleb


    didn¡¯t use the microphone.


    Silence followed right after.


    All those who were on Jack¡¯s side lowered their heads in shame. They badly wanted to dig a hole and


    hide in


    Who would have thought that this was the truth? They thought that they were being righteous and


    doing him a favor, but who would have thought that they were actually ndering Soir Coffee.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time the media got it wrong. However, they were going against Soir Coffee ¨C a


    subsidiarypany of Nightshire Group, this time around.


    They were doomed for ndering Nightshire Group.


    Jack¡¯s face ashen, and he started to tremble.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    He didn¡¯t even dare check his phone now that the truth had been exposed.


    He was well aware that all of his doubts and everything he said beforehand was like a hard p to his


    face.


    Fellowizens were most probably cursing at him andughing at him.


    It was just as he expected it to be.


    All hell broke loose on the livestream tform after a few seconds of silence.


    What the f*ck? Plot twist. I sincerely apologize to Soir Coffee. The coffee from Soir Coffee is absolutely


    delicious. It really stands out and is one of my favorites.


    Oh my gosh, I¡¯m willing to present my skull to show how sorry I am to Soir Coffee. I¡¯ve deleted all of my


    comments prior to this and have bought ten cups of coffee to express my apology.


    No one noticed the influencer called Jack¡¯s Quest for Truth right? He revealed his ID before speaking


    up. He¡¯s just trying to promote his ount under the pretext of justice.


    Damn it! I just recalled. Unfollow him now. He¡¯s not doing it for us, he¡¯s only in it for himself. Trash. Get


    out of the inte!


    Boycott Jack¡¯s Quest for Truth. Report him! Let¡¯s all report him till he gets banned.


    Very soon, Jack¡¯s Quest for Truth¡¯s ount was officially banned. Just like that, he disappeared from


    the inte.


    Moreover, it wasn¡¯t only his ount that was banned, but also the ID card he had used to verify his


    ount.


    It was obvious that Jack¡¯s Quest for Truth¡¯s ount


    owner could no longer make a living through his poprity.


    Meanwhile, back on-site¡­


    Jack was still unaware that his ount had been banned. At the moment, he only felt insurmountable


    pressure mounting on him.


    He instinctively looked up and saw Vinson sweeping his gaze over the conference room.


    The temperature dropped wherever his gazended.


    Vinson spoke in a cold tone. ¡°Do you still remember my question just now?¡±.


    Jack was stunned as he struggled to register the situation.


    ¡°I asked everyone here if anyone knows how many years one will have to serve in jail for nder.¡±


    Vinson kindly reminded as if he knew what was going through Jack¡¯s mind.


    Right away, Jack¡¯s face darkened, and his heart sank.


    He had treated the word ¡°nder¡± as a joke prior to this, However, he felt as if the joke was on him


    now.


    Not only did he spread rumors of people¡¯s death and use a coffee franchise of serving poison in


    their food, but he also did it in public whereby people would be easily misled by what he said. His


    offense was worse


    than what he would get for the usual nder.


    The worst part of it was that Nightshire Group had one of the best legal teams in Chanaea.

 Chapter 598

    Chapter 598


    Jack instantly started swaying. If he hadn¡¯t been sitting the entire time, his legs would¡¯ve given way,


    and he would have fallen to the ground.


    He had never experienced regret like that before.


    He regretted making that stupid promise. Why the hell did I agree to make a public stance against


    Vinson?


    If Jack had actually been righteous, many would¡¯ve helped and shielded him. The situation at the time,


    however, made it so that he was the one being targeted.


    I am so dead!


    One of the reporters was not as gutsy. He said, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, please note that I am not on his side


    and am only here because you invited everyone to the event.¡±


    ¡°Me too! I never said anything earlier. You shouldn¡¯t put the me on us because we are the innocent


    and righteous reporters.¡±


    Vinson replied calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everyone. Rayson had already made a video recording of


    everything. We know who voiced up and imed that they are in league with the guy, so I won¡¯t


    identally me the innocent.¡±


    The innocent reporters instantly calmed down.


    The troublemakers who had stood by Jack earlier had turned pale instead.


    ¨C


    Jack was going to apologize to salvage the situation and save himself, but a reporter suddenly sprung


    up.


    Everyone else was seated, so the crowd instinctively turned their attention to him when he stood up like


    that.


    The guy pushed his sses up before calmly pointing out, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, I¡¯m sure you know how


    some despicable individuals would spread fake news. The victim is too young, so it¡¯s difficult to take his


    word at face value. There is no saying if someone got him to lie.¡±


    Hearing those words made colors return to Jack¡¯s pale face.


    That¡¯s right! There is no solid evidence, so there¡¯s no saying if the guy was telling the truth. He could¡¯ve


    been bribed!


    Jack was quick to chime in, ¡°He¡¯s right! The guy¡¯s statement is not enough. We want solid evidence


    because he might be lying.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    It infuriated the guy in the wheelchair.


    ¡°I am simply stating what I did and taking responsibility. How could that have been a lie?¡±


    Vinson turned to the guy and mouthed, ¡°Calm down.¡± After that, he put a poker face on while shifting


    his gaze to the guy with the sses.


    If I remember correctly, the guy with the sses didn¡¯t speak when the troublemakers used Soir


    Coffee. Yet, he demanded an exnation just as we were about to crush the troublemakers¡­


    I guess that means that the loudmouth isn¡¯t the leader. He is.


    Good, now I have identified all the culprits.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    A ridiculously small and virtually undetectable grin crawled onto Vinson¡¯s lips. He replied, ¡°I thought that


    I should only show the evidence to the police, but since you insisted, I will reveal it to everyone.¡±


    Vinson snapped his fingers and instructed, ¡°Come on


    up.¡±


    He had just finished speaking when the closed side door opened once more.


    The guy who showed up wasn¡¯t one of Soir Coffee¡¯s customers. Instead, he was a guy in a tuxedo with


    way too much gel in his hair.


    He was bound and fear donned every inch of his face.


    An undeniable hint of panic showed up on the face of the guy with the sses when he saw the guy in


    the tuxedo.


    How can this be?


    Carter stood close to the guy who was bound. The


    former put his hand on thetter¡¯s cor and dragged him onto the stage.


    After that, Carter kicked the back of the guy¡¯s knee. That kick was harsh, so the guy in the tuxedo fell


    down with a loud thump!

 Chapter 599

    Chapter 599


    Everyone was shaken to the core upon seeing that.


    Jack was slightly taken aback, but he was quick to reprimand, ¡°How can you guys be so cruel? You¡¯re


    just going to make him kneel without investigating first?¡±


    After saying his piece, Jack turned to the guy with the sses on. The former hoped that thetter


    would help by speaking up.


    Having a few more people speak out will make this easier.


    However, when he turned over, he saw that the guy with the sses on had lost his cool. Thetter


    was trembling as sweat dripped down from his forehead. It looked as if he was frightened by the


    violence he had just witnessed.


    Jack couldn¡¯t help reminding, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Everything is live now. Nightshire Group will be even more


    trouble if anyone does anything vile to threaten you.¡±


    The man with the sses acted like he couldn¡¯t hear what Jack was saying. The former¡¯s eyes stared


    numbly at the guy who was kneeling on stage. It was as if he had seen a ghost.


    Just then, Vinson rified, ¡°I think a few reporters on site recognize this guy here. His name is Howard


    Morgan, and he is one of the top executive members of Morgan Enterprise. He is also a member of the


    Morgan family and is the mastermind behind this entire ordeal.¡±


    In a timely manner, Carter added, ¡°Hello everyone, I am Carter Morgan. I am sorry and embarrassed


    about what a member of my family did, so I brought him over to get him to kneel and apologize to the


    victims.¡±


    Jack was instantly stunned.


    What the hell is going on?


    Every other reporter started whispering and murmuring.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Aren¡¯t Nightshire Group and Morgan Enterprise on good terms? Why is a member of


    the Morgan family trying to hurt Nightshire Group?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Maybe they got him over as a scapegoat?¡±


    ¡°Shh, keep your voices down. You¡¯ll be sued for defamation if they hear you.¡±


    Jack happened to hear that conversation, so he raised his voice and pointed out, ¡°Everyone knows that


    Morgan Enterprise and Nightshire Group are on good terms. You and Mr. Morgan have also been close


    friends all these years, Mr. Nightshire. How do we know that you didn¡¯t just grab a random guy over to


    be the scapegoat?¡±


    Vinson sneered and challenged, ¡°Do you really think I¡¯d be that stupid?¡±


    In other words, Vinson was saying that he was smarter than that and would hire a better scapegoat if


    that was


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    what he wanted to do.


    Jack stiffened.


    The LED screen in the hall lit up at that moment.


    Cough! Carter cleared his throat and took the remote control from the worker. He clicked on a button


    and requested, ¡°Please take a look at this.¡±


    Everyone turned to the screen.


    All they saw was a banking record that highlighted a list of transactions with the recipients¡¯ names and


    ages written on the side. Different addresses could also be seen on said record.


    Carter noted that most had already finished reading the content, so he slowly announced, ¡°As you see,


    the names on the list belonged to the victim who imed to have fallen ill after they frequented Soir


    Coffee. Every single one on the list had met up with Howard or one of his men in different locations.


    The record shows that a sizeable sum had recently been deposited in each of their bank ounts.


    Those funds came from the same bank ount, namely the one held by Howard¡¯spany.¡±


    Everyone turned their attention to the list again. As promised, a closer look revealed that the same


    ount made the transfer. The ount holder was, indeed, Howard¡¯spany,


    Carter didn¡¯t need to further exin the situation. By


    then, even people with half a brain could tell that it was Howard¡¯s doing


    He is the mastermind behind it all.


    ¡°No¡­¡± blurted Jack in disbelief as his eyes bulged.


    He finally understood why the guy with the sses had be that lost, even though thetter was


    calm just seconds ago. He knows that Howard is the mastermind behind it. That is why he instantly lost


    his footing when he saw how Howard had been apprehended.


    Shit, I am so, so dead!

 Chapter 600

    Chapter 600


    In his panic, Jack turned his attention to his smartphone and was surprised to see that his ount,


    Jack¡¯s Quest for Truth, had been suspended. What was worse was that his ount wasn¡¯t the only


    thing being boycotted. The public was reprimanding him as well.


    Hatefulments filled the home page.


    An influencer¡¯s only source of ie would be cut off if he lost his fans, ounts, and viewership.


    Nightshire Group operated in almost every major industry. Hence, Jack had lost his credibility in all of


    those industries.


    He couldn¡¯t hold himself together anymore, and things got so bad that he couldn¡¯t even sit right. The


    guy fell right onto the floor.


    Fortunately, he was still mentally strong enough to pull himself together. He recalled how the guy who


    recruited him had transferred the money over.


    That money should be enough for me to retire to the vige. Thank the heavens for it!


    Jack¡¯s eyes glowed. He turned on the e-wallet app and quickly tapped on the ¡°ept¡± button to get the


    money.


    It was transferred instantly,


    That finally calmed Jack down a little.


    That was when Carter clicked on the remote control


    once more to show everyone another list.


    The only difference between the first and the second list he showed was that the names of the


    recipients had changed. The list didn¡¯t show the so-called victim¡¯s name. Instead, it revealed the names


    and online ount of various influencers.


    Those very people were the same influencers who came uninvited.


    Like the previous list, the second list also showed that Howard had transferred money to all of those


    ounts.


    Jack instantly paled over.


    N-no!


    Carter announced, ¡°As you can see, some of the reporters have also epted bribes. Vin and I will


    sue every one of them for defamation, and they will suffer the same consequences as those fake


    victims.¡±


    Jackpletely and utterly broke apart.


    If he never epted the money, he would have one less criminal charge on his record, but he tapped


    on that button just seconds ago.


    Why? I came here in the name of justice, so how did things turn out this way?


    Jack couldn¡¯t catch his breath. His blood pressure got ahold of him, and he could taste something


    metallic in


    his throat. Urk! He suddenly vomited, and blood spurted out of his lips.


    Unfortunately, no one pitied him. No one went to help him out, either.


    Jack¡¯srades were in a bad situation as well.


    Some even tried to flee, but a hidden bodyguard would show up and keep them grounded before they


    even stood up.


    The other reporters stared in disgust.


    They deserve it. F*cking assh*les!


    Vinson scanned the crowd once more before he spoke in a rxed tone. ¡°Oh, you guys demanded


    concrete evidence, right? We have another one. Let us show you,¡± suggested Vinson.


    Carter nodded and got a syringe out of his pocket.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    A green liquid was resting inside the syringe.


    The innocent reporters had no idea what that was, so curiosity and confusion filled their faces.


    Howard, who had been kneeling and struggling, gave up on all hope upon seeing that. He closed his


    eyes right away and looked like he was waiting for his sentence to be delivered.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing no one knows what this is, so please


    allow me to exin,¡± said Carter, ¡°This chemical has a very ancient name and is called Furious Devil. A


    manufacturer in Manchernius created this by mixing venoms from the most poisonous snakes. Those


    snakes are biologically altered, so even the smallest dosage of this poison is fatal.¡±


    ¡°Manchernius¡­¡±


    The mere mention of the country¡¯s name got the reporters¡¯ eyes to bulge.


    Chanaea had banned the import of all products manufactured in Manchernius, and the former was


    especially strict about poison. Hence, the punishment for breaking thatw would be extremely severe.


    Importing poison from Manchernius? Holy, this is a whole other level of crime! This is so much worse


    than destructing others¡¯ properties or spreading fake news. This will bring about the death penalty.


    The guy in the wheelchair blurted, ¡°That is what my brother injected me with!¡±

 Chapter 601

    Chapter 601


    The guy continued, ¡°This poison won¡¯t be activated until coffee is consumed. Moreover, the higher the


    quality of the beans, the quicker its reaction. That is why I had to be rushed to the hospital.¡±


    His words got the reporters to murmur endlessly.


    ¡°No wonder they fall ill after they drank up. Tums out, the poison needed coffee to activate. That also


    means that there is nothing wrong with Soir Coffee¡¯s products. Everyone would fall ill no matter which


    coffee shop they go to.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just that there is nothing wrong with Soir Coffee. The fact that the so¡ªcalled victims became ill


    before they even exited the shop proves that Soir Coffee uses quality beans?¡¯-


    ¡°Gah, the more I think about it, the more terrifying this is. If this product ever gets sold, anyone who


    wants to frame any coffee shop can justce the products with this poison. It can disrupt the peace in


    the entiremunity!¡±


    ¡°It will never be sold. Our country had always banned the use of this type of poison. I can¡¯t believe that


    idiot actually smuggled it in from Manchernius. He is so dead.¡± The sound of a squad marching was


    soon heard. Everyone turned their attention over and was scared out of their minds when they saw the


    uniform that the squad had on.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Specialized Forces!¡±


    Howard instinctively straightened his back and shifted his gaze fearfully when he heard that.


    All he saw was the squad marching toward the stage and greeting Vinson politely. After that, they


    turned to Howard and wamed sternly, ¡°Howard Morgan, we have learned about your secret deal with


    Manchemius¡¯ illegal organizations and the illegal importation of products. We hereby arrest you for the


    crimes you havemitted. You have the right to remain silent, but anything you say ca11 and will be


    used in the court ofw.¡±


    After saying his piece, a member of the Specialized Forces took Howard¡¯s gag off.


    Cough! Cough! Howard coughed a few times. His lips parted like he had something to say, but it only


    took him a few seconds to change his mind.


    The Specialized Forces weren¡¯t like regr cops and would only take action after they had indisputable


    evidence with them. Them showing up meant that things were set in stone, and there was no turning


    things around.


    Howard¡¯s heart filled with regret and hopelessness. He kept everything well hidden, but he was too


    greedy.


    His desire to pay less tax prompted him to pay the bribes via hispany¡¯s bank ount and listed


    them down as expenses that would reduce his tax.


    It never crossed his mind that his greed would reveal his sins and made it impossible for him to fight


    back.


    Howard knew that he had utterly lost, so his emotions became uncontroble. Hence, he decided to


    vent out all of his frustration.


    ¡°Vinson Nightshire, how can you me me for attacking yourpany? My daughter, Kelsea, won¡¯t be


    locked up if it weren¡¯t for you. 1 still can¡¯t get her out of there, even though so much time had passed.


    My family won¡¯t be ruined if it weren¡¯t for you! This is all your fault. All. Your. Fault! I will curse you every


    day, and I hope you die a terrible death,¡± roared Howard. His booming voice echoed and inspired fear


    and pity.


    Vinson¡¯s gaze slowly shifted to Howard before he turned to the Specialized Forces and said, ¡°You guys


    heard that, right? He threatened me.¡±


    Vinson had a straight face*o¡¯n; ¡®b_ut.for some unknown reasons, his voice made others feel like he was


    weak and helpless¡­


    Yep, weak and helpless¡­¡¯in .Vinson¡¯,si¡®voice¡­


    It didn¡¯t seem right, no matter how one looked at it and at which angle.


    Vinson probably felt off himself, so he stopped acting altogether after that. He instructed coolly, ¡°Take


    him away already.¡±


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°Understood, bo¡­ I mean, buddy,¡± replied a guy. He realized that he almost exposed Vinson¡¯s identity


    as his boss, so he was quick to change his words. Hetermanded, ¡°Take him away!¡±

 Chapter 602

    Chapter 602


    The Specialized Forces took Howard away. Given the crimesmitted, Howard would at least be in


    his eighties before he regained his freedom.


    Still, he was dragged away mercilessly.


    Jack, the guy with the sses, and their team of troublemakers were trembling in fear as they prayed


    that Vinson had forgotten all about them.


    Unfortunately, the police came by as soon as the Specialized Forces left.


    The police went straight to the point and informed, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, we have apprehended all the


    troublemakers who epted the bribes and went after Soir Coffee. We will now cuff the reporters and


    influencers who took the bribes to defame you and Soir Coffee.¡±


    Fear instantly shed out of Jack and the others after those words were said.


    ¡°No!¡± blurted one of the more cowardly criminals. He went down on his knees and begged, ¡°Mr.


    Nightshire, please show mercy and let me go. I didn¡¯t know the truth either, and I never spoke up the


    entire time. Please have mercy.¡±


    Those words started a trend, and the others started ¡°begging as well.


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned my lesson, Mr. Ni ghtshire. I have a family to feed, so please don¡¯t do this.¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re a kind leader, so please let me go just this once.¡±


    Jack was going to hold himself together. He wanted to remain dignified, even as he was taken away,


    but seeing the crowd begging like that broke him. In the end, he caved and went down on his knees.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire, sir, please forgive me. I will never do anything like this again.¡±


    The other reporters on-site scoffed, ¡°Oh, now you¡¯re begging for mercy? Where are your righteousness


    and kindness when others needed it?


    ¡°Hah, pretending to be a soldier for justice despite not knowing sh*t. You¡¯re a freaking joke! Is this the


    world we live in now? Any idiot just can call themselves a reporter. Is that it? A reporter is supposed to


    be unbiased and investigate thoroughly before sharing the truth with the entire world. Our mission isn¡¯t


    to point and gossip before we get to the bottom of it all!¡±


    ¡°Stop f*cking with me. What kind of a report is this piece of trash? He is nothing but a blogger who


    profits off of gossips. This man isn¡¯t even worth being a D-list inte celebrity.¡±


    Many people were watching the live show online and saw how Jack from Jack¡¯s Quest for Truth had


    gone on his knees. That prompted them to bombard him with insults.


    ¡°The brain is a wonderful organ¡­ It¡¯s too bad he doesn¡¯t have one.¡±


    ¡°Thank the heavens that I apologized in a timely manner. Mr. Nightshire, please don¡¯te after me. I


    just bought ten cups of coffee from Soir Coffee as an apology.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ In a way, this guy kind of kept his word and sort ofmitted suicide.¡±


    In addition to the disses and apologies, oneizen alsomented, ¡±Am I the only one who noticed


    how Howard imed that Kelsea was sent to jail? If I remember correctly, she is a genius in chess,


    right? When was she imprisoned?¡±


    Unfortunately, that onement was lost in the sea of insults that filled everybody¡¯s screen. 0


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Back on¡ªsite.


    Vinson had never regarded himself as a merciful man. He requested cruelly, ¡°Please take the criminals


    away. They should¡¯ve considered the consequences of their own actions before theymit any sins.


    We¡¯re all adults and should know that we are responsible for our own actions.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Mr. Nightshire,¡± replied a police officer before waving and instructing, ¡°Take them away.¡±


    One order was all it took to send dozens of police officers in. They coordinated with Rayson and


    apprehended everyone. and the mini with the sses were worst off. They were the leaders. so their


    punisliment would be twice as severe.


    One police officer walked to the guy in the wheelchair and told Vinson. ¡°Mr. Niglitshire, his actions


    broke the J as well. Please let us take him away.¡±


    The glow in the guy¡¯s eyes turned grim. He knew that he would be punished. and he felt terrible about


    it.


    Howevei¡®, he was willing to ept it.That being said¡­

 Chapter 603

    Chapter 603


    Vinson raised his hand and stopped the police officer.


    ¡°Sir,¡± requested Vinson, ¡°He¡¯s not like the others. His physical state is terrible and is inherently ill, so he


    can¡¯t handle the stress. Moreover, he stepped up and confessed his sins, which allowed us to capture


    Howard. On top of that, he only made the mistake because he was led astray by his own brother, so I


    am willing to settle the issue in private with him. I will write an official letter to the government and won¡¯t


    be pressing charges on him.¡±


    The officer nodded and replied, ¡°Okay, he is a unique case, and you are willing to let him go, so we can


    do as you ask. However, his brother epted the money. That changes things, so we can¡¯t let his


    brother go.¡±


    Vinson murmured a reply before adding, ¡°Okay, then we¡¯ll do as you deem right.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± replied the officer before he waved his hand and led his team away.


    The truth had been exposed, so there was no need for Vinson to continue staying there. He let Rayson


    and the others deal with the aftermath and left with Carter and the guy in the wheelchair.


    The event continued progressing but fewer people were streaming it live.


    It wasn¡¯t because they no longer cared about the issue. They simply craved a cup of coffee from Soir


    Coffee even more.


    The words blurted earlier had inadvertently turned the event into an invisiblemercial.


    Turned out, the coffee served by Soir Coffee was top quality.


    It only took a moment for the orders to overwhelm eveiy branch of Soir Coffee. The baristas became so


    busy that they were getting out of breath and sales had risen exponentially.


    No one anticipated it, but not only did the incident fail to destroy Soir Coffee, but it also did the


    complete opposite. The brand became something everyone trusted.


    Even at that moment, it could be predicted that the incident would be written down in Soir Coffee¡¯s


    history books. The story would pass down forever.


    Queenie kept staying guard, but she soon realized that the guy she was guarding over was physically


    fit.


    That got her to start questioning life itself.


    How is he recovering so well and so quickly? I am no match against this level of medical expertise¡­


    Heck, my entire family of medical experts can join forces and ourbined skills still won¡¯t be a match.


    I have got to find this miracle doctor and ask her to teach me!


    That thought prompted Queenie to muster her courage


    and turn to Vinson, who was in the same car. She asked,


    ¡°M-Mr. Ni ghtshire, can you introduce me to the miracle doctor who cured this patient?¡±


    Vinson had closed his eyes and was going to pretend to be asleep so that he could ignore Queenie.


    However, any praise directed at Arielle worked wonders on him, so he replied, ¡°I¡¯ll get in touch with her


    on your behalf.¡±


    Queenie saw how Vinson¡¯s lips had curved upwards.


    She didn¡¯t know why he was smiling, but she saw it clearly.


    Is he smiling at me?!¡®


    Queenie¡¯s heart got all lovey¡ªdovey again. She quickly nodded and replied, ¡°Thank you, Mr.


    Nightshire.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± replied Vinson, who was in an incredibly good mood.


    They reached the hospital soonter.


    Carter and Queenie apanied the patient into the hospital while Vinson returned to his office to


    deal with the remaining issues that Soir Coffee might be facing.


    He was happy with the sales records reported by the employees in every Soir Coffee branch. Those


    numbers encouraged him to take advantage of the situation and set up shop in every major city.


    A brand had to be well¡ªknown across the nation before it could be expanded and be an


    international brand.


    At the hospital.


    The guy in the wheelchair was right in front of the door to his mother¡¯s hospital room.


    He wanted to open the door, but he was hesitant to do so.


    At that moment, all he felt was immense regret over the stupid sh*t he had done.


    Facing the public and confessing his sins? That was easy. Telling his mother the truth and breaking her


    heart? That was the true challenge for him.


    He gritted his teeth and turned to Carter before saying, ¡°Mr. Morgan, I think it¡¯s best if I don¡¯t enter the


    room. I don¡¯t want to tell my mom and risk triggering her illness¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± replied Carter, ¡°The miracle doctor who cured you also told your mom everything, so the


    latter is mentally prepared. She won¡¯t be triggered.¡±


    ¡°The miracle doctor told her?¡±


    Carter nodded and answered, ¡°Yeah, she nned on hiding the truth for you, but sheter realized that


    things might be bad if your mom¡¯s illness was triggered, and she¡¯s not around. Hence, she told your


    mom the truth.


    You should also know that your mom was going to follow us along to the event, but sheter changed


    her mind. She said that she will forgive you if you are willing to own up to your mistake despite her not


    being there to force you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said the man in the wheelchair. His voice was thick with tears as he spoke.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me. If there¡¯s anyone you should thank, it¡¯d be the miracle doctor.¡±


    The guy nodded before he finally mustered enough courage to enter.


    Queenie watched as the guy entered the room. After that, she turned to Carter and asked, ¡°Mr.


    Morgan, what kind of a person is the miracle doctor? She cured the patient¡¯s poison and is so


    considerate that she even helped them with emotional turmoils. This is¡­ she has got to be the most


    considerate doctor I have ever seen.¡±


    Carter raised his brow and replied, ¡°That is why she is known as the miracle doctor. The kind of person


    she is¡­ Hmm¡­ Well, you¡¯ll meet her if she is willing to do so. The two of you might end up being


    friends.¡±


    ¡°Friends?¡± blurted Queenie before she shook her head with a smile and said, ¡°The miracle doctor has


    got to be quite old, so I might not be able to be her friends. I do want to be her disciple, though.¡±


    ¡°Old¡­¡± muttered Carter as he grinned a little. He knew that Arielle didn¡¯t want anyone to know that she


    was the


    miracle doctor, though, so he didn¡¯t say much. He simply pointed out, ¡°Well, the matter has finally


    settled, so you should work on your other cases.¡±


    After saying his piece, Carter left the ce. He hadn¡¯t gone far before his phone suddenly rang. The


    call was from his father.


    Carter was quick to pick it up and asked, ¡°Dad, why are you calling all of a sudden? Is this because of


    Howard? He made a grave mistake, so it¡¯s only right that he is punished for it. Moreover, the


    Specialized Forces is the one that apprehended him, so I think it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t speak up for the


    guy.¡±


    Carter¡¯s dad, David, seemed a little annoyed when he replied, ¡°Why would I speak up for that piece of


    sh*t? I¡¯m calling you to share some news with you. Didn¡¯t you say that the miracle doctor, Ms. Moore, is


    a member of the Southalls? Something might¡¯ve happened to her home.¡±


    Carter raised his brow and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°This is all just a guess, but you know how your mother is superstitious, right? She called a psychic to


    come to read her aura, but the psychic told her that Cindy called first. Apparently, Cindy is paying the


    psychic ten times what your mother offered. There is no way anyone would pay so much money unless


    they have sonietthing malicious nned. We all know that her family¡¯s situation isplicated and that


    Cindy is especially evil. Something feels off about this, so I thought I¡¯d call you and let you know.¡±


    Carter frowned immediately andmented, ¡°That Cindy truly is malicious. She tried to chase Arielle


    out of the house countless times, and it is likely that she is doing all this again to get Arielle kicked out


    of the house.¡±


    David couldn¡¯t helpining, ¡°Seriously, what is wrong with that Cindy? Why isn¡¯t she appreciating


    a daughter who is such a skilled doctor? Instead, she is going all out to chase the kid away. TheText ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    daughter she adopted earlier had passed, right? Geez, why is she trying to chase the only kid of the


    family out now?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, dad,¡± said Carter, ¡°A step- daughter is not a person to Cindy. Thetter will only


    regard the former as apetitor of the family¡¯s wealth.


    Hence, it is only natural that she¡¯d want to kick Arielle out. Also¡­¡±

 Chapter 604

    Chapter 604


    David asked, ¡°What?¡± Carter opened the door to his car and got in before he added, ¡°Cindy is


    pregnant, so she has to n for the kid in her womb.¡±


    The revtion hit David. He replied, ¡°Ah, no wonder. Well, then you should hurry and share the news


    with Arielle so that Cindy can¡¯t con her. Arielle is such an amazing doctor. It¡¯d be great if you can recruit


    her to our hospital because she¡¯d give the hospital apetitive edge. Naturally, the best course of


    action will be for you to get her to be a part of the family. You know, Carter, I never really care about


    social statuses and will ept any daughters-inw with any backgrounds.¡±


    Carter¡¯s expression turned grouchy. Heined,


    ¡°Dad, what the hell are you talking about?¡±


    It¡¯s bad enough that both Vinson and Harvey were into Arielle. Things would be a crazy mess if he got


    involved in the matter as well.


    David stopped messing around and reminded, ¡°Okay, deal with the current issue at hand first.¡±


    Carter murmured a reply and got the psychic¡¯s contact


    information from his dad. After that, he hung up and called Vinson to share the information.


    Vinson¡¯s tone was icy when he replied, ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll rush over now.¡±


    There were always people who wanted to hurt Arielle, and in the past, he could hold his anger in. Back


    then, he only saw Arielle as the person who saved his life.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Things had since changed.


    He had discovered what he truly felt for Arielle, and that made it so that he would not allow anyone to


    bully her!


    On the other side in the Southall residence.


    When Arielle returned to the Southall residence, she saw that Cindy was sipping the soup that Henrick


    had personally cooked for her.


    The television in the living room was ying the news about Soir Coffee.


    They were watching the rerun, though. At that moment, they were seeing how Jack was interrogating


    and using the manager.


    As Cindy sipped the soup, she pretended to beworried and said, ¡°Do you think that Soir Coffee can


    survive an incident like this¡®? The economy is bad now. If Soir Coffee deres bankruptcy, Nightshire


    Group will lose its position as the most prominentpany in the country.¡±


    Henrick waved his hand disinissively and replied, ¡°That probably won¡¯t happen. Nightshire Group¡¯s


    main operations doesn¡¯t involve food, after all, so they¡¯ll be fine. Still, this incident will surely make the


    share prices all.¡±


    ln other words, it wouldn¡¯t matter if Soir Coffee went bankrupt. Henrick could still benefit from Nightshire


    Group so long as Arielle and Vinson were close.


    As I-lenrick spoke, he suddenly recalled and blurted, ¡°Did we leave Saiinie behind?¡±


    Cindy wanted toin about how Arielle was an adult and how Henrick shouldn¡¯t worry too much.


    However, Arielle suddenly spoke up from the door. ¡°I¡¯m home,¡± said Arielle.


    Cindy was taken aback. She turned her gaze over.


    No one knew what Arielle had endured in thest few hours, but she looked terrible.


    That got Cindy ever so delighted.


    A small grin crept up on Cindy, but she was quick to put it away and feign being worried. She


    demanded. ¡°Sannie, where have you been¡®? Your dad and I got worried. Why were you out for so


    long?¡° supposed to visit Shandie¡¯s grave?¡±


    At first, Henrick felt a little guilty about leaving Arielle behind, but Cindy¡¯s words redirected his mind. He


    assumed that Arielle had taken advantage of the situation and snuck away.


    That angered him, so he demanded, ¡°Today is the day your baby sister is buried. Why weren¡¯t you


    staying put at home? Where the Pick were you?¡± !

 Chapter 605

    Chapter 605


    Arielle felt nothing. She was no longer the same person she was when she first returned to the Southall


    residence.


    Henrick¡¯s words could no longer hurt her.


    However, she put on a pitiful expression and replied sadly, ¡°You misunderstood. I didn¡¯t go out to y


    or anything. It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t see either of you when I exited the liospital,so I thought that you


    might¡¯ve left due to some emergency. I assumed that you will return to pick me up once-you finished


    settling the matter. That is why I waited at the.hospital¡¯s entrance. I waited for hours, but you never


    came back¡­¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Henrick was takertabacl<..He was about to speak up when Cindy beat him. to it. She pointed out,


    ¡°Sannie, kids shouldn¡¯t lie in frontof their parents. Why didn¡¯t you call us if you had been waiting for so


    long?¡±


    Arielle replied sadly, ¡°My phone ran out of battery. Besides, I never thought that the two of you would


    just leave and nevere back for me.¡±


    Hearing those words stung Henrick¡¯s heart. Guilt washed over him as he walked to Arielle and tapped


    the back of her hand. He apologized and promised, ¡°This is my fault. There is simply too much to do


    today, and I neglected you. I promise you this, though. It will never happen again.¡±


    Arielle had her gaze down as she nodded. She seemed extremely pitiful at the time.


    That was the side of Arielle that Cindy hated the most. Henrick has never seen Arielle¡¯s true colors


    before, but I have! This pitiful sh*t is just an act. How shameless of that b*tch.


    Cindy was infuriated, but her phone rang at that moment.


    It¡¯s the psychic I hired!


    The psychic was famous and rather good at the job, but


    Cindy had spent enough money to get the psychic to say whatever was necessary.


    A sharp glow shed past Cindy¡¯s eyes, but it only took an instant before it vanished.


    She had a smile on her face when she picked up the call and said, ¡°Hi. Oh, you¡¯re waiting by the door?


    Okay, I¡¯ll go pick you up now.¡±


    After saying her piece, Cindy hung up and told Henrick. ¡°Rick, Mom asked me to hire a psychic for


    Shandie¡¯s funeral. The psychic is here now, so I¡¯ll get Mom over.¡±


    Henrick was quick to stop Cindy. He sounded heartbroken when he informed, ¡°Have you forgotten that


    you are pregnant? Why are you still running around like this? Just have the housekeeper call Mom


    over. Sit and rest well. I will open the door for the psychic.¡±


    Cindy grinned and pointed out, ¡°I¡¯m only a few months pregnant. and we can¡¯t even hear the heartbeat


    yet. I feel line. so it¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    ¡°Fine? You¡¯ve been having morning sickness all day! Just sit tight.¡±


    Cindy put on an exasperated expression before she nodded and reminded, ¡°Okay, then remember to


    be polite when you see the psychic, okay? He is renowned, and it is ridiculously difficult to hire him.


    Many rich and powerful families hired him to read their palms. The Morgans, in particr, have a


    weekly reading.¡±


    Henrick couldn¡¯t help bing more stern after hearing about the Morgans.?


    He was a graduate of Jadeborough University and had scientific knowledge. Howevenhe grew up poor,


    and like Malorie, he was rather superstitious deep down. He believed that there were invisible forces in


    y.


    Hearing how reputable the was get Henrick to be more serious. He promised, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t


    make a mistake. I¡¯ll get him over now.¡±


    After Henrick said his piece, he told Alfred to get Malorie over.


    She was the one who asked for the psychic to be there, so it was only natural that she would be


    worried until she saw everything done with her own eyes.


    Henrick then turned to Arielle and instructed, ¡°Remember to pay your respect to your sister.¡±

 Chapter 606

    Chapter 606


    Arielle replied sweetly and obediently. Cindy took that opportunity to fake kindness to Arielle as well.


    The former said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Shandie. I¡¯ll take Sannie over.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then the two of you can head over together. I¡¯ll get the psychic over directly.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± muttered Cindy as she smiled and watched Henrick leave.


    The smile on her face faded as soon as he was out of those doors.


    She had a poker face¡¯ onas she headed toward the mausoleum. Arielle followed along.


    When they reached the empty corridor, Cindy suddenly paused and turned around to re at Arielle.


    ¡°Arielle, are you really going to visit Shandie¡¯s grave? Aren¡¯t you worried that her spirit will haunt you


    and seek revenge?¡±


    Arielle grinned and replied, ¡°Why would I be scared? I wasn¡¯t the one who killed her.¡±


    Cindy¡¯s expression instantly turned evil.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you have the audacity to say that! She was a scaredy¡ªcat and would worry about her


    physical condition if she were to even catch a cold. Why would someone like thatmit suicide? You


    inust¡¯ve been the one who hurt her!¡±


    ¡°Why would I hurt lieri¡± challenged Arielle.


    Cindy scoffed and replied. ¡°Hah, why? Because you are worried that Henrick would y favorites with


    her and are angry with how her recklessness got you in trouble multiple times!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± said Arielle before she deliberately taunted. ¡°And here I thought you have amnesia and forgot


    about the vile sh*ts that Shandie had done to me. It seems you remember it well.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± growled Cindy before she pointed her tiiiger at Arielle¡¯s nose and scolded, ¡°You little b*tch!


    Don¡¯t think for a second that I can¡¯t chase you out of this house. You are nothing in Jadeborough once


    you leave the Southalls. Let me tell you something. Don¡¯t assume that Vinson actually loves you. He


    just wants something to y with. and he might be nice to you now. but that won¡¯tst forever. Men like


    him will only treat you like a toy! The Nightshire family won¡¯t let him many you either, and Vinson


    himself won¡¯t be interested in a woman who grew up in a vige!¡±


    Cindy felt so much better after she said her piece.


    She thought that her words would sting A 1¡®icllc and hit the bull¡¯s eyes. However, when C ind_v looked


    over. she saw that Arielle wasn¡¯t affected at all. Thettcr¡¯s smile was brighter, ifanything.


    That got Cindy to frown right away. She insulted. ¡°Don¡¯t bother putting on that take smile. l know that


    you are dying inside. Vinson Niglitsliirc will never. ever marry you, so you can forget about getting him


    to shield you forever.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so¡®? What if I were to tell you that we are already married?¡± said Arielle with her brows


    raised.


    ¡°Hahl Why would he marry someone like you? Quit dreaming. Are you seriously making such an


    obvious lie just to upset me?¡± replied Cindy before she scoffed aloud. A


    Arielle didn¡¯t respondafter hearing that speech. She simply stood there and smiled-


    Her grin was ever so pure and content, and it reminded others of the full moon hanging on the clearest


    sky.


    Cindy started worrying as she stared. at Arielle¡¯s smile.


    Married¡­ lies¡­ Given Arielle¡¯s style, there is no way she¡¯d lie about something that can be easily


    verified. Could it be¡­ Did they actually get married? How is that even possible? If that really is the


    case, then how will I ever defeat the wife of Nightshire Group¡¯s CEO?


    Cindy was already screaming in her heart. She did her best to force herself to stand up straight, but in


    the end, she had to lean against the wall to support herself.


    Gasp! Cindy panted for a while before she managed to ask, ¡°Are you telling the truth?¡±

 Chapter 607

    Chapter 607


    Cindy¡¯s irises had already constricted as much as physically possible, and her eyes were bulging so


    much that they were on the verge of popping.


    Yet, in the very next second, Arielle chuckled and replied, ¡°That was a lie.¡±


    Cindy was taken aback. Confusion and suspicion filled her.


    She was on the verge of going crazy when she demanded, ¡°What is the truth?¡±


    Arielle put her smile away and calmly replied, ¡°Aunt Cindy, you imed that Shandie is a scaredy-cat,


    but it seems that you are too. All I did was make a joke, and you¡¯re already so frightened that you


    almost had a miscarriage. To be honest, you look really funny now.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Cindy was so upset that she almost vomited blood.


    Arielle ignored her and headed over to the mausoleum.


    She had been to there a dozen times because that was where she paid respect to her mom.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    That was supposed to be a memorial for the Moores, but the Southalls had taken up most of the space.


    That was just how shameless the Southalls were. They would steal even a mausoleum.


    Cindy red evilly at Arielle. The former gritted her teeth so much that it was a miracle that they didn¡¯t


    shatter.


    I must chase her out of the Southall residence today!


    Arielle grew up in a vige, and her social status is lower than average. There is no way Vinson will still


    be into her if Southall Group kicks her out.


    Besides, even if Vinson is into her pretty face, his mother would never let them be together. She is


    highly sensitive about social statuses.


    Marrying Vinson Nightshire? Hahl Not even in her dreams!


    Cindy gritted her teeth and followed Arielle along.


    On the other side.


    Alfred went to the room on the second floor to wake Malorie up.


    She wasparatively strong, but she was no longer as agile after the previous ¡°ident¡±. She


    needed to sleep more hours.


    In fact, she would be tired the entire evening if she didn¡¯t nap in the afternoon.


    At first, Malorie was upset about being woken up, but hearing about how the psychic was there got her


    excited.


    She had already nned everything with Cindy and would use that psychic to chase Arielle out of the


    house.


    B*tches who don¡¯t respect their elderlies and are as devious as that Maureen has no ce within the


    Southalls!


    An evil glow shed past Malorie¡¯s eyes. She didn¡¯t waste any time and was quick to run down the


    stairs.


    Just as she reached thest step, she lost her bnce and fell down. A


    ¡°Mrs. Southall!¡± blurted_.Alfred as he hurried over to help her up. I ¡®


    After that, he asked, ¡°Are you hurt? Should we go to the hospital to have you checked up?¡±


    The elderlies had brittle bones, so a fall could be troublesome.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± replied Malorie as she waved her hand.


    The truth was that her chest was feeling a little stuffed. However, she didn¡¯t think that it was a big deal


    since she only missed one step. That was why she didn¡¯t want to go to the hospital and was rushing to


    the mausoleum instead.


    The most important task at hand is the chase that kid away. Falling and getting injured is a minor issue


    compared to that!


    Alfred didn¡¯t see any external injuries on Malorie, so he didn¡¯t insist. He simply followed along.


    When Malorie arrived at the mausoleum, she saw that Arielle was paying her respect to Shandie.


    To Arielle, Shandie was a person of the past. The former would let go of everything after sending those


    last prayers.


    Cindy stood at the side. She didn¡¯t want Arielle to show up anywhere near Shandie¡¯s grave, but she


    had to put on a show.


    She sighed deeply and turned around. That was when she saw Malorie approaching.


    Cindy¡¯s eyes glowed, and she went to wee Malorie.


    ¡°Mom, you¡¯re up! Rick has gone to open the door for the psychic. They should be here soon.¡±


    Malorie nodded before shifting her gaze to Arielle.

 Chapter 608

    Chapter 608


    Mrs. Southall¡¯s eyes were burning with rage when she looked over. She red at Arielle like thetter


    was an annoying fly.


    Arielle had her back to Malorie, but she could sense Malorie¡¯s hostile re, anyway.


    The former instinctively sensed that something was off, so after saying thosest prayers, she walked


    to Malorie and informed, ¡°I¡¯ve paid my respect, Grandma, so I will return to my room now. I have ss


    tomorrow and I missed today¡¯s sses. I need to study and catch up.¡±


    Cindy turned to Malorie and stared nervously.


    Arielle can¡¯t leave. How are we going to put this show on if she leaves?


    Malorie saw the anxiety in Cindy¡¯s eyes and knew what thetter was thinking. Hence, the former said,


    ¡°It won¡¯t take up much time to study, so wait until the seance is done.¡±


    Malorie¡¯s tone and words were firm, and it was obvious that it was amand instead of a discussion.


    That got Arielle even more suspicious.


    Something is up. She is acting out of the norm. Why would she want me to stay when she never wants


    me around?


    Unfortunately, Malorie had already voiced up, so Arielle couldn¡¯t defy her with everyone watching. The


    latter had no choice but to nod and reply, ¡°Okay.¡± It¡¯s just a seance, so things shouldn¡¯t be too serious.


    Even if it¡¯s a trap, I cane up with something and deal with it on the spot.


    Arielle grinned once more aftering to that conclusion. She replied, ¡°Okay, then let me pour you a


    ss of water, Grandma.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that,¡± replied Malorie before she waved her hand and added, ¡°Just go kneel in


    front of Shandie¡¯s grave. It¡¯s taboo for us to kneel because we¡¯re older than her and are of an older


    generation. You will have to do it for us.¡±


    Cindy almostughed aloud.


    It¡¯s always great when Malorie is around. I don¡¯t even need an excuse to bully to Arielle. She can just


    command Arielle around.


    Arielle¡¯s expression stiffened for a moment, but she regained her footing quickly. She walked directly to


    the prayer mat and knelt down.


    That being said, her direction was off. She wasn¡¯t kneeling in front of Shandie¡¯s grave. Instead, she


    was paying respect to Maureen and the Moores.


    Neither Malorie nor Cindy noticed that. They simply felt better upon seeing how Arielle was kneeling.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Just then, a series of footsteps echoed.


    Henrick and the psychic had arrived.


    ¡°Here we are. Please go ahead,¡± said Henrick politely as he opened the door for the psychic.


    Arielle turned around. All she saw was an elderly man in a bright-colored outfit and a long beard. The


    guy looked like he was in his nies, but he still seemed energetic and his eyes were glowing. His f1


    gure was also strong. The aura he exuded was borderline holy.


    Aura felt something strange. For some unknown reason, Arielle suddenly felt the need to be respectful


    to the guy.


    Arielle wasn¡¯t superstitious, but she was feelingpelled. Hence, it was natural that Malorie was even


    more delighted-


    To someone like Malorie, the psychic in question was ranked slightly higher than ordinary psychics.


    Malorie stood up right away to wee the psychic. She said, ¡°Hello, may I know how to address


    you?¡±


    The psychic replied humbly, ¡°My name is Michael.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Michael,¡± greeted Malorie with a bright smile on, ¡°Pleasee in.¡±


    Michael nodded and entered.


    Henrick hurried along and said, ¡°Thank you foring to perform a seance for my daughter. I heard


    that it is inauspicious for parents and grandparents to be present when the seance is performed in the


    mausoleum. Is that true?¡±


    Michael shook his head and replied, ¡°That is not true. Everyone can stand at the side. The seance will


    be done soon.¡±


    ¡°Okay, sure,¡± replied Henrick as he nodded. He was considerate and asked, ¡°My wife just learned that


    she is pregnant. If you¡¯re free, would you mind doing a reading for the unborn babyter?¡±

 Chapter 609

    Chapter 609


    Cindy felt ufortable upon hearing that.


    She wasn¡¯t worried about Michael actually figuring anything out because she was a firm non¡ªbeliever.


    She saw psychicsas total conmen.


    In fact, she would neverspend a penny if she didn¡¯t want to put on a show.


    Hence, the reason she felt ufortable was because she had to make a heinous lie in front of her


    daughter¡¯s grave.


    Cindy regained her footing soon after, though.


    All this is done to chase Arielle away so that I can get my hands on Southall Group and revenge


    Shandie¡¯s death. I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t hate me for lying.


    Michael and two of his disciples were quick to set everything up and begin the seance.


    He had a bell with him and was chanting a spell.


    Michael never paused and spoke fluently, but Arielle caught a few words. She had read many books


    and


    some of them were religious books, which helped calm her down.


    He is chanting the Reincarno spell which is used to help ghosts get reincarnated.


    Arielle watched the seance and waited quietly at the side.


    Saving that sick patient hurt her, after all, so she had to sleep early that night. Only then would she


    have enough


    energy to go to school as usual and look for clues about the man in her mom¡¯s diary.


    About thirty minutester, Michael put the bell down. The seance was done.


    Henrick was eager to step up and ask, ¡°Michael, can you do a reading on the unborn child?¡±


    Michael nodded and replied, ¡°Of course. Mrs. Southall,


    please share your date of birth and the baby¡¯s due date with me.¡±


    Cindy nodded stiffly before she told Michael her date of birth and the supposed due date.


    Michael nodded before he got a few coins out of his pocket and started the reading.


    Malorie was concerned about the baby as well since it was her grandchild. She was quick to inch


    forward.


    It didn¡¯t take long before Michael paused. His expression was off at the time.


    Malorie asked, ¡°What is it? Is the baby going to be a boy? Will he grow up to be a sessful man?¡±


    Michael closed his eyes and shook his head.


    At first, Arielle nned on sneaking away when no one was looking, but she couldn¡¯t help pausing


    when she


    saw Michael shaking his head like that.


    When Malorie saw how Michael was shaking his head; she asked in an upset tone, ¡°Does that mean its


    a girl?


    She wasn¡¯t as excited about having another girl.


    The baby was her flesh and blood, after all, -so she was still happy, though. If I train her well, she might


    beable to get an amazing husband and our bloodline will live through her.


    However, Michael shook his head once more.


    Cindy was instantly nervous.


    Did he actually figure something out? No, that is not possible! These people are all conmen. There is


    no way he can actually learn anything from ghosts! Their so- called abilities are just fairy tales!


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Henrick got nervous, too. He couldn¡¯t help urging, ¡°Please say something.¡±


    Michael finally opened his eyes and slowly informed, ¡°I thought that I might¡¯ve made a mistake so I


    redid everything in my head earlier. The results are the same. Mr. Southall¡­ Have you gone to the


    hospital to get a check-up? Are you sure your wife is pregnant?¡±


    Cindy instantly turned pale. Her hands gripped her pants tightly.


    Arielle saw all that and couldn¡¯t help grinning.


    Huh¡­ I guess this guy might just be the real deal.

 Chapter 610

    Chapter 610


    It was the modern era, and mankind¡¯s knowledge had expanded exponentially. Heck, just some time


    ago, someone discovered a habitable.


    Despite all that progress, there were still some things that science could not exin.


    Perhaps magic was real, and there were some ways to foresee soineone¡¯s future.


    There were all kinds of fortune-telling methods all around the world, such as palm reading and tarot


    cards.


    Perhaps not everything was a con.


    Henrick never noticed how Cindy was acting weird. He simply nodded firmly and added, ¡°Of course


    we¡¯re sure! We just got back from the hospital this afteinoon. Why


    are you asking this?¡±


    Michael tsked and stroked his beard before saying, ¡°Then that is truly strange. Your wife is not destined


    to


    have another child.¡± Henrick frowned right away.


    Even Malorie couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Did the hospital make a mistake?¡±


    Cindy was so scared that she didn¡¯t even dare to breathe too loudly. She bit her lips and stopped


    talking entirely.


    She regretted her decision then and there. I slioulcl¡¯vc just hired someone offthe streets. Why did I


    have to hire the famous Michael?


    Henrick, however, insisted, ¡°It¡¯s not possible! There is


    no mistake. The pregnancy strip might¡¯ve been faulty, but the hospital confirmed the pregnancy, so it


    can¡¯t


    have been wrong. Michael, do you mind doing another reading? I can share my birth date with you as


    well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary,¡± replied Michael as he waved his hand and added, ¡°Unborn babies¡¯ readings are


    based on the mother¡¯s birth dates. The father¡¯s birth date would not help. If the hospital has already


    confirmed the pregnancy, then perhaps I am just exhausted from the seance and can¡¯t get an urate


    reading anymore. There is one other possibility, though.¡±


    ¡°What could that be?¡± asked Henrick hurriedly.


    ¡°The baby might not survive the pregnancy. That would result in a simr reading.¡±


    Cindy sighed a breath of relief immediately and instinctively blurted, ¡°That must be it!¡±


    Henrick and Malorie couldn¡¯t help turning to Cindy and staring strangely.


    That was when Cindy noticed that her behavior was off. No mother would be so certain and firm when


    others said that their unborn baby will die in the womb.


    Hence, she quickly added, ¡°But it¡¯ll all change if! rest well and protect the baby, right?¡±


    Michael nodded and replied, ¡°Perhaps. We¡¯ll have to see howte ys out. For now, you should locus


    on


    resting up.¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Cindy sighed a breath of relief. She felt like paying ten times the regr fee was worth it.


    Still¡­ It seems it¡¯s a little difficult to control him. I can¡¯t afford to waste any more time. I will not pay all


    that money for naught, and I can¡¯t let Arielle stay. If she


    does, she will eventually discover that my pregnancy is fake!


    Thinking about that prompted Cindy to ask, ¡°By the way, what else can you tell us and help us with?


    Perhaps the geomancy of the ce or if there is any bad luck?¡±


    At first, Malorie was worried about how the baby might die in the womb, but hearing those words


    reminded her of why she had Cindy hire Michael in the first ce.


    We have to chase that Arielle out of here.


    Malorie was quick to chime in, ¡°That¡¯s true. You¡¯re here anyway, so please help us see if there is


    anything wrong with the aura in the house. To be honest, two of our young had passed away in thest


    month. I can¡¯t bear to lose another child or grandchild again.¡±

 Chapter 611

    Chapter 611


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Please take a look around. I can pay even more if that is what is needed,¡± added Cindy.


    She also


    winked at Michael from an angle that no one else could see.


    ¡°Oh,¡± replied Michael, ¡°The geomancy of the ce is


    actually great, but a malicious aura had engulfed the ce these past few months.¡±


    Hearing those words got Henrick¡¯s expression to take a


    sharp change. He quickly asked, ¡°Is there any way to learn the cause of the issue or just solve it


    directly?¡±


    ¡°There is a way to solve it, and I have already learned the cause. A cursed child hade to your


    ce in thest few months. All you have to do is find the child and


    chased the person out of here. Everything will be fine after that.¡±


    Cindy grinned but quickly hid it away. She put on an anxious expression beforementing, ¡°So that¡¯s


    why? No wonder my Shandie suddenly did the extreme even though she has been fine all this while.¡±


    Hearing those words allowed Arielle to understand what was going on. No wonder Cindy suddenly


    hired a psychic despite never being superstitious. So she¡¯sing after me, huh?


    Arielle¡¯s expression turned grim, but she had already nned ahead and knew what she would do.


    At worst. I will just leave the Southall residence. Everything is more or less prepared, anyway, and It¡¯s


    time Southall Group changes its name.


    Henrick frowned so deeply that he could kill a fly with his brows.


    He asked, ¡°Can you help us locate that person? Our family has hired many new housekeepers this


    month, so there has been quite a change.¡±


    Cindy tugged at Henrick and reminded, ¡°Rick, you¡¯re not listening closely enough. Michael said that the


    vile aura started engulfing us a few months ago, so it¡¯s not about what happened this month. It


    happened earlier.¡±


    Michael responded by nodding and replying, ¡°That¡¯s true. The dark aura has been around for a while.


    By my calction, it has been around for two months.¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Cindy urged Henrick, ¡°Rick, think carefully. Did we hire anyone two months ago? If so, who is it?¡±


    ¡°Two months ago¡­¡± murmured Henrick.


    He soon came to a conclusion. Arielle came back two months ago, and no one else came to us during


    that time! Could it be? Is Arielle the source of all this bad luck?


    Fear engulfed Henrick.


    Many had truly happened since Arielle returned.


    First. there was an explosion in Southall Group¡¯s building. Then, Shandie killed licrsell¡±¡­ Did all that


    happen because of Arielle?


    Henrick couldn¡¯t help shifting his gaze to Arielle, who was standing at the side.


    She had beautiful eyes, and her figure was stunning. Her aura and facial feature were also perfect.


    Beauty like that was extremely rare in J adeborough, even among the models.


    The old fables had always pointed out how evil pixies and malicious ghosts were exceptionally


    beautiful. It seemed that Arielle was too stunning and borderline


    unholy.


    Goosebumps rose all over Henrick¡¯s arm, but he was still hesitant and refused to believe that Arielle


    was the


    cause of the bad luck.


    No one else was aware of it, but Henrick knew that Arielle and Vinson were already married. That, in


    effect, meant that Arielle could be a money-making device that generates uncountable profit.


    Cindy could tell that Henrick was swaying as well, so she pushed, ¡°Rick, think hard about it. Michael


    said that I¡¯m not supposed to have another child, but I am undoubtedly pregnant. Maybe Michael¡¯s


    reading is only offausc that unlucky person is bringing harm to the baby. Chasing that person away


    could mean that our son will be born safely!¡±

 Chapter 612

    Chapter 612


    The word son hit a bull¡¯s eye.


    Henrick had spent so much effort overtaking the Moores¡® immense wealth and chasing the Moores


    away. It took him so much to have everything.


    However, humans were fragile and would die eventually. It didn¡¯t matter if Arielle would be the wife of


    Nightsliire Group¡¯s CEO. The fact was that Arielle would never take Henrick¡¯s surname.


    She might help build my wealth, but that money would be meaningless if there was no one to inherit my


    legacy. I don¡¯t want to waste all my effort just to die and liave no one visit my grave.


    I want an heir!


    At the end of the day, daughters simply aren¡¯t as important as sons.


    Henrick gritted his teeth. He had ripped the baiidage off and made his decision then.


    He called out, ¡°Sannie.¡±¡¯


    Arielle could see the change in llenrick¡¯s eyes. She grinned and seemed sweet and innocent when she


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    asked, ¡°What is it, l):id¡¯?¡±


    Henrick couldn¡¯t i¡¯e:illy spunk when he saw the iiiiioceiici: in her eyes.


    He loved Arielle, but¡­ it¡¯s too hzid .?;he¡¯s :1 girl.


    lips parted and ordered, ¡°You will move out of the house today. I have a condo in Jadeborough, and


    you can live there for now. Return after you have graduated. That ce is closer to the university, so


    it¡¯d be more convenient for you.¡±


    Arielle deliberately put on a surprised and heartbroken expression before she asked, ¡°Dad, why are


    you making me move? I just found you, and I don¡¯t want to leave.¡±


    Henrick sighed and replied, ¡°Silly girl, I am only doing all this so that things are more convenient for


    you. Besides, your Aunt Cindy is pregnant, so it¡¯d be bad if you identally scared her. You can return


    after you graduate, okay?¡±


    At the end of the day, Henri ck was reluctant to give up a profit¡ªmaking machine like Arielle.


    Cindy frowned at the side.


    She wanted Henrick to disown Arielle entirely instead of just sending her away for a little while.


    Hence, Cindy put on a surprised expression and blurted like she was saying it for Arielle¡¯s sake. She


    asked, ¡°Rick, you don¡¯t think that the person bringing bad luck into the house is Sannie, do you?¡±


    Henrick looked awkward.


    He didn¡¯t want to verbtilize it, but Cindy had made that impossible.


    Thetter acted as if she never noticed Henrick¡¯s expression and deliberately added, ¡°Now that you


    mention it, the bad luck had started happening after she came home¡­¡±


    Malorie was more direct and stated, ¡°I knew it. She is a cursed child! Why bother letting her stay in the


    condo? Just send her back to the vige where she came from!¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡±ined Henrick hesitantly. He didn¡¯t want to do that.


    Why would I throw away a profit¡ªmaking machine?


    Cindy could tell that Henrick was swaying, so she decided to give him the final push.


    She turned to Michael and asked, ¡°Look, we found the person who brought the bad luck. Tell us, will


    everything be okay once she moves out? Or¡­ will the family have to disown herpletely?¡±


    Cindy might¡¯ve been asking the question, but her eyes glowed in a way that demanded that Michael get


    Henrick to disown Arielle.


    Michaelplied and nodded before saying, ¡°Moving out is not good enough. The effects of bad luck


    will


    remain. You must break off all rtions with her entirely. Only then will the vile aura dissipate.¡±


    Henrick was stunned. I-lisjaw dropped.


    That means I have to disown Ariellepletely¡­


    ¡®¡® Hearing the psychic¡¯s words prompted Malorie to I¡¯ demand, ¡°What the hell are you waiting for, Rick?


    her right now!¡±

 Chapter 613

    Chapter 613


    Henrick was swaying earlier and was hesitant to give up


    i on a profit~making machine like Arielle. However, he


    had made his decision then.


    Wealthis nothingpared to having a son. I have to have an heir to inherit everything and carry on


    my


    legacy.


    Henrick turned to Arielle and looked deeply into her eyes before saying, ¡°You heard what he said,


    Sannie. I have no el1oice.You are a good daughter, and I am sure


    you understand, i¡®igl1t?¡±


    Arielle didn¡¯t bother putting on an act anymore. An icy aura exuded from her asisheaslciedi, ¡°Dad, are


    you disowning me just because aipsychie said to do so?¡±


    Henrick¡¯s expression stiffened, but he eventually


    nodded and imed, ¡°I have wronged you, Sannie, but don¡¯t worry. I will give you a sizeable sum so


    that you can graduate from your university without facing any problems. You will also be able to find a


    great job with that university¡¯s qualification. It¡¯s just¡­ You will have to deal with everything on your own


    after that.¡±


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Arielle was quiet for a moment. She truly didn¡¯t anticipate that to happen.


    I haven¡¯t finished what I came here to do or exact my revenge. Yet. he is chasing me out of the house.


    Cindy was ecstatic when she saw the look on Arielle¡¯sce.


    Once Arielle is cut: off from lrielt and leaves the Southall residence. I will get Muttliiits to send


    someone to finish her ofplctcly. She will not drztw another breath after tliat. Finally. I can avenge


    Slmiidie¡®s death! I am so stupid. Why didn¡¯t I think of this earlier?


    Still, the timing is perfect this time. Malorie is on my side, and my fake pregnancy is pushing llenrick to


    disown Arielle entirely.


    Cindy didn¡¯t bother hiding anymore. She was borderline gloating when she said, ¡°Yeti can pack your


    things and leave now. You are not allowed to take anything out of the house. but you can have a few


    outfits. That way. you will at least have some clothes to wear.¡±


    Malorie was even crueler. She growled, ¡°What elotltcs¡®? She can leave in the outfit she has on rigl-it


    now. You cursed child. Get out of this house right away!¡±


    Just before Arielle spoke up, Michael said. ¡°l\/lrs. Southall, I have said everything you asked me to say.


    When can I expect to receive the piiyinent you promised?¡±


    Cindy was stunned. She stared at Michael in i.lisho|ii.¡¯l¡¯.


    Arielle was surprised as well.


    I-isn¡¯t he on Cindy¡¯s side? Why is he suyiiig all this now¡®?


    Henrick. was quiet for it few inoineiils. llc ll¡®t)Wllt.¡®ll in confusion before he asked. ¡°l\/licliitcl, what do you


    mean? What did Cindy ask you to say?¡±


    Cindy panicked and replied, ¡°I will pay you now. Let¡¯s talk outside, Michael.¡±


    Unfortunately for her, Henrick grabbed her arm and


    stopped her before she could get Michael out of the ce;


    Henrick insisted, ¡°Please rify everything you said earlier, Michael.¡±


    Michael stroked his beard and replied calmly, ¡°Your wife promised to pay me ten times my usual fee if I


    were to say that someone isbringing bad luck to your house.¡¯ She also said to im that the person


    came to the ce two months ago. I have done everything as requested. Please pay up.¡±


    Cindy was stunned, and Malorie¡¯s expression was just as terrible.


    Malorie never knew that Cindy asked the psychic to say all that. The former truly thought that Arielle


    was the source of all bad luck. Hearing all that got surprised to don her aging face as well.


    ¡°Cindy Moore!¡± growled Henrick angrily as he red at Cindy, ¡°So you are the one who asked Michael


    to say all that bullsh*t!¡±

 Chapter 614

    Chapter 614


    Henrick¡¯s fury was beyond words and description.


    Arielle was the perfect profit¡ªmaking machine, and Henrick would never have chased her away if the


    psychic never said anything about her bringing bad luck.


    ¡°Rick¡­¡±


    Cindy could see how angry Henrick was, and she got so scared that she almost fell.


    Fortunately, Malorie was there to stop her from falling. The former reminded, ¡°Cindy, be careful.¡±


    Malorie red angrily over before repriinanding, ¡°Rick, why are you being so harsh to Cindy? Have you


    forgotten that she is pregnant with my grandson?¡±


    Henrick was about to swing over and p Cindy across her face, but hearing those words stopped him.


    I fC indy wasn¡¯t pregnant with Henrick¡¯s son, he mi ght¡¯ve just divorced her on the spot.


    Henrick bit down and thought about Arielle. He reached out to hold her hand before apologizing, ¡°This


    is all my fault, Sannie. I bought your Aunt Cindy¡¯s lie. I would never have chased you out otherwise.¡±


    Henrick changed his stance fastc1¡¯ll1an a fish could die in the desert. What¡¯s worse was that he didn¡¯t


    think he was wrong at all. Malorie, however, panicked.


    ¡°Rick, you can¡¯t let her stay. I don¡¯t like her, so you must chase her away!¡±


    ¡°Mom! You don¡¯t understand anything, so please stop butting in on this matter,¡±ined Henrick in


    frustration.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m the one who doesn¡¯t understand anything? Hah! There is definitely something bad about her.


    You have never spoken to me in that disrespectful tone before shees around. Besides, I believe


    that she brings bad luck, even though Michael only said all that after Cindy paid him.¡±


    Malorie¡¯s words reminded Henrick of something important.


    I can ask him to read Arielle¡¯s fortune for real.


    ¡°Michael,¡± said Henrick as he let go of Arielle¡¯s hand and turned to the psychic. Henrick asked, ¡°Can


    you do a real reading for my daughter? I will pay you ten times what was offered.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s gaze shifted to Michael.


    She couldn¡¯t deny that she had a good feeling about the guy, and it wasn¡¯t just because he didn¡¯t do as


    Cindy asked. He also had a clean, holy aura around him.


    Hence, Arielle stepped forward and offered, ¡°Okay, please read my fortune.¡±


    Michael was quiet for a few seconds before he nodded and said, ¡°I like your aura, so I will do it for


    free.¡±


    Michael asked for Arielle¡¯s date of birth and had her show him her palm.


    About ten minutester, Michael shifted his gaze to


    Arielle and stared in astonishment. He asked, ¡°W-who are you?¡±


    Arielle was confused and asked, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Michael checked the reading again and replied, ¡°I can¡¯t see your future because it¡¯s all a nk to me,


    but the


    readings are clear as day. You are blessed by an angel, and your future is ¡®infinitely bright!¡±


    Arielle didn¡¯t believe in what Michael was saying and assumed that he was just helping her out.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Hence, she grinned appreciatively and replied, ¡°I hope that¡¯s true, then.¡±


    Henrick¡¯s eyes bulged in surprise when he heard everything from the side.


    Blessed by an angel! That means that she will definitely


    be the wife of Nightshire Group¡¯s CEO. Thank the heavens I didn¡¯t chase her out.


    Henrick held Arielle¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Ah, my precious daughter. I promise I will treat you well and will


    never leave you again. I won¡¯t let anyone hurt you either.¡±


    Arielle scoffed internally, but she put the perfect smile on her face.


    In the past, she saw Henrick as nothing but the sperm donor that allowed her mom to give her life.


    Arielle also saw the guy as the person who was only her father on paper. However, she had mentally


    cut Henrick offpletely at that moment.


    Naturally, Henrick had no one but himself to me for that.

 Chapter 615

    Chapter 615


    She had no choice but to continue staying here until she hadpletely settled the matters regarding


    Southall Group and Henrick¡¯s family.


    Thinking of that, Arielle reluctantly stretched out her hand to hold Henrick¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Dad, thank


    you for letting me stay. I¡¯1n really d. You¡¯re my only family member in this world, Dad.¡±


    Henrick¡¯s eyes reddened.


    Such a good kid! Why would I be deceived by Cindy and wanted to kick you out of the house?


    He nodded and patted Arielle on her shoulder. ¡°My good girl, it¡¯s my fault for letting you down. I assure


    you that this will never happen again.¡±


    Henrick¡¯s tone was firm when he said it. However, Arielle knew that Henrick was not one who would


    keep


    his promises. He might change his mind in the next second.


    Someone who was untrustworthy and selfish like him was undeserving of being called a father.


    Michael said that there were no sons in Cindy¡¯s life. That also meant that Michael had no sons too.


    ¡°Thank you, Dad.¡± Arielle showed him a warm smile, but it was cold in her heart.


    The smile on Arielle¡¯s face pierced through Cindy¡¯s eyes like a sword.


    She had not expected that the scheme that she had pttll¡®tSltll{lI1f._Il_\¡¯ put in ce with Malorie did not


    hurt Arielle even in the sliglttest. Instead. it had eatised Henrick to be mad at her.


    She hit her lips in fury. Vixen! Arielle is indeed a vixen!


    Suddenly, Cindy thought about the ¡°baby¡° in her stomach.


    The fake pregnancy would be revealed sooner orter. She might as well used this non-existent child


    to get Arielle out of the house.


    Since the psychic was unreliable, she could only rely on hcrscl t¡® now.


    Cindy had an idea in her mind. She put on an apologetic smile on her face and said to Arielle. ¡°hannie.


    1¡¯21: sorr_\¡® for treating you like that. l had really lost iuy mind. i was just too afraid that you would not


    be able to ace~ept the child in my stomach. Please t¡®orgi\¡¯=e me. I¡¯ll dctinitcly make it up for you in the


    future.¡°


    Arielle was stunned. ¡°What do you iueau by l wotiititri be able to ept the child in your :stotu:tclt¡®.¡¯ isn¡¯t


    that you who is unable to ept me¡®.¡±¡®


    something like Shandie to happen again¡­¡±


    Henrick frowned. He wanted to help Cindy to lecture Arielle, but he swallowed his words when he


    thought of what Michael said that Arielle was ¡°blessed by an angel.¡± He tried to be a peacemaker and


    said, ¡°Misunderstanding. It¡¯s just a misunderstanding. Misunderstanding will be eliminated eventually if


    the two of you get along well in the future.¡±


    Cindy was extremely unhappy, but she knew that she could not say anything else at this moment. She


    was so helpless that she turned her gaze to Malorie for help.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    However, when Cindy¡¯s gaze fell on Malorie, she saw Malorie sitting on the chair and panting.


    Cindy asked in shock. ¡°Mom, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡±


    Only then did Henrick notice that there was something wrong with Malorie. He hurried forward and


    asked, ¡°Mom, are you okay?¡±


    Malorie wanted to say that she was okay. However, once she opened her mouth, her chest hurt so


    much that she could not say a word.


    Seeing the scene, Alfred hurriedly said to Henrick, ¡°Mr. Southall, Mrs. Southall fell down from the stairs


    earlier today. Not sure if she hurt herself that time?¡±


    ¡°What? Why did you only tell me now? Get a car and go to the hospital now!¡± Henrick was startled and


    scolded Alfred. ¡°Yes,¡± answered Alfred and hurried away.


    Henrick carefully helped Malorie up and asked Cindy to stay home. With the assistance of the


    housekeeper, Malorie was carried and put into the car.

 Chapter 616

    Chapter 616


    Cindy was worried about Malorie. Malorie¡¯s prejudice


    against Arielle was due to Maureen, and such a prejudice would never disappear. Cindy knew that with


    the help of Malorie, it would be easier for her to kick Arielle out.


    However, when she said she wanted to go to the hospital, she was rejected by Henrick. ¡°Since the


    psychic has said so, you have to be more careful. You just stay home, and I¡¯ll take care of Mom.¡±


    Cindy bit her lower lip and said, ¡°Go to Rocher Private Hospital. Queenie is a very famous doctor there.


    If


    Mom¡¯s situationis not good, you must get her to see Mom.¡±


    Henrick nodded and looked at Arielle. ¡°Sannie, you stay at home too. You have ss tomorrow. Get


    some good rest at home.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Dad,¡± Arielle replied with a faint smile and sent Henrick off with her gaze.


    Right after Henrick left, Cindy¡¯s face darkened. She gave a cold nce at Michael and said, ¡°You¡¯re just


    a liar in my eyes, and I¡¯m not going to give you any money. Get out of my house right now!¡±


    The two disciples behind Michael wanted to step forward to argue with Cindy, but they were stopped by


    Michael. Michael said calmly, ¡°You don¡¯t need to get mad even if you don¡¯t trust me. Do you know how I


    can live until this age? That¡¯s because my heart is always as


    settled as still water. I hope you can get the gist of it too.


    As for the remuneration for the seance, I¡¯ll treat it as a gift for this youngdy.¡±


    Michael was referring to Arielle. Cindy¡¯s face darkened even more now. She chose to ignore Michael


    and entered the mansion.


    Arielle stepped forward and said politely to Michael, ¡°Thanks for not helping Cindy to harm me today,


    and also thanks for telling a lie for me. Thanks to your help, my Dad did not kick me out. If you need me


    for anything in the future, please do not hesitate to let me know. If your body is unwell, you cane to


    see me too. For the remuneration that Cindy refused to pay you, I¡¯ll pay. How much do you want?¡±


    The two disciples behind Michael chortled and said, ¡°Our master neverlies. The words that he said


    about you are also true.¡±


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Michael said lightly, ¡°I never lie. Youngdy, you have a very extraordinary life. You don¡¯t need to pay


    me for this time. Just take it as my goodwill.¡±


    Despite the seriousness in his tone, Arielle did not believe it. ¡°Thanks for your words. I don¡¯t believe in


    these, but thank you anyway.¡±


    Michael smiled and shook his head. ¡®¡®I don¡¯t me you for not believing me at such a young age.


    However, I have a few more words for you. Although your life is extraordinary and you¡¯re blessed by an


    angel, you will encounter many life and death disasters in the future. You need to be careful to have a


    smooth-sailing life.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Arielle bowed and passed a check to his two disciples. She then sent Michael off.


    Just when she was about to return to the manor, :1 low voice sounded, ¡°Arielle.¡±


    Arielle was shocked. She turned to look at the source ol the voice and saw Vinson in a shadowy corner.


    ¡°Vinson!¡± Her voice was filled with joy that she did not even feel.


    Vinson stepped out from the shadows and shone under the sun. He approached Arielle step by step.


    ¡°s. the matter about the psychic been resolved?¡±


    Hearing that, Arielle hesitated for a moment and said.


    ¡°Did you bribe Michael such that he wouldn¡¯t be on Cindy¡¯s side?¡±

 Chapter 617

    Chapter 617


    Vinson smiled and shook his head. ¡°You¡¯ve really underestimated Michael. Although I did call him, he


    made himself clear on the phone that he would not ept such dirty money. I was afraid that if I went


    inside, Henrick would suspect that I bribed Michael. So I decided to wait outside.¡±


    Arielle looked at the sun and said, ¡°You should¡¯vee in. It¡¯s scorching now. You will get a heat


    stroke.¡±


    Vinson raised his eyebrows. ¡°Can I take your words as a concern about me?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s back stiffened, but she made herself look as natural as possible and said lightly, ¡°Of course,


    we¡¯re


    friends! You¡¯re also my backer! Who else should I care about if not you?¡±


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    The light in Vinson¡¯s eyes vanished, but he put on a smile shortly after. ¡°Sure! Your backer can¡¯t


    copse. I have to take good care of you.¡±


    Suddenly, Arielle remembered that she had something to deal with. ¡°Backer, I need your help.¡±


    ¡°Say it! Even if you want the stars in the sky, I will get them for you,¡± said Vinson.


    Arielle blushed unconsciously. She red at Vinson and said, ¡°Can you be more serious? I mean


    business here!¡±


    ¡°What can I do for you?¡± said Vinson again in a serious tone this time.


    Arielle took out a transparent stic bag from her pocket and it was filled with something dark inside.


    Vinson took it over and asked curiously.


    Arielle frowned and said. ¡°This is the herb that Matthias let Cindy drink every day when she was


    hospitalized. I used my rtionship with Carter to ask the nurse to help me to get the herb residue and


    the cup. However, Matthias was very cautious. and he would take away the residue and the cup every


    time. Luckily, both of them forgot about this on the day when Cindy was discharged. 1 went to the


    hospital before I came home


    just to get this.¡±


    ¡°Cindy was not really sick that time. It was impossible that she needed herbal remedies. Can¡¯t you tell


    what


    herb this is?¡±


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this before. But I believe this is most probably from


    Manchernius. Besides, my people also found out that Matthias went to Manchernius a few weeks ago.


    So, can you help me to find out what herb is this? There are too many poisons in Manchernius, and my


    people are not familiar with these. I don¡¯t want to get my adoptive parents involved too. So¡­ I have no


    choice but to ask for your help.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Vinson promised. ¡°Toni and Andy¡¯s funeral will be held tomorrow. After the funeral, I¡¯ll


    send ke and Sasha there to investigate. They¡¯ve been there many times. I think it is not difficult for


    them to lind out what herb is this.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, my backer.¡±


    Vinson smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t ept any verbal gratitude. It would be better if you can buy me dinner.¡±


    ¡°Ravioli?¡±


    Vinson nodded. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll pick you up after school tomorrow.¡±


    Just then, Vinson¡¯s phone rang. It was a call from the Specialized Forces.


    ¡°Hold on a minute! I need to take a call.¡±


    Arielle nodded. Vinson did not walk away and just answered the call on the spot.


    However, Arielle could only hear Vinson. ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll rush over now.¡±


    After Vinson hung up the phone, Arielle spoke up first. ¡°Go ahead. I have nothing else here.¡±


    Vinson nodded. ¡°Alright. It¡¯s about Soir Coffee. Do you still remember Kelsea? It was her father,


    Howard who nned all this. However, the Specialized Forcesjust found out from Howard that it was


    Kelsea who came out with the idea.¡±

 Chapter 618

    Chapter 618


    ¡°Kelsea? She¡¯s really a tough one!¡± Arielle was a little surprised.


    Vinson raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°I know right? But this time she won¡¯t even have the chance to


    cause


    trouble anymore. Do you wannae with me?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m exhausted already. I want to rest at home.¡± Arielle shook her head.


    Vinson nodded and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going now. Rest well, and call me if anything happens.¡±


    He had been repeating this for so many times.


    Arielle let out a heartfelt smile. ¡°Okay.¡±


    She used to answer it perforily as she did not want to bother Vinson. However, now she felt that it


    was not too bad to have a backer after all.


    Vinson had arrived at the Special Detention Center of the Specialized Forces.


    The prisoners could not be tortured in other ces, except by the Specialized Forces. The Specialized


    Forces was a special squad that was formed outside the system of Chanaea, and it was managed


    directly by the


    top people. When necessary, they could torture the prisoners.


    The condition at the Special Detention Center was extremely bad.


    Vinson could feel the coldness and humidity as soon as he entered the ce.


    The nearer he was to the cell, the stronger was the bloody smell.


    The people of the Specialized Forces dared not bring Vinson to the cell. Thus. they led Howard to the


    interrogation room instead.


    Both his hands and legs were shackled, making it ditficttlt to walk.


    He raised his head and saw a familiar person who was sitting in the interrogation room.


    The person¡¯s face was handsome but cold. Who else could it he ifitis not Vinson¡®?


    l~loward widened his eyes in shock.


    ¡°l-l¡ªl¡®low did you get in¡®? This is not a ce that you cane and go freely. Get out of here now!¡±


    It¡® it were not for V inson, his only daughter would not be detained in the cell until now.


    He had liigli hopes for Kelsea. However, even if she \\¡±;I.\¡± released now, she could never wipe away


    the fact that she had been imprisoned bet¡®ore. Her life had been mined. Howard was stunned and


    horrified.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    The Specialized Forces would not do things for money. It was almost impossible for irrelevant people to


    enter the Special Detention Center.


    Betbre Howard could speak. a member of the Specialized Forces gave a strong kick at his calf. ¡°Plow


    elm you talk to our Captain like this?¡±


    Howard was stunned again. It took him some time to finally find his voice. ¡°W-What did you just say?


    He¡­ He is your Captain?¡±


    It was rumored that the Captain of the Specialized Forces did not exist as he had never shown up.


    How did Vinson suddenly be their Captain? The Specialized Forces deal especially with the upper


    echelons and the mobs. How could someone from the upper echelon be their Captain?


    ¡°Captain. do you need me to teach him a lesson?¡± asked the member.


    Vinson waved his hand and said. ¡°Save your energy. \\¡¯here are the people¡®? Are they arriving soon?¡±


    The member nodded. ¡°I just received a call just now. saying that they will arrive in three minutes. I think


    they should be at the entrance by now.¡±


    Just as he finished speaking, footsteps were heard coining. from outside.


    Before Howard came back to his senses. he heard Kelsezfs screams. ¡°Let me go! I did not do anything


    serious. Why did you bring me here? Let me go! Please!¡±


    Kelsea knew that if she was detained in an ordinary prison. she would be released one day. .However.


    if it was the Special Detention Center, she would have to spend the rest of her life here.


    Howard was in aplete shock to hear Kelseas voice.


    The next second, Kelsea was forcibly escorted in.


    Both of them looked at each other, unable to speak a word.

 Chapter 619

    Chapter 619


    Kelsea was even more astonished than Howard when she saw him.


    She had been in jail this whole time and was hence unaware of all the happenings outside. Moreover,


    she


    also did not know about the failure of the n that she had taught Howard.


    The reason Kelsea had been unable to get out of jail was that Vinson refused to relent at all.


    It was her n to use Soir Coffee to cause trouble in Nightshire Group so that Vinson would not have


    the time nor mental space to look into her matters. By then, she could get out of prison and seek


    revenge on Arielle.


    Thest thing she had expected was to see her own father at the Specialized Forces¡® Special


    Detention Center.


    On top of that, her father¡¯s limbs were all chained up, making him look more pathetic than she already


    did.


    Kelsea was instantly stupefied.


    Meanwhile, when Howard saw Kelsea, his hatred for


    Vinson vanished immediately. Only fear and shock were left in his heart.


    He was fine with being here. As long as Kelsea could get out of here, he was confident that the


    Morgans would be able to regain their former glory. But s. who would have thought that Kelsea


    would be in here too¡®?


    Suddenly, Howard lost all hope and even all will to live.


    One¡¯s pride and ego would vanishpletely at one¡¯s most deste moment.


    Suddenly, he recalled that the men addressed someone called ¡°Captain Nightshire.¡± Instantly, he fell to


    his knees with a thud as he begged Vinson fervently, ¡°Please Mr. Nightshire, I beg of you. Yes, I had


    overestimated myself. How dare I bring you so much trouble? I know I am wrong. I truly do! I cannot


    hope for your forgiveness, but my only wish is for you to release my daughter. She is still young, and


    she can¡¯t possibly spend the rest of her life in here!¡±


    It was only then¡° did Kelsea realize that Vinson was here too. I


    At the same time, she also noticed that the Specialized Forces were very respectful toward Vinson.


    What is going on? She waspletely confused.


    But before Kelsea could gather her thoughts, Howard


    crawled toward her and pulled her down to her knees in front of Vinson as well.


    Instantly, Kelsea fell to the ground awkwardly next to Howard.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Dad, you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Come on, beg Mr. Nightshire to release you! Otherwise, you will never get out of here in your lifetime!¡±


    Kelsea came to her senses at once.


    No! I can¡¯t spend the rest of my life here!


    That thought made her abandon all her sense of dignity and any semnce of feelings for Vinson.


    Kelsea sobbed as she implored, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, I don¡¯t want to be locked up here for the rest of my life.


    I swear that I


    will never appear in front of you ever again after I get out. For the sake of Carter, please let me go!¡±


    Vinson smirked. ¡°Carter? Apart from me, Carter is the one who hates you the most. You can forget


    about using him.¡±


    Kelsea was taken aback. How could Carter be so cruel? Yet soon, she was no longer surprised. If he


    really cared


    about our familial rtionship, I wouldn¡¯t have been locked up for so long!


    He¡¯d never even thought about helping me at all!


    ¡°I¡­¡± Kelsea bit her lip and hung her head low. ¡°I¡¯m


    sorry, and I will no longer try to scheme against you. Please forgive me this time.¡±


    Vinson was already getting restless, so he merely stood up and spat out coldly, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte.¡±


    What¡¯s the point of an apology now?


    Based on Vinson¡¯s expression, Kelsea knew very well that there was no way he would release her now.


    With hatred coursing through her veins, she stood up andshed out at Vinson, ¡°I have done nothing


    wrong at all. My father is in here, so the matter at the coffee shop


    definitely would not have seeded. Why are you hell¡ª bent on pushing me to the edge?¡±

 Chapter 620

    Chapter 620


    Kelsea truly did not understand why Vinson had to he so brutal.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Both of their families had been friends for decades. So what if she had done wrong in this matter about


    Soir Coffee? She did not seed after all. So why was Vinson so set on watching them fall off the cliff?


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand this at all. What grudges do you


    have against me that made you do this to me?¡± Kelsea sobbed bitterly.


    Pausing for a moment, his eyes then flirted across her face and said calmly, ¡°That is because you have


    offended someone you shouldn¡¯t have.¡±


    Kelsea still did not get it. ¡°I know I should not have schemed against you, and I already know my


    mistake. As long as you release me, I will repay all of your losses. I can even give you half of my family


    fortune.¡°


    Howard, who was beside Kelsea. nodded profusely.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. In fact, I can give you e\¡¯er}ahing that I have as long as you release my daughter.¡±


    Nheless, Vinson chuckled and sniggered. ¡°You¡¯re


    both wrong. It doesn¡¯t matter whether you offend me. I don¡¯t bear grudges at all.¡±


    Upon that. Kelsea was even more confused.


    ¡°Then why are you¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence. she suddenly


    realized something. Her heart thumped as she recalled someone.


    She then continued with hesitation. ¡°You are doing all these because of¡­ Arielle?¡±


    Vinson raised his eyebrow and shed her a cold yet caring smile.


    However, Kelsea knew that that caring smile was not for her.


    Vinson said calmly, ¡°I could have forgiven you on the ount of the Morgans if I were the one that you


    had offended. However, when ites to her, I¡¯m sorry, but you have offended the wrong person. I will


    never let go of anyone who tried to hurt her!¡±


    His actions against the Morgans were not because of


    Soir Coffee, but simply because Kelsea had setup a trap for Arielle.


    Instantly, Kelsea¡¯s face turned a deathly pale.


    While her conjecture was urate, she suddenly felt as if she was drenched in a bucket of icy-cold


    water. At the same time, she was angry and indignant.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t deserve you!¡± Kelsea cried out loud. No matter how much Howard tried to stop her, she


    was unwavering and continued shouting, ¡°She is just a country bumpkin. No matter how much you like


    her, you cannot change the fact that you are out of her


    league.¡± Vinson¡¯s eyes darkened.


    However, his voice sounded the same as he said calmly,


    ¡°So, you are the one who decides whether someone is worthy of me?¡±


    Kelsea nearly bit through her lips.


    Ugh! Is this how much Vinson likes Arielle?


    However, Vinson did not want to spend any more time on these two. He came over here personally just


    to make sure that they were held in custody.


    ¡°Shut them up separately, and don¡¯t let them see each other ever again,¡± he said while he left.


    The Specialized Forces said respectfully, ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Just as Vinson was about to leave, Kelsea cried out desperately, ¡°There is no way you two can ever be


    together. Mrs. Nightshire will never agree to this!¡±


    Vinson stopped in his tracks. Finally, he turned his head around, and his dark eyes met Kelsea¡¯s. He


    then said, ¡°You may not know this, but Arielle and I are already married. We will spend the rest of our


    lives together


    happily.¡±


    Hearing that, Kelsea widened her eyes, and her lips turned pale.


    ¡°No! That¡¯s impossible!¡± she shrieked as blood dripped from the corner of her eyes. She was indeed a


    pathetic sight to behold.


    However, this time, Vinson did not stop at all and merely walked away quickly.

 Chapter 621

    Chapter 621


    At the Southall residence¡­


    Arielle did not know what had happened to Kelsea and Howard, but she knew that Vinson would not let


    them off easily.


    For some reason, she began to feel better.


    However, when she was back in the mansion, she saw Cindy looking at her triumphantly as she


    sneered, ¡°I was wondering what that quack was talking about when he said that you were some


    blessed woman. Turns out Vinson has been helping you out.¡±


    Cindy had turned around unintentionally when she left. At that moment, she saw Vinson walking up to


    Arielle. However, she did not stop long enough to eavesdrop on their conversation.


    Arielle raised her eyebrows. ¡°You can think whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Hoho,¡± Cindy sniggered as she continued, ¡°don¡¯t think that you are set for life just because you are


    with Mr. Nightshire now. Men are all cruel yboys. Let¡¯s see who else you can rely on next when this


    one finally gets bored with you!¡±


    Arielle just wanted to ignore Cindy. As it was still early, she nned to grab some dinner and have an


    earlier night.


    Seeing that Arielle was disregarding her, Cindy stood up in annoyance. ¡°Arielle! I see that you¡¯re still so


    ignorant, aren¡¯t you? A life was lost in Soir Coffee, and it¡¯s under the Nightshire Group. There is no way


    Soir Coffee can continue its operations, and this will definitely affect Nightshire Group¡¯s share price.


    There is also something else that you don¡¯t know about. Vinson¡¯ste father still has a brother who is


    the secondrgest shareholder of Nightshire Group. Vinson may leave his position as CEO due to this


    incident.¡±


    As soon as Cindy finished saying that, triumph began to appear on her face once again.


    She continued calmly, ¡°Even if he continues to like you for the rest of his life, without his position as the


    CEO of Nightshire Group coupled with his offensive character, he will not be able to take care of


    himself, let alone you. I¡¯d say that you should know what¡¯s good for you and apologize to me soon. I


    may be able to forgive you after all.¡±


    Right then, Arielle stopped in her tracks.


    Cindy¡¯s smile deepened as she continued, ¡°You see, I don¡¯t really have to throw you out. As long as


    you are obedient, I can still¡­ tolerate your presence.¡±


    With Arielle¡¯s beauty, she would have no problem trying to persuade the few shareholders from


    Southall Group.


    However, there was a little smile on Arielle¡¯s face when she turned around.


    Cindy instantly looked frosty.


    ¡°Did you not hear me? I am not joking, alright?¡±


    A slow smile appeared on Arielle¡¯s face as she said calmly, ¡°Looks like you still haven¡¯t quite caught up,


    Aunt Cindy. The incident at Soir Coffee has already been taken care of. In fact, sales are through the


    roof, and Vinson is busy handling all the shareholders and also the different Soir Coffee branches that


    are popping up like mushrooms across the top tier cities in Chanaea.¡±


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Cindy widened her eyes. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?¡±


    With a firm gaze, Arielle shrugged. ¡°Go and find out more if you don¡¯t believe me. Anyway, I¡¯m


    exhausted, so I¡¯m going to get some rest.¡±


    She had lost all appetite after talking to Cindy. Hence, she was nning to head straight to bed.


    Ignoring Cindy, she headed for the staircase and soon disappeared around the corner.


    Cindy, on the other hand, was still thinking about Arielle¡¯s words, and disbelief was written all over her


    face.


    How could Nightshire Group keep such a huge issue under wraps?


    This is impossible!


    However, she still fished out her phone and began searching for Soir Coffee¡¯s press conferences.

 Chapter 622

    Chapter 622


    Cindy only managed to watch half of the press conference.


    However, she could clearly feel that throughout the press conference, both the manager of Soir Coffee


    and Vinson were thoroughly interrogated by the media.


    She did not know what happened after that.


    Regardless, Cindy¡¯s fingers flew across her keyboard, and she immediately found the video of the Soir


    Coffee press conference.


    This was an edited video that contained only the highlights of the press conference.


    In the beginning, the media had interrogated the manager so much that his face turned a horrendous


    green. However, the recovering customer actually appeared and confessed that he had purposely done


    this tond Soir Coffee in trouble.


    The reporter did not believe him and continued questioning. This time, they brought up Howard.


    After that, there was evidence about the fund transfers.


    With all the evidence, Howard had no choice but to confess. He was then brought away by the


    Specialized Forces.


    Specialized Forces.


    This was enough to scare the rich and famous.


    No prominent family waspletely clean and innocent. The Specialized Forces were set up to target


    the prominent families and the gangs and could be said to be their greatest enemy.


    The moment the Specialized Forces appeared, nobody dared to question them any further. Finally, the


    troublemaking crowd and the journalists were all taken away by the police.


    This exins everything!


    Arielle did not react to my threats at all, simply because the matter with Soir Coffee was already settled!


    After watching the video, Cindy was so angry that she turned pale, her knees almost buckling.


    Her maid, Larissa, immediately supported her and asked her with feigned concern, ¡°Mrs. Southall, are


    you alright? Should I call the doctor?¡±


    Since Arielle had asked her to stay by Cindy¡¯s side as a spy, she, of course, had to y her role well.


    Cindy leaned against Larissa and steadied herself. She let out a huge sigh but could still feel the gloom


    surrounding her.


    ¡°There is no need.¡± She sat on the chair and nced at Larissa beforemanding her, ¡°Give Rick a


    call and ask him how Mom¡¯s d


    After all, she still needed Malorie¡¯s help to get rid of


    Arielle.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Larissa nodded and called Henrick.


    However, nobody picked up at all.


    ¡°Mrs. Southall, Mr. Southall didn¡¯t pick up,¡± Larissa reported.


    Cindy nodded in acknowledgement.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She did not think too much as it was but a fall. At the most, it would be a broken bone. There shouldn¡¯t


    be any huge problem. Henrick was probably busy handling the admission process right now.


    After that, Cindy instructed Larissa, ¡°Go to my bedside table and get the herbs from there. Steep the


    herbs for half an hour. These herbs are to help stabilize my pregnancy. Don¡¯t let anyone help, and don¡¯t


    let Arielle touch them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Southall.¡± Larissa bowed respectfully and prepared to head upstairs.


    Right then, Cindy suddenly realized that she was left with just a few people at the manor. Hence, it was


    imperative that she secure their loyalty.


    Hence, she called after Larissa and removed the diamond ne from her own neck before cing it


    in Larissa¡¯s hands. ¡°This ne is for you. Sell it and use the money for your child¡¯s treatment.¡±


    Larissa looked overjoyed and thanked her profusely after feigning rejection for a while.


    ¡°No need,¡± Cindy spoke in an unusually gentle tone. ¡°You are my subordinate, so your matters are


    mine too. As long as you are loyal to me, you don¡¯t have to worry about your child¡¯s illness.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Mrs. Nightshire!¡± Larissa thanked her and put the ne away before heading to get the


    herbs upstairs.


    However, instead of going down after taking the herbs, she went to Arielle¡¯s room.

 Chapter 623

    Chapter 623


    In the room, Arielle had just gotten ready for bed when there was a knock on her door.


    Expecting it to be Cindy seeking trouble again, Arielle opened the door impatiently only to find Larissa


    standing there.


    ¡°Larissa?¡± Arielle immediately looked left and right to make sure that there was nobody around them


    before she pulled her into the room.


    After they closed the door, Arielle said, ¡°Why are you here? Did anyone see you?¡±


    Larissa shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯ve checked. No one¡¯s around, so I came here.¡±


    She showed Arielle the herbs in her hands. ¡°This is the herbs that Mrs. Southall asked me to process


    for her. However, she refused to let anyone else take it apart from me. I thought it sounded suspicious,


    so I brought it here for you to take a look.¡±


    Arielle brought the herbs closer to her nose for a sniff. It smelled like the leftovers that she had taken


    from the psychiatric hospital.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Arielle returned the pack to Larissa and said, ¡°Go ahead and help her steep the herbs. From


    now on, remember not to look for me. If you want to contact me, just text me, so you don¡¯t raise Cindy¡¯s


    suspicions. I ced you undercover, so we must never let her find


    out.¡±


    Larissa nodded and said, ¡°Yes, I was too careless. Oh yes, and there was this too.¡±


    Then, Larissa fished out the ne and said, ¡°Mrs. Southall gave this to me.¡±


    Arielle took a look, and she identified it as a diamond ne from Bvlgari. It was probably worth


    about a hundred grand.


    She sniggered and yed with the ne for a while before saying, ¡°Who would have expected that


    Cindy would be so generous in her bid to gather people¡¯s loyalty? Go ahead and sell the


    ne. After your child recovers, you will still need money for other expenses.¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± Larissa said, ¡°I¡¯ve already taken enough from you, so how can I still take from Cindy? You are


    still young, and looking at this current situation, you need the money more than I do.¡±


    Arielle stuffed the ne into Larissa¡¯s pocket and said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have a little more


    money than you think I do. Just go ahead and sell the ne. Take this opportunity to experience the


    joy of earning two sries.¡±


    Larissa had no reply for that. After all, this waspletely unexpected.


    How much money could a young girl like her have?


    Of course, she never said all these out loud. All she


    knew was that Arielle was a good person, and she had to repay her someday.


    Then, Larissa did not dawdle any further and immediately went down to steep the herbs.


    Meanwhile, at the Rocher Private Hospital¡­


    Only the rich and famous could afford to visit this hospital, so it wasn¡¯t that crowded herepared to


    other hospitals.


    When Henrick arrived at the hospital, two nurses went forward to greet him, ¡°Which department are you


    heading to?¡±


    ¡°Emergency!¡± Henrick said anxiously. ¡°My mother says that she could not breathe, and she even


    fainted once on the way here. She has just regained consciousness and is still in the car. Bring a


    stretcher over to her!¡±


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When the nurses heard him, one ran off to grab a stretcher while the other immediately informed the


    doctors in the emergency ward.


    When Malorie was lifted onto the stretcher, she was already having breathing difficulties, and things did


    not look good at all.


    The doctor checked her while asking Henrick, ¡°What happened? What caused this?¡±¡¯


    ¡°My mother had a fall. The butler said it was just a slip. There weren¡¯t any big issues after that, but she


    began feeling ufortable about one hour after the fall.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Go ahead and pay the fees first while we bring her for a checkup.¡±


    Soon after that, the nurses and the medical staff busied themselves. Henrick could not help with


    anything, so he went to pay the fees.It was just a fall, right? How did it turn out this way?

 Chapter 624

    Chapter 624


    Rocher Private Hospital was very efficient. The moment Henrick finished paying the fees, the


    examination report was already out.


    The doctor said, ¡°The patient does not look good, and surgery is required. However, she is already old,


    and there is a lot of risk with the surgery. If you agree to it, please sign the responsibility waiver


    agreement here.¡±


    Hearing that, Henrick was perplexed.


    ¡°What do you mean? Why would a fall warrant a surgery? Was there a fracture?¡±


    The doctor shook his head then nodded. ¡°There was a broken bone, but that is just a minor issue. The


    main thing is that there are ruptured blood vessels in her body. And because she has hypertension, she


    is already experiencing internal bleeding as we speak.¡±


    Henrick immediately looked solemn.


    He really did not expect Malorie¡¯s little fall to be so serious. Half an hour ago, she just visited a


    psychic and now she suddenly had to undergo surgery.


    ¡°You¡¯re a family member, yes?¡± the doctor asked, ¡°Do you want her to undergo this surgery? If so,


    please sign here.¡±


    Henrick gritted his teeth and scrawled his signature on the paper before reminding the doctor, ¡°Please


    arrange the best surgeon for my mother. I will pay any amount.¡±


    Without her, there was no way he could manage the family business.


    Indeed, it made more money than the Southall Group now.


    The doctor nodded and arranged for the surgery immediately.


    They needed to do more in-depth examinations before the surgery, but the result made the doctor¡¯s


    face fall.


    They detected a more serious condition ¡ª there were issues with her heart as well.


    The nurse took a look at the report and told the doctor, ¡°There is an underlying condition with this


    patient¡¯s heart. When she fell, the ruptured vessel was near to the heart. Hence, this is going to be a


    veryplex surgery.¡±


    The doctor nodded and said, ¡°The heart may not necessarily be able to handle it if we do vascr


    surgery. She needs a heart transnt first before we can proceed with the surgery. However, if we


    don¡¯t operate now, she may not live to see tomorrow!¡±


    The nurse sighed and said, ¡°Where are we going to find a suitable heart on such short notice?¡±


    The doctor¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Don¡¯t we have the high-tech robotic pacemakers from Sann Group? If the


    family is willing to spend this amount, it will definitely make the operation easier, and the sess rate


    will be higher too.¡±


    The nurse smiled bitterly at the doctor, ¡°It¡¯s toote. Doctor, before you came in, the robotic


    pacemakers have already been used.¡±


    The nurse exined briefly the matter with Soir Coffee earlier in the day.


    With mixed emotions, the doctor said, ¡°In that case, I can only ask Dr. Ziegler and see if he is willing to


    take up this surgery.¡±


    ¡°In that case, you should go ahead. We will keep an eye on the patient.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    The doctor then hurried to Zachary¡¯s office. He exined the patient¡¯s condition to him while handing


    the report to him.


    Zachary took a close look and frowned. ¡°Even I can¡¯t do this surgery. The patient is too old, and it is too


    risky. If we had Sann Group¡¯s robotic pacemakers we might have a chance, but¡­¡±


    Zachary was getting more frustrated when he suddenly recalled Arielle¡¯s words.


    She said that as long as she could perform the surgery, she would supply the hospital with ten robotic


    pacemakers.


    At that, Zachary¡¯s eyes lit up, and he said, ¡°Wait for me while I make a phone call.¡±


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Even if I can¡¯t get the robotic pacemakers, I can still take the opportunity to tease that silly girl.I¡¯ll


    definitely feel better after that.

 Chapter 625

    Chapter 625


    Though Zachary did not believe Arielle could secure the robotic pacemakers, he was not worried about


    the patients either.


    The only reason he did that was so that he could vent his frustration.


    The surgery report of the customer of Soir Coffee had be a guide for various renowned hospitals,


    yet his name was not on it.


    Instead, the reputation of the other doctors, who had contributed nothing to the surgery, was positively


    boosted.


    He was the only exception because no one knew he had participated in the surgery.


    Though he had opted out of the surgery himself back then, he could not help but be regretful and bitter


    about it. As such, he targeted all of his resentment on Arielle.


    As he did not have Arielle¡¯s contact number, he resorted to calling Jadeborough Private Hospital¡¯s


    attending doctor back then to ask for her number.


    After learning about Zachary¡¯s intentions, the attending doctor hesitated before he said, ¡°Let me ask


    Ms. Moore about it. If she¡¯s willing to let you know her number, I¡¯ll pass it to you.¡±


    ¡°Please hurry then. There¡¯s still a patient in need of an operation.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    After hanging up the call, the doctor immediately made another call to Arielle.


    Meanwhile, Arielle had just fallen asleep when the phone rang. Luckily she woke up rather quickly


    since she was a light sleeper.


    When she saw the call, she epted the call without hesitation and asked, ¡°Is the patient suffering


    from after-effects?¡±


    She had left the attending doctor her contact number back then as she was worried that there might be


    seque.


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    The doctor¡¯s voice sounded from the other end of the call. ¡°That¡¯s not it. It¡¯s about something else, Ms.


    Moore. Do you happen to remember Dr. Ziegler?¡±


    Hearing that, Arielle sighed in relief. ¡°Yeah, what is it about him?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s an elderly patient admitted into his hospital who needs heart surgery. He mentions that you


    promised to gift him ten robotic pacemakers as long as he lets you be the chief surgeon of the


    surgery¡­¡±


    The doctor¡¯s voice gradually turned softer as he could not believe Arielle had that kind of capability.


    It¡¯s remarkable enough for a youngdy like her to have tremendous medical knowledge. How else


    would she be


    capable of purchasing ten of those devices? Besides, Sann Group consists of a bunch of very stubborn


    people. It¡¯ll take more than just mere cash toy their hands on those devices.


    The attending doctor then continued, ¡°I understand you¡¯ve done it out of concern for the patient back


    then. If it¡¯s not possible, I¡¯ll call him back and¡ª¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± Arielle muttered. ¡°I won¡¯t take back my words since I¡¯ve given my promise. Send me


    his address; I¡¯ll send it to him now.¡±


    Hearing Arielle¡¯s voice, the attending doctor did not pay too much attention and replied, ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll call


    him back to reject him. After all, his request is a little too much¡­ Wait¡­ What did you just say?¡±


    Arielle cleared her throat and repeated, ¡°You heard it right. Give me his address. I¡¯ll send them to him.¡±


    ¡°Oh my gosh!¡± The doctor was so shocked his voice turned hoarse.


    Judging from Arielle¡¯s tone, he figured she was not joking and immediately sent her the address before


    calling Zachary to inform him about it.


    On the other side, Zachary was waiting for the opportunity to mock Arielle for her incapability just so


    that he could vent his annoyance.


    Upon receiving an iing call, he answered it at once. ¡°So what¡¯s the verdict? She can¡¯t keep her


    promise, can she? I think you should pass me her number. I¡¯ll talk to her myself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± The attending doctor¡¯s voice was full of envy. ¡°Dr. Ziegler, you¡¯re lucky! Ms. Moore says


    she¡¯ll send ten of those devices to you now!¡±


    ¡°Ten?¡± Zachary¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    Did I hear wrongly? Or is Arielle trying to make fun of me?

 Chapter 626

    Chapter 626


    The attending doctor on the other end of the call was still speaking


    ¡°Dr. Ziegler, is it possible for you to send us a few when you receive them? Even one is good. I¡¯m sure


    our hospital is willing to buy it from you. I¡¯ll treat you to a meal after that.¡±


    Nevertheless, Zachary was not listening to what the attending doctor was saying. He was still in a state


    of shock.


    It was onlyter that he found out that Arielle was the ambassador of Soir Coffee. Could it be that Soir


    Coffee offers high endorsement fees?


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    He could not bring himself to believe that Arielle could afford a robotic pacemaker, let alone ten.


    Even if Arielle has that much money, does she think she can get them as she wishes? Those are


    devices from Sann Group! If mere money can do the job, why would we be the only hospital that can


    get one of it in the entire Chanaea? Who does she think she is? She¡¯s not that capable!


    It took Zachary a very long time before he recovered from his trance. ¡°A-Are you sure she¡¯ll send ten of


    them to me? Is she trying to make a fool out of me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Ms. Moore isn¡¯t that kind of a person. She even asked for your address just now. But


    it¡¯ll take at least one day for them to dispatch the devices from their headquarters, Can that patient


    wait?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡± Zachary, in reality, could not be bothered about the patient. ¡°Then pass this message to


    her. We will wait for her to get the robotic pacemakers delivered. If they don¡¯t arrive before midnight


    tomorrow, she will have to hold all responsibilities for dying the patient from receiving adequate


    treatment!¡±


    The attending doctor went silent for a moment. ¡°Dr. Ziegler, that¡¯s a little too much. Those robots are,


    after all, a gift from Ms. Moore. There¡¯s no need for her to give you anything since you don¡¯t have any


    evidence. But now you¡¯re trying to push all liabilities to her. Isn¡¯t that a little overboard?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the one going overboard; not me!¡±


    If it wasn¡¯t for Arielle, then my name would be on that surgery report?


    Zachary did not want to go on harping on the issue with the attending doctor and thus said, ¡°Just let her


    know it¡¯s her fault for causing the death of the patient if I don¡¯t receive the pacemakers on time!¡±


    Finishing that, he hung up the call promptly.


    The attending doctor had no other choice but to call Arielle again and repeat what Zachary had told him


    to say.


    ¡°Rest assured, he¡¯ll receive them on time,¡± Arielle calmly uttered as her gaze dimmed.


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± The attending doctor alsomented a bit before hanging up the call.


    After receiving two calls consecutively, Arielle had lost all of her sense of sleepiness.


    In the end, she gave up on trying to sleep and instead made a call to her subordinate ambushed at the


    old Southall estate.


    Upon getting through the line, she straightforwardly asked, ¡°Have you gathered enough evidence?¡±


    ¡°Almost. But it¡¯s still far from what you¡¯ve requested.¡±


    Arielle frowned. ¡°It¡¯s almost half a month. Why aren¡¯t you done with it?¡±


    The subordinate immediately exined, ¡°Everybody here is afraid of Mrs. Southall. It¡¯s almost as


    though she has won all of their hearts. They wouldn¡¯t budge and are unwilling to cooperate with us. I¡¯m


    working very hard on convincing them. Give me two more weeks; I promise toplete the mission by


    then.¡±


    Upon that, Arielle sighed. ¡°Get it done quickly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will.¡±


    By the time the call concluded, she felt a little hungry and headed downstairs,


    When she got down, she saw Cindy on the couch with the phone in her hand while taking a sip of her


    steeped herbs, looking astonished. ¡°Rupture of blood vessels? A surgery? Why did the situation turn so


    grave? I thought it¡¯s just a slight fall?¡±

 Chapter 627

    Chapter 627


    The person on the other end of the call somehow had mentioned something that made Cindy¡¯s face


    fell.


    After pondering for a few seconds, she uttered, ¡°Go ahead with the surgery then. Though Mom is old,


    her body is still healthy and strong. I¡¯m sure she can make it through. Rick, no matter how much we


    have to spend, we must save Mom! But honestly, don¡¯t you think Arielle is a jinx? We haven¡¯t had


    peace ever since she came. And now, something has happened to Mom-¡±


    Before Cindy could finish her words, her face paled again.


    Arielle supposed Henrick did not heed Cindy¡¯s words and hung up the call straight away.


    Indeed, in the next second, she saw Cindy put away her phone while looking grimmer than before.


    ¡°Aunt Cindy,¡± Arielle muttered.


    Hearing her voice, Cindy instinctively turned around to look, only to coincidentally meet with the


    former¡¯s cold gaze.


    A hint of guilt shed across Cindy¡¯s face. She quickly washed her herb tonic tea down with water and


    passed the ss to Larissa. ¡°Your grandma is undergoing surgery soon. You better pray nothing


    happens to her. Otherwise, your dad will surely think you¡¯re the jinx!¡±


    Arielle did notment on Cindy¡¯s words and merely kept a solemn expression as she instructed the


    housekeeper to make her a bowl of pasta.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    In fact, Malorie¡¯s situation was within her expectations.


    Anyone with medical knowledge would know a fall could mean nothing for a young, yet extremely


    serious for an old.


    Seeing the nonchnt Arielle, Cindy was brimming with anger. She appeared like she wanted to say


    something but ended up returning to her room without saying anything


    Meanwhile, Wendy had been observing the situation of Soir Coffee. She did not believe that Arielle


    would be able to save someone.


    At that, she was conflicted.


    She had hoped that the person would not survive, yet on the other hand, she hoped that nothing would


    happen to Vinson¡¯s caf¨¦.


    She had waited so long for sses to end so that she could reach for her phone to search for news


    regarding Soir Coffee.


    A quick search led her to an edited video of Soir Coffee¡¯s press conference. Purple with rage as she


    watched the video, she clenched her fingers on the desk with so much force that marks were left


    behind.


    It turned out that the victim was all well now and even appeared at the press conference as a witness.


    Damn it!


    ¡°Wendy!¡± a girl called out to her in the ssroom. ¡°Shall we head to the cafeteria for a meal together?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Wendy¡¯s face was grim. ¡°I¡¯ll give it a miss. You guys can go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    In any case, the girl had no intentions of cottoning up to Wendy. She had only learned that Soir Coffee


    was


    framed after watching the news and thus felt ashamed for bad-mouthing Soir Coffee with the others


    earlier.


    Upon hearing Wendy¡¯s decline, the girl heaved a sigh of relief and pulled her other friends along to the


    cafeteria.


    As she walked off, she mumbled, ¡°Wendy¡¯s temper is so weird. Unlike her, Arielle is much better at her


    studies and has a good attitude. But then again, why isn¡¯t Arielle back?¡±


    Another girl beside her shook her head. ¡°I heard that someone in her family just passed. But I think


    she¡¯ll be back tomorrow.¡±


    Coincidentally, Wendy happened to walk out of the ssroom and overheard those words. A wave of


    resentment and hatred hit her.


    Arielle! It¡¯s her again! Why is she everywhere? Why can¡¯t she get out of my sight?


    All she hoped for was for Arielle to disappear from the world.


    Her anger only crumbled into nothing when she recalled her mother¡¯s words. The thought of Arielle


    getting her deserved punishment instantly made her feel better.


    Late at night, Arielle finished her pasta and did some work for Sann Group. She also gave instructions


    for the robotic pacemakers to be delivered within twenty hours.


    The subordinates began execution upon receiving themand.


    The production of Sann Group¡¯s robotic pacemakers was in a count of ten devices for every batch each


    time. They were then packed and delivered to Rocher Private Hospital in Chanaea.

 Chapter 628

    Chapter 628


    At Rocher Private Hospital, Queenie had returned after she decided against attending the roundtable


    meeting.


    Many renowned hospitals in Epea had extended their offers to Queenie as she was not only great with


    modern medicine but had knowledge of ancient Chanaean medicine as well. She had thus considered


    heading to Epea to continue developing her career there. With how traditional Chanaean medicine was


    growing more popr, it was no doubt she would have a bright future ahead.


    However, having met Vinson again today, she immediately made up her mind.


    I¡¯m staying at Chanaea!


    As much as having a promising career in Epea¡¯s top hospital was an attractive deal, she reckoned that


    having a chance to get back together with Vinson was equally, or perhaps more, irresistible than the


    former.


    That was even more so as the man she was in love with was Vinson.


    After two days of meetings, she was scheduled for a night shift that particr day.


    In normal circumstances, she would have asked Zachary to take over her shift so that she could stay


    home to learn the ropes of ancient Chanaean medicine from her parents. But she nned to perform


    her night duties by herself from now on.


    That decision was a derivation of her meticulous nning. Since Rocher Private Hospital belongs to


    Carter, and he¡¯s close friends with Vinson, perhaps I¡¯ll be able to run into Vinson again?


    Returning to her office, she coincidentally overheard the conversation between several nurses at the


    nurse¡¯s desk.


    ¡°Ten? Really? Mr. Morgan has to pull many strings before he managed to secure one back then!¡±


    ¡°This couldn¡¯t be fake. Dr. Ziegler said it himself. They¡¯ll be delivered before evening tomorrow.¡±


    Curious, Queenie walked up and asked, ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡±


    The nurses at the hospital had immense admiration for Queenie and thus did not hesitate to answer


    her question. ¡°We¡¯re talking about the robotic pacemakers. It¡¯s a device that helps to treat heart


    conditions.¡±


    Another nurse smiled. ¡°Why do you have to exin? I¡¯m sure Dr. Mill knows it better than you. She has


    done a lot of research about this device.¡±


    Queenie stood in silence for a slight moment before she asked in surprise, ¡°How many of those devices


    did Mr. Morgan manage to secure for our hospital?¡±


    She was full of regrets ever since she missed out on the opportunity to use the robotic pacemaker back


    then.


    Ten of those devices for our hospital? Is Lady Luck smiling at me recently?


    The nurse shook her head and replied, ¡°Mr. Morgan isn¡¯t the one who secured them.¡±


    ¡°Then who is it?¡±


    ¡°Do you know the ambassador of Soir Coffee? Her name is Arielle Moore.¡±


    Queenie furrowed her brows at the mention of that name. Nheless, that did notst for too long


    before she politely asked, ¡°What has it got to do with ady from the entertainment industry?¡±


    She had never paid attention to the entertainment industry and thus reasoned that Arielle could be the


    ambassador as she was a celebrity.


    The nurse hurriedly exined, ¡°I¡¯m not trying to change the topic. But she¡¯s the one who donated ten


    robotic pacemakers to our hospital!¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Bam!


    The nurse¡¯s exnation was like a bolt out of the blue, leaving Queenie¡¯s face drained of all colors.


    Being oblivious to the atmosphere, the nurse continued, ¡°I remembered Mr. Morgan meandered around


    and tried to pull strings to secure the first robotic pacemaker from Sann Group. I can¡¯t believe Ms.


    Moore is so capable and secures ten of those devices at one go!¡±


    Queenie felt her head buzzing and had to take a few deep breaths while supporting herself on the


    nurse¡¯s desk to calm herself down.


    Yet, the nurse went on. ¡°I heard the devices are Ms. Moore¡¯s gift to Dr. Ziegler. I¡¯m guessing Cupid is


    smiling at him recently!¡±


    The other nurse smiled and chimed in, ¡°I don¡¯t know if it has got to do with his luck withdies, but I¡¯m


    sure he¡¯ll get his due recognition at work for securing ten pacemakers. Mr. Morgan will surely reward


    him for that.¡±

 Chapter 629

    Chapter 629


    ¡°I¡¯m so envious of Dr. Ziegler. How could he know someone so capable like Ms. Moore?¡±


    Hearing that, Queenie¡¯s scowl only deepened.


    It was known to the entire hospital about Zachary¡¯s persistent pursuit of her. Yet, she did not know that


    he had been flirting with another woman. What made it worse was that woman turned out to be the


    person she thought was a celebrity!


    ¡°I know, right?¡± The other nurse echoed in agreement. ¡°If Ms. Moore ever bes a celebrity, I swear


    I¡¯ll be her first fan!¡±


    At that, Queenie was shocked. ¡°She¡¯s not from the entertainment industry?¡±


    ¡°Nope!¡± Admiration was glistening in the nurse¡¯s eyes. ¡°Ms. Moore is the top student of Jadeborough


    University. I searched online and found that she¡¯s talented at ying the piano too! Have you heard of


    the world-renowned pianist Steven Parker? He has even openly requested for Ms. Moore to rope him


    in as her disciple!¡±


    Of course, as a socialite and someone who had learned to y the piano before, it was no wonder that


    Queenie would have heard of Steven.


    He¡¯s someone that I look up to. Yet he wants to be the disciple of that woman?


    She was traumatized after getting hit by a series of shocking revtions.


    Using duty as an excuse, she spared herself from the conversation with the nurses and strode back to


    her office.


    After settling down on her chair, she could not help but turn to herputer to find out more about


    Arielle.


    There was barely any information about her, except for a clip with a million views.


    Curiosity brought Queenie to click on the clip, which turned out to be a video of Arielle ying the


    piano. With one nce, Queenie seemed to recognize something. The Goddess of Hunting! The most


    precious piano in the world!


    What further rendered her speechless was the piano piece Arielle was performing.


    At the end of the clip was the scene of Steven and two other prominent pianists kneeling and begging


    for Arielle to rope them in as her disciples.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Queenie shut her eyes and mmed her phone against the ground in frustration.


    Thump.


    Just then, Zachary pushed open Queenie¡¯s office door. Coincidentally, the phonended right in front of


    his feet.


    Taken aback, Zachary asked in concern, ¡°Queenie, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Yet Queenie¡¯s face only grew grimmer when she saw him. ¡°What are you here for?¡±


    Zachary was confused. ¡°Queenie, have I done anything to upset you?¡±


    She scoffed, ¡°Gossips regarding you and Arielle have been spreading around the whole hospital. Don¡¯t


    you think now is not the right time for you to appear in my office?¡±


    ¡°Gossips?¡± A look of disgust formed on his face. ¡°Who are the gossipmongers spreading such rumors?


    I¡¯ll confront them right now!¡±.


    Queenie paused for a brief second before she questioned, ¡°What kind of rtionship do you exactly


    have with Arielle? Why would she gift you ten robotic pacemakers all of a sudden?¡±


    As soon as she said that, Zachary gave a detailed ount of the whole matter right away.


    Only then did she feel slightly better.


    It was at that point that realization hit Zachary. He figured Queenie¡¯s bad temper toward him was most


    likely due to the rumor about himself and Arielle.


    His eyes glowed in jubtion as he asked, ¡°Queenie, are you jealous?¡±


    Disgust swirled inside Queenie that instance.


    Despite having no feelings for Zachary, it had irked her so much after hearing rumors about Arielle and


    him solely because of her life perspective ¨C she would never allow others to have it even if she did not


    want it.


    Seeing theck of responses from Queenie, Zachary took it as a silent acquiescence.


    Delighted, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Queenie. I only have my eyes for you. As for those ten robotic


    pacemakers, I¡¯m sure that wretch is only bragging. She surely isn¡¯t that capable. She¡¯ll be indirectly


    causing the death of a patient when we don¡¯t receive those pacemakers before evening tomorrow. By


    then, I¡¯ll report it to the cops and get her arrested!¡±

 Chapter 630

    Chapter 630


    To Queenie, Zachary¡¯s confession was intensely revolting.


    However, she was somewhat pleased with Zachary¡¯s n of putting Arielle behind bars. Her lips lifted


    into a forced smile as she said, ¡°We shall wait for that toe then. Though I don¡¯t think she deserves


    that severe punishment for bragging, she is indeed causing harm to patients if she can¡¯t keep to her


    promise.¡±


    Queenie paused before continuing, ¡°Oh yeah, where are the patient¡¯s close kins? I should go and meet


    them. Let me be in charge of this surgery.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you over.¡±


    Zachary then led the way while Queenie followed behind.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    In no time, they came before Henrick. ¡°Greetings, this is Dr. Queenie Mill. She¡¯ll be the chief surgeon


    for the surgery this time.¡±


    Henrick¡¯s eyes lit up instantly upon seeing Queenie. ¡°Dr. Mill! I¡¯ve long heard your name. You¡¯re a lot


    prettier than on the television.¡±


    Countless appearances on various talk shows had brought immense fame for Queenie in


    Jadeborough. Hence it was no surprise that Henrick could recognize her.


    Queenie smiled as she nodded her head in acknowledgment. ¡°You¡¯re too kind. I¡¯ll be in charge of


    the surgery this time. But before we get started, we have to wait for the arrival of the robotic


    pacemakers that someone had promised to send us.¡±


    With a serious look on his face, Henrick immediately asked, ¡°Can my mom undergo surgery without


    that device? I¡¯m worried she can¡¯t afford any more dys¡­¡±


    ¡°Rest assured. I¡¯ve visited the patient earlier. I believe she can wait till the devices are delivered. The


    other party has promised to deliver the devices before midnight tomorrow. We¡¯ll begin the surgery once


    we get them.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡± Henrick sounded hesitant. ¡°What if the devices don¡¯t arrive on time?¡±


    Queenie looked regretful as she exined, ¡°If there¡¯s a dy due to the delivery, then I¡¯m afraid Mrs.


    Southall might not be able to make it¡­¡±


    Hearing that, Henrick almost jumped out of his skin.


    ¡°What if that indeed happens? Can¡¯t you begin the surgery now? Can¡¯t we proceed without the


    device?¡±


    Queenie shook her head. ¡°Without the device, we¡¯ll be dealing with extremely high risks if we go on


    with the surgery. And not to mention, there¡¯s only a twenty percent sess rate. The choice is yours,


    and we won¡¯t force you to wait for tomorrow. You can choose to proceed with the surgery now without


    the device.¡±


    Henrick fell silent as he contemted the options.


    Twenty percent versus eighty percent sess rate¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for the device then. But I¡¯ll surely pursue the matter if it doesn¡¯t arrive on time!¡±


    Queenie nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If the devices don¡¯t arrive as promised, our hospital will also hold the


    other party liable.¡±


    Henrick clenched his teeth tight. ¡°I¡¯ll never let that person off the hook for failing to keep to her


    promise!¡±


    His reaction was exactly the oue Queenie was hoping for.


    After chatting for a while longer, she then returned for duty.


    Meanwhile, Henrick stood frozen for a long time before the word Cindy said to him earlier popped up in


    his mind ¨C Jinx.


    Indeed. Nothing much ever happened in the house before Arielle came. Though Michael has admitted


    that Cindy made him say those words, what if they turn out to be true? Shandie has died, and so did


    Yvette. And now it¡¯s Mom¡¯s turn. What if I¡¯m next?

 Chapter 631: Cutting All Ties

    Chapter 631: Cutting All Ties


    Don''t tell me Maureen has sent Arielle to our house for revenge? Henrick felt goosebumps crawling all


    over his body at the thought of Maureen''sst words


    Even if I die, I''l! turn into a vengeful ghost and seek revenge! At that, Henrick''s gaze suddenly turned


    sharp and determined.


    No way.I can''t let this go on.I must chase Arielle out of the house! As much as she''s my profit-making


    machine, I can''t let her stay any longer if she''s going to take all our lives! At the thought of how he


    might be the next victim, he could not be bothered about staying by Malorie¡¯s side and instead rushed


    into his car and sped toward the Southall residence.


    At the same time, darkness had also descended.


    Cindy was preparing to wash up and retire for the night when the bedroom door was flung open.


    Her initial fear from the sudden motion was washed away by relief after realizing it was Henrick.


    Thatsted only for a short while before she felt her heart thumping furiously again after seeing


    Henrick''s grim face.


    Download APP Had she not done anything wrong, she would have nothing to fear.


    Since she had lied about her pregnancy, it was no wonder she would be paralyzed with fear at the sight


    of Henrick¡¯s darkened face.


    "R-Rick, what''s wrong with you?"


    Cindy nervously propped herself up from the bed and sat with her back straight.


    Henrick uttered, "Get changed. I have something to announce."


    "A-All right..."


    Cindy hastily changed out of her nightgown while shuddering in fear before following Henrick out of the


    room.


    Just outside the room, Henrick spoke again.


    "Ask Arielle to join us downstairs too.The matter that I want to announce has got to do with her."


    At that, Cindy finally felt a sense of relief.


    Though she was curious about the situation, she did not ask any questions and only followed Henrick¡¯s


    instructions.


    Arielle immediately followed Cindy downstairs as she was still awake when thetter called for her.


    An ominous feeling grew within her despite being puzzled about what was going on.


    As soon as they arrived downstairs, Arielle saw the sullen-looking Henrick standing in the middle of the


    brightly lit living room.


    Even the housekeepers were present, standing in two straight rows.


    That only made Arielle more suspicious.


    Perhaps it''s about grandma''s condition? Could it be that she can''t hang in there anymore? While her


    thoughts her running wild, she felt Henrick''s gaze sweeping coldly across the room beforending on


    her.


    "Arielle." Henrick uttered.


    Since Henrick had always called her "Sannie" instead of "Arielle," she immediately sensed that the


    atmosphere was off.


    Nevertheless, she still put on a polite smile.


    "Dad, why are you gathering all of us here at this timing? Is Grandma feeling better?"


    Without any expression on his face, Henrick solemnly muttered.


    "Your grandma is fine.She''ll get better after the surgery tomorrow.I''ve gathered everybody here


    because I have an announcement to make."


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Arielle appeared like she was all ears to listen to the announcement.


    Cindy, standing beside her was even more curious to find out what this gathering was all about.


    "Arielle, I''ll prepare you a house.From today onward, you''re no longer a member of the Southalls.I''ll get


    my assistant to deal with the household registry.and you can move out once the house is ready.From


    then on, you''ll take care of yourself." Arielle looked at Henrick in shock.


    "Dad?"


    "I''m no longer your father." Henrick shook his head.


    "It''s your grandma''s instructions.I''ve no other choice either.I''ll also leave some allowances for you on


    top of the house.I promise it''ll be sufficient tost you through till you get a job after graduating from the


    university."


    Upon hearing what Henrick said the entire living room plunged into silence.


    Yet, Cindy was screaming in joy on the inside.


    That''s fantastic! What great news! I can''t believe things would turn out like this! Arielle got chased out


    of the Southall residence without me doing anything!

 Chapter 632: Revenge

    Chapter 632: Revenge


    Cindy tried her best to control her emotions.


    However, she could not stop her lips from curling and widening into a bright smile.


    In contrast, Arielle did not respond.


    Neither did she ask for a reason.


    All she did was quietly study the expression on Henrick''s face, which was as cold as ice.


    Seems like he has decided.She was aware that everything she did now would be meaningless even if


    she actually knelt.


    As such, there was no need for her to go to such an extent.


    Perhaps leaving the Southall residence is a good choice too.


    At least I won''t have to put on a pretense anymore.


    I can now put my attention on preparing schemes against Henrick.


    As for Cindy, Arielle was not at all worried either.


    She had long forged good rtionships with the people in the manor.


    Thus, it did not matter whether she was physically staying there or not.


    Arielle calmly nodded.


    "I got it, Dad.Mr.Southall, I mean."


    Henrick''s face froze when he heard Arielle''s greeting for him.


    He was shocked and uneasy about how calm she was, especially since she did not even try to plead.


    Nevertheless, he did not regret making that decision.


    To him, his life was much more important than money.


    That was how he knew he should not let Arielle stay any longer.Henrick sighed as a surge ofplex


    emotions flooded him.


    "You can continue staying here for now.It''ste; that''s all for today."


    Without raising any concerns, Arielle only looked deeply at Henrick with her clear eyes.


    After that, she trotted back to her room upstairs.


    Watching Arielle disappear within her sight.


    Cindy secretly snickered.She then walked up to Henrick and wrapped her arms around that of his, and


    said, "It''ste, Rick.We should take a rest now.Mom''s surgery''s tomorrow: I''ll apany you to the


    hospital."


    "There''s no need to."


    Henrick shook his head in disagreement.


    "Rest well at home and take care of the baby in your belly.I''ll go alone."


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Knowing how Henrick was concerned about the baby, Cindy did not insist on it.She gave a simple


    acknowledgment and followed him back to their room while suppressing the immense happiness within


    her.


    Back at the living room one housekeeper could not contain her curiosity and whispered to Larissa,


    "Should we find another backer since Ms.Arielle has already gotten kicked out of this house? With the


    pregnancy of Mrs.Nightshire, she''ll gain a stronger status in this house in time toe.We should find


    a reliable backer if we want to continue working here.Or else we might get fired anytime with how


    unpredictable Mr.Southall is."


    Larissa was exasperated.


    "Hey, you guys are belittling Ms.Arielle, nun? Just wait; I''m sure she has a solution to this."


    "What can she possibly do? She''ll soon have to leave this ce..."


    "Even if you don''t believe Ms.Arielle.you should have some trust in me.If all of you go to Mrs.Nightshire


    now, she''ll know you guys aren''t on her side before this.With the way she handles things do you think


    she will trust all of you?"


    Hearing that, several housekeepers fell into deep thoughts.


    They ultimately decided to continue standing with Arielle.


    In truth, the housekeepers knew very well how merciless Cindy was.


    Moreover, they had received more from Arielle than the former.


    Beyond that, there was a unique yet attractive aura exuding from Arielle.


    That alone allowed her to gain the trust of the others effortlessly.


    Meanwhile, Arielle sat on the couch for a long while after returning to her bedroom.


    She was clear she had been abandoned by Henrick, despite not knowing the exact reason he did


    so.She could only attribute it to Malorie''s fall.


    Putting aside those thoughts, she then began thinking about the ns she had in mind.


    Soon, the next day arrived.


    Arielle took another half day off to settle matters regarding the household registry.


    Donovan did not say much and only reminded her to be punctual for sses in the afternoon.


    In no time, she had finished settling the household registry.


    She stepped out of the registry office.


    no longer having any forms of tangible or intangible ties with the Southalls.


    That also meant she could be as ruthless as she wanted with the revenge.

 Chapter 633: A Sweet Cohabitation

    Chapter 633: A Sweet Cohabitation


    Henrick''s assistant walked out of the registry office shortly after.


    Unlike his obsequious behavior in the past, the assistant was acting exceptionally arrogant.He threw a


    brown envelope to her and haughtily uttered.


    "This is from Mr.Southall.Inside it contains a certificate of property ownership and keys.There''s also a


    card amounting to a million.The password to it is six zeros."


    Unbothered about his attitude, Arielle courteously nodded as she replied, "Thank you."


    Judging at how polite she was, the assistant reckoned she was a pushover.


    He mockingly added, "I''ve tidied up the house.You can return to the manor to pack your belongings, but


    you can''t take any valuables with you.And from today onward.you can''t step into the manor as you wish


    without permission.I''ll report you to the cops for trespassing if you do that.Are you clear, Ms.Arielle?"


    At this point, he covered his mouth andughed sarcastically.


    "Look at me.I forgot you aren''t the Southalls anymore.Miss.from now on.please know your ce


    well.Do not live as a member of the Southalls in public.Of course, we won''t stop you from selling the


    house and bringing the money back to the countryside.I''m sure you can live afortable and well-off


    life with that sum of money."


    Arielle finally frowned upon hearing that.


    Download APP She did not want to pick on the assistant, yet his words only became more distasteful.


    "You¡ª"


    Before Arielle could speak, a punch smashed straight into the assistant''s face.


    "Argh!" the assistant screamed in agony.


    Following that the attacker lifted his leg and served a flying kick, sending the assistant flying across the


    air.


    This time, the pain was so unbearable he could not even vocalize it.


    All he did was wrap his hands around where he got kicked as he gasped in misery.


    Stunned, Arielle looked in the direction of the attacker.


    She saw a teen ring at the assistant as he snarled, "How dare you talk to Ms.Moore with that kind of


    attitude! Are you tired of living?"


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Though that teen was very innocent-looking and seemed like he was only about fifteen years old, he


    was exuding an aura of a skilled martial expert from head to toe.He had an uncanny resemnce to


    Hades when he furrowed his brows.


    Seeing his appearance, the assistant was So petrified that he curled up into a ball, shuddering in fear.


    Staring intently at the teen, Arielle was sure she did not know someone like him.


    But a few secondster, she somehow seemed to recall something and cast her gaze at him.


    "ke?"


    She had once seen ke from an old photo Sasha provided when she was helping thetter look for


    him.


    But it took her some time before she could recognize him as he looked a little different from then.


    The teen nodded as he smiled widely, shing two of his canine teeth.


    "Yes.Ms.Moore.Boss says I''ll be your bodyguard from now on."


    "Boss? Vinson?" ke nodded again.


    "Boss asked me to be your bodyguard after the funeral.But I decided to do it earlier as boredom is


    killing me.I couldn''t stop myself when I heard how that guy spoke to you; that''s why I jumped out and


    saved you.Will you me me for not letting you know beforehand?"


    Arielle shook her head rigorously.


    "Why would I..."


    "That''s great.I''ll beat this guy up a few more rounds and burst open his head!"


    The moment ke uttered those words, the assistant instantly jumped up from the ground in fear and


    hurriedly ran away.


    "Hahaha! Useless thing!"


    ke burst intoughter.


    Perhaps because hisughter was too contagious, Arielle, too, had a weak smile on her face.


    "Oh yeah." ke asked in curiosity.


    "Why are you here, Ms.Moore? I heard that guy saying that you''re no longer a member of the


    Southalls? What happened? Did your family chase you out of the house?"


    Being a straightforward person, ke did not beat around the bushes.


    Arielle was fond of his character.


    "Yeah.But you don''t have to worry about me.Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise.I have ns to leave


    that house too."


    ke hurriedly said, "I''ll tell Boss about it right now!"


    He had just leamed about Vinson''s rumors with Arielle from Sasha.


    Since Ms.Moore got kicked out, perhaps she can begin a sweet cohabitation life with Boss?

 Chapter 634

    Chapter 634


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Arielle said. ¡°Don¡¯t tell him first. He must have been super busy recently. I¡¯ll only tell him once


    he¡¯s free.¡±


    ¡°All right. Where are you going? I can bring you there.¡±


    It was almost time for her afternoon ss, so Arielle nodded and asked, ¡°I¡¯m going to school. Do you


    have a car?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    A few minutester, Arielle was sitting on ke¡¯s electric bike and soaking in the warm summer


    sunshine, at a loss for words.


    ke chuckled and said, ¡°I¡¯m not old enough to get a driver¡¯s license yet, so please bear with it, Ms.


    Moore. The bright side is, we won¡¯t end up being stuck in traffic since we¡¯re on a bike.¡±


    Arielle nodded with a smile and held onto ke¡¯s shoulders to steady herself as the electric bike sped


    off toward Jadeborough University.


    At the same time, Southall Group released a public statement on their official ount.


    It was simple, basically describing how Arielle and Henrick were estranged and no longer father and


    daughter.


    Southall Group didn¡¯t have many followers, but since Arielle was the ambassador of Soir Coffee and


    had gained a decent following, the announcement still got some attention.


    ¡°But she¡¯s so pretty! How could the Southalls bear to chase her out? Are they crazy? Gosh, I feel so


    bad for her.¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard? The prettiest women have the coldest hearts. She must have done something


    incredibly shameful for them to have no other choice.¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°Still, with a face like that, she¡¯ll be able to find a wealthy sugar daddy. Her fans won¡¯t need to worry.


    I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be fine as a mistress too.¡±


    During her lunch break, Wendy just so happened to see Southall Group¡¯s announcement.


    She paused in surprise and felt the corners of her lips slowly curve into a smile.


    Southall Group is only considered as an average-sizedpany, so Arielle isn¡¯t really that outstanding.


    Now that even the Southalls have kicked her out, Mrs. Nightshire would look down on her even more.


    By then, Wendy hadpletely forgotten about her foul mood brought about by Arielle¡¯s medical skills


    and cheered up.


    She even began humming to herself, causing her deskmate to scowl at her. ¡°Please stop making so


    much noise! I¡¯m still working on these questions. It¡¯s hard to figure them out without Arielle¡¯s help.¡±


    Wendy¡¯s expression froze, and she stood up to go to the bathroom.


    She reminded herself to ask Donovan if she could change her deskmate.


    Right as Wendy had one foot out of the ssroom, the other ssmates also saw the announcement


    that Southall Group posted.


    They had always sucked up to Arielle because she was good in her studies and also seemed to be


    close to Vinson.


    But now that they saw the announcement, their admiration toward Arielle immediately lessened, and


    they called out to Wendy.


    ¡°Wendy! Where are you going? We¡¯re about to go to the caf¨¦ across the street. Would you like to join


    us?¡±


    Wendy hesitated before nodding.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    She had never had a very good reputation in ss due to Arielle¡¯s presence, but then she realized that


    she had to start brushing up on her connections. With a fake smile on her face, she quickly melded into


    the group of girls and walked out with them hand-in-hand.


    They spotted an electric bike parked next to the road once they reached the school gates.

 Chapter 635

    Chapter 635


    Wendy couldn¡¯t be bothered to look at whichever poor kid was on the electric bike, so she didn¡¯t even


    spare a nce.


    Suddenly, the girl on her right pointed at the electric bike in shock and tugged at Wendy with one hand.


    ¡°Wendy! Isn¡¯t that Arielle?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Wendy turned around.


    After taking a good look at the girl on the bike, Wendy smiled mockingly.


    ¡°So it really is Arielle,¡± she said with a big grin.


    So Arielle is really left with nothing after leaving the Southalls. She even had toe to school on an


    electric bike! How embarrassing.


    Wendy tried her best to hide her glee, but the other two girls beganughing out loud.


    The one who had spotted Arielle first raised her hands and called out, ¡°Arielle!¡±


    Arielle heard someone calling her name the moment she got off the bike.


    Out of instinct, she looked over only to see two girls pulling Wendy in her direction.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, are they your friends?¡± ke asked curiously.


    He was too young to see it, but Arielle could immediately spot the glee in their eyes.


    They were obviously making fun of her foring to school on an electric bike.


    ¡°No,¡± she turned away and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I said I¡¯d treat you to a drink, remember?¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± ke nodded excitedly, immediately parking his bike by the side of the road.


    Alexandra usually didn¡¯t let him have any soft drinks, nor could he eat snacks, so he was overjoyed at


    the opportunity to get a drink from Arielle.


    The girls next to Wendy frowned at the sight of Arielle just walking away and ignoring them. They


    quickly walked up to her and blocked her way.


    ¡°Arielle!¡± the taller girl called out unhappily. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear us calling you? Did the Southalls take away


    your hearing along with your money and power after kicking you out?¡±


    The girl next to her started cracking up at her words.


    Despite that, Arielle continued to ignore them and was nning on taking a different route when she


    heard ke murmur, ¡°So they really aren¡¯t your friends.¡± before he kicked both of them away.


    Two loud screams echoed in the air as they flew backwards.


    Wendy jumped in shock and rushed to help the two of them up while she red at Arielle. ¡°How could


    you? All they did was say hi. You know our school is against fighting and violence, right? How could


    you do that to them?¡±


    Arielle hadn¡¯t even opened her mouth when ke spoke up.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°Are you blind or something? I kicked them, so why are you yelling at Ms. Moore? Do you want a taste


    of what they got?¡± he said as he closed one of his hands into a fist.


    He might be young, but his punches were no joke.


    Instantly, Wendy stumbled backward in fear. She had never met anyone like him before.


    However, she soon calmed down.


    They were at the school gates after all. There were surveince cameras everywhere. If he beat her


    up, too, Arielle would have no way to get out of it.


    Wendy jutted her chin out and said, ¡°Are you really going to beat me up when I was just stopping you


    from hurting others? Try your luck! I¡¯ll even call the police!¡±


    ke flinched at the mention of the police, finally realizing that he might actually have gotten Arielle


    into trouble.


    He tried to take back what he said when Arielle cut him off, ¡°Do it. Call them. Tell them that Vinson¡¯s


    subordinate beat you up and that you want to press charges.¡±

 Chapter 636

    Chapter 636


    Wendy paled as she asked in mild disbelief, ¡°Vinson¡¯s subordinate? You¡¯re kidding, right?¡±


    Even if he did arrange for one of his subordinates to follow Arielle, he wouldn¡¯t hire a fifteen or sixteen


    year-old kid, would he?


    She had to be kidding.


    The girls who had gotten beaten up stared at ke in anger, but they didn¡¯t dare to do anything since


    he was strong and clearly skilled. Instead, they said to Wendy, ¡°They must be lying! She already got


    kicked out of the Southall family, so why would Vinson do that for her? Let¡¯s call the police!¡±


    Wendy had been genuinely concerned over ke being Vinson¡¯s subordinate, but she decided to


    believe the other two girls.


    It was a brilliant chance to kick Arielle out of Jadeborough University, and she would be an idiot not to


    take it.


    Wendy stopped hesitating and immediately called the police.


    ke knew he actually got Arielle in trouble and quickly apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I shouldn¡¯t have done


    that. You can call the police, but this has nothing to do with Ms. Moore, so please don¡¯t drag her into


    this. I¡¯ll take responsibility.¡±


    ¡°Did you hear that?¡± the two girls asked Wendy. ¡°He¡¯s terrified because we¡¯re calling the police! He¡¯s


    obviously not under Mr. Nightshire.¡±


    Wendy finally rxed and looked at Arielle. ¡°You were the one who coerced this child into beating us


    up. You¡¯re not getting away with this.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Arielle said with a nod. ¡°None of us are getting away with this, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    Her beautifully clear eyes shone calmly like the surface of a stillke, sending chills down Wendy¡¯s


    spine.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    She didn¡¯t understand why Arielle was still so calm and couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous.


    ¡°You¡ª¡±


    Wendy hadn¡¯t even finished her sentence when Arielle interrupted, ¡°You guys can wait here for the


    police, then. I¡¯m going to go buy this kid a drink. Then we¡¯ll all wait together.¡±


    As she spoke, she picked up ke¡¯s hand and prepared to cross the road.


    ¡°Stop right there!¡± the tall girl called out. ¡°You¡¯re trying to run away, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re not leaving!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Arielle said calmly. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m a stranger to you all. You can still report me even if I


    run away, which I won¡¯t.¡±


    The tall girl hesitated for a second but finally let Arielle


    go after finding reason in her argument.


    However, once she turned around, she caught sight of Wendy¡¯s pale face.


    Confused, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you so pale?¡±


    Wendy bit her lip and said, ¡°Something feels off. Maybe we shouldn¡¯t call the police.¡±


    The two girls didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Why not?¡±


    Wendy¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°Just my instinct. I¡¯m going to call them and ask them not toe.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± The two girls hurriedly stopped her. ¡°There are surveince cameras here. They were the ones


    who started it, so they can¡¯t go anywhere! This is different from Kelsea¡¯s case. Arielle isn¡¯t the heroine


    anymore.¡±


    Wendy started wavering again.


    One of the girls continued saying, ¡°If we back out now, they might arrest us for making a fake call!¡±


    Wendy gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Okay, then we¡¯ll wait for the police.¡±


    No matter what, Arielle shouldn¡¯t have coerced that boy into using violence. It isn¡¯t like I¡¯m framing


    Arielle for something she hasn¡¯t done.


    If that little boy is really Vinson¡¯s subordinate, then he


    could get a clear look at what Arielle is actually like.


    At that thought, she gripped the edge of her skirt, and her sweet face suddenly morphed into a grim


    smile.


    She looked over, only to see Arielle walking into the store with the boy.


    The other two girls caught sight of the same thing.


    The tall girl smirked and said, ¡°I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s still in the mood to buy drinks! She¡¯s probably just


    putting on an act to look calm when she¡¯s actually terrified on the inside.¡±

 Chapter 637

    Chapter 637


    The other girl scoffed and replied, ¡°She should be terrified! Even my own mom has never hit me, so


    what made her think she could? I¡¯m not going to let this go until she gets expelled.¡±


    Having said that, she rubbed her bruised head and looked at the drinks store with a hateful stare.


    Back in the store, Arielle ordered a grape tea for herself and turned to ask ke what he wanted.


    However, ke¡¯s face had contorted in worry.


    He loved these kinds of drinks, but he wasn¡¯t in the mood for them anymore. ¡°Ms. Moore, are you sure


    you still want to treat me to a drink? I have already caused so much trouble for you. I think I should call


    Mr. Vinson and tell him.¡±


    Arielle raised an eyebrow. ¡°I already sent him a message. Don¡¯t worry. This is just a small issue to him.¡±


    She believed in Vinson wholeheartedly.


    However, she also realized how much she had changed. Before, she would try to settle everything on


    her own, but now her first instinct was to message Vinson.


    Vinson had really be her rock.


    Perhaps that is just how friends are.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t answered me yet. What do you want to drink?¡±


    ke shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like I should order anything anymore.¡±


    Arielleughed. ¡°Are you that afraid of Vinson? He seems pretty chill to me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯ve never seen him when he¡¯s angry!¡±


    Arielle shrugged. ¡°I think I have, actually. The first time I met him, he made me so angry that I nearly


    blew a fuse.¡±


    ke was immediately curious, and he asked, ¡°What happened? When did you first meet him?¡±


    ¡°We first met when¡ª¡± Arielle suddenly thought about how Vinson was having a high fever when they


    first met and she had to take off her own clothes and hug him to keep him warm.


    At the time, she didn¡¯t think too much of it. To her, any doctor would have done the same thing under


    those circumstances.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Now that she thought about it, her heart actually started racing.


    ¡°Ahem!¡± Arielle pretended to clear her throat and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Don¡¯t worry about it. Do you want a


    drink or not?¡±


    ke froze at the sound of Arielle¡¯s raised voice and said, ¡°A carameltte.¡±


    Sensing that she shouldn¡¯t have raised her voice, Arielle took out her credit card while avoiding ke¡¯s


    stare.


    ¡°One carameltte and one grape tea.¡±


    ¡°All right!¡±


    The two of them walked out with their drinks in hand.


    The police arrived right as Arielle and ke reached the school gates.


    ¡°That¡¯s them right there!¡± the tall girl said as she jabbed a finger in their direction. ¡°That girl told the kid


    beside her to beat us up. We have bruises now, and I think they even gave me a concussion.¡±


    ¡°A concussion?¡± Wendy said. ¡°If I remember correctly, a concussion is counted as a minor injury. Based


    on thew, that¡¯s anywhere around three to fifteen days of jail, right?¡±


    The other girl immediately pressed a hand to her forehead and said feebly, ¡°Actually, I think I have a bit


    of a concussion as well.¡±


    The policemen nodded and recorded their statements before going over to ask Arielle, ¡°Were you the


    one who coerced someone into beating them?¡±


    Before Arielle could speak, ke immediately took on the me. ¡°I was the one who beat them up. It


    has nothing to do with Ms. Moore.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re admitting to your crime?¡± the police asked.


    Suddenly, a deep voice called out, ¡°Hold on.¡±


    The crowd immediately turned toward the source of the voice.

 Chapter 638

    Chapter 638


    Right then, an extremely handsome man stepped out of his expensive car. He was tall and walked with


    a certainmanding air.


    The man was none other than Vinson.


    At the sight of him, the policemen instantly became respectful.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire.¡±


    Wendy¡¯s expression immediately soured.


    Vinson really came!


    Arielle has already been kicked out of the Southall family, so she isn¡¯t even considered a rich kid or


    anyone influential anymore. Why would Vinsone for her?


    Soon enough, Wendy turned to nce at the young boy.


    He can¡¯t really be under Vinson, can he?


    Vinson came forward and nodded at the policemen before asking Arielle gently, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


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    Seeing that, Wendy gritted her teeth.


    The other two girls were the ones who got beaten, so why is Vinson asking about Arielle?


    Vinson immediately started checking Arielle for any bruises or injuries.


    Wendy couldn¡¯t hold herself back and said, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, Arielle was the one in the wrong today. She


    coerced this boy into beating my ssmates, and I had to call the police.¡±


    Vinson hadn¡¯t even looked at Wendy once. In fact, he hadn¡¯t noticed her until she opened her mouth.


    Immediately, he looked at her coldly and asked, ¡°Had to? Are they dead? Did they lose any limbs or


    bleed out on the street?¡±


    Wendy nched as she started to feel humiliated.


    Meanwhile, the other two girls came forward and started defending Wendy.


    ¡°Arielle did coerce him into beating us. I was worried because I felt like I had a concussion, which is


    why I asked Wendy to call the police.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. A concussion is counted as a minor injury. If you don¡¯t believe us, you can ask this kid. He


    already admitted to it after all.¡±


    Vinson nced at ke after hearing that.


    ke immediately straightened up out of fear and stammered, ¡°I-I truly was the one in the wrong, sir.


    But they were the ones who started it first. Ms. Moore didn¡¯t | reply to them, so they made fun of her for


    getting kicked out of the Southall family and called her deaf.¡±


    Vinson¡¯s expression darkened as he directed his menacing stare toward the two girls.


    Intimidated by the aura radiating off Vinson, they immediately gulped in fear.


    Right then, he finally spoke, ¡°I¡¯ll get mywyer to deal with ke hitting you.¡±


    Once he finished his sentence, a man with ck rimmed sses walked over and passed a name card


    to the two girls.


    Their eyes widened the minute they read the name on the card.


    It turned out that he was the topwyer from Nightshire Group


    Thewyers from Nightshire Group were known to be extremelypetent, to the point that they had


    never lost a court case.


    It is such a small issue. Is Vinson really going to use Nightshire Group¡¯s legal team for this?


    The tall girl nearly stumbled out of fear.


    Vinson continued, ¡°Thewyer will settle that, so I¡¯ll settle something else with you right now.¡±


    ¡°Something else?¡± the tall girl asked, her voice trembling. ¡°What else is there?¡±


    Languidly, Vinson replied, ¡°Didn¡¯t you two say that ke gave you a concussion?¡±


    The two girls could only continue listening to whatever Vinson had to say next. ¡°We¡¯re going to go get a


    check up at the hospital. It¡¯ll be easy enough to find out. If you do have a concussion, I will pay your


    medical bills, but if you don¡¯t¡­ well, then thewyer will have a defamation case to deal with as well.¡±

 Chapter 639

    Chapter 639


    ¡°D-Defamation?¡±


    The two girls had gone paler than a sheet of paper.


    Thewyer kindly exined, ¡°Defamation is the act of harming someone¡¯s reputation whether through


    oral or written form, such as falsely using someone to the police and trying to get them arrested. A


    light sentence would be anywhere less than three years, but a heavy sentence could be up to ten years


    of imprisonment.¡±


    The two girls were thoroughly horrified and fell on their knees with a loud thud.


    Three years?


    They only wanted Arielle to be imprisoned for ten days or so, but Vinson was ready to keep them in jail


    for at least three years!


    The tall girl was clearly terrified as a wet patch started forming on her skirt; she had wet herself out of


    fear.


    ¡°Take them,¡± Vinson called out.


    A few bodyguards stepped out of a car parked not too far off, and they hauled both girls into the car,


    sending them to Rocher Private Hospital.


    At that hospital, they would be exposed for lying even if they actually did have a concussion.


    They couldn¡¯t escape from going to jail at this point.


    Wendy¡¯s mouth pressed into a thin line, not daring to speak up for both of them.


    Still, Vinson hadn¡¯t forgotten about her just because she was silent.


    Right then, he directed his re toward her.


    She immediately shivered under Vinson¡¯s cold stare.


    ¡°I remember giving you a warning before,¡± Vinson said. ¡°I told you not to mess with her because you


    wouldn¡¯t be able to face the consequences. Clearly, your memory isn¡¯t the best.¡±


    Wendy¡¯s face started going from pale to bright red.


    She bit her lip, feeling all the blood rushing to her head.


    However, Vinson still wasn¡¯t done. ¡°You¡¯re not having ss now, right?¡±


    Wendy didn¡¯t know why Vinson was asking this, but she nodded anyway.


    In response, Vinson said, ¡°Okay, perfect. Go back to Nightshire Manor and move out instantly. If not, I


    will get people to throw out all your luggage.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Wendy shrieked, almost kneeling and begging Vinson.


    He said coldly, ¡°I already gave you a chance, but you didn¡¯t want to take it. You constantly harassed her


    ¡ª¡±


    ¡°N-No, I didn¡¯t! I just helped them make a phone call this time. You can¡¯t do this to me!¡±


    Her eyes started filling up with tears, looking more pitiful than ever. Anyone who saw them would


    probably think she was the victim in this situation.


    Despite her tears, Vinson wasn¡¯t swayed in the slightest. Rather than feel pity for her, he felt even more


    disgusted.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Women are so annoying. Why can¡¯t they all be as decisive as Arielle?


    Vinson said, ¡°Okay, you don¡¯t have to move out yourself. Thewyer will settle the matter with you. By


    then, I¡¯ll have all your things sent to jail for you.¡±


    Wendy immediately paled further.


    ¡°N-No, Mrs. Nightshire would never let you do that!¡±


    Vinson was starting to tire of talking to her. He nced at his watch and said, ¡°You have three seconds.


    Make your decision wisely.¡±


    At that moment, Wendy was filled with conflicting feelings of rage, despair, and regret.


    She hadn¡¯t imagined that calling the cops on Arielle would result in herself getting kicked out by Vinson.


    ¡°One more second,¡± Vinson counted down.


    Wendy didn¡¯t want to go to jail, so she finally said in between sobs, ¡°I¡¯m going to move out tomorrow,


    okay?¡±


    Hearing that, Vinson raised an eyebrow and decided he could bear with one more day. With a nod, he


    said, ¡°I will check tomorrow night. If I see any of your belongings still in the house, I will be calling my


    lawyer.¡±


    Wendy started crying even harder.


    However, Vinson had already turned his back on her and talked to the two policemen, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that


    you had to make this run.¡±


    The two of them quickly shook their heads. ¡°No, not at all. Thanks to the number of reports we got from


    Soir Coffee¡¯s case, we went way past our annual goal. We¡¯ll probably be able to rx for the next few


    months.¡±


    ¡°All right. Please contact mywyer after this.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Mr. Nightshire. We¡¯ll be heading off now.¡± After bowing toward Vinson, the two policemen


    walked away.

 Chapter 640

    Chapter 640


    After the policemen left with thewyer, only ke, Vinson, and Arielle were left standing there.


    ke immediately started apologizing.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for causing you trouble, sir. Feel free to hit or scold me. I definitely deserve it.¡±


    ¡°Why would I?¡± Vinson asked. ¡°You did the right thing.¡±


    ke was taken aback, doubting what he had just heard.


    At first, he had his head lowered, but after hearing Vinson¡¯s words, he looked up at thetter and


    asked, ¡°You¡¯re not kidding, right, sir?¡±


    Vinson didn¡¯t reply, but his serious expression answered ke¡¯s question.


    ke let out a sigh of relief and finally understood how much his boss loved Arielle.


    If anyone else had dragged him into such a situation, ke would have been scalped along with the


    instigator. However, Vinson was being exceptionally nice to ke. What else could it be if not because


    of his love for Arielle?


    When Alexandra had told ke about this, he was still mildly doubtful, but all his doubts had now been


    thrown out of the window.


    His boss was about to have a girlfriend!


    As ke eyed Arielle, he immediately caught on that he should not continue third-wheeling them.


    Hence, he quickly made up an excuse, saying that his bike was broken before he scurried off to ¡®get it


    fixed.¡¯


    While Arielle was wondering when the bike broke down, she heard Vinson say, ¡°I¡¯m going to keep


    ke with you so that he can protect you. Next time you bump into people like that, just get him to beat


    all of them up. There¡¯s no need to worry about the consequences as long as you¡¯re satisfied.¡±


    Arielle felt a warm sensation rush to her heart, and she asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that your future


    girlfriend¡¯s going to get jealous if you¡¯re always so nice to me?¡±


    He raised an eyebrow. ¡°How could someone get jealous of herself?¡±


    Hearing that, Arielle stilled and looked at Vinson in shock.


    When her eyes met his obsidian-like gaze, she felt her heart begin to race.


    Is he insinuating that I¡¯m his future girlfriend?


    Without waiting for Arielle¡¯s response, Vinson chuckled and said, ¡°I¡¯m kidding.¡±


    Arielle rxed slightly, but her mood was dampened, and she didn¡¯t know why.


    Vinson suddenly changed the topic. ¡°I saw Southall Group¡¯s announcement about kicking you out. Why


    didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s expression immediately soured.


    She looked away as she murmured, ¡°It¡¯s nothing important. It was never my home in the first ce.


    After I change its name, I¡¯m going to return, and no one will be able to stop me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll definitely be able to return. They can¡¯t kick you out of something that belongs to you. They¡¯re just


    a bunch of parasites,¡± Vinson said seriously.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Arielle nodded. ¡°Soon,¡± she replied.


    Vinson stayed silent for a few seconds but couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°What happened yesterday? Wasn¡¯t


    Michael fine when he left?¡±


    Arielle shook her head, slightly confused. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Henrick said Malonie told him to do so, but I


    have a feeling it was his own decision. Also, she had a bad fall and is in the hospital right now. From


    the sound of it, she¡¯s not doing too well.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Vinson could already figure out what Henrick was nning and said, ¡°After you came back, a


    lot happened to the Southalls. Now that something happened to Malorie, he¡¯s probably terrified that


    you¡¯re the source of his bad luck.¡±


    Arielle scoffed and said, ¡°A bit toote for that.


    Bringing them bad luck is the whole reason I came back.¡±


    ¡°Have you found a ce to stay yet? If not,e stay at my ce.¡±

 Chapter 641

    Chapter 641


    Vinson¡¯s suggestion caused Arielle¡¯s heart to start racing


    She did her best to calm herself down as she declined, ¡°No, Henrick prepared a house for me. I was


    nning to go over and clean it up after ss.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so troublesome. Just stay over at mine. There¡¯s more than enough space as it is,¡± Vinson said.


    Then, he quickly added, ¡°Not Nightshire Manor. I¡¯m talking about Maple Mansion.¡±


    After all, Susanne was staying in Nightshire Manor. Knowing Arielle would feel ufortable, he


    quickly rified that he wasn¡¯t meaning for her to stay there as well.


    Despite that, Arielle shook her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s really fine. The ce Henrick got for me isn¡¯t far from here, so it¡¯s more convenient for me to go to


    school. Also, I think my mom may have stayed there before, so I want to go and see if there are any


    traces of her.¡±


    ¡°Okay then,¡± Vinson said, slightly disappointed. Still, he didn¡¯t press on after hearing her reasoning.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go help you tidy up too after school.¡±


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Arielle chuckled at his words.


    ¡°Has the almighty Mr. Nightshire ever done any household chores? Don¡¯t give me more trouble.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m super talented in the field of household chores. If I wasn¡¯t a Nightshire, I might even


    have be the world¡¯s best cleaner.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Arielle said with a smile and a nod. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll have to see for myself after school.¡±


    The moment Arielle finished speaking, Vinson¡¯s phone rang.


    Arielle didn¡¯t know what was being said on the other end, but it only warranted an ¡®Okay¡¯ from Vinson


    before he hung up.


    Before she could ask, he said, ¡°The results are out. They don¡¯t have a concussion at all, and their


    injuries aren¡¯t serious enough to be used in their favor. I¡¯ll get thewyer to prepare the defamation


    lawsuit.¡±


    Arielle never considered herself to be a saint, so she nodded. ¡°Good. These people shouldn¡¯t be


    allowed to just walk away freely.¡±


    The more people like that she could get rid of, the better.


    After all, they were all adults, and they had to take responsibility for their words. No matter what


    sentence they would be getting, they deserved it.


    A hint of a smile appeared on Vinson¡¯s lips. He especially admired how cold-hearted Arielle could be at


    times.


    After that, he called hiswyer and told him to prepare the defamationwsuit.


    After the phone call, Vinson said, ¡°With the help of mywyer, they¡¯ll be imprisoned for at least three


    years. You won¡¯t have to worry about them for a long time. However, it¡¯ll probably take two or three


    days before they can actually get arrested.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve been dealing with it for so long., so two or three days is nothing.¡±


    She nced at her watch. ¡°I should be heading to ss now. If I¡¯mte, my teacher is going to lecture


    me again, and I¡¯m really not in the mood for that.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then go ahead. I¡¯ll see you after school.¡±


    ¡°See you!¡± Arielle said with a wave of her hand before walking into school.


    Arielle had just left when ke scurried over with his electric bike.


    ¡°Boss!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Vinson said. ¡°The funeral is all prepped. We¡¯ll keep it simple, so it¡¯ll just be the few of us.¡±


    ke knew he couldn¡¯t get any gossip out of Vinson after he heard the word ¡®funeral¡¯ and nodded


    sadly,


    Back in the ssroom, Wendy¡¯s glee had beenpletely eradicated. In its ce was inexplicable fear


    and irritation.


    Vinson had truly chased her out of Nightshire Manor this time.


    What should I do now?


    With a muted thud, she mmed her head down onto the table in an attempt to let out her frustration.


    Her deskmate piped up, ¡°I¡¯m going to ask Mr. Baxter to change my seat if you keep interrupting my


    studies!¡±

 Chapter 642

    Chapter 642


    ¡°You¡­¡± Wendy hissed out between gritted teeth. ¡°Go find him then! I don¡¯t want to sit next to you,


    either!¡±


    Her deskmate looked at Wendy strangely, but since he was also fed up, he finally stood up to go look


    for Donovan.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Coincidentally, the man walked in right at that moment.


    Wendy¡¯s deskmate raised his hand and said loudly, ¡°Mr. Baxter, I want to change seats!¡±


    Donovan looked at Wendy in confusion before saying, ¡°This is a good seat. Why do you want to


    move?¡±


    Wendy was about to speak when her deskmate cut in, ¡°She¡¯s too weird. She always interrupts my


    studies, and I can¡¯t take it anymore. I want to change seats.¡±


    Donovan looked at Wendy again, this time in shock.


    Wendy hated the feeling of everyone¡¯s stares at her and spat out, ¡°Mr. Baxter, I would like to change


    seats as well. I don¡¯t want to sit next to him anymore.¡±


    Donovan frowned and looked at Wendy¡¯s deskmate. ¡°Your seats are arranged ording to your exam


    results. If you two really do want to change seats, one of you will need to sit all the way at the back.¡±


    Wendy¡¯s deskmate¡¯s eyes lit up as he said, ¡°I¡¯d rather sit back there than over here. That way, I can sit


    next to the top student!¡±


    ¡°Top student?¡± Donovan looked at the back of the ssroom and spotted the only empty seat in that


    area, which was right next to Arielle.


    So they all see Arielle as the top student?


    How ridiculous.


    Donovan¡¯s expression darkened as he said, ¡°We¡¯re about to have a test soon, so just bear with it for a


    few days. As for Wendy¡­ I¡¯ll have a word with her.¡±


    The boy seemed to be mildly afraid of Donovan, so he just nodded and sat back in his seat.


    Then Donovan looked at Wendy. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    She had no choice but to follow him out of the ssroom.


    When the two of them reached the corridor, Wendy could see how annoyed Donovan was.She couldn¡¯t


    remember him ever looking this angry, especially toward her.


    ¡°Mr. Baxter, 14¡±


    ¡°Wendy,¡± Donovan said with a frown. ¡°What happened to you recently? Not only are you not paying


    attention in ss, but you¡¯re also disrupting other students. You know how much faith I have in you.


    You¡¯d better get your act together.¡±


    Wendy bit her lip and nodded. ¡°Yes, Mr. Baxter. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry. The sooner you get back to normal, the better. You¡¯re the one with the most potential to


    get into Maxwell University, so don¡¯t disappoint me.¡±


    At this, Wendy finally cheered up slightly.


    As long as she got into Maxwell University, Susanne would finally be happy with her even if she was no


    longer living in Nightshire Manor.


    As for the wedding, even if Vinson was the one who made the decisions, he would still need to take


    some of Susanne¡¯s opinions into ount.


    Besides, Arielle had less than nothing to her name, so Susanne definitely wouldn¡¯t ept her.


    As for Wendy, she knew she had to get back on track before she could achieve her final goals.


    At this, she clenched her fists tightly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Baxter. I will do my best to get into


    Maxwell University.¡±


    Donovan corrected her, ¡°You cannot just do your best. You must get in.¡±


    If his student could get into Maxwell University, he would finally get a teaching certificate from them. If


    that happened, he would basically be able to teach anywhere he wanted.


    Suddenly, footsteps sounded from out of nowhere, and both Wendy and Donovan looked over in the


    direction of the sound at the same time.

 Chapter 643

    Chapter 643


    Basked under the bright sunlight, a woman approached them.


    The woman had wless porcin skin that seemed to glow under the sun.


    Though the woman¡¯s face was bare, her natural beauty outshone Wendy¡¯s borate makeup. Her


    breathtaking beauty would have put even Helen of Troy to shame. The gorgeous woman was none


    other than Arielle.


    Immediately, a scowl graced Wendy and Donovan¡¯s faces.


    But, while Wendy¡¯s venomous re was full of hatred, Donovan had a conflicted look.


    ¡°Mr. Baxter.¡± Arielle bowed politely as she greeted him.


    Donovan ignored her greeting and turned toward Wendy instead. ¡°I almost forgot to tell you that there


    will be a professor from Maxwell Universitying here as a guest lecturer tomorrow. Coincidentally, I


    don¡¯t have a lecture. Hence, I won¡¯t be present. Professor Sleight said that you are fluent in


    Ustranasion. You¡¯ll act as a trantor for the guest lecturer and apany him around the campus.¡±


    ¡°A guest lecture from Maxwell University?¡± Wendy¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement as she nodded eagerly.


    ¡°I promise to keep himpany tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    Donovan and Wendy chatted excitedly, and the both of them pointedly ignored Arielle.


    Uninterested in their conversation, Arielle entered the ssroom.


    Although Donovan was engaged in a conversation with Wendy, his gaze kept darting toward Arielle.


    Even when he asked Wendy to act as the guest lecturer¡¯s trantor, he unconsciously raised his voice.


    Even though he didn¡¯t know why he ignored Arielle on purpose, Donovan felt unhappy when he caught


    sight of Arielle¡¯s moody expression.


    The ssroom door swung shut behind Arielle, and Donovan decided to excuse himself. ¡°Why don¡¯t


    you head in first? Remember to prepare thoroughly for tomorrow.¡±


    Wendy was unaware of Donovan¡¯s odd behavior. She nodded profusely and said, ¡°I will! Let me head


    in first, Mr. Baxter.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    As soon as Donovan spoke, the school bell chimed loudly.


    Since it was an advanced math ss, Donovan made his way into the ssroom with his lecture notes.


    As soon as Donovan stepped foot into the ss, it fell silent.


    After all, everyone was terrified of Donovan stern demeanor.


    Donovan¡¯s sharp gaze swept across the ss. ¡°Let us start our ss. Flip to page seventy-four of your


    books,¡± he announced


    Following his instructions, Arielle was shocked to see that Donovan had taught the ss over twenty


    pages of material while she was on a short leave.


    The speed of his teaching is astonishing! How can the other students keep up with this?


    All of a sudden, her phone chimed to signal that she¡¯d received a message.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Immediately, Donovan¡¯s sharp gaze slid toward her. ¡°There are some students who spend their free


    time studying. Yet, some students go on leave at the slightest inconvenience. Even after returning, they


    don¡¯t focus in ss. Don¡¯t put the me on me for not giving you a second chance when you leave the


    preparatory ss,¡± Donovan uttered coldly.


    Although he did not mention any names, it was crystal clear that he was talking about Arielle.


    The corners of Arielle¡¯s mouth twitched as she muted her phone.


    Initially, she nned to see how far Donovan had progressed in ss, but just as she set her phone to


    silent mode, Arielle caught sight of the message,


    Subordinate: Mr. Nightshire, we have finished debugging the ten robotic pacemakers. They have been


    shipped to Chanaea.


    If Arielle hadn¡¯t received this text, Zachary¡¯s incident would have flown over her head.


    Swiftly, she responded to the text and focused her attention on the textbook.


    Though the current course taught by Donovan was more advanced and difficult, Arielle still found it


    rtively easy.


    After a few pages, she felt bored and decided to read through the Chanaean textbook instead.


    Donovan, who was giving his lecture on the podium, found that his gaze kept darting back to Arielle. No


    matter how hard he tried to resist the urge, he could not control himself.

 Chapter 644

    Chapter 644


    When Donovan caught himself looking at Arielle again, he felt a rush of irritation.


    Halfway through his lecture, there was an interruption.


    Donovan whirled around and noticed two students entering the ss. The stricken look across their


    pale faces made it seem like they¡¯d just experienced something terrifying.


    Donovan¡¯s brows furrowed, displeased by theirte attendance. ¡°Where did the two of you go? Half of


    the lecture is almost over.¡±


    His stern questioning caused them to flinch in fear as they hung their heads. Finally, the shorter one of


    the duo mustered the courage to reply. ¡°W-we were at the hospital,¡± she stammered.


    Donovan¡¯s angry expression softened as he reminded them to apply for leave the next time something


    happened. He then continued his lecture.


    Hurriedly, the two students scurried to their seats. Before they took a seat, they sneaked a peek at


    Arielle.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As if sensing their gazes, Arielle turned to them.


    They jolted in surprise when they saw Arielle looking at them. Promptly, they looked away.


    Arielle¡¯s brows raised. Aren¡¯t they two students who imed to have a concussion?


    Seeing how they avoided her gaze, Arielle shrugged and continued to study her Chanaean textbook.


    Though she found the other subjects manageable, Arielle struggled with Chanaean. Her parents had


    raised her with thenguage, but her fluency was still not on par with the other students.


    Furthermore, their monthly evaluation was just around the corner. Arielle could not leave Jadeborough


    University until she found that man. It looks like I¡¯ll have to work hard to improve my Chanaean!


    Donovan¡¯s lecture passed by in the blink of an eye.


    Just as Arielle wanted to take a break, Jared and Henry made their way over to her.


    Out of the two of them, Henry seemed particrly enthusiastic.


    ¡°Boss, I missed you so much when you were away! Do you want to y some games tonight? A new


    season is starting today. We can dominate the charts together!¡±


    Although Jared remained silent, the weing look on his face indicated that he wanted her to join


    them too.


    Arielle gave them an apologetic smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can make it tonight. I am going to clean my new


    house with someone. How about some other day?¡±


    The words ¡°new house¡± caused Jared¡¯s mood to shift. ¡°Arielle, if you need any help, feel free to let me


    know.


    My dad gave me a supplementary ATM card after I told him about my studies.¡± Jared took it out of his


    pocket and handed the ck card to her. ¡°Here, take it.¡±


    Immediately, Henry mimicked Jared¡¯s actions and ced a few of his ATM cards on the table.


    ¡°Although I¡¯m not as well off as Jared, these cards are worth a couple of millions. You can use them as


    you please. If these aren¡¯t enough, please let me know. I¡¯ll ask my family for more.¡±


    Although they were trying tofort her, Arielle felt concerned by their generous offers.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I have my own money. Once I am done cleaning up my new home, I¡¯ll invite the two of you


    over for dinner! I¡¯ve been improving my cooking skillstely,¡± Arielle replied and handed the cards back


    to them.


    Seeing Arielle¡¯s look of reluctance, they decided to keep their cards.


    Coincidentally, Donovan walked past the trio. His mood darkened when he noticed the ATM cards in


    their grasps. ¡°Arielle, follow me to my office this instant!¡± he snapped.


    Henry gave her a sympathetic look before he returned to his seat.


    On the other hand, Jared red at Donovan stonily. If Harvey was here, Donovan would be long gone.


    After a few minutes, Arielle arrived at Donovan¡¯s office.


    She assumed that Donovan would berate her for using her phone in ss. Much to her surprise, he


    didn¡¯t mention it at all. ¡°I heard that you were kicked out of your house. Here, you should apply for a


    student loan.¡±


    Huh? Did I mishear him, or is the sun rising in the West?

 Chapter 645

    Chapter 645


    When Arielle looked at the papers Donovan handed her, she confirmed it was an application form for


    student loans. She couldn¡¯t help but stare at it in disbelief.


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that they were indoors, she would have looked at the sky to spot the Sun¡¯s


    location.


    ¡°What are you daydreaming about? Fill it in now, and I¡¯ll send it to Mr. Brown.¡± Donovan frowned as he


    urged her.


    Seeing the impatience on Donovan¡¯s face, Arielle realized that he wasn¡¯t trying to mock her or chastise


    her for using her phone. He genuinely wanted to help.


    What happened to him? Maybe he isn¡¯t as bad as I pictured him to be? Maybe, I was too harsh on him.


    After all, he¡¯s a man who is virtuous and driven by morality. He must have disliked me because he


    assumed that I got into the university with connections. Despite his hatred toward me, he¡¯s willing to put


    it aside and offer a helping hand. It looks like Maxwell University still maintained its standards.


    However, is he being genuine?


    There were countless questions floating around Arielle¡¯s mind.


    Seeing how Arielle did not respond, Donovan picked up the application form and waved it in front of her


    face. ¡°Arielle, I¡¯m talking to you. Did you not hear me?¡±


    Finally, Arielle snapped out of her daze. She nced at the paper in Donovan¡¯s grasp. After a brief


    moment of hesitation, she shook her head to deny it. ¡°Mr. Baxter, thank you for your generous offer, but


    I have the money to support myself.¡±


    Since Arielle was a person who didn¡¯t hold grudges, she expressed her gratitude to Donovan for trying


    to help her.


    But the moment the words left her lips, Donovan¡¯s frown deepened


    ¡°You have the money?¡± His eyes narrowed suspiciously. ¡°Don¡¯t you mean Jared or Henry¡¯s money?¡± he


    asked.


    Immediately, Arielle stared at Donovan in astonishment. ¡°Mr. Baxter, what are you implying?¡± she


    eximed.


    Donovan scoffed as his gaze darkened. ¡°Even at such a young age, you refuse to earn money with


    your own hard work. Must you swindle the money of other men? After getting kicked out of your home,


    do you n on bing a mistress by leeching on their money?¡±


    Arielle turned pale when she heard Donovan¡¯s mocking words.


    ¡°I never took their money!¡± she retorted heatedly.


    ¡°Oh? I know why you didn¡¯t take their money. Their wealth isn¡¯t enough for you, right? Vinson¡¯s money


    is what you are truly after. I guess his family can afford to take in a disowned daughter like you. As your


    professor, let me give you a piece of advice. If you keep up this stubborn attitude of yours, you will be


    reduced to nothing but Vinson¡¯s lowly mistress. Stop trying to ruin yourself!¡± Donovan countered.


    ¡°Mr. Baxter!¡± Arielle raised her voice in anger. ¡°Please refrain from using such crude words to sully me.


    I will never be someone¡¯s mistress, and I certainly won¡¯t ruin myself!¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then why are you so reluctant to fill in the application form?¡±


    ¡°I have my own money to support myself. I have no wish to take the position of another student who


    might need the student loan more than me.¡±


    Since the number of ces for the school¡¯s student loans was limited, Arielle didn¡¯t want to deprive


    another student of their opportunity because she had her own money


    Yet, Donovan was unconvinced. ¡°You have your own money? What is your source of ie?¡± he


    asked coldly.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Arielle opened her mouth to reply, but the words became stuck in her throat.


    I can¡¯t say that I¡¯m San ¨C the founder and CEO of Sann Group. That will expose my identity.


    When Arielle could not muster a response, Donovan¡¯s harsh gaze softened. ¡°Take my advice. Fill in the


    application form and study hard to get in the top twenty ranks for this month¡¯s evaluation. If you put in


    the effort, you might have a chance to study at Maxwell University,¡± he said gently.

 Chapter 646

    Chapter 646


    Although Donovan¡¯s tone was not as aggressive as before, he was clearly adamant about the


    application form. It seemed like he would not let her depart until she filled it in.


    Arielle was caught between a rock and a hard ce. She could not reject his offer without exposing


    herself. With a sigh, she reached out and took the application form.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you took my advice.¡± Donovan handed her a pen. ¡°Once you¡¯re done filling in the form, you


    can return to ss.¡±


    As he spoke, he rose to his feet and offered her his chair.


    Donovan¡¯s odd behavior went unnoticed by Arielle because she wanted to get the entire ordeal over as


    soon as possible. Swiftly, she took a seat and began to fill in the application form.


    Donovan stood behind her and gazed down at the form in her hands.


    ¡°Leave these areas nk. Mr. Brown and I will fill it in. You should fill in the rest,¡± Donovan said as he


    leaned over her shoulder to point at the form.


    Arielle merely nodded and continued to finish the application form.


    Unconsciously, Donovan found his gaze falling upon Arielle.


    Because he was standing, Donovan got a clear view of Arielle¡¯s perfect side profile. A few strands of


    her hair fell across her cheek as she bent over the desk.


    Furthermore, her neck was as pale as freshly fallen snow.


    No matter how hard he tried, Donovan could not tear his eyes away from her.


    Although Donovan did not keep up with the entertainment industry, he knew that most famous female


    celebrities often posted articles about having beautiful necks. It was a feature that many people found


    desirable.


    Arielle¡¯s neck was slim and poised like a graceful swan. When Donovan noticed her wless skin, he


    had to resist the urge to run his fingers across it. Her neck must be the perfect embodiment of the


    feature that those celebrities like to praise.


    The afternoon sun filtered through the windows and basked Arielle in its rays. At the same time, the


    strong light illuminated across Arielle¡¯s head created an illusion of a golden halo around the crown of


    her head.


    Arielle¡¯s alluring beauty caused Donovan to gulp nervously.


    All of a sudden, Arielle whirled around. ¡°Mr. Baxter,¡± she called out.


    In the midst of his panic, Donovan averted his gaze and cleared his throat to mask his odd behavior.


    ¡°Mr. Baxter?¡± Arielle was unaware that Donovan had been staring at her. She only wanted to finish the


    form. ¡°I¡¯m done with it. Could you please take a look at it?¡±


    We have too many misunderstandings between us. I can¡¯t be bothered to exin them. Arielle felt


    herself growing restless the longer she remained cooped up in the room with Donovan.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Donovan refused to meet her eyes. Instead, he epted the form without looking and said in a


    low voice, ¡°You can leave now.¡±


    Finally, Arielle could depart from his office.


    Thud! His office door swung shut.


    Immediately, Donovan sped his hand over his chest as he tried to regain hisposure. Yet, he


    could feel his pulse hammering frantically against his chest like a hummingbird.


    What came over me? Do I have feelings for


    In a daze, Donovan sat back down and dispelled his thoughts. But no matter how hard he tried to clear


    his mind, his thoughts kept drifting back to Arielle.


    ¡°F*ck!¡± Donovan hissed in frustration as he swept his arm across the table. Promptly, the objects on his


    desk ttered to the floor noisily.


    Right then, his phone rang.


    Donovan nced at his phone and saw that his mother was calling him.


    In an attempt to calm himself, Donovan took two deep breaths before he answered the call. ¡°Mom,¡± he


    greeted.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Donovan, you don¡¯t have any lectures tomorrow, right? Why don¡¯t you pay us a visit?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    His mother¡¯s chuckle echoed over the phone. ¡°One of my university friends contacted me the other day.


    She said that she has a daughter who is around your age. She¡¯s worried that her daughter may not find


    the right one to settle down with andmented her worries to me. Did you know that her daughter is a


    famous doctor? Since you are a university lecturer, I thought that the two of you would be a great


    match, so I decided to invite her over. Donovan, you aren¡¯t young anymore. Your dad and I long to


    have grandchildren.¡±

 Chapter 647

    Chapter 647


    In truth, Donovan¡¯s parents were clueless that Donovan had yet to receive a teaching certificate from


    Maxwell University.


    They assumed that he had a sessful career and should begin a new family soon. Besides, they


    were both retired and wanted nothing more than to have grandchildren of their own.


    If it were any other day, Donovan would have rejected the offer without considering it. However, he


    recalled his interaction with Arielle. ¡°Okay. I will return home after myst lecture,¡± he said on impulse.


    Alice was delighted by her son¡¯s reply. ¡°Excellent! I¡¯m going to head out and buy some groceries. I¡¯ll


    cook all of your favorite dishes.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± With that, Donovan ended the call.


    He looked at his door. Once again, Donovan was gued with thoughts about Arielle.


    Immediately, Donovan shook his head to clear his head as he cursed under his breath.


    I must have been single for far too long. I can¡¯t believe I felt attracted to Arielle.


    Donovan decided to take his mother¡¯s advice. He would meet the woman and keep his imaginations


    about


    Arielle from running wild.


    Yet, Donovan never considered why he requested a student loan application form from Marcus the


    moment he heard that Arielle had been kicked out of her home.


    Back at the Rocher Private Hospital, Queenie answered her mother¡¯s phone. ¡°I can¡¯t go tomorrow. The


    hospital is extremely busy,¡± she said with irritation.


    ¡°Queenie, why won¡¯t you listen to me? I¡¯ve seen his picture. He¡¯s tall and handsome. Did you know that


    he¡¯s also a university lecturer who graduated from Jadeborough University? He has a bright future


    ahead of him. For my sake, why don¡¯t you give him a chance? I won¡¯t force you if you don¡¯t like him,


    okay?¡± her mother begged.


    Left with no choice, Queenie agreed. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave as soon as I¡¯m done eating.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so d you agreed! We can go there together.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Queenie replied impatiently and hung up without waiting for a response.


    Coincidentally, Zachary entered the room. ¡°Queenie,¡± he called out.


    ¡°Can you take over my duty tomorrow night? I¡¯ll be going out for a meal,¡± Queenie asked.


    ¡°No problem! I have good news. It looks like the robotic pacemakers aren¡¯t here yet. ording to the


    schedule, they would be here if Arielle sent them yesterday night. My guess is that it would be


    impossible for her to deliver them on time. We can prepare to take legal action against her,¡± Zachary


    replied with a smile.


    Zachary¡¯s words soothed Queenie¡¯s irritable mood.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Look for awyer then.¡± She took an ATM card out of her purse and tossed it on the table. ¡°I¡¯ll pay for


    the legal fees and leave the rest to you. No matter what, I don¡¯t want to see anyone who is responsible


    for the patient.¡±


    Although Zachary nodded in agreement, he made no move to take her card.


    ¡°How could I let you pay for it? Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll cover the fees. Please excuse me. I¡¯m going to look for a


    lawyer right now,¡± Zachary said as he patted his chest with pride.


    Queenie hesitated for a brief moment. ¡°Maybe we don¡¯t have to rush this. After all, the scheduled time


    is before midnight. If it arrives before that, we¡¯ll be theughing stock. Even worse, we might face


    litigation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible! If she¡¯s truly capable, she would have shipped the machines here. Seeing how they


    aren¡¯t here yet, it shows that she couldn¡¯t send them over,¡± Zachary said hurriedly to assure her.


    Queenie mulled over Zachary¡¯s words before she agreed. ¡°I¡¯m going to check on the patients. I¡¯ll leave


    this in your hands,¡± she said as she took a stack of medical records.

 Chapter 648

    Chapter 648


    Although Zachary made an ¡°OK¡± gesture, Queenie didn¡¯t bother to spare him another nce. Instead,


    she strolled out of the room with the medical records in her arms.


    However, Zachary didn¡¯t take her rudeness to heart. Without any dy, he called thewyer and began


    to discuss the matter at hand.


    Back at Jadeborough University, Henry and Jared rushed forward to greet Arielle when she returned to


    ss.


    ¡°Boss, are you okay? Did Donovan scold you again?¡± Henry asked in a worried tone.


    Although Jared looked like he was about to say something, only a simple question slipped out of his


    mouth. ¡°Do you need my help?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Arielle shook her head. ¡°Although Donovan¡¯s words were harsh, he meant well. He heard


    that I left the Southalls and was worried that I wouldn¡¯t have the money to support myself, so he asked


    me to fill in an application form for student loans.¡±


    ¡°Student loans? That¡¯s a lengthy and exhausting process. You can just take our money!¡± Henry¡¯s loud


    yells drew everyone¡¯s attention.


    Immediately, Jared kicked him to shut him up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, he likes to run his mouth.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± Arielle replied good-naturedly. She didn¡¯t care about what others thought of her anyway.


    Jared was relieved that Arielle wasn¡¯t offended by his brother¡¯s shouting. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Donovan?


    He used to target you mercilessly. Why is he helping you now? Could it be a trap?¡±


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I noticed the school¡¯s official stamp on the application form.


    Besides, how can he use it against me? If it¡¯s a trap Donovan devised, it will only hurt him and show


    that he¡¯s unqualified to be a lecturer.¡±


    ¡°Although that¡¯s true, it was odd for Donovan to help you,¡± Jared murmured, deep in thought.


    ¡°Maybe Donovan wasn¡¯t as bad as we pictured him to be,¡± Arielle suggested. Promptly, the bell rang,


    signaling that a new ss was about to begin.


    It was time for Ustranasion ss. It was a ss Arielle enjoyed because she liked Professor Sleight.


    After giving Jared a pat on the back, she returned to her seat.


    Although the bell had rung, Professor Sleight was nowhere to be seen. The ss bustled noisily.


    However, the students weren¡¯t chatting amongst themselves; they were all studying the Ustranasion


    topics Professor Sleight would cover today.


    Since this was a preparatory ss, most of the students were hardworking and eager to learn.


    On the other hand, Henry was the exact opposite. After


    reading through two pages of his Ustranasion textbook, he set it aside with a bored look.


    Despite seeing his brother¡¯szy antics, Jared remained silent. Instead, he focused his attention on his


    textbook.


    Seated on the fourth row, a female student by the window tugged on her deskmate¡¯s sleeve. ¡°What do


    we do? I can¡¯t focus in ss. You don¡¯t think they¡¯ll imprison us, do you? I¡¯m so terrified. I want to tell


    my parents about it,¡± she whispered fearfully.


    The two students were none other than the students who imed that they had a concussion.


    The other student was much calmer. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Nothing happened even after we returned. Didn¡¯t


    you hear what Henry yelled earlier? Arielle is so desperate that she applied for a student loan. I¡¯m sure


    Vinson was bluffing to scare us into submission. There¡¯s no way he will put in so much effort for a


    disgrace like Arielle!¡±


    ¡°Are you sure that we¡¯ll be fine?¡± Her timid friend remained unconvinced.


    ¡°Trust me.¡±


    ¡°B-but, Vinson made a special trip just for Arielle. I still think that he will put us behind bars.¡±


    Her friends merelyughed with a shake of her head. ¡°Who said Vinson came here for Arielle? He was


    here for the child who hit us. Don¡¯t overthink it. Just look at the difference in their statuses. Even if he


    takes a liking to her, the best he can do is make her his mistress. Employing awyer will only draw


    more attention to their scandalous rtionship. Don¡¯t you know that the wealthy like to keep things


    under wraps to prevent tarnish on their reputation?¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 649

    Chapter 649


    The girl¡¯s confident words finally managed to calm her friend.


    Yet, the student still felt her skin prickling with unease as she felt a sense of foreboding.


    Right then, Professor Sleight entered the ssroom.


    ¡°Dear students, I apologize for my tardiness. I had a few matters to resolve,¡± Professor Sleight


    exined as he set his materials on the desk.


    Here, he paused before continuing, ¡°Also, I have an announcement to make. Tomorrow, a professor


    from Maxwell University will be visiting our campus. He is going to host a talk and teach you some


    useful study tips. Make sure you pay attention during his talk.¡±


    His announcement sent the ss into a flurry of excitement.


    ¡°A lecturer from Maxwell University? I¡¯m sure his study tips wille in handy. I¡¯m going to bring a


    voice recorder so I won¡¯t miss out on any details!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to bring a notebook and jot everything down!¡±


    Amidst the loud chatting, Professor Sleight cleared his throat to silence the ss.


    When the ss finally settled down, Professor Sleight began again, ¡°Mr. Baxter was a graduate from


    Maxwell University. Unfortunately, he will not be here tomorrow and chose Wendy to help with the


    trantion. Wendy, make sure you make the appropriate preparations. Once the ss is over,e


    over to my office to take some notes about the school¡¯s history. You¡¯ll need to trante those materials


    beforehand.¡±


    Everyone looked at Wendy with admiration.


    After all, they all yearned to get into Maxwell University. Being able to act as a trantor for the


    professor from their dream university was a viable method to increase their chances of getting in.


    Unfortunately, the trantor position had already been filled.


    Wendy¡¯s chest puffed with pride as she preened under their admiring stares.


    Unable to resist, she turned around to look at Arielle. She wanted to see if Arielle felt jealous about her


    position as the professor¡¯s trantor.


    To her utter disappointment, Arielle had her head bent as she was deeply engrossed in something else.


    Arielle hadn¡¯t even looked up when Professor Sleight made the announcement.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Wendy pursed her lips and looked away,


    When Arielle first heard Professor Sleight¡¯s announcement, she was afraid that he would group her and


    Wendy together. After all, Professor Sleight had high expectations for her.


    It would be fine if it were a professor from another university. However, a professor from Maxwell


    University might recognize me. Southhall Group is on the brink of copse. I can¡¯t expose my identity


    right now.


    Though Arielle tried to hide at thest row, Professor Sleight still called out her name.


    Her back stiffened as she raised her head to look at Professor Sleight.


    Professor Sleight beamed. ¡°Arielle, not only is the professor going for a tour, he ns to trante some


    of the lesson ns from the advanced math ss too. Once Wendy is done with the tour, why don¡¯t


    you join Professor Jones and help him with the trantion?¡±


    Immediately, Wendy clenched her jaw in anger. Why did he ask me to lead the tour but assigned Arielle


    to help with the teaching materials? Compared to Arielle, Professor Sleight must think that I¡¯m utterly


    insignificant


    Although Wendy¡¯s heart was burning with hatred, Arielle was so frustrated that she was close to


    bursting into tears.


    Hesitantly, she raised her hand. ¡°Professor Sleight, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m qualified to handle this task. Since


    Wendy already holds the role as the trantor, you should let her work with Professor Jones instead.¡±


    Wendy¡¯s scowl deepened. Does she think that I¡¯m a charity case?


    Before Wendy could offer a reply, she was interjected by Professor Sleight, who shook his head.


    ¡°Based on Wendy¡¯s fluency, I¡¯m afraid that she isn¡¯t up to the task. Arielle, you¡¯ll have to fill in this


    position.¡±


    In a haze of rage, Wenndy¡¯s hand shot into the air ¡°Professor Sleight, please leave this to me,¡± she


    blurted.

 Chapter 650

    Chapter 650


    Professor Sleight felt conflicted when he saw Wendy¡¯s eager volunteer


    When Donovan chose Wendy to be the trantor, Professor Sleight was not keen with his choice


    because Arielle¡¯s mastery of Ustranasion clearly outshone Wendy¡¯s.


    But seeing how Wendy wanted to trante the lesson n, he felt torn.


    Since Wendy courageously volunteered, he didn¡¯t want to decline her the opportunity and put her


    down.


    After a brief moment of hesitation, he heaved out a heavy sigh. ¡°All right, Wendy can handle the lesson


    ns. However, please contact Arielle if you meet any difficulties. Arielle, it will be your responsibility to


    help Wendy if she reaches out to you. All the Ustranasion professors will be busy with their sses, so


    you are the only help avable. Please take this matter seriously; the school¡¯s reputation is on the line.¡±


    Since Professor Sleight had made his decision, Arielle could not decline. Reluctantly, she nodded in


    agreement. ¡°Understood, Professor Sleight.¡±


    I hope Wendy can handle this on her own.


    Contrarily, Wendy seethed in anger.


    How could Professor Sleight say such humiliating things in front of the entire ss? Didn¡¯t he just


    indirectly say that I¡¯m not as good as Arielle? I¡¯ll prove him wrong!


    Wendy whirled around and gave Arielle a deadly re.


    When Arielle caught sight of her venomous stare, she returned it with a look of puzzlement.


    Has Wendy lost her brain? I gave her this opportunity on a silver tter. Why is she still so unhappy?


    Arielle shrugged and ignored Wendy before she continued to scribble something down.


    The notes she¡¯d written were the key points needed to topple the Southalls. However, she stillcked


    crucial pieces of evidence and individuals regarding the Southalls¡¯ mineral deposits.


    If only the other side could pick up their pace. I will crush Southall Group and rebrand it to the Moore


    Group. This way, I can take back everything that belonged to Mom and help her get revenge.


    A cold and determined look flitted across Arielle¡¯s gaze. But as quick as it came, it vanished. One


    would have thought her fierce gaze was merely a figment of their imagination.


    I cannot lose control of my emotions. It¡¯s a luxury I can¡¯t afford. Being able to hide her emotions was


    one of Arielle¡¯s many talents,


    By the time ss ended, the sun had already dipped below the horizon. Its zing rays stretched


    across the sky and painted the clouds gold.


    Although many of Jadeborough University¡¯s students stayed off-campus, they needed a signature from


    their homeroom teacher and principal before they were allowed to leave.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Quickly, Arielle sent Vinson a quick message to inform him that she would be slightlyter today. After


    that, she got Mr. Brown¡¯s signature and headed toward the teacher¡¯s dorm.


    Since Donovan had only one lecture this afternoon, he must have returned to his dorm already.


    Arielle recalled how Donovan misunderstood her intentions when shest visited him alone and


    decided to bring Trisha along with her.


    Although Trisha was usually introverted and timid, she was a stark contrast in front of Arielle. Like a


    chatterbox, she told Arielle about the incidents that happened when Arielle was on leave the other day.


    ¡°After the freshman party, Chanaean Sand Painting Association contacted me! They offered me a


    membership too. Since I have a passion for sand painting, I filled in their application form. My parents


    were delighted too. They gave me a pink Mini Cooper as a congrattory gift. However, I¡¯m in a bind


    because I don¡¯t have my driving license yet¡­¡± Trisha said excitedly.


    Arielle listened intently to Trisha¡¯s rambling, nodding in agreement from time to time.


    In the blink of an eye, they¡¯d reached the teacher¡¯s dorm.


    ¡°I¡¯m terrified of Mr. Baxter. Is it okay if I wait for you on the first floor?¡± Trisha mumbled.


    Arielle didn¡¯t want to put Trisha in an ufortable position and merely nodded.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll head up myself.¡±


    In truth, she didn¡¯t dislike Donovan. She found him irritating.

 Chapter 651

    Chapter 651


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 651


    Donovan had always given Arielle the heebie-jeebies. She could not articte exactly why he made her


    feel that way, but she still did not want any contact with him at all.


    That was why she had dragged Trisha along with her.


    However, in the end, she still had to face Donovan all alone.


    Arielle soon arrived at the door of Donovan¡¯s dorm.


    She raised her hand and knocked on the door.


    Knock, knock!


    Donovan opened the door as soon as he had heard the knock.


    The figure standing in the doorway had hair that reached her slender waist.


    It was none other than Arielle.


    Donovan¡¯s heart began to beat rapidly at the sight of Arielle. However, he tried to act nonchnt and


    asked in a cold tone, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Baxter, I would like to request your signature here,¡± Arielle said, handing the application form over to


    him.


    Donovan¡¯s expression darkened when he saw the application form.


    ¡°Arielle!¡± Donovan¡¯s voice was tight with anger that he did not even know he harbored. He lowered his


    voice and said, ¡°Have you already forgotten what I said to you this afternoon? Do you really want to be a


    kept woman? Do you really want to be living with another man?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s lips parted in shock and confusion. After a long while, she finally realized that there had been a


    misunderstanding.


    Donovan had wrongly assumed that she was staying with Vinson.


    With a frown, Arielle exined, ¡°I live alone. I¡¯m not living with a man, nor am I someone¡¯s mistress! If


    you call me names again, I¡¯ll report you to the principal and the police!¡±


    Donovan visibly rxed upon hearing Arielle¡¯s words.


    After a short pause, he asked, ¡°Where did you get the money to pay rent from?¡±


    ¡°From my deceased mom,¡± Arielle replied with a shrug.


    Donovan was a little stunned to hear her answer. He cleared his throat awkwardly and said, ¡°It was my


    mistake, and I apologize for that. I¡¯lle and take a look once you¡¯ve moved. As your homeroom


    teacher, I should know the living situation of my students who are staying off-campus.¡±


    Arielle looked at Donovan with furrowed brows. What


    does he mean by that?


    But Donovan¡¯s head was bowed, and he was signing the form. Hence, she did not say anything else to


    him and merely took the signed form before she headed back downstairs.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Donovan called out suddenly.


    When she turned, Arielle caught Donovan¡¯s eyes staring at her bare neck.


    ¡°Your neck¡­¡± It needs a ne.


    However, Donovan did notplete his sentence. He shook himself out of his daze, cleared his throat


    awkwardly again, and said, ¡°Well, go on, then!¡±


    Arielle threw him a confused nce and continued on her way.


    Trisha, who had been waiting at the bottom of the stairwell, rushed toward her and asked, ¡°How did it


    go? Mr. Baxter didn¡¯t make it too difficult for you, did he?¡±


    Arielle shook her head and smiled lightly with no intention to talk about Donovan. ¡°Once I¡¯m all settled in


    my new ce, I¡¯ll invite you and Jared over! I¡¯ll make you two dinner!¡±


    ¡°That sounds great!¡± Trisha nodded happily


    The twodies chatted as they walked, and soon, they arrived at the university gates,


    Outside the gates, a bright blue sports car was parked by the side of the road. All of the students who


    were passing by could not help staring at it.


    Right then, Vinson climbed out and leaned against the car door, waiting with his arms casually crossed.


    The crowd of students buzzed with excitement when he emerged from the car.


    ¡°Is that Mr. Nightshire? He¡¯s so handsome!¡±


    ¡°Hold on! Why isn¡¯t Mr. Nightshire in a suit today? He¡¯s usually in a suit. Why is he in overalls today?¡±.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°Well, it looks great on him! He¡¯s so handsome; he can pull off anything! If any of the boys in our ss


    had worn those overalls, they would look like a janitor!¡±


    The first thing Wendy saw when she walked out of the school gates was Vinson dressed in a pair of light


    blue overalls.

 Chapter 652

    Chapter 652


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 652


    Wendy was on her way out for dinner with some friends. She had not expected to run into Vinson as


    soon as she walked out of the school grounds.


    Meanwhile, Vinson had lost the domineering aura that usually apanied him in his usual suit. In his


    overalls, he looked attractively wild and rebellious. It was difficult for anyone to pull their eyes away from


    him.


    Naturally, Wendy stood rooted to the ground as well. She hade to aplete stop as soon as


    Vinson entered her vision.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Her face grew warm at the sight of him. However, when she recalled the way he had treated her, her


    expression turned cold.


    ¡°Wendy? Come on! Why are you stopping here?¡± The two girls who were walking with Wendy turned


    back to look at her with frowns on their faces.


    Instantly, Wendy snapped out of her daze, smiled faintly at the girls, and hurried to catch up to them.


    As the two girls followed Wendy¡¯s gaze, they could not help but feel nervous looking at Vinson standing


    by his car.


    ¡°Should we go out through the back door?¡± the taller girl suggested


    ¡°What are you scared of? Half a day has already passed, and nothing happened so far! Mr. Nightshire


    must be


    even more frightened of us. Let¡¯s just go! There¡¯s nothing to be scared of!¡± the other girl replied with a


    smirk.


    With that, she grabbed their hands and dragged them past Vinson.


    Wendy and the taller girl kept their eyes fixed on the ground. They were afraid that Vinson might notice


    them and confront them after recalling what had happened earlier that day.


    Luckily for them, Vinson did not even nce up as the three girls walked past him.


    ¡°What did I say, huh?¡± the shorter girl said gloatingly once they were out of his earshot. ¡°There¡¯s no way


    he would confront us over such a trivial matter. You two should stop worrying about it!¡±


    The taller girl exhaled in relief and beamed, ¡°Well then, shall we go celebrate with pizza? My treat!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± the other girl replied cheerfully.


    On the contrary, Wendy could not bring herself to even crack a smile.


    I walked right past him, but he didn¡¯t even notice me! He really doesn¡¯t give a sh*t about me! If he did, he


    would have been able to spot me in the crowd!


    Feeling rather irritated by the turn of events, she trailed behind her two friends in silence.


    From a distance, Arielle noticed Vinson leaning against his car outside the university gates.


    Trisha caught sight of him, too. After all, Vinson was impossible to ignore.


    She did not want toe between the two of them, so she bade Arielle goodbye and went her own way.


    ¡°See you tomorrow, Arielle!¡±


    Arielle caressed her head and reminded, ¡°If you¡¯re having any problems living alone, let me know, okay?


    I cane back anytime!¡±


    ¡°Sure, don¡¯t worry about me,¡± Trisha said with a smile.


    Pleased, Arielle gave Trisha¡¯s hair onest ruffle and let her go.


    Trisha blushed a little and hurried away with a wave.


    Seeing that, Arielle could not help smiling back at her. Then, she turned and walked toward Vinson.


    Meanwhile, Vinson was staring intently at Arielle. It was as if the entire world had fallen away, and they


    were the only two people left in that space.


    However, he had noticed the interaction between the two girls, and it had made him feel rather unhappy.


    Arielle had never caressed his head like that before.


    Is it because Ick hair, or am I not as likable as that girl?


    As soon as Arielle approached Vinson, she could sense the dissatisfaction emanating from him. It was


    as if the temperature around him had dropped a few degrees.


    Confused, she looked at Vinson. His eyes were icy, and his brows were knitted together. He could not


    have made his feelings any clearer.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Arielle asked.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Vinson replied, ring at her.

 Chapter 653

    Chapter 653


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 653


    Why does he always sound so aggrieved? What did I even do to him?


    Arielle tried to guess what she had done to upset him and said, ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to bete. I had to


    get the principal and my homeroom teacher to sign the form for permission to live off-campus. I didn¡¯t


    mean to keep you waiting. Please don¡¯t be angry!¡±


    Vinson¡¯s eyes twitched.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m mad because of that?¡±


    Arielle blinked at him, her confusion deepening. ¡°Why else would you be mad?¡±


    ¡°Ah, forget it!¡± Vinson retorted with a scowl. ¡°Let¡¯s just pretend that¡¯s the reason I¡¯m mad. Just give me


    your luggage and get in the car.¡±


    With that, Wendy climbed into the passenger seat, still frowning in confusion. She knew there was


    another reason for Vinson¡¯s irritation. But what¡¯s the real reason?


    The silence in the car was palpable as they drove toward the residential area. When they stopped at a


    traffic light, Vinson finally turned to Arielle and said sullenly, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that we¡¯re married. You


    shouldn¡¯t go around petting other people¡¯s heads. We signed a contract.¡±


    Arielle turned her gaze to Vinson in astonishment. ¡°Are you talking about Trisha? She¡¯s a girl!¡±


    Vinson snorted and said in a low voice, ¡°She¡¯s lucky that sh


    ¡°Huh?¡± Arielle did not know what he meant by his remark.


    However, Vinson did not exin himself. The traffic light turned green, and he started the car again.


    They finally stopped in front of an old residential building about ten minutes¡¯ drive from Jadeborough


    University.


    The appearance of the bright blue sports car attracted the attention of the few elderly people who were


    going about their morning walk in front of the gate.


    Getting out of the car, Vinson shook his head disapprovingly as he took in the rather rundown building in


    front of him. ¡°This ce is so old! Why don¡¯t you live with me in Maple Mansion? It¡¯s only half an hour¡¯s


    drive from the university. It¡¯s really not that far.¡±


    Arielle recalled how Donovan had called her a ¡®kept woman¡¯ and shook her head vehemently. ¡°No, I want


    to live alone.¡±


    Hearing the firmness in her tone, Vinson did not try to persuade her any further. He silently started


    looking for her unit number.


    Arielle was staying in unit number 2 on the sixth floor.


    It was an old building, and there was no elevator, Hence, Vinson had to climb up six flights of stairs while


    lugging Arielle¡¯s tworge suitcases behind him.


    She had wanted to offer to carry one of the suitcases, but she saw that Vinson had managed to climb up


    to the fourth floor without exerting much effort. Since he¡¯s so strong and doesn¡¯t seem to have any


    trouble carrying the bags, I¡¯ll let him do it all by himself then!


    She was panting by the time they finally reached the sixth floor. On the other hand, Vinson looked


    perfectly fine despite having carried two heavy suitcases up with him. Arielle could not helpmenting


    as she unlocked the door to admit them into the apartment, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were so fit!¡±


    Vinson raised an eyebrow and smirked. ¡°I¡¯m fitter than you think. You can try me if you¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°Try you?¡± Arielle asked, puzzled. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    As soon as those words left her mouth, Arielle realized that Vinson had been teasing her. She blushed


    furiously. ¡°Oh,e on, Vinson! Don¡¯t be indecent! Just because you¡¯re dressed like a Chad today, it


    doesn¡¯t mean that you can act like one!¡±


    Vinson smirked at her again. ¡°It has nothing to do with my style today. I¡¯ve always been this way.¡±


    Especially when I¡¯m speaking to you, Vinson added silently to himself.


    Rolling her eyes, Arielle turned her back to him and focused on unlocking the front door.


    The doorknob was rather difficult to unlock, and Arielle fiddled with it for several minutes before a click


    sounded, and the door finally swung open.


    As soon as they entered the apartment, a musty smell and a cloud of dust osted them.


    Arielle sneezed and coughed several times as the dust tickled her nose and throat.


    Vinson stepped in before her and said, ¡°Wait by the door. I¡¯ll open up the windows first. Let the air


    circte a little before you step in.¡±


    For a moment, he did not seem like a CEO at all. He walked straight into that musty apartment without


    even flinching

 Chapter 654

    Chapter 654


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 654


    Arielle had always noticed the small details, and she did not miss Vinson¡¯s gentlemanly behavior. Her


    heartbeat quickened at his gantry.


    However, she was also a sensible person, so she quickly forced herself out of her moony-eyed daze.


    She had been a fool too many times before. Hence, she did not want to put herself in that awkward


    situation ever again.


    We¡¯re just friends!


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    Arielle insisted to herself.


    After Vinson had cracked open all the windows in the apartment, his phone suddenly rang. The screen lit


    up with Jordan¡¯s name.


    Vinson answered the call. Before he could even open his mouth, Jordan had already started speaking in


    an urgent tone, ¡°Vin, I¡¯ve just broken up with a girl without knowing that she is the daughter of my dad¡¯s


    friend! Well, my dad found out about it very quickly, and he canceled my credit card! I¡¯m broke! Could you


    lend me one million? I need the money right now!¡±


    ¡°I have no money,¡± Vinson replied coolly and promptly hung up the phone.


    On the other end of the line, Jordan yelled in frustration in the washroom cubicle where he was hiding.


    Heartless assh*le! Am I even a friend to him? How


    could he treat me like this? How heartless!


    Arielle walked in just as Vinson was finishing his call and could not help asking, ¡°Did you say ¡®no


    money¡¯? Are you short of money, Vinson?¡±


    Vinson nced at her suspiciously.


    If you¡¯re in need of cash, I can lend you some. I won¡¯t charge you any interest,¡± Arielle continued.


    Vinson looked at her with interest as she spoke. A yful glint shone in his eyes.


    The very next moment, Vinson put on a pitiful face and said with a sigh, ¡°Although the problem with the


    coffee shop is now resolved, Nightshire Group is still suffering the consequences. Now we¡¯re having


    some cash flow problems¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll lend you some money!¡±


    ¡°No need for that,¡± Vinson said, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯ll have enough cash if I sell Maple Mansion, but if I


    do that¡­ I won¡¯t have a ce to live!¡±


    ¡°Oh no! How did ite to this¡­¡± Arielle frowned in concern. ¡°Since the problem was resolved, I thought


    your sales would be even higher than before¡­¡±


    Vinson sighed loudly and looked despondently out the window. ¡°It looks like I¡¯ll be sleeping on the streets


    tonight.¡±


    ¡°Well, you can still go back to the manor!¡± Arielle reminded him.


    ¡°I thought of that, but my mother is getting older, and I¡¯ve lived on my own for a long time. If I suddenly go


    back to my family home now, she¡¯ll know thepany is in trouble! I don¡¯t want her worrying since she¡¯s


    old and not in good health¡­¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Arielle bit her lower lip, her brows knitted together. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, you can stay here


    temporarily. Once you have your finances under control, you can buy another house to stay in.¡±


    ¡°That seems to be my only choice. Would you mind, though?¡± Vinson said solemnly.


    Arielle waved her hand dismissively and said, ¡°No, of course not! I¡¯ll be at school all day anyway. I can¡¯t


    do much to help you with your troubles. This is the only way I can help you. It¡¯s nothing!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the n then! I¡¯ll get Rayson to sort that out for me while I help you clean up and settle down


    here.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Arielle nodded before she went to inspect the rest of the apartment.


    Hence, she did not notice the corners of Vinson¡¯s lips lifting in amusement.


    Arielle is a smartdy, but she really does trust me too much! She didn¡¯t even blink at anything I said!


    Well, what else could I do? I¡¯m responsible for her safety, after all,


    As Arielle toured the apartment, she was quite satisfied with it


    It had one bedroom, one living room, and one bathroom. Although it was a rather old unit, all the


    electrical appliances worked perfectly, so she could move in that very night after cleaning up the ce a


    bit.

 Chapter 655

    Chapter 655


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 655


    When Arielle walked out of the master bedroom, she noticed that Vinson had opened one of the luggage.


    In fact, she had been thinking about it just now. She wondered why Vinson brought two pieces of


    luggage up when she only had one.


    Feeling puzzled, she leaned closer to look at the luggage. It turned out that there were a lot of tools and


    equipment for cleaning inside.


    Arielle nced at the luggage. There were even tools to clean the windows inside.


    Then, Vinsonid out all of the tools. There were so many of them that they took up half the living room.


    Arielleughed under her breath upon seeing Vinson taking out a broom in his work uniform. It feels like


    I¡¯ve hired a professional cleaner.


    ¡°You have a lot of professional equipment with you. I¡¯ll give you a raise in your sryter.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, boss.¡± Vinson bowed politely toward Arielle.


    Seeing that, Arielle could not help but chuckle.


    Not longter, they started cleaning the room.


    To Arielle¡¯s surprise, Vinson was efficient at cleaning. The dusty room turned sparkly clean in less than


    two hours.


    Arielle opened the air conditioner, and the moldy smell in the room dissipated gradually.


    Then, she turned around to Vinson and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to make the bed now. You can throw the rubbish


    downstairs. Then, we can go get some groceries for our dinner tonight.¡±


    Vinson made an OK sign with his hand before carrying the garbage down.


    Staring at his back, Arielle felt the empty holes in her heart fill up instantly. She did not know how to


    exin theplicated feelings within her heart, but she had to admit that it was, indeed, a good feeling.


    After Vinson left, she went into the bedroom to make the bed.


    Suddenly, she noticed a photo under the mattress, so she leaned over to pick it up.


    As soon as her gaze fell on the photo, she was stunned.


    Vinson came back a few minutester. He noticed that Arielle was not in the living room, so he headed


    inside the bedroom to look for her.


    Right then, Arielle was staring at the wall in a daze with the photo still in her hand,


    Vinson could not help but ask, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    Arielle immediately regained her senses upon hearing that. She lifted her head to look at Vinson. She


    was so excited that her eyes began to glimmer with tears.


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    Vinson frowned slightly. Subconsciously, he reached out a hand to wipe away the tears at the corners of


    her eyes.


    There were calluses on his fingers. Arielle felt like an electrical current shot through her body as he


    rubbed her face with his rough fingers.


    Suddenly, her heart began to beat faster. She froze for a second before taking a step behind


    subconsciously.


    With that, Vinson¡¯s hand stopped at the mid-air. His gaze darkened, but he soon recovered from it.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What are you looking at?¡±


    Arielle coughed, trying her best to calm herself down. Then, she handed the photo to Vinson. ¡°Look at


    this! I found it under the mattress just now. It must¡¯ve been left by Mom back then. Henrick moved all the


    valuable things away, but he had never touched any furniture. That¡¯s why this photo is still here!¡±


    Vinson took over the photo to look at it. Maureen was smiling sweetly in the picture. The man who stood


    beside her wrapped his arms around her as he looked at her affectionately,


    That man was very handsome-looking. He had perfect facial features. Every corner of his face was well


    chiseled. His eyes were dark, and his nose was beautiful. Moreover, his look exuded a domineering yet


    elegant aura.


    Most importantly, his facial features were very simr to Arielle¡¯s.


    ¡°This man¡­¡± Vinson widened his eyes in surprise.


    Arielle knew what was on Vinson¡¯s mind. She nodded and said, ¡°I think he might be my biological father.¡±

 Chapter 656

    Chapter 656


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 656


    Arielle¡¯s voice trembled as she said that.


    Words could not exin how excited she was. After all, she had been looking for that man since a long


    time ago. She tried to search for him after visiting her mom and Susanne. Moreover, she also asked her


    subordinates for help, but all her efforts were in vain.


    She had no single information about the man, including his name and appearance. The global poption


    was nearly eight billion, so there was no way that she could find him in that situation.


    However, she finally found out how that man looked like now.


    It¡¯s all thanks to Dad for kicking me out and giving me the house! Arielle was beyond excited.


    But then, she was a little lost at the same time. Should I be happy about this?


    Vinson stared at Arielle¡¯splicated expression as he asked in confusion, ¡°Now that you have found


    the photo, it¡¯ll be so much easier for you to find your biological father now. Why are you making this


    face? Aren¡¯t you happy?¡±


    Arielle smiled wryly. ¡°But he didn¡¯t show up after what had happened to Mom, even after her death. I


    don¡¯t know whether he has anything to do with that, and if he does, I won¡¯t let him off even though he¡¯s


    my biological


    how I should react to that.¡±


    Vinson reached out a hand to pat her head. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink things for now, okay? You¡¯ll find out


    everything after meeting him. At least you¡¯re one step closer to the truth now, right?¡±


    He leaned closer to her. The refreshing scent of cedarwood wasted in the air, overwhelming Arielle.


    She looked up and met Vinson¡¯s gaze. His dark eyes were soft, glimmering with adoration.


    Arielle¡¯s heart began to pound faster as her face flushed red. Awkwardly, she pushed Vinson¡¯s hand


    away and coughed. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s a good thing, after all. I¡¯ll ask my men to try the face recognition function


    in the database room. If his information is in the database, we¡¯ll get to find him within one or two days.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Give me a copy of the picture. Mypany has a private global faces database. That should


    make our work easier.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Arielle nodded, trying hard to calm herself down.


    As soon as they finished discussing the photo, they headed to the supermarket nearby.


    ¡°What do you feel like eating? Ravioli?¡± Arielle asked while pushing the trolley.


    ¡°I want to try some of your other dishes,¡± Vinson said. ¡°I can be your assistant.¡±


    Arielle recalled how Vinson turned the noodles into a cursed dish, so she shook her head immediately.


    ¡°Forget about that. You can help me to clean the dishes.¡±


    Vinson smiled helplessly. ¡°Why do you sound so disdainful? Are my culinary skills that bad?¡±


    Arielle shrugged. ¡°Pardon me for being straightforward. You¡¯re quite bad in that.¡±


    Vinson tucked both of his hands into his pockets and smirked mischievously, ¡°In what? Bed?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s smile froze as she blushed.


    ¡°You¡¯re crazy.¡± With that said, she pushed the trolley and walked toward the vegetables section.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Vinson followed behind her. As he passed by the household supplies areas, he stopped to pick a few


    matching toiletries for both of them.


    He chose two simr towels, two toothbrushes in the same shade, and two rinsing mugs that were ck


    and white.


    Meanwhile, someone stopped Arielle while she was picking the vegetables.

 Chapter 657

    Chapter 657


    Arielle raised her head to look at the man in front of her.


    He was tall and slender. His short hair was colored grey.


    Strangely, he wrapped every part of his body even under such hot weather. Moreover, he wore


    sunsses and a face mask to cover his face.


    Why is he dressing up like that on such a terribly hot day? Could it be that he¡¯s a crazy man?


    Subconsciously, Arielle stepped back and asked warily, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Upon realizing that he had frightened Arielle, the man exined, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. My name is Jason


    Sleight.¡±


    Then, he took off the face mask and sunsses.


    A handsome face appeared the moment he took them off.


    His facial features were exquisite. It was too perfect that anyone would stop breathing when they saw his


    face.


    Jason stood still as he waited for Arielle¡¯s response.


    However, Arielle frowned as she shot him a nce bewilderedly. Upon making sure that she did not


    remember his face, she shook her head and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t remember knowing you. May I


    know who you are?¡±


    Jason was stunned. He pointed at himself and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t know me? I¡¯m Jason! Jason Sleight!¡±


    I¡¯m one of the most famous influencers! How can she be unaware of my identity? Soon, he took his cap


    off.


    Immediately, several women rushed over to surround him.


    ¡°Jason Sleight, is that you?¡±


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°I¡¯m your fan! Can you take a picture with us?¡±


    ¡°Can I get your autograph?¡±


    Finally, Arielle came to her realization. Oh. It turns out that he¡¯s a celebrity. But I don¡¯t remember


    interacting with any celebrities in Chanaea. I wonder why he stopped me just now.


    However, as she was unbothered about him, she pushed her trolley away to continue with her grocery


    shopping.


    Not long after, the trolley was filled with fresh vegetables. Vinson walked toward her as he asked, ¡°What


    did that man say to you just now?¡±


    ¡°He just wanted to know whether I knew him. Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m done picking the vegetables. We should get


    some meat.¡± Arielle was not even bothered by what had happened just now.


    After all, she did not understand why Jason appeared out of nowhere to introduce himself.


    However, Vinson understood what was going on. That guy is just trying to hit on Arielle. Luckily, Arielle


    doesn¡¯t have many experiences in rtionships, so she doesn¡¯t know anything.


    He turned to nce at Arielle. I wish I can stick a ¡°Married¡±bel on her forehead so that no one will try to


    hit on her.


    However, he could only keep that wish at the bottom of his heart.


    As soon as they paid the bills, both of them carried two shopping bags each and returned to the house.


    Vinson continued to clean the house while Arielle started to prepare their dinner in the kitchen. Although


    they did not interact in the process, both of them would nce at each other from time to time. The


    atmosphere in the house was heartwarming and harmonious.


    Back then, Vinson thought that life after marriage was bored and troublesome. However, he started to


    find it interesting now. He even thought of spending the rest of his life like that.


    Arielle was skilled in cooking. Not long after, she brought six different dishes and a soup out and


    arranged them neatly on the dining table.


    Vinson could already feel his stomach growling as he looked at them


    ¡°You¡¯re good at ying piano and chess. I didn¡¯t expect you to be this skillful in cooking too!¡± He shifted


    his gaze from the food to Arielle¡¯s face.


    Arielle replied effusively, ¡°I¡¯m fast when ites to learning things since young. I think I¡¯ve inherited that


    from my mom.¡±


    Suddenly, she noticed that there was no cutlery on the table. She stood up and walked past Vinson to


    the kitchen.


    Vinson was sitting down around the dining table with one of his legs stretched out. Arielle did not notice


    that, so she tripped over his feet and fell toward him.

 Chapter 658

    Chapter 658


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 658


    Everything happened so fast that Arielle did not even have the time to stabilize herself.


    Right when she thought she was about to fall badly, a hand grabbed her wrist all of a sudden and pulled


    her to the side.


    The next moment, she fell into a warm and firm embrace that smelled like cedarwood.


    Vinson was also startled. Fortunately, his reaction speed was fast enough. As soon as he pulled Arielle


    over, he immediately spread his arms open to catch her.


    The chair moved back a little due to the inertia.


    Vinson¡¯s back knocked on the corner of the table. He could not help but let out a deep groan of pain.


    Suddenly, a middle-aged woman opened the door abruptly with a bag of fresh fruits in her hand.


    She froze upon seeing Vinson groan with Arielle in his arms. Her mind went nk, so she stood still and


    looked at them in a daze. Are all the youngsters this open-minded? How can they do that in the dining


    room?


    Immediately, Vinson noticed that woman. He held Arielle and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    The woman regained her senses upon hearing that. ¡°I¡¯m one of the residents from the downstairs. I


    came to say hi because you guys just moved in. Unfortunately, I


    came at a b-bad timing¡­¡± She put the bag of fruits on the floor as sheughed awkwardly. ¡°You guys


    can continue now. I didn¡¯t see anything just now!¡±


    With that, she turned around and left immediately. She even closed the door for them.


    Arielle realized that the woman had misunderstood them. Her petite face immediately flushed red with


    shame. She struggled, trying to free herself from Vinson¡¯s hands.


    However, Vinson did not n to let her go. He continued to wrap his arms around her waist tightly and


    smiled, ¡°Seems like she misunderstood us.¡±


    Of course I know about this! Arielle frowned. ¡°It¡¯s all because of you. Why didn¡¯t you close the door just


    now? A-Anyway, l-let go of me first.¡±


    Vinson ignored her words. He could feel the sensation of Arielle¡¯s body through her clothes.


    Her skin was too soft and firm that he was reluctant to let her go.


    Ignoring the shameful expression on Arielle¡¯s face, Vinson bent forward to her ears and whispered, ¡°In


    fact, she did not misunderstand anything. We¡¯re a married couple, anyway.¡±


    As Vinson talked, his warm breath fell upon her face.


    Her face was so red that it became redder than the red


    glow of the evening sky. She was utterly embarrassed, and she felt like her brain was going to explode


    soon.


    Having no choice, Arielle struggled with her strengths to free herself from Vinson¡¯s arms. Finally, she


    finally escaped from his embrace after exhaustive efforts.


    Then, she backed off immediately to keep a safe distance from Vinson. Her eyes were zing with anger


    and shame as she scolded, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you let go of me? Are you a pervert?¡±


    ¡°Pervert?¡± Vinson tilted his head. The corners of his lips curled into a devilish grin. ¡°I¡¯m not a pervert.¡±


    After all, he was just hugging his own wife.


    Arielle felt even more uneasy upon seeing his face. She could still feel the warmth of his hands on her


    waist, and that made her feel like her whole body was burning.


    Finally, she turned around and walked into the kitchen, ignoring him.


    There was only a set of cutlery in her hands when she walked out of the kitchen.


    ¡°Where¡¯s mine?¡± Vinson asked with an innocent look.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Go and take it yourself!¡± Arielle did not even look at him. She sat down around the dining table and


    started eating


    She was too embarrassed that her face hung low, close to the te. Seeing that, Vinson reached out a


    hand to adjust the position of her head.


    However, Arielle immediately leaned back into her chair as soon as she felt his touch. She looked up and


    red at Vinson furiously.


    Vinson shrugged and answered in an even more innocent voice, ¡°I¡¯m just worried that your hair might get


    dirty.¡±

 Chapter 659

    Chapter 659


    Vinson blinked his eyes twice as he said this and it made him look harmless.


    ¡°Um,¡± Arielle couldn¡¯t get angry for some reason when she saw his actions and just lowered her head to


    continue eating.


    Vinson shrugged before going to the kitchen.


    Arielle couldn¡¯t stop her gaze from following his figure but soon snapped out of her daze. Patting her


    cheeks, she reminded herself to ignore Vinson for the whole night.


    Vinson returned from the kitchen not long after. Arielle didn¡¯t turn to look at him and kept her head low as


    she continued eating.


    Vinson wisely refrained from letting his hands wander again this time and attentively sat opposite her to


    eat.


    Arielle cooked amon dish but it was delicious and tasted like something he never had.


    He took a few more bites just to make sure that it really wasn¡¯t him ying favorite as he felt that Arielle¡¯s


    cooking was better than top chefs.


    His thoughts wandered.


    Arielle had shown extraordinary skills in hacking, piano, chess, and a lot of other things.


    Maureen was also powerful and smart but not to


    Arielle¡¯s level of skills. The man in the picture is sure very exceptional.


    It seems that I really need to talk to Mom. She and Mrs. Moore used to be close friends. Maybe she


    knows something


    Vinson frowned almost immediately as he thought of Susanne.


    Arielle, who sat opposite him, had already finished her meal and got up to return to the bedroom.


    ¡°Arielle,¡± Vinson called, but she ignored him and continued to walk away.


    ¡°Sannie,¡± Vinson tried again helplessly.


    Arielle¡¯s footsteps halted before answering nkly. ¡°I¡¯m done eating so I¡¯m going back to my room and


    rest.¡±


    ¡°Good-¡± Arielle had entered the bedroom before Vinson could even say ¡°night¡±.


    ¡°Tsk.¡± Vinson wore a troubled expression. Girls are hard to coax.


    He then got up and went to the balcony a few minutester to call Jordan.


    Jordan answered the call quickly and he sounded aggrieved. ¡°Why are you calling me? I¡¯m about to


    starve to death and you don¡¯t even try to save me. You¡¯re inhuman!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve transferred five million to your ount. You can check.¡±


    Jordan¡¯s scolding tone instantly turned into an iparably ttering one. ¡°Oh, look at me, always


    saying the wrong things. What I wanted to say was you are the very handsome, very bold, very


    distinguished, and very elegant friend of mine!¡±


    Vinson directly said, ¡°Stop. You¡¯ve already received the money so you¡¯re under my jurisdiction now.¡±


    ¡°What is it? You gave me five million¡­ There shouldn¡¯t be any mortal danger, right?¡±¡¯.


    ¡°Just answer my question.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ What question?¡±


    Vinson nced at the master bedroom before asking in a whisper. ¡°The girl is angry. How should I coax


    her?¡±


    ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡± Jordan on the other side of the call choked on his saliva.


    He was ready to climb over mountains of des and swam across seas of fire after being paid five


    million. In the end, it was¡­ It was just this?


    Jordan couldn¡¯tprehend what was going on and he was speechless.


    Half an hourter.


    The girl in question was slumped over the desk.


    Arielle bit the pen cap as she struggled to do her Old Chanaean Literature homework.


    Old Chanaean Literature was quite difficult for her but she still gained a lot of understanding after


    carefully studying it. She could easily solve questions that involvedmon words provided that she had


    them memorized.


    But she had been somewhat flustered today so she couldn¡¯t do this medium-difficulty level Old


    Chanaean Literature homework.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    The door was pushed open at this moment¡­

 Chapter 660

    Chapter 660


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 660


    Arielle knew it was Vinson so she deliberately ignored it and didn¡¯t look up.


    The next moment, however, she jumped away on reflex as she felt an icy cold sensation on her cheek.


    She looked up in respond when the cold sensation was gone.


    She saw Vinson holding two cups of iced milk tea in his hands before bowing to her in a casual manner


    with a ttering smile. ¡°Sannie, don¡¯t be angry, okay?¡±


    Intentionally or not, he dragged the word ¡°okay¡±, which effectively made it sound romantic and sexy.


    Vinson himself had a kind of abstinent temperament so thisbination was unspeakably evoking.


    Arielle was rendered speechless again.


    She couldn¡¯t do anything but listen to Vinson talking as he put the cup on the desk and helped insert the


    straw in. ¡°ke said you like to drink grape tea smoothie of this brand. I made a special trip to the shop


    across your university just to buy you this. Please have mercy on me and drink this, okay?¡±


    He asked Jordan for advice but thetter didn¡¯t know a thing about Arielle so he only told Vinson his


    method of coaxing his girlfriend. And it was to buy whatever she liked.


    He remembered that Arielle was drinking milk tea when the ident with ke happened. So he made


    a trip to


    the milk tea shop across Jadeborough University to buy a cup of grape tea smoothie.


    Arielle stared at the cup of grape tea smoothie Vinson was offering and her hand clenched around the


    pen tighter without her noticing.


    Her heart might be¡­ faulty.


    ¡°Just have a sip and don¡¯t be angry anymore, okay?¡± Vinson once again spoke in that affectionate tone


    from earlier.


    Arielle couldn¡¯t stand it anymore so she reached out to take the cup without looking away. ¡°I¡¯ll drink it.


    You can go out,¡± she said.


    Vinson didn¡¯t leave but leaned closer to her ear instead. ¡°You¡¯re not angry anymore?¡± Vinson asked.


    His breath brushed against her ears and her temperature rose, dyeing her ears red.


    Arielle leaned an inch backward before covering her ears and said impatiently, ¡°I¡¯m not angry anymore!


    Please go out!¡±


    Vinson finally stood up and said in a contented manner. ¡°I¡¯ll go out, then. Study well and sleep early. I¡¯ll


    send you to ss tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I got it¡­ Can you go out quickly?¡± Arielle


    urged.


    Vinson would definitely see her blushing if he didn¡¯t leave at that moment.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Vinson answered her with a smile before walking away.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The light in the bedroom was quite dim but he still saw Arielle¡¯s blush.


    It seems like Jordan really has some skills and I didn¡¯t spend those five million for nothing.


    Arielle immediately covered herself with the quilt as soon as Vinson left.


    Her heart was beating so fast that she felt as if it was about to jump out of her throat.


    ¡°No, no, Arielle¡­ You have to keep calm!¡± Arielle rolled around the bed while attempting to calm herself.


    Arielle kept at it for a long while until beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.


    She swore in irritation before sitting up.


    She didn¡¯t understand what had happened to her right now. Am I ill?


    Arielle had never been in a romantic rtionship. She was usually busy with all kinds of studies and


    wouldn¡¯t pay attention to that kind of thing so she didn¡¯t know what was going on with herself right now,


    She patted her face before searching for her phone to send a text message to Trisha.


    The text message read: Trish, what does it mean if you¡¯re blushing and your heart beats fast when


    someone leaned close to you?


    Trisha¡¯s reply was quick: I often experience this. My parents said that it¡¯s because I have mild autism and


    a social anxiety disorder. Are you also having these problems? Have you seen a psychiatrist?

 Chapter 661

    Chapter 661


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 661


    As Arielle recalled, the Wilhelms would bring her and Henry for medical checkups every year. The


    checkups, however, were always only physical, never psychological.


    It might be true that she, like Trisha, could have a little mental disability.


    It seemed like it was about time she consulted a psychologist.


    Arielle¡¯s deep-rooted frustration evaporated instantly after she convinced herself that she was suffering


    from a mental disorder.


    Night was drawing in slowly.


    A thick nket of darkness covered the earth. While the stars and the moon hung high in the sky,


    Rocher Private Hospital was illuminated as brightly as day.


    In an emergency room.


    ¡°Adrenaline, stat!¡±


    ¡°Get more blood from the blood bank!¡±


    ¡°telet count is dropping!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no use. We need Queenie here. You, page Dr. Mill right now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Dr. Ziegler.¡±


    The situation in the emergency room was disastrous.


    Half an hour ago, Malorie unexpectedly fell unconscious and was rushed to the hospital¡¯s emergency


    room.


    On top of being anxious, Henrick was unable to sit still. He paced back and forth in front of the


    emergency room entrance. Smoking cigarettes as he paced, stick after stick, the ashes rained down and


    covered the floor.


    At that precise moment, the emergency room¡¯s door opened.


    A nurse rushed out from the emergency room.


    Henrick rushed over and asked her, ¡°How¡¯s my mom?¡±?


    Henrick¡¯s breath smelt strongly of cigarette smoke as he talked. The nurse tightened her mask and


    replied, ¡°We¡¯re still trying to save her. Just a reminder, sir. You can¡¯t smoke in here.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Okay.¡± Henrick put out the cigarette in his hand. He begged, ¡°You must save my Mom!¡±


    The nurse nodded. ¡°I¡¯m going to page the greatest surgeon in the hospital right now. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll do


    everything we can to save her.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, thank you.¡± Henrick continually nodded. He didn¡¯t want to disturb the nurse¡¯s work.


    Queenie was writing a thesis on a robotic pacemaker in


    her office.


    She wasn¡¯t personally involved in the previous robotic pacemaker surgery. She could, however, write a


    thesis based on the meticulously kept operative report. She might be able to advance her career in


    medicine as a result of the thesis.


    Queenie carefully studied the operative report. ording to the report, the surgical operator was the


    doctor from General Hospital. However, Zachary mentioned that Arielle was the one who installed the


    robotic pacemaker.


    Why didn¡¯t Arielle sign her name if it was actually her? Likewise, how could she have performed surgery


    while still a student? Zachary must have made a mistake. That idiot.


    Even though the surgery was not difficult, it did require a high level of experience and precision. Such


    skills could only be attained by a highly experienced surgeon who was also well-versed in the costly


    robotic pacemaker.


    The more assumptions Queenie made, the more certain she became in her judgment.


    At that moment, Queenie¡¯s office door was mmed open. A nurse frantically rushed into her room and


    yelled, ¡°Dr. Mill, you need to get to emergency room number one as quickly as possible. The elderly


    woman who needed the robotic pacemaker yesterday is unconscious.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go now.¡± Queenie shut off herptop and quickly followed the nurse to the hospital¡¯s emergency


    room.


    While walking, she asked, ¡°Do we have the robotic pacemaker yet?¡±


    ¡°No. It would be great if we did. I think surgery is all you can do now.¡±


    Queenie¡¯s surgical history was perfect. She had never had a failed surgery. Therefore, she wasn¡¯t


    pleased to learn that Malorie¡¯s procedure was incredibly risky. Not to mention that Malorie¡¯s vitals were


    critical. The procedure¡¯s sess rate was reduced to only three percent.


    A three percent sess rate might easily jeopardize her spotless surgical history.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

 Chapter 662

    Chapter 662


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 662


    Queenie walked quickly. She dressed into a surgical gown and entered the emergency room through a


    private pathway.


    Zachary was so stressed that he was drenched in sweat. It wasn¡¯t until Queenie appeared that he


    seemed to calm down. He thoroughly exined the patient¡¯s condition to her.


    Queenie¡¯s brows furrowed in worry the more she listened to Zachary¡¯s exnation.


    With the ongoing conditions, the surgery¡¯s sess rate was far lower than the initial three percent


    estimation.


    Zachary ced the patient¡¯s life in Queenie¡¯s hands. From the looks of her face, he knew what Queenie


    was thinking. He said, ¡°The surgery¡¯s sess rate is too low. I¡¯ll ask a junior doctor to do it.¡±


    For a whole two seconds, Queenie was silent. As a doctor, she had witnessed far too many deaths.


    There was no way Queenie would risk her career on the life of an elderly woman.


    Two secondster, she broke silence. She nodded faintly and said, ¡°That¡¯s the only solution. Come on,


    let¡¯s talk to her family.¡±


    Zachary nodded in agreement as soon as he heard that, and replied, ¡°Okay. I¡¯lle with you. The


    lawyer is ready, and he should be in my office by now.¡±


    ¡°Great. You go get thewyer then. I¡¯ll find a doctor to


    rece us for the surgery. Let¡¯s meet at the emergency room entrance after that.¡±


    Both of them went their separate ways. In order to avoid bumping into the patient¡¯s family, they took a


    private pathway.


    Not long after, Zachary and thewyer arrived at the emergency door entrance.


    At that exact moment, Queenie walked out of the emergency room.


    She found Malorie an inexperienced surgeon. This surgeon had only operated once in his entire career.


    His sess rate wasn¡¯t important to him as a junior. What was more important were his clinical


    experiences.


    Obviously, the inexperienced surgeon would ept Queenie¡¯s offer. Naturally, the name of the surgeon


    in charge was also altered in the operative report to this surgeon¡¯s name.


    This also meant that regardless of how the surgery went, Queenie and Zachary would be unaffected.


    They would still hold a wless surgical history.


    As soon as Henrick saw Queenie, he rushed forward and asked, ¡°Dr. Mill, how is my mom?¡±


    When Queenie pulled down her mask, her lovely eyes were unveiled. She shook her head and, in regret,


    she answered, ¡°The patient¡¯s condition is really critical. We


    still don¡¯t have the robotic pacemaker. This surgery has a three percent sess rate. I strongly advise


    you to be prepared for whatever maye your way.¡±


    Those words were a head-on blow for Henrick, and his mind went nk.


    Malorie was gone.


    Even after chasing Arielle away, Malorie still couldn¡¯t make it out alive.


    What could happen to the family¡¯s coal mining business in his hometown after this?


    Could he give up Southall Group in Jadeborough and return to his hometown?


    After much contemtion, he finally decided to sell all of Southall Group¡¯s shares and return to his


    hometown to manage the coal mining business.


    Southall Group was operating at a loss year after year. Even if he remained in thepany, he would be


    unable to turn thepany around.


    Even the funding of their capital chain that sustained Southall Group was sourced from the family¡¯s coal


    mining business.


    Given that Malorie had passed away and that there was no longer a chairman for the coal mining


    business, why didn¡¯t he sell thepany and return to his hometown?


    In Jadeborough, he was seen as a nonentity. However, in his hometown, he had the authority to instill


    fear and respect in the hearts of others.


    Henrick was meticulously nning his future in his head when, all of a sudden, he remembered


    something Queenie had said to him the day before.


    The robotic pacemaker!


    He hoped to take advantage of his mother¡¯s death for a substantial cash windfall before he headed back


    to his hometown.


    For Malorie to just die in that manner without making something useful of her life would be a cheap


    sacrifice.


    ¡°Where¡¯s thatdy?¡± Henrick red furiously at Queenie and Zachary and continued, ¡°Didn¡¯t you both


    say that someone promised to bring the robotic pacemaker over today? If it weren¡¯t for her promise, my


    mom¡¯s surgery would have been much more sessful. She must be ountable for this! Get her over


    here


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    now!¡±

 Chapter 663

    Chapter 663


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 663


    Queenie and Zachary had been waiting for the patient¡¯s family to bring up the incident.


    The moment Zachary heard Henrick¡¯s words, he introduced thewyer standing next to him by saying,


    ¡°This is Mr. Benson. He is awyer from Jadeborough¡¯s most prestigiousw firm. As this is a case of


    medical malpractice, the hospital will also hold thedy ountable for it. Sign your name below. Let¡¯s


    make her pay for what she has done by bringing awsuit against her.¡±


    Henrick was a cunning man himself. He realized right away that thedy must¡¯ve had a strained


    rtionship with the pair. If that was not the case, they would not have prepared awyer.


    Henrick appeared to be fully on board with their purpose.


    Since they were no longer against each other, Henrick repressed his rage. Not only that, as soon as he


    saw his name stating that he was the intiff, he signed the documents without even looking over the


    fine print.


    Upon seeing Henrick¡¯s signature, Zachary went on to say, ¡°Please wait here while I contact the


    defendant.¡±


    He dialed the phone and spoke with the doctor in charge of the cafeteria patient at Jadeborough Private


    Hospital, in which he presented the issue in full in a serious manner,


    The doctor couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. He


    immediately hung up and contacted Arielle.


    Arielle was just about to fall asleep when her phone rang, jarring her awake. She sighed and then picked


    up the phone.


    When she heard what the doctor had to say, her face grew grim, and she responded, ¡°Tell him that the


    device will be delivered immediately. There¡¯s still time. It will almost certainly arrive before twelve


    o¡¯clock.¡±


    With Arielle¡¯s assertions, the doctor felt a sense of calm returning to him. He dialed Zachary¡¯s phone


    number once more.


    Zachary answered the call. With a grin on his face, he asked, ¡°How did it go? Was the youngdy


    startled that she peed her pants?¡±


    The doctor in charge raged, ¡°Zachary Ziegler, where have you gone wrong with your medical ethics? Is it


    necessary to be that cruel to a youngdy?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be mad. It¡¯s not you I¡¯m going against. In fact, I¡¯m not even going against anyone. I¡¯m just ying


    by the rules. She got herself into this situation by telling lies, and that has cost someone else¡¯s life.¡±


    With a snort, the doctor replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but your schemes will fail. The device is nearly finished. It¡¯s


    only a little past eleven o¡¯clock right now. It will be there at twelve o¡¯clock sharp, as you requested. Just


    you wait.¡±


    After finishing his sentence, the doctor immediately


    ended the phone call.


    Zachary appeared to be displeased.


    Was there a significant difference between twelve o¡¯clock and half past eleven? At this point, just ept


    the fact that the device could not arrive on schedule. Why is he dragging this out longer?


    Didn¡¯t the doctor ask him to wait?


    There wasn¡¯t much that he could do about it other than


    waiting


    Zachary walked back to the emergency room entrance. His face was contorted with rage as he


    repeatedly mumbled the words of the doctor.


    Queenie looked pale. She said, ¡°I believe Arielle is taken aback. She must be in the search forwyers to


    help her resolve the situation right now.¡±


    Zachary responded with a chuckle, ¡°Even if she were toe up with a solution, it would be pointless.


    What she did cost a person¡¯s life. She may be able to avoid the judgement of thew, but that doesn¡¯t


    mean she will be able to avoid the judgement of her own conscience.¡±


    After hearing his thoughts, Queenie had an idea.


    She raised her brow and teased, ¡°To deal with an irresponsible person like this, we must expose her


    awful character. You have the password to the hospital¡¯s official ount, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Following Queenie¡¯s hint, Zachary face-palmed as he got the idea. He replied, ¡°Right. Her role as an


    ambassador led to a lot of fans of her work. Now is the time to reveal her true colors to her fans!¡±


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As he talked, Zachary took out his phone and started logging into the ount.


    Two minutester, a new post was uploaded to Rocher Private Hospital¡¯s official ount.


    ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate that another life has been lost today. In our mourning, we would like to hold Arielle


    Moore ountable for this. Arielle, you promised the hospital that you¡¯d provide ten cardiac devices by


    twelve o¡¯clock. We postponed our surgeries to express our trust in you. However, we have yet to receive


    them, which has had a serious impact on the patients. Today, your irresponsibility resulted in the death of


    a person. I will be filing awsuit against you on behalf of the hospital and the patient¡¯s family. Please


    keep an eye out for court summons.¡±

 Chapter 664

    Chapter 664


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 664


    Rocher Private Hospital was a well-known hospital in Chanaea. They had the most medical resources


    and prestigious doctors.


    Many people followed their official ount, even though it wasn¡¯t as big of a fanbase as that of


    celebrities.


    When he uploaded the post, Zachary had included the advertisement photo of the Sann Group robotic


    pacemaker.


    Instantly, thement section was overwhelmed with replies as soon as Zachary published the post.


    ¡°Arielle? Isn¡¯t she the same girl that appeared in the advertisement and was regarded as a goddess?¡±


    ¡°At first, I was captivated by her beauty. It¡¯s so unfortunate that a beautiful girl like her has ruined


    someone¡¯s life. This seemed like a sign of the beginning of her sentencing.¡±


    ¡°What good are false promises from someone with only good looks and nothing more? Great, you¡¯ve


    now killed someone. This leaves me speechless.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about financial fraud. Medical equipment fraud, however, is something new to me. The device


    is rumored to cost billions. She must be insane to be taking advantage of the poor person¡¯s life. Isn¡¯t this


    a clear case of first-degree murder?¡±


    Soon, everyone was siding with Rocher Private Hospital and chastising Arielle.


    Carter had already taken over the management of all his father¡¯s businesses by this point. The news


    spread quickly to his ears. Upon hearing that, he got up and went straight to the hospital.


    He wanted to witness for himself which idiot dared to take on the Chief online in a virtual conflict.


    While Carter was on his way, he called up Arielle and told her everything.


    Arielle answered slowly, in a raspy voice, ¡°I was already aware of it. I would have already hired awyer


    if this wasn¡¯t your hospital.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Carter¡¯s tone was full of guilt and anger.


    The person who uploaded the post, of course, was who Carter was enraged at.


    Arielle continued, ¡°Tell them the device will arrive soon. Also, ask them to delete the post. I¡¯m about to


    scheme against Henrick. I don¡¯t want to reveal myself at this point.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so take some good rest. Leave this to me. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Carter hung up the phone as soon


    as he finished speaking. He didn¡¯t want to disrupt Arielle¡¯s sleep.


    A knock came on Arielle¡¯s door shortly after her phone call with Carter ended.


    ¡°Sannie, something¡¯s going on online,¡± said Vinson through the door.


    Arielle raised her voice, ¡°Carter called me just now. The device will be delivered pretty shortly.¡±


    ¡°Have you truly gotten ten of the devices?¡± Vinson was suspicious. He went on to say, ¡°If I¡¯m not


    mistaken, even Carter could only get one. Do you know someone from Sann Group?¡±


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Arielle replied, ¡°If I told you I own Sann Group, would you believe me?¡±


    There were two seconds of silence. ¡°I would!¡± Vinson blurted confidently


    Arielle gulped. She put on a wry smile and said, ¡°Why do you believe all that I say? Aren¡¯t you afraid that


    I might deceive you?¡±


    ¡°Not even a bit.¡± He gently smiled. Arielle¡¯s face blushed once more.


    Cupping her face in her hands, Arielle felt as though she was rpsing


    She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to bed.¡±


    ¡°Okay, rest well then. You still have sses to attend tomorrow,¡± Vinson advised. The sound of his


    footsteps grew fainter and fainter as he walked away from her.


    Arielle took a deep breath. She knew deep down that she needed to see a psychologist right away.


    It can¡¯t keep going on like this!


    In Rocher Private Hospital.


    Carter ordered the chauffeur to keep driving. Finally, he arrived at the hospital in the shortest possible


    time.


    He dashed to the hospital¡¯s emergency room, where he was met with a row of four people right in front of


    the entrance.


    They were Queenie, Zachary, and Henrick.


    There was another man there whom he had never met before. Aw firm tag was dangling from the


    man¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Mr. Morgan.¡± Queenie was the first to notice Carter¡¯s arrival.

 Chapter 665

    Chapter 665


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 665


    Zachary looked over subconsciously.


    Once he turned around, he saw Carter striding toward his direction with a darkened expression on his


    face.


    At that exact moment, Carter was also staring at him. His dark, brown eyes bore a chilly and sharp gaze.


    He felt a sense of oppression in the air with just a nce at Carter and instinctively held his breath.


    For some unknown reason, Zachary felt guilty and stepped two steps backward in shock.


    Bang! When his back hit against the emergency room door, he came back to his senses, touched his


    nose awkwardly, and greeted along with Queenie, ¡°Mr. Morgan.¡±


    Henrick recognized Carter and thought that he was here to help him. He smiled when addressing him.


    ¡°Mr. Morgan, if I had known that you¡¯d be here, I would have prepared a small gift to thank you for


    coming over for me during midnight just for this matter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here for you?¡± Carter was not someone who would save someone¡¯s face. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be


    so mean the first time he witnessed Arielle¡¯s medical skills.


    He scorned, ¡°Henrick, it seems like you¡¯re thinking too highly of yourself. You¡¯re still not worthy for me to


    come personally for you.¡±


    Carter knew Henrick was not Arielle¡¯s biological father.


    Moreover, since they were no longer rted byw, how he wished he could beat him up.


    As soon as Carter finished speaking, Henrick¡¯s face was red out of anger as he felt humiliated.


    However, Carter was not someone he could mess with easily.


    Hence, this encounter strengthened his decision to leave Jadeborough.


    When I¡¯m back in my hometown, I¡¯ll see who would dare speak to me in this manner.


    ¡°I¡­ You¡­¡± Henrick could not utter aplete sentence.


    Carter paid him no mind then turned to look at Queenie and Zachary as he questioned coldly, ¡°Which of


    you uploaded the post online?¡±


    Instinctively, Zachary felt an ominous premonition. However, since Queenie was by his side, he acted


    calmly. ¡°I did it, Mr. Morgan. Why did you ask? I just wanted her to be ountable. Besides, a patient


    dying during an operation would affect our hospital¡¯s reputation poorly. I did that for the hospital. If she


    hadn¡¯t promised that the medical devices would arrive on time, the risk for this operation wouldn¡¯t be so


    high. The me is on her.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Carter sneered, ¡°I did not expect such loyalty from you toward my hospital. Should I hand over this


    hospital to you?¡±


    Carter¡¯s words sent a chill down his spine. His lips turned pale as he said, ¡°No, I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Your actions tell me otherwise,¡± Carter paused before continuing, ¡°Since you¡¯re not interested, does that


    mean I¡¯m still in charge of the hospital?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Zachary responded immediately.


    Carter arched an eyebrow and said, ¡°Since I¡¯m in charge, you don¡¯t have to work in this hospital from


    now on. My hospital can¡¯t amodate someone like


    you.¡±


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Hearing his decision, Zachary¡¯s face drained of its color. ¡°Mr. Morgan! You can¡¯t do this. Are you firing


    me? What have I done wrong? Everything I did was for the benefit of the hospital¡­¡±


    Queenie also added, ¡°Mr. Morgan, I don¡¯t think Dr. Ziegler did anything wrong. The public wouldn¡¯t me


    the hospital if we released the statement online. Moreover, it¡¯s a fact that she did not fulfill her promise,


    which caused a dy in the patient¡¯s operation.¡±


    Henrick nodded in agreement.


    ¡°That thing did not arrive. So, she is the one who harmed my mother.¡±


    Carter arched his eyebrow once again. ¡°The person requiring that is your mother?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Carterughed.


    Henrick, this idiot, probably didn¡¯t know who he chased out of his home.


    At that moment¡­

 Chapter 666

    Chapter 666


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 666


    A nurse ran toward them excitedly as she shouted, ¡°Dr. Mill, Dr. Ziegler, it¡¯s here. It¡¯s here!¡±


    When the nurse ran closer and saw Carter¡¯s face, she was surprised. Immediately, she greeted, ¡°Mr.


    Morgan.¡±


    Queenie asked curiously, ¡°What did you say is here?¡±


    ¡°The machine!¡± The nurse said, then added, ¡°The robotic pacemaker you¡¯ve all been waiting for. Ten of


    them have just arrived. Mr. Wahlberg went to check personally and he has confirmed that it¡¯s from the


    Sann Group.¡±


    The nurse almost shed tears of joy.


    There is hope for the patient now.


    However, Queenie and Zachary¡¯s faces fell.


    The machines really arrived¡­


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not mistaken?¡± Queenie grabbed the nurse¡¯s sleeve and demanded.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    The nurse was confused by her reaction but answered, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure of it. Even if I made a mistake, Mr.


    Wahlberg wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    This is weird. They should be happy that the machines have arrived. Why are their expressions so odd?


    ¡°Heard what she say?¡± Carter asked coldly, ¡°She did not


    owe you anything and is giving you these for free. But, here you are, uploading that sort of posts online.


    Now that the things are here, someone needs to be held responsible.¡±


    Queenie bit hard on her lips, still finding it unbelievable that Arielle could get her hands on ten robotic


    pacemakers.


    Who does Arielle think she is. Could she really get ten machines from the Sann Group with her


    capabilities? They¡¯re probably counterfeit.


    ¡°Mr. Morgan, can I go have a look?¡± Queenie asked.


    She needed to see for herself.


    ¡°Go ahead.¡± Carter shook his head. What a stubborn person.


    Zachary wanted to follow along but was stopped by Carter.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to go. From the moment you uploaded the post, you were no longer an employee of the


    hospital.¡± Carter snapped his fingers while talking and ordered, ¡°Bring him to the HR department.¡±


    The bodyguards behind him stepped forward immediately and arrested Zachary.


    His eyes trembled with fear.


    As if waking from a daze when the bodyguards held


    onto him, he shouted, ¡°Mr. Morgan, I know my mistakes and won¡¯t upload that kind of post again. Please


    forgive me this time. I¡¯m begging you. I¡¯ve contributed plenty of hard work for the years I¡¯ve worked in the


    hospital.¡±


    Carter scoffed, ¡°I remember all your hard work well. Mr. Wahlberg had mentioned that you administered


    imported medicine for some of the patients to improve your performance. You¡¯ve used Rocher Private


    Hospital to earn lots of dirty money all these years. Thinking of your past efforts working for the hospital, I


    won¡¯t ask you to return the dirty money, but you¡¯re on your own from now on.¡±


    ¡°No! Please, Mr. Morgan, Mr. Morgan¡­¡±


    Carter dug his ear impatiently. Seeing that, his bodyguard covered Zachary¡¯s mouth and dragged him off


    right away.


    As Zachary walked past him, Carter said, ¡°Of all the people in the world, why did you mess with Arielle?


    You¡¯re asking for trouble for yourself.¡±


    Zachary widened his eyes in disbelief.


    Mr. Morgan punished me severely this time was because I messed with a youngdy? How could this


    be? Why did this happen? Who is she?


    However, Zachary wouldn¡¯t be able to get his answer, as no other hospitals in Chanaea would ept


    doctors kicked out from the Rocher Private Hospital.


    His future in the medical field was ruined forever, just from uploading one post.

 Chapter 667

    Chapter 667


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 667


    Although there must be a reason for his situation, he brought it upon himself.


    Not long after that, Zachary was officially dismissed from his job.


    At the same time, the assistant director logged into the official ount and uploaded a new post.


    While theizens continued to reprimand Arielle, they saw Rocher Private Hospital¡¯stest post.


    The machines have arrived. Thank you, Ms. Moore, for donating. In regards to the previous post, it was


    due to a personal conflict between Zachary Ziegler, who worked in our hospital, and Ms. Moore. We have


    taken action and fired Dr. Ziegler due to his ndering behavior. Once again, we would like to express


    our utmost appreciation and apology to Ms. Moore. Moving forward, we would have someone to manage


    our official ount to prevent something like this from happening again. Also, the inte is notwless.


    We would like to urge all of you to stop verbally abusing and ndering Ms. Moore. Otherwise, we will


    start to take legal action.


    Uploaded together with the post was a photo showing the ten robotic pacemakers.


    Those that criticized Arielle on the inte were dumbfounded when they saw the post whereas, Arielle¡¯s


    fans started to retaliate.


    I knew that my goddess wouldn¡¯t do this sort of charity


    fraud. Those that scolded our goddess¨C don¡¯t let me get a hold of you.


    So, Dr. Ziegler uploaded the post due to his private conflict with my goddess. He is unworthy of being a


    doctor!


    I feel so bad for my goddess. She donated such expensive medical devices but was still scolded by


    others. Is this what she gets for being kind?


    When I saw the post, I was confused. Not to mention that the machine has arrived, but even if it hasn¡¯t,


    isn¡¯t it too harsh to say that she¡¯s a murderer? I¡¯m really baffled by the distorted views of people


    nowadays.


    Goddess is amazing. I¡¯ve heard of this machine. It¡¯s hard to gain ess to it. You may not even get to


    buy it even if you have money.


    Always trust my goddess! I¡¯m going to boycott Zachary. I¡¯m not going to go to the hospital that hires him.


    Meanwhile, Zachary was thrown out of the hospital together with his belongings.


    He climbed up from the floor in his difiture. Never had he felt so humiliated.


    I¡¯m doomed. Everything is ruined. I shouldn¡¯t have messed with her. What should I do for the rest of my


    life?


    Zachary was in agony, but he very quickly collected


    himself.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    I could still go to other hospitals if Rocher Private Hospital refused to hire me. With my ¡°Golden Fingers


    Surgeon¡± nickname, I¡¯m confident that other hospitals would ept me. Besides, no one would know


    that I got kicked out as long as I keep it a secret.


    After convincing himself, he contacted Jadeborough Private Hospital.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Beckham, I¡¯m Zachary. I¡¯ve resigned from Rocher Private Hospital. The career ceiling is too


    low. Hence, I n to join your hospital. Are you possibly hiring?¡±


    After remaining silent for a short while, John Beckham asked unbelievably, ¡°Zachary, how do you have


    the audacity to work in my hospital? Max told me about that thing you did. Don¡¯t even think about joining


    my hospital in your next life. Bye!¡±


    He hung the phone without hesitation.


    ¡°Max¡­?!¡± Zachary gritted his teeth.


    Max was the doctor of the poisoned patient from Soir Coffee. I did not know that he was a gossipmonger.


    Damn it!


    He stomped his foot in anger.


    However, he did not dwell long on that and called Jadeborough General Hospital¡¯s director.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Hurrell. I¡¯m Zachary. I¡¯m thinking about joining your hospital. Not sure if you¡¯re hiring?¡±

 Chapter 668

    Chapter 668


    As one of the top five hospitals in Jadeborough, Jadeborough General Hospital was not a bad ce for


    working. Although it was notparable to Jadeborough Private Hospital and Rocher Private Hospital,


    he could head the department there and wouldn¡¯t be oppressed by anyone all the time.


    However, before Zachary finished speaking, Peter Hurrellughed. ¡°Zachary, do you have ess to the


    inte? Everyone is boycotting you online. We can¡¯t afford to hire you. Please find the job elsewhere.¡±


    He didn¡¯t spare any second before hanging up the phone as soon as he finished speaking.


    Zachary went on Twitter, and he saw that the first on trending was ¡°Rocher Private Hospital¡¯s


    rification.¡±


    He quickly tapped to see the post. Reading the post by Rocher Private Hospital, he turned pale.


    I did not think that Mr. Morgan would be that harsh and call me out. In this case, everyone in Chanaea


    would know what I did. How would anyone hire me?


    He trembled in fear, and his face drained of all its color.


    At the moment, only did he truly understand that he was doomed.


    On the other hand, Queenie rushed all the way to the front of the medical equipment building. She saw


    doctors and nurses surrounding the front door with excited expressions on their faces when she arrived.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡± Queenie tried to squeeze herself to the front. She saw Chris raising a sealed transparent


    box in amusement.


    ¡°This workmanship and skills¡­ Sann Group is really impressive. It would be tough for Chanaea to reach


    their level.¡±


    Queenie could see the content of the transparent box at a nce.


    It was nothing other than the robotic pacemaker she had been researching on for so long.


    ¡°Mr. Wahlberg, can I please examine it?¡± Queenie asked when she walked forward.


    Seeing that it was Queenie, Chris passed over the box in his hands and reminded, ¡°Be careful, don¡¯t


    spoil it.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Queenie took it indifferently and took out her phone to scan the QR code within the anti-


    counterfeit logo at the bottom of the box.


    That was Sann Group¡¯s custom-made anti-counterfeit logo. Using the phone to scan could determine its


    authenticity.


    Many people did not know about this anti-counterfeit logo, but Queenie knew it well.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Beep! When she heard the sound, she raised her phone to have a look. The webpage disyed Sann


    Group¡¯s anti-counterfeit web page. On the screen, she could


    read, ¡°This product is an original product from the Sann Group.¡±


    Original¡­ This is really an original!


    Queenie¡¯s face turned pale at that moment. The next second, as if she was crazy, she scanned all the


    anti counterfeit logos on ten machines.


    All were original.


    The words on the screen were like high tide waves crashing against her heart.


    ¡°Queenie, is everything okay?¡± Chris asked out of concern as Queenie¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look well. He


    had a look at her phone.


    Seeing that the machines were original, Chrisughed and said, ¡°I¡¯ve checked everything. This can¡¯t be


    fake. Besides, the delivery address is from Sann Group¡¯s international warehouse. It¡¯s impossible to be a


    counterfeit. Moreover, no one has the bravery and capability to imitate this. If it¡¯s possible, Chanaea


    would have done so a long time ago.¡±


    Queenie had to use all her energy to force a smile on her face.


    However, her smile looked ugly.


    Arielle had just executed something she¡¯d never expected her to do. She thought Arielle was an actress


    in the entertainment industry but did not think that she


    was the top student at Jadeborough University. Everything had been her assumption.


    Who¡­ is Arielle?

 Chapter 669

    Chapter 669


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 669


    Queenie was engulfed with an unprecedented feeling of stress and pressure.


    Although she had to admit that Arielle¡¯s beauty surpassed hers greatly, she had never been threatened


    by Arielle.


    After all, a mere pretty face was not good enough for Vinson.


    However, that assumption was far from the truth.


    Queenie was only jolted out from her thoughts when a nurse called out to her.


    She slowly turned her gaze to the nurse, who said with a smile, ¡°Dr. Mill, aren¡¯t you overjoyed? Haven¡¯t


    you always wished to operate a robotic pacemaker yourself? Your opportunity¡¯s here! Doesn¡¯t Mrs.


    Southall require it now? Quickly, grab a robotic pacemaker and start the operation.¡±


    The director also walked over and congratted her. ¡°Congrattions, Queenie. Your dream is going to


    be fulfilled!¡±


    When Queenie heard that, she calmed down. However, she was soon reminded of how Arielle was the


    one who donated these pacemakers, and had a mix of emotions.


    It was hard for her to ept it.


    Determined to calm down and continue with the operation, she breathed deeply.


    After all, she should be delighted that she could operate the robotic pacemaker personally.


    Since she had missed the opportunity once, she must grasp it this time.


    Queenie carried a robotic pacemaker and said to the director, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the emergency room now and


    handle the procedurester.¡±


    However, he waved his hands dismissively and said, ¡°Go on! You can deal with the procedures after the


    operation. Saving lives is more important, after all.¡±


    Most of the hospital¡¯s expensive equipment required rounds of approval before they could be used.


    However, in the case of extenuating circumstances, the equipment could be used before approval.


    Queenie nodded and rushed to the emergency room with the robotic pacemaker, feeling conflicted.


    Meanwhile, Henrick was at the entrance.


    As he rarely read anything online, he did not know that Arielle had donated the machine.


    He kept apologizing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I really didn¡¯t know anything. I¡¯m very apologetic to the donor. I wish that


    you and that donor will not be bothered by it.¡±


    With an amused look in his eyes, Carter said, ¡°I don¡¯t know if the donor will be bothered, but I am.¡±


    Henrick¡¯s heart lurched as he asked, ¡°Are you¡­ Are you unwilling to treat my mother?¡±


    Carter shook his head. ¡°I established a hospital to save lives, so I will never give up on any patient.¡±


    Henrick heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡±


    At that moment, Queenie arrived with the robotic pacemaker.


    When Henrick spotted what she was holding, he asked anxiously, ¡°Dr. Mill, is this machine going to be


    used for treating my mother?¡±


    Queenie nodded and said, ¡°There¡¯s still time. You¡¯re lucky that the machine arrived in time.¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Thank you! Please use it on my mother quickly!¡±


    Queenie mumbled a quick response and was about to head into the emergency room when Carter


    suddenly said, ¡°Wait a moment.¡±


    She turned around, puzzled. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Mr. Morgan?¡±


    Carter saidzily, ¡°A payment or an IOU is required before an operation, but he hasn¡¯t paid yet.¡±


    After a slight pause, Queenie replied, ¡°The patient¡¯s family member has already paid for the operation.¡±


    However, Carter shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about


    the basic operation fees, but this machine.¡±


    Surprised, Queenie stared at him and reminded, ¡°It has been donated to us for free¡­¡±


    Since it had been donated, it should be avable for the patient¡¯s use free of charge.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Narrowing his eyes, Carter nced at her. ¡°Can donated items be used free of charge? From


    today onward, we¡¯ll sell all donated items ording to their market price and donate the money to the


    impoverished.¡±

 Chapter 670

    Chapter 670


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 670


    Carter was not actually that petty.


    If it was someone else, he would definitely let the patient use the pacemaker for free. After all, not


    everyone could afford it. As long as the conditions were met, it was more important to save one¡¯s life.


    However, it was a different matter for Henrick.


    His money rightfully belonged to Arielle. Now that the opportunity had arisen, Carter nned to extort as


    much out of Henrick as possible and hand the money to Arielle.


    Not knowing how much the robotic pacemaker cost, Henrick agreed quickly, ¡°Of course! I know that it¡¯s


    donated to the hospital, not to me. I¡¯ll pay for it now.¡±


    Just when Henrick was about to leave, Queenie could not help but chime in, ¡°Sir, do you have enough


    money? If not, our hospital can provide you with an IOU.¡±


    Thinking that Queenie was looking down on him, Henrick puffed out his chest and asked indignantly,


    ¡°How is it possible that I can¡¯t afford it?¡±


    Queenie nodded awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s great that you can afford it. As the machine cost one hundred million,


    not everyone can pay for it. That¡¯s why I reminded you. I don¡¯t mean to say¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Henrick interrupted in shock, ¡°How much does it cost?¡±


    ¡°One hundred million.¡±


    ¡°One hundred million? Is it made of gold? Even gold isn¡¯t that expensive! Are you guys scamming me?¡±


    Henrick was about to lose his mind.


    He thought that a piece of medical equipment would only cost a million or so. Never had he expected it


    to cost a hundred million.


    Is there something wrong with my ears, or is Queenie out of her mind?


    Queenie did not expect Henrick to react like that upon hearing the price. In fact, she almost believed that


    he was a huge billionaire.


    The expression on her face turned solemn as she clicked on Sann Group¡¯s website on her phone. She


    scrolled to the robotic pacemaker and showed it to Henrick.


    ¡°This is the official price. Furthermore, the robotic pacemaker is sold via auctions. This current batch has


    already been sold out. ording to what I know, the price for the previous batch had been raised from


    one hundred million to four hundred million. Despite so, everything was sold out within a second.¡±


    Still in disbelief, Henrick took the phone and nced at the price. Only then did he realize that Queenie


    was not lying to him.


    The starting price was already one hundred million, so he was actually paying a discounted price.


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    Henrick was momentarily at a loss for words.


    Although he could fork out one hundred million, he would only bear to do so if it was to save his life.


    When it came to saving Malorie, he was starting to have some doubts.


    Is one hundred million worth it? Who knows how long she has left to live after it¡¯s installed?


    Even if she¡¯s healthy, she¡¯s already a foot in the grave, considering how old she is. Her days are


    numbered, anyway.


    Henrick paced around in frustration.


    Queenie urged him, ¡°Sir, you must decide quickly. Mrs. Southall can¡¯t hang in there for long. It¡¯s going to


    be twelve soon, so we must use the robotic pacemaker as soon as possible.¡±


    Henrick suddenly froze in his tracks, having made a decision.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    I cannot spend the one hundred million!


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Gritting his teeth, Henrick said awkwardly, ¡°I can¡¯t afford one hundred million. Please proceed


    with the alternative treatment. I really have no choice.¡±


    Queenie reminded again, ¡°We can provide you with an IOU.¡±


    Steeling himself, Henrick insisted, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t afford to take an IOU. Mypany¡¯s been


    suffering from losses recently, so I can¡¯t afford to pay that one hundred million.¡±


    Queenie nced at him disdainfully before saying, ¡°We respect your decision. I¡¯ll go in and take a look.


    Mrs. Southall¡¯s operation will probably not seed, unless¡­¡±


    Unless Henrick can find that miracle doctor who managed to cure the poisoned patient at Soir Coffee.

 Chapter 671

    Chapter 671


    However, finding the person required time and Malorie could not make it till then.


    ¡°Unless what?¡± asked Henrick anxiously.


    Although it was the best-case scenario that Malorie did not die, there was no choice if she did. After all,


    he had alreadye up with a backup n¡ªhe would sell Southall Group and pursue his career back


    in his hometown.


    It was simple to control all those foolish people in his hometown. If Malorie could do it, he could do it


    too.


    However, Queenie shook her head. Deciding not to tell him, she said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. There¡¯s no time.¡±


    ¡°In that case, please let my mother pass away morefortably.¡± Henrick pretended to wipe his tears.


    In reality, when he made the decision to return to his hometown, he had already steeled himself for


    Malorie¡¯s death.


    In his opinion, Malorie was about to die anyway. It was sufficient to live to such a ripe old age, so her


    death was an event to be celebrated¡ªthere was no need for him to grieve.


    However, he still had to put up a show.


    Queenie nodded and said, ¡°We¡¯ll try our best.¡±


    Not daring to look at Carter, she strode into the emergency room.


    A rookie doctor was performing an open-heart operation on Malorie. While he sweated profusely, an


    assistant wiped his forehead for him.


    When the assistant turned around, he saw Queenie entering


    His eyes lit up upon spotting what she was holding. He quickly reminded the surgeon, ¡°There¡¯s hope for


    the patient! Dr. Mill¡¯s here with a robotic pacemaker!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± The surgeon immediately froze.


    However, Queenie said coldly, ¡°Her family member said that he can¡¯t afford to pay for the machine, so


    you should just continue with the operation. The family member¡¯s already mentally prepared.


    Regardless of what the oue is, he won¡¯t kick up a fuss.¡±


    The surgeon was stunned for a while, but he quickly resumed his actions.


    For the operation, the ruptured blood vessels needed to be reattached first before the heart could be


    operated on. However, as the surgeon was inexperienced, he spent a long time attaching the vessels.


    Despite watching by the side, Queenie did not intervene.


    It would not be good if she intervened and had her name recorded in the operative report.


    To maintain her perfect track record of having a hundred percent sess rate for her operations, she


    could not take this risk.


    Finally, the blood vessels were reattached.


    However, the heart surgery encountered problems shortly after. The vital sign monitors started to beep


    loudly.


    ¡°Dr. Mill!¡± The surgeon nced at Queenie and said, ¡°The patient can¡¯t hang in there anymore¡­¡±


    Queenie nodded indifferently. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll make a notice saying that she¡¯s in a critical stage. Just try your


    best.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± The surgeon gritted his teeth and nodded.


    When Queenie left the emergency room with the notice, the assistant director was talking to Carter


    about Zachary.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you hold Zachary ountable for his previous fiasco and only pursue this matter?¡±


    Carter raised his eyebrow. ¡°Well, it¡¯s to give him ast glimmer of hope. Once he finds another ce to


    work, we¡¯ll expose his dark past¡­ Isn¡¯t that a better way of handling it?¡±


    True despair was after getting struck down a second time after having a brief illusion of hope.


    When Queenie heard their conversation, her hands trembled.


    Carter is more ruthless than I imagined. Luckily, Zachary, that fool, did not expose me. Otherwise, I


    can¡¯t imagine how Carter will treat me.


    However, Queenie was not that afraid. As she was not interested in that insignificant money, she did


    not have a dark past like Zachary¡¯s.


    However, at that moment¡­

 Chapter 672

    Chapter 672


    Carter suddenly spun around and nced at her.


    Queenie straightened her back instinctively and greeted him with a stiff smile, "Hello, Mr. Morgan."


    "Hello." Carter adjusted his spectacles before saying coldly, "I hope that what happened to Zachary will


    not happen to you.I think of you highly, so don¡¯t disappoint me.Also, don¡¯t mess around with anyone


    whom you¡¯re not supposed to."


    This was meant to be both a warning to and a chance for Queenie.


    Knowing clearly who Carter was referring to, Queenie bit her lip as fury surged through her.Why is


    Carter protecting that woman? I don¡¯t understand! Queenie mumbled a response.


    Not wanting to discuss this topic with Carter anymore, she turned around and walked toward Henrick.


    "Mrs.Southall¡¯s vitals are failing, so we¡¯re afraid that she can¡¯t hang in there for long.Please sign here to


    acknowledge that the patient is in critical condition."


    "Okay." Henrick signed quickly before sending a message to Cindy Cindy, Mom might pass away soon.


    Tell Alfred to order a coffin and prepare for the funeral.


    Cindy, who was taking her pregnancy supplements, stood up abruptly from the couch when she


    received the message.


    Malorie might pass away soon! Initially, she suspected that there was something fishy going on behind


    Malorie¡¯s fall, so she checked the surveince cameras.


    The surveince cameras showed that Malorie had indeed fallen down the stairs herself.


    However, that slight fall was enough to endanger her life.


    After being startled for a while, Cindy calmed down gradually.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Now that Arielle had been chased out of the Southalls, Malorie¡¯s death was a good thing for her.


    After all, a shrewish woman like Malorie might switch targets to her after dealing with Arielle.


    If Malorie died, she would be the onlydy of the house.


    That would be an oue worth celebrating.


    This is amazing! After replying to Henrick¡¯s message with ¡®Okay¡¯, Cindy summoned Alfred over.


    "Mrs.Southall is about to die, so go and prepare the funeral."


    "W-What?" Alfred was dumbfounded.


    As Cindy could not be bothered to borate, she waved her hand and dismissed Alfred, signalling him


    to prepare for the funeral.


    Having observed everything, Larissa snuck out of the manor and sent a message to Arielle.


    The message was very simple: Mrs.Southall is about to die.


    As it was already past midnight, Arielle had already fallen asleep and did not read the message in time.


    Meanwhile, in the emergency room in the General Hospital, the surgeon gave up on his struggle.


    Sighing, he said, "Let¡¯s stop everything and sew the patient¡¯s chest up.By then, the anesthesia¡¯s effects


    will subside and she might regain consciousness for a while.We¡¯ll invite her family member to see her


    for thest time."


    "Okay."


    The surgeon heaved a deep sigh.He looked for Queenie and thanked her, "Dr.Mill, thank you for giving


    me this opportunity.Although the operation failed, I learned a lot."


    Queenie¡¯s eyes crinkled as she smiled.


    "You¡¯re wee.I¡¯m going back to my work, so please deal with the aftermath."


    ¡°Sure, goodbye."


    The doctor watched attentively as Queenie left.


    The nurse could not help but exim, "Dr.Mill is such a good person, Dr.Pam.With your level of


    experience, you can only be the main surgeon after two or three years.Thanks to Dr.Mill, who has


    given you so many opportunities to operate, you¡¯ve been the main surgeon for more than twenty


    operations."


    Henry nodded in agreement.


    "Dr.Mill is a good doctor.Unlike Dr.Ziegler, she¡¯s not arrogant despite being so capable.However, my


    skills are simply too poor.Out of the twenty operations, only two were a sess."


    "It¡¯s fine.If you learn slowly and umte more experience, the rate of sess will increase."


    "Yeah, it¡¯s my honor to work with Dr.Mill."

 Chapter 673

    Chapter 673


    The emergency room was filled with praises for Queenie, yet no one wondered why she would push all


    the operations to Harry.


    Soon, they finished sewing Malorie¡¯s chest up and the effects of the anesthesia subsided gradually.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Malorie mumbled in agony, ¡°I¡®m in so much pain.¡±


    Harry quickly instructed his subordinates, ¡°Administer some painkillers for the patient!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Since it was only moments before her death, administering her some painkillers was the least they


    could do as doctors.


    After she was injected with the painkillers, Harry instructed his assistant to summon Henrick in.


    Although Malorie was exhausted, her mind was still exceptionally clear. She suddenly realized that if


    the doctor called her family in while she was still on the operating table, it meant that she did not have


    much time left to live.


    ¡°Am¡­ Am I going to die soon?¡± asked Malorie as she grabbed a nurse¡¯s arm anxiously.


    The nurse chuckled drily before reassuring her, ¡°Mrs. Southall, we¡¯re letting your family member in to


    alleviate his worry. Don¡¯t overthink.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you! Treat me now! Otherwise, I¡¯ll sue the hospital till its reputation is ruined.¡±


    When the nurse remained silent, Malorie¡¯s scoldings became louder and harsher.


    With a sudden burst of strength, she grabbed the nurse¡¯s hair and smashed her head against the


    operating theatre.


    Bang! The nurse¡¯s head hit the table so forcefully that she felt dizzy.


    ¡°Stop! Stop it!¡± The others in the emergency room rushed forward and pulled both of them apart.


    However, as Malorie was used to hardbor, her hands were extremely strong. When the two women


    were separated, a huge chunk of the nurse¡¯s hair was ripped off, revealing parts of her scalp.


    The nurse had never seen a patient who was so unreasonable despite being on the brink of death.


    Furious, she stroked her head and spat, ¡°Let me tell you this! You could¡¯ve been cured, but your son is


    so petty that he¡¯s unwilling to spend money on a robotic pacemaker. So, there¡¯s no hope for you now.


    You¡¯re going to die soon!¡±


    ¡°Stop talking!¡± Harry quickly stopped her, but it was toote¡ªMalorie heard every single word she said.


    ¡°W-What did you say?¡±


    At that moment, Henrick entered in a surgical gown.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he noticed that the atmosphere in the emergency room seemed a bit weird. When he met


    Malorie¡¯s furious gaze, his heart lurched in fear.


    ¡°Mom?¡±


    ¡°Henrick Southall!¡± Malorie demanded furiously, ¡°They said that you¡¯re unwilling to pay for a robotic


    pacemaker. Is that true?¡±


    Henrick blushed. Although he was an egoistic man, money was more important than his pride.


    Gritting his teeth, he walked forward and protested, ¡°Mom, you¡¯ve only broken a rib. The machine will


    be useless! Just sleep for a while and the operation will be over in the blink of an eye.¡±


    Henrick thought that he had put on a convincing act. However, as his mother, Malorie saw right through


    him.


    ¡°You¡­ You¡­¡± Malorie wagged her finger at him, unable to utter a single word.


    After her husband died in a mine, she became a widow and went through a lot of difficulties to raise her


    son. The hard work and toil she had experienced were unimaginable.


    Yet, her child, whom she had raised with so much blood, sweat and tears, was unwilling to pay for a


    machine for her operation!


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Malorie was unable to catch her breath. The strength that had suddenly returned to her


    disappeared in an instant. As if all her energy had left her, her arm fell limp.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 674

    Chapter 674


    Seeing how weak Malorie had be, Henrick¡¯s feelings of fear and guilt faded gradually


    Holding Malorie¡¯s hand, he coaxed, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. When you reach heaven, I¡¯ll pray to you more


    frequently. Over there, you will have a carefree life¡­¡±


    Malorie panted while the vital signs monitors in the emergency room beeped frantically.


    She wanted to hurl insults at her useless son and curse at how cruel fate was, but she could not utter a


    single word. When she opened a mouth, she spat out a mouthful of blood.


    The bloodnded right on Henrick¡¯s face.


    After vomiting all that blood out, she did not even have the strength to open her eyes.


    At that moment, a lot of things shed across her mind. She remembered Maureen and her deceased


    husband¡­


    ¡°Henrick, you¡¯ll die a horrible death!¡±


    After yelling that out loud, Malorie had exhausted all of her energy. Her body trembled and fell limp


    while she closed her eyes slowly.


    A t line appeared on the heart rate monitor.


    ¡°Time of death, twelve fifty-four.¡±


    The doctor recorded the time of death emotionlessly.


    Grabbing a bandage from the side, Henrick wiped his face and cursed at how unlucky he was.


    He should not have entered to send Malorie off.


    ¡°My condolences,¡± said Harry to Henrick with a conflicted feeling


    It was his first time seeing a family member act like that when sending the patient off.


    The patient could have lived for ten more minutes, but she died prematurely out of fury at her son.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    You reap what you sow, I guess¡­


    Henrick left the emergency room grimly. When he exited the hospital, he bumped into Carter.


    When Carter noticed the look on Henrick¡¯s face, he walked toward him with an ambiguous smile. ¡°Mr.


    Southall, do you know who donated the robotic pacemaker?¡±


    Not knowing why Carter asked that, Henrick frowned and asked, ¡°Who?¡±


    Carter¡¯s grin widened as he adjusted his spectacles. ¡°It¡¯s someone whom you¡¯ll never expect. If you


    know the donor, I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll be extremely surprised.¡±


    With that, he crossed his hands behind his back and left happily.


    I¡¯ve heard about how shrewish Malorie was. When Maureen was still alive, she had treated her very


    harshly. I¡¯m sure that she bullied Chief frequently back in the Southall residence. Now that she¡¯s dead,


    it might be a good thing for Chief!


    Bewildered, Henrick stared at Carter¡¯s back.


    What does the donor have to do with me?


    Since Malorie is already dead, it doesn¡¯t matter whether I know the donor or not. After all, I still have to


    pay for it! I don¡¯t want to waste my money on nothing.


    Soon, the next day arrived.


    Arielle read Larissa¡¯s message the moment she woke up.


    Mrs. Southall is about to die.


    Her eyes lit up and her drowsiness disappeared in an instant.


    So, she¡¯s dead!


    The reason why the old Southall estate project was progressing so slowly was that everyone was afraid


    of Malorie. Now that she was dead, the progress would be much faster.


    However, she was curious about how Malorie suddenly died.


    Was the fall really that severe?


    Arielle shook her head, dispelling that thought from her mind. Now in a good mood, she got up and


    made breakfast


    Her breakfast was very simple¡ªa scrambled egg sandwich. She made a serving each for herself,


    Vinson and Trisha.


    However, after Vinson found out, he quickly devoured his own sandwich before reaching out for


    Trisha¡¯s.

 Chapter 675

    Chapter 675


    Before Arielle could react, Vinson finished the sandwich in a few gulps.


    ¡°That is Trisha¡¯s!¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± blurted Vinson before rephrasing his sentence. ¡°I¡¯m not full. Anyway, she might have already


    eaten breakfast, so it¡¯ll be a waste. It¡¯s better that I eat it.¡±


    He did not want to share what his wife made with anyone else, even if the sandwich was huge and his


    stomach was stuffed.


    Arielle did not think much about it and merely assumed that Vinson had a huge appetite.


    After taking a sip of milk, she told him about Malorie.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Malorie¡¯s dead.¡±


    Surprised, Vinson asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°She had a fall, which was probably quite serious.¡±


    Moments after Arielle spoke, Carter called her.


    When she listened to him, a mocking smirk yed on her lips. ¡°Got it. Thanks!¡±


    Arielle ended the call and burst outughing. ¡°Malorie didn¡¯t have to die. However, Henrick refused to


    pay for the equipment I donated to the Rocher Private Hospital, so her operation failed. She died


    around midnight.¡±


    There was an incredulous look on Vinson¡¯s face.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always known that Henrick is a selfish man, but I¡¯ve never expected him to be so immoral.¡±


    Arielle raised her eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m not surprised. If he¡¯s willing to pay for Malorie¡¯s operation, I¡¯d have to


    admit that I¡¯m wrong about him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Remembering Cindy, he said, ¡°ke and Sasha went to Manchernius today. We¡¯ll get


    updates regarding Cindy¡¯s medicine soon.¡±


    Arielle nodded and nced at her watch. ¡°It¡¯s time for me to go to school.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you there.¡±


    When they went downstairs together, they bumped into the woman who had given fruits to them


    yesterday.


    With an ambiguous smile, she greeted them, ¡°Are you lovebirds leaving for work?¡±


    Arielle was stunned. Before she could react, Vinson already replied, ¡°Yes. Thank you for your fruits


    yesterday. I¡¯ll ask my wife to invite you to our ce for a meal.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Smiling, thedy went upstairs.


    Arielle blushed and red at Vinson. ¡°Who are you calling your wife?¡±


    ¡°You, of course.¡± Vinson nced at her. ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Biting her lips, Arielle decided to avoid Vinson¡¯s gaze. The moment she looked into his eyes, her heart


    would start pounding frantically.


    I must visit a psychiatrist soon!


    When Arielle arrived at the entrance of Jadeborough University, she spotted Wendy and a group of


    teachers.


    At that moment, she also saw Trisha, who was going out to buy breakfast. Trisha mumbled softly,


    ¡°They¡¯re waiting for that professor from Maxwell University. Look at how Wendy keeps staring at us!¡±


    Arielle nced over and noticed the envious look zing in Wendy¡¯s eyes when she saw Arielle getting


    out of Vinson¡¯s car.


    Not bothered by her, Arielle said to Trisha, ¡°I¡¯m busy, so I can¡¯t apany you to buy breakfast.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Go back to ss first and I¡¯ll buy some milk for you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Arielle nodded. After watching Trisha leave, she walked into the school briskly.


    She did not want to meet the professor from Maxwell University just in case she got recognized.


    The moment Arielle entered the school, a car stopped by the road.


    The teachers immediately rushed forward to wee the guest.


    ¡°Wee, Prof. Harlem!¡±


    An elderly man got out of the car and replied with a thundering voice, ¡°Hello everyone!¡±


    Although he was speaking in clumsy Chanaean, Wendy praised him with a feigned Lightspring ent,


    ¡°Your Chanaean is really fluent!¡±


    Thomas nced at Wendy and shook his head. Reverting back to Ustranasion, he said, ¡°I just learned


    Chanaean, so I know that I¡¯m bad at it. I can¡¯t possibly ept yourpliment. However, your grasp of


    Ustranasion is quite simr to my Chanaean.¡±

 Chapter 676

    Chapter 676


    As a top professor, Thomas had seen all sorts of people. Amongst them, he detested those who liked


    to tter others the most.


    Blushing, Wendy bit her lips.


    She did not expect Thomas to speak in such a direct and blunt manner. Despite feeling utterly


    humiliated, she had no choice but to remain silent and endure the embarrassment.


    Arthur shot Wendy a displeased nce and tried to salvage the situation. ¡°Prof. Harlem, I apologize on


    her behalf. Let¡¯s take a look at the school museum first before going on a campus tour.¡±


    Nodding, Thomas followed Arthur in.


    As the top university in Chanaea, Jadeborough University had breathtakingly beautiful scenery.


    Thomas soon forgot about the unpleasant incident earlier and started admiring the campus.


    Meanwhile, Wendy was squeezed to the back of the group by the teachers. She could not even join the


    conversation, let alone make amends for her mistake.


    A long time passed before they finished touring the campus.


    Initially, Wendy wanted to use this opportunity to socialize with a professor from Maxwell University.


    She wanted to pave her way to entering the university. However, because of her earlierpliment,


    the task had be much harder.


    Wendy felt extremely troubled and frustrated. Her initial good mood turned into one of gloominess.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    After the campus tour, Thomas said that he would like to settle the official matters first.


    Nodding, Arthur finally brought up Wendy. ¡°The teachers have lessons in the afternoon, so Wendy will


    help to trante your lesson n.¡±


    Thomas was not one to hold grudges. Smiling, he said, ¡°Go ahead with your work. I¡¯m already


    apologetic that I¡¯m holding all of you up. You¡¯re Wendy, right? Let¡¯s meet your Mathematics professors.¡±


    Wendy was overjoyed, thinking that her chance hade.She nodded enthusiastically and brought


    Thomas to the lecturers¡¯ block.


    Some of the professors, who did not have sses for the afternoon, were already waiting in the


    meeting room. However, before reaching there, they needed to pass by the field.


    Afraid that she would say something wrong, Wendy decided to lead the way silently.


    At that moment, Thomas suddenly halted in his tracks.


    ¡°That student¡­¡±


    Puzzled, Wendy nced toward the direction in which he was pointing. The students from the


    preparatory ss were jogging on the track, while Thomas was pointing at a girl excitedly.


    Wendy immediately recognized her as Arielle.


    Why is it Arielle again? Why did she catch Professor Harlem¡¯s attention? Is it because she¡¯s pretty?


    Wendy clenched her fists enviously.


    This mustn¡¯t happen! I¡¯ve spent so much effort stealing this opportunity from Arielle¡¯s grasp. No matter


    what, I mustn¡¯t let her snatch it back again!


    ¡°Prof. Harlem!¡±


    Wendy rushed forward and blocked Thomas¡¯ vision.


    ¡°What are you doing? We need to go now.¡± Wendy smiled, trying her best to appear likeable.


    ¡°Wait a moment. I think I saw someone familiar.¡±


    Thomas nudged Wendy, who was blocking his way, aside and nced in front.


    However, all he could see was a group of giggling girls.


    The person he was looking for was nowhere to be found.


    ¡°Someone familiar?¡± Wendy said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it your first time visiting Jadeborough University, Prof. Harlem?


    Why would you see someone familiar? Are you mistaken?¡±


    ¡°No way¡­¡± Thomas rubbed his eyes. ¡°I actually saw her.¡±


    ¡°You must be mistaken! Mr. Baxter isn¡¯t around, so you probably don¡¯t have any acquaintances here.¡±

 Chapter 677

    Chapter 677


    Professor Harlem continued scanning the field persistently. He sighed when he could not find the


    person he was looking for.


    ¡°I must have been mistaken. How could she ever appear here, let alone wearing a uniform?¡±


    Based on her capability, she could have been a lecturer at Jadeborough University or more. Previously,


    she had even rejected the opportunity to stay at Maxwell University when a group of professors offered


    her a position.


    I think I¡¯m getting old. My eyes are starting to deceive me.


    ¡°I saw wrongly. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Professor Harlem waved his hands, gesturing Wendy to continue leading the way.


    Heaving a long sigh in her heart, Wendy ushered him away.


    At the field, Trisha ran behind a basketball stand, lookingpletely baffled.


    ¡°Arielle, why did youe here all of a sudden? The PE teacher wants us to go and learn yoga now.¡±


    Arielle put a finger to her lips and shushed Trisha. Then, she pulled thetter backward while sticking


    her head out of the stand to take a peek at the fence.


    When she saw that Wendy and Professor Harlem had gone far ahead, she was relieved, ¡°Phew, that


    was close. Thank God I wasn¡¯t found.¡±


    ¡°By whom?¡±¡¯ Trisha was confused.


    Arielle shrugged her shoulders as she walked away from the basketball stand.


    ¡°By an annoying old man. Anyway, I¡¯m good to go now. Let¡¯s go do some yoga. I haven¡¯t tried it in real


    life although I¡¯ve seen people practicing it on TV shows.¡±


    Trisha tilted her head.


    ¡°Are you serious? Plenty of people do that at the gym or in the park!¡±


    Upon noticing that she nearly gave herself away through the slip of tongue, Arielle straightened her


    back and hurriedly exined, ¡°I grew up in the countryside. You know, the seniors there are mostly


    farmers. So, yoga is too fancy for them.¡±


    Nodding, Trisha dropped the topic. She held Arielle¡¯s arm, and the both of them darted toward the PE


    teacher.


    Meanwhile, at the Southall residence, sympathy banners could be seen hanging all over the manor. A


    traditional coffin was ced in the middle of the backyard.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Cindy pretended to bawl her eyes out while her scheming mind was nning how to take over Southall


    Group.


    Henrick, who was lighting a candle nearby, muttered, ¡°Please don¡¯t be mad at me, Mom. A dead


    person gets to go to heaven whereas the living continue to toil for their daily lives. I did it in order to


    survive. Please don¡¯t me me. I¡¯ll burn you a truckload of paper money, and I pray that you have an


    abundant afterlife.¡±


    Cindy could not hear him clearly. She rubbed her eyes and asked, ¡°It¡¯s been half a day now. Why isn¡¯t


    anyone here to pay theirst respect?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t inform them.¡±


    Cindy was shocked at his words.


    ¡°Why? This is a golden chance to get to know some of the elites in Jadeborough. Remember Shandie¡¯s


    funeral? You took advantage of it and scored a big project.¡±


    Henrick finished lighting the rest of the candles. Standing up, he said, ¡°Come over here, Cindy. I¡¯ve got


    something to tell you.¡±


    She nodded and followed him into the study.


    Seeing his downcast face, she thought that he was saddened by the passing of Malorie.


    Yet, she was puzzled by Henrick¡¯s decision to pass up such a good opportunity to mingle with the rich


    and famous. Why? Is it because he¡¯s feeling overly dejected?


    Cindy suppressed her urge to inquire further. She trailed behind Henrick quietly.


    When they got to the study, he took out a document from the drawer and handed it to Cindy. ¡°Take a


    look.¡±


    She epted the document and read its contents carefully. Her eyes widened and her pupils dted in


    shock!

 Chapter 678

    Chapter 678


    Instantly, Cindy doubted her eyesight. She stared at Henrick.


    ¡°This¡­ This is¡­?¡±


    ¡°Just as what¡¯s written on it,¡± he said cidly.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to sell off Southall Group.¡±


    As soon as he said that, Cindy fell into another gulf of self-doubt. Not only my vision has turned bad,


    my hearing has deteriorated too.


    After what felt like an eternity, she snapped back into her senses. Immediately, she reviewed the


    documents once more for confirmation. Two minutester, she found herself asking in a quavering


    voice,


    ¡°Why? I can understand that you¡¯re sad about Mrs. Southall¡¯s passing, but you don¡¯t need to do this. If


    she were to see you giving up on yourself like this, I¡¯m certain she¡¯d be displeased.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do that for Mom.¡± Henrick shook his head.


    ¡°Thepany has been in the red. The only profites from the branch office which manufactures


    high tech robots. However, the investment needed for product research before eachunch is


    extremely costly. It¡¯s not worth it.¡±


    He added, ¡°I n to bring you back to our hometown and start anew there. We will sell off all of our


    properties here, keeping only the manor. So that we still have a ce to stay when we return to


    Jadeborough.¡±


    Upon hearing his words, Cindy found it hard to breathe as though her heart was being wrenched


    repeatedly by an invisiblerge hand.


    The main purpose of her marrying Henrick was to take over Southall Group. Never in a million years


    would she had thought of him wanting to sell it off! I¡¯ve wasted my youth for nothing? Oh Lord, what


    have I


    ¡°You¡­ You¡­¡± stammering, she pointed a finger at Henrick.


    He passed her a ss of water. ¡°I know that you¡¯re very used to Jadeborough, and you probably can¡¯t


    ept this within a short span of time. But please know that I did this for you as well as our kid. The


    environment back home is so much better for you to spend your pregnancy there. Moreover, we don¡¯t


    need to put up with anyone there. If you¡¯re worried about the chores, we can relocate the housekeeper


    there too. Let¡¯s build a mansion bigger than this one. You can continue livingfortably as Mrs.


    Henrick Southall.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want any of it!¡± Cindy broke downpletely. She grabbed his cor while staring daggers


    at him with a pair of bloodshot eyes.


    ¡°Henrick, you can¡¯t do this to me! Absolutely not!¡±


    Seeing her unexpected big reaction, Henrick was shocked to the core. He quickly consoled her, ¡°Don¡¯t


    be so upset. Otherwise, it might affect the baby. Listen, I was thinking for our child¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to listen to you. I disagree, and I¡¯ll never say yes to this!¡±


    Like a mad woman, Cindy struggled to break free from Henrick¡¯s arms. She yelled at the top of her


    lungs, ¡°I¡¯ll divorce you if you sell thepany!¡±


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Henrick froze. After hesitating for two seconds, he called for his butler.


    ¡°Mrs. Southall¡¯s emotions are unstable right now. Please bring her back to her room.¡±


    The new butler acknowledged themand and promptly dragged Cindy away with the help from two


    bodyguards.


    Feeling frustrated and crossed, Cindy was crying and screaming in her room. She really wanted a


    divorce. Left without an option, Henrick kicked the door open and bellowed, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll give you what you


    wish for, a divorce! Deliver the baby and then we¡¯ll go on separate ways.¡±


    After leaving her with a harsh sentence, the enraged Henrick stormed off. On his way out, he instructed


    the bodyguards, ¡°Keep an eye on her. If anything untoward happens, I¡¯ll make all of you pay for it!¡±


    ¡°Noted!¡± the bodyguards replied in unison and shut the door.


    Cindy copsed on the floor, wailing uncontrobly.

 Chapter 679

    Chapter 679


    Cindy knew Henrick very well. Since he had made up his mind and ordered his men to detain her, the


    chance for him to change his decision was very slim.


    Her lifetime dream was to take over Southall Group from Maureen. She had the confidence that she


    could develop it better than her sister.


    Money was not her priority. Rather, her ultimate goal was to surpass Maureen¡¯s achievements. She


    was determined to do so.


    If Henrick sells off thepany, those oldies would definitely gang up. When that happens, it will be


    extremely challenging for me to kick them out one by one.


    Sheughed and cried at that thought, mocking herself for choosing the wrong person and ending up in


    a mess.


    After a long while, Matthias came to her mind.


    She whipped her phone out and immediately gave him a call.


    ¡°Hello, Matthias. Please check how much cash we have in total that I can withdraw from our foreign


    company.¡±


    Matthias was taken aback. ¡°Why do you want to find out about this all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask so much. Just do it.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Matthias obliged. Within seconds, he texted her a series of numbers.


    Cindy calmed down after seeing the figures.


    If nobody offers a higher price than this, I¡¯ll be able to obtain Southall Group. I must first get a divorce,


    or else we¡¯re back to square one with him sharing half of all our properties. I can¡¯t make a loss.


    At that moment, Cindy regretted her decision to fake her pregnancy.


    I can¡¯te clean to him at this critical moment. He¡¯d definitely kill me. No, I can¡¯t reveal this to him.


    Neither can I get a child on my own at this age!


    An idea suddenly dawned on her and made her eyes sparkle.


    Right, there¡¯s Arielle! I can use her to fake a miscarriage.


    Meanwhile at Jadeborough University, Arielle sneezed.


    She rubbed her nose and continued typing a letter to her subordinate.


    Mrs. Malorie Southall has passed away. Spread the news. Also, think of a way to let the people know


    howvish Henrick¡¯s lifestyle in Jadeborough is. Let them know that the Southalls do have money to


    pay them sries. However, they are reluctant to do so. They want to deny their responsibility.


    As soon as she sent the text message, a ss of water appeared in front of her.


    ¡°Hi, care for a drink?¡±¡±


    Arielle lifted her eyes, and was met by a stranger. There were a few other guys standing nearby,


    whistling.


    She shook her head. ¡°No, thanks.¡±


    The guy scratched the back of his head awkwardly and left.


    Giggling, Trisha teased her, ¡°Wow, how many bottles of water have you received within one PE


    lesson?¡±


    Arielle shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t like PE lessons.¡±


    Trisha narrowed her eyes at her. ¡°Out of the few guys who came to offer you a drink, two of them were


    actually quite cute. I heard that they are the heartthrobs of their respective faculties. You didn¡¯t like any


    of them?¡±


    Arielle shook her head again.


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Trisha sat next to her and asked, ¡°When we were messaging each otherst night, I asked you


    a


    question, and you haven¡¯t answered me. Have you seen a psychologist? Do you think it will be like my


    case? Is there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. Do you know anyone?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do as I¡¯ve been consulting one all these while. I¡®m much better now. It¡¯s dismissal after PE


    lesson. Shall I bring you there?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Arielle nodded. She was keen for a consultation


    Whenever she saw Vinson, her heartbeat would race rapidly. If the symptom continued, she was afraid


    that she would die of heart attack after staying under the same roof for several days with him.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    I haven¡¯t avenged for Mom, so I can¡¯t die so soon.

 Chapter 680

    Chapter 680


    Soon, the PE lesson was over


    The two girls bought some bread as their quick and simple lunch before taking a cab to the clinic which


    Trisha had rmended.


    During the journey, Vinson called. ¡°Let¡¯s have lunch together. I¡¯m on an inspection near your campus.¡±


    Stunned, Arielle realized that her heart skipped a beat just by listening to his voice. The whole


    experience was like riding a roller coaster.


    She gulped while ncing at Trisha who had dozed off next to her. ¡°I guess not. I¡¯ll eat with my


    ssmate.¡±


    ¡°Which one? The one you brought breakfast for?¡±


    Arielle was almost at a loss for words. ¡°What breakfast? You chomped it all down. Have you forgotten?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s her then.¡± Vinson continued indifferently, ¡°When she¡¯s free, I¡¯ll treat her to a hearty meal as a token


    of appreciation for taking care of you in school.¡±


    Somehow, Arielle had a feeling that his words sounded like a threat.


    Was I mistaken?


    She coughed lightly and said, ¡°If there¡¯s a chance, I¡¯ll invite her and my two other friends home for


    dinner. I¡¯ll let you know in advance, so that you can tidy up your things. It¡¯s not nice if they discover we


    live under the same roof.¡±


    On the other end, Vinson exuded a hostile aura, causing the manager of the shopping mall to tremble


    in trepidation


    Everything was fine just now. Why did he turn sullen all of a sudden?


    Arielle heard him acknowledge briefly over the phone, to which she replied with a goodbye message


    before hanging up.


    She was puzzled. Why is he angry?


    Right then, the driver turned to give them a friendly reminder. ¡°Ladies, you will reach your destination


    soon. Do remember to take all of your personal belongings with you.¡±


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Arielle nudged Trisha. ¡°Trish, we¡¯re almost there.¡±


    As soon as she said that, the cab pulled over.


    ¡°Sorry, I took a catnap. Oh, let¡¯s get off, Sannie.¡±


    The friendship between the girls developed super fast. Within one PE period, Trisha had already


    started addressing Arielle by her nickname.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Arielle got off the cab first. When she raised her head, she saw a big signboard which wrote


    ¡°Meio Mental Health Clinic¡±.


    ¡°It¡¯s here. Let¡¯s get in. Dr. Meio is a wonderful person.¡±


    Arielle nodded and walked behind Trisha.


    A nurse weed them with a big, bright smile when she saw Trisha.


    ¡°Trish, you¡¯re here to see Dr. Meio?¡±


    Trisha shook her head. ¡°Not me, but my friend is consulting today.¡± She pointed at Arielle.


    The nurse froze for two seconds before asking, ¡°You¡¯re Arielle Moore, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Arielle eximed, ¡°You know me?¡±


    ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know the gorgeous ambassador for Soir Coffee? I¡¯m your die-hard fan. Oh my, I can¡¯t


    believe that I get to meet you here. Can I get your autographter?¡±


    Arielle felt rather uneasy. She never knew she had a fan. ¡°Um¡­ Sure¡­¡±


    Three of them chatted for a bit while walking toward Dr. Meio¡¯s office.


    The nurse entered the office to briefly report on the case. Momentster, she returned to call upon


    Arielle, ¡°Ms. Moore, Dr. Meio is ready to see you. Trish, let me usher you to the waiting room for a cup


    of tea. I brought some tea leaves today. You should try some.¡±


    Trisha nodded. She gestured Arielle to rx before leaving with the nurse.


    Arielle was not nervous at all. In fact, she could not wait to find out what was wrong with her.


    Knock! Knock! Knock! Arielle knocked on the door politely. A friendly voice replied, ¡°Pleasee in.¡±


    She pushed the door open, only to see a foreign doctor sitting in the room!

 Chapter 681

    Chapter 681


    Although he was a foreigner, Dr. Meio spoke Chanaean fluently. One could not have guessed his


    nationality right just by listening to his impable ent.


    Dr. Meio seemed to be able to read her mind like a book. He exined, ¡°I came to Chanaea with my


    parents when I was ten, so I can speak good Chanaean. Please take a seat, Ms. Moore.¡±


    Just like that, Arielle felt that he was quite clever.


    As she sat opposite the doctor, he passed her a few sheets of paper. ¡°This is a psychology


    questionnaire that I¡¯ve created. I do think that it¡¯s better than the generic survey used internationally. Go


    ahead and fill it out as we have a little chit-chat.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Arielle nodded.


    She took approximately an hour toplete the detailed survey.


    ¡°Please wait a moment,¡± uttered Dr. Meio. Few minutester, he returned with an analysis in his hands


    and a confused look on his face. ¡°Ms. Moore, from our conversations as well as the questionnaire


    report, there¡¯s no issue with your mental health. In fact, you¡¯re doing very well psychologically. The


    results show that you¡¯reparatively more assured, strong, and resolute than the majority. May I


    know why you are seeking consultation?¡±


    Arielle hesitated, but decided to share all of the weird encounters she had experienced recently with


    the doctor.


    The more she described, the more peculiar he looked at her.


    Frowning, she stopped and asked anxiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Dr. Meio? Is my condition extremely


    serious?¡±


    Dr. Meio rubbed his nose, unsure how to respond to her.


    He thought for a while. ¡°Ms. Moore, have you ever been in a rtionship?¡±


    Arielle denied, ¡°No.¡±


    Dr. Meio fell silent again. Subsequently, he pursued further, ¡°Ms. Moore, do you watch any soap


    operas, romantic movies or read any romance novels?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± she replied. ¡°Those are for people to kill time. Free time is so sacred, I¡¯d treasure it by


    watching financial news.¡±


    Perplexed, Dr. Meio found her response simply unbelievable. ¡°A girl at your age enjoys watching


    financial news¡­ Wow, Ms. Moore, I can¡¯t wrap my head around this. There¡¯s no wonder your first


    reaction was to consult a psychologist upon feeling what you felt.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Arielle was dumbfounded.


    Grinning from ear to ear, Dr. Meio stood up and shook her hand.


    ¡°Congrattions, Ms. Moore, you¡¯re in love!¡± he dered.


    Meanwhile, Trisha was sipping tea at the waiting room.


    Just when she was about to make the fourth run to the bathroom, Arielle finally appeared.


    ¡°Sannie!¡± Trisha dashed to her and queried, ¡°What did Dr. Meio say?¡±


    With aplicated expression hanging on her face, Arielle shook her head as though her soul had left


    her. Then, she said with a hoarse voice, ¡°Let¡¯s head back to campus first. It¡¯s almost time for lecture.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Seeing how downcast Arielle was, Trisha was worried sick.


    Coincidentally, Dr. Meio approached them and overheard Trisha¡¯s questions. He chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t you


    worry, Trish. Your friend is absolutely fine.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Arielle¡¯s despondent look says otherwise. How is this considered all is well?


    During the journey back, Arielle was exceptionally quiet. She stared nkly out of the window and at


    thendscape in reverse motion.


    Trisha developed an uncanny feeling toward Arielle¡¯s unusual behavior, and it bugged her a lot.


    She faltered several times, holding back the urge to find out exactly what happened. She was scared


    that her questions might trigger something unhappy. In the end, Trisha chose not to say a word.

 Chapter 682

    Chapter 682


    In Chanaea, people did not know much about mental health, and often had a misconception that those


    who consulted a psychologist must be crazy.


    When Trisha was brought by her parents to see one, she dared not tell anyone about it, fearing that


    people would view her differently.


    Perhaps, that¡¯s what Arielle feels like right now.


    At that thought, Trisha decided not to pursue the matter further. When they got off the cab, she


    pretended like nothing had happened, and she continued discussing academics with Arielle.


    Thetter was not paying much attention to her. Trisha acted casually, and they strode toward the


    lecture hall.


    At the lecturers¡¯ block, Wendy was sweating profusely as she stared at the pile of lesson ns before


    her.


    Initially, she thought that it was a piece of cake to trante the lesson ns. Therefore, she


    volunteered to do it on behalf of the advanced mathematics lecturers.


    Who would have known that it took her more than an hour just toplete tranting one lesson. She


    could barely do it, and the trantion was amateurish.


    While Professor Harlem was engaged in heated discussions with the advanced mathematics lecturers,


    Wendy¡¯s body became stiff, as if she had fallen into an icy abyss.


    This was because she realized that she could not trante the second lecture.


    If only there are internationally used punctuations on the pages to act as guidelines while tranting


    the contents¡­ There¡¯s none on this one! It¡¯s filled with broken Chanaean. How am I going to evenContentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    trante them all?


    Sweat rolled down her cheekbone and onto the keyboard.


    For a moment, she was unsure if it was herck of ability in doing this or the lesson n was too


    challenging for her.


    It was undoubtedly a mission impossible for her to doubt herself. Hence, the lesson n was the main


    problem.


    Between Arielle and I, neither of us could perfectly trante the documents. After all, it¡¯s not a


    trantion for casual daily conversations. It¡¯s advanced mathematics lesson ns we¡¯re talking about!


    Professor Sleight and Mr. Baxter have overestimated us.


    Suddenly, a lecturer with a cup in her hand came over to check on Wendy¡¯s progress. ¡°How¡¯s the


    trantion working along?¡±


    Subconsciously, Wendy turned while blocking herptop screen with her body. She stered a smile


    on her face and replied, ¡°I¡¯m still doing it albeit a bit slow.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± The lecturer added, ¡°uracy is more important than speed. Prof. Harlem is going to be


    here for two days. So, you have two days to finish the task. You can make an appointed with the


    respective lecturers to revisit the lessons missed over the weekend. No worries, I¡¯ve informed Mr.


    Baxter and the rest of them.¡±


    Upon hearing that, an idea dawned on Wendy. She stood up instantly. ¡°May I continue my work at the


    library? I can concentrate more over there.¡±


    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s not a ssified one, anyway. Come with me and let Prof. Harlem know.¡±


    ¡°All right, thank you so much.¡± Wendy followed the lecturer obediently.


    Professor Harlem did not have an opinion about Wendy¡¯s request. ¡°Just do your best. If you¡¯re stuck,


    do consult the Ustranasion lecturers on campus. Theirnguage skills are above average.¡±


    Wendy shook her head. ¡°I can do it, Professor Harlem. This is a great opportunity for upskilling. I want


    to aplish it on my own. When I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll let the lecturers proofread my work.¡±


    Professor Harlem was impressed by Wendy¡¯s learning attitude. ¡°Go ahead then. I n to do some


    sightseeing. I heard that there are countless of delicious delicacies in Chanaea. I wish to try them all.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know all the good ces for food. Once I¡¯m done tranting, I can be your tour guide,¡± Wendy


    offered.

 Chapter 683

    Chapter 683


    Thomas waved his hand. ¡°You don¡¯t have to. I¡¯m used to doing everything alone. If you all stick to my


    side, I might even feel restrained.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Wendy could only relent. She didn¡¯t want to cause his dissatisfaction now that her


    remarks had left a better impression on him. Moreover, she hadn¡¯t known him well yet, so it could be


    better for her not to apany him for now.


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll take my leave to the library first.¡±


    ¡°All right. Go on then.¡±


    With that, Wendy left with a stack of lesson ns in her hands.


    Her workload at the moment was heavy. After all, she had to summarize all the lesson ns into one


    chapter.


    Initially, these had to be done by the Ustranasion professors at Jadeborough University. However, since


    Marcus hoped to send more students to Maxwell University, he asked the professors to give the


    chances to the students.


    After she left, all the professors turned toward Thomas and said, ¡°Prof. Harlem, we have so many


    excellent students in our university. Maxwell University has always been recruiting international


    students, yet you only have a few spots for Jadeborough University. Thus, we hope that you can


    communicate with the principal once you¡¯re back to increase the number of spots offered to us.¡±


    Thomas let out augh. ¡°We would never reject an excellent student. As long as your students are


    good enough, the number of spots would never be a hindrance.¡±


    All the professors also chuckled upon hearing his blunt words.


    ¡°Yes. We agree. All the rules are bullsh*t! As professors, everything we do is for the students.¡±


    Thomas nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a chance for Jadeborough University as well. As long as the


    trantion of the lesson ns goes well, you¡¯ll get our attention for sure.¡±


    ¡°You can rest assured then. Wendy is from the preparatory ss. The students in that ss are all


    outstanding.¡±


    ¡°Is it? Then, I¡¯ll have to get to know them if I have the chance.¡±


    ¡°You should. Anyway, you¡¯ll meet them in the lecture tomorrow.¡±


    Meanwhile, only a few students were lingering in the library since most of them were having sses at


    the moment.


    After finding an empty floor, Wendy took a seat, took out her phone, and called Cecilia,


    ¡°Mom, I want you to find me a high-standardUstranasion trantor to help me to trante some


    documents immediately.¡±


    Cecilia asked out of curiosity, ¡°What are the documents?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you now. Just keep in mind that it can secure my spot at Maxwell University. Please, hurry


    up! The time is running!¡±


    At that, Cecilia quickly replied, ¡°All right. I¡¯ll start finding right away!¡±


    Soon after, her mother managed to get her a trantor.


    After connecting with the trantor online, they started the trantion task together.


    Gradually, as the minutes passed, it was soon evening.


    When Donovan reached downstairs in all ck, Alice, Donovan¡¯s mother, who was preparing dinner,


    quickly stopped him.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You¡¯re attending a blind date, not a funeral, so please return to your room and change into clothes of a


    brighter color. If you keep dressing like an old man, you¡¯ll never find a girlfriend.¡±


    Donovan frowned.


    ¡°But, this is my usual dressing style.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about your dressing style. Quick, go upstairs and change now! They will be here soon.


    Don¡¯t waste your time anymore!¡±


    Donovan opened his mouth but eventually swallowed his words.


    Well, I should find a girlfriend indeed. I must have been single for far too long that I feel attracted to


    someone like Arielle.


    As he thought of Arielle, he couldn¡¯t help but frown further.


    Next, he turned around and went upstairs without a word.


    By the time he showed himself again downstairs after changing his attires, his date also arrived just in


    time.

 Chapter 684

    Chapter 684


    Alice quickly took off her apron and went out to wee them in utter delight. While leading them to


    the living room with a smile, she said, ¡°Finally, you¡®re here! I¡®ve been waiting for you for quite some time


    already. Come, have a seat. I just finished preparing the dinner.¡±


    Then, Ava¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°Why trouble yourself by doing so much? Hell, you even cook for us.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not troublesome.¡± Alice quickly replied as she wiped her hands dry. When her gaze fell on the


    woman standing beside Ava, she instantly uttered, ¡°You must be Queenie. Wow, you¡¯re even beautiful


    in real life than in the photo! I¡¯d even carried you in my arms when you were young before.¡±


    Queenie gave Alice a stiff smile before lowering her gaze and greeting, ¡°Nice to meet you, Mrs. Baxter.¡±


    ¡°Quick, sit down.¡± Upon seeing Donovan, Alice urged, ¡°Don,e over and pour Ms. Mill a cup of tea.¡±


    Queenie trailed Alice¡¯s gaze to see a handsome man in a white suit. He had an unconceble aura as


    his dark eyes shone profoundly.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    She held her breath for approximately two seconds, yet she recollected herself soon after.


    He¡¯s undoubtedly handsome. However, he isn¡¯t a match for Vinson at all.


    Indeed, after meeting someone as excellent as Vinson, how could an ordinary man pique her interest?


    Donovan greeted her first, ¡°Hi, Ms. Mill. What tea would you like to have?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything.¡± Queenie smiled.


    She wasn¡¯t an idiot to reject a suitor straightaway even if she didn¡¯t like him. After all, it was never a


    bad thing to have another subordinate like Zachary.


    Unfortunately, Zachary was too dumb that he got caught by Carter.


    Oblivious to her, Donovan had something in his mind as well.


    It had been quite some time since he slept with a woman, so he needed some release recently.


    Moreover, he wasn¡¯t disgusted with the woman in front of him.


    Queenie looked beautiful and vibrant. At the same time, her eyes were tranquil and calm, just like


    Arielle¡¯s.


    That simrity managed to cease his resistance toward the blind date.


    Despite that, Queenie was only a woman who could ease his urge, as he had no n to get married


    any time soon,


    Sensing the harmonious atmosphere between the two youngsters, their mothers exchanged nces


    and smiled heartwarmingly


    Ava then said intentionally, ¡°Do you have ketchup? I like it so much that I have to eat whatever dishes


    with it.¡±


    Alice understood instantly. ¡°Don, you can pour the teater. Go to the hypermarket to buy branded


    ketchup for Mrs. Mill first.¡±


    Ava chimed in, ¡°Queenie, go with him and buy some fruits. Mrs. Baxter had prepared us a table of


    delicious meals, so it¡¯s impolite for us to visit empty-handed.¡±


    Despite realizing their intention to create an opportunity for them to bond with each other, Queenie


    chose to act dumb as she nodded and said, ¡°Wee here by car, so I¡¯ll drive us there.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Donovan nodded and walked in the front, leading the way.


    Alice and Ava, on the other hand, sent them away joyfully.


    With that, Donovan and Queenie headed to the only hypermarket nearby, the one near Jadeborough


    University.


    In the meantime, Arielle decided to invite Trisha, Jared, and Henry to have a meal together at her


    house.


    After sending a message to Vinson, telling him not toe back first, she went to the hypermarket


    near the university with the three of them to buy the ingredients.


    Once they arrived at the market, Arielle spoke to Trisha. ¡°Trish, you guys can go ahead and choose the


    fruits and drinks you like. I¡¯ll go to the vegetable section instead.¡±

 Chapter 685

    Chapter 685


    Henry¡¯s weight was enough to prove that he was a big eater. Upon hearing Arielle¡¯s words, he instantly


    cheered and rushed toward the fruits section.


    Jared couldn¡¯t help but shake his head in utter speechlessness. Next, as a gentleman, he turned


    toward Trisha and suggested, ¡°Let go over as well.¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Trisha was at a loss about what to respond to him. After a while, she nodded with her face flushed and


    followed


    after him.


    Arielle, of course, noticed how anxious Trisha was in front of Jared. All of a sudden, she recalled Dr.


    Meio¡¯s words.


    ¡°Congrattion, you have fallen in love with him. From feeling nervous and flustered whenever you see


    him to feeling especially anxious whenever you¡¯re alone with him, all these are symptoms that you love


    him. Falling in love doesn¡¯t mean that both parties have to be together. Even if it¡¯s one-sided, you¡¯re


    falling in love as well. Ms. Moore, from what I see, you¡¯re quite mature and extraordinary, yet never


    would I expect the pureness from you when ites to rtionships. But then, it¡¯s somehow expected


    as well. After all, you¡¯d never experienced one before, so it¡¯s normal if you have no idea of it at all.


    However, no matter how smart one person is, you would never beplete without involving in a


    rtionship. I assure you that you¡¯ll grow regardless of how this rtionship ends. Thus, again,


    congrattions.¡±


    Arielle bit her lip before heading to the vegetable


    section.


    After pondering for one afternoon, she finally understood that she wasn¡¯t sick as she had thought


    before. In reality, it was all because she liked Vinson.


    A few months ago, she couldn¡®t imagine how she would interact further with Vinson. Yet, surprisingly,


    after a few months, she fell for him.


    She hated beating around the bush, so naturally, she would want to tell him her feelings directly.


    However, she hesitated, afraid that it would affect their friendship if he didn¡¯t reciprocate her feelings.


    That was why she asked Trisha and the others toe over to have dinner together and told Vinson to


    stay at another ce, as she wanted to be alone that night to consider whether or not to confess to


    him.


    I¡¯ll think of itter tonight. With that, Arielle took in a deep breath and forced herself to focus on


    choosing the vegetables instead.


    At that moment, an unfamiliar voice sounded behind her, greeting, ¡°Ms. Moore?¡±¡¯


    Arielle turned around curiously to see a beautiful woman, looking so pure and calm without makeup. To


    men, she was undoubtedly an ideal wife.


    Unfortunately, Arielle had no impression of her at all.


    When the woman approached her, Arielle asked cautiously, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The woman stretched her hand. ¡°Oh! It really is you! Ms. Moore, I¡¯m Queenie Mill, a doctor in Rocher


    Private Hospital. It¡¯s my pleasure to meet you here.¡±


    Only then did Arielle remember Zachary mentioning her before.


    Her impression of doctors was good since the Wilhelms were both doctors. Thus, she lowered her


    guard and shook her hand. ¡°Nice to meet you, Dr. Mill. The pleasure is mine.¡±


    A smile crept onto Queenie¡¯s face as she replied, ¡°What a coincidence! Initially, I had nned to ask


    Dr. Ziegler to introduce us, yet he got himself caught in something and resigned yesterday. I thought I


    would never get to know you anymore. Who knows? We bumped into each other in the market. Did you


    come here alone?¡±


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°No. Ie here with my friends.¡±


    ¡°Would you mind exchanging contacts?¡± Queenie fished out her phone as she said.


    Arielle couldn¡¯t possibly reject her now that she had handed her phone. Thus, she agreed.


    After sessfully exchanging their contacts, another familiar man¡¯s voice rang from behind abruptly.


    ¡°Arielle?¡±


    Arielle turned around in surprise. Donovan came into her sight instantly. With a bottle of ketchup in his


    hand, he walked over in a frown.

 Chapter 686

    Chapter 686


    Arielle was d that she wouldn¡¯t have to see Donovan, as she didn¡¯t have his ss that day. But


    apparently, luck decided to joke with her.


    So unlucky of me!


    Despite feeling disdainful, she had to force a smile. ¡°Good evening, Mr. Baxter.¡±


    Donovan felt his heart race uncontrobly upon taking in her smile.


    Instantly, a bad feeling settled at the pit of his stomach, causing him to frown deeper.


    Meanwhile, Queenie, who heard their conversation, was surprised as well. ¡°Do you know each other?¡±


    Donovan nced at Queenie in stun before exining, ¡°She¡¯s my student. You know her?¡±


    ¡°Oh, so she¡¯s your student.¡± Queenie didn¡¯t answer his question. Instead, she said, ¡°Seemingly, we¡¯re


    fated to meet, Ms. Moore.¡±


    Arielle smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that youe here together. In that case, please excuse me.¡±


    Before Queenie could nod, Donovan interrupted in a cold voice, ¡°You live alone, so why did you buy so


    many vegetables?¡±


    Apparently, the pile of vegetables in Arielle¡¯s shopping cart didn¡¯t go unnoticed.


    Hearing that, Arielle couldn¡¯t help but feel hrious. What the hell! It has nothing to do with you, so why


    bother?


    Yet, she could only let out a small huff. ¡°I¡¯ve invited my friends toe over to my new house to have a


    meal together.¡±


    Queenie had seen the announcement of Arielle getting chased out by the Southalls when she


    investigated Arielle. Thus, she said discreetly, ¡°Congrattions for moving into your new house.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Arielle nodded.


    Before she could leave, Donovan once again stopped her. ¡°If so, it¡¯s merrier to have more people.


    Since Queenie and I are free now, can we join you guys? I¡¯ll treat it as a home visit then.¡±


    Arielle couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes in disbelief.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    A thought immediately came to her mind. What a shameless man!


    Shock painted Queenie¡¯s face as well.


    He still called me ¡°Ms. Mill¡± when we were on our way here, so why am I ¡°Queenie¡± now? Moreover,


    are we free? Aren¡¯t we supposed to bring the ketchup hometer?


    All of a sudden, Queenie sensed something fishy.


    It is undeniable that Arielle¡¯s face could attract a man at ease. However, they are teacher and student.


    Isn¡¯t it inappropriate for a teacher to fall for his student? Moreover, he is having a blind date with me


    now. So, he likes Arielle? Am I overthinking?


    Queenie decided to stop pondering and nodded. ¡°Yes, we have nothing to do at the moment. But, are


    we disturbing you?¡±


    Up until that point, Arielle had no choice but to suppress her difort and nod. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. What do


    you want to eat?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything,¡± Queenie said in a carefree manner, and Donovan remained silent.


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll get more ingredients.¡± With that said, she quickly headed toward the vegetables


    section, leaving them behind.


    Just as she was busy cursing her luck internally, Trisha and the others came over.


    Henry instantly uttered, ¡°Boss, we saw Donovan Baxter just now.¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°He even invited himself to the dinner. Just bear with him for now.¡±


    ¡°Damn! The hell with the home visit! We¡¯re in university now! I¡¯m pretty sure that he¡¯s targeting you. Oh,


    wait! It¡¯s all of us who got enrolled with a connection that he targets.¡± Henry then looked at Trisha


    and continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about getting targeted by him, Trishee. He would surely fawn over you


    since you¡¯re a good student.¡±


    Trisha blushed at the nickname and corrected him. ¡°I¡¯m Trisha.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s only a nickname.¡±


    At that moment, Queenie and Donovan approached them

 Chapter 687

    Chapter 687


    ¡°Ms. Moore, both of us didn¡¯t want to cause you too much trouble. We¡¯ll have a few bites only, so don¡¯t


    buy too much.¡±


    Upon seeing Queenie¡¯s kind smile, Henry¡¯s eyes lit up instantly.


    ¡°This beautifuldy-¡±


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Instantly, Jared let out a cough, snapping Henry out of his trance. Only then did Henry notice Queenie


    was standing beside Donovan.


    Thus, he quickly changed his stance. ¡°Could it be that this beautifuldy here is Mr. Baxter¡¯s wife?¡±


    Queenie just smiled and let Donovan exin it instead. Yet, to her surprise, he brushed it off, saying,


    ¡°The ingredients are enough already. You don¡¯t have to buy more. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Arielle didn¡¯t want to trouble herself for Donovan. Thus, she dropped putting on an act and spoke to


    Jared. ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡±


    At the checkout, Donovan walked ahead and took out his card. ¡°Since you all are still students, let me


    pay instead.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to, Mr. Baxter.¡± Arielle instantly stopped him


    However, Donovan looked at her and said, ¡°Your student loan will only be credited to your ount half


    a


    monthter. I want to help you pay first. If you insist on paying back, you can do it after you graduate.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Queenie smirked coldly inside.


    How hrious am I to think of a woman who relies on a student loan as a threat? But at second


    thought, something seems amiss. If she has to pay her fees with a student loan, how can she afford to


    purchase ten utterly expensive robotic pacemakers at once? Something is off!


    However, Queenie couldn¡¯t put her finger on what it was currently.


    It¡¯s too absurd if she¡¯s a hidden chief like those shown on the television.


    Right then, Jared pulled the card in Donovan¡¯s hand back and said, ¡°Mr. Baxter, we really don¡¯t need it.


    This hypermarket belongs to my family, so we can leave without paying.¡±


    Donovan raised his head in shock. As if proving Jared¡¯s words, the cashier bowed respectfully and


    remarked, ¡°Mr. Jupiter, have a good day.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Jared nodded nonchntly before turning to Arielle and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Immediately, his face fell as embarrassment shed across.


    Seeing that, Queenie whispered to him intentionally,


    ¡°It¡¯s surprising that her friend is so wealthy when she has to apply for a student loan herself. Mr.


    Jupiter? I guess he¡¯s from the Jupiters, one of the four most prominent families in Jadeborough. Is he


    pursuing Ms. Moore?¡±


    Hearing that, Donovan¡¯s scowl deepened.


    In a hoarse voice, he said, ¡°They are ssmates, so don¡¯t jump to any conclusion. Moreover, you can


    stop calling her ¡®Ms. Moore¡¯ already. After all, she¡¯s just an ordinary person now.¡±


    His reply answered her doubt instantly. Donovan really does harbor feelings toward Arielle!


    As the realization hit her, slight displeasure surged through her. If it¡¯s mine, even if I don¡¯t care a sh*t


    about it, I won¡¯t give it up to someone else. Not even Arielle is allowed to snatch it away.


    Yet, Queenie changed her mind in the next second. If Arielle ends up with Donovan, she won¡¯t get


    between Vinson and me anymore regardless of what peculiarity she possessed.


    At the thought of that, Queenie¡¯s eyes brightened.


    If I can get rid of a threat, why not?


    Thus, she raised her brows and provoked purposefully, ¡°That¡¯s right. I shouldn¡¯t call her ¡®Ms. Moore¡¯


    anymore since it might make her recall her sad memory of getting banished from the Southall


    residence.


    Nevertheless, with the help from Mr. Jupiter, her life won¡¯t be too difficult. Therefore, you don¡¯t have to


    worry about her.¡±


    As soon as she ended her remarks, as expected, Donovan knitted his brows further.

 Chapter 688

    Chapter 688


    Back at Donovan¡¯s house, Alice was a bit worried when both Donovan and Queenie hadn¡¯t returned


    after quite some time.


    Finally, she lost her patience. ¡°I hope nothing bad happened. No, I should call them and ask about their


    whereabouts.¡±


    Ava smiled and persuaded, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t. Have you forgotten how the youngsters nowadays don¡¯t like


    eating at home? Perhaps they found a restaurant they preferred out there when they wandered around.


    Thus, stop worrying about them. Let¡¯s start eating.¡±


    Convinced, Alice quickly put down her phone.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. How silly of me. I nearly disturbed them.¡±


    Soon after that, Arielle and the others arrived at her new house.


    Donovan¡¯s mood finally elevated at the sight of the shabby furnishing in her house.


    ¡°Trish, help me to pour some tea for them. I¡¯ll wash the vegetables first.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Trisha mustered her courage and did as instructed.


    After taking a sip of the tea, Queenie stood up. ¡°You¡¯re guests as well. So, sit down, please. Since I


    know how to cook, I¡¯ll help Arielle.¡±


    With that, she headed toward the kitchen.


    When she stepped into the small, open kitchen, she couldn¡¯t help but feel suffocated.


    While trying hard to hide her difort, she approached Arielle. ¡°Let me help to wash the vegetables.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. You¡¯re a guest, so you should stay put.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I work in a hospital, so I¡¯m used to a busy schedule that I can¡¯t sit still without


    doing anything.¡±


    Upon hearing her passionate remarks, Arielle had no choice but to ept her offer. ¡°In that case,


    please help me with the cabbage.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Queenie wasted no time and started washing the cabbage.


    Halfway through her chores, she cast a nce at Arielle and asked worriedly, ¡°Arielle, you must be


    living a difficult life after your family chased you out.¡±


    Arielle paused as hostility shed across her eyes.


    As quick-witted as her, she instantly sensed that Queenie wasn¡¯t as easy to get along with as she


    looked.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    A momentter, she replied calmly, ¡°Not really.¡±


    Queenie lowered her gaze and chuckled. ¡°How can it not be? You don¡¯t have to act tough. If you face


    difficulties in the future, you can find Mr. Baxter or me for help.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Arielle¡¯s tone was cid at that point.


    Yet, Queenie continued, ¡°You all have misunderstood. I¡¯d never met Mr. Baxter before, and today


    marks our first meeting. Our mothers are close friends, but both of us are only friends. So, I¡¯m not his


    wife.¡±


    Arielle nodded nonchntly. After all, she didn¡¯t care about their rtionship at all.


    Seeing that, Queenie instantly understood that Arielle had no feelings toward Donovan at all.


    Seemingly, Donovan is carrying a torch for her. Well, I should help him then.


    ¡°Oh, right! I need to thank you for donating ten robotic pacemakers to our hospital. However, they are


    expensive. Moreover, there seems to be something odd with Sann Group ¡ª it¡¯s normally difficult to


    purchase their products. So, how did you manage to even buy ten of them at one go?¡±


    While mincing the meat, Arielle answered, ¡°I asked my friend, who happened to know the boss of Sann


    Group to help me with that.¡°


    ¡°Is it?¡± Queenie then nced at Jared in the living room and asked, ¡°Was Mr. Jupiter the one who


    helped you?¡±


    Arielle hesitated for a moment and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Oh! No wonder!¡±


    I knew it! She can never afford ten robotic pacemakers by herself.


    Initially, she had assumed that Vinson was the one who helped Arielle. Now that she got the answer,


    relief washed over her.

 Chapter 689

    Chapter 689


    After Queenie got the answer she wanted, she had no more intention of helping out. With that, she


    found an excuse to go to the washroom and left the kitchen.


    She did not realize Arielle was staring at her back figure for a long while.


    Arielle finished preparing a table full of dishes in the blink of an eye.


    Queenie pretended to be impressed. ¡°Arielle, I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re so good at cooking. Usually, a beauty


    doesn¡¯t cook this well.¡±


    Arielle let out a faint smile without saying anything.


    With Donovan present at the scene, even Henry started behaving cautiously. After taking only a few


    bites, he stood up and wanted to leave.


    Jared too had no intention to stay in the same room with Donovan any further. ¡°We¡¯ll excuse ourselves


    first.¡±


    With that, Trisha stood up also. ¡°I¡¯m done too.¡±


    Arielle knew they did not want to hang up with Donovan, and she did not stop them either. ¡°Let me


    escort you guys down then.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Just then, Arielle shifted her gaze toward Donovan, waiting for him to say goodbye too.


    However, Donovan still sat at his seat, without any intention to leave.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Meanwhile, Queenie lowered her head while eating without eye contact with Arielle.


    As such, Arielle had no choice but to send Jared and the rest down first.


    After the four of them left the scene, Queenie opened her mouth. ¡°Mr. Baxter, I¡¯m a straightforward


    person. Let¡¯s cut to the chase.¡±


    Donovan could not wrap his head around it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dr. Mill. I don¡¯t get you.¡±


    Putting down her spoon, Queenie looked right into Donovan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Donovan, you have a thing for


    your student, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Donovan¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he furrowed his brows slightly


    Queenie¡¯s words pierced through his heart like a merciless de.


    Initially, he thought he had feelings for Arielle merely because he had not been with a woman for a long


    time. That was why he agreed to a blind date with Queenie.


    But after he met Arielle in the supermarket, he suddenly found his true feelings for her.


    And now, Queenie¡¯s words made him even more sure


    about it.


    Yes. I¡¯ve fallen for Arielle.


    Nheless, as most people disapproved of a teacher student rtionship; naturally, Donovan would


    not be honest with Queenie. Plus, he did not know Queenie for


    long yet.


    Donovan uttered faintly, ¡°I like all my students. That way I could serve them better.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡± Queenie let out a chuckle. ¡°Donovan, there¡¯re only two of us here. There¡¯s no need to hide


    from me. You like Arielle, don¡¯t you?¡±.


    A dark expression loomed over Donovan¡¯s face, but he did not refute anymore.


    Upon seeing that, Queenie continued to speak, ¡°To be frank. There is someone I like. I went on a blind


    date with you because my mom kept forcing me. However, since you got someone you like too, let¡¯s be


    friends from now on.¡±


    After pondering for a few seconds, Donovan nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Queenie¡¯s lips curled into a smile.


    She took a perfume bottle out from her pocket and handed it to Donovan. ¡°This is my gift for you as a


    friend.¡±


    Donovan rejected right away. ¡°Thanks. But I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t have a habit of using perfume. I appreciate


    your gesture, though.¡±


    Queenie raised her brows slightly. ¡°This is no ordinary perfume. I made it. I know some ancient


    Chanaean medicine. Spray a little on the other people, and it will make them hallucinate and fall in love


    with you.¡±

 Chapter 690

    Chapter 690


    Upon hearing that, Donovan cast a befuddled look toward Queenie.


    ¡°Dr. Mill, are you kidding me? How could something like this possibly exist in this world?¡±


    ¡°You do not know medicine, not to mention ancient Chanaean medicine. But you have to believe me.


    Why would I lie to you? Not only does this perfume consists the effect I mentioned, but I¡¯ve also


    combined it with a herb from Manchernius. With that, the person who smells it will be strengthless


    and delirious.¡±


    Queenie handed the bottle over to Donovan as soon as she finished her sentence.


    Donovan¡¯s instinct told him that he should throw it away, but a second thought came across his mind.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    The next moment, Donovan grabbed the bottle firmly with his hand.


    Seeing that Donovan was still hesitating, Queenie continued to encourage him. ¡°Donovan, do you want


    to let go of such a golden opportunity? Even I can see that Arielle has no feelings for you. And there


    are a lot of good men around her. Not to mention, you¡¯re her teacher. Hence, if you don¡¯t make a move


    now, it will be impossible for you to be together!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Donovan¡¯s veins were bulging from his forehead.


    However, Queenie did not seem to be intimidated at all.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t get mad. I¡¯m merely helping you to analyze the situation. Let me tell you. An ambitious


    woman like her would never settle for a university professor like you. But what¡¯s done cannot be


    undone. If you do as I suggest, you would be able to marry her without any challenge. Not to mention,


    thew allows the university graduate to marry the professor.¡±


    Donovan bit his lips tightly in annoyance.


    The next moment, he cast a cold nce toward Queenie. ¡°Why would you bring this thing with you?


    Were you trying to set me up?¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± Queenie let out a boisterousugh. ¡°Why would I do that? Our mothers are friends, so we¡¯re


    friends too. Why would I do such a thing to my friend? There¡¯s nothing I can get from you either. I just


    want to help you!¡±


    ¡°Tell me then why you bring such a thing with you?¡±


    Queenie was instantly taken aback.


    She did not want to confess the reason as she still needed to win Donovan¡¯s trust.


    Biting her lips, she exined, ¡°Because I have someone in my heart that I couldn¡¯t possibly get. So I


    bring this with me all the time, hoping that I might run into him, but it hasn¡¯t happened till now. Since


    you need it now, I figure I¡¯ll give it to you first. So, Donovan, have you made up your mind?¡±


    Donovan fell silent as he contemted the options.


    At that moment, he realized he indeed had a great desire to possess Arielle.


    He could feel that Arielle did not like him at all, or she might even hate him.


    To him, Arielle was like a wild stallion.


    I would love to tame a wild stallion.


    If only I could make her look at me with admiration and passion¡­ that would be amazing.


    Donovan swallowed as he stood up abruptly. ¡°How do I use this thing? Would I get affected?¡±.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, here¡¯s the antidote. Eat it now and spray the perfume on yourself.¡±


    Donovan followed the instruction without much hesitation.

 Chapter 691

    Chapter 691


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right. That¡¯s about the right amount.¡± Queenie ate an antidote as she saw Donovan


    spraying himself all over


    She reminded him. ¡°No matter how much you spray, the effect willst for only an hour. And the effect


    will take ce within three minutes after the other party smells it. So please be more alert within three


    minutes. Don¡¯t screw up and I¡¯ll help you out.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± Donovan cast a nce at Queenie. ¡°You may leave now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave after I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t need my help.¡±


    Indeed, Queenie could leave now, but she wanted to confirm that Arielle belonged to Donovan before


    leaving


    After all, reputation is the most important thing for a woman. After the perfume she invented took effect,


    she could take intimate photos of Arielle and Donovan.


    And after she posted those photos on the inte, Arielle¡¯s fans would see them. Let the fans see how


    she looks like in bed.


    By then, Arielle would be left with no choice but to marry Donovan,


    Right at that moment, there was a footstep approaching the door.


    ¡°Ahem! Ahem!¡± Queenie cleared her throat, implying that someone wasing.


    Donovan nodded slightly and walked toward Arielle.


    Arielle had just sent off Trisha and the rest, and she wondered how to send Donovan away. But as


    soon as she entered, she saw Donovan walking toward her.


    Her eyes lit up right away. ¡°Mr. Baxter, are you leaving?¡±


    Donovan was not dumb as he noticed the delight in Arielle¡¯s eyes.


    Is she really so unwilling to see me?


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    With that, Donovan nodded helplessly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m about to leave. But before that, I¡¯ve got something to


    tell you.¡±


    Upon saying that, Donovan took a step forward, leaning closer to Arielle.


    Arielle felt strange as she smelled a herb fragrant from Donovan¡¯s body. She could not wrap her head


    around why Donovan would wear such a rare perfume.


    She tried to identify what ingredients were used in the perfume.


    She was startled as she discovered the herbs used could cause hallucination and paralyze the central


    nervous system. She knew that because those were the exact herbs Yvette and Mason used to drug


    her back then.


    What the he is Donovan up to?


    Arielle immediately held her breath to prevent herself from inhaling too much perfume from Donovan¡¯s


    body.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Just then, Donovan sensed an awkward expression on Arielle¡¯s face. He got close to


    her and pointed at the couch. ¡°Come on. I want to talk to you about Maxwell University.¡±


    Arielle tried to keep calm, pretending to be ignorant.


    She almost lost her breath as she uttered, ¡°I almost forgot. Trisha did not return the bedroom key to


    me. I suppose they¡¯re still downstairs. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    Upon saying that, Arielle cast a faint smile at Donovan and Queenie, and she ran out of the door.


    As Donovan was about to sit down and wait, Queenie realized something off with Arielle.


    Right then, she shouted suddenly, ¡°Get hold of her! She knows!¡±


    Before Donovan could react, Queenie had already charged toward Arielle.


    Arielle tried to run out as fast as possible, but she suddenly felt a heavyweight on her back, making her


    fall onto the floor.


    ¡°What are you guys trying to do? Let go of me!¡± Arielle struggled desperately, trying to get free from


    Queenie.

 Chapter 692

    Chapter 692


    Queenie sat right on Arielle¡¯s waist, making thetter unable to stand up.


    The next moment, Queenie cast a re at Donovan. ¡°What¡¯re you staring at? Close the door now!¡±.


    Donovan widened his eyes in bewilderment. ¡°What you¡¯re doing is illegal¡­¡±


    ¡°Illegal? Hahaha!¡± Queenie could not believe her ears. ¡°So if she didn¡¯t find out, it wouldn¡¯t be illegal


    then?¡±


    I¡¯m doing him a great favor. But even at this moment, he¡¯s still trying to act nobly. What a hypocrite!


    ¡°Donovan, there¡¯s no turning back for us now! Tie her up! If she escapes, both of us will be doomed!¡±


    Queenie started threatening Donovan.


    Donovan paled in fright upon hearing that. Under Queenie¡¯s continuous urging, he bit his lips and


    immediately found a rope.


    Queenie¡¯s right. There¡¯s no turning back for me the moment I put on that perfume. Since I¡¯ve got


    nothing to lose, I might as well put it all in and try to have Arielle! After I managed to sleep with her, she


    could only listen to me. After all, who would have thought that I would rape my student? They would


    even though she was the one seducing me. After all, we¡¯re in her house. They would think she is the


    one who let me in.


    Arielle tried to flee, but as a doctor, Queenie knows well about the human body. Even though Arielle


    was


    strong, she could not exert any strength as Queenie had gotten hold of the power points on her body.


    ¡°Please stop struggling. A good woman shouldn¡¯t be so violent.¡± Queenie stretched out her hand and


    gently stroked the scattered hair on Arielle¡¯s forehead, observing her face closely.


    A natural beauty could wear a potato sack, and they would still be beautiful. Arielle was indeed one of


    the true beauties


    Her face was only as big as a palm, with less flesh on it. It meant that her face would not be


    saggy quickly even as she aged.


    Not only that, her facial features were with a golden ratio. Everyone who had this golden ratio on their


    face shape was always good-looking regardless of their sexes.


    Queenie sneered with displeasure. ¡°The world is truly unfair.¡±


    Arielle was enraged and puzzled at the same time upon hearing Queenie¡¯s abrupt words.


    ¡°Why are you guys doing this? Mr. Baxter, if you don¡¯t want me in your ss, just tell me. Please let go


    of me. I¡¯ll talk to Mr. Brown tomorrow and have him switch me to the other ss. Please let¡¯s talk


    properly.¡±


    Donovan bit his lips and sprayed some more perfume on himself. After that, he approached Arielle


    again.


    Then, he used the rope to tie up Arielle¡¯s hands and legs while he told Queenie, ¡°You can leave now.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to chase me out so fast. I¡¯ll wait in the sitting room for the perfume to take effect. I¡¯ll


    leave as soon as the effect kicks in, and I won¡¯t interrupt you at all. How does that sound?¡±?


    Donovan nced at Queenie without any expression. He eventuallyplied with her, and he carried


    Arielle into the bedroom.


    Arielle was still struggling desperately, trying to escape from Donovan¡¯s arms.


    Disgusted by Donovan¡¯s hug, a surge of fear and irritation rose within her heart.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Donovan! Let go of me! What on earth do you want?¡±

 Chapter 693

    Chapter 693


    Meanwhile, at Nightshire Entertainment.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire, so are we going to assign the new batch of artists under Ms. Mnie, including


    Jason?¡±


    ¡°Yes, let her handle them for now. Then we can reassign suitable managers for each of them based on


    their specialties and characters.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Mr. Nightshire.¡± The vice president bowed toward Vinson. The next second, a name came


    across his mind. ¡°Actually,pared to this batch of new artists, there¡¯s someone that I¡¯m more


    interested in.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°She is someone under yourpany-Arielle, the ambassador of Soir Coffee.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Vinson cast a side nce at the person in charge and uttered, ¡°Just give up on this one.¡±


    How could I bear to let my future wife work for me?


    The vice president was confused. ¡°Why? Sam has approached me numerous times for now. He¡¯s still


    looking for a perfect candidate for his movie.¡±


    Vinson had no interest in further discussing the matter. ¡°That¡¯s all for our meeting today. I¡¯m leaving


    now.¡±


    Seeing Vinson did not want to talk, the vice president ended the conversation and escorted him out.


    ¡°Rayson.¡± The vice president grabbed Rayson¡¯s sleeve and asked in a low voice, ¡°Why did Mr.


    Nightshire ask me to give up on Arielle? Didn¡¯t the Southalls chase her out? A homeless girl is the


    easiest target.¡±


    ¡°A homeless girl?¡± Rayson cast an indifferent look at the vice president. ¡°You don¡¯t need to know more.


    Just give up on her.¡±


    Upon saying that, Rayson swung the vice president¡¯s hand away and caught up with Vinson¡¯s pace.


    After the meeting ended, Vinson switched on his phone and received a text from Arielle.


    A friend ising over for dinner. Please find somewhere else to stay tonight.


    A dark expression loomed over Vinson¡¯s face right away. Rayson noticed it and dared not make a


    sound.


    ¡°Drive now!¡± Vinsonmanded coldly.


    ¡°Where are we heading?¡± Rayson asked with a trembling voice.


    ¡°Arielle¡¯s house.¡±


    Rayson nodded vigorously. ¡°Okay!¡±


    That¡¯s good. Finally, he¡¯s going to see her. His mood will surely improve after seeing her.


    Back in Arielle¡¯s house.


    ¡°Donovan! Let go of me! Don¡¯t touch me!¡±


    Arielle struggled forcefully, but soon she noticed her strength began fading.


    What feared her more was that her vision was getting blurry.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She instinctively had an ominous feeling that something terrible was about to happen.


    That thing I smelled in is taking effect!


    But still, she could notprehend why Donovan was doing this to her.


    Does he really hate me so much that he wants to destroy me?


    With that in mind, a sudden wave of nausea filled her stomach.


    Seeing that she was about to get carried to the bed, Arielle was left with no choice but to go the hard


    way.


    She warned indifferently, ¡°Donovan, if you dare to do anything to me, I swear your career as a teacher


    will be over! You¡¯ll spend the rest of your life in prison!¡±


    Just after she finished her sentence, she got thrown onto the bad.


    She wanted to get up, but her hands and feet were tied by rope, while her whole body was feeling


    weak.


    The next second, Donovan pressed himself on her.


    Goosebumps rose all over Arielle¡¯s body instantly.


    I can¡¯t ept this! Please don¡¯t do this to me!

 Chapter 694

    Chapter 694


    As if he was possessed, Donovan sat on top of Arielle and looked deeply into her eyes.


    Then, he trapped her into ce before slowly leaning down onto her.


    Immediately, Arielle snapped her head to the other side and yelled, ¡°Donovan! Wake up! We don¡¯t need


    to be enemies forever. I know that you hate me, so can you let go of me if I¡¯ll make sure not to


    appear in front of you?¡±


    Despite being strong and courageous, she was still a woman and thus could not bear it if something


    like that happened.


    Her heart skipped a beat just by imagining the horrific scene.


    Vinson! Suddenly, the man¡¯s face popped into her mind.


    I shouldn¡¯t have texted Vinson and told him not toe back. Otherwise, there¡¯s no way Donovan


    would have a chance to do this to me.


    ¡°Look at me!¡± Donovan grabbed her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye.


    Arielle could feel a throbbing pain from how hard he was gripping her chin, and she shot daggers at


    him. ¡°What are you trying to do? You¡¯re a teacher, so you must be aware of the consequences of your


    actions.¡±


    ¡°It looks like you still don¡¯t get it.¡± Donovan shook his


    head and gazed at her grimly. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell that I like


    you?¡±


    ¡°W-What?¡± For a moment, she was stunned.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve only gotten to know about my feelings just recently. Thus, there¡¯s no way you would find out


    earlier than me.¡± Donovan started to caress her eyebrows.


    Upon hearing that, Arielle widened her eyes in disbelief.


    Did I hear him correctly? Did Donovan say he likes me? Is this the reason why his attitude toward me


    changed drastically?


    When she felt his hand gently caressing her face, she found it utterly revolting.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Arielle screamed. ¡°How can you call yourself a guy when you treat a girl you like this


    way? The ¡®love¡¯ you have is distorted! You¡¯ll pay for doing this.¡±


    ¡°Close your eyes,¡± ordered him while covering her eyes. ¡°Be quiet. Once you¡¯re mine, I¡¯ll treat you well


    and do my best to get you inside Maxwell University.¡± While saying so, he pressed a kiss to her


    forehead.


    When his lips touched her forehead, he could feel himself tensing up.


    Every single cell in his body was screaming at him to take her.


    ¡°Is this your first time? Don¡¯t be so nervous. I¡¯ll be gentle on you.¡± At the same time, Arielle could sense


    Donovan¡¯s scent getting stronger.


    Her mind was getting blurrier, and hallucinations would soon be crowding her mind if she did not act


    fast.


    Clenching her fist, she bit hard on her lip.


    ¡°Ouch¡­¡± Blood immediately started to flow out of her lips, and the pain caused her to regain


    consciousness.


    When Donovan saw that, his expression darkened.


    ¡°How long can you withstand it? Or perhaps that our feelings are mutual, and you want to do it with a


    clear mind?¡±


    Arielle spat a glob of saliva onto his face in reply.


    ¡°Dang it!¡± Donovan wiped the saliva off his face and got closer to her.


    As he inched closer to her, he started to take off his clothes.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    ¡°No!¡± she screamed and closed her eyes shut. ¡°Vinson, save me!¡±


    Upon hearing that, a hostile glint shed in Donovan¡¯s eyes.

 Chapter 695

    Chapter 695


    Donovan¡¯s face was filled with humiliation and rage, and it was a horrifying expression.


    While gripping her face, he retorted coldly, ¡°You¡¯re calling for Vinson? How dare you mention his name


    at the moment! Let me tell you that he doesn¡¯t return your feelings.¡±


    When Arielle wanted to speak, a piercing loud shriek suddenly sounded. ¡°Ahhh!¡±


    The voice belonged to Queenie.


    However, her scream was soon cut short and reced with a dull thud.


    Immediately, Donovan had his guard up and asked, ¡°Queenie, do you want to leave now?¡±


    A loud bang sounded when he finished his sentence, and dust flew up everywhere from the door being


    kicked down.


    Obviously, the person was not Queenie, for she would never do something like that.


    Instantly, Donovan turned his head around. However, before he could do so, he was kicked right in the


    waist.


    As the kick was powerful and Donovan was caught off guard, he toppled down from the bed.


    The sound of him grunting in pain and a thud sounded at the same time, and his face turned pale.


    However, he ignored the pain and turned toward the door.


    Who the he*l is this person and how dare he kick me?


    In the next moment, he managed to catch a clear glimpse of the person.


    It was a tall and handsome man. He had eyes that could seem to see through someone.


    Fu*king he*1! It¡¯s Vinson.


    Immediately, Donovan bulged his eyes wide open in disbelief.


    Although it was not showing on his face, one could sense that Vinson was fuming.


    Donovan¡¯s surroundings seemed to have grown colder after Vinson walked inside.


    ¡°V-Vinson.¡±


    Bang! As a response, Vinson grabbed him by his cor and punched him in the face.


    Just like that, Donovan¡¯s nose was broken, and blood gushed out from it.


    Instinctively, he covered his nose, which was already numb from the pain. Then, he backed away and


    spoke. ¡°You-¡®


    Before he could say anything else, another punch came swinging his way.


    This time, Vinson hit his ribs.


    Crack! Donovan¡¯s ribs were broken just by a punch.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Donovan felt his vision go ck and almost fainted from the pain.


    Walking up to him, Vinson gave him a harsh beating.


    ¡°Vinson! That¡¯s enough!¡± Arielle stopped him, fearing the significant consequences toward the man if


    Donovan was killed.


    At that, Vinson stopped beating but grabbed Donovan¡¯s cor instead. ¡°Who do you think you are?


    How dare a disgusting cockroach like you touch her!¡±


    Meanwhile, Donovan was practically lifeless as he


    gazed at him through his swollen eyes.


    I¡¯ve never seen someone so scary when they¡¯re angry. It¡¯s like he¡¯s a demon and not a human


    anymore!


    ¡°I-¡± Before Donovan could finish his sentence, he fainted on the spot.


    Kicking Donovan away, Vinson ordered his subordinates to take him out before he checked on Arielle,


    After making sure there was no visible wound on her


    body except for the red marks caused by the ropes, he let out a sigh of relief.


    After all, Vinson found it hard to ept even an injury as minor as a red mark.


    Lowering his eyes, he muttered guilty, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯mte.¡±

 Chapter 696

    Chapter 696


    If Vinson knew that something would happen, he would not have proceeded with the meeting.


    He would rather Nightshire Entertainment go bankrupt than for him to turn upte to her rescue.


    Hostility filled his face. I¡¯m going to make both Donovan and Queenie pay for this!


    Although Vinson¡¯s expression was scary, the hand that held Arielle¡¯s hand was surprisingly gentle.


    His thumb was rubbing over her wrist, trying to get rid of the marks on it.


    When Rayson saw that, he quickly led the other bodyguards out of the room.


    After massaging it for a moment, Vinson looked up and asked, ¡°Where did Donovan touch you?¡±


    Arielle could feel her panic subsiding as she calmed down.


    Without answering his question, she said, ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯te.¡±


    After all, it was logical for Vinson not to appear after she sent the message.


    Looking deeply into her eyes, he answered, ¡°Do you believe in telepathy?¡±


    She could feel her heart pounding uncontrobly as Dr.


    Meio¡¯s words rang in her mind.


    Congrattions on your new rtionship!


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    Biting her lip, she gazed at him and answered, ¡°I do.¡±


    Vinson was stunned for a moment as he did not expect that answer. Then, he noticed that the look in


    her eyes was somewhat different from the usual coldness.


    But what¡¯s off with it?


    ¡°You-¡±


    Arielle pressed a finger to his lips and shushed him before exining, ¡°I don¡¯t think I can persist any


    longer, so listen to me. I¡¯m a bit¡­ Lethargic right now as Donovan had some sort of perfume on him.


    Tell your men to wait for the scent to wear off before¡­¡± She mustered up all her energy to go through


    her n to Vinson,


    After hearing that, Vinson¡¯s expression turned colder.


    I can¡¯t believe he dared to drug his student! A monster like him deserves to die!


    He gritted through his teeth and mumbled, ¡°Why do we need such aplicated n? We should just


    kill him!¡±


    Arielle could feel the energy slipping out of her body, causing her to hold onto Vinson for support.


    ¡°Phew¡­¡± After taking a deep breath and calming


    herself down, she tried her best to speak. ¡°We¡¯re letting him off too easily if we just kill him. Death is a


    rxing way to end the life for someone like him, for he only needed to close his eyes. However, I want


    him to be in agony! In fact, I want to cause him pain for his entire life to repay my misery!¡±


    Gazing into her eyes, Vinson nodded and answered, ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll follow with your n.¡±


    ¡°Also, Queenie was the one who gave the perfume to Donovan, so we can¡¯t let her off either. Would


    you please bring me outside? I need some fresh air.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± He wrapped his arms around her waist and escorted her out of the bedroom carefully.


    Inside the living room, Rayson was furious and doused cold water on Donovan as revenge. After that,


    the former instructed the bodyguards to give him a good


    beating.


    At that moment, Donovan had passed out for the second time and was lying in his pool of blood. One


    could no longer make out his handsome face, for it was swollen and even bigger than Henry¡¯s face.


    On the other hand, Queenie was tied up and a piece of rag was stuffed in her mouth as she sobbed.


    After seeing Vinsoning out of the bedroom, she widened her eyes in fear. Then, tears flowed down


    her face as if she was begging him for mercy.


    Rushing over, he kicked her in the stomach and sent her flying some distance away.


    Right then, Vinson looked as scary as a demon.


    However, Queenie could only feel jealousy eating her whole when she saw Vinson wrapping his arms


    around Arielle¡¯s waist.

 Chapter 697

    Chapter 697


    Queenie was unsure why Vinson would appear there and at the right timing.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Why is he still helping Arielle when she¡¯s already kicked out of her house? Our n would have worked


    if he werete by half an hour. After all, he would never be together with a woman who is not intact! It¡®s


    such a pity, for the n was so close to seeding!


    A mixture of different emotions swarmed inside of Queenie.


    Ignoring Queenie, Arielle turned to look at Donovan.


    As Rayson had poured water on him, the perfume on him was significantly milder than before.


    At that, she heaved a sigh of relief, for she no longer needed to worry that the bodyguards would be


    infected.


    Therefore, Arielle instructed Rayson, ¡°Go on and search for his perfume.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Rayson immediately walked over and found a perfume bottle in Donovan¡¯s pocket.


    After taking a sip of cold water, Arielle finally found herself sobering up after feeling pain from the


    wound inside her mouth.


    Upon seeing that, Vinson ordered his bodyguards to open the windows to disperse the remaining


    scent.


    Arielle would have dealt with both Queenie and


    Donovan at ease if not for the perfume. Both of them would not even have gotten the chance to even


    go near her.


    She could only me her carelessness, as she did not expect a teacher to do something like that.


    It seems that I need to put my guard up to the people around me.


    Arielle rested for a while and double-confirmed that she was no longer under the influence of the


    perfume. After that, she walked in front of Queenie while holding the perfume.


    When Queenie saw what she was holding, her pupils constricted.


    Leaning down, Arielle removed the rag from her mouth and asked expressionlessly, ¡°Did you give this


    to Donovan?¡±


    Immediately, Queenie shook her head and replied, ¡°I It¡¯s not me. I don¡¯t know anything about this. I


    have nothing to do with this n either.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Arielle muttered amusingly. ¡°So it wasn¡¯t you that held me down when I tried to escape?¡±


    Queenie¡¯s face turned pale, and she shivered when feeling the gaze Vinson was sending her way.


    I can¡¯t let Donovan drag me down!


    Nibbling on her lip, she exined, ¡°Donovan forced me to do this. When you went downstairs to send


    them off, he threatened to get rid of me if I disagreed. I gave in as I was too scared of him. Arielle, I


    don¡¯t have any motive to harm you! I¡¯m a victim too, so don¡¯t do this to me.¡± When she was speaking


    the final sentence, she gazed at Vinson with teary eyes, trying to invoke pity from him.


    Although she knew that she was quite the looker, Vinson would never pay her any heed no matter how


    hard she tried.


    Letting out a snort, Arielle grabbed her hair and said, ¡°Thest person that provoked me just had their


    funeral. It seems you¡¯re not willing to tell the truth even on the verge of death. Am I right?¡±


    However, Queenie overlooked the vicious intent in her eyes and continued denying, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, I¡¯m


    also an alumnus of Maxwell University. I even helped you out back there at Soir Coffee. You can¡¯t look


    on as she nders me!¡±


    Staring at her coldly, Vinson threatened, ¡°So you¡¯re Queenie Mill? If you don¡¯t tell the truth, I¡¯ll

 Chapter 698

    Chapter 698


    Queenie¡¯s heart immediately shattered into pieces.


    It was clear to her that Vinson¡¯s trust toward Arielle was unwavering and he intended to protect her no


    matter what.


    Queenie had never reckoned Vinson would allow a girl to upy such an important ce in his heart.


    He was not a man who easily opened himself up to others, and he rarely trusted anyone.


    Besides, his attitude toward girls had always been indifferent as well. That might have exined why


    he had never been involved in any scandals throughout all those years.


    So, what¡¯s happening now? Could he really have fallen for Arielle, a girl who¡¯s an absolute nobody?


    She shut her eyes for a moment and then reopened them to reveal a pair of sorrowful eyes that also


    held a resolute look at the same time.


    ¡°It really wasn¡¯t me,¡± she firmly denied it again.


    Queenie was not a fool. Being aware of how much Arielle meant to Vinson, she knew she could not


    possibly admit to the act without invoking Vinson¡¯s wrath


    ring at Queenie with eyes that were cold as ice, Arielle shook her head as she stated, ¡°I¡¯m giving


    you onest chance. Out with the truth, or I¡¯ll p you for every lie you tell.¡±


    ¡°It really wasn¡¯t-¡±


    p!


    Arielle struck her with a tight p before she could even finish her sentence.


    Queenie¡¯s head swung to the side at once, and her left cheek instantly swelled up before everyone¡¯s


    eyes.


    ¡°Y-You pped me?¡± Queenie¡¯s eyes widened with disbelief as she stared at Arielle.


    As the only daughter of the Mill family, a revered family of doctors nheless, she had been raised


    like a precious little princess and had never ever been pped in the face like this before.


    ¡°Yes, I did. So what?¡± Arielle raised her chin at her threateningly. ¡°If you still won¡¯t spit the truth, I will do


    it again. And I promise the next p will be harder than thest one.¡±


    The drug¡¯s effect was fading away, and she was beginning to regain her strength.


    Thus, the p she had just given Queenie was nothing.


    Gritting her teeth, Queenie shouted, ¡°How dare you? I¡¯m the only daughter of the Mill family! You don¡¯t


    even belong to the Southall family anymore, and yet you¡¯re threatening to hit me?¡±


    The Mills were among one of the most prominent


    families in the field of medicine within Chanaea. Being highly proficient in ancient Chanaean medicine,


    they were all superb physicians.


    To the members of the high society, the only thing more valuable than wealth and power was their lives.


    Thus, they would never intentionally offend the family with renowned doctors.


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± sneered Arielle. With that, she raised her hand again and struck Queenie with another


    p across the face.


    Immediately, Queenie¡¯s head filled up with a buzz as her head twisted sideways again.


    In fact, Arielle was deliberately holding back her strength. She did not want to end up killing that girl.


    ¡°Y-You¡­¡± Queenie was trembling with anger from head to toe. ¡°How dare you hit me! Don¡¯t expect to


    be treated by any good doctors if you ever get sick again!¡±


    Taking a step forward, Vinson let out a derisiveugh. ¡°Didn¡¯t you know she¡¯s the miracle doctor


    herself? What makes you think she needs your treatment?¡±


    Utterly stunned, Queenie stammered as she asked, ¡°M Miracle doctor? W-What do you mean?¡±


    Vinson nced at Arielle with a proud look on his face. ¡°Arielle was the one who treated and cured the


    customers who went down with food poisoning at Soir Coffee the other time. She chose not to expose


    her


    identity because she preferred to keep things on the down-low. I am only telling you since you asked.


    Her medical skills are way superior to yours and anyone in your family.¡±


    ¡°H-How could this be possible? She¡¯s too young to be the miracle doctor!¡± Queenie practically


    screamed out those words in disbelief.


    It was not that she had never suspected of this before, but after examining the poison and listening to


    Zachary¡¯s exnations, she became certain that the miracle doctor had to be someone else.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you what you choose to believe.¡± Vinson¡¯s voice was soft, but his tone was brimming with


    impatience.


    Staring at him intently, Queenie realized that he was indeed speaking the truth.


    Arielle is the miracle doctor I¡¯ve been hoping to train under?


    There was simply no way she could ept that fact.

 Chapter 699

    Chapter 699


    All this time, Queenie had been hoping to take the miracle doctor, who had neutralized the snake


    venom, as her master. And now, Vinson had just revealed that Arielle was the very person she had


    been looking for.


    She absolutely refused to believe it.


    ncing at her impatiently, Vinson went on snappishly. ¡°That¡¯s it. I¡¯ve talked enough nonsense with


    you. Getting back to business, exin to me why on Earth did you develop this sort of drug to help


    Donovan harm Arielle?¡±


    Arielle stepped forward, her mind filled with befuddlement. ¡°As you said yourself, there is no bad blood


    between us, so why did you do this? It¡¯s obvious that Donovan couldn¡¯t have acquired this drug by


    himself. It must have been made by you. Now, just drop the act and answer me.¡±


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    With one swift motion, Vinson wrapped his fingers around Queenie¡¯s neck brutally and barked, ¡°Tell


    us!¡±


    Struggling beneath Vinson¡¯s grip, Queenie gazed into his eyes, which were entirely devoid of sympathy.


    He obviously held no regard for her at all.


    Whatever feelings she thought he had toward her were solely products of her own imagination.


    As the pain of suffocation ovepped with the agony in her heart, she was filled with nothing but sheer


    despair.


    At that moment, all the hopes and wishes she had on Vinson instantly copsed.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± A burst of maniacal cackle escaped her lips.


    Looking at her, Arielle frowned as if she was looking at a madwoman.


    In fact, Queenie was a madwoman.


    She hadpletely lost her rationality,ughing ceaselessly until tears poured out of her eyes.


    ¡°Why? Why did you have to snatch what¡¯s supposed to be mine from me?¡± she screamed at Arielle


    hysterically.


    Arielle merely stared at her,pletely bewildered.


    Turning to Vinson, Queenie went on. ¡°I¡¯ve been in love with you for years, Vinson, but you¡¯ve never


    cared about me! Because of you, I spent all my years in university drowning in inferiority, feeling as if I


    would never deserve you. Even after graduation, I¡¯ve never given up any effort to keep improving.


    Because of you, I gave up the opportunity to study abroad and chose to stay at Morgan Enterprise


    instead. And you? You chose to be with this girl with no background who is nothing but a pretty face!


    So, tell me, Vinson, how is any of this


    fair to me?¡±


    Suddenly, everything became clear to Arielle.


    I see¡­ So, this is all about jealousy. Looks like she¡¯s been ill-intentioned toward me ever since we met


    at the


    supermarket.


    Then, she took out her phone and stopped the voice recorder.


    The reason they had spent so much time interrogating Queenie was so that she could obtain the


    recording of her confession.


    After saving the file, she nced sideways at Vinson, only to see that he had not budged an inch and


    his expression had turned even colder.


    His voice was filled with scorn when he spoke. ¡°Do you think I must love you just because you fell in


    love with me? I feel sick just thinking of that!¡±


    Queenie stared at him, wide-eyed, as the sparkle in her gaze vanished without a trace.


    He feels sick by my love toward him?


    Hearing Vinson¡¯s words, Arielle felt a slight shudder on her fingertips as well.


    If he knows about my feelings toward him, would he feel the same?


    With a wave of his hand, Vinson summoned his bodyguard and ordered him, ¡°Send her to Grandview


    Hotel but don¡¯t use the front entrance. Let her have my private suite.¡±


    Sensing something wrong, Queenie snapped back to her


    senses at once and asked in a panic, ¡°What are you trying to do? No, I don¡¯t want to go to that ce!


    Let me go!¡±


    Taking over the ¡°perfume¡± in Arielle¡¯s hand, Vinson stated coolly, ¡°Weren¡¯t you thinking of using this to


    sabotage her? It¡¯s about time we return this favor to you!¡±


    Suddenly getting why Vinson ordered for her to be sent to the hotel, Queenie began to struggle


    vigorously under the bodyguard¡¯s grip.


    ¡°No! Let me go! Let me go!¡±


    However, she was hardly the opponent of those tall and strong bodyguards.


    With a firm blow to her neck, one of the bodyguards knocked her out instantly.


    ¡°Other than that perfume, give her some aphrodisiac as well,¡±manded Vinson in a frigid tone.

 Chapter 700

    Chapter 700


    Since she resorted to ying such a filthy trick against Arielle, Vinson felt it was only fair to feed her


    own poison back to her.


    Just then, Donovan woke up and caught the word ¡°aphrodisiac.¡±


    He was no fool either. Watching Queenie being dragged out of the room, he instantly understood who


    the aphrodisiac was supposed to be used on.


    ¡°Vinson! You mustn¡¯t do that! That¡¯s against thew!¡±


    Hearing that, Vinson immediately swung a kick toward Donovan¡¯s abdomen.


    ¡°Did it ever cross your mind that it¡¯s illegal when you used the drug on Arielle???


    ¡°I¡­¡± Donovan opened his mouth to speak but could not find a word to defend himself.


    He thought his n was perfect, but he had not foreseen Vinson¡¯s appearance.


    ¡°Take him away as well!¡± Vinson ordered at the top of his voice and added, ¡°He has a broken rib, which


    might impact his movements. Find him an orthopedic to stop his pain temporarily and treat his other


    wounds before giving him the drug.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The bodyguard then dragged Donovan out of the room, with Rayson following closely


    behind.


    Then, only Arielle and Vinson were left in the room.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Arielle instantly felt her breath quickening as if the air in the room had suddenly grown thin, and her


    heartbeat began racing as she shot a nce at Vinson.


    ¡°Vinson, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Vinson¡¯s voice was tender as he turned and gazed deeply into her eyes.


    Taking in a deep breath, Arielle mustered all the courage she could garner and said, ¡°I met with a


    psychologist today.¡±


    Vinson froze for a moment, asking uprehendingly, ¡°What for?¡±


    Clenching her fists tightly, Arielle gulped before answering, ¡°B-Because I¡¯ve been experiencing some


    symptoms that I found puzzling.¡±


    ¡°Puzzling? In what way?¡±


    ¡°I-I was puzzled over the strange feelings whenever I saw you, 1-¡±


    Before she could finish her words, however, Vinson¡¯s phone rang


    ¡°Sorry, please excuse me for a moment,¡± he apologized before picking up the call.


    A momentter, a deep frown formed on his forehead as


    he spoke into the phone, ¡°If he rejects this one, then just assign him someone else. Don¡¯t ept any


    offers for him within the next month.¡±


    With that, he hung up the phone and turned back to Arielle at once. ¡°Sorry about that. You were saying


    something puzzling happens to you whenever you see me? What was it?¡±


    Arielle felt like a deted balloon. The courage she had summoned with great difficulty earlier had


    disappeared as soon as her speech was interrupted.


    ¡°It was nothing. Let¡¯s talk about it another time. By the way, what was that on the phone? Did


    something go wrong at work?


    Vinson shook his head. ¡°Not really. It¡¯s just that we signed a few new artiststely, and there¡¯s one


    called Jason Sleight. He rejected the manager assigned to him by thepany.¡±


    ¡°Jason Sleight¡­¡± Arielle thought the name sounded familiar to her but didn¡¯t give it much thought.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m rather tired. I think I¡¯ll take a shower and have a


    rest.¡±


    Sweeping a quick gaze across her, Vinson nodded and agreed, ¡°Perhaps you should. Don¡¯t worry


    about that disgusting b*stard just now.¡±


    Arielle nodded before hurrying to the bathroom and shutting the door behind her.


    With her back pressed against the door, she took a few deep breaths before her heartbeat slowed


    down.


    I was so close! I almost said it!


    She thought she would be brave enough to do it, yet she had swallowed back the words even though


    they were already hanging by her lips.


    She was overwhelmed with fear.


    More than anything else, she feared he would feel sick when he heard her confession, the way he just


    did when he heard Queenie¡¯s.


    The friendship between her and Vinson did not build up easily, so she did not want to risk ruining it.


    Shaking her head vigorously, she stepped into the shower, feeling incredibly frustrated.


    Soon, the next day arrived.


    Although Queenie and Donovan had gone missing for the entire night, neither of their families were


    bothered by it.


    In fact, their mothers simply assumed everything had fallen into ce between those two and were


    afraid of disturbing them, so much so that they did not even send them a text.


    In the early morning, Arielle was woken up by the sound of Vinson knocking on her door.


    ¡°Wake up! It¡¯s showtime!¡±


    Her eyes lighting up, Arielle hastily leapt out of bed.


    She had suffered a long and arduous night of bad dreams. Now was the time to make those two pay


    for


    her nightmares.


    The previous night, at Grandview Hotel, Donovan¡¯s broken ribs had been tended to by a top-notch


    physician using ancient Chanaean medicine.


    After that, things unfolded naturally for him and Queenie with both of them being drugged at the same


    time.


    Just as Donovan wished, it was toote to stop it from happening. After an entire night of aggressive


    ¡°workout,¡± they fell asleep soundly in the same bed.


    Meanwhile¡­ !

 Chapter 701

    Chapter 701


    Meanwhile, the students of the Jadeborough University preparatory ss were doing their revisions


    before ss started.


    The first ss they had that day was advanced math taught by Donovan.


    However, Donovan, who had never beente to his sses, did not show up.


    Grabbing a few articles, Wendy was about to leave for the library when a student called out in shock,


    ¡°Guys, quick! Look at the school¡¯s forum! Mr. Baxter just¡­¡±


    His voice trailed off as an awkward expression came across his face.


    Puzzled, Wendy opened the forum at once and saw a post made by an anonymous person.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Shocking News! Professor Charming Checked Into A Hotel Room With A Girl!


    There was only one person who was nicknamed ¡°Professor Charming¡± on campus, and that was


    Donovan.


    Wendy quickly tapped into the post. It was attached with a video in which Donovan was holding a tall


    and slender girl in his arms as they walked into a hotel room together.


    The ssroom immediately erupted into a frenzy.


    Laughing mockingly, Henry said, ¡°And I was just wondering how it¡¯s possible that Mr. Baxter iste


    today. This video was posted at four in the morning. Looks like he¡¯s had some crazy fun!¡±


    At that, the other guys let out a hoot ofughter while the girls instantly blushed in embarrassment.


    Just then, one of the guys called out, ¡°Hey, is it just me, or does this girl look like Arielle¡­¡±


    Her heart skipped a beat, Wendy whirled around to look at Arielle¡¯s seat.


    It was empty, which seemed to confirm the guy¡¯s suspicions.


    Suddenly, a swirl of mixed emotions surged in her heart.


    On one hand, she was d because she knew Arielle would bepletely defenseless if Vinson


    confronted her about this incident.


    On the other, she hated the fact that Arielle seemed capable of easily seducing all the most outstanding


    men in existence.


    Just then, the bell rang, indicating the end of the ss session.


    As Wendy wasing out of the restroom, she overheard an exchange between Trisha and Jared.


    ¡°What now? I still can¡¯t get through the line.¡± Trisha sounded frantic. ¡°After we left yesterday, there were


    only Arielle and Mr. Baxter left. What if it¡¯s really them in that video?¡±


    Jared, on the other hand, could not be bothered. He simply waved his hand dismissively, saying,


    ¡°What¡¯s there to worry about? Wasn¡¯t there another woman with Donovan yesterday? I bet Boss simply


    skipped ss to deal with some matters. Don¡¯t worry about this anymore, or people would think Boss


    and Donovan are indeed involved in something indecent together.¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll stop talking about it.¡±


    A look of disdain washed over Wendy¡¯s face as soon as she heard all that.


    So it was indeed Arielle! How despicable is that girl, seducing even her teacher? I wonder what her


    parents would think once they knew about this?


    Wendy¡¯s eyes brightened suddenly as she was struck with an idea to turn this into a big mess.


    She had heard about Henrick¡¯s personality before and knew he was a man who valued his pride more


    than anything else on Earth.


    Even though he had already kicked Arielle out of the house, if he knew she hooked up with her teacher,


    he would inevitably fire up with rage.


    Feigning ignorance to what she had just heard, Wendy walked down the staircase with a neutral


    expression.


    After she returned to the ssroom, she turned to the guy sitting next to her, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll be spending


    the rest of the morning tranting lesson ns for the teacher from Maxwell University. Could you help


    me let the teacher of our next ss know?¡±


    ¡°Mmm,¡± the student mumbled before continuing to chat with the student behind him about Donovan¡¯s


    scandal.


    The post on the forum attracted so much attention that even the principal came to know about it, yet no


    one managed to contact Donovan.


    Delighted with the way things were unfolding, Wendy sent the pictures of the documents to her


    trantor before hailing a cab and heading toward the Southall residence.

 Chapter 702

    Chapter 702


    Soon, Wendy arrived at the Southall residence.


    Cindy was still locked up in her room, while Malorie¡¯s ashes were still in the backyard. Although she


    was already cremated, the funeral was still three days away.


    For the past two days, Henrick had been looking for someone to take over thepany and wanted to


    sell his shares and assets at the best price possible. He did not need to leave the house to do all that,


    so Wendy found him as soon as she arrived.


    ¡°Mr. Southall, my name is Wendy Greene. My family is the founder of Greene Corporation in Horington,


    of which my father is the chairman.¡±


    Once he heard Wendy¡¯s self-introduction, a pleasant smile spread across Henrick¡¯s face, and he


    enthusiastically asked the housekeeper to pour her a cup of tea. ¡°Did your father send you because


    he¡¯s interested in buying my shares?¡±


    ¡°Your shares?¡± Wendy shook her head as she exined, ¡°No, I¡¯m here because of something else. It¡¯s


    Arielle. I¡¯m her ssmate, as well as her best friend.¡±


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Henrick¡¯s face clouded over the moment he heard Arielle¡¯s name, and he almost wanted to shoo


    Wendy out of his house.


    However, on second thought, he remembered he had yet to get back the shares he gave Arielle before


    this. Thus, he could only force suppress his irritation and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up with her?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s this.¡± Wendy opened up the school forum¡¯s page and showed him the photo. ¡°This girl looks a lot


    like Arielle, and she didn¡¯te to school today as well. I was just worried that she might have done


    something silly and came over the moment I saw this post. As you know, Mr. Southall, my family is


    Taking over the phone, Henrick saw only the back of the girl who was held in the man¡¯s arms, but he


    thought she indeed looked eighty percent simr to Arielle.


    Added with the fact that Wendy just mentioned that Arielle did not turn up in school on that day, Henrick


    was one hundred percent certain the person in the photo could be no one else but Arielle.


    His face darkened, he immediately roared with fury, ¡°This girl has no sense of shame at all! How dare


    she do all this shameless stuff and continue to embarrass me! And now, she¡¯s even hooked up with her


    teacher? What nonsense is this!¡±


    Arielle promptly advised him, ¡°Mr. Southall, now¡¯s not the time to be angry. Arielle isn¡¯t in any way that


    kind of girl. Maybe Mr. Baxter¡­ Why don¡¯t you go and have a look, Mr. Southall? What if Arielle¡¯s the


    victim in this case?¡±


    In fact, Henrick could not care less about whatever disaster struck Arielle. However, he thought about


    the fact that Arielle was secretly married to Vinson.


    If Vinson sees this, then I might get embroiled in this mess as well!


    The more he thought about it, the more panicked he became. Finally, he mmed his hand on the


    table and asked, ¡°Which hotel is she at? Take me to her at once!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Southall.¡± That was precisely what Wendy wanted to hear. Without further ado, she led him


    straight to Grandview Hotel.


    On the way there, Henrick pondered deeply about the current situation and figured there was no better


    moment to snatch back Arielle¡¯s shares than now.


    Regardless of whether she had gone to the hotel willingly or not, sleeping with her teacher was a very


    disgraceful act.


    He nned to offer to help her suppress the scandalous news. In exchange, she would have to give up


    her shares to him.


    He figured she would not want Vinson to know about this scandal and would have no option other than


    to rely on him to cover it. To him, it was a simple feat as he could easily hire someone to do with a


    small fee.


    Hmm, what a great idea indeed!


    Henrick felt extremely pleased with himself and urged the driver to speed up.


    Meanwhile, Wendy was not idling around either. She had just sent Susanne a text to inform her about


    the incident.


    About half an hourter, they arrived at the hotel.


    To their surprise, there was already a huge crowd of reporters at the entrance, blocked by the hotel¡¯s


    security from entering

 Chapter 703

    Chapter 703


    Gazing upon the mob of reporters gathered in front of the hotel, Wendy could not help but wonder why


    they were there.


    Mr. Baxter isn¡¯t involved in show business, nor is he in any way a famous person on the inte. How


    could he have attracted all these reporters here? Or are they here because it¡¯s been exposed that the


    woman in the video is Arielle?


    At this thought, Wendy¡¯s heart filled up with glee.


    Compared to Henrick, the reporters were an even scarier threat.


    Once the scandal started to spread, that would surely be the end of Arielle.


    The moment Henrick found the hotel manager, he ordered thetter at once, ¡°We need to go upstairs.


    Give us the elevator card now!¡±


    The elevator of Grandview Hotel could only be essed with a room key card or an elevator card.


    Seeing that neither of them was the hotel¡¯s guests, the manager apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we keep


    our guests¡¯ information confidential. You are not allowed to go up.¡±


    ¡°Why not? My daughter is a guest in your hotel! Why can¡¯t I go and look for her?¡± Henrick retorted in


    anger.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± The manager¡¯s expression turned awkward.


    Just then, a woman¡¯s voice rang out, ¡°Let me have the elevator card.¡±


    Both Henrick and Wendy turned sideways toward the source in unison. In the next instant, Wendy¡¯s


    eyes lit up as she hurried over to the woman.


    ¡°Ms. Stone!¡±


    Susanne responded with a nod before repeating her words to the manager. ¡°The elevator card,


    please.¡±


    The hotel was owned by Nightshire Group. Thus, it only took a moment for the manager to recognize


    Susanne. He immediately took a step back and handed the elevator card to her respectfully.


    The three entered the elevator together. Meanwhile, the reporters had broken through the security¡¯s


    defense line. Having no ess to the elevators, they went up through the staircase.


    In the elevator, Wendy put on a worried look as she hooked her arm around Susanne¡¯s. ¡°Hopefully


    nothing¡¯s happened to Arielle, Ms. Stone.¡±


    An unpleasant expression hung on Susanne¡¯s face.


    Ever since she found out she would have to choose Wendy as her daughter-inw, she had decided


    she did not want to be bothered about matters concerning Arielle anymore. In fact, she almost ignored


    Wendy¡¯s text about Arielle. However, when thete Maureen¡¯s face popped up in her mind, she


    reconsidered and finally came anyway.


    If Arielle had been forced into this situation against her will, then Susanne would be able to seek justice


    for her. But if Arielle had gotten into this willingly, she would simply snap a picture of the scene and


    show it to her son so that he could see for himself the sort of woman he had fallen for.


    Nobody knew her son better than herself. She had figured out Vinson¡¯s feelings toward the girl a long


    time ago.


    As for Henrick, he simply stood at her side, too afraid to even utter a single word.


    With Susanne¡¯s sudden appearance, he knew there was no way he could suppress the news anymore.


    There was no doubt it would soon spread to Vinson.


    With this turn of events, he figured there was nothing he could do now except to give Arielle a tight p


    across the face and hope to stay out of the whole affair.


    What none of the three of them knew was that Arielle and Vinson were, at that moment, sitting in the


    hotel¡¯s security room and viewing the surveince footage.


    Watching those three in the elevator, Arielle furrowed her brow in puzzlement. ¡°Why are Henrick,


    Wendy, and your mother here? Do they know Queenie or Donovan?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea.¡± Vinson looked just as puzzled. He stood up and said, ¡°I think it¡¯s about time. Shall we


    go up to have a look?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Arielle stood up as well. However, she did it so hurriedly that her foot got caught with the leg of


    the chair and she tripped over, falling toward Vinson.


    With lightning reflexes, Vinson caught her in his arms just as her lips pressed into his corbones.


    Cheeks flushing beet red, she immediately leaped out of his arms, apologizing with her head lowered,


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean it.¡±


    In fact, he wished she had meant to.


    But of course, he would never have spoken those thoughts out loud. Instead, he merely let out a gentle


    laugh and reassured her. ¡°It¡¯s all right. There¡¯s now against that, anyway.¡±


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle stared at him, thoroughly confused.

 Chapter 704

    Chapter 704


    Before Arielle could figure out what he just meant, Vinson stroked her hair fondly and stated, ¡°All right,


    let¡¯s go. The show¡¯s about to start.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, right¡­¡± Arielle took a moment to snap out of her daze before hurrying after him.


    Gazing at the back of Vinson¡¯s figure, she could not help but wonder if he really only regarded her as a


    regr friend.


    Would it be possible that he¡¯s also slightly attracted to me, the way guys are attracted to girls?


    The moment those thoughts entered her mind, Arielle shook her head vigorously in an attempt to force


    them out of her head.


    This isn¡¯t the time to think about such nonsense. I don¡¯t even know what Wendy and Henrick are up to


    yet.


    After snapping back to reality, she entered the elevator with Vinson and they went to the suite on the


    top floor together.


    By then, the reporters had run tirelessly up to the top floor and crowded the hallway.


    They had received a tip that the famous physician Queenie Mill had hooked up with a married man.


    Being an attractivedy and the youngest among the renowned physicians in Chanaea, Queenie had


    gained quite arge fan base. Her scandal would inevitably be the next trending topic on the


    inte.


    Seconds before the reporters arrived at the top floor, Henrick had unlocked the suite¡¯s door with the


    hotel¡¯s master key.


    Kicking the door open, he stormed into the room, followed by Susanne and Wendy


    Wendy went in quickly. With the faint beams of light seeping into the room through the curtains, she


    saw that there was indeed a couple lying on the bed.


    Taking in a sharp breath, she caught a trace of the dirty scent of lovemaking lingering in the air.


    As for the couple on the bed, they were sleeping peacefully in each other¡¯s embrace,pletely


    oblivious to the outside world.


    Wendy¡¯s heart almost burst with joy. Arielle had indeed hooked up with Donovan, just as she had


    guessed.


    Despite the delight spilling out of her heart, she put on a stunned expression as she turned toward


    Susanne. ¡°L Looks like I was wrong, Ms. Stone. It looks like A Arielle came here willingly¡­¡±


    At that moment, Susanne¡¯s face was dark as thunder.


    With Maureen¡¯s noble and graceful nature, how did she end up giving birth to such a rebellious and


    shameless daughter? Look at her, hooking up with her teacher and staying overnight with him in a hotel


    room! If Maureen knew about this, she might even leap right out of her coffin in horror.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care anymore!¡± Giving up, Susanne turned and made her way to the exit.


    She could not believe she had thought Arielle was forced against her will into this predicament. After


    seeing the couple pressing against each other that way, it was obvious that she had willingly found her


    way into that bed.


    Not only was Susanne mad that she had wasted a trip for nothing, she was also thoroughly disgusted


    by what she had just seen.


    Just as she was leaving, she heard Henrick yelling with uncontroble rage as he bolted for the bed,


    ¡°You b*tch!¡± Yanking the woman by her hair with one hand, he pped her savagely with his other


    hand.


    p! As the sound reverberated in the room, Wendy felt a pleasant sensation spread throughout her


    body.


    That¡¯s right! Hit her! Or better yet, hit her to death! Once that girl is dead, everything will be as it should


    be. Vinson can¡¯t possibly be hung up on a dead person, could he?


    As Wendy screamed those deranged thoughts in her mind, Henrick indeednded a second p on


    the woman¡¯s face, harder than the first one.


    With that, the woman, who was semi-conscious earlier, instantly jolted awake, screaming as she


    covered her face, ¡°Ah! What are you doing? Who the hell are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your father!¡±


    Tightening his grip on her hair, Henrick forcefully dragged her out of bed. Just as he was about to kick


    her, her face appeared beneath her messy hair.


    A ray of light happened to fall upon her features.


    Henrick saw the woman¡¯s delicate face gazing up at him, with one side badly swollen and unsightly.


    ¡°What the-¡±


    Henrick¡¯s actions froze as he stared at her in shock, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets.


    This isn¡¯t Arielle!

 Chapter 705

    Chapter 705


    What the heck is going on?


    Henrick stood still as he was stunned.


    Wendy felt something was not right about the woman¡¯s voice and was stunned when she saw her face.


    This isn¡¯t Arielle. Wait a minute. Are we in the wrong room? But that can¡¯t be! The room number was


    1201 in the photo, and this is 1201!


    During her moment of stupefaction, Donovan jolted out of his sleep. He scrunched the bed sheet while


    trying to recall what had happened the night before.


    All he remembered was that Vinson got him a doctor and sent him and Queenie to the hotel. There


    were lingering traces of sexual pleasure, and his foggy memories identified the woman who he¡¯d made


    love to as Arielle.


    However, the woman by the bed was actually Queenie.


    It must¡¯ve been the perfume she gave me! Okay. So I slept with someone else. What about the two


    people standing there? Why is Wendy and Arielle¡¯s father here?


    Meanwhile, Susanne heard something and went back to the room. She was worried that Henrick might


    throw a violent fit and kill his daughter in the process.


    When she got to the bedroom, she was startled to see


    Queenie.


    Susanne knew that Queenie was a young and famous doctor, but she did remember that Wendy told


    her Donovan was with Arielle.


    Confused, she turned toward Wendy.


    ¡°Wendy, what¡¯s going on? You told me that Arielle¡¯s here.¡±


    Henrick suddenly got back to his senses and released his grasp on Queenie¡¯s hair. ¡°What¡¯s going on?


    Are you messing with me?¡± He got closer to Wendy and demanded an exnation.


    Wendy''s so dumbfounded that she couldn¡¯t formte a reply. It should¡¯ve been Arielle! What


    happened?


    Tap, tap, tap¡­ Reporters barged into the room, pushed everyone aside, and went into a photo-


    snapping frenzy.


    ¡°Stop! Stop!¡± Queenie lunged onto the bed and covered herself with the sameforter that Donovan


    was using, but that only geared up the reporters¡¯ fingers.


    ¡°Stop, please. I beg all of you.¡± Tears were gushing out of Queenie¡¯s eyes.


    Donovan scowled. ¡°Get out!¡±


    Yet, the reporters simply ignored him and kept shing at Queenie¡¯s face.


    ¡°Ms. Mill, rumors online had it that you¡¯re having an affair with a married man. Any thoughts?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Mill, when did this affair start? You¡¯re always known as someone aloof. What made you seduce a


    married man?¡±


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°Do you feel sorry for what you¡¯ve done?¡±


    ¡°Do you still think that you¡¯re fit to be a doctor?¡±


    Upon hearing those questions, Wendy, who was squeezed out of the room, checked her phone.


    The Affair Between Queenie Mill, A Famous Doctor, and A Married Man. was on the top of the trending


    list.


    So, it wasn¡¯t Arielle who was in Donovan¡¯s bed all this while but Queenie? What! This ispletely off


    the target! What am I going to tell Susanne?


    Blood drained from her face.


    ¡°Wendy, so, this was your intention of bringing Mr. Southall here? You led this flock of spectators in


    here because you thought it was me on the bed?¡± It was Arielle.


    Wendy¡¯s eyes darted toward the voice and saw Arielle by the door. Vinson appeared stoic as he stood


    behind thetter.


    Chills went down Wendy¡¯s spine as she could smell something sinister brewing.

 Chapter 706

    Chapter 706


    Wendy could only seek help from Susanne in this havoc.


    ¡°Ms. Stone, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. I heard that the person in the photo looked a lot like Arielle,


    and that¡¯s why I went to you without dy. I was worried about her.¡±


    Susanne took her hands and gently soothed them. ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s just a misunderstanding. I know you


    did it because you care about her.¡±


    ¡°Because she cares? If she was genuinely worried about Arielle, shouldn¡¯t she have called the police?


    Why did she look for you and Henrick instead?¡± Vinson wasn¡¯t having it.


    As pale as a ghost, Wendy tried to defend herself. ¡°Mr. Nightshire, please mind your words. Are you


    saying that I¡¯m trying to blow this scandal up? What¡¯s the point of me doing this? It¡¯s not Arielle who¡¯s


    having an affair. It¡¯s just an honest mistake.¡±


    Vinson saw no point in arguing with her. ¡°I don¡¯t care if it was a mistake. I¡¯ve told you to move out of the


    manor, and why are you still there? Do you really want me to throw you out?¡± He gave her an


    ultimatum.


    Feeling humiliated, Wendy sobbed and again, turned toward Susanne. ¡°Ms. Stone¡­¡±


    Susanne thought Vinson was too much and red at him. ¡°How could you speak to Wendy in such a


    manner? She¡¯s your wife-to-be. Where do you suppose she move to if not back to the manor?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s going to be my what? Wife?¡± Vinson narrowed his eyes.


    Susanne frowned and red back at him. ¡°Vin, don¡¯t you dare look at me like that.¡±


    ¡°I forgot to tell you something, Mom,¡± Vinson spoke again before Arielle could persuade him to stop


    quarreling with Susanne.


    For some reason, she palpitated in uneasiness as if she knew that Vinson was going to announce


    something unnerving


    ¡°And what is that?¡±


    ¡°I already have a wife.¡±


    What! Arielle¡¯s opened her eyes so wide that they almost popped out of their sockets. ¡°Stop it, Vinson!¡±


    She tugged his sleeve.


    Looking at how the two interacted,


    Wendy¡¯s heart wrung, and fear engulfed her.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Before Susanne could question any further, Wendy jumped in. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    Vinson weaved his fingers into Arielle¡¯s and brought them near his chest. ¡°I already have a wife, and


    she is Arielle. We¡¯re legally married.¡±


    Arielle closed her eyes tight. She couldn¡¯t believe that Vinson announced their marriage under this


    circumstance.


    One thing that she was trying to wrap her head around was the reason behind his actions. She thought


    their marriage was nothing but a scheme that could deliver mutual benefits. If it really went public, then


    things would get real.


    Wendy was swirling in a pool of mixed emotions.


    She was shocked, delighted, and somewhat felt astray at the same time.


    Being the gutsy Arielle, she took a deep breath and sp Vinson¡¯s hand even harder. ¡°Ms. Stone,


    Vinson and I have signed the papers and we¡¯re officially married. There¡¯s no need to arrange for Vinson


    to go on blind dates anymore.¡±


    ¡°W-W-What? You said t-that¡­ you are m-m-m married?¡± Susanne was so baffled that her words


    tumbled uncontrobly out of her mouth.


    Whereas Wendy¡¯s eyes expanded as wide as a tarsier¡¯s, and her mind went nk.


    At this point, the reporters had taken enough pictures for their headlines.


    They were relentless on Queenie and Donovan, but no one dared to aim their cameras at Vinson.


    After they were done with their job, they slithered silently out of the room.


    Donovan and Queenie quickly put on their clothes, and they overheard the conversation when walking


    out of the bedroom.

 Chapter 707

    Chapter 707


    Vinson and Arielle are married?


    Donovan was livid.


    How could they? How could he snatch away the girl I have my eyes on!


    Queenie hade to terms with the fact that Vinson and she would never be together. Therefore, the


    news of him being married to Arielle barely ruffled her. Even she herself was slightly surprised by her


    own calmness.


    She perfectly understood that Vinson was already out of the equation. As for Donovan, he wasn¡¯t too


    bad of a candidate either.


    He was from a good family and had an honorable job. Plus, he took her virginity. To her, getting married


    to a man like that wasn¡¯t too bad. It was the only way for her to discredit the scandal.


    She looked at Donovan and suggested, ¡°We need to respond fast. Let¡¯s write up an official statement


    and post it on the. They said that you¡¯re married. We need to deny that and get married soon.¡±


    ¡°Shut the f*ck up!¡± Donovan cursed and strode out of the suite.


    Queenie hurried behind him. ¡°Wait up, Donovan!¡±


    Meanwhile, in the suite, Susanne was still in a state of denial. ¡°No. I don¡¯t believe that you¡¯re married! I


    didn¡¯t agree to it, so how could it have happened?¡± She was trembling.


    ¡°You can check if you want to. We¡¯ve signed the papers.¡±


    Susanne drew her phone out in a sh and called


    Geoffrey.


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, Mr. Vinson is legally married.¡± That was the reply.


    It shook Susanne even more, so much that her mind went nk for a couple of seconds.


    ¡°How could you¡­¡±


    Susanne pointed her quivering finger at Vinson. She wanted tosh out, but all the words were stuck in


    her throat.


    The next thing she knew, she was gasping for air, her eyes rolled, and she cked out.


    Vinson swiftly glided under her before she copse onto the ground.


    ¡°Send Mrs. Nightshire back to the manor!¡± he shouted.


    After Susanne was carried out of the room, it regained its peace.


    Wendy didn¡¯t hear what Geoffrey said but got the message from Susanne¡¯s jumpy reaction.


    So, Vinson and Arielle are married. Then, what bes of me?


    Wendy used to treat Arielle contemptuously, saying that thetter was out of Vinson¡¯s league, but look


    at who wasughing now? Wendy had indeed be the joke.


    When Arielle walked up to Vinson, a hand was abruptly stretched out in front of her.


    ¡°Arielle!¡± It was Wendy who was seeing red.


    Arielle was so concerned about Susanne that she hurled the hand away. ¡°I will settle the score with you


    next time. Scram!¡±


    Embarrassed and infuriated, Wendy yelled, ¡°Both of you will suffer!¡±Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    That managed to stop Arielle. She turned around and looked at Wendy. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯re going to


    be disappointed. We will have children and live a happy life. As for you, you¡¯ll only be able to watch us


    from afar.¡±


    When she turned back, she saw Vinson leaning on the door frame and looking at her with a subtle


    smile.


    That added some light-hearted flirtation in his once steely dark eyes and drove Arielle¡¯s cheeks as red


    as tomatoes. It felt as if Vinson had looked right through her thoughts.


    She forced aposure and asked, ¡°Why are you here?


    Where¡¯s Susanne?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s awake. I got them to send her back to the manor.¡±


    Vinson gave Wendy a sidelong nce and uttered icily, ¡°You have one more day. Move all your things


    out of the manor by tomorrow night.¡±

 Chapter 708

    Chapter 708


    Wendy shuddered. She moved her lips but couldn¡¯t make a sound.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Vinson swirled his eyes toward Arielle and his coldness melted immediately. He was caring,


    and his tone sounded gentle.


    The two contrasting treatments knocked Wendy onto the ground. Her knee buckled and she cried


    hysterically on the floor.


    What is this world so unfair? Why does the guy whom I like fancy that b*tch I hated most?


    After pouring her emotions out, she pulled herself together and phoned her mother.


    ¡°M-m-mom?¡± Queenie sobbed. ¡°Vinson¡¯s ma-ma-ma married. He¡¯s married to someone else! When are


    y-y youing to Jadeborough!¡±.


    ¡°What! When was this? I didn¡¯t hear any news about it. This is outrageous! How could they ask my


    dearest daughter to stay at his ce when he¡¯s married! You wait for us right there. Your dad and I will


    come to you once we¡¯re done with the business on hand!¡±


    Cecilia¡¯s reassuring words managed to slightly soothe Wendy¡¯s broken soul.


    Wendy got back on her feet and decided to pack her bags at the Nightshire Manor immediately.


    So what if they¡¯re married? Susanne obviously didn¡¯t want Vinson to be married to Arielle. Once Dad


    and Mom get here and pressure Vinson, the tables might turn! But before that, I need to stop this


    lunacy. I have to look graceful and elegant.


    Meanwhile, Vinson and Arielle were walking to the elevator.


    After they got in, Arielle wanted to break the awkward silence, but before she could speak, Vinson


    blurted, ¡°Did you really mean what you¡¯ve said back there?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Arielle was like a deer caught in the headlights.


    This time, Vinson softened his tone and jogged her through her memories. ¡°You said that you will have


    children with me and we¡¯ll live a good life.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s cheeks burned.


    ¡°I-¡±


    ¡°Arielle,¡± Vinson ced his hands on her shoulders, ¡°Since my mom already knew about it, it¡¯s only a


    matter of time before it goes public. Maybe, we could, you know, be married for real?¡±


    Every inch of Arielle¡¯s muscles stiffened as she looked into Vinson¡¯s mesmerizing eyes.


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    Ding! It¡¯s their floor. Outside the elevator stood two hotel guests.


    Arielle looked at them, wide-eyed, but Vinson kept his cool, took her by the hand and walked out with


    the gait of a soldier.


    Arielle wanted to squirm but that only made Vinson¡¯s clutch tighter.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Mr. Nightshire? He actually has a girlfriend?¡± The two guests started their titter.


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s at that age, anyway. Buting out of a hotel might only mean that she¡¯s a sex partner and


    not a girlfriend.¡±


    The elevator that was about to close suddenly opened again.


    It was Vinson who¡®d slid his hand between the doors.


    ¡°M-Mr. Nightshire¡­¡± The two men shrivelled.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°She¡¯s not my sex partner but my wife.¡± Vinson told them the truth.


    The men were left open-mouthed while Vinson took his leave and held Arielle¡¯s hand again.


    After the elevator doors sessfully closed, the men were enlivened by their befuddlements and


    spections.


    Arielle heard Vinson¡¯s every word.


    The moment he took her hand again she contemted, but this time, she didn¡¯t shake it away.


    Henrick was waiting for Arielle at the hotel entrance. When he saw the couple holding hands, he


    hesitated.


    Hmm, should I go up to her?

 Chapter 709

    Chapter 709


    Henrick came to ask for his shares. Yet, with Vinson by Arielle¡¯s side, he wouldn¡¯t have the guts to talk


    about it.


    He pondered and finally decided to leave.


    He believe that he¡¯d be able to take back what was his one day.


    Arielle¡¯s heart was beating like a drum, and she would peek at Vinson every time she got the chance to


    do so.


    Does he also like me?


    She couldn¡¯t stop doubting as Vinson had this in expression on his face and said nothing since they


    walked out of the elevator.


    ¡°Shall I send you back to school?¡± he finally asked.


    ¡°Yes, please.¡± Arielle nodded.


    She was hoping that he would extend their conversation but he was as quiet as a log.


    At the school gate, Arielle looked quizzically at Vinson. ¡°Bye?¡±


    He gazed into her eyes, slowly traced his eyes down her cheeks, and onto her lips.


    Secondster, he flicked his gaze away and let out a cough. ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up after school and we¡¯ll pay


    my mom a visit. What do you say


    ¡°Vinson, do you like me?¡± Arielle bit her lips for a while before mustering enough courage to hurl Vinson


    this question.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She had asked him the same question once before but had gotten a negative answer.


    Click! Vinson unbuckled his seatbelt and moved closer to Arielle, and before she could react, his soft


    lips were pressed firmly against hers.


    ¡°Of course, I like you. Arielle, I really like you. I¡¯ve never been in a rtionship and I don¡¯t know how to


    woo girls. But I promise I¡¯ll learn so I could please you.¡±


    ¡°Pfft! Vinson, you¡¯re sillier than me!¡± Arielle chuckled, got off the car, and scuttled into the school.


    She somehow felt that the flowers around the school were blooming for her. Every breath she took in


    smelled of sweet floral fragrance.


    Vinson likes me. He really likes me!


    Meanwhile, Vinson had his palm against his chest in the car. He¡¯d never experienced such a sensation


    before.


    Only God knows how anxious and scared he was when he kissed Arielle. He feared that she might


    push him away.


    But she didn¡¯t push me away. She didn¡¯t! Yes!


    The over six foot CEO giggled like a child in his car.


    A few secondster, he gave Jordan a call.


    ¡°I¡®m gonna give you five million. Show me your way of wooing girls.¡±


    Jordan staggered for a bit before he gave his secret. ¡°The way to girls¡¯ hearts are fresh bouquets and a


    good sense of humor.¡±


    ¡°A good sense of humor?¡±


    ¡°You have everything but you¡¯re too boring. Girls like men who are fun and you¡¯re anything but that.


    They¡¯ll eventually lose interest in you.¡±


    ¡°There goes your five million.¡±


    Huh?


    ¡°No, no, no! You¡¯re a humorous one! How about this, watch this romance drama called The CEO And I.


    Since the guy in the show is a CEO like you, you might learn a few tricks that work for you.¡±


    While Jordan was trying to save his fleeting five million, another episode was brewing at the hotel.


    Before Donovan could hail a taxi outside the hotel, Queenie caught up and stopped him.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just leave like that, Donovan!¡±


    ¡°What is it that you want now? If it weren¡¯t for you, things wouldn¡¯t have gone south.¡± Donovan threw a


    nce back at her.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who spritzed the perfume onto yourself and you are the one who put me onto your bed.


    Now that things are messed up, am I the only one to me? I¡¯m also the victim here, okay! You¡¯re


    going to be responsible for what had happened.¡±

 Chapter 710

    Chapter 710


    Not only was Donovan cold toward Queenie, but he also despised her.


    ¡°What if I say no?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen. You will have to be responsible, and the only solution to this catastrophe is


    to marry me.¡± Queenie crossed her arms confidently.


    ¡°In your dreams!¡± Donovan pushed her away.


    Queenie fell onto the floor and scraped her knee.


    ¡°Donovan Baxter!¡± She was up in arms.


    The heartless man turned a deaf ear to her screams, got a cab, and headed straight to Jadeborough


    University.


    Reporters were churning articles and posts, trying to remold Queenie¡¯s image into a temptress who


    loved having flings.


    Her fans, after seeing the pictures of her and Donovan under the same sheets, were shocked to the


    core. They were convinced that she was a temptress and started bombarding her with menacing


    remarks.


    When Ava and Alice saw the news, they immediately contacted Queenie.


    She rushed to the Baxters and insisted that she was framed.


    Being a teacher all her life, Alice had nevere across anything like this. She almost cried, and with


    a quivering voice, asked, ¡°Who framed you? What do we do now? I still can¡¯t reach Don, though. He¡¯s


    fine, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s not that popr online. A hundred percent of thements are directed at me. He won¡¯t


    get into any trouble, but¡­ Mrs. Baxter, it seemed like I need to get married to Donovan as soon as


    possible.¡±


    Although she was still anxious, Alice couldn¡¯t conceal her delight. ¡°Is that it? Getting married?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If he dered that he¡¯s single, and then we get married, this whole disaster will be over.¡±


    Not only would the disastere to an end, but it would also attract Queenie more fans. The fans who


    had turned their backs on her would regret their actions and would be more loyal to her in the future.


    Alice bobbed her head in agreement. ¡°Then let¡¯s do it. Once my husband gets back to Jadeborough,


    we¡¯ll start nning the wedding.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Queenie smiled, but something felt fishy.


    That was easy. Could it be a trap? If yes, what would they trap me for? Bah! I¡¯m just thinking too much.


    She shook herself out of her worries,


    Since things had gotten so bad at this point, she had no other option but to marry Donovan. To her, it


    didn¡¯t matter who her husband was if it wasn¡¯t Vinson. Under one condition, though¡ªhe had to be in


    her league.


    Donovan was from a family of schrs and like her, graduated from Maxwell University. Things would


    only get better in the future. They won¡¯t be like Zachary, who was loathed by millions.


    Queenie believed that Donovan would yield in pretty soon.


    True to her expectations, Marcus called Donovan into his office when thetter got back to the


    university.


    Marcus mmed hard on his table. He was boiling.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°Donovan! Look what you¡¯ve got yourself into!¡± He then shoved his phone into Donovan¡¯s hands


    Donovan was still oblivious to the fact that the pictures of him and Queenie on the same bed were all


    over the inte. His face scrunched when he saw them.


    ¡°Mr. Brown, it¡¯s all a misunderstanding. I¡¯m not married and we¡¯re just¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re married or not. If the press knows that you¡¯re a tutor here, it will taint the name of


    the university. Fix it before they find out who you¡¯re. In the meantime, you can go on leave. I¡¯ll get other


    tutors to cover your sses.¡±


    ¡°But, the exam for the preparatory ss is just around the corner. The rest of the tutor won¡¯t be able to


    ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough! If you actually cared for your students, you shouldn¡¯t have been involved in a scandal like


    this!¡±


    Donovan¡¯s gloom deepened as he walked out of the principal¡¯s office.


    Just when he thought things couldn¡¯t get any worse¡­

 Chapter 711

    Chapter 711


    Donovan felt that Marcus was being dramatic.


    What¡¯s wrong with me having a scandal or two? I¡¯m at a suitable age for marriage anyway.


    I¡¯m the victim who was taken a photo of. Why am I the one who¡¯s getting suspended?


    Nevertheless, his streak of bad luck had yet to end. Right as Donovan stepped out of the office, he


    received a call from his mentor at Maxwell University.


    ¡°Mr. Noah?¡±


    Noah snapped, ¡°News of your scandal has reached all the way to my side. Have you ever thought of


    actually graduating?¡±


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Caught off guard, Donovan widened his eyes momentarily before anger took over. ¡°Mr. Noah, how did


    you know about that? Who told you about it?¡±


    Was it Vinson?


    Was it Arielle?


    No, it can¡¯t be Arielle. Arielle¡¯s only a student; she can¡¯t be possibly spread the news to Maxwell


    University. It must be Vinson, then!


    Not only did he take who¡¯s mine away, but he¡¯s even destroying my reputation.


    His mentor continued in a stern voice, ¡°What¡¯s the


    matter? Are you afraid of hearing news of your scandals despite having the courage to do it? The


    Institute of Education values upright behaviors the most. You¡¯ve vited the university rules. If you


    don¡¯t resolve this matter soon, the university is about to kick you out, let alone give you a graduation


    certificate!¡±


    rmed, Donovan hastily asked, ¡°Mr. Noah, is it that serious?¡±


    ¡°What do you think? Perhaps this would have been blown over if you were in a different institute, but


    you¡¯re in the Institute of Education. Our motto is to be a good role model for our students. Look what


    you¡¯ve done. Your photos were even taken and uploaded to the inte. They¡¯re now everywhere


    online! You really have to resolve this issue soon, or else¡­ I might not even be able to save you.¡±


    At that, Donovan bit down on his lower lip, finally realizing the severity of the incident.


    ¡°Are you listening?¡± his mentor questioned.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m still here,¡± Donovan muttered. ¡°Mr. Noah, how long more do I have?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve asked around, and as of now, the lecturers who are in charge of your graduation still have no idea


    about it. You have to deal with this matter before they catch wind about it. The best would be for you to


    finish dealing with this by the same day in Chanaean time.¡±


    ¡°Today?¡±


    ¡°Yes, if you still want to graduate, that is. That¡¯s all the time you have,¡± Noah said before ending the


    call.


    Donovan¡¯s expression was as dark as the night.


    He finally found out why Queenie was so sure. It was because he had no other choices.


    Donovan was trapped in a world of remorse and


    frustration.


    If he had been able to foresee the future, he would not have heeded Queenie¡¯s words the day before.


    The veins on Donovan¡¯s temples popped, and he took a few deep breaths to rpose himself. Then,


    he turned on his phone and called his mother.


    ¡°Mom, could you contact Queenie for me?¡±


    A sigh traveled out of his phone speakers before his mother said, ¡°You¡¯re finally picking up the phone.


    Good. Queenie is just right beside me, so go ahead and talk to her.¡±


    When Queenie went out of the house a few secondster, she said, ¡°I knew you were going to agree


    with it. When shall we marry?¡±


    ¡°Today.¡±


    Queenie froze for a brief second before chuckling. ¡°It seems like Jadeborough University has given you


    quite the pressure.¡±


    Queenie still did not know that Donovan had yet to graduate from Maxwell University; she thought that


    he was bowing under the pressure from Jadeborough University.


    Nevertheless, Donovan did not rify her mistake. ¡°Cut the crap. I¡¯m in a rush. Let¡¯s meet right outside


    City Hall. Once this blows over, we¡¯ll get a divorce. It¡¯s what you owe me.¡±


    Instantly, Queenie¡¯s tone turned icy. ¡°This isn¡¯t what I owe you because you agreed to do this at the


    start, Listen now, Donovan Baxter. Our family ces utmost importance on reputation. Once we¡¯re


    married, I¡¯ll never get a divorce from you. Otherwise, let¡¯s not get married.¡±

 Chapter 712

    Chapter 712


    Donovan scowled in response. He was not going to spend the rest of his life with a woman he did not


    love.


    Narrowing his eyes, he asked, ¡°Queenie Mill, are you threatening me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care how you¡¯re interpreting this at all. Are you going to marry me or not?¡±


    The veins on Donovan¡¯s temples popped again as he sneered. ¡°We¡¯ll meet at City Hall.¡±


    So what if Queenie doesn¡¯t want to get a divorce? Once this is over, I have more than enough chances


    to make Queenie get a divorce with me.


    After all, no woman can stand suffering from neglect and emotional abuse, especially a haughty


    woman like Queenie. I¡¯m not at all worried that she¡¯ll refuse to get a divorce.


    After ending the call, Queenie went to Donovan¡¯s mother and told her the news of them getting


    registered today.


    Donovan¡¯s mother was delighted and surprised. In the end, she gave Queenie the household registry.


    Then, she took off her bracelet and put it on Queenie before softly saying, ¡°From now on, you¡¯re one of


    us. Both you and Don still need some time to get to know each other better. From tonight onward, you


    should move in here. That way, the two of you can develop more feelings for each other.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± Queenie said with a smile and a nod before heading out with the household registry in her


    hands.


    No one knew that Queenie had picked Donovan and agreed to marry him right away was not only


    because Donovan was somewhat a good match, but also because the head of the Mill family was


    about to change.


    The current head of the Mill family was Queenie¡¯s father, but there was a rule in the Mill family. The


    head of the family must be someone who was married and had a family. Moreover, they were not


    allowed to have a divorce.


    That was to avoid having non-Mills learn the skills of ancient Chanaean medicine.


    Queenie¡¯s father had two sons-one was married, and the other was a minor and younger than


    Queenie.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Thus, the opportunity had presented itself. She could get Donovan to marry into her family so that she


    couldpete against her older brother to be the head of the family. That was the reason for


    Queenie to have been adamant about not getting a divorce.


    Soon, Queenie arrived at the entrance of City Hall. Due to the fact that Queenie wanted Donovan to


    marry into her family, they had another fight. In the end, Donovan relented.


    Regardless of everything, he was nning to get a divorce afterward. It made no difference to him


    marrying into her family.


    Satisfied, Queenie then retrieved the marriage certificate joyously with Donovan. What she did not


    know was the misery that this marriage was going to bring into her life.


    Once they had obtained the marriage certificate, Queenie instantly made rifications on the inte.


    She uploaded their marriage certificate and Donovan¡¯s work ID before adding a text.


    I never thought that someone would try to destroy my private life like this. As shown in the picture, the


    man in the photo is Donovan Baxter, a tutor of Jadeborough University¡¯s preparatory ss.


    Donovan and I fell in love and got married. Therefore, I¡¯m not some homewrecker in someone else¡¯s


    marriage.


    If anyone continues to spread rumors about me and Donovan, I¡¯ll take this to court.


    Also, we will be taking legal action against those reporters who barged into the hotel and took our


    photos. Thank you for your time. That¡¯s all I have to say about this incident.


    The moment the post was published, fans who had believed in Queenie all along were quick to appear.


    ¡°I knew Queenie was innocent. How could the evil media nder my goddess for the sake of


    poprity?


    They have to be punished by thew!¡±


    ¡°The haters and the ones who had been ndering Queenie alongside the media should apologize


    now! Otherwise, Queenie¡¯swyer will be filing awsuit against you all!¡±


    Theizens who used to be her fans but had since then turned haters feared that they would be


    caught up in awsuit, so they quickly apologized and promised to be die-hard fans of Queenie forever.


    In hours, Queenie gained more and more fans, some were those who sympathized with her.


    However, Donovan was unsatisfied.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you publicize Arielle and Vinson¡¯s involvement?¡±

 Chapter 713

    Chapter 713


    As Donovan looked at the post, he continued, ¡°You only talked about the media and theizens; you


    didn¡¯t mention Arielle and Vinson at all. Don¡¯t you think that you¡¯re focusing on the wrong thing? Those


    two should be the main point! If not for them, we wouldn¡¯t have appeared on the hotel bed together.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t want to do that?¡± Queenie gritted out. ¡°That little b*tch forced me to spill the beans


    about the perfume back then, and she recorded it. If I mention them in my post, they¡¯ll show the world


    that recording right away.¡±


    Donovan scowled.


    Queenie added, ¡°At most, the two of them would be held ountable for an invasion of privacy. What


    about us? The perfume incident is a serious crime. We can never talk about it, do you get it?¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Donovan ground his teeth before snarling, ¡°I¡¯m going back to school.¡±


    With that said, he turned around and went into his car.


    ¡°Hey! Wait, send me to the hospital!¡± Queenie ran after him, but the closing door nearly clipped her


    fingers.


    Donovan drove off, not at all nning to send her there.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Queenie kicked the streetlight beside her. Thump!


    Right then, her phone rang.


    Thinking that it was Donovan, who finally found his conscience, she hastily picked up the call. To her


    surprise, it was actually a call from Zachary.


    Hence, she hissed out impatiently, ¡°What do you want, Zachary?¡±


    Zachary¡¯s upset voice then traveled out of the speakers. ¡°Queenie, are you married? I saw the post on


    the inte. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Queenie barked out augh. ¡°Whether or not I¡¯m married isn¡¯t any of your business, is it? As far


    as I know, you finally got into a small hospital, but Mr. Morgan released to the media the evidence of


    your corruption, so you lost your job again. You¡¯re having a hard time yourself, but you still have the


    time to stick your nose into my business?¡±


    ¡°Queenie, you can¡¯t do this to me! My love for you is pure, and nothing is more important than you. In


    order to take over your shift, I even skipped seeing my father in hisst moments after he was in an


    ident. You can¡¯t do this to me!¡±


    Instead of replying to Zachary, Queenie ended the call and blocked him.


    To her, Zachary was nothing but a piece of trash now. A piece of trash that had outlived its usefulness,


    so naturally, she would have to throw it before it started stinking up her ce.


    After Donovan returned to school, he brought the


    marriage certificate and went to Marcus.


    Marcus was a fair man who punished and rewarded people around him ordingly. After seeing the


    post online, he realized Donovan was the victim, so he began consoling and apologizing to him. Then,


    he reminded, ¡°Today¡¯s Friday. It¡¯ll be Monday soon, so do make preparations. You¡¯ll have to apologize


    to Arielle for the earlier matter during the g-raising ceremony.¡±


    Instantly, the look on Donovan¡¯s face darkened as he stiffly nodded.


    ¡°I understand, Mr. Brown.¡±


    A sullen look still on his face, Donovan returned to the ssroom, only to see Arielle in thest row the


    moment he stepped in.


    Immediately, the look on his face turned darker. Even the air seemed to turn colder, and the other


    students dared not look at him.


    The students were all careful in their speech and actions during the ss. Finally, it was the end of the


    ss, and they all let out simr sighs of relief. However, Donovan did not head out immediately as he


    coldly said, ¡°We¡¯ll be having the first monthly tests next Thursday and Friday, so do your revisions


    during this weekend. After the monthly test, three students with the worst grades will be leaving the


    preparatory ss. Study hard and don¡¯te crying to me if you fail it.¡±


    With that said, his eyes drifted toward Arielle and


    Jared¡¯s direction.

 Chapter 714

    Chapter 714


    As far as Donovan knew, Arielle was either taking leaves or sleeping in ss recently; she had not


    been paying attention to her studies at all.


    Moreover, he refused to believe that Arielle was not affected by what happened the day before.


    If he could not get her, then he wanted her to get out of the preparatory ss so that she would be out


    of his sight and mind.


    With that decision made up in his mind, Donovan decided to increase the difficulty level of the exam.


    Although freshmen tend to get the same content in examinations, it was different for the preparatory


    ss. There were several subjects, including advanced mathematics, that he was in charge of


    preparing.


    Therefore, he swore to himself that he was going to get rid of Arielle.


    How could Arielle not know what Donovan was nning to do?


    She sneered internally before ignoring Donovan¡¯s gaze. Instead, she turned to Jared and asked,


    ¡°How¡¯s your preparation going for the uing exam?¡±


    Jared nodded. ¡°I think I won¡¯t be one of the worst students.¡±


    ¡°Good to hear that.¡± Arielle nodded before turning to Henry. ¡°What about you?¡±


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Henry cleared his throat and mumbled, ¡°I might be saying goodbye to you all. I¡¯m not a really studious


    person¡­¡±


    Arielle sighed, but there was nothing she could do.


    Henry was unlike Jared; his academic foundation was rather weak, to begin with. There was nothing


    Arielle could do but to let nature run its course.


    On the other side, at Nightshire Manor.


    After Vinson¡¯s men brought Susanne back to the manor, she had been in poor health. When she slept,


    she was drowned in countless nightmares.


    The main issue was not that Vinson had married a woman with a low social standing or that Arielle was


    not actually a country bumpkin whom the Southalls had abandoned. In fact, she had a rather


    complicated identity that she dared not get involved with someone like her.


    Moreover, there was nothing Arielle had that made her want to risk it other than her piano ying skills.


    Right then, the butler entered the room.


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, Ms. Greene is here, and she¡¯s packing up her things.¡±


    Susanne paled drastically as she scrambled to get out of bed.


    ¡°Quick, take me to her!¡±


    By the time Susanne found Wendy, she was done with her packing and was about to leave the house.


    ¡°Wendy!¡± Susanne yelled as she grabbed Wendy¡¯s suitcase. ¡°What are you doing? Are you really going


    to move out and leave me all alone here?¡±


    With tears in her eyes, Wendy started sobbing. ¡°Ms. Stone, you¡¯ve heard what Mr. Nightshire said


    earlier. I have my dignity too! Mom has already rented a ce for me away from here, so I¡¯m going to


    move in there right away.¡±


    ¡°Why are you listening to that brat? I¡¯m his mother and the owner of this manor! If I say you can stay,


    then you can stay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Stone.¡± Wendy shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not right for me to stay here. Mr. Nightshire is


    already married. If I¡­ If I insist on staying, I¡¯ll only beughed at by the others.¡±


    Furious, Susanne stomped her foot.


    ¡°That d*mn brat! How could he get married without telling me?¡±? Then, Susanne held Wendy¡¯s hands


    and said, ¡°Wendy, you have to trust me. In less than a week, I¡¯ll get him to divorce that woman. By


    then, you cane back, and it won¡¯t be wrong for you to stay. I¡¯ll introduce you to everyone as the


    only daughter-inw I have!


    Wendy was moved, but still, she gave Susanne a polite smile. ¡°Ms. Stone, what they have is mutual


    love. I don¡¯t want to be the third party. I¡¯ll stille to visit you after today, but it¡¯s best for you not to


    intervene in their rtionship anymore. I don¡¯t want to be a home wrecker.¡±


    ¡°Look at you. You¡¯re good in every aspect, except for the fact that your heart is too soft. Vin is only


    interested in her because she¡¯s someone new. It¡¯s not true love at all. Just trust me and give me a


    week. Don¡¯t give up on Vin yet, okay?¡±


    A bitter smile appeared on Wendy¡¯s face as she nodded, but in her mind, she was sneering.


    So what if Arielle is legally Vinson¡¯s wife? Does she think that she can get Susanne¡¯s


    acknowledgment?


    Their marriage is nothing but a joke!


    In the end, Wendy still left with her suitcase.


    The moment Wendy left, Susanne called Vinson.

 Chapter 715

    Chapter 715


    The call was soon picked up, and Susanne immediately said, ¡°Vinson Nightshire, get home right now or


    else I¡¯ll end my life here and now!¡±


    Susanne had been loud and firm, and the butler could not help but gasp in silence.


    After all, he had never heard Susanne speak to Vinson in that way before.


    As she expected, Vinson did not reject her this time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back once I¡¯m done with thepany¡¯s matter.¡±


    ¡°You better be fast, or else you¡¯re going to hold a funeral for me!¡± With that said, Susanne ended the


    call.


    On the other side of the call, Vinson irately threw the documents aside. They slid beforeing to a


    stop by theptop, where the tenth episode of a romance show was ying


    Vinson then turned off his screen and rubbed the bridge of his nose before calling Arielle.


    Arielle was just about to pack her things and head home when Vinson called. At the caller ID, her heart


    raced, and she cleared her throat before picking up the call.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Sannie,¡± came Vinson¡¯s soft voice. ¡°My mom asked me to go home and visit her, so I won¡¯t being


    home tonight.¡±


    Arielle was silent for a few seconds before muttering, ¡°Do you need me toe with you?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. She won¡¯t have a filter in her mouth when she¡¯s angry. I don¡¯t want her words to hurt you.¡±


    Vinson paused. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can deal with this on my own.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    ¡°By the way, the manager of Maureen¡¯s Kitchen has called me and told me that the monthly report is


    out. As the owner of the restaurant, I think you should take a look at it.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Arielle answered.


    Right then, Trisha walked by her.


    When she noticed the grimace on Arielle¡¯s face, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Arielle said with a shake of her head. ¡°Something came up at thest minute, so I won¡¯t be


    able to go to the library with you. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Go ahead and do what you need to do. I¡¯ll be fine going back to the dorm to do revision.¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°All right. Call me if you need any help with any of the questions.¡±


    After bidding Trisha goodbye, Arielle hailed a cab and went to Maureen¡¯s Kitchen.


    It was Thomas¡¯ second day in Chanaea. The next day, he would have to leave with the tranted


    lesson n.


    Arthur led Thomas to Wendy and asked, ¡°Has the lesson n been tranted?¡±


    Wendy nodded and confidently handed Thomas the n.


    Thomas took it, but after a few pages of reading, a furrow appeared in his brows.


    Sensing something amiss, Arthur tentatively asked, ¡°Professor Harlem, is there something wrong with


    the lesson n?¡±


    Simrly, Wendy¡¯s heart was filled with anxiousness.


    Is there something wrong with the tranted lesson n?


    It shouldn¡¯t be that. My mother spent a great sum to hire a trantor for this. I¡¯m sure the trantor


    should be a professional one. There shouldn¡¯t be any mistakes.


    Thomas then handed Arthur the lesson n and said, ¡°Take a look for yourself.¡±


    At that, Arthur promptly took the n and read it himself. Like Thomas, his expression darkened.


    In the next second, he red at Wendy and snapped, ¡°Is this how you do the task we¡¯ve assigned to


    you? If you weren¡¯t capable, you should have told us earlier! How


    could you have used machine trantion for this!¡±


    Wendy froze before muttering, ¡°Machine trantion? That¡¯s impossible. I clearly¡­¡±


    I clearly asked the trantor to trante it herself!


    In shock, Wendy took the lesson n from Arthur and looked at it.


    As she had been busy with moving out, she had printed out the copy and brought it to the professors


    without giving it another look.


    Wendy skimmed through the pages. The first few pages were fine, but starting from the sixth page


    onward, all the pages had a line of words at the bottom-Rhine Ustranasion Machine Trantion.

 Chapter 716

    Chapter 716


    Under the line, Rhine Ustranasion Machine Trantion was the address of the Ustranasion website.


    The copyright notice was the reason that Thomas had realized the lesson n had not been tranted


    by Wendy.


    When Wendy saw those words, her eyes widened to the point they nearly popped out of their


    sockets.Machine trantion?How could she have used machine trantion for this?


    The grimace was apparent on Arthur¡¯s face as he continued, ¡°We¡¯ve given you the opportunity to


    trante this is because we were hoping you would be able to learn from this as well as letting you


    have a chance to contribute to both the school and Maxwell University. Is this all you have to give to


    us?¡±


    ¡°Professor Sleight, I¡­¡± Wendy¡¯s face went pale, and she was panicking. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened.


    Professor Sleight, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop it,¡± Arthur interrupted before turning to cast Thomas an apologetic look. ¡°Professor Harlem, my


    sincerest apologies. We¡¯re too lenient on our students. It¡¯s our fault to have let her give you a shoddy


    work like this.¡±


    Thomas frowned. ¡°Using a trantion tool is not the main issue here. The main issue is that we¡¯re


    nning to use this lesson n for our research. Most of the terms tranted by a machine aren¡¯t


    urate, so this lesson


    n would not be of any use to us.¡±


    At that, Arthur bit his lips before he proposed, ¡°Please give us another day. We¡¯ll definitely trante a


    new copy for you.¡±


    However, Thomas waved his hand dismissively and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have that much time. At most, I can


    only give you three hours.¡±


    ¡°Three hours?¡± Arthur shrieked out before realizing he had lost control of his emotions. With an


    apologetic smile, he then said, ¡°Professor Harlem, are you cracking a joke? Three hours? Even if we


    gathered all our Ustranasion teachers, we still won¡¯t be able to make it within three hours.¡±


    Not only did they need to trante the original text, but they also needed to organize the information in


    the lesson n.


    It would have been easier if it was a lesson n ofnguages or other subjects, but the lesson n


    they were tranting was advanced mathematics. It was ten times harder than any other subject.


    Three hours was certainly a time too short for them.


    Nevertheless, Thomas shook his head. ¡°This is the most I can give you. I need to attend an important


    meeting back at my side. If you can¡¯t do this, then I¡¯ll be taking my leave right away. However, I¡¯m afraid


    I won¡¯t be able to give you Maxwell University¡¯s lesson n. This has been an exchange, but if you


    can¡¯t uphold your end


    of the deal, I¡¯d have to go back on my words.¡±


    Arthur bit down hard on his lower lip before he finally agreed, ¡°Okay. Give us another three hours. After


    three hours, we¡¯ll definitely hand over the tranted lesson n to you.¡±


    Thomas nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll give you another chance, then. I¡¯ll be going out for a meal now. When I¡¯m back, I


    hope you¡¯d be almost done.¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Enjoy your meal.¡± Arthur gestured politely toward the doorway. With another nod, Thomas left.


    The moment Thomas stepped out of the meeting room, Arthur called Marcus and informed him about


    the matter.


    Instantly, Marcus snapped, ¡°How could she have used machine trantion? It took me so long to get


    Maxwell University to agree to exchange lesson ns with us! You¡¯re a bunch of fools too. How could


    you possibly assign such an important task to a student without any supervision?¡±


    ¡°This is indeed our fault, but Wendy had been extremely sure that she would be able to seed in the


    task. We thought she really could do it, so that¡¯s why we¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop exining. What we should be prioritizing right now is tranting the lesson n in three hours.


    I¡¯ll inform all Ustranasion teachers and advanced mathematics teachers to gather at the meeting room


    to assist in the trantion. As for Wendy¡­ Once everything is over, she¡¯ll have to hand over a letter of


    denunciation of three thousand words.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Mr. Brown.¡±


    After the call ended, Arthur turned to Wendy. ¡°Did you hear that?¡±

 Chapter 717

    Chapter 717


    The call had been on speakers earlier, so Wendy heard everything. She bit her lip as she regretted


    taking on the task.


    If she had not volunteered for it, the one who would be reprimanded would have been Arielle instead of


    her.


    Darn it!


    No wonder Arielle doesn¡¯t want to do this. She must have known that things would turn out this way.


    She¡¯s nothing but a scheming b*tch!


    Nevertheless, Wendy did not have the courage to voice that out loud to Arthur. She could only stand


    quietly and endured the displeased res from all the other teachers.


    When Arthur saw the look on Wendy¡¯s face, he said, ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve heard it. Take a pen and


    paper and finish the letter of denunciation before leaving.¡±


    At that, Wendy stopped biting on her pale lip and nodded. ¡°Professor Sleight, this is my fault. I shouldn¡¯t


    have used machine trantion just because I was in a rush. I¡¯ll work on the report right away.¡±


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Noticing the pitiful look on Wendy¡¯s face, the anger in Arthur dissipated slightly. He hummed in


    response before saying, ¡°Contact Arielle and ask her toe and lend us a hand.¡±


    Those words made Wendy stiffen before fury shot up from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.


    She then blurted out, ¡°Professor Sleight, Arielle has rejected you before. She knows that she can¡¯t


    complete the task either.¡±


    ¡°Stop that,¡± Arthur cut her off. ¡°I¡¯m her teacher. I know her capabilities better than you do. It¡¯s best for


    you to finish the report quickly instead. I¡¯ll contact Arielle myself.¡±


    With that said, Arthur ignored Wendy and turned around to call Arielle instead.


    However, Arielle did not pick up his call. Left without a choice, Arthur could only leave to trante the


    lesson n with the other teachers.


    Jealousy was a green-eyed monster that took over Wendy. Gritting her teeth, she then walked out of


    the meeting room toward the lecturers¡¯ block. When she arrived at her destination, she called the


    trantor.


    The call soon went through, and almost immediately, Wendy questioned, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?


    Why did you use machine trantion after a few pages? Haven¡¯t I told you I wanted a thorough


    trantion?¡±


    What came through the speakers was the trantor¡¯s confused voice, ¡°Ms. Greene, I did trante it all


    myself. How could I not have done as you asked?¡±


    ¡°Then why did the printed copy have the copyright notice of some machine tranting site at the


    bottom of the page?¡±


    ¡°How could that be? Ms. Greene, have you printed the wrong documents?¡±


    At that, Wendy began spiraling down a hole of confusion.


    The trantor that her mother had hired should not be any less than a professional.


    So what¡¯s going on?


    ¡°Hold on. Let me send the file to you. Take a look at it yourself.¡± With that, she ended the call and sent


    her the file.¡±


    The trantor soon called back. ¡°Ms. Greene, this isn¡¯t the file you¡¯ve sent me. I don¡¯t know what this


    file is.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Wendy let out a loud gasp. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I can send you the tranted file I have. Once you check the email, you¡¯ll know that I¡¯m telling


    you the truth.¡±


    When Wendy checked her email andpared the two files, she then realized the trantor was right


    ¡ªthe two files were different.


    Who did this?


    Absolutely livid, Wendy nearly crushed her teeth from the grinding


    However, in the next second, Wendy came up with someone¡¯s name¡ªArielle.


    It must be her!


    She must have wanted to mess with me. That¡¯s why she hired someone to hack into my email and


    swap the files.


    No one else would have done this but Arielle!


    ¡°B*tch! What a b*tch!¡± Wendy shrieked, her screams echoing in the room like a banshee.

 Chapter 718

    Chapter 718


    On the other end, Arielle was checking the monthly report at Maureen¡¯s Kitchen.


    To her surprise, the normal-sized restaurant actually had an operating cash flow of three hundred


    thousand.


    Although three hundred thousand was not a lot to her, it was a hefty sum for an ordinary restaurant.


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work. I¡¯ve seen the report, and it looks fine.¡± Arielle handed the report back to


    the manager.


    At that, the manager let out a relieved sigh. ¡°Mr. Nightshire has asked me to manage this restaurant


    well. I¡¯m d that you¡¯re all right with the report.¡±


    When Arielle heard that, she was silent for a moment before shing the manager a smile. ¡°Have you


    ever thought of making the restaurant a chain store?¡±


    ¡°A chain store?¡± The manager shook his head. ¡°I have never thought of that.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should think about it. I¡¯m thinking of making Maureen¡¯s Kitchen into a restaurant chain


    across the country. If things go well, perhaps we can make it a restaurant chain across the globe.¡±


    The manager¡¯s eyes lit up instantly. ¡°Really?¡±.


    Arielle nodded. ¡°This restaurant means a lot to me, and I hope to expand its business. However, you¡¯d


    have tomunicate with the chef toe up with more signature dishes before anything else.¡±


    The manager patted his chest in glee.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll tell our head chefter. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be as happy as I am to hear this.¡±


    Just then, a server entered and informed them, ¡°There¡¯s a foreigner outside who can¡¯t read our menu.


    However, we can¡¯t speak Ustranasion either, do you think that¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± After taking a few steps, Arielle turned to the manager and added, ¡°If we¡¯re going to make it


    big, then we¡¯ll have to revamp the menu. From now on, we¡¯ll have both Chanaean and Ustranasion on


    the menu. It¡¯s best for us to have pictures as well.¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Sure, you can leave this to me!¡±


    Arielle nodded before following the server out to the dining area.


    ¡°Over there.¡± The server pointed in a direction.


    Right as Arielle turned to look, the customer excitedly rushed over to greet her, ¡°San? Is that you? Oh


    my god! I never thought it¡¯d be you!¡±


    Arielle¡¯s mind nked out for a second before it registered Thomas¡¯ wrinkly, bearded face.


    ¡°P-Professor Harlem.¡±


    Thomas enthusiastically grabbed her hand tightly¡ªit


    was as if he was afraid she would flee the scene. Then, he asked in a trembling voice, ¡°Be honest with


    me. Was it you that I saw at Jadeborough University?¡±


    ¡°Professor Harlem, please let go of my hand first¡­¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t admit to it, I won¡¯t let you go.¡±


    Arielle had witnessed first-hand how stubborn Thomas could be, for it had been numerous times when


    he had bugged her for days just to solve a question.


    Thus, she had no other option but to say, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. Could you please let me go now?¡±


    Thomas finally let her go as he curiously asked, ¡°Why are you at Jadeborough University? When did


    youe back to Chanaea?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a few months. I¡¯m back to deal with some private matters. Are you here to eat? This is my


    restaurant, actually. Why don¡¯t I treat you to a meal? I¡¯d like to ask a favor from you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Could you please keep my identity a secret?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Still, you have to tell me what you¡¯re doing at Jadeborough University. You can¡¯t have been


    hired as a tutor by them, right? I¡¯m telling you now. I was first to invite you to be a tutor at Maxwell


    University. You can¡¯t just start working for Jadeborough University!¡±


    A weak smile appeared on Arielle¡¯s face at that. Soon, the two were eating and chatting away at a


    table. She briefly told him about how she was at Jadeborough University to look for someone, but she


    also added that she could not tell him why she was keeping her identity a secret.


    Nevertheless, Thomas was quick to promise. ¡°No problems. I¡¯ll just say that I¡¯vee across a student


    who speaks Lightspring Ustranasion well. However, I have to say that Jadeborough University really


    isn¡¯t as good as Maxwell University.¡±


    With that, Thomas began telling Arielle about Wendy¡¯s incident.


    Arielle was surprised; she never thought Wendy would make a lowly mistake like that.


    Still fuming, Thomas said, ¡°If she¡¯s not capable enough to do the trantion, she can just keep


    learning. However, it¡¯s apletely different matter to not be honest. A student like her would never be


    epted by Maxwell University.¡±

 Chapter 719

    Chapter 719


    Thomas was still furious about Wendy¡¯s incident.


    ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t like her from the moment she started talking. As it turns out, I was a good judge of


    character. What¡¯s funny is that the teachers in your school still think that she¡¯s some kind of precious


    treasure they¡¯ve attained to have rmended her to be my interpreter.¡±


    Arielle only smiled in response.


    Right then, Arielle noticed that Arthur was calling her.


    She had muted her phone a while ago, so it was only then she saw the call from Arthur.


    ¡°Professor Harlem, I¡¯ll need to pick up a call.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead. The food in your restaurant is just too delicious. I¡¯m going to continue enjoying it.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± Arielle said with a grin before leaving to answer the call.


    The second she epted it, Arthur¡¯s anxious voice traveled into her ear. ¡°Arielle, where are you? We


    need your help. You¡¯re fluent in Lightspring Ustranasion, and Maxwell University is located in


    Lightspring. You¡¯ll be doing our school a huge favor if you cane here and help us trante a


    document into Lightspring Ustranasion.¡±


    Lightspring Ustranasion had different pronunciations of words, unlike Ustranasion in general. Moreover,


    the sentence structure and words were slightly different; it was leaning more toward the older form of


    Ustranasion.


    If she could trante the lesson n into Lightspring Ustranasion, then the quality of the trantion


    would be of a much higher standard.


    Recalling what Thomas had said about Wendy earlier, Arielle asked, ¡°Is it about tranting an


    advanced mathematics¡¯ lesson n?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s the one.¡±


    Arielle fell silent for a brief second before answering, ¡°All right. I¡¯lle back as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great! We¡¯ll be waiting for you in the second floor¡¯s meeting room at the lecturers¡¯ block.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± After Arielle ended the call, she returned to the restaurant and told Thomas about the lesson


    n trantion.


    Thomas shook his head. ¡°Asking you to do it would be overkill. Still, they seem rather sincere, so


    maybe it¡¯ll be good if you lend them a helping hand. Since I¡¯m done with my meal, I¡¯ll head back to the


    school with you.¡±


    Arielle then reminded, ¡°Please don¡¯t forget that you have to keep my identity a secret.¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me. Although I¡¯m old now, my mind is still like a youngd¡¯s. Your name isn¡¯t San but


    Arielle, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. What a smart man!¡±


    At that, Thomas froze. Does she think of me as a child who needs praise?


    The two chatted merrily on their way to Jadeborough University. Soon, they were right in front of the


    meeting room.


    Wendy was still writing her report, and when she raised her head, she spotted Arielle with Thomas.


    Immediately, a variety of emotions shed past her face.


    Professor Sleight has actually asked Arielle toe!


    Does he really think that Arielle will be able to do what I can¡¯t?


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Stop trying to pull my leg!


    Getting Arielle here will only make Professor Harlem furious again. The school will only suffer yet


    another bout of embarrassment.


    However, in the next second, she saw a scene that blew her mind. Thomas, who barely paid any


    attention to her even on a good day, was happily gesturing for Arielle to enter the room.


    What¡¯s going on?


    Why is Professor Harlem acting like this with Arielle?


    Wendy was not the only one confused; Arthur and the other teachers were equally baffled.


    In the end, Arthur was the one who took a step forward and asked, ¡°Professor Harlem, do you know


    this student?¡±


    Thomas was about to nod when he noticed Arielle staring at him. Hastily, he shook his head and said,


    ¡°Not really. This student used Lightspring Ustranasion to introduce some of the dishes on the menu


    when I was out for a meal. As it turns out, she¡¯s a student in your school who¡¯s rushing here to trante


    the lesson n, so I followed her back.¡±


    ¡°What a coincidence.¡± Arthur did not dwell on it. Turning to Arielle, he then said, ¡°Arielle, we don¡¯t have


    much time left. Doe over and organize the trantions with us.¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°By the way, Professor Sleight, typing out the trantion would be far too slow. I know


    of a good speech recognition software. Hand over the lesson n to me, and I¡¯ll trante the text


    verbally and let the softwaree up with the written copy.¡±


    At that, everyone froze.

 Chapter 720

    Chapter 720


    Wendy nearly burst outughing.


    Direct Interpretation? What kind of joke are they trying to make?


    Arielle hasn¡¯t seen the lesson n before, has she? Does she think that she¡¯ll be tranting day-to-day


    conversations?


    The content of the lesson n is tough toprehend even in its originalnguage, Chanaean, let


    alone tranting it into Ustranasion on the spot. She¡¯s certainly thinking too highly of herself!


    Isn¡¯t she afraid of falling from the great heights she has climbed to?


    Well, I¡¯ll be pping when she falls. When that happens, Professor Sleight won¡¯t be dwelling on my


    minor mistake.


    With that thought in mind, Wendy said, ¡°Speech recognition software is quite urate nowadays. If


    Arielle is capable of interpreting it on the spot, we¡¯ll be done with the lesson n in less than an hour.¡±


    However, the other teachers were still worried.


    After all, Arielle had never seen the lesson n before. If she were to fail in tranting after actually


    seeing the lesson n, the school would be embarrassing itself in front of Thomas again.


    Thus, they whispered to Arthur, ¡°Can she really do this?


    Wendy was epted into the university because she ranked first in the exams. Wendy had used


    machine trantion for the lesson n. I really don¡¯t think this student will be able to excel in this.¡±


    If Arielle could notplete the task, then it would be a humiliating moment for all of them.


    Arthur was as anxious as them. However, he knew that Arielle had good grades in Ustranasion; he had


    actually heard from Donovan that her grades in other subjects were terrible.


    Therefore, he wondered if Arielle could seed in tranting a lesson n on advanced mathematics.


    At that thought, Arthur took in a deep breath and said to Arielle, ¡°You should have a look at our lesson


    n first.¡±


    Arielle did not reject him, and she followed him toward the table to have a look at the lesson n.


    ¡°How is it?¡± Arthur tentatively asked. ¡°Do you think you can do it?¡±


    ¡°It should be fine. I¡¯ll be able toplete this in half an hour.¡±


    ¡°Half an hour?¡± Arthur howled out, his voice cracking at the end.


    Even the other teachers had simr looks of shock on their faces when they heard it.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle smiled and calmly uttered, ¡°Professor Sleight, trust me. The school can always depend on all of


    you if I fail, right?¡±


    Somehow, when Arthur looked at Arielle¡¯s calm and collected demeanor, he began to calm down.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. We¡¯ll still pull it through if you can¡¯t make it. Go ahead and give it a try then.¡±


    ¡°Okay, please switch on the projector. If I make a mistake in the trantion, the other teachers will be


    able to spot it in time.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Arthur lowered his voice and asked. ¡°If you turn on the projector, Professor Harlem will


    be seeing the mistakes as well.¡±.


    ¡°That¡¯s even better. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll know when I¡¯m making an error in my trantions. That way, it¡¯ll help


    us correct it in time.¡±


    Arielle was not at all anxious.


    That attitude she had was something Arthur knew he did not possess.


    ¡°All right then since you insist.¡±


    With that said, Arthur connected theputer screen to the meeting room¡¯s screen and logged into the


    speech recognition software.


    In the meantime, Wendy was grinning maliciously as she watched Arthur working on the devices.


    I thought how smart Arielle could be, but as it turns out, she¡¯s casting aside her rationality for the sake


    of showing off.


    Projecting it to everyone else means that Arielle is burning her own bridge.


    At that moment, a thought entered Wendy¡¯s mind. She unlocked her phone and logged in to


    Jadeborough University¡¯s forum before turning on the livestream function and starting a livestream of


    Arielle doing the trantion.


    The title of the livestream was: Arielle From Preparatory ss Is About To Trante A Tough


    Advanced Mathematics Lesson n Live. Come Watch Her!


    Wendy even spent money to make sure her channel would be pinned at the top. That way, the students


    in the forum would be able to spot it the moment they logged into the forum


    As Wendy had expected, in less than five seconds, over a hundred students were watching the


    livestream.

 Chapter 721

    Chapter 721


    On the first day of her enrollment, Arielle had trended on Jadeborough¡¯s forums because of her looks.


    All those who frequented forums would know about Arielle.


    When the audience saw the title of the livestream, they thought¡­ So she¡¯s pretty and talented?


    Almost all of the students had heard about the trantion of the lesson n. They knew that once


    Jadeborough University¡¯s tranted lesson n was given to Thomas Harlem, Thomas would then


    give them Maxwell University¡¯s lesson n.


    Maxwell University¡¯s lesson n was not something any school could get. Therefore, the weight on the


    trantor¡¯s shoulders was a heavy one.


    To their surprise, the job of trantion hadnded on the shoulders of Arielle, the pretty girl.


    Soon, over a thousand knew about the livestream.


    When Wendy lowered her head, she realized there were already tons of people leaving messages in


    the livestreamment section.


    Ahhh! I¡¯m a second away from licking the screen! (I¡¯m a girl, but I don¡¯t mind going gay for her!)


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She¡¯s literally Belle from Beauty and the Beast!


    It must be really difficult to trante an advanced


    mathematics lesson n. I can barely cope with Chanaean alone. She¡¯s amazing.


    She¡¯s the hope of Jadeborough University! She¡¯s the pride of Jadeborough University! Show them what


    you have!


    When Wendy read through thements, she realized they were all praising and encouraging Arielle.


    Rage flowed through her likeva, and she could not help but whisper into the microphone of her


    phone. ¡°It¡¯s an important but tough tranting job. If Arielle makes a mistake, Professor Harlem is sure


    to get mad. Yet, she has chosen to project her tranting and use speech recognition software for the


    written copy. I¡¯m really worried about her. If she makes a mistake in the trantion, our school might


    lose the opportunity to get Maxwell University¡¯s lesson n forever just because she was


    overconfident.¡±


    Wendy was so soft to the point only the audience of the livestream could hear her.


    Nevertheless, when she lifted her head, she realized Arielle was looking in her direction.


    Instantly, Wendy cleared her throat guiltily before making sure that her phone was well hidden beside


    her hand.


    Did Arielle overhear me?


    However, Arielle¡¯s gaze went past her and stopped at


    Thomas. Then, she muttered, ¡°Professor Harlem, I¡¯m ready. Let¡¯s begin.¡±


    Thomas nodded. ¡°Please do.¡±


    At that, Wendy let out a quiet sigh of relief. After making sure that Arielle did not actually know that she


    was streaming, she continued reading thements.


    After what she had said earlier, some of the audience were beginning to leave doubtfulments.


    ¡°Oh¡­ I didn¡¯t know that she doesn¡¯t need to project her trantion on the board. Isn¡¯t the goddess


    trying too hard to sell herself?¡±:


    ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to say earlier. Sensationalist much?¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ She¡¯s using Maxwell University¡¯s lesson n to make herself look good. Which kind of a


    goddess is she? The kind with a pretty husk but rotting flesh inside?¡±


    ¡°This is so freaking weird. I hope she¡¯ll be sessful in the trantion. If she can¡¯t, then I guess I¡¯m


    going to be one of her haters. After all, Maxwell University¡¯s lesson n is too important to our


    university.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me? Don¡¯t you know how tough it is to understand our school¡¯s advanced mathematics lesson


    n? Even a third-year student like me doesn¡¯t understand it, let alone a freshman like her.¡±


    ¡°I pray for everything to go well. Otherwise, I¡¯m going to throw acid on her if I encounter her in school.¡±


    When Wendy spotted the violentment, her lips curled.


    It looks like I¡¯ve made the right choice in streaming this.


    Let¡¯s show the world how Arielle made our university lose the opportunity to get Maxwell University¡¯s


    lesson n.

 Chapter 722

    Chapter 722


    What Wendy did not notice was that Arielle was looking in her direction again.


    This time, Arielle was not looking at the sinister expression on Wendy¡¯s face; she was looking at her


    phone.


    Arielle was an individual with keen observation. The moment Wendy turned on the camera, she had


    noticed


    Despite her hesitation, Arielle decided not to stop her.


    Wendy¡¯s just trying to make everyone watch me trante.


    If that¡¯s what she wants, then that¡¯s what she gets.


    I¡¯m not scared of her.


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll start now.¡± Arielle then turned to the first page of the lesson n.


    Wendy and the other teachers had already organized the information in the lesson n, so Arielle did


    not need to rearrange it again. All she needed to do was to trante it out loud.


    Half an hour was enough for her.


    Lifting her chin, Arielle then began reading the abstract.


    ¡°The first page of the lesson n talked about the differences and simrities between advanced


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    mathematics and elementary mathematics.¡±


    In mere seconds, Wendy¡¯s eyes were wide in shock.


    It was almost as if Arielle was a native speaker of Lightspring Ustranasion.


    Her speech was smooth, and her ent sounded native.


    Wendy had heard Arielle speak Ustranasion in the past. Back then, Arielle had been equally fluent, but


    she barely had any ents then. However, minutes into her trantion, Wendy realized Arielle had a


    rather obvious Lightspring ent.


    At that, Wendy worried her lip. She never imagined that Arielle would be so fluent in thenguage.


    Everyone, excluding Arthur and Thomas, was as dumbstruck as Wendy, for Arielle¡¯s ent was far


    better than theirs.


    The speech recognition software that Arielle had chosen was indeed an excellent one. Every word that


    Arielle uttered out loud was urately converted into written text.


    It took Wendy a long while before she could snap herself back to her senses. When she lowered her


    head to nce at the screen, she realized there were noments.


    Has the livestream jammed?


    Just as Wendy was about to check her inte connection, thements abruptly flooded in.


    Holy sh*t! Holy sh*t! I¡¯m sorry for the rudements, but holy sh*t!


    As expected of the goddess. Was she speaking native Lightspring Ustranasion? The ent coach was


    speaking in the same ent as Arielle.


    I¡¯m gobsmacked! How can she have both the looks, the talents, and the voice too? Man, I love it!


    Ha! Where are the ones who were talking bad about her earlier? Are you ashamed yet? I¡¯d say you


    must be really jealous about her to want to throw acid in her face.


    Some people just need to rein in their jealousy, or else they¡¯d end up with no friends.


    When Wendy saw thosements, she immediately thought of stopping the stream.


    Yet, just as her finger hovered over the button, she paused.


    She should not be stopping the livestream.


    So what if Arielle has a native Lightspring Ustranasion ent?


    The first part of the lesson n was not really difficult. Wendy could have tranted the first part


    herself, too.


    What was difficult was from the third chapter onward. Wendy nned to wait until Arielle reached the


    third chapter.


    By then, she refused to believe that Arielle would still have an easy time tranting it.


    At that point, everyone would find out that Arielle was not as good as they thought she was. She was


    going to make the school lose the opportunity to get Maxwell University¡¯s lesson n.


    After taking in a deep breath, Wendy rposed herself to continue with the livestream.


    Yes. I have to wait until Arielle reaches the third chapter. I have to hold myself back for now.


    Otherwise, all would be for naught.


    With that thought in mind, Wendy adjusted the camera to make sure it was aiming right at Arielle and


    the projector screen. Then, she waited for Arielle to reach the third chapter.

 Chapter 723

    Chapter 723


    Arielle was calmly tranting while everyone was taken aback by hernguage proficiency.


    Not long after, Arielle finished tranting chapters one and two. She was soon in chapter three.


    Wendy was holding onto her phone while secretly feeling excited about it.


    Finally, she began tranting chapter three.


    She was able to hear Arielle drink some water before continuing to trante.


    Chapter three was about the primary concept of calculus.


    Arielle began by reading through the chapter first before beginning to trante.


    When she stopped reading through the chapter, Wendy assumed Arielle couldn¡¯t trante the chapter.


    Then, Wendy began to snicker.


    In the next moment, Arielle started tranting again.


    ¡°Calculus Micro-element method particle mechanics¡­¡±


    The sound of fluent Ustranasion with a Lightspring ent could be heard.


    Wendy was stunned by it.


    Arielle really trante it! But how does she manage to


    do it?


    When she found a trantor to assist her in tranting chapter three, the trantor had to find a lot of


    information.


    On the other hand, Arielle only paused for a brief moment before finishing the trantion urately


    and moving on to chapter four.


    Wendy scratched the table with her fingernails to vent her rage.


    Wendy only recovered from her shocked state when a sound was heard as her fingernails cracked.


    She then wanted to close the live stream.


    However, it was toote to turn off the live stream at this point. Everyone could see how Arielle


    sessfully tranted this chapter on calculus.


    Then, Wendy saw ament appear on her screen just before turning off the live stream.


    ¡°My goddess is incredible! Is it just me, or does the woman who opens this live stream appears to want


    to see Arielle¡¯s expression if she fails to trante? What she said from the start was so misleading. I


    think she¡¯s the one who should be punished.¡±


    Wendy froze when she saw thement.


    However, Wendy quickly realized that she did not show her face during the live stream. As a result, the


    audience


    would not know her true identity.


    Wendy¡¯s thought made her feel a little better.


    Yet, at the same time, anotherment popped out.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this woman¡¯s voice Wendy¡¯s? She¡¯s in my ss, and pretty sure that¡¯s her voice. I¡¯m really at a


    loss for words. Even if she disliked Arielle, she should not n to cause her to fail in this important


    trantion. Wendy is a truly terrible person.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean Wendy Greene? The one who ys the piano in the preparatory ss? I used to think


    that she is a beautiful person, but it appears that she is only beautiful on the outside but has a terrible


    personality on the inside.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to punish this wicked woman. Don¡¯t stop


    me!¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Wendy¡¯s face turned pale, and she quickly turned off the live stream when she saw thosements.


    Wendy was taken aback when she realized she had been recognized.


    At that time, Wendy felt humiliated as if she were naked in front of the public.


    She thought that it was a mistake to open this live stream.


    Even if she had started the live stream, she should have


    stopped it when Arielle spoke with a fluent Lightspring ent.


    Unfortunately, she thought Arielle was just lucky and took a chance then.


    Now, not only did everyone believe that Arielle was beautiful and talented, but they also knew Wendy


    actually hoped for Arielle to fail in the trantion.


    Because of that, she would be harshly chastised by the forum¡¯s keyboard warrior.


    God d*mn it!


    At that moment, Wendy felt a jumble of emotions, including regret, shame, and hatred.


    It was all because she opened the live stream.


    Wendy¡¯s face was turning pale, and her body was trembling, but no one noticed that. Instead, everyone


    was focused on listening to Arielle¡¯s trantion as if they were at a grand musical performance.


    While Wendy was suffering from her mixed emotions, the half-hour mark was up.

 Chapter 724

    Chapter 724


    Ariellepleted the trantion within the half-hour time frame that she had promised.


    ¡°Professor Sleight, I¡¯ve finished the trantion.¡± Arielle then turned toward Arthur and Thomas and


    asked, ¡°Is there any mistake that I have made in the process of trantion?¡±


    Arthur and Thomas both shook their heads at the same time.


    ¡°Nope,¡± said Arthur.


    ¡°No,¡± Thomas responded.


    Arielle expressed her relief by saying, ¡°That¡¯s great. I¡¯m afraid that I may have made a mistake because


    I was tranting too quickly.¡±


    Arthur almost cried as he walked forward and held Arielle¡¯s hand. ¡°I know I¡¯m right to have called you


    over to help with the trantion,¡± he continued.


    The other teachers had only regained theirposure by now and encircled Arielle as if she were a


    VIP to the university.


    Ahem! Ahem! Thomas coughed twice on purpose to alert other teachers that he was still present. After


    that, they quickly regained theirposure.


    ¡°Professor Harlem.¡± Arthur handed the printed lesson n to Thomas and inquired, ¡°Please have a


    look at it. If there is a problem with it, we will correct it right


    away.¡±


    Thomas grabbed the lesson n and stuffed it into his briefcase. He went on to say, ¡°I was paying


    close attention to the entire process just now. There are no issues with the trantion. I can just take it


    back and begin teaching with it right away.¡±


    All of the teachers in the room had confidence and expected Thomas to respond positively.


    Arthur eximed joyfully, ¡°That is fantastic! Then, what about the lesson n you promised us¡­?¡±


    ¡°Look in your inbox. I¡¯ve already emailed you a digital copy. However, you have to trante it into


    Chanaean yourself.¡±


    ¡°That is not an issue. We are already delighted that you are willing to grant us permission to use it. How


    can I annoy you by asking you to trante it for us?¡±


    Wendy was left in the corner while they were both conversing happily.


    On the other hand, Arielle was aware of Wendy¡¯s hostile gaze toward her.


    She was not afraid at all and even walked up to Wendy. She then whispered to her, ¡°I¡¯ve seen the


    university¡¯s forum. Thank you for doing the live streaming for me. I seem to have gained a lot of fans


    from it.¡±


    ¡°You¡­!¡± Wendy was enraged at her statement.


    Arielle smiled intently at her, and her gaze fell on the paper Wendy was writing on.


    She deliberately asked, ¡°What are you writing about? Oh, you¡¯re writing about a letter of denunciation


    for your mistake. But why are there only three words on it after half an hour?¡±


    Arthur happened to overhear their conversation.


    1


    He was not like Donovan. Wendy was just like any other student to him. He then went on to say,


    ¡°Wendy, what are you doing? I don¡¯t want to work extra hours just because of you. Complete the letter


    as soon as possible!¡±


    Wendy lowered her head in hatred as she continued to write the letter.


    After Arthur finished urging Wendy, he smiled at Arielle and said, ¡°Arielle, you have been a tremendous


    help to us this time. Why don¡¯t I treat you to dinner? Do you like western cuisine? Professor Harlem told


    me about a restaurant called Maureen¡¯s Kitchen that serves delicious western food.¡±


    Arielle was stunned by it. She then shook her head and said, ¡°If we go to Maureen¡¯s Kitchen, it¡¯ll be


    better for me to treat you for dinner because I own that restaurant.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re the owner of the restaurant? I see¡­ alright, I¡¯ll go to your restaurant with Mr. Brown to help


    you increase your sales in the future.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Professor Sleight.¡±


    Wendy, who was writing the letter, overheard the phrase ¡°Maureen¡¯s Kitchen¡± and saved it in her mind.


    Soon, it was time for Thomas to leave.


    Thomas has a lot of things he wants to say to Arielle. However, he promised Arielle that he would help


    her conceal her true identity. He could only keep his mouth shut and save Arielle¡¯s current phone


    number before leaving for the airport.


    Arielle then checked the time, and after a brief moment of hesitation, she reached out to stop a taxi.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Please head to Nightshire Manor.¡±

 Chapter 725

    Chapter 725


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 725


    Vinson did not want her to apany him to the Nightshire Manor to face his mother.


    But, since Vinson liked her and Arielle knew she also had feelings for Vinson, she could no longer deny


    the feelings.


    She wanted to face the problems with Vinson, no matter what the problems were.


    Vinson was greeted by Geoffrey as soon as he stepped out of the car at Nightshire Manor. He stated


    respectfully, ¡°Please have a good chat with Mrs. Nightsire after you enter the house, Mr. Vinson. She¡¯s


    not in good health right now. She has high blood pressure, but she refused to take the medication


    today. So please speak nicely to her and avoid arguing with her.¡±


    Vinson lightly nodded and said, ¡°I know what to do.¡±


    Geoffrey did not dare to persuade him any longer. Instead, he followed him inside with a worried


    expression.


    In the living room, Susanne was being persuaded to take the medicine by the housekeeper. But as


    soon as Vinson walked in, she tossed the medicine aside. She then stood up and said coldly, ¡°I thought


    you didn¡¯t care if I were dead or alive anymore!¡±


    Vinson frowned when he noticed the medicine on the table. ¡°Even if you¡¯re mad at me, you shouldn¡¯t


    mess with your health,¡± he added.


    ¡°You¡¯ll live a peaceful life after I¡¯m gone. Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯ve always desired?¡± Susanne then yelled


    angrily, ¡°Anyway, you don¡¯t even tell me, your mother, about important events like you getting married.


    So why am I still alive then? I might as well just die!¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡± Vinson frowned even more, but he took a deep breath and tried to sound as soft as possible.


    ¡°Please, Mom, take the medicine first. Then we can have a conversation calmly,¡± said Vinson.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll take the medicine only if you promise me that you will divorce Arielle right now. After that, I¡¯ll


    take the medicine.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Vinson directly rejected her and said, ¡°I will not divorce her!¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Are you trying to piss me off?¡±


    Vinson then replied with a nk expression, ¡°I¡¯m not trying to piss you off. But it is up to me to decide


    on my marriage. You¡¯ve got your own life, and I¡¯ve got mine. I¡¯m no longer a child, so I decide who I


    want to marry.¡±


    ¡°Fine! You won¡¯t listen to me now that you¡¯re an adult.¡± Then, Susanne¡¯s gaze fell on the fruit knife on


    the table. She dashed toward it and wanted to take the knife.


    Fortunately, Vinson saw that and kicked it away.


    Susanne threw herself into the air andnded on the table, but she did not get the knife.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She became more enraged and stared at Vinson. After that, she went on to say, ¡°I¡¯ll ask you one more


    time. Are you going to divorce her or not? Do you still take me as your mom?¡±


    Vinson hinted at Geoffrey to take away the fruit knife from the floor. Then he turned to Susanne and


    said, ¡°You¡¯re my mom. That is something I cannot change. On the other hand, Arielle is my wife, and I


    can¡¯t change that either. So it¡¯s best if you try to stay calm and ept her. In fact, she has


    outperformed all the women you¡¯ve chosen for me in every way. As long as you don¡¯t look at her


    through colored sses, you¡¯ll be very pleased with her personality.¡±


    ¡°Pleased with her? Do you think that the issue is whether I like her or not? I don¡¯t care who you like.


    The problem that bothers me is that she¡¯s Arielle Moore.¡±


    Vinson was puzzled and continued asking, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with Arielle? What do you mean by


    Arielle is the problem?¡±


    Susanne then changed the subject of her speech and stated, ¡°She isn¡¯t good enough for you, and she


    certainly doesn¡¯t deserve you. Not to mention that she grew up in the countryside.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Stone.¡± A woman¡¯s voice could be heard from the entrance. Then came along with the voice of


    several bodyguards, ¡°Miss, you cannot enter.¡±

 Chapter 726

    Chapter 726


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 726


    Vinson looked at the door in disbelief when he heard the voice.


    Arielle was dressed elegantly in a ck dress, and she was looking at him from a distance with great


    affection.


    When Vinson saw Arielle, he was both surprised and nervous.


    It¡¯s Arielle. I don¡¯t think that she wille here. Is she here because of me?


    Vinson was moved, and he felt good about it.


    Arielle took a peek at Vinson and then nced coldly at the bodyguards in her path. She then told them


    in a casual tone, ¡°Get out of my way.¡±


    Her voice was calm, but it had an unquestionable dignity to it.


    This aura is identical to Mr. Vinson¡¯s. However, she is only a young girl. How does she have such a


    powerful presence when she speaks?


    The bodyguards unconsciously stepped back from her and no longer blocked her path.


    Arielle then walked up to Vinson¡¯s side.


    ¡°Ms. Stone.¡± She looked at Susanne and lightly nodded.


    Susanne was not happy about it. She then said, her voice implying anger, ¡°Who said you cane


    in?¡±


    The bodyguards were aware of their mistake and hurriedly bowed and apologized, ¡°Sorry, Mrs.


    Nightshire. We failed to stop her¡­¡±


    They did not say that Arielle beat up half of them when they heard her name but did not want to


    announce her arrival. However, even if they tried, they still could not keep her out


    ¡°A bunch of useless people!¡± Susanne stared at the bodyguards and then turned her gaze toward


    Arielle. ¡°Ms. Moore, why did youe to my house uninvited?¡±


    Arielle did not respond to her question. Instead, she asked, ¡°Ms. Stone, I just heard you say that I don¡¯t


    deserve Vinson. Can I ask which part of me does not deserve him? Then, I can try to fix it.¡±


    Vinson became concerned and unintentionally said, ¡°Sannie¡­¡±


    Arielle then gave Vinson a strong and deep gaze.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    She hesitated for a while and then held onto Vinson¡¯s hand.


    When Vinson felt Arielle grab his hand, he stiffened and tightened his grip on hers in return.


    Susanne watched as the two of them held hands, and she could not hold in her anger anymore.


    ¡°You don¡¯t deserve my son in the least. In terms of


    family background, you¡¯re just a country girl whom the Southalls abandoned. Other than that, you


    appear to have entered the preparatory ss through the back door in terms of education. But, even if


    you enter through the back door, you still do not work hard and are always at the bottom of the ss.


    Not only that, but you are constantly at odds with the tutors. If someone like you is around my son, you


    will undoubtedly make him look bad.¡±


    Arielle knew that Wendy was definitely the one who told Susanne everything.


    ¡°Mom, she¡­¡±


    ¡°Ms. Stone!¡± Arielle interrupted Vinson and directly asked Susanne, ¡°If I can get first ce in the


    monthly test of the preparatory ss, then will you give us your blessing?¡±


    ¡°What? First ce?¡± Susanne appeared to have heard the biggest joke in the world. With a sneer, she


    added, ¡°I am sure Wendy will be in the first ce. Even if youpare yourself to the other students,


    you are still not smart enough topete with them. The preparatory ss is different from the other


    sses. The students in it are the best of the best. How could you say that you can take the first ce?


    You are clearly daydreaming!¡±


    Arielle raised her chin slightly and asked, ¡°What if I actually get the first ce? Will you then stop


    interfering with the matters between Vinson and me?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s gaze was calm and determined.


    Susanne slowly frowned because she was not sure about


    She seems like she was determined to get first ce. But, is she really capable of getting it?


    Susanne was rather irritated, then she went on to say, ¡°Not to mention that you will never get first


    ce. Even if you could get the first ce, I¡¯d never agreed to the two of you being together! You¡¯re


    just a country girl. You¡¯ll never be my son¡¯s life partner.¡±


    As Arielle was about to respond, Vinson suddenly stepped forward and kissed Arielle on the lips.

 Chapter 727

    Chapter 727


    Vinson¡¯s action too sudden.


    Then, Arielle felt something warm and soft pressed against her lips.


    It was a strange feeling. With only a light touch, she felt as though there was static electricity that


    caused a small spark passing through her body. In an instant, her heart started pounding rapidly.


    Thump! Thump! Thump!


    She could almost hear her heartbeat.


    This is my first kiss¡­ Is this how people feel when they¡¯re kissing? It¡¯s like stepping on marshmallows,


    and I feel like being in an electric field. What a magical and wonderful feeling.


    However, she immediately remembered that Susanne was still there, so she quickly reached out to


    push him away subconsciously.


    Just a second before she stretched out her hand, Vinson let go of her, turned around to look at


    Susanne, and said, ¡°Mom, you¡¯ve seen it. She¡¯s the only woman I want. I want to be with her no matter


    you agree or not.¡±


    His deration rendered Arielle speechless, and she tilted her head to look at him.


    Before that, she was notpletely sure of his feelings and went all out when she said those words


    earlier.


    At that moment, she did not regret being too impulsive just now.


    Sometimes, being impulsive gets me in trouble but not this time.


    ¡°You!¡±


    Susanne, who was standing opposite them, was shaking with anger. Pointing her trembling finger at


    Vinson, she questioned, ¡°Do you like her that much?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like her,¡± he piped up softly.


    Hearing that, Arielle widened her eyes in surprise.


    In the next second, he continued, ¡°I love her. My feeling for her is as solid as a rock.¡±


    As soon as Susanne heard that, her mind went nk, and the air seemed to be thinner.


    My son is no longer the person who listens to whatever


    I say.


    All of a sudden, she felt that she hadpletely lost control of him. Consequently, an unprecedented


    panic engulfed her instantly.


    ¡°No! You can¡¯t-¡± Before she could finish her sentence, she suddenly spewed out a mouthful of blood


    and copsed to the ground.


    ¡°Mom!¡± Instantaneously, Vinson rushed forward and


    grabbed her, preventing her from knocking her head on the coffee table.


    Susanne¡¯s eyes were closed tightly, and blood trickled down from the corners of her mouth.


    What was even more frightening was that she began to have an episode of convulsion.


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire!¡± Geoffrey was shocked as well and quickly said to Vinson, ¡°We have to send her to


    the hospital as soon as possible!¡±


    Nodding, Vinson bent over and was about to carry Susanne up.


    ¡°Wait!¡± At that moment, Arielle stepped forward and stopped him.


    Geoffrey had served Susanne for many years and was loyal to her.


    Since Susanne had no liking for Arielle, he disliked her as well. When he saw her stopping Vinson, his


    first thought was that she was hoping Susanne would pass away just like that so that she could


    be thedy of the house.


    ¡°Ms. Moore!¡± He did not care that Vinson was still there and said angrily, ¡°What are you doing? If


    something happens to Mrs. Nightshire, you¡¯ll be responsible for it!¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Frowning, Arielle exined, ¡°I¡¯ve some medical knowledge. Let me take a look at her first.¡±


    Nevertheless, Geoffrey did not believe her words.


    ¡°You¡¯ve medical knowledge? What kind of medical knowledge do you know at your age?¡± With that


    said, he uttered to Vinson anxiously, ¡°We can¡¯t dy any longer. Mrs. Nightshire is in critical condition


    right now. We¡¯ve to send her to the hospital immediately!¡±


    Yet, it seemed like Vinson did not hear his words. He turned his head and asked Arielle with a solemn


    expression, ¡°What should I do?¡±


    ¡°ce her on the ground, and make her lie sideways, so that the blood won¡¯t block her respiratory tract


    and make it harder for her to breathe.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± responded Vinson.


    Just as he was about to do as she said, Geoffrey immediately reached out to stop him.

 Chapter 728

    Chapter 728


    Striding forward, Geoffrey spread his arms to stop Vinson. ¡°Pleasee to your senses! You shan¡¯t be


    blinded by love at times like this. It¡¯s more important to save Mrs. Nightshire¡¯s life now!¡±


    ¡°Blinded by love?¡± Vinson repeated his words.


    Hearing that, Geoffrey shuddered with fear, but out of loyalty toward Susanne, he gulped and uttered,


    ¡°Please pull yourself together!¡±


    ¡°It seems like I haven¡¯t returned home often, and the owner of this house has changed? Even a butler


    could tell me what to do?¡±


    Vinson¡¯s voice was cold, and he shot Geoffrey a narrow eyed stare. In an instant, the air surrounding


    him turned chilly.


    Obviously, Geoffrey could not withstand the immense pressure. He trembled with fear and put down his


    arms.


    ¡°Get him away from here,¡± Vinson ordered.


    Immediately, the bodyguard stepped forward and took Geoffrey away.


    Thetter was angry and frightened. This woman is going to kill Mrs. Nightshire!


    ncing at him, Arielle assured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll save her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s bull-¡± Before he could finish his words, he felt


    the icy gaze from Vinson.


    He could not help but whimper.


    Oh, God! What happened to Mr. Vinson?


    ¡°You can start now.¡± Momentster, Vinson averted his gaze to Arielle and said, ¡°I can¡¯t let anything


    happen to my mom. She¡¯s my only family.¡±


    Nodding, she replied, ¡°I understand.¡±


    Then, she made Susanne lie sideways on the ground and began to check her pulse.


    After a while, she was cognizant of Susanne¡¯s condition.


    ¡°I need something.¡± Shortly afterward, she turned to Vinson and named the tools she needed.


    Instantaneously, Vinson ordered the bodyguard to procure them. Since Nightshire Manor had all the


    tools she needed, it took no time for the bodyguard to find


    them.


    Then, she took a manual sputum aspirator and connected it to a suction tube before carefully sucking


    out the blood in Susanne¡¯s throat.


    Soon, the sputum aspirator gradually turned red, and Susanne¡¯s breathing finally became much


    smoother. The feeling of something stuck in her throat was gone.


    Geoffrey was surprised to see that Susanne¡¯s breathing


    had be smoother. Although the anxiousness in his heart was fading, he was still doubtful.


    Does she really have medical knowledge?


    After Arielle took out the sputum aspirator from Susanne¡¯s throat, she took out the acupuncture needles


    she carried with her.


    Since the incident of Yvette¡¯s father, Russell, she made it a habit to carry the needles with her.


    Fortunately, she brought them with her as well. Little did she expect they would actuallye into use.


    ¡°Hold her down for me,¡± she uttered. ¡°I need to perform acupuncture on her, so we can¡¯t let her move.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± In response, Vinson nodded and held Susanne¡¯s limbs down with a few bodyguards.


    Next, Arielle took out a few silver-ted needles of different lengths and sterilized them. Then, she


    pierced them into Susanne¡¯s skin one after another.


    Looking at her calm gaze, Geoffrey found that he had gotten a hold of himself without realizing it.


    As she was performing acupuncture, her forehead was beaded with sweats.


    All of a sudden, she felt cold on her forehead. Lifting her head, she saw that Vinson was wiping her


    sweat with a towel.


    When he noticed her gaze, he quickly retracted his hand and queried, ¡°Am I disturbing you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Arielle shook her head, calmed herself down, and continued with the treatment.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After the needles pierced into Susanne¡¯s skin, her convulsion gradually stopped, and her pale


    complexion finally turned ruddy.


    Silence enveloped the living room, and at that moment¡­

 Chapter 729

    Chapter 729


    Cough! Cough! Two coughs sounded.


    To Geoffrey¡¯s surprise, Susanne¡¯s eyshes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.


    ¡°She¡¯s awake!¡± he eximed in surprise.


    The bodyguards were also dumbstruck.


    Earlier, Arielle¡¯s movements were fast and urate. All of them held their breath, fearing that Susanne


    would die in her hands.


    However, it turned out that she had sessfully saved Susanne.


    Instantly, Geoffrey took the opportunity to break free from the bodyguards and ran toward Susanne.


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, you¡¯re finally awake!¡±


    At that moment, Susanne¡¯s sight was still a little blurry. It took her several seconds to see clearly.


    Seeing Geoffrey crying beside her, she looked a little confused.


    ¡°W-What happened to me?¡±


    Breathing a sigh of relief, Vinson exined, ¡°You fainted just now, and Sannie saved you.¡±


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sannie?¡± Susanne turned to look at Arielle, who looked pale.


    ¡°Sannie is Arielle¡¯s nickname,¡± exined Vinson.


    In an instant, Susanne furrowed her brows and looked at Geoffrey in disbelief.


    Instead of believing Vinson, she would rather believe in what Geoffrey said.


    Geoffrey immediately nodded and said, ¡°Mr. Vinson is right. Just now, you spewed out a mouthful of


    blood and passed out. Moreover, you had convulsions and looked scary. Ms. Moore sucked out the


    blood clogged in your throat and even performed acupuncture on you. Only then did you regain your


    consciousness.¡±


    Lowering her eyes, Susanne saw the silver-ted needles on her arm. She could only believe what


    Geoffrey said because he would never lie to her.


    In an instant, there wereplicated emotions in her eyes.


    Just then, Arielle said calmly, ¡°Since you¡¯re awake, I¡¯ll remove the needles. You¡¯ve high blood pressure,


    so you shouldn¡¯t stop taking medications. Take your medicine now and the amount of medicine should


    be doubledpared to usual.¡±


    Hearing that, Geoffrey hurriedly went to get water so that Susanne could take her medicine.


    When Susanne swallowed the pills, the stench of blood permeated her mouth. However, she felt


    refreshed, as if her losing consciousness earlier was just a dream.


    Gritting her teeth, she looked at Arielle, who was still removing the needles and remarked coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t


    you think that I¡¯ll agree to let you be with Vin after you saved me. You¡¯re not worthy of him!¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll continue to work hard.¡± Arielle¡¯s crystal clear eyes were cold but confident.


    If it were someone else, they would have taken credit for it. However, she did not. On the contrary, her


    eyes were as calm as a millpond.


    Her expression was sincere and undisturbed, which made Susanne feel flustered. Finally, she began to


    feel embarrassed.


    After thest needle was removed, Arielle¡¯s breathing quickened.


    Acupuncture in ancient Chanaean medicine required a lot of energy from the practitioner.


    After what happened earlier and seeing that Susanne had recovered, she felt relieved and suddenly


    lost all her strength.


    ¡°Vinson.¡± She subconsciously grabbed Vinson¡¯s hand and requested, ¡°I might need to sleep for a


    while.¡±


    As soon as she finished her sentence, her vision went


    ck, and she copsed to the ground.


    ¡°Sannie!¡± Vinson quickly reached out and ced his hand on the back of her head, preventing her from


    knocking her head on the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take her upstairs to rest for a while.¡± Having said that, he carried Arielle up and walked toward his


    room on the second floor.


    Susanne wanted to stop him but held her tongue.


    Huh¡­ Letting out a sigh, she said to Geoffrey, ¡°Help me up.¡±


    Everything that happened today was out of my expectation. It seems that there¡¯s a need to exin


    some of the things to Vin clearly.

 Chapter 730

    Chapter 730


    While helping Susanne up, Geoffrey looked at her and mustered the courage to say, ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, I


    think Mr. Vinson is serious about Ms. Moore. Maybe you should give her a chance. She doesn¡¯t seem


    to be as pathetic as we thought.¡±


    Upon hearing that, she shot him an icy stare. He immediately fell silent and pped himself in the face.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Please ignore what I said.¡±


    Looking at him, Susanne shook her head while she hadplicated emotions.


    She was not heartless and had feelings as well. After knowing what Arielle had done for her, she did


    falter.


    However¡­


    ¡°Forget it!¡± Susanne bit her lip and instructed, ¡°Ask Vin toe down. Tell him that I¡¯ve something to


    tell him.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Geoffrey had served her for so many years. Obviously, he also noticed that she had faltered.


    Immediately afterward, he rushed upstairs to look for Vinson.


    Meanwhile, Vinson dipped a cotton swab with some salt water and put it on Arielle¡¯s lips to hydrate her.


    She was sleeping soundly on hisrge bed, looking weak and helpless.


    Seeing that, he felt distressed.


    Once he thought of what she had done for him, his heart softened.


    He could not help but reach out and gently hold her hand.


    To his surprise, her hand was so small that he could wrap itpletely by spreading his palm out.


    She¡¯s still so young, but she has to experience and endure so much¡­


    While looking at her, his heart clenched as if it was


    stabbed by Arielle¡¯s silver-ted needles.


    Just then, a knock on the door sounded.


    Vinson looked over unhappily, only to see Geoffrey pushing the door and entering the room.


    ¡°Mr. Vinson.¡± Thetter cast a brief look at Arielle, who had dozed off, and said in a low voice, ¡°Mrs.


    Nightshire asked you to head downstairs. She has


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Squeezing Arielle¡¯s hand, Vinson stood up and ordered, ¡°Take good care of her. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    ¡°All right. Don¡¯t worry. Ms. Moore is Mrs. Nightshire¡¯s savior, and Mrs. Nightshire had saved me before,


    so Ms. Moore is my savior as well. I¡¯ll definitely take good care of her!¡±


    Geoffrey¡¯s expression looked like he was willing to do anything for Arielle.


    Seeing that, Vinson felt a little relieved and headed downstairs.


    When he went down, Susanne had already washed up. There were no more bloodstains on her body.


    She was sitting on the couch, and her expression was extremely solemn.


    Soon, Vinson arrived downstairs with a grim expression and asked, ¡°What do you want to tell me?¡±


    Instead of answering him, Susanne dismissed everyone in the living room and waited until all of them


    to leave before saying, ¡°Vin, do you know why I object your rtionship with Arielle?¡±


    Frowning, he answered, ¡°Because, she¡¯s a hoyden from the countryside and won¡¯t be helpful to my


    career.¡±


    Susanne nodded and shook her head. Finally, sheughed self-deprecatingly andmented, ¡°Never


    did I expect that my behavior during this time makes you think that I¡¯m a person who only cares about


    money and the Nightshires¡¯ business.¡±


    ¡°Are you not?¡±


    Hearing his question, she was at a loss for words. ¡°I admit that it¡¯s one of the reasons, but that¡¯s not the


    most important thing.¡±


    Stunned, Vinson looked at her with a serious expression, ¡°What other reason is there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you before¡ªit is because she¡¯s Arielle Moore.¡±


    At that instant, his expression looked more confused.


    Susanne stopped beating around the bush and exined, ¡°Arielle¡¯s mother was my best friend. I won¡¯t


    dislike my best friend¡¯s daughter, even if she grew up in the countryside. If she¡¯s not Arielle, I won¡¯t


    object to it after seeing how determined you are wanting to be with her.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

 Chapter 731

    Chapter 731


    Gradually, Vinson lost his patience and asked Susanne what she meant.


    Why can¡¯t she ept Arielle?


    Letting out a sigh, Susanne piped up in a low voice, ¡°Do you know that Henrick isn¡¯t Arielle¡¯s father?¡±


    Stunned, Vinson responded, ¡°I do.¡±


    Upon hearing that, she could not help but widen her eyes in shock.


    ¡°You knew? How did you find out?¡±


    Suddenly, he could see that his mother¡¯s eyes were full of fear.


    He felt strange, as he had never expected her arrogant self to show such an expression when she


    mentioned Arielle¡¯s identity.


    Suppressing his suspicion temporarily, he replied, ¡°There was once where Henrick wanted Arielle to


    sleep with me in exchange for the benefit of Southall Group. She felt that this wasn¡¯t something a


    biological father could do, so we went to Carter for a DNA test. It turned out that Henrick isn¡¯t her


    biological father, but he didn¡¯t seem to know about this.¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Susanne smiled bitterly. ¡°How would that idiot know? Since Maureen decided to marry Henrick,


    everything was already in her n. Unfortunately, she never expected that she would die in their


    hands.¡±


    Furrowing his brow, he stated, ¡°As expected, you knew how Sannie¡¯s mother died. Did she die in the


    hands of Henrick and Cindy?¡±


    In response, she nodded and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know the specifics, but the two of them must be


    involved in the murder.¡±


    Vinson was puzzled, and there was an inkling of anger in his voice. ¡°Wasn¡¯t Sannie¡¯s mother your best


    friend? Why did you turn a blind eye to her death? Shouldn¡¯t you find out the truth behind her death and


    punish the murderer severely?¡±


    ¡°Because the real mastermind is someone else, and we can¡¯t afford to offend him.¡±


    ¡°We?¡±


    Looking into his eyes, she nodded firmly. ¡°Yes. We as in the entire Nightshire Group. No, even if the


    four most prominent families in Jadeborough work together, we¡¯re not his opponent.¡±


    ¡°Who is he?¡±


    ¡°Do you know Turlen?¡± Susanne clenched her fist tightly to prevent herself from shaking.


    ¡°Turlen.¡± After giving it some thought, he nodded. ¡°When I was in Jadeborough University, the lecturer


    mentioned this country before during the world history ss. This country is very strange. It hasn¡¯t


    established any diplomatic rtions with other countries. We only


    know that it¡¯s mysterious and has a long history. As for how long their history is, we have no way of


    knowing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more than mysterious.¡± She sighed. ¡°Supposedly, a country that has no diplomatic rtions should


    be underdeveloped. However, it still existed after so many years. Moreover, I heard that the people


    from that country have some mysterious powers that can¡¯t be exined by science.¡±


    Nevertheless, Vinson thought of it as a joke.


    ¡°It¡¯s all rumors. They didn¡¯t show themselves, so the outside world has all kinds of spections about


    them.¡±


    In response, Susanne shook her head and smiled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯ve seen that man before. Forget it. It¡¯s


    terrifying to even think about it. The only thing I can tell you is that Arielle¡¯s biological father is from


    Turlen. They don¡¯t allow transnational marriage to ensure purity of the bloodline. That was why


    Maureen didn¡¯t get to marry the man in the end.¡±


    Knitting his brow, Vinson inquired, ¡°So you mean the person who killed Sannie¡¯s mother is from


    Turlen?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded and grabbed his sleeve. ¡°You can like anyone you want, even if she¡¯s poor and can¡¯t


    help you with your career, but not Arielle. She¡¯ll bring unimaginable danger to our family!¡±

 Chapter 732

    Chapter 732


    Susanne looked terrified, and her pupils could not help but dte. That was a sign of ultimate fear.


    No matter what Vinson asked, she remained silent and only asked him to stay away from Arielle.


    ¡°If they don¡¯t know that Arielle is of their bloodline, then all is well. Once they find out about it, they¡¯ll


    definitely get rid of her. When that happens, you¡¯re the only one who¡¯ll be heartbroken.¡± Holding his


    hand tightly, she continued, ¡°Everything I am doing. now is for your own good. You should break up


    with her as soon as possible!¡±


    Nheless, he remained unmoved and pulled his hand away from her grip. ¡°Mom, I already told you


    that I love her. If you want me to be a bachelor and stay alone forever, don¡¯t ept her then.¡±


    ¡°Do you really like her that much?¡± she queried helplessly.


    ¡°I have told you this I love her.¡±


    Hearing that, Susanne paled and closed her eyes.


    At that moment, Geoffrey came down and reported, ¡°Mr. Vinson, Mrs. Nightshire, Ms. Moore is awake.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go check on her.¡± After Vinson walked forward two steps, . he turned around and asked, ¡°Mom, are


    you really unwilling to ept her?¡±


    At that moment, she saw the determination in his eyes. Sighing, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll go up with you to see


    her.¡±


    In the room, Arielle felt that her strength had recovered after taking a rest. However, she could feel her


    head spinning when she just got out of bed.


    Just then, the door was pushed open, and she saw Vinson and Susanne walk in together.


    Although Susanne¡¯s expression was grim, her gaze had changed a little.


    However, Arielle did not quite understand what the change was.


    ¡°Ms. Stone,¡± she took the initiative to greet her.


    Regardless of Susanne¡¯s attitude toward her, she was the one who gave birth to Vinson, so she would


    not harbor any grudge toward her.


    Shortly afterward, Susanne coughed dryly. ¡°You¡¯ve saved my life, and this is what I owe you. Hence, I


    n to give you a chance.¡±


    In an instant, Vinson and Arielle¡¯s eyes lit up at the same time.


    Vinson took the lead and questioned, ¡°Mom, do you agree for us to be together?¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡± Lifting her head, Susanne fixated her gaze on Arielle. ¡°You need to prove your worth to me


    within three months. If you¡¯re worth the risk, i¡¯ll approve your rtionship.¡±


    ¡°Risk?¡± Arielle looked bewildered.


    Why did she say that it¡¯s a risk for Vinson to be with me?


    Nevertheless, Susanne ignored the doubt in her eyes and


    stated, ¡°Remember, you only have three months to prove your value. I won¡¯t interfere with you in these


    three months, but if you can¡¯t prove it after three months, you can never see Vin again. Can you do it?¡±


    Clenching her fists tightly, Arielle nodded without hesitation. ¡°Yes. I can do it!¡±


    Isn¡¯t it just to prove my value? After getting rid of Henrick, i no longer need to hide my identity. By then,


    she¡¯ll naturally see my value. It seems like I¡¯ve to deal with Henrick as soon as possible.


    Seeing the determination in her eyes, Susanne moved her lips, but in the end, she did not say anything


    and left with Geoffrey.


    After walking several steps, Geoffrey suddenly turned back, clenched his fist, and made a ¡°good luck¡±


    gesture to Arielle.


    In response, Arielle curled her lips and smiled weakly, watching as he and Susanne left.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sannie.¡± Vinson stepped forward to hold her and asked with a frown, ¡°Are you feeling better? Do you


    need to go to the hospital?¡±

 Chapter 733

    Chapter 733


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Arielle shook her head. ¡°I know my condition.¡±


    However, Vinson refused. ¡°It¡¯s safer to check on your condition at the hospital.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really unnecessary.¡± She exined, ¡°My condition just now was like I ran for three kilometers and


    used up my energy. Now that I¡¯ve rested for a while, I¡¯m feeling fine now.¡±


    Although her face was still a bit pale, she was not as weak as she was when she passed out.


    Hence, he could only agree and smile apologetically. ¡°My mother is sharp-tongued, but she¡¯s actually


    soft at heart. You¡¯ll


    get to know her better once you get along with her in the future.¡±


    Nodding, shemented, ¡°Since she can be good friends with my mother, I don¡¯t think she is a


    bad person.¡±


    Vinson looked at her sparkling eyes and could not help tousling her hair.


    Feeling the warmth of his palm, she could feel her heart racing.


    Suddenly, she heard his voice. ¡°So, are we taking this marriage seriously now?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Instead of answering, she asked, ¡°Do you know what the psychologist say to me?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I said I¡¯m flustered whenever I see you, and he said,


    congrattions, you¡¯re in love.¡± While saying that, Arielle stuck out her tongue. ¡°I can¡¯t let him


    congratte me in vain, right?¡±


    To her, having a crush on him secretly could not be considered as being in love.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Abruptly, Vinson thought of the drama that he had watched for the whole afternoon and remarked,


    ¡°Woman, you¡¯re ying with fire.¡±


    Puzzled, she questioned, ¡°Vinson, are you okay?¡±


    Immediately, the smile on his face froze, and he scolded Jordan in his heart.


    I don¡¯t think I can be a domineering CEO.


    Holding her shoulder with one hand, he was about to kiss her on the lips when the phone suddenly


    rang.


    It was from Sasha and ke.


    He showed her the caller ID and said, ¡°They probably had some news from Manchernius.¡±


    With that said, he answered the call and put it on the loudspeaker.


    On the other end of the line, Sasha¡¯s voice came through. ¡°Boss, where are you? We¡¯ve found the


    information, and we¡¯re at the airport now. There are too many people here, so it¡¯s inconvenient to talk.


    Where shall we meet?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s meet at Maple Mansion then.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    When Arielle heard Sasha¡¯s voice, she suddenly recalled the awkwardness some time ago.


    While she got in the car to leave Nightshire Manor with Vinson, she could not help but ask, ¡°Vinson, I


    think Sasha is pretty. What do you think?¡±


    Hearing that, Vinson turned around and nced at her. ¡°Are you jealous?¡±


    She was stumped by his words and felt embarrassed because she felt like he had seen through her.


    Pretending to be calm, she looked out of the window and denied, ¡°Who is jealous? I¡¯m just stating the


    fact and asking for your opinion.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± He did not expose her. Holding the steering wheel with one hand, he held her left hand with the


    other.


    Raising the corners of his lips slightly, he stated, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯s beautiful. I don¡¯t judge people by


    their looks.¡±


    The next moment, she looked at him with contempt. ¡°Really?¡±


    In response, Vinson shrugged his shoulders and uttered, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for her, I wouldn¡¯t realize that I¡¯m


    in love with you.¡±


    Dumbfounded, she queried, ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember that I didn¡¯t answer your call for a while?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded.


    Not only did she remember, but it was carved in her memory.


    During that period, she was extremely frustrated. Thinking about it, she might have fallen in love with


    Vinson at that time.


    Momentster, he continued, ¡°She told me that if I don¡¯t know how I feel about you, then try not to


    contact you for a week. If I can do it, then you¡¯re just a friend to me. If I can¡¯t do it, it means I like you.


    You knew what happenedter on-I just couldn¡¯t do it.¡±

 Chapter 734

    Chapter 734


    Vinson felt that he could not stand it if he did not see Arielle for a day, let alone a week.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± she drawled.


    Gazing at her expression, he asked curiously, ¡°Did you miss me during the time I didn¡¯t contact you?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± she answered without hesitation. ¡°I was so busy that I didn¡¯t have time to miss you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Vinson pretended to be hurt, but he had already seen the blush on her cheek.


    Soon, they arrived at Maple Mansion.


    When they arrived, Sasha and ke were already waiting for them.


    Previously, Arielle got hold of the dregs of the herb that Cindy drank, but she could not tell what kind of


    herb it was, so she asked Vinson to send someone to investigate it.


    Once they entered the mansion, Vinson questioned, ¡°What did you find?¡±


    Immediately, Sasha replied respectfully, ¡°Boss, the herb you asked us to investigate is indeed made in


    Manchernius.¡±


    Arielle asked hurriedly, ¡°What is the effect of that herb?¡±


    ¡°The name of this herb is Gaea. It¡¯s named after a goddess who has no husband but can create


    children. The herb is the same as its name. After drinking it, it can create children.


    However, it¡¯s just an illusion. After taking the herb, the human body will show signs of pregnancy, but


    that¡¯s all. A child will not actually be born after taking the herb.¡±


    After listening to Sasha¡¯s exnation, Arielle came to a realization.


    Her assumption had proven to be true. Cindy was faking her pregnancy


    Sneering, shemented, ¡°Henrick wanted Cindy to give birth to a son, but little did he know that she


    isn¡¯t pregnant at all!¡±


    The next moment, Vinson also remarked sarcastically, ¡°Cindy is quite capable, seeing that she¡¯s able to


    get her hands on this kind of herb.¡±


    ¡°It should be her lover, Matthias, who helped her get it. He seemed to have a lot of ways to obtain


    something like this.¡±


    Just then, ke piped up, ¡°Ms. Moore, we brought something back.¡±


    With that, he took out a bag of ck herbs from his pocket.


    After smelling them, Arielle recognized some of the herbs, but there were some that she did not know.


    ¡°What is this?¡± she inquired.


    ke responded, ¡°It¡¯s something that can expose the lie.¡±


    Next to him, Sasha added, ¡°After eating this, it¡¯ll be pointless to eat Gaea. Also, there¡¯ll be a bacsh,


    and she¡¯ll never be


    pregnant again.¡±


    Reaching out, Arielle took over the bag of herbs, intending to


    give it to Larissa so that she could mix them into Cindy¡¯s ¡°antiabortifacient.¡±


    ¡°Do you need help?¡± Vinson inquired.


    In response, Arielle shook her head. ¡°No. Since Cindy is faking her pregnancy, she¡¯ll definitely find a


    way to fake a miscarriage, after the herb has failed. She has to find a reason for her miscarriage, and


    I¡¯m sure the first person she thinks of is me. At that time, she can use Henrick to get rid of me.¡±


    Nodding, Vinson averted his gaze to Sasha and ke. ¡°Thank you for your hard work. Go back and


    have a good rest.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Both of them were quick to read the atmosphere and left hurriedly.


    Shifting his gaze back to Arielle, he suggested, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Why don¡¯t you sleep here tonight?¡±


    All of a sudden, she had a feeling that she had walked into a lion¡¯s den, and she was the lion¡¯s prey.


    Instantly, she blushed with embarrassment and stuttered, ¡°V Vinson, I¡¯m not ready to-¡±


    Pfft! Vinson sniggered and tapped her forehead. ¡°What are you thinking? Do you think I¡¯m that kind of


    man who is so desperate? I¡¯ll wait for you to be ready. So, sleep here tonight? There are a lot of rooms


    here. I won¡¯t sleep in the same room with you. Okay?¡±


    Vinson almost sounded like he was pleading like a child begging for sweets.


    Realizing that she could not bring herself to reject him, she nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    After the incident with Donovan, she felt disgusted to stay in her house, so it was better to stay at


    Vinson¡¯s house.


    Before going to bed, he gave her a cup of hot milk and took the opportunity to ask, ¡°Can I go in to sit for


    a while?¡±


    Bang! However, the response he received was a closed door.


    Smiling resignedly, he returned to his room rather disappointedly.


    He truly regretted it.


    I should¡¯ve said there are many rooms in the house, but there¡¯s only one bed. My bad.


    Meanwhile, Arielle had a good night¡¯s sleep. In the blink of an eye, the weekend had passed, and she


    was surprised to find that her life pace was almost identical to Vinson¡¯s.


    Both of them woke up early in the morning and had simr eating habits.


    At the same time, the face recognitionparison results had alsoe out.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t find anything.¡± Vinson handed the data to Arielle and uttered, ¡°We can¡¯t find any simr face


    in the global database.¡±

 Chapter 735

    Chapter 735


    Sighing with a grim expression, she said, ¡°My people have also sent me some data. Among nearly six


    billion men in this world, we can¡¯t find the man in the photo at all.¡±


    Initially, Vinson wanted to tell her about Turlen, but he changed his mind when he thought of Susanne¡¯s


    horrified expression.


    If Mom is right about the people from Turlen being dangerous, / shouldn¡¯t let Arielle know about them


    for now. I can investigate the matter in secret first and tell her about itter.


    Thinking of that, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Didn¡¯t you get the keys to the archive? With the photo, it¡¯s more


    convenient for you to investigate him. A person can¡¯t disappear into thin air. We¡¯ll find him sooner or


    later.¡±


    While nodding, she thought that her priority was to deal with Henrick and Cindy, so she put that matter


    behind temporarily.


    Soon, their peaceful life ended, and came Monday.


    As usual, Arielle went to attend sses at Jadeborough University. The moment she entered the


    ssroom, she heard two girls crying.


    ¡°Don¡¯t arrest me! I don¡¯t want to go! Let go of me!¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Please cooperate. We aren¡¯t going to send you to jail directly.


    You still have a chance to make an appeal.¡±


    Stepping into the ssroom, Arielle saw the two girls who had mocked her at the gate before being


    dragged out by some


    police.


    Scanned with CamScanner


    Chaptor 735


    Immediately, Trisha hurried over and exined in a low voice, ¡°Sannie, I heard that they have been


    sued for defamation. Furthermore, the attorney is from Nightshire Group. They¡¯ve never lost a case


    before.¡±


    Raising her eyebrows, Arielle stated, ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of time before they¡¯ve to pay for the evil deeds


    they¡¯d done. I¡¯ve let them rx for two days, so now is the time.¡±


    Trisha was taken aback and asked in surprise, ¡°They have ndered you?¡±


    In response, Arielle nodded. ¡°They said I beat them up and caused them to have a concussion. I


    wonder how many years they will spend in jail.¡±


    Clenching her fists tightly, Trisha said indignantly, ¡°They deserve it then! Otherwise, you¡¯ll be the one


    who¡¯ll be arrested.¡±


    Just then, both girls saw Arielle.


    The tall girl broke away from the police and rushed toward her.


    Coincidentally, Jared walked into the ssroom and saw that scene. Immediately, he stood in front of


    Arielle.


    Unexpectedly, the girl did not intend to attack Arielle but knelt before her.

 Chapter 736

    Chapter 736


    The ssroom floor was made of marble. Everyone who heard the loud noise when the girl knelt could


    not help but feel the pain on their knees.


    However, the girl seemed to be unaware of the pain. She knocked her head on the ground and begged


    while crying, ¡°Arielle, I was wrong. Please don¡¯t let the police arrest me. I won¡¯t bad-mouth you again!¡±


    Seeing that, the other girl also knelt and knocked her head on the ground.


    The sound of them knocking their heads on the ground shocked the entire ssroom.


    Neither of them expected that the police would actually arrest them.


    Although they felt uneasy at first, they hadpletely forgotten what happened at the gate after a few


    days of peaceful life. Moreover, they even continued to bad mouth Arielle secretly, thinking that Vinson


    would never bother about such an insignificant matter.


    Unexpectedly, the police appeared when they came to the university


    O


    Finally, they realized that it was just a matter of time before they paid for the things they did.


    Feeling scared, they could only endure all the displeasure and swallow their pride to beg Arielle.


    ¡°Arielle, since we¡¯re ssmates, can you please


    overlook the mistake we made that day?¡±


    ¡°Please, I beg of you. We¡¯ll never create any trouble for you again in the future. Not only that, but we¡¯ll


    also listen to everything you say, as long as you don¡¯t ask the police to arrest us. Okay?¡±


    Both of the girls pleaded desperately. At that moment, Wendy entered the ssroom.


    Seeing her, they quickly turned to her and uttered, ¡°Wendy, please help us! We have offended Arielle


    because of you.¡±


    Immediately, Wendy¡¯s expression stiffened. Although she did not want to get involved in the matter, she


    was afraid that the two girls would attack her instead, and that would affect her image.


    Left with no choice, she said, ¡°Arielle, it¡¯s not a big deal to argue with your ssmates. Isn¡¯t it a bit too


    much for you to ask the police toe and arrest them?¡±


    Since the other ssmates were not aware of what happened, so they looked at Arielle as they were


    confused.


    It¡¯s really too much if she asks the police to arrest our ssmates because of a small matter.


    Lowering her head, Arielleughed indifferently, and Wendy felt ufortable upon hearing that.


    She frowned and questioned, ¡°Why are youughing?


    Do you really want them to go to jail over a small


    dispute?¡±


    Lifting her head to meet Wendy¡¯s gaze, Arielle piped up softly, ¡°A small dispute? Is that really the


    case???


    Wendy asked with a stiff face, ¡°Isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Fine.¡± Arielle nodded. ¡°Then I¡¯ll let everyone see if this is a small dispute.¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Having said that, she took out her phone and asked for the video from thewyer. Subsequently, she


    turned on theputer and projected the video on the screen.


    When Wendy felt that something was amiss and wanted to stop her, it was already toote.


    The video had been edited, and only the important parts were shown.


    As the video yed, everyone in the ssroom averted their gaze to watch it.


    In the video, the two girls were obviously provoking Arielle. After the little boy next to her pushed them


    away in anger, the police arrived.


    .


    At that moment, Arielle stated, ¡°My brother couldn¡¯t stand them provoking me, so he pushed them, but


    they called the police and said that we beat them up, causing them to have a concussion.¡±


    Next to her, Jared added with a cold face, ¡°Evidently,


    they were the one provoking Arielle, but they framed her for beating them up instead. A concussion is


    considered a serious injury. If found guilty, Arielle is likely to be sentenced to more than three years in


    jail. Wendy, you were clearly at the scene when that happened. How can you say that it¡¯s just a small


    dispute?¡±

 Chapter 737

    Chapter 737


    As soon as Jared finished speaking, everyone in the ssroom came to a realization.


    So that was what happened!


    Momentster, they started to reprimand Wendy.


    ¡°Is she not ashamed?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! If the police didn¡¯t find out that they were pretending to have a concussion, wouldn¡¯t Arielle


    be the one to be arrested? How dare she say that it¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t she feel embarrassed?¡±


    The color drained from Wendy¡¯s face when more and more people began to speak out for Arielle.


    Finally, she could not stand it anymore and ran out of the ssroom with reddened eyes.


    Why is everyone scolding me when I¡¯m helping the two girls? Even if Arielle isn¡¯t at fault, what did I do


    wrong? I was just being kind!


    Wendy clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palm. Her hatred toward Arielle had


    grown more intense.


    At that moment, she felt a hand on her shoulder.


    Shortly afterward, Donovan¡¯s voice sounded from behind her. ¡°Wendy, the ss is about to start. Why


    are


    you sitting here crying? What happened?¡±


    Turning her head, she saw his face, and the tears trickled down her face instantly.


    ¡°Mr. Baxter, was I really at fault?¡±


    Confused, he quickly asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    She replied vaguely, ¡°Two students from our ss had a little misunderstanding with Arielle, and she


    called the police to arrest them. I was worried that it would have a bad influence on the university¡¯s


    image if things got serious, so I spoke out for them. As a result, everyone in the ss, including Arielle,


    began to reprimand me. Mr. Baxter, don¡¯t you think I speak out for them?¡±


    As soon as he heard her words, he was seething with anger.


    Arielle! It¡¯s Arielle again! Does she think she can do whatever she wants with Vinson¡¯s support? Does


    she think that I¡¯m dead?


    Taking a nce at Wendy, heforted, ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Don¡¯t doubt yourself because


    of what they said. Wait here. I¡¯ll go and take a look.¡±


    In response, Wendy choked and nodded.


    Looking at Donovan¡¯s figure, she felt impatient and could not help but follow him.


    The moment he walked into the ssroom, the two girls


    were being dragged out by the police.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Immediately, he strode forward and stopped the police. ¡°I¡¯m their homeroom teacher. It¡¯s just a


    small dispute between students. There¡¯s no need to arrest them as we can settle this privately.¡±


    Just as he finished speaking, the police looked at him peculiarly, making him feel awkward.


    Doubtful, he questioned, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Can¡¯t they settle the matter privately if they¡¯re willing to do


    that?¡±


    At that, he red at Arielle and uttered, ¡°Do you really need to call the police for such a small matter?


    Don¡¯t you know that if you do this, you¡¯ll ruin their lives?¡±


    Arielle responded tly, ¡°I¡¯m not the one to decide that.¡±


    In an instant, he inquired displeasedly, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    At that moment, all the students in the ss exined the situation to him.


    ¡°Mr. Baxter, they lied that Arielle had hurt them badly. If they were sessful, she would be jailed for a


    few years.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Mr. Baxter. It was obvious that they provoked Arielle first. Arielle¡¯s brother couldn¡¯t stand it


    and pushed them gently, but they said they had a concussion and called the police to arrest Arielle.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not Arielle who wants to arrest them. She¡¯s just defending her legal rights.¡±

 Chapter 738

    Chapter 738


    Everyone in the ss exined seriously, and all of them were siding Arielle.


    Donovan was embarrassed and asked the police directly, ¡°Do you really have to arrest them?¡±?


    While nodding, the police responded, ¡°These two students in your ss lodged a false report, and


    they¡¯re also suspected of serious defamation. We¡¯ve enough evidence to arrest them. This has nothing


    to do with this female student. On the contrary, she¡¯s the victim.¡±


    Another police officer patted Donovan on the shoulder and said, ¡°As a teacher, it¡¯s right to protect the


    students in the ss, but you¡¯ve to be fair. You shouldn¡¯t be taking sides.¡±


    The police office advised earnestly, but it was humiliating for Donovan.


    Ignoring Donovan¡¯s grim expression, the police officer announced seriously, ¡°We¡¯ll take them away


    ording to the procedure. If you stop us again, we can arrest you for obstruction of official duty.¡±


    At that instant, Donovan¡¯s face flushed with anger, and he could only take a step back and watch as the


    police took the two girls away.


    When Wendy saw his expression, she was afraid that he would turn around and scold her.


    However, he did not see her at all. Instead, he red at Arielle with displeasure.


    Breathing a sigh of relief, Wendy secretly rejoiced that Donovan had never liked Arielle. Otherwise, he


    would definitely me her for not exining the matter clearly and cause him to be humiliated.


    Yet, he did not me her, but she could feel the hostile gazes from the other ssmates.


    Her face fell, and she returned to her seat in embarrassment.


    Trisha cast a brief look at Wendy and whispered in Arielle¡¯s ear, ¡°Mr. Baxter¡¯s gaze was so scary just


    now. Wendy must have added fuel to the fire, so that¡¯s why he looked at you like that. Do you want to


    exin to him?¡±


    Shaking her head, Arielle responded, ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. It¡¯s a waste of energy.¡±


    It was better to ignore someone like Donovan. If he annoyed her, she would not hold back in exposing


    his scandal.


    If she exposed his scandal, his sentence would be much heavier than the two girls.


    Standing on the podium, Donovan opened his lesson n to prepare for ss irritably.


    Those two days during the weekend were the two most tormenting days he spent at home.


    Since Queenie stayed with him, he had not been able to sleep well for two days because of all the


    conflicts.


    This isn¡¯t marriage. It¡¯s hell!


    Fortunately, there was a dorm in the university. Early on Monday morning, he took everything to the


    dorm and decided that he would never go back before divorcing her.


    Pinching his nose bridge, he said in a very tired voice, ¡°Turn to page one hundred and twenty-one.¡±


    Meanwhile, at the Southall residence, since Donovan¡¯s incident, Henrick had not been able to sleep


    properly at night, fearing that Arielle would bad-mouth him in front of Vinson.


    However, after waiting for two days, nothing had happened, and he finally felt relieved.


    ¡°Larissa!¡± While eating breakfast, he ordered, ¡°Don¡¯t forget to give Mrs. Southall her antiabortifacient.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± In response, Larissa bowed and returned to the kitchen.


    Recently, Henrick had fired many housekeepers. There was only one chef left in the mansion. At that


    moment, the chef had gone to rest after making breakfast for him.


    Looking around, Larissa made sure that no one would enter the kitchen and mixed the ck herbs in


    her pocket into the antiabortifacient that was being boiled.


    It was already the second day she put in the herbs given by Arielle, and no one had found out about it.


    Seeing that it was almost time, she poured out the ¡°antiabortifacient¡± and brought it to Cindy¡¯s room.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 739

    Chapter 739


    Cindy had lost contact with the outside world for almost a week. She sat in her room gloomily, her gaze


    waspletely lifeless.


    When she saw Larissa bringing the medicine in, she regained some energy and drank everything in


    one gulp.


    Larissa was about to take the bowl out when Cindy grabbed her wrist.


    ¡°M-Ma¡¯am.¡± Larissa asked guiltily, ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    Did she realize that something¡¯s amiss?


    Cindy sighed and asked, ¡°Did you try to convince Henrick to let me out?¡±


    Feeling relieved, Larissa nodded. ¡°Yeah, but Mr. Southall said to let you calm down for a while.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± spat Cindy as she stood up and paced around the room in frustration.


    Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks and instructed Larissa, ¡°Tell Henrick that it¡¯s been a week already.


    Since I¡¯m pregnant, I need to go to the hospital for my weekly maternity checkup. He has to let me out!


    Also, tell him that I¡¯ve already calmed down and won¡¯t bring up divorce again.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Larissa nodded and left.


    Cindy stared at Larissa till she disappeared from her


    view, her expression turned grim.


    She had not felt any morning sickness anymore, perhaps because her medicine had expired. Her


    pregnancy supplements were almost running out, but she could not contact Matthias at all. Hence, she


    had to get out and think of a way to meet him and get more ¡®supplements¡¯.


    Just when Cindy was feeling frustrated and unsettled, the bedroom door was flung open.


    It was Henrick.


    Cindy¡¯s eyes lit up as she rushed toward him. ¡°Rick, I¡¯ve already thought it through and calmed down.


    Since we¡¯ve gone through so many hardships together, I can¡¯t possibly get a divorce over such a minor


    issue.¡±


    A look of relief crossed Henrick¡¯s eyes. He asked, ¡°Have you really decided not to divorce from me?¡±?


    Cindy stroked her belly and revealed an affectionate look. ¡°I¡¯m already pregnant, so why should I get a


    divorce? What will happen if my baby doesn¡¯t have a father? I was just spouting nonsense out of fury. I


    didn¡¯t expect you to take me seriously!¡±


    When Henrick heard that, he pulled Cindy into his arms.


    Suppressing her difort, Cindy continued, ¡°You need to give me more time to prepare. I can¡¯t get


    used to it if we suddenly return to your hometown. Give me some time, alright?¡±¡¯


    ¡°Alright.¡± Henrick agreed quickly before saying, ¡°Someone contacted me today. He¡¯s thinking of buying


    ourpany, so I¡¯ll be discussing it with him. The negotiation willst for at least a week, so that¡¯ll be


    enough time for you to mentally prepare yourself.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Cindy was surprised. Henrick is so quick!


    However, remembering the situation she was in, Cindy forced herself to calm down. She shed


    Henrick a stiff smile and said, ¡°I understand. I should be able to mentally prepare myself after a week.¡±


    As long as she could meet Matthias, it was not toote.


    He¡¯ll definitely have a solution!


    Cindy continued, ¡°I need to go to the hospital for a check-up. You should go ahead with your work. I


    can head there myself.¡±


    ¡°No way! Let me apany you to the check-up first. My son is more important than money!¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Cindy quickly reassured him, ¡°After your negotiation seeds, you will have plenty of time to


    apany me to go for maternity check-ups. There¡¯s no need to rush.¡±


    Thinking that it was reasonable, Henrick agreed.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get two bodyguards to protect you. Come back home immediately after the checkup. It¡¯s


    crowded outside, so you might crash into someone.¡±


    Cindy nodded vigorously.


    After sending Henrick off, she whipped out her phone.

 Chapter 740

    Chapter 740


    She immediately contacted Matthias.


    The call went through quickly and he asked, ¡°Cindy, where have you been? Why didn¡¯t you contact


    me?¡±


    Knowing that Henrick was starting to have his doubts, Matthias did not dare to contact Cindy and


    waited for her to make the first move instead.


    However, a week passed and nothing happened.


    Sounding like she was on the verge of tears, Cindyined, ¡°Matthias, Henrick has locked me up!


    Also, he¡¯s going to sell the Southall Group!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s rather inconvenient to talk over the phone. I told them that I¡¯m going for a maternity check-up at the


    hospital, but I¡¯ll shake the bodyguards off my tail. Let¡¯s meet at the backdoor of the General Hospital.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    After ending the call, Cindy walked out of the bathroom and eagerly headed to the General Hospital.


    When she arrived, she dismissed the bodyguards by saying that it was inconvenient for them to


    apany her to the gynecologist. Then, she went to meet Matthias.


    When they met, Matthias hugged Cindy tightly and kissed her passionately.


    Oblivious to both of them, there was a camera aimed right at them. The shutter clicked rapidly.


    Noticing something amiss, Cindy shot a quick nce in that direction.


    However, except for the cars zooming by, she did not see anyone.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Matthias as he was concerned.


    Cindy shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m just being suspicious. There are too many people here, so


    let¡¯s talk in your car instead.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Matthias¡¯ car was parked nearby. The moment they entered the car, Matthias wanted to get intimate


    with Cindy again.


    However, she shoved him away. Frowning, she eximed, ¡°I¡¯m in no mood to entertain you now. Think


    of a solution for me quickly! Once Henrick sells thepany, I might not be able to get it back. Also, I


    think that the medicine you gave me has expired. I don¡¯t feel pregnant at all.¡±


    Matthias shook his head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have any medicine left with me.¡±


    ¡°Go and buy some from Manchernius! The baby is the only way I can restrain Henrick. As long as we


    can get some shares from him, we can even borrow a child as


    ourst resort.


    Sighing, Matthias said, ¡°The supply over at Manchernius has been halted. I think someone raided the


    hideout.¡±


    ¡°How did that happen?¡± A grim look crossed Cindy¡¯s face.


    After deliberating about it, she said, ¡°In that case, I can only stage a miscarriage.¡±


    Matthias thought about it and suggested, ¡°Instead of demanding some shares from Henrick, isn¡¯t it


    better for you to have a fake miscarriage and divorce him? In that case, you can get half of his assets.¡±


    ¡°But he won¡¯t agree to that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think of a way to find a young and beautiful woman to seduce him. After you lose your child, he


    won¡¯t have any reason to oppose the divorce. Also, ording to thews, the court will automatically


    approve a divorce as long as both of you live separately for a few years.¡±


    Cindy¡¯s eyes lit up as she nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s do that! Bring me to a ce now.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Jadeborough University.¡±


    At Jadeborough University, the morning sses finally ended, with everyone almost nodding off to


    sleep.


    Both Donovan and the students were distracted during the lesson.


    With much difficulty, they made it through the lesson. Trisha grabbed Arielle and said, ¡°A new


    restaurant has just opened opposite the school. Let¡¯s eat there instead of at the canteen.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Arielle smiled gently, but her gaze was fixed on a message on a phone.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 741

    Chapter 741


    The message consisted of a few high-definition photos.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    In the photos, Cindy and Matthias were hugging each other and kissing passionately. Were it not for


    the wrinkles on their faces, one might assume that they were a young couple in love.


    After all, an illicit love affair was always the most passionate.


    Noticing Arielle¡¯s gaze, Trisha asked, ¡°What are you looking at, Sannie?¡±


    Arielle kept her phone and shook her head. ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just¡­ a surprise.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Trisha was not interested in the surprise¡ªher attention was wholly focused on the new


    restaurant.


    Hand in hand, they walked to the school gate. At that moment, someone called out to her.


    ¡°Arielle!¡±


    Arielle paused.


    Why does that sound like Cindy?


    When she turned around and nced over, she saw Cindy walking over with a huge grin.


    It¡¯s really Cindy!


    Arielle rapidly sent a message before narrowing her


    eyes and scrutinizing Cindy.


    In traditional Chanaean medicine, one can notice a lot of things just by observing.


    Arielle immediately noticed the signs of exhaustion that Cindy was trying to conceal.


    Looks like she hasn¡¯t been doing quite well recently.


    When Cindy saw Arielle scrutinizing her like that, she suddenly felt uneasy


    Arielle¡¯s gaze was so intense that it was as if she could see right through her.


    Forcing herself to calm down, Cindy walked toward Arielle briskly and greeted her enthusiastically,


    ¡°Long time no see, Arielle! How have you been?¡±


    Cindy spoke in a gentle tone, sounding like an affectionate mother.


    However, Arielle knew that this was just her act.


    She could see right through Cindy¡¯s pretense and guess what she was nning.


    Just like what she had said earlier, Cindy had not shown any signs of pregnancy recently. Furthermore,


    as ke and Sasha had already raided the hideout of Gaea Medicine, Cindy was definitely eager to


    have a miscarriage.


    In that case, she would definitely want to drag Arielle down with her.


    Cindy¡¯s n was quite ingenious. If Arielle were just an innocent and ignorant girl, she would have died


    over a hundred times in Cindy¡¯s hands.


    ncing at Cindy calmly, Arielle asked, ¡°Why are you here? No wonder I was having a bad feeling


    today.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± An awkward look crossed Cindy¡¯s face.


    However, remembering her motive for being here, she suppressed her unhappiness and revealed a


    pitiful look. ¡°Arielle, how can you speak to your mother like that? Others might think that we¡¯re


    enemies.¡±


    As lessons had just ended, there were many students at the gate.


    Having be one of the most popr students at Jadeborough University because of the tranting


    video, Arielle attracted a lot of attention.


    After Cindy spoke, many students who did not know Arielle well looked surprised.


    ¡°Why does Arielle have such a poor attitude toward her mother?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit too much, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Ignoring their look of surprise, Arielle cast her gaze downward and scoffed coldly. Then, she raised her


    head


    and met Cindy¡¯s glossy eyes. With an indifferent tone, she asked, ¡°My mother? Do you even deserve to


    be my mother?¡±


    Knowing that Arielle would say that, Cindy feigned a pitiful look.


    Wiping her nonexistent tears away, she sobbed and said, ¡°No matter what, I¡¯ve been married to your


    father and taken care of him for so many years. After you came home, I spent so much effort looking


    after you. It turns out that you¡¯re still unwilling to acknowledge me as your mother.¡±

 Chapter 742

    Chapter 742


    After hearing what Cindy said, the students watching them became displeased with Arielle.


    ¡°So she¡¯s Arielle¡¯s stepmother! She seems like a nice person. Why does Arielle refuse to ept her?¡±


    ¡°Even if she can¡¯t, she should still be courteous toward her stepmother. It¡¯s really rude for her to act like


    this.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s gaze was still cold.


    Casting Cindy a meaningful nce, Arielle smirked mockingly and dered, ¡°Well, you¡¯re my aunt.


    After my mom passed away, you did take care of my dad well


    to the extent that you even slept with him! I should thank you for keeping my dadpany despite his


    old


    age.¡±


    Cindy¡¯s expression stiffened while everyone else eximed in shock.


    ¡°What the heck? No wonder Arielle doesn¡¯t like her stepmother. She went from being Arielle¡¯s aunt to


    her stepmother! That¡¯s quite disgusting.¡±


    ¡°I heard that Arielle has been chased out by her family. Was her stepmother the one who convinced her


    dad to chase her out?¡±


    ¡°I only thought that such ridiculous events happened in soap operas, not in real life! Poor Arielle!¡±


    ¡°If I were that woman, I¡¯d feel too ashamed to appear in front of Arielle. She even calls herself Arielle¡¯s


    mother!


    There are no limits to her shamelessness!¡±


    Everyone started hurling insults at Cindy:


    Cindy did not expect that she would be the public enemy just after what Arielle said.


    A vicious expression flitted across her face before she denied pitifully, ¡°How can you say that about me,


    Arielle? Your dad pursued me first! Since his wife died and I wasn¡¯t married, why couldn¡¯t we be


    together?¡±


    At that moment, a voice sounded.


    ¡°My family used to work with Arielle¡¯s family. During the adopted daughter¡¯s funeral, I heard that she¡¯s


    not actually adopted, but actually an illegitimate child Cindy had with Arielle¡¯s father before his wife


    died!¡±


    ¡°What the heck? How shameless can they be?¡±


    ¡°If I were Arielle, I would have just kicked that woman¡¯s face. Arielle is so dignified¡ªshe can actually


    suppress her urge to punch her stepmother!¡±


    Cindy felt utterly humiliated. Since she could not think of any rebuttals to embarrass Arielle, she


    decided to go straight to the point.


    Upon that thought, she grabbed Arielle¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Arielle!¡± Staring at her eagerly, Cindy coaxed, ¡°I¡¯m not here to argue with you, but to take you home.


    Now that you¡¯re all alone outside, I can¡¯t help but feel worried


    about you. Why don¡¯t youe home with me?¡±


    After speaking, she grabbed Arielle¡¯s arm even more forcefully. If Arielle flung her arm away, she would


    take the opportunity to fall down.


    Matthias had already prepared a bag of fake blood beforehand. After falling down, she would pretend


    to have a miscarriage.


    The n was wless¡ªall that was left for Arielle to shove her aside.


    In the next second, Arielle raised her arm in disgust.


    Cindy immediately leaned backward, all prepared to fall.


    However, before she could copse onto the ground, Arielle suddenly shrieked. Despite being perfectly


    bnced previously, she suddenly toppled backward.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Stunned, Cindy watched as Arielle fell onto the ground.


    ¡°Sannie!¡±


    When Cindy suddenly appeared, Trisha was already dumbfounded. Upon seeing Arielle fall, Trisha


    quickly helped her up and asked worriedly, ¡°Are you okay, Sannie?¡±


    Arielle nodded, but rubbed her back with a look


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Furious, Trisha red at Cindy.


    With a burst of courage, she yelled at Cindy, ¡°Ma¡¯am, you¡¯ve crossed the line! If you don¡¯t apologize to


    Arielle, I¡¯ll call the police right now!¡±

 Chapter 743

    Chapter 743


    The other students did not see what Arielle did-all they knew was that Cindy had caused her to fall.


    There were many guys around. Upon seeing how their crush had just been bullied, they surrounded


    Cindy quickly.


    ¡°Hey, why are you bullying our schoolmate at the gate? Do you think that we will just let you be?¡±


    ¡°Apologize right now! Otherwise, we won¡¯t let you leave the school.¡±


    ¡°Call the guards over now! Someone is bullying a student!¡±


    Having always enjoyed a life of luxury, Cindy had never been in such a situation before. Flustered, she


    waved her hands anxiously and denied, ¡°I didn¡¯t push her! She fell on her own!¡±


    However, no one listened to her. Some people even started throwing rubbish onto her.


    Furious, she red at Arielle, who was feigning a pitiful look. ¡°Tell them the truth, Arielle! Did you fall


    deliberately? I didn¡¯t even use any force. Stop pretending!¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t use any force?¡±


    Arielle raised the arm which had been grabbed by Cindy and showed it to everyone,


    There were a few red streaks on her arm which had been left from Cindy¡¯s grip.


    Unable to exin herself, Cindy paled.


    The students of Jadeborough University were very united. When they saw the bruises on Arielle¡¯s arm,


    they rushed forward and confronted Cindy.


    ¡°How can you im that you didn¡¯t use any force? You might as well break her arm!¡±


    ¡°You despicable old hag! You might act all mighty at home, but how dare you act so arrogantly in our


    school? Do you think that you can get away with this?¡±


    ¡°Kneel! Kneel and apologize!¡±


    ¡°I think that we should just call the police and lock her up for a few days.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be letting her go too easily! Let¡¯s p her a few times to give her a taste of her medicine.¡±


    While the students spoke, they grabbed Cindy¡¯s arms and restrained her.


    Cindy¡¯s cheeks turned pale and she screamed, ¡°Let go of me! Do you know who I am? I¡¯ll make your


    families go bankrupt!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but my family members are farmers. Thend¡¯s owned by the government, so you can¡¯t


    make us go bankrupt.¡±


    ¡°p her till her face swells up!¡±


    Cindy protested loudly, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to touch me! I¡¯m pregnant! If I had a miscarriage, all of you


    will be doomed.¡±


    Despite yelling out loud, she could not break free from the students¡¯ grip and make a run for it. She


    looked extremely pathetic and ridiculous.


    Witnessing this scene, Arielle raised her chin and the look in her eyes became frosty.


    You reap what you sow.


    Upon hearing that Cindy was pregnant, some students were surprised and did not dare to attack her.


    However, others ignored Cindy and shoved her shoulder.


    Immediately, a red packet fell out from her clothes.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Curious, Trisha picked it up.


    Cindy became extremely flustered.


    ¡°Give it back to me!¡±


    ncing at Cindy, Arielle took the packet from Trisha and shook it gently.


    The red liquid flowed inside the packet. It was obvious what it was.


    Yet, many were still confused. They asked, ¡°What¡¯s that? It has such a dark and reddish color. Why is it


    inside a weird packet?¡±,


    Arielle said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s a blood bag.¡±


    ¡°A blood bag?¡±


    Nodding, she exined, ¡°Film crews use it a lot. If you squeeze it gently like this¡­¡±

 Chapter 744

    Chapter 744


    Arielle demonstrated it in front of everyone else.


    She squatted and squeezed the blood bag gently.


    The packet immediately burst, sending the red liquid flowing all over the floor. It


    really looked like blood and was rather terrifying.


    Everyone eximed in shock upon seeing that.


    With an unpleasant expression on her face, Cindy shuddered.


    She had not expected her supposedly wless n to be ruined by Arielle so easily.


    I¡®m doomed. What should I do?


    Trishia, who was quite innocent when


    it came to things like this, asked in confusion, ¡°Why does she have something so disgusting with her?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡®t it obvious?¡± Arielle said to Cindy coldly, ¡°She¡®s pregnant. Despite knowing how much I hate


    her, she still came looking for me and lured me into a fight. Since she¡®s carrying it with her, she wants


    to feign a miscarriage and me me for everything!¡±


    ¡°N¨CNo¡­¡± Cindy denied instinctively, ¡°I don¡®t know why I have that. Arielle, it must be you! You


    put up this act to frame me! I¡®ve gone through so much effort to get pregnant, so there¡®s no reason why


    I¡®d want a miscarriage!¡±


    ¡°That¡®s exactly my question. Why do you want a miscarriage?¡± Arielle smiled mysteriously.


    Looking at Arielle¡®s ambiguous smile, Cindy felt a chill run down her spine.


    Does she know something? Impossible! How could she have found out? She has already been chased


    out of the house.


    ¡°I don¡®t want a miscarriage. You¡®re the one who is wishing for that!¡± Cindy used Arielle.


    ¡°You¡®re such a shameless old hag!¡± Even Trisha could not help but curse at her.


    She could not bear to imagine the consequences if Cindy managed to stage


    a miscarriage and lured Arielle into her trap.


    If Arielle ended up in jail, her future would be ruined.


    How much hatred does that woman have toward Arielle to devise such a vicious n?


    Smiling vaguely, Arielle nced at Cindy coldly and asked, ¡°I¡®ve already left the Southalls, so we have


    nothing to do with each other anymore. Why are


    you still trying to sabotage me? What exactly are you nning?


    Trembling, Cindy insisted that she did not know where the blood bag came from.


    However, the students were not fools.


    The truth was ringly obvious¡ªit was part of that vicious woman¡¯s dirty tricks!


    ¡°Beat her up!¡± someone yelled.


    More students joined in the chant. ¡°Beat her up! Beat her up! Beat this old hag up!¡±.


    Someone even threw a packet of food onto Cindy¡¯s head.


    The gravy sshed all over her face, making her lookpletely pathetic and disgusting.


    However, no one pitied her.


    Someone like her deserved to be publicly shamed.


    At that moment, Arielle shielded Cindy and coaxed everyone gently, ¡°Stop it, guys. She¡®s pregnant with


    my dad¡®s child, so I also hope that she can give birth to her child safely.¡±


    The others could not help but say, ¡°You¡¯re too kind. She tried to harm you,


    but you¡®re still protecting her.¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You¡®ll be at a disadvantage because of your kindness, Arielle.¡±


    Cindy gritted her teeth.


    Kind? Arielle doesn¡®t deserve to be called that!


    Mustering all of her strength, she broke free from the students¡® grip. She red at Arielle


    menacingly and cursed, ¡°Arielle, you¡®ll die a horrible death for sabotaging me like this!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± said Arielle indifferently.


    ¡°Just you wait!¡±


    pping the packet of food away from her head, she nned to leave right away.

 Chapter 745

    Chapter 745


    Cindy spun around and red at Arielle. ¡°What do you want? Haven¡®t you made me suffer enough?¡±


    She had never felt so embarrassed and helpless before. Those students treated


    her like a disgusting street rat that was hated by everyone.


    ¡°Haha! Arielle scoffed before saying, ¡°You can¡®t just leave like this.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡±!


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Arielle spread her hands apart


    and said, ¡°In order to prevent you from feigning a miscarriage after going back and framing


    me for it, I¡®m going to bring you to the hospital for a check¨C


    up. After ensuring that your baby is alright, I¡®ll send you home.¡±


    With a rxed smile, she watched as Cindy widened her eyes and revealed a look of terror.


    Has Arielle discovered something? How is that possible?


    Suppressing her fear, Cindy refused, ¡°There¡®s no


    need for that. My baby¡®s perfectly fine. Not everyone¡®s so despicable like you. No one¡®s trying to frame


    you!¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± Arielle smiled and said, ¡°Well, I¡®m not sure who the despicable one is here. All I know is that it¡®s


    better to be safe than sorry.¡±


    Trisha nodded. ¡°Yeah, we must take her to the hospital for a check¨C


    up to make sure that she is fine and can¡®t


    frame you for anything!¡±


    The other students agreed.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good n! Everyone, stop that woman and don¡®t let her escape! Otherwise,


    she¡¯ll use Arielle


    again!¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We attacked her just now, so she might drag us down too.¡±


    Everyone blocked Cindy again. As they were not only doing it for Arielle, but also for


    themselves, they were even more determined.


    Surrounded by students, Cindy could not escape at all.


    She bit her lips and yelled helplessly, ¡°Matthias, save me!¡±


    Matthias, who was hiding in a corner, wanted to appear a long time ago. However, as he was afraid


    that he would ruin Cindy¡®s n, he kept himself hidden for a long time.


    Upon hearing Cindy¡¯s cry for help, he rushed toward the crowd unhesitatingly.


    ¡°Move aside! Move aside, everyone!¡±


    As Matthias went to the gym a lot, he was very muscr. Not a match for


    him, the students were shoved aside when he barged into the crowd.


    He helped Cindy up and red at the rest. ¡°Don¡¯t you know anything about thew? I can easily make


    all of you go to jail for what you¡®ve just done. Get lost now!¡±


    There was a long scar on Matthias¡¯ face, making him look exceptionally menacing.


    The students were scared.


    However, Arielle stepped forward, met Matthias¡® gaze and said calmly, ¡°Long time no see, Matthias.¡±


    When he raised his head, he saw the sharp glint in Arielle¡®s eyes.


    He had never studied Arielle from such a close distance before. Now that he was looking at her, he


    realized that she had a surprisingly intimidating aura.


    He could barely imagine how terrifying it would be if she did not suppress it deliberately.


    Clenching his jaw, Matthias said, ¡°Cindy is your mother. How can you treat her like that? Do you


    even have any morals? How can you be so vicious at such a young age? Not only have you


    killed your sister, but you¡¯re also nning to harm your mother!¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle frowned as a cold look zed in her eyes.


    He¡®s calling her my mother again. How dare anyone else ims to be my mother?


    ¡°I¡®d like to ask you something.¡± Arielle raised her chin


    and asked, ¡°Why are you treating my aunt so nicely? Are both of you merely colleagues?¡±


    Stunned, Matthias denied, ¡°Of course! No one can stand to see how rudely you¡®re treating your elders. I


    With that, he helped Cindy up and was about to leave when a tall figure suddenly appeared.

 Chapter 746

    Chapter 746


    ¡°It¡®s Mr. Nightshire!¡± eximed someone loudly, causing everyone to nce in that direction.


    With the light shining on him, he looked exceptionally tall and dashing. His gaze was


    cold and brooding, lending him an indescribably dignified demeanor.


    He was the most perfect man to ever exist¡ªhis had the looks, family background and was highly


    capable.


    He was so perfect that everyone felt like they paled inparison. The guys could not help but


    examine themselves, while the girls stared at Vinson intently.


    Everyone would admire a man who was handsome, exceptional and rich.


    However, when Cindy and Matthias saw Vinson with his bodyguards, they could not help but tremble


    in fear.


    Why is Vinson here?


    What Cindy did


    not know was that Arielle had already sent a message to Vinson the moment she saw her.


    As there were a lot of people at the school gate, she could not do anything or summon her subordinate


    s. Hence, she had no choice but to borrow Vinson¡®s help.


    Vinson nced at Matthias and Cindy disdainfully, as if they were mere trash. Not sparing them


    another nce, he strode forward and said apologetically, ¡°I¡®m sorry that I¡®mte.¡±


    The roads were congested, so he had told the chauffeur to beat all the red lights.


    Arielle pretended to be annoyed. ¡°If you were anyter, it would¡®ve been dinnertime.¡±


    Vinson chuckled and said, ¡°Well, I made it just in time for lunch.¡±


    Observing their interaction, Trisha thought that something fishy was going on.


    For some reason, she thought the atmosphere between them was slightly different, though she could n


    ot pinpoint what it was.


    Having teased him enough, Arielle said seriously, ¡°She¡®s refusing to go to the hospital with me, so I


    need your help.¡±


    Vinson nodded before ncing at Matthias and Cindy.


    By then, the affection in his eyes hadpletely disappeared and was reced by a frosty look.


    Cindy was so scared that her legs trembled.


    Everyone could tell that Arielle was even closer to Vinson now.


    Inparison, Matthias was much calmer. He gulped and said to Vinson, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, we don¡®t me


    an to offend you. It¡®s just that Ms. Moore has crossed the line. We only want to leave this ce, so plea


    se let us go.¡±


    Vinson raised his eyebrow. ¡°Do you want to leave?¡±


    Matthias nodded. ¡°There¡®s nothing else that we want to do except to leave. We don¡®t wish to provoke a


    nyone.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Vinson nodded. ¡°You may leave, but first, you have to follow me to the hospital for a check¨C


    up. This is to prevent that woman from framing my darling.¡±


    Arielle blushed when she heard him call her his ¡®darling¡®.


    There are so many people around. Doesn¡¯t Vinson feel embarrassed?


    Matthias¡® lips twitched. Clenching his jaw, he insisted, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, Mrs. Southall ispletely


    fine. If anything happens, we definitely won¡¯t me Ms. Moore. I can give you my word on that.¡±


    ¡°I¡®m sorry, but your word means nothing to me.¡± As Vinson could not be bothered to


    waste any more time with them, he instructed his bodyguards, ¡°Take them away!¡±


    ¡°No! I won¡®t go!¡± Cindy clutched Matthias¡® sleeve with all her might.


    Matthias wanted to shield Cindy, but the burly bodyguards strode over and grabbed him.


    He was being oppressed and humiliated through brute force alone.


    Matthias¡® expression turned grim as he tried to break free. Then, the


    bodyguard delivered a blow to the back of his neck.


    His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fainted immediately.


    The blow was not fatal, but sufficient enough to knock him out.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Even if Matthias wanted to sue Vinson, the doctor would not be able to detect any injuries.

 Chapter 747

    Chapter 747


    Cindy screeched, ¡°Matthias! Matthias! Let me go! Who do you all think you are to seize me?¡±


    Vinson rubbed his ear andined, ¡°Thisdy is loud too.


    The bodyguard immediately understood him and hit Cindy at her neck, rendering her unconscious.


    ¡°Take her away too!¡±


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Vinson waved his hand and the two were instantly thrown onto the car.


    ¡°Everyone,¡± Vinson greeted and paused as he turned to face the crowd. Only


    then did he continue, ¡°Thank you for standing


    up for Arielle. Here are the gifts we have prepared for those who helped out earlier. Please


    proceed to my assistant to im them.¡±


    Rayson, who was standing behind him, raised his hand and informed, ¡°Pleasee to me to im


    your gifts, a voucher from Nightshire Group worth one thousand. You can spend it at any shopping mall


    under Nightshire Group.¡±


    Right after he finished his speech, the students were already storming excitedly to him.


    Wow, we actually get vouchers that are worth one thousand for standing up for Arielle? How


    lucky! There¡®s indeed free lunch!


    As the crowd was iming their vouchers, Trisha


    merely watched them, unmoved. She then drew closer to Arielle and whispered by her ear, ¡°Sannie, ha


    ve you gotten together with Mr. Nightshire?¡±


    Before Arielle could utter a word, Vinson came and asked politely, ¡°Are you Arielle¡®s friend?¡±


    Realizing that he was talking to her, Trisha froze for a moment as her social anxiety disorder kicked in.


    Nervous, she gulped and cautiously stuttered, ¡°I¨CI am.¡±


    She then stole a nce at Vinson, only to see him curving a faint courteous smile at her.


    However, she could tell that the smile was feigned because the


    look in his eyes was menacing like a warning in disguise.


    Did I see it wrong? Why is he looking at me like Cindy? I¡®m not Arielle¡®s enemy!


    As Trisha was quite fearful due to her condition¡ª


    she had mild autism, she promptly drew back and hid behind Arielle, frightened by the intimidating re


    .


    Sadly, her instinctive gesture irked Vinson, causing him to stare more sinisterly at her, for he had never


    embraced Arielle from behind.


    ¡°You¡®re Trisha, right?¡± he asked coldly, ¡°Thanks for taking care of Sannie at


    school. We should have a meal together someday.¡±


    Terrified, Trisha dared not to speak a word and just


    looked at Arielle for help.


    Thetter held Trisha¡®s hand and said to Vinson, ¡°Don¡®t you frighten her. She¡®s quite timid.¡±


    ¡°How have I frightened her?¡± Vinson shrugged and added, ¡°I was only suggesting to treat her to a meal


    for taking care of you.¡±


    ¡°She¡®s not used to seeing strangers,¡± Arielle paused for a moment and


    continued, ¡°Cindy¡®s going to wake up soon. Let¡®s not dy our time and head to the hospital quickly.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Vinson nodded as he reached out his hand, intending to hold Arielle¡®s.


    However, Arielle ignored his invitation


    and turned to speak to Trisha. ¡°I¡®m sorry, Trisha. This matter is urgent. I won¡®t be


    going to the pasta restaurant with


    you.¡±


    ¡°It¡®s fine. No worries.¡± Trisha hastily shook her head and encouraged, ¡°You should get going now!¡±


    If you¡®re staying any longer, he¡®ll be irritated.


    ¡°Then I¡®ll be heading off now.¡± Right when


    Arielle raised her hand, intending to wave goodbye, Vinson promptly grabbed it and forcefully tugged he


    As they got on the car, Arielle questioned him impatiently, ¡°Why are you in such a hurry?¡±


    He stole a nce at her and calmly answered, ¡°Didn¡®t you ask me to not waste time?¡±


    ¡°Still, one second won¡®t help much.¡±


    Vinson did not respond to her. Suddenly, Arielle fathomed his reasonings and stared widely at him, askin


    Hearing her query, Vinson immediately felt a chill going down his spine. Although he fell silent, faint pink

 Chapter 748

    Chapter 748


    Bewildered upon confirming that Vinson was jealous, she imed, ¡°She¡®s a girl!¡±


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What? I can¡®t be jealous of her because she¡®s a girl? It is not stated in thew.¡±


    His unreasonable reasonings rendered her speechless.


    Nevertheless, she was sure that Vinson was indeed a Jealous King because he got jealous easily.


    Vinson then broke the moment of silence and added, ¡°Also, I¡¯m not your bro. I¡®m your husband.¡±


    Again, she gazed at him, perplexed and speechless.


    Soon, they arrived at Rocher Private Hospital.


    As Arielle got down the car, she immediately spotted Queenie, who had just finished her lunch


    and was heading back to work.


    Concurrently, Vinson went to another car, supervising the bodyguard as thetter carried Cindy


    and Matthias to the hospital; thus, Arielle was alone.


    Upon seeing Arielle, Queenie¡¯s smile immediately disappeared.


    She turned her head toward two other nurses, whom she had a meal with, and suggested, ¡°You should


    head in first. I¡®lleter.¡±


    Then, she promptly marched toward Arielle as she


    dropped her words.


    Thinking that Arielle was sick, she snickered and sneered, ¡°Ms. Moore, aren¡®t you a miracle doctor?


    Why do you need to visit the hospital?¡±


    Arielle made a wry smile, raised her brows, and looked mockingly at her. ¡°Dr. Mill, aren¡®t you a doctor?


    When did you pick up the bad habits from Manchernius and start researching illegal drugs?¡±


    Queenie was instantly taken aback.


    Irked, she spoke with an indifferent tone. ¡°By the way, I¡®m in charge of the outpatient department today.


    Unfortunately, you


    might have to wait for a few hours today because there¡®s a lot of patients. I can¡®t give you an examinati


    on first.¡±


    Queenie¡®s intention was obvious. She nned to make things difficult for Arielle.


    Surprisingly, Arielle was unaffected by her taunt. Instead, she


    slightly lifted the corner of her mouth and looked scornfully at Queenie.


    Hah. Queenie must have forgotten who owns this hospital.


    She teasingly lifted her brows and reminded, ¡°I think it¡®s time for the afternoon shift of outpatient depart


    ment. Dr. Mill, aren¡®t you going in?¡±


    ¡°I don¡®t need you to hurry me!¡± Annoyed, Queenie


    gnashed her teeth and hissed, ¡°I will not let you off if you dare spread the recording. If this matter


    starts spreading, I will definitely ruin your reputation! By then, even if Vinson can ept you, Mrs. Night


    shire will never let you step into their house!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Arielle rubbed her ear and asked apathetically, ¡°Are you done?¡±


    ¡°Arielle! Don¡®t act haughtily!¡± Queenie¡®s expression immediately darkened as she stalked away angrily.


    Coincidentally, Vinson had returned after watching the guard


    enter the back entrance while carrying the two.


    Arielle thought she would not be affected


    by Queenie¡®s words. s, she spaced out a little at the mention of Susanne.


    The tactful Vinson sensed her insecurity, thus frowned and queried, ¡°Did anything happen?¡±


    Arielle shook her head, unwilling to talk about Queenie.


    ¡°Nothing. I just met an arrogant and incendiary person,¡± she exined. Only then did she add, ¡°Let¡®s go


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    She nodded. On the journey back to the Southall residence from Rocher Private Hospital, Arielle utilized


    Exhrated, she could not hold back her smile, as a show would begin shortly.


    Meanwhile, not many patients were waiting at the


    outpatient department as it was Monday.


    Hence, Queenie was the only doctor on duty at the outpatient department now.


    Typically, she could provide consultations to the patients rapidly. Strangely, she treated


    them extra attentively today, spending half an hour to examine merely two patients.


    The restless patients rushed the


    nurses, rendering them no choice, but to enter the room to urge Queenie.


    ¡°Dr. Mill, please speed up your treatments. The patients waiting outside are getting impatient.¡±


    Upon hearing her suggestion, Queenie smirked.


    That¡®s great to hear! I want Arielle to start getting annoyed!

 Chapter 749

    Chapter 749


    The nurse noticed Queenie¡®s uncontroble smirk. Puzzled, the former asked, ¡°Dr. Mill, are you okay?¡±


    Why is she smirking when I¡¯m informing about the irritated patients?


    Immediately, Queenie was dragged back to her senses. She quickly put on a solemn expression and n


    odded. ¡°Last two patients¡® conditions were quiteplicated, so they took more time. Don¡®t worry. Call


    the third patient in. I¡®ll try to work faster.¡±


    Only then did the nurse turn and head out to carry on with her duties.


    After Queenie had treated the third patient, she excused herself to head to the restroom. Of course, it w


    as solely an excuse. In fact, she was searching for Arielle, eager to see thetter¡®s annoyed expression


    .


    I can¡®t wait to see her annoyed expression! It will be enrapturing!


    Surprisingly, even after scanning all the patients waiting outside, she had yet to find Arielle.


    Is she in the restroom now? Or did she change


    the date of her appointment after realizing that I nned to trouble her?


    After the fruitless search, she pursed her lips and walked to the restroom in disappointment.


    As she entered a restroom stall, she overheard a conversation between two nurses.


    ¡°Did you see that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes! He¡®s so handsome!¡±


    ¡°Of course he is. The celebrities and influencers are nothingpared to Mr. Nightshire. By the way, I¡®


    m not talking about Mr. Nightshire, but thedy with him.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Do you mean Arielle? She¡®s the beauty that donated ten robotic pacemakers to us!¡±


    Instantly, Queenie froze as her hand fell onto the lock.


    Arielle? Isn¡®t she gone?


    Then, a nurse continued, ¡°Ms. Moore is such a perfectdy. She¡®s beautiful, rich, and kind. Also, I¡®ve ne


    ver seen Mr. Wahlberg leading someone personally for B scan ultrasonography.¡±


    ¡°With her status, it¡®s not surprising that she doesn¡®t need to go through outpatient department. Mr. Night


    shire can easily request for Mr. Wahlberg¡®s apaniment with a


    call.¡±


    They then sauntered away as they chatted. Soon, the pattering stopped.


    Only then did Queenie walk out of the cubicle with a sullen expression,


    She looked at her reflection in the mirror. Unnerved, she felt an urge to smash it into pieces.


    All her efforts to see Arielle¡®s annoyed face were to no avail.


    Hmph! She has asked Vinson for help and contacted Mr. Wahlberg? That¡®s why she¡®s not at the outpati


    ent department! What a letdown! I was really looking forward to seeing her troubled look! D*am it!


    At that moment, she recalled the ridicule she threw


    at Arielle. It turned out that her words had pped back at her.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Frustrated, Queenie shouted and mmed the basin in vexation, startling the patient who was ent


    ering


    Upon noticing the patient, Queenie instantly recollected herposure and scurried out of the restroom


    The result came out right away after Cindy had undergone B¨Cscan ultrasonography.


    A doctor walked out, handed the analysis to Chris, and reported, ¡°Mr. Wahlberg, we ran the tests


    ording to your instructions and confirmed that the patient is not pregnant.¡±


    Chris then handed the analytic report to Arielle as he listened to the doctor¡®s exnation.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Arielle curved a mysterious smile as she read the report.


    She turned to Vinson and said, ¡°Everything¡®s ready. We should hide now as Hendrick will arrive shortly.¡±


    Vinson nodded and gazed at her fondly, letting her do as she wished


    Then, a bodyguard bustled in and reported, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, the man has arrived.¡±


    ¡°All right. Let¡®s get going.¡± Vinson turned toward Chris and requested politely, ¡°Please take us to the surv


    ¡°No problem. After you.¡± Chris bowed slightly and courteously gestured them to leave first.


    Actually, Carter had


    instructed him before their visit. Hence, he would treat anyone as an important guest under Carter¡®s requ

 Chapter 750

    Chapter 750


    Arielle and the rest arrived at the surveince control room. On the other hand, Matthias and Cindy who


    were left behind at the B-scan ultrasonography room, regained consciousness.


    Cindy felt coldness on her stomach as she opened her eyes.


    Startled, she immediately sat up and scanned her surroundings.


    Although it was dim, she could tell it was a B-scan ultrasonography room.


    Why am I here?


    Anxious, Cindy flinched in a cold sweat. She touched her stomach cautiously, only to perceive the gel


    required for B-scan ultrasonography.


    Matthias too was awake. Bemused, he sat up and asked Cindy, ¡°Cin, where are we?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in a B-scan ultrasonography room!¡± Cindy started crying in distress.


    She realized that she had undergone B-scan ultrasonography. Therefore, her lie would have been


    exposed.


    Devastated, she whimpered, ¡°That cunning Arielle must have told Henrick about the result. I¡¯m done


    for! Henrick will never let me off!¡±


    Matthias massaged his stiff neck as he approached Cindy and consoled, ¡°Cin, don¡¯t cry. Henrick will


    believe your words rather than hers. Isn¡¯t this hospital under Carter? You can say that Carter and


    Arielle cooperated to fake the report.¡±


    ¡°Do you think Henrick is dumb? He¡¯s very suspicious. He¡¯ll bring me to another hospital to perform a


    test again!¡±


    Matthias gritted his teeth and suggested, ¡°Then we should run away. Seize this chance to get away


    from Jadeborough. Now, Southall Group is nothing but an empty shell. You won¡¯t benefit from it.


    Besides, we have acquired a lot from Southall Group discreetly. Our assets abroad are definitely not


    less than Henrick¡¯s. Cin, leave with me!¡±


    Cindy slowly shut her eyes as hershes trembled in frustration.


    She was exasperated, for she had sacrificed her youth and given birth to Shandie for Henrick.


    Sadly, all her efforts were futile. Now, she met a miserable end and needed to run away. Of course, she


    would feel incredulous.


    ¡°Cin!¡± Matthias called, ¡°Stop hesitating. We have no time left! We should hurry and get out of here!¡±


    Cindy bit her lips in bitterness and gave in. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Shandie¡¯s gone. There¡¯s nothing precious left in Jadeborough anymore. Unfortunately, I haven¡¯t taken


    revenge for her. Hmph! I¡¯ll regain power first before I return to avenge her! Just you wait and see,


    Arielle.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    She clenched her fists as she stood up from the bed.


    Suddenly, the door was flung open.


    Startled, she promptly turned her head, only to see a man in a white coat. Relieved, she heaved a sigh


    in her mind.


    The doctor asked, ¡°You¡¯re awake? Great. A family member of yours is here to get you.¡±


    ¡°Family member?¡± Agitated, Cindy stared widely at the doctor. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know when you see him,¡± the doctor replied as he opened the door wide.


    Only then did they see a man with a hunch staring menacingly at them.


    It was Henrick.


    Instantly, Cindy¡¯s legs gave away, and she slumped and knelt on the ground.


    Oh no! Henrick has arrived! It¡¯s toote to run away now!


    Matthias too, was shocked when he saw Henrick.


    However, he recovered his calmness soon. To avoid Henrick from discovering their rtionship, he did


    not help Cindy get up but smiled at Henrick instead. ¡°Mr. Southall, you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Shut your d*mn mouth! I¡¯ll tend to youter!¡±


    Henrick red maliciously at Matthias as the bodyguards behind him stormed up and detained the


    latter.

 Chapter 751

    Chapter 751


    Matthias could not fathom Henrick¡¯s rage toward him. He suppressed his urge to struggle as it might


    infuriate Henrick further. Hence, he quietly allowed the bodyguards to hold him back.


    Henrick walked ominously toward Cindy, who was trembling in fear.


    Enraged, he could feel the hair all over his body standing up.


    Cindy was petrified as the man standing before her looked like a relentless devil from hell now.


    Finally, Henrick halted his steps and stood right in front of Cindy. Without uttering a word, he reached


    out his hand to grab Cindy by her neck and red venomously at her. ¡°You dare deceive me on such


    matter?¡±


    Terrified, Cindy could feel her heart thumping wildly.


    However, she recalled Matthias¡¯ advice and deliberately stayed calm. She shook her head vigorously


    and feigned ignorance. ¡°What are you talking about? Rick, it hurts. Let me go.¡±


    ¡°Acting innocent now? Look at this yourself!¡± Henrick violently mmed the analysis report in his hand


    upon Cindy¡¯s face.


    She felt a striking pain on her face as the report fell onto the floor.


    Perturbed, she hastily collected the report thrown across


    the floor and looked at the result.


    To summarize it all, she was not pregnant.


    ¡°T-This is fake!¡± Cindy shook her head intensely and imed, ¡°It¡¯s Arielle! She¡¯s trying to frame me!


    We¡¯re now at Rocher Private Hospital! Arielle and Carter are friends, so they must be teaming up to


    frame me! Rick, believe me. I am really carrying your child!¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Henrick scoffed, ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s pretend that you¡¯re pregnant and everyone in this top three


    hospital is mendacious. Then tell me, what is this?¡±


    Henrick took out his phone as he spoke and showed a picture to Cindy.


    She raised her eyes to look at it, only to see a picture of Matthias and her kissing at the entrance of the


    hospital.


    Instantly, she felt terrified, and her face went ashen.


    I was right! Someone was taking a photo of us secretly! Who was it? Who did it?


    Before she could utter a word, Henrick grabbed her hair and mmed her head against the wall.


    ¡°You b*tch! Hmph! How dare you cheat on me and lie to me, iming that you¡¯re bearing our child? I


    think you¡¯re f*cking tired of living!¡±


    Again and again, he mmed Cindy¡¯s head onto the wall mercilessly as hembasted her.


    Very soon, blood started dripping down her face.


    Upon witnessing the scene, Matthias could not hold back his anger and yelled, ¡°Henrick! You¡¯d better


    let her


    go!¡±


    Henrick stopped his movement and threw a piercing, spiteful re at Matthias.


    Instantly, thetter felt a chill running down his spine.


    ¡°I almost forgot about you when you¡¯re being quiet.¡± Henrick tossed Cindy away as he approached


    Matthias malevolently.


    As he drew closer, Matthias nervously threatened, ¡°Henrick, I am not like your wife! If you darey a


    hand on me, I will immediately contact the police!¡±


    As he finished his words, Henrick swung a punch at his face, causing blood to drip from his nose.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    ¡°How dare you threaten me? Do you think I¡¯m a coward? You f*cking slept with my woman. Do you


    think I¡¯ll let you off unharmed?¡± Henrick snarled as he waved his hand, gesturing to the bodyguards to


    take Matthias away.


    ¡°Doctor! Get the police! Get them now!¡± Matthias shouted desperately.


    Unfortunately, the doctor had received the order to ignore everything. He calmly walked away and sat


    down before the B-scan ultrasound device.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you wish to go back to our hometown?¡± Henrick looked viperously at Cindy. ¡°You can stay at the


    pigsty there for the rest of your life and have fun there!¡±

 Chapter 752

    Chapter 752


    Cindy stared widely at Henrick, frightened.


    Does he want to confine me in the pigsty forever?


    ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to go back to our hometown! Now, I demand a divorce! I want to divorce you!¡± Cindy


    sobbed in despair, ¡°I don¡¯t want anything else, and I¡¯m willing to leave your house empty-handed. Since


    I don¡¯t bear your child, you can just divorce me. If you find me revolting, we can never meet again.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. Leaving my house empty-handed?¡± Henrick red coldly at Cindy. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll forgive you


    even if you do so? Let me tell you. I hate betrayal the most! When you betrayed me, you should¡¯ve


    thought of the consequences!¡±


    ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to go to our hometown with you!¡±


    ¡°You have no say in this!¡± Henrick swung his chin as he looked at the bodyguards, demanding, ¡°What


    are you standing there for? Are you trying to attract a crowd? Carry her to the car quickly!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Two bodyguards rushed forward and carried Cindy who was fiercely struggling out.


    There were some people at the hospital. Hence, Cindy screamed upon seeing anyone.


    ¡°Help! He¡¯s trying to kill me! Help me please! Help!¡±


    A man halted his steps as he witnessed the scene.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Immediately, Henrick bolted forward and smiled politely, apologizing, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My wife was just


    diagnosed with a mental disorder. I¡¯m going to send her to a psychiatric hospital.¡±


    Convinced by his exnation, the man nodded and left them alone.


    Over and over again, her pleads were futile, rendering her into hopelessness.


    Then, she was forcefully pushed into a car while Matthias was knocked unconscious and ced in


    another.


    Little did they know, Arielle and Vinson were watching the ruckus in the surveince control room.


    Arielle straightened herself and asked Chris, ¡°Can I have a copy of the surveince footage? I need


    them for something.¡±


    Chris agreed without hesitation, ¡°Sure, no problem. You can take however many copies you want.¡±


    Meanwhile, Cindy tried to escape as she was thrown into the car.


    ck! Sadly, the door was locked. Two bodyguards sandwiched her, preventing her from disrupting the


    chauffeur.


    ¡°Let me go! Henrick, you¡¯re viting thew! You will be imprisoned forever!¡± Cindy screamed in


    frustration.


    Henrick, who was at the passenger seat, turned his head back and looked calmly at her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.


    We¡¯ll head back to our hometown right away. At that ce, I am thew, and I¡¯m going to sentence you


    to live in the pigsty forever!¡±


    Doesn¡¯t she like to cheat on me? Right after we reach there, I will let her enjoy as much as she desires!


    Then, Henrick¡¯s gaze turned somber as he continued, ¡°Oh, right. I forgot to inform you. The deal went


    smoothly today and was sealed off. I have sold Southall Group. Therefore, we won¡¯t being back


    here anymore.¡±


    Shocked, Cindy stared intensely at him.


    That¡¯s faster than I expected! Does he want to return to his hometown now? Oh no¡­ doesn¡¯t that


    mean I¡¯ll be confined there forever?


    ¡°No! No! Rick, I know I¡¯m wrong, and I¡¯m regretful for it. I really do! In truth, I was out of my mind when


    Matthias beguiled me! I¡¯m the real victim here! Please believe me. I will not betray you because I


    sincerely love you! Trust me. My words are true. I will only love you alone, not Matthias!¡±

 Chapter 753

    Chapter 753


    Henrick turned and red at Cindy angrily.


    He was someone with a trust issue. Once he was certain that he had been betrayed, he would never


    trust the traitor again.


    He gritted his teeth. ¡°Listen to me, you b*tch! It doesn¡¯t matter what you say now. You¡¯d better keep


    your mouth


    shut, and stop bothering me and Mom!¡±


    As Henrick spoke, he disyed a look of respect as he held Malorie¡¯s urn.


    Malorie lived a long, fulfilling life before her death. Henrick nned to organize a grand funeral for her


    when he returned to his hometown so that everyone


    could see how mighty he was. By doing so, he could also take over his mother¡¯s ce.


    It had been many years since he returned, and he had forgotten how to interact with those vigers.


    Nevertheless, it was easier for Henrick to control them with a majestic disy of his wealth.


    A smile appeared at the corners of Henrick¡¯s mouth. However, he had no idea that his action would not


    be epted by the vigers.


    Furthermore, he was oblivious to the fact that a car was following his two cars closely.


    ke, who was in the car, phoned Vinson. ¡°Boss, Henrick is heading toward the old Southall estate. Do


    we need to follow him?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Vinson replied coolly, ¡°Arielle¡¯s people are waiting there, and Arielle will get in touch with you.


    After that, just find a ce to meet up and help her people to settle the matter.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± ke answered. Then, he passed the message to Sasha, who was driving. He added, ¡°We¡¯ll


    probably arrive there tonight. I¡¯ll have a nap first. I woke up really early and feel tired now.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Sasha said thoughtfully, ¡°Find out everything you can about Henrick and the old Southall estate.


    If my hunch is correct, Ms. Moore must be trying to punish Henrick via legal methods. We need to


    understand what sort of person Henrick is and what he had done previously, so that it¡¯s easier for us to


    tackle him.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± ke sighed, turned on hisptop and got to work.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Meanwhile, Arielle left Rocher Private Hospital. When she discovered that Henrick took Cindy back to


    his hometown, a look of astonishment crossed her face.


    Did he neglect Southall Group just to take Cindy back?


    At the same time, Arielle received a call from one of her subordinates who had been nted in Southall


    Group.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Arielle spoke.


    ¡°Ms. Sannie, I just received word that Henrick has just sold Southall Group!¡± the subordinate replied.


    ¡°What?¡± Arielle was horrified. She could not believe that Henrick would sell hispany because of


    Cindy.


    She asked, ¡°When did this happen?¡±


    ¡°I learned about it just now. I guess he finalized the deal this morning,¡± the other party answered.


    ¡°This morning¡­¡± Arielle murmured.


    In that case, Henrick¡¯s decision had nothing to do with Cindy.


    ¡°Understood. Stay put in thepany, and don¡¯t blow your cover,¡± Arielle said.


    ¡°All right!¡± the subordinate replied.


    Arielle ended the call and looked at her phone again. She used the program she wrote herself to find


    out details of Henrick¡¯s deal.


    Normally, most people would not be able to find the info. With the program she had written, however,


    she could do it easily.


    It was the advantage of mastering hacking skills.


    In a few minutes, Arielle found out details of Henrick¡¯s recent transactions.


    The numbers showed that he sold off all of his assets in Jadeborough, including fixed assets. The


    Southall residence was the only exception.

 Chapter 754

    Chapter 754


    Simply put, the Southall residence was the only property that was not sold by Henrick. His remaining


    assets, such as his shares, had been sold and turned into cash.


    As for Southall Group, it was a joint-stockpany. Henrick failed to sell thepany, so he


    transferred all of his shares to an anonymous buyer.


    The prices were very low, but Henrick owned a ratherrge number of them. It was rare to find clients


    who would buy every single share in a limited amount of time.


    Moreover, Southall Group had been experiencing financial losses. Thus, the buyers were very


    cautious.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Somehow, a generous buyer decided to purchase all of Henrick¡¯s shares within half a day.


    Arielle stomped her foot in frustration.


    There was little she could do in Jadeborough. As a result, she was one step behind. Else, she could


    have bought all of Henrick¡¯s shares with arge sum of money.


    If that happened, she would be able to reacquire Southall Group along with the shares given to her by


    Henrick earlier.


    Why did he have to act so quickly?


    At the same time, Vinson came outside after thanking


    Chris. He noticed the scowl on her face and asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Sannie? Who annoyed


    you? Did you bump into Henrick?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Arielle shook her head. Then, she lowered her gaze and sighed. ¡°I just received word that Henrick


    sold all of his shares and resigned from his position as Chairman of Southall Group. I don¡¯t know who


    Southall Group belongs to now. It¡¯s Mom¡¯spany, yet, I failed to buy it back in time.¡±


    Vinson listened. Gradually, the crease between his brows rxed.


    He said, ¡°Naturally, your mom¡¯spany shall belong to you.¡±


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°No. With the shares that I currently own, I¡¯m only the second-biggest


    shareholder. I still can¡¯t acquire Southall Group.¡±


    ¡°Says who? I make the call.¡± Vinson gazed at her intently, and a tender yet confident smile appeared


    on his face.


    Arielle regarded him with a confused expression. She asked skeptically, ¡°What¡­ what do you mean?¡±


    Vinson did not answer her directly. Instead, he ced a hand around her waist. ¡°Get in the car. I have a


    present for you.¡±


    A suspicious Arielle followed Vinson to the car.


    He took out a document from the glovepartment and handed it to her.


    The document was sealed inside a thick envelope, and she could not see what it was.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Arielle asked.


    Vinson replied, ¡°You¡¯ll know once you open it.¡±


    She nodded, opened the envelope hastily and took out the document.


    It was a contract. One nce at it caused her to descend into a moment of shock.


    A few secondster, she looked at Vinson excitedly. ¡°When did you buy Henrick¡¯s shares?¡±


    He said, ¡°Buying apany is a piece of cake for your husband, don¡¯t you think? Do you like this


    present?¡±


    Arielle felt like crying tears of joy.


    She never expected that Vinson would pay close attention to the things that she cared about. Without


    her knowledge, he had bought the shares from Henrick and acquired some additional shares in the


    process.


    Moreover, her name was written on the contract.


    Arielle nodded with tears in her eyes. ¡°I like it.¡±


    Vinson seemed a bit displeased and shrugged. ¡°Actions


    speak louder than words. Prove to me you like it.¡±


    He scowled on purpose as he spoke.


    Arielle feigned ignorance and suggested, ¡°I¡¯ll make you some ravioli.¡±


    Vinson¡¯s gaze darkened and waved his hands helplessly. ¡°Fine. One hundred million for some ravioli. I


    guess it¡¯s worth it.¡±

 Chapter 755

    Chapter 755


    At the next moment, Vinson noticed a feminine scent closing in on him. Suddenly, he felt a soft


    sensation on his lips as something tender pressed against him.


    He tensed up and saw Arielle who was right before his eyes.


    How could any man resist a woman who offers herself to him?


    Just when Arielle thought of pulling herself away, Vinson cupped the back of her head and returned her


    kiss.


    As he sealed his lips with hers, their bodies were locked in a tight embrace, and they could smell each


    other¡¯s scent.


    Arielle had never made the first move in kissing him before, so he would not let her leave so soon.


    Vinson kissed her aggressively as if he wanted to devour her.


    After some time, when Arielle was nearly out of her breath, Vinson finally released his grasp after


    noticing something amiss with her. ¡°Have you forgotten how to breathe, silly?¡±


    Arielle took in a deep breath. When she assumed she was out of his clutches, the second kiss arrived.


    Vinson ravaged her once more. He decided to let go after kissing her repeatedly.


    He looked at Arielle, who had turned into mush, in a satisfied manner. ¡°Looks like you need more


    practice.¡±


    He would have spent the whole day kissing her in the car, had he not feared that he would suffocate


    Arielle.


    She felt embarrassed and annoyed as she red at Vinson.


    However, her cheeks were blushing and she eyed him in a seductive manner. Instead of being


    intimidating, the way Arielle red at him only served to excite Vinson further. With that, he leaned


    toward her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Quickly, Arielle pressed both palms against her lips. She was afraid that Vinson would kiss her


    again.


    ¡°Fine, that¡¯s all for today. It¡¯s almost time for ss. I¡¯ll send you to the university,¡± Vinson said.


    Arielle heaved a sigh of relief. She felt like she had escaped death.


    Soon, they arrived at Jadeborough University.


    Arielle thought of something and asked, ¡°With Henrick¡¯s resignation, I¡¯m certain that those sly old foxes


    in thepany will investigate to whom he sold his shares. I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯m not old enough to


    convince them¡­¡±


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What do you intend to do?¡± Vinson asked.


    Arielle pondered for a while and said, ¡°I might need to ask you to keep this under wraps. Once I¡¯ve


    dealt with Henrick and Cindy, I¡¯ll tackle those sly old foxes in thepanyter.¡±


    Vinson nodded. ¡°If you need any help, just look for me, but don¡¯t tire yourself out.¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll head for ss now,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Vinson tugged at her sleeve and pointed at his lips with another hand. ¡°I want a reward.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s lips seemed to have magical properties. He refused to let her go that easily.


    Nheless, Arielle freed herself from Vinson¡¯s grip and sprinted toward the university gates, as if she


    had just seen a ghost.


    Vinson watched her back and shook his head, then drove away.


    Both of them did not realize that Wendy was standing at a corner of the university gate. She eyed the


    car coldly as it cruised away.


    It¡¯s lunchtime and they won¡¯t even leave each other alone! How disgusting!


    Wendy sulked and entered the university with heavy footsteps.


    The first ss in the afternoon was Ustranasion.


    Arthur praised Arielle as soon as he entered the ssroom, ¡°Thanks to Arielle for your help. Our


    university managed to secure Maxwell University¡¯s advanced math lesson n. As a reward, Arielle,


    you don¡¯t have toplete the assignments for my ss from today onward. With your level, you don¡¯t


    need to rely on assignments to improve your Ustranasion.¡±


    Arielle liked this reward and nodded happily. ¡°Thank you, Professor Sleight.¡±


    ¡°I should be the one thanking you. Please help your ssmates out when you¡¯re free; also, Wendy¡­.¡±


    Arthur continued


    Wendy had a bad feeling when she was called.

 Chapter 756

    Chapter 756


    ¡°I¡­¡± Wendy answered meekly.


    When Arthur regarded Wendy, the smile on his face vanished immediately. He said harshly, ¡°You


    haven¡¯t handed in your letter of denunciation. I was busy with something else the other day, and I


    allowed you to finish it at home. The weekend is over. Have youpleted it?¡±


    Wendy did not expect Arthur to treat her like this and bring up the letter in front of her ssmates.


    She lowered her head in shame. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°After ss, send it to Mr. Brown¡¯s office yourself. I don¡¯t ept the letter here. In the future, you


    should know your own limits whenever youe across a simr situation,¡± Arthur said sternly.


    Wendy bit her lip and she was about to cry.


    She thought that Arthur practiced favoritism. However, she did not understand that Jadeborough


    University would have lost a precious lesson n if not for Arielle.


    Still, some people would only find fault in others instead of looking within.


    After that, the ss began.


    ¡°Turn to page 113. You¡¯ll be sitting for your monthly exam this Friday, so I won¡¯t start a new lesson. I¡¯ll


    have a revision with all of you this week. Let¡¯s go through yesterday¡¯s grammar,¡± Arthur said.


    While Arthur was teaching, Arielle took out her phone. She texted her subordinate in the old Southall


    estate about Sasha¡¯s and ke¡¯s message.


    Henrick would bring Malorie¡¯s ashes back to his hometown. For now, Arielle did not have to do anything


    about it. The vigers would make their own decision.


    Everything was ready, except for one thing.


    Meanwhile, for some bizarre reason, Arielle¡¯s trantion video was shared on the inte from


    Jadeborough University¡¯s forum.


    Aizenbined her trantion video and a video of her ying the piano. As a result, the video


    went viral, and Arielle gained many fans online.


    In a short span of time, her number of fans surpassed two million, and it was still growing.


    Naturally, Arielle was oblivious to this. She did not care about such things, either.


    Nevertheless, somebody noticed it.


    Jason was in his private studio at Nightshire Entertainment. He fixed an attentive gaze on the screen


    as a girl ying the piano. He nearly fell from his chair in shock.


    Isn¡¯t that the same girl I met at the supermarket?


    He never expected this beautiful young girl to be so


    talented. She was a student of Jadeborough University, too.


    Jason was pleased


    His past girlfriends were mostly bimbos, but the girl in the video had many good qualities.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As one of the nation¡¯s hottest stars, Jason believed that he could get any woman he wanted with that


    face of his.


    It would be impossible for this girl to not recognize me. And now, she purposely uploaded her video to


    the inte to attract my attention over the web. What¡¯s this strategy? I know! ying hard to get!


    Jason was indulging in his own thoughts when someone opened the door to his studio.


    ¡°Jason.¡± His manager opened the door and remarked gleefully, ¡°I have an excellent script for you. Take


    a look!¡±


    Jason was unhappy to be interrupted, so he declined. ¡°I don¡¯t want to star in films. It¡¯s tiring, and it


    takes a long time for me to get paid. Just secure some variety show contracts for me, especially the


    laid-back types of variety shows.¡±


    The manager¡¯s expression darkened. She reminded Jason, ¡°Jason, you¡¯re now an artiste of Nightshire


    Entertainment. There are many other talented actors and actresses in thispany. If you don¡¯t seize


    this opportunity, you¡¯ll soon be unpopr once you¡¯re


    past your prime. Till then, nobody would want you to star in their films, even if you wanted to.¡±


    Jason refused to listen to his manager. I have a bunch of loyal fans. It¡¯ll take ages before I return to


    obscurity!


    The advice fell on deaf ears. He continued watching the video.


    All of a sudden, the manager saw the girl in the video. She blurted out in surprise, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Arielle


    Moore?¡±

 Chapter 757

    Chapter 757


    ¡°Arielle Moore?¡± Jason perked up his ears and looked at his manager eagerly. ¡°Is her name Arielle


    Moore? Do you know her?¡±


    The manager nced at Jason and shook her head. ¡°No, but she¡¯s an ambassador of Soir Coffee


    which is owned by Nightshire Group. We also belong to Nightshire Group, so I know a bit about her.¡±


    Jason sat up straight and asked excitedly, ¡°What else do you know about her?¡±


    The manager replied in a matter-of-fact tone, ¡°I also know that Nightshire Entertainment wanted to get


    her on board.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡± Jason asked.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire objected to it, but I don¡¯t know the reason behind that,¡± the manager said. Suddenly, she


    pped her head and added, ¡°This script that I have for you¡­ The director is Sam Sleight, and he


    wanted Arielle to be the female lead, too. However, it looks like she rejected the offer. I guess she¡¯s not


    interested in forging a career in the entertainment industry.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the script?¡± Jason responded anxiously.


    The manager was stunned. ¡°Do you wish to look at the script now?¡±


    Jason nodded eagerly. ¡°Yes, of course! I¡¯m also willing to help Sam to persuade Arielle and get her in


    as the female lead. She has a face made for the silver screen,


    and this film will surely be a blockbuster! Give me the script, and I¡¯ll go through it.¡±


    The manager was still puzzled as she handed over the script. However, Jason started to read it at


    once.


    She was not sure what had caused the sudden change in Jason, but it was a good thing that he had


    decided to be diligent. It did not matter what the reason was, as long as he was willing to work.


    Soon, it was nightfall. Henrick was finally back at the old Southall estate.


    He massaged his bottom which was already stiff with pain from the long journey. Then, with a solemn


    expression, he picked up Malorie¡¯s urn and got out of the car.


    ¡°Pass the message,¡± Henrick informed his subordinate, ¡°Mrs. Southall¡¯s funeral will take ce on the


    day after tomorrow, and all vigers are invited.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± the subordinate answered and got to work.


    Henrick closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath of fresh mountain air.


    Indeed, the quality of air in the mountains was so much better than that in Jadeborough.


    When Henrick opened his eyes, he saw Cindy who was being carried out of the car by two bodyguards.


    Cindy had been crying and throwing a tantrum along the way. As a result, she was already exhausted


    and unable to stand still.


    Henrick¡¯s expression sank when he saw her.


    ¡°B*tch!¡± He gritted his teeth and ordered his bodyguards, ¡°Throw her into the pigsty, and keep an eye


    on her! Make sure she doesn¡¯t get out!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± the bodyguards replied. Then, they dragged Cindy to the pigsty.


    A sudden realization dawned upon Cindy. Her eyes went wide in fright, and she began to scream. ¡°No!


    I don¡¯t want to go there! Let me go! Let me go! What you¡¯re doing is illegal! Don¡¯t you understand?¡±


    ¡°Hehe.¡± Henrick chuckled coldly and said, ¡°This isn¡¯t Jadeborough. I make the rules here. Are you


    trying to be funny? What are you waiting for? Throw her in!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± the bodyguards said.


    Plop! Ignoring Cindy¡¯s shrieks and struggle, they pushed her into the putrid and smelly pigsty, which


    was filled with mosquitoes, rats and cockroaches.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Cindy screeched hysterically.


    As soon as she opened her mouth, a fly entered it.


    Retch! She threw up immediately,


    The sight managed to soothe Henrick¡¯s foul mood.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    The rules of monogamy did not apply in this vige. He could do anything as long as he had money.


    Once Malorie¡¯s funeral was over, he would marry as many women as he wanted and had as many


    children as he wished.


    That woman can stay in the pigsty forever!

 Chapter 758

    Chapter 758


    Henrick was about to leave the foul-smelling pigsty and handle Malorie¡¯s funeral arrangements when a


    bodyguard approached him. ¡°Mr. Southall, what do we do with him?¡±


    Henrick¡¯s gaze followed the direction of the bodyguard¡¯s finger and saw two bodyguards dragging


    Matthias out of the car.


    Henrick hadid off most of the housekeepers of the Southall residence, but the bodyguards remained.


    He wanted to take his bodyguards back to the old Southall estate, so that he could show everyone that


    he was the boss.


    Matthias did not sit still in the car and tried several attempts in escaping. The bodyguards were worried


    that he would disturb the chauffeur, so they knocked Matthias unconscious.


    Matthias had regained his consciousness and was forced out of the car. There were long, bloody cuts


    on his arms. It was a horrifying sight to see.


    Nevertheless, the bodyguards did not care about his condition. They dragged him to Henrick and


    kicked the backs of Matthias¡¯ shins.


    Matthias lost his bnce andnded in front of Henrick in a kneeling position.


    He did not mind if he was the one who suffered. When he realized that Cindy was tied up in the pigsty,


    he began to struggle and growl.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Henrick! Come at me and leave Cindy alone! What kind of man are you to treat a woman like this?¡±


    Matthias yelled.


    There was a dangerous gleam in Henrick¡¯s eyes as he regarded Matthias who was kneeling before


    him. Then, he let out a sardonicugh. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t forget about you. Since the two of you love


    each other so much, I¡¯m not going to be the bad guy to separate you both.¡±


    Henrick paused, then pointed at a chicken coop to the right of the pigsty. ¡°Tie him up at that spot. Get


    me a whip, too.¡±


    The bodyguard acknowledged hismand and returned with a whip.


    The whip was used to herd cows. It was still stained with cow dung and stank.


    Henrick put on a pair of gloves. Then, he grabbed the whip and walked toward Matthias, who was tied


    up in the chicken coop. He raised his hand and cracked the whip.


    The whip tore Matthias¡¯ shirt and split his flesh open.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Matthias screamed in agony. Cold sweat formed on his forehead.


    Before he could calm down, the second whipnded on his body.


    Soon, it was followed by the third and fourth whips.


    After ten sessive whips, Henrick stopped.


    By then, Matthias was already covered in sweat. He was in so much pain that he could not even moan


    anymore.


    Henrick tossed the whip aside and dered, ¡°From today onward, I¡¯ll whip you ten times every day until


    you¡¯re dead. No, wait. After you¡¯re dead, I¡¯ll continue whipping your dead body until it rots.¡±


    ¡°Henrick!¡± Matthias clenched his teeth and shouted, ¡°You¡¯remitting a crime!¡±


    Henrick shrugged. ¡°This is my territory. Thew doesn¡¯t mean sh*t.¡±


    Then, he turned to his bodyguards and warned, ¡°Take a good look! This is what happens when you


    sleep with my wife!¡±


    The bodyguards held their breath. They knew how scary Henrick could be when he threw a fit of rage,


    but they did not expect him to be this terrifying.


    Still, they had signed contracts to serve him for twenty years, and they were highly paid. Therefore, the


    bodyguards did not feel the slightest pity for Cindy and Matthias.


    After witnessing Matthias¡¯ treatment, Cindy dared not scream, even when a cockroach crawled past her


    feet.


    Henrick is really frightening!


    At the same time, Sasha and ke were hiding behind some bushes near a cowshed. They witnessed


    everything that urred at the pigsty and the chicken §ã§à§à§â.


    ke gulped. He looked at Sasha who was recording the events calmly. Quietly, he gave her a thumbs


    up.


    She isn¡¯t even repulsed by the scenes that took ce. Amazing!


    Sasha was done with the recording and sent the video.


    Then, she gestured at ke. Both of them left stealthily.

 Chapter 759

    Chapter 759


    ke only dared to speak when they left Henrick and the guards¡¯ field of vision. ¡°Sasha, do you not feel


    anything? I can even feel Henrick¡¯s whip on my skin by just looking at it!¡±


    Sasha replied nonchntly, ¡°The people and incidents that we met in Manchernius were much more


    brutal. It was just that you were young then and the three of us were always protecting you. Hence, you


    did not get to witness any of it.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± ke said with a regretful look. However, the moment he thought of Andy and Antoni, who


    had passed away, his eyes overflowed with grief.


    The next moment, Sasha curled up her fingers and knocked on ke¡¯s head, and remarked, ¡°Don¡¯t


    freeze there. Ms. Moore has sent information about the person we are supposed to meet. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ke then quickly collected himself and gave a firm nod. ¡°Okay!¡±


    Vinson just had his meeting in Jadeborough. He switched on his phone and saw the video that Sasha


    sent over and was about to forward it to Arielle.


    However, he stopped right before sending it over.


    It¡¯s better that Arielle doesn¡¯t see such a sickening scene.


    Hence, he stopped forwarding the video and exined the details of the video in words instead.


    Arielle was on her way to Maple Mansion when she saw the message from Vinson. When she finished


    reading it, images of Henrick beating Cindy and Matthias came to her mind.


    However, she was not disturbed by it, and her lips even curled up slightly.


    Before that, Arielle was troubled as to how she should punish Cindy and Matthias. By the look of it,


    there was no need for her to worry anymore, as Henrick had taught them a good lesson.


    Besides, she was contented with the scene of them turning against each other.


    Arielle then sent a text message and asked: Do you have a video of it?


    Vinson fell silent for about two minutes before sending the video over.


    Arielle watched the video intently as if she was admiring a piece of art.


    She was so focused to the extent that the taxi driver could not help but turn to her at the traffic light and


    ask, ¡°What are you looking so intently at?¡±


    With that, Arielle immediately kept her phone and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. Can you please


    make a right turn in front to head to Jadeborough


    Cemetery?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    Once the traffic light turned green, the taxi driver stepped on the elerator and drove toward


    Jadeborough Cemetery.


    Arielle first walked past Shandie¡¯s grave when she entered the cemetery and coincidentally walked


    past Yvette¡¯ster.


    Yvette¡¯s school photo was on the grave, where her arrogance could even be felt through the picture.


    However, despite being so arrogant when she was alive, Yvette still turned into ash after she died.


    Shandie and Yvette were close friends when they were alive. Now that their graves were ced next to


    each other, they could continue to be friends even after death.


    Arielle continued walking forward until she reached Maureen¡¯s grave.


    ¡°Mom.¡±


    Arielle bent with one knee in front of the grave.


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    With reddened eyes, she called out, ¡°I¡¯m here to see you.¡±


    Maureen looked as young and beautiful as always in the picture as her looks remained at the time she


    was 30 years old.


    It was a beautiful age where one could experience life. Sadly, Maureen did not have such a chance.


    After that, Arielle wiped away the tears in her eyes. She then yed a video from her phone and


    ced it in front of Maureen¡¯s grave.


    Right after, Arielle forced out a smile and said, ¡°Can you see it, Mom? I¡¯ve avenged you. Cindy, who


    caused your death, has been locked up by Henrick in the pigsty. She will be bitten by rats and crawled


    over by cockroaches when night falls. As for Henrick, he will get his lesson soon.¡±


    Her voice became softer as she said that. In the end, she wept while leaning against Maureen¡¯s grave.


    After some time, it started drizzling. The raindrops were hitting on Arielle¡¯s face and one could not even


    distinguish whether they were tears or raindrops on her face.


    However, she was still sulking in sorrow as she continued to bend with one knee on the ground.


    Right then, Arielle felt that the rain had stopped.


    She lifted her head and met the gaze of a pair of charming ck eyes.

 Chapter 760

    Chapter 760


    Arielle widened her eyes in astonishment at the sight of him.


    ¡°How¡­ do you know that I¡¯m here?¡±


    Well, that was because Arielle had told no one that she wasing to the cemetery.


    Vinson helped her up before answering, ¡°Will you believe it if I told you that our hearts are connected?¡±


    Upon hearing, Arielle¡¯s tears started rolling down her cheeks unwillingly.


    ¡°Dumbo.¡± With one hand holding the umbre and another wiping the tears on Arielle¡¯s cheeks, Vinson


    continued gently, ¡°Why are you crying in front of our mom? Aren¡¯t you ashamed that Mom willugh at


    you for crying when you¡¯re already an adult?¡±


    Our mom.


    Touched by Vinson¡¯s choice of words, Arielle immediately hugged him in her arms.


    The smile in Vinson¡¯s eyes grew deeper as he used his hand to hug her tightly.


    In the end, Arielle had no memory of how she returned to Maple Mansion, and it was the next morning


    when she woke up.


    Arielle sat on her bed for a few seconds to get a hold of herself. After that, she was shocked to find out


    that she was not in her own room.


    Just when Arielle was about to get down from bed, the room door was pushed open, and Vinson


    walked in with a cup of brown drink.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± asked Vinson as he walked toward Arielle and continued, ¡°Come have some hot


    chocte.¡±


    She obediently drank the hot chocte while Vinson continued, ¡°I¡¯ve applied for a day¡¯s leave for you


    at school. There¡¯s some progress on ke and Sasha¡¯s end. Therefore, I¡¯m afraid that you won¡¯t have


    enough time to head back to school today.¡±


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    Upon hearing, Arielle¡¯s eyes lit up and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the progress?¡±


    With a smirk, Vinson replied, ¡°That idiot, Henrick, went back and boast about his wealth. He has no


    idea how Mrs. Southall has been financially taking advantage of the vigers. Those vigers who


    weren¡¯t willing to cooperate with you are all standing by your side now. The n that you have been


    nning will soone to fruition.¡±


    Arielle was shocked when she heard Vinson. On second thought, she felt that everything was within


    her expectation.


    Henrick was indeed cunning and cautious. However, it


    was just a matter of time that Henrick would blow his own trumpet and unt his wealth without Cindy


    and Malorie by his side reminding him to keep a low profile.


    With that, Arielle immediately made a firm decision. ¡°I¡¯m going to head over to Henrick¡¯s¡±


    Vinson was not taken aback by Arielle¡¯s sudden decision. He nodded and replied, ¡°Sure. After


    breakfast, I¡¯ll apany you to Henrick¡¯s ce.¡±


    However, Arielle hesitated for a moment at Vinson¡¯s reply and asked, ¡°You must have a lot of things to


    settle in yourpany. Won¡¯t you be wasting time if you were to go with me?¡±


    Vinson shook his head at her question. ¡°If I need to do everything personally, what¡¯s the point of me


    hiring all my employees?¡±


    Right after that, he kissed Arielle on the forehead and continued, ¡°All right. Let¡¯s stop worrying about


    me. Our focus should be on taking down Henrick and the rest.¡±


    Arielle nodded in agreement and embarked on the journey to Henrick¡¯s ce with Vinson.


    Meanwhile, Arielle¡¯s trantion video and the video of her ying the piano became viral on the


    inte.


    Aaron, who had been grounded at home in Turlen, had his eyes gleamed in excitement when he saw


    those videos on the inte.


    My little kitty is indeed exceptional! She can y the piano and can even do the trantion so well.


    There is nonguage barrier between us as we can speak the samenguage. Mmm¡­ even non-


    verbal action¡­ Hahaha¡­


    ¡°Mr. Aaron, I¡¯ve worn the ne that you gave me yesterday. What do you think? Does it look nice?¡±


    asked an enchanting woman as she walked toward Aaron with swaying hips.


    Though the woman asked Aaron to look at her ne, she still intentionally showed her cleavage as


    she was confident that no man would be able to resist her in that manner.


    However, in the next instant¡­

 Chapter 761

    Chapter 761


    ¡°Go away!¡± Aaron pushed the woman leaning close to him aside in disgust.


    The woman widened her eyes in panic, not knowing what she had done wrong. Immediately, she


    turned and walked out of the mansion.


    Click. However, the moment before Aaron stepped out of the mansion, the sound of a gun being


    unlocked echoed in the doorway.


    Aaron instantly turned to look in the direction of the sound.


    Right then, a bodyguard was aiming a gun at him.


    Aaron narrowed his beautiful, blue eyes. A cold glint shed across his gaze. It was so sharp that it


    pierced through the bodyguard¡¯s heart like a shard of ice.


    However, that bodyguard was well-trained. He remained calm and unbothered as if he had gotten used


    to Aaron¡¯s cold stare. Then, he began to warn like a robot, ¡°Apologies, Mr. Aaron. Mr. Anderson said


    that you can¡¯t leave the mansion.¡±


    Aaron had been stopped by the bodyguard multiple times on that day. He could not endure it anymore.


    ¡°What if I insist on leaving?¡±


    ¡°Then I can only follow Mr. Anderson¡¯s order to make you stay forcefully,¡± the bodyguard replied.


    Aaron snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m going to leave today!¡±


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    With that said, he immediately took another two steps forward.


    As soon as he walked out of the door, a loud gunshot rang out.


    Bang!


    Aaron shifted his body to the left in reflex. His movement was as fast as a bolt of lightning.


    The next second, a hole appeared in the door behind


    him.


    Aaron frowned as he stared at the hole. If it wasn¡¯t because of his fast reaction speed just now, he


    might already get shot in his chest.


    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± He turned to re at the bodyguard. ¡°Do you know who you are shooting?¡±


    Again, the bodyguard replied like a robot, ¡°Mr. Anderson has instructed us not to let you leave before


    his cooperation with Duke ends. You¡¯re not allowed to step out of the mansion, even if we have to kill


    you. Mr. Aaron, please go back inside.¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡­¡± Aaron got so furious that he began to tremble.


    Suddenly, the bodyguard froze as he put down the gun slowly. He turned around and bowed politely at


    the middle-aged man behind him. ¡°Mr. Anderson.¡±


    The rest of the bodyguards bowed and shouted in unison, ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    Aaron lifted his eyes in shock. His father, Anderson, was walking toward them arrogantly.


    Although Anderson was in his middle ages, he did not look old at all. His exquisite facial features


    exuded a regal and imposing aura of a matured man.


    Aaron lowered his eyes as he bowed toward him reluctantly. ¡°Father.¡±


    Although he despised Anderson a lot, he was afraid of him too.


    Anderson nodded as he handed a document to Aaron without saying anything.


    Seeing that, Aaron quickly took over the document.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you trying to get out of here? I¡¯ll give you an opportunity to do so. Investigate the woman in the


    document for me,¡± Anderson said calmly.


    Aaron instantly opened the document upon knowing that he could finally leave.


    There was a picture of Arielle on the first page of the document. Oh, my kitten¡­


    For some reason, Aaron felt that he was destined to be with Arielle every time he saw her face.


    Perhaps, this is fate.


    Aaron looked at Anderson confusedly and asked, ¡°Father, why do you want me to investigate her? Is it


    because of the explosion on the cruise back then?¡±


    Anderson furrowed his brows, feeling puzzled. ¡°What explosion?¡±


    Aaron was even more surprised. ¡°If you don¡¯t know about the explosion on the cruise, then why do you


    want to investigate her?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know about that.¡± Anderson narrowed his eyes impatiently. ¡°Try to get her DNA after


    you found her, as well as the man¡¯s DNA on the following page. Find out as much information about


    that girl. I want to know everything about her.¡±

 Chapter 762

    Chapter 762


    Although Aaron had a lot of questions in his mind, he decided to keep them to himself since he finally


    got to leave the mansion. Then, he epted the task and watched as Anderson left.


    However, he failed to control himself in the end. He then ran up to Anderson and asked, ¡°Father,


    Mother called me and told me that she has learned to make a few new dishes. Would you like to go


    and give it a try?¡±


    ¡°Never mind. I¡¯m busy recently.¡± Anderson responded inly before speeding up to leave.


    Aaron¡¯s gaze darkened as a sh of resentment shed across his eyes.


    Every citizen in the country said that Anderson was a good leader. (This novel will be daily updtaed at


    .m.techkaushal)Moreover, he was a responsible father. He attended all of Aaron¡¯s birthday


    parties, gave him the best education and everything he wanted.


    However, he was never a good husband.


    Aaron could not help but feel bad for his mother.


    Poor Mother. She loves Father wholeheartedly, but he doesn¡¯t even bother to pay more attention to her.


    Therefore, although he respected his father, he hated him at the same time.


    How can Father be so cold-hearted? They have been married for years, but he has never given any


    warmth to her.


    Aaron closed her eyes asplicated emotions rose in his heart.


    ¡°Mr. Aaron.¡± Suddenly, a bodyguard approached him. ¡°I¡¯ve asked all the guards to leave. You can go


    anywhere you want now.¡±


    As soon as Aaron opened his eyes, he threw a punch onto the bodyguard¡¯s face.


    However, that bodyguard did not seem to feel the pain at all. Those who had been keeping an eye on


    Aaron were all Anderson¡¯s personal bodyguards.


    They had undergone special training since they were young, so their pain endurance was much higher


    than ordinary people.


    As expected, the bodyguard wiped his bleeding nose casually. (This novel will be daily updtaed at


    .m.techkaushal)Then, he bowed at Aaron before leaving.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Aaron got even more frustrated upon seeing how ineffective his punch was.


    However, his mood lifted when he realized that he had finally regained his freedom.


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    ¡°Prepare a helicopter for me, as well as another identity. I¡¯m going to Chanaea!¡± Aaron ordered.


    Wait for me, my kitten. I¡¯ming!


    Meanwhile, in Chanaea, Arielle was on her way to Henrick¡¯s old estate. Suddenly, she felt her nose


    tickle, and she sneezed out loud in the next second.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Vinson turned around and asked, ¡°Is the temperature of the air-conditioner too low?¡±


    Before Arielle managed to reply, he ordered the chauffeur, ¡°Adjust the air-conditioning.¡±


    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s fine,¡± Arielle said. ¡°I was just feeling a little tickle in my nose.¡±


    Besides, she had an unpleasant feeling that something bad was going to happen.


    However, she did not tell Vinson about it, as that was only her intuition.


    Vinson was relieved upon hearing that. He took off his coat and covered Arielle¡¯s knees. ¡°Although the


    weather is hot, you should avoid wearing short skirts. Women have weaker immune systems. You


    might catch a cold.¡±


    Moreover, he did not want her to catch the attention of other men.


    Arielle could not help but sh a smile. ¡°Vinson, do you know who you look like right now?¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Like my adoptive parents.¡±


    After all, Vinson nagged and took care of her like his child.


    Vinson shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be your dad.¡±


    Suddenly, Arielle¡¯s gaze darkened as she thought about the Wilhelms. It had been a few months since


    shest saw them.


    Vinson knew that Arielle had thought about the Wilhelms upon seeing her expression. (This novel will


    be daily updtaed at .m.techkaushal)He said softly, ¡°You can bring the Wilhelms here as soon


    as we finish dealing with Henrick.¡±


    Arielle nodded, trying to cheer herself up.


    Five hourster, the car finally arrived at the town where the old Southall estate was at.

 Chapter 763

    Chapter 763


    Sasha, ke, and Arielle¡¯s subordinates stayed in that town.


    That was a small vige, so the arrival of strangers would attract the vigers¡¯ attention.


    Whenever Arielle¡¯s subordinate headed to the town, he would always disguise himself as a


    businessman to hide his identity.


    As soon as they met, ke began to start chattering. ¡°Boss, the roads in that vige are bumpy and


    uneven. Moreover, there are buildings copsing from time to time. Many vigers do not dare to stay


    inside their houses, so they build their tents outdoor.(This novel will be daily updtaed  The structures of


    those houses will definitely kill someone in the future.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s subordinate, Rube, shook his head vigorously. ¡°No. That had already killed someone in the


    past. From what I know, an elderly and her daughter got killed when their house copsed. They went


    to ask for exnations from Mrs. Southall, but she evaded the responsibility by saying that it was an


    ident. She only paid part of the funeral fees aspensation.¡±


    ke widened her eyes as she spat, ¡°They are so cunning and despicable!¡±


    Arielle turned to Rube and asked, ¡°I have asked you to spread the news about Mrs. Southall¡¯s death.


    What are the vigers¡¯ reactions upon hearing that?¡±


    ¡°Initially, only thirty percent of the vigers had signed the petition. However, after they heard about the


    news, the number of vigers signing the petition has increased to sixty percent.¡±


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s not enough yet. We need at least eighty percent of vigers to sign it.¡±


    ¡°Then, what should we do now? Should I disguise as a businessman to persuade them again?¡±


    ¡°No need for that.¡± Arielle narrowed her eyes. ¡°Henrick hasn¡¯t held a funeral for Mrs. Southall in


    Jadeborough. Based on his personality, he¡¯ll always try to make himself look like a filial son. Moreover,


    he¡¯s feeling little guilty toward Mrs. Southall, so he¡¯ll definitely hold a grand funeral for her when he¡¯s


    back. I want you to add fuel to the fire when the timees.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Also, I¡¯m following you to the vige tomorrow. Please bring Teddy along too. I need him to help me


    with something.¡±


    ¡°All right!¡±


    Arielle could not sleep that night. When she woke up, she noticed that Vinson was smoking on the


    bench in front of the hotel.


    She got off the bed and walked toward him. As soon as Vinson saw her, he stubbed out the cigarette in


    his hand.


    Then, he waved his hand to get rid of the smoke. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You can¡¯t sleep?¡± His tone was


    gentle.


    Arielle sat down beside him and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure whether I understand Henrick enough. I¡¯m


    worried that he won¡¯t hold a funeral¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you still have Teddy? He is part of your backup n, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    Arielle chuckled softly. ¡°It seems like I can never hide anything from you, huh? But in fact, I don¡¯t really


    want to let Teddy join. He might get injured in my n.¡±


    ¡°You can ask for his opinion tomorrow. If that doesn¡¯t work out, we can think of other solutions. Don¡¯t


    worry. There must be a way.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Arielle nodded. They then continued to chat for a while longer.


    Soon, both of them gradually felt sleepy.


    Arielle rubbed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll go to bed now. Don¡¯t stay up toote.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Vinson responded as he watched Arielle leave. After that, he opened hisptop and started


    doing his work.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    There were a lot of properties under Nightshire Group. Besides, Vinson was a perfectionist. He


    preferred doing most of his work on his own.


    Finally, Vinson headed back to the bedroom at the first crack of morning sun.


    The next day, Rube acted ording to the n by disguising himself as a businessman.


    He passed by Teddy¡¯s house when he was on his way to the vige.


    Coincidentally, Teddy had juste back from gathering coals.


    ¡°Rube!¡± A bright smile appeared on his dirty face the moment he saw Rube.

 Chapter 764

    Chapter 764


    Since Rube was not amon name in the small vige, he had named himself Robin.


    Rube nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve brought you a gift since you helped me back then. Do you want toe to my car


    to have a look at it?¡±


    Teddy knew that Rube was Arielle¡¯s friend, so he trusted thetter a lot. He nodded excitedly and said,


    ¡°Sure! But I have to inform my mom about it first.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Also, I¡¯m bringing you to the town for dinner tonight. (This novel will be daily updtaed at


    .m.techkasuhal)Tell your parents that I¡¯ll send you home tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Okay! Yeah! I¡¯m going to the town!¡± With that, Teddy ran into the house cheerfully.


    A momentter, Teddy walked out while holding a woman¡¯s hands.


    She was Teddy¡¯s mother, and her name was Josee Crawford. As soon as she saw Rube, she lowered


    her head apologetically, ¡°Robin, thank you for taking him out, and I¡¯m sorry for troubling you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention that. Teddy is an adorable and considerate kid. (This novel will be daily updtaed at


    .m.techkaushal)I¡¯m happy to take him out and have some fun.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Suddenly, Josee started coughing intensely after saying that.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Rube looked at her with concern. ¡°Your sickness seems to be worse than before.


    My b-boss knows a little about medical skills. How about youe with us to town? I can ask my boss


    to take a look at you.¡±


    Josee waved her hand to reject him. ¡°It¡¯s okay. That¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯ve had it for a long time.


    Moreover, we can¡¯t afford to pay for that. I don¡¯t want to waste your boss¡¯ time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s free of charge.¡±


    However, Josee was insistent. ¡°Thank you, but I really don¡¯t need that. I didn¡¯t get to persuade that


    stubborn man for you, so I shouldn¡¯t ept your offer for granted.¡±


    Everyone in Teddy¡¯s family had signed the petition, except for his father. He used to work for a long


    time under the Southalls, so he was reluctant to ept that request.


    ¡°Okay, then. But, if your situation gets worse, you have to go to the hospital as soon as possible,¡± Rube


    replies helplessly.


    Josee got so grateful that her eyes became teary. ¡°I know that you¡¯re asking us to sign the petitions for


    our own good. I¡¯ll try my best to persuade him.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Rube nodded as he turned to Teddy. ¡°Shall we go now, Teddy?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Teddy waved at Josee. Then, he held Rube¡¯s hand and left together.


    Josee watched Rube and Teddy walk away before going back into the house, coughing.


    Right then, Teddy¡¯s father, Nigel Lowe, came back to the house for lunch.


    Upon scanning the surroundings, he asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Teddy? Is he still gathering coals?¡±


    ¡°He has gone to the town with Robin. Robin will send him home tonight.¡±


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    Most of the vigers were simple men. Hence, Nigel was not worried that Rube would do anything bad


    to Teddy. However, he frowned and asked angrily, ¡°How can you let someone take your son away like


    that?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that? Teddy hardly gets to enjoy himself in the town. You¡¯re his father. Can¡¯t you


    think more about Teddy?¡±


    Nigel fell into silence.


    Josee took the opportunity to continue with her sentence, ¡°You should reconsider signing the petition.


    (This novel will be daily updtaed at .m.techkaushal)Hasn¡¯t Robin talked to us about that? As


    long as we work together, we can still get the sry they owed us for years.¡±


    Nigel continued to remain silent. He was an honest and obedient man. He had been working under the


    Southalls for years, so he could not bring himself to go against them.


    Josee was anxious upon seeing his reaction. ¡°Can you at least think for Teddy and me? Do you want


    me to end up like our daughter? We could not even afford her funeral after she died from her illness!¡±


    Nigel took a puff of his cigarette and said, ¡°Let¡¯s wait for a little longer. As soon as Mrs. Southall¡¯s


    funeral is over, I¡¯ll try to im my sry with Rick. I-If he still refuses to pay us, t-then we¡¯ll discuss it


    again.¡± It sounded like he was willing to sign the petition now.

 Chapter 765

    Chapter 765


    Her eyes lit up, and Josee passed Nigel the only te of fresh vegetables left in the household. ¡°Have


    more of this. You need the energy for your work.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Nigel replied. The ambiance in the house restored its joviality.


    In the Southalls.


    Henrick and the local construction workers were discussing the renovation of the house


    ¡°Here I want to build a backyard with a fountain. I want the architecture of the house to have more


    European elements. I will pass the pictures to you and you may think about itter. Please let me know


    the manpower that you will need,¡± Henrick said.


    ¡°Alright alright. However, this will cost millions,¡± the workers reminded Henrick.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I will ensure that you will be paid for your work,¡± assured Henry.


    With Henrik¡¯s assurance, the workers joyfully left.


    After sending off the workers, Henrick noticed Matthias who was weak and frail when he passed by the


    chicken coop.


    After the whole torture yesterday, his high spirit had entirely diminished.


    This was due to the force of the beating, coupled with the fact that the wound was inmed. Obviously,


    the injuries on his body were starting to get infected.


    When he saw Henrick, his eyes opened widely.


    Henrick gestured the bodyguard and said, ¡°Whip.¡±


    The bodyguard immediately passed him the whip.


    Matthias quavered and said, ¡°Henrick, do you really want to kill me?¡±


    Henrick smirked in reply. ¡°I¡¯m a man of my word. Ten whips a day are what you will surely get.¡±


    He whipped Matthias instantly after finishing his sentence.


    However, Matthias was not as resilient as he was yesterday. Upon the fifth strike, he slumped into


    unconsciousness.


    Henrick was not satisfied. He threw the whip away and walked towards Cindy, who had not eaten for a


    day.


    Cindy cowered in a corner and shivered. ¡°Henrick, I was wrong. Please give me a chance? I swear I


    will not betray you again!¡±


    She also swore that if she were to be given the chance to leave, she would repay his generosity ten


    fold.


    Henrickughed at the thought. ¡°Do you think I will give you another chance to betray me?¡±


    He picked up a stone and forcefully hurled it in Cindy¡¯s direction.


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    She didn¡¯t have time to react. The next second, she felt a sharp pain on her forehead. Following that,


    blood started dripping into her eyes.


    ¡°Ouch! Ouch!¡± Cindy started to shriek in pain.


    Henry impatiently covered his ears and said, ¡°Mrs. Southall¡¯s funeral will be tomorrow, and the two of


    them will be a nuisance. Lock them up in the farm, but remember to feed them. Nothing too fancy, just


    some pig fodder will do.¡±


    I¡¯m not letting them die this easily, torture is awaiting them!


    On the other side.


    In Rube¡¯s van.


    Teddy saw Arielle once he hopped in the van.


    He immediately cheered in excitement, ¡°Sannie!¡±


    Arielle extended her arm and embraced Teddy.


    Teddy, on the other hand, shied away from her. He looked at his dirty hands and said,(This novel will be


    daily updtaed  ¡°Sannie, I think I might have dirtied your clothes.¡±


    Arielle was unbothered and shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, it¡¯s just a small issue. Teddy, how


    are


    you?¡±


    Teddy nodded at first but shook his head in sorrow afterward. ¡°Mom¡¯s coughing is getting worse, but


    Dad does not have money for her treatment¡­¡±


    Rube started exining the situation of Teddy¡¯s family to Arielle.

 Chapter 766

    Chapter 766


    Arielle sympathetically rubbed his head. ¡°Don¡®t worry, I assure you that your dad will have money for yo


    ur mom¡®s treatment very soon.¡±


    Teddy rubbed his eyes and said, ¡°But Dad refuses to sign the document. My crying pleas towards him


    were ineffective.¡±


    Arielle¡®s gaze visibly darkened, taking a deep breath. ¡°Your dad will surely sign it.¡±


    Even if Henrick held a grand funeral for Malorie as she had expected, she would make sure to expose t


    he truth to everyone. Truth be told,


    Henrick was not financially constrained, but rather he was unwilling to pay. In the blink of an eye, it was


    nightfall.


    Arielle sent Teddy back to the vige. Before he left the car, Arielle pinched his cheeks and uttered, ¡°Te


    ddy, I want to discuss something with you.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Teddy patted his chest in reply. ¡°Sannie, you are the person who treats me the best, apart from


    my mom and my dad. I will do anything for you.¡±


    Arielle felt relieved. ¡°I will give you a pill. If you consume it, you will feel extreme difort but it won¡®t


    kill you. There won¡®t be any side effects at all. Once the drug effect subsides, you¡®ll feel better.¡±


    Teddy was confused. He stared mindlessly at the pill and asked, ¡°Sannie, why do you want me


    to eat this?¡±


    Arielle was hesitant to answer. ¡°If your dad still refuses


    to sign, then you should consume this pill. He will need the money for you to get medical treatment and


    will have no choice but to seek Henrick¡®s help. Besides, I can confirm that Henrick will not offer any


    assistance. By then, your dad will be more than willing to sign.¡±


    Teddy immediately understood what she meant. ¡°Alright, Sannie. I will act ording to the condition.¡±


    ¡°You mean situation.¡± Arielle cheekily corrected him.


    Teddy scratched his head in embarrassment. He smiled and asked, ¡°If


    Dad signs, does that mean that I can go to school?¡±


    ¡°You are right,¡± Arielle nodded. ¡°I will also sponsor you to study in Jadeborough.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡± Teddy¡®s excitement flourished. He carefully kept the pill and stepped out of the car.


    Even after Teddy left, Arielle did not leave the vige. She stayed in the car with Rube, Sasha and


    ke until the next day. In the meantime, Vinson remained in town. The two separate groups were


    working together from the inside and outside.


    In a sh, the next day arrived.


    Just as Arielle predicted, Henrick organized a rather pompous and grand funeral for Malorie.


    The dinner was prepared by one of the best chefs in town. Besides, the venue was


    decorated gloriously. The cost incurred for just the flowers could run up to tens of thousands.


    The number was unimaginable in a ce like this.


    It was all within Vinson¡®s prediction. All the florists in town were booked and Sasha was to


    deliver to flowers.


    Following Arielle¡®s instructions, Sasha feigned that she was lost and knocked on Teddy¡®s door.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Coincidently, Nigel was preparing to head to the funeral. Bewildered, he asked, ¡°And you are?¡±


    Sasha smilingly introduced herself, ¡°I¡®m a florist from the city. Mr. Southall booked some


    flowers from our shop but I cannot find the location. Can you show me the way?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m heading there as well,¡± Nigel happily agreed


    On the way, Sasha took the opportunity and eximed, ¡°Henrick is extravagantly rich!¡±


    Nigel was stunned. He asked, ¡°Why do you say so?¡±


    Sasha was anticipating the question. ¡°The flowers he booked from our shop are worth more than


    ten thousand!¡±


    ¡°That much?¡± Nigel¡®s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Are


    you sure? We¡®re talking about the same currency, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course. If you don¡®t believe me, check out the receipt.¡± Sasha passed Nigel a piece of paper.


    Nigel scanned the receipt and his gaze locked on the final amount, instantly bringing himself to a halt.

 Chapter 767

    Chapter 767


    Fourteen thousand and eight hundred.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    It was not ten thousand, but almost fifteen thousand!


    Butst night, when he was pestered


    by Josee to ask for money from Henrick, Henrick¡®s response was a cold, harsh refusal.


    All he asked for was the sry for the month!


    How is it that he can spend fifteen thousand on flowers, but cannot pay his sry?


    ¡°This is not just it,¡± Sasha continued, ¡°My neighbor, who


    is a construction worker, told me that Henrick wants to build a huge mansion with a backyard, costing a


    few million.¡±


    ¡°A few millions?¡± Nigel nearly lost his voice. He shakingly asked, ¡°Are you telling the truth?¡±


    ¡°Definitely. It¡®s big news in town. Even the town mayor wants to visit him.¡±


    Nigel frowned and fell silent.


    When they arrived at Henrick¡®s ce, Nigel noticed the glistening ornaments that decorated the venue.


    He was hesitant to enter and ushered Sasha, ¡°Miss, this is the ce. Go on in.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Sasha smiled and nodded her head. She entered the house with the receipt to collect pay


    ment.


    Not longter, when Sasha came out, Nigel was still standing out there.


    She deliberately approached him. ¡°Mister, I¡®ve already collected my payment. Why are you still here? I t


    hought you are nning to attend the funeral?¡±


    ¡°I¡®ll¡­ I¡®ll head in soon.¡± Nigel


    stared at the receipt in Sasha¡®s hand. He couldn¡®t move away, as if his limbs were screwed on the grou


    nd with nuts and bolts.


    At the same time, disappointment loomed all over him.


    His trust towards Henrick vanishedpletely.


    Sasha was observing Nigel¡®s reaction. Without a word, she left quietly.


    For a long time, Nigel was left standing in front of the entrance. Finally, he gazed deeply at the main do


    or before turning away and heading towards the house of the vige chief.


    About half an hourter, the funeral was about to start.


    When Henrick arrived at the front yard of the funeral, he realized that none of the vigers was there.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± Henrick asked his bodyguard, ¡°Why isn¡®t anyone here yet? Are they informed of the


    funeral?¡±


    The bodyguard shook his head. ¡°We acted ording to your instructions, but only a few showed up. B


    ut those


    that showed up, also left shortly afterward. No one else came since then.¡±


    Henrick was uneased. Are they nning to cause a scene?


    Nheless, he quickly brushed off that thought.


    How can some lowlifes like them even dare to do that?


    ¡°Get your minds together and act fast! We¡®re short of time and stop dilly¨C


    dallying!¡± Henrickshed out, ¡°head out and tell of them that attendance ispulsory! Ask them to drop


    ¡°Yes!¡± Just as the bodyguard wanted to leave, a horde of tumultuous footsteps could be heard.


    Hundreds of people were heading towards them.


    Henrick raised his head and noticed the crowd.


    He heaved a sigh of relief and thought to himself, ¡°I knew that they wille.¡±


    Even better, they all arrived at the same time. Speaking about respect!


    Henrick was full of himself and walked towards them grinning from ear to ear. ¡°Everyone is here. That¡®s


    ording to the rules of the old Southall estate, the attending guests of funerals must put on a white ha


    However, Henrick quickly sensed that something was off.

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    Chapter 768


    The crowd was led by the vige chief, and each and every one of them looked aggrieved and infuriate


    d.


    Some were clenching their fists, while others brought their hammers and shovels. Instead of attending


    a funeral, they seemed to be here for a fight.


    Even the vige chief who had always been an easy going person looked furious. He stared angrily at


    him, sending off a very fearful message.


    Henrick¡®s noticed the oddity and anxiously asked, ¡°Err¡­ what is going on?¡±


    ¡°Holding you ountable,¡± the vige chief replied. Albeit spoken softly, his tone was extremely determ


    ined and to a certain extent, aggressive.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Henrick frowned and asked again, ¡°What


    do you mean? I don¡®t know when I have offended you, but surely thismotion is unwarranted! When


    my mom was still around, she never took advantage of you! Is


    this how you treat her son now that she is gone?¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± the vige chief let out a huge grunt. ¡°Indeed, your mother did not take advantage of me. But


    remember, I was the person who paid her share of the repair costs for the church. Your mother refused


    to contribute!¡±


    ¡°So this is what all of it is about¡­¡± Henrick nodded. ¡°You should have told me earlier! It¡®s a good


    deed to contribute to the repair of the church. How much did you pay on behalf of my mom? I¡®ll pay you


    back.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think that I¡®m the only one asking for money?¡± replied the vige chief.


    Then, he turned and looked towards Nigel.


    Nigel stepped forward and said, ¡°Henrick, I heard that you spent fifteen thousand on flowers for this


    funeral. However, when I asked for my sry for this month yesterday, you refused me! Josee is bed¨C


    ridden for such a


    long time and I cannot afford to take her to seek treatment! Henrick, how can you be so heartless? Wh


    en are you going to pay up?¡±


    The veins on Henrick¡®s forehead popped out visibly


    He wanted to assure them that he would pay them after the funeral. However, the moment he looked


    up and saw the crowd, he became speechless.


    Mrs. Southall owed them a substantial amount of sry. She only paid them once in a while, but even s


    o, it was only a month¡®s worth of sry, just enough to keep the vigers alive.


    If he were to pay them immediately, that would involve an extremely huge sum!


    Henrick was indeed a very stingy and cunning person. He could spend millions building his own house,


    but would not pay his workers, who he saw as imbeciles.


    Henrick hesitated, beforembasting them, ¡°Who started this rumor? My cash flow is extremely tight! Ho


    Henrick raised his voice to the crowd. ¡°I¡®m pretty sure all of you know what kind of person I am! The situ


    Nigel was an innocent person. Swayed by Henrick¡®s speech, he gulped and asked, ¡°Are you telling the t


    to build a mansion worth millions, nor did you spend so much on flowers?¡±


    Henrick nodded profusely. ¡°Of


    course! What luxurious mansion are you talking about? Nonsense! I¡®m not sure where you hear this


    from, but don¡®t believe it! We are a family, and I will not hang you up to dry!¡±


    Nigel¡®s felt a deep sense of penitence.


    ¡°I¡¯m really, really sorry¡­¡±


    However, before Nigel could finish his sentence¡­

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    Chapter 769


    A figure walked out of the crowd. ¡°Mr. Southall!¡±


    It was a familiar voice. Nigel immediately turned around.


    Sasha walked forward. When she saw Teddy¡®s father, she greeted him cordially, ¡°Hello, mister!¡±


    ¡°Please stop disturbing me!¡± Nigel frowned. ¡°It¡®s because of you that I almost mess up the funeral.¡±


    In no case should a funeral be disturbed as it was disrespectful to the deceased.


    Pretending not to know anything, Sasha said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡®re talking about.¡± She then turned


    to look at Henrick.


    Henrick had a bad feeling about it and wanted to stop Sasha from saying anything, but it was toote.


    ¡°Mr. Southall.¡± Sasha smiled. ¡°Thank you so much for your order. The flowers have already been delive


    red. My boss even rounded down the number. Here¡®s eight hundred for you.¡±


    Sasha took out a stack of cash and handed it to Henrick.


    Her action shocked Henrick. Taking a few steps back, he subconsciously waved his hand. ¡°No¡­ I¡­¡± ¡°


    Henrick Southall!¡± Nigel let out a scream. His face turned purple with rage.


    Having worked vigorously all these years, Nigel looked almost as tough as Henrick¡®s bodyguards. His r


    oar startled Henrick.


    He quickly regained his senses. Pushing Sasha, he said, ¡°Please leave first.¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    However, Sasha remained immobile. ¡°Sir, you don¡®t want the money, do you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°What are you talking about? You got the wrong person. Please leave now!¡± Henrick kept pushing her.


    To his great surprise, the little girl did not move an inch even though he pushed her with great


    strength. A smile yed around Sasha¡®s lips. She gave him a thumbs¨C


    up and eximed, ¡°Sir, you are really rich as what people in the town described. Is eight hundred too lit


    tle to you? Sure enough, the more generous one is, the easier one makes money.


    I hope your mansion will bepleted soon.¡±


    Henrick¡®s face darkened. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? What are you all doing there? Kick her out


    now!¡±


    The bodyguard immediately stepped up. This time, Sasha chose to walk away first.


    Just as Henrick thought he could twist the truth after driving away Sasha, a couple of workers came


    into sight.


    ¡°Mr. Southall, with the help of a designer, we


    have finallypleted theyout of the mansion. This is the blueprint. You may have a look at it.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Southall, we also specialize in building houses. When you decide to build your new mansion, I can


    be your contractor.¡±


    One after another, the workers volunteered themselves. All the


    vigers clearly heard their conversation. Beads of sweat began to form on Henrick¡®s forehead.


    Howe they all¡­e over at such a time as if they have received someone¡®s order?


    Before Henrick coulde up with a solution, the vige chief thumped his walking stick on the ground


    ¡°I¡­¡± Henrick gritted his teeth and began to rack his brain.


    What the heck! So, this bunch of idiots wants money from me at a time like this. Fine then! I won¡®t give


    you a single penny. If it happens once, it will surely happen again and again down the road¡­ There will


    be no end to this.


    Under no circumstances would he agree to their requests.


    ¡°You all go back first. I will contact you againter,¡± Henric said to the workers.


    The workers were surprisingly cooperative and left gleefully.


    ¡°Henrick.¡± Tightened his grip to the


    hoe, Nigel asked, ¡°You still owe us our wages. You have to pay us today no matter what.¡±

 Chapter 770

    Chapter 770


    As soon as his voice fell, the vigers chimed in and echoed their agreements.


    ¡°Yeah! You have to pay us today.¡±


    ¡°Pay us our money!¡± the vigers shouted in unison.


    In fact, their patience had reached its limit. They had to humble themselves each time they asked for w


    ages. When Malorie was delighted, they would be given a month¡®s sry. However, when


    she was in a bad mood, she would use all kinds of excuses to dy their sry payment.


    Sad to say, they actually believed everything Malorie said each time, and so they had not


    been paid for a long time.


    If it weren¡®t for the free meals provided, half


    of them would have starved to death a long time ago. They thought the Southalls ran out of money. But


    the fact was that they


    just refused to pay them even though they had money. To their disappointment, they


    didn¡®t expect that they had been toyed by the Southalls all this while.


    A vein twitched on Henrick¡®s forehead.


    ¡°You want to make me pay today?¡± Have you all lost your mind?¡±


    Malorie had been owing them the pay for so many


    years. If he had to return the money to them, the figure


    would be huge. Just the thought of it was enough to make him feel the pinch.


    Fixing his icy gaze on Henrick, Teddy asked, ¡°That¡®s right. You have to pay


    us now and not a penny less! Or else¡­¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Or else what¡­¡± Henrick was determined not to pay them a single penny. He raised his chin and looke


    d at them provocatively. ¡°Are you going to kill me if I refuse to pay? My mother owes you the money. If


    you want it so much, you can ask her. I don¡®t have any with me now.¡±


    With that, the crowd fell silent and looked at him in disbelief.


    Unexpectedly, Malorie¡®s son was as shameless and stingy as she was¡ªlike mother, like son.


    Nigel nodded and determinedly replied, ¡°Okay! So you aren¡®t going to pay, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Everyone!¡± Teddy then turned around and called out to


    the vigers. ¡°We are going to empty his house today. Whatever that we can move out, it will be taken


    as our pay.¡±


    ¡°Right! Empty their house!¡±


    Before Henrick could react, the crowd charged forward all at once.


    The crowd then pushed him, and he stumbled. Luckily, the bodyguard supported him. Otherwise, he


    would have fallen t to the ground.


    After regaining his footing, he found that the vigers already rushed into his house.


    He had brought over all those valuable items from Jadeborough, including the priceless antiques left by


    Maureen. Any of those could cost up to millions. There was no way he would let them move those


    things out of his house.


    ¡°Quick! Stop


    them! Stop them right now! What¡®re you all standing here for? Go stop them now!¡± Henrick shouted furi


    ously.


    For a moment, the bodyguards hesitated. After all, there were too many of them.


    ¡°Mr. Southall¡­¡± ¡°Don¡®t you expect a payment from me if you all don¡®t stop them!¡±


    With that, the bodyguards immediately rushed up to the vigers.


    ¡°Stay where you are, or we will use force!¡± one of the bodyguards warned.


    ¡°Beat them up!¡± Nigel bellowed.


    Upon hearing hismand, the vigers paused in their actions and turned


    around to charge at the bodyguards.


    Gritting their teeth, the bodyguards fought with the vigers.


    Most of the vigers were strong, but they merely used brute force, which was why they both were actua


    vigers outnumbered the bodyguards.


    Just when they remained locked in the stalemate, a group of bodyguards in ck appeared out of


    nowhere and sprinted toward them.


    ¡°He still has other mening here.¡± Another viger added terrifyingly, ¡°There are a lot of


    them. It seems that we are unable to resist them any longer.¡±


    Nigel sent a bodyguard flying with a kick. Looking at the bunch of people who were rushing up to them,

 Chapter 771

    Chapter 771


    Unexpectedly, just when the vigers were getting ready to retreat, the men in ck went ahead and


    took Henrick¡®s men head¨Con.


    ¡°Who are you people?¡± inquired Henrick after being forced into a corner by those men.


    ¡°Your worst nightmare!¡± answered one of the men in ck before mming his fist into Henrick¡®s face,


    knocking the man¡®s lights out.


    ¡°They¡®re for us!¡± shouted Nigel in joy, reigniting his fellow vigers¡® will to continue fighting.


    With the unexpected help, the vigers were able to fend off Henrick¡®s bodyguards within minutes.


    Nigel then let out a sigh of relief before approaching the men in ck to express his gratitude.


    Suddenly, the men lined up in two rows and saluted to Arielle in unison, so naturally, the vigers all


    turned around to look at the slender woman behind them.


    With just one look, Nigel instantly recognized who thedy was. ¡°Arielle? You¡®re Henrick¡®s daughter,


    aren¡®t you?¡±


    Arielle nodded in response before stepping aside to show Teddy hiding behind her. The boy then ran


    toward his father and hugged the man¡®s legs. ¡°Dad!¡±


    After pulling his son behind him, the man shifted his focus back onto Arielle and questioned cautiously,


    ¡°These men¡­ Were you the one who sent them to help us?¡± ¡°Yes.¡±


    With that, the vigers were filled with bafflement while Nigel inquired curiously, ¡°But why?¡±


    Teddy then quickly answered his father before Arielle could. ¡°It was Sannie who asked us to sign the


    papers. She has been trying to help us all this while.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The answer only served to baffle Nigel even further.


    Smiling faintly at the man, Arielle exined herself. ¡°I¡®ve cut all ties with Henrick, so he¡®s no longer my


    father and vice versa. What the man did was unforgivable. I¡®ll make sure that he pays it and that you¡®ll


    get your due.¡±


    Teddy nodded fervently in agreement with Arielle. ¡°Sannie¡®s a good person, Daddy. You can trust her.


    She¡®s with Robin.¡±


    At that point, it was already apparent to the boy¡®s father what kind of person Arielle was.


    ¡°Never have I expected to receive help from a youngdy like you,¡± stated the man with a bitter smile.


    The vige chief, anxious to know what they should do next, stepped forward with his questions.


    ¡°Arielle, before you came, we nned to take whatever valuables those men have in their houses and


    sell them off to pay for our wages. What do you think we should do now?¡±


    ¡°You can¡®t just take their stuff; that¡®s illegal. If you do that, Henrick will take legal action against you. No


    reason is going to justify breaking thew.¡±


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What should we do then?¡± inquired Nigel anxiously.


    Then, Arielle calmly took out a stack of documents and exined, ¡°Don¡®t worry. All you have to do is


    sign your names on these papers, and I¡®ll do the rest.¡±


    ¡°Sign my name?¡± Suddenly, Nigel smacked down on his own leg. ¡°So it was you all along! You¡®re the


    one who¡®s been secretly helping us!¡±


    ¡°That¡®s right. You don¡®t have to break thew. Juste over here and sign your names on these


    papers.¡± Immediately, the vigers hurried over and before long, every piece of the documents had a


    name signed on them.


    After signing himself, Nigel rubbed the back of his head embarrassedly. ¡°I should¡®ve listened to my boy


    and signed this earlier. Henrick wouldn¡®t have been able to take advantage of us for so long if I did.¡±


    ¡°Don¡®t be too hard on yourself. Henrick is the one at fault here, not you.¡± Arielleforted the man as


    she went through the papers. After that, she stood up and asked for the vigers¡® attention. ¡°Signing


    these papers means that you¡®ve entrusted me to collect your due wages, so give me some time, and I


    will bring you news soon.¡±


    When Nigel remembered how Rube tried to help them, he gritted his teeth and fell to his knees before


    Arielle.

 Chapter 772

    Chapter 772


    Shocked, Arielle was about to help Nigel up when the boy also knelt before her.


    Behind them, the vige head and the other vigers followed suit.


    Unsure of how to respond to such a grand gesture, Arielle pleaded for them to get up.


    ¡°Arielle, we can never thank you enough for what you¡®ve done for us. This is the least we can do,¡±


    exined the vige head before bowing down to her.


    The others, too, bowed down to express their gratitude


    Watching the vigers humble themselves like that, Arielle could not even begin to imagine what they


    had gone through


    These people must¡¯ve suffered greatly because of the despicable things that Henrick and his mother


    had done. This ends now. They deserve justice, and I will give it to them!


    After much pleading, the vigers eventually agreed to stand up.


    It was not until they had left that Arielle realized what a mess the funeral had turned into.


    Malorie¡®s cremation urn was supposed to be on the table, but it somehow ended up on the ground. Her


    ashes were all over the floor, and there were even multiple footprints on it.


    Suddenly, a long shadow was cast over Arielle, who instinctively turned around only to see an all too


    familiar face looking down at her.


    The face belonged to a man in a dashing ck suit, exuding pure confidence and majesty.


    It was none other than Vinson Nightshire himself.


    The man then walked over to Arielle¡®s side and stared at Malorie¡®s ashes as Arielle did. ¡°I don¡®t think


    Mrs. Southall had ever imagined that she would end up like this. Not only was her son unwilling to pay


    for her treatment, but he was also unable to give her a decent funeral.¡±


    ¡°I can¡®t say that she didn¡®t have iting after all the horrible things she¡®s done. I¡®m going to go take a


    look inside. Surely there are a lot of things in there that belonged to my mother.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡®ll see if anybody else wants a piece of Henrick.¡±


    After nodding in response, Arielle stepped on Malorie¡®s ashes and made her way into Henrick¡®s old


    house.


    Vinson watched the woman enter the building before turning to his bodyguards. ¡°Feed the ashes to the


    chicken. I don¡®t want them to spoil my shoes. As for Henrick, throw him into the trunk and make sure he


    stays there. We¡®re taking him back to Jadeborough.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± responded the bodyguards before taking action.


    Vinson was circling the house when he heard Arielle calling out to her men, so he quickly headed to the


    source with a few men.


    On the other side, Arielle managed to find the room where Henrick kept all the valuable antiques, and it


    was filled to the brim.


    She knew the man well enough to know that he would never spend a dime on antiques.


    I¡®m sure all these belonged to either my mother or the Moore family. After all this time, these antiques


    will finally return to their rightful owners.


    ¡°Pack these all up and take them with us,¡± ordered Arielle before she heard Vinson¡®s voice just outside.


    ¡°I¡®ve found a surprise, Sannie,¡± informed the man before pausing for a second. ¡°Or should I say two


    surprises?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Puzzlement was written all over Arielle¡®s face.


    Vinson then stepped forward to hold Arielle¡®s hand. ¡°You¡®re going to love it. Trust me. Now let¡®s go


    check it out.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± responded Arielle with a smile before letting Vinson lead the way.


    It did not matter to her where they were going because she was sure that the man would keep her safe.


    Arielle had absolute faith in Vinson and would follow him anywhere without any questions asked.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Vinson stopped when they both reached a barn with an open door. ¡°This is it.¡±

 Chapter 773

    Chapter 773


    The inside of the barn was so dark that Arielle could not see anything at all. However, she could hear


    somethinging from the inside, and it sounded like a person trying to shout while being gagged.


    Arielle widened her eyes in an instant when she finally figured out what the surprises were.


    From the look in Arielle¡¯s eyes, Vinson could tell that she already knew what he had in store for her. ¡°So


    what do you think?¡±


    Arielle nodded in appreciation. ¡°Let¡®s go check them out.¡±


    Taking the lead, Arielle entered the barn and was immediately greeted with the musty smell of grains.


    Vinson then offered Arielle a face mask, but she turned it down and proceeded farther into the barn.


    The barn was dimly lit since it had only one window, but Arielle could still make out two figures tied


    separately to two pirs.


    Without turning on the light, she approached the two captives.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Cindy was filled with hope when she vaguely heard someone asking Vinson for money. Even though


    she was gagged, she tried her best to shout, hoping to attract somebody¡®s attention.


    Just when she and Matthias were sinking in despair, they heard someone kicking down the barn door.


    Somebody¡®s finally here to rescue us! We¡®re saved!


    Cindy tried even harder to shout while Matthias stomped his feet repeatedly to get their supposed


    rescuer¡®s attention.


    After much effort, the two finally heard footsteps closing in on them and thought that help had arrived.


    ¡°Mmm! Mmm!¡± Still gagged, Cindy tried to articte the words ¡°save me¡± to no avail.


    From Cindy¡®s point of view, she could not see the person approaching them at all, but it was very clear


    for Matthias.


    When their supposed rescuer turned out to be Arielle, Matthias immediately stopped struggling.


    Knowing what Arielle was capable of, the man wondered if it was any better to face her instead of


    Henrick. However, he quickly came to a conclusion.


    It can¡®t get any worse than this. It won¡®t be long before my body gives up on me if I continue to be


    imprisoned like this, not to mention that maniac¡®s daily whipping. With Arielle, I might stand a chance to


    live and see another day.


    While Matthias¡®s mind was still racing, Arielle had already walked up to Cindy, who quickly lifted her


    head expectantly to take a good look at her supposed rescuer.


    Disappointingly, Cindy realized that it was Arielle standing before her with a condescending sneer.


    Like a fire being put out, the hope in Cindy¡®s eyes slowly diminished until there was nothing left of it.


    How can it be? Why does it have to be Arielle? Why?


    After taking her sweet time savoring the confused look on Cindy¡®s face, Arielle lifted her hand to


    remove the gag from the woman¡®s mouth.


    Finally able to speak properly, Cindy inquired curiously, ¡°Why are you here, Arielle?¡±


    Besides Henrick, Arielle was the person Cindy hated the most. She would rather die than let Arielle see


    what a miserable state she was in then.


    Arielle then smiled devilishly at the woman in response. ¡°And here I thought you¡®ve had enough of the


    pigsty, but it seems like I¡¯m mistaken. Let¡®s get you back there, shall we?¡±


    With a wave of her hand, Arielle gestured for two bodyguards to step forward.

 Chapter 774

    Chapter 774


    Chapter 774 The Deal


    Cindy¡¯s face was filled with horror as soon as Arielle mentioned the pigsty. ¡°How did you know? Have


    you always known?¡±


    Without answering the woman¡¯s question, Arielle ordered the bodyguards to move Cindy to the pigsty.


    ¡°No! Stop it! I don¡¯t want to go back there.¡± Kicking her legs, Cindy struggled like a madwoman trying to


    escape her captors but to no avail.


    It did not take Vinson¡¯s bodyguards long to get Cindypletely under their control.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t want to go back there?¡± Arielle then nodded understandingly. ¡°That¡¯s not a problem, but


    you have to promise me something.¡±


    Cindy would do anything to stay out of the pigsty, for she could still remember how she was forced to


    sleep with pigs and be fed with pig fodder.


    ¡°Name it!¡± demanded Cindy with gritted teeth.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple, really. All you have to do is tell me how you and Henrick got my mother killed, and I¡¯ll let


    you go.¡±


    Cindy¡¯s face quickly turned pale but remained adamant. ¡°As if! What makes you think we¡¯re the ones


    responsible for your mother¡¯s death?¡±


    As much as she wanted to leave that barn, Cindy knew that she would be sent to prison even if Arielle


    did let her go. Worse than that, her life could be in danger if word got out. This is a terrible deal, and I¡¯m


    not going to agree to it!


    Without responding to the woman, Arielle scoffed and took a step back before snapping her fingers.


    Immediately afterward, the two bodyguards lifted Cindy and started to head out with the woman.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Let me go! Let me go now! If you dare leave me in the pigsty like your father did, I swear you¡¯ll pay for


    it when I get out! Do you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Perfectly,¡± answered Arielle coldly as she stared at the woman, unfazed by the threat.


    Although thest thing Cindy wanted was to go back to the foul-smelling sty, she was unwilling to give


    what Arielle wanted either.


    Still gagged and bound to a pir, Matthias seemed even more agitated as he made all kinds of noises


    to attract attention.


    ¡°Wait,¡±manded Arielle when Matthias finally got her attention.


    Immediately, the bodyguards stopped in their tracks as ordered.


    Before Arielle could reach Matthias, Vinson swiftly rushed over to remove the gag in the man¡¯s mouth


    before turning to look softly at Arielle. ¡°I¡¯ll handle this. There¡¯s no reason to get your hands dirty over a


    man like him.¡±


    In response, Arielle smiled warmly at the gentleman before setting her icy-cold re back on Matthias.


    ¡°It seems like you have something to say¡­ tell me.¡±


    After taking deep breaths to ease the pain, Matthias exined himself. ¡°Ms. Moore, I admit that what


    Cin and I did was wrong. If you let us go, I promise you that you¡¯ll never have to see us ever again.¡±


    Compared to Cindy, Matthias was more calm and reasonable, for he knew well what kind of situation


    he was in.


    ¡°Is that really the best you can do? Tell me. Do you take me for an idi*t? I have no doubt that you can


    keep your promise by staying far away from me, but what about Cindy? That woman¡¯s convinced that I


    killed her daughter. You think she¡¯s going to just leave me alone?¡±


    ¡°What do you want me to do then?¡±


    Arielle tucked her hair behind her ear calmly before answering, ¡°Like I said, I¡¯ll let both of you go as


    soon as Cindy tells me the truth.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±


    Matthias then turned to Cindy and pleaded, ¡°Just tell her what she wants to know, Cin. Please! You


    know well that we¡¯re not getting out of this if you don¡¯t give her what she wants.¡±

 Chapter 775

    Chapter 775


    Matthias was so anxious that he could die.


    If he knew what happened back then, he would have told Arielle everything in Cindy¡®s ce.


    Biting her lower lip, Cindy looked at her lover with bloodshot eyes. ¡°You think I don¡®t know how bad


    things look for us right now? But I just can¡®t do it.¡±


    If I tell Arielle the truth, I¡®ll spend the rest of my life in prison. Even if she decides to let me go, those


    guys wille knocking. I don¡®t really have a choice here.


    Arielle shrugged in response. ¡°I guess you two couldn¡®te to an agreement, huh? Then I have no


    choice but to send Cindy back to the pigsty.¡±


    ¡°No! Please don¡®t!¡± Cindy could feel her stomach turning when she remembered how the rats and


    cockroaches crawled over her face in the sty.


    What followed was the sound of Cindy vomiting her guts out.


    ¡°Please, Cin. Just tell Arielle what she needs to hear. Staying in prison is a hundred times better than


    rotting away in this godforsaken ce!¡± begged Matthias, who was already drenched in sweat.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Cindy knew that her life would be ruined if she was sent to jail.


    ¡°Think about it, Cin! Do you really want to spend the rest of your life in the pigsty? Living your life like a


    pig?¡±


    After a moment of internal conflict, Cindy finally gave in. ¡°I¡®ll do it! I¡®ll tell you everything you want to


    know. Just don¡®t send me back to that disgusting hole!¡±


    ¡°You have my word. Now start talking,¡± demanded Arielle after pulling up a chair.


    One of the bodyguards then kicked Cindy behind the knee and forced her to kneel before Arielle.


    With her teeth clenched, Cindy started revealing the truth to the woman.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Back then, Maureen was both beautiful and brilliant. She had lifted our family to new heights single


    handedly. As for me, her sister, I had always lived in her shadow. I became invisible to everyone


    whenever she was around. Heck, many people didn¡®t even know that I existed because that was just


    how overshadowed I was by your mother. I hated it. I hated it so much! So, I decided to get back at her


    by ruining her rtionship with Henrick. That coward was terrified that your mother would find out about


    him and me, but I was dying to let her know the truth. I wanted to see how she would react after finding


    out that her husband had slept with me, so I texted her and told her everything.¡±


    ¡°You told my mother the truth yourself? inquired Arielle curiously.


    ¡°Yes,¡± answered Cindy with a bitter smile and eyes full of regret. ¡°However, I never expected her to


    give.


    Henrick and me her blessings after hearing about our affair. That crazy woman even divorced Henrick


    just so I could be with him.¡±


    ¡°You don¡®t deserve a sister like her. How could you hurt


    someone who had been nothing but kind to you?¡± Vinson scowled frustratingly at the woman kneeling


    before Arielle.


    ¡°Kind to me?¡± asked Cindy rhetorically before cackling in disbelief. ¡°Do you actually think that was what


    I wanted? Her kindness? The only reason I slept with Henrick was just so that I could get back at her.


    Unfortunately, it turned out that she never cared for the man at all. Henrick was worthless to her. Your


    mother gave me a worthless man! Is that what you consider kindness?¡±


    Vinson shook his head. ¡°You were too blinded by your jealousy and hatred toward your sister. You¡®re


    never going to be satisfied with whatever she did for you.¡±


    ¡°You think you know me so well, don¡®t you?¡±


    ¡°Go on. Tell me how you killed my mother,¡± instructed Arielle coldly.


    After chuckling to herself, Cindy continued, ¡°I knew something was off. Someone as proud as Maureen


    would never let me have the man she loved. That woman didn¡®t even flinch when she divorced Henrick.


    So, I started digging, and as expected, I found out that she was looking for a man. I was sure that was


    the man whom her heart belonged to, so I tried to expose her.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±

 Chapter 776

    Chapter 776


    Cindy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°I managed to contact some people. Their leader was a


    graceful old woman, who also seems to be his elder. She said that he had a fianc¨¦e already, and she


    didn¡®t want him and Maureen to be involved with each other anymore. We were on the same page


    about getting rid of Maureen, and then we told Henrick about this. He couldn¡®t stand Maureen¡®s


    arrogance as well. That was why he joined us.¡±


    Arielle narrowed her eyes. ¡°What happened next?¡±


    Cindy reminisced and said, ¡°It was one bright sunny day. Henrick agreed to divorce her, but he wished


    she would give us her blessings. We invited her for a meal in a hotel, and she agreed toe.¡±


    Vinson said coldly, ¡°I guess she didn¡®t know it was a trap.¡±


    Cindy sneered. ¡°You¡¯re right. She came without her bodyguards. I guess she didn¡¯t want the public to


    know. She brought over the household registry with her, perhaps she wanted to divorce him right after


    the meal. Henrick and I drugged her food, but she somehow figured that out, and she defeated all my


    subordinates before making her escape¡­¡±.


    Arielle clenched her fists tightly, suppressing her urge to strangle Cindy.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Cindy continued saying, ¡°She was an idiot. She could have survived if she ran away and disappeared.


    But instead, she returned to the manor to look for you. Fortunately, the old woman arrived in time with


    her subordinates at the manor.¡±


    Speaking of this, a hint of terror shed across in Cindy¡®s expression as if she had thought of


    something scary.


    ¡°Keep talking!¡± Arielle urged.


    Cindy¡®s lips curled into a mocking smile. ¡°She was not their opponent at all. They took her down right


    away. The old woman then suggested faking her suicide. She helped Henrick and me to move


    Maureen back to Jadeborough. They made us push her down from the thirty¨Ceighth floor.¡±


    Arielle was trembling upon hearing that.


    Poor Mom!


    Cindy was already losing it at this point. She raised her chin at Cindy. ¡°Do you want to know what she


    said before they pushed her down?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°She told us to¡­ spare your life.¡±


    Arielle¡®s eyes reddened as a tear rolled down her cheeks.


    Cindyughed wildly at the sight of Arielle crying. ¡°Henrick pitied her. He told us not to kill you, saying


    that you¡®re his daughter after all. But then, how could I let you get away with this? I didn¡¯t want to alert


    him by killing you, and that was why I found someone else to kidnap you instead.¡±


    Cindy then shook her head and continued saying, ¡°Now that I think of it, I should¡®ve just killed you


    instead. I¡¯m sure Henrick suspected me of kidnapping you, but he didn¡¯t make a police report, nor did


    he take revenge on me. Perhaps he wanted to get rid of you as well.¡±


    She seemed to be enjoying Arielle¡®s expression as she continued saying with a sympathetic


    expression, ¡°How pity¡­ Your mom died, and your dad wished he could have died with her too. You¡¯re


    still alive but your family doesn¡®t even care for you. What a pity¡­¡±


    Cindy was waiting for Arielle to react with either an angry or a heartbroken expression.


    To her surprise, Arielle curled her lips and slowly formed a smile.


    Cindy¡®s face fell.


    ¡°What are youughing at? How can you stillugh after hearing this?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡®re an idiot.¡±

 Chapter 777

    Chapter 777


    Cindy was mad. ¡°What are you implying?¡±


    Arielle was about to exin when Vinson took out the paternity test report and tossed it in front of


    Cindy.


    With just one nce at the report, Arielle already knew what it was. She asked with confusion, ¡°Why


    did you bring this with you?¡±


    Vinson nodded. ¡°I thought those vigers would not listen to you because they thought you¡¯re Henrick¡®s


    daughter, so I brought this over just in case. I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d be using this right now instead of with the


    vigers.¡±


    Arielle smiled upon hearing that. It felt great to embarrass Cindy.


    Cindy was still pinned in ce, and she couldn¡®t see the report clearly.


    Vinson ordered, ¡°Take this to her.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The bodyguard immediately picked up the paternity test report and showed it to Cindy.


    Cindy bent down a little in confusion. After scanning through the report, her pupils dted in shock. ¡°No


    way!¡±


    Arielle exined faintly, ¡°The report is from the Rocher Private Hospital, and it¡®s urate for sure.


    Cindy, you and Henrick are the pitiful ones, not me. My mom had been keeping you two in the dark,


    and you¡¯re still living in her shadows even after she died. Isn¡®t that pathetic?¡±


    ¡°No way! This is impossible!¡± Cindy screamed her heart out.


    ¡°Otherwise, why would my mom marry someone like Henrick? Was it because he had poor hygiene or


    because he was capable of killing her?¡±


    Cindy was already trembling all over upon hearing that.


    She was still making fun of Arielle before this, and yet Arielle¡®s words were like a huge p across her


    face.


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    As if she had suffered from a great blow, Cindy suddenly felt a surge of liquid rise in her throat, and she


    spat out a mouthful of blood.


    Matthias, who was tied to the pir, immediately asked Arielle, ¡°Can you let us go already now that Cin


    has told you everything?¡±


    Arielle raised her eyebrows. ¡°I still have questions.¡±


    Cindy was heaving in pain. ¡°I¡®ve told you everything. What else do you want to know?¡±


    Arielle crouched down in front of her. ¡°I want to know who¡®s that man and that old woman you¡®ve


    mentioned.¡±


    There were other culprits behind this. Now that she had taken care of Henrick and Cindy, she would


    have to target the other two next.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¨CI don¡®t know¡­¡± Cindy shook her head in panic. ¡°I only know that they¡®re powerful¡­ With just one


    leap, they can jump onto the manor¡®s wall. They aren¡®t humans!¡±


    Arielle frowned. ¡°What on earth are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you the truth! She made it obvious that she looked down on Maureen. As the Moores were


    on par with the four most prominent families in Jadeborough back then, it must mean that their status


    was at least beyond the Moores to be acting like this. How could I know who they are when they


    deliberately hid their identities from me? I can only say that they aren¡®t humans at all. M¨CMaybe they¡®re


    even ghosts¡­¡±


    Arielle¡®s expression darkened. ¡°Cindy, you must be out of your mind.¡±


    ¡°Think what you want then!¡±


    Noticing Cindy¡®s determined look, Arielle was confused.


    Is Cindy telling the truth? Is it even possible for someone to jump onto the manor¡®s wall with just one


    leap? It¡®s at least two meters tall!


    However, Arielle was too immersed in her thoughts to notice the look in Vinson¡®s eyes.


    He got reminded of the rumors Susanne told him about


    Turlen.


    Could the rumors be true?

 Chapter 778

    Chapter 778


    If the rumors about Turlen¡®s ancestry being out of the ordinary were true, perhaps he should keep this a


    secret from Arielle.


    This was his way to protect her.


    Vinson had decided to investigate more about Turlen before telling Arielle about this.


    Meanwhile, Arielle had interrogated Cindy again but to no avail.


    Matthias was concerned about Cindy¡®s situation as he urged again, ¡°Arielle, please let us go now. Cin


    told you everything she knows, and I can assure you that she has told you the truth!¡±


    Arielle didn¡®t react to that as she took in even the slightest change in Cindy¡®s expression.


    The Wilhelms had only picked up ancient Chanaean medicine in the past decade. Growing up with two


    of the top psychologists in the world, Arielle was skillful in reading one¡®s micro¨Cexpressions.


    She analyzed Cindy¡®s micro¨Cexpressions with her knowledge in behavioral psychology, and she could


    finally conclude that Cindy was indeed not hiding anything from her.


    ¡°All right then.¡± Arielle nodded. ¡°I¡®ll keep true to my words. Untie Matthias now.¡±


    Matthias¡® eyes lit up upon hearing that, and he quickly untied himself with the help of the bodyguards


    around him.


    Once he was freed, he immediately ran over to Cindy and hugged her.


    ¡°Cin, are you okay?¡±


    There were traces of blood on her lips as she leaned against Matthias. She shook her head weakly.


    ¡°I¡®m fine¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡®s go! She has agreed to let us go.¡±


    Cindy was still in a daze, and she regained some energy upon hearing this.


    ¡°Can we really leave now?¡±


    ¡°We can. She has freed me.¡±


    Cindy was surprised. She wondered why Arielle agreed to let her go after learning that she was


    involved in her mother¡®s death.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    However, she figured she should just leave this awful ce as soon as possible.


    ¡°Let¡®s go.¡± Cindy stood up, and with Matthias supporting her, they walked toward the exit together like a


    bittersweet couple.


    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± said Arielle.


    Cindy and Matthias stopped in their tracks.


    Cindy turned around and shot Arielle a fierce re. ¡°Are you going back on your own words now?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± Arielle shrugged. ¡°I did say I will let you go, but I didn¡®t say I¡®d let the both of you go.¡±


    Matthias was so mad that the veins on his forehead were bulging. He gritted his teeth. ¡°Arielle, what do


    you want?¡±


    Arielle smiled faintly. ¡°Cindy only answered one question, so I can only let one of you go. For the sake


    of fairness, I¡®ll allow you to make your own choice in this.¡±


    Cindy and Matthias yelled in unison, ¡°You tricked us!¡±


    Arielle replied innocently, ¡°I did not trick you. It was a deal. Since she only answered one question, it¡®s


    only fair to let one of you go. I don¡®t have much time to waste. You¡®d better make your choice now.¡±


    ¡°How dare you trick us with a y on words?¡± Matthias pointed his finger at Arielle¡®s nose, and he


    looked so mad as if he wanted to skin her alive.


    Vinson stepped forward and pped Matthias¡®s hand away. ¡°If you dare point another finger at her,


    none of you will be leaving today. You should make your choice now if you don¡®t want that to happen.¡±


    Matthias mulled over this, knowing that Arielle would. only let one of them go.

 Chapter 779

    Chapter 779


    Matthias began to rack his brain as he came up with a final decision.


    He was the one managing all of Cindy¡®s assets overseas, and he had a wider socialwork than her


    too. It seemed more convenient for him to leave first and find someone toe and rescue Cindyter


    on.


    Moreover, his injuries were more severe, and he needed treatment as soon as possible.


    After a long while of contemtion, he believed that he should leave first.


    Matthias said, ¡°Cin, let me leave this ce first.¡±


    Cindy¡®s expression darkened right after hearing that. ¡°Matthias, I was wrong about you! How can you


    only think of yourself at times like this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. Cin, trust me. Just let me leave first.¡± Matthias wanted to exin more but he didn¡®t


    want Arielle to know that he was nning to have someone else rescue Cindy after this.


    However, Cindy was too selfish to think of that. She refused to think that Matthias was doing this for her


    sake.


    She had to leave this ce, and she could never allow Matthias to snatch this opportunity away from


    her.


    Cindy sneered at Matthias as she put a distance between them. She then looked at Arielle. ¡°I was the


    one who answered your question. Shouldn¡®t I be the one leaving this ce instead?¡±


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    ¡°Cin!¡± Matthias shouted in pain, ¡°How can you not trust me when we¡®ve been together for this long?¡±


    ¡°Trust you?¡± Cindy gave him a mocking look as she sneered, ¡°You¡®ve taken away my opportunity to


    leave this ce, and you¡®re asking for me to trust you? You must think that you¡®re so kind¨Chearted and


    wise, don¡®t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Matthias¡¯ eyes turned red. ¡°Don¡¯t you trust our rtionship? Can¡¯t you feel how much I love you?¡±


    ¡°Love? Hahaha!¡± Cindy scoffed. ¡°We¡¯ve been using each other, and you call it love? Are you kidding


    me?¡±


    ¡°Use?¡± Matthias frowned. ¡°Are you saying that you¡¯ve been using me all this while?¡±


    ¡°That¡®s right. You and Henrick are the same. I¡®m just using you guys to get what I want. What an idiot!¡±


    ¡°Cin¡­ Cindy, do you have to do this to me?¡±


    Cindy was done talking to Matthias. She wanted to leave this ce, and she told Arielle straight away,


    ¡°We¡®ve made our decision. I¡®m the one leaving!¡±


    Arielle was entertained at the unexpected esction of events between the two.


    Cindy was nothing but a wicked woman!


    ¡°Speaking of this¡­¡± Arielle said faintly, ¡°If you chose to let me stay behind and grow up in the manor, I


    think I would have gotten rid of you already by now.¡±


    Cindy¡¯s expression stiffened. She didn¡¯t say anything in response but asked, ¡°Can I leave now?¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°Sure.¡±


    Cindy turned around and ran out of this ce as if she was afraid Arielle would change her mind again.


    She had been running ahead of her without sparing another nce at Matthias.


    Matthias felt as if his heart had been stabbed by a knife over that betrayal.


    He copsed to the ground instantly as if his energy had been drained out, not knowing whether to


    laugh or cry.


    ¡°Cindy Moore¡­ T¨CThis is just great! I must have been blinded all this while!¡±


    Arielle snorted. ¡°Matthias, how do you feel to be betrayed by her?¡±


    Matthias was still trembling in anger. ¡°I¡®d kill her if it happens again.¡±


    ¡°What a coincidence.¡± Arielle snapped her fingers. ¡°Herees your chance to kill her.¡±

 Chapter 780

    Chapter 780


    Stunned, Matthias asked, ¡°What are you insinuating?¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Just as Matthias spoke, Cindy cries rang out from outside.


    ¡°Let go of me! Are you crazy? She was the one who released me and now, why have you captured me


    again? Release me at once!¡± Cindy let out an ear¨Cpiercing shriek.


    Matthias looked on in shock as Cindy was dragged back


    forcefully by the bodyguards.


    Trembling in anger, Cindy questioned Arielle, ¡°What¡®s the meaning of this? Didn¡®t you agree to release


    me? How could you reneged on your word?¡±


    Arielle was taller than Cindy. Folding her arms, she sneered, ¡°I did agree to let you off.¡±


    ¡°Then why¡­¡±


    ¡°But I didn¡®t say that I wouldn¡®t recapture you once I did.¡±


    ¡°Arielle!¡± Cindy pointed at Arielle angrily and began cursing at her.


    Vinson¡¯s expression darkened in response.


    Having served Vinson for a long time, the two bodyguards knowingly stepped forward and gave Cindy


    a forceful p each.


    As the bodyguards weren¡®t ordinary men, they smacked Cindy into a daze with blood oozing out the


    corner of her mouth. The impact was so powerful that she was thrown onto the ground with a loud thud,


    causing her to cry out in pain.


    However, all she heard was Vinson¡®s mocking voice. ¡°Only two kinds of people in the world are allowed


    to scold her. The first hasn¡®t been born while the second are all dead. Tell me, which kind do you


    belong to?¡±


    Looking up subconsciously, Cindy¡®s gaze met with Vinson¡®s. When she saw the murderous intent in his


    eyes, she was seized by fear.


    She had seen Vinson a few times before, and he would always have a frosty expression on his face.


    However, it was never that terrifying before.


    She felt as if his domineering aura was enough to crush her to bits.


    Amidst her fear, Cindy finally remembered Matthias.


    ¡°Matthias¡­¡± She looked teary¨Ceyed at him. However, Matthias¡® expression was indifferent and showed


    no pity at all.


    ¡°Matthias?¡±


    Cindy was taken aback.


    Matthias scoffed, ¡°Cindy, you only have yourself to


    me for falling into such dire circumstances.¡±


    Cindy was devastated by his words.


    At that moment, it dawned upon her that Matthias was no longer hers.


    However, all her assets overseas were held in his name. Back then, she let Matthias manage all her


    assets to avoid being discovered by Henrick. Consequently, the money no longer belonged to her if


    Matthias didn¡®t approve of any transaction.


    As a sudden sense of horror enveloped her, she subconsciously walked up to Matthias to hold his


    hand. However, he swept it off instead.


    ¡°Cindy, from now on, we will go separate ways!¡±


    Just as he spoke, he raised his hand and pped her with all his might.


    Although the p hit Cindy physically, it was also a symbolic one for him. It had served to wake him up


    from his blind devotion to her.


    Holding her face in pain, Cindy¡®s cheeks were already badly swollen. However, she had no time to be


    concerned about it. Instead, she red at Matthias in disbelief. ¡°How dare you hit me?¡±


    All this while, I was the center of Matthias¡® world. But now, he has raised his hand against me?


    Gritting his teeth, Matthias replied, ¡°I would have killed you if I could.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Despite opening her mouth, no words came out.


    At that moment, Matthias walked up to Arielle.


    However, he was blocked by Vinson who stepped in between them.

 Chapter 781

    Chapter 781


    As Matthias wasn¡®t restrained in any way, that was the best opportunity for him to hurt Arielle.


    Although Matthias was badly injured and didn¡®t seem to pose any more harm than Arielle could


    manage, Vinson couldn¡®t help but take precautions.


    He wasn¡®t going to let Arielle take any risk at all.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    However, Matthias stopped after taking two steps forward. Facing Arielle who was behind Vinson, he


    remarked, ¡°Ms. Moore, everything that happened before was my mistake. I was foolishly manipted


    by this woman. Therefore, I would like to apologize for all the harm I have caused you.¡±


    Cindy¡®s eyes widened in shock when she heard Matthias¡® words.


    It was uneptable to her that Matthias was looking to side with Arielle.


    ¡°Matthias, you¡­¡±


    Vinson quipped, ¡°She¡®s too noisy.¡±


    The bodyguard then stuffed Cindy¡®s mouth with the gag from earlier, shutting her up.


    Ignoring Cindy, Arielle stepped forward and stood shoulder to shoulder with Vinson.


    When she sensed the sincerity in Matthias¡® apology, her expression softened.


    Nevertheless, she wasn¡®t a saint. There was no way an apology could make up for everything that


    happened.


    She replied indifferently, ¡°An apology is insufficient to clear the te. If not for my vignce, Yvette


    would have taken the drug you tried to feed her. After all that you¡®ve done, you deserved to be


    punished.¡±


    ¡°I¡®m aware of that.¡± Matthias nodded with a remorseful expression. ¡°I don¡®t expect you to forgive me.


    Nevertheless, I¡®m willing topensate you for your loss.¡±


    Arielle raised her eyebrows. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°By giving you all of Cindy¡®s assets overseas.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Intrigued, Arielle beamed while giving Cindy the side¨Ceye.


    However, all she saw was Cindy making muffled sounds in a hysterical manner.


    Disregarding Cindy, Matthias continued, ¡°I have been managing her assets all this while, and they are


    held in my name. I will transfer all of them to you. If you don¡®t trust me, you can appoint awyer to


    manage the transfer. Those assets consist of funds that Cindy siphoned off from Southall Group. By


    doing this, I¡®m just returning them to their rightful owner.¡±


    Arielle had assumed that they needed to jump through hoops to w Cindy¡®s assets back. Hence, they


    didn¡®t expect Matthias to hand over the assets willingly after Cindy had upset him.


    ¡°All right. However, I have to make it clear that I will not lighten your punishment in any way.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Smiling wryly, Matthias replied, ¡°After all, there¡®s nothing left in my life to feel hopeful


    about. Languishing in prison for the rest of my life is the only way I can serve my penance.


    Vinson ordered, ¡°Men, take him to Jadeborough and let ourwyerplete the paperwork with him.¡±


    The bodyguards came forward on both sides and restrained Matthias.


    Although Matthias cooperated with them and didn¡®t struggle as his spirit was already broken. At that


    moment, he was no different from a walking corpse.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Arielle called out to the bodyguard. She reminded, ¡°When you arrive at Jadeborough, get his


    wounds treated first.¡±


    That was Matthias¡® reward for his cooperation.


    Although Arielle was adamant about revenge, she still showed mercy for fear of being consumed by


    vengeance.


    And that was the difference between her and Cindy.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the bodyguard acknowledged before taking Matthias away.


    At that moment, Cindy closed her eyes in despair.


    I¡®m finished. I have lost everything. Da*n Matthias, how dare you betray me!


    Meanwhile, Arielle approached Cindy with an indifferent expression.

 Chapter 782

    Chapter 782


    Shooting Cindy a re, Arielle asserted, ¡°Now, it¡®s time for us to settle the score. You murderer, do you


    have anyst words?¡±


    Just as she spoke, she waved the recording pen in her hand.


    Earlier, she had recorded everything that Cindy had said.


    Widening her eyes in shock, Cindy mumbled in desperation.


    However, Arielle no longer had any patience to listen. With a wave of her hand, she ordered, ¡°Take her


    back to Jadeborough.¡±


    Unlike Matthias, Cindy was bound tightly and thrown into the trunk.


    As she emitted a stench from the pigsty, the bodyguards covered their noses after hurling her into the


    boot.


    ¡°She f*cking stinks!¡±


    ¡°Closed the trunk quickly. It¡®s killing me!¡±


    Watching the trunk lid close on her, Cindy saw the light in front of her gradually disappearing into the


    darkness.


    She closed her eyes in despair as tears rolled down her cheeks.


    Nevertheless, Cindy had no one else to me for the dire circumstances she was in. She was now


    reaping what she had sowed.


    What awaited her at Jadeborough was the ridicule of the masses.


    ¡°We should go too.¡± After stretching himself, Vinson put an arm over Arielle¡®s shoulder and remarked,


    ¡°Since the matter has been resolved, it¡®s time for us to leave.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Arielle stopped Vinson. ¡°Give me one more hour as there¡®s something I still need to do.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Arielle didn¡®t answer. Instead, she headed toward Teddy¡®s house.


    When she arrived, she saw Nigel drinking to drown his sorrows.


    He couldn¡®t understand how the Southalls turned out to be so evil and rued the fact that he trusted


    them so much. In fact, when Arielle sent a messenger to get his signature, he even berated the


    messenger in order to protect the Southalls.


    ¡°Stop drinking, it¡®s bad for you.¡± Josee took the wine away from his hand. Suddenly, she covered her


    mouth and coughed intensely before dropping the wine ss onto the floor.


    Right after the wine ss shattered into pieces, a mouthful of ck¨Ccolored blood was spewed on top


    of the ss shards.


    ¡°Josee!¡± Shocked by the sight, Nigel sobered up as he dashed over to support her. He asked in


    concern, ¡°Why are you coughing blood?¡±


    When Teddy saw what happened, he sobbed, ¡°Dad, Mom has been coughing blood over thest few


    days. However, she forbade me from telling you.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ how can you hide such a thing from me? Come on, let¡®s go to the hospital at once.¡±


    Nigel helped Josee out of the house.


    However, Josee pushed Nigel aside and shook her head. ¡°There¡®s no need for that. It¡®s just a waste of


    money.¡±


    ¡°How can seeing the doctor be a waste of money?¡±


    Shaking her head, Josee replied, ¡°I know my own body very well. I¡®ll just be honest with you, I don¡®t


    have much time left.¡±


    ¡°I don¡®t believe it!¡± Nigel asserted with reddened eyes, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the hospital right now. Even if I


    have to beg on my knees, I will make sure they cure you.¡±


    ¡°I¡®m not going!¡± Josee grabbed onto the corner of a table. ¡°If you insist on wasting money, I might as


    well die right now.¡±


    ¡°How can you spew such nonsense? What is Teddy going to do without you?¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    With that, Teddy¡®s cries grew louder instead.


    At that moment, a beautiful figure appeared in front of the dpidated door.


    Josee, who saw the visitor first, eximed in shock, ¡°Ms. Moore?¡±


    The moment Teddy stopped crying, he dashed toward Arielle and hugged her leg.


    ¡°Sannie, please save my mom!¡±

 Chapter 783

    Chapter 783


    In Teddy¡®s eyes, Arielle was like a fairy to him.


    Considering that she had saved the entire vige, he was sure that she could save her mom.


    Unfortunately, Nigel and Josee didn¡®t share his optimism. Although Arielle had helped them get their


    sry back, they figured that there was little she could do about Josee¡¯s disease.


    Moreover, they were honest people and didn¡®t like to be in anyone¡®s debt.


    Worried that Arielle would offer to pay for her medical bills, Josee admonished her son, ¡°Teddy, stop


    being rude!¡±


    Teddy cringed in response but refused to let go of Arielle¡®s leg.


    At that moment, Vinson arrived at the scene.


    After nodding at the Lowes to greet them, Vinson turned toward Arielle and reported, ¡°They have found


    the herbs that you wanted on an undeveloped hill near the mine. There are a lot of herbs there.


    However, it took longer than expected due to the difficult terrain.¡±


    Arielle quickly took the pouch that Vinson handed to her and saw that all the herbs were already


    prepared.


    When she heard from Rube that Josee was coughing blood, she had instructed the bodyguards to


    collect the herbs.


    ¡°It¡®s all right. They have responded as quickly as they could. I was even worried that they wouldn¡®t be


    able to find any herbs at all. Luckily, we got them in time.¡±


    Nigel was confused by what he heard.


    ¡°What herbs?¡±


    Arielle grinned slightly and exined, ¡°The herbs to treat Josee¡¯s sickness.¡±


    Just as she spoke, she knelt down to face the teary¨Ceyed Teddy, ¡°Teddy, since you have been a big


    help to me, I will help you in return by curing your mom. How about that?¡±


    Raising his head in delight, Teddy asked, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Without Teddy¡®s help, Rube wouldn¡®t have infiltrated the vige that easily as a trader.


    ¡°Hurray!¡± Teddy jumped in joy. Hurrying back to his mom¡®s side, he eximed, ¡°Mom, you won¡®t be


    leaving me anymore!¡±


    Smiling wryly, Josee instructed Teddy, ¡°Teddy, go to your room first. I need to speak to Ms. Moore.¡±


    Although he was confused, Teddy was sensible enough to obey without question.


    After Teddy had left, Josee remarked, ¡°Ms. Moore, I appreciate your kind intentions. However, I¡®m


    afraid that¡­ it¡®s toote for me.¡±


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense!¡± Nigel admonished her. ¡°Aren¡®t you doing fine right now?¡±


    Josee shook her head. ¡°Actually, on the very first day I coughed blood, I had gone to the hospital for a


    check¨Cup. The doctor told me that I have lung cancer, and there was no cure for me.¡±


    Nigel¡®s eyes widened in shock. As his face gradually lost color, he and Josee hugged each other and


    bawled.


    Given how backward the vige was, the mere mention of cancer was the equivalent of a death


    sentence. The vigers were unaware that many kinds of cancers could now be treated with modern


    medical technology.


    While both of them were crying hard, Arielle didn¡®t interrupt. She waited till they calmed down before


    suggesting, ¡°Nigel, let me take a look at Josee. Perhaps, I may be able to cure her.¡±


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°You?¡± Josee wiped away her tears while shaking her head. ¡°Ms. Moore, forget it. The doctors have


    diagnosed it as lung cancer. Hence, there¡¯s no point in struggling. I heard that the treatment for cancer


    will cause me to lose all my hair. However, I just want to spend myst days looking beautiful.¡±


    Vinson came forward to exin,¡°I¡®m sure you¡®re not aware that Arielle¡®s medical capabilities surpass


    many of the best doctors in Jadeborough. As long as you¡®re willing to let her examine you, you might


    still stand a chance.¡±


    Nigel¡¯s eyes lit up as he decided to give it a go.


    ¡°Josee, why don¡®t you let Arielle take a look? She hails from Jadeborough and who knows, she may be


    able to cure you.¡±

 Chapter 784

    Chapter 784


    Nodding, Arielle added, ¡°You have nothing to lose by letting me examine you. Moreover, I already have


    the herbs prepared. Josee, please don¡®t let my efforts go in vain.¡±


    Although Josee had already lost all hope, she agreed after hearing what Arielle said.


    She figured that it would be rude to let Arielle¡®s trip go to waste. Moreover, she felt the earlier Arielle


    gave up on her and moved on the better.


    Throughout her life, Josee had always been considerate of others. Even at a time like this, she agreed


    to be examined solely because she was worried about wasting Arielle¡®s time.


    Taking a seat opposite Josee, Arielle took her pulse and asked her about her condition.


    Although Josee answered earnestly, she still didn¡®t think Arielle was able to cure her.


    Most of the doctors in town were advanced in age. Usually, the Lowes preferred elderly doctors due to


    the greater exposure and experience they have.


    Therefore, they would usually avoid young and pretty doctors such as Arielle.


    Nigel was filled with hope initially, but his confidence in Arielle gradually diminished.


    It wasn¡®t that he didn¡®t trust her. It was just that he had never seen a young doctor who was capable


    before. It wouldn¡®t be an issue if she was treating the flu, but now, they were faced with cancer.


    After a while, Arielle released Josee¡®s wrist.


    ¡°We¡®re done.¡±


    ¡°Done?¡± Nigel asked in surprise, ¡°Don¡®t you need any machines for the examination?¡±


    Arielle exined with a smile, ¡°In the old days when modern medicine didn¡¯t exist, we didn¡¯t have any


    machines. Nevertheless, it didn¡¯t stop many famous doctors of old to carry on with their work. In


    ancient Chanaean medicine, one doesn¡®t need to rely on machines. Just by looking and listening, we


    can gain an in¨Cdepth understanding of the patient¡®s condition.¡±


    Nigel¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment. ¡°Is traditional Chanaean medicine really that amazing?¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°There are many impressive aspects in traditional Chanaean medicine. It¡®s just that


    modern medicine has be somon that people have forgotten about its existence. Of course,


    modern medicine has its advantages. Machines can measure with high precision while patients can


    also be treated very quickly.¡±


    That was the reason why Arielle chose to learn both modern and traditional Chanean medicine.


    Nodding in acknowledgment, Nigel asked, ¡°What about Josee¡®s condition?¡±


    ¡°Don¡®t worry.¡± Arielle exined with a smile, ¡°Although Josee is diagnosed with lung cancer, it¡®s still in


    its early stages. Therefore, I am a hundred percent sure that I can cure her.¡±


    ¡°A hundred percent?¡± the Lowes gasped in unison. Gaping at Arielle, it was as if they had just heard


    something impossible.


    Gulping, Nigel remarked, ¡°I have never heard a doctor im that they could definitely cure someone


    before.¡±


    Vinson proimed proudly, ¡°She really is that good. If she says that it¡®s a hundred percent, then it really


    is a hundred percent.¡±? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Meanwhile, Teddy who had eavesdropped on everything could no longer hold himself back. Dashing


    out of the room, he asked, ¡°Sannie, can you really cure my mom?¡±


    ¡°Mmm¨Chmm.¡± Arielle nodded. ¡°However, we have no time to lose. I¡®ll begin her first treatment right


    away.¡±


    ¡°First treatment?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡± Arielle exined, ¡°A single treatment isn¡®t enough to cure lung cancer. Ideally, we should


    combine my treatment with modern medicine. That way, we should be able toplete the process in


    five sessions.¡±


    By then, Josee was even more astounded.


    Isn¡®t this supposed to be a fatal disease? And yet, Arielle ims to be able to cure me in five sessions.


    Is she¡­ a miracle doctor?

 Chapter 785

    Chapter 785


    ¡°Ms. Moore, is what you say really true?¡± Grabbing Arielle¡®s hand in disbelief, Josee asked in


    desperation, ¡°I don¡®t have to die?¡±


    ¡°Of course. You don¡®t have to die, and I¡®m not going to allow it to happen.¡±


    Holding her face, Josee broke into tears.


    Meanwhile, Nigel, who was calmer, asked awkwardly, ¡°In that case Ms. Moore, how much are your


    fees?¡±


    ¡°Fees?¡± Arielle answered with a smile, ¡°I already told you that I am repaying the favor Teddy did me.


    Treating your wife is what I¡®m obliged to do for Teddy. Therefore, it will be free of charge. However, if it


    makes you feel better, you can get Teddy to pay me back once he grows up and earns a sry.¡±


    The moment both of them heard Arielle¡®s suggestion, they chose thetter at once.


    Puffing up his chest, Teddy dered, ¡°Sannie, when I grow up, I¡®ll definitely pay you back!¡±


    ¡°At a boy, Teddy!¡± Arielle stroked Teddy¡®s bare head and replied, ¡°In that case, let¡®s start the first


    treatment now.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure.¡± Josee and Nigel nodded repeatedly.


    After instructing Vinson on how to prepare the herbs, Arielle helped Josee into her bedroom.


    Taking out her needle pouch, she spread the silver-ted needles out one by one before treating


    Josee with acupuncture.


    Although Vinson was concerned with what Arielle was doing, he didn¡®t say a word. Instead, he went


    into the kitchen to prepare a saline solution for her.


    Every time Arielle used her needles for treatment, it would put a strain on her body. Subsequently, she


    would need a few days of rest to recover. Therefore, he needed to be prepared just in case she faints.


    While Vinson was preparing the herbs and saline solution in the kitchen, Arielle was in the bedroom


    treating Josee.


    When Nigel saw how thick and long the needles were, it sent a shiver down his spine.


    However, he tookfort in Arielle¡®s calm and steady demeanor.


    Ten minutester, Arielle had inserted all the needles into their respective acupuncture points. Just


    when she was feeling feeble, a bowl of saline solution appeared in front of her.


    Trailing the hand that had brought it, Arielle¡®s gaze met with Vinson¡®s gentle looking obsidian eyes.


    Breaking into a smile, she finished the saline solution in one gulp.


    The drink was great for rehydration and replenishing her strength. After resting for a short while, she


    felt reinvigorated.


    While Josee had fallen asleep, Nigel gave Arielle an apologetic look and remarked, ¡°Ms. Moore, I really


    don¡®t know how I should thank you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡®t worry about it. I¡®ll be done shortly.¡±


    Nigel nodded in response. After pondering for a moment, he instructed Teddy, ¡°Teddy, kill the old hen in


    our home and make Ms. Moore some soup. It will act as a tonic.¡±


    ¡°You don¡®t have to do that,¡± Arielle declined at once. Rube had told her that the Lowes only had one old


    hen used forying eggs. The eggs were considered a crucial part of their daily meal.


    ¡°Ms. Moore.¡± Nigel bowed at Arielle and insisted, ¡°This is the only thing I can do in return for you. So


    please, don¡®t decline.¡±


    Given how adamant Nigel was, Arielle had no choice but to ept.


    After Teddy went off to prepare the chicken soup, Nigel couldn¡®t help but ask, ¡°Ms. Moore, how did my


    wife get lung cancer out of nowhere? She has always been strong until the past year when she


    suddenly became weak.¡±


    ¡°It¡®s all because of Henrick.¡± Arielle expression darkened.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    Shocked, Nigel questioned angrily, ¡°Are you saying that Henrick poisoned my wife?¡±


    ¡°I don¡®t mean that.¡± Arielle waved her hands at once.

 Chapter 786

    Chapter 786


    She exined, ¡°Given that you stay deep in the hills where the air is fresh, and the fact that she doesn¡¯t


    smoke, it is unlikely for her to get lung cancer. However, don¡¯t forget that the mines create a lot of


    pollution. Let me guess, did Josee work in the mine when she was still healthy? As for the other


    miners, do many of them smoke?¡±


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Nigel nodded. ¡°Yes, my wife worked as a cook there. During mealtimes, the miners would smoke while


    they


    gathered and rest.¡±


    ¡°Precisely.¡± Arielle exined, ¡°Over time, breathing in all the secondhand smoke and dust from the


    mine will cause lung cancer. Moreover, given the working conditions, Henrick should have provided his


    workers with masks and health check-ups. Unfortunately, he isn¡¯t someone that would do that.¡±


    ¡°I see. So that¡¯s what happened¡­¡±


    While both of them were still chatting, Josee finally woke up.


    ¡°Josee, how do you feel?¡± Nigel hurried to her side.


    Taking a deep breath, she noticed the ufortable sensation in her chest had been alleviated.


    When she reported what she felt, Nigel dropped to his knees right away.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, you really are a miracle doctor. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!¡±


    Feeling embarrassed, Arielle quickly got Vinson to help Nigel up.


    She replied, ¡°She requires at least five treatment sessions. Also, given her need for fresh air, she


    needs a new ce to stay as the pollution from the mine has reached this ce.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll move at once deeper into the hills.¡±


    After giving it some thought, Arielle suggested to Vinson, ¡°Why don¡¯t we take them back with us to


    Jadeborough? I can treat her with acupuncture and herbs. After that, we can send her to Carter¡¯s


    hospital for radiotherapy.¡±


    Vinson nodded. ¡°Sure. Not a problem at all.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s decided then!¡± Looking at the Lowes, Arielle asserted, ¡°You shoulde to Jadeborough with us.¡±


    Worried that they would be imposing themselves, Josee and Nigel declined right away. However, they


    finally agreed after much persuasion from Arielle.


    Coincidentally, the herbs and chicken soup were ready.


    The bowl of herbs tasted bitter and were hard to stomach. The moment Josee tasted it, she spat it out


    right away. After that, she was traumatized by it.


    Finally, after much coaxing from Nigel, Josee finished all of it.


    Meanwhile, Arielle waited quietly by the side. Just when Vinson was about to ask her what she was


    waiting for, Josee began to cough intensely.


    Hack! With a forceful cough, Josee vomited a mouthful of ck-colored blood.


    Arielle heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°After a few more treatments, we will know that your condition is


    improving once the blood isn¡¯t ck anymore.¡±


    Just as she spoke, Vinson came over with a bowl of chicken soup.


    The soup boiled out of the old hen was thick and yellowish. Since Arielle didn¡¯t like oily soups, she


    waved her hand to decline, ¡°Why don¡¯t I skip this one?¡±


    Vinson red at her with a darkened expression. ¡°Drink it.¡±


    At that moment, Arielle empathized with Josee. With a grimacing expression, she finished the soup in


    one go.


    Feeling satisfied, Vinson wiped the corners of her oily mouth with his fingertips and remarked, ¡°It¡¯s


    about time for us to go.¡±


    ¡°Mmm-hmm.¡± Turning her head, she blushed when she saw the Lowes grinning at her. She proceeded


    to change the subject. ¡°You guys should pack. We¡¯ll be waiting outside.¡±


    Before she finished, she was already halfway out the door.


    Beaming at her response, Vinson followed her out.


    The Lowes quickly packed and got into one of the cars behind Arielle.


    Coincidentally, Henrick was inside the trunk of that particr car.

 Chapter 787

    Chapter 787


    At that moment, Henrick just woke up from having his lights punched out.


    When he heard the sounds in front, he banged on the trunk lid above his head. He yelled, ¡°Who is it?


    Who¡¯s sitting in front? Do you know who I am? Let me go right now, or you will suffer the


    consequences!¡±


    Given how ferocious Henrick sounded, Teddy cringed in fear.


    Nigel pulled his son into his embrace and sneered, ¡°Henrick, you have been taken prisoner. How do


    you intend to make anyone pay?¡±


    The trunk fell into a momentary silence before a vengeful voice rang out. ¡°It¡¯s you! How dare you


    kidnap me! Who gave you the gall to do this? Do you want to die? Do you know how well connected I


    am in Jadeborough?¡±


    Nigel chuckled. ¡°Obviously, I¡¯m not capable of it. Instead of berating me, why don¡¯t you go to sleep and


    quietly wait for your punishment.¡±


    ¡°F*ck!¡± Henrick went on to swear non-stop.


    Teddy was scared in the beginning. However, after getting used to it, he fell asleep amidst the


    vulgarities.


    At the same time, Josee too had fallen asleep. Not wanting to disturb both of them, Nigel didn¡¯t argue


    with Henrick any longer.


    Considering how hot it was inside the trunk, Henrick¡¯s throat began to dry after his tirade. He also found


    it increasingly difficult to breathe.


    With that, he was forced to calm down instead.


    The Lowes can¡¯t afford to buy a car. Hence, this car must belong to the one responsible for kidnapping


    me.


    Trying hard to recall what happened, Henrick finally remembered how he lost consciousness.


    It was a group of unidentified bodyguards. But who do they belong to?


    No matter how hard he tried, Henrick couldn¡¯t think of any enemies that would kidnap him from his


    home to kill him


    Can it be Cindy and Matthias?


    Just when the thought crossed his mind, the car suddenly stopped.


    A familiar voice rang out. ¡°Let the man in the trunk out to get some fresh air.¡±


    ¡°Right away!¡±


    The next moment, the trunk lid opened. All Henrick could see was a jarring light that hurt his eyes.


    Once his eyes adjusted to the light, he opened them at once.


    He quickly realized that he was at a rest stop on a highway back to Jadeborough.


    My kidnapper wants to take me back to Jadeborough! Why?


    ¡°Let go of me! Or else, I¡¯ll call the police!¡±


    However, the bodyguard who opened the trunk behaved as if he didn¡¯t hear a thing. Instead, he lit a


    cigarette while keeping an eye on Henrick.


    ¡°Who are you? Tell me who is the one that kidnapped me?¡±


    After stubbing out his cigarette, the bodyguard gave him the side-eye before closing the trunk.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    Right before the trunk was closed, he caught a glimpse of a figure which he found extremely familiar.


    Arielle¡­ But, how is that possible? I have kicked her out of the house a long time ago. Even if she


    hated me, there¡¯s no way she is capable of something like that given her timid disposition. I must have


    made a mistake.


    ¡°Whoever¡¯s outside, can you hear me? Let me out!¡±


    However, the only response he got was the sound of the car driving off.


    With no one to talk to him along the journey, Henrick grew frustrated. At the same time, a sense of


    horror began to creep into him.


    ¡°Please, I beg of you. Isn¡¯t it enough that I gave you your sry? I¡¯ll pay you everything with the interest


    included as long as you let me go!¡±


    Unfortunately, his pleas fell on deaf ears.


    Gradually, Henrick didn¡¯t have any energy left and drifted in and out of sleep for the rest of the journey.

 Chapter 788

    Chapter 788


    When the car stopped at the entrance of the Specialized Forces¡¯ building, Henrick was awoken by


    Teddy¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Dad, is this Jadeborough? The buildings here are really talll I love it here!¡±


    ¡°If you like it here, you should study hard when we return home. With good grades, you¡¯ll be able to


    secure a good job here.¡±


    ¡°Oh? I¡¯m allowed to go to school?¡±


    ¡°Once I get my pay, you¡¯ll be able to go.¡±


    ¡°Hurray!¡±


    Opening his eyes groggily, all Henrick heard was the word ¡°Jadeborough.¡±


    Going berserk again, he smashed the trunk lid like a madman. ¡°Let me out! Let me out!¡±


    The voices outside fell silent for a while before ady spoke in a frosty tone. ¡°Teddy, you guys should


    go in the other car as I have arranged for your amodation. Meanwhile, I¡¯ll tie up the loose ends.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    When the sound of footsteps disappeared in the distance, Henrick was stunned.


    The voice sounded like it belonged to Arielle. However, her tone was entirely different from what he


    usually heard


    They probably share simr voices. That foolish girl isn¡®t smart enough nor has the guts to take me on.


    The next moment, the trunk lid opened.


    This time, even though Henrick had used his hands to block the light, he could still feel the jarring pain


    in his eyes.


    ¡°Henrick, why don¡¯t you move your hand and take a good look at my face?¡±


    The moment he heard the voice, Henrick froze. Without waiting for his eyes to adjust, Henrick look right


    out the trunk


    All he saw was a girl gloriously standing in front of him with her back to the light. The familiar features


    of hers were enough to mesmerize any man.


    ¡°It¡¯s you¡­¡±


    It really is Arielle!


    Taking a close look, Henrick could sense that there was something different about her. Her eyes were


    just as sparkling but no longer had a timid glint to them. In its ce, was a domineering aura befitting a


    queen.


    However, this was a side of Arielle that he had never seen before.


    Despite being able to recognize her, Henrick felt as if he hardly knew her. Lost in confusion, he didn¡¯t


    know what to say.


    Raising her eyebrows, Arielle asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you not recognize me after just a few days?¡±


    Her cold and intimidating tone made her feel unfamiliar to Henrick.


    Surprised and terrified, he asked with a trembling voice, ¡°You¡­ who are you?¡±


    ¡°You really can¡¯t tell.¡± Arielle¡¯s smirk sent a chill down Henrick¡¯s spine.


    Suddenly, he had an epiphany.


    With his eyes widened and pupils constricted, he asked fearfully, ¡°Have you been pretending all this


    while?¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle pped her hands sarcastically. ¡°You knew¡­ Well, it really wasn¡¯t easy.¡±


    ¡°You-¡± With his cheeks reddened in rage, Henrick bellowed, ¡°What is it that you want?¡±


    ¡°What do I want?¡± Arielle stepped forward and looked down at Henrick. ¡°My mom was brutally


    murdered by Cindy and you. After that, you even usurped the family business. If it wasn¡¯t for my


    adopted parents, I would have died somewhere deep in the woods. So tell me, what is it that I want?


    Hmm?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Henrick was shaken to the core. ¡°You do remember and have returned to exact revenge! In


    fact, you had ulterior motives from the very beginning, didn¡¯t you?¡±

 Chapter 789

    Chapter 789


    However, Arielle shook her head slowly


    ¡°No, When I first returned, I still saw you ag my father In fact, I told inyself that as long as you weren¡¯t


    Involved in Mom¡¯s death, I will help you and the Moore family We could¡¯ve elevated the Southall Group


    to greater helghts. After all, you are my only family member. Unfortunately, you kept disappointing me


    again and again.¡±


    Henrick¡¯s heart tightened at her words,


    If he had known Arielle¡¯s true character and that she had captured Vinson¡¯s heart, he would have


    treated her as the darling of the family. As a matter of fact, thest thing he would do was klok her out


    of the house,


    Walt!


    Henrick suddenly realized that it wasn¡¯t toote, II was undeniable that Arielle was his daughter


    Therefore, there was no way a daughter could bring herself to utterly ruin her father no matter how


    hardened her resolve was,


    With a change of expression, he exined obsequlously, ¡°Sannle, I¡¯m sorry for everything I did in the


    past. I shouldn¡¯t have kicked you out on your grandma and Cindy¡¯s urging, This is all my fault. Can you


    please forgive me?¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± As if she had heard a joke, Arielle scoffed, ¡°Even if I forgive you for chasing me out, what


    about my mom¡¯s murder?¡±


    Briefly stunned, Henrick stuck to his story. ¡°Your mom¡¯s death was an ident while Cindy was the one


    who caused it. Hence, It has nothing to do with me at all!¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Arielle curled the side of her lips.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Henrick nodded repeatedly. ¡°Of coursel Given how much I love your mom, there¡¯s no way I would kill


    her. She is my wife after all.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Let¡¯s see what the other person has to say about this.¡± Arlelle ordered the bodyguard, ¡°Bring her


    here!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Soon, Cindy, who was bound tightly, was brought to the scene.


    When she saw Henrick in the trunk, her ghastly expression turned into one of hystericalughter.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ Henrick, you didn¡¯t see thising, did you? What we have done to Maureen ten years ago


    has been uncovered by her daughter. Do you actually think you can keep me in a plgsty my entire life?


    Looks like you will be locked up by Arlelle instead. Neither of us can escape the dire consequences!¡±


    Henrick trembled in anger. Cognizant of Arielle¡¯s presence, he rebutted, ¡°Cindy! Stop lying! Maureen¡¯s


    death has nothing to do with me. You and some others had plotted to kill her instead. Don¡¯t drag me


    down with you just because you got caught!¡±


    ¡°Drag you down?¡± Cindy snorted, ¡°Didn¡¯t you push Maureen with your own hands? Who was it that said


    ¡®I no longer want to see that condescending look of yours¡¯ before pushing her down?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t! What do you mean by pushing her down? Stop lying! Maureen had jumped because of how


    angry you made her!¡±


    Cindy shook her head. ¡°Stop denying the truth, Henrick. Don¡¯t think that you can escape Just because


    you refused to admit it.¡±


    Ignoring Cindy, Henrick turned to Arielle. ¡°Sannie, you have to believe me! I wasn¡¯t involved at all and


    didn¡¯t know anything about it. By the time I did, I had already married Cindy. At that point, I was left


    without a choice. For the sake of the Moore family¡¯s reputation, there¡¯s no way I could send their only


    daughter to prison, right?¡±


    Just as Henrick spoke, Cindy burst into a bout ofughter again.


    This time she chortled so hard that she bent forward with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Henrick thundered.

 Chapter 790

    Chapter 790


    Cindyughed for a long while before finally settling down. She mocked, ¡°I¡¯mughing at how stupid


    you are for not knowing the truth. You raised someone else¡¯s child and was cheated on twice without


    your knowledge!¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± Henrick stuttered in anger. If he wasn¡¯t all tied up, he would have stormed up to Cindy


    and berated her.


    There was no way he could ept learning about how he was being cheated on.


    Suddenly, it dawned upon him that Cindy mentioned that it happened twice.


    Twice? What does she mean by twice? And what¡®s that about raising someone else¡®s child?


    ¡°Cindy! Exin yourself right now!¡± Henrick roared.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t I made it clear enough? Arielle isn¡¯t your flesh and blood. She¡¯s a bast*rd that belongs to


    another man! And yet, you saw her as the apple of your eye, unaware that she isn¡¯t your daughter at


    all. Hahaha¡­ Argh!¡±


    Amidst herughter, Cindy felt a kick on her back followed by an excruciating pain. Losing her bnce,


    she stumbled forward and hit her head on the car¡¯s rear bumper, causing her head to bleed.


    ¡°Argh!¡± Screaming in agony, she held her head and turned around with a scowl.


    All she saw was Vinson fuming like a demon and staring daggers at her.


    The sight of him struck fear into her heart.


    ¡°M-Mr. Nightshire.¡±


    Since when did hee over?


    Vinson sneered, ¡°I have never hit a woman. However, I don¡¯t consider you to be human at all. Take her


    away!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Out of nowhere, members of the Specialized Forces appeared by Cindy¡¯s side and dragged her


    away


    Meanwhile, when some curious passersby stopped to take a look, they held their nose at once.


    ¡°Thatdy stinks¡­¡±


    With a darkened expression, Cindy hung her head in disgrace. She urged the men carrying her, ¡°Quick,


    let¡¯s go.¡±


    In her desperation, Cindy didn¡¯t recognize the members of the Specialized Forces. She assumed they


    were just ordinary police officers when she hurried them up.


    Briefly surprised by her reaction, the men burst intoughter next.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid thisdy isn¡¯t aware of the fate that awaits her.¡±


    ¡°After offending someone she shouldn¡¯t, she will soon be wishing she was better off dead.¡±


    The Specialized Forces had their own rules when meting out punishments. Taking into consideration


    Vinson¡¯s intention, Cindy was probably going to face their most hellish punishment.


    Unaware of what they were discussing, Cindy simply wanted to get away from being embarrassed. To


    her, staying in prison was certainly better than being locked up in Henrick¡¯s pigsty.


    However, she was unaware that the Specialized Forces¡¯ prison was a ce far worse than hell.


    After Cindy was taken away, Henrick looked at Arielle while trembling in fear. ¡°Is Cindy telling the


    truth?¡±


    Raising her chin, Arielle replied with an indifferent expression. ¡°You are not worthy of asking me this


    question. Henrick Southall, you brutally murdered my mom and took over the Moore family¡¯s assets.


    Now, it¡¯s time to settle the score.¡±


    Henrick¡¯s mind went nk that instant.


    Setting aside the asset appropriation, murder alone was enough to keep him in jail for the rest of his


    life.


    Nevertheless, Henrick was still fixated over whether Arielle was his biological daughter or not. After all,


    it concerned his pride as a man.


    ¡°Arielle, whose daughter are you?¡±

 Chapter 791

    Chapter 791


    Vinson was stumped by Henrick¡¯s reaction.


    He was astounded that Henrick was more concerned about whether he was cheated upon than the fact


    that he had murdered someone.


    ¡°Since he is desperate to know, you should tell him, Sannie.¡±


    Sweeping her gaze at Henrick, she exined, ¡°To be honest, my mom never let you touch her as she


    didn¡¯t have any feelings for you. She simply married you for expediency¡¯s sake. However, she didn¡¯t


    expect to have let the fox into the henhouse and brought about her own death.¡±


    With a scowl on his face, Henrick bellowed, ¡°That¡¯s impossible! Impossible! On the night we got married,


    we-¡±


    Before he finished, Henrick fell silent.


    He suddenly remembered that he had only slept with Maureen once, which was on their wedding night.


    That day, he had a lot to drink and didn¡¯t remember what they did in bed. The only thing he recalled was


    seeing some bloodstains on the sheet when he awoke the next day.


    At that time, he didn¡¯t think too much about it and attributed his memory loss to being drunk.


    But now that he thought about it, he could sense that something was amiss.


    Setting aside the fact that Maureen had always been cold to him, he realized that it didn¡¯t make sense for


    a married couple to have only made love once.


    Evidently, Arielle isn¡®t my daughter, and I have raised someone else¡®s child all this while!


    As rage swelled within him, Henrick screamed with his bloodshot eyes, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you! I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t get confused.¡± Leaning into Henrick, Arielle coldly remarked, ¡°You are now on the chopping


    block, while I¡¯m the one holding the knife. The one in control right now isn¡¯t you. Henrick, tell me, how


    should I torment you to death? Should I chop off your legs first or your hands? Let me think¡­.


    Since you used those hands to push my mom¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no¡­¡± Seized by fear eventually, Henrick yelled, ¡°Murder is a crime! Don¡¯t you dare openly do this to


    me!¡±


    Arielle pped him at once.


    After that, she wiped her hands as if she had touched something filthy. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just like how you


    treated Cindy, I too won¡¯t let you die easily. That would be letting you off too lightly. We will settle the


    score one by one, starting with the vigers¡­¡±


    Straightening her posture, Arielle turned to Vinson. ¡°The materials I have prepared have already been


    sent out.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll liaise with the courts¡­¡±


    Just as he spoke, Vinson suddenly thought of someone. He reminded Arielle, ¡°Sannie, if you want to


    take the legal route, why don¡¯t you contact your grand-disciple?¡±


    ¡°Grand-disciple?¡± Momentarily surprised, Arielle asked, ¡°Do you mean Ev? The old chess fanatic¡¯s


    student?¡±


    ¡°Mmm-hmm. Mr. Eakins has just been promoted two months ago. I¡¯m afraid he is higher in rank than all


    the people I know in the courts.¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll contact him right away. However, I¡¯m not sure if he is willing to get involved,¡± Arielle


    mumbled as she gave Everett a call.


    Once the call connected, Arielle exined her objective. At the same time, she was worried that Everett


    might think something that trivial was beneath him if he was as important as Vinson made him out to be.


    Contrary to her expectations, she heard Everett¡¯s enthusiastic reply. ¡°Yes, Grandmaster! Your problems


    are mine too. I will resolve them to the best of my abilities. Send me all the details, and I¡¯ll sentence him


    to one hundred years in prison.¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­¡±


    His response wasn¡¯t what she expected at all. It was now obvious that Everett was a chess fanatic


    through and through.

 Chapter 792

    Chapter 792


    Meanwhile, Henrick began to tremble when he heard their conversation.


    ¡°Arielle, although I¡®m not your biological father, I have raised you for many years. Don¡®t be ungrateful by


    sending me to prison!¡±


    ¡°Ungrateful?¡± Arielle snorted. ¡°Aren¡®t you my mom¡®s murderer?¡±


    ¡°T¨Cit wasn¡®t me. I didn¡®t kill her! Cindy is the one responsible! She contacted an olddy who threatened


    me into pushing Maureen off the building. Sannie, you have to believe me!¡±


    Arielle¡®s ears pricked when she heard the words ¡°olddy.¡± Squinting her eyes, she asked, ¡°Do you still


    remember what she looks like?¡±


    Henrick shook his head. ¡°It happened so long ago that I don¡®t remember. The only impression I had was


    that she had a big mole on her eyebrows.¡±


    ¡°Mmm-hmm. Is that it?¡±


    ¡°That¡®s all I can remember.¡± Henrick was on the brink of tears.


    What will happen to me if I¡®m locked up in prison?


    He had always loved fame and fortune. The moment he was jailed, he would lose everything.


    Arielle cleared her throat again. Before Henrick could plead for mercy, she inly dered, ¡°Good. You


    are no longer of any value to me. Vinson, take him away. I don¡®t ever want to see his face again.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± With a wave of his hand, two bodyguards dragged Henrick out of the trunk and headed into the


    Specialized Forces¡® detention area.


    When Henrick realized where he was, his knees buckled at once.


    ¡°Specialized Forces¡­ why am I here? I don¡®t want to go in. I rather go to prison!¡±


    Vinson sneered, ¡°Don¡®t worry. You will be spending time in both ces for a long while.¡±


    Amidst the height of the controversy, Henrick would be sentenced via the usual legal avenues. After that,


    he would be transferred to the Specialized Forces¡® prison where he would suffer terribly for the rest of his


    life.


    Just like Cindy, he would be tormented by a fate worse than death.


    After ncing at Henrick¡®s silhouette, Arielle asked Vinson with an uncertain tone, ¡°Wouldn¡®t it have been


    better if I personally imprisoned and tortured him instead of relying on thew?¡±


    Reaching out to rub Arielle¡®s hand, Vinson reminded, ¡°It¡®s not worth breaking thew over someone like


    that. After all, he is human and has many contacts in Jadeborough. If someone lodges a missing


    person¡¯s report to the police, we could be in a lot of trouble.¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°You¡®re right. I still need to exact my revenge upon that mysterious person. Hence, it¡®s not


    worth being ruined alongside Henrick.¡±


    Vinson was stunned. ¡°That¡®s not what I meant. Shouldn¡®t you think about yourself for once? Why dont


    you consider stopping here? From what Cindy says, those people are not to be trifled with.¡±


    Arielle knitted her eyebrows. ¡°Given how far I havee, there¡®s no way I can stop. Furthermore, the


    olddy which Cindy and Henrick had mentioned is the true mastermind. How can I ever forgive them?


    No matter who or where they are, I will seek revenge on behalf of my mom!¡±


    Having failed to persuade Arielle, there was nothing much Vinson could do.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    At that moment, Arielle received a message notification on her phone.


    When she checked, she realized it was from Trisha.


    ¡°Who sent you the message?¡± Vinson leaned over to sneak a peek


    A few secondster, he pursed his lips and remarked, ¡°is that friend of yours again. She¡®s actually


    reminding you of your exam in two days¡® time and wants you to go back to school to study¡±


    ¡°What¡®s with the snarky tone? Why are you jealous of a girl?¡±

 Chapter 793

    Chapter 793


    Vinson waved her off. ¡°I¡®m not jealous. I¡®m just envious that you have such a good friend.¡±


    ¡°I can feel the jealousy in your voice.¡±


    ¡°You¡®re imagining things.¡± Vinson lifted his jaw. ¡°In that case, you should go back to school while I tie up


    loose ends.¡±


    ¡°No, there¡®s no point in revising now. I¡®ll deal with Henrick first. After all, it will be done in a day or two.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Vinson nodded as he wasn¡®t keen on Arielle going back to school.


    Soon, it was primetime for the online media.


    During that period, manyizens were online scrolling through the news.


    After picking the right timing, Vinson contacted a few major online media firms to release the news


    concurrently


    Thereafter, he contacted the major stars of Nightshire Entertainment and requested that they share it on


    social media.


    Leveraging on the poprity of the celebrities, the news titled ¡°177 Cracked Houses¡± became the top


    trending topic online.


    Considering how hot it was, everyone felt the urge to click and read it.


    The news described the condition of the residences at the old Southall estate.


    There were a hundred and eighty homes there of which one hundred and seventy-seven had cracks in


    them. Furthermore, more than ten houses had already copsed with more at risk of the same fate.


    The cause had been narrowed down to Henrick¡®s mine conducting explosive sts indiscriminately. They


    were done so without any regard for the consequences.


    Furthermore, the miningpany dyed payment of its workers¡¯ sries and owed them up to five


    million.


    The majority of the miners were local vigers who lived in abject poverty while the owner of the mine led


    an extravagant lifestyle. He had bought a house in Jadeborough and nned to rebuild his old house


    into a luxurious vi.


    The news was so detailed that it triggered outrage among all theizens.


    Thements section exploded ordingly:


    ¡°Da*n Southall Mining has no heart at all. This is the most irresponsiblepany I have ever seen.


    Henrick Southall, you deserve death!¡±


    ¡°F**ck! I¡®m really shocked at how long it took to unearth such an unscrupulous businessman. Arrest him


    and jail him for a hundred years!¡±


    ¡°A hundred years is too short. Once he dies, he should just be buried in prison.¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The more theizens clicked to read the news, the more they investigated Southall Mining.


    Coincidentally, Wendy was one of them too.


    Henrick Southall? Isn¡®t he Arielle¡®s dad?


    Arielle sneered.


    With a dad like that, there¡®s no way Arielle can escape. All this while, she must have leveraged her status


    as a daughter of the Southalls to gain many benefits. And now, it¡®s time for her to pay the price for them.


    Logging in with an alternate ount, Wendymented:


    ¡°Did all of you know that Arielle, the ambassador of Soir Coffee, is Henrick Southall¡®s daughter?¡±


    After she made herment, Wendy patiently waited for the bacsh to be unleashed upon Arielle.


    Soon, theizens, who were barely rational, began to direct their ire at Arielle.


    Wendy then told everyone that Arielle had taken leave from school despite how close the exam was.


    Hence, it must be a sign of her guilt.


    After that, she relished in her God¨Cgiven luck which resulted in Arielle embroiled in a controversy.


    Worried that herment would be buried by those of otherizens, Wendy hired some professional


    trolls to maintain herment as a hot topic.


    After a while, she checked the replies to herment with anticipation.


    However¡­

 Chapter 794

    Chapter 794


    After clicking in a few minutester, she noticed that there were thousands of replies to herment not


    including those from her paid trolls.


    She was shocked at how immense the response was.


    Evidently. Arielle was extremely influential online.


    At that moment, Wendy had mixed feelings over the entire matter.


    How can Arielle attract so much attention online?


    It¡¯s one thing for her to be popr in real life, but to wield so much influence online really makes her an


    eyesore.


    However, Wendy quickly regained herposure. After all, Arielle wasn¡¯t being popr right now for the


    right reasons such as her piano performance or trantions. Instead, it was due to the heartless actions


    of her father.


    Thements about her must be negative.


    However¡­


    ¡°That¡®s right! Henrick Southall! Isn¡®t he the Chairman of Southall Group who kicked my goddess out of


    the family?¡±


    Wendy nodded. ¡°That¡®s him! Arielle¡®s dad, Henrick Southall!¡±


    However, the nextment wrote:


    ¡°She doesn¡®t need a useless dad like him. Perhaps, she was kicked because she didn¡®t agree with his


    actions.¡±


    ¡°That must be what happened. Given how virtuous she looks, she must have a heart of gold too.


    Therefore, she must have been chased out of the family because she tried to stop Henrick.¡±


    ¡°My goddess is so kind and pitiful. Boohoo! I swear I will protect her no matter what!¡±


    Widening her eyes, Wendy was baffled.


    ¡°What¡®s going on? Why is this happening? This must be an outlying spasticment.¡±


    Seized by hysteria, Wendy scrolled further down to read thements. However, all of them were either


    sympathizing with Arielle or asserting that she wasn¡¯t in league with Henrick.


    Trembling in rage, she staggered backward and knocked onto the bathroom countertop. It almost caused


    her to lose her bnce and fall.


    Holding onto the washbasin, she seethed with anger.


    What¡®s wrong withizens nowadays? She had never met a group that was so difficult to manipte.


    Wallowing in her misery, Wendy was sick of looking at her phone.


    Unknown to her, she had missed a separate fast-rising trending topic.


    While she was raining her fists hysterically onto the countertop, the school bell rang.


    Regaining herposure, she rushed back into ss,


    So what if Arielle has won over theizens? At the end of the day, hasn¡®t she chosen to skip ss out


    of embarrassment? The monthly exam is right around the corner. After missing so many sessions, she


    would likely be kicked out of preparatory ss by Donovan if she doesn¡®t make it to the top twenty. By


    then, I¡®ll post her results online and her reputation as a top student will be ruined. Therefore, I have to be


    patient.


    By the time Wendy returned to ss, Donovan hadn¡¯t arrived yet.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    After taking her seat, she asked her ssmate curiously, ¡°Why is Mr. Baxterte again? Doesn¡¯t he


    alwayse into ss before the bell?¡±


    Her ssmate shook her head. ¡°I don¡®t know. He seems distracted ever since he got married. Perhaps,


    he is enjoying marriage so much that he doesn¡®t want to get out of bed.¡±


    Stunned, Wendy asked, ¡°Since when did he get married? Why didn¡®t I hear about it?¡±


    The ssmate shrugged. ¡°Everyone in school knows about it. Why haven¡¯t you heard? Before this, there


    were rumors online about Donovan getting together with Queenie Mill, the famous doctor. The school


    insisted that he take responsibility for his actions before allowing him toe back and teach.


    Subsequently, both of them registered their marriage the next day. Since he has just gotten married, it¡¯s


    natural that he is less focused on us.¡±


    ¡°However, we¡¯re already in the second period of the afternoon.¡± Feeling upset, Wendy furrowed her


    eyebrows.

 Chapter 795

    Chapter 795


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 795


    Given that she nned on entering Jadeborough University, she was naturally concerned with


    Donovan¡¯s recent tardiness.


    At that moment, Wendy heard the students seated behind her discussing something. When the word


    ¡°Arielle¡± pricked her ears, she couldn¡¯t help but turn around.


    ¡°Are you talking about Arielle?¡± Wendy put on a warm smile to feign friendliness.


    However, the two students looked at her warily, as if she was the enemy.


    Smiling awkwardly, Wendy exined, ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand. I did have some conflict with Arielle


    before this, but everything has been resolved now.¡±


    The students asked skeptically, ¡°Really?¡±


    Wendy nodded. ¡°Really. It wasn¡¯t a big conflict to begin with. Just a trivial squabble between girls.¡±


    Just as she spoke, her ssmates lowered their guard against her.


    Feeling relieved, Wendy pretended to be concerned. ¡°Actually, I do sympathize with Arielle. I didn¡¯t


    expect her dad to be so evil to the extent of endangering the homes of others and dying the sries


    of his workers. When Arielle was using her dad¡¯s money, she probably wasn¡¯t aware that it belonged to


    the workers. What a shame¡­¡±


    When Wendy was done making her snidement, she waited for a turnaround in attitude from her


    ssmates.


    She figured that her insinuations were obvious enough to convince them that Arielle too was at fault.


    However, when she raised her gaze, she saw them frowning with displeasure.


    Frozen momentarily, she asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you read the news?¡± One of them exined, ¡°Arielle never used any of Henrick¡¯s money.¡±


    Wendy scoffed, ¡°How is that possible?¡±


    The girl squirmed her lips. ¡°If you don¡®t believe it, you can read the news yourself.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± I did go through the news.


    Filled with skepticism, Wendy checked the news on her phone again.


    She saw two new trending headlines.


    Henrick Southall The Murderer.


    Henrick Appropriated Moore Family Assets.


    She clicked onto the first one immediately.


    The news rted how Henrick was unfaithful in his marriage and plotted with his mistress to kill


    Maureen. Furthermore, there was a voice recording attached.


    Subsequently, Wendy put her phone to her ear to listen.


    The voice on the recording belonged to Cindy. She recounted how she and Henrick formted a n to


    kill Maureen and frame it as suicide. Furthermore, they even engaged human traffickers to kidnap


    Anielle who was very young back then.


    After she had finished listening, Wendy tapped into the second trending topic with mixed feelings.


    Inside, she read how Henrick appropriated the Moore family assets after Maureen¡¯s death.


    At the end of the news, there was a picture of a donation receipt.


    it stated that Arielle had donated two million.


    Below it was Arielle personalment


    ¡°This is the amount of money given to me when I first returned to the Southalls. I didn¡®t want any of it.


    Hence, I donated it to organizations that helped missing children hoping that all of them would be


    returned to their families safe and sound.¡±


    Wendy expression darkened.


    Arielle really knows how to put on an act. No wonder the ssmates behind me insisted that she didn¡®t


    use any of Henrick¡¯s money,


    If only she had read the news beforehand, she wouldn¡®t have bothered to talk to her ssmates seated


    behind her.


    By doing so, she had ruined her own reputation in front of them.


    Amidst her frustration, she heard both of them whispering in private.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 796

    Chapter 796


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 796


    ¡°How could I have believed that Wendy and Arielle had reconciled? If I hadn¡¯t read the news, I would


    have assumed that Arielle was led astray by her dad.¡±


    ¡°Wendy is really weird. Let¡¯s avoid talking to her next


    time.¡±


    When she heard thements, Wendy dug her nails into the table in anger.


    Unfortunately, one of her nails broke with a crack.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Eximing in pain, she saw blood oozing out of her fingertips.


    Da*n it!


    She cursed in her heart over how unfair the world was.


    At that moment, footsteps could be heard outside the ssroom followed by the sound of the door


    opening.


    Donovan had arrived.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for beingte, everyone. Turn to page 110. Today, we won¡¯t be learning anything new. Instead,


    we will be revising what we have learned previously. Before that, let me take your attendance first.¡±


    Just as he spoke, Donovan flipped open the ss register.


    When he called out Arielle¡¯s name, no one responded.


    ring at her empty seat, he asked Jared who sat next to her, ¡°Jared, is Arielle still absent?¡±


    Jared nodded. ¡°She has taken two days leave to deal with matters at home.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Donovan snorted without another word.


    She is skipping ss every other day. What kind of student does she think she is?


    Nevertheless, Donovan felt more rxed and natural in her absence. When Arielle was around, he


    would somehow feel stressed all the time.


    If Arielle doesn¡¯t turn up for the exam, doesn¡¯t it mean that she will be forced to leave my ss? By then,


    I¡¯ll no longer need to look at her annoying face.


    Casting his delight aside, Donovan began to go through the textbook with his ss.


    In the midst of their revision, Donovan¡¯s mind began to drift, causing a troubled expression to appear on


    his face.


    Over thest few days, he stayed at the teacher¡¯s quarters. where he enjoyed a few days of peace.


    However, Queenie had dropped by the school that afternoon and insisted that he return home in front of


    the principal.


    Since he couldn¡¯t lose his temper, all he could do was wallow in his misery,


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Snorting aloud, Donovan hated Arielle¡¯s guts.


    If not for her, he wouldn¡¯t have to marry Queenie who was extremely clingy.


    ¡°Mr. Baxter?¡± When the students saw that he was spacing out, they couldn¡¯t help but remind him, ¡°Mr.


    Baxter, we have finished the exercise.¡±


    Regaining his senses, Donovan reminded himself not to get distracted unnecessarily.


    To him, his most important objective was to get the students of the preparatory ss admitted into


    Maxwell University. As for Queenie and Arielle, he knew he didn¡¯t have to concern himself with them for


    the time being.


    After surveying the ss, Donovan asked, ¡°The answer is 0.03. Whoever got it correct, please raise your


    hand.¡±


    More than half the students in ss raised their hands.


    Donovan nodded in satisfaction at how good the preparatory ss students¡¯ foundations were. As a


    result, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for them to get into Maxwell University.


    When Donovan swept his gaze around, he noticed that Jared also had his hand raised.


    Smirking, he didn¡¯t bother with Jared at all.


    Given that Jared joined the ss via connections,


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Donovan felt that he couldn¡¯tpare to those that he had handpicked. Therefore, he wasn¡¯t going to


    waste any time on someone like Jared.


    ¡°In that case, Wendy¡­¡± Finally, Donovan¡¯s gaze settled upon Wendy. He continued, ¡°There¡¯s still another


    way to solve this question. Pleasee to the board and show it to us.¡±


    ¡°All right, Mr. Baxter.¡± Wendy had already figured out the alternative answer. The moment she walked to


    the board, she began writing it down with chalk.


    However, by the time she finished, her answer was 0.418. It was different from the correct answer.¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­¡± Wendy¡¯s expression darkened.

 Chapter 797

    Chapter 797


    What¡®s wrong? What isn¡¯t the answer 0.03?


    Wendy tried to figure out where she went wrong. However, the more desperate she was, the harder it


    became to see it. In the end, she had no choice but to seek Donovan¡®s help.


    Nodding at her, Donovan remarked, ¡°Have a seat first.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Baxter.¡± Biting her lip, Wendy returned to her seat.


    Donovan asked, ¡°Does anyone know which step Wendy got wrong?¡±


    Everyone fell silent. Many of them didn¡¯t even know about that method, let alone figure out where


    Wendy¡®s mistake was.


    Suddenly, someone raised a hand.


    The moment Donovan saw that it was Jared, he averted his gaze at once.


    Considering how lousy Jared¡®s results were when school started, how is it possible that he knows the


    answer? He must be fooling around.


    Donovan quipped, ¡°Since no one knows the answer, I¡¯ll exin. Wendy¡®s steps are very neat. However,


    she has made a mistake in the third form. She should be using this instead¡­¡±


    While he was exining, Donovan began writing on the


    ckboard.


    Meanwhile, Jared¡®s expression turned grim at having been ignored. Nevertheless, he put down his hand


    without any protest.


    At the same time, Henry couldn¡®t resist but grumble, ¡°Isn¡®t Donovan just too much? You are serious about


    your studies and even took the initiative to raise your hand. But by ignoring you, isn¡®t it a dereliction of his


    duty as a teacher?¡±


    ¡°Forget it.¡± Although Jared was upset, he didn¡®t want to cause any trouble.


    Since he had already decided toe to school instead of joining the army, he knew it wasn¡®t worth


    getting into an argument with Donovan.


    However¡­


    Jared couldn¡®t help but nce at Arielle¡®s empty seat.


    Why didn¡¯t Ariellee to ss over thest two days? Is she affected by what¡®s happening online? This


    won¡®t do. I must give Harvey a call.


    The moment the school bell rang, Jared was the first to step out of ss. He took out his phone and


    gave Harvey a call.


    However, Donovan frowned when he saw how desperately Jared wanted to leave


    I knew it! Jared has been pretending to be studious all along. A leopard never changes its spots. A bad


    student can never be a good one.


    Outside the ssroom¡­


    Jared had called Harvey thrice, but no one answered. Left without a choice, he called Arielle instead and


    she quickly picked up.


    Arielle answered inly, ¡°Jared?¡±


    Jared found a private corner before continuing, ¡°Arielle¡­ no wait, Boss, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Arielle was baffled. ¡°Why wouldn¡®t I be alright?¡±


    Jared hesitated for a while. ¡°I saw the news online. Are you affected by what happened to Henrick?¡±


    When she understood the purpose of his call, Arielle replied with a smile. ¡°Don¡®t worry, I¡®m fine. Besides,


    I was the one who released the information.¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Jared was stunned. When he recalled the news about Henrick murdering Maureen, his mind


    clicked at once.


    So, Arielle was just trying to exact revenge for her mother.


    Heaving a sigh of relief, Jared replied, ¡°That¡®s good to know. Anyway, exams are just around the corner.


    You


    should do revision if you have the time.¡±


    ¡°That may not be necessary. I¡®ll still get first ce without doing any revision,¡± Arielle asserted casually.


    She wasn¡®t blowing her own trumpet. Instead, she was just stating a fact.


    Feeling the slight from herment, Jared ended the call quickly.


    Just before he did so, a familiar voice rang out in the background. ¡°Who are you talking to?¡±

 Chapter 798

    Chapter 798


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 798


    Jared felt a chill down his spine.


    Why does it sound like Vin?


    Prior to that, he had suspected Vinson was somehow involved with Arielle. Considering Vinson had


    disappeared, he got worried too.


    If that dim¨Cwitted Harvey has missed his opportunity with Arielle, he will never be able to find a better


    wife.


    After putting his phone away quickly, Jared hurried back to ss to continue his lessons.


    Meanwhile, just like a worried father, Vinson stopped what he was doing and walked over to Arielle¡®s side


    to question her.


    Waving her phone, Arielle replied, ¡°My ssmate, Jared. He¡®s Harvey¡®s younger brother.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that kid.¡± Vinson nodded and asked, ¡°Does he have a girlfriend yet?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡®t look like it. I have never heard him mention it before.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll introduce one to him then.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Arielle asked curiously, ¡°Why do you want to introduce a girl to him all of a sudden?¡±


    Vinson stared at Arielle intently. ¡°So that he doesn¡®t call my wife for no reason.¡±


    Arielle choked. ¡°Come on, Vinson. You¡®re overreacting. I¡®m not that desirable. You¡¯re blowing things out


    of proportion.¡±


    ¡°One can never be too cautious.¡±


    ¡°The saying isn¡®t supposed to be used in such circumstances.¡± After frowning at Vinson, Arielle got


    serious. ¡°The news online has generated enough controversy. Therefore, it¡®s time for the trial to begin.¡±


    ¡°Mmm¨Chmm. Everything is already in ce for tomorrow.¡±


    Giving her back a stretch, Arielle checked her watch. ¡°It¡®s almost time for dinner. In order to reward you,


    Mr. Nightshire, I will personally prepare dinner. So, what would you like to have?¡±


    Vinson gave her a mischievous look. ¡°Anything I want?¡±


    Despite sensing something amiss, Arielle nodded still. ¡°I¡®ll try my best.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Vinson stepped forward and hugged her waist. ¡°I want to have you.¡±


    Speechless, Arielle could feel her cheeks burn in embarrassment. She extended her hand to push


    Vinson away. ¡°Can you be more serious? This is your office. What if someone sees us.¡±


    ¡°No one dares to enter without my permission.¡±


    Just as he spoke, the office door was suddenly flung open.


    With a grim expression, Vinson scowled at the door and saw a bodyguard with an anxious expression.


    Furrowing his eyebrows, Vinson asked, ¡°What¡®s wrong? Why are you panicking?¡±


    The bodyguard hung his head and reported, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, the Specialized Forces have reported that


    Cindy has gone missing.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Vinson and Arielle eximed in unison.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°What happened? Isn¡®t she locked up in the Specialized Forces¡® detention center? How could she just


    disappear?¡± Vinson questioned.


    Sweating profusely, the bodyguard recounted what the Specialized Forces messenger had said while


    wiping off his cold sweat.


    ¡°When Cindy fainted from her second punishment, she was brought back to her cell so that she could


    continue when she awoke. However, when they returned to her cell after a while, she was gone.¡±


    Vinson furrowed his eyebrows in frustration.


    Arielle interjected, ¡°She couldn¡®t have disappeared into thin air. Someone must have rescued her. What


    about Matthias? Where is he?¡±


    The bodyguard replied, ¡°That was the first ce we checked. Considering how grievous Matthias¡®


    injuries were, he lost consciousness by the time we arrived at the hospital after the long journey.


    Moreover, he had just woken up half an hour ago. Therefore, it couldn¡®t have been him as our men are


    still keeping an eye on him.¡±


    ¡°Who can it be then?¡± Arielle bit her lip forcefully.

 Chapter 799

    Chapter 799


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 799


    ¡°Don¡¯t fret,¡± Vinson reassured her, ¡°I will definitely recapture her for you.¡±


    Arielle nodded as a sense of dread began to creep into her.


    After assuaging Arielle¡¯s fears, Vinson got the bodyguard to send the man from the Specialized Forces


    in.


    Usually, when members of the Specialized Forces appear at apany, it would mean that thepany


    was done for. Therefore, to avoid any trouble, the Specialized Forces came in civilian clothing.


    After the bodyguard left, there were only three people left in the room.


    The member of the Specialized Forces bowed in respect before greeting fearfully, ¡°Captain Nightshire.¡±


    The address caught Arielle by surprise as she turned to look at Vinson.


    ¡°You¡¯re the Captain of the Specialized Forces?¡±


    Vinson spread his arms helplessly. ¡°I wasn¡¯t keen but they forced me into taking up this position.¡±


    Arielle shrugged. ¡°Do you know how many people are dying for this position? And yet, you couldn¡¯t care


    less about it.¡±


    Vinson exined candidly, ¡°Others desire it for the


    benefits that it would bring them. However, the Nightshire Group has never broken any rules. That¡®s why


    I don¡®t need it.¡±


    He then turned to his subordinate. ¡°Tell me in detail what happened.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The man recounted the incident remorsefully. However, the contents were simr to what the


    bodyguard had just reported.


    After pondering for a moment, Vinson asked, ¡°Did anyone in particr visit today?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the subordinate replied. ¡°However, they were previously caught for moneyundering via a shell


    company. They came by to turn themselves in.¡±


    ¡°Turn themselves in?¡± Vinson squinted his eyes. ¡°Given how serious their crimes are, there¡®s no way


    they¡¯re not aware of the consequences. Even if they turned themselves in, it would barely lighten their


    sentence.¡±


    ¡°It really is strange indeed.¡± The subordinate exined, ¡°Furthermore, other than the moneyunderers,


    an owner of a chain of bars have also turned himself in. He confessed that his bars had been used for


    drug trafficking.¡±


    ¡°All these guys picked today on purpose¡­¡± Vinson ordered with a solemn voice, ¡°Go and find out who


    these two groups of men have met recently. Also, have you checked the surveince cameras at the


    detention


    area?¡±


    ¡°I have. However, the cameras are out of order.¡±


    ¡°Just as expected. This isn¡®t a coincidence but a plot. The enemies have reacted so quickly that even I


    didn¡®t expect them to rescue Cindy, let alone you.¡± Taking a deep breath, Vinson ordered, ¡°Check all the


    other surveince cameras nearby. Also, set up roadblocks on all routes that lead out of Jadeborough


    regardless of whether they¡®re by air, sea, ornd. We absolutely cannot allow Cindy to escape the city.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir! I¡®ll get it done right away.¡± The subordinate left without another word.


    Watching his leaving silhouette, Arielle asked Vinson, ¡°Can there be a mole?¡±


    Vinson shook his head. ¡°A possibility for other organizations, but not for the Specialized Forces. Every


    member has been trained since they were young and have a very strong bond with each other. Also, all


    of them are orphans. Hence, familial interest doesn¡®t exist for them.¡±


    Ariellemented, ¡°In that case, it only shows how powerful our enemy is.¡±


    ¡°Mmm¨Chmm.¡± Vinson nodded. ¡°For the time being, I¡®ll get ke and Sasha to protect you as a


    precaution.¡±


    Arielle didn¡®t protest. After a brief silence, she suggested, ¡°Can I go over to the Specialized Forces¡®


    base? Perhaps, I can restore the surveince cameras.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡®ll take you there right away.¡±


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Don¡®t.¡± Arielle stopped Vinson and exined, ¡°I can see how busy you are. You should finish your work


    first. If it makes you feel better, you can get Rayson to send me.¡±

 Chapter 800

    Chapter 800


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 800


    Coincidentally, Rayson knocked and came in to hand Vinson a document. Subsequently, Vinson


    instructed him to take Arielle to the Specialized Forces.


    Before she left, he reminded her, ¡°Call me at once if anything happens.¡±


    He behaved as if he were her old nanny.


    Nodding helplessly, Arielle went off with Rayson.


    Meanwhile, the Specialized Forces were in chaos as all of them were preparing to hunt for Cindy.


    Before Arielle¡®s arrival, Vinson had instructed them to treat her as an important guest.


    Therefore, the deputy captain personally came to receive her.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, this way, please. This is the security control room. Today, all our systems have been


    paralyzed since an hour ago. Also, that was the same time when we realized Cindy was gone.¡±


    Arielle nodded before entering the room.


    Inside, a few technical members of the Specialized Forces were struggling to repair the system.


    ¡°Sir.¡± One of the men greeted the deputy captain when they saw him enter with Arielle.


    ¡°Just ignore me and carry on. By the way, how are the


    repairsing along?¡±


    The staff shook his head in resignation. ¡°Although we have verified that someone hacked into our


    system, created a backdoor, and inserted a virus into it, we are unable to remove the virus given how


    powerful it is.¡±


    The deputy captain was shocked. ¡°What kind of virus is that to be able to stump all of you?¡±


    The staff shook his head. ¡°We won¡®t be able to remove it unless we break its encryption. However, it is so


    complex that we will likely need one day to do so.¡±


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°That long?¡±


    With an apologetic expression, the deputy captain exined, ¡°Ms. Moore, I¡®m sorry. They said that we


    need at least one day¡®s time. Why don¡®t you go back and wait for our call?¡±


    ¡°Well, let me try.¡± Just as she spoke, Arielle walked up to the technical staff under the deputy captain¡®s


    look of amazement. She asked, ¡°Can you lend me yourputer?¡±


    The staff asked in surprise, ¡°Do you know how to break the code?


    ¡°Let me try.¡±


    The staff then gave the deputy captain a quizzical look.


    Within the Specialized Forces, non¨Cmembers were not


    allowed to use theputers.


    The deputy captain nodded. ¡°Let Ms. Moore have a go, she is a friend of Captain Nightshire.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Ms. Moore, please go ahead.¡± The staff gestured to her as he stepped aside.


    The man was the captain of the technical department. When the rest of the staff saw that their captain


    had made way for a youngdy, they began to grumble softly.


    ¡°What¡®s wrong with the deputy captain? Does he think that all of us are inferior to the youngdy? Is that


    the reason why he brought her here to remove the virus?¡±


    ¡°Our captain is no different. How can he give up his seat for her? This isn¡®t a ce where young girls fool


    around.¡±


    After mumbling for a while, their words drifted to their captain¡®s ears.


    The captain hadn¡®t thought much about it initially as there was no harm in letting a youngdy try.


    But having heard his subordinate¡®sments, he began to feel self¨Cconscious.


    All this while, men had dominated the IT industry.


    On the dark web¡®s hacker chart, there were no girls within the top fifty. It was one thing for the deputy


    captain to bring ady over, but considering how young she was, it felt like an insult to them.


    ¡°Save it,¡± the technical team captain quipped with a darkened expression. ¡°After all, it¡®s impossible for her


    to break the code. Since she¡®s a friend of the captain, just let her give it a go. Anyway, we have nothing


    to lose.¡±

 Chapter 801

    Chapter 801


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 801


    The staff nodded in acknowledgment. They also knew that it would be rude to go against the deputy


    captain. Hence, they stopped what they were doing and waited to see what Arielle was capable of.


    In other words, they were just waiting for her to fail.


    One of them, who was more forthright, walked up to Arielle and remarked, ¡°Miss, please have a go at it.


    But don¡®t worry if you fail. After all, this isn¡®t some silly game, so we won¡®tugh at you.¡±


    Just as he spoke, the other members of the technical staff couldn¡®t hold back theirughter.


    ¡°Silence!¡± the deputy captain snapped. ¡°What¡®s wrong with you lot?¡±


    Despite falling silent, the staff maintained their gaze on Arielle.


    All they saw was Arielle staring at the string of code for two long minutes. Just when everyone thought


    she was stumped, Arielle pulled the keyboard tray out and got to work.


    The staff that had just spoken to her murmured, ¡°She really is giving it a go.¡±


    No one else dared toment as they were worried the deputy captain would hear them. Nevertheless,


    they looked on in a condescending manner.


    The next moment, all they heard was the loud tapping


    sounds of the keyboard.


    Raising their gaze in surprise, they saw Arielle¡®s fingers dancing on the keyboard at breakneck speed. It


    was so fast that they could barely see what she was pressing. The only thing they caught was the


    shadow of her finger movements.


    This speed¡­


    Before everyone recovered from their surprise, Arielle smashed the ¡°Enter¡± key, causing a progress bar


    to appear on the screen.


    It started from zero percent and began to fill rapidly.


    Widening his eyes in shock, the technical team captain eximed, ¡°She¡­ she has managed to crack it!¡±


    The rest of the technical were equally astounded.


    In fact, they look as if they had seen a ghost.


    Fill with delight, the deputy captain asked, ¡°Ms. Moore, did you really crack the code?¡±


    ¡°Mmm¨Chmm.¡± Arielle nodded. ¡°Once the progress bar reaches a hundred percent, the virus will be


    cleared.¡±


    Meanwhile, the progress bar hit a hundred percent with a beep.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    As the blue screens across theputers began to flicker, they quickly rebooted and recovered their


    function.


    The virus had finally been removed.


    The man who mocked Arielle earlier remarked in disbelief, ¡°She has sessfully cracked it.¡±


    At the moment, the entire room fell silent.


    Even if the members of the technical team refused to believe that a youngdy could have IT skills that


    far surpassed them, they couldn¡¯t deny the truth.


    Are our skills really that lousy? Or is she some expert hacker who is unknown? If she really is a hacker,


    why hasn¡®t her name appeared in the top fifty of the international dark web hacker chart? After all, our


    captain is ranked forty¨Csecond on it. Even if she is hiding behind a pseudonym, she can¡®t have changed


    her gender too, can she?


    After recovering from his shock, the man remembered how rude he was earlier. He walked up to Arielle


    and apologized, ¡°I¡®m sorry, Ms. Moore. I have been blind for not recognizing how amazing your skills are.


    Please ept my apology. I¡®m sorry!¡±


    Although the rest of the staff remain silent, all of them hung their heads in shame.


    Much to their surprise, Arielle didn¡¯t ept the apology nor mock them in return. Instead, she looked at


    them with a puzzled expression.


    Blinking her eyes, she asked, ¡°Why are you apologizing to me?¡±


    She was so engrossed in decrypting the code that she didn¡®t hear anything that was said.

 Chapter 802

    Chapter 802


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 802


    Realizing what had happened, the technical team felt worse about themselves.


    While they were gossiping and making snidements, Arielle didn¡®t notice a word they said.


    Meanwhile, the deputy captain had no time for such trivial matters. His priority was to recapture Cindy as


    soon as possible.


    Ever since the Specialized Forces had been founded, no one had ever escaped from them before.


    Therefore, he felt gravely responsible for the situation.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, please check the surveince feed quickly.¡±


    The rest of the team nodded in unison. At that moment, they saw Arielle as one of their bosses.


    Meanwhile, Arielle didn¡®t need the deputy captain¡®s reminder. After all, checking the surveince feed


    was precisely why she was there.


    After grunting in acknowledgment, she essed the surveince feeds with only the keyboard and didn¡®t


    have to use the mouse at all.


    However, everyone was surprised to find that the surveince feeds were empty. It wasn¡®t just the feeds


    for the day, but all the feeds from before had also been wiped.


    ¡°How can that be¡­¡± Stunned, Arielle used the mouse to refresh the page again.


    However, the folder was still empty.


    Evidently, theputer wasn¡®tgging. The feeds had truly been deleted.


    Biting her lip, Arielle clicked her mouse desperately to try and recover the files.


    Unfortunately, it was a futile exercise.


    Nevertheless, she refused to give up. After typing in a few lines of code, she was still unable to retrieve


    them.


    Finally, she epted the fact that the feeds were gone.


    ¡°How can this be?¡± the technical team captain checked the otherputers. Unfortunately, the result


    was exactly the same as what Arielle had experienced.


    The feeds had all been deleted.


    ¡°Let me try.¡± One of the other members volunteered.


    However, Arielle stood up with a grim expression. ¡°Forget it, they¡®re gone.¡±


    Baffled, the technical team captain asked, ¡°Boss, even you can¡®t retrieve it?¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°That¡®s because I was the one who deleted it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The deputy captain¡®s eyes widened in shock.


    Sighing, Arielle exined, ¡°The person who hacked into the system was extremely crafty. The virus that


    they inserted not only paralyzes the system but also deletes all the documents on theputer.


    However, the deletion will only be triggered when one removes the virus. Hence, it is a self¨Cdefense


    mechanism.¡±


    The technical team captain replied thoughtfully, ¡°I have heard about this before. To crack the virus, one


    must break the code. However, when one sessfully does so, everything in theputer will be wiped


    and never to be recovered. In other words, there was no way we could have essed those feeds from


    the beginning.¡±


    One of the technical team staff pped his hand andmented, ¡°The first ce on hacker chart uses


    this method. He was the one who won first ce in the International Hacker Competition. Can he be the


    one


    responsible?¡±


    ¡°First ce on the hacker chart?¡± Arielle asked, ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°Do you know about the international dark web?¡±


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°No, I don¡®t.¡±


    ¡°Here¡®s the web address, you should investigate it,¡± the captain suggested as he scribbled it down and


    handed it to Arielle.


    After receiving it, Arielle remembered the address at


    one nce.


    When she returned it to the captain, her gaze fell upon theputer desk.


    Is the enemy really that powerful?


    For the first time in her life, she felt both helpless and lost.


    Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she turned toward the deputy captain. ¡°I¡®m sorry to have


    wasted your time. I¡®ll take my leave now.¡±


    Her tone was filled with utter disappointment in herself.

 Chapter 803

    Chapter 803


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 803


    She knew she should have been more vignt.


    Unaware of the expression on her face, the deputy captain bowed respectfully at her.


    ¡°Not at all. You have been a great help to us. I¡®ll see you around.¡±


    Arielle was orded respect not just because she was Vinson¡®s friend, but also because she had


    demonstrated her capabilities earlier.


    Therefore, he was filled with admiration for her.


    At the same time, everyone else bowed one by one.


    Within the Specialized Forces, the technical team was the proudest of them all. Other than Vinson, they


    would not bow to anyone else.


    However, Arielle didn¡®t realize the significance of that. Instead, she walked out with a disheartened


    expression.


    ¡°Boss! No, Ms. Moore! Please wait!¡± someone called out to her from behind.


    Stopping in her tracks, Arielle turned around.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When she saw it was one of the technical team members, she asked, ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    Bowing to her, the man eximed, ¡°Please¡­ please take me in as your student!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Arielle was confused.


    The captain of the technical team straightened his posture and exined, ¡°Ms. Moore, I am ranked forty


    second on the international dark web hacker chart. Within Chanaea, only Mr. Morgan ranks higher than


    me. It¡®s now evident that I still have much to learn. If you don¡®t mind, can you take me in as your


    student?¡±


    Arielle shook her head.


    Filled with regret, the captain scratched his head. ¡°I knew it. You look down upon me.¡±


    Arielle shook her head again. ¡°No, it isn¡®t that. It¡®s because I¡®m not worthy. There should have been a


    different way to crack the code without triggering the virus¡® auto¨Cdeletion mechanism. However, I didn¡®t


    think of it and neither did I sessfully crack it. Therefore, I don¡®t deserve to be your teacher.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Moore, but¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡®m going off now.¡±


    Arielle interrupted him as she could guess what he was going to say. After nodding slightly, she turned


    and left.


    What happened that day dealt a huge blow to her. Hence, she needed some space to regain her


    composure.


    When Rayson saw Arielle approaching from afar, he hurried up to her and asked, ¡°Ms. Moore, how did it


    go?¡±


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°The surveince feed is gone.¡±


    When Rayson noticed the look on her face, he didn¡®t ask any further. ¡°In that case, do you want me to


    send you back to the headquarters of Nightshire Group or Maple Mansion? Mr. Nightshire mentioned


    that once he is done with his work, he will return to Maple Mansion.¡±


    ¡°Neither.¡± Pausing briefly, Arielle continued, ¡°Take me to Jadeborough University.¡±


    ¡°Right away,¡± Rayson acknowledged and hurriedly opened the door for Arielle.


    Jadeborough University was twenty minutes away from where the Specialized Forces were. Given


    Rayson¡®s prolific driving skills, they arrived at the university entrance in no time.


    Coincidentally, it was the evening and school had just ended.


    Due to Donovan¡®s dy, the preparatory ss was still in session while every other ss had left for the


    day.


    After he exined thest revision question, Donovan caught a glimpse of a man standing outside the


    window.


    The man was dressed in a strange manner. Although the weather was scorching hot, he was wearing a


    baseball cap, face mask, and sunsses. His entire face was wrapped so tightly that he looked as if he


    could suffocate.


    What intrigued Donovan further was that he kept peeking into the ss as if he was a thief.


    In response, Donovan began to furrow his eyebrows.


    Putting down his lesson n, he instructed, ¡°For your homework, finish these two papers that I am giving


    out. I¡®ll mark them tomorrow morning while you are having other lessons. After that, I¡®ll go through them


    in the afternoon with you. That¡®s all. ss is dismissed.¡±


    Just as he spoke, Donovan headed out to confront the man who was acting suspiciously.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Donovan asked, ¡°who are you looking for?¡±


    Caught by surprise, the man didn¡®t notice Donovan approaching him.


    Tipping down his baseball cap to hide his face, the man replied, ¡°I¡®m here to see Arielle.¡±

 Chapter 804

    Chapter 804


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 804


    ¡°Arielle?¡± Donovan¡®s expression turned gloomy at once. He asked, ¡°What do you want with her? Who are


    you to her? What¡®s your upation?¡±


    The man chuckled in response. ¡°Mister, I¡®m just here to see her. Why are you asking so many


    questions?¡±


    With an awkward expression, Donovan replied coldly, ¡°Because you dress in an extremely weird


    manner.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡± the man dragged hisst syble. After that, he took off his mask and sunsses to reveal


    a face with exquisite features. It was Jason, an extremely popr celebrity.


    Even though Donovan wasn¡®t into celebrities, he found Jason somewhat familiar. He asked quizzically,


    ¡°And you are?¡±


    Jason was upset when Donovan didn¡®t recognize him. However, he figured that a teacher would likely


    not be interested in celebrities. Hence, he collected himself and leaned in to answer, ¡°My name is Jason


    Sleight. I¡®m an actor.¡±


    Meanwhile, when the students in the ss recognized Jason, they were in an uproar.


    ¡°My God! Is that Jason Sleight?¡±¡®


    ¡°Why is he here in school? I¡®m a big fan of his!¡±


    At the same time, some of the guys scoffed at him. ¡°He looks just like a girl. I don¡®t know what all you


    girls see


    in him.¡±


    The girls retorted, ¡°You must be jealous. He is prettier than a girl, alright?¡±


    Just as the boys and the girls were arguing, a crowd slowly began to build as they were curious why a


    superstar like Jason was at their ss.


    Meanwhile, Wendy stared intently at Jason.


    When she was in high school Jason starred in the most popr high¨Cschool drama back then. She didn¡®t


    have a habit of watching such dramas but was addicted to the one Jason acted in. Therefore she had


    been a fan of his for a long time and didn¡®t expect to see him in the flesh.


    At that moment, one of her ssmates turned to her and asked with a grin, ¡°Wendy, is Jason here to see


    you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Wendy denied by reflex. ¡°I don¡®t know him.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, he knows you. After all, you¡®re the prettiest girl in ss.¡±


    Obviously, that was true only when Arielle wasn¡®t around.


    Having heard those words, Wendy felt rather self conscious.


    After all, she was confident of her looks, and there was no one else prettier than her in ss.


    Is Jason really here for me?


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Wendy heart began to race.


    Although she only had feelings for Vinson, any girl would still feel nervous in front of Jason.


    Rubbing her palms, Wendy replied, ¡°I really don¡®t know him. So, you guys should stop making fun of me.


    Anyway, I¡¯ll help you guys ask if it¡®s necessary toplete the supplementary questions in the paper.¡±


    Just as she spoke, she headed out with her homework in hand.


    In truth, she wanted to verify if Jason was really there on her ount.


    If he was, she nned to use him to impress Vinson.


    After all, Jason was a superstar. Hence, she was sure that Vinson would take notice of a girl that a


    superstar was interested in.


    Having made up her mind, Wendy headed out the ssroom door.


    ¡°Mr. Baxter, with regards to this supplementary question¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, she heard Donovan question, ¡°Actor? No wonder you wrapped yourself up like


    that. What do you want with Arielle?¡±¡®


    Stopping in her tracks, Wendy¡®s eyes widened in disbelief.


    He¡®s here for Arielle and not me?


    Rate the Trantion to Get 2 Petal.


    ¨C


    Wait! I Have Something to Say!


    At that instant, Wendy could feel the blood rushing over her, making her face flush crimson.


    A huge wave of humiliation immediately engulfed her.


    What? Arielle Moore again? Why do all the outstanding boys get attracted by her? Are they all blind?


    Wendy was so infuriated that her hands started to tremble. At the same time, she was d that she did


    not tell her ssmate that Jason was there for her.


    Otherwise, it would be embarrassing.


    ¡°There¡®s a movie that I would like to invite Arielle to be the main actress. Lecturer, can you call her out for


    me, please?¡± Jason asked.


    Upon hearing that, Wendy¡®s eyes widened in shock.


    Seriously? Arielle as the main actress? In the same movie with Jason? Gosh! What has she done to


    deserve this? She is just a country girl!


    With a face devoid of any expression, Donovan replied, ¡°She¡®s not here. She has been absent for two


    days already.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡± Jason¡®s expression was full of disappointment. ¡°Then, do you know when she will be back


    for sses?¡±


    ¡°I don¡®t know.¡±

 Chapter 805

    Chapter 805


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 805


    ¡°All right, then. If she¡®s back to ss, please inform me.¡± With that, Jason passed his name card to


    Donovan. ¡°Here¡®s my name card.¡±


    Donovan did not take the card. ¡°I don¡®t care about her matter. You can find someone else.¡±


    It was the first time Jason was treated that way. His face darkened, and he was prepared to leave.


    Suddenly, someone called out, ¡°Jason.¡±


    He stopped and saw Wendy standing behind Donovan.


    No doubt Wendy was beautiful, but in the entertainment industry, all the female celebrities were beautiful


    as well.


    Therefore, Wendy¡®s countenance was not considered an outstanding one.


    Jason looked away after ncing briefly at her. ¡°Anything?¡±


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Wendy felt dejected when he was so cold toward her. Immediately after, she regained herposure


    and put on a smile. ¡°Why don¡®t you give me your name card? I¡®ll contact you once Arielle is back for


    sses.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Jason¡®s attitude took aplete change. Beaming at Wendy, he passed his name


    card to her and said, ¡°Thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°It¡®s my pleasure.¡± Wendy smiled faintly. However, there was a cold glint that shed across her eyes.


    I¡®ll never give Arielle the chance to join this movie with Jason. With her appearance, she would definitely


    be famous in the entertainment industry. I won¡®t let her have her way!


    After expressing his gratitude once again, Jason turned and left.


    Donovan looked at Wendy in displeasure. ¡°It¡®s best to stay away from people of the entertainment


    industry.¡±


    Snapping back to her senses, Wendy noticed the disgruntlement in Donovan¡®s expression.


    She was too anxious just now and had forgotten that Donovan was there as well.


    Thinking on her feet, she immediately exined, ¡°Mr. Baxter, you may not know this, but Jason is


    currently one of the top idols, and his fans are all crazy over him. You have treated him so indifferently


    just now. If heins about you on the inte, his fans might find trouble with you. So, in a sense,


    I¡¯m doing this for you.¡±


    Donovan froze for a second upon hearing that. Thinking about the negative rumors about him previously,


    his expression softened.


    Indeed, he did not wish the same thing to happen anymore.


    In the end, he nodded as he changed the topic. ¡°Why were you looking for me?¡±


    Just as Wendy was about to answer, she heard the sound of a helicopter propeller.


    It was getting louder and louder, and a strong gust of wind blew past them.


    She raised her head subconsciously and saw a helicopter slowlynding on the open space in front of


    the lecture hall.


    Donovan¡®s attention was also attracted by the helicopter.


    He knitted his brows. ¡°Who¡®s this?¡±


    How dare theynd their helicopter in Jadeborough University?


    All the students, who were in the ssrooms, could not contain their curiosity and rushed out.


    ¡°Look! It¡®s a private helicopter! That¡®s so d*mn cool!¡±


    ¡°Is there a film shooting here?¡±


    Everyone started to talk over one another. Just as Donovan was about to ask the students to go back to


    their sses, Marcus led a group of lecturers over.


    Donovan went over and asked, ¡°Mr. Brown, what¡®s going on?¡±


    Marcus replied excitedly, ¡°It¡®s Aaron Holt! Let¡¯s wee him!¡±


    ¡°Aaron?¡± Donovan asked in puzzlement. ¡°Who is he?¡±


    ¡°A student who¡®s going to join our university.¡±


    ¡°A student? Why do we need to wee a student?¡±?


    ¡°Of course, we do! He¡®s not just an ordinary student! He studied at Maxwell University previously but


    dropped out for some reason. Now, he¡®s going to study at our university! Besides, he has agreed to build


    us.

 Chapter 806

    Chapter 806


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 806


    stadium!¡±


    Donovan¡®s expression contorted. He had mixed feelings about the situation.


    He wasn¡®t impressed by students who would give donations for no reason, especially students who did


    not cherish the opportunity to study at Maxwell University.


    However, as long as this student was not going to attend his preparatory ss, he couldn¡®t be bothered


    by it.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    As the propeller of the helicopter was too loud, both of them spoke by shouting to each other. Therefore,


    their conversation was heard clearly by Wendy, who was standing next to them.


    Aaron? A foreigner?


    The next moment, the helicopter finallynded, and silence was restored in the lecturer hall once again.


    Without bothering Donovan, Marcus led the group of lecturers forward.


    Wendy could not help but follow him with her gaze.


    Meanwhile, all the students there were also fixing their gaze at the door of the helicopter.


    After a few minutes, the door was finally swung open.


    What stood in front of them was a pair of long legs.


    A guy slowly walked out of the helicopter while exuding the aura of an aristocrat.


    Shifting their gaze toward his figure, an exceptionally handsome face was set right before their eyes.


    He was wearing a white shirt and silky suit pants. Three of his shirt button was unbuttoned, revealing his


    cor bone.


    Above that was a handsome face that would make any woman go crazy.


    His figure was so exquisite it looked as if it was crafted by God personally. The blue eyes he had were so


    deep that it could get the girls swooning in seconds while his lips were so alluring none could turn away


    once they set their gaze on them.


    Aspared to him, Jason was definitely inferior.


    Behind him was a line of bodyguards, making him look more domineering


    ¡°Wow! Such excellent gene! The bridge of his nose is so perfect!¡±


    ¡°His skin is fair and smooth! Oh my! It¡®s my ideal skin!¡±


    ¡°Look at the powerful aura he¡®s exuding! Is he a prince?¡±


    By then, all the girls were smitten by him. As for the


    boys, they could not even gossip norment about the guy in front of them like how they did in front of


    Jason, for they knew that they were not in a position to do so.


    There was no way they would dare to even criticize him, for Aaron was about the same level as Vinson.


    Marcus was taken aback as soon as he saw Aaron¡®s devastatingly handsome appearance. He never


    expected the guy to be such a striking person.


    It seems like our university is going to be the talk of the town again!


    Marcus walked up to him in excitement and greeted, ¡°Hello there! I¡®m Mr. Brown, the principal of


    Jadeborough University.¡±

 Chapter 807

    Chapter 807


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 807


    Aaron stretched out his hand and held Marcus¡® hand politely while introducing himself, ¡°Hello, Mr. Brown.


    I¡®m Aaron.¡±


    Although his Chanaean was fluent, his pronunciation was not very urate. Nheless, it was more


    than enough formunicating.


    ¡°Good to see you here, Aaron.¡±


    Aaron smiled in response. All of a sudden, he tilted his head and shed a devilish smile toward the girls


    behind Marcus. ¡°Hello, beauties!¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± The girls shrieked at the top of their lungs.


    His smile widening, he turned toward Marcus and said, ¡°The girls in your universities are so adorable.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh! Haha!¡± Marcusughed dryly and changed the topic. ¡°By the way, Aaron, you have yet to tell


    me which faculty and subject you are interested in.¡±


    Aaron raised his brows and replied, ¡°Oh dear! Seems like my mind was filled with all the beauties here


    that I have forgotten about that.¡±


    Marcus was speechless upon hearing that.


    Once again, the girls behind him eximed loudly.


    ¡°Oh my God! He¡®s so good with his words!¡±


    Among the girls, Wendy was considered the calmest


    one. She cleared her throat but never shifted her gaze off Aaron.


    It was the first time she saw a man who was as handsome as Vinson.


    In addition to his outstanding appearance, the fact that he rode on a helicopter to the university proved


    that he was indeed a rich guy.


    Hmm, if I still can¡®t get Vinson to fall for me before my parentse over to Jadeborough, maybe I can


    call it quits and try to get close to Aaron instead. He looks easy to hook up with.


    Just then, Aaron asked, ¡°Is there a girl named Arielle Moore in this university?¡±


    Upon hearing that, Wendy¡®s expression tensed up. Meanwhile, Donovan knitted his brows.


    Arielle? Why is it her again?


    Marcus was taken aback as well. After a moment, he replied, ¡°Yes, there is indeed a female student


    named Arielle at our school.¡±


    Aaron snapped his fingers and said, ¡°All right then, I¡®ll join her ss.¡±


    Donovan¡®s face fell at that.


    After a few seconds of hesitation, Marcus nodded his head. ¡°Sure, no problem! Coincidentally, her


    homeroom


    teacher is here too.¡±


    With that, he turned toward Donovan and continued, ¡°Mr. Baxter, pleasee over and meet Aaron.¡±


    Donovan had the urge to turn and leave immediately.


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    D*mn it! I guess it¡®s true when they say that whatever you are afraid of wille true. It¡®s all because of


    Arielle! It¡®s fine that she has attracted so many fans on the Inte with her face, but how dare she hook


    up with a foreigner? How shameless! I must be blind back then to have that kind of thought about her.


    With no choice left, he pulled a long face and walked up to them.


    Without looking at Aaron, he said, ¡°Mr. Brown, you¡®ve promised me not to simply add anyone into my


    ss.¡±


    ¡°Well, this is different.¡± Marcus exined, ¡°Aaron is an outstanding student, which I¡®m sure you soon find


    out in the future.¡±


    Donovan frowned and insisted, ¡°It doesn¡®t matter if he is outstanding or not, my ss is full. If you insist


    on putting him in my ss, I¡®ll have no choice but to leave this university.¡±


    Marcus¡® face darkened at that instant.


    ¡°Mr. Baxter, what do you mean by that? Are you kidding me?¡±


    Donovan raised his chin. ¡°I¡®m not kidding. If you force my hand, I¡®ll leave.¡±

 Chapter 808

    Chapter 808


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 808


    Even though Donovan looked stubborn on the surface, it was merely an act of bravado.


    He was aware that if he left Jadeborough University, he had no ce to go.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    It was impossible for him to go to another university and cultivate three other students who were eligible


    to enter Maxwell University


    Besides, Maxwell University¡®s first¨Ctime international enrollment was about toe, and he would not


    have sufficient time to do so.


    Nheless, he did not wish to have a student like Aaron to be in his ss, because he knew he would


    be unable to control him.


    He believed that between him and Aaron, Marcus would choose him over thetter.


    To his surprise, however, Marcus did not start panicking as expected. Instead, his face darkened.


    Donovan¡®s heart skipped a beat, and he had a bad feeling about it.


    The next second, Marcus spat out indifferently, ¡°Mr. Baxter, you have done a lot of bad things


    but I never me you or held you ountable. How dare you question me for merely cing a student


    into your ss? Excuse me, but am I still the principal of Jadeborough University?¡±


    Hearing that, Donovan widened his eyes at Marcus in disbelief.


    ¡°Mr. Brown?¡±


    Marcus continued coldly, ¡°Since you chose not to stay in our university, you can leave now. It just so


    happens that we are recruiting new lecturers recently, and the number of applicants has exceeded one


    thousand. So, if you don¡®t want to stay, it will just open up one more ce for them. Feel free to think


    about it.¡±


    Donovan felt like he was struck by lightning.


    What the hell just happened? I¡®m a graduate of the Institute of Education from Maxwell University. How


    could Marcus choose a student over me?


    ¡°Mr. Brown, are you serious? I¡­¡±


    Ignoring him, Marcus turned toward Aaron and said, ¡°Aaron, from now on, you will be in this preparatory


    ss. If you have any needs, do inform me.¡±


    Aaron couldn¡®t be bothered about the ongoing drama. He simply said, ¡°Sure. May I ask where Arielle


    is?¡±


    ¡°Arielle?¡± Marcus shifted his gaze toward Donovan and asked, ¡°Is Arielle in the ss?¡±


    With aplex expression, Donovan replied, ¡°Arielle has applied for leave these two days. So, she is


    not present.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡± Aaron pondered for a moment and smiled smugly. ¡°All right then. I¡®ll wait for her.¡±


    After all, I¡®ve regained my freedom. I¡®ve got nothing but time.


    Marcus then asked with a smile on his face, ¡°So, you know Arielle? She is also one of the top students in


    our university.¡±


    ¡°You can say that.¡± With that, Aaron¡®s smile widened. He stroked the hair around his ears, revealing his


    ck diamond earrings.


    Marcus nodded and asked the student council, Christopher, toe over. ¡°Christopher, please take


    Aaron on a tour around campus and check which dormitory is empty.¡±


    Under Aaron¡®s gaze, Christopher walked out from the crowd. Cold sweat started forming in his palms.


    For some reason, he felt uneasy in front of Aaron.


    Forget about it¡­


    He gritted his teeth and scratched his head. ¡°Mr. Brown, my Ustranasion is not good enough. Why don¡®t


    you ask other students to show Aaron around the campus?¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡± Marcus shot a nce at the crowd and locked his gaze on Wendy.


    No matter how outstanding Aaron is, he is still a student. It will be inappropriate to ask a lecturer to bring


    him around the campus. Hmm, I¡®ll let Wendy handle the task then.

 Chapter 809

    Chapter 809


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 809


    ¡°Wendy Greene,¡± said Marcus. ¡°You¡®re proficient enough in Ustranasion, so why don¡®t you go on and


    show Arron around the campus?¡±


    ¡°Who? Me?¡± Wendy pointed to herself in a mixture of surprise and delight as she asked.


    ¡°Yes. You.¡±


    It must have slipped the mind of the scattered¨Cbrain Marcus how Wendy¡®s hup with her trantion


    work thest time nearly cost the school the contract to Maxwell University¡®s advanced mathematics


    lesson n.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    For some inexplicable reason, Wendy started to get butterflies in her stomach. She sped her hands


    tightly and made her way over to Aaron amidst the envious looks cast her way by her female peers.


    She did feel a sliver of discontent against Aaron when she heard him mention Arielle, but it did not matter


    in the end as she enjoyed basking in the attention and envy of others.


    Wendy stopped in front of Aaron wearing the most punctilious smile possible before she addressed him


    genially. ¡°Well, Aaron, please follow me.¡±


    ¡°After you then, beautiful,¡± replied Aaron as he arched his head back to instruct his bodyguard to take the


    helicopter off the grounds.


    Thenguage in which he spoke was one which Wendy had never encountered before and that


    prompted her inquisitiveness. ¡°Where are you from, Aaron?¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡®t seem to be any of your concern now, does it?¡± answered Aaron with a wry smile.


    The cold glint that shed across his eyes as he spoke made Wendy jump. ¡°I¡®m sorry for being nosy.¡±


    ¡°No worries. Please lead the way.¡± In an instant, Aaron reverted to his sensual, charming self, and that


    caused Wendy to believe that she might have been mistaken.


    The two of them then walked off into the distance and away from the longing eyes in the crowd.


    One of the girls in the ss muttered, ¡°Isn¡®t Wendy a little too lucky? It wasn¡®t that long ago that Jason


    slipped her a name card. Now, she¡®s tasked to show the new transfer student around¡­¡±


    The other students did not know the actual reason why Jason passed his card along to Wendy and did


    not catch Aaron¡®s mentioning of Arielle either. Hence, they simply assumed that Wendy had Venus¡® smile


    upon her.


    With Aaron¡®s departure, the discussions that revolved around him wound to a close, and the students


    dispersed afterward.


    Marcus was prepared to leave for the day as well as he wanted to head home and celebrate the addition


    of this new gymnasium that day over some beer and small bites.


    Seeing that the principal was about to depart, Donovan immediately caught up with him.


    ¡°Mr. Brown!¡±


    Marcus stopped in his tracks and looked to be in a significantly less buoyant mood than what he started


    with on a dime.


    ¡°Why? Have you decided to quit after all?¡± asked Marcus ndly.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s nothing like that.¡° Donovan gritted his teeth, unable to contain his own bewilderment. ¡°I don¡®t


    Scanned with CamScanner


    understand this, Mr. Brown. Back then, it was you who offered me a generous remuneration package to


    teach here. Why are you trying to drive me off now?¡±


    With his hands held behind his own back, Marcus regarded the man sternly. ¡°Let me rify this for you. I


    wasn¡®t the one who¡®s driving you off. It¡®s you who wanted to leave. Also, when I made the offer before, I


    was under the impression that I would be hiring Donovan Baxter, the outstanding graduate from Maxwell


    University¡®s Institute of Education, and not you, the diploma holder who hasn¡®t even been awarded the


    graduation certificate you supposedly got from there.¡±


    Donovan¡®s face fell.


    ¡°You¡®ve already known? Who was the one who told you that? Was it Arielle? It has to be her because


    she has never shown any fondness for me!¡±


    He hated Arielle to the core inside but Marcus merely shook his own head in disappointment.


    ¡°You¡®ve mistaken. No one came to me about this. It was after that fiasco involving Queenie and yourself


    that I went through your file and found out about it on my own.¡±


    Donovan was stumped and briefly found himself at a loss for words.


    Marcus continued, ¡°I¡®ve put up with your deception of the school because I know that there¡®s an off


    chance you might still be able to earn your paper qualifications. However, you¡®ve repeatedly made one


    mistake after the other, demonstrated your inability to treat the studies fairly, and even threatened me just


    now. Truly, I find all of that to be extremelymentable. Go on and leave if you want to, Donovan. On the


    ount of your parents, I will not expose the fact that you did not even receive your teaching


    credentials.¡±

 Chapter 810

    Chapter 810


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 810


    ¡°No, Mr. Brown¡­¡± Donovan was in panic mode. He was well aware that he could not actually leave


    Jadeborough University as that would ruin his teaching career.


    Although he could nheless take his identity as a graduate student from Maxwell University¡®s Institute


    of Education to other schools, the students from the preparatory ss were the finest ones he had


    handpicked from all across the country himself. These were the ones with the greatest potential of


    making it into Maxwell University.


    Were he to head elsewhere, never mind the time constraint, the quality of the students would definitely


    not be on par with those he currently had.


    At that moment, Donovan started to regret not exercising greater restraint by epting Aaron just now.


    He hastened to grab Marcus by the hand and did away with his own haughtiness from before. ¡°I¡®ve


    realized the error of my ways, Mr. Brown. I¡®ll ept the addition of Aaron into my ss, so please don¡®t


    ask me to leave!¡±


    Sigh. The softhearted Marcus exhaled. ¡°Wouldn¡®t it have been great if you¡®ve just agreed to this right


    from the start?¡±


    Seeing that Marcus had been persuaded, Donovan went on to express his profuse gratitude. ¡°Thank


    you, Mr. Brown. I¡®ll definitely groom three students that are good enough for Maxwell University.¡±


    Marcus acknowledged that with a nod. ¡°Hopefully, you¡®ll be able to deliver as you promised. The


    selection process for Maxwell University will bemencing soon, so I¡®d like for you to set aside those


    personal grudges of yours and focus your attention on guiding the students.¡±


    ¡°I certainly will!¡± affirmed Donovan.


    ¡°Oh, yeah. There¡®s just one more thing.¡± Marcus then regarded Donovan intently. ¡°Although I¡®m not sure


    of the reasons behind your prejudice against Arielle, she¡®s a massive talent. That¡®s why I hope you¡®ll be


    able to treat her with greater impartiality.¡±


    Donovan gritted his teeth and appeared to bepliant.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Brown. I will.¡±


    ¡°Good. In that case, you should extend an open apology to Arielle at next week¡®s assembly. No more


    excuses. You¡®ve been notably absent the past two weeks, but don¡®t think that I¡®ve forgotten about this.¡±


    There was an awful expression on Donovan¡®s face, for he considered publicly apologizing to Arielle akin


    to a p on his own face.


    However, it seemed that he had no other choice under the current circumstances.


    ¡°I understand, Mr. Brown. I¡®ll be sure to follow through on that.¡±


    ¡°All right then. Get it together. I¡®m going to head back first,¡± Marcus said. He patted Donovan on the back


    before turning to leave.


    With his back turned, he failed to notice the humility and sincerity vanished from Donovan¡¯s face. In its


    ce was an epassing gloominess.


    He¡®s asking me to nurture Arielle?


    There¡®s no way I¡®ll be able to transform a pile of rot into a work of art! She¡®s unsalvageable!


    Scanned with CamScanner


    He was not going to expend any effort toward nurturing Arielle as he considered it to be a waste of his


    time


    Meanwhile, elsewhere.


    The helicopter did not elude Arielle, who cast a chary eye briefly in the direction where itnded before


    she rescinded her gaze.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    As the purpose of her returning that day was to look up information about the man in the same group


    photograph as her mother in the archive, she was in no mood for distractions.


    With her eyes to the fore, she began to make her way toward her destination.


    That was when a masked man suddenly appeared with arms spread wide before her, obstructing her


    advancement. ¡°Haha, I¡®ve finally found you, Arielle!¡±


    She got quite a fright and reflexively thrust out a fist that smacked the man squarely in the face.


    When her blow connected, two other individuals sprung out from the bushes to the side. They then


    rushed up and started to pummel the man.


    As she looked closer, Arielle discovered that they were none other than Sasha and ke.


    ¡°Stand back, Ms. Moore. Let us handle this.¡±


    Sasha motioned for her to back off when in the next second, ke let out a surprised yelp.

 Chapter 811

    Chapter 811


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 811


    ¡°Ah¡­ Sasha¡­ He¡®s a celebrity.¡±


    Sasha eyed the battered and bruised man in circumspect. Not one for popr culture, she failed to


    recognize him.


    ¡°Hmph!¡± snorted Sasha. ¡°So what if he is? Our job is to protect Ms. Moore. Never mind a star, even the


    gods themselves will have to answer to us if they try to pick on her.¡±


    ¡°Right on! Now, watch how I bash his head in!¡±


    ke raised his fist and wound it up in anticipation of hammering it down upon the disoriented Jason.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Arielle immediately rushed forward to hold ke back. ¡°Don¡®t be rash. Let¡®s try to find out what¡®s


    going on first.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± replied ke who continued to regard the man with wary eyes and his fists ready.


    Arielle let out a sigh before she approached the wounded man. ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    Wrought with pain, the grimacing Jason sounded rather cranky. ¡°The hell¡®s wrong with you? Why did your


    friends jump me?¡±


    Hearing that voice jolted Arielle¡®s memories.


    ¡°Aren¡®t you that weirdo who intercepted me at the supermarket?¡±


    ¡°Yes! That¡®s me!¡± In the next second, Jason was seen stomping his foot. ¡°Whatever do you mean by


    weirdo? How am I weird at all?¡±


    Arielle looked down at the mask and shades left on the ground in the aftermath of the walloping ke


    handed out and nodded her head in earnest. ¡°You are kind of strange, you know. Why are you all


    covered up like that on such a hot day?¡±


    ¡°That¡®s because I¡®m too famous and afraid that I¡®ll be recognized by my fans! How was I to know that you


    and your friends would decide to hit me on sight? l¨CIs my face okay?¡±


    Jason frantically pulled out a mirror from his bag and became hysterical once more after he inspected his


    badly bruised face in it.


    That reminded Arielle of how Jason got swamped for photos after he showed his face at the supermarket


    thest time.


    ¡°Although I shouldn¡®t have hit you, it¡®s you who spooked me first, so you can¡®t me it all on us. That


    being said, I¡®m willing to cover your medical expenses.¡±


    Jason scrutinized his own visage carefully for any potential signs of disfigurement. He seemed to have


    calmed down slightly afterward before he regarded Arielle. ¡°I don¡®t want your money.¡±


    ¡°Then what is it that you want?¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Your contact number.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Arielle asked warily, ¡°What do you want that for?¡±


    Jason¡®s back stiffened and he hastened to exin himself. ¡°Don¡®t be mistaken! I¡®m not trying to hit on


    you. Actually, I¡®ve been asked to approach you by a director for a production that I¡®m currently involved


    in.¡°


    Jason fished out a file from his bag as he spoke and proudly extended it to Arielle. ¡°Here¡®s the script Go


    on and have a look at it.¡±


    Arielle did not ept the document from him but recognized the name of the director written on the


    cover. It was Sam Sleight.


    ¡°So, it was Mr. Sleight who asked you toe to me.¡± Arielle exhaled before she continued, ¡°I¡®ve


    already turned him down before. Haven¡®t he found anyone else to y the female lead?¡±


    ¡°Nope. I¡®m currently the male lead for this film. Aren¡®t you a fan of mine? Now, you can seriously


    reconsider this offer.¡±


    Arielle was bbergasted. ¡°Since when was I a fan of yours?¡±


    ¡°Oh, stop pretending. ying hard to get isn¡®t going to work twice,¡± said Jason while he shoved his name


    card into her hands. ¡°My number¡¯s in there, so call me whenever you¡®ve decided. Chances like this aren¡®t


    going toe by again, so I¡®m going to give you three days to think about it. Give me an answer before


    then.¡±


    Jason picked up the mask and shades and put them back before he bounded off, giving Arielle no time


    whatsoever to respond.


    ¡°Hey! Wait!¡±


    She wanted to give chase but Jason had already scooted out of sight.


    ke was intrigued when he came up alongside her. ¡°So, Arielle. You¡®re a fan of his?¡±

 Chapter 812

    Chapter 812


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 812


    ¡°Of course, I¡®m not!¡± blurted Arielle. ¡°I¡®ve never idolized anyone.¡±


    ¡°Then why does he insist that you are?¡±


    ¡°Beats me,¡± she replied, looking quite perplexed. ¡°I don¡®t even know him.¡±


    Sasha hooked her arm around ke¡®s. ¡°All right. Crisis averted. Time for us to disappear.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay,¡± said ke as he waved toward Arielle. ¡°Boss said that we are to stay close for your


    protection, but also to stay out of sight. So, on that note, we shall make ourselves scarce.¡±


    With that, he and Sasha bolted off.


    Arielle was rendered speechless while she watched the duo disappear from view. She did not even have


    time to say anything else.


    Those two had a lot inmon with the strange man who preceded them¡ªpopping out of nowhere


    before vanishing. She had been quite baffled by the entire encounter, to say the least.


    Arielle shook her head and paid no more heed to them.


    She casually tossed the name card that Jason gave her into the bin before striding toward the library


    ahead where the archive was.


    On the other side, Jason made a mad dash and dove


    inside the MPV parked in front of the gates to Jadeborough University.


    The removal of his mask caused Gracie to exim aloud, ¡°Your face!¡±


    ¡°Don¡®t worry about it. It¡®s just a scratch.¡± Jason waved her off nonchntly.


    Seeing Arielle in broad daylight that day left him even more astonished than he was previously as she


    possessed a bare face that was unparalleled across the entire entertainment industry.


    Even though Jason did not mind the ding to his appearance, Gracie next to him was practically going


    bonkers.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°Who¡®s the one who did this to you? You¡¯ve still got another interview to do tomorrow! This won¡¯t do. I¡®m


    going to have to get the police right away!¡±


    ¡°No. Don¡®t!¡± said Jason as he snatched the phone from his manager¡®s hand. ¡°No one hit me. I fell, that¡®s


    all.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡± Gracie¡®s eyes narrowed in skepticism as the wound did not look self¨Cinflicted to her, and


    definitely not from a fall.


    ¡°Well, yeah! I did it to myself. Why would I want to lie about something like that?¡±


    There was no way he would confess to getting trounced by twosses and a kid.


    Gracie was only half-convinced, but the Jason she knew was not the sort to suffer humiliation quietly. If


    Jason really got beaten up, she was sure that he would have gone to the police himself way before she


    did.


    That seemed to have settled things for her. ¡°Didn¡®t you say that you¡®ve gone to look for the female lead?


    Have you found her?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    The manager¡®s eyes lit up. ¡°So, what did Ms. Moore


    say?¡±


    Jason leaned back into the seat. ¡°She said that she¡¯ll get back to me in three days. But knowing that


    she¡®s a fan of mine coupled with the fact that I¡¯ll be starring in this film, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be totally up for it.¡±


    That made Gracie raise an eyebrow. ¡°If that¡®s the case, why didn¡®t she just agree to it there and then?¡±


    ¡°That¡®s because¡­¡± Jason leaned forward with a lifted chin. ¡°She¡®s ying hard to get.¡±


    He would never believe that a girl of Arielle¡®s age did not know of a popr idol like him.


    He reckoned that feigning ignorance and getting violent must be all part of a stunt to leave asting


    impression on him.


    Beside him, Gracie regarded Jason quizzically. She had a gut feeling that the truth may be further from


    what


    Jason described.


    ¡°If that¡®s really the case¡­¡± Gracie went on to remind him grimly, ¡°Being just an idol and not yet a


    recognized thespian right now, you¡®re still very much dependent on your fan base. As such, you are not


    to get into a rtionship with her. Even if you do, you are not to allow yourself to get caught on film.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Jason waved her off. ¡°Let¡®s get a move on. I¡®ve got to ice my face and then study the script.¡±


    Seeing how diligent Jason was, which a rare sight in itself, Gracie probed no further and instructed the


    chauffeur to drive.


    As this was happening, Wendy and Aaron¡®s tour had brought them to the school¡®s library.

 Chapter 813

    Chapter 813


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 813


    Wendy¡¯s heart skipped a beat the second she caught a glimpse of Arielle stepping inside the doors of the


    library.


    Determined to not allow Aaron to see Arielle, she shot in front of him and obscured his line of sight. With


    a wry smile, she said, ¡°Actually, there¡¯s nothing interesting to see there, so why don¡¯t we head over to the


    school museum first?¡±


    That confounded Aaron. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just tell me that the library here is the grandest one amongst all


    within Chanaea¡¯s higher institutes of learning? Why aren¡¯t we going in now that we¡¯re here?¡±


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s because¡­¡± Wendy hastily tried to cook up something. ¡°It suddenly urred to me that no matter


    how big or impressive libraries are, they¡¯re kind of the same anyway.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t argue against that.¡±


    That offered Wendy a moment¡¯s breather until Aaron added, ¡°But since we¡¯re already here, we might as


    well go in and check it out.¡±


    Wendy¡¯s chest tightened and she looked to intervene, but Aaron was already headed inside.


    Left with no alternatives, she could only grit her teeth and y along


    She could not afford to make it too obvious, lest it aroused his suspicions.


    Wendy caught up with Aaron only to see him shake his head in disapproval. ¡°It¡¯s a lot less than I


    expected. Back home, any one of our libraries would easily put this one to shame.¡±


    Wendy¡¯s eyes darted around in search of Arielle¡¯s whereabouts so that she might adopt preemptive


    measures.


    When she heard what he said, it irrepressibly piqued her curiosity. ¡°Our school library previously became


    a popr search topic domestically because of its size and splendor, so where exactly are you from,


    Aaron?¡±


    Aaron narrowed his eyes and smirked menacingly. ¡°I hope that¡¯s thest time I¡¯m hearing you ask me


    that, Wendy.¡±


    Wendy was suddenly gripped by terror as she could clearly see the warning signs in Aaron¡¯s eyes.


    The look inside them was akin to a sharp de pressed up against her chest, threatening to pierce


    through it at any time.


    The only time she saw something like that was from Vinson, and that spelled extreme peril.


    She was so cowed that she became dumbstruck and started to break out in cold sweat.


    Wendy sensed that there were unfathomable secrets to Arron and it was this mysteriousness that drew


    her to him.


    Any man who was sufficiently mysterious must possess tremendous strength, and she greatly fancied


    powerful men.


    If Vinson only had that pretty face without that fearsome aura and the Nightshire Group behind him,


    perhaps she might not have been as desperate to marry him. Practically drawn to him like a moth to a


    me, her heart fluttered and increasingly gravitated toward Aaron in the same manner.


    Aaron quickly turned his attention away and scanned his eyes through the first floor of the library again in


    a way that unnerved Wendy enough to hurriedly hunt for


    Arielle herself.


    She exhaled, relieved to have confirmed thetter¡¯s absence from the vicinity. ¡°The interiors of the floors


    beyond look more or less the same as this one. Since you don¡¯t think this ce is grand enough for you,


    shall we move on to the school museum?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Aaron¡¯s waning interest in the library had already sent him on the way out.


    Wendy quickly followed suit and something popped into her head that she thought might be safe to ask.


    ¡°Did you transfer to our school because of Arielle?¡±


    Pertaining to this question, Aaron seemed significantly less inhibited. ¡°I did.¡±


    Wendy felt a lump in her throat. ¡°Do you¡­ perhaps, like


    her??? His brow perked up. ¡°You could put it that way.¡±


    That caused Wendy¡¯s fingers to tighten against themselves while she murmured ambivalently, ¡°Strangely


    though¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s strange?¡±


    ¡°Arielle isn¡¯t that popr in school.¡±


    ¡°Why so?¡± Aaron asked.


    Wendy sighed. ¡°Because her grades are poor. She kept missing ss and she¡­ often talked back to the


    teachers. Previously, she was involved in a gang fight and one of the students involved evennded up


    in prison. She¡¯s a bad girl in everyone¡¯s eyes.¡±

 Chapter 814

    Chapter 814


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 814


    ¡°A bad girl?¡± Aaron gasped.


    Wendy¡®s keen eyes caught the astonishment in his, and that filled her with tremendous satisfaction.


    She nodded in affirmation. ¡°That¡®s right. You could see for yourself that she isn¡®t in school today. We¡®re


    going to have our monthly test the day after and still, she¡®s ying truant. Hence, it¡®s no mystery why our


    homeroom teacher doesn¡®t like her. That makes me curious, though, as to what it is that you fancy about


    her?¡±


    ¡°I like that¡­¡± Aaron dragged out thatst syble before he spat out these words in Wendy¡®s anticipatory


    face. ¡°It¡®s none of your d*mn business.¡±


    Wendy was appalled. She bit down on her lip as she could scarcely believe how crassly Aaron would


    speak to a girl like herself. ¡°Aaron, you¡­¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Aaron put a finger in his ear and cut her off. ¡°You really are kind of annoying.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°I think I¡®m done here. You should go get busy on your own as I have other ces that I¡®d like to visit.¡±


    This was his second time in Chanaea. Truth be told, opportunities for him to leave Turlen were far and


    few in between, so he was certainly going to make the most of this one to explore this sprawling country.


    While everyone considered Chanaea to be one of the four major nations with a long and illustrious past,


    it was Turlen that was truly the most ancient and historically rich one of all.


    The only difference was that Turlen had always been reclusive and constantly avoided contact with other


    countries. That was the reason why it was hard to pick up on their imprints in the history books.


    Undeterred, Wendy chased after him when she saw him about to leave.


    ¡°I know Jadeborough pretty well, Aaron. Would you like for me to be your guide?¡±


    ¡°No, that won¡®t be necessary.¡± He only felt that this girl talked too much.


    Were they in Turlen, he would have grown bored toying with girls like her for a day before he kicked her


    to the curb. It was a pity that they were in Chanaea where he could not tantly employ force against


    anyone for fear of blowing his own cover.


    He tried to repress his own irritability and fished out a note which he passed along to Wendy. ¡°Here¡®s a


    tip. You may go now.¡±


    When he saw no reaction from the stupefied Wendy, he stuffed the money into her hands before he


    turned and strode off.


    Wendy stared at the money in her palms and then at


    Arron before she became so incensed that her hands quivered.


    What¡®s the meaning of this, Aaron?


    Did he take me for a server by tipping me?


    She was so angry that she got blue in the face. Never before had she been so disrespected and


    humiliated!


    However, it seemed to have slipped her mind that she had already undergone a simr experience prior


    to her arrival in Jadeborough.


    ¡°Arielle Moore! It¡®s all that d*mned slut¡®s fault!¡± Wendy cussed before she suddenly recalled seeing


    Arielle enter the library.


    She tore that note in her hands to shreds and turned sharply toward the library.


    This was an insult that she refused to stomach and she was determined to unleash her wrath upon


    Arielle for it.


    A habitual truant is not fit to walk into the school¡®s library!


    That thought drove Wendy as she stormed her way toward the library


    If she was going to get it rough, there was no way she would allow Arielle to have it easy.


    With the sheer number of students inside the library, she


    reckoned that everyone must frown upon Arielle if she were to reveal that Arielle had been absent from


    school three days in a row.


    After all, what good student would skip ss that many days on the trot?


    However, Wendy was not able to locate Arielle even after shebed through all five levels of the


    building.


    What¡®s going on? Did I mistake someone else for her, or had Arielle left?


    After some deliberation, she was positive that it was Arielle that she saw as anyone else who looked


    even remotely identical would have been known throughout the school by now.


    Wendy thus sought out the school librarian in charge of the first floor. ¡°Ms. Booker, may I ask if you¡®ve


    seen Arielle Mooreing in?¡±

 Chapter 815

    Chapter 815


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 815


    It was only after Wendy tabled her inquiry that she realized that Elisabeth may not recognize Arielle.


    Thus, she quickly pulled out her phone with the intention of showing her a photo.


    But before she could do that, she heard Elisabeth say, ¡°Arielle Moore? Oh, do you mean the pretty girl


    who¡®s great at trantion and ying the piano?¡±


    Wendy¡®s face soured at that. Nheless, she had no choice but to nod in acknowledgment. ¡°That¡®s


    her.¡±


    Without noticing how Wendy¡®s expression has stiffened, the librarian replied warmly, ¡°Head over to the


    first floor school archive. You¡¯ll find her inside.¡±


    ¡°What? The archive?¡±


    Wendy¡®s inflection elevated a notch. Since time immemorial, the school archive had been a ce of


    restricted ess. Never mind the students, even the average teaching staff were not allowed in there


    without the express permission of the school¡®s leadership.


    In her eagerness to reach the archive, she did not catch thest part of what Elisabeth said. ¡°Arielle¡®s


    allowed to enter because she was handed the key by Mr. Brown, but you¡®re not permitted inside.¡±


    Wendy¡®s legs had already carried her to the archive¡®s entrance in a jiffy.


    The door which was usually shut tight there was left partially ajar, and out eked a stream of light from the


    resultant gap. Someone¡®s indeed inside!


    Pushing past the door, Wendy started to holler the moment she stepped through. ¡°Arielle Moore!¡±


    Arielle, who was flipping through the staff profiles, was caught out by this voice that came out of


    nowhere, and she lifted her head only to see the smug¨Clooking Wendy strut up to her.


    Amidst her perturbation, Arielle asked, ¡°Wendy? What are you doing here?¡±


    Wendy scoffed as she towered over her. ¡°Shouldn¡®t I be the one asking that? How dare a student like


    yourself trespass into the archive? Are you looking to get expelled?¡±


    Arielle guessed as much that Wendy had shown up to split hairs with her. Sometimes, she felt that she


    had to hand it to Wendy for her resilience ining back at herself repeatedly in spite of her extended


    losing streak.


    Wouldn¡®t this sort of perseverance be better served in some paid side¨Cgig? Kids these days simply have


    too little homework and too much time on their hands!


    Arielle offered up a shrewd rejoinder. ¡°I have my own reasons for being in the archive, bute to think


    of it, aren¡®t you in here too? Why, are you looking to get expelled as well?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Wendy was so pissed she started to stomp her feet. ¡°I¡®m here to chase you off, Arielle. You¡®re


    not


    supposed to be here, so hurry up and get out!¡±


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    Arielle crossed her arms akimbo. ¡°What if I say that I won¡®t?¡±


    ¡°You won¡®t, huh?¡± Wendy¡®s brow lifted mockingly. ¡°Then, don¡®t me it on me because you¡®re the one


    asking for it!¡±


    Her counterpart nodded brusquely. ¡°Yeah, yeah. I really had iting. Do whatever you have to and get


    it over with. I¡®ve still got work to do.¡±


    Wendy¡®s saw red at Arielle¡®s s¨¦ attitude.


    ¡°You don¡®t know what¡®s good for you! Oh, how I¡®d love to see how cocky you¡®ll be after this!¡±


    While she spoke, she strode outside the archive and dialed Marcus¡® number on her phone.


    The attention of the many students studying or reading on the first floor was quickly drawn toward that


    walkingmotion that emerged from the archive¡®s doors,


    Once Wendy noticed their reaction to her, she purposefully raised her voice when the call got through.


    ¡°Mr. Brown, I¡®m Wendy Greene from the preparatory ss. Could you hurry over to the school library¡®s


    archive? I¡®ve discovered someone who has sneaked inside and also refused to leave when I advised her


    to. Pleasee quickly!¡±

 Chapter 816

    Chapter 816


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 816


    Marcus had made dinner ns with a few of his close friends. But before he could leave the campus,


    he received a phone call from Wendy.


    Immediately, he felt irritated as his mood darkened. Isn¡®t Wendy responsible for Aaron¡®s campus tour?


    Why is she calling me now?


    Although Marcus wanted nothing more than to ignore her call, the archive was an area with restricted


    ess.


    Though it did not contain any secrets, many of the archive¡®s documents were precious, and Marcus


    was afraid that they might be damaged.


    That being said, an intruder in the archive wasn¡®t a big deal, it would only be detrimental if the intruder


    decided to wreak havoc.


    ¡°Wait for me. I¡®ll be there in three minutes,¡± Marcus said after a brief moment.


    ¡°All right, Mr. Brown,¡± Wendy replied before she hung up the call. A look of glee gleamed in her eyes.


    Arielle really is a stupid girl. If she¡¯de out after I confronted her, things would blow off. Yet, she is


    as stubborn as ever. I can¡®t believe she remained in the archive to spite me. She¡®s practically asking for


    it! No one can help her now,


    Wendy noticed there were several onlookers around her. Immediately, she wiped the cold smile off her


    face and reced it with a mask of worry, ¡°Can someone here help me? I¡®m afraid that the intruder


    might slight out before Mr. Brown is here.¡±


    Although Wendy was gifted with gorgeous looks, her personality was rotten to the core.


    Most of the students weren¡¯t familiar with her devilish personality and merely saw a beautiful student


    begging for help. Without a second thought, they dropped their books and rushed forward to help


    Wendy.


    ¡°Miss, don¡¯t worry. We will guard the entrance and make sure that the intruder doesn¡¯t have a chance


    to escape.¡±


    ¡°That¡®s right, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°With us here, we¡¯ll make sure the intruder has no where to run off to!¡±


    Earlier, they were busy studying and did not notice the intruder¡®s identity. Instead, they were


    mesmerized by Wendy¡®s looks and leaped forward to help her. They were oblivious to Wendy¡®s sinister


    intentions.


    ¡°Thank you so much.¡± Wendy smiled sweetly in reply. The male students were smitten by her gorgeous


    smile and it motivated them even more to catch the intruder red-handed.


    Back in the archive, Arielle continued to browse through the files after Wendy¡®s departure.


    She managed to confirm that the mysterious person who rescued Cindy was most likely affiliated with


    the organization that killed her mother, too.


    Additionally, the man pictured in the photograph with her mother was the only lead she had on the


    organization.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Since he was her only clue, Arielle needed to find out his identity as soon as possible.


    Although neither Arielle nor Vinson found a match when they ran his picture in the global database,


    Arielle refused to give up. The photograph was proof that he existed in this world. There were bound to


    be traces of his existence.


    In her previous bout of chess with Josiah, she had asked thetter about the man¡®s identity. Though


    Josiah¡®s memory was hazy, he managed to confirm that the man was Maureen¡®s secret boyfriend.


    I need to find this man as soon as possible!


    Since Arielle was a highly focused person, she tended to forget about her surroundings when she was


    fixated on something


    Hence, she had long forgotten her incident with Wendy.


    After a few minutes, Marcus finally arrived at the library.


    Coincidentally, the librarian had gone for a bathroom break and missed Marcus¡¯ arrival.


    Marcus made a beeline for the archive and noticed the horde swarming outside of the archive¡®s


    entrance.

 Chapter 817

    Chapter 817


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 817


    Wendy, who was eagerly anticipating Marcus¡¯ arrival, noticed him immediately. Quickly, she waved her


    hand to catch his attention. ¡°Mr. Brown, over here!¡±


    Marcus quickened his pace as he made his way in front of Wendy. ¡°Who on earth is the person who


    ignored your advice?¡± he demanded angrily.


    Wendy skirted around his question. ¡°You¡¯ll know once you see it for yourself,¡± she replied.


    She was afraid that Marcus might be biased toward Arielle. Therefore, Wendy only wanted him to realize


    Arielle¡¯s identity after he was done scolding her.


    Gleefully, Wendy trailed after Marcus as he stormed into the archive.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Out of curiosity, many of the students tagged along.


    When the group entered the archive, they caught sight of a feminine figure seated on the floor with her


    back against the crowd as she flipped through the files. The female student was so engrossed in her


    reading that she did not notice their arrival.


    Coincidentally, a ray of light that shone through the window happened to fall on her head. The golden


    rays illuminated a perfect halo around her cocked head and made it seem like she was an angel who


    had descended from the heavens.


    The breathtaking scene before the male students left them stunned


    Even Marcus found himself mesmerized. However, he snapped out of his daze immediately. ¡°Who


    allowed you into the archive? Get out of here at once!¡± he called


    out.


    Simrly, Wendy stepped forward. ¡°The principal is here. How dare you remain there?¡±


    Finally, the woman seemed to realize their presence. Startled, she whirled around and looked at them


    like a deer caught in headlights.


    Her bright eyes swept across the group at the same time the group caught sight of her alluring face. She


    was so beautiful that the group was astounded.


    Her look of surprise caused their hearts to ache as they felt guilty for frightening her.


    On the other hand, Wendy gritted her teeth in anger. Now that the principal is here, is she trying to y


    the victim?


    ¡°Mr. Brown, Arielle was the one who ignored my advice and entered the archive. She should be punished


    severely for her actions!¡± Wendy pointed at Arielle and yelled.


    Marcus finally regained his senses,


    Never in his wildest dreams had he expected that Arielle was the archive¡¯s supposed ¡®intruder.¡¯


    After all, he was the one who handed Arielle the archive¡¯s key as Marcus felt guilty after he listened to


    her exnation.


    In truth, Arielle was never an intruder.


    Instead of punishing Arielle, he turned to look at Wendy, who was seething in anger. All of a sudden,


    realization dawned upon him.


    Simr to dramatic soap operas, the female students of Jadeborough University would bicker with each


    other until a victor emerged. The reasons for their fights were often petty, and there was nothing that


    Marcus detested more than these trifling fights.


    Marcus recalled how Wendy¡¯s hup with the guest professor from Maxwell University almost cost them


    to lose the rights to Maxwell University¡¯s advanced math lesson n.


    Unable to restrain his anger and hatred anymore, Marcus exploded in a fit of fury.


    ¡°Wendy Greene, what on earth are you trying to do?¡± he roared as he drew himself to full height. Despite


    his old age, he still towered over Wendy.


    His furious bellow scared Wendy out of her wits


    She had no idea why he was yelling at her. Why is Mr. Brown yelling at me? Shouldn¡¯t he be scolding


    Arielle instead?


    **M-Mr. Brown, why are you yelling at me?¡± she


    stammered with widened eyes.


    The rest of the students looked on in disbelief.


    Although they lost their train of thought when they realized that Arielle was the one who intruded on the


    archive, they were even more confused when Marcus directed his anger at Wendy instead of Arielle.

 Chapter 818

    Chapter 818


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 818


    ¡°Are you really asking me why I yelled at you?¡± Marcus let out a bark of wryughter. ¡°Will you finally be


    satisfied after wreaking havoc across the school? Or do you want to reduce it to rubble, too?¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about me?¡± Wendy pointed at herself with a look of astonishment. ¡°What did I do? Isn¡®t


    Arielle the one at fault here? Why aren¡®t you scolding her? Instead, you are ming me for wreaking


    havoc.¡±


    The onlooking students couldn¡®t help but look back and forth between Marcus and Arielle as they tried to


    decipher Marcus¡® reasons for protecting Arielle.


    A few of the students stepped forward to defend Wendy. ¡°Mr. Brown, isn¡®t the archive considered a


    restricted area? It¡®s clear that Arielle ignored her advice. Why is she the one at fault???


    ¡°Yeah! Mr. Brown, you should be scolding Arielle instead!¡±


    Nevertheless, only a few students tried to help Wendy. Most of them remained silent as they deduced


    that there might be another reason for Marcus¡® anger.


    Wendy¡®s eyes began to fill with tears. ¡°That¡®s right. I really have no idea what I¡®ve done wrong. You can¡®t


    favor Arielle and look over her mistakes just because she helped the school¡®s reputation! You should


    treat every student fairly,¡± she mumbled.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡®m favoring her?¡± Marcus¡® livid gaze swept toward Wendy. ¡°Though I suppose there is some truth in


    your


    words. I shouldn¡®t be so forgiving toward my students¡® mistakes.¡± Heughed bitterly.


    For some reason, a tremble skittered down Wendy¡®s spine when she heard Marcus¡® words.


    ¡°Wendy, you¡®ve ignored the school¡®s rules, bullied students, and nearly destroyed the school¡®s reputation.


    As the principal, it is my responsibility to punish you ordingly. This will be your first strike. Additionally,


    you will write a three thousand word essay to reflect on your wrongdoings and publicly apologize to


    Arielle during assembly,¡± Marcus uttered coldly.


    Wendy could not believe her own ears.


    In a haze of desperation, she clutched Marcus¡® sleeve. ¡°W¨CWhy are you giving me a strike? Arielle¡®s the


    one who intruded the archive. I didn¡®t do anything wrong! How could you punish me?¡±


    The other students were dumbfounded by Marcus¡® deration as well.


    What is Mr. Brown doing?


    ¡°Are you asking me why I punished you?¡± Marcus pointed at Arielle. ¡°Well, let me tell you then. I was the


    one who let Arielle borrow the archive key. Even Mr. Baxter was there when I gave her the key. I also


    recorded it down in my office. You can look at it as


    proof.¡±


    Wendy¡®s mind went nk,


    In a daze, she looked toward Arielle and noticed that the corners of Arielle¡®s lips were upturned into a


    cold smile.


    Arielle¡®s cold and calcting smile caused Wendy¡®s skin to prickle with fear.


    Arielle was never an intruder. Right from the very start, she had received Mr. Brown¡®s permission. No


    wonder she remained in the archive even after I mocked her. This entire time, Arielle had me dancing in


    the palm of her hand. I stumbled into her trap like a fool.


    ¡°Do you know why I¡®ve punished you now?¡± Marcus asked coldly.


    All the blood drained from Wendy¡®s face.


    Instantly, realization dawned on the other students.


    ¡°It looks like Arielle never intruded the archive. It was this student here who was grasping at straws and


    tried to sabotage Arielle!¡±


    ¡°I must say, despite her good looks, she has a horrendous personality.¡±

 Chapter 819

    Chapter 819


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 819


    All of a sudden, one of the students mentioned an incident. ¡°Isn¡®t her name Wendy? Do you remember


    when someone live¨Cstreamed Arielle¡®s trantion of the lesson n on the forum?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. What about it?¡±


    ¡°The person who started the stream was hoping that Arielle would fail. When Arielle seeded, the


    person shut off the stream in a heartbeat. Later, it was revealed that the person was none other than


    Wendy!¡±


    ¡°Oh my. Wendy must not know that Arielle received Mr. Brown¡®s permission. She must have contacted


    Mr. Brown because she wanted to hurt Arielle!¡±


    ¡°Oh my God, women are terrifying creatures indeed.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Most of the female students here aren¡®t like her. She¡®s the only exception. She¡®s


    just jealous of Arielle¡®s capabilities. Back in the freshman party, didn¡®t Arielle crush Wendy with her


    astounding piano skills?¡±


    One by one, the students began to gossip about Wendy, not seeming to care that she was right beside


    them.


    The students who tried to defend Wendy earlier expressed their regrets,


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°I can¡®t believe Wendy fooled me. It looks like I¡®ll have to get a new pair of sses to improve my


    eyesight.¡±


    ¡°Me too, I must have been blind to defend her!¡±


    As the students continued to bad mouth her, Wendy was so embarrassed that she clenched her fists.


    Utterly overwhelmed with humiliation, she didn¡®t even notice that her nails had dug into the flesh of her


    palms.


    Wendy realized that she could never recover from such a public humiliation. It looks like I¡¯m doomed.


    ¡°Mr. Brown.¡± Arielle rose to her feet and made her way in front of Marcus with a look of confusion painted


    across her face. ¡°What on earth is happening?¡±


    Arielle¡®s question sent Wendy into a frenzy. ¡°Stop pretending! You knew that I would call Mr. Brown here,


    right? That¡®s why you devised a trap for me!¡± she yelled and brandished a threatening finger toward


    Arielle.


    Arielle looked even more muddled than before. ¡°Wendy, what are you talking about? How could I know


    that you¡®d call Mr. Brown here?¡±


    ¡°You knew about it right from the very start. You cunning b*tch!¡±


    Marcus was so livid that the veins across his forehead twitched. ¡°Wendy, are you trying to get yourself


    expelled? How could you use such profanities against another student?¡± he thundered.


    Everyone else was equally taken aback by Wendy¡®s crude curse.


    Stricken with anger and desperation, Wendy nearly burst into tears. ¡°She was setting me up this entire


    time!¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Marcus bellowed. His yell scattered the onlooking students as they hurried out of the archive


    to avoid his wrath.


    Once all the students left the archive, Marcus whirled around to re at Wendy. ¡°Wendy Greene, this


    first strike is only a warning. If something like this happens again, I will not hesitate to call your parents


    and get them to bring you home!¡±


    Wendy¡®s teeth sank into her bottom lip as fury zed in her eyes. Though she could not ept Marcus¡®


    warning, she restrained herself from exploding in anger.


    If I¡ªHorington¡®s top socialite, am expelled, I would be theughing stock of Horington. My social


    status would plummet, and I¡®d never recover from such a devastating embarrassment.


    With that in mind, Wendy smothered her urge to hit Arielle and left.


    Arielle looked at Wendy¡®s retreating back with a dark gaze.


    It was true that she had set Wendy up on purpose. Yet, Wendy yed a part too. If Wendy didn¡®t despise


    Arielle so much, Arielle¡®s trap would have never seeded.


    Hopefully, Wendy has learned her lesson. I can¡®t be bothered to deal with her anymore.


    ¡°Arielle.¡± Marcus¡® voice jerked Arielle back to reality.

 Chapter 820

    Chapter 820


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 820


    ¡°Mr. Brown.¡± Arielle gave him an apologetic smile. ¡°It looks like I¡®ve caused you quite some trouble.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. Professor Sleight told me that we would have lost the rights to Maxwell University¡®s lesson


    n if you hadn¡®t offered your assistance. I also caught wind about the freshman party. You¡®ve done well


    to raise the school¡®s reputation. Recently, there were quite a few famous pianists who wanted to seek


    your guidance. However, I declined their visits because I didn¡®t want to distract you from your studies,¡±


    Marcus replied with a shake of his head.


    Arielle nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°Thank you. I truly don¡®t have the time to spare.¡±


    ¡°About Wendy¡­¡± Marcus trailed off for a moment as a wistful look crossed his face. ¡°Although I have a


    grasp of the situation, I hope that the two of you can still be good friends. Once you¡®ve graduated, these


    petty fights will not matter. In the future, your friends will be useful connections.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± I can only hope that Wendy thinks the same way.


    ¡°That¡®s great. I will try to speak some sense into Wendy too.¡± With a pat on Arielle¡®s shoulder, Marcus


    excused himself. ¡°Continue your search. I will be taking my leave first.¡±


    It was almost time for dinner with his friends.


    ¡°Okay. Have a safe trip, Mr. Brown.¡±


    Once Marcus left, Arielle returned to her original spot and continued to flip through the files.


    ording to her mother¡¯s diaries, she was looking for a professor working at a specific time period. This


    way, I can narrow my search.


    Arielle did a quick mental calction in her head. Given my current speed, it will take me two days to


    finish all these files.


    At the same time, a new post popped up in the school¡®s forum.


    The post¡®s title was extremely eye¨Ccatching. It was titled: Wendy the nutcase, cursed at Arielle in front of


    the principal! Video attached below as proof!


    In the blink of an eye, Arielle had be a viral star at Jadeborough University.


    As soon as the post surfaced on the forum, everyone clicked on it. True to its title, they discovered a


    short video attached to the post.


    The footage perfectly captured how Marcus had punished Wendy as thetter lost her temper and called


    Arielle a b*tch.


    In no time, the post gained a lot of traction.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    When Wendy was on a stroll to clear her head, she noticed countless fingers pointed in her direction.


    ¡°Look, isn¡®t that Wendy? She must be the nutcase shown on the forum¡®s post.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God, that¡®s her! Quick, we should leave before she goes berserk. Seeing how crazy she is, she


    might attack us.¡±


    bbergasted, Wendy stared at them. When she locked gazes with them, the two female students


    scurried off with their tails between their legs.


    School forum? Nutcase? Are they bbering about me?


    Feeling uneased by their whispers, Wendy quickly went to the school¡®s forum. Immediately, the infamous


    post appeared on the screen.


    When she scrolled to look at thements, Wendy realized that none of the post¡®sments were


    trying to defend her. Contrarily, they were all belittling her.


    Has Wendy gone mad? Did you see her face? She looks absolutely terrifying!


    She really is nothing but a nutcase. How is she still a student here? They should just expel her.


    Not only is she crazy, but she¡®s also a schemer who wants to bring others down.


    As she read thements, Wendy was so furious that she saw red.


    As Horington¡®s top socialite, she was always treated and


    pampered with respect. The audacity of them to call me a nutcase!


    Wendy¡®s eyes reddened as tears streamed down her cheeks. But even amidst her sorrowful sobs, her


    teary eyes gleamed with unadulterated hatred.


    This is all Arielle¡®s fault!


    With a clenched jaw, Wendy called Cecilia. ¡°Mom, when will you be here?¡±

 Chapter 821

    Chapter 821


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 821


    As Wendy was evidently shaken, her mother was shocked and asked what happened.


    After exining everything while sobbing, she rified, ¡°I was afraid Arielle might ruin the archive, but


    Mr. Brown thought I was framing her. Mom, I can¡®t take it anymore!¡±


    ¡°That b*tch!¡± Cecilia huffed. ¡°Darling, calm down. Your father and I will be there this Friday. You have


    tests on both Thursday and Friday, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°We¡®ll wait for you at the gate after your test.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Wendy nodded profusely.


    Mom and Dad are finally going to be here. I might not be Arielle¡®s match, but they are!


    Meanwhile, Aaron asked his assistant to find a nice restaurant nearby, and the car soon rolled to a stop


    at Maureen¡®s Kitchen.


    Though the entrance seemed ordinary, it was crowded.


    His assistant opened the car door for him. ¡°Mr. Aaron, please wait. I shall clear the venue for you.¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± Aaron gave him a dismissive wave. ¡°I¡®ve been cooped up at home for too long. This is new. I


    shall eat together with the peasants.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± His assistant gave him a polite bow and led him in.


    There happened to be an empty table, so Aaron sat down and ordered a few dishes. He waited patiently


    for his food to be served.


    After ncing at the ordinary menu, his assistant said, ¡°Your amodation is ready. We have a chef in


    our entourage. If the food here isn¡®t to your liking, I can ask the chef to prepare dinner for you.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± Aaron didn¡®t say no, for he thought the food in this ordinary restaurant would not be delicious.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    The reason he came here was to experience Chanaea for himself.


    Shortly after, the first dish was served¨Cspicy beef stew.


    Aaron stared at it, his appetite gone.


    The soup was red, and it was as though the chef had thrown random ingredients inside. There were


    meat, chipotle peppers, and beans all mixed together in one bowl of stew. It looked somewhat like a bowl


    of leftover food.


    His lips twitched as he picked a slice of meat and stuffed it into his mouth.


    His assistant nced at the stew and dered, ¡°I shall ask our chef to prepare dinner for you.¡±


    The moment he said that, Aaron¡®s eyes lit up in disbelief.


    Before the assistant could say anything, Aaron ate another piece of meat swiftly.


    This time, he swallowed it without chewing.


    He then tasted every ingredient in the spicy beef stew and mumbled, ¡°This is incredible. I can¡®t believe


    it!¡±


    I can¡®t believe something that looks like leftover food tastes this delicious! The meat practically melts in


    my mouth, and the spiciness hits just the right spot. I never knew beef can be this tender! Is Chanaean


    food this delicious? Or is it only this restaurant?


    Aaron turned to his assistant and ordered, ¡°Get the restaurant owner now. I want to buy this restaurant!¡±


    If Turlen allows entry to foreigners, I will definitely bring the chef back to my country!


    ¡°W¨CWhy do you suddenly want to buy the restaurant? Is the food that delicious? I¨CIt looks really average


    to me.¡± His assistant was confused.

 Chapter 822

    Chapter 822


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 822


    Aaron frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t judge a dish by its appearance!¡±


    But you didn¡¯t seem to like the dish when it was first served, his assistant mused silently.


    Of course, he dared not say it out loud.


    Aaron gave him a fork. ¡°Try it. You¡¯ll find out why I want to buy the restaurant.¡±


    His assistant was surprised. In Turlen, the strict social hierarchy meant that a servant would never get to


    share his or her master¡¯s food.


    He epted the fork earnestly and picked a slice of meat from the side of the bowl before cing it into


    his mouth carefully.


    Even though Aaron had praised the food, the assistant still couldn¡¯t bring himself to believe that the bowl


    of stew was delicious. Mr. Aaron must¡¯ve been starving. Anything would be delicious to him!


    Without warning, the meat melted inside his mouth.


    It was tender and fresh. Though the taste was slightly spicy, it was still eptable.


    ¡°How was it?¡± Aaron lifted his chin and inquired, as though he had prepared the dish himself.


    It took the assistant a while to regain hisposure. He stuttered, ¡°I-It cannot be described in words.¡±


    Rising to his feet, he dered, ¡°I shall get the owner right away!¡±


    ¡°Off you go, then!¡± Aaron waved him away. When the second dish was served, he continued gulping


    down the food. His antics soon attracted the other diners¡¯ attention.


    ¡°Maureen¡¯s Kitchen did a good job. Look, a foreigner¡¯s here!¡±


    ¡°That foreigner looks like he had starved for ages. Ha!¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Stopughing. You were the same earlier! Now that you¡¯re full, you¡¯reughing at him?¡±


    The diners chatted happily around Aaron. This was the first time he had experienced such a lively meal,


    for back in his country, everyone ate in silence. It suddenly urred to Aaron that it would be nice to


    chat with friends over a meal.


    He was engrossed in his thoughts when his phone suddenly rang.


    Only less than five people had his phone number.


    His face darkened as he pulled out his phone. The caller ID made his displeasure heighten.


    After taking a breath, he spoke in Turlenese. ¡°Hello, Grandma.¡±


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re in Chanaea?¡± An elderly but terrifying voice rang out.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Aaron answered. ¡°Father gave me a mission toplete.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what he wants you to do. For now, you need toplete the mission I entrust you,¡± the


    voice demanded tartly.


    Aaron had no choice but to say, ¡°Yes, of course. What is it about?¡±


    ¡°Head to No. 111 on Sunflower Street. There will be a woman waiting for you there. Arrange for her to


    leave Chanaea at once. She¡¯s wanted there, so I need you to give her a disguise and a fake identity,¡±


    she ordered.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    His grandmother urged, ¡°Get going now! Time is of the essence, so I need her to leave Chanaea by


    tonight.¡±


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯m on it right now.¡±


    After the call ended, Aaron stood up. He gazed at the third dish that was just served and looked away in


    frustration


    Grandma¡¯s so annoying. She and Father aren¡¯t on good terms, but I have to carry out both missions.


    Ugh!


    Right then, his assistant rushed over to him, ¡°Mr. Aaron, they refused to sell the restaurant and gave us


    the owner¡¯s contact number instead.¡±

 Chapter 823

    Chapter 823


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 823


    ¡°This is their owner¡¯s contact number. I heard she¡¯s just a student.¡± The assistant handed a contact to


    Aaron.


    s, Aaron wasn¡¯t in the mood to buy the restaurant now. He didn¡¯t even spare the contact a nce as


    he ordered, ¡°Pay the bill. I need to leave.¡±


    His assistant grunted In acknowledgment and ran off to pay for the meal.


    In the library archive.


    Arielle was engrossed in reading the files when her phone began ringing.


    It was a call from Maureen¡¯s Kitchen¡¯s manager, so she answered it. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°A foreigner stopped by today and asked to acquire our restaurant. I rejected their offer, but they kept


    increasing the price until it reached ten million. Since I don¡¯t call the shots, I gave them your contact.¡±


    ¡°Mm, got it. If they contact me, I¡¯ll deal with them.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After the call ended, Arielle fell into deep thought.


    I should register Maureen¡®s Kitchen as a trademark when I¡®m free. After that, I¡®ll make Maureen¡®s Kitchen


    a global franchise business.


    Right after the manager hung up, Vinson¡¯s call arrived.


    Arielle connected the call and inquired, ¡°Did you find Cindy?¡±


    ¡°No, sorry.¡± Vinson paused before adding, ¡°But I¡¯ve set roadblocks at all the exit routes of Jadeborough.


    I¡¯m sure I can find Cindy as long as she doesn¡¯t turn into a butterfly and fly out of the city.¡±


    Sighing, Arielle answered, ¡°Got it. Thanks for your effort.¡±


    ¡°It was my men¡¯s fault, so the responsibility is mine. What about you? Rayson told me you went back to


    campus. sses should¡¯ve ended by now. So why are you still there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in the archive right now looking for the man in the photo.¡± Arielle nced at her phone screen and


    realized it was already past seven in the evening.


    ¡°You can continue your search tomorrow. Come, let¡¯s have dinner together.¡± Vinson extended an


    invitation.


    ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°At the campus entrance,¡± came his answer.


    His words warmed Arielle¡¯s heart. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll head out now.¡±


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Great. I¡¯ll wait for you, so there¡¯s no need to rush.¡±


    After the call ended, Arielle ced the file back into its position and left the archive.


    At the entrance, she saw Vinson leaning against his car with a cigarette dangling from his ips.


    His aloof elegance made many students halt to gawk at him.


    Arielle marched forward and tapped his shoulder. ¡°Hey, bee!¡±


    ¡°Bee?¡± Vinson turned around, his gentle gazending on her figure. ¡°Why did you call me a bee?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you realize you¡¯re attracting attention like a bee?¡±


    ¡°Flowers attract attention, not bees.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll call you flower, then.¡±


    ¡°That sounds ridiculous.¡±


    Conversing heartily, they entered his car. Wendy was heading back to campus after dinner and


    happened to spot them together.


    Overwhelmed by jealousy and hatred, she was about to curse Arielle inwardly when someone started


    talking behind her. ¡°That¡¯s Wendy, right? Look at how she¡¯s ring at Arielle. She looks terrifying.¡±


    ¡°Shh, lower down your voice. That nutcase might set you up so you¡¯ll get reprimanded by Mr. Brown.¡±


    Wendy¡¯s legs trembled when she heard those words.


    Although she wanted to p those two gossipmongers, she reckoned they would post about it on the


    forum if she did, making her a ¡®nutcase¡¯ forever.


    With nowhere to vent her frustrations, Wendy took a deep breath and decided to head to the library to


    revise.


    I¡®m going to sit for the tests soon. Brainiacs are always well¨Crespected at Jadeborough University, so I


    shall shut them up with my results!

 Chapter 824

    Chapter 824


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 824


    When Wendy arrived at the library, she realized most of the students who were gossiping about her were


    there.


    She walked in nonchntly, but the other students started whispering among themselves.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the nutcase? How dare she show up in the library?¡±


    ¡°If I were her, I would¡¯ve dug a hole and hide.¡±


    Wendy lost her patience and snapped, ¡°Is there any rule stating I can¡¯t study at the library?¡±


    The student had no idea Wendy would speak out. She coughed awkwardly and returned to her revision.


    Wendy exhaled sharply and sat down in an empty corner. She got rid of distracting thoughts and tried


    hard to focus on studying.


    The monthly test on Thursday and Friday is myst chance to clear my name. I must ce first in the


    test! I can do it!


    Meanwhile, Arielle and Vinson decided to have dinner at Maureen¡¯s Kitchen,


    On the way there, Arielle exined her n to make Maureen¡¯s Kitchen a franchise business,


    Vinson nodded. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll help you with that after Cindy¡¯s found.¡±


    Arielle felt annoyed when Cindy¡¯s name was mentioned.


    ¡°Where the hell is Cindy?¡±


    Meanwhile, at No. 111 Sunflower Street.


    When Aaron arrived, Cindy had juste out of the shower.


    After spending two days at the pigsty, even her breath stink. Thus, she spent over an hour in the shower


    to scrub every inch of her skin and only exited the bathroom when her palms turned wrinkly.


    Finally, she was squeaky clean.


    When she stepped out of the bathroom, a disgusted voice demanded, ¡°Who pooped in the room? It


    stinks!¡±


    Cindy¡¯s face fell. She looked up and saw a handsome foreigner walking in while pinching his nose in


    disdain.


    He was tall and had pale, porcin-like skin. With his thick brows and Grecian nose, he exuded a noble


    aura


    For some reason, Cindy found him familiar. However, she was sure she had never seen this man before.


    When she parted her lips to ask who he was, the man who saved her from the Specialized Forces gave


    the new male guest a polite bow. ¡°Mr. Aaron.¡±


    Mr. Aaron? Is he that olddy¡®s son? No, he must be her grandson, judging from his age.


    She stepped forward and curtsied. ¡°Hello. Thank you for saving my life.¡±


    Wrinkling his nose in distaste, Aaron snapped, ¡°Let¡¯s get to the point. I¡¯m busy. Take a seat and we¡¯ll start


    right away.¡±


    ¡°Start?¡± Cindy was puzzled. ¡°Start what?¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    No one bothered to answer her question. Two bodyguards promptly came forward to drag her to a chair.


    She panicked and yelled, ¡°What are you doing? I said nothing! I didn¡¯t betray you!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± the bodyguards warned. ¡°Mr. Aaron wants to help you leave Chanaea. Stay put, or else it¡¯ll be


    toote when the Specialized Forcese for you.¡±


    When Cindy learned they were going to take her out of Chanaea, she shut up and dared not ask


    questions.


    After an hour, Cindy looked into a mirror only to be greeted by an unfamiliar face. Surprise and fear


    enveloped her. ¡°How did you do it?¡± she questioned.


    Instead of answering her, Aaron told his grandmother¡¯s subordinate, ¡°The human skin mask can onlyst


    for five hours before it splits apart by itself. Be quick. Take a ne to Manchernius, which is nearest to


    Chanaea, then leave Manchernius.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± The subordinate nodded and dragged Cindy to the car. Their destination was the airport.

 Chapter 825

    Chapter 825


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 825


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    The Specialized Forces soon found a clue through the surveince cameras around their headquarters.


    They tracked Cindy down to No. 111 Sunflower Street, only to find an empty house. The woman was


    long gone by then.


    The deputy captain clenched his jaw as he ran a finger across the water droplets in the bathroom.


    ¡°We¡¯ve just missed her!¡±


    ¡°What should we do now, deputy captain?¡± one team member asked. ¡°This is the outskirts, so there are


    no surveince cameras around. We¡®ve checked but couldn¡¯t find their whereabouts.¡±


    The deputy captain thought about it and furrowed his brows. ¡°Inform all our men stationed at the exit


    routes that the fugitive is going to leave Jadeborough soon. Make sure they screen everyone who¡¯s


    leaving the city carefully.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡±


    ¡°Remember to gather any fingerprints in the room. Don¡¯t miss anything out!¡± he added.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The Specialized Forces got busy.


    Meanwhile, Vinson was having dinner with Arielle when he received a phone call from the deputy


    captain.


    He frowned upon hearing the report.


    After cutting the line, he revealed everything to a curious Arielle. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a ride back to Maple


    Mansion.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± Arielle asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll head to Sunflower Street to see if they left any trace behind.¡±


    Arielle stood up. ¡°I¡¯lle with you.¡± Her tone allowed no room for negotiation.


    Left with no choice, Vinson nodded reluctantly.


    They bade goodbye to the manager before leaving.


    The manager asked, ¡°About that foreigner¡­¡±


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°He didn¡¯t contact me. But if he shows up again, just ignore him.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Arielle pondered shortly before adding, ¡°Remember to inform the chef about our franchise business. He


    can be a shareholder through technical achievements.¡±


    The manager was smart enough to understand she didn¡¯t want anyone else to poach the chef.


    ¡°I understand,¡± he assured her. ¡°Have a safe trip!¡±


    In the car, Vinson inquired, ¡°You were talking about a foreigner earlier. Who is that?¡±


    ¡°Just a diner who wanted to acquire Maureen¡¯s Kitchen,¡± Arielle revealed.


    Vinson inclined his head. ¡°He has good taste.¡±


    Chuckling, Arielle uttered, ¡°Well, no matter what, I won¡¯t sell Maureen¡¯s Kitchen.¡±


    Maureen¡¯s Kitchen was important to her. Not only did Vinson gift the ce to her, but it was also


    Maureen¡¯s favorite restaurant. As such, she hoped to expand it to be a global franchise business.


    However, the most important thing now was to locate Cindy.


    The car sped along the road smoothly. As Arielle was in the car, Vinson would step on the brake at least


    five seconds before the light turned red.


    If he was alone, he would¡¯ve sped up whenever the light turned yellow.


    Although it was only a twenty-minute journey, Vinson took over forty minutes to arrive at Sunflower


    Street.


    ¡°Captain Nightshire,¡± the deputy captain greeted him. ¡°This house has been empty for a long time as the


    owner is dead. I wonder how they manage to find this ce.¡±


    ¡°What about the surveince cameras?¡±


    ¡°There aren¡¯t any surveince cameras nearby, so we have to rely on the fingerprints in the house.¡±


    came the deputy captain¡¯s reply.


    ¡°Mm.¡± Vinson acknowledged his words with a nod. He turned at his shoulder to see Arielle kneeling


    beside a chair. She seemed to be staring at something.


    He strode over to her with the deputy captain in tow. ¡°Sannie, did you find something?¡±


    Pointing at the skin kes on the ground, she said, ¡°Look.¡±


    Vinson and the deputy captain leaned closer to take a look at the kes that were scattered all over the


    ground. As the kes were extremely thin and near-transparent, one might fail to notice it.

 Chapter 826

    Chapter 826


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 826


    The deputy captain was shocked. He immediately apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We didn¡¯t pay attention to it.¡±


    Vinson kept mum. He bent down and picked up something in front of him. ¡°Are these their skin kes?


    That¡¯s a lot.¡±


    ¡°No, they¡¯re not.¡± Arielle¡¯s face turned serious. ¡°These skin kes came from a hyper realistic face


    mask.¡±


    Vinson frowned instantly. ¡°You mean Cindy might have left Jadeborough using a fake identity?¡±


    Arielle nodded and sighed. ¡°People who can produce artificial human skin must be experts in ancient


    Chanaean medicine. Even the person whom my adoptive parents called master didn¡¯t possess this skill. I


    always thought this was a long-lost mastery, but the person who rescued Cindy proved me wrong. They


    must be someone extraordinary.¡±


    Vinson turned to the deputy captain and said in a serlous tone, ¡°Get everyone at all the departure gates


    to pay attention to Cindy Moore. She might have performed a face swap.¡±


    Arielle interrupted. ¡°But you can¡¯t possibly be checking all the passengers¡¯ faces, can you? Why not¡­¡±


    She then lowered her head and started checking the flights.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Vinson took a closer look at what she was doing.


    Arielle pointed at two flights and exined, ¡°I read from books and learned that the materials used to


    make the mask would start disintegrating in five hours. Since Cindy has gone through a face swap, she


    would definitely want to leave the country. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll choose the country that is nearest to Chanaea.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Vinson immediately opened the system software and started checking all the flights.


    ¡°I suppose they¡¯d either take the morning nine o¡¯clock flight to Manchernius or the morning half-past nine


    one to Minalur.¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°I believe so.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Vinson then turned around and gave the deputy captain a new order. ¡°Book tickets for the flights


    to Manchernius and Minalur right now. Get your men to put on casual wear and ask them to keep an eye


    on any suspicious figure on these flights.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± the deputy captain answered.


    The deputy captain assigned half of his men to this mission and then divided them into two teams.


    he teams then boarded the flights to Manchernius and Minalur, respectively.


    In a snap of the fingers, the tickets for the two flights were all sold out.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    Vinson heaved a sigh of relief after making all the arrangements. ¡°Thank God you told us about the face


    mask. If it were not for you, we would be running like headless chickens.¡±


    ¡°We might have some leads now, but there¡¯s no guarantee we could find her,¡± Arielle said:


    ¡°At least there¡¯s hope,¡± Vinson said optimistically.


    Arielle nodded and picked up the rest of the artificial skin kes from the ground.


    Vinson wondered why she did that. ¡°Why are you collecting these?¡±


    Arielle ced the kes in her pocket and looked at Vinson. ¡°I always thought the skin-making


    mostery was just a myth. Now that I know it¡¯s real, I want to see if I can master it. I¡¯m sure this skill will


    come in handy in the future.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s study together,¡± Vinson proposed.


    Arielle nodded.


    The next day, Henrick¡¯s court hearing began.


    Since it was a public hearing, people could watch it on the inte.


    The live broadcast was filled with people because of Arielle. The broadcast was even interrupted several


    times during the hearing because the system could not amodate the number of viewers.


    Arielle did not watch the live telecast. She attended the hearing as a witness instead.¡¯


    The judge in charge of this case was Arielle¡¯s grand-disciple, Everett.


    Before the hearing began, Everett had a chat with Arielle.


    Unbothered by the two jury members behind him, Everett greeted her, ¡°Grandmaster!¡±

 Chapter 827

    Chapter 827


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 827


    Not knowing that Everett was calling Arielle, the two jury members kept looking for the grandmaster, as


    they thought he or she should be at least sixty years old.


    Yet, there was only one young girl standing before their eyes.


    Could it be¡­


    While the jury members were still trying to process their thoughts, Everett stood in front of Arielle and


    greeted her once again in excitement, ¡°You¡¯re here, Grandmaster.¡±


    Arielle nodded in response. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the case to you, Ev.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my honor. Besides, it¡¯s clear that Henrick hadmitted a felony. If the other judges were to handle


    his case, I¡¯m sure they would not let him off easily too.¡±


    The two jury members were still in disbelief. Not only were they taken aback by how young the woman


    was, but they were also stunned when she called him Ev.


    Did someone call the country¡¯s youngest judge Ev? And the judge, who¡®s usually stern and taciturn, is


    okay with that?


    Who is she?


    The jury members followed right behind and asked, ¡°Sir, is she the chess expert Grandmaster you told


    me before?¡±


    Everett nodded and responded with a rare smile, ¡°Hard to believe, right?¡±


    They nodded. ¡°We couldn¡¯t really tell.¡±


    Suddenly, one of them eximed, ¡°Are you sure this is the ambassador of Soir Coffee? Are you¡­ Ms.


    Moore?¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°Yup. That¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, wow! You look even prettier in person!¡± The jury was in awe of Arielle¡¯s beauty.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Arielle¡¯s lips curled into a smile. She then put on a serious look and added, ¡°I¡¯m sure you


    need to prepare for the hearing as it¡¯s about to start soon. I¡¯m going to go now.¡±


    ¡°All right, Grandmaster.¡± Everett bowed and sent Arielle off.


    After thetter had left, Everett reverted to his stern self. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    He wanted to give Henrick the harshest punishment possible within thew.


    The spectator area in the court was packed with people when the hearing was about to start.


    Among the spectators, some were Henrick¡¯s business partners. They attended the session in the hope of


    gaining some benefits from it.


    But most of them were Arielle¡¯s fans, who tried their luck to see if they could meet her in person.


    Of course, a few of Queenie¡¯s fans and Arielle¡¯s haters were also present at the court.


    They were curious to know if Arielle was as pretty as how she looked on the inte.


    While the spectators were each buried in their thoughts, Henrick was brought to the dock.


    After a briefing by Everett, the hearing began.


    Everett sald in a cold voice, ¡°Henrick Southall, you¡¯ve been used of owing the sries of 171 workers


    for ten years, causing ecological damage to thend that eventually destroyed houses of the vigers,


    and¡­¡±


    Henrick was at a loss for words for a bit when Everett read out all the charges against him.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    He reached out to many legal counsels, but all of them refused to take up his case. In the end, he had no


    choice but to use the counsel that the court had assigned to him. During the session, thewyer asked a


    few questions. It was clear that counsel was not ready to defend Henrick.


    Henrick turned around and took a sidelong nce at the spectators and realized they were all shooting a


    sullen stare at him.


    Among the spectators, he spotted Nigel. Henrick clenched his fists. What the hell is he doing here?


    A man i humiliated in the past is now here to see how I¡®m about to fall from grace? How ironic!


    Seeing Nigel around made Henrick feel utterly ufortable.


    ¡°Did you hear what I say, Henrick Southall?¡± Everett raised his voice.

 Chapter 828

    Chapter 828


    Shocked, Henrick turned around and looked at hiswyer for help.


    However, hiswyer pretended not to see him and avoided his gaze because he felt bad.


    To awyer, Justice was victory.


    He would rather lose the case than face the public¡¯s detest.


    Henrick bit his lips. He had no choice but to defend himself.


    ¡°Your Honor, the pollution that my miningpany has brought to the environment is not done


    purposely. I apologize for theck of professional knowledge, and I promise I will learn from this mistake.


    As for my employees¡¯ sries, I have no choice but to owe them first. I will pay them as soon


    as possible!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s lying!¡± Nigel stood up and yelled. ¡°He has the ability to build a mansion that costs a million, but he


    won¡¯t even pay me three thousand for me to pay for my wife¡¯s medical bills! If not for him owing me my


    sry for years, my daughter wouldn¡¯t have died of fever years ago!¡±


    ¡°Silence!¡± Everett ordered, but his expression was softerpared to when he looked at Henrick.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Facing Henrick, he said, ¡°Defendant Henrick Southall, what you said will be counted as part of your


    verbal testimonies. If you lie, you¡¯ll face stricter punishment. I shall ask you one more time. Do you wish


    to plead guilty?¡±


    Henrick would never admit his crime. ¡°No! I never intended to owe my employees their sries on


    purpose.¡±


    Everett scoffed in his mind as he looked at the intiff¡¯swyer. ¡°You may begin your statement, intiff.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Honor.¡± Nightshire Group¡¯s best attorney, Mr. Benson, walked to the center and started


    listing out the evidence.


    First, he showed a list of assets owned by Henrick and asked for the witnesses to make their statements.


    Nigel and other witnesses, including Henrick¡¯s business partners who used to y golf with him and the


    board members of Southall Group, told the jury about Henrick¡¯s wrongdoings.


    With all the evidence presented, Henrick had nothing left to defend himself.


    There¡¯s a saying that everybody hits a man who is down, and Henrick could rte to it right then.


    Just as he thought that he would get at most a few years of jail and pay a small fine, Everett said, ¡°The


    last allegation. Defendant Henrick Southall, you are used of killing your first wife, Maureen Moore. Do


    you have anything to say in defense?¡±


    Henrick¡¯s face went pale instantly.


    If he were convicted of the crime, he would need to be locked up for more than a few years.


    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t! How can you say that I killed my wife!¡±


    Everett nodded at Mr. Benson calmly and said, ¡°intiff.¡±


    Thetter stood up and stated, ¡°Your Honor, allow me to y a voice recording as evidence.¡±


    Everett nodded. ¡°Permission granted.¡±


    The moment Mr. Benson gave his assistant a look, he immediately yed the voice recording in court.


    It was Cindy¡¯s voice.


    In the recording, Cindy was sobbing while describing how she and Henrick killed Maureen and faked her


    suicide together.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true! She¡¯s lying!¡± Henrick yelled so madly that a policeman had toe up and stop him.


    Everett waited for Henrick to keep quiet before continuing to say, ¡°The defendant has denied your


    evidence, intiff. Do you have other evidence to present?¡±


    Mr. Benson replied firmly, ¡°Your Honor, please allow the intiff herself to speak in court.¡± .


    ¡°Permission granted.¡±


    As the door to the court opened, a pretty woman entered the room.

 Chapter 829

    Chapter 829


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 829


    ¡°It¡¯s Arielle!¡± one of Arielle¡¯s fan eximed.


    Arielle¡¯s haters turned around to look at her.


    Finally, they got the chance to see that ugly woman.


    However, the moment theyid eyes upon Arielle, they widened their eyes as they realized how beautiful


    she was.


    Her skin was fair, and her lush ck hair was tied up in a simple bun. She had mesmerizing eyes and


    had light makeup on. The in white dress that she was wearing showed off her amazing figure.


    Ugly?It was the advertisement¡¯s fault for not capturing her beauty!


    How could such a beautiful woman exist in the world?God is so not fair when He creates all of us!


    At the instance, Arielle¡¯s haters felt like they went through a roller coaster. Shocked at first, they were so


    amazed by her beauty that they couldn¡¯t believe their eyes.


    In the end, they felt as if they were pped on the face. They wouldn¡¯t judge Arielle based on her looks


    again.


    After all, some people had the ability to win people over with their looks.


    When Henrick saw Arielle in court, he was agitated.


    ¡°How dare you sue me? I will sue you for ndering me! Your Honor, she is behind all this!¡±


    ¡°It is not your turn to speak, defendant,¡± Everett warned Henrick. Turning to Arielle, he began,¡±Please


    present your evidence, intiff.¡±


    Arielle nodded her head as she handed over a booklet filled with numbers. ¡°Everyone thought that my


    mother was under too much stress, and it triggered her depression, causing her tomit suicide.


    However, I¡¯ve checked her medical report, and she didn¡¯t have depression.¡±


    Everett said, ¡°You may begin your defense now, defendant.¡±


    Henrick immediately retorted, ¡°Maureen¡¯s medical checkup was scheduled at twice a year. She might


    have gotten depression after the medical checkup. In fact, during the period before shemitted


    suicide, she was already suffering from insomnia, and she had a bad temper.¡±


    Arielle stated, ¡°Besides the medical report, I have other evidence. After my mother¡¯s death, the police


    arrived at the site soon. The spot where my mother¡¯s body was found was recorded. However, if she


    jumped from the building on her own ord, she shouldn¡¯t have fallen at the spot that the police


    recorded. She should have been found nearer to the garden.¡±


    Everett turned to the jury and exchanged whispers with them.


    After they nodded in agreement simultaneously, a physics professor was invited to the court.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    After the physics professor did a calction, he concluded that thending site was incorrect.


    Arielle raised her head and said, ¡°The position calcted by the professor should be the spot that my


    mother wouldnd on if she had killed herself. But she wasn¡¯t found on that spot! She was pushed by


    someone else, and ording to Cindy, Henrick was the one who murdered her!¡±


    ¡°Liar!¡± Henrick yelled angrily and anxiously. ¡°She is not my biological daughter! She is the illegitimate


    daughter of Maureen and some other man! She¡¯s doing everything to frame me!¡±


    Mease control yourself and mind your words, defendant Henrick Southall,¡± reminded Everett as he


    brought down his hammer. ¡°intiff, you may continue.¡±


    Arielle nodded and replied, ¡°I¡¯m indeed not his biological daughter.¡±


    The crowd gasped upon hearing her words.


    ¡°What? Arielle is not Henrick¡¯s daughter?¡±


    ¡°Rich families always have so much drama going on!¡±


    ¡°Silence!¡± As soon as Everett brought down his hammer again, silence ensued.

 Chapter 830

    Chapter 830


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 830


    Arielle said calmly. ¡°I¡¯ve done a DNA test and found out that I¡¯m not Henrick¡¯s daughter, but Maureen is


    my mother.¡±


    Arielle knew that she couldn¡¯t hide the truth if she were to go to court.


    She would rather acknowledge the truth than let Hendrick expose it rudely.


    When Henrick heard Arielle¡¯s confession, heughed out loud. ¡°Did you hear that, Your Honor? She is


    not my biological daughter! She¡¯s purposely doing this to frame me! The evidence that she provided is


    based on spections and not reliable at all!¡±


    Arielle scoffed and replied, ¡°The fact that I¡¯m not your daughter proves that you are the one that killed my


    mother. After knowing that I¡¯m not your daughter, you kill my mother because you hate her for cheating


    on you with another man who is much better than you.¡±


    Arielle stared directly into Henrick¡¯s eyes when she spoke.


    She had learned how to hypnotize other people to reveal their thoughts from the Wilhelms.


    Just as she expected, Henrick was even furious after meeting her gaze.


    He yelled, ¡°Shut up! You are lying! I only know about the truth yesterday!¡±


    If he knew that Arielle wasn¡¯t his daughter, he wouldn¡¯t have asked her to return to the Southall


    residence.


    He would have found a way to kill Arielle without anyone knowing at the time Maureen died!


    Arielle knew that her hypnotizing work was almost done. She asked him in an inducing way, ¡°If not, why


    did you kill my mother?¡±


    Henrick didn¡¯t even think twice before saying, ¡°Because she¡¯s too arrogant!¡±


    Arielle suppressed augh and said calmly, ¡°So you killed my mother because she¡¯s too arrogant?¡±


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Henrick¡¯s mind went nk instantly.


    The next moment, he covered his mouth hastily and stared at Arielle in fright and disbelief.


    What the heck?


    Why would I say such things in front of the public?


    As if he was hypnotized, his brain wasn¡¯t in control of what he said.


    Silence ensued in the court. Even Everett looked at Henrick in disbelief because he had never seen


    someone who was defending themselves suddenly admitting to their crimes.


    Unbelievable.


    How did he manage to get into Jadeborough University with his brains?


    What the crowd didn¡¯t know was that a person could lose control of their rationality when agitated. When


    Arielle hypnotized Henrick, it was no wonder that he would tell the truth.


    If someone else were to stand in Henrick¡¯s position, the same thing would have happened too. ¡°No, no!¡±


    Henrick hurriedly exined, ¡°I¡¯ve replied mistakenly. I didn¡¯t kill Maureen!¡±


    However, it was toote.


    After about ten seconds, discussions erupted in the court.


    ¡°Heavens! I thought Henrick is just an hical businessman, but he¡¯s a murderer!¡±


    ¡°No wonder he looked so suspicious when Maureen died! He even married Maureen¡¯s sister right away.


    It¡¯s only a matter of time that he gets his punishment. It¡¯s been ten years, and finally, Maureen has gotten


    the justice she deserved and can rest in peace now.¡±


    ¡°Poor Arielle. I knew that such a wicked man like Henrick wouldn¡¯t have been Arielle¡¯s father!¡±


    Everett couldn¡¯t help but look at Arielle.

 Chapter 831

    Chapter 831


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 831


    Despite the slender figure of the woman, she stood tall.


    Arielle¡¯s skills in ying chess were so professional that he often forgot that his Grandmaster was just a


    girl who had lost her mother since she was young.


    She had a tragic past, and therefore he would do his best to help her!


    As both sides¡¯ debate ended, the intiff was to give theirst statement before the defendant ording


    to the rules.


    Arielle presented the evidence that she managed to acquire herself for thest statement, including


    evidence showing that Henrick and Cindy were at the building the night Maureen died and their motives


    for killing Maureen.


    When it was Henrick¡¯s turn, he had to defend himself because hiswyer gave up on defending him.


    However, his statement waspletely illogical and disorganized.


    The more he said, the worse his situation was. He had already lost the battle.


    Facing the evidence and his own inability to defend himself, Henrick was forced to tell the truth in front of


    Everett.


    The case came to an end when Henrick finally admitted to his crimes. Everett sentenced him to a lifetime


    of imprisonment at Specialized Forces Prison.


    When Henrick heard the verdict, he knelt on the floor.


    His life ended at that moment.


    He would never have thought that Arielle would be the one to send him to jail, seeing that she looked


    harmless.


    At that moment, he finally realized that Arielle was not someone that could be messed with.


    She was so capable of hiding her true colors that he didn¡¯t see his downfalling.


    Specialized Forces Prison was a ce that everyone would shiver uncontrobly upon hearing the


    name.


    Henrick¡¯s legs went limp, and he couldn¡¯t stand up properly even when the police helped him up.


    Suddenly, someone eximed, ¡°He peed his pants!¡±


    Everyone looked at Henrick and noticed the wet patch on his pants.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±


    Everett did not stop the crowd from bursting intoughter this time.


    Embarrassed and desperate, Henrick¡¯s eyes rolled as he fainted.


    When Arielle witnessed it, she closed her eyes and held her tears back.


    It¡®s been ten years. Finally, the person who killed Mom gets his punishment.


    Are you seeing this, Mom?


    A drop of tear rolled down her cheek and sshed onto the ground, finally evaporating into thin air.


    Atst, Henrick was carried onto the prisoner transport vehicle by the Specialized Forces.


    Henrick had cared about his pride all his life, but he had no dignity left at all today.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    Arielle watched coldly as the vehicle transported Henrick away.


    It was only a matter of time before he got his punishment.


    When Henrick reached Specialized Forces Prison, he would wish that he had never been born.


    After Henrick, it was Cindy and her aplices¡¯ turn to receive their punishment.


    Arielle would make sure that every one of them received what they deserved.


    Everything was just a matter of time.


    As the trial ended, the title Henrick Southall Faces A Lifetime Imprisonment became the top trending


    search on the inte.


    Wendy happened to click on the news and watch the trial video.


    When she saw the part where Henrick yelled about Arielle being an illegitimate child, she curled her lips


    into a smile.


    She used to think that Arielle was still considerably wealthy even if she wasn¡¯t from a prominent family. If


    Vinson insisted on marrying her, Susanne might give in to him one day.


    However, now that Arielle wasn¡¯t rted by blood to the Southalls, she was nothing close to being


    wealthy


    Susanne would never ept a daughter¨Cinw like Arielle.


    What a good news!

 Chapter 832

    Chapter 832


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 832


    Wendy didn¡¯t bother to continue watching the trial video because she already knew the oue.


    Arielle was just an illegitimate child that Maureen had with some other man.


    How would the other students think of Arielle once they saw the video?


    Wendy blinked her eyes and raised her voice purposely as she turned to her deskmate. ¡°Have you seen


    the news? Arielle¡¯s father¡¯s trial has ended. You can even watch the trial video online. Won¡¯t you want to


    watch your goddess online?¡±


    Instantly, the boy beside her turned on his phone and browsed the inte.


    Trisha and Jared hurriedly took out their phones.


    If they weren¡¯t having Donovan¡¯s ss during the trial, they would have watched the live stream.


    With them in the lead, other students started watching the video out of curiosity or concern.


    As everyone turned up the speed of the video, Wendy could hear Henrick¡¯s voice saying, ¡°She is not my


    biological daughter! She is the illegitimate daughter of Maureen and some other man! She¡¯s doing


    everything to frame me!¡±


    Then, Arielle¡¯s soft reply could be heard. ¡°I¡¯m indeed not his biological daughter.¡±


    Wendy smiled wickedly.


    Very well. Now everyone will know that Arielle is a bastard that should never have existed in the first


    ce.


    Just as Wendy expected, she heard two of her ssmates behind her eximing, ¡°Oh gosh! Arielle is


    not Henrick Southall¡¯s daughter!¡±


    Satisfied with the oue, Wendy smiled again.


    Yes. Arielle isn¡®t Henrick¡®s daughter. She is an illegitimate bastard that should have never been born! Her


    birth is immoral!


    Well, you all will never look at her admiringly again, won¡®t you?


    Wendy was waiting for the students behind her to express their disappointment and hatred for Arielle, but


    what they said next waspletely unprecedented.


    ¡°This is good news! Arielle¡¯s perfection shouldn¡¯t be ruined by a man like Henrick Southall. Luckily she


    isn¡¯t his daughter!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right! Arielle is so perfect. How can she be such a cruel man¡¯s daughter? I should have known


    this from the start!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to know who Arielle¡¯s biological father is. Since Arielle is so beautiful, her father must be very


    handsome!¡±


    Wendy poked a hole in her notebook as her grip on her pen tightened.


    These brainless fans!


    Do their parents know that they are so messed up?


    Shaking in anger, Wendy got up and went to the toilet because she was afraid that she couldn¡¯t refrain


    herself from yelling at her ssmates.


    However, she identally tripped over her own chair because she got up too hastily.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    At the instant, she lost her bnce and fell to the ground.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Everyone looked in Wendy¡¯s direction as she eximed.


    It was so embarrassing that Wendy couldn¡¯t care less about the pain she felt and ran out of the


    ssroom. She seemed somewhat disheveled from the back.


    One of the students sitting behind Wendy couldn¡¯t help but ask Wendy¡¯s deskmate. ¡°Hey Terry, what¡¯s


    with your deskmate?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, and I don¡¯t intend to know. She¡¯s always behaving weirdly.¡±


    Terry, Wendy¡¯s deskmate, couldn¡¯t stand Wendy¡¯s weird behavior at first, but now he chose to turn a blind


    eye to it.


    At Nightshire Group¡¯s headquarters, Vinson finally ended the emergency meeting.


    He called Arielle right after he walked out of the meeting room.


    However, she did not pick up her phone.

 Chapter 833

    Chapter 833


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 833


    Vinson started getting anxious when Arielle didn¡¯t pick up the first two times he called.


    Knowing that Vinson was worried about Arielle, Vinson¡¯s assistant Raysonforted him, ¡°Her phone


    might have died. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll send someone to ask around at Maple Mansion and the school.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Vinson replied. ¡°I know where she is.¡±


    At Jadeborough Cemetery, Arielle was kneeling in front of Maureen¡¯s tomb and holding the photocopied


    trial results.


    ¡°Can you see this, Mom? I¡¯vepleted the revenge for you¡­ Henrick Southall is sentenced to a


    lifetime of imprisonment at Specialized Forces Prison. He¡¯s going to have a hard time in there. I¡¯ll burn


    this for you to read.¡±


    As Arielle said, she lit the lighter and set the document on mes. She watched as the document was


    burnt to ashes.


    A gust of wind blew past and scattered the ashes into the air.


    Arielle raised her head and looked at Maureen¡¯s photo on the tomb. ¡°Henrick is the first of many. I¡¯ll find


    Cindy as soon as possible. After her, I¡¯ll track down her aplices. If not for them, you¡¯d still be alive.


    Therefore, they must be punished too.¡±


    Biting her lips, Arielle continued, ¡°However, if the man in the pictures is involved, please don¡¯t me me


    for taking action on him. I won¡¯t let him off even if he¡¯s my biological father.¡±


    Arielle was selfish. To her, her only family was Maureen and the Wilhelms.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    As for that man, he was just some stranger who sired her life.


    Suddenly, an umbre appeared over her head and shielded her from the sun.


    She didn¡¯t have to turn around to know that it was Vinson who was holding it.


    Now, she had one more person who meant a lot to her.


    Every time she thought of him, she felt safe and secure.


    ¡°You are here.¡± Arielle stood up and smoothed the creases on her dress. Her voice was calm.


    The reason she wore a white dress to the court was that she would visit the cemetery afterward.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you pick up?¡± Vinson asked gently.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Arielle took out her phone and exined, ¡°I switched off my phone before entering the court


    and forgot to turn it back on again.¡±


    ¡°Its okay. As long as you¡¯re fine, everything¡¯s okay.¡± Vinson reached out and caressed Arielle¡¯s soft hair.


    ¡°Next time, remember to bring an umbre. Aren¡¯t you afraid that you will get tanned by the sun?¡±


    As he spoke, he handed his umbre to Arielle and stood under the sun.


    Next, he knelt in front of Maureen¡¯s tomb.


    Arielle was looking at Vinson in surprise when he began, ¡°Please allow me to call you Mom, Ms.


    Maureen. I would havee to visit you a long time ago, but I wasn¡¯t sure that Sannie felt the same way


    for me. But now¡­¡±


    Vinson turned around and looked at Arielle affectionately. Then, he faced Maureen¡¯s tomb again.


    *I¡¯ve married Sannie, Mom. I promise to take care of her and treat her better than myself. Please rest


    assured that I will take care of her on behalf of you.¡±


    Arielle froze for a moment before a smile appeared on her face.


    As she smiled, tears started to flow out of her eyes.


    ¡°Why are you crying?¡±


    Vinson immediately stood up upon seeing Arielle crying. He fumbled his pockets in search of some


    tissue paper, but he didn¡¯t have any.

 Chapter 834

    Chapter 834


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 834


    In the end, Vinson ced Arielle¡¯s head on his shoulders while she cried her heart out.


    In fact, the man was a clean freak and would never have tolerated his clothes being stained. However,


    he had taken the initiative to lend Arielle his shoulders,pletely not minding the tears and mucus that


    would get onto his shirt. It was as if his germophobia had been cured.


    Initially, Arielle was just crying silently, but slowly, she started sobbing. Eventually, she started wailing out


    loud.


    What she was releasing was abination of stress, helplessness, anxiety, and all kinds of emotions


    that she had umtedtely.


    Many people had asked Arielle about the qualities her ideal partner should possess. However, she did


    not ask for much. All she wanted was simply a shoulder for her to cry on-a man whom she could be


    vulnerable with and who epted her for who she was.


    After a long while, Arielle finally calmed down.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t had lunch yet, right?¡± Vinson asked gently while wiping away a tear from the corner of the


    woman¡¯s eye. ¡°What do you feel like having?¡±


    ¡°I want to go to Maureen¡¯s Kitchen.¡±


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go there then.¡±


    On the way to Maureen¡¯s Kitchen, Arielle asked about Cindy.


    ¡°Have they found anyone suspicious on the ne?¡±


    Vinson nodded and replied, ¡°Yup, I was just about to tell you about it. They found two suspects who


    might be wearing human skin masks and are currently tailing them. I¡¯ll update you once there¡¯s news.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Arielle nodded while clenching her fists.


    Meanwhile, Queenie had finished watching Henrick¡¯s court hearing online.


    A hint of disdain shed past her eyes when she heard Arielle admitting that she wasn¡¯t Henrick¡¯s


    biological daughter.


    So, Arielle is just Maureen and another man¡®s illegitimate child?


    Queenie had originally thought that Arielle was a dignified woman from a prestigious family. She couldn¡¯t


    help but wonder if Vinson was out of his mind to fall in love with such a lowly woman.


    It didn¡¯t matter how good Arielle¡¯s medical skills were. To Queenie, one¡¯s future was entirely determined


    by one¡¯s birth.


    It was an undeniable fact that Arielle was just an illegitimate child.


    Just as Queenie was cursing at Arielle silently, she suddenly received a text from Salvador: Ms. Queenie,


    Mr. Mill has informed everyone that the Mill family is about to appoint the next patriarch. Please


    remember to attend the family dinner tonight with Mr. Baxter.


    Queenie was stunned for a moment when she saw the butler¡¯s message, as it seemed like the event had


    been brought forward.


    Immediately, the woman rang Donovan, but her call was rejected. Having no other choice, Queenie


    headed toward Jadeborough University during lunchtime and found Donovan in his office.


    Donovan, who was busy marking papers in his office, heard the door open and thought that it was his


    students approaching him to ask questions.


    However, when he looked up, he saw Queenie walking through the door with a smile on her face.


    The man¡¯s expression darkened at once and asked coldly, ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you not to look for me in


    school?¡±


    Upon hearing that, the smile on Queenie¡¯s face froze.


    With a sullen look, the woman walked toward her husband and said, ¡°Donovan, do you remember? It


    was you who agreed to marry me back then!¡±


    ¡°Because you forced me to marry you,¡± Donovan replied through gritted teeth.


    Queenie was crushed when she heard the man¡¯s words and immediately fell into a bad mood.


    Pulling out a chair and sitting down across Donovan, Queenie tried her best to control her emotions as


    she said, ¡°I¡¯m not here to pick a fight with you today. I have a family dinner tonight, and I need you to


    attend it with me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t. I have to conduct revision sses tonight,¡± Donovan rejected the woman¡¯s request


    straight away.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Queenie nodded and continued, ¡°You can choose not to attend, but I guarantee that if you refuse


    to cooperate with me tonight, tomorrow, your entire school will know that, as a teacher, you fell in love


    with your student. Moreover, that student is the illegitimate child of her mom and another man!¡±


    ¡°Queenie Mill!¡± Donovan mmed on the table and bolted up as anger poured through him.


    Looking at the man¡¯s frustrated expression, Queenie finally felt slightly happier.


    However, none of them noticed that someone had been standing at the door.

 Chapter 835

    Chapter 835


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 835


    At the office entrance, Wendy was standing there with her eyes widened in shock, hardly believing what


    she had just heard.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Are my ears ying tricks on me?


    She could not believe what Donovan¡¯s wife had just said. Mr. Baxter has fallen in love with his student?


    If that student was an illegitimate child, Wendy knew that it had to be Arielle.


    Mr. Baxter is in love with Arielle?


    How is that possible? From what she remembered, Donovan had always disliked Arielle. He was always


    making life difficult for her and was especially strict toward her.


    However, judging by the look on the man¡¯s face, Wendy knew that she had heard it correctly.


    Mr. Baxter is indeed in love with Arielle!


    That was definitely a shocking piece of news.


    In order to avoid being seen by Donovan and Queenie, Wendy quickly hid behind the walls and


    continued listening to the conversation between the two. Holding her papers in her hands, she switched


    on the voice recorder on her phone.


    Meanwhile, inside the office, neither Queenie nor Donovan noticed a fleeting figure outside.


    The corners of Queenie¡¯s lips curled up into a smug smile, and leaning against the desk, she looked at


    Donovan nonchntly and said, ¡°Are you angry at me for exposing you? Well, I did force you to marry


    me, but it¡¯s all because of you. If you had not fallen in love with Arielle,¡±


    Donovan gritted his teeth and interrupted Queenie¡¯s words.


    ¡°Queenie, you should really stop pushing your luck! It won¡¯t do you any good if you expose me. If you


    hadn¡¯t fooled me into drugging Arielle, I wouldn¡¯t havended myself in today¡¯s state, having to marry


    someone like you in order to continue teaching at the school!¡±


    ¡°Someone like me?¡± Queenie sneered and continued, ¡°What do you mean by ¡®someone like me? You


    and I are the same. Do you think you¡¯re any better than me? Let me tell you, if I fail to be the next


    patriarch of the Mill family, I will definitely drag you down to hell with me.¡±


    As a fresh swell of rage rose in Donovan, he mmed the table again. However, Queenie did not back


    down. In fact, she lifted her chin and continued, ¡°Donovan, since we are already married, we are on the


    same boat now and are bound together for good and for ill! If you are still unable to get over Arielle, can


    wait for you. But with regards to me being the next patriarch of the Mill family, I won¡¯t allow you to be my


    obstacle.¡±


    Donovan¡¯s face was flushed with anger as he marinated in resentment.


    However, the man was still able to remain rational. He knew that he could not afford to be embroiled in


    any scandals before graduating from Maxwell University. As such, he had no choice but to cooperate


    with Queenie.


    Judging by her husband¡¯s expression, Queenie knew that Donovan had already agreed topromise.


    Softening her tone, the woman said, ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up from here at five o¡®clock sharp. Don¡¯t bete as we


    need to arrive at the Mill residence by six.¡±


    Queenie turned and left immediately after she finished speaking, leaving no chance for Donovan to


    Scanned with CamScanner


    refuse.


    When Wendy heard footsteps nearing, she immediately acted as if she had just climbed up the stairs


    and arrived at Donovan¡¯s office.


    ¡°Mr. Baxter,¡± Wendy greeted as she opened the door. When she saw Queenie, who was just walking out,


    she pretended to be surprised and asked, ¡°Oh! Mrs. Baxter, you¡¯re here too? I¡¯m a fan of yours! heard


    that you have excellent medical skills.¡±


    After all, everyone enjoyed hearingpliments.


    With a faint smile, Queenie replied, ¡°Thank you. If you have any health concerns next time, feel free to


    look for me at Rocher Private Hospital.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Mrs. Baxter!¡± Wendy replied with a broad smile on her face.


    ¡°I shall make a move first, Donovan.¡± Queenie waved to Donovan, who acknowledged with a nod.


    In front of others, the two of them still behaved like a loving newly¨Cwed couple.

 Chapter 836

    Chapter 836


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 836


    If Wendy did not stumble upon their conversation, she would have thought that they were a loving


    couple.


    However, she did not expect that Donovan would attempt to drug Arielle.


    I wonder if he seeded in doing so?


    Wendy calmed her thoughts and concealed her anxiousness.


    She kept her cool and observed Queenie leaving with admiration-filled eyes.


    ¡°Is there anything wrong?¡± Donovan¡¯s voice was slightly hoarse as a result of the quarrel with Queenie.


    Wendy pretended to be oblivious to the fight. She ced the scripts on his table and said, ¡°Mr. Baxter,


    I¡¯m done collecting the scripts. However, I note that Arielle was not here for ss, and Henry submitted


    an empty script. Hence, the collection is notplete.¡±


    When Donovan heard Arielle¡¯s name, his expression quickly turned sour and indecipherable.


    He nodded and instructed, ¡°Next time, it doesn¡¯t matter if everyone submitted their scripts. Pass the


    avable ones to me first. This will give me enough time to grade them.¡±


    ¡°All right, Mr. Baxter. I¡¯ll return to ss now.¡± Wendy turned and walked away.


    ¡°Hold on for a second,¡± Donovan called out to her. Without any expression, he asked, ¡°When did you


    arrive here?¡±


    Wendy felt her heart racing. She pinched her arm in an attempt to calm herself down. ¡°Just a short while


    ago. Mr. Baxter, is there anything that I can help you with?¡±


    Donovan gazed warily at Wendy again.


    As Wendy appeared unbothered, he brushed away his suspicion and nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You


    may leave now. By the way, the test is held tomorrow. At the end of the month, I will bring the ones


    ranked in the top three to Maxwell University for the first round of written tests. I don¡¯t think you will have


    a problem achieving top three, but I¡¯m just telling you beforehand for your own mental preparation.¡±


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    Wendy widened her eyes in shock, and a sense of nervousness surged within her. ¡°So soon? I


    remember it was held somewhere in Augustst year.¡±


    Donovan nodded and said, ¡°It is the same thing this year. The test at the end of this month is just an


    additional opportunity. Even if you don¡¯t make it, there¡¯s another chance in August. Nheless, I am


    sure you will nail the test.¡±


    Wendy nodded profusely. ¡°Mr. Baxter, I will work hard and make you proud.¡±


    Denovan felt assured and relieved.


    Among all his students, Donovan paid special attention to Wendy. She was one of his brightest and


    smartest students, and she had the highest chance of getting enrolled at Maxwell University.


    He reminded her, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about this yet so that the other students are not unnecessarily


    pressured. That may jeopardize the test results. However, fret not. You have it in the bag. Stay focused.¡±


    ¡°I will, Mr. Baxter.¡± Wendy decided to put aside the groundbreaking news that she discovered moments


    ago.


    Right now, nothing was more important than getting enrolled at Maxwell University.


    After Wendy left, Donovan picked out Wendy¡¯s script from the stack of papers and graded it.


    As expected, she passed with flying colors. With that level of standard, passing the test would be a walk


    in the park.


    Wendy had firmly secured a slot for herself. The other students should keep up their game.


    After finishing Wendy¡¯s script, he continued marking the other students¡¯ scripts.


    Donovan was perplexed when he marked thest script. ¡°92 marks¡­¡±


    It was even higher than Wendy¡¯s score!


    Whose script is this?

 Chapter 837

    Chapter 837


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 837


    Donovan never expected that someone in his ss could surpass Wendy.


    If that were the case, he would surely meet his goal! The graduation cert could be obtained!


    Donovan excitedly ced the script before him and checked the name list.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    However, he frowned upon knowing the name of the mysterious student.


    In the blink of an eye, it was already afternoon.


    Ever since Henrick was transferred to Specialized Forces Prison, his first observation was its living


    condition. He found it to be satisfactory and, to a certain extent,fortable.


    Not only that every inmate had their own room, but the facilities were alsoplete andprehensive.


    In fact, there was even a television to watch. Despite the usage being limited to one hour a day and with


    only one fixed channel, that was good enough for him.


    Henrick¡¯s hope reignited.


    Even though he was sentenced to life imprisonment, and all his assets were confiscated, so long as he


    behaved well, there could be a chance of getting out early.


    If he could get out of prison, there would be hope. With his intelligence, he could start over and take his


    revenge on Arielle.


    He would not forget being cheated on. Since there was a library in the prison, he could gather as much


    knowledge as required.


    Henrickid down on his bed and started nning his revenge. Out of the blue, his door was opened by


    the wardens.


    Henrick was taken aback. Just as he wanted to question them, the two wardens dragged him from his


    bed.


    ¡°What do you want? Where are you bringing me?¡± he anxiously screamed.


    The warden slyly smiled. ¡°Stop talking. You¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡±


    However, Henrick couldn¡¯t help but panic. When they passed by the other cells, he noticed a bearded


    man standing by the grill. With a frail and wicked smile, he uttered, ¡°Neer, enjoy your first day!¡±


    Henrick recognized the man.


    He was the boss of a big corporation. However, he was part of an international syndicate that engineered


    a cryptocurrency that caused many to go bankrupt. As a result, he was imprisoned here.


    Nheless, he could remember vividly that the man had a bulging belly. Now, he was as skinny as a


    stick.


    He instinctively realized that something was off. As he regained his senses, he was dragged into a room


    full of sophisticated equipment.


    ¡°Where is this? Let me go!¡± Henrick was struggling ferociously.


    However, he could not escape from the wardens, and his struggling attempt was in vain.


    A few minutester, he was brought into a room and pinned on a single bed.


    Someone dressed as a doctor entered the room and asked, ¡°Neer?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The warden nodded. ¡°The captain instructed that he should be given special treatment. However,


    since today is his first day, level three will be sufficient.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± The doctor adjusted his sses and walked toward Henrick, eyeing him from top to


    bottom.


    ¡°He¡¯s not overweight. Losing twenty pounds in ten days should not be a problem,¡± the doctor remarked


    The warden reminded, ¡°Exercise restraint. Don¡¯t kill him. He¡¯s here forever. We cannot let him escape


    easily.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± the doctor answered.


    Henrick screamed in horror, ¡°What do you want with me? You cannot torture me in prison! You all are


    viting thews of Chanaea!¡±


    ¡°Laws?¡± The doctor snarkilyughed. ¡°Indeed, thews in Chanaea forbid the torturing of inmates.


    However, the Specialized Forces Prison is not bound byw! As the name of this prison suggests, we


    are outside the jurisdiction of the courts!¡±


    He put on his medical gloves shortly after.

 Chapter 838

    Chapter 838


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 838


    Henrick had no clue what was going to happen to him.


    The doctor pped something unidentified on all his limbs and head, with wirings of different colors


    attached to it.


    ¡°What are you doing? Are you trying to dismember me?¡± Henrick quavered.


    ¡°Dismember?¡± The doctor wiggled his finger. ¡°No, no, no. This is just your first day. Progression matters.


    I¡¯ll go easy on you today.¡±


    The doctor maneuvered with the equipment before pressing the red button with the startbel on it.


    After that, he covered his ears.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡± an ear-splitting scream reverberated around the room.


    Henrick was shrieking in pain, his face pale as paper, and his body was trembling intensely.


    The pain in his stomach was unbearable!


    It was as if his stomach was rotting.


    However, nobody hadid a finger on him. He was just tied on the bed.


    Right!It¡®s caused by the wires!


    After what appeared to be forever, the pain subsided just as Henrick was about to convulse.


    The doctor let go of his hands from his ears and walked toward him with a smile. ¡°How does it feel to


    have stomach cancer?¡±


    ¡°Stomach, stomach cancer?¡± Henrick was dumbfounded.


    The doctor nodded. ¡°Today, you will go through three rounds of this. This is the special privilege of a


    neer. Things will get intense tomorrow. Get ready-herees round two. Each interval willst


    for ten minutes. Stay strong. It will pass very quickly.¡±


    His tone was gentle, but his speech was heinous.


    At that moment, Henrick understood the purpose of all those equipment.


    The equipment could replicate different types of pain, just like how many tried to experience the pain of


    childbirth.


    The thought of going through something even more intense caused Henrick to break down in fear.


    ¡°Let me go! I don¡¯t want to stay here!¡± he begged.


    Though, no one cared.


    The second round started soon after.


    Little did Henrick know that the torture awaiting him would intensify as the days went on. Endless days of


    torture would befall him for the rest of his life.


    The next afternoon.


    Arielle went to visit Nigel and Josee in their temporary amodation. It was located near her previous


    school.


    The house was filled with warmth and happiness. When Arielle entered the ce, she noticed the smell


    of fried chicken.


    ¡°Fried chicken?¡± Arielle looked toward Teddy, who was having a rapacious appetite.


    Teddy immediately brought a drumstick to her. ¡°Sannie, here¡¯s a drumstick for you!¡±


    Arielle ruffled his hair and responded, ¡°Thank you so much, Teddy. But I¡¯m good. Where is your daddy?


    Why are you alone at home?¡±


    Teddy obediently replied, ¡°Daddy is visiting Mommy in the hospital. He said that the meals provided by


    the hospital are not yummy. Hence, he brought some homecooked food for Mommy.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to bring you to the hospital to visit your mommy?¡± Arielle asked.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Teddy beamed with excitement. ¡°I have not eaten the two drumsticks. I¡¯ll bring them to Mommy!


    This is my first time having a drumstick. Daddy mentioned that he has money now, and I can have a


    drumstick every day.¡±


    Arielle smiled. ¡°Just have the drumstick for yourself. Your mommy cannot consume oily food. You should


    also avoid eating too much of it as it¡¯s bad for your health. Next time, I¡¯ll cook some food for you.¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Yay!¡± Teddy cheered.


    Shortly after, the two of them arrived at the entrance of the Rocher Private Hospital.


    Coincidently, Arielle met someone familiar when she got out of the car.


    ¡°Oh! It¡¯s Ms. Moore!¡± Queenie scornfully headed toward them.


    She had just returned from Jadeborough University and bumped into Arielle.


    She noticed Teddy and asked, ¡°Who is this? Is he your illegitimate child? An illegitimate daughter giving


    birth to an illegitimate son, does Mr. Nightshire know about this?¡±

 Chapter 839

    Chapter 839


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 839


    ¡°What do you mean by an illegitimate child?¡± Teddy was confused.


    He was still a young boy. Besides, the phrase was new to him. Hence, he looked at Arielle with a puzzled


    expression.


    Arielle covered Teddy¡¯s ears and whispered softly, ¡°Teddy, be a good boy. Do not listen nor look at her.¡±


    Teddy nodded and closed his eyes.


    He would obey any instructions from Arielle.


    Queenie saw Teddy¡¯s reaction andughed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you feel ashamed of your identity? Is


    that the reason why he¡¯s covering his ears? Come to think of it, is it true that he¡¯s your illegitimate child?¡±


    Arielle smiled and said, ¡°Queenie, did you not learn your lesson? I still have leverage against you. If you


    continue such arrogance, it will backfire against you.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Ironically, Queenie was the person that got triggered.


    ¡°Why? Do you finally recall the incident where you drugged me? Do you want to pay a visit to the


    Specialized Forces Prison?¡± Arielle was apletely different person from who she was moments ago.


    She exuded a terrifying aura.


    Teddy, who kept his eyes closed, could feel the sudden change in ambiance.


    Even so, he did not open his eyes.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Queenie was infuriated but could not retaliate against her. Deep down, she was worried that Arielle


    would expose her.


    Soon, the Mills would elect a new leader. She could not risk such a negative impact on her reputation.


    ¡°Arielle, don¡¯t get ahead of yourself. You¡¯ll suffer the consequences!¡±Queenie narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°Let me tell you this. Although I¡¯m not Henrick¡¯s biological daughter, I do exist in this world. Nobody is


    allowed to use my background against me. So what if you are your parents¡¯ child? You¡¯re no better than


    me based on the despicable things that you have done.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Queenie was at a loss for words.


    ¡°This is myst warning!¡± Arielle warned coldly, ¡°if I hear anything negative from you, I will release the


    recording to the public. Your sordid actions will be exposed to the world!¡±


    Arielle chose not to expose Queenie out of the concern that her own reputation would be affected.


    However, since everyone knew that she was an illegitimate child, she didn¡¯t care if her reputation would


    once again be tainted by the scandal.


    Arielle confidently continued, ¡°If the matter is exposed, you will be thrust to the limelight. Let¡¯s see if the


    focus will be on you or me.¡±


    Queenie shivered at the thought.


    She gritted her teeth and turned to leave.


    Hold onl¡± Arielle called out to her.


    Queenie came to an abrupt halt. ¡°What more do you want?¡±


    ¡°Apologize.¡±


    Feeling stupefied, Queenie asked again, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You have offended me and should apologize to me. Of course, you can choose not to do so, and we will


    meet in court. I will demand the same remedy from the judge.¡± Arielle continued osting her.


    Queenie had no choice but to satisfy her demand. She unwillingly uttered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Arielle raised her eyebrows in response. ¡°I will ept your apology. But this is thest time. Do it again


    and risk the consequences.¡±


    Queenie was enraged but chose to keep quiet. She swallowed her anger and left afterward.


    After Queenie left, Arielle removed Teddy¡¯s hands from his ears. ¡°You can open your eyes now. Let¡¯s go


    find your daddy and mommy.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Teddy was understanding and did not ask any questions. He held onto Arielle¡¯s hand as they


    made their way to the inpatient department.


    However¡­

 Chapter 840

    Chapter 840


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 840


    After Queenie stormed off in a haze of rage, she found herself growing suspicious. She quickly


    backtracked to trail after Arielle and Teddy in secret.


    Since the hospital was packed today, Queenie blended in seamlessly with the crowd as she followed the


    duo to the eleventh floor. Finally, they stopped in front of a ward.


    Was one of Arielle¡®s friends admitted to the hospital? Is Vinson the patient?


    Queenie lingered outside the ward for a few moments before she decided to seek answers from a


    nearby nurse.


    ¡°Although the patient is in a VIP ward, there are no doctors assigned to him?¡± Queenie asked


    suspiciously


    Is Arielle the patient¡®s doctor?


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The nurse nodded. ¡°There are no doctors attending the patient. Nevertheless, the hospital


    director visits the ward every day. We aren¡¯t allowed to enter the ward without permission too. Mr.


    Nightshire isn¡¯t the patient. Instead, the patient is a young maiden from the countryside. However, Mr.


    Nightshire¡¯s men did drop by once. Mr. Nightshire¡¯s assistant was the one who handled her admission


    procedures.¡±


    Queenie wracked her brain and came up with an idea.


    ¡°Could you give me the patient¡¯s details? I might be able to offer some help,¡± Queenie asked.


    The naive nurse did not give Queenie¡¯s question a second thought. She was under the impression that


    Queenie was merely trying to help the patient.


    She pped her hands in delight. ¡°Dr. Mill, it would be great if you are willing to help out. The patient has


    been diagnosed with lung cancer. I¡¯ve seen her records; it looks like her lung cancer has progressed to


    itster stages. Hence, her recovery might be difficult. But, if you help her out, I¡¯m sure her chances of


    recovery will increase greatly!¡±


    Upon hearing the words ¡°lung cancer,¡± Queenie was taken aback.


    She gathered the patient¡¯s report file and returned to her office.


    After Queenie read through the reports, she finally had a solid grasp of the entire situation.


    The couple was a pair of workers to whom Henrick owed wages. Arielle must have wanted to impress


    Vinson. Hence, she admitted the woman here and personally attended to her.


    It must be why this patient wasn¡®t assigned a doctor.


    Once realization dawned upon Queenie, she sneered scornfully.


    In Chanaea, lung cancer had the highest mortality rate among patients. She¡¯d never heard of lung


    cancer being sessfully cured with traditional Chanaean medicine before.


    Although Queenie herself had a background in ancient and traditional Chanaean medicine, she strongly


    favored the use of modern medicine to treat cancer.


    Modern medicine would be Queenie¡¯s first choice, even more so when it came to lung cancer.


    Arielle must be delusional to think that traditional Chanaean medicine can cure this patient¡®s lung cancer.


    Right now, Queenie only needed to sit back and wait for the patient to sumb to her illness. Then,


    she would leak the news of Arielle¡¯s failure to the press. Let¡¯s see how much bacsh she¡®ll get once /


    publish this patient¡®s death to the public!


    In truth, Queenie felt threatened when she realized that Arielle was the one who created the antidote for


    the snake¡¯s venom. She was afraid that Arielle might topple her from her position in the medical field.


    Once I reveal Arielle¡®s failure, my position will be as secure as ever!


    Queenie grew giddy with glee as she fantasized about witnessing Arielle¡¯s downfall.


    Back at the ward, Arielle gave Josee another round of acupuncture and instructed her to drink the herbal


    concoction she¡¯d prepared earlier.


    This time, she doubled the herbs¡¯ dosage.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Not long after Josee scarfed down the drink, she began to cough up blood.


    Nigel¡¯s heart ached when he saw Josee¡¯s pain. On the other hand, Josee found that she felt better after


    vomiting all the blood.


    After a few words of advice, Arielle asked Teddy to remain in the hospital while she hailed a cab to the


    largest traditional Chanaean hospital in Jadeborough.


    Thergest traditional Chanaean hospital in Jadeborough was called Silverbirch Hospital. It was a


    medical body owned by the famous Mills.

 Chapter 841

    Chapter 841


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 841


    Queenie¡¯s older brother ¨C Cornellus, was in charge of Silverbirch Hospital.


    The hospital wasn¡¯t just limited to selling herbs; they even established several clinics and developed a


    good reputation for their skill. Many patients recovered from their illness after a trip to one of Silverbirch


    Hospital¡¯s clinics.


    Arielle made a trip to Silverbirch Hospital because she wanted to purchase some herbs for Josee.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Unlike the old Southall estate, there wasn¡¯t a ce for Arielle to pluck herbs in Jadeborough.


    Additionally, she wanted to double the amount of herbs.


    Since Silverbirch Hospital was thergest hub for herbs in Jadeborough, Arielle was confident that it


    would have what she needed.


    Coincidentally, Silverbirch Hospital¡¯s workers were on a lunch break when Arielle arrived. Only Cornelius


    was on duty.


    The interior design of Silverbirch Hospital was minimalistic and elegant. When Arielle entered, the strong


    smell of herbs wafted over.


    ¡°Is someone here?¡± Arielle called out.


    A man in a green shirt emerged from the back. Although he looked familiar, Arielle was sure she¡¯d never


    met him before.


    However, she recalled that Silverbirch Hospital was under the ownership of Queenie¡¯s family.


    Immediately, Arielle connected the dots and figured out the man¡¯s identity.


    ¡°Greetings, Miss. Are you here to purchase some herbs or a consultation?¡± he asked politely.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to get some herbs.¡±


    ¡°All right, do you have a prescription?¡±


    Arielle handed over the list she¡¯d written. When Cornelius skimmed through it, he looked taken aback.


    ¡°l-Is this treatment designed to cure lung disease?¡± he stuttered.


    Arielle nodded in confirmation. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s for mid-stage lung cancer.¡±


    Cornelius nched in shock as he nced at Arielle with an astonished look. ¡°If I may ask, who was the


    doctor who wrote this prescription? Looking at it makes me ashamed of myself. I¡¯ve never epted


    these sorts of patients because it is almost impossible to cure. Never in my life have I seen such a


    unique prescription. The doctor who wrote this must be a brilliant individual. Will it be possible to tell me


    who this genius doctor is?¡±


    As a traditional Chanaean doctor himself, Cornelius knew that the doctor behind this prescription must


    be a very knowledgeable person.


    Arielle looked at Cornelius in surprise.


    Queenie and her brother are like day and night. While he is humble, Queenie is arrogant and haughty.


    Cornelius had left asting impression on Arielle. Arielle smiled and said, ¡°The doctor who wrote this


    prescription is a huge fan of fate. If fate allows it, I¡¯m sure the two of you will meet one day.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Though Cornelius looked disappointed, he did not push her for an answer.


    He turned to study the prescription again. ¡°Miss, please wait for a moment. Two of the herbs listed here


    are located in our storage room. I¡¯ll need to head there to gather them.¡±


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll wait for you here.¡±


    As soon as she spoke, a cry for help echoed outside.


    ¡°Help! Dr. Mill, please save my daughter!¡±


    Cornelius stiffened when he heard the piercing screams. Without any dy, he hurtled outside.


    Since Arielle had nothing to do, she decided to tag along.


    Outside, a middle-aged couple was begging for help. Cradled in their arms was a young girl who looked


    about Arielle¡¯s age. The girl¡¯s body convulsed as foam spluttered out of her mouth. Furthermore, she


    looked like she would pass out at any moment.


    ¡°Bring her in,¡± Cornelius instructed.


    These days, most clinics and traditional Chanaean hospitals would refuse to ept patients in critical


    conditions. A patient¡¯s death on their hands would tarnish their reputation and invoke a myriad of


    problems. Yet, Cornelius did not hesitate to let them in. Arielle felt her respect toward Cornelius grow


    when she saw the man¡¯s earnest behavior.


    If Queenie was the one here, I¡®m sure she wouldn¡®t have allowed them to step foot into Silverbirch


    Hospital.


    Swiftly, Cornelius moved the patient to one of Silverbirch Hospital¡¯s wards.


    The patient was already showing difficulty breathing as she looked like she was on the verge of passing


    out.


    As quick as a hare, Cornelius fed the young girl a soothing pill he¡¯d created himself. Two minutester,


    the girl¡¯s convulsions seemed to subside. Yet, she was still in a state of near-unconsciousness.


    Out of curiosity, Arielle made her way to the box where Cornelius stored his soothing pills. She picked


    one up and sniffed it. Its herbal scent caused Arielle¡¯s brows to inch upward.


    It looks like Cornelius himself is an impressive doctor.

 Chapter 842

    Chapter 842


    Immediately, Arielle discerned that Cornelius¡¯ soothing pills were unlike the ones sold on markets. The


    soothing pills he¡¯d created could also protect the cardiovascr system,


    In a dire situation like this, it stabilized the girl¡¯s body and temporarily saved her life.


    However, these pills were sure toe at a hefty cost. A single nce at the couple¡¯s shabby clothing


    informed Arielle that they must not be able to afford its price.


    Arielle took her ATM card out of her pocket. She decided to pay for the couple as well.


    ¡°How did she get like this? Wasn¡¯t she resting at home after her heart surgery? She shouldn¡¯t be


    convulsing like this. Did she exert herself?¡± Cornellus asked the couple.


    The woman was crying hysterically. Amidst her sobs, she could barely muster a coherent reply.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Her husband, who was much calmer, replied on her behalf, ¡°Dr. Mill, thank you for your generosity. After


    the free surgery your sister performed on Jennie, she has been resting at home. We wouldn¡¯t even let


    her leave the bed! She started convulsing out of the blue.¡±


    Grimly, Cornelius checked Jennie¡¯s pulse.


    After a few seconds, Cornelius said, ¡°Judging from her condition earlier, she must be suffering from a


    severe allergy reaction. I asked the hospital to run an allergy test before her heart surgery. It turns out


    that she¡¯s allergic to penicillin and honey. Was she exposed to these two substances?¡±


    Jennie¡¯s father shook his head. ¡°We are aware of her penicillin allergy. We have always made sure that


    she avoids that. However, there are no bees near our house. She hasn¡¯t even left her room.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s strange¡­¡± Cornelius frowned, deep in thought. ¡°To give her the right treatment, we need to


    identify the allergen before her symptoms arise again. Think again. Have you missed out on something?


    Maybe, a guest dropped by your house recently. We can¡¯t dismiss the possibility that a guest might have


    brought in a bee by ident.¡±


    Yet, the couple shook their heads again. ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any guests. Every day, we work until dawn.


    Save for your asional visits to check on Jennie; no one will visit such a shabby ce like ours.¡±


    All of a sudden, Cornelius noticed a number of red welts scattered across Jennie¡¯s arm.


    ¡°These are allergy symptoms.¡± He pointed at the welts. ¡°Try to recall if something happened to her within


    these two days.¡±


    Promptly, Jennie roused from her unconsciousness.


    ¡°Jennie! Were there any guests recently? Did a bee sting you?¡± her father cried out.


    Sluggishly, Jennie shook her head as she tried to push herself upright. To her surprise, she could not


    move her legs.


    ¡°It¡¯s best if we send her to the hospital. The hospital can run a full medical check-up,¡± Cornelius said


    solemnly.


    ¡°The hospital¡­¡± An awkward look crossed the couple¡¯s faces.


    Before they could reply, Jennie spoke up. ¡°Dr. Mill, we can¡¯t afford the hospital fees. Why don¡¯t you give


    me a prescription? I don¡¯t want to burden my parents any further.¡±


    Her daughter¡¯s selfless words caused the woman to burst into tears again.


    I am more than willing to pay for your hospital fees. How could money be more important than your life?*


    Cornelius retorted.


    ¡°Dr. MIII, we owe you too much. We can¡¯t keep leeching off your generosity. After all, you were the one


    who paid for Jennie¡¯s heart surgery. We can¡¯t bear to ept any more of your help,¡± the woman said with


    teary eyes.


    ¡°This looks like a tick allergy,¡± a feminine voice stated from behind.

 Chapter 843

    Chapter 843


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 843


    Instinctively, they turned toward the source of the voice.


    They caught sight of Arielle standing in the corner. Her pale and porcin skin seemed to glow under the


    light. As a light gust swept across the room, her long hair danced in the breeze, making the woman


    appear as pretty as a picture.


    The couple was dumbstruck. They had neverid eyes on such a gorgeous woman before.


    On the other hand, Jennie recognized her instantly. ¡°Arielle!¡± she eximed.


    Arielle stepped forward and turned to Cornelius. ¡°Dr. Mill, will it be all right if I take a look at the patient?¡±


    For a moment, Cornelius was puzzled by Arielle¡¯s question. However, his eyes widened in shock when


    realization dawned upon him.


    ¡°Y-You were the one who wrote the prescription?¡± Cornelius gasped.


    ¡°It looks like fate has brought us together,¡± Arielle replied with a nod.


    Arielle was impressed by Cornelius¡¯ character and wanted to offer her assistance.


    Besides, how can I turn a blind eye when there¡®s a patient in need of medical help right in front of me?


    Cornelius¡¯ startled gaze turned into one of admiration and respect.


    He couldn¡¯t believe that a young woman like Arielle had such adept mastery of traditional Chanaean


    medicine. Is she an ancient Chanaean doctor too?


    Traditional and ancient Chanaean medicine were two different medical fields with stark differences. In


    comparison to a traditional Chanaean doctor, an ancient Chanaean medical professional was much more


    knowledgeable.


    ¡°Please go ahead. I¡¯ll be entrusting Jennie to you.¡± Cornelius beckoned toward Jennie as he stepped


    aside to make room for Arielle.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡± Arielle made her way in front of Jennie. ¡°Your name is Jennie, right? Can you tell me if


    you went out within these two days? Did you have any guests over?¡± Arielle asked.


    Immediately, Jennie shook her head.


    However, Arielle¡¯s keen senses noticed that the girl avoided her gaze.


    Not only was Arielle skilled in ancient Chanaean medicine, but she also knew how to observe facial


    expressions. Promptly, Arielle deduced that the girl was lying.


    Before Arielle could ask her another question, Jennie¡¯s allergy reaction began to act up again.


    This time, Jennie¡¯s condition seemed to have worsened. White foam gurgled out of her mouth as she


    had greater difficulty breathing.


    ¡°Turn her body to the side! Dr. Mill, please give her another one of your pills,¡± Arielle instructed.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°I¡¯m on it.¡± Cornelius rushed off to do Arielle¡¯s bidding.


    After Cornelius fed Jennie another soothing pill to stop her convulsions, Arielle took out the silver ted


    needles that she always carried on her. Quickly, Arielle inserted them into Jennie¡¯s acupuncture points.


    It took half an hour before Jennie finally woke up again.


    While Jennie was still unconscious, Arielle searched Jennie¡¯s body thoroughly. Yet, she did not discover


    any tick bites or scars.


    ¡°Since she just underwent a heart transnt, maybe her immune system is rejecting the foreign tissue,¡±


    Cornelius suggested.


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°Patients suffering from a transnt rejection don¡¯t have these symptoms. The


    timing of her condition does not add up too. I still suspect that it¡¯s a tick paralysis.¡±


    ¡°Jennie, I¡¯m sure you must have felt ufortable earlier. If we don¡¯t find the cause of your symptoms,


    the next wave will be much more severe than thest. Your body might not be able to handle it. You need


    to tell me the truth. Have you been going outside?¡± Arielle asked solemnly.


    Jennie¡¯s face paled when she caught sight of Arielle¡¯s grim expression. Her nervous gaze darted toward


    Cornelius.


    Cornelius seemed confused. ¡°Jennie, is there something that you can¡¯t tell us?¡±


    ¡°Jennie, please tell the doctors the truth! Did you go out while we were working?¡± her parents begged.


    Jennie closed her eyes in defeat. ¡°I didn¡¯t go out¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°However, someone came over,¡± Jennie continued before Arielle could say anything.


    ¡°Who was it?¡± Cornelius asked.


    ¡°Francis.¡±


    ¡°My brother?¡± Cornelius eximed in shock.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Tears began to stream down Jennie¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Dr. Mill, I¡¯m so sorry. I-I¡¯m in a rtionship with


    your brother.¡±

 Chapter 844

    Chapter 844


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 844


    The sudden news left Cornelius in a daze. It wasn¡¯t until Arielle¡¯s reminder that he finally regained his


    senses. ¡°Francis is my younger brother. asionally, he would drop by the shop to help out,¡± he


    exined.


    In truth, Arielle didn¡¯t want to involve herself with the Mills¡¯ family matters.


    ¡°Her uncontroble convulsions and the red welts on her skin are clear signs of tick paralysis. Was it


    possible that your brother brought in ticks when he visited Jennie?¡± Arielle asked.


    Cornelius¡¯ eyes lit up. ¡°My brother is an avid hiker.¡±


    ¡°An avid hiker¡­¡± Arielle mumbled before she turned to Jennie¡¯s parents and said, ¡°Can the two of you


    wait outside? I want to give her a thorough examination.¡±


    The couple trusted Cornelius immensely. Naturally, they listened to Arielle as she was a fellow doctor


    introduced by Cornelius.


    After they vacated the room, only Arielle, Cornelius, and Jennie were left.


    ¡°Did you and Francis sleep together?¡± Arielle asked without beating around the bush.


    Jennie¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment as she nced at Cornelius, unsure if she should tell the


    truth.


    ¡°Jennie, please don¡¯t lie. Although I¡¯m Francis¡¯ elder brother, I am also your doctor. There is nothing that


    you can¡¯t share with me,¡± Cornelius said with a frown.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Jennie murmured as she hung her head in embarrassment.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Arielle nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll get Dr. Mill to give us some privacy before I check your body. Is that all right?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Upon hearing Arielle¡¯s words, Cornelius left the room.


    Although Jennie was mortified and scared, she allowed Arielle to remove her pants and inspect her body.


    After all, they had checked every part of Jennie¡¯s body except for her private areas.


    Since Jennie and Francis had just engaged in sexual intercourse, the tick must be somewhere here.


    True to her assumptions, it didn¡¯t take long before Arielle found the tick. Its tiny head was already


    burrowed into Jennie¡¯s skin.


    Now that the tick had been removed, Cornelius could handle the rest.


    With the tick in hand, Arielle opened the door and showed it to them.


    The tick¡¯s abdomen was swollen with Jennie¡¯s blood.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Arielle hurled it to the ground and stomped on it. ¡°You know how to handle the rest, right?¡± she asked


    Cornelius.


    The man nodded. ¡°Yes. Thank you for your help, Ms. Moore.¡±


    The grateful couple rushed forward and showered Arielle with their thanks.


    Arielle merely waved her hand sheepishly. ¡°Don¡¯t forget my herbs, all right? I¡¯ll be waiting outside.¡±


    With that, Arielle made her way back to the foyer.


    After the ordeal, the staff was finally back from their lunch break. After Arielle purchased the herbs she


    needed, she was ready to leave.


    All of a sudden, Cornelius ran after her. ¡°Ms. Moore, please wait!¡±


    Arielle came to a screeching halt as she whirled around in panic. ¡°Did something happen to Jennie


    again?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± Cornelius ushered her to a corner so that no one could eavesdrop on their conversation. ¡°I


    have dealt with Jennie¡¯s illness. Please forgive me if this irks you, but I ryed the incident earlier to my


    father. He wants to invite you to the Mills¡¯ heir selection happening next month.¡±


    ¡°The Mills¡¯ heir selection?¡± Arielle echoed in confusion.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Cornelius nodded. ¡°There are a total of three siblings in our household. Since our father married


    late, he was forty when I was born. Now that he¡¯s getting older, he thinks that it¡¯s time for him to step


    down and pass on his position as the head of the house to someone else.¡±


    ¡°Does your father want me to help him pick his heir?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± Cornelius waved his hand to dismiss Arielle¡¯s assumptions. ¡°He wants you to partake in the


    Mills¡¯ heir selection.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Arielle was utterly shocked by Cornelius¡¯ words. ¡°But I¡¯m not part of the Mills.


    Besides, Queenie would murder me if I were to join the selection.

 Chapter 845

    Chapter 845


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 845


    Out of curiosity, Arielle asked, ¡°Can an outsider join the Mills¡¯ heir selection?¡±


    A conflicted look crossed Cornelius¡¯ face. ¡°In the past, such a thing would be imusible. However, there


    hasn¡¯t been an ancient Chanaean doctor in our family after my siblings and I were born. In my father¡¯s


    eyes, it is much more crucial to maintain the prestige of ancient Chanaean medicine. In the future, the


    Mills wouldn¡¯t be the only ones suffering. Ancient Chanaean medicine will fade into obscurity. Right now,


    most people would prefer to seek out modern medicine instead of traditional Chanaean medicine.¡±


    ¡°If an outsider is allowed topete for this position, the family¡¯s secrets will be passed to that person


    too. Most traditional Chanaean medicine has a strong emphasis on secrecy when ites to


    prescriptions. Is your father really willing to hand it over to an outsider?¡± Arielle asked.


    Cornelius heaved out a heavy sigh. ¡°If given a choice, no one would be willing to hand out their family¡¯s


    secret prescriptions. But true to my father¡¯s words, my siblings and I are unworthy to be his heir. It is


    humiliating to admit it. Although I¡¯m the eldest in my family, I¡¯ve picked up traditional Chanaean medicine


    from my father from the moment I could read. Yet, Ick the talents needed to excel. Even if my father


    doesn¡¯t say it aloud, I know that I am unfit to be the next head of the Mills family. I can¡¯t improve our


    family¡¯s medical skills.¡±


    Once again, Cornelius¡¯ humility impressed Arielle.


    It looks like Queenie is the ck sheep of her family.


    Coincidentally, Cornelius and his father shared identical values with the Wilhelms.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Simrly, the Wilhelms would prefer to help people with their skills than keep them to themselves. It was


    far more important to offer their assistance than to retain information selfishly.


    Queenie appeared in Arielle¡¯s mind. ¡°Isn¡¯t there someone named Queenie in your family? She is a skilled


    doctor, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    Although Arielle did not get along with Queenie, she had to admit that thetter was a skilled and


    talented doctor.


    ¡°Oh? You are talking about my younger sister. She¡¯s indeed much more talented than me. However.¡±


    Cornelius paused before he continued, ¡°My father thinks that it is important for a doctor to be kind


    hearted and selfless. Queenie has yet to achieve those values.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Arielle cocked an eyebrow.


    Cornelius sighed again.


    ¡°For example, Queenie refused to perform Jennie¡¯s heart surgery until I paid for it in secret.¡± Cornelius¡¯


    voice was tinged with disappointment.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Cornelius looked at her with a hopeful gaze. ¡°Ms. Moore, are you willing to partake in the Mills¡¯ heir


    selection? I think you fit all of the requirements perfectly.¡±


    Although Arielle mulled over his proposal, she chose to reject Cornelius¡¯ proposal. ¡°Though it is a


    generous offer, I¡¯ll have to pass on it. I don¡¯t want to involve myself with the Mills.¡±


    ¡°Did you get into a conflict with one of my family members?¡± Cornelius asked in bewilderment.


    ¡°It¡¯s much moreplicated than a conflict.¡±


    I¡¯m sure any conflict can be resolved in the blink of an eye! If you win the selection, my father will hand


    you all of our secrets. Think about it. All sorts of techniques, antidotes, and¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Arielle said out of the blue.


    Cornelius was too caught up in his rambling to notice her reply.


    ¡°Please reconsider. The Mills are a-¡± Cornelius finally realized that Arielle had agreed. ¡°Wait a minute,


    what did you say? Did you just agree to join?¡±


    Arielle grinned. ¡°You were the one who said it yourself. Any conflict that I have can be resolved. Hence, I


    agreed.¡±


    For the sake of disguising her identity, Arielle agreed to Cornelius¡¯ request.

 Chapter 846

    Chapter 846


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 846


    Delighted, Cornelius took an invitation from his pocket and handed it to Arielle.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you the exact detailster. When the timees, please bring this invitation card along with


    you.¡±


    Arielle reached out to ept the maroon card. Though the card was devoid of any text, the Mills¡¯ gold


    sigil was stamped on it. The credibility of the card would be revealed under UV light.


    Arielle ran her finger across the invitation card. ¡°This paper is of great quality,¡± sheplimented.


    After she gave Cornelius her contact number, Arielle left Silverbirch Hospital.


    Cornelius was caught off guard by Arielle¡¯s sudden praise.


    Aside from the Mills, it was a well-kept secret that their invitation cards were specially manufactured.


    These cards would not crumple in water. It was also me resistant.


    Seeing how Ms. Moore could tell from a single touch, her skills are in a league of their own.


    Despite that, Cornelius did not feel any envy or jealousy. If Arielle became the head of the Mills, he was


    confident that they¡¯d be able to regain their glory.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    In the past, the Silverbirch Hospital was an illustrious name in the medical field that blew anypetition


    out of the water.


    After Arielle left Silverbirch Hospital, she returned to Maple Mansion and concocted a new medical


    solution for Josee.


    Since the herbs she gave Josee this afternoon were much more potent, Arielle needed to give Josee


    something to counteract its intensity. After a week, she would proceed with the third round of treatment.


    At Jadeborough University, Donovan entered the ss with a stack of graded papers. Most of the


    students were engrossed in their self-revision.


    Donovan¡¯s gaze swept across the ssroom and noticed four empty seats.


    Without a doubt, it was Arielle, Jared, and Henry. Three students whom Donovan absolutely despised.


    The fourth vacant seat belonged to the new transfer student, who was an odd fellow.


    Every day, he¡¯d ask if Arielle was present in ss before he took his leave.


    With a dark look, Donovan made his way to the podium. Soon after, the bell chimed. The moment it rang,


    Henry and Jared stepped foot into the ss.


    ¡°Stop right there!¡± Donovan uttered coldly.


    Henry was never fond of Donovan. ¡°Mr. Baxter, the bell hasn¡¯t finished ringing yet. We aren¡¯tte,¡± he


    argued.


    ¡°The ringing bell signifies that ss has started. The two of you are alreadyte. Get out of my ss. You


    were never focused on learning anyway. Don¡¯t distract the other students with that irresponsible attitude


    of yours.¡±


    ¡°You-¡± Henry seethed as he stepped forward, prepared to argue with Donovan.


    However, Jared grasped Henry¡¯s sleeve and gave him a warning look. Without another word, Jared spun


    on his heel and left the ss.


    On the other hand, Henry was absolutely fuming in anger. Did he forget that my name is Harvey West?|


    have billions under my name. Although we can¡®t bepared to the Jupiters, it¡®s clear that the Wests are


    a family to be reckoned with. How could he treat me with such disrespect?


    Despite his fury, Henry still listened to Jared¡¯s advice. After Jared stepped out, he stormed out of the


    ss too.


    ¡°Donovan is an absolute lunatic. Isn¡¯t he going out of his way to make our lives miserable?¡± Henry


    grumbled.


    Jared¡¯s calm demeanor was a stark contrast to Henry¡¯s.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. He¡¯s only going to discuss our test papers. We won¡¯t be missing out on anything.¡± Jared


    said to reassure Henry.


    Thetter felt a stab of guilt. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. If only I hadn¡¯t overslept, you wouldn¡¯t bete. I won¡¯t take a nap


    anymore. Wait, once the results of my monthly evaluation are out, I can leave this ss forever!¡±


    ¡°Do you need my help? If I get the Jupiters to show up, Donovan will be forced to keep you in his ss.¡±


    ¡°No! Please don¡¯t do that. I am dying to leave Donovan¡¯s ss. Although I¡¯ll miss you, I can¡¯t wait to


    break free from his wretched grasps,¡± Henry said in a panic.


    Right after Henry finished talking, Donovan began to announce the marks of their assignment.

 Chapter 847

    Chapter 847


    Henry Instantly perked up and murmured, ¡°It¡¯s time to find out how well we did on yesterday¡¯s paper! You


    worked on it till two in the morning, didn¡¯t you? I wonder what score you¡¯ll get.¡±


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Jared remained silent, but his expression was a dead giveaway to how equally eager he was to find out.


    Shortly after, Donovan made the announcement. ¡°The first ce goes to Wendy Greene, who scored


    ny points.¡±


    A round of scattered, almost obligatory apuse rang out from the ss.


    Even though Wendy wasn¡¯t well-liked, there was no denying that she was smart as a whip. As such,


    some of her ssmates were still gracious enough to give credit where credit was due.


    When the apuse died down, Donovan continued, ¡°In the second ce, we have Terry Fuller with


    eighty-eight points.¡±


    Then, Donovan proceeded to announce the third and fourth ce.


    It was only at the sixth ce that Donovan finally called out Trisha¡¯s name.


    Trisha, however, was anything but happy as she nced at Arielle¡¯s seat.


    If Arielle were here, she¡®d have easily topped the ss. I wonder if she can make it back for tomorrow¡®s


    exam.


    With so many racing thoughts in her mind, Trisha couldn¡¯t help but feel even more dismal.


    Meanwhile, Henry was still outside the ssroom, listening with bated breath for the announcement of


    Jared¡¯s name. s, it never came.


    Left scratching his head, Henry turned to look at his friend. ¡°Hey, did you forget to hand in your paper?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Jared replied with a frown. ¡°I was the first to do so.¡±


    The paper was difficult, and thest question had himpletely stumped. In the end, Jared gave up


    trying to work out the answer and handed in his paper to Wendy.


    Did Wendy not submit it on purpose? But then again, she isn¡®t that dumb to do something so obvious.


    Just then, Donovan spoke up again.


    ¡°Everyone has done well, despite the difficulty level of this paper. Even thest ce holder scored


    eighty-one points, which is verymendable. However, you may have realized that I left one student


    out. Well, that¡¯s because he scored even higher than Wendy.¡±


    Jared stiffened as the ss erupted into amotion.


    Then, one of the students asked the question that was on everyone¡¯s mind, ¡°So why won¡¯t you announce


    his score?¡±


    ¡°I had found most of the questions online and adapted them for this paper. Thest one, though, was set


    by me,¡± Donovan scoffed. ¡°This student got everything but thest question right, which means he must


    have lifted the other answers online!¡±


    Upon hearing that, Jared¡¯s face instantly darkened.


    Henry was no fool either. He knew Donovan was using Jared of cheating, and he wasn¡¯t going to


    stand idly by


    The next second, Henry barged into the ssroom. ¡°Donovan Baxter! Why would you make such an


    usation? Jared was up until the wee hours trying to finish this paper. Even while brushing his teeth


    this morning, he was still thinking about thatst question. It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t like me because I¡¯m not a


    good student anyway. But Jared has worked so hard! How dare you nder him!¡±


    ¡°Henry West!¡± Donovan shouted as he bristled with anger. ¡°You better watch your tone! Is this the way to


    talk to your teacher?¡±


    ¡°Tell me then, is this the way to treat your student? By ndering him?¡±


    ¡°nder? The two of you only got into the school through connections. Yet, curiously enough, he scored


    higher than the other elite students whom I¡¯ve hand-picked for this ss. It¡¯s not at all unreasonable to


    believe that he cheated, so how is that nder?¡±


    Before Henry could retort, Jared stepped in. ¡°Gibby, that¡¯s enough. Forget it!¡±


    ¡°See?¡± Donovan said with a smirk. ¡°Your friend¡¯s feeling guilty.¡±

 Chapter 848

    Chapter 848


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 848


    As soon as he heard that, Jared¡¯s fury sprang to life.


    He slowly turned toward Donovan and fixed him with a steely re.


    Every man in the Jupiter family was a tough, battle-tested soldier who had grown up under the harsh


    conditions of military service. As such, one look from Jared was all it took to send chills down Donovan¡¯s


    spine.


    ¡°You-¡±


    Donovan had barely gotten one word out when Jared Interrupted, ¡°I never cheated, so I don¡¯t have a


    guilty conscience. I only told Henry to stop because there¡¯s no point in arguing with a teacher like you.¡±


    ¡°A teacher like me?¡± Donovan quipped before bursting intoughter. ¡°Tell me, what kind of a teacher am


    I?¡±


    ¡°The kind who doesn¡¯t even have a graduation certificate,¡± Jared answered, his lips curled into a smirk.


    Donovan¡¯s face paled immediately. He could feel his students looking at him with a mixture of surprise


    and contempt as pin-drop silence filled the room.


    After all, he never wanted anyone to know his deepest, darkest secret, least of all his students.


    ¡°Enough with your nonsense, Jared! Get the hell out of my ssroom! If you disrupt my ss any further,


    I¡¯ll get the principal to punish you!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I wouldn¡¯t stay even if you wanted me to. You, on the other hand, wille to regret your


    actions! Henry, let¡¯s go!¡± With that, Jared grabbed Henry by the back of his cor and dragged him away.


    Having been caught off guard, Henry stumbled backward and almost lost his footing.


    Once he regained his bnce, he hurriedly followed Jared as the ss broke out in a flurry of


    spection.


    ¡°What did Jared mean by that? Did Mr. Baxter not graduate from Maxwell University?¡±


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯ve seen Mr. Baxter¡¯s credentials on the school board, and it stated that he graduated


    from Maxwell University¡¯s Institute of Education.¡±


    ¡°Gosh, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Unfortunately, Donovan overheard his students¡¯ hushed whispers and quivered with anger.


    If he could, he¡¯d have dragged Jared back and beat him to a pulp.


    Regret? Why would I? Besides, Maxwell University is holding its early admission exercise soon. Even if


    Jared exposes my secret, I¡®ll still be able to turn it around. I don¡®t have to fear him at all!


    Eventually, Donovan pulled himself together and cleared his throat. ¡°Don¡¯t be led astray by the two


    incorrigible students. Let¡¯s go through the questions in the paper now. We shall start with the one that


    had the most mistakes¡­¡±


    Outside the ssroom, Jared continued to make his way toward the students¡¯ dorm.


    ¡°Jared!¡± Henry eximed as he hastily caught up. ¡°What you said earlier in the ssroom, is that all


    true?¡±


    went home a couple of days ago, and as luck would have it, we had a guest who was in the game cohort


    as Donovan. He told me that Donovan failed the exit exam, so he didn¡¯t get the graduation and teaching


    certificates from Maxwell University¡¯s Institute of Education. What he has is merely apletion


    certificate.¡±


    ¡°Holy sh*t! So Donovan¡¯s the bad student? Who knew!¡±


    Jared shook his head and replied, ¡°That¡¯s not entirely true. You see, one of the graduation requirements


    is toplete a practical exam. That means that during their final year internship, they have to get at


    least three students epted into Maxwell University. Donovan failed because he only had one.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ No wonder he¡¯s always urging us to apply to Maxwell University.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Jared said as a faint smile crept across his face. ¡°The guest also informed me that Maxwell


    University will be holding an early admissions exercise at the end of the month. Our school has six quota


    ces, five of which are for the preparatory ss. Students in the normal ss would have to top the


    monthly tests to qualify for that one remaining spot.¡±


    Henry¡¯s eyes widened as it suddenly dawned on him what Jared nned on doing.

 Chapter 849

    Chapter 849


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 849


    ¡°You want to get into Maxwell University through the normal ss!¡± Henry blurted out. ¡°That way, you


    wouldn¡®t count as Donovan¡®s student.¡±


    Jared nodded solemnly.


    ¡°Initially, I did tell myself to put up with him since we¡®ll be leaving for Maxwell University soon. But after


    everything today, enough is enough.¡±


    With that exnation, everything finally fell into ce for Henry. ¡°Oh! No wonder you said Donovan will


    come to regret his actions!¡±


    ¡°All right, let¡®s return to the dorm and pack our things,¡± Jared replied. ¡°I¡®m going home to ask for a


    transfer to the normal ss.¡±


    ¡°Good, I¡®m going with you. I¡¯ve had it with Donovan! If it weren¡®t for you and Boss, I wouldn¡¯t have stayed


    on in the preparatory ss!¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Jared¡®s ears pricked up at the mention of Arielle. Right, I think I¡®d better let her know about this too.


    Meanwhile, Arielle had just finished preparing the medicine for Josee and was about to leave when


    Jared¡®s call came through.


    After listening to him for a couple of seconds, she replied, ¡°Yes, I already knew that about Donovan.¡±


    ¡°What? You knew all along, and you still put up with it?¡± Jared asked incredulously.


    ¡°My greatest strength is the tolerance I have for people. For those whom I don¡®t care about, I have no


    problem putting up with whatever nonsense they throw my way.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ Do you want to transfer to the normal ss with


    us?¡±


    ¡°No, thanks,¡± Arielle mumbled as she looked wistfully up into the sky. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving Jadeborough


    University once I¡¯ve found what I want, so it doesn¡®t matter which ss I¡¯m in. Besides, Trisha is still in


    the preparatory ss. I can¡®t leave her there.¡±


    ¡°Very well then, I got to go for now. If you¡¯re going back, remember to sit for the exam tomorrow. p


    Donovan in the face for me while you¡¯re at it.¡±


    Arielle couldn¡¯t help but let out a small chuckle. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll try my best.¡±


    As soon as she hung up the phone, the main door opened, and Vinson walked in.


    ¡°Huh? Why are you home so early?¡±


    ¡°How can I concentrate at work knowing my wife is home?¡± Vinson teased as he removed his jacket.


    Then, he pulled Arielle into his embrace and took a deep whiff of her scent. ¡°Mmm, Darling, you smell


    nice.¡±


    ¡°You cheeky thing!¡± Arielle yfully scolded while pushing him away. ¡°What¡®s gotten into you?¡±


    Vinson broke into a bitter smile and sighed. ¡°Something big.¡±


    That afternoon, Vinson had yed golf with a client who was the most uxorious husband he had ever


    met. As the game progressed, the client kept fussing over his wife to make sure she wasfortable


    and happy.


    In the end, he even ended the game early so his wife wouldn¡®t risk getting tanned in the sun.


    ¡°I had enough of their public disy of affection, so I wanted to get some from you.¡±


    Everything sounded so ridiculous that Arielle didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry.


    ¡°Oh, my goodness. How old are you?¡±


    Vinson merely shrugged and mumbled, ¡°Seriously, if you had seen them, you¡¯d be grossed out too.¡±


    ¡°Perfect!¡± Arielle eximed as she shoved a thermos sk into his hand. ¡°Since you¡®re free and need a


    distraction, you can help me deliver this.¡±


    Even though Arielle had meant it as a joke, Vinson was more than happy toply. ¡°Okay, where to?¡±


    Speechless, she could only stare nkly back at him.


    When did my backer be my loyal pet?


    Eventually, both of them decided to head toward Rocher


    Private Hospital together.


    Along the way, Vinson got a call from the Specialized Forces and promptly answered it with his Bluetooth


    earpiece.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Captain Nightshire, we have confirmed Cindy¡®s whereabouts.¡±

 Chapter 850

    Chapter 850


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 850


    Machia.¡± ¡°Are you able to keep up?¡±.


    ¡°We¡®re still looking for a helicopter, but following them so closely would be too obvious. That¡®s why I


    disguised myself as airport staff and installed a GPS tracker on their helicopter during the flight check.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. Update me when you have more news.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    When the call ended, a keenly observant Arielle turned around and asked, ¡°Is it about Cindy? Have you


    found


    her?¡±


    Vinson hesitated before slowly nodding his head. ¡°Yes, you can say that. She has boarded a helicopter,


    and my men installed a GPS tracker on it. I¡®m sure we¡®ll be able


    to nab her soon.¡±


    Arielle heaved a sigh and said, ¡°When we get her this time, we can¡®t let her escape again.¡±


    ¡°Don¡®t worry, there won¡®t be a second time,¡± Vinson reassured. ¡°By the way, let¡®s check on Matthias after


    giving Josee her medicine. Most of his injuries should have healed by now.¡±


    Arielle nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡®s what I had in mind


    too.¡±


    My priority now is to have Matthias hand over Cindy¡®s assets. Everything else can wait. Those assets


    belonged to her mom, anyway. I¡®m only taking back what¡®s rightfully ours.


    Before long, they had arrived at the Rocher Private Hospital.


    After making sure Josee finished her medicine, Arielle apanied Vinson to Matthias¡® ward.


    True enough, Matthias¡® wounds had more or less healed.


    However, after his bout with a high fever from his infected wounds, Arielle could see that he was still


    weak as a kitten.


    Before Matthias could say anything, she had walked up and given him a quick check¨Cup. ¡°It¡®ll take about


    a week more before you fully recover.¡±


    Grateful but dumbfounded, Matthias queried, ¡°Why do you still treat me after all the horrible things I¡®ve


    done to you?¡±


    ¡°No reason,¡± Arielle stated matter¨Cof¨Cfactly. ¡°It¡®s just medical ethics.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Matthias lowered his head in shame. ¡°I may not be able to get out of bed yet, but


    signing papers won¡®t be a problem. I¡®m sure you¡®re here because


    you¡®ve prepared the asset transfer agreement?¡±


    Arielle froze and gave herself a mental head p. Damn it, I¡®ve forgotten all about that!


    Just as she was mulling over it, Vinson suddenly surprised her with two sets of contracts.


    Seeing how shocked Arielle was, Vinson winked at her before turning to Matthias. ¡°Ourwyer has


    drafted up the contract. Here, take a look.¡±


    s, Matthias barely nced at the documents before signing his name on them.


    He might be physically alive, but inside, he was dead. As such, material possessions were no longer of


    any importance to him.


    Then again, the truth was he had never really cared about the assets. The only reason he had fought so


    hard for them in the past was because of Cindy, but clearly, there was no need for that now.


    With the contracts finally inked, Arielle went through them and realized how much more thorough Vinson


    had been in investigating all of Cindy¡®s overseas assets.


    Everything amounted to a staggering sixteen hundred million, and it was undeniable that Matthias was a


    whizz when it came to financial management and investments.


    Arielle kept the contracts before looking back up at


    Matthias. ¡°The hearing for your case will start in a week, but I¡®ve already made the necessary


    arrangements for you. You¡¯ll be serving a ten¨Cyear sentence in Jadeborough Prison.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

 Chapter 851

    Chapter 851


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 851


    Arielle had never thought of herself as a good person.


    On the contrary, she¡®d always make sure to take an eye for an eye. And just because Matthias had a


    change in attitude didn¡®t mean she¡®d forgive him for his past actions.


    That being said, she still did everything in her power to help reduce his sentence, even though Matthias¡®


    crimes were enough to send him away to the Specialized Forces Prison.


    ¡°Ten years¡­¡± Matthias muttered, his expression virtually unreadable.


    ¡°If you can¡®t find a job ten yearster, you cane to me,¡± Arielle said, shocking Matthias even more.


    He knew right there and then that he could never hold a candle to Arielle.


    Matthias choked back his tears and forced a smile. ¡°All right. If I can¡®t find a job upon my release, I¡®ll be


    sure to ask you for help.¡±


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    In actuality, Matthias had nned on taking his own life before serving his sentence. After all, what was


    the point in living without a purpose? However, Arielle¡®s words had instilled him with hope and given him


    a reason to live on.


    Besides, it¡®d be stupid to sacrifice so m


    After leaving the ward with the contracts in hand, Arielle turned toward Vinson. ¡°Feels good to have this


    sudden windfall. Let¡®s go. I¡®ll buy you a nice meal.¡±


    Vinson grinned cheekily as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. ¡°Okay! Are you also going to take


    care of me for the rest of your life?¡±


    Even though his tone wasnguid, there was still an unmistakable hint of mischief in his eyes that made


    Arielle think she was getting teased.


    To make matters worse, Vinson was inching closer, with his unwavering gaze still fixed on her.


    ¡°What are you doing? Keep your distance from me!¡± Arielle snapped as she pushed him away. uch for


    someone as heartless as Cindy.


    Unfortunately, Vinson was too quick and grabbed her wrists in retaliation.


    Arielle struggled to break free, but when she miscalcted her strength, her palm got flung right up into


    Vinson¡®s face.


    Then, a loud smack rang out and echoed throughout the corridor.


    The bodyguard who was hiding in the dark widened his eyes in horror, only to quickly look away and


    pretend he hadn¡®t seen anything.


    Rayson, on the other hand, turned around awkwardly with bated breath.


    Oh, my goodness. Even though it¡®s Arielle, Mr. Nightshire will still lose his temper with her, won¡®t he? I¡®ve


    worked with him for so long, and this is the first time I¡¯ve seen anyone p him¡­


    Arielle, too, was so taken aback that she spaced out momentarily. ¡°I¡®m sorry! I¡®m so, so sorry! I didn¡®t


    mean to hit you! I swear I only wanted to draw my hand back.¡±


    I didn¡®t think Vinson would pick such bad timing to lean in! If it weren¡®t for that, I wouldn¡®t have


    identally pped him!


    In any case, Arielle had no intention to hit Vinson, and she could only hope that he¡®d understand.


    s, her anxiety was quickly spiraling out of control. And with that came a mixture of regret, frustration,


    and fear.


    Naturally, Arielle was afraid of incurring Vinson¡®s wrath.


    After mustering up enough courage to sneak a peek at Vinson, she realized he looked just as stunned as


    her.


    All of a sudden, the corners of Vinson¡®s mouth dropped. He pointed at his reddened cheek and whined,


    ¡°It hurts. Please rub it.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What?¡±


    To answer Arielle¡®s question, Vinson ced her hand on


    his face.


    Thankful that he wasn¡®t mad at her, Arielle finally calmed her racing heart and rubbed Vinson¡®s cheek


    apologetically.


    His face was warm, and she could even feel the stubble on his upper lip.


    Vinson¡®s lips gradually curled into a smile. ¡°Let¡®s go. We¡¯ll send Teddy and his father home before


    heading back.¡±


    As for the p, I shall get her to pay me back some other way.

 Chapter 852

    Chapter 852


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 852


    Arielle nodded meekly and hastily walked toward the elevator.


    That¡®s it. I have to be extra careful from now on. I can¡®t be acting so recklessly in front of Vinson!


    Frankly, Arielle was terrified of riling Vinson up, which made her all the more cautious about her words


    and actions.


    Instead of keeping up with Arielle, Vinson turned around to face the still quivering Rayson.


    ¡°If you tell anyone about this, there will be dire consequences.¡±


    Rayson broke out in a cold sweat as he stammered, ¡°N No, I won¡®t. In fact, I didn¡®t see anything at all!¡±


    Wasn¡®t it just yful teasing between a husband and wife? Why am I suffering because of that?


    Thankfully, Vinson had no intention to take the matter further and sauntered away after dropping the


    warning.


    Rayson heaved a sigh of relief and quickly followed behind at a distance.


    Once in the elevator, he couldn¡®t help but steal nces at Arielle.


    So this is how much Mr. Nightshire dotes on Ms. Moore. No matter how much she hits or scolds him, he


    still wouldn¡®t bat an eyelid. I¡®d better not offend her in


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    the future. Otherwise, who knows what¡®ll happen to me?


    Arielle felt the weight of Rayson¡®s stare and whipped her head around to him. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°N¨CNot at all!¡± Rayson stuttered. ¡°I was just thinking that the two of you should find time to hold the


    wedding.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Arielle tensed up immediately.


    ¡°He¡®s right,¡± Vinson chimed in. ¡°Other than him, no one else knows that we¡®ve gotten married. We should


    find an opportunity to announce it to the world.¡±


    Moreover, a marriage doesn¡®t feel asplete when there aren¡®t witnesses. As my wife, Arielle deserves


    the most extravagant wedding ever!


    ¡°W¨CWe¡®ll see¡­¡±


    Arielle still had many things to aplish, but most importantly, she had to gain Susanne¡®s approval.


    However, now that Henrick was serving his sentence, she no longer needed to hide her identity.


    In other words, it was time to shed the masks that she had been hiding behind.


    When the elevator doors opened, Arielle marched out without hesitation while Vinson walked beside


    Rayson. ¡°Look up all the wedding resources and send me a coted list,¡± Vinson said in a hushed tone.


    ¡°Understood!¡± Rayson replied, all fired up. It looks like I had hit the bullseye with my spur¨Cof¨Cthe¨C


    moment remark!


    That said, Rayson was aware it wouldn¡®t be an easy task. Not only did he have to gather all the


    information, but he also had to filter out only the ones worthy of Vinson¡®s consideration. If he wanted to


    do a good job, he¡®d have to spend a considerable amount of time and effort on it.


    Having made up his mind, Rayson wasted no time in calling up the secretary¡®s office.


    ¡°I need the secretary¡®s office to take over my duties for the next few days. I have something important to


    work


    on.¡±


    Naturally, everyone was puzzled.


    ¡°Why? What work is so important that you need a few days off? The projects you¡®re currently handling


    are all just as important.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Rayson replied with an enigmatic smile. ¡°Trust me, this task I have is far more important than any


    of those projects!¡±


    With that, Rayson ended the call before anyone from the secretary¡®s office could turn him down.


    What a joke. What else could be more important than nning for Mr. Nightshire¡®s wedding?


    Meanwhile, Arielle had returned to Josee¡®s ward to fetch Nigel and Teddy.


    Even though Josee was alone, Nigel knew she¡¯d be in the good hands of the nurses and caregivers, so it


    didn¡®t bother him as much to leave her.


    Ever the eagle¨Ceyed boy that he was, it didn¡¯t take long for Teddy to notice the red marks on Vinson¡®s


    face. ¡°Vinnie, who hit you?¡±


    Rayson, who had just entered the ward, froze in his tracks.


    Oh, my goodness! Of all the things to say, he had to bring that up?

 Chapter 853

    Chapter 853


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 853


    Arielle was just as nervous as she stared awkwardly at Vinson.


    To her surprise, he grinned and replied, ¡°Nobody. A kitten identally scratched me, that¡®s all.¡±


    ¡°Kitten? Is there a kitten in the hospital?¡± Teddy eximed as his eyes twinkled with excitement.


    Fortunately, Nigel was observant enough to stop his son from probing any further. ¡°All right, that¡®s


    enough questions. Say goodbye to your mother.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Teddy replied with a quick nod before doing as instructed.


    Seeing that they had moved on from the topic, Arielle breathed a sigh of relief.


    After a long day out, it was evening when Arielle and Vinson finally returned to Maple Mansion.


    It was a breathtaking sight as the sun began to set, bathing the skies in a red and purple glow.


    In a bid to make up for the p from earlier, Arielle went straight into the kitchen and whipped up a most


    delectable meal for Vinson.


    No words could describe how happy and contented Vinson was when he saw the spread on the table.


    As he savored Arielle¡®s food, Maureen¡®s Kitchen suddenly came to mind. ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve applied for a


    trademark for Maureen¡®s Kitchen, but we¡®ve yet to design a logo. You can decide on one when the


    designs are out. Better act fast before someone else snatches it.¡±


    Because of its excellent reputation and operations, Maureen¡®s Kitchen had had a steady increase in


    customer base. With business improving day by day, Vinson had to ensure that everything ran smoothly.


    ¡°Can I design the logo myself?¡± Arielle asked.


    ¡°Of course. Hand it to me when you¡¯re done.¡±


    Arielle nodded enthusiastically, having already decided on the logo design.


    When they had finished their dinner, Arielle was about to start on her sketch when Vinson grabbed her


    wrist.


    ¡°What¡®s the matter?¡±


    A charming yet suggestive smile appeared on Vinson¡®s face as he answered, ¡°It¡®s just the two of us now.


    After what happened at the hospital, don¡®t you think we should settle our score?¡±


    ¡°How do you want me to make it up to you then?¡±


    As soon as she said that, Arielle had a light¨Cbulb moment. ¡°Oh, I know! I bought quite a lot of herbs from


    Silverbirch Hospital, Why don¡®t I brew something up for you?¡±


    Vinson doesn¡®t need any financialpensation


    anyway. What choice do I have other than to feed him some medicine?


    All of a sudden, Vinson looped an arm around Arielle¡®s waist and picked her up effortlessly.


    With everything happening so abruptly, Arielle yelped and instinctively held onto Vinson¡®s neck for


    support.


    His neck felt so warm to the touch that Arielle could almost feel her arms burning up.


    ¡°Vinson Nightshire! What are you doing?¡± she shouted. ¡°Let me down!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡®t you say you were going to brew some medicine for me?¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Yes¡­ But how am I supposed to do it if you don¡¯t let me down?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything. The medicine¡¯s all prepared.¡±


    Arielle went wide¨Ceyed as Vinson leaned in and pecked her on the forehead. ¡°You¡¯re my medicine.¡±


    The next second, Arielle had turned crimson with embarrassment as her heart hammered in her chest.


    Vinson continued to stare into her eyes. ¡°Can I have my medicine today?¡±


    Can I have my medicine? Can I have her?


    No matter how oblivious Arielle was, even she was starting to understand what Vinson meant.


    Her mind went nk as she stared back, speechless.


    Vinson once again leaned into Arielle¡®s ear and whispered, ¡°Can I?¡±

 Chapter 854

    Chapter 854


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 854


    Left with no choice, she hurriedly hugged Vinson¡®s neck again to steady herself.


    ¡°I¡®ll take your silence as consent, doctor,¡± Vinson said with a chuckle.


    With that, he held a very anxious Arielle tightly in his arms and went upstairs.


    In the blink of an eye, Arielle found herself on the bed in Vinson¡®s room.


    Since Vinson had the master bedroom, he had a muchrger bed, and thebination of dark and light


    colors made for a strong contrast.


    Arielle sank into the impably soft bed as soon as heid her on it.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower,¡± Vinson said as he nted a kiss on Arielle¡®s lips. ¡°Give me two minutes.¡±


    Arielle bit her lips and nodded.


    She was nervous, and understandably so.


    Any woman in her situation would be just as terrified, so why would Arielle be an exception?


    Once Vinson stepped into the bathroom, Arielle quickly pulled the nket tightly around her.


    She stared at the steamy bathroom as her anxiety spiraled out of control.


    What now? What do I have to prepare?


    Arielle racked her brain for an answer but to no avail. How could she have one when she knew nothing


    about being intimate?


    Damn it! I¡®m such an idiot when ites to romance!


    Just as Arielle continued to berate herself, the sound of running water in the bathroom stopped.


    What? Has Vinson finished his shower?


    Knowing there was no way out, she steeled herself for the inevitable.


    I¡®ll follow Vinson¡®s lead since I¡¯m clueless. Surely he knows what he¡®s doing. After all, men are supposed


    to be better at these things.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Arielle sighed and closed her eyes, her eyshes fluttering ever so slightly.


    She could hear Vinson walking toward her and stopping beside the bed.


    Unbeknownst to Arielle, Vinson, too, was a bundle of nerves.


    He was so anxious that he even mistook his shampoo for body wash.


    After all, this was his first time.


    Arielle was his first woman, and she would also be hisst.


    As he let his thoughts wander, so did his gaze.


    Even though Arielle was hiding under the nket, there was no hiding her svelte figure from Vinson¡®s


    eyes.


    With her long legs, slender waist, and fair skin, Arielle was the perfect woman that men lusted after.


    Only the top of Arielle¡¯s head poked out from under the nket as a sheen of sweat formed on her


    forehead.


    Vinson could only imagine how hot it must be as he saw beads of sweat rolling down her face and into


    the pillowcase.


    Damn it. I know it¡®s just sweat, but it¡®s driving me crazy.


    Unable to control his urges any longer, Vinson slowly crawled into bed and straddled Arielle.


    ¡°Sannie?¡± he rasped as he leaned into her face. ¡°Don¡®t you feel hot under the nket?¡±


    ¡°Hot¡­¡± Arielle mumbled, surprised that her voice was just as raspy.


    ¡°Haha. Take the nket off if it¡®s hot.¡±


    Right after that, Vinson yanked the nket off and plopped himself down beside Arielle.

 Chapter 855

    Chapter 855


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 855


    Arielle only felt the bed sink beside her, and before she could react, she found herself rolling toward


    Vinson.


    ¡°Ahh!¡±


    When she opened her eyes again, she realized she had rolled into his arms.


    ¡°You¡¯re an eager one, huh?¡± Vinson teased.


    Arielle¡¯s eyes zed with anger. ¡°Y¨CYou! You did this on purpose!¡±


    No wonder he chose toy down beside me. He¡®s had it all nned!


    ¡°You jerk!¡±


    Vinson quickly ced his finger on Arielle¡®s lips and shook his head. ¡°No, no. It¡¯s the bed that¡®s a jerk.


    How naughty of it.¡±


    I¡®m so d I got an expensive bed. It sure is worth the price tag!


    Immediately after, Vinson removed his finger and greedily locked lips with her.


    Arielle¡®s heart pounded in her chest as her breathing hastened. Within seconds, she had almost been


    stripped naked to the waist.


    Vinson hade out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his lower body, but s, it slipped off


    during the passionate kiss.


    As such, Arielle could feel all the changes happening to his body through the thin material of her skirt.


    However, the change happened so fast that it jolted Arielle out of her daze.


    ¡°Vinson, you¡ª¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°Shh, don¡®t talk. You can hold onto me if you¡¯re scared.¡±


    Arielle shakily nodded and did as instructed, snaking her arms around Vinson¡®s waist.


    To her surprise, his waist muscles were so strong and toned that Arielle didn¡¯t hate it one bit.


    Just like that, any apprehension that she felt previously was quickly reced with anticipation, making


    her heart race even more than before.


    Vinson¡®s gaze was tender as he pressed his lips against Arielle¡®s.


    It was yet another long and passionate kiss, and Arielle, who hadn¡®t quite mastered how toe up for


    air, waspletely red in the face.


    Vinson pulled away for a moment, only to duck down again to smother her with kisses.


    His kisses trailed down, and his hand gently caressed Arielle¡®s abdomen, sending bolts of delicious


    sensations


    through her body.


    Arielle shuddered from the touch as she instinctively grabbed Vinson¡®s hand. Unfortunately, he was too


    strong, and she was at his mercy.


    Vinson¡®s hand continued to creep toward her chest when all of a sudden, his phone rang.


    ¡°P¨CPhone¡­¡± Arielle mumbled.


    ¡°Ignore it.¡±


    Finally, Vinson got what he wanted.


    With a smirk, he remarked, ¡°Mmm, it feels better than it looks.¡±


    Arielle¡®s face turned a deeper shade of red as she red at Vinson.


    ¡°Ohe on, behave normally!¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to be normal at a time like this?¡±


    Before either of them could say anything else, Vinson¡®s phone rang again.


    He was determined not to answer it, but Arielle had had enough with the ringing. It felt almost as if


    someone was trying to eavesdrop on them.


    ¡°You should answer the phone. What if it¡®s an emergency?¡±


    When Vinson still showed no intention of doing it, Arielle gripped his wrists and demanded, ¡°Answer the


    phone!¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Vinson cursed under his breath and reluctantly picked up his phone under Arielle¡®s watchful eye.


    ¡°Hello?¡± he snapped, his gaze cold with fury.

 Chapter 856

    Chapter 856


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 856


    Vinson nced at the caller disy, only to realize it was Jordan who had interrupted his romantic night


    with Arielle.


    So much for being my friend! It¡®s bad enough that he doesn¡®t help me, but now he even has to ruin the


    fun for me?


    ¡°This better be important. Otherwise, I won¡®t forgive you.¡±


    Jordan was momentarily stunned by Vinson¡®s tone and hurriedly replied, ¡°Vin, it¡®s bad. Harvey¡®s back.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What¡®s so bad about that?¡±


    In fact, Vinson had been meaning to call Harvey back for the longest time. Even though having him as an


    undercover would help them identify the bomber faster, the job was just far too dangerous. As such,


    Vinson was more than happy to get Harvey home.


    ¡°No¡­ He¡®s badly injured. I¡®m now on my way to the hospital.¡±


    Vinson¡®s muscles went rigid as all the desires he had for Arielle disappeared in a blink of an eye.


    ¡°How did he get injured?¡±


    ¡°I¡®m not sure either, but Carter¡®s already at the hospital. It was his men who happened to find Harvey


    along the borders.¡±


    ¡°I¡®m going over too. Which hospital is it?¡± Vinson said through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Rocher Private Hospital.¡±


    ¡°Got it. I¡®ll be right there.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Jordan eximed. ¡°Can you bring Boss along? If it turns out that those doctors can¡®t treat him,


    Boss might still be able to help.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After observing the change in Vinson¡®s demeanor, it was clear to Arielle that something serious must


    have happened.


    ¡°What happened?¡± she asked concernedly.


    ¡°It¡®s Harvey. Something¡®s happened.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Arielle shouted as she gathered her clothes. ¡°Where is he? I¡®m going with you.¡±


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°Yes, we might really need to trouble you to help.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all. Harvey¡®s my friend. I won¡®t let anything happen to him!¡±


    Upon hearing her words, Vinson was overwhelmed with mixed emotions.


    However, he quickly cleared his throat and started to get dressed.


    Their night of passion had taken a drastic turn, but neither Arielle nor Vinson was in the mood to talk


    about


    As the car sped toward the hospital, Vinson couldn¡®t help but ask, ¡°Did you know that Harvey likes you?¡±


    Arielle hadn¡®t expected Vinson to bring that up and bit her lip nervously. ¡°Yes. He has confessed to me.¡±


    This time, Vinson was the one left dumbfounded.


    I can¡¯t believe Harvey confessed his feelings to Arielle before me. Damn!


    All of a sudden, he recalled something else.


    ¡°Actually¡­ Harvey gave Carter a letter and wanted me to pass it to you.¡±


    Arielle stared in bewilderment. ¡°Why is this the first time I¡¯m hearing about a letter?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡®s with me,¡± Vinson admitted ufortably.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t give it to me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    Arielle was at a loss for words, wondering if she should chew Vinson out or not.


    Then again, it doesn¡®t seem right to me him for this.


    Eventually, she calmed herself down and replied, ¡°All right, I understand. Where¡®s the letter now?¡±?


    ¡°It¡®s in the center console.¡±


    True enough, Arielle found Harvey¡®s letter stashed away in the center console in just a matter of


    seconds.


    When she saw how neatly written the letter was, she knew Harvey must have put a lot of effort into it.


    As Arielle quietly read through with trembling hands, pin¨Cdrop silence filled the car.


    The more she read, the more she realized it was more like a suicide note.


    Arielle, this is Harvey. By the time you read this letter, I¡®d already have left Jadeborough to go undercover


    somece else.

 Chapter 857

    Chapter 857


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 857


    Initially, we nned on sending one of the subordinates, but I couldn¡®t risk having the cruise incident


    happen to you again


    At that point, it became clear to Arielle that Harvey volunteered for the mission because she had almost


    died from the bombing incident. As foolish as that was, she knew his intentions were good.


    The chances of me surviving this mission are slim to none, but it¡®s a risk that I must take. I have to find


    out who¡®s behind it. If I get the chance to end him, that¡®d be even better. However, if my identity gets


    exposed, please bury my ashes in Lightspring. That ce means a lot to me because it¡®s where I first


    met you.


    A wave of sadness washed over Arielle as she continued reading: You may think it sounds ridiculous, but


    if I hadn¡®t met you that day, I¡®d have died in Lightspring. In the beginning, what I had for you was nothing


    more than gratitude. But when I couldn¡®t find you, I felt like I had lost my soul. Only when I met you for


    the second time in Chanaea did I realize that I had fallen in love with you. If something does happen to


    me, please don¡®t feel guilty about it. After all, I owe you my life.


    By now, tears had welled up in Arielle¡®s eyes.


    Going undercover had always been dangerous, but she never expected Harvey to take on the mission


    without the intention ofing back alive.


    Then, she came to thest line of the letter: I like you,


    Arielle. I truly do. If I manage to make it back in one piece, will you give me a chance to woo you?


    Arielle¡®s hands stiffened when she read that.


    Yes, there were many things she could promise Harvey, especially since he did risk his life for her.


    However, love was not one of those.


    After all, it was impossible to control one¡®s feelings when it came to love.


    ¡°We¡®re here,¡± Vinson suddenly said, bringing Arielle out of her daze.


    She was about to get out of the car when Vinson¡®s hand shot out and grabbed her wrist.


    Arielle turned around in astonishment, only to see his face contorted in an apologetic grimace. ¡°I¡®m


    sorry¡­¡±


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°Why are you apologizing?


    ¡°Because of that letter¡­¡± Vinson mumbled. ¡°I¡®m sorry I didn¡®t hand it to you as soon as I got it. I did think


    about withholding the letter, but eventually, I decided against it. It was just that a lot had happened after,


    and it slipped my mind.¡±


    Indeed, everything that Vinson had said was the truth. As much as he didn¡®t want Harvey to get ahead of


    him, he still decided to hand the letter to Arielle after much hesitation.


    Unfortunately, he got so busy with other matters that he genuinely forgot about doing so.


    ¡°It¡®s all right,¡± Arielle said as she shook her head. ¡°I don¡®t me you.¡±


    ¡°But I¡®m still in the wrong. If something untoward happens to Harvey, I¡®ll never be able to forgive myself


    for this.¡±


    Arielle lightly patted Vinson¡®s shoulders and reassured, ¡°Don¡®t worry, I¡®m here. I won¡®t let anything


    happen to him.¡±


    Vinson nodded before alighting the car with Arielle and rushing into the hospital.


    Meanwhile, inside the emergency room, Queenie and a team of doctors were trying their best to save


    Harvey.


    Carter, who had gotten tired of waiting outside, promptly changed into scrubs and joined them in the


    emergency room.


    ¡°Mr. Morgan,¡± Queenie greeted when she saw him walking in.


    Her gloves were stained with blood while Harvey remained pale and motionless on the surgical bed,


    looking very much like he was on the brink of death.


    Carter couldn¡®t bear to look on as he turned to Queenie. ¡°What¡®s the situation now?¡±

 Chapter 858

    Chapter 858


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 858


    As the best general surgeon in Rocher Private Hospital, Queenie was appointed the lead surgeon of


    Harvey¡®s operation.


    Initially, Queenie had refused to operate after seeing the severity of Harvey¡®s injuries. The risks were far


    too high, and she did not wish to mar her perfect record.


    After finding out that the patient was Harvey Jupiter, however, Queenie changed her mind and agreed to


    lead the operation.


    Despite the risks, sess would surely propel Queenie into a lucrative promotion.


    Queenie regretted her enthusiasm once she found herself in the operating theater.


    Harvey¡®s injuries were far more severe than she had imagined. He had six bullet wounds, one of which


    had punctured the right side of his heart.


    If he had arrived at the hospital just half an hourter, he would have died.


    Damn it, why did I bite off more than I could chew?


    Meanwhile, Carter was anxiously awaiting Queenie¡®s reply. He frowned at her prolonged silence and


    asked, ¡°I asked you a question. Did you not hear me?¡±


    Queenie snapped out of her trance and uttered apologetically, ¡°I¡®m sorry, Mr. Morgan. Mr. Jupiter¡®s


    injuries are so serious that I¨CI might not be able to save


    him.¡±


    ¡°What the heck are you saying? Didn¡®t you guarantee that you would save him?¡±


    A vein throbbed angrily on Carter¡®s forehead. I would¡®ve punched the lights out of her right now if she


    was a man!


    Queenie was taken aback at his uncharacteristic outburst.


    Paling, she stammered, ¡°I¨CI¡®m sorry, Mr. Morgan. I didn¡®t have the CT scan results back then, so I didn¡®t


    know there was a bullet in his heart. I must say, though, that Mr. Jupiter has a strong fighting spirit. The


    average patient would¡®ve died-¡±


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Carter cut in. ¡°I don¡¯t care what the hell you need to do, but you better save his life!¡±


    Queenie could only swallow her protests and turn to the other doctors to discuss their next steps.


    She took a deep breath and dered, ¡°We¡¯ll remove the bullet first.¡±


    Harrison and Jared had arrived at the hospital in the meantime,


    Jared¡®s eyes welled with tears as he stared at the red light above the doors to the operating theater.


    He had just learned from Carter that Harvey had been


    working as a spy this whole time.


    While he was not privy to the specifics of Harvey¡®s job, he naturally associated the word ¡°spy¡± with


    danger.


    ¡°Damn it! You idiot!¡± Jared pounded the door in frustration. ¡°You¡¯re always calling me stupid, but what


    about you? Why put yourself in the path of danger? Did you think there were too many Jupiters around?


    There are millions of people in the world! Why must you be the spy? Idiot! If anything happens to you, I¡®ll


    never forgive you!¡±


    Amid Jared¡®s venting, he suddenly heard someone call out, ¡°Old Mr. Jupiter!¡±


    He whipped around immediately, only to see Harrison falling backward.


    ¡°Grandpa!¡±


    Jared ran toward his grandfather, just as one of the Jupiter family¡®s bodyguards supported Harrison


    before he copsed to the ground.


    ¡°Grandpa!¡± Jared asked in concern once he was at Harrison¡®s side. ¡°How are you feeling? Are you


    okay?¡±


    Thankfully, Harrison only faltered for a brief moment due to extreme stress, and he was already regaining


    his consciousness.


    He waved off their concern and said, ¡°I¡®m fine. Get the doctors to open the door! I want to see Harvey.¡±


    ¡°Grandpa, you should take care of yourself. Harvey¡®s a strong young man, and he¡®ll be okay. If anything


    were to happen to you once he¡®s awake, he¡®d bite my head off!¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Harrison added determinedly, ¡°I said I¡®m fine! Now let me in!¡±

 Chapter 859

    Chapter 859


    Chapter 859 Heart Failure


    Used to being in a position of authority, Harrison did not take no for an answer.


    Jared was, unfortunately, well-aware of this fact, and he resorted to calling Carter for help.


    Carter answered his call from the emergency room. After hearing out Jared¡¯s request, he replied


    hesitantly, ¡°All right, the two of you cane in, but you¡¯ll need to put on scrubs. They¡¯re performing an


    open-chest surgery on him, and it¡¯s vital to keep the environment sterile.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± With that, Jared hung up and exined the situation to Harrison.


    His grandfather was more than aware of the risks of the need for stringent hygienic requirements during


    surgeries, having had his fair share of wounds and injuries in the army.


    The two of them sanitized themselves and put on scrubs before entering the emergency room.


    Jared and Harrison were struck silent upon seeing Harvey on the surgical table.


    Queenie was getting ready to perform the open-chest surgery, and the sight of someone as high-profile


    as Harrison observing the surgery peaked her anxiety.


    His murderous aura was palpable and impossible to ignore, a consequence of his years of experience


    commanding the battlefield.


    ¡°Are you the lead surgeon on Harvey¡¯s operation?¡± Harrison fixed his piercing gaze on Queenie.


    He was at least two meters away from Queenie, but her hands could not help but fidget nervously at his


    question.


    Even her voice shook as she replied, ¡°Y-Yes, t-that¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°She looks too young to be a lead surgeon. Are you sure she¡¯s the best pick?¡± Harrison nced at


    Queenie before questioning Carter.


    Carter nodded firmly. ¡°She¡¯s the best surgeon in our hospital with a wless track record. I¡¯ll make sure


    that she has our hospital¡¯s entire resources at her disposal.¡±


    His words seemed to reassure Harrison, who then stared coldly at Queenie and barked, ¡°You better


    perform the best damn surgery of your life, or I¡¯ll shoot you dead!¡±


    Queenie broke out into a cold sweat.


    Such an operation already had a low chance of sess. Coupled with the bullet in his heart, they had no


    idea if Harvey¡¯s would be even worse than expected after cutting open his chest.


    Harrison¡¯s threat had Queenie deciding then and there that she could not agree to lead the operation.


    I¡¯d rather lose my chance at promotion than take the risk of offending the Jupiters. They¡¯re military men,


    for God¡¯s sake! I can¡¯t afford to be enemies with men who tumble around with guns like child¡¯s y.


    Her mind made up, Queenie stared at Carter and said determinedly, ¡°Mr. Morgan, I-¡±


    ¡°Carter!¡± A voice rang out, interrupting her speech.


    Queenie stiffened the moment she heard the familiar voice. She stared at the entrance to the emergency


    room in befuddlement.


    A slender woman stood there, masked up and dressed in scrubs.


    Only her eyes were exposed, but it was more than enough to identify the mysterious arrival.


    Arielle.


    Carter and Jared recognized her at first nce as well.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    Carter brightened up immediately and rushed forward to greet her. ¡°Chief, you made it! I had Jordan


    contact you and Vin.¡±


    Arielle nodded and replied, ¡°I asked them to modify something in the hospital supply room while I came


    over to evaluate his condition.¡±


    ¡°Modification? On what?¡±


    ¡°A pacemaker.¡± Arielle continued, ¡°I took a look at Harvey¡¯s file once I reached the hospital. If my


    preliminary evaluation is urate, Harvey¡¯s heart is not going to make it.¡±


    Harrison immediately roared, ¡°What do you mean? Not going to make it? Exin yourself, youngdy!¡±


    Confused by his outburst, Arielle looked at him and asked, ¡°And you are?¡±


    Jared hastily introduced Harrison to her. ¡°This is my grandpa.¡±


    Arielle finally understood his anxiety and said, ¡°Everything I¡¯ve said is the truth. Harvey¡¯s heart will not


    survive this operation.¡±

 Chapter 860

    Chapter 860


    Chapter 860 Ask For Trouble


    Arielle emphasized again that Harvey¡¯s heart was failing. Harrison fell out with her, casting a ferocious


    look at her.


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    He raised his walking stick and was about to swing it toward Arielle.


    Arielle stood still, without any trace of fear.


    Meanwhile, Carter and Jared panicked as they immediately stood between Harrison and Arielle.


    In the end, Jared was the one who got beaten by the stick.


    Despite the pain, he still grabbed Harrison¡¯s hand and pleaded, ¡°Grandpa, please stop. She¡¯s Arielle!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care who she is. I¡¯ll kill anyone who dares to curse my grandson!¡±


    Carter also helped to ease the situation. ¡°Old Mr. Jupiter, Arielle is good in medical. Please let her finish.


    I believe there¡¯s something more she wants to say.¡±


    Upon saying that, Carter turned to Arielle. ¡°Right?¡±


    If not, it would the end for Harvey¡¯s life.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Arielle nodded slightly, and Carter¡¯s eyes lit up with anticipation.


    So, there¡¯s still hope for him! Thank God!


    Harrison questioned Arielle coldly, ¡°What else do you want to say?¡±


    Arielle started to exin. ¡°His heart has been damaged terribly, so it will take time to recover. Thus, we¡¯ll


    have to install a robotic pacemaker before his heart loses its functionpletely. And after his heart


    resumes to function normally, we can take off the robotic pacemaker.¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Harrison was stunned momentarily upon hearing that. ¡°Do you mean the robotic pacemaker that Sann


    Group is selling?¡±


    Arielle nodded firmly. Yes, that¡¯s my masterpiece in Sann Group.


    With that, Harrison furrowed his brows slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the information about it. But I remember it is


    used for hearts with diseases. Could it be used to rece a heart¡¯s function?¡±


    Arielle shook her head slightly and then nodded again. ¡°Initially, it couldn¡¯t. But I¡¯ve asked Vinson to


    modify it ording to my instruction. It should be done at any minute now. That¡¯s why I have to begin the


    open-chest surgery now. As soon as the robotic pacemaker ispleted, I¡¯ll install it into him right away.¡±


    ¡°A-Are you sure you can do it?¡± Harrison stared at Arielle skeptically.


    She seems younger than the lead surgeon.


    Arielle nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    Right then, Carter also nodded fervently. ¡°Old Mr. Jupiter, you can count on her. She¡¯s the best doctor


    I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    Upon hearing that, only then did Harrison heave a sigh of relief.


    But still, he let out a warning. ¡°If you fail the surgery, I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    That was indeed his catch-phrase which Queenie also got intimidated before.


    Queenie¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she heard him say it again.


    She would not dare to conduct the surgery if she were Arielle.


    And what modification is she talking about? I¡¯ve never heard the robotic pacemaker can be used to


    rece a real heart. It¡¯s merely a supporting aid. If she fails, Old Mr. Jupiter would never let her off. Fine.


    Maybe I should let her bear the responsibility since she volunteers for it. It won¡¯t be my fault if anything


    happens.


    With that in mind, Queenie walked over to Harrison. ¡°Old Mr. Jupiter, I¡¯m confident in this surgery too. But


    since Ms. Moore¡¯s skills are better than mine, I¡¯ll let her conduct it.¡±

 Chapter 861

    Chapter 861


    Chapter 861 Never Forgive You


    Upon hearing that, Harrison warned Arielle again, ¡°Please don¡¯t make any mistake. I¡¯ll never forgive you


    if you did!¡±


    Arielle feigned a frustrated look at Harrison. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t interrupt me and dy the surgery, I


    promise the surgery will be sessful.¡±


    In the emergency room, every second counts. And we¡¯ve wasted a lot of time because of him.


    Harrison was dumbfounded as Arielle did not seem to fear him at all.


    However, with Arielle¡¯s confidence, his anger finally seemed to fade. As such, he left everything in


    Arielle¡¯s hands.


    Meanwhile, Jared cast a bizarre look at Arielle. It¡¯s the first time I saw Grandpa give in to young people


    like her.


    By then, Arielle had already put on her sterile gloves, totally ignoring Harrison.


    Jared¡¯s jaw dropped upon seeing that.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    She doesn¡¯t fear Grandpa at all! How could she be so bold? Queenie¡¯s a good doctor too, yet she never


    dares to guarantee sess for such an operation.


    With that, he was eager to witness how Arielle would be able to perform a miraculous surgery.


    The chance of sess was less than one percent.


    Meanwhile, Queenie was waiting casually as Arielle slowly began the surgery.


    Jared left the scene shortly after, as he could not bear to see the bloody scene.


    On the other hand, Harrison, who had gotten used to blood, closely observed the surgery.


    In the blink of an eye, the open-chest surgery waspleted.


    Arielle began to check the heart¡¯s condition. If the condition was not as bad as she predicted, maybe


    they could avoid using the robotic pacemaker. After all, a robotic pacemaker could notpare to a real


    heart.


    But after the checking, her gaze darkened.


    The damage is worse than I expected. It would take at least two years for the heart to recover.


    Fortunately, she had donated ten robotic pacemakers to the Rocher Private Hospitalst time. If not, it


    would be toote for Sann Group to send one.


    Right at the moment, Vinson entered the emergency room with the robotic pacemaker he had modified.


    Harrison walked over to Vinson as soon as he stepped in. ¡°Vin, what robot is she talking about? Have


    youpleted it? Are you sure it can work?¡±


    Vinson was slightly bewildered to see Harrison was still in the room.


    He nodded slightly. ¡°Arielle gave me the program. I inserted the program and modified a few parts.


    Fortunately, it just so happens that Jordan and I are both good at this, so we managed toplete it in


    time.¡±


    Just when Harrison was about to open his mouth again, Arielle urged mercilessly, ¡°Old Mr. Jupiter,


    please stop wasting my time.¡±


    Harrison choked on his words upon hearing that.


    Vinson nodded slightly toward Harrison and walked over to Arielle.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire!¡±


    Just then, Queenie started to provoke, ¡°I¡¯ve been looking at this robotic pacemaker since it got listed on


    the market. It can never rece a human heart. Do you want to reconsider it? After all, it¡¯s Mr. Jupiter¡¯s


    life we¡¯re talking about here.¡±


    Vinson immediately frowned upon hearing that.


    Before he could open his mouth, Arielle¡¯s voice emerged again. ¡°Vinson, please give it to me.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Vinson ignored Queenie and passed the robotic pacemaker to Arielle.


    Arielle checked it and performed sterilization on it. Without any dy, she installed it into Harvey.


    Suddenly, the ECG monitor sounded an rm.

 Chapter 862

    Chapter 862


    Chapter 862 Die Earlier Than Me


    Beep¡­


    The beeping sound seemed extremely loud inside the quiet emergency room.


    ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong? Harvey! You can¡¯t die earlier than me!¡±


    Harrison anxiously strode toward the operation bed.


    But after he took a step, Arielle cast a hostile gaze at him, as though she was saying: Don¡¯t you dare to


    come close!


    Harrison felt a blow in his heart upon seeing Arielle¡¯s expression.


    ¡°Old Mr. Jupiter, don¡¯t worry. Arielle won¡¯t let anything happen to Harvey. I can guarantee that with my


    life.¡±


    After handing over the robotic pacemaker, Vinson had stood over to Harrison¡¯s side.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    He did not know a thing about medical, but he would not let anyone disturb Arielle.


    Harrison had no choice but toply as cold sweat dripped from his forehead.


    After all, he only had two grandsons. Andpared to Jared, who got sent overseas to study, Harvey,


    who had been keeping hispany in the military, was his most precious one.


    If anything were to happen to Harvey, Harrison would not be able to hold on.


    It was such irony that he could take lives in war, yet he was utterly helpless when it came to saving a life.


    All he could do was to rely on a youngdy.


    Harrison cast a nce at Arielle. Her expression was extraordinarily stern, and her hands did not stop


    working.


    He had never entrusted young people with an important task like this one. He did not know why, but he


    seemed to feel secure, staring at Arielle.


    Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯ve nevere across someone who doesn¡¯t fear me at all. She¡¯s one of a kind!


    As such, time passed by slowly.


    Sweat began to break out of Arielle¡¯s forehead, and her lips turned pale.


    All of a sudden, a t line appeared on the ECG monitor.


    Harrison¡¯s eyes widened in bewilderment.


    He did not know anything medical, but he knew what that meant.


    It¡¯ll only be a t line when one dies!


    He froze on the spot, and his mind went nk.


    Is he gone? Is my grandson gone?


    Queenie stared at the ECG monitor while her lips secretly curled into a smile.


    As expected, the operation failed.


    She got overwhelmed with excitement, and she did not even bother to check on Harvey¡¯s body. ¡°Arielle,


    I¡¯ve told you that a human heart could not be reced with a robot! Why didn¡¯t you listen to me? You¡¯re a


    doctor. How could you treat the patient¡¯s life as a game? You don¡¯t deserve to be a doctor!¡±


    After Queenie finished her sentence, Harrison slowly regained his senses.


    Filled with rage, he wanted to hit Arielle with his walking stick.


    You b*tch! You killed my grandson!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to pay for this¡­¡±


    But the second Harrison lifted his walking stick, a firm hand grabbed it right away.


    ¡°Old Mr. Jupiter, Arielle is with me. No one is allowed to touch her without my permission. Not even you.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Harrison stomped his feet in exasperation.


    Right then, Arielle uttered, ¡°What are you guys doing? Didn¡¯t the surgery end sessfully?¡±


    Harrison was stunned again as he disyed a confused look. ¡°What¡¯re you saying? Isn¡¯t he dead?¡±

 Chapter 863

    Chapter 863


    Chapter 863 Self Humiliated


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Arielle furrowed her brows as she cast a side nce at Queenie. ¡°Please don¡¯t listen to


    someone else¡¯s nonsense. The surgery is sessful. He will be able to wake up after the anesthetic


    effect passes.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Harrison still could not wrap his head around it. ¡°Hasn¡¯t the ECG monitor be a t line?¡±


    Arielle exined patiently, ¡°Indeed, his heart has stopped beating. He¡¯s depending on the robotic


    pacemaker now. So there¡¯s no conflict.¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s great to know! Thank God!¡±


    Harrison leaped in joy, throwing aside his walking stick. Tears of joy flowed down his cheeks.


    Vinson reminded faintly beside him, ¡°You should be thanking Arielle. She¡¯s the one who saved him.¡±


    Harrison nodded right away. ¡°That¡¯s right. Your name is Arielle, right? I apologize for my behavior. I was


    worried about my grandson. Name your price. I¡¯ll give you anything you want!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Arielle sounded exhausted. ¡°There are still two bullets in his arms. If you don¡¯t mind, please


    wait outside now and stop disturbing the surgery in the emergency room.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure!¡± Harrison nodded obediently. With that, he picked up his walking stick and walked out.


    He could not wait to tell Jared about the good news.


    After Harrison left, Arielle shifted her attention back to Harvey.


    She had to take out those bullets in his arms before they left any after effect.


    Ignoring everything in the surroundings, she focused on the surgery.


    Nheless, Vinson and Carter, who were still in the room, did not forget what Queenie said to mislead


    Harrison just now.


    Vinson cast a cold re at Queenie without saying anything.


    At that instance, Queenie¡¯s heart fell with a thud.


    The color drained from her face as her body trembled incessantly.


    The surgery was a sess? The chance was less than one percent, yet she did it in less than an hour?


    What kind of magic is this? It¡¯s impossible!


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Queenie pointed her finger at Arielle. ¡°You must be lying! The surgery couldn¡¯t have


    possibly seeded!¡±


    Arielle had no time to react to Queenie.


    At that moment, Carter sneered fiercely, ¡°Queenie, that¡¯s enough!¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Queenie froze on the spot with fright.


    Carter¡¯s wrathful expression was even scarier than just now, as though he was going to tear her apart.


    ¡°Mr. Morgan¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop calling me. I want nothing to do with a heartless human like you.¡±


    Queenie¡¯s eyes widened in terror.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°I should be the one asking you that.¡± Carter leaned toward Queenie. ¡°A doctor should be happy over a


    sessful surgery. But what was your reaction? Not only did you not believe it, but you also looked


    happy thinking that Harvey had died. Do you think you deserve to be a doctor?¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s not what I meant. I just didn¡¯t know that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough! Just cut the crap. I have no right to judge you, though, because I¡¯m not your patient. But you¡¯re


    no longer a doctor of Rocher Private Hospital from now on. And none of the hospitals under Morgan


    Enterprise will ever hire you. Get lost!¡±

 Chapter 864

    Chapter 864


    Chapter 864 Fired


    ¡°Are you firing me?¡± Queenie could not believe her ears.


    I¡¯m a doctor that every patient longs for. Is he going to chase me out just because I said a few wrong


    things?


    Carter stared at Queenie, his face devoid of expression. ¡°That¡¯s right. Get out of my sight right now. Pack


    your stuff and leave. Don¡¯t ever let me see you again in this hospital.¡±


    Queenie¡¯s eyes widened in fright. Her mind went nk as her heart fell with a thud.


    Vinson approached her. ¡°What are you waiting for? Do you want me to call the security to escort you


    out?¡±


    Staring at Queenie reminded him about what happened to Donovanst time. If it were not for the sake


    of Arielle¡¯s reputation, he would have let the Specialized Forces put Queenie in prison.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    The color drained from Queenie¡¯s face as she stomped out of the emergency room in embarrassment.


    After she left the emergency room, she tried hard to recollect herself.


    It¡¯s all right. Even if I leave Rocher Private Hospital, there will still be many hospitals wanting to hire me.


    As long as I tell the public that I resigned out of my will, maybe Mr. Hurrell from General Hospital would


    even approach me with a job. Who knows, I might end up bing an assistant director or something?


    Queenie tried to persuade herself that getting fired was not a bad thing.


    After all, there were too many doctors here in Rocher Private Hospital, so it would not be easy to get


    promoted.


    However, when she was heading to her office to pack her stuff, a bunch of bodyguards in ck blocked


    her way.


    ¡°Who are you guys?¡±


    Recoiling in fear, Queenie took a few steps back.


    The next second, those bodyguards stood into two lines.


    Queenie was startled to see Harrison standing at the end of the lines.


    Harrison took out a pistol from his pocket and pointed right at her forehead.


    ¡°No!¡± Queenie was beyond terrified upon seeing that.


    With a bang, Queenie copsed to the ground.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Harrison approached her with an amused look. He stared at Queenie, who had fainted out, and


    shifted his gaze toward the toy gun in his hand. ¡°What a useless coward!¡±


    It¡¯s Jadeborough here, not a battlefield. How would I possibly shoot a woman in public? Haha. You¡¯re no


    match at all with that female doctor in the emergency room.


    Harrison shook his head and instructed the bodyguard, ¡°Cast her out.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± With that, the bodyguards carried Queenie away without any hesitation.


    The patients and doctors at the scene were left speechless as they saw Queenie getting carried out in


    such a gesture.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Dr. Mill? Did she offend someone?¡±


    ¡°I guess most probably she has failed to treat some patient!¡±


    ¡°What? That¡¯s unbelievable¡­¡±


    Back at the emergency room entrance, Jared, who had no idea what happened, confronted Harrison.


    ¡°Grandpa, why did you scare a doctor off like that? And why would you chase her out?¡±


    ¡°What doctor? She doesn¡¯t deserve to be one! I¡¯m not a fool. I could see that she had no confidence to


    save Harvey at all. D*mn her!¡±


    The moment Harrison finished cursing, the emergency room light turned green.


    As such, the surgery waspleted.

 Chapter 865

    Chapter 865


    Chapter 865 Arielle Is Mine


    Harrison and Jared ignored Queenie as they took steps forward.


    Harvey, whose body was covered with injuries, was pushed out, and he was still unconscious.


    Before Harrison could say anything, Arielle uttered, ¡°The anesthesia will still be in effect for another hour,


    but he¡¯ll have to stay in ICU for the next two days. No visitors. If anyone wants to visit him, they¡¯ll have to


    put on scrubs.¡±


    Harrison would revere anything Arielle said, so he hastily nodded. ¡°Of course, of course.¡±


    Harvey was soon brought into the sterile ICU. Harrison was anxious to see his grandson, so he quickly


    put on scrubs and visited Harvey.


    Jared entered the ward as well, but he only stayed for a while before leaving to look for Arielle.


    However, even after scouring the entire hospital, he found no signs of Arielle. Right then, Vinson exited


    from a ward, and Jared hurried over to him. ¡°Vin, where¡¯s my sister-inw?¡±


    The so-called sister-inw Jared was talking about was Harvey¡¯s future wife, but Vinson thought he was


    calling Arielle his sister-inw because he thought of them as brothers.


    He smiled, but when he thought about Arielle¡¯s condition, he grimaced. ¡°She¡¯s exhausted and a little


    dehydrated, so she¡¯s getting a drip inside.¡±


    Jared froze. ¡°When my brother wakes, I¡¯ll have to tell him that she¡¯s the one who saved him and to get


    him to marry her right away.¡±


    With that said, Jared stepped aside to enter the room.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    However, he only managed to take a step into the ward before a hand pulled him out of the room again.


    When Jared turned around, he realized that it was Vinson pulling him.


    The look on Vinson¡¯s face was terrifying, to say the least. Even the temperature of their surroundings


    seemed to have dropped to sub-zeros.


    Shocked and confused, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Vin?¡±


    Vinson fixed his furious gaze on Jared and questioned, ¡°Why did you call Arielle your sister-inw?¡±


    Completely unaware of whatndmines he was treading on, Jared said, ¡°That¡¯s because she and Harvey


    are mutually in love. They¡¯re going to marry eventually, so I¡¯ve started to call her my sister-inw.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re going to marry? Arielle and Harvey?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡± Jared trailed off when he lifted his head to see the murderous look in Vinson¡¯s eyes. He


    gulped before stammering out, ¡°W-What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    A fire of fury was burning brightly in Vinson¡¯s chest, almost visible to the naked eye.


    He took a deep breath, only to realize that he could not suppress it at all. Hence, he shot out his hand to


    grab Jared¡¯s cor and hissed out, ¡°Brat, listen well now. Arielle¡¯s indeed your sister-inw, but she¡¯ll


    never be Harvey¡¯s wife. Never!¡±


    Jared¡¯s eyes widened, but still, he could notprehend Vinson¡¯s words.


    ¡°Why do you say that? Our family doesn¡¯t mind the girl¡¯s status. When I was in the ICU earlier, I sneakily


    asked Grandpa about Arielle, and it seems like he has quite a good impression of her. It¡¯s the first time


    I¡¯ve heard him praise a girl non-stop.¡±


    ¡°Ha,¡± Vinson barked out. ¡°If you don¡¯t get it, then I¡¯ll just be straightforward with you. I¡¯ve married Arielle.


    She¡¯s mine, and she can only be mine.¡±


    Jared¡¯s eyes widened even more when he heard that.


    ¡°Wha¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, Vinson fished out an item from his pocket and showed it to Jared.


    Then, in a solemn voice, he said, ¡°You¡¯re in luck that I¡¯ve brought my marriage certificate today. If you still


    don¡¯t believe in my words, you can have a look at it yourself.¡±


    With shaking hands, Jared took the two certificates and scrutinized them. Finally, he realized that Arielle


    was indeed married to Vinson.


    The printing on the marriage certificates was clear, so it was obvious that they were not faked. Moreover,


    it was not like Vinson had the need to make fake marriage certificates.


    At that second, Jared felt as if someone had drained all his strength from his body.


    His genius sister-inw had been taken by another man.

 Chapter 866

    Chapter 866


    Chapter 866 Irreversible


    When Vinson saw the expression on Jared¡¯s face, he felt a weight had lifted from his chest.


    Everything was truly a coincidence. Earlier in the day, he had gone to transfer several properties under


    her name, and that was why he had their marriage certificates with him.


    He never thought it woulde to use at the hospital.


    ¡°All right.¡± Vinson patted Jared¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s irreversible, so don¡¯t dwell on it. There¡¯s no need for you


    to visit Arielle either. I¡¯ll watch over my wife myself.¡±


    Jared nodded stiffly before leaving, and his eyes were still clouded over in a haze of shock.


    Meanwhile, in the ward, Arielle had no idea what had transpired outside. She only heard Jared¡¯s voice.


    When Vinson re-entered the room, she said, ¡°I think I heard Jared¡¯s voice earlier. Is he noting in?¡±


    Vinson nodded. ¡°He suddenly recalled having other things to do, so he took his leave first.¡±


    Arielle hummed quietly in response. After a beat, she muttered, ¡°He shouldn¡¯t keep staying in the


    hospital. Harvey¡¯s mostly fine now, and the nurses will take care of him in the ICU. Instead of staying in


    the hospital, he should take the opportunity to learn.


    At that, Vinson raised a brow. ¡°I wonder why he suddenly dropped the idea of joining the army and said


    that he wanted to study instead.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s thinking of getting into Maxwell University,¡± Arielle started as she looked toward the doorway.


    ¡°Honestly, he¡¯s talented and smart. If he were to put in more effort, I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t have any troubles


    enrolling into Maxwell University.¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    As Vinson adjusted the nket on Arielle, he pointed out, ¡°This isn¡¯t the time for you to worry about


    anyone else. First and foremost, you should be worrying about yourself. Be good and close your eyes to


    rest. You¡¯ll be fine by tomorrow.¡±


    Indeed, Arielle was exhausted. Without saying anything else, she closed her eyes. In minutes, she fell


    asleep.


    Vinson gently tucked her exposed arm under the nket. Then, he took out his phone and began going


    through his emails while making sure that the bag of fluid was not running out any time soon.


    Soon, night arrived.


    Queenie, who had been tossed out of the hospital, woke.


    What¡¯s going on? Wasn¡¯t I shot dead? Why am I still alive?


    Queenie hurriedly lifted her arm to touch her forehead, and she realized that there was no wound there


    at all; there was only a small swollen bump.


    Immediately, Queenie came to the realization that she had been tricked by Harrison.


    ¡°D*mn it!¡± she cursed as she climbed to her feet. After dusting her clothes, she turned on her phone.


    Right as the screen lit up, her phone rang.


    It was a call from Cornelius Mill.


    When she saw the caller ID, she smacked her thigh in frustration.


    D*mn it! I have forgotten all about the family meal!


    If I had known early on that taking on Harvey¡¯s surgery would not only not bring any benefits to me, but


    even make Harrison and Carter chase me out of the hospital, then I would¡¯ve gone home for the family


    meal instead.


    Gritting her teeth, Queenie came to a decision.


    No matter what, she was going to be the head of the Mill family.


    Once she was the head of the family, she would not need to care about Rocher Private Hospital or


    General Hospital anymore.


    She was going to lead the Mills to glorious days and make Vinson and Carter regret ever treating her like


    they did earlier in the day.


    Queenie then promptly answered the call. ¡°Hey, Cor.¡±


    As usual, Cornelius¡¯ voice was gentle.


    ¡°Were you in a surgery earlier?¡±


    Queenie hummed in affirmation before saying, ¡°It just ended, so I didn¡¯t pick up the call until now. I¡¯m


    sorry. Cor, could you apologize to Dad on my behalf? I didn¡¯t mean to bete.¡±

 Chapter 867

    Chapter 867


    Chapter 867 Jealousy


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Dad guessed that you must be working on a surgery too,¡± Cornelius told her. ¡°The patient takes


    priority. We¡¯ve saved some of the meal for you and my brother-inw, so take your time. Don¡¯t overwork


    yourself.¡±


    ¡°All right, Cor.¡± Once Queenie ended the call, the soft look on her face dissipated.


    Her elder brother was good in everything but ancient Chanaean medicine¡ªhe had little talent in it.


    Therefore, someone like him would not be able to bring the family back to the glorious days they used to


    have.


    She, Queenie, was the best choice for the head of the family. However, she could only hope that her


    father would not make the same choice as before¡ªhe had handed Silverbirch Hospital to Cornelius to


    manage.


    The moment she became the head of the family, the first thing she was going to do was to get back


    Silverbirch Hospital.


    Gritting her teeth, Queenie then called Donovan as she returned to the hospital to grab her things.


    Unfortunately, Donovan never picked up the call, and she could do nothing but shove her phone back


    into her pocket in frustration as she continued her way into the hospital.


    In a way, the hospital was a small ce. Without needing to think much about it, she was sure that


    everyone would have heard about what happened to her in the operating room.


    Not wanting to suffer the odd looks from others, Queenie avoided the main entrance; she entered the


    building via the inpatient department¡¯s entrance before heading to her office.


    Nevertheless, just as she was done packing and was about to leave the office, she heard the voices of


    two nurses outside.


    Startled, she nced around before tensing up and scurrying under the desk to hide.


    The two nurses did not notice that someone else was in the office. As they chatted away, they went to


    their seats.


    Right as Queenie was anxiously wondering when they would leave, she abruptly heard one of them


    mentioning her.


    ¡°Hey, have you heard about what happened to Dr. Mill in the operating room?¡±


    ¡°Duh. It¡¯s all over the hospital. I never thought Dr. Mill was someone like that. Say, what conflict do you


    think she has with Arielle? Arielle saved the patient, but it sounded like Dr. Mill was displeased with how


    she saved the patient. I wonder what happened between them.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it is nothing major. I¡¯ve realized early on that Dr. Mill¡¯s quite a jealous person. Maybe she¡¯s


    jealous that a cafe ambassador has better medical skills than she does.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right. Wow. You really can¡¯t judge a book by its cover.¡±


    ¡°Arielle really is the goddess of my heart. She¡¯s pretty and amazing. Not only has she donated ten


    expensive robotic pacemakers to our hospital, but she has impressive operating skills. I¡¯ve heard things


    from the doctors who had been at the surgery. That surgery was doomed to fail. The sess rate of it


    had been close to zero!¡±


    ¡°Wow, that means she revived the guy, right? Unbelievable!¡±


    ¡°No wonder Mr. Morgan wanted Arielle to take over Dr. Mill. From now on, Dr. Mill¡¯s position is essentially


    Arielle¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not really taking over her position. Mr. Morgan only invited her here to treat this one patient. She¡¯ll


    only being once in a while, so she¡¯s not the same as Dr. Mill.¡±


    It was hot and stuffy under the desk, so when she overheard the two nurses¡¯ conversation, she nearly


    lost control and darted out to shout at them.


    Is it that fun to talk behind people¡¯s backs?


    Gossipmongers!


    Right then, the signal went off, and the two nurses swiftly leaped to their feet.


    ¡°It¡¯s from the eleventh bed. Quick, let¡¯s go!¡±


    The two hurried away.


    Once their footsteps could no longer be heard, Queenie finally climbed out from under the desk.


    There was a mirror on her desk, and when she rose to her full height, she saw how disheveled she


    looked.


    ¡°D*mn it!¡± She smacked her fists on the desk, but the loud sound rmed her. Fearing that someone


    would notice her presence, she quickly slinked out of the office with her things.


    Just as she was about to step out of the room, she turned around to look at her desk again.

 Chapter 868

    Chapter 868


    Chapter 868 Toxic Powder


    So this desk is going to be Arielle¡¯s soon, huh?


    Fine. Isn¡¯t she famous on the inte because of her looks? I¡¯ll make sure she¡¯ll get a face no one ever


    dares to look at!


    Queenie then began scavenging through her suitcase. Soon, she found a bottle of light yellow powder,


    and she evenly scattered it across the desk.


    Her desk was different from the others as she had custom-made it. The desk was made with figured elm


    wood.


    Once the powder fell into the grooves, it was camouged. Without a closer look, no one would notice it.


    Just a little contact with the powder would make one¡¯s skin itch and rot. Without a special kind of


    antidote, the skin would be disfigured permanently.


    Queenie coldly smirked. When she fantasized about how disfigured Arielle was going to be, her spirits


    lifted.


    With an arrogant scoff, she took her suitcase and sneaked out of the office.


    After leaving the hospital, Queenie tried calling Donovan again.


    Nevertheless, no one picked up.


    Darn it! What the hell is Donovan doing?


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Has he forgotten everything I¡¯ve told him this afternoon?


    Just as Queenie was about to storm her way to the school, Donovan suddenly called back.


    The fury in her dissipating, she asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you pick up my call just now?¡±


    ¡°I was showering,¡± came his curt reply, but somehow it sounded alluring to Queenie¡¯s ears.


    All of a sudden, she thought about that long night they had when they were under the influence of drugs.


    She had to admit that Donovan was indeed great in bed, and she was starting to miss it.


    Clearing her throat, Queenie then subconsciously softened her tone and said, ¡°Sorry. I had ast-minute


    surgery, so I waste. Do Ie to school to pick you up now?¡±


    Despite her softened tone, Donovan¡¯s voice remained cold. ¡°I¡¯ll give you half an hour. If you don¡¯te


    in half an hour, I¡¯m going back to sleep.¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll be there in half an hour.¡±


    With that said, Queenie ran to the parking lot.


    Meanwhile, Donovan was surprised. The truth was that no matter how long Queenie asked him to wait


    for her, he would still wait for her. After all, he was not as powerful as her in this rtionship, and


    Queenie could drag him down to hell any time she wanted.


    Why is she suddenly so nice?


    Donovan shook his head and told himself not to dwell on meaningless things like those. Then, he picked


    up the hairdryer and began drying his hair.


    An hourter, Queenie¡¯s car came to a stop in front of the Mill residence.


    The Mill residence was a rtively big courtyard house, and the entire ce was worth over a hundred


    million.


    The house would belong to whoever the head of the family was.


    On her way there, Queenie kept talking about what benefits they would get once she was the head of the


    family, but Donovan had no interest in it.


    When the car stopped, he immediately stepped out of it and walked away.


    It¡¯s a family meal. All I need to do is to show my face. Let¡¯s just get this over with as soon as possible.


    ¡°Donovan!¡± Queenie cried out before pointing at the trunk. ¡°Don¡¯t go in empty-handed. You have to be


    serious in putting on this show with me.¡±


    Donovan then turned around to see the gift boxes of various sizes in the trunk.


    Then, Queenie said, ¡°These are bought ording to every family member¡¯s preference. When we go in,


    I¡¯ll say that you¡¯re the one who bought it. If you don¡¯t know what to say, I¡¯ll say them on your behalf, but


    you¡¯ll have to carry them.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Donovan grumbled as he took the gifts.


    Meanwhile, Queenie only had a bag on the crook of her elbow as she hooked her other arm around


    Donovan¡¯s intimately.

 Chapter 869

    Chapter 869


    Chapter 869 The Head Of The Mill Family


    Instinctively, Donovan struggled to pry her off. However, Queenie lowered her voice and warned, ¡°You


    know how important it is for me to be the head of the family, so do well to cooperate with me.¡±


    Donovan gritted his teeth, but in the end, he forced himself to y along with Queenie as they entered


    thepound.


    The Mill residence had been built a long time ago, but it had undergone a renovation a while ago.


    Therefore, there were no cracks to be seen. Instead, it was as elegant as ever.


    The Mills were in the drawing room in the main house.


    Furthermore, distant rtives of the Mill family were there as well.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    With a bright smile on her face and Donovan by her side, Queenie said, ¡°Dad, I¡¯m home.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re finally home.¡± Abraham Mill stood up and smiled at Donovan. ¡°You must be Don.¡±


    Donovan nodded. Then, with Queenie¡¯s constant staring, he greeted, ¡°Dad.¡±


    ¡°Yes, hello there!¡± Abraham eximed in delight before pulling Cornelius over to let the two young men


    chat.


    After a while, Queenie said, ¡°Dad, Don has brought gifts for you all. Don, don¡¯t just keep holding to them.


    You can put them down.¡±


    Donovan hummed in response and did as she said.


    When Queenie¡¯s aunts heard that they had gifts, they began showering Donovan with praises.


    Like them, Cornelius and Abraham were satisfied with Donovan. The young man was tall, and he was a


    university teacher who had graduated from Maxwell University. His future was a bright one.


    ¡°Come and sit,¡± Abraham said as he pulled a chair over.


    After saying his thanks, Donovan sat down.


    ¡°No need for pleasantries. We¡¯re a family. Queenie¡¯s mother had passed on early, but I¡¯m sure she¡¯d be


    delighted to see you too.¡± Abraham¡¯s eyes slowly reddened as he spoke.


    Queenie¡¯s mother had died in a ne crash, and Abraham had been traumatized by it. From then on, he


    had not taken a ne, nor did he ever leave Jadeborough.


    That was why the Mill family¡¯s power was weakening during his generation¡¯s ruling.


    Power was maintained with effort. Without visible effort, the family was doomed to copse.


    That was why the Mills were in a hurry to find a new head of the family.


    Donovan shed him a small consoling smile but said nothing otherwise.


    Queenie then chuckled and said, ¡°We wanted to say hi, but you know that we¡¯ve been busy. Don and I


    had been overwhelmed with silencing thoseizens and our marriage. Moreover, both of us have busy


    jobs. That¡¯s why it took us so long to meet you all.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m an easy-going person, and you know that,¡± Abraham said.


    Feeling at ease, Queenie then looked around the drawing room and said, ¡°Where¡¯s the younger one?


    Don found out that he was still studying, so he bought him a rather expensive pen.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the weekend, so he¡¯s doing his revision right now,¡± Abraham said before standing up. ¡°Salvador,


    take Don on a trip around the house. Also, tidy up Queenie¡¯s room and prepare a set of toiletries for Don.


    Queenie, Cornelius,e with me to the study. I have something to say to the both of you.¡±


    Queenie tensed up.


    Herees the highlight. Dad must be going to talk about the selection of the head of the family.


    Queenie balled her fists. After ncing at Donovan, she then walked toward the study with Abraham.


    The study was decorated with vintage decor, and the me in the diffuser was burning bright.


    After Queenie¡¯s mother died, Abraham no longer slept in the bedroom. Instead, he slept in the study


    every night.


    He had trouble sleeping. The only way he could sleep was through the use of aromatherapy.


    ¡°Since only the two of you are here, I¡¯ll be direct with my words. Queenie, Cornelius, I¡¯ve decided to step


    down as the head of the family this year,¡± Abraham started. ¡°However, I¡¯d like to make a different choice


    this time.¡±

 Chapter 870

    Chapter 870


    Chapter 870 Have You Gone Mad


    Abraham nced at Queenie and continued, ¡°Cornelius has already heard about this, so I¡¯d like to hear


    about your opinion.¡±


    Confounded, Queenie slowly nodded. ¡°Please continue, Dad.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to broaden the scope for the selection of the head of the family this time.¡±


    Instantly, Queenie¡¯s eyes twitched as she thought about her younger brother, Francis Mill.


    Due to familial pressures, Abraham married another woman after Queenie¡¯s mother¡¯s death, and that


    was when they had Francis Mill.


    Although her stepmother treated her like her own daughter and Queenie had treated the woman as her


    mother and that she had begun to forget bits of memories of her biological mother, she was somewhat


    displeased with Francis.


    However, Francis had never learned anything medical at all. He could not even recognize herbs. He


    would be of no threat to her even if he were to join the selection of the next head of the family.


    Queenie nodded. ¡°I understand. Let Francis join in. I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Abraham lifted his head and said, ¡°That isn¡¯t what I mean. Only the ones who are older than eighteen


    can join, and that¡¯s a rule that¡¯ll never change.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I meant expanding the scope. Not only will the members¡¯ extended family with talent be able to join, but


    outsiders who are talented can join as well.¡±


    Queenie¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Dad, are you telling me that we¡¯re allowing a random outsider to be the head of the family? Have


    you gone mad?¡±


    Abraham frowned. ¡°I never said the pick will be random. I¡¯ll be mulling over the choices.¡±


    ¡°I disagree with this!¡± Queenie uttered. ¡°The Mill family has been around for a hundred years. How can


    we possibly let an outsider be the head of the family? Cor, say something! You can¡¯t just let Dad do as he


    pleases!¡±


    ¡°Queenie,¡± Cornelius yelled with a warning tone, ¡°I think Dad has the right idea to pick someone talented


    without limiting it only the Mills. That way, we can find someone who¡¯s truly capable of bringing our family


    down a better path.¡±


    Queenie wanted to voice her objections again, but Abraham uttered, ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind, and I¡¯ve


    already been searching for potential participants. So far, I¡¯ve found five. Before the start of the next


    month, I¡¯ll invite them to the Mill residence to join the selection, and I¡¯ll be the one toe up with the


    topic. Queenie, if you¡¯re anxious about this, perhaps it will do you good to start preparing for it.¡±


    Biting down on her lower lip, Queenie spun around and left.


    Insane! Both of them are out of their minds! They¡¯d rather let an outsider be the head of the family


    than let me take on the role.


    What have I done to make them not pick me?


    As she stormed down the corridor, she called Donovan.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving. I¡¯ll be waiting for you at the door.¡±


    After ending the call, just as she was about to leave the ce, her stepmother, Barbara, walked over.


    She liked daughters, but she had only given birth to a son. That was why she adored Queenie.


    ¡°Hm? Queenie, I heard that Don¡¯s here. Why don¡¯t you lead me to him? As far as I remember, I¡¯ve only


    seen Don twice.¡±


    Still in a foul mood, Queenie snapped, ¡°Next time. I¡¯m leaving now.¡±


    ¡°Leaving? Are you not going to stay for the night?¡±


    Just as those words left Barbara¡¯s mouth, Queenie¡¯s figure disappeared around the corner.


    Barbara inhaled sharply, but in the end, she shook her head and walked toward the study.


    After a while of being in the car, Queenie finally calmed down.


    Even if outsiders get to join in the selection, I still have a high chance of winning. I¡¯m a great doctor.


    With that thought in mind, Queenie exhaled slowly and rxed her tensed muscles.


    It¡¯s a good thing to leave Rocher Private Hospital. I get to concentrate on preparing for the selection.


    In a blink of an eye, the next day arrived.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    That day was the first monthly test of the preparatory ss.

 Chapter 871

    Chapter 871


    Chapter 871 Monthly Tests


    The first test was at half-past nine in the morning.


    Early at seven in the morning, the students of the preparatory ss had reached their ssroom and


    started revising.


    It was the same for Wendy.


    She knew that her grades for the monthly tests would be the make or break for her qualification for


    Maxwell University¡¯s advanced test, and that was why she was much more serious with the test than her


    ssmates.


    After a round of revision, Wendy turned to nce at Arielle¡¯s seat and saw that it was still empty.


    It seems like she doesn¡¯t even want to take this test.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    At that thought, Wendy found herself sighing in relief.


    Arielle¡¯s earlier performance in ss was stressful and threatening to Wendy. Thus, it was good news to


    her that Arielle was giving up on the test.


    Gritting her teeth, Wendy cheered for herself inwardly before returning to her revision.


    Right as she read the first line of the text, amotion broke out in the ssroom.


    ¡°The transfer student¡¯s here!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s going to take the first monthly tests, right? I heard he¡¯s from Maxwell University. Maybe he¡¯ll be a


    dark horse!¡±


    Wendy whipped her head to the side to look at the doorway.


    She then saw Aaron ambling into the ssroom before walking toward the students on the first row.


    ¡°Hey, is Arielle here yet?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± one of them answered. ¡°It¡¯s test day today. Aaron, are you taking the test too?¡±


    ¡°Test?¡± Aaron shook his head,pletely disinterested. ¡°I¡¯m not keen on boring things like these. How


    many days will your tests be?¡±


    ¡°Two.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Aaron nodded appreciatively. ¡°I¡¯ll be back on Monday then.¡±


    With that said, he turned and left the ssroom.


    There was aplicated look in Wendy¡¯s eyes.


    That guy¡­ He alwayses to school, but he always asks the same question before leaving.


    What kind of rtionship does Arielle have with him?


    Aaron¡¯s appearance disrupted Wendy¡¯s thoughts, and it took her seemingly forever to refocus on her


    books.


    Yet, not long after she started, Donovan entered the ssroom.


    ¡°Put your books into the drawers and turn your tables around. We¡¯ll be starting the test soon.¡±


    At that, the students in the ssroom sighed, for they were all nervous.


    ¡°Is everyone here?¡± Donovan asked Wendy.


    Wendy, the ss representative of the preparatory ss, shook her head. ¡°Arielle, Jared, and Henry


    aren¡¯t here yet, but the others have all arrived.¡±


    ¡°Ignore them. Jared and Henry have transferred to another ss. As for Arielle¡­¡± Donovan trailed off


    darkly. ¡°Don¡¯t go over your materials for thest half an hour. Keep your mind clear and rx a bit at the


    corridors.¡±


    ¡°All right, Mr. Baxter.¡± Wendy nodded before leading the others out of the ssroom.


    What was most important when the tests were about to begin was to keep a calm demeanor.


    Once she was outside, Wendy took in a deep breath and looked at the horizon.


    No matter what, I have to be in the first ce for this month¡¯s test.


    As Arielle had been absent recently, the other students in the ss were starting to ask her for help with


    the subjects.


    If she were toe out as the first ce in the tests, not only would she be able to take Maxwell


    University¡¯s advanced test, but her ssmates would also see her in a different light.


    Although she had done some unfavorable acts in the past, she had not done anything horrendous.


    Grades were still what was most important to the students in the preparatory ss.


    Wendy clenched her fists.


    Finally, it was half-past nine.

 Chapter 872

    Chapter 872


    Chapter 872 Missing The First Test


    ¡°Everyone, enter the ssroom. The papers will now be distributed,¡± came Donovan¡¯s voice as the


    students scurried to their seats.


    Donovan had adjusted the tables in the ssroom to make sure that each table was kept a distance


    away from another. That was to prevent students from peeking at their ssmates¡¯ answers.


    Trisha was thest to enter the room.


    Noticing Arielle¡¯s absence and hearing Donovan¡¯s urgings, she rushed into the restroom to call Arielle.


    The call went through, but Vinson was the one to speak.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    The man¡¯s voice took Trisha aback, but she quickly rposed herself and asked, ¡°May I know if Arielle


    is around?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s sleeping. Is something the matter?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the first monthly test today. Is Arielle not going toe for the test? She told me she wasing.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll tell her that.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± With that, Trisha ended the call and ran back to the ssroom.


    Donovan berated her for beingte for two minutes, but he limited it to a few seconds before sending her


    back to her seat.


    Narrowing her eyes, Wendy nced at Trisha.


    I¡¯m sure she must have gone to call Arielle.


    Still, it¡¯s toote. It¡¯ll take Arielle at least half an hour to reach school, and Mr. Baxter just has already


    said that anyone who¡¯ste for ten minutes won¡¯t be allowed to take the test.


    There¡¯s no way she¡¯ll make it in time.


    Wendy smirked, and she lowered her head to continue doing her test.


    The first test was Chanaean, and it was of average difficulty. To Wendy, it was as easy as ABC.


    Meanwhile, in a ward at Rocher Private Hospital, Vinson entered the ward after picking up the call


    outside.


    It was rather dark in the ward, and he had picked up the call in time to avoid the ringtone from waking


    Arielle. Thus, Arielle was still asleep when he returned.


    After a moment of hesitation, he woke her up.


    ¡°Sannie, wake up.¡±


    Usually, Arielle was a light sleeper. However, the Wilhelm couple¡¯s aromatherapy, as well as the


    exhaustion from the day before, made her sleep like a log.


    Vinson had to call her thrice before Arielle slowly came to the waking world.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she groggily asked.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Trisha called you,¡± Vinson said, gritting out Trisha¡¯s name. ¡°She asked if you¡¯re going for the test.¡±


    ¡°The test!¡± Arielle bolted upright. ¡°Darn it! I¡¯d forgotten about the test. What time is it now?¡±


    ¡°Thirty-five minutes past nine.¡±


    ¡°Thirty-five minutes¡­ It¡¯ll take me half an hour to get there,¡± Arielle calcted out loud. Then, she shook


    her head andy back down. ¡°Forget it, then. I¡¯ll sleep for a little longer. After all, the first test is


    Chanaean.¡±


    It was not as if she would score well in Chanaean. She might as well sleep until it was time for her to


    head to the afternoon test.


    Vinson smiled lovingly at her. ¡°Since you¡¯re awake, why don¡¯t you have some breakfast before going


    back to sleep? I¡¯ve ordered some toasts for you, and I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be here soon.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Arielle stretchedzily before getting up to wash up.


    After a night¡¯s rest, she was more or less rejuvenated.


    I¡¯ll sleep for a little longer after breakfast. Then, I¡¯ll check on Harvey. After that, I¡¯ll have lunch before


    going to school. Yes, that sounds like a good n.


    While Arielle leisurely ate breakfast with Vinson, the students in the preparatory ss were busy


    scribbling answers down on their test papers.


    Time went by in a blink of an eye. Soon, the Chanaean test was over.


    When Wendy stepped out of the ssroom, her face was pale.


    At the start, she thought the test was of average difficulty, but near the end, it was then she found out she


    was wrong.


    At most, she would be able to score eighty for the Chanaean test. However, the full marks were a


    hundred and fifty. That was how difficult it had been.

 Chapter 873

    Chapter 873


    Chapter 873 She Is Here


    Wendy let a tired sigh leave her.


    All of a sudden, she noticed her two ssmates chatting behind her.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m going crazy! This Chanaean test is so hard, and it¡¯s probably the worst Chanaean paper I¡¯ve ever


    seen. It isn¡¯t even testing Chanaean anymore! Instead, this is just a philosophy paper!¡±


    ¡°I agree! The front part was still all right, but the back part was horrible. I could understand every word


    when they were separated, but they were all alien to me when they were in a sentence. I¡¯m so scared of


    papers like these.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re doomed. It¡¯ll be such a blessing if I can even get a seventy for this test.¡±


    When Wendy heard them, the gloomy clouds above her head finally went away.


    Indeed, she could not score high marks due to the paper¡¯s difficulty, but that also meant that the others


    would not score high either.


    Therefore, she was rather certain she would still emerge at the top of the ss.


    The smile returned to Wendy¡¯s face.


    However, in the afternoon, the smile was gone again.


    She stood by the ssroom¡¯s doorway as she stared at the girl talking to Trisha in a daze. Fear slowly


    filled her limbs and weighed them down.


    It was Arielle.


    She¡¯s here.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯re really smart, Trisha. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do well in the other subjects.¡± Arielle smiled sweetly at


    Trisha as she ruffled thetter¡¯s hair. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be scared when the test is hard. Just remember


    that if you find it tough, others find it tough too. That way, you¡¯ll have a calm mind when you do your test.¡±


    Trisha nodded.


    She understood that, but still, she was anxious. The Chanaean test in the morning had horrified her.


    Yet, confidence somehow came back to her after hearing Arielle¡¯s constion.


    Perhaps it was because Arielle had talent in consoling others.


    What Trisha did not know was that Arielle had hypnotized her.


    That hypnotization did nothing but calm a person¡¯s nerves.


    ¡°Arielle,¡± came a female voice from behind them.


    Realizing it was Wendy¡¯s voice, Arielle turned around with a raised brow and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    The moment the two started talking to each other, the other students in the ssroom turned to look at


    them.


    After the incident on the forum, the things that Wendy had done to Arielle in the library, and the


    trantion livestream, everyone had found out that there was something up between the two of them.


    At the start, Wendy wanted to mock Arielle, but when she noticed the gazes of the others, she quickly


    changed her strategy. She smiled and said, ¡°I have a problem I need help with, so I¡¯m wondering if you


    have the time.¡±


    Not wanting to waste any of her time on Wendy, Arielle snapped, ¡°No.¡±


    With that, she walked off to her seat.


    Wendy froze, and the smile on her face slowly faded away. It felt as if embarrassment was exploding


    from her chest.


    She never thought that Arielle would embarrass her in that way; she never thought Arielle would outright


    reject her.


    Frustrated, she gritted her teeth before crying out, ¡°Arielle!¡±


    Arielle stopped, seemingly waiting for her to continue.


    Wendy then took a deep breath. ¡°Is this the way you should be treating your ssmate?¡±


    In the next second, Arielle turned around to give Wendy a smile that did not reach her eyes.


    ¡°Have you ever seen me treating the others like this? Wendy, you¡¯re not my ssmate at all.¡±


    At that, she ignored Wendy and closed her eyes when she sat back on her chair.


    The anger that thrummed in Wendy¡¯s veins made her shake. Right as she was about to question Arielle


    about it, she heard a guy say, ¡°Wendy, cut your maniacal act out. Why don¡¯t you spend the time revising


    instead? The true smart student¡¯s back. Don¡¯t you need to work harder?¡±

 Chapter 874

    Chapter 874


    Chapter 874 Reflect On Your Actions


    The moment those words left his mouth, the other ssmates chimed in.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Why won¡¯t she think about what¡¯s wrong with her instead?¡±


    ¡°Hear, hear. Whether or not Arielle helps you with your question is Arielle¡¯s choice. Wendy, you¡¯re just


    forcing it onto her.¡±


    ¡°If I were Arielle, I¡¯d have poured acid on her face after what Wendy had done.¡±


    The students did not care that Wendy was still in the same room at all.


    Thus, when Wendy heard theirments, she trembled in rage. However, there was nothing she could


    do to Arielle.


    She could only swear to herself that she had to be at the top of the ss.


    So what if Arielle¡¯s back? She missed out on a test, and that means she¡¯ll have to score a hundred and


    thirty for all the other tests topensate for the Chanaean paper. I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t have a higher


    grade than me this time.


    Right then, Donovan entered with the test papers.


    There was someone else who came into the ssroom with him¡ªMarcus Brown.


    The moment Donovan entered, he spotted Arielle, and his footsteps faltered. If not for Marcus behind


    him, he would have told Arielle to get out of the ss.


    Why should I keep her here? She¡¯s been absent a week, and she was absent for her first test too.


    It took Donovan several deep breaths before he managed to ignore Arielle and continued his way to the


    front of the ssroom. ¡°Students, this test is particrly important to you in another way as well.


    However, to make sure that it won¡¯t affect your moods, I¡¯ve decided to tell you about it after you¡¯re all


    done with the test.¡±


    After a pause, Donovan continued, ¡°Mr. Brown is paying much attention to our preparatory ss¡¯ test this


    time too, so he hase to be an invigtor. I hope that you¡¯ll be focusing on your papers to not


    squander the trust Mr. Brown has in our ss. All right, the test begins now, so please return your seats


    and turn the tables to the side.¡±


    After some shuffling noises, silence enveloped the ssroom.


    ¡°This paper will be on advanced mathematics. We will be having University Ustranasion tomorrow


    morning. For tomorrow afternoon, it¡¯ll be a paper on physics and chemistry.¡±


    As Donovan informed them about the schedule, he and Marcus handed out the papers.


    When Donovan reached Arielle¡¯s table, he quietly warned, ¡°If you¡¯re not interested in studying, either lie


    on the table and sleep, so you won¡¯t disturb the others, or leave before the test starts.¡±


    Arielle fixed her gaze on Donovan as her lips parted, but in the end, she said nothing as she took the


    paper and wrote her name on it.


    It¡¯s pointless wasting my breath on him. I might as well just do the test.


    Soon, the papers were all distributed. After Donovan announced the start of the test, all the students


    hurriedly began filling their papers with answers.


    More or less, they were anxious with Marcus around.


    Trisha thought she would be nervous as well. To her surprise, she was not.


    After taking in a deep breath, she hunched over and began reading the questions.


    On the second row, Wendy had lifted her pen and began writing down her answer.


    She never expected the first question to be extremely difficult.


    By the time she was done with it, ten minutes had passed, much to her shock.


    Ten minutes? It was only the first question!


    Sweat began beading on Wendy¡¯s forehead. She forced herself to focus as she went on to the next


    question.


    Nevertheless, the second question was even tougher than the first, and Wendy could only blink dumbly


    in bewilderment.


    Unable to help it, she nced at her sides. When she saw the others scratching their heads in confusion,


    the heart in her throat lowered.


    If it was difficult for her, it was difficult for others, which also meant it was even more difficult for Arielle.


    Arielle hasn¡¯t beening to school. I¡¯m sure she can¡¯t even answer the first question, huh?


    Lips curling, Wendy rposed herself and continued doing her paper.


    Meanwhile, in thest row, Arielle had finished the ten multiple-choice questions in ten minutes.


    It was indeed rather tough. Otherwise, she would have already been working on the next section.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Right then¡­

 Chapter 875

    Chapter 875


    Chapter 875 The Right Answer


    Marcus walked past Arielle¡¯s table.


    When he realized that Arielle had finished the multiple-choice questions in ten minutes, he could not help


    but walk toward Donovan and whisper, ¡°Mr. Baxter, this test is different from the others. Did you not raise


    the difficulty level of it? If it¡¯s too easy and many get a good score, it¡¯ll be tough to choose those five


    people from them.¡±


    Confused, Donovan said, ¡°I did raise the difficulty level, especially for the advanced mathematics test. I


    took many questions from Maxwell University¡¯s tests.¡±


    Equally confused, Marcus scratched his head. ¡°That¡¯s weird¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Donovan wondered out loud.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Maybe she¡¯s just talented,¡± Marcus muttered under his breath before returning to the chair


    at the back of the ssroom.


    Donovan swept his eyes across the ss. When he saw that many were holding their pens but not


    writing anything, he rapped on his desk and said, ¡°Listen up. It¡¯s a tough paper this time, but you only


    have the same amount of time as the other tests toplete it. If youe across questions you can¡¯t


    answer, skip them and do the others. Don¡¯t keep lingering on the same question and waste your time on


    that one question only.¡±


    Donovan¡¯s words were a cold bucket of water that woke Wendy up. She hastily abandoned the second


    multiple-choice question to start the next.


    Time ticked away. Soon, the advanced mathematics test was over.


    ¡°Put down your pens,¡± Donovan said. ¡°Whoever doesn¡¯t will be disqualified from the test. Mr. Brown,


    please collect their papers.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Marcus stood up and began taking the papers, starting from thest row.


    Soon, the papers were all with Marcus, and he left the ssroom with Donovan.


    None of the students in the room was joyous at the end of the test.


    Wendy turned to the boy beside her and asked, ¡°Did you finish your paper?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°No. I just randomly picked an answer for quite a few questions, and I only managed


    to do three questions of the next section.¡±


    Wendy became at ease when she heard his answer.


    The boy beside her was one of the top five students in the ss, but even he could only do three


    questions in the second test. That meant that the other students would do even lesser.


    On the other hand, she did four.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Her mncholic mood turned delightful. Right as she was about to stand up and leave the ssroom,


    she saw the boy running toward Arielle.


    ¡°Boss, do you remember which answers you chose for the multiple-choice questions? I¡¯d like to see if


    I¡¯ve gotten the right ones.¡±


    Almost immediately, the other students swarmed toward Arielle as well.


    ¡°Arielle, what was the answer to the first question? Was it one?¡±


    ¡°Did you manage to do thest question in the paper? I didn¡¯t even get to read it.¡±


    Everyone was butting into the conversation as they huddled around Arielle.


    In the end, the boy was the one to shout, ¡°Stop cutting in line! I was the first to ask. Boss, do you


    remember what your choices were?¡±


    Arielle nodded. She then uttered, ¡°I do. It was A, C, D¡­¡±


    Wendy tried to leave, but it was as if her legs were not hers, and her mind was out of her control as it


    compared Arielle¡¯s answers with her own ones.


    Six of her questions were the same as Arielle¡¯s, but four were not.


    Just then, she heard the boy wailing, ¡°I¡¯ve only done six right!¡±


    Wendy scowled.


    What does he mean? Does he think that Arielle¡¯s answers are all right?


    Aren¡¯t they thinking too highly of her? Don¡¯t they know how difficult this paper is?


    I really doubt that Arielle will be able to get all of the questions right.


    While it was true that she was not certain she had gotten those four right, she was certain that Arielle


    must have done something wrong somewhere.


    Gritting her teeth, Wendy decided to leave. Hence, she raised her foot and went out of the room.

 Chapter 876

    Chapter 876


    Chapter 876 A Fancy Little Butterfly


    After hearing the barrage of questions from her ssmates, Arielle told them her answers.


    Just then, her phone rang. It was a call from Vinson.


    Standing up, she then apologetically said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I have to go home now. Let¡¯s check our answers


    another time. It¡¯s best if we prepare for the Ustranasion test tomorrow. Since the advanced mathematics


    paper is already over, there¡¯s no point dwelling on it.¡±


    The students nodded. Embarrassed to keep pestering her, the crowd dispersed.


    Arielle then waved at Trisha, who had not been able to squeeze past the crowd earlier. Finally, she had


    the chance to talk to Arielle. In a disappointed tone, she said, ¡°What do I do? I think I¡¯ve only gotten six


    questions right for the multiple-choice section.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Arielle pinched Trisha¡¯s chubby cheeks. ¡°This paper was exceptionally tough. Look, even I


    didn¡¯t get to hand in my paper earlier. I only finished thest part of the test two minutes before the time


    was up.¡±


    Trisha narrowed her eyes.


    I only did three questions for the second part! Her words aren¡¯t making me feel at ease at all.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Arielle pinched her cheeks again. ¡°Thanks for reminding me that today¡¯s test day. Let me treat


    you to dinner and figure out what might be in the Ustranasion paper tomorrow.¡±


    Trisha¡¯s eyes lit up at that.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Hush now.¡± Arielle ced her index over her lips. ¡°We¡¯ll continue this talk outside.¡±


    Trisha nodded eagerly before going to the school gates with Arielle.


    When the two arrived at the entrance, they noticed a crowd by the gates.


    Tilting her head to the side, Trisha wondered, ¡°Is some kind of celebrity here?¡±


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a celebrity.¡±


    ¡°Then who is it?¡±


    ¡°Maybe a fancy little butterfly.¡±


    With a small smile on her face, she then pulled Trisha and walked around the crowd.


    Indeed, it was a fancy little butterfly named Vinson, who was in a suit and waiting for her as he leaned on


    his car.


    Vinson was on the phone, and he had a solemn look on his face. Only when Arielle was in front of him,


    then did he finally smile and end the call. ¡°Are you done?¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°I¡¯d like to take Trisha to Maureen¡¯s Kitchen for dinner.¡±


    Vinson¡¯s eyes flicked toward Trisha before nodding. ¡°Sure. Hop on.¡±


    ¡°Come on.¡± Arielle then pulled open the door to the back seat of the car and sat by Trisha¡¯s side.


    Vinson opened his mouth, but he said nothing. In the end, he canceled the reservation he made at a


    high-end restaurant as he sat on the driver¡¯s seat.


    It felt as if he was nothing but a tool.


    The three soon arrived outside Maureen¡¯s Kitchen.


    After ordering, Trisha asked, ¡°Sannie, were you serious when you were talking about figuring out the


    questions for the uing test?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Arielle nodded in confirmation. ¡°I¡¯m quite good at figuring out the questions. After taking the


    advanced mathematics test, I can guess what questions they¡¯ll be having for the next few tests.¡±


    The two then began discussing tests. Vinson, beside them, could not even cut into the conversation at


    all.


    It was only when the dishes were served did the two finally stopped their academic conversation.


    Finally having the chance to speak, Vinson turned to Trisha and asked, ¡°Trisha, do you have a


    boyfriend?¡±


    Trisha froze before her face visibly turned into a bright shade of red.


    ¡°It seems like that¡¯s a no,¡± Vinson mumbled. ¡°I know many people. Would you like me to introduce


    someone to you, or do you prefer to get to know someone more familiar? How about Jared?¡±


    Instantly, Trisha turned even redder. The words had died in her throat, and she sat transfixed on her


    chair.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    At that, Arielle shot a re at Vinson. ¡°We¡¯re talking about the tests. Why are you suddenly talking about


    this? Trish, ignore him. Let¡¯s eat. I opened this restaurant, and I think the dishes are quite delicious.¡±


    A secondter, Trisha stiffly nodded. She averted her eyes from Vinson and lowered her head to dig into


    her food instead.

 Chapter 877

    Chapter 877


    Chapter 877 Asleep


    After the re from Arielle, Vinson lost all courage to keep offering boyfriends to Trisha.


    It was a peaceful meal.


    After Trisha hurriedly finished her meal¡ªshe could not truly enjoy the taste of her food¡ªshe rose to her


    feet, about to bid her farewells.


    Although she was not a social butterfly, she knew how to read a room.


    Vinson must have felt that she was interrupting them for him to have said that earlier.


    However, Trisha did not hate Vinson. If he was even jealous of a girl, that meant his love for Arielle had


    to be plenty.


    She felt relieved with that thought in mind.


    After Arielle sent Trisha into a cab, she grumpily entered Vinson¡¯s car. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little too hostile to


    Trisha? She¡¯s shy. You¡¯ll scare her like this.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Vinson shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll take note of it next time.¡±


    Arielle frowned. ¡°Next time? I doubt she¡¯ll have a meal with you around ever again.¡±


    Vinson repeated, ¡°Sorry. I guess I¡¯ll apologize to her next time.¡±


    Not wanting to start a fight with Vinson, Arielle sighed. ¡°Forget it. That¡¯ll scare her even more. By the way,


    let¡¯s go to Rocher Private Hospital before going home.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Vinson then stepped on the elerator as he mulled over the call he had gotten back when he


    was waiting for Arielle at the school gates earlier.


    It was a call from the Specialized Forces.


    They told him that the target had stopped moving and that the target was at Turlen.


    Cindy was indeed rescued by those who had killed Maureen, but should I tell this to Arielle?


    He knew that once Arielle found out about it, she was sure to find a way to get to Turlen.


    He had to find out as soon as possible what was different about that ce from others.


    The entire trip to Rocher Private Hospital, Vinson was lost in his thoughts.


    Harvey¡¯s sedative effects had long passed, but he was still drifting between the conscious world and the


    sleeping world.


    When Arielle arrived, Harvey was sleeping again.


    She took his pulse and noticed that it was weak. Nevertheless, nothing major would happen to him. At


    the very least, he was no longer on the verge of death.


    Harrison, who had been in the hospital the entire time, worriedly asked, ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s fine like this?


    Why do I feel like he¡¯s sleeping more than a ko?¡±


    Augh escaped Arielle. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry. It¡¯s normal for him to rest for prolonged periods after a


    major surgery like his. He can¡¯t just start dancing right after his surgery, right?¡±


    Harrison understood what she meant; he was only seeking words of constion from Arielle.


    ¡°T-Then when will he start staying awake longer?¡±


    Arielle cocked her head to the side and hummed. ¡°I¡¯ll prepare some herbs for him when I¡¯m home


    tonight. Once he¡¯s no longer intubated, feed him the herbs for a herbal and modern medicinebined


    treatment. I believe he¡¯ll be joking with you in the normal ward in less than half a month.¡±


    Half a month was already swift for recovery, but still, Harrison felt it was far too long.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a while.¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the quickest he can go. I¡¯ll prepare some medication for him. His body is quite


    strong, so I¡¯m guessing that he can be extubated tomorrow and start breathing on his own.¡±


    Harrison nodded fervently, the anxiety in his eyes obvious to anyone who looked at him.


    When Arielle turned around, she realized Vinson was missing.


    She then tried to call him, but she realized he was engaged in another call.


    Just as she was puzzling over the situation, she spotted Vinson through the window, standing outside


    and on his phone again.


    There was an odd expression on his face.


    Did something happen?


    ¡°Ms. Moore,¡± came Harrison¡¯s voice, disrupting her train of thoughts.

 Chapter 878

    Chapter 878


    Chapter 878 Give My Grandson To You


    ¡°Yes.¡± Arielle intuitively turned around and met Harrison¡¯s gaze.


    Although Harrison put on a smile, she couldn¡¯t help but feel that the cunning old man was staring at her


    with ill intentions.


    Am I overthinking?


    ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Arielle calmed herself down and asked.


    Harrison chuckled and asked, ¡°Do you have a boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°A boyfriend¡ª¡± ncing at Harrison, Arielle remembered that he had been single for a long time.


    This guy can¡¯t possibly¡­


    ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand!¡± It was as if Harrison had read Arielle¡¯s mind, the former continued, ¡°What I


    meant was that Harvey happens to be single. You have rescued him. Yet, I don¡¯t have anything valuable


    to offer to you in return. Therefore, I think I can only give him to you as a gift!¡±


    Shocked, Arielle replied embarrassedly, ¡°Old Mr. Jupiter, thank you for your kindness, but Harvey and I


    are only friends.¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°You two are friends for now but can be a couple in the future!¡± Harrison pped his hand and said,


    ¡°It¡¯s settled then. You¡¯ve agreed to it.


    ¡°Wait a second. When did I ever agree to it? Old Mr. Jupiter, I have¡ª¡±


    Before Arielle could finish, Harrison had disappeared.


    He usually walks with a walking stick but runs as fast as lightning now. I wonder if he really has difficulty


    walking.


    When Arielle came up to Harrison to exin it to him, the elevator suddenly opened.


    The next moment, Vinson came out of it.


    ¡°Have you checked up on Harvey?¡±


    Feeling that Vinson looked as calm as usual, Arielle nodded and asked purposely, ¡°What did you do just


    now?¡±


    ¡°I went to the washroom.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Nothing else. I smoked in the washroom, and so it took me some time to be here.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s smile stiffened when she heard it.


    Vinson is keeping something from me.


    Arielle bit her lips to resist her desire to reveal that she saw Vinson making a phone call in the garden.


    Then, she said, ¡°I¡¯m going to the traditional medicine clinicter to ask for a prescription. Hopefully, the


    medicine will help with Harvey¡¯s recovery.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Vinson nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask Rayson to drive you to the clinic.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ have to conduct a meeting at thepany.¡±


    Pretending that nothing was off, Arielle nodded and said, ¡°I understand. Go ahead then. I¡¯ll talk to Old Mr.


    Jupiter for a while.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll ask Rayson to wait for you at the entrance.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Off you go. Also, take care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°No worries. I always remember that my wife is waiting for me at home. I¡¯ll go home once I¡¯ve finished


    everything.¡± Vinson caressed Arielle¡¯s head lovingly, yet she couldn¡¯t even force a smile.


    Back then, Vinson would be curious and ask Arielle why she wanted to talk to Harrison.


    Hence, Arielle felt disappointed when Vinson didn¡¯t do so.


    Besides, she suddenly realized that she cared about Vinson more than she initially thought.


    Arielle only came to her senses after Vinson entered the elevator and left. She then turned around to


    look for Harrison.


    Deep down, sheforted herself that Vinson probably didn¡¯t intend to hide anything from her.


    Moreover, the phone call could probably be something trivial.


    After taking a deep breath, Arielle walked to the counter to ask a nurse.


    ¡°Excuse me. Did you see a family member of the patient in the ICU? He¡¯s an old man who walks with a


    stick.¡±


    The nurse was excited and replied delightedly, ¡°I think he headed in that direction. My goddess, can I get


    an autograph from you?¡±


    As Arielle wanted to decline her request politely, she suddenly saw Harrison walking in her direction.


    However, Harrison ran away to avoid her once she wanted to call his name.


    As such, Arielle was dumbfounded.


    What is he doing?

 Chapter 879

    Chapter 879


    Chapter 879 You Have Lost The Chance


    Arielle rushed over but couldn¡¯t see Harrison anymore.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Hence, she could only exin it to him next time.


    When she arrived at the hospital entrance, Rayson was already waiting for her. He waved his hands


    passionately and said, ¡°Ms. Moore, this way.¡±


    Arielle nodded in response and hopped in.


    ¡°May I know which traditional medicine clinic you would like to visit?¡±


    ¡°Silverbirch Hospital.¡±


    ¡°Sure, please sit tight.¡±


    With that, he sped up and pulled over at Silverbirch Hospital in less than half an hour.


    Initially, Arielle thought that Cornelius would be in the hospital. The next moment, she was shocked to


    see Queenie.


    Meanwhile, Queenie¡¯s expression turned grim once she saw Arielle.


    Before Arielle could begin, Queenie came up to her and said unfriendly, ¡°Thanks foring to mock me.


    Don¡¯t you have anything better to do?¡±


    Arielle refused to entertain Queenie and asked expressionlessly, ¡°Where is Cornelius?¡±


    ¡°Do you mean my brother? Do you know him?¡±


    Ignoring her unpleasant words, Arielle got straight to the point. ¡°I¡¯m here to get a prescription from him.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Queenie deliberately drawled and chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We don¡¯t serve customers that we don¡¯t


    like. Please leave now. Moreover, Silverbirch Hospital will never sell any herbs to you from today


    onward.¡±


    Arielle frowned upon hearing it. ¡°Is this how you treat your customers as a doctor?¡±


    ¡°So what? Do you want to snatch the herbs from me if I don¡¯t sell them to you? Get her out!¡± Queenie


    instructed her staff in Silverbirch Hospital.


    Soon, two of her staff came up to Arielle and asked hesitantly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, miss. Please let us see you


    out.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can leave on my own.¡±


    After taking two steps, Arielle suddenly turned around and nced at Queenie.


    Feeling uneasy, Queenie frowned and questioned, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    Arielle sneered. ¡°Queenie, I was initially considering giving you a chance. Unfortunately, you¡¯ve lost the


    chance now.¡±


    With that, she turned around and left Silverbirch Hospital.


    Meanwhile, Queenie¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Did Arielle mean she wants to expose the incident rted to Donovan?


    Nevertheless, Queenie thought she had left Rocher Private Hospital and had no ns to venture into


    modern medicine. She didn¡¯t mind if Arielle exposed it, for her reputation didn¡¯t matter anymore.


    If Arielle ns to bring awsuit, it will be a long process, and the evidence might eventually disappear.


    Under such circumstances, I won¡¯t be found guilty because of the recording alone.


    Moreover, since nothing happened on that day, I¡¯m only an aplice and have to pay a court fine at


    most.


    Haha! I have nothing to worry about!


    Queenie caught up with Arielle and shouted, ¡°Arielle, I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t threaten me with the recording


    anymore! Expose it whenever you want, but I won¡¯t be afraid! On the contrary, theizens will gossip


    about you once the recording is exposed. By then, you¡¯ll face bigger losses than me! Think about it


    carefully!¡±


    Arielle turned around and gazed at Queenie nonchntly. ¡°Who says I¡¯m going to expose it? It¡¯s not


    worth putting myself to trouble for some losers like you.¡±


    Instantly, Queenie scowled and gritted her teeth. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Slowly, Arielle put on a disdainful smile and replied, ¡°You¡¯ll know it soon enough.¡±


    Arielle was initially interested in the Mills¡¯ disguising techniques that utilized ancient Chanaean medicine.


    However, she couldn¡¯t help but think that it wasn¡¯t a bad idea to p Queenie in the face.

 Chapter 880

    Chapter 880


    Chapter 880 Not A Kind Person


    Arielle¡¯s bizarre gaze sent goosebumps to Queenie¡¯s body.


    Although Queenie initially thought she had the upper hand over Arielle, she felt that her advantage slowly


    vanished.


    Arielle¡¯s gaze is indeed terrifying!


    With that, Queenie decided to avoid Arielle¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to know! Get out now, or else


    I¡¯ll instruct my staff to chase you away!¡±


    In response, Arielle snorted arrogantly and strode away from the hospital.


    It wasn¡¯t until Arielle had left that Queenie could finally heave a sigh of relief.


    After going back to Silverbirch Hospital, she felt uneasy and kept fidgeting.


    Shortly after, Cornelius came back.


    Out of curiosity, Queenie asked impatiently, ¡°Cor, how did you get to know Queenie?¡±


    Meanwhile, Cornelius was a little surprised to see Queenie in Silverbirch Hospital. ¡°Queenie, why are


    you still here? Shouldn¡¯t you be working in your hospital now?¡±


    Queenie was taken aback by Cornelius¡¯ question. Soon, she calmed herself down and came up with an


    excuse. ¡°The hospital is entrenched with office politics. I don¡¯t want to be like them. Besides, I¡¯ve


    tendered my resignation, considering that I¡¯ve learned a lot about modern medicine already.¡±


    ¡°Did you say you have resigned?¡± Cornelius howled.


    Nheless, he regained hisposure very soon and added noddingly, ¡°It¡¯s okay. After all, dad didn¡¯t


    agree with your decision to learn modern medicine in the first ce. Besides, Silverbirch Hospital


    happens to need more staff. We don¡¯t have someone who can make decisions whenever I¡¯m outside to


    visit patients. Also, while working here, you can have more time to prepare for the selection of our


    family¡¯s heir.¡±


    ¡°Well, you haven¡¯t answered my question.¡± Queenie wanted to leave no stones unturned. ¡°How did you


    get to know Arielle?¡±


    Cornelius¡¯ expression froze. Deep down, he knew that Queenie was jealous and didn¡¯t have a good


    impression of Arielle. Hence, he chose not to tell Queenie that he gave Arielle an invitation card to


    participate in the heir selection. Instead, he briefly exined to Queenie that Arielle lent him a hand


    when he treated Jennie in the past.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Queenie looked up at Cornelius and said, ¡°Cor, Arielle is a lot more scheming than she


    appears. The main reason that I left Rocher Private Hospital is rted to her. I¡¯d advise you to stay away


    from her, for she¡¯s not a kind-hearted person.¡±


    Cornelius felt uneasy after hearing Queenie¡¯s unpleasantment about Arielle. He frowned and


    reminded, ¡°Queenie, you shouldn¡¯t say such things to others, for Dad values virtues above all else.


    Please don¡¯t badmouth anyone from now on.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Queenie waved her hand impatiently and sat back on her chair to scroll her phone.


    Cornelius couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    s, I wonder how Queenie will react when she sees Arielle during the heir selection day. Hopefully,


    everything will go smoothly.


    After taking some rest in the lobby for a while, Cornelius left the hospital to visit his patients.


    On the other hand, Arielle instructed Rayson to drive to a nearby traditional medicine clinic.


    Most of the herbs that Arielle wanted to buy were ordinary herbs except for one.


    Hence, she had to visit three clinics to buy all the herbs.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, where should we head to now? Are we going back to Maple Mansion?¡±


    Surprisingly, Arielle shook her head and responded, ¡°I want to visit Jadeborough University.¡±


    Since she was avable now, she hoped to visit the archive to look for clues about that man.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Rayson didn¡¯t ask questions but drove to Jadeborough University as instructed.


    The car stopped on red lights many times along the way. When they were at the city center, Arielle


    suddenly saw a familiar figure.

 Chapter 881

    Chapter 881


    Chapter 881 A Billion


    It¡¯s Vinson!


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Although Arielle only saw his back, she was sure that he was Vinson.


    But why is Vinson at the city center? Didn¡¯t he say he had to return to his office to attend a meeting?


    Given that the headquarters of Nightshire Group was forty minutes away from the city center, Arielle was


    bewildered upon seeing Vinson.


    When Arielle took a closer look, a tall and sexy woman with heavy makeup stood in front of Vinson.


    The next moment, the woman put an arm around Vinson¡¯s shoulder intimately and walked toward a bar


    by the roadside.


    At that moment, Arielle was rendered speechless, her heart pounded. Then, her face went red almost


    instantly.


    The traffic light turned green the moment they went into the bar. Rayson stepped on the elerator to


    continue their journey to Jadeborough University.


    Rayson didn¡¯t notice the change in Arielle¡¯s expression and continued to chat with her from time to time.


    Meanwhile, Arielle tried very hard to remain calm. No matter how much she hoped to respond to Rayson,


    her mind was in turmoil. As such, she couldn¡¯t utter a word throughout the journey.


    Fortunately, they arrived at Jadeborough University very soon.


    After leaving the herbs in the car, Arielle asked Rayson to return to Maple Mansion. Then, she began


    wandering around the university aimlessly.


    As it was evening, many people were ying basketball on the court.


    Unknowingly, Arielle had arrived at the viewing tform. Gazing at the zestful and exuberant students on


    the court, she suddenly felt that she was an old and feeble woman.


    As the sun gradually set, more and more students left the court.


    Arielle could finally calm herself down as the breeze blew on her face.


    Vinson isn¡¯t that kind of person. There must be some misunderstanding.


    Arielle tried very hard to persuade herself repeatedly. In the end, she forced herself not to ponder about it


    and entered the library to search for information in the archive.


    Although Arielle looked for information attentively, she couldn¡¯t help but nce at her phone from time to


    time.


    Deep down, she hoped that Vinson would call her.


    Meanwhile, in the Wave Bar, Vinson shook off the woman¡¯s hand from his shoulder and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ve


    booked the entire bar, and thus you can take off your disgusting disguise.¡±


    The woman¡¯s sexy and red lips curled into a sweet smile. Suddenly, she took off her wig and revealed


    her crew-cut.


    ¡°Jeez! My darling, can¡¯t you let me pretend to be a woman for a little longer?¡± The woman suddenly let


    out a masculine voice.


    Vinson pursed his lips in disgust and interjected, ¡°Cut the crap! I ask you toe over to give you an


    important task.¡±


    ¡°Tsk!¡± The mysterious man pretended to be hurt and said, ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t ask me out for no reason.


    You¡¯ll never miss me.¡±


    ¡°Be serious and talk nicely.¡±


    The man shed Vinson a flirtatious smile and cleaned his makeup with a wet tissue. Then, he took off


    the fake boobs and asked with a stern face, ¡°What is the task about?¡±


    ¡°Sneak into Turlen and find out everything about the people over there.¡±


    ¡°Turlen?¡± The man put up a straight face and stopped joking.


    Vinson looked up at him and said, ¡°You heard me right. It¡¯s the country that never forms diplomatic


    rtionships with other countries.¡±


    There was a brief moment of silence before he asked, ¡°How much do you offer?¡±


    ¡°A hundred million.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± The man chuckled. ¡°Bro, I can imagine that country is not an ordinary ce. Do you think the


    price is enough?¡±


    ¡°How much do you want then?¡±


    ¡°I want a billion, plus your wine cer in Ustrana. I can guarantee you that I¡¯ll learn about all of the


    country¡¯s overt and covert cultures. Besides, I can even learn to speak their dialects for you.¡±

 Chapter 882

    Chapter 882


    Chapter 882 Caught In The Act


    Vinson gazed at him for a while and agreed to it. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll give you half a month toplete the task.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too short. You must know that it¡¯s difficult to sneak into the ce. I can¡¯t possibly get in by simply


    disguising myself. Hence, I think I¡¯ll need at least a month.¡±


    ¡°Alright. A month it is. Remember that I want to know everything about Turlen.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    The man patted his recently-shaved leg excitedly like a kid. Then, he began to propose a toast to Vinson.


    ¡°My zillionaire,e and have a few sses of drink with me. I only had some cheap wine on the ne


    for more than ten hours. My goodness! It almost drove me mad.¡±


    Vinson casually lifted his ss in response.


    The mysterious man was Xavier, the world¡¯s top-ranked detective. Anything that could be imagined was


    something he could do.


    Under normal circumstances, it was extremely difficult to hire Xavie. However, Xavier willingly helped


    Vinson because thetter coincidentally rescued him before.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stare at your wine. Drink it!¡± Xavier lifted Vinson¡¯s ss for him.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Frowning, Vinson replied, ¡°It¡¯s okay. My wife will be upset when she notices the smell of alcohol.¡±


    ¡°What? Did you say you have a wife?¡± Xavier asked shockingly, ¡°What kind of a silly woman falls for a


    man with a poker face like you?¡±


    Instantly, Vinson¡¯s pulled a long face. ¡°Watch your mouth!¡±


    Xavier got dumbstruck upon seeing Vinson¡¯s reaction. He blurted out a swear word and eximed, ¡°My


    goodness! You¡¯re not joking! You do have a wife!¡±


    Before Xavier finished, the bar¡¯s security guard came in nervously and reported to Vinson. ¡°Mr.


    Nightshire, a woman is waiting outside and calling you by name. She said she wants you toe out


    now, o-or else¡­¡±


    Xavier asked curiously, ¡°Go on.¡±


    After ncing at Vinson, the security guard continued, ¡°Or else you¡¯ll be dead.¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Xavier patted his leg. ¡°This is fun! I want to find out who she is!¡±


    ¡°Hey, your identity must be kept secret. Stay here. I¡¯ll go out and take a look.¡±


    Vinson cast Xavier a warning nce before going out with doubts.


    Why is there a woman who asks to see me?


    Vinson couldn¡¯t think of anyone who knew his whereabouts. After all, he had been cautious and was sure


    that no one followed him just now.


    Feeling that something was off, Vinson¡¯s expression turned grim. Also, he instructed a few bodyguards to


    go out with him to ensure his safety.


    When Vinson finally came to the bar entrance and saw the woman, he was rooted to the ground.


    ¡°Sannie?¡±


    He never imagined that Arielle would be here to look for him.


    Vinson came up to Arielle hurriedly and wanted to hold her hand. However, she dodged him in anger.


    As such, Vinson couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous.


    ¡°Sannie, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    After a while, Arielle finally cast a cold nce at Vinson.


    Impatience overwhelmed Arielle even after she spent many hours in the archive. In the end, she decided


    to call a cab to the bar.


    Knowing that the truth would probably break her heart, Arielle was fed up with taking wild guesses and


    made up her mind to take a look by herself.


    Deep down, she was mentally prepared to let go of Vinson if necessary. After all, she believed she could


    continue with her life without Vinson.


    Even though she could tolerate all of Vinson¡¯s bad habits, she refused to keep quiet if Vinson cheated on


    her.


    ¡°Sannie?¡±


    Vinson¡¯s heart skipped a beat when Arielle stared at him silently and dodged him. No matter how


    composed he usually was, his face couldn¡¯t help but redden at that moment.


    Shortly after, Arielle finally took a deep breath and broke the silence. ¡°Would you mind exining why


    you¡¯re here?¡±


    Deep in Arielle¡¯s heart, she was ready to leave once she confirmed that Vinson had cheated on her.


    Moreover, she told herself not to be soft-hearted.

 Chapter 883

    Chapter 883


    Chapter 883 Pretending To Be A Girl


    She refused to believe that she could not forget a mere man.


    Looking at the determined look in Arielle¡¯s eyes, Vinson knew that he could not hide it from her anymore.


    He sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I lied to you. Actually, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to listen to your excuses and exnations. Just answer me¡ªdo you have a mistress?¡±


    Vinson¡¯s expression froze on his face. A look of surprise shed across his eyes.


    ¡°Mistress? What mistress?¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Arielle frowned.


    ¡°Stop pretending, Vinson.¡± Arielle raised her chin and said, ¡°I saw everything! I saw you walking into a


    bar with a woman. I¡¯m asking you this because I¡¯m giving you a chance to be honest with me. If you don¡¯t


    want this chance¡­¡±


    Suddenly realizing something, Vinson smiled and asked, ¡°Are you jealous, Sannie?¡±


    Arielle did not know why Vinson could still smile at this juncture.


    She rebuked coldly, ¡°I¡¯m not jealous. I only want to confirm this with you. Vinson, I don¡¯t mind even if


    you¡¯re broke or useless. However, betrayal is something that I cannot ept, and you¡¯ve betrayed me.¡±


    With that, she spun around and was about to leave.


    However, Vinson grabbed her wrist.


    ¡°Let go of me!¡± Arielle tried to fling his hand away, but his grip was too strong for her to break free.


    She red at Vinson. ¡°You already have a mistress! Why are you still holding me back? Let go of me! I¡¯m


    disgusted by you.¡±


    Knowing that Arielle had truly misunderstood, Vinson became anxious.


    This is such a huge misunderstanding.


    ¡°Sannie, listen to me¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to listen to your exnations!¡±


    ¡°Fine, don¡¯t listen to me.¡± Vinson nodded and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you here to confirm it? At least, you need to


    confirm what¡¯s the woman¡¯s rtionship with me, right?¡±


    Arielle felt a chill run down her spine.


    She had seen the woman¡¯s figure, but not her face.


    Hence, she wanted to see how Vinson¡¯s mistress looked like and whether she knew that person.


    Arielle flung Vinson¡¯s hand away forcefully and strode in.


    It was obvious that the entire bar had been booked. There was no one inside except for the bartender.


    Arielle spotted someone sitting at a booth. The person was hidden by a chair, but a corner of a red dress


    was revealed.


    She remembered that the woman acting so intimately with Vinson was also wearing a mboyant red


    dress.


    It looks like it¡¯s her.


    Arielle strode over, while Vinson followed behind with an ambiguous expression. No one could tell what


    he was thinking about.


    Arielle reached the woman quickly. However, when she walked to the front, she was stunned.


    That woman¡¯s blonde and curly hair had be a crew cut. There was a huge blonde wig lying on the


    table beside her, alongside two fake boobs.


    This isn¡¯t a woman! This is a guy pretending to be a woman!


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Arielle gaped in shock, not knowing how she should react.


    Even Xavier was surprised to see Arielle.


    He saw a woman whose beauty was so wless that no one could ever surpass her. It was as if a


    goddess had descended from the heavens.


    She was so gorgeous that no one would ever forget her after a single glimpse.


    ¡°A rare beauty!¡± Xavier rubbed his eyes in disbelief, suspecting that he was hallucinating from being


    drunk.


    Arielle widened her eyes as a look of disbelief crossed them.


    He sounds masculine too¡­ It looks like he¡¯s really a man!


    A man? How can he be a man?


    At that moment, Vinson¡¯s voice sounded behind Arielle. ¡°Have you taken a closer look at how that


    woman looks like?¡±

 Chapter 884

    Chapter 884


    Chapter 884 First Time Being Jealous


    Arielle bit her lips and blushed.


    She finally realized why Vinson was not afraid of her and dragged her in to see this so-called woman


    instead. It turned out that the person was a man after all!


    Arielle¡¯s gaze flitted around. Feeling embarrassed, she could not even dare to look at Vinson. Hence, she


    kept her gaze fixed on her toes.


    Vinson hugged Arielle¡¯s waist and introduced her to Xavier, who waspletely oblivious. ¡°This is my


    wife.¡±


    ¡°What the heck? You¡¯re so lucky! Money can really buy you everything, huh? Hey, babe, I¡¯m actually very


    rich¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Vinson narrowed his eyes as a threatening look crossed his gaze.


    Intimidated, Xavier quickly waved his hands. ¡°I¡¯m joking. I¡¯m quite the joker, really. Don¡¯t take my words


    seriously! This guy¡¯s richer than me anyway.¡±


    Arielle bit her lip and tried her best to suppress her guilt. She asked Vinson, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Aren¡¯t you


    attending a meeting in your office?¡±


    Vinson looked down apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for lying to you. I came to meet him instead of going to the


    office.¡±


    Xavier finally understood what was going on.


    He quickly stood up and introduced himself, ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Xavier, the top detective internationally. You must


    have misunderstood because of how I dressed up! Well, I¡¯m trying to disguise myself. There are too


    many people trying to kill me, so I¡¯m trying to keep a low profile. Sorry about that!¡±


    Arielle was speechless. You attract more attention dressed up like this, okay?


    Vinson waved his hand at Xavier and said, ¡°My wife¡¯s angry, so I have to go home and coax her. Just


    have fun on your own. I¡¯ve transferred the ownership of this bar to you. Rest well for these two days


    before embarking on my mission.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± Xavier saluted him before waving at Arielle. ¡°Goodbye!¡±


    Arielle nodded before following Vinson out awkwardly.


    Afraid that Vinson would tease her, she quickly said after entering the car, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have hidden it


    from me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all my fault.¡± Vinson nodded sincerely and added, ¡°I met him because of Cindy.¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°Cindy? Why are you keeping it from me, then?¡±


    Vinson smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Actually, I felt very uneasy hiding this from you. It¡¯s good that you¡¯ve


    found out.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Arielle felt even more curious.


    Vinson revealed to her that Cindy was at Turlen before apologizing again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should¡¯ve told you


    about Turlen from the start. I¡¯m just afraid that you¡¯d rush there recklessly after finding out.¡±


    Feeling touched, Arielle grabbed Vinson¡¯s hand. ¡°I was wrong too. Instead of suspecting you, I should¡¯ve


    trusted you. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    Vinson heaved a sigh of relief and kissed her.


    As they kissed passionately, they opened their hearts to each other.


    After a long while, Vinson finally let her go.


    Looking at her blushing cheeks, he said affectionately, ¡°Do you know, Arielle? When you interrogated me


    just now, I was really happy. It¡¯s the first time you felt jealous because of me¡­¡±

 Chapter 885

    Chapter 885


    Chapter 885 Passionate Morning


    He had always felt jealous because of Arielle. Now, he had finally seen Arielle be jealous because


    of him.


    Doesn¡¯t it mean that Arielle¡¯s starting to care about me more?


    Although his happiness could not be described in words, his huge grin revealed it all.


    ¡°You idiot!¡± Feigning anger, Arielle red at him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t hide anything from me anymore. I¡¯m not


    dumb, so I won¡¯t confront anyone without finding out who they are!¡±


    ¡°Promise me that you¡¯ll not go to Turlen before I find out what¡¯s going on. I only want you to stay safe.¡±


    Arielle nodded firmly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t.¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    As she thought that barely anyone in this world cared about her, she always acted without any regard for


    danger.


    However, many people cared for her now, even strangers on the Inte. Hence, she was determined to


    love and take care of herself more. She would not act as recklessly as before.


    Seeing that Arielle had agreed, Vinson finally felt relieved.


    ¡°Turlen¡­¡± Gazing at the scenes zooming past her outside the window, Arielle remembered the many


    rumors surrounding that ce.


    It was a country that was closed to the outside world. Other than its geographical shape, no one knew


    what was inside.


    However, Arielle believed that for a country to survive till now, it definitely stayed in contact with the


    outside world. Otherwise, its technology would have fallen behind significantlypared to its global


    counterparts.


    She could still find some clues.


    Arielle turned her head and asked Vinson, ¡°Do you think that the man who took the picture with Mom is


    from Turlen?¡±


    Vinson thought about it for a while before nodding. ¡°It¡¯s highly possible. They believe that their bloodline


    is very precious, so they¡¯re unwilling to let it be tainted by outsiders. Precisely so, the people there


    refused to let that man be together with your mother, leading to that tragedy. So¡­¡±


    After a slight pause, he continued, ¡°By announcing your background publicly, you might have attracted


    their attention. You need to pay more attention to your safety from now on.¡±


    Arielle nodded again. This time, she kissed Vinson¡¯s lips.


    It was as if their souls had merged together alongside their intertwined tongues.


    That night, Arielle slept with Vinson.


    As she had a test the next day, Vinson tried his best to suppress his urges. Other than kissing and


    hugging her, he did not go any further.


    Soon, the next day arrived.


    The sunlight shone on Arielle¡¯s face. When she opened her eyes slowly, she realized that she was


    snuggling in Vinson¡¯s arms. Both of them were merely a hair¡¯s breadth apart.


    She could not help but blush. Just when she was about to get out of bed secretly, Vinson suddenly


    grabbed her waist and kissed her.


    While they were kissing passionately, the rm rang.


    Although Arielle enjoyed this feeling, she could not bete for her test.


    ¡°Let go of me¡­ I need to go to school.¡±


    Feeling reluctant, Vinson gave Arielle¡¯s lips another peck before releasing her.


    Afraid that he would suddenly change his mind, she quickly jumped out of bed and washed up.


    Watching Arielle skip away happily, Vinson could not help but smile affectionately.


    He decided to wash up as well and send Arielle to Jadeborough University.


    Soon, they arrived at the university.


    Vinson opened the car door for Arielle. Stroking her head, he encouraged her gently, ¡°Do your best for


    the examination!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t embarrass you!¡±


    Arielle waved at him while walking into the school.


    Coincidentally, Wendy saw what just happened.

 Chapter 886

    Chapter 886


    Chapter 886 Someone New


    Initially, Wendy stayed on campus. However, as her parents wereing to Jadeborough, she stayed in


    the rented apartment for the past few days to stock up on the daily necessities.


    Upon seeing this scene, she felt furious.


    Vinson is sending her to school and picking her up every day. Doesn¡¯t he have anything better to do?


    If I were her, I definitely wouldn¡¯t bear to let Vinson spend so much of his precious time on me.


    A selfish person like Arielle doesn¡¯t deserve to be the wife of Nightshire Group¡¯s president!


    Wendy stood motionlessly and watched as Vinson drove away. Only then did she avert her jealous gaze


    and enter the school.


    When she took a step forward, a deafening roar sounded, which was quickly followed by a loud screech.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    She turned around subconsciously. A man wearing a pair of sunsses and a mask got out of the sports


    car.


    Noticing Wendy, he strode toward her.


    She quickly recognized him to be Jason.


    Jason walked forward and whispered, ¡°Do you remember me? I¡¯m Jason.¡±


    Before Wendy could say anything, he asked, ¡°Did Ariellee to school today?¡±


    It¡¯s another person looking for Arielle! When will this end?


    Although Wendy was in a horrible mood, she maintained a friendly smile on her face.


    ¡°Arielle? I don¡¯t know. She has been skipping sses for a long time. ¡°


    Immediately after she spoke, Arielle walked back to the entrance again.


    Spotting Arielle, Jason quickly abandoned Wendy and rushed over.


    ¡°Arielle!¡±


    Jason¡¯s fashion style was very unforgettable. Arielle could recognize him even though he had his mask


    on.


    Arielle hade out to pick Jared up. He had called her earlier, but his call ended abruptly. Deciding to


    wait for him at the entrance, she ended up bumping into the troublesome Jason instead.


    A look of impatience surfaced in her eyes. Still, she forced herself to stay calm. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    With a hand shoved into a pocket, he struck a pose that he thought was handsome. He said coolly,


    ¡°Nothing. I only want to give you a chance.¡±


    Arielle narrowed her eyes confusedly and asked, ¡°What chance?¡±


    ¡°A chance to pursue me.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Arielle burst outughing. ¡°Are you crazy?¡±


    Jason frowned unhappily.


    ¡°What do you mean by that? Let me tell you this, Arielle. ying hard to get will only work once or twice.


    It¡¯s boring if you continue putting up the act. My patience is limited.¡±


    ¡°ying hard to get?¡±


    Arielle was speechless.


    Raising his chin, Jason took off his mask and sunsses. With his handsome face revealed, he said,


    ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you onest time. Are you going to act in this movie?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± rejected Arielle directly.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Not expecting her to reject him again, he was at a loss for words.


    At that moment, Jared appeared at the entrance.


    Arielle told Jason coldly, ¡°I¡¯m telling you this onest time too. I¡¯m not interested in entering the


    entertainment industry, and less so in you. If you have the time, you should hold an audition with Sam for


    other actors. Stop wasting any more time on me. Also, please don¡¯t look for me in the future. Thank you.¡±


    Ignoring Jason, she strode toward Jared briskly.


    ¡°Jared!¡±


    Jared raised his hand and stopped in his tracks. When Arielle reached him, he exined, ¡°Boss, my


    phone ran out of battery, so the call ended abruptly.¡±


    Arielle nodded. Just when she was about to ask him why he was looking for her, she heard Jason¡¯s


    unhappy voice. ¡°So you have found someone new?¡±

 Chapter 887

    Chapter 887


    Chapter 887 Genius


    ¡°Someone new?¡± Jared almost choked on his saliva upon hearing what Jason said.


    After coughing for a while, he asked Arielle confusedly, ¡°Who¡¯s that, Boss?¡±


    She could not be bothered to deal with Jason, so she answered vaguely, ¡°No one important. He¡¯s just a


    lame person. Let¡¯s go and talk on the way.¡±


    Jared nodded. After shooting a warning look at Jason, he followed Arielle.


    ¡°How dare he re at me?¡± Jason was about to chase after her when someone recognized him.


    ¡°Jason! Is he Jason?¡±


    ¡°Oh my God! Jason, I like you so much! Can you give me your autograph?¡±


    A grim look crossed Jason¡¯s face. He quickly wore his mask and ran toward his car.


    Before he got into his car, he yelled at Arielle, ¡°Arielle! Don¡¯t regret this!¡±


    Arielle did not even turn around. Meanwhile, Wendy witnessed everything that had happened.


    Despite the jealousy zing in her eyes, she could not do anything about it.


    Regardless of whether it was Jason or Vinson, no one cared about her. Even if she was unhappy, she


    could not change the reality.


    However, Wendy quickly regained her motivation. As long as I do well on my examination, there¡¯s a


    chance to turn the tables!


    The university¡¯s Ustranasion examination started shortly afterward.


    Although the examination was even harder this time, it merely tested moreplex grammar and rarer


    vocabry.


    A difficulty level like that was nothing to Arielle.


    She finished the questions quickly within half an hour and was prepared to submit the examination.


    However, she realized that she was not allowed to hand in the examination half an hour early. Hence,


    she had no choice but to sit down and wait for time to pass.


    Marcus was not there to invigte the examination. Instead, Arthur, the Ustranasion professor, was


    standing at the back of the ssroom.


    When Arthur noticed that Arielle had finished her paper half an hour in, he could not help but approach


    her. He stood behind her secretly and scanned through her answers.


    After looking at a few multiple-choice questions, he was stunned.


    As he had set the paper with Donovan, he knew exactly how difficult it was.


    Even though he was the one who prepared the paper, he spent an hour trying it out. Yet, not only did


    Arielle answer all the questions correctly, but she also did it within half an hour. She was beyond a mere


    intelligent student¡ªshe was a rare genius.


    Suppressing his excitement, Arthur returned to the invigtor¡¯s seat.


    Time passed slowly. Soon, the Ustranasion examination ended.


    Arielle did not submit the examination early because she had fallen asleep.


    After collecting Arielle¡¯s paper, Arthur nudged her shoulders gently.


    ¡°Arielle, the examination is over. Wake up.¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Having been jolted awake, Arielle smiled at him apologetically and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Professor Sleight.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Arthur was not the type to be bothered by things like these. Holding the examination papers,


    he went to look for Donovan.


    Both of them walked out of the ssroom with the sealed papers. Donovan remarked unhappily,


    ¡°Professor Sleight, I know that you like Arielle, but you shouldn¡¯t waste any more time on bad students


    like her who skips lessons and sleeps in examinations.¡±


    Stunned, Arthur shot Donovan a meaningful look and asked, ¡°Mr. Baxter, what if this so-called bad


    student can still emerge top in the ss despite skipping lessons and sleeping in examinations?¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± Donovan scoffed, ¡°Professor Sleight, you¡¯re overestimating Arielle. Even if her oral skills are good,


    and she managed to trante your lesson n for Maxwell University, it¡¯s impossible for her to score the


    highest in ss!¡±

 Chapter 888

    Chapter 888


    Chapter 888 Guess The Questions


    Donovan was very certain.


    In his opinion, Wendy had the highest chance of topping the ss, not Arielle, who got in by pulling some


    strings.


    Arthur shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not overestimating Arielle, Mr. Baxter. You¡¯re underestimating her.¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pointless to say anything else,¡± interrupted Arthur. ¡°After we finish marking the scripts and the scores


    are released, we¡¯ll find out.¡±


    With that, he left briskly.


    Looking at Arthur¡¯s back, Donovan started to feel uncertain.


    Can Arielle really top the ss?


    However, he shook his head quickly.


    It¡¯s impossible!


    Even if she really scores the highest, she still missed the Chanaean test. No matter what, she cannot


    be the top five students in ss.


    After all, this is a preparatory ss. Other than those who got in by pulling some strings, everyone else


    was extremely talented.


    Wendy was even the national top scorer during the college entrance exam.


    Donovan was even more confident now. Dispelling the doubt in his mind, he strode toward the lecturers¡¯


    block.


    When Donovan and Arthur left, everyone in the ssroom rushed to Arielle.


    ¡°Arielle, do you remember the answers to the multiple-choice questions?¡±


    ¡°Are you dumb? All the questions in the Ustranasion examination are multiple-choice questions. Ask


    about the cloze passage first. It¡¯s too difficult!¡±


    ¡°Boss, what did you choose for the first question?¡±


    Everyone rushed to ask Arielle. The boy sitting next to Wendy was even more straightforward. ¡°Boss,


    why don¡¯t you write down all the answers that you remember? Otherwise, we¡¯d just keep asking you.¡±


    That was the best method.


    However, he scratched his head awkwardly. ¡°Of course, it doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re unwilling¡­ It¡¯s tiring to


    recall all the answers.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not tiring.¡± Arielle lifted her pen and wrote down all the answers quickly.


    After finishing the paper, she felt very bored. Knowing that everyone would ask her for the answers, she


    had memorized them.


    Within two minutes, Arielle finished writing out all the answers.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to make a copy of this!¡± The boy thanked Arielle and ran toward the printing shop with the


    piece of paper.


    Soon, he returned with a stack of photocopied papers.


    He had printed fifty copies, which was more than enough for everyone in the ss.


    The excess papers were ced on the podium.


    Wendy did not want Arielle¡¯s answers. Hence, she got up and left the ssroom, feeling conflicted.


    The students startedparing answers the moment they got the paper, not even bothering to eat


    lunch.


    Arielle called Trisha over, and they headed to the cafeteria together.


    On the way, Trisha said excitedly, ¡°You¡¯re so impressive, Sannie! You managed to guess the test


    questions for the grammar and essay portion! Luckily, as I revised those grammar rules that you


    mentioned, I could answer most of the multiple-choice questions confidently. You¡¯re really amazing!¡±


    Trisha¡¯s gaze was filled with admiration.


    Arielle smiled calmly and said, ¡°A lot of the questions in this test are simr to Maxwell University¡¯s.¡±


    She had done a lot of Maxwell University¡¯s tests, so she knew the pattern of the questions.


    Trisha was even more puzzled. ¡°How did you deduce what the questions are just by studying the


    Maxwell University¡¯s tests?¡±


    Instead of answering the question, Arielle said, ¡°Since the examination is already over, forget about it.


    Let me guess the questions for the afternoon test. I think that quantum mechanics might be on it. I¡¯ll go


    through it with you.¡±


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sure!¡± Trisha nodded vigorously.


    Unknown to them, Wendy walked out from another path.

 Chapter 889

    Chapter 889


    Chapter 889 Predict The Unknown


    Wendy overheard Arielle and Trisha¡¯s conversation.


    ¡°Quantum mechanics?¡± She scoffed disdainfully.


    They had not even started learning quantum mechanics. No matter how tough the science paper in the


    afternoon was, it would definitely not test that topic.


    Arielle is lucky enough to guess a few Ustranasion questions, but she¡¯s already acting so arrogantly. How


    ridiculous!


    Who does she think she is? An oracle? Shut up!


    Wendy snorted coldly. Deciding not to go to the cafeteria, she turned around and walked toward the


    school gates.


    Soon, it was the afternoon.


    As most of the lessons in the preparatory ss were targeted toward admitting the students to Maxwell


    University, the tests did not feature any technical knowledge. Instead, they mostly included high school


    topics.


    For the humanities, they were tested on world history and geography, while for science, they were tested


    on college-level physics and chemistry.


    The humanities and science subjects werebined into one paper, with the tests being two hours long.


    Although it was not a short time, the paper was extremely hard. Everyone felt like they had to rush, so


    they immediately scanned through the questions after receiving the paper.


    Wendy was even faster. She flipped over the humanities section and nced at the science paper.


    Two secondster, her expression froze on her face.


    There were actually two questions pertaining to quantum physics, both worth fifteen marks!


    Fifteen marks¡­


    Holding the pen, Wendy¡¯s hand trembled.


    She had never studied quantum physics nor read about it before the test. In other words, she would


    never secure these fifteen marks.


    How did this happen? Why are there questions about quantum physics? Can Arielle really predict the


    unknown?


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Or did she know about the examination¡¯s content beforehand? That must be it!


    Wendy was certain that Arielle had seen the paper earlier.


    She became furious and flustered. If I had suspected it the slightest bit and went to read up on quantum


    physics, would I have gotten those fifteen marks?


    When she nced at Trisha, she saw thetter flipping through the script and looking delighted.


    It was obvious why Trisha was so happy.


    D*mn it!


    Wendy gripped her pen forcefully, almost breaking it.


    ¡°Wendy?¡±


    Donovan¡¯s voice sounded.


    Shocked, she nced at the podium.


    He shot her a warning look and said, ¡°Time¡¯s running out.¡±


    Wendy quickly returned to her senses. No longer thinking about the quantum physics question, she


    flipped the paper back to the humanities section and answered everything carefully.


    Considering Trisha¡¯s abilities, she might not secure that fifteen marks even if she has revised quantum


    physics.


    Instead of being hung up over the fifteen marks, I should answer the previous questions properly.


    After calming down, Wendy immersed herself in the test.


    As the sun began to set, the bell signaling the end of the examination sounded.


    Almost everyone had their scripts collected before they could finish all the questions.


    Everyone wailed the moment Donovan left.


    ¡°I only finished half of the science paper! There¡¯s no time!¡±


    ¡°Even if I did it, it¡¯s pointless! I don¡¯t even know how to do the two major questions at the back. Quantum


    physics¡­ I¡¯ve never learned it before!¡±


    ¡°Yeah! This examination is terrifyingly hard. I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ll score a record low this time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me too.¡±


    Wendy stood up silently. Looking at Arielle, she raised her voice and demanded coldly, ¡°Arielle, it must


    feel good to know the examination topics beforehand, right?¡±

 Chapter 890

    Chapter 890


    Chapter 890 Because I Am Capable


    When she said that, everyone stopped wailing.


    Some were surprised and puzzled, while the rest nced at Wendy unhappily.


    ¡°What is Wendy up to again?¡±


    ¡°Is she afraid that Boss will snatch the top ce away from her? Does she want to use Boss before


    the results are released?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s highly possible!¡±


    The boy sitting next to Wendy stood up and waved his hands dismissively. ¡°Since we¡¯ve already finished


    the examination, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Wendy red at him and said coldly, ¡°Go? Don¡¯t you have anything against an unfair examination like


    this?¡±


    He frowned and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be crazy, Wendy.¡±


    ¡°Crazy? I¡¯m crazy?¡± Furious, Wendy jabbed a finger in Arielle¡¯s direction. ¡°Looks like none of you


    understood what I said. Do you know? Arielle has already seen the paper beforehand and found out the


    topics. She even told them to Trisha!¡±


    Trisha flushed in panic.


    ¡°T-That¡¯s not true!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Wendy scoffed mockingly. ¡°Well, the truth will eventually be revealed. Do you think that you can


    keep it a secret? Let me tell you right now! I overheard your conversation with Arielle this afternoon. She


    told you that the paper would have quantum physics questions. You can¡¯t deny that, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Trisha, who did not know how to lie, blushed and said, ¡°It¡¯s true, but Sannie did not¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it! You¡¯ve already admitted,¡± interrupted Wendy. Sweeping her gaze over everyone, she dered


    loudly, ¡°Don¡¯t you think that Arielle¡¯s answers are the model answers? That¡¯s right! Her answers are the


    model answers because she already knew the examination questions!¡±


    Everyone in the ss fell silent.


    They knew that Trisha was not capable of telling lies.


    Yet, her words were an implicit agreement that Arielle knew that quantum physics would be tested in the


    afternoon.


    What¡¯s going on?


    Everyone nced at Arielle in confusion.


    Although none of them wished to doubt her, they wanted an exnation.


    The boy sitting next to Wendy asked, ¡°Boss, what¡¯s going on? This must be a misunderstanding, right?¡±


    Arielle knew that she could not ignore what Wendy was saying anymore.


    She shot a cold re at Wendy, who felt a chill run down her spine.


    However, Wendy felt more glee than fear.


    It¡¯s obvious that Arielle¡¯s feeling furious and embarrassed after I revealed the truth!


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Smirking, she asked Arielle, ¡°Arielle, exin yourself. Why are you silent now?¡±


    Arielle replied calmly, ¡°You¡¯re really ignorant, Wendy.¡±


    Wendy¡¯s expression froze on her face. ¡°You¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, Arielle interrupted, ¡°Haven¡¯t it ever crossed your mind that people


    can predict questions?¡±


    Wendy was speechless for a while before denying, ¡°Do you want to hide the truth by saying that? Even if


    you tried to predict the questions, how can you be so urate?¡±


    Arielle said slowly, ¡°Because I¡¯m capable.¡±


    Wendy¡¯s expression turned uglier as her lips twitched.


    I was waiting for Arielle¡¯s rebuttal, but this is what she said?


    ¡°Are you joking, Arielle?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking.¡± Arielle walked toward Wendy. As she was a head taller than Wendy, she lowered her


    chin and looked down on Wendy arrogantly. ¡°No matter how much you try to defame me, you can never


    deny this fact.¡±

 Chapter 891

    Chapter 891


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 891


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop it. If you think that I know the examination topics beforehand, start an investigation. I¡¯ll admit defeat


    if you find any pieces of evidence. However, if you spread these baseless rumors before finding out the


    truth, don¡¯t me me for seeking out awyer. I¡¯ve gone to court before. I don¡¯t mind going there again.¡±


    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡±


    ¡°If I have done nothing wrong, I have nothing to fear. If you¡¯re scared, it means that you¡¯re guilty, right?¡±


    Wendy gritted her teeth and spat coldly, ¡°Fine! Don¡¯t let me find out that you only aced this test because


    you already know the questions beforehand!¡±


    With that, she spun around and ran out of the ssroom.


    She wanted to look for Donovan. As he was safeguarding the papers, she would find out if Arielle


    cheated by asking him.


    After Wendy left, the tense atmosphere in the ssroom dispersed.


    The boy sitting next to Wendy said, ¡°Boss, ignore Wendy. She¡¯s just jealous.¡±


    Shaking her head, Arielle said, ¡°If she doesn¡¯t voice her doubts now, people will still find it strange in the


    future. I¡¯d rather she investigate everything now, so there won¡¯t be any more troubles next time.¡±


    ¡°Next time?¡± He scratched his head in confusion. ¡°Why would there be trouble next time?¡±


    Arielle smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯ll find out on Monday.¡±


    She had answered every question carefully for this test.


    If her score was too high, people would suspect her.


    Hence, it was better if Wendy investigated her now.


    Still puzzled, the boy nodded. ¡°See you on Monday, Boss.¡±


    ¡°See you on Monday.¡±


    Arielle waved her hands and bade farewell to her ssmates. Then, she walked to Trisha, who was


    feeling extremely guilty. Holding Trisha¡¯s hand, she consoled, ¡°It¡¯s fine now! Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll treat you to a


    meal.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Trisha shook her head and said, ¡°I should be treating you to a meal. If you didn¡¯t guess the


    questions for me, Wendy wouldn¡¯t have used you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± Arielle said seriously, ¡°Trust me. Even if that didn¡¯t happen, Wendy will still suspect me.


    Incapable people are the most skilled at suspecting the capable. So, don¡¯t overthink. Let¡¯s go! What do


    you want to eat? Barbecue? It¡¯s been ages since I¡¯ve eaten barbecue.¡±


    Trisha felt slightly relieved after hearing what Arielle


    said.


    She nodded and reserved a table at a popr barbecue ce.


    After sending a message to Vinson, she went there with Trisha.


    Meanwhile, in a conference room at Vinson Corporation, the atmosphere was extremely solemn.


    There were some problems with a new project. Furthermore, it was the top management who had


    pointed out the problems.


    Rayson was supposed to handle it on behalf of Vinson. However, as he was busy investigating the


    wedding, he had handed it over to the secretary¡¯s office.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Although it was the secretary¡¯s office that failed to do a good job, Rayson could not evade responsibility.


    Just as he was clutching his wallet and trembling, he suddenly saw Vinson¡¯s phone light up.


    He noticed that it was a message from Arielle.


    I¡¯m saved!


    Indeed, when Vinson nced at his phone, he smiled.


    Rayson immediately heaved a sigh of relief.


    Whenever Ms. Moore sends Mr. Nightshire a message,


    his mood will always improve.


    If his mood improves, my punishment will be less severe.


    Ms. Moore is my savior!


    When Vinson saw that Arielle had messaged him, he tapped into it immediately despite still being in a


    meeting.


    However, a second after reading the message, Vinson¡¯s good mood disappeared and was reced by


    fury. A cold aura enveloped him.

 Chapter 892

    Chapter 892


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 892


    The text message only read: I¡¯m going for a BBQ with Trisha. Please don¡¯t follow us.


    Did Arielle just abandon me?


    Vinson stared at the text for a full minute before raising his head to peer at the top management fanned


    out before him.


    ¡°If you guys do not get this done, don¡¯t expect to get off work any time soon.¡± He looked at Rayson, who


    was looking bewildered and said, ¡°Especially you, Rayson. I¡¯m going to cut your year-end bonus this


    year.¡±


    Rayson was thunderstruck.


    Meanwhile, Wendy went looking for Donovan right after leaving the ssroom.


    ¡°What do you mean she¡¯s seen the paper?¡± Donovan raised a brow and rebutted Wendy¡¯s idea right


    away. ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible.¡±


    Surprised, Wendy asked, ¡°Why is that impossible??


    Donovan looked at her and said, ¡°As this exam result is a prerequisite for the admission quota of


    Maxwell University, the paper is kept in a safe after all teachers have set up the questions. All teachers


    take turns to guard the safe around the clock. Besides, only I have the password to the safe.¡±


    ¡°Could it be that Arielle had broken into the safe when the teacher on duty was away?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible too,¡± Donovan said adamantly. ¡°The safe was sealed after the paper was ced


    inside. There surely would be traces of a break-in if anyone attempted to steal the paper. Besides, upon


    inspection, the seal was in perfect condition when we took the paper out of the safe. So, it¡¯s impossible


    that someone had gotten their hands on the paper.¡±


    Even though Donovan was not fond of Arielle and even repulsed by her, he was certain that she would


    not have ess to the paper that was heavily guarded.


    If Arielle had ess to the question paper, his authority would surely be questioned and doubted.


    However, Wendy still could not believe that Arielle had never seen the paper.


    So, the only way that she knew quantum mechanics was going to be tested was because she had


    urately predicted the exam question.


    Wendy still found the idea absurd since urately predicting questions was an arduous task for a


    student.


    Just who is this Arielle? Why does she seem to excel in everything she does?


    Wendy then recalled Arielle¡¯s smug manners and grimaced in response.


    ¡°All right.¡± Donovan noticed her expression and tried to soothe her. ¡°You¡¯re finally done with your exams.


    Quit worrying over it. Don¡¯t slouch for the weekend, though.


    I¡¯ll send you two sets of Maxwell University past-year questions. Solve them all and be prepared for your


    admission exam.¡±


    Wendy bit her lower lip and nodded her head.


    Since her n to discredit Arielle failed, Wendy knew her only way out for sessful admission to


    Maxwell University was only good old hard work.


    Either way, she was certain that Arielle, who had missed out on taking one of the subjects, would


    certainly not be able to surpass her results.


    Wendy was gued with regret for her foolhardiness after walking out of Donovan¡¯s office.


    I should have learned my lessons and kept this to myself.


    Meanwhile, at a barbecue restaurant, even though Trisha had managed to get a reservation at the BBQ


    ce, she had failed to secure a private booth. Hence, the two of them could only upy a table in the


    crowdedmon area.


    ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± Trisha held the drink in her hand and said in a dejected manner, ¡°I really fail at everything


    I do. Sorry for dragging you down with me.¡±


    Arielle merely smiled and said, ¡°Ah, nonsense. It¡¯s impossible for Wendy to discredit me. Maybe she¡¯s


    even regretting busting me out at the ssroom right now. And hey, it¡¯s better to have a barbecue at a


    bustling


    ce, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Trisha managed a weak smile and vowed to never do anything that would burden Arielle anymore.


    Right then, someone spoke up right behind Arielle.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

 Chapter 893

    Chapter 893


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 893


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Bewildered, Arielle turned around and noticed a man was standing behind her.


    ¡°Ms. Moore! It¡®s really you!¡±


    The man seemed excited at the sight of Arielle.


    At the same time, Arielle recognized the man.


    ¡°Mr. Sleight?¡±


    ¡°Yep, that¡®s me!¡± Sam pointed at the vacant seat beside her and asked, ¡°Could I sit next to you and chat


    for a


    bit?¡±


    Arielle nodded and gestured for him to take a seat.


    The man took a seat beside her merrily and said, ¡°I didn¡®t expect to bump into you here. Are you busy


    lately?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ am upied these days, but not particrly busy for anything. Why, Mr. Sleight?¡±


    Actually, Arielle could already guess what the man was about to say.


    As expected, Sam exined his intention, ¡°I¡®ve just ended a round of audition, and I¡®m treating the film


    crew to a barbecue here. To be frank, I didn¡¯t think that the audition went too well. Ms. Moore, I¡®d like to


    ask you to reconsider assuming the role of the female lead of my film this time. I don¡®t think there¡®s


    anyone else who is more suited for the role.¡±


    It was a female lead role of a disaster film, and Arielle knew for a fact that the female lead was the


    protagonist of the whole film.


    Hence, the selection for the female lead was of utmost importance.


    ording to the script, the female lead seemed like a hard¨Cheaded and reserved character. At the same


    time, however, the female lead was apassionate character as well. As a matter of fact, Arielle¡®s


    personality mirrored that of the female lead perfectly.


    As the director of the film, Sam already had his sights set on having Arielle as the female lead.


    It was for the same reason that Sam had once again requested for Arielle to ept the role.


    Arielle gave him an apologetic smile and said, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I don¡¯t have any ns to join the


    entertainment industry. The ambassador gig for Soir Coffee happened by chance.¡±


    Sam appeared to be quite dejected after listening to her.


    However, he still handed her his name card. ¡°I¡¯m not going to disturb you further then. Any time you


    change your mind, just give me a call.¡±


    Arielle did not reject the man again and took over the card before sending him off.


    She turned around and noticed that Trisha was clutching


    onto the ss of drink in her hand tightly. Thetter did not even realize it when the drink in her ss


    was spilled over a little on the back of her hand.


    ¡°Trish, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Trisha snapped out of her thoughts, and her face was tinged red.


    She tugged on Arielle¡®s shirt and asked, ¡°Did my eyes y tricks on me? The man who was talking to


    you was the director, Sam Sleight, right?¡±


    Arielle nodded her head. ¡°Yes, that¡®s him.¡±


    ¡°Oh my goodness!¡± Trisha was beyond excited and eximed, ¡°I¡®m his biggest fan! I¡®ve watched every


    one of his films at least a hundred times!¡±


    Arielle was quite taken aback to know that fact. Upon further questioning, she got to know that it was one


    of Sam¡®s films that had gotten Trisha through her toughest days when her autism was at its most serious


    phase.


    The movie was about an autistic girl who had ovee a myriad of obstacles to be a famous


    singer. It was a motivating and touching piece.


    Arielle nodded her head and finally understood Trisha¡®s excitement at the sight of Sam.


    To Trisha, Sam signified hope.


    Trisha looked at Arielle and asked, ¡°Sannie, why did


    you reject Mr. Sleight¡®s offer? Even though he¡¯s quite young, the films he produced had bagged multiple


    awards. In fact, the three highest¨Cgrossing films in our country are directed by him.¡±


    Right then, Arielle realized that she did not know much about Sam.


    She was slightly stumped after listening to Trisha. However, she quickly regained herposure and


    said calmly, ¡°Ah, that¡®s because I still have more important things to attend to. All right, let¡®s move on and


    start our barbecue!¡±


    To Arielle, the prospect of bing a famed celebrity was much less appealing than the te of


    barbequed meat right in of her.


    At the same time, Jason arrived at the BBQ restaurant.

 Chapter 894

    Chapter 894


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 894


    Sam had booked a private room, but he had to pass through Arielle¡¯s table to get to it.


    Jason managed to spot Arielle, who was barbequing right away.


    One would be easily captivated by her sweet smile and outstanding demeanor.


    Jason let out a chuckle upon spotting her.


    Hah, she had rejected me so many times. Yet, she still asked around for my schedule and came all the


    way here just so she could pretend to bump into me by chance. I knew that she was ying hard-to-get.


    At the same time, Gracie, who was standing behind Jason, spotted Arielle as well.


    Excited, the woman patted Jason¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Hey, it¡¯s Arielle!¡±


    Jason merely nodded his head calmly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not blind.¡±


    Gracie had gotten used to Jason¡¯s sarcastic manner and nudged him. ¡°Don¡¯t you have your sights set on


    asking her to be the female lead for ¡®Monsters in Jadeborough¡¯? This is a good chance to pitch your


    idea. I heard that Mr. Sleight still hasn¡¯t found an actress suited for the role from the audition today. You


    might as well take the chance to ask her right now.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. She will ept the role,¡±


    Jason said adamantly.


    Her hard-to-get game wille to an end.


    An epiphany hit Jason right then.


    The more initiative I take, the more Arielle will pretend to ignore me. However, if I ignore her, she will


    understand that her little trick isn¡¯t working. She will then start to show interest in me and even approach


    me then.


    Jason even thought that Arielle showing up at the BBQ restaurant was a validation of his assumption.


    Hence, he decided to change his tactic and not approach her first.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    He deliberately took off his sunsses and walked right past Arielle.


    Gracie was stumped by his actions. Isn¡¯t he the one who¡¯s ogling at Arielle¡¯s photos and videos every


    day?


    However, owing to therge number of crew members present, the manager bit his tongue.


    At themon area, Arielle was so focused on enjoying her barbecue that she did not notice the people


    passing by at all.


    In fact, it was Trisha who noticed that Jason had passed by. Her eyes widened at the sight of him. She


    lowered her voice and asked Arielle, ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that Jason


    Sleight?¡±


    ¡°Jason Sleight?¡± Arielle spaced out for a moment and only registered his name after a moment.


    She furrowed her brows and said, ¡°You¡¯d better hurry up and finish your food then. Let¡¯s get out of here


    as soon as possible.¡±


    Arielle did not wish to bump right into the weirdo.


    Trisha was befuddled by Arielle¡¯s reaction.


    Only Arielle would try to get away from Jason Sleight.


    Soon, night fell.


    When Arielle and Trisha headed out of the barbecue restaurant, an MPV stopped right at the restaurant¡¯s


    entrance.


    The next moment, a tall and handsome man got off the car.


    It was Vinson.


    Trisha avoided the man like she had seen a ghost. She hurriedly halted a taxi and jumped right into the


    first taxi that stopped after bidding goodbye to Arielle.


    Arielle sent her off helplessly before she approached Vinson.


    ¡°Are you done with work?¡± she asked. However,


    Vinson merely nodded and said nothing else before getting into the backseat.


    Stumped, Arielle followed right behind him and into the


    car.


    Rayson sensed that something was not quite right and raised the partition of the car right away to give


    Vinson and Arielle some privacy.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Arielle asked Vinson right away after getting into the car. ¡°Are you in a bad


    mood? Did something happen to thepany?¡±


    Still, Vinson kept quiet. He looked out the window nkly and said nothing.


    Arielle was at a loss. She breathed in deeply and gave Vinson a kiss.


    Vinson¡¯s impassive face finally eased a little.


    He realized that he was powerless against Arielle.


    Arielle did not have any skills to show for and merely pecked on Vinson¡¯s lips.


    His veins popped slightly at her amateur kiss, and he turned around to press her down on the backseat.

 Chapter 895

    Chapter 895


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 895


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Arielle was caught off guard by Vinson suddenly taking the lead.


    When she snapped out of her shock, Arielle realized that Vinson was already on top of her.


    She felt his full weight on her as he started to reciprocate her kiss.


    She let out a low moan.


    However, the moan only served to ignite a burning lust inside the man.


    He pressed harder down on her lips.


    ¡°Vin¡ª¡± Her words turned muffled from Vinson¡¯s kiss.


    Their bodies were in close proximity, and Arielle could clearly feel the changes in his body.


    She felt her cheeks burn upon realizing the effect she had on him.


    But we¡¯re in a car, and Rayson is sitting right in front!


    Abashed and afraid at the same time, Arielle grew more anxious as she feared that Rayson might be


    able to hear them.


    However, Vinson seemed to not share the same sentiment as he continued to kiss her. His hands were


    straying further up her thighs.


    Soon, his hand touched Arielle where she had not been touched before.


    Thetter stiffened in response as she unconsciously mped her legs tight.


    She grew exasperated as she pushed against Vinson¡¯s chest. ¡°Vinson, no!¡±


    Is he crazy? Rayson is right out front!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he won¡¯t be able to see us,¡± Vinson whispered into her ears.


    His hot breath made Arielle tingle.


    She tried hard to keep herposure, albeit her face had already turned crimson red. ¡°But he will be


    able to hear us¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He doesn¡¯t have the guts to listen in.¡±


    Vinson smirked and kissed her again.


    However, the car came to a halt right then.


    Rayson¡¯s voice rang. ¡°Mr. Nightshire, we¡¯re here.¡±


    Vinson¡¯s face sank as he cursed under his breath.


    Arielle sat upright as she straightened out her ruffled hair.


    When she was done, Rayson opened the car door to let


    her out.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, this way.¡± Rayson opened the door for Arielle but was met with Vinson¡¯s death re.


    The frigid stare made the smile on Rayson¡¯s face falter.


    What¡¯s the matter? Oh God¡­ What have I done?


    The next second, Vinson¡¯s cold voice rang. ¡°Your next year-end bonus is gone too.¡±


    The befuddled man was thunderstruck yet again.


    Arielle noticed the man¡¯s expression and hurriedly consoled him. ¡°He¡¯s just joking.¡±


    ¡°I never joke,¡± Vinson replied impassively before taking her hand in his to let her get off the car on his


    side.


    Rayson¡¯s eyes brimmed with tears as he sent them off into the mansion. He grumbled to himself as he


    got back to the car while he med his bad luck for what happened.


    Meanwhile, Arielle was almost dragged by Vinson into the mansion. In the blink of an eye, her hands


    were held in ce by Vinson¡¯s as she was pinned against the door by the man.


    He imed her sweet lips over and over again.


    Vinson finally let her go after what seemed like forever.


    Arielle gasped for breath right after.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you learned how to breathe yet?¡± Vinson asked in a low voice.


    Just when she uttered the first word, Arielle was swept off her feet as Vinson carried her upstairs.

 Chapter 896

    Chapter 896


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 896


    ¡°Vinson¡­¡± Surprised, Arielle circled her hands around the man¡¯s neck.


    Vinson edged his lips close to her ears and said in his baritone voice, ¡°Now, no one will be able to disturb


    us.¡±


    He had set his phone to silent after getting off the car just now.


    That way, he would be able to enjoy his time with Arielle without anyone interrupting him.


    Arielle bit down on her lip and said nothing as she leaned quietly against his shoulders.


    She was not ready thest time. However, this time she was all ready to surrender herself to Vinson.


    The two of them reached the spacious bed upstairs in no time.


    Vinson finally quit restraining himself and kissed her deeply. Then, he caressed Arielle¡¯s slender legs.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    His hands traced further up her thighs as he continued kissing her passionately.


    However, Vinson suddenly paused as his body stiffened.


    Arielle was lost in the passionate moment and felt the man stiffen all of a sudden.


    Bemused, she looked at the man and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Then, Vinson raised his right hand to show that it was stained with blood.


    Arielle was stumped and was hit by a pang of realization.


    Her period was here.


    What great timing¡­


    Arielle¡¯s already crimson red face burned hot with embarrassment.


    Vinson let out a helpless chuckle. ¡°I thought no one would be able to get in our way this time. Who


    would¡¯ve thought¡­¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ Sorry¡­¡± Arielle did not know what else to say. Noticing that Vinson was trying hard to restrain


    himself, she suddenly felt a pang of guilt hit her.


    He caressed her earlobe with his other hand and said, ¡°Silly girl, what are you apologizing for? You¡¯re


    going to be mine sooner orter anyway.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s cheeks burned further. She noticed that Vinson¡¯s hands were on her stomach.


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    Arielle shook her head and nodded her head. ¡°Sometimes it hurts, sometimes it doesn¡¯t. This time I don¡¯t


    feel anything in particr.¡±


    If it had hurt, she would not have needed Vinson to remind her that her period was here.


    Vinson pinched her cheeks and said dotingly, ¡°All right. Change your clothes. It¡¯s better for you to bathe


    in warm water these few days. I¡¯m going downstairs to shower.¡±


    Vinson kissed her on the forehead before turning around to leave.


    Arielle was left all alone in the bedroom. She felt like she had just experienced the most awkward


    moment in her life.


    Could I be the first woman to have a man remind me that my period¡¯s here right before we do it?


    At the thought of Vinson¡¯s bloodstained hand, Arielle let out an exasperated low grunt.


    She covered her face with a pillow to let out a muffled scream. Afraid that with any further dy, she


    might stain the sheets, Arielle got up to clean herself.


    Vinson was in no better shape than she was.


    He could only relieve himself in the shower seeing as he was cockblocked by the unexpected


    circumstance.


    Meanwhile, feeling abashed about what happened, Arielle spent a much longer time in the shower than


    usual.


    After she was done convincing herself that it was not


    her fault and mustered enough courage to go look for Vinson downstairs, Arielle realized that the man


    was not in the bathroom


    Where is he? Is he mad at me?


    Just when Arielle was feeling anxious, she noticed some nking noisesing from the kitchen.


    ¡°Vinson?¡±


    She padded toward the kitchen and noticed that Vinson had made her hot chocte.


    Vinson smiled at the sight of her. ¡°I don¡¯t know if this is to your taste. I could make another one if you


    don¡¯t like this one.¡±


    Arielle felt a warm feeling course through her heart. She reached out to take the hot chocte and


    finished it.


    It was exactly how she liked her hot chocte to be.


    She was about to thank him when Vinson caught onto her and said, ¡°I¡¯ve said so many times that I do


    not ept any thanks from you. I thought I¡¯d told you to say something else.¡±


    Arielle pursed her lips and muttered, ¡°Vinson, you¡¯re the best.¡±


    The man seemed pleased and said, ¡°You¡¯d better keep track of your cycle. You should drink this before


    you


    get your period.¡±


    Arielle nodded her head and looked at the man. ¡°Were you mad just now?¡±


    Vinson did not beat around the bush and admitted it right away. ¡°Yes. Not only did you ask another


    person out for dinner, but you also forbade me from tagging along.¡±


    ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to scare her¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a frightening beast,¡± Vinson mumbled indignantly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t do it again. I will be sure to exin to Trisha that you¡¯re actually a guy who¡¯s easy to


    get along with.¡±


    Vinson lifted his chin and said, ¡°I¡¯m not the type to be appeased that easily.¡±


    Cocking her head to one side, Arielle asked, ¡°So, teach me. How can I appease you then?¡±


    Vinson looked deep into her eyes and said in an enigmatic tone. ¡°You¡¯ll be able to do so when your


    period is over.¡±


    Arielle was rendered speechless. ¡°I want to sleep alone tonight.¡±


    ¡°No way. Then you won¡¯t even be able to appease me even after your period is gone.¡±


    ¡°Vinson, I never knew that you were such a difficult and shameless man.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as apliment.¡±


    The two of them broke into a chuckle afterward. Though they said nothing else, there was no denying


    that it was a sharine moment.


    Words were not necessary when two people were in


    love.


    Meanwhile, Wendy was waiting for her parents toe to fetch her after she was done with the exam.


    However, her parents¡¯ flight was dyed, and she could only head back to the rented apartment unit all


    alone.


    The apartment was quiet. Wendy checked on her phone after settling down.


    There was no new message other than the message from her mother telling her that their flight had been


    dyed.


    She then recalled that since leaving the Nightshire Manor, Susanne had not contacted her.


    Is she busy, or has she given up on me?


    Wendy bit down on her lips indignantly.


    She could not risk losing Susanne¡¯s favor. Thetter was her only hope of marrying into the Nightshires.


    With the thought in mind, Wendy hurriedly texted


    Susanne.


    Ms. Stone, I¡¯m done with my school exams, and I¡¯m free this weekend. Can I drop by to visit you? What


    desserts would you like to have? I could bring them over.


    She ended her text with a yful emoji.


    Meanwhile, at the Nightshire Manor., Susanne was ying cards with her friends when she noticed her


    phone ping with a notification.


    She lifted her phone to check the message. An inexplicable emotion washed over her after checking the


    notification.


    Actually, Susanne was quite fond of Wendy as she considered the girl an all-rounder. Wendy came from


    a good family and was quite well-mannered and studious at the same time. Susanne thought that she


    would be a great help to Vinson¡¯s career in the future.


    However, her only concern was that her son seemingly harbored no interest in the girl. On the other


    hand, Vinson was infatuated with Arielle, who had a disconcerting background.


    Susanne let out a heavy sigh.


    Ah, forget it. I should honor my promise to Arielle and give her a chance to prove herself.


    Susanne¡¯s friend asked, ¡°Susanne, what¡¯s the matter? You¡¯re only a card away from winning the game.¡±


    She snapped out of her thoughts and ignored Wendy¡¯s text.


    The next moment, she won the game.


    The joy from winning made her throw Wendy¡¯s text to the back of her mind.

 Chapter 897

    Chapter 897


    On the other end of the phone, Wendy started to get more and more exasperated when she had not


    gotten a reply from Susanne.


    She shouldn¡¯t be sleeping at this hour. Why isn¡¯t she replying to my message?


    Has she really given up on me? Damn it. It seems like I have to use a harder approach.


    Wendy then decided that she would bring her parents to go visit Susanne the next day.


    Her parents finally arrived after some time.


    She deliberately cooked instant noodles and thrashed her room to make it look messy. On top of the pale


    makeup that she put on, Wendy made herself look as lifeless and disoriented as she could be.


    Wendy¡¯s mother, Cecilia, teared up at the sight of the situation her daughter was in.


    ¡°My darling daughter! What happened to you?¡±


    Wendy said nothing as she shook her head lightly.


    Susanne¡¯s father¡¯s face sank as he said, ¡°Make her some proper dinner. Instant noodles are not proper


    food! Wendy, don¡¯t worry. We will go look for that woman, Susanne, tomorrow!¡±


    Soon, the next day arrived.


    It was the day when Vinson was going on a business trip. When Arielle woke up, she noticed the


    breakfast that Vinson had bought earlier and his handwritten note by her side.


    She read the note: I¡¯m going on a business trip to Horington. I¡¯ll be back tomorrow at noon.


    Her lips curled into a smile as she found the little note heartwarming, especially since he had already told


    her about the business trip the night before.


    Vinson was more attentive than Arielle thought he was.


    Just when she was nning to continue sleeping after having breakfast, Jared called.


    She picked up the call, only to realize that it was actually Harrison on the line.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, when are youing over? Harvey has already been transferred from the ICU to a normal


    ward, but he¡¯s not giving any cooperation to the nurses on duty when they tried to give him an IV drip.¡±


    Arielle wondered if he had developed any post traumatic symptoms for IV drips.


    ¡°All right. I will be there in an hour,¡± Arielle replied.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Harrison hung up the call. Arielle got up to prepare herbs in the kitchen.


    After an hour, she took the herb that she prepared to the


    hospital.


    Sure enough, Arielle noticed that Harvey was chasing a nurse out of his ward upon her arrival.


    Meanwhile, Jared apologized on his brother¡¯s behalf.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My brother isn¡¯t usually like this. Could youe overter after I¡¯ve consoled him?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± the nurse said with a smile. ¡°It is normal for patients to have mood swings. You guys could


    try tomunicate with him more to improve the situation. I¡¯lle over in a bit.¡±


    ¡°Sure, thank you.¡±


    Jared noticed that Arielle was making her way over.


    He was ted at the sight of her. But he soon had mixed feelings about her presence.


    ¡°Boss.¡±


    Arielle nodded to acknowledge him but did not enter the ward. She pulled Jared over to one corner and


    asked, ¡°Your Grandpa called me and told me about Harvey, and I¡¯ve seen how bad it is with my own


    eyes too. What happened to him. Why is he refusing his treatments?¡±


    Jared gritted his teeth and said guiltily, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I should not have brought it up in front of Harvey.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Arielle asked with a deadpan expression.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s the matter with my Grandpa. He¡¯s set his sights on you as his granddaughter-inw


    and even told Harvey that he would make the necessary arrangements after Harvey¡¯s recovered. Seeing


    him getting all hyped up about it, I didn¡¯t want Harvey to feel too disappointedter on and told him about


    the fact that you and Vin are already married. And so¡­¡±

 Chapter 898

    Chapter 898


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 898


    Arielle finally understood what was going on.


    Jared pleaded, ¡°Boss, only you are able to talk some sense into him right now. Please exin it all to


    Harvey.¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡±


    Then, she headed into the ward.


    Just after heading into the ward, she heard Harrison scolding Harvey, ¡°So what if they¡¯re married? They


    could just get a divorce any time! Do you know that more people are getting divorced than people getting


    married in Jadeborough? Do you still think those people are lining up at City Hall to get married? They¡¯re


    all there to get a divorce, okay? Refusing treatment and giving up on yourself are not wise moves, my


    son. If I were you, I would focus on healing and pursuing Arielle afterward!¡±


    Arielle¡¯s lips twitched after listening to the man.


    She had never seen an elderly talk in that way before.


    Abashed, Jared reminded Harrison, ¡°Grandpa, Harvey, Boss- I mean, Arielle, is here.¡±


    Jared, who was on the bed, stiffened his body and closed his eyes. He did not wish to see Arielle.


    Harrison stood up and was seemingly unfazed they possibly overheard him. He greeted Arielle with a


    broad smile and said, ¡°Ms. Moore, you¡¯re here! Come and


    have a seat. Harvey¡¯s been waiting for you.¡±


    Arielle let out a dry cough and made her way to Harvey¡¯s side. ¡°Get up and drink this.¡±


    Harvey did not budge and appeared as if he had really fallen asleep.


    ¡°Drop the act,¡± Arielle exposed him. ¡°I¡¯ve already been here for quite a while and even witnessed you


    chasing a nurse out of the ward just now.¡±


    Harvey knew there was no point to keep pretending and opened his eyes to look at her. ¡°Why are you


    here?¡±


    She showed him the herb that she brought over and said, ¡°This.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to drink that.¡± Harvey closed his eyes again and said impassively, ¡°Just leave.¡±


    Harrison grew exasperated.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Hey, you little¡±


    Arielle interrupted him and said, ¡°Please don¡¯t scold him. I fully understand if you¡¯re reluctant to see me.


    So, I¡¯m going to leave this here and be on my way.¡±


    Harrison was taken aback. ¡°You¡¯re leaving already?¡±


    Arielle muttered an affirmative response. ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to see me. It¡¯s better for me to get out of his


    sight.¡±


    Harvey¡¯s lids moved before his eyes sprung open. ¡°Grandpa, Jared, could you guys give us a moment? I


    want to speak to her in private.¡±


    Harrison was about to say something when Jared dragged him out of the ward and closed the door


    behind them.


    Arielle and Harvey were left alone in the ward.


    Harvey did not speak for some time, and Arielle waited patiently aside for him to speak first.


    In the end, Harvey finally parted his lips.


    ¡°Jared told me you¡¯re married to Vinson?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Arielle nodded.


    Harvey pursed his lips and turned pale.


    ¡°When? Was it before or after I became a spy?¡±


    ¡°Before.¡±


    Harvey furrowed his brows. ¡°W-Why didn¡¯t you guys let me know? Are you guys taking me for a fool?¡±


    There was a subtle change in Arielle¡¯s expression. She could understand how Harvey felt right then.


    She would have stopped Harvey if she had known that he would risk his life to be a spy for her.


    However, it was already toote. Arielle knew there was no turning back time. She exined patiently,


    ¡°Both Vinson and I had never taken you as a fool. We did not exclusively keep it from you as everyone


    had no idea that we were married either. Anyway, Harvey, I want to apologize. I know I should have


    exined everything much earlier to you, but I really take you as only a friend. You should know that


    feelings can¡¯t be forced.¡±


    ¡°Forced?¡± Harvey let out a dry chuckle. ¡°Do you feel burdened by my feelings?¡±

 Chapter 899

    Chapter 899


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 899


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not a burden at all.¡± Arielle shook her head profusely. ¡°In the past, I didn¡¯t know how to cherish


    myself. It was only after receiving your love that I finally realized my self-worth. I promise to hold your


    feelings close to my heart.¡±


    After a few moments of silence, Harvey asked, ¡°Do you love him?¡±


    When she heard Harvey¡¯s question, Arielle was reluctant to tell the truth. Nevertheless, Harvey already


    knows that I¡¯m married to Vinson. It¡¯d be better if I told him the truth. This way, he won¡¯t be hurt anymore.


    ¡°I do.¡± Arielle nodded without beating around the bush.


    When he heard this, Harvey closed his eyes as a look of anguish crossed his face. ¡°All right, please take


    your leave,¡± he replied quietly.


    ¡°Your medicine¡± Arielle began hesitantly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll make sure to take it. Do you take me for an idiot? I won¡¯t sacrifice my life for a woman,¡±


    Harvey interrupted before Arielle could finish her sentence.


    ¡°But you became a spy.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. I went undercover on my own ord. It has nothing to do with you. Since that b*stard


    nearly killed me, I merely went to get my revenge,¡± Harvey uttered in a cold voice.


    Arielle nodded. ¡°Remember to take your medicine, all


    right? I¡¯ll be back tomorrow to bring you more.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to do that.¡± Harvey nced at Arielle with a dark look. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be


    appropriate for a married woman to be seen visiting another man.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just here to visit my friend¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop it!¡± Harvey bellowed as he lost his temper. ¡°It will be impossible for us to be friends anymore.


    Please leave. I don¡¯t want to see you ever again.¡±


    Arielle couldn¡¯t help but clench her fists when she heard Harvey¡¯s hurtful remarks. All of a sudden, it felt


    like Harvey had be aplete stranger.


    Arielle couldn¡¯t muster the courage to approach him.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take my leave first,¡± Arielle replied.


    1


    Harvey remained silent as he closed his eyes and refused to acknowledge her.


    Helpless, Arielle spun on her heel and left.


    As soon as she stepped out of the ward, Jared and Harrison rushed over.


    ¡°How was it? Did you manage to persuade him?¡± Harrison asked anxiously.


    Arielle shook her head before looking at Jared. ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to see me ever again. I¡¯ll give you his


    medicine. Please ask Carter to instruct the doctors to


    heat it for half an hour ording to the instructions.¡±


    ¡°Let me see you out,¡± Jared offered with a conflicted look on his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± Arielle denied his offer politely. ¡°Harvey¡¯s recovery will quicken if he¡¯s in a good mood.


    Coincidentally, it¡¯s the weekend right now. You should stay here and keep himpany. Make sure to be


    careful around his wound too.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After giving them another reminder about Harvey¡¯s medicine, Arielle left the hospital.


    Since Harvey doesn¡¯t want to see me, it¡¯d be best if I respected his wishes and kept my distance.


    The moment Arielle departed, Harrison could not restrain himself anymore. Swiftly, he made his way into


    the ward. ¡°How could you be so foolish? Who cares if she¡¯s married? Don¡¯t you know that women hate


    being stalked? You could¡¯ve tried to win her over after you regained your health. Why did you drive her


    away?¡± he fumed in anger.


    Harvey scowled and snapped, ¡°Grandpa, stop bringing this topic up. I don¡¯t have any feelings for her


    anymore.¡±


    ¡°No feelings? Your bluff won¡¯t work on me. How could you have a change of heart overnight?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. I have no interest in married women. Don¡¯t mention her in front of me anymore. Just


    the thought of her makes me annoyed,¡± Harvey replied stubbornly.


    Harrison was speechless as he could not tell if Harvey was telling the truth.


    On the other hand, the duo¡¯s interactions left Jared with a pounding headache.


    I can¡¯t believe this happened because I told Harvey about Boss¡¯ marriage. Seeing how things have


    turned out, I should have kept this information to myself.


    Yet, it would have been impossible for him to keep it a secret forever.


    After Arielle left Harvey¡¯s ward, she dropped by to visit Josee before hailing a cab to Southall Group.


    Now that summer has arrived, it is time for me to change Southall Group¡¯s name.

 Chapter 900

    Chapter 900


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 900


    Since Southall Group was a joint-stockpany, the court took all of Henrick¡¯s shares after he was


    sentenced to prison.


    His shares were then handed to the state¡¯s treasury. There, it was used topensate the vigers for


    their mary losses. Those shares were also utilized to


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    restore the geological damage caused by the mining project.


    The meeting between Southall Group¡¯s shareholders happened to fall on that very same day as they


    nned to elect a new chairman.


    In the newly refurbished meeting room of Southall Group, two groups were locked in a face-off. The


    leaders of these respective groups were none other than Jacob Campbell, a representative of Henrick,


    and Oliver Moore, who held thergest portion of shares amongst the Moores. They each owned fifteen


    percent of Southall Group¡¯s shares.


    Before this, Cindy had bribed Oliver to gain his support. Nevertheless, their alliance fell apart as they


    both sought after the position as Southall Group¡¯s new chairman.


    At the height of their heated arguments, Oliver mmed his fist on the table and thundered, ¡°Let¡¯s decide


    this by casting our votes!¡±


    Upon Oliver¡¯s suggestion, Jacob fell silent.


    Since thispany originally belonged to the Moores,


    their shares and members on the board of directors vastly outnumbered his supporters.


    If they proceeded with the voting process, there was no doubt that Jacob would lose.


    ¡°I disagree with this idea!¡± Jacob leaped to his feet and pointed a threatening finger at Oliver. ¡°You must


    have plotted for this ever since Mr. Southall was sentenced to jail. Did you contact the directors and other


    shareholders to manipte the voting process?¡±


    Oliver merely sneered as he let out a bark of wryughter. ¡°Thispany has always belonged to the


    Moores. Why has an outsider like you taken an interest in it? Are you trying to take over thispany?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m simply trying to expand and improve thispany.¡±


    ¡°If we don¡¯t decide this by voting, what do you suggest we do to elect our new chairman?¡± Oliver asked.


    Jacob cleared his throat and said, ¡°I think we should let the majority shareholder be the chairman.¡±


    Ever since Henrick¡¯s downfall, Jacob had been secretly purchasing Southall Group¡¯s shares. Although


    Oliver may think that we have an equal amount of shares, these additional shares will make me the


    majority shareholder of thepany!


    All of a sudden, thepany¡¯swyer stood up from his seat. ¡°I apologize for interrupting, but if we


    proceed


    with the majority shareholder, the person with thergest amount of shares is yet to arrive.¡±.


    Oliver and Jacob were stunned. ¡°Isn¡¯t Mr. Southall the biggest shareholder of thispany? But all of his


    shares have been transferred to the state treasury,¡± Jacob asked in surprise


    Thewyer shook his head and showed them a document. ¡°Before Mr. Southall¡¯s incident, he transferred


    a portion of his shares to Ms. Arielle Moore. A part of Ms. Cindy Moore¡¯s shares were also passed to her.


    Hence, Ms. Moore gained twenty percent of thepany¡¯s shares. She also acquired many of the


    company¡¯s shares herself. Right now, she wields thirty percent of Southall Group¡¯s shares.¡±


    Immediately, a dark expression loomed over Jacob¡¯s and Oliver¡¯s faces.


    How on earth could a young maiden like her have more shares than the both of us?


    Since Oliver was on the same side as Cindy, he refused to let Arielle be the new chairman.


    ¡°A young woman like her has no idea about the workings of apany. Besides, she¡¯s still pursuing her


    studies. I¡¯m sure she has no interest in this. It¡¯d be best if we choose a new chairman by voting,¡± Oliver


    blurted out immediately.


    ¡°Who said I wasn¡¯t interested?¡± a feminine voice stated from the entrance of the meeting room.


    Instinctively, everyone turned toward the source of the voice.


    They caught sight of a slim and stunning woman making her way into the meeting room. There was an


    amused smile that tugged the corners of her lips upward.


    The woman had long and luscious ck hair that framed her petite shoulders. The stark contrast of her


    raven-colored hair against her porcin skin made her appear as fair as snow.


    Furthermore, she was dressed in a sleek Prada suit and radiated an air of elegance. Her exquisite


    makeup further enhanced her breathtaking beauty.


    Overall, she looked nothing like a university student. Even Oliver and Jacob could not hold a candle to


    this woman¡¯s domineering aura.


    Promptly, deathly silence descended over the entire meeting room.

 Chapter 901

    Chapter 901


    Arielle surveyed the meeting room with a satisfied look. She was pleased by everyone¡¯s awed gazes.


    It looks like people do judge books by their covers.


    Before arriving at Southall Group, Arielle dropped by the shopping mall and purchased this suit. There,


    she spent some extra money to customize it to her liking. Nevertheless, the money I spent on this suit


    didn¡¯t go to waste.


    Despite the smile on Arielle¡¯s face, there wasn¡¯t a trace of humor present in her bright eyes.


    When she noticed a few of the members on their feet,


    Arielle strode to the head of the table. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so uptight,¡± she remarked as she sat


    down. ¡°Everyone, please take a seat.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s boldness left Oliver utterly dumbfounded.


    I should be the one saying that! It¡¯s her first time here. How could she act so brazenly? It¡¯s as if she


    thinks she owns this ce.


    Oliver rapped his knuckles against the table to catch Arielle¡¯s attention. ¡°Arielle, how could you sit


    there? That seat is reserved for the future chairman. Don¡¯t you have a basic understanding of


    workce etiquette?¡± he asked her in a displeased manner.


    Even Oliver and Jacob avoided the seat because they wanted to conceal their true colors.


    Arielle merely smiled in response. ¡°I know the rules like the back of my hand. That¡¯s why I¡¯m sitting


    here.¡±


    In other words, Arielle was referring to herself as the future chairman of Southall Group.


    Promptly, a dark look crossed Oliver¡¯s and Jacob¡¯s faces.


    ¡°Arielle, we all know that you have thirty percent of the shares. Logically speaking, you have the full


    right to be the future chairman. However, you are too young and inexperienced. In fact, you are yet to


    even graduate from university. Therefore, you should appoint me as the temporary chairman. What do


    you think?¡± Jacob attempted to persuade Arielle.


    Arielle¡¯s smile vanished into thin air as her sharp gaze slid toward Jacob.


    When Jacob met Arielle¡¯s piercing gaze, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.


    How could a mere woman be so intimidating?


    When Arielle noticed Jacob¡¯s silence, she said airily, ¡°Since you¡¯ve admitted that I¡¯m the most qualified


    candidate to be the future chairman, I believe that I should ept this position. You don¡¯t have any


    objections, right?¡±


    Jacob nearly choked on his own saliva when he heard Arielle¡¯s statement. ¡°I-I have an objection! You


    haven¡¯t even graduated from university yet. Having only a high


    school qualification makes you unfit to be the new chairman!¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Arielle nodded her head in acknowledgment. ¡°So once I obtain my university qualification, I can


    take on the position as chairman?¡±


    For a brief moment, Jacob pondered over Arielle¡¯s question. Since it would take Arielle another three or


    four years to graduate, Jacob was confident that he could secure his position as the chairman during


    that time.


    Immediately, Jacob bobbed his head to agree. ¡°Of course! Once you¡¯ve graduated, you can be the


    chairman of Southall Group. I hope you¡¯ll understand where I¡¯ming from. After all, this is an


    immense corporation with many employees. We can¡¯t let a young teenager like you manage it alone.¡±


    Arielle raised her brows and shifted her attention to Oliver.


    In truth, she had a deep understanding of Southall Group.


    Thepany was split into two factions. One of the factions belonged to Cindy, who had bribed Oliver


    to take her side.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Upon sensing Arielle¡¯s gaze, Oliver¡¯s back stiffened.


    ¡°What about you? Oliver, what do you think?¡± Arielle asked him calmly.


    Naturally, Oliver was reluctant to give Arielle the position too. I have fought too hard for this position to


    give it up like this! ¡°I agree. Before you receive your university qualification, it would be unwise for you


    to take over as chairman. I believe the others will agree


    As he spoke, Oliver nced at the other members in the meeting room. They all nodded their heads to


    express


    After all, letting a young woman who was yet to graduate from university be the new chairman


    was a preposterous idea.


    ¡°Excellent.¡± Arielle smiled before she turned to the meeting room¡¯s entrance. ¡°Now that everyone has


    agreed, why don¡¯t youe in?¡± she called out.

 Chapter 902

    Chapter 902


    Who is she talking to?


    Everyone was befuddled when Arielle suddenly said that.


    Promptly, the doors to the meeting room swung open to reveal a middle-aged man. There was a pair of


    gold rimmed sses perched on his nose and a briefcase tucked under his arm.


    ¡°Who is this?¡± Oliver asked when the stranger entered.


    Before Arielle could introduce him, Southall Group¡¯swyer rose to his feet. ¡°Mr. Kane, why are you


    here?¡± he cried out in surprise.


    ¡°You know him?¡± Oliver looked at the man with confusion.


    ¡°He is Aidan Kane, a personalwyer from Nightshire Group. Earlier, he has recorded everything that


    you¡¯ve said. Henceforth, all of your statements have been listed into a contract,¡± Arielle exined.


    Oliver¡¯s and Jacob¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    Since they were unaware of Arielle¡¯s rtionship with Vinson, they were stunned that Arielle managed


    to hire the personalwyer of Nightshire Group.


    Thewyers from Nightshire Group were renowned for their skill as they had never lost a case before.


    Moreover, only those with Nightshire Group¡¯s authorization could enlist the help of thesewyers.


    It looks like we have underestimated Arielle.


    Oliver and Jacob traded nces with each other. Immediately, they decided to form a temporary


    alliance against Arielle.


    ¡°Arielle, aren¡¯t we all members of the Moore family? You should call me your uncle.¡± Oliver smiled slyly.


    Arielle was not convinced by Oliver¡¯s attempt to sway her. ¡°Uncle, where were you when Henrick and


    Cindy murdered my mom?¡± she asked without batting an


    eyelid.


    ¡°R-Right now, we are picking the new chairman!¡± Oliver¡¯s cheeks flushed crimson red as he skirted


    around Arielle¡¯s question. ¡°Don¡¯t mention any topics that are unrted to this election!¡±


    ¡°All right, then let¡¯s proceed with the matter at hand.¡±


    Arielle beckoned to Aidan with a wave of her hand. Immediately, he handed her a file and bowed


    respectfully.


    Although everyone else didn¡¯t seem to think much about Aidan¡¯s respect toward Arielle, thewyer


    representing Southall Group was terrified out of his wits.


    Aidan was known as the bestwyer in the industry. Even though I had the opportunity to shadow Mr.


    Kane in the past, I¡¯ve never seen him treat a person with such reverence. Wait a minute, I remember it


    now. He only treated Vinson with this sort of respect! What


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    on earth is Arielle¡¯s rtionship with Vinson?


    Immediately, hiswyer¡¯s intuition told him that Arielle was no ordinary woman.


    Southall Group¡¯swyer quickly decided to side with Arielle.


    and tossed it in front of Oliver and Jacob.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Jacob felt his skin prickle with unease.


    On the other hand, a look of contempt and disdain flitted across Oliver¡¯s eyes.


    What is she trying to prove? She¡¯s nothing more but a foolish young girl.


    Without hesitation, Oliver grabbed the file and opened


    Upon opening, he found a certificate inside the file.


    When Oliver read the words stamped on the certificate, he was rendered speechless with shock.


    The words ¡°Graduation Certificate¡± were stamped on the piece of paper.


    This can¡¯t be¡­ Isn¡¯t Arielle in her first year of university? Why does she have a graduation certificate?


    Unable to stand the suspense anymore, Jacob snatched


    the certificate from Oliver¡¯s grasps to read it.


    When Jacob read the words, he was so shocked that his legs gave out. Promptly, he copsed into his


    seat.


    This man is useless. Oliver sneered before he grabbed the certificate to read it in greater detail.


    A few momentster, Oliver¡¯s entire body stiffened with a palpable sense of dread.


    I have underestimated Arielle. Not only did she graduate from Maxwell University, but she even


    obtained a double major in economics and physics!

 Chapter 903

    Chapter 903


    In the blink of an eye, all of Oliver¡®s hopes had been crushed to dust.


    Isn¡®t she supposed to be a university student? How did she be a graduate of Maxwell University?


    It¡®s one of the most prestigious universities in the world!


    This sudden revtion left Oliver angry and stunned. ¡°This certificate must be fake!¡± He pointed at Ariel


    le and yelled at the top of his lungs, ¡°Didn¡®t you grow up in the rural countryside? How is it possible


    for you to attend Maxwell University? I doubt that you¡®ve even stepped foot outside of this country befor


    e!¡±


    ¡°That¡®s right!¡± Jacob snapped as he finally regained his senses. ¡°We all know


    that you are a student enrolled in Jadeborough University¡®s preparatory ss. You can¡®t fool us with thi


    s fake certificate!¡±


    Despite the


    duo¡®s outbursts, Arielle remained as cool as a cucumber. She had already guessed that they would hav


    e such violent reactions. With a quirk of her lips, she said, ¡°I attended Jadeborough University for my o


    wn amusement. You must be aware that it¡®s almost impossible to forge a graduation and degree certific


    ate from Maxwell University. If you don¡®t believe me, you can go ahead and verify it yourselves.¡±


    ¡°How


    are we supposed to verify it? We aren¡®t graduates from Maxwell University,¡± Jacob asked with a frown.


    All of a sudden, Oliver had an


    idea. He turned toward one of the directors and asked, ¡°Didn¡®t you spend a year as an exchange stude


    nt at Maxwell University?¡±.


    The man in question had been stunned by Arielle¡®s intimidating


    presence ever since she stepped foot into the room. When Oliver singled him out, he finally snapped o


    ut of his daze. ¡°Although Maxwell University¡®s certificates appear like ordinary paper, these certificates


    are actually printed on a special material that is resistant to fire and water,¡± he exined.


    Immediately, Oliver grabbed a lighter from his pocket and tried to set Arielle¡®s certificate alight.


    But even after several seconds, the certificate showed no signs of burning.


    Oliver couldn¡®t believe his eyes. Initially, he assumed that there was something wrong with his lighter.


    When Oliver reached out to test his lighter, the flickering mes scalded his fingers.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Oliver yelped in pain as he hurled the lighter away and quickly blew on his fingers to relieve


    the stinging pain.


    Seeing this, Jacob


    opened the bottle of mineral water in front of him and tossed the water onto the certificate.


    Yet, the certificate remained in perfect condition. Not a single letter was smudged by the water.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Jacob¡®s entire body tensed with shock and disbelief.


    Nevertheless, he refused to admit defeat. ¡°This doesn¡®t prove anything. You


    must have hired an expert and used the same material to forge your certificate!¡±


    The director from earlier quickly grabbed his phone and used it to scan the QR code printed on the certi


    ficate. ¡°There¡®s another way to test its authenticity. This is an anti¨C


    counterfeit code specially created by Maxwell University. It¡®s a unique QR code that no hacker can byp


    ass. It will prove if this certificate is real or not.¡±


    Beep! A page loaded on the director¡®s phone screen.


    The page was proof of Arielle¡®s graduation from Maxwell University. There was a small picture of


    Arielle¡®s face in the top right corner.


    Suddenly, the


    director¡®s eyes widened in shock as he whirled around and looked at Arielle as if he¡®d just seen a ghost.


    ¡°Y¨CYou are San?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Do you know me?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± A look of admiration crossed the director¡®s face. He continued in an excited voice, ¡°You are


    After he regained hisposure, the director briefly exined San¡®s renowned reputation at Maxwell U


    Jacob.


    ¡°I heard that even the university¡®s professors begged for her to ept a position in Maxwell University!¡±


    Oliver¡®s and Jacob¡®s moods appeared even worse than before.


    With what seemed like a smile, Arielle turned to Oliver and Jacob. ¡°Am I qualified to be the


    chairman now?¡±

 Chapter 904

    Chapter 904


    Immediately, all the blood drained from their faces as both men turned deathly pale.


    Never in their wildest dreams had they expected that Arielle would be a university graduate.


    Furthermore, she had a double degree from Maxwell University.


    Earlier, they imed that Arielle didn¡¯t have the educational qualifications to be the new chairman.


    Right now, Arielle had used their own words against them.


    Jacob felt an immense sense of regret. Why didn¡¯t I think of this possibility? I should have just agreed


    with Arielle earlier.


    Oliver red at Jacob before he said to Arielle, ¡°Although you have the educational qualifications to be


    a chairman, youck the proper experience to take on this position.¡±


    Arielle chuckled and sneered, ¡°Uncle, are you trying to go back to your words again?¡±


    She then gave Aidan a knowing nce. Immediately, thetter stepped forward. ¡°If you have any


    doubts


    can bring this matter to court. I believe that you will receive a satisfactory answer in less than a week,¡±


    he offered.


    Aidan¡¯s suggestion caused Oliver¡¯s entire body to freeze up like stone.


    After all, he was well aware that the legal team of Nightshire Group had never suffered a loss in their


    winning streak.


    If this issue were filed to the court, Southall Group would be met with even more ridicule and shame.


    Henrick¡¯s notorious incident had already made them theughing stock of the town.


    Oliver clenched his jaw in fury. ¡°I have no other objections against your new position. However, you


    must prove that you can lead thispany to its former


    glory.¡±


    A lightbulb lit up in Jacob¡¯s head as a sudden idea popped into his mind.


    ¡°Arielle, if you can increase the profits of the AI technology department by fifty percent and restore the


    profitability of other departments in thispany in a month, we will ept your position as the


    chairman of Southall Group without any furtherints. If you fail to do so, don¡¯t forget that the


    directors have the power to vote you off this position too,¡± Jacob said.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Even if Arielle owned the most amount of shares, she would be helpless if the board of directors voted


    against her.


    Arielle herself was aware of this fact. Without hesitation, she nodded her head in agreement. ¡°Okay.¡±


    The AI technology department has just begun drafting new designs. It would take them at least three


    months to release these new products.


    On top of that predicament, the other departments in thepany had suffered tremendous detriment


    as they received no orders. It would be impossible for Arielle to reverse this entire situation in just a


    single month.


    Who cares if she has a double degree from Maxwell University? She is too young and foolish for this


    role.


    Jacob had to resist the urge to burst outughing as he spoke. ¡°Since you¡¯ve agreed, let us sign a


    contract. If you fail to reach our agreement within a month, you should resign from the position.¡±


    ¡°Could you please draw up this contract?¡± Arielle asked Aidan.


    Although Aidan hesitated to follow Arielle¡¯s instructions, he relented after he caught sight of the


    determined sparkle in her eyes. ¡°All right, Ms. Moore.¡±


    Quickly, the contract was drafted and presented to Arielle.


    ¡°I want to add another use to this contract,¡± Arielle said after she read the contract. ¡°If I manage to


    achieve the goals that the two of you have set, please voluntarily resign from your respective director


    positions.¡±


    Jacob¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Why would we do that?¡±


    ¡°All right, I wholeheartedly agree to this use!¡± In contrast, Oliver agreed without a second thought as


    he was confident that Arielle would fail.


    Jacob seemed to share Oliver¡¯s thoughts. After contemting for two seconds, he nodded his head


    and agreed, ¡°Okay, you can add that use into the contract.¡±


    It won¡¯t make any difference anyway. While Arielle is busy this month, I will use this chance to affiliate


    myself with the other directors and prepare for the next chairman¡¯s election. Now that I think about it,


    Arielle¡¯s appearance has benefitted me greatly.

 Chapter 905

    Chapter 905


    Seeing that no one had any objections, Aidan added Arielle¡®s use to the contract.


    If Arielle fulfilled the contract, Jacob and Oliver would be stripped of their positions as directors. It


    meant that they would only be shareholders of thepany and did not have any power over Southall


    Group.


    After Arielle signed


    the contract, she pped her hands together and announced, ¡°Thank you for your hard work. I¡®ve brou


    ght a basket of fruits outside to serve as


    light refreshments. Please enjoy them to your heart¡®s content.¡±


    With that, she left the meeting room with Aidan at her heels.


    Before she stepped out, Arielle came to


    a sudden halt and whirled around. ¡°I almost forgot. I hope everyone will abide by workce etiquette. P


    lease refrain from addressing me by my name. Instead, you should address me as Ms. Moore,¡± she de


    red.


    Without another word, Arielle left the meeting room.


    The directors in the meeting room were conflicted. Although a handful of them sided with Arielle, a majo


    rity of the directors chose to wait and watch from the sidelines.


    To them, the identity of their


    new chairman wasn¡®t of utmost concern. Instead, they were much more interested in restoring the


    pany¡®s profitability.


    Even if the AI technology department was earning aThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    departments.


    Hence, it would be up to Arielle to handle this matter.


    Oliver was seething with rage. ¡°It¡®s all because of your nonsense!¡± He red at Jacob. ¡°Why did


    you tell her that she needed the educational qualification to be the new chairman? Now that she h


    as trampled all over


    ¡°Mr. Moore, rx. Don¡®t forget about the contract we just signed.¡± Jacob chuckled in response.


    How can Arielle aplish something that we couldn¡®t? Does she really think that she can change eve


    rything within a month? What a joke!


    Hearing this, Oliver calmed down.


    When they walked out of the meeting room, they caught sight of the fruits that Arielle had left for them.


    ¡°Are these lemons?¡± Oliver bent down and picked one up. ¡°Why did she give us lemons?¡± he asked in c


    onfusion.


    Immediately, Oliver was furious. ¡°Who do you think you are to call me a good¨Cfor¨Cnothing?¡±


    Jacob merely rolled his eyes. ¡°Are you a fool? In


    Lightspring, receiving lemons means that the person is calling you a good¨Cfor¨Cnothing.¡±


    Enraged, Oliver hurled the lemon to the floor and stomped on it. ¡°F*ck!¡±


    That b*tch! The audacity of her to humiliate me! Is she trying to provoke me?


    Jacobughed coldly. ¡°I must admit, her foolish bravery is admirable. Oliver, why don¡®t we join hands? T


    ogether, we can teach her a lesson.¡±


    Oliver nodded in agreement.


    The two men came to a truce as they set their sights on the AI technology department.


    Since the AI technology department was under Oliver¡®s jurisdiction, he quickly called the staff


    and forbade them from getting involved with Arielle.


    It was already noon when Arielle strolled out of Southall Group


    ¡°Mr. Kane, thank you for your help today.¡± Arielle nodded slightly as she thanked him.


    ¡°You don¡®t need to thank me at all. I was merely following Mr. Nightshire¡®s instructions. I will try my best t


    matter what.¡± Suddenly, he thought of something and said hesitantly, ¡°Ms. Moore, I have something to m


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°You should not have signed that contract!¡± Aidan blurted out


    ¡°Oh?¡± Arielle turned to Aidan. ¡°Do you think that I can¡®t restore thepany¡®s profits?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± Aidan shook his head. ¡°But one month is simply too short. Even Nightshire Group cannot ac


    Arielle merely smiled. ¡°If that¡®s what you are worried about, please rest assured that I can achieve

 Chapter 906

    Chapter 906


    When Arielle smiled, her eyes seemed to light up with radiance.


    Although Aidan was worried out of his mind, her soft smile seemed to relieve his


    worries. Promptly, Aidan¡®s confidence in Arielle returned.


    Given that she has captured Mr. Nightshire¡®s attention, she must not be an ordinary woman. I


    shouldn¡¯t ce my doubts on her.


    With this renewed determination, Aidan lifted his head. ¡°Ms. Moore, if you need any help, please


    don¡¯t hesitate to contact me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I¡®ll be taking my leave.¡±


    ¡°Where are you headed?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be dropping by my school.¡±


    ¡°You are going to school on the weekend?¡± Aidan¡®s respect for Arielle increased tenfold. ¡°Although


    you¡®ve graduated from Maxwell University, I can¡¯t believe that you are still studying.


    I won¡®t take up your time any longer. I should head back and improve my skills too.¡±


    ¡°Haha.¡± Arielle¡¯sugh came across as forced and reluctant.


    Truthfully, she wasn¡®t going back to school to study


    Nevertheless, Arielle did not borate any further. After sending Aidan off, she headed toward


    Jadeborough University¡®s archive.


    She nned to spend the weekend reading all of the archive¡®s materials.


    Since she had a lot on her te, Arielle couldn¡®t afford to linger around any longer.


    At the same time, Wendy and her parents had arrived at Nightshire Manor.


    When Susanne caught wind of their sudden arrival, she nearly choked on her coffee.


    She set her cup down and asked Geoffrey with widened eyes, ¡°Who¡®s here?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Greene and her parents are here.¡±


    coffee was long forgotten. ¡°Quick, tell them that I¡®m not home.¡±


    voice echo from the entrance.


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire.¡±


    Susanne was forced to a screeching halt as she red at Geoffrey usingly.


    ¡°I assumed that you were willing to meet Ms. Greene, so I asked the guards to let them in,¡± Geoffrey ex


    ined with an apologetic look.


    ¡°You fool!¡± All of a sudden, she noticed the Greenes walking into the room.


    Quickly, Susanne retracted her re and reced it


    ¡°Wendy, why didn¡®t you tell me that


    you wereing? I could have asked the staff to prepare your favorite lunch.¡± Susanne turned to the G


    reenes with a sympathetic look. ¡°Your trip from Horrington must have been a tiring journey.¡±


    ¡°Although we are tired, our poor Wendy must be suffering even more,¡± Daniel replied stoically.


    Susanne stiffened when she


    heard Daniel¡®s icy tone. On the other hand, Cecilia nudged her husband andughed to lighten the moo


    ignore him. My


    weather. Even worse, we heard about Wendy¡®s sufferings while she was in Jadeborough. I hope you wo


    directed at you.¡±


    Susanne¡®s smile became even more forced.


    If Cecilia had been as short¨Ctempered as her husband, Susanne could have seized this


    opportunity to kick them out.


    Yet, the two of them were ying good cop, bad cop. Susanne couldn¡®t excuse herself at all.


    She then


    laughed wryly. ¡°It¡®s all right. We all have our bad days. Have you guys eaten lunch? If you don¡®t


    mind, you can stay and have a meal together.¡±


    ¡°We will be d


    to ept your offer.¡± Met with Cecilia¡®s friendly smile, Susanne could not deny her at all.


    Thus, the four of them settled around the table for lunch.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    After a few moments, Cecilia spoke again. ¡°When we came to Jadeborough, we were heartbroken to se

 Chapter 907

    Chapter 907


    Just as Cecilia¡¯s words were out of her mouth, Wendy began crying


    Putting on a look of confusion and pretending not to know what happened, Susanne asked, ¡°Was


    someone mean to Wendy? Why didn¡¯t I hear about this? Wendy, why didn¡¯t you tell me that someone


    was bullying you? You said you were going to take good care of yourself when you moved out back


    then.¡±


    Instantly, Wendy froze mid-sob; she never thought that Susanne would redirect the focus back to her


    so quickly.


    Is she giving up on me? No, I can¡¯t let Susanne hate me!


    Thus, Wendy quickly changed tactics and shook her head. ¡°No, no one was mean to me. I just miss


    Mom and Dad too much, so I felt like crying when I saw them. They just thought that I was bullied by


    someone else.¡±


    At that, Susanne smiled. ¡°Good to hear that.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by no one bullied you?¡± Daniel yelled, mming his palm on the table. ¡°Everyone¡¯s


    cursing at you on the school forum. You silly child, why are you still hiding this from us. Since Mrs.


    Nightshire is here now, just be frank with us about what happened. She will stand up for you!¡±


    Once again, ying the role of the good cop, Cecilia shot a re at Daniel. ¡°Stop talking.¡±


    She then turned to Susanne and said, ¡°Susanne, I know


    Vin is currently discussing a business deal in Horington, so I¡¯ve helped him book the transportation and


    hotel. With the two of us helping him out, he¡¯ll surely be able to expand his business in Horington.


    However, we won¡¯t be able to stay here in Jadeborough for long. Once we leave, we¡¯ll have to entrust


    Wendy to you again.¡±


    Susanne stiffened at that.


    What Cecilia meant was¡ªif their family were to have a fallout, Nightshire Group would not be able to


    establish itself in Horington.


    No foreigner would be able to navigate the streets better than a local, but Horington was and full of


    opportunities. If the Nightshire family nned to develop in Horington, they would have to rely on the


    Greene family of Horington.


    In other words, Cecilia was subtly threatening her.


    Despite the irritation she felt, Susanne knew that the only ce left that Nightshire Group had yet to


    expand to was Horington. If things went sour between them and the Greenes, Nightshire Group would


    have trouble with their business expansion.


    With that thought in mind, Susanne forced down her annoyance and squeezed out a smile. ¡°Of course.


    I¡¯ll take good care of Wendy.¡±.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that,¡± Cecilia replied with a chuckle. ¡°Her school will be having a charity auction on


    Monday, and we¡¯re nning to attend it with her. We¡¯ll


    be taking the opportunity to help Wendy mediate her rtionship with her ssmates. Susanne, why


    don¡¯t youe with us if you have nothing much to do on Monday?¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Before Susanne could reject her, Cecilia added, ¡°I¡¯m thinking of making some homemade pastries to


    give the students. It won¡¯t be as sincere if I were to ask the servants to help out with the baking, so why


    don¡¯t you


    same time, hm?¡±


    There was no way Susanne could reject after all that, so she stiffly nodded.


    Finally, after lunch ended, Cecilia asked the housekeeper to put down the gifts before rising to her feet


    to bid Susanne goodbye.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for us to leave after disturbing you for so long. Wendy, say goodbye to Mrs. Nightshire.¡±


    Wendy then obediently waved to Susanne. ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, we¡¯ll be leaving now.¡±


    With a faint smile on her face, Susanne nodded and


    Before they stepped out of the house, Cecilia even reminded, ¡°I¡¯lle to the manor on Monday. See


    you then.¡±


    Hearing that made the corner of Susanne¡¯s lips twitched, but still, she waved at the trio.


    Why didn¡¯t I notice how well the Greenes can talk their way through things before today?


    A momentter, the butler stepped forward and asked, ¡°Shall I open these gifts now, or shall I put them


    in the warehouse right away?¡±


    When Susanne turned to look at the pile of gifts, she felt a gnome creeping into her head and starting


    to drill her brain.


    ¡°Put them in the warehouse.¡±


    As she spoke, she took out her phone to call Vinson.

 Chapter 908

    Chapter 908


    Vinson arrived at Horington Airport while Cecilia and Daniel were visiting Nightshire Manor.


    He should have arrived much earlier, but due to bad weather conditions, the flight was dyed for two


    hours.


    Nightshire Group had a subsidiarypany in Horington, but it was a small one. By the time Vinson


    arrived, a representative sent by the subsidiarypany was already waiting for him at the airport.


    When Vinson reached the arrival gate, he realized there were two groups of people who hade to


    pick him up.


    He recognized one the representative from the subsidiarypany¡ªbut not the other.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire, you¡¯re finally here,¡± the person greeted with a bright smile. ¡°We¡¯re from Greene


    Corporation. When Mrs. Greene found out that you¡¯reing here to work, she has arranged for us to


    wait here since early in the morning. I¡¯m happy to finally see you.¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°The Greenes?¡± Vinson¡¯s brows immediately drew together.


    However, the other man did not notice the changes in his expression as he continued to


    enthusiastically say, ¡°We¡¯ve booked a room in Horington¡¯s best hotel. Why don¡¯t youe with us for a


    meal at the hotel and rest for a while before working?¡±


    Having said that, the man then raised his head to see the grim expression on Vinson¡¯s face.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire¡­¡± The man gulped as cold sweat began forming on his back.


    Vinson scoffed and uttered in an icy tone, ¡°When did you have the right to make arrangements for my


    schedule?¡±


    The atmosphere around them seemed to turn gloomier as Vinson said those words.


    ¡°No, no,¡± the man hastily exined. ¡°I¡¯m not making arrangements for your schedule. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m


    afraid you might be tired from your trip¡ª¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Vinson mercilessly rejected him. ¡°I don¡¯t like others telling me what to do. Tell Greene that


    she doesn¡¯t need to worry about my matters.¡±


    Before he was even done speaking, he began walking out of the airport with the representative from


    the subsidiarypany.


    Face paling drastically, the man stood transfixed as another person beside him leaned closer and


    whispered, ¡°Mr. Freeman, what does Mr. Nightshire mean? Isn¡¯t he supposed to be our chairman¡¯s son-


    inw soon? Why is he not acting like one?¡±


    The man, Brandon Freeman, gloomily replied, ¡°I¡¯m afraid things are not going too well between Mr.


    Nightshire and Ms. Greene.¡±


    ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask the chairman about it,¡± Brandon said as he dialed Daniel¡¯s number.


    At that moment, Cecilia and Daniel had just left Nightshire Manor. After realizing that Vinson did not


    care about respecting them, Daniel¡¯s expression turned dark.


    ¡°Is that brat Vinson looking down on us Greenes?¡±


    Unlike her earlier soft demeanor, Cecilia snarled, ¡°Susanne¡¯s attitude is equally poor. It seems like we¡¯ll


    have to do this the tough way.¡±


    Daniel nodded as he said to the person on the other end of the line, ¡°Do everything you can to stop


    Vinson from seeding in Horington. Show them that it¡¯s not good to cross the Greenes!¡±


    After the person on the other end of the line responded to him, Daniel turned to Wendy and spat out,


    ¡°You can¡¯t even win over a man¡¯s heart. My time teaching you all these years has been wasted!¡±


    Wendy¡¯s face turned ashen, and her eyes reddened. Soon, tears were pouring out of them.


    Cecilia¡¯s heart broke, and she red daggers at Daniel. ¡°Why are you losing your temper at her?


    Vinson must not be any simple man if he managed to inherit the Nightshire family¡¯s business and let it


    grow evenrger. As long as he senses how important the Greenes are,


    someone like him will surely have a change of heart ande after Wendy instantly.¡±


    Then, Cecilia asked Wendy, ¡°What¡¯s that minx who¡¯s always around Vinson called again?¡±

 Chapter 909

    Chapter 909


    Wendy¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she replied, ¡°Arielle. Her name is Arielle Moore.¡±


    Gritting her teeth, she then continued, ¡°If not for Arielle, I would have won Vinson over a long time ago!


    Dad, you keep saying that I don¡¯t know how to steal someone¡¯s heart, but have you helped me out in


    any way during this period of time? If you and Mom came here earlier to teach Arielle a lesson, would


    things have turned out this way? Now Vinson is annoyed every time he sees me.¡±


    Daniel wound down the window and lit a cigarette before replying, ¡°It¡¯s all because of that Arielle. Make


    her disappear then.¡±


    Wendy¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard that. ¡°Are you going to get rid of her?¡±


    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s best to rid ourselves of an obstacle like her. Since Vinson isn¡¯t in Jadeborough right


    now, this is a good opportunity to make her disappear.¡±


    Daniel inhaled two more puffs of his cigarette before tossing the bud away. Then, he took out his phone


    and dialed a number.


    ¡°Hello? Contact the underworld forum and get someone to get rid of the woman named Arielle Moore. I


    don¡¯t care about the budget as long as someone takes on the


    job.¡±


    However, after hearing what the person on the other end of the line said, Daniel¡¯s face darkened even


    more.


    Wendy was watching her father¡¯s expression closely the whole time, so she quizzically asked, ¡°What¡¯s


    the matter, Dad?¡±


    Daniel ended the call and sneered, ¡°I heard that Specialized Forces has found out about the forum, so


    now it¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°What do we do now?¡±¡¯


    Daniel scoffed, ¡°Finding someone through the forum is easier, but since it¡¯s gone, we¡¯ll get one of our


    own to do it instead.¡±


    Worry rose in Wendy¡¯s chest when she heard that. ¡°Will Vinson find out about us, then?¡±


    ¡°So what if he does?¡± Daniel huffed out impatiently. ¡°For someone like him, women are just toys. He¡¯s


    only interested because she¡¯s new. Once he¡¯s back, the woman will already be six feet under. He¡¯s not


    stupid enough to seek trouble with us for a dead girl. As long as he has a brain, he¡¯ll know who to


    choose for his future wife.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Wendy muttered, still anxious.


    ¡°Of course. You don¡¯t know men, but I do,¡± Daniel replied as he called someone to make the


    arrangements.


    Thus, Wendy slowly calmed down.


    Dad¡¯s right. Even if Vinson doesn¡¯t think of Arielle as just a ything, he won¡¯t be stupid enough to go


    up against the Greenes for a dead woman. The dead can¡¯te back to life, and the living must go on.


    Vinson will know what to do.


    In Horington.


    The moment Vinson got into the car, he received a call from Susanne.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    The more Susanne told him about what just happened; his expression became darker.


    ¡°The Greenes did send someone to pick me up, but I ignored them.¡±


    At that, Susanne uneasily replied, ¡°Brat, why are you so dumb? You should have gotten on their good


    side and finished the business deal before crossing them. What if your negotiation fails? What do we


    do about our expansion in Horington then?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have a n of my own. They¡¯re just the Greene family. You don¡¯t need to think too highly


    of them.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Just sit back and watch,¡± Vinson answered before hanging up.


    Right as his call with Susanne ended, the representative from the subsidiarypany turned to say,


    ¡°Bad news, Mr. Nightshire. Larson Group said that they have a business talk with the Greenes in the


    afternoon, so


    they¡¯ll only be able to have dinner with youter.¡±


    The person then added, ¡°Larson Group achieved sess with Greene Corporation¡¯s help. I¡¯m afraid


    you might have upset the Greenes, and that¡¯s why they¡¯re doing this.¡±

 Chapter 910

    Chapter 910


    Vinson¡¯s eyes darkened, but he soon schooled his features back to a neutral look.


    It seems like the Greenes are adamant about making me bow to them.


    ¡°I understand,¡± he quietly replied. ¡°Tell them that I won¡¯t be free at night, so let¡¯s have lunch tomorrow


    instead. At the same time, ask the chairman of Yeager Group if he¡¯s free to meet me in Zaprington.¡±


    ¡°Yeager Group?¡± The representative of the subsidiarypany paled upon hearing thepany¡¯s


    name.


    Yeager Group was Larson Group¡¯s rival, and thepetition between the twopanies was fierce.


    However, Yeager Group did not have Horington¡¯srgestpany Greene Corporation¡ªto back them


    up, so they were not as well-established as Larson


    Group.


    Meeting with Yeager Group meant that Vinson was nning to coborate with anotherpany.


    ¡°I understand.¡± The other man nodded and instantly contacted Yeager Group.


    Yeager Group was more than delighted to agree to meet at a restaurant in Zaprington in an hour.


    In the meantime, Susanne was even more distressed after Vinson hung up on her.


    My dumb son! He has a high IQ, but he¡¯s not flexible when ites to dealing with people. What if the


    Greenes get annoyed and start sabotaging his business deals?


    After a long while of contemtion, Susanne decided to appease Cecilia first.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    A moment of hesitationter, Susanne called Cecilia and enthusiastically said, ¡°What are you nning


    to bake on Monday? I¡¯ll have the housekeeper prepare the ingredients first. That way, you can just


    come without needing to bring anything along.¡±


    Cecilia¡¯s lips slowly curled.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯ll be too much trouble for you¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine. We¡¯re friends, after all. No need for pleasantries.¡±


    At that, Cecilia said, ¡°Then I look forward to the day we be a family.¡±


    Susanne choked upon hearing the woman¡¯s words. After squeezing out two wryughs, she replied,


    ¡°See you on Monday.¡±


    ¡°See you on Monday.¡±


    Cecilia then ended the call.


    Immediately, Wendy asked, ¡°What did Mrs. Nightshire


    say?¡±


    Cecilia cackled. ¡°Susanne seems all high and mighty at most times, but she can¡¯t even stand her


    ground whenever anything serious happens. Look, I just informed Horington¡¯s side to intervene in


    Vinson¡¯s coboration, and Susanne is already calling me.¡±


    Wendy¡¯s eyes instantly glistened as she asked eagerly, ¡°Mom, does that mean that I still have a chance


    to marry Vinson?¡±


    Cecilia nodded confidently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my good girl. The title of Mrs. Nightshire will eventually be


    yours.¡±


    As soon as Wendy heard that, her heart began to race.


    Before that moment, she had lost almost all hope of marrying Vinson. However, her mother¡¯s


    reassuring


    tone had lit the me of hope again.


    I¡¯m the one who¡¯s most suitable for Vinson. I¡¯m the only one who can help Vinson out. Arielle, on the


    other hand¡­ Ha! One year from now will be her first death anniversary.


    At that, Wendy asked, ¡°How are things going on Dad¡¯s side?¡±


    As she packed up her suitcase, Cecilia responded, ¡°He called a while ago, saying that they had found


    Arielle. She¡¯s at Jadeborough University, and your dad is bringing his men there now.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s in school?¡±


    Wendy¡¯s brows drew together, wondering, Why would Arielle be in school at this time of the day? Could


    it be that she¡¯s at the archive again? Why is she there? Who cares? What she¡¯s doing right now doesn¡¯t


    matter because she¡¯s dead meat!


    After mulling over it, Wendy called her father.


    ¡°Dad, Arielle might be in the school library. She¡¯s always there.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Once the call ended, a grin crept onto her lips.


    She could not wait to hear the news of Arielle¡¯s death.

 Chapter 911

    Chapter 911


    In Jadeborough University¡¯s library archive.


    After reading through the files for over an hour, Arielle¡¯s eyes were starting to hurt.


    Thus, she stood up and stretched, thinking of buying bread to stop her stomach from growling.


    However, just as she stepped out of the library, she heard someone ask the student in front of her,


    ¡°Hello, may I know if Arielle¡¯s in the library?¡±


    Arielle instantly snapped her head toward the source of the voice. It was then she saw two towering


    men talking to a student with smiles on their faces.


    Narrowing her eyes, she began studying the two men.


    Although they were wearing casual clothes, something about the way they carried themselves was


    strange to Arielle.


    I sense a murderous intent from them, she realized, feeling startled.


    Immediately, she turned to walk back into the library, but in the next second, the student pointed at her


    and said, ¡°Are you looking for Arielle Moore? She¡¯s right there.¡±


    Arielle halted in her tracks. Knowing that she could not hide anymore, she spun around to look into the


    men¡¯s eyes and questioned, ¡°Who are you? Why are you looking for me?¡±


    Both men were stunned to see her, but they were quick to let a smile return to their lips. ¡°Arielle, here¡¯s


    the thing. We¡¯re Mr. Nightshire¡¯s friend, and since Mr. Nightshire helped us out the other time, we were


    thinking of treating him to a meal as a token of gratitude. However, he¡¯s in Horington right now, so he


    asked us toe to you instead. Won¡¯t you have a meal with us?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry; I¡¯m not free. You should wait for Vinson to meet you himself.¡± As she spoke, she began


    walking past them.


    However, just as she walked past them, one of the men grabbed her wrist.


    ¡°Arielle, there¡¯s no need for such courtesy. If you don¡¯t want to have a meal, why don¡¯t we treat you to a


    cup of coffee instead? We really have to express our gratitude to Vinson.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right.¡± The other man grabbed her other wrist as well. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so polite with us,


    Ms. Moore.¡±


    Arielle did not want to make a move in front of the library. After all, it was a crowded ce even though


    it was a weekend.


    Hence, she narrowed her eyes before suddenly beaming at them. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s go to the cafe


    opposite the school. However, I have to ask you to let go of me. You¡¯re holding me too tightly, and


    you¡¯re hurting me.¡±


    Caught off guard by how easily Arielle had agreed to their request, the two men immediately let go of


    her.


    They, too, did not want to cause amotion on the school grounds. There were too many people


    around, and if anything happened, they would easily be caught by thew enforcers.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, please lead the way.¡±


    One of the men gestured to the front, and Arielle began walking to the school gates.


    Soon, they were at the entrance.


    At that time of the day, no one was around; only some cars would pass by asionally.


    In seconds, Arielle sensed the changes in their demeanor, so she decided to drop the act as well.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    This is a good ce. There won¡¯t be any need for me to hold back here.


    Coming to a stop, Arielle then turned and red at them. ¡°Speak. Who sent you here?¡±


    The smiles on the men¡¯s faces froze then disappeared.


    ¡°It seems like you¡¯re not aplete fool. Since you¡¯ve already seen through us, don¡¯t bother asking


    questions and juste with us. Otherwise, we¡¯ll have to do this the hard way.¡±


    However, it was as if Arielle had just heard them crack a joke, for she grinned and responded, ¡°Just the


    two of you? Are you going toe at me together, or are you going to do this one-by-one?¡±


    ¡°Preposterous!¡± one man shouted as he promptly swung his fist at her.


    Arielle nimbly dodged it. At the same time, she grabbed that man¡¯s arm and shifted her foot to throw a


    kick. Surprised by her agility, the man lost his bnce and fell onto his face.


    ¡°Grab her!¡± he screamed furiously.

 Chapter 912

    Chapter 912


    The other man never thought that a dainty girl like Arielle would be somewhat proficient in defending


    herself. When his initial impression of her was proven wrong, he quickly stopped underestimating her


    and fished out the knife by his waist. Then, he lunged at her.


    Arielle was also about to make a move when two figures appeared out of nowhere to trip her attacker.


    ¡°Ah!¡± With a cry of agony, the man¡¯s knife fell to the ground, and a foot stepped on his face.


    That foot seemed to possess much strength, and Arielle¡¯s attacker felt as if the skin on his face had


    been peeled off.


    Feeling dumbfounded, Arielle nced toward the two figures. However, when her mind registered who


    they were, she rxed a little.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sasha. ke.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Moore.¡± Sasha nodded before kicking away the attacker¡¯s knife. After making sure that he would


    not be able to grab it again, she lifted her head and asked Arielle, ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°No.¡±


    When the other man realized Arielle had backup, he swiftly mbered to his feet.


    Then, he whipped out a gun from his jacket and pointed it at ke, the nearest beside him.


    ¡°ke, duck!¡± Arielle cried out.


    ke instantly obeyed, and the bullet flew past his back by a mere two centimeters.


    ¡°You must have a death wish,¡± Arielle growled out as she hurtled toward him. Before the man could


    realize what was going on, her foot had already smashed against his wrist.


    Feeling the immense pain, the man loosened his grip on the gun, and it flew out of his hand.


    In the next second, Arielle grabbed the man¡¯s wrist before lifting him and throwing him over her


    shoulder.


    Thud! The man¡¯s body fell to the ground heavily.


    Then, Arielle stomped her foot on the man¡¯s back.


    It was not a random stomp; she had made sure to step on an acupuncture point.


    That point was one of the weakest points. Even a tiny amount of force onto it could cripple someone for


    life.


    Arielle¡¯s stomp had been swift and forceful. After a loud crack, the man rolled his eyes, and he passed


    out instantly.


    Arielle was protective of those around her.


    She could tolerate anyone who took a jab at her, but she could not hold herself back if those people


    targeted the


    ones she cared about.


    After making sure the man was fully unconscious, Arielle strode toward the other man that ke was


    stepping on. She then grabbed his cor and fixed her frigid gaze on him before asking, ¡°Speak. Who


    sent you here? Are there any more of you?¡±


    The man had just witnessed what Arielle did to his partner. Her speed was something he would not be


    able to defend himself against, and her uracy¡­ Even a professional killer like him might not be able


    to be as skilled as her.


    Hence, when she started questioning him, he paled and stammered, ¡°W-Who are you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not in the position to ask questions. Tell me who sent you here right now!¡±


    The man stared at her for a while longer before biting down hard.


    Instantly, rm bells rang in Arielle¡¯s head, and she hastily raised his head.


    Unfortunately, it was toote. The man coughed out blood before falling to the ground, convulsing.


    Soon, he stopped moving


    Sasha stepped forward to put her finger under his nose, but she shook her head at Arielle a beatter.


    ¡°He¡¯s not breathing anymore.¡±


    Arielle furrowed her brows at that. When she raised her head to look at the opposite street, she caught


    a glimpse of a ck car speeding off.


    Sasha immediately tried to run after it, but Arielle stopped her. ¡°You can¡¯t catch up to it. I¡¯ve memorized


    its te number, so look into it instead.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Sasha gave Arielle a curt nod before walking to the man who Arielle had stomped on earlier.


    She then said, ¡°It¡¯s fine if that one¡¯s dead. We have another here.¡±

 Chapter 913

    Chapter 913


    ke then rushed over to that man and pried his mouth open.


    In seconds, she took out a capsule behind the man¡¯s teeth and handed it to Sasha.


    ¡°Sasha, it¡¯s this. He¡¯s indeed a mercenary.¡±


    Sasha nced at it before walking toward Arielle to exin, ¡°Ms. Moore, these two are mercenaries,


    but they¡¯re also suicide fighters. Many rich families in Chanaea would hire mercenaries to do their dirty


    jobs. If they¡¯re at any risk of getting interrogated, they¡¯ll bite on this pill to ensure that they won¡¯t betray


    their employers.¡±


    ke nced at the unconscious man before adding, ¡°To be honest, Sasha and I are mercenaries too,


    so we bring poison with us as well. It¡¯s a good thing you knocked the other out before he had the time


    to take his poison.¡±


    Hearing that, Arielle awkwardly mumbled, ¡°I was a little too rough after seeing him pointing the gun at


    you. I think it¡¯ll take at least a week after his treatment before he can start talking.¡±


    In response, Sasha¡¯s mouth twitched. All of a sudden, she felt that the two of them werepletely


    unneeded there.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she then said after clearing her throat. ¡°We¡¯ll go to Specialized Forces to check that car¡¯s


    surveince camera. We¡¯ll soon find out who they¡¯re working for.¡± Arielle nodded. Then, she turned to


    the corpse at the side and said, ¡°Deal with them first so that no one sees them.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    Soon, Sasha summoned the bodyguards that Vinson left behind in Jadeborough.


    In less than two seconds, all signs of what happened earlier, including the surveince cameras at the


    gate, were erased.


    Just as Sasha was about to head to Specialized Forces, Arielle stepped forward and said, ¡°I¡¯lle


    with you.¡±


    Arielle wanted to see who was the one who was trying to kill her.


    Soon, their car was speeding toward Specialized Forces.


    On the way there, ke voiced his guesses. ¡°Sasha, could it be that person who tried to hurt Boss


    back then?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. That person wouldn¡¯t just do something like this,¡± Sasha swiftly denied.


    Arielle nodded and agreed, ¡°You¡¯re right. It won¡¯t be that person. That person hasn¡¯t appeared for a


    long time, and every time they do, it¡¯ll be something major. They won¡¯t do something so obvious. I think


    it¡¯s someone else at work.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ could it be Cindy?¡± ke made another guess.


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°All our people are looking for Cindy right now. She wouldn¡¯t do anything to me


    at a time like this.¡±


    ke then sighed. ¡°True. She¡¯s more focused on hiding from you for now. Who is it then?¡±


    Arielle did not speak; she, too, wanted to know who had grown a lion¡¯s heart.


    Soon, the car reached outside Specialized Forces¡¯ building.


    The moment Arielle stepped into the premises, the deputy captain approached and greeted her.


    After finding out the aim of her trip, the deputy captain began looking into her case. In moments, they


    tracked down the car with surveince cameras.


    Meanwhile, in the ck MPV, Daniel¡¯s face was grim.


    He never thought that a student like Arielle could be more well-trained inbat than his mercenaries.


    That young female student should be frightened out of her mind at a time like that. How did she still


    have the guts to defend herself?


    Moreover, the two people who were helping her out were no ordinary people either.


    ¡°D*mn it!¡± Daniel inhaled his cigarette in one swift breath, frustrated by how things had turned out.


    Two mercenaries have failed to take down one girl. What kind of bad luck do I have?


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    After the car turned around a corner, the driver-also a mercenary¡ªturned his head to the back and


    asked, ¡°Sir, do we need to change a few cars before going back in case she tracks us down?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±

 Chapter 914

    Chapter 914


    Daniel tossed the cigarette in his hand away before rejecting, ¡°If we fail today, we¡¯ll do it tomorrow. A


    dead girl is no threat to me even if she finds out about my identity. Moreover, I¡¯ve already looked into


    her background. She¡¯s just a girl from the countryside. How can she possibly track us down? We don¡¯t


    need to waste our time; just go straight back.¡±


    The mercenary hesitated, but he did not insist after hearing Daniel¡¯s determined voice.


    Soon, the car arrived outside the condominium.


    Daniel took a while to smoke before heading upstairs.


    Meanwhile, Wendy had been waiting for her father¡¯s news at home, and she was anxious.


    For reasons unbeknownst to her, an ominous feeling was looming over her.


    Cecilia, who was good at cooking, made a dessert for her daughter and said with a chuckle, ¡°Don¡¯t


    worry that much. Don¡¯t you know how good your dad¡¯s subordinates are? Moreover, your dad has gone


    there himself. What¡¯s there to worry about?¡±


    Nevertheless, Wendy was still a little distressed.


    ¡°How many people did Dad bring with him?¡±


    ¡°Three, I think.¡±


    ¡°Three?¡± Wendy paused her eating and jumped to her


    feet. ¡°Three is too little. Arielle¡¯s very cunning. Don¡¯t give her the chance to escape and tell Vinson


    about it!¡±


    Cecilia chuckled again. ¡°So what if she¡¯s cunning? How many punches can she take? Can she even


    fight?¡±


    Wendy hesitated before shaking her head, unsure. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I had a ssmate named Kelsea


    back then. She wanted to disfigure Arielle, so she sent a whole group of people from that forum to her.


    In the end, Arielle dealt with them all.¡±


    ¡°From that forum? Those people only know the basics of fighting. Your dad has put in everything this


    time and took the gun he had since forever with him.¡±


    ¡°A gun?¡± Wendy¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Dad has a gun?¡±


    As Cecilia dotingly smoothened out Wendy¡¯s fringe, she said, ¡°Of course. Don¡¯t you know who your


    father is? We¡¯re the ones with the final say in Horington. Although guns are illegal in Chanaea, it¡¯s no


    tough feat for your dad to get a gun. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve brought that minx to somewhere remote to end


    her life now.¡±


    Hearing that, the anxiety in Wendy¡¯s heart finally dissipated.


    Right then, someone knocked on their house door.


    ¡°It must be your dad. What perfect timing. I¡¯ve made an extra te of dessert. Open the door, Wendy.


    I¡¯ll take out the dessert from the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°All right!¡± Wendy practically skipped toward the door.


    Indeed, it was Daniel.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Wendy was so excited that she nearly cried as she blurted out, ¡°Dad, have you dealt with her? Where


    did you bury her?¡±


    Daniel¡¯s throat tightened. Staring at his daughter¡¯s eager eyes, he did not know how to respond for a


    moment.


    When Wendy registered the silence from Daniel, she finally noticed something amiss.


    Taking a step back, she looked at her father in shock and stammered, ¡°D-Dad, y-you didn¡¯t let her go,


    did


    you?¡±


    Daniel cleared his throat before muttering, ¡°I never thought that she had two bodyguards who can fight


    well too. Furthermore, it seems like she¡¯s not just a weak student¡­¡±


    However, that was not the answer Wendy wanted to hear. She continued asking, ¡°Did she escape?¡±


    Daniel jumped from Wendy¡¯s sudden high-pitch before nodding. ¡°Yes. She escaped.¡±


    Then, he quickly added, ¡°I underestimated her this time. Don¡¯t worry. Once the sun sets, I¡¯ll send my


    men to go after her again. This time, I¡¯ll make sure she¡¯s dead.

 Chapter 915

    Chapter 915


    Nevertheless, Wendy could not hear anything Daniel said after that as she slowly backed away with a


    pale face.


    It was only after her back collided with the drawer did she mutter, ¡°Doomed¡­ I¡¯m doomed.¡±


    If Arielle escapes, she¡¯ll surely tell Vinson about this. Then, Vinson will be prepared. How are we going


    to get rid of Arielle now? The best opportunity has slipped by us. It¡¯s unlikely we¡¯ll ever get another


    chance to end her life now.


    When Cecilia walked out of the kitchen to see Wendy¡¯s disheveled state, she hastily put down the te


    and grabbed her daughter¡¯s shaking shoulders. Then, in a worried tone, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter,


    Wendy? What¡¯s going on with Wendy, Daniel?¡±


    Daniel gritted his teeth as he responded, ¡°I identally let that girl escape.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Cecilia shrieked as her eyes went wide. ¡°You brought three mercenaries with you, but you


    couldn¡¯t even handle one girl?¡±


    Already frustrated by things not going his way, an annoyed look crept onto Daniel¡¯s face when he heard


    Cecilia¡¯s question,


    ¡°Stop kicking up a fuss! I¡¯ll send more people after her tonight. What¡¯s there to scream about when her


    fate is certain? I¡¯m tired. I¡¯m going back to my room to rest first.¡± With that said, Daniel went back to his


    room.


    Cecilia bit down on her lower lip before turning to the trembling Wendy. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Wendy. Your dad


    will be going out again tonight. I¡¯ll ask him to bring that minx to you so that you can torment that girl


    yourself. How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be impossible.¡± Wendy tightened her fists. ¡°Arielle¡¯s a crafty b*tch. If you go after her again, you¡¯ll


    step right into her trap. She¡¯ll be fine, but we¡¯ll be doomed. She¡¯ll screw us over!¡±


    At that, Cecilia began mulling over her words.


    Indeed, if they had gotten rid of Arielle immediately, Vinson would not have held the Greene family


    ountable. However, that was not the case as they had not seeded. Furthermore, Vinson was at


    the peak of his prime, where emotions ruled alongside rationality. Perhaps a few words from Arielle


    would make him go up against the Greenes.


    With that thought in mind, Cecilia¡¯s expression turned


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    grave.


    She then went to get Daniel from his room and told him about her thoughts.


    Daniel, like her, frowned after her exnation.


    ¡°What do you think we should do now then?¡±


    Cecilia¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°What can we do? We¡¯ll have to stay put for now while


    we wait for an opportunity to get rid of her. Right, you didn¡¯t leave any evidence behind, did you? That


    little b*tch doesn¡¯t know that we¡¯re the ones who are trying to kill her, right?¡±


    Daniel nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The ones I sent out were the mercenaries. Although we were a street


    away from them, I saw them kill themselves with the poison.¡±


    That made Cecilia sigh in relief before turning to console Wendy, ¡°Wendy, don¡¯t get too anxious. The


    day after tomorrow will be Monday, and your results will be out by then. Susanne is most concerned


    about the pros and cons, and she¡¯ll being to your school with me. When she sees that you¡¯ve


    gotten first ce in the preparatory ss, she¡¯ll know who¡¯s the one she should choose between you


    and that b*tch. After all, without Susanne¡¯s agreement, that b*tch won¡¯t be able to marry into the


    Nightshire family.¡±


    Despite the reluctance she was feeling, Wendy had to agree to hold her horses so that Vinson would


    not find out she had made a move against Arielle.


    What a pity. We¡¯ve lost such a good opportunity.


    ¡°By the way, Wendy,¡± Cecilia started. ¡°You¡¯re confident about your results, right? You¡¯ll be able to get


    the first ce, right?¡±


    Immediately, Wendy stiffened and gulped.

 Chapter 916

    Chapter 916


    First ce¡­


    Wendy had always been assured about her grades, but ever since she joined the preparatory ss,


    her confidence had been chipped away by Arielle.


    This time, Cecilia¡¯s question was a question she couldn¡¯t give a confident answer to.


    Nevertheless, the next thing Wendy thought about was how Arielle¡¯s further mathematics and


    Ustranasion was much better than hers.


    However, Arielle had not taken one of the exams Chanaean. I should be able to get first ce because


    of that, right?


    With that thought swirling in her mind, Wendy then gritted her teeth and nodded. ¡°It should be fine for


    me to get first ce.¡±


    ¡°Good. You have to show yourself off in front of Susanne.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Wendy nodded before turning to look out of the window.


    Dear God, please bless me. I¡¯ll do lots of good things from now on. Please make sure I¡¯ll get first ce


    like I used to do in high school.


    Meanwhile, in Specialized Forces.


    The men from Specialized Forces soon narrowed down their searches to a condominium with the help


    of surveince cameras.


    ¡°This is it.¡±


    The deputy captain pointed at the screen before turning to Arielle. ¡°Do you need us to arrest them?¡±


    Arielle thought about it for two seconds before shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯ll make up my mind after finding out


    who they are.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    The deputy captain then stood up and went away to look into the residents of that condominium.


    Soon, the deputy captain returned with more information.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, please have a look at it.¡±


    Arielle nodded and reached out for the file.


    ording to the information, this unit was rented out a few weeks ago, and the one who rented the unit


    is¡­


    ¡°Wendy Greene?¡±


    Arielle was surprised by the name, but at the same time, it made sense to her,


    She always knew that Wendy was not as harmless as


    she looked. However, she also never thought that Wendy would be wicked to the point she would kill


    her.


    ¡°Ha,¡± came Arielle¡¯s coldugh as her eyes darkened. When Sasha saw the look in her eyes, the hair


    behind her neck stood.


    ¡°Ms. Moore,¡± Sasha said after rposing herself. ¡°Do you need us to deal with her right away?¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ¡°Hm? But we have the evidence against her. Are we not going to arrest her right away?¡±


    ¡°I wish we could.¡± Arielle sighed. ¡°But Vinson is currently negotiating a business deal in Horington. The


    Greenes are the boss of Horington. I¡¯m scared that they might do something to Vinson if anything


    happens to the Greenes here. So, I¡¯ll wait until he¡¯s back from his business trip. Before he returns, don¡¯t


    do anything to alert them to our newfound knowledge. Oh, don¡¯t tell Vinson about this too.¡±


    Arielle knew Vinson well. If he found out that the Greenes hadid a finger on her, he would


    undoubtedly toss aside his potential business and confront the Greenes head-on.


    Therefore, regardless of how absurd Wendy acted, she had to endure it silently for now.


    ¡°I understand.¡± With a nod, Sasha then left with ke.


    Their job was to appear when Arielle needed them and to make themselves scarce when they were not


    required.


    After Sasha left with ke, Arielle instructed the deputy captain, ¡°Specialized Forces are focused on


    investigating the dirty affairs that the rich stick their fingers into. Have you ever looked into the


    Greenes?¡±


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    The deputy captain responded, ¡°The Greenes used to be on good terms with Nightshire Group, so


    we¡¯ve always closed an eye on their matters.¡±


    ¡°Good. It¡¯s time to look into them.¡±


    Ever since Cindy had been rescued, the deputy captain had been upset about theck of opportunities


    for him to make up for his mistake. Now that the chance finally came, he was thrilled.


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll repeat myself. Don¡¯t rm the other party. Just


    gather evidence for now. When the right timees, we¡¯ll get them all at once.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    After making the arrangements, Arielle left the building and headed toward Rocher Private Hospital.


    Since the Greenes are behind this, that guy doesn¡¯t need to wait for his death in the hospital. He¡¯s still


    useful, so I might as well spend some time treating him.

 Chapter 917

    Chapter 917


    After Sasha handled the corpse, the gravely injured man was sent to Rocher Private Hospital.


    As the mercenaries did not have names, no one knew of their existence and their deaths often went


    unnoticed. As such, there would not be anyplications.


    Arielle headed to Rocher Private Hospital immediately after informing Carter who was visiting Harvey at


    the hospital with Jordan.


    Once Arielle arrived at the hospital, she spotted the two men waiting for her at the entrance.


    ¡°Chief!¡± Jordan waved at her excitedly.


    Arielle acknowledged him with a slight nod before turning to Carter and asked, ¡°How is he?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still in the emergency room. But his condition isn¡¯t looking good. He was already hanging on to


    hisst breath when he was sent here,¡± Carter replied. ¡°Is he your friend?¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°No. He¡¯s my enemy,¡± Arielle replied expressionlessly, shaking her head.


    Carter froze for a second when he heard that. Jordan asked at once, ¡°Why did you save him if he¡¯s


    your enemy?¡±


    ¡°Because I need him to get rid of an even greater enemy,¡± Arielle simply replied before heading toward


    the emergency room with Carter.


    On the way there, Carter could not help but say, ¡°I already know about Harvey¡¯s situation. You should


    have a good chat with him.¡±


    Arielle nodded her head and said, ¡°Let me know when his condition stabilizes. I¡¯ll talk to him then. I


    don¡¯t want him to be in a bad mood when he sees me, as that¡¯ll affect his health. At this juncture, it¡¯s


    important that he keeps his emotions in check so that he can rest well and have a speedy recovery.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Carter replied. He sighed inwardly, wondering when Harvey would be able to move on.


    Meanwhile, in the emergency room, the lead surgeon¡¯s


    forehead was covered with beads of perspiration.


    ¡°The attacker definitely has some medical knowledge. This is a vital area of the body. Even a light


    punch to the spot could cause a person to be paralyzed, not to mention the force he used.¡±


    ¡°Is it really that serious?¡± the surgeon¡¯s assistant asked.


    ¡°Of course! This is the spine, the body¡¯s central support structure that connects different parts of the


    musculoskeletal system. No one can live without a spine.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ can he be saved?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s possible. But even if he manages to keep his life, he¡¯ll remain in a vegetative state. Unless¡­¡±


    ¡°Unless?¡± the assistant quickly asked.


    After letting out a sigh, the lead surgeon said, ¡°Unless a miracle happens, or if we could get Ms.


    Moore¡¯s help.¡±


    Right after he finished speaking, the side door of the emergency room opened.


    A woman dressed in a surgical gown entered the room and tookrge strides toward the operating


    table.


    The lead surgeon¡¯s eyes immediately lit up as he eximed excitedly, ¡°Ms. Moore!¡±


    Arielle nodded slightly. ¡°Brief me on the patient¡¯s condition.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± The lead surgeon began to report the patient¡¯s condition to Arielle at once.


    He had observed Arielle conduct the surgery on Harvey previously and waspletely in awe of her.


    After getting a clear understanding of the situation, Arielle started making preparations for the surgery.


    Meanwhile, when Vinson arrived at Zaprington Restaurant, Luke Yeager, Yeager Group¡¯s chairman,


    was already there,


    Situated next to the Horington River, Zaprington Restaurant was surrounded by beautiful scenery. It


    was also a three-star Michelin restaurant and most of its diners were either wealthy or powerful people.


    While waiting for Vinson, Luke¡¯s secretary could not help but ask, ¡°Mr. Yeager, why did Mr. Nightshire


    ask to meet you? I thought the purpose of his visit was to coborate with Larson Group.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure as well,¡± Luke answered. Even though he had his doubts, he was happy to have the


    opportunity to strike a business deal with Vinson.


    Regardless of the man¡¯s reasons for meeting him, as long as he managed to clinch the deal, he would


    be able to gain an advantage over Larson Group.


    Just then, an MPV with Nightshire Group¡¯s logo on it arrived at the entrance of Zaprington Restaurant.

 Chapter 918

    Chapter 918


    Seeing that, Luke immediately walked up to the vehicle and opened the car door for Vinson.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire!¡±


    Vinson nodded his head slightly and stepped out of the car to greet Luke. ¡°Mr. Yeager.¡±


    Luke gestured for Vinson to head into the restaurant enthusiastically, saying, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, I¡¯ve


    already booked a private room that overlooks the river. We can enjoy the scenery while having our


    meal.¡±


    Vinson acknowledged with a slight nod before following Luke into the restaurant.


    Just as Luke said, that was no doubt the best private room in the restaurant. One could gaze out the


    window and enjoy the entire view of the Horington River.


    However, Vinson was not in the mood to appreciate the view.


    He started speaking at once. ¡°Mr. Yeager, even though this is our first time meeting each other, I¡¯m a


    straightforward person, so I shall get straight to the point. Regarding the newnd development project


    in Zaprington, would you be keen to coborate with Nightshire Group?¡±


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Luke could not believe what he just heard and widened his eyes at once.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire, did I¡­ hear you correctly?¡±


    The corners of Vinson¡¯s lips curled up slightly and he replied, ¡°You heard it right. I¡¯m interested in


    working with you, but I¡¯m not sure if you feel the same way.¡±


    ¡°Of course! Of course, I am!¡± Luke replied, nodding his head continuously. However, he couldn¡¯t help


    but ask, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, may I ask you why? ording to my information, the purpose of your visit is to


    coborate with Trevor Larson. And if I may be honest, everyone knows that Larson Group has Greene


    Corporation as their backing. Even though both ourpanies are on par with each other, they have


    ess to much more resources. So, Mr. Nightshire, why did you choose us and not them?¡±


    Luke did not beat around the bush as he was an honest man who could not hold back his thoughts.


    Vinson was not annoyed by his questions. He admired Luke¡¯s honest and straightforward personality


    instead.


    Besides, without Greene Corporation behind Yeager Group, Vinson did not have to worry about the


    Greenes ying dirty.


    ¡°Because I hate being stood up,¡± Vinson replied cidly.


    While Luke was momentarily stunned by the man¡¯s reply, Vinson added, ¡°And the Greenes get on my


    nerves.¡±


    Hearing that, Luke instantly understood why Vinson had chosen to cooperate with him instead of


    Trevor.


    Trevor was working with the Greenes on many projects. Moreover, Trevor¡¯s sister had married the


    chairman of Greene Corporation. Since the two families were that closely connected, if Vinson disliked


    the Greenes, it was natural that he would prefer to cooperate with Yeager Group instead.


    Luke straightened his back and made a decision on the spot.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire, may we have a fruitful coboration ahead!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s work well together!¡± Vinson replied, extending his hand, which Luke immediately shook.


    The project manager, who was standing next to Vinson, handed over a contract to Luke at once.


    ¡°Mr. Yeager, if you have no questions about the project proposal, you can sign here and we can start


    work immediately.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure!¡± Luke signed the contract immediately without even looking at the details.


    Everyone knew that any project that Nightshire Group had their eyes on would be hugely profitable.


    With that deal, Luke would not have to worry about being oppressed by Greene Corporation and


    Larson Group anymore.


    There was finally hope for Yeager Group!


    Meanwhile, at Horington¡¯srgest golf course, Trevor was sitting in the shade while watching two sexy


    women y golf.


    He was enjoying an unobstructed view of the women¡¯s cleavages as they bent down to swing their


    clubs.


    Just then, one of his subordinates walked up to him and reported, ¡°Mr. Larson, he¡¯s here.¡±


    ¡°Bring him here.¡±

 Chapter 919

    Chapter 919


    Very quickly, a man was brought to Trevor.


    ¡°Mr. Freeman,¡± Trevor greeted while rising from his chair, ¡°why did you call me just now to ask me to


    stall Vinson? What¡¯s going on? Isn¡¯t my niece going to marry him? Since we¡¯re going to be one family


    soon, why are we doing this?¡±


    Brandonughed dryly before replying, ¡°Mr. Larson, I¡¯m not sure about the details. I¡¯m just following


    Mrs. Greene¡¯s instructions.¡±


    Hearing that, Trevor rubbed his temples and said begrudgingly, ¡°That sister of mine is always so


    prideful! She¡¯s even putting on airs in front of Vinson. I know she¡¯s trying to y hard to get, but if she


    offends the man and he changes his mind about marrying Wendy, all our efforts will go down the drain!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that,¡± Brandon replied confidently. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t trust me or Mrs. Greene, you


    need to have faith in Ms. Greene! She¡¯s the most eligible bachelorette in Horington and countless men


    would die to marry her.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Wendy has been outstanding since young. Not only is she smart and diligent, but her beauty


    is also unparalleled. Any man would find her attractive and there¡¯s no reason Vinson would be an


    exception. However¡±¡ªTrevor sighed ¡ª ¡°for some reason, I just can¡¯t help feeling unsettled. It feels


    suffocating.¡±


    Brandon chuckled. ¡°It could be because of the humid weather. ording to the weather forecast,


    there¡¯ll be a


    thunderstorm tonight.¡±


    Trevor raised his brows and replied, ¡°You should go make preparations too. We¡¯ll make a reservation at


    Zaprington Restaurant and meet Vinson together.¡±


    After he finished speaking, Trevor walked toward the two women.


    ¡°Here, let me teach you,¡± he said, tapping one of the women¡¯s butts with the golf club.


    ¡°You¡¯re so naughty!¡± the woman eximed coquettishly.


    Observing Trevor¡¯s behavior, Brandon¡¯s assistant, who was standing next to Brandon, could not help


    but ask softly, ¡°Mr. Freeman, why didn¡¯t you tell him about the conflict that happened between Ms.


    Greene and Vinson at Jadeborough?¡±


    ¡°Are you stupid? If we told him that, do you think a self-interested man like Trevor would continue


    cooperating with us to stall Vinson? Mrs. Greene said that we need to give Vinson a little push so that


    he will know the benefits of marrying Ms. Greene. It¡¯s to ensure that their marriage will proceed


    smoothly.¡±


    However, right after Brandon finished speaking, Trevor¡¯s assistant rushed toward them while shouting,


    ¡°Mr. Larson, there¡¯s bad news!¡±


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    As Trevor was in the midst of flirting with the two women, he was annoyed at the interruption.


    Frowning,


    he replied, ¡°What¡¯s the bad news? Is it a life and death situation? Didn¡¯t I make myself clear that I don¡¯t


    want to be disturbed?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Larson, something really bad has happened!¡±


    Trevor pursed his lips and handed over his golf club to one of the women before walking toward his


    assistant. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked coldly.


    His assistant replied at once, ¡°When I was making a reservation at Zaprington Restaurant ording to


    your instructions, I heard that Mr. Nightshire and Luke Yeager, the chairman of Yeager Group, were


    having a meeting there.¡±


    When Trevor heard that, his pupils constricted at once. ¡°Luke Yeager? Are you sure about that? Vinson


    is nning to coborate with that guy?¡±


    His assistant replied with uncertainty, ¡°Luke made the reservation at the restaurant, so I¡¯m not sure if


    they were meeting to discuss a coboration or if Mr. Nightshire


    attended the meeting just out of courtesy.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you waiting for? Get to it now!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    When Trevor¡¯s assistant turned around, he almost ran into Brandon.

 Chapter 920

    Chapter 920


    ¡°Whoa, whoa!¡± Brandon eximed, taking a step back. ¡°Mr. Larson, what happened? Why is he in such


    a rush?¡±


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Trevor red at Brandon as he replied, ¡°You still have the audacity to ask me that?¡±


    Shocked by the man¡¯s outburst, Brandon asked immediately, ¡°What exactly is going on?¡±


    Trevor let out a cold snort and replied, ¡°Do you know that because you asked me to stand Vinson up,


    he approached Luke instead?¡±


    ¡°Luke Yeager? Mr. Nightshire actually approached him just because you postponed the lunch meeting


    to dinner instead?¡± Brandon was shocked to hear that as well and broke out in a cold sweat.


    If that¡¯s the case, does that mean Mr. Nightshire is going against Greene Corporation?


    Trevor was extremely vexed. He paced around Brandon for a few minutes beforeing to a decision.


    ¡°I¡¯m heading to Zaprington Restaurant right now to apologize to Mr. Nightshire.¡±


    ¡°No! You can¡¯t do that! If you do that, our n will be foiled!¡± Brandon blurted out those words in a


    panic.


    ¡°Our n?¡± Trevor narrowed his eyes. ¡°What n? Didn¡¯t you say that we were just going to establish


    our dominance so that Vinson would not look down on the Greenes?¡±


    Brandon¡¯s throat tightened. He knew he had revealed too much. He tried to cover up immediately by


    replying, ¡°Exactly! The n was to show our power so that Ms. Greene would not be bullied after


    marrying into the Nightshire family.¡±


    However, Trevor was no fool. He shot an angry nce toward the man and bellowed, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare


    lie to me! If you don¡¯t tell me the truth right now, I¡®ll look for Vinson immediately and tell him that it was


    you who asked me to postpone our lunch meeting.¡±


    The corners of Brandon¡¯s mouth twitched as he tried to think of a reply. However, before he coulde


    up with another lie, two of Trevor¡¯s strong-built bodyguards were seen approaching them.


    ¡°M-Mr. Larson, what are you trying to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you onest chance to tell me the truth. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless.¡±


    Brandon was still trying to remain silent, not convinced that Trevor would really disregard the Greenes


    and take action against him. However, Brandon¡¯s assistant could no longer withstand the stress and


    said, ¡°Mr. Larson, I¡¯ll tell you everything!¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Brandon wanted to stop his assistant from doing so, but he was toote, as the man had already


    started speaking.


    ¡°In truth, Mr. Nightshire has no feelings for Ms. Greene and a third party hase in between them.


    Mr. Nightshire is madly in love with the other woman and is not keen on marrying Ms. Greene. As such,


    Mrs. Greene has ordered us to give Mr. Nightshire a little push so that he¡¯ll marry Ms. Greene. Mr.


    Larson, this is really all I know. Please let me go.¡±


    Brandon shut his eyes in despair, cursing his assistant silently.


    Enraged, Trevor roared, ¡°How dare you lie to me?¡±


    Brandon could feel his legs weaken. He quickly exined, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to lie to you. It¡¯s a fact that


    Vinson will marry Ms. Greene sooner orter no matter what!¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Trevor was so furious that he was stomping his feet. ¡°F*ck all of you! You¡¯ve gotten me


    into serious trouble this time! How dare you lie to me and cause me to offend Vinson? Such idiots!


    Even though the Greene family is the most powerful family in Horington, the rest of Chanaea barely


    know them!¡±


    Taking a deep breath after rposing himself, Brandon walked up to Trevor and said, ¡°Mr. Larson,


    Ms. Greene¡¯s marriage into the Nightshire family does not only concern the Greenes. If the Greene


    family strikes it rich, you will benefit from it as well. By then, you¡¯ll be able to walk all over Luke.¡±


    Gritting his teeth, Trevor replied, ¡°You still have the nerves to say that? If not for you, would I have


    offended


    Vinson? Would Vinson have approached Luke?¡±


    Brandon forced a smile and said, ¡°Mr. Larson, since what¡¯s done is already done, we are on the same


    boat now. You don¡¯t really have any choice left other than to cooperate with us and ensure that Ms.


    Greene marries into the Nightshire family. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s best for us to talk about it amicably?¡±


    Squinting his eyes, Trevor replied coldly, ¡°Are you threatening me right now?¡±


    ¡°Why do you have to put it that way?¡± Brandon replied, putting one arm over Trevor¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s not


    a threat but a proposal to coborate. Just think about it. Without the Greene family, would Larson


    Group be doing so well in Horington today? If that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t it make sense that Larson


    Group would prosper even more with Greene Corporation¡¯s continued sesses?¡±


    It was obvious that the man¡¯s implied meaning was that without the Greenes, Larson Group would


    hardly be able to thrive.


    ¡°You¡ª¡±


    Just when anger was rising in Trevor like a tide, his assistant rushed over to report once more.


    ¡°Mr. Larson, I¡¯ve found out that Mr. Nightshire and Luke Yeager have already signed an agreement to


    coborate.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Trevor¡¯s eyes were bloodshot with rage.


    It wasmon knowledge that Nightshire Group¡¯s projects were always profitable and anyone would


    benefit from coborating with them.


    Trevor could not take it lying down that he had lost what was originally his because he had listened to


    the Greenes.


    ¡°Mr. Larson¡±¡ªBrandon took the opportunity to continue convincing Trevor¡ª ¡°since Luke is already


    coborating with Mr. Nightshire on the project, are you sure that you¡¯ll be able topete with him


    without the support of the Greenes? Other than helping Ms. Greene marry into the Nightshire family, it


    seems that there¡¯s no better option for you.¡±


    Even though Trevor was boiling with anger, he could still think rationally.


    Greene Corporation was mainly engaged in the real estate business, while Larson Group was involved


    in construction projects and the distribution of construction materials. Without the Greenes, it wouldn¡¯t


    be easy for Trevor to sell his construction materials that were expensive but of average quality.


    Although he was not willing to admit it, it was a fact that Larson Group was only able to thrive in recent


    years because of its business dealings with Greene Corporation


    Since he had already lost the opportunity to coborate


    with Vinson, he knew that his only choice was to rely on the Greenes.


    At that thought, Trevor had no choice but to swallow his pride.


    ¡°Then tell me, what should I do now?¡± he asked through gritted teeth.


    Brandon smiled and replied, ¡°What you need to do is very simple! Acquire all the construction materials


    manufacturingpanies in Horington. Yeager Group does not have as many resources as your


    company. After they exhaust all their current resources, they will not have any avenues to manufacture


    more materials. By then, Vinson will have no choice but to work with


    us.¡±


    ¡°That will cost me a bomb,¡± Trevor said, cringing at the man¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Brandon replied while giving Trevor an assuring pat on the shoulder. ¡°When they are


    desperate for resources, even if you ask for double the original price, they will still be willing to pay. It¡¯s


    definitely a winning situation for you!¡±


    ¡°But what if Vinson is adamant not to work with me? If I acquire all the construction materials


    manufacturingpanies and Vinson ends up not working with me, I¡¯ll go bankrupt!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± Brandon replied confidently. ¡°Taking into ount manpower and transportation


    costs, it wouldn¡¯t make economic sense for them to source for materials elsewhere. Vinson is a shrewd


    businessman and will definitely look for you.¡±


    Hearing that, Trevor decided to bite the bullet and do as Brandon suggested.


    ¡°Okay then! I¡¯ll acquire all those manufacturingpanies right away!¡± Trevor said before rushing off.


    After Trevor left, Brandon let out a long sigh of relief and gave Daniel a call to report the situation.

 Chapter 921

    Chapter 921


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 921


    Arielle had barely taken a few steps out of the operating room when she copsed in a heap.


    Thankfully, Jordan and Carter, who had been waiting outside, promptly rushed to her aid.


    Jordan took the lead and held Arielle¡®s waist, pulling her into his embrace as he did.


    The next second, however, he screamed and pushed her toward Carter.


    ¡°What¡®s wrong with you, Jordan?¡± Carter scolded while holding onto Arielle.


    s, Jordan didn¡®t seem to hear anything as he stared at his hands in wide¨Ceyed shock.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Carter once again asked. ¡°Come help me!¡±


    Jordan mumbled, his face drained of color. ¡°Sh*t, I¡®m done for¡­ I touched her inappropriately, and Vin


    will kill me if he finds out about it. I have to wash my hands! I have to get rid of all traces.¡±


    Carter bristled with anger as he bellowed, ¡°Jordan Baker! Come back here!¡±


    ¡°Let me wash my hands first!¡±


    With that, Jordan sped off.


    ¡°Argh, what an imbecile,¡± Carter grumbled, knowing he


    had no other choice but to help Arielle back to the ward by himself.


    If it had been any other woman, he¡¯d have carried them in his arms. Arielle, however, was an exception.


    Carter wasn¡®t about to do anything that might incur Vinson¡®s jealousy, so he could only ce Arielle¡®s


    hand on his shoulder as he dragged her away from the emergency room.


    Fortunately, a few nurses soon spotted them and helped lead Arielle into a VIP ward.


    Upon getting wind of what had happened, the lead surgeon hurried over to personally check on Arielle


    before putting her on an IV drip.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Arielle?¡± Carter asked worriedly.


    The lead surgeon sighed and replied, ¡°As you know, traditional Chanaean medicine is wondrous and


    profound. Ms. Moore had blown us all away with her medical expertise and skills, but she also warned us


    that her treatment method, though effective, would also drain a lot of energy. Her condition may be stable


    for now, but she¡®s going to need a lot of rest. With this IV drip and proper nutrition, she should be back to


    her old self in no time at all. That said, Ms. Moore has anemia, so that¡®s even more reason for her to take


    better care of herself. If she continues to work herself to the bone, who knows how it might affect her


    health in the future?¡±


    ¡°I understand. Thank you for your help,¡± Carter answered with a grateful nod.


    ¡°Don¡®t mention it. Well then, Mr. Morgan, I shall take my leave now. The patient in the emergency room


    has gotten transferred to the ICU, and I have to check on him.¡±


    ¡°Of course, go ahead.¡±


    After watching the surgeon leave, Carter turned to look at Arielle.


    Just as he was about to reach for his phone to contact Vinson, Arielle suddenly shot a hand out to grab


    his wrist.


    Carter¡®s initial shock was quickly reced with relief when he saw that Arielle had opened her eyes.


    ¡°You¡®re awake?¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Arielle replied with a slight nod. ¡°Are you about to call Vinson?¡±


    ¡°That¡®s right. Given your current state, if I don¡¯t inform him ¡±


    Before Carter could finish his sentence, Arielle interrupted, ¡°No, keep it from him for the time being.


    Before he left for Horington, he had reiterated how important the trip was to him. Besides, he should be


    coming back soon. Let¡¯s not distract or worry him.¡±


    Carter remained silent for a moment before letting out a


    chuckle. ¡°You and Vinson are truly made for each other.¡±


    ¡°Why do you suddenly say that?¡±


    ¡°Do you still remember that cruise incident?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°The truth was, Vinson didn¡¯t want to put you in any more danger, so he used himself as bait. He


    seeded in luring those guys out, but unfortunately, the mastermind didn¡®t fall for the trap.¡±


    Arielle listened in stunned silence, her heart hammering away in her chest.


    ¡°I can¡®t believe Vinson did that. He thinks far too highly of himself, doesn¡®t he?¡±

 Chapter 922

    Chapter 922


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 922


    Arielle had barely taken a few steps out of the operating room when she copsed in a heap.


    Join Telegram Group For Fast update and Novel Query


    Thankfully, Jordan and Carter, who had been waiting outside, promptly rushed to her aid.


    Jordan took the lead and held Arielle¡®s waist, pulling her into his embrace as he did.


    The next second, however, he screamed and pushed her toward Carter.


    ¡°What¡®s wrong with you, Jordan?¡± Carter scolded while holding onto Arielle.


    s, Jordan didn¡®t seem to hear anything as he stared at his hands in wide¨Ceyed shock.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Carter once again asked. ¡°Come help me!¡±


    Jordan mumbled, his face drained of color. ¡°Sh*t, I¡®m done for¡­ I touched her inappropriately, and Vin


    will kill me if he finds out about it. I have to wash my hands! I have to get rid of all traces.¡±


    Carter bristled with anger as he bellowed, ¡°Jordan Baker! Come back here!¡±


    ¡°Let me wash my hands first!¡±


    With that, Jordan sped off.


    ¡°Argh, what an imbecile,¡± Carter grumbled, knowing he


    had no other choice but to help Arielle back to the ward by himself.


    If it had been any other woman, he¡¯d have carried them in his arms. Arielle, however, was an exception.


    Carter wasn¡®t about to do anything that might incur Vinson¡®s jealousy, so he could only ce Arielle¡®s


    hand on his shoulder as he dragged her away from the emergency room.


    Fortunately, a few nurses soon spotted them and helped lead Arielle into a VIP ward.


    Upon getting wind of what had happened, the lead surgeon hurried over to personally check on Arielle


    before putting her on an IV drip.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Arielle?¡± Carter asked worriedly.


    The lead surgeon sighed and replied, ¡°As you know, traditional Chanaean medicine is wondrous and


    profound. Ms. Moore had blown us all away with her medical expertise and skills, but she also warned us


    that her treatment method, though effective, would also drain a lot of energy. Her condition may be stable


    for now, but she¡®s going to need a lot of rest. With this IV drip and proper nutrition, she should be back to


    her old self in no time at all. That said, Ms. Moore has anemia, so that¡®s even more reason for her to take


    better care of herself. If she continues to work herself to the bone, who knows how it might affect her


    health in the future?¡±


    ¡°I understand. Thank you for your help,¡± Carter answered with a grateful nod.


    ¡°Don¡®t mention it. Well then, Mr. Morgan, I shall take my leave now. The patient in the emergency room


    has gotten transferred to the ICU, and I have to check on him.¡±


    ¡°Of course, go ahead.¡±


    After watching the surgeon leave, Carter turned to look at Arielle.


    Just as he was about to reach for his phone to contact Vinson, Arielle suddenly shot a hand out to grab


    his wrist.


    Carter¡®s initial shock was quickly reced with relief when he saw that Arielle had opened her eyes.


    ¡°You¡®re awake?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Arielle replied with a slight nod. ¡°Are you about to call Vinson?¡±


    ¡°That¡®s right. Given your current state, if I don¡¯t inform him ¡±


    Before Carter could finish his sentence, Arielle interrupted, ¡°No, keep it from him for the time being.


    Before he left for Horington, he had reiterated how important the trip was to him. Besides, he should be


    coming back soon. Let¡¯s not distract or worry him.¡±


    Carter remained silent for a moment before letting out a


    chuckle. ¡°You and Vinson are truly made for each other.¡±


    ¡°Why do you suddenly say that?¡±


    ¡°Do you still remember that cruise incident?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°The truth was, Vinson didn¡¯t want to put you in any more danger, so he used himself as bait. He


    seeded in luring those guys out, but unfortunately, the mastermind didn¡®t fall for the trap.¡±


    Arielle listened in stunned silence, her heart hammering away in her chest.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°I can¡®t believe Vinson did that. He thinks far too highly of himself, doesn¡®t he?¡±

 Chapter 923

    Chapter 923


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 923


    More importantly, Arielle couldn¡®t believe that she didn¡®t know anything about Vinson using himself as


    bait. What else has he secretly done for me?


    ¡°Aren¡®t you the same?¡± Carter remarked as he swept a nce at Arielle. ¡°You didn¡®t make yourself clear


    earlier about the patient you were trying to save. Is he an enemy of yours? What on earth happened to


    you?¡±


    ¡°Since you won¡®t let me call Vin, you¡¯ll have toe clean with me. If anything happens to you, Vin¡®s


    going to me me for it, so please understand my need to keep you safe and sound.¡±


    Left with no other choice, Arielle blurted everything out about Wendy


    The more Carter listened, the more solemn his expression became.


    He said coldly, ¡°The Greenes truly deserve to go to hell. Then again, Vin does have ns to expand his


    business to Horington. Horington has been developing rapidly over the past years, and its GDP is now


    almost on par with Jadeborough. I know it¡®s not the best time to wage war with the Greenes at this


    crucial juncture, but it¡®d be a different story if we can take them down in a single strike.¡±


    ¡°That¡®s what I thought too, which is why I¡®m keeping the matter from Vinson for now. However, I¡®ve


    already contacted the Specialized Forces to gather all the evil


    deeds that the Greenes hadmitted. Once we have the evidence, we¡¯ll be able to destroy them.¡±


    Pleased with Arielle¡¯s n, Carter nodded in agreement.


    Rather than alert the Greenes and give them the chance to take precautions, it¡®d be far wiser to lie low


    and bide their time. Once they had gathered the evidence, they could then take the Greenes out once


    and for all.


    Even though the mercenaries sent by the Greenes had failed in their mission to kidnap and kill Arielle,


    the Greenes could always hire top¨Cnotchwyers to plead their case down to a p on the wrist. Simply


    put, Carter knew that suchwsuits wouldn¡®t hurt the Greenes at all.


    The Specialized Forces might be for special situations, but even they didn¡®t have the right to arrest


    anyone without evidence.


    Thinking of that, Carter looked at Arielle in admiration. ¡°Boss, you truly have the patience of a saint.


    Anyone else in your situation, including me, would¡®ve stormed up to the Greenes. I have to take my hat


    off to you.¡±


    Arielle let out a bitterugh. ¡°If you also had to go undercover in the Southall family and endure months


    of humiliation, you¡®d have this kind of patience too.¡±


    After all, Arielle knew better than anyone else how important it was to cultivate patience. Nothing good


    ever came out of hurry and frustration, including revenge.


    Holding Carter¡®s gaze, she added, ¡°That¡®s why I need you to keep this from Vinson for now. The n has


    to be foolproof.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll keep this secret for you.¡±


    As soon as Carter said that, the door to the ward was pushed open.


    Jordan strode in, looking utterly confused. ¡°Huh? What secret?¡±


    Carter said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. We decided that it¡®d be better not to tell Vin about this fainting spell lest


    he panic and lose focus at work.¡±


    Jordan replied with a nod, ¡°Oh, I see. Don¡®t worry. I¡¯m more than happy to keep this a secret too!¡±


    If Vin found out that I had identally touched Arielle¡®s waist, I¡®m sure he¡¯d beat me to a pulp. On a side


    note, Arielle¡®s waist sure is slim!


    Just then, Carter¡¯s phone rang, and he promptly answered it.


    A few momentster, however, his face fell. ¡°I have to go to Harvey¡®s.¡±


    ¡°Why? What¡®s wrong with him?¡± Arielle asked.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Carter sighed in exasperation. ¡°He refuses to take the medicine you¡®ve prescribed, so I¡®ll have to talk


    some sense into him.¡±


    Arielle¡®s face clouded over as she nodded. ¡°Hurry on, then. I merely fainted from exhaustion, but


    everything¡®s fine now. I¡®ll head back once Iplete the IV drip.¡±

 Chapter 924

    Chapter 924


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 924


    Carter nodded and turned toward Jordan. ¡°Stay here with Boss and send her hometer, Jordan. I¡¯ll


    head over to Harvey¡®s now.¡±


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Got it!¡± Jordan replied enthusiastically. Given how careless he was with words, he didn¡®t want to risk


    riling Harvey up either.


    As such, it was a far better idea to stay put with Arielle instead.


    Soon, Carter left and made his way toward Harvey¡®s ward that was situated just one floor below Arielle¡®s.


    Before he stepped into the ward, Harvey¡¯s voice rang out from inside.


    ¡°I already said I won¡¯t take the medicine she prepared!¡±


    Carter shook his head and entered the room, only to see Jared standing beside Harvey with a bowl of


    medicine.


    Jared exined, ¡°Harvey, this medicine wasn¡®t prepared by Boss. It was the hospital that made it. You


    can ask around if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    ¡°Stop lying to me. I don¡¯t want to repeat myself anymore.¡±


    Carter finally stepped forward and chimed in, ¡°Harvey, take the medicine.¡±


    Harvey¡¯s gaze softened a little when he heard Carter¡®s voice, but the frown soon returned.


    ¡°I don¡®t want anything that¡®s hers.¡±


    Carter replied, ¡°Who told you this is hers? She isn¡®t any better than you right now, so how would she


    have the energy to prepare your medicine?¡±


    Harvey immediately froze. ¡°What happened to her?¡±


    Then, realizing he had identally shown his concern for Arielle, he quickly added, ¡°No, don¡®t tell me. I


    don¡®t want to know.¡±


    Pursing his lips, Carter replied with a tinge of annoyance, ¡°Whether you want to know or not, she¡®s now


    staying in a ward upstairs. As for the medicine, I can swear on my life that she wasn¡®t the one who


    prepared it. Now, will you drink it?¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop being wishy¨Cwashy,¡± Carter interrupted as he took over the medicine from Jared. ¡°You¡®re not a


    child. You should know what¡®s best for you. Rather than being cooped up in the ward, wouldn¡®t it be


    better to get well soon so you can get discharged? You will then be free to do whatever you like, and she


    won¡®t know your whereabouts either. Besides, can you bear to see Old Mr. Jupiter running to and fro


    between ces at his age? Do you want him to tire himself out because of


    you?¡±


    Eventually, Harvey epted the medicine with much reluctance and drank it in one gulp.


    Carter finally breathed a sigh of relief as he turned to look at Jared. ¡°Old Mr. Jupiter used to think that


    you were the most stubborn one, but from the looks of it now, that title should belong to your brother.¡±


    ¡°I can hear you, you know?¡± Harvey grumbled, then turned to Jared. ¡°Don¡®t worry, Jared. I¡®ve thought it


    through. I¡®ll go along with the treatment and leave this godforsaken ce as soon as possible. You don¡¯t


    have to stay here. The nurses will take care of me.¡±


    ¡°It¡®s all right. It¡®s the weekend anyway, and it¡®s not like I have anything to do at home,¡± Jared replied.


    Ever since Harvey got hospitalized, Jared realized just how reliant he was on his brother.


    However, it was also because of this incident that Jared became more mature.


    Carter once again turned his attention toward Jared. ¡°You¡®re now in Jadeborough University¡®s regr


    ss, aren¡®t you? I heard that Mr. Brown¡®s allotting one of Maxwell University¡®s early admission spots to


    your ss. If you¡®re worried about your family, you should all the more be preparing for the exam instead


    of babysitting this stubborn fellow.¡±

 Chapter 925

    Chapter 925


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 925


    After a moment of silent contemtion, Jared finally made up his mind. ¡°Very well. I shall head home


    now, Harvey. The exam¡®s on Monday, so I¡®ll have to revise for it.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Harvey replied, waving his hand as Jared took his leave.


    When he saw Carter still in the room, Harvey added, ¡°You should go too. Isn¡®t Rocher Private Hospital


    nning to open a few other branches? Don¡®t waste your time on a stubborn fellow like me when you


    have more important matters to tend to.¡±


    ¡°Oh? But are you sure you¡®ll go along with the hospital treatment?¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°Oh, for crying out loud, yes! Stop treating me like a child.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Carter answered, feeling a lot more relieved. ¡°Call me if you need anything. I¡®ll go back to work


    now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, hurry up and get lost. I want to get some rest.¡±


    With that, Carter gave a quick nod and left.


    Harvey closed his eyes, but his hearing remained alert to the sounds outside his ward.


    When the sound of footstepspletely disappeared, Harvey¡®s eyes shot open, only tond on the


    wheelchair beside his bed.


    I can¡®t believe they even prepared a wheelchair for me. I had heart surgery, for goodness¡® sake! It¡®s not


    like my legs are gone.


    Bristling with irritation, Harvey lightly pressed against his wound as he struggled to get out of bed.


    After opening the door and making sure no one was looking, he hurried toward the staircase.


    Even though it was only a short flight of steps, it took Harvey more than ten minutes to make his way


    upstairs.


    Arielle¡­ I wonder which ward she¡®s in.


    Just as Harvey was about to knock on every door till he found the right one, Jordan¡®s voice boomed out


    from one of the wards. ¡°Ah, I remember! The value of pi is 3.18! Isn¡®t that right?¡±


    Harvey¡®s eyes lit up as he quickly walked toward the ward.


    As expected, Arielle¡®s voice rang out. ¡°No, it¡®s 3.14¡­ Jordan, why don¡®t you head home if you¡®re bored? I


    can stay here by myself.¡±


    ¡°No way. You¡®re seriously ill, and Vin isn¡®t around. If I leave, you¡®d be all alone.¡±


    Harvey¡®s brow knitted into a frown after he heard Jordan¡®s words.


    Seriously ill? She did look rather pale when I saw her


    thest time. What illness is she suffering from, though?


    Harvey remained deep in thought when a hand suddenlynded on his shoulder.


    He whipped his head around and got the shock of his life when he realized it was Carter.


    ¡°Y¨CYou¡ª¡±


    However, before he could get any more words out, Carter had covered his mouth. ¡°Hush. Follow me


    downstairs.¡±


    Two minutester, they were both back in Harvey¡®s ward.


    Carter looked on incredulously as Harvey climbed into bed. ¡°You¡¯re clearly still concerned about her, yet


    you keep whining about not wanting her medicine. Harvey Jupiter, what¡®s the matter with you?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Harvey muttered, his face turning red as a tomato. ¡°It¡®s none of your business! Besides, you got it all


    wrong! I wasn¡®t showing concern. I was just curious!¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah? If that were the case, you wouldn¡¯t have dragged yourself upstairs in this condition. Arielle


    fainted from overexertion, but she¡®s free to leave after her IV drip.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡®t I say I wasn¡®t interested in her? Why are you telling me this?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡®re still feeling weak! I can¡®t have you wandering about in this condition,¡± Carter scolded.


    Then he heaved a sigh. ¡°Forget it. Do whatever you like. However, if you¡®re keen on saving this


    friendship, I¡®d strongly advise you to talk it out with her.¡±


    Harvey once again furrowed his brows. ¡°I already said I¡®m not interested! How many times must I repeat


    myself? Why would I bother myself with a married woman? Just wait and see. I¡®ll find myself a girlfriend


    as soon as I get discharged!¡±


    Carter said with a smirk, ¡°That better be the case. All right, I have to get going now. Have a good rest.¡±

 Chapter 926

    Chapter 926


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 926


    Meanwhile, in Horington, Trevor had swiftly acquired all thepanies that manufactured construction


    materials.


    His assistant, however, couldn¡®t help but voice his concerns. ¡°Mr. Larson, we¡®ve drained all our ounts


    and even mortgaged our branch offices to take out loans. If Mr. Nightshire doesn¡®t give in to us within a


    week, we¡®ll be bankrupt. Don¡®t you think you should reconsider your actions?¡±


    Trevor¡®s expression instantly became sullen. ¡°Well, it¡®s toote for regrets. Besides, shouldn¡®t you have


    persuaded me back when we stood Vinson up? What¡®s the use of saying all these now? Since you have


    so much time on your hand, I want you to spread the news. Let Vinson know the price he has to pay for


    going against the Greenes and us!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡®m on it¡­¡± the assistant murmured before slinking away.


    At Nightshire Group¡®s branch office in Horington, Vinson was about to depart for the airport when the


    branch manager came looking for him.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire, Mr. Luke Yeager is here.¡±


    ¡°Luke Yeager?¡±


    After a moment¡®s thought, Vinson settled back into his chair. ¡°All right, send him in.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Before long, Luke strode into the office with a grim look on his face.


    Question marks flooded Vinson¡®s mind as he gave Luke a once¨Cover. ¡°Mr. Yeager, what happened? Are


    you not happy with the contract?¡±


    Luke hastily replied, ¡°No, no. There¡®s no problem with the contract. It¡®s Trevor.¡±


    ¡°Trevor Larson?¡±


    At the mention of Trevor¡®s name, Luke gritted his teeth in anger.


    ¡°When Trevor found out that I was working with you, he bought out all the construction material


    manufacturers in Horington. How am I supposed to get my hands on materials for my construction


    needs? How on earth do I build anything at all? Trevor is just out to destroy me!¡±


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Luke was expecting Vinson to blow his top, but to his surprise, Vinson remained calm.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire, did you hear what I said?¡± Luke asked warily.


    ¡°Of course, I¡®m not deaf.¡± Vinson then stared at Luke and added, ¡°More importantly, Mr. Yeager, you


    haven¡®t gone through the proposal in detail, have you?¡±


    Luke flinched and scratched his head sheepishly. ¡°I was so happy that I haven¡®t had a chance to look at


    it¡­ But


    don¡®t worry, I¡®ve handed it to my subordinates. They¡®re preparing for it as we speak.¡±


    Vinson¡®s lips curled into a wry smile as he handed a copy of the proposal over to Luke.


    ¡°Since we have time now, why don¡®t you give it a


    read?¡±


    Despite feeling befuddled, Luke did as instructed.


    It didn¡®t take long before he looked up from the proposal and eximed, ¡°Oh, you¡®re not constructing


    buildings. You¡®re constructing the world¡®s biggest theme park!¡±


    ¡°That¡®s right,¡± Vinson replied with a nod. He then exined, ¡°I n to build a theme park that¡®s suitable


    for all ages. I¡®ve purchased thend, but you don¡®t have to rush to start construction. Let¡®s wait till we get


    the design blueprints from the other party.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ If I can¡¯t get my hands on any building materials, I still won¡®t be able to build a theme park.¡±


    Vinson raised his chin and smirked. ¡°Carry on reading.¡±


    Luke nodded and buried his nose in the proposal.


    Not long after, he cried out in surprise, ¡°What? The other party agreed to provide all materials? They¡®re


    even shipping them over from Epea?¡±

 Chapter 927

    Chapter 927


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 927


    Vinson nodded. ¡°That¡®s right. So you see, I won¡®t need to purchase any building materials here. The


    project manager in Epea has insisted that we use their materials since the theme of our park is of their


    cartoon characters. They¡®ll pay for all the shipping fees, and the material cost will be the same as what


    we get in Horington. What they¡®re asking for in return is ten percent of the profits once we get the theme


    park up and running. In any case, you only have to concentrate on building the theme park ording to


    their design.¡±


    Luke bubbled over with excitement as the realization hit


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    him.


    ¡°That means it wouldn¡®t matter even if Trevor buys over all the materials avable in Chanaea because


    you¡®ve never intended to use any here!¡±


    Vinson, who was still asposed as ever, gave a slight nod. ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Unbeknownst to Luke, Vinson never wanted to go along with Epea¡®s proposal of using their materials,


    nor did he want to give them a cut of the profits.


    He was more than happy to have his theme park entirely made in Chanaea, but knowing that Trevor and


    the Greenes would do anything to thwart his n, Vinson had no choice but to work with Epea.


    Luke nodded fervently, his joy even more palpable than before.


    ¡°Oh, good! Everything¡®s working out brilliantly! I no


    longer have to worry about the stunts that Trevor might pull! Ha, I¡®ll break the news to him now! He


    bought over all the manufacturers, but when he finds out we¡®d never give in to him, I¡®m sure he¡®d flip his


    lid!¡±


    Vinson said, ¡°Don¡®t tell him for the time being. He¡®ll find out sooner orter anyway, but theter he


    knows about it, the worse it is for him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. I¡®m sure this mass acquisition has sucked him dry. s, he¡®d still need money to run the


    company, so at the end of the day, his losses are going to spiral out of control!¡± Luke said gleefully,


    almost bursting intoughter.


    Over the years, Trevor had be bolder with the Greenes¡® support and tried sabotaging Luke¡®s career


    at every turn. If it weren¡®t for Luke¡®s abilities and good reputation, his business would¡®ve crashed and


    burned a while ago.


    As such, Luke could barely contain his ecstasy at the prospect of Trevor going bankrupt.


    More importantly, he couldn¡®t wait to see the look of utter devastation on Trevor¡®s face.


    Vinson cleared his throat. ¡°So? Do you still have any other worries?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all!¡± Luke replied, shaking his head. ¡°I¡®ll take my leave now and let you get back to your¡ª¡±


    Before Luke could finish his sentence, he was


    interrupted by the branch office manager knocking on the door.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire, we¡®ve just received a call from Epea.


    They¡¯d be doing a site visit in Zaprington tomorrow and would also like to sign the contract with you.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yes. As for your flight ticket, would you like me to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Fine, return it,¡± Vinson answered with a tired sigh. ¡°Book a ticket for tomorrow instead.¡±


    Tomorrow¡®s Monday, and Arielle¡®s results areing out. No matter what, I¡®m going back to throw her a


    celebratory dinner.


    With that, the manager gave a polite bow and left the room.


    ¡°All right, I shan¡¯t disturb you anymore,¡± Luke said as he followed suit.


    With the both of them finally gone, Vinson took out his phone and dialed Arielle¡®s number.


    For some reason, he had been feeling very uneasy the entire day. He hadn¡®t checked in with Arielle


    since he thought he¡®d be able to fly back to her that day. Now that his n had changed, he¡¯d have to


    call her instead.


    After just a couple of rings, the call went through.


    ¡°Sannie, where are you now?¡±


    Arielle, who was preparing to get discharged from the hospital, froze for a moment. She was about to


    reply to Vinson when a nurse beside her spoke up. ¡°Ms. Moore, are you done with the IV drip?¡±!


    Nodding stiffly, Arielle quickly held her phone and walked to an empty corner.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    Vinson¡®s tone was a lot more solemn now. ¡°What¡®s wrong with you?¡±

 Chapter 928

    Chapter 928


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 928


    Arielle¡®s heart skipped a beat. Oh, no. I think Vinson¡®s on to me.


    She tried her best to calm her nerves but to no avail.


    ¡°Nothing¡®s wrong with me,¡± she finally said, taking a big gulp as she did. ¡°I came to the hospital to visit


    Teddy¡®s mother.¡±


    ¡°That¡®s all?¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°Yes, that¡®s all.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then I¡®ll buy a flight ticket now.¡±


    Arielle instantly reeled back. ¡°What? Are you done with


    work?¡±


    ¡°No, but I do want to see you. I¡®ll return to Horington once I know you¡®re all right.¡±.


    Arielle bit her lips in exasperation. I knew it. Vinson¡®s figured out that something¡®s happened to me. I


    can¡®t hide it from him any longer.


    ¡°Okay, okay. Something did happen to me earlier. But I¡®ve been put on an IV drip, and I¡®m fine now.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Vinson asked, his voice low and deep.


    Arielle couldn¡®t help but let out a heavy sigh.


    I¡®ve done my darndest, yet I still can¡®t hide anything


    from Vinson.


    ¡°It¡®s the Greenes¡­ They¡®ve put a target on me.¡±


    Arielle quickly summarized how the Greenes had sent mercenaries after her and added, ¡°I swear I didn¡®t


    get hurt at all, so you don¡®t have to make a trip back for me. Besides, I¡®ve already approached the


    Specialized Forces. They were very respectful and have also gone along with my n. They¡¯re digging


    up information on the Greenes as we speak.¡±


    Vinson replied coldly, ¡°I got it. I guess it¡®d be better to take you with me everywhere I go so others can¡¯t


    take advantage of the situation. As for the Greenes, don¡®t worry about it. I¡®ll make sure they get what they


    deserve.¡±


    Anyone who dares mess with my woman is just digging their own graves!


    ¡°Okay. By the way, I¡®m sorry,¡± Arielle muttered. ¡°I know I shouldn¡®t have kept this from you, but I was


    afraid that it¡®d affect you. It¡®s just like the time when you didn¡®t tell me about Turlen. I was so scared that


    you¡¯d do something rash and put yourself in harm¡®s way.¡±


    ¡°I know you mean well¡­ But Sannie, you have to trust me more. I¡¯d never put myself in danger. After all,


    I can¡®t bear the thought of leaving you behind.¡±


    Before Arielle knew it, tears had begun streaming down her face.


    She had no idea why she was crying, but hearing Vinson¡®s voice greatlyforted her. It was also only


    with him that Arielle could show her most vulnerable side.


    The two of them settled into an easy conversation until Jordan¡®s shout snapped Arielle back to reality. ¡°All


    right, I won¡®t hold you up anymore,¡± she said, clutching her phone tight.


    ¡°Sure. But the next time something like this happens again, you have to tell me immediately, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Good. Go home and get some rest then. Your health is more important than anything else. But if you


    really must go to the school archive, please let ke and


    Sasha apany you.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    s, Vinson continued to nag so much that he reluctantly hung up the call only when Jordan started to


    rush them.


    He leaned back in his chair as a sh of cold darkness went through his gaze.


    The Greenes have gotten too smug with the power they have. Do I not matter? Am I only for show?


    Without hesitation, Vinson called for his manager.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire, what can I do for you?¡±


    Upon seeing Vinson¡®s icy death stare, the manager became sick with fear.


    ¡°M¨CMr. Nightshire? D¨CDid I do something wrong?¡±

 Chapter 929

    Chapter 929


    ¡°It¡®s nothing to do with you,¡± Vinson said, softening his expression a little. ¡°I do have a task for you,


    though.¡±


    ¡°Please, go ahead.¡±


    ¡°I want you to cote all the scandals you can find on Greene Corporation by ten o¡®clock. Besides that,


    get me a detailed list of thepanies that have worked with them in thest year.¡±


    The manager immediately straightened his back. Mr. Nightshire¡®s finally going to deal with the Greenes!


    ¡°I¡¯ll do so right away!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡®ll also need you to get me a ticket for thetest flight out tonight. I want to make a quick trip to


    Jadeborough.¡±


    The manager stared back in bewilderment as he reminded, ¡°But the people from Epea are arriving


    tomorrow, and you have a contract to sign. Will you being back to Horington today?¡±


    ¡°I¡®ll be in Jadeborough for a few hours and return on an early flight in the morning.¡±


    That made the manager even more perplexed. What on earth is going on? Why is there a need to rush


    to and fro?


    However, given how cold with fury Vinson was, the manager knew better than to ask any further.


    He nodded and replied, ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll forward you the flight information once I¡®ve booked the tickets.¡±


    With that, the manager quickly turned and left.


    Meanwhile, Daniel, who was miles away in Jadeborough, suddenly sneezed.


    Rubbing his nose, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a sudden sense of foreboding.


    What¡®s wrong with me? I¡®ve been so distracted that I even spaced out several times during the


    videoconference. I never used to be like this.


    Cecilia, who had just walked in with tea, noticed the look on her husband¡®s face and once again grew


    concerned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    Daniel nodded faintly. ¡°Yes, a little. I¡¯m not used to how dry it is over here. As soon as we¡®ve settled


    Wendy¡®s matter, we¡¯ll head home.¡±


    At the mention of their daughter, Cecilia sighed. ¡°Wendy has locked herself in her room for an entire


    afternoon. She¡®s now saying she doesn¡¯t want dinner because she has to concentrate on her revision.¡±


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Isn¡®t that good?¡± Daniel said as he closed hisptop ¡°In all these years, less than a hundred people from


    Chanaea have gotten into Maxwell University. If Wendy sessfully gets in, she¡®ll be our family¡®s pride


    and joy. And when that happens, I bet Susanne will be more than happy to have Wendy as her


    daughter¨Cinw.¡±.


    ¡°Yes, it¡®s good that she¡®s studying so hard,¡± Cecilia replied in a hushed tone. ¡°But I also noticed that she¡®s


    been staring at the same page for the longest time. I think she can¡®t get that little vixen out of her head.


    Do you think we should send someone again tonight to do the deed? I¡®m sure Wendy can study better


    when she knows the vixen is dead.¡±


    To her surprise, Daniel rejected the idea. ¡°No, we¡®ve already alerted them this afternoon. If we sent


    someone again, they¡®d be more than prepared to fight back. We can¡®t risk giving ourselves away.


    Anyway, the results will be out tomorrow. Wendy told me that the vixen¡®s results are nowhere as good as


    hers. It¡®d be easy for Susanne to realize just who would be a better daughter inw.¡±


    Cecilia sighed again. ¡°Very well, then. We can only rest our hopes on Wendy. For the sake of our family,


    she has to take first ce.¡±


    ¡°Of course she will. Wendy has always been first in everything since young,¡± Daniel reassured, confident


    that his daughter would never let him down.


    Soon, the sky grew dark as night approached.


    When Arielle finally returned to Maple Mansion, she couldn¡®t shake off the feeling that there were many


    pairs of eyes following her.


    Curious, she asked Sasha and ke about it. As it turned out, Vinson had strengthened the security


    detail around Maple Mansion as soon as he learned that the Greenes Had sent mercenaries.

 Chapter 930

    Chapter 930


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 930


    ¡°Ms. Moore, Mr. Nightshire has given us the kill order. We can¡®t let anything untoward happen to you


    again,¡± Sasha said with a stern expression.


    Even though the Greenes¡® mercenaries were hardly a threat to Arielle, the fact that they carried guns did


    justify the need for added security.


    Arielle replied, ¡°Got it. You don¡¯t all have to be on the lookout, though. Take turns for the guard duty. I


    doubt the Greenes would dare to send anyone back.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    With that, Arielle smiled and ruffled ke¡®s hair before walking into the mansion.


    Vinson¡®s arrangement might have been over the top, but even Arielle had to agree that it did give her a


    greater sense of peace and security.


    I suppose this is the advantage of having a powerful backer.


    Previously, Arielle had made a lot of ravioli for Vinson and kept the leftovers in the freezer. Even after


    defrosting and cooking them for dinner, their taste was still impable.


    A glint shed across Arielle¡®s eyes as she reached for her phone and rang up the manager of


    Maureen¡®s Kitchen


    ¡°Ms. Moore!¡± he eximed as soon as he answered the


    phone. ¡°Our sales today have gone up by another fifty percent! If we keep this up, we¡®ll be able to open


    another outlet soon.¡±


    ¡°That¡®s what I nned on discussing with you too,¡± Arielle chimed in. ¡°After this busy period, I¡®d be able


    to focus on the preparations for a second outlet. Before that, however, I¡¯d like to introduce a new dish for


    the restaurant. I¡®ll swing by tomorrow after school and let the chef have a taste. If he approves of it, we


    can give this dish out to attract customers during the opening of the new outlet.¡±


    ¡°Will do. I¡¯ll inform Glenn about it.¡±


    Arielle had just ended the call with the manager when Trisha¡®s call came in almost immediately.


    Without hesitation, Arielle answered it.


    ¡°Trish?¡±


    ¡°Sannie, there¡®s something I forgot to tell you.¡±


    Arielle hummed as she swallowed her ravioli. ¡°What is


    it??


    ¡°Tomorrow¡®s Monday, and as usual, our school will be holding a charity auction. There will also be a flea


    market in the afternoon, where people usually bring


    along knick¨Cknacks or food items to sell. The money collected will either be donated to poorer students


    or used to build schools in the poor rural areas.¡±


    ¡°Oh? That¡®s news to me. What about the charity auction?¡±


    ¡°It starts at half¨Cpast four in the auditorium. The school will auction items donated by well¨Cknown alumni,


    and all auction proceeds will also go toward the donations.¡± After a pause, Trisha added, ¡°Do you know


    which rural region our school will be helping this year?¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡±


    ¡°It¡®s the one where Teddy¡®s from!¡±


    Trisha had learned about Teddy from Arielle, so naturally, this piece of news excited them very much.


    ¡°Oh, wow, Teddy¡®s hometown, huh?¡± Arielle remarked.


    ¡°Yes! So, shall we take part in the flea market tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    ¡°What should we sell then?¡± Trisha asked. ¡°Hmm¡­ Maybe I could sell my Lego figurines.¡±


    Arielle was still racking her brains when the sight of her ravioli gave her an idea. ¡°Then I¡®ll sell some food


    items.¡±


    ¡°Food? What kind?¡±


    ¡°You¡®ll find out tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Okay! I¡®ve eaten your food before, so I¡®m very much looking forward to it. I¡®ll even skip tomorrow¡®s lunch


    to support you!¡±


    ¡°Haha! Thank you in advance then,¡± Arielle replied before ending the call with Trisha.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    She quickly finished her dinner and made her way back into the kitchen again.


    If I¡®m going to sell them, I¡®ll have to make a lot more.


    Since Arielle had nned on introducing her ravioli as a dish for her restaurant outlet, the flea market


    would provide a good opportunity for her to test out how well received it¡®d be.

 Chapter 931

    Chapter 931


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 931


    Unfortunately, the ingredients were insufficient, and Arielle had no choice but to ask for the help of Sasha


    and ke.


    The three of them, together with a few other bodyguards, toiled the night away until they had made


    enough ravioli for one hundred people.


    ¡°All right, that¡®ll do,¡± Arielle mumbled as she stretched her limbs. With everything stored in the freezer,


    she turned toward Sasha and ke. ¡°I¡®m going off to bed now. Why don¡®t you two do the same? There


    are so many people on guard duty anyway. Besides, I¡®d still need your help tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± ke eximed in joy. He might not have tasted the ravioli, but after seeing Arielle prepare the


    ingredients, he was already salivating for it.


    I¡®m sure they¡®ll taste divine!


    Arielle returned to her room, and after washing up, she decided to light the therapeutic candles that the


    Wilhelms had gifted her.


    Before long, she fell into a deep sleep.


    Unbeknownst to her, a tall figure had suddenly appeared at the entrance of Maple Mansion.


    Despite Arielle¡®s instructions, Sasha had stubbornly insisted on standing guard while she got ke to


    retire for the night.


    In the end, her guard duty had barely started when an unexpected visitor came by.


    Sasha¡®s eyes lit up at the familiar face in front of her. ¡°Boss?¡±


    Surprised but happy, she quickly went up to wee Vinson with two bodyguards in tow.


    She didn¡®t believe the other bodyguards earlier when they reported that Vinson might have returned. But


    now that she had seen him with her own eyes, there was no mistake about it.


    It was Vinson Nightshire in the flesh.


    Even though it rained heavily in Horington, Jadeborough¡®s skies were clear and dotted with stars.


    And if it weren¡®t for the thunderstorm dying his flight, Vinson would¡®ve made it home an hour earlier.


    He acknowledged his staff with a nod before looking up toward Arielle¡®s room.


    Her room¡®s all dark and quiet. I guess she¡®s sound asleep.


    Knowing what Vinson was looking at, Sasha spoke up. ¡°Ms. Moore has just fallen asleep. Shall I wake


    her up?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Vinson quickly answered. ¡°I just wanted to see her. I¡®ll be leaving in a while.¡±


    Sasha¡®s eyes widened in shock.


    ¡°You came all the way back to see Ms. Moore?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Otherwise, I won¡®t be at ease. By the way, nobody is to tell her that I came back. I don¡®t want her


    scolding me for it.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ Understood!¡± Sasha replied, not quite knowing what to make of the situation.


    All she knew was that if there ever were apetition for the world¡®s best husband, Vinson would be


    right at


    the top.


    ¡°I¡®m going up to take a look. Carry on with your guard duty.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    With that, Vinson strode into the mansion and went up the stairs toward Arielle¡®s room.


    He quietly entered the room and saw Arielle¡®s peaceful sleeping face framed by the soft glow of the


    moonlight.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    After removing his windbreaker, Vinson sat on the floor beside Arielle and gazed fondly at her.


    In her dream, Arielle had shed her cold and strong willed self and was once again a carefree and


    innocent child.


    Vinson had long caught the whiff of the therapeutic


    candles even before he entered the room. Emboldened by the knowledge that Arielle wouldn¡®t be so


    easily awakened, he became even bolder with his actions.


    He caressed her face and ran his finger down to her lips.


    Her lips are so moist and soft. I bet it¡®ll feel even better if I kiss them.


    Vinson¡®s eyes deepened as he leaned in and nted a kiss on Arielle¡®s lips.


    s, he lost control, and his light kisses became even more passionate.


    All of a sudden, Arielle let out a moan.


    The sound was so sensual that it set off a ripple of excitement within Vinson, causing his arousal level to


    jump tenfold.


    Vinson cursed under his breath, knowing full well that his body had reacted to the arousal.

 Chapter 932

    Chapter 932


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 932


    Tasting his sweetness in his mouth, he could feel his desires raging uncontrobly within him.


    It was incredibly challenging for Vinson to restrain himself.


    To prevent things from getting out of hand, he tore himself away reluctantly from Arielle¡®s lips.


    Gazing at her furrowed brows, he stroked them to ease the crease.


    This woman can influence my thoughts and feelings effortlessly, even when she is asleep.


    The man heaved a sigh, dared not to touch her anymore. After taking a few deep breaths to regte his


    breathing, he crept onto the bed, draped his arm around her waist, and closed his eyes to sleep by her


    side.


    There were still another four hours before the flight, so he could sleep together with her for three hours,


    which was exactly the reason he flew overnight back to Jadeborough, despite the torrential downpour in


    Horington.


    Vinson sighed in contentment. Pulling the woman closer, he dozed off beside her.


    Time slipped away in the twinkling of an eye, and it was soon the next day.


    The rm woke Arielle up. Opening her eyes, she instinctively turned to look at the spot next to her.


    However, she was bewildered at the sight of the empty space.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    What the hell? I actually dreamed of Vinsoning back. We even had a passionate, long kiss. It was


    so palpable that I can still recall how I felt during the kiss. Even my lips are¡­


    She touched her lips and found them a little red and swollen.


    Perhaps I have bitten my lips unintentionally in my dream. That was why I had such a dream.


    ¡°My goodness! I guess I miss him so much that I¡®m going nuts.¡±


    That was the first time in her life she had an erotic dream, which was what they called a wet dream in


    Chanaea.


    Frustrated, she pinched her own cheeks and got out of the bed.


    There is still so much to do. Susanne gave me only three months to prove myself, and there is still no


    progress with Cindy. Yet, here I am, having a wet dream. How embarrassing!


    The woman let out a few helpless sighs. The dream slowly slipped her mind when she was done


    washing up.


    As she went down the stairs, Sasha wasing up.


    Thetter smiled at her. ¡°Good morning, Ms. Moore. I was about to wake you up.¡±


    After yesterday¡®s incident, Arielle had be thedy of the house in Sasha¡®s eyes.


    The woman whom Vinson cherished and cared for the most would certainly be the onlydy of the


    house.


    But Arielle did not notice that Sasha was a lot friendlier than before. Nodding her head, she said, ¡°I¡¯m not


    taking the ravioli along now, lest the filling bes stale.¡±


    Sasha nodded politely. ¡°Sure, I¡®ll send it to school to you in time.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. Please go to the market and get some disposable tableware and tools to prepare ravioli¡­¡±


    Arielle grabbed a piece of paper and listed down the items she needed in school.


    After making sure she left nothing out, the woman set off for school.


    Today was the day when the result would be announced. There was a charity event. Therefore, the


    school would be unusually merry today.


    When Arielle was eating in the car, the dream popped into her mind again.


    Her cheeks heated right away. In the end, she couldn¡®t help but send Vinson a text: I saw the weather


    forecast today. It was raining on your end. Is everything alright?


    Nevertheless, she received no reply after a long time.


    Is he still in bed?


    ncing at her watch, she realized it was still early, so she did not send him any more text.


    Vinson must be tired. I¡®d better let him sleep in.


    Meanwhile, the man was still on the ne.


    The ne was equipped with Wi-Fi, but Vinson did not get her message because it was a text.

 Chapter 933

    Chapter 933


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 933


    On the other hand, Cecilia hailed a cab and arrived at the Nightshire Manor early in the morning.


    Knowing that the woman wasing, Susanne got up early and prepared baking ingredients.


    For the sake of Vinson¡®s coboration in Horington, she decided to humble herself to please the


    Greenes, although Cecilia told her she needed not to prepare anything


    It had been years since shest brown¨Cnosed someone. Never had she thought she would grovel to the


    Greenes.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    If I had known things were going to turn out this way, I would never have gotten in touch with the


    Greenes and brought about the engagement between Vinson and Wendy. The Greenes wouldn¡®t have


    be so rapacious if I had not been adamant.


    ¡°It¡®s all my fault. I¡®ve opened the door and let the wolf in!¡±


    Being involved in the entire incident, Geoffreyforted the remorseful woman. ¡°Back then, you knew


    nothing about the Greenes¡® greed and ambition. They were so easygoing at that time, but now the family


    is so overbearing, pretending to be thoughtful. One yed the good cop while the other, the bad cop.


    Meanwhile, Ms. Greene acted all pitiful. If they had put their cards on the table, you would never have let


    Ms. Greene marry into our family.¡±


    ¡°Let her marry into the family?¡± Susanne snorted.


    ¡°Before the Greenes came, I had great hopes in Wendy. Because of the ruckus they caused, I¡®ve made


    up my mind to ignore them right after Vin¡®s coboration is aplished.¡±


    During the Greenes¡® visit, I¡®ve found out their true colors. Though Arielle is no match for Wendy, she is


    much more sensible and obedient. I just hope that her result will not be so bad that it brings me


    embarrassment. Otherwise, Cecilia will probably insinuate that I¡®m wrong¨Cheaded and have mistaken a


    fool for a genius.


    Susanne was filled with remorse that she promised the Greenes to go to Jadeborough University when it


    struck her that Arielle might get a terribly low score.


    At that thought, Susanne sped her hands and prayed. ¡°God help me, please! I hope Arielle¡®s result is


    not the worst among all.¡±


    Next to her stood Geoffrey, who then consoled her. ¡°Don¡®t worry, Mrs. Nightshire. I¡®m sure the woman


    that Mr. Vinson loves is not that weak. At least, she won¡®t be the worst.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know¡­ But she¡®s from the countryside. You know full well about the level of education there. It¡®s


    alright. I¡®ll leave it all to fate,¡± she replied with a sigh.


    Right then, a security guard came to inform them about Cecilia¡®s arrival.


    ¡°I got it.¡± Susanne pulled herself together. ¡°Let her in.¡±


    Soon, Cecilia came with some baking ingredients, but she only brought a small amount of them.


    She obviously knew Susanne would be well prepared.


    ¡°Hi, Susanne.¡± Cecilia shed her a smile. ¡°I¡®m sorry for causing you trouble early in the morning, but I


    have no choice. I just found out that those desserts will not be used as gifts, but they will be sold for


    charity purposes. Hence, I¡®m nning to make at least two hundred of them. I¡®m afraid you¡®ll have to


    work together with me.¡±


    Having lived a life of luxury for a long time, Susanne nodded her head reluctantly with a stiff smile.


    ¡°Sure¡­ I¡®m interested in this as well. Let¡®s get started.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡®s get down to business. The result should be out. I wonder how well Wendy can score, but I


    guess she¡®s certainly going toe in the first ce. The only thing I¡®m concerned about is how far is


    she away from full marks.¡±

 Chapter 934

    Chapter 934


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 934


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Cecilia rambled on. ¡°Wendy has always been outstanding since young. I¡®ve always worried that she


    might wear herself out. Yesterday, she even studied tillte night¡­¡±


    Susanne couldn¡®t do anything but ster on a smile and y along, hoping to get through this in no time.


    Susanne took a deep, steadying breath. Her fingernails sunk into her palms in vexation.


    Wendy could not sleep a winkst night, as she was worried whether she could get the first ce.


    Therefore, she got out of bed early and went to Jadeborough University.


    The woman was surprised to see the students from preparatory ss had arrived early as well.


    After getting out of the car, she wanted to wave at a ssmate of hers, but thetter averted her gaze


    and strode into the campus.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Her hands balled up, and her lips were pressed into a hard line.


    Let¡®s see if they¡®ll still disregard me when I get enrolled into Maxwell University after the result was


    released.


    Wendy snorted in annoyance and marched toward the bulletin board, where the result would be pasted


    on.


    Several other preparatory ss students would also


    make their way to the bulletin board first after they had arrived at school.


    However, when Wendy was there, she found the result was still not on the bulletin board.


    Am I too early? It looks like I still have to wait for a moment.


    Right when she was about to return to the ssroom, a few preparatory ss students were sauntering


    out of the ssroom in disappointment.


    Just then, those students suddenly flocked in the same direction with eager faces.


    ¡°Arielle!¡±


    ¡°My goddess!¡±


    Their voices stopped Wendy in her tracks. Turning to look in their direction, she spotted Arielle in a pink


    shirt and a white pleated skirt.


    A pink and white outfit would usually make people look tanned and chubby.


    That was the colorbination she would avoid by all


    means.


    Yet, Arielle neither looked tanned nor chubby, but the outfit entuated her beauty and hourss figure.


    Annoyed, Wendy bit her lower lip.


    Why is she so blessed? She looks gorgeous no matter what she wears.


    Without a word, the few preparatory ss students rushed over to Arielle and bowed to her three times


    as though she was a god.


    What is going on?


    Shocked by their action, Arielle asked in a panic, ¡°What are you guys doing?¡±


    The three students grinned bashfully. ¡°Congrattions, Arielle! Since you have good grades, we might


    get lucky and score better after bowing to you.¡±


    ¡°That¡®s right! We had prayed to God yesterday. Now that we¡®ve bowed to you, our result will be even


    better.¡±


    Arielle gave them a helpless smile and asked, ¡°Isn¡®t the result supposed to be announced on the bulletin


    board? Is it not released yet?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Maybe it¡®s still too early now. I¡®m sure it¡®ll be out at noon.¡±


    ¡°By the way, goddess, are you going to take part in the


    flea market?¡±


    ¡°Let¡®s attend the charity event together tonight!¡±


    The students chattered enthusiastically with Arielle, unlike the way they treated Wendy earlier.


    Thetter was fuming with rage, clenching her fists so hard that her knuckles had turned white.


    What are they doing? Are they out of their minds? Instead of worshipping Arielle, they should being


    to me, the one who is certainly going to be number one. She missed the exam for one of the subjects.


    How can she get the first ce then? What a joke!


    Wendy was so infuriated that she refused to be around for one more second, turning around and striding


    toward the ssroom.


    I can¡®t wait for the result to be released already. As soon as the results are out, it will be a p in the face


    for everyone. I¡®ll show them with my capability that I am the real ace student!

 Chapter 935

    Chapter 935


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 935


    The school bell rang for themencement of ss in short order.


    As all the morning sses scheduled were taught by the characteristically punctual Donovan, his


    continued absence had the ss¡® students in a state of ardent spection.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡®s already a dozen minutes past, so what¡®s up with Mr. Baxter? There¡¯s no reason why he should be


    thiste, even if he¡®s a newly¨Cwed.¡±


    ¡°I don¡®t think he¡¯d take it that far, surely? Could he be on medical leave?¡±


    They had no idea that Donovan was not actuallyte at all. Rather, he was at the lead of a collective of


    lecturers who had stormed up to Marcus¡® office.


    ¡°Mr. Brown!¡± said Donovan the moment he pushed through the doors. ¡°There¡®s a problem with the


    grades for this round of exams. Hence, I would like for your help in pulling up the ss¡® surveince


    footage so that we mayunch an investigation into it!¡±


    Marcus got himself quite a fright and adjusted his hyperopic sses before he stood up on his feet.


    ¡°What¡®s going on, Mr. Baxter? Hmm? What brought all of you here as well, Professor Sleight? What¡®s


    wrong with the results???


    ¡°Mr. Brown.¡± Arthur took a step forward and regarded him quite grimly. ¡°There¡®s absolutely nothing wrong


    with the results, but Mr. Baxter insisted that there was


    and demanded that wee to see you.¡±


    That left Marcus even more confounded, but he responded rather cheerfully, ¡°Let¡®s not get too worked up


    here. Why don¡¯t I make us some tea so that we may talk this over calmly.¡±


    ¡°I don¡®t take tea,¡± Donovan replied humorlessly. ¡°Surely you must know what¡®s at stake for this round of


    examinations, Mr. Brown. We cannot afford to have things go awry here, especially not with acts of


    cheating!¡±


    ¡°Cheating?¡± The stunned Marcus then began to inquire of Arthur in earnest. ¡°You¡®re the more level¨C


    headed one here, Professor Sleight. Why don¡¯t you exin the situation to me.¡±


    Arthur met Donovan¡¯s cold eyes with his own frosty gaze before he turned his attention back to Marcus.


    ¡°It¡®s like this, Mr. Brown. The issue isn¡®t with the results, but with this one particr student doing


    exceptionally well. Mr. Baxter took exception with her scoring full marks for the four main sses and


    insisted that she cheated. Hence, he ispelling all of us here to have you look into the surveince


    footage.¡±


    ¡°W¨CWhat? Full marks?¡± Marcus¡® eyes widened. Scarcely believing what he heard, he even thought he


    ought to have his ears checked, being this close to the age of retirement and all.


    ¡°You¡¯ve heard it right. Full scores for four sses,¡±


    Arthur affirmed with a nod and seemingly with a little pride attached.


    Never mind that Donovan did not feel honored at having such a brilliant student hail from his own ss,


    Arthur could not fathom how the former would venture to think that his own student¡®s aplishment


    was achieved through fraud.


    As these papers were authored between themselves, there were no solutions to them avable online.


    The only set of answers avable had been locked away in the safety deposit box, where no one could


    possibly have ess.


    On the other end, a visibly shaken Marcus asked, ¡°Who? Who was it who aced the four sses?¡±


    ¡°It¡®s Arielle Moore,¡± Arthur said while he regarded Marcus. ¡°As you¡®re the one who brought her in


    yourself,


    I assume that you should remember her well? She even helped us with the trantion of Maxwell


    University¡®s lesson n on one asion.¡±


    ¡°I remember her. I most certainly do!¡± Marcus¡® eyes lit up while he repeatedly nodded in the affirmative.


    ¡°Mr. Brown!¡± Donovan twitched his lips. His inflection elevated a notch as he conveyed a solemn caution.


    ¡°Do not let yourself get too carried away here. Just think about this. How could someone like her, who


    had gotten herself enrolled through her connections, have managed to ace the papers the way she did?


    I¡®d be able to understand if it had been Wendy, the most consistently


    excellent student in our ss. But Arielle? Impossible!¡±


    ¡°Donovan!¡± Arthur retorted in displeasure, ¡°You really seem to have it in for Arielle. I always thought she


    was extraordinarily gifted, so how is it not possible for her to attain such results? You¡®d do well to


    remember that while the few of us amongst the faculty struggled to trante Maxwell University¡®s lesson


    n for advanced mathematics, she managed to do so quickly and with extreme ease. Isn¡®t that


    sufficient proof of her remarkable talents?¡±

 Chapter 936

    Chapter 936


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 936


    Marcus found himself nodding along in agreement as he listened.


    Arielle entered their school at the behest of Vinson Nightshire, and what sort of man was he?


    Apart from being the heir apparent to Nightshire Group, few people knew that the man was an absolute


    genius who not only managed to get himself into Maxwell University at the age of sixteen but also


    graduated ahead of schedule within the span of two years.


    It¡®s Maxwell University we¡¯re talking about here!


    Over the years, no more than a hundred Chanaeans managed to be epted and also attain a


    graduation certificate from said school.


    How could anyone who came at the strong rmendation of Vinson be of modest capability?


    Theboratory building that Vinson could donate was not Marcus¡® sole point of consideration. It was also


    his own belief in Arielle¡®s exceptional potential that led him to his prompt consent.


    However, Donovan was having none of it.


    A trantion could have been automated. As he was not present back then, how could he be certain if


    Arielle could not have employed some unorthodox means by which toplete her trantion?


    The scoffing Donovan snorted, ¡°Remarkable talents? At


    cheating, more like! As her homeroom teacher, I should know best what she¡®s capable of, so I daresay


    that Arielle could never have attained these results purely on her own merit.¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    That drew a frown from Marcus. ¡°How would you like to handle this then? Shall we have Arielle


    summoned here for questioning in person?¡±


    ¡°That won¡®t be necessary. Everything would be clear once we scrutinized the surveince footage,¡±


    Donovan replied with disdain. ¡°Seeing how conniving she is, there¡®s no guarantee that she¡®d fess up


    even if we brought her in.¡±


    Arthur did not much fancy what he heard.


    ¡°As an educator, do you think this to be the appropriate sort of tone you should be adopting when


    speaking about your students, Donovan? Personally, I do not believe that Arielle cheated to attain full


    marks, but


    granted, you shouldn¡®t be describing your own student as conniving even if she did.¡±


    ¡°What¡®s wrong with that? I¡¯m merely calling a spade a spade.¡±


    ¡°Donovan Baxter, you¡­¡±


    Unable to contain himself, Marcus mmed his hands upon the desk. ¡°That¡®s enough!¡±


    That took the two of them by surprise and left them with an awful expression on their faces as they held


    their silence.


    Marcus closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths in an effort to recollect himself before he continued,


    ¡°The results of this exam are critical as they would determine which students we will send for the


    admissions test for Maxwell University. Even though I am not in the belief that Arielle cheated to get the


    maximum possible score either, we shall look into the footage from the surveince cameras since there


    are some amongst you who have your doubts about it.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± Arthur nodded in agreement. ¡°Since Mr. Baxter remained skeptical of the results, let us go


    ascertain the truth and find out if Arielle truly merited the results she got. But, Mr. Brown¡­ As an


    educator, I feel that we should always try to give our students the benefit of the doubt and not use


    them of fraud without justification, and so¡­¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± Donovan regarded Arthur icily.


    He genuinely could not understand Arthur¡®s overt protectiveness over Arielle. Could it be that the man,


    too, had been smitten by her looks?


    Could not be bothered with Donovan, Arthur turned to Marcus instead. ¡°If we are not able to find


    evidence of Arielle¡®s alleged fraud, I hope to have Mr. Baxter issue a public apology to her over this


    matter at the charitable auction tonight.¡±


    ¡°Why should I?¡± spat Donovan. ¡°Why should I, a lecturer, make any apologies over a matter concerning a


    Student?

 Chapter 937

    Chapter 937


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 937


    It was iprehensible to Donovan how an Education graduate from Maxwell University like himself


    could be held in less esteem than a mere student in the eyes of this teaching peer of his.


    ¡°Why should you not? Wouldn¡¯t apologizing for falsely using someone else of wrongdoing be the


    proper thing to do even if you weren¡®t a lecturer?¡± came Arthur¡®s dour response.


    ¡°Mr. Brown¡­¡± Donovan looked to Marcus in the hope that thetter would speak up on his behalf.


    In ce of Marcus¡® usual amiable demeanor was a look of sternness. ¡°Had Professor Sleight not brought


    this up, I¡®d have clean forgotten about it. To date, you¡¯ve yet to make an apology to Arielle at the


    assembly as you¡®ve promised before.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡®s just as well,¡± Marcus said, cutting Donovan short. ¡°If you¡®re maligning Arielle this time without proof


    like you did of Arielle fighting outside of school and for the incident at the freshman party, see to it that


    you pay all of your dues for all three of them simultaneously.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Brown!¡± Donovan sounded seriously aggrieved. ¡°Do you really want me to make an apology at the


    charitable event? As many parents would be expected to be in attendance, this would be an


    embarrassment to the faculty members of Jadeborough University. Is the dignity of a lecturer less


    important than that of a student?¡±


    ¡°Like payment for a debt, it¡®s only right to make reparations for one¡®s own mistakes. This has been the


    way since antiquity,¡± the furrowing Marcus replied. ¡°Also, you might have been mistaken about one thing.


    It¡®s the students, not the teachers, who are the most vital elements of the school. Thus you, as a teacher,


    ought to take ownership of your mistakes like a good role model to the students should. There are simply


    no two ways about it.¡±


    Donovan bit down on his lip. ¡°Fine! If nothing turned up in the footage establishing Arielle¡®s guilt, then I


    shall publicly apologize to her. However, if she had indeed cheated, you should expel her immediately!¡±


    Marcus assented with a nod. ¡°Very well. Cheating has always been regarded as a serious matter,


    especially during such an important exam. If her guilt is established, then I shall see to her expulsion in


    ordance to the school rules.¡±


    Hearing the word expulsion made Donovan feel somewhat better.


    ¡°Then it¡®s agreed. I hope that you¡®d not let her off again this time on ount of Vinson Nightshire, Mr.


    Brown.¡±


    Marcus¡® brows creased into a furrow. ¡°Do be mindful of what you say. Not once have I cut Arielle any


    ck because of Vinson, for all along, she had not been in the wrong. Conversely, it was you kept


    erring.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    An awful expression flickered across Donovan¡®s face, but he clenched his fists and quickly reasserted


    himself.


    ¡°Now then, let us go review the footage.¡±


    ¡°Let¡®s!¡± Marcus then strode ahead with Arthur tailing close behind.


    Having borne testament to Arielle¡®s gifts, thetter was certain that the ability she has demonstrated so


    far to be merely the tip of the iceberg.


    Thus he, too, wanted to go along and see her vindicated so that he could affirm her genius.


    Curiosity drove the other lecturers to follow, as they were also keen to know the oue.


    The sullen¨Cfaced Donovan, who propped up the rear, remained convinced of Arielle¡¯s guilt and was


    certain that today would be the day she got expelled.


    Ever since the incident surrounding Queenie, he had felt an indescribable sense of shame whenever he


    saw Arielle. With her exit, that sentiment would be something that he would no longer have to contend


    with.


    Finally, this will all be over.

 Chapter 938

    Chapter 938


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 938


    The sight of the group strutting into the control room made the security guy inside jump up from his seat.


    ¡°W¨CWhat¡®s going on, Mr. Brown?¡±


    Why would so many lecturers be here if it wasn¡®t something major?


    The thought of that had him all tensed up.


    ¡°Rx. It¡®s not that big of a deal. We just want to review the security footage to ascertain some facts,


    that¡®s all.¡±


    ¡°The security footage¡­¡± answered the security guard between stutters. ¡°But the school¡®s surveince


    system underwent an upgrading these past few days. I¡¯m afraid a review won¡®t be possible as we don¡®t


    have the footage fromst week anymore.¡±


    ¡°What? A systems upgrade?¡± Donovan¡®s inflection raised a notch.


    This matter also slipped Marcus¡® mind until he had been reminded of it just then.


    ¡°It would seem that we¡®ve hit a dead¨Cend,¡± Marcus said. ¡°In that case, you can all have her resit the


    papers after the charity event has concluded.¡±


    ¡°How could that do?¡± Donovan protested. ¡°Having already done them once, with a good memory, it would


    not be difficult for her to ace the papers again. I¡®d say that Arielle must have known about the upgrading


    works for the surveince system during this period and had thus taken the opportunity to cheat, so why


    don¡¯t you just expel her outright¡­¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± replied Marcus, cutting him off. ¡°There¡®s no way that I¡¯d expel any student on a whim,


    especially given theck of proof. What would people think of Jadeborough University if we handle things


    so irresponsibly?¡±


    Arthur nodded profusely as he concurred. ¡°In my esteem, Arielle was not guilty of cheating, to begin with.


    Didn¡¯t you also help with the invigtion yourself during the exams back then, Mr. Brown? With two


    lecturers supervising the examination proceedings, even cheating just a little couldn¡®t possibly lead to full


    marks.¡±


    Marcus¡® eyes suddenly lit up. ¡°Speaking of the invigtion, it actually reminded me of something. Didn¡®t


    you say that the paper for advanced mathematics was exceedingly difficult? I didn¡¯t get the sense that


    Arielle felt that way when I watched her work on it. That goes to show that she was indeed quite gifted.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Donovan dismissed it tly. ¡°That actually proved that she did cheat. For something that


    challenging, even I could not have scored maximum points in my first attempt. Unless you mean to


    suggest that a student could be more learned than a teacher like me? Something¡®s definitely off about


    this!¡±


    That drew a taut frown from Marcus. ¡°Then, what do you suggest should be done? We can¡®t review the


    footage now, and I cannot approve of an immediate expulsion either.¡±


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Donovan¡®s chin perked up slightly. ¡°At the charity event tonight, I shall issue an apology to Arielle for the


    two prior incidents. However, we must have a resolution pertaining to the matter of cheating at hand.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you should go ahead and share your thoughts about it.¡±


    Donovan took in a deep drawl. ¡°I¡®ve decided that I¡®d publicly question Arielle in full witness of everyone


    present at the charity event.¡±


    ¡°Question her?¡± Arthur asked in skepticism. ¡°Whatever do you mean to say by that?¡±


    ¡°It¡®s quite elementary. In order to increase the level of difficulty of the papers, I had purposefully added


    some content rted to quantum mechanics when I was formting the examination questions. The fact


    that Arielle was able to score full marks meant that she understood quantum mechanics. Hence, I shall


    pose to her two questions rted to the subject matter. If she¡®s able to furnish the correct answers to


    them, that would be proof that she, indeed, had notmitted fraud.¡±


    Arthur frowned in disapproval. ¡°But that¡®d be obvious to both the students and their parents that


    we¡®re suspecting her of cheating.¡±


    ¡°Hehe,¡± Donovanughed. ¡°Aren¡®t you positive that she did not, Professor Sleight, so why are you so


    worried


    now? If you didn¡®t have your own suspicions, you needn¡®t be at all concerned for her. Besides, she would


    be vindicated if she¡®s able to answer.¡±

 Chapter 939

    Chapter 939


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 939


    ¡°Quantum mechanics isn¡®t within their scope of studies, to begin with, so it wouldn¡®t be surprising if she¡®s


    unable to deliver the right answers to your questions,¡± said Arthur, who did his best to remonstrate on her


    behalf.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Donovan raised a questioning eyebrow. ¡°If that¡®s the case, how would you exin away her ability to


    answer those questions in the papers then?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Arthur was stumped momentarily there and could only look pleadingly to Marcus. ¡°Mr. Brown¡­¡±


    Marcus, on the other end, nodded in affirmation. ¡°So be it. This would seem to be the only way to


    establish whether she cheated. If she was able to answer the questions pertaining to quantum


    mechanics on Mr. Baxter¡®s paper, then she should likewise be able to respond ordingly when queried


    on it.¡±


    The thrilled Donovan then turned to regard Arthur. ¡°Since the principal himself has put it that way, what


    other objections do you have, Professor Sleight?¡±


    ¡°I¡®ve no objections. However, the questions to be posed must not be harder than those presented in the


    paper,¡±


    Arthur replied under gritted teeth.


    ¡°Rest assured that I¡®ve got a handle on it.¡±


    ¡°Alright then. We can move ahead with this.¡±


    Arthur left it at that, as facts trumps rhetoric.


    ¡°Since there are no further objections, that settles it.


    You¡®ve already expended enough of your lesson time, Mr. Baxter, so you should head on back to ss.


    Seeing that you¡®ve no sses scheduled in the afternoon, Professor Sleight, kindly help to put the results


    up on the bulletin board.¡±


    Arthur nodded before he hesitated to ask, ¡°About Arielle¡®s results¡­¡±


    ¡°You should put them up first as the results slip would only be disyed for one day. Otherwise, wouldn¡®t


    she lose this chance to demonstrate her capability even if she was able to prove that she earned it


    through her own merits afterward? The mission of our school has always been to discover and showcase


    the best of our students.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand,¡± Arthur affirmed. He then bumped Donovan on the way out.


    Thetter¡®s brows knotted while he rubbed his own shoulder. ¡°Don¡®t you think Professor Sleight¡®s


    showing a little too much favor toward Arielle, Mr. Brown?¡±


    Marcus then regarded Donovan staidly. ¡°I feel as he


    does. If Arielle had indeed attained full marks for all four subjects by her own efforts, then it¡®s


    Jadeborough University¡®s great privilege to have a student like her. We should therefore be paying more


    attention to her ordingly. Rather, it¡®s you who seemed to harbor some serious biases toward her


    which I hope you¡®d endeavor to keep in check.¡±


    Donovan gnashed his teeth, upset with himself for having misspoken.


    ¡°I¡¯m going back to ss.¡± He said no more and went on to make his way out.


    On the other hand, it was the security guard who appeared to be quite bamboozled.


    ¡°What¡®s really going on here, Mr. Brown?¡±


    Marcus brushed him off. ¡°It¡®s nothing. You should get back to work.¡±


    The security guard scratched his head, mystified by the group that arrived and then variously departed in


    a huff.


    Elsewhere, Wendy, in her position as the ss representative who saw Arielle step in with more than half


    the period gone, was about to go look for Donovan when Donovan himself walked in.


    He nced over to Arielle¡®s desk and saw that the regr truant had shown up, in spite of the fact she


    was hunched over the table, fast asleep.


    Pursing his lips, that inexplicable feeling he had sprouted forth like a seedling.


    He forced that matter regarding Queenie out of his mind and spoke in a bristled mood. ¡°I¡®m sorry for


    coming inte as I was caught up in a meeting with the principal in his office. Right now, I have


    something that I wish to share with all of you.¡±

 Chapter 940

    Chapter 940


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 940


    All the students in the preparatory ss were unnerved by the severity of Donovan¡®s expression, so


    much so that even Arielle roused groggily upon sensing the unusual nature of the atmosphere around


    her.


    She thought she ought to look into her own supplementary needs, considering how easily she dozed off


    after her arrival.


    ¡°I¡®ve stressed prior to themencement of this examination how important it is. However, I¡®ve avoided


    going into the specifics before as I was wary of how it might affect your frame of mind going in. Now that


    the exams are over, it¡¯s time to let all of you in on it,¡± Donovan exined.


    ¡°What¡®s this about, Mr. Baxter?¡± the student who shared tables with Wendy could not help but ask.


    Donovan acknowledged that with a nod before he cut to the chase. ¡°Although you¡¯ve been told that this


    exam is our monthly test, it is, in fact, an exercise for early recruitment initiated by Maxwell University.


    There are six ces made avable to students from our school, with five of them allotted to the


    preparatory ss and one going to the normal sses. The principal and I were unanimous that the


    ces should be awarded to the students whoe in ranking in the top five during this round of


    examinations. Consequently, whoeveres out ahead will have the opportunity to undertake the


    admissions test for Maxwell University at the end of the month.¡±


    That drew a collective gasp from the students.


    ¡°I would have spent more time doing my revision had I known earlier.¡±


    ¡°Me too. I felt that I haven¡¯t been at my best this time.¡±


    ¡°You can¡®t put it that way. Had Mr. Baxter told us about this before, I might have been so nervous that I


    wouldn¡®t be able to concentrate on the papers at all.¡±


    ¡°It looks like I won¡¯t be getting myself a ticket to Maxwell University¡®s admissions test this time.¡±


    Wendy¡®s lips curled up wryly when she heard the remarks made amidst those discussions.


    As she was the only one in ss who received a heads up from Donovan, it proved that even Donovan


    himself thought that she was the most outstanding student with the best character profile.


    ¡°Ahem!¡±


    Donovan cleared his throat, which had the immediate effect of quieting down the ss.


    He waited until everyone had settled before he continued, ¡°It¡®s okay if you didn¡¯t manage to earn any of


    the slots this time around, as Maxwell University will be giving all of you another opportunity to try again


    in the second half of the year. However, that would be an examination conducted on a worldwide scale.


    The content that you¡®ll be tested on would also be much broader, and what I¡®ll be covering in ss will be


    tailored toward that ordingly. You don¡¯t have to be


    too worried as all of you will get a crack at it. For those who managed to receive a slot this time, make


    the most of your time to prepare for the uing test. Come by my office after school today and get the


    material I¡®ve specially prepared in advance for you.¡±


    The students then exhaled in unison. Some out of nervousness, some out ofmentation, but most were


    in anticipation.


    Their goal for joining the preparatory ss was to get themselves into Maxwell University, for failure to do


    so would see them transferred to the normal sses in theing year.


    ¡°Alright, that¡®s all we have for the side topics. Coming up, we¡®ll begin to go over the content of this past


    paper. So have your own copies at the ready, all of you,¡± said Donovan as he went into his lesson proper.


    At the same time, Arthur also had the results put up on the bulletin board where it drew the curious


    gazes of passing students who were not from the preparatory ss and stopped to look.


    ¡°I heard that the papers for the preparatory ss were extremely tough!¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Of course! They were handpicked from amongst the best, the cr¨¨me de cr¨¨me. But us students from


    the normal sses are also able to sign up for the night exams, or so it was said.¡±


    ¡°Night exams? The hell¡®s that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡®t you know that Maxwell University will be allotting six advanced ces to participate in their


    admissions test this time? The normal sses will only be receiving one slot. If you register now, you¡®d


    be able to take part in the exams topete for that slot in the evening.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Maxwell University. I¡¯m majoring in arts, so the admissions to Maxwell University doesn¡¯t really


    concern us.¡±


    While the students chatted amongst themselves, they began to flock toward the bulletin board as they


    were eager to see which were the five lucky enough to be headed for exposure at Maxwell University.

 Chapter 941

    Chapter 941


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 941


    When the students lifted their heads, their eyes became transfixed, and what they saw immediately got


    them engaged in an enthusiastic discussion.


    ¡°It¡®s the goddess of our school! Arielle came in first!¡±


    ¡°Oh my gosh, it¡®s really her! So pretty and talented, she¡®s almost too blessed!¡±


    ¡°Nothing to do with that. She must have also worked very hard! If I had her looks, I¡®d forget about the


    university admissions and join the entertainment industry for the big money instead.¡±


    ¡°Hang on!¡± Someone who had noticed the grades pointed up to the scoring on the bulletin board. ¡°Did all


    of you not see that? Full marks! She scored full marks for four of the papers!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The others who previously only had their sights on the names in the top five and neglected to check the


    grades appended and turned their attention there immediately upon the mention by that one student.


    Arielle had maximum points for all the other subjects under her name, save Chanaean, for which she


    scored an astonishing zero.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Frigging hell!¡± the observing student blurted out an expletive. ¡°Managing to finish ahead despite scoring


    zero for one subject is just ridiculous. Bute to think of it, could her Chanaean be so bad as to score


    zero?


    That seems a little far¨Cfetched, to say the least.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I have a friend from the preparatory ss who told me that Arielle was absent the first morning of


    the exams. As such, it wasn¡¯t a question of her linguistic skills. She simply did not show up to sit for the


    paper.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ She has to be a genius toe in thirty points ahead of the second¨Cced Wendy even while


    skipping one of the papers.¡±


    ¡°Damn! That Wendy who¡¯s been besmirching my goddess on live stream is in second ce?¡±


    ¡°Hah, she must have thought that the first ce must be hers for the taking in our goddess¡® absence for


    the Chanaean paper. What a bummer.¡±


    The front of the bulletin board became crowded with the students engaged in discussion before long, and


    the names of Arielle and Wendy instantly became the talk of the town.


    Students from the preparatory ss were still in the midst of their lessons when the school bell rang for


    the


    end of the period.


    Thete start amounted to a near-total loss of an entire period. Donovan thus opted to cancel recess


    outright over concerns of it dying the overall progress of his lesson.


    ¡°We¡®ll not be taking a break for the rest of this morning. Anyone who needs to use the restroom, just


    raise your


    hand and go on ahead, for we¡¯ll be resuming the remainder of the ss without pause.¡±


    The students quietly groaned inside, though none of them dared to speak up as they understood


    Donovan¡®s temperament. Hence, they silently endured until noon¡®s bell struck before they rushed over to


    check the rankings over at the bulletin board.


    It was a long wait for midday, and many students from the other disciplines all rushed down to the charity


    flea market over at the field. Their parents, too, variously made their way into the school grounds one


    after another.


    Cecilia was ahead of the rest of the pack, dragging the reluctant Susanne along as soon as she was


    done with her own bakes.


    The timing of their arrival coincided with the sounding of the bell at noon.


    ¡°Wendy should be done with her lessons. I¡¯ll text her, but let¡®s go check on the results first,¡± Cecilia said,


    brimming with confidence.


    Susanne smiled stiffly as she was genuinely concerned that Arielle¡®s scores would be abysmal. ¡°You go


    on ahead. I need to use thedies as I think I might have had something bad for breakfast.¡±


    Cecilia had a good guess as to what was up with Susanne. She was certain that Susanne¡®s brat from the


    countryside must have fared so badly that the mother


    feared being thoroughly embarrassed by her own Wendy and hence wanted to avoid getting shown up!


    It urred to Cecilia that Susanne had not considered that even if her daughter was not from the


    country, that little vixen who only knew how to seduce men would not be a match for her own daughter


    Wendy¡®s intrinsic smarts.


    With that in mind, Cecilia replied genially, ¡°Don¡®t worry about it. I¡®ll apany you to the restroom first.


    It¡®s not like a few minutes here and there is going to make a difference anyway.¡±

 Chapter 942

    Chapter 942


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 942


    The corners of Susanne¡®s mouth twitched. She was more afraid of being humiliated.


    Gritting her teeth, she stated, ¡°I wille over after I visit the bathroom. You don¡®t have to wait up for me


    because it¡®ll only make me ufortable. Perhaps, I¡®ve aged, so you should just listen to me.¡±


    Susanne¡®s awkward reaction sparked joy in Cecilia¡®s heart.


    Cecilia felt convinced that she had the upper hand and that Susanne would realize how much better her


    daughter was. Therefore, she did not insist on her way. Waving her hand, she agreed, ¡°Sure. I¡®ll wait for


    you by the bulletin board then.¡±


    With a wry smile, Susanne turned around to escape from the area.


    Meanwhile, the corners of Cecilia¡®s lips curled up while watching the otherdy leave. Gesturing for a


    bodyguard toe over, she instructed, ¡°Keep your eyes on Mrs. Nightshire. If she wants to leave the


    school, remember to hold her back and inform me about it.¡±


    She emphasized, ¡°Do not let her leave.¡±


    ¡°Noted!¡± The bodyguard acknowledged before he quietly trailed behind Susanne.


    Cecilia watched Susanne¡®s back figure getting smaller and smaller for a few seconds when she suddenly


    thought of Wendy¡®s grades. Without hesitation, she rushed to the bulletin board.


    Her top priority was to know how many points Wendy had scored higher than the student who came in


    second ce.


    However, she saw a swarm of students surrounding the bulletin board when she made it there, blocking


    her view.


    Regardless, she could faintly hear people whispering Wendy¡®s name in the crowd, and her eyes instantly


    lit up. Pulling the student closest to her over, she questioned, ¡°Hey, there are too many people in front of


    me. Do you happen to know the score difference between the top two students?¡±


    Seeing that it was a parent, the student tried not to look annoyed and promptly replied, ¡°I think it was


    over twenty points. If I¡®ve not mistaken, the exact result was twenty¨Csix points.¡±


    ¡°Twenty¨Csix?¡± The smile on Cecilia¡®s face widened. ¡°I heard that students from the preparatory ss all


    received ster grades, but I didn¡®t expect such a wide difference. Are you sure of the results?¡±


    The student confidently responded, ¡°I¡®m certain that I¡®m right. It¡®s definitely around that number. If you


    don¡®t believe me, you can look at the bulletin board for yourself.¡±


    With that confirmation, Cecilia could not help but


    shriek with joy, ¡°My daughter is a genius!¡±


    Taken aback, the student asked, ¡°Are you Arielle¡®s mother?¡±


    Everyone had heard of the rumors that Arielle¡®s mother passed away because of her dad.


    ¡°Are you her step¨Cmother or god¨Cmother?¡±


    The unexpectedment stunned Cecilia momentarily. Frowning, she hissed, ¡°What do you mean? I am


    Wendy Greene¡®s mother!¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Wendy?¡±


    The student¡®s mouth twitched as he pulled one of his friends over. ¡°Hey, look! She is Wendy¡®s mother.¡±


    Instantly, everyone gathered in front of the bulletin board turned to look at Cecilia when he blurted out


    those words.


    ¡°So she is Wendy¡®s mother,¡± some students murmured.


    ¡°Ah, now we know how she looks like.¡±


    Cecilia assumed that the students made thesements as they held high regard for Wendy. Given so,


    she thought of basking in her daughter¡®s glory. With her head held high, she dered, ¡°Yes, I am


    Wendy¡®s mother. If anyone has questions about your homework, you can look for Wendy anytime. Don¡®t


    be shy because she is very easy¨Cgoing.¡±


    To her confusion, the students only showed odd expressions after she spoke.


    Some of them looked speechless, while others looked scornful and disgusted.


    Seeing their reactions, it took a few seconds for Cecilia to realize that something was wrong.


    If they respected Wendy, why would they look this appalled?


    A wave of panic washed over her. Biting her lip, she anxiously stammered, ¡°What¡®s with your gazes?


    What is wrong with you?¡±

 Chapter 943

    Chapter 943


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 943


    Silence ensued before one student finally broke it. ¡°Haha, if I were you, I would note to school.¡±


    It set off a trail of murmurings among the crowd. ¡°Exactly! How does she still have the guts toe


    here? Is she unaware of the things that Wendy had done


    in school?¡±


    ¡°Oh dear, I don¡®t know whether she shouldugh or cry in this situation. Wendy might be good at her


    studies, but she has a questionable character.¡±


    An arguably more sensible student stopped them and retorted in Cecilia¡®s defense. ¡°She is a visitor, so


    let¡®s all be reasonable. It could be solely Wendy¡®s fault for turning out like that. What does that have to do


    with her mother? We should not go overboard. At least Wendy made it to the top five, right?¡±


    Cecilia felt lost.


    She was not dumb and realized that the student not only did not look up to Wendy, but they also hated


    her.


    Before this, she already knew that her daughter could not get along with her ssmates. However, she


    thought it was only those people and did not expect the rest of Wendy¡®s schoolmates to share the same


    sentiments too.


    As Wendy¡®s mother, Cecelia could feel the hostility and contempt from the students¡® eyes.


    When have I ever received such treatment with Wendy in Horington?


    In the heat of the moment, Cecilia fumed, ¡°Who are you to judge my daughter? If you have so much time


    to talk behind her back, you should use it to study instead. Come talk to me only when you can do as


    well as Wendy and manage to be the top scorer in the preparatory ss.¡±


    Immediately, everyone kept quiet.


    Cecilia presumed that they were scared off by Wendy¡®s excellent performance in school, and she felt


    great pleasure again.


    Arrogantly, she taunted, ¡°Well, do you think that I don¡®t know that all of you are merely jealous of


    Wendy¡®s grades? She even managed to ce first among the elite students in the preparatory ss.¡±


    For a few seconds, the silence continued before the students started to burst out inughter.


    It was deafening.


    ¡°Haha, I¡¯m about tough till I cry!¡±


    In between their peals ofughter, theymented, ¡°Is she crazy?¡±


    ¡°She is like Wendy! They are lunatics.¡±


    More people started to shame Cecelia. ¡°Like mother,


    like daughter. There isn¡¯t a better time to use this phrase.¡±


    ¡°All of you¨C¡± Cecilia¡®s face turned red with anger.


    Confused with the situation, she could not help but interrogate, ¡°What do you mean? Who is a lunatic?


    How dare you question Wendy¡®s good grades?¡±


    One of the students tried to suppress hisughter and exined, ¡°With all due respect, please go to the


    board and take a look. Wendy is not ranked first in the preparatory ss.¡±


    ¡°W¨Cwhat?¡± The older woman¡®s face turned pale.


    She could not believe her ears.


    Did Wendy not do the best? Who the hell is first then? I thought they said she best the second ce with


    more than twenty points!


    Grabbing the student she first spoke to, Cecilia gave him a death re and seethed, ¡°Didn¡®t you tell me


    that Wendy scored twenty over points more than the student who came in second?¡±


    Her sudden actions took the boy by surprise, but thetter regained hisposure in no time. Pursing


    his lips, he argued, ¡°What the hell? I told you that there is a twenty¨Csix points difference between the top


    two students. However, Wendy is ranked second, not first! The one who did the best is my goddess!


    Even though she missed one of her papers, she still managed to beat your daughter by such a wide


    gap!¡±


    Cecilia was utterly dumbfounded.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What are you talking about? Don¡®t lie to me!¡±


    Shaking off Cecilia¡®s grip on his cor, the student pointed to the bulletin board and asserted, ¡°You can


    see it for yourself!¡±

 Chapter 944

    Chapter 944


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 944


    The crowd naturally parted a clear path for Cecilia to the bulletin board.


    At that moment, Cecilia felt her world crumbling.


    Refusing to believe what the students had told her, she headed straight for the board and looked at the


    name in the number two spot.


    It turned out to be Wendy¡®s name.


    Instantly, Cecilia¡®s eyes widened to the size of saucers.


    Wendy did not get first ce! She did not beat the second ce by twenty¨Csix points. Instead, the top


    scorer crushed her by that many points. To lose out by over twenty points, how many spots is she behind


    in the college entrance ranking?


    Cecilia¡®s eyes darted around, and she felt her life sucked out of her. Feeling weak in her knees, she


    copsed onto the ground.


    Her bodyguard standing in a corner rushed over to help her up when he saw what had happened.


    ¡°Mrs. Greene, are you alright? What¡®s wrong?¡± He asked with concern.


    His question knocked some sense into her.


    With her bodyguard¡®s help, she forced herself to stand on her feet. Before she could speak, her phone


    rang.


    ¡°Mrs. Greene, Mrs. Nightshire is about to leave the school from the back door,¡± another one of her


    bodyguard¡®s voices rang from the other end of the line.


    Anxiously, Cecilia roared, ¡°Stop her!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Greene,¡± the man acknowledged and ended the call before he heard her other sentence, ¡°Do


    not let here my way.¡±


    ¡°Quick! Stop Mrs. Nightshire!¡±


    With his instructions, two of his colleagues moved forward to grab Susanne.


    ¡°What do you think you are doing?¡± Susanne raised her eyebrows, and her bodyguards immediately


    stepped up too.


    This time, she only brought two of her bodyguards because it would be inconvenient with too many of


    them if she wanted to leave whenever she wanted.


    Unfortunately, it was three of Cecilia¡®s bodyguards against two of hers, and the atmosphere was tense.


    One of Cecilia¡®s bodyguards approached her and spoke, ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, Mrs. Greene is still waiting for


    you. Aren¡®t you going to inform her before you leave?¡±


    ¡°I¨C¡± Susanne stammered as she tried to think of an excuse. ¡°I¡®m not leaving, but I¡®m feeling hungry, so I


    wanted to buy some bread from outside.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± The man nodded his head. ¡°Well, why don¡®t you look for Mrs. Greene while we help you buy


    some bread instead.¡±


    Another one of Cecilia¡®s bodyguards added, ¡°Yes, Mrs. Greene also brought many cookies over. You can


    have them too, and there is no need to get food by yourself.¡±


    Susanne¡®s expression turned ugly, and she was close to making a scene.


    However, she suppressed her anger when she thought of Nightshire Group¡®s Horington project. With an


    annoyed look, she hissed, ¡°Fine! I¡®ll go to her now.¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Once the bodyguards heard that, they finally rxed and looked amiable again. They gestured for


    Susanne to go to Cecilia.


    Susanne had never experienced this much humiliation before. Even if Arielle ended up a beggar, she


    would choose her over Wendy in a heartbeat.


    After all, Arielle would never treat her that way.


    ¡°Get out of my way. I will walk there myself, and I don¡®t wish to see your faces!¡± Susanne growled.


    The three bodyguards hired by Cecilia exchanged looks before they smiled and obliged, ¡°We shall give


    you some space then.¡±


    After that line, they turned to walk away, keeping a further distance between Susanne and them while


    still


    keeping an eye on her.


    Gritting her teeth in frustration, Susanne stormed toward the bulletin board.


    Cecilia was not interested in finding out who was ced first in the test anymore. All she wanted to do


    was look for Wendy and question her about the situation. Cecilia needed to know why there was such a


    large gap between the top scorer and her.


    She demanded, ¡°Where is Ms. Greene? Are her lessons over?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Greene, Ms. Greene had ended her lessons not long ago. Her ss is heading over here this


    instant.¡±

 Chapter 945

    Chapter 945


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 945


    After the bodyguard replied, Cecilia¡®s expression dimmed as she nodded. ¡°All right, please look for her.


    As for Susanne, it¡®s better if she leaves.¡±


    She was beyond grateful that Susanne did not walk to the bulletin board with her.


    After all, before she saw the rankings, Cecilia repeatedly boasted to Susanne that Wendy would get first


    ce.


    Now that Wendy was in second ce, Susanne might take her as a joke.


    ¡°Darn it!¡± Cecilia cursed under her breath. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down before she


    headed for the lecture hall.


    On the other hand, Wendy rushed out of ss as soon as Donovan ended ss.


    Unfortunately, many students were also heading to the bulletin board to look at their scores. Therefore,


    there were already many people packed in the hallway.


    At that moment, someone opened the school¡®s forum.


    Secondster, the person eximed, ¡°Everyone, take a look at the forum. Boss is the top student!¡±


    Wendy immediately stiffened, momentarily forgetting what she wanted to do.


    Boss¡­ is he referring to


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh my gosh! Arielle, you are the top scorer!¡± a boy cheered from behind her.


    The revtion made Wendy¡®s face turn pale.


    Arielle is in the first ce. That b**** missed a paper, yet she managed to do her best. How the hell did


    that happen? What did she do to achieve it? That¡®s impossible, and there must be a mistake!


    Wendy no longer felt the need to get to the bulletin board anymore. Instead, she turned on her phone


    and


    entered Jadeborough University¡®s forum.


    The first thing she saw was the trending post on the forum.


    ¡°Wow! Arielle missed the paper for Chanaean, yet she could still score a total of twenty¨Csix points more


    than Wendy, the nutcase!¡±


    Nutcase? Arielle is their goddess, and I¡®m a nutcase?


    Wendy clenched her fists in rage.


    If she did not lose her temper in the archive that one time, she would not be named a nutcase. Seeing


    the word was enough to trigger her.


    Shaking, she took a sharp breath and tried to ster an unbothered expression on her face. Then, she


    clicked on the picture attached to the post.


    It was a photograph of the grades posted on the bulletin


    board.


    The paper clearly stated that Arielle was the top student of the preparatory ss, while Wendy was


    ranked second.


    I am so far behind Arielle! How can that happen! How did things turn out this way?


    Wendy wanted to scream her lungs out.


    Around her, she could hear students congratting Arielle.


    ¡°Boss, congrats for making it to first ce.¡±


    ¡°I knew that you would be the top scorer, but I did not expect for you to score full marks for all the four


    subjects.¡±


    The other students were full of praises for Arielle. ¡°Impressive! I have many answers different from you. If


    you managed to score full marks, my results are a lost cause.¡±


    When Wendy heard it, she felt a chill down her spine. She hurriedly looked at the picture again for the


    score chart.


    Beside Arielle¡®s name was a zero followed by full marks for every other subject.


    Full marks! She got full marks for four subjects!


    In those brief seconds, Wendy could not express the emotions she felt. All she could do was shoot a cold


    re in Arielle¡®s direction.


    She saw Arielle smiling andughing, surrounded by students congratting her. ¡°Thank you! Anyway,


    all of you shouldn¡®t worry too much. If you aren¡®t able to ce top five this time, you still have the next


    half of the year to work on improving your grades,¡± Arielle assured them.


    At a corner, Wendy was fervently grinding her teeth.


    What an act! Arielle is good at pretending to be a saint. Why can¡®t anyone see her true color?

 Chapter 946

    Chapter 946


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 946


    It did not take long for Arielle to sense that Wendy was staring at her.


    Looking away from the students around her, she met Wendy¡®s icy cold eyes but turned away right after


    that.


    She walked straight to Trisha and gently offered, ¡°Trish, let¡®s see if you managed to ce within the top


    five.¡±


    Trisha seemed somewhat nervous as she nodded her head and agreed.


    Then, two of them headed for the backdoor of the ssroom.


    Wendy felt angry and indignified, and her eyes were welling up with tears.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    She could not be bothered to check out her grades for each subject anymore.


    How Arielle managed to beat her even after missing a paper made Wendy feel humiliated.


    When she wanted to return to her seat to collect her emotions, she heard her mother¡®s voice from


    outside.


    ¡°Ouch! You knocked into me!¡±


    Mom?


    Wendy widened her eyes and felt hesitant to head out.


    She confidently told her mother that she would be the


    top scorer, but things turned out otherwise.


    At that instant, Cecilia¡®s voice rang again.


    ¡°Hey! Are you blind? I see that it¡®s you, the country bumpkin.¡±


    Biting her lips, Wendy nervously headed out of the ssroom.


    As expected, she saw her mother standing face¨Cto¨Cface with Arielle when she got out, and the situation


    seemed hostile.


    By the door, Arielle narrowed her eyes at thedy before her. She was sure that she had never seen her


    before, Arielle scoffed, ¡°Hey, please be mindful of your words. Besides, I did not knock into you. You are


    the one who did not look where you were going. We were on our way out when you bumped into us.¡±


    ¡°What a piece of trash! Shut up. No wonder there are rumors of you seducing men. I see that you don¡®t


    only make use of your beauty, but you have a sharp tongue too. You knocked into me, but you are


    making it seem like I was responsible for it.¡±


    The frown on Arielle¡®s forehead deepened.


    As she was about to retort, Wendy spoke, ¡°Mom! Stop that!¡±


    Arielle watched Wendy rushing over to them and pulling the olderdy away.


    Ah, so thatdy is Wendy¡®s mother. Everything makes sense now.


    ¡°Wendy,¡± Arielle snorted. ¡°Please tell your mother to control her mouth. One should not spout nonsense


    like this.¡±


    Those words sparked a fire in Cecilia.


    ¡°B****! Is that how you treat your elders? Did your parents not teach you respect?¡± Then, Cecilia pped


    her thigh and chortled. ¡°Oh wait, I made a mistake. You grew up in the countryside, and Henrick went to


    the Specialized Forces Prison. In an environment like that, it¡®s no surprise you turned out so


    disrespectful.¡±


    Wendy grew more embarrassed as her mother spoke, and she tried her best to drag Cecilia away.


    ¡°Mom, stop it! Let¡®s just leave.¡±


    ¡°Why should we leave?¡± Cecilia shook Wendy¡®s hands off. ¡°Wendy, I have not even talked about your


    score yet. Why are you in second ce this time?¡±


    ¡°I¨C¡± Wendy gritted her teeth and desperately prayed for the ground to swallow her whole.


    It was the first time she was embarrassed by her mother¡®s presence.


    Cecilia continued, ¡°Well, second ce isn¡®t too bad either. At least you can get a spot in Maxwell


    University¡®s early entrance examination.¡± Turning to


    Arielle, she condescendingly stated, ¡°Is Arielle your name? As for a country bumpkin like you, I guess


    you haven¡®t even heard of Maxwell University, right?¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡± Wendy hissed in panic.


    Stomping her foot, she quickly used her palm to cover Cecilia¡®s mouth.

 Chapter 947

    Chapter 947


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 947


    ¡°Mmm¡­ what the hell are you doing?¡± Cecilia mumbled, but Wendy only used more pressure to shut her


    mouth.


    With her other hand, Wendy dragged Cecilia away by her waist to avoid being humiliated further.


    Regardless, it was already toote. The rest of the preparatory ss, including Trisha, had started to talk


    among themselves.


    ¡°Thatdy ndered Sannie! I am going to call the cops on her.¡±


    They snorted, ¡°Is she joking? She knows that Wendy is in second ce, but didn¡¯t she see who was in


    first?¡±


    ¡°Exactly! She must be blind.¡±


    In particr, one student shouted, ¡°For her sake, we should tell her that the person who managed to


    beat Wendy was none other than Arielle, the person whom she assumed never heard of Maxwell


    University.¡±


    Cecilia gasped in surprise.


    With strength she did not know she had, she freed herself from Wendy¡®s grip and interrogated the


    students, ¡°What did you say? Who is the top scorer?¡±


    Terry stepped forward and replied, ¡°Since you seem to be clueless about it, I shall repeat myself. The


    person who scored the highest is Arielle. You look down on her, yet she is way better than your daughter.


    Does that


    rile you up? Have you lost your appetite?¡±


    Someone chuckled from behind him, ¡°Hahaha, Terry, don¡®t be mean! Stop provoking her and show her


    the picture!¡±


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Nodding his head, Terry pulled out his phone and zoomed in on the picture of the scores on the bulletin


    board.


    He held it in Cecilia¡®s face and scoffed, ¡°Can you see it? It¡®s Arielle¡®s name printed at the top. She did the


    best in school!¡±


    Cecilia narrowed her eyes and nced at the phone screen. Sure enough, Arielle was the top scorer.


    It was as real as it could get.


    So the person I thought was a country bumpkin turned out to have such excellent scores.


    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Cecilia murmured.


    At that point, Wendy was so embarrassed that she stomped her feet once more and growled, ¡°I told you


    to leave. Why did you have to make a scene? Let¡®s go!¡±


    Grabbing her mother¡®s wrists, she dragged the olderdy to the stairway.


    They only took a few steps when they saw Susanne heading over.


    Immediately, Wendy stopped in her tracks and stammered, ¡°M¨CMrs. Nightshire?¡±?


    Does she already know that Arielle scored better than me? If she does, will she give up on me?


    ¡°Wendy?¡± Looking at how pale Wendy looked, Susanne asked curiously, ¡°What¡®s wrong?¡±


    Before Wendy could speak up, Cecilia interrupted, ¡°N Nothing! I came here to get Wendy. We should


    leave, Susanne. Let¡®s have lunch with Wendy as she hasn¡®t eaten.¡±


    Susanne could not be happier as she was not bothered to check out the scores. Therefore, she nodded.


    By chance, she spotted Arielle standing behind Wendy while scanning the surroundings.


    As their eyes met, Susanne felt an unexinable emotion bubbling within her.


    While she pondered whether to acknowledge Arielle, thetter started approaching her. She raised her


    hand and greeted, ¡°Mrs. Nightshire.¡±


    The corners of Susanne¡®s lips lifted slightly, and she let out a soft grunt in response.


    ¡°Susanne, let¡®s go!¡± Afraid that Susanne would find out how well Arielle did if they stayed any longer,


    Cecilia tugged on her arm, desperate to leave.


    On the other hand, Susanne was scared that Arielle¡®s scores would embarrass her. Thus, she turned


    away and walked to the stairway with the other twodies.


    ¡°How did you do in exam, Wendy?¡± She casually asked.


    ¡°I¨C¡±


    Wendy did not know how to reply, but Cecilia quickly jumped into the conversation. ¡°She did well and


    managed to secure a spot to take Maxwell University¡®s entrance examination.¡±


    Not surprised by her response, Susanne nodded her head in silence.


    At that moment, Trisha shouted, ¡°Wait! You scolded us without reason and even used such awful words


    against Arielle. Don¡®t you want to apologize before you leave?¡±

 Chapter 948

    Chapter 948


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 948


    It took Trisha a lot of courage for her to say those words.


    Since Arielle treated her well, Trisha could not bear to see someone who insulted her walk away like that.


    Knowing what Trisha was like, Arielle looked astonished when she heard the girl yell.


    ¡°Trish?¡±


    However, Trisha did not spare her a nce. Clenching her fists, she stormed to Cecilia and blocked her


    path. ¡°Please apologize to Arielle,¡± she demanded.


    These students are really bothersome!


    Cecilia gritted her teeth. If Susanne were not with them, she would have lost her cool a long time ago.


    Controlling her anger, she ranted, ¡°Why are you spouting nonsense? Why should I say sorry? It was both


    of you who knocked into me. As an adult, I was merely educating you.¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Susanne raised her brows.


    Quickly, Cecilia tried to stop Trisha from speaking, but she was toote.


    Trisha started toin. ¡°Thisdy did not watch where she was going and bumped into us. However,


    she med it on us and said some nasty things to Arielle.¡±


    As someone who valued her dignity, Susanne frowned at Cecilia. ¡°Hey, isn¡®t that going overboard?¡±


    ¡°Don¡®t listen to her! They bumped into me first!¡± Cecilia insisted.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Trisha nodded. ¡°Let¡®s put that matter aside for now and talk about the exam then.¡±


    ¡°Trisha!¡±


    This time, Wendy lunged forward to stop Trisha. However, it was no use as the other girl continued,


    ¡°Arielle got first in the exam. However, you insulted her and assumed she had never heard of Maxwell


    University. Shouldn¡®t you apologize for that?¡±


    As soon as she finished, Wendy felt her heart drop. Her mother¡®s expression dimmed too.


    Both of them awkwardly nced at Susanne, who looked surprised.


    Grabbing Trisha¡®s wrist, Susanne questioned, ¡°Can you repeat yourself? Who scored first?¡±


    Trisha did not know who Susanne was. However, since thetter seemed nice, she patiently repeated,


    ¡°Arielle. Arielle scored the highest and beat Wendy by twenty six points. It was even after she missed the


    Chanaean


    paper.¡±


    Susanne¡®s eyes widened, and her thoughts were jumbled.


    I guess I was overthinking when I worried that Arielle¡®s results would embarrass me.


    Arielle was so clever that even Wendy was not her match.


    ¡°Is that true?¡± Susanne muttered in bewilderment.


    Terry walked to them and held out his phone again to Susanne, showing the picture of the scores. ¡°You


    can see that it is true here. It is on the bulletin board.¡±


    Susanne quickly took his phone from him and studied the picture. It cleared all her doubts.


    What surprised her most was that even though Arielle scored zero in Chanaean, she managed to score


    full marks for the rest of her subjects.


    Full marks!


    Amazement was printed on Susanne¡®s face as she turned to Arielle in disbelief.


    During the whole time, Arielle stood rooted to the ground in silence. There was no expression on her


    face, as though nothing could sway her.


    Herposure, restrain, and maturity crushed Wendy, who often pretended to be the victim.


    Suddenly, Susanne realized why her son chose Arielle over the best girl in Horington.


    Perhaps, she deserved everyone¡®s praises.


    With aplicated expression on her face, Susanne said nothing.


    The silence only increased the fear in Wendy and Cecilia.

 Chapter 949

    Chapter 949


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 949


    Disregarding everything, Cecilia exined, ¡°Susanne, the papers were difficult this time, and there is no


    way for anyone to score full marks for the four papers. I think Arielle probably cheated, so do not take her


    word for it!¡±


    ¡°Cheated?¡± Susanne furrowed her brows.


    Grabbing Wendy¡®s arm, Cecilia interrogated her, ¡°Wendy, tell me the truth. Are her grades usually as


    good?¡±


    Wendy bit her lips and muttered, ¡°This is our first test, so I¡®m not sure of her usual grades. I only know


    that she skips ss quite often. Before the exam, she even told other students about the topics tested. I


    guess there is a possibility.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! If she knew the topics tested beforehand, she must have cheated.¡± Turning to Arielle, Cecilia


    used, ¡°You must have cheated during exam! Wendy told me that the topic was rather unique this


    time. Given that situation, how could you score full marks for the four papers? Furthermore, I can¡®t


    believe you even have the cheek to tell others the topic. If you wanted to cheat, you should have done it


    more discreetly. Aren¡¯t you afraid others would find out?¡±


    Arielle was about to retort when Susanne spoke first. ¡°Mrs. Greene, I don¡®t think you can say that. Do


    you have any evidence to back your usations? If you don¡®t, how can you publicly im that she


    cheated on the exam just because she did better than your daughter?


    Stupefied, Arielle stared at Susanne.


    She did not expect the olderdy to speak up for her.


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire¨C¡± Arielle murmured.


    At the same time, Wendy was even more surprised.


    Since when did Mrs. Nightshire start taking Arielle¡®s side? Ising in the first position that important? Is


    it enough to overshadow her family background and where she grew up?


    ¡°Also, Wendy,¡± Susanne turned her attention to the girl. Giving her a stern look, she stated, ¡°I always


    thought you were a mature individual. Why are you making a fuss with your mother? If you don¡®t have


    evidence, don¡®t spout such nonsense. It doesn¡®t seem like something you would do.¡±


    ¡°That¡®s not all!¡± Trisha mustered up her courage again andined, ¡°Previously, Arielle helped a


    teacher from Maxwell University to trante the lesson n. However, Wendy secretly started a live


    stream and mentioned that there was no way Arielle could trante it. In the end, Arielle managed to


    complete the task, but Wendy did not apologize.¡±


    Terry quickly added, ¡°Wendy usually finds fault with my goddess. A few days ago, the principal gave her


    approval to visit the archive. Hearing that, Wendy started to spread rumors that Arielle and the principal


    were involved in an indecent rtionship.¡±


    By the end of his rant, Susanne¡®s expression had darkened. ¡°Mrs. Greene? Do you know all these things


    that Wendy had done?¡±


    Cecilia stiffened. Susanne rarely referred to her so formally, and Cecilia felt nervous.


    After all, this was the second time in a row that Susanne called her ¡°Mrs. Greene¡±.


    It was clear that Susanne was unhappy with the Greenes


    Cecilia stared at Wendy and asked, ¡°Wendy, are they telling the truth?¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Anxiously, Wendy tried to exin. ¡°It was a misunderstanding on my part. Besides, those are not my


    exact words. All of them are on Arielle¡®s side. Thus, it is only natural for them to say such things.¡±


    With that exnation, Cecilia quickly tried to appease Susanne. ¡°Susanne, please believe Wendy. It


    must be a misunderstanding!¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Susanne grunted, ¡°Do you take me as an idiot? No wonder you wanted to leave so quickly. You


    were afraid that I would find out the things Wendy had been up to in school and that Arielle beat Wendy


    by more than twenty points in the exams.¡±


    At this point, Wendy¡®s face was flushed red. She felt angry and embarrassed but could not utter a single


    word.

 Chapter 950

    Chapter 950


    A Beauty With Multiple Masks Chapter 950


    If only she knew how much Susanne valued grades, she would have worked harder, gotten rid of all


    distractions, and focused on her studies.


    If I gave it my all in my studies, I would not lose to Arielle!


    Wendy felt regretful and troubled.


    On the other hand, Cecilia had calmed down.


    She could not find any other exnation after Susanne¡®s harsh reaction.


    Taking a deep breath, she decided not to mention Arielle anymore. ¡°Susanne, this time Wendy did not


    perform her best. However, she still managed to make it into Maxwell University¡®s early entrance


    examination. On top of that, Wendy said many good things about Vin during the project at Horington.¡±


    She purposely brought up Horington to remind Susanne that Wendy¡®s results this time were not any


    more important than the help she offered to Vinson.


    While Cecilia meant for it to be a reminder, Susanne took it as a threat.


    The threat was real.


    Frustrated, Susanne gritted her teeth. Looking at Cecilia, who seemed like she was smiling, Susanne


    could not help but mutter, ¡°It¡®s okay if she did not do well.¡±


    Instantly, Cecilia felt a wave of relief washing over her. She shot Wendy a look to get her to respond.


    Taking the hint, Wendy quickly replied, ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, I promise you that I will make it into Maxwell


    University!¡±


    Susanne nodded before she nced at Arielle.


    She felt hesitant as she did not know what to say to her.


    After a moment of silence, Arielle said, ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, if you don¡®t mind, you can head to the flea


    market to have some of the ravioli I make. I spent the entire night making them and nned to sell them


    today.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Susanne blurted.


    She did not even realize how relieved she felt when Arielle took the initiative to make conversation with


    her first.


    It was as though the gap between them was slowly disappearing


    Meanwhile, Cecilia panicked when she heard Susanne agreeing to Arielle¡®s invitation. She hurriedly


    fussed, ¡°Susanne, we made a lot of cookies. If you aren¡®t with us, I¡®m afraid there is not enough time.¡±


    With a chuckle, Arielle said, ¡°Mrs. Greene, I am not forcing her to go over. It was only an invitation. If you


    have spare time, you can go over to try it too. I am


    confident of my culinary skills, so I think you would like it too.¡±


    With a contemptuous look on her face, Cecilia taunted, ¡°You know how to make ravioli? Wendy is


    clueless about it. I gave her the best education when she was growing up, so she knows how to cook


    too. However, her teachers were Michelin chefs, so she never learned to make something as simple as


    ravioli.¡±


    The smile on Arielle¡®s face slid off. No longer bothered about Cecilia, she turned to Susanne. ¡°Mrs.


    Nightshire, we shall head out for the preparation now. We will wee you toeter.¡±


    Then, she tugged on Trisha¡®s hand and headed for the stairway.


    At that moment, a low and husky voice sounded. ¡°Everyone, don¡®t leave school so quickly. I have an


    announcement.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    It was Donovan¡®s voice.


    Without a choice, Arielle stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Donovan.


    She coincidentally met Donovan¡®s icy cold gaze, and she narrowed her eyes, had a bad premonition.


    Then, Donovan continued, ¡°I have heard your conversation earlier. As for Arielle¡®s grades, it is pending


    finalization. Therefore, we shall confirm the top five positions only tonight.¡±

 Chapter 951

    Chapter 951


    Everyone, including Wendy, was stunned by Donovan¡®s words


    Then, her face lit up with impish glee.


    She could not help but ask, ¡°Mr. Baxter, what do you mean that it is still being discussed? Did Arielle


    cheat?¡±


    Nodding his head, he thought about Marcus¡® warning and added, ¡°Because the school¡®s surveince


    cameras are upgrading, we did not capture any footage. Therefore, we have no evidence of Arielle


    cheating yet.¡±


    Arielle squinted at the teacher and stated, ¡°If you have no proof that I did it, why are you telling


    everyone that my grades are still pending finalization?¡±


    Donovan felt pressured.


    Clenching his fists, he tried to regain hisposure and scoffed, ¡°You managed to score full marks for


    four subjects, and that shows that something is not right.¡±


    Arielle let out a dryugh. ¡°Mr. Baxter, did you assume that your student can¡®t score full marks because


    you can¡®t do it? I¡®d like to remind you that there are plenty of people in the world who are smarter than


    you.¡±


    Donovan¡®s expression darkened, but he could not find words to argue with her.


    The papers were written by five different teachers. As such, they decided to take it themselves too. The


    first


    time around, Donaoan only scored eighty¨Cseven marks. Therefore, he could not retort Arielle¡®s insult.


    Donovan¡®s jaw tightened, and he growled, ¡°Don¡®t try to change the subject. I have discussed it with the


    principal and the other teachers, and we have unanimously agreed to test you after the charity event


    tonight. I wille up with the questions on the spot, and if you get them right, I will believe that you


    deserved those marks.¡±


    Trisha panicked.


    ¡°Mr. Baxter, if you surprise someone with new questions, it is natural for them to feel nervous. If you


    suspect Arielle, you can make her retake the exam instead.¡±


    However, Arielle patted her shoulder and affirmed, ¡°It¡®s all right. I shall do what he said.¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    The corners of Donovan¡®s lips lifted. He had three questions in mind, with two equally as tough as the


    ones in the exam. Although the third one seemed simple, it was easy for someone to make a mistake


    solving it.


    In that situation, he thought Arielle could never get them all correct.


    He said with triumph, ¡°Since you have no objection, we shall do as nned. All of you can leave now.¡±


    Following that, he walked to Wendy. ¡°Wendy, you cannot rx yet. You should still work hard to get into


    Maxwell University since you are the student in our school with the highest potential to get in.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Baxter.¡± Wendy felt more confident than before, and she shot a provoking look in Arielle¡®s


    direction.


    I have Mr. Baxter backing me, but who does she have? I don¡®t believe that someone from a small town


    with the most basic education could do better than me. After all, I have received the best education


    possible. I¡®m sure Arielle cheated in the exam this time and that was how she made no mistakes in all


    the four papers.


    After Donovan left, Cecilia cautiously uttered, ¡°Susanne, did you hear that? Even the teachers and


    principal are suspicious of Arielle¡®s grades. Do not be fooled by her.¡±


    Susanne gulped, unable to respond.


    She did not expect Arielle¡®s grades to be questioned.


    If Arielle did cheat, it would be more embarrassing for Susanne than if she did not do well.


    Despite so, Susanne had a feeling that Arielle did not cheat.


    She took a deep breath and looked straight at Arielle. ¡°Did you cheat?¡±


    Wendyughed. ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, since we have no evidence against her, why would she admit that


    she cheated?


    Regardless, when Susanne heard Wendy¡®s words, she frowned. ¡°That question was not for you.¡±


    Susanne¡®s cold tone made Wendy¡®s heart drop.

 Chapter 952

    Chapter 952


    Her voice was filled with hostility, and she had an indifferent look in her eyes. To Wendy, it seemed


    simr to how Vinson looked at her.


    Although they were staring at her, they looked as though they did not see her there.


    Immediately, Wendy¡®s face turned pale as she croaked, ¡°Mrs. Nightshire?¡±


    To her dismay, the olderdy ignored her and repeated her question, ¡°Did you cheat?¡±


    Although Arielle was shocked by Susanne¡®s reaction, she did not hesitate to deny, ¡°I can assure you


    that I did not cheat.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Susanne acknowledged. ¡°I believe you. You¡¯d better not let me down at tonight¡®s charity event.¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Fervently nodding, Arielle promised, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will not disappoint you.¡±


    With a grunt in response, she turned to Cecilia, who looked uneasy with a smile. ¡°Let¡®s go to the flea


    market. You prepared for it the whole morning, right?¡±


    Cecilia stered a smile on her face and hurriedly followed behind the otherdy.


    When she walked past Arielle, she whispered in a harsh tone, ¡°Don¡®t get too happy about this. Your goo


    d time will notst long.¡±


    Arielle¡®s lips twitched. ¡°What do you mean that it will notst long? Are you going to send people to kill


    me?¡±


    As soon as Cecilia heard the response, she froze with fear in her eyes.


    Please don¡¯t tell me that Arielle knows that we were responsible for the matter yesterday.


    Susanne, who was in front of them, did not overhear the conversation, but Wendy heard it all.


    She was equally as stunned. However, she thought about it carefully. Well, even if she guessed


    that it was us, does she have any evidence to prove it?


    Wendy looked at Arielle and feigned an innocent look. She reminded, ¡°I guess you shouldn¡¯t go to


    the flea market. You should be preparing for the questions you will get tonight.¡±


    With a mocking smile, Arielle responded, ¡°Oh, I don¡®t have to prepare for such things.¡±


    She exuded confidence which terrified Wendy.


    Unable to bear staying there any longer, Wendy tugged Cecilia away.


    Simrly, Cecilia felt as scared as Wendy. The mother worriedly probed, ¡°Wendy, do you think


    that b**** already knows that we sent people to capture her?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Wendy shook her head. ¡°The mercenaries are


    willing to hand their


    lives to their owners, and Dad mentioned that he had already seen two of them sacrifice their lives from


    taking poison. I think Arielle only guessed so, but she does not have any evidence to prove it.¡±


    Hearing that, Cecilia finally let out a breath of relief. ¡°That is good then. I was scared out of my wits earli


    er. When she said that, I thought she had already figured out that it was us.¡±


    ¡°You don¡®t have to worry about this matter at all. On the other hand, we should worry about whether Ari


    elle can answer Mr. Baxter¡®s questionster,¡± Wendy reminded.


    A worried expression was seen on Cecilia¡®s face.


    ¡°But,¡± Wendy suddenly straightened and added. ¡°Mr. Baxter probably hopes that Arielle can¡®t answer his


    do, so he would not set any easy questions.¡±


    ¡°Really? Is there a reason for it?¡±


    Wendy quietly thought about it. Because


    Arielle is a threat to him, and she humiliates him. Mr. Baxter is a proud man. Thus, he will not allow


    someone he hates to continue hovering around him.


    Even though she knew the reason, she replied, ¡°No particr reason. You only have to know that Mr. Ba


    While the pair were conversing, Susanne


    curiously turned back. ¡°The event is about to start. Why are both of you walking so slowly?¡±


    Instantly, Cecilia quickened her pace.


    She had already found out that the stall that made the most profit would win an award at the charity g


    Confident in her baking skills, she was sure that the award would belong to her daughter, Wendy

 Chapter 953

    Chapter 953


    ¡°Let¡®s go then.¡± Cecilia hugged Susanne¡®s arm firmly, slightly displeased. ¡°Susanne, you shouldn¡®t have


    epted her invitation. If she really is with Vin, what good could she bring him besides troubles and


    negative rumors? On the contrary, Vin¡®s project in Horington still needs to deal with us.¡±


    She meant it as a reminder as well as a warning.


    Meanwhile, Susanne had gotten used to Cecilia¡®s tactics.


    She did not seem to be affected, as she disyed a smile. ¡°I didn¡®t do it for Vin.¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°Maybe you didn¡®t know. Arielle¡®s mom used to be my close friend many years ago. For her sake, I feel


    I should take care of Arielle somehow.¡±


    Cecilia was stunned upon hearing that. ¡°I didn¡®t know about that. Isn¡®t she a bast*rd?¡±


    Susanne¡®s expression darkened as she uttered coldly, ¡°Mrs. Greene, I hope


    you would watch your mouth. Even if she isn¡®t Henrick¡®s child, she was born by my good friend who ha


    d passed away. I never want to hear such words from


    you again. Or else, you¡®ll regret the consequences!¡±


    If that man were to hear this, he might even destroy the entire Greene family.


    Nevertheless, Cecilia did not know what Susanne meant


    by consequences. She only thought thetter was trying to stand up for Maureen.


    With that, she pursed her lips. ¡°Fine, I won¡®t mention it again.¡±


    Even if I don¡¯t mention it, it will always be the truth.


    On the other side, Arielle did not rush to the


    field to join the flea market. Instead, she brought Trisha to the bulletin board.


    Even though there was a picture of the result in the forum, the angle was not good. Thus, they


    could only see the top three winners.


    The first ce went to Arielle, the second was Wendy, while the third went to Wendy¡®s deskmate, Terry.


    Except for Arielle¡®s rank, the ranking did not differ much from the usual ss test result.


    Trisha was so nervous that her hands were mmy, but still, she was concerned about Arielle.


    ¡°Sannie, why


    don¡®t we do as Wendy said and skipped going to the flea market. Let¡®s go to study at the library, okay?¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°No need.¡± Arielle pinched Trisha¡®s face gently. ¡°I believe I can answer the questions without needing to


    prepare. Don¡®t forget I¡®ve got full marks for four


    papers.¡±


    Wendy let out a sigh upon hearing that. ¡°If you had taken the Chanaean paper, it would be


    five full marks. If so, the gap between you and Wendy would be much more than twenty¨Csix points.¡±


    Arielle disyed an awkward smile upon hearing that.


    She was not good in Chanaean. So, even if she had taken that paper, the result would be more or less


    the same.


    In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the bulletin board.


    Due to


    the post in the forum, many students of Jadeborough University had gathered there, hoping to see the g


    As soon as Arielle arrived, someone recognized her.


    ¡°Look! Goddess of Study is here!¡±


    At once, the crowd clustered around her.


    The next instant, they lined up in front of Arielle and bowed toward her simultaneously.


    Arielle was left bewildered upon seeing that scene.


    Trisha smiled while exining. ¡°I heard there¡®s


    a legend in this university. It is said that we can get good luck by bowing to Goddess of Study.¡±


    No wonder all the students from the preparatory ss worshipped her before their results got announce


    That superstitious ritual made Arielle utterly embarrassed.

 Chapter 954

    Chapter 954


    After a long while, they finally got rid of the crowd and got near the bulletin board.


    However, Trisha got intimidated as she covered her eyes. ¡°Sannie, I don¡®t dare to look at it. Please


    take a look for me.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Arielle nodded while approaching the board.


    At first nce, she saw Trisha¡®s name at sixth ce.


    Her gaze darkened slightly as her smile disappeared.


    Still, she lost by just a little. But sixth ce seems like the perfect spot.


    Arielle started making ns secretly in her mind.


    Just when she was about to turn and tell Trisha about it,


    Trisha had gotten to her side.


    After seeing her ranking, her eyes started brimming with tears.


    472 points. It was just three points less than fifth ce.


    It meant it was just the gap


    of one question, but it took away her chance for the early admissions exam with Maxwell University.


    She had always been in sixth ce during the tests in the


    ss. She thought with Arielle¡®s help this time. She would manage to achieve fifth ce. However, the r


    eality turned out to be cruel.


    At that moment, Trisha was filled with utter disappointment.


    It was the worst feeling to havee this far but to fail just by an inch.


    Staring at Trisha¡®s expression, Arielle opened her mouth. ¡°Trisha, actually, you still can¡­¡±


    ¡°Forget it.¡± Trisha shook her head and forced a smile. ¡°You don¡®t have tofort


    me. Maybe it is my destiny to get the sixth ce.¡±


    ¡°It¡®s not like that. Trisha, I want to tell you that the slots for early admission¡­¡±


    ¡°Sannie,¡± Trisha interrupted her again. ¡°You don¡®t need tofort me. Even if I get the slot, I won¡®t be a


    ble to pass the exam to enter Maxwell University at my level. I feel more relieved if this slot belongs to


    another person. If not, it might be wasted. So please stop mentioning it.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°All right. Let¡®s go to the flea market!¡± Trisha took a deep breath and disyed an


    unnatural smile. ¡°I want to try out the ravioli you make, okay?¡±


    Seeing Trisha did not want to think about the exam, Arielle swallowed her words and


    nodded. ¡°Okay, let¡®s go to the field. My friend should have sent the stuff by now. Let me call and ask.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Trisha nodded firmly. ¡°My dad should be at the entrance now. Let me find


    him. See youter at the field.¡±


    ¡°See you.¡±


    Arielle waved her hand while taking out her phone and called Sasha.


    ¡°Hello, Sasha. Are you at the school?¡±


    ¡°I am waiting at the field already, Ms. Moore.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡®m on my way now.¡±


    She marched toward the field as she spoke.


    Trisha left and found a hidden corner on the other side, bawling her eyes out.


    Everything she said to Arielle just now was pure lie.


    Only God knew how eager she wanted to go to Maxwell University.


    Even if she could not pass the exam, it would be great to visit that ce once.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Maxwell University was not open to the public. Thus, ordinary people would never have the chance to


    go on a tour in the premises.


    Yet, she missed such a golden opportunity.


    She did not me anybody but herself.


    Meanwhile, at the field, the flea market was in full swing.


    Just as Cecilia predicted, her bakery attracted tremendous attention from the students.


    On the contrary, Arielle¡®s stall, which had not been set up, seemed rtively empty.

 Chapter 955

    Chapter 955


    Wendy and Cecilia noticed that as well.


    While Susanne was in the washroom, Wendy passed the packed cookies in her hands to the students


    while whispering to Cecilia, ¡°Mom, I¡¯d never expected your baking skill would be so useful to m.


    Everyone thinks your cookie and dessert taste so good.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Cecilia disyed a prideful look. ¡°You need to find time and learn how to cook. That¡¯s the


    best way to win a man¡¯s heart.¡±


    Wendy let out a boisterousugh. ¡°What should I learn to make then? Ravioli?¡±


    The two of them exchanged looks and startedughing.


    Ravioli is hardly a decent food. How shameless is Arielle to dare to sell that here?


    Cecilia said boastfully, ¡°What do you expect from a lowly country bumpkin who has never seen the


    world.¡±


    Wendy could not hold back her smile. ¡°Since so many customers want to buy our cookies, I think we


    should raise the price. I want to get the prize for the charity flea market this year.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought too. Since we¡¯ve put so much effort in this, let¡¯s try to aim for the highest honor.¡±


    They were aiming for the highest prize of the event.


    As such, they raised the price of a pack of cookies to fifty.


    Soon, the customers began toin.


    ¡°Fifty? That¡¯s too expensive!¡±


    Wendy immediately exined with a smile, ¡°We¡¯re doing charity here. You guys can buy delicious


    cookies and help the needy at the same time. Isn¡¯t that killing two birds with one stone?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got the point. But fifty seems a little ridiculous. There are only ten tiny cookies inside.¡±


    ¡°You should not see this as a purchase. Please treat it as a charity. You can help those kids in the


    mountain rebuild their school by spending fifty. Isn¡¯t that great? Are fifty too much to ask for to help


    those poor students?¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Under Wendy¡¯s persuasion and pressure, the female customer eventually had no choice but to pay the


    money reluctantly.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got another fifty! Way to go!¡± Wendy posted a victorious gesture whileughing together with


    Cecilia.


    They just needed to sell out one-third of their cookies at such a pace. Then no one would be able to


    surpass their revenues.


    Meanwhile, Arielle¡¯s stall finally got ready.


    As she arrived prettyte, she could only find a spot at the far end of the road. Only a few people


    walked past there asionally. Not to mention, Wendy managed to set up her stall in the middle of the


    stadium as Cecilia instructed her bodyguard to upy the ce long before the event even started.


    However,pared to Wendy¡¯s tensed spirit and determination to win, the atmosphere at Arielle¡¯s stall


    was full of joy and peace.


    Arielle cared more about how everyone felt about her ravioli. She had never thought of winning a prize.


    Meanwhile, ke was a talkative and funny person, so his jokes made Sashaugh uncontrobly.


    ¡°All right. Stop fooling around. Let¡¯s get on with business. Please take out the ravioli,¡± Arielle instructed.


    Without dy, the bodyguard carried the small fridge to the stall.


    Then, she put lots of ravioli into the pot right away. While waiting for them to get cooked, she prepared


    her secret sauce.


    Seeing Arielle putting so many portions of ravioli into the pot while there was still no customer, Sasha


    could not wrap her head around it. ¡°Are you putting in too many ravioli? Maybe we should prepare a


    portion for the customers to test first. We can put in the rest if there are more customers. Or else they


    might be wasted in the end.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. They¡¯ll be sold out,¡± Arielle responded casually while taking the cap off her head.


    She figured since she was treated as Goddess of Study in this school, she should at least try to make


    full use of that advantage.


    As expected, as soon as she showed her face, people began to notice her stall.

 Chapter 956

    Chapter 956


    Chapter 956 Heavenly Taste


    Terry was the first one toe and greet them.


    ¡°Goddess, are you having a stall here too? We thought you¡¯ll be studying for Mr. Baxter¡¯s exam


    tonight.¡±


    Arielle shrugged her shoulders casually. ¡°There¡¯s nothing much to prepare. I can¡¯t possibly guess his


    question too. Have you eaten your lunch? Do you want to buy some ravioli? It¡¯s fifty per portion.¡±


    ¡°Fifty? That seems a bit expensive.¡±


    Arielle responded while frying the ravioli masterfully, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t regret it. You


    might even want to buy a second portion.¡±


    ¡°Really? What makes you so confident about it?¡±


    ¡°Haha. Have some faith in me. I cook better than I study.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Terry took out his cash without hesitation. ¡°One portion, please!¡±


    Arielle turned to ke with a smile. ¡°ke, prepare a bowl, please.¡±


    ¡°Here you go!¡± ke passed over a bowl without dy.


    Since it was their first customer, ke was utterly nervous, as though his life depended on it.


    On the other hand, Arielle seemed rather calm.


    She put the other ingredients into the bowl in the right portion. Meanwhile, her other hand continued


    stirring the big pot.


    At that moment, all the ravioli seemed swimming lively in the pot.


    Seeing that, Terry somehow had craving for such regr food.


    ¡°Does it mean they¡¯re done if they¡¯re floating?¡± He asked curiously.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle shook her head.


    Nope. It is frozen ravioli, and it takes time for the ravioli to get cooked thoroughly.


    She put in some more water and cooked for a little while more. A momentter, she pped her hands


    and said, ¡°All right. Now it¡¯s done.¡±


    She poured the ravioli into the bowl and added her secret sauce. Instantly, a pleasant fragrance filled


    the entirepound.


    Terry¡¯s saliva dripped uncontrobly upon smelling that.


    He immediately wiped the saliva off his mouth. ¡°It looks good. I wonder how it tastes like.¡±


    ¡°Have a try then.¡± Arielle passed the bowl to him.


    Terry took the bowl and eagerly ate one of it.


    As the ravioli was still hot, he nearly spat it out. But before he did that, the sulent meat with a full-


    vored creamy cheesy taste blended with herbs exploded inside his mouth.


    His eyes lit up with amazement as he swallowed the ravioli even though it was hot.


    The entire process was so fast that he hardly properly tasted the whole thing.


    Right away, he put another one into his mouth. This time, he was smart enough to blow it a few times


    before doing that.


    As such, he managed to taste it to the fullest.


    As a food lover, he had tried almost all the ravioli from the various restaurants in the city. Nevertheless,


    he had never tasted something like this one. Even the ravioli from the best restaurant in the country


    paled inparison with it.


    From its appearance, Arielle¡¯s ravioli looked like any regr ravioli, but it turned out its dough was


    thinner than usual ravioli, and it had more fillings inside. Combined with the secret sauce, it created an


    indescribable rich taste in the mouth.


    Right at that moment, there was only one thing in Terry¡¯s mind. I¡¯ve never eaten such delicious ravioli!


    ¡°How is it?¡± Arielle asked, ¡°Not bad?¡±


    Terry swallowed hisst spoon of ravioli slowly. ¡°Goddess, I think fifty might be a little too cheap!¡±

 Chapter 957

    Chapter 957


    Chapter 957 Ravioli


    Arielle smiled slightly upon hearing that. ¡°Fifty it is. I can¡¯t raise it anymore.¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    She did not decide the price by guts. She had done a lot of market research beforeing up with this


    price.


    She nned to sell it at the same price too in Maureen¡¯s Kitchen.


    As Maureen¡¯s Kitchen had countless delicious menus, it was impossible to promote each one of them.


    Thus, she thought of this method to let more people know about it.


    She nned to use the ravioli to attract the customers¡¯ attention first, and then she would let them taste


    Maureen¡¯s Kitchen¡¯s menu.


    While the usual people used the money to do marketing, she used ravioli instead.


    Arielle lifted her head and wanted to ask about Terry¡¯s feedback. But before she could open her mouth,


    thetter took out another fifty note and shouted, ¡°One more portion, please!¡±


    All right. It seems there is no need to ask then.


    Terry finished eating the second bowl in the blink of an eye. He wanted to order again, but his belly


    could not take in anymore.


    With that, he started shouting out for Arielle¡¯s stall. ¡°Everyone,e on! The ravioli here is super


    delicious! Don¡¯t miss out!¡±


    Slowly, some customers showed up thanks to Terry¡¯s shouting.


    As expected, many of them felt it was slightly overpriced when they first learned about the price.


    The usual price of ravioli was at most thirty in the restaurant, unless there was special filling in it.


    However, they did not hesitate to take out their cash as soon as they recognized Arielle was the stall


    owner.


    ¡°Let¡¯s consider this our support for the goddess of our school then!¡±


    After all, none of them had high expectations of the ravioli.


    However, their minds were blown away the moment they took their first bite.


    ¡°One more please!¡±


    ¡°Me too!¡±


    ¡°I want four portions. Let me take them to my roommates and let them have a try of real food!¡±


    Before long, that single stall at the far end became full of people.


    Many who tasted the ravioli acted just like Terry. They would help Arielle promote her ravioli to their


    friends. With that chain reaction, more and more people knew about Arielle¡¯s stall.


    After a few minutes, the whole pot of ravioli was sold out.


    ke and Sasha still could not believe it.


    ¡°Everybody, please wait for a while. We¡¯ll be making a new round.¡± Arielle turned around to instruct


    ke while receiving cash into her hands. ¡°ke, please put in new ravioli. Sasha, please write down


    the names of those who have paid.¡±


    Both of them nodded simultaneously.


    ke took a few scoops of ravioli and put them in the pot, and the pot filled up in an instant.


    This time, Sasha did not ask him to put less, But instead, she urged with excitement, ¡°ke, it¡¯s not


    enough. Put some more in.¡±


    Arielle reminded with a smile, ¡°Not too many, or else it won¡¯t taste good. That¡¯s enough for now.¡±


    After a while, Sasha asked, ¡°Ms. Moore, can I buy one portion too?¡±


    As she saw all the customers enjoying the ravioli so much, she could not help but get curious about the


    taste.


    Just then, ke raised his hand too. ¡°One for me too! No, I want two, please!¡±


    ¡°All right, all right. You¡¯ll all have your share. But let¡¯s serve all the customers first.¡±


    Both of them nodded with anticipation.


    Meanwhile, someone posted the news about Arielle¡¯s ravioli on the forum, which attracted a new wave


    of customers.


    Some of them came for the unbelievably tasty ravioli, while the others came purposely to see Arielle.


    For a moment, the stall was packed with arge crowd.


    At the same time, ever since Wendy raised her price, her customers became less and less.


    When she finally got two customers, someone ran over and shouted to them, ¡°Why are you guys still


    buying the cookies? Hurry up and go get Arielle¡¯s ravioli! I heard its taste is beyond imagination!¡±

 Chapter 958

    Chapter 958


    Chapter 958 Wendy Came


    ¡°Arielle? Isn¡¯t she the genius with four full marks?¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°Correct! Go try out her ravioli. Maybe you¡¯ll get some luck for your exam.¡±


    ¡°You should have told us earlier! Let¡¯s go now.¡± Those students put down Wendy¡¯s cookie and got


    ready to leave.


    Wendy immediately grabbed the hand of one of them. ¡°What¡¯s so good with ravioli? The weather today


    is too hot to have that. Why don¡¯t you try out my dessert, along with an iced Americano¡­¡±


    ¡°No, thank you. Your stuff is too expensive. I will just go to the coffee shop if I want coffee.¡± The student


    got rid of Wendy¡¯s grip while turning to her friend. ¡°Let¡¯s go grab the ravioli now. Who knows, we might


    pass the exam of Maxwell University tonight!¡±


    ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s hurry!¡±


    With that, Wendy lost the two customers instantly.


    What was killing her the most was the fact that they abandoned her stall for Arielle¡¯s stall.


    Wendy¡¯s expression darkened immediately.


    She turned to Cecilia wrathfully. ¡°Mom, look at them!¡±


    Cecilia was also beyond exasperated. ¡°I felt strange why we were losing customers all of a sudden. It


    looks like that b*tch has snatched away all the customers! What a schemingdy!¡±


    Staring at her cookies, Wendy started to panic. ¡°So what¡¯re we going to do now? Do we just let her take


    away all the customers?¡±


    ¡°Fret not.¡± Ceciliaforted Wendy. ¡°You¡¯ve heard them just now. They went after Arielle for good luck.


    I doubt if the ravioli tastes that good. They will mostly buy one portion each. After the heat passes, the


    customers will be back. Please have some faith in my cooking. I am sure many people wille back


    to our stallter.¡±


    Wendy nodded, but there was a sense of uneasiness in her heart.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Wendy.¡± Cecilia sounded utterly confident. ¡°Even though she is a genius in studies, do


    you think someone who focuses on studies like her will be able to cook better than a housewife?¡±


    Wendy smiled slightly. ¡°Let me check her stall out and try to pull back some customers.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Cecilia nodded. ¡°Remember toe back here soon. Susanne will probably be back any


    minute. You¡¯ll have to show your best in front of her.¡±


    Wendy¡¯s gaze darkened once again upon hearing that name.


    She feigned a smile and left her stall abruptly.


    Before she realized it, she was already at Arielle¡¯s stall.


    Yet, the crowd in front of the stall was so huge that she could not even see Arielle¡¯s face.


    In an instant, jealousy and hatred filled Wendy¡¯s heart. Since when does her stall be so popr?


    It was still empty not long ago. On the contrary, my stall has no customers even though it is in the best


    spot. Why is she always better than me in everything?


    Just then, someone among the crowd identified her.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Wendy? Why is she here at the goddess¡¯ stall? She must¡¯vee here to make a fuss!¡±


    ¡°Haha. I saw her stall just now. There¡¯s no customer at all over there. I bet she came here to check out


    herpetitor.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let her create any trouble then. Let¡¯s chase her away!¡±


    Most of the crowd was aware of the conflict between Arielle and Wendy. Thus, as soon as they


    recognized Wendy, they showed utter hostility toward her.


    One of them stepped toward Wendy. ¡°Hey, could you please get out of here?¡±

 Chapter 959

    Chapter 959


    Chapter 959 Not Selling To You


    Wendy did not intend to let Arielle know about her being here, as she did not want thetter to look


    down on her.


    But as she heard what those students said about her, she got extremely displeased.


    With that, she opened her mouth. ¡°Is this your home? Who do you think you are that you can ask me to


    leave?¡±


    Seeing that Wendy was unwilling to leave, the student¡¯s expression darkened.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not my home, but it¡¯s the stall of my goddess. Please don¡¯t make a fuss here, or I¡¯ll inform the


    teacher!¡±


    Wendy sneered coldly upon hearing that. ¡°Go on then. Does the school rule say that I can¡¯t show up


    here? Plus, you said that this was a stall. I¡¯m here to buy something.¡±


    ¡°Buy something?¡± That student stared at her skeptically. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re here only to buy


    something?¡±


    Wendy¡¯s jaw tensed. ¡°Am I such a person in your eyes?¡±


    ¡°Are you not?¡±


    ¡°Of course not! I¡¯m here to buy something!¡± Wendy clenched her fists while trying to get in line.


    Just then, she finally spotted Arielle.


    Arielle was busy serving the customers at the stall. Despite the sweat on her forehead, she looked


    extremely attractive.


    That was the part which Wendy hated her the most.


    Wendy forced herself not to look at Arielle as she shifted her gaze toward the stall.


    She noticed Arielle¡¯s stall was way bigger than hers. Countless bowls were lined up neatly on the clean


    table.


    Arielle scooped out the cooked ravioli and filled up the bowls one by one.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    As she poured the secret sauce into each bowl, a rich aroma came into Wendy¡¯s nose.


    Staring at those ravioli, even Wendy got attracted by the look and smell.


    It¡¯s most probably because I haven¡¯t had my lunch.


    Just then, Arielle noticed Wendy.


    She narrowed her eyes as her gaze turned utterly cold.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Arielle was devoid of expression.


    Wendy bit her lip, displeased with the look Arielle gave her.


    But since she was already here, she figured she should buy one portion of ravioli. If it tasted bad, she


    could tell the rest of the crowd that Arielle¡¯s ravioli was merely a false advertisement.


    It would be great if I could chase away some customers.


    With that in mind, Wendy raised her voice. ¡°Why else would I be here? To buy the ravioli, obviously.


    How much is it? I want one portion.¡±


    Arielle knew what Wendy was nning, but she was sure no one would be able to pick on her ravioli.


    But before she could utter a word, ke weighed in.


    ¡°We¡¯re not selling you! Get lost!¡±


    ke remembered Wendy perfectly. If it were not for her, the two girls would not have created the fuss


    at the school entrance that day. They even called the cops in the end.


    Wendy felt offended after hearing ke¡¯s words. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you selling me? Could your ravioli be so


    bad that you¡¯re afraid I¡¯ll tell others after eating it?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Just when ke wanted to respond, Arielle stopped him. ¡°ke, I¡¯ll handle this. Go on with your work.¡±


    The next moment, she shifted her gaze toward Wendy. ¡°Do you see that? The line is very long. If you


    want to buy it, please line up from behind!¡±

 Chapter 960

    Chapter 960


    Chapter 960 Are They Sealed In Gold


    Wendy pursed her lips unhappily. ¡°It¡¯s just a stall at the flea market. Do you really think you have a


    business here? How dare you ask me to line up? Is this how you¡¯re treating your customers? You¡¯re


    targeting me!¡±


    However, as soon as she finished her sentence, the students behind her startedining.


    ¡°Are you really nuts?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely! Everyone is lining up here! What makes you think you¡¯re different from us?¡±


    ¡°What a joke! Do you think Arielle has the time to go against you? She has so many customers to


    serve. Stop thinking too highly of yourself!¡±


    Terry, who came back to buy another portion, shouted, ¡°Wendy, if you¡¯re here to buy the ravioli, please


    don¡¯t cut my queue! Please show some quality and stop embarrassing our ss, okay?¡±


    Terry was always a straightforward person. Thus, he went on and chided her despite the presence of


    many students from other majors.


    Of course, he did not purposely target Wendy. He was merely voicing out what he thought was right.


    When Arielle first joined their ss, he doubted whether she got in through the proper procedure.


    However, Wendy assumed Terry was on Arielle¡¯s side, and he deliberately embarrassed her in public.


    Despite so, she had no reason to rebuke him. Thus, she reluctantly walked toward the end of the line.


    If she walked away now, people would think she was here to create a fuss. She had no choice but to


    line up for the ravioli.


    After lining up for about twenty minutes, finally, it was her turn.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°How much for a portion?¡±


    ¡°Fifty.¡± Arielle sounded emotionless, as though she was talking to a stranger.


    Wendy was utterly displeased. ¡°Fifty for a portion? Is your ravioli sealed in gold?¡±


    Just then, there was a student who bought cookies from Wendy¡¯s stall. ¡°You¡¯re selling your cookie at


    fifty too. Compared to your cookie, buying this ravioli is more worth it. You even tried to make me feel


    guilty if I didn¡¯t want to buy your cookie, as though I was a bad person who was unwilling to help the


    kids in the mountains!¡±


    Wendy¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what you meant! Why? Should I ask if your cookie is made of diamond then?¡±


    Right away, the crowd began criticizing Wendy.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! How could you have a double standard here? Do you think you¡¯re above us?¡±


    ¡°So are you buying or not? If not, please get out of the line!¡±


    ¡°Exactly! Stop wasting our time! Hurry up!¡±


    Feeling absolutely livid, Wendy nearly crushed her teeth from the grinding.


    She took out a note wrathfully and threw it toward the stall. Then, she started eating the ravioli.


    When she was lining up, she noticed many customerse back to purchase another portion of the


    ravioli.


    She was eager to find out why so many people were lining up to buy the ravioli for the second time.


    With that, she started tasting the ravioli on the spot.


    She intended to tell everyone that there was nothing special about Arielle¡¯s ravioli, and indeed it was


    not worth fifty.

 Chapter 961

    Chapter 961


    Chapter 961 Unbelievable


    She ignored the urging of the customers behind her as she tasted the ravioli.


    The next instant, she froze on the spot.


    It was something that she had never tasted before.


    It was just a simple ravioli, but the taste was rich and beyond imagination. Not to mention, the sauce


    was so delicious that she could not stop eating.


    Without a doubt, it was the best ravioli she had ever eaten.


    To put it more precisely, it was the best food she had ever tasted so far.


    Ravioli should be a bad choice on such a hot day. Yet, it¡¯s so delicious.


    ¡°Wendy.¡± Arielle knocked on the table and reminded her. ¡°Please make way for the customers behind


    you.¡±


    Wendy did not hear clearly what Arielle said as she was still amazed by the taste.


    ¡°Wendy!¡±


    Arielle raised her tone, and Wendy finally regained her senses.


    Wendy locked her eyes on Arielle, overwhelmed with envy.


    How could she make such good ravioli? Is she really better than me in all aspects?


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°Are you leaving or not?¡± Arielle furrowed her brows. ¡°If not, I might need to call someone to send you


    away.¡±


    Biting her lip, Wendy put down the bowl and left miserably.


    ¡°What a waste!¡± Terry stared at Wendy¡¯s bowl, which was still full of ravioli. ¡°Can I order another one?¡±


    ¡°No way,¡± Arielle responded mercilessly. ¡°You¡¯ve already had three bowls. Please give others a chance


    as there¡¯s not much left.¡±


    Terry was left with great disappointment.


    As soon as Wendy left, Susanne showed up.


    She went to the restroom. However, since it was after school, all the restrooms were crowded. Thus,


    she spent a long time waiting for her turn.


    Susanne did not go to Wendy¡¯s stall right away, but she stopped by Arielle¡¯s stall first.


    Seeing the crowd at the stall, Susanne was left befuddled.


    Why do so many people like to eat ravioli?


    Right then, Arielle suddenly announced, ¡°Everyone, I¡¯m sorry. The ravioli is sold out. Thanks for lining


    up for so long. Sasha, please treat everyone a drink.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Please follow me for those who line up but cannot buy ravioli.¡± Sasha waved her hand. With


    that, the crowd left one after another in great disappointment.


    As the crowd dispersed, Arielle spotted Susanne right away.


    She immediately greeted thetter while bringing out a bowl of ravioli.


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, I¡¯ve reserved one portion for you. I made it myself. Please have a try.¡±


    Susanne disyed an awkward expression as she took the bowl with her hands.


    She noticed the remaining crowd staring at her as she lifted her head. To put it more precisely, they


    were staring at the bowl in her hands.


    She could not wrap her head around it. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Those students shook their heads, murmuring while they left. ¡°She¡¯s so lucky.¡±


    Susanne was left even more puzzled upon hearing that. With that, she took a spoon of ravioli and blew


    it gently.

 Chapter 962

    Chapter 962


    Chapter 962 A Change In Her Attitude


    The look is not bad, and the sauce looks appetizing as well. But I wonder what it really tastes like.


    With that in mind, Susanne felt amused by herself.


    It¡¯s just ravioli. How else could it taste like?


    Shaking her head slightly, Susanne put the spoon into her mouth.


    The next moment, her whole body got stunned by the heavenly taste.


    Right away, she understood why those students made suchments before leaving.


    Indeed, she felt so fortunate to be able to taste the ravioli.


    It even made her recall the moments when she used to eat ravioli with all the family members while her


    husband was still alive. Unfortunately, it was all memory now.


    In an instant, she felt like crying.


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, how¡¯s the taste?¡± Arielle enquired with a smile.


    Susanne tried hard to recollect herself as she spoke elegantly, ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡±


    After making that dishonestment, Susanne lowered her head and continued eating, not daring to


    look Arielle in the eyes.


    The ravioli was so tasty that she almost forgot her eating manners.


    Soon, she put thest ravioli reluctantly into her mouth.


    Just then, she bit onto something hard in her mouth.


    She was shocked as she immediately spat it out. A coin fell into the bowl.


    Just when she wondered why there was a coin, a pping sound came from behind her.


    She looked to the source of the pping sound and saw Arielle smiling. ¡°Congrattions, You¡¯ve got


    the lucky ravioli.¡±


    ¡°The lucky ravioli?¡±


    Upon hearing that, ke ran over with excitement. ¡°Wow! You¡¯re so lucky! There¡¯s only one coin


    among one hundred portions!¡±


    ke had never got in touch with Vinson¡¯s family. Thus, he did not know Susanne¡¯s identity.


    Sasha, on the other hand, knew about Susanne. However, she had brought the customers to get their


    drinks, so there was no one to remind ke.


    ke continued to speak, ¡°Aunty, could you please give the coin to me?¡±


    ¡°Give it to you?¡± Susanne looked somewhat puzzled. ¡°It¡¯s just a coin. Plus, I bit on it. Do you want it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± ke¡¯s eyes lit up with passion. ¡°Ms. Moore says this is the lucky ravioli! Whoever got this coin


    will get lucky for the whole year!¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Susanne met ke¡¯s eyes, and she suddenly shook her head. ¡°No way then. I should keep


    the good luck to myself.¡±


    ke was stunned momentarily and left unhappily.


    Looking at Susanne¡¯s gesture, Arielle suddenly felt she did not know the former. Why would she fight


    over a coin with a kid?


    As Arielle was left bewildered, she saw Susanne take the coin from the bowl and wipe it clean with her


    handkerchief. Then, thetter passed it to her.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire?¡± Arielle could notprehend what thetter meant at all.

 Chapter 963

    Chapter 963


    Chapter 963 What A Silly Girl


    Susanne lifted her hand toward Arielle, her expression somewhat awkward. In her hand, it was the coin


    that she had wiped clean.


    Seeing Arielle freezing on the spot, Susanne furrowed her brows. ¡°What are you waiting for? Take it?¡±


    Arielle took the coin with a surprised look. ¡°Are you giving it to me?¡±


    Susanne nodded, her face devoid of expression. ¡°Aren¡¯t you having an exam tonight? Take it with you.


    You can return it to me after you¡¯re done.¡±


    A sense of joy spread throughout Arielle.


    ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Nightshire.¡± Her voice slightly trembled.


    Upon hearing that, Susanne pursed her lips. ¡°I¡¯m only borrowing you the luck for one night. I¡¯m not


    giving it to you. Please don¡¯t waste it. If you fail to answer tonight, I¡¯ll hold you responsible.¡±


    Arielle straightened her back and let out augh.


    ¡°I know. But, thanks anyway, Mrs. Nightshire.¡±


    Susanne turned her face away. ¡°I¡¯ve said I¡¯m only borrowing it to you. There¡¯s no need to thank me. If


    you want to thank me, don¡¯t embarrass me tonight. Please answer the question well.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Arielle nodded firmly. ¡°I got it!¡±


    ¡°Got to go.¡± Then, Susanne spat out herst words and left abruptly.


    As she turned around, her lips curled into a smile naturally.


    Da*n! She acts like I¡¯m giving her one hundred million! How could she be so touched? What a silly girl!


    Susanne sneered while walking toward Wendy¡¯s stall.


    Arielle stared at Susanne¡¯s back figure for a long while as she left.


    She did not know why Susanne would suddenly change her attitude toward her. However, it seemed


    she was not that difficult to get along with.


    Instead, she had a lot of simrities with Vinson.


    They would not hold back when they disliked someone. Nheless, they did not know how to express


    themselves when they like someone.


    What a prideful family they are.


    After a while, Arielle regained her senses when ke came out and shouted in shock.


    She shifted her gaze toward ke and saw him staring at her coin with a confused look.


    Arielle questioned, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? ke?¡±


    ke pointed at the coin in her hand. ¡°She refused to give it to me, but she gave it to you? How did you


    do that?¡±


    Arielle joked as she was in a good mood, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I have a pretty face.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± ke sneered and then nodded. ¡°Indeed. I¡¯ve never met someone prettier than you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Arielle smiled. ¡°Have you just had honey? Your words are so sweet!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just stating the truth.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°All right.¡± Arielle touched ke¡¯s head gently. ¡°Sasha is not back yet. Let¡¯s wrap up the stall and check


    our revenue.¡±


    They sold out ny-nine bowls, not counting Susanne¡¯s portion. Many customers paid an extra fifty


    after buying for a second time, saying it was for charity.


    As she was busy serving the customers non-stop, she did not have the time to count the money.


    At that moment, Wendy¡¯s stall was still deserted.

 Chapter 964

    Chapter 964


    Chapter 964 You Cannot Help Me


    Wendy went back to her stall. Before Cecilia could ask why Wendy went for so long, thetter bawled


    her eyes out.


    ¡°Boo¡­hoo¡­¡±


    Cecilia¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she immediately held Wendy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What


    happened?¡±


    ¡°Arielle¡­¡± Wendy choked on her words.


    Tears rolled down her cheeks uncontrobly as she thought of the treatment she got at Arielle¡¯s stall.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Tell me what happened. I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t help me!¡± Wendy pushed Cecilia away. ¡°You know nothing!¡±


    Cecilia¡¯s heart fell with a thud. She could not recall Wendy ever talking to her with such a tone.


    ¡°Wendy, don¡¯t worry. There¡¯ll always be a solution to everything. Now, tell me where have you been?


    What happened to you?¡±


    Wendy bit her lip tightly, trying hard to clear her thoughts.


    She took a deep breath. ¡°Arielle got a lot of customers over there. Her ravioli is priced at fifty per


    portion.¡±


    ¡°Fifty? Is her ravioli made of exotic meat?¡±


    ¡°No, she just uses ordinary ingredients.¡± Wendy shook her head.


    ¡°Then, she¡¯s obviously robbing! My cookie uses all the top-quality ingredients. Not to mention the


    butter, even the flour is imported. And look at these packaging. I hired someone to customize them.


    How could an ordinary ravioli cost the same as our cookie?¡±


    Wendy let out a bitter smile. ¡°But, her ordinary ravioli tastes better than what I¡¯ve eaten in a high-end


    restaurant.¡±


    Cecilia was stunned momentarily.


    ¡°It¡¯s just ravioli. How good could it taste?¡±


    Wendy expressed honestly, ¡°It¡¯s so good that I feel like eating it again now.¡±


    Cecilia¡¯s eyes went wide with shock. ¡°Is it that good?¡±


    Even though Wendy did not want to admit it, she had no choice but nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How could it be¡­¡± As Cecilia was speaking, she spotted Susanne walking toward them.


    She immediately lowered her voice and reminded Wendy. ¡°Let¡¯s keep this between us. Don¡¯t let


    Susanne know about it. And let¡¯s stop her from going to that b*tch¡¯s stall.¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Finally, Susanne came to Wendy¡¯s stall.


    She noticed the amount of the cookies was still about the same as before she went to the washroom. It


    seems like their sales are really slow.


    Susanne did not know why but she felt somehow happy seeing Wendy doing badly.


    Nheless, she was smart enough not to show her feeling on her face.


    She pretended to question, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you sold most of the cookies?¡±


    Cecilia disyed an embarrassed smile. ¡°Maybe we price it too highly. Initially, many people bought it.


    But after we raised it to fifty, the customers became less.¡±


    Susanne nodded upon hearing that. She merely asked that out of courtesy. In truth, she did not care


    why they could not sell their cookies.


    Susanne deliberately asked, ¡°Wendy, have you been to Arielle¡¯s stall? I heard it¡¯s delicious. Do you


    want to go with me?¡±


    Wendy exchanged a look with Cecilia and uttered, ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, I was there just now.¡±


    ¡°Were you?¡± Susanne was slightly surprised. ¡°Then, how did it taste?¡±

 Chapter 965

    Chapter 965


    Chapter 965 Last Chance


    Susanne¡¯s intention was simple. She wanted to give both Arielle and Wendy the same chance.


    It was the perfect opportunity for her to test if Wendy was an honest person or a cunning one.


    For her, a person¡¯s heart was more important than one¡¯s capabilities and background.


    She would never want a daughter-inw who was mean and wicked.


    Without a doubt, this would be the final chance Susanne gave for Wendy.


    Yet, the next moment, Wendy shook her head firmly. ¡°She uses the most ordinary ingredients, yet she


    sells at fifty per portion. It was the most average ravioli I¡¯ve ever eaten. I think it is slightly overpriced.¡±


    Susanne¡¯s smile disappeared as she askedposedly, ¡°Then, what are the restaurants that you have


    been to for ravioli?¡±


    Wendy did not know why Susanne asked such a question. She replied after thinking for a while, ¡°In


    Jadeborough, I¡¯ve tried the ones in Jadeborough Hotel. It¡¯s also average, but it¡¯s much better than


    Arielle¡¯s ravioli.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Susanne let out a long sigh.


    It turned out Wendy failed to pass her test after all.


    She had tried the ravioli in Jadeborough Hotel before, and it was notparable at all with Arielle¡¯s


    ravioli. Evidently, what Wendy said was a pure lie.


    Susanne did not know if she should be disappointed or relieved.


    They are indeed mother and daughter. Wendy is just like Cecilia. How could I be so blind and think


    Wendy is a good choice?


    ¡°I see.¡± Susanne nodded and faked a smile. ¡°If it¡¯s that bad, I won¡¯t go and buy it then.¡±


    Wendy heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing that, but still, she felt rather uneasy.


    It was a strange feeling, but she could not ignore it.


    Around half an hourter, the flea market finally ended. The teachers started going around the field and


    instructed everyone to start demolishing their stalls.


    In this half an hour, Wendy did not sell a single box of cookies. It was probably because someone


    posted that the stall belonged to Wendy, the nutcase. That someone even attached Wendy¡¯s photo in


    the post.


    Even though many students in the school heard about Wendy, they did not know what she looked like.


    Since Wendy¡¯s photo was exposed, no one would go to visit her stall surely.


    With that, Wendy¡¯s sales revenue was only eight hundred. There was no way she could get a prize.


    However, Wendy was no longer interested in the prize.


    When Susanne was ordering her bodyguard to reserve a restaurant nearby, Wendy whispered to


    Cecilia. ¡°Mom, I feel that something¡¯s not right.¡±


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right? What is it?¡± Cecilia could not wrap her head around it.


    ¡°It¡¯s Mrs. Nightshire. I feel that she is more distanced than ever. And when I said Arielle¡¯s ravioli tasted


    bad, I could sense that she wasughing at me.¡±


    ¡°How could that be? Even if you¡¯re not her best choice for daughter-inw, it wouldn¡¯t be Arielle, that


    bast*rd. The Southalls are done for, and she is the daughter of thete Maureen with another man. Do


    you think Susanne will let someone like her marry into her family?¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°No, but¡­¡±


    ¡°All right. Stop overthinking. Let¡¯s wait and see Arielle being embarrassed in public when she fails to


    answer the exam tonight!¡±


    Wendy nodded upon hearing that. Maybe I¡¯m being too sensitive.


    Meanwhile, Arielle finished counting her revenue, five thousand six hundred in total.


    Everyone on the spot was startled when she handed that money to the student council.

 Chapter 966

    Chapter 966


    Chapter 966 Does She Miss Me


    It was three thousand higher than the second ce.


    As such, the prize of the charity flea market went to Arielle.


    Of course, Arielle did not care much about the prize. She did not even know about the prize until Trisha


    told her when thetter went to submit their earnings.


    As she remembered Teddy would surely be unwilling to ept her money anymore, she hoped she


    could help them via this method.


    After pondering for a while, Arielle questioned the student council, ¡°May I ask if I can make a direct


    donation?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± The student council replied in a friendly tone. ¡°We¡¯re collecting the revenue from the flea market


    only. But, if you want to donate to the kids, there¡¯s a charity auction that you can join tonight. Well-


    known alumni wille back to donate items for the auction. You can bid for those items. All the


    auction money will be donated.¡±


    The student council paused and lowered his voice. ¡°Plus, I heard Mr. Nightshire ising too.¡±


    Arielle was stunned momentarily. ¡°Vinson? Is he from Jadeborough University? I thought he¡¯s from


    Maxwell University¡­¡±


    ¡°He was here for his first year. After that, he went to Maxwell University.¡±


    Arielle nodded and disyed a smile. ¡°He won¡¯te.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    It is because he¡¯s still working in Horington.


    Of course, Arielle did not answer honestly. ¡°Thanks for telling me. I got it.¡±


    With that, she walked out of the student council office with Trisha.


    Looking at the blue sky outside, Arielle let out a long sigh.


    It had been two days since shest saw Vinson. She quite missed him, and she wondered when he


    woulde back.


    Trisha showed a puzzled look after seeing Arielle sighing. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Arielle, aren¡¯t you happy with


    the prize? They said you¡¯d broken the record of the best sale revenue of the flea market.¡±


    Arielle wrapped her arm around Trisha¡¯s shoulder and smiled. ¡°You came sote. There¡¯s no more


    ravioli for you. Let me take you for something nice.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± Trisha disyed a genuine smile, hiding her sorrow perfectly.


    She was still bothered with her exam result.


    Little did she know that Arielle noticed her emotionspletely.


    On the other side, in Horington, Vinson closed the proposal and scanned through all the business


    partners of Epea. ¡°The above are all my ns for this project.¡±


    As he finished his sentence, the whole room exploded into apuse.


    ¡°Vin.¡± A blonde guy praised him generously, ¡°You¡¯re the most talented man I¡¯ve ever seen in the


    business world.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Thanks a lot.¡± Vinson smiled slightly. His tone remained dignified. ¡°So, can we sign the contract now?¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course!¡± The man immediately signed the contract without hesitation.


    Under the witness of theirwyers, the signing procedure waspleted smoothly. It meant that


    Nightshire Group¡¯s business had spread throughout the whole Chanaea.


    Their next step was to expand to the whole world.


    A momentter, Vinson instructed the person in charge of the branch office to keep the contract, and


    then he opened his mouth. ¡°Let me bring you guys to see the site, and then I¡¯ll send you guys to the


    airport.¡±


    After seeing the site, I will be able to go back to Jadeborough. I wonder if she misses me. However, I


    doubt so as she is usually heartless.


    With that in mind, Vinson felt a little disappointed but happy at the same time.


    Just when they arrived at the site, Vinson received a piece of news.

 Chapter 967

    Chapter 967


    Chapter 967 Overthinking


    ¡°Vinson, you asked me to investigate about the Greenes. I¡¯ve sorted all the information and sent it to


    your email.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thank you for that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my job.¡± The person in charge of the branch office was thrilled after being thanked by Vinson


    personally.


    ¡°Have you booked my flight?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The flight is at five in the evening. After apanying them to check the site, you should rush to


    the airport. The timing should be just right.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I got it.¡± Vinson nodded while opening up his email.


    He read through the email roughly and forwarded the content to the deputy captain of Specialized


    Forces. Then, he copied a few vital information and sent them to Rayson.


    Before long, Rayson made a call to him. ¡°Mr. Nightshire, what¡¯s with the email you¡¯ve just sent me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Greenes. Please have all the media publish it at seven tonight.¡±


    ¡°Okay! I got it.¡±


    Vinson hung up the phone and caught up with the pace of those business partners.


    Seven o¡¯clock was the most active time for social media. And he should bending at Jadeborough


    around that time too.


    How dare the Greenes offend my woman? It would be your end tonight. There¡¯s no way you could


    escape if I want you dead. You¡¯ll all regret offending me.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    The sky in Horington was still cloudy even after a heavy rain, which was most probably a bad sign.


    Back in Jadeborough University, the afternoon sses carried on like usual after the flea market.


    Arielle did not go to ss, but she went to the archive again.


    There were only two stacks of the information left. One afternoon should be enough to finish reading all


    of them.


    After finding the man in the photo, she would no longer need toe to Jadeborough University. After


    all, it was such a waste of time to keeping to school. With that, she figured she had to speed up


    her pace.


    She went to the vending machine and bought a coffee. After freshening up, she went back to reading


    all those pieces of information.


    Meanwhile, Donovan went into the ssroom and responsively nced at Arielle¡¯s seat.


    She¡¯s skipped ss again. Initially, she would still send a message to inform me. But now, she¡¯s


    bing worse. Even though she managed to get a ce for Maxwell University¡¯s enrolment exam, it


    doesn¡¯t mean she will pass the exam. She must be out of her mind! It isn¡¯t a ce that anyone can go


    to.


    The students from the preparatory ss were the finest in Chanaea. Even so, he could not guarantee


    the five candidates that he rmended would pass the exam for Maxwell University.


    Thus, there¡¯s no way Arielle would make it, certainly not through cheating.


    With that, Donovan stopped thinking about Arielle. ¡°Please take out your morning paper. Professor


    Sleight is busy, so I¡¯ll take over the afternoon ss. I¡¯ll be teaching you guys physics and chemistry.¡±


    He started exining the questions, which most students answered wrongly.


    Little did he know that Wendy had spotted his expression while gazing at Arielle¡¯s empty seat.


    It looks like Mr. Baxter has a thing for that b*tch. He must be suffering for not being able to get Arielle.


    With that, I¡¯m sure he will give her a hard time. Surely Arielle will not be able to answer his questions


    tonight.


    Wendy¡¯s lips curled into a smile as she opened her paper and listened to Donovan¡¯s lecture attentively.


    The afternoon ended in the blink of an eye, and the charity g was about to begin.


    At the same time, the exam for Maxwell University enrolment for the normal ss was also starting


    soon.


    Before the test, Arielle went to see Jared.

 Chapter 968

    Chapter 968


    Chapter 968 The Pill


    Jared turned off his phone and got ready to enter the exam room. He was surprised and somewhat


    confused after seeing Arielle.


    ¡°Chief! Are you here to support me?¡±


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°No, I was just passing by.¡±


    She was about to finish reading the information in the archive, but she suddenly thought of Jared, so


    she immediately rushed over there.


    Jared¡¯s expression darkened upon hearing that, but he saw Arielle smiling. ¡°I¡¯m joking. I came here to


    see how you¡¯re doing.¡±


    Jared was stunned momentarily. ¡°Chief, please don¡¯t joke with me. I¡¯m not used to it.¡±


    Arielle felt somehow offended by his words.


    Am I really that bad at joking?


    She shrugged her shoulders helplessly. ¡°All right. Ie to tell you to rx before the exam. Henry


    said that you were so nervous that you couldn¡¯t sleep for the whole night.¡±


    Jared bit his lip upon hearing that. ¡°D*mn that Henry. He¡¯s got a big mouth.¡±


    Arielle looked into Jared¡¯s eyes. ¡°Not only Henry, but I¡¯ve also heard from Carter too. Ever since your


    brother got into trouble, you¡¯ve been stressed and wanting to do something for the Jupiters. I assure


    you that your brother will recover in no time. Don¡¯t give yourself too much pressure.¡±


    Jared stared at Arielle. His flustered heart slowly turned calm.


    ¡°I got it.¡± He nodded slightly. ¡°I¡¯ll take it easy.¡±


    Arielle nodded and then took out a tiny bottle from her pocket.


    ¡°I almost forget. I came here to give you this.¡± She poured out a green pill from the tiny bottle.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Jared asked right away.


    ¡°I heard that you didn¡¯t even have your breakfast and lunch. It is to replenish your energy.¡±


    Jared nodded and swallowed the pill without any hesitation.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    If it were others who gave him a pill suddenly, he would have even called the cops.


    He was unsure if it was a psychological effect, but he felt much better after taking the pill.


    The exam was about to begin. Arielle did not want to bold Jared back as she waved toward him. ¡°Go in


    then. Take it easy.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Jared lifted his head and walked into the exam room.


    Arielle stared at his back figure, her gaze extremelyplicated.


    She did not tell Jared that not only would the pill replenish his energy, but it would also improve his


    concentration.


    The pill was meant for Trisha. But Trisha did not need it in the end as Arielle had enough time to


    perform hypnosis on her. Thus, she gave the pill to Jared.


    The exam for the normal ss was different from the preparatory ss as it was abined paper.


    They would be taking all four subjects in one paper, and the exam wouldst for three hours.


    It was indeed exhausting to keep concentrated for such a long hour.


    Jared, who did not even take breakfast and lunch, might not even hold on to the end.


    With his talent and the help of the pill, Arielle was confident he would be able to secure the only slot for


    the normal ss.


    However, when Arielle was about to leave, Jared suddenly rushed out.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    She saw Jared bowing toward her the next second with his hands folded. Then, he ran back into the


    exam room again.


    Arielle was stunned momentarily, disying a helpless smile.


    As the bell rang, the exam for the normal ss started, while the charity event kicked off too.

 Chapter 969

    Chapter 969


    Chapter 969 Bad Student


    The charity g was held in the auditorium which was spacious enough to easily amodate all


    students on campus.


    Marcus was personally hosting the event, and students began entering the auditorium in an orderly


    manner ording to their courses.


    Arielle had just returned to the library¡¯s archive at the time.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    There weren¡¯t many files left to go through, but Arielle still couldn¡¯t find the one belonging to the man in


    the photograph with her mother after scanning through all the files on the lecturers¡¯ background


    information.


    What¡¯s going on? Why can¡¯t I find his file?


    Right as she felt lost, a phone call came in with Josiah¡¯s name on the caller ID.


    Josiah was the main reason Arielle had participated in the international chess tournament. As he was


    very close with her mother, he had also seen that man before.


    Arielle was surprised to see him calling and quickly answered the phone. ¡°Hello, Mr. Doyle!¡±


    ¡°I remember now, Ms. Moore!¡± Josiah eximed excitedly on the other line.


    Arielle felt her heart skip a beat when she heard that. ¡°What do you remember?¡±


    ¡°That man you asked me about. I remember what he was doing in Jadeborough University! He was a


    professor sent from Maxwell University to give a seminar.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s eyes lit up instantly. ¡°Maxwell University?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find some clues about him if you head over to Maxwell University.¡±


    ¡°Understood, thank you so much! You¡¯ve been a great help!¡±


    ¡°Oh, it was nothing! I was attending a seminar on chess today and just happened to recall this detail.


    I¡¯m sorry it didn¡¯te to mind sooner.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s not toote now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it, then.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll treat you to a meal someday!¡±


    ¡°Instead of a meal, we should y some chess instead. I¡¯ve improved a lottely!¡±


    ¡°Sure thing!¡± Arielle then ended the call with Josiah after a couple more exchanges.


    ¡°Maxwell University, huh¡­¡±


    That was when Arielle finally understood why she couldn¡¯t find that man¡¯s files in the archive.


    Of course¡­ He isn¡¯t a lecturer here at Jadeborough University, to begin with! Maxwell University just


    sent him here to give a seminar! Looks like I¡¯ll have to make another trip to Maxwell University, then!


    Meanwhile, Trisha had been waiting for Arielle at the entrance of the auditorium. She tried giving Arielle


    a call, only to see that Arielle¡¯s line was engaged at the time.


    ¡°Why are you standing out here, Trisha? The event is about to start,¡± Donovan asked with a frown


    when he noticed Trisha in the back.


    ¡°Arielle isn¡¯t here yet. I¡¯m waiting for her over here so she can easily see where our ssmates are


    seated,¡± Trisha exined.


    Donovan¡¯s frown deepened when he heard her mention Arielle.


    ¡°No need to wait for her. You should head on inside.¡±


    As his tone was stern, Trisha could only bite down on her lip and do as told.


    She had only taken a few steps when Donovan called out to her again, ¡°Hold on, Trisha!¡±


    Trisha stopped in her tracks and turned around in confusion.


    ¡°What is it, Mr. Baxter?¡±


    Donovan stepped forward and said solemnly, ¡°There¡¯s something I need to remind you of.¡±


    ¡°Please, go ahead.¡±


    ¡°You got a sixth ce in this exam. Thing is, you only scored a few points lower than the five students


    before you. I believe Arielle is the one who cost you those few points. Being friends with a student who


    skips ss that often will only lead you down the wrong path. I think you should stay away from bad


    students who skip sses and cheat on exams.¡±

 Chapter 970

    Chapter 970


    Chapter 970 Sowing Discord


    Donovan looked her in the eye as he continued, ¡°Now, I¡¯m not trying to restrict your freedom to befriend


    people. This is just a friendly reminder that people are influenced by thepany they keep. There is


    nothing to gain from being friends with Arielle.¡±


    As Trisha was an obedient student, Donovan believed she would know what to do after hearing that.


    However, Trisha raised her voice as she replied with red and puffy cheeks, ¡°You¡¯re wrong, Mr. Baxter. I


    wouldn¡¯t even make it to the sixth ce if it weren¡¯t for Arielle¡¯s help! She has always been helping me


    out a lot and never once hindered my progress. If anything, I¡¯m the one who has caused her trouble


    lots of times. Also, Arielle didn¡¯t cheat in the exam! I know that for a fact, so I can assure you she didn¡¯t


    cheat!¡±


    Donovan was surprised by the sudden outburst from Trisha who was usually as quiet as a mouse.


    Arielle must¡¯ve rubbed off on her! People sure have a tendency to pick up bad habits a lot easier than


    good ones!


    With that in mind, Donovan¡¯s expression grew cold as he said, ¡°Looks like your judgment is really


    clouded. Think, Trisha. How could a student who skips ss all the time score full marks in the


    exams?¡±


    Trisha clenched her fists tightly and shouted, ¡°She just can!¡±


    ¡°Trisha!¡± Donovan raised his voice too as he continued, ¡°I won¡¯t argue with you now because I know


    you won¡¯t listen. No matter, I¡¯ll just publicly ask her some questionster! You¡¯ll see just how well she


    actually performs!¡±


    Trisha gritted her teeth in anger, only to hear Donovan whisper in her ear all of a sudden, ¡°We have five


    spots for our course this time, and you¡¯re in the sixth ce. She will be treated as a cheater if she fails


    to answer my questions, which will grant you her spot in the top five. You should be supporting my


    decision here, Trisha.¡±


    Trisha froze and stared nkly at Donovan as she asked, ¡°Is it really appropriate for you to do this, Mr.


    Baxter?¡±


    Donovan tensed up upon hearing that, but Trisha continued anyway, ¡°Arielle is a lot more likely to make


    it into Maxwell University than I am. Besides, you came up with this preparatory ss because you


    wanted your students to get into Maxwell University, didn¡¯t you? Why are you so against Arielle?¡±


    Donovan didn¡¯t take too well to Trisha¡¯s tone and the look in her eyes.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    How dare she imply that I¡¯m deliberately picking on my students?


    ¡°You¡¯re just as hopeless as Arielle! Now, go inside!¡± he said with a frown.


    Terrified by the icy-cold tone of his voice, Trisha went pale and quickly entered the auditorium.


    That¡¯s it. I¡¯m going to up the difficulty level of my questions for Arielleter! For thest question, I¡¯ll go


    with a further mathematics question instead of a quantum mechanics question, but I¡¯ll make her answer


    it with three different solutions! I was nning on using that question in my thesis, but I could only


    come up with two solutions for it. There¡¯s no way Arielle could possiblye up with a third one if I


    can¡¯t!


    Donovan thought to himself as he looked at Trisha from behind.


    As he was about to enter the auditorium, Arielle¡¯s voice could be heard from behind him.


    ¡°Sowing discord among your students, Mr. Baxter? Heh, I didn¡¯t know you had such a nasty hobby!¡±


    Donovan felt a chill down his spine and turned around, instinctively clenching his fists as he met


    Arielle¡¯s cold gaze.


    As much as he hated to admit it, Arielle had a much more domineering and powerful aura than he did.


    That hidden feeling of humiliation slowly brought out his rage as he muttered through clenched teeth,


    ¡°Sowing discord? What are you talking about? A bad student like you doesn¡¯t deserve to be in


    Jadeborough University! In fact, you should just stay away from everyone!¡±

 Chapter 971

    Chapter 971


    Chapter 971 Stupid Donovan


    Instead of getting riled up, Arielle simply arched an eyebrow in amusement and said with a smile, ¡°Oh?


    What about you, then? How is a lecturer who would drug his own student andmit such disgusting


    acts any more worthy of teaching in Jadeborough University? I bet you¡¯d lose your job as a lecturer if


    word got out!¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Donovan was livid with rage, but he couldn¡¯t say anything in retaliation.


    Even though Queenie had tempted him into doing that, he did actually go through with the n, albeit


    with no sess.


    ¡°Looks like I got you there, Mr. Baxter.¡± Arielle casually leaned against the door frame as she


    continued, ¡°I do have something to tell you, though. I heard you didn¡¯t get the graduation certificate


    from Maxwell University, and that the education department didn¡¯t provide you with a teaching


    certificate for Maxwell University, either. Should you fail to get at least three students into Maxwell


    University this year, they would have your name removed.¡±


    Donovan broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing that.


    ¡°How did you¡­¡±


    ¡°How did I know that? All I can say is, don¡¯t do something if you don¡¯t want to get caught. I know what


    you¡¯re thinking, Mr. Baxter.¡± Arielle narrowed her eyes and red coldly at him as she continued, ¡°My


    patience is limited, so you¡¯d better stop messing with me, or you¡¯ll be expelled from Maxwell University


    for sure. I can guarantee you that!¡±


    Donovan felt an inexplicable sense of unease but forced himself to appear calm as he snapped back at


    her, ¡°Who do you think you are? You¡¯re in no position to threaten me! Instead of concerning yourself


    with my personal issues, you should worry about the questions you¡¯re about to getter! Prepare


    yourself to go from being a genius student to a filthy cheater!¡±


    For some unknown reason, staring into Arielle¡¯s eyes filled Donovan¡¯s heart with intense fear.


    Not wanting to look at her for a second longer, he stormed into the auditorium after saying that.


    Arielle held her chin up high as she watched Donovan leave.


    Those who graduate from Maxwell University are important assets of Chanaea, so I wasn¡¯t nning on


    stopping you at first. However, you keep testing my patience time after time¡­ I¡¯ve given you a final


    warning, so it¡¯s up to you whether you heed it or not. Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t give you a chance!


    With that in mind, Arielle waltzed into the auditorium and found Trisha¡¯s seat based on the information


    in the text message received.


    Trisha breathed a sigh of relief when Arielle sat down beside her. ¡°You¡¯re finally here, Sannie! The


    principal was talking about your case earlier. I was afraid that the others would use you of having a


    guilty conscience if you don¡¯t show up!¡±


    Arielle gently patted her on the head and said, ¡°Rx! I¡¯m here now, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    Trisha was about to say something when Terry exchanged seats with the student next to Arielle and


    whispered, ¡°Yo, Boss! Were you doing your revision earlier? Are you prepared?¡±


    Terry¡¯s eyes were filled with concern as everyone in the preparatory ss except Wendy knew for sure


    that Arielle didn¡¯t cheat in the exams.


    They also knew how much Donovan disliked Arielle and feared he would give her difficult questions to


    use her of cheating.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Donovan couldn¡¯t possibly think of anything difficult with that pea brain of his!¡± Arielle


    replied calmly.


    He wouldn¡¯t have failed to get the graduation certificate from Maxwell University if he were smart, after


    all!


    Terry shed Arielle an awkward look in response, as she was the only student who dared talk about


    Donovan like that.


    Wendy, who was seated in the row in front of Arielle, overheard her words and subconsciously gritted


    her teeth in response.


    Such insolence! How dare she call Mr. Baxter stupid! I hope he¡¯ll hit her with a tough er! That


    ought to teach her a lesson on humility!

 Chapter 972

    Chapter 972


    Chapter 972 Justice May Come Late


    Soon, the other students, apart from those who sat for the exam, were all seated, and their parents


    began entering the auditorium.


    Cecilia dragged Susanne to the seats in the center.


    Having spent the entire afternoon shopping with Cecilia, Susanne let out a sigh when she finally had a


    chance to sit down.


    Man, my legs are killing me! I¡¯m not as young as I used to be!


    Susanne thought to herself before the lights in the auditorium came on all of a sudden.


    The principal then went on the stage with a microphone in hand and said, ¡°Before we begin tonight¡¯s


    charity g, we will have a little activity featuring one of our students. Arielle Moore from the


    preparatory ss has aced the examination with full scores on all subjects, but Mr. Baxter has disputed


    those results. After conducting a discussion with the lecturers, we¡¯ve arrived at a unanimous decision to


    have Mr. Baxter publicly test Arielle to determine if she is truly capable of obtaining those perfect


    scores.¡±


    Right as Susanne was finally able to rx a little, she got nervous and tensed up after hearing that.


    ¡°Did you hear that, Susanne? This is a unanimous decision made by the lecturers! It seems the other


    lecturers, too, find Arielle¡¯s scores a little too perfect to be true!¡± Cecilia said with a snicker.


    Susanne simply pursed her lips and kept quiet.


    Noticing no response from her, Cecilia broke into a grin and continued, ¡°Honestly, Arielle sure is stupid!


    Most people would at most copy the answers for a few questions and do the rest themselves, but she


    went ahead and cheated her way to a full score! At this point, I¡¯m not even sure if she¡¯s too smart or too


    stupid for her own good! It sure is funny, though!¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fair to call her a cheater until the results are out!¡± Susanne eximed with a frown.


    Cecilia shrugged. ¡°Since you insist on seeing it that way, then I guess we¡¯ll just wait for the results.¡±


    The other students in the auditorium, too, began discussing among themselves after hearing what the


    principal said.


    ¡°Did Arielle really cheat her way to full scores?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. No cheater would be dumb enough to go for full scores on all four subjects!¡±


    ¡°Still, it does indeed seem a little odd. I hear the preparatory ss got some pretty tough papers for the


    exam, and she managed to get perfect scores on all four subjects¡­ It is kind of hard to not find that a


    little suspicious¡­¡±


    ¡°I think so too. I also heard she skips ss very often, so it doesn¡¯t seem possible for her to get such


    perfect scores no matter how you look at it.¡±


    The auditorium soon became incredibly noisy with all the chatter going on in the background.


    The principal tapped on the microphone and said, ¡°Quiet down, students! Now, without further ado,


    we¡¯ll have Mr. Baxter write down the questions. Arielle, please get ready to answer the questions.


    We¡¯ve prepared a ckboard for you here, so you can use it to do your calctions.¡±


    ¡°No need. I¡¯ll just answer the questions from here,¡± Arielle replied without leaving her seat.


    ¡°You mean you n on doing the calctions in your head? You¡¯re not going to use the ckboard at


    all?¡± the principal asked in surprise.


    Arielle nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    As she was seated in the center, it would be troublesome for her to get to the aisle and walk to the


    ckboard in front.


    To Arielle¡¯s surprise, her response caused the entire auditorium to go into an uproar.


    ¡°What? She¡¯s going to do all those calctions in her head?¡±


    ¡°My goodness, she must be a real genius!¡±


    ¡°I think we should keep our expectations low until she actually starts answering the questions.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I agree. If she really was a cheater, she¡¯d definitely be exposed soon. It would really damage the


    university¡¯s reputation if word were to get out.¡±


    Wendy couldn¡¯t help but break into a grin when she heard what Arielle said.


    Justice mayete, but it will never be absent!

 Chapter 973

    Chapter 973


    Chapter 973 Witness The Humiliation Of Arielle


    The spotlight in the auditorium shone on Donovan as he quickly got on stage and stood in the center of


    it.


    It almost seemed like he was the embodiment of justice.


    Donovan tightened his grip on the paper that he had written the questions on as he looked down at it.


    The first two questions were incredibly difficult ones about quantum mechanics, while the third question


    had been changed to the one in his thesis.


    Arielle stood up when he nced at the crowd and locked gazes with him.


    The atmosphere was so tense that it felt as if there were invisible sparks in the air between them.


    She actually couldn¡¯t be bothered to even stand up, but she did so reluctantly when Trisha kept urging


    her to by saying, ¡°I think you should stand up when answering the questions.¡±


    Donovan stared deeply into Arielle¡¯s eyes and said coldly, ¡°I will read out the questions once before


    writing them down on the ckboard.¡±


    Arielle simply nodded in response, much to Wendy¡¯s amusement.


    She¡¯s still being so rude even though she¡¯s in public, huh? Heh¡­ Let¡¯s see your conceited a*s get


    humiliated in front of everyone, Arielle! Once you get exposed for being a cheater, I¡¯ll be the top student


    in the preparatory ss!


    Wendy snickered at the thought of that and fidgeted excitedly in her seat.


    Donovan then began reading out the questions, ¡°Question number one, when a particle moves in a


    one-dimensional potential field, find the energy level of the particle and the corresponding wave


    function¡­¡±


    There was a brief moment ofplete silence in the auditorium after hearing the question, which was


    then followed by an uproar.


    ¡°What? Is he even speaking Chanaean? Howe I¡¯ve never heard of those words?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this supposed to be a question on quantum mechanics? Why is he talking about potentials and


    fields?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ¡®potential field¡¯! Still, isn¡¯t this question a little too difficult?¡±


    Wendy¡¯s expression became stiff, as most of those terms were new to her, so answering the question


    was definitely an impossible task.


    Even so, she quickly broke into a smirk as she realized what was going on.


    Mr. Baxter sure is merciless here! The exam questions about quantum mechanics only needed us to


    prove some equations, so anyone could solve them simply by memorizing the forms beforehand. As


    smart as Arielle may be, I doubt she¡¯d be able to solve this one!


    To her surprise and amusement, Arielle simply responded by saying, ¡°Go on.¡±


    What? She¡¯s asking him to continue with the second question? Did she get so confused by the first


    question that she¡¯s trying to see if she can understand the second one?


    Wendy let out another snicker at the thought of that.


    The preparatory ss students had the seats closest to the stage in front, so Arielle and Donovan were


    only about four meters apart.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    As the students had quietened down at the time, Donovan was able to clearly hear what she said and


    frowned in response.


    I really don¡¯t like her condescending attitude, but I have to continue reading out the rest of my


    questions.


    With that in mind, Donovan held his paper up and proceeded with the second question. ¡°Find two


    possible states of microscopic particles. A and B areplex constants, and the microscopic particles


    are represented by¡­¡±


    The entire auditorium fell into a deathly silence once again as everyone wondered what on earth was


    going on.


    Donovan then continued to read out his third question without pausing. ¡°The third question will be on


    further mathematics. Please find the¡­¡±


    Most of the students whipped out their phones and began doing their calctions after hearing the


    question.


    Despite sounding rather simple, the calctions required to solve it were incrediblyplicated.


    While the students were starting to write down the forms, Arthur, who had been watching from the


    side, couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and went on stage to confront Donovan.


    ¡°Mr. Baxter, with the exception of the final one, the other questions are beyond the scope of the


    sybus! This method of evaluation is unfair for Arielle!¡±

 Chapter 974

    Chapter 974


    Chapter 974 Mental Calctions


    Most of the students chimed in and expressed their dissatisfaction as well, especially those from the


    preparatory ss.


    Terry stood up from his seat and shouted out loud, ¡°Our exam papers may have been difficult, but


    they¡¯re nowhere near this level of difficulty! I don¡¯t think these questions are able to determine if Arielle


    cheated in the exams!¡±


    Trisha clenched her fists tightly in anger as well.


    It¡¯s obvious that Mr. Baxter is deliberately picking on Arielle here!


    Unable to hold herself back any longer, Wendy stood up and snapped back at them, ¡°You guys might


    find these questions difficult, but have you forgotten that Arielle got full scores on those papers? It¡¯s


    only natural that we raise the bar a little for someone that smart!¡±


    Terry red at her and asked, ¡°Oh? Seeing as you came in second, you should be able to answer


    those three questions too, right?¡±


    Wendy burned bright red as she stammered anxiously, ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t get full marks in the exams!¡±


    ¡°Then why would you say¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Arielle cut Terry off and turned toward Donovan as she continued, ¡°Mr. Baxter, could


    you please repeat the question?¡±


    Donovan pouted as he didn¡¯t know why Arielle was still putting up an act, but he did as told and


    repeated the three questions anyway.


    After that, he was about to say something when Arielle spoke up all of a sudden. ¡°For the first question,


    y, xt is equal to the power of ¦Ð to the power of 2a.¡±


    Donovan¡¯s eyes went wide with shock after he heard that.


    ¡°For the second question, 4f1 equals¡­¡±


    After that, she proceeded with the third question. ¡°As for the third question, lim is equal to 3/4¦Ð.¡±


    Hearing her answers, Donovan shuddered and broke out in a cold sweat.


    That¡¯s correct¡­ Arielle answered them correctly!


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    The other students were silent as they weren¡¯t sure if their answers were correct, but they figured


    Arielle nailed all three questions when they saw Donovan¡¯s expression.


    We don¡¯t even understand those questions, and Arielle answered all three of them correctly in less than


    a minute?


    Wendy¡¯s expression grew stiff at the thought of that. ¡°Y-You¡¯ve got to be kidding me¡­¡±


    Even Arthur was inplete disbelief.


    Apart from the further mathematics question, the other two are so difficult that I can¡¯t even do the


    calctions mentally, let alone solve them in such a short period of time! I can¡¯t believe Arielle was able


    to do so and even got them all correct!


    He then turned toward Donovan and asked, ¡°Mr. Baxter, Arielle has given you her answers. Did she get


    them right?¡±


    Donovan was so stunned that he only snapped out of it when Arthur gave him a light nudge.


    ¡°She¡­ She¡­¡±


    Unable to say that Arielle had answered them correctly, he just kept mumbling the same word over and


    over.


    Arthur lost his patience and took the paper over from Donovan before saying, ¡°Arielle, please repeat


    your answers again.¡±


    Arielle nodded and calmly repeated her answers while Arthur checked them by referring to the ones on


    the paper.


    After confirming that they were all correct, Arthur raised his hands and shouted excitedly, ¡°You


    answered them all correctly!¡±


    Arielle simply shed him a faint smile in response, as she wasn¡¯t surprised in the slightest.


    Wendy, on the other hand, was so taken aback that she slumped weakly against her seat as her mind


    went nk.

 Chapter 975

    Chapter 975


    Chapter 975 She Does Not Deserve This Treatment


    Ignoring Wendy¡¯s expression, Arthur eximed happily, ¡°Arielle, it looks like your perfect scores on the


    exams are justified!¡±


    ¡°Hold up! She has yet to finish answering thest question!¡± Donovan shouted when he came to a


    sudden realization.


    Arthur frowned and got so annoyed that he even forgot to address Donovan formally as he protested,


    ¡°What on earth are you going on about, Donovan? I¡¯ve already confirmed her answer to thest


    question!¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t finished reading the rule for solving thest question. She needs to solve it using three


    different methods, or it doesn¡¯t count as aplete answer!¡± Donovan replied with his fists clenched.


    Arthur snapped back at him coldly, ¡°Now you¡¯re just being unreasonable! Why do you have to be like


    this in front of everyone?¡±


    Donovan sneered. ¡°What do you mean unreasonable? It¡¯s clearly stated there on the paper that she


    has to solve the question with three different methods. What? Did you not read it properly?¡±


    Arthur paused for a moment and quickly checked the question on the paper, only to see the instruction


    that read: This question must be solved using three different methods.


    His frowned deepened as he asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so sooner?¡±


    Donovan was at a loss for words, as he didn¡¯t even expect for Arielle to solve the first question so


    quickly, let alone all three of them.


    He decided to ignore Arthur and looked straight at Arielle as he said, ¡°As you¡¯ve heard, you need to


    solve thest question with three different methods! Only then will I be able to confirm that you didn¡¯t


    cheat during the exams!¡±


    Everyone had thought the first two questions were difficult, but thest one was actually the most


    difficult one of all. Donovan had spent over a month trying toe up with a third method to solve the


    question, but to no avail. As such, he believed it would be impossible for Arielle to solve it.


    A cold glint appeared in Arielle¡¯s eyes as she pursed her lips in response.


    Right as Donovan thought she would lose her cool and start hurling abuse at him, Arielle stood up and


    told Terry who was seated next to her, ¡°Move aside. I¡¯ming through.¡±


    Terry immediately lifted both of his feet onto the seat, prompting the other students in that row to follow


    suit.


    Just like that, they cleared a path for Arielle to make her way toward the aisle on the side.


    Envy filled Wendy¡¯s eyes when she saw Arielle casually walking through the narrow space between the


    two rows.


    Those preparatory ss students are being way too nice to her! Even when she¡¯s suspected of


    cheating, they¡¯re still treating her like she¡¯s some kind of god! What has she done to deserve such


    treatment?


    Wendy bit down hard on her lip at the thought of that and kept praying that Arielle would be unable to


    solve the question.


    That was when she heard some of the students whispering among each other. ¡°Three different


    methods? Does such a solution even exist? I can only think of one method, and I¡¯m not even done with


    it yet!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m done with my first method, but I can¡¯t think of a second method.¡±


    Wendy then recalled the question and began doing the calctions on her phone, only to realize


    halfway through the solution that she, too, could only solve it with one method.


    There¡¯s no way Arielle can solve it with three different methods, right?


    Having made it onto the stage, Arielle ignored Donovanpletely as she took the chalk from Arthur


    and walked toward the ckboard behind her.


    A camera was pointed at the ckboard to show all the students how Arielle solved the question.


    She then began scribbling down the steps on the ckboard effortlessly as if she didn¡¯t even need to


    think about it.


    In less than a minute, she had finished writing down her solution using the first method.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 976

    Chapter 976


    Chapter 976 Arthur Freaks Out


    That was the exact same solution that Wendy came up with.


    Wendy narrowed her eyes and exhaled sharply as she thought to herself.


    There¡¯s no way Arielle could possiblye up with any more methods, right?


    The next thing she knew, Arielle bent over slightly and began scribbling on the ckboard once again.


    Wendy¡¯s jaw dropped when she saw Arielle finish writing her solution with the second method in less


    than a minute.


    Instead of using forms from further mathematics, she used spatial geometry to solve it.


    Her solution was so ingenious that most of the students who aced their further mathematics papers


    apuded and cheered in response.


    Even Terry was close to tears when he saw her solution. ¡°Boss sure is amazing¡­ Why didn¡¯t I think of


    that?¡±


    The student next to him said with a chuckle, ¡°That¡¯s why she¡¯s called ¡®Boss¡¯ and you¡¯re just ¡®Terry¡¯.


    We¡¯d call you ¡®Boss¡¯ too if you figured that out yourself!¡±


    Terry nodded profusely and made no attempts to deny the fact that he was inferiorpared to Arielle.


    Wendy bit down on her lip as she tried tofort herself.


    Are you kidding me right now? I can¡¯t believe Arielle actually did it! Calm down, Wendy¡­ There¡¯s still a


    third method! There¡¯s no way she¡¯d be able to figure that out!


    Even Donovan felt his heart skip a beat when he saw that and began questioning if he had really been


    misjudging Arielle.


    Is it really possible for a student who got into Jadeborough University through personal connections to


    truly be smarter than Wendy? Even so, she can¡¯t possibly be smarter than me! Like my mentor said,


    only that senior named San can solve it with a third method! It¡¯s a shame I haven¡¯t been able to find


    her, or I would¡¯ve finished writing my thesis long ago!


    Donovan was snapped out of his train of thoughts by the tapping noises made by the chalk on the


    ckboard.


    He tensed up and quickly turned to look at the ckboard, only to see Arielle rapidly scribbling down


    some forms used in elementary mathematics.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ording to my mentor, San has a habit of using forms from elementary mathematics to solve


    further mathematics questions. Why would Arielle know this? Is it just a mere coincidence, or is she


    actually¡­


    The thought was so terrifying that even Donovan was a little frightened by it.


    He was quick to disregard that possibility and snickered in response.


    Nah, that¡¯s not possible! Arielle can¡¯t possibly be San! First of all, their ages don¡¯t even match! Also, if


    Arielle had graduated from Maxwell University, why would she even bother getting into Jadeborough


    University? She even had to resort to using personal connections just to get in!


    No matter how much Donovan was in denial, there was nothing he could do to change the fact that


    Arielle had solved the question using three different methods.


    Meanwhile, Arthur was so shocked by what he saw that he even rubbed his eyes to make sure he was


    seeing it right. After taking some time to carefully analyze Arielle¡¯s solutions, he lost hisposure and


    was shaken to the core.


    Not only does Arielle excel in Ustranasion, but she¡¯s also this good at further mathematics? What kind


    of genius is she? I must¡¯ve done a lot of good deeds in my past life to be blessed with such a great


    student!


    The camera in the auditorium shifted its focus back to the ckboard once again.

 Chapter 977

    Chapter 977


    Chapter 977 Beyond Calction


    The camera swiveled toward the ckboard, and the audience fell into stunned silence.


    Arielle¡¯s announcement of the correct answer was no less shocking, yet the audience found


    themselves floored after learning how she had solved the question.


    ¡°Damn! How the heck did she think of solving the question like this in such a short time?¡±


    Terry was near tears as he cried, ¡°Arielle¡¯s not just a top student; she¡¯s a freaking genius! Ah, I am


    humbled to witness her prowess! I should be bowing to Boss in gratitude for blessing our ss with her


    presence!¡±


    Smirking, Trisha teased, ¡°Aren¡¯t you overreacting?¡±


    Terry shook his head vigorously and eximed, ¡°Of course not! In fact, I¡¯m not going to call Arielle Boss


    anymore. She¡¯s Master Arielle to me from now on. Oh, Master Arielle, please ept my humble


    devotion!¡±


    With that, he turned to face the stage and bowed deeply.


    Everyone around Terry was tickled pink by his antics, except Wendy.


    Her face twisted with anger and jealousy. Eventually, Wendy could no longer pretend to be calm about


    the turn of events. Hence, she ran out of the auditorium doors.


    I¡¯m going to go mad if I don¡¯t vent my anger!


    Cecilia, who was sitting amongst the other parents, wore an equally sour expression on her face.


    Arielle¡¯s little math show was an unwee revtion to Cecelia, who realized how grossly she had


    underestimated Arielle¡¯s talents.


    Still, Cecelia struggled to wrap her head around the idea that a country bumpkin like Arielle could


    mentally solve Donovan¡¯s question under immense scrutiny and pressure.


    What if Susanne kicks Wendy aside in favor of that bumpkin? It¡¯s not impossible anymore.


    Cecilia was about to gauge Susanne¡¯s feelings on the matter when she spied Wendy running out of the


    auditorium.


    ¡°Wendy?¡± Shocked, Cecilia ran after her daughter.


    Susanne watched the two and shook her head, an indecipherable expression on her face.


    One can only surrender in the face of a stronger opponent. Thankfully, Arielle didn¡¯t disappoint me.


    Otherwise, I might be the one stomping out of this ce in fury. That lucky coin I gave her earlier came


    in handy after all.


    Just then, she overheard a conversation between two students seated in front of her. ¡°Next time, we


    need to ask for Arielle¡¯s blessings before our exams. She¡¯s not some Goddess of Study anymore.


    Anything short of genius would be an insult to her intelligence!¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Susanne immediately tapped the shoulder of the student who had spoken and asked, ¡°Pardon me, but


    I heard the two of you talking about how the two earlier questions on quantum mechanics were the


    most difficult questions today. Why do you seem more stunned than before by Arielle¡¯s solution to the


    third question?¡±


    The student answered excitedly, ¡°You see, Ma¡¯am, while the third question isn¡¯t as difficult as the first


    two, even a math major like me couldn¡¯t have thought of solving it using the second method Arielle had


    proposed. She even gave three solutions, for God¡¯s sake! I could never do that in a million years!


    That¡¯s why we¡¯re awestruck.¡±


    Having left her knowledge of further mathematics far behind her, Susanne asked in confusion, ¡°Is it


    difficult to solve this question with three different methods?¡±


    ¡°Of course! I swear, even our further mathematics teacher wouldn¡¯t have thought of the third method.


    Arielle used elementary mathematics functions to solve a further mathematics question. She¡¯s


    practically a mathematician at this point.¡±


    A mathematician?


    Susanne swallowed hard as an unexinable sense of excitement filled her heart.


    Her phone rang suddenly, snapping her out of her thoughts.


    When she saw the caller ID, Susanne grew puzzled.


    Why is Vin calling me?


    Despite her confusion, she epted the call. ¡°Hello?¡±

 Chapter 978

    Chapter 978


    Chapter 978 A Rude Awakening


    Vinson¡¯s voice drifted through the phone. ¡°Mom, where are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m at Jadeborough University,¡± Susanne replied as she walked to the doors of the auditorium. Unable


    to help herself, she began recounting Arielle¡¯s impressive math-solving spectacle to Vinson.


    After she finished her story, Vinson paused, seemingly in thought. Sometimeter, he asked, ¡°Mom,


    does this mean you¡¯ve epted Arielle?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    Susanne coughed in surprise, her face blushing inexplicably.


    ¡°That¡¯s nonsense! I was only telling you what I saw today. I haven¡¯t epted her; for your sake, I¡¯m


    giving her three months to prove herself.¡±


    Vinson chuckled before saying, ¡°So, did she prove herself tonight?¡±


    ¡°She¡­¡± The words seemed to have caught in Susanne¡¯s throat as she trailed off. Coughing several


    times, she continued, ¡°Acing her studies isn¡¯t the only requirement. The Moores are nothing like their


    former selves. She won¡¯t be able to help you in your business ventures.¡±


    ¡°Got it! I¡¯ll pass on your words and motivate her to try harder.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, what motivation?¡± Susanne mumbled awkwardly.


    Suddenly, as if she had remembered something, she asked, ¡°Why did you call me?¡±


    Her question reminded Vinson of his reasons for contacting Susanne.


    ¡°I know you¡¯ve been tolerating the Greenes for two days because of my business in Horington,¡± he


    exined. ¡°Well, you can look forward to seven o¡¯clock. The Greenes are going down.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Susanne¡¯s eyes lit up as she stammered, ¡°What do you mean? The Greenes-¡±


    ¡°Mom, please don¡¯t breathe a word of this,¡± Vinson interrupted her. ¡°I just wanted to let you know earlier


    that you wouldn¡¯t have to put up with the Greenes any longer. They won¡¯t be a threat to me anymore.¡±


    ¡°All right, I understand. I won¡¯t say a thing.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m heading to the university now to pick you and Sannie up.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Susanne found herself taking a deep breath after the call ended. All the tension seemed to leave her


    body in an instant.


    She never thought that the family she had once considered as her prospective inws would one day


    disgust her so.


    In contrast, her many grievances about Arielle in the past were beginning to fall apart.


    Clearing her throat, Susanne recalled Arielle¡¯s three-month ultimatum. I will not ept her into the


    family if she can¡¯t show me her value by then.


    It was right then that Cecilia had finally cated Wendy, and the pair ran into Susanne as they were


    heading back to the auditorium.


    Cecilia hurried toward Susanne and asked, ¡°Susanne, what are you doing out here?¡±


    Susanne waved her phone at them. ¡°Oh, I took a call,¡± came her indifferent reply.


    The uneasiness Wendy felt came rushing back when she took in Susanne¡¯s expression.


    Biting her lip, Wendy steeled herself as she took a step forward. ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, I promise that I¡¯ll get


    into Maxwell University!¡± she dered.


    Amused, Susanne asked, ¡°Why are you promising me such a thing? You should be saying this to your


    parents.¡±


    Her nonchnce appeared to tick Cecilia off as thetter voiced, ¡°Susanne, what on earth do you


    mean? Wendy is your future daughter-inw. Getting into Maxwell University would be a proud moment


    for you as well.¡±


    ¡°Future daughter-inw?¡± Susanne tilted her head in mock confusion. ¡°When have I ever called Wendy


    my future daughter-inw?¡± she questioned.


    At that, Wendy¡¯s expression fell instantly.


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire?¡±

 Chapter 979

    Chapter 979


    Chapter 979 Shameless


    Susanne wagged a disapproving finger as she cut Wendy off. ¡°Wendy, it¡¯s inappropriate for a


    respectable youngdy like you to call yourself one¡¯s daughter-inw before the actual wedding takes


    ce. It¡¯s a shameless act. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Upon hearing that, Wendy turned pale.


    Susanne¡¯s abrupt change in demeanor made Wendy feel as though all the blood in her body had


    curdled.


    If I lose Susanne¡¯s support, there goes my chance to marry Vinson.


    At the prospect of that, a fear like nothing she had ever experienced gripped her around the neck.


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire,¡± she choked as she grabbed the older woman¡¯s elbow, all dignity forgotten. ¡°Did I do


    something wrong? I apologize if I had inadvertently offended you. Please don¡¯t shut me out like that!¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± Susanne wrenched herself free of Wendy¡¯s grip contemptuously. ¡°I¡¯m simply stating it as a


    matter of fact. You are not involved with Vin, are you? You¡¯re not even engaged! How could you call


    yourself my daughter-inw?¡±


    Wendy¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and she hardly dared to believe her ears.


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, what are you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Susanne!¡± Cecilia interrupted as she lost her cool. ¡°What are you talking about? You were the one who


    allowed Wendy to live with you, were you not? One would assume that that gesture was approval for


    her to be your daughter-inw! Lest you forget, you have made me a promise to treat her well.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°That I did,¡± Susanne concurred with a gracious nod. ¡°I didn¡¯t speak out against her for the nasty


    manner in which she had conducted herself in school. I reckon that¡¯s a testament to my promise to you.


    Besides, the two of you had conspired to frame Arielle, the daughter of my old friend, as a cheater. You


    should consider yourselves lucky that I took no action against you! How dare you use me of such?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Cecilia gasped, too fearful to remain coherent. ¡°What exactly do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°I meant exactly what I said. Listen carefully. I will never allow a girl like Wendy to marry my son. Kindly


    never go around acting as though you are my inws ever again. Have some self-respect.¡±


    Without sparing the pair another nce, Susanne turned on her heels and strode off into the


    auditorium.


    It¡¯s going to happen at seven, isn¡¯t it? Not long to go.


    Wendy gazed at Susanne¡¯s departing silhouette in despair.


    ¡°What happened, Mom?¡± she cried, grasping at her mother¡¯s arm like a lifeline. ¡°What on earth


    happened?¡±


    Cecilia, too, was shocked by Susanne¡¯s abrupt change.


    Brought back to her senses by Wendy¡¯s painful clutches, Cecilia forced herself to regain her


    composure for her daughter¡¯s sake. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. She¡¯s nothing but an opportunistic woman. In


    fact, it was said that she had be Mrs. Nightshire through unscrupulous means by breaking apart


    Mr. Nightshire and his childhood sweetheart. She saw the way Arielle solved the mathematical


    problems and thought it was prouder to have her as a daughter-inw instead of you, hence her


    treatment toward us.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it.¡± Wendy¡¯s eyes were as round as saucers. ¡°What a shallow woman she is.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Not many are aware of this aside from folks of my generation. After she¡¯d be Mrs.


    Nightshire, she took drastic means to censor information regarding her past on the inte and in the


    media. But oh, I still remember like it was yesterday how the news of it had shaken Jadeborough to its


    core.¡±


    ¡°You mustn¡¯t give up at this point,¡± Cecilia added as she returned her daughter¡¯s grasp reassuringly. ¡°To


    stand a chance against Arielle, you need to show Susanne that you, too, are capable of providing her


    with future glory. Once she sees the potential in you, she will soon be sick of Arielle. After all, you are


    the legitimate daughter of the Greene family.¡±

 Chapter 980

    Chapter 980


    Chapter 980 Coincidences


    Wendy nodded vigorously.


    Armed with the newly acquired knowledge of Susanne¡¯s past, Wendy became secure in the fact that


    she was merely a victim of Susanne¡¯s opportunistic proclivities.


    As long as I earn a spot in Maxwell University, I will still stand a chance!


    ¡°I know, Mom.¡± Wendy gritted her teeth in determination. ¡°I won¡¯t take this to heart. In fact, I¡¯ll begin


    working hard for a spot in Maxwell University as soon as we get back.¡±


    Cecilia smiled and stroked the tip of Wendy¡¯s nose. ¡°That¡¯s my girl. Let¡¯s get back in. I¡¯ll have a talk with


    Susanne and remind her that the expansion of her son¡¯s business into Horington depends on currying


    our favor. I¡¯m sure she will reconsider keeping up this hostile behavior when she realizes what¡¯s at


    stake.¡±


    Wendy nodded again as she strode back into the auditorium by her mother¡¯s side. A great weight lifted


    off her shoulders.


    Back at the very front of the auditorium, Donovan stared at the three solutions in disbelief. His fists


    shook with anger as he felt fear that he could not exin coursing through his heart.


    Arielle actually solved it with a third method.


    That fact alone rendered him thunderstruck. Most surprisingly of all, the method which Arielle had


    employed was, ording to Noah, the usual way which San would use.


    Solving a further mathematics question with forms from elementary mathematics¡­ That¡¯s San¡¯s


    style in solving mathematical problems. Why is Arielle using this method too?


    Suddenly, Donovan recalled that she had in fact employed this method during one of the first tests of


    the semester.


    Back then, it was due to Arielle¡¯s problem-solving method that he decided to select that as the area of


    research for his thesis.


    It might have been a coincidence the first time. What about now? Is this another coincidence? Was it


    possible for there to be so many coincidences in the world?


    Donovan¡¯s forehead was beaded with sweat as he stood quivering on the spot.


    ¡°Mr. Baxter.¡±


    Marcus, who had suddenly ascended the stage, called out, interrupting Donovan¡¯s reverie.


    ¡°Mr. Brown,¡± Donovan responded as he turned reluctantly away from the ckboard.


    ¡°I am sure that this demonstration would suffice to prove Arielle¡¯s innocence, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    Donovan gritted his teeth and nodded resignedly. ¡°Yes, I suppose it would.¡±


    The monthly tests would not even serve as a challenge to Arielle if she is able to solve such a difficult


    problem with such finesse.


    Marcus then announced, ¡°With that being said, I think it¡¯s time for you to fulfill your end of the bargain,


    Mr. Baxter. The matter has been dragged on long enough.¡±


    Donovan clenched his jaw as he stared at Arielle, who received a napkin from Arthur to wipe the chalk


    off her hands with a mild and indifferent expression on her face as she did so.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    It¡¯s like she doesn¡¯t even care if the situation glorifies her or humiliates her. Come to think of it, this is


    how she has reacted to everything. Like she doesn¡¯t give a damn.


    It was this seemingly haughty expression of hers that had most incurred the ire of Donovan. Whenever


    he found himself face-to-face with her, he felt deeply insecure about his own abilities or even his worth


    as a human being.


    ¡°Mr. Baxter?¡± Marcus repeated after Donovan¡¯s prolonged silence. ¡°You owe Arielle an apology.¡±


    Donovan froze as he cast an anxious gaze toward the crowd who had erupted in a smattering of


    chatter.


    Every student in the auditorium was praising Arielle for her mathematical prowess. As their excitement


    grew, he felt more of his dignity slipping away.


    Arielle, on the other hand, did not seem interested in what was running through Donovan¡¯s mind. After


    returning the napkin to Arthur with a word of thanks, she turned toward Marcus. ¡°If there isn¡¯t anything


    else, I¡¯ll be heading back to my seat.¡±


    ¡°Hold on a minute.¡± Marcus stepped forward to block Arielle in her path. ¡°We have an unresolved


    business to attend to.¡±

 Chapter 981

    Chapter 981


    Chapter 981 Unfit As A Teacher


    ¡°I¡¯ve done what you asked,¡± Arielle protested with a hesitant gaze at him. ¡°What else do you want from


    me? To solve another question?¡±


    ¡°Not at all!¡± Marcus and Arthur hurriedly waved their hands, denying it.


    Marcus exined, ¡°Arielle, I would like you to know that throughout this ordeal, I, Professor Sleight,


    and the rest of the staff had never once doubted your talent. Mr. Baxter was the only one to have any


    suspicions toward you.¡±


    Arthur nodded eagerly. ¡°Mr. Brown is right. As per our agreement with Mr. Baxter, he has promised to


    publicly apologize to you if you were able to solve his three questions. It is time that he takes


    responsibility for what he has done, including the incident with Kelsea. Furthermore¡ª¡±


    ¡°No need for all of that,¡± Arielle cut him off with an airy wave of her hand. ¡°I don¡¯t care about it anyway.¡±


    What good would an apology do me? There are many things that apologies cannot make up for. Since


    I¡¯m not going to give him my forgiveness, I¡¯m not going to stand up here and listen to Donovan another


    second longer.


    Arielle¡¯s indifference incensed Donovan¡¯s anger.


    ¡°What do you mean by that? Are you looking down on me?¡± he said furiously.


    Arielle nced up to meet Donovan¡¯s eyes with disdain. ¡°How would I look down on you if I had never


    even deigned to notice you?¡±


    Donovan scowled.


    Despite being spared the humiliation of having to publicly apologize, her indifferent attitude toward him


    somehow hurt even more.


    This feels like a harder p to the face than when she sessfully solved my three questions.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Arielle turned away from Donovan to face Marcus. ¡°I¡¯ll be heading back to my seat, then.¡±


    Marcus nodded, not wishing to make things any more ufortable for Arielle. As soon as she


    resumed her seat, the principal strode over to snatch Donovan¡¯s microphone. ¡°If Arielle would not hear


    a word out of your mouth, I suppose I would have to speak on your behalf.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Brown, I¡­¡± Donovan started, though he could not think of anything to say.


    How could I exin the fact that I would rather apologize than have the girl look at me with such


    disdain? If I did, how am I going to exin myself? Tell him that I have a crush on a student whom I


    despise the most? If this gets out, I¡¯ll be ruined.


    Finding his patience for Donovan wearing thin, Marcus raised the microphone once more. ¡°Allow me to


    make a minor correction to what Mr. Baxter said earlier. Let me make it clear that Jadeborough


    University did not share in Mr. Baxter¡¯s suspicions despite his overwhelming temerity. He and he alone


    were deluded into pursuing the matter of having a public interrogation of one of our brightest students.¡±


    At that,prehension dawned on the faces of the students of the preparatory ss as though it was


    the most obvious thing in the world.


    It wasmon knowledge within the preparatory ss that Donovan disliked Arielle.


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t Mr. Baxter gone too far for doing this? The questions he posed were so difficult as if he had


    done it on purpose to stump Boss. In the event of her failure to solve the questions, that would unfairly


    incriminate her as a cheater.¡±


    ¡°The punishment for cheating in an examination is termination from the university. Why does Mr. Baxter


    hate Arielle to such an extent for him to resort to something as drastic as this?¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it, Mr. Baxter¡¯s actions are awfully hical. He¡¯s unfit to be a teacher.¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    As the students of the preparatory ss were seated in the first row, Donovan heard every word.


    Overwhelmed by the feeling of shame weighing down on him, he gazed around wildly for a ce to


    hide, but to no avail. As a result, he was forced to remain where he was to endure the repercussions.


    Tonight was supposed to be an enjoyable one where I prove that Arielle is a cheater in front of the


    whole school! However, every additional second on this stage now feels like deeper and deeper


    shame.


    Little did he know that the worst was yet toe.

 Chapter 982

    Chapter 982


    Chapter 982 Donovan And His Revtion


    Marcus did not leave the stage after resolving the matter of Arielle¡¯s innocence. Instead, he began the


    narrative regarding Kelsea and other stories detailing Donovan¡¯s misconduct with Arielle.


    Throughout Marcus¡¯ speech, Donovan¡¯s face was contorted in a fury so intense that his outburst


    seemed imminent.


    However, the rational part of him reminded him that doing so wouldpletely ruin any dignity he had


    left as a teacher.


    At longst, Marcus concluded his speech.


    Turning toward Donovan, he addressed the younger man, ¡°This usation has been nothing short of


    serious. Since you have chosen to take the matter up to involve the entire school, you have given me


    no choice but to reprimand you in a simr fashion.¡±


    Donovan¡¯s heart sank. Unable to find any words to defend himself with, he was forced to ept


    Marcus¡¯ rebuke. ¡°If you fail to ensure the sess of three of your students in the uing interviews


    for Maxwell University, and if you are unable to obtain your teaching and academic certificates from


    Maxwell University as proof of your affiliation with them, Jadeborough University will officially dismiss


    you as a member of the teaching faculty.¡±


    Donovan stood thunderstruck.


    That¡¯s it. I¡¯m done for. After all the careful efforts to conceal the matter, Marcus just told the whole


    school about it.


    The crowd, who were initially transfixed during Marcus¡¯ speech regarding Donovan¡¯s past misdeeds,


    erupted suddenly in a deafening outburst.


    ¡°What? Donovan has never even graduated from Maxwell University?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it! When he first brought me into his preparatory ss, he was boasting that he was one


    of the best teachers who has graduated from Maxwell University!¡±


    Terry was near tears from glee.


    ¡°Hah! Now I get why Master Arielle always says that he has sh*t for brains. He didn¡¯t even graduate!¡±


    ¡°This is considered fraud, you know. To lie about your qualifications. People these days think they can


    get away with anything.¡±


    Thements made by the students of the preparatory ss were polite inparison to what the


    other students had to say.


    ¡°How dare an idiot who lied about his credentials use my goddess of cheating? Could he be jealous


    that she¡¯s cleverer than him?¡±


    ¡°What a shameless thing to do! If it were up to me, I¡¯ll kick him out right now instead of having to keep


    him around until the interviews.¡±


    ¡°Hah, look at his terrified face! I bet he did not think this through! If I were him, I would never challenge


    such a genius student, and I would just stick my nose in my own business!¡±


    ¡°A teacher? He¡¯s not even fit to shine my shoes!¡±


    Though the scathing remarks made by the students grew in volume, Donovan did his best to pretend


    not to hear any of them. The only indication that he had heard was his knuckles turning white from


    clenching his fists in a rage.


    ¡°Well then, Mr. Baxter.¡± Marcus turned to Donovan as he moved the microphone away. ¡°Even though


    Arielle wouldn¡¯t ept your apology, that is what you have promised the staff after all. We would still


    like to hear it.¡±


    His tone, too, was hostile and unpleasant, which was vastly different from his usual affable demeanor.


    His sternness was not lost to the students, who nudged one another as they had never known their


    principal to behave in such a manner.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Finding himself face-to-face with scowls from his fellow teachers, Donovan reluctantly took the


    microphone from Marcus.


    As he was opening his mouth to speak, his gaze found its way to Arielle.


    Though the audience was plunged in the shadows of the auditorium, Arielle seemed to have a halo of


    light over her head. Her cold eyes especially glowed like stars, which made her look otherworldly in the


    midst of her drab surroundings.


    Without realizing it, Donovan gulped as he had a revtion.


    Why shouldn¡¯t Arielle obtain a spot in Maxwell University, anyway? It would be a breeze for her,


    especially after demonstrating her mathematical prowess against my three questions! She has a higher


    chance of qualifying for Maxwell University than Wendy, that¡¯s for sure!

 Chapter 983

    Chapter 983


    Chapter 983 Insignificant


    Rather than break my back trying to mentor a simpleton like Wendy to obtain a spot in Maxwell,


    wouldn¡¯t it be much easier to have a genius like Arielle do it all on her own? Since there¡¯s no more


    chance to be romantically involved with her, she would serve me better as a tool to guarantee my


    graduation.


    Confident that his sudden inspiration would begin to turn the tides of his predicament, Donovan felt a


    weight lifted off his chest.


    With the microphone in his hand, he gazed steadily at Arielle. ¡°I would like to offer my sincere apology


    to you, Arielle. I am sorry for my past misconduct, though I, too, have been unaware of the matter


    before. Let¡¯s put this behind us, shall we?¡±


    Arielle merely dug her fingers into her ears with a look of disgust.


    The gesture was not lost upon Donovan. With a supreme effort topose himself by fixating on


    Arielle¡¯s potential to salvage his career, he spoke once more.


    ¡°As a demonstration of my sincerity, I promise to devote my time and attention to you in theing


    days to ensure that you gain a spot in Maxwell University.¡±


    Arielle chuckled in disdain before standing up abruptly. ¡°No, thank you.¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Donovan¡¯s grimace-like smile froze on his face. ¡°What do you mean by that? I¡¯ve already apologized to


    you despite you not wanting to hear it! I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t give up the opportunity for a spot in


    Maxwell University just because of a feud with me! I¡¯m willing to bury the hatchet between us to coach


    you.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I wasn¡¯t clear enough,¡± Arielle replied with a nd look on her face. ¡°I do not need a spot for an


    interview with Maxwell. Please let somebody else in greater need of it have it.¡±


    Donovan lost his temper.


    ¡°Arielle, do you have any idea what you¡¯re saying? Have you seen the number of students who study


    through the night just for an opportunity like this?¡±


    Even Trisha, who was seated beside Arielle, began to look uneasy.


    ¡°Sannie, don¡¯t speak out of anger!¡±


    Arielle stroked the back of Trisha¡¯s headfortingly. ¡°I know exactly what I¡¯m talking about. I truly do


    not need to be included, as I have already graduated from Maxwell University.¡±


    The auditorium fell deathly silent following her promation, before erupting in a roar of excited chatter.


    ¡°What? Do my ears deceive me?¡±


    ¡°No, they do not! I heard her too. She said she had already graduated from Maxwell University!¡±


    Susanne widened her eyes in shock.


    ¡°Maxwell University! Did the girl actually graduate from Maxwell University?¡±


    Though Cecilia was initially shocked like the others, she regained herposure fairly quickly. ¡°She¡¯s


    just a bratty child speaking out of turn, Susanne. If she really did graduate from Maxwell University, why


    did she have toe back to the country to enroll herself in Jadeborough University? From my


    understanding, she¡¯s only been brought to Jadeborough this year after spending her entire life in a


    vige. How could she have graduated from Maxwell University if she had not even stepped foot out of


    the country?¡±


    Susanne nodded. ¡°You have a point. ording to the information, she was always¡­¡±


    Her voice trailed off suddenly as she gazed at Cecilia with eyes narrowed with suspicion.


    ¡°Did you have Arielle investigated?¡±


    Cecilia hurriedly tried to undo her mistake. ¡°Investigated? She¡¯s famous enough for being the


    ambassador of Soir Coffee! Her entire history could be found on the inte. I would be a fool to hire


    an investigator just to uncover that!¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Susanne¡¯s eyes became slits, conveying tantly that she did not believe a word of


    Cecilia¡¯s.


    In the meantime, Wendy who was seated with the rest of preparatory ss students was shaking like a


    leaf.


    Arielle has already graduated from Maxwell? What sort of a sick joke is this? Impossible!


    ¡°Stop lying!¡± Wendy demanded shrilly as she turned back to re at Arielle.


    If she is telling the truth about being a graduate of Maxwell University, then I¡¯m just a nobody in her


    eyes!

 Chapter 984

    Chapter 984


    Chapter 984 Graduate Of Maxwell University


    Arielle did not even spare Wendy a nce.


    There¡¯s that same look of disrespect she gave Donovan earlier!


    Wendy clenched her fists until her nails dug into the flesh of her palms.


    Even Marcus and Arthur were stunned at Arielle¡¯s extraordinary statement.


    ¡°Arielle, i-is that true?¡± Marcus asked breathlessly after snatching the microphone out from Donovan¡¯s


    hand.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Arielle nodded. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to lie about something like this, anyway. You can look


    up their database if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible! She¡¯s lying!¡± Donovan shrieked.


    She was going to be a tool to secure my graduation and employment! She must have sensed my


    intentions, thus resorting toing up with an outrageous lie like that!


    ¡°You¡¯re lying! Are you trying to get back at me by giving up your spot for Maxwell University on


    purpose?¡± After having thest chance of redemption slip through his fingers, Donovan became utterly


    deranged. The students were startled to see such a deviation from his usual calm self.


    Arielle pursed her lips. ¡°Feel free to investigate it yourself and prove me wrong.¡±


    However, Donovan was beyond reason at that moment. He was convinced that it was a lie conceived


    by Arielle after she found out that the future of his career depended on his sess in enrolling three


    students in Maxwell University.


    ¡°Arielle, you¡¯re¡ª¡±


    ¡°Donovan, that¡¯s enough!¡± Marcus roared. ¡°Security! Kindly escort Mr. Baxter out of here!¡±


    Two guards hurried over and pinned Donovan¡¯s arms to his sides, then dragged him out of the


    auditorium with some difficulty.


    The students were bbergasted at the spectacle, having never before encountered a teacher as


    hysterical as Donovan.


    Marcus hastened to repair the damage. ¡°Mr. Baxter is not feeling too good today. Please don¡¯t worry,


    we will have him right as rain soon enough. Since Arielle has graciously offered her spot to another


    student, the sixth in her ss will inherit the honor. Professor Sleight, if you would kindly take over from


    Mr. Baxter in the meantime, I would be ever so grateful. We¡¯ll submit all six names together as soon as


    the top student in the regr ss is announced.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Brown.¡± Arthur nodded in a daze, clearly still trying to process the surprising turn of events.


    As skeptical as Donovan was about Arielle¡¯s im of having graduated from Maxwell University, Arthur,


    on the other hand, hadplete faith in Arielle.


    With brains like hers, I would be surprised if she actually failed to graduate from Maxwell University.


    Actually, it would have been Maxwell University¡¯s loss if she was never their alumnus.


    After delegating the matter of interviews with Maxwell University, Marcus cleared his throat and


    addressed the auditorium once more. ¡°Beloved students and guests, I apologize for the embarrassing


    matter earlier for taking up so much of our time. Without further ado, let us begin the charity auction!


    Ushers, kindly bring the donated items up on stage.¡±


    Despite the announcement of themencement of the charity auction, Wendy was still unable to


    move on from the way Arielle navigated her way out of her predicament.


    Like Donovan, she was still unable to ept the fact that Arielle was a graduate of Maxwell University.


    ¡°Impossible! She must be lying,¡± Wendy muttered feverishly to herself.


    Her ssmates seated in her vicinity began to edge away from her, fearful for their safety lest she


    suddenly erupt in a temper the same way Donovan did.


    ¡°Master Arielle, have you really graduated from Maxwell University?¡± Terry asked excitedly.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Arielle answered with a nod.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Since Henrick was safely confined within the walls of Specialized Forces Prison, there was no need for


    Arielle to conceal her history anymore.


    It is time for me to lower my walls and start trusting again.

 Chapter 985

    Chapter 985


    Chapter 985 Appearance Of The Duke


    Though Terry had not been acquainted with Arielle for very long, he found himself trusting her easily for


    some reason.


    As a result, any residual trace of Terry¡¯s skepticism vanished with her assurance.


    Despite being in awe at Arielle, Terry could not help teasing Trisha who was looking thoroughly


    bewildered. ¡°Trisha, you¡¯re ranked number six in our ss!¡± He prodded her enthusiastically. ¡°Looks


    like we¡¯re shortlisted for the interviews.¡±


    With great effort, Trisha regained herposure as she turned to gaze at Arielle. At the reminder of


    her being granted an interview with Maxwell University, a mixture of shock, delight, and anxiety


    appeared on her face.


    ¡°Sannie, how have you never told me any of this?¡± she asked apprehensively.


    Arielle answered gently, ¡°I was going to tell you that I don¡¯t need the spot to get into Maxwell University


    and that I think you deserve this more than anyone else. However, you never did give me the


    opportunity to tell you this, you know.¡±


    With a sob of gratitude, Trisha threw herself into her friend¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Thank you, Sannie. Thank you so much!¡±


    Pleasantly surprised, Arielle returned the hug with one arm around Trisha¡¯s back and caressed her


    head with the other hand.


    Unnoticed by the girls locked in an embrace, a pair of dark, sinister eyes were watching them closely,


    like a predator watching its prey before it moved in for the kill.


    The pair of eyes belonged to a tall, broad-shouldered man. He was d in a suit of jet-ck which


    served to camouge him seamlessly against the darkest shadows of the auditorium. His carefully


    measured, shallow breathing allowed him to hide himself without being noticed by a single soul.


    Despite being rooted at the spot for over half an hour, not a single person had been aware of his


    presence.


    At that moment, another dark shadow flitted across the entrance to the auditorium and arrived at the


    large man¡¯s side.


    ¡°Duke, that youngdy is Arielle Moore.¡±


    Therge man raised his eyebrows. ¡°A rare beauty, indeed.¡±


    ¡°Are we going to make our move now?¡± his subordinate enquired. ¡°It¡¯s pretty crowded here. I¡¯m afraid


    that it would not be too convenient.¡±


    ¡°Of course not, you fool!¡±


    ¡°A-All right. When shall we do it then?¡± replied the subordinate, somewhat flustered.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how it turns out. If she is able to be converted into an ally, our work ahead against Vinson


    would be made much easier.¡±


    The subordinate was taken aback. ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to kill her?¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°The Chaneans have a saying that an additional friend guarantees an additional option.¡±


    As soon as he said that, the duke felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand. As if by instinct, he


    turned his gaze toward the entrance of the auditorium and found a handsome but familiar face that was


    just barely visible under the faint lights.


    ¡°He¡¯s here!¡± The duke muttered, confusion and suspicion arising in his heart.


    The subordinate piped up, ¡°There is something else I have forgotten to inform you. His Majesty¡¯s loser


    son has, for some reason, became smitten with Arielle, which is why he¡¯s spending all his time here at


    Jadeborough University. He has even gotten himself enrolled in the preparatory ss just to be near


    her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s strange. What is the nature of their rtionship, I wonder?¡±


    ¡°Regarding our n to abduct Arielle¡­¡±


    ¡°That will be put on hold. We¡¯ll make our next move after ascertaining Aaron¡¯s motives. We can¡¯t afford


    to make an enemy out of Turlen right now.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    After exchanging another meaningful nce, the men exited the auditorium noiselessly through a side


    door.


    By then, the ushers were already onstage with the first item for auction.


    As a result, Aaron¡¯s sudden appearance in the auditorium went unnoticed as the crowd¡¯s attention was


    captured by the item.


    It was a beautiful sculpture of Jadeborough University made of white marble. The work was so intricate


    that even the miniature models of students striding across the grounds were captured in startling detail.


    ¡°That sculpture¡¯s pretty nice.¡± Arielle gave a nod of approval, which was considered high praise.

 Chapter 986

    Chapter 986


    Chapter 986 Can You Afford Six Million


    As it was rare to hear Arielle giving apliment, it spoke volumes about the sculptor¡¯s artistry.


    Terry, who considered himself an authority of the school¡¯s rich history, hastened to inform Arielle of its


    origins at the sight of her piqued interest. ¡°This sculpture is made by an alumnus of Jadeborough


    University, Master Nichs Leigh. He is now the best sculptor in the country.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Every one of this university¡¯s alumni is a talented individual, it seems. What a shame that a teacher like


    Donovan might have stifled some of their potentials.


    As Marcus gave an introduction to the piece and its creator, some of the students in the crowd began to


    nod off. At longst, the bid for the sculpture began.


    ¡°The bid will start off at two million. Kindly be informed that only bids in increments of a hundred


    thousand will be epted. Let the auction begin!¡±


    As he spoke, the ushers scurried to hand out paddles to the parents. The flutter of movement within the


    auditorium roused the students out of their drowsiness.


    As most of the students of Jadeborough University came from affluent families, two million was not


    considered an exorbitant sum.


    Cecilia lost no time in making an impression. ¡°Two and a half million!¡± she cried, waving her paddle


    frantically.


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Somebody in the crowd snorted in derision. ¡°Is she an idiot?¡±


    ¡°Is that Wendy¡¯s mother? Is she actively trying to make a fool out of herself?¡±


    As the mockery was made purposefully audible, Wendy lowered her head in embarrassment.


    I should not have asked Mom toe!


    Susanne was amused. ¡°Mrs. Greene, it appears that your bid is causing some jest among the students.


    Would you like to revise your offer?¡±


    Cecilia raised her paddle again while blushing furiously. ¡°Three million!¡±


    Three million for a Leigh was as much as pieces of this caliber would generally go, as Nichs was


    only thirty years of age. Though he was undoubtedly talented, he was still considered inexperienced.


    Cecilia was confident that the piece would skyrocket in value as his reputation as a master craftsman


    would solidify in theing years.


    As Susanne was seated right beside her, Cecilia did not dare go small in her bids.


    Suddenly, a clear voice rang out. ¡°Four million!¡±


    Cecilia gazed disbelievingly over to the source of the voice.


    Who is foolish enough to spend four million on a Leigh?


    At the realization that the one who had raised the bid was Arielle, she froze.


    Is this b*tch going against me on purpose?


    Arielle¡¯s actions did not go unnoticed by Wendy. ¡°What are you doing, Arielle?¡± she demanded with a


    vicious re toward Arielle.


    Before she could retort, Terry leaped to her defense. ¡°What? We¡¯re at an auction in case you haven¡¯t


    noticed. It¡¯s obvious that Arielle intends to buy the piece.¡±


    Wendy was so angry that her cheeks were flushed bright red.


    ¡°She¡¯s doing this on purpose! She is intentionally trying to outbid my mother!¡±


    Arielle cast a cold nce at Wendy. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t stoop to enter into a bidding war with the likes of you.¡±


    Indeed, her intention of winning the bid for the sculpture was to gift it to Teddy with the hopes of


    encouraging him to study hard and earn a ce in Jadeborough University.


    If Wendy had not drawn my attention to the fact that the other bidder was her mother, I wouldn¡¯t even


    have noticed it.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± Wendy hissed, her face turning ashen grey. At that moment, Marcus struck the gavel.


    ¡°Four million, going once!¡±


    Wendy bit her lip anxiously as she nced at her mother.


    Discerning her daughter¡¯s unspoken plea urately, Cecilia nodded grimly. I¡¯m not going to be beaten


    by Arielle even if I make a loss on this.


    ¡°Five million!¡± Cecilia cried.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Marcus was taken aback before striking the gavel again. ¡°Five million, going once.¡±


    ¡°Six million,¡± Arielle called without even batting an eyelid.


    ¡°Can you afford that, Arielle?¡± Wendy sneered. ¡°I seem to recall that you¡¯re a country bumpkin who


    might not know how auctions work. Once that gavel strikes, you¡¯ve got to pay up, you know!¡±

 Chapter 987

    Chapter 987


    Chapter 987 An Interesting Woman


    Arielle smiled. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a country bumpkin, yet I have graduated from Maxwell University. Somehow,


    you, the high and mighty Ms. Greene, still never seem to be able to catch up to my grades.¡±


    Wendy flushed crimson at the slight.


    ¡°Arielle Moore!¡± she snarled.


    ¡°You talk too much,¡± replied Arielle with a yawn.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°You¡ª¡±


    Before Wendy couldplete her threat, she heard her name being called by the principal. ¡°Wendy,


    kindly refrain from discussing matters unrted to the auction, or I would be forced to remove you from


    the auditorium.¡±


    In an instant, every eye in the crowd was drawn to Wendy.


    Sumbing to the hostility of the gazes by her fellow schoolmates, she slumped into her seat.


    ¡°Seven million!¡± Cecilia shouted.


    ¡°Seven million?¡± repeated Marcus in a daze.


    The piece would never fetch seven million even after Nichs¡¯ death!


    ¡°Ten million,¡± Arielle said without hesitation.


    Wendy and Cecilia gaped at her while the other students were quivering in anticipation.


    Ten million is noughing matter.


    ¡°Master Arielle¡­¡± Terry gazed up at her, his eyes shining with admiration in the dim auditorium light.


    Arielle gave a tiny smirk, secretly enjoying the effect she had caused.


    Marcus¡¯ hand shook as he grasped the gavel. ¡°Ten million going once, going twice¡­¡±


    Cecilia clenched her fists.


    I do not have ten million just lying around for me to use in my feud! I can think of better ways to spend


    that kind of money instead of some silly marble sculpture.


    Susanne¡¯s bemused voice interrupted her internal debate. ¡°It sure looks like you¡¯re being outbid by a


    country bumpkin, Mrs. Greene!¡±


    That remark seemed to act as a stimnt. Biting down on her lip with fierce determination, Cecilia


    decided to go all in. ¡°Fifteen million!¡±


    Despite doing his best to maintain his professionalism, Marcus could not conceal the amazement in his


    eyes. ¡°Fifteen million going once¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he found his gaze inadvertently drawn toward Arielle, who simply shrugged and lowered


    her paddle.


    ¡°Fifteen million going twice¡­ Sold! Congrattions, madam, and thank you very much for your


    generous contribution. Kindly make your way to the back to make the payment after the auction ends,


    as well as to obtain the certificate of your participation in tonight¡¯s event.¡±


    Cecilia gazed at Arielle, clearly still dazed at what had transpired.


    It feels like I have been fooled by Arielle.


    Wendy, on the other hand, was adamant that Arielle had toyed with them. Turning back to gaze


    viciously at thetter, she spat, ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to buy the piece? Why did you back down?¡±


    Arielle sneered in response. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve changed my mind.¡±


    It is bing too expensive for a gift, anyway. Teddy might refuse it if he finds out how much it costs.


    I¡¯ll just think of it as taking pity on the Greenes by letting them have it. Besides, it feels great getting a


    couple of punches in.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Wendy was so angry that her chest puffed up rmingly, though she could not do anything


    about it.


    Oh, forget it. At the very least, this amount spent could be used as sending a message to the world that


    we have managed to crush Arielle in a bid and that our wealth far exceeds hers.


    Her notions of selffort were quickly quashed by Terry¡¯s scornful remark. ¡°That woman must be out


    of her mind to spend fifteen million on a sculpture!¡±


    The other students chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right! What a fool!¡±


    Wendy scowled as she clenched her fists so hard that her nails drew blood from the flesh of her palm,


    yet she did not feel any pain.


    Meanwhile, Aaron smiled to himself from the back of the hall.


    ¡°How interesting¡­¡±

 Chapter 988

    Chapter 988


    Chapter 988 ck Rose


    My little kitten is far more interesting than I thought. If she were to continue to outbid that woman, she


    would merely appear to be a child throwing a tantrum. However, the sudden twist makes her seem


    more like a deadly ck rose. Mmm, I dig girls like that.


    Fuming, Cecilia raged under her breath, ¡°That wretch! She did that on purpose!¡±


    ¡°Susanne,¡± she said, turning to address the woman beside her. ¡°Did you see that? She¡¯s a devious


    one, that girl. Do you think that she¡¯s the type of woman your son ought to be marrying? I¡¯m afraid that


    she would rain chaos and disorder onto your family in the future!¡±


    As she had lost face, Cecilia attempted ast-ditch effort by painting Arielle in a negative light.


    Unexpectedly, Susanne merely smiled. ¡°I think that she¡¯s a rather intelligent girl. I see potential in her,¡±


    she remarked, clearly impressed.


    Cecilia scowled. ¡°Susanne, listen to yourself!¡±


    Susanne did not take the outburst kindly. ¡°I am perfectly aware of what I am saying. How about you?


    Perhaps I have been overly lenient to you over the past couple of days, and that gave you the


    impression that you could somehow walk all over me.¡±


    Cecilia flinched as though Susanne had flung a ss of water over her face. With a supreme effort, she


    regained herposure. ¡°Of course that¡¯s not what I meant, Susanne. As parents, we would want our


    children to marry out of love, right? Even if they don¡¯t, we should at least consider fostering a marriage


    for the purposes of an alliance. Is that wrong?¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± Susanne cackled mirthlessly. ¡°Are you saying that you want a marriage for your benefit? I¡¯m


    afraid that you Greenes are not worthy to be matched with us.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Cecilia choked as her capacity to grovel finally wore out. ¡°Without the alliance of the Greenes, I


    can guarantee that Nightshire Group will never be able toplete the project in Zaprington. I suggest


    you give it a long, hard consideration, Susanne.¡±


    Susanne nced at the screen on her phone. It¡¯s exactly seven.


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it,¡± she replied, her eyebrows raised. ¡°It¡¯s a t no.¡±


    Cecilia fumed, ¡°You¡¯ve made a permanent enemy out of me! You will receive word that your project will


    not be allowed to proceed first thing tomorrow!¡±


    Susanne nced toward the stage nonchntly andmented airily, ¡°The second item up for auction


    is tickets to a concert. Though I thought it¡¯d be prudent to remind you that those are definitely not worth


    fifteen million. Bid responsibly, will you?¡±


    Cecilia was about to explode.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Susanne, don¡¯t you regret choosing a country bumpkin over Wendy! You¡¯ll have toe crawling back


    if you change your mind!¡±


    ¡°Right back at you, Cecilia,¡± answered Susanne coolly. ¡°When the timees, try not to cry too hard


    when you¡¯re on your knees before me.¡±


    Cecilia froze. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s seven o¡¯clock now,¡± Susanne replied enigmatically.


    Cecilia was thoroughly confused. A sense of dread that came out of nowhere began to suffocate her.


    The only thing she could do was suppress her difort and await the conclusion of the charity


    auction.


    As soon as I make the payment for that sculpture, I¡¯ll call Daniel to have him put pressure on Nightshire


    Group¡¯s branch office in Horington!


    At that moment, various media tforms on the inte simultaneously revealed a piece of breaking


    news, to Wendy and Cecilia¡¯s ignorance.

 Chapter 989

    Chapter 989


    Chapter 989 One Hundred Million


    The second item was quickly sold for a hundred thousand. Immediately after, the third item was carted


    out.


    From Marcus¡¯ brief introduction, the item was revealed to be a blue amber ne, the work of a


    jewelry designer who was another alumnus of Jadeborough University.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Made from the sap of a tree and forged by the heat and pressure of the earth¡¯s core over tens of


    millions of years, regr ambers were precious enough. Translucent and emitting a faint glow


    seemingly on its own, the mystique and beauty of the blue amber ne on stage made other jewels


    look barely more impressive than cobblestones byparison.


    The value of its gem aside, the intricacies of the work done on the pendant itself showed quite inly


    that it was a masterpiece that would be the highlight of the night.


    There was a single ck rose petal encased in the amber.


    The lucky wearer of the ne would undoubtedly attract attention wherever they went.


    Arielle was not interested in jewelry. She seldom even wore make-up as she prioritizedfort and


    convenience over her vanity. As a result, the bid for the ne barely sparked her interest.


    Wendy, however, sat upright at once. The startling blue of the ne was reflected in her greedy


    eyes.


    This ne is made for me!


    After providing the necessary introductions to the item and its creator, Marcus began the bid at twenty


    million.


    Aside from the students and their parents, many affluent alumni of Jadeborough University were in


    attendance at the charity auction that night. Though it wasmon for rare and exorbitant items up for


    bids in an event like that, the ne was by far the most expensive.


    Trisha¡¯s eyes shone at the sight of the ne. ¡°Oh, how pretty¡­¡± she blurted longingly.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± Arielle turned to nce at Trisha.


    ¡°Oh, no, no. Not at all!¡± she cried, afraid that Arielle was going to spendvishly on her. ¡°I just thought it


    looked pretty, that¡¯s all. I wouldn¡¯t feelfortable wearing it on my neck in public.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want it. Thank you.¡± Trisha shook her head firmly.


    Though her family was well off, twenty million for a ne was ludicrous, even for Trisha. It would be


    a burden to own and protect such an expensive ne. Besides, it would be unreasonable for Arielle


    to foot the bill for me.


    ¡°All right, then.¡± Arielle smiled. ¡°I was going to gift it to you.¡±


    ¡°There really is no need for you to spend that kind of money.¡±


    Wendy sighed in relief at the row in front of them. She¡¯s not going to try to outbid me this time.


    Though she was not sure if Arielle was boasting about having twenty million to spare for a ne,


    Wendy could not shake the ufortable feeling that she seemed to fail miserably at everything


    Arielle decided to meddle in. Upon knowing that Arielle was disinterested in the ne, Wendy felt


    relieved to know that the night would end with her having something nice to bring home.


    On that positive note, Wendy raised her paddle hopefully.


    ¡°Twenty-five million!¡±


    By starting the bid with a dominant offer, she was sending a clear signal to other potential bidders that


    she was intent on walking away with the ne.


    Hopefully, that would discourage anybody who is even considering taking this away from me.


    ¡°Twenty-five million, going once¡­¡± Marcus raised his gavel.


    ¡°One hundred million,¡± said a voice from the back of the auditorium.


    The crowd gasped as once.


    A hundred million! Is this a joke?


    Along with the crowd, Arielle craned her neck toward the source of the voice.


    A tall silhouette emerged slowly from the back door of the auditorium. His handsome and roguish face,


    which bore an attractive smirk, became illuminated as he passed under one of the spotlights.


    With his good looks, brash bid, and startling glow of the ck earring he wore, the crowd felt unable to


    tear their eyes away from him.


    Arielle froze in disbelief upon recognizing him.


    It¡¯s him¡­

 Chapter 990

    Chapter 990


    Chapter 990 Greene Corporation Exposed


    I¡¯m absolutely certain that he¡¯s the man from before. He was on board the rigged cruise ship and even


    tried to kidnap me. Yet, he must have told me about the bomb by ident. In the end, he saved my life


    and allowed me to escape unscathed. Nevertheless, why is he here?


    As Arielle pondered over the man¡¯s sudden appearance, she heard a voice that jolted her out of her


    thoughts. ¡°Sannie, there¡¯s something I forgot to mention. Although he¡¯s a new transfer student in our


    ss, he has been absent every single day. He only drops by to ask if you are present. If you aren¡¯t


    here, he leaves without a second nce. It¡¯s like he transferred to Jadeborough University with the sole


    intention of meeting you.¡±


    When Arielle caught wind of this, she was even more confused.


    Clearly, this man has his sights set on me. But why? Is he a potential ally or foe?


    Instinctively, Arielle nced at the man in question, only to realize that he was looking at her too. When


    they locked gazes, the corners of his lips upturned into a sexy smirk.


    Arielle scowled and looked away.


    At the same time, Marcus finally recovered from his initial shock. ¡°Are you sure you want to purchase


    this ne for one hundred million?¡± he asked Aaron.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Aaron confirmed with a nod. ¡°Is there anyone else who wants to bid a higher price?¡± he


    questioned casually.


    Wendy could not help but bite her bottom lip in frustration.


    Initially, she assumed things would go ording to n because Arielle was not participating in this


    bid. Yet, there was an unexpected turn of events.


    Worse yet, she could not ovee this hitch.


    Although the Greenes could afford to pay one hundred million, Wendy was sure that her mother would


    disapprove of hervish spending. One hundred million was too outrageous of a price for a mere


    ne.


    Reluctantly, Wendy lowered her paddle.


    ¡°One hundred million going once, going twice, sold!¡±


    Bang! The gavel was mmed against the sound block, indicating that the ne now belonged to


    Aaron.


    Now that the hefty transaction wasplete, everyone else lost interest in the subsequent biddings.


    In the meantime, news about the Greenes caused an uproar on the inte.


    Horrington¡¯s Greene Corporation is under suspicion for monopolizing local merchants, causing the


    demise of many smaller businesses.


    Greene Corporation is used of bribing local bureaucrats and breaching Chaneanws. It has been


    revealed that they are involved in the illegal sales of guns and drugs.


    Greene Corporation selfishly put their workers¡¯ lives at risk and ignored the interests of their


    consumers. Their poor-quality projects are nothing but a scam.


    One by one, these articles exposed the truth behind Greene Corporation. Furthermore, these reports


    were backed with concrete evidence that ranged from photographs to eyewitness reports.


    Not long after these articles were posted, the Specialized Forces published an official announcement


    stating that they hadunched an official investigation into Greene Corporation. Through this


    investigation, they had obtained all the relevant evidence and information regarding Greene


    Corporation¡¯s nefarious deeds.


    Once this news was released,izens were both furious and shocked.


    Oh my God! I read an article that said that the lousy bridge Greene Corporation built copsed! Many


    workers and pedestrians lost their lives in this tragedy. Yet, there wasn¡¯t any news reported about this


    incident. It¡¯s obvious that Greene Corporation colluded with the local government to bury this matter!


    Although I knew that most businessmen are good-for-nothings, I didn¡¯t realize the true extent of their


    cruelty and greediness. In their eyes, human lives must be even less significant than ants!


    We need them to get to the bottom of this!


    Boycott all of Greene Corporation¡¯s products!


    Greene Corporation should be shut down as soon as possible!


    I also heard that the daughter of Greene Corporation¡¯s chairman is a well-known prima donna. She has


    earned this nickname due to her difficult temperament and horrible temper!


    All of a sudden, Daniel¡¯s phone was buzzing with endless notifications.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    When he read the news, all the blood seemed to drain from his face as his cheeks turned deathly pale.


    He was so stunned that his entire body shook like a leaf in the wind.


    How could this be? I spent my blood, sweat, and tears burying this news. Why was it suddenly leaked


    to the inte?

 Chapter 991

    Chapter 991


    Chapter 991 Flee


    ¡°Mr. Greene, I have bad news! The Specialized Forces have sent their men here!¡± His subordinate


    barged into the room in a frenzy.


    ¡°The Specialized Forces?¡± The news was so shocking that Daniel copsed to the floor as he began to


    break out in a cold sweat.


    Usually, the Specialized Forces only investigated corporations located in Jadeborough. This was


    because their main headquarters were also based in the same location. Hence, they rarely handled


    matters in Horrington.


    When the Specialized Forces were first established, Daniel made sure to keep a low profile, as he


    didn¡¯t want to attract their attention. However, as time passed, he assumed they would not inspect


    other corporations outside of Jadeborough. Hence, Daniel revealed his true colors and made reckless


    decisions.


    Who knew that these online articles had incited the Specialized Forces toe knocking at his door?


    Who on earth leaked it to the inte? These articles are all filled with the most nefarious deeds! Even


    if only one of the articles was published, it would be enough to cause my demise.


    ¡°Who is the culprit behind this?¡± Daniel was infuriated that the veins scattered across his forehead had


    protruded. Judging from his crazed appearance, it was clear that he was beyond livid.


    ¡°Mr. Greene, please calm down!¡± The subordinate tried to soothe Daniel¡¯s temper. ¡°Let us form a n


    first. They are currently at the entrance. It looks like they n to capture us for interrogation.¡±


    Finally, Daniel seemed to regain his senses. With the help of his subordinate, he rose to his feet. ¡°Block


    them! We can¡¯t let them step foot inside.¡±


    In the past, every suspect captured by the Specialized Forces had spilled the beans once they were


    interrogated.


    Even if Daniel could withstand their secretive methods of questioning, there was no guarantee that his


    subordinates would not betray him.


    ¡°You need to make sure that they are stopped,¡± Daniel stressed.


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Without another word, the man rushed to carry out Daniel¡¯s orders.


    In the blink of an eye, he instructed all the guards to stall the Specialized Forces.


    As soon as he ryed the message, his phone vibrated with another iing notification. It was


    another breaking news article about the Greenes.


    In haste, Daniel¡¯s subordinate hurtled upstairs to report this news.


    As Daniel scanned the article, he realized it was about that time when he ordered his men to kidnap


    Arielle at Jadeborough University.


    The man who had exposed this incident was none other than the mercenary he hired.


    In the video, the mercenary was dressed in a hospital gown. There was a dazed and empty look in his


    eyes as he recounted the incident.


    After the video ended, footage from Jadeborough University¡¯s surveince cameras was also released.


    The high-quality footage clearly depicted Daniel¡¯s car leaving Jadeborough University. Worst yet, his


    face was also captured in the video.


    With such ring evidence against him, Daniel had nothing left to defend himself.


    Promptly, Daniel¡¯s legs gave way as he nearly crumpled to the floor again.


    Simrly, his subordinate was also stricken with panic.


    After all, the incident regarding the loss of workers¡¯ lives could bepensated with money. They


    could also find a few scapegoats to take the me for the illegal transactions of guns and drugs.


    However, if Daniel was charged with attempted murder, there would be no way left for him to escape


    because the surveince footage depicted Daniel¡¯s face in it.


    ¡°Mr. Greene, what do we do?¡± his subordinate mumbled fearfully.


    All of a sudden, a light bulb lit up in Daniel¡¯s head.


    ¡°I get it now! Vinson must be the one behind all this. That b*stard has been keeping tabs on me ever


    since he found out I tried to kidnap Arielle!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Greene, now isn¡¯t the time to figure out who the culprit is! We need to think of an escape route.


    The guards won¡¯t be able to hold them back for long!¡±


    Meanwhile, loud yells echoed from the entrance. ¡°Please stop resisting and cooperate with our


    investigation. We will have to force our way in if you do not open the door!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Greene!¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°Let¡¯s flee first!¡± Daniel clenched his jaw in determination. ¡°Since this is the second floor, we can jump


    out of the bedroom window.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡±

 Chapter 992

    Chapter 992


    Chapter 992 Knack For Seducing Men


    With that, both men quickly locked the bedroom door and leaped out of the window.


    Unfortunately, Daniel was not as agile as his subordinate. The heavy fall caused him to sprain his


    waist.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Mr. Greene!¡± His subordinate scurried over to help him as the duo stumbled to the road and hailed a


    taxi.


    Once they entered the car, Daniel finally remembered about Cecilia and Wendy.


    With lightning speed, Daniel dialed Cecilia¡¯s number.


    Back at Jadeborough University, the charity auction was drawing to an end. Right now, the buyers were


    heading backstage to pay for their bids.


    Since all attendees were required to put their phones on silent mode throughout the auction, Cecilia


    missed Daniel¡¯s urgent call.


    Deep down, Cecilia was resentful of the sculpture that she had bid. Even so, she could not go back on


    her word because doing so would humiliate Wendy.


    Left with no choice, Cecilia headed backstage to pay for the sculpture, with Wendy tagging along.


    Along the way, Wendy could not help but ask, ¡°Mom, has Mrs. Nightshire changed her mind?¡±


    Immediately, a dark look loomed across Cecilia¡¯s face. ¡°Despite our best efforts, she remains as


    stubborn as ever. When I return, I¡¯m going to have a chat with your dad. He¡¯ll teach the Nightshires a


    lesson!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Wendy was aghast by Cecilia¡¯s words. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you threaten her, but you shouldn¡¯t actually


    take action! If you do so, Mrs. Nightshire will make my life a living hell once I marry Vinson.¡±


    ¡°Rx, I¡¯ll buy a mansion in Jadeborough for the two of you. This way, you don¡¯t have to see Susanne


    on a daily basis. You won¡¯t be pestered by her, too. Besides, what can she do? As time passes, she will


    simply forget about this incident.¡±


    Despite Cecilia¡¯s response, Wendy was still unconvinced that this was the best way to deal with


    Susanne.


    However, she recalled the times when Arielle had repeatedly put her to shame. Susanne only had eyes


    for Arielle now.


    Aside from brute force, there would be no other way to convince Susanne.


    ¡°All right,¡± Wendy agreed with Cecilia¡¯s n as she nodded, albeit rather reluctantly.


    When they arrived backstage, Wendy instantly caught sight of Aaron.


    Although Aaron had to pay a hefty sum of one hundred million, he didn¡¯t even bat an eye. Given his


    nonchnce, it seemed like one hundred million was merely a number instead of a price tag.


    Simrly, Aaron caught Cecilia¡¯s attention. With a hushed whisper, she asked, ¡°Wendy, when I came to


    visit you, I heard that he¡¯s also a student enrolled in the preparatory ss. Why haven¡¯t I seen him


    before? Is he well-off?¡±


    Upon hearing that, Wendy felt conflicted. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. You shouldn¡¯t pay him any mind,¡± she replied


    with a shake of her head.


    ¡°Why? It won¡¯t hurt to be acquaintances with him if he¡¯s from a rich background.¡±


    Without waiting for her daughter¡¯s response, Cecilia began to head toward Aaron.


    ¡°Hi there,¡± Cecilia called out, only to notice Aaron approaching Arielle.


    Cecilia came to an abrupt halt with a puzzled look on her face.


    As such, Wendy seized this opportunity to block Cecilia¡¯s path. ¡°Mom, he only has his sights set on


    Arielle. He even humiliated me with money. It¡¯s best if you ignore him.¡±


    I can never forget how he disregarded me when I tried to give him a tour around the library.


    ¡°That wench! She has a true knack for seducing men.¡± Cecilia quickly took out her phone, intending to


    snap a picture and send it to Susanne.


    Coincidentally, Daniel called her again.


    To her surprise, Cecilia realized that Daniel had left countless missed calls.


    What on earth happened? Why is he looking for me so urgently?


    Nevertheless, Cecilia rejected his call and aimed her camera toward Arielle and Aaron.

 Chapter 993

    Chapter 993


    Chapter 993 Shameless Woman


    In this auction, Arielle had purchased an antique vase for ten million. Marcus was the one who had


    donated this vase.


    Although Arielle didn¡¯t have much interest in antiques, she purchased this vase in an effort to help


    Teddy and the rest rebuild their vige.


    Just as Arielle was going to pay for the vase, a tall and muscled figure blocked her path.


    Startled, Arielle lifted her gaze, only to meet Aaron¡¯s eyes.


    When she noticed the man raising his hand, Arielle instinctively flinched backward as she was afraid


    that he was nning to harm her.


    However, Aaron merely opened his palms.


    Looking down, Arielle noticed a ck jewelry box in Aaron¡¯s hands.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Arielle asked, dumbfounded.


    ¡°It¡¯s a gift for you.¡± Aaron winked mischievously as he opened the box to reveal its contents.


    The hundred million ne he had bought in the auction earlier was nestled inside.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve finally met each other, do you still like me?¡± The corners of Aaron¡¯s mouth curved into


    an alluring smile, a yful glint in his eyes.


    His actions had drawn the attention of nearby onlookers. When they saw Aaron giving Arielle the


    ne, they were astounded that their eyes nearly bulged out of their heads.


    Isn¡¯t that ne worth one hundred million? How could he give it away so easily?


    Wendy, who was amongst the onlookers, widened her eyes in utter disbelief.


    Despite spending so much money on the ne, he didn¡¯t keep it. Instead, he¡¯s giving it to Arielle


    just because they finally met? What is his rtionship with Arielle?


    Simrly, Arielle was also taken aback by Aaron¡¯s extravagant gift.


    However, she quickly regained herposure. Shaking her head, she uttered, ¡°Thank you for your gift,


    but I must apologize. It is too expensive. I can¡¯t ept it.¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I bought this especially for you. In my eyes, you are the only person worthy of this ne.¡±


    Arielle could not help but frown. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I still can¡¯t ept your gift. I don¡¯t even know you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know me?¡± Aaron said with a hurtful pout. ¡°Despite our countless intimate interactions, I


    can¡¯t believe you still insist that we are strangers. Kitten, you are wounding my heart.¡±


    Hearing this, Arielle flushed with anger. ¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense! I have never even met you before!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve never met?¡± Aaron leaned forward and blew at her ear to tease her. ¡°Arielle, I¡¯ve searched for


    you far and wide. Do you know how much it pains my heart to hear that you can¡¯t recognize me? Aren¡¯t


    you going to take responsibility for hurting my feelings?¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Aaron¡¯s antics were driving her up the wall. With an icy gaze, she red at


    Aaron and said, ¡°I¡¯m warning you, if you continue to babble on with your nonsense, I won¡¯t hesitate to


    call the police!¡±


    ¡°The police?¡± Aaron was unfazed by Arielle¡¯s threat. ¡°Go ahead. In fact, I was nning to do the same


    thing too. I¡¯m going to lodge a report against a certain kitten who had abandoned me after she


    provoked my feelings,¡± he replied with a nonchnt shrug.


    Unable to restrain her frustrations any longer, Arielle sent her fist hurtling at Aaron¡¯s face.


    However, Aaron¡¯s reflexes were much faster than hers, as he had anticipated her movement. In the


    blink of an eye, he caught her arm before she could hit him. Aaron yanked her toward him, causing


    Arielle to lose her bnce and fell into his arms.


    ¡°Kitten, I¡¯ve been waiting for you for several days now. Now that I have found you, I won¡¯t let you out of


    my grasp again,¡± Aaron whispered. Although Arielle was the only one within earshot, their intimate


    position caused many onlookers to misunderstand their rtionship.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this!¡± Cecilia¡¯s n to snap a picture was long forgotten. ¡°Arielle, aren¡¯t you involved


    with Vinson? How could you flirt with another man in broad daylight? Susanne and Vison would be


    speechless if they saw you acting like a shameless woman!¡±


    ¡°Shameless woman?¡± Aaron¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously as a menacing look twinkled in them.

 Chapter 994

    Chapter 994


    Chapter 994 Wendy Chickened Out


    Initially, Wendy wanted to give Arielle an earful as well, but she chickened out when Aaron¡¯s sharp


    gaze shifted toward her.


    Just as Wendy tried to stop her mother, Cecilia opened her mouth.


    ¡°Did you know that my daughter, Wendy, was almost engaged to Vinson? During their engagement,


    this b*tch barged in and ruined everything! You must not be aware of her devious nature. Don¡¯t be


    fooled by her sweet appearance. She is nothing but a sheep in wolf¡¯s clothing!¡± Cecilia remarked


    heatedly.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    In an attempt to escape from Aaron¡¯s arms, Arielle struggled and tried to squirm her way out.


    Nevertheless, her efforts were futile. Aaron¡¯s iron-like grip rendered her utterly immobile.


    Upon hearing Cecilia¡¯s words, Arielle came to a halt as she tried to defend herself. Before she could


    open her mouth, though, she heard Aaron¡¯s cold voice echo in the air. ¡°How noisy. p her.¡±


    The moment Aaron gave the order, two guards in sleek ck suits seemed to materialize out of thin air.


    Before Wendy and Cecilia could react, one of the guards grabbed hold of Cecilia while the othershed


    his palm across her cheek without hesitation.


    p! The sound was so loud that it echoed in the air. Promptly, silence descended over the entire


    backstage area.


    The guard¡¯s p was so strong that Cecilia¡¯s head was whipped to the side. It took her several


    moments before she could regain herposure.


    Wendy was the one who reacted first.


    ¡°Mom!¡± She hurried forward, wanting to rescue her mother from the guard¡¯s grasps, but when she


    locked gazes with the bodyguard¡¯s bloodthirsty re, Wendy¡¯s entire body froze up in fear.


    It feels like he¡¯s going to eat me alive.


    Unable to move an inch, Wendy could only cry out pathetically, ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    ¡°Listen up! If I ever hear you say such disgusting things about Arielle again, I¡¯ll cut your tongue off!¡±


    Aaron thundered.


    It was then Cecilia snapped back to reality.


    Stinging pain red across her cheek. When Cecilia caressed her face, she could feel it growing


    swollen from the blow she had endured. ¡°D-Did you just hit me?¡± Cecilia questioned in a shrill voice.


    ¡°Oh? Have you not learned your lesson yet? I guess I¡¯ll just have to teach you another one.¡±


    Aaron nced at his bodyguard again, and without warning, the guard sent his palm across Cecilia¡¯s


    cheek.


    The blow this time was much stronger than thest that Cecilia coughed, causing crimson blood to


    stter across the floor. Along with her blood, a white tooth fell out of her mouth.


    ¡°Mom!¡± The grisly sight left Wendy anxious. Casting a nce toward Marcus, she pleaded, ¡°Mr. Brown,


    please help!¡±


    Throughout his entire life, Marcus had never witnessed such a shocking scene. When he heard


    Wendy¡¯s desperate plea, he finally snapped back to his senses.


    ¡°Aaron, what on earth do you think you are doing! Instruct your men to let her go at once!¡±


    Aaron scoffed and tilted his head to signal his men to stop. Following Aaron¡¯s cue, the two bodyguards


    let go of Cecilia and vanished as quickly as they came.


    Their sudden disappearance left the onlookers utterly tongue-tied.


    The moment the guards let her go, Cecilia fell to her knees.


    Finally, Wendy rushed forward to check on her mother. ¡°Mom, are you all right? Your tooth¡­¡±


    Remaining in her position on the floor, Cecilia kept quiet.


    Wendy was panicking so badly that she didn¡¯t know what to do in this situation.


    Even though the incident had attracted arge crowd, most of them did not pity Cecilia at all.


    ¡°Serves her right for insulting my goddess!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think something is going on between Arielle and Aaron, though? Look at how close they


    are.¡±


    Their whispers knocked some sense into Arielle as she started struggling again. ¡°Let go of me this


    instant!¡± she eximed furiously.


    ¡°Nope. Not gonna happen. What are you going to do, then?¡±


    The sensual intonation of his words stirred up even greater misunderstanding amongst the gathered


    crowd.

 Chapter 995

    Chapter 995


    Chapter 995 Locked In A Face Off


    Arielle was thoroughly infuriated by him.


    Gritting her teeth, she tried to stomp on Aaron¡¯s foot with full force. However, thetter seemed to have


    read her mind as he dodged her iing attack.


    When Arielle missed, a pink blush dusted her cheeks. ¡°Let me go!¡± she roared.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    Marcus also stepped forward and tried to help Arielle. ¡°Aaron, how could you act like this on a school


    campus? Let go of Arielle right now!¡±


    Aaron¡¯s brows pinched together into a frown. Just as Aaron opened his mouth to reply, a gust of frigid


    wind swept through the area.


    Swiftly, Aaron pushed Arielle out of the way as he dodged backward.


    In the next moment, a sharp dagger hurtled through the air where Aaron once stood before embedding


    itself into the front wall.


    If Aaron had not avoided this attack, the dagger would have pierced his heart.


    Everyone was taken aback by the scene.


    Was the pping incident not enough? Where did this daggere from?


    The moment Aaron sensed the attack, he had his hackles raised. Swiftly, he looked in the direction


    where the dagger hade from.


    After gaining her long-awaited freedom, Arielle quickly backed away from Aaron before turning in the


    same direction, too.


    Immediately, she caught sight of a broad-shouldered man who was dressed entirely in ck. There


    was an icy look gleaming in his dark eyes.


    This intimidating man was none other than Vinson himself.


    Instantly, Arielle¡¯s eyes lit up with joy. ¡°Vinson!¡±


    In big steps, Vison crossed the room. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte,¡± he murmured softly.


    When Vinson addressed Arielle, the coldness in his eyes was reced with affectionate warmth.


    The woman shook her head. Vinson¡¯s presence alone made her giddy with joy. I thought he was still in


    Horrington.


    ¡°It¡¯s you.¡± Despite the smile on Aaron¡¯s face, his eyes were devoid of any amusement.


    Vinson shifted his attention back to Aaron again. This man is a stranger.


    Narrowing his eyes, Vinson questioned, ¡°Who are you?¡± A domineering aura began to surge from his


    body.


    ¡°Me?¡± Aaron smirked and sneaked a nce at Arielle as he spoke. ¡°I¡¯m her man.¡±


    Promptly, Vinson¡¯s mood took a drastic turn.


    With lightning speed, Vinson lunged forward and mped his hand around Aaron¡¯s throat.


    When thetter noticed how quickly Vinson had closed the distance between them, disbelief flitted


    across his eyes.


    Vison¡¯s speed was frighteningly fast that even Aaron, who had been trained in martial arts ever since


    he was young, could not keep up.


    How is this possible?


    ¡°Do you want to repeat yourself?¡± Vinson spat with clenched teeth. Mercilessly, he tightened his vicious


    grip around Aaron¡¯s throat. It seemed like Vinson was moments away from snapping his neck.


    The throbbing pain finally caused Aaron to return to his senses.


    Despite the dangerous situation, Aaron did not even flinch. ¡°As expected of the famous Mr. Nightshire.


    Your skills are impressive, but are you sure you can escape unharmed if you kill me here?¡± Aaron


    goaded him with a smug grin.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Can I?¡±


    When Vinson tried to make his move, arge group of bodyguards surrounded him in the blink of an


    eye.


    ¡°Do you really think you can stop me with these men?¡± Vinson sneered.


    All of a sudden, a group of troops from the Specialized Forces rushed in.


    As two groups confronted each other, the tension in the air was so thick that one could slice it with a


    knife.


    Including Marcus, everyone else who had gathered in this area was at a loss for words.


    With the appearance of the Specialized Forces, this face-off had escted into something much


    deadlier than a mere fight.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire, please keep in mind that you are on school grounds.¡± Marcus reminded. ¡°C-Can¡¯t you


    settle this somewhere else?¡±


    As Marcus spoke, he looked at Arielle pleadingly. ¡°Arielle, please say something.¡±


    If both men engaged in a fight, this battle would have a negative impact on Jadeborough University¡¯s


    reputation.

 Chapter 996

    Chapter 996


    Chapter 996 Shocked


    Arielle understood Marcus¡¯ concern. Thus, as much as she wanted to rify things with Aaron, she


    hesitated and went to Vinson instead. ¡°Let him go first, Vinson. You shouldn¡¯t do this in a school, no


    matter what.¡±


    Eyes shing with hostility, Vinson looked as if he hadpletely lost control.


    Having no other choice, Arielle could only pretend that she was injured. Drawing in a deep breath, she


    groaned, ¡°Ouch! That hurts¡­¡±


    His spine stiffening, Vinson finally loosened his grip on Aaron and turned over to hold her. ¡°Where were


    you injured?¡±


    Arielle immediately grasped his hands, shaking her head. ¡°I wasn¡¯t hurt, but please pull yourself


    together, Vinson. We¡¯re in a school.¡±


    Hearing that, Vinson clenched his teeth unwittingly. He could not believe he had just been carried away


    by his concern for her and had gotten fooled instead.


    By the time he turned back toward Aaron, thetter had already moved almost ten meters away from


    him but was just as unwilling to back down.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you, Vinson Nightshire. Now that we¡¯ve finally met, then let¡¯s show each other


    what we¡¯ve got!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Aaron!¡± His subordinate immediately hurried forward, whispering into his ear, ¡°Vinson¡¯s not just any


    other man. We can¡¯t go head-to-head with him lest he discover our true identity. Think about the big


    picture! Since we¡¯ve already done what we came here to do, then let¡¯s get out of here now.¡±


    Aaron was truly reluctant to do that.


    It had not been easy grabbing hold of Arielle this time. He had even been thinking of bringing her


    straight back to Turlen with him.


    He absolutely refused to leave just like that!


    ¡°Please, Mr. Aaron!¡± His subordinate¡¯s eyes were red with desperation as he went on urgently, ¡°We


    really have to leave now. Don¡¯t forget that you still have another task!¡±


    Hearing that, Aaron had no choice but to grit his teeth. He then waved his hand, signaling for them to


    leave.


    However, Vinson stopped them from leaving.


    ¡°Stop them! Bring them back to the Specialized Forces!¡± came Vinson¡¯smand suddenly.


    The men from the Specialized Forces immediately charged forward to surround Aaron and his men.


    However, in the same instant, Aaron retrieved an unknown object from his pocket and tossed it on the


    ground. A thick, yellow gas immediately rose from the ground and filled the air.


    ¡°Cover your noses!¡± Arielle called out at once, and those present instantly heeded her advice.


    However, by the time the yellow gas dissipated, Aaron and his men were already nowhere to be seen.


    Even Vinson, who was standing beside Arielle just a moment ago, had vanished as well.


    Despite that, Arielle knew he was not abducted but had gone after Aaron instead, as she had heard his


    footsteps hurrying after them earlier.


    Marcus was utterly stupefied.


    ¡°What on earth just happened? Is someone shooting a film here?¡±


    ¡°It was a smoke grenade. Not the type typically used by the military but custom-made in Manchernius,¡±


    Arielle exined.


    ¡°Will it cause any side effects?¡±


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°No. It¡¯s just a colorless and odorless gas. It could cause weak hands and feet


    if too much is inhaled, but the effects should go away soon.¡±


    Hearing that, Marcus hurriedly ordered everyone to open the windows backstage.


    ¡°This student¡­ I can¡¯t let him stay here anymore. I should make a police report. Yes, that¡¯s what I


    should do!¡± he muttered as he pushed a window open.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll ever appear here again. Besides, there¡¯s no need to go to the police. The


    Specialized Forces are already here,¡± Arielle responded.


    Marcus froze for a moment and then scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed. ¡°Gee, look at me.¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the time to worry about that chap, Mr. Brown. We should be reassuring the others instead,¡±


    Arielle reminded.


    Only then did Marcus realize most of the students backstage had just been frightened out of their wits


    by what had just happened.


    Students nowadays were mostly raised in protective bubbles. How many could possibly have


    experienced such a terrifying event before?


    Even Wendy was still slumped limply on the floor next to her mother, unable to ovee the shock.


    In fact, it was hardly a shoring on her part. After all, Vinson¡¯s and Aaron¡¯s auras were indeed


    exceedingly powerful and perhaps too much for ordinary people to handle.

 Chapter 997

    Chapter 997


    Chapter 997 Penniless Wendy


    Marcus hurried off tofort the students.


    As for the Specialized Forces, some of them had gone after the vanished men after the gas cleared,


    while others stayed back to protect Arielle.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Under the guidance of Arielle, the remaining squad members began helping to reassure the students


    as well.


    Even though the incident that just happened was indeed frightening, it was, after all, not a gunfight or


    actualbat. Thus, with thebined efforts of Marcus and the Specialized Forces, the students¡¯


    and their parents¡¯ emotions soon began to stabilize.


    The atmosphere backstage eventually returned to normal. After giving a stern warning, the members of


    the Specialized Forces ssified the recent incident. Thus, no information about it was leaked to the


    outside world.


    Once the order was restored, Arielle suddenly remembered the reason she had headed backstage and


    went to make her payment.


    After she made the payment of fifteen million, she approached Marcus, carrying the vase in her hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m returning this to you, Mr. Brown.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just win this at the auction?¡± Marcus asked, bewildered.


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°I just wanted to contribute to the charity event. You and I both know that the


    Southalls are to me for the state of that vige. Even though I¡¯m not technically a member of the


    Southall family, I still hope to do something to make up for it.¡±


    Nodding, Marcus epted the vase and praised, ¡°I was right about you, Arielle. I made the right call


    back then when I decided to let you attend our school.¡±


    Before Arielle could respond, Wendy¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°Oh, cut the pretense!¡±


    Arielle turned toward her with narrowed eyes and intentionally rubbed salt into her wounds. ¡°What was


    that? Did your mother get her tooth fixed already?¡±


    ¡°Y-You!¡± Burning with rage, Wendy gnashed her teeth so hard she nearly crushed a few.


    Just then, Cecilia could be heard mumbling, ¡°How is that possible? Are you sure it¡¯s not your problem?


    It¡¯s impossible this card couldn¡¯t be used.¡±


    Surprised, Wendy gave up mocking Arielle and strode toward her mother instead. ¡°What¡¯s wrong,


    Mom?¡±


    Cecilia frowned. ¡°They said this card isn¡¯t working.¡±


    After having been disgraced so grievously just now, she was merely hoping to regain some dignity by


    making a huge payment with her card.


    Never had she expected the attendant to inform her that her card was unusable.


    ¡°How could that be?¡± Wendy was just as puzzled. ¡°Isn¡¯t this Dad¡¯s secondary card?¡±


    ¡°Maybe there¡¯s not enough bnce in it?¡± the attendant asked instinctively.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Cecilia denied it outright. ¡°Unless Greene Corporation has gone bankrupt, this card


    would never run out of credit!¡±


    The attendant spread her hands before her. ¡°Well, in that case, I have no idea what went wrong, then. I


    swiped it many times, but the payment just wouldn¡¯t go through. Do you have another card?¡±


    Gritting her teeth slightly, Cecilia fished another card out of her purse and ced it on the desk.


    ¡°There! Use this!¡±


    That was her own card. It contained a significant amount as well, but Daniel had no idea it existed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but this card can¡¯t be used either.¡±


    ¡°Huh? How could that be possible?¡± roared Cecilia, ring at him, wide-eyed. ¡°Are you deliberately


    sabotaging me?¡±


    In his perturbation, Cecilia almost let slip on her Horington ent.


    However, her outburst instantly attracted the attention of those around her, and heads swiveled toward


    her at once.


    The attendant caught on to her insinuation, and his expression darkened as well. ¡°Why would I want to


    sabotage you? The card just doesn¡¯t work. Look for yourself!¡±


    He held the machine toward them, and Cecilia and Wendy both leaned forward to look at it, only to find


    that the attendant was speaking the truth.


    ¡°No way! This can¡¯t be right!¡± Cecilia was practically jumping in rage as she spoke.


    Sneering, the onlookers began murmuring among themselves.


    ¡°Haha! Wendy and her mom just bid against our goddess for that sculpture, but now they don¡¯t have


    enough money to pay for it. I swear, I¡¯m gonna dieughing!¡±

 Chapter 998

    Chapter 998


    Chapter 998 Shut Up


    ¡°My God! What an embarrassment!¡±


    ¡°Do you guys remember how Wendy was just jeering at Arielle for bidding for something she couldn¡¯t


    afford? Well, I just saw our goddess paying fifteen million without batting an eye! Looks like Wendy¡¯s


    the one who¡¯s really feigning affluence after all!¡±


    The students from the preparatory ss shook their heads in disdain.


    ¡°Tsk! Tsk! Our goddess just spent fifteen million on a vase for the sake of charity, unlike that mother-


    and-daughter duo, who cared only about challenging our goddess despite not having any money! What


    a disgrace indeed!¡±


    Sharp-eared, Cecilia had no trouble overhearing those gossips and immediately bellowed in anger,


    ¡°Shut up, all of you!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way our family can¡¯t afford fifteen million,¡± Wendy stated coolly as well. ¡°This machine¡¯s


    definitely broken.¡±


    The attendant shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s fine. Arielle just made a payment of fifteen million a


    moment ago. Don¡¯t you have another card?¡±


    Arielle again!


    Her fist clenched tightly, Wendy reached into her purse and whipped out her own card.


    ¡°Dad¡¯s probably contracted a few big projects this month and used up all the credit limits. Here, Mom,


    use mine instead.¡±


    Cecilia nodded in agreement, unable to find a better exnation for what was going on. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s


    use yours for now.¡±


    Thus, Wendy nodded and confidently extended her card to the attendant. ¡°There you go.¡±


    The attendant reached for it expressionlessly. After performing a series of actions on the card machine,


    he returned it to Wendy again.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but your card was the same.¡±


    ¡°W-What?¡± Wendy¡¯s face became dark as thunder, and her voice turned cold. ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t


    make a mistake? How could my card not work as well?¡±


    She knew for a fact that there was more than a hundred million in that card.


    The attendant shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t have the answer for that, but I did try that card twice with the same


    result. Do either of you have a spare card?¡±


    Wendy¡¯s jaw tensed as a wave of panic surged in her chest.


    She had a sudden premonition that something had gone wrong with their family business.


    However, she brushed that thought aside as quickly as it came.


    After all, Greene Corporation was considered one of the most aplished businesses in Horington.


    What trouble could they possibly face all of a sudden?


    ¡°No, my card is definitely fine. Besides, I haven¡¯t even been spending much this month, so there¡¯s no


    way it¡¯s hit the credit limit. Please try it again.¡±


    However, the attendant was already fed up with it.


    ¡°I just told you. I tried twice, and it still didn¡¯t work. If neither of you has another card, then why don¡¯t


    you step aside and give your bank a call to find out what went wrong? At least others could make their


    payments while you¡¯re at it.¡±


    Wendy had never been embarrassed because of money in her life before.


    She nced at her mother peevishly. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Mom?¡±


    It was then that Arielle stepped in. ¡°Why don¡¯t you swipe my card? Then we¡¯d know if it¡¯s the machine¡¯s


    problem.¡±


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Wendy loathed Arielle with a passion. The thought of epting her money was revolting to her.


    However, she did want to find out if the machine was indeed being faulty.


    Thus, the mother and daughter merely exchanged a nce, silently agreeing with Arielle¡¯s suggestion.


    A pleasant smile came upon the attendant¡¯s face when he saw that it was Arielle. ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s try


    Arielle¡¯s card, then.¡±


    With that, he quickly ran through the same series of actions on the card machine again.


    Secondster, a long beep sounded from the machine, and the payment went through at once.


    ¡°Looks like the card machine works fine.¡± Arielle turned to Wendy with a half-smirk. ¡°Now you owe me


    fifteen million, Wendy Greene. Don¡¯t forget to pay me back, all right?¡±


    She had not offered her help out of kindness. Far from it, she had done so with the sole intention to


    disgust Wendy.


    That mother-and-daughter duo simply did not know how to watch their mouths, and it had finally gotten


    on her nerves.


    Just as she had expected, the moment those words were uttered from her mouth, a look of in


    disgust washed over Wendy¡¯s face at once.


    Seeing that, Arielle felt her mood instantly lifted.

 Chapter 999

    Chapter 999


    Chapter 999 She Did It To Disgust Her


    Stomping her feet angrily, Wendy pointed at Arielle¡¯s face, reprimanding her, ¡°How dare you! You were


    deliberately doing that to disgust me, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Arielle admitted openly. ¡°It was your own fault for not having any money in your card, or I


    wouldn¡¯t have had the opportunity to do so.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Wendy was so mad she could barely catch her breath.


    Thoughts shed through her mind¡ªhow Arielle had pped her mother and caused her to lose a


    tooth, how she herself had been forced to submit to Arielle time and time again, how she had been


    nicknamed a ¡°nutcase¡± because of Arielle, and how Arielle was taunting her in front of everybody right


    now.


    There was so much rage built-up in her that she simply could not suppress it anymore. Taking arge


    stride forward, she raised her palm and swung it toward Arielle¡¯s cheek.


    However, Arielle caught her hand mid-air.


    Wendy merely stared at her, utterly stunned. She knew how much force she had used, and Arielle


    should not have been able to seize her wrist so easily.


    Nevertheless, it just happened.


    She immediately struggled to break free from Arielle¡¯s grasp, but she soon realized her efforts were


    completely futile under Arielle¡¯s powerful grip.


    ¡°Trying to hit me?¡± Arielle sneered.


    Narrowing her eyes, she swiftly raised her other hand andnded a tight p on Wendy¡¯s face instead.


    Not only was she already a woman with incredible physical strength, but she deliberately put her might


    into that blow as well. With that, Wendy¡¯s cheek immediately swelled up with redness before


    everybody¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°How dare¡ª¡± Wendy immediately started to scream, but before she could get another word out, Arielle


    hadnded another hard smack on her cheek.


    Caught unawares, Wendy identally bit down on the insides of her cheek, and blood began dripping


    down the corner of her mouth at once.


    Seeing that, Cecilia immediately hurried toward her.


    However, she had barely taken two steps when two men from the Specialized Forces stepped forward


    to stop her, holding her back by the arms on both sides.


    ¡°Now, listen carefully!¡± Arielle swept her gaze across Cecilia and then turned back to Wendy, going on


    frostily, ¡°I used to put up with your sh*t only because there was a reason to do so, but that reason no


    longer exists now. So, if you ever dare to disrespect me again, I will p you over and over again until


    you stop. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡ª¡±


    Arielle immediately cut her off with another smack. ¡°I asked, do you understand?¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    p!


    Another brutal p hit her face.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk. Just nod.¡±


    Wendy was unable to break free, nor was she able to strike back.


    Face burning with pain and humiliation, she could only nod in submission.


    Satisfied, Arielle finally retracted her hand. Shaking out her palm, which was sore from all that pping,


    she turned to Marcus innocently. ¡°You saw that I was only defending myself, didn¡¯t you, Mr. Brown?¡±


    Marcus decided to take Arielle¡¯s side. ¡°Yes, indeed, you were. How could you hit her, Wendy?¡±


    Huh?


    Wendy stared at him, flummoxed and speechless.


    A smile graced Arielle¡¯s lips. Her mood was indeed significantly improved.


    Then she approached Marcus, stating earnestly, ¡°Although I was only defending myself, it looks like


    Wendy¡¯s injuries are much more severe than mine. So, to make amends, I¡¯m willing to leave this school


    on my own ount.¡±


    Marcus¡¯ eyes widened in shock. ¡°L-Leave this school? B-But Arielle, you only struck Wendy in self-


    defense. There¡¯s no need to quit school because of that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind, Mr. Brown. I¡¯lle over to sign the paperwork tomorrow.¡±


    Marcus stared at her, utterly perplexed. ¡°W-Why are you doing this, Arielle?¡±


    Wendy was just as dumbstruck.


    What is she trying to do? Was she just attending this school for fun? She¡¯s leaving now that she¡¯s had


    enough of it?


    ¡°I only came to this university to experience university life again. Now that I¡¯ve gotten what I came for,


    then it¡¯s about time for me to quit this ce,¡± Arielle responded mildly.


    Wendy listened in stupefaction, unable to believe her guess was correct after all.

 Chapter 1000

    Chapter 1000


    Chapter 1000 Dropping Out


    ¡°Are you sure you really want to drop out?¡± Marcus asked, thoroughly heartbroken.


    Arielle nodded. ¡°You must have forgotten that I¡¯d graduated from Maxwell University previously. There¡¯s


    really no need for me toplete my studies here.¡±


    Marcus understood it perfectly, but he could not help feeling sorry to see her go.


    After all, Arielle was a student of unmatched brilliance. If only she graduated from Jadeborough


    University, the school¡¯s reputation would definitely be greatly enhanced.


    Instantly guessing Marcus¡¯ concerns, Arielle immediately smiled, adding, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Brown.


    Jadeborough University will always be my alma mater as well.¡±


    ¡°All right, then,¡± said Marcus, visibly relieved. ¡°I¡¯ll go over the paperwork with you tomorrow.¡±


    Arielle responded with a nod. Then she turned to Wendy, asking, ¡°I¡¯m dropping out of this school from


    tomorrow onward, but you still owe me fifteen million. When do you n on paying me back?¡±


    Wendy was struggling to process the fact that Arielle was quitting school after having had enough fun


    when she suddenly heard herself being reminded to pay back her debt.


    Humiliation shot through her heart once again.


    Enduring the searing pain on her cheeks, she burst into anger. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for your help just now!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Arielle cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Is this your attempt to deny what just happened?¡±


    Indeed, that was Wendy¡¯s intention. However, it was not so much because she was reluctant to see her


    money go. She just wanted Arielle to feel the pain of spending more than she could afford as well.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Wendy figured whatever money Arielle had, she had probably only gotten it before Henrick was


    imprisoned, and it should not have been that enormous an amount either. Added to the fact that she


    had just made two payments of fifteen million each, there should not be much left anymore.


    However, just as Wendy was about to offer her sculpture to Arielle as a gift, the onlookers began


    sneering at her again.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Wendy simply shameless? Forget the fact that she doesn¡¯t have the money, but now she¡¯s also


    trying to deny having borrowed it.¡±


    ¡°She even pretended as if she was rich during the auction, insisting on bidding against Arielle for the


    sculpture. I wonder which acting school she attended that turned her into such an actress.¡±


    ¡°Even though she¡¯s wearing perfume, it won¡¯t cover that nasty stench of a b*tch that¡¯sing off her¡­¡±


    Wendy¡¯s face immediately darkened.


    These people must be blind!


    Arielle had just pped her in front of everyone. Not only had none of them helped her, but even


    Marcus, the principal, sided with Arielle and imed that her actions were only self-defense.


    Although it had been Wendy who started it, Arielle had not suffered even the slightest injury. Instead, it


    had been Wendy herself who had been so brutally pped that it hurt for her to even speak normally.


    This isn¡¯t fair!


    Wendy¡¯s eyes reddened with fury, and she secretly decided that once she got out of this ce, she


    would ask her father to hire an assassin to kill Arielle, once and for all.


    However, all eyes were on her in the present moment, and she had no escape. Thus, she changed her


    mind, retorting coldly, ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to deny anything! All I meant is that I don¡¯t need your help! Here,


    I¡¯ll transfer the amount to you right now!¡±


    She figured her card might be unusable for whatever reason, but she should not have any problem


    doing a fund transfer with her phone.


    ¡°Give me your bank ount details!¡± she demanded in an angry tone.


    Shrugging nonchntly, Arielle showed her the QR code on her phone.


    Although fifteen million meant nothing to her, she was not going to let Wendy get away with even a


    single cent of her money.


    However, several seconds soon passed, but Wendy was still operating her phone, looking immensely


    annoyed. For some reason, beads of cold sweat had formed on her forehead as well.


    Arielle could not help but feel puzzled and began to wonder if it was possible that Wendy seriously


    could not even afford fifteen million, which to her was far from a considerable amount.


    In the next instant, Wendy simply lowered her phone, her expression stiff. ¡°The inte connection¡¯s


    not stable here. I¡¯ll transfer it to youter.¡±


    Arielle became even more suspicious.


    With narrowed eyes, she took advantage of the moment when Wendy was still distracted and quickly


    snatched Wendy¡¯s phone out of her hand.


    ¡°What are you doing? Give me back my phone, Arielle!¡±


    Wendy immediately leaped forward to grab her phone, but it was toote. Arielle had already seen the


    words disyed on the screen.

 Chapter 1001

    Chapter 1001


    Chapter 1001 Insufficient Bnce


    Dodging sideways out of Wendy¡¯s reach, Arielle uttered a chuckle and recited the words shown on the


    screen, ¡°Insufficient bnce?¡±


    Wendy¡¯s face instantly turned red as a fire truck. ¡°You saw wrongly! Now, give my phone back to me!¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle flicked her wrist, tossing the phone back to her.


    She gazed at Wendy with a hint of amusement in her eyes. ¡°Fifteen million¡¯s hardly a small amount,


    Wendy Greene. I can¡¯t let you go just like that. Write me an IOU!¡±


    The onlookers chimed in as well, ¡°Yeah! Go on, write her an IOU!¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Wendy clenched her teeth forcefully, both furious and bemused at the same time.


    How could I possibly not have enough bnce?


    Remembering how her card and her mother¡¯s were all unusable earlier, she only felt more stumped


    than ever.


    However, at that moment, she had no choice other than to sumb to the crowd¡¯s pressure and write


    the IOU as per their demands.


    In her heart, she kept reminding herself not to act rashly again. After all, she was going to send a killer


    after Arielle as soon as she got out of this auditorium. There was no need to act out on her anger at the


    moment.


    With that thought in mind, she took a deep breath and slowly regained her self-control.


    After writing the IOU, she nced toward Cecilia, who was still held back by the Specialized Forces,


    and strode toward them with quick steps. ¡°I¡¯ve written the IOU. Now, let my mother go!¡±


    The men from the Specialized Forces released her expressionlessly.


    Cecilia was, in fact, mad with fury. However, since those men were from the Specialized Forces, she


    did not dare to reprimand them either.


    She nced at Wendy. As their gazes met, they were both silently thinking the same thought.


    How dare that woman embarrass us like this! Once we walk out of here, we¡¯re going to get our


    revenge, and she will pay for all this with her life!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± said Cecilia, pulling Wendy with her while dialing Daniel¡¯s number with her other hand.


    Meanwhile, Daniel was on his way to the airport.


    Unable to reach Cecilia, he had realized incidentally that all his bank ounts had just been frozen.


    With no other options, he could only make the payment for the ne tickets using his subordinate¡¯s


    money.


    Just when he was about to reach the airport, he finally received a call from Cecilia.


    ¡°Hello. Where are you two?¡±


    As soon as his words were uttered, Cecilia immediately beganining. ¡°Our cards aren¡¯t working,


    Daniel! Hurry and get your assistant to check what¡¯s going on!¡±


    A burst of fury instantly gushed through Daniel¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Are you seriously still going on about cards at this time? Call a taxi ande to the airport at once!¡±


    Cecilia was shocked by his words and tone, but at the same time, she felt slightly riled up as well.


    ¡°What are you so angry about? I haven¡¯t even started talking about what you did¡ª¡±


    ¡°I just told you to shut the f*ck up! Now, juste to the¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish his words, however, the car suddenly screeched to a halt.


    Due to the inertia, his entire body immediately shot forward, his face mming into the back of the


    driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Ouch! Do you even know how to drive?¡± he berated the driver, grimacing in pain.


    The driver was but an ordinary taxi driver and did not know that he was the Chairman of Greene


    Corporation or whatnot. Hearing Daniel¡¯s rude remark, he was just as displeased and immediately


    retorted, ¡°Are you f*cking blind or what? Don¡¯t you see that car blocking us in front? Or are you


    expecting me to ram my car into it for the insignificant taxi fees?¡±


    Daniel was utterly stunned.


    He had not heard anyone speaking to him in such a tone for long.


    Times have changed indeed. He suddenly gained a profound understanding of that statement.


    However, before he could even react, his subordinate reported in a panicked state, ¡°Bad news, Mr.


    Greene! The Specialized Forces are catching up with us!¡±


    Shocked, Daniel forgot all about the taxi driver at once, his gaze shooting toward the road ahead.


    To his dismay, three vehicles with the badge of Specialized Forces printed across them were blocking


    the road horizontally, and two uniformed men hopped down from one of the vehicles and were heading


    in their direction.

 Chapter 1002

    Chapter 1002


    Chapter 1002 Arrested


    ¡°T-The Specialized Forces!¡± Daniel¡¯s face instantly drained of color.


    He had not expected them to catch up so quickly.


    His subordinate was slightly moreposed than him, immediately ordering the driver, ¡°Quick! Turn


    back and drive away from them!¡±


    Although the taxi driver had no idea who Daniel was, he knew who the Specialized Forces were.


    Seeing the turn of events, he finally understood what was going on¡ªhe was carrying two fugitives!


    Oh, no! This better not be happening!


    In his state of utter panic, he was suddenly struck by a solution. He immediately pulled the hand brake


    before running out of the car with his hands held above his head.


    ¡°Help, sir! Those two men were holding me hostage!¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Daniel was so enraged he almost burst a blood vessel.


    ¡°That useless son of a b*tch! Go on, take over the wheel!¡± he ordered his subordinate, who immediately


    scrambled over to the driver¡¯s seat from the passenger seat.


    However, before he couldplete the act, the men from the Specialized Forces had arrived and


    opened the car door, pointing their guns at them.


    ¡°You are both suspects of a serious criminal act! Please cooperate with us in the investigation and


    come out of the car with your hands above your heads!¡±


    It¡¯s over! Everything is over now!


    Daniel¡¯s vision immediately went ck, and he passed out from the shock.


    On the other end, Cecilia was leading Wendy out to the auditorium from the backstage.


    Wendy was silently praying that the students backstage would not spread nonsense about her once


    they left the ce. She turned back and noticed the distraught expression on Cecilia¡¯s face.


    Taken aback, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mom? What did Dad say?¡±


    After Daniel¡¯s yelling, a bunch of noises then came on the line, and Cecilia only managed to catch a


    few keywords indistinctly, such as ¡°Specialized Forces¡± and ¡°suspects.¡±


    Despite having no idea what was happening at Daniel¡¯s end, her instinct told her that something


    exceedingly serious had just happened.


    And whatever it was, it probably had to do with the reason their cards could not work earlier.


    ¡°Something may be up. We need to go to the airport to meet your father right now.¡±


    ¡°The airport? Why do we have to meet Dad there? Aren¡¯t we only going back next week?¡± asked


    Wendy, caressing her swollen cheek.


    ¡°I have no idea either! Let¡¯s get to the airport first!¡± Cecilia was overwhelmed with frustration.


    ¡°B-But I still have ss tomorrow¡­¡± Wendy started to speak but immediately fell silent once she saw


    the grim look on her mother¡¯s face.


    She had never seen her mother with such a terrifying expression before, not even when Aaron struck


    her earlier.


    ¡°What exactly is happening, Mom?¡±


    ¡°Just stop asking these questions!¡± Cecilia grabbed her hand and headed toward the auditorium¡¯s exit


    withrge strides.


    Just then, the leader of the Specialized Forces backstage received a phone call.


    Seeing the name disyed on the screen, he picked up the call at once.


    After a few seconds on the line, the leader merely responded with a ¡°yes¡± and waved his hand, leading


    his men out of the backstage.


    Marcus was visibly puzzled. ¡°Arielle, I forgot to ask you just now, but why are the Specialized Forces


    here?¡±


    The Specialized Forces normally only attended to cases that concerned the aristocracy, major


    corporations, or other serious crimes. He had never heard of them appearing in schools before.


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Let¡¯s go out and have a look.¡±


    They both nodded and ran after the Specialized Forces.


    Meanwhile, since the charity event had ended, everyone was finally checking their phones.


    When they saw the news on Greene Corporation, not only were they shocked, but rage instantly shot


    through their hearts as well.


    What an hical and ruthlesspany! It should be closed down!


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Wendy the daughter of the owner of Greene Corporation? Why is she still allowed to attend


    school here like the rest of us?¡±


    ¡°Look! She¡¯s right there! Let¡¯s go after her!¡±

 Chapter 1003

    Chapter 1003


    Chapter 1003 Watch Yourselves


    Cecilia was just about to exit the auditorium with Wendy when a swarm of students suddenly came and


    blocked their way.


    Automatically assuming that they were Arielle¡¯s fans, Wendy immediately scowled. ¡°What are you


    trying to do? Go away!¡±


    The student in front sneered. ¡°Go away? Even if thew lets you go, we won¡¯t! Students like you don¡¯t


    deserve a ce in Jadeborough University!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! You¡¯re the ck sheep of our school! An utter embarrassment!¡±


    ¡°Get the f*ck out of our school! But before that, bow and apologize to the victims in front of us!¡±


    Wendy was both infuriated and nonplussed at the same time.


    I only suspected Arielle of cheating on a test. How am I suddenly the ck sheep of the school?


    As for Cecilia, she simply could not tolerate the students¡¯ jeers and insults. ¡°Don¡¯t you know who we


    are? I¡¯m Mrs. Greene, wife of the Chairman of Greene Corporation! Aren¡¯t you all in school right now


    just so you couldnd a good jobter on? Then how do you expect yourself to be able to do that if you


    offend us now?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ Greene Corporation? What a joke! Yourpany is about to be closed down! Don¡¯t you


    know that, Mrs. Greene?¡±


    Cecilia and Wendy paled at once.


    ¡°What nonsense are you spouting now? There¡¯s no way ourpany is shutting down, not even if the


    world ends tomorrow!¡± Wendy retorted at once.


    At this moment, Susanne suddenly emerged from the crowd.


    ¡°Mrs. Greene, Wendy, are you still unwilling to admit your mistakes even now?¡±


    The look on her face was stern beyond description.


    Cecilia furrowed her brows. ¡°What do you mean, Susanne? Are you certain you want to go against us


    and side with that b*stard, Arielle?¡±


    The moment she uttered the word ¡°b*stard,¡± the students immediately began raging.


    ¡°Hey, who are you calling a b*stard?¡±


    ¡°How could you punish the child with the mistakes made by her parents?¡±


    ¡°Before you talk sh*t about our goddess, perhaps you should mind your own nutcase of a daughter


    first!¡±


    Wendy¡¯s face instantly turned red with fury.


    ¡°Who are you calling a nutcase?¡±


    ¡°Well, who¡¯s answering to it?¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Susanne cut them all off and went on with a smirk, ¡°You were actually spot-on just


    now. I¡¯m indeed going against you, although I doubt you¡¯re even worthy of being my enemy, to be


    honest.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°Looks like you two really have no idea what just happened, huh? Let me give you a hint, then. If you


    want to find out, all you need to do is to go online. Now, the entire country knows about the


    unscrupulous things you¡¯ve done!¡±


    Cecilia had been having a bad feeling for some time now. Hearing that, she checked her phone at


    once. Wendy leaned over to look as well.


    When they saw that there were three trending headlines, and all three were news exposing the


    scandals of Greene Corporation, they both became utterly dumbfounded.


    Then they saw the Specialized Forces¡¯ post announcing that they were executing an investigation on


    the Greene family. Cecilia merely stared at it as if she was broken, unable to speak a word.


    Not only had the Specialized Forces intervened in the investigation, but they also assured the case


    would be handled strictly, and the offenders would be punished heavily once the case was


    substantiated.


    Cecilia knew better than anyone else how corrupt Greene Corporation was, and now that the


    Specialized Forces had taken over the case, that meant their entire family was doomed.


    No wonder!


    She suddenly understood why their cards were unusable earlier. Of course, those cards would not work


    now that all their funds had been frozen.


    Besides, it was also obvious that Susanne knew about this news the whole time.


    That exined why Susanne¡¯s attitude toward her and Wendy changed so dramatically since the start


    of the charity event.


    And all this definitely has something to do with Vinson!

 Chapter 1004

    Chapter 1004


    Chapter 1004 Viin


    ¡°How¡­ How did this happen?¡±


    Unable to cope with the psychological impact, Wendy slumped weakly to the floor as her legs gave


    way.


    She didn¡¯t think the world woulde crashing down on her like that, especially in a way that only


    affected the Greenes.


    Suddenly, Wendy noticed a pair ofbat boots appear in front of her.


    She looked up instinctively, only to see Arielle standing in front of her with an expressionless look on


    her face.


    With her sitting on the floor and Arielle standing, it was clear who had the upper hand.


    Even so, Wendy refused to ept her fate.


    I¡¯m the most famous celebrity in Horington! There¡¯s no way I¡¯d let a b*stard bumpkin crush me beneath


    her heel!


    ¡°Did youe here to mock me? If yes, then you¡¯re not worthy of doing so! You¡¯re nothing but a


    homeless, illegitimate child! Don¡¯t think this makes you any better than me!¡± Wendy said coldly through


    gritted teeth.


    Arielle simply shed her a faint smile as she replied calmly, ¡°I¡¯m an illegitimate child, and you¡¯re a


    prisoner. I can¡¯t really tell who¡¯s worse, but I am d that a guy like Henrick isn¡¯t my father. How about


    you? Do you regret being born into the Greene family?¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Wendy wished she could strangle Arielle to death on the spot, but she was so weak that she


    could barely even stand up.


    ¡°Get up, Wendy!¡± Cecilia called out to her after recovering from the shock.


    Unaware that Daniel had been arrested, she was desperate to meet up with him at the airport.


    We need to hurry up and meet Daniel at the airport¡­ Chanaea¡¯sws will no longer apply to us once


    we make it out of the country!


    ¡°Forget about her! Things have taken a turn for the worse! We need to leave now!¡± Cecilia shouted


    while pulling Wendy to her feet.


    Right as the two were about to leave, men from the Specialized Forces pushed their way through the


    crowd and stood before them.


    ¡°You two aren¡¯t going anywhere!¡±


    Cecilia froze. ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡±


    A member of the Specialized Forces was about to say something when a deep voice cut him off,


    ¡°Greene Corporation is suspected of serious vitions of thew. We have obtained a warrant for your


    arrest. You two areing with us to the headquarters for further investigation!¡±


    This voice¡­


    Wendy¡¯s eyes went wide as she turned toward the direction of the voice and saw the silhouette of a tall,


    handsome man approaching.


    Vinson!


    Wendy was rooted to the spot and shuddering violently all over.


    He was still dressed in ck as when he was backstage and looked extremely intimidating with a team


    of Specialized Forces members following behind him.


    Those who were standing before them all saluted Vinson respectfully the moment they saw him.


    ¡°Captain Nightshire!¡±


    Cecilia¡¯s eyes went wide from shock. ¡°You? You¡¯re the captain of the Specialized Forces?¡±


    Vinson ignored her question and simply nced past her as though she was a disgusting cockroach as


    he ordered, ¡°Take them away!¡±


    The Specialized Forces members then handcuffed the two and dragged them outside while Wendy


    struggled in vain.


    It was the first time she had experienced such humiliation.


    She could clearly feel every student and parent staring at her as though she were some kind of viin.


    No! I can¡¯t go to jail! I have a bright future waiting for me!


    ¡°Mom!¡± Wendy nced at Cecilia with a pleading look, only to see her cock her head back while


    cackling like a madwoman.


    ¡°Hahahahaha¡­¡±

 Chapter 1005

    Chapter 1005


    Chapter 1005 Do You Take Me For A Child


    ¡°Mom?¡±


    Cecilia didn¡¯t hear her as she wasughing and crying at the same time while staring at Vinson.


    ¡°Captain¡­ You¡¯re actually the captain of the Specialized Forces! Hahahaha!¡±


    So, us Greenes have never stood a chance against Vinson to begin with! I can¡¯t believe I threatened


    Susanne, thinking Vinson would have no other choice but to be with Wendy¡­ In reality, we were


    dooming ourselves by making an enemy out of the Nightshires! Even so, this change of events is


    happening way too quickly! What a joke! I¡¯m such a f*cking joke!


    ¡°Hahahahaha¡­¡± Cecilia couldn¡¯t even tell if she wasughing at her fate or at herself, much to


    Wendy¡¯s dismay.


    Oh, no¡­ With the state Mom is in, there¡¯s no one else who can help me! Wait, no¡­ Dad! I¡¯ve still got


    Dad to help us out!


    ¡°You can¡¯t take me away! I want to see my dad!¡±


    The deputy captain of the Specialized Forces snickered as he said, ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry! We¡¯re taking you


    to see your dad right now!¡±


    Wendy¡¯s mind went nk for a moment before she asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve already taken the chairman of Southall Group into custody. You three are going to aid us in the


    investigation. If you cooperate with us, we might just let you see each other before you all get trialed in


    court.¡±


    Those words struck Wendy like a bolt from the blue.


    Dad has been arrested too? In that case, what hope do I have left? Hold on¡­ If Vinson is the captain


    of the Specialized Forces, then surely he must be able to help me out!


    With that in mind, Wendy turned toward Vinson and begged desperately, ¡°Vinson! I don¡¯t know anything


    about what my family has done! Will you please let me go? I¡¯ve never done anything to wrong you¡­¡±


    ¡°Your involvement in your family¡¯s affairs will be revealed once the investigation ispleted,¡± Vinson


    replied coldly.


    Realizing all hope was lost, Wendy let out a wry chuckle as she asked, ¡°I love you so much, Vinson¡­


    Do you not care about me? Not even a little?¡±


    Vinson wrapped an arm around Arielle¡¯s waist and said, ¡°You are unworthy.¡±


    The Specialized Forces members then dragged Wendy out of there before she could say anything


    further.


    With the two of them being taken away, the crowd in the auditorium no longer had any reason to stick


    around. Under the instructions from the university staff and the Specialized Forces members, everyone


    left the auditorium in an orderly manner.


    Just like that, the charity event came to an end with the arrest of Cecilia and Wendy.


    Vinson shifted his gaze back toward Arielle and asked worriedly, ¡°I didn¡¯t scare you, did I?¡±


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°No. How are things going on your end? Did you manage to catch that guy?¡±From N?velDrama.Org.


    Naturally, she was referring to Aaron.


    Vinson was about to say something when Susanne cleared her throat loudly from the side and stared


    at his hand that was wrapped around Arielle¡¯s waist.


    Arielle knew Susanne had yet to ept her fully, so she quickly brushed Vinson¡¯s arm off and took a


    few steps away from him.


    ¡°Ahem!¡± Susanne cleared her throat once more as she approached Arielle with an outstretched hand.


    ¡°Give it back to me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Arielle was confused.


    ¡°The lucky coin. You¡¯re done using it, right? It¡¯s time to give it back to me,¡± Susanne mumbled with an


    awkward expression on her face.


    Arielle couldn¡¯t help but smile at how childish Vinson¡¯s mother could be at times.


    She then whipped out the lucky coin from her pocket and handed it back to Susanne as she said,


    ¡°Thanks, Mrs. Nightshire. I probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to answer those three questions if it


    weren¡¯t for this lucky coin.¡±


    Susanne pouted in response. ¡°What, do you take me for a child or something?¡±

 Chapter 1006

    Chapter 1006


    Chapter 1006 Not Suffering At All


    Susanne knew full well that a lucky coin wasn¡¯t enough to help Arielle solve those three difficult


    questions.


    Although her tone was a little unpleasant, the atmosphere was surprisingly friendly.


    ¡°I¡¯m warning you¡­ You only have three months to prove your value, you hear? You¡¯ll still have to leave


    my son if you fail to do so!¡± Susanne said coldly as she took the coin from her.


    Arielle¡¯s expression grew serious instantly. ¡°Right. In what aspect am I supposed to prove my value?¡±


    ¡°All aspects.¡±


    Arielle nodded profusely. ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Mom, you¡­¡± Vinson was about to say something, but Arielle stopped him with a quick nce.


    It wasn¡¯t easy getting Susanne to loosen up a little, so it would be best if Vinson kept quiet, as his


    defending her would only worsen things.


    Arielle had learned enough psychology from the Wilhelms and understood Susanne¡¯s personality type


    really well. She knew that doing things by the book was the only way to gain her approval.


    Although Vinson had held his tongue, Susanne shifted her gaze toward him anyway.


    ¡°I know you two are currently living together. If you still acknowledge me as your mother, then you will


    move back home tomorrow. I do not approve of unmarried couples living together.¡±


    Before Vinson could even respond, Susanne turned toward Arielle and continued, ¡°In view of your


    current homeless state, I will allow you to stay with us in the manor. We¡¯ll have the room on the third


    floor cleaned up and prepared for you.¡±


    Arielle quickly nodded in agreement before Vinson could say anything about it. ¡°Thank you, Mrs.


    Nightshire.¡±


    Susanne pouted once again and tightened her grip on the coin before strutting out of there.


    She was in a great mood that day, so she was willing to take Arielle in for a while.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you let me talk to her? I¡¯ll stay with you in the mansion if you¡¯re not used to the manor.


    You don¡¯t have to care that much about what she thinks.¡± Vinson spoke up the moment she left.


    He had never been the type who would obey his mother unconditionally.


    ¡°Underlings shouldn¡¯t interrupt when the bosses are talking. I¡¯ve decided I¡¯m going to move in to the


    manor with you!¡± Arielle said while jabbing a finger at Vinson¡¯s soft yet cold cheek.


    Vinson burst outughing. ¡°Bosses?¡±


    ¡°Am I wrong?¡±


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Vinson shook his head. ¡°Nope! You¡¯re my boss from now on!¡±


    Arielle jabbed at his cheek again as she continued, ¡°Your mom too. You may not have said so, but I can


    tell you really want her to give us her blessings. So, I¡¯m going to work hard to make that happen,


    regardless of how things turn out in the end.¡±


    Vinson grabbed the back of her hand and gave it a kiss as he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry you have to suffer


    because of me.¡±


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°Not at all. Your mom will also be my mom in the future. I don¡¯t have any


    actual family, but I will when she bes family. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t think working hard to earn her


    liking is suffering.¡±


    Vinson was so touched that his heart meltedpletely.


    I was nning on handing over my position as chairman of Nightshire Group to Mom if she refused to


    ept Arielle. That way, I would be able to repay Mom for raising me and leave with Arielle. After all,


    Nightshire Group has enough money for Mom to live the rest of her life in luxury, but I am all Arielle


    has. Of course, being able to have both sides covered is indeed the ideal oue. However, does


    Arielle really not find it suffering in the slightest?


    With that thought in mind, Vinson found himself frowning once again.

 Chapter 1007

    Chapter 1007


    Chapter 1007 Do Something Adults Do


    The next thing he knew, a slender hand had reached out and caressed him on the forehead.


    Vinson looked down at Arielle, who was gazing affectionately at him, and found himself captivated by


    her alluring eyes.


    That was when his heart began to race and he felt his blood rushing somewhere else.


    How about we move into the manor tomorrow instead? I¡¯m sure Mom wouldn¡¯t mind if we spend


    another day together! If my calctions are correct, Arielle¡¯s period should be over by now¡­


    Vinson was snapped out of his lewd train of thoughts when Arielle said, ¡°You¡¯ll get wrinkles very soon if


    you keep frowning, old man!¡±


    ¡°Old man?¡± Vinson was so taken aback that he had to force those words out of his mouth.


    Unaware of the difference in his tone, Arielle held her fingers out and counted as she said, ¡°I¡¯m twenty-


    two, and you¡¯re twenty-seven. You¡¯re five years older than me and hitting your thirties soon. It¡¯s only


    natural that I find you old, isn¡¯t it¡­ Aah!¡±


    She was interrupted mid-sentence by Vinson who suddenly pushed her toward the wall and pinned her


    against it with his body.


    Trisha and Jared were looking for Arielle at the entrance of the auditorium. Trisha was about to scream


    when she saw their little public disy of affection, but Jared mped his hand over her mouth and


    quickly dragged her behind a tree.


    Trisha¡¯s face burned bright red and her eyes went wide as she watched the two from afar.


    ¡°Shh¡­¡± Jared motioned at her to stay quiet, only breathing a sigh of relief after confirming they hadn¡¯t


    been spotted.


    He then turned toward Trisha and was about to say something when he noticed her blushing cheeks


    under the dim lighting of the streetmp. Realizing something was off, he quickly let go of her and


    cleared his throat awkwardly as he said, ¡°Looks like Boss has someone to keep herpany tonight.


    Let¡¯s ask her out for supper at another time, then.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Trisha nodded with her face still red.


    She was about to run off when she heard Jared call out to her from behind, ¡°How about we go have


    supper to celebrate you getting into the top five?¡±


    Trisha paused for a moment, only to blush even harder afterward.


    Meanwhile, Vinson narrowed his eyes and broke into a perverted smile as he asked, ¡°Is that so?


    Maybe I ought to show you how young I am with a more physical approach.¡±


    Being sandwiched between a wall and Vinson¡¯s body, Arielle had nowhere to run.


    Realizing the danger she was in, she stammered nervously, ¡°N-No need for that¡­ You¡¯re really young!


    In fact, you¡¯re in the prime of your life!¡±


    ¡°The prime of my life, you say? Looks like I¡¯ll really have to prove myself, then! All right, we¡¯re heading


    back to the Maple Mansion tonight! Moving in to the manor can wait till tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯ve promised your mom that we¡¯d move in tonight!¡±


    ¡°It takes time to move all of our stuff over, so we can do that tomorrow. Tonight, you and I are going to


    do some stuff that people in their prime do!¡±


    With that, Vinson gave her a deep and passionate kiss before dragging her outside.


    ¡°Where are we going¡­¡±


    Arielle¡¯s voice trailed off in the noisy winds at night.


    Meanwhile, Aaron was sulking like never before in the back of a speeding MPV.


    The bloodstains on his handsome face added a hint of fierceness to his appearance.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Here, I¡¯ll help you disinfect that wound, Mr. Aaron.¡±


    ¡°F*ck off!¡± Aaron smacked his subordinate¡¯s hand aside and red angrily at them as he shouted,


    ¡°You¡¯re all a bunch of worthless trash! What¡¯s the point of training in martial arts from a young age


    when an ordinary guy like Vinson could catch you all with ease?¡±

 Chapter 1008

    Chapter 1008


    Chapter 1008 Ordinary Vinson


    Vinson is just an ordinary man, and yet he was able to take out all ten of my men who have been


    trained in martial arts! On top of that, he even cut my face with a knife! Thank goodness I brought


    enough men with me, or he would¡¯ve caught me as well!


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it! He¡¯s just a man! Just an ordinary man!¡± Aaron muttered through clenched teeth.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Aaron! It¡¯s my fault for not protecting you well enough and letting you get hurt! I¡¯m willing


    to ept any and all punishment¡­¡±


    ¡°Punishment? Your life isn¡¯t even worth a single drop of my blood!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir! I¡¯m deeply sorry for causing the loss of your precious blood! Please give me a chance to


    make things right by helping you carry out the next task!¡± replied the subordinate with a deep frown.


    The look of rage in Aaron¡¯s eyes faded slightly after he heard that.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll give you a chance to make it up to me. Find out who the next head of the Mills is and win


    the person over. Turlen is more advanced than any other country in the world in every aspect except


    medicine. If we can convince that person to join our side, then¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir! I¡¯ll get to the bottom of it as soon as possible!¡±


    ¡°Also¡­¡± Aaron wiped the blood off his face as he continued in a menacing tone, ¡°Find out why the duke


    is here in Jadeborough University today.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s probably after Vinson, right?¡± asked the subordinate.


    Aaron shook his head. ¡°No. He wouldn¡¯t have shown up in a university with that many people around if


    he were. I have a feeling he¡¯s after something else. Go find out what that is, but make sure to keep a


    low profile so you don¡¯t alert anyone.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡±


    Aaron got out of the car when it stopped next to a helicopter. He slowly opened the palm of his hand,


    revealing a strand of hair that he had pulled off Arielle when she was in his arms earlier.


    I don¡¯t know what Father wants this for, but I should at least report in now that I¡¯vepleted my first


    task.


    ¡°I¡¯ll most likely be back after three days. Keep an eye on the Mills and the duke. Notify me immediately


    if anything happens.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡±


    The subordinate waited till Aaron¡¯s helicopter had disappeared from sight before breathing a huge sigh


    of relief.


    After getting back into the car, he changed into some ragged clothes and mmed his hand so hard


    that he shattered the joints in his wrist.


    Even so, there wasn¡¯t even a frown on his face as he instructed the driver, ¡°Take us to the Mills¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡±


    Donovan, who was already on the verge of breaking down, broke downpletely when he heard


    about Wendy being taken away by the Specialized Forces.


    He threw his phone away and swept everything off his desk out of frustration.


    I thought I¡¯d be able to graduate from Maxwell University if I could get Arielle to sit for its early


    admissions exam, but¡­ in order to prevent me from graduating, she lied and imed she was giving


    up her spot because she already graduated from Maxwell University!


    To make matters worse, my brightest student, Wendy, is going to jail! It¡¯s going to be much harder


    getting three students into Maxwell University now¡­ Terry and that student who came in behind him


    are okay, but what about the others? Although Trisha¡¯s results are considered excellent, her chances of


    getting into Maxwell University are still very slim. At this rate, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to get three


    students into Maxwell University¡­

 Chapter 1009

    Chapter 1009


    Chapter 1009 Expecting Grandchildren Soon


    ¡°Idiots! Idiots!¡± Donovan yelled at the top of his lungs.


    Due to the great soundproofing in the teacher¡¯s dormitory, the lecturers living next to him couldn¡¯t hear


    anything.


    Even if they could, he would still yell and vent anyway.


    At that moment, he got a call from Queenie all of a sudden.


    Usually, Donovan would decline her calls and switch his phone off afterward.


    This time, however, he decided to answer the call.


    Queenie wasn¡¯t expecting him to do so. She froze for a few seconds before responding, ¡°Don?¡±


    Disgusted by how she addressed him, Donovan frowned and asked coldly, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Queenie was quick to exin, ¡°I saw it on the inte. It looked like one of your students was taken


    away by the Specialized Forces. Are you okay?¡±


    Her mentioning that sparked his anger and frustration once again as he snapped back at her, ¡°Why


    wouldn¡¯t I be okay?¡±


    Queenie had gotten used to that tone of his. She was d that he would even answer her call.


    ¡°I was just a little worried about you, that¡¯s all. You need to get three students into Maxwell University in


    order to get a teaching certificate there, right? I was afraid that this incident would affect you. Are¡ª¡±


    Donovan interrupted her mid-sentence, ¡°It won¡¯t!¡±


    Even without Wendy, I could still take my chances with the other four students. Who knows, maybe fate


    will surprise me in a good way?


    Queenie breathed a sigh of relief after hearing that. ¡°I¡¯m d it won¡¯t. Mom was asking me if you want


    to move back in. Do¡­ Do you want to? You¡¯ve been staying in the dorm for a very long time, so your


    nkets and stuff probably need to be changed. I told Mom I¡¯d give you a call and ask you¡­¡±


    Queenie paused for a bit and quickly added, ¡°But it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t feel likeing back. I¡¯ll just tell


    her you¡¯re busy with work at the university.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going back.¡±


    Queenie had expected for him to say that.


    She was actually a very conservative woman, a trait that she had most probably inherited from her


    father. As she already married Donovan and became the head of the Mill family, she couldn¡¯t get a


    divorce easily and had to dedicate herself to him.


    She believed that Donovan, who came from a family of educators, was surely a family man deep down


    inside.


    She also believed that the two of them would eventually be a loving couple over time.


    Although Queenie was a little disappointed by Donovan¡¯s reply, she tried her best to maintain her


    gentle tone as she said, ¡°I know, I¡¯ll tell Mom you¡¯re really¡ª¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be going back there. You shoulde over instead,¡± Donovan cut her off before she could


    finish her sentence.


    Queenie paused for a moment before eximing in surprise, ¡°You mean you want me to live in the


    dorm with you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Donovan replied with a gloomy and mysterious look in his eyes.


    Oblivious to what was going on in his head, Queenie nodded and agreed to it immediately. ¡°Okay, sure!


    Wait for me. I¡¯ming over right now!¡±


    She then hung up the phone, told Alice about it, quickly packed her stuff, and rushed over to


    Jadeborough University.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    The worried frown on Alice¡¯s face was reced by a relieved smile as she watched Queenie leave the


    house in a hurry.


    These two are finally acting like a normal couple¡­ Looks like I might just be expecting grandchildren


    soon!

 Chapter 1010

    Chapter 1010


    Chapter 1010 You Are Mine


    As they had gotten married without a wedding, I was really worried that their marriage wouldn¡¯tst.


    Judging by the looks of things now, it seems I was mistaken! They¡¯re clearly just going through the


    usual quarrels between married couples and will work things out after a while! I should probably go visit


    my husband overseas for a few days to give them some privacy!


    With that in mind, Alice happily purchased the flight tickets and left that very night.


    Meanwhile, Queenie had finally arrived at Jadeborough University. The ce looked really serene and


    beautiful at night.


    She quickly made it to Donovan¡¯s dorm room and knocked on the door.


    Knock! Knock! Knock!


    The stench of alcohol flooded her nose the moment the door was opened a secondter.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been drinking¡­¡±


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Donovan dragged her inside before she could finish her sentence. The next thing she knew, he had her


    pinned down on the bed.


    Her gaze fell upon his Adam¡¯s apple, which was really huge and reeked of masculinity.


    Donovan¡¯s face was slightly flushed due to the alcohol at the time, but he still looked amazing thanks to


    his tall nose and charming eyes, which she really liked.


    Although he wasn¡¯t on the same level as Vinson in terms of appearances, he was considered incredibly


    handsomepared to most men out there.


    Queenie got so turned on that she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the throat.


    Donovan tensed up from her sudden advance and got aroused as well. Thanks to the alcohol numbing


    his senses, he saw Arielle¡¯s face when he looked at Queenie.


    Arielle¡­


    Donovan swallowed hard before giving Queenie a deep and passionate kiss on the lips.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time the two of them had sex, and they took each other¡¯s clothes off fairly easily.


    Donovan gave Queenie a nibble on the ear, causing her to squeal in surprise.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    After some brief forey, Donovan began going at it while Queenie went limp and let him have his way


    with her.


    The two of them did it in all sorts of different positions and took turns being on top as if they were trying


    to dominate each other.


    With his body covered in sweat, Donovan finally released his load in an explosive climax.


    Queenie shuddered and hugged his waist tightly as she eximed in satisfaction, ¡°You¡¯re so good at


    this, Don¡­¡±


    However, she tensed up instantly when she heard Donovan mumble in his state of delirium, ¡°Arielle¡­¡±


    He then rolled to her side and fell into a deep sleep.


    Despite it being a hot summer night, Queenie felt chills all over.


    ¡°Cold¡­ It¡¯s so cold¡­¡± She was shivering so much that she could barely speak, but Donovan was out


    cold and didn¡¯t feel a thing.


    After a brief pause, Queenie got up and went to take a shower in the bathroom.


    She then picked up her phone by the bed and got ready to leave.


    However, she stopped in her tracks when she got to the door.


    Arielle¡­ No, I can¡¯t lose to her! If I get a divorce with Donovan now, I¡¯ll lose my chance at bing the


    head of the family and lose to Arielle forever! I won¡¯t lose to that b*tch!


    Queenie clenched her teeth and stared at Donovan, who was sleeping soundly for quite a while.


    Eventually, she got undressed again andy down beside him.


    ¡°Oh, Don¡­ You¡¯re my man, and no one¡¯s going to take you away from me. I won¡¯t let that happen!¡± she


    said coldly while gently caressing his face.

 Chapter 1011

    Chapter 1011


    Chapter 1011 A Strange Feeling


    Donovan frowned and turned to the other side before continuing to snore away.


    While he slept like a log, Queenie stayed wide awake and stared at the ceiling the entire night.


    Her mind was in aplete mess as faint images of Arielle¡¯s face kept popping into her head.


    Before heading back to the Maple Mansion, Vinson handed the bloodied dagger over to the deputy


    captain of the Specialized Forces.


    ¡°Get an analysis on the blood and check the global database for any information it has on this person.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡±


    Having taken care of official business, Vinson began driving Arielle back to the mansion. ¡°Who does


    the blood on that dagger belong to?¡± Arielle asked from the passenger seat.


    ¡°The guy backstage from earlier.¡± Vinson¡¯s expression turned gloomy at the mention of Aaron.


    Had it not been for Arielle¡¯s sudden ¡°injury¡± at the time, he probably would¡¯ve killed Aaron on the spot.


    Noticing the anger in Vinson¡¯s eyes, Arielle reached out to hold Vinson¡¯s hand on the steering wheel


    and said, ¡°Vinson, I don¡¯t like you getting yourself into trouble because of me. You would suffer serious


    legal repercussions if you killed that guy in front of all those people.¡±


    Vinson pursed his lips as the look of anger in his eyes faded slightly.


    He simply interlocked fingers with Arielle and continued driving in silence. Although he didn¡¯t say


    anything, his actions spoke louder than words.


    Arielle made sure he had calmed down before speaking up again. ¡°Trisha told me about that guy. He¡¯s


    a new transfer student in our course. His name is Aaron, and he used to study at Maxwell University


    before transferring over. The reasons behind his transfer remain unknown, and¡­¡±


    ¡°And what?¡±


    ¡°Trisha said he has beening over to the university every day. However, he only came to see me


    instead of attending the sses. I¡¯ve been so busy that I skipped sses a lot a while back, so I only


    found out about this today.¡±


    The look in Vinson¡¯s eyes intensified as he said, ¡°Got it. His men are pretty well-trained and were


    equipped with smoke grenades manufactured in Manchernius, so he¡¯s definitely no ordinary guy.


    Inform me immediately if you see him again. Do not engage him by yourself. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°All right, sure,¡± Arielle said with a nod. She then recalled the cruise incident and told him what had


    happened on the cruise ship.


    Vinson was a little shocked when he heard that.


    ¡°So¡­ he actually saved your life by ident?¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because I¡¯ve been a little tiredtely, but I get this strange feeling


    whenever I see him.¡±


    Vinson frowned at her upon hearing that, prompting her to quickly exin herself. She said, ¡°I don¡¯t


    mean that kind of feeling! It felt as though I saw a family member or something, but I must be imagining


    things. I don¡¯t have any family members left in this world.¡±


    Vinson kept one hand on the steering wheel and squeezed Arielle¡¯s hand with the other as he said,


    ¡°Yes, you do. You have me and my mom.¡±


    Arielle shed him a faint smile in response. ¡°Yeah, I do. I also have my adoptive parents and Pat.¡±


    They soon arrived at the Maple Mansion, and Vinson went straight for the wine cab in the


    underground basement.


    A few minutester, he swirled the wine ss in his hand as he asked, ¡°Want to have a drink with me?¡±


    Arielle took the ss from him hesitantly and said, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t think I can hold my liquor really well¡­¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think?¡±


    Arielle let out an awkward chuckle as she exined, ¡°My adoptive parents let me have some


    champagne while celebrating mying of age party. I couldn¡¯t remember anything that happened


    afterward, but they told me I made a fool out of myself that time. Because of that, they¡¯ve kept me off


    the booze ever since.¡±

 Chapter 1012

    Chapter 1012


    Chapter 1012 Arielle Cannot Hold Her Liquor


    Vinson asked curiously after hearing that, ¡°What did you do? It must be really crazy if it drove the


    Wilhelms to forbid you from drinking.¡±


    Arielle blushed a little as she recalled what had happened back then.


    Although she had no memory of what she did, the Wilhelms had told her that she had passed out after


    taking a few sips.


    As they were about to help her to her room, she got excited all of a sudden and began kissing Pat like


    crazy.


    However, she was so drunk that she mistook Pat¡¯s foot for his face and ended up pecking at his foot


    instead.


    The mere thought of it disgusted her so much that she felt like puking, so she definitely wasn¡¯t about to


    tell Vinson what happened.


    ¡°I forgot. It was nothing, really.¡± Arielle shook her head. It¡¯s been so long since mying of age, so I


    should be fine with drinking a little red wine!


    With that in mind, she clinked sses with Vinson and said, ¡°Here¡¯s to the Greenes!¡±


    Vinson knew better than to question her any further and downed the wine in his ss. After that, he


    raised his ss and said, ¡°Here¡¯s to you solving those three questions and shocking everyone at the


    scene!¡±


    Arielle chuckled shyly. ¡°You knew about that?¡±


    Vinson nodded. ¡°ke told me all about it on the way from the airport. Are you sure you don¡¯t need me


    to teach Donovan a lesson? I haven¡¯t forgotten what he and Queenie did.¡±


    ¡°No, I know how to handle him. To him, the greatest suffering is not being able to graduate from


    Maxwell University. I can make sure he never gets that graduation certificate so he¡¯ll suffer for the rest


    of his life,¡± Arielle replied while shaking her head.


    Instead of beating Donovan up or straight up killing him off, it¡¯d be even better to have him spend the


    rest of his life in pain and regret!


    Vinson nodded and poured himself another ss as he asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you drinking? That¡¯s a 1984


    vintage wine, you know? It tastes really good. Come on, at least give it a try.¡±


    It¡¯d be a lot easier to ¡°get things done¡± with alcohol as a catalyst!


    Arielle took a sip from her ss and frowned when the sour and bitter taste filled her mouth.


    Vinson quickly poured her a ss of water, and she felt a little better after gulping it down.


    ¡°Does it taste bad?¡±


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°No, the wine itself is fine. I just can¡¯t stand the taste of it, that¡¯s all. Looks like I


    really ain¡¯t cut out for drinking, after all!¡±


    Vinson¡¯s eyes lit up as he thought of something. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot¡­ I bought you a bottle of


    champagne from Horington to celebrate you getting first ce in the preparatory ss, but I left it in the


    car earlier. It has a fruity vor, so you¡¯ll probably find that a lot easier to drink. I¡¯ll go get it, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Arielle nodded and steadied herself as she sat down by the table.From N?velDrama.Org.


    For some reason, my head feels kind of heavy¡­ I¡¯m starting to get really sleepy, but Vinson has


    brought this champagne all the way from Horington, so I have to at least give it a try!


    Vinson opened the trunk of his car and retrieved an expensive bottle of champagne as well as a


    bouquet of roses.


    He was such a dull person who knew nothing about romance that even Jordan believed he would


    never be able to get himself a girlfriend.


    However, he was willing to slowly learn to be a romantic person for Arielle.


    In fact, he was willing to do anything for her.


    With the champagne in one hand and the bouquet of flowers in the other, Vinson was making his way


    back into the house when he heard the sound of ss shattering.


    ¡°Sannie!¡± Vinson cried out in shock and quickly ran inside.

 Chapter 1013

    Chapter 1013


    Chapter 1013 Drunk Arielle


    Upon entering the house, Vinson saw that the vase on the dining table was shattered all over the floor.


    Arielle was standing on the side with panic written all over her face.


    ¡°Sannie!¡±


    Vinson quickly ced the stuff down and rushed to her side, grabbing her hand as he asked, ¡°Are you


    hurt?¡±


    Arielle simply brushed his arm off and pointed at the broken vase while mumbling, ¡°Broken¡­ He¡¯s


    broken¡­¡±


    Vinson examined her hand thoroughly to make sure she was uninjured before breathing a sigh of relief.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a vase. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Although that vase was an antique worth tens of millions, Vinson couldn¡¯t care less about it as long as


    Arielle was all right.


    After all, a vase was nothingpared to his wife.


    Arielle seemed oblivious to what he said and sank to the floor. With a nk look in her eyes, she


    mumbled, ¡°Broken¡­ He¡¯s broken¡­¡±


    Confused as to what was going on, Vinson knelt down beside her and asked with a smile, ¡°What¡¯s


    gotten into you? It¡¯s just a vase! Why are you being so upset about it?¡±


    Tears began flowing down Arielle¡¯s cheeks secondster, much to his surprise.


    ¡°Sannie?¡±


    Arielle ignored him and began sobbing while staring at the floor. ¡°I broke Vinson¡­ I broke him¡­¡±


    After a brief moment of confusion, Vinson seemed to have realized what was going on.


    He grabbed her by the chin and turned her head toward him, only to see a nk gaze and flushed


    cheeks that indicated intoxication.


    How did she get so drunk from such a tiny sip? I know she said she can¡¯t hold her liquor, but this is a


    little ridiculous¡­


    Vinson waved his other hand in front of her face and asked, ¡°Look at me, Sannie! Can you recognize


    me?¡±


    Arielle squinted at him for a few seconds before shaking her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know you¡­¡±


    Wow¡­ She¡¯s so drunk that she can¡¯t even recognize her husband¡­ Looks like I¡¯ll have to keep her off


    the booze just like the Wilhelms did! Vinson thought to himself while grabbing Arielle by the arm to help


    her up.


    ¡°Come on, Sannie. Let¡¯s go wash your face in the bedroom.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Arielle shoved him away all of a sudden, catching himpletely off guard.


    Vinson quickly held his hand out to break his fall, only to cut his palm on a piece of broken vase that


    was lying on the floor.


    He nce at his palm in response when he felt the sharp pain and saw that it was all bloody.


    Even so, he reached out to help Arielle up again.


    Her eyes lit up when she saw the blood on his hand.


    ¡°Water!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Vinson stared at her in confusion. ¡°Are you saying this is water?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so thirsty¡­¡± Arielle simply mumbled, a pleading look on her face.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s go get you a ss of¡ª¡±


    Vinson was cut off when Arielle grabbed his hand and began licking the blood off his palm.


    The feeling of her soft tongue on his skin gave him a tingling sensation all over and gave him an


    erection instantly.


    ¡°Sannie¡­ You mustn¡¯t lick this¡­ It¡¯s dirty¡­¡± he said in a hoarse voice.


    However, Arielle tightened her grip on his hand when he tried to pull it away and even scolded him for


    it, ¡°Stop being so petty!¡±


    She then went back to licking it while Vinson stared at her speechlessly.


    This time, she ced one of his fingers into her mouth.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

 Chapter 1014

    Chapter 1014


    Chapter 1014 I Want Kisses


    With fingers being one of the most sensitive parts of the body, Arielle sucking on his finger like a straw


    and wrapping her warm, moist tongue over it gave him sensations he never knew were possible.


    It was apletely new experience for him, and Vinson began losing himself from the stimulus as well.


    After having her fill from sucking his finger, Arielle let go of his hand and continued crying about the


    vase. That was when Vinson snapped out of his daze and asked, ¡°You¡¯re ying with fire, Sannie. Do


    you know that?¡±


    Oblivious to his words, Arielle picked up a piece of the broken vase and began sucking on it as she


    said, ¡°Kiss me, Vinson¡­¡±


    ¡°Sannie!¡± Vinson carefully snatched the shard out of her hand before carrying her away from there.


    ¡°What are you doing? Let go of me! I want to kiss Vinson!¡± Arielle shouted while struggling in his arms.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Vinson maintained his grip on her and said with a wry smile, ¡°I am Vinson! Take a closer look at me,


    silly!¡±


    Arielle paused for a moment and squinted at him.


    ¡°You¡¯re Vinson?¡±


    Vinson nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. The ones on the floor were just shards of a broken vase.¡±


    Arielle shifted her gaze back and forth between the broken vase and Vinson before pping happily


    when she recognized him. ¡°Yeah, you are Vinson! You¡¯re still one piece!¡±


    Vinson gave her a pinch on the cheek. ¡°You finally recognize me, huh?¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°Yeah, I got the wrong person earlier¡­¡±


    Thinking that Arielle had finally sobered up a little, Vinson breathed a sigh of relief, only to hear her ask,


    ¡°Why are you doing a handstand, Vinson?¡±


    ¡°Me? Doing a handstand?¡± Vinson asked while pointing at his nose.


    ¡°Mm-hmm!¡± Arielle replied with a nod.


    She then knelt down beside him and asked his feet, ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired from doing a handstand for so


    long?¡±


    It was at that moment that Vinson decided he would never let Arielle drink ever again.


    He bent over and exined patiently, ¡°I¡¯m standing upright, Sannie. I¡¯m not doing a handstand. Come


    on, let¡¯s go brush our teeth and go to bed, okay?¡±


    Despite him sounding as though he was coaxing a child, it seemed to work against Arielle as she


    nodded obediently. ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    With one swift motion, Vinson scooped her up into his arms.


    ¡°Wow! You¡¯re so amazing, Vinson! I didn¡¯t know you could carry me while doing a handstand!¡± she


    cried out excitedly.


    Tired of exining himself, Vinson decided to go along with it and said, ¡°Yeah, I am. I have something


    even more amazing, though! Do you want to try it?¡±


    Under normal circumstances, she would¡¯ve hit him for saying something that lewd.


    However, the drunk Arielle nodded and agreed to it in a heartbeat. ¡°Yeah! I want to try it!¡±


    Unsure of how to respond, Vinson could only sigh as he quickly carried her upstairs.


    He was nning on having Arielley on the bed while he fetched her a towel from the bathroom, but


    she didn¡¯t let go of his neck when he set her down.


    ¡°Come on, let go of me, Sannie. I¡¯ll get you a towel so you can wash your face. You¡¯ll feel a lot better


    after that,¡± he said affectionately.


    ¡°No! I don¡¯t want you to go! I want kisses!¡± Arielle shouted with a frown.


    No man could possibly resist the temptation of his beloved woman asking for a kiss, not even Vinson.


    The fact that he was feeling incredibly horny at the time only made things worse.

 Chapter 1015

    Chapter 1015


    Chapter 1015 I Feel Like Throwing Up


    ¡°Are you sure you want kisses?¡± Vinson asked in a hoarse, sexy voice while gazing deeply into her


    eyes.


    Arielle looked really mesmerizing with her flushed cheeks, unfocused gaze, and alluring eyes.


    ¡°Yeah! I want kisses! I also want to try that amazing thing you said earlier!¡± she replied firmly.


    Vinson tensed up upon hearing that and blushed slightly as he reconfirmed it with her.


    ¡°Sannie, you¡¯re the one who asked for it, yeah?¡±


    Arielle nodded profusely. ¡°Yup, I did!¡±


    The next thing she knew, her lips were sealed by Vinson¡¯s in a deep and passionate kiss that seemed


    to suck the air out of her.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Propping himself up with one arm, Vinson took their clothes off with the other, leaving them both stark


    naked in less than a minute.


    As Vinson had always insisted on keeping his virginity for the one he truly loved, he never had any


    actual experience with sexual intercourse.


    With their clothes scattered all over the bedroom floor, the two of them stared at each other¡¯s naked


    bodies.


    Emboldened by her intoxication, Arielle made the first move and kissed him on the lips. Vinson felt as


    though his body was on fire as the mes of lust burned inside him.


    After kissing for what seemed like forever, he finally let go of Arielle as her lips had gotten a little


    swollen.


    Even so, she wasn¡¯t satisfied. She licked at her lips while looking at him.


    That little motion of hers sent Vinson into a horny frenzy and caused him to attack her lips with yet


    another barrage of kisses.


    Right as they were about toplete the final step of intercourse, Vinson heard Arielle groaning in


    difort.


    He immediately stopped what he was doing and asked worriedly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Sannie? Are you


    feeling ufortable?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s eyes teared up as she mumbled, ¡°I feel like throwing up¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The word had barely left his mouth when Arielle turned to the side and began vomiting like crazy.


    Vinson quickly grabbed a bottle of water from the nightstand and gently patted her back. He waited


    until she stopped vomiting before handing her the bottled water.


    ¡°Are you feeling better now, Sannie? Here, you can rinse your mouth and drink some water.¡±


    After taking a few sips of water, Arielle pinched her nose and shot him a look of disgust as she shouted,


    ¡°Your feet stink, Vinson!¡±


    The corner of Vinson¡¯s mouth twitched a little. ¡°Sannie, that smell ising from the stuff you puked


    up¡­¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s your feet!¡±


    Vinson let out a helpless sigh and nodded affectionately. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. It¡¯s my feet that stink.¡±


    He then picked up a jacket from the floor and put it on her before helping her off the bed. ¡°Go sit down


    for a bit while I clean up the bed, okay?¡±


    This time, Arielle did as told and sat down on the couch obediently like a cat.


    She watched quietly as Vinson cleaned up her vomit beside the bed, reced the sheets, and sprayed


    some air freshener in the room.


    The room was finally clean after about ten minutes, and the stench in the air had been reced by the


    faint fragrance ofvender.


    Vinson let out a sigh as he turned to look at Arielle, only to see her all curled up on the couch with her


    eyes tightly shut.


    She had fallen asleep, but his erection was still standing tall and waiting for him to finish the job.


    After a brief pause, Vinson walked up to her and gave her a gentle nudge on the shoulder.


    ¡°Hey, Sannie? Are you asleep? Didn¡¯t you want to try out that amazing thing of mine?¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Arielle simply let out a soft groan and switched positions as she continued to sleep.


    Damn, I thought we could continue our session¡­ Well¡­ Who says you can¡¯t go on while you¡¯re


    asleep, right?

 Chapter 1016

    Chapter 1016


    Chapter 1016 ckout From Drinking


    Having made up his mind, Vinson gently carried her onto the bed before lying down beside her.


    With his manhood still fully erect, Vinson ruffled Arielle¡¯s hair mischievously and got it all messy.


    There, she looks even more like a cat now! he thought to himself as he pinched her on the cheek just


    hard enough to wake her up.


    ¡°Hey! What are you doing?¡± Arielle red at him with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°Are you feeling better now, Sannie? Can you not sleep just yet?¡±


    ¡°No! I¡¯m tired!¡± Arielle shouted and closed her eyes again.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to see that amazing thing anymore?¡±


    Arielle forced herself to open her eyes and asked, ¡°I¡­ What is it?¡±


    Vinson pointed at his crotch. ¡°This right here.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s eyes went wide as she shifted her gaze down his body.


    It wasmon for guys topare their sizes, and Vinson had one with a size that his peers could


    only envy. As such, he was very confident in his manhood, but Arielle simply frowned and said, ¡°It looks


    so ugly!¡±


    Those words hit Vinson like a truck and crushed his huge ego in an instant.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to bed!¡± Arielle turned to the side and closed her eyes once again.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Despite all that, Vinson¡¯s urges got the better of him in the end. He grabbed her hand and manually


    pleasured himself with it, but it was still no easy task.


    Fortunately for Arielle, he was able to climax by the time her hand had started to ache.


    Having relieved his pent-up sexual frustration, Vinson took a shower before climbing back into bed and


    falling into a deep sleep with her in his embrace.


    Meanwhile, Aaron¡¯s subordinate knocked on the front door of the Mills at midnight.


    He looked just like a beggar, with his tattered clothes and dirt all over his face.


    It took about ten minutes of knocking before someone finally opened the door.


    ¡°Who is this?¡± Cornelius asked sleepily.


    ¡°Help me¡­¡±


    Cornelius¡¯ eyes shot wide open instantly when he saw the state the guy was in.


    ¡°What happened? Come in, hurry!¡±


    The night soon went by, and it was already dawn by the time Arielle woke up.


    As she slowly opened her eyes, she realized she waspletely naked and in the embrace of an


    equally naked Vinson.


    ¡°Ahh!¡± she screamed at the top of her lungs and quickly wrapped herself up with the nket.


    ¡°What is it, Sannie?¡± Vinson was still in a daze, but that didn¡¯t make him any less handsome.


    Of course, Arielle couldn¡¯t care less about his wless face. ¡°What the hell have you done to me?¡± she


    asked angrily, only to feel a sudden excruciating pain on her lips.


    As she reached out to touch her lips, she realized her palm was aching really badly as well.


    She nced at her palm in confusion and exploded with anger when she saw that it was reddened as


    though she had been starting a fire.


    ¡°Vinson! What the hell have you done to me?¡±


    Vinson sat up straight and paused briefly before asking, ¡°Do you really not remember a thing?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Arielle tried her best to recall what had happened, but she couldn¡¯t remember anything beyond him


    going out to fetch the champagne.


    She had gotten a ckout from just a single sip of red wine.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you if you can¡¯t remember,¡± Vinson said.


    Arielle quickly cupped her hands over her ears. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it!¡±


    Judging by the lecherous grin on his face, I can say it¡¯s definitely something nasty!

 Chapter 1017

    Chapter 1017


    Chapter 1017 So Embarrassing


    ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want to know?¡± Vinson asked while leaning closer toward her with a mischievous


    grin, lookingpletely different from his usual self.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Seeing that expression of his made Arielle a lot more certain that she didn¡¯t want to find out.


    ¡°As I said, I don¡¯t want to hear it!¡±


    Vinson nodded. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll show it to you, then!¡±


    He then pulled up a video on his phone while she stared at him in confusion.


    Although Arielle could tell she was the woman with the flushed cheeks in that video, she was unable to


    imagine herself behaving like that.


    She heard Vinson asking, ¡°Are you sure you want kisses?¡±


    A secondter, she heard herself replying in a girly voice, ¡°Yeah! I want kisses! I also want to try that


    amazing thing you said earlier!¡±


    Given the size and shape of the reddened spot on her palm, it didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out what


    that ¡°amazing thing¡± was.


    Not wanting to continue watching any further, Arielle snatched the phone over and deleted the video.


    Vinson didn¡¯t mind her deleting it at all, as her behavior fromst night had already been burned into his


    memory.


    Besides, it wasn¡¯t really safe to keep such videos in his phone anyway.


    ¡°There, you saw what happened! You asked for it yourself!¡± he said with an innocent expression while


    waving at her.


    I decided to record that video as a proof in case she decided to confront me about it, and it was actually


    put to good use!


    Despite her frustration, Arielle tried to y it cool and said in her most carefree voice possible, ¡°Oh,


    yeah, I get it. We¡¯ve been married for so long now, so it¡¯s fine! You don¡¯t have to worry about it!¡±


    She then nced at the bed sheets to see if there were any bloodstains on them, but it was totally


    spotless.


    Vinson knew what she was thinking and leaned in to kiss her on the forehead as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry,


    I¡¯m not the kind of guy who would take advantage of you without your consent. We¡¯ll only do it for real


    when you¡¯re conscious.¡±


    Oh, that exins my reddened palm and why it isn¡¯t sore down there¡­ I guess Vinson isn¡¯t a total


    hopeless scumbag, after all!


    With that in mind, Arielle cleared her throat and said, ¡°Turn around! I¡¯m going to get dressed!¡±


    ¡°Why do I have to turn around when every inch of your body has already been burned into my


    memory?¡± Vinson¡¯s mischievous grin caused Arielle to burn bright red all over again.


    ¡°You shameless pervert!¡± she shouted while throwing a pillow at Vinson¡¯s face.


    Instead of dodging it as most people would, he simply let the pillow hit him square in the face.


    Not only did the impact from the soft pillow not hurt at all, but it also gave him a whiff of Arielle¡¯s


    fragrant scent.


    Arielle quickly seized the opportunity to wrap herself up with the nket and ran off to her bedroom.


    It wasn¡¯t until she had locked the door behind her that her racing heart was able to slow down a little.


    Oh my god! That was so embarrassing! I can¡¯t believe I said all that! I swear, I¡¯m staying the hell away


    from alcohol from now on!


    Although it had been a rather eventful night, Vinson began to change his mind about keeping Arielle


    away from the booze.


    After all, he wouldn¡¯t be able to see that alluring side of her unless she was drunk.


    Of course, he would only let her drink when it was just the two of them, as he would kill any other guy


    who saw her in that state.


    That was simply how possessive he was.


    After getting out of bed, Vinson was about to make Arielle some breakfast when he got a call from the


    deputy captain of the Specialized Forces.

 Chapter 1018

    Chapter 1018


    Chapter 1018 Releasing Them


    ¡°Captain Nightshire!¡±


    Vinson narrowed his eyes. ¡°This had better be important.¡±


    The deputy captain shuddered upon hearing that and wasted no time getting straight to business.


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrested all the higher-ups of Greene Corporation, and they have all confessed to their crimes.


    However, there is one problem¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°You instructed me to destroy the entire Greene family, but the statements provided by Daniel and


    Cecilia match perfectly. Cecilia and Wendy were uninvolved and unaware of the crimesmitted, so


    we can¡¯t press charges against them.¡±


    The deputy captain then lowered his voice as he continued, ¡°We even tried using a level ten torture on


    Daniel during his interrogation. He passed out four times from the pain, but stubbornly insisted that his


    wife and daughter are innocent and unaware of the crimes.¡±


    Vinson narrowed his eyes in response. ¡°He sure is a stubborn one.¡±


    The deputy captain asked, ¡°What do we do now, Sir? Cecilia and Wendy are indeed clean ording to


    the evidence we have. Unless we have a legitimate reason to question them, we can¡¯t press any


    charges.¡±


    Vinson went silent and stared at the clear sky outside the window for a while before saying, ¡°Let them


    go.¡±


    The deputy captain was shocked. ¡°We¡¯re just going to release them?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t keep them detained without evidence. The Specialized Forces has rules to follow too, you


    know?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir¡­ I understand.¡±


    ¡°Even so, there¡¯s no way those two arepletely clean like that. Have someone keep an eye on them


    after you release them. I want to be updated on their every move at all times. Also, make sure to have


    all of Greene Corporation¡¯s assets seized before they go free,¡± Vinson added all of a sudden.


    ¡°Roger!¡± The deputy captain finally realized what Vinson was nning.


    Cecilia and Wendy won¡¯t just give up everything they have, so they¡¯re bound to do something after


    being released. After all, they¡¯ve gotten so used to their luxurious lifestyle that they can¡¯t possibly stand


    being poor. Most people can¡¯t go back to being poor once they have experienced what it¡¯s like to be


    rich. Human nature is simply ugly like that.


    Vinson hung up the phone after that and headed downstairs to make Arielle breakfast.


    As he was terrible at cooking, he had spent his free time reading books about it, which helped him


    improve significantly.


    He knocked on Arielle¡¯s door after he was done making breakfast.


    ¡°Sannie?¡±


    No response¡­ She¡¯s still too embarrassed to see me, huh?


    Vinson burst outughing at the thought of that and said, ¡°I made you breakfast, but I need to head


    over to thepany for a bit. I have a lot of work pending after spending two days in Horington, but I¡¯ll


    be back by five in the evening.¡±


    The door opened by a tiny crack seconds after those words left his mouth.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to work?¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Vinson nodded. ¡°Yeah, what about you? You cane to the office with me if you don¡¯t have any ns


    for today. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve seen how I look at work, have you?¡±


    ording to the countless novels about dominant CEOs that Jordan told me to read, the male lead


    characters are always described as being extremely charming when they¡¯re serious at work. As a


    result, the female lead characters often find themselves captivated just by watching them at work.


    To his surprise, Arielle refused his offer immediately.


    ¡°No, I need to take care of my withdrawal procedures from Jadeborough Universityter. After that, I¡¯ll


    head over to Southall Group. It¡¯s about time I changed the name of thepany.¡±

 Chapter 1019

    Chapter 1019


    Chapter 1019 Feels Kind Of Sweet


    Southall Group was Mom¡¯spany, to begin with, so it should be named Moore Group. Now that I¡¯m


    the chairman of Southall Group, I simply have to make a trip to the bank to change thepany name.


    I bet Henrick never saw thising when he changed thepany name to Southall Group back then!


    Man, I remember how I pretended to be a submissive little sheep when I first returned to the


    company¡­


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle opened the room door fully at the thought of that and asked, ¡°How is Henrick now?¡±


    Vinson replied with an ambiguous smile, ¡°Same as always. He¡¯s fainting from the pain at least twice


    every day.¡±


    As if they were talking about aplete stranger, Arielle nodded with an indifferent look in her eyes.


    ¡°Cindy¡­¡±


    Knowing what she was going to ask, Vinson replied before she could finish, ¡°The person you saw has


    already headed over to Turlen. It¡¯ll take some time to find her, but we¡¯ll catch her sooner orter.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Arielle nodded. I¡¯ll have to find a way to get myself into Turlen once I¡¯m done with things here


    in Jadeborough. The people who saved Cindy are responsible for killing my mother, and I¡¯m not going


    to let any of them get away with it!


    Arielle sat down at the dining table after seeing Vinson out the door.


    For breakfast, Vinson had prepared tacos and corn pudding.


    Technically, she was the one who made the tacos, but Vinson added the fillings.


    It looked really amazing and tasted way too great for an amateur¡¯s dish.


    Since when did Vinson learn to cook? Looks like he has been keeping a lot of secrets from me. It feels


    kind of sweet, though!


    Meanwhile, Jadeborough University had announced the rankings for the students from the regr


    ss.


    For some reason, Trisha was really curious to find out who it was that made it in and rushed over to the


    bulletin board after ss.


    A huge crowd had gathered around the bulletin board, so it took Trisha a lot of effort to squeeze her


    way through.


    The names of the six students who qualified for Maxwell University were listed on a red piece of paper.


    She was originally ranked sixth on the list but got bumped up to fifth ce when Arielle gave up her


    slot.


    The name below mine is¡­ Jared Jupiter!


    Trisha felt like the world around her had brightened up when she saw his name.


    ¡°Awesome! Congrattions, Jared! You made it! As expected of my best friend, eh?¡± Henry shouted


    from behind her all of a sudden.


    Jared is here too?


    Trisha felt her heart race at the thought of that and didn¡¯t even dare turn around as she squeezed her


    way out of the crowd on the other side.


    At the same time, Jared breathed a sigh of relief and felt like a huge burden had been lifted off his


    chest when he saw his name on the list.


    The exams for regr ss students are easier than those for preparatory ss students, but it tests


    us both mentally and physically during the process. Even so, thanks to the medicine Boss gave me, I


    don¡¯t feel tired at all even after finishing the exams. I don¡¯t know how that stuff works, but it is


    undeniable that Boss has been a tremendous help in this exam. I don¡¯t even know if I¡¯d make it to sixth


    ce without her help.


    That was when Jared caught a glimpse of Trisha, who looked like she was making an escape.


    ¡°Trisha?¡± he called out to her, only to have her quicken her pace and disappear behind the crowd.

 Chapter 1020

    Chapter 1020


    Chapter 1020 Something Going On


    Jared had confusion written all over his face. ¡°What was that all about?¡±


    Henry had noticed Trisha as well and shifted his gaze back and forth between Jared and Trisha.


    Unable to resist his curiosity, he wrapped an arm around Jared¡¯s shoulder and asked nosily, ¡°Hey, are


    you hiding something from me?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Jared questioned in confusion.


    ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb with me! Come on, out with it!¡± Henry winked at Jared like he had already figured out


    his secret.


    It was not until he saw the genuine cluelessness on Jared¡¯s face that Henry decided to spell it out for


    him. ¡°Is there something going on between you and Trisha?¡±


    Having understood what Henry was going on about, Jared frowned as he asked, ¡°How is that


    possible?¡±


    ¡°I saw you two having supper by yourselves when I came backst night. You two looked just like a


    couple on a date! Tell me, are you into her?¡±


    ¡°Enough with that crap, man!¡± Jared shoved Henry off before continuing with a stern expression, ¡°I


    can¡¯t date anyone right now. All I want is to focus on getting into Maxwell University so I can help my


    brother support the family in the future.¡±


    Grandpa isn¡¯t getting any younger, and some of his men are already coveting his wealth and power.


    Who knows what¡¯ll happen in the family once he¡¯s gone?


    ¡°Then why did Trisha run off the moment she saw you?¡± Henry asked curiously.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but there¡¯s nothing going on between us because we¡¯re not dating at all. We were going


    to invite Boss for supperst night, but¡­ Boss was a little busy, so it was just the two of us,¡± Jared


    replied while walking toward the ssroom.


    Henry scratched his head. ¡°All right, then. Damn, I was expecting to hear some juicy gossip. I guess


    you¡¯re right. Trisha isn¡¯t your type. You probably prefer girls like Boss, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Upon hearing that, Jared paused in his tracks and shot Henry a re as he said, ¡°Shut your mouth.


    You¡¯ll doom us both if you keep saying stuff like that!¡±


    Henry went pale instantly and held a hand over his mouth while making a zipping motion with the other.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    The two of them then headed over to the lecture hall together, as they both had the same ss.


    This time, however, Jared sat in the first row while Henry sat in thest row.


    Being content with what he had, Henry was not really ambitious and lived a carefree life, just waiting to


    graduate and inherit his family¡¯s wealth.


    Upon arrival at the principal¡¯s office to get her withdrawal procedures done, Arielle heard Marcus


    excitedly discussing the exam results with Jared¡¯s new homeroom teacher.


    ¡°Another perfect score? Looks like I¡¯ve found the right person this time!¡±


    She was about to knock on the door when Marcus spotted her and stood up to wee her. ¡°Hello,


    Arielle! Come, I¡¯ll pour you some tea!¡±


    ¡°No need to trouble yourself, Mr. Brown. I¡¯m here to get my withdrawal procedures done,¡± Arielle said


    while waving at him.


    Marcus froze for a moment before clearing his throat as he asked, ¡°Are you still mad about yesterday,


    Arielle? I¡¯ll consider firing Mr. Baxter if you stay!¡±


    Shaking her head, Arielle replied with a wry smile, ¡°I¡¯m not mad, Mr. Brown. I no longer have a reason


    to stay here, that¡¯s all.¡±


    She was never there to study to begin with.


    Having found some clues about the man in the photograph and confirmed that he had nothing to do


    with Jadeborough University, she no longer had a reason to stick around.


    Realizing that she had already made up her mind, Marcus had no choice but to prepare her withdrawal


    forms.


    While waiting, Arielle¡¯s gaze fell upon the exam papers on Marcus¡¯ desk.

 Chapter 1021

    Chapter 1021


    Chapter 1021 Kiss And Make Up


    Name: Jared Jupiter


    Score: 470


    He had scored full marks on every subject except Chanaean.


    ¡°We¡¯ve discovered another genius just like you, Arielle! He¡¯s your ssmate, Jared, from the same


    preparatory ss!¡± Marcus stated excitedly upon noticing her staring at the exam papers.


    Marcus valued talents over everything and appreciated talented people more than fame or material


    wealth.


    ¡°Congrattions, Mr. Brown!¡± Arielle replied with a faint smile when she saw him beaming with


    excitement.


    Marcus nodded happily, only to shrug and sigh momentster. ¡°It¡¯s a shame you¡¯re withdrawing¡­¡± he


    voiced.


    Arielle simply maintained her smile and kept quiet.


    With a principal like this, Jared won¡¯t have to worry about developing his talents even if he didn¡¯t make


    it into Maxwell University! I must say, I am rather surprised that he scored full marks on every subject


    except Chanaean! I¡¯ve always known him for being talented and smart, but I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d get this


    far.


    Afterpleting the withdrawal procedure, Marcus walked Arielle all the way to the campus gate.


    The two of them happened to bump into Queenie, who was hailing a cab at the gate.


    Both Arielle and Queenie had cold looks in their eyes when they exchanged nces, but the former


    was filled with indifference, while thetter was filled with hatred.


    As the principal was around, Queenie could not really say anything and simply nodded at him before


    leaving in her cab.


    Thinking Arielle didn¡¯t know who Queenie was, Marcus gave her a quick introduction. ¡°That is Mr.


    Baxter¡¯s wife, by the way. They seem to be a really loving couple. She even stayed over in his


    dormitoryst night!¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle was somewhat surprised to have learned that. ¡°She spent the night in Donovan¡¯s dorm room?¡±


    Marcus didn¡¯t mind Arielle addressing Donovan by name. Nodding, he answered, ¡°Yeah. They seemed


    pretty awkward with each other thest time I saw them, but I think they¡¯ve worked things out now.


    Quarrels between married couples aremon and inevitable, but they always kiss and make up in


    the end¡­¡±


    Realizing he had let the cat out of the bag, Marcus quickly stopped himself and ended the conversation


    by saying, ¡°Oops, I shouldn¡¯t have said that. Anyway, you take care now, Arielle! Feel free to drop by


    anytime, okay? We could even hire you as a lecturer if you¡¯d like!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Brown.¡± Arielle shed him a smile as she got into the car Sasha had brought around.


    Along the way to the office, she kept thinking about what Marcus said earlier and found it hard to


    believe.


    Queenie and Donovan being a loving couple? Huh¡­ Oh, well¡­ It¡¯s good news for me, I suppose. This


    way, they won¡¯t bother messing with me anymore. It¡¯s always nice to have less trouble to deal with.


    She was snapped out of her train of thoughts when Sasha turned around and asked, ¡°Where to, Ms.


    Moore?¡±


    ¡°Southall Group.¡±


    ¡°Right away.¡±


    As Sasha was a really skilled driver, it didn¡¯t take long before their car was parked in front of the


    Southall Group office building.


    Although Arielle had sent a text in the group chat summoning all higher-ups of Southall Group for a


    meeting, only a few of them were present when she entered the conference room.


    Oliver and Jacob were nowhere in sight, but that didn¡¯t surprise Arielle in the slightest.


    As she calmly walked toward the front of the table, a middle-aged man who was balding like Oliver


    stood up and uttered with a smile, ¡°Sorry, Ms. Moore. Most of the directors are either busy or outstation


    at the moment. Your message came a little too suddenly, so only a few of us are able to attend this


    meeting.¡±


    Staring at the balding man, Arielle called out to him with an expressionless look on her face, ¡°Madam


    Chairman.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The balding man was confused.

 Chapter 1022

    Chapter 1022


    Chapter 1022 They Will Not Listen To Her


    Arielle narrowed her eyes and replied in an icy voice, ¡°I¡¯ve mentioned this before. You are to address


    me as ¡®Madam Chairman.¡¯¡°


    The look on the balding man¡¯s face tensed up instantly upon hearing that.


    He wanted to burst outughing at her but found himself unable to say a word in the face of her


    domineering aura.


    After a long moment of silence, the balding man was finally able to regain hisposure and forced


    the words out of his mouth. ¡°M-Madam Chairman¡­¡±


    Arielle nodded and sped her hands together as she eyed everyone at the table.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if we don¡¯t have everyone in attendance today. I¡¯m just here to inform you all that Southall


    Group will be renamed to Moore Group starting today. I¡¯ll get the paperwork done at the bank in a bit.


    All right, that will be all. Meeting dismissed!¡±


    The balding man leaped to his feet and protested, ¡°Ms. Moore¡­ I mean, Madam Chairman, how could


    you just change thepany¡¯s name like that? Mr. Campbell isn¡¯t even here today.¡±


    Okay, this guy is one of Jacob¡¯sckeys, I see.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already informed everyone in the group chat, so him being absent is none of my concern,¡± Arielle


    stated calmly as she stood up.


    ¡°Even so, we still have to discuss this with the other directors.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a name change. As chairperson of thispany, I can make that decision without discussing it


    with all of you.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s eyes were filled with so much disdain that the man began sweating anxiously.


    ¡°Y-You¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. I¡¯m going to take a look at the AI technology department so you guys can get back to


    work now.¡± Arielle then ignored him and left the conference room after that.


    The balding man wanted to go after her, but Sasha blocked his path at the door.


    He tried to force his way past her out of desperation, only to have Sasha m him against the floor with


    a shoulder throw.


    ¡°This is for your medical fees,¡± she muttered while tossing a check at him before catching up to Arielle


    outside.


    ¡°Outrageous! Simply outrageous!¡± the balding man shouted, prompting the others in the conference


    room to follow suit.


    They had seen plenty of deception and maniption in power struggles, but Arielle was the first to use


    such a direct and brutal approach.


    It was so shocking and unusual that they could not even tell if she was na?ve or simply in stupid.


    I¡¯ve never been humiliated like this in my entire life! Just you wait, Arielle. I¡¯ll be sure to get my revenge


    on you once you get overthrown! Without your title as chairman, there¡¯s nothing a mere woman like you


    can do about it!


    With that thought in mind, the bald man felt a little better about himself and called Jacob after leaving


    the conference room.


    ¡°Mr. Campbell, that girl showed up today, iming she¡¯s going to rename thepany as Moore


    Group.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Jacob froze for a moment before continuing, ¡°Forget it. Let her be. I don¡¯t care about the


    name.¡±


    I¡¯ll rename thepany to Campbell Group when I be chairman, anyway!


    Meanwhile, Oliver, too, received a phone call about the name change.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°She¡¯s renaming it to Moore Group? Haha! That¡¯s not a bad name! Let her be!¡±


    My family name is Moore, so she¡¯ll just save me the trouble of renaming thepany when I rise to


    power!


    ¡°By the way, Mr. Moore, Arielle is on her way to the AI technology department right now.¡±


    ¡°Let her be. The team of designers working there doesn¡¯t respect me even though I¡¯m in charge of that


    department, so they sure as hell won¡¯t listen to her!¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Oliver got out of his car and entered the office building of his restaurant


    franchise.


    Jacob, too, owned apany of his own.


    Although both of their medium-sized enterprises were not as grand as Moore Group, they were still


    rather lucrative businesses.

 Chapter 1023

    Chapter 1023


    Chapter 1023 A Tool At His Disposal


    Despite Moore Group being arge enterprise, it suffered huge losses due to poor management and


    embezzlement of funds by its higher-ups. Things got so terrible that being able to cut down on losses


    was considered a huge feat.


    Southall Group¡¯s reputation took a steep dive after the incident with Henrick, so it was practically


    impossible for thepany to get out of the red.


    Oliver and Jacob were both nning on taking Southall Group for themselves so they could make a


    final profit by selling it off.


    As Southall Group was formerly Moore Group, most of its branch offices, properties, andnd were


    consideredpany assets, which would sell for an enormous sum.


    Oliver was nning on using that money to expand his restaurant franchise.


    He wanted his restaurants to have branches set up all over the world like Soir Coffee.


    To him, Southall Group was merely a tool at his disposal that would help achieve that goal of his.


    Afterpleting the name change procedures at the bank, Arielle headed over to the AI technology


    department located in a branch office separate from thepany¡¯s headquarters.


    The building had six floors, three of which belonged to the AI technology department.


    Only one of Oliver¡¯sckeys attended to Arielle when she entered the building.


    Even then, that subordinate had ill-intentions in mind and said half-jokingly, ¡°Sorry, Madam Chairman.


    The designers are all busy having a meeting to discuss the design for ourtest product. I¡¯m afraid they


    won¡¯t have time to see you at the moment. How about I take you on a tour instead?¡±


    Arielle simply shot him a re so cold and domineering that the man broke out in a cold sweat and


    found it hard to breathe.


    Damn, I¡¯ve never felt this kind of pressure even when faced with the former chairman, Mr. Southall!


    This woman is definitely something else!


    With that in mind, the man didn¡¯t dare show her any more disdain as he added with a nervous chuckle,


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth, Madam Chairman! They really are in a meeting right now!¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the conference room?¡± Arielle asked coldly.


    The design blueprint for thepany¡¯stest product, NeuroProst, was disyed on a gigantic screen


    in the conference room.


    There were several designers huddled around the screen with stressed looks on their faces.


    The one in charge of the design team was a man named Calvin Zeller.


    Despite graduating from Maxwell University, Calvin chose to lower himself and work for Southall Group.


    The only reason he did so was because Oliver promised to hand the entire technology department over


    to him upon rising to power.


    That would grant himplete freedom over how he wanted to develop the department.


    However, there were some issues with thetest product he came up with.


    NeuroProst was designed specifically with disabled people in mind. Its purpose was to rece the


    missing limbs with bionic ones.


    This technology made use of the user¡¯s brainwaves, allowing them to control the bionic limbs with their


    brains like how they would with actual limbs.


    Unfortunately, it was an incredibly difficult andplicated technology, and the experiments conducted


    so far had all ended in failure.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s find out what went wrong this time.¡± Calvin nced at one of the designers and


    continued, ¡°Kimi, are you sure there are no errors in the wiring system you designed?¡±


    The look on Kimi¡¯s face turned gloomy instantly upon hearing that. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong


    with the wiring. I think it¡¯s your programming that is faulty, Mr. Zeller.¡±


    Although Calvin had gotten into Maxwell University, he was actually awarded apletion certificate


    instead of a graduation certificate. That was one of the reasons why he could only get a job in a


    company like Southall Group.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Even so, he prided himself as an academic genius and would never admit to being inferior to others.


    As such, it was only natural that Calvin didn¡¯t take too kindly to Kimi¡¯s remark.


    ¡°What the hell are you saying? There¡¯s no way my programming is at fault!¡±


    Their argument was interrupted when the door to the conference room was suddenly opened.

 Chapter 1024

    Chapter 1024


    Chapter 1024 Do You Know Who I Am


    Kimi was a truly capable designer in the AI technology department and actually surpassed Calvin in


    terms of his skills and knowledge. In fact, there were times when he proved to be more reliable than


    Calvin.


    Having disliked Kimi for a long time because of that, Calvin was about to me theirtest failed


    experiment on the former when he got interrupted by the door opening, which made him turn toward


    the door in annoyance.


    The guy who brought Arielle to the conference room could sense the hostility in the air the moment he


    entered.


    Oh, boy. These designers are a lot nastier to deal with than Oliver. They¡¯re about to tear Arielle a new


    one!


    With that in mind, Oliver¡¯sckey stepped forward and introduced her with a smile, ¡°Everyone, this is


    the new chairperson of ourpany, Arielle Moore. She came here to visit today.¡±


    At first, Calvin was stunned by Arielle¡¯s beauty, but his expression turned dim the moment he heard she


    was here to visit.


    ¡°Visit? This isn¡¯t a freaking zoo! Can¡¯t you guys see that we¡¯re in the middle of discussing the


    company¡¯stest product?¡±


    Had Arielle not been such a pretty woman, Calvin probably would have smashed an ashtray on her


    head.


    Oliver¡¯sckey was satisfied with Calvin¡¯s reaction, but maintained a stern expression as he said,


    ¡°She¡¯s our chairperson, Mr. Zeller! How could you talk to her like that?¡±


    Calvin saw himself as a talented genius in AI technology that countless techpanies would fight


    over, so he never showed his superiors any respect.


    Having gotten used to taking that tone with Henrick when he was still in power, Calvin did the same


    here. ¡°So what if she¡¯s the chairperson? If you guys disturb me one more time, I¡¯ll quit!¡±


    Oliver¡¯sckey then quickly shed Arielle an apologetic smile. ¡°See? They¡¯re really busy, Madam


    Chairman!¡± he eximed. ¡°Shall I contact you some other time when they¡¯re free instead?¡±


    Ignoring him, Arielle asked Calvin with a cold look on her face, ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    Southall Group will belong to either Oliver or Jacob sooner orter, and they¡¯ve both promised to hand


    this entire office department. This prettydy, on the other hand, is just a temporary ceholder who


    will soon be taken out by them. I don¡¯t have any reason to be afraid of her!


    With that in mind, Calvin boldly repeated his previous statement, ¡°I said, I¡¯ll quit if you don¡¯t leave me


    alone!¡±


    He thought that would scare her off, as the AI technology department was Southall Group¡¯s only source


    of profit.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    ¡°Your resignation is approved. You may leave now.¡±


    ¡°W-What?¡± Calvin was so shocked and confused that he even began to question if he heard her


    correctly.


    ¡°You said you were going to resign, so I approved your resignation. You can leave now,¡± Arielle replied


    with a faint smile.


    Calvin was really freaking out this time.


    ¡°You¡¯re dismissing me? Do you have any idea who I am?¡±


    Arielle arched an eyebrow at him. ¡°I know who you are. Your name is Calvin Zeller, and you were a


    student at Maxwell University. However, you didn¡¯t get a graduation certificate because you didn¡¯t pass


    the final exam before graduation.¡±


    The look on Calvin¡¯s face turned somber as he broke out in a cold sweat.


    I¡¯ve never told anyone about it! How the hell did this youngdy know all that?


    ¡°What on earth are you saying? I¡¯ve graduated from Maxwell University long ago!¡± he thundered out of


    panic and rage.

 Chapter 1025

    Chapter 1025


    Chapter 1025 Keep Pretending


    ¡°Oh? Show me your graduation certificate, then,¡± Arielle challenged, never letting go of her smile.


    ¡°Keep in mind that I¡¯m asking for your graduation certificate, not yourpletion certificate.¡±


    A lot of Chanaeans could get into Maxwell University, but only the truly talented and capable ones were


    able to graduate from it.


    That was mainly because the university¡¯s graduation exam was a lot more difficult than its entrance


    exam.


    Calvin could clearly feel the judgmental stares from the other designers in the conference room.


    Had it not been for him pretending to be a Maxwell University graduate, Kimi would most probably have


    been chosen as the team leader instead.


    Fearing that he would lose his job if the truth was revealed, Calvin desperately came up with an


    excuse. ¡°Of course I have a graduation certificate, but who on earth would have it on them all the


    time?¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°Oh, right. Which batch and course were you from? I¡¯ll give your program leader a call


    to ask about it.¡±


    Hearing that, Calvin burst outughing. ¡°Huh? Program leader? You think he¡¯s someone that any


    random person can just ring up like that? Do you even know how to reach him?¡±


    ¡°Just answer the question.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s tone was so calm that it freaked Calvin out.


    Is she really able to contact my program leader? Nah, she¡¯s probably just bluffing! I have to stay cool


    and stand my ground!


    With that in mind, Calvin took a deep breath and tried his best to maintain a calm expression.


    ¡°Sixteenth batch,puter engineering.¡±


    Nodding, Arielle began dialing a number.


    Hmph! Go on, keep pretending! Maxwell University isn¡¯t your ordinary university! You can¡¯t just ring


    them up like that, especially when you¡¯re a pretentious youngdy!


    Calvin thought to himself, only to see Arielle¡¯s call get through a few secondster.


    ¡°Hello, Ms. Selena. Could you please contact the program leader for theputer engineering course?


    I need to ask about a former student named Calvin Zeller.¡±


    Calvin felt his heart skip a beat when he heard that.


    Ms. Selena is the freaking vice president of Maxwell University! Is she trying to scare me into telling the


    truth? Or does she really have Ms. Selena¡¯s contact number? No, that¡¯s impossible! Everyone knows


    Ms. Selena is the freaking She-Devil! She¡¯s always walking around with that angry face like she¡¯s about


    to eat you up! If I don¡¯t have her contact number, how could she possibly have it? Even if that really is


    the vice president on the phone, there¡¯s no way she¡¯d help her out after being spoken to so rudely like


    that! Who the hell does she think she is, anyway?


    ¡°All right, thank you very much.¡± Arielle hung up the phone after that. Staring at Calvin calmly, she


    informed, ¡°Your program leader will call me in about two minutes from now.¡±


    Hearing her, Calvin burst intoughter on the spot. ¡°Okay, sure! I¡¯ll wait for him to call, then!¡±


    Pfft! There¡¯s no way my program leader will call her!


    The other designers began to question if their doubts toward Calvin were misced when they saw


    how confident he was.


    After all, he didn¡¯t exactly live up to his reputation. Had it not been for his ims about graduating from


    Maxwell University, they would have only listened to Kimi, who was a lot more capable.


    As such, seeing Calvin so calm and confident about Arielle checking his credentials got them


    wondering if she was actually wrong about him.


    Their train of thoughts was interrupted when Arielle¡¯s phone on the table began ringing all of a sudden.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1026

    Chapter 1026


    Chapter 1026 You Sure Are Shameless


    Calvin instinctively nced at the screen to see the caller ID, but Arielle answered the phone before he


    could see the number.


    ¡°I dare you to put it on speaker!¡± he said with a sneer.


    Arielle shed him a small smile. ¡°Rx, I¡¯m nning to do just that.¡±


    With that, she pressed the speaker button, and Calvin went pale when he heard his program leader¡¯s


    voice on the other line secondster.


    ¡°Hello, San. Ms. Selena said you were looking for me.¡±


    This voice¡­ It really is my program leader!


    Arielle shot Calvin a quick nce before saying, ¡°Hello, are you the program leader for Calvin Zeller


    from the sixteenth batch?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, that¡¯s me. Is¡­ something the matter?¡±


    ¡°I just want to confirm if Calvin was awarded a graduation certificate or apletion certificate, that¡¯s


    all.¡±


    Those words left Arielle¡¯s mouth so quickly that Calvin could not even react in time to stop her.


    ¡°Oh, I remember this student very well. He made it into the university through the early enrollment


    entrance exams, but he wascking in talent. He failed some of his subjects, and his performance on


    the graduation exam was a total mess, so he wasn¡¯t awarded a graduation certificate. In fact, we didn¡¯t


    even want to give him apletion certificate at first, but we eventually changed our mind in view of


    his somewhat decent attitude.¡±


    Calvin was sweating all over when he heard that and could only pray that they would not understand


    what the program leader said.


    Unfortunately for him, the other designers had mostly graduated from prestigious universities and could


    speak enough Ustranasion to figure it out.


    ¡°All right, I understand. Thank you,¡± Arielle replied.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. It¡¯s an honor to be of assistance to you.¡±


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Arielle hung up the phone after a brief exchange and shed Calvin an ambiguous smile. ¡°Well? What


    else do you have to say? Are you going to tell me that¡¯s not your program leader¡¯s voice?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Calvin bit down on his lip so hard that he could taste blood in his mouth.


    The designers that Calvin had bullied while pretending to be a Maxwell University graduate leaped to


    their feet angrily.


    ¡°You lied to us, Calvin!¡±


    ¡°You called me trash for being a Jadeborough University graduate, but what does that make you?


    You¡¯re so terrible at your studies that Maxwell University didn¡¯t even want to give you apletion


    certificate, Calvin!¡±


    ¡°You f*cking shameless piece of sh*t!¡±


    ¡°You always sign your name on our designs and im to have guided us even though you never did


    anything! Besides, what right do you have to even give us guidance, anyway?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re nothingpared to Kimi! He has been the one supervising each and every one of our designs


    from start to finish!¡±


    After being backed into a corner, Calvin slumped weakly to the floor as his legs gave out from the fear


    and anxiety.


    Kimi, who had been bullied the most, stepped up to Calvin and red coldly at him. ¡°Calvin, is this


    what you meant when you said you were going to lead us to be the greatest AI designers in the


    world? What are you going to lead us with? Your shamelessness?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Calvin hated Kimi the most because Kimi was performing a lot better than him, despite


    graduating from a less prestigious university.

 Chapter 1027

    Chapter 1027


    Chapter 1027 You All Think I Am Weak


    After taking a moment to get back on his feet, Calvin shouted back at them, ¡°Even if I didn¡¯t get a


    graduation certificate, I still got into Maxwell University legitimately! Besides, you guys will never be


    able toplete the bionic arm without my program code, so you¡¯d better watch what you say to me! If


    I leave, I¡¯m taking my program codes with me! This product willunch in a month and the advertising


    has already been done. Let¡¯s see how you guys are going to get this product on the market, then! I


    don¡¯t mind leaving if you all want me to, but are you able to afford the consequences?¡±


    Kimi broke into a deep frown upon hearing that.


    I can write the program code too, but Calvin has been the one in charge of it since we started designing


    the bionic arm. It would take at least two weeks to write the program code from scratch and run tests


    on it. On top of that, we also need time to correct errors detected in the tests. Oh, and let¡¯s not forget


    the production process of the bionic arm, which will take at least another two weeks. We won¡¯t make it


    in time unless we can get this to work in two days!


    Calvin¡¯s words practically had all the designers by the throats.


    ¡°Your program codes belong to thepany, Calvin! You need to leave them behind if you resign!¡±


    Kimi refuted through clenched teeth.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    Calvin sneered. ¡°Heh¡­ Sorry, but I have your so-calledpany property stored in my personal cloud


    drive. Now, I¡¯ll consider staying if you all get down on your knees and apologize to me.¡±


    He then pointed at Arielle and continued, ¡°Especially you! You¡¯d better do it right now if you don¡¯t want


    yourpany to go bankrupt!¡±


    That was when Oliver¡¯sckey realized the seriousness of the situation. ¡°Madam Chairman, you may


    not know this because you¡¯re still new here, but the AI technology department is thepany¡¯s only


    source of profit,¡± he quickly informed. ¡°We¡¯ve invested a lot of money into this bionic arm project, so the


    company won¡¯t survive unless we recoup our investment by selling this product!¡±


    Arielle arched an eyebrow at him. ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°So I think you should do as he says.¡±


    Her kneeling down will both end this conflict and result in her losing her respect here in thispany!


    It¡¯d be killing two birds with one stone!


    Arielle saw right through his thoughts. ¡°You all think I¡¯m weak because I don¡¯t fight back, I see,¡± she


    commented.


    At that, Calvin narrowed his eyes. ¡°What do you mean? Are you saying you won¡¯t kneel and apologize


    to me?¡±


    The look in Arielle¡¯s eyes grew cold as she replied, ¡°No one but my mother is worthy of me kneeling.¡±


    ¡°Very well, then! In that case, I¡¯ll be on my way now! Good luck with your bionic arm!¡± Calvin shouted


    angrily with his fists clenched and began walking out of there.


    ¡°We need those program codes toplete the bionic arm, Madam Chairman!¡± Kimi voiced anxiously.


    Calvin was walking very slowly to give Arielle a chance to regret her decision, but she didn¡¯t even look


    at him. ¡°You just need the program code, right? I¡¯ll write it for you, so show me the design blueprint.¡±


    Kimi froze and asked in surprise, ¡°You know coding?¡±


    Pausing in his tracks at the door, Calvin shot Arielle a mocking smile. ¡°Do you really think you can write


    the program code for the bionic arm simply because you know a little bit about coding?¡±


    Arielle ignored himpletely and focused on analyzing the design blueprint.


    ¡°All right, there are no issues with the wiring and parts. The problem is actually in the program code


    itself,¡± she said to Kimi after checking everything.

 Chapter 1028

    Chapter 1028


    Chapter 1028 You Will All Regret This


    Arielle had been standing outside the conference room door for a long time before entering, so she had


    heard the entire argument between Kimi and Calvin.


    As such, her statement had directly approved Kimi¡¯s point and discredited Calvin¡¯s usations.


    ¡°Bullsh*t! Go ahead and write a functioning program code right now, then!¡± Calvin shouted furiously


    with his cheeks all red.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m going to do,¡± Arielle replied calmly.


    ¡°Ha! Just so you know, this bionic arm needs at least hundreds of program codes to work! Do you even


    know where to start?¡± Calvin taunted her sarcastically.


    Arielle frowned. ¡°You¡¯re too noisy.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The next thing Calvin knew, Sasha and ke showed up and began dragging him out of there.


    ¡°Hey, let go of me! Who are you people? You guys can¡¯t possibly release this product without me!¡±


    Oliver¡¯sckey began to panic as he didn¡¯t n on actually letting Calvin go like that.


    ¡°Stop! Stop it right now!¡±


    He had barely taken a step when Arielle warned him, ¡°You¡¯ll be the next to go if you try and stop them.¡±


    The man stopped in his tracks immediately.


    I¡¯m just a nobody working under Oliver, so Arielle would have no issues getting rid of me if she wanted


    to!


    With that in mind, the man could only shut up and watch as Calvin was dragged away by the two who


    were half his size.


    Calvin¡¯s personal belongings were thrown out of the office building along with him, causing him to


    wince in pain from the impact.


    ¡°You will all regret this!¡± he roared while trembling all over from the pain and humiliation.


    His voice was so loud that even Kimi could hear it from inside the conference room.


    ¡°I can write the program code too, Madam Chairman. Problem is, the product is due tounch very


    soon. All stores have already allocated the space for our product, so we don¡¯t have time to change the


    code. We might not be able to make it in time if Calvin leaves!¡± Kimi eximed with a conflicted look on


    his face.


    Looking up at him, Arielle asked, ¡°How many days do we have left?¡±


    ¡°Three days at most. We need to finish testing the bionic arm within three days.¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°I will have everything done before you guys get off work tomorrow.¡±


    Everyone went wide-eyed in disbelief when they heard that, especially Kimi, who had supervised every


    step of the project from the beginning.


    It¡¯s insanely difficult to get this product to work, and yet this beautiful youngdy over here ims she¡¯ll


    get it done by tomorrow afternoon?


    ¡°M-Madam Chairman¡­ Are you serious?¡± Kimi asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Arielle answered with a nod. ¡°I¡¯ve handled much more difficult projects before, so this one is all


    right. I can get it up and running in time, so just make sure to keep people like Calvin out of here. Don¡¯t


    want anyone sabotaging it now.¡±


    Kimi¡¯s eyes lit up instantly. ¡°Understood!¡±


    ¡°Do you mind if I bring this bionic arm home?¡± Arielle asked while cing her phone back into her


    pocket.


    ¡°No, not at all!¡± Kimi replied and motioned at her to go ahead.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Thanks. You¡¯re the team leader from now on, Kimi. I want you to take over all of Calvin¡¯s projects.¡±


    Although Kimi was really shocked, he didn¡¯t turn the offer down. ¡°Sure, I won¡¯t let you down!¡±


    ¡°Kimi, are you sure we can trust her?¡± asked one of the designers after Arielle left the room.


    ¡°We have no other choice but to trust her right now. Besides, she¡¯s definitely no ordinary person if she


    was able to contact the vice president of Maxwell University.¡±


    For some inexplicable reason, Kimi found himself trusting Arielle quite a lot.


    That was when the others recalled the phone call from earlier.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right! Even Calvin¡¯s program leader was being really polite and respectful toward her like


    she¡¯s a big shot or something.¡±

 Chapter 1029

    Chapter 1029


    Chapter 1029 Who Are You Calling Old Fashioned


    ¡°Yeah! She actually got Ms. Selena, one of the most brilliant scientists out there, to help contact


    Calvin¡¯s program leader!¡±


    ¡°Now that you mentioned it, I¡¯m starting to find her a lot more reliable!¡±


    ¡°I mean, she wouldn¡¯t have kicked Calvin out if she wasn¡¯t confident about her abilities. I bet she


    showed him no mercy because she saw no value in him whatsoever!¡±


    ¡°Oh, my god! I can¡¯t wait to see the fully functional bionic arm tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to switch up my old-fashioned striped shirt for a polka-dotted one to wee our bionic arm


    tomorrow!¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    The other designers dressed in striped shirts frowned instantly.


    Who the hell are you calling old-fashioned, huh?


    Oliver¡¯sckey had quietly left the conference room after hearing Arielle say she would fix the product


    herself, so he didn¡¯t hear anything that came after.


    ¡°What? She¡¯s going to write the program code herself? Haha! Those guys have been working on that


    project sincest year, and this is the only progress they¡¯ve made! I can¡¯t believe she thinks she can


    get it done by tomorrow afternoon!¡± Oliver burst outughing when he heard the report from his


    subordinate.


    The manughed along as well. ¡°Indeed, Sir. Madam Chairman sure loves to boast. I guess it is true


    that the young are bold and foolish. If she fails to deliver the finished product by tomorrow, we¡¯ll be able


    to use this opportunity to get rid of her!¡±


    Oliver went silent for a few seconds.


    ¡°Mr. Moore?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m listening. It¡¯s true that we can get rid of her if she fails to deliver on her promise, but what if


    she does?¡± Oliver questioned coldly.


    ¡°That¡¯s definitely impossible!¡± The man was extremely confident as he had been working administration


    in the design department and knew how difficult it was to create the bionic arm.


    To his surprise, Oliver uttered, ¡°It¡¯s not entirely impossible either. There¡¯s something you don¡¯t know


    about because you haven¡¯t been attending the executive meetings.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°That girl is a Maxwell University graduate.¡±


    Upon hearing that, the man was shocked. ¡°What? But she looks so young¡­¡±


    ¡°Which is exactly why we mustn¡¯t underestimate her.¡±


    ¡°What do you n on doing, then?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll prepare for both scenarios just in case. It¡¯d be ideal if she fails, but just in case she does¡­ I want


    you to contact the manufacturers for the bionic arm and tell them to cancel this coboration. I¡¯ll pay


    them twice as much for the overtime in private.¡±


    ¡°You sure are a genius, Sir!¡±


    Oliver was in a really great mood after beingplimented.


    He then hung up the phone and asked his assistant in front of him, ¡°What¡¯s so important that you need


    to report it right now?¡±

 Chapter 1030

    Chapter 1030


    Chapter 1030 Who Are You To Challenge Me


    ¡°I¡¯ve investigated and visited the restaurant across the street from our new branch as per your


    instructions, Sir,¡± the assistant replied.


    Oliver¡¯s expression grew serious. ¡°You mean Maureen¡¯s Kitchen?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Oliver felt a little ufortable at the mention of Maureen¡¯s name.


    She had been incredibly talented and smart since she was a kid. Not only did she outperform him in


    every aspect, but she even helped bring Moore Group to its peak shortly after graduating from


    university.


    Oliver went to Maureen for help when his family went bankrupt, but she only gave him a low position in


    herpany. To add insult to injury, Maureen told him he was unworthy of any positions higher than


    that.


    Oliver held a grudge against her until she passed away.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Ever since she died, Henrick was able to sessfully rule over her former subordinates. In fact, Oliver


    could be a director partly because of him.


    Although Oliver still found himself reminded of Maureen whenever he heard her name, it didn¡¯t really


    affect him much, as she was already deceased.


    Having regained hisposure, Oliver urged, ¡°Go on.¡±


    The assistant nodded as he continued, ¡°It¡¯s quite an old ce, but has a great reputation. Thanks to


    this new and popr mobile application called Food Reviews, it ranks right below Jadeborough Hotel.


    That resulted in a decrease in customers in our restaurant.¡±


    Oliver nodded. ¡°Noted. How are their dishes like? Do they live up to their reputation?¡±


    The assistant hesitated for a bit before replying in the most conservative way possible, ¡°They are


    indeed decent.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Oliver¡¯s expression turned dark instantly.


    The assistant was so terrified that he quickly added, ¡°It¡¯s just mediocre at best whenpared to the


    dishes in our restaurants. Although we mainly focus on western cuisine, we have incorporated


    elements from Ustranasion cuisine into our dishes as well. Our chefs have all been trained in Epea, so


    there¡¯s no way that old restaurant will stand a chance against us. Still, that branch of ours came a little


    late, so they¡¯ve managed to attract the customers beforehand.¡±


    Feeling satisfied, Oliver nodded and ordered, ¡°Very well, then. Since they don¡¯t live up to their


    reputation, I want you to go ahead and contact its owner. If the price is right, just acquire it and move


    our restaurant there.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The assistant nodded and left his office.


    ¡°Maureen¡¯s Kitchen¡­¡± Oliver scratched his ears in disgust at how inauspicious it sounded.


    After closing his eyes to collect his thoughts, Oliver decided to give Jacob a call.


    ¡°Hey, Jacob. That b*tch went to the AI technology department today¡­¡±


    Meanwhile, Calvin was still shouting and cursing at the top of his lungs when Arielle stepped out of the


    office with the bionic arm.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you throw him a little farther away?¡± she asked Sasha with a frown.


    ¡°He was too heavy,¡± Sasha responded with an expressionless look on her face.


    Triggered by what she said, Calvin ran up to Arielle and said, ¡°Do you dare ept my challenge?¡±


    ¡°Why should I? Who are you to challenge me?¡± Arielle asked with a chuckle.


    ¡°You¡¯re too scared to ept my challenge because you can¡¯t write the program codes, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Calvin bellowed through gritted teeth.


    Eyeing him from head to toe, Arielle replied, ¡°What have you possibly got to make the challenge worth


    my while? Your thick skin or yourpletion certificate?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ If you can¡¯t get the product on the market sessfully, you¡¯ll have to kneel before me and


    apologize as well as rehire me! How about that?¡±

 Chapter 1031

    Chapter 1031


    Chapter 1031 Unworthy


    Arielle arched an eyebrow at him in amusement. ¡°And what if I seed?¡±


    ¡°If you seed, I will retire from the AI design field forever,¡± Calvin replied.


    Hearing his answer, Arielle sighed in disappointment.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    Her attitude angered Calvin so much that it nearly gave him a stroke.


    ¡°What more do you want, then?¡±


    Arielle shook her head.


    ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m not epting this challenge of yours.¡±


    She then had Sasha bring the car around after saying that.


    Darn it! I¡¯ll never be able to return if she doesn¡¯t ept my challenge!


    Calvin was so desperate that he resorted to provocation. ¡°You¡¯re scared, aren¡¯t you? You won¡¯t ept


    my challenge because you¡¯re scared!¡±


    Without even batting an eye, Arielle proceeded to send Vinson a text inviting him to dinner at


    Maureen¡¯s Kitchen after work. After that, she ced her phone away and began making her way


    toward the car.


    Calvin tried to grab Arielle by the arm, but ke was quicker and subdued him with one hand before he


    could even reach her sleeve.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    He then twisted Calvin¡¯s wrist and shoved him aside, causing thetter to lose bnce and fall face-


    first onto the ground.


    The car was long gone by the time Calvin got back on his feet, much to his frustration.


    ¡°Damn it, you b*tch! Get back here!¡±


    At this time, Oliver¡¯sckey appeared behind him and said with an apologetic smile, ¡°Just ignore her,


    Mr. Zeller. She¡¯s nothing but an arrogant brat.¡±


    Under normal circumstances, Calvin would have ignored himpletely. This time, however, he


    desperately clung to his sleeve and pleaded, ¡°You¡¯ve got to help me, Mr. Lyon!¡±


    The mentioned guy gave Calvin a reassuring pat on the back of his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she won¡¯t be


    able tounch the product on time. When that happens, thepany will have a new chairman, and


    this office building will still be yours. Just do as Mr. Moore says and everything will return the way it


    was.¡±


    Calvin was no fool and could tell that Mr. Lyon wanted him to pick a side between Oliver and Jacob.


    Be it the former or thetter that would eventually rise to power, Calvin had always maintained a neutral


    stance to ensure he would reap the benefits, regardless.


    However, with the way things were at the moment, he had no choice but to pick a side.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever Mr. Moore asks of me from now on!¡± Calvin muttered through clenched teeth.


    ¡°Good, very good!¡± Mr. Lyon was grinning from ear to ear as he patted Calvin on the hand again.


    In the meantime, inside the MPV, ke asked out of curiosity, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ept his challenge,


    Arielle?¡±


    ¡°Unworthy,¡± Arielle mumbled with her eyes closed.


    Upon hearing that, Sasha chuckled in agreement. ¡°You need to make sure both parties are of equal


    status before epting a challenge, ke. That guy was unworthy of challenging Arielle at all.¡±


    ke nodded and could not wait for the product to beunched.


    Arielle then headed over to the bank toplete the name change procedures for Southall Group.


    With the new business license in hand, Arielle nced at the distant horizon and slowly closed her


    eyes.


    I¡¯ve gotten thepany back for you, Mom. I know it¡¯s in a mess at the moment, but I promise I will


    restore it to its former glory! You can trust me on that!


    Having made up her mind, Arielle clenched her fists and slowly opened her eyes. ¡°ke, head back to


    the office and make sure that the workers get thepany sign reced.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± ke then made an ¡°OK¡± gesture at her before heading off to the office on an e-scooter.


    Arielle waited until he was out of sight before turning toward Sasha. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s head over to


    Maureen¡¯s Kitchen. Oh, by the way, the ingredients in the trunk are still fresh, right?¡±

 Chapter 1032

    Chapter 1032


    Chapter 1032 Superstar


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve stored them properly,¡± Sasha replied.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Nodding, Sasha got back into the car.


    ¡°Why are you going to Maureen¡¯s Kitchen now, Ms. Moore? Shouldn¡¯t you head back to get that


    program code done first?¡± she asked curiously.


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can make it in time.¡±


    She had given herself a timeframe of one day, but she didn¡¯t actually need that long toplete the


    task.


    Sasha stopped worrying about it when she saw how calm Arielle was and drove over to Maureen¡¯s


    Kitchen.


    As it was still a little early for dinner when they arrived, only a single table was upied by customers


    at the time.


    Arielle heard one of them proudly introducing the restaurant when she came in through the door. ¡°This


    is the restaurant I was telling you about! It has got the most delicious food I have ever tasted in my


    entire life! You guys will know I¡¯m telling the truth when they serve up the foodter!¡±


    The other customer didn¡¯t seem all that convinced. ¡°Are you sure? This ce doesn¡¯t seem very well


    renovated.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of spending so much money on renovation? You see that restaurant across the street


    named Mons Oceanum? I heard they spent over a million on renovations! I went there once when they


    first opened for business, and it was horrible! The food was expensive but tasted awful as hell! This


    ce, on the other hand, has good food at reasonable prices!¡±


    ¡°Even if it really is as amazing as you described, isn¡¯t it a little too earlying here at four for dinner?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know this because it¡¯s your first time here, but the queue for this ce can go all the way to


    the other side of the street! That¡¯s why we have toe earlier and get ourselves a table in advance!¡±


    That¡¯s it, I¡¯m going to speed up the process of setting up branches! Arielle thought to herself after


    hearing what the customer said.


    At that moment, the customer who brought his friends over suddenly nced in her direction and


    eximed in shock, ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t that¡­¡±


    Arielle quickly ran into the kitchen before they could get a clear look at her face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± his friend asked.


    The guy shook his head. ¡°Nothing. I just thought I saw a superstar or something, but I must¡¯ve been


    mistaken. I mean, what would a superstar be doing in a restaurant¡¯s kitchen, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that has got to be the case. There¡¯s no way a superstar woulde to an old restaurant like


    this! Heck, even the air-conditioners have turned yellowish.¡±


    Just like that, the two began arguing all over again.


    On the other side, Arielle saw the manager learning a dish from the chef the moment she stepped into


    the kitchen.


    ¡°Like this?¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯ve got it all wrong!¡± The chef, who was almost in his fifties, smacked the manager¡¯s hand


    aside with a spat in disdain. ¡°You can¡¯t even add oil to a freaking pan! I think you should go back to


    serving customers outside!¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    The manager scratched his head awkwardly.


    ¡°I was feeling a little bored¡­¡±


    Arielle began eyeing the chef from head to toe, as it was her first time seeing him.


    He had a naturally authoritative look with his bald head, thick eyebrows, and chubby body.


    ¡°If you¡¯re that free, then help me wipe the grease off the top!¡± ordered the chef while pointing at some


    stoves that were not currently in use.


    The manager was about to say something in protest when he noticed Arielle standing by the kitchen


    door.


    His eyes lit up instantly, and he quickly went over to greet her.


    ¡°Ms. Moore!¡±


    He had been losing a lot of hair a while back, as the restaurant was not doing really well. However,


    business had been booming ever since Arielle taught him to advertise the restaurant using mobile


    applications. As such, he regarded her as a hero who could help cure his severe hair loss and was


    thrilled to see her.


    Arielle nodded and nced at the chef. ¡°Is he the chef?¡± she asked.

 Chapter 1033

    Chapter 1033


    Chapter 1033 Just Curious


    At the same time, the chef was also sizing Arielle up. So, this beauty with facial features as exquisite as


    a porcin doll is our new boss? I heard she was able to help boost the business without even being


    here herself! Damn, her looks form such a huge contrast with this greasy little kitchen! She should be


    out there starring in films instead of running a restaurant!


    ¡°Hello, Boss! My name is Glenn Quigley,¡± the chef stated after snapping out of his train of thoughts.


    ¡°Hello, Chef Quigley. My name is Arielle Moore,¡± she replied while stepping forward to shake Glenn¡¯s


    hand.


    Glenn instinctively held his hand out, only to realize his hand was still covered in grease from cooking


    earlier.


    Thinking Arielle would be disgusted by it, Glenn was about to pull his hand back when she grabbed


    hold of it and shook it.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Your reputation precedes you, Chef Quigley! I have tried a lot of your dishes and I absolutely love


    them! It¡¯s an honor to finally meet you in person!¡±


    Her humble and casual attitude only made Glenn feel a lot more self-conscious.


    He quickly pulled his hand back and handed Arielle some paper towels. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my hand is really


    greasy. Here, wipe up.¡±


    Arielle simply waved at him and said, ¡°Those who work in the kitchen aren¡¯t afraid of getting a little


    grease on them!¡±


    She then shifted her gaze toward the stove. ¡°Is that the new dish you¡¯re making?¡± she questioned. ¡°The


    beef stroganoff?¡±


    I¡¯m only halfway through preparing the ingredients, and she already knows what I¡¯m going to make?


    ¡°You know how to cook?¡± Glenn asked in surprise.


    ¡°You could say that. How about I try making some beef stroganoff and you can give it a taste?¡± Arielle


    suggested with a smile.


    The look on Glenn¡¯s face tensed up instantly upon hearing that.


    Being a very traditional chef, he would only ept male apprentices.


    He never approved of having women work in the kitchen, even if she was his boss.


    Letting out a cough, he voiced with a stern look, ¡°I don¡¯t think you belong in the kitchen. You should go


    work the register with the manager instead.¡±


    A businesswoman like her shouldn¡¯t be fooling around in the kitchen!


    ¡°Ms. Moore, I think you shoulde with me to the office instead!¡± The manager then lowered his


    voice to a whisper. ¡°Chef Quigley is usually a really cool guy, but he gets all cranky when ites to


    food. He doesn¡¯t want anyone else interfering with his cooking. I mean, you can take me, for example. I


    thought about helping him heat up the oil in the frying pan earlier because his apprentices weren¡¯t back


    yet, but he gave me one hell of a scolding instead.¡±


    Before Arielle could even say anything, Glenn spoke up. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m deaf or something? I heard


    that!¡±


    The manager could only scratch his head awkwardly in response, as he didn¡¯t think the chef would


    have such good hearing at his age.


    ¡°Chef Quigley, will you please just let me give it a try? Think of it as me rewarding you guys for your


    hard work, okay?¡± Arielle asked with a smile.


    Letting out a cough, Glenn responded, ¡°All right, if you insist. You can try making one portion so you


    don¡¯t waste the ingredients.¡±


    There¡¯s no way a pretty princess like her could possibly whip up anything decent, anyway! She¡¯s


    probably just curious and will get bored with it after doing it once!


    Seeing as Glenn had given her permission, Arielle quickly put on an apron and went off to prepare the


    ingredients.


    Glenn then stood beside her with his hands behind his back, a gloomy expression on his face.


    ¡°You see, Chef Quigley. Ms. Moore really does look like a chef with an apron on!¡± eximed the


    manager.

 Chapter 1034

    Chapter 1034


    Chapter 1034 Knife Skills


    Glenn looked up and saw Arielle standing before the food cab. She was a sight to behold. Though


    her apron was old and stained, she acted gracefully as though she was d in an expensive gown


    instead of an old apron.


    Arielle might be pretty, but she didn¡¯t look like she belonged in the kitchen.


    After hearing the manager¡¯s words, Glenn¡¯s expression fell.


    He scoffed. ¡°She looks like a tyrant who is putting up an act. Just wait and see. She¡¯ll soon cry after the


    oil pops and stters on her! This is why I don¡¯t like female apprentices. Women can¡¯t stand hardships!


    A kitchen is a ce full of hardships.¡± His tone was dripping with disdain.


    Right after he spoke, Arielle looked in their direction as though she had heard him.


    She had always been gorgeous in an aggressive way. When she wasn¡¯t smiling, her clear eyes looked


    like they were glinting icily.


    Glenn fell silent for a few seconds before swallowing hard.


    His apprentices feared him when he gave a nonchnt stomp, but the sight of Arielle made him slightly


    uneasy.


    Without warning, Arielle shed a smile and asked in a pleasant tone, ¡°Chef Quigley, do you mind if I


    use half of your ingredients? I don¡¯t think they are of use to you, anyway.¡±


    Glenn frowned. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Arielle picked up a piece of onion. ¡°Look at this onion. I would¡¯ve thought you didn¡¯t cut it. Also, this


    mushroom is bigger than the manager¡¯s head.¡±


    The manager touched his balding head, feeling offended by her words.


    However, Glenn was even more offended.


    He had used a knife since he was seven to learn how to cut carrots. Putting his cooking skills aside, he


    had spent years practicing his knife skills. This was the first time someone had mocked his knife skills.


    His initially stern face turned as dark as thunder.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    The manager jolted in fright and immediately stepped in to resolve their argument.


    After all, Glenn was the reason this restaurant became a big hit. If he left in a huff, this restaurant might


    lose its customers, let alone branch out.


    Before he could say anything, Arielle picked up two cleavers and began chopping the mushrooms


    deftly.


    In just a blink of an eye, the mushrooms were sliced into even slices.


    It was pretty hard to chop mushrooms into even slices, for their shapes were unique. However, Arielle


    made it seem easy.


    After slicing the mushrooms, Arielle arranged them on the te and began chopping the beef.


    With one hand pressing down on the beef, she used her other hand to chop it swiftly. Thirty seconds


    later, the block of beef turned into thin slivers of beef.


    She then went on to prepare other ingredients. Glenn, who was originally about to fly into a fit of rage,


    fell silent. He studied her actions carefully, as though he were her student.


    To prepare the sauce, one had to get the mixture right so it wouldn¡¯t be too salty or too light. Arielle


    knew that well.


    After making sure the sauce was well-mixed, she chopped some parsley up. With a sprinkle of


    parmesan cheese and parsley, a te of beef stroganoff was done.


    Putting on a pair of gloves, she took the te and offered it to Glenn. With a polite smile, she said,


    ¡°Chef Quigley, have a taste!¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Glenn couldn¡¯t stop himself from gulping. He put on a nonchnt expression and ate a mouthful of


    pasta before chewing on it carefully.

 Chapter 1035

    Chapter 1035


    Chapter 1035 My Mentor


    At once, a unique but delicious taste spread all over his mouth.


    The beef stroganoff was authentic but better than those restaurants that specialized in it.


    Glenn couldn¡¯t help but taste the sauce again.


    Compared to his previous nonchnce, he was serious this time.


    It was just a bowl of noodles, but it tasted creamy but fresh at the same time. Every ingredient had


    come together as one, creating a very unique taste.


    ¡°How is it, Chef Quigley?¡± Arielle shed a grin as she waited for Glenn¡¯s answer.


    Glenn said nothing for a while before he picked up the te and started gobbling the noodles down in


    big mouthfuls.


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    Soon, he had emptied the te. Not a speck of sauce was left behind.


    Actions spoke louder than silence. Glenn¡¯s appetite had proved everything.


    The manager stomped his feet impatiently. ¡°Chef Quigley, why didn¡¯t you leave some for me?¡±


    ncing at him, Glenn answered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll get to eat it every day.¡±


    The manager halted in surprise, failing toprehend Glenn¡¯s words. Without warning, Glenn bowed


    before Arielle.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, please take me as your apprentice!¡± he implored earnestly.


    The manager was utterly baffled.


    Glenn¡¯s apprentices who had just returned from their shopping trip were confused, too.


    What the hell is going on?


    His action was within Arielle¡¯s expectations. Calmly, she said, ¡°I can only cook a few dishes. I still need


    to learn from you. Instead of bing my apprentice, why don¡¯t we coborate to open one hundred


    branches of Maureen¡¯s Kitchen?¡±


    ¡°One hundred¡­¡± Glenn gulped nervously. Tears formed in his eyes as he said, ¡°My mentor died at a


    young age. Before he left, he told me to make him proud by passing down his culinary skill but I¡¯m too


    useless¡­¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Arielle shook her head firmly. ¡°Six monthster, I shall open one hundred branches of Maureen¡¯s


    Kitchen!¡±


    The apprentices stepped forward carefully.


    ¡°Chef Quigley, who is this?¡± they inquired curiously.


    After calming down, Glenn announced sternly, ¡°This is Ms. Moore, the owner of the restaurant. She¡¯ll


    also be your grandmaster. Please show respect!¡±


    His oldest apprentice was stunned.


    ¡°Grandmaster?¡± But she looks younger than us!


    Glenn didn¡¯t bother exining to his apprentices. He turned to Arielle and queried anxiously, ¡°Ms.


    Moore, when will you teach me how to make beef stroganoff?¡±


    Arielle gave him a brief nod. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the detailster. In fact, I have prepared some ravioli today. I


    was thinking of making it our first branch¡¯s specialty to attract the passers-by. Why don¡¯t you have a


    try.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Glenn bobbed his head.


    He dared not look down on Arielle anymore.


    Hearing that, Sasha brought out the ravioli.


    The ravioli was ced in an icebox full of ice packs.


    Arielle swiftly cooked the ravioli and prepared the sauce.


    Once she was done, Glenn and the manager rushed forward to get their portions.


    Glenn wanted a taste of Arielle¡¯s cooking, while the manager was just in curious. How delicious is


    her cooking to make Chef Quigley bow to her, begging to be her apprentice?


    Almost simultaneously, they got a te of ravioli each.

 Chapter 1036

    Chapter 1036


    Chapter 1036 Goddess Arielle


    After stuffing a piece of ravioli into their mouths, they praised in unison, ¡°Oh, this is delicious!¡± Their


    mouths were stuffed.


    The other apprentices were still in a daze. Though Glenn told them to address Arielle as


    ¡°Grandmaster,¡± they didn¡¯t pay any heed to it.


    Just like Glenn, they assumed women could cook homemade dishes, but not best-selling dishes.


    However, they couldn¡¯t stop themselves from getting a piece of ravioli each after seeing how both men


    enjoyed the ravioli.


    A few minutester, the whole box of ravioli was ravished. There was only one te left before Arielle.


    ¡°Grandmaster!¡± Glenn¡¯s first apprenticeplimented, ¡°How did you make this ravioli? It¡¯s heavenly!¡±


    Glenn gave him an icy re before turning to Arielle. Grinning, he reminded, ¡°Ms. Moore, I requested


    to be your apprentice first, so you should teach me first.¡±


    The apprentice¡¯s jaw hung wide in shock.


    Meanwhile, two customers waiting outside caught a delicious whiff of something.


    One man was brought here by his friend. Swallowing hard, he asked, ¡°I¡¯m hungry. We¡¯ve ordered some


    time ago, but why the dishes aren¡¯t served yet?¡±


    His friend, a frequent customer of Maureen¡¯s Kitchen, shrugged and answered, ¡°That¡¯s the restaurant¡¯s


    rule. We can order ahead of time, but they only open at eleven sharp and will serve us after that.¡±


    Hearing that, hispanion nced at his watch. It was ten minutes to eleven.


    ¡°I¡¯m starving. Why don¡¯t we head to another restaurant?¡±


    Right then, a gorgeous figure appeared in their sight.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    The frequent customer¡¯s eyes bulged wide. ¡°A-Arielle?¡±


    I was right! I did see her earlier! Arielle was a celebrity that he adored recently.


    She wasn¡¯t technically a celebrity, for her only work was the Soir Coffee¡¯smercial. However, it


    didn¡¯t stop him from viewing her as a goddess.


    Hispanion¡¯s eyes had also rounded in surprise.


    ¡°You¡¯re that prettydy who can y the piano well!¡±


    shing a pleasant smile, Arielle ced the te of ravioli on their table.


    ¡°I heard the manager said you¡¯ve been here for a while. We can¡¯t change our rules, and the chef will


    only begin to prepare your dishes at eleven sharp. This te of ravioli is our restaurant¡¯s new creation.


    It¡¯s on us.¡±


    The frequent customer nodded fervently. ¡°Thank you, thank you. We only came earlier to avoid the


    crowd. Does this restaurant belong to you, though?¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    The frequent customer went wide-eyed with shock. ¡°Oh, dear. You have a lot of fans, but why haven¡¯t


    you mentioned this to anyone? They wille here in a heartbeat to support your business.¡±


    Arielle merely smiled in response. ¡°They will onlye once. After the trend dies down, I¡¯ll lose all the


    customers. It¡¯s better to serve delicious dishes and get a steady flow of customers.¡±


    The frequent customer gave her a thumbs-up. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you alone, then.¡± Arielle gave him a curt nod and turned to head to her office.


    Though she had made the te of ravioli for herself, Vinson wasn¡¯t here yet, and she wasn¡¯t hungry.


    Thus, she offered it to the customers to curb their hunger.


    The frequent customer stared at Arielle until her figure disappeared from sight.


    ¡°Indeed, she¡¯s my goddess. Look how intelligent she is!¡± he praised.


    Picking up a piece of ravioli, he ced it in his mouth.


    At once, tears filled his eyes.

 Chapter 1037

    Chapter 1037


    Chapter 1037 You Cannot Escape


    Oh, this is yummy! It¡¯s heavenly!


    Seeing his reaction, hispanion shook his head. ¡°I admit she¡¯s pretty and is a great pianist, but you


    don¡¯t have to overreact. It¡¯s just a te of ravioli.¡±


    Instead of exining himself, the frequent customer pushed the te of ravioli to his friend. ¡°You¡¯ll


    know whether I¡¯m overreacting after trying it for yourself.¡±


    Though hispanion thought Arielle was pretty, he wasn¡¯t her fan. Thus, he took a piece of ravioli


    nonchntly and stuffed it into his mouth.


    The next moment¡­


    ¡°Oh, wow!¡± It¡¯s the most delicious ravioli I¡¯ve ever tasted in my life!


    The dough was thin, and the moment he bit on it, the contents inside spilled out and spread all over his


    mouth. Together with the sauce, it created such a rich taste in his mouth.


    The frequent customer was pleased to see his friend¡¯s reaction. He cast a look at his friend and asked,


    ¡°Do you still want to eat at another restaurant?¡±


    Without saying another word, hispanion stuffed a few pieces of ravioli into his mouth. His cheeks


    were bulging as though he were a chipmunk.


    ¡°Hey, stop it! Leave a few for me!¡±


    As Arielle waited for Vinson¡¯s arrival, she helped Glenn to improve his dishes.


    Though he was a great cook, under Arielle¡¯s help, thements that were initially ¡°delicious¡± became


    ¡°I can order five helpings of this.¡±


    Glenn nearly hugged Arielle and sobbed his lungs out.


    My mentor said geniuses can make delicious dishes with the simplest ingredients. She is definitely a


    genius!


    Vinson finally showed up before the clock struck twelve.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for beingte. I worked overtime so I won¡¯t need to go to work this afternoon.¡±


    At the sight of Vinson, Glenn immediately dispelled the idea of introducing his grandson to her.


    Ms. Moore won¡¯t set her eyes on my grandson since she¡¯s with Vinson.


    Gloomily, he served Vinson and Arielle the improvised dishes.


    ¡°Have a taste.¡± Arielle ced her chin on her palm, waiting for Vinson¡¯sment on this dish¡ªgarlic


    sausage.


    Garlic sausage was a famous dish in Jadeborough. Many restaurants served this dish, and the taste


    was simr everywhere.


    After chewing carefully, Vinson swallowed it. Under Arielle¡¯s earnest gaze, he said, ¡°It¡¯s really different


    now. There¡¯s a fresh taste to it. I can¡¯t help but find it memorable. What did you add?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s lips curved into a grin. ¡°Sugar.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Vinson raised his eyebrow in surprise. ¡°Adding a little sugar changed the tastepletely.


    That¡¯s it?¡±


    Arielle shook her head and responded, ¡°Of course not. I added garlic to the sauce too. That was what


    made the tastepletely different.¡±


    Something twinkled in Vinson¡¯s eyes. He gazed at her affectionately and said, ¡°My wife is amazing at


    everything. I have such good taste.¡±


    Pushing his shoulder, Arielle huffed, ¡°How could you rte that to yourself? I don¡¯t remember you being


    this thick-skinned.¡±


    ¡°Of course. When I was pursuing you, I hid all my ws.¡±


    ¡°What about now?¡±


    ¡°Now that we¡¯re married, you can¡¯t escape from my clutches.¡±


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    Arielle¡¯s lips curled into a grin. ¡°Even if we¡¯re married, I can still file for divorce.¡±


    At the mention of their marriage, Susanne popped up into her mind.


    Susanne knew they were married, but before leaving the auditorium, she imed they were living


    together even though they weren¡¯t married. Clearly, the woman hadn¡¯t epted Arielle as her


    daughter-inw yet.


    At that thought, the light in Arielle¡¯s eyes faded away. ¡°Let¡¯s return to Nightshire Manor today.¡±

 Chapter 1038

    Chapter 1038


    Chapter 1038 She Cheated On Him


    Some things couldn¡¯t be avoided, so she decided to stand up to the challenge and solve the problem.


    Susanne¡¯s impression of her had changed slightly. If she refused to move into the manor as instructed


    by Susanne, thetter might change her mind again.


    After Arielle told Vinson about her n, he fell silent for a moment before nodding in agreement.


    Holding her hand, he uttered, ¡°If you think you are not happy living there, just tell me at once. I¡¯ll move


    out with you.¡±


    Arielle was touched by his promise.


    She knew Vinson hated trouble, especially anything regarding familial rtions. It was obvious by how


    he¡¯d rather live in a mansion alone than to stay with his family in the manor. He found the family


    matters rather troublesome.


    His willingness to face the problem together with her proved how much he loved her.


    Warmth spread all over Arielle¡¯s heart as she gave him a firm nod. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the mansion and


    pack up now. There are some ravioli left at home. I can let Mrs. Nightshire try them out.¡±


    Vinson froze at how she addressed Susanne.


    The rtionship between his mother and Arielle boiled down to how he dealt with it. I have to learn


    more about how to deal with this.


    On the way back to the mansion, Arielle¡¯s social media suddenly descended into an uproar.


    Turns out aizen iming to be Arielle¡¯s fan had revealed that she was the owner of Maureen¡¯s


    Kitchen.


    The other fans initially had wanted to pay the restaurant a visit, but they became suspicious after


    seeing the restaurant¡¯s photos.


    What? Why is my goddess¡¯ restaurant this simple? Is it a hoax?


    The restaurant must be promoting itself here. It¡¯s taking us as fools!


    To be honest, I¡¯ve been to Maureen¡¯s Kitchen. Though the deco is simple, the food is really good.


    As a foodie, I¡¯ve decided to give it a try.


    The fans gathered and decided to head to Maureen¡¯s Kitchen at five in the evening.


    Papa A: If it¡¯s delicious, inform us. Though I¡¯m notpletely sure it¡¯s Arielle¡¯s restaurant, there is no


    smoke without fire, right?


    Bo2o: Sure. I shall rmend it if the food is delicious!


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    This was definitely word-of-mouth advertising. If the dishes were tasty, Maureen¡¯s Kitchen would gain a


    new flow of customers.


    After packing up, Vinson and Arielle returned to Nightshire Manor. Susanne was ying cards with a


    fewdies.


    At the sight of Arielle, thedies wore indecipherable expressions and began murmuring among


    themselves.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this thedy who got popr online with a video of her ying the piano? My daughter loves her


    and hangs a lot of her photos in her room. She told me this young woman was epted to


    Jadeborough University¡¯s preparatory ss as the top student. I can¡¯t believe Vin¡¯s bringing this


    excellent youngdy home!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about her ying the piano. But her father, Henrick Southall, is the unscrupulous


    businessman who got sentenced to jail back then.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Did that really happen?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. Henrick said this youngdy isn¡¯t his biological daughter. His wife cheated on him and


    gave birth to this bast*rd!¡±


    ¡°Bast*rd? What? I need to ask my daughter to remove all her photos in her room!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what Susanne is thinking. How could she let this youngdy marry her son? Did you see


    her carrying her luggage upstairs? Are they going to get married soon?¡±


    ¡°Susanne is a proud woman. What is she doing?¡±


    ¡°Beats me¡­¡±


    Susanne happened to return after asking the help to prepare tea for them and overheard their


    conversation.

 Chapter 1039

    Chapter 1039


    Chapter 1039 Third Party


    When they mentioned the word ¡°bast*rd,¡± Susanne¡¯s expression turned grim.


    The threedies turned at their shoulders to see Susanne grimacing at them and hurriedly stopped


    their conversation.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°When did you get here, Susanne?¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Susanne answered, ¡°When you said my son¡¯s girlfriend is a bast*rd.¡±


    Thedies halted in shock.


    They thought Susanne would pretend not to hear theirments to preserve her pride, so it came as a


    shock to them when Susanne exposed them and even admitted that the youngdy was Vinson¡¯s


    girlfriend.


    What is going on?


    Thedy who was dressed most elegantly among them forced a smile and said, ¡°Susanne, don¡¯t take


    that to heart. We were just talking about the rumors spreading online. I was just about to say that they


    might be untrue.¡±


    However, Susanne returned swiftly, ¡°They are true.¡±


    The three of them gaped at her words.


    Her expression calm, Susanne continued, ¡°Arielle isn¡¯t Henrick¡¯s daughter.¡±


    Their eyes went wide in shock as they assumed Susanne had gone mad to reveal such a secret. Is she


    saying that her son¡¯s girlfriend is a bast*rd?


    However, Susanne added, ¡°But Arielle is indeed Maureen¡¯s biological daughter. Henrick¡¯s the third


    party. She isn¡¯t a bast*rd like you said. You don¡¯t know everything.¡±


    ¡°O-Oh, I see.¡±


    Susanne met thedy¡¯s gaze and stated, ¡°From now on, I don¡¯t want to hear you calling her a bast*rd


    anymore.¡±


    Thedy immediately nodded. ¡°Of course, I get it. Maureen was really outstanding back then. I¡¯m sure


    her daughter is as amazing as her.¡±


    Anotherdy chimed in curiously, ¡°Then, who is her father? Why haven¡¯t we heard of it?¡±


    Susanne¡¯s expression changed slightly at her question. She covered her mouth and let out a light


    cough. ¡°You don¡¯t have to know. He isn¡¯t an ordinary man, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    With her assurance, thedies no longer disdained Arielle.


    After all, Susanne wouldn¡¯t allow Vinson to date Arielle if her origins were unknown.


    Thus, they stopped wondering about Arielle¡¯s background. ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking about that. Should we


    begin our game? Luck has been on my side recently,¡± onedy said with a grin.


    Susanne rxed visibly. ¡°Come on. I¡¯ve prepared tea and snacks in the room.¡±


    That was the end of the topic.


    Meanwhile, Arielle had just finished unpacking.


    Vinson knocked on the door and came in.


    ¡°My mom is busy ying cards, so you can ignore her. I remember you said you need to work on a


    program on the way home. Do you need my help?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No need. I can handle it myself.¡± Arielle shook her head in response. ¡°I brought some ravioli back and


    told your chef to cook it. It isn¡¯t nice for me to interrupt your mom and her friends, so please deliver


    some to themter. I remember she loved it back then.¡±


    She should¡¯ve brought some gifts with her, but Susanne didn¡¯t need anything, so she decided to


    prepare some ravioli to show her sincerity.


    ¡°All right. Go back to work. I shall head to the kitchen now.¡±


    Vinson kissed her on the forehead before turning around to leave.


    Arielle sent Vinson off with her gaze before turning back to the bionic arm on the desk. Rubbing her


    hands, she dered, ¡°All right. Let¡¯s get started!¡±

 Chapter 1040

    Chapter 1040


    Chapter 1040 Divine Taste


    The bionic arm¡¯s program wasplicated and prone to blunders, but Arielle had written the robotic


    pacemaker¡¯s program herself. It was easy to write a program for the bionic arm controlled by the


    brainwaves.


    She could improve the bionic arm if there was some spare time and make its movements smoother, but


    as she was running out of time, this first version would do.


    As Arielle busied herself with the program, the ravioli was served.


    The sauce had been prepared in advance, so Vinson just had to lead the help with the tray to the room.


    Susanne and her friends had yed two rounds of poker by now.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Instead of aiming to win, they would normally chat about the gossip in Jadeborough. However, the air


    was tense because of Arielle. None of them spoke in fear of offending Susanne.


    Thus, they had no choice but to focus on the game. Two roundster, thedies were already feeling


    exhausted.


    Right then, the door was pushed open.


    Vinson came in with some maids.


    Though the game was interrupted, thedies heaved a sigh of relief.


    Usually, they dreaded the sight of Vinson, for he was famous for his ruthlessness in the corporate


    world. However, this time, they shed pleasant smiles at his arrival.


    When Susanne saw her son, her irritation faded away slightly.


    ¡°Vin, what is it?¡± she queried gently.


    Vinson gave way to the maid who walked in with the ravioli.


    ¡°Arielle assumed you got hungry, so she prepared some ravioli for you. She made them personally.


    Please try them out,¡± he said politely.


    Hearing that Arielle had made ravioli personally, thedies couldn¡¯t help but show mocking


    expressions.


    No socialites would prepare ravioli as snacks.


    It wasn¡¯t that ravioli was too cheap but it was too normal a food. Real socialites would never prepare


    that. They would usually learn how to bake. Making ravioli would never cross their minds.


    However, they dared not say that out loud in the Nightshire family. shing polite smiles, they said,


    ¡°Thank you for delivering the food to us.¡±


    When Susanne heard about the ravioli, her eyes lit up.


    Initially, she thought ravioli was a bit cheap, but after taking a bite of it, she realized how divine the


    taste was after tasting it at the flea market.


    Standing up, Susanne announced proudly, ¡°I¡¯ve tasted her ravioli before. I assure you, it tastes


    delicious. We¡¯re a little hungry after ying two rounds of poker. Come on, have some.¡±


    Thedies shared a look, thinking that Susanne had changed a lot.


    It¡¯s just ravioli. How good can it be?


    Though they shared the same thought, their faces disyed delight as they took their respective


    tes.


    After taking a bite, a new taste exploded in their mouth.


    ¡°Oh, this is delectable!¡±


    Their eyes widened in surprise as they scrambled to eat the second one.


    After clearing up their tes in a blink of an eye, thedies, who usually had a strict diet, had the urge


    to refill their tes.


    ¡°Susanne, it¡¯s pretty good. What is it made of?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve sampled ck truffle ravioli and other expensive ones, but this is the tastiest ravioli I¡¯ve ever


    tasted.¡±


    They no longer held the ravioli in disdain.

 Chapter 1041

    Chapter 1041


    Chapter 1041 Buttering Up


    Who would¡¯ve thought ravioli could end up being a heavenly dish?


    Realizing Susanne could have this delectable dish every day, they couldn¡¯t help but shoot her envious


    looks.


    Finally, after hearing how her friends praised Arielle, Susanne¡¯s mood improved tremendously.


    Looks like I did the right thing by epting Arielle. She has never disappointed me. The incident at the


    flea market, her results, and now in front of my friends. It feels like I will get disappointed if I take


    Arielle¡¯s side as she¡¯s always right. She has never let me down.


    Susanne shed a pleased smirk. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the ingredients, but I¡¯m certain they are just


    normal ingredients. Arielle is a great chef who can cook very well,¡± she dered.


    Vinson shot his mother a surprised look before a grin flitted across his lips.


    After hearing Susanne¡¯s words, her friends¡¯ envy heightened.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re a lucky woman. No wonder you have asked her to move in.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Susanne coughed. ¡°I asked her to move in because she doesn¡¯t have a home to return to.


    That¡¯s all.¡±


    She left some space for her to backtrack just in case Arielle couldn¡¯t prove her value and embarrass


    the family.


    Onedy understood her underlying meaning and smiled. ¡°My family runs a restaurant chain. Ms.


    Moore can provide some tips and guidance,¡± she offered.


    Though Arielle might not receive Susanne¡¯s approval to get married to Vinson, she didn¡¯t mind


    buttering up to her for now.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Before the otherdies could speak, Vinson rejected her offer. ¡°Thank you for your kind intentions, but


    Arielle has her own restaurant¡ªMaureen¡¯s Kitchen. If you like her cooking, you¡¯re wee to visit and


    try the dishes. She was involved in improving all the dishes served there.¡±


    ¡°A restaurant?¡± Susanne was startled. She did not know that Arielle was the proud owner of a


    restaurant.


    Vinson gave a brief nod. ¡°Yes. The restaurant is doing well, and she¡¯s nning on expanding soon. If


    everything goes ording to n, she¡¯ll make it into a chain just like Soir Coffee before expanding


    overseas.¡±


    Susanne bobbed her head.


    If the expansion goes well just like Vin¡¯s prediction, I can consider letting him marry Arielle.


    Thedies spotted her reaction and came up with an idea. ¡°We should thank Ms. Moore in person after


    eating her ravioli. If possible, can we meet her to express our gratitude?¡± they suggested earnestly.


    Back in the guest room on the second floor.


    Arielle was in a conference call with a senior programmer from Sann Group. They were busy writing


    out the program together in a swift manner.


    She was about to try the bionic arm when someone knocked on the door.


    After hanging up, Arielle got to her feet and opened the door.


    Vinson walked in, followed by Susanne and her friends.


    They were dressed elegantly. As Susanne¡¯s poker buddies, they should be wealthy and prominent.


    Puzzled, she queried, ¡°How can I help you?¡±


    ¡°Sannie.¡± Vinson parted his lips to answer, ¡°Thedies find your ravioli tasty. They are here to express


    their gratitude in person.¡±


    Nodding, Arielle smiled at them. ¡°Ravioli will be added to the menu when the new branch is opened.


    You¡¯re wee to pay a visit.¡±


    Thedies nodded profusely, but their gazes were fixed on the bionic arm behind Arielle.

 Chapter 1042

    Chapter 1042


    Chapter 1042 Peculiar Fetish


    Even Susanne had spotted the bionic arm.


    As she had no idea it was a bionic arm, she found it simr to a real arm and shuddered in fear.


    Onedy was wondering why there was a broken arm in Arielle¡¯s room.


    Does she have a peculiar fetish? I¡¯ve read a book where the main character suffers


    from acrotomophilia. He ended up falling in love with an amputee. Though the story is nice, it isn¡¯t


    eptable in real life.


    She blurted out, ¡°Ms. Moore, what is this?¡±


    Afraid that it was Arielle¡¯s peculiar fetish, Susanne was about to stop her friends from entering the


    room, but it was toote.


    Before she could do anything, they had gathered in a circle around the bionic arm and were pointing at


    it with disapproving expressions.


    Susanne was about tosh out at Arielle, but she recalled how Arielle had never let her down. Holding


    her anger back, she asked, ¡°Arielle, what is this?¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Vinson looked at Arielle curiously, for he had no idea what it was, too.


    Calmly, Arielle exined, ¡°This is a bionic arm. It can help an amputee return to a normal life.¡±


    At her words, aplicated look shed on onedy¡¯s face.


    Susanne¡¯s confusion intensified. ¡°Then, why is it in your room?¡± she urged.


    ¡°Let me exin, Susanne,¡± Arielle said. ¡°This is a new product of mypany. Due to the change in


    personnel, we have vacancies for programmers. I dabble in programming, so I brought this back to


    write its program.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Susanne gave her an approving look. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you can write programs.¡± One could


    sense how pleased she was from her tone of voice.


    Right then, thedy who had aplicated expression on her face grabbed Arielle¡¯s arm. ¡°Ms. Moore,


    are you telling the truth? Could this thing allow amputees to return to a normal lifestyle?¡± she


    demanded anxiously.


    Arielle was initially shocked, but she quickly calmed herself down and nodded. ¡°Yes. It can rece a


    human arm and carry out daily activities like holding a fork. That¡¯s what we have programmed it to do.


    But of course, it still can¡¯t carry out someplicated activities. However, this is just the first-generation


    bionic arm. We¡¯ll improve the product, and it can rece a human arm perfectly soon.¡±


    Without warning, thedy burst into tears and wailed, ¡°Oh, this great. This is simply wonderful!¡±


    Arielle wore a confused expression, for she had no idea why thedy suddenly started crying.


    Anotherdy began exining, ¡°Her youngest son was involved in an ident after joining a race a


    year ago. He lost an arm in the ident. Since then, he gave up on life and lock himself in his room,


    refusing to see anyone. Ms. Moore, if your product is as useful as you im, you might be saving her


    son¡¯s life.¡±


    Thedy grabbed Arielle¡¯s arm and begged Arielle.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, please save my son!¡±


    After understanding the situation, Arielle helped her up. ¡°Calm down. I¡¯ve just finished writing the


    program, so the product will only beunched next month. Since you¡¯re Susanne¡¯s friend, I can gift this


    test product to your son.¡±


    Thedy was delighted. ¡°Really? Thank you so much! I owe you one!¡± she eximed.


    She then turned to Susanne and bowed politely. ¡°Susanne, thank you so much. The Seyward family


    owes you one!¡±


    Susanne was inwardly pleased, but she put on a sympathetic expression and nodded calmly. ¡°We¡¯re


    friends, so it¡¯s all right. Arielle, can it be put to use now? If possible, we can take it to her house to let


    her son try it out.¡±

 Chapter 1043

    Chapter 1043


    Chapter 1043 An Embarrassment


    Arielle wasn¡¯t sure about it. ¡°I haven¡¯t tested it yet, but it should be all right. We can test it on him.¡±


    As she had intended to test it out, it would be better if she tested the product on a user. That way, she


    could also find out about the user¡¯s experience. It was killing two birds with one stone.


    Having made up their minds, everyone made their way to the Seyward residence at once.


    Susanne got into the same car as Arielle. By now, she had grown increasingly satisfied with Arielle and


    regretted picking Wendy as a candidate for daughter-inw.


    At the thought of Wendy, she asked Vinson, who was in the passenger¡¯s seat, ¡°How did the Greene


    family¡¯s case go?¡±


    ¡°They have solid evidence. The hearing is going to be held tomorrow,¡± came his reply.


    Susanne gave a curt nod and lost interest in the subject.


    Meanwhile, in the other car.


    The two wealthydies were gossiping about Arielle.


    ¡°Do you think that thing can work wonders? Can it rece a human arm for real?¡±


    ¡°Sann Group¡¯s product works. Remember how they develop a product to rece the heart? But It¡¯s


    hard to say if it¡¯s a product by Southall Group. We shall wait and see.¡±


    ¡°Right. Arielle herself is in charge of writing the program. I read in the news that she¡¯s a freshman at


    Jadeborough University. A freshman knows nothing about programming! If it can¡¯t be used, Mrs.


    Seyward would have begged her for nothing. Did you see how proud Susanne looked back there?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I saw it clearly. If the arm can¡¯t be used, that will be a huge embarrassment!¡±


    They chattered on happily with different agendas on their minds.


    Susanne will allow Arielle to marry into the Nightshire family if the bionic arm proved to be useful. I


    initially wanted to introduce her niece to Vinson, but if everything worked out, my n will go down the


    drain.


    Anotherdy thought, The Seyward family is currently dominating the food and beverage industry in


    Chanaea. Mrs. Seyward had given birth to a son and a daughter. If her son gathers himself again, my


    family¡¯s n of entering the food and beverage industry will have to be dyed.


    Though they had different agendas, they shared the same wish¡ªnone of them wanted the bionic arm


    to work.


    Soon, they arrived at the Seyward residence.


    The Seyward family had a chain of food businesses consisting of a group of restaurants in many


    locations that share a name and served Ustranasion cuisine. They dominated the food and beverage


    industry in Jadeborough.


    After their only son became a cripple, the Seyward family¡¯s future seemed bleak.


    As Agnes brought them into her house, she sighed. ¡°We had no choice but to amputate his arm as


    there was excessive tissue damage. If we insisted on keeping his arm, it might affect the other part of


    his body. After that incident, Bjorn became a changed man and would fly into a fit of rage easily. If


    anything doesn¡¯t go his way, he¡¯ll break everything in sight. I was the one who signed the agreement to


    amputate his arm, so he vents his frustrations on me and refuses to leave his room. Now, I¡¯ll leave the


    house early morning to prevent angering him,¡± she exined.


    Forcing a smile, she looked at them with her teary eyes.


    As it was impossible to give birth to another son at this age, she could only hope for Bjorn¡ªher only


    son¡ªto get better.


    Hence, Arielle was her only hope. Naturally, she did her best to make Arielle feel weed.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    ¡°Have some Darjeeling tea. You¡¯ll love it. I¡¯ll ask Bjorn toe out,¡± she said warmly.


    Arielle nodded and took a sip of the tea. She then took the bionic arm from Vinson and started fiddling


    with it.


    The other twodies held their cups, but their eyes were fixed on Arielle. In unison, they chanted


    silently.


    Don¡¯t seed. Please don¡¯t let her seed.


    At the same time, Agnes pushed the door to Bjorn¡¯s room open.


    The room was pitch dark, but Agnes could see Bjorn practicing how to use a fork with his left arm under


    the dim light

 Chapter 1044

    Chapter 1044


    Chapter 1044 Leave Me Alone


    However, Bjorn was right-handed. No matter how hard he tried to control his left hand, he couldn¡¯t even


    lift a piece of noodle.


    Agnes watched as Bjorn¡¯s hand trembled, and the noodle fell to the ground.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    At once, Bjorn let out a disappointed roar. He picked up the bowl and smashed it to the ground. It


    immediately cracked into pieces.


    Shocked, Agnes switched on the lights and scurried into his room.


    ¡°Bjorn! Bjorn, calm down!¡±


    She clung to his waist tightly, but it only served to heighten his maniacal actions. He waved his limbs


    around wildly to vent his frustrations.


    In an unexpected move, his kicknded on Agnes¡¯ stomach.


    ¡°Ow!¡± Agnes yelled in pain. She held her stomach and curled into a ball on the ground as cold sweat


    formed on her forehead.


    Bjorn finally came back to his senses and stared at her in consternation.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    However, rage soon took over. ¡°Why are you here?¡± he demanded icily. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to stay away


    from me?¡±


    After the pain subsided, tears streamed down Agnes¡¯ cheeks. ¡°Bjorn, I¡¯m really sorry. I shouldn¡¯t ask


    you to race with someone else¡¯s children to save my pride. It was my fault the ident happened.


    You¡¯re an obedient child. You¡¯d have been fine if I didn¡¯t ask you to do that. But the amputation was for


    your own good. The doctor said if it spread to your other organs, you might die. I had no choice but to


    ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Bjorn hollered as tears sparkled in his eyes.


    He turned away from her so she wouldn¡¯t see him crying and added harshly, ¡°You should¡¯ve let me die


    at the hospital!¡±


    ¡°Bjorn, how could you say that?¡± Agnes shrieked.


    ¡°So what? I¡¯m a cripple who can¡¯t even go out. Is this any different from being dead?¡± he dered.


    Agnes¡¯ back stiffened. She btedly realized why she was in his room and scrambled to her feet.


    Taking Bjorn¡¯s arm, she uttered, ¡°I found someone who can treat you! You can return to living a normal


    life soon!¡±


    Bjorn was taken aback, but he swiftly regained hisposure and sneered. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m still a


    child? Is this another trick so I will leave my room? I¡¯ve lost my arm! How can the person treat me? I


    won¡¯t leave this room until I die! No one is allowed to see me in this state!¡±


    Before Agnes could say anything to persuade him to change his mind, an icy voice rang out. ¡°Your


    mother gave birth to you and brought you up. Is this how you repay her? By being rude to her?¡±


    Bjorn¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at that voice, for he had no idea there was a stranger in his house.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After losing his arm, he left orders that no strangers were allowed entry. Agnes wasn¡¯t allowed to bring


    any guests back for fear that someone would spot him.


    Bjorn turned instinctively and saw an extremely beautiful young woman ring at him frostily.


    He hid his broken arm behind him subconsciously, but the empty sleeve was pretty obvious.


    Bjorn¡¯s pride was wounded. He glowered at Arielle and eximed, ¡°Who are you? Leave now!¡±


    Agnes stood in front of him and apologized to Arielle profusely. She then told Bjorn, ¡°Bjorn, this is the


    youngdy who can help you.¡±

 Chapter 1045

    Chapter 1045


    Chapter 1045 What Is Your Decision


    ¡°My life can return to normal?¡± Bjorn¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. However, he had been


    constantly disappointed by his mother¡¯s words now.


    ¡°Stop lying to me. I¡¯m nothing but a cripple that needs someone to feed me in order to stay alive! I¡¯d


    rather be an animal. How will I return to a normal life?¡± Bjorn demanded. He pointed at Arielle and


    yelled, ¡°Ask this woman to leave me alone, or else I¡¯llmit suicide now!¡±


    Sobbing, Agnes said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Moore. Why don¡¯t youe over another day?¡±


    Just then, a tall figure appeared in their sights.


    ¡°Bjorn Seyward, right?¡±


    Bjorn stared at Vinson in disbelief.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire?¡±


    The Seyward family was a prominent family. Though he hadn¡¯t interacted a lot with Vinson, they had


    met a couple of times and were acquaintances.


    Arielle nced at Vinson, who had appeared behind her. ¡°Why are you here?¡± she inquired.


    She was wandering around, looking for the bathroom, when she overheard Agnes and Bjorn¡¯s


    argument and made her way here.


    Vinson gazed at her and replied gently, ¡°You didn¡¯te back, so I came searching for you.¡±


    He then turned to look at Bjorn.


    Bjorn¡¯s matter was rted to another rich brat. However, Vinson would never butt into someone else¡¯s


    business.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Now that Arielle had involved herself in the matter, he considered himself involved, too.


    ¡°I thought you were a real man. As your mother had been mocked for giving birth to a cowardly


    bookworm who dared not ept a racing challenge, you took up the challenge and joined the race.


    After losing an arm, you¡¯re back to your cowardly self. You¡¯re such a letdown!¡±


    Bjorn bit his lip. He admired and respected Vinson a lot, not because Nightshire Group was a leading


    company in Chanaea, but because his goal was to be someone like Vinson.


    s¡­


    ¡°You know nothing!¡± he managed between gritted teeth. ¡°Your arms are still intact, so you don¡¯t


    understand how hard it is to live as a cripple!¡±


    ¡°Hard?¡± Vinson scoffed. ¡°Do you think you have it hard? Your mother dared not stay at home for fear of


    invoking your wrath. Your father worked hard to expand his business for fear that you¡¯ll have no one to


    rely on after they passed on. You keep saying that your life is hard after losing an arm, but what about


    your parents? Have you ever considered them?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Bjorn¡¯s lips trembled as his gaze fell on Agnes.


    Though Agnes was dressed tastefully in an expensive outfit like usual, her wrinkles were visible even to


    the naked eye.


    She looked like she had aged a dozen years in just two years.


    One couldn¡¯t hide one¡¯s age using cosmetics.


    It¡¯s all because of me.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡± he said softly.


    Tears flowed down Agnes¡¯ face as she shook her head fervently. ¡°Bjorn, it isn¡¯t hard for me. I can live


    outside forever if you can return to normal.¡±


    Bjorn hung his head low, his emotions in a turmoil.


    Right then, Arielle spoke up. ¡°Mr. Seyward, you have an opportunity right in front of your eyes. There¡¯s


    a chance for you to return to normal. What is your decision? If your answer is no, I¡¯ll leave right away.¡±


    Without giving Bjorn time to mull over it, Arielle grabbed Vinson¡¯s hand and strode out.


    At the sight of Arielle leaving, Bjorn immediately ran after her, his worries long forgotten.

 Chapter 1046

    Chapter 1046


    Chapter 1046 The Entire Seyward Family


    ¡°W-Wait!¡±


    Bjorn Seyward rushed out of the room.


    Agnes froze. It was the first time Bjorn willingly stepped out of his bedroom aftering home from the


    hospital.


    Her eyes then slowly drifted toward Arielle¡¯s back. It was then that she realized Arielle was trying to


    light the candle of hope in Bjorn¡¯s heart.


    If Bjorn did not cooperate with Arielle, there was no way she could fit the bionic arm on him.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    Thus, Agnes fell silent, deciding to leave everything to Arielle.


    ¡°Wait! Wait a second!¡± Bjorn reached out to pull Arielle¡¯s sleeve.


    However, another hand shot out and blocked Bjorn¡¯s hand.


    Stunned, Bjorn slowly lifted his head to look at the owner of the hand before his eyes flicked between


    Arielle and Vinson.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Let me make an introduction. This is my wife,¡± Vinson said as he put an arm around Arielle¡¯s shoulders


    as if he was asserting his dominance.


    No wonder he won¡¯t let me even touch her.


    Hence, Bjorn quickly retracted his hand and softly muttered an apology. Then, he looked at Arielle and


    uttered, ¡°I want to take this chance. I want to be normal.¡±


    Even in his dreams, he longed to have his arm back.


    Arielle slowly turned toward Bjorn and replied, ¡°You¡¯re already normal.¡±


    Bjorn stiffened. Curiously, he asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Arielle gave him a small smile. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely treat your arm, but what¡¯s difficult to treat is your


    heart. Since you¡¯ve run out of your room toe after me, it means that you haven¡¯t given up


    completely. If that¡¯s the case, we may start working on your arm.¡±


    Bjorn¡¯s eyes slowly widened.


    Calmness and determination were written all over the woman¡¯s pretty face. It felt as if she was talking


    about the weather instead of about treating his arm.


    All along, his family refrained from mentioning his arm, and they always faced him with solemn looks.


    No one had ever talked about his arm with such tranquility on their faces before.


    Arielle¡¯s tone made him feel respected, and it lit the candle of hope in him again.


    Gritting his teeth, Bjorn then asked, ¡°How should I cooperate with you? My right arm¡¯s¡­ already gone.


    Do you have a way to regrow it?¡±


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m no god. I won¡¯t be able to regrow your arm, but I can give you one.¡±


    Her words took Bjorn aback, but Arielle ignored it and pointed in the direction of the living room instead.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go there.¡±


    Bjorn hesitated, but he soon tightened his left fist and strode toward the living room.


    When Agnes saw that, tears rolled down her cheeks again.


    ncing at Agnes, Arielle then said, ¡°People like him dislike sympathy most. He¡¯ll stillck confidence


    after putting on the bionic arm, so please treat him as you would to a normal person from now on. Talk


    to him as if that car ident never happened. Don¡¯t hold back if he makes any mistakes. Feel free to


    shout at him and hit him, but don¡¯t make him feel like he¡¯s not the same as he used to be.¡±


    As Agnes tried her best to control her flowing tears, she nodded fervently and said sincerely, ¡°Thank


    you. Thank you so much, Ms. Moore.¡±


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. This is just part of an equivalent exchange. We¡¯ll talk about what


    you¡¯re going to offer after the sessful activation of the bionic arm.¡±


    However, Agnes eximed, ¡°As long as you can return my son to his normal state, you can have the


    entire Seyward family!¡±


    Arielle¡¯s lips curled, but she said nothing as she went to the living room with Vinson.


    What she wanted was not the Seyward family but only Bjorn Seyward.

 Chapter 1047

    Chapter 1047


    Chapter 1047 Endurance


    The group soon came to the living room.


    When the two socialites and Susanne saw the hollow sleeve by Bjorn¡¯s side, simr looks of surprise


    appeared on their faces.


    However, Susanne was slightly better than the others, for she quickly tucked away that expression and


    put on a smile. ¡°Bjorn, it¡¯s been a while.¡±


    It was not that Bjorn had not seen the looks on their faces, but his hope was not going to die out that


    quickly.


    Thus, he nodded at Susanne beforending his gaze on the bionic arm on the coffee table.


    ¡°Is this the arm you said you¡¯ll give me?¡±


    It looks a lot like the prosthetics I bought in the past. If what I¡¯m going to put on is just a prosthetic, I¡¯m


    still going to be a disabled person.


    Having read his mind, Arielle swiftly exined, ¡°This isn¡¯t an ordinary prosthetic arm; it¡¯s an AI bionic


    arm. It uses your brainwaves, which means you use your brain to control it. As long as you train with it,


    it¡¯ll work like it¡¯s part of you.¡±


    Bjorn¡¯s eyes widened, and he asked, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°You can try it out for yourself whether or not it¡¯s real. You¡¯ve been in a slump for two years. What¡¯s a


    month to you?¡±


    At that, Bjorn steeled himself and nodded. ¡°I understand. What do I do?¡±


    ¡°Sit down,¡± Arielle said as she motioned to him and walked toward the bionic arm.


    Then she pressed a little lump on the bionic arm that no one would notice.


    In the next second, the bionic arm opened up and revealed its interior.


    Susanne and the others curiously leaned over, and they saw that the realistic arm was full of wires and


    circuit boards on the inside.


    As Arielle had said, the arm was no ordinary prosthetic.


    The next thing they saw was Arielle tapping and fidgeting with the circuit board, but they did not know


    what she was doing.


    A dozen minutester, Arielle stood up. ¡°I¡¯ve activated it, so I¡¯m now going to put it on for you. The


    process might hurt a little.¡±


    Bjorn nodded, unfazed by her warning. That pain was nothing to him.


    Indeed, it was a painful process, but Bjorn never once furrowed his brows. He only bit down hard and


    forced himself to stay silent.


    The connection process between the bionic arm and the body wasplicated and troublesome, so


    Arielle had to keep testing things out.


    Just the installment of the bionic arm alone took half an hour, during which the two other socialites


    nearly fell asleep from boredom.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    On the other hand, Susanne was watching her work intently.


    Arielle looks a lot like Maureen when she is focusing on something. She¡¯s passionate about her career,


    just like her mother.


    Back then, she used to head to Maureen¡¯s office first if she invited her out for a cup of coffee. During


    those moments, she would see the focused look on Maureen¡¯s face that she shared with her daughter.


    Men who were focused on their work were sexy, and so were the women who did the same.


    Finally, the bionic arm was connected to Bjorn.


    Arielle let out a sigh of relief before rising to her feet. ¡°You might feel pain at the start when the bionic


    arm tries to fit with your body. It¡¯s the same theory as putting on your prosthetic limb. Once the area


    grows calluses, you¡¯ll be less aware of it. However, you might need around two weeks to get used to it.¡±


    Bjorn nodded. ¡°I can endure this much.¡±


    Arielle nodded before finally switching on the bionic arm.


    At that moment, Bjorn felt the socket tighten up before his attention shifted to Arielle, who was taking


    out a smallptop.


    ¡°Now, we¡¯ll start testing out the brainwave connection. Once it¡¯s done, you¡¯ll be able to control the


    bionic arm.¡±


    At that, Bjorn inhaled as his heartbeat quickened.


    It was an hourter when they finally made some progress.

 Chapter 1048

    Chapter 1048


    Chapter 1048 Sess


    An hourter, the green wavy lines became two parallel straight lines.


    The astonishing part about the high-tech bionic arm was that surgery was not necessary, and the bionic


    arm would connect into the nerves beneath the skin by itself.


    In other words, once the bionic arm was connected to the arm¡¯s nerves, Bjorn would then be able to


    control that arm with his brain.


    Arielle closed theptop and pped her hands. ¡°All right! Try out the arm. Remember to think of it as


    your own instead of an arm that¡¯s separate from the rest of you.¡±


    Bjorn nodded as everyone began looking at his bionic arm nervously.


    A few minutester, the arm remained still.


    Noticing that, the two other socialites sighed in relief.


    Perfect! It¡¯s useless! I knew it. How is that possible for a girl who hasn¡¯t graduated from university to be


    able to create some kind of high-tech bionic arm? I¡¯ve only heard ofputers controlling robots. I¡¯ve


    never heard of using brains to control machines.


    One of the women then smugly asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is nothing happening? You make it


    sound like some miraculous machine, but it seems useless.¡±


    Instantly, Susanne and Vinson red at her. Frightened, the woman anxiously gulped before clearing


    her throat and averting her eyes.


    Glee had overwhelmed her to the point that she had forgotten those two were still around.


    By then, beads of sweat had formed on Bjorn¡¯s forehead, and he turned to look at Arielle, frustrated


    and confused.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, I can¡¯t use it.¡±


    Arielle shook her head at him. ¡°No, you can. Close your eyes. Don¡¯t look at it. Don¡¯t think about it. Just


    feel it. That is your arm. You just haven¡¯t used your right arm for a long time, so you¡¯ve forgotten how to


    use it.¡±


    Therefore, Bjorn gritted his teeth and closed his eyes again.


    At the same time, he told himself inwardly, This isn¡¯t a bionic arm; this is my arm. This is my arm, and


    I¡¯ll be the one to control it.


    Bjorn clenched his left fist, but in the next second, he heard a soft creaking sound.


    Startled, he opened his eyes and saw that his robotic hand was clenched into a fist as well.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    ¡°Ha!¡± Bjorn barked out as tears began flowing down his cheeks uncontrobly.


    Arielle snapped her fingers and eximed, ¡°You¡¯ve seeded! That¡¯s right! Don¡¯t look at it. Control


    your right arm with just your sensations.¡±


    Unable to hold her emotions back, Agnes began crying as well.


    She basically threw herself at Bjorn and hugged him.


    ¡°This is great, Bjorn! This is great!¡±


    Bjorn stiffened. His mother¡¯s embrace was something he had not felt for a long time. Perhaps it was


    because he never cared to bother himself with these things after his ident.


    A secondter, he pursed his lips and raised both his hands to hug his mother back.


    Seeing that, scowls appeared on the two other women¡¯s faces.


    A sess? Arielle actually seeded with this bionic arm? If this appears in the market, many rich


    disabled individuals will surely buy it. Arielle will surely earn a fortune from this.


    Unable to bear staying around for any longer, the two women quickly found an excuse to leave the


    ce.


    Nevertheless, Agnes was too preupied with her son, and she only told her housekeeper to send


    them off.


    Meanwhile, in the living room, Bjorn said to his mother with tearful eyes, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sorry¡­ I know that


    everything¡¯s not your fault, but I couldn¡¯t control my emotions back then. However, I promise you that I


    won¡¯t treat you that way anymore.¡±


    Agnes nodded, the tears still falling from her eyes.


    All of a sudden, a thought popped into her head, and she pulled Bjorn closer to her. ¡°Bjorn, say thanks


    to the Seyward family¡¯s savior.¡±

 Chapter 1049

    Chapter 1049


    Chapter 1049 Right Judgment


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Arielle hastily stopped them before the two of them could kneel before her. ¡°I said that this is


    part of an equivalent exchange. Since I¡¯ve helped you out, you should also agree to a request of mine.¡±


    Without hesitation, Agnes nodded. ¡°Please speak your mind. As long as it¡¯s within our capabilities, we,


    the Seyward family, will definitely do it.¡±


    Arielle waved dismissively. ¡°It¡¯s not that troublesome.¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    She then leaned toward Bjorn and whispered into his ears.


    Agnes did not know what Arielle had said to him, but after a moment of hesitation, Bjorn nodded and


    replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Moore. I¡¯ll definitely practice well and do my best to work with you when the


    timees.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Arielle patted his shoulder before turning to Vinson and Susanne. ¡°Everything¡¯s solved now,


    so let¡¯s go. Susanne, what would you like to eat tonight? Why don¡¯t I make it for you?¡±


    Susanne waspletely won over by Arielle, but the pride in her bones made her huff, ¡°We have a


    chef at home, so don¡¯t bother trying to make a mess in the kitchen. If you insist, then make a few tes


    of ravioli.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Arielle smiled at her, and that smile momentarily dazed her.


    Susanne had seen many pretty socialites, but few could have a smile as honest as hers.


    She had to admit that Maureen had given birth to a good daughter.


    Her judgment had been right, and she had not wrongly ced her trust in Arielle.


    Giving Arielle the chance was the best decision she had recently made.


    As Bjorn had not gone out of the house for a long time, he could not stay out under the sun for long.


    Thus, he could not send them off. Nevertheless, when he said his goodbyes to them, his eyes were


    filled with visible gratitude.


    Arielle had not only given him an arm; Arielle had given him a life.


    From then on, his loyalty was Arielle¡¯s to take.


    Agnes personally sent the three away. Before they left, Agnes pulled Susanne to the side and


    whispered something to her.


    Arielle and Vinson did not know what Agnes had said, but Susanne¡¯s smile widened after that, and she


    waved at Agnes before getting into the car.


    Soon, the car was heading toward Nightshire Manor.


    On their way back, Susanne asked, ¡°Do you know what Mrs. Seyward said?¡±


    Arielle shook her head.


    Susanne continued, ¡°She apologized for crossing you earlier. From now on, the Seyward family would


    do anything we ask them to.¡±


    Agnes had also praised her for finding an excellent daughter-inw like Arielle, but that was something


    the prideful Susanne did not say out loud.


    However, after a brief pause, Susanne praised, ¡°You¡¯ve done well this time. Keep it up.¡±


    At that, Arielle shared a look with Vinson before smiling. ¡°I¡¯ll keep doing my best.¡±


    Susanne shrugged. She then intentionally looked away from Arielle¡¯s and Vinson¡¯s linked hands,


    choosing to stare out of the window instead.


    Meanwhile, in the Seyward residence, Bjorn was already capable of carrying out simple actions such


    as clenching his fist and raising his arm after a few minutes of practice.


    When he saw his mother return after sending off the guests, he hurried over to her side. ¡°Mom, I might


    be able to learn how to use the utensils with my right hand tomorrow.¡±


    Agnes nodded, her eyes still damp with tears. She then looked at the sky outside and wistfully said,


    ¡°Our family is finally getting back on the right track.¡±


    When Bjorn heard that, the smile on his face faded a little. After taking in a deep breath, he said, ¡°Mom,


    I wish to go to the office with Dad tomorrow to take a look around.¡±


    Agnes beamed as the tears rushed out again.


    She nodded vigorously and muttered, ¡°All right. I¡¯ll tell your father the good news when hees back.


    Those who have been thinking of usurping our ce in the food and beverage industry have to hear


    about this good news too. By the way, what did Ms. Moore tell you? What does our family have to do to


    repay her kindness?¡±

 Chapter 1050

    Chapter 1050


    Chapter 1050 Jealous Vinson


    Bjorn shook his head. Instead of giving her a direct answer, he gave her a mysterious reply. ¡°She


    doesn¡¯t need us to repay her kindness.¡±


    Agnes¡¯ eyes widened. ¡°She doesn¡¯t want anything from us?¡±


    Bjorn nodded. ¡°If not for Mr. Nightshire being Ms. Moore¡¯s partner, I would have wanted to court her.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± Agnes shook her head. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the look on Mr. Nightshire¡¯s face


    when you went to grab Ms. Moore¡¯s sleeve?¡±


    Bjorn chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s why I said ¡®if.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t nning on acting on it.


    He was sure that if he were to act on that thought, one missing arm would be a mercy from Vinson.


    What was likelier was that he was going to lose his head too.


    At Nightshire Manor, after Susanne had gone for a facial treatment, Arielle was about to ask Vinson


    what he wanted for dinner. Only then did she notice how dark his expression was.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Taken aback, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Who made you mad?¡±


    Vinson then shot her a disgruntled look and grumbled, ¡°What did you say to Bjorn?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that.¡± Arielle scratched her head before continuing, ¡°I just asked him toe to theunch event


    with his bionic arm when the product goes live.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Vinson replied, but the dark expression stayed.


    After two seconds of silence, Arielle suddenly said, ¡°Vinson, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re jealous because I had


    a private conversation with Bjorn.¡±


    Vinson did not deny that as he said, ¡°Is there a rule somewhere that states that I¡¯m not allowed to be


    jealous?¡±


    Augh escaped Arielle. ¡°All right, all right. Sorry. I was just too worried that Mrs. Seyward wouldn¡¯t


    agree to let her son join a smallpany¡¯sunch event. After all, to the Seyward family, Moore Group


    is just a lousypany with a bad reputation.¡±


    It was only then Vinson¡¯s expression lightened up. He then pouted and mumbled, ¡°But I¡¯m still jealous,


    so you have to make me feel better.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Let me sleep with you at night.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯m going to get mad!¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m going to make dinner. Oh, right, didn¡¯t you say you don¡¯t like seafood? I¡¯m going to have a


    seafood dinner then.¡±


    Vinson jumped to his feet. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Darling!¡±


    ¡°Toote!¡±


    Arielle spun around and strode toward the kitchen as Vinson ran after her.


    He never thought that he would have to be the one to console Arielle even though he was first to get


    mad.


    Meanwhile, the housekeepers in the living room whispered gossips to each other at the sight of them.


    They had never seen Vinson acting in that way before. What an eye-opener. It seems like we¡¯ll have to


    be nicer to Arielle than Wendy. This woman might really be his wife in the near future!


    On the other side, at Specialized Forces Prison, the deputy captain had no choice but to release


    Wendy and her mother after receiving Vinson¡¯s instructions.


    When Wendy walked out of the cell, her eyes were already swollen to the point she could barely open


    them.


    For the past two days, they had not given her the chance to rest at all. They just kept going on and on,


    interrogating her about the same few questions. Wendy was on the verge of a mental breakdown.


    Cecilia was in no better state than Wendy.


    ¡°Mom, what do we do now?¡± Wendy sobbed out.


    Cecilia took in a deep breath before answering, ¡°Greene Corporation is at its end. Your dad must have


    done his best to get us out. Therefore, what we have to do now is to cut ties with Greene Corporation.¡±


    Hearing that made despair crash into Wendy like a tidal wave.


    Cecilia¡¯s words meant that she could no longer be the prestigious Ms. Greene of Greene Corporation.


    In fact, her status as that would only bring shame to her.

 Chapter 1051

    Chapter 1051


    Chapter 1051 Penniless


    ¡°But we¡¯repletely penniless right now. Where can we go?¡± Wendy choked out.


    Cecilia gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be going back to Horington to look for your uncle. Stay in


    Jadeborough and study hard. Make sure you take this chance to get into Maxwell University. As long


    as you enter that university, I¡¯ll be able to connect you with certain people so that you¡¯ll be able to marry


    into a good family.¡±


    ¡°A good family,¡± Wendy repeated before snorting.


    I can only marry middle-ss families at most. No wealthy family would ept someone like me, who


    has been in prison.


    Only Wendy herself knew how far she had fallen¡ªfrom being capable of marrying Vinson to barely


    capable of marrying into ¡°a good family.¡±


    I can¡¯t rely on Mom anymore. I can only rely on myself. Every Chanaean knows that the Greene family


    has fallen from grace, but what about Epea? Epea has tons of wealthy families. As long as I get into


    Maxwell University, I¡¯ll be able to approach a rich, influential Epean man. I can still try my luck for a


    good future.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Wendy replied after tensing her jaw. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely get into Maxwell University.¡±


    This is my one and only chance to turn the tables.


    Cecilia nodded before reminding, ¡°Stop trying to infuriate Arielle after you go back to school. She¡¯s not


    someone we can afford to cross anymore. All you need to do now is to focus on your studies. Don¡¯t do


    anything else. Do you understand?¡±


    Wendy bit down hard on her lower lip as she listened to her mother.


    She was unwilling to admit defeat just like that.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    She simply did not want to.


    However, the truth was that she had to.


    Hatred was a seed that was long nted in her heart and had grown into a towering tree.


    The sky slowly turned dark. Cecilia did not even have the money to buy a ne ticket to Horington.


    She had to seek the help of her younger brother to be able to get on the ne to fly back to Horington.


    After the ne touched down, Cecilia spotted her younger brother, Trevor, at the doorway.


    Trevor had already looked into what happened to the Greenes, so when he saw his sister, he walked


    toward her with a scowl on his face. ¡°Why are you still booking first-ss tickets at a time like this?¡±


    Cecilia drew her brows together. ¡°Trevor, what are you trying to say? Without the Greenes, you¡¯re just a


    gambling addict who needs me to provide for you. What¡¯s the matter? Now that something has


    happened to the Greene family, you won¡¯t even let me book a first-ss ticket?¡±


    At that, Trevor exhaled slowly before saying, ¡°There are a lot of journalists at the airport, so let¡¯s not


    start an argument here. Let¡¯s go back first.¡±


    Cecilia nodded. Then, recalling her daughter, she said, ¡°My ount has been frozen, so send some


    living expenses to Wendy.¡±


    With the scowl still on his face, Trevor reluctantly nodded. The two then went back to the Larson


    residence.


    Meanwhile, at Jadeborough, Wendy received ten thousand from Trevor¡¯s ount. At that moment, she


    nearly choked on her saliva.


    Mom said that he¡¯d give me some money, but he only gave me ten thousand? What can I do with ten


    thousand? I can¡¯t even buy a Chanel bag!


    Wendy was so furious to the point her face was bright red, and she immediately called her mother to


    comin.


    After Cecilia heard her daughter¡¯sint, raw anger pulsed through her body as well. Instantly, she


    whipped her head around and said to Trevor, ¡°Wendy told me that you only transferred ten thousand to


    her. Are you expecting her to use the money to cover her living expenses for the next few days?¡±


    ¡°Next few days?¡± Trevor barked out augh. ¡°That will be her living expenses for the year. Does she


    still think that she can be the princess of the almighty Greene family?¡±


    Cecilia clenched her fists and questioned, ¡°Trevor, what are you trying to say? What makes you think


    that you can just give her ten thousand and make itst for a year? How long do you think she canst


    with ten thousand?¡±

 Chapter 1052

    Chapter 1052


    Chapter 1052 Fallen For It


    Trevor sneered. ¡°Ever since you forced me to stand Vinson up, I had to use all my money to buy


    building materials avable in Horington. I had to build up rtionships with various building materials


    companies. All of these need money. Even my life is horrible now, not to mention yours! If Vinson


    doesn¡¯te to buy from me, I¡¯m going to end up just like you! Larson Group¡¯s going to go bankrupt


    and close down!¡±


    That made the anger in Cecilia die down a little. She then told Wendy, ¡°Wendy, your uncle is having


    trouble with his finances as well. Try to save up as much as you can with that ten thousand. Once


    Vinson¡¯s project needs material, they¡¯lle pleading at your uncle¡¯s doorstep. Everything will be fine


    once your uncle starts raking in profits again.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Wendy fell silent despite her displeasure.


    At that moment, she found out what it felt like to live off someone else.


    It felt horrible, and it was much worse than when Arielle had pped her.


    That incident had only been humiliating, but living off someone else was indescribable agony.


    Right then, Donovan came out of the school.


    She knew that Donovan often headed to the restaurant opposite the campus for his meals because he


    was not used to the food in the cafeteria.


    As she had expected, Donovan was out.


    Regardless of everything, Maxwell University was herst hope. She could not let that opportunity slip


    by her. She was determined to return to her good life from before.


    Thus, Wendy steeled herself and tamped down all her emotions before pping a smile onto her face.


    ¡°Mr. Baxter!¡±


    Donovan was still irked by what he had done to Queenie out of frustration the other night. When he


    raised his head, he saw Wendy, and for a moment, he thought he was hallucinating.


    Isn¡¯t Wendy in jail? Why is she here?


    Noting the surprise in Donovan¡¯s eyes, Wendy gave him a bitter smile before putting on a miserable


    look. ¡°You¡¯re not hallucinating. I¡¯m out of jail.¡±


    Donovan¡¯s lips parted, but he gulped before asking, ¡°Is your family fine?¡±


    Wendy shook her head and let a tear fall.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    At that time of the day, many were at the gates of the campus. Thus, many people were looking at


    Wendy and Donovan.


    After what happened at the auditorium, no one greeted Donovan with respect even if they encountered


    him.


    Once he realized that they were attracting the attention of others, he sighed and said, ¡°Let¡¯s continue


    this at the restaurant.¡±


    Wendy nodded and followed Donovan to the restaurant.


    Donovan deliberately asked to be seated in a private room. Once the two of them sat down, Wendy


    began sobbing out, ¡°Someone set us up. Someone¡¯s out there, determined to doom my family. That¡¯s


    we were targeted by the Specialized Forces.¡±


    Donovan cocked his head to the side, baffled. ¡°Someone set you up? But the news on the inte¡­¡±


    Wendy scoffed, ¡°Do you believe in news on the inte too? I just found out that Vinson is the captain


    of the Specialized Forces. Back then, my mother wanted to matchmake me with Vinson. I¡¯m afraid that


    Vinson must have been annoyed by it, so he purposely had the Specialized Forces involved in it. You


    know, no businessman is truly innocent. But my father never did anything terrible. The news


    exaggerated everything.¡±


    The mention of Vinson¡¯s name made Donovan¡¯s brows furrow more and more as hatred emerged in his


    eyes.


    He then cast Wendy a look of sympathy.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what happened. Are you okay?¡±


    Wendy shook her head. ¡°Vinson was trying to kill us all, but he couldn¡¯t find fault with me and my


    mother. He couldn¡¯t pin anything on us, and that¡¯s why we were released. However, all our family


    assets have been seized. Mr. Baxter, I¡¯m left with nothing now¡­¡±

 Chapter 1053

    Chapter 1053


    Chapter 1053 Our Daughter


    The more Donovan heard, the more sympathy he felt toward Wendy.


    Balling his fists, he then stared into Wendy¡¯s tearful eyes and said, ¡°No! You¡¯re not left with anything.


    You still have me.¡±


    Wendy pressed her lips tightly.


    He fell for it!


    ¡°Mr. Baxter, what do you mean?¡± A look of surprise appeared on her face.


    Donovan inhaled sharply. ¡°I hate people who bully the weak just because they¡¯re rich and influential.


    I¡¯m your teacher. You still have me, your teacher. You¡¯re not left with nothing!¡±


    Wendy then pinched her thigh hard and made her tears fall again.


    As she cried, she shook her head. ¡°But there¡¯s nothing I can do at all. Vinson wants to destroy our


    family. I can¡¯t hold on any longer. To be honest, I¡¯m here to tell you that I¡¯m nning to drop out to work.


    That way, I can provide for my mother. My mom is too used to living a rich life. She won¡¯t be able to live


    ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wendy!¡± Donovan cut her off and raised his voice. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to earn much without the use of


    your brain.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Wendy, you can¡¯t drop out now. Not only can you not drop out, but you have to get into Maxwell


    University. There aren¡¯t any tuition fees needed to study at Maxwell University. Furthermore, if you get


    a good grade in your finals, you¡¯ll get a certain amount of money. After your graduation, Maxwell


    University would even give you a good job opportunity. By then, you¡¯ll be able to revive the Greene


    family.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Baxter¡­¡± Wendy¡¯s acting was fantastic as she widened her eyes and let her tears continue to flow.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good idea, Wendy,¡± Donovan solemnly said. ¡°Come back to study starting tomorrow. I¡¯ll tutor you


    after ss hours. Regardless of everything, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re qualified for Maxwell University.¡±


    In the blink of an eye, the next day arrived.


    That day was the day Daniel went to court.


    As it was a public hearing, people could watch it on the inte.


    The moment the court ruled Daniel to thirty years of imprisonment, theizens cheered.


    Daniel¡¯s verdict was read right when Wendy¡¯s ss hours were over.


    The moment Terry saw the results, he pped like a seal and cheered, ¡°Great news! Mr. Greene has


    been sentenced to thirty years in jail!¡±


    Wendy, who was sitting to the left of Terry, stiffened as hatred poured from her eyes.


    One day, I¡¯m going to make Arielle¡¯s supporters who look down on me pay the price! I¡¯ll make them


    suffer!


    ¡°Terry,¡± Trisha reminded.


    At that, Terry instinctively turned around and saw Wendy from the corner of his eyes.


    It was then that he realized his ssmate beside him was the daughter of the man who had just been


    sentenced to thirty years¡¯ imprisonment.


    Awkwardly clearing his throat, Terry then walked out of the ssroom.


    Trisha sighed as she watched him leave. He¡¯s all right in every way but this. He just can¡¯t keep anything


    to himself.


    She had seen Wendy¡¯s expression just now. It was a terrifying one, and Wendy looked as if she would


    have skinned Terry alive if she could.


    Someone like Wendy would be an easy target for bullying.


    Thus, Trisha only shook her head and returned to her studies.


    Meanwhile, the doors of the pce in Turlen were tightly shut.


    A handsome middle-aged man stared at the report of a DNA test, his hands holding the paper shaking.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ She¡¯s our daughter.¡±

 Chapter 1054

    Chapter 1054


    Chapter 1054 Princess


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    A tear slid down the middle-aged man¡¯s cheek.


    The tear then fell onto the report and slightly smeared one of the words.


    Stunned, he hastily used a piece of tissue paper to dab the paper. When it was finally dried, he sighed


    in relief before pressing the paper against his chest as if it was a precious treasure to him.


    Right then, someone knocked on the door.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± The man whipped his head around and swiftly hid the report under a stack of documents


    on the table.


    ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s me.¡±


    An old man pushed open the doors and stepped in before closing the doors behind him.


    When he realized it was his old subordinate, Sybil, Dn sighed in relief. He then took out the report


    and asked, ¡°Are you sure this piece of news won¡¯t be leaked to the public?¡±


    Sybil shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It won¡¯t. I¡¯m the one who took the blood sample for testing. Even if


    those few couldn¡¯t keep their mouths zipped, they would only think that I have a child. They wouldn¡¯t


    rte it to you.¡±


    Dn then reached out to pat Sybil¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Sorry to put you in a difficult spot.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Sybil shook his head before courageously asking, ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯ve seen the report.


    What are you nning to do after this?¡±


    Dn tightened his grip on the report. ¡°Since it¡¯s confirmed that she¡¯s my daughter with Maureen, I


    have to take her back here. She¡¯s the only connection I have left with Maureen. She¡¯s the proof of our


    love. I won¡¯t let my daughter remain out in the world alone.¡±


    However, cold sweat began beading on Sybil¡¯s forehead.


    Mustering his courage, he then said, ¡°Your Majesty, you can¡¯t take her back in. If the queen mother


    finds out that you have a daughter with Ms. Moore, she¡¯ll do her best to get rid of her. Even if you


    managed to convince the queen mother, what about the queen? Although she portrays herself to be


    gentle and unfazed, you know how evil she is on the inside. Now, what the queen wants most is for


    Prince Aaron of Turlen to be king. If you bring the princess home now, she¡¯ll surely think of the


    princess as an obstacle.¡±


    ¡°I know!¡± Dn frowned. ¡°That¡¯s why I had you keep this DNA test a secret.¡±


    ¡°What do you n to do then, Your Majesty?¡±


    Dn sighed. ¡°I have to bring her home, but not now. Once the situation in the country stabilizes¡ªafter


    we suppress both the queen mother¡¯s and the queen¡¯s forces¡ªI¡¯ll make changes to thew. I¡¯ll legalize


    the marriage between our country¡¯s people and the people from the rest of the world. When that


    happens, I¡¯ll bring my darling daughter home.¡±


    Sybil nodded approvingly when he realized that Dn was not going to do anything rash. ¡°I¡¯m d that


    you can hold yourself back. However, you shouldn¡¯t have assigned His Royal Highness to take the


    princess¡¯ DNA sample. If he starts being suspicious, I¡¯m afraid that he willy a finger on the princess


    too.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t,¡± Dn said as he shook his head. ¡°Although I¡¯m not close to Aaron, he¡¯s my son. I know him


    well. He¡¯s not like his mother. Although he¡¯s a stubborn boy, he¡¯s kind at heart. I¡¯m doing this to slowly


    introduce him to his sister. In the future, it¡¯ll be easier for him to ept her.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do next?¡±


    Dn was silent for a moment. ¡°Help me gather information about my daughter first. I¡¯d like to get to


    know her before making any arrangements.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll work on it right away.¡±


    Sybil, too, wanted to bring the princess back home as quickly as possible. It had been a long time since


    he saw Dn¡¯s eyes that bright.


    Back then, the queen mother had kidnapped Dn and forced him to marry the queen. On the night of


    their marriage, he had even been drugged. Thus, Dn had been living like a walking dead after


    Aaron¡¯s birth even though he still seemed normal.

 Chapter 1055

    Chapter 1055


    Chapter 1055 True Identity


    The queen mother and the queen were constantly trying to gain more power, but Dn never cared


    about that. It was as if he was a puppet king.


    However, now, for his daughter, Dn was going to act like a king.


    Sybil was thrilled as he realized the king of Turlen had finallye back to his senses and was trying


    to regain his rightful power.


    The old subordinates like him no longer needed to endure the curses of the others about how they


    were the dogs of the puppet king.


    Dn stared out of the window, eyes bright.


    ¡°Remember not to alert anyone to this.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    However, right as Sybil stepped out of the room, he spotted Aaron walking toward him.


    ¡°Your Royal Highness,¡± Sybil greeted with a smile.


    Aaron¡¯s cold eyes studied Sybil for a second before he uttered, ¡°Is Father inside? I¡¯ve already


    completed my mission. Why won¡¯t he see me yet?¡±


    Aplicated look shed past Sybil¡¯s eyes, but he was quick to smile at him.


    ¡°Your Royal Highness, you¡¯ve onlypleted one task. You still have another left. Have youpleted


    the task regarding the Mill family? We, Turlen, are better in everything than everyone else but


    medicine. We have to win over the Mills.¡±


    The corner of Aaron¡¯s lips turned downward. ¡°They¡¯re going to elect their head of the household the


    starting of next month, and I¡¯ve already sent my men to infiltrate them. It¡¯s just a matter of time until I


    complete my task. I¡¯m only looking for Father to ask him something about the first mission.¡±


    Sybil¡¯s heart skipped a beat at that.


    Has Aaron figured something out?


    In the next second, Aaron continued, ¡°But since he won¡¯t see me, it¡¯ll be fine even if you¡¯re the one to


    answer me. Why is he checking the DNA of an ordinary ounder?¡±


    Forcing himself to be calm, Sybil then said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, this is actually a personal matter of


    mine, so¡­ you don¡¯t actually need to ask His Majesty about it. It¡¯s just me being absurd.¡±


    Aaron snapped his head toward Sybil.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you have an illegitimate child out there.¡±


    Sybil instantly put on a panicked look as he grabbed Aaron¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Your Royal Highness, please! If


    this news spread, my whole family would be executed. So, please, please keep this a secret for me!¡±


    Aaron gasped before chuckling quietly. ¡°I knew it. I was wondering why Father told me that was a top-


    secret task even though it was so simple. He did that for your sake!¡±


    Sybil admitted, ¡°Yes. His Majesty has always been gracious to me. I swear to you that I will repay your


    kindness.¡±


    Aaron pursed his lips. ¡°d to hear that. Anyway, that is great news to me.¡±


    Hearing that, Sybil tilted his head to the side, confused. ¡°Great news?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Aaron nodded.


    If thew changes one day, I might be able to marry Arielle. If I have that girl as my wife, I¡¯m sure life


    wouldn¡¯t be as boring as now.


    An odd, fearful feeling surged through Sybil as he stared at Aaron¡¯s smiling eyes, but he did not know


    why.


    ¡°Well then, return to whatever you were doing at the start. I¡¯m going to make preparations for the Mills¡¯


    matter.¡±


    Aaron then patted Sybil¡¯s shoulder and left in a visibly good mood.


    Sybil could only scratch his head in confusion. He could sense that things seemed to be spiraling out of


    control.


    Nevertheless, he did not dwell on it. As long as Aaron doesn¡¯t know about the princess¡¯ true identity¡­


    Thus, Sybil smoothed out the wrinkles on his sleeves and left as well.


    Soon, it was the next day.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    At Moore Group¡¯s technology department in Chanaea, the AI programmer said as he pointed at a piece


    of trending news on the inte, ¡°Look, look! Ourpany is trending!¡±

 Chapter 1056

    Chapter 1056


    Chapter 1056 Trending Cursing


    When another programmer heard that, he jumped in shock.


    He then whipped his head around to look at the first programmer who was reading the trending


    headlines intently. ¡°How can you still be smiling? Don¡¯t you know how many were cursing at our


    company when Henrick was arrested? Even the store owner of the restaurant opposite refused to sell


    me breakfast! Now that I finally can buy breakfast, we¡¯re back on trending! Stop smiling! You¡¯ll have to


    buy me breakfast from now on if you keep this up.¡±


    ¡°No, no.¡± The first programmer waved his hand. ¡°They¡¯re not cursing at us this time. They¡¯re


    encouraging us.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Immediately, a group of people crowded around, a pungent scent of perspiration filled the air. The first


    programmer quickly waved his hands in disdain as he spat out, ¡°What are you doing? You have


    phones! Look at the news on your own.¡±


    At that, they quickly took out their phones and checked the news out.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Then, they saw the headlines¡ªSouthall Group Changes Name¡ªon the top five trending headlines.


    Upon clicking in, they saw a piece of news article talking about how Southall Group was officially


    changing its name to Moore Group. Furthermore, Arielle was now the owner and the chairman of the


    company.


    Also, the one who had posted that was none other than Arielle.


    Arielle¡¯s fans leftments under the post in support of their goddess.


    Some fanmented: Ah! My goddess is now a chairman! This is like one of those motivational


    stories!


    Of course, other than the cheering fans, there were also people expressing their doubts in the


    comments.


    Oneizenmented: Are they all goldfish? Do they only have seven seconds of memory? Have


    they all forgotten about how Henrick nearly killed a whole vige full of people?


    Arielle¡¯s fans were quick to exin.


    A fan retorted: We haven¡¯t forgotten what Henrick has done, and we won¡¯t deny what he has done.


    However, the one who did that is Henrick, not our goddess.


    Another fan chimed in: Agreed. Arielle was there when Henrick was at court back then. Was she biased


    toward him at that time? She has nothing to do with the bad deeds done by Henrick, so please stop


    attacking her. Southall Group has changed its name to Moore Group, and that means that Arielle has


    cut ties with Henrick. I¡¯m sure that with her leading thepany, Moore Group will only do good deeds


    that will benefit the people and the consumers.


    The two sides soon engaged in a ferocious verbal fight.


    Theizen refuted: Don¡¯t jump to conclusions. The minds of people are unfathomable. Even the


    dragonyer might end up bing an evil dragon itself one day, let alone Arielle.


    Anotherizenmented: Although Arielle isn¡¯t Henrick¡¯s biological child, she has been with him for


    quite a while. Who knows if Henrick managed to brainwash her?


    The otherizen imed: No matter what name Southall Group changes to, I¡¯ll never buy their


    products!


    Following that, aizen added: All businessmen are crafty people. Even if Arielle is now still kind,


    she¡¯s no longer a student but a business owner. You, as her fans, will be the first batch ofb rats for


    her.


    The programmers were thrilled to see the support of the fans, but when they saw the curses and insults


    of the others, their hearts sank.


    They were currently the employees of Moore Group, so everything that happened to thepany


    would be reflected on them.


    For others to be cursing at thepany meant that they were also cursing at them.


    Thus, they were all livid.


    ¡°Why are we held ountable for those trashy things Henrick has done? Wasn¡¯t he already punished


    for what he did?¡±


    However, when Kimi stared at the trending headlines, he could not help but wonder who had made that


    article trending online.


    Although Arielle¡¯s name was in the post, that post had only been published for ten minutes. There was


    no reason for it to be trending so soon.

 Chapter 1057

    Chapter 1057


    Chapter 1057 I Only Believe In You


    Kimi soon came to a conclusion.


    The arguments in the post¡¯sments were not targeting the current Moore Group.


    It should be one of Arielle¡¯s rivals who was trying to target her.


    Right then, another trending headline appeared. The headline read: The Dragonyer Bes The


    Evil Dragon.


    Upon clicking into the trending page, he realized all the posts were attacking Arielle. Many never even


    mentioned Moore Group, and they were solely targeting Arielle.


    When he scrolled through thements, he found out that most ounts that were cursing at Arielle


    were ounts that were just registered hours ago.


    Once he got the affirmation for his guesses, Kimi mulled over it for a moment before sending a


    message to inform Arielle about the situation.


    When Arielle received the message, she was outside, looking for a good spot for Maureen¡¯s Kitchen¡¯s


    branch.


    Vinson received the information too, so he walked toward Arielle and said, ¡°Something has happened


    on the inte. I¡¯ve asked my men to check it out, and they¡¯ve found out that the one who spent money


    to get that post to trend is someone named Oliver Moore.¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Arielle nodded. ¡°My guess was right. Oliver and Jacob are both waiting for Moore Group to go bankrupt


    before they change those fixed assets for money. My appearance disrupted their ns to take over


    Moore Group, so it¡¯s nothing unusual for them to target me. Honestly, I¡¯d feel even more nervous if they


    didn¡¯t do anything, so now I¡¯m actually feeling relieved.¡±


    Vinson snorted. ¡°They¡¯re trying to sway the people into ndering you. It seems like they aren¡¯t that


    capable after all.¡±


    ¡°Right? If they were that capable, they wouldn¡¯t be eyeing a smallpany like Moore Group.¡±


    Vinson muttered, ¡°To you, hundreds of millions is considered a small amount, but to them, it¡¯s


    something they must get their hands on.¡±


    Hearing that, Arielle widened her eyes and spun around. ¡°How do you know that amount of money is


    nothing to me?¡±


    Vinson choked and fell silent.


    At that, Arielle decided toe clean as she asked, ¡°When did you find out that I¡¯m the chairman of


    Sann Group?¡±


    Vinson shrugged. ¡°When I got the ten robotic pacemakers from Sann Group. Didn¡¯t you tell me that you


    started Sann Group?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s eyes widened even more.


    ¡°I was just joking with you back then. Did you really believe in it?¡±


    Vinson nodded solemnly. ¡°I told you that I¡¯d believe in anything you say.¡±


    Those words of Vinson moved Arielle, but she was embarrassed, so she said, ¡°Vinson, you¡¯re so


    stupid. You¡¯re going to be that one person who¡¯s going to chuckle like an idiot even after getting fooled.¡±


    Vinson then stared at her for a moment before asking, ¡°Will you ever try to fool me?¡±


    The direct question made the smile on Arielle¡¯s face fade a little.


    Pursing her lips, she then shook her head and uttered, ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good enough for me.¡± Vinson hunched over to peck her on the forehead. ¡°I only trust you, so no


    one can fool me. It¡¯s fine even if you try to fool me. My money and I are all yours.¡±


    Arielle blushed before lowering her eyes. ¡°Has anyone ever told you that you¡¯re good at giving sweet


    talk?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Vinson replied truthfully. ¡°Jordan just said to me that someone as boring as me wouldn¡¯t be able


    to find a girlfriend, and if I did, it¡¯d be a miracle. He thought I¡¯d stay single for the rest of my life.¡±


    ¡°It seems like he doesn¡¯t know you well. I¡¯d say you know how to flirt well, and it¡¯s impossible that


    you¡¯re going to stay single forever.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± Vinson nodded. ¡°Yourment is worth all the time I¡¯ve spent on that book.¡±


    Arielle furrowed her brows. ¡°What book?¡±

 Chapter 1058

    Chapter 1058


    Chapter 1058 It Seems Like I Am Unneeded


    ¡°Nothing¡­¡± Vinson trailed off as he averted his eyes.


    He could not possibly tell her that he had stayed up all night reading dozens of books about how a


    cold-blooded CEO could win over the heart of his wife.


    It would ruin her impression of him if he did so.


    Vinson cleared his throat and changed the topic. ¡°Do you need me to get rid of the trending status of


    the post?¡±


    Arielle did not want to bother herself with it, but the people who were on her side were getting cursed at


    as well, and that annoyed her.


    After a few seconds of rumination, she nodded. ¡°Get rid of it.¡±


    Vinson hummed in response. Just as he was about to screenshot the post and send it to the public


    rtions department, he spotted two more trending headlines.


    Arielle Moore From Jadeborough University.


    Victim Of Henrick¡¯s Case Speaks For Arielle.


    Vinson froze for a second before he tapped into it.


    Jadeborough University, who rarely posted anything on Twitter, had abruptly made a new post that


    read: Jadeborough University¡¯s charity event has ended. The donations received in the event shall be


    used for the rebuilding of Southall Vige. Special thanks to outstanding graduate, Arielle Moore, for


    her generous donation to this event.


    Under the text was an attached photo, showing that Arielle had purchased three items that totaled a


    hundred and thirty million.


    Those three items were Marcus¡¯ antique vase, a ne worth one hundred million that Aaron had


    bought in Arielle¡¯s name, and a sculpture worth fifteen million that Arielle had paid for Wendy.


    The Greene family had copsed, so naturally, Wendy was unable to fork out fifteen million. Therefore,


    the school put that amount under Arielle¡¯s name instead.


    The charity event had long ended. The meaning behind Jadeborough University¡¯s well-timed post was


    clear¡ªthey were standing up for Arielle.


    The moment the post was created, the others were dumbstruck. Theizensmented below the


    post to express their views.


    Arielle donated a hundred and thirty million to that vige? Holy moly. She¡¯s that generous?


    It seems that Arielle is nothing like Henrick who only thought about how he could use the vigers.


    Arielle barely has anything to do with this, but she has given the vige such a huge amount of


    compensation. I¡¯m not going to hold her ountable for this anymore!


    Who were the ones saying that all businessmen are crafty people? Who were the ones who said that


    the dragonyer will eventually be the evil dragon? My goddess donated over a hundred million,


    but she never even posted anything about it. She just wanted topensate the vigers. How dare


    those meanies say that she¡¯s evil-hearted?


    Hold up. Am I the only one who noticed that the post also mentions she¡¯s an outstanding graduate?


    Didn¡¯t she just start her course? Why has she suddenly graduated?Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Nevertheless, thatment about Arielle¡¯s graduation did not receive much attention. Everyone was


    more preupied with her hefty amount of donation.


    Soon, the headline¡ªVictim Speaking Up For Arielle Moore¡ªtrended, attracting the attention of many


    again.


    Then, they found out that the victim who was speaking up for Arielle was a boy named Teddy.


    Teddy was a boy from Southall Vige. He had recorded a video with his parents, talking about what


    Arielle had done for them a while back.


    After watching the video, the others realized with a start that the one who had reported Henrick was


    none other than Arielle.


    They never realized that Arielle had secretly done so much for the victims.


    Soon, those two headlines became the top two trending headlines. The ones who had said that Arielle


    was going to be the evil dragon were either getting cursed at or had created an apology post.


    I¡¯ve really misunderstood her. From now onward, I¡¯m going to support Moore Group by buying their


    stuff!


    With Arielle leading thepany, I¡¯m sure Moore Group will be vastly different from Southall Group.


    Don¡¯t boycott Moore Group mindlessly anymore.


    After Vinson read the news, he shrugged at Arielle and said, ¡°It seems like I¡¯m not needed here.¡±

 Chapter 1059

    Chapter 1059


    Chapter 1059 Living Hell


    Arielle was still confused as to what had happened. She only figured it out after taking Vinson¡¯s phone


    and reading the news andments.


    At that moment, tears sprang to her eyes.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    She was already d to have Vinson backing her up. She never thought so many people would be


    defending her too.


    Wiping the tears off her face, she then smiled and said, ¡°I never knew it feels so good to be defended


    by others.¡±


    Vinson then pulled her into his arms and nted a kiss on her lips. Softly, he whispered, ¡°You deserve


    this.¡±


    You deserve to be supported by so many people.


    Right then, Rayson skipped over and yelled, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, Ms. Moore, it¡¯s done!¡±


    However, when he raised his head, he was greeted by the sight of the two hugging. Immediately, he


    turned away from them.


    Oh, bad timing.


    Arielle quickly pushed Vinson away and cleared her throat. ¡°It¡¯s done?¡±


    Rayson nodded and turned back to look at her. ¡°I negotiated with the person in charge, and he agreed


    to decrease the annual rent of two hundred thousand to a hundred and fifty thousand.¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll start renovating today then. This shop is originally a food and beverage store, so


    there isn¡¯t too much to change. We just need to make minor changes. If we¡¯re quick enough, we¡¯ll be


    able to finish the renovation in two weeks.¡±


    Vinson nodded along with Arielle and asked, ¡°Do you really not want to rent a space in Nightshire


    Group¡¯s mall? You won¡¯t need to pay rent.¡±


    However, Arielle shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind. Maureen¡¯s Kitchen¡¯s target customers will be


    middle-ss individuals, so the prices of the food can¡¯t be too expensive. Hence, this ce will be the


    best ce for it to be. This entire street is like a food street, so it¡¯s on par with a mall in terms of


    customers. Moreover, the people who are living here are Jadeborough citizens. If we can build a good


    reputation among them, we¡¯ll have a much easier time to open up another branch of Maureen¡¯s


    Kitchen.¡±


    Vinson softly replied, ¡°Okay. As expected of the chairman of Sann Group. You¡¯re better at this long-


    term nning than me.¡±


    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s just that you¡¯re hoping I¡¯d be targeting the high-ss individuals. We just have different


    goals. If we¡¯re aiming for high-ss individuals, we¡¯ll naturally have to have the restaurant set up in a


    mall.¡±


    Chanaean cuisine was unlike coffee and tea. If she wanted to open a hundred branches in the shortest


    time possible to prove herself to Susanne, then she must set a realistic goal by first targeting middle-


    ss individuals. She had to appeal to the general audience so that she would be able to build up the


    customer base quickly.


    Thus, Arielle took the contract from Rayson¡¯s and signed it after making sure that everything on the


    contract was fine.


    From that day onward, Maureen¡¯s Kitchen finally had a branch.


    After keeping the contract, Arielle turned to Vinson and said, ¡°I¡¯m done with looking for the store


    location, so you don¡¯t need to keep staying by my side anymore. I¡¯m going to head to Moore Group¡¯s


    technology department, so you should return to your own schedule. You¡¯ve been apanying me the


    entire afternoon, and I¡¯ve been hearing your phone¡¯s ringtone the entire afternoon too. I¡¯m sure there


    are many things you have to deal with.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Let me send you to Moore Group first.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Meanwhile, Arielle¡¯s fans were busy even after Jadeborough University and Teddy stood up for Arielle.


    After all, how could a finance blogger with only over a thousand fans appear on trending so quickly?


    Anyone with a brain would know that something fishy was going on.


    Thus, the fans discussed it with each other before looking into the maliciousments that cursed at


    Arielle.


    Soon, they found out about Oliver Moore and chastised him at once.


    So this guy is the troublemaker! He must be trying to set her up when she has just taken over the


    company!


    D*mn it. How dare he bully her just because she doesn¡¯t have someone powerful backing her up? It¡¯s


    fine. She has our support! If these people try to be mean to her again, I¡¯m going to confront them at


    Moore Group.


    Let me join you! Oliver Moore, be nicer, or we¡¯re going to make your life a living hell!

 Chapter 1060

    Chapter 1060


    Chapter 1060 Are You Insane


    Oliver stopped bothering with the matter after paying to get Arielle¡¯s post to trend. He knew about the


    sheer amount of keyboard warriors on the inte and how they were going to do his dirty work for


    him.


    As long as he took the first step, theizens would surely me Arielle for what Henrick had done.


    There were many who had been boycotting Southall Group, and thepany¡¯s reputation was


    unsalvageable. Therefore, Oliver thought he was making a smart move when he had directed the


    netizens¡¯ fury of Southall Group to Arielle.


    Arielle¡¯s still so young. If she sees that everyone on the inte is cursing at her, she might lock herself


    up in her house and cry! How much can a little girl stand, after all? It¡¯ll be best if she¡¯s diagnosed with


    depression after this incident.


    Those were the gleeful thoughts in Oliver¡¯s head as he leaned back in his office chair and rxed.


    Right then, his phone on the desk vibrated.


    His eyes trailed to the screen, and he realized it was from Jacob.


    Recently, he had started an alliance with Jacob. Thus, when he saw Jacob¡¯s name on the screen, he


    smirked. Jacob must be calling to congratte me on the sessful attack.


    Grinning, Oliver then answered the call and said, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Jacob? It¡¯s a pretty good move,


    don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Jacob, who had been affected by the incident, froze for seconds before he squeezed out, ¡°What did


    you say?¡±


    Jacob could not believe his ears.


    Everyone¡¯s cursing and hurling insults at Oliver, and they even attack me although I have nothing to do


    with this. How does he have the guts to ask me for my opinion on his ¡°good move?¡±


    A momentter, Jacob managed to rpose himself. He then hissed, ¡°Oliver Moore, are you insane?


    Did you lose your marbles?¡±


    Oliver instantly fumed upon hearing that.


    ¡°Jacob, what are you talking about? You¡¯re insane! You¡¯re the one who lost your marbles!¡±


    It was then that Jacob realized that Oliver still had no idea what happened on the inte.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He then scoffed, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go online and find out what happened? I¡¯m not going to clean up your


    mess for you this time. If we¡¯re still working together, then I¡¯d advise you to bear the responsibility of


    this mess by yourself. Once I get Southall Group, I¡¯ll give you three-tenths of its profits. But if you don¡¯t


    settle this matter, you¡¯ll get nothing!¡±


    With that said, Jacob ended the call, leaving Oliverpletely confused.


    My n today should have been sessful, but why did Jacob say this?


    With no time to dwell on it, Oliver quickly took out his phone to click into Twitter.


    He then saw that the two headlines about how bad Arielle was were gone. Instead, his name was


    trending.


    ¡°W-What?¡±


    Why is my name trending?


    Oliver then hurriedly clicked into it, only to be bombarded by posts that screamed and cursed at him.


    After looking at the top three posts, he finally realized what was going on.


    Not only did he fail to drag Arielle into hell, but theizens had even found out that he was the one


    who had paid for the ghostwriters. The ghostwriters had betrayed him, and they had posted the records


    of their conversation with him.


    In the blink of an eye, he was the one man that everyone abhorred.


    ¡°D*mn it! D*mn it!¡± Oliver furiously mmed his palm on the desk.


    Right then, his assistant rushed in and reported, ¡°Sir, bad news. There are a group of people


    surrounding the doorway of our office building, demanding us to return them their deposits!¡±

 Chapter 1061

    Chapter 1061


    Chapter 1061 Dog Eat Dog


    ¡°What? Their deposits?¡± Oliver gasped as his heart leaped into his throat.


    After establishing his food and beveragepany, Oliver had hastily opened dozens of chain stores in


    Jadeborough in an attempt to monopolize the market.


    Furthermore, there was a membership system with his restaurant. If the customers used the


    restaurant¡¯s e-wallet, they would get twenty percent off every meal.


    Many of the customers wanted that discount, so they had topped up their e-wallets.


    That was the money Oliver had used to quickly expand his business.


    In other words, there was no way he was going to pay them back at such short notice.


    ¡°Sir, what do we do now?¡± the assistant anxiously asked.


    ¡°D*mn it!¡± Oliver cursed again as a scowl appeared on his face. ¡°They won¡¯t get a refund! Ignore them.


    Their protests will die down soon.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± the assistant mumbled with a deep frown. ¡°They¡¯re really adamant about getting their refunds.


    When I was on my way up, I even heard them talking about how they¡¯re going to report us to


    Specialized Forces if we don¡¯t give them their refunds.¡±


    ¡°Specialized Forces?¡± Oliver squeaked as cold sweat began rolling down his face.


    Hispany had not always done the most legal things. If Specialized Forces were to get involved, not


    only would hispany be closed down, but he might also end up like Henrick.


    After all, Specialized Forces could not be bribed. He would be doomed if he were to be their


    target.


    Argh. These people sure know what my weak spot is.


    Oliver then said, ¡°Go downstairs and calm them down first. Tell them to mull over it for a day first. If


    they still want a refund after a day, we¡¯ll then refund them.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± The assistant hesitated for a moment before going on, ¡°They¡¯re really insistent on getting their


    refunds. I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll be back after a day. Moreover, thepany has no money left. We¡¯ve spent


    them all on the opening of branches.¡±


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Oliver clenched his fists out of frustration.


    At that moment, he started regretting his decision to mess with Arielle.


    Now, Arielle had turned out to be a phnthropist while he became the despicable viin.


    Oliver then huffed, ¡°I¡¯ll find a way. Just go and calm them down first.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± With a nod, the assistant then left.


    Oliver paced and panicked in his office.


    He had essentially shot himself in the foot.


    Back then, he wanted Southall Group, which was now named as Moore Group, to copse. That way,


    he would be able to get the money to expand his own business.


    However, he never thought that hispany might turn out to be the first to close down.


    After a long moment of contemtion, Oliver called Jacob.


    He could temporarily put aside Southall Group¡¯s matter, but he could not let anything happen to his


    company.


    A few secondster, Jacob picked up the call and mocked, ¡°Have you finally realized that you¡¯re


    insane?¡±


    ¡°Shut up! You won¡¯t be able to escape this either. I have the dirt on you, so I¡¯ll drag you down with me if


    I¡¯m doomed,¡± Oliver snarled.


    Jacob¡¯s tone instantly turned cold.


    ¡°Oliver, this is the mess you¡¯ve made. What are you trying to do by dragging me into this mess? If


    you¡¯re really that capable, go after that girl! If you want to drag me into hell, I¡¯ll make your end way


    worse than mine, believe it or not.¡±


    Oliver then took in a deep breath to calm himself down. ¡°Jacob, let¡¯s make a deal.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll transfer you all the shares I have of Southall Group, and you give me a hundred million. From then


    on, I won¡¯tpete with you for Southall Group anymore.¡±

 Chapter 1062

    Chapter 1062


    Chapter 1062 Dinner With Love


    ¡°One hundred million?¡± Jacob scoffed. ¡°Ever since what happened to Mr. Southall, thepany stock


    price has dropped tremendously. What makes you think the puny amount of shares you¡¯ve got there


    are worth one hundred million?¡±


    ¡°Jacob! Stop it with your dirty tactic! You know for certain what this one hundred million means!¡±


    Enraged, Oliver mmed his desk and held his phone ever so tightly.


    In fact, it would mean that he was ready topletely let go of the precious Southall Group. If it was


    not for his own F&Bpany¡¯s sake, he would have never let it go. It was just that thepany was in


    deep trouble, so he had no choice but to turn to Jacob.


    Upon hearing that, Jacob kept silent. If Oliver goes crazy and drags me down with him, it¡¯ll not end well


    for me either.


    ¡°All right, one hundred million it is. I won¡¯t be able to gather that much money in such a short period of


    time, though. The soonest I can do is in three days¡¯ time. But before that, I want you to set things


    straight and make sure everyone sees it online. Tell everyone that I had nothing to do with what


    happened, and it was you all along.¡± After not less than two minutes, Jacob finally spoke again.


    Caught between a rock and a hard ce, Oliver had no choice but toply. ¡°All right. Three days.¡±


    Both of them then agreed upon a date for the official agreements to be signed.


    After Oliver hung up the phone, he sat in his chair for a long while. His mentality toward the whole


    situation had changed.


    After he chain-smoked two cigarettes, he logged onto Twitter. Just a few minutester, a trending


    upload appeared, which read: Oliver Confesses.


    Theizens all clicked into it and saw Oliver confessing to his mistakes. Along with the confession,


    Oliver had announced that he had resigned as the director of Moore Group with immediate effect.


    However, theizens didn¡¯t sympathize with Oliver one bit. Theirments started flooding in.


    My goddess could¡¯ve easily been in his exact position now if it weren¡¯t for the victims in Jadeborough


    University and Southall Vige. Shame on you, Oliver!


    Isn¡¯t it a bit toote now to confess? What¡¯s the point?


    When Oliver read how theizens were all criticizing him, he smashed his phone in


    frustration. B*stards! All of them!


    Meanwhile, Vinson¡¯s car arrived at the technology department building.


    When Arielle was about to get out of the car, she heard Vinsonmanding Rayson in a cold voice,


    ¡°Shut your eyes.¡±


    Heeding his words, Rayson shut his eyes instantly. The next second, Vinson kissed Arielle


    passionately, making the woman¡¯s face turn beet red.


    Oh, my god! What¡¯s the point of asking Rayson to shut his eyes? Wouldn¡¯t that make it even more


    obvious?


    Embarrassed, she lightly pushed Vinson off. Fortunately for her, he backed off right away because he


    meant for it to be just a yful smooch.


    Blushing, the woman blurted, ¡°This is inappropriate.¡±


    ¡°How is it inappropriate for me to kiss my own wife?¡± Vinson asked directly. ¡°I¡¯ll leave Rayson here with


    you. Come find me after you¡¯re done.¡±


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°Find you?¡± Arielle was puzzled. ¡°Is something wrong with yourpany?¡±


    ¡°Rayson¡¯s wife fetches him every day after his work. I¡¯d like to have my wife fetch me off work too,¡±


    Vinson replied awkwardly.


    Although Rayson had his eyes shut, his hearing was definitely not impaired. Upon hearing what Vinson


    said, all he could do was cringe. He¡¯s absolutely shameless! My wife has never fetched me from work!


    Without knowing that Vinson was just spouting nonsense, Arielle felt sympathetic toward him.


    With his status and unfriendly aura, it¡¯s no wonder no one ever dared to pick him up from work. With


    that in mind, Arielle nodded. ¡°All right, I¡¯lle to get youter.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Before I forget¡­¡± Vinson paused and smiled enigmatically. ¡°Bring along dinner, please. Preferably


    if you prepare it with love!¡±

 Chapter 1063

    Chapter 1063


    Chapter 1063 Pushing His Luck


    Although Arielle was blushing uncontrobly, her voice remained icy. ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck.¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°But Rayson¡¯s wife prepares lunch for him almost every day!¡± Vinsonined with a pout.


    Once again, knowing his wife was actually working in Epea, Rayson was cringing over what he had


    heard. This guy is unbelievable!


    Without any knowledge of the truth, Arielle sighed helplessly. ¡°All right then, off you go. So annoying.¡±


    Her words did not reflect the thoughts on her mind, though. She called him annoying, but she already


    had an ideal menu for him in mind.


    Meanwhile, in the technology department building, the designers found out about the truth, and people


    started to talk.


    ¡°The table has turned! The trending topic says that Oliver has confessed about what he has done to


    Madam Chairman!¡±


    ¡°Oh, my god! So that¡¯s what actually happened. Shame on Oliver for bullying ady!¡±


    Although Kimi didn¡¯t see the trending headline, he knew what the others were talking about, causing


    him to breathe a sigh of relief.


    At this moment, someone rushed in and announced, ¡°Madam Chairman is here!¡±


    Feeling a weight lifted off his shoulders, Kimi rushed out to wee Arielle.


    However, the person in charge of the technology department was caught in a dilemma upon receiving


    the news. After Oliver had resigned, he told him that all of his ex-subordinates would be answering to


    Jacob instead. Now that the circumstances have changed, should I continue executing my ns? But


    the reason Arielle got off the hook is because of the hundreds of millions instead of her own


    capabilities. She wouldn¡¯t be able to hold on as chairman for long.


    After much consideration, he gritted his teeth and decided to continue being a spy for Jacob. Then, he


    got to his feet to wee Arielle as well.


    When he arrived at the entrance of the building, he saw Kimi talking with the woman.


    ¡°Madam Chairman, where¡¯s the bionic arm?¡± Kimi was puzzled when he noticed that Arielle had arrived


    empty-handed.


    Casting a nce at the person in charge, she instantly knew that he was secretly working for


    Jacob. Well, one down, one more to go. That¡¯s a relief.


    Arielle pursed her slips slightly. ¡°I needed the bionic arm for something else. I came over to pass you


    guys the codes.¡±


    Kimi¡¯s eyes lit up immediately. ¡°You¡¯re done encrypting the data?¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve also tested it. We should be able to start the manufacturing process tomorrow if


    everything turns out well.¡±


    Upon hearing the good news, Kimi was unbelievably thrilled. The other designers were also bursting


    with joy.


    ¡°Madam Chairman, you¡¯re incredible! Truly amazing!¡± Kimi praised.


    ¡°Oh, stop it.¡± Arielle smiled before continuing, ¡°Let¡¯s go key in the data into the other prototypes before


    testing them out again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Along with the other designers, they all headed toward theboratory. Except for the person in charge,


    he stealthily headed back to his office and informed Jacob about what Arielle said over the phone.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Jacob responded coldly.


    ¡°Indeed, but don¡¯t worry. Oliver had already seen thising, so we¡¯ve already reached an agreement


    with the manufacturers before this. Even if her codes work, none of them will help her with the


    manufacturing process. In other words, her code is useless.¡±


    ¡°Oliver made a smart move,¡± Oliver sneered. ¡°Proceed with the initial n, then. Pay the manufacturers


    off, no matter the price.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Over at theboratory, the bionic arm was working well after the data was keyed in. It was a sess!


    A round of cheers soon erupted.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, what did you do with the first prototype, though?¡± Kimi asked curiously.

 Chapter 1064

    Chapter 1064


    Chapter 1064 Sabotage


    Arielle paused for a moment and shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Once the bionic arms are


    launched, you¡¯ll have your answer.¡±


    Kimi nodded and didn¡¯t ask further. He then held up the bionic arm and started caressing it


    affectionately. Finally! You¡¯re about to beunched! He was so happy that he started crying tears of joy.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to see that, but I¡¯m just so excited!¡± Kimi said to Arielle embarrassingly while wiping


    his tears.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± Arielle shook her head. ¡°I know how you feel.¡±


    Arielle knew exactly how Kimi felt because she reacted the same way when the robotic pacemaker


    research seeded.


    Laughing awkwardly, Kimi uttered, ¡°Now we just need to market it and start the manufacturing process.


    Tomorrow, I¡¯ll personally pay them a visit and instruct them ordingly.¡±


    ¡°Actually, about that¡­¡± Arielle trailed off and nced around theboratory. After she made sure that


    the person in charge was not around, she continued, ¡°Regarding the manufacturing process, I¡¯d like to


    get my friend to do it.¡±


    ¡°Your friend?¡± Kimi asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the woman replied with a nod. ¡°This party has a lot of prior experiences with AI technology


    products. They are one of the best manufacturers in the world. However, the factory is located in


    Lightspring, Epea. I¡¯ll ship the prototype over directly to them. You just need to prepare a more


    urate blueprint for me. By the time they¡¯re done, they¡¯ll send the products back to Chanaea for us.¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯re manufacturing it in Lightspring? May I know the name of your friend¡¯spany?¡± Kimi


    queried.


    ¡°Sann Group. You should¡¯ve heard about them.¡± Arielle smiled enigmatically.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Kimi eximed loudly as his eyes widened in bewilderment.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Hush!¡± Arielle made a shushing gesture. ¡°As you know, thepany is in turmoil now. Besides, there


    are people who purposely try to stir things up. In order to not let this get sabotaged, I¡¯ve decided to let


    Sann Group handle the manufacturing process. Hence, you should just keep this piece of information


    to yourself. As far as the others are concerned, the manufacturing process is being carried out


    somewhere outside of Jadeborough.¡±


    Hearing that, Kimi nodded profusely.


    Sann Group was the best manufacturer in the world for AI technology products. Just the year before,


    the robotic pacemaker was a groundbreaking achievement, and it took the industry by storm. However,


    they were known for extremely high asking prices, and they were not into mass production. Hence, only


    the rich people were aware of the robotic pacemaker.


    Although the bionic arm was less significantpared to the robotic pacemaker in terms of saving


    lives, they were confident that there would be a high demand in the market.


    Arielle slightly nodded when she received the blueprint from Kimi. Without wasting a second, she


    contacted Sann Group right away. With an order from her, the manufacturing process started.


    After she dealt with Sann Group, Arielle proceeded to set up a meeting with the designers to decide on


    the selling price.


    After a round of constructive discussion, they agreed to sell it at one hundred and fifty thousand each.


    That was the lowest price they could go with because the costs were extremely high. Besides, they had


    invested a lot of time and energy into the early stages of the research.


    Once the selling price was set, Arielle stood up and said, ¡°Leave the marketing tasks to the people in


    the marketing department. All of you should take a break and have a good rest.¡±


    Upon hearing that, everyone in the conference room cheered joyfully.


    In the midst of all that, the person in charge was standing by the door outside the conference


    room. Haha! Laugh while you still can! Wait till you all find out that no one in Chanaea would help with


    manufacturing! By then, all of you are doomed! He then left and continued bribing the manufacturing


    companies he had yet to meet.


    In the meantime, Jacob had just transferred the first payment to Oliver from his office. That was when


    the technology department¡¯s person-in-charge paid him a visit. He went there requesting the money


    needed for bribery purposes. At that instance, Jacob¡¯s heart ached for his pocket.


    Never mind, once I get my hands on Moore Group, I will sell off all of its assets. I can recoup the


    money in no time. He managed to calm his nerves.

 Chapter 1065

    Chapter 1065


    Chapter 1065 Arielle Is Infuriated


    After Arielle left the technology department building, she went to Maureen¡¯s Kitchen to get dinner for


    Vinson. However, Rayson left her there because he was needed somewhere else, so she had to go to


    Nightshire Group¡¯s headquarters on her own.


    She felt nothing out of the ordinary when she was at Maureen¡¯s Kitchen, but when she arrived at the


    main entrance of the headquarters, she felt inexplicably nervous, even though it was not even her first


    time there. She had been there numerous times back when she was shootingmercials for Soir


    Coffee.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    The reason her heart was racing was because it was her first time at thepany as Vinson¡¯s wife.


    When Arielle raised her head and saw the skyscraper before her, she gulped nervously. Since I¡¯m


    already here now, I can¡¯t possibly just run away! Taking a deep breath, she entered the building.


    Vinson¡¯s headquartersprised a total of seven floors. The highest floor was where Vinson¡¯s office


    was located.


    Wow! This is indeed the biggestpany in Chanaea. One day, I¡¯m going to build something just like


    this for Sann Group just for the sake of showing off!


    ¡°Hello.¡± Arielle arrived at the front desk. ¡°I¡¯m here to look for Vinson.¡±


    The receptionist didn¡¯t bother to lift her head as she was busy signing for a courier. ¡°Do you have an


    appointment?¡±


    ¡°Appointment?¡± Arielle¡¯s mind went nk for a moment. She then held up the food in her hand and


    uttered, ¡°I guess so.¡±


    ¡°You guess so?¡± The receptionist frowned before picking up the appointment schedule. ¡°What¡¯s your


    name?¡± she queried.


    ¡°Arielle.¡±


    ¡°Arielle?¡± The receptionist flipped through the schedule and shook her head. ¡°You didn¡¯t make an


    appointment. Please fill out a form first.¡±


    ¡°You want me to fill out a form?¡± Arielle¡¯s brows furrowed incredulously. Vinson was the one who


    requested for me to bring him dinner. Yet, I¡¯m required to fill out a form?


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s our procedure.¡± The receptionist then put the schedule aside and went back to dealing with a


    man from the courier servicepany. While she was checking through the paperwork with him, she


    blurted at Arielle, ¡°After you¡¯ve made your appointment, it¡¯ll be vetted by the CEO¡¯s office. Once you¡¯re


    cleared, we¡¯ll then set up a date for you.¡±


    Hearing that, Arielle muttered expressionlessly, ¡°And how long will it take?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t give you an exact date, but usually it takes two to three days. It depends on when the CEO will


    be free.¡±


    ¡°Two to three days?¡± Arielle could not help butugh upon hearing that. How could I wait two to three


    days? His food will be all moldy by then! He asked me to bring him dinner, just to make me wait for a


    few days? What¡¯s wrong with him? It¡¯s a different story if I came here on my own ord, but I was


    requested to be here!


    Arielle had always been an unppable person. Even when Henrick forced her to kneel before him


    back then, she remained calm. That was because Henrick meant nothing to her.


    Without realizing it, Arielle had be a short-tempered person, especially when it concerned Vinson.


    Darn it!


    Clenching her teeth in anger, she took out her phone to call Vinson. ¡°Vinson, I¡¯m downstairs now. Your


    receptionist told me to wait for two to three days. Do you want your dinner or not?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± Vinson stood up abruptly and rushed down. ¡°Just a minute. Wait for me. I¡¯ming


    down to get you now!¡±


    Upon hearing that, the fire in Arielle¡¯s eyes dampened.


    Throughout the phone call, the receptionist was still busy dealing with the courier. Hence, she didn¡¯t


    know that Arielle had already spoken to Vinson over the phone.


    The moment she was finally done with the courier, she slightly gazed toward Arielle from the corner of


    her eyes. When she noted that the other woman was still there, the receptionist grew annoyed. ¡°Are


    you going to fill out the form or not? If not, then get out!¡± she thundered with a frown.

 Chapter 1066

    Chapter 1066


    Chapter 1066 Just Not You


    The reason why the receptionist treated Arielle that way was because she was well aware of the


    intention behind all the women who came to see Vinson. As far as she was concerned, none of these


    women came for work-rted reasons. It was understandable because it was every woman¡¯s dream to


    get their hands on a man of status and wealth, such as Vinson. Hence, she had always treated women


    without an appointment with hostility.


    Besides, she knew these women were all prettier than she would ever be, so she never bothered to


    even cast a nce at them.


    ¡°You can¡¯t see him without an appointment. If you¡¯re not filling out the form, get lost,¡± she repeated.


    However, as soon as she finished her sentence, she heard polite greetingsing from the elevator¡¯s


    direction.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Nightshire.¡±


    ¡°Good afternoon, Mr. Nightshire.¡±


    Vinson is here! The receptionist immediately stood upright as she tidied herself up.


    On every other day, Vinson would just walk straight toward the main entrance. However, he was


    heading directly toward the front desk this time around. The receptionist was caught by surprise, and


    she stood there stiffly, not knowing what was happening.


    Her heart began to race, and she could not help holding her breath.


    When Vinson was standing in front of her, she noticed the man had his eyes locked onto the woman


    who came to see him.


    Turning her head subconsciously, she finally had a good look at that woman.


    At that moment, realization dawned on her as her eyes widened. That¡¯s Arielle Moore!


    Back when Soir Coffee had an event there, she was not employed yet. Hence, she had never seen


    Arielle in person before. Wow! She looks even more beautiful in person! There are rumors going


    around saying that Arielle is in a rtionship with Vinson. So it¡¯s¡­ true?


    The very next thing the receptionist saw was Vinson affectionately wrapping his arm around Arielle¡¯s


    waist. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have kept you waiting. I didn¡¯t know you were here already,¡± Vinson apologized.


    Upon hearing that, the receptionist was stumped. So, they¡¯re involved with each other! Doesn¡¯t that


    mean I¡¯ve just stopped Vinson¡¯s girlfriend from seeing him? What have I done? I¡¯m so dead.


    Arielle simply ignored the receptionist and turned toward Vinson instead. Pursing her lips, she


    mumbled, ¡°Since you¡¯re talking to me nicely, I¡¯ll forgive you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much, Darling!¡± Vinson bowed.


    The receptionist saw her job sh before her eyes. Didn¡¯t Vinson fire his ex-assistant for something


    simr to what I did? Oh, goodness!


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    When she was about to hide away, she saw Vinson looking at her.


    It was actually the first time Vinson¡¯s eyesnded on her. His face darkened as his icy orbs stared into


    hers. Suddenly, a chill went through her entire body.


    ¡°Was it you who got in her way just now?¡± Vinson asked coldly.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± The receptionist was at a loss for words. She was so terrified that she was trembling in fear.


    Before she could exin herself, Vinson continued coldly, ¡°From now on, you don¡¯t have to clock in


    anymore.¡±


    Hearing his words, the receptionist was bbergasted. ¡°Please don¡¯t fire me! I beg of you!¡±


    Vinson ignored her as his eyes scanned the other employees.


    Then, the receptionist¡¯s superior went to her and said, ¡°You can pack up your things and leave now.


    Your pay for this month will be calcted based on a day rate.¡±


    The receptionist dropped to her knees and cried. Her arrogance and unprofessionalism had just gotten


    her fired.


    Arielle kept silent throughout the entire ordeal. She only started talking after she had gotten into the


    elevator with Vinson. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do that. She was just doing her job.¡±


    Although the receptionist treated her badly, Arielle was still defending her.


    Even so, Vinson thought otherwise. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t care if she had done that to other people. Just not you.¡±

 Chapter 1067

    Chapter 1067


    Chapter 1067 I Want My Dinner


    Of course, the reason Vinson did that was to make a deterrence.


    After this, no one would ever dare to stop Arielle in her tracks again.


    As for the people present around the front desk, they were all stunned as they watched both of them


    get into the elevator. They were even more shocked to see the receptionist getting fired on the


    spot. Well, it seems like we have to address the ambassador of Soir Coffee as Mrs. Nightshire from


    now on.


    Meanwhile, in the elevator, Vinson pointed at a sign that read ¡°For CEO Only,¡± and said, ¡°Next time


    you¡¯re here, you don¡¯t need to go through the front desk anymore. Just go up using this elevator.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Arielle nodded, feeling a warmth in her heart. Shortly after that, they both arrived at the top


    floor.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    The atmosphere in the office was unlike the one she felt at the front desk. Rayson was there as well,


    and he was chatting with the employees there. Basically, everyone was friendly and weing.


    Rayson had probably already told all of them about the rtionship between her and Vinson. Hence, all


    of them greeted her politely when she walked past them.


    However, Arielle felt embarrassed by their good manners toward her. As a result, she shied away from


    them and hid behind Vinson.


    Vinson, on the other hand, was eager to gloat. Wrapping his arm around her in front of everybody, he


    announced, ¡°My wife is just here to fetch me. No biggie. Get back to work, everyone.¡±


    Arielle was blushing uncontrobly. She could not help but pinch Vinson¡¯s arm lightly, indicating for him


    to stop embarrassing her.


    Despite that, Vinson¡¯s attitude remained the same until he brought her into his office.


    To Arielle¡¯s surprise, there were two lines of people standing inside. All of them had stacks of


    documents on them.


    The moment she stepped into the office, all of them turned and looked at her.


    Apparently, Vinson was in the middle of something when Arielle called him on the phone earlier.


    At first, she was stumped by what Vinson did for her, but soon after, she felt touched and grateful at the


    same time, knowing that Vinson would prioritize her. Luckily, I didn¡¯t leave when I dealt with the


    receptionist. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t even be here. What now, though? There are a lot of people here.


    Should I just pass him his dinner in front of these people?


    At that moment, when Arielle could not decide what to do, Vinson came to her rescue. ¡°Will you wait for


    me for a while? I have some work to deal with first.¡±


    ¡°Sure, no problem!¡± Arielle nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go wait outside.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± Vinson put both his hands on her shoulders and led her toward the couch.


    ¡°Just sit here. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± He then turned around and walked toward his desk.


    ¡°Let¡¯s continue.¡± Vinson¡¯s tone immediately turned icy cold when he spoke to people other than Arielle.


    It was as if he became a different person when he went back to his desk.


    ¡°Yes!¡± The two lines of people stood upright in a serious manner.


    ¡°Your proposals¡­¡± Vinson continued from where he left off.


    Vinson was cold and harsh with his words toward his employees. Since it was the first time Arielle had


    seen him lecturing his employees, she could not help but nce at them out of curiosity.


    As she was looking over at them, Vinson was seated facing against the beams of sunlight. Somehow, it


    revealed his amazingly well-proportioned face structure.


    Every action of his was yed in slow-motion in Arielle¡¯s head. Starting from when he flipped through


    the documents, to him tapping the table while he lectured the employees. Arielle was definitely feasting


    on him with her eyes. So, it¡¯s true what they say. Men do actually look the most attractive when they¡¯re


    focused at work.


    Finally, Vinson was done lecturing. The employees bowed respectfully and were about the leave. At


    that precise moment, Vinson suddenly asked, ¡°Darling, where¡¯s my dinner that you¡¯ve brought for me?¡±


    Obviously, Vinson timed that impably well. He was showing off to his employees that his wife had


    brought him food.


    True enough, the employees all stopped in their tracks abruptly upon hearing that and turned toward


    Arielle.

 Chapter 1068

    Chapter 1068


    Chapter 1068 Controlling Wife


    That was when they saw the food she was carrying.


    Everyone then understood their boss¡¯ hidden meaning behind his words.


    ¡°That¡¯s so sweet of you, Mrs. Nightshire.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so envious of Mr. Nightshire!¡±


    Arielle knew for sure Vinson did that on purpose to get those reactions out of his employees, so she


    just responded with an awkward smile.


    Vinson was a proud man after hearing all the praises andments. Only then he was satisfied. After


    the employees exited the office, he rubbed his hands and walked toward Arielle. ¡°What are we having


    for dinner?¡±


    ¡°Can you stop embarrassing me!¡± Arielle eximed as she yfully hit Vinson¡¯s head.


    However, one of the employees had left behind a document in Vinson¡¯s office.


    When he witnessed the scene, his eyes rounded, and he quickly ran out of the room in shock.


    ¡°Vinson!¡± Arielle clenched her teeth in anger. ¡°This is all your fault!¡±


    Vinson just reacted yfully andughed. ¡°Uh-oh, now everyone¡¯s gonna know you¡¯re a controlling


    wife!¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    True enough, his wish came true. Soon after, the words spread. Everyone in thepany knew what


    happened and viewed Arielle as a controlling wife.


    In general, most men would feel humiliated by suchments, but not Vinson. Instead, he was quite


    proud of it.


    Arielle was so embarrassed that she could not stand being in the office for another second. Both she


    and Vinson left for the Southall residence right after that.


    When Arielle got back to the manor, Susanne was ying chess with n. The kind of chess that


    Arielle was superb at.


    When Arielle saw them, Susanne had just won the game.


    Walking toward them, Arielle asked with a smile, ¡°Susanne, you¡¯re ying chess?¡±


    Susanne was flustered upon seeing Arielle. Releasing an awkward cough, Susanne replied, ¡°Besides


    Poker, I love chess as well. I have peopleing overter, and one of them is a legend in the chess


    community. Hence, I thought maybe I should sharpen up my skills a little bit before he arrives, but


    n¡¯s terrible at it! I can¡¯t get much of a challenge out of him.¡±


    Raising her eyebrows, Arielle suggested, ¡°Maybe I can help you with that?¡±


    ¡°Are you any good?¡±


    ¡°Sort of.¡± Arielle nodded.


    Those who knew Arielle well would know what she meant by ¡°sort of.¡±


    Obviously, Susanne would not have known that. All of a sudden, she was craving some ravioli.


    However, that would be something weird to bring up out of the blue. Instead, she gave it some thought


    and asked, ¡°Since you know how to y, why don¡¯t we have a game?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Arielle responded with a nod. n then quickly got up and gave his seat to her.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s make it more interesting. If you win, I¡¯ll let you organize my birthday party next month.


    However, if I win, you have to make me ravioli for a whole month,¡± Susanne suggested as she set up


    the chessboard.


    Arielle was faced with a dilemma. Birthday party? She¡¯ll definitely take the opportunity to tell everyone


    about my rtionship with Vinson, but I can¡¯t win either because Susanne will not be happy with it,


    considering her temperament. What should I do?


    Before Arielle could make up her mind, Susanne was done setting up.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start,¡± Susanne uttered.


    ¡°You can have the white pieces. You go first.¡± One of the rules in chess was that the yer with the


    white pieces would move first. Generally, white pieces were said to have an advantage over ck


    pieces. With this, Susanne had just given the first-move privilege to Arielle.


    She did that because she believed it was impossible for Arielle to win against her. It¡¯s good enough for


    a country bumpkin like you know how to y, but there¡¯s no way you¡¯re winning against me.

 Chapter 1069

    Chapter 1069


    Chapter 1069 The Legend


    It¡¯s definitely a huge advantage to move first. Susanne was extremely confident of herself.


    Taking a deep breath, Arielle made her first move. By then, she had already resolved her dilemma.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    This time around, Arielle didn¡¯t go by any strategy. Instead, she was just ying casually.


    Susanne¡¯s confidence grew upon seeing Arielle¡¯s first move. She¡¯s doing it by the book. Seems like


    she¡¯s just a beginner. Her lips then curled into a smile and made her first move as well.


    Just when she thought she could defeat Arielle within twenty moves and have her craving satisfied, she


    was now on her fortieth move.


    She was surprised by how hard it was to defeat Arielle. Only that did she realize Arielle had not yet


    made an offensive move on her throughout the game.


    While it took almost thirty seconds for Susanne to make every single move, Arielle only needed two.


    Not only that, Arielle¡¯s defense was so good that she managed to pull off a miraculous escape time


    after time.


    The game dragged on, and Susanne still could not defeat Arielle. Something¡¯s not right here. She¡¯s


    letting me win!


    Thinking Arielle was toying her around, Susanne clenched her teeth in frustration. Suddenly, Arielle


    conceded when it was her turn to move.


    Beaming an innocent smile, Ariellemented, ¡°Susanne, you¡¯re too good at this. I have no choice but


    to concede.¡±


    Arielle was half telling the truth. Susanne was good, indeed. It was just that she was no match for


    Arielle. If Susanne were to y against anybody else, she could have won easily.


    Susanne had never been one to hold back on her opinions. With a frown, she asked directly, ¡°You were


    letting me win all along, right?¡±


    ¡°No, no.¡± Arielle waved her hands in denial. ¡°I¡¯m just actually in the mood to make some ravioli.¡±


    Susanne was stunned by what she heard. Suddenly, her anger disappeared when she thought about


    those delicious ravioli. Arielle¡¯s response was music to her ears.


    Pursing her lips, Susanne muttered, ¡°When we finish eating ravioli, we¡¯ll give it another go, but you


    must promise me you wouldn¡¯t hold back anymore.¡±


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t. I-¡±


    ¡°Enough,¡± Susanne interrupted. ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot. Just promise me.¡±


    Arielle had no choice but to nod. ¡°Okay, I promise.¡±


    Right then, n came running over. ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, your guests have arrived,¡± he reported.


    Upon receiving the report, Susanne¡¯s eyes lit up immediately as she got to her feet. ¡°The legend I told


    you about is here. Since you¡¯re not too bad yourself, why don¡¯t you have a friendly duel with himter?¡±


    Susanne suggested.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Arielle agreed.


    At that moment, an old man¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°My apprentice, Susanne!¡±


    ¡°Oh, my mentor! How are you?¡± Susanne greeted politely.


    Raising her eyes toward the legend Susanne had imed, Arielle was dumbfounded. Isn¡¯t that Hans,


    my apprentice? And that¡¯s Everett, my grand disciple! Did Susanne just address Hans as her mentor?


    What¡¯s going on here?


    After Susanne greeted Hans, she turned, and her eyesnded on Arielle. When she noted how Arielle


    was still in her seat, her eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Arielle, what are you doing still sitting there? Come say hi


    to my mentor!¡±


    Hearing Arielle¡¯s name, both Hans and Everett gazed at her in shock.

 Chapter 1070

    Chapter 1070


    Chapter 1070 Great News


    Dumbstruck, Hans¡¯ and Everett¡¯s eyes widened dramatically. Unbridled joy lit their faces at the sight of


    Arielle.


    ¡°My dear mentor!¡±


    ¡°Grandmaster!¡±


    The two men yelled simultaneously, their tones colored with reverence.


    The corner of Arielle¡¯s lips twitched involuntarily, but she held her tongue.


    I can¡¯t believe that Susanne¡¯s mentor is my apprentice! Does that mean that Susanne is my grand-


    disciple? What in the world is going on?


    Arielle¡¯s head throbbed. She fervently wished that the ground would open up and swallow her whole.


    Susanne, on the other hand, was thoroughly perplexed when she heard Hans refer to Arielle as his


    mentor.


    She stepped forward to block Hans, who was about to rush toward Arielle. ¡°Mr. Jewell, w-what did you


    just call her?¡± she stuttered.


    ¡°My mentor, of course.¡±


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s all a misunderstanding,¡± Arielle interjected quickly. ¡°We yed chess together some time


    ago, and I won a game using a sly trick. Mr. Jewell was just teasing me.¡±


    She shot Hans a look as she spoke.


    However, the meaning behind her re went over Hans¡¯ head as he attempted to reiterate that Arielle


    was indeed his mentor.


    Fortunately, Everett was far more perceptive. He caught on quickly and leaned over to whisper in Hans¡¯


    ear.


    Hans¡¯ jaw dropped open, his gaze darting between Arielle and Susanne as he finally grasped the


    situation. ¡°She¡¯s right. We made a bet back then that whoever won that game of chess would be known


    as the ¡®mentor,¡¯ but it¡¯s all just fun and games.¡± He chuckled awkwardly.


    Susanne was no fool. It was clear as day that the two were trying their best to salvage her dignity.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    She was overwhelmed by mortification, but a peculiar sense of pride brewed beneath the shame.


    Well, I suppose it¡¯ll benefit me if everyone hears about how a legend like Mr. Jewell lost to Arielle at


    chess. It¡¯s just like the bionic arm¡ªnow that the elite circles know about Arielle¡¯s ster programming


    abilities, the major programmingpanies must be eager to get their hands on her.


    At the thought of this, Susanne felt the unease leave her bones.


    She stered a smile on her face and ran with their ruse.


    ¡°Oh, is that so? I was just wondering why Arielle went easy on me just now,¡± she quipped good-


    naturedly.


    Turning toward Hans, she remarked, ¡°Your timing is impable! Arielle just offered to make me some


    ravioli. You should try some! She is quite a good cook.¡±


    Hearing that, Arielle took it as her cue to leave. ¡°Please excuse me while I prepare the food,¡± she


    announced, casting a meaningful look at Everett.


    Instantly understanding her wordless request, Everett gave her a reassuring nod and ushered Hans


    into the living room.


    Hans¡¯ gaze followed Arielle until she disappeared into the kitchen. He then turned to Susanne, his


    shrewd eyes scrutinizing her. ¡°Are Arielle and Vin together?¡± he asked tantly.


    Susanne choked upon hearing his words but quickly masked it with a cough. ¡°I haven¡¯t approved of the


    rtionship.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Hans eximed, springing to his feet. ¡°Why don¡¯t you approve of it? It¡¯s great news!¡±


    Susanne squirmed in her seat as anxiety built up within her. ¡°Mr. Jewell, you don¡¯t understand my


    dilemma. Ariellees from aplicated background. It¡¯ll take some time for me to ept her,¡± she


    exined with a nervousugh.


    Hans had been keeping his eye on Arielle ever since their second encounter at Haut Monde, so he


    knew about the mess associated with the Southalls.


    Heaving a sigh, he uttered, ¡°Susanne, I know that the Nightshire family imposes strict traditions, but


    you have to understand that Arielle is a gem that is hard toe by. If her familial background is the


    only thing hindering this rtionship, I can help you out with it. I¡¯ll take Arielle as my goddaughter.


    Surely we Jewells are up to the Nightshires¡¯ standard?¡±

 Chapter 1071

    Chapter 1071


    Chapter 1071 My Adoptive Parents Are The Wilhelms


    While the Jewells were not one of the four most influential families in Chanaea, they were certainly at


    the top of the pyramid.


    Moreover, the Jewell family had an ancient bloodline. Although they no longer dabbled in the business


    world, the Jewells yed a prominent role in politics to this day.


    With Hans backing Arielle up, no one would dare to question her background or even raise the matter if


    she married Vinson in the future.


    Arielle¡¯s background bothered Susanne the most, so she was delighted to hear Hans¡¯ proposal. She


    mulled over it for a couple of seconds before nodding her assent. ¡°The two children would have a much


    brighter future if you would take Arielle as your goddaughter. As you know, rumors may not leave


    wounds, but they can bury a person alive.¡±


    Hans nodded in understanding. ¡°If my men- If Arielle agrees to it, I¡¯ll throw a banquet and announce


    this news,¡± he said, overjoyed.


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Susanne agreed.


    She figured that even if Arielle did not end up marrying Vinson, the young woman¡¯s life would be a lot


    easier if Hans had her back.


    Maureen, this is the best I can do for you.


    At this moment, dinner was ready.


    Arielle served three steaming bowls of ravioli and took her seat. Unable to contain his excitement, Hans


    blurted out his n to take Arielle as his goddaughter.


    Arielle hesitated before replying, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll have to ask my parents about this.¡±


    Hearing her response, Susanne was dumbfounded. ¡°Your parents?¡± she echoed.


    The younger woman nodded. ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, I haven¡¯t had the chance to tell you this, but I actually


    grew up in Lightspring. My parents¡ªmy adoptive parents, to be urate¡ªare the Wilhelms,¡± she


    exined truthfully.


    ¡°The Wilhelms?¡± Susanne eximed in shock. ¡°You mean the Wilhelms, as in the most renowned


    psychologists in Lightspring?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Arielle confirmed, but her answer left Susanne more confused. Unable to hold it in any longer,


    Susanne admitted, ¡°To be honest, I did a background check on you. The investigation showed that you


    grew up in a vige in Chanaea¡­¡±


    With a rueful smile, Arielle told her side of the story. ¡°I was in a tough spot at that time. I knew that


    Cindy and Henrick were not easy to deal with, so I created a smokescreen. Everything that you found


    about me was no more than an borate lie. The truth is, ten years ago, Cindy nned to sell me to a


    human trafficking organization. The Wilhelms rescued me before it was toote and brought me to


    Lightspring.¡±


    Upon learning that, a myriad of emotions churned within Susanne.


    She had once thought that a lowly vige girl like Arielle would bring dishonor to the Nightshire family.


    Little did she know Arielle was the adopted child of two internationally acimed psychologists!


    In fact, the Wilhems were more than just psychologists. They were also skilled general surgeons and


    leading figures in Epea¡¯s medical field.


    Hubert Wilhelm, in particr, had contributed significantly to traditional Chanaean medicine. As a


    result, he had made a name for himself in Chanaea and was recognized nationwide.


    With this turn of events, there was no need for Hans to stand up for Arielle. The name ¡°Wilhelm¡± alone


    carried enough weight to shield Arielle from any maliciousments.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Susanne started, but she was at a loss for words. The syble hung in the air as she dwelt on


    the newfound information.


    Had she known Arielle¡¯s true identity early on, she would not have even spared Wendy a nce, let


    alone shun Arielle for Wendy¡¯s sake.


    Although Susanne could not deny that she had a selfish desire for a distinguished daughter-inw,


    deep down, she just wanted to protect her son from any nder.


    However, now, not a single soul would dare to denigrate the Wilhelms¡¯ adopted daughter.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Arielle broke the silence. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have kept this from you, but I was in a bit of a


    predicament. If I returned to Chanaea with my real identity known, Henrick and Cindy probably wouldn¡¯t


    have received their punishment so quickly.¡±

 Chapter 1072

    Chapter 1072


    Chapter 1072 What She Missed Out On


    ¡°No matter what, you should have told me the truth when we first met,¡± Susanne reprimanded with


    feigned anger.


    Although her tone was harsh, she could not me Arielle for hiding her identity.


    It was obvious that Arielle had returned to avenge her deceased mother.


    Susanne shared the same sentiment, but her status prevented her from intervening. After Maureen¡¯s


    death, the thought of revenge niggled at her mind. With resentment for injustice guing her, Susanne


    had tried to covertly collect damning evidence, but to no avail.


    Now that the instigators had gotten what they deserved, she felt like a burden had been lifted off her


    shoulders.


    ¡°I¡¯m having a birthday party of sorts next month. If they¡¯re not too busy, I would love it if your parents


    coulde,¡± Susanne invited after some contemtion.


    A smile bloomed across Arielle¡¯s face as she nodded. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll pass the message on.¡±


    The truth was, Arielle had nned to set up a traditional Chanaean medicine hospital in Chanaea once


    Maureen¡¯s Kitchen and Moore Group found their footing. She hoped that her adoptive parents would


    move to Chanaea and run the hospital.


    Both the psychologists admired ancient Chanaean medicine, so there was no doubt that they would


    agree to it.


    ¡°While you¡¯re at it, remember to ask them about being my goddaughter,¡± Hans reminded urgently.


    While it might seem a tad bit disrespectful to take his mentor as his goddaughter, Hans could not pass


    up on the chance to build a stronger bond with the brilliant woman.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll be visiting Lightspring next week, so I¡¯ll be sure to ask them then,¡± Arielle promised.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Lightspring? Are you going back to visit your parents?¡± Susanne questioned.


    Arielle shook her head no. ¡°I n to visit Maxwell University.¡±


    ¡°Maxwell University!¡±


    A memory resurfaced in Susanne¡¯s mind. Back at the auditorium, Arielle had told her she had


    graduated from Maxwell University.


    At that time, Susanne was shocked to hear it, albeit pleasantly so, but she assumed Arielle had


    fabricated the story to provoke Donovan.


    Does this mean that she didn¡¯t lie out of pure spite?


    Susanne unwittingly voiced her inner thoughts, to which Arielle replied with a wry smile, ¡°Why would I


    lie about this?¡±


    Susanne was shaken to the core.


    She was beginning to realize what she had rejected in favor of Wendy.


    A priceless treasure, that¡¯s what! Mr. Jewell was right; I would have let a gem slip right through my


    fingers if I turned down Arielle! There is no one more suited for Vinson than her.


    ¡°All right, then. Enjoy your trip! Let me know if you ever need anything,¡± Susanne offered. ¡°Also, I lost


    the chess game to you, fair and square. Since you¡¯ve won the bet, you¡¯re in charge of my birthday


    party!¡± she added as an afterthought.


    The underlying notion was that Susanne finally approved of Arielle.


    Relief coursed through Arielle¡¯s veins. ¡°Sure!¡± she agreed decisively.


    That night, word about Arielle¡¯s impressive skills spread among the socialites like wildfire, with Susanne


    being the source of it all. She boasted about Arielle¡¯s ingenuity that allowed her to excel in


    programming and chess, making sure to highlight how the young woman had gained the title of ¡°Hans


    Jewell¡¯s mentor¡± after beating him in a round of chess.


    Naturally, she did not disclose any information about Arielle¡¯s rtion to the Wilhelms.


    News of that magnitude would be best delivered by the protagonists themselves, and her birthday party


    would be the perfect event to do so.


    The socialites were bored women whose sole purpose was to gossip. It would take mere days for


    Arielle¡¯s capabilities to be made known to the entire elite circle of Chanaea.


    In the elite circle, recruiting talents was the best way to secure their high status, and it was evident that


    Arielle was a highly sought-after talent.


    As expected, news traveled quickly. Even Cecilia, who resided in Horington, had caught wind of it.


    ¡°Arielle¡­¡± she growled through gritted teeth.


    The glory should have belonged to Wendy, but the Greenes had fallen from grace. Cecilia was not


    even aware that she had been excluded from the socialite meetings until Trevor told her.


    ¡°Darn it, darn it!¡± Cecilia kicked a stool over in a fit.

 Chapter 1073

    Chapter 1073


    Chapter 1073 Ungrateful


    This was the scene that greeted Trevor when he got home from ying golf. His eyebrows knitted


    together as he spoke. ¡°This stool is worth thirty thousand. As you are right now, you can¡¯t afford to


    break it.¡±


    His words only fueled Cecilia¡¯s rage.


    ¡°What are you trying to imply? If not for my husband and me, would you be able to afford this stool or


    this house? Trevor Larson, you¡¯re an ungrateful b*stard!¡±


    ¡°Ungrateful b*stard?¡±


    Trevor, too, was enraged.


    ¡°If I really am as ungrateful as you im, I wouldn¡¯t even let you stay here, let alone raise Wendy with


    my money!¡±


    Mentioning Wendy¡¯s living expenses was a huge mistake on Trevor¡¯s part. Cecilia exploded instantly.


    ¡°Trevor Larson! I can¡¯t believe you have the audacity to bring up the ten thousand!¡±


    Trevor scoffed in response, but he had calmed down significantly.


    Taking a long drag of his cigarette, he threatened, ¡°Cecilia, I suggest you get your head out of the


    clouds and realize that I have the power to ruin your life. If you anger me again, I¡¯ll chase you out of the


    house and live up to my name as an ungrateful b*stard!¡±


    Cecilia¡¯s face turned purple with fury. ¡°Trevor! You-¡±


    ¡°What? Don¡¯t you take my words lightly! If Vinson doesn¡¯t offer to coborate with me within the next


    few days, you and I will both rot and die! So, you best pray that everything goes ording to n, or


    it¡¯ll be the end of it for both of us!¡±


    With that, Trevor snatched his coat and turned to leave. He could not stand being in the house for


    another second.


    ¡°Trevor! Come back and exin it clearly!¡± Cecilia¡¯s shriek pierced the air, but Trevor paid her no heed.


    The door mmed shut, and Trevor disappeared from her sight.


    ¡°Ungrateful b*astard! Trevor, you shameless filth!¡± Cecilia shrilled.


    A stool flew across the room, crashing into the door with a loud thump.


    The housekeepers scurried away in fear that they would get caught in the line of fire.


    After a few minutes of deranged yelling, an eerie calm settled upon Cecilia.


    In a trance, she trudged up the stairs to her room. Opening a drawer, she pulled out a bag containing


    white powder.


    The Greenes had no qualms about making dirty money, and that included the sale of illicit substances.


    However, neither Cecelia nor Daniel had abused drugs themselves.


    Cecilia might not have used it before, but she had witnessed many others take their fix.


    Hence, she had a pretty good idea of how to do it despite theck of hands-on experience.


    I know I should steer clear of drugs, but now¡­


    Cecilia poured out a small mound of powder and stared at it. The white powder sat in the middle of her


    palm, seeming almost innocuous.


    She was on the verge of breaking down.


    Word on the street was that drugs could erase any pain.


    I won¡¯t get addicted if I just try it once.


    Cecelia needed an escape from reality, even if it was just temporary. She felt like she would go insane


    if she did not reign in her chaotic thoughts.


    A few minutester, a strange scent wafted out of Cecelia¡¯s room.


    Two days passed by in a sh. Jacob was still waiting for Arielle to reach out to him.


    Two days should be more than enough for Arielle to realize that Jacob was the reason all the factories


    had rejected the proposals from the technology department.


    The contract had explicitly stated that should Arielle fail to produce a fifty percent increase in the


    technology department¡¯s profits within a month, she would have to step down from her position as the


    chairman.


    Whether or not Arielle could aplish this feat depended on the bionic arm.


    If the bionic arm failed to make it to the market, Arielle would have no choice but to resign.


    A week had passed since she signed the contract. Jacob was sure that Arielle was under pressure, yet


    there was nothing but radio silence from her end.


    Though Jacob could y the waiting game, his subordinates were bing unsettled. They


    bombarded him with variations of the same question. ¡°Mr. Campbell, Madam Chairman should have


    contacted us by now. Why haven¡¯t we heard from her?¡±Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1074

    Chapter 1074


    Chapter 1074 Get Lost


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Jacob had waited for two whole days. Even though he reassured himself over and over again that


    Arielle would cave in first, his patience was wearing thin, and he had an ominous feeling that things


    were not going ording to n.


    His subordinate¡¯s inquiry ticked him off. Seething with rage, Jacob lit a cigarette and took a big puff.


    ¡°Let her be!¡±


    Taking another puff, he reasoned, ¡°She still can¡¯t figure out who¡¯s pulling the strings. It¡¯ll be even better


    if she stumbles around like a headless chicken! If she doesn¡¯te to me now, it¡¯ll be toote for her


    when she pieces everything together.¡±


    The subordinate was convinced by this rationale.


    At that moment, a thought shed across his mind. Lowering his voice, he murmured, ¡°Mr. Campbell,


    there¡¯s something that has been circting for the past two days. My daughter heard it from her


    friend¡¯s mother, so I can¡¯t guarantee its credibility.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Jacob prompted, his eyebrows furrowed.


    ¡°My daughter told me that Arielle and Mr. Nightshire are officially together, and it seems like Mrs.


    Nightshire approves of their rtionship.¡±


    ¡°What nonsense!¡± Jacob dismissed it without a second thought. ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡±


    The subordinate appeared uncertain. ¡°The rumors couldn¡¯t havee out of nowhere. Even my


    daughter has heard of it. Besides, didn¡¯t Nightshire Group appoint Arielle as the ambassador of Soir


    Coffee? Why would they pick her, of all people, if there is no connection between her and Mr.


    Nightshire?¡±


    Jacob snickered. ¡°Have you not seen Arielle Moore? A pretty face on a giant billboard will definitely


    boost Soir Coffee¡¯s publicity.¡±


    ¡°But Mrs. Nightshire-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s simply absurd,¡± Jacob interrupted. ¡°Everyone knows that Mrs. Nightshire cares about her


    reputation more than she does her son. Henrick has publicly announced that Arielle is not his biological


    daughter but rather the illegitimate child of Maureen, and even Arielle attested to it. Do you actually


    believe that a woman like Mrs. Nightshire would ept a bastard vige girl into her family?¡±


    The subordinate processed Jacob¡¯s words before nodding slowly. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    Quirking an eyebrow, Jacob continued to list other reasons to prove that it was a hoax.


    ¡°Let¡¯s say Arielle really is in a rtionship with Vinson. Why didn¡¯t Southall Group¡­ Wait, no, I suppose


    it¡¯s Moore Group now. What I¡¯m trying to say is, why didn¡¯t Vinson intervene when Arielle was


    ostracized and forced to sign the contract?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true!¡± The subordinate nodded vigorously asprehension dawned on him. ¡°Knowing Vinson,


    he would never let Arielle suffer if he truly cared for her. In fact, we wouldn¡¯t have a fighting chance


    against her! Vinson would¡¯ve fired us immediately.¡±


    Jacob scowled. ¡°Nonsense!¡±


    Btedly realizing that he had crossed his boss, the subordinate pped himself across the face. He


    spat on the ground and scrambled to amend his mistake. ¡°I can¡¯t control this mouth of mine! It¡¯ll just say


    whatever I¡¯m thinking.¡±


    The subordinate froze when the words left his mouth. He had backed himself into a corner with his


    foolish rambling.


    A dark cloud passed over Jacob¡¯s face.


    ¡°Get lost!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± With that, the subordinate made a hasty exit.


    The conversation left Jacob in a sour mood. He paced the office restlessly, a frown set on his face.


    At that moment, the phone rang. It was Oliver. He had called to ask for thest bit of money to seal the


    deal.


    Jacob swiftly processed the transaction. Although he had to get a loan, Jacob was confident that it was


    a wise decision. In due time, Arielle would have to step down, leaving the chairmanship and Moore


    Group in his hands. When that happened, money would be the least of his worries.


    However, the mention of Vinson rattled him.


    After some thought, Jacob asked, ¡°Oliver, since you¡¯re a Moore, do you know any of Jadeborough¡¯s


    upper echelons?¡±

 Chapter 1075

    Chapter 1075


    Chapter 1075 The Ideal Daughter In Law


    Upon hearing the other man¡¯s question, Oliver was puzzled. ¡°I can name a few, but I¡¯m by no means


    close to them. My wife does y cards with some socialites from prominent families, though. Why do


    you ask?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know the details. Just help me find out if Mrs. Nightshire of Nightshire Group has her


    eyes on anyone to be her daughter-inw.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Oliver hung up the phone and ryed the question to his wife.


    ¡°Oh, that Mrs. Nightshire¡­ I had the honor of meeting her when I visited a friend yesterday. My friend


    said that Mr. Nightshire initially wanted her son to marry the daughter of the Greenes from Horington,


    but Susanne never brought it up again ever since the Greenes got into trouble.¡±


    Oliver nodded. He had heard of this in passing.


    ¡°That means that there are currently no candidates,¡± he concluded.


    ¡°As far as I know, no. Word would have gotten out if there was such a person, just like it did with Ms.


    Greene. Since I haven¡¯t heard anything about it, I assume there is no potential daughter-inw.¡±


    Oliver nodded again and immediately called Jacob.


    Jacob heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing this information. A sense of peace and serenity washed


    over him.


    I knew it! Mrs. Nightshire of Nightshire Group has two functioning eyes. There¡¯s no way she would


    approve of a bastard vige girl! It doesn¡¯t matter that that girl¡¯s a Maxwell University graduate. She can


    never live up to Mrs. Nightshire¡¯s high expectations!


    However, both Oliver and Jacob seemed to have forgotten that Oliver¡¯s wife and her friends were only


    on the sidelines of the socialite group.


    With their current status, they would never get the real scoop.


    Another week flew by. Susanne often invited Arielle to y chess with her, and they grew much closer


    as a result.


    A day before Arielle departed for Maxwell University, Susanne took it upon herself to pack Arielle¡¯s


    bags.


    ¡°It rains a lot in Lightspring, so you must remember to bring an umbre when you leave the house.


    Don¡¯t trust the weather forecast either! The weather there is unpredictable.¡±


    Arielle nodded obediently. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll remember to do so!¡±


    Leaning against the doorframe, Vinson quietly watched the interaction between the two women.


    Something about the night made it exceptionally beautiful in his eyes.


    The following day, Arielle met up with Trisha and Jared for breakfast before heading to the airport.


    Vinson had wanted to go to Lightspring with Arielle, but the n fell through because he needed to


    oversee a project in Horington.


    Thankfully, Arielle had her friends to keep herpany.


    Trisha had started the day in high spirits, but her chubby face scrunched up in dismay when she saw


    something on her phone.


    Noticing her disheartened look, Arielle asked gently, ¡°Trish, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Jared looked over as well.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Ever since Henry pointed out Trisha¡¯s suspicious behavior, Jared had been keeping his distance from


    her.


    Thest he had seen her was during the announcement of their results for the regr ss.


    Trisha hurriedly shoved her phone into her pocket. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m fine,¡± she replied unconvincingly


    while shaking her head.


    rm bells rang in Arielle¡¯s head when she noticed Trisha¡¯s demeanor. ¡°Trish, what happened? Jared


    and I can help you out if you tell us,¡± Arielle urged, her tone cial.


    ¡°Nothing¡­ It¡¯s really nothing.¡± Trisha tried to cover her anxiety with a dryugh. ¡°I¡¯m just a bit nervous.¡±


    Arielle fell silent, but her intense gaze seemed to burn holes in Trisha.


    Trisha fell asleep on the way to the airport. Unbeknownst to her, her phone had slipped out of her


    pocket.

 Chapter 1076

    Chapter 1076


    Chapter 1076 To Maxwell University


    As if it had been orchestrated, a notification popped up on the screen.


    Arielle gave it a cursory nce but did a double-take when a name caught her attention. It was a


    message from Donovan.


    ¡°Donovan?¡±


    Recalling Trisha¡¯s stiff expression, Arielle reached for the phone.


    Trisha was still fast asleep. Knowing that there was no time to waste, Arielle seized her chance and


    unlocked the phone.


    All of Donovan¡¯s messages to Trisha were on full disy.


    Donovan: Where are you, Trisha? We¡¯re all gathered at the school gates, and you¡¯re the only one left.


    Trisha: Mr. Baxter, I forgot to tell you I¡¯ll be heading over with Arielle. I¡¯ll meet you on the ne.


    Donovan: Arielle? Why are you with her? She¡¯s not even taking the test! People of her kind are bad


    influences; she¡¯ll lead you astray. I order you toe to the school right now!


    Trisha: I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Baxter, but I¡¯m already on my way to the airport. I can¡¯t make it to school in time.


    Donovan: Is that so? Then forget about joining our interview training! Just go to that beloved Maxwell


    University graduate of yours for any advice!


    There was no reply from Trisha¡¯s end after that. This message was probably the reason for Trisha¡¯s


    frown earlier.


    Thetest message read: Don¡¯t contact me after you reach Lightspring. From now onwards, you¡¯re not


    my student!


    Arielle narrowed her eyes.


    Students are already on edge when exams roll around, yet Donovan keeps aggravating Trisha with his


    harsh words. Is this really how a teacher should behave?


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Arielle had been annoyed at Donovan since the charity event at the auditorium, and she had made it


    known to him.


    However, she never inflicted any substantial harm on the man because he was simply not worth the


    effort.


    But now, she could not just sit back and watch Donovan tyrannize her friend. She was going to unleash


    her wrath, and this time, there was no holding back.


    Thinning her lips, Arielle deleted thetest message in one swift motion.


    Jared, who had been observing Arielle¡¯s actions, tossed her a quizzical nce.


    ¡°Donovan,¡± Arielle mouthed.


    Jared understood instantly. He felt a surge of sympathy for the sleeping girl.


    Both he and Arielle would never let the likes of Donovan walk all over them, but Trisha was different.


    On top of being sensitive, Trisha had a history of autism. Any negative stimuli could trigger her


    condition and force her into hiding again.


    ¡°Donovan, you jerk¡­¡± Jared muttered under his breath. ¡°Boss, is there anything that I can do for her?¡±


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    Donovan is going back to Maxwell University to present his thesis defense, isn¡¯t he? It¡¯s the golden


    opportunity to get him expelled from the university!


    Half an hourter, the car pulled up at the airport.


    Coincidentally, Donovan and Wendy had arrived as well.


    Terry caught sight of Arielle from far away. ¡°Boss!¡± he shouted, iling his arms to get her attention.


    Donovan shot him a re, silencing Terry immediately.


    The group showed their boarding passes and filed into the gate.


    They were right on time¡ªthe gates opened just as they arrived.


    Arielle was walking at the very front of the line. Just as she was about to board the aircraft, a blond


    man approached her.


    ¡°Excuse me, are you Ms. San?¡±

 Chapter 1077

    Chapter 1077


    Chapter 1077 Unrequited Love


    Arielle was surprised that the man knew her alias. She paused momentarily before answering, ¡°Yes, I


    am.¡±


    The man¡¯s voice was barely above a whisper, but Donovan caught the word ¡°San¡± from where he


    stood.


    He felt his heart skip a beat. His mentor had once mentioned an alumnus who went by San, though she


    was more widely known as the Goddess of Study.


    It can¡¯t be¡­ Arielle can¡¯t be San!


    A wave of fear crashed into Donovan. He felt like he was suffocating as if he were truly drowning and


    his lungs had been filled with water.


    Although his thesis defense was right around the corner, there was still a chunk missing from his


    dissertation.


    Before leaving for Maxwell University, his mentor had revealed that San would be visiting the campus.


    Donovan had nned to enlist the help of the outstanding alumni toplete his thesis.


    If Arielle really is San, who¡¯s going to help me with my thesis? And how am I going to graduate from


    Maxwell University with an iplete thesis?


    Donovan¡¯s mind went nk, his face turning a ghastly white.


    At this moment, he heard Wendyment in a snarky manner, ¡°Arielle sure is an easy one. Look at


    her, flirting with a forty-year-old man.¡±


    Bewildered, Donovan whipped around to stare at her. ¡°Why do you say that? The man doesn¡¯t even


    seem to know her well.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t know her well?¡± Wendy snorted. ¡°The old man just addressed her by her nickname!¡±


    ¡°Nickname?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Arielle¡¯s nickname is Sannie. I¡¯ve heard Mr. Nightshire call her that, and that¡¯s also what


    that man called her.¡±


    San¡­ Sannie¡­


    A broad grin spread across Donovan¡¯s face as tion reced worry.


    I knew it. There¡¯s no way that Arielle is San. San is the Goddess of Study of Maxwell University¡ªa


    being so incredible that I don¡¯t even deserve to grovel at her feet. Arielle is just a pathetic Jadeborough


    University graduate. She is light-years away from reaching San¡¯s level. Why did I even entertain the


    idea of Arielle being San?


    Donovan exhaled heavily as if he were physically expelling his worries from his body.


    However, his glee turned into vexation in a split second.


    So she¡¯ll ept this forty-year-old old fart but reject me?


    Donovan¡¯s fingers curled into fists, his knuckles turning white from the force.


    Wendy pursed her lips in distaste when she noticed his clenched fists.


    Does Mr. Baxter still have feelings for Arielle even after getting married? So it is true, after all¡ªmen


    can never let go of their unrequited love. Well, since Mr. Baxter is still so enamored with Arielle, I¡¯ll be


    his wingman this once.


    Wendy still had the audio recording of Donovan fromst time. Once the exams are over, Mr. Baxter


    will be of no value to me. That¡¯s when I¡¯ll take action.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Wendy refused to believe that Arielle could escape unscathed from all of her ploys.


    Meanwhile, Arielle was nodding in response to something the man had said. She introduced him to


    Trisha and Jared, ¡°This is Mr. Vernon Curie from Maxwell University. He told me that the university has


    chartered a private jet for us, so let¡¯s take that instead of flyingmercial.¡±


    Trisha¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment.


    ¡°M-Maxwell University?¡± she repeated, disbelief seeping through her voice.


    Jared, on the other hand, was as poised as ever. He thanked Vernon with a gracious smile and turned


    to tease Arielle, ¡°You never told me that traveling with you came with such great perks, Boss!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Arielle beckoned them over, and the trio followed Vernon to a different boarding gate.


    Donovan snapped back to his senses when Arielle passed by him.


    Horror struck him when he realized that the man was not a random person hitting on Arielle, but a


    lecturer from Maxwell University who was here to escort her!

 Chapter 1078

    Chapter 1078


    Chapter 1078 Utter Humiliation Private Jet


    Being one of the most prestigious universities in the world, Maxwell University had an aerospace


    laboratory of its own. As a matter of fact, the most cutting-edge fighter aircraft that wasunched this


    year had been designed in the saidboratory. Hence, it was only natural that the university had its own


    private jet.


    The question is¡ªwhy would the university go out of its way to fetch Arielle? Could it be that Arielle is


    actually an alumna of Maxwell University?


    Up until now, Donovan still had trouble believing that Arielle had graduated from Maxwell University.


    After all, he had not received the graduation certificate himself.


    That¡¯s right!


    Donovan had an epiphany.


    Mr. Curie probably isn¡¯t here for Arielle. Instead, he¡¯s most likely here to show some hospitality to the


    prospective students of Maxwell University!


    With this in mind, Donovan chased after the group.


    ¡°Just a minute, Mr. Curie!¡±


    Hearing his name, Vernon turned around with confusion written inly on his face. ¡°Is there anything I


    can help you with, sir?¡± he directed the question to a panting Donovan.


    Donovan quickly introduced himself, ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Curie. My name is Donovan Baxter, and I¡¯m


    a Maxwell University graduate. These youngsters with me are the prospective students of the


    university, and they¡¯re heading over for the enrolment interview. May I know if you¡¯re here to fetch us?¡±


    Arielle had to fight to suppress her sneer. How highly does he think of himself? Vernon was here to


    escort her under the vice president¡¯s orders.


    A peek at Vernon told Arielle that he, too, was taken aback.


    Donovan¡¯s heart sank when he saw Vernon¡¯s expression.


    Was I wrong about it?


    In the next moment, Vernon replied apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not here for you. However¡­¡± His


    words trailed off as he looked at Arielle for her opinion.


    Feeling Vernon¡¯s gaze on her, Arielle curved her lips into a smile. ¡°Donovan, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re mistaken.


    Just imagine how many nes Maxwell University would need to pick up every prospective student.¡±


    As she spoke, Arielle glimpsed Terry from the corner of her eye. The boy¡¯s expression was one of pure


    awe, and Arielle felt her heart soften. After a slight pause, she continued, ¡°However, we can fit quite a


    lot of people on this ne. You¡¯re all wee to join us if you¡¯d like. Except for you two, Donovan and


    Wendy. You¡¯re not allowed on board.¡±


    ¡°Arielle, how dare you!¡± Wendy burst out in anger.


    The students¡¯ ne tickets were sponsored by the university, so they only got to fly economy ss.


    Had this been before her downfall, Wendy would have upgraded to a first-ss seat immediately.


    Unfortunately, she did not have that kind of money to splurge anymore.


    She had been rtively impassive about the situation when everyone received the same treatment, but


    now that Arielle had the luxury of flying private, jealousy reared its ugly head.


    Wendy quivered with rage.


    Next to her, Donovan¡¯s face was twisted into a hideous grimace.


    He had been so sure that Vernon was there to meet them, so the humiliation of being wrong was too


    much for him to bear.


    Though his face was flushed crimson, ice crept through his veins.


    The debilitating shame that seized him had triggered a traumatic memory. Donovan was thrown back to


    the time he had been exposed in the auditorium, where the fact that he had never received his


    graduation certificate was revealed to the public.


    The two scenes ovepped, and all he could see was Arielle¡¯s mocking smirk.


    At this moment, a group of men in suits approached them and bowed deeply to Arielle.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, we are Mr. Nightshire¡¯s bodyguards. Mr. Nightshire said that he can¡¯t make it in time, but in


    consideration of your safety, he ordered us to send you to Maxwell University by helicopter.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Donovan and Wendy gaped at the men.


    Not only did Maxwell University charter a private ne for Arielle, but Vinson Nightshire also prepared


    a helicopter for her?


    Wendy was utterly stupefied. There was ringing in her ears, which sounded like the high-pitchedugh


    of a taunter.

 Chapter 1079

    Chapter 1079


    Chapter 1079 Humiliation


    Wendy felt both jealous and humiliated. Arielle is definitely mocking me now.


    However, she found that the other woman did not even spare her a nce but had fixed her gaze on


    Terry, who was standing behind her.


    ¡°Shall we go together?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± he agreed without hesitation, sticking to Arielle¡¯s side like glue.


    The other students had never flown in a private jet before and so voiced their agreement as well.


    Just then, ke and Sasha appeared with luggage in hand.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire sent us here to protect you, Ms. Moore.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Arielle had grown ustomed to theirpany, so she readily agreed to it.


    She then addressed the other bodyguards, ¡°Please inform Vinson that Maxwell University has sent a


    lecturer to pick me up, so I won¡¯t be using the helicopter.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± They nodded but made no move to leave. It was obvious that they were waiting for her to


    board the ne safely before leaving.


    Arielle did not stop them. After all, it was out of Vinson¡¯s concern for her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she said to Terry and the others. Without sparing a nce at Wendy and Donovan, she led


    all three of the students away.


    The group left from another boarding gate under the protection of the bodyguards.


    Donovan immediately called out to Terry and the others, but they had vanished at the boarding gate as


    though they did not hear him.


    But these are my students! Why are they listening to Arielle and only caring about her?


    He stared in the direction where Arielle had left, angered and humiliated.


    Beside him, Wendy was going mad with jealousy.


    Previously, I was also surrounded by bodyguards. And it¡¯s not as though I haven¡¯t sat on private jets.


    But now? I have no choice but to sit in the crowded economy ss cabin with Donovan!


    Her mind was in a mess at the thought that they were worlds apart. She felt a little unsteady on her


    feet.


    At that moment, the boarding announcement for her flight brought Wendy back to the present. Looking


    at Donovan, who was also lost in thought, she said, ¡°Mr. Baxter, we should board the ne now.¡±


    Donovan regained hisposure and remained silent as he boarded the ne.


    As soon as they were in their seats, Wendy could no longer contain her curiosity. She asked, ¡°Could


    Arielle really be a graduate of Maxwell University, Mr. Baxter?¡±


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Donovan immediately disagreed. ¡°I¡¯m a student of this university, and it is very hard for


    one to enter this institution, much less graduate. There are only a few Maxwell graduates in Chanaea,


    and we have a group chat. If she really is one of us, there¡¯s no way I don¡¯t know her.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Wendy still had her doubts. She bit her lower lip before asking, ¡°If Arielle wasn¡¯t a graduate of


    Maxwell University, why would the university send a private jet to pick her up?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because of Vinson!¡±


    ¡°Vinson?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he must¡¯ve bribed his connections to maintain her dignity. Anything and anyone can be bought


    with enough money. He¡¯s definitely capable of doing such a thing.¡±


    ¡°But if that¡¯s the case, Vinson wouldn¡¯t have sent a helicopter.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. In any case, it¡¯s still impossible. You should do a few more of the practice questions I


    gave you. We need to take another flight after this, and it¡¯ll take eight hours before wend in


    Lightspring. So make full use of this time.¡±


    Donovan used this excuse to stop her from discussing it further.


    He did not wish to ponder about those two conflicting issues. Or rather, he did not dare to.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When a person has the resolve to lie to themself, they will not be able to see the truth, no matter how


    smart they are.

 Chapter 1080

    Chapter 1080


    Chapter 1080 She Devil


    Maxwell University in Lightspring ced great importance on every student enrolment event, as it


    prides itself on obtaining intellectuals. Hence, all the staff members would make it their utmost priority


    to ensure that the applicants would not have any worries.


    When Arielle and her groupnded in Lightspring, Donovan and Wendy were still in transit.


    After handing over Henry and the others to the person in charge of picking them up, she went ahead


    with Vernon to Maxwell University.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been back in ages,¡± said Vernon happily. ¡°It was all thanks to your remote interception that


    there was no problem with the institutionwork during the system hacking a few months ago. The


    vice president wished to thank you in person, so she has arranged a private dinner. I hope you¡¯ll attend


    it shortly.¡±


    Arielle recalled the matter. Back then, she had been preparing to return to the country for revenge and


    setting up smoke bombs to hide her true identity.


    The vice president had called her when she was in the countryside in Chanaea.


    Arielle nodded slightly in response. ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me for helping my alma mater. You¡¯re too


    kind. Let¡¯s forego the private dinner. It¡¯s currently the enrolment season, and you must be very busy.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. Nothing is more important than this matter. Besides, the researchers in the variousbs


    would also like to thank you personally.¡±


    Arielle was perplexed upon hearing that.


    ¡°The researchers in theb?¡±


    She was well aware that besides being an institution, Maxwell University had also established many


    labs to conduct research on the world¡¯stest technologies.


    Those who were researchers in thosebs were all internationally renowned scientists or exceptionally


    gifted geniuses in the research field. Back then, the vice president had also invited Arielle to join them,


    but she had declined as she wanted to return to Chanaea.


    And now they wish to meet me?


    Sensing her concern, Vernon exined, ¡°Previously, when the system was hacked, we suspected that


    an international organization had intended to steal our information. After all, our institutionwork had


    nothing else of value. Therefore, they wereing for the data from the variousbs. If the data was


    leaked, we would sustain a huge loss, which is why the researchers would like to thank you in person.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Arielle pondered for a moment before nodding her head. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Vernon pped happily upon hearing that.


    Arielle is a rare polymath of this university. The researchers have long wanted to meet her.


    Half an hourter, the vehicle entered thepound of Maxwell University.


    The main gate of the university was carved from white marble, giving it a simple yet magnificent look.


    Rather than a university, it looked more like a city. The research and campus areas were separated by


    a boulevard in the middle that ran through the front and rear gates, covering an area of almost one-


    tenth of the entire Lightspring.


    The university was the main reason Lightspring was known as the most developed city in the world.


    Selena, the vice president, was eagerly awaiting Arielle¡¯s arrival at the academic building.


    Seeing Arielle, she quickly came forward to wee her.


    ¡°San!¡±


    ¡°Ms. Selena.¡± Arielle gave her a courteous nod. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It really has. I was looking forward to this day from the time you told me you wereing over.¡±


    Although she was known as She-Devil, Selena seemed to have turned into an entirely different person


    as she greeted Arielle amicably.

 Chapter 1081

    Chapter 1081


    Chapter 1081 Call Me Darling


    Arielle and Selena had a good chat, as they were considered friends.


    The two conversed for a long while, updating each other about recent events.


    Besides the Wilhelms, only Selena and the president knew about Arielle going back to the country to


    seek vengeance.


    Selena looked concerned as she asked, ¡°Have you settled what you intended to do? I¡¯ve already


    hidden all your records as you¡¯ve asked. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s helpful to you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it helped me greatly although the matter is only half-finished. But there¡¯s no need to help me hide


    my identity any longer.¡±


    If the remaining opponents were as formidable as Vinson had described, they would be able to find out


    the truth even if I were to hide my identity. It¡¯s better toy it all out in the open.


    Hearing this, the vice president nodded. ¡°You saved ourbs, so let us know if you need our help in the


    future. I¡¯ll help you as long as it¡¯s within my means.¡±


    Arielle smiled in gratitude. ¡°How is Mr. Lambert doing now?¡± she inquired as he came into her mind.


    Selena gave Arielle another appreciative smile when she brought up the president. ¡°Thanks to the


    robotic pacemaker you developed, Mr. Lambert¡¯s heart disease has been cured. However, the doctor


    advised him to rest in bed for three months due to his old age. If he was a young man, he could¡¯ve


    been discharged after two weeks.¡±


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She then added, ¡°There will be a thesis defense for the students who¡¯ve dyed their studies


    tomorrow. Would you like to attend it?¡±


    ¡°For students who¡¯ve dyed their studies?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Selena. ¡°I would like you to take over Mr. Lambert¡¯s position as temporary president. I


    believe you¡¯ll make the same decision as him.¡±


    In other words, she was giving her the power to decide the passing or failure of the thesis defense.


    Arielle had intended to reject the offer. However, she nodded in agreement when she suddenly thought


    of Donovan. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Just as she was about to take out the photo of her mother and the mysterious man, Vernon knocked on


    the door and entered.


    ¡°Dinner is ready at the restaurant in the east building.¡±


    Arielle nodded before reluctantly cing the photo back into her pocket.


    While they were heading toward the restaurant, she received a call from Vinson.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you¡¯ve arrived?¡± He sounded upset.


    Arielle hurriedly replied, ¡°I assumed Sasha would¡¯ve notified you of my arrival.¡±


    ¡°She did inform me that you¡¯ve arrived safely, but I would much rather hear it from you.¡±


    Hearing that, Arielle could not help but smile fondly as she said in a sweet voice, ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll say it now,


    okay? Vinson, I¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Shouldn¡¯t you be calling me Darling?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck,¡± she huffed, her cheeks burning up.


    ¡°This is a reasonable request from your husband. Call me Darling. Quickly now.¡±


    Perhaps it was because they were miles apart, but Vinson had the urge to hear her call him


    affectionately.


    By now, Arielle was blushing furiously. Ms. Selena and Mr. Curie are both beside me. Not only that, Ms.


    Selena is fluent in eightnguages. She can definitely understand the pet name, so how can I say it out


    loud?


    Having no other choice, she quickly made up an excuse. ¡°I¡¯m busy now. I¡¯ll call you backter.¡±


    She then ended the call.


    However, Arielle immediately noticed the nosy look on Selena¡¯s face out of the corner of her eye. ¡°Your


    boyfriend?¡± the vice president inquired.


    Her face instantly reddened. ¡°Sort of¡­¡±


    Why do I feel as though I was caught by a teacher for engaging in puppy love?

 Chapter 1082

    Chapter 1082


    Chapter 1082 The Polymath


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Selena continued asking.


    Arielle decided to be frank. ¡°We¡¯ve already gotten our marriage certificate.¡±


    This time, it was the vice president¡¯s turn to blush.


    ¡°Since when? Who is he, and where is he from? Lightspring?¡±


    Arielle shook her head before replying, ¡°He¡¯s Chanaean. His name is Vinson Nightshire.¡±


    ¡°Vinson Nightshire?¡± Selena¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    ¡°You know him?¡± Arielle asked, confused.


    ¡°Not only do I know him¡­¡± Selena smiled before continuing, ¡°Do you remember the student that I


    mentioned to you during your second year when you wished to graduate early?¡±


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Arielle shook her head, indicating that she could not recall it.


    Selena patiently exined, ¡°He graduated a year before your enrolment. You graduated in two years,


    whereas hepleted the course in a year. Do you remember the general papers for your graduation


    examinations?¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°Yes. The paper was very difficult. Each question requires at least threenguages. An


    ordinary person would¡¯ve found it difficult to even understand the question.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. But you still scored full marks. Since the founding of our institution, only four students


    managed to achieve this. You were one of them, and so was he,¡± Selena said in a tone of amazement.


    ¡°I see. So Vinson had also scored full marks.¡±


    He has never brought it up before.


    However, she quickly epted that they were both very busy and did not have much time to sit down


    and converse, so it was normal for him to fail to mention it.


    ¡°I never thought that you two geniuses would end up together! This is great news! Don¡¯t forget to invite


    me and Mr. Lambert to your wedding,¡± Selena said with a chuckle.


    Arielle¡¯s cheeks burned once again. ¡°Will do.¡±


    Meanwhile, Donovan had finally arrived at Maxwell University.


    After telling the students to go back to their dormitories, he immediately went to look for Noah.


    ¡°You previously mentioned that San will being over, Mr. Noah. Has she arrived?¡±


    Noah shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I know that Ms. Selena sent a private jet to pick her up. If she¡¯s


    already here, the news will spread very quickly.¡±


    Donovan nodded. However, as soon as his mentor brought up the private jet, an ominous feeling rose


    in his chest.


    ¡°Sent¡­ a private jet? How many private jets has the institution sent out for this examination?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure about that. The university will also send private jets to pick up exceptionally gifted


    students.¡±


    Donovan let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°However, this is very rare, and only San is an exception. Not only is she a legend among the students,


    but among the lecturers and researchers of Maxwell University as well. Many others are also asking


    about her besides you.¡±


    Shocked, Donovan asked, ¡°Is she really that incredible?¡±


    Noah nodded. ¡°Of course. Do you remember the general papers for your graduation examinations?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do,¡± was Donovan¡¯s reply.


    The test was so difficult and far exceeded my academic knowledge. I only managed to score twenty-


    one in a two-hundred-point test. However, many scored simr marks too, so I didn¡¯t do that badly.


    ¡°She scored full marks for that test!¡± Noah eximed.


    ¡°What?¡± Donovan widened his eyes in disbelief.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t all. A few months ago, the institutionwork was hacked, and even the bestputer


    science lecturer couldn¡¯t intercept it. In the end, they managed to stop it after getting San to help


    remotely. This is enough to prove her ability. I also heard that she is skilled in other areas besides


    hacking. She¡¯s a polymath!¡±

 Chapter 1083

    Chapter 1083


    Chapter 1083 Wrong Person


    Hearing the word polymath made Donovan¡¯s heart tremble with excitement.


    He clenched his fist as he said, ¡°Please let me know right away if you¡¯ve any news about her. I have a


    final section in my thesis that I cannot solve, and I need San¡¯s help.¡±


    With her help, there wouldn¡¯t be any problems with my thesis whatsoever.


    Noah nodded in response. ¡°All right. Although you¡¯recking in talent, you¡¯re very hardworking. So I¡¯ll


    do my best to help you graduate. As for San, I¡¯ll also try my best to help you ask around for her.¡±


    After hesitating for a few seconds, Donovan said, ¡°Since she¡¯s a Maxwell student, the university


    records should have her information, am I right? Could you take a look at her file and help me get her


    contact details?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Do you not have ess to student information?¡± Donovan asked in surprise.


    Unlike the lecturers¡¯ information, student information did not contain anything confidential. Hence,


    lectures had ess to them.


    Back then, he had found out that Arielle had been studying in the countryside the entire time by looking


    through her information.


    Noah smiled wryly. ¡°If I could, I would¡¯ve gotten her contact details for you. However, it just so


    happened that Ms. Selena encrypted Arielle¡¯s information a few months ago, so only she and Mr.


    Lambert could ess it.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Donovan was puzzled. ¡°If she¡¯s that incredible, the university should be eager to let everyone


    know of her abilities. Why would they choose to encrypt her information?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea and have no right to ask. In any case, all traces of her time at Maxwell University have


    been erased. She was even removed from the graduation photo.¡±


    Donovan fell into deep thought.


    Why does San have to conceal all traces of her time at Maxwell University? Is she trying to keep a low


    profile? Or is there more to it?


    Noticing that Donovan¡¯s brows were furrowed, Noah could not help but frown as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t think


    about this for now. Sort out your thesis on your own first. I¡¯ll notify you as soon as I have her news.¡±


    Donovan sensed his mentor¡¯s impatience and reluctantly bowed under the pretense of gratitude.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Noah!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯ve had it hard too.¡±


    Noah helped his mentee up.


    As Donovan straightened his back, he saw a familiar figure from the corner of his eye.


    It looks like Arielle!


    He instinctively turned his head, but her voice had vanished at the entrance of a restaurant.


    Only those from the research area and the senior faculty members can eat in that restaurant. Arielle


    has no right to enter the ce even when apanied by Vinson. I must¡¯ve gotten the wrong person!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± said Noah as he patted his mentee¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Take me to meet the students you¡¯ve


    brought here. I¡¯ll like to assess their abilities.¡±


    ¡°Sure, Mr. Noah.¡± Donovan withdrew his gaze and told himself not to overthink as he led his mentor


    toward the student dormitory building.


    After the number of students who came to take the current examination was reported to the major


    universities, the university had arranged amodation for everyone.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Two people had to share a room. Trisha and Wendy were the only girls among the Jadeborough


    students, so they were assigned the same room.


    Wendy chose the bed furthest from the washroom as soon as she entered the room, dropping her bag


    on the bed and lying down immediately. Shepletely ignored thebel with Trisha¡¯s name stuck on


    the bedframe.

 Chapter 1084

    Chapter 1084


    Chapter 1084 Let Me Go She¡¯s crazy!


    Trisha had no special requirements in terms of the bed. However, she was worried that the Maxwell


    lecturer who was in charge of checking the dorms would get them mixed up, so she mustered the


    courage to approach Wendy.


    Just as she was debating what to say, Wendy opened her eyes and immediately noticed the shaking


    girl in front of her.


    Seeing Trisha, Wendy was reminded of Arielle, and she was naturally not in a good mood. ¡°What are


    you doing?¡± she snapped.


    Startled by her harsh tone, Trisha mustered up her courage again. ¡°This bed is mine, Wendy.¡±


    Wendy¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°There are only two beds. What¡¯s the point in fighting over them?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Trisha exined through gritted teeth, ¡°I¡¯m not trying to take your bed. I¡¯m just worried that there¡¯ll


    be misunderstandings when the lectureres over to check on us.¡±


    Those were her actual thoughts.


    However, Wendy was not about to listen to the other girl¡¯s exnation. Sitting up from the bed, she


    replied, ¡°I¡¯m not switching beds. What can you do about it? That crazy Arielle dares to hit me with


    Vinson backing her. What about you? Do you dare to do the same?¡±


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Trisha did not mind the scolding. At most, she would just be upset about it.


    However, she could no longer hold back when she heard Wendy talking badly about Arielle. ¡°Scold me


    all you like, but don¡¯t bring Sannie into this.¡±


    Wendy let out a sardonicugh at those words.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you be friends with her for the sake of getting benefits? Now that she¡¯s not here, why are


    you still pretending to be weak and innocent? Outsiders aren¡¯t allowed at Maxwell University. Do you


    think that a country bumpkin like her can protect you here? I¡¯m afraid she can¡¯t even get past the gates.


    If I were you, I would use my brains. Don¡¯t upset me!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± Trisha did not know where she got the courage to retaliate. ¡°Sannie graduated from


    Maxwell University a long time ago, and graduates are allowed to visit their alma mater at any time.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Wendy smirked. ¡°Why haven¡¯t I seen her, then?¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s because she has other things to do.¡±


    Wendy was quick to notice something amiss with Trisha¡¯s words. She stood up and drew closer to the


    latter.


    ¡°Tell me honestly. You didn¡¯t actually see her walking through the gates, am I right?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Trisha gulped. She bit her lip before saying, ¡°So what if I didn¡¯t?¡±


    Wendy¡¯s smile widened. ¡°I knew it!¡±


    Initially, she was a little worried that Arielle might have graduated from Maxwell University. However,


    not even Trisha had seen her walking through the gates.


    This means that Arielle has no right to enter the premises, so she made up an excuse to separate from


    Trisha and the others!


    ¡°This is hrious!¡± Wendy eximed. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that a country bumpkin graduated from Maxwell


    University? Aren¡¯t you ashamed of spewing such nonsense?¡±


    ¡°Why should I be? I believe in Sannie. She¡¯ll never lie to me!¡±


    Hearing this, Wendy scoffed, ¡°Seems like you¡¯re truly the most loyalckey of that nutcase, Arielle!¡±


    Trisha was infuriated.


    ¡°I¡¯m warning you. Stop badmouthing Sannie!¡±


    Wendy was not the least bit fazed by her words. ¡°I¡¯ll say as I please. Arielle, the nutcase. Arielle, the


    nutcase. A¡ª¡±


    Before she could continue, she felt a sudden pain in her scalp. Trisha was pulling her hair like a


    madwoman.


    ¡°Let go of me, you lunatic!¡± Wendy screamed as she tried to struggle, but the other pulled harder.

 Chapter 1085

    Chapter 1085


    Chapter 1085 Who Do You Think You Are


    ¡°Apologize!¡± Trisha demanded.


    ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± cried Wendy.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t, I-I won¡¯t let go!¡±


    Although Trisha¡¯s tone was no different from usual, and her mild stutter had even worsened a little, she


    did not loosen her grip.


    There was nothing better to describe her than doing the harshest thing with the softest tone.


    Wendy felt her scalp go numb from the excessive pulling as she was attacked again and again by


    sharp pains, causing her anger to soar.


    Arielle has Vinson backing her, so I¡¯ll let it slide that she hit me. But how dare Trisha, a stuttering,


    autistic girl,y a hand on me? Who does she think she is?


    Turning her anger into strength, she found an opening and gave Trisha a hard pinch on the arm that


    was pulling her hair.


    ¡°Ahh!¡± the girl screamed as she instinctively retracted her hand.


    Wendy seized the opportunity to push Trisha onto the ground and sat on her stomach.


    Thetter felt as though her innards had been severely damaged. In an instant, her face turned a


    shade of deep purple.


    ¡°You little b*tch!¡± Wendy gave Trisha a hard p.


    Not only did she use the force of her palm, but she also curled her fingers, leaving three blood streaks


    as she wed thetter¡¯s face.


    ¡°Ahh!¡± Trisha let out another shrill scream.


    She tried to struggle free but could not get up as Wendy had her entire weight on her.


    ¡°How dare youy your hands on me!¡±


    As Wendy said those words, shended a second p on the girl¡¯s face.


    Fresh blood slid down the corner of Trisha¡¯s mouth, where she had bitten the inside of her cheek during


    the p.


    However, Wendy was still unsatisfied as she pped her more than a dozen times, only stopping when


    her hand became numb from the pain.


    She vented all her anger toward Arielle on Trisha.


    ¡°Phew¡­¡±


    Wendy let out a long exhale, finally feeling that her pent-up frustration had eased significantly.


    When she lowered her gaze toward Trisha, she found that the girl¡¯s face was extremely swollen.


    Seeing her condition, Wendy began to feel slightly afraid.


    It was not because of Arielle, as she could not enter the gates and so she could not avenge Trisha.


    She was afraid that the university would disqualify her from the exam after finding out that she had hit


    someone.


    I can only make aeback by getting epted into Maxwell University. I cannot get into trouble!


    At that thought, Wendy pointed at Trisha as she threatened, ¡°I¡¯m warning you. You were the one who


    started this. I merely did this in self-defense. If you dare to report it to the university, you will not get


    away with it!¡±


    After she finished speaking, she grabbed her bag and walked toward the door, not forgetting to remind


    Trisha before she left, ¡°I had my belongings on that bed first, so don¡¯t even think about taking it back


    when I¡¯m not around. Otherwise, I¡¯ll throw your things out!¡±


    With that said, she shut the door with a loud bang.


    Since I rarelye to Maxwell University, I wish to have a tour around the school.


    In the dormitory, Trisha could only cry in silence as the pain was so intense that she could not utter a


    sound.


    But she had no regrets.


    I cannot and won¡¯t stand Wendy badmouthing Arielle. So I might as well have a go at her. Anyway, I¡¯ve


    never hit anyone in my life, so this can be considered an achievement. However, fighting isn¡¯t a good


    thing, and I won¡¯t tell anyone even if she didn¡¯t warn me. But¡­


    When she entered the washroom, Trisha was startled upon seeing her reflection in the mirror.


    If Arielle sees my face¡­ I¡¯m not sure what will happen.

 Chapter 1086

    Chapter 1086


    Chapter 1086 An Extra Segment


    Arielle treats me well. If she finds out that I have been beaten by Wendy, she¡¯ll definitely avenge me. I


    don¡¯t want her to cause any trouble because of me. I¡¯ll resent myself for that.


    Trisha stopped thinking about it and decided to stay in the dorm for three days.


    The exam will only take ce three dayster. I guess it should be fine if I just stay in the dorm before


    the exam. In three days, the swelling on my face should¡¯ve disappeared.


    After making that decision, she found a towel, soaked it with cold water, and began to treat the injuries


    on her face.


    At the same time, Donovan brought his mentor, Noah, to the boys¡¯ dorm.


    Since they could not enter the girls¡¯ dorm, he brought his mentor to meet a few of his male students,


    except Jared, of course.


    Now that Jared isn¡¯t my student anymore, it doesn¡¯t matter whether he could pass the exam. Well, I


    couldn¡¯t be happier if he failed. If the student I abandoned is admitted to Maxwell University, what


    would others think of me?


    ¡°These are the students I brought with me this time. The other two students are girls, so I didn¡¯t get


    them to join us. Among them, there¡¯s one named Wendy, who¡¯s my favorite.¡± Donovan introduced Terry


    and the others to his mentor while mentioning Wendy.


    Nodding, Noah asked those students some questions in Ustranasion.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Terry was able to answer a few sentences. On the contrary, the other students were a little timid and


    stuttered when speaking Ustranasion.


    Seeing that, Noah knitted his brows slowly andmented in a low voice, ¡°I think only one of these


    students will be able to get in. In addition to passing the thesis defense, you need to have at least three


    students who can be admitted into the university.¡±


    As soon as Donovan heard that, his heart sank. After asking Terry and the others to go back to the


    dorm, he quickly exined, ¡°Although the other two aren¡¯t good at speaking Ustranasion, their writing


    skills are actually quite good.¡±


    Shaking his head, Noah piped up, ¡°I just received a notice. For the early admission this time, there¡¯ll be


    an extra interview segment. I don¡¯t know the content of the interview, but they have to be good at both


    listening and speaking skills. Otherwise, they might not even understand the questions.¡±


    Shocked, Donovan asked, ¡°Why did they add the interview session suddenly?¡±


    In response, Noah sighed and answered, ¡°It¡¯s because the graduation rate has dropped again this year.


    And the ones who fail to graduate the most are those whoe in through early admission every year.


    Hence, the university decided to increase the difficulty of early admission in order to select the best


    students.¡±


    Gritting his teeth, Donovan remarked, ¡°Then, I shall give them more speaking training in the next three


    days.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s necessary. Good luck then. I should go back to work now. As for the graduation thesis,


    don¡¯t put too much hope on San. There are too many people who want to meet her. Even if she¡¯s here,


    she may not meet you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Donovan was confident.


    Even though I don¡¯t know much about San, I know that she¡¯s from Chanaea. Chanaeans have a sense


    of belonging and national pride. If San knows that I¡¯m a fellow Chanaean, she¡¯ll definitely help me!


    Noah let out a deep sigh and said nothing more.


    As a mentor, his responsibility was to help students graduate smoothly. However, there was a limit to


    how much help he could provide them.


    I¡¯ve helped Donovan too much. He should rely on himself from now on.


    Meanwhile, Wendy went to themercial district of Maxwell University after leaving the dorm.


    Maxwell University could be considered as the most famous university town.

 Chapter 1087

    Chapter 1087


    Chapter 1087 Captivated


    Not only was Maxwell University the size of a small city, but it also had everything in it. Even the


    shopping mall was asrge as those in second-tier cities in Chanaea.


    The moment Wendy entered a mall, she was instantly captivated by the number of shops inside.


    Unlike the shopping malls outside, it had everything, including clothing, food, housing, and


    transportation. They were also selling many tech products.


    However, she was not interested in those tech products. Momentster, she stopped in front of a luxury


    goods store and saw a limited edition bag that she really wanted in the cab.


    ¡°Hi, would you like toe in and take a look?¡± asked the shop attendant with a smile.


    Just as Wendy was about to agree, she suddenly remembered that she only had ten thousand with her.


    In the past few days, she had spent more than half of the money. Out of the ten thousand, she only had


    four thousand left.


    Not to mention that Donovan had helped her pay for some of the expenses.


    The bag she fancied was worth hundreds of thousands. With four thousand, she could only buy the


    pendant on the bag.


    As soon as she realized that, her expression turned grim, and her gaze darkened.


    While smiling bitterly, she shook her hand and left the store.


    After she walked away, she heard the shop attendantining in a low voice, ¡°Tsk! Why did she


    come over if she doesn¡¯t have money?¡±


    Even though she spoke in Ustranasion, Wendy could understand her.


    At that moment, Wendy came to a realization. In the past, she wanted to rise to the top by marrying into


    the Nightshire family.


    But now, she only hoped to return to the days where she could livefortably and did not need to


    worry about money.


    Nevertheless, she could not turn back time and could never return to the past.


    Biting her lower lip angrily, she quickened her pace and left the ce as if she were running away.


    When she hurriedly ran out of the mall, she happened to bump into a student from Maxwell University.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± cried the student. Frowning, he warned, ¡°Will you watch where you¡¯re walking? I¡¯m doing live


    streaming. Get out of my way.¡±


    ¡°Live streaming?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Just as the student nodded, he turned around to look at the phone screen and shouted excitedly,


    ¡°Thank you for the tips!¡±


    Watching from the side, Wendy found out that one of the viewers really gave tips to the student, and


    the amount was not low.


    Suddenly, an idea shed across her mind.


    The next moment, she registered an ount on a live streaming tform, tidied up her appearance,


    and started the live streaming.


    At the same time, Arielle was surrounded by a few of researchers from somebs in a restaurant.


    ¡°San, are you really not interested in joining ourb? Won¡¯t you give it a second thought?¡±


    Hearing that, an old professor pushed the researcher away and smiled at Arielle tteringly. ¡°Those


    from theb were researching bombs recently, and they even blew up theboratory. Because of that,


    one of them was seriously injured two days ago. In my opinion, you shoulde and teach at Maxwell


    University.¡±


    Just then, the researcher who was pushed away was displeased and quickly interjected, ¡°San, don¡¯t


    listen to him. The safety precautions in ourb are excellent. That researcher only burnt his hair a bit.


    It¡¯s not even a minor injury.¡±


    The moment he mentioned hair, the old professor¡¯s eyes immediately lit up and uttered, ¡°If you treasure


    your hair, you shoulde and teach in our university. Look at them. How many of them still have


    hair? Almost everyone is bald!¡±


    ncing at the researcher¡¯s thinning hair, Arielle nodded in agreement.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Indeed, she did not want to go bald.

 Chapter 1088

    Chapter 1088


    Chapter 1088 Clue


    As the researcher saw Arielle nodding, he grew anxious.


    ¡°Do professors have a lot of hair? If you have a lot of hair, why did you ask me to develop a hair tonic


    for you yesterday?¡±


    ¡°I-It¡¯s always better to be prepared!¡±


    In order to get Arielle to join them, both parties almost started a fight.


    In the end, Selena ended the gathering early before things got out of hand.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, San. They were too excited.¡± She smiled apologetically.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Arielle shook her head before continuing, ¡°Everyone is so cute.¡±


    ¡°They only act that way in front of you. All of them are demons in front of their students. The students


    call me She-Devil in private. I saw it online.¡±


    Arielle chuckled out loud upon hearing that.


    Then, she remembered the main purpose of her visit and took out the photo in her pocket.


    ¡°Besides apanying my friends for the early admission exam, I¡¯ve another reason foring here.


    I¡¯m looking for someone.¡±


    With that said, she handed over the photo in her hand and inquired, ¡°Has this person studied at


    Maxwell University before? Or has he taught here before? Do you recognize him?¡±


    Selena took the photo and widened her eyes the moment she saw the person in it.


    When Arielle saw the expression on Selena¡¯s face, she clenched her fists nervously and queried, ¡°Do


    you know him, Ms. Selena?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± eximed Selena. ¡°Do you remember that I told you that there were four people who scored a


    perfect score for the final exam?¡±


    In response, Arielle nodded.


    Pointing at the man in the photo, Selena continued, ¡°He was the first to obtain full marks.¡±


    At that moment, Arielle¡¯s heart started racing.


    Subsequently, she gulped and asked in a trembling voice, ¡°D-Do you have his contact number?¡±


    After hesitating for a while, Selena shook her head. ¡°That was many years ago. At that time, I wasn¡¯t


    the vice president but a biology professor. As soon as his perfect score results came out, it shocked the


    whole university. The previous principal asked him to stay and be a teacher, but he disappeared after


    going to Jadeborough University in Chanaea for exchange learning.¡±


    ¡°Disappeared?¡± Arielle was startled and asked, ¡°How could a person suddenly disappear?¡±


    Once again, Selena shook her head and exined, ¡°I don¡¯t know. No one could contact him. After I


    became the vice president, I ran a background check on him out of curiosity, only to find out that all his


    information and identity were fake. The forgery skill was brilliant. If theb hadn¡¯t verified it, it would¡¯ve


    been impossible to find out that it was a fake identity.¡±


    In an instant, Arielle¡¯s expression darkened.


    It seems like the trail has gone cold again. I finally found out about Maxwell University with much


    difficulty. Do I have to start all over again?


    At that moment, Selena piped up, ¡°But there¡¯s one person who knows him very well.¡±


    Immediately, Arielle questioned, ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°The current principal. He was this man¡¯s mentor. If you¡¯re looking for him, you might be able to get


    some information from the principal.¡±


    Biting her lip, Arielle bowed to Selena and expressed her gratitude, ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Selena hurriedly helped her up and could not help but ask doubtfully, ¡°Why are you looking for him? Is


    it rted to what you want to do?¡±


    Nodding, Arielle answered honestly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Selena nodded thoughtfully and said, ¡°These few days, you should help the principal with the


    early admission exam and thesis defense. Five dayster, he¡¯ll be discharged from the hospital and


    come back to the university. You can ask him then.¡±


    In response, Arielle nodded vehemently. ¡°All right!¡±


    At that moment¡­

 Chapter 1089

    Chapter 1089


    Chapter 1089 Who Did This


    Arielle¡¯s phone rang suddenly.


    It was Vinson.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± She turned to Selena and continued, ¡°I¡¯ve to take this call.¡±


    Smiling, Selena waved her hand and stated, ¡°I shall stop taking up your time. Since you haven¡¯t visited


    the university for such a long time, you should take a walk around. I¡¯ll head back and prepare for the


    student¡¯s thesis defense the day after tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Okay, sure.¡±


    After Serena left, Arielle answered the phone. ¡°Hello, Darling.¡±


    Her voice was rxed and soft. Hearing that, Vinson suddenly had the urge to fly from Horington to


    Lightspring.


    ¡°You¡¯re ying with fire.¡± He gulped, and his voice was hoarse.


    Chuckling, she responded, ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me to call you that? Fine. I won¡¯t call you darling anymore.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± He hurriedly stopped her. ¡°I like you calling me that.¡±


    Lowering her head, she smiled faintly. ¡°If I went bald, would you still love me?¡±


    Despite being startled by her question, he still replied in a low voice, ¡°Even if you¡¯re bald, you¡¯re still my


    precious baby.¡±


    ¡°Tsk.¡± Arielle pouted. Only a fool would believe that!


    Nheless, he could guess why she asked that. ¡°The people from theb asked you to join them?¡±


    Surprised, she queried, ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°Back then, they asked me to join them too.¡±


    Abruptly, Arielle remembered that Vinson was also one of the four people who obtained full marks in


    the final exam and came to a realization.


    After a short moment of silence, she uttered, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m a little tempted. Joining theb is equivalent


    to participating in various research that are ssified as top secrets. Perhaps, I can learn more about


    Turlen from there.¡±


    Upon hearing the word Turlen, Vinson¡¯s tone became serious.


    ¡°Did you manage to find anything?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Arielle nodded. When she realized that he could not see it on the other end of the phone, she


    said, ¡°Ms. Selena told me that the man in the photo, who¡¯s probably my biological father, graduated


    from Maxwell University. After graduating, the university made an exception and let him teach for a


    year. It was when he went to Jadeborough University for exchange learning that he knew my mother.¡±


    ¡°What happened after that?¡±


    ¡°He disappeared.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Obviously, Vinson was not surprised by the answer.


    He paused for a while before adding, ¡°You suspect that he¡¯s from Turlen because only people from


    Turlen need to hide their identities and can disappear from the world.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Arielle bit her lip and stated, ¡°Ms. Selena said that the current principal was his mentor and


    should know something. However, the principal is recuperating in the hospital and won¡¯t see anyone.


    So, I can only wait at the university.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait with you after I finish dealing with the matters here.¡±


    Arielle did not reject him and inquired, ¡°You just arrived in Horington?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I just got off the ne. Now, I¡¯m heading to the branch office by car.¡±


    ¡°Be mindful of your health and take care. Work is never as important as your health.¡±


    Smiling bitterly, Vinson enunciated, ¡°As expected, great minds think alike. I wanted to say the same


    thing as well. Sannie, I know that revenge is very important to you, but to me, the most important thing


    is your safety.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m safe at Maxwell University.¡±


    Having said that, she nced at her watch andmented, ¡°It¡¯s almost dinner time here. I¡¯ll go for


    dinner with Jared and Trisha. You can get back to work.¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll finish my work swiftly so that I can meet you early.¡± Since he had a lot of things to deal


    with, he did not say much, only asking Arielle to call him darling before hanging up.


    After hanging up, Arielle called Jared.


    ¡°Where are you?¡± she asked.


    On the other end of the phone, Jared sounded excited. ¡°I¡¯m in the shopping mall. There are many tech


    products made by the students from Maxwell University. Boss, if I¡¯m admitted, I want to major in


    artificial intelligence studies!¡±


    Curling her lips, she remarked, ¡°That¡¯s a great major. I¡¯ve studied it for a few months back then. If you


    can pass the exam, I¡¯ll introduce you to the best professor in this field, and you can learn from him.¡±


    ¡°Boss, you¡¯re amazing!¡±


    ¡°I bet you¡¯re tired after being busy for the whole day. Let me take you and Trisha out for dinner.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m on my way to the girl¡¯s dorm. Let¡¯s meet at the entrance.¡±


    After the call ended, Arielle made her way toward the girls¡¯ dorm.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The cafeteria was not far from the girls¡¯ dorm. Within five minutes, she was already standing downstairs


    of the dorm.


    When she arrived, her phone had run out of battery, so she could not contact Trisha. Coincidentally,


    she saw the room allocation table posted at the entrance.


    As soon as she saw that Trisha and Wendy were assigned to the same room, she immediately


    furrowed her brows.


    Staying in the same room as Wendy must be difficult for Trisha as she has such a gentle personality.


    Furthermore, Wendy likes to bully those who are weaker than her. I¡¯m afraid that something might


    happen in these three days. After charging my phone, I should call Ms. Selena and ask her to arrange


    a single room for Trisha.


    After making the decision, Arielle came to the door of Trisha¡¯s room ording to the room number


    written on the table.


    Knock! Knock! Knock!


    She reached out to knock on the door and did not speak.


    While she was on the way to the dorm, she passed by a store.


    They were selling materials for sand painting, so she bought some to surprise Trisha.


    Soon, Trisha¡¯s voice came from inside the room. ¡°Coming.¡±


    A few secondster, the door opened from the inside.


    Arielle averted her gaze toward Trisha with a smile on her face. The moment she saw Trisha¡¯s swollen


    face, her expression turned grim, giving off an intimidating aura.


    At the same time, the bag containing colorful sand and stones in her hand fell to the ground.


    Consequently, the glimmering sand scattered all over the floor.


    The atmosphere was so tense that Trisha did not dare to breathe.


    Never had she expected that the person who knocked on the door was Arielle.


    She was momentarily stunned, and when she regained her senses, she immediately reached out to


    close the door.


    Bang! Just then, Arielle raised her hand and mmed the door, stopping Trisha from closing it.


    Obviously, thetter was no match for her.


    No matter how hard Trisha tried, she could not close the door.


    Realizing that her strength was iparable with Arielle, she gave up on closing the door and covered


    her face with her hands.


    Undoubtedly, that action of hers was pointless, for Arielle had seen every wound on her face.


    ¡°Tell me. Who did this?¡± Arielle¡¯s voice was colder than the expression on her face.


    Knowing that she could no longer hide it, Trisha put down her hand and said, ¡°No one did this. I injured


    myself while I was making the bed. The bedframe fell, and I was¡ª¡±


    ¡°Trisha,¡± interrupted Arielle. ¡°Stop lying. The wounds on your face weren¡¯t caused by the bedframe.¡±

 Chapter 1090

    Chapter 1090


    Chapter 1090 Clean Up The Mess For You


    Arielle had some medical knowledge, but even if she did not have it, she could see that the injury on


    Trisha¡¯s face was obviously caused by another person.


    ¡°I-I¡­¡±


    Seeing that her lie was exposed, Trisha was at a loss for words and stammered.


    ¡°Forget it.¡± Arielle looked at the injury on Trisha¡¯s face and frowned. ¡°I¡¯ll treat the injury on your face


    first.¡±


    With that said, she took out a small bag and walked into the room.


    Fortunately, I have the habit of carrying a medical kit with me, and ites in handy now. However, I


    would be happier if I never needed to use it.


    Momentster, Trisha sat beside Arielle obediently while thetter was attending to the wounds on her


    face.


    Firstly, Arielle used iodophor to disinfect the wounds. Judging from the wounds, they should be caused


    by a person¡¯s nails.


    Since there were a lot of bacteria on fingernails, if the wounds were not disinfected, they could easily


    cause inmmation and eventually leave scars on Trisha¡¯s face.


    After the disinfection, Arielle gave Trisha an anti-inmmatory pill and a light green-colored ointment


    that turned colorless after applying it.


    A cool, refreshing sensation spread across thetter¡¯s face after applying the ointment, and the pain


    seemed to disappear.


    Closing the lid of the ointment, Arielle handed it to Trisha and reminded, ¡°Apply it again before going to


    bed tonight, make sure it is a thickyer. By tomorrow, they shouldn¡¯t look so obvious.¡±


    In response, Trisha nodded, waiting for Arielle to question her.


    She had already made up her mind and decided to say that she had a conflict with a Maxwell


    University student who she did not know.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Out of her expectation, Arielle did not ask about the injury even after she handed the ointment to


    Trisha.


    Just when Trisha was about to take the initiative to talk, Arielle took off the brooch from her clothes and


    spoke to it. ¡°Sasha, ke, are you downstairs?¡±


    The brooch was a tiny walkie-talkie, and it could be used tomunicate over a long distance.


    Moreover, signal jammers were ineffective against the brooch.


    It was a new product of Sann Group, but it was not officiallyunched in the market yet.


    After receiving an affirmative answer from Sasha, she instantly instructed, ¡°Find Wendy immediately,


    and tell me her location.¡±


    Shocked, Trisha hurriedly grabbed Arielle¡¯s hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s not Wendy. It has nothing to do with


    her!¡±


    The next moment, Arielle turned around to meet Trisha¡¯s eyes. The former¡¯s gaze was cold and deep


    as if she had seen through everything.


    Intimidated by the pressure exuded by Arielle, Trisha had no choice and could only tell the truth. ¡°It¡¯s


    Wendy.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Arielle nodded and was about to leave the room.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Trisha chased after her in a hurry and uttered anxiously, ¡°However, it wasn¡¯t her who started it


    this time. I was the one who pulled her hair first.¡±


    While speaking, she picked up the trash can and took out a small clump of hair. ¡°Look, it¡¯s true. I was


    the one who started the fight.¡±


    Stunned, Arielle stared at Trisha in astonishment.


    ¡°Trish, you¡­¡±


    Lowering her head in shame, Trisha said, ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Arielle shook her head, reached out, and caressed Trisha¡¯s hair. ¡°You¡¯ve improved!¡±


    Meanwhile, Trisha was taken aback and confused by her reaction.


    A smile crept on Arielle¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s like my daughter has finally grown up. Next time, just beat up


    anyone who gets on your nerves. If you¡¯re in deep trouble because of that, I¡¯ll clean up the mess for


    you.¡±


    Hearing that, Trisha could feel her heart pounding fast. Soon, tears welled up in her eyes.


    ¡°Sannie¡­¡±


    Arielle would always take her friend¡¯s side no matter what happened.


    Moreover, Trisha was not someone who would beat someone up for no reason. Wendy must have


    done something.


    Right then, Sasha¡¯s voice came from the tiny walkie-talkie. ¡°Ms. Moore, I¡¯ve found her. She¡¯s in the


    shopping mall on the west side of the campus.¡±

 Chapter 1091

    Chapter 1091


    Chapter 1091 Attention Grabber


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll rush over now. Help me keep an eye on her.¡±


    Having said that, Arielle turned and looked at Trisha. ¡°Are you going with me to get your revenge? Or


    do you want to rest in the dorm?¡±


    Gritting her teeth, Trisha knew that she could not avoid the matter any longer, so she nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go


    with you.¡±


    Then, Arielle nodded, took out a mask from her pocket, and put it on Trisha. Both of them walked out of


    the dorm one after another.


    A student from Maxwell University, who was going upstairs, caught a glimpse of Arielle¡¯s face and was


    astonished by her stunning beauty.


    Just as she was about to step forward to greet Arielle, a chill suddenly ran down her spine when she


    got closer to Arielle. Consequently, she froze on the spot and watched as the beautiful girl passed by in


    front of her.


    Coincidentally, Jared arrived at the dorm when Arielle made her way out of the entrance.


    He was shocked when he saw her emanating a murderous aura.


    Subconsciously, he wanted to ask Trisha what happened and saw her face when he averted his gaze


    to her.


    Although she was wearing a mask, it could not cover the scar on her brows.


    Jared was smart and immediately thought of Wendy.


    As soon as he found out that Trisha was going to share the same room with Wendy, he told her to ask


    Donovan to help her change to another room, but she refused to do that.


    Obviously, the wound on Trisha¡¯s face must have been caused by Wendy.


    Instantly, his expression darkened.


    He had already thought of Trisha as his friend, just like Arielle. Everyone from the Jupiters was


    protective of those around them, so he immediately asked, ¡°Have you found where¡¯s Wendy?¡±


    Nodding, Arielle answered, ¡°In the shopping mall on the west side of the campus.¡±


    ¡°I just came from there.¡± If only I had known earlier, I would¡¯ve found her first and beat her up. I¡¯m not a


    gentleman. I don¡¯t mind hitting a woman if she angers me.


    Both of them exchanged nces and headed toward the shopping mall.


    Meanwhile, in the shopping mall, when Wendy identally learned that they were allowed to live


    stream in Maxwell University, she immediately thought of a way to make money.


    Mom has no money, and my uncle is a petty man. Donovan can¡¯t buy me such luxury goods, so I can


    only make money by live streaming.


    The most important thing while doing live streaming was to grab people¡¯s attention.


    In Chanaea, as long as the content of the live streaming was interesting, she would not need to worry


    about getting tips from viewers.


    There were very few people in the world who could enter Maxwell University, and she was the first


    person to live do streaming at Maxwell University. Hence, as soon as she turned on the live streaming


    mode, arge number of viewers immediately joined her channel.


    Knowing that she had a bad reputation in Chanaea, Wendy did not show her face and focused on live


    streaming the environment of Maxwell University.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    In just ten minutes, the number of viewers who tipped had reached a hundred.


    ¡°This is the shopping mall on the west side of the campus. That¡¯s right. There¡¯s arge shopping mall in


    the university!¡±


    With that said, she slowly moved the camera from bottom to top and showed the whole exterior of the


    shopping mall.


    In an instant, morements popped up on the screen.


    ¡°I¡¯ve watched too many boring live streamings. I guess it¡¯s nice to watch a tour around Maxwell


    University for a change.¡±


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t the streamer showing her face? Outsiders aren¡¯t allowed to enter Maxwell University. The


    streamer must be a remarkable student! I want to know who she is!¡±


    With such a nice voice, she must be pretty. She has both beauty and talent, which reminds me of my


    goddess, Arielle.


    The moment Wendy caught a glimpse of thatment, her face fell.


    Why do I have to see Arielle¡¯s name even when I¡¯m live streaming? It¡¯s so annoying!


    Gritting her teeth, she cleared her throat and piped up, ¡°I¡¯m doing this live streaming to let everyone


    know more about Maxwell University and see the campus. I won¡¯t show my face because I want to


    keep a low profile.¡±

 Chapter 1092

    Chapter 1092


    Chapter 1092 Exin Yourself


    Once Wendy finished speaking, everyone watching the live streaming had a better impression of her.


    Most of the streamers showed off their body figures or used profanity to attract viewers. When the


    viewers saw that not only was she a student of Maxwell University, but she was also low profile, they


    immediately subscribed to her channel.


    ¡°I admire top schrs who are low profile. This is a tip for you. If you¡¯re looking for a job after


    graduation, remember toe to mypany.


    After leaving thement, the viewer whose ID was the chairman of a certain group donated gifts


    worth a hundred thousand.


    The screen was instantly filled with the special effects of the gifts.


    Seeing that, Wendy¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw that.


    A hundred thousand! If I continue to stream for another half an hour, I might be able to collect enough


    money to buy that bag!


    She could already imagine that after she was admitted to Maxwell University, she would be live


    streaming her campus life every day.


    By live streaming, not only could she return to her previousfortable life, but she and her mother


    also would not need to live at her uncle¡¯s mercy anymore.


    I must get into Maxwell University!


    She was more determined than ever to be admitted into Maxwell University.


    Just as she was about to thank the viewer for the gifts, she felt her throat tighten. Someone grabbed


    her cor.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± She turned around furiously, only to meet Arielle¡¯s sharp gaze.


    Arielle? Why is she here? How did she enter Maxwell University?


    All of a sudden, goosebumps rose all over her body.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Before she could utter a word, Arielle pped her on the face.


    It was not just a p in the face. Like what Wendy did to Trisha, Arielle bent her fingers and scratched


    five deep wounds on Wendy¡¯s face.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Thetter screamed in pain, and the phone in her hand fell to the ground.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°What happened to the live streamer?¡±


    Comments flooded the entire screen in a sh.


    The next moment, the cameranded on the ground and happened to film in the direction of Wendy


    and Arielle.


    At that instant, every viewer in the live streaming saw Arielle holding onto Wendy¡¯s cor.


    Suddenly, everyone was confused.


    Wendy Greene? Please don¡¯t tell me that the person who was live streaming just now is Wendy


    Greene from the Greene family.


    Oh my god! Why is my goddess also at Maxwell University?


    What happened? Are they fighting?


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Ever since Arielle showed up, the viewers of the live streaming skyrocketed in a short period, and it


    was still growing.


    However, no one answered their questions, as Wendy did not have the leisure to worry about the live


    streaming.


    Staring at Arielle with horror and anger, she wanted to struggle out of Arielle¡¯s grip.


    Nevertheless, Arielle was grabbing her cor in a vice-like grip. No matter how hard she tried, she


    could not break free at all.


    ¡°Are you crazy? Let go of me!¡±


    Narrowing her eyes coldly, Arielle piped up, ¡°I can let you go, but exin to me why you hit Trisha.¡±


    Wendy¡¯s thought was in a mess upon hearing that.


    I hit Trisha because I thought that she won¡¯t have the courage to tell anyone about it and that Arielle


    won¡¯t be able to enter Maxwell University. However, Arielle is standing in front of me now. This isn¡¯t an


    illusion!


    ¡°I¡­¡± ring at Trisha, Wendy gritted her teeth and lifted her chin. ¡°Exin? Are you asking me to


    exin? She attacked me first!¡±

 Chapter 1093

    Chapter 1093


    Chapter 1093 Afraid Of Dirtying Her Hands


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    In response, Arielle sneered and nodded. ¡°Fine. Then tell me why she hit you.¡±


    ¡°Because¡­¡± Wendy was at a loss for words and gritted her teeth. ¡°The reason doesn¡¯t matter. What¡¯s


    more important is who made the first move. If the university authorities find out about this, Trisha won¡¯t


    be able to get off so easily!¡±


    However, Arielle only heard the part where she said that the reason did not matter.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that the reason for beating people up doesn¡¯t matter, right?¡±


    Wendy could notprehend why Arielle asked that, but she could only nod her head. ¡°Yes!¡±


    Whoever made the first move is at fault.


    The next moment, Arielle raised her hand and pped Wendy again.


    ¡°Ahh!¡± The p was so strong that Wendy¡¯s face turned sideways.


    Covering her face, Wendy red at Arielle angrily. ¡°How dare you hit me? Who are you to hit me?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? Didn¡¯t you say it yourself that the reason doesn¡¯t matter?¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    Seeing that she could not win against Arielle, Wendy gave up on arguing and raised her hand, wanting


    to hit Arielle.


    Nheless, Arielle grabbed her wrist tightly the moment she raised her hand.


    Just as she was about to raise another hand of hers, Arielle pulled her right hand vigorously.


    Consequently, she felt a sharp pain and immediately lost her strength on her right hand.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Wendy cried out in pain. She could not be bothered about fighting back against Arielle and


    curled up into a ball on the ground.


    When she noticed that her hand was hanging down weakly, only did she realize that her hand had


    dislocated.


    After casting a brief look at Wendy expressionlessly, Arielle averted her gaze to Trisha.


    ¡°An eye for an eye. Trisha, you can hit her back now. Don¡¯t worry. She can¡¯t do anything right now.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Trisha hesitated and stood right where she was.


    After what happened earlier, a lot of people had gathered around, gossiping about them.


    Trisha panicked. She did not want to drag Arielle down, so she quickly persuaded, ¡°Sannie, forget it.¡±


    ¡°The term ¡®forget it¡¯ doesn¡¯t exist in my vocabry.¡±


    Seeing that Trisha did not move, Arielle turned to Jared and said, ¡°Jared, Trisha is a girl, and girls are


    afraid of getting dirty. You do it!¡±


    What she meant was Trisha was not afraid to take the matter into her hands but was afraid of getting


    her hands dirty.


    Naturally, Wendy also understood the hidden meaning behind those words and trembled with fury.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡±


    Unperturbed, Jared stepped forward.


    ¡°Where did you hit Trisha? On her face?¡±


    Never had Wendy thought that Jared would dare to hit her.


    Frightened, she shuddered and wanted to back away. At that moment, Trisha moved forward and


    stepped in front of Jared.


    Seeing that, Wendy sneered. That¡¯s right. Even if Jared dared to hit me, Trisha wouldn¡¯t dare!


    However, in the next moment, she heard Trisha saying in a cold voice, ¡°Jared, it¡¯s none of your


    business. The person she hit is me. I¡¯ll take revenge myself.¡±


    Arielle has helped me this much. Why should I be afraid?


    Walking forward, Trisha pped Wendy¡¯s face.


    However, she could not remember how many times Wendy pped her back then. Since I don¡¯t


    remember, I¡¯ll keep hitting her until her face is as swollen as mine!


    As Trisha continued to give Wendy one p after another, thetter screamed again and again.


    She wanted to fight back, but the severe pain in her hand made her unable to resist at all.


    Some of the onlookers could not stand it any longer and wanted to step forward to stop them, but all of


    them were stopped by Sasha and ke.


    With their skills, stopping a few onlookers was a walk in the park.


    Just then, a male voice sounded. ¡°Stop!¡±

 Chapter 1094

    Chapter 1094


    Chapter 1094 Bully


    The crowd immediately turned toward the source of the voice.


    When Wendy looked over and saw who it was, her eyes instantly lit up.


    ¡°Mr. Baxter!¡±


    In the meantime, Donovan stepped forward with a sullen face, pulled Trisha away, and blocked in front


    of Wendy.


    To him, Trisha was a useless traitor. Under those circumstances, he had to protect Wendy.


    ¡°Mr. Baxter¡­¡± Immediately, tears trickled down Wendy¡¯s face. Her swollen and teary face made her


    look extremely pitiful.


    At the same time, the viewers of the live streaming went wild once again.


    First, it was because Arielle also appeared at Maxwell University. Then, they saw her beating Wendy


    and even instigated her friends to do the same as well. After seeing that scene, manyizens came


    forward and took Wendy¡¯s side.


    Henrick, who had been paying attention to the news online, naturally found out about it as well.


    Instantly, he contacted Jacob, and thetter hired several ghostwriters under much consideration.


    In an instant, most of thements were taking Wendy¡¯s side.


    Don¡¯t you think that Arielle has gone too far? Is this her true colors?


    Yes, the Greenes have done something wrong, but what her father did has nothing to do with her.


    Since the Specialized Forces have released her, doesn¡¯t that mean that she¡¯s innocent? Why are they


    bullying an innocent girl?


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Shouldn¡¯t this be considered bullying?


    All the brainless fans out there, open your eyes and see for yourself. Your goddess is just a delinquent


    who ps people in the face without reason!


    All of a sudden, thement area was flooded with dissatisfaction and anger toward Arielle. The


    atmosphere at the scene was tense and heavy.


    Looking at Arielle and Trisha coldly, Donovan questioned with a grim expression, ¡°Trisha, is this what I


    taught you? So many foreign students are watching. Don¡¯t you feel ashamed?¡±


    Flustered, Trisha looked at Arielle worriedly.


    In response, Arielle calmly shook her head and shifted her gaze toward Donovan. ¡°It¡¯s none of your


    business. You¡¯d better stay out of this.¡±


    ¡°None of my business?¡± Donovan sneered and asked, ¡°You have instigated my student to p another


    student of mine, and you¡¯re saying that it¡¯s none of my business?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± responded Arielle indifferently. ¡°Since Trisha has gotten her revenge, I won¡¯t pursue this matter


    anymore. By the way, causing a scene here won¡¯t benefit you in any way.¡±


    However, Donovan did not delve into the meaning behind her words. He thought that she dared to beat


    his student and threaten him because she had the support of Vinson.


    Gritting his teeth, he snarled, ¡°This isn¡¯t Chanaea. You can¡¯t do whatever you want!¡±


    With that said, he helped Wendy up andforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely seek justice for you!¡±


    For some reason, Wendy felt a little guilty when she heard his words.


    All of these happened because I upied Trisha¡¯s bed at first and even cursed at her and Arielle, not


    to mention that her injuries are more serious than mine. The university authorities might not necessarily


    take my side.


    Thinking of that, she hurriedly tried to stop Donovan, who was about to take out his phone to make a


    call.


    ¡°M-Mr. Baxter, forget it.¡±


    However, Donovan ignored her and pushed her hand away.


    Shortly afterward, the call went through. ¡°Mr. Noah, someone who isn¡¯t here for the exam, nor a student


    at Maxwell University broke into the school and beat my student.¡±

 Chapter 1095

    Chapter 1095


    Chapter 1095 Graduate Of Maxwell University


    Noah told Donovan over the phone that he would bring the university authority over immediately. After


    hanging up, Donovan stared at Arielle coldly.


    ¡°People from the university wille to deal with this right away. Arielle, you¡¯ll pay for what you¡¯ve


    done!¡±


    Hearing that, Trisha was more worried and could not help but tense up.


    She hid the fact that she was beaten because she did not want to drag Arielle into the mess, but the


    thing she feared the most finally happened.


    Jared was also a little worried and could not help but look at Arielle.


    Yet, she stayed calm for the whole time as if Donovan¡¯s phone call did not pose any threat to her at all.


    Soon, Donovan¡¯s mentor arrived with Selena, the vice president.


    Early admission was something that the university attached great importance to. Furthermore,


    Donovan said that an outsider had broken into the university. Since it was a serious matter, Selena


    decided to rush over in person after she learned of it.


    As soon as Selena arrived at the shopping mall, she saw Arielle and felt surprised.


    However, Arielle shook her head slightly, telling Selena not to reveal her identity.


    Naturally, Selena understood what she meant and asked Donovan, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Noah, Ms. Selena,¡± greeted Donovan respectfully.


    Then, he started to exin what he had seen, ¡°This person isn¡¯t from our university, and she isn¡¯t here


    for the exam as well, but she instigated my student to beat another student of mine. Please handle this


    matter strictly.¡±


    Leaving instigating someone to beat another person aside, outsiders who entered the university without


    permission would be severely punished.


    Previously, someone jumped over the wall and entered the university out of curiosity. After being


    caught, Maxwell University immediately issued an international notice.


    Graduates of Maxwell University were all over the world. As soon as the announcement came out,


    almost all fields and industries cklisted the intruder.


    Being cklisted by all industries was the cruelest punishment because it meant that the intruder would


    no longer be able to find a decent job or enter any decent establishments.


    After listening to Donovan¡¯s words, Selena was in disbelief.


    Arielle instigated someone to beat another person?


    The more she thought about it, the more she found it strange.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle has such a high IQ. If she really wanted to hit someone, she wouldn¡¯t leave behind any


    evidence.


    After contemting for a moment, she decided not to think about that for the time being.


    Pointing at Arielle, she queried, ¡°Is she the person that broke into our university?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Donovan quickly added, ¡°She was originally a student of Jadeborough University, but for various


    reasons, she left the university without finishing her freshman year, and she even lied about being a


    graduate of Maxwell University. Someone despicable like her must be punished severely.¡±


    Hearing that, Selena nodded expressionlessly and uttered, ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of behavior she


    showed just now, but she wasn¡¯t lying.¡±


    Both Donovan and Wendy were stunned at the same time. Momentster, Donovan gathered his


    thoughts and was the first to ask, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Frowning, Selena exined, ¡°I mean, she¡¯s indeed a graduate of Maxwell University.¡±


    Shocked, Donovan widened his eyes in disbelief.


    ¡°How is this possible?¡±


    At the same time, Wendy¡¯s mind went nk as well.


    Did I hear it correctly? Arielle has already graduated from the university that I desperately want to get


    into? So she¡¯s telling the truth the whole time? No, it¡¯s impossible. No way!


    No matter how many times she denied it in her heart, she knew that what Selena said had to be true.

 Chapter 1096

    Chapter 1096


    Chapter 1096 Worlds Apart


    Abruptly, Wendy¡¯s legs gave way, and she slumped to the ground.


    Arielle and I are worlds apart. She¡¯s standing on the top of the world while I¡¯m just a lowly being. How


    could this be? Why did it turn out like this? It¡¯s not fair! Life is so unfair!


    The revtion was undoubtedly a shock to Donovan, but he was in a better statepared to Wendy.


    Regaining his senses, he gulped and said, ¡°Even if she¡¯s a graduate of Maxwell University and can


    come and go as she pleases, it¡¯s still an indisputable fact that she instigated someone to hit another


    person.¡±


    Noah, who was standing beside, immediately chimed in, ¡°Ms. Selena, look at the injury on this


    student¡¯s face. It¡¯s a fact that they¡¯ve hit her hard. This has never happened in our university before.


    You must take serious action against them.¡±


    Nodding in agreement, Selena remarked, ¡°Of course, it must be dealt with seriously. However, I can¡¯t


    just listen to one side of the story.¡±


    As she spoke, she walked up to Arielle and inquired, ¡°Please tell us if you really hit thisdy


    indiscriminately as he said.¡±


    ¡°No, Ms. Selena.¡± ncing at Wendy, Arielle exined, ¡°She was the one who hit my friend first. It¡¯s


    indeed wrong for us to hit her back. I¡¯m willing to take all the responsibility alone.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Finally, Wendy collected herself, stood up, and pointed at Trisha. ¡°She attacked me first!¡±


    Smiling subtly, Arielle asked while hinting at Trisha with a look, ¡°She attacked you first? Then, what is


    this?¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Immediately, Trisha nodded and took off the mask.


    The next instant, the shocking wounds on her face were exposed to everyone¡¯s sight.


    As soon as Donovan saw the wounds on Trisha¡¯s face, he was stupefied.


    He did not know that Wendy had also beaten Trisha up. When he arrived, he only saw her being


    beaten by Trisha.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± He red at Wendy furiously.


    Tears sprang to Wendy¡¯s eyes as she said, ¡°Mr. Baxter, she attacked me first. I was defending myself.¡±


    ¡°Defending yourself?¡± Arielle sneered. ¡°When I found you, you didn¡¯t have any injuries on you. Do you


    have any proof that it¡¯s self-defense? We have the injury on her face as evidence. Do you have any?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡­¡±


    Flustered, Wendy was at a loss for what to do.


    Just then, Trisha mustered up her courage and uttered, ¡°I admit that I did beat her up just now, but it


    was her who started the fight. Not only did she upy my bed, but she also cursed at me. I acted on


    impulse and pulled her hair. Then, she grabbed on me and beat me up. She also threatened me not to


    tell anyone about it.¡±


    Narrowing her eyes, Selena fixated her gaze on Wendy and questioned, ¡°Is that true?¡±


    The former¡¯s gaze was deep and cold, and nothing could get past her eyes.


    Judging from Wendy¡¯s micro-expressions, she could tell that what Trisha said was true.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re the one who started the fight, and your teacher asked me to deal with it seriously, then I


    shall cancel your qualification for the early admission exam this time. Other than that, Maxwell


    University will never ept you into our university.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Donovan and Wendy blurted out in unison.


    Thetter questioned frantically, ¡°Why did you only disqualify me? She beat me too!¡±


    Pursing her lips, Selena responded, ¡°We never look at the results but the reasons and processes. From


    this incident, we can see that you¡¯re someone with low moral values. Our university only epts


    students who are excellent in all aspects, be it moral character or intelligence. We¡¯ll never ept a


    student like you.¡±

 Chapter 1097

    Chapter 1097


    Chapter 1097 Abandon Wendy


    Hearing that, Wendy almost went mad.


    Arielle and Trisha did something wrong as well. Why am I the only one being punished?


    ¡°No! No!¡± She grabbed Donovan¡¯s sleeve frantically and pleaded, ¡°Mr. Baxter, please say something. I


    was wrong, but I¡¯m not the only one at fault!¡±


    Donovan knew that it was not his ce to voice out his opinion in front of Selena, but he was not willing


    to lose Wendy. Out of his students, she had the highest chance of getting into Maxwell University. Left


    with no choice, he could only turn to his mentor.


    ¡°Mr. Noah, can you please help persuade Ms. Selena? Wendy is indeed at fault, but this matter


    shouldn¡¯t be handled so harshly.¡±


    In an instant, Noah¡¯s face turned grim. ¡°Harsh? You¡¯re the one who asked us to deal with this matter


    strictly. Now that the punishment falls upon this female student, you¡¯re saying that it¡¯s too harsh?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Before he could say anything, Noah interrupted, ¡°I advise you to stop speaking up for her. If Ms. Selena


    really wants to pursue this matter further, you, as the teacher, failed to distinguish right from wrong in


    time, will also be held responsible. And I¡¯ll be very disappointed in you as well.¡±


    Hearing that, Donovan finally realized the gravity of the situation.


    Indeed, it was a private matter between the students, but once the university pursued the matter


    further, he, as their teacher, would be held ountable for their actions.


    My thesis defense is on the day after tomorrow. I can¡¯t leave a bad impression on Ms. Selena.


    Thinking of that, he decided to give up on Wendy even though it was painful.


    After hesitating for a while, he turned around and said to Wendy in Chanaean, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just do as


    Ms. Selena said. She¡¯s doing this to show the onlookers. I¡¯ll remedy the situation and speak up for you


    later. There are still three days before the early admission exam. Prepare well for it in these three days


    and leave the rest to me. Remember, don¡¯t cause any trouble again.¡±


    Wendy nodded, feeling a sense of hope in her heart.


    Mr. Baxter will definitely help me. He needs his students to be admitted into Maxwell University, and I¡¯m


    his most promising student.


    At the thought of that, she cooperated and did not argue further.


    Little did she know that Donovan was a self-centered person. Sacrificing something for his benefit was


    the easiest thing for him.


    In order to achieve his goal, there was nothing that he could not give up.


    Since the situation hade to an end, Selena nodded at Arielle and left.


    Seeing that, Noah immediately hurried after her.


    ¡°Ms. Selena.¡±


    His voice stopped Selena in her tracks. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°I would like to ask, has San arrived at the university?¡±


    ¡°San?¡± Just as Selena was about to say that the person he was using earlier was San, she bit back


    the words.


    Nodding, she continued, ¡°She¡¯s already here.¡±


    Instantaneously, Noah¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°My student just now would like to ask San some questions regarding his thesis. I wonder if she can


    spare some time for him?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± A riot of emotions shed across Selena¡¯s face.


    That person didn¡¯t know that San was standing in front of him? It seems like San is really good at


    hiding her identity.


    After pondering over it for a moment, she replied, ¡°I can ask her for you. If she¡¯s willing to help, I¡¯ll give


    her your contact number, and you can arrange a meeting by yourself.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Thank you so much!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Selena shook her hand and left.


    Once she left, Noah turned around and could not wait to tell Donovan the good news.

 Chapter 1098

    Chapter 1098


    Chapter 1098 The Apple Never Falls Far From The Tree


    In the meantime, Donovan¡¯s attitude toward Arielle became worse again after Selena left.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that you¡¯ve won this time. You¡¯re just lucky!¡±


    Curling the corner of her lips, Arielle said sarcastically, ¡°Have you ever heard of this? Unless I don¡¯t


    want to win, otherwise I won¡¯t lose.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Jared sneered and questioned, ¡°You said that Boss is just lucky. Can you graduate from


    Maxwell University just by being lucky?¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    His words struck a chord with Donovan, and thetter¡¯s expression immediately turned gloomy.


    ¡°Hmph! It¡¯s pointless to argue any further with people like you! As for you, Trisha, once we return to


    Jadeborough University, I¡¯ll ask Mr. Brown to punish you!¡±


    Having said that, he turned around and walked away.


    Wendy looked at Donovan and then at Arielle. In the end, she could only suppress her anger.


    The next moment, she caught a glimpse of the phone lying on the ground, and a chill went down her


    spine as she thought of the live streaming.


    ¡°Da*n it!¡± she cursed under her breath and quickly walked over to pick up the phone.


    Subsequently, she turned off the live streaming without looking at the screen.


    Meanwhile, in Horington, Vinson had already found out about the incident through live streaming.


    He gave the deputy captain of the Specialized Forces a few instructions, and Rayson immediately


    understood what happened to Arielle and started to help her deal with it.


    Even though Wendy had turned off the live streaming, all the viewers had seen what happened earlier.


    It turns out that Wendy was the one who started the fight. Good job, Arielle! We should fight back after


    getting bullied! We¡¯re not a punching bag!


    Arielle isn¡¯t a bully. It¡¯s Wendy who¡¯s bullying the girl in the mask. I think Arielle did a great job!


    The apple never falls far from the tree. Do you think the daughter of Greene Corporation¡¯s chairman will


    be good-natured?


    I¡¯m so jealous. I want to have a friend like Arielle too. If I get beaten, she¡¯ll seek justice and get revenge


    for me. I feel good just thinking about it.


    Don¡¯t you guys know what Wendy did in university?


    Just then, some students from Jadeborough University listed some of the disgusting things that Wendy


    did, and the public opinion took a drastic turn.


    After reading what Wendy has done, I feel that Arielle has let her off too easily.


    Don¡¯t you know why Wendy didn¡¯t show her face in the live streaming? It¡¯s because she was afraid that


    after we knew that she was the streamer, no one would tip her any gifts after finding out everything she


    has done.


    I bet you guys don¡¯t know about this. Wendy is so poor now that she has to pretend to be a student of


    Maxwell University to make money by live streaming.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I remember now! She did say that she¡¯s a student at Maxwell University, and she also said that she


    didn¡¯t show her face because she wanted to keep a low profile. In reality, she¡¯s just afraid that everyone


    will start chiding her the moment she shows her face!


    Da*n it! I thought she was a low-profile student at Maxwell University and even tipped her several


    hundred. I¡¯ll go and get it back now!


    Looking at the drastic turn of public opinion, Jacob immediately hired more ghostwriters to reprimand


    Arielle.


    No matter what, it¡¯s wrong to hit another person.


    That¡¯s right. After knowing that Wendy attacked her friend, shouldn¡¯t she inform the university


    authorities immediately? How could she bring her friends over to beat Wendy up?


    Although Wendy is a bad person, Arielle isn¡¯t that kind-hearted either.


    Under the constant incitement of the ghostwriters, some of theizens were influenced by them.


    At that moment, there was an official announcement on the inte.

 Chapter 1099

    Chapter 1099


    Chapter 1099 Penniless


    The official announcement was concise and clear. Furthermore, it was at the top of the trending topics.


    In order to cooperate with the Specialized Forces¡¯ operation of cleaning up the inte, we¡¯re now


    banning a group of ghostwriters who leave maliciousments online and disrupt the order of the


    inte.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Below the text was two pictures.


    One of them was thements posted by those ghostwriters. All of thements were undoubtedly


    defaming Arielle.


    Another picture was the IDs of those ghostwriters.


    Not only did the officials ban the ount, but they also banned the ID card connected to the ount.


    Those people could no longer register an ount on Twitter and would disappear from the inte


    forever.


    Theizens, whoter realized that they had been misled, were filled with indignation.


    Meanwhile, some of Arielle¡¯s fans started doubting Oliver, who hired ghostwriters back then.


    Oliver¡¯s face fell as he looked at all the DMs in his inbox.


    Despite it being my idea this time, it¡¯s Jacob who hired the ghostwriters. Why is everyone scolding me?


    After the incident, he decided that since he had left Moore Group, he should not get involved in Arielle¡¯s


    affairs in the future. As long as she doesn¡¯t get in my way, I¡¯ll pretend that she¡¯s already dead.


    On the other hand, Jacob was not faring any better either.


    Not only did he fail to nder Arielle, but he had topensate for the losses of the ghostwriters¡¯


    company.


    Previously, he bought Oliver¡¯spany at a high price, and now he was penniless.


    ¡°Da*n it!¡±


    mming the table, he called for his trusted aide, the manager at Moore Group, Wesley Zahn.


    ¡°Mr. Campbell, theizens¡ª¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that anymore.¡± Jacob interrupted Wesley and asked, ¡°How¡¯re the arrangements


    with the factories?¡±


    Nodding, Wesley replied, ¡°I¡¯ve made all the necessary arrangements. None of the factories will


    manufacture the bionic arms.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Jacob let out a sigh of relief and finally felt a little better.


    Since we¡¯ve made the arrangements with the factories, it¡¯ll be a matter of time before Arielle has to step


    down.


    ¡°After signing such a contract with us, why didn¡¯t she stay in the country and look for ways to generate


    profit for thepany but went to such a Lightspring instead?¡± asked Wesley puzzledly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure too. Our people can¡¯t get into Maxwell University, so even if we send someone to


    Lightspring, we won¡¯t be able to collect any useful information.¡±


    ¡°Could it be that she went to Maxwell University for help?¡±


    Shaking his head, Jacobmented, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. If she¡¯s that smart, why didn¡¯t she keep an eye


    on the progress of the bionic arm production? She¡¯s just a yful girl, which is an advantage for us.¡±


    After giving it some thought, Wesley agreed with Jacob and said gratifyingly, ¡°Then, I shall congratte


    you in advance on your acquisition of Moore Group.¡±


    In an instant, Jacob burst intoughter, and his mood had improved vastly. The exasperation he felt


    from the news online had gradually dissipated.


    On the contrary, the incident online had a huge impact on Wendy.


    As soon as she returned to the dorm, she received a call from the live streaming tform.


    After hearing what the other party had to say, she was seething with anger.


    ¡°What? I¡¯ve to return the money? Why should I? I worked for it!¡±


    The staff from the tform seemed to have encountered plenty of simr situations and exined in a


    calm manner, ¡°Ms. Greene, the nature of work of a streamer is a bit different. If the user has a


    reasonable reason to withdraw their donation, you must return the money to them. Otherwise, they


    have the right to sue you.¡±

 Chapter 1100

    Chapter 1100


    Chapter 1100 Go Out For Wool And Come Home Shorn


    ¡°What reasonable reason do they have? They willingly tipped me. I never forced them! I won¡¯t return


    the money!¡±


    Hearing that, Wendy felt her rage build, and her originally sweet voice became shrill and hoarse.


    ¡°Ms. Greene, since I¡¯m contacting you now, it means they do have reasonable reasons. Some of them


    are minors, and some of them reported that your live streaming content is fake.¡±


    ¡°My content is fake? I was live-streaming the environment of Maxwell University, and I¡¯m indeed at


    Maxwell University now. Which part of it is fake?¡±


    ¡°In the live streaming, you acquiesced that you¡¯re a student of Maxwell University, but this isn¡¯t true.


    After the tform reviewed the matter, we decided that it was reasonable for them to withdraw their tip.


    If you don¡¯t agree to return them their money, then you¡¯ll have to meet them in court. We¡¯re only


    communicating with you on their behalf. If you refuse to cooperate, we can only assist them in filing a


    lawsuit.¡±


    The staff of the tform sounded calm and collected. On the contrary, Wendy¡¯s forehead was beaded


    with cold sweat.


    My reputation in Chanaea is already bad because of Dad¡¯spany. If the viewers sue me, I¡¯ll be


    hated by everyone.


    After much deliberation, she decided topromise.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll return the money!¡±


    Even though she was dissatisfied, she had no other choice.


    ¡°Okay, Ms. Greene. After the refund, you would have to pay for the tax. It¡¯s estimated to be around four


    thousand. Please get ready a sufficient amount to pay for it.¡±


    ¡°What? Why should I pay the tax? I¡¯ve already refunded the money!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s written in the agreement. Didn¡¯t you read the rules and regtions of the tform carefully before


    you live stream?¡±


    Wendy quickly opened the software to read the rules. Soon, she found out that if the streamer needed


    to refund the tips, they had to pay for the tax.


    ¡°Shit! Darn it!¡±


    Wendy kept cursing, but the staff directly hung up the phone and sent her a bill.


    In addition to the refund, she had to pay an additional four thousand.


    I only have four thousand left, and now I¡¯ve to spend them all. I¡¯m, as the saying goes, go out for wool


    ande home shorn. I¡¯ve really be a penniless pauper.


    ¡°F*ck!¡±


    Enraged, she lost her sanity and smashed everything on the ground.


    After more than ten minutes, she gradually recollected herself and picked up the phone that was on the


    ground to call her uncle.


    However, the phone rang twice and was hung up.


    I can¡¯t believe he just hung up on me!


    Left with no choice, she could only call Cecilia. Although Cecilia did answer the call, her voice was low.


    ¡°Hello? Wendy?¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡± At first, Wendy did not realize that something was amiss. She kept talking about what


    happened and that her uncle did not answer her calls.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Wendy. Vinson wille and beg us for help soon.¡±


    Taken aback by Cecelia¡¯s words, Wendy quickly asked, ¡°Why would hee and beg us? What do


    you mean?¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    However, Cecilia only responded in a muffled voice, ¡°He¡¯ll beg us soon. Very soon.¡±


    Finally, Wendy sensed that something was wrong. Knitting her brows, she questioned, ¡°Mom, are you


    drunk?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m just a little sleepy. I¡¯ll go to bed now.¡±


    With that said, Cecilia ended the call.


    Beside her hand was some fine powder, and a strange scent was wafting out of her room.

 Chapter 1101

    Chapter 1101


    Chapter 1101 Could Not Afford It


    The smell roused the scruples of a passing housekeeper. Setting aside the broom in her hand, she felt


    the urge to discuss it with a co-worker with whom she was close.


    ¡°I noticed it yesterday¡­ I supposed it was perfume, but the scent was much too strong for that, so


    much so that I was starting to think it less like perfume and more like poison¡­¡±


    Horrified by the implications of their own conjecture, the pair exchanged grim looks as they fell into a


    synchronous silence.


    Meanwhile, without rhyme or reason, Wendy stared at her phone and felt the impetus to make another


    call.


    Only that this time, she was greeted with a reminder from a female machine voice about her unpaid


    bills.


    Things had gotten so bad at present that she could not even afford to pay for her own phone usage.


    Never in her life had Wendy ever been this hard up before. Her only hope was for Cecilia to snap out of


    her stupor, initiate contact, and then settle this problem for her in a timely manner.


    Elsewhere, Donovan was in an inexorable mood.


    He kicked himself for not getting a grasp of the situation before he lobbied Selena, for thetter did dole


    out the punishment except that it was against Wendy.


    As much as he did give up on Wendy, he nevertheless felt the pinch from it. As among the few of them,


    Wendy had been the most consistently excellent one in terms of individual academic performance or


    otherwise.


    With one of his graduating criteria being to sessfully guide at least three students into Maxwell


    University, the loss of Wendy was tantamount to an inability to lock in one of those slots. How could he


    possibly not be bummed about this?


    However, there was no undoing what was done. It was pointless to rue over it.


    Just then, a call came through from Noah.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Noah¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve great news. San has just arrived at school. Ms. Selena told me that she¡¯ll be making inquiries on


    my behalf and will furnish us with San¡¯s contact details if she¡¯s amenable to helping you.¡±


    Donovan¡¯s eyes spontaneously brightened up.


    ¡°Do you really mean it?¡±


    ¡°Why would I lie to you? I heard that San¡¯s quite generous with her time and so I fully expect that she¡¯d


    meet with us in short order, barring any unforeseen circumstances. You¡¯d best prepare yourself well


    and decide on a restaurant in advance.¡±


    ¡°Got it. No worries. I¡¯ll see to it right away!¡±


    Donovan did a little cavort when he hung up. With the cloud he had over him before lifted, he


    enthusiastically went about looking into the finest dining spots in the vicinity.


    Though there were many eateries within Maxwell University itself, San was no ordinary guest. Hence,


    after being gripped by a brief sequence of indecision, Donovan lined up his options ording to pricing


    and settled for the most extravagant revolving restaurant avable.


    That extremely ssy diner that sat at the roost of the highest building in Lightspring boasted


    spectacr views all around and mandated a minimum spending of eight thousand per pax.


    Now that reservations had been made, Donovan went back in front of hisputer to refine the parts


    of his thesis that he couldplete on his own.


    Once that was sorted out, all that was left for him to do was to put on the finishing touches by


    illustrating his points using solutions for elementary mathematics and further mathematics problems.


    There in, his thesis would be made perfect.


    The part that made him feel conflicted was that both of the examples cited within the dissertation he


    authored himself actually did not originate with him.


    One of them was based on a solution Arielle had penned during the opening exams, and the other was


    conceived by her inside the auditorium.


    The fact that both of those examples were proposed by Arielle made him inexplicably self-conscious.


    Donovan tried hard to suppress the shame he felt while he notified his students to convene at his dorm


    for lessons in half an hour via the chat group.


    Factoring in the addition of an interview segment, I¡¯ve to figure out a way to dramatically improve my


    students¡¯ presentation skills in the shortest time possible.


    Of course, Trisha had long been ousted from this group, but Wendy was still in it.


    Although Donovan knew Wendy was out of contention and had lost every chance to undertake the


    exams, he had to keep up the charade. Allowing Wendy toe back to ss and pretending that she


    was still in with a shout was his way of avoiding having her kick up a fuss.


    When all the students arrived, Donovan discovered that Terry, now the most promising in the group


    with Wendy gone, was conspicuously absent.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Terry?¡± Donovan asked with a frown.

 Chapter 1102

    Chapter 1102


    Chapter 1102 Unworthy


    Under Donovan¡¯s cold stares and heavy duress, Terry¡¯s dorm mate had to fess up. ¡°Terry¡¯s gone to look


    for Boss¡­ I mean Arielle.¡±


    Donovan¡¯s furrow just got impossibly tauter in that instant.


    First Trisha, then Wendy; both of them have been denied their eligibility to undertake the examinations


    one after the other because of Arielle. Now even Terry seemed to have been cajoled by her too. What


    exactly is she up to? Is she that determined to see to it that I won¡¯t be able to graduate? Am I really


    such a fixation for her, or is she having a go at me because she wants to get my attention?


    ¡°Mr. Baxter? Mr. Baxter?¡±


    Donovan was lost in his own fantasies. It took the students yelling for him to jolt back to reality.


    ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Donovan coughed. ¡°Per myst instructions, listen to the local broadcast and jot down as


    much of it as you can. I¡¯m going to try to get in touch with Terry.¡±


    When he finished, he walked out of the dorm and rang up his missing student, only to have thetter


    hang up on him outright the moment the call connected.


    At this moment, Terry was seated across from the trio of Arielle, Trisha, and Jared in one of the


    cafeterias within Maxwell University.


    When he saw that the call came from Donovan, he did not even have to think twice before he dropped


    it.


    The identity of the caller on the phone disy was picked up by Arielle¡¯s keen eyes.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Based on what I saw from that incident outside the doors of the shopping mall, that man isn¡¯t fit to be a


    lecturer!¡± replied a disgruntled Terry.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    What he had witnessed back then convinced him that not only was Donovan shielding Wendy, the


    former was willing to bring Arielle down and sacrifice Trisha to that end.


    How could someone who forsakes his own student be fit to consider himself an educator? He¡¯s not


    even qualified enough to be considered human!


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°No matter what, he¡¯s still a lecturer at Jadeborough University. You still need to


    at least keep things civil between him and yourself.¡±


    ¡°I refuse to!¡± Terry dered his resolve between gritted teeth. ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind that I¡¯ll pass up on


    taking the exams in order to deny him his academic certificate!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Arielle¡¯s expression grew abruptly severe.


    Jared, too, expressed his disapproval. ¡°Don¡¯t ruin your own future for someone like that. He¡¯s not worth


    it.¡±


    Being the less eloquent one, Trisha could only contribute by earnestly nodding along.


    Though Donovan had clearly quit on her, Terry was not in the same situation. He could jolly well carry


    on as though nothing had happened, or at least until the examinations were over.


    ¡°But¡­ should he manage to attain the academic certificate, it would only bring harm to even more


    students at his hands.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± Arielle cast Terry a reassuring look. ¡°I won¡¯t allow him to graduate


    so long as I¡¯m around.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± replied Terry doubtfully. ¡°Donovan will be able to secure his graduation so long


    as he manages to get three students in.¡±


    ¡°Do you know who¡¯s responsible for the thesis defense for the students who have deferred their


    graduation?¡± Arielle asked smilingly.


    Since Terry was slow to catch up, Jared beside him responded first. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that it¡¯s you, Boss?¡±


    ¡°Bingo.¡± Arielle affirmed with a nod.


    The other three gawped in concert, especially Terry, whose eyeballs nearly popped.


    ¡°You¡­ Seriously?¡±


    ¡°When have I ever deceived you guys?¡± Arielle retorted breezily.


    Terry became stupefied for a moment there.


    I always knew that Boss is a badass, but this is just over the top ridiculous. What right have I to be in


    the same ss as her? I¡¯m unworthy of this!


    A powerful tingle crept up the trio¡¯s entire being.


    Terry could not help but gloat, ¡°To think that the one who would decide the fate would be one of the


    students who joined his preparatory ss in the most morous manner possible, on top of being the


    one he least fancied. Bet Donovan never saw this oneing.¡±


    Jared narrowed his eyes at Terry.


    What exactly are you insinuating?

 Chapter 1103

    Chapter 1103


    Chapter 1103 In Her Debt


    ¡°That¡¯s why I say,¡± said Arielle as she pushed the bowl of soup in front of Terry, ¡°nourish yourself and


    get back to Donovan¡¯s ss. Although not that spectacr, he still made it through the early


    admissions process. He ought to be someone who¡¯s well suited to guide the students in this respect.¡±


    Terry silently sat down in a slump. At Arielle¡¯s insistence, he had no choice but to return to receive


    Donovan¡¯s tutge.


    After his departure, Arielle received an unexpected call from Selena.


    Could it be that there are leads on that man in the photograph?


    Arielle shot up to her feet. With a solemn look about her, she walked toward the outside of the cafeteria


    to answer.


    Jared regarded Arielle from the rear and could not refrain from his impetus to air his concerns with


    Trisha. ¡°I keep having the feeling that Boss is here with reasons beyond wanting to keep uspany


    through the examinations. I wonder if she¡¯s in some sort of trouble, seeing how serious she looked¡­¡±


    However, Trisha seemed ambivalent toward the various hypotheses Jared rattled off the tip of his


    tongue.


    He arched his neck over to check on Trisha, only to discover that she had fallen asleep with the spoon


    between her teeth.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Fancy falling asleep even when eating¡­ Sheesh¡­


    Jared found his own gaze invariably drawn to Trisha¡¯s face, which he went on to study intently.


    Although mildly pudgy in a way that¡¯spletely contrary to the more contemporary sort of fair, slim,


    and doe-like aesthetics that were highly sought after, Trisha¡¯s features are honestly quite delightful.


    Delicate, exquisite, and adorned by those long, lusciousshes¡­ It¡¯s not difficult to foresee that she


    could be a real beauty with a little help on the weight management front. Besides, she is in fairly


    decent shape at present and already quite the babe if one isn¡¯t too particr about skinniness.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Arielle¡¯s voice suddenly rang out.


    Jared¡¯s heart jumped, and he immediately and sheepishly rescinded his own gaze. Clearing his throat,


    he tried to y it cool. ¡°I was just wondering how Trisha could fall asleep even in the middle of a meal.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that just adorable?¡± said Arielle with a wink.


    That put a massive blush on Jared¡¯s face, and he scratched his head nervously. ¡°Come on, Boss. Don¡¯t


    tease me like that¡­¡±


    Arielle responded with a genial shrug. ¡°All right, enough of that. It isn¡¯t entirely on her because ever


    since she got hurt, I have been putting her on some medication: a herb with a sedative quality. It¡¯s


    pretty impressive that she¡¯s been able to stave off her drowsiness till now, but I have to trouble you to


    lend a hand in helping her back to the dorm.¡±


    ¡°To the dorm, you say?¡± Jared¡¯s brows knitted. ¡°Who knows what else would Wendy do to her¡­¡±


    ¡°Not to her previous dorm, but to mine. After I graduated, the school had set aside a single room to


    facilitate my convenience whenever I return. Help me get her over there. She¡¯ll be staying with me


    during this stretch.¡±


    That helped to set Jared¡¯s mind at ease. He did not need Arielle¡¯s help at all either, managing to sweep


    Trisha up in a princess carry and jog with her all the way over to Arielle¡¯s dorm.


    Though housekeeping had not been carried out actively, the ce remained very much in living


    condition.


    Arielle made a call to Vernon to make arrangements for Trisha¡¯s things to be moved in. She was about


    to start tidying up when she was interrupted by Jared.


    ¡°Boss.¡±


    Arielle paused in her movements and regarded Jared quizzically.


    As hesitant as Jared was, he still went on to ask, ¡°What exactly is the purpose of your trip here to


    Maxwell University this time, Boss? I noticed that you were pretty serious on the phone back in the


    cafeteria just now¡­ Not that I mean to pry, but it¡¯s like I said, if you have any need of the Jupiters, we¡¯ll


    surely do our utmost!¡±


    This gesture was not made purely in consideration of his friendship with Arielle but also as a measure


    of his gratitude toward her for saving Harvey¡¯s life.


    No matter what the future held for Harvey and Arielle, the Jupiters would always be in her debt.

 Chapter 1104

    Chapter 1104


    Chapter 1104 Go Bust


    Arielle was profoundly moved by the sincerity that was palpable upon Jared¡¯s face.


    She pursed her lips briefly before she replied, ¡°Indeed, I do have another purpose for being here. I


    need to locate one specific individual.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re trying to find someone?¡±


    Arielle affirmed that with a nod. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you any more than that, as it could be somewhat dangerous.


    But rest assured that I will not hesitate to approach if there¡¯s anything that you may be able to help


    with.¡±


    Jared nodded in acknowledgment, but he still seemed apprehensive. ¡°Does that have anything to do


    with that call you just made?¡±


    It might have been better if he did not mention it. The fact that he did elicited a chuckle from Arielle.


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t,¡± said Arielle with a subtle smile. ¡°Would you be keen to apany me to a free meal


    tomorrow, though?¡±


    ¡°A free meal?¡±


    ¡°You heard that right. Not only is itpletely free, but it¡¯ll also give us both who came in undeservedly


    through our connections a chance to get even. Are you in?¡± said Arielle with an enigmatic smirk.


    ¡°Hell yeah, I¡¯m in!¡± Jared agreed in a heartbeat.


    ¡°Good. Then I¡¯ll let them know that we¡¯reing.¡±


    With that, Arielle sent Selena a message, short and sweet, to inform her of her own willingness to


    extend her aid.


    Selena could immediately read between the lines. She did not reveal Arielle¡¯s identity to Noah and


    merely passed the former¡¯s contact details along.


    Across the shores in Horington.


    In order to monopolize the supply chain in Horington and put pressure on Vinson, Trevor¡¯spany


    had umted for themselves arge stockpile of building materials.


    A week had passed since, yet they still had not heard anything from the representatives on Vinson¡¯s


    end.


    In the beginning, Trevor was of the opinion that Vinson was just holding back out of pride and believed


    that it might take thetter a couple of days to respond. After grinding from dawn to dusk, day in, day


    out, coupled with the grief Cecilia had given him, he was terribly worn out. There were several days on


    the trot when he elected to put up at a hotel rather than go home.


    Although he was willing to wait, hispany could not afford to.


    Turnaround for the construction supplypany had always been slow, and this was only made worse


    with this maneuver to sever Vinson¡¯s supply chain. Not only had thepany¡¯s cash flow been


    adverselypromised, but it had also led them to take on loans thatnded them heavily in debt.


    If its financial woes were not addressed soon, thepany could find itself on the brink of insolvency.


    ¡°Mr. Larson,¡± thepany¡¯s chief financial officer said with his brow slick with sweat. ¡°Thetest


    financial report released showed that thepany cannot stay afloat for more than a couple of days.


    You have toe up with something, or the other projects are going to be affected as well. If this is to


    persist, thepany¡¯s going to go bust!¡±


    ¡°You think I don¡¯t know that?¡± Trevor took a huge puff of tobo and replied through the swirling spirals


    of smoke. ¡°Go over the ounts carefully again and make sure you get every single figure right. I need


    to know exactly how long thepany can hold out.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± The chief financial officer then exited with a considerable stack of charts in hand.


    The unbearably flustered Trevor paced back and forth inside the office.


    Past this many days since themencement of the project, the existing batch of building materials in


    Luke¡¯spany should be close to running out. They ought to be looking to make new acquisitions by


    now, so how is it then that they haven¡¯t realized that I¡¯ve already bought up all the avable materials in


    Horington?


    Going through one cigarette after another, Trevor had the entire interior of the office saturated with its


    effluvium.


    An inopportune rapping then came upon his door.


    ¡°Enter.¡±


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    In came his assistant, Derek Sully, with some apparent glee. ¡°We¡¯ve received word that Vinson


    Nightshire has arrived in Horington, Mr. Larson!¡±


    Trevor¡¯s face lit up. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s just left the airport and should be on his way to the branch office. If my estimations are


    correct, he must have discovered that you¡¯ve monopolized the supply chain in Horington and therefore


    rushed down here to attend to it personally.¡±


    ¡°Splendid! This is just fantastic news! Our earlier effort has not gone to waste, after all.¡± Trevor was


    shaking with exhration. ¡°See to it that we¡¯ve booked a table at the finest restaurant. Vinson will soon


    come calling.¡±

 Chapter 1105

    Chapter 1105


    Chapter 1105 A Guest


    ¡°Understood!¡± replied Derek. ¡°Shall I make a courtesy call to Mr. Nightshire and have some gifts sent


    along so that he may be able to ease his own dignity?¡±


    ¡°Of course! The gift is a must!¡± Trevor smacked hard on the table in approval. ¡°It¡¯s imperative for him to


    be able to save face because he¡¯s that kind of character. Allowing him to bow out in grace is akin to


    facilitating a step up for us, so good suggestion on your part. However, I can¡¯t be the one doing the


    gifting myself, or that¡¯ll be quite embarrassing for me!¡±


    ¡°Yes! Yes! Certainly!¡± Derek nodded heartily. ¡°I¡¯ll go take care of it, but what should we offer him?¡±


    That did stump Trevor and got him thinking.


    He did not have any more money to spare, but it was not as though Vinson would be receptive to


    epting any from him either.


    After some deliberation, Trevor said, ¡°Prep the car. I¡¯m going to make a trip home.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Half an hourter, the car rolled to a halt outside the Larson residence.


    Ever since Trevor and Cecilia¡¯s parents perished in a ne crash en route to a leisurely trip during the


    siblings¡¯ formative years, the house was left with just the two of them.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    While Trevor stood at the entryway, he sighed at the thought of how challenging it had been for Cecilia


    before he strode through those doors.


    This was the first time he had reentered the house after thatst huge bust-up they had, and the


    housekeeper came up quickly to greet him.


    ¡°Mr. Larson.¡±


    Trevor acknowledged her with a slight nod. He surveyed the entirety of the living room but did not see


    Cecilia there.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± Trevor asked.


    ¡°Mrs. Greene¡¯s resting upstairs.¡±


    ¡°Resting? At this time of the day?¡±


    Word of the overpowering scent that constantly emanated from Cecilia¡¯s room had been going around


    among the housekeepers.


    ¡°Shall I go fetch her?¡± the housekeeper asked with apprehension.


    Trevor shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no need to. I¡¯m just here to pick up a few things. I¡¯ll being back


    later tonight, so ask her to wait up and tell her that I¡¯d like for us to have a proper chat.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Trevor nodded and went on to the study, where he retrieved the prized antique vase that he had held in


    storage for a very long time.


    Apart from the estate itself, this vase is the singrly most valuable item in our possession. Though not


    exactly the rarest of rarities in any sense, it should still be something that would catch the eye of


    someone like Vinson.


    Trevor carefully packaged the vase himself before he returned to the car and passed it along to Derek.


    ¡°Go ce this in Vinson¡¯s hands right away. Remember that there isn¡¯t a need to exin too much.


    Vinson will get the message.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± the assistant responded in the affirmative and rode another car quickly toward Nightshire


    Group¡¯s branch office in Horington.


    Inside the branch office of Nightshire Group, Vinson was sitting across from Luke while thetter


    furnished him with updates on the progress of a project.


    ¡°The foundations have beenid and I¡¯ve already ced all hands on deck for this project. Currently,


    we¡¯re just awaiting the arrival of those building materials from Epea to begin construction. Once we


    kickstart the process, it should take an estimated three months toplete.¡±


    Vinson nodded agreeably. ¡°Being able to fast-track a roughly five-month project to within three months¡¯


    time is quite impressive. Good work.¡±


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Luke waved him off. ¡°Do you know when we might expect the materials to arrive?¡±


    ¡°Today.¡±


    Luke perked up. ¡°Today?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Vinson nodded. ¡°I¡¯m here specifically to inspect and sign off on this shipment personally. Around


    eight tonight, the ship will be due to arrive at Horington First Wharf. I need you to prepare ahead of time


    as the transportation of this amount of materials will be extremely challenging, considering that I don¡¯t


    have enough people here in Horington.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve nothing else save manpower. Rest assured that I¡¯ll have them over at the First Wharf by seven-


    thirty. We¡¯ll see you there.¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡± Vinson stood on his feet. ¡°You should go on ahead with your preparations. I¡¯m still


    expecting a guest.¡±

 Chapter 1106

    Chapter 1106


    Chapter 1106 Full Of Himself


    ¡°Guest?¡± Luke was puzzled. ¡°What sort of guest?¡±


    ¡°One who¡¯s full of himself,¡± Vinson replied with an ambiguous smirk.


    Luke remained somewhat mystified until Rayson came knocking.


    ¡°Larson Group¡¯s Derek Sully has requested to see you, Mr. Nightshire.¡±


    It became apparent to Luke what Vinson meant earlier.


    He snorted. ¡°I¡¯ll do as you asked and keep the issue pertaining to the building materials under wraps.


    Seeing that you¡¯vee to Horington, I bet that sted Trevor must be waiting for us to be


    desperate enough to go to him begging on all fours.¡±


    Vinson¡¯s lips lifted into a smirk. He offered no furtherment.


    Luke stood up, smiling ear to ear. ¡°Please attend to your visitor while I see to the manpower and


    logistical matters. It¡¯ll all be settled by seven-thirty, guaranteed.¡±


    ¡°Good. Rayson, see Mr. Yeager out and have the other gentleman brought in.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± Rayson bowed and cordially showed Luke to the door.


    Once outside the office, Luke could no longer contain himself. ¡°A personal question if I may, Rayson.¡±


    ¡°Please ask away,¡± Rayson assented.


    Luke took one nce at the door to the office that had closed back by itself before he asked, ¡°Has


    someone as young and aplished as Mr. Nightshire settled down yet? If he hasn¡¯t, I may be


    acquainted with a couple of outstanding youngdies that I could perhaps assist with connecting him


    to.¡±


    Rayson¡¯s smile froze over in ce. He coughed before he leaned in. ¡°Mr. Nightshire is already


    attached.¡±


    That took Luke by some surprise. ¡°Attached? To a scion from which family, I wonder?¡±


    ¡°Not a scion, but a boss,¡± Rayson replied with augh.


    In his misapprehension, Luke responded with even greater astonishment. ¡°I¡¯ve never realized that Mr.


    Nightshire bats for the other side.¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s nothing like that!¡± Rayson nearly broke out in a cold sweat as he hastened to exin, ¡°She¡¯s a


    woman. A woman.¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    That came to Luke as some relief.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to know, or I¡¯d be genuinely shitting my pants otherwise¡­ being a family man and all.¡±


    Rayson pursed his lips at Luke,pletely bbergasted. ¡°What on earth were you thinking?¡±


    ¡°Look at me now. You won¡¯t be able to tell that my head was much fuller, and I was quite the dashing


    lad back in the day!¡± said the guffawing Luke as he strode off.


    After Rayson saw off the self-besotted Luke, he took his time with the representative from Larson


    Group, only heading into the waiting room after a dozen minutes had passed. ¡°Our apologies for


    keeping you waiting. Mr. Nightshire was preupied just now. Now, please follow me,¡± he said genially.


    ¡°All right. Okay.¡± Derek gathered up the antique vase as he stood up.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire.¡±


    Derek ced the vase on Vinson¡¯s desk as soon as he stepped inside the office.


    ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± Vinson evoked a feigned look of surprise.


    ¡°A little gift from Mr. Larson. Didn¡¯t he have to cancel his lunch appointment with you previously at the


    eleventh hour because something cropped up for him? Mr. Larson felt really bad about it and expressly


    tasked me to send this to you as a token of his apology.¡±


    Vinson cast a leisurely gaze over the antique vase. ¡°A Chanaean vase from the seventeenth century¡­


    Isn¡¯t this apology from Mr. Larson a little too substantial?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. Not at all, Mr. Nightshire,¡± replied Derek as he waved off his counterpart¡¯s concerns. ¡°This is


    just a polite gesture from Mr. Larson, and he¡¯d feel that you¡¯re still upset with him were you to


    decline¡­¡±

 Chapter 1107

    Chapter 1107


    Chapter 1107 First Wharf


    Vinson lowered his eyes as he snorted, making it less apparent to the observer how he really felt about


    it.


    Just as Derek was fretting, Vinson replied, ¡°I¡¯ll ept it. Tell Mr. Larson that I¡¯ll meet him at the First


    Wharf at eight tonight.¡±


    Derek¡¯s eyes lit up, and he bowed profusely under the impression that Vinson had relented.


    ¡°Thank you for your magnanimity, Mr. Nightshire. You truly are a gracious man. In that case, I shan¡¯t


    continue to impose. Let me go back to inform Mr. Larson of this right away.¡±


    With a wave of his hand, Vinson bade Derek farewell.


    Once Rayson had shown Derek out, he turned back into the office. ¡°Why did you ept this thing?¡±


    Vinson snorted in response and a cold glint shed across his eyes.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s already been brought here, wouldn¡¯t it be hard for him to answer to his superiors were I to


    send him back with it?¡±


    Rayson seemed confused.


    Vinson¡¯s not that amodating a person, especially not to a business rival.


    As expected, Vinson followed up very quickly. ¡°Pick that vase up and have it couriered to Jadeborough,


    double-quick time. Address it to the deputy captain of the Specialized Forces. He¡¯ll know what to do


    next.¡±


    Rayson¡¯s eyes lit up once he understood Vinson¡¯s intentions.


    Graft was no trivial matter, particrly in the case of Trevor Larson who was more than just the


    chairman of Larson Group; he also happened to be a minor yer serving in Horington¡¯s public office.


    Company matters aside, this vase by itself is sufficient tond Trevor in prison for a good couple of


    years, at least.


    ¡°Understood!¡± Rayson bowed in anticipation and hugged the vase as he went on to have it sent out.


    While this was happening, Trevor received a call from Derek on his end.


    ¡°Are you saying that he has epted it?¡± The thrill was palpable in Trevor¡¯s inflection as he spoke.


    Afraid that Vinson might turn down the vase and be adamant against making acquisitions from him, he


    had been in jitters all this while. With the eptance of the gift, Vinson¡¯s sentiments are now in to


    see.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Larson.¡± Derek, too, expressed his relief. ¡°He¡¯s epted it, and in a seemingly fine spirit too.


    Also, he asked for you to be at the First Wharf at eight.¡±


    ¡°The First Wharf?¡± Trevor sounded doubtful. ¡°Why would he want to meet at the docks?¡±


    ¡°That, I¡¯m not sure of either¡­¡± Then, Derek went on to specte, ¡°Could it be because that¡¯s close to


    where yourrgest warehouse for building materials is located? Maybe he ns to have you sell him


    those materials right after your chat?¡±


    ¡°It must be!¡± Trevor said, pping his thighs. ¡°Instruct those at the warehouse at the First Wharf to do a


    proper stocktake of the building materials, so that they¡¯ll be ready to be picked up as soon as Vinson


    arrives.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Derek assented before he hung up.


    Trevor went back and forth inside his own office in sheer delight.


    Fantastic. Just fantastic!


    All the funds he spent, including that which he had loaned out to bankroll the purchases of the building


    materials, could finally be recouped.


    Not only would hispany be saved, but he might also be able to carve out a massive profit at


    Vinson¡¯s expense.


    That vase is easily worth twenty million, but it was a twenty million well spent!


    Trevor swiftly worked out a number in anticipation of making a killing off of Vinsonter in the evening.


    Very swiftly, it was seven-thirty at dusk.


    Vinson stood by the shores of the First Wharf, immersed in his own thoughts as he cast his gaze


    across the peaceful waters.


    ¡°Our people and transport are on standby, waiting for the ship to dock, Mr. Nightshire,¡± Luke reported


    after he alighted from the car.


    Vinson nodded slightly before he checked his wrist for the time. ¡°We¡¯ve about ten minutes before it


    docks.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful!¡± Luke rubbed his hands in anticipation.


    Right then, Rayson hurried toward them. ¡°Trevor Larson has arrived, Mr. Nightshire.¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1108

    Chapter 1108


    Chapter 1108 Sycophant


    Vinson¡¯s lips curled into a smile. ¡°Bring him over.¡±


    Rayson went on to lead Trevor before Vinson in short order. Trevor had an awful expression on his


    face in response to Luke¡¯s presence, but that sentiment was subduedpared to what he actually felt


    inside.


    If not for Luke Yeager, I wouldn¡¯t have lost the opportunity to work with Nightshire Group!


    But with the way the situation had developed, he could only stomach it in view of making profit his


    priority.


    Trevor broke off eye contact and smiled obsequiously. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about what happenedst time,


    Mr. Nightshire. Had it not been a matter of exceptional urgency, I wouldn¡¯t have dared stand you up!¡±


    ¡°What matter of exceptional urgency might that be, Mr. Larson? Based on my understanding, you were


    actually busy ying golf¡­¡± Vinson spoke with an ambiguous expression about him.


    Trevor¡¯s face stiffened. How did he know that?


    As Trevor was considering how to exin himself, Vinson continued, ¡°Am I right to presume that the


    director of Greene Corporation is your sister?¡±


    Trevor¡¯s mind was in a vacuum, but he braced himself and answered anyway. ¡°Yes. She¡¯s indeed my


    sister, but we aren¡¯t exactly on the best of terms.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Vinson noted with a raised brow. ¡°Then why is it that you had her ferry home as soon as


    Greene Corporation was in trouble?¡±


    The color drained from Trevor¡¯s face.


    How is Vinson able to find out about something that I arranged in secret? How many pairs of eyes has


    he all over Horington?


    Trevor wiped the mminess off his own brow. ¡°The situation¡¯s like this. Even though we aren¡¯t getting


    along, she¡¯s still my sister¡­ There¡¯s no way I would allow her tonguish on the streets. But if this isn¡¯t


    to your liking, I can always have her thrown out of my house right away!¡±


    Vinson said nothing and merely regarded Trevor intently as thetter gritted his teeth and picked up his


    phone to dial up thendline at his home.


    ¡°Pass down the word. See to it that she¡¯s thrown out of the house immediately!¡±


    He further added a few more instructions before he was done. Then he regarded Vinson fawningly.


    ¡°Everything has been done ording to your will, Mr. Nightshire. She¡¯s already a married woman and


    has nothing more to do with me. Rest assured that I shan¡¯t have any further contact with her either!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you to do anything. This is what you¡¯ve decided upon all on your own,¡± Vinson said with a


    scowl.


    ¡°Yes! Yes! Of course it is!¡± Trevor nodded his head vigorously. ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything, and this isn¡¯t


    what you demanded. It is I who had her thrown out on my own ord.¡±


    Vinson pursed his lips, and it sufficed as a response.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Trevor fell into a prolonged silence before he exhaled. ¡°About that¡­ May I know if you asked to meet to


    discuss the matter of our coboration, Mr. Nightshire?¡±


    Unexpectedly, Vinson reacted to him with a look of bafflement. ¡°Coboration? What coboration?


    Aren¡¯t I already coborating with Yeager Group?¡±


    Trevor¡¯s expression dimmed. He could not tell whether Vinson was trying to let off some steam by


    being spiteful, or he was genuinely not nning to work with him.


    The wheels inside his head started spinning and in the end, he decidedlyughed along. ¡°You¡¯re surely


    jesting with me, Mr. Nightshire. Didn¡¯t you ask me toe over for the purpose of discussing the


    matter of our business? I¡¯ve plenty of building materials stocked up right here.¡±


    As he spoke, Trevor waved his hand. ¡°Bring them in!¡±


    With that, severalrge trucks loaded with building materials drove into view.


    ¡°These are samples, all of them of top quality, for your consideration.¡±


    When Vinson and Luke exchanged looks, Luke could hardly repress a grin.


    At this moment¡­

 Chapter 1109

    Chapter 1109


    Chapter 1109 ying Games


    The horn of a ship suddenly sted and when Vinson turned in its direction, a massive vessel with its


    deck loaded with containers was spotted leaning in toward the shore.


    In response to it, Luke remarked, ¡°I¡¯m afraid those trucks that I¡¯ve brought along aren¡¯t quite going to be


    enough for the job. I may have to go borrow a couple more.¡±


    Trevor was still under the impression that it was his goods that the former was talking about. ¡°You won¡¯t


    have to trouble yourself. Mypany has trucks, lots of them. Just let us know when you need them,


    and I¡¯ll have every bit of material sent over to you directly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll be too much trouble to ask of you. But we can¡¯t wait, you see, as we¡¯ll be needing those trucks


    right away,¡± Luke said with augh.


    Trevor¡¯s eyes fogged over. ¡°Would your construction site be operating overnight? Are your workers


    going to work at this hour as well?¡±


    Once more, Luke let out a boisterous hoot. ¡°You seem to have misunderstood, Mr. Larson.¡±


    ¡°Whatever do you mean? Aren¡¯t we going to transport my building materials to your worksite?¡± asked a


    befuddled Trevor.


    ¡°Not exactly.¡± Luke purposefully beat about the bush as he pointed toward therge shipping vessel


    that docked just in front of them. ¡°You¡¯re right to assume that we¡¯d need your help with the logistics, but


    the materials that we¡¯ll be transporting aren¡¯t yours. It¡¯s those over there.¡±


    When Trevor lifted his eyes to look, he saw that it was an ocean liner emzoned with the name of an


    Epean constructionpany that wasing in to dock.


    ¡°T-This¡­¡±


    Having had his fun, Luke finally decided to drop the bomb on his counterpart. ¡°Don¡¯t take me for a fool,


    Trevor Larson! You¡¯ve intentionally bought out the stockpiles and construction materials producers to


    prevent me frompleting my project. Bet you didn¡¯t expect that Mr. Nightshire had no intentions to


    source materials locally right from the start. Hence, we¡¯ve already had materials created with the most


    cutting-edge technology shipped from Epea. Not only are they turbulent-proof and flood-resistant, but


    they are also of excellent quality as well as affordable. As for you, expect to sink with your hoard!¡±


    ¡°W-What?¡±


    The thunderstruck Trevor¡¯s face turned pallid.


    Luke felt a rush of tremendous gratification inside and continued to rub it into Trevor¡¯s face. ¡°Didn¡¯t you


    say you wanted to lend us some trucks, Mr. Larson? Now you can. Lunch¡¯s on me next time, eh?¡± he


    said while he patted Trevor on the back.


    In shock and outrage, Trevor swatted Luke¡¯s hand out of the way and strode right for Vinson. But


    before he could get close enough, he found himself intercepted by Vinson¡¯s bodyguards.


    Unable to advance any further, he could only holler at the top of his lungs. ¡°Vinson Nightshire! Are you


    going to pull this on me after you¡¯ve epted my gift? You¡¯re toying with me on purpose, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    At this moment, Trevor hadpletely forgotten about how much he actually dreaded Vinson. His


    head was in flux as though he had been buzzing in his ear.


    Vinson met Trevor¡¯s eyes with his own frigid gaze. All he saw in thetter was the fruitless struggle of a


    roach.


    ¡°You?¡±


    He repeated what Trevor said until he lowered his gaze into a cackle.


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of refreshing to learn how every Tom, Dick, and Harry now seem to believe that they could


    dictate terms to me.¡±


    He tilted his chin, and his discerning bodyguard went on to kick Trevor¡¯s shin with force.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Trevor yelped in pain, and his legs gave way underneath, causing him to fall to his knees before


    Vinson.


    Vinson strode forward and loomed over him.


    ¡°Standing me up and trying to y games with me? Do you think that the Greenes still run Horington?


    Wouldn¡¯t you like to know what kind of hellhole Mr. Greene is in right now?¡±

 Chapter 1110

    Chapter 1110


    Chapter 1110 No Match For Vinson


    ¡°You¡­¡± Before Trevor couldplete his sentence, a bodyguard swung his hand across his cheek.


    ¡°Listen to Mr. Nightshire when he¡¯s talking!¡±


    Trevor¡¯s face instantly turned numb.


    The resentment on his face was instantly reced by a sudden surge of overwhelming fear.


    He wiped away sweat droplets and bowed before Vinson.


    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault, Mr. Nightshire. I shouldn¡¯t have tricked you. It was the Greenes who forced me to do


    this in the first ce. You should know that no one in Horington dared to challenge them in the past.


    Had I not followed their instructions, I would have had a hard time surviving in this city.¡± Trevor came


    clean and begged for forgiveness.


    There was no point hiding the truth from Vinson, as he knew Vinson was aware of it. Admitting his


    mistake might be his only chance of survival.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Yet, Vinson remained silent and did not react to the things he said.


    Instead, Rayson let out a cold snort and said, ¡°And you thought you could survive after offending our


    CEO?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all my fault!¡± Trevor bowed. ¡°Please forgive me. I promise I¡¯ll not sumb to threats and


    y tricks on you anymore!¡±


    Vinson raised his brows. ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°And¡­¡± Trevor swallowed the saliva lodged in his throat. ¡°I¡¯ll sell you the materials in my warehouse


    below the market price. What do you think?¡±


    At this point, Trevor knew he had to do this to beg Vinson to let him off instead of extorting money from


    him.


    Vinson lowered his eyes and responded with a faint smile.


    After taking a nce at the cruise that was approaching, he said, ¡°I would have given you a chance


    had you made your offer earlier. But it¡¯s toote now.¡±


    Trevor¡¯s pupil constricted.


    Is he trying to get rid of me?


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me, Mr. Nightshire! How can I survive if you don¡¯t buy my material? Mypany


    will be in deep trouble! Please, I beg you. I¡¯ll do anything if you buy my material!¡± Trevor pleaded. ¡°You


    can kick me and punch me if you¡¯re mad at me. I can capture my sister and torture her too! She¡¯s the


    mastermind. You can¡¯t put the me on me alone!¡±


    Vinson scoffed, ¡°You¡¯re ming your sister now? I¡¯ve thought too highly of you, Trevor. You¡¯re nothing


    but a piece of trash.¡±


    ¡°No, Mr. Nightshire. I¡ª¡±


    Vinson rubbed his ear. ¡°I can¡¯t stand his voice anymore. Take him away.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± The bodyguards dragged Trevor away from the wharf.


    Trevor shrieked like a lunatic as they dragged him away from Vinson.


    He finally realized how stupid he was.


    Oh, God. What have I done? Why did I go against Vinson just because of those benefits?


    Vinson is an influential figure in Chanaea and is also the captain of the Specialized Forces. Who am I


    to challenge him?


    It¡¯s clear that I¡¯m no match for Vinson! It¡¯s all over. I¡¯m doomed!


    Luke could help but shake his head as he watched the bodyguards take Trevor away.


    Sometimes, making a grave mistake can destroy a person¡¯s life, and not everyone deserves a second


    chance to start afresh.


    ¡°Why are you in a daze?¡± Vinson looked at Luke. ¡°Get moving!¡±


    ¡°All right!¡± Luke came to his senses and immediately instructed his subordinate to activate the crane.

 Chapter 1111

    Chapter 1111


    Chapter 1111 Who Are You To Kick Me Out


    While everyone at the First Wharf was up to their ears at work, the Larson residence was just as


    chaotic.


    ¡°Who are you to kick me out?¡±


    Cecilia stared at the housekeeper with her bloodshot eyes. Her disheveled hair made her look like a


    ghost.


    The housekeeper gave her an apologetic smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Greene. Mr. Larson said the Larsons


    will not take in any member of the Greene family. You should return to the Greene residence if you


    need a ce to stay. Even though Mr. Greene is now in trouble, I¡¯m sure there are rtives who could


    take care of you.¡±


    A vortex of anger swirled inside Cecilia, and she could not stop shaking. ¡°I have nothing to do with the


    Greenes. I belong to the Larson family!¡±


    The housekeeper responded with another smile. ¡°Perhaps you should tell this to Mr. Larson yourself.


    We only did what we¡¯re told, so please don¡¯t put me in a tight spot.¡±


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Instead of wasting time with Cecilia, the housekeeper turned around and shut the door.


    Cecilia ran up and knocked on the door repeatedly. ¡°Open the door! I¡¯ll get Trevor toe and teach


    you a lesson if you don¡¯t open the door right now!¡±


    Suddenly, Trevor¡¯s voice emerged from behind. ¡°Stop shouting. I¡¯ll get them to open the door.¡±


    Cecilia stopped in her tracks immediately. She turned around and was pleased to see Trevoring


    down from his car.


    She ran up to him and cried, ¡°Trevor! They kicked me out of the house and said that I¡¯m a Greene. But


    I¡¯m your biological sister! You must fire them for mistreating me!¡±


    Trevor snorted and said, ¡°They didn¡¯t mistreat you. They only acted on my order.¡±


    Cecilia¡¯s expression changed, and she asked in disbelief, ¡°What did you say? But you said you¡¯re going


    to open the door for me!¡±


    ¡°I said I¡¯ll open the door but not for you,¡± Trevor said through gritted teeth. ¡°My partnership with Vinson


    is over. I can¡¯t even afford to hire a housekeeper anymore. You should get lost too!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Cecilia widened her eyes in shock. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! Vinson can only go to you to buy the


    material for his project since you¡¯ve bought it from all the suppliers in Horington. You must have made a


    fortune, no? What do you mean by your partnership with Vinson is over?¡±


    Trevor gave her a sullen re. ¡°It¡¯s all because of you, idiot! Did you know Vinson had never thought of


    using the construction material from Horington? You told me to threaten him with the material so that


    your daughter could marry into the Nightshire family. Now I¡¯m in deep shit because of you!¡±


    ¡°W-What do you mean?¡± Cecilia asked.


    ¡°Ever since they started the project, Vinson has struck a deal with his counterpart in Epea. In other


    words, Vinson has imported all the high-quality material from Epea! Now mypany is going to go


    bankrupt all because of you! How dare you act as if you¡¯re not aware of it?¡±


    The color drained out of Cecilia¡¯s face. ¡°H-How is that possible?¡±


    All of a sudden, she recalled Susanne¡¯s attitude change.


    No wonder Vinson was not afraid of our threat. He didn¡¯t n to use the material from Horington in the


    first ce!


    ¡°So that¡¯s the reason¡­¡±


    Trevor grabbed Cecilia¡¯s cor and yelled, ¡°Get out of my sight right now! I will not let you off easily if I


    see you again!¡±


    ¡°Trevor, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Get lost!¡± Trevor kicked her abdomen, sending her flying a few feet away.

 Chapter 1112

    Chapter 1112


    Chapter 1112 Chased Out Of The Family


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Cecilia vomited a mouthful of blood and held her abdomen with her hands. ¡°Trevor Larson! How dare


    you kick me? I¡¯m your sister!¡±


    Trevor gave her the cold shoulder and entered the mansion.


    When Cecilia was about the barge into the house, Trevor¡¯s bodyguard pulled her away.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Greene. Mr. Larson said he doesn¡¯t want to see you when hees out of the house


    later. So please leave before we drag you away with a more drastic approach.¡±


    Cecilia had no choice but to leave.


    She tried to approach a few members of the Greene family, but they all turned her away.


    In the end, she had to put up a night temporarily at the walkway of a subway station.


    Suddenly, she received a call from overseas. She hesitated for a moment before answering it. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡± Wendy¡¯s voice emerged on the other end of the phone.


    Cecilia¡¯s eyes brightened for a bit, but they dimmed just as quickly.


    She cleared her throat and tried to stay calm. ¡°Wendy, how¡¯s school over there?¡±


    Wendy replied anxiously, ¡°I¡¯ve gotten into some trouble here, and I don¡¯t even have money to reload my


    phone. I¡¯m actually calling you using the hostel warden¡¯s phone. Please top up my phone as fast as


    possible. I¡¯m gonna go now. Bye!¡±


    Wendy then ended the call.


    Cecilia did not have the time to tell Wendy that Trevor had kicked her out of the house.


    She clenched her teeth, took out the only two hundred bill, and walked to a nearby twenty-four top-up


    centres.


    Wendy could finally call Cecilia on her phone. ¡°Mom, I tried calling Uncle Trevor, but he didn¡¯t pick up


    my call. Could you ask him to bank some money into my ount? I don¡¯t even have money to buy


    myself a meal now. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wendy!¡± Cecilia interrupted. ¡°Your uncle¡­¡±


    It was difficult for her to tell Wendy the truth.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Wendy asked.


    Cecilia bit her lip and decided not to tell Wendy theplete story, as she did not want Wendy to


    worry. ¡°Your uncle¡¯spany is going through some financial problems. One of his projects didn¡¯t do


    well. He might not be able to give you money.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t need a lot. I just need some money to help me survive this exam period.¡±


    ¡°I understand, but I don¡¯t think he can help at this point. Wendy, your exam is three days away, right? I


    guess you can find a part-time job to support yourself for the time being. Once you get into Maxwell


    University, I¡¯m sure things will start to look up,¡± Cecilia advised.


    ¡°Part-time job? Are you mad, Mom? I study from morning tillte evening every single day. Do you


    know how exhausted I am?¡± Wendymented.


    Cecilia clenched her teeth and recalled a karaoke bar she had passed by. ¡°You wait. I¡¯ll try to get you


    some money by tomorrow.¡±


    Wendy stoppedining and hung up on her.


    Cecilia clenched her jaw and headed back to the karaoke bar.


    A few minutester, the karaoke bar manager put on a baffling smile and said, ¡°Well, well, well. Isn¡¯t


    this Mrs. Greene? Are you sure you want to be a hostess?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The manager studied Cecilia from head to toe. Even though she was already in her forties, years of


    skincare had retained her youthful look.


    ¡°All right, then!¡± the manager agreed.


    The next day, Wendy received eight hundred from Cecilia.


    ¡°Eight hundred only? Am I a beggar to you?¡± Wendy was hopping mad. She ended the call after


    venting her frustration since international calls were expensive. She then continued with her revision.


    On this very day, Larson Group had dered bankrupt.

 Chapter 1113

    Chapter 1113


    Chapter 1113 She Is San


    Meanwhile, at Lightspring, Arielle was about to meet Donovan in the evening.


    She knew Trisha was afraid of Donovan, so she had invited Jared toe along.


    Donovan and Noah were eagerly waiting at the revolving restaurant on the top floor of Times Square.


    Half an hour had passed, but Arielle still had not appeared.


    Donovan began to lose patience. He turned to Noah and asked, ¡°Are you sure San has agreed to meet


    us here?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have given Selena the permission to give me her number,¡± Noah


    said, then patted Donovan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Just rx, okay? San might not want to help you if she noticed


    how worried you are. Got it?¡±


    Donovan took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°Thanks for the reminder.¡±


    Noah waved his hand in the air. ¡°Sit. Let¡¯s wait patiently.¡±


    When Donovan was about to take his seat, they heard footsteps outside the private room.


    Noah stood up. ¡°They¡¯re here.¡±


    Donovan immediately went up and opened the door.


    ¡°San¡­¡± Donovan was stunned.


    The woman standing at the door was someone he hated to the core¡ªArielle Moore.


    Arielle stood in front of him with a white suit and a hand in her pocket. Even Donovan could feel her


    dominating aura.


    Donovan came to his senses and asked with a grim expression, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    He also noticed that she had brought Jared along.


    Upon seeing Arielle, Noah frowned and asked, ¡°Is everything all right?¡±


    Donovan nodded and replied, ¡°Yes. Everything¡¯s fine.¡± He then gave Arielle a sullen re. ¡°I don¡¯t know


    why you are here, but you need to get out of here right now!¡±


    I¡¯ll not allow Arielle to ruin my meeting with San! If she dares to be funny, I¡¯ll not let her off easily!


    Arielle responded with a grin. She took a nce at the private room to make sure only Donovan and


    Noah were in it. ¡°Are you sure you want me to get lost? I thought you were keen to meet me.¡±


    Donovan frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Arielle chuckled. ¡°I should ask you that question. You tried so hard to reach me through Selena, yet


    now you give me this kind of attitude?¡±


    Donovan widened his eyes, but his pupils dted.


    He was so bbergasted that he did not know what else to say.


    Noah, on the other hand, was more steady than Donovan was, but he still asked in disbelief, ¡°You¡¯re


    San?¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Donovan eximed. ¡°How can you be San? Stop lying!¡±


    I¡¯ll be aughingstock if Arielle really is San!


    No! No way!


    Impossible!


    ¡°Calm down!¡± Noah reprimanded Donovan. He then gently shook his phone and said to Arielle, ¡°Can I


    verify your identity?¡±


    Arielle raised her brows. ¡°Sure.¡±


    After obtaining Arielle¡¯s permission, Noah called the number Selena had given him. Arielle¡¯s phone


    rang right away.


    Upon hearing the ringtone from Arielle¡¯s phone, Noah eximed ecstatically, ¡°It¡¯s really you! You¡¯re


    San!¡±All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1114

    Chapter 1114


    Chapter 1114 Doomed


    After confirming that Arielle was San, Noah went up to her and said in delight, ¡°San, we¡¯ve been


    looking all over for you. I didn¡¯t expect you to be younger than rumored.¡±


    The corners of Arielle¡¯s lips quirked into a smile, but there were no sparkles of joy in her eyes.


    Noah looked over his shoulder at Donovan and urged, ¡°What are you still standing there? Come and


    wee your senior, San.¡±


    At the mention of Arielle being his senior, thetter¡¯s expression darkened further.


    The person I have been searching for and waiting for so long actually turned out to be Arielle!


    That thought dide to his mind the first time Noah brought up San, but he firmly brushed off the


    possibility.


    Never in his wildest dreams did he expect reality to prove him otherwise.


    Everything he deemed unusual made sense at that moment, such as Maxwell University sending a


    private jet to pick Arielle up from the airport, the look Selena gave her, and him seeing her in the


    cafeteria exclusive to the professors of Maxwell University.


    So the truth had been right in front of me all this while. I was the one who refused to think deeper about


    it. I was too afraid to do so.


    Cold sweat broke out on Donovan¡¯s forehead as he reeled at the revtion.


    San¡¯s the only hope for my thesis, but Arielle will never help me after everything I¡¯ve done to her. I-I am


    doomed!


    Seeing that he was still spacing out, Noah frowned in displeasure. ¡°Donovan, why are you still standing


    there? Come over here and greet her.¡±


    With a half-smile, Arielle remarked, ¡°Yeah. Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ve been searching for me for so long?


    Why aren¡¯t you greeting me? Aren¡¯t you going to apologize for your earlier discourtesy?¡±


    Donovan gritted his teeth, trying to curb his temper. The veins on his temple bulged from his effort.


    ¡°Mr. Noah, it¡¯s fine. I will think of another way.¡± He clenched his fists as he spoke.


    A skeptical expression took over Noah¡¯s face at Donovan¡¯s rejection. Then, realization dawned upon


    him when he recalled the dispute between Donovan and Arielle at the mall entrance.


    After going over to Donovan¡¯s side, he whispered, ¡°Yesterday¡¯s matter isn¡¯t a big deal. Just apologize to


    her sincerely. Since she¡¯s willing toe all the way here, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s room for you two to make


    amends. Go and apologize to her, and I¡¯ll help you out.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t, Mr. Noah.¡± Donovan balled his fists again and exined, ¡°The grudge between us goes beyond


    yesterday¡¯s incident.¡±


    If I hadn¡¯t done those things to Arielle before this and persistently shunned her at Jadeborough


    University, there might have been a chance for her to help me out. However, there¡¯s no way I can


    change the past. I¡­ I have put the final nail in the coffin myself. Since it¡¯s pointless to regret what I¡¯ve


    done, I might as well retain my pride.


    Looking at Arielle coldly, he said, ¡°We¡¯ve got the wrong person. The person I¡¯m searching for isn¡¯t you,


    and it isn¡¯t San. You can leave now.¡±


    Noah called out frantically, ¡°Donovan! What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Arielle had gone over that day merely tough at Donovan. She did not mind that he ostracized her, but


    he should not have bullied her friend. Naturally, there was no way she would let him off so easily.


    Judging from his expression, she knew she had gotten her payback.


    If that¡¯s the case, I don¡¯t want to linger around and see his ugly mug anymore.


    ¡°All right then. I¡¯ll be taking my leave now.¡±


    Arielle arched a brow at Jared and said, ¡°It looks like there¡¯s no free dinner tonight. I¡¯ll bring you


    somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Jared cast a mocking look at Donovan, then turned on his heels and left with Arielle.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1115

    Chapter 1115


    Chapter 1115 A New Glimmer Of Hope


    Once the two left, a hush descended over the room.


    Noah got up to chase after them but was stopped by Donovan¡¯s outstretched arm.


    ¡°Donovan, are you out of your mind? We have been searching for her for so long for your thesis. Now


    that we¡¯re finally able to meet her, how could you just let her leave because of yesterday¡¯s minor


    incident? You could¡¯ve resolved the conflict you have with her. It¡¯s not like you did anything heinous to


    her anyway.¡±


    A wry smile touched Donovan¡¯s lips. ¡°Mr. Noah, you¡¯ve hit the mark. I¡¯ve indeed done some


    unforgivable things to her.¡±


    Noah¡¯s expression froze, and he hastened to ask, ¡°What have you done to San?¡±


    Donovan kept quiet. I did something that almost ruined her innocence, but I can¡¯t tell him that.


    Otherwise, not only would I fail to graduate, but I might also be expelled from Maxwell University. After


    all, the university values its students¡¯ character as well as their talents the most. My oue is


    predictable if I reveal the misdeed I¡¯ve done.


    At that thought, he gritted his teeth and spoke. ¡°She studied at Jadeborough University before and was


    my student. I¡­ I didn¡¯t know her identity and thought she enrolled with her connections, so I a-always


    singled her out.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Noah began but could not manage to say a word. In the end, he stomped his foot in frustration.


    ¡°You¡¯re too reckless! Since the first day you entered the Institute of Education, I have told you to treat


    every student equally. Why didn¡¯t you listen to me?¡±


    Donovan hung his head in remorse.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Noah.¡±


    ¡°You should also feel sorry toward others aside from me.¡± Noah suppressed his anger and dered, ¡°I


    can¡¯t and won¡¯t help you with your thesis anymore. You¡¯re on your own. I¡¯m not going to apany


    you the rest of the way.¡±


    Donovan was stunned by the finality of his tone and immediately grabbed his sleeve in desperation.


    ¡°Mr. Noah, without your help, how can I¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Noah said chillingly. ¡°It¡¯s fine if your talent is below par, but you can never forget your


    identity as a teacher. Since you can¡¯t treat every student equally, I have lost hope for you. Figure


    something out yourself.¡±


    He then flung Donovan¡¯s hand off of him and strode away.


    ¡°Mr. Noah!¡± Donovan chased after him, but Noah left without sparing him another nce.


    With a confused and terrified look in his eyes, he stood motionlessly at the same spot until the waiter


    came into the room.


    ¡°Sir, has your friend arrived? Are you ready to order now?¡± the waiter asked.


    Donovan returned to his senses and waved his hand in rejection. ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯m not eating


    anymore.¡±


    With that said, he left the restaurant listlessly under the bewildered gaze of the waiter.


    After walking all the way back to his dorm, he caught sight of the papers on his desk. Those were the


    questions he had made for Terry and the others.


    In a split second, an idea urred to him.


    Arielle would usually use the methods of elementary mathematics to solve further mathematics


    questions. His thesis was based on that and was only missing onest example.


    There¡¯s still a glimmer of hope for my thesis as long as I find a question Arielle has done before.


    Donovan¡¯s eyes lit up, and he hurriedly booked the earliest flight to Jadeborough.


    I need to search for the papers Arielle had done before. I only need to copy one of her answers on the


    paper, and my thesis will bepleted. Even if Arielle is San, she¡¯s a graduate and can¡¯t participate in


    the thesis defense. And I¡¯m the only person who has seen the questions she has done. No one else will


    ever find out. That¡¯s right! That¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do! This is the best solution!


    Without missing a beat, he packed his things and departed for the airport in Lightspring.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1116

    Chapter 1116


    Chapter 1116 nning To Run


    In Horington, Vinson was preparing to return to Jadeborough when Rayson reported thetest news of


    Larson Group to him.


    ¡°Trevor has been desperately trying to turn the tide by selling a variety of building materials at a low


    price, but there¡¯s only a handful of recently developed real estate in Horington, not to mention that


    they¡¯re different from our projects. They don¡¯t need many materials, and their area is smaller in


    comparison. I thought I needed to get the word out that anyone who buys his materials would be an


    enemy of Nightshire Group. I haven¡¯t even made my move yet, and the real estate developers had all


    rejected his offer.¡±


    ¡°Oh? It¡¯s a good deal for them to buy building materials at a low price. Why did they reject it?¡±


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Rayson nodded. Smiling, he asked, ¡°Care to make a guess?¡±


    Vinson cast a nce at him, and thetter immediately cut to the chase. ¡°Trevor¡¯s reputation in the


    industry has always been terrible. The materials he sells are expensive yet poor in quality. That¡¯s why a


    bridge they built copsed in less than a year. With Greene Corporation dering bankruptcy and


    shutting down permanently, otherpanies aren¡¯t coerced to buy Trevor¡¯s materials. Thus, they still


    aren¡¯t willing to acquire his building materials despite the low price. The losses will be even greater if an


    incident like that bridge happens.¡±


    Nodding in agreement, Vinson replied, ¡°Well, he dug his own grave. I want someone to watch his every


    movement. Hispany is bankrupt now, so he must be buried in debt. The Specialized Forces should


    understand my intention when they receive the vase. They will soon gather evidence, arrest him, and


    put him in Specialized Forces Prison.¡±


    ¡°Right! I already have someone keeping an eye on him. I guarantee that he won¡¯t be able to escape


    from your clutches.¡±


    Vinson nodded as he walked toward the airport¡¯s VIP lounge.


    Heavy rain fell upon Horington once again, dying flights hour after hour. Five hourster, the ne


    finally took off.


    When it touched down, Vinson caught a glimpse of a familiar figure at the arrival concourse.


    ¡°Donovan?¡± he muttered, narrowing his eyes.


    Shouldn¡¯t he be preparing his students for the early admission exams at Maxwell University at this


    time? Why is he here at Chanaea¡¯s airport?


    ¡°Rayson.¡±


    Rayson stepped forward instantly. ¡°Yes, Mr. Nightshire?¡±


    Vinson lifted his chin in Donovan¡¯s direction. ¡°Assign someone to follow him and see what he¡¯s up to.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± Rayson called a few bodyguards who had been protecting Vinson in the dark and had


    them follow Donovan.


    Simultaneously, he received a call from someone in Horington.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire!¡± Rayson reported to Vinson urgently, ¡°I just received an update from Horington. Trevor


    ns to head overseas by boarding an international cruise ship. He¡¯s currently heading to the pier.¡±


    Vinson had expected Trevor to be unwilling to shoulder the mountain of debt and would try to leave the


    country secretly.


    Thus, he was unfazed as he ordered, ¡°Stop him.¡±


    As he spoke, he was already calling the deputy captain of the Specialized Forces. ¡°Head out to arrest


    Trevor Larson now.¡±


    ¡°Roger!¡± The deputy captain added, ¡°We¡¯ve just gathered all the evidence for his misdeeds. We¡¯re


    heading out now.¡±


    Vinson muttered an acknowledgment before ending the call.


    The look in his eyes darkened as he thought, nning to run? Not on my watch.


    Meanwhile, in Horington, Trevor quickly sold off all his seble properties and discreetly sold his house


    to a former business partner before taking a cab to the pier.

 Chapter 1117

    Chapter 1117


    Chapter 1117 Cecilia Was Arrested


    Just as the driver reminded him to take all of his belongings before leaving the car, two police MPVs


    sped past them and drifted to a stop in front of the cab.


    Scared out of his wits, the driver immediately mmed on the brakes. Trevor, who was in the back


    seat, bumped his face against the back of the passenger seat from the forceful stop.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to drive?¡± he roared.


    Before he could scold the driver, the car door was opened from the outside.


    ¡°Trevor Larson, get off the vehicle.¡±


    Trevor lifted his gaze dazedly and saw a man in a police uniform standing outside with a stern


    expression on his face.


    ¡°O-Officer, how may I help you?¡± he stammered from shock and dread while cowering to the corner of


    the back seat.


    The police officer yanked Trevor out of the vehicle without any notice and shed the cuff in his hands.


    ¡°We received orders from Jadeborough¡¯s Specialized Forces to apprehend Trevor Larson at once. You


    are Trevor Larson, am I correct?¡±


    ¡°The J-Jadeborough Specialized Forces?¡± Trevor was dumbstruck, but his rationality was still intact.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not Trevor Larson. You got the wrong person,¡± he lied through his teeth.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± The officer darted a nce between the photo on his phone and Trevor before sneering.


    ¡°How dare you lie to us? Bring him away!¡±


    At the wave of his arm, two more police officers came up, held Trevor¡¯s arms on each side, and pushed


    him into the vehicle.


    It was eight in the evening in Chanaea when the news broke on the inte.


    On the day that Larson Group deres bankruptcy, the chairman, Trevor Larson, has tried to flee the


    country. Through investigations, it is discovered that Trevor carries a debt of four hundred million.


    Despite his position in the political arena, hemitted bribery whereby he had bribed others with


    items costing up to forty million. He has broken against multiplews of our nation, and from today


    onward, he¡¯ll be incarcerated in Specialized Forces Prison!


    Cecilia almost fainted when she saw the news on her phone.


    Trevor is my only hope of living a peaceful life. What should I do now that he¡¯s captured? Do I have to


    keep being a bar girl at this karaoke bar?


    Her hands kept trembling as she felt herself falling into the depths of despair. At that moment, her


    addiction struck.


    Seeing that she had fallen to the ground and was convulsing, the other bar girls were terrified and


    instantly called the police.


    ¡°Help! Someone is dying here. Please hurry and send an ambnce and police officers over.¡±


    A few minutester, a police car pulled up in front of the karaoke bar.


    An experienced police officer knew Cecilia¡¯s affliction at a nce.


    Waving his hand, he ordered, ¡°Arrange a tox screen for her.¡±


    Soon, the result was out.


    With the report in hand, the police officer approached Cecilia, who had just regained her


    consciousness.


    ¡°Your test result came back positive for drugs. We¡¯ll be bringing you to a rehab facility, but tell us how


    and where you got the drugs first¡­¡±


    Seeing that her misdeed was exposed, Cecilia paled and cked out during the interrogation.


    Vinson immediately ryed the news of Donovan¡¯s appearance in Jadeborough to Arielle and informed


    her of what had happened to Trevor and Cecilia.


    Arielle did not feel anything about Trevor¡¯s oue but was surprised to hear that Cecilia was arrested


    for being a drug addict.


    ¡°The Greenes has fallen, yet she dares to take drugs? Does she not care for Wendy at all?¡±


    Vinson snickered. ¡°From what I know, she didn¡¯t touch drugs before. I believe she¡¯s addicted to it now


    because she was under a lot of pressure and wanted a way to relieve her stress. Besides, every drug


    addict thinks the police won¡¯t catch them.¡±

 Chapter 1118

    Chapter 1118


    Chapter 1118 I Miss You


    Arielle thought about it for a while and agreed with his sentiments.


    Bad people who did bad things would never contemte what would ensue if they were caught. It was


    the same as Cecilia doing drugs. She wanted that moment of thrill and never thought about the


    consequences.


    After a soft hum of agreement, Arielle queried, ¡°When will you be done with your work?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Vinson let out a chuckle and asked, ¡°Do you miss me?¡±


    She was silent for two seconds before tightening her grip on the phone. ¡°Yeah, I miss you.¡±


    Right as those words left her mouth, she felt her heart racing.


    Technically, both of them were an old married couple. Yet, she still felt shy from saying that she missed


    him.


    When Vinson heard her words, he was also quiet for a moment. Then, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll buy the ne ticket


    now. No, I¡¯lle by helicopter.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Arielle hastily stopped him. ¡°I know that many projects in yourpany are being set in motion.


    Come to me only when you¡¯re done, or maybe I¡¯lle to you once I find the clues I¡¯m looking for.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯lle right after I¡¯m done with the projects in Jadeborough. At thetest, I¡¯lle before the


    day after tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    At that, warmth welled up in her heart. The two of them then talked on the phone for a while longer.


    Although they were both on the call, they were busy with their own things. Once in a while, they would


    ask each other if they were still there, and a smile would appear on their faces upon hearing the other


    person¡¯s confirmation.


    Only when Trisha reminded Arielle to eat her dinner did thetter end the call reluctantly.


    Smiling, Trisha teased, ¡°Everyone says that a long-distance rtionship will make you understand how


    important your partner is, and it seems like that¡¯s really the case. Sannie, when will the two of you


    deliver me the good news?¡±


    ¡°The good news?¡±


    ¡°Your wedding!¡±


    Arielle lowered her gaze and chuckled. ¡°It¡¯ll be soon, I think.¡±


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Although the two of them had already registered their marriage, barely anyone knew about it. It was as


    if they were still unmarried.


    Regardless, she had a hunch that the wedding would happen in the near future.


    Right after dinner, Arielle received a call from Vinson again. It was a video call.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just received an update that Donovan¡¯s at the airport again. He¡¯s bought a ticket to head back to


    Lightspring.¡±


    Shocked, she asked, ¡°He¡¯s back so soon? What did he do in Jadeborough?¡±


    ¡°My men aren¡¯t sure about the details, but he has only gone to one ce after returning to Chanaea.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°His office in Jadeborough University. He was in there for about twenty minutes, and when he came


    back out, he had a paper bag with him. I reckon he must have returned to get that, but I don¡¯t know


    what¡¯s inside yet. Do you need me to get the Specialized Forces to stop and search him by saying it¡¯s a


    routine inspection?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± Arielle shook her head. Staring at Vinson¡¯s face on the screen, she said, ¡°He won¡¯t be able


    to stir up much trouble. However, there¡¯s one thing¡ªhe knows that I¡¯m San now.¡±


    Vinson¡¯s lips curled into a smirk. ¡°His expression at that moment must have been quite a show.¡±


    His remark evoked a chuckle from her. ¡°It¡¯s all right. Nevertheless, the look on his face back then was


    worth celebrating.¡±


    Time passed by in the blink of an eye. Soon, it was the night before the day of Maxwell University¡¯s


    graduates¡¯ thesis defense.


    The students who opted to dy their thesis defense were separated from the current graduates, and


    the panel would not be their mentors but the university administrators.


    Arielle would be representing the president of Maxwell University in the thesis defensemittee for


    the students with dyed graduation.


    In other words, she would be able to see the wonderful expressions that would cross Donovan¡¯s face


    again.


    On Donovan¡¯s trip back to Chanaea, he did find a question that fit the theme of his thesis among the


    paperspleted by Arielle.


    Once he returned to Maxwell University, he quickly used Arielle¡¯s solution as thest example he was


    missing in his thesis.

 Chapter 1119

    Chapter 1119


    Chapter 1119 giarism


    After doing so, Donovan edited his thesis onest time. Once he made sure that there were no


    problems with it, he sent it to his mentor for review.


    Although Noah had said that he would not care about him anymore, the professors at Maxwell


    University were responsible individuals. Hence, he still read through Donovan¡¯s thesis meticulously.


    Noah¡¯s hands quivered when he realized that even thest example in Donovan¡¯s thesis was perfect.


    Undeniably, he was pleasantly surprised by his student¡¯s work quality.


    Almost instantly, he called Donovan¡¯s number and eximed, ¡°Donovan, I¡¯ve perused your thesis.


    There aren¡¯t any problems with it. At the very least, you¡¯ll seed in the thesis defense perfectly.¡±


    Despite knowing full well that his mentor would say that, Donovan said humbly, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Noah.¡±


    Noah then sighed. ¡°Honestly, considering that you¡¯re able toe up with this in such a short time, it


    shows that you¡¯re indeed gifted in this field. I¡¯m really happy for you, and I¡¯m proud of you.¡±


    Upon hearing his praise, Donovan had mixed feelings.


    After all, he did note up with that example¡ªhe had giarized Arielle¡¯s work.


    Donovan tightened his fists. The theses of the graduates of Maxwell University would not be revealed


    to the public. As long as he said nothing, no one would realize it.


    Everyone would assume that it was his original work.


    Furthermore, Arielle was, in a way, his student. He was the one to mentor her, so her work was his.


    He was not giarizing.


    After he found the perfect excuse for himself, the worries in his heart dissipated.


    With that, he epted the praise from his mentor without guilt. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Noah. I¡¯m d that I


    didn¡¯t let you down.¡±


    A sigh escaped Noah¡¯s mouth. ¡°If you sessfully graduate and return to being a teacher, you must


    remember that all the students are your children. You have to treat them equally. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°I got it, Mr. Noah,¡± Donovan replied and only put down his phone after Noah ended the call.


    Soon, he saw an email from his university, which informed him that his thesis had passed the first


    round of the thesis defense.


    In a marvelous mood, he even drank some wine to celebrate and did something out of character¡ª


    calling Queenie.


    When Queenie received his call, her joy was audible from the silence on her end.


    Hearing nothing from her, Donovan frowned and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you busy?¡±


    ¡°No, no!¡± she hastily said. ¡°I-I¡¯m just too happy¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a call. Does it really bring you that much joy?¡± was what Donovan said, but he was extremely


    pleased.


    Although he did not love Queenie, it did not stop him from feeling happy about how smitten she was


    with him.


    It made him feel like he was someone.


    Queenie did not conceal her tion. Smiling, she said, ¡°I thought you¡¯d be really busy throughout your


    time at Maxwell University¡­ I thought you weren¡¯t going to call me, and I didn¡¯t dare to call you. I was


    afraid that I would disturb you.¡±


    Delighted, Donovan said, ¡°You can call me whenever you want to next time. However, I will be having


    my thesis defense at ten in the morning, Lightspring¡¯s time. So, don¡¯t call during then. My phone will be


    switched off.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Queenie replied obediently, swiveling her eyes around as an idea came to her mind. After her


    call with Donovan ended, she booked a ticket to Lightspring without telling him.


    She wanted to congratte his graduation from Maxwell University in person.


    The people who could graduate from Maxwell University were the cream of the crop in their respective


    fields. Since he was her husband, she should share the glory as well.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Before boarding the ne, Queenie even bought a present from the airport duty-free store.

 Chapter 1120

    Chapter 1120


    Chapter 1120 Thesis Defense


    At half-past nine in Lightspring, Donovan brought the hard copies of his thesis to the ssroom where


    the thesis defense would be held.


    The one before him was a fat man, who had almost the same grades as him, but his intellect was not


    as good as his in the intelligence quotient test.


    shing him a smile, Donovan cheered him on. ¡°Good luck, Kristoff. I know you can do it.¡±


    That was what he said, but deep in his heart, all he felt toward Kristoff was disdain.


    In his opinion, his thesis was close to perfect. Stealing a nce at thetter¡¯s thesis, he realized it was


    the most ordinary of all. It was neither interesting nor eye-catching.


    Inparison, his thesis would make anyone¡¯s eyes lit up in joy.


    In a way, he was in luck to have Kristoff present his thesis before him. With thetter as his


    comparison, he would definitely be the one to pass the thesis defense.


    ¡°Thank you! Good luck to you too, Donovan!¡± Kristoff replied with a grateful smile.


    He was an honest and simple man. Aware that he was not intelligent, he studied diligently and got into


    Maxwell University.


    Unfortunately, as the final exams were too difficult for his intellect, he ended up dying his graduation.


    At that, Donovan sneered internally. What an idiot!


    Right then, someone inside called out Kristoff¡¯s name.


    ¡°It¡¯s my turn now, so I¡¯m going to go in. You should get ready too!¡±


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    After patting Donovan¡¯s shoulders, Kristoff entered with the copies of his thesis.


    The automated door opened and closed. In the two seconds it was opened, Donovan glimpsed a


    familiar figure inside.


    Wait¡­ That figure looks a lot like Arielle.


    Instantly, he broke out in a cold sweat.


    If Arielle¡¯s here, others will find out that the three examples in my thesis came from her! No, no way.


    There¡¯s no way it¡¯s her. Even if Arielle¡¯s San, the genius student everyone talks about, she¡¯s a


    graduate. A mere graduate has no right to enter the thesis defense room. It¡¯s not like she¡¯s one of the


    university¡¯s administrators. After all, only the best professors and highest-ranking university


    administrators can join our thesis defense.


    Clenching his teeth, Donovan then moved over, hoping to lean near the door to confirm his suspicion.


    Just as he was about to reach the doorway, the professor outside cautioned, ¡°Don¡¯t stand too close to


    the door. You¡¯ll disturb the student who¡¯s doing their thesis defense inside.¡±


    Thus, Donovan had no choice but to return to the corridor.


    The whole time he stood in wait, he was ridden with anxiousness. For some reason, Kristoff¡¯s thesis


    defense session was exceptionally long. Half an hour had passed when the door to the ssroom


    finally opened.


    The moment it did, Kristoff stepped out of the room with a glow of delight.


    As Donovan studied the look on his face, he asked in disbelief, ¡°Kristoff, did you pass?¡±


    ¡°I did!¡± Kristoff excitedly rubbed his hands. ¡°The professors said that although my thesis isn¡¯t


    particrly outstanding, they could see I have a good attitude. The prettiest professor there even said


    that what¡¯s most important in thesis defense is the student¡¯s attitude. She saw how serious I was, so


    she gave me a pass!¡±


    Hearing that, Donovan frowned. ¡°A pretty professor?¡±


    All the professors inst year¡¯s thesis defense were older than forty. Who could the pretty professor


    be? Could it be¡­


    At that point, his mind nked out. He dared not dwell on that thought for far too long.


    ¡°All right; I¡¯ve finally realized one of my dreams. I¡¯m going back now to make up for my students¡¯


    missed lessons and prepare them for the early admission tests. Good luck!¡±


    Kristoff then patted Donovan¡¯s shoulders and left, humming a tune on his way down the path.


    Staring at his retreating figure, Donovan took a deep breath topose himself.


    If Kristoff can pass with his ordinary thesis, surely I wouldn¡¯t face a problem with mine!

 Chapter 1121

    Chapter 1121


    Just as Donovan was in the middle of encouraging himself, Selena''s voice came from the room.


    "Donovan Baxter."


    At the sound of his name, his heart began to race.


    He proceeded to take two more deep breaths to force himself to calm down, but it was not easy to


    shake off the worry.


    When Donovan pushed the door open, even his hand was trembling.


    Calm down, Donovan.


    Calm down.


    This is yourst chance.


    If you don''t pass this time, you won''t get another opportunity to graduate from Maxwell University.


    His mind finally felt more at ease after he balled his fists as tight as possible.


    Steeling himself, he entered and greeted the panel, "Good morning, I''m Donovan Baxter."


    "All right, let''s start," came Selena¡¯''s voice.


    It was then Donovan straightened up and looked to his front.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    There were five people in the room.


    Selena was sitting in the middle, and beside her was none other than Arielle.


    The young woman''s unforgettably beautiful face was right in front of him.


    I-It''s really her! Despite the smile hovering on Arielle''s lips, the look in her eyes was a sharp and cold


    one.


    It was as if she wasughing at him and looking down on him.


    In fact, it was almost as if she was looking past him.


    As though someone detonated a bomb in his brain, Donovan''s mind went nk.


    Arielle was the one who detonated that bomb.


    She had lit the fuse and destroyed all the mental preparations he had made in his heart, making the


    hairs on the back of his neck stand and all the color drain from his face.


    He was so pale that it seemed like he could pass out at any moment.


    Earlier, he had thought about the possibility of meeting Arielle in the room, but his brain had forcibly


    dismissed those thoughts.


    Only when he saw Arielle right in front of him did he finally realize he could no longer lie to himself.


    Arielle really is participating in my thesis defense! What do I do? What should I do? Donovan''s body


    was wracked with shudders, and the copies of his thesis fell to the ground with one loud plop.


    When Selena saw his behavior, she frowned in displeasure.


    "Mr.Baxter?"


    Hearing that, Donovan snapped back to his senses and quickly picked up his papers.


    "I''m sorry.I''m too nervous."Knowing how nervous the students could be, Serena nodded in


    understanding.


    "All right.Please give us a copy of your thesis and introduce your thesis."


    "Okay."


    Biting the bullet, Donovan walked over.


    The distance between him and them was only two meters, but it felt as if he had crossed thergest


    desert in the world.


    The moment he handed the thesis to them, his heart was in his mouth.


    He could only pray that Arielle would not see his thesis or that she would not realize the examples in it


    were hers.


    After handing them his thesis, Donovan returned to his position.


    By then, his forehead was beaded with cold sweat.


    "The topic of my thesis is¡ª"


    "Donovan Baxter," Arielle interrupted abruptly.


    Not daring to look her in the eye, he mumbled, "Yes?"


    Her lips curled.


    "Do you remember what''s most important about a thesis defense?"


    Donovan was stunned for a short second, unable to recall the answer to that.


    Hence, she reminded him.


    "What''s most important is your attitude and the truth."


    Did Arielle figure it out? In a state of panic, Donovan could only echo incoherently, "Right...It''s my


    attitude and the truth."


    "Good,"


    Arielle said with a half-smile.


    After nodding, she voiced, "Since you know that, let''s begin."

 Chapter 1122

    Chapter 1122


    Donovan could not figure out whether or not Arielle had noticed it, so he had no choice but to grit his


    teeth and continue with his thesis introduction.


    "My topic is the utilization of elementary mathematics methods to solve further mathematics


    problems.In the field of further mathematics..."


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    Ten minutes were allocated for the thesis introduction, but Donovan only used less than five.


    He had forgotten most of the script he had prepared beforehand, and he could not even improvise


    anything.


    The only thing he could do was repeat the important points in his thesis as if he was reading off the


    paper.Yet, he could not even read it well.


    Donovan was fumbling for words as if he had be a stutterer overnight.


    After the agonizing five minutes, he sighed in relief and waited for the professors to ask him questions.


    There were only two parts to the thesis defense¡ªan introduction to the thesis and a question-and-


    answer session.


    Right after he put down his copy of the thesis, he heard Selena''s querying in a dissatisfied tone.


    "As a student of Maxwell University, why are you unable to do even the most basic improvisation for


    your thesis introduction?"


    In an ordinary university, the students were allowed to read off the thesis paper.


    However, that was not the case for Maxwell University.


    Although it was not a necessary skill, most of their students could do an impromptu speech about their


    thesis.


    At that, Donovan chuckled awkwardly and said, "I''m sorry.I''m just too nervous."


    Once again, Selena nodded as she understood that thesis defense could be nerve-wracking for


    students.


    She then turned to Arielle and asked, "San, as someone who has done thesis defense before, is there


    anything you''d like to ask him?"


    "I do,"


    thetter affirmed with a smile before fastening her gaze at Donovan.


    "It''s still the same question as before.Donovan, do you think you''ve shown the right attitude and


    presented us with the truth?"


    It took all his effort to regain self-control, but his serenity was short-lived.


    With just a single question, Arielle set his mind in turmoil again.


    Sull, he soldiered on and asked, "May I ask which part that you think I didn''t achieve the right attitude


    and showed the truth?"


    Casting her eyes downward, Arielle snorted.


    "Donovan, you''re much better at keeping your emotions in check than I thought you would.Since you


    still refuse to tell the truth, let me do it for you."


    Instantly, his heart skipped a beat as an ominous feeling crashed into him like a tidal wave.


    In the next second, Arielle rose to her feet.


    As the other professors cast her confused looks, she flipped to a page of his thesis and said,


    "Everyone, there''s one thing that I must point out.We always check the giarism rate on the papers to


    ensure that the thesis is original.However, the three samples in Donovan''s thesis..."


    By then, Donovan''s heart had sunk to the pit of his stomach.


    Instinctively, he tried to stop her, but it was toote.


    Arielle drawled, "Not a single one of these three examples came from Donovan."


    Hearing her words, he turned ghastly pale.


    If not for the chair by the side acting as his support, he would have copsed to the ground.


    Doomed! I''m doomed! Arielle noticed it! Selena and the other professors did not quite understand her,


    so they queried, "San, what do you mean?"


    Arielle pursed her lips.


    "Everyone should know that, for a certain reason, I studied at Jadeborough University for a


    while.During my time there, my homeroom teacher was Donovan.The first example is his thesis was


    written by me during my first exam at Jadeborough University.The second example was my solution to


    the problem Denovan had given to me in the auditorium.The third...was also my solution to a question


    in a normal exam."


    The moment those words left her mouth, a hush descended over the crowd.

 Chapter 1123

    Chapter 1123


    In the end, Arielle was the first to break the silence.


    "That''s why I said not a single one of these three examples came from Donovan," she uttered before


    looking at Selena, waiting for thetter to announce Donovan''s punishment.


    Of course, Donovan was not the first student at Maxwell University to have been caught giarizing


    during the thesis defense.


    However, he was the first to have giarized all of the examples in his thesis.It was no longer just


    Donovan''s matter.


    If that piece of news were to reach the ears of the public, Maxwell University''s reputation would suffer


    tremendously.


    Immediately, Selena''s eyes zed with fury.


    "Donovan Baxter, is San speaking the truth?"


    "J...L.."


    Donovan could not form aplete sentence at all.


    It was as if a ball of fire had stopped the words from leaving his throat, and no matter what he did, he


    could not make any sound.


    Arielle then gave Donovan a frosty look before calmly stating, "Professors, if you''re doubtful about the


    authenticity of my words, please feel free to check it out.As far as I know, Donovan deliberately


    returned to Chanaea yesterday.The reason for his trip is none other than to grab something from his


    office.If my guess isn''t wrong, the thing he had taken should be my answers to the mathematical


    problems."


    Instantly, Selena called for a professor.


    "Head to Donovan''s dorm and find San''s paper.By the way, her name in Chanaea is Arielle Moore."


    "All right, Ms.Selena."


    The professor was quick to work on it.


    Soon, he returned with a test paper.


    Afterparing the paper with the third example on Donovan''s thesis, they discovered that they were


    identical.


    Without a doubt, Donovan hadmitted giarism.


    Livid, Selena threw the test paper in his face.


    Jumping up in fright, Donovan blurted out, "Ms.Selena!"


    "I don''t want to hear my nameing from your mouth!" Selena spat in disgust.


    "I don''t have a student like you who giarizes their own student''s work.Our university will not have


    someone like you as their student as well!"


    At that, the gears in Donovan''s mind ground to a halt.


    In the next second, Selena came to a swift decision.


    "Donovan Baxter will be expelled from our university.Make an online global announcement about this


    as well."


    "Will do," said one of the administrators before hastening to carry out her orders.


    It was then Donovan came to his senses and hastily grabbed Selena¡¯s leg.


    "Ms.Selena, there''s a reason for this! I can exin this to you.I was too desperate, which is why I did


    something as ludicrous as this! I never thought of using someone else''s solution at the start.Ms.Selena,


    please forgive me this one time! [ don''t mind not getting a graduation certificate, but please don''t expel


    me!"


    If he were to be expelled by Maxwell University and have his expulsion announced globally, he would


    not be able to get a job in ordinary kindergartens, let alone Jade borough University.


    In other words, he could never be a teacher any more in the rest of his lifetime.


    Nevertheless, Selena showed him no mercy.


    "Where are the guards? Call the security guards and have them get him out of here!"


    Soon, a guard appeared and towed the maniacal Donovan out of the room before throwing him and his


    belongings out of the campus.


    Once Donovan was out of the university, he would never get the chance to return ever again.


    Noah found out about the matter right away.


    When he heard that Donovan had giarized his student''s work for the three examples, he hammered


    his chest in regret.


    He could not believe that he was that terrible of a judge in character.


    All the time he spent on Donovan had gone to waste.


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    Shortly, the university drafted a global announcement about his giarism and expulsion.


    Meanwhile, the thesis defense wasing to an end.


    Arielle stopped Selena and implored, "Ms.Selena, although Donovan''s terrible, the students he has


    brought with him are innocent.For my sake, could you please not implicate the students of


    Jadeborough University who are here for their exams?"

 Chapter 1124

    Chapter 1124


    "Don''t worry." Selena patted Arielle''s shoulders.


    "I can tell right from wrong.Donovan''s misdeed has nothing to do with his students.Therefore, I won''t be


    intervening in their exams."


    Hearing that, Arielle sighed in relief before requesting, "Is it alright if you announce his expulsion a little


    later? I''m afraid that the students would do poorer in their exams after seeing the news."


    After all, the students from Jadeborough University were not the only ones who hade from


    Chanaea to take the exams at Maxwell University; there were also students from other prestigious


    universities.


    If the news of Donovan''s giarism were to be revealed to the public, Trisha and the others would


    inevitably be in the spotlight.


    Selena''s agreement came easily.


    "No problem.I''ll make the announcement after the exams are over.However, Donovan won''t be able to


    return to the university anymore.They can only rely on themselves for their pre- exam preparations."


    Arielle nodded in understanding.


    She was nning to take some time to give Terry and the others a lesson.


    Although she did not have any experience in the early admission exams, the university had informed


    them about what they would be tested on.


    After Donovan was thrown out of the campus by the Maxwell University''s guard, the nearby onlookers


    murmured under their breath while pointing fingers at him.


    He did not even need to listen to them to figure out what they were talking about.


    Although the news of his expulsion had yet to reach the public, the others knew that he must have


    broken the university rules to be tossed out of the campus.


    Ignoring the looks the others were giving him, Donovan grabbed the guard''s sleeve, got on his knees,


    and started pleading, "Please let me see Ms.Selena one more time!"


    However, the guard flung his hand away and shooed him before re-entering the campus.


    Just as Donovan was about to rush after him, the other guards on shift quickly stopped him.


    "If you try to barge in, we''ll call the cops on you and have you jailed in Lightspring!"


    The guards were not exaggerating.


    In the past, the trespassers, including expelled students who tried to re- enter the campus, were all


    dealt with by the police.


    Having been stopped by the guards and unable to meet Selena again, Donovan flew into a panic.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    All of a sudden, he thought of his mentor.


    Thus, he swiftly called Noah.


    Yet, the moment the call went through, his mentor began yelling into the receiver.


    "Donovan Baxter, I can''t believe you''re shameless enough to call me! Here I thought that even though


    you''re not smart and talented enough, you''re a hardworking and serious individual.In the end, you


    giarized your student''s work! Is this your hard work? You''ve thoroughly disappointed me.I truly


    regretted taking in a student like you!"


    Donovan instantly entreated, "Mr.Noah! Mr.Noah, please don''t get mad first.I know I''ve made a


    mistake.Please help me think of a way to fix this!"


    "Think of a way to fix this? Hah! There''s no way around this unless you can turn back the time and not


    do this horrendous thing.I''m telling you this now¡ªdon''t call me again!"


    With that said, Noah ended the call.


    "Hello? Hello?"


    Surprised by the sudden silence, Donovan tried to dial his mentor¡¯s number again.


    s, his call no longer went through.


    Noah had blocked him.It was over for him.


    At that moment, a merry voice sounded behind him.


    "Don, is that really you?"


    Startled by the voice, Donovan spun around and was shocked to find Queenie standing behind him.


    "W-Why are you here?"


    Oblivious to his plight, she shed him a smile and said, "That''s what I was going to ask you! Did you


    know I wasing to look for you? Is that why you''re waiting for me here?"

 Chapter 1125

    Chapter 1125


    Queenie was overjoyed.


    Donovan''s recent change in behavior had convinced her that he was finally falling for her.


    Even without Vinson, I can still have a blissful marriage that others envy.


    However, she watched as his expression visibly darkened in the next second.


    In a cold voice that sent chills down her spine, he snarled, "Why are you here? Get lost!"


    Donovan had always been a man with a big ego.


    To him, Queenie was nothing but a tool meant for him to pass the time.


    Yet, that very tool had just witnessed the most devastating moment in his life.


    There was no way he would be able to take it calmly.


    Frightened by his tone, she took a few steps backward before asking with a pale face, "D-Donovan,


    what''s the matter?"


    "Did you not hear me?" he snapped beforending a p across her cheek.


    "Get lost!"


    At that, Queenie held her aching cheek and ran off, tears falling from her eyes.


    Never did she expect her husband to respond to her enthusiasm with a p.She had even brought


    congrattory gifts and flowers for him with her.


    Anger, misery, and disappointment flooded her senses as she ran across the road without looking at


    the cars.


    Right then, a speeding car mmed into her.


    Followed by a loud bang, Queenie was sent flying two meters away.


    That thunderous sound and horrifying scene gave Donovan a fright.It was never his intention to have


    her hit by a car.


    He had only been incensed at that moment and wanted to retain his dignity before her.


    While dashing toward her, he cried out, "Queenie? Queenie!"


    The shrieks and apologetic words merged with all kinds of din, turning the entrance of the campus into


    a chaotic scene.


    Unlike what was going on outside, the inside of the campus was peaceful as ever.


    Arielle kept the matter about Donovan from Terry and the others except for Jared.


    After hearing what had transpired, Jared pped gleefully.


    "A shameless teacher like him should have been driven out a long time ago.If someone like him can


    get into Maxwell University, I think I''ll do just fine"


    Arielle smiled.


    "I don''t think you have any problems entering Maxwell University too.The same goes with


    Terry.However, I''m not so sure about the others.How about this? Let me tutor them for thest two


    days.I hope I''ll be able to help them score as many marks as possible."


    Her suggestion excited Jared.


    "I''d like to go to the sses too!"


    "Come,e."


    Just as those two words passed Arielle''s lips, she received a call from Sasha.


    "Queenie got into a car ident right outside the campus.Donovan pped her, and she was crying


    when she crossed the street, so she never saw the caring...She''s in critical condition right now,


    and no one knows if she''ll make it."


    Arielle had mixed feelings upon learning about the incident.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Although she was on bad terms with Queenie, she could not find it in herself to be happy at the news of


    thetter''s life hanging by a thread.


    Laughing at the misery of others was not part of her character.


    Yet, at the same time, she could not bring herself to help Queenie.She was not a saint.


    Although she had medical skills, it did not mean that she would save everyone and anyone.


    At the very least, as of then, she did not have the ns to save Queenie.


    Holding her phone, Arielle replied, "I got it.Keep me updated."


    Despite having an awful rtionship with Queenie, she was rather impressed with Queenie''s older


    brother, for they were two different individuals.


    After ending the call, Arielle turned to Jared.


    "Help me gather the others.I''ll find a reason to start tutoring you all from today onward."


    "All right," Jared answered readily before leaving.


    Right then, Arielle received a call from Selena.


    "San, I''ve got good news for you.Mr.Lambert has been discharged from the hospital, but he still needs


    to rest for a day or two.Once the exams are over the day after tomorrow, you''ll be able to meet him"


    "Is that so? That''s great!"


    Arielle eximed, then repressed the excitement that threatened to burst out of her as she followed


    Jared to a ssroom.

 Chapter 1126

    Chapter 1126


    Jared helped her contact Terry and the rest, which, excluding Wendy, had alle to wait for Arielle.


    In a low voice, he said, "I''ve made use of my contacts and found out that Wendy''s name is no longer on


    the list of examinees.That''s why I didn''t call her toe along."


    Arielle nodded.


    "You didn''t need to contact her anyway."


    It''s not like she''ll say yes ande.


    Even if shees, it''ll put us all in a bad mood.


    In that case, we''ll be better off not involving her from the start.


    Anyway...


    Donovan had made Wendy unable to take the exams anymore.


    Nevertheless, Arielle was curious to know why Wendy had not kicked up a fuss over the matter.It was


    downright strange for Wendy not to blow her top, considering the kind of temper she had.


    However, Arielle did not want to waste her strength or time on Wendy, so she did not dwell on that


    thought for long.


    After asking Jared to take his seat, she started the ss.


    "Mr.Baxter has to deal with some personal matters in the next few days, so we''vee to an


    agreement that I''ll be teaching you all for thest two days."


    Immediately, the others cheered.


    Other than Wendy, everyone in the preparatory ss did not like Donovan.


    Arielle then motioned for them to keep quiet, and they swiftly fell silent.


    "Let''s not waste any more time and start now.First of all, I''ll teach you how to speak the most fluent


    Ustranasion in the shortest time possible..."


    Time flew, and soon, two days went by.


    As some issues had arisen with one of the projects on his side, Vinson had to dy his trip to


    Horington by two days.


    On the third day, Maxwell University''s early admission exams began.


    Early in the morning, Arielle prepared a pill for everyone.


    That pill was the same pill she had given to Jared previously¡ªit could give them better focus and more


    energy and even relieve their anxiety.


    "I''ll apany everyone to the exam hall after breakfast.Remember not to go through your materials


    before your exams.Try to keep as calm as possible," she exhorted after watching them take the pill.


    "Okay, we got it!"


    Terry tightened his fist, both nervous and excited for the exams.


    Meanwhile, Arielle felt more at ease when she realized they all seemed to be in good condition.


    Soon, they reached the lecture hall where the exams would be held.


    There were two sessions for that day¡ªan exam in the morning and an interview in the evening.


    The final grade would be an average of those two sessions, and they would be able to find out their


    results the following afternoon.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    By the time Arielle and the others arrived at the lecture hall, Wendy was already there.She had gone to


    the venue early in the morning, but she could not find her name anywhere on the list.


    ording to her admission ticket, she was supposed to take her exam in Hall Two, but she still could


    not find her name even after going to every exam hall.


    Ridden with anxiousness, Wendy went to seek help from an invigtor.


    "Sir, I can''t find my exam hall."


    That invigtor was a kind man.


    The second he heard her words, he brought her to the side to cross-check her name on the list.


    However, even after going through all of the lists, he could not find Wendy''s name.


    "Sorry, miss..." the invigtor said hesitantly.


    "Are you sure your teacher registered your name?"


    "Of course! How else would I be able toe in here?"


    The invigtor mulled over her words and thought it made sense, so he decided to call the


    administrators.


    After a few calls, the invigtor finally realized the ins and outs.


    Casting a meaningful look at Wendy, he asked, "Are you Wendy Greene?"


    She promptly nodded.


    "That''s right.I''m Wendy Greene.May I know if you''ve found my exam hall?"

 Chapter 1127

    Chapter 1127


    "I was about to tell you about it."


    The look on the invigtor''s face turned solemn as he enunciated, "You''ve been disqualified from the


    exam due to certain things you''ve done."


    The puzzlement in his eyes could not be concealed.


    She looks like a nice girl.


    What happened that caused the university to disqualify her and ban her from being admitted to the


    university for life?


    "W-What?"


    That revtion made Wendy''s blood run cold as she widened her eyes.I''ve been disqualified? No, this


    can''t be! This can''t be real! Donovan told me that I would never be disqualified.


    He told me not to leave my dorm and prepare for the exams.


    In the next second, she balled her fists and yelled, "You must have made a mistake! How can I be


    disqualified from the exams?"


    As she was agitated, her voice turned hoarse, making her sound like a banshee.


    The invigtor frowned.


    "The university is at fault for not informing you to leave the campus in time.Now, on behalf of the office


    of academic affairs, I''m notifying you to pack up your things and leave the campus.Please do so in an


    hour.Otherwise, we''ll have to remove you from the university grounds forcibly.However, I''m afraid it''ll


    not put you in a good light if we have to resort to that."


    By then, nothing he said was entering her mind.


    Like a broken mixtape, she kept muttering again and again about how everything was impossible.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When the invigtor realized that Wendy seemed to be losing control of her emotions, he called for the


    guards, fearing that she would disrupt the other students.


    Then, he ordered the guards to lead her to her room and make her pack up.


    Just as Wendy was dragged out of the room, Arielle and the others walked by.


    The moment their eyes met, and before Arielle realized what was going on, the former lunged toward


    her.


    Instantly, Wendy''s hands aimed for Arielle¡¯''s face.


    Arielle instinctively tried to cover her face.


    Fortunately, Jared was faster than her as he stepped forward to shield her.


    In the next second, he hissed in pain.


    Bloody scratches had appeared on his neck.


    "Jared!"


    Arielle pulled Jared away from Wendy''s grasp.


    At that moment, the guards finally returned to their senses, and they instantly grabbed Wendy''s arms


    and pinned her against the floor.


    "Let go of me! Let go of me! Arielle Moore, you b*tch! This is all your doing.You''re so adamant about


    stopping me from entering Maxwell University! Are you afraid that I might pose a threat to you? Is that


    why you''re doing this?"


    Wendy''s eyes were bloodshot as she struggled vigorously.Her appearance resembled that of a


    vengeful ghost.


    Arielle merely furrowed her brows and ignored Wendy.She was more concerned about Jared''s injuries.


    "Let me see," she said as she pried Jared''s hands away.


    It was then she saw the bloody scratches on his neck and corbones.


    Although the wounds were not deep, he was at risk of infection if they did not treat them in time.


    After all, humans¡¯ nails contained quite a lot of bacteria.


    Hence, Arielle took out the medical kit, which she always carried along, and began treating his wound.


    Meanwhile, Trisha was tearing up from worry.


    "Sannie, are his injuries severe?" Arielle shook her head calmly.


    "It¡¯s nothing serious.Don''t worry."


    After nodding at her in relief, Trisha turned to re at Wendy.


    On the other hand, Jared was unfazed by the injuries.I¡¯m a man, so such an injury isn''t a big deal.It''s as


    serious as an ant''¡¯s bite.


    He then asked Arielle, "Boss, are you fine?"


    "I''m fine," Arielle said as she finished thest part of the treatment.


    As she stood up, she spotted the invigtor running toward them and said, "This woman has assaulted


    us for no reason.Please have the university deal with this matter seriously."

 Chapter 1128

    Chapter 1128


    Although the invigtor did not know who Arielle was, the matter was a rather grave one, so he nodded


    right away.


    "Don''t worry.Although she''s not a student of our university, we''ll deal with this matter properly since it


    happened on the university grounds."


    Now I know why a seemingly nice girl like her was disqualified from the exams.


    As it turns out, she''s a total nutcase!


    "Take her to her dorm immediately.I''ll be consulting the university administrators for her case."


    The invigtors then watched the security guards escort her to her room.


    Finally, peace returned to the exam halls.


    With that, Arielle turned to Jared and made sure that his wounds had all been disinfected and dressed


    before saying, "Go on.Prepare yourself for the exams first.Once you''re done with your exams, I''ll find


    you some medicine to ensure that they won''t leave scars.Don''t let Wendy affect your mood, and get


    ready to take your exams."


    "Don''t worry.She won''t be able to affect me.I''m d that you''re fine.This wound isn''t a big deal to me,"


    Jared replied with a nod.


    All of a sudden, he noticed someone staring at him.


    When he tilted his head, he saw Trisha, whose worry was written all over her face.


    Jared''s heart dropped, and he reassured her, "Don''t worry.l really am fine."


    Trisha nodded in response.


    She, too, knew that his injuries were not severe, but the earlier scene had been mortifying.If not for


    Arielle''s treatment, he would still be bleeding.


    Clearly, Wendy was merciless when she threw herself at Arielle.She was aiming to disfigure thetter.


    At the thought of Arielle, Trisha was somewhat d that Arielle''s face had not been injured during that


    scuffle, although she was worried about Jared.


    "Let''s go.I think we''re in the same exam hall."


    Jared then pointed to the front.


    "Hall Six."


    Trisha¡¯''s lips quirked into a rather awkward smile.


    After waving at Arielle, she entered the hall with Jared.


    As Terry and the others had gone to the restroom earlier, they did not know what had transpired


    outside.


    When they saw the group of bystanders, they curiously asked Arielle, "Boss, what happened?"


    "Nothing."


    Arielle then tapped Terry''s forehead.


    "You don''t need to worry about these things.Hurry into the exam hall.It¡¯s about time."


    Terry nodded vigorously before entering the exam hall with the other students.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Once Terry and the others left, Arielle¡¯s expression darkened.She then strode toward Selena¡¯s office.


    Although the invigtor said he would report it to the higher-ups, something like that might not reach the


    vice president.


    Hence, Arielle decided to make a trip there herself.


    After she recounted the whole incident to Selena, thetter scowled.


    "What''s going on this year?" Selena fumed.


    "What are they all doing? Do they have no respect for Maxwell University?"


    Arielle consoled, "Don''t be angry.What''s more important right now is how we should deal with this."


    By then, Selena knew Wendy was after Arielle.


    As Arielle was the university graduate they had high hopes for in recent years, they were not going to


    let that matter slide easily.


    "She¡¯s not our student, so I can''t expel her.However, I can make a global announcement to have the


    rest of the world make their judgment of her and Donovan.What do you think?"


    That was what Arielle wanted as well.


    In that way, not even an ordinary tertiary education institute would take her in.


    "We''ll do that," she agreed as she could not think of a more severe punishment at the moment.


    Jared''s injury, at most, would let them charge a minor crime on Wendy.


    Furthermore, Jared was taking his exams, so Arielle could not make him waste his time in the police


    station.

 Chapter 1129

    Chapter 1129


    Selena soon drafted the public announcement.


    After Arielle read it and ensured everything was fine, she said, "Please put this up only after they''re


    done with their exams in the evening."


    "Of course," Selena agreed readily.


    "In that case, I won''t kick Wendy out just yet.Once they''re done with their exams, I''ll have her apologize


    to you and the student she hurt before getting her to leave." Arielle nodded.


    "All right."


    Meanwhile, after being taken away from the exam hall, Wendy was forcibly locked up in her dorm.


    The moment she threw herself at Arielle, she knew she had lost her chance of admission to Maxwell


    University.


    In fact, she could never get into Maxwell University anymore.


    Since that was the case, she thought she might as well disfigure Arielle.


    Yet, it never crossed her mind that Jared would shield Arielle.So close.


    I was so close to destroying that b*tch¡¯s face! I was so close! Frustration and remorse washed over


    Wendy, and she wished she could have been faster.


    After taking a deep breath, she realized she was sick of that ce.


    Hence, she packed up, prepared to fly home.


    So what if I can''t get into Maxwell University? At most, I''ll go back to Jadeborough University to


    continue my merry life there.


    Jadeborough University is the top university in Chanaea anyway.I can still find a good job after


    graduating from there.


    However, right as she was about to leave after packing up, she found out her door had been locked


    from the outside, much to her dismay.


    Instantly, her eyes widened in shock as a sense of foreboding arose in her mind.


    Pounding on the door, she cried out, "Open up! Let me out!"


    However, the security guard coldly replied, "You can''t leave this ce until the exams are over."


    "Why?"


    Are they scared that I''ll do something to Arielle again? Wendy then gritted her teeth.


    As she could not get out, she had no choice but to wait until the exams were over.


    After a moment of silence, Wendy took out her phone to update her mother about her predicament.


    Yet, her call did not go through.


    The automated voice message informed her that Cecilia''s phone was switched off.


    Why is her phone switched off? Wendy frowned.


    The sense of foreboding from earlier returned, and that time around, it came crashing onto her like


    waves.


    A moment of ruminationter, she dialed Trevor''s number.


    However, he did not pick up her call either.


    Why are they all not answering my calls? Did something happen back at home? Feeling utterly


    disconcerted, Wendy started pacing her dorm.


    In the middle of her long wait, she ended up falling asleep while leaning against the headboard.


    By the time she awoke, the sun was setting outside, and the crimson rays that came through the


    windows covered her room a bloody red.


    After waking up, the first thing she did was look at her phone, but neither her mother nor her uncle had


    called her back.


    That led her to believe that something must have happened to them.


    Having scrolled through her contact list for moments, she finally found the number of one of her father''s


    former subordinates.


    Finally, someone picked up her phone.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    "Mr.Janaway."


    "Ms.Greene?"


    The other person on the call was surprised.


    He had left Greene Corporation several years ago, and it had been a long time since he had been in


    contact with the Greenes.


    Thus, for a moment there, he did not know how he should speak to Wendy.


    Truthfully, Wendy did not wish to contact someone she had not talked to for such a long time.


    However, ever since her father went to jail, the people they used to know all ignored her.


    Some even added insult to injury.


    Only the man she was calling was a kind-hearted man who probably would not ignore her calls.

 Chapter 1130

    Chapter 1130


    Fortunately, the man did pick up the call, and his tone sounded fine.


    Wendy then inhaled deeply before saying, "Mr.Janaway, I can''t contact my mother.You''re in Horington,


    right? Could you help me look for her?"


    "Do you mean Mrs.Greene..."


    Although Eskild Janaway no longer worked for the Greenes and had a small business of his own, he


    still paid attention to the Greene family''s matters.


    Furthermore, the news of Cecilia being a drug addict and working at a karaoke bar was all over the


    inte.


    Even if he did not pay attention to the Greenes anymore, he would still learn about it.


    Eskild then hesitantly asked, "Ms.Greene, where are you right now? Why don''t you know what


    happened to Mrs.Greene?"


    The bad feeling in Wendy''s heart intensified as she hastily asked, "What happened to my mother?"


    "Your mother, she..."


    Unable to say the words out loud, Eskild steeled himself and said, "You''ll know when you check it


    online!"


    That made Wendy''s heart sink.


    What happened? What could it be that even Mr.Janaway can''t bring himself to say it? As she had been


    on a tight budget recently, she had not used the inte for a while.


    The data overseas was too expensive, and she was afraid that she would not be able to make any calls


    again, so she had not kept herself up to date with thetest news.


    However, upon hearing Eskild¡¯s words, she could no longer be bothered by the costs.


    Swiftly, she turned on her data roaming and keyed in the news website in Chanaea.


    It was then she saw that her mother''s name was trending online.


    After clicking in, she saw a post with hundreds of thousands ofments.


    The Wife Of The Chairman Of Greene Corporation Under Police Investigation For Drug Abuse And


    Prostitution.


    Wendy turned as white as a sheet, and she nearly passed out.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Although she Knew that her family dealt in drug businesses, she did not know that her mother had


    gotten involved with it.


    But what''s with prostitution? After clicking on the post and scrolling down, Wendy found out that her


    mother had be a bar girl.


    Is this where the money for my phone n ising from? How am I going to face the rest of the


    world from now on? Wendy''s first thought was not her mother''s safety but herself.


    A beatter, she realized that her life would only be even tougher, for she no longer had a source


    of money.


    No, I can''t let this happen! Just as Wendy was about to call Trevor, another piece of news appeared on


    her phone screen.


    Trevor Larson Of Larson Group Committed A Severe Offense For Offering Hundreds Of Millions Of


    Bribery.


    Imprisoned In Specialized Forces Prison From Today Onward...


    Wendy could not even register the words after "onward."


    Her body trembled, and she could not utter a single word.Her mother''s reputation was ruined, and her


    uncle was in prison.


    She was at the end of her road.She could easily imagine how the people in her country would talk


    about her behind her back.


    No.That''s not right.I can''t even afford a ticket back home right now.I''ve been removed from the list of


    examinees at Maxwell University, so there''s no way the university will pay for my flight back.All I can do


    now is stay here until I starve to death!


    "No!"


    Wendy roared as her eyes reddened.


    Right then, the security guards opened the door.


    The first to enter was the invigtor from before.


    "Wendy Greene, the university has decided to make a global announcement about how you''ve


    breached Maxwell University¡¯s rules.We''ve also contacted the local police about it.Before the police


    come, you have to apologize to the ones you''ve assaulted, Jared Jupiter and Arielle Moore."


    Right as he finished his utterances, Wendy burst into a peal of maniacalughter.


    "Hahaha!"


    At that, the invigtor frowned.


    "Wendy Greene, don''t try to y dumb now.Since you''ve made a mistake, you have to apologize and


    ept the punishment!"

 Chapter 1131

    Chapter 1131


    Chapter 1131 Wendy Jumped Off The Building


    Hearing that, Wendy finally ceased her maniacalughter.


    While shooting the invigtor a mocking look, she questioned, ¡°Apologize? Why should I? Arielle ruined


    my family and my life. Why would I apologize to her? Have you gone crazy? Or have I gone crazy?¡±


    The invigtor furrowed his brows. ¡°You¡¯ve actually gone mad.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Wendy admitted to it with a sneer. ¡°I¡¯m a madwoman, so don¡¯t try to provoke me!¡±


    ¡°Wendy Greene, heed my words¡ªcalm down and apologize to the victims. It is best to settle this in


    private. Otherwise, if the police intervene, you¡¯ll have a criminal record.¡±


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Her gaze turned frosty. ¡°You want me to apologize to that b*tch? That¡¯ll never happen in


    this lifetime!¡±


    Before the invigtor could react, she dashed toward the balcony and leaped off the edge.


    Wendy had a n in mind. As her dorm was not a tall building, the worse that could happen was


    sustaining grievous injuries.


    As long as she got wounded on campus, the university would have to take responsibility. She could


    also use the opportunity to force the president to ept her into Maxwell University.


    Having considered everything, she hopped off the balcony without an ounce of hesitation.


    However, she overlooked the presence of awn right underneath the balcony. To prevent students


    from stepping on the grass, the university had installed an iron fence around it.


    Wendy leaped down and crashed into the iron fence. The sharp tips pierced through her body from the


    impact.


    The pain was so intense that she could not make any sound as her eyes bulged in disbelief and


    resentment.


    Blood trickled down her face slowly. The horrible sight caused the students who happened to walk past


    the fence to scream in fear.


    s, Wendy could not hear anything. Her pupils slowly dted as the light in her eyes disappeared.


    It was the end of her life.


    When Arielle received the news of Wendy¡¯s death, she fell silent in astonishment.


    ¡°Are¡­ are you saying she¡¯s dead?¡±


    Jared nodded and revealed, ¡°She jumped off the building. Though she was not on a high floor, she was


    unlucky to crash into the iron fence below. The fence pierced her body and destroyed her internal


    organs. When the ambnce arrived, she had bled to death. There was no way they could resuscitate


    her.¡±


    At his exnation, she nodded without a word while casting her eyes downward.


    When Wendy provoked me back then, I told her only those with a death wish would dare to offend me.


    My words came true, and Wendy is dead.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much of it.¡± Seeing her reaction, he advised, ¡°Be it Wendy or her family, they wouldn¡¯t


    have ended up in this state if they didn¡¯t do those things. They deserve to face the consequences of


    their wrongdoings. It has nothing to do with you.¡±


    shing him a sorrowful smile, Arielle responded, ¡°Do I look that kind to you? I won¡¯t me myself for


    Wendy¡¯s ending. All right, let¡¯s stop talking about her. How did your exams go?¡±


    Jared stretchedzily and answered, ¡°I did well today. In fact, I performed better than usual. During the


    interview this afternoon, I answered as many questions as I could. After doing my best, I¡¯ll have to


    leave it to fate. Terry did a good job too. But the others¡­¡±


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle nodded in understanding. Despite having attended her sses, the rest were not smart enough


    to gain a breakthrough with her help.


    The next day, Maxwell University revealed the admission list.

 Chapter 1132

    Chapter 1132


    Chapter 1132 Do You Miss Me


    Only fifty students would get selected for early admission. A total of five hundred students had taken


    the exam that time around, but the eptance rate was a measly ten percent.


    Arielle led the students from Jadeborough University to view the admission list.


    As the area around the notice board was crowded, it took them a while to squeeze past the students


    and make their way to the front.


    There were only fifty sessful candidates, so it was easy to spot their names.


    Using his tall height to his advantage, Jared managed to spot Jadeborough University on the list and


    the names listed behind it: Jared Jupiter, Terry Fuller, Trisha Hughes.


    His eyes lit up as he turned to Trisha. ¡°You got in!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Trisha could not believe her ears.


    She craned her neck to nce at the list herself. Seeing that she was struggling, he put his hands on


    her waist and hoisted her up.


    Utterly shocked, Trisha parted her lips and promptly forgot what she wanted to do.


    ¡°Did you see your name?¡± Jared asked from underneath her.


    Snapping back to reality, she blushed crimson and turned to look at the list.


    True to Jared¡¯s words, her name was on the list with ¡°Department of Arts¡± behind it.


    ¡°Did you see your name?¡± Jared repeated his question.


    Trisha stammered out a reply. ¡°Y-Yes.¡±


    As her feetnded on the ground, he beamed and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t lie, right? You got epted.¡±


    Before she could say anything, Terry hollered excitedly, ¡°I got epted! I got epted!¡±


    He had reacted in a dramatic manner.


    Chuckling, Arielle said, ¡°Congrattions to those who got epted. For those who weren¡¯t, please


    don¡¯t be disappointed. Think of it as an experience. You¡¯ll know what to improve on before taking the


    worldwide standardized testter this year.¡±


    The rest did not get their hopes high from the start. Despite their disappointment, they stered smiles


    on their faces and congratted Jared, Trisha, and Terry.


    The chance to visit Maxwell University was itself an honor to them.


    After all, it was not easy to get admitted into Maxwell University. If every applicant were epted,


    Maxwell University would not be known as the top university in the world.


    ¡°Three out of six got epted. That¡¯s a great achievement. Come on; I¡¯ll treat everyone to lunch,¡±


    Arielle offered.


    At her invitation, the students leaped with joy.


    Suddenly, arge hand patted Arielle¡¯s shoulder.


    That had her spin around in shock.


    ¡°Vinson?¡± she blurted out upon meeting Vinson¡¯s adoring gaze.


    His lips quirked up. ¡°Do you miss me?¡±


    Instead of giving him a reply, Arielle flung her arms around him in front of the students.


    I do. I miss you a lot.


    Vinson¡¯s smile widened as he returned her hug. His arms wrapped around her so tightly as though he


    wanted to merge their bodies into one.


    The tactful Jared immediately piped up, ¡°Let¡¯s go, fes. I¡¯ll pay for the meal this time around. We¡¯ll ask


    Boss to treat us after we go home.¡±


    The others agreed readily. After casting onest curious look at the couple, they left with Jared.


    Vinson then led Arielle away from the crowd.


    ¡°You should¡¯ve told me you wereing over,¡± she whined.


    He caught me off guard. I was so anxious to see the results this morning that I left my room after


    brushing my teeth. I didn¡¯t even brush my hair!


    The man read her mind and reached out to smoothen her hair. His face broke into a gentle smile, and


    he reassured, ¡°You¡¯re always pretty.¡±


    Arielle felt a blush creeping up her cheeks. She parted her lips to speak, but her ringtone sounded


    before she could say anything.


    After fishing out her phone from her pocket, she saw it was a call from Selena.


    ¡°Give me a minute,¡± she said and answered the call.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Hello, Ms. Selena.¡±


    Instead of Selena¡¯s voice, the president¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°San, Selena told me you want to talk to me.¡±

 Chapter 1133

    Chapter 1133


    Chapter 1133 The Man In The Photo


    As soon as Arielle heard his voice, she could not contain her excitement and eximed, ¡°Mr. Lambert!


    Are you on campus right now?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be waiting for you in my office.¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll head there right now.¡± After hanging up, Arielle spun on her heels and informed Vinson


    ecstatically, ¡°Let¡¯s go meet the president. Ms. Selena said he might know the identity of the man in the


    photo.¡±


    Vinson was happy for her. ¡°I haven¡¯t met Mr. Lambert in a long while. Let¡¯s visit him together then,¡± he


    said as he took her hand.


    Arielle bobbed her head as uneasiness arose in her heart.


    Her sixth sense told her she was near to finding out the truth. However, she could not stop the panic


    from ring within her.


    Sensing the changes in her emotions, Vinson squeezed her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m here with you.¡±


    ¡°Mmh,¡± Arielle responded firmly.


    Vinson¡¯s with me, so I don¡¯t have to be afraid.


    Indeed, there was no need for her to fear anything.


    Soon, they knocked on the president¡¯s door.


    Selena opened the door for them and was pleased and gratified to see them walking hand in hand.


    I¡¯m happy to see my two favorite students together.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After a brief exchange of pleasantries, she said, ¡°The admission list has just been released, so I have


    many matters to attend to. You two can head in and talk to Mr. Lambert. He¡¯s waiting for you. Well, I


    shall take my leave now.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Goodbye!¡±


    The couple watched as Selena walked away before entering the president¡¯s office.


    The president of Maxwell University, Rasmus Lambert, was in his fifties. He sported white hair and a


    bushy beard. With his features, he looked like Santa us, wise and benevolent.


    ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t believe my eyes.¡± Rasmus clicked his tongue. ¡°Fate has brought you two together.¡±


    Arielle was embarrassed to hear that. Nheless, she remembered the main purpose of her trip there


    and showed the old photo to Rasmus, not bothering to beat around the bush.


    ¡°Mr. Lambert, do you know him?¡± she asked.


    Rasmus took the photo from her and put on his thick sses to study the man in it.


    The next second, his eyes widened.


    ¡°He¡­¡±


    Arielle¡¯s heart raced as she hastened to question, ¡°Do you know him?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Rasmus nodded. ¡°It¡¯s one of my regrets. He graduated from our university and worked here as a


    professor for a while. However, after heading to Chanaea, he never returned. It was as though he had


    disappeared into thin air. I even made a police report as I was afraid something had happened to him.


    Later, I realized he had left deliberately.¡±


    He paused before asking, ¡°Why do you have his photo?¡±


    Biting her lip, Arielle pointed at the woman beside the man and exined, ¡°The woman beside him is


    my mother. You know Mrs. Wilhelm is my foster mother, right? This is my birth mother.¡±


    Rasmus was dumbstruck. Staring at the intimate couple in the photo, he asked in surprise, ¡°How¡­


    How is he rted to your mother?¡±


    Arielle shrugged. ¡°That is what I want to find out. Ten years ago, my mom died in an ident. I suspect


    it was rted to him. However, the photo suggested they weren¡¯t enemies. Mr. Lambert, this has


    bothered me a lot. I need to find him and figure out the truth behind my mom¡¯s death. I want to find out


    the culprit.¡±


    And then I¡¯ll avenge her!


    ¡°He¡­¡± Rasmus sighed. ¡°Well, he is a mysterious man. I only have a rough understanding of his true


    identity after his disappearance.¡±

 Chapter 1134

    Chapter 1134


    Chapter 1134 Turlen


    As her nails dug into her palm, Arielle asked anxiously, ¡°Could you tell me about his identity?¡±


    After heaving a sigh, Rasmus said, ¡°Since he wanted to keep it a secret, I shouldn¡¯t be the one to


    reveal it. However, as it is rted to your mother¡¯s death, I can¡¯t keep it to myself any longer.¡±


    She then took a deep breath and prepared to listen attentively.


    The president nced out the window, seemingly lost in the memories of his past.


    ¡°His name is Dn, but I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s his real name. After his disappearance, the police informed


    us that the biodata he provided to the university was mostly made up. We paid a visit to his parents and


    discovered they weren¡¯t actually his parents. The couple didn¡¯t even have a son.¡±


    Dn, Arielle muttered inwardly and took note of the name.


    Rasmus continued, ¡°Back then, the university had high hopes for him. We didn¡¯t mind, even after


    finding out he had faked his identity. I was his supervisor at that time. As the police failed to find him, I


    went to his dorm and discovered something that gave me a clue about his identity.¡±


    While she bit her lip nervously, he revealed, ¡°I found a few letters in his drawer. Out of concern for his


    safety, I decided to read his letters. However, the letters were written in a script that I¡¯ve never set my


    eyes upon.¡±


    Vinson knitted his brows. ¡°A script that you¡¯ve never set your eyes upon?¡±


    Rasmus was a linguist who had dabbled in a variety ofnguages, from the earliest form of writing to


    minoritynguages. It was practically impossible for him to run into one he had not seen before.


    The president nodded. ¡°I perused many books and went to a lot of linguists beforeing to a


    conclusion. Those scripts came from an ancientnguage. It appeared slightly after the most ancient


    script in history. There is only one country in the world that uses thisnguage.¡±


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    ¡°What country is it?¡± Arielle asked.


    ¡°Turlen.¡±


    The answer took both her and Vinson by surprise. Mixed emotions crossed their faces as they digested


    the piece of information.


    After a pause, Rasmus added, ¡°Turlen has a closed-door policy. However, ording to our


    investigations, they are very developed, though their medical field falls behind. Dn had majored in


    medicine at our university and minored in othernguages. Thus, I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s a citizen of


    Turlen.¡±


    Arielle seemed hesitant as she requested, ¡°Mr. Lambert, can you show me the letters? Do you still


    have them with you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Rasmus got to his feet and went to the safety deposit box in his office. He then unlocked it and


    took two letters out.


    While handing the letters to her, he said, ¡°Till this day, we know little about thenguage, so the exact


    contents of the letters remain a mystery. However, we managed to decipher one letter from Dn¡¯s


    mother. She wanted him to return to the country and marry ady of high status. The other letter was


    something simr to a pass.¡±


    Arielle read the letters. Unsurprisingly, she did not understand a single word.


    Vinson chimed in, ¡°The writing resembles the Sylvonicannguage, but none of the words made sense.


    Mr. Lambert, can we borrow the letters?¡±


    Rasmus nodded in agreement.


    ¡°You can take them with you. I¡¯ve made a lot of copies to study thenguage, so I have no use for the


    originals.¡±

 Chapter 1135

    Chapter 1135


    Chapter 1135 Sann Group


    Arielle beamed gratefully. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Lambert.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Rasmus waved his hand. ¡°One day, if you¡¯re fortunate enough to enter Turlen,


    please let me know what the country looks like after your return.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± The young woman nodded firmly.


    By hook or by crook, I shall learn more about Turlen and head there to find out who killed Mom!


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After the duo left Rasmus¡¯ office, a hush descended over them.


    Vinson broke the silence by saying, ¡°It looks like your mom¡¯s murderer is a Turlenian. This man named


    Dn must be an important person. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be sent here to study medicine and¡­


    ordered to marry ady of high status.¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°That thought had urred to me when Cindy was brought to Turlen, but I couldn¡¯t be


    sure about it. Now, I¡¯m certain that they were Turlenians.¡±


    ¡°Mmh,¡± he concurred, inclining his head. ¡°The top international secret agent I¡¯ve dispatched is looking


    for a way now. I reckon I¡¯d be receiving an update a few weekster.¡±


    Arielle bit her lip.


    They knew nothing about Turlen. Thus, it would be dangerous to sneak into the country recklessly.


    They had no choice but to wait.


    Soon, she gathered her thoughts and took a deep breath. ¡°Regardless, my trip to Maxwell University


    proved to be fruitful. At least I confirmed he is a Turlenian. That¡¯s a good start.¡±


    Vinson brushed the stray strands of hair on her forehead and gave her a gentle peck.


    ¡°I¡¯m not good with words, but I want you to know that I¡¯ll be with you no matter what,¡± he promised.


    Touched by the promation of his love, Arielle embraced him.


    A few secondster, she released her grip on him and asked, ¡°Should we head to mypany?¡±


    ¡°Sann Group?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d be my honor.¡±


    An hourter, they arrived at the entrance of Sann Group.


    Sann Group had the same standing in that country as Nightshire Group had in Chanaea.


    However, Nightshire Group was not its match in the artificial intelligence industry.


    Sann Group only focused on a few industries, unlike Nightshire Group, which was involved in almost


    every industry. Thetter was also a leading force in every area of business it was involved in.


    The industrial park was full of flowering trees, and the flowers were in full bloom. There was a total of


    ten skyscrapers and a few buildings with unique styles in the area.


    Arielle gave Vinson a tour around the industrial park.


    Having heard of her arrival, the higher-ups soon hurried over to wee her.


    ¡°Madam Chairman,¡± they greeted as they dipped their heads.


    Arielle responded with a nod and asked, ¡°How is the progress of the bionic arm deal with Chanaea?¡±


    The person in charge immediately answered, ¡°As per your orders, we have sped up the manufacturing


    process using only the best materials. We willplete the production in less than two days and


    deliver the products to Chanaea.¡±


    ¡°Good. You can get back to work.¡±


    After dismissing the crowd, she brought Vinson to her office.


    Her office was located on the top floor. The view was great, where one could see the picturesque


    scene of the setting sun.


    Standing before the window, Arielle was enjoying the view when an arm suddenly wrapped around her


    waist.

 Chapter 1136

    Chapter 1136


    Chapter 1136 Ashes


    Before Arielle could react, the owner of the arm rested his chin on her nape and whispered, ¡°My wife is


    rich. Should I retire and be a man of leisure?¡±


    Feeling his warm breath on her skin and relishing his husky voice, she grinned. ¡°Sure, you can retire


    and depend on me.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Vinson released her and turned her around to meet her gaze. ¡°You should retire, and I¡¯ll take care


    of you. You don¡¯t have to do anything while I earn money to support our family.¡±


    That caused her to smirk. ¡°It sounds like a great deal.¡±


    ¡°It is, right?¡± The man arched a brow. ¡°When will we hold our wedding?¡±


    The smile on her face froze. Lowering her gaze, she replied, ¡°When your mom epts me¡­¡±


    Vinson tensed up before assuring her, ¡°She will.¡±


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    Arielle inclined her head. ¡°Mmh. I know she will.¡±


    As long as I work hard to gain her approval, I believe the day wille soon.


    Soon, the next day arrived.


    Cecilia had been locked up in the rehab facility in Chanaea for two days. She had lost all contact with


    the outside world.


    That was not the worst part, for she was tormented every time her drug addiction kicked in.


    After enduring another round of withdrawal symptoms, she had barely regained herposure when a


    police officer came into her room.


    He confirmed her identity and announced icily, ¡°Come with me. I need to inform you something.¡±


    Cecilia got to her feet, utterly puzzled.


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    Ever since she was locked up, she had to do everything inside her room. It was the first time she was


    given a chance to go outside.


    ¡°Did someonee to bail me out?¡± she asked excitedly.


    Oh, is Trevor finally here to get me out of this ce?


    The police officer nced at her coolly and led her out without a word.


    At his reaction, Cecilia felt her heart sink. A sense of foreboding suddenly welled up within her.


    She trudged behind the police officer warily, and they soon arrived at an office.


    The office was empty save for a ck box on the desk.


    The box looked eerily like an urn.


    At the sight of the urn, Cecilia went as pale as a sheet.


    ¡°O-Officer, what is this?¡± she asked in a trembling voice.


    The police officer pushed a stack of documents toward her and announced, ¡°This is your daughter¡¯s


    urn. Shemitted suicide overseas by jumping off a building. As Lightspring doesn¡¯t allow corpses to


    board nes, the local authorities cremated her body¡­¡±


    Cecilia¡¯s mind went nk after she heard that it was her daughter¡¯s urn.


    My¡­ My daughter¡¯s urn?


    She stood rooted to the spot and gazed nkly at the urn on the desk.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡±


    A few minutester, the police officer finally realized she was not paying attention to him.


    Frowning, he demanded, ¡°Ma¡¯am, listen to me¡­¡±


    Without warning, Cecilia shoved him out of the way and ran toward the urn. She tossed it to the


    ground, smashing it into pieces.


    ¡°Mrs. Greene, you¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying to me!¡± She red at him venomously and dered, ¡°Did that b*tch Arielle send you to


    upset me? I won¡¯t trust you!¡±


    ¡°Who is Arielle? You¡¯re crazy. Is this a withdrawal symptom? You¡¯ve just broken your daughter¡¯s urn!


    Look, her ash is all over the ground!¡±


    Cecilia covered her ears and shrieked, ¡°I won¡¯t believe you! I refuse to believe your words!¡±

 Chapter 1137

    Chapter 1137


    Chapter 1137 Cecilia Is Dead


    The police officer¡¯s brows drew together. ¡°I can understand your feelings. You can¡¯t ept your


    daughter¡¯s death, but it is the truth¡ª¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Cecilia stepped on the ash forcefully and dered, ¡°Tell Arielle that she¡¯d never get in my


    head! Wendy is alive and well and is taking her exams at Maxwell University. Why would she jump off a


    building? Don¡¯t take me for a fool!¡±


    Initially, the police officer could empathize with her. However, when he saw her step on her daughter¡¯s


    ash, he lost his patience and stuffed the documents into her hands. ¡°Read the documents yourself if


    you don¡¯t trust me. They are your daughter¡¯s autopsy report and the case file prepared by the


    Lightspring police. As there is an official stamp on the file, it isn¡¯t fake.¡±


    Cecilia scanned the contents of the documents hastily. Soon, her gazended on a photo in the case


    file.


    It was a photo of Wendy¡¯s body pierced by the iron fence with blood sttered everywhere.


    Seeing that, Cecilia froze. It seemed like something within her had been torn into shreds.


    The police officer noticed her reaction and sighed. ¡°My condolences. Maxwell University has contacted


    the police department of Horington, and they will send a representative here a few dayster to discuss


    thepensation.¡±


    Although Wendy hadmitted suicide, the incident had happened at Maxwell University. Besides, the


    iron fence on the campus had pierced her heart, so they had to more or less bear responsibility for that.


    ¡°No! That¡¯s impossible! This can¡¯t be real!¡± Cecilia hollered with all her might.


    She then ran out of the room in a state of frenzy.


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    I have to go to Lightspring! I must head to Maxwell University and see it for myself! My Wendy must still


    be alive!


    The stunned police officer went after her a beatter.


    ¡°Get her! Don¡¯t let her get away!¡±


    The rehab facility erupted into chaos.


    The next day, when the patrol officer went to take a look at Cecilia, thetter was found lying in a pool


    of blood with a toothbrush in her chest.


    ¡°Cecilia¡¯s dead.¡±


    Vinson informed Arielle about the news right away. ¡°Shemitted suicide by stabbing a toothbrush


    into her heart. When people at the rehab facility discovered her body, it was already stiff. I gather she


    killed herself, as Wendy¡¯s death was too much for her to bear.¡±


    Arielle was shocked into silence. After a long while, she whispered, ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡­¡±


    The Greene family used to be extremely influential in Horington, but they had fallen apart. One was


    locked up in jail, and the rest were dead.


    Shockingly, it only took one month for all that to happen.


    Vinson patted her shoulder. ¡°They brought it upon themselves.¡±


    A sigh slipped past her lips. ¡°One wrong choice leads to another. Sometimes, it¡¯s hard to be a human. I


    believe Wendy¡¯s envious of me, but I¡¯m also envious of her. At least her parents loved her.¡±


    Pulling her in for a tight embrace, he said, ¡°You have me.¡±


    Arielle chuckled and returned his hug.


    Yes, I don¡¯t have parents, but I have Vinson. He¡¯s the best and will face everything with me. That¡¯s


    enough.


    Despite not ming herself for both Cecilia¡¯s and Wendy¡¯s death, Arielle¡¯s mood was a little affected by


    the news.


    However, she did not waste time dwelling on their deaths, for the renovation of Maureen¡¯s Kitchen¡¯s


    new branch hade to an end. It was going to open for business soon.


    It meant a lot to Arielle to open Maureen¡¯s Kitchen¡¯s first branch.

 Chapter 1138

    Chapter 1138


    Chapter 1138 As Pretty As You


    Arielle woke up early in the morning and assumed that Vinson was still sleeping at that hour. Thus,


    seeing him standing at the doorway in a trance when she opened the door gave her a fright. Although


    she had no idea how long he had been standing there, she did notice the cigarette butts on the ground.


    It took her a second to return to her senses. ¡°Why are you here? When did you arrive?¡±


    ¡°Five,¡± came his answer as he offered her a bouquet out of nowhere.


    Arielle nced at the bouquet and realized it did not contain flowers. Instead, it was a bouquet of wheat


    stalks.


    The golden wheat stalks symbolized that her restaurant would prosper.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    After giving her the bouquet, Vinson nted a kiss on her forehead and congratted her. ¡°Mrs.


    Nightshire, congrattions on the opening of your new restaurant. I hope your business will flourish.¡±


    She epted the wheat stalks happily as tears welled up in her eyes.


    Feeling emotional, she choked out, ¡°You¡­ Well¡­¡±


    The man chuckled. ¡°What about me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a fool! Even if you want to give me flowers, there¡¯s no need to wait outside early in the


    morning.¡±


    Vinson shook his head. ¡°If I don¡¯t wait here earlier than usual, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t wake me up and


    head to the restaurant without informing me.¡±


    Hearing that, Arielle covered her nose and coughed lightly.


    He was right; she was not nning on waking him up.


    After all, Vinson had taken time out of his busy schedule to visit her in Lightspring. Last night, he only


    finished working in the wee hours. Thus, she could not bring herself to disturb his rest.


    After a few seconds of silence, she flung her arms around him.


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡±


    She might think of Vinson as a fool, but it did not stop her from feeling like the happiest girl in the world.


    There was nothing toin about a man who waited outside her door before sunrise just to give her


    a bouquet and congratte her on the opening of her restaurant.


    Vinson¡¯s gaze softened as he hugged her back.


    Arielle felt his body temperature warming up her body through the thin fabric of their clothes.


    Initially, she was nervous that her restaurant would not do well after the opening, but Vinson¡¯s hug


    provided invisible energy that calmed her heart down.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t keep youpany today,¡± he said apologetically. ¡°I have ast-minute meeting at


    Wildefield.¡±


    Wildefield was four hours away from Jadeborough by car. His meeting was one in the afternoon, and


    he had a lunch meeting scheduled before that.


    Arielle gave an understanding nod. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I managed to establish Sann Group, so managing the


    opening of a branch is nothing to me.¡±


    Vinson replied, ¡°All right. I¡¯ll leave Rayson with you. If you need anything, just let him know. He¡¯ll be of


    help.¡±


    ¡°Got it. When will you depart?¡±


    ¡°Half an hourter.¡± He then winked and asked, ¡°Ms. Moore, can I have the honor of inviting you to


    enjoy a local breakfast with me?¡±


    That evoked a giggle from her. ¡°Your wish is granted.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Vinson gave a polite bow.


    A few minutester, the ck MPV rolled to a stop before an alley.


    At the entrance of it was an old breakfast stall.


    Though it was only six in the morning, the seats were all taken.


    A table happened to be vacated the moment Arielle and Vinson went over to the stall.


    While clearing the table, the owner greeted Vinson, ¡°Hello! You¡¯re not alone today.¡±


    Thetter nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here with my wife.¡±


    ncing at Arielle in surprise, the owner praised, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re lucky! Your wife is as pretty as you.¡±


    Arielle was initially embarrassed, but she covered her lips and giggled at the owner¡¯s words.

 Chapter 1139

    Chapter 1139


    Chapter 1139 A Sweet Morning


    Vinson froze for a split second but immediately shook it off and said, ¡°I¡¯ll get two servings of my usual


    order. Oh, I¡¯d like a ss of soy milk too.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± The owner left to prepare their order.


    Looking at the surroundings, Ariellemented, ¡°This is surprising.¡±


    ¡°Are you surprised that I¡¯m a down-to-earth person?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She gazed at him and added, ¡°You don¡¯t look like you eat here often. I thought you¡¯d have


    breakfast at five-star hotels.¡±


    Shrugging, Vinson answered, ¡°I used to do that, but I grew sick of it. Once, I came here for breakfast


    out of curiosity and became a frequent customer afterward. I believe you¡¯ll like the food here.¡±


    Arielle bobbed her head, feeling expectant.


    Soon, their breakfast was served.


    The first dish served was the famous Jadeborough soy milk.


    s, she nearly retched after taking just one sip.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ The taste is really strange,¡± she spluttered.


    Vinson burst outughing. ¡°I can¡¯t take that too. If you don¡¯t like it, let¡¯s try something else.¡±


    Soon, the local Jadeborough buns were served.


    After taking a bite of the bun, Arielle was fascinated by how the rich and vorful taste spread across


    her mouth.


    The rest of the dishes were delectable too. With every mouthful she took, her eyes sparkled in delight.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Vinson asked.


    Arielle gave a pleased nod. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this breakfast stall serves such delicious food. I¡¯m getting a


    lot of inspiration here. However, some food tastes really familiar¡­ Perhaps my mom brought me here


    when I was young.¡±


    Her gaze dimmed at the thought of Maureen.


    Nevertheless, her face broke into a smile soon enough, and she dered, ¡°Today¡¯s a good day, so I


    won¡¯t think about unhappy things. Hurry, eat up. You need to leave soon.¡±


    With a nod, Vinson resumed eating.


    Even if he was gulping down his food, he still looked like a noble gentleman.


    On the other hand, Arielle seemed rxed.


    As she was not brought up strictly like a socialite, she did not pay much attention to her table manners.


    However, Vinson was of the opinion that the way Arielle enjoyed her food boosted his appetite.


    He munched on his food and enjoyed the beautiful scenery before him. Ah, what a great morning. I


    hope I can spend my mornings peacefully like this for the rest of my life.


    Sadly, it was soon time for them to part ways. Rayson braced himself, stepping forward and reminding,


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire, it¡¯s time to depart.¡±


    Arielle ced her fork down and said, ¡°Remember to take a rest on the way there. Don¡¯t work during


    the journey as it will tire out your eyes. You can leave without me. I¡¯ll pay for the food.¡±


    She got up and clicked into her e-wallet to make the payment.


    Vinson caught up to her and waved his phone before the owner.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay for breakfast.¡± They spoke at the same time.


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    The owner was taken aback but quickly regained hisposure and held the payment terminal toward


    Arielle¡¯s phone. With a grin, he said, ¡°You¡¯re a couple, so your wife will have all your sry sooner or


    later. It¡¯s time for you to get used to having your wife making payments.¡±


    After snapping out of his initial shock, Vinson beamed at Arielle. ¡°Right. What¡¯s mine is hers.¡±


    A blush suffused her cheeks, and she red at him before urging him to get into his car.


    Happiness imbued Vinson as he entered his car.


    Only when his car disappeared from sight did she retract her gaze and have Rayson drive her to the


    branch.

 Chapter 1140

    Chapter 1140


    Chapter 1140 Overconfident


    Around half an hourter, Arielle arrived at the branch.


    It was located in a restaurant district that had a long history.


    When she arrived, it was only half-past seven. Most of the restaurants still had their blinds down.


    Maureen¡¯s Kitchen was the only restaurant that was bustling.


    Seeing her, Glenn and the manager came forward to wee her.


    ¡°Ms. Moore!¡±


    Glenn twiddled his thumbs nervously and reported, ¡°You¡¯re here! The preparations are almost done,


    and all that¡¯s left is the ingredients. As per yourmand, we ordered ten times the usual amount. The


    refrigerator is too full to put our ravioli inside, so I told someone to get the refrigerator from the old


    store.¡±


    ¡°Good job,¡± Arielle responded with a nod.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± He waved his hands and said excitedly, ¡°You agreed to give me some shares, so I won¡¯t


    feel tired even if I have to work for three days straight.¡±


    On the contrary, the manager wore a hesitant look on his face.


    That had her cast him a puzzled look. ¡°What is it? Do you have something to tell me?¡±


    The manager balled his fists as he said, ¡°Ms. Moore, I don¡¯t know whether I should say this¡­¡±


    ¡°Just say it!¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Nodding, the manager answered, ¡°We usually buy the ingredients we need every morning to get the


    freshest ones. Today is the first day the branch is open for business, but you told us to buy ten times


    the portion of ingredients that we usually need. I think that¡¯s a waste, especially the soy products that


    will definitely spoil the next day.¡±


    As the manager mentioned the ingredients, Glenn chimed in carefully, ¡°Ms. Moore, I do think that


    buying ten times than usual is too much¡­ Should we go with five times first? This store is only twice as


    big as our old store. If there aren¡¯t many customers, we wouldn¡¯t be able to finish using the ingredients.


    That will be a waste. Should we ask the buyer to purchase fewer ingredients?¡±


    Arielle was silent for a few seconds before exining, ¡°I understand your concerns, but I still think that


    buying ten times the ingredients we usually need is vital. I believe we can get more customers by


    offering food samples at the door. We should be able to finish the ingredients.¡±


    As she seemed confident, Glenn and the manager could not object anymore. ¡°Why don¡¯t you head in


    and take a look around? You haven¡¯t been here since the renovation waspleted.¡±


    Arielle bobbed her head and entered the restaurant.


    The manager could not resist the urge to whisper to Glen. ¡°Do you think she¡¯s overconfident? Our food


    might be delicious, but today¡¯s a weekday. There will be fewer customers than usual. Besides, we


    specialize in local cuisine, so our customers will usuallye during lunch and dinner.¡±


    Thetter nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°Indeed, she seems a little overconfident. Never mind if we were


    to waste the ingredients; I¡¯m only afraid her confidence will be shattered. After all, she¡¯s a youngdy. If


    she loses her confidence, will she shut the restaurant?¡±


    Ever since he received the shares of the new restaurant, he had been throwing himself into the


    renovation of the shop lot, supervising the renovation after hours and buying the stuff needed for the


    interior design personally.


    His heart would break if the restaurant were to close down after all the hard work he had put in.

 Chapter 1141

    Chapter 1141


    The two men shared a look and exhaled loudly.


    Meanwhile, Arielle nced at the sampling booth at the entrance and made sure it was fine before


    entering the restaurant.


    The interior design resembled the old restaurants.It was furnished with antiquated furniture.


    "Here." Arielle pointed at the entrance.


    "Remove the nts and rece them with stic chairs.The customers will get to sit down and wait for


    their turns.Also, prepare some sticky notes for the customers so that they can know when it is their


    turn."


    "Got it." The waiter went to work immediately.


    That sight gave the manager and Glenn a headache.She is really confident.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Will she be devastated if our restaurant doesn''t do well? They let out a collective sigh before getting


    back to work.It would take some time to get the preparations done.


    After all the acquired ingredients were sent over, they had to wash and prep them.


    By then, it was already eleven in the morning.The refrigerator from the old restaurant had also arrived.


    They had ten times their usual ingredients, so all the refrigerators were filled to the brim despite having


    an extra.


    The ingredients that couldst longer were removed and ced aside.


    Glenn pointed at those ingredients and said, "Ms.Moore, these ingredients won''t go bad soon, but the


    weather is hot today.If we don''t use them by noon, they''ll go bad by evening."


    "Don''t worry."


    Arielle gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.


    "We''ll finish using them before noon."


    Glenn''s lips quivered, but he only managed to force out a wry smile.


    "Get back to work.I''ll take care of the finishing touches," she said and returned to the hall for a final


    check.


    After making sure everything was ready, she sat down, tagged her location, and sent out a tweet: My


    restaurant''s branch is opening for business today.


    Everyone is wee! Without bothering to read the replies, she went into the kitchen to help with the


    preparation.She had no idea that the tweet had garnered a lot of replies.


    You''re opening a restaurant instead of entering the entertainment industry? What a waste of your good


    looks...I agree.Isn''t it great to earn money with your looks? Arielle doesn''t look like she can cook.I''m


    worried about the taste.


    Would the food there be edible?Is it a trend for influencers to start their own businesses? Never mind tf


    they sell clothes and stuff, yet this influencer is opening a restaurant? Does she know how many celebs


    close their restaurants less than six months after the opening? Another reply popped up: I''ve been to


    her restaurant! This is the branch, and the old one is at Fourthbridge.


    Previously, my friend told me Arielle was the owner, so I got curious and went there as my house was


    nearby.


    Now, I eat there every day! Ah, my money! A flood of messages emerged under that particr reply.


    Really? Is this a paid posting?Be honest and tell us how much you get paid for ament.I want to


    join you too! Annoyed, the original poster uploaded a few photos of him eating in Maureen''s Kitchen.


    He had only ordered three dishes¡ªtwo meat dishes and one vegetable dish¡ªbut they looked


    delectable.

 Chapter 1142

    Chapter 1142


    After the photos were uploaded, a barrage of replies showed up.


    Seriously? Does Arielle''s restaurant serve these dishes? They look scrumptious!I can vouch for the


    netizen.


    That wasn''t a paidment! I wanted to see for myself if Arielle was indeed pretty, so I went to her


    restaurant.


    The food is really yummy! Thus, manyizens in Jadeborough dered that they would head to the


    restaurant personally to see if that review was true.


    With that, a big group marched toward the restaurant.


    Someone even started a live stream.


    "Hello, friends! We''re on the way to Maureen''s Kitchen¡¯s branch.It''s two stations away.Let''s see if


    Arielle will be humiliated.I''m not her fan, and I''m doing this to test her food out for everyone."


    Someizens who had nothing to do clicked into the live stream.


    Those who doubted Arielle had formed a group, let alone her fans.


    They immediately requested to visit her restaurant as a big party.


    Today''s the opening! Our goddess will be there.I''m going to depart soon.


    Does anyone want to join me? I can''t order a lot of dishes alone.Me! I''m in Jade borough too.


    Shall we meet at the subway station?Let''s go! My boyfriend and I are on the way! Theizens


    promptly made their way to the restaurant.


    At that moment, it was already half-past eleven.


    As lunch hour was approaching, the foot traffic on the street began to grow.


    Since the restaurant was new, it would naturally attract a lot of curious customers.


    Soon, a few tables were upied.


    "Wee the customers."


    As it was almost time, Arielle left the manager in charge and went out.


    "Boil the water," she said to Glenn''s apprentice at the entrance.


    "Prepare the ravioli and offer five pieces of ravioli to everyone who walks past our


    restaurant.Remember, five pieces for each person."


    "Got it, Ms.Moore!"


    After trying out her ravioli a while ago, the apprentice was impressed by her capabilities.


    It was hard to make a delicious dish using the simplest ingredients, but she had made that happen.


    After the water started boiling, Ariclle summoned Rayson, who was busy serving the dishes.


    Due to his position as Vinson¡¯''s assistant, even the directors of majorpanies had to show him


    respect.


    No one could have expected him to work as a waiter.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Rayson had never worked as a waiter before that, but he had experience preparing drinks for Vinson.


    Thus, he could serve the dishes to the customers smoothly.


    Hearing Arielle''s voice, he gave the dish he was holding to another waiter.


    "Serve this to table two."


    With that said, he strode out and gave Arielle a polite nod.


    "Ms.Moore, do you need my help with anything?"


    "Get a few bodyguards.It''s almost lunch hour, so we might need someone to help maintain order."


    Surprised, Rayson blurted, "We need bodyguards?"


    It''s just a restaurant''s opening.


    When Soir Coffee opened for business, at most, we only summoned a few regional managers there to


    help out.


    The manager happened to walk out and overheard Arielle''¡¯s order.


    With a nervous chuckle, he said, "Ms.Moore, we''ve spent a lot of money on the ingredients, not to


    mention that they might go to waste.There aren''t many customers now, and some tables are still


    empty.Isn''t it too much to hire bodyguards? Besides, we have to pay them for their services."


    They might cost more than hiring waiters! "We do, Arielle replied firmly.


    shing him a grin, she assured him by saying, "Don''t worry.The restaurant won''t have to foot the


    bodyguard''s pay."


    After all, she could take advantage of Vinson.

 Chapter 1143

    Chapter 1143


    "Hurry," Arielle urged.


    Theizens would have seen her tweet by then.She might not have a lot of fans in Jadeborough, but


    that tweet would still attract a crowd.


    It would be better to get a few bodyguards to maintain order and prevent chaos from erupting.


    Naturally, Rayson would not object to her order.


    With that, he nodded and pulled his phone out to make the arrangements.


    Before he could call anyone, Sasha and ke appeared out of nowhere.


    "Ms.Moore."


    Sasha gave her a slight nod as a greeting.


    "You look like you need our help."


    Arielle pped her forehead.


    "Oh, I forgot about you two! With your help, I won''t need the bodyguards.If there are many customers


    and the scene gets chaoticter, please help me keep the situation under control."


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    "Sure!"


    ke and Sasha agreed readily.


    The manager was rendered speechless.


    What is going on? Is this a press conference held by a celebrity or a restaurant''s opening? He could


    not help but doubt himself despite admiring Arielle greatly.


    At the same time, two youngdies stepped into the restaurant.


    One of them chose two dishes in an uninterested manner before propping her chin on the palm of her


    hand.


    "Say, how many new restaurants have you been to?" sheined to her friend.


    "None of them are delicious! I can''t believe you still refuse to give up after so many failed attempts.I


    think we should get some fast food, for it will never disappoint us.Recently, the new restaurants suck.I


    wonder who gave them the courage to start their businesses."


    Her friend sitting across from her smiled.


    "We need to try the food out to know if they are yammy.It''s boring to eat at the same restaurants every


    day."


    "All right, then.You''ll give up after trying the food."


    The firstdy who spoke waved her hands and returned the menu to the waiter.


    "We''ll have these two dishes for now.There''s only two of us, so we can''t order too much."


    "Got it.We''ll serve your food shortly."


    The waiter bowed and left.


    The two dishes that the youngdy ordered were modified by Arielle¡ªchicken stew and sauteed


    mushrooms.


    Soon, the food was served.


    "Please enjoy your meal."


    After the waiter left, the youngdy who was initially disinterested sat up at the sight of the dishes.


    The appearance of the dishes made her ravenous.


    "They look delicious, but I wonder if they taste delicious too," she remarked as she picked up a small


    piece of chicken.


    The instant she took a bite of it, her eyes lit up.She was still munching as she reached out to get


    another piece of chicken.


    "Is it yummy?" her friend asked curiously.


    The young woman stuffed the chicken into her mouth before saying incoherently, "T-This is the best


    chicken I''ve ever tasted in my life!"


    Her friend immediately picked up her fork and got a piece of mushroom.


    Sauteed mushrooms were amon dish in the north.


    Yet, she had never tasted one as appetizing as that.


    They dug into their meal, too engrossed in the delicacy to chat with each other.


    The initially dispassionate youngdy even ordered four more dishes.


    To their surprise, all six dishes were perfect.


    There was nothing toin about!

 Chapter 1144

    Chapter 1144


    Meanwhile, a couple was strolling along the street and discussing what to have for lunch.


    "How about Jetroinian food?" the man suggested.


    "Since it''s so hot, I don''t feel like eating local cuisine.Why don''t we have Jetroinian dishes instead?" His


    girlfriend shook her head.


    "I don''t enjoy foreign cuisine.But the hot weather has indeed killed my appetite; I don''t feel like having


    anything."


    "That won''t do!"


    Furrowing his brows, the man added, "We still need to have lunch, especially since you barely had


    anything for breakfast.Why don''t we find a restaurant? At the very least, you should grab a bite to


    eat.Or else, you might end up with stomach problems."


    "In that case, what should we have?"


    With that, the couple was back to square one.


    At that moment, the woman spotted a newly opened restaurant nearby.


    There were congrattory flower stands at the entrance, while a stove could be seen near the window.


    Even though she was a few meters away, she could hear the pot of water bubbling away.


    "That looks to be a newly opened restaurant."


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    She proposed, "Shall we give it a try?"


    Knitting his brows, the man remarked, "Maureen''s Kitchen...Its decorations don''t look impressive at


    all.Besides, who puts a pot in front of their restaurant on their opening day? Perhaps they''re forced to


    resort to such tactics because they couldn''t attract any customers on the first day with their terrible-


    tasting food"


    After a brief hesitation, the woman replied, "It could be.Nevertheless, let''s check it out."


    Just as she spoke, she ran toward the restaurant with the man in tow.


    The moment she approached, she saw a young woman giving instructions to the person beside her.


    Even as a woman herself, she had to admit that thetter''s beauty was ethereal.


    "The water is almost ready.It¡¯s time to put the ravioli in.Also, is the sauce done yet?"


    Judging from the tone of her voice, the beautiful woman''s clearly the owner of the restaurant.


    The woman whispered to her boyfriend, "Why is the restaurant owner so young? I have a feeling that


    you''re right.Their dishes probably aren''t very good."


    The man nodded.


    "A true chef needs many years of experience.Look at her.She looks too young to be one.Seeing her


    appearance, I doubt she has even graduated from university.There''s no way she can cook


    properly.Come along now; let''s check out the other restaurants."


    The duo was about to leave when Arielle looked up and coincidentally met their gazes.


    "Hello," she greeted with a smile, "this ravioli is a free sample of ours.Would you like to try them?"


    The woman was on a budget, as both of them were saving up to buy their matrimonial home.


    Therefore, she stopped in her tracks when she heard the word "free."


    In the end, she walked forward, pulling her boyfriend along with her.


    "Is this your grand opening day?"


    Still smiling, Arielle nodded.


    "That''s right.Not only are we giving out a twenty percent discount storewide, but we''re also offering


    ravioli at the door as free samples.Care to have two portions?"


    Looking at her boyfriend, the woman asked, "Since it''s a free sample, do you want to try them? Come


    to think of it, I haven''t had ravioli in a long time."


    As they were a loving couple, the man did not object to her request.He nodded at Arielle and asked,


    "How long will it take?"


    "Three minutes."


    "All right then.One portion will do."


    Thinking that all ravioli tasted the same, he was not interested in eating them.


    "One portion of ravioliing right up."


    Just as Arielle read the order, Glenn''s apprentice began preparing them.


    As for Arielle, she busied herself by seasoning the sauce made from a secret recipe.


    It consisted of more than ten ingredients and needed to be boiled over low heat for more than an hour.


    Only by adding a myriad of herbs and spices could she perfect the fragrance and taste of the sauce.

 Chapter 1145

    Chapter 1145


    For some reason, the sight of Arielle preparing the sauce with her fair hands made the woman salivate.


    Staring at the ravioli inside the pot, she gulped discreetly.


    When the three minutes were almost up, Arielle added two bowls of cold water into the pot.


    One by one, the ravioli floated to the surface of the water.


    It reminded the woman of toddlers swimming in a pool, making up an adorable image in her mind.


    Suddenly, she could feel the appetite she had lost due to the sweltering heat return.


    After adding the third bowl of water, the ravioli was finally scooped out of the pot.


    The five pieces of ravioli fit perfectly in the stic bowl.


    Once the sauce was added, Arielle drizzled the ravioli with some olive oil, causing a tantalizing aroma


    to waft into the air.


    As a result, even the woman''s boyfriend gulped.


    "There you go." Arielle served them the bowl.


    Grinning, she offered, "There are some chairs over there where you can sit down and enjoy the ravioli."


    "It''s fine.We can stand while we eat."


    The woman smiled awkwardly in return.


    Just in case the ravioli turned out to look better than it tasted, she would feel bad for taking up space


    when she was not going to dine at the restaurant.


    Arielle nodded in acknowledgment.


    Aware of the woman''s concerns, she did not insist.


    After walking to the side, the woman scooped up a piece of ravioli with the spoon.


    The moment she took a bite, she felt a smorgasbord of vors bursting in her mouth.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Her eyes lit up in delight, as that was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted in her life.


    Instead of stopping to tell her boyfriend how delectable the ravioli was, she began wolfing them down


    despite the fact that they were scalding hot.


    In the blink of an eye, she had eaten all five pieces of ravioli.


    Nheless, she felt it was not enough to satisfy her appetite.


    Finally, her boyfriend could not resist asking, "How does it taste?"


    In truth, it was a redundant question, as the woman''s expression said it all¡ªshe was on the brink of


    bursting into tears of Joy.


    Too embarrassed to ask for another free sample, she nced at the pot and suggested, "Let''s go in


    and have our lunch.The food here should taste good."


    If they could turn themon ravioli into something so delicious, I have high hopes for the other


    dishes! As the man was curious to find out how the food actually tasted, he nodded in agreement.


    Walking hand in hand, they approached Arielle and asked, "Are there any tables avable? We would


    like to eat inside."


    "Sure, we still have tables avable," Arielle replied.


    Then, she instructed Rayson, "Bring them to their table."


    "All right!"


    Rayson ushered them into the restaurant.


    Truth be told, he was confused about what had just transpired.


    Judging from the earlier situation, he knew the couple only intended to sample the free ravioli and had


    not meant to dine inside the restaurant.


    Evidently, they were not their target customers.


    I wouldn''t even have invited them to try the ravioli if it were me.


    So, how did both of them end up deciding to dine in the restaurant? Is the ravioli really that irresistible?


    Meanwhile, the foot traffic along the street began to grow.


    Therefore, many passersby were attracted by the free samples.The praises kepting as each of


    them tried out the ravioli.


    "I want to dine here!"


    "Mom, I want more ravioli!"


    "Shall we go in and try?"


    More and more people decided to eat in the restaurant after trying out the ravioli.


    Soon, the tables in the restaurant were fully upied.


    Many people were also sitting on the chairs in the waiting area with eager expressions.

 Chapter 1146

    Chapter 1146


    For the customers whose dishes were served, they would call their friends right after tasting them.


    "Hello? Have you had lunch yet? Come over to this new restaurant called Maureen''s Kitchen at


    Sunflower Street.The food here is so delicious that it will blow your socks off!"


    With arger group, they could try more dishes without needing to worry about wasting any food.


    Before anyone knew it, word of the restaurant spread like wildfire.


    The chairs in the waiting area could not amodate everyone, causing the line to spill into the street.


    Those waiting outside need not have to wait on an empty stomach, as all of them were given free


    samples of ravioli.


    Despite the small portion of the samples, it was sufficient to keep the hunger pangs away.


    More importantly, it also served to increase the customers¡¯ anticipation of the restaurant''s food.


    With the kitchen firing on all cylinders, even Glenn''s apprentice in charge of cooking ravioli outside was


    called back in to help.


    The moment he entered, Glenn asked him, "How many tables are waiting for their food? Why isn''t the


    number of order slips decreasing?"


    His apprentice tittered and replied, "Chef Quigley, I''m afraid we''ll be busy for the rest of the day.The line


    has already stretched into the street.My guess is that our ingredients wouldn''t be enough, even though


    we have ten times more than usual."


    Since the business was going well, Glenn was in a cheerful mood and did not feel tired at all.But it¡¯s a


    stretch to say the ingredients won''t be enough.


    "I highly doubt so.The number of customers would naturally reduce after lunch hour.Moreover, there


    would definitely be people dropping out of the line from waiting too long.Hence, the ingredients should


    be enough."


    Nevertheless, his initial expectation of having to waste half the ingredients was no longering to


    pass.


    The orders stuck on the wall alone would consume sixty to seventy percent of the ingredients.


    s, Glenn¡¯s estimation was wrong again.


    Cars after cars began to fill the parking lot across from the restaurant.


    When it was fully upied, the crowd began parking at the roadside, willing to bear the risk of getting a


    ticket.


    They werergelyizens who came to try Arielle¡¯s restaurant out of curiosity.


    Naturally, some of them were Arielle''s fans.


    "My goddess!"


    The moment the fans alighted from their cars, they saw Arielle cooking ravioli.


    Coincidentally, she had just finished cooking a pot of them.


    The sight of the ravioli floating at the top was so adorable that no one could bring themselves to eat


    them.


    "I''m a fan of yours, my goddess! I came over after seeing your post on Twitter!"


    Many of the fans jostled against each other, eager to greet Arielle.


    In the blink of an eye, a crowd had formed in front of the pot.


    Even though Arielle knew that she would be able to attract some of her fans, she never expected to


    see so many of them.


    In fact, the crowd was still growing.


    Fortunately, she had prepared enough ravioli for everyone.


    "Thank you foring here.I''m sure all of you are hungry after traveling all this way.Here, have some


    ravioli."


    Even when she spoke, she did not cease her hand movements.


    The moment she drizzled the sauce over the ravioli, a heavenly aroma filled the air, which intensified


    the hunger of the already famished fans.


    Given the huge crowd, a single pot of ravioli was insufficient.


    Hence, many fans who received the ravioli thoughtfully and reluctantly shared them with those who did


    not.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Mmm...It''s delicious! I feel like having more!"


    "My goodness, this is a magical ravioli! Did you make this yourself, my goddess?"


    Nodding, Arielle replied, "It''s a recipe I formted when I went back to Maxwell University.Although I


    made a few of them, the majority was prepared by our chef"


    "Wow, you''re so amazing!"


    "Boohoo, I didn''t manage to eat them.My goddess, do you still have any left?"


    "Please calm down; there''s more than enough to go around.It will take three minutes for the next batch


    to be ready.For the time being, you can get a number ande back to collect themter."

 Chapter 1147

    Chapter 1147


    At that moment, aizen who was live-streaming arrived at the restaurant.


    "Hi, everyone.I''m here at the entrance of Maureen''s Kitchen.There are a lot of people here, but I think


    they''re mostly Arielle''s fans.Hence, I''m not sure how many of them are true customers.So, what do all


    of you think? Should I interview the customers first or join the line to order?"


    Thements section was instantly filled with the word "interview."


    As the camera lens panned across the long line outside the restaurant, everyone could not wait to learn


    how good the food was.


    Therefore, none of them had the patience to wait for the streamer to line up.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After reading thements, the streamer nodded.


    "In that case, let''s interview the customers.¡®To get an honest opinion of the food, I''ll avoid the fans


    outside and head inside to talk to those who are having their meals instead."


    Just when the streamer was about to step in, a fresh batch of ravioli was served.


    Since he had rushed over without having lunch, the sudden whiff of tantalizing aroma caused him to


    stop abruptly in his tracks.


    As if entranced, he put the interview session behind him and trotted to the booth where the free


    samples of ravioli were given out.


    Before the booth, a crowd had already formed.It was mostly made up of the fans who were still waiting


    for their portion of free ravioli.


    "The ravioli is delicious! Luckily, I managed to get one piece from someone else just now.Ah...I just


    can''t wait any longer! I have to eat the ravioli before joining the line."


    "You''re really lucky! Unfortunately, I didn''t manage to get any.Nevertheless, I can tell that they are


    divine just by smelling them alone!"


    Only when the streamer heard those words did he suddenly regain his senses.


    What am I doing? Why was I mesmerized by a mere pot of ravioli when it can be found in any


    restaurant? In fact, I can easily get frozen ravioli from the supermarket.


    There can''t be anything special about it! I must''ve been too hungry...


    Shaking his head, he prepared to leave the crowd.


    Coincidentally, arge group of Arielle''s haters arrived at the scene.


    "And here I was, thinking that idiots only existed on the inte.I didn''t expect to find so many idiotic


    fans here in real life! It''s just a bowl of ravioli.Why do they need to brag about its taste?"


    "Exactly.Those not in the know would have thought it was some fine dining cuisine.In the end, isn¡¯t it


    just ravioli?"


    "Others parade her looks on the inte while they boast about ravioli in real life.Hahaha, I thought


    only kids would behave in such a foolish manner.I didn''t expect to see people from all walks of life.Even


    those in their thirties and forties are here.What has the worlde to?"


    "I wonder if their parents would feel ashamed to know that they have such idiots for children.What are


    these people thinking? Have they been blinded by their devotion to their idols?"


    The haters began to bombard the fans with mocking remarks to the extent of disparaging thetter.


    Naturally, the fans were not going to take the insults lying down.


    "What''s the meaning of this? Why are you hurling insults the moment you arrive? Is this how your


    parents raised you?"


    "If you don''t like our goddess, why are you even here? Are you trying to make a nuisance of yourself?


    Do you not have anything better to do?"


    "I have finally seen keyboard warriors in real life.Can you stop being bigoted?"


    "What''s wrong with the ravioli? I dare say my goddess¡¯ ravioli is the best I¡¯ve ever tasted in my life!"


    One of the haters sneered.


    "Are you here for the ravioli or to get into her pants?"


    The words further increased the tension in an already incendiary situation.


    Unlike online arguments, real-life altercations had the potential to escte into actual brawls quickly.

 Chapter 1148

    Chapter 1148


    Seizing the opportunity, one of the haters wanted to hit the male fan closest to him.


    However, the moment he threw his punch, it was intercepted by a small hand.


    Caught by surprise, the hater lowered his gaze and saw that he was stopped by a teenager.


    Instinctively, he attempted to pull his wrist out of thetter''s grasp but was shocked to find that he could


    not move it, no matter how hard he tried.


    Looking at the teenager in disbelief, the hater suddenly wondered if there was something wrong with


    him.


    I must definitely be sick to be weaker than a child.


    As ke shoved the hater''s hand aside, he warned, "You''re not allowed to cause trouble at Ms.Moore''s


    restaurant!"


    "Y-You..."


    Infuriated, the hater used his other hand to grab ke.


    However, just as he raised it, thetter expertly twisted his arm behind his back and held him down.


    "Let go of me! Let go!"


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Even though the hater was a high-school student, he ended up being subdued by someone who


    seemed younger than him.


    Since he had been utterly humiliated, he decided to scream, "Help! Arielle''s fan is beating me up!"


    Briefly stunned, ke exined at once, "I''m not a fan; I''m a bodyguard¡ª"


    "A bodyguard? You''re just a kid! Do you take me for a fool?"


    "You¡ª"


    The outraged ke was about to strike the hater when Arielle admonished him, "ke! Let go of him!"


    ke always deferred to her wishes, so he released the hater despite the fury bubbling up inside him.


    Unexpectedly, it caused an uproar among the haters.


    "Arielle has instigated her fan to beat someone up!"


    "Should we call the police?"


    "Call the police! Call the police! Arielle must be arrested and thrown into prison!"


    Feeling guilty for being the cause of themotion, ke apologized, "Ms.Moore, I''m sorry.It¡¯s all my


    fault.How...How about I give Boss a call?"


    Only Vinson could resolve a matter like that.


    Arielle frowned and did not respond as she was weighing her options.


    Wouldn''t I be admitting to inciting my fan to rough the person up if I apologize? However, if I don''t, the


    restaurant''s business might be affected.


    At that moment, the streamer from earlier came forward.


    "I have managed to record everything! Arielle didn¡¯t instigate anything.Instead, it''s the hater who struck


    first.Luckily, that boy managed to stop him!"


    He then raised his phone and added loudly, "I''m sure everyone in my audience saw what happened


    during my live stream.Someone must have clipped it too! You can call the police, but I have all the


    evidence here."


    With a darkened expression, the hater cleared his throat awkwardly.


    "I...I may have made a mistake.Arielle didn''t incite her fan to start a fight."


    Heaving a sigh of relief, Arielle turned to the streamer and nodded gratefully.


    "Thank you."


    Thetter blushed from having a beauty thank him, even though he was not a fan of Arielle.


    Since he was all pumped up, he took a deep breath and dered, "Since all of you have your doubts


    about the food, let me try the ravioli and be the judge of it!"


    Arielle agreed with it, finding it a good idea.


    Coincidentally, a fresh batch of ravioli had just been cooked.


    While they were still piping hot, she served the streamer a bowl.


    "Please give them a try."


    After nodding in acknowledgment, the streamer passed the phone to hispanion and tasted the


    ravioli.


    The very next second, his eyes sparkled.


    As he stuffed more of it into his mouth, he mumbled, "They''re amazing! They''re really, really delicious!"

 Chapter 1149

    Chapter 1149


    Soon, the streamer finished all five pieces of the ravioli and felt the urge to have more.


    "Can I..have another bowl?"


    The fans were displeased to hear that.


    "No! I haven''t gotten any when I''ve been lining for a long time.You''ve tried the ravioli, so don''t even


    think of jumping in line!"


    "Exactly.We thought you were here to help our goddess.We didn''t expect you to take advantage of it for


    more ravioli!"


    The haters were stumped by thements.


    "That''s enough! All of you can drop the act.I''m sure you''re also a fan of hers!" one of them snapped at


    the streamer.


    The streamer quickly denied, waving his hands at once.


    "No, not at all.You can check out my social media ount if you don''t believe me.I came here to show


    the restaurant to my fans through live stream after reading about it on Twitter."


    The haters did not believe him at all.


    "Do you take us for fools? And that we''ll take your word for it?"


    Running out of ways to defend himself, the streamer countered, "There''s still some ravioli left.If you


    don''t believe me, you can try them for yourself?"


    The haters were not afraid to take up the challenge.


    "Fine! We''ll do it.With so many people watching, we''re not afraid of you poisoning the food."


    Subsequently, the hater, who was subdued by ke earlier, picked up a bowl and started eating.He


    was still scowling before he dug in, flummoxed by why there was such a big fuss over the ravioli.


    Yet, the next second, the rich and vorsome content of the ravioli spread across his tongue.


    "How...is this even possible?" he muttered in disbelief.


    Thinking that it was a false impression due to his hunger, he quickly took another bite.


    As he gorged on them, he realized that he could not stop.


    The other haters, who were waiting for him to humiliate Arielle, urged with a frown, "Hey! Don''t just


    keep eating.Tell us about the taste!"


    Atst, that hater put down his bowl.


    However, it was not because he had enough but because he had cleaned his bowl.


    His lips quivered as he muttered something, but not aplete sentence was heard from him even


    after a long while.


    "Say something!"


    The other haters prodded when they took in the odd look on his face.


    Finally, he replied in a low voice, "It actually is quite good."


    The fans heaved a collective sigh of relief, d that the hater had a conscience and spoke honestly.


    On the other hand, the other haters were vexed.


    "You must be a mole!"


    "What''s wrong with you? How can you lie in front of so many of us? Don''t you have a conscience?"


    used of being a traitor by his group, that particr hater became anxious.


    "If you don''t believe me, you can try them and make your own judgment!"


    The other haters refused to believe it still.It''s just ravioli; how good can it actually taste?


    "l try!"


    "Me too!"


    "Give me a portion!"


    In a short while, the haters disyed a myriad of reactions.


    Some wore incredulous expressions, some fell into deep silence, while some had faces as ck as


    thunder.


    In fact, some even clicked their tongues in amazement.


    Considering how they turned amon dish like ravioli into something so delicious, it goes without


    saying thai the other dishes must be equally impressive.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Even though many of the haters were still upset, none of them could deny the tastiness of the ravioli.


    When the streamer saw their response, he scoffed at them.


    Ignoring themotion, he looked at his phone and said to the viewers, "Sorry for the dy.Now, let''s


    interview the customers inside."


    The moment he finished his sentence, the viewers left manyments, saying that the interview was


    no longer necessary.


    There''s no need to.You can go ahead and join the line.Even the haters have given in.It''s no longer


    necessary to ask about the food anymore.Save it.I''ve already gotten a taxi to take me to Maureen''s


    Kitchen.I''m from Horington, so the journey will take around four hours, just in time for dinner.


    Take me along with you! I''m from Horington too.


    We can try more dishes by dining as a group there!Argh! I''m studying overseas right now.


    Poor me.


    When will they open a branch overseas? Isn''t it too much to make me wait till I return for the winter


    holidays?

 Chapter 1150

    Chapter 1150


    When the streamer saw the replies, he felt himself swelling with delight.


    After all, he no longer needed to conduct the interview and could join the line directly.I can''t wait to try


    the other dishes in Maureen''s Kitchen! Holding that thought, he went to join the line right away.


    Contrary to his tion, Arielle''s fans waiting for the ravioli at the booth were exasperated.


    Even though they were happy that the tastiness of the ravioli was appreciated, they could not smile


    because the haters had finished the most recent batch of ravioli.


    "Those haters are so annoying! I deliberately squeezed my way up to the front, yet they finished all the


    ravioli!"


    "Could it be that they''re fans masquerading as haters so that they could get the ravioli ahead of us?"


    Feeling indignant, some of the fans joined the line to dine in the restaurant, while others continued to


    wait at the booth for the ravioli.


    Strangely, they noticed that a few of the haters had joined the line.


    In an instant, the fans mocked, "Hey, weren''t you pouring scorn on our goddess¡¯ restaurant just a while


    ago? Why have you joined the line too?"


    Caught in the act, one of the haters scowled but countered shamelessly, "Isn''t the whole point of


    running a restaurant to serve customers? As one of them, don''t I have the right to eat here too? Since


    when is it illegal to do so?"


    The fans pursed their lips and stopped arguing with the haters.


    They could not be any happier for Arielle that the business at the restaurant was brisk, so they would


    never chase her customers away.


    At that sight, the other haters who were too embarrassed to line up earlier finally came out of hiding


    and joined them openly.


    With that, the line stretched even further from the restaurant entrance to the parking lot.


    Even the sticky notes used to write the numbers for the waitlist were finished.


    Therefore, the manager had no choice but to cut a stack of papers into squares and jot numbers on


    them.


    At that moment, it finally dawned upon him how much foresight Arielle had.


    Meanwhile, Rayson was as busy as a bee as he helped around the restaurant.


    At one moment, he would be helping to serve food to the customers, and at the other moment, he


    would be summoning more bodyguards to maintain the order of the line so that no one would try and


    jump in.


    Not only that, but he would also help to take orders.


    Even though the hall was busy, it was a lot more hectic in the kitchen.


    Since there were not enough chefs, Glenn had to transfer some of the apprentices from the old


    restaurant over.


    The waiter reported an order of six servings of roast chicken, and Glenn had just put them into the oven


    when the former returned and added, "Two more servings of roast chickens...And five servings of roast


    pork."


    "Got it.The opening day is killing me,"


    Glennmented.


    Nevertheless, he had a broad grin on his face.


    Since he had a stake in the restaurant, it meant that he was one of its owners too.


    Therefore, he looked forward to being busy, as it was a sign that business was buzzing.


    As sweat streamed down his forehead continuously, he worked hard to send out the dishes like


    clockwork.


    When he saw that the ingredients were almost finished despite preparing ten times more than usual, he


    could not resist asking the manager, "Is there still a line outside?"


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "Yes!"


    The manager nodded.


    "Chef Quigley, I don''t think you''ll get the chance to rest today," he remarked regrettably, though he was


    delighted by the crowd.


    "What?" Glenn looked at the time in shock.


    "It''s already two.How can there still be a line? How many of them are there?"

 Chapter 1151

    Chapter 1151


    As Glenn had been busy in the kitchen the whole time, he had no idea how long the line outside had


    be.


    For a moment, the manager was nonplussed by his question.


    Before he could reply, Rayson came in with a box of things.Glenn asked curiously, "What did you


    bring? Ingredients?"


    "No, no."


    Rayson waved his hands and exined, "Ms. Moore got me to buy sandwiches and isotonic drinks for


    everyone. That way, you will stay hydrated and not be drained by the heat"


    Glenn shook his hands in rejection.


    "People like us who work in the kitchen all year round won''t be drained by the heat.Therefore, there''s


    no need to worry.Besides, we will likely be finished in an hour or two"


    "An hour or two?" Rayson smiled awkwardly.


    "I''m afraid that''s not going to be possible."


    Puzzled, Glenn asked, "How long is the line? How many people are actually there?"


    "How should I put this..." Rayson scratched his balding head.


    "From noon onward, the line didn''t shorten at all. In fact, it even grew longer."


    "W-What?"


    Glenn was dumbstruck.


    "Are you kidding me?"


    Beside him, the manager smiled wryly.


    "Why would we joke at such a busy time? Even if no new customer joins the line from now on, we will


    need to work till five or six in the evening to serve all the customers. By then, it will, unfortunately, be


    dinner time. Chef Quigley, you had better be prepared not to have any rest today."


    Glenn stared at him in disbelief.


    Seeing that he remained unconvinced, the manager suggested, "Why don''t you take a look for


    yourself?"


    "Sure, I''ll do that!"


    After handing over his station to his apprentice, Glenn followed the manager out of the restaurant.


    The moment he arrived at the entrance, he realized he could not even see the end of the line.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Moreover, there seemed to be a continuous stream of peopleing over from the parking lot to dine


    at the restaurant.


    Looking at Glenn, the manager asked, "Do you believe us now?"


    Glenn was stumped for a reaction.It...It seems like I''ve underestimated Ms.Moore...


    Even though he was confident in the dishes of Maureen''s Kitchen and expected a crowd on their


    opening day, it never crossed his mind that the restaurant would be swamped to such an extent.


    After giving it some thought, he figured that it must have something to do with Arielle.


    Staring at the long line, Glenn felt embarrassed for telling Arielle to purchase lesser ingredients in the


    morning, for he was worried about overbuying.


    When the manager saw his conflicted expression, he chuckled and remarked, "Even I didn''t expect


    such a crowd.When Ms.Moore wanted to hire bodyguards, I still thought she was overreacting...But


    now, it''s obvious that the line would have degenerated into chaos without them.I have made a


    misjudgment."


    At that moment, Glenn felt the same way about himself.


    Rayson, who had followed them out, raised his brows and asked, "Chef Quigley, do you need me to


    bring the box out from the kitchen?"


    Glenn smiled awkwardly.


    "You can leave it there.I''ll get back to work now."


    I''ll probably need the sandwiches and drinks, as it¡¯s going to be a long day.


    Better to be safe than sorry.


    As time ticked by, customers who had finished their food were quickly reced by new ones, forming


    an endless cycle.


    When the other restaurant owners along the street saw how popr Maureen''s Kitchen was, they


    could not help but join the line.


    After all, they, too, were curious about the quality of the dishes.

 Chapter 1152

    Chapter 1152


    As a result, the line grew even longer.


    As of then, it was made up of fans, haters, agogizens, curious passersby, nearby residents, and


    friends of those that had just eaten there.


    The line was so long that the end was not even in sight.


    At that moment, a group of people alighted from a few MPVs.


    Judging from the video cameras they were holding, many of them were obviously cameramen.


    Thest person who got out of the vehicle was none other than Jason.


    The project he was currently working on was on hold, as they had yet to find a suitable female lead.


    Since he was bound by the contract and could not take up another role until the film crew sorted things


    out, he participated in a variety show in the meantime.


    The theme of the show, named Amazing Tastes, was to showcase traditional local cuisine.


    As the permanent host of the show, Jason''s job was simple.


    All he needed to do was discover restaurants that served traditional local cuisine and try them out.


    After he epted the project, many owners of chain restaurants wanted to be featured on his show as


    a means to promote their brands.


    However, Jason was obstinate and refused to feature restaurants of that sort.


    In the end, the program slowly evolved into a travel show instead.


    He would travel to all the big cities in the country and find the most popr local restaurants there.


    For that particr episode, the filming location was set in Jadeborough.


    "Today, we are here at Sunflower Street, a famous restaurant district among the locals.Almost all the


    shops here are at least a hundred years old.Let''s see if we can find anything delicious along this


    street."


    After Jason gestured at the camera, the cameraman stopped recording.


    "Don''t follow me around yet in case amotion arises.After all, this street should be thronged with


    people.I''ll wear a mask as I scout out the restaurants, and I''ll only need one cameraman toe with


    me."


    The director nodded.


    "In that case, we''ll wait for you here.We can begin the filming officially once you have decided on a


    restaurant."


    "Sure," Jason replied.


    After ensuring his face was well covered and unrecognizable, he walked ahead with a cameraman


    following closely behind.


    No sooner had he taken a few steps than he saw a long line right in front of him.


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    Why are there so many people here? What are they lining up for? Is one of the shops giving out


    freebies? Intrigued, Jason stood at the back of the line and lowered his voice deliberately as he asked


    the person standing before him.


    "What are you lining up for?"


    Thetter was bored from waiting, so he rted everything to Jason.


    "I¡¯m lining up to eat at this restaurant called Maureen''s Kitchen.It''s their grand opening today, and I


    heard it¡¯s a branch restaurant.My friend told me :hat the food here is delicious.Coincidentally, I''m not


    working today, so I thought I''d drop by and try it out."


    Jason''s eyes popped in bewilderment.


    "Are you telling me that all these people here are lining up just to have a meal?"


    "Yeah."


    Jason furrowed his brows.


    "Can this be a publicity stunt to create an illusion that the restaurant is very popr?"


    "No! Definitely not!"


    The man showed Jason the group chat he shared with his friends.


    "My friend came early and finished his meal.Here are the pictures he has taken."


    Looking at them intenuy, Jason saw an array of traditional local cuisine.


    Even though they were only pictures, he could sense how delicious the dishes were by looking at them.


    After keeping his phone away, the man pointed to the front.


    "If you don''t believe me, you can go to the booth in front and get a free sample."

 Chapter 1153

    Chapter 1153


    "A free sample?" Jason arched a brow.


    "There''s even a booth giving out free samples?"


    Usually, only a supermarket would use such a marketing ploy to attract customers.


    Even then, the food might not be any good.


    Therefore, it was the first time Jason heard of a restaurant that served local cuisine setting up a booth


    to give free samples.


    "You should give it a try," the person standing before him suggested.


    "When my friend shared the photos of the free samples, he imed that it was absolutely divine and


    emphasized it a few times.That piqued my curiosity, so I went to try it, and I couldn''t agree more with


    his review!"


    Suddenly, Jason was intrigued by the restaurant and its aggressive marketing tactics.


    "All right, I''ll do that then"


    He then gave the man a slight nod before walking ahead.


    Meanwhile, the cameraman, who had his video camera recording from a hole in his bag, caught up to


    Jason and asked softly, "Mr.Sleight, should I inform the director to begin the filming officially?"


    Jason shook his head and replied, "Since the majority of those in the line skew toward the younger age


    group, it¡¯s highly likely that many of them are my fans.Therefore, to prevent potential chaos, it''s better if


    we don''t get the others toe here.We''ll just do this undercover.Anyway, you should find a good


    angle and start rolling."


    "Sure, sure!"


    After adjusting the video camera in his bag, the cameraman began filming once he was sure he could


    get a clear shot of Jason.


    Given how long the line was, Jason had to walk for a few minutes before reaching the front.


    "Maureen''s Kitchen..." he muttered, knitting his brows.


    "It has a good name. Now, I wonder if it deserves the long line it''s getting."


    He hid his microphone in his cor as he walked toward the restaurant.


    When Jason arrived at the entrance, he saw the booth on the right.


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    However, he was unable to determine what was being given out due to the overwhelming crowd.


    At that moment, a girl squeezed out of the crowd with a stic bowl in hand and a gleeful smile on her


    face.


    It felt like she was holding a cherished treasure.


    At the sight of the people being packed like sardines, Jason realized there was no way he could afford


    to expend time standing in the line.


    If the food ended up tasting bad, the time he spent waiting would go to waste since the recorded


    content would not be used.


    After a brief hesitation, he walked up to the girl holding the bowl.


    "Hello."


    Much to his surprise, the girl immediately hid the bowl behind her back, as though she was worried that


    he would snatch it away.


    Jason smiled wryly in response.


    Was that necessary?


    "What do you want?"


    The girl eyed him warily.


    After all, he was all wrapped up inyers of clothing and had his entire face covered despite the hot


    weather.


    In fact, he was even wearing a pair of sunsses.


    In her opinion, he looked like someone who was up to no good.


    In a resigned tone, Jason exined, "I just got here.Anyway, I''d like to ask you a question.What free


    samples are they giving out?"


    Pursing her lips, the girl answered, "Ravioli!"


    "Ravioli?"


    Jason asked in incredulity, "They are lining up just for ravioli?"


    Have they gone mad? Unable to see Jason''s expression due to his mask, the girl nodded matter-of-


    factly.


    "That''s right.They are all lining up for ravioli.It''s delicious!"


    "But, no matter how good it is, how can it be worth lining up underneath the scorching sun?"


    "What do you know?"


    The girl gave him the side-eye.


    "It''s obvious you haven''t tried them before.They are undoubtedly the best in the world!"


    "The best in the world?"


    Despite his reservations, Jason did not feel that the girl was exaggerating at all.

 Chapter 1154

    Chapter 1154


    Out of curiosity, Jason steeled himself to ask a shameless question.


    "May I try one from your bowl?"


    The girl red at him in return.


    "What nonsense are you talking about? I spent half an hour jostling in the crowd to get this bowl.Why


    should I give you one piece?"


    Evidently, she was not willing to share.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Left without a choice, he took out some bills.


    "Can I buy one piece of ravioli from you for two hundred?"


    Two hundred was an exorbitant price to pay just for a piece of ravioli.


    In his opinion, it was the greatest deal in the world.


    To his surprise, the girl rejected him outright.


    "No! Two hundred for my ravioli? Stop daydreaming!"


    Furrowing his brows, Jason assumed that the girl was seizing the opportunity to extort money from him.


    In the interest of time, he took out all the cash he had in his wallet.


    "Here''s a thousand.That''s all I have."


    "No! I won''t sell it even for a thousand!" the girl snapped as she attempted to leave with her bowl.


    At that moment, he realized that the girl was genuinely reluctant to part with the ravioli and was not


    trying to pull a fast one on him.


    Is it really that good? The curiosity he felt toward the ravioli deepened.


    Since money could not get the job done, he had no choice but to use his final tactic.


    Jason clenched his teeth and went after the girl.


    When the girl noticed that someone was following her, she turned around nervously.


    Realizing it was the man who offered to buy her ravioli, she snarled, "Why are you tailing me? Are you


    nning to snatch them in broad daylight?"


    Despite having been rebuffed, Jason was determined to get his hands on the ravioli no matter what.


    "That''s not it.The truth is," he exined while taking off his mask, "I''m Jason Sleight."


    The girl could not believe her eyes.


    "A-Are you really him?" she blurted out in shock.


    Nodding, Jason quickly shushed her.


    "We''re filming Amazing Tastes right now.The cameraman is just behind me."


    The girl craned her neck and looked at the man carrying a bag behind Jason.She could spot a hole in


    the bag and barely recognized the camera lens beyond it.


    Coincidentally, she was a fan of Jason''s.


    Blushing with embarrassment, she replied, "I''m sorry.I didn''t know you were Jason.I assumed you were


    trying to steal my ravioli"


    Jason''s lips twitched, and he exined, "I''m looking for a suitable restaurant to film my show.My


    interest was piqued when I saw the long line here.As I was worried that the restaurant wouldn''t live up


    to the hype, I decided to get a piece of ravioli from you to try."


    "I see!"


    The girl nodded before offering Jason the bowl reluctantly.


    "In that case, you can have this.I''ll go line up for another one."


    She did not mind lining up again since she got to interact with a celebrity.


    "Thank you very much."


    Jason shed her a grateful smile, causing her to blush even harder.


    "Don''t mention it.If I had known you were filming a show, I would have given it to you right away."


    After thanking her again, he put his mask back on.


    "We''re filming this in secret, so we''re trying not to attract attention.Could I trouble you to keep my


    appearance a secret?"


    "Of course! No problem!"


    The girl responded with an "OK" sign and added, "Make sure you do a good job showcasing them, as


    this restaurant is run by my goddess.If you could help promote her business, I would''ve done my part


    to help her."

 Chapter 1155

    Chapter 1155


    Taken aback, Jason asked curiously, "Your goddess? Is this ce owned by a female celebrity?"


    If it were owned by a female celebrity, one would have reason to doubt the quality of the restaurant''s


    food.


    After all, the influence of a celebrity was significant.


    Their fans would willingly exaggerate how good their performance was even if they could barely act, let


    alone the food in a restaurant they owned.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    At that moment, Jason regretted shamelessly asking for the ravioli, as it was not necessary for him to


    have done so.


    Just when he nned to return the bowl to the girl, she shook her head and replied, "My goddess isn''t


    a celebrity, but she''s more popr than one."


    Jason froze in response as a name popped up in his mind.


    He asked at once, "What''s her name?"


    "Arielle Moore! There''s a nice ring to it, doesn''t it? Also, she looks gorgeous! Moreover, she cooks the


    ravioli herself, and people say that it''s her own recipe too."


    The girl''s eyes began to sparkle as she spoke.


    Evidently, she was a hardcore fan of Arielle''s.


    Her answer gave him a jolt, and he began to feel mixed emotions.


    Arielle...I didn''t expect her to be the owner of this restaurant! Tightening his grip on the bowl, Jason


    tried his best to stay calm.


    "Thank you; I''ll definitely do my best to promote the restaurant on the show."


    "In that case, I''ll return to the line now!" the girl chirped and waved her hands satisfactorily before


    rejoining the line for the free ravioli.


    As her friend was lining up to enter the restaurant, all she needed to do was line up at the ravioli booth.


    After watching the girl leave, Jason gestured for the cameraman to stop recording.He then passed the


    ravioli to the cameraman before finding a quiet corner in an alley where he gave Arielle a call.


    Meanwhile, the line continued to grow in front of the ravioli booth.


    However, two refrigerators¡¯ worth of ravioli was almost finished.


    Sasha could not help but ask, "Ms.Moore, we''re about to run out of ravioli.What should we do?"


    Ariclle mulled over it and replied, "So be it.We''re shorthanded anyway, and there''s no way we can get


    the kitchen to prepare more, considering how swamped they are.As of now, you should count the


    number of people in line and inform those at the back that we''re out of ravioli.That way, they don''t have


    to waste time lining up."


    "Okay."


    Sasha nodded before doing as she was told.


    Soon, the line in front of the booth grew shorter as everyone joined the line to dine in the restaurant.


    Just when thest batch of ravioli was put into the pot, Arielle''s phone suddenly rang.


    When she saw the number, she found it familiar but could not remember who it belonged to.


    Nevertheless, she answered it after a brief hesitation.


    "Hello, who is this?"


    "It''s me, Jason."


    The other person went straight to the point.


    "Jason..."


    Arielle had not heard that name in a long time.


    Thus, she could not recall who it was until he dered confidently, "I can bring in much more


    customers to your restaurant as long as you agree to act as my female lead."


    The moment she heard the haughty tone, her memory was jogged.It¡¯s that conceited megastar.


    Why hasn''t he dropped the idea of getting me to be his female lead? Arielle replied in exasperation,


    "Jason, if you have nothing better to do, go find some books to read.I''m really busy and have no time to


    talk to you.Bye."


    When she was about to end the call, Jason, who was surprised by her reaction, stopped her.


    "Wait! I''m not done talking!"


    Having lost her patience, she pursed her lips and asked, "What else do you want to say?"


    He quickly exined, "I''m filming a variety show called Amazing Tastes,which has ratings so high that


    they have broken many records.The content revolves around local cuisine.Anyway, didn¡¯t you just open


    up a new restaurant? I''m nearby now and can help you promote your ce for free."

 Chapter 1156

    Chapter 1156


    Chapter 1156 Unexpected Turn Of Events


    Jason¡¯s tone started out fine but subconsciously developed a hint of arrogance toward the end. He made


    it sound as though he was doing her a favor.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± Arielle rejected him without a second thought. ¡°I¡¯m happy with the customer traffic I have


    now and don¡¯t need you to promote it for me. Nheless, I appreciate the offer. Bye!¡±


    Before Jason could reply, she ended the call at once.


    ¡°Let me do it.¡± Upon returning to her station, she scooped out the cooked ravioli.


    Once thest bowls were served, she went into the restaurant to help the wait staff, not bothering to take


    a break.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    In the alley, Jason scowled as he watched Arielle return to the restaurant after ending their call.


    ¡°Da*n!¡±


    Just as he cursed, the cameraman ran toward him excitedly while waving the empty bowl in his hand.


    ¡°Mr. Sleight, the ravioli was truly amazing. In fact, I felt like tearing up after eating them!¡±


    Jason raised his brows. ¡°Can you stop rubbing it in?¡±


    Considering how long the line was and what the female fan said earlier, he obviously knew that the food


    was good.


    Having been snarled at for no reason, the cameraman asked curiously, ¡°Mr. Sleight, what happened?¡±


    ¡°Nothing! Let¡¯s go!¡± After putting his mask back on, Jason stormed back to where they came from.


    Puzzled, the cameraman inquired, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to film this restaurant anymore?¡±


    Jason snapped, ¡°No, I don¡¯t!¡±


    Tch! There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to do it after how she treated me.


    Soon, both of them returned to the crew.


    The director immediately approached and asked, ¡°How was it? Did you manage to find a suitable


    restaurant for filming?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Jason¡¯s expression could not be more sullen.


    Baffled, the director pulled the cameraman aside and asked, ¡°What happened? Who got on Jason¡¯s


    nerves?¡±


    The cameraman was young and did not know the rtionship history between Jason and Arielle, so he


    shook his head to express his ignorance. ¡°I don¡¯t know either¡­ Everything started out fine, then he got


    upset.¡±


    ncing at Jason, who had gone to rest in his MPV, the director felt even more curious.


    ¡°Give me the camera.¡±


    The cameraman brought out the video camera from his bag and handed it over.


    A few minutester, Gracie brought them a message.


    ¡°Mr. Graham, Jason says that he¡¯s not feeling well, so he¡¯s not going to film the show today.¡±


    The director, James Graham, widened in eyes in shock. ¡°What? He¡¯s not filming today? But this show will


    be broadcasted every week. Furthermore, Jason needs to attend an award ceremony over the next few


    days. If he doesn¡¯t film it today, when will he have time to do it?¡±


    Gracie suggested helplessly, ¡°Perhaps, we can film it three dayster and get the post-production team


    to work overtime?¡±


    James¡¯ expression grew solemn. ¡°Three dayster? We need one day to film and another day to edit.


    Even if the post-production team work round the clock, they still won¡¯t make it in time.¡±


    Gracie naturally knew that, but she was also aware of how stubborn Jason could be.


    At that moment, James suddenly thought about the recording he had just watched.


    His eyes lit up when an idea urred to him.


    ¡°I understand.¡± Nodding at Gracie, he added, ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll skip filming for this week¡¯s episode, as I


    already have the content.¡±


    Gracie asked inquisitively, ¡°I thought we hadn¡¯t filmed it yet? Where did you get the content?¡±


    James did not intend to exin. Hence, he merely answered, ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡±


    Even though Gracie had her suspicions, she did not question him further because Jason was already


    calling for her. Hence, she turned around and got on the MPV.


    James¡¯ face broke into a wide grin as he held the video camera.


    Perhaps, this unexpected turn of events might boost our ratings even further.

 Chapter 1157

    Chapter 1157


    Chapter 1157 Losing Confidence


    While James had decided to use the secretly filmed content, Jason was staring at the call history on his


    phone with a glum expression.


    Even though the callsted less than a minute, it infuriated him and negatively affected his mood.


    Can it be that she isn¡¯t ying hard to get and really doesn¡¯t have feelings for me?


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Gracie,¡± he asked, ¡°how many fans do I have now?¡±


    ¡°Around eighty million. Why?¡±


    After a brief hesitation, Jason continued, ¡°Do you think girls generally like me?¡±


    Even though Gracie did not know why he asked her such a question, she replied honestly, ¡°All the girls


    that I know are your fans. All my rtives, from my mom to my niece in kindergarten, are also your fans.¡±


    Having heard her words, Jason finally regained his confidence.


    ¡°Perhaps, I was just overthinking.¡±


    Gracie sensed that something was amiss, so she asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re a megastar, so


    why do you doubt your own charm?¡±


    A wry smile touched his lips. ¡°Would you believe me if I told you that I have lost my confidence?¡±


    Looking at Jason¡¯s expression, she racked her brains and inquired, ¡°Are you in a rtionship? Or is it


    one-sided?¡±


    Jason reclined his chair with a darkening expression and covered his face with a sleep mask. Evidently,


    he was no longer in the mood to talk.


    Thepany doesn¡¯t bar him from having a rtionship. All he¡¯s required to do is report it ahead of time.


    However, why does it seem like Jason has not sessfully pursued this girl?


    Just when Gracie was tempted to delve deeper into the matter, she bit her tongue after sensing that he


    was in a bad mood.


    Back at Maureen¡¯s kitchen, the line had not shortened in any way, even though they were approaching


    closing time.


    ¡°Should we extend the operating hours?¡± Glenn asked Arielle.


    She waved the bills she was holding. ¡°We have made enough for today, so we will not extend our


    operating hours, and neither will we do so in the future.¡±


    In response, Glenn heaved a sigh of relief.


    This old body of mine is already aching all over.


    If it were any other employer, they would definitely insist on extending the business hours to rake in more


    money. Consequently, Glenn counted his blessings that Arielle was the one in charge.


    After sending Rayson to tell those waiting in line to return the next day, Arielle pulled Glenn aside and


    remarked, ¡°Chef Quigley, as you can see for yourself, business today was decent.¡±


    Glenn nodded repeatedly. ¡°Definitely beyond decent. Even though I¡¯ve been working as a chef for years,


    I have never seen a restaurant as busy as ours before.¡±


    Even the restaurants that were wildly popr online paled inparison.


    After grunting in acknowledgment, Arielle added, ¡°If word of mouth about the restaurant continues to


    spread, I¡¯m sure business will continue to pick up. Well, I was wondering if you want to stop working in


    the kitchen.¡±


    Stunned, he asked, ¡°What do you mean by that? Are you firing me?¡±


    The woman chuckled and exined, ¡°How can that be? My intention is for you to step down from


    cooking so that you can focus on training more chefs. Or else we won¡¯t have enough hands in the


    kitchen at all. Furthermore, I¡¯m aiming to open more branches and certainly won¡¯t be stopping at just


    one. Who knows, we might actually get to a hundred branches. As a result, I want you to groom more


    chefs in line with our nned expansion.¡±


    After a momentary silence, Glenn nodded in agreement. ¡°Sure!¡±


    Just when they finished their discussion, Vinson¡¯s voice rang out from behind.


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, is the kitchen still open?¡±


    Arielle turned around in delight and was greeted by the sight of Vinson holding arge cake. Given how


    exhausted he looked, it was apparent that he had rushed over from the airport.

 Chapter 1158

    Chapter 1158


    Chapter 1158 Only Him


    Arielle could not keep herself from smiling.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you send a text to inform me that you¡¯re back?¡±


    After cing the cake on the table, Vinson replied, ¡°Rayson told me you were busy, so I decided toe


    right over. How was it? Are you tired?¡±


    She replied candidly, ¡°A little.¡±


    It was the truth, as the long day of work had her feeling utterly drained.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you for a massageter.¡± After tousling her hair, he turned toward Glenn and eximed, ¡°Happy


    birthday, Chef Quigley!¡±


    Glenn widened his eyes in surprise. ¡°H-How did you¡­¡±


    Arielle, too, was taken aback.


    Today¡¯s Chef Quigley¡¯s birthday?


    Before she could say a word, Vinson added, ¡°Arielle told me about it and even reminded me to bring a


    cake.¡±


    A dozen of question marks appeared in her mind as she stiffened up.


    After all, she did not even know it was Glenn¡¯s birthday, let alone instruct Vinson to get a cake.


    Nheless, it quickly dawned upon her what Vinson was trying to do.


    He was trying to help her build a good rapport with Glenn.


    Nevertheless, she was surprised by how attentive he was, to the extent of learning about her employee¡¯s


    birthday.


    Since he had painstakingly prepared everything, she obviously would not expose the truth.


    In the event that the restaurant grew in poprity, there would naturally be many jealouspetitors


    who would try to poach her staff away from her. As it was impossible for her to stay in the restaurant the


    whole time, Glenn would be the bedrock of the business. If he were to be headhunted by someone else,


    Maureen¡¯s Kitchen would definitely not survive for long.


    Even though she had given him a stake in the restaurant, there was always a risk of thepetitors


    offering him more.


    As a result, other than offering mary incentives, she had to build a good rtionship with her


    subordinates.


    It was not considered Machiavellian; it was just how a businessperson should think.


    That just went to show how much business acumen Vinson had.


    Holding that thought, Arielle shed a smile at Glenn. ¡°Chef Quigley, happy birthday, and may all your


    wishese true!¡±


    Glenn was moved to tears.


    While rubbing his hands in joy and embarrassment, he replied, ¡°Thank you, both of you.¡±


    When all the customers left an hourter, all the chefs, staff, and even the bodyguards celebrated


    Glenn¡¯s birthday for him.


    After Glenn had blown out the candles on his cake and was urged by the younger staff to make a wish,


    he could not help but tear up again.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Even my son doesn¡¯t remember my birthday, but all of you did¡­ Thank you. I¡¯m really touched.¡±


    ¡°Come on! We¡¯re all family here,¡± Arielle replied. ¡°Anyway, go ahead and cut the cake!¡±


    With that, Glenn cut the cake into even portions.


    Since the cake was big, everyone managed to get a slice.


    When Vinson was not paying attention, Arielle dipped her fingers into her slice of cake and


    mischievously spread the cream on his face.


    The man was briefly stunned before taking revenge on her the very next second.


    After messing around for a while, everyone packed up and went home.


    Inside the car, Arielle had drifted into a slumber from exhaustion.


    By the time she opened her eyes, she was already lying on a bed.


    However, she soon realized that she was in Vinson¡¯s room and not her own.


    Puzzled, she rubbed her eyes and quickly sat up after confirming that she was not mistaken.


    The moment she did, she heard the sound of running water from the bathroom.


    Vinson was clearly bathing inside.


    He¡¯s bathing¡­


    Arielle could not help but blush.


    Since their marriage was official, it was just a matter of time before they took their rtionship to the next


    step.


    Even though she wanted to use the opportunity to leave, she did not know why her legs stopped moving.


    After hemming and hawing for a while, she gritted her teeth andy back down on the bed.


    Forget it! This is it! After all, I have chosen him as the man of my life.

 Chapter 1159

    Chapter 1159


    Chapter 1159 Are You Shy


    Having made up her mind, Arielley on the bed with her eyes wide open.


    Despite feeling nervous, she was also filled with anticipation.


    Finally, the bathroom door opened with a creak.


    Even though it was soft, she heard it at once due to how quiet the room was.


    For some unknown reason, she quickly closed her eyes and continued pretending to be asleep.


    Somehow, her sense of hearing was sharper that way.


    She could clearly hear Vinson¡¯s every footstep as he approached the bed.


    At that moment, Arielle¡¯s heart began to race. Though she was still pretending to be asleep, her palms


    were all sweaty from the nervousness she felt.


    However, the sound of footsteps stopped by her bed. No other movements came from Vinson, as if he


    had just disappeared.


    The bewildered Arielle continued to listen intently with her eyes closed. Yet, she still did not hear a thing.


    Two minutester, she gradually opened her eyes as her curiosity got the better of her.


    The moment she did, she saw Vinson standing by the bed. He was looking at her while trying to hold


    back a smile as though he had been waiting for her to open her eyes the whole time.


    Arielle¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Averting her gaze, she grumbled, ¡°Why are you trying to scare me by standing there?¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Her angry yet shy expression tugged at Vinson¡¯s heartstrings, and he could no longer maintain his


    composure.


    With a slight quirk of his lips, he asked, ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s cheeks turned into a darker shade of red.


    Why is he asking me that question when he obviously knows I was pretending to be asleep?


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m awake!¡±


    Sitting up grumpily, she dered, ¡°I¡¯m going back to my room!¡±


    Just when her feet touched the ground, Vinson scooped her up and ced her on hisp, putting her


    legs on each side of his waist.


    ¡°W-What are you doing?¡± By then, her face was as red as a tomato.


    The man leaned over to press his body against hers and whispered to her ear, ¡°Sannie, isn¡¯t it time to do


    what couples do since we¡¯ve been married for so long?¡±


    At that moment, all of Arielle¡¯s earlier established courage fled her mind.


    Vinson¡¯s words had caused her heart to flutter uncontrobly.


    ¡°W-We haven¡¯t held our wedding yet, and your mom hasn¡¯t epted me too.¡±


    Since their marriage certificates were obtained as a tactic, they were not actually married in the essence


    of the word.


    ¡°Oh?¡± He chuckled. ¡°Are you angry at me for not preparing for our wedding? I didn¡¯t realize you were


    looking forward to it that much. If that was the case, why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± As Arielle averted her gaze, she could even feel her ears burning.


    Vinson refused to let go of the chance to tease her. Tilting his head to regain eye contact with her, he


    asked cheekily, ¡°Are you shy, or are you scared?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not scared at all!¡±


    His smiled broadened further.


    ¡°Really? Why is your hand shaking then?¡±


    Stunned, Arielle clenched her fist at once.


    Out of nowhere, she managed to muster the strength to push him away.


    Nevertheless, Vinson¡¯s eyes were filled with adoration.


    Since Arielle was unwilling, he would continue to keep his urges in check, even though it was torturous to


    do so.


    He then sat up by supporting himself with one hand. Just when he thought Arielle was not ready to give


    herself to him, she turned around and gave his shoulders a shove.

 Chapter 1160

    Chapter 1160


    Chapter 1160 Giving Herself To Him


    Caught off guard by Arielle¡¯s sudden motion, Vinson was pushed down onto the bed.


    She then climbed onto him.


    Riding on top of him, she cupped his face with both of her hands.


    At that moment, her heart was pounding when she noticed the blush on his usually frosty countenance.


    It¡¯s really rare to see him being shy.


    When she saw the look on his face, Arielle no longer felt nervous.


    In fact, she even smiled mischievously. ¡°Vinson, you seem to fall very easily after being pushed.¡±


    Vinson¡¯s eyes sparkled with affection.


    Instead of rebutting, he nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the way I am. In fact, I hope that you¡¯ll do this to me every day.¡±


    Just as he spoke, he closed his eyes cooperatively.


    ¡°Go ahead, Darling.¡±


    That time around, Arielle¡¯s entire body had reddened in embarrassment.


    Staring at Vinson, she suddenly did not know where to begin.


    After all, she had neither the experience nor talent for it.


    Moreover, she did not expect to end up being the one who needed to take the initiative.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not ying anymore!¡±


    Right when Arielle raised her feet to leave in embarrassment, Vinson threw his arms around her waist.


    Lowering her gaze in surprise, she noticed he had already opened his eyes.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it irresponsible for you to leave after seducing me?¡±


    ¡°I-I wasn¡¯t seducing you!¡± Arielle denied as she looked away.


    Grabbing Vinson¡¯s wrist, she protested, ¡°Let go of me! I¡¯m tired.¡±


    With no experience in the act of intimacy, she was naturally shy in that aspect. Hence, to have her


    muster the courage to take the initiative would surely be a rare asion. As Vinson was already aroused


    from being teased by her, there was no way he was going to let the opportunity slip.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re tired, you should go ahead and sleep. In the meantime, I¡¯ll just help myself.¡±


    While speaking, he flipped his body around to switch positions with Arielle.


    With that, he had gained the initiative by being on top of her.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sannie¡­ I have waited for this day for a very long time.¡±


    Even though his voice was raspy, it was unbelievably gentle, causing her to stop struggling.


    In truth, she, too, had long prepared for that day.


    Vinson could tell that Arielle was ready to give herself to him from the look in her eyes.


    Smiling, he cupped her face and gave her a passionate kiss.


    That time, he no longer had to hold himself back.


    Even though he was also inexperienced, he let his male instincts guide him.


    He swiftly unbuttoned his shirt to reveal his well-defined pecs and abs.


    Soon, both of them faced each other with nothing on.


    Closing her eyes shyly, Arielle requested, ¡°Turn off the lights.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Vinson rejected her request firmly. ¡°I want to remember what you look like tonight.¡±


    At that moment, she blushed crimson.


    He enjoyed watching her reaction, as only he had the privilege to do so.


    Taking his time, he leaned into Arielle and kissed her on her lips, face, forehead, and the rest of her


    body.


    Since it was her first time, he knew he had to be gentle with her, no matter how eager he was.


    After all, she was the woman he loved the most, his only beloved.


    Soon, both their bodies were entwined together on the bed.


    The foreysted for half an hour.

 Chapter 1161

    Chapter 1161


    With eyes burning with passion, Vinson looked as though he wanted to devour Arielle.


    Finally able to engage in the act, he pressed himself on her in a domineering manner.


    Even his kiss was more intense than before.


    She, too, had noticed the passion in his lips as he consumed all of her sweetness inside her mouth.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Consequently, she felt as if her body was about to melt.


    With one hand on Arielle''s shoulder, Vinson fondled her body with the other.


    The only thing she could feel was an electrifying sensation jolting through every fiber of her body.


    Curling her toes by reflex, Arielle let out a moan that set the lust in Vinson aze.


    Unable to hold back any longer, he gave her everything he had.


    After a long while, Vinson finally came to a stop.


    While Arielle was about to fall asleep from exhaustion, he continued to kiss her on her lips.


    "Sannie, shall we go again?"


    "But, it''s already past two," she murmured, almost on the verge of tears.


    "That''s because you made me wait for such a long time. Tonight, I¡¯m going to make you pay it all back!"


    He pressed his body onto hers again.


    After unknown rounds of passionate lovemaking, Arielle finally drifted into sleep unknowingly.


    By then, it was daybreak.


    Even though Vinson had not had enough, he stopped when he realized how enervated she was.


    After helping her wipe her body, he went to take a shower.


    By the time he stepped out of the bathroom, Arielle had fallen into a deep slumber and did not even pull


    up the covers.


    Smiling affectionately, Vinson joined her in bed and tucked both of themselves in.He ced her head


    on his arm, and with that, the couple slept lovingly in each other''s embrace.


    Dawn was usually the quietest time of the day.


    Nevertheless, the inte was as busy as ever because it was where all the midnight owls


    congregated.


    Just when everyone was running out of gossip to talk about, a trending topic began to gain traction¡ª


    Maureen''s Kitchen¡¯s Poprity Soars.It suddenly became the top trending topic online.


    In order to voice their doubts, someone tweeted: Maureen''s Kitchen? Isn''t that the restaurant


    established by Arielle, the influencer? Why are they promoting it at this ungodly hour? Replies flooded


    in at once.


    Our goddess, Arielle, isn''t a social media influencer but the ambassador of Soir Coffee.


    Hence, she has only filmedmercials and taken photos in her capacity as the ambassador.


    Just take a look at the live stream.


    Even Arielle''¡¯s haters joined the line to dine at her restaurant.There are just too many people at the new


    branch, so I n to visit their old restaurant for lunch tomorrow.


    Hopefully, there will be less of a crowd there.


    With a curious expression, the original poster clicked on the attached link in one of the replies, which


    brought him to the rey of a live stream.


    In it, he saw a group of haters doubting the taste of the ravioli at the sampling booth in front of Arielle''s


    restaurant.


    Subsequently, all of them were humiliated.


    Not only were they fighting over the ravioli, but they had also discreetly joined the line to dine at the


    restaurant.


    Utterly baffled, the original poster wrote another tweet: Is it really that good? Perhaps, it¡¯s just a


    publicity stunt? That time around, the replies came in the form of tantalizing pictures of the dishes


    served in Maureen''s Kitchen.


    Gulp! Wiping the drool off the side of his mouth, the original poster decided that he would join the line


    at the restaurant the very next day.

 Chapter 1162

    Chapter 1162


    By the time Arielle stirred, it was already past noon.


    In fact, it was her hunger that had awoken her.


    As a disciplined person, she had never overslept to that extent before.


    Evidently, it was a testament to how passionate Vinson was in bedst night.


    She looked to her side instinctively after forcing herself to sit up with her whole body aching.


    When she noticed the empty pillow, she reached out to fee] it and realized it was no longer warm.


    Vinson must have left early in the morning.


    Breaking out a self-deprecating smile, she ruffled her hair.


    What was I thinking? Vinson is a busy man, so it¡¯s normal for him not to be at home when it''s already


    noon.


    At that thought, the hint of disappointment Arielle felt gradually dissipated.


    However, she heard soundsing from downstairs upon stepping out of the bathroom after


    showering.


    The cleaneres once a week.


    Since she came the day before, she wouldn''t show up today.So, who can it be? Gripped by anxiety,


    Arielle grabbed one of Vinson''s golf clubs in the room and quietly tip-toed downstairs.


    Logically speaking, it was unlikely for a burr to break into their house.


    Nheless, both she and Vinson had enemies that wanted them dead.


    Therefore, she could not be any more careful.


    Upon arriving on the first floor, she realized the sound wasing from the kitchen.


    Tightening her grip on the golf club, she approached it warily.


    Inside, she was greeted by the sight of a tall man cooking with an apron on.


    Furthermore, she could whiff something burning in the pan.


    "Vinson?" Arielle gasped.


    Upon hearing her voice, Vinson turned around and was shocked to see her raising a golf club.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    His face broke into an affectionate smile a momentter, and he said, "You''re awake."


    When Arielle followed his gaze and saw that it led to the golf club in her hand, she put it behind her


    embarrassingly and exined, "I-I didn¡¯t know you were home."


    He walked over and asked a question in reply, "Where else would I be if not here?"


    "At the office."


    He stroked her head in response.


    "You''re exhausted fromst night, so how can I bring myself to go to work? Hence, I''ve taken the day


    off to stay at home and keep youpany."


    All of a sudden, Arielle recalled what had happened the night before.As the amorous scenes began


    ying in her head, her entire face flushed red in embarrassment.


    "I-I don''t need you to keep mepany..."


    The moment she finished her sentence, she suddenly realized the burning smell in the air had


    intensified.


    Stunned, she asked at once, "What were you cooking?"


    "D*mn it!"


    Vinson cursed as he ran back toward the stove.


    When Arielle took a peek from behind him, she realized he was grilling chicken wings.


    Unfortunately, the wings had charred, forming a miserable sight.


    "Was the fire too strong?" he mumbled to himself.


    Right when she was about to say something, she caught a glimpse of the trash can beside him.


    A pile of charcoal-like chicken wings inside told her it was not his first failed attempt.


    As expected, cooking required talent.


    Otherwise, someone as smart as Vinson, who graduated from the prestigious Maxwell University,


    would not have failed so terribly at making grilled chicken wings.


    Smiling in resignation, Arielle offered, "You should get some rest.Let me do it."


    "No." Vinson held onto the spat stubbornly.


    "You''re not feeling well, so I''ll do it.In fact, you shouldn''t lift a finger today.Let me take care of everything


    instead."


    "I...I''m fine.I''m more worried about falling sick from the food you cook."


    Stung by her words, he stared at the burned chicken wings and let out a helpless sigh.


    "Fine, I''ll be your sous-chef then.Or should we dine out?"


    "It''s all right.Let''s not waste the ingredients you''ve bought,"she said and took the spat from Vinson


    before she began cooking.

 Chapter 1163

    Chapter 1163


    Even then, Vinson tried to help as best as he could.


    However, he ended up getting in the way most of the time.


    Luckily, Arielle was a good cook and whipped out a meal in no time.


    After lunch, she could not resist asking, "Are you really not going to the office today?"


    "Mmm-hmm.." Vinson nodded.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "I have delegated my work to Rayson.Anything that he can''t handle can wait.At most, I''ll deal with it


    from home."


    At that moment, Arielle could not help but pity Rayson.


    "There''s really no need for you to stay with me.All we did was...that.It''s not like I''m pregnant and about


    to give birth"


    The instant she finished, she remembered that they did not use protection the night before.


    Should I get the morning-after pill? Seemingly reading her thoughts, Vinson spoke.


    "Those are bad for your body.If you''re pregnant, we''ll hold our wedding at once.As for my mom, I''ll deal


    with her.You don''t have to worry about it."


    After a long silence, Arielle suddenly suggested, "Ever since I came back from Maxwell University, I


    haven''t gone to see your mom.Since you''re on leave today, shall we visit her together?"


    Even though she also wanted the wedding to be held earlier, she did not want to do it without the


    blessings of their elders.


    "All right."


    Vinson nodded as his eyes crinkled from a smile.


    "In that case, I''ll do the dishes first.After that, we can go to the mall and get her a present."


    When she was about to get up, he stopped her by pressing down on her shoulders.


    "You should sit.I''ll take care of them."


    "Will you be fine?" Vinson smiled wryly.


    "I may not have the talent to cook, but washing dishes isn''t going to be a problem.Besides, we have a


    dishwasher.Don''t worry about me."


    "All right then."


    Arielle nodded before sitting back down.


    A few minutester, the sound of tes crashing onto the ground rang out from the kitchen.


    With her lips twitching, Arielle decided to go in and help.


    When it came to household chores, Vinson was indeed terrible at them.


    Nheless, it was not his fault, as someone with his background had never had to wash dishes by


    himself in his entire life.


    Meanwhile, at the Nightshire residence, Susanne was ying cards with a group of wealthy wives.


    Gossips were an inherent part of such events.


    One of them asked, "Did you hear about Maureen''s Kitchen?"


    Susanne was stunned as she recalled that Arielle owned the restaurant.


    Could it be that something happened to the restaurant? Nevertheless, she feigned ignorance and


    listened as another of her friends asked, "I haven''t heard of it.Why?"


    Thatdy who brought up the topic exined, "How can you not know? It has been the top trending


    topic since yesterday.That restaurant is wildly popr now, and I heard it¡¯s especially good.When I sent


    my housekeeper there yesterday, he ended up waiting in line for four hours just for a takeout of two


    dishes.Do you know what happened after that?"


    "What?" Susanne blurted out.


    Gritting her teeth, thatdy took a while to calm down before she exined, "He ate some without my


    knowledge!"


    "Huh?" Susanne and the others were stunned.


    The help that they engaged were not just ordinary housekeepers.


    They were hired from the employment agency and were professionally trained.


    Taking into consideration that they were well paid, there was no need for them to steal food at all.


    Thus, thedies had never heard of such an incident before.

 Chapter 1164

    Chapter 1164


    "Did your housekeepere from the agency that I rmended you?" Susanne inquired.


    "Of course!"


    Thatdy added with a wry smile, "I didn''t understand his actions at first.Since his pay is a lot higher


    than those in the same trade, there''s no reason for him to do something like that.


    Initially, I thought he needed money because of an emergency back home.


    As he has be a confidant of mine, I wanted to help him.


    After I questioned him, do you know what his reason was?"


    When she held everyone in suspense, her friends urged, "Quick, tell us!"


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Laughing, she exined, "He said that the food was just too fragrant and exquisite looking." Susanne


    was astounded.


    Another friend asked, "Is he exaggerating? Is it really that good?"


    Thatdy nodded.


    "He only ate one of the dishes and left the other untouched.Out of curiosity, I tried it and was blown


    away! I''m sure all of you are aware that I''m not one to have leftovers.But, I made an exception in this


    case by finishing the leftovers from the night before"


    The otherdies looked at her in disbelief.


    After all, eating leftovers in their circle was entirely unheard of.


    "It sounds like the food there is really good.Why don''t we go there for lunch?" one of them suggested.


    Thatdy who ate the leftovers shook her head.


    "When I sent my housekeeper to inquire in the morning, he told me there was already a line since


    dawn.If we really want to go there, I''m afraid we might have to line up for a few days before we get our


    turn."


    Anotherdy sitting across from Susanne remarked casually, "Can''t we just pay more and reserve the


    entire ce?"


    Thatdy pursed her lips.


    "Do you think that didn''t cross my mind? Even when I offered them two hundred thousand, they still


    turned me down."


    At that moment, the group fell into an uproar.


    "How can they reject two hundred thousand for reserving the whole ce for lunch? Who do they think


    they are?"


    "The owners have to be financially strong not to be tempted by two hundred thousand."


    "After hearing what you said, I''m curious to go and try.After all, I''ve not heard of a restaurant where one


    needs to start lining up at dawn."


    "Actually, I''m not thinking about the food, but more of the business opportunity.Taking into consideration


    how great the dishes taste and how booming their business is, why don''t we talk to the owner and


    acquire some shares? We can open up a few more branches together and perhaps be able to make a


    small profit from it.What do all of you think?"


    Just as everyone came to an agreement, they turned toward Susanne, who had been silent the whole


    time, and asked, "Susanne, what do you think? Are you interested?"


    "I..."


    She was filled with mixed emotions.


    Although she knew Ariclle''s ravioli was delicious and that she could not have enough of them, she


    never expected Maureen''s Kitchen to achieve such fame.


    Pondering over the matter, she realized that Arielle had never disgraced her in whatever she had done,


    including the new restaurant.


    As a result, she considered consenting to their marriage and dropped her attempts at getting them


    divorced.


    One of her friends continued, "Susanne, since all of us have so much free time on our hands, why don''t


    we use this restaurant to keep ourselves busy? What do you think?"


    Clearing her throat, Susanne affected a puzzled look and asked, "What was the name of the restaurant


    you mentioned just now?"


    "Maureen''s Kitchen! Are you interested in joining us to be shareholders? Although it might be too small


    of a sum to interest you, it would certainly be fun as a pastime."

 Chapter 1165

    Chapter 1165


    "No." Susanne smiled.


    "When you mentioned this restaurant name, something came to my mind"


    "What is it?" the others immediately asked.


    Even though they were capable of purchasing a restaurant themselves, it would be great if they could


    use this opportunity to get closer to Susanne.


    If they could be business partners, it would be a great advantage for their future.


    Susanne paused for a while and said, "Maureen''s Kitchen.I think it belongs to my son''s girlfriend."


    "What?" the trio responded simultaneously.


    Everyone in the circle had heard that Vinson had a girlfriend now.


    However, it seemed like Susanne had not approved it yet.She is mentioning her now. Is she going to


    approve of that woman? Susanne''s lips curled into a smile.


    "That girl is pretty and smart.She did mention to me about opening a branch.I didn''t think much about


    it.But now I realize Maureen''s Kitchen is indeed hers."


    The otherdies exchanged looks withplicated gazes.


    It turned out that they had been discussing purchasing the future Mrs.Nightshire''s restaurant in front of


    Susanne.


    What an awkward situation this is.


    However, they noticed Susanne did not seem pissed.


    They immediately tried to ease the situation.


    "I''ve been wondering what kind of person could open such a nice restaurant.It must be someone


    outstanding.I didn''t expect it to be your future daughter-inw!"


    "Your son is already a brilliant man.And now he has such a talented girlfriend.I''m so envious of you!"


    "Exactly"


    Everyone liked to be ttered, including Susanne.She disyed a prideful look upon hearing those


    words.


    "Indeed, I never need to worry about Vin."


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Noticing that their ttering words seemed to work, they continued to ask about Vinson¡¯s girlfriend


    curiously.


    "I wonder who this smart woman is? I hope I can meet her if there is a chance."


    "That''s right.Who knows, we might be able to eat there for [ree in the future."


    Susanne hesitated for a while and uttered, "She is a daughter of an old friend.The old friend''s name is


    the same as this restaurant"


    Upon hearing that, the others instantly thought of the talk of Jadeborough over ten years ago.Her name


    was Maureen Moore.


    If it weren''t for her passing away, Maureen would now have a higher status than Susanne.


    However, they were aware that Maureen was married to Henrick.


    Thetter was currently locked up in Specialized Forces, and he had a bad reputation on the inte.


    They also heard that Maureen''s daughter wasn''t Henrick''s.


    It was apparent Susanne refused to mention the man deliberately.She had approved of that girl and


    had cut all ties with Henrick.


    The rest immediately chimed in, "Mr.Moore is an excellent man.I bet Maureen''s daughter is smart as


    well!"


    Susanne knew they were thinking about Henrick.She let out a cough and did not want to continue the


    topic further.


    "All right.It¡¯ste already.Let''s have some food."


    As soon as she finished her sentence, the butler reported, "Mrs.Nightshire, Mr.Vinson is back with


    Ms.Moore.They brought a lot of gifts too."


    Upon hearing Vinson was back, Susanne¡¯s lips curled into a bright smile.

 Chapter 1166

    Chapter 1166


    "Vin is back. Let''s have lunch together then."


    Susanne''s smile grew broader.


    The other women immediately praised, "He is such a good son.He stilles back to visit you even


    though he is a busy man."


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    They walked to the living room as they spoke.


    Susanne saw Vinson holding Arielle¡¯s hand while walking toward her.


    The other women noticed Arielle as well.Her skin was utterly fair, and she had a sophisticated


    charisma.


    For a moment, they thought they had caught a glimpse of Maureen.


    "Mom.."


    Vinson was the first to open his mouth.


    "Arielle and I came to visit you.She has brought a lot of gifts for you, and some of them are from


    Lightspring.We''ve put them in your room."


    Susanne raised her brows and asked, "How is Maxwell University?"


    Arielle nodded.


    "It''s great.The teachers and the principal all weed me.Plus, those students that I brought there are


    performing well also."


    "That''s good to know." Susanne nodded.


    The other women immediately asked, "Maxwell University? I thought ordinary people could not ess


    that ce?"


    Susanne was expecting that question from them.


    "Arielle is a graduate of Maxwell University.A graduate can go back there anytime."


    Those women''s cyes instantly lit up.


    "Ms.Moore is not only good in business, but she also has a great education background.Mr.Nightshire,


    you have great taste!"


    "That''s right.We just mentioned Ms.Moore just now.We didn''t expect we could meet her so quickly.She


    is even prettier than Maureen back then."


    Vinson smiled slightly.


    "Thank you."


    One of the women opened her mouth.


    "Ms.Moore, I''ve tried a few dishes at your restaurant.The taste was amazing.I wonder if I have the


    chance to eat there again.I heard the reservations are always full, and we have to wait for days to get a


    seat." Arielle smiled.


    "Since you are Susanne¡¯s friend, there is no need to wait for a reservation.If you want to eat there, I


    can ask the restaurant to arrange a table for you."


    "That would be great.Susanne, we''ve benefited from our association with you!"


    Susanne was beyond delighted by that.She used to dislike Arielle, but now she had be utterly


    pleased with thetter.


    "Let''s go when we''re free then."


    Susanne continued saying, "By the way, I n to make an appointment with the wedding organizer to


    decide a date for your wedding."


    Arielle was stunned momentarily as she nced at Vinson in surprise.


    The young man was happy to hear that, and he thanked his mother.


    Susanne waved her hand.


    "There''s no need to thank me.Of course, I''ll support you if you like her."


    With that, they went on to have their meals and talked about the wedding joyously.


    That night, Susanne asked Arielle to stay at the Nightshires'' manor.She did not even give thetter


    another room but arranged for thetter to share the same room with Vinson.


    That was enough to prove Susanne''¡¯s attitude toward Arielle and Vinson.She had epted and


    approved their rtionshippletely.


    Arielle leaned against Vinson''s embrace in the middle of the night and smiled.


    "Vinson, I am so happy today..."


    "So am I," Vinson responded and paused for a while.


    "Since both of us are so happy, why don''t we do something happier?"


    As soon as his words fell, his hands began to wander around Ariclle¡¯s body.

 Chapter 1167

    Chapter 1167


    "Don..."


    Arielle tried to avoid Vinson''s hand.Her face became utterly red.


    Yet, her body got pulled into Vinson''s embrace after she turned around.She wanted to struggle, but


    then she heard Vinson''s hoarse voice.


    "You''re already mine.You can''t escape."


    Having said that, he started kissing her neck hard and passionately.


    Instantly, Arielle felt her body flushing hot.


    The moisture from their breaths mingled in the humid and enclosed space.


    Each breath grew more urgent, chaotic, and intimate.


    Right then, a knock sounded at the door.


    Arielle''s body stiffened as she immediately covered herself under the nket, not daring to make a


    sound.


    Vinson stared at the door with a displeased expression.


    "Who is it?"


    "It''s me."


    Geoffrey''s voice rang out.


    "What is it?"


    Vinson sounded utterly displeased.


    "Mrs.Nightshire told me to bring you both some hot milk."


    "No thanks," Vinson rejected directly.


    At first, Geoffrey did not understand why Vinson sounded angry.


    A momentter, his face turned red as realization dawned on him.


    He immediately said, "Then I won''t disturb you."


    Upon saying that, he turned away and left with the hot milk.


    After hearing Geoffrey''s footsteps disappear, Vinson pulled Arielle out of the nket and leaned toward


    her.


    "All right.He left."


    Arielle''s cheeks were burning hot.


    "Please don''t touch me.I''m going to sleep."


    Her voice was soft.


    Yet, Vinson pulled her toward him and forced her to look into his eyes.


    "The fire is already burning.It''ll be dangerous if you don''t put it out."


    He then kissed Arielle in an authoritative manner.


    Arielle felt the kisssted for a century.


    After she regained her senses from the kiss, she realized she was already naked.


    "Vinson..."


    "Don''t be afraid."


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    Vinson kissed her forehead gently.


    "I won''t do it many times tonight.Only three.Okay?"


    "No!"


    Arielle¡¯s face turned even redder.


    Vinson gave in a little.


    "I''ve times!"


    "No way!"


    "Then..."


    Vinson uttered reluctantly, "Only one time?"


    Arielle bit her lip as she looked into Vinson''s eyes.


    "Only one time then.Not more than that!"


    "Okay!"


    With that, the duo shared a passionate night.


    Arielle¡¯s face was filled with desperation and regret as the sky began to turn bright.


    Why did I agree with him? Even though he promised only to do it one time, itsted for what felt like an


    eternity!


    "You liar!" Arielle pinched Vinson¡¯''s nose angrily.


    However, thetter had already dozed off.I would never agree to do it again! Arielle almost could not


    get out of bed the following day as her waist ached.


    Nevertheless, she had to wake up early since it was an important date.She let out a sigh, wanting to


    climb out of bed, but Vinson, who was sleeping, suddenly hugged her waist.


    "It''s only seven in the morning.Why are you up so early? Apany me for a little while..."


    "I don''t want to apany you!" Ariclle¡¯s tone was filled with resentment.


    "You jerk!"


    Vinson did not even open his eyes.He nodded obediently.


    "Yes, I am a bast*rd.Could you please tell this bast*rd where you are heading early in the morning?"


    Arielle bit her lip slightly.


    "Today is a special day..."

 Chapter 1168

    Chapter 1168


    "Huh?"


    Vinson sat up and was about to ask what day it was.


    Suddenly, he remembered it was the day of the bionic arm press conference.He immediately wanted to


    get out of bed.


    "What are you doing?" Arielle questioned confusedly.


    "Aren''t you going to thepany at nine?" Vinson pinched her ear gently.


    "This is an important day.How could I let you go alone? I''ll apany you."


    "No, it''s fine." Arielle immediately stopped him.


    "Many people still don''t know about our rtionship, especially the Moore Group.So, I figure I should


    take back Mom''spany by myself.I don''t want to rely on others."


    Vinson furrowed his brows slightly.


    "Sannie, I am not other people.I am the closest person to you."


    He paused a while and continued, "But I understand why you want to take back Moore Group by


    yourself.


    Since you want to attend the conference alone, at least let me send you to thepany, okay?"


    Arielle felt somehow sorry.


    "I didn''t mean that you are other people.I''m sorry.I just¡ª"


    Vinson locked her lips with his the next moment.


    The kisssted for a few minutes before Vinson finally let go of her.


    "Sannie, you never need to say sorry to me, nor exin anything to me.I understood what you meant."


    Arielle felt a warmth surging from within.


    Living in a big world like this, I know it''s not easy to be able to meet someone who understands me.She


    wrapped her arms around Vinson¡¯''s neck and kissed him.


    After some time, Vinson suddenly pushed her away.


    "Sannie, if you don''t stop kissing me now, I can''t guarantee that you can reach the site in time."


    Arielle was stunned momentarily.She immediately let go of Vinson and rushed into the bathroom to


    freshen up.


    Vinson''s lips curled into a smile, and he also got out of bed.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    They brushed their teeth together.It was an ordinary routine, yet, Arielle thought it was the best


    indulgence in a peaceful life.


    Vinson naughtily smeared some bubbles on her face.


    Both of them started teasing one another innocently.


    After freshening up, they headed downstairs.


    Meanwhile, Susanne was still sleeping.


    Vinson greeted Geoffrey and left with Arielle.


    Before long, the car arrived at the branch office of the technology department.


    Vinson did not go into the building.He waited by the roadside and watched Arielle enter before driving


    off.


    Meanwhile, everyone was in instant chaos inside the technology department except for the designers.


    They all gathered inside the office of the person in charge and keptining.


    "It is too difficult to manufacture the bionic arms.Average factories won''t even want to take the


    order.Not a single bionic arm was made sessfully.Why didn''t you report to the headquarters and


    request the press conference to be postponed?"


    "That''s right.The site will start selling new products after the press conference.What are we going to


    sell to the clients by then?"


    "What exactly is the headquarters thinking?"


    "If we get many orders and fail to deliver, what will happen? Will all the me be ced on us?"


    The person in charge scoffed upon hearing that.The real reason is not because of its high difficulty.


    No matter how difficult it ts, the factories could still make it as long as there are graphics and urate


    data.


    The truth was those factories refused to take the order because he had bribed them with a massive


    sum of money.

 Chapter 1169

    Chapter 1169


    Meanwhile, at the headquarters, Jacob was the most prominent figure currently.


    After Oliver sold all his shares to Jacob after being threatened, thetter''s shares were almost


    equivalent to Arielle''s.


    Arielle managed to get some loose stocks these few days.


    Only then was she able to win over Jacob by a little.


    Even though she was a director, she was still a youngdy.


    Most board members approved Jacob instead of her, except for a few elders who used to work under


    her.


    Plus, ever since Arielle signed a disadvantageous deal with Jacob, almost no one in thepany took


    her seriously.


    It was precisely Jacob''s n not to postpone the press conference this time.He intended to make


    Arielle give up her position as soon as possible.


    The person in charge of the technology department did not say anything.


    Those leaders in charge of the bionic arms were beyond anxious.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    "Sir, please say something!"


    The person in charge lit a cigarette and said calmly, "Since thepany isn''t postponing the date, they


    must have a good reason.I think the headquarters might have some other ns.Let''s follow their


    arrangement and carry on with the press conference."


    Having said that, he turned to the staff in charge of the press conference.


    "How is it going with the decorations?"


    "It''s all arranged.The hotel venue¡¯s decoration should bepleted by now.But, without the product,


    what are we going to disy?"


    The manager waved his hand.


    "You don''t need to worry about that.Just make sure the press conference can start in time.Have you


    informed all the reporters?"


    "We sent a notice to all of them half a month ago.But not yet for today..."


    The manager frowned and urged, "Then what are you waiting for? Inform all of them right away!"


    "But..."


    "But what? If you can''t handle such a small thing, there''s no point for you guys to keep your jobs."


    Upon hearing that, those staff had no choice but to get ready for the press conference.The event would


    be broadcasted live.


    They even posted the live preview an hour ago.


    Due to the stories about Henrick, Oliver, and Arielle, Moore Group became one of the top ten trending


    news as soon as the preview was posted.


    Jacob was beyond delighted as it had saved him a lot of advertising costs.


    He told his assistant, "Postpone all my schedules for today.I''m going to join the press conference."


    "Okay!"


    Jacob called him again when the assistant was about to turn and leave.


    "Is there any news about her?" The assistant shook his head.


    "I''m sorry, Mr.Campbell.All the men I sent failed to follow her.I have no idea where she is right now."


    As soon as he finished speaking, the person in charge of the technology department called.


    "Mr.Campbell."


    The person in charge uttered humbly, "Arielle has arrived at the technology department.She is in the


    design department now.The door is closed.I wanted to go in, but no one opened the door for


    me.Should I barge in?"


    "There''s no need!"


    Jacob sounded utterly confident.


    "No matter how brilliant she is, there is no way she can turn this around.Stop troubling yourself.Just


    wait for the press conference to start!"


    "Okay!"


    The person in charge hung up the phone and left the design department.


    There was only onest piece of the puzzle left for his entire n to work, and that was Arielle giving


    up her position.


    The person in charge was beyond exasperated as he recalled how Arielle treated him.


    Finally, revenge is mine!

 Chapter 1170

    Chapter 1170


    Meanwhile, at the design department.


    The moment Arielle entered, she ordered the door to be sealed.


    Once she was sure no one would barge in, she said, "The bionic arms have arrived, and they''re


    currently in my house''s storage area.It''s safe there."


    Upon hearing that, the designers could finally heave sighs of relief.The leader of the lot was a man


    named Kimi.


    At that moment, his eyes were red.


    Rubbing his eyes, he said, "When I saw that the press conference did not get postponed, and there


    was no action on your end, I was so scared.Now it''s all good again.There¡¯s nothing for us to worry


    about!"


    Arielle smiled.


    "Since I have promised to resolve your production issues, I will make sure it happens."


    Kimi nodded fervently and asked, "Can we have a look at the bionic arms?"


    "Sure."


    With that, Arielle gave Sasha a video call.


    The call only got answered after a few rings.


    In the video, they could see the workers moving the bionic arms and Sasha instructing them.


    The bionic arms should have been delivered on the same day she returned from Lightspring.


    However, due to the weather condition, they were only sent out the night before and had only just


    arrived.


    Arielle linked the video to the screen in the conference room so that everyone could see it.


    "Sasha, did the shipping order tally with the goods?"


    Sasha acknowledged with a "yes" and said, "Everything has been verified ording to your


    instruction.Half of them are already in the warehouse."


    As Sasha was speaking, she pointed the camera at the staff.


    The workers were very careful when they were moving the bionic arms so that they would not damage


    them.


    Although everyone could only see the external packaging of the bionic arms, it was sufficient.


    "All right.I got it.Thank you for your hard work."


    Arielle ended the video call and looked at all of them in the conference room.


    "Did you get a good look?"


    Everyone nodded and said, "So now, can we set out for the press conference?"


    Arielle shook her head.


    "We are going to the press conference but not the original one."


    Although she did not say anything, it did not mean she was not aware.


    Jacob had tried to make things difficult for them by preventing the local factories from epting their


    production orders.


    At the same time, he refused to postpone the press conference.


    He was obviously out to humiliate her in front of everybody.


    Since Jacob had put in so much effort to make a fool out of her, how could she disappoint him? All of


    them looked at Arielle, who had an enigmatic smile on her face, and it sent chills down their spines.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    They were all thinking the same thing¡ªLuckily, we are on her side.


    At ten in the morning, the press conference was about to start.


    Most of the reporters had already arrived, so did Jacob.


    The press conference was held at a five-star hotel, and the venue looked very grand indeed.


    Jacob asked his assistant, "Is the live streaming ready?"


    His assistant replied without dy, "It has all been set up.We can start the live streaming at any


    moment."


    Jacob nodded and asked, "Where is that woman? Is she here yet?"


    "No.Her designers aren''t here either."


    Jacobughed out loud.


    "They don''t even have the bionic arms.Yet, they are having a productunch.No wonder they don''t dare


    to show up."


    His assistant hesitated before responding, "But, isn''t this a lose-lose situation for us too? The bionic


    arms will surely bring us lots of profits.If we disrupt this event, aren''t you worried that you will suffer a


    loss too?"


    "A loss?" Jacob chuckled.


    "How can there be a loss?"

 Chapter 1171

    Chapter 1171


    In truth, Jacob had no intention of turning Moore Group around.


    On the contrary, he wanted to dere thepany bankrupt so that he could sell everything off.


    Under Maureen''s guidance, Moore Group used to be doing so well that selling a few buildings would


    easily allow him to recover plenty of money.


    He could not wait to see the only profitable project fail! Jacob was extremely pleased with his n.


    In the meantime, all the reporters had arrived.


    There were also a number of AI technology enthusiasts.


    The press conference was bustling with excitement.


    Standing backstage and looking at the crowd, Jacob said, "It''s showtime.Start the live streaming."


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    At Jacob''smand, the live streaming camera started rolling.


    Since the press conference of Moore Group had been one of the top trending topics, the moment the


    live streaming started, the number of viewers had reached tens of millions.


    A huge number of the viewers were fans of Arielle.


    The instant the live streaming started, thement section was flooded.


    Goddess! Here Ie!Let me see! Let me see! Where is the pretty missy?Can I get a reservation at


    Maureen''s Kitchen if Isend a virtual gift during the live streaming?I want a seat too! The food at


    Maureen''s Kitchen is fantastic! The ravioli is out of this world!"Am I the only one here for the bionic


    arm? My brother lost an arm during a car ident.I really hope this bionic arm can allow him to lead a


    normal life.


    Jacob scanned through thements that mentioned the bionic arm and Arielle, and a tense smile


    appeared on his face.


    Bionic arm?Dream on! Once he had auctioned off all of Moore Group''s assets, he would find the


    people who designed the bionic arm, transform hispany, and make another round of profits with


    the bionic arms.


    When that happened, he would have taken back every single cent that he had given Oliver!


    "Ahem! Ahem!"


    Jacob cleared his throat and handed the phone to his assistant.He then went onto the stage.


    "Hello, everyone! Hello to all the friends from the media."


    Jacob revealed a perfect smile and continued, "Thank you, everyone, for attending the press


    conference of Southall Group...oh, I beg your pardon.Of the Moore Group.Since we have a new


    chairman, things have changed in ourpany.I believe that the newly-appointed chairman will take us


    into a better future."


    Those falsepliments of Jacob were meant to tter Arielle.He turned to nce at his assistant.


    Thetter knew that Jacob wanted to know if Arielle had arrived.He shook his head.


    Arielle was not present, and it was impossible for her to be there anyway.


    A press conference without a product tounch was as good as nothing.


    There was no way a youngdy like Arielle could stand up to such an embarrassing asion.


    When Jacob saw his assistant shaking his head, an eerie smile appeared on his face instantly.


    However, very soon, he regained hisposure and announced, "Now, let us give a warm wee to


    the project leader of the bionic arm, also the Chairman of Moore Group, Ms.Arielle Moore!"


    As he finished his introduction, the whole room exploded into apuse.


    Thement section was even more active than before.It was nearly impossible to see the screen.


    Ahh! After hearing the bullsh*t talk of that man, I can finally see my goddess!Goddess! Goddess!


    Arielle, the Goddess! Several of them even started to send gifts during the live streaming.


    The gifts ranged from an affordable glow stick to a Ferris wheel that cost thousands.


    In no time at all, the earnings from the live streaming were enough to buy a second-hand car.


    All the crews were amazed at the poprity of Arielle.


    Yet, there was still no sign of Ariclleing onto the stage.


    "What''s going on? Where is she?"

 Chapter 1172

    Chapter 1172


    Jacob pretended to look puzzled.


    Holding onto the microphone, he asked the crew, "Is the Chairman not here yet?"


    None of the crew knew anything.


    In an instant, everything became chaotic.


    "What happened? This is such an important day.How can she bete?"


    "Does she have no respect for any of the reporters? What''s the meaning of this?"


    Jacob''s lips curled into a smile.He had bribed some of the reporters.


    Under their instigation, more people started to be annoyed with Arielle.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    At the same time, the online viewers got worked up when Arielle failed to show up.


    What''s going on? I rushed here to see Arielle.


    Where is she? Did something happen?Hey! Nothing happens.I think she is just trying to act like a diva.


    Just because she has the protection of her fans and the reputation of Maureen''s Kitchen, she is now so


    full of herselfUl believe in my goddess! She isn''t that kind of person! She must have been held up by


    something! It''s because of all the brainless fans like you! That''s why Arielle bes more and more


    arrogant.


    Look! She''s so full of herself that she''s about to float into the sky! Both her anti-fans and fans started


    squabbling in thement section.


    In the meantime, back at the venue, Jacob answered a phone call that had been prepared in advance


    and eximed in shock, "What did you say? The bionic arms were neverpleted?"


    When he shot out that statement, the whole ce became quiet for two seconds before chaos erupted.


    "What''s going on? We are at theunching of the new product.Now they are telling us that it isn''t


    finished? Are they toying with us?"


    "Where''s Arielle? She has to give us an exnation!"


    "Holy crap! I came here all the way to see the bionic arm.Now, they are telling me it hasn''t been


    completed yet? They''re wasting my precious time!"


    "After all these years, I have never seen apany as absurd as this one!"


    "I said so earlier, didn''t [? How can a youngdy manage a listedpany?"


    "As the Chairman and also the leader of the bionic arm project, why isn''t Arielle here? Now we know


    it''s because she''s feeling guilty!"


    "Arielle! Come out here! She has to give us an exnation!"


    The situation was getting out of control.


    On the outside, Jacob appeared worried, but he was secretly thrilled.


    This was the effect he wanted! Just then, a video call appeared on the big screen.


    Jacob thought that the crew had connected his phone to the screen by mistake.


    However, when the video call was connected, Arielle¡¯s face appeared.


    Screens could cause people''s faces to be distorted.


    However, her face was wless.She looked perfect on the screen.


    One could only imagine how petite her face was in person.


    "Arielle! It¡¯s Arielle!"


    "She¡¯s not here in person.Instead, she appeared on a video call? What is she trying to do? Get out


    here right now!"


    Jacob''s expression changed.


    There was an uneasy feeling growing within him.


    Arielle could hear everything that was going on.


    In a calm manner, she said, "Dear friends from the media and every esteemed guest, my subordinate,


    Mr.Campbell, has made a mistake with the location of the press conference.The actual address of the


    press conference is at Grandview IIotel."


    Everyone was stunned to hear that.


    We havee to the wrong ce? Jacob''s expression changed drastically.


    "Arielle, you¡ª"


    "Mr.Campbell!"


    Arielle cut him off and said with a cold and solemn face, "How can you possibly get the location of the


    press conference wrong? We''ll talk about thister.Right now, I want you to arrange for transport and


    send everyone to Grandview Hotel!"

 Chapter 1173

    Chapter 1173


    Jacob was dumbfounded as it was. After the harsh scolding from Arielle, he could not believe what was


    happening.


    He only regained his senses when his assistant alerted him.


    However, once he snapped out of it, he blew his top off. Jacob had totally forgotten that he was at the


    press conference. ¡°Bloody b*tch! Who the hell do you think you are talking to! I did not get the location of


    the press conference mixed up!¡±


    The whole ce went silent immediately after he spoke.


    The online viewers were quick to respond.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    What is this? Do all subordinates talk to their superior in that manner nowadays?


    This is not right. Who in the world calls their Chairman ¡°a bloody b*tch¡±? What kind of life is my goddess


    going through at thepany?


    This Jacob got the location of the press conference wrong. Yet, he still invited my goddess up the stage.


    When she didn¡¯t appear, she was criticized by the anti-fans. If she hadn¡¯t made the video call, I would


    have also thought that she was acting like a diva.


    Does everyone recall the incident involving Oliver? Back then, Jacob seemed to be involved too. But for


    some reason, Oliver was being used of paying people to smear Arielle¡¯s name, and Jacob got away


    with it. It looks like this Jacob is the most ¡°powerful¡± of all!


    They should fire Jacob! What¡¯s the point of keeping him around? Sack him!


    Excuse me. Let me remind you. Arielle¡¯spany is a listedpany, and Jacob has shares in it too. If


    the board of directors doesn¡¯t vote and get rid of Jacob, nobody can just fire him like that.


    As thement section started to berate Jacob, those who were present at the press conference started


    reacting as well.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Don¡¯t tell me this is all about internal strife between the top management and the


    reporters are used as pawns?¡±


    ¡°Jacob! Did you intentionally give us the wrong address so that we end up attacking Madam Chairman?¡±


    ¡°Jacob! Exin yourself right now!¡±


    All of a sudden, Jacob was vilified by the reporters. It was only then he realized he was still at the press


    conference.


    Now that his true colors had been exposed in front of so many people, he became nervous and did not


    know what to do.


    Thankfully, his assistant was quick-witted. With a smile, he said, ¡°Hi, everyone. I apologize for the


    mistake. Mr. Campbell has been exhausted because of work. It isn¡¯t his intention to cause such an


    incident. Mr. Campbell has always been keeping a close watch on the bionic arm project and is more


    eager than anyone else for the press conference to be a sess¡­¡±


    Unfortunately, the reporters were not buying the story. They bombarded Jacob with questions.


    ¡°Mr. Campbell, if you can get the location of the press conference wrong, are there any other things you


    are able to do right?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Campbell, please answer my question directly. Did you deliberately give us the wrong address?¡±


    ¡°Do you have a problem with Ms. Moore?¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to form cliques and ostracize Madam Chairman because of her tender age?¡±


    Jacob was so enraged that his face had turned bright red.


    ¡°Nonsense! You are all talking nonsense! Shut up, all of you!¡±


    The more unreasonable Jacob became, the more unhappy the reporters were at him.


    In the end, the few directors who were on Jacob¡¯s side got up to clear the mess. They arranged for


    transport to send the reporters to the new venue that Arielle had mentioned.


    Jacob was not in the mood to attend the press conference at the other venue. All he wanted was to get


    rid of Arielle.


    His assistant came over to advise him, ¡°Mr. Campbell, the situation is not to your advantage right now. If


    you refuse to attend the press conference, it will only prove to the reporters that they are right about you.


    They will believe that you have deliberately gotten the venue wrong and embarrass Arielle.¡±

 Chapter 1174

    Chapter 1174


    Jacob¡¯s face turned ck as thunder. Nevertheless, he bit the bullet, got into the car, and headed for the


    press conference venue.


    On the way there, Jacob calmed down and regained hisposure.


    What could Arielle achieve in the end?


    Even though Arielle was brilliant, she could not perform magic. For someone who had never


    manufactured a bionic arm before, to call for a press conference was likeying a trap for herself.


    ¡°This girl is just too gullible!¡± Jacob sneered. ¡°She thinks she has made aeback, but she doesn¡¯t


    realize that without a new product tounch, the media and consumers will see it as a scam! That brat


    really shot herself in the foot!¡±


    In contrast to Jacob¡¯s confidence, his assistant was worried.


    He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Mr. Campbell, what if Arielle has already produced the items? Perhaps she


    has secured the services of another factory and made the bionic arms? Wouldn¡¯t we have to take


    responsibility for ipetence, as the contract says?


    Without hesitating to consider the questions, Jacob replied, ¡°That is absolutely impossible!¡±


    He had already bribed all the AI processing factories in Jadeborough so that no factory would produce


    bionic arms for Arielle.


    As for the processing nts outside Jadeborough, none of them wereparable in quality.


    If Arielle were to approach those factories in other provinces, making something asplex as a bionic


    arm would only result in the products malfunctioning sooner orter.


    Even if she could get through with the press conference, she would still get into trouble when the quality


    of the products was inferior.


    ¡°But¡­¡± The assistant was hesitant. ¡°I¡¯m still uneasy about this.¡±


    ¡°Well, you can stop talking and put your heart back in its proper ce instead of your throat. This darned


    girl is doing this because she¡¯s furious at me for not dying the productunch. She is also mad at me


    for bribing all the factories. When one is furious, one cannot make logical decisions.¡±


    He was precisely that at the press conference earlier when he lost his cool.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    He had calmed down by now, and all he had to do next was watch how much the press would despise


    Arielle!


    Shortly after, the reporters arrived at the venue of the press conference by car.


    The venue of the conference was located at Grandview Hotel, and the preparation and decor of the


    venue were more luxurious and tasteful than the previous conference. Most of all, it did not give guests


    the feeling of a nouveau riche.


    As soon as the news reporters entered, they could feel the impression of being ahead of the times.


    Various decorations full of futuristic elements added a high-tech atmosphere to the conference.


    The reporters could not help but praise, ¡°This venue is really grand!¡±


    At that moment, Jacob just happened to walk in, and he sneered when he heard that.


    What is the point of preparing a well-decorated venue if she has no products?


    Where are the bionic arms?


    I don¡¯t see them!


    Meanwhile, Arielle was on the stage, having a discussion with thepany¡¯s designers.


    Jacob went onstage wearing an angry expression and berated in a low voice, ¡°Ms. Moore, what the devil


    are you doing? Why wasn¡¯t I informed about this press conference?¡±


    Arielle continued to put on an act. She raised her eyebrows and asked, ¡°I was about to ask you, Mr.


    Campbell. Everyone in the AI design department knew that the venue was Grandview Hotel. Why did


    you invite the media to go to another ce? It is your responsibility to contact reporters. Aren¡¯t you being


    negligent?¡±


    Jacob¡¯s expression immediately changed from triumphant to a furious one.


    ¡°Arielle, you¡ª¡±


    Jacob was about to blow his top when his assistant immediately signaled to him.


    Jacob looked in the direction his assistant was gesturing at and realized that the reporters¡¯ cameras were


    all pointed toward him and Arielle.

 Chapter 1175

    Chapter 1175


    In the presence of so many reporters, Jacob had to hold back his tirade and pretend to apologize


    instead.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. There is so much to handle in ourpany. It is indeed my fault to make such a huge


    mistake.¡±


    Arielle smiled and continued, ¡°It¡¯s all right if you do not repeat your mistake. I have always been one who


    rewards and punishes ordingly. Since you admit it¡¯s your mistake, you will be punished. Well, since


    you are a longtime faithful staff member, your punishment will be just a p on the wrist. Your yearly


    bonus will be forfeited, and six months of your sry will be deducted.¡±


    Upon hearing her words, Jacob gritted his teeth and nodded reluctantly. ¡°Fine¡­¡±


    He was not too concerned about the money, but this deduction of his sry was undoubtedly a p on


    his face. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do.


    Jacob consoled himself with the thought that the tables would be turned when it was revealed that there


    were no bionic arms.


    Looking at the expression on Jacob¡¯s face, Arielle could guess what was on his mind.


    She did not say anything but smiled at him. Then she took the microphone, which the emcee handed


    over to her, and began her speech.


    Jacob took the opportunity to signal his assistant to start the live broadcast.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    The live broadcast room that was ended not long ago began again, and there were even more viewers


    this time.


    Everyone was able to see Arielle¡¯s face as they had hoped the moment the live broadcast was resumed.


    Arielle had always met with the press without any makeup on. However, she wore a light, professional-


    looking makeup paired with matte, jungle-red lipstick that day. The overall impression she gave was


    beautiful and sassy, precisely what a capable female CEO would look like.


    ¡°Wow! That¡¯s it! From now on, in allic books, this will be the face of powerful female CEOs! You are


    my goddess!¡±


    The fans were exuberant and eagerly waiting to see the bionic arms with excitement.


    ¡°Very well, then¡­¡± Arielle grasped the microphone tight and said, ¡°I won¡¯t take too much of your time for


    the opening speech. I¡¯m certain many of you havee to see the bionic arms. So, I shall pass the time


    to Kimi, who leads the team of designers responsible for its creation.¡±


    Kimi came forward immediately, nervously clearing his throat. Then he began to exin how the arm


    worked ording to the diagrams shown on the PowerPoint disyed on the screen.


    After watching the disabled person in the simted animation living a normal life by using the bionic


    arms, those in the crowd who needed the arms were really excited.


    After Kimi had finished his introduction, he passed the microphone back to Arielle.


    ¡°I believe that everyone wants to know the price of the bionic arms. So, I¡¯ll announce the market price


    and the special price for today¡¯s on-site booking. But before that, I would like to introduce a mystery


    guest.¡±


    The audience¡¯s curiosity was piqued when they heard that announcement.


    Jacob was especially curious, but he could not guess who that mystery guest was.


    At that very moment, a side door opened suddenly and a good-looking but pale man emerged.


    His facial features were sharp, and he was about twenty-five years of age. However, one of his shirt


    sleeves hung empty without a limb.


    Just as Jacob was about to ask his assistant who that man was, one of the reporters recognized him.


    ¡°This is Bjorn! The son of the Seyward family!¡±


    A few years ago, Bjorn lost his arm due to an ident.


    The Seyward family was well-known in Jadeborough, so news about Bjorn¡¯s ident went viral.


    After the ident, Bjorn disappeared from public view, and he was never seen again.


    There were rumors that after losing his arm, he had never stepped out of his bedroom. Yet, today, he had


    appeared at the event.

 Chapter 1176

    Chapter 1176


    All of a sudden, Jacob had an ominous feeling that things would not turn out right for him. Furthermore,


    that feeling wouldn¡¯t go away but grow stronger instead.


    Arielle cast Jacob a nce and smiled as she turned to Bjorn and gestured at him to go ahead.


    ¡°Wee to our mystery guest. Some of the audiences have already recognized you. Nevertheless,


    please introduce yourself.¡±


    When she set up the bionic arm for Bjorn, she had a request and that was for him to show up at the


    press conference for the productunch.


    In the initial stages, she was worried that he would not be able to ovee his fear of appearing in


    public. Hence, seeing him here, she was relieved.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Feeling grateful, Bjorn nodded at Arielle. Then he addressed the press, ¡°Hello, everyone. I¡¯m Bjorn


    Seyward, the heir to the Seyward Group. I was also in the news for some time. A few years ago, I lost an


    arm because of an ident. After that, as you all know, I was never seen again outside my house. Today


    is the first time in a long while I make an appearance.¡±


    Jacob gritted his teeth in a fury. Since you haven¡¯t left home for so many years, you should stay home.


    Why on earth do you have toe here?


    Bjorn did not look at Jacob as he continued, ¡°Many would wonder why after hiding away for so many


    years, I would be here today¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he took something carefully out of the box he carried.


    The crowd looked and saw that it was a realistic-looking arm. If he had not taken it out of a box, one


    would think that it was real.


    After taking out the bionic arm, he attached it to himself, and then¡­


    ¡°Ms. Moore, would you like to have some roasted peanuts? I made them myself,¡± Bjorn asked suddenly.


    Instantly, Arielle understood what Bjorn wanted to do and nodded. ¡°A snack prepared by the man


    himself. It¡¯s my honor.¡±


    Bjorn nodded and snapped his fingers with his left hand.


    In just a moment, a housekeeper of the Seyward family brought a te of roasted peanuts.


    When the crowd was wondering what was going on, Bjorn grabbed a fork with his right hand, which was


    the bionic arm, and skillfully picked up one of the peanuts. Then, he brought it close to Arielle.


    Each movement was smooth and natural. It was as if the arm was really his own.


    After a moment of silence, the audience erupted into chatters.


    ¡°My goodness! He used the bionic arm to pick up a peanut with a fork!¡±


    ¡°Is that really a bionic arm? It looks like his own!¡±


    ¡°I thought the Moore Group¡¯s bionic arm could only perform simple functions. Incredibly, it could perform


    something soplex.¡±


    ¡°A person who had lost an arm can really lead a normal life again!¡±


    ¡°Such a great invention. I think it can win the International Noble Award.¡±


    Naturally, Arielle heard the crowd¡¯s discussion.


    As Bjorn beckoned to her with his eyes, she bent forward slightly and ate the peanut.


    Click! Click! Click! Innumerable cameras that were pointing at them began shing continuously as the


    reporters captured the historical moment.


    The audience who saw this scene in the live broadcast room also flooded the chat.


    ¡°My friend lost an arm in an ident. I¡¯m going to ask him to book one immediately!¡±


    ¡°Awesome! This is really awesome! Is Arielle a genius? She can do everything well! It¡¯s not just her


    ability to run an award-winning restaurant, but she¡¯s also able to produce bionic arms! Is there anything


    she can¡¯t do?¡±

 Chapter 1177

    Chapter 1177


    As there were those who apuded Arielle¡¯s sess, there would naturally be naysayers.


    ¡°Please do not be mistaken. The bionic arm was created by the AI technology department. It has nothing


    to do with Arielle Moore, the investor.¡±


    ¡°I agree with thement above. Ignorant people will think that Arielle is an all-powerful goddess.¡±


    ¡°ording to my understanding, those who deserve praise are the designers in the technology


    department. This does not reflect her abilities at all. Not to mention that she is just the employer. In fact,


    when the research was being done on the bionic arm, she was not yet the CEO of Moore Group. At that


    time, thepany was Southall Group.¡±


    ¡°Fans are praising her withments like ¡®there is nothing she cannot do.¡¯ Well, if she were part of the


    AI team, I would say she is worthy of praise. However, she did not take part in it. Hehe, dear fans, please


    use yourmon sense!¡±


    Meanwhile, in Vinson¡¯s office, he was staring at the screen of his mobile phone.


    He pressed the pause button, and the screen was frozen at the frame where Bjorn was feeding Arielle a


    peanut.


    He narrowed his eyes, and there was a look of disapproval on his face.


    Sannie is getting more daring to the extent of eating what other men feed her!


    What form of punishment should I mete out to her?


    His assistant, Rayson, knocked on the door at that precise moment.


    The door was, in fact, already open. Vinson frowned. ¡°Enter.¡±


    Rayson handed him a document respectfully and stated, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, your signature is required


    here.¡±


    Vinson received the document and went over it quickly. After confirming that there were no errors, he put


    down his signature neatly.


    When he looked up, he saw that Rayson was still holding a packet of wedding candies in his arms.


    Instantly, Rayson saw the questioning look in Vinson¡¯s gaze. Quickly, he exined, ¡°Mr. Johnson gave


    this to me at the entrance. Yesterday, he proposed sessfully, so he went and obtained the marriage


    cert today. He did prepare another packet for you, but I didn¡¯t ept it. I presumed you wouldn¡¯t want it.¡±


    It wasmon knowledge that Vinson did not care about the personal lives of his subordinates, nor had


    he ever shown interest in them.


    As expected, Vinson nodded without showing any expression. ¡°It¡¯s signed already. Take it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Rayson bowed and turned around to leave with the signed document.


    Unexpectedly, when he reached the door, Vinson suddenly called out to him, ¡°Please ask Mr. Johnson to


    come and see me.¡±


    Rayson was taken by surprise. ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    He quickened his steps and went to get Cole.


    Upon receiving Vinson¡¯s orders, Cole seemed worried and broke out in cold sweat.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Why does Mr. Nightshire want to see me? Is it because I gave out wedding candies in the office, and he


    feels I¡¯m interfering with everyone¡¯s work?¡±


    Rayson shook his head helplessly. ¡°I don¡¯t know. No one can guess what¡¯s on his mind. I noticed that he


    didn¡¯t look too pleased earlier. No matter what, you just have to apologize the moment you enter his


    office. You¡¯re an old staff member. The worst punishment you¡¯d receive is just a p on the wrist. There


    wouldn¡¯t be any serious repercussions.¡±


    Cole felt even more worried after hearing that.


    He brushed off the beads of sweat from his brows. Momentster, he knocked on Vinson¡¯s door, feeling


    anxious.


    Vinson¡¯s cold voice instantly rang out. ¡°Come in.¡±


    Cole thought, Why does his voice seem colder than usual? I¡¯m done for.


    Cole braced himself and gritted his teeth as he entered the office.

 Chapter 1178

    Chapter 1178


    Vinson¡¯s office gave off a depressing vibe due to the dull color theme and in-looking furniture.


    Cole shuddered when he felt Vinson¡¯s powerful and domineering aura upon entering his office.


    It took him quite a while before he found his voice. ¡°M-Mr. Nightshire¡­¡±


    Vinson looked up at him in response and saw how nervous Cole was.


    Remembering that he had summoned Cole with the purpose of making himself seem more approachable


    and friendly, Vinson forced a smile as he said, ¡°Come, have a seat.¡±


    Cole nearly fainted when he saw Vinson smiling at him.


    I¡¯ve been working here for over ten years, and I have never seen Mr. Nightshire smile at anyone! A-Am I


    about to die?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Nightshire! I shouldn¡¯t have brought my personal affairs into the workce! I¡¯m sorry for


    distributing candy earlier! I didn¡¯t mean to disturb the other employees! I only handed them to those who


    were free at the time! Please forgive me, Mr. Nightshire! I won¡¯t do it again!¡± he shouted with his face all


    pale.


    What? I haven¡¯t even said anything, so why is he so terrified? I even made sure to smile at him¡­


    Vinson thought to himself in confusion.


    ¡°What are you going on about? Since when have I scolded you for handing out candy?¡± he asked with a


    frown.


    Cole looked up at him in surprise.


    ¡°I-Is there something I can help you with, then?¡±


    ¡°Take a seat,¡± Vinson replied patiently while pointing at the chair in front of his desk.


    Cole nervously swallowed as he stepped forward and sat down in the chair.


    ¡°I heard you sessfully proposed to yourdyst night. Is that correct?¡± Vinson asked.


    ¡°Y-Yes, that¡¯s right¡­¡± Cole grew increasingly confused.


    Since when has Mr. Nightshire concerned himself with the private lives of his employees? What on earth


    is he ying at?


    He snapped out of his train of thoughts when Vinson exined, ¡°I actually summoned you because I


    wanted to ask you for some advice. I¡¯m nning on proposing to mydy too, but I don¡¯t have much


    experience with this sort of thing. So, I decided to consult you instead.¡±


    Cole was stupefied.


    What on earth did I just hear? Do my ears deceive me?


    Noticing the look of disbelief on his face, Vinson guessed what he was thinking and added, ¡°You heard


    me right, Mr. Johnson. I want to ask you for some advice on proposing.¡±


    Although still a little confused, Cole quickly regained hisposure and replied, ¡°The element of surprise


    is the most important part when ites to proposing. You have to bring her to the ce that you have


    prepared beforehand without her realizing it¡­¡±


    Vinson nodded seriously as he wrote down everything Cole said.


    Meanwhile, the crowd went wild when Bjorn showed them his bionic arm at the press conference.


    Countless AI technology enthusiasts were eagerly pulling out their wallets as they prepared to purchase


    them.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Arielle held the microphone up to her mouth and said, ¡°Now that you all have a rough idea of how our


    company¡¯s bionic arm works, I will announce its selling price!¡±


    She then shed Kimi a nce, prompting him to pull up the next slide on the LED screen.


    ¡°Thirty-two thousand?¡±


    Everyone was shocked.


    ¡°They¡¯re selling something this amazing for such a low price?¡±


    ¡°This price is beyond reasonable! Moore Group is the best!¡±

 Chapter 1179

    Chapter 1179


    Arielle gestured at the crowd to settle down before continuing, ¡°I believe this price is affordable for most


    families out there. Of course, should anyone from low-ie families require a bionic arm, we will give


    one to them for free once we have confirmed their financial situation.¡±


    Jacob, who was already freaking out after seeing the price, lost his mind when he heard they would give


    the bionic arms out for free. ¡°Madam Chairman, have you discussed this huge decision with the board of


    directors? I¡¯m a director myself, and even I haven¡¯t heard about this! Thirty-two thousand is way too low


    of a price! We won¡¯t profit from this at all!¡±


    The cost to produce a single bionic arm is about thirty thousand, and that doesn¡¯t include the various


    other expenses like processing fees and publicity costs! We could suffer huge losses simply by selling


    them for thirty-two thousand each, and now she¡¯s offering to give them out for free? Has she lost her


    mind? Does she want Moore Group to go bankrupt more than I do?


    Arielle simply shot Jacob a nce as she said, ¡°I believe you may have gotten the wrong idea, Mr.


    Campbell. Well, I suppose I am at fault for not making myself clear enough. I will be bearing the cost of


    the bionic arms that we give out for free by purchasing them at market price, so there is no need to


    discuss this with the board of directors at all. The AI designers and I had reduced the cost as much as


    possible when we worked on the bionic arm, so you don¡¯t have to worry about the losses, Mr. Campbell.


    Although the price of thirty-two thousand won¡¯t bring us a lot of profit, we will most certainly suffer no


    losses. Besides, products like these were meant to help those suffering from disabilities, to begin with.


    Moore Group¡¯s sess is attributed to both our own hard work as well as the support of the consumers.


    This, is how we can give back to those consumers.¡±


    Jacob was instantly silenced by her response.


    No losses equal profit, regardless of the amount. Given the low price, this product is bound to attract tons


    of buyers. Despite the small amount of profit made with each unit, we¡¯ll still be able to earn a decent


    amount of money if we sell a lot of them. Since Arielle has offered to pay for the units we give out, the


    board of directors will have no reason toin¡­


    He had nothing to say in response as he knew Arielle had won by sessfully winning the hearts of the


    consumers while ensuring that thepany profits off the product.


    ¡°While designing the bionic arm, we actually ran into some issues with production, the programming, and


    acquiring the materials. However, Madam Chairman took care of all those problems for us. Not only did


    she have Sann Group¡ªthe leading authority in the international AI field¡ªhelp us with production, but


    she also wrote the programming code herself. By allowing users to control the bionic arm with their


    minds, we were able to reduce the costs and make it even better than before. As such, all of us


    designers have no objections to the price of the bionic arms,¡± Kimi added.


    Jacob got so mad that he nearly had a stroke when he heard that.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Sann Group? They¡¯re the ones who manufacture the bionic arm? Now I see why Arielle dares hold the


    press conference today even though I practically bribed every AI processing nt in Chanaea! She had


    already found a backup n for herself! I came here thinking I would get to see her make a fool out of


    herself, only to end up bing that fool instead!


    While Jacob was on the verge of losing his mind, the fans in the livestream were going crazy as well.

 Chapter 1180

    Chapter 1180


    Thements ensued: Ahhhhhhhh! My goddess really did participate in the design of the bionic arm!


    Ha! You hear that, haters?


    I can¡¯t believe Arielle managed to get in touch with Sann Group! She truly is amazing! I hear Sann Group


    never helps otherpanies with manufacturing their products!


    The haters were just as surprised as they didn¡¯t expect Arielle to take part in designing the bionic arm, let


    alone handle the most difficult part of the programming.


    Some of the haters left the livestream immediately, while others apologized for badmouthing Arielle.


    I¡¯m sorry for what I said before. Arielle truly is amazing.


    Damn, I should¡¯ve known better than to underestimate a Maxwell University graduate! I won¡¯t hate on


    Arielle ever again!


    Almost everyone at the scene stood up and pped for Arielle out of respect and admiration.


    Despite being a sessful entrepreneur who made it to the position of chairperson in apany, she


    still cares for the disadvantaged and tries to do something for them! Such kindness is an incredibly rare


    trait in the corporate world!


    Arielle calmly nodded at the apuding crowd to express her gratitude for their support.


    Orders for the bionic arm wereing in like crazy by the time the press conference ended, and the first


    batch had already been sold out.


    Arielle hadpletely dominated in this battle against Jacob, who left the scene before the press


    conference was over.


    Furious, he took his anger out on his assistant on the way back.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to keep an eye on her? How could you not know about herpleting the bionic arm


    and holding the press conference? You useless piece of crap! I should have you fired!¡±


    The assistant stammered as he replied, ¡°P-Please calm down, Mr. Campbell¡­ I can exin¡ª¡±


    ¡°What good is exining now? She has already won everyone over with this press conference, so


    there¡¯s no way I can get rid of her anymore! I¡¯m going to end up like that fool Oliver!¡±


    ¡°Calm down, sir. She signed an agreement with us, remember? Not only would she have to double the


    profits of the AI technology branch office, but she also has to help all the other projects make profits. The


    bionic arm would allow her to fulfill the first condition of the agreement, but what about the second?¡± the


    assistant reminded.


    Jacob¡¯s eyes lit up as he recalled that fact.


    He¡¯s right! Moore Group is involved in a wide variety of businesses. With the exception of the AI


    technology branch office, every other project suffered losses under Henrick¡¯s management. Most of


    Moore Group¡¯s products have been rejected by all the otherpanies out there, so no one wants to do


    business with us. So what if Arielle is able to double the profits of the AI technology department? There¡¯s


    no way she¡¯d be able to help the entire group make a profit!


    With that in mind, Jacob smacked himself on his bald head as he eximed, ¡°You¡¯re right! Why didn¡¯t I


    think of that?¡±Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    The assistant added with a bright smile, ¡°We have it all written in ck and white on the agreement, so


    don¡¯t you worry. Let¡¯s just think of this event today as her final moment of happiness before she gets


    removed from power.¡±


    Feeling a lot better after hearing that, Jacob waved at his assistant as he said happily, ¡°Call up some of


    the directors! We¡¯re going for a drink at the club!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± the assistant replied and began dialing numbers on his phone.


    The other directors were worried that they had taken the wrong side after seeing the results of the press


    conference that day.


    It wasn¡¯t until Jacob told them about the agreement that they all breathed sighs of relief.


    Arielle may have gotten lucky with the bionic arm, but there¡¯s no way she¡¯d be able to do the same with


    all the other projects! She¡¯s way too young to have the knowledge and experience required!

 Chapter 1181

    Chapter 1181


    Chapter 1181 Rise To Glory


    The atmosphere became merry and lively as everyone began drinking.


    Noticing that the directors had all calmed down, Jacob stood up and raised his ss. ¡°Enjoy yourselves


    tonight, guys! It¡¯s my treat!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Campbell!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind if we do!¡±


    Jacob nodded. ¡°Go ahead! Order the most expensive booze!¡±


    Right as Jacob was about to have some hostesses join them, his assistant burst through the door.


    ¡°I have really bad news, Mr. Campbell!¡± he shouted anxiously.


    ¡°We¡¯re all having a good time here! What are you going on about?¡± Jacob asked with a look of


    displeasure on his face.


    Although tempted to just blurt out everything, the assistant held himself back and whispered into Jacob¡¯s


    ear, ¡°We¡¯ve got big trouble, sir. Can we talk outside?¡±


    That was when Jacob noticed how anxious his assistant looked. He then ced his ss down and


    excused himself to the restroom.


    The smile on Jacob¡¯s face vanished after the two of them stepped outside. ¡°What the hell happened?¡± he


    asked coldly.


    ¡°Here, take a look at this¡­¡± The assistant whipped out his phone and pulled up a Twitter page.


    The words ¡°Sann Group¡± and ¡°Moore Group¡± could be seen under the trending section.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    As the twopanies were leagues apart, it seemed strange for them to appear next to each other in


    the trending section.


    Recalling what Arielle said about the bionic arm, Jacob replied with a pout, ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what you¡¯re


    freaking out about? I don¡¯t know what Arielle did, but she was able to have Sann Group help them with


    manufacturing the bionic arm. She probably paid money to advertise her partnership with Sann Group on


    social media, so it¡¯s nothing surprising.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it! Look!¡± the assistant said while tapping on Sann Group¡¯stest post.


    Jacob leaned in to get a better look, only to see Sann Group¡ªapany that rarely involved itself in the


    Chanaean market¡ªhad written a post about its ns to get into a long-term partnership with Moore


    Group. The contract for the partnership would be signed at Moore Group¡¯s headquarters on the next day.


    Theizens instantly went crazy in thements section andmented: What the f*ck? Sann Group


    is the leading enterprise in Epea!


    Even if they were to enter the Chanaean market, it would make more sense for them to pick Nightshire


    Group instead!


    Why would they choose Moore Group when it is clearly going downhill?


    Jacob was so shocked that he merely muttered, ¡°Sann Group¡­¡±


    ¡°What do we do, Mr. Campbell? I don¡¯t know how Madam Chairman managed to get in touch with Sann


    Group, but they¡¯re going to sign the partnership contract tomorrow! Does this mean we won¡¯t be able to


    get rid of her anymore?¡±


    The assistant was trembling all over in fear.


    Jacob is still the one with the most authority in thepany at the moment. If Arielle takes over, she¡¯ll


    get rid of small fries like us before going after the big shots like him!


    Jacob too, had gone a little pale after receiving the news.


    He thought having Sann Group help produce the bionic arms was all that Arielle could do, but she even


    managed to get into a long-term business partnership with them.


    That meant Moore Group would be able to rise up in the industry with Sann Group¡¯s help.


    Had Jacob not made an enemy out of Arielle, he would¡¯ve been able to profit from her sess instead.


    A situation where either one of them would be forced to leave was not ideal at all.

 Chapter 1182

    Chapter 1182


    Chapter 1182 A Real Surprise


    ¡°What do we do, Mr. Campbell?¡± the assistant asked anxiously.


    After smoking a few cigarettes to calm down, Jacob replied with a frown, ¡°Put a lid on this incident for


    now. At the very least, keep it a secret from the guys in the room.¡±


    ¡°But they are very active on social media, so it¡¯s impossible to hide it from them at all. Besides, Sann


    Group¡¯s representative will being over to sign the contract tomorrow, so spending huge amounts of


    money to remove it from the trending page won¡¯t do us any good.¡±


    That was when Jacob got another idea. ¡°Sann Group didn¡¯t specify who they would be signing that


    contract with. If I can sign it in Arielle¡¯s ce, then the credit will all go to me. Sann Group isn¡¯t familiar


    with Chanaea, so they will only recognize whoever shows up to sign the contract.¡±


    The assistant¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement upon hearing that. ¡°That¡¯s a great idea! But¡­ Would Madam


    Chairman agree to it?¡±


    Even the blind could see that it was a ridiculously great opportunity.


    ¡°I want you to go in there and keep an eye on them. Make sure they enjoy themselves enough to not use


    their phones. Do whatever you must to stop those who start checking their phones. I¡¯ll give that b*tch a


    call and see what her ns are,¡± Jacob replied with a frown.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The assistant then went into the room.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Mr. Campbell?¡± asked one of the directors when he only saw Jacob¡¯s assistant returning.


    ¡°Mr. Campbell is off on his way to prepare a surprise for all of you!¡± the assistant said with a forced smile.


    Before they could ask him any further questions, a bunch of hostesses came in through the door.


    The sight of the pretty women distracted the directors so much that they forgot about Jacob instantly,


    much to the assistant¡¯s relief as he raised his ss and joined them.


    Meanwhile, Jacob gave Arielle a call outside the door.


    The call got through in just two rings, and Arielle¡¯s mischievous voice could be heard on the other line.


    ¡°Mr. Campbell? My, this is a real surprise! To what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call?¡±


    To receive a greeting like that from someone much younger than him made his blood boil.


    Jacob tightened his grip on the phone as he tried his best to suppress his anger.


    ¡°Arielle, I¡ª¡±


    Those words had barely left his mouth when Arielle cut him off, ¡°Although there is a huge gap between


    your age and mine, I am still your superior at work. As such, I would prefer that you address me the


    same way you usually do. I believe this will help keep things appropriate.¡±


    Jacob gritted his teeth in frustration as he said, ¡°Madam Chairman¡­¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°Good.¡± Feeling satisfied, Arielle asked, ¡°Is there anything I can help you with, Mr. Campbell? I have just


    finished wrapping things up here after the bionic arm¡¯s press conference, and I don¡¯t see you directors


    anywhere. Are you calling to ask for forgiveness?¡±


    She showed no mercy with her words, and it took every ounce of willpower in Jacob to maintain his


    composure.


    ¡°We apologize for leaving in advance. We just felt we could leave the press conference in your hands,


    that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh¡­¡±


    Jacob clenched his teeth as he continued, ¡°I-In order to make it up to you, I¡¯d like to help you take care of


    a task at work.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Which one?¡± Arielle asked casually.


    Jacob swallowed hard before replying, ¡°Sann Group will be sending their representative over to sign a


    contract with us tomorrow. You know howplicated the legal terms can be, right? Seeing as you¡¯re


    busy with the restaurant and the bionic arm, I figured I¡¯d help you out with the signing of the contract


    since I¡¯m aw school graduate.¡±

 Chapter 1183

    Chapter 1183


    Chapter 1183 Take Over Completely


    His heart was racing after he said that.


    Having worked with Arielle for quite some time, I¡¯vee to realize that she isn¡¯t easy to fool despite her


    young age. Given how important this contract with Sann Group is, even a fool wouldn¡¯t possibly agree to


    my suggestion. Even so, I have no other choice but to try and trick her anyway. This is my only chance at


    getting rid of her now. If it fails, I¡¯ll just hire someone to assassinate her. There are plenty of forums


    online for such services here in Chanaea. I¡¯ve spent so much money already, so what¡¯s a little bit more if


    it¡¯ll help me achieve my goals? Now that Moore Group has transformed into a highly-profitablepany,


    nows nor morality issues are going to stop me from getting my hands on it! I will use any and all


    means necessary to make Moore Group mine!


    In fact, he had already decided that he would get rid of Arielle permanently when he made that phone


    call because he knew she wouldn¡¯t agree to his request.


    To Jacob¡¯s surprise, however, Arielle agreed to it in an instant.


    ¡°Okay, sure!¡±


    Jacob was so shocked that he actually thought he had misheard her.


    ¡°W-Wait¡­ Did you just agree to it?¡± he asked in disbelief.


    ¡°Yeah, I did. It¡¯s nice to have someone help share some of the workloads, after all. In fact, I would¡¯ve


    asked you to do it even if you didn¡¯t offer to, Mr. Campbell,¡± Arielle replied.


    Feeling confused, Jacob asked, ¡°Do you have something important to take care of tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I do. I, too, have a very important contract to sign tomorrow, so I¡¯ll leave this one to you,¡± Arielle


    replied with a hint of amusement in her tone.


    Although thrilled beyond belief, Jacob made sure to remain calm as he said, ¡°I see¡­ In that case, I¡¯ll be


    sure to take good care of the contract with Sann Group.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much, Mr. Campbell.¡± Arielle hung up the phone after that.


    Jacob simply stood there staring nkly at his phone, unable to believe that Arielle had just agreed to his


    offer like that.


    It wasn¡¯t until he pinched himself and felt the pain that he knew for sure he wasn¡¯t dreaming.


    Arielle had actually agreed to let him sign the contract with Sann Group in her ce.


    ¡°Yes! This is great!¡± Jacob muttered to himself as he returned to the room with a bright smile on his face.


    The directors were all tipsy after rounds of drinking with the hostesses, and the atmosphere in the room


    was at its best.


    Realizing it was a perfect time to deliver the good news, Jacob cleared his throat loudly and said,


    ¡°Attention, everyone! I have something very important to announce, so please put your sses down for


    a bit. I¡¯m telling you all this so that you will not be surprised when you see what happens tomorrow!¡±


    Hearing that piqued their curiosity, and one of the directors urged him impatiently, ¡°What is it, Mr.


    Campbell? Don¡¯t keep us all in suspense like this!¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Hurry up and tell us, Mr. Campbell! Is that b*tch causing us trouble again?¡±


    Some of the directors were still a little shaken up by Arielle¡¯s capabilities.


    After all, she had gotten rid of Oliver and won the consumers over with the bionic arm.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Had it not been for the agreement they had, Arielle would probably have gotten rid of them all by then.

 Chapter 1184

    Chapter 1184


    Chapter 1184 ted


    Of course, Jacob was no fool either. He knew those directors were wavering out of fear, so he had


    invited them out for a drink that night.


    Thank goodness Arielle isn¡¯t as smart as I thought! She¡¯s still way too young and inexperienced to win


    against me!


    With that in mind, Jacob broke into a wide grin as he said, ¡°Calm down, guys. This isn¡¯t bad news. In


    fact, it¡¯s great news! You see, I¡¯ve been busy trying to find a great business partner for ourpany.


    They¡¯ve agreed toe and sign the contract with us tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Whichpany are you talking about?¡± asked one of the directors anxiously.


    Jacob nced at them to make sure he had their full attention before replying, ¡°Sann Group.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Sann Group? Are you serious, Mr. Campbell?¡±


    If Sann Group is nning on entering the Chanaean market, then it would make more sense for them to


    work with Nightshire Group instead! Of course, Moore Group would be a great choice to work with if it


    were ten years ago, but it¡¯s no longer what it used to be! If anything, Moore Group is merely a shadow of


    its former self now!


    Jacob knew they wouldn¡¯t believe him, so he pulled out his phone and handed it to the nearest director.


    ¡°Sann Group has posted on Twitter that they¡¯re going to get into a long-term partnership with us. Feel


    free to look it up if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    The directors quickly gathered around to have a look, only to gasp in surprise when they saw the official


    post from Sann Group.


    ¡°Well? What do you guys think? Are you all satisfied with the surprise I have prepared?¡± Jacob asked


    with a gleeful grin.


    The directors leaped to their feet immediately.


    ¡°You truly are the best, Mr. Campbell!¡±


    ¡°Yeah! I can¡¯t believe you were able to get Sann Group to partner up with us! Is there anything you can¡¯t


    do?¡±


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Moore Group is about to rise to glory! Don¡¯t forget about us after you make it big!¡±


    Heh¡­ You guys are only on my side because of the benefits you stand to gain from me!


    Jacob scoffed to himself but maintained a humble smile as he replied, ¡°Of course! Sann Group would


    never have agreed to partner up with us if it weren¡¯t for your hard work, so how could I possibly forget


    about you guys?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit that I may have underestimated you a little before, Mr. Campbell. From now on, you¡¯re my role


    model! Cheers!¡± one of the directors said while raising his ss.


    Feeling ted from thepliments, Jacob held his ss up as well, and the two downed their drinks at


    the same time.


    After receiving a few toasts in a row, Jacob felt the urge to relieve himself.


    ¡°Excuse me, I have to use the restroom.¡±


    His assistant quickly followed after him and asked when they were outside, ¡°What¡¯s going on, Mr.


    Campbell? Did Madam Chairman agree to it?¡±


    ¡°Madam Chairman? Oh, she won¡¯t be holding that title for long!¡± Jacob replied with a disdainful smile.


    Sensing that something was amiss, the assistant pressed on, ¡°Did she really agree to let you sign the


    contract with Sann Group?¡±


    ¡°Of course she did! How else would I have been able to say all that in there earlier?¡±


    ¡°But¡­ But why would she?¡±

 Chapter 1185

    Chapter 1185


    Chapter 1185 A Trap


    The assistant was still in disbelief.


    Had it been his first day in thepany, he would¡¯ve assumed that Arielle was na?ve enough to believe


    Jacob¡¯s words and agree to let him sign the contract.


    However, having witnessed the incidents with Oliver and the bionic arm, he knew Arielle was no ordinary


    woman.


    ¡°Something about this seems suspicious, Mr. Campbell. I suggest you investigate further before taking


    any action. This could be a trap!¡± the assistant reminded him.


    ¡°That might be the case if thepanying to sign the contract tomorrow is some small fry that


    we¡¯ve never heard of, but this is Sann Group that we¡¯re talking about! Apany like that wouldn¡¯t try to


    set me up for the sake of a b*tch like Arielle, so this can¡¯t possibly be a trap!¡± Jacob denied it


    immediately.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°All right, that¡¯s enough. I¡¯m going to use the restroom, so you can head back inside now!¡± Jacob cut him


    off and began unbuckling his belt.


    With no other choice, the assistant could only walk away and pray that he had overestimated Arielle


    about this whole thing being a trap.


    Being the one who did all of Jacob¡¯s dirty work, he would be the first to go down if Arielle were to get rid


    of Jacob. That was the main reason why he worried so much about Jacob falling into Arielle¡¯s trap.


    Jacob had gotten out of bed early the next day so he could dress well before showing up at Moore


    Group.


    As the building¡¯s construction had only beenpleted recently, the faint smell of paint could still be


    detected.


    Although Jacob usually found that scent to be irritating, it seemed to energize him more on that particr


    morning.


    ¡°Mr. Campbell! I¡¯ve just received word that there are representatives from tons ofpanies out there


    asking to have lunch with you. On top of that, some of our branch offices have suddenly received huge


    amounts of orders,¡± his assistant whispered at him with a conflicted expression.


    Of course, Jacob had expected for this to happen.


    Moore Group is going to rise up in the industry now that Sann Group has agreed to partner up with us.


    It¡¯s only natural the otherpanies in Jadeborough would want a slice of that pie as well.


    With that in mind, Jacob said, ¡°Reject them all for now. Tell them I¡¯m very busy these few days and that


    I¡¯ll contact them once I¡¯m free. We mustn¡¯t ept their invitations too soon, or it¡¯ll lower our value.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± the assistant replied and went off to carry out his instructions.


    Jacob then began rushing through his work for the day as the representatives from Sann Group would


    arrive at ten.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Get ready. I¡¯m going to livestream the process of me signing the contract with Sann Group,¡± he


    instructed his assistant after he was done with his work.


    ¡°Livestream?¡±


    Having been scolded badly by Jacob after the livestream of the bionic arm yesterday, he was a little


    phobic toward that word.


    Although Jacob didn¡¯t care about the negativements, he was the one who had to take care of them.


    There were so many of them that he stayed up all night after the drinking session yesterday just to get rid


    of them all.


    ¡°H-How about we not livestream it this time? Things could get really bad if this turns out to be a trap set


    by Madam Chairman. The whole world would be able to see it!¡± the assistant advised him nervously.


    ¡°You know what? I realize you¡¯ve be a lot more cowardly these days! Always objecting to the


    decisions I make¡­ Do you know how disrespectful you¡¯re being?¡± Jacob shouted angrily.


    The assistant was so intimidated by his domineering tone that he could only lower his head and


    apologize. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Campbell¡­ I didn¡¯t mean it that way¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you meant! Just do as I tell you! Now, get ready for the livestream!¡±

 Chapter 1186

    Chapter 1186


    Chapter 1186 Mysterious Boss


    ¡°I understand¡­¡± the assistant had no choice but to prepare for the live streaming.


    After the previous livestream, everyone in Chanaea was aware that Moore Group had designed a bionic


    arm using AI technology. Because of that, Moore Group¡¯s livestream ount had more than hundreds of


    thousands of followers.


    Even the Nightshire Group¡¯s official livestream ount had barely a hundred thousand followers. As


    such, the following of Moore Group¡¯s livestream ount was considered rather impressive.


    Seconds after the livestream announcement was made, countless followers had already subscribed to


    the livestream.


    After subscribing, subscribers would automatically receive a notification on their devices the moment the


    livestream started. As such, those who had subscribed to the livestream would undoubtedly be viewing


    it.


    When informed by his assistant that there were already more than a hundred thousand subscribers,


    Jacob could not help but feel excited and lit a cigarette.


    This time, it¡¯ll be my turn to shine instead of that little b*tch!


    Shortly after, it was time for the livestream. ¡°The people from Sann Group have almost arrived. They¡¯ll be


    here in about three to five minutes,¡± Jacob¡¯s assistant reported.


    Jacob immediately got up from the couch and gathered every director and upper management who were


    on his side before leading the group to the entrance to await the arrival of Sann Group¡¯s representatives.


    Even though that was already considered quite a grand reception, Jacob felt that it wasn¡¯t enough and


    ordered his assistant to buy some gifts. He intended to present the gifts to Sann Group¡¯s representatives


    as a gesture of his sincerity.


    The assistant came back with the gifts a short whileter, just in time for the arrival of Sann Group¡¯s


    representatives.


    Jacob immediately identified those people when a group of blonde-haired executives walked out of a


    vehicle that stopped in front of the office building.


    He walked up immediately with a smile on his face while instructing his assistant to start the livestream.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Once the livestream started, countless followers rushed online.


    Thements ensued: Yeah! Am I going to get to see my goddess¡¯ pretty face again?


    My goddess, please post more pictures! You haven¡¯t uploaded anything on your social media for more


    than a month! I¡¯m famished! Please feed me with your photos.


    Huh? Why is it that bald director? I don¡¯t want to see him. I want to see my goddess!


    The assistant¡¯s expression darkened when he saw thements, but at the same time, he was secretly


    enjoying it.


    The star of the day was his boss, Jacob, and not Arielle. Those people who were waiting to see Arielle


    could forget about it.


    Meanwhile, Jacob had already greeted the representatives from Sann Group. However, his guests did


    not ept his gifts, stating that they had not done anything to earn them.


    It wasn¡¯t the culture of Lightspring for the people to ept gifts randomly. Compared to the mary


    value of presents, the intentions behind the act of gifting were more important. If Jacob had prepared


    something handmade or some specialty food of Chanaea instead of luxury watches, the executives


    might have epted them.


    Jacob felt slightly awkward that his goodwill was being rejected.


    However, as he knew a little about the culture of Lightspring, he got over the awkwardness very soon


    and invited his guests inside.


    The leader of Sann Group¡¯s representatives shook his head and said, ¡°Our boss is not here yet. We¡¯ll


    wait for our boss to arrive before going in. If you¡¯re unable to wait, feel free to wait for us upstairs. We


    don¡¯t mind.¡±


    When Jacob heard that, his eyes lit up at once.


    ¡°Did you just say that your boss ising here personally?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The man nodded and continued, ¡°Our boss was the one who insisted on this cooperation


    with you. If that weren¡¯t the case, we wouldn¡¯t be interested in working with yourpany for the time


    being.¡±


    Even though the blonde man spoke honestly, it left Jacob confused.


    Sann Group¡¯s boss was a mysterious person. However, Jacob did not understand why that mysterious


    person would choose to work with them.

 Chapter 1187

    Chapter 1187


    Chapter 1187 Disappointment


    After giving it some thought, he was still unable to figure the reason out.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    However, there was no way he would let his guests wait for their boss at the entrance by themselves. As


    such, he quickly replied, ¡°We¡¯ve reserved our schedule for the entire day just for you. We¡¯ll wait with you


    then.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. We appreciate that.¡±


    ¡°No problem at all.¡± Jacob waved his hands and asked, ¡°What¡¯s your boss¡¯ name? From what I know,


    Sann Group has not disclosed any of your boss¡¯ particrs before.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The man nodded and replied with a look of admiration, ¡°Our boss is extremely outstanding


    but has always maintained a low profile. We are also very excited that our boss is willing to step into the


    public eye this time. As for our boss¡¯ name, that¡¯s not for us to say. You¡¯ll find out when our boss arrives.¡±


    ¡°Of course. May I know what time your boss will be arriving? I will prepare some refreshments before


    that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that,¡± the blonde man replied, shaking his head. ¡°It depends on our boss¡¯ mood. My


    boss does not like to n things in advance. If you can¡¯t wait, you can head upstairs first.¡±


    It was obvious from the tone of the man¡¯s voice that he had tremendous respect for his boss. That got


    Jacob even more curious to know what kind of person the boss of Sann Group was.


    He could either be an elderly man or a capable young leader like Vinson.


    Regardless, Jacob was certain that it was definitely not a woman.


    To Jacob, the business world belonged to men and not women like Arielle.


    Meanwhile, at Maple Mansion, Arielle just woke up after a great night¡¯s sleep.


    She touched the pillow beside her instinctively and was alert at once.


    When she turned to look, she saw that the man who was previously lying next to her was gone. The


    pillow waspletely cold, without any of his lingering warmth.


    Arielle did not know what time he had left and could not help but feel slightly disappointed.


    The previous day¡¯s livestream was a huge win for her, gaining her both fame and influence.


    Vinson was the first person she wanted to share her joy with, but when she got home, she realized that


    he was not back yet.


    Assuming that he would return slightlyter, Arielle personally prepared a celebratory feast while waiting


    for the man. She waited until ten o¡¯clock at night, but there was still no sign of Vinson. As such, she had


    no choice but to finish up the food that had turned cold all by herself.


    After the woman finished eating, she decided to give Vinson a call.


    However, the man rejected her call and texted her a short message telling her that he had to attend an


    emergency meeting and would only be back after midnight. He had also told her to sleep first and not


    wait up for him.


    Even though Arielle was already upset before the text, she chose not to say anything. She simply texted


    back an ¡°OK¡± and went to wash up.


    Vinson finally returned home when she was already half-asleep.


    Arielle wanted to tell him all about the press conference, but the man took a quick shower and fell asleep


    as soon as hey down on the bed.


    As such, the woman had no choice but to bite back the words that she was about to say.


    She had nned to have a chat with Vinson in the morning, yet, it turned out that Vinson had already


    woken up and left, leaving her all alone in the bedroom.


    If she had not seen Vinson next to herst night, she would have thought that he had stayed out all night.


    Arielle could not help but feel disappointed and let out a barely audible sigh.


    She tried to control her emotions and pretend that everything was all right.


    Picking up her phone, she texted the man: What time did you wake up? Are you at the office already?


    Arielle headed to the bathroom to wash up right after sending the message. However, when she checked


    her phone after she finished breakfast, there was still no reply from Vinson.

 Chapter 1188

    Chapter 1188


    Chapter 1188 What Is He Busy With


    The woman could feel her frustration building up.


    Is he really that busy? It¡¯ll only take him a few seconds to reply to my message, but it has already been


    almost an hour!


    Arielle wondered what was keeping Vinson so busy that he could only return homete at night and


    leave again early in the morning. Besides, he was so tired that he fell asleep as soon as he hit the bed.


    Arielle took a deep breath as she could feel her displeasure and doubts getting stronger.


    She wanted to call Vinson, but after hesitating for a few seconds, she scrolled to Rayson¡¯s number and


    dialed that instead.


    However, she changed her mind immediately after making the call, and she quickly hung up.


    Forget it.


    Given her understanding of Vinson, Arielle knew that the man was truly upied with work and was


    not avoiding her intentionally.


    If she called, she might be disrupting something important.


    Besides, it was the same for her. When she was preparing for the press conference, apart from work,


    she was unable to focus on anything else. She thought that Vinson could be in a simr situation, and


    she should support him.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Arielle felt better at that thought. Putting her hands in her pocket, she got up and said to Madelyn, the


    housekeeper, ¡°Ms. Morris, I¡¯m going out for a while.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± the housekeeper replied. Suddenly, she seemed to have remembered something and


    immediately caught up with Arielle. ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, I forgot to pass you something that Mr. Nightshire


    had asked me to give you.¡±


    Madelyn was already treating the two of them as husband and wife. In fact, Vinson and Arielle had


    already officially registered their marriage, even though they had done it in secret, and it was merely a


    transaction back then.


    Nheless, Arielle hade to realize that it might not have been purely a transaction but a part of


    the man¡¯s n instead.


    It would have been really scary if someone she did not like had schemed that. However, because it was


    Vinson, her heart was filled with sweetness.


    ¡°What did he give me?¡± Arielle asked anxiously.


    Madelyn let out a motherly smile and took out a bag from behind her in a secretive manner.


    Arielle had assumed that the bag contained jewelry or something of that sort. Instead, when she


    opened it, it was red ginseng in the form of an oral solution.


    The oral solution was contained in small packs such that it was easy to carry around.


    The housekeeper said smilingly, ¡°Mr. Nightshire said that you¡¯ve been working hard at both the office


    and the restaurant these few days, and he was worried that you¡¯d be too exhausted. As such, he


    reminded me to ask you to take a few of these along with you so that you can have some when you¡¯re


    feeling tired.¡±


    As Arielle was well-versed in medicine, she was aware that red ginseng had lots of benefits, including


    increasing vitality and strengthening memory. It was an excellent health supplement.


    Compared to jewelry that she did not usually wear, the woman felt that the gift of red ginseng was more


    suitable for her.


    Arielle was so touched that her frustration from earlier on dissipated instantly.


    She took two packets of oral solution with her and reminded Madelyn before stepping out of the door,


    ¡°If Vinsones home before me, please give me a call.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± The housekeeper waved at Arielle and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll call you discreetly the moment Mr.


    Nightshirees back.¡±


    Hearing the word ¡°discreetly,¡± Arielle could not help but feel her cheeks burn up. After clearing her


    throat, she got into the car and left.


    Vinson had hired a chauffeur for her earlier on. ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, are we heading to Moore Group?¡± the


    driver asked respectfully.


    Arielle nced at her watch and decided that she should let Jacob wait a while more. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the


    branch of Maureen¡¯s Kitchen first,¡± she instructed.


    ¡°All right.¡± The chauffeur drove off at once without asking any questions.


    Twenty minutester, they arrived at the restaurant.


    Arielle did not inform the restaurant manager of her arrival beforehand, and the manager, who was


    excited to see her, started reporting the previous days¡¯ sales figures to her immediately.


    Just then, a man showed up.

 Chapter 1189

    Chapter 1189


    Chapter 1189 The Director


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    A man dressed in formal clothing came out of a car and sprinted into Maureen¡¯s Kitchen. ¡°Excuse me¡ª¡±


    Both Arielle and the manager looked in the voice¡¯s direction at the same time. Seeing the man, the


    manager spoke first. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Our business starts at eleven o¡¯clock. Our chefs are still preparing the


    ingredients. Hence, we¡¯re not epting any customers for the time being. However, you can stille in


    and have a drink.¡±


    It was still early, and the queue would start forming in half an hour.


    Thus, the manager thought the person was a customer who came early to queue up. To his surprise, the


    other person shook his head, saying, ¡°I¡¯m not here for a meal. I¡¯m a director of a variety show.¡±


    The manager did not dare to respond when he heard that. Instead, he quickly turned to Arielle and shot


    her a look.


    Seeing that, she stepped forward and said, ¡°How can I help you? I¡¯m the owner of this ce.¡±


    ¡°Oh. So, you¡¯re the owner¡­¡± James was stunned by the reply, and his gaze was filled with surprise.


    Nheless, since he was involved in the entertainment industry, meeting beautiful girls was part of his


    daily routine. Hence, he quickly snapped back to reality and said, ¡°Well, when your business started two


    days ago, we¡¯ve secretly filmed a few clips here for the variety show. By the way, our variety show¡¯s


    purpose is to promote Chanaea¡¯s local dishes. And now, the clips have been edited, but we still need to


    get your permission to use them. May I know if you¡¯ll be free to go through the clips?¡±


    Arielle was not in a hurry to agree. Instead, she asked him for the name of the show and agreed only


    when she knew it was a reputable variety show.


    ¡°I only have one clip on my phone. Here, take a look.¡± James was in a rush since it was going to be aired


    in two days.


    Arielle gave him a nod and focused on reviewing the clip. Although the video did not have any scenes


    that were unfavorable to Maureen¡¯s Kitchen, she did not expect to see Jason in it.


    So, Jason is the emcee of this variety show. No wonder he sounded funny on the phone that day.


    After giving it some thought, she nodded and gave her approval.


    James was overjoyed by the response, and he asked hurriedly, ¡°Can I go in and film some scenes? Our


    show isn¡¯t quiteplete without videos of the restaurant¡¯s interior and the dishes.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Arielle nodded and instructed the manager to get the kitchen staff to prepare some signature


    dishes for the shoot.


    The manager nodded happily and was about to usher her into the restaurant before she said, ¡°I still have


    some other matters to deal with. So, I¡¯ll leave this to you. Oh, by the way, tell Chef Quigley to start


    epting apprentices once the business stabilizes after a few days. We should start preparing tounch


    a third branch. I¡¯m already scouting for locations. All that¡¯s left now is to hire chefs.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± The manager was instantly full of energy, and he brought James into the restaurant for the


    shoot.


    Seeing that, Arielle was pumped up as well. She got into the car and headed to Moore Group.


    At first, she only nned to make Jacob wait for twenty minutes. Nevertheless, reviewing the clip caused


    a dy of another ten minutes.


    The timing had to be just right. Otherwise, her n would backfire.


    At that thought, Arielle urged the chauffeur, ¡°Please hurry.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± The chauffeur stepped on the elerator and the car sped up instantly.


    Thankfully, the chauffeur had good driving skills. Although the car was speeding, it was still speeding


    steadily. Arielle could even deal with some matters in the car.


    During the journey, she sent a message into the technology department¡¯s group chat to inform some


    things about the bionic arm. After that, she listed a few rules for Maureen¡¯s Kitchen.


    About twenty minutester, when Arielle had just finished settling the matters, the car finally arrived at


    Moore Group.


    Meanwhile, Jacob, who was anxiously waiting at the entrance of Moore Group, had gradually be


    impatient. Right then, a low-profile yet luxurious car pulled over in front of him.

 Chapter 1190

    Chapter 1190


    Chapter 1190 Are You ying Tricks On Me


    He¡¯s finally here!


    Jacob was, once again, filled with anticipation, and a wide smile formed on his face.


    The truth was, he had been maintaining that smile for so long that his muscles were aching.


    Thankfully, the person he was waiting for finally arrived.


    The staff of Sann Group tidied themselves and got ready to wee their boss, especially the blond-


    haired man, who approached the car straightaway.


    Jacob followed suit and stood before the car with utmost sincerity.


    At the same time, the audience in the livestream session was already very impatient. Originally, they


    arrived early to see Arielle¡¯s good looks. However, the camera had only been pointing at the bald Jacob


    for almost an hour, which frustrated them.


    Hence, many of them leftments toin about the situation and left the room. Yet, they entered


    asionally to see if the camera had moved away from Jacob.


    When it finally happened, thements section got lively again.


    Ament read: Ah! Is my goddess finally appearing? I didn¡¯te here to stare at the bald head for so


    long. I¡¯m here for my goddess!


    Why do I get the feeling that it won¡¯t necessarily be Arielle? Didn¡¯t Sann Group post an announcement


    yesterday? They said the person would being to sign a contract with Moore Group. So it¡¯s possible


    that the person in the car is Sann Group¡¯s boss.


    I think it¡¯s Sann Group¡¯s boss too. Didn¡¯t you guys notice the bald guy¡¯s expression?


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    At the mention of Sann Group¡¯s boss, even the inactiveizens begin joining the conversation.


    Anotherment read: What? Is this for real? Sann Group¡¯s boss? That¡¯s a very powerful person!


    The boss of Sann Group is extremely mysterious. I don¡¯t even know if that person is a male or a female. I


    can¡¯t believe I¡¯m getting to see the face of the boss today. It wasn¡¯t a waste to watch the bald guy for an


    hour, after all.


    Jacob¡¯s assistant paled when he saw the string ofments that were rted to a bald guy.


    Why did there have to be a live broadcast? Everything would have been perfectly fine. Look at what¡¯s


    happening now.


    Meanwhile, the car door finally opened.


    A pair of slender and fair legs stepped out under the watch of Jacob¡¯s respectful and curious gaze.


    As soon as he saw them, he was puzzled.


    Is Sann Group¡¯s boss a female? How could a female be such a powerful character? Could this be


    the wrong car? Perhaps it¡¯s the boss¡¯ assistant or something?


    Right then, the person bent her body and stepped out of the car.


    When Jacob raised his head, he saw Arielle¡¯s perfect-looking face.


    That day, she was looking a little different from usual. She had light makeup, her hair was tied into a neat


    ponytail, and she was dressed in a formal ck dress, which gave her a neat look. No one could lift their


    gaze off her.


    Yet, Jacob was disgusted by her, even though she was stunningly beautiful.


    His expression merely turned sour at the sight of her.


    Didn¡¯t she say the contract with Sann Group will be handled by me? Why is she here then? Did she


    deliberately lie to me on the phone so she could catch me off guard today? What a cunning woman!


    The more he thought about it, the greater the rage within him grew. Not bothering to conceal his


    emotions, he asked with a sullen expression, ¡°Madam Chairman, didn¡¯t you say you have other contracts


    to sign today? Isn¡¯t that why you handed this one to me? Why did youe to the office today? Are you


    doing this to trick me?¡±


    When Jacob¡¯s assistant warned him it could be a trap, he did not believe it. I can¡¯t believe Arielle actually


    lied to me!


    Arielle, on the other hand, had already expected Jacob to react that way. Hence, she smiled and


    responded with a knowing look, ¡°Trick you? Mr. Campbell, do you think I¡¯m bored enough to y tricks


    on you?¡±


    ¡°But you¡ª¡±

 Chapter 1191

    Chapter 1191


    Chapter 1191 A Joke


    Just as Jacob was about to speak, the blond-haired man stepped forward and bowed respectfully. ¡°Hello,


    Ms. Moore.¡±


    Immediately after that, the employees of Sann Group behind him shouted in unison, ¡°Hello, Ms. Moore!¡±


    Earlier, Jacob was speaking to Arielle in Chanaean. Hence, the blond-haired man did not understand


    their conversation. However, when he saw the change of expression on Arielle¡¯s face, he immediately


    tried to save the situation by greeting her.


    As soon as they finished greeting their boss, Jacob scratched his head and asked, ¡°Why are you calling


    her that? Where¡¯s your boss, anyway?¡±


    There¡¯s only the chauffeur and that blondie, Arielle, in front of me.


    Jacob¡¯s pupils constricted at that thought, and he stared at Arielle in disbelief. ¡°You¡­ You¡­¡±


    No way! It can¡¯t be! How could Sann Group¡¯s CEO be Arielle? There must be a misunderstanding here,


    right?


    To his surprise, Arielle beamed. ¡°You can stop looking around now, Mr. Campbell. I¡¯m the CEO of Sann


    Group. The name I use in other countries is San.¡±


    Jacob¡¯s eyes widened in shock. His legs were so weak that he even needed help from the bodyguard


    beside him to stand properly.


    Never in his wildest dreams did he expect Sann Group¡¯s boss to be a woman. Not to mention, the


    woman was Arielle.


    ¡°No way! It¡¯s impossible!¡± Jacob shook his head like a madman, his face flushed with panic.


    If Arielle is the Sann Group¡¯s boss, then how am I going to fight against her? Am I even worthy of


    snatching her position away? I¡¯d just be aughingstock.


    Simrly, the directors behind him were shocked beyond words. It was apparent that everyone was


    shaken by Arielle¡¯s sudden identity revtion.


    Especially the directors who sided with Jacob. Their faces had gone pale from the news.


    Isn¡¯t Arielle going to step down from her position soon? Didn¡¯t Jacob acquire this coboration on his


    own?


    It was at that moment that they realized they had been fooled.


    One of the directors lost his temper and grabbed Jacob by the cor, scolding, ¡°Jacob! You better exin


    this properly. What exactly is going on?¡±


    If it was not because of what Jacob said duringst night¡¯s drinking session, many of them would have


    been swayed and sided with Arielle. They were determined to side with him because Jacob said he


    acquired the coboration on his own.


    And now, the staff from Sann Group was telling them that Arielle was the CEO of thepany.


    The legendary person was the blond-haired girl they had always looked down upon.


    Hearing that, Jacob paled. He still found it hard to believe. ¡°It¡¯s a mistake¡­ There must be a mistake¡­¡±


    Perplexed, the blond-haired man asked Arielle, ¡°Ms. Moore, what¡¯s wrong with Mr. Campbell?¡±


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle merely smiled. ¡°Maybe Mr. Campbell isn¡¯t feeling well. Looks like he won¡¯t be able to sign the


    contract today.¡±


    She turned to the director, who was grabbing Jacob¡¯s cor, and asked, ¡°May I know if you¡¯re avable to


    sign the contract with us in Mr. Campbell¡¯s ce? We¡¯re in quite a rush. I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t wait till he


    recovers.¡±


    The director immediately understood what she meant.


    She was giving them another chance to pick a side.


    The director nodded firmly. ¡°Of course! Of course, we have time! We were waiting here just for your


    arrival. Please,e in!¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Jacob returned to his senses and said, ¡°What gives you the right to rece m¡ª¡±


    Before he could even finish, the director ordered his bodyguard, ¡°Mr. Campbell isn¡¯t feeling well. Please


    bring him to the hospital for a check-up.¡±

 Chapter 1192

    Chapter 1192


    Chapter 1192 Arrange The Wedding


    Jacob¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Since when am I feeling¡ª¡±


    The bodyguard had already stepped forward and pulled Jacob away before he could even finish his


    sentence.


    Unfortunately, Jacob did not have many bodyguards with him that day. With all the directors turning their


    backs on him, he waspletely outnumbered. In just a matter of seconds, he was dragged into a car


    and disappeared from the crowd¡¯s view.


    Meanwhile, Jacob¡¯s assistant, who was still holding the phone to livestream, dropped it onto the ground


    when he saw the scene before him. Instantly, his body started trembling.


    He knew Jacob was done for, and so was he.


    Oh no¡­ Everything is over.


    ¡°This way, Ms. Moore.¡± The directors lowered their bodies slightly and stood beside Arielle.


    Seeing that, Arielle smiled faintly. She had no intentions of getting her revenge on them. Hence, she


    strode into Moore Group with all smiles.


    Her motive that day was indeed to sign a contract¡ªthe same one Jacob was going to sign.


    Regardless, there was no way she could sign the contract to coborate with herself, even though that


    was what was happening.


    At that moment, the audience¡¯s screen of the live broadcast went ck when the phone fell onto the


    floor.


    Nheless, this only caused theizens and fans to cheer with joy.


    Someonemented: My goddess! She¡¯s forever my goddess!


    This is amazing! I must be losing my mind. I can¡¯t believe my goddess is actually the CEO of Sann


    Group. A CEO! Can you believe it, everyone? I really hate myself for not being a guy now.


    Oh my goodness. This woman¡­ Arielle is really a legend.


    Didn¡¯t some haters say Arielle would never be multi-talented back then? Well, reality has proven that she


    can actually be good at everything. Is she human? No! She¡¯s more than a human!


    Shortly after, the topic of Arielle as Sann Group¡¯s CEO had be the top trending search.


    Netizens who did not know the truth were shocked to the core when they tapped into the news.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    After all, everyone had heard of Sann Group.


    They always thought Arielle was just a pretty face who depended on her looks to appear in the


    headlines. No one expected her to be the CEO of Sann Group.


    They thought that she was not only a low-profile person, but she was also exceptionally awesome.


    As soon as the news was announced, Moore Group¡¯s shares soared that day, and their market value


    increased significantly overnight.


    The business department received tons of calls from reputablepanies requesting a coboration.


    At the same time, Susanne, too, found out Arielle¡¯s identity once thetter finished signing the contract.


    She heard the news from a socialite. At first, she did not believe it. However, after confirming the validity


    of the news, she fell into a deep silence.


    What on earth did I miss?


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire? Are you listening to me?¡±


    Susanne was pulled back to reality by the waving hand in front of her.


    ¡°Huh? What did you just say?¡± she asked.


    Thedy smiled and said, ¡°I said, not only is Vin a capable person, but he¡¯s also great at picking a


    girlfriend. Then again, I thought you were going to pair him off with Wendy from the Greene family.¡±


    Susanne¡¯s expression stiffened at the thought of Wendy.


    Everyone from the Greenes was either dead or locked up in prison. Hence, the sound of Wendy¡¯s name


    filled Susanne with utter regret.


    She cleared her throat. ¡°Let¡¯s not y cards today. I¡¯m feeling a little unwell. Let¡¯s meet up next time.¡±


    With that, she walked out of the room, ignoring the others who were asking her to stay for lunch.


    As she walked out, she could not help but think that Arielle was more capable than she imagined her to


    be. In fact, that was something she would never have imagined.


    Sann Group! It¡¯s Sann Group! No way. I must make Vinson pick a date for the wedding immediately.


    Their wedding must be held soon!


    Although they had already registered without her knowing, it still would not be aplete marriage


    without a wedding ceremony.

 Chapter 1193

    Chapter 1193


    Chapter 1193 Regret


    Susanne immediately gave Vinson a call after getting into the car.


    Vinson answered shortly after. ¡°Mom, what is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about something important!¡±


    As Susanne¡¯s voice was serious, Vinson tensed up.


    ¡°What happened?¡± he demanded.


    His first thought was that someone had targeted Susanne.


    However, he heard Susanne ask, ¡°Did you see the news today?¡±


    ¡°News? What news?¡± Vinson was confused.


    Susanne tutted. ¡°You¡¯re a workaholic! Don¡¯t you know who your wife is? She¡¯s the owner of Sann Group!


    This is such shocking news. I can¡¯t believe you didn¡¯t read it!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Vinson chuckled. ¡°I thought it was something else. Mom, I am aware of this.¡±


    Susanne was dumbfounded. ¡°You are aware of this? Why didn¡¯t you tell me about it?¡±


    Assuming Arielle was out of her son¡¯s league, she had nearly chased the former away.


    That thought made her shiver in fear.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ because Arielle didn¡¯t want you to know.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    After a few seconds of silence, Vinson revealed, ¡°You gave her two months to prove herself, right? I


    believe she wants to start something by herself instead of relying on her previous achievements. Now, it


    is time to reveal her identity.¡±


    Susanne held her forehead in frustration. ¡°Oh, foolish kids. Why did you y along with her? If she had


    informed me about Sann Group, I wouldn¡¯t have asked her to prove herself!¡±


    ¡°Mom, think about it.¡± Vinson exined, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about Sann Group. Don¡¯t you think she had


    proved herself during the past month?¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    He paused to let that sink in before adding, ¡°Mom, if you don¡¯t know she owns Sann Group, you¡¯ll still like


    her after seeing her recent performance, right?¡±


    Susanne bit her lip.


    She fell silent and pondered upon Arielle¡¯s recent doings.


    She graduated from Maxwell University, opened the sessful Maureen¡¯s Kitchen, and gained due


    praise for the bionic arm she designed. Besides, Moore Group recently gained fame under her lead.


    Arielle has indeed proved herself.


    In an instant, Susanne felt a flurry of emotions within her.


    She even felt ashamed of her actions.


    Despite having more experience than Arielle, she wasn¡¯t as capable as thetter and even looked down


    on her.


    That was her usual attitude. However, she btedly realized that her past self did many mistakes and


    spoke harsh words.


    ¡°I feel ashamed.¡± Susanne took a deep breath and asked, ¡°Vin, you must¡¯ve been troubled because of


    me.¡±


    Vinson choked before answering, ¡°Of course not.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me.¡± Susanne wiped her tears of regret away and said, ¡°You¡¯re an adult now, so I won¡¯t


    interfere in your business anymore and put you in a tight spot. I was thinking of heading overseas to


    further my studies. What say you?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s ability had motivated her to be a better person even if she was in her fifties.


    ¡°Mom? Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°What else can happen to me?¡± Susanne chuckled. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about thatter. I need to see you two get


    married first.¡±

 Chapter 1194

    Chapter 1194


    Chapter 1194 Unable To Take It


    When she mentioned their wedding, Vinson remained silent for a moment before revealing, ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve


    been nning to propose to Arielle these few days.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to propose to her? That¡¯s good news! You should¡¯ve done this earlier!¡± Susanne was all for


    it. ¡°I¡¯m experienced, so let me know if you need my help,¡± she reminded him.


    Clearly, she had given them her blessing.


    Ah, the weather is great today.


    Vinson grunted in acknowledgment and waited until Susanne hung up. He got up and stood before the


    window.


    Right then, Rayson entered his office.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire.¡±


    Vinson spun on his heel and asked, ¡°Have you got everything ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have. However, there is still one thing missing.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The item for this year.¡±


    Arching a brow, Vinson answered, ¡°You don¡¯t have to prepare that. I¡¯ll do it myself.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Rayson responded and left the office.


    Silence descended upon the office as Vinson¡¯s lips quirked up.


    He made a call to an international number belonging to Genevieve, the famous designer. ¡°Hello,


    Genevieve. Are you free recently?¡±


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh? You finally remembered me, huh? I¡¯m surprised.¡±


    ¡°Stop teasing me,¡± Vinson said sternly. ¡°I need your help.¡±


    At the same time, after the contract signing at Moore Group ended, Arielle took a taxi to the third branch


    of Maureen¡¯s Kitchen.


    The location of the third branch had been decided¡ªinside the shopping mall that Vinson had helped her


    choose previously.


    If the second branch was just to test the waters, she wanted to use the third branch to make Maureen¡¯s


    Kitchen into a brand.


    Once the brand was established, the restaurant would have to move upmarket and get standardized.


    ¡°Ms. Moore.¡± The person who was letting out the shop lot gestured for her to take a seat. ¡°Previously, Mr.


    Nightshire came to ask about my shop lot. I thought you wouldn¡¯t choose it.¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°We were testing waters and picked a cheaper shot lot to reduce cost previously.¡±


    The man grinned. ¡°Ms. Moore, you¡¯re rich. There¡¯s no need to worry about the cost. Everyone in


    Chanaea knows you¡¯re the owner of Sann Group.¡±


    ¡°Oh? The news spread that fast?¡± Arielle was surprised.


    The man nodded profusely. ¡°Even my father, who is in his seventies, asked me whether Sann Group¡¯s


    owner had the intention to rent my shop lot.¡±


    Arielle lowered her gaze and chuckled. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s get back to business. About the rental fee¡­¡±


    They discussed for over an hour before finalizing the details.


    The yearly rental fee was two hundred grand. Maureen¡¯s Kitchen could use the equipment left behind by


    the previous restaurant and cut down on the cost of buying new stuff.


    Before leaving, Arielle asked, ¡°I have a question. The shopping mall has a steady stream of customers.


    So why did you decide to rent out the shop lot?¡±


    In response, the man ran a hand through his hair in embarrassment. ¡°I guess I can¡¯t operate a business


    well. My father said I¡¯m not good at running a business. I was thinking of renting out the shop lot and


    taking up a job at another restaurant by starting as a server,¡± he exined.


    Arielle blinked at his words before inquiring, ¡°I need to hire a manager. If you haven¡¯t found a job, why


    don¡¯t you work in Maureen¡¯s Kitchen?¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes lit up instantly.


    ¡°Can I?¡± he asked eagerly.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Arielle beamed.


    With that, Arielle got herself a manager for her new branch.


    After work was done, she immediately gave Vinson a call.


    As Vinson didn¡¯t reply to her text, she was unable to take it anymore.

 Chapter 1195

    Chapter 1195


    Chapter 1195 Yellow Roses


    When the dialing tone beeped, Arielle felt her heart racing anxiously.


    It wasn¡¯t her first time calling Vinson. In fact, she had called Vinson countless times, but she couldn¡¯t


    exin why she was nervous this time.


    After a couple of rings, the call went through.


    ¡°Hello? Vinson¡­¡±


    Arielle¡¯s voice was hasty, but it was Rayson who replied, ¡°Ms. Moore, what can I do for you?¡±


    Hearing his voice, Arielle went pale.


    ¡°Where is Vinson?¡± she asked curtly. Right then, she didn¡¯t know how to feel.


    Was it disappointment? Fury?


    It was none of those. Instead, she felt empty, as though her entire being was floating in the air.


    Rayson replied politely, ¡°Mr. Nightshire is in the middle of a meeting, so I am keeping his phone for him.


    Please let me know what you need, and I¡¯ll ry your message to him after his meetinges to an


    end.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Arielle blurted out, her voice frosty.


    She quickly realized she shouldn¡¯t be venting her anger at Rayson. Softening her voice, she said, ¡°You


    don¡¯t have to tell him I called. It isn¡¯t anything important.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. All right.¡±


    ¡°Also¡­¡± Arielle couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Is he busy recently?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± came Rayson¡¯s reply. ¡°We have a huge project that requires his full attention, so he¡¯ll be pretty


    busy these few days.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Arielle nodded and rxed. ¡°I won¡¯t keep you, then. Bye!¡±


    She cut the line and took a taxi to Maureen¡¯s Kitchen.


    Initially, she wanted Vinson to join her for lunch back at Maple Mansion, but she decided to head to


    Maureen¡¯s Kitchen since he was busy.


    The only way to stop herself from overthinking was to keep herself busy.


    Back at the CEO¡¯s office in Nightshire Group, Rayson returned the phone to Vinson, who was standing


    right beside him. He asked worriedly, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, are you going to avoid Ms. Moore for the next few


    days?¡±


    Vinson nodded thoughtfully and exined, ¡°She¡¯s smart enough to realize my n if I talk to her in


    person. I want to surprise her, so she can¡¯t find out about it before it happens.¡±


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Rayson seemed hesitant. ¡°Ms. Moore sounded upset through the phone.¡±


    Vinson paced around his office before ordering, ¡°Get a bouquet and deliver it to her.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Rayson bobbed his head respectfully.


    Before he could leave, Vinson stopped him.


    ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t have to do that. I¡¯ll pick the flowers myself.¡±


    It¡¯ll be a surprise if she receives the flowers I picked personally.


    In the blink of an eye, it was nightfall.


    After working hard for the entire day, Arielle returned to Maple Mansion for dinner.


    No one was home, save for the housekeeper¡¯s bustling figure.


    She nced at the clock and found that it was already ten at night. Is he not back yet?


    Vinson¡¯s call arrived when she was wondering if she should give him a call.


    Delighted, she answered the call.


    ¡°Vinson¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Vinson¡¯s voice was apologetic. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll be busy these few days and can¡¯t keep youpany.


    Rayson told me that you called earlier. What is it about?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing.¡± Arielle was contented to hear his voice.


    After a momentary silence, Vinson asked, ¡°Did you receive the flowers?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Arielle told him, ¡°The yellow roses are gorgeous.¡±

 Chapter 1196

    Chapter 1196


    Chapter 1196 Disappointment


    Yellow roses were usually used to express a sincere apology.


    After receiving the flowers, Arielle¡¯s fury had faded into thin air.


    Vinson was busy working instead of flirting with another woman, so there was no need for her to get


    mad.


    ¡°Instead of flowers, I hope you¡¯ll give me your word,¡± Arielle stated.


    Gripping his phone, Vinson responded, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Arielle took a deep breath and revealed, ¡°No matter how busy and important work is, take good care of


    yourself. Make sure to have enough rest at the end of the day before resuming work the next day.¡±


    Vinson paused for a moment before answering, ¡°All right. I got it. There¡¯s something else I need to tell


    you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going on a business trip to Lightspring for two days.¡±


    ¡°When are you going to depart?¡±


    ¡°Right now.¡±


    Arielle sat up in surprise. ¡°That¡¯s sudden. Do you need me to help you pack up?¡±


    ¡°No need. I¡¯ll get what I need in Lightspring. It¡¯s an urgent trip, but I¡¯ll get back as soon as possible after


    getting the work done.¡±


    Disappointment overwhelmed Arielle¡¯s heart at the thought of being separated from Vinson for two whole


    days.


    I won¡¯t get to see him for two days. I never knew I¡¯d be this unwilling to part with someone.


    Gulping, she said, ¡°All right. I¡¯ll wait for you at home.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    After saying that, Vinson wanted to spill his heart out, but he took a puff of his cigarette and tamped his


    urge down.


    It was supposed to be a surprise, so he had to persist until the end.


    ¡°I need to go. Sleep tight.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Arielle responded and hung up reluctantly.


    Right then, the housekeeper had just finished preparing dinner and asked, ¡°Is Mr. Nightshire noting


    home in time for dinner?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s lips twitched, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to smile. In the end, she nodded silently and ate


    dinner alone.


    Soon, the next day arrived.


    It was the premier of the fourth episode of Amazing Tastes.


    As it was a great show with Jason as its host, the show¡¯s ratings ranked first among itspetitors.


    Countless people waited before theirptops or televisions to watch the variety show.


    However, this episode was differentpared to the previous episodes.


    As usual, Jason had picked a food street in a city and would enter a Chanaean restaurant randomly.


    However, when he arrived, the food street was crowded.


    Left with no choice, he had to disguise himself by wearing a mask, cap, and sunsses. One


    cameraman tagged behind him and filmed in a secretive manner.


    Soon, Jason realized why the street was crowded. A Chanaean restaurant, Maureen¡¯s Kitchen, had just


    opened for business.


    Jason saw the snaking queue from a distance away.


    Immediately, he told the camera that the crowd might be paid to create a sensation.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Thus, Jason proceeded to eliminate Maureen¡¯s Kitchen from his list.


    Right then, he bumped into his fan.


    His curiosity got the better of him, and he asked if he could try the ravioli that his fan got from Maureen¡¯s


    Kitchen.


    However, his fan misunderstood that he was a jerk trying to take the ravioli from him and yelled in anger.


    Jason had to remove his mask and reveal his identity.


    After realizing who he was, his fan offered him the ravioli reluctantly and queued up again to get another


    free sample.


    As the audience wondered if the ravioli was delicious, Jason stopped filming and offered the ravioli to the


    cameraman.


    The cameraman wasn¡¯t filming Jason, but he filmed himself eating the ravioli.

 Chapter 1197

    Chapter 1197


    Chapter 1197 Legitimate


    His initially indifferent face froze before he gaped in disbelief.


    He immediately ate another piece, and another, and another¡­


    The cameraman didn¡¯t stop until he finished the entire te of ravioli. Even so, he didn¡¯t seem


    satisfied.


    The scene was blurry and shaky, but everyone could sense how delicious the ravioli was.


    Clearly, this scene wasn¡¯t nned, so the cameraman¡¯s reaction was real.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The audience was already salivating.


    After the tasting scene, James introduced the restaurant and went in to taste the dishes.


    It was obvious that every dish served looked scrumptious.


    After the show ended, the audience felt their stomachs grumbling despite having dinner earlier. They


    immediately went online to search for the restaurant¡¯s review.


    Soon, Maureen¡¯s Kitchen was trending on the inte and garnered a lot of attention.


    Ament read: Didn¡¯t this restaurant trend a few days ago? I thought it was an advertisement. Looks


    like I have to try it for myself.


    My friends, I¡¯ve just finished two bowls of instant noodles but got hungry again. Does anyone want to join


    me to head to Maureen¡¯s Kitchen?


    Wait for me, my friend! I¡¯m in the south but already bought tickets to Jadeborough. My ne willnd


    three hourster!


    Thus, Maureen¡¯s Kitchen gained another influx of new customers.


    Compared to their opening, the number of customers had increased by a few times.


    Arielle soon received a call from the manager.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, we¡¯re in trouble. The reservation number has surpassed one thousand, not including the


    reservation for the old restaurant¡­¡±


    It might be good news, but the employees were already exhausted after working hard for a few


    continuous days.


    Arielle massaged her temples and said, ¡°Calm down and serve the customers ording to the


    reservation numbers. The renovation for the third restaurant will take at most one week. I¡¯ll head there


    now, so ask Chef Quigley to wait for me.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡±


    After cutting the line, Arielle rushed to the branch at once.


    Glenn was already waiting for her.


    She went over to him and said, ¡°Chef Quigley, we¡¯re getting a new influx of customers and need more


    help. You¡¯ll have to get a few apprentices immediately. But first, I need you to teach me a few dishes that


    I don¡¯t know how to prepare. That way, we both can take apprentices.¡±


    Glenn knew Arielle was far more talented than his apprentices. In fact, she was a better chef than him.


    Hence, he started preparing the dishes for the customers and exined the steps to her at the same


    time.


    Arielle spent the whole day learning from Glenn. She also interviewed a few new apprentices. It was one


    in the morning when she finally arrived home.


    She pulled out her phone and saw two texts from Vinson.


    He first sent a text saying he had arrived at Lightspring, and the second text congratted her for


    chasing Jacob out of thepany.


    That morning, Jacob had resigned as thepany director after realizing he was no match for Arielle.


    As of then, Arielle had the final say on all matters rted to Moore Group.


    Her position as the chairperson was finally solidified.


    Arielle thought Vinson was too busy to realize what happened to her, but he knew everything.


    shing a smile, she gave Vinson a call.

 Chapter 1198

    Chapter 1198


    Chapter 1198 Cheating


    To her surprise, ady answered the call.


    ¡°May I know who this is?¡± thedy asked in a Lightspring ent.


    Arielle¡¯s words were stuck in her throat.


    Why did a woman answer the phone?


    As far as Arielle was aware, after a female assistant made things difficult for her, Vinson fired all his


    female assistants and hired only males.


    The woman who had answered the call wasn¡¯t his assistant.


    Who is she? It¡¯s nighttime at Lightspring. A woman is answering his phone at night¡­


    She couldn¡¯t help but overthink the situation.


    However, Arielle forced herself to calm down. She trusted Vinson enough to know he wasn¡¯t a scoundrel.


    She also trusted her taste.


    This must be a misunderstanding.


    Taking a deep breath, Arielle asked calmly, ¡°I¡¯m looking for Vinson. Why do you have his phone?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Vinson is changing his clothes. It might take a while for him toe out,¡± came the answer.


    Hearing that, Arielle went pale.


    Changing his clothes?


    The woman added, ¡°Why don¡¯t you cut the line? I¡¯ll ask him to call you back after he finished changing


    his clothes.¡±


    ¡°No need!¡± Arielle blurted out.


    She was so flustered and furious, unlike her usualposed self. Even her brain was muddled.


    Biting her lip, she dered, ¡°It¡¯s nothing important, so there¡¯s no need to bother him. Don¡¯t tell him I¡¯ve


    called.¡±


    ¡°Huh? All right.¡± The woman hung up in confusion.


    Arielle gripped her phone as her entire being shook.


    She didn¡¯t know whether she was trembling out of anger or fear, for her mind was a mess.


    Just then, a call from Sam, the director, came in.


    Arielle answered the call instinctively, and Sam¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for disturbing you thiste,


    Ms. Moore. I just want to confirm if you¡¯re rejecting the offer to join my film. I¡¯ve been looking for a


    suitable actress to take up the role, but to no avail. You¡¯re the only one that suits the role. That¡¯s why I¡¯m


    making this call.¡±


    Sam¡¯s call would¡¯ve made any female celebrity leap up in excitement, but Arielle merely answered coolly,


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m really busy¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Sam seemed disappointed at her answer. ¡°I¡¯ll have to wait for another chance to work with


    you. I¡¯m willing to withstand the pressure to keep this role for you.¡±


    It was obvious what Sam meant¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t film the movie if Arielle refused to take up the main role.


    Finally, Arielle regained some of herposure after hearing his words.


    ¡°Mr. Sleight, I¡¯m sorry. Thanks for the offer, though.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯re fated to take up the role, but I¡¯m not fated to work with you. However, I¡¯ll wait until the


    opportunity arrives.¡±


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Arielle bit her lip and fell into deep thought. Wait, if Vinson cheated on me, I can¡¯t fall into a slump and


    lose myself. I need to keep myself busy during this critical period.


    At that thought, she took a deep breath and announced, ¡°Mr. Sleight, I shall ept this role. When will


    filming begin?¡±

 Chapter 1199

    Chapter 1199


    Chapter 1199 A Misunderstanding


    Sam could not believe his ears.


    It took him a while to find his voice. ¡°M-Ms. Moore, are you sure?¡± he stammered breathlessly.


    ¡°Yes. I agree to ept the role.¡±


    Though Sann Group was a famous AIpany, she hadn¡¯t gotten the chance to venture into the


    entertainment industry.


    Perhaps I can try my luck in the entertainment industry. If we were to break up, I¡¯d still have my wealth


    and poprity. That way, I won¡¯t wallow in sadness.


    Arielle had already assumed the worst.


    Not knowing what she had in mind, Sam responded swiftly, ¡°If you¡¯re free tomorrow, we can sign the


    contract and begin filming instantly!¡±


    Everything was set except for the female lead, so they could begin shooting the film anytime.


    ¡°All right. Send me the time and location tomorrow. See you!¡±


    ¡°Great! Thanks!¡± Sam replied happily. Afraid that Arielle would change her mind, he ended the


    conversation and rushed to prepare the contract.


    Arielle said nothing for a long while after the call.


    She stared at her phone, fighting back the urge to call Vinson.


    It might be a misunderstanding, or it might be true. However, Arielle didn¡¯t have the courage to find out


    the truth.


    What if it¡¯s true?


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle bit her lip at the thought.


    Meanwhile, in Lightspring, Vinson emerged after changing his clothes. The outfit was too small for him


    and clung to his curves.


    He had burnt his sleeve earlier when he was sanding the ring and had no choice but to change into a


    new outfit belonging to the woman¡¯s husband.


    Seeing him, the woman covered her lips that were tinted a rosy red and burst into giggles.


    ¡°You look like an adult wearing children¡¯s clothes,¡± shemented.


    Shrugging, Vinson strode forward and apologized profusely. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for nearly burning your store


    down.¡±


    ¡°If you burn it down, get me a new one. I wouldn¡¯t have opened the store without your help, anyway.¡±


    She pointed at the sanding machine and asked, ¡°Do you want to continue? Or should I help you?¡±


    Vinson shook his head. ¡°I have to do it from the beginning till the end. Please demonstrate it to me


    again.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Thedy took her seat and taught Vinson how to sand a ring patiently.


    She exined, ¡°Look, this is where you got it wrong previously¡­¡±


    Vinson promptly inched nearer to get a better look.


    Oblivious to both of them, there was a camera aimed right at them. The shutter clicked rapidly.


    The handsome man nced at the photo he had just taken and curved his lips up in satisfaction.


    The photo taken from his angle showed Vinson whispering to thedy in an intimate manner.


    ¡°Yup. My photography skill is getting better.¡±


    With that, he returned to his car and tossed the camera to his subordinate.


    ¡°Send this to the woman in Chanaea.¡±


    My kitten, I¡¯ming. Before my arrival, I have a surprise for you! I believe you¡¯ll love it.


    At the same time, back in Chanaea, Arielle got up and lit the therapeutic candle that Andrea had given


    her. s, the therapeutic candle didn¡¯t work that night. She only fell asleep when it was dawn.


    Less than two hours after she fell asleep, a beep woke her up.


    Is it Vinson?

 Chapter 1200

    Chapter 1200


    Chapter 1200 The Photos


    Thinking it was a text sent by Vinson, Arielle jolted up and grabbed her phone from the bedside table.


    When she saw who it was, the delight in her gaze faded away.


    It was a text from Sam informing her of the location and time of the contract signing.


    She typed out a reply: Got it.


    After she returned to her bed, her mind began to race. It¡¯s midnight in Lightspring. Is Vinson sleeping


    alone? Or is there another woman in his arms?


    Arielle bristled in annoyance and got up to wash up.


    Downstairs, the housekeeper had just woken up. She seemed surprised to see Arielle up and about.


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, you¡¯re up early. Let me go prepare your breakfast now.¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± Arielle told her, ¡°I¡¯ll eat outside today.¡±


    The housekeeper gave her the once-over. Realizing her employer seemed grumpy, she didn¡¯t ask


    questions and inclined her head. ¡°All right, Mrs. Nightshire.¡±


    Her appointment with Sam was at noon, so she had to keep herself busy before that.


    It was the only way to stop herself from overthinking.


    Taking a deep breath, Arielle pulled the door open to see a deliveryman about to press on the doorbell.


    Stunned, the man asked, ¡°Are you Ms. Arielle Moore?¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s an urgent parcel for you. Please sign here.¡±


    ¡°Mine?¡±


    Arielle couldn¡¯t hide her astonishment.


    I don¡¯t shop online. Is this from Vinson?


    After signing her name, she returned inside with the parcel.


    She ripped the parcel apart to reveal two photos.


    The photos floated to the ground, and Arielle immediately picked them up.


    Her gazended on one photo. At once, she halted in her steps as the colors drained from her face.


    The photo showed Vinson and a woman she hadn¡¯t met before, huddled together in an intimate position.


    Only Vinson¡¯s side profile was visible, but she was sure it was him.


    There was no way she¡¯d fail to recognize her own husband.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Her hands were shaking as she reached out for the second photo.


    In the second photo, Vinson¡¯s face was practically glued to the woman¡¯s face. The space between them


    crackled with sexual tension.


    Shocked senseless, Arielle only snapped back to reality when the housekeeper asked why she was


    kneeling on the ground. Stuffing the photos into her pocket, she got to her feet and replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I


    was picking something up from the ground.¡±


    The housekeeper inclined her head and asked in concern, ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, are you all right? You look


    unwell. Should you get a checkup at the hospital?¡±


    Arielle shed a bitter smile and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    She was a doctor herself and knew her health was fine. It was her heart that was hurting.


    Though she had picked the photos up, her heart had shattered into pieces.


    The photos had confirmed the nagging thought that kept her up the entire night.


    Arielle clenched her fists tight. She didn¡¯t even know her nails had dug deep into her palms.


    Despite her fury and sadness, she couldn¡¯t stop suspicion from rising in her heart.


    Who sent me the photos? If Vinson has someone new, why is he still with me? Did he do this to get Sann


    Group? No, that¡¯s impossible.


    Arielle shook that thought away.


    He isn¡¯t a scoundrel. There must be more to this than meets the eye.


    She picked up the packaging of the parcel from the dustbin to find out the sender¡¯s address. s, that


    section was nk.

 Chapter 1201

    Chapter 1201


    Chapter 1201 Something Is Wrong


    Just as expected, something is amiss. Who is it that¡¯s trying to sow discord between Vinson and me?


    Jacob? No, Jacob doesn¡¯t know about my rtionship with Vinson. Furthermore, thest thing he


    wants is for me to remember him. Hence, there¡¯s no way he would dare try something funny with me. In


    that case. Hmm¡­ who else can it be?


    Arielle narrowed her gaze as her mind cycled through many suspects. However, she ended up ruling


    them out one by one.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Subsequently, she gave Vinson a call, wanting to tell him about what happened. However, the moment


    she got through, she changed her mind at once.


    I have to be patient in order to snare a big fish. If nothing happens between Vinson and me, the


    mastermind will never reveal him or herself. Therefore, for my n to work, I have to pretend to y


    along with the enemy. Who knows, they might be powerful enough to tap our phone call.


    At that moment, Vinson¡¯s voice rang out over the phone, for she had forgotten to end the call.


    ¡°Hello, Sannie?¡± His voice was raspy from having just been woken up.


    Taking a deep breath, Arielle feigned anger and demanded, ¡°Vinson, what have you done!¡±


    Vinson was taken aback by her tone, for Arielle had never spoken to him in such an angry voice before.


    With his sleepiness gone, Vinson sat up and asked, ¡°Sannie, what¡¯s wrong? What happened?¡±


    ¡°When will you be back?¡± Her voice was unimaginably icy.


    ¡°About¡­ one or two more days. What is it?¡±


    She replied coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t care whether it¡¯s work or personal,e back right away once you have


    settled things over there! There¡¯s something I want to ask you about.¡±


    Vinson was all concerned. ¡°Tell me what happened?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Arielle¡¯s voice began to calm down. ¡°Just return as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    After hearing Vinson¡¯s response, Arielle ended the call.


    Right after that, she rushed to her study and began typing a sequence of code furiously on her


    keyboard.


    Soon, a string of code emerged on her screen.


    Just as she expected, someone was indeed tapping her phone.


    Hence, she felt relieved that she had pretended to be angry during the call earlier.


    Pursing her lips, she logged into her secret email ount and sent Vinson a message.


    It was an ount equipped with a powerful firewall that only few knew about, making it impossible to


    hack.


    The contents of the email she sent were simple. All she did was attach the two pictures with the


    comment: Let¡¯s patiently reel in the big fish.


    Once she sent it out, Arielle took a deep breath, hoping that Vinson would quickly read the email.


    With that, she pretended to look flustered as she left Maple Mansion.


    Until she was sure that she wasn¡¯t being watched, she had to continue acting as if Vinson had betrayed


    her.


    Subsequently, she spent the entire morning helping out at the branch of Maureen¡¯s Kitchen.


    After the publicity from Amazing Tastes, the restaurant¡¯s crowd increased instead. It wasn¡¯t until it was


    time to meet Sam that Arielle left the restaurant and headed to the film studio located on the outskirts of


    Jadeborough.


    At that moment, Sam was already waiting for her together with the movie¡¯s producer.


    The producer, who was a member of Nightshire Entertainment, was aware of Arielle¡¯s rtionship with


    Vinson. Thus, he treated Arielle with the utmost respect.


    Once the contract was signed, filming could start at once.


    Jason was already there before Arielle met the film crew.


    A smug expression descended upon his face once he heard that Arielle had been confirmed as the


    female lead.

 Chapter 1202

    Chapter 1202


    Chapter 1202 ying Hard To Get


    Just as expected, no one can resist my charm. Previously, I visited Jadeborough University just to get


    Arielle to act as the female lead. However, she rejected me many times back then. Now that I¡¯ve


    stopped trying to persuade her, she ended up being desperate for the role. Isn¡¯t she just ying hard to


    get? Hmph!


    If it was anyone else, he would have reacted to them as objects of scorn.


    But since it was Arielle, he saw what happened as part of the romantic games they were ying


    between them.


    As a result, he decided to forgive her.


    Before filming started, everyone was required to check into the hotel and prepare for the movie¡¯s


    promotional photoshoot.


    Cognizant that Vinson was unlikely to return within two days, Arielle too checked in the hotel


    ordingly.


    She was someone who would give her best once she set her mind on something. Therefore, she knew


    how important it was to build a good working rtionship with the film crew.


    Holding that thought, she gave Sasha, who had tagged along with her, some instructions. ¡°Since


    cherries are in season now, buy a couple of boxes and give one out to every single room.¡±


    ¡°Right away,¡± Sasha acknowledged before buying a whole bunch of cherries and distributing them to


    the entire film crew in the hotel.


    Very quickly, a box of cherries arrived at Jason¡¯s room.


    Knock! Knock!


    Sasha knocked on his door, which was opened by Gracie.


    After receiving a big box of cherries, Gracie ran into the suite in delight and called Jason out, ¡°Jason,


    look, cherries! They¡¯re your favorite!¡±


    Raising his brows, Jason responded with an indifferent expression, as if this was a normal urrence.


    Pursing his lip, he retorted, ¡°What do you mean my favorite? When someone gave me cherries thest


    time, weren¡¯t you the one who finished everything? When the person who sent it saw the empty box,


    they assumed I loved it, hence the unfounded rumor.¡±


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Given that thetest trending topic on Jason was the fact that he loved cherries, many fans who


    greeted him at the airport woulde bearing them as gifts.


    Scratching her head awkwardly, Gracie walked up to Jason with the box of cherries in her hand. She


    asked, ¡°Since you¡¯re not eating, can I have it all?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡± Jerry waved his hand and casually asked, ¡°Who sent them? The producer?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s Ms. Moore.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Widening his eyes in shock, Jason sprang up from the couch and ordered, ¡°Put those cherries


    down at once!¡±


    Taken aback, Gracie asked, ¡°Wh-What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Jason took a deep breath before he finally suppressed the smile that was cracking on his face.


    ¡°Nothing¡­ ahem!¡± He cleared his throat and added, ¡°Send the cherries back to Arielle.¡±


    Given how she had yed hard to get with me for so long, it¡¯s time I give her the cold shoulder so that


    she doesn¡¯t think that she has me eating out of her hands.


    Gracie felt reluctant to do so. ¡°Send them back? Wouldn¡¯t it be rude?¡±


    ¡°Just do it!¡± Jason barked with a grim expression. ¡°If you don¡¯t send them back, I¡¯ll send you back to the


    company instead.¡±


    Having heard Jason¡¯s threats, Gracie had no choice but to take the cherries back out.


    Just when she was about to reach the door, Jason cried out, ¡°Wait!¡±


    ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    Lifting his brow, Jason answered, ¡°Remember, don¡¯t give a reason when you return the cherries. Just


    say that I don¡¯t want them. Whatever she says in response, rte it to me verbatim.¡±


    Gracie was confused by what Jason¡¯s intention was. Nevertheless, since he had always been of two


    minds, she didn¡¯t care to enquire any further. With that, she left the suite with the cherries in her hands.

 Chapter 1203

    Chapter 1203


    Chapter 1203 Cold Shoulder


    Meanwhile, Arielle was waiting for the makeup artist. The moment she heard the doorbell, she rushed


    to the door assuming it was either the makeup artist or Sasha.


    However, the moment she opened it, she was greeted by an unfamiliar face.


    Backing off subconsciously, she asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    After being astounded by Arielle¡¯s beauty, Gracie couldn¡¯t resist but say, ¡°I have heard so much about


    how beautiful you are on the inte. My, my¡­ I find that you¡¯re even more beautiful in person than in


    your photos!¡±


    Following up on herpliment, Gracie quickly introduced herself upon seeing Arielle¡¯s wary


    expression, ¡°I¡¯m Jason¡¯s manager.¡±


    It was only after Arielle realized who Gracie was that she noticed the box of cherries in her hands.


    Trailing Arielle¡¯s gaze toward the cherries, Gracie scratched her head awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Moore.


    Jason asked me to return these to you.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything wrong with them?¡±


    The moment Arielle asked the question, she realized it was a redundant one, for the cherries were


    individually packed in an exquisite manner. There was no way they would be returned on the ount


    of their quality.


    Thus, she was the only reason.


    Before Gracie could reply, Arielle took the cherries back and remarked with a smile, ¡°All right then.


    Thanks for taking the trouble to return them.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure.¡± Just when Gracie wanted to exin on Jason¡¯s behalf, Arielle had closed the door in her


    face.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    To Arielle, Jason was just a colleague of hers. Hence, she would just ept that he had declined her


    gift. There was no reason for her to try too hard to please him.


    Since Jason doesn¡¯t even like the things I give him, he probably resents me now. As long as he doesn¡¯t


    get in my way, I guess I¡¯ll just stay away from him other than during filming.


    Given that she had signed a contract for two months, Sam would prioritize filming her parts. Therefore,


    all she needed to do was endure working with Jason for that particr duration.


    Luckily, most of the scenes were shot with green screens and the plot involved many other characters.


    Hence, she rarely had to film alone with Jason due to theck of romantic scenes.


    In short, two months would fly by in the blink of an eye.


    Meanwhile, Arielle unwrapped the cherries and washed some for herself. She would then read her


    script while feeding on them, putting the matter with Jason at the back of her mind.


    As for Gracie, she was stunned at how quickly Arielle shut the door on her.


    Usually, other actresses would try and find out as much information as they could about Jason from


    her. Thus, Arielle¡¯s reaction was the opposite of what she expected.


    Nheless, after giving the matter more thought, Gracie felt that Jason wasn¡¯t worthy enough for


    someone like Arielle to ingratiate herself to.


    After all, Arielle was the boss of Sann Group and a graduate of Maxwell University.


    Regardless of how one looked at it, Jason couldn¡¯t outshine her in any way.


    With that, Gracie scratched her head before leaving empty-handed.


    Back in his room, Jason was waiting anxiously for Gracie¡¯s return.


    When she finally got back, Jason asked her at once, ¡°What did she say?¡±


    Stunned, Gracie replied, ¡°Ms. Moore didn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    Jason¡¯s expression turned grim.


    ¡°How can she not say a word after I returned her cherries? Tell me word for word what her response


    was.


    Oblivious to what Jason was up to, Gracie rted the exchange exactly as it unfolded.


    ¡°Ms. Moore asked me whether there was something wrong with the cherries. Before I could reply, she


    thanked me for the trouble and closed the door in my face.¡±


    Jason fell into deep thought upon hearing those words.

 Chapter 1204

    Chapter 1204


    Chapter 1204 Clearing The Air


    Arielle¡¯s reaction was entirely not what he had expected.


    He thought she would be outraged and anxious. In fact, she might even grab Gracie and demand to


    know what happened. Much to his surprise, she barely said a word before closing the door.


    What¡¯s going on? Can it be that this is a misunderstanding on my part? Maybe Arielle was never


    interested in me?


    ¡°No! That¡¯s just not possible!¡±


    Jason ruled the idea out.


    If she doesn¡¯t have feelings for me, why did she ept the female lead¡¯s role after I started to ignore


    her? As the CEO of Sann Group, there¡¯s no need for her to work as an actress. The work here is a lot


    tougher and pays miserablypares to what she makes. As a result, she must be doing this because


    of me! Also, she must be pretending not to care due to the embarrassment she feels over what


    happened. That has to be the reason why she¡¯s behaving this way.


    When Gracie saw his vtile expression, she couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°Jason, what¡¯s wrong? What is it


    that¡¯s impossible?¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡± Jason changed the topic with an indifferent expression. ¡°Where are the makeup artists? Why


    are theyte?¡±


    ¡°They should be arriving any moment now.¡±


    Just as she spoke, the doorbell rang. It was the makeup artists from the film crew.


    Since the promotional shoot for the movie was shot individually, there was no need for Arielle and


    Jason to cross paths.


    Once the shooting was over. Jason couldn¡¯t help but run toward where Arielle was and stood in front of


    her car.


    Given that her car had just started to move, the driver had to jam the brakes at the veryst minute.


    Caught by surprise, Arielle mmed her head into the back of the driver¡¯s seat due to the inertia.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± she gasped in pain before noticing that Sasha, who was driving, was shaken just as badly.


    Sasha turned around and exined apologetically, ¡°Ms. Moore, I¡¯m sorry, but someone ran in front of


    the car all of a sudden. Therefore, I was forced to m on the brakes.¡±


    If she hadn¡¯t reacted in time, she would have run over the person who blocked their way.


    Knitting her brows, Arielle looked ahead and saw Jasoning over to knock on her window.


    So, it¡¯s Jason.


    With a sullen expression, Arielle wound down the window and asked coldly, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Jason¡¯s eyes met Arielle¡¯s icy gaze the moment he looked up.


    Compared to theirst meeting, Arielle seemed even more hostile to him. In fact, she was emanating


    an inexplicably domineering aura that sent a chill down his spine.


    Nevertheless, Jason quickly regained hisposure, for he was in no mood to continue ying games


    with her.


    Since both of them had feelings for each other, he figured it was time to clear the air.


    Holding that thought, Jason rified at once, ¡°What happened with the cherries was a


    misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°What kind of misunderstanding?¡± Arielle¡¯s eyes shed with annoyance, as she had no idea what he


    was up to.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Jason cleared his throat and added, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask my manager to send the cherries back. She had


    misunderstood my instructions. Instead, I told her to get you a gift in return.¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°I understand. There¡¯s no need to get me anything in return. Considering that we¡¯re


    colleagues, sending you some fruits is no big deal.¡±


    ¡°Colleagues?¡± Jason was stunned. Gritting his teeth, he snapped, ¡°Arielle, you can drop the act. Why


    would colleagues give each other such expensive imported fruits? Just tell me the truth!¡±


    Arielle was totally confused. ¡°What truth?¡±


    Just when Jason was about to make his intentions clear, Sam walked over and remarked with a smile,


    ¡°Ms. Moore, thank you for the cherries. They were very sweet, and everyone loved them.¡±

 Chapter 1205

    Chapter 1205


    Chapter 1205 Being Followed


    The moment Sam finished, he felt his neck tighten all of a sudden. Turning around to look, he was


    surprised to see Jason pulling at his cor.


    Considering how famous Sam was as a director, he had never been grabbed by the cor before.


    ¡°Jason! What are you doing? Let go of me!¡± Sam¡¯s eyes were filled with rage.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    After being shouted at by Sam, Jason quickly regained his senses. Letting go at once, he apologized,


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sam. I didn¡¯t mean to do that.¡±


    As he red at Jason, Sam was about to say something when Jason preempted him. ¡°Sam, did you


    just say that she gave you a box of cherries too?¡±


    Even though Sam had no idea what was going through Jason¡¯s mind, he nodded by reflex. ¡°That¡¯s


    right. Ms. Moore bought them for every member of the crew. Is there a problem?¡±


    Just when Sam was looking at Jason as if he was an idiot, Jason¡¯s face lost all color.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Unable to believe what he just heard, Jason turned to Arielle to verify. ¡°Did you buy them for


    everyone and not just me?¡±


    Arielle tilted her head in annoyance and retorted, ¡°Of course. What were you thinking?¡±


    Even though I know him, we¡¯re not that close for me to get him an exclusive gift.


    ¡°You!¡± Jason blushed all over as a sense of embarrassment swelled from his toes to his head.


    ¡°Fine, Arielle. You had better not regret this!¡±


    Right after he spoke, Jason stormed off with a scowl on his face.


    After looking at Jason, Sam returned his gaze to Arielle and asked curiously, ¡°Ms. Moore, what is going


    on?¡±


    Arielle shook her head cluelessly. ¡°I have no idea what¡¯s wrong with him. However, there¡¯s nothing to


    worry about. It¡¯s probably nothing.¡±


    Having interacted with Jason a couple of times, Arielle began to understand him better.


    Other than finding him asionally loony, she knew that he was basically not a bad person.


    Sam nodded in acknowledgment before telling her about the contents of the filming for the next day.


    After that, Arielle¡¯s car gradually drove away.


    Within ten minutes of leaving, Sasha informed with a grim voice, ¡°Ms. Moore, someone is tailing us.¡±


    Arielle checked the side mirror immediately, she saw a ck SUV following them at a distance.


    The fact that the vehicle didn¡¯t have a car te intensified her suspicion further.


    ¡°Are you able to lose it?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I can try. If I fail, I¡¯ll give ke a call so that they can spring an ambush.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    ¡°In that case, Ms. Moore, hang on tight!¡±


    The moment the words left her mouth, the car sped off like an arrow shot from a bow. Sasha overtook


    many of the cars in front of her as she drove in the direction of busier streets.


    In order to shake off a tail, one needed to drive somewhere that was busier. Naturally, the risk of an


    ident increased ordingly.


    Luckily, seven to eight minutester, Sasha heaved a sigh of relief. Slowing down the car, she reported,


    ¡°I have managed to shake them off.¡±


    ¡°Mmm-hmm,¡± Arielle grunted in acknowledgment and added, ¡°Tell ke to tighten the security around


    Maple Mansion. Capture everyone that looks suspicious, and bring them to me.¡±


    ¡°Right away!¡±


    After responding, Sasha asked, ¡°Do you need me to update Boss?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± Arielle furrowed her brows in thought and replied, ¡°My phone has been


    bugged. Therefore, there¡¯s a possibility that Vinson¡¯s phone is being bugged too. If you call him, you


    might force our enemies to make a move. Nheless, you have to inform the bodyguards at


    Lightspring to tighten the security around Vinson.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on it!¡±

 Chapter 1206

    Chapter 1206


    Chapter 1206 Feeding You To The Sharks


    Once the arrangements were made, their car returned safely to Maple Mansion. Sasha breathed a sigh


    of relief when she saw no further sign of another car tailing them.


    Before Boss went overseas, he had solemnly instructed ke and me to protect Ms. Moore. Therefore,


    I¡¯ll be in big trouble even if she gets a scratch. Luckily, nothing happened during the close call today.


    When she saw that Arielle was about to enter the mansion, Sasha hurried to her side.


    ¡°Ms. Moore.¡±


    Arielle turned around curiously. ¡°What is it?¡±


    After a brief hesitation, Sasha continued, ¡°We don¡¯t know who is following you and what their intentions


    are. Thus, why don¡¯t you stay at home for the next few days instead?¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t. I have just decided to join the film crew today. If I don¡¯t turn up, what will happen to them?¡±


    Arielle patted Sasha on the shoulder as she spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what I¡¯m doing. Besides, it¡¯s


    good that those people are revealing themselves all of a sudden.¡±


    She was certain that the group who sent her the pictures was the same one that tailed her car.


    If they had kept themselves hidden, there was no way she could deal with them.


    Consequently, her n was to lure them out into the open, and the filming gave her the perfect cover to


    do it.


    Despite being oblivious to Arielle¡¯s n, Sasha nodded when she saw the determined expression on


    the former¡¯s face.


    Once Arielle returned to her room, she received a call from Vinson.


    After a slight hesitation, she ended his call without answering and turned off her phone.


    Meanwhile, inside the dark study of another mansion, there was a knock on the study room¡¯s door.


    Looking out the French windows, a man answered with an indifferent expression, ¡°Come in.¡±


    Only then did the person outside enter.


    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked directly.


    The man who entered reported, ¡°Based on your instructions, we have hacked into Ms. Moore and


    Vinson¡¯s phones. Ms. Moore red her temper at him earlier today and refused to answer his callter


    on.¡±


    The man broke into a devious smile.


    Women who are in love are nothing but fools.


    After he had left Chanaea for half a month, Arielle surprised him time and again.


    Not only did she graduate from Maxwell University, she even became the boss of Sann Group.


    Furthermore, she used her exceptional talents to turn a bankruptpany into an exceptionally


    sessful firm. On top of that, she even founded a wildly popr Chanaean restaurant.


    Only a woman like that is worthy of me.


    Previously, he was worried that his father wouldn¡¯t allow him to take her back to Turlen despite how


    fascinated he was with her.


    But now, he realized that his concerns were totally unnecessary.


    Considering the fact that she too was an elite, he was certain that his parents would definitely like her.


    As a result, he was now waiting for Arielle to break up with Vinson which would provide him the perfect


    opportunity to step in.


    ¡°One more thing,¡± his subordinate added.


    Aaron raised his brows and asked in an optimistic mood, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    His subordinate exined warily, ¡°My men, who were being too impatient, wanted to check on Ms.


    Moore¡¯s condition. Therefore¡­ they followed Ms. Moore and were noticed.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    In a fit of rage, Aaron mmed his phone into his subordinate¡¯s face.


    Despite the blood flowing out of his nose, his subordinate didn¡¯t dare move a muscle.


    However, Aaron was still furious.


    ¡°You idiot! You had better pray that she doesn¡¯t suspect anything. Or else, I¡¯m going to throw you into


    the sea and feed you to the sharks!¡±


    Just as he was admonishing his man, Aaron anxiously paced back and forth within the room.

 Chapter 1208

    Chapter 1208


    Chapter 1208 Call Me Mom


    A wedding. What a beautiful word.


    In fact, she didn¡¯t want an extravagant one. As long as Vinson was the groom, she would be ecstatic


    even if it was a simple wedding.


    However¡­


    Arielle couldn¡¯t help but furrow her brows.


    Vinson has no intention of holding one. Is it because he thinks it¡¯s too much trouble? To be honest, it is


    indeed a hassle. Perhaps, he has already forgotten about it.


    Despite feeling disheartened, she empathized with how tough Vinson was having it.


    It¡¯s fine if we don¡¯t have one. When the timees, we¡¯ll just take a wedding photo and have dinner


    with the Wilhelms and Susanne. And that will be considered our wedding.


    ¡­


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    That day, filming was only in the afternoon. Hence, Arielle headed to the mall in the morning to check


    on the renovation progress of the new branch.


    Given that the manager was monitoring the progress religiously, there was no need for Arielle to be


    worried.


    After handing over the money to pay for the renovations to the manager, she ordered the chauffeur to


    take her to Nightshire Manor.


    Since she hadn¡¯t seen Susanne for a few days, she figured it was time to visit her future mother-inw.


    After having decided to spend the rest of her life with Vinson, his mom would naturally be her mom too.


    About an hourter, her car arrived at the entrance of Nightshire Manor.


    Previously, Susanne had suggested for Arielle to live there. However, she returned to Maple Mansion


    after spending a night there¡ªshe didn¡¯t feel at home.


    But this time, she arrived with her luggage and handed Maple Mansion over to the care of the


    housekeeper.


    Before she arrived, she had called Susanne and informed her ahead of time.


    Even though Susanne sounded cool over the phone, Arielle arrived to find the former waiting for her


    happily.


    Surprised by the attention, Arielle hurried over at once.


    ¡°Susanne, why are you standing here?¡±


    Even though Susanne was trying her best to stay calm, her lips couldn¡¯t help but broaden into a wide


    grin.


    In the end, she decided not to hold her emotions back any longer. Grabbing Arielle¡¯s hands, she said


    affectionately, ¡°Arielle, haven¡¯t you registered your marriage a long time ago? You should call me Mom


    instead. Go ahead!¡±


    Arielle was caught off-guard by Susanne¡¯s sudden disy of warmth.


    ¡°Mom.¡± She did as instructed, causing Susanne to smile vibrantly.


    ¡°Mmm-hmm,¡± Susanne acknowledged with delight. After that, she stuffed a gift into Arielle¡¯s hands.


    ¡°This is just a little something from me. Keep it well.¡±


    When Arielle turned to check, she realized it was a bank card.


    Naturally, she figured that the card contained a pretty substantial amount of money, which confused her


    even further.


    She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Mom, you seem to be in high spirits today.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Susanne replied while holding Arielle¡¯s hand as they walked.


    While walking, she pretended toin, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier that you were the boss of


    Sann Group? I was given a fright when I found out yesterday.¡±


    Only then did Arielle understand why Susanne¡¯s attitude toward her improved exponentially.


    After learning of the reason, Arielle exined candidly, ¡°You told me to prove myself to you. Since I


    didn¡¯t want to dredge up the past, I ended up not telling you all this while. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°My child, there¡¯s nothing to apologize for. Have you had your lunch? I have ordered the kitchen to


    prepare some food. Obviously, it¡¯s not going to be as good as your restaurant¡¯s, so you¡¯ll have to bear


    with it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem at all. I¡¯m not a picky eater,¡± Arielle answered stiffly, for she was not used to


    Susanne¡¯s hospitality.

 Chapter 1209

    Chapter 1209


    Chapter 1209 Neglecting Her Figure


    Sensing Arielle¡¯s awkwardness, Susanne toned down her enthusiasm.


    ¡°If there¡¯s anything you need once you have moved in, just let me or the butler know.¡±


    After that, Susanne didn¡¯t say much and let Arielle eat in peace.


    During her meal, Arielle suddenly received a message from the Mills, reminding her to participate in the


    selection for the head of the family.


    As one of the prominent families skilled in ancient Chanaean medicine, the Mills were famous in their


    circle even though their reputation had been sliding in recent years. Since their medical manuscripts


    were forbidden from being shared with outsiders, it intensified the desire of those who coveted them.


    For that same reason, Arielle decided to participate in the selection for the head of the family.


    If she was able to get her hands on the medical manuscripts, she could elevate her medical skills to the


    next level. By then, she could leverage the Mill familywork to establish her own chain of traditional


    Chanaean medicine clinics throughout the nation.


    With that thought in mind, she acknowledged the message and continued eating with Susanne.


    After the meal, Arielle got to know Susanne better.


    In truth, she found Susanne to be very simr to Vinson. When she didn¡¯t like someone, everything that


    person did would get on her nerves. On the contrary, she was willing to give her all to those she liked.


    Back then, Wendy was in the same position and received lots of attention from Susanne.


    It was just that Arielle could foresee Wendy bing a nightmare for Susanne if she had married into


    the Nightshire family.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    In the blink of an eye, it was time for Arielle to go for filming in the afternoon.


    After bidding Susanne farewell, Arielle was driven to the set.


    That day, the filming location was inside an apartment building.


    A terrible virus was to be leaked by ident inside the building. Nevertheless, the scenes they needed


    to film weren¡¯t challenging. They revolved around showing the daily lives of the upants in the


    apartment before the virus was released and exining the rtionships between the characters in the


    movie.


    Arielle yed a special agent who rented an apartment there. As thendlord was a money-minded


    man, he looked down upon her. Even when he ran into her in the elevator, he would just ignore her. In


    fact, he would even interrupt his son whenever thetter tried to talk to her.


    As for Jason, the male lead, he yed a fitness instructor who worked in the building. Despite his


    lackadaisical attitude, his handsome looks attracted many members to his gym.


    The first scene involved a shirtless Jason stopping Arielle from entering the gym.


    Hence, the makeup artists had to make sure his figure looked good for the camera.


    Once he was done with his makeup, Jason walked in front of Arielle on purpose. Raising his brow, he


    said, ¡°About yesterday, it was nothing but a misunderstanding. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    While he was speaking, he flexed his abdominal muscles at the same time.


    Since he had the most good-looking face and figure among the actors, he was confident that he could


    make Arielle¡¯s heart race.


    Unexpectedly, Arielle frowned at him the moment she looked up.


    She had assumed that he came over to run through their dialogue but was annoyed when he talked


    about something personal instead. ¡°Jason, let¡¯s just stick to talking about work. Since you have some


    time now, why don¡¯t we practice our dialogue so that we can have fewer NG?¡±


    Jason¡¯s expression drastically changed.


    What does she mean? Is she insinuating that I¡¯ll make a mistake? Not only is she ignoring my fabulous


    figure, she¡¯s even doubting my acting skills. This is too much!


    Unable to endure the insult, Jason retorted, ¡°I have starred in more movies than I can count with my


    fingers. Hence, you should be the one to rehearse your lines and not hold me backter!¡±

 Chapter 1210

    Chapter 1210


    Chapter 1210 Acting Skills


    The moment he finished, Jason turned around and left, leaving Arielle utterly confused.


    She didn¡¯t know what she had said to anger him


    Isn¡¯t it normal to suggest rehearsing our lines before filming? Why did he storm off in a huff?


    Before Arielle could figure out what was going on, Gracie came over.


    ¡°Ms. Moore,¡± Gracie whispered, ¡°Jason has always been temperamental, so I hope you will understand


    and don¡¯t take it personally. There¡¯s one more thing that you might find difficult to believe. Even though


    Jason is a sessful influencer with a huge fan base, he wants to make a breakthrough in his acting


    career and be treated as a serious actor instead.¡±


    Arielle was surprised by Gracie¡¯s words.


    She had assumed Jason would milk his poprity to the end before changing his image. Thus, she


    was astounded to hear that he was already trying to prove himself with his acting skills.


    When Gracie saw the disbelief on Arielle¡¯s face, she added, ¡°In fact, Jason has turned down ten high-


    paying idol dramas, just to work with Sam on this movie. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of how lucrative such


    dramas are and how important they are in recruiting fans and cementing their support for him.


    However, he refused to listen to my advice and cleared out his entire schedule just to fit this movie in.¡±


    With that, Arielle¡¯s perception of Jason began to shift.


    ¡°Nevertheless, he is a sensitive person. Therefore, he might have misconstrued your request to


    rehearse thinking that you see him as an amateur, hence the anger. In spite of that, please don¡¯t mind


    him, for he will forget about the matter once he cools down. One good thing about him is that he never


    holds a grudge.¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°I understand. Going forward, I¡¯ll watch my words in front of him.¡±


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m relieved to hear that.¡± Gracie gave Arielle a smile before returning to Jason¡¯s side.


    After ncing at Jason¡¯s silhouette, Arielle tightened her grip on her script while she was in deep


    thought. Subsequently, she began to memorize the lines in the script.


    Soon, every department hadpleted their preparations and the filming for the first scene began.


    The setting was at the entrance of the gym on the second floor of the apartment building.


    Dressed in sports attire, Arielle was stopped at the door by Jason, who was ying the fitness


    instructor.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but only owners are allowed to enter.¡±


    Furrowing her brows, Arielle snapped, ¡°Why? I live here too. Isn¡¯t this gym open to all residents?¡±


    Jason replied in an apologetic yet contemptuous tone, ¡°The equipment for public use inside the gym


    has been moved out to the yground. Everything left in here was paid for by the owners. Since you¡¯re


    just a tenant¡­ You¡¯ll have to excuse me.¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t this apartment¡­¡±


    Just when both of them were about to get into an argument, a sudden scream was heard from the


    direction of the elevator. Shocked, they turned to look in unison.


    ¡°Cut!¡± Sam¡¯s voice rang out as he led the apuse. ¡°Good job! We got it in one take.¡±


    Sighing in relief, Arielle snuck a nce at Jason.


    Gracie is right. Jason¡¯s acting looks natural. Also, I can feel the amount of effort he puts into his


    performance.


    Compared to Arielle, Jason was even more amazed.


    He had assumed Sam chose her for her beauty and didn¡¯t expect her to be such a good actress.


    As an actor, he had worked with many other actresses. Nheless, this was the first time he had


    seen an actress who could perform wlessly on her very first take.

 Chapter 1211

    Chapter 1211


    Chapter 1211 He Is The One Holding Everyone Back


    Is this the manifestation of true talent?


    Even though Jason was surprised and envious, he refrained fromplimenting Arielle due to his ego.


    Hence, he simplymented, ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re not holding me back. Keep it up.¡±


    With that, he continued revising his lines for the next scene.


    The second scene involved two neighbors being exposed to the virus. Arielle and Jason were to enter


    in theter part of the scene.


    In the meantime, Arielle received an email from Vinson informing her that he had returned to the


    country.


    On top of that, he shared with her his n to lure their enemy out.


    After pondering briefly, Arielle replied: Got it.


    Her hesitation was due to the fact that Vinson¡¯s n required her to put up an act, and she wasn¡¯t sure


    if she was up to it.


    I might as well take the opportunity to practice since I¡¯m already acting in this movie.


    Soon, the filming for the second scene started.


    In that scene, Arielle was to hurry over and check on her neighbor who had copsed. After that, she


    was to run at the monster who had caught the virus.


    Given how difficult it was to portray a sense of resolute selflessness, Sam was prepared to do a few


    takes for the scene. In fact, he even got Arielle to practice her lines first so that she could conserve her


    energy. Or else, the multiple retakes would likely drain her stamina due to all the running that was


    involved.


    Unexpectedly, the moment the camera started rolling, Arielle disyed the emotions that Sam had


    expected of her wlessly. Instead, it was Jason who acted stiffly as he could not control his facial


    expression.


    ¡°Cut!¡±


    Sam frowned as he called Jason over to the monitor.


    ¡°Take a look at it yourself. You¡¯re nothing but a bunch of nerves in that scene. At this point in time, you


    and Arielle are unaware of the existence of the virus. Instead, you assume there was a robbery.


    Consequently, you should express anxiousness and not horror. Do you understand?¡±


    After taking a look at Arielle on the monitor and then himself, Jason was filled with disbelief.


    ¡°How can she-¡±


    How can she act better than me? I¡¯m being outshone by her despite being a graduate of drama school


    with multiple movies under my belt. Moreover, I even told her not to hold me back. Evidently, I¡¯m the


    one that¡¯s holding us back now.


    At that moment, an avnche of emotions struck him.


    Sensing Jason¡¯s embarrassment, Sam patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Alright now, shooting retake is


    prettymon. There¡¯s no need to take it personally. As long as you work on the points I¡¯ve raised,


    you¡¯ll be fine. Also, you can pick up a thing or two from Arielle. Considering that she has the talent and


    you have the experience, both of you will definitely make a great team!¡±


    Jason could barely smile despite his attempt.


    After smoking half a cigarette to relieve the stress he felt, he threw himself back into filming.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    From then on, he put in more effort than he usually did. In many of the difficult scenes, he also


    managed to demonstrate the required emotions to match the scenes.


    At that moment, Sam was happy with Jason¡¯s performance and felt that thetter was serious in his


    quest to excel in his acting career.


    As for Jason, it was a matter of his pride as a man, for he didn¡¯t want to be outshone by the person he


    fancied.


    After filming waspleted ahead of schedule, Sam wanted to treat everyone to dinner, to which


    Jason naturally agreed.


    However, Arielle replied apologetically, ¡°Mr. Sleight, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to join you, as I have


    another appointment in the evening. Why don¡¯t you let me pay for dinner tonight instead? Just give me


    the billter.¡±


    Jason¡¯s expression darkened upon hearing Arielle¡¯s words.

 Chapter 1212

    Chapter 1212


    Chapter 1212 I Am Married


    He had nned to use the group dinner to confess his feelings to Arielle. Unfortunately, she had


    outright declined to join them.


    Who does she think she is?


    Just when Arielle bid everyone goodbye, Jason stepped forward to confront her and demanded,


    ¡°Arielle, what¡¯s the meaning of this?¡±


    Bewildered, she asked, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s innocent expression caused Jason¡¯s temper to re up.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Having suffered the humiliation earlier and the misunderstanding from the day before, Jason¡¯s


    emotions took over his head. He scoffed, ¡°Why are you the only one who can¡¯t join us for dinner? Even


    the most famous stars would show Mr. Sleight some respect. As a neer, why don¡¯t you show


    everyone some courtesy by joining us?¡±


    ¡°I just¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Jason interrupted her. ¡°You feel superior just because you¡¯re the boss of Sann Group.


    Therefore, you¡¯re not bothered to dine with people like us. Isn¡¯t that the case?¡±


    Arielle gaze darkened at once.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never looked down upon anyone before,¡± she countered in an icy tone.


    Even though Jason felt an inexplicable chill down his spine, he wasn¡¯t going to show any fear in a


    stare-down with a woman.


    Gritting his teeth, he maintained a strong front and asked, ¡°In that case, why can¡¯t you join us for


    dinner?¡±


    ¡°Because there¡¯s something I need to attend to.¡±


    Meanwhile, Sam quickly came forward to defuse the situation.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Jason. Arielle has a very busy schedule. In fact, she has done me a huge favor just by


    epting the role. Anyway, we shouldn¡¯t impose on her personal time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Jason sneered. ¡°It¡¯s a waste of time for a big shot like you to join us for a meal. Go ahead


    with whatever you¡¯re busy with.¡±


    ¡°I really have something to attend to.¡±


    ¡°Fine, then tell us what it is that¡¯s so important that you can¡¯t even eat with us?¡±


    Arielle choked. However, after noticing that there were a lot of people around, she suddenly hatched a


    n in her mind.


    Raising her head and dered, ¡°I¡¯m going to catch someone cheating!¡±


    The moment she spoke, her surroundings fell silent for a brief moment before breaking out into an


    uproar.


    ¡°Catch someone cheating? Did I hear you wrongly?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Ms. Moore single? Since when she had a boyfriend?¡±


    Even though Jason¡¯s expression drastically changed, he didn¡¯t believe Arielle¡¯s words.


    Given how embarrassing such an incident is, no one in their right mind would announce it publicly.


    Besides, after monitoring her for such a long time, I have never seen any other man by her side.


    Holding that thought, Jason¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°You don¡¯t even have a boyfriend, so how can you im


    that you¡¯re trying to catch him cheating? Arielle, do you take us for fools?¡±


    ¡°Who says I don¡¯t have a boyfriend?¡± Arielle raised her brow and added, ¡°I¡¯m already married.¡±


    ¡°Married? You must be kidding!¡± Jason was outraged.


    Nevertheless, Arielle exined in a serious tone, ¡°This isn¡¯t a joke at all. I am legally married. The


    reason I can¡¯t go out tonight with you guys is that I¡¯m going to catch my husband cheating. Is this


    excuse good enough?¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡­¡± Jason was lost for words.


    The revtion dealt him such a blow that he was barely able to breathe.


    To be precise, he just couldn¡¯t believe that Arielle was married.


    Arielle shot a nce at him. ¡°Regardless of whether you believe it or not, I¡¯ve told you the truth. And


    now, I must go.¡±


    With that, she turned her attention to Sam. ¡°Mr. Sleight, I have to deal with something personal now. Do


    send me the bill for dinnerter. Bye.¡±

 Chapter 1213

    Chapter 1213


    Chapter 1213 Caught In The Act


    Sam had yet to regain his senses. When he heard Arielle was married, the first man he could think of


    as her husband was Vinson. Well, Vinson was the one who strongly rmended Arielle to be the


    female lead in the movie. Besides, who else is worthy of her if not Vinson? However, who would¡¯ve


    guessed that they are married. But then again, why did Arielle sound like she was implying that Vinson


    has cheated on her?


    With that in mind, Sam couldn¡¯t help but worry about Arielle. ¡°Ms. Moore, is everything all right? Please


    let me know if you need help,¡± Sam said in a serious tone.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. I can manage.¡± Arielle smiled gratefully.


    However, Sam could tell it was a sad smile.


    Since Arielle had rejected his offer, he didn¡¯t insist on it. With a wave of his hand, he said, ¡°Just ring me


    up if you need me, okay? It doesn¡¯t matter who the man is.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Arielle knew Sam had guessed who she was going to catch cheating.


    She nodded awkwardly and turned around. Just when she was about the leave, she was stopped by


    Jason.


    ¡°I won¡¯t believe you unless you bring me along!¡± Jason eximed.


    Arielle was feeling somewhat helpless. Right then, Sasha was about the step in but she was held back


    by Arielle. ¡°Okay, then. You cane along if you want. However, don¡¯t get in my way,¡± Arielle said.


    Jason began to panic upon hearing that Arielle had agreed to it. Could it be that she¡¯s really married?


    I¡¯m not one to go after a married woman, though.


    When Jason was still caught in his thoughts, Arielle was already making her way toward the MPV.


    Jason gritted his teeth and went after her hurriedly. I don¡¯t care if she was telling the truth or not. I have


    to see it for myself.


    He was determined to make sure Arielle was married, and she was indeed going to catch someone


    cheating. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t give up on her.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle got into the car, and she was shocked when she saw Jason squeezing in after her.


    As a famous idol, Jason was rather sturdy. He was about 1.85 meters tall and quite muscr.


    As soon as he got in the car, the interior space seemed to be cramped immediately.


    Stunned, Arielle asked, ¡°Are you reallying with me?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Jason stared into her eyes and added, ¡°I know you¡¯re trying to find an excuse. You were


    actually lying, weren¡¯t you? If you¡¯re willing to apologize to me now, I¡¯ll let it slide.¡±


    Arielle pursed her lips and was baffled by Jason¡¯s train of thought.


    She then said to Sasha directly, ¡°Take me to Wave KTV.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Moore.¡± Sasha threw a nce at Jason, who was sitting in the back before ignoring him and


    stepping on the gas pedal.


    Upon seeing that both their main leads had gone, everyone in the production team started gossiping


    among themselves.


    ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought Arielle is a married woman? I honestly can¡¯t think of anyone who¡¯s worthy of


    her¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh god! I need to know so badly who she is married to! However, I¡¯m a bit scared to find out the truth


    because for some reason, beautiful women nowadays always end up with men who are in looking. I


    hope Arielle¡¯s taste doesn¡¯t disappoint me!¡±


    ¡°Exactly! I can¡¯t take it if a goddess such as Ms. Moore ends up with a fat and balding old man!¡±


    While some of them were gossiping among themselves, one of them had exposed it on the inte.


    Suddenly, Arielle was trending on the inte and garnered a lot of attention as soon as someone had


    posted about it.

 Chapter 1214

    Chapter 1214


    Chapter 1214 Cheating


    Arielle¡¯s male fans were quick to voice their opinions.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    A: ¡°No! I refuse to believe that my goddess is married! No one is worthy of her. No one!¡±


    B: ¡°I agree! This must be fake news! Does anyone remember someone who has used a celebrity of


    being pregnant before marriage? It turned out she was just getting chubby because of the side effects


    of the antidepressant she was taking.¡±


    C: ¡°In this day and age, who would believe such a piece of nonsensical news?


    One of the female fans added: ¡°Regardless of whether the news is legit or not, what matters is Arielle¡¯s


    happiness! We¡¯re happy as long as she is!¡±


    However, not many of her fans were giving her their blessings. Instead, most of them were either


    saying that it was fake news or wailing in agony.


    While everyone was doubting the authenticity of the news, the person who exposed it uploaded


    another post.


    The post was a video without any caption.


    In the video, the camera was shaky in the beginning before focusing on a figure.


    Although it was only showing the side of her face, theizens were sure it was Arielle in the video,


    because no one could look as beautiful as her.


    It was a video recorded at the time when she said she was married, and she couldn¡¯t have a meal with


    the film crew because she had to go catch someone cheating.


    The video became a trending topic the moment it hit the inte.


    Arielle Is Married!


    Arielle¡¯s Husband Has Cheated On Here!


    Arielle & Jason.


    Among the top five searches on the inte, Arielle was the center of attention in most of them.


    The moment the news became viral, more and more people were aware of the fact that Arielle was


    married.


    One of theizens, L0L0,mented: ¡°Really? So the news is legit?¡±


    Brimbo: ¡°Who is this guy? How could he cheat when he already has such a gorgeous wife?


    Ak47: ¡°I feel so sorry for my goddess! Since there¡¯re no children involved yet, quickly divorce him! She


    can always change her man! Since she¡¯s so pretty, she can always find another man!¡±


    90211mented: ¡°Is it just me or does anyone else here think Jason might be into Arielle?¡±


    Suddenly, one of Jason¡¯s fans, ##E##, replied: Hey, watch it. Please don¡¯t involve Jason in this


    scandal. Although she¡¯s pretty, it doesn¡¯t mean every man in the world is into her.


    Since Jason¡¯s name was mentioned in the post, his fans immediately stepped in and distanced their


    idol from Arielle.


    With that, the fans from both parties started bickering at each other.


    #YourNiNi#: Oh, please don¡¯t make meugh. It¡¯s so obvious Jason was crushed because she didn¡¯t


    reciprocate his love for her.


    Likiliki posted: To be frank, Arielle is out of Jason¡¯s league even though he¡¯s a famous idol. She¡¯s a


    graduate of Maxwell University and the CEO of Sann Group while he was just an art student who got


    famous because of his looks.


    Soon, the bickering intensified, and more and more people were paying attention to the news.


    Aaron was in his study room when he saw the video shortly after it was uploaded.


    Catch someone cheating? Aaron grinned mischievously and raised his brows. Well, it seems like the


    pictures I sent to her came in handy after all. Indeed, no matter how smart or capable a woman is,


    she¡¯d be a bimbo the minute she gets emotional.


    ¡°Guards!¡± Aaron called out. Almost immediately, two bodyguards in suits came in through the door.


    ¡°What can we do for you, Mr. Aaron?¡±


    ¡°Send someone smart to keep an eye on Arielle. Don¡¯t mess it up. Otherwise¡­¡±


    Aaron didn¡¯t even finish his sentence, and the bodyguards were already having cold sweats as a result


    of his murderous stare.


    ¡°Yes!¡± the bodyguards answered and were about to leave.


    Then, Aaron suddenly stood up and said, ¡°Wait!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Aaron? What else can we do for you?¡±


    Aaron put on his jacket. ¡°You guys are useless. I¡¯ll do it myself.¡±

 Chapter 1215

    Chapter 1215


    Chapter 1215 Men Are All The Same


    Although his subordinates were alwayspetent, Aaron didn¡¯t want to take any risk because Arielle


    was involved. If she finds out about it again, my previous n with the photos might be in vain! I should


    just go and see for myself if there¡¯s something wrong with Arielle¡¯s rtionship with Vinson.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Are you going personally?¡± His subordinate was stunned. He then instinctively tried to stop him. ¡°The


    main task of our trip to Chanaea is to bring the head of the Mills back to Turlen. Besides, Vinson and


    Ms. Moore aren¡¯t even easy to deal with. What if they find out about your identity?¡±


    ¡°Shut up! I¡¯ve already decided what to do!¡± With that said, Aaron strode out.


    His subordinates had no choice but to follow him because none of them dared to persuade him


    otherwise.


    Meanwhile, Vinson was sitting on a couch in Wave Karaoke Bar. While swirling his ss of wine, he


    couldn¡¯t help but throw a nce or two at a waitress serving them beer.


    With their heads kept low, the directors from the otherpanies noticed the look Vinson had when he


    saw the girl.


    Rumor had it that Vinson had always been unwavering, and he¡¯d never get swayed by any random


    woman.


    Besides, there was even a rumor saying apany had gone bankrupt because the person in charge


    sent Vinson ady to entertain him.


    That was why they didn¡¯t dare to get any escort while they were there. Instead, they just sang and


    drank with him.


    However, they were convinced those were just rumors after seeing the look Vinson had on his face. It


    seems like men are all the same after all.


    One of the directors then followed the waitress out of their room while another held his ss and went


    up to Vinson.


    ¡°Congrattions on your sessful bidding on the project in Horington!¡± With that, the middle-aged


    man finished his drink in one gulp.


    Vinson raised his brows slightly and looked at the man. ¡°Everything worked out because you guys have


    left the best engineer for us. We have to keep working together to achieve a win-win result.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course!¡± The director nodded profusely.


    At that moment, the director that went out earlier had returned.


    However, he wasn¡¯t alone. With him, he brought six beautiful waitresses. One of them was the one


    Vinson paid extra attention to.


    ¡°What are you guys doing standing there? Go and pour Mr. Nightshire a drink!¡± While the director was


    saying that, he shot the aforementioned waitress a look.


    The waitress was blushing, and her heart was beating like a drum when she walked over to have a


    seat right next to Vinson.


    Prior to that, she was over the moon when she heard Vinson was interested in her. Even if it¡¯s just for


    one night, it is still a blessing to be noticed by someone so rich and handsome!


    With that thought in her head, she quickly opened a bottle of red wine and poured Vinson a ss. At


    the same time, she was inching her right leg toward Vinson¡¯s left leg.


    On the surface, Vinson looked extremely unapproachable. That was why the girl was wary of him while


    moving toward him.


    However, she was overjoyed when she realized Vinson didn¡¯t resist her move of approaching him.


    After she sussed the situation, she poured a ss of wine and fed Vinson. ¡°Have a drink, Mr.


    Nightshire.¡±


    Vinson¡¯s lips lifted into a smirk before taking a sip of the wine.


    All the men at the scene were secretly paying attention to Vinson¡¯s reaction because they were worried


    that they might¡¯ve done something to displease him. All of them breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing


    Vinson taking a sip of the wine. We did it right!


    As for the girl, her heart was racing, and she wasn¡¯t thinking too much about it.

 Chapter 1216

    Chapter 1216


    Chapter 1216 The Fallen Princess


    The girl¡¯s name was Penelope Little. Her family business had gone bankrupt, so she ended up working


    as a waitress to pay off the huge debts.


    On the face of it, she might just be a waitress, but technically, she was an escort. She never thought


    she¡¯d be lucky enough to get noticed by Vinson since she had only started working there less than a


    month ago.


    It¡¯s Vinson Nightshire! I¡¯m sitting next to Vinson Nightshire! He¡¯s the man of every woman¡¯s dream! So


    many girls have attempted to get into his bed and failed. I can¡¯t believe I was presented with such a


    golden opportunity! At that moment, Penelope couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of superiority.


    Perhaps it¡¯s because none of Vinson¡¯s girls are as charismatic and pretty as me. After all, I¡¯m the


    prettiest in Wave Karaoke. Back then, I was raised as a rich girl when Dad¡¯s business was still doing


    good. Hence, I¡¯m definitely more ssy than all the girls here. That¡¯s why Vinson is interested in me.


    On second thought, surely I didn¡¯t get his attention by chance. Instead, it¡¯s because of how special I


    am! I¡¯m sure I can get him to fall head over heels for me just like in the movies! In movies. Rich men


    would always fall in love with girls from less-fortunate families. Penelope was sure her dream was


    coming true.


    With that in mind, Penelope started to behave more brazenly. Unlike the sheepish behavior she¡¯d


    shown earlier, she suddenly took a sip of the wine and kept it in her mouth before approaching Vinson¡¯s


    lips flirtatiously.


    Obviously, she nned to feed him a sip of wine with her mouth.


    Seeing that, the directors from the otherpanies began cheering for Vinson.


    ¡°You¡¯re so lucky, Mr. Nightshire! The prettiest waitress here is all over you!¡±


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Enjoy yourself tonight, Mr. Nightshire! Everything¡¯s on me!¡±


    Vinson merely smiled subtly while constantly ncing at the door as if he was waiting for someone to


    walk in.


    Right when Penelope was about to reach Vinson¡¯s lips, the door to the room was kicked open all of a


    sudden.


    Following a loud bang, everyone looked toward the door in shock.


    Penelope was utterly frustrated. I was so close to kissing Vinson! Who is the b*stard who ruined my


    moment?


    Penelope¡¯s eyes were filled with rage when she turned toward the door. However, in the next moment,


    her face was drained of all color.


    The girl at the door was unbelievably gorgeous, and she had stunning facial features. Her eyes were so


    bright that she could light up the entire room. In fact, all the other girls in the room suddenly looked as


    in as a pikestaffpared to her.


    Penelope widened her eyes in shock and disbelief as she stared intently at the beautiful girl at the door.


    Isn¡¯t that the famous Arielle Moore? Not only is she beautiful, but she¡¯s a graduate of Maxwell


    University. Furthermore, she¡¯s the boss of Sann Group, and she¡¯s worth over a hundred billion! She¡¯s


    better than me in every aspect! Wait, why is Arielle here in the first ce?


    At once, envy, hatred, and shock overwhelmed Penelope. Will Vinson still be interested in me now that


    Arielle is here?


    With that thought in her mind, Penelope nced at Vinson subconsciously.


    She had lost her rationale due to jealousy. She then grabbed Vinson¡¯s arm and pretended to be angry


    when she said, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, is that your guest? Did she just kick the door open before storming in?


    Why is she so rude?¡±

 Chapter 1217

    Chapter 1217


    Chapter 1217 Chased Her Out


    Afterining to Vinson pitifully, Penelope realized he wasn¡¯t even listening to her. Instead, his


    eyes were fixed on Arielle.


    Vinson kept mum because he was getting sick of the smell of her perfume. However, everything was


    going ording to his n.


    The only reason he picked Penelope was because her eyes looked a little like Arielle¡¯s.


    Of course, it was inly just a resemnce. In his eyes, nobody could measure up to Arielle¡¯s beauty.


    However, his ulterior motive was to see Arielle¡¯s reaction.


    Penelope felt a bit crestfallen when she saw Vinson¡¯s eyes fixed on Arielle.


    She was unwilling to give in to Arielle because her dream was so close toing true. She mustered


    up her courage and put her arm over Vinson¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Are you not going to chase her out, Mr.


    Nightshire?¡±


    The moment she said those words, she felt a gust of wind blow past her.


    Suddenly, she saw a fair and slender hand forcefully grab onto the arm she had over Vinson¡¯s shoulder.


    Penelope¡¯s eyes instinctively moved along the arm to see who it belonged to. Needless to say, it was


    Arielle¡¯s.


    Wasn¡¯t she at the door? How did she get over here so fast? Before Penelope could figure out how fast


    Arielle had moved, she was stunned when she saw Arielle up close. She looks even prettier now!


    Almost every girl would most likely have some ws on their face upon a closer look. However, Arielle


    had none. Penelope was even more surprised when she noticed Arielle wasn¡¯t wearing any make-up.


    She¡¯s so many times prettier than me even without make-up! Penelope was filled with jealousy and


    anger. ¡°Let go of me!¡± she roared in a trembling voice.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle narrowed her eyes and asked, ¡°You want me to get chased out? Do you know who I am?¡±


    Penelope was getting nervous because she knew she was dealing with the boss of Sann Group,


    Arielle. Wait, Vinson is even more influential than her, no? After all, this is Chanaea. No matter how


    strong Sann Group is, they¡¯re still more influential overseas. On the other hand, Vinson has the final


    say in the local market!


    With that in mind, Penelope snorted. ¡°Everyone knows you nowadays, Arielle. So what? You¡¯re


    interrupting my time with Mr. Nightshire!¡±


    Arielle chuckled coldly in response.


    Upon seeing Arielle¡¯s reaction, Penelope got even angrier. While struggling to shake Arielle¡¯s grip off of


    her, she fumed, ¡°What are youughing at?¡±


    ¡°Because you still don¡¯t know who I am.¡±


    Penelope was frightened when she saw Arielle¡¯s cold stare.


    Hence, she decided to act pitiful.


    She squeezed her thigh with her other hand and burst into tears. ¡°I know who you are! You¡¯re hurting


    me! Mr. Nightshire, will you please chase this crazy woman out?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re seducing a man under his wife¡¯s nose, and even asking him to chase me out? Why don¡¯t you


    ask him if he really wants to chase me out!¡± Arielle smirked.


    Penelope¡¯s eyes instantly widened in astonishment. ¡°You? Both of you¡­¡±


    She looked at Arielle before shifting her gaze toward Vinson, who was keeping mum. She didn¡¯t grasp


    what Arielle said to her earlier.


    She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you serious? You guys are married?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right! Now that you know who I am, who do you think should get chased out?¡± Arielle


    retorted.


    ¡°No¡­ I¡­¡± Penelope was still trying to move toward Vinson at that point. However, Arielle suddenly


    pulled her away. Now, there was no way Penelope could reach Vinson.

 Chapter 1218

    Chapter 1218


    Chapter 1218 She Is Not Jealous


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire¡­¡± Penelope was really in pain.


    At that moment, she could only look at Vinson pitifully and hope he¡¯d pick her.


    Penelope was very sure all the men in the world were the same, and they¡¯d always cheat on their


    wives. No matter how beautiful a man¡¯s wife is, there¡¯lle a day when he gets sick of her. Sooner


    thanter, he¡¯d yearn for other women.


    Furthermore, Penelope was convinced Vinson had picked her. He must have feelings for me!


    Penelope just kept staring at Vinson with her teary and pitiful puppy eyes.


    Indeed, Vinson had reacted.


    He yelled, ¡°Everyone else, get out!¡±


    Upon hearing those words, all the startled directors abruptly got up from the couch and ran for the door.


    They¡¯d just heard a piece of ground-breaking news! None of them expected Vinson to be a married


    man.


    While there were three people in the room, one of them was the most formidable figure in Chanaea


    while the other was the boss of Sann Group¡ªthepany with the most cutting-edge technology in


    the world. In short, the directors couldn¡¯t afford to mess with either of them.


    If they had known that he was married, none of them would dare to arrange an escort for Vinson.


    After they got out of the room, they even gently closed the door behind them.


    None of them wanted to get involved in a fight between the couple.


    In the room, Penelope couldn¡¯t help but feel delighted upon seeing how everyone had left. It seems like


    Vinson is interested in me! Otherwise, why would he ask everyone to leave? He could¡¯ve just asked me


    to leave instead. Indeed, all men are the same.


    With that thought in her head, Penelope felt confident in herself again.


    Initially, she wanted to taunt Arielle when she looked at her. She then changed her mind when she saw


    how cold Arielle was staring back at her. Why do I feel so little when I look at her?


    Although she was already wearing a pair of 10cm heels, she still felt that Arielle was a lot taller than


    her.


    She gave up on the thought of taunting Arielle. Instead, she said, ¡°Arielle, I think you¡¯re well aware of


    the fact that it¡¯s normal for a man like Mr. Nightshire to have mistresses. Rest assured, I¡¯m not trying to


    take your ce, and I have no intention of bing a daughter-inw of the Nightshire family. In fact,


    I¡¯m not after any status at all. Instead, I¡¯d like to just stay by Mr. Nightshire¡¯s side. Can we treat each


    other like sisters from today onward?¡±


    Penelope knew what she was doing. Even if Vinson likes me, he can¡¯t possibly leave his wife, the boss


    of Sann Group, and marry a waitress like me.


    Hence, she was willing to be Vinson¡¯s mistress instead. Will Arielle agree to that?


    After saying that, Penelope nced at Arielle cautiously. She was trying to see Arielle¡¯s reaction to her


    suggestion.


    To her surprise, she saw Arielle smiling. In fact, her smile was so bright and wide that there wasn¡¯t a


    hint of iciness left in her eyes.


    ¡°W-What are you smiling at this time around?¡± Penelope bit her lip and asked.


    In response, Arielle shrugged, let go of Penelope¡¯s hand, and took a seat right next to Vinson. ¡°Hey,


    where did you find this actress? Why is she still acting although everyone had left? She¡¯s very


    professional, indeed!¡±


    ¡°Actress?¡± Penelope furrowed her brows. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Arielle was stunned for a moment before turning to face Vinson. ¡°Is she not an actress?¡±


    Vinson shook his head. He had aplicated expression on his face when he answered, ¡°No.¡±


    One could sense the regret in his voice.


    At first, he thought Arielle would be jealous. However, he then found out that she was just putting on a


    show. Who am I to her? Do I mean anything to her?

 Chapter 1219

    Chapter 1219


    Chapter 1219 A Tool


    Consequently, bewilderment was written all over Arielle¡¯s face. The waitress isn¡¯t an actress? Doesn¡¯t


    that mean her interaction with Vinson just now wasn¡¯t just for show?


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    At that moment, a mix of emotions surged in Arielle¡¯s heart at the thought. The smile on her face faded.


    When she kicked the door open, she was actually angry when she saw how close the waitress was to


    Vinson. However, she had always been more rational than emotional. That was why she thought


    Vinson had gotten someone to put up an act.


    If it was all just an act, there was no need for her to be jealous.


    To her surprise, Vinson had just told her the waitress wasn¡¯t an actress at all.


    Arielle knitted her brows and asked, ¡°What are you talking about, Vinson? If she¡¯s not an actress, who


    is she?¡±


    The anger in Vinson¡¯s heart was burning intensely.


    He thought Arielle would at least get jealous when she stormed into the room. She was not affected at


    all! Besides, how could she even smile? If I ever saw her interacting so intimately with another man, I¡¯d


    lose my mind even if the situation was nned! How was she so calm about it? I guess I mean nothing


    to her, after all. Nothing at all¡­


    ¡°Haha.¡± Vinson let out a self-mockeryugh. ¡°She¡¯s no one. She¡¯s just someone of my choice.¡±


    ¡°Someone of your choice?¡± Arielle frowned even deeper. Arielle felt her nose twinge, and her heart was


    filled with sorrow.


    ¡°Yes. She¡¯s someone of my choice.¡± Vinson gazed at Arielle intently and asked, ¡°Did you even feel a


    slight hint of jealousy?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Arielle bit her lip and replied with a lie, ¡°Since I knew it was just a n all along, why should I be


    jealous?¡±


    Vinson pursed his lips and gave a self-deprecating smile again. ¡°Indeed, it was all just a n¡­¡±


    Upon listening to the conversation between the two of them, Penelope eventually realized what was


    going on. So Vinson was just using me as a tool to provoke Arielle all this while? It seems like Arielle is


    the only woman in Vinson¡¯s heart, after all. But why is he doing this? Aren¡¯t they married? Why did he


    need to use me to provoke Arielle? Also, what is this n they keep mentioning? Even if I was just a


    tool, there¡¯s still somewhat of a connection between Vinson and me, right?


    Regardless of the situation, that was still a golden opportunity to go from rags to riches. Hence, she


    didn¡¯t mind being a tool at all.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire?¡± Since the couple had just mentioned her, Penelope mustered her courage and asked


    the obvious, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to know about it.¡± Vinson ced his hand on her shoulder and added, ¡°I¡¯ll help you


    terminate your contract with Wave. From today onward, you¡¯ll stay by my side. I¡¯ll pay you handsomely


    in sry. What do you say?¡±


    Needless to say, anyone would¡¯ve guessed her answer correctly.


    ¡°Sure!¡± Penelope agreed in a heartbeat.


    ¡°All right, then.¡± Vinson nodded and gazed at Arielle with his dark eyes. ¡°Since we¡¯ve alreadye up


    with a n, we should act ording to it. I¡¯ll have her stay with us at the manor.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Arielle grabbed Vinson by the cor of his shirt. ¡°What are you trying to do, Vinson?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Vinson reverted to his usual indifferent expression. ¡°Didn¡¯t we say we need to set


    a trap? It¡¯s not like you¡¯ll get jealous, anyway. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t mind her staying at the manor as well,


    right?¡±

 Chapter 1220

    Chapter 1220


    Chapter 1220 He Likes Her


    ¡°I¡­¡± Arielle bit her lips and threw a nce at Penelope.


    Instantly, Arielle was reminded of what Penelope said to her about taking over her ce. She was


    utterly disgusted with her.


    Arielle¡¯s expression darkened, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say that


    she minded.


    Instead, she blurted coldly, ¡°Do whatever you want!¡±


    With that, she was about to leave.


    Right on the bat, someone suddenly pushed the door to the room open forcefully.


    ¡°Arielle!¡± Jason was panting heavily.


    That day, the ce had been booked out. Although Arielle got in without a hitch, Jason didn¡¯t. He was


    stopped by the security at the entrance. By then, he had just gotten in after having a heated


    conversation with the guards.


    When he got into the room, he saw how disheartened Arielle looked, and he also saw a woman


    standing right beside Vinson.


    In an instant, he knew what had happened. So Arielle was telling the truth after all!


    ¡°Arielle!¡± Jason walked toward her and shielded her. He then red at Vinson and fumed, ¡°Why don¡¯t


    just love and appreciate your wife? Must you cheat on her? What are you thinking?¡±


    Vinson frowned when he recognized Jason. He¡¯s an artist under Nightshire Entertainment.


    Vinson moved his lips as he prepared to answer him. That was when Jason added, ¡°Since you don¡¯t


    want her, I¡¯ll have her! Please don¡¯t hurt her anymore!¡±


    With that, Jason grabbed Arielle¡¯s wrist and dragged her out of the room.


    Arielle hesitated for a moment, but for some reason, she went along with him.


    When Vinson saw them leaving, he wanted to chase after them.


    Just then, Penelope grabbed him by his wrist.


    ¡°Let go of me!¡± Vinson¡¯s grim expression startled Penelope.


    However, she wasn¡¯t going to let him slip out of her grip.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire!¡± Penelope gulped and added, ¡°Don¡¯t you guys have a n or something? Are you sure


    it¡¯s okay for you to chase after them like this?¡±


    Although she didn¡¯t know anything about the n, she assumed it had something to do with them


    wanting someone to think that they weren¡¯t in love. If Vinson goes after them, doesn¡¯t that mean the


    n could get jeopardized?


    Indeed, hesitation shed before Vinson¡¯s eyes when he heard what Penelope said.


    Penelope was celebrating inwardly when she realized she guessed it correctly. ¡°I¡¯m sure Ms. Moore


    would understand the circumstances. Maybe you should just bring me back to the manor first? You can


    always exin to Ms. Moore when she returns, right?¡±


    Meanwhile, Jason had dragged Arielle all the way out of Wave Karaoke.


    Perhaps the strong gusts of wind yed a part because Arielle felt a rush of emotions suddenly.


    What am I doing? Aren¡¯t we supposed to only act like we¡¯re fighting ording to our n? How did I


    end up fighting with Vinson for real? No! I must go back in there and sort it out. Arielle wanted Vinson


    to know the truth, that she was actually overwhelmed by jealousy.


    Arielle turned around, and she was about to head back in. However, Jason grabbed her again.


    ¡°Are you still going back to Vinson, even after he has cheated on you? Are you going to let him hurt you


    again? Aren¡¯t you a prideful person? Why do you want to lose your dignity over that man?¡± Jason¡¯s


    voice was tinged with disappointment.


    Initially, he had only gone along with Arielle to find out if she was telling the truth. He wanted to know if


    she was actually married and if she was there to catch her husband cheating.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    If she was indeed telling the truth, he was supposed to just give up on her. After all, he wasn¡¯t one to go


    after married women.


    However, he changed his mind even when the truth wasid out before his eyes.


    She can still get a divorce! I don¡¯t mind that at all! It seemed like Jason really fancied her.

 Chapter 1221

    Chapter 1221


    Chapter 1221 The Bait


    ¡°Arielle, actually¡± Right when Jason was about to confess his feelings, Arielle broke free from his grasp


    and interrupted his speech.


    ¡°Thank you for speaking up for me, Jason. However, things are not as they seemed to be. There¡¯re


    some misunderstandings here. I¡¯m very grateful for your help, but you can leave now.¡±


    With that, she turned around and was heading back inside.


    At that precise moment, she saw a familiar figure standing across the street from the corners of her


    eyes. Isn¡¯t that¡­


    Suddenly, her memories of what happened on the cruise came surging back. That¡¯s the man! Could it


    be? The man who has been trying to assassinate Vinson is the man I¡¯ve met on the cruise?


    Seeing that, Arielle abruptly stopped in her tracks. The n is ongoing, and he¡¯s right in front of me! I


    can¡¯t deviate from the n now!


    Arielle gritted her teeth and pretended like she didn¡¯t notice that man. She turned toward Jason and


    said, ¡°I¡¯m in a bad mood, and I¡¯d like to go for a walk. Do you have somewhere in mind?¡±


    Jason was over the moon upon hearing that. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll take you there!¡± he answered hastily.


    ¡°Okay, then. Thank you.¡± Arielle nodded before following Jason into a taxi.


    After getting into the car, Arielle immediately turned back and looked across the street.


    Indeed, she saw the man getting into a car as well before tailing them.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Jason couldn¡¯t help but keep looking at the back.


    As Jason was about to roll down the window and put his head out to have a better look, Arielle instantly


    pinned his hand down. ¡°Don¡¯t open it!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jason was utterly confused. He then gazed toward Arielle¡¯s hand, which was pressing


    against his.


    It¡¯s so cooling andforting. He had the urge to hold her hand instead after seeing how slender and


    fair it was.


    Right when Jason was about to act on his urge, Arielle retracted her hand.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Arielle shed an apologetic smile and continued, ¡°Could you please not open the window?


    I¡¯m afraid of the cold wind.¡±


    ¡°Oh, all right.¡± Jason nodded before giving the chauffeur the address of their destination.


    About an hourter, the car stopped at an old church in the suburbs.


    Both of them got out of the car. Arielle was a little surprised when she asked, ¡°Are you a religious


    person?¡±


    Jason shrugged. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do I look like I¡¯m not?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Arielle nodded and answered truthfully, ¡°You don¡¯t look like one.¡±


    In response, Jason smiled wryly. ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m not.¡±


    While he was saying that, he waved her over. ¡°Come. Let¡¯s go inside.¡±


    Arielle raised her gaze and sized up the church. Obviously, this church had been abandoned for quite a


    while. Did he bring me here to pray? It¡¯s a nice ce to clear one¡¯s head though.


    After that, the two of them made their way toward the hall. Instead of stopping, Jason brought her


    toward the back door of the church. They walked through the door and arrived at the backyard.


    Arielle was very surprised when she saw a bunch of kids living there.


    When they walked in, the kids were singing while sitting around a bonfire. ¡°Twinkle, twinkle, little


    stars¡­¡±


    With a nce, Arielle noticed that the kids there were either physically or mentally challenged.


    Besides, there were a few bionic arms.


    ¡°What is¡± Arielle was about to ask something.


    ¡°This ce has be an orphanage quite some time ago.¡± Jason smiled, although he was having


    mixed emotions.


    ¡°You might not know this, but this is actually where I grew up. I was abandoned when I was just a few


    months old, and Father Moses took me in. I¡¯d alwayse here every time I face difficulties at work.¡±

 Chapter 1222

    Chapter 1222


    Chapter 1222 Confession


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Oh? Did you grow up in an orphanage? Why have I never heard about this before?¡± Since he¡¯s a


    famous idol, why didn¡¯t the public expose his family background earlier on?


    She hardly ever paid attention to the news about the entertainment industry, but she had done favors


    for the top guns in the industry. However, she never knew that Jason was an orphan.


    ¡°When I debuted, thepany I signed for had my family background and academic qualifications


    covered up. Of course, my academic qualifications are legit. It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯te from a rich


    family. They even forbid me toe back here or have any sort of contact with the orphanage.¡± Jason


    smiled bitterly.


    ¡°Then, how about what you¡¯re doing now?¡±


    ¡°Well, now I¡¯m no longer in any contract with my ex-employer. Nightshire Entertainment doesn¡¯t care


    about my private life. That¡¯s why I can juste here as I wish. However, if this does get exposed, I¡¯d


    have to answer to the reporters.¡± Despite his words, Jason sounded like he didn¡¯t mind getting exposed


    at all. I¡¯m who I am, and I¡¯ll always be connected to this orphanage.


    Needless to say, Arielle felt as if she understood Jason a little more upon hearing that. It turns out


    everyone has secrets to keep. My secret is that I¡¯m not Henrick¡¯s biological daughter. But instead of


    keeping it a secret, I publicized it in a court ofw.


    As for Jason, he wasn¡¯t the son of some tycoon. Instead, he grew up in an orphanage.


    Perhaps, it was because Jason had let Arielle in on his secret, so a sense of empathy rose in Arielle¡¯s


    heart.


    Arielle moved her lips while intending to say something to lift up the solemn atmosphere. However, she


    could only say, ¡°Best of luck.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Jason shrugged slightly.


    He then looked at her and said, ¡°I know you¡¯re not only the chairman of Sann Group, but you¡¯re also a


    graduate of Maxwell University. From the fans¡¯ perspectives, I might be someone incredible. However, I


    know I¡¯m a nobody in your eyes.¡±


    Arielle shook her head, but she didn¡¯t interrupt his speech. Instead, she gave him a look signaling him


    to continue.


    ¡°There were a lot of conflicts between us in the past. In hindsight, I feel rather bad for the childish


    things I¡¯ve done to you. I¡¯d like to apologize for my foolish actions,¡± Jason added.


    ¡°That¡¯s really necessary.¡± Arielle paused and continued, ¡°To be honest, I think I owe you an apology as


    well. I haven¡¯t been nice to you since the first time we met. So I guess we are even!¡±


    Delighted, Jason couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Arielle, what do you think about¡­ No, scrap that. I¡¯ll just cut to


    the chase. Arielle, I like you, and I want to be in a rtionship with you. I know you¡¯re married, but


    since Vinson has cheated on you, that means he¡¯s not evenmitted to you. Just divorce him, and be


    with me, okay? I swear that I¡¯ll treat you well for the rest of my life!¡±


    Arielle was bbergasted. ¡°You like me?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Jason nodded profusely. ¡°I really do!¡±


    The two of them fell silent after that.


    Arielle was bewildered. Err¡­ my nemesis, Jason, likes me? Did he just confess his feelings to me even


    after he has found out that I¡¯m married?


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, but this is too sudden. Actually, Vinson and I, we¡¯re-¡±

 Chapter 1223

    Chapter 1223


    Chapter 1223 Outsider


    When Arielle was about to exin the situation, Jason suddenly interrupted, ¡°Wait, Father Moses is


    coming over.¡±


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    When Jason saw Moses, he immediately got rid of his celebrity stature and greeted him humbly.


    ¡°Father,¡± Jason greeted respectfully.


    Arielle turned toward the white-haired priest and greeted, ¡°Hello, Father Moses.¡±


    Moses was wearing a ck robe and looked rather stern.


    With just a nce, Arielle noticed the robe was rather seasoned and worn. It was full of mended


    patches and even had a hole in the cor.


    It seems like life is tough here. Arielle was puzzled. Jason is a celebrity, and he could easily get


    endorsements worth ten million. Why can¡¯t he just donate some of his money? I¡¯m sure he gets such


    good deals all the time.


    While Arielle was still puzzled, she saw the priest¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Why are you here? Didn¡¯t I


    ask you not to visit here a few days ago? You¡¯re an adult now, so you¡¯re no longer associated with the


    orphanage. You shouldn¡¯te back here anymore. Why are you here again?¡± Moses asked.


    While he was saying that, he waved his hands and chased Arielle and Jason out without considering


    Jason¡¯s feelings.


    Jason was unperturbed. He frowned and asked, ¡°Father, didn¡¯t I wire you some money a few days


    ago? Why didn¡¯t you buy some new clothes for the kids and yourself? Why are you guys still wearing


    those old clothes?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve almost forgotten about that.¡± Moses whipped out an ATM card and shoved it into Jason¡¯s


    palm. ¡°You¡¯ve wired a total of twenty million. It¡¯s all in there. Take it! The password is your birthday.


    Don¡¯t evere back again!¡±


    Since it was unlikely for the orphans to know their birthdays, the priest had given them theirs based on


    the day they arrived at the orphanage.


    Upon hearing that, the smile on Jason¡¯s face froze.


    ¡°Why?¡± Jason asked in despair. ¡°You¡¯re the person who raised me. Now that I¡¯m making money, why


    can¡¯t you just ept my help? Why do you treat me like I¡¯m an outsider?¡±


    ¡°This is God¡¯s will. God wanted me to raise you. Now that you are all grown up, my responsibility has


    ended. Besides, you don¡¯t have to help me anymore.¡±


    ¡°God¡¯s will? Hang that! All I know is that you¡¯re my only rtive! Now, my only rtive doesn¡¯t even


    want my help, although your life is tough! Is that what God wants?¡± Jason was so loud that he had


    frightened the kids in the backyard. All of them had turned toward him.


    A few of them who could walk properly ran toward Jason and hugged his legs. ¡°Mr. Jason.¡±


    Seeing that, Arielle could tell that the children liked Jason a lot.


    She shifted her gaze toward the priest and hesitated for a few seconds before saying to Jason, ¡°Jason,


    take the ATM card.¡±


    Jason was just about to turn the priest down. However, he changed his mind after seeing the look in


    Arielle¡¯s eyes. He then took the ATM card from the priest.


    ¡°Father Moses.¡± Arielle smiled widely. ¡°Although I¡¯ve never been religious, I have respect for your belief.


    Would you mind sparing me two minutes of your time? I¡¯d like to have a private conversation with you.¡±


    Moses gazed at her. After a few seconds, he nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±

 Chapter 1224

    Chapter 1224


    Chapter 1224 Reason


    The two of them arrived in a quiet room.


    The setting in the room was very simple. It had mattresses for the kids and some daily necessities. The


    room was kept spotless and tidy.


    It was obvious that Moses emphasized on the children¡¯s self-discipline.


    ¡°Father Moses-¡±


    Before Arielle could finish her sentence, Moses raised his hand and cut her off. ¡°If you¡¯re trying to


    convince me to take his money, then I don¡¯t think we have anything to talk about.¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle was stunned for a second. ¡°Well, that was what I was about to say. But since you¡¯re adamant


    about it, I won¡¯t insist on it. However, would you mind telling me the reason behind it? After all, he¡¯s


    someone you¡¯ve raised. Since he¡¯s grown up to be a sessful person, why can¡¯t he contribute and


    make everyone¡¯s life better?¡±


    Moses gazed at her intently before heaving a sigh. ¡°I can tell you¡¯re a sensible girl. I¡¯ll let you in on it,


    but you can¡¯t tell Jason, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Arielle nodded. ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°Three years ago, Jason signed a contract with an agency when he first debuted. When he got paid the


    first time, he¡¯d given me all his money. However, the owner of that agency came to look for me right


    after Jason left.¡±


    ¡°What did they say to you?¡±


    Moses sighed again before continuing, ¡°The agency told me that Jason is perfect for the industry, and


    he¡¯ll surely be a superstar in the future. However, if his fans ever found out that he actually grew


    up in an orphanage, they might look down on him. After all, Jason is their idol and someone they


    admire. Hence, the agency told me to cut ties with Jason. Otherwise, they were going to raze this ce


    to the ground.¡±


    Finally, Arielle understood why Moses wanted Jason to have nothing to do with the orphanage.


    She frowned and said, ¡°If you¡¯re still worried about the owner of that agency, you shouldn¡¯t be. That¡¯s


    because Jason had signed for a differentpany. Thispany is very open-minded, and they won¡¯t


    stop him from interacting with you. Also, nothing is going to happen to the orphanage.¡±


    Moses shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not worried about that agency¡¯s threats. We live in aw-abiding society.


    They can¡¯t possibly take down the orphanage just because they wanted to.¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because the agency did have a point. No one¡¯s going to admire an idol with such a tragic


    upbringing. Without Jason¡¯s help, we can get by just fine. However, we might ruin his career if he keeps


    interacting with us. I don¡¯t want to take the risk. That¡¯s why I¡¯d rather cut ties with him so that we don¡¯t


    pull him down.¡±


    Arielle pursed her lips and answered, ¡°I get it.¡±


    ¡°Well, you should stop trying to convince me now that you know the reason why I can¡¯t ept his


    money. Please take him away and tell him not toe back.¡± With that, Moses turned around and was


    about to leave.


    ¡°Wait, Father Moses!¡± Arielle went after him and stood in front of him to stop him in his tracks. ¡°Since


    you won¡¯t ept Jason¡¯s help, how about mine? Will you ept my help?¡±


    Moses was taken aback. ¡°You?¡± You¡¯re such a pretty young girl. In what way can you possibly help the


    orphanage?


    The next moment, Arielle took out her name card from her pocket and gave it to Moses.

 Chapter 1225

    Chapter 1225


    Chapter 1225 Convinced


    Moses took the name card with a puzzled look on his face.


    But when he saw the name on the name card, his eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re the chairman of


    Moore Group?¡±


    Arielle nodded and shed a smile. ¡°I am. Now, I¡¯d like to ask if your orphanage needs any assistance


    from mypany as the chairman of Moore Group. In fact, mypany does allocate some funds for


    charity. Since we still have some funds left, we can give all of it to your orphanage.¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡­¡± The priest was still in disbelief. Her name card shows her identity. Besides, she has no


    reason to lie to an old and ordinary man like me!


    After a long pause, the priest finally said, ¡°So, does it mean you¡¯re the one who donated those bionic


    arms to the orphanage?¡±


    ¡°Bionic arms?¡± Arielle shook her head. ¡°Although those are mypany¡¯s products from the AI


    technology department, we¡¯ve never donated them to you.¡±


    ¡°Then how did the bionic arms¡± The priest paused when realization dawned upon him. ¡°It must be


    Jason.¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°Yes, it has to be him. I know I¡¯m in no position to change your mind about epting


    his help, but I¡¯d still like to tell you something. Jason is a very talented actor. If my prediction is correct,


    the film he¡¯s working on now could actually get him voted as the best actor this year.¡±


    ¡°The best actor?¡± Moses¡¯ eyes lit up.


    He considered Jason his son a long time ago. Hence, he couldn¡¯t help but feel proud of his


    achievement.


    Arielle noticed the look on his face, so she quickly added, ¡°A good actor doesn¡¯t only get sessful


    because of the size of his fanbase. Instead, he¡¯d be judged by his performances in films as well.


    Hence, the fans won¡¯t leave him just because of his upbringing. Ultimately, it¡¯s your decision whether


    you ept his help or push him away.¡±


    With that, Arielle wanted to give Moses some time to consider his options, so she left the room.


    In the corridor outside the room, Jason was ying with a disabled child.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Although the child had lost both her legs, she was incredibly cheerful. When she smiled, her dimples


    would show on both sides of her face.


    Arielle walked up to them and gently rubbed the little girl¡¯s head.


    The little girl widened her eyes in puzzlement and looked at her. ¡°Hi, are you Mr. Jason¡¯s girlfriend?


    You¡¯re so pretty!¡±


    Arielle was stunned. She then quickly waved her hands in dismissal and exined, ¡°No. We¡¯re


    colleagues.¡±


    ¡°Colleague? What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Colleagues are-¡±


    Before Arielle could exin, Moses¡¯ voice piped up behind them. ¡°Since the bionic arms are already


    here, why don¡¯t you teach me how to use them?¡±


    Jason¡¯s eyes instantly lit up with joy. ¡°Father!¡±


    Moses let out a cough awkwardly. ¡°Why are you still standing there? Since the chairman of Moore


    Group is here as well, how about you guys help the kids put on the bionic arms?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Jason nodded profusely before staring at Arielle gratefully. She must¡¯ve convinced Father


    Moses sessfully!


    Arielle shrugged. ¡°Why are you spaced out? Help me unbox them!¡±


    Quickly, Jason nodded and helped Arielle unbox those bionic arms.


    It took them a while to get the bionic arms set up. When they were done, a few disabled kids were all


    excited and curious.


    While Arielle was patiently teaching the kids how to operate the bionic arms, she didn¡¯t notice there


    was a pair of eyes staring at her from a dimly lit corner

 Chapter 1226

    Chapter 1226


    Chapter 1226 Take Advantage


    Those eyes were cold and dark, like those of a vicious rattlesnake.


    The man with those eyes even had a resolute grin on his face when he was staring at Arielle.


    He then turned around and gave a retreat gesture and left the orphanage silently.


    ¡°Mr. Aaron.¡± A bodyguard behind the man uttered, ¡°Are you not going to take the golden opportunity


    and grab Ms. Moore now?¡±


    ¡°What a dimwit!¡± Aaron red at his subordinate. ¡°Did you forget something even more important than


    this? We¡¯re here to bring back the head of the Mills!¡±


    He could only grab Arielle after he dealt with the future head of the Mills.


    Otherwise, his n in Chanaea would be in jeopardy if Vinson noticed something off. Everything will be


    in vain if Vinson intercepts us!


    ¡°But¡­¡± After some hesitation, the subordinate said, ¡°I think Mr. Sleight is getting a little too close to Ms.


    Moore. What if she chooses him and leaves Vinson?¡±


    ¡°Hmph! That guy is just trying to take advantage of the situation! We don¡¯t have to worry about him!¡±


    Aaron scoffed and said disdainfully.


    As he was speaking, he got into the car.


    Despite what he said, he couldn¡¯t help but notice the way Arielle smiled at Jason. Will she allow this


    man to pursue her?


    ¡°We have got to move faster!¡± Aaron nced at his subordinate from the corners of his eyes. ¡°We need


    to find out who are the candidates for the Mills.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± the subordinate answered. He couldn¡¯t help but feel helpless. This time around, everyone has


    been very tight-lipped about the Mills¡¯ heir selection. No one knows anything about the candidates or


    the criteria for evaluation. In fact, only the family members of the Mills know those details. How am I


    supposed to know anything when the people who infiltrated the family are still in the dark?


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Meanwhile, Arielle felt something weird the moment Aaron left. She then cast her gaze toward a dimly


    lit corner.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Jason noticed her gaze. ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­¡± Arielle pressed her temple and continued, ¡°I felt like someone was watching me. Maybe


    I was just imagining it.¡±


    Jasonughed. ¡°Perhaps one of the kids was staring at you because you¡¯re so pretty.¡±


    Arielle gulped when she heard that. Prior to that, Jason would always mock and insult her. I¡¯m so not


    used to himplimenting me.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tter me. I¡¯m not used to it,¡± she said.


    Jason¡¯s expression froze slightly before looking at her with a straight face. ¡°You haven¡¯t given me an


    answer for what I¡¯ve just told you earlier on. So? Will you give me a chance?¡±


    Jason wanted Arielle to divorce Vinson and be with himself instead. ¡°I know Vinson is way better than


    me in many aspects. However, my intentions are pure and sincere. I can promise you that my feelings


    for you will never change. These are the things Vinson will never be able to give you. Perhaps, you


    should consider taking a new path in life rather than being stuck in a lousy marriage.¡±


    ¡°Lousy?¡± Arielle shook her head. ¡°No, you¡¯ve misunderstood the situation. I¡¯ve been wanting to tell you


    that this is all a misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°What misunderstanding? Wasn¡¯t Vinson holding another woman back there?¡±


    Arielle pursed her lips and kept mum for a few seconds before saying, ¡°That was really a


    misunderstanding. It was our n all along for me to catch him cheating. There¡¯s no problem with our


    rtionship.¡±


    ¡°n?¡± Jason raised his voice.


    He then quickly realized he might¡¯ve scared the kids, so he lowered his voice and said, ¡°Arielle, please


    don¡¯t lie to me. That can¡¯t be a misunderstanding, nor was it a n. You have nothing to be ashamed of


    because you¡¯ve done nothing wrong! So, you don¡¯t have to lie to me.¡±

 Chapter 1227

    Chapter 1227


    Chapter 1227 Trust


    Arielle was utterly helpless. ¡°I am telling you the truth. We¡¯re deeply in love.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Jason nodded. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why would he bring an escort home?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Words caught in Arielle¡¯s throat, as she did not know how to answer that question.


    After a short pause, she replied, ¡°He wanted to make the n look as convincing as possible.¡±


    ¡°Making the n look convincing by bringing an escort home? Do you really buy his story? What if it


    was all a lie?¡± Jason gave her a puzzled look.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Arielle said resolutely. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t do that to me!¡±


    The firm look in Arielle¡¯s eyes rendered Jason speechless.


    Why would Vinsone up with a n that requires him to flirt with another woman in front of Arielle? I


    don¡¯t get it!


    I don¡¯t think Arielle could do anything at this point.


    Feeling frustrated, Jason took out a cigarette and started smoking. He would rather believe his own


    eyes than listen to Arielle¡¯s exnation.


    By the time he finished puffing his cigarette, the children had gotten used to the bionic arm.


    It was gettingte, and Arielle wanted to leave the orphanage soon. After bidding Moses goodbye, she


    walked up to Jason and asked, ¡°Could you give me a lift if you n to leave now too? I¡¯m afraid I


    couldn¡¯t get a car in this ce. If you can¡¯t give me a ride, I¡¯ll get someone to pick me up then¡­¡±


    Who? Vinson?


    Jason threw away the cigarette bud and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll send you home.¡±


    ¡°All right. Thanks.¡± Arielle nodded. Their interaction started feeling awkward again.


    Jason regretted the way he pushed Arielle earlier.


    Clearly, Arielle is still very much in love with Vinson. I¡¯ll have to confess to her again when she has


    given up on him.


    Jason toned down his approach and opened the car door for Arielle like a gentleman.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Arielle said.


    Jason nodded gently but kept mum. He then walked to the driver¡¯s seat.


    They then left the orphanage and hit the road.


    ¡°Where to?¡± Jason asked. ¡°Do you need me to book you a hotel room? I can rmend you a few¡­¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Arielle shook her head. ¡°Could you take me to the Nightshire residence? If


    it¡¯s out of your way, you can drop me at a ce where I can get a cab easily.¡±


    Once again, Jason¡¯s expression changed, and he stepped on the brakes.


    Arielle was caught off guard and fell in the forward direction.


    Fortunately, the safety belt managed to prevent her from propelling further.


    Before she could sit properly, Jason started reprimanding, ¡°You still want to return to his house? He


    brought a woman home, for goodness sake! Do you enjoy being humiliated? Wake up, Arielle!¡±


    He wished he could shake her shoulder to bring her back to her senses.


    Arielle felt lost and did not know what to do.


    She didn¡¯t expect Vinson to bring that woman back home.


    She was upset about it¡ªutterly upset about it, but it didn¡¯t mean she had lost faith in him.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Our rtionship is built on trust. There¡¯s nothing an escort could do to tear us apart.


    Vinson and I had been through thick and thin. I even lost count of the times we cheated death together.

 Chapter 1228

    Chapter 1228


    Chapter 1228 The Patriarch Of The Mills


    Upon noticing how quiet Arielle had be, Jason thought she must have begun questioning her


    rtionship with Vinson.


    He continued adding fuel to the fire. ¡°We¡¯ve been out for hours, but where¡¯s Vinson? Has hee to


    look for you? He didn¡¯t even bother to call! Do you think he cares for you? It takes a man to know a


    man. Vinson wouldn¡¯t have hugged another woman and brought her home if he really cares for you.


    That man is a scumbag!¡±


    Arielle knitted her brows. ¡°I know you¡¯re saying this because you¡¯re worried about me, but please don¡¯t


    badmouth Vinson. I know what kind of man he is, and he¡¯s definitely not a scumbag!¡±


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Really? Do you think so?¡± Jason squinted his eyes. ¡°Do you think a rich man like him would remain


    faithful to just one woman? If he really loves you, he would have called you by now. Where is he and


    has he called you?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t call me because he couldn¡¯t reach me.¡±


    ¡°What does that even mean? Did he lose his phone? Or is there a signal problem nationwide?¡± Jason


    sneered.


    Arielle could not exin it to Jason, as she could not reveal Vinson¡¯s n to a stranger. She frowned


    and said, ¡°I may have viewed you as a friend, but please don¡¯t cross the line, Jason.¡±


    Jason¡¯s expression darkened, and he was at a loss for words for a moment. ¡°Fine! Live in your fantasy


    for all I care! You¡¯ve ced your trust on the wrong man, and you¡¯re gonna regret this!¡±


    The color drained out of Arielle¡¯s face. ¡°Stop the car!¡±


    Jason steered the car to the side and parked beside the curb.


    The moment Arielle stepped out of the car and closed the door, Jason sped off without hesitation.


    Jason was mad at Arielle, and so was Arielle.


    She appreciated Jason¡¯s concern, but she did not need him to cross her boundaries.


    Since he had dropped her in the city center, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for her to get a cab.


    When Arielle was about to hail a cab, a ck MPV approached and stopped beside her. Vinson?


    It wasn¡¯t Vinson. Arielle took a closer look at the person when he winded down the window. It was


    Cornelius, Queenie¡¯s older brother.


    Cornelius got down from the car and gave her a puzzled look. ¡°It really is you, Ms. Moore. I thought my


    eyes were ying tricks on me. Why are you alone? Shopping?¡±


    Shopping¡­


    Arielle¡¯s face turned pallid for a moment.


    If only I¡¯m in the mood for shopping.


    Yet, Arielle stered a smile on her face and replied, ¡°Yup. Just done shopping.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. I¡¯ll send you home then. That way, I can tell more about the selection of the new family


    patriarch.¡±


    Arielle instantly remembered that Mills would be selecting their next family patriarch tomorrow.


    She didn¡¯t mind if she was not appointed as the next patriarch, but she was eager to get her hands on


    the medical manuscripts of ancient Chanaean medicine. Since only the patriarch of the Mill family


    would have exclusive ess to those manuscripts, she had no choice but to fight for the position.


    With those manuscripts, Arielle believed she could take her medical skills up to the next level.


    She would also be able to bring the Wilhelms over to Chanaea and continue teaching others about


    ancient Chanaean medicine.


    That had always been the Whilhelms¡¯ dream, and it was Arielle¡¯s duty as their adoptive daughter to


    help them fulfill their dream.


    At the thought of this, Arielle got into Cornelius¡¯ car without hesitation.


    Little did she know that a white MPV had been tailing them from behind and observing their interaction.

 Chapter 1229

    Chapter 1229


    Chapter 1229 Get Into The Car Of Another Man


    The man in the white MPV didn¡¯t panic when Cornelius¡¯ car sped off. Instead, he caught up with them


    while maintaining a safe distance.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    While driving, the driver made a call using a Bluetooth headset. ¡°Mr. Aaron.¡±


    A deep and solemn voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Spit it out.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Moore came down from Jason¡¯s car right in front of the Century za and got into another man¡¯s


    car.¡±


    ¡°Vinson¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°Nope. I saw Silverbirch Hospital¡¯s decal sticker on the window. I believe the car belongs to Cornelius


    Mill.¡±


    ¡°Cornelius?¡± Aaron raised his tone.


    Why would Arielle get into his car?


    From what he knew, the only connection Arielle had with the Mill family was Queenie.


    But Arielle and Queenie were arch enemies, so it was unlikely for Arielle to maintain a good


    rtionship with the Mills.


    What¡¯s going on?


    Aaron felt Arielle had be more and more unpredictable.


    Whenever he thought he was about to see her true colors, something always cropped up and made


    him question who Arielle truly was.


    Hmm¡­ what an interesting woman.


    ¡°Got it. Keep an eye on her, and see where he drops her. Tomorrow will be the day for the Mills to


    appoint the new family patriarch. We have toy low to avoid stirring up unnecessary trouble.¡±


    A corner of Aaron¡¯s lip quirked up.


    ¡°All right, Mr. Aaron.¡± His subordinate then ended the call and continued keeping an eye on the ck


    MPV.


    Meanwhile, over in Cornelius¡¯ car, he asked Arielle, ¡°Where do you want to go?¡±


    ¡°The Nightshire residence.¡±


    Cornelius froze for a moment. Before he could ask why, Arielle immediately exined, ¡°Vinson and I


    are married.¡±


    ¡°Actually, we¡¯ve been married for quite some time,¡± she added.


    Cornelius looked confused upon hearing that. But after a short while, he nodded and said, ¡°I guess


    Vinson is a good match for you.¡±


    All of a sudden, the image of Vinson embracing the escort started popping up in Arielle¡¯s mind.


    Instead of continuing on the topic, she decided to change the subject. ¡°You mentioned something about


    the selection of the new patriarch. What is it?¡±


    Her question had sessfully diverted his attention. Cornelius said, ¡°The Mills will be gathering at


    Silverbirch Hospital at ten o¡¯clock tomorrow morning. All the contenders will have to treat the patients


    and make sure they recover. You¡¯ll need to start making arrangements.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Arielle nodded. ¡°I will make the necessary arrangements on my end.¡±


    Cornelius nodded. Initially, he wanted to say more but decided to hold his tongue. ¡°Sorry, that¡¯s all I can


    say for now. I need to keep the rest of the information a secret.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Arielle paused for a moment before asking another question. ¡°How¡¯s Queenie?¡±


    Arielle knew Queenie had gotten into an ident at the entrance of Maxwell University, but she had no


    idea what happened to her after that.


    Of course, Arielle didn¡¯t care about Queenie¡¯s life and death. She only asked Cornelius about Queenie


    out of courtesy.


    Upon hearing that, Cornelius¡¯ expression turned grim, but he tried to regain hisposure and said in


    a calm voice, ¡°She¡¯s fine, but she could no longer walk.¡±


    That answer rendered Arielle speechless.


    She was at a loss of what to say.


    Arielle was never that kind and would never sympathize with someone like Queenie, especially after


    what she had done to her.


    But¡­

 Chapter 1230

    Chapter 1230


    Chapter 1230 Refused To Enter


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle turned her attention to Cornelius when she noticed an expression change on his face.


    Cornelius continued saying with mixed reactions, ¡°When Queenie got discharged from the hospital, she


    begged my Dad to allow her to run for the patriarch position, and¡­my dad agreed.¡±


    Cornelius knew Arielle was on bad terms with Queenie, as he had often heard how Queenie had


    cursed Arielle in the past.


    The fact that Queenie wanted to contest for the family¡¯s patriarch position meant that these two women


    would bepeting against each other.


    Arielle was not triggered by the news. She responded calmly, ¡°Got it. Thanks for telling me.¡±


    Cornelius looked at her and tried to defuse the tension. ¡°Queenie¡¯s temper had improved ever since


    she came back from the hospital. I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll give you a hard time tomorrow, but if she did, tell


    me. My dad and I will not turn a blind eye to it just because she¡¯s a family. We¡¯ll treat every contender


    equally, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the assurance,¡± Arielle said.


    Cornelius¡¯ car had finally arrived at the Nightshire residence.


    ¡°All right.¡± Cornelius stopped his car. ¡°Take a good rest. I¡¯ll send someone to pick you up tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thanks for sending me home tonight.¡± Arielle got down from the car.


    After dropping Arielle off, Cornelius left the Nightshire residence.


    Arielle stood in front of the door for a few minutes as if something was holding her back from entering


    the house.


    The security guard on duty could not help but ask, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go in, Mrs. Nightshire? Is there


    something else you need to do?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s expression stiffened, and she replied, ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s still something I need to do.¡±


    For some reason, she didn¡¯t have the courage to step into the house.


    Perhaps she was afraid she might see the escort lying in Vinson¡¯s arms.


    Should I return to Maple Mansion instead?


    When she was about to turn around and leave, a car stopped right in front of her.


    ¡°Sannie?¡± Susanne got down from the car and greeted Arielle with a grin.


    Susanne¡¯s body reeked of alcohol. It was obvious that she had just returned from a party.


    Arielle could not help but knit her brows.


    Why do I have to bump into her when I¡¯m about to leave?


    Susanne had been observing Arielle from afar when her car arrived on the driveway.


    She could tell something was amiss and was worried about Arielle.


    ¡°Why are you standing here in the middle of the night?¡± Susanne went up and held Arielle¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡± Arielle forced a smile and asked, ¡°Did you juste back from a party?¡±


    Susanne nodded and sighed. ¡°Vinson doesn¡¯t like to attend social events, but as businesspeople,


    networking is important. So I have no choice but to do it for him.¡±


    After realizing she got distracted by Arielle¡¯s question, Susanne turned to her and asked again, ¡°You


    haven¡¯t answered my question. Why are you standing here?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Arielle stammered. ¡°There¡¯s something I need to do. I got to go now.¡±


    Susanne looked into her eyes and paused for a moment. ¡°Did you have a fight with Vinson?¡±


    Arielle froze right away. She didn¡¯t expect Susanne to see through her.

 Chapter 1231

    Chapter 1231


    Chapter 1231 Mistress


    Judging from Arielle¡¯s expression, Susanne knew that she had guessed it correctly.


    A frown appeared between her brows as she let out a sigh. ¡°Sannie, Vin has a stubborn temper just like


    his dad and doesn¡¯t know how to express himself. So, sometimes, you might have to take the initiative


    to speak to him. I guarantee that as long as you give in first, he¡¯ll definitely go along with it, and the


    misunderstanding between the two of you will surely clear up. After all, no matter how much in love a


    couple is, effectivemunication is still very important in a rtionship. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    Arielle forced an awkward smile and replied, ¡°All right, I know what to do¡­¡±


    ¡°OK then, let¡¯s go in together and talk it out with that rascal. He should really learn to pacify his wife!¡±


    Susanne dragged Arielle into the house while scolding her son.


    As such, Arielle had no choice but to enter the manor that was brightly lit.


    The moment the two women walked in, Susanne started yelling Vinson¡¯s name, ¡°Vinson! Come here


    now!¡±


    One secondter, a woman, who was holding a te, walked from the kitchen to the living room hastily.


    After seeing Susanne and Arielle, the woman froze for a moment but regained herposure shortly


    after.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She was Penelope, whom Vinson had brought home from Wave Karaoke Bar.


    Penelope quickly realized what was happening and asked Susanne in an ingratiating manner, ¡°Are


    you¡­ Mrs. Nightshire?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Susanne frowned.


    She knew most of the servants in the Nightshire residence, and they were all middle-aged. As such,


    the woman was sure that Penelope was not one of them.


    ¡°Who are you? I don¡¯t remember hiring a new helper in the house,¡± Susanne asked.


    Penelope¡¯s expression darkened when she heard that.


    Before her family went bankrupt, she had led avish lifestyle and was pampered by her parents. As


    such, she was shocked that Susanne had mistaken her for the family¡¯s servant.


    Do I really look like a servant?


    Keeping in mind the luxurious life that was awaiting her, Penelope tamped down her irritation and


    exined with a smile, ¡°You¡¯ve mistaken, Mrs. Nightshire. I¡¯m not a servant. I¡­ It was Mr. Nightshire


    who brought me back.¡±


    ¡°Vin?¡± Susanne had a bad feeling about that and looked toward Arielle instinctively.


    When she saw the frosty expression on Arielle¡¯s face, the woman¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Could it be that Vinson is having an affair and has even brought this woman home?


    Penelope could guess what Susanne was thinking and quickly rified. ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, there¡¯s


    nothing going on between Mr. Nightshire and me. I¡¯m definitely not a threat to Mrs. Nightshire here. I


    just need a ce to stay. I¡¯ll do anything you ask of me and won¡¯t think about anything else.¡±


    Susanne¡¯s fear intensified after hearing the woman¡¯s words, which implied that Vinson had indeed


    cheated on Arielle.


    Even though he might not have physically cheated, there was definitely emotional cheating involved.


    Knowing how headstrong Arielle was, Susanne was certain that Penelope¡¯s appearance would cause a


    huge problem between Arielle and Vinson, deepening the misunderstanding between them.


    What an idiot!


    Susanne could not help but scold her son silently, thinking that the man must be out of his mind to


    forsake his beautiful and outstanding wife for a random ugly woman.


    Susanne was smoking with anger, and with trembling hands, she bellowed, ¡°You, get out of here now!¡±


    Penelope was shocked by Susanne¡¯s outburst.


    She had thought that wives of rich men should already be used to the presence of mistresses. As such,


    she did not expect Susanne to react in such a manner even before Arielle said anything.


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Susanne interrupted the woman and continued, ¡°Stop calling me. I don¡¯t even know you.


    Someone! Get this woman out of my sight right now!¡±

 Chapter 1232

    Chapter 1232


    Chapter 1232 Filthy


    Right after Susanne gave her orders, a bodyguard appeared and restrained Penelope.


    Just when he was about to throw her out of the house, Susanne suddenly changed her mind.


    ¡°Wait a moment.¡±


    Hearing that, Penelope thought that Susanne was finally willing to let her stay. However, the next


    moment, Susanne said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t chase her out first. Call the police and report her for trespassing


    and stealing.¡±


    Penelope¡¯s eyes widened in shock and tried to defend herself, ¡°I didn¡¯t trespass! It was Mr. Nightshire


    who brought me back! Besides, I didn¡¯t steal anything, you can¡¯t use me without evidence!¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t steal anything?¡±


    Susanne sneered and continued, ¡°What are you wearing then?¡±


    Penelope looked down subconsciously.


    When she first got to the manor, she was still dressed in the uniform she wore while working in the


    karaoke bar. As such, while Vinson was showering, she had acted on her own ord and instructed a


    servant to bring her a set of clothes that belonged to Arielle.


    What infuriated her most was that, as Arielle had a slim figure, Penelope could hardly fit into most of


    her clothes and ended up with loose-fitting loungewear.


    She did not expect that Susanne would use that as evidence and use her of stealing!


    ¡°I, I¡­¡± Penelope started to panic and blurted out, ¡°If you are upset that I took the clothes, can I return


    them now?¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Susanne smirked coldly and replied, ¡°Do you expect my daughter-inw to wear the filthy clothes


    you¡¯ve worn? She¡¯s obsessed with cleanliness!¡±


    Arielle was momentarily stunned when she heard that and had a confused expression on her face.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She did not remember herself being very particr about cleanliness.


    However, realization hit her the next instant. That was just an excuse Susanne made up to send that


    woman to jail.


    Arielle felt a heartwarming feeling rise within her.


    She had never expected that Susanne would go to such lengths to stand up for her.


    At the same time, Arielle had also noticed that Vinson had inherited some aspects of his mother¡¯s


    personality. As long as they had their hearts settled on someone, no one else would be able to rece


    that person.


    Arielle could not help but look toward Penelope, whose face was flushed red with anger.


    Clenching her fists, Penelope said, ¡°Then, would it be all right if I buy this set of clothes from you?¡±


    Susanne crossed her arms in front of her chest and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t need money. Did you actually think


    that I was after your money? Besides, do you know how much this set of clothes cost?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this just some loungewear? I¡¯m not that poor that I can¡¯t even afford this,¡± Penelope muttered to


    herself before saying in a much louder voice, ¡°How much does it cost? I¡¯ll pay you ten times more.¡±


    In fact, her work at the karaoke bar paid quite well. She earned at least seven to eight thousand


    monthly, and with tips from customers, she could easily make an average of ten to twenty thousand


    every month.


    As such, the woman did not believe that she could not even afford a set of random loungewear.


    The next instant, Susanne let out a low snort and said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s not that expensive. It just costs slightly


    more than a hundred thousand. Since you offered to pay ten times the price, I¡¯ll round it down for you.


    How about one million?¡±


    Penelope¡¯s expression darkened at once.


    ¡°One million?¡± She raised her tone unconsciously. ¡°What kind of loungewear costs one million?¡±


    ¡°Can you afford it? If you can¡¯t, we¡¯ll have to call the police. Stealing would probably get you a few


    years in jail!¡±


    After Susanne said that, she turned toward her bodyguard and said, ¡°What are you waiting for? Call the


    police now!¡±


    At the urging of Susanne, the butler took out his phone and was about to call the police when Penelope


    suddenly shouted, ¡°Mr. Nightshire! Save me, Mr. Nightshire!¡±

 Chapter 1233

    Chapter 1233


    Chapter 1233 Handsome And Wealthy


    As if she had just seen her lifesaver, Penelope yelled toward the stairs at the top of her voice.


    Arielle and Susanne looked toward the stairs instinctively and saw Vinson, who had just finished


    showering, walking down the stairs.


    His hair was notpletely dried yet and the first two buttons of his shirt were undone, exposing his


    corbones.


    Mesmerized by the man¡¯s good looks, Penelope could not help but swallow hard.


    That was a man who was not only physically attractive but also extremely wealthy, perhaps one in a


    million.


    As it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Penelope, there was no way she would give up on the


    chance, even if she had to risk going to jail.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire! Mrs. Nightshire is using me of stealing and wants to report me to the police. Please


    exin to her for me!¡±


    The woman was certain that Vinson would not sit around and do nothing, After all, the man had taken


    an interest in her and brought her home personally.


    Indeed, Vinson frowned in displeasure and said, ¡°Mom, she¡¯s not a thief. I was the one who brought her


    back.¡±


    Penelope heaved a sigh of relief at once and nodded continuously as she said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Mrs.


    Nightshire, did you hear what he said? I¡¯m really not a thief! It¡¯s true that Mr. Nightshire brought me


    here.¡±


    Immediately, Susanne¡¯s face turned several shades darker.


    Just then, Arielle said cidly, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s true that she did not trespass. I saw Vinson driving her home


    too.¡±


    She did not understand why, out of so many other options, Vinson had chosen to bring that woman


    back and wondered if he had done that on purpose just to spite her.


    Susanne widened her eyes in shock.


    She nced at Vinson before looking at Arielle and said, ¡°What on earth is going on? Vinson, tell me


    everything now! Both of you have just gotten married!¡±


    Susanne simply did not understand why Vinson would bring another woman home when he and Arielle


    were so much in love with each other. He had even fought with her a few times because of Arielle.


    Sensing something amiss, Susanne grabbed Arielle¡¯s arm and asked, ¡°Sannie, you tell me. What¡¯s


    going on?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­¡± Arielle opened her mouth to speak but was not sure if she should tell Susanne the truth.


    Just then, Vinson suddenly said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing going on. I will handle it myself. Mom, stop asking


    further questions.¡±


    When Arielle heard that, she frowned and looked at Vinson.


    Given that Susanne was family, Arielle did not find it necessary to hide the truth from her.


    She could not help but wonder what Vinson had in mind and why he had not bothered to rify.


    She even started suspecting that the man might have fallen for Penelope within that few hours.


    Before Arielle could say anything, Susanne exploded with rage and startedshing out at Vinson.


    ¡°Stop asking? I¡¯m your mom. Why can¡¯t I ask? Let me tell you, you¡¯d better chase that woman out at


    once and cut off all contact with her!¡±


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Vinson took a deep inhale and replied, ¡°If you insist on that, I would have no choice but to move to


    Maple Mansion with her.¡±


    ¡°You, you¡­¡± Susanne was so mad that she was nearly suffocating from her fury.


    Arielle reached out to support her at once and said, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s not good for your heart if y you get


    angry. Rx and take a deep breath¡­¡±


    After taking a few deep breaths, Susanne finally managed to calm down slightly.


    She looked at his son like she was looking at a stranger, then she finally closed her eyes and said,


    ¡°Fine. I will not bother myself with any of your affairs ever again! But let me warn you, if you let Sannie


    down, you will definitely regret it in the future!¡±


    Vinson did not respond to that, and neither did he look at Arielle. Instead, he merely said to Penelope,


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you to prepare dinner? Is it ready?¡±


    Feeling secretly delighted, Penelope replied at once, ¡°Yup, it¡¯s all ready! I¡¯ll bring them out now.¡±

 Chapter 1234

    Chapter 1234


    Chapter 1234 Even Dogs Will Not Eat It


    After taking a pause, the woman said to Susanne, ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, I¡¯ll go bring the dishes out. Please


    take a seat and get ready to eat. I won¡¯t get in the way.¡±


    After saying that, Penelope quickly made her way to the kitchen to take out the dishes.


    Susanne opened her mouth and was about to say something but decided against it.


    If Vinson and Arielle had indeed lost feelings for each other, or if there were really cracks in their


    rtionship, it would not be very appropriate for her to meddle in their affairs. If she did that, it might


    even have an adverse effect instead.


    As such, Susanne decided that she would just not acknowledge Penelope. That seemed like the only


    thing she could do.


    Since that woman with an unknown background wants to move in, she will first have to be able to


    tolerate my temper.


    At that thought, Susanne decided in her heart that she would no longer argue with Vinson and use her


    actions to force Penelope to back down instead.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. You haven¡¯t had dinner yet, right?¡± Susanne patted Arielle¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Our chef had


    returned to his hometown today. Since we have a free substitute chef today, let¡¯s just try her cooking.¡±


    Even though Arielle hardly had any appetite as she was trying to figure out what was going on with


    Vinson, she had no choice but to sit at the dining table after being dragged there by Susanne while


    trying hard to tone down her displeasure.


    Soon after, Penelope emerged from the kitchen and brought the dishes to the dining table.


    After managing Maureen¡¯s Kitchen¡¯s for so long, Arielle¡¯s upational hazard acted up as she started


    scrutinizing the dishes.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Penelope had prepared a three-course meal including a soup. Just judging by the presentation of the


    dishes, they seemed passable, but the taste of the dishes was still left to be judged.


    Just when Arielle was still assessing the dishes, Penelope startedying out the cutlery for everyone.


    ¡°Everyone, please try my cooking,¡± Penelope said confidently. ¡°Even though I might not be good at a lot


    of things, I¡¯m quite confident in my culinary skills. In fact, everyone who has tasted my cooking had only


    praises for me.¡±


    Susanne took a piece of grilled fish and put it in her mouth expressionlessly, and Penelope looked at


    the woman expectantly.


    However, the next instant, Susanne¡¯s expression darkened as she spat out the fish.


    ¡°Ugh! This is horrible!¡± Susanne eximed before picking up her ss of water to rinse her mouth.


    Feeling extremely awkward, Penelope froze on the spot and did not know how to respond.


    However, Susanne was not picking on the woman intentionally this time. It was because she had just


    been to Maureen¡¯s Kitchen for dinner two days ago, and one of the dishes served there was also grilled


    fish.


    After savoring grilled fish that was excellently prepared, it was just normal for other grilled fish to not


    meet her expectation.


    ¡°How can something taste so bad!¡±


    Susanne tossed her cutlery on the table and looked toward Penelope. ¡°Try this yourself! I doubt that it¡¯s


    even fit for any human. Perhaps, even dogs won¡¯t eat it!¡±


    Vinson, who was about to take a piece of grilled fish as well, retracted his hand slowly upon hearing his


    mother¡¯sments.


    Penelope refused to believe that the grilled fish which she had painstakingly prepared was that bad.


    Besides, the fish itself was fresh from the market. As such, even if the preparation method was not


    ideal, it was impossible for its taste to go wrong.


    After tasting it herself, Penelope arrived at the conclusion that Susanne was definitely making things


    difficult for her deliberately.


    In fact, the dish which she had prepared that evening tasted better than all of her previous attempts. As


    such, she was sure that Susanne must be picking on her by iming that even dogs would despise the


    dish.


    Feeling indignant, Penelope said, ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, since everyone has different tastes, I guess maybe


    you don¡¯t like grilled fish in the first ce? Do you want to try something else instead?¡±


    ¡°No thanks!¡± Susanne waved a dismissive hand and said to Arielle, ¡°Sannie, are you tired? If you¡¯re


    feeling fine, why don¡¯t you show her how the dish should be prepared?

 Chapter 1235

    Chapter 1235


    Chapter 1235 A Battle Of Cooking Skills


    That day, when Susanne went to Maureen¡¯s Kitchen for dinner, she had made inquiries and found out


    that the reason the grilled fish tasted so delicious and different from those which she had elsewhere


    was because Arielle had made modifications to the original recipe.


    Even though Arielle had not tried the grilled fish prepared by Penelope, she did not want to go against


    Susanne¡¯s wishes and agreed to her mother-inw¡¯s suggestion with a nod. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll need about


    twenty minutes to prepare it.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Susanne answered and looked toward Penelope with disdain. ¡°You cane along and watch.


    Useless people are not weed here. If you want to stay, you need to have some contributions to the


    household. In the future, you shall be in charge of the kitchen and cleanliness of the first floor.¡±


    Sensing that Susanne was treating her like a servant, Penelope¡¯s expression stiffened and had trouble


    maintaining the fake smile on her face.


    Her intention was not to be a servant of the household but Vinson¡¯s woman instead, living


    comfortably and enjoying a life of luxury.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire¡­¡± Penelope looked at the man with pleading eyes, looking all vulnerable and fragile.


    However, Vinson merely responded cidly, ¡°Just do as my mom says. Those are useful skills to pick


    up anyway.¡±


    When Penelope heard that, she had no choice but to ept the arrangement. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll go now.¡±


    After saying that, she caught up with Arielle and the two women headed to the kitchen together.


    While Arielle was preparing the ingredients, Penelope merely asked with no intention to help, ¡°Do you


    need any help? Since Mrs. Nightshire had specially asked you to prepare the dish, you must have


    excellent culinary skills.¡±


    Although that was what Penelope said, all she felt for Arielle was disdain.


    There was no way she would believe that the owner of Sann Group could cook well.


    After all, it did not seem logical that someone with status as high as Arielle would cook personally.


    Penelope was certain that Susanne had gotten Arielle to prepare that dish just to give her some


    pressure.


    In a while, after Arielle was done with the dish, Vinson would know thatpared to Arielle, she was


    the better homemaker and that Arielle was only fit to be his business partner.


    Penelope was secretly delighted at that thought and could not wait for Arielle to finish preparing the


    dish.


    As if Arielle did not hear Penelope¡¯s question at all, she continued with her task at hand and treated the


    other woman like an invisible object.


    Penelope could feel her anger building after being ignored. However, other than standing quietly at one


    side, there was nothing she could do.


    She did not believe that, without her help, Arielle would be able to finish preparing the dish alone.


    That was simply impossible as preparing grilled fish took a lot of skill as it might be a very simple dish


    but it was hard to cook it to perfection.


    As such, Penelope was sure that Arielle would be asking for her help in no time.


    In that case, Penelope intended to take some credit after the grilled fish was served by telling Vinson


    that she had guided Arielle in the preparation.


    However, after waiting for a while, Arielle still did not speak to her. When the woman looked over


    suspiciously, she noticed that Arielle had already finished preparing all the other ingredients and was


    currently handling the fish.


    Snapper, which was used to prepare the dish, demanded a high degree of care and skill in its handling.


    As Penelope was aware that her preparation work was not done perfectly, the grilled fish served by her


    earlier on did not look exceptionally appealing.


    The woman was confident that there was no way Arielle could handle it better than her.


    However, the next instant, she saw Arielle picking up the knife and starting to prepare the snapper


    skilfully, removing all its innards.


    After that, Arielle proceeded to carve delicate patterns along its backbone.


    Penelope was shocked to see that the pattern was almost identical¡ªthat was something she could


    never aplish.


    As such, she started wondering if it was really possible that Arielle¡¯s culinary skills were indeed better


    than hers.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1236

    Chapter 1236


    Chapter 1236 Craving


    Penelope could not help but feel frantic internally.


    Among all the skills she had, only her cooking skills were presentable. How else will I be of a match to


    Arielle if I¡¯m inferior to her in cooking skills too?


    Nheless, she dispelled that thought at once.


    Good knife skills aren¡¯t equivalent to good cooking skills. Ultimately, the most criticalponent of


    cooking is still the taste. I¡¯m confident that I can grasp that better than a spoilt brat like Arielle, who has


    never done any household chores! She will never be able to make her food taste better than mine!


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    While Penelope was in a turmoil of emotions, Arielle remainedposed as she continued cleaning


    the snapper.


    She ced her knife behind the snapper¡¯s pectoral fin and cut through the backbone to separate the


    head from its spine.


    Next, she changed the angle of the knife, pped the fish lightly with the knife¡¯s surface to tten it,


    and sliced it along the two sides of the snapper¡¯s spine to the tail end.


    Penelope was clueless that there were so many details and steps to preparing a snapper before


    making a grilled fish.


    She reckoned that Arielle going to such lengths was nothing but a grandiose show to show her skills


    off.


    Subsequently, Arielle chopped off the snapper¡¯s backbone, removed any pin bones on the fish, cleaned


    it thoroughly, and stuffed some herbs into its cavity before turning on the grill.


    She was particr with the temperature of the grill as any slight difference would impact the final taste


    of the dish.


    A mere momentter, she reached out her hand to about two centimeters above the grill to gauge its


    heat.


    Following that, Arielle held up the snapper¡¯s head with one hand and its tail with tongs and carefully put


    it onto the grill.


    A slight crackling sound resonated the entire kitchen, surprisingly pleasing to the ears.


    As she drizzled some dry sherry over the snapper, the aroma of perfectly grilled fish filled the room.


    A whileter, the snapper was in its perfectly cooked state. The fish had retained its shape and its skin


    intact. Arielle skillfully turned it over to give the other side a good grill.


    When the skin on both sides of the snapper turned crisp and achieved its golden brown color, she lifted


    and removed it from the grill.


    ¡°Vo.¡±


    With that said, she ced the grilled fish on a serving te.


    Next, she added some finely chopped onions, garlic, and chili kes to a clean pan and gently fried


    them till aromatic.


    At the same time, an intense, wonderful scent wafted into Penelope¡¯s nostrils.


    The sight and smell of the dish left her taking a deep gulp.


    Soon, Arielle was at thest step of her cooking process.


    She dribbled some olive oil and lemon juice into the mixture before adding a sprinkle of ck


    peppercorns and gave it a good fry before pouring the sauce over the grilled fish toplete the dish.


    Dumfounded, Penelope could not react in time. By the time she swallowed her astonishment, Arielle


    had picked up her dish and headed out.


    Her heart tightened with fear, and she hurriedly followed behind.


    Vinson and Susanne had been waiting for a long time. When they saw Arielle walking out, thetter


    immediately pulled up a warm and affectionate smile on her face. ¡°You¡¯re done so quickly?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Arielle nodded. ¡°We have high expectations on the speed of food preparation so that we can


    serve our food fast. That said, I apologize for making you wait.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry about that! Bring it over quickly. The fragrance of your dish filled the air here even


    before you came out. I was craving for it so badly that I almost drooled!¡±


    Susanne was speaking the truth, and it was evident from how Vinson had emptied two sses of water


    while waiting.

 Chapter 1237

    Chapter 1237


    Chapter 1237 Steal His Heart


    Penelope hastily caught up and overheard the conversation between Susanne and Arielle.


    Confused by their words, she asked, ¡°The speed of food preparation? Ms. Moore, does Sann Group


    open restaurants too?¡±


    Arielle cidly replied, ¡°Not by Sann Group. It¡¯s my restaurant.¡±


    When Penelope wanted to delve further, Susanne proudly interjected, ¡°Have you heard of Maureen¡¯s


    Kitchen before? It belongs to my daughter-inw. Many of the recipes are tweaked by her personally.¡±


    Hearing that, Penelope widened her eyes in surprise.


    She had barely paid attention to the news online ever since her family went bankrupt. Hence, despite


    hearing about Maureen¡¯s Kitchen before, she did not know that Arielle was the person behind it.


    That was the most popr restaurant in Chanaea recently!


    She could not forget the taste of the dishes even until now after visiting the restaurant once with the


    boss of a karaoke bar.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    She had even nned to take her parents for another visit after she had earned enough money. Yet, it


    was totally out of her expectations that it was a restaurant opened by Arielle!


    If this is so, how else can Ipare myself to Arielle? Am I trying to make a fool out of myself for trying


    topete against the boss of Maureen¡¯s Kitchen on cooking skills?


    The next moment, Penelope saw Arielle putting her grilled fish on the table, right next to hers.


    As the saying goes,parisons were never helpful. Even without tasting the dish, anyone could tell


    that Arielle¡¯s grilled fish was much better than Penelope¡¯s from just the looks.


    Thetter had failed miserably in every way¡ªthe color, the presentation, and the ingredients used.


    Unbothered by how Penelope¡¯s face went pale white, Susanne deliberately said, ¡°Come and give it a


    try first. Since the both of you made the same dish, it¡¯ll be good if you can find out where you¡¯recking


    at.¡±


    Those words only made Penelope feel worse. Under Susanne¡¯s watchful eyes, she picked up a small


    piece of fish and put it into her mouth.


    Before the vors spread in her mouth, she tried to convince herself that good looks were not


    equivalent to good taste.


    But in the next second, the chunk of fish melted in her mouth.


    How did she manage to make the fish so tender? And her blend of sauces is totally different from mine.


    It¡¯s tangy and not too watery yet not overly thick; the fish is seasoned to perfection.


    Penelope was certain she had never eaten such a delicious dish before!


    ¡°How is it?¡± Susanne raised a brow. ¡°Can you tell the difference now?¡±


    In truth, the difference she was referring to was not purely their cooking skills but also the differences


    between them.


    There was almost no need for Arielle to say anything, yet there was a gap that set them miles apart.


    In that instance, Penelope found that she was seemingly reduced to dust, to the point she had the urge


    to escape from reality.


    The feeling of shame that the fish had brought her was so intense, much more than any other


    circumstances.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat first,¡± Vinson interrupted timely to stop Susanne from her continuous verbal attacks against


    Penelope.


    Nevertheless, he had only touched Arielle¡¯s grilled fish throughout the entire meal, almost as though he


    hadpletely ignored Penelope¡¯s fish.


    Of course, Penelope could hardly eat anything. What made her feel worse was when she saw how


    Arielle¡¯s dish was almost gone while hers was theplete opposite by the time they finished eating.


    She sat at the dining table for a long time, unable to get over it. Right then, she heard Susanne¡¯s


    instructions to Geoffrey. ¡°Let that woman spend the night here in the room that the previous chef stayed


    in.¡±


    Her face darkened as soon as she heard that.


    Luckily, she still had control over her rationality. Even though she had to sleep in the servants¡¯ quarters,


    she figured she had seeded in making herself stay at Vinson¡¯s house, on the brighter side.


    As long as she could stay, there would be a possibility that she could capture the heart of Vinson!

 Chapter 1238

    Chapter 1238


    Chapter 1238 Sleep In Separate Rooms


    At the thought of that, Penelope could finally force a smile on her face. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter where I sleep.


    I¡¯m sorry for having to trouble you.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Susanne let out a cold snort and purposely raised her voice as she said to Geoffrey, ¡°Bring


    over the herbs Mrs. Seyward sent this morning and brew it for Sannie.¡±


    Puzzlement was written all over Arielle¡¯s face. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m not feeling unwell.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not for that,¡± Susanne answered with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s a tonic for nourishment. Even though you two


    haven¡¯t got married, I¡¯ve been waiting for a grandchild for a really long time. Be good and finish the


    drinkter.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s face froze when she learned what Susanne had in mind.


    It was not because of embarrassment but because she had mixed feelings about it.


    How will I be able to bear any children with Vinson under such conditions right now? I don¡¯t even know


    what¡¯s going through his mind.


    After staying silent for a while, she muttered, ¡°There¡¯s no need, Mom. We don¡¯t have such ns at the


    moment. I¡¯ll sleep in the guest room on the first floor tonight.¡±


    Finishing her words, she turned and trotted toward the guest room without bothering to spare a nce


    at Vinson.


    One step, then another¡­


    Her footsteps were slow and unhurried because she held on to the hope that Vinson would stop her.


    However, there was only disappointment when she realized the man hesitated no more and headed


    upstairs.


    Susanne was the only one sighing non-stop and holding onto Arielle¡¯s hand tofort her.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Nevertheless, the rage burning within her had reached its peak, yet she tried to maintain an unfazed


    expression andforted Susanne instead. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just that I have something


    important tomorrow, so I need some time to do the preparations. Besides, I¡¯ll be able to sleep more


    comfortably alone.¡±


    Deep down, Arielle knew that was not the case. She figured she would not be able to sleep a wink that


    night.


    Seeing how determined the woman was, Susanne knew any persuasion would be useless and


    eventually gave up.


    Moreover, the alcohol she had consumed from the banquet earlier was starting to kick in. As her head


    was spinning and throbbing badly, she gave Arielle some words of constion before heading back to


    the room for some rest.


    Arielle was well aware she had to endure the pain and difficulties. No matter how others could


    understand her circumstance, no one would be able to empathize with herpletely.


    She had it all thought out¡ªshe would have a good chat with Vinson when the matter regarding the


    mystery opponent came to an end.


    Thus, she was mentally prepared to let go of Vinson if necessary.


    Despite her intense love for Vinson, it was not to the extent that she would give up on her life if she lost


    Vinson.


    There was no way she would stop moving forward since she had not found Cindy, and neither did she


    solve the mystery about her biological father yet.


    In fact, she was extremely relieved that she was not the kind of woman who could not live without love.


    Heaving a deep sigh, Arielle swept her gaze to Penelope and warned, ¡°You can continue staying here,


    but you me me for doing anything to you if I find that you¡¯re harboring any evil thoughts.¡±


    ¡°I got it,¡± thetter hurriedly answered. ¡°I promise you that I¡¯ll not cross the line.¡±


    In truth, her words did not reflect the thoughts in her mind. Deep down, she dreamed that she could


    rece Arielle someday.


    There was no limit to greed. Initially, Penelope only wanted to reap some benefits from Vinson. But that


    had slowly escted to her yearning to stay overnight at the Nightshire residence. Now, she was even


    thinking about recing Arielle.


    Without a doubt, greed was only human instinct, and Penelope was not an exception either.


    Her gazes toward Arielle only turned increasingly disdainful as thetter turned around.


    Well, it seems like the top student of Maxwell University, who has superbly high intelligence is nothing


    but a rumor, huh? A clever woman should be trying all possible means to remedy her rtionship with


    her husband and win him back. What Arielle is doing will only push him further from her.

 Chapter 1239

    Chapter 1239


    Chapter 1239 A p


    Don¡¯t tell me that Arielle is still waiting for Vinson to take the initiative? Essentially, it¡¯s all because


    Arielle and Vinson are simr in too many ways and are equally arrogant. That¡¯s why they¡¯re growing


    further apart from each other. Hmm¡­ I shall be the one to cause a rift between them then! When that


    happens, Arielle can¡¯t me me. She can only me herself for being too outstanding. Men are all


    arrogant and lustful creatures. Her demeanor will only make any man feel inferior and dare not take a


    step forward to reach her.


    With those thoughts in her head, Penelope felt increasingly thrilled, so much so that she felt ted.


    So, when Susanne and the rest headed back to their rooms, she sat on the couch in the living room


    and haughtily beckoned a housekeeper over.


    ¡°Are there no fruits in this house? Go and bring me some fruits right now!¡±


    The housekeeper frowned. ¡°M-Miss, the fruits we bought are all catered to the preferences of the three


    owners of this manor. We have none prepared for you. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Penelope¡¯s expression turned grim at once.


    She stood up with her hands on her waist. ¡°What do you mean by that? Are you belittling me? I¡¯m Mr.


    Nightshire¡¯s woman! Do you want me to throw you out of this house for not being willing to prepare


    fruits for me?¡±


    The housekeeper¡¯s face fell instantly.


    ¡°Only the owners in the manor have the right to fire me. I¡¯m afraid you aren¡¯t qualified to do that?¡±


    As soon as her words fell, a loud smack reverberated through the entire living room.


    The housekeeper covered her cheek and stared at Penelope in disbelief as she confronted, ¡°You hit


    me?¡±


    Thetter rolled her eyes. ¡°So what if I did that? Yes, I¡¯ve pped you! Let me ask you again. Are you


    going to prepare some fruits for me? If you don¡¯t go and do that immediately, I¡¯ll ask Mr. Nightshire to


    throw you out of this house tomorrow and make sure that you won¡¯t be able to find another job!¡±


    The housekeeper was utterly furious.


    She¡¯s a nobody who appeared from nowhere! Yet, she dares to p me? Mrs. Nightshire has


    personally chosen me and offered me this role! I¡¯ve worked here for more than a decade, and


    technically I¡¯m considered an experienced housekeeper. Since when have I ever suffered such


    humiliation?


    ¡°You-¡± Just as the housekeeper walked up to Penelope and wanted to fight back, Geoffrey hurried over


    to stop her.


    He then turned to Penelope and took a deep bow. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not training my subordinates well. Let


    me go and get you some fruits right away. Please lose it for you are such a prestige person.¡±


    Geoffrey¡¯s words put Penelope on cloud nine.


    Thinking that she should not kick a fuss and make Vinson learn about her temper, she raised an


    eyebrow quizzically and sat down. ¡°I want strawberries, cherries, and mangoes. The mangoes have to


    be diced in small cubes so that I won¡¯t have to make a mess while eating them.¡±


    ¡°Sure, we will do it ording to your request.¡± Geoffrey smiled faintly and pulled the housekeeper with


    him to the kitchen.


    The indignant housekeeper asked, ¡°Why do we have to listen to that woman? She pped me! Why


    did you apologize to her?¡±


    ¡°Silly woman!¡± Geoffrey scrunched his brows tightly as he lowered his voice to exin. ¡°We¡¯re only


    housekeepers in this house. You have to know your ce! Since Mr. Nightshire has brought her back,


    we have to treat her just like thedy of the house.¡±


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Lady of the house?¡± The housekeeper was really annoyed. ¡°In my opinion, she can¡¯t even hold a


    candle for Mrs. Nightshire! Though Mrs. Nightshire is the chairman of Sann Group, she¡¯s extremely


    respectful to us. Just look at that woman¡­ Huh, I honestly have no idea why Mr. Nightshire is


    interested in her!¡±

 Chapter 1240

    Chapter 1240


    Chapter 1240 An Act


    Why did he leave his pretty and wealthy wife at home and brought home an uncivilized woman from


    outside instead? I wonder what¡¯s wrong with him!


    The housekeeper could not wrap her mind around the mind of Vinson.


    ¡°Lower your voice!¡± Geoffrey reminded in a soft voice. ¡°Since Mr. Vinson has agreed to her staying


    here, I¡¯m sure he has his ns. We¡¯re in no ce toment on that. As for the injury on your face, I¡¯ll


    add an extra thousand to your sry this month. But when you head out of hereter, you have to put


    on your respectful and courteous self. Do you hear me?¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She had no other choice but to agree even though she was still bearing a grudge against Penelope.


    After all, she was only a housekeeper. How would she be able topare to a woman whom Vinson


    had brought home?


    Upon getting her response, Geoffrey continued in a calmer tone, ¡°Don¡¯t be too angry either. Such


    characters are extremely arrogant, but like how dramas portrayed them, they normally won¡¯tst more


    than two episodes.¡± He kept his words simple and headed out of the kitchen after concluding his


    statement.


    It did not take long before the housekeeper understood the meaning behind Geoffrey¡¯s words.


    So, she can be haughty for now, but that¡¯ll also be the very reason she gets thrown outter! She¡¯ll get


    the taste of it when she gets kicked out of this ce!


    With that, the housekeeper finally felt better. At the same time, she also became more appreciative of


    thedy of the house, and that was none other than Arielle.


    In truth, many socialites had never seen housekeepers as humans and had no respect for them.


    Only Arielle was warm and friendly and would treat them as equals.


    If Mrs. Nightshire gets reced by that woman outside, we¡¯ll only get miserable days ahead.


    At this point, the housekeeper¡¯s eyes lit up when a daring idea popped up in her mind.


    About ten minutester, the housekeeper brought out the three types of fruits Penelope had requested.


    ¡°Miss, I¡¯ve washed them three times and soaked them in salt water once. You can eat them without any


    worries.¡±


    Penelope had wanted to make a few more mockingments at the housekeeper. Nheless,


    judging from how thetter had aplete change in attitude, she burst into scornfulughter and


    decided to let her off. ¡°Looks like you know what¡¯s good for you.¡±


    Since I have a chance of bing thedy of this house, there¡¯s no need for me to stoop so low and


    be so calctive with a housekeeper.


    With that in mind, Penelope did not spare another nce at the housekeeper. Instead, she enjoyed the


    fruits while scrolling on her phone.


    She barely had leisure time to scroll her phone previously. However, since she finally had some time to


    herself, she decided to log in to her Twitter ount.


    It was then she saw Arielle¡¯s name on the top of the trending list.


    Instinctively, a line formed between her brows. Displeasure surged so intensely inside her that even the


    cherry turned tasteless in her mouth.


    Jealous, she clicked on the post and abruptly saw Sam¡¯s tweet. It was photos of the movie he was


    recently filming.


    In one of the photos, she spotted Arielle dressed in a special agent costume, looking very charismatic


    and sassy.


    Arielle is filming a movie? And it¡¯s a movie by Sam Sleight? Isn¡¯t her luck a little too good to be true?


    An opportunity to star in Sam¡¯s movies upon her debut was hard toe by and definitely a dream for


    many.


    After all, Sam was a whiz director in Chanaea¡¯s movie industry. Every movie he had shot had always


    sold like hotcakes and won many awards.


    If everything goes smoothly, this movie will undoubtedly be a hot-selling movie when it¡¯s released.


    Eventually, Arielle will have another chance to shine.


    Gritting her teeth in anger, Penelope scrolled to thement section. Yet, she grew even more irked


    when she saw how praises for Arielle¡¯s looks and acting skills filled the section.


    Acting skills? It¡¯s only a photo. How can they tell how great her acting is?

 Chapter 1241

    Chapter 1241


    Chapter 1241 Losing Everything


    Arielle is a businesswoman. She has never taken any lessons or training on acting. How is it possible


    that she can act so well? Is it all because of her looks and connection? I¡¯ll definitely grab hold of this


    opportunity if I could get into the entertainment industry! Yet, Arielle joins the industry for the fun of it.


    Hmph, the world is so unfair!


    Taking a deep breath, Penelope lifted her lips into a cold smirk as a n abruptly appeared in her mind.


    A nationwide goddess, huh? I¡¯ll make sure your reputation goes down the drain and loses everything!


    Penelope had lost her appetite for the fruits before her at this point. She headed back to the room and


    began plotting a scheme.


    Meanwhile, Arielle had finished washing up in the bathroom.


    When she saw the trending news, she could not help but feel a throbbing headache.


    She was determined to get the Mills¡¯ patriarch; hence, she had no other choice but to apply for leave.


    Just as she was about to give Sam a call, she received a call from him.


    Surprised, she answered it, only to hear Sam apologize, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to inform you at thest minute, Ms.


    Moore. I have to head to Lightspring to attend a film festival award ceremony, so the filming tomorrow


    will have to be pushed forward to three dayster.¡±


    Sam was a serious and responsible director. He would only feel at ease after watching the filming


    process of every movie personally. Therefore, he had no choice but to pause filming.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Arielle heaved a sigh of relief and smiled. ¡°I was just about to call you to take a few days off


    filming as I have some urgent matters to attend to. I guess our schedules match well coincidentally.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll be relieved to go to the award ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry. Just go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Mmm,¡± Sam acknowledged and hesitated for a short while before he asked, ¡°Ms. Moore¡­ have you


    settled your personal matters?¡±


    Stumped, Arielle tightened her grip on the phone.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s considered all sorted out.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to know. I¡¯ll stick to my offer¡ªjust let me know if you need help.¡±


    Sam had built massive connections having worked in the entertainment industry for a long time.


    If he had the intention to do anything to Vinson, thetter would, unquestionably, suffer the wrath.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle understood what Sam meant and let out a helpless smile. ¡°Actually, things aren¡¯t asplicated


    between him and me. I¡¯ve exaggerated a bit during my recount. You don¡¯t have to worry too much


    about me.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m d to hear that. I won¡¯t disturb you then. Have a good rest.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    Arielle waited until Sam hung up the call before she put down the phone.


    The room was all quiet, yet her mind was aplete mess.


    Even Sam has shown his care and concern, but that man still hasn¡¯t said a single word. What exactly is


    wrong with him?


    Arielle was somewhat at a loss.


    She sighed while trying her best not to let her thoughts drift. She called Maureen¡¯s Kitchen and


    informed them that she would not be able to head over for the next three days as she had important


    matters to attend to.


    Being as responsible as they were, the two managers assured her that they would do their very best to


    handle matters with regard to the restaurant and that she could finish her work without any worries.


    As soon as the call ended, a door knock sounded.


    Arielle felt her heart pounding.


    Could it be Vinson?


    She sucked in a deep breath and tried to pull aposed expression as she strode over to open the


    door.

 Chapter 1242

    Chapter 1242


    Chapter 1242 Sneaking In Late At Night


    The door opened, but the person standing outside was the housekeeper who hade to deliver


    some milk.


    The sparkle in Arielle¡¯s eyes vanished.


    It¡¯s not Vinson.


    She couldn¡¯t help butugh at herself.


    Did I overestimate how important I am to him?


    But how could someone change so quickly?


    Arielle snapped out of her thoughts and forced a smile. ¡°Thank you for the trouble.¡±


    The housekeeper hastily shook her head. ¡°Not at all! It¡¯s part of my job.¡±


    Even so, she couldn¡¯t help but be reminded herself of how different every individual could be. There


    was no way Vinson would ever say such kind remarks to her.


    Not wanting to bother Arielle any longer, the housekeeper handed the ss of milk over and left the


    room.


    Arielle stared at the ss despondently before chugging it down.


    Despite not being fond of milk, she was willing to try anything that would help her sleep.


    After that, she washed up and tucked herself in bed.


    It was alreadyte. The room was now dark and quiet, and all the housekeepers had turned in for the


    day.


    Arielle tossed around in bed for a while. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was due to the warm milk or the


    therapeutic candles, but she soon began to feel sleepy.


    But just as the woman dozed off, she suddenly heard the door click.


    Someone¡¯s in here.


    Who could it be at this hour?


    Arielle frowned but remained still, not wanting to alert the intruder.


    If this person is after my life, I¡¯m going to take care of him while he thinks that I¡¯m asleep.


    As the footsteps drew closer, Arielle balled her hands into fists, ready to attack at any time.


    Just when she felt that the intruder had reached the bedside, she swiftly got up and reached for his


    neck.


    Yet, the mysterious figure reacted quickly, pinning her back onto the bed.


    Then, the smell of refreshing cologne wafted into her nostrils.


    This scent¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Vinson¡¯s deep voice sounded above her.


    Arielle, who was just about to scream, quickly held herself back.


    ¡°How did you-¡±


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Shhh.¡± Vinson made a hush gesture.


    It was dark, but the moonlight shining from outside the window allowed Arielle to see Vinson¡¯s face as


    well as his index finger ced in front of his lips.


    We¡¯re husband and wife! Why does he have to sneak in like this?


    Despite feeling perplexed, Arielle nodded.


    Vinson finally rxed his muscles, but he remained on top of her and leaned closer into her ear. ¡°I just


    heard about this when I got home. There¡¯s a mole in this house watching our every move.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s eyes widened at the news.


    Now, she finally understood the reason behind Vinson¡¯s unusual behavior tonight.


    It was all for show¡ªincluding how he had made Penelope stay against Susanne¡¯s order to chase her


    out.


    Instantly, Arielle suddenly felt a lump form in her throat.


    All the anguish and indignance she had felt earlier transformed into tears that now trickled down onto


    Vinson¡¯s arms.


    Caught by surprise, the man quickly pulled her into his arm.


    Arielle had never really cried in front of him before nor had she shown him her vulnerable side. But this


    time, she couldn¡¯t help herself.

 Chapter 1243

    Chapter 1243


    Chapter 1243 Cry


    A heartbroken Vinson continued to hold Arielle tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Please¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know how tofort someone; those were the only words he could say.


    Guilt washed over him knowing that she was crying because of him.


    At this point, the man didn¡¯t want to carry on with the n anymore.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He refused to do anything that would hurt Arielle.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry,¡± Vinson cooed. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have brought that woman here. But don¡¯t worry,


    I¡¯m going to catch that mole and kick that woman out right now.¡±


    Hearing that, Arielle hurriedly wiped her tears and grabbed onto Vinson¡¯s cor. ¡°Don¡¯t¡±


    She ended up unbuttoning his sleepwear by ident, revealing his firm chest.


    Arielle immediately looked away with a flushed face. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Chuckling, Vinson kissed her tears away. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, okay? I really don¡¯t know what to do


    when you cry.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll stop.¡± Arielle sniffed. ¡°I just feel so horrible and¡­ jealous.¡±


    That was the first time that she mentioned the word ¡°jealous¡±.


    Even she felt embarrassed to say it.


    On the other hand, Vinson pursed his lips in satisfaction. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t care about me. I was


    feeling sad all night.¡±


    ¡°And you still came looking for me?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Vinson gently nibbled on the tip of her nose. ¡°If I didn¡¯t, you¡¯d probably nevere looking


    for me.¡±


    Arielle felt her heart stir. She also began to feel a little warm, possibly due to Vinson¡¯s kisses.


    The woman let out a dry cough before making a solemn remark. ¡°We¡¯ve gone this far with our little act,


    so let¡¯s not waste all our efforts. I noticed someone watching me when I left with Jason earlier today.


    The funny thing is¡­ I think I¡¯ve met that person before.¡±


    ¡°You have?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Arielle sat up. ¡°Do you still remember the incident on the cruise?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do.¡± That was when he had nearly lost the only woman he loved.


    The man sharpened his focus and sat up too. ¡°But why are you suddenly bringing that up?¡±


    ¡°Remember the guy spying on me at the entrance to the karaoke bar¡ªI saw him on the cruise back


    then too. Come to think of it, he was the one who warned me about the bomb on the cruise. I¡¯m also


    certain that he wasn¡¯t responsible for nting the bomb.¡±


    Vinson¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°You¡¯re saying that the man who sent you those photos and wants to break


    us up isn¡¯t the same person who is trying to kill me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Arielle nodded. ¡°That¡¯s just my guess, but I have a feeling that these two men know each other.


    How else would he have known about the bomb on the cruise?¡±


    Vinson¡¯s expression turned unfathomable.


    ¡°Then, why is the guy who helped you on the cruise trying to split us up now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not sure either. Who knows, maybe he doesn¡¯t actually mean to do that.¡±


    ¡°Should we continue with our n, then?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Arielle answered firmly. ¡°He probably knows the guy responsible for the two explosions. As long


    as we keep going in this direction, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to lure that rat out.¡±

 Chapter 1244

    Chapter 1244


    Chapter 1244 Mole


    Vinson appeared hesitant. ¡°Then, that woman¡­¡±


    Arielle shot him a re. ¡°You brought this upon yourself, so you figure out how to deal with it. I don¡¯t


    have the time or energy to care about her.¡±


    Vinson flirtatiously kissed Arielle on her forehead, nose, and eventually her lips.


    ¡°Come on, Darling. Give me a hand. You know how terrible my acting skills are. I might end up making


    her run away.¡±


    Arielle threw her hands up. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that. Your acting skills are pretty good that even I fell for


    them.¡±


    ¡°I tried my best only because I found out about the mole.¡±


    ¡°Someone you¡¯d never suspect.¡±


    ¡°Stop leaving me guessing. Tell me!¡± she demanded, pinching the man¡¯s waist.


    ¡°It¡¯s Geoffrey,¡± Vinson answered in a hushed voice.


    Arielle was visibly shocked.


    ¡°Geoffrey? Are you sure about this? Hasn¡¯t he been working for your family all these years?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He pretty much watched me grow up.¡±


    Arielle creased her brows. ¡°What on earth is going on?¡±Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Vinson sighed. ¡°He really is loyal to the family. I¡¯m sure of that. He¡¯s served us faithfully even after so


    many years. He only became a mole about two days ago. I ran a security check on all the


    housekeepers and bodyguards for the family¡¯s safety. That¡¯s when I noticed that Geoffrey had suddenly


    received a thirty-million sum in his bank ount two days ago.¡±


    ¡°Thirty million?¡± The crease between Arielle¡¯s brows deepened.


    Thirty million didn¡¯t mean a lot to her, but it was an unimaginable figure to a butler. Despite working at


    the Nightshire Manor, Geoffrey¡¯s monthly sry only amounted to about eight thousand. It was good


    money, but his total ie would be no more than two hundred thousand a year.


    Thus, having thirty million in his ount was certainly unusual.


    ¡°Did he really betray your family for thirty million?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Vinson continued. ¡°I initially thought he did it for the money too. But after staying calm and getting


    Rayson to investigate further, we realized something.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Geoffrey¡¯s wife and child have gone missing from the suburbs they live in. I secretly got a hold of the


    surveince cameras outside his house. It turned out that a group of men broke into the house and


    took his wife and child away by force.¡±


    Realization dawned upon Arielle.


    With his family¡¯s life at stake on top of receiving a bribe of thirty million, it was no surprise that Geoffrey


    would switch sides.


    ¡°His family¡¯s and thirty million versus his employer of several decades¡ªthings must have been really


    hard for Geoffrey,¡± muttered Arielle. ¡°How do you intend to solve this?¡±


    ¡°First, we¡¯ll find Geoffrey¡¯s family and make sure they¡¯re safe. Then, we¡¯ll try to get him to return to our


    side. I¡¯m sure he¡¯lle around once he finds out that his family is okay.¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°This is all we can do. In that case, let¡¯s carry on with our n and wait for them to take


    the bait.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Arielle fell silent for two seconds before suddenly remembering the Mill family. ¡°I¡¯ll be heading over to


    the Mills¡¯ ce from tomorrow onward to take part in their heir selection. It¡¯llst for three days. Their


    medical manuscripts are really important to me, so I¡¯ll have to be there. I¡¯m counting on you to hold the


    fort here.¡±

 Chapter 1245

    Chapter 1245


    Chapter 1245 Long Distance Rtionship


    ¡°The Mills?¡± Vinson frowned. ¡°Queenie¡¯s family?¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. The rest of the family is different from her, though. They¡¯re all simple


    and honest people. Honestly, the medical manuscripts are like a cherry on the cake for me, so it¡¯s not


    that big of a deal if I can¡¯t get them. But the Mills are so kind-hearted and simple-minded that they¡¯re


    easily fooled.¡±


    Vinson didn¡¯t quite understand. ¡°But what do the Mills have to do with us? Even if they end up being


    fooled, it¡¯s just a bunch of medical manuscripts. Why are you trying so hard to be the next head of


    their family?¡±


    ¡°Arielle shook her head. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. Even one of my former mentors talked about that book


    before. Not only does it teach you how to cure manyplicated diseases, but it also contains


    instructions on how to make an array of deadly poisons. These poisons are so harmful that even I


    wouldn¡¯t be able to find a cure for them in a short period of time.¡±


    ¡°Poisons?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    If the medical manuscripts were to fall into the hands of the wicked, those poisons could be used to


    harm others.


    This isn¡¯t just about the medical manuscripts anymore. It concerns the life of many other people.


    At the thought of this, Vinson knew he couldn¡¯t stop Arielle from taking part in the Mill family¡¯s important


    asion.


    The medical manuscripts would only be safe in her hands.


    ¡°The truth is¡­¡± Arielle paused briefly before continuing, ¡°The first thing I¡¯d do if I were to be the


    head of the Mills is to destroy all the poison manuals. If such guides continue to exist, people will only


    keep trying to get their hands on the book for evil reasons.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Vinson responded. ¡°Go. Leave this ce to me. Everything will be fine with me keeping


    watch. By the way, how long will you be gone for?¡±


    ¡°At least three days, ording to the Mill family¡¯s oldest son.¡±


    ¡°That long?¡± A reluctant Vinson tucked a strand of the woman¡¯s hair behind her ear. ¡°Can I secretly


    drop by and see you at night?¡±


    ¡°No, you cannot do that!¡±


    Vinson was evidently disappointed. ¡°Fine. Looks like we¡¯ll be in another long-distance rtionship.¡±


    He had finally gotten to see his wife after returning from Lightspring. But now, they were going to be


    apart again.


    The man sighed. ¡°Take Sasha with you. I heard Queenie has woken up. The car ident happened all


    because Donovan ran out of Maxwell University like a madman after getting expelled, and she went


    after him. I guess both of them hate you so much that they can¡¯t wait to get rid of you now.¡±


    Arielle smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let that happen.¡±


    She was heading over for the medical manuscripts, not to get involved with Donovan and Queenie.


    But if they were nning to do something to her again, she wasn¡¯t going to let them off this time.


    Vinson grinned as he noticed the woman¡¯s expression. ¡°Now I¡¯m starting to worry a little.¡±


    Arielle turned to him in confusion. ¡°Why? Are you worried that they might n something against me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Vinson shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m worried about them not being able to escape your clutches.¡±


    Arielle shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t attack unless I¡¯m being attacked. If they do anything to get on my nerves, I¡¯ll


    make them regret being alive.¡±


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Come to think of it, it¡¯s been a while since Ist attended a funeral¡­

 Chapter 1246

    Chapter 1246


    Chapter 1246 I Am Your Antidote


    ¡°All right.¡± After speaking, Arielle shoved Vinson¡¯s chest and said, ¡°Don¡¯t blow your cover. Leave now!¡±


    ¡°Leave?¡± Vinson frowned. ¡°What do you mean? It was so difficult for me to sneak over here and I¡¯ve


    only stayed for a short while. Why are you chasing me away?¡±


    ¡°So what if I¡¯m chasing you away?¡± Arielle scoffed and snapped, ¡°Go sleep with Ms. Little!¡±


    In the next moment, Vinson kissed her lips.


    The passionate kiss caused Arielle to feel a little dizzy, as if she was floating in the sky.


    The kisssted for a long time before Vinson released her reluctantly.


    Arielle was starting to change her mind on getting Vinson to leave.


    For some reason, her body felt extremely warm, while Vinson¡¯s body felt very cool.


    She had an urge to keep moving closer to him.


    While mulling over this thought, she pressed her body closer against Vinson subconsciously.


    Vinson gulped as he warned, ¡°If you continue being so close to me, I won¡¯t be able to hold myself


    back¡­¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­¡± mumbled Arielle.


    Her voice was like the fuse to a firework. Vinson could barely control himself.


    ¡°Sannie¡­¡± His voice became deeper and hoarser. ¡°You¡¯ll be in danger, you know?¡±


    He was the danger.


    He did not n on doing anything when he came to see her, so he did not bring any safety precautions.


    If they did it just like that¡­


    Well, he was more than happy to do so. However, he also knew that Arielle did not n on getting


    pregnant for the time being.


    When he said that, Arielle did not move away from him. Instead, she moved even closer.


    Vinson realized that something was wrong.


    Usually, when he warned Arielle like that, she would have fled immediately instead of approaching him.


    ¡°Sannie?¡±


    When Vinson touched Arielle¡¯s face, he discovered that her cheeks were burning.


    Shocked, he asked, ¡°Are you having a fever?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Arielle still had control over her rationality.


    Taking in a deep breath, she suppressed her urge to move closer to Vinson and sat up straight instead.


    When she took her pulse, she was astonished.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Observing Arielle¡¯s expression, Vinson asked, ¡°Are you sick?¡±


    Arielle bit her lips as her gazended on the ss of milk on the table, which she had already finished


    drinking.


    Back then, she had noticed that the housekeeper who sent the ss of milk over was acting a little too


    enthusiastically. Looks like the milk has been spiked.


    ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with that ss of milk.¡±


    Vinson was not dumb either¡ªhe immediately understood what she meant by that.


    Someone has drugged Arielle!


    ¡°Who did it?¡± asked Vinson hurriedly. ¡°Did Geoffrey give this to you?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Arielle shook her head and reminded, ¡°Don¡¯t make a fuss. I think that the person who spiked the


    drink is hoping that we¡¯ll reconcile. It¡¯s probably Mom¡¯s idea.¡±


    An idea popped up in Vinson¡¯s mind. ¡°Then¡­ Should I stay?¡±


    Arielle red at him. ¡°If you aren¡¯t staying, are you going to send me to the hospital? In that case, won¡¯t


    everything get exposed?¡±


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Vinson nodded before pinning Arielle underneath his body.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll act as your antidote.¡±


    Arielle blushed. Before she could say anything, her lips were already sealed by Vinson.


    His kiss was so domineering that it was as if he wanted to devour her.


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    Arielle could not help but let her moans slip out of her lips.

 Chapter 1247

    Chapter 1247


    Chapter 1245 Long Distance Rtionship


    ¡°The Mills?¡± Vinson frowned. ¡°Queenie¡¯s family?¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. The rest of the family is different from her, though. They¡¯re all simple


    and honest people. Honestly, the medical manuscripts are like a cherry on the cake for me, so it¡¯s not


    that big of a deal if I can¡¯t get them. But the Mills are so kind-hearted and simple-minded that they¡¯re


    easily fooled.¡±


    Vinson didn¡¯t quite understand. ¡°But what do the Mills have to do with us? Even if they end up being


    fooled, it¡¯s just a bunch of medical manuscripts. Why are you trying so hard to be the next head of


    their family?¡±


    ¡°Arielle shook her head. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. Even one of my former mentors talked about that book


    before. Not only does it teach you how to cure manyplicated diseases, but it also contains


    instructions on how to make an array of deadly poisons. These poisons are so harmful that even I


    wouldn¡¯t be able to find a cure for them in a short period of time.¡±


    ¡°Poisons?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    If the medical manuscripts were to fall into the hands of the wicked, those poisons could be used to


    harm others.


    This isn¡¯t just about the medical manuscripts anymore. It concerns the life of many other people.


    At the thought of this, Vinson knew he couldn¡¯t stop Arielle from taking part in the Mill family¡¯s important


    asion.


    The medical manuscripts would only be safe in her hands.


    ¡°The truth is¡­¡± Arielle paused briefly before continuing, ¡°The first thing I¡¯d do if I were to be the


    head of the Mills is to destroy all the poison manuals. If such guides continue to exist, people will only


    keep trying to get their hands on the book for evil reasons.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Vinson responded. ¡°Go. Leave this ce to me. Everything will be fine with me keeping


    watch. By the way, how long will you be gone for?¡±


    ¡°At least three days, ording to the Mill family¡¯s oldest son.¡±


    ¡°That long?¡± A reluctant Vinson tucked a strand of the woman¡¯s hair behind her ear. ¡°Can I secretly


    drop by and see you at night?¡±


    ¡°No, you cannot do that!¡±


    Vinson was evidently disappointed. ¡°Fine. Looks like we¡¯ll be in another long-distance rtionship.¡±


    He had finally gotten to see his wife after returning from Lightspring. But now, they were going to be


    apart again.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    The man sighed. ¡°Take Sasha with you. I heard Queenie has woken up. The car ident happened all


    because Donovan ran out of Maxwell University like a madman after getting expelled, and she went


    after him. I guess both of them hate you so much that they can¡¯t wait to get rid of you now.¡±


    Arielle smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let that happen.¡±


    She was heading over for the medical manuscripts, not to get involved with Donovan and Queenie.


    But if they were nning to do something to her again, she wasn¡¯t going to let them off this time.


    Vinson grinned as he noticed the woman¡¯s expression. ¡°Now I¡¯m starting to worry a little.¡±


    Arielle turned to him in confusion. ¡°Why? Are you worried that they might n something against me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Vinson shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m worried about them not being able to escape your clutches.¡±


    Arielle shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t attack unless I¡¯m being attacked. If they do anything to get on my nerves, I¡¯ll


    make them regret being alive.¡±


    Come to think of it, it¡¯s been a while since Ist attended a funeral¡­

 Chapter 1248

    Chapter 1248


    Chapter 1248 He Does Not Even Look At Her


    Penelope deliberately made her makeup look very natural like she had nothing on her face at all. In


    reality, she put in a lot of effort to conceal all the ws on her face.


    Her strength was that her eyes were pretty simr to Arielle¡¯s. Hence, she changed her eye makeup to


    make them look lively and alluring like Arielle¡¯s.


    Penelope¡¯s eyes crinkled as she smiled sweetly. However, Vinson merely nodded and said curtly,


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee. It¡¯s what I should do, anyway¡­¡±


    Immediately after Penelope spoke, Vinson strode toward the door.


    Shocked, she chased after him and asked, ¡°Where are you going? Aren¡¯t you having breakfast?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Before Penelope could finish her sentence, Vinson had already walked out of the house, leaving her


    behind.


    Penelope could only bite her lips in frustration.


    She woke up at six in the morning to do her makeup and prepare breakfast till now. In the end, Vinson


    did not even spare even a nce at her before leaving the house. There was no way that she could be


    happy with that.


    Yet, when Penelope turned her head around, she noticed that the housekeeper, whom she had


    pped yesterday, was suppressing herughter.


    Immediately, the fury that Penelope was trying to suppress exploded.


    She dashed forward and aimed a p at the housekeeper.


    Startled, the housekeeper closed her eyes subconsciously.


    However, the p did notnd on her face.


    She opened her eyes confusedly and saw Arielle gripping Penelope¡¯s wrist with a very cold expression


    on her face.


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire¡­¡± The housekeeper felt tears welling up in her eyes.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± asked Arielle with a frown.


    The housekeeper quickly nodded. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡±


    Only then did Arielle look at Penelope, who waspletely shocked. She demanded frostily, ¡°Ms.


    Little, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I.. I¡­¡± Penelope gritted her teeth. Thinking that she had nothing to lose, she said, ¡°I¡¯m helping you


    teach the housekeepers! She was very disrespectful to me.¡±


    ¡°Teach her a lesson? Is this how you teach the housekeepers? Furthermore, I¡¯ve been watching from


    the door all along. She did not do anything at all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop giving excuses!¡± Arielle directly interrupted Penelope. ¡°She might be a housekeeper here, but


    she¡¯s still a human being! How can you hit her for no good reason?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°Furthermore, you aren¡¯t even part of the family. Even if you are the mistress of the house, you can¡¯t hit


    someone so casually. I can call the police on her behalf and ask them to arrest you. However, I¡¯ll let this


    slide for Vinson¡¯s sake. If this happens again, don¡¯t me me for not showing you any mercy!¡±


    Penelope had no opportunities to exin. Hence, she could only withdraw her hand timidly and


    apologize reluctantly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being rash. I shouldn¡¯t have hit her. I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Moore. It¡¯s all my


    fault¡­¡±


    Arielle raised her chin and rebuked, ¡°You aren¡¯t supposed to apologize to me!¡±


    Penelope was at a loss for words. Suppressing her anger, she apologized to the housekeeper, ¡°I¡¯m


    sorry. Please forgive me.¡±


    The housekeeper was still furious at how Penelope pped herst night. However, since Arielle was


    watching, she had no choice but to nod and ept her apology. ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡±


    When Penelope looked at Arielle, she averted her gaze. ¡°Since you¡¯ve apologized, it¡¯s fine now. Just


    don¡¯t do it again.¡±


    As she spoke, she nced at the housekeeper and instructed, ¡°I have something to ask you. Follow


    me.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    The housekeeper nodded and followed Arielle out of the mansion.

 Chapter 1249

    Chapter 1249


    Chapter 1249 For Self Interests


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    There was a huge ce outside the mansion, so they did not have to worry that someone was hiding in


    the corner and eavesdropping on them.


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire.¡± The housekeeper nced upward and asked Arielle, ¡°What are you going to ask


    me?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± asked Arielle as she crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the


    housekeeper.


    Feeling flustered by Arielle¡¯s gaze, the housekeeper started to sweat profusely.


    She averted her gaze guiltily. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    A frosty look crept into Arielle¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know? Let me give you a reminder. Are you nning to tell me anything about the milk from


    last night?¡±


    The housekeeper froze as she widened her eyes in fear.


    When she met Arielle¡¯s gaze, her knees buckled uncontrobly and she fell to her knees in front of


    Arielle.


    That was how terrified she was by Arielle¡¯s angry face.


    As Arielle looked at the housekeeper who was kneeling in front of her, her expression became more


    rxed. She helped the housekeeper up and said, ¡°If you tell me what happened, I will just let it go.


    Otherwise, I¡¯ll have no choice but to call the police or hand you over to Vinson directly.¡±


    When the housekeeper thought of Vinson¡¯s cold face, her heart pounded rapidly.


    ¡°So, are you going to tell me or not?¡± urged Arielle with a frown.


    Overwhelmed with regret and fear, the housekeeper wiped her tears away and stuttered, ¡°If¡­ If I tell


    you, please don¡¯t tell Mr. Vinson¡­¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°Tell me and I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    The housekeeper bit her lips. Mustering her courage, she exined, ¡°After you entered your roomst


    night, Ms. Little hit me. I was furious and scared that she¡¯ll rece your position, so I wanted to let you


    reconcile with Mr. Vinson¡­¡±


    Arielle raised her eyebrows in surprise.


    She thought that this was Susanne¡¯s idea, but it turned out to be the housekeeper¡¯s own actions.


    In that case, she could deal with this incident without taking Susanne¡¯s feelings into consideration.


    An idea popped up in Arielle¡¯s mind.


    The housekeeper was still saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Nightshire. I really didn¡¯t mean to sabotage you. I


    was just scared that the woman would take over your position¡­.¡±


    Arielle scoffed coldly and interrupted, ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to say it so nicely. I¡¯m not a child so I


    know what you¡¯re actually thinking about. You just want to stay in the manor and lead a good life. Yet, if


    that woman continues to stay here, your life would get difficult. You¡¯re just doing this for your self-


    interest, so there¡¯s no need to sugarcoat it.¡±


    Stunned, the housekeeper broke out into cold sweat.


    Now that her lie had been exposed by Arielle so directly, she could not help but reveal a look of


    embarrassment.


    Eventually, all she could say was, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Nightshire. I know my mistake now¡­¡±


    After a moment of silence, Arielle suddenly said, ¡°I can pretend that nothing happened, but you must do


    something for me and keep it a secret from everyone else. Otherwise¡­ You can go and search up how


    many years in jail you¡¯d get for drugging someone.¡±


    Shuddering in fear, the housekeeper quickly said, ¡°What is it? I¡¯ll do whatever you want, even at all


    costs!¡±


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Come here.¡±


    When Arielle wagged her finger, the housekeeper rushed over immediately.


    Arielle whispered her instructions in the housekeeper¡¯s ears. Widening her eyes in shock, the


    housekeeper asked, ¡°Keep an eye on Geoffrey? Why?¡±


    ¡°Shh¡­¡± Arielle ced her finger over her lips and warned, ¡°Just keep an eye on him. You don¡¯t need to


    know why.¡±

 Chapter 1250

    Chapter 1250


    Chapter 1250 Lies


    Knowing that she had spoken out of ce, the housekeeper nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll keep an eye on


    Geoffrey without him knowing. As long as you don¡¯t mention that incident about the milk¡­¡±


    Arielle raised her eyebrows. ¡°That¡¯ll depend on how nicely you aplish your task. I¡¯ll be leaving


    home for three days. If Geoffrey does anything abnormal, you must inform me right away.¡±


    Only then did Arielle look less furious. After exchanging numbers with the housekeeper, she strode


    back into the mansion.


    To prevent anyone from being curious about what she said to the housekeeper, Arielle called Penelope


    over specially.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already exined to the housekeeper that it¡¯s her fault for disrespecting you. However, since you


    hit herst night, you are at fault too. Hence, both of you are even now. I hope that nothing like this will


    ever happen in the future. Otherwise, I¡¯ll make you pack your things up and leave right away as I don¡¯t


    care if Vinson wants you to stay!¡±


    As Arielle spoke, she snuck a nce at Geoffrey.


    She wanted to dispel his suspicions.


    Knowing that she was in the wrong, Penelope could only nod and stare at her feet. Pretending to sound


    weak, she said, ¡°Yes, I understand¡­¡±


    As Arielle merely saw Penelope as nothing but a distraction, she could not be bothered to waste any


    more time with Penelope. Nodding, she walked out.


    Penelope opened her mouth, wanting to ask Arielle to stay for breakfast. However, as anger was


    boiling within her, she let Arielle leave without informing her that breakfast was ready.


    After all, she was not there to prepare breakfast for Arielle, so it did not matter whether Arielle ate it or


    not. She made breakfast mainly to appease Vinson and Susanne.


    Now that Vinson had gone to work, only Susanne was left.


    At that moment, Susanne woke up too.


    She usually did not wake up so early, but she was a little drunkst night, so she slept early; hence,


    she woke up earlier too.


    When Penelope saw that, she quickly shed Susanne a bright smile as she walked forward. ¡°You¡¯re


    awake, Mrs. Nightshire. I¡¯ve already prepared breakfast for you. Would you like to take a look?¡±


    Ignoring Penelope, Susanne brushed past her and went to the dining table.


    A look of embarrassment flitted across Penelope¡¯s face. However, she chased after Susanne and said


    appeasingly, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you like to eat, so I prepared a bit of everything. If you¡¯d like to eat


    anything else, I¡¯ll cook for you immediately.¡±


    By saying that, Penelope was iming all the credit for making breakfast.


    Yet, unbeknownst to her, Susanne knew the chefs¡¯ cooking very well. With a single nce, she could


    tell that the breakfast was prepared by the chefs.


    ¡°Hmph!¡± She snorted coldly. However, instead of exposing Penelope directly, she feigned surprise and


    asked, ¡°Did you cook everything?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Penelope quickly took credit for it and said, ¡°I woke up at five in the morning¡­¡±


    That was not what Susanne wanted to hear. Pointing at the soy milk on the table, she interrupted


    Penelope, ¡°I¡¯ve always been curious about how you made the soy milk. You can exin it to me now!¡±


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Penelope¡¯s expression quickly turned awkward.


    I don¡¯t know how to make soy milk! It smells so weird. I can¡¯t even bear to smell it, let alone make it!


    However, meeting Susanne¡¯s ¡®curious¡¯ gaze, she had no choice but to exin, ¡°What a coincidence!


    Actually, I made everything else but the soy milk.¡±


    what Susanne wanted to hear. Pointing at the soy milk on the table, she interrupted Penelope, ¡°I¡¯ve


    always been curious about how you made the soy milk. You can exin it to me now!¡±


    Penelope¡¯s expression quickly turned awkward.


    I don¡¯t know how to make soy milk! It smells so weird. I can¡¯t even bear to smell it, let alone make it!


    However, meeting Susanne¡¯s ¡®curious¡¯ gaze, she had no choice but to exin, ¡°What a coincidence!


    Actually, I made everything else but the soy milk.¡±

 Chapter 1251

    Chapter 1251


    Chapter 1251 Rolling Her Eyes


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Susanne dragged out her response and teased, ¡°That¡¯s a real coincidence. What about this?


    How did you make this pepper soup?¡±


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Erm¡­¡± Penelope¡¯s expression darkened.


    Obviously, she had no idea at all.


    ¡°Haha,¡± Susanne sneered before exposing her. ¡°Sometimes, it¡¯s all right if we¡¯re incapable, for we can


    always take our time to learn. However, if we are too ambitious for our own good and bite off more than


    we can chew, we will just end up embarrassing ourselves.¡±


    When she realized Susanne had seen through her lie about making breakfast, Penelope¡¯s face turned


    red.


    She had no choice but to force a smile. ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, it¡¯s true that I didn¡¯t cook breakfast alone.


    Nevertheless, I monitored the entire process from ingredient selection to the cooking.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate what you have done.¡± Susanne pulled out a chair and sat down.


    Just when Penelope was about to ask whether she needed to be served, Susanne instructed Geoffrey,


    ¡°Take all of this away and distribute it to the housekeeper. After that, prepare my usual breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Nightshire!¡± After bowing in acknowledgment, Geoffrey turned around and ordered the


    housekeepers to do the same.


    With her face turning pale, Penelope could feel the rage swelling within her.


    She felt humiliated by the fact that Susanne had ordered the food she had painstakingly monitored


    from early in the morning to be given to the housekeepers.


    Despite the anger she felt, Penelope didn¡¯t dare show it. She could only probe, ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, since


    I¡¯m new here, I have no idea what you like for breakfast. Why don¡¯t you tell me so that I can prepare it


    from tomorrow morning onward.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no such need!¡± Susanne waved her hand impatiently. ¡°There¡¯s no way you know how to


    prepare what I want.¡±


    Even though she felt awkward, Penelope was also curious as to what Susanne had for breakfast.


    After all, she had already gotten the cook to prepare all kinds of breakfast imaginable.


    Soon, Geoffrey was seen bringing a bowl of hot ravioli up to the table.


    Having assumed that Susanne would usually have a feast for breakfast, Penelope was surprised to see


    just a bowl of ravioli.


    She couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°Do you only have ravioli for breakfast?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Susanne gave her the side-eye. ¡°This is the best ravioli in the entire world!¡±


    Penelope smiled alongside her. ¡°Yes, yes. It just caught me by surprise. Since you love ravioli, I¡¯ll make


    it tomorrow for you, as it¡¯s something I know how to do.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Susanne snorted. ¡°You don¡¯t know how to make this one!¡±


    Penelope was exasperated at hearing the samement twice.


    Isn¡¯t it just ravioli? Given how simple it is, how can I not be able to make it?


    Observing Penelope¡¯s expression, Susanne knew what was going through her mind. She ordered


    Geoffrey, ¡°Let her try some so that she knows what ravioli is supposed to taste like.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Nightshire.¡± Geoffrey bowed and served Penelope a bowl.


    Penelope did a mental roll of her eyes.


    What does she mean by letting me know what actual ravioli is?


    Penelope was unconvinced by Susanne¡¯s praise for it. If someone else other than Susanne had uttered


    those words, she would have ridiculed the person as a country bumpkin.


    Despite thinking otherwise, Penelope pretended to be honored instead. Suppressing the anger inside


    her, she put a piece of ravioli in her mouth.

 Chapter 1252

    Chapter 1252


    Chapter 1252 The Difference


    In an instant, the delicious vors of the ravioli burst into her mouth.


    She could taste the onion and prawn-infused juices as theyers of vors gradually sipped in her


    mouth. At that moment, the tip of her tongue felt a sensation that she had never experienced before,


    causing her eyes to light up.


    This ravioli is out of this world! No wonder Susanne is so confident that I¡¯m unable to reproduce this


    taste.


    Penelope couldn¡¯t believe how something so simple could taste so delicious. Consequently, she was


    amazed by the culinary skill of the one who made them.


    ¡°These ravioli are amazing! Who is the chef that made them? I have never tried such delicious ravioli


    before.¡±


    Penelope couldn¡¯t hide her amazement.


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    When she quickly noticed the proud look on Susanne¡¯s face, a name popped into her mind.


    ¡°Is Ms. Moore the one who made them?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Susanne raised her brow. ¡°Do you now know how wide the gap is between both of you?¡±


    Nodding in acknowledgment, Penelope failed to crack a smile despite trying desperately to.


    There¡¯s no way I can beat Arielle when ites to cooking. What about something else? In terms of


    looks, Arielle¡¯s poprity in showbiz began from her looks, and she isn¡¯t called the ¡°people¡¯s goddess¡±


    for nothing. Even though I spent half an hour with my makeup today, there¡¯s no way I can top Arielle¡¯s


    natural beauty.


    When it came toparing capabilities, Penelope¡¯s family went bankrupt during her freshman year at


    university, causing her to drop out due to her failure to pay her tuition fees.


    As for Arielle, not only did she graduate from Maxwell University, but she was also the chairman of the


    renowned Sann Group.


    At that moment, Penelope was filled with despair when she realized that she was no match for Arielle


    at all.


    When Susanne saw through Penelope¡¯s expression, her mood brightened up alongside her appetite.


    Hence, she began to wolf down her bowl of ravioli.


    Once she was done, she remembered not seeing Arielle and Vinson. Subsequently, she turned toward


    Geoffrey and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Sannie and my son?¡±


    Sannie was Arielle¡¯s nickname. Ever since Susanne found it to be more intimate sounding, she always


    addressed Arielle that way. Hence, the servants naturally knew who Sannie was.


    Geoffrey replied cordially, ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Nightshire have gone out.¡±


    ¡°This early? Together?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Geoffrey shook his head. ¡°Mr. Nightshire left first, saying that he had something to do at the


    office. Mrs. Nightshire might have gone on set, for she was recently cast in a movie directed by Sam


    Sleight.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Sam is a talented director. It looks as if my daughter-inw is going to bring glory to the


    family in a whole new field.¡±


    The more Susanne thought about it, the happier she became. She instructed Geoffrey, ¡°Since I¡¯m in a


    good mood today, invite my friends over for a card game.¡±


    Even though Susanne didn¡¯t know what was wrong with her son, a good night¡¯s sleep allowed rity to


    return to her mind.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    After all, she knew her son better than anyone else. Despite his sharp tongue, he had a soft heart.


    Although he carried an indifferent expression all the time, he was someone gentle and loyal at his core.


    Thus, she was confident that once Arielle and Vinson resolved whatever problems they were having,


    thedy in heavy makeup in front of her would disappear from the manor without her lifting a finger.


    With that thought in mind, Susanne gave Penelope the cold shoulder and got Geoffrey to set up her


    card game.


    ¡°Right away!¡± Geoffrey acknowledged and went out on the pretext of calling Susanne¡¯s friends.


    However, he didn¡¯t make the call after leaving. Instead, he headed to the sshouse on the manor¡¯s


    grounds instead.

 Chapter 1253

    Chapter 1253


    Chapter 1253 Mysterious Figure


    The sshouse was located right in the center of the garden and had a design simr to that of a


    birdcage. Inside, there were many rare nts including those that could be made into priceless


    medicinal concoctions.


    One of the building¡¯s highlights was the fact that it was covered with roses. Hence, one couldn¡¯t really


    see what was going on inside.


    On his way there, Geoffrey avoided everyone. It wasn¡¯t until he was certain that the coast was clear


    that he quickly sneaked into the sshouse.


    The moment he entered, he was greeted by the sight of a blond man dressed in ck. With his back


    facing Geoffrey, the man was admiring the contents of the sshouse.


    ¡°Tsk, there are rare and precious orchids¡­ And yet, there are just so many of them in here. Vinson


    lives a very good life indeed.¡±


    The man was speaking in anguage that Geoffrey didn¡¯t understand. He could only identify it as not


    being Ustranasion.


    ¡°Ahem!¡± Geoffrey cleared his throat before walking up to him.


    ¡°Mister¡­¡±


    Geoffrey approached awkwardly. ¡°May I know if my wife and child-¡±


    ¡°Hush!¡± The man turned around to reveal the silver mask covering his face.


    Nevertheless, Geoffrey could clearly see that he had blue eyes. Evidently, he wasn¡¯t Chanaean.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Geoffrey remembered thest person who met him had eyes of a different color. Hence, he wondered if


    this man was their leader.


    Before Geoffrey had time to think, the man pointed at a rainbow-colored rose and remarked, ¡°Does


    Mrs. Nightshire like roses?¡±


    Stunned, Geoffrey answered instinctively, ¡°I¡¯m not really sure.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± The man narrowed his gaze as displeasure filled his eyes.


    Gulping in terror, Geoffrey replied at once, ¡°She probably doesn¡¯t like flowers, for I have never seen Mr.


    Nightshire giving them to her. Moreover, she has never bought any for herself.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± The man fell into deep thought.


    Geoffrey couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°About my wife and child-¡±


    Before he could finish, the man interrupted him again, ¡°The woman that was brought homest night.


    Did she sleep here?¡±


    Geoffrey finally realized that he needed to feed the man with useful information before he could


    ascertain the safety of his family.


    Given that Geoffrey had worked at the Nightshire manor for decades and watched Vinson grow up, he


    felt tormented by his guilt for betraying thetter.


    However, when he thought of his wife and son, he had no choice but to reply, ¡°Yes, Ms. Little stayed


    overnight here.¡±


    ¡°What else?¡±


    Geoffrey gave it some thought before adding, ¡°When Mrs. Nightshire knew Mr. Vinson brought a


    woman home, she wanted to kick the woman out of the house. However, Mr. Vinson stopped her


    instead. Feeling upset, Ms. Arielle slept separately from Mr. Vinson in the first-floor guest room.¡±


    ¡°Slept separately?¡± The masked man beamed underneath his mask, delighted by the news.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Geoffrey swallowed his saliva and continued, ¡°Both of them seem to be in conflict, sparking


    tension in the atmosphere. My guess is that Mr. Nightshire brought thedy home to get on Mrs.


    Nightshire¡¯s nerves.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°And then¡­¡± Despite racking his brains, Geoffrey shook his head. ¡°There nothing else that¡¯s out of the


    ordinary. As for Ms. Little-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to know about the affairs of those who are irrelevant.¡± The man raised his hand to stop


    Geoffrey. ¡°Your wife and son are safe at the moment. Nheless, their return will depend on how


    much more information you can provide me.¡±

 Chapter 1254

    Chapter 1254


    Chapter 1254 A Photo Of The Man


    Fearful for their lives, Geoffrey broke out in cold sweat, for the masked man¡¯s intention couldn¡¯t be any


    clearer.


    If he couldn¡¯t provide any useful information, his family¡¯s days would be numbered.


    Despite the defiance within him, Geoffrey had no choice but to nod. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll definitely help you


    monitor Mr. and Mrs. Nightshire.¡±


    ¡°Mmm-hmm.¡± The man nodded in return before striding out without fear of being discovered.


    The man scarcely walked out when Geoffrey gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Mister¡­¡±


    The man turned around and gave Geoffrey a scrutinizing look.


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    ¡°Actually¡­¡± Right when the words were about to leave Geoffrey¡¯s mouth, he struggled with himself


    before changing his mind. ¡°The security here has been tightened recently. Hence, you had better be


    more careful when you leave.¡±


    The man shrugged his shoulders before turning around and leaving the sshouse.


    After watching the man¡¯s silhouette disappear, the tension in Geoffrey¡¯s body was released as he


    dropped to his knees, drenched in sweat.


    He had intended to say that there was something strange about Arielle and Vinson quarreling and also


    the fact that Vinson brought anotherdy home.


    Nheless, the decades-long bond he had built with the Nightshire family caused him to swallow


    those words.


    Betraying the Nightshires had already caused dark rings to appear around his eyes from all the


    sleepless nights he was having.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Unfortunately, he still couldn¡¯t bring himself to confess the matter to them.


    At the end of the day, his loyalty was so strong that he was unable to betray them despite the lives of


    his family hanging by a thread.


    Closing his eyes and sping his palms together, he prayed, ¡°I hope everything will be over soon.¡±


    He also hoped that Vinson would quickly realize that something was amiss and track down the masked


    man.


    In spite of that, his hopes remained just that. The only thing he could do was to continue acting as a


    mole and answer all the questions the enemy had.


    Unknown to both the masked man and Geoffrey, a pair of eyes was watching them closely.


    A few minutester, Arielle was walking on the street when she received a call from one of the


    housekeepers.


    With a twitch of her eyelid, she answered the call at once.


    ¡°Did you discover anything?¡± Arielle asked right away.


    The housekeeper¡¯s voice rang out.


    ¡°I saw Geoffrey enter the sshouse. A short whileter, another man came out and left by scaling the


    wall. I had wanted to raise the rm but decided to call you first.¡±


    ¡°You did well.¡± After a momentary silence, Arielle asked, ¡°Did you manage to take a photo of the man?¡±


    ¡°I did! However, it¡¯s in video form, as I was worried about the sound the camera might make.¡±


    ¡°Send it to me right away, and don¡¯t mention it to anyone else. Just continue to go about your work.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Nightshire!¡± The housekeeper ended the call excitedly, for she was proud of having made a


    significant contribution.


    Soon, Arielle received a message from the housekeeper.


    She wasn¡¯t afraid that the contents of the message were leaked because Vinson hade to see her


    the night before. Not only did he spend the night with her and exin the situation, but he also handed


    her a new phone.


    Going forward, both of them would stay in touch using the new phone which no one else knew about.


    After clicking on the video to watch it, she saw the masked man walk out of the sshouse.


    Due to the angle the video was filmed, she could only see the man¡¯s silhouette in the beginning.


    Nevertheless, Arielle broadly narrowed down the person to the man she met on the cruise from just his


    silhouette alone.


    At the veryst second of the video, the man turned his head to reveal the side profile, allowing Arielle


    to confirm her suspicion.

 Chapter 1255

    Chapter 1255


    Chapter 1255 Taking Advantage


    At that very moment, a taxi suddenly stopped by her side.


    Its windows wound down to reveal Vinson¡¯s face.


    ¡°Miss, where are you going? Given what a beauty you are, I¡¯ll send you there for free.¡±


    ¡°Pfft¡­¡±


    Vinson seldom joked. Even when he did, his face would still have a serious expression on. In spite of


    that, Arielle was still tickled by him.


    ¡°Thank you very much, mister.¡±


    After getting into the car, Arielle scanned the inside of the vehicle and asked, ¡°Where did you get this


    taxi?¡±


    ¡°From the taxipany.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t they disallow their taxis from being loaned to outsiders?¡±


    Vinson raised his brows and exined, ¡°That¡¯s correct. That¡¯s why I bought the entirepany.¡±


    Stunned momentarily, Arielle replied, ¡°What a smart idea!¡±


    Money does make the world go round. Why didn¡¯t I think of that in the first ce?


    Holding that thought, Arielle decided to splurge when the opportunity arises. Or else, there was no


    ce for her to spend the massive profits from Sann Group and Maureen¡¯s Kitchen.


    As Vinson began to drive, he asked, ¡°Are you going to the Mill residence directly?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Arielle shook her head. ¡°We are only meeting at ten. Before that, I have to return to the set for a


    reshoot.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    Without any hesitation, Vinson floored the elerator to the set.


    Along the way, Arielle shared the video with Vinson.


    Both of them agreed that the man who wanted to sow discord between them wasn¡¯t the same as the


    one who wanted to kill them. Instead, it was the man who saved Arielle on the cruise by ident.


    ¡°That man¡­¡± Vinson furrowed his brows and remarked, ¡°I have no idea where he came from. After I


    saw him face to face thest time, I tried to find out who he was from his facial features. Unfortunately, I


    couldn¡¯t find a match throughout the world.¡±


    Arielle remembered the incident. She too had mobilized her contacts but came up empty-handed too.


    ¡°Can it be,¡± Vinson guessed, ¡°that he¡¯s wearing a hyper-realistic mask? I heard such technologically


    advanced masks have been recently invented; one can easily pass off as someone else.¡±


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°No.¡± Arielle shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s definitely not a hyper-realistic mask.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so sure?¡±


    Arielle retorted with a smug smile, ¡°Do you know whichpany invented it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that it¡¯s one of yours.¡±


    Snap! Arielle snapped her fingers. ¡°That¡¯s right. Sann Group is the one responsible, and I have been


    personally monitoring the hyper-realistic mask project. Thus, I have a better understanding of it than


    anyone else. Even though it makes for a sessful disguise from afar, one can still see the seams up


    close. On top of that, I can tell from my interactions with him that he is definitely not wearing such a


    mask. Also, the sale of such masks is highly regted. One has to work in special sectors, such asw


    enforcement to qualify. Thus, ordinary folk or those with bad intentions have no ess to them.¡±


    ¡°In that case, this is a tough nut to crack. It¡¯s impossible for anyone to hide their identity from all the


    global databases without a hyper-realistic mask.


    Vinson¡¯s gaze darkened as he frowned.


    Although Arielle didn¡¯t mention it, Vinson was cognizant that she was the man¡¯s target instead of him.


    The reason the man was trying to sow discord was to create an opening for himself.


    Consequently, the mysterious romantic rival made Vinson feel threatened in a way that he never felt


    before.


    With that thought in mind, their car arrived at the film set¡¯s entrance.

 Chapter 1256

    Chapter 1256


    Chapter 1256 Pushing His Luck


    ¡°I appreciate the fact that you bought a taxipany just to send me to work. Anyway, you should go


    back and get some sleep since there¡¯s still some time before you start work.¡±


    As soon as Arielle touched the car door, Vinson grabbed her.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    When Arielle turned around in surprise, she saw Vinson¡¯s unsatisfied look. Knitting his brows, he


    asked, ¡°A word of thanks and that¡¯s it? Aren¡¯t you going to show your appreciation with some actions?¡±


    Arielle shrugged. ¡°What kind of action are you expecting?¡±


    Vinson pointed at his lips. ¡°It feels kind of dry here.¡±


    Despite shooting Vinson a shy look, she still leaned in to give him a kiss.


    When she felt the cold touch of his lips, she was reminded of what happened the night before¡ªa


    passionate entanglement of ice and fire.


    Due to the effects of the drug, that was the first time she had expressed her unrestrained lust.


    All this while, she had always been shy when it came to being intimate, just like any other girl.


    Regardless of whether it was their first time, it was difficult to stay calm, even for her.


    Thus, her cheeks blushed red even though it was just a light peck.


    Just when she was about to alight after the kiss, Vinson pulled her back again and pointed to his


    forehead.


    ¡°It¡¯s dry here too.¡±


    Arielle relented and kissed him where he wanted.


    Nevertheless, it still wasn¡¯t enough as Vinson pointed to his nose. ¡°This spot is dry too.¡±


    Arielle squirmed her lips in response. ¡°Vinson, stop pushing your luck!¡±


    When he realized that he had gotten on her nerves, Vinson suppressed his greed and remarked, ¡°Wait


    for me, as I¡¯ll walk you to the set after parking the car.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Arielle stopped him.


    ¡°You can¡¯t go in.¡±


    ¡°Why? I¡¯ve postponed all my work to the afternoon so that I can have the morning with you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­¡± Arielle mumbled, ¡°Didn¡¯t you read the news? Yesterday, I told the crew that I was going


    to catch my husband cheating so that I could avoid going to dinner with them. Obviously, no one knows


    it was you. Hence, if you walk in with me, I would end up being ridiculed.¡±


    Even though the production team was afraid of gossiping in front of Vinson, theizens didn¡¯t share


    their fear once the matter was leaked.


    The inte was just like a sea of strangers. With everyone wearing a mask online, no one knew who


    the other was in real life.


    Arielle had barely spoken when Vinson fell silent for a few seconds.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She rubbed her hand apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Vinson pointed to the back seat. ¡°I¡¯m not here in my own capacity. Instead, I¡¯m supposed to


    be your assistant.¡±


    When Arielle followed the trajectory of his fingers, she saw a face mask and a baseball cap.


    She shrugged. ¡°You never cease to amaze me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, boss. May I ask if I can now go filming by your side? Coincidentally, I would like to check


    on the progress of the movie I have invested in.¡±


    Arielle nodded in resignation. ¡°Come along then. However, remember not to speak or take off your cap.


    You must keep your identity a secret, okay?¡±


    All of a sudden, Vinson felt as if he was an incapable husband.


    However, the thought of them going to be separated by a long distance for three days gave him the


    urge to spend every second he had with her.

 Chapter 1257

    Chapter 1257


    Chapter 1257 A Mute


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely not reveal my identity. You can just tell them that I¡¯m a mute. That way, I don¡¯t


    even need to make a sound.¡±


    ¡°Fine. In that case, that¡¯s what you¡¯ll be today.¡± Just as she spoke, Arielle opened the car door and


    alighted.


    As both of them entered the film studio one after another, they encountered many of Arielle¡¯s fans who


    asked for photos and autographs.


    Since it was early, Arielle wanted to oblige. However, Vinson carried out his duty by keeping them


    away.


    In contrast to the female fans whom Vinson allowed to approach Arielle, he would ensure the male fans


    stay more than a meter away¡ªhe was nothing but a jealous man.


    Even though Arielle felt nonplussed about it, she refrained from censuring him and allowed him to


    escort her however he wished.


    The set consisted of a simple 3D-printed apartment building. At the end of the movie, the building


    would be destroyed by the monster¡¯s attack. But for now, it was still a safe ce that was filled with life.


    As Sam was due to fly off in the afternoon, he was still around in the morning for Arielle¡¯s reshoot.


    Arielle assumed that she had arrived early and didn¡¯t expect Sam to be there even earlier than her. At


    that moment, he was in a discussion with a couple of supporting actors.


    ¡°For the scenes in the next two days, you must bring out your characters from the script, especially the


    part where you¡¯re supposed to be selfish. Annabelle, your role in particr is artistically challenging.


    Early in the movie, you have to make the audience hate you. In theter part, your character will


    redeem herself when she saves her own child. Thus, you cannot show the good side of your character


    until the end.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Annabelle was a budding actress who won the best-supporting actress award in a


    recent period film. Hence, she put on airs wherever she went.


    In the face of Sam¡¯s instructions, she couldn¡¯t resist retorting, ¡°Mr. Sleight, why do you keep lecturing


    me and not do the same to Arielle? She is the female lead and a new actress. From my perspective,


    you had better guide her instead of wasting time on us.¡±


    Annabelle was obviously insinuating that Arielle couldn¡¯t act and wasn¡¯t deserving of the female lead


    role.


    Since thest two days of filming didn¡¯t involve her, she wasn¡¯t around to watch Arielle¡¯s impressive


    performance.


    Upon hearing the snarkyment, Sam knitted his brows.


    Just when he was about to praise Arielle¡¯s performance, he heard a crisp voice ring out from behind.


    ¡°She¡¯s right, Mr. Sleight. For today¡¯s reshoot, there¡¯s a part that I don¡¯t fully understand. If you have the


    time, please guide me through it.¡±


    The moment Annabelle heard the voice, she looked toward its source.


    When she saw Arielle¡¯s stunning face, she was filled with both jealousy and awkwardness, for she


    didn¡¯t expect Arielle to hear what she said.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Even though she was convinced that Arielle didn¡¯t deserve the female lead role, she couldn¡¯t deny the


    envy she felt over thetter¡¯s beauty.


    Just her looks alone make her deserving of the female lead role even if she can¡¯t act.


    As conflicting emotions raged within her, she let out a Freudian slip, ¡°I¡¯m just worried someone doesn¡¯t


    understand Mr. Sleight¡¯s instructions.¡±


    Herment brimmed with resentment.

 Chapter 1258

    Chapter 1258


    Chapter 1258 Taking Down Arielle


    By instinct, Arielle snuck a nce at Vinson who was behind her. She was worried that he would lose


    his temper, take off his mask, and reveal their identity to threaten Annabelle.


    Unexpectedly, Vinson didn¡¯t bat an eyelid. With his baseball cap covering half his face, she was unable


    to see his expression at all.


    Vinson clearly looked as if he didn¡¯t hear what Annabelle said.


    Looks like my concern was unnecessary.


    Heaving a sigh of relief, Arielle felt an unexined sense of anger well up within her.


    However, she was quickly embarrassed by it.


    What¡¯s wrong with me? I¡¯m no longer a teenage girl who has just fallen in love. Why am I peeved over


    something as trivial as this?


    After taking a deep breath, Arielle ignored Annabelle¡¯s insinuations and asked Sam, ¡°Mr. Sleight, since


    we have not started filming, can you walk me through my scene?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Sam readily agreed with an embarrassed expression. In the meantime, he gave Annabelle the


    side-eye.


    Even though Annabelle viewed Arielle with scorn, she didn¡¯t say anything further in front of thetter,


    for Arielle was still the chairman of Sann Group. Squirming her lips, shey on her chair and rested


    instead.


    Sam didn¡¯t bring up the matter too. After all, it wasmon to have minor conflicts among the film


    crew.


    Nevertheless, he still felt bad because Arielle was someone he invited through painstaking effort. After


    leading her to somece where they could speak in private, he apologized, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Ms.


    Moore. That actress-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it!¡± Arielle interrupted Sam. She knew what Sam had wanted to say, but she truly


    wasn¡¯t bothered by the matter at all.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Only when Sam was certain that Arielle wasn¡¯t angry did he feel a sense of relief.


    At the same time, he also noticed the person behind Arielle.


    ¡°And this is?¡± he asked curiously.


    Arielle responded with a gasp before asking self-consciously, ¡°My assistant, can I let him join the


    crew?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Sam nodded in approval.


    After all, it would be weird for the chairman of Sann Group to be moving around alone. That aside, the


    assistant does look quite familiar.


    Just when Sam tilted his head to get a better look at the face hiding underneath the baseball cap,


    Arielle stepped aside and whipped out her script. ¡°There¡¯s something I would like to ask about this


    scene.¡±


    The moment Sam heard that it was about work, he set aside his curiosity and began his discussion


    with Arielle.¡±


    In truth, that particr scene wasn¡¯t hard to understand. The challengey in choosing the appropriate


    bodynguage to express it.


    Sam was extremely experienced despite his youth. Hence, he exined, ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to


    n your actions ahead of time. Instead, just imagine that the residents of the building are still intent on


    covering up the appearance of a murderous monster just to protect the price of their property. By doing


    so, you will instinctively know what sort of emotions and bodynguage to use when you read out your


    lines.¡±


    In that scene, Arielle, in her role as a policewoman, had just subdued the monster and wanted to call


    the police. However, the building¡¯s residents locked her in the gym to stop her from doing so, just to


    protect the value of their property.


    Today, Arielle was also supposed to film how she defeated the monster which wasn¡¯t considered a


    difficult scene. All she had to do was to practice her fighting moves with the stunt coordinator. Instead,


    the challengey in expressing the human emotions of the scene, where she had to show it without


    being overly dramatic.


    In a nutshell, Arielle¡¯s reshoots for the day involved the battle with the monster, the conflict with the


    building residents, and the part where she was locked up by them.


    Given that she had to be at the Mill residence by ten, she was running short of time and needed to


    complete the scenes within three takes.


    Therefore, Arielle spoke to Sam earnestly. Furthermore, she would also nod and jot down notes


    intermittently.


    When the resting Annabelle saw what she was doing, she remarked to her assistant with a snort,


    ¡°Look, someone is pretending to be hardworking after hearing my criticism. Since the media aren¡¯t


    allowed in here, who is she putting up a show for?¡±


    Her assistant, Lara Donan, added fuel to fire. ¡°Exactly, look at that slutty expression of hers. I wonder if


    she had seduced Mr. Sleight, causing him to go against public opinion and choose her as the female


    lead despite herck of experience.


    ¡°Against public opinion?¡± Annabelle tilted her head and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Lara replied enthusiastically, ¡°I heard some gossip today that Arielle wasn¡¯t the female lead in the


    beginning. In fact, the original actress seemed to be Arielle¡¯s younger sister. It wasn¡¯t until Mr. Sleight


    met Arielle for the first time that he went to see our film¡¯s investor.¡±


    ¡°Vinson Nightshire?¡±


    ¡°Exactly! Perhaps, Mr. Sleight strongly rmended Arielle, hence the decision to choose her as the


    female lead.¡±


    After hearing Lara¡¯s words, the indignance Annabelle felt grew stronger.


    How can I be a supporting actress to a female lead who slept her way into the role? This is nothing but


    a joke.


    Just as anger swelled within her, Annabelle¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°I have an idea on how to deal with her!¡±


    Stunned, Lara advised rationally, ¡°Please don¡¯t be impulsive, Arielle is the chairman of Sann Group. If


    you offend her, we might have to suffer the consequences.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Annabelle dered confidently, ¡°I will make it look like an ident, and no one will be


    the wiser!¡±


    Despite nodding in acknowledgment, Lara was still unnerved and felt her right eyelid twitch.


    Given that it was an ominous sign, she wondered if something terrible was about to happen.


    Holding that thought, she continued to dissuade Annabelle against it. Unfortunately, thetter refused


    to listen and ordered Lara to shut up, to which she had no choice but toply.


    Soon, with the crew gathered, the cameramen were ready to start filming.


    Just when Arielle was about to walk on set, a hand suddenly grabbed her wrist.


    Turning around by reflex, she saw Jason with an apologetic expression.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry about yesterday!¡± Gritting his teeth, Jason murmured, ¡°Regardless of how angry I was, I


    shouldn¡¯t have left you on the street. When I returned to look for you, you were nowhere to be found.


    Also, you didn¡¯t answer when I called. Did you manage to get home safely?¡±


    Before Arielle could reply, a towering figure stepped in right in front of her.


    When she raised her gaze, she recognized the back of Vinson¡¯s head.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Jason scowled as he look curiously at Vinson but was unable to see his face.


    Not only was Vinson taller, but he also emanated an intimidating aura.


    Who is this man?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. He¡¯s my assistant.¡± Arielle pulled Vinson aside and smiled apologetically. ¡°Let¡¯s just forget


    about yesterday. We should instead get ready, as filming is about to start.¡±

 Chapter 1259

    Chapter 1259


    Chapter 1259 Disfigured


    ¡°Mmm-hmm.¡± Jason nodded before giving Vinson another suspicious look.


    Somehow, he could sense that something was amiss.


    But since Sam was calling out to him, he had no choice but to set his curiosity aside and get to work.


    The filming location was set at the gym entrance on the apartment building¡¯s first floor.


    The first scene was to show the monster about to attack Jason. At the crucial moment, Arielle


    appeared and rescued him. Subsequently, both of them worked together to subdue the monster.


    In the plot, Jason started out as a coward. Hence, the scenesrgely involved Arielle fighting alone.


    Thest time he saw her filming was when she was working on amercial for Soir Coffee.


    Since shooting amercial was very unlike filming a movie, which was significantly more difficult,


    Vinson was worried that she might hurt herself in the process.


    Amidst Vinson¡¯s concerns, filming finally began.


    The monster was being yed by a stuntman dressed in green so that the special effects could be


    addedter.


    The moment he appeared, he charged like a raving monster at Jason, who had fallen onto the ground.


    Evidently, the stuntman was very professional.


    In the nick of time, Arielleunched a flying kick and sent the ¡°monster¡± flying, sparking a raging battle


    between the two.


    The scene was so gripping that everyone watched from the edge of their seats. Five to six minutes


    later, Sam yelled, ¡°Cut!¡± Subsequently, hemented in delight, ¡°Well done, we managed to do this in


    one take! All we need to doter is to shoot the flying kick from another angle.¡±


    Only then were Vinson¡¯s worries eased.


    ¡°Whoo!¡± After letting out a breath, he heard a faint female voiceing up from behind.


    ¡°Hmph! I didn¡¯t expect her to actually have some skills. However, what¡¯s the big deal in acting well in an


    action sequence? Considering that human emotions are central to the plot, it¡¯s more important for her


    to have real acting skills.¡±


    Evidently, the words were aimed at Arielle.


    When Vinson turned to see who made the remarks, he realized that it was the actress who ridiculed


    Arielle earlier.


    At the same time, Annabelle caught Vinson¡¯s gaze, for it was so cold it send a shiver down her spine.


    Knitting her brows, she snapped, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    How dare a lowly assistant give me such a hostile look? Does he not want to work in the entertainment


    industry anymore? Arielle might be the chairman of Sann Group, but the group isn¡¯t powerful enough to


    hold sway in the entertainment industry.


    Given that she used to be a child actress and grew up in showbiz, herwork in the industry was


    significantlyrger than that of Arielle.


    A single word from her would be enough to have the assistant cklisted from the industry.


    Despite having admonished Vinson, Annabelle noticed that he was still ring at her, upsetting her


    further.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You-¡±


    ¡°All right, everyone be quiet. Action!¡±


    Coincidentally, Sam was about to shoot the flying kick scene. Thus, Annabelle had no choice but to


    suppress her anger and keep her mouth shut.


    Unfortunately, the look Vinson gave her only intensified her desire to teach Arielle a lesson through the


    ¡°ident.¡±


    Considering her beauty is what made her popr, I¡¯m going to ruin that face of hers and see if her fans


    still like a disfigured female entrepreneur.


    Since humans were visual animals, Annabelle was certain that no one would like Arielle once she lost


    her looks.


    With that thought in mind, she smirked with a vicious glint in her eye.


    Unbeknownst to her, the change in her expression was entirely caught by Vinson.


    Meanwhile, Arielle had a five-minute break after finishing her scene.


    Just when she wanted Vinson to get her a ss of water, thetter pulled her along to the gym¡¯s break


    room.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Arielle asked curiously. ¡°Do you need to leave already?¡±


    ¡°No. I just want to warn you about that actress,¡± Vinson highlighted with a grim expression.


    ¡°Thedy called Annabelle?¡±


    Vinson nodded. ¡°You have to watch out for her during filming, for I have a feeling she is up to no good.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯ll be fine,¡± Arielle replied with a shrug. ¡°We¡¯re working among the film crew with plenty of


    eyes watching. Moreover, I have never had any interaction with her. Thus, there¡¯s no reason why she


    would take such a big risk to harm me. Even if she resents me, the most she¡¯ll do is make some snarky


    comments.¡±


    It¡¯s not a big deal if she just throws an insult here and there.


    Nevertheless, Vinson furrowed his brows at her words.


    ¡°Whatever it is, you can never be too careful. Anyway, aren¡¯t you going to have a scene with her?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡± Arielle nodded. ¡°But, it¡¯s in a group of six to seven people. She won¡¯t have a chance to do


    anything to me.¡±


    Arielle assumed the worst Annabelle could do was steal her lines.


    Since it was a group scene, she didn¡¯t mind it at all.


    After all, she didn¡¯t ept a role in the movie just to be famous.


    ¡°Even then, you still have to be careful,¡± Vinson reminded.


    Arielle nodded earnestly. ¡°I understand and will watch out for her.¡±


    ¡°Mmm-hmm.¡± Only then did the tension on Vinson¡¯s face ease.


    Right when they left the break room one after the other, Jason approached.


    ¡°Arielle.¡±


    When she turned around, she saw Jason looking at Vinson warily. ¡°I didn¡¯t get the opportunity earlier to


    ask you who the guy behind you is.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Arielle answered with a smile, ¡°I almost forgot to introduce you. He¡¯s my assistant and also my


    temporary driver.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the female bodyguard you previously had?¡±


    Arielle replied casually, ¡°She¡¯s not feeling well, so he¡¯s the recement.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ An assistant¡­¡± With that, Jason stopped paying attention to Vinson, as a lowly assistant


    wasn¡¯t worth his time.


    Smiling wryly, Arielle nced at Vinson from the corner of her eye. The sullen expression on his face


    seemed to be telling her he was going to interrogate her when they got back home.


    Gulping instinctively, Arielle didn¡¯t dare speak to Jason any further, for fear that Vinson would do


    something rash. Thus, she made some idle chatter before quickly preparing for her second scene.


    Fortunately, Jason didn¡¯t continue to pester her because he too needed to practice his lines which were


    aplenty in the group scene.


    As the scene was Arielle¡¯sst and she needed to rush to the Mill residence soon, she only had an


    hour left to wrap it up.


    With that thought in mind, Arielle intensified the focus on her preparation.


    Soon, filming was about to start again.


    After arranging everyone in their specific position, Sam stood behind his monitor and prepared to film.

 Chapter 1260

    Chapter 1260


    Chapter 1260 Filming


    This was the second scene for the day and also Arielle¡¯sst.


    Set right in front of the gym¡¯s entrance, the group scene involved a lot of people in a huge area. In


    order to make it look real, none from the director¡¯s team followed Sam there.


    After having her makeup touched up, Arielle attracted everyone¡¯s attention when she came on set with


    Vinson.


    ¡°Thatdy is gorgeous.¡±


    ¡°You fool, that¡¯s Arielle! That aside, I noticed that the man by her side looks pretty good too. Don¡¯t you


    think he¡¯s charming? Sadly, I can¡¯t see his face.¡±


    Standing in position, the actors gossiped excitedly among themselves. In fact, some of them were even


    waving at Arielle. If Sam hadn¡¯t set them in ce, they would likely have rushed up to her to get her


    autograph.


    Arielle nodded in response.


    Not in a rush to leave, Vinson reminded again, ¡°No matter how chaotic it gets, you have to be careful.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s heart was warmed by his concern. Therefore, she promised him she would take care of herself


    and shooed him away, for Sam was already waving at them.


    Once Vinson moved aside, the cameramen were ready to film.


    The moment Sam yelled action and snapped the pper board, the actors swarmed toward Arielle.


    One could see how sharp Arielle¡¯s actions were through the camera. Even though she appeared to be


    pushed by the crowd, Annabelle, who was in close proximity, realized that no one was physically


    touching her at all.


    Despite her dramatic movements, Arielle¡¯s performance looked vibrant due to her regr exercise.


    The better she looks now, the greater the controversy when she¡¯s disfigured.


    Holding that thought, Annabelle smiled insidiously as she stood in position and reached into her bag


    discreetly, thinking that no one was looking at her.


    Meanwhile, Sam knitted his brows by reflex when he saw what she was doing through his monitor.


    However, before he could say a word, Annabelle suddenly dashed toward her original spot.


    Recalling that Arielle only had one hour, Sam refrained from shouting ¡°cut¡± despite the urge to do so.


    Annabelle is just a supporting actress. Her mistake can be correctedter.


    Other than Sam, Vinson also noticed Annabelle¡¯s minute actions.


    Thinking that her n was wless, Annabelle lunged at Arielle after squeezing her way through the


    crowd. With her hands waving in the air, it was clear that she was aiming for Arielle¡¯s face.


    Little did she know that Arielle was being vignt.


    Upon seeing Annabelle throw herself forward, Arielle dodged to her side. It would have been the


    perfect move if not for the crowd of actors getting in her way.


    In the end, Annabelle still made contact, causing Arielle to feel a stinging pain in her neck before a


    gradual numbness settled in.


    Under normal circumstances, she should only feel pain. Therefore¡­


    When Arielle raised her gaze with the intention of grabbing Annabelle, Vinson had dashed out swiftly


    like the wind.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Grabbing Annabelle by the neck, he pinned her tightly against the wall.


    ¡°Let go of me! I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. What give you the right to do this to me!¡± Annabelle was briefly


    stunned before she started to struggle vehemently.


    When she snuck a nce at Arielle¡¯s light wound, her face was filled with exasperation, for she had


    missed her target by an inch.

 Chapter 1261

    Chapter 1261


    Chapter 1261 Terminating The Contract


    She had an idea after scanning her surroundings.


    ¡°What¡¯s so great about being the female lead? Can you bully others just because you¡¯ve got some


    backing?¡±


    She intentionally raised her voice, so that everyone present could hear her loud and clear.


    The extras stood rooted to their spots. Subsequently, they started exchanging whispers. Some even


    whipped out their phones to record a live video of what was seemingly an episode of ¡°the female lead¡¯s


    bodyguard humiliates the supporting actress¡±.


    Vinson removed his face mask and turned to the crowd.


    Though the extras could not recognize him, they could tell from the aura he exuded that the man was


    nothing short of ordinary.


    As a third-tier actress, Annabelle knew who he was exactly.


    He was the one whom she had been dreaming about day and night.


    Why is the CEO of Nightshire Group here as a bodyguard? Why is he showing up next to that woman?


    Vinson stared at Annabelle.


    He had been wary about her, wondering what her hidden agenda was and if she was up to something


    fishy.


    Little did he know that she wanted to hurt Arielle.


    ¡°Bully you? Are you even worth it?¡± he questioned in a cold tone. Then, he took out his phone and


    wanted to call the police.


    Arielle took a nce at Sam, who had been pushed aside. Considering the need to continue the shoot,


    she was well aware that calling the police would blow up the matter. Thus, she grabbed the corner of


    Vinson¡¯s shirt and gestured for him not to do so.


    Upon understanding Arielle¡¯s intention, Vinson kept his phone reluctantly and withdrew his other hand


    from Annabelle¡¯s neck.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mr. Nightshire, I didn¡¯t know¡­¡± It took only a few moments to humble an arrogant fox.


    ¡°You got it wrong,¡± uttered Vinson


    Annabelle knew what he meant.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Moore. I¡­¡±


    Annabelle apologized to Arielle profusely. However, one could tell that she was not sincere in her act.


    So, she¡¯s Vinson¡¯s girl. There¡¯s no wonder she could get the role of the lead actress. Even without this


    movie, I¡¯m certain that she will get another golden opportunity to shine, and then another one¡­ What


    gives? Just because of her pretty face?


    As Annabelle got up, she stole a nce at Arielle.


    Despite her hatred toward thetter, Annabelle had to admit that Arielle looked really gorgeous.


    Due to the series of mishaps, Arielle hadpletely forgotten about her injury until the stinging pain


    snapped her back into her senses. This looks like a poisonous wound!


    She turned around and checked it out via the mirror at the gym. Just as she had expected, there was


    no blood on the open wound, but it looked ghastly.


    Even though she did not know what Annabelle had envenomed, the poison seemed to be very strong


    and somewhat corrosive!


    I must get it treated as soon as possible.


    ¡°Vinson, let¡¯s go home. Something is wrong with the wound.¡±


    No matter how skilled Arielle was in medicine, she did not want to underestimate the impact of the


    corrosive poison. If the wound is left for too long, the chances of it resulting in a permanent scar are


    very high. I can tackle this evil woman another time. My main priority now is to get myself treated.


    She would have never in a million years thought that Annabelle would actually do something so vicious


    to ruin a person¡¯s look. She knew that Annabelle was jealous of her. Unbeknownst to her, Annabelle


    even carried poisons around to the shoot! How wicked!


    Vinson turned to Sam, looking sullen.


    ¡°Sam, terminate her contract right away.¡±


    After saying so, he carried Arielle up while the crowd made way for their exit.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Noted, Mr. Nightshire.¡± Sam chased after them anxiously.

 Chapter 1262

    Chapter 1262


    Chapter 1262 Applying Medicine


    Even if Vinson said nothing, Sam would have done the same to terminate Annabelle¡¯s contract.


    After getting into the car, Vinson sped all the way home. He did not go to the Nightshire residence, but


    Maple Mansion.


    When they got to the mansion, the wound on Arielle¡¯s neck had started to spread.


    Seeing her reddened wound, Vinson clenched his fists. He started ming himself for failing to protect


    Arielle and causing her to go through such a traumatic experience.


    ¡°Can you help me apply some medicine?¡±


    She interrupted his thoughts and handed him the first aid kit.


    Vinson let out a sigh and sat down. Then, he applied the medicine gently to her neck.


    Thereafter, Arielle needed some rest.


    So, Vinson came up with an excuse and left the room. Though he did not utter a word, Arielle knew


    exactly what he was up to.


    At night, he would join her in the bedroom to apany her, just like the past few nights.


    The small but well-equipped room had be their love nest for those few days.


    Due to Arielle¡¯s injury, Vinson slept through the night.


    The next day, the morning sun seeped in through gaps between the tree branches outside and shone


    on Arielle¡¯s window.


    When Arielle woke up, she felt so refreshed; a feeling she never had before.


    With that, she knew that the poison in her body was almost cleared out of her systems.


    The first thing she did was gaze at the man sleeping next to her. It was early, so Vinson was still fast


    asleep. He seems to be in a deep sleep. I guess all the happenings recently must have tired him out.


    He¡¯s been following my schedules and doing all the things he has never done before. He¡¯s even willing


    to be my bodyguard.


    ¡°I appreciate all you have done very much,¡± she muttered softly while pinching his cheeks.


    Then, she got out of bed quietly.


    She wanted to do something to surprise Vinson.


    So, she headed to the kitchen.


    Since it was way before breakfast, the housekeeper had not started working in the kitchen. Thankfully,


    the ingredients were plentiful, and she had all that she needed to make Vinson a big breakfast.


    It was one of the very few things that Arielle could actually do for Vinson.


    Skimming through the ingredients, Arielle picked out some eggs, milk, bread, and vegetables. She had


    decided to prepare a sandwich, some eggs and heat up the milk.


    It had been days since Vinsonst had home-cooked food.


    Shortly after preparing the materials, Arielle lit the stove. Within moments, a lovely aroma filled the


    kitchen as well as the entire ce.


    Vinson, who had a great sense of smell, was awakened by the smell of delicious food.


    He habitually looked to the side to check on Arielle as soon as he opened his eyes, but she was not


    there.


    Panicked, many thoughts ran through his mind as he thought hard about where Arielle could have gone


    so early in the morning.


    Immediately, he sobered up, got dressed, and went out the door to look for Arielle.


    The smell of food led him to the kitchen, and he found who he was looking for there.


    ¡°Sannie, you¡¯re injured.¡±


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    A tinge of frustrationced his tone.


    Why is she cooking for me when she¡¯s not well?

 Chapter 1263

    Chapter 1263


    Chapter 1263 Targeted By Everyone


    Arielle was stunned.


    It¡¯s just a small wound on my neck. Though it¡¯s poisonous, it isn¡¯t fatal. Moreover, it has already


    scarred. I even avoided frying by selecting a simple Ustranasion recipe.


    She kept her thoughts to herself and smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I just wanted to make you breakfast.¡± As she spoke, Arielle presented her sandwich, eggs,


    and a ss of warm milk. ¡°Thank you for keeping mepany these few days.¡±


    Staring at the woman with a bright and sweet smile, Vinson could not hold it in anymore. He stretched


    out his arms and hugged her gently.


    In the beginning, he was very cautious, worried that he might hurt Arielle. When he finally had her in his


    embrace, he tightened his grip affectionately.


    Meanwhile, Annabelle found herself in a dire situation.


    She assumed that she would only be expelled from the current movie. Little did she know, news about


    all the bad things she did went viral.


    As if that was not enough, her presence was needed at thepany to be issued a termination notice!


    When she exited thepany, she encountered a fate worse than death. There was arge group of


    reporters waiting for her. It seemed like everything was pre-nned to go against her. I¡¯m sure Vinson


    has got a lot to do with this!


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    Though she was raging inwardly, there was nothing she could do.


    After all, she hadmitted all those things.


    ¡°Ms. Anter, is it true that you¡¯ve been alleged for attempting to disfigure Ms. Moore? You¡¯ve been


    sued?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Anter, do you have anything to say about this?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Anter, did you really disfigure Ms. Moore at a recent shoot? Is this your first time doing something


    like that?¡±


    The reporters bombarded her with a series of tough questions. Each word shed her heart into a


    million pieces. Turning livid, she wished she couldnd a tight p across each of the reporters¡¯ faces.


    Seeing her keeping silent, the reporters standing next to her continued to press her buttons.


    The more they annoyed her with words, the more infuriated she became. Do these people have a


    death wish? I really don¡¯t know what will happen if I can¡¯t suppress my anger.


    Upon noticing themotion, the security guards rushed over to block the reporters. They had no idea


    that Annabelle had been terminated by thepany.


    No matter how hard she tried to avert the reporters, they continued to attack her with never-ending


    questions andments. Their intention was to lure her to say something. They could not care less


    about how Annabelle might have felt at that moment.


    ¡°Please excuse me. I¡¯ll exin the whole situation to everyone soon,¡± she yelled at the top of her lungs,


    with the hopes that the reporters would stop pestering her.


    She did not know what else to do.


    The reporters tailed her every step.


    Suddenly, Annabelle went ballistic and bellowed, ¡°Get one step closer to me, and I¡¯ll beat you to a


    pulp!¡±


    Her unexpected threat did not scare the reporters off. Conversely, they became even more intrigued as


    though they had gotten what they came looking for.


    The crazier Annabelle acted, the juicier the news would be.


    ¡°Ms. Anter, are you feeling guilty? Disfiguring a fellow actress, being a sugar baby, and humiliating


    others, are these allegations true? What was on your mind when you decided to harm Ms. Moore?¡±


    ¡°Get lost!¡±


    Faced with the predator-like paparazzi who ceaselessly attacked her words and questions, a


    dangerous thought shed through Annabelle¡¯s mind. She lifted her bag and was about to strike the


    person in front of her. Luckily, the security guard stopped her before she could do it.

 Chapter 1264

    Chapter 1264


    Chapter 1264 Karma Bites


    ¡°Please calm down, Ms. Anter.¡±


    ¡°Calm down? How do you expect me to calm down? I¡¯ve lost everything. And you want me to stay


    composed?¡±


    Fury ignited in Annabelle.


    A bespectacled man squeezed his way through the crowd. He had a pair of big eyes and long hair.


    With a professional camera and microphone in his hands, he said timidly, ¡°Ms. Anter, I was a fan of


    yours.¡±


    ¡°So, do you have a question too?¡±


    Totally enraged, Annabelle red at the man as though warning him to zip his mouth, or else she


    would strike him.


    The reporter was stunned by her scowled expression.


    Although he looked just like any Tom, Dick, and Harry, he had a sister who was as beautiful as a fairy.


    Unfortunately, she was disfigured at that one time she became an extra in a show alongside Annabelle.


    At first, his family assumed that it was an ident. However, when the news went viral online, he saw


    his sister¡¯s name was revealed.


    Shaking his head, he took a few steps backward while reaching into his bag. Subsequently, he took out


    a pile of pungent excretion and tossed it on Annabelle.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any questions to ask. I just wanted to say that the most disgusting thing I¡¯ve ever done


    was to adore you!¡±


    Annabelle screamed in horror.


    Someizens nearby were thoroughly enjoying the fiasco. Long before the paparazzi started posting


    their questions, theizens had already begun streaming online. The moment when the man threw


    things at Annabelle nearly broke the Inte and sent all the viewers into a frenzy.


    Didi: ¡°Serves her right!¡±


    Bano: ¡°What goes aroundes around.¡±


    Didi: ¡°She¡¯s never a good actress, to begin with, and she dares to disfigure others using corrosive


    poison? This ending suits her well.¡±


    Koorry: ¡°I¡¯m a fan of Annabelle, and I¡¯ve always thought that she¡¯s a kind-hearted angel. Who knows


    she is actually an evil witch! I¡¯m never going to like her ever again.¡±


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    Zeze: ¡°I was one of her fans too, and that¡¯s the worst decision I had ever made. I must admit that I was


    blind!¡±


    Koorry: ¡°Karma bites. She asks for it. If she had no intention of harming others, she might stand a


    chance to progress further in her career and be a top actress. Now? All her efforts are in vain. Serves


    her right!¡±


    L00L00: ¡°What did our goddess Arielle do for you to be so cruel to her? You¡¯re so ruthless!¡±


    AK46: ¡°Poor goddess Arielle!¡±


    Annabelle had never expected things to turn out this way. Within a few hours, she became the talk of


    the town, the one that everybody loathed, theughing stock. The continuous pestering from the


    paparazzi overwhelmed her to a point that it almost made her go insane.


    Meanwhile, Arielle and Vinson just finished their hearty breakfast. Vinson refused to let Arielle do the


    dishes, so he did the dishes. Watch his towering guy caring for her, a warm and fuzzy feeling crept up


    on Arielle.


    Upon admiring Vinson for quite a while, she took up her phone and checked her messages. What


    greeted her was a series of news andments about Annabelle. At first, she was reluctant to click on


    any of them. But when she thought about how she was also entangled in the incident, she clicked on it


    to read the news. Annabelle was in aplete mess being chased and interrogated by the paparazzi.


    Seeing how disheveled she was at her worst moment, Arielle¡¯s lips curved upward. Needless to say,


    this must be Vinson¡¯s doing. He always makes my heart full.


    She did not feel sorry for Annabelle because these were the consequences of her actions. As the


    saying goes, ¡°one reaps what one sows¡±.

 Chapter 1265

    Chapter 1265


    Chapter 1265 An Argument


    Vinson came out from the kitchen and saw how delighted Arielle was. ¡°What are you reading that


    makes you so happy?¡± he asked while hugging her from behind.


    She waved her phone at him. ¡°This!¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t appear in front of you anymore.¡± He took a quick nce at her phone screen and


    cringed. That d*mned woman! How brazen of her toy her fingers on Arielle!


    Arielle expected that ending for Annabelle. She had been totally emunicated from the


    entertainment industry. Henceforth, she would never have a chance to show up before Arielle again.


    ¡°Vinson, I¡¯ll go over to the Mill residence in a while. You can resume work at the office,¡± she spoke after


    putting down the phone.


    Initially, Vinson nned to keep herpany for two more days until she was fully recovered. Contrary


    to his n, she already wanted to get out of the hospital to see the Mills.


    Vinson got up and sat beside her. He looked her in the eyes and said sternly, ¡°Don¡¯t go to the Mill


    residence.¡±


    Arielle was slightly taken aback. ¡°Why? Didn¡¯t we already talk about this? I must take part in the most


    important asion of the Mill family.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we did talk about this. But, that¡¯s all in the past, and things are different now. I¡¯m not letting you


    go.¡±


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    Arielle became upset, but she tried to hold it all in because she wanted to know why Vinson changed


    his mind. He was very supportive of me when Ist told him that I wanted to join the Mills. Why did he


    suddenly stop me?


    ¡°Vinson, there¡¯s nothing you can do about it even if you disagree. I must go to the Mill residence.¡±


    Previously, Arielle wanted the medical manuscripts from the Mill family to gain an extra advantage for


    herself. Later on, it became a priority to her when she thought about the possible consequences if the


    manuscripts were tond on those with an ulterior motive.


    Vinson pulled a long face and kept silent. On the other hand, Arielle was fuming inside. Both of them


    gave each other the cold shoulder for a while before he finallypromised.


    ¡°I¡¯m just worried about you. See, you¡¯re injured. How can I let you go alone?¡± Seeing how worked up


    Arielle was, Vinson had no idea what to do with her.


    ¡°This is just a minor wound. Don¡¯t worry.¡± She knew that he cared about her a lot. Thus, her


    unhappiness disappeared. She held his hands coquettishly and said, ¡°I know you¡¯re concerned about


    my safety but I¡¯m Arielle Moore. You can rest assured that I¡¯ll be just fine.¡±


    Vinson knew that there was nothing he could do to change her mind. Had he insisted otherwise, the


    conflict between them would just continue. It¡¯s not worth it to risk hurting our rtionship because of


    this one incident. Furthermore, that¡¯s the precious part about Arielle that I love.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll let you go if you must. However, you ought to promise me one thing.¡± Vinson held her hands


    and said solemnly, ¡°You must take good care of yourself when you are at the Mill residence.


    Regardless of what happens, safety first. I don¡¯t want you to get hurt.¡±


    ¡°Yup, no worries. I¡¯ll definitely stay safe and protect myself. No injuries or whatsoever, I promise.¡± Then,


    she cheekily pecked him on the cheek. Vinson seized the opportunity and moved in for a big smooch


    around her neck. With that, the couple made up with each other.


    ¡°Bring Sasha along. It¡¯s safer than you going to the Mills on your own.¡±


    Arielle knew that Vinson would continue to bug her if she said no. Hence, she agreed right


    away. Sasha is a skilled fighter. I¡¯ll have one thing less to worry about when she¡¯s with me.

 Chapter 1266

    Chapter 1266


    Chapter 1266 Selection Of The Head Of The Family


    Arielle brought Sasha along to the Mill residence. At first, Vinson wanted to personally send them there


    but was rejected by Arielle. She refused to be treated like a princess. With that, Vinson watched her


    leave before heading to hispany.


    When he was on his way to work, he thought about that one time he stood up for Arielle at the shooting


    set. It suddenly dawned on him that the incident might impact Arielle negatively. Therefore, he


    requested his subordinate to silence all viralments on the inte, leaving no room for the


    netizens to suspect that he was behind all these.


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    The big picture that theizens had gathered was that it was Annabelle who had offended Arielle and


    brought all the disaster upon herself.


    Arielle was ten minuteste when she arrived at the Mill residence. When the butler ushered her into


    the house, everyone stared at her in disbelief.


    All those who werepeting for the head of the house position were either old enough to be Arielle¡¯s


    father or grandfather.


    Scanning across the hall, one could not spot any youngster. The handful of young people were all from


    families of doctors and medical experts. Each one of them had watched and learned from their elders


    since young. They all possessed impable knowledge and skills in medicine. They were very


    surprised to see Arielle, wondering if she was the all-rounder goddess that everyone talked about on


    the Inte. People knew her by her renowned titles as the chairwoman of Sann Group and the owner


    of Maureen¡¯s Kitchen. Even those who only nerded out on medicine had heard about her.


    What brings her here? Is she joining in the selection to be the head of the Mills? Does she


    actually know medicine?


    Although everyone present had a million questions they were dying to ask, they kept their cool and


    remained silent.


    Queenie and Donovan almost jumped out of their skins when they saw Arielle. Queenie was


    exceptionally jealous of her archenemy whom she did not expect to see at her own home. She knew


    that Donovan liked Arielle. She side-eyed him and saw that there was a twinkle in his eyes. Instantly,


    she became livid.


    ¡°Why are you here? Do you know where is this ce? Who allowed you toe in?¡± Queenie turned


    green in envy as she sped her hands on the handles of the wheelchair.


    Arielle looked in the direction of the angry voice and saw Queenie staring daggers at her. If her res


    were a weapon, I would have died a million times.


    ¡°The head of the Mill family invited me here. So, I cane and go as I like. Why? Does my presence


    make you feel ufortable, Ms. Queenie?¡±


    Speaking confidently, Arielle took her seat. She tried not to pick on Queenie so much, for the sake of


    the Mills.


    ¡°We¡¯re selecting the head of the Mills. Aren¡¯t you ashamed to showcase the little that you know about


    medicine? It¡¯s better for you to go operate a restaurant or be that little superstar in your own right. You


    don¡¯t belong here,¡± Queenie bellowed while suppressing her murderous intent.


    Donovan was disgusted at Queenie¡¯s odious character despite not showing any expression on his face.


    When Queenie was not looking, he stole nces at Arielle, only to realize that she had be even


    more alluring than before. Donovan could not take his eyes off of her at all.


    However, Arielle was revolted by the look in his eyes, and she averted his gaze almost instantly.


    Queenie caught her reflex action and knew what was going on. Swiftly, she looked up and saw


    Donovan keeping his gaze fixated on Arielle. The dreamy look on his face angered her to the


    maximum.

 Chapter 1267

    Chapter 1267


    Chapter 1267 Determined To Win


    Queenie loved Donovan deeply, but thetter had feelings for Arielle in the past. This was why Queenie


    would easily get jealous and mad at Arielle. Although Donovan had rified that he no longer liked


    Arielle, Queenie still felt uneasy about it. Who knows if he¡¯s telling me the truth? I¡¯m not a ringworm in


    his guts, so I can¡¯t read his mind.


    She was fearful that the old me in Donovan would be reignited. So, she decided to send him away


    deliberately. ¡°Darling, please take me to my brother.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you participating in the selection of the head of the family? Why are you going to your brother¡¯s


    now?¡± Donovan asked softly. Deep down, he was hoping to stay back, so that he could see Arielle


    longer.


    ¡°Something came up, and I need to see him now. Send me there now, will you?¡± Queenie held his hand


    and requested coquettishly. Left with no choice, Donovan wheeled her out of the hall, and to Cornelius¡¯


    study.


    Upon reaching, Queenie came up with an excuse to shoo Donovan away and scored some private time


    with Cornelius.


    ¡°Cor, that b*tch, Arielle, is here topete for the position as the head of the family. I don¡¯t want to see


    her at all. Can you remove her name from the list?¡± Queenie went straight to the point, acting like a


    spoiled brat.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    As a doting brother, Cornelius felt very sorry for what his sister had to go through. The ident cost


    her both her legs and repaid her with a lifetime in a wheelchair. Anyhow, he was conscious that none of


    these should give her any right to be willful and unreasonable.


    ¡°Queenie, you are now an adult who is married. How could you be so outrageous in your speech?¡±


    ¡°Cor¡­¡± She felt wronged.


    ¡°Queenie, you shouldn¡¯t call Ms. Moore names. Also, she is qualified to join the selection for the head


    of the Mills. So, I won¡¯t cancel her name. Aren¡¯t you in the running for the title too? It¡¯s a fair selection


    where everyonepetes based on ability. All the best to you!¡±


    ¡°Cor, who¡¯s your sister? Me or Arielle? Why aren¡¯t you helping me? Do you not love me anymore?¡±


    Queenie was nearly in tears.


    Cor is well aware of the long history between Arielle and I. Yet, he still lets her participate in the


    selection. Am I not important to him anymore?


    Hearing Queenie¡¯s irrational usation, Cornelius¡¯s heart sank. However, he was resolute not to go


    back on his original intention.


    ¡°Ms. Moore is a skillful medical practitioner, and I admire her capabilities. I won¡¯t take her name off the


    list. There¡¯s no need for me to do so, either. Stop targeting Ms. Moore. Once you get to know her


    better, you will realize that she¡¯s worthy of your friendship.¡± Cornelius tousled Queenie¡¯s hair.


    He had always wished for his sister to befriend Arielle. However, this remained an extreme challenge


    when bothdies would not show any grace to the other party.


    In her anger, Queenie refused to listen to any advice. She shrugged Cornelius¡¯ hand away. ¡°Since you


    want her in, she can stay. But let me tell you, she can dream of attaining the position as the head of the


    Mills. Over my dead body!¡± She left furiously after dering those words.


    As Cornelius watched his sister leave, his heart ached. He also felt helpless at the same time.


    Queenie returned to the hall. When she saw Arielle, Cornelius¡¯ words started reying in her mind.


    She was once again reminded not to underestimate Arielle since her brother admired her skills too.


    Thus, Queenie became warier of her.


    ¡°You¡¯d better watch out, Arielle. I¡¯m determined to be the head of the Mills,¡± taunted Queenie while


    glowering at her rival.


    Arielle shot a nce at Queenie discreetly.


    How many of those present are determined to win the title? I bet all of them do.

 Chapter 1268

    Chapter 1268


    Chapter 1268 Mount ckcloud


    As Arielle said nothing, Queenie grew increasingly furious.


    Anyone would be upset to get ignored, especially when Arielle was her love rival.


    Gritting her teeth, she said, ¡°Are you feeling smug? Even if Cor values your medical skills, there¡¯s no


    way you would be the head of the family. Dream on!¡±


    Arielle shot Queenie a re like she was a fool before getting up to head to another seat


    ¡°Hey¡­¡±


    Before Queenie could fly into a fit of rage, Cornelius came out.


    As Queenie wanted to join the selection to be the head of the family, she tamped her irritation down.


    ¡°Thank you for making time to join the selection for the new leader. Now, we shall begin the selection.


    There are three areas of assessment, and you¡¯ll be graded in each area. Three dayster, the


    candidate with the highest average score will be elected as the leader of the Mill family,¡± Cornelius


    announced as he stood in the middle of the hall, d in his in clothes.


    After exining the details of the selection, he revealed the first mission.


    ¡°Your first mission is to find herbs in the mountains. Before the sun sets, the person who finds the most


    herbs will receive the highest score.¡±


    After a brief pause, he added, ¡°There might be beasts in the mountains, so it is a dangerous mission.


    Those who are afraid can quit now.¡±


    ¡°The mountain? Which mountain?¡±


    Many candidates weren¡¯t local, so they didn¡¯t know the ce well.


    ¡°Could it be Mount ckcloud in the suburbs of Jadeborough that people rarely go to?¡± a local asked.


    In the suburbs, there was a mountain known as Mount ckcloud, which was closed to the public all


    year long. Everyone wondered if Cornelius was talking about this undeveloped mountain.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Mount ckcloud.¡±


    Many were shocked to hear his answer.


    As Mount ckcloud was undeveloped, there was a chance of the contestants running into wild


    beasts.


    Two contestants who did not dare to risk their lives immediately quit.


    However, most of them chose to stay.


    It was the twenty-first century, so they assumed they wouldn¡¯t run into wild beasts that would take their


    lives.


    Cornelius then told everyone to sign an agreement stating that the Mills wouldn¡¯t be held responsible if


    they ran into danger.


    After everyone finished signing the agreement, Cornelius asked Salvador to distribute the maps that he


    prepared earlier to everyone.


    While Salvador was busy distributing the maps, Cornelius continued, ¡°As the goal of this test is to


    select a leader, we must regard it seriously. To prevent any cheating, all contestants aren¡¯t allowed to


    bring their phones along. Of course, for your safety, the Mill family will prepare a tracking device for


    everyone. If you run into trouble, you can seek help by sending out a distress signal with the device.¡±


    Most of the contestants were medical experts and didn¡¯t expect that the Mill family would confiscate


    their phones. Despite their reluctance, they could understand the Mills¡¯ decision.


    It was easy to search for information online, so people might be tempted to cheat. Getting elected as


    the head of the family was too huge a temptation, after all. Thus, everyone handed in their phones


    obediently amidst their grumblings.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Before Arielle handed her phone, she texted Vinson to tell him about the rules and that she had to hand


    her phone to the organizer. She reminded him to stay calm if he couldn¡¯t contact her, for she would get


    in touch with him once she came back.


    After receiving her text, Vinson typed out a reply quickly: Be careful. It would be great if you could get


    the medical manuscripts, but it doesn¡¯t matter even if you don¡¯t. Your safety is of utmost importance.


    A blissful smile emerged on Arielle¡¯s face after she sensed his concern through the text.

 Chapter 1269

    Chapter 1269


    Chapter 1269 Followed


    After handing her phone to Salvador, Arielle gave Sasha some brief instructions and waited patiently to


    head to the venue.


    Donovan had been keeping an eye on her secretly. At the sight of the wide smile on her face, he felt his


    heart skip a beat. He had a sudden desire to pull her into his arms.


    I thought I loathed Arielle, but it turns out that I¡¯ve never forgotten her!


    Queenie didn¡¯t know they had to head to Mount ckcloud, and she nced at her feet before turning


    to Cornelius. ¡°Cor, it is hard for me to enter the mountain alone. Can Don keep mepany?¡±


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Cornelius shot her a conflicted look in response. Contestants were supposed toplete the mission


    alone, but Queenie was an exception. The mountain was steep and treacherous, and she couldn¡¯t


    head in alone.


    ¡°Mr. Mill, please allow Mr. Baxter to keep Ms. Queeniepany. We understand that she needs help.¡±


    Most contestants were reasonable enough. There were a few who were against Donovan keeping


    Queeniepany, but most had agreed. Thus, they had to keep their dissatisfaction to themselves.


    As no one stood out to express their disapproval, Cornelius nodded and agreed to it.


    ¡°Queenie can¡¯t walk, so if something happens, give me a call immediately instead of trying to cheat.


    After the test ends, we¡¯ll check your phone. If we find out that you cheated, I¡¯ll disqualify Queenie at


    once.¡±


    Queenie¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Cor, do you seriously think I¡¯ll cheat?¡±


    He¡¯s my brother! How could he say that in front of Arielle? Furious, she harrumphed icily and wheeled


    herself away.


    After Donovan was expelled from Maxwell University, his future was ruined, so he had no choice but to


    stick to the Mill family.


    He immediately stopped staring at Arielle and went after Queenie, who was in her wheelchair.


    An hourter, everyone arrived at Mount ckcloud.


    Therge mountain spanned a wide area. Upon arrival, the contestants headed in immediately.


    As there were many routes, everyone soon went on different paths.


    Although there were many medical experts, Queenie only feared Arielle.


    After all, Cornelius recognized Arielle¡¯s medical skills, so she knew thetter must be very capable for


    someone like her brother to acknowledge her.


    After Queenie found out that Arielle was capable of handling a pacemaker cement surgery


    independently, her intimidation of Arielle increased significantly.


    ¡°Darling, I¡¯ve been to Mount ckcloud a few times, so I¡¯m familiar with the area. Just keep an eye on


    Arielle. I can¡¯t let her be the next head of the Mill family!¡± Queenie gritted through her teeth.


    As Donovan wanted the Mills¡¯ medical manuscripts, it was only natural that he obeyed Queenie.


    Tamping down his dislike for her, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. ¡°Be careful, then. Your safety is of


    utmost importance.¡±


    Queenie¡¯s eyes crinkled up in happiness after she received his kiss. ¡°I know. Don¡¯t you worry. Go keep


    an eye on her, but make sure she doesn¡¯t notice you.¡±


    Nodding, Donovan reminded her to be careful yet again before going in the direction Arielle went.


    Meanwhile, Arielle took a deste path into the woods.


    After hearing Cornelius say that they would be heading to Mount ckcloud to get the herbs, she


    decided to head into the depths of the mountain.


    The deeper she went, the more herbs she would find.

 Chapter 1270

    Chapter 1270


    Chapter 1270 Ulterior Motives


    s, she didn¡¯t realize she was being followed.


    Not far away, Donovan stepped out from behind a tree. He squinted his eyes at Arielle¡¯s distant figure


    before going after her.


    When Arielle went deeper into the mountain, she was surrounded by tall trees that formed a thick


    canopy above her. There were also weeds and strange nts all around.


    As poisonous bugs, snakes, and rats would flit by her feet, Arielle felt as though she were in an


    indigenous forest.


    Although she was a woman, she was unbothered by her treacherous surroundings. Back then, she had


    tagged along with the Wilhelms and trekked deep into the mountains to seek knowledge from ancient


    Chanaean medicine experts. Thus, she was used to it.


    The herbs she had prepared earlier came in handy at that moment. She applied them all over her body


    and tossed them to the ground so that the animals would stay away from her.


    Behind her, Donovan saw everything, and a hint of rage shed across his eyes.


    Arielle observed her surroundings and immediately started digging when she found the herbs she


    wanted.


    Two hourster, her bag was half full of herbs.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Suddenly, her eyes lit up as she strode forward swiftly. She came to a stop before a rotten tree and


    bent down to confirm her guess.


    ¡°Two reishi mushrooms! This is an amazing find!¡± Arielle blurted out.


    Carefully, she plucked the reishi mushrooms off the rotten trunk and kept them in her bag.


    The thick reishi mushrooms were at their maximum medicinal value now.


    Arielle¡¯s side profile was undeniably attractive under the sunlight. Utterly captivated, Donovan revealed


    himself and went toward Arielle, Queenie¡¯s reminder all forgotten.


    Yesterday at the set, news of Arielle saying she wanted to catch her husband cheating on her had


    spread like wildfire.


    Theizens went crazy trying to figure out who her husband was and why he would cheat on their


    goddess.


    No one had an inkling of who her husband was, but Donovan was in the know.


    It was deemed normal for someone as wealthy as Vinson to cheat on his wife since having one woman


    wasn¡¯t enough for a man of his status.


    Clearly, Vinson has grown tired of Arielle and cheated on her. That¡¯s great, for I can take the advantage


    to pursue her. I assumed that I used to target her because I loathed her. Never in my wildest dreams


    did I know that it was because I loved her. Arielle only had eyes for Vinson, but now that he has


    cheated on her, my chance has arrived.


    ¡°Arielle!¡±


    Arielle had just kept her herbs and was about to continue on her journey when someone called her


    name.


    She looked up instinctively and realized it was Donovan. At once, her expression turned dark.


    ¡°Why are you here? Shouldn¡¯t you be with Queenie?¡±


    Why isn¡¯t Donovan with Queenie? Why did hee to me instead?


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Arielle, I was worried about you, so I came after you.¡±


    Although Arielle sounded rude, Donovan¡¯s voice remained gentle.


    Hearing that, Arielle frowned in disgust.


    ¡°Worried about me? Are you crazy? Why are you worried about me instead of your wife?¡±


    Instead of worrying about Queenie, who is in a wheelchair, he is concerned about me, a healthy


    person. Obviously, he has ulterior motives! He¡¯s a sly fox full of tricks.


    ¡°I love you, Arielle. Vinson cheated on you, and he has obviously gotten sick of you and no longer loves


    you. I know I did the wrong thing back then. Trust me. I will treat you better than Vinson and shower


    you with all my love!¡±

 Chapter 1271

    Chapter 1271


    Chapter 1271 Do It The Hard Way


    By then, Donovan had lost his rationale.


    A passionate ze burned in his eyes as he made his speech and went toward Arielle, who


    instinctively retreated.


    ¡°Donovan Baxter, are you crazy? Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you. Get lost, or I shall make sure you suffer


    from the consequences!¡±


    Even if he was single, Arielle had nothing but contempt for him, let alone when he was already married


    to Queenie.


    In truth, she had found out about Donovan¡¯s intentions a long time ago. However, she didn¡¯t expect that


    he would still feel the same way.


    Ugh, how disgusting! I dislike Queenie, but she has sacrificed a lot for Donovan and even lost the


    ability to walk. She loves him dearly and is a considerate wife. But instead of protecting his wife, he is


    expressing his love to another woman!


    As the recipient of his confession, Arielle felt utterly repulsed.


    Donovan sensed her disdain and immediately went breathless with anger. ¡°Arielle, Vinson doesn¡¯t love


    you anymore. Why do you still want to be with him?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my husband, so whether he loves me or not is none of your business. Why are you so nosy?¡±


    With that said, Arielle spun on her heels to leave.


    Donovan¡¯s anger intensified as Arielle chose to ignore him. He strode forward and tugged Arielle¡¯s arm


    before pushing her to a tree.


    ¡°Ow!¡± Arielle gasped in pain as her back hit the tree trunk.


    However, there was no time toin about it. She raised her leg to kick Donovan, but he avoided


    her kick deftly.


    ¡°Arielle, Vinson fell out of love with you. I¡¯m the only one who loves you now,¡± Donovan dered as his


    eyes turned red.


    Arielle might be mad, but he still found her gorgeous and couldn¡¯t tear his eyes away from her. Her red,


    luscious lips were too seductive.


    An uncontroble urge burned within his body, and he could barely hold himself back.


    He pinned Arielle down with one hand and ripped her clothes apart with his other. His lips inched


    nearer to Arielle¡¯s lips greedily as he tried to kiss her.


    Ew, this is revolting!


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    As Arielle whipped her head aside, she freed one arm and gave Donovan¡¯s eye a forceful punch. Not


    expecting that, Donovan staggered back.


    He groaned in pain and ckened his grip on her.


    Arielle was absolutely livid. Donovan must¡¯ve gone nuts! How dare he do that to me?


    Donovan was still covering his wounded eye, so Arielle grabbed the chance to beat him up. She was


    caught off guard earlier when he pushed her to the tree. However, she was no pushover and could


    protect herself against bad guys.


    After she had beaten Donovan to a pulp, the man was full of bruises and wounds. He didn¡¯t even have


    the energy to stand up.


    ¡°Donovan, I shall spare you this once. If you ever dare toy a hand on me again, I shall make your life


    a living hell,¡± Arielle warned.


    Having said that, she left without looking back. In fact, she had spared him out of respect for the Mills.


    After getting beaten up by Arielle, Donovan curled his body up in anguish. It took him a while to regain


    his senses. He then pulled his phone out and dialed a number. Enduring his pain, he spoke to the


    person on the other end of the line for about two minutes before concluding, ¡°I want to see her dead by


    tonight!¡±


    After that, he hung up and forced himself to get to his feet. Staring in the direction Arielle had left


    earlier, he cursed, ¡°B*tch, you¡¯re making me do it the hard way.¡±


    Since I cannot have her, no one else will! I shall destroy her entirely!


    Meanwhile, the other contestants were busy finding herbs. Queenie had also gathered quite a number


    of them.


    The mountain was steep, but she had been there a few times and was familiar with the ce, so she


    could push herself forward.


    At the thought of Donovan following Arielle, she bit her lip in regret.

 Chapter 1272

    Chapter 1272


    Chapter 1272 Assassination


    She knew all too well about Donovan¡¯s feelings for Arielle.


    Although Queenie lost both legs for Donovan and was now his wife, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from


    feeling insecure.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if Donovan still loved Arielle.


    Thus, she might have given him a chance when she told him to keep an eye on Arielle.


    Queenie had no idea that Donovan indeed had a chance to get closer to Arielle but got beaten to a


    pulp by her.


    ¡°Donovan, if you betray me, I shall make you pay!¡± Queenie grabbed the handles of her wheelchair and


    vowed with her jaw clenched.


    She could bear losing her legs but not Donovan.


    If Donovan has the guts to cheat on me, I shall imprison him in my house forever. After all, his


    reputation is destroyed, and he can no longer be a teacher.


    Queenie had to keep finding herbs as she wondered what happened between Arielle and Donovan.


    Because of that, her energy was soon spent.


    Feeling frustrated, she suddenly heard footsteps heading in her direction. Looking up, she spotted


    Donovan limping toward her with bruises all over his body.


    ¡°Don, what happened?¡± she demanded.


    Her eyes reddened in anguish at the sight of Donovan¡¯s battered body.


    Donovan dared not reveal that he got beaten up after trying to force himself on Arielle, so he lied


    through his teeth, ¡°You told me to follow Arielle, right? After discovering me, she assumed I was trying


    to harm her and proceeded to beat me up.¡±


    If it were something else, Queenie might have realized that something was off, but she was a total fool


    before Donovan.


    Hearing that, she was about to explode with rage.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    B*tch! How dare she beat my man up!


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Darling. It was all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have asked you to follow Arielle. That b*tch! Don¡¯t


    worry, I shall avenge youter,¡± she promised.


    She pulled out some herbs from her bag and concocted something before applying it to Donovan¡¯s


    face.


    While she did that, Donovan stared at her. She might be a fool, but at least she loves me, unlike Arielle


    that b*tch. She¡¯s nothing but an insolent woman!


    With that thought in mind, Donovan waited patiently as Queenie applied the ointment to his cheeks. He


    couldn¡¯t wait to see what would happen to Arielle.


    The minutes slowly ticked by, and three hours passed.


    Finally, Arielle entered the depths of the mountain.


    Most contestants chose to stay on the outskirts, for there might be dangerous beasts in the deeper


    parts of the mountain.


    However, Arielle decided to take a risk in order to get the best herbs.


    There was no way she would let the opportunity slip.


    Despite running into danger countless times, she managed to escape unscathed from the poisonous


    nts and dangerous animals.


    She also sessfully collected many precious herbs.


    Soon, both bags Arielle brought along were full to the brim.


    She looked at the sky and realized it was almost evening. As it was gettingte, she decided to head


    back the way she hade. I believe I found the most herbs among the contestants.


    Right when she was about to turn and leave, a rustling sound was heard not far away.


    Arielle grew vignt and dashed aside to conceal herself.


    ¡°Eh? Where is she? I saw her there a while ago. Why did she disappear all of a sudden? The client


    wants to see her dead body by tonight. I can¡¯t let her escape.¡±

 Chapter 1273

    Chapter 1273


    Chapter 1273 Fight


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Arielle gazed in the direction of the voice and spotted a man in camouge military uniform muttering to


    himself as he nced around.


    If I¡¯m not mistaken, he¡¯s looking for me. I¡¯m the only one around.


    Frowning, she recalled the man¡¯s words as her mind raced to analyze the situation.


    Who hired this man to take my life? Unfortunately for him, it isn¡¯t that easy to kill me.


    Arching a brow, Arielle decided to take action.


    The situation was in her favor as the enemy was in the open while she was in hiding. Thus, Arielle


    tiptoed silently to him and raised her arm to punch him. s, the man sensed her arrival as though he


    had eyes behind him and rolled away to dodge her attack.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite capable, huh?¡± Arielle sneered and continued attacking him.


    The man got to his feet and finally saw Arielle¡¯s face. Her beautiful features entranced him for a


    second.


    I haven¡¯t touched any woman for three years. I can¡¯t believe my first target after getting released from


    jail is a woman. A young, gorgeous, and wild one too. It¡¯s a great deal!


    Chuckling, he approached her at once.


    ¡°Youngdy, you¡¯re good at fighting. It¡¯s a pity you ran into me. You¡¯re no match for me.¡±


    ¡°Ha! It might be the other way around,¡± Arielle mocked.


    She channeled all her strength to her fist and gave the man¡¯s belly a forceful punch.


    The man flew backward instantly. Before he could react, Arielle proceeded to beat him up.


    The man was deft enough to roll aside after Arielle punched him a few times. He then scrambled to his


    feet and whipped out his weapon to stab Arielle


    The knife was mere inches away from Arielle when she dodged aside swiftly and grabbed the knife


    from him. She then shed the knife across his arm. A deep cut appeared, and blood gushed out from


    the wound.


    Without giving the man any breathing space, Arielle flipped her arm and stabbed the knife into the


    man¡¯s calf. At once, the man copsed to his knees before her.


    With a kick from her, he toppled to the ground. Striding toward him, she pulled out the knife before


    stabbing him continuously over ten times.


    The man bit back the pain when she first stabbed him, but the continuous attacks were too much for


    him to bear. His agonizing screams soon resonated around the mountain.


    Afraid that he would retaliate, Arielle stabbed his body five more times, avoiding his vital parts.


    ¡°Tell me, who sent you after me?¡± she towered above him and posed that question icily.


    Initially, the man nned to subdue Arielle and take advantage of her.


    Now, he no longer had that thought.


    The woman is fast and vicious. I¡¯m no match for her. It¡¯s clear that I¡¯ve underestimated her.


    ¡°No one sent me here!¡± he insisted as his gaze darkened.


    The sky was getting dark, and Arielle would lose her way if she were to depart anyter.


    As she didn¡¯t want to run into dangerter, she stopped questioning the man.


    Someone must¡¯ve given him the map. That¡¯s why he could enter Mount ckcloud and locate me


    easily. I need to bring him back so that the Mills can give me an exnation.


    By then, the man had fainted from pain, and he was a bloody mess. Arielle used the knife to chop off


    some rattan to tie the man up. She then dragged him back as though he were a dead fish.


    Back in Silverbirch Hospital.


    The contestants returned one by one.


    Their energy spent, they handed in their herbs and went to get some rest. Arielle was the only one who


    was still out there.

 Chapter 1274

    Chapter 1274


    Chapter 1274 The Return


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Sasha and Cornelius grew worried as they waited for her by the door.


    In one room, Queenie was tending to Donovan¡¯s wound as sheined, ¡°Arielle might bete, but


    there¡¯s no need for Cor to wait for her so anxiously!¡±


    ¡°Cor has his reasons for doing that,¡± came Donovan¡¯s calm reply.


    Why is he waiting for Arielle? Obviously, he values her and is worried about her safety.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t she back yet? Did something happen to her?¡±


    Queenie grew excited at the thought that something had happened to Arielle.


    Simrly, Donovan couldn¡¯t stop himself from feeling thrilled, too.


    How dare that b*tch insult me? She should feel lucky that I wanted her. Instead, she rejected my


    advances and mocked me. Clearly, she looks down on me. But didn¡¯t the man promise to revert to me


    before nightfall? Why hasn¡¯t he contacted me yet? Don¡¯t tell me something has happened to him¡­


    Donovan felt anxious at the thought.


    ¡°Queenie, why don¡¯t you go to Cor and find out if there are any updates on Arielle¡¯s whereabouts,¡± he


    suggested.


    As he was seriously injured, he had to ask Queenie for help.


    Hearing his words, Queenie scowled as she assumed Donovan was worried about Arielle.


    ¡°Donovan Baxter, why are you still concerned about that b*tch? Have you forgotten how she beat you


    up?¡± she demanded.


    Donovan felt an iing headache at the sight of the jealous Queenie, but he had tofort her.


    ¡°You¡¯re reading too much into things! How could I possibly care about her when she had just beaten


    me up?


    Queenie pouted. ¡°Then why are you asking me to pester Cor for information on her whereabouts?¡±


    In response, Donovan tapped her forehead with his finger and answered adoringly, ¡°It¡¯s all because of


    you, little fool. I got beaten up after following her, so I need you to get information on her whereabouts


    to prevent her from tattling about us to your brother. If Cor finds out about this, it will affect your


    chances to get selected as the head.¡±


    Realizing she had misunderstood Donovan, Queenie hurriedly apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Darling. I¡¯ll go to


    Cor now. If Arielle dares to tattle on us, I shall teach her a lesson!¡±


    With that, she wheeled herself out of the room.


    Sasha and Cornelius were still waiting outside. Thetter frowned when he saw Queenieing


    toward them.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Because of you. I heard that you¡¯re waiting for Arielle.¡±


    Queenie lifted her head and pouted as she continued, ¡°Cor, just ignore her if she doesn¡¯te back.


    Why would you wait for her? You¡¯re the host of the selection. There¡¯s no need to wait for her.¡±


    Cornelius knew his sister never liked Arielle. When Arielle showed up today, she even asked him to


    disqualify her.


    She¡¯s too ignorant. Doesn¡¯t she know how dangerous Mount ckcloud could be? What if Arielle ran


    into danger there?


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know how dangerous Mount ckcloud is? Head upstairs if you have nothing else to say. I¡¯ll


    wait here alone,¡± Cornelius replied nonchntly before turning to look at the only path to descend from


    Mount ckcloud.


    Queenie¡¯s lips thinned as she lowered her head to look at her phone out of boredom.


    Suddenly, the sound of a car apanied by lights appeared before them.

 Chapter 1275

    Chapter 1275


    Chapter 1275 Did Not Want Him To Worry


    At once, Cornelius and Sasha stared ahead intently.


    The car rolled to a stop, and Arielle got out with her bag coolly.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, are you all right? Why are you backte?¡±


    Both Sasha and Cornelius went over to wee her. While Sasha was busy scrutinizing Arielle to find


    out if she was hurt, Cornelius asked why she waste.


    Meeting their concerned gazes, Arielle shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. But I ran into someone who tried to


    kill me this afternoon in the mountains.¡±


    Her voice was calm, but both Sasha and Cornelius felt their hearts leap to their throats.


    ¡°Did you get hurt?¡±


    ¡°Who was it?¡±


    They asked in unison. Despite asking different questions, they were evidently concerned about her.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Arielle assured Sasha before turning to Cornelius. ¡°Someone hired the man, and I don¡¯t know


    who he is. He¡¯s in the trunk. Find out how he got into Mount ckcloud.¡±


    Cornelius gave a curt nod. He then asked someone to bring Arielle to her room so she could wash up


    and grab something to eat.


    After the help led Arielle and Sasha away, Queenie told someone to push her back to her room.


    When she arrived, Donovan immediately asked her about Arielle. She proceeded to reveal everything


    she had heard earlier.


    Hearing that Arielle was back safe and sound, with the assassin in tow, Donovan fought a rising panic


    as he broke out in a cold sweat.


    ¡°Don? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just need some rest, so please leave me alone.¡±


    With that, he shut his eyes.


    Assuming he was tired, Queenie fell silent.


    Meanwhile, the help brought Arielle and Sasha to their room. She used Sasha¡¯s phone to send a text to


    Vinson, telling him that she was back safely before heading to the bathroom to wash up.


    After spending the entire day in the mountain, she was tired and covered in filth.


    Half an hourter, Arielle emerged from the bathroom, fresh and clean. After she had dinner, she


    received a video call from Vinson.


    ¡°Sannie, I was in a meeting earlier. I saw the text you sent using Sasha¡¯s phone after the meeting and


    immediately gave you a call.¡±


    Vinson gazed at Arielle intently as an affectionate smile flitted across his lips.


    Theyst met a few hours ago, but it felt like a decade to Arielle.


    Resting her chin on her hand, Arielle shed a smile and said, ¡°You haven¡¯t had dinner, right? Go eat


    something now. Don¡¯t starve yourself.¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You¡¯re a feast for the eyes,¡± Vinson replied as his eyes crinkled up happily.


    Arielle was taken aback. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I said, you¡¯re a feast for the eyes. I¡¯m full just from looking at you, so there¡¯s no need to eat anything,¡±


    Vinson exined with a grin.


    They might have done the most intimate things like any other normal couple, but Arielle would still


    blush at Vinson¡¯s words.


    Covering her burning cheeks, Arielle retorted, ¡°Where did you learn to talk this way?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth.¡±


    The sight of Arielle¡¯s flushed cheeks gave Vinson the urge to reach out through the phone to give her a


    hug and a kiss.


    Arielle then reported everything that had happened today, including the test and what she encountered


    when she was picking herbs, to Vinson in detail.


    The highest level of intimacy would be sharing everything with your loved one.


    Thus, there were no secrets between her and Vinson.


    However, she kept the matter of Donovan and the assassin a secret from him as she didn¡¯t want him to


    worry about her.

 Chapter 1276

    Chapter 1276


    Chapter 1276 A Presumptuous Request


    They wouldn¡¯t be meeting each other for three days. If he found out what happened to her, he would


    definitely rush here to take her away.


    What was worse, he would forbid her from bing the head of the Mill family and getting the medical


    manuscripts.


    They chatted for almost one hour before cutting the line.


    Right after she hung up, Sasha came to inform her that the head of the Mill family wanted to see her.


    Arielle knew that they wanted to question the assassin.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, we shall start an investigation at once and give you an exnation,¡± Abraham, the head of


    the Mill family, promised solemnly.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    He was shocked to find out from Cornelius that someone had tried to kill Arielle back in Mount


    ckcloud.


    After all, Mount ckcloud was the Mills¡¯ territory, and it was their decision to send the contestants


    there to gather herbs.


    The matter would not have been so serious if the contestants were harmed by beasts or got injured


    due to other natural factors. However, things were different when a contestant was almost


    assassinated by someone.


    After all, not everyone could enter Mount ckcloud. Without a map, those who did so wouldn¡¯t be able


    to leave the ce alive.


    ¡°You¡¯ll just have to find how he got into Mount ckcloud. As for the investigation, forget it. After the


    selection ends, I¡¯ll ask Vinson to question him. For now, keep him locked up so that he won¡¯t be able to


    escape,¡± Arielle told Cornelius and Abraham.


    Arielle knew Vinson was capable enough to get the information she wanted from the assassin.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do that, then. We¡¯ll find out how he got into Mount ckcloud,¡± Abraham replied


    Arielle nodded. The matter hade to an end, so she decided to get some rest to prepare for the


    next day. She had just taken a few steps when something urred to her. Turning at her shoulder, she


    said, ¡°Mr. Mill, I have a presumptuous request. I hope you¡¯ll say yes.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to buy all the herbs I picked today. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll pay the highest price in the market for them,¡±


    Arielle stated, for she was afraid Abraham would say no.


    Oh, I thought it was something serious. This is fine by me. Abraham immediately agreed, ¡°You don¡¯t


    have to buy the herbs. I¡¯ll give them to you as a form ofpensation after what you went through


    today.¡±


    ¡°Dad, why would you give her the herbs? She didn¡¯t get hurt at all!¡± Queenie huffed.


    She happened toe downstairs and saw Cornelius sorting out the herbs Arielle brought back.


    Those herbs were of top quality, so they could gain a lot of money by selling them.


    Arielle threw her a calm look before turning to Abraham. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Mill. But it¡¯s best for me to buy


    the herbs.¡±


    With that, she spun on her heels and left. Breathless with anger, Queenie demanded, ¡°Dad, what did


    she mean?¡±


    Abraham nced at his beloved daughter whom he had spoilt since birth and sighed. ¡°What else? She


    doesn¡¯t want to owe the Mills a favor.¡±


    ¡°If she doesn¡¯t want to owe us a favor, she shouldn¡¯t buy the herbs,¡± Queenie scorned.


    The herbs are rarely seen in the market!


    ¡°You should be exhausted. Go rest in your room,¡± Abraham told her.


    If the conversation goes on any longer, I might pass out due to frustration.


    Queenie snorted and wheeled herself away.


    ¡°Dad, is there no other way to treat Queenie¡¯s condition?¡±


    Cornelius¡¯ heart ached as he watched Queenie leaving in her wheelchair. My sister should be leading a


    happy and blissful life, but s, she encountered an ident.

 Chapter 1277

    Chapter 1277


    Chapter 1277 The First


    Abraham shook his head. ¡°I asked many experts, but they said nothing could be done. Even the foreign


    medical experts had their hands tied,¡± he said while exhaling sharply.


    I have never done anything heinous before. In fact, I have always treated my friends and family with


    sincerity and kindness. I¡¯m a good man, but why did God take my daughter¡¯s legs away from her?


    She¡¯s only in her twenties and has a long life ahead of her.


    Cornelius hurriedly changed the topic as his father seemed upset. ¡°Dad, should we tend to the


    assassin¡¯s wounds?¡±


    Arielle had stabbed him so viciously that the man would be a cripple even if he managed to recover.


    Fortunately for him, his wounds were superficial as Arielle had avoided all the vital parts.


    If everything went well, he could recover without anyplications.


    But of course, that would only be possible if he was given a chance to recover.


    Abraham nodded. ¡°Tend to his wounds so there won¡¯t be any infection. Since Ms. Moore didn¡¯t kill him,


    it¡¯s apparent that she wants him alive.¡±


    After the discussion about the assassin ended, they chatted about the selection of the head. Including


    Queenie, there were thirty-eight contestants vying for the position. The results of the rest were out, and


    Arielle was the winner for gathering the most herbs as well as herbs with the highest value. Abraham


    then told Cornelius to text all the contestants to inform them of the results.


    Soon, Arielle received the text notifying her of the results. Her lips curved up when she read that she


    received the highest score for that day.


    When the rest received the text, they were shocked to realize that Arielle had the highest score.


    Who would¡¯ve thought that Arielle is actually skilled in medicine? That sounds about right. If she


    weren¡¯t trained in medicine, she wouldn¡¯t be here for the selection. Since she¡¯s qualified to be here, she


    must be very skillful.


    Nevertheless, the contestants felt stressed that Arielle was ranked first, especially those who were her


    peers. As experts in the medical industry, they assumed it would be pretty easy to get selected as the


    head of the Mill family. Thus, they never expected to be surpassed on the first day itself.


    ¡°Viggo, you know how important the medical manuscripts are to our family. Therefore, you must get


    selected as the head. You¡¯re two points short of her score and ranked second this time. However, the


    person ranked third is only one point away from you, so you mustn¡¯t let your guard down.¡±


    Viggo Laursen was listening to his father¡¯s instructions with a solemn expression.


    ¡°Father, I got it. I¡¯ll do my best!¡±


    After hanging up, Viggo started searching for Arielle¡¯s name online.


    However, the search results were mostly about her educational background and her current identity.


    There was a brief mention of her medical skills, but that was about it. He couldn¡¯t find any useful


    information about her.


    His gaze turned dark. It looks like she¡¯s a worthy opponent. I can¡¯t let my guard down.


    Queenie had also received the text. Realizing that Arielle had the highest score and was ced first


    while she barely got into the top ten, she nearly suffocated in her fury and tossed her phone to the bed.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Donovan asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s that b*tch, Arielle! I can¡¯t believe she got the highest score!¡± Queenie huffed. ¡°She must¡¯ve been


    really lucky to get the most herbs and also the most valuable ones.¡±


    Donovan was surprised to learn that, too. I have to admit that Arielle is a capable woman. Not only is


    she the CEO of Sann Group and the owner of Maureen¡¯s Kitchen, but she¡¯s also San in person. I


    wonder what she isn¡¯t capable of?

 Chapter 1278

    Chapter 1278


    Chapter 1278 The Assassin


    ¡°She got lucky. I believe you¡¯ll do better than her tomorrow.¡±


    Right then, he suddenly recalled the assassin that Arielle brought back with her.


    Clenching his fists, he pretended to ask nonchntly, ¡°What about the assassin? How did Dad and Cor


    punish him?¡±


    Queenie was delighted, for she assumed Donovan wanted to chat with her. They were married for a


    long while, but it was always her who initiated the conversation, and Donovan would usually answer


    her half-heartedly.


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    ¡°My dad wants to start an investigation to find out how he entered Mount ckcloud,¡± she revealed


    honestly. ¡°Mount ckcloud is our territory, and Arielle nearly got murdered there. Thus, my dad has to


    give her an exnation. However, Arielle rejected his offer and told him to keep the assassin locked up


    for now. She wants my dad to find out how he got into Mount ckcloud. After the selection ends, she


    would get Vinson to investigate the rest.¡±


    Donovan grew flustered when he heard that Vinson would be taking over the case soon. Abraham


    might not find anything, but I can¡¯t say the same for Vinson. If Vinson discovered that I was the one


    who hired the assassin to kill Arielle, things would not end well for me, even with the Mills¡¯ protection.


    Regret crept up Donovan¡¯s heart at that thought. Why did I fail to hold myself back? She might¡¯ve


    beaten me up and insulted me, but that¡¯s no big deal. Why did I contact the person recklessly? What


    should I do now?


    After a while, Queenie realized Donovan wasn¡¯t responding and nced in his direction. The man¡¯s


    expression was grim, and there was no telling what was on his mind.


    ¡°Don, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Queenie was afraid to see Donovan acting this way. As she loved him with a


    vengeance, she hated it when he ignored her. Every time Donovan fell silent, fear would grip her throat,


    for it reminded her of how they got married in the first ce.


    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯ste, so you should sleep.¡± Donovan snapped back to reality and tucked her in. Hey on


    the bed, rolled over, and shut his eyes. Queenie was his wife and loved him dearly, but he dared not


    reveal that he was the one who hired the assassin to kill Arielle.


    Despite being a lovesick fool, Queenie could sense that something was off. However, she couldn¡¯t


    figure out what it was.


    A brief silenceter, Queenie said, ¡°Don, I¡¯m your wife. You can tell me everything instead of keeping


    your troubles to yourself.¡± She turned and flung her arm around Donovan¡¯s waist. In return, Donovan


    responded, ¡°Go to sleep.¡±


    I know Queenie and Arielle are on bad terms, and Queenie will definitely side with me, but there¡¯s no


    way I can tell her why I sent an assassin after Arielle. I can¡¯t lie because Queenie will make things hard


    for Arielle. If Arielle spills the truth, there¡¯s no telling how the Mills will react. If they give up on me,


    Vinson won¡¯t let me off so easily.


    It was dark outside, and the moon had disappeared without a trace. A gentle and cool breeze rustled


    the leaves in the dark.


    A figure appeared outside the room where the assassin was held in. Realizing the guard wasn¡¯t


    around, he opened the door and sneaked in to carry the assassin, who was lying on the bed, out of the


    room. Swiftly, the figure arrived at the backyard and opened the door. Another figure materialized and


    took the unconscious assassin from him.

 Chapter 1279

    Chapter 1279


    Chapter 1279 Pretentious


    The next morning, the help who was tasked to guard the assassin went in to tend to his wounds.


    To his shock, the assassin was gone. He immediately ran to Salvador and reported the matter to him.


    Salvador promptly reported the matter to Cornelius and Abraham.


    At once, Cornelius rushed to the room the assassin was previously held in. After strolling around, he


    realized someone had saved the assassin. Without further dy, he ryed the piece of information to


    Abraham.


    ¡°Find out who saved him!¡± Abraham instructed as he mmed his palm on the table furiously.


    The contestants who were all gathered in the hall heard Abraham¡¯s roar. Curious, they asked what


    happened, and Abraham proceeded to reveal how someone tried to kill Arielle.


    As he spoke, he scanned the crowd surreptitiously to find out if anyone showed a guilty expression.


    However, everyone seemed surprised to hear his words, and no one seemed to feel guilty. Is the culprit


    not among them?


    ¡°Mr. Mill, are there no surveince cameras installed in that room?¡± Frustration crept up Arielle¡¯s heart


    when she heard that the assassin had escaped. I should¡¯ve sent him to Vinsonst night! He tried to kill


    me, but I was careless enough to leave him in Silverbirch Hospital!


    Cornelius shook his head. ¡°The surveince cameras went out of order a few days ago, and we wanted


    to install new ones. However, I got busy with the selection and forgot all about it.¡± He felt extremely


    apologetic as his carelessness allowed the assassin to escape from Silverbirch Hospital. He had


    assumed no one would be able to sneak out easily, but the truth proved otherwise.


    The assassin was seriously injured, so there must have been a mole who saved him. I wonder who


    hired him to kill Arielle.


    As the surveince cameras were out of order, Arielle had to let the matter slip.


    If the surveince footage was gone, she could figure out a way to restore the content. However, they


    were already out of order for two days, so she couldn¡¯t do anything about it.


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    She had no choice but to swallow her indignation.


    However, she vowed to be more vignt next time ande up with moreprehensive solutions.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, it is our fault for not guarding him well,¡± Abraham said apologetically.


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Forget it. Even though he has escaped, he must¡¯ve left clues behind.


    Find out how he entered Mount ckcloud. He wouldn¡¯t have found me without someone else¡¯s help.¡±


    There was nothing else she could do at that moment. The Mills will have to investigate the matter


    slowly. Hopefully, they arepetent enough of finding an answer.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Abraham gave his word. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Moore.¡±


    Queenie felt upset to see Cornelius and Abraham apologizing to Arielle. Who does Arielle think she


    is? Why did Dad and Cor apologize to her?


    ¡°Pretentious b*tch. The assassin didn¡¯t even hurt her, so it doesn¡¯t matter that he has escaped. There¡¯s


    no need to waste time to investigate the matter,¡± shemented harshly.


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Donovan threw her a re, for he couldn¡¯t wait for the matter to blow over. She¡¯d better stop


    stirring the pot.


    Afraid that he would get mad at her, Queenie tamped down her displeasure and said nothing.


    It was nine in the morning, so the second test was about to begin. Two contestants would have to


    partner up to treat patients suffering from rare diseases using ancient Chanaean medicine. They would


    be drawing lots to decide the pairings.

 Chapter 1280

    Chapter 1280


    Chapter 1280 Partner Up


    Cornelius ced the numbers he prepared earlier into a box, and the contestants came up one by one


    to get their numbers.


    Arielle nced around and decided she could partner up with anyone here.


    After all, the ones gathered here were all elites from different families. Those who weren¡¯t confident


    with their skills wouldn¡¯t even show up.


    That was what she thought, but Queenie didn¡¯t share her sentiments. Thetter refused to partner up


    with Arielle, for they were at odds.


    Hence, Queenie was desperately praying that they wouldn¡¯t end up on the same team.


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    Every time Cornelius announced a number, two contestants would stand up and go to him. When he


    announced number eighteen, Queenie immediately went up to him.


    She came to a stop and nced around to see who her partner was


    Her eyes widened in disbelief when she saw Arielle getting up nonchntly beforeing toward her.


    What the heck? Is this a joke? Why did God not answer my prayer?


    Arielle felt helpless at the sight of Queenie¡¯s displeased re.


    Never in her wildest dreams did she expect to get the same number as Queenie. As it was decided,


    she had to ept the fact.


    Never mind if Queenie isn¡¯t as good as me. I can do everything as long as Queenie doesn¡¯t kick up a


    fuss and drag me down.


    That was all Arielle needed from Queenie.


    ¡°Arielle, I shall work with you out of respect for my brother,¡± Queenie dered. She knew Cornelius


    wouldn¡¯t agree to let her change her teammate no matter what she said since he was a stubborn


    person.


    Arielle was amused. ¡°Oh, I need to thank him, then,¡± she replied half-heartedly.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Queenie was enraged at her attitude. She initially wanted to yell at her but swallowed her insults


    as they were still in public.


    After the groups were decided, it was time to assign the patients. The Mill family had twenty patients


    suffering from rare diseases. The neen groups consisting of thirty-eight contestants in total each


    received one patient, and the remaining patient would be treated by the newly elected head after the


    selection ended.


    Arielle¡¯s group received an olddy in her seventies. Their patient¡¯s symptoms were obviouspared


    to the other patients.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Do we even need to diagnose her?¡± Queenie expressed her dissatisfaction at the


    sight of their patient. How could Cor give us this patient? Is he trying to make a fool out of us?


    One couldn¡¯t me Queenie for being upset, for the patient had a huge belly. It is obvious that she is


    pregnant.


    ¡°You¡¯re a doctor, and a doctor¡¯s job is to save lives. In face of doubts, you shouldn¡¯t make a conclusion


    recklessly,¡± Arielle responded.


    Arielle knew the olddy wasn¡¯t pregnant. Otherwise, the Mills wouldn¡¯t have invited her here.


    Queenie glowered at Arielle before she went to the olddy to take her pulse. Her displeasure


    heightened after she took the olddy¡¯s pulse.


    ¡°How dare you say I made a conclusion recklessly? Take her pulse and find out for yourself if she¡¯s


    pregnant,¡± Queenie mocked. She then wheeled herself to the side so that Arielle could take the


    patient¡¯s pulse.


    Arielle fell silent after she took the patient¡¯s pulse, for thetter was indeed pregnant. However, she


    was certain the olddy wasn¡¯t pregnant.


    ¡°Her pulse might suggest she¡¯s pregnant, but as doctors, we can¡¯t affirm that based on her pulse. If


    she¡¯s indeed pregnant, your brother wouldn¡¯t have asked her toe here.¡±

 Chapter 1281

    Chapter 1281


    Chapter 1281 Pregnant Elderly


    The patients that the Mills brought in were all people that hadplicated diseases. As such, she


    couldn¡¯t believe that they would make such a blunder in assigning a pregnantdy as their patient.


    Despite Queenie¡¯s dissatisfaction with Arielle, she thought that what Arielle said was logical.


    How can Cor make such an amateur mistake in assigning us a pregnant patient given the importance


    of the selection in running for the head of the Mills?


    She put away her restless thoughts and stared at the elderlydy intently, checking her in a variety of


    ways. Two hours passed, and her forehead was drenched in sweat, yet there was still no progress.


    ¡°Arielle, this woman is indeed pregnant. We have already conducted a two-hour examination, and she


    is, without a doubt, a pregnant andpletely healthy woman.¡±


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    Queenie wiped the sweat from her brow, irritated by the situation.


    Arielle could tell that Queen was irritated. After all, all of the tests showed that the elderlydy was


    simply pregnant, but she was still insisting that something was wrong.


    ¡°Let¡¯s double-check it; there must be something wrong.¡± Arielle continued examining the elderlydy as


    she spoke.


    Queenie was exasperated by Arielle¡¯s behavior.


    What else is left to examine? The process has been going on for such a long time! Every single test


    result indicates that she¡¯s pregnant. So why are we still performing all these unnecessary


    examinations?


    ¡°She is expecting. What else is there to examine? Were we not thorough enough? Is there a test result


    that shows that she is not pregnant?¡± Queenie huffed, furious.


    ¡°But I still think that something¡¯s off. There¡¯s simply no way she¡¯s pregnant. After all, have we ever seen


    a pregnant woman so old?¡±


    ¡°Arielle, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being too full of yourself here? Although we may not have seen a


    pregnant woman of this age, that doesn¡¯t mean that such a condition will never ur. There are many


    wonders in the world. We may not have encountered it before, but that doesn¡¯t mean that it¡¯s


    impossible.¡±


    ¡°What you think is your business, and what I do is mine. I still think that she¡¯s not pregnant, so maybe


    you should refrain from bickering with me anymore.¡± Arielle sympathized with the elderlydy. Putting


    aside her advanced age, the fact that she is now walking around with a baby bump after the demise of


    her partner more than a decade ago must have attracted a slew of unwarranted criticisms. She must


    have gone through a lot.


    ¡°Do you really think that I would have cared so much if the two of us hadn¡¯t been assigned to the same


    group?¡±


    The elderlydy, who was already in a bad mood because of her inted belly, could no longer stand


    the incessant squabbling between the two women.


    She stared at them both and reprimanded them harshly, ¡°Can you please stop arguing? Get out of here


    if you two still insist on disrupting my peace! My head is spinning because of you two! If you¡¯re not


    qualified to treat me, then go back to med school!¡±


    Arielle took note of thedy¡¯s frustration and realized the inappropriateness of their behaviors. Feeling


    guilty, she wanted to apologize immediately.


    However, just before she could utter anything, Queenie blurted, ¡°What we¡¯re doing is none of your


    business! How dare you use us of being unqualified? Let me remind you that you¡¯re pregnant


    despite your advanced age! Don¡¯t you have any self-respect? Even worse, you im to be sick? I bet


    you¡¯re just embarrassed to own up to it, that¡¯s why you said you¡¯re sick!¡±


    ¡°Queenie!¡± chided Arielle angrily.


    How can she say this!


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I¡¯m just saying the truth!¡± Queenie saw nothing wrong with her statement, and she


    red at Arielle for trying to stop her.

 Chapter 1282

    Chapter 1282


    Chapter 1282 Leave Now


    Queenie¡¯s statement made the elderlydy tremble with rage. After all, she was there to seek


    treatment, not to be insulted. The next second, she got out of the hospital bed shakily, put on her


    shoes, and was set to leave.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, we¡¯re not done here. Where are you going?¡± Arielle ignored Queenie at this point. When she


    saw that the elderlydy was going to leave, she dashed forward to stop her.


    Expectedly, the elderlydy had a temper as well.


    She pped Arielle¡¯s hand away forcefully, pointed at Queenie, and yelled angrily, ¡°I¡¯m not here to be


    insulted; I¡¯m here to seek treatment. I don¡¯t need doctors like the two of you. I don¡¯t care if I don¡¯t get


    treatment, even if it meant that I will die. At least, I can preserve my dignity.¡±


    She begin heading out again after her speech.


    Queenie rolled her eyes at the elderlydy and murmured, ¡°Hurry up and leave then. I have no desire


    to entertain patients like you. After all, there¡¯s nothing to treat! Just go home and wait to deliver the


    baby.¡±


    Deep down, she was enraptured.


    It¡¯s a good thing the elderlydy is leaving. Cor can get me another patient anytime, just like how he


    found twenty over patients previously.


    There¡¯s another patient left and it would be perfect for us!


    ¡°Queenie, just keep your mouth shut if you have nothing good to say!¡± Arielle red at Queenie with


    her piercing eyes. She¡¯s way out of line!


    Queenie, however, was not the least scared of her. She pointed at the elderlydy and snarled, ¡°Aren¡¯t


    you leaving? We¡¯ll get another patient after you, so hurry up and leave! Stop hogging the spot!¡±


    The elderlydy was all riled up because of Queenie. Before this, she had always been confident in the


    medical services provided by Silverbirch Hospital. Otherwise, she would not have preferred traditional


    Chanaean medicine over modern medicine. But this time, the elderlydy was on the brink of


    copsing from her overwhelming anger.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving now,¡± said the elderlydy.


    No matter how hard Arielle tried to stop her, she was adamant about leaving. Even Cornelius rushed


    over to stop her when he found out about it, but to no avail. It was pointless. The elderlydy was


    determined to leave as she did not want to be insulted by anyone here.


    Arielle was uneased as she stared at the elderlydy leaving. She turned to Cornelius and said, ¡°I¡¯m


    concerned about the elderlydy, so I¡¯ll send her off personally. Since Queenie doesn¡¯t want to treat


    her, you can get another patient to rece the elderlydy.¡±


    With that, Arielle turned and started walking away. Initially, Cornelius wanted to tag along with her, but


    he could not leave the pending matters unattended. Hence, he could only watch her go. ¡°Call me if


    there¡¯s anything.¡±


    Arielle nodded and trotted off in the direction the old elderlydy had left.


    When Cornelius returned to the hospital, he assigned Queenie another patient.


    ¡°Cor, where¡¯s Arielle?¡± Queenie asked upon seeing Cornelius with the new patient.


    ¡°She has other matters to attend to.¡± Cornelius had already witnessed how Queenie treated the elderly


    lady and was displeased. ¡°You must be patient with your patients, no pun intended. Don¡¯t dy their


    treatments just because of your blunders.¡±


    Queenie initially didn¡¯t understand the message behind Cornelius¡¯ statement, but it didn¡¯t take long


    before she realized that Cornelius was aware of what happened moments ago. ¡°Did that b*tch Arielle


    snitch on me? I knew it!¡±


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    Queenie blinked her eyes and stared at Cornelius, displeasure evident in her gaze. ¡°I¡¯m your sister,


    Cor. You shouldn¡¯t trust what others say about me. I¡¯m a doctor, and just like you, I was raised by


    Grandpa and Father. I know how to handle the patients!¡±

 Chapter 1283

    Chapter 1283


    Chapter 1283 Forfeit


    Cornelius nced at Queenie helplessly. He would have trusted his sister in the past, but his


    experiences throughout this period have taught him that even his sister was not trustworthy at times.


    Nheless, he wanted to avoid antagonizing her.


    Since she wants topete for the position as the head of the Mills, I must avoid distracting her from


    her goal.


    ¡°I know. Anyway, good luck, and whenever something happens, try to think it through first before


    jumping to conclusions.¡± Cornelius brushed his fingers through Queenie¡¯s smooth, silky hair before


    leaving.


    His gentle act elevated Queenie¡¯s mood. She was happy that her brother still loved and cared for her.


    ¡°Don, bring me that stethoscope¡­¡± While instructing Donovan, Queenie pushed the wheelchair over to


    the patient.


    Since Arielle was away at the moment, Cornelius got Donovan to assist Queenie.


    With Arielle gone, Queenie appeared to be more rxed. She examined the patient in front of her


    thoroughly and with all seriousness.


    Meanwhile, Arielle was being chased away by the elderlydy.


    ¡°Why are you following me? Aren¡¯t you supposed to go back to Silverbirch Hospital!¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m a doctor, and you¡¯re a patient. It¡¯s only natural that I¡¯m here to help you!¡± Putting on her


    brightest smile, Arielle ignored the obviously disgruntled elderlydy and held her arm.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already left the hospital. So leave me alone! Hurry back to serve the other patients. Don¡¯t waste


    your time on me!¡±


    The patients in Silverbirch Hospital arrived many days in advance. Knowing the purpose of their visit,


    the elderlydy didn¡¯t want to get in the way of Arielle¡¯s candidacy.


    ¡°Even if you have left the hospital, that does not mean that you are no longer my patient. Stop worrying


    about irrelevant matters, Ma¡¯am. Have faith in me and I guarantee that I will diagnose your illness and


    cure it.¡±


    Naturally, the elderlydy did not want to appear in public with an inted belly, but it all happened


    abruptly and without warning.


    The way others looked at her made her feel embarrassed and angry.


    Her original n was to return to her hometown and live alone. However, her children disagreed with it


    and insisted that she consult a doctor.


    To avoid upsetting her kids, she agreed to their proposal eventually.


    The elderlydy didn¡¯t know the emotion that she was feeling, but her eyes shimmered with hope upon


    hearing Arielle¡¯s words. ¡°Since you insist, I can only oblige.¡±


    Arielle pursed her lips upon seeing the elderlydy¡¯s snobbish response. While they were on their way,


    she found that the elderly woman¡¯s children were the ones that had sent her to Silverbirch Hospital,


    and they promised to pick her up in a week.


    As the elderlydy left Silverbirch Hospital abruptly and refused to go back, Arielle had to look for a


    neighboring hotel for amodation.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After everything was settled, Arielle contacted Sasha to bring her backpack.


    Being a bodyguard, Sasha was not allowed to follow Arielle around when thetter was treating the


    patients. Hence, she was waiting in the room the entire time and did not even realize that Arielle was


    gone.


    After receiving Arielle¡¯s call, Sasha headed to where Queenie was to collect Ariell¡¯s backpack. After


    packing Arielle¡¯s belongings, Sasha swiftly left the ce.


    Seeing that Sasha was leaving with Arielle¡¯s belongings, Queenie figured that Arielle would not be


    coming back. Almost immediately, she chuckled in response.

 Chapter 1284

    Chapter 1284


    Chapter 1284 Return


    ¡°Don, seems like Arielle is leaving. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s forfeiting,¡± Queenie said softly, her tone filled with


    delight.


    She was under a lot of pressure the entire time because Cornelius regarded Arielle highly. As a result,


    Queenie started to doubt her own abilities and even felt that Arielle was better than her.


    ¡°Her problems have nothing to do with us. Just focus on your patient and aim for the highest score


    possible.¡± Donovan could not afford to pay any more attention to Arielle. He was terrified of exposing


    himself if he continued doing so. After all, the whole situation about the assassination had yet to settle


    down. Should he end up exposing himself, he would be in deep trouble.


    Queenie had no idea what Donovan was thinking. Instead, she genuinely thought that thetter was


    concerned about her. Hence, after hearing what he said, she nodded and channeled her attention to


    the patient, determined to secure her candidacy.


    Meanwhile, Sasha delivered Arielle¡¯s backpack to Arielle¡¯s location. Upon noticing the elderly woman in


    the room, Sasha immediately recognized her as Arielle¡¯s patient.


    While Sasha was oblivious to the reason behind Arielle¡¯s decision to treat the elderly woman there, she


    sensed that something must have happened.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Do you require my assistance?¡± Sasha asked.


    ¡°Yes, you can be my assistant. Just pass me what I ask from you,¡± said Arielle softly before turning on


    herptop to do some research.


    It was Arielle¡¯s first time seeing the elderlydy¡¯s condition. Nheless, Arielle figured she could take


    on the challenge and heal the elderlydy at the same time.


    However, she soon realized that she could not figure out the illness even as the day wore on.


    She had no time to spare, and because of the constant pressure from Sasha and the elderlydy, she


    barely had time to eat. After shoving a few mouthfuls of food, she continued diving into the sea of


    information before her.


    The next day, at eight in the morning, the contenders were eagerly waiting in the hall for Cornelius to


    announce the results in Silverbirch Hospital.


    When Cornelius scanned the surroundings, he noticed that Arielle was not present.


    One of the elders who initially had a good impression of Arielle inquired about the whereabouts of the


    patient he brought in. Only then did he find out what had transpired the day before, that Arielle had


    gone out with the patient and had not returned.


    The elder couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of regret. Arielle, in his view, was considered to have forfeited.


    Queenie was overjoyed at this point because she had already cured her patient.


    Viggo felt the same way.


    He, too, was sessful in curing his patient. However, when he overheard the conversation


    concerning Arielle¡¯s forfeiture, mixed feelings of relief and regret surged within him.


    After all, he always felt pressured with Arielle around.


    Because the scores were determined ording to the severity of the patients¡¯ condition and the extent


    of their improvements, the process took slightly longer than usual.


    At the moment, the first and the third rankings were taken by two elders, while Queenie and Viggo were


    ranked second and fourth respectively.


    Just as Cornelius was ready to announce the score, Arielle arrived with the elderlydy in the nick of


    time.


    Queenie wasn¡¯t really surprised by Arielle¡¯s timely appearance, but the sight of the elderlydy from


    yesterday left her utterly dumbfounded.


    ¡°This¡­¡± Queenie was astounded by what she was seeing. The olddy was just pregnant yesterday!


    Where has her belly gone? Could it be that Arielle took her to get an abortion?


    That must be the case. After all, I¡¯m certain that I was right when I said that she was pregnant! If not,


    her protruding belly would not have vanished from thin air overnight.


    ¡°Arielle, how dare you risk operating on the elderlydy? She could have died on the operating table


    because of her advanced age!¡±

 Chapter 1285

    Chapter 1285


    Chapter 1285 Cause Of Disease


    Queenie glowered at Arielle, her gaze oozing distaste. I thought Arielle had a heart of gold. Who would


    have known that she would disregard others¡¯ safety for her own benefit?


    ¡°Did you forget to brush your teeth this morning?¡± the elderlydy snapped with thinly-veiled anger.


    ¡°Take my advice and brush your teeth before talking to me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Queenie was bbergasted. ¡°But I¡¯ve already brushed my teeth!¡±


    ¡°Then why is your mouth so foul? You might as well not brush it!¡± the elderlydy scoffed.


    Queenie¡¯s face flushed scarlet as she btedly understood the insult. The fact that she, the precious


    daughter of the Mills, had been publicly ridiculed by an old hag was mortifying.


    ¡°Am I wrong? Your belly was protruding when you arrived yesterday, and all the rounds of screening


    showed that you¡¯re pregnant. Now, your belly is gone after a night. The only logical exnation is that


    you got an abortion!¡±


    Trying her best to maintain herposure, Queenie reasoned with the elderlydy, ¡°I know that my


    words may not be pleasing to your ears, but theye from a good ce. You¡¯re not that young


    anymore, so the risk of going through an abortion is incredibly high. Arielle is only encouraging you to


    go for the surgery so that she can get a good grade. She doesn¡¯t care for your health or safety because


    she¡¯s trying to achieve higher marks!¡±


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    Rage bubbled up within the elderly patient as she listened to Quennie ramble on about pregnancy and


    abortion. She had the itch to p Queenie across the face.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the youngdy tell you yesterday that I¡¯m not pregnant? Which part of that sentence do you not


    understand?¡±


    The old woman stared at Queenie with contempt. Thisdy must be rotten to the core! Why else is she


    ndering the girl who¡¯s trying to treat me? Heaving a sigh, the elderlydy admonished, ¡°There will be


    diseases that you don¡¯t know how to treat, and there will be people who are able to treat them. You


    can¡¯t be mad about that! You should know that there¡¯s always someone better than you out there. The


    only reason you aren¡¯t able to cure this illness is that your medical expertise isn¡¯t as good as hers.¡±


    The corners of Arielle¡¯s lips quirked up in a smirk as she listened to the elderlydy berate


    Queenie. This old woman is way too amusing. But, Queenie is dumber than I thought. If the old woman


    really underwent an abortion, a woman her age would need to be hospitalized for at least eight to ten


    days and recuperate at home after. How would she have the energy to follow me to Silverbirch


    Hospital?


    ¡°Since you insist that it¡¯s not pregnancy, enlighten me on what disease it is then. How did you get rid of


    all the signs in the span of a night?¡± Queenie spluttered, severely offended that the elderlydy thought


    her to be less skilled than Arielle.


    However, the more aggravated Queenie got, the more gleeful Arielle became. After all, it was gratifying


    to see her opponent upset.


    ¡°It¡¯s true that she isn¡¯t pregnant. Queenie, didn¡¯t I tell you yesterday that we shouldn¡¯t take things at


    surface value? Why can¡¯t you remember that?¡±


    ¡°Stop spouting nonsense and just tell me what happened to the old woman¡¯s belly.¡± Queenie refused to


    believe that the elderlydy was sick. She had performed multiple check-ups on her yesterday, and


    each screening showed that the elderlydy was indeed pregnant.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, we would like to know what illness the olddy had as well and how you healed her.¡±


    Viggo had grasped the situation and was also curious as to how Arielle had figured out the cause of the


    disease and its cure.


    ¡°This patient here was not pregnant. She was infected by a very rare parasite. Once infected by this


    parasite, the host might lose his or her life in half a year if the cause is not found. Conversely, if the root


    cause is identified in time and dealt with adequately, then the patient will be fine.¡± Arielle¡¯s face grew


    grim as she spoke.

 Chapter 1286

    Chapter 1286


    Chapter 1286 Parasite


    Arielle could not fathom who wouldmit such a heinous crime against an old woman, and she


    scathingly thought that whoever had done it deserved to burn in hell.


    ¡°What? A parasite?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Moore, you know how to eliminate parasites?¡±


    ¡°Is that what happened? Ms. Moore, could you go into detail for us?¡±


    Everyone present was part of the medical field, so it was only natural that they would want to discuss a


    patient case that was beyond their understanding.


    Arielle had nothing to hide, so she breezily agreed, ¡°If everyone is interested to know more, I¡¯d be


    happy to go into detail after thepetition.¡±


    The crowd respected Arielle¡¯s willingness to share. After all, there were tons of people who would


    gatekeep their knowledge and refuse to disclose such precious information.


    Viggo was in awe of Arielle. Before, he had been impressed by her medical expertise, but now, he


    admired her character.


    Queenie stood to the side with a scowl on her face. She still had trouble epting the fact that Arielle


    had identified the cause of the disease and treated the elderlydy.


    Donovan could tell from Queenie¡¯s dark expression that she was in a foul mood. He could empathize


    with her; he imagined that anyone would feel upset if someone they thought to be below them had


    overtaken them.


    At the same time, Donovan was dismayed by how an intelligent and capable woman like Arielle would


    rather stay with a two-timing man like Vinson than be in a rtionship with him. The fact that Arielle


    always looked down upon him only added insult to injury.


    Just then, the Mills¡¯ butler started to announce the results under Cornelius¡¯ instructions.


    Arielle was still the top scorer this time around.


    A murmur of assent rose from the crowd. Although the contestants were experts as well, at times like


    this, there was no choice but to admit that there would always be someone more brilliant out there.


    ¡°Why did she get the highest mark again?¡± Queenie huffed in indignance


    Her pretty eyes turned ugly with jealousy.


    Queenie tossed Arielle a disgusted nce and turned to grill Cornelius. ¡°All she did was heal an old


    woman; what¡¯s so impressive about that? The majority of people seated here have healed the patients


    you assigned them. Why does she deserve the highest mark?¡±


    Although Arielle had gained many admirers, her achievements also brought about skeptics. After


    hearing Queenie¡¯s usations, a man nearing his forties asked with feigned curiosity, ¡°She¡¯s right, Mr.


    Mill. Why did Arielle score the highest mark? Didn¡¯t we all cure our patients?¡±


    The look Abraham gave Queenie could only be described as one of disappointment. However, he only


    gave her a split second of attention before his gaze settled on the man. The man had left a strong


    impression on Abraham. Had it not been for Arielle, the man would have been the top scorer for both


    attempts, so Abraham could understand the man¡¯s doubts.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°About Arielle¡¯s results, every mark was allocated ording to the rules. She is phenomenal at what


    she does. On the first day, she not only found the most medicinal herbs, but the herbs she found were


    also of the highest value.¡±


    ¡°On the second day, which was yesterday, all of you were assigned a patient. I¡¯m sure you have seen


    for yourselves how she managed to find the cause of the olddy¡¯s illness and cure her in such a short


    time. That alone is enough to speak for her exceptional ability.¡±


    ¡°As for the third day, who amongst you has the confidence that you¡¯ll be able to cure the disease if you


    were the one who had encountered it?¡±


    As Abraham spoke, his eyes scanned the crowd, scrutinizing their expressions. The man remained


    silent. Although he was stressed about Arielle¡¯s high marks, he knew that with his skill level, he might


    not have been able to treat Arielle¡¯s patient yesterday.


    Queenie felt resigned after hearing her father¡¯s reply. Her marks for all three days were nowhere near


    as high as Arielle¡¯s, which meant there was no chance of her being the head of the Mill family.


    At the thought of that, Queenie shot a re at Arielle. If I can¡¯t have it, then I¡¯ll make sure Arielle


    doesn¡¯t get it too!

 Chapter 1287

    Chapter 1287


    Chapter 1287 Do Not Dream Of Getting It


    ¡°Due to the intensity of yesterday¡¯spetition, many of you did not get enough rest. Take the day off,


    and we¡¯ll continue the third round ofpetition tomorrow,¡± Abraham announced.


    Many of the contestants had stayed up all night to treat their patients. They had to be in tip-top


    condition for thepetition, so everyone agreed with Abraham¡¯s suggestion.


    After saying their goodbyes to Abraham, the contestants returned to their respective rooms.


    Arielle instructed Sasha to escort the elderlydy off before strolling back to her room. Queenie¡¯s gaze


    riveted on Arielle¡¯s retreating figure, her eyes taking on a menacing glint as Donovan nudged her back


    to their room.


    ¡°Donovan, if things progress as is, Arielle will be the head of the Mill family,¡± Queenie whispered


    to Donovan once they were inside the room. Her tone carried a hint of urgency. To Queenie, it did not


    matter to her who got the title as long as it was not Arielle.


    She could not bear to imagine her rival winning that coveted title.


    ¡°Well, it is what it is.¡±


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Despite his perfunctory reply, Donovan was all too familiar with the taste of resentment that came with


    losing to Arielle. Still, there was nothing they could do to change the situation. Arielle¡¯s outstanding


    abilities were in to see, and both Abraham and Cornelius valued integrity. It was impossible to


    sabotage Arielle.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t want Arielle to be the head of the Mills family.¡± Queenie gnashed her teeth at the


    thought of it. ¡°Before, I convinced myself that if she really bes the head of the family, I would chalk


    it up to fate and ept it. However, I can¡¯t get over how she treated you after she found out that you


    were stalking her. Her behavior was a p to your face and an insult to me! How can we let someone


    like her take the Mill family medical manuscripts?


    Queenie could care less about the position, but her anger toward Arielle zed because of Donovan.


    She could quietly endure the shame of not being as good as Arielle and evene to ept Arielle as


    the head of the Mills, but she refused to let bygones be bygones when it came to how Arielle had


    treated Donovan. To Queenie, Donovan was more important than life itself.


    Unbeknownst to Queenie, Donovan was reluctant to revisit the memory of being beaten up by Arielle,


    and the way Queenie brought up the incident time and time again kindled his rage. It was humiliating


    for a man to be thrashed right in front of his wife, and his dignity had been crushed.


    Donovan¡¯s emotions got the better of him. ¡°Can you stop talking about how Arielle beat me up?¡± he


    growled.


    It was his first time losing his temper at Queenie since they had gotten married. Stunned, Queenie


    stared at him wordlessly.


    After seeing Queenie¡¯s terrified expression, Donovan realized that he had gone overboard. He


    understood that although it was annoying how Queenie kept reminding him of how he lost in a fight with


    a girl, she had said it out of concern for him.


    ¡°Queenie, I didn¡¯t mean to yell or get mad at you,¡± Donovan quickly rectified. Tousling his hair, he


    continued in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s just that every time you mention that incident, I feel useless for not being


    able to win against a woman.¡±


    Although it was the truth, Donovan did not like showing Queenie his weak side.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t realize that bringing that incident up would upset you.¡± Queenie¡¯s heart ached as she


    took in Donovan¡¯s miserable state. She wrapped her arms around her husband and apologized


    profusely, ¡°I¡¯ll never talk about it again. Never.¡±


    Queenie¡¯s eyes reddened with emotion. Go to hell, Arielle! It¡¯s all your fault. How could you treat my


    husband like this?


    ¡°Donovan, I can¡¯t let you endure this humiliation in silence. We must take our revenge!¡± Queenie¡¯s


    voice dripped with malice.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to seek revenge, but we can¡¯t even beat her. How are we supposed to do it?¡±


    Donovan had even gone as far as hiring a hitman to murder Arielle, yet nothing had worked out.

 Chapter 1288

    Chapter 1288


    Chapter 1288 Allow Me To Visit


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this¡­¡± A wide grin spread across Queenie¡¯s face as a wicked idea popped up in her mind.


    She leaned in close to whisper her n into Donovan¡¯s ear.


    Donovan¡¯s eyes gleamed with unbridled glee when he heard her ingenious idea. This n is wonderful!


    I can almost taste the sweet revenge. Arielle is just a woman that was cast aside by Vinson. I¡¯m sure


    Vinson wouldn¡¯t conduct a search party to look for her if she mysteriously disappears.


    Meanwhile, Arielle had just entered her room. Her phone was flooded with messages from Vinson that


    read: How are things going? Did you eat all your meals? When will thepetition end? When can you


    come back? Let me know when it¡¯s all over, and I¡¯ll pick you up. It¡¯s been three days since Ist saw


    you; I miss you so much.


    Arielle could imagine Vinson¡¯s caring expression as she read his text messages. The man¡¯s love for her


    filled her with warmth, and she reveled in the wonderful feeling of being coddled.


    Unfortunately, thepetition that was meant tost for only three days had been extended. The three


    days away from Vinson filled Arielle with longing for the man. She buried those feelings of yearning at


    the bottom of her heart. She dared not address those emotions for now because she was aware that


    once she allowed herself to miss him, the feeling would only magnify and engulf her wholly.


    She picked up her phone and instead of replying with a text message, she video-called Vinson.


    On the other end, Vinson was busying himself with work. With Arielle away from home, he had no


    reason to return to his mansion and preferred to spend his nights at thepany. At this moment, his


    eyes lit up with delight when he saw the iing call from Arielle, and he quickly picked up.


    Greeted by Vinson¡¯s excited grin, Arielle teased, ¡°Are you d that I¡¯m not around?¡±


    Vinson was not in the mood to y along. His eyes darted around the phone screen to capture every


    detail of Arielle¡¯s face. His eyes filled with worry as he asked, ¡°Why do you look so haggard? Did you


    have trouble sleepingst night?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get a wink of sleepst night,¡± Arielle replied with a smile as she rubbed her face. She


    recounted the events of yesterday to fill Vinson in. She was happy to share all the parts of her life that


    Vinson was absent from.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always known that you¡¯re the best.¡± Vinson¡¯s eyes glimmered with pride as he gazed at the young


    woman on his phone screen. ¡°You¡¯ve had a long day. You should get some rest; you have another


    competition tomorrow. You need all the rest you can get to be in the best condition for it.¡±


    Although their reunion had to be dyed, the joy Arielle radiated was contagious, and Vinson was


    contented to see his wife do what she loved.


    ¡°All right, then. I¡¯ll go get some sleep. You should get back to work too.¡± As she spoke, Arielle moved


    closer to her phone and gave Vinson a sweet kiss before quickly hanging up.


    Although she was fast, Vinson noticed that the tips of her ears were tinged red from shyness, and he


    marveled over how Arielle always had a hold on him.


    With that thought in mind, Vinson sent Arielle a text. It read: Darling, you¡¯re too mean. You¡¯re making


    me thirsty without giving me a way to quench the thirst. Would you allow me to visit you?


    Arielle¡¯s face was already burning from her bold show of affection, but her cheeks turned redder after


    reading Vinson¡¯s suggestive text. It was just a small kiss! There¡¯s no need for him toe all the way


    here.


    Fearing that the man would already be on his way if she waited a minute too long, Arielle quickly sent a


    reply to him that read: You¡¯re forbidden toe! Don¡¯t distract me!


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    All right, then. You¡¯ll have to make up for it when youe home! Adoration for Arielle surged through


    Vinson when he imagined Arielle¡¯s expression on the other end.


    Arielle¡¯s face flushed crimson when she saw the word


    Go to sleep. I¡¯ll be waiting for your victorious return.

 Chapter 1289

    Chapter 1289


    Chapter 1289 Pursuing The Culprit


    Arielle¡¯s lips curved into a smile when she read Vinson¡¯s message. After cing her phone down, she


    went into the bathroom and took a shower.


    When she came out, there was a cup of warm milk on her bedside table. cing the cup against her


    lips, she was about to drink it when she noticed something amiss.


    Arielle sniffed the milk before taking a cotton bud from her bag and cing it inside the milk. Then, she


    ced the cotton bud into a container.


    Half an hourter, she brought the results of the test and the cup of milk to Cornelius.


    ¡°Thank you, Ms. Moore, but I don¡¯t drink milk.¡± When Cornelius saw Arielle walking over with a cup of


    milk, he thought that it was for him. He took the cup and thanked her profusely.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Arielle passed the results to him. ¡°Look at this.¡±


    Confused, Cornelius took the paper that Arielle had passed him. When he read the content, his


    expression changed drastically.


    ¡°This result is from the cup of milk. If I had drank this cup of milk unknowingly, you can imagine how I¡¯ll


    end up, right?¡± Arielle sounded puzzled. Who did I provoke this time? Why is there someone constantly


    wanting to kill me?


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, I¡¯ll definitely give you an exnation about this,¡± promised Cornelius after taking a deep


    breath.


    Someone has been trying to kill Arielle multiple times in the Mills¡¯ territory. If she hadn¡¯t been careful,


    murder would have happened on these grounds.


    ¡°I hope that we can quickly find the mastermind. It¡¯s ufortable to keep living so fearfully.¡±


    Actually, Arielle did not want to make things difficult for Cornelius. However, since this concerned her


    personal safety, she could not make herself act courteously to him.


    Regardless, she knew that this probably did not have anything to do with him. After all, he did not know


    that someone would target her.


    Cornelius felt guilty toward Arielle. She had only stayed at Silverbirch Hospital for three days, but her


    life had already been endangered twice.


    ¡°You should go and rest first. I¡¯ll investigate this issue and give you an exnation as soon as I can,¡±


    promised Cornelius as he looked at Arielle apologetically.


    Arielle nodded and returned to her room. Once she left, Cornelius immediately summoned his


    subordinates over to investigate the matter.


    ¡°Mr. Mill, we¡¯ve already checked the surveince cameras, but we found no clues,¡± reported Salvador


    as he stood beside Cornelius.


    A solemn expression crossed Cornelius¡¯ face. He figured that since the surveince cameras did not


    reveal anything, the culprit definitely knew Silverbirch Hospital well.


    Who is the one who kept attacking Arielle? First, it happened at Mount ckcloud. Then, it happened


    at Silverbirch Hospital. Is there someone in the hospital who is secretly Arielle¡¯s enemy


    But this doesn¡¯t make sense. Other than the older ones, the people working for the Mills have been


    here for at least five years. How can they have a grudge against Arielle?


    Could it be a contestant? But how would they know that Arielle will get the top score on the first day?


    Cornelius had many questions in his mind, but he could not find any answers to them.


    ¡°Salvador, check every room. If any room has medicine simr to this, note it down directly.¡± Cornelius


    passed the test results to his butler, who immediately went to carry out his instructions.


    Salvador had been working for Cornelius¡¯ grandfather since young. His grandfather had always treated


    Salvador like his son instead of a mere servant.


    When he was teaching Abraham medicine, he also taught Salvador. Although Salvador was not as


    talented as Abraham, he was not too bad either.


    If he had left Silverbirch Hospital, his fate would definitely be different.


    However, he was unwilling to leave the Mills out of gratitude. Instead, he was willing to stay with the


    Mills and take over his father¡¯s role as the butler.


    Following Cornelius¡¯ instructions, Salvador began searching every room.

 Chapter 1290

    Chapter 1290


    Chapter 1290 Investigation


    To avoid alerting anyone unnecessarily, Salvador did not say that he was trying to find the poison in the


    milk. Instead, he acted concerned about how everyone was doing there. He told them that if there was


    anything that they were not used to, they should bring it up to him.


    His actions won the favor of the contestants, who thought that the Mills were very hospitable.


    Salvador checked every room, but could not find any problems with them. He reported the results of


    the investigation to Cornelius.


    ¡°Where else haven¡¯t you searched in the Mill Residence?¡± asked Cornelius after mulling over it.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°Other than your and Mr. Mill¡¯s room, there¡¯s only Ms. Queenie¡¯s room left,¡± replied Salvador.


    Since Cornelius and his father would definitely not harm Arielle, the only suspect was Queenie.


    He took a deep breath, not believing that his sister would do something so vicious.


    ¡°Salvador, pass this medicine to Queenie and tell her that I¡¯ve specially prescribed this to her. Tell her


    to put it on her leg for an hour once in the morning and once at night.¡± Cornelius clenched his fists. ¡°If


    you find something weird, don¡¯t cover up for her.¡±


    He knew that Salvador had always doted on him and Queenie like they were his children. If Queenie


    was the culprit who sabotaged Arielle, he was afraid that Salvador would feel sorry for Queenie and


    cover up for her.


    Salvador nodded, knowing the severity of this issue. If Queenie was really the culprit, he definitely


    would not side with evil and protect her.


    Holding the medicine, Salvador knocked on Queenie¡¯s door. Donovan opened the door and invited him


    in.


    Queenie stared at Salvador in confusion when he entered. After all, he rarely entered their rooms.


    ¡°Ms. Queenie, Mr. Cornelius has specially prepared this medicine for you. He says that you should


    apply it once in the morning and once at night.¡± Ignoring Queenie¡¯s puzzled stare, Salvador ced the


    medicine on a table nearby.


    When Queenie heard that Cornelius had prepared the medicine for her leg, she nced down at her


    legs. ¡°Thank Cor for me, Salvador.¡±


    After seeking help from so many experts, her legs still could not be cured. Although she had already


    given up, Cornelius was still trying so hard for her sake. Tears welled up in her eyes as gratitude toward


    Cornelius filled Queenie.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank Mr. Cornelius. As long as he can cure your legs, he¡¯ll be very happy,¡± said


    Salvador.


    As he spoke, he kept observing the room and trying to see if there were any odd smells.


    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely cooperate with Cor and make my legs better.¡± If there was a chance to stand up again,


    anyone would be willing to try.


    Salvador¡¯s heart ached when he saw how dejected Queenie looked. He walked forward to check on


    her legs. However, before he reached her, an almost indiscernible smell drifted into his nose, causing


    him to freeze. This smells the same as the poison that Mr. Cornelius asked me to check for.


    ¡°Salvador?¡±


    Seeing how Salvador was rooted to his spot in a daze, Queenie called out to him.


    Salvador immediately returned to his senses when he heard her. Pretending that he had not discovered


    anything, he exined with a smile, ¡°I suddenly remembered that I haven¡¯t done something that Mr.


    Cornelius asked me to do. I have to attend to it now. Do remember to put the medicine on your legs.¡±


    Before Queenie could react, he spun around and left. Donovan had left when he opened the door for


    Salvador. When he returned, Salvador was already gone.


    ¡°Mr. Cornelius, there¡¯s the smell of that medicine in Ms. Queenie¡¯s room.¡± Salvador did not dare to


    conceal the information. After leaving Queenie¡¯s room, he went straight to Cornelius and told him what


    he had discovered.

 Chapter 1291

    Chapter 1291


    Chapter 1291 The Real Culprit


    ¡°How absurd!¡± Cornelius was actually hopeful. He was unwilling to believe that the culprit who tried to


    kill Arielle was his own precious sister. However, it was impossible to dispute this fact anymore.


    Queenie hadpletely disappointed him. ¡°Salvador, tell Dad about this. I¡¯m going to Queenie¡¯s room


    for a while.¡±


    He wanted to go to Queenie¡¯s room and find the poison himself. This way, she would not be able to


    make any excuses.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go right away.¡± With that, Salvador went to look for Abraham. Meanwhile, Cornelius stood at the


    same spot for five minutes before dragging his feet to Queenie¡¯s room.


    ¡°Why are you here, Cor?¡±


    It was Salvador earlier, and now, it¡¯s Cornelius. Queenie felt an indescribable sense of panic wash over


    her. Did they realize that I poisoned Arielle? No, if I was exposed, Arielle would¡¯ve kicked up a fuss. It¡¯s


    impossible that she¡¯ll stay so quiet and not do anything. I¡¯m just scaring myself out of guilt.


    Upon that thought, she took a deep breath and calmed herself down.


    Cornelius stared at Queenie without saying a word. Following the scent, he walked toward her dressing


    table. Seeing this, Queenie was so scared that her heart pounded rapidly.


    ¡°What are you looking for, Cor? I¡¯ll ask Don to help you find it,¡± said Queenie as she suppressed her


    panic. When she shot a look at Donovan, he immediately understood. Rushing toward Cornelius, he


    said, ¡°Yeah, Cor. I¡¯ll help you find it.¡±


    Ignoring them, Cornelius pulled open the drawers and started rummaging through them before taking


    out a makeup box. Queenie had hidden the poison amongst her makeup products. Those who were


    not extremely sensitive to the smell of medicine would never find it.


    ¡°Cor, why are you taking my makeup products? They¡¯re meant for girls. If you want some, I can ask


    Don to buy some meant for guys,¡± said Queenie, still trying her best to suppress her panic.


    When she noticed Cornelius holding the bottle of night cream, her heart started to race.


    Cornelius gazed at Queenie, who he had doted on since young, with disappointment. ¡°Are you scared


    that I¡¯ll take this away?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Why would I be scared? It¡¯s just a bottle of cream. If you want it, just take


    it. What¡¯s the big deal?¡±


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Queenie, do you have anything else to tell me?¡± Cornelius was extremely disappointed. Is she still


    unwilling to admit it even at this point?


    This time, Queenie finally realized that Cornelius hade to look for the poison that she had given


    Arielle. D*mn it! I was too careless. I should have destroyed that poison when I can. Now the d*mn


    thing hase back to bite my ass.


    ¡°Cor, can¡¯t you pretend that you don¡¯t know anything?¡± Queenie gazed into her brother¡¯s eyes, hoping


    that he could let her off the hook.


    ¡°Queenie, this is fatal. How can you use it to kill someone?¡± Cornelius stared at her in disbelief. When


    did my adorable, kind, and innocent sister change? How did she be so vicious that she doesn¡¯t


    even care about one¡¯s life?


    ¡°Do you think that I want to kill someone? If Arielle hasn¡¯t gone overboard, why would I have tried to kill


    her?¡± Queenie roared at Cornelius.


    At that moment, Abraham had also rushed over to Queenie¡¯s room after Salvador told him what


    happened. When he heard his daughter¡¯s words, he flung the door open and strode toward her before


    pping her cheek so forcefully that blood dribbled down her lips.

 Chapter 1292

    Chapter 1292


    Chapter 1292 Queenie Is Disqualified


    ¡°I¡¯ve always practiced medicine for good. How can I possibly have such a vicious daughter like you?¡±


    Abraham stared at Queenie disappointedly.


    Is this the daughter whom I¡¯ve always doted on? Is this the daughter who has always made me proud?


    When did she be so ruthless?


    ¡°Dad, did you just p me? How dare you p me!¡± Queenie clutched her cheek as she shot a look of


    disbelief at Abraham.


    She had never been hit since she was a child.


    ¡°Cor, bring her to the living room.¡± Abraham was so engulfed with disappointment that he did not even


    want to look at Queenie. Spinning around, he left and informed all the contestants to head to the living


    room.


    ¡°Cor, why does Dad want me to go to the living room? I don¡¯t want to!¡±


    Queenie panicked. Ignoring the searing pain on her cheek, she grabbed Cornelius¡¯ hand. ¡°Cor, I¡¯m sure


    that Arielle¡¯s fine. Please, beg Dad not to punish me!¡±


    No matter how dumb Queenie might be, she knew that Arielle must have discovered how she was the


    one who nted the poison. Then, Arielle informed Cornelius, triggering this series of events.


    ¡°Even if Ms. Moore is fine, it doesn¡¯t mean that she¡¯s willing to spare you.¡±


    As Cornelius looked at Queenie, his heart ached. However, there was nothing he could do. This matter


    was so serious that it was impossible for him to cover things up for her.


    ¡°Apologize to Ms. Moore and see if she can forgive you,¡± suggested Cornelius as he pushed Queenie¡¯s


    wheelchair out.


    Queenie knew that unless Arielle forgave her, there was no way for her to resolve this.


    However, this only made her even more reluctant to apologize to Arielle.


    She clutched the armrests of her wheelchair forcefully, her nails digging into them.


    I won¡¯t believe it! Dad and Cor will never let that b*tch, Arielle, punish me!


    Soon, the three of them arrived in the living room. By then, everyone was already there.


    They stared at Abraham, not knowing what happened and why he had gathered them there.


    Arielle was sitting at the side. When she saw Cornelius pushing Queenie in and the scowl on Queenie¡¯s


    face, she knew then and there that Queenie was the one who tried to poison her.


    Luckily, the housekeeper at the Nightshire residence had spiked her milk before. She only managed to


    avoid this trap because of how sensitive she was to milk.


    Arielle stared at Queenie, her face devoid of any expression.


    She¡¯s so dumb. Why would she even think about poisoning me? We all practice medicine, so we¡¯re


    very sensitive to medicines. Didn¡¯t she realize that if she tried to poison me, it¡¯ll be very easily


    exposed?


    Arielle mulled over it for a long time before reaching an answer.


    Jealousy was potent enough to drive one mad. Out of jealousy, Queenie had lost her intelligence.


    ¡°I gathered everyone here to announce something,¡± dered Abraham solemnly as he gazed at


    everyone. ¡°Queenie has been disqualified and will not participate in thepetition to be the next


    head of the family.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    What? I¡¯ve been disqualified?


    Queenie was stunned when she heard what Abraham said.


    Since Queenie was the eldest daughter of the Mills, everyone but Arielle was confused as to why she


    suddenly got disqualified.


    ¡°Mr. Mill, what happened? Why did Ms. Mill suddenly get disqualified?¡± asked a young man.


    Although he was delighted that apetitor had been eliminated, he still had to ask why as a show of


    mock concern.


    ¡°It¡¯s because of some private matters that we won¡¯t be sharing.¡± Abraham did not want people to know


    that Queenie had tried to poison Arielle.


    When everyone heard that, they stopped asking.


    Meanwhile, Queenie had finally returned to her senses after being overwhelmed by the shock and fury


    of being disqualified.

 Chapter 1293

    Chapter 1293


    Chapter 1293 Why Did You Not Die


    Pushing the wheels of her wheelchair, Queenie shot toward Arielle and was about to hit her.


    ¡°Arielle, you b*tch! Why didn¡¯t you die?¡±


    However, since Queenie was crippled, it was impossible for her to hit Arielle.


    Before Queenie reached out her arm, Arielle had already dodged to the side


    ¡°You b*tch! B*tch! B*tch!¡± Screaming like she had lost her mind, Queenie grabbed a cup on the table


    and flung it at Arielle. However, Arielle evaded it in time and itnded on the ground with a loud smash.


    Since the contestants had not left, they understood everything the moment Queenie attacked Arielle so


    frantically. Arielle definitely has something to do with Queenie being disqualified by Abraham. All sorts


    of wild guesses surfaced in their minds upon witnessing this scene.


    ¡°Are you crazy, Queenie?¡±


    Cornelius did not even have time to react. When he returned to his senses, Queenie had already flung


    a cup at Arielle before he could stop her.


    When Queenie tried to attack Arielle again, Cornelius gripped her wrist tightly.


    ¡°Yeah, I am! I¡¯m crazy!¡± shrieked Queenie. ¡°But this b*tch is fine! Why am I disqualified?¡±


    She would rather lose in thepetition than be disqualified in front of everyone.


    ¡°Cornelius, why are you still standing there? Lock her up and don¡¯t let her out without my permission!¡±


    Abraham yelled at Cornelius as he stared at how crazily his daughter was acting.


    Cornelius pushed Queenie out of the living room while she kept hurling insults at Arielle.


    Everyone was shocked when they saw that. Queenie is screwed!


    As there was still anotherpetition the next day, they went back to rest. After everyone was gone,


    Cornelius looked for Arielle to apologize for what Queenie had done.


    ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m fine, anyway. I¡¯ll leave it up to the Mills to decide how to deal with her.¡±


    Arielle did not n on letting Queenie off the hook, but everyone else in the Mills was very nice.


    For their sake, she nned to just let the matter go.


    Feeling grateful, Cornelius thanked her again before leaving.


    The thirdpetition soon arrived the next day.


    Arielle did not expect that the thirdpetition would test the contestants¡¯ skill in surgical suturing.


    Usually, this was not a skill that would be tested in apetition. However, this particr one was very


    challenging.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    The test that the Mills had prepared was to transnt animal heads. Everyone would have two dogs.


    The requirement of thepetition was to swap the dogs¡¯ heads through surgical suturing while


    ensuring that the dogs were safe.


    This was an extremely challenging test.


    Woof! Woof!


    Woof! Woof!


    The dogs that were distributed to the contestants had all been sedated. Staring at Arielle, the dogs


    barked softly.


    Arielle could not make herself do anything to those dogs.


    Although the position of the head of the Mills and the medical manuscripts were important, they were


    still inanimate and nowhere as important as the two dogs in front of her. It was impossible for her to do


    anything to the dogs and even if she did, she could not guarantee their safety.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t do anything to you. Just wait for the sedation to lose its effect,¡± consoled Arielle


    gently as she stroked the dogs¡¯ heads.


    She decided then to forfeit thispetition.


    ¡°Sasha, inform Cornelius that I¡¯ll be forfeiting the thirdpetition.¡± Arielle kept stroking the dogs to


    make them feel safer.

 Chapter 1294

    Chapter 1294


    Chapter 1294 Forfeit


    ¡°I¡¯m sure with your skills, you can ensure that they¡¯ll still survive. So why are you forfeiting?¡± Sasha was


    very confused. They¡¯re dogs, not humans. So what if they die? Why is she forfeiting?


    ¡°Although they¡¯re dogs, they are still living beings. Also¡­ my brother loves dogs the most. If he finds


    out that I did something like this, he¡¯ll definitely be very disappointed with me.


    Sasha knew that Arielle was referring to the Wilhelm couple¡¯s son.


    Looks like Arielle really cares about him.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not changing my mind. If they¡¯re sick and need a head transnt, I¡¯ll definitely do it. However,


    these two dogs arepletely fine. If I were to make them suffer so much out of my own selfishness, I


    can¡¯t be considered a doctor.¡±


    Even if Arielle was sure of her skills, she was afraid that she might make a mistake and kill them. If that


    happened, she would feel too guilty to face any other dogs in the future


    Others might say that she was dumb or kind. However, if she had to do all these just for the sake of


    bing the head of the Mills, she would rather not.


    Arielle knew where Sasha wasing from. After all, Sasha was a bodyguard and an assassin from


    the borders of Manchernius.


    Since she was so skilled, she had definitely experienced all sorts of selection tests and obstacles


    before being capable enough to work for Vinson.


    Hence, she understood why Sasha was so cold and indifferent to everything.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    However, Arielle was not an assassin nor a bodyguard¡ªshe was a human being; a normal person who


    could never bring herself to do something so cruel to a poor dog.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll go and inform Cornelius of your decision now.¡± Although Sasha could not understand why


    Arielle was doing this, she obediently went out and informed Cornelius about Arielle¡¯s forfeit.


    As the transnt surgery was extremely challenging, the results of thepetition were only released


    the next morning.


    Afraid that Vinson would feel worried, Arielle texted him about it before calling Sam to ask for an extra


    day of leave. Sam agreed easily.


    After breakfast the next day, Cornelius announced the results.


    Looking at the results, Arielle and the other contestants widened their eyes in disbelief.


    They were extremely shocked by the results.


    ¡°How is this possible? Was there a mistake with the results?¡± asked someone. ¡°Why is it Arielle?¡±


    Even Arielle could barely believe it. Didn¡¯t I forfeit thispetition? Why did I still get the highest


    score? Shouldn¡¯t the highest score be given to those who had sessfully swapped the heads?


    When she woke up that morning, Sasha told her that many of the transnt surgeries had failed.


    Many of those dogs had been buried outside by those working for the Mills. Only a few people


    seeded. Although the dogs were not as energetic as before, they were at least still alive.


    Naturally, tens of thousands of nerves would have to be attached in transnt surgery. There were


    barely any sessful cases in medical history too.


    Even if they were the best in the medical field, they would be unable to help the dogs make a full


    recovery.


    Those who had seeded in the surgeries were extremely delighted at first as they believed that they


    could be the head of the family and get the Mills¡¯ medical manuscripts.


    However, everyone was taken aback when the results were announced.


    ¡°We demand an exnation, Mr. Mill!¡±


    Viggo was one of those candidates who had sessfully transnted the heads. Although he admired


    Arielle, he was unwilling to give up on the medical manuscripts.


    Abraham knew that everyone would doubt the results of thepetition once they were announced.

 Chapter 1295

    Chapter 1295


    Chapter 1295 Burning It


    Looking at everyone, Abraham exined solemnly, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with the results. Arielle has


    indeed scored the highest. She¡¯ll be the next head of the Mills and the medical manuscripts will now


    belong to her.¡±


    ¡°But why is it her? Didn¡¯t she forfeit thepetition? How can she still have a score?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°She won precisely because she forfeited.¡± Staring at everyone who was in utter disbelief, Abraham


    said seriously, ¡°Doctors should be benevolent. Those without a kind heart can never be the head


    of the family. Although this test was about transnt surgery, it¡¯s also about kindness. Yet, look at what


    you¡¯ve done.¡±


    When those people remembered the dogs that had died in their surgeries, they fell silent. Viggo shot a


    nce at Arielle, finally admitting his defeat.


    He had been so eager for sess that he forgot that he was a doctor and what his true mission should


    be.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, congrattions on bing the head of the family. Please ept these medical


    manuscripts.¡± Abraham passed the medical manuscripts to Arielle.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Mill.¡±


    Arielle did not expect that she managed to be the head of the family because she could not bear


    to operate on the dogs.


    Even when the medical manuscripts were handed over to her, she still felt like she was dreaming.


    The joy within her could not be suppressed.


    She flipped the medical manuscripts open the moment she got them.


    When the other contestants saw her reading the medical manuscripts, they all felt extremely envious.


    Arielle pored through it extremely quickly as she flipped through the pages at rapid speed. Soon, she


    finished reading the content of the medical manuscripts. For someone with a photographic memory, the


    manuscripts were useless to her now. After all, the content had all been stored in her mind.


    She asked Abraham, ¡°Mr. Mill, since the medical manuscripts are already mine, can I decide what to do


    with them?¡±


    Although Abraham did not understand why Arielle asked that question, he nodded. ¡°Yeah. Since you¡¯re


    holding the medical manuscripts now, they¡¯re yours. You can choose to make the content public or


    keep it confidential.¡±


    ¡°Can I decide how it¡¯s going to be dealt with in the future?¡± asked Arielle as she flipped the medical


    manuscripts shut.


    ¡°Yes, you can do anything you want with it.¡± Abraham stared at Arielle with a smile.


    He was actually d that she had be the next head of the family.


    ¡°Please lend me a lighter.¡± Arielle suddenly stretched her hand out to Cornelius.


    Cornelius passed the lighter to her subconsciously. How does Arielle know that I smoke? I only smoke


    a cigarette whenever I feel frustrated. After that, I¡¯ll even bathe immediately.


    Before he could figure it out, Arielle grabbed the lighter and burned the medical manuscripts.


    ¡°What are you doing, Arielle?¡± An elder rushed forward to snatch them away from her hands, but she


    evaded him.


    Since the medical manuscripts were with her now, she would not let others snatch them away from her.


    When Donovan saw the medical manuscripts being burned, he also hurried forward to snatch them


    away. I¡¯m nning to use these manuscripts to rise back up! How can she burn them!


    However, just when he approached Arielle, she kicked him aside. As for the elder, she merely had to


    dodge him instead of resorting to force.


    She no longer had any inhibitions when it came to Donovan.


    ¡°How can you burn them? Do you know how important the medical manuscripts are?¡±


    When the elder saw the medical manuscripts being burned to ashes, he red at Arielle. He could feel


    his heart shattering into pieces. His voice was filled with reluctance, pity, and sorrow.


    Arielle knew that she would enrage the crowd by burning the medical manuscripts.

 Chapter 1296

    Chapter 1296


    Chapter 1296 Bad Intentions


    However, Arielle had no choice. The medical manuscripts included a lot of recipes to create poison.


    If she did not destroy them, the consequences would be dire if they fall into the hands of ill-intentioned


    people.


    To be safe, she could only burn them.


    Scanning the crowd, Arielle exined seriously, ¡°They¡¯re important. However, no matter how important


    they are, they¡¯ll be transformed into weapons against us if they fall into the wrong hands. The medical


    manuscripts recorded many ways to create poisons that do not have an antidote. If the information is


    leaked, we don¡¯t know what will happen. Hence, I have no choice but to burn it.¡±


    She knew that a lot of the contestants were genuinely passionate about medicine and most of them


    were righteous people.


    Since they would definitely feel upset upon seeing the medical manuscripts being destroyed, she


    exined her actions seriously.


    At the same time, she was also exining to Abraham and Cornelius.


    Clutching his chest that had just been kicked by Arielle, Donovan stood up slowly.


    He red at Arielle, his gaze emanating hostility, before turning his gaze toward Abraham.


    ¡°Dad, these medical manuscripts are so precious! I heard from Queenie that they¡¯ve been passed


    down by the Mills¡¯ ancestors from generation to generation. Arielle went to all lengths possible just to


    Heined that Arielle had joined thepetition with the sole purpose of destroying the medical


    manuscripts.


    By saying all that, he aimed to make Abraham angry.


    However, he was left disappointed. Abraham was not even the slightest bit upset about what Arielle


    did.


    ¡°Don, the medical manuscripts are now Ms. Moore¡¯s. She can do whatever she wants to them and we


    have no right to intervene.¡±


    Abraham nced at Donovan solemnly, thinking that marrying Queenie to him was an extremely grave


    mistake.


    In fact, he was actually happy that Arielle had destroyed the medical manuscripts.


    Just like what Arielle said, the consequences would be unimaginable if the medical manuscripts were


    to fall into the wrong hands.


    He had wanted to destroy them a long time ago. However, since the medical manuscripts had been


    passed down from generations before him, he could not bear to destroy them personally.


    Now that Arielle had done something that he had always wanted to do, he felt overjoyed instead of


    furious.


    This time, he could finally feel relieved.


    ¡°Are you toying with us, Mr. Mill? Did we travel all the way here for thepetition just to see a brat like


    her burn the medical manuscripts?¡± demanded the elder furiously as he red at Abraham.


    With the elder taking the lead, the others also vented their frustration.


    ¡°Yeah! He¡¯s just ying with us. No matter what, I want a proper exnation.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! He must give us a proper exnation!¡±


    ¡°We want an exnation!¡±


    ¡°We want an exnation!¡±


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    More people started protesting, wanting to force Abraham to tell them the content of the medical


    manuscripts.


    Although the medical manuscripts were burned, they had been with the Mills for so many years that the


    members definitely knew the prescriptions recorded inside.


    Some of them were so jealous that they wanted to strike first. As long as they could take Abraham


    down, he would have no choice but to reveal the content.


    ¡°Mr. Mill, now that the medical manuscripts had been burned, don¡¯t me me for this!¡± yelled a thirty-


    year-old man before he charged straight at Abraham.


    When everyone realized what he was nning, they ran toward Cornelius and Abraham as well.


    Since the father and son duo were definitely very familiar with the medical manuscripts, the crowd


    figured they would be able to find out what the contents were just by taking down one of them.

 Chapter 1297

    Chapter 1297


    Chapter 1297 Particrly Envious


    The Mill family¡¯s guards quickly stepped in front of Abraham and Cornelius to protect them. All hell


    broke loose as both sides engaged in a chaotic brawl fighting against each other.


    ¡°Stop fighting, all of you!¡± Arielle shouted at the top of her lungs.


    D*mn it! I can¡¯t believe these guys woulde to our territory and start a fight just because they¡¯re


    unhappy about something that belongs to us!


    Due to the chaotic nature of the brawl, nobody was able to hear Arielle no matter how loud she yelled.


    With no other way to control the situation, Arielle had no choice but to take part in the action. Being the


    beneficiary, she naturally took the Mill family¡¯s side in this fight.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    However, she didn¡¯t want to kill any of the attackers as they were simply blinded by their obsession with


    the medical manuscripts.


    Arielle used only twenty to thirty percent of her power in her strikes for fear of injuring the attackers, but


    that didn¡¯t mean they would do the same for her.


    At one point, a man about the same age as her snuck up from behind and shoved her toward a huge


    rock on the side.


    Having been caught off guard, Arielle was knocked off bnce and couldn¡¯t steady herself in time. With


    her injury being imminent, she instinctively closed her eyes and braced herself for the impact.


    The next thing she knew, her body was caught in a strong and firm grip before being pulled into a tight


    embrace.


    Upon noticing a familiar scent, she opened her eyes in surprise and hugged the man who saved her.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    The man that had swooped in like a knight in shining armor was none other than Vinson himself.


    ¡°I found out that the campaign would end today, so I came over to pick you up and take care of some


    business on the side,¡± he said with a gentle look in his eyes.


    Vinson didn¡¯t bring a lot of men with him, but they were all highly skilled fighters and managed to


    contain the situation within minutes.


    With a singlemand, the men escorted all of the participants out of the hall.


    Donovan¡¯s eyes were filled with envy when he saw the two of them being all lovey-dovey with each


    other.


    All that cheating scumbag did was catch her when she fell! Does she seriously think of him as a


    charming hero? This b*tch¡­ None of this would¡¯ve happened if she didn¡¯t look down on me and beat


    me up!


    ¡°Thank you for the assistance, Mr. Nightshire!¡± Abraham thanked him profusely.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, Mr. Mill,¡± Vinson replied calmly.


    Although handling that situation was merely a piece of cake for Vinson¡¯s men, Abraham was still


    extremely grateful as things could¡¯ve ended very badly otherwise.


    Before he could say anything further, Vinson continued, ¡°Mr. Mill, there are two reasons why I came


    here today. The first reason is, of course, to pick my wife up. The second reason is to find the person


    who tried to assassinate her.¡±


    Thinking that Arielle had told Vinson about the assassination, Abraham said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m terribly


    sorry, Mr. Nightshire. Someone helped the assassin escape that night, and we have yet to find any


    useful information.¡±


    Vinson nodded and shouted out loud, ¡°ke!¡±


    ¡°Coming!¡± ke responded before reluctantly pushing a wheelchair into the hall.


    The only reason he used a wheelchair was because he didn¡¯t want to dirty himself carrying the man.

 Chapter 1298

    Chapter 1298


    Chapter 1298 Taking The Fall


    Arielle¡¯s eyes went wide when she saw the man in the wheelchair, whose face was all swollen up.


    Donovan went pale when he saw the assassin all tied up on the wheelchair.


    Using every bit of willpower he had in him to suppress his fear, Donovan secretly ordered his men to


    release Queenie.


    ¡°How did you manage to capture him, Vinson?¡± Arielle asked in surprise. I bet Sasha told him about the


    assassination attempt! I mean, why else would Vinson catch this guy?


    ¡°I got worried when you wanted to bring Sasha over to the Mill Residence, so I had my mene here


    in advance to protect you,¡± Vinson replied.


    That was the reason why he was able to catch the assassin who was released.


    Thinking that Vinson must¡¯ve interrogated the assassin and found out who hired him, Abraham said,


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire, I believe you already know who hired him to attack Ms. Moore. The Mill family will not


    intervene in this matter, so you may handle it however you like.¡±


    He really admired Vinson for how well he handled things despite being so young.


    Vinson knew the kind of person Abraham was and admired him just as much. ¡°Yes, I have. The


    mastermind behind all this is none other than your son-inw, Donovan.¡±


    Donovan was terrified when he heard his name being mentioned, but tried his best to appear calm as


    he protested, ¡°This must be a mistake, Mr. Nightshire! There¡¯s no way I¡¯d try to harm Ms. Moore!¡±


    ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t admit to it.¡± Vinson then had ke remove the gag from the assassin¡¯s mouth.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°He¡¯s the one who hired me to kill Ms. Moore, Mr. Mill!¡± The assassin immediately revealed how


    Donovan had hired him to kill Arielle.


    D*mn it, there¡¯s no telling what Vinson would do to me if I admitted to my crimes!


    Donovan¡¯s eyes reddened with rage as he shouted at the assassin, ¡°I know you¡¯re desperately trying to


    save yourself after being captured by Mr. Nightshire, but you can¡¯t just falsely use me like this! I¡¯m


    the son-inw of the Mill family! What could you possibly stand to gain from framing me?¡±


    The assassin ignored him and had ke show Abraham all the messages, calls, and online


    transactions from Donovan.


    With solid evidence beingid out like that, Donovan no longer had anything to say in his defense.


    Abraham shot Donovan a re before turning toward Vinson as he said, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, you may deal


    with him as you please. The Mill family will not interfere in this matter.¡±


    Queenie was shocked to the core when she heard that. She had never expected Donovan to be the


    one behind the assassination. She snapped out of her daze when she saw Abraham give Vinson


    permission to take action against Donovan.


    Not wanting to see Donovan get taken away, she wheeled herself toward Abraham and pleaded with


    Vinson, ¡°I was the one behind Arielle¡¯s assassination attempt, Mr. Nightshire! Don has nothing to do


    with it! I hated Arielle very much, so I forced Don to kill her with a hired gun! If you must pursue this


    matter, then it¡¯s me you shoulde after! Don is innocent, so please leave him out of this!¡±


    Abraham¡¯s eyes widened with shock when he heard what she said. ¡°Shut up, Queenie!¡±


    Queenie¡¯s rtionship with Abraham had fallen apart ever since he pped her and removed her


    name in public.


    ¡°This really is my doing, Dad. I don¡¯t want Don to get in trouble because of me,¡± she said while ring


    coldly at Abraham.


    Vinson knew about Queenie¡¯s history with Arielle, so he didn¡¯t doubt that statement of hers in the


    slightest.

 Chapter 1299

    Chapter 1299


    Chapter 1299 Why Are You Arresting Me


    ¡°Have them take her away, ke!¡± Vinson ordered.


    He wasn¡¯t about to forgive anyone who dared to harm Arielle.


    ¡°M-Mr. Nightshire, I¡­¡± Abraham opened his mouth, but the words were stuck in his throat. As he had


    confidently given Vinson permission to deal with the situation just moments ago, he couldn¡¯t bring


    himself to stop him after the stunt Queenie pulled.


    ¡°Feel free to speak your mind, Mr. Mill.¡±


    Vinson knew Abraham probably wanted him to spare Queenie, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to forgive


    anyone who tried to harm Arielle.


    ¡°What Queenie did to Ms. Moore was reprehensible and unforgivable. I know I¡¯m not in a position to


    make such a request, but will you please hand Queenie over to the police instead?¡± Abraham said,


    much to Queenie¡¯s surprise.


    What? Instead of begging Vinson to let me go, Dad is asking him to hand me over to the police


    instead? Why? Why doesn¡¯t he beg Vinson to spare me? Does he not realize what will happen to me if


    I get arrested?


    She stared at Abraham in despair as she screamed, ¡°H-How could you hand me over to the police,


    Dad? From now on, you¡¯re no longer my father! Do you hear me? You¡¯re no longer my father!¡±


    Abraham felt disappointed when he heard that.


    Why doesn¡¯t she understand that I¡¯m doing this for her own good? Does she not know the kind of


    person Vinson is? If he takes her back to his house, I¡¯d receive the news of her death in a few days or


    less! Handing her over to the police is the only way to save her life right now!


    Despite what Queenie did, Cornelius couldn¡¯t just sit by and watch his sister get taken away to her


    doom. As such, he had no choice but to beg Arielle for mercy. ¡°Ms. Moore, I know Queenie has done


    something unforgivable, but could you please have the police handle this instead?¡±


    Arielle truly did admire the Mills, so seeing Abraham and Cornelius beg them to spare Queenie


    softened her heart. ¡°Hey, Vinson, let¡¯s hand her over to the police and let them take legal action against


    her instead, okay?¡± she whispered while tugging on his arm.


    Since she asked, Vinson had no choice but to have ke send Queenie to the police station instead.


    Donovan breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that his crisis had been averted.


    While he was grateful for Queenie taking the fall for him, he couldn¡¯t help but find her actions incredibly


    foolish.


    I¡¯ve only seen married couples ditching each other in times of crisis. She¡¯s probably the only one stupid


    enough to pin the me entirely on herself!


    Judging by the look of relief on Donovan¡¯s face after Queenie was taken away, Arielle could tell that


    she had deliberately taken the fall for him.


    Even so, she decided to keep what she had seen to herself as Queenie did really try to poison her.


    Of course, she wasn¡¯t about to let Donovan off the hook so easily either.


    Arielle then pulled Vinson close and whispered something into his ear.


    ¡°What? Why didn¡¯t you say so sooner?¡± Vinson red at her as his anger started to build up.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to worry you. Besides, I¡¯m fine now, ain¡¯t I?¡± Arielle replied with a smile.


    Vinson then asked Sasha to call the police and have theme over. Thinking it was for them to take


    Queenie away, the others didn¡¯t give it much thought.


    It wasn¡¯t until the police arrived and approached Donovan with handcuffs that he realized something


    was amiss.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    He wasn¡¯t sure why the police wanted to arrest him, but he tried to make a run for it as he didn¡¯t want to


    get caught. Surely enough, the police managed to catch him and put him in handcuffs.


    ¡°What did I do? Why are you arresting me?¡± Donovan shouted angrily.

 Chapter 1300

    Chapter 1300


    Chapter 1300 Simply Waiting For The Right Time


    With her arm tightly wrapped around Vinson¡¯s, Arielle shed Donovan a disdainful look as she said,


    ¡°Because I made a police report, Donovan. You tried to rape me, remember? Did you really think I


    would just let that slide for the sake of my image and reputation? You have only yourself to me for


    everything, Donovan!¡±


    Arielle wasn¡¯t a very merciful person. She would make anyone pay the price if they tried to harm her.


    Donovan had assumed she wouldn¡¯t call the police on him, but she was simply waiting for the right time


    to do it.


    As everyone¡¯s attention was focused on Donovan¡¯s arrest, nobody realized that a patient had snuck out


    of Silverbirch Hospital.


    ¡°What? Are you saying that Arielle is the head of the household?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. She burned the medical manuscripts.¡±


    Aaron¡¯s eyes were filled with both shock and admiration toward Arielle after hearing that.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Arielle has a photographic memory, so burning the medical manuscripts was a smart move on her part.


    Well, da*n¡­ I¡¯ve always liked her and wanted to bring her to Turlen with me, but that n was dyed


    because I wanted to bring the head of the Mill family along as well. Now that I know she¡¯s the head of


    the Mill family, I can put my n into action!


    ¡°Got it. You are hereby relieved of your duties at the Mill Residence. I want you to follow her without


    being seen and notify me immediately if she leaves Vinson¡¯s side.¡±


    The mere thought of bringing Arielle back to Turlen with him put a devilish grin on Aaron¡¯s face.


    You¡¯re fated to be mine, woman!


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Having taken care of business with the Mill family, Vinson brought Arielle back to the Nightshire


    residence.


    Little did they know, trouble was about toe.


    Penelope had been waiting for Vinson¡¯s return ever since Arielle left.


    Upon hearing the familiar sound of his car¡¯s engine at dinner time, she quickly fixed her clothes and


    weed him at the door.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire, you¡¯re back-¡± Penelope¡¯s smile was frozen in ce when she noticed Arielle standing


    behind Vinson.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Ms. Little? Are you not happy to see me?¡± Arielle asked with a smile when she


    noticed the look on Penelope¡¯s face.


    ¡°O-Of course I am! I haven¡¯t seen you in a few days, so I was just a little surprised to see you again!¡±


    Penelope replied with a forced smile.


    D*mn, I thought she left because she gave up on Vinson! I was so happy thinking that she finally knew


    her ce and decided to leave on her own, only to have here back again today¡­ Well, that¡¯s fine.


    I got rid of her once, and I can do it again!


    With that in mind, Penelope shed Vinson a smile and said, ¡°Dinner is almost ready, Mr. Nightshire!


    Why don¡¯t you go take a shower, and I¡¯ll have it prepared for you when youe downstairs?¡±


    Vinson simply nodded and went upstairs without saying anything.


    Unbeknownst to Penelope, Arielle and Vinson had already discussed how they would deal with her on


    the way home.


    They decided to proceed with their existing n and wait for the mastermind to make a mistake.


    After Vinson was gone, Arielle stole a nce at Penelope and pursed her lips when she saw the happy


    look on her face.


    Looks like Penelope is still dreaming about stealing Vinson from me. As long as she doesn¡¯t do


    anything that crosses the line, I¡¯ll pay her a sum of money when this is all over. Since having her drool


    over Vinson won¡¯t affect me in any way, I suppose it¡¯s fine to let her dream on for a little while longer.


    With that in mind, Arielle deliberately snorted in displeasure before heading upstairs.

 Chapter 1301

    Chapter 1301


    Chapter 1301 Attention To Spare


    Penelope was thrilled when she heard Arielle scoffing. She chalked it up to Vinson¡¯s decision to head


    for the guest room instead of his shared bedroom with Arielle.


    Her happiness was, however, marred with a hint of sorrow.


    After Arielle¡¯s departure, Vinson had not been back once. When Penelope asked Susanne about


    Vinson¡¯s disappearance, Susanne said she did not have the right to know about her son¡¯s whereabouts


    and kept mum.


    Consequently, Penelope could only wait patiently for Vinson to return home. When he finally showed


    up, it was with Arielle in tow.


    Despite his somewhat cold treatment of Arielle, Penelope found herself unsettled.


    I need to buck up and win Vinson over. Now that Arielle¡¯s back in the picture, they¡¯ll see each other


    every day. Susanne will be doing her best to help them reconcile as well, so I¡¯m already at a


    disadvantage.


    As the thought crossed her mind, Penelope hurried into the kitchen, determined to show off her


    newfound talent.


    She believed in the saying that the way to a man¡¯s heart was through his stomach.


    To capture Vinson¡¯s affection, she had diligently practiced her cooking over the past few days, hoping


    to serve him a homecooked meal that surpassed anything Arielle could ever prepare.


    She believed that her efforts had paid off.


    Sadly, Vinson had not returned home since Arielle¡¯s departure, so Penelope had not had a chance to


    show off her improved cooking skills.


    Now that he was finally back, she wanted to put her skills to the test and give him an unforgettable


    feast.


    He¡¯ll fall in love with my cooking, and then with me!


    Penelope had conveniently forgotten the fact that Arielle was the boss of Maureen¡¯s Kitchen. She was


    never a match for thetter in terms of culinary prowess.


    Right then, she wasser-focused on preparing a delectable meal that would change Vinson¡¯s opinion


    of her.


    With a smug smile curving her lips, Penelope waved off the chefs and housekeepers bustling around


    the kitchen. She announced, ¡°You may all head off. I¡¯ll prepare dinner tonight.¡±


    The kitchen staff had be familiar with Penelope¡¯s character over the past few days. Though they


    detested her orders, they could only swallow their indignity seeing as Vinson had brought her into the


    household.


    With that, the chefs and housekeepers quickly dropped their tasks at hand and left the kitchen. They


    could not even be bothered to greet Penelope properly.


    Penelope wanted to tell them off for their impertinence. However, she was in a rush to prepare dinner


    for Vinson, so she could only spare the staff a re before getting to work.


    Meanwhile, Arielle returned to her assigned guest room, only to realize that Vinson was present. The


    guest room window was open; he had evidently climbed in from the outside.


    Arielle walked into the room and shot him a curious stare. ¡°What happened to our act? Why are you


    here? What if someone discovers us like this?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No one will know,¡± Vinson said while approaching her.


    ¡°What do you think Penelope¡¯s feeling now?¡±


    Arielle wanted tough at Penelope¡¯s expression upon seeing her. She must¡¯ve been ted when I


    wasn¡¯t around, thinking I left in a fit of jealous anger.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Vinson stared at Arielle and smirked. Then, he pulled her into his arms and gazed intently at her. ¡°Why


    do you have attention left to spare on someone else?¡±


    He had missed her dearly during their separation. I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s bringing up another woman at a


    time like this. The audacity!


    Arielle lifted her head and met his hungry gaze. It was time for dinner, and she wanted to tear herself


    away from the temptation of hispany.

 Chapter 1302

    Chapter 1302


    Chapter 1302 The Helpful Vinson


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Vinson tightened his arms around Arielle when he noticed her attempt to escape. Their bodies were


    pressed tightly together, and Arielle could clearly make out the pounding of his heart.


    ¡°Sannie, I missed you so much. I¡¯ve missed this so much.¡± After his tender words, he immediately


    kissed Arielle without giving her time to react.


    He could no longer hold himself back after their brief separation.


    His kiss was demanding and intense. Arielle could not and did not wish to escape his passionate


    embrace anymore. Instead, she went on her tiptoes and slung her arms around his neck.


    Her promising response caused Vinson to turn up the heat.


    They kissed as though they were parched travelers who came across an oasis in the desert. Amid their


    heated makeout session, Vinson¡¯s hands wandered hungrily all over Arielle¡¯s body, on the verge of


    removing her clothes.


    At once, a gush of cool air jolted Arielle to her senses. She shoved Vinson away, blushing as she


    sputtered, ¡°Wait! I-I haven¡¯t bathed.¡±


    ¡°You can bathter,¡± Vinson rasped before seizing her lips in an even more passionate kiss.


    Eventually, Arielle gave in to her desires, and their clothes soon littered the floor around them. They


    were now skin-to-skin.


    They behaved as though they had not seen each other in centuries instead of four or five days,


    determined to swallow the other person whole.


    Their lovemaking continued until night fell. Vinson eventually released Arielle out of concern that she


    would be starving even though he was far from satisfied.


    Arielle piped up, ¡°I want to take a bath. I¡¯m exhausted.¡± She felt shy although they had been intimate


    with one another multiple times. Maybe that¡¯s how people behave in front of the person they love.


    Vinson loved it when she was bashful. He thought she was at her prettiest then, and he was pleased


    that it was a sight exclusive to his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll run the bath for you.¡± He kissed her forehead and put on a pair of briefs before heading to the


    bathroom.


    As Vinson walked away, she admired his burly figure.


    To think that this sexy man is mine.


    Vinson took a quick shower while he ran a bath for Arielle. When he emerged from the bathroom,


    freshly showered and wrapped in a towel, Arielle was fast asleep. He lowered his head to stare at her


    tenderly.


    Aware that Arielle was a stickler for hygiene, he lifted her gently and carried her toward the bathroom.


    When he ced her into the bathtub, Arielle jolted awake. She stared at him, calling out softly,


    ¡°Vinson.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    Vinson thought Arielle looked adorable in her blurry, just-awakened state.


    Lowering his head, he kissed her fiercely before letting go of her. He asked hoarsely, ¡°Do you need me


    to help you with your bath?¡±


    Arielle hastily shook her head and replied, ¡°No. I¡¯ll take a bath myself.¡±


    Her nervous behavior brought a smile to Vinson¡¯s face as he said, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you outside then. Your


    clothes are right here. Let me know when you¡¯ve finished.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Go out, shoo.¡± Vinson was thoroughly amused by her embarrassment, notwithstanding the fact


    that they had just made love not long ago.


    He spared her blushes and responded, ¡°I¡¯ll go out then.¡± Having said that, he left the bathroom. When a


    neatly dressed Arielle came out half an hourter, she immediately saw Vinson waiting for her at the


    bathroom doorway.


    She smirked and teased, ¡°Why did you stand and wait? Isn¡¯t there a couch right over there?¡±

 Chapter 1303

    Chapter 1303


    Chapter 1303 Dogged Determination


    Vinson merely replied to Arielle, ¡°I wanted to be closer to you.¡±


    He then carried her to the vanity. Carefully, he removed the towel wrapped around Arielle¡¯s head and


    switched on the hairdryer, gently drying her hair.


    Arielle¡¯s lips curled into a smile. He¡¯s tossing out sweet nothings like they¡¯re free.


    His romantic behavior delighted Arielle to no end. It seemed to be proportional to how insufferable he


    used to be in the early days of their acquaintance.


    After drying her hair, Vinson and Arielle left the guest room with their hands intertwined.


    Penelope had been waiting for Vinson in the dining room. When she heard the sound of footsteps, she


    immediately turned around. She was dumbfounded by the sight of Vinson and Arielle¡¯s intertwined


    hands.


    How did they be so close? Didn¡¯t they go upstairs one after another instead of together? Vinson


    seemed so dismissive of Arielle earlier! Did she swallow her pride and beg Vinson to take her back?


    Penelope¡¯s gaze automaticallynded on Arielle¡¯s flushed face. Its rosiness implied that she had been


    intimate with Vinson, and the thought almost caused Penelope to go berserk with jealousy.


    Four hours have passed since Vinson and Arielle set foot in the house. Look at the glow on Arielle¡¯s


    face and that radiant smile! Anyone could guess what they did in those four hours!


    Penelope appraised the couple standing before her, doubting herself for the first time in her life. Do I


    still have what it takes to capture Mr. Nightshire¡¯s heart?


    Initially, she believed that Vinson would continue to ignore Arielle like before. To her dismay, Arielle


    returned after a brief disappearance and seemed to have reconciled with Vinson. What should I do


    now? Do I still have a shot at bing Vinson¡¯s woman?


    At the sight of Penelope, the warmth in Vinson¡¯s eyes quickly morphed into coldness. Surprised that


    Penelope was still around, he demanded, ¡°Why are you still here?¡±


    Vinson¡¯s hostility caused indignance to swell in Penelope¡¯s chest. Why did you bring me to your home if


    you were going to kick me aside afterward?


    Faced with his cold re, Penelope mmed up instead of blurting out the question on her mind. She


    was worried about losing her chance of staying in his house altogether if she challenged his decision.


    But if I¡¯m no longer living here, how would I have the opportunity to win Vinson¡¯s heart and be his


    woman?


    Penelope hurriedly organized her feelings before shooting Vinson a tender gaze, ignoring Arielle. ¡°I


    was waiting to have dinner with you, Mr. Nightshire.¡±


    She had been waiting in the dining room since dinner was ready so that she could eat with Vinson.


    During that time, Penelope had grown antsy due to Vinson¡¯s prolonged absence. Hence, she instructed


    a housekeeper to go upstairs and summon Vinson, yet the housekeeper refused, fearing Vinson¡¯s


    wrath.


    Penelope was equally frightened of angering Vinson and dared not head upstairs to find him herself. As


    a result, she could only wait for him helplessly downstairs.


    Meanwhile, jealousy reared its ugly head in Arielle¡¯s heart when she witnessed Penelope smiling at


    Vinson.


    She knew full well that Vinson had no feelings for Penelope, yet she could not suppress the


    displeasure that swelled in her chest.


    Arielle red at Penelope before addressing Vinson somewhat coquettishly, ¡°I¡¯m hungry, Vinson. I want


    to have dinner.¡±


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Vinson immediately ordered the housekeeper to set the table for dinner and held Arielle¡¯s hand while


    leading her to the dining table. After they took their seats, Penelope, who had not taken her dinner, sat


    down to join them.


    Frankly, Arielle had lost her appetite after seeing Penelope. She knew that Vinson had only brought


    Penelope into the picture to put up an act, but that did not mean she was not annoyed by Penelope¡¯s


    presence. Thus, she was not above flirting with Vinson to vent her frustration.


    Flirting in front of others isn¡¯t usually my style, but I¡¯m a woman too. Why can¡¯t I be flirty and pretentious


    once in a while?

 Chapter 1304

    Chapter 1304


    Chapter 1304 The Scheme


    Arielle said sweetly, ¡°Vinson, I want to have some shrimp.¡±


    A housekeeper immediately stepped forward to peel a shrimp, but Arielle stopped her and added,


    ¡°Vinson, I want you to peel it for me instead.¡±


    Penelope could not help but scoff to herself at the disy.


    Does Arielle think she¡¯s some sort of fairy? She must be foolish enough to ask Vinson to peel shrimp


    for her! He¡¯ll definitely scold her for her impudence! Herees my chance to shine!


    Suddenly, Vinson waved the housekeeper off before he proceeded to peel a shrimp and fed it to Arielle.


    What the heck?


    Penelope was furious. Instantly, she lost her appetite despite the delicious spread on the dining table.


    With that, Penelope¡¯s carefully nned dinner ended in shambles as Vinson patiently indulged Arielle¡¯s


    every whim. The woman was panicking at how the situation had turned out.


    Still, she did not want to leave the dining table early. She vowed to spend as much time as she could in


    Vinson¡¯s presence in hopes of convincing him to fall in love with her.


    What should I do? Vinson¡¯s adoration of Arielle merely fueled Penelope¡¯s determination to win him


    over. She would do anything it took to steal Vinson from Arielle.


    Just then, a light bulb went off in Penelope¡¯s head. She whipped out her phone and tapped on it


    furiously. Half an hourter, she set down her device, looking like the cat that got the cream.


    In the middle of the night, a scandalous post circted on the web, entitled: Nightshire Group CEO


    secretly married Arielle Moore and cheated.


    Rayson had a habit of surfing the inte for news and gossip to kill time. However, he did not expect


    to stumble upon a scious piece of gossip about his own boss.


    He immediately clicked on the post and read the entire article. After he had done so, he felt an urge to


    murder someone. Which dumb*ss is this? Using an anonymous ount to spread false rumors about


    Mr. Nightshire!


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Rayson did not dwell on the identity of the poster for long. Without further ado, he quickly contacted


    Nightshire Group¡¯s PR department, asking them to take down the post and shut down the anonymous


    ount.


    After arranging for the post to be deleted, Rayson called Vinson. When the line connected, he


    exined the situation and asked, ¡°Boss, do you want us to investigate the poster¡¯s identity?¡±


    Thank God the post only garnered less than twenty views before I stumbled upon it. We would have


    been in big trouble if millions of people hade across it.


    Meanwhile, Vinson listened to Rayson¡¯s exnation with a dark expression on his face. Few people


    know about my marriage to Arielle. How did this person find out about my rtionship status and the


    ¡°other woman¡± in our home? They have too much information about our private lives.


    ¡°Go ahead with the investigation!¡±


    Vinson nced at Arielle, who was sound asleep beside him, and his gaze sharpened. I can put up


    with anything except putting Arielle through any potential humiliation. It¡¯s bad enough that I had to bring


    Penelope home. I can¡¯t upset her further.


    As soon as Rayson hung up, he began investigating the IP address of the anonymous poster.


    Surprisingly, the investigation results led him to someone in the Nightshire residence.


    Could it be Mr. Nightshire¡¯s housekeeper?


    After getting over his shock, Rayson proceeded with his investigation, eventually pinpointing it to


    Penelope. He hurriedly informed Vinson of his findings.


    Vinson ended the call and ced his phone on the bedside table. Then, he left his room quietly and


    came to Penelope¡¯s room door, knocking on it with an inscrutable expression.


    Presently, Penelope was frantically checking the impact of her post. There were at least ten views of


    this post. Why did my post disappear? This can¡¯t be happening! I need this post to make the rounds


    and evolve into a massive scandal. Only then will Arielle leave this ce in a huff and give me a shot at


    bing Vinson¡¯s woman. That¡¯s my chance at leading an extravagant lifestyle with a handsome


    husband to boot!

 Chapter 1305

    Chapter 1305


    Chapter 1305 Revtion


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± asked a flustered Penelope in response to the knocking upon the door.


    ¡°It¡¯s me!¡±


    When she heard Vinson¡¯s deep inflection, she frantically mbered off the bed.


    On her way to the door, she paused to tug hard at the hem of her top several times down the middle.


    Lowering her head, she inspected those ample assets of hers that were peeking through her top, and


    that put a smile on her lips.


    Then, she went up to get the door and invite Vinson inside.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire.¡±


    With a coquettish voice and misty eyes, Penelope regarded the man before her whose touch she


    desperately yearned for.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who uploaded that post, yes? Why did you do it?¡± Could not be bothered to pussyfoot


    around with her, Vinson went straight to the point, and his deep-set eyes were fixated upon Penelope


    while he waited for her to confess out of her own volition.


    ¡°W-What?¡± Though somewhat nervous, Penelope was still self-absorbed.


    Well, it¡¯s only a post. If Vinson really cared about it, he would have gotten someone else to take care of


    it instead ofing here to question me himself. For him toe by sote, it must be because he¡¯s


    interested in me.


    ¡°Actually, Mr. Nightshire, I only did that to get your attention. You know, you hadn¡¯t been back for


    several days, so I really missed you. Before, I thought you would surely drop in when you returned, but


    never did I expect to see you and your wife behaving so intimately. I was envious of her, and this was


    the only way I could think of to get your attention.¡±


    Penelope cast a piteous look in Vinson¡¯s direction. ¡°I¡¯m really in love with you, so please forgive me this


    time. I assure you that I won¡¯t ever do that again.¡±


    She advanced toward Vinson as she spoke, and her clothing danced in apaniment to her


    movements.


    She knew how alluring her own figure was and how men could not resist having their eyes glued to her


    body. As Vinson was a man, too, she was sure that his response would be no different.


    ¡°I¡¯m yours, Mr. Nightshire!¡±


    Unwilling to let this opportunity slip her by, Penelope straight-up threw herself into Vinson¡¯s arms and


    pressed her own body firmly against his in a bid to entice him.


    Considering the proximity between them and the swiftness of Penelope¡¯s movement, Vinson was not


    able to react before he found Penelope leaning into his chest.


    When he felt the woman¡¯s movement against his body, his eyes became cially wintry. Unable to


    tolerate it any further, heshed out with a foot and sent Penelope sprawling to the floor with a loud


    thump.


    ¡°W-Why, Mr. Nightshire? H-How could you treat me this way?¡±


    Prone on the floor, Penelope endured the pain she felt and red at Vinson in sheer disbelief.


    How could you be so rough with me? I¡¯m the woman you personally brought back here!


    ¡°Did you really think that Vinson brought you back here because he fancies you? The only purpose of


    your presence here is to function as a ruse. Otherwise, he would have made you his woman from the


    very first day of your arrival.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Arielle was outside the door when she heard a loud noise followed by Penelope¡¯s usative inquiries.


    That was why she decidedly pushed her way in.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± asked Penelope, confused.


    ¡°If you were willing to stay put quietly and not harbor such ill will, we would have considered rewarding


    you handsomely. When this whole affair boils over, you would be able to go out and lead the life that


    you want,¡± said Arielle as she approached Vinson.


    ¡°Why are you here? Weren¡¯t you sleeping?¡±


    Vinson held Arielle¡¯s hand and quietly med himself for waking her. She probably had not been able


    to sleep properly these past few days because of the election, so I had wanted to let her have a good


    rest. But somehow, I managed to mess it up again.

 Chapter 1306

    Chapter 1306


    Chapter 1306 Intolerable


    Arielle cast a sideways nce at him. How dare this jerk of a man take the opportunity to sneak


    downstairs while I was asleep?


    If she had not been alert enough to realize Vinson¡¯s absence when she turned and discovered the


    exchange between him and Rayson, she would never have found out about the things Penelope had


    been doing behind her back.


    ¡°You are one to say. Did we not agree to avoid keeping things from each other? In the end, you still


    came to look for her without my knowledge.¡±


    ¡°My bad. I should have informed you about it.¡± Vinson chuckled sheepishly.


    When Penelope saw the affection shared between the pair, tears of anguish pattered off her cheeks.


    It never urred to her that she was but a mere pawn and that Vinson had no interest in her


    whatsoever. The bond between Arielle and him was apparently so strong that no one could evere


    between them.


    Currently, she was well and truly filled with contrite. How could I have been so full of myself, thinking


    that I would be able to steal Vinson¡¯s heart and be his woman?


    Had she known her own ce and refrained from indulging in such deviousness, she might have, as


    Arielle said, walked away with a plump reward when it was all said and done.


    But now, it was toote for that.


    ¡°I¡¯ve erred, Mrs. Nightshire, and I understand that now. I shouldn¡¯t have posted that on the inte and


    tried to seduce Mr. Nightshire. Would you let me off, seeing as I haven¡¯t caused you any harm?¡±


    Penelope got onto her knees and begged Arielle for forgiveness.


    Signaling her disapproval, Arielle went on to address Penelope in a low voice, ¡°I can forgive you for


    attempting to seduce Vinson because no woman would be able to resist him. However, I¡¯m unable to


    do the same for the post that you¡¯ve made. Are you aware of the consequences that post might have


    brought about had Rayson not discovered it?¡±


    Penelope shook her head as she had not given it much thought. All she wanted was for Arielle to see


    the post and be upset enough to leave this ce so that she herself might have a chance to be with


    Vinson.


    ¡°Take her away,¡± said Arielle to Sasha, who was standing by the door.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Penelope looked in the direction where Arielle projected her voice until she saw Sasha outside. She


    could tell at one nce that this woman was a ruthless character, and her own fate would be ominous


    should she wind up in thetter¡¯s hands.


    The very thought of that drove her to tears while she made her way across the floor toward Arielle and


    Vinson on her hands and knees. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Nightshire and Mrs. Nightshire. I recognize now that


    I¡¯ve made a terrible mistake. Please let me off. I swear that I¡¯d never do it again.¡±


    Even as she looked upon the bawling Penelope, Arielle remained unmoved and motioned for Sasha to


    have her removed, regardless.


    It was not because she was a cold and callous person who would not show mercy to one who had not


    done her any actual harm. Were that post to go undiscovered and be allowed to fester, it could bring


    about a multitude of unforeseeable repercussions for Vinson and myself.


    As the CEO of Nightshire Group, Vinson¡¯s public image was of vital importance to thepany.


    Should he be saddled with the image of a Casanova, it would not bode well for thepany as


    their partners might start calling his integrity as a person into question. That could very well snowball


    into a series of incalcble ramifications.


    More importantly, had Rayson not discovered this post, a furor on the inte would surely ensue once


    more.


    Arielle herself did not mind enduring chastisement because it did not bother her, but she would not


    allow the same for Vinson.


    He was the closest and dearest person to her in this world, and in her esteem, was untouchable. Thus,


    she would not tolerate anyone turning him into the subject of mockery and derision.

 Chapter 1307

    Chapter 1307


    Chapter 1307 A Misunderstanding


    She understood Sasha¡¯s ways and how vicious she could be, and seeing as Penelope was a girl, there


    was no telling what might happen should Penelope wound up in the former¡¯s hands.


    In spite of being well aware of that, she decided that she was not going to delve too much into it.


    Rtive to this, she cared much more about everything that concerned the man before her.


    Vinson¡¯s lips lifted into a mirthful smile at Arielle¡¯s decisiveness in dealing with Penelope.


    When Susanne alighted from the car, she saw that the house was fully lit. That led her to believe that


    the housekeeper must have left the lights on knowing that she would be expected home tonight. Her


    mood, however, darkened the moment she stepped through the doors and saw Vinson and Arielle exit


    from Penelope¡¯s room. She was under the impression that Vinson had been caught red-handed in the


    company of Penelope by Arielle


    With that, Susanne strode up to the duo and seized Arielle by the wrist with the intention of leading her


    away. ¡°Come with me, Sannie. We can¡¯t continue to stay in this house anymore.¡±


    Both Arielle and Vinson were caught off guard by Susanne when thetter started tugging at Arielle.


    ¡°What are you doing, Mom?¡± Vinson promptly grabbed Arielle by the hand when he came around. He


    regarded his own mother haplessly, wondering what in the world had gotten into her.


    Susanne was in a righteous fit when she shot a look at Vinson. In the past, he insisted on being with


    Arielle when I did not think much of her, but after I¡¯ve finally epted her as my daughter-inw, he


    decided instead that he was going to start fooling around again, going out and bringing another woman


    home the way he did. This is simply outrageous!


    ¡°Let go of her!¡± barked Susanne as she red at that good-for-nothing son of hers. ¡°I won¡¯t have you


    cheating on Sannie like that. If you have no wish to spend your life with her, bring me your divorce


    papers tomorrow, both of you. Tell me, how is that Penelope better than Sannie? Are you blind?¡±


    Only then did Arielle and Vinson realize that Susanne had misunderstood the situation. Arielle quickly


    flung off Vinson¡¯s hand and held Susanne¡¯s. She then regarded thetter smilingly and tenderly. ¡°Sasha


    has already taken Penelope away, Mom.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Oh, then the two of you can finally give me a grandchild!¡± Susanne beamed like a flower in bloom.


    Learning that Penelope was out of the picture came to Susanne as a relief. Sasha is the bodyguard my


    son assigned to Arielle. So if she took Penelope, that must surely mean that Penelope had done


    something to anger both of them.


    However, she did not want to bother herself with the details. All she knew was that without anyone


    coming in between them, her son and daughter-inw would have higher chances of bearing her a


    grandchild.


    The prospect of the forting descendant made Susanne smile from cheek to cheek.


    Conversely, Arielle¡¯s cheeks reddened in response. How could she just change the subject so quickly


    and start to harry me into conceiving like that?


    ¡°Well, go on and rest up now. Don¡¯t let me keep you.¡± Susanne then ced Arielle¡¯s hand inside


    Vinson¡¯s palm. ¡°You¡¯d best be nicer to Sannie because if you dare mistreat her, I¡¯d take her from here


    and introduce her to someone better.¡±


    Vinson was bbergasted. Hello, whose mother are you, exactly? Without waiting for his snide


    comebacks, Susanne quickly returned to her own room. As she went along, she hummed a little tune,


    seemingly in an unbelievably buoyant mood.


    ¡°Since when were you on such good terms with Mom?¡± Vinson held Arielle by the hand as they


    blissfully made their way back to their room upstairs.


    ¡°When you weren¡¯t paying attention, naturally¡­¡±


    Elsewhere¡­


    While the original post had been swiftly deleted, it did not elude the attention of Vinson¡¯s fans during


    the time it was up. Someone had saved a screencap of it and shared it within her own chat group.

 Chapter 1308

    Chapter 1308


    Chapter 1308 Fangirl


    Wealthy and suave, Vinson was the subject of adtion to legions of fangirls on the inte. When


    they saw the post which posited that Arielle was Vinson¡¯s secret wife, it got them all in an uproar.


    Boohoo. Darling, no¡­


    This is aplete fabrication! My darling isn¡¯t like that!


    Although Arielle¡¯s pretty impressive, she doesn¡¯te from a ster background. As an illegitimate


    child who doesn¡¯t even know who her own biological father is, how could she be good enough for Mr.


    Nightshire?


    Right on. The ims made by this post must be untrue.


    Mr. Nightshire is the CEO of Nightshire Group, so don¡¯t think that you can be with him by just having a


    pretty face.


    You¡¯re right. Someone must have made this up to have it go viral


    Though no celebrity himself, Vinson nheless boasted of countless fangirls of his own. That led to


    that screencap spreading from one chat group to another. Coincidentally, there were some of Arielle¡¯s


    fans who also liked Vinson. Thus, that piece of information swiftly found its way into their circle.


    Leave Arielle out of this.


    Mr. Nightshire¡¯s great, but our goddess isn¡¯t half bad herself. So please focus on your career, my


    goddess, and kick that man to the curb.


    This can¡¯t be true. Our goddess can¡¯t be married, so don¡¯t believe this rumor and stop spreading it.


    The situation kept escting.


    Fans in both camps could scarcely believe that the two were together. While they collectively worked to


    quash the rumors, they also went hard at each other.


    That night was not destined for peace, and the bust-up between the two groups of fans soon gained


    traction in the mainstream.


    During that time, most of the staff were asleep, so there was no one who could have been clued in on


    this mishap.


    It was already the following morning by the time they caught on, and the second they got wind of it,


    they swiftly followed up with damage control.


    In spite of the flurry of countermeasures undertaken, it did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the


    observers who went on to discuss it within their own closedmunities.


    Fast forward to the second day, as Arielle¡¯s filming had yet to bepleted, she took leave of Susanne


    and Vinson right after breakfast.


    Since she had taken on this project, she decided that she had to put in her best for it.


    In Sasha¡¯spany, Arielle arrived at the shooting location.


    ¡°Oh, Arielle¡¯s here,¡± whispered one member of the crew who nudged at the person beside her when


    she saw Arielle and Sasha alight from the car and approach.


    The person next to her appeared to be quite amused. ¡°So what? It¡¯s not like she hasn¡¯t been here


    before, so why are you acting like you¡¯re seeing her for the first time?¡±


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know?¡± The crew member regarded the person beside her in astonishment.


    ¡°What about?¡± Her friend was puzzled. As she was with Arielle all the time, she wondered if there was


    anything else she could have missed.


    When the crew member saw that her pal was genuinely clueless, she thought about thetter¡¯s


    aversion to surfing the web. Then, it became clear to her why thetter was uninformed. Thus, she


    promptly proceeded to expound, ¡°Word has been going around on the inte that Arielle and Mr.


    Nightshire are married.¡±


    At this point, she saw her friend¡¯s eyes widen like a saucer. ¡°That¡¯s the same Vinson Nightshire you¡¯re


    obsessed with, and it¡¯s all over the inte. But someone else also said that Mr. Nightshire has a


    mistress and brought her home, so it all sounds pretty far-fetched to me.¡±


    While that crew member was sharing the information she had gathered with her friend, the other ones


    somewhere else had also seen the news that was trending online. Reflecting on how Vinson helped


    Arielle deal with Annabelle that day, all of them became quietly confident that, more likely than not,


    there had to be some truth to the former two being an item.


    In consideration of how protective Vinson was of Arielle, they found cause to firmly dismiss the reports


    of Vinson¡¯s infidelity as fabrications.

 Chapter 1309

    Chapter 1309


    Chapter 1309 What Do You See In Him


    If that were true, Arielle could not possibly have shown up so spiritedly on set for filming. It must be


    said that they got it all figured out.


    ¡°It¡¯s your turn to get your makeup done, Ms. Moore.¡± Upon the sight of Arielle entering the dressing


    room, the makeup artist¡¯s tone reflexively became more reverent.


    I can¡¯t afford to offend the young mistress of the Nightshire Group because if I did, I¡¯d probably never


    be able to work in this industry again.


    Arielle did not have much to say in response to the makeup artist¡¯s demeanor. Having already seen


    what was trending this morning and also observed for herself howizens felt about her and Vinson


    being together, she did not take any of it personally.


    Though Vinson was an outstanding individual, she was no slouch herself. She felt that she had


    aplished enough to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with him before the rest of the world.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    After she had her makeup done, Arielle made her way out. There was still half an hour before she was


    due to perform her scene with Jason. Speaking of Jason, she was reminded of his deration of


    affection toward her, and that instantly gave her a headache and made her somewhat regretful about


    getting herself involved in this production. But I¡¯ve agreed to it, so it wouldn¡¯t do to try to back out now.


    ¡°Arielle!¡±


    Speaking of the devil, the minute Jason saw Arielle seated there alone, he immediately went over to


    her.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about what happened thest time,¡± said Jason in earnest as he regarded Arielle. He


    was thoroughly embarrassed about ditching her by the side of the road. Even though it was inside a


    busy district, his actions had been shamefully ungentlemanly,


    It did not take Arielle very long to figure out which previous incident he was referring to.


    Since It was all in the past and Jason had already apologized for it, she thought it was not that big of a


    deal.


    Besides, we hardly know each other and cannot even be considered friends. He was already kind


    enough to drop me off in the city where I would at least be able to find my way home. Even if she was


    sent back by Cornelius in the end, she did not feel that Jason was in the wrong.


    ¡°It¡¯s a trivial matter that¡¯s not worth apologizing for. I¡¯ve already long forgotten about it, and so should


    you,¡± said Arielle as she waved her hand casually.


    The timing of her smile coincided with the direct illumination of the sun. Her bangs, gently ruffled by the


    iing breeze, were then swept away from her forehead with tremendous grace. s, what a picture


    of beauty.


    That got Jason¡¯s heart thumping wildly against his chest.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the trending news, Arielle, about Vinson¡¯s infidelity. All theizens found out about it as well.


    As you may know, I¡¯m very serious about you, and if you would just give me a chance, I¡¯d promise to


    treat you right,¡± Jason regarded Arielle intently and professed his feelings for her once more.


    Arielle¡¯s a great woman who shouldn¡¯t be with a man like Vinson Nightshire. He¡¯s simply not deserving


    of her.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been through this more than once before, Jason. Vinson and I have a good thing going. We


    love each other very much, and there¡¯s no one who can tear us apart. You¡¯re a celebrity yourself, so


    surely you must know that those things written on the inte are nothing more than click-bait.¡±


    ¡°Are you so blinded by your infatuation with Vinson? He has obviously cheated on you, so why are you


    still trying to defend him? What exactly is it that you see in him?¡±


    Jason¡¯s eyes almost reddened with rage. How is it that you can¡¯t see that my feelings for you are true?


    Why do you insist on sticking up for that guy?

 Chapter 1310

    Chapter 1310


    Chapter 1310 What Love Is About


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°I like everything about him. I love him! Jason, you don¡¯t even know what love is all about.¡± Arielle


    looked at Jason and did not know what else to say.


    ¡°That¡¯s bullsh*t!¡± Jason cursed. ¡°I know you love him very much, but did he reciprocate your love? Are


    you trying to say he did that by spending intimate moments with another woman? Is that his way of


    expressing his love for you? Is that what love is all about?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s between Vinson and me. It¡¯s none of your business.¡± Arielle gave Jason a sullen re while he


    used Vinson of cheating on her.


    Jason looked at Arielle in disappointment. She¡¯s a smart woman, but why can¡¯t she see through


    Vinson? Why is she still so obsessed with him?


    ¡°Listen to me, Arielle. If you¡¯re willing to divorce Vinson, I¡¯ll marry you right away and tell the world


    you¡¯re mine. I¡¯ll want everyone to witness our happiness,¡± Jason said sincerely.


    However, Arielle merely kept mum and looked at Jason. She was touched by the fact that an A-lister


    was willing to get married and make a public announcement about it, but that did not mean she would


    ept his proposal.


    ¡°I¡¯m grateful for everything that you¡¯re willing to do for me, but sorry, Jason, we¡¯re just not meant to be


    together,¡± Arielle said in a serious voice.


    She continued exining, ¡°The rumors between Vinson and me are not true, and he didn¡¯t cheat on


    me. It was the waitress who wrote the post and posted it on the website. She did this to agitate me,


    thinking I would leave Vinson after reading it. But she didn¡¯t know I was aware of everything that had


    happened between them. After learning about the post, Vinson decided to put a stop to his n. So


    please, don¡¯t cross the line anymore, Jason. I need you to stop harboring feelings for me so that we


    can continue with the shoot.¡±


    Arielle meant every word she said as she did not want Jason to cause any unnecessary trouble.


    Should Jason continue to pester her throughout the shoot, she would not hesitate to end the project


    even if she had topensate for any loss due to the breach of contract.


    More importantly, Arielle did not want to do anything that might cause Vinson to misunderstand her.


    Jason gazed into her eyes for a moment and left right away.


    Not long after that, the filming for the first scene began.


    However, the shoot did not go well for Jason. Perhaps, Arielle¡¯s words had deeply affected him.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You seemed zoned out throughout the shoot,¡± Sam walked up to Jason and


    asked with a frown.


    Arielle, too, knitted her brows and nced at Jason. She was starting to get tired after she was forced


    to reshoot the same scene over and again.


    On the other hand, Sam was not worried as he knew Jason was an excellent actor. He patted Jason¡¯s


    shoulder and said, ¡°Let¡¯s take a half-an-hour break.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Arielle walked in Sasha¡¯s direction. She wanted to finish this onest scene as soon


    as possible so that she could go home and rest. This is even more tiring than spending the whole day


    cooking in the kitchen!


    Her phone rang the moment she sat on her chair, and Sasha immediately passed it to her. After


    noticing Andrea¡¯s name on the screen, Arielle grinned and answered the call, ¡°Mom!¡±


    All of a sudden, the color drained from Arielle¡¯s face, and her expression turned grim right away.

 Chapter 1311

    Chapter 1311


    Chapter 1311 A Threat


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ms. Moore?¡± Sasha asked after seeing the drastic change in Arielle¡¯s expression.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine!¡± Arielle then turned around and walked away while signaling Sasha to stay put.


    Although Sasha did as she was told and stood still, her eyes were fixated on Arielle. After all, she was


    Arielle¡¯s bodyguard, and it was her duty to protect Arielle.


    Not only must Sasha obey Arielle¡¯smand, but she must also take care of thetter¡¯s safety.


    ¡°Who are you? Where are my parents?¡± Arielle asked solemnly as she tightened her grip on the phone.


    It turned out that the caller was not Andrea but a stranger.


    ¡°Rx. They¡¯re safe for now,¡± the man on the other end of the line said. He smirked as he took a nce


    at the Wilhelms, whose hands had been tied up by his subordinates.


    Arielle knitted her brows when she heard his familiar voice. Why do I feel like I¡¯ve heard his voice before?


    ¡°Mmm¡­ Mmm¡­¡±


    The Wilhelms wanted to caution Arielle to stay away but could not utter a single word as their mouths


    were stuffed with rags.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    The muffled sounds from the other end of the phone disrupted Arielle¡¯s train of thought.


    Her heart skipped a beat. ¡°What do you want? Don¡¯t you darey your fingers on them. Come at me if


    you dare!¡±


    Arielle tried to remain asposed as possible, even though she was deeply worried about the


    Wilhelms.


    In fact, she had avoided contacting them for years because she was afraid she might get them into


    trouble.


    Still, her greatest fear had be a reality.


    Meanwhile, over at Lightspring, the man sat by the window and smirked.


    He threatened, ¡°If you don¡¯t want us to harm your parents,e over on your own right now. Don¡¯t say I


    didn¡¯t warn you. They might get in trouble if you tell Vinson or anyone else about it.¡±


    The moment he found out how important the Wilhelms were to Arielle, he rushed over to Lightspring and


    got hold of the couple. He knew he would be able to control Arielle once the Wilhelms were in his hands.


    Arielle tightened her grip on the phone upon hearing the threat.


    How did he find out about my rtionship with Vinson? Who is he? And how did he manage to get hold


    of my parents?


    ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone. Don¡¯t you darey a finger on them, I¡¯m warning you. I¡¯ll hold you responsible if


    anything bad happens to them,¡± Arielle warned coldly.


    Since he did such a thorough background check on me, he should know that I¡¯m a vengeful person.


    ¡°I won¡¯t touch them as long as youe alone,¡± the man promised. After a short pause, he continued,


    ¡°You¡¯d bettere and meet me within the next two days, or I will not be responsible for anything bad


    that happens after that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there, don¡¯t worry. Take good care of my parents and my brother.¡± Arielle gritted her teeth as she


    emphasized her words.


    Naturally, the man agreed to her condition.


    Arielle ended the call with a grim look and recollected herself. After passing her phone to Sasha, she


    went back to the set and continued to shoot thest scene.


    How she wished she could rush to Lightspring right then, but she was afraid that Vinson might find out


    about it.


    Since the man had threatened to kill her parents if Vinson or anyone else knew about it, she could not


    tell anyone and risk putting her parents¡¯ lives in danger.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay to continue with the shoot today?¡± Arielle asked Jason as she did not want to


    waste any more time. The bloopers Jason made were too much for Arielle to handle.

 Chapter 1312

    Chapter 1312


    Chapter 1312 Save The Chil


    Is she questioning my acting?


    Jason frowned and gave Arielle a sullen re. In truth, he only made those mistakes because he wanted


    to spend more time with her.


    ¡°Trust me,¡± Jason reassured her curtly and walked toward the set.


    As Arielle watched him leave, she froze for a moment. She regretted asking him that question. What


    have I done? Everyone in the industry knows he¡¯s an excellent actor. How could I question his


    professionalism?


    He must be mad at me.


    Arielle followed right behind Jason. She wanted to clear up the misunderstanding with him but did not


    have a chance to do so.


    Once the crew hadpleted their preparations, they proceeded with the shoot.


    Arielle would act as a cop in thest scene, and the shoot would take ce on the first floor of a


    preschool building.


    In this scene, a thug, who tried to run away from the cops, barged into a preschool and held a child


    hostage.


    ¡°Help¡­ Help me¡­¡± The child cried for help.


    Coincidentally, the child was the nephew of a fitness coach¡ªa character yed by Jason. Upon noticing


    how the thug ced a dagger on his nephew¡¯s neck, the coach named Bailey was ready to charge in his


    direction. Suddenly, a hand grabbed his arm and pulled him back.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? Can¡¯t you see that the man is holding the kid hostage?¡±


    Arielle, who was ying the role of a special agent named Sophie, held the impulsive coach back. ¡°Stay


    right here.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear another word from you. We have to think of a better way to save the child!¡± Sophie


    raised her voice.


    The fitness coach took another closer look at the woman and finally recognized her. He was surprised to


    see her in a police uniform. Isn¡¯t she the woman I tried to flirt with the other day? She does look like a


    cop, but I wonder if she¡¯s capable.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Sophie then walked to the preschool¡¯s entrance and spoke to the thug, ¡°What do you want? Tell me. I¡¯ll


    try to fulfill your needs, but you must promise not to harm the kid!¡±


    ¡°Five million in cash and a full-tank SUV,¡± the thug demanded.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll speak to my boss right now. We¡¯ll get everything ready once he approves your requests.¡±


    Sophie tried to appease the thug.


    Upon hearing that, Bailey panicked. ¡°How could you give in to his demand? We don¡¯t have the money!¡±


    ¡°Shush!¡± Sophie red at him. ¡°You want to tell him that to agitate him? What if he decides to kill the


    kid?¡±


    ¡°But we don¡¯t have the money. What are we gonna do?¡± Bailey¡¯s face turned pallid. He wanted to rescue


    his nephew, but his financial status did not permit him to do so.


    ¡°Leave that to us. Just stay away and trust us.¡±


    Sophie then instructed the other cops to distract the thug while she nned to rescue the hostage from


    the back. As Sophie made her way to the back entrance of the preschool, Bailey followed right behind.


    In the next scene, Sophie and Bailey were seen observing the thug behind some trees. They were


    merely a stone¡¯s throw away from the man.


    ¡°Could you stop following me? I¡¯m on a rescue operation here, can¡¯t you see?¡± Sophie expressed her


    dismay.


    ¡°I won¡¯t get in your way,¡± Bailey looked into her eyes intently and said.


    Initially, he thought that Sophie hit the gym because she was interested in him, but apparently, it was all a


    misunderstanding.


    Sophie took a nce at him before turning her attention to the thug.

 Chapter 1313

    Chapter 1313


    Chapter 1313 Deceiving Herself


    Watching her teammates arguing with the thug, Sophie waited for the opportunity to fire a bullet at his


    right hand. Thetter was immediately disarmed, and his knife fell to the floor.


    However, the thug was still reluctant to let go of the hostage. He rolled on the ground to pick up his fallen


    knife.


    Then, Sophie quickly ran toward the thug to snatch the hostage away from him. However, the thug thrust


    his knife in her direction. In order to keep the child from harm, Sophie turned her body around. At that


    critical moment, Bailey rushed forward and kicked the thug away.


    ¡°Cut!¡±


    Sam smiled and walked toward the two of them. He came to Jason and patted him on the shoulder.


    ¡°You¡¯re in the zone this time. Well done!¡±


    Arielle also thought that Jason did a great job as he only used one take for that scene.


    After all, he needed at least three or four takes for the previous scene, which agitated her.


    ¡°Okay! That¡¯s all for today¡¯s filming. Let¡¯s wrap it up!


    When the filming was finally over, Arielle couldn¡¯t help but exhale a long sigh of relief. At that moment,


    Sasha came over and informed her that Vinson called and was waiting for her outside.


    Surprised that Vinson woulde over, Arielle took leave of Sam and walked out without even removing


    her makeup.


    Jason felt a little displeased to see Arielle leave. He felt bad for her for loving a cheating man.


    In fact, he still didn¡¯t believe what Arielle told him. After all, it wasmon for a man of Vinson¡¯s status to


    be with several women, and he wondered why Arielle would deceive herself.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going home?¡± Sam asked when he noticed the motionless Jason, oblivious to his sentiments.


    ¡°I¡¯m going now,¡± Jason replied and immediately strode out. He wanted to see if Vinson really loved Arielle


    wholeheartedly as she said.


    Meanwhile, Gracie hastily bid farewell to Sam and hurried off when she saw Jason walking away.


    Outside the studio, a Rolls-Royce was parked by the road. A tall man stepped out of the car as soon as


    Arielle approached.


    ¡°Are you cold?¡± Vinson walked to her side and reached out to hold her hand.


    Arielle was happy to see Vinson. However, she was also anxious at the same time. Although she was


    worried about her adoptive parents, she suppressed her emotions and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not cold at all.¡±


    ¡°Are you tired? Let¡¯s go for a movie after dinner.¡± Vinson held Arielle¡¯s hand and walked to the car. Then,


    he opened the door to the passenger seat and waited for her to enter. After that, he went around the


    front and sat in the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Why are you driving today?¡± Arielle struck up a conversation with him to distract herself from worrying


    about her adoptive parents.


    ¡°Because I want to bring you out on a date like a normal couple.¡± Then, Vinson kissed her hand. Arielle


    gave him a sideways nce and smiled smugly. ¡°Is Mr. Nightshire guilty of something?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Suddenly, Vinson leaned toward Arielle¡¯s ear and whispered in a deep, seductive voice, ¡°I¡¯m


    guilty of not bringing my wife to the movies and holding her hand while crossing the road. I feel so sorry


    for not giving her experiences that every other couple enjoys.¡±


    As his warm breath hit the back of her ears, she shuddered in response, and her cheeks began to blush


    as she pushed Vinson away. ¡°Why must you speak so close to me?¡±

 Chapter 1314

    Chapter 1314


    Chapter 1314 A Date


    Looking at her reddened face, Vinson smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you to dinner. Then, we¡¯ll watch a movie.


    I¡¯ve already bought the tickets.¡±


    ¡°Quickly. I¡¯m starving.¡±


    Knowing that Arielle was hungry, Vinson started the car and drove to the restaurant.


    Meanwhile, Jason witnessed the entire scene from the side of the road. When Gracie came out and saw


    him staring at the leaving car, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Of all the women he could have, he had to have


    designs on Vinson¡¯s wife. There¡¯s no way he can win over Vinson¡¯s woman!


    ¡°Jason, there¡¯s no point wasting your time worrying about Arielle¡¯s personal affairs,¡± Gracie advised.


    Jason stared intently at Gracie without saying a word.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? I¡¯m telling the truth. Don¡¯t tell me about Vinson cheating on her.


    Even if he cheated and left Arielle behind, you still won¡¯t stand a chance. She doesn¡¯t even like you.¡±


    Gracie had the urge to crack open Jason¡¯s skull to see what was going on in his head.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Jason said while walking toward the parking lot.


    In fact, he had already known that all along. However, he always thought that Vinson didn¡¯t like Arielle


    anymore and actually did cheat on her. Hence, he confessed to Arielle again and again.


    Unexpectedly, what Arielle said was true. The couple had a great rtionship, and Vinson didn¡¯t cheat. If


    Vinson were cheating, he wouldn¡¯t be here that day to pick her up from work.


    Arielle, I wish you all the happiness in the world!Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Jason whispered in his heart. He decided to slowly let go of Arielle from then on.


    On the other hand, Arielle didn¡¯t know that Jason saw Vinson pick her up from work that day.


    She also had no idea that Jason finally believed her rtionship with Vinson was going strong and


    decided to give up on her.


    If she was aware of all that, she would definitely be delighted. After all, she had to work with Jason for


    two months. If he kept pestering her, it would cause her many problems.


    Vinson and Arielle had a candlelight dinner at a romantic restaurant with a pleasant environment and


    melodious music. The date was going perfectly.


    Arielle got so absorbed in the ambiance during dinner that she temporarily put the matter of her adoptive


    parents at the back of her mind.


    To be exact, she was suppressing those worries deep in her heart.


    After dinner, Vinson took her to the cinema.


    On the way there, Arielle curiously asked Vinson, ¡°You didn¡¯t book an entire theater, did you?¡±


    Usually, a person of his status would book an entire theater to avoid being disturbed when they took their


    girlfriends or wives to the movies.


    However, Vinson wanted Arielle to experience the romance between ordinary couples, so he never


    thought of booking an entire theater. He thought that Arielle was asking him because she was afraid of


    getting disturbed. Hence, he hurriedly replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t. If you want more privacy, I will ask Rayson to


    make the arrangements.¡±


    Arie hurriedly waved her hand dismissively and shook her head.


    ¡°No, no. You don¡¯t have to do it. I just thought you did,¡± Arielle smiled and said. ¡°Actually, I like it when it¡¯s


    livelier, and everyone is watching the movie together. The more, the merrier.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to do everything you want with you.¡± Vinson held Arielle¡¯s hand, and they looked into each


    other¡¯s eyes lovingly without saying a word.


    When they arrived, Vinson parked his car and walked into the cinema while holding Arielle¡¯s hand. As


    she was already considered a public figure, Arielle didn¡¯t want her private life to be photographed.


    Hence, she took out two face masks from her bag, and the two of them put them on before entering the


    cinema. Then, Vinson went to queue up to buy popcorn and soda.


    Arielle watched as Vinson stood in line among the crowd and wondered if she would be happy right now


    if her adoptive parents hadn¡¯t been kidnapped.

 Chapter 1315

    Chapter 1315


    Chapter 1315 Perfect Couple


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    As Vinson strode toward Arielle with popcorn and soda in his hands, he chuckled and teased when he


    saw her staring ahead.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking at you!¡± Arielle returned to her senses and crossed her arms. She gave him a sidelong


    nce and remarked, ¡°Hmph, as expected of Mr. Nightshire. You¡¯re so eye-catching even with a mask


    on.¡±


    Chuckling, Vinson walked over to her and put the popcorn in her arms while holding the soda in one


    hand and circling her waist with the other. Then, he leaned his head forward and snickered next to her


    ear. ¡°Are you jealous?¡±


    ¡°You wish!¡±


    Arielle snorted and shot a re at the women who were staring at Vinson. Indeed, she was jealous.


    You women can look all you want. He won¡¯t be yours anyway.


    The incident with Penelope might have triggered her tendency to get jealous. She felt like she was


    bing more like an ordinary girl when it came to rtionships.


    Looking at the pouting Arielle, Vinson was even more head over heels for her.


    When he was with Penelope back then, he didn¡¯t notice her jealousy at all. One could only imagine how


    troubled he felt.


    However, he felt a sense of relief right then when he saw Arielle behaving that way, knowing that she


    truly loved him.


    Vinson smiled and said, ¡°I belong to you. Not just my body but my heart as well. No one else can take


    me away. Arielle, only you can have mepletely.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Arielle let out a smile as a surge of warmth rose in her heart.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Vinson was extremely considerate. He had even prepared a change of clothes for Arielle when he came


    to pick her up. Otherwise, she would be trending on the inte if she were to walk on the streets in her


    police uniform.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a smooth talker,¡± Arielle said and hit him lightly before withdrawing herself from his


    embrace.


    ¡°Come on, the movie is about to start.¡±


    Although Arielle wore a face mask, Vinson could discern her embarrassment and delight. He stepped


    forward, grabbed her hand, and led her into the theater.


    ¡°What a perfect couple.¡±


    A girlmented when she saw Vinson, a slender man who was close to two meters tall, queueing to


    buy popcorn. Even with his face mask on, she noticed his exceptional temperament. Initially, she wanted


    to strike up a conversation with him to see if she could get lucky with him.


    But when she saw him walking toward Arielle, she immediately felt envious and thought that the woman


    was just lucky to meet such a fine man.


    However, after watching the couple¡¯s interaction, she realized that Vinson wasn¡¯t someone she could


    ever have a chance to be with, especially when she noticed that his eyes were filled with affection for


    Arielle.


    Meanwhile, Arielle had no idea that it only took a while for someone to develop feelings for Vinson before


    realizing she couldn¡¯t be with him upon seeing the couple who were a match made in heaven.


    However, Arielle wouldn¡¯t take it to heart even if she knew. After all, Vinson just told her that she was the


    only woman in the world who could have his heart and body.


    The couple walked into the theater with their fingers intertwined. After that, they found their seats and sat


    down.


    At that moment, there were still four to five minutes before the movie started. Apart from the empty seats


    in their vicinity, the theater was almost full.

 Chapter 1316

    Chapter 1316


    Chapter 1316 Happiness


    ¡°Which movie ticket did you get?¡± Arielle moved closer to Vinson and asked curiously. She kept her head


    down as she was worried that someone would see her with Vinson. At the same time, she wondered


    which movie Vinson had chosen.


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret!¡± Vinson whispered into Arielle¡¯s ear, prompting her to growl in annoyance.


    She nced away and proceeded to ignore him.


    On the other hand, Vinson could not stop looking at Arielle. The more he looked at her, the more


    adorable she seemed. He smiled as he did not expect to discover this side of her.


    ¡°You shall find out soon, so please don¡¯t be angry.¡± Vinson gently pinched her cheek through her mask.


    The softness of her cheek between his fingers softened his heart.


    ¡°Vinson, you¡¯ve been very badtely,¡± Arielle replied indignantly.


    ¡°You call this bad? I don¡¯t think you understand what bad means.¡± Vinson smirked and leaned closer


    before whispering into Arielle¡¯s ear, ¡°Do you want to experience how bad I can be?¡±


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Argh! He is driving me crazy! How dare he tease me like this in public?


    ¡°No! Never!¡± Arielle refused firmly and blushed underneath her mask. She quickly sat straight and


    focused on the giant screen. At the same time, she kept quiet as she feared Vinson would say even


    more outrageous things if she continued to speak.


    She did not think her ears and heart could bear any more shocking words.


    What Vinson said just now caused her heart to beat rapidly, and she thought she was going to die from a


    heart attack.


    Meanwhile, Vinson smirked but stopped teasing her.


    As promised, she soon knew which movie he had chosen. The screen began to y the movie after the


    commercials. It turned out that the movie was a romantic film.


    It was also Arielle¡¯s first time watching a movie with Vinson. She smiled with her eyes glued to the screen


    attentively. Soon, she became immersed in the film.


    On the other hand, Vinson could not stop looking at Arielle. She was the leadingdy of his heart, and


    her emotions dictated his; he would smile when she was happy and frown when she was sad.


    While other men focused on the movie, Vinson only had eyes for Arielle. He fed her popcorn from time to


    time and ced a straw between her lips so that she could take a sip of the soda. Vinson took care of


    her attentively like a caring and thoughtful husband.


    ¡°Look at how nice that man treats his girlfriend. Why have you never done anything like that for me?¡± A


    woman behind Vinson and Arielle nudged her boyfriend enviously.


    The woman¡¯s boyfriend, who was engrossed in the movie, immediately looked away from the screen


    upon hearing her and saw Vinson feeding Arielle popcorn. In an attempt to appease his girlfriend, he


    coaxed, ¡°Oh, darling. Please don¡¯t be angry. Let me feed you popcorn. Here¡¯s a little popcorn to sweeten


    up your day.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up!¡± the womanined but was secretly happy.


    At that moment, the woman realized that happiness was different for every couple. Although her


    boyfriend was not perfect, he still loved her in his way.


    Moreover, she was happy that he acted immediately upon hearing herint.


    He was much better than other men who refused or were reluctant to make improvements despite


    repeated reminders.


    Therefore, the woman felt she should cherish her boyfriend and stopparing him to other men. At that


    thought, she rested her head gently on her boyfriend¡¯s shoulder. Thetter nced at her and smiled


    blissfully.

 Chapter 1317

    Chapter 1317


    Chapter 1317 Unending Passion


    ¡°Vinson, I am d that we can be together.¡± Arielle wept when she saw the movie¡¯s female lead die in a


    car ident, and the male lead spent the rest of his life alone.


    Assuming it was a romantic film, Vinson did not expect a tragic ending. He wiped the tears from her eyes


    and said, ¡°We should cherish each day we have together.¡±


    It was nearly ten o¡¯clock at night when the movie ended. Arielle lost control of her emotions after going


    through the matter with her adoptive parents and watching a sad film.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t cry. It is only a movie. Our lives shall be different from the characters, and we will be


    together even when we are old,¡± Vinson said.


    He hugged Arielle in bed andforted her. Disheartened to see her so sad, he regretted bringing her to


    watch that movie and resolved to choose aedy next time.


    Arielle knew that Vinson was worried about her, so she rested her head against his chest and replied,


    ¡°Yes, we shall remain together happily for the rest of our lives.¡±


    Vinson kissed her forehead gently and continued to hug her. Soon, he could hear Arielle¡¯s gentle


    breathing as she slept. He closed his eyes and fell asleep with her in his arms.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    The following day, the sun rose gradually and bathed the room with a golden hue. Vinson opened his


    eyes and nced at the clock on the wall. It was eight o¡¯clock.


    As he looked at Arielle sleeping soundly in his embrace, Vinson smiled and wondered about her dream.


    He could not resist leaning down and kissing her soft lips.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Arielle felt that she was running out of air and opened her eyes immediately. A handsome face


    appeared before her, looking at her with eyes full of desire.


    ¡°Vinson, it¡¯s morning. What are you doing?¡± Arielle¡¯s voice was a little husky from waking up, but Vinson


    found it irresistible.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to eat you up,¡± Vinson replied and kissed her soft lips again. Arielle instinctively clung to his


    neck and returned his kisses. Her response excited Vinson, and he slipped his hands under her


    nightgown.


    Soon, the air around them grew sensual¡­


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, should I get Mr. Vinson and Ms. Arielle toe down for breakfast?¡± the housekeeper


    asked Susanne, who was reading a newspaper.


    ¡°No, no need.¡± Susanne nced at the time and waved her hand dismissively. How could we bother


    them now? Since they haven¡¯t gotten up at this hour, I might have grandchildren soon.


    Susanne could not resist smiling when she thought about the prospect of having grandchildren soon.


    The housekeeper could not understand why Susanne was grinning to herself. However, she heeded the


    latter¡¯s words and did not wake Vinson and Arielle up for breakfast.


    The duo still had note downstairs after two hours. Therefore, Susanne instructed the housekeepers


    to keep the noise down while doing housework and left the house beaming ear to ear.


    Meanwhile, the bedroom was a mess after Vinson and Arielle¡¯s intense activities. There were clothes all


    over the floor.


    By the time Vinson carried Arielle out of the bathroom, the housekeepers had tidied up the bedroom and


    changed the bedsheets.


    ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. Now, everyone in the house knew why we woke upte.¡± They could have finished


    much earlier, but Vinson insisted on another round during their bath.


    Arielle felt so embarrassed that she hid under the nket.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? We are husband and wife. They should all get used to it,¡± Vinson said and


    pulled the nket away from Arielle¡¯s head. Then, he caressed her hair and continued, ¡°You have a film


    shooting this afternoon, so you should rest before heading to the studio. I have to go to thepany


    now for some matters, but I will ask the housekeeper to send breakfast here. You don¡¯t have to go


    downstairs.¡±

 Chapter 1318

    Chapter 1318


    Chapter 1318 A Manager


    Vinson touched the tip of his nose, feeling guilty for going overboard just now.


    ¡°What breakfast? It is now time for lunch,¡± Arielle replied indignantly.


    Vinson chuckled and took a dress from the wardrobe. He wanted to help her get dressed, but she


    rejected his offer, ¡°I can put on the dress myself. You should leave first.¡±


    I don¡¯t want him to help me with that. What if he can¡¯t control his urges again? If he wants another


    round, I don¡¯t think I can even make it to the film shooting.


    On the other hand, Vinson did not know what was on Arielle¡¯s mind and shook his head dejectedly.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll leave.¡±


    Around half an hour after Vinson left, the housekeeper brought food to the room. Arielle finished her


    lunch andy on the couch to read the script.


    ¡°Should I hire a manager?¡± Arielle considered for a moment as she knew that most actors had their


    own managers. Therefore, she wondered if she should get one too. However, she only nned to


    continue acting for two months. Once she finished filming this movie, she did not intend to work as an


    actress anymore. Thus, she wondered if finding a manager was the right thing to do.


    Arielle remained conflicted, so she messaged Vinson, wanting to know what he thought.


    When Vinson received her message, he gave her a call immediately.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about getting a manager. Mypany has business in the film industry, so there is a


    department for it. I can easily arrange a manager from mypany for you. If you decide to stop acting


    after two months, she can return to work in thepany,¡± Vinson said in a low and mellow voice, which


    instantly dissipated her concern.


    ¡°Thank you, Darling!¡± Arielle replied shyly and hung up immediately.


    Vinson¡¯s heart overflowed with bliss when Arielle called him ¡®Darling.¡¯


    Since Arielle had resolved the problem of getting a manager, she packed her things and decided to


    head to the set earlier. She wanted to request a leave from Sam to go to Lightspring after finishing her


    scenes for that day. While she was away, he could film scenes for other actors. As for Vinson, she


    nned to tell him that she had to go to Lightspring for filming.


    When Arielle was about to head out, Rayson arrived with two women.


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, they are the manager and assistant that Mr. Nightshire arranged for you,¡± Rayson


    exined and introduced the two women.


    Soon, Arielle found out that the capable-looking woman with short hair in a ck suit would be her


    manager for theing two months. Her name was Joan Fraser. Meanwhile, the adorable-looking


    woman with a ponytail and a round face was Coco Sainz, her assistant.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Rayson left soon after introducing them as he had a lot of work waiting for him in thepany.


    Joan looked at Arielle and asked, ¡°Ms. Moore, are you going out?¡±


    The former seemed to be in herte thirties, so Arielle smiled and said, ¡°You can call me Sannie. Yes, I


    have a film shooting this afternoon, so I wish to head there earlier.¡±


    Joan had a favorable first impression of Arielle. She was the top manager in Nightshire Group and was


    in charge of two award-winning actors¡ª Kean Ryder and Mia Snow.


    Both of them hadpleted their projects recently and nned to take a break for two months before


    taking up new work. Initially, Joan also nned to rest for two months, but Vinson¡¯s call disrupted all


    her ns.


    She was unwilling to give up her break, but Vinson put in a lot of good words about Arielle to convince


    her. In the end, she had no choice but toe here. Furthermore, she had only herself to me for


    working for someone like him.

 Chapter 1319

    Chapter 1319


    Chapter 1319 Unexinable Affection


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Unexpectedly, she found Arielle to be friendly and easy-going. Therefore, Joan¡¯s reluctance in working


    with her new client started to dissipate


    ¡°Sannie, Coco had just graduated from universityst year and has worked in thepany for a year.


    She is meticulous with her work. Mr. Nightshire told me that you don¡¯t have an assistant yet, so I


    brought her here. From now on, she will be helping you with your tasks,¡± Joan exined.


    ¡°Sure, I trust your arrangement,¡± Arielle replied.


    ¡°She shall apany you for your filming today. I have to return to thepany to manage some


    matters, so I will only meet you again tomorrow,¡± Joan continued.


    Arielle did not have any objections to the arrangement. After Joan left, she and Coco headed to the


    studio. On the way, Arielle found out that despite having graduated for a year, Coco was still younger


    than Arielle. Therefore, she squeezed Coco¡¯s soft cheeks and told thetter that she could call her


    Sannie.


    Coco was surprised by Arielle¡¯s friendliness and called her Sannie bashfully. Her shyness amused


    Arielle, allowing her to forget the abduction of her adoptive parents for a moment.


    Arielle went to get her makeup done upon arriving at the studio. She had the same makeup artist as


    yesterday.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, your skin is beautiful. I think you can begin filming without any makeup,¡± the makeup artist


    praised as she looked at Arielle¡¯s face. The makeup artist had wanted to tell her that yesterday


    because Arielle¡¯s skin was the best she had seen throughout her career.


    Arielle knew that thepliment was sincere, so she smiled and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t mind heading straight


    to filming, but I¡¯m not sure whether the director would allow it.¡±


    The makeup artist was happy to find that Arielle was friendly and approachable, unlike many actresses


    she hade across. They were arrogant and usually ignored her whenever she tried to converse with


    them. ¡°No worries. I will apply some light makeup.¡±


    The makeup artistpleted Arielle¡¯s makeup in merely half an hour. Then, Arielle changed into her


    costume.


    Today¡¯s scene was a continuation of yesterday¡¯s. Arielle left the changing room after putting on her


    costume. Coincidentally, Jason had also finished changing into his costume and came out of his


    changing room.


    Seeing Arielle, Jason hesitated before smiling. ¡°Arielle, I wish you happiness.¡±


    Arielle could not understand the meaning behind his words. However, she thanked him politely.


    Jason knew Arielle was puzzled by his words, but he had no intention to exin. In fact, he had given


    the matter some thoughts. If Arielle and Vinson broke up one day, and he was still single and liked her,


    he would do everything he could to pursue her.


    Arielle was oblivious to the thoughts running across his mind. Even if she knew, she would only thank


    him and advise him to pursue his own happiness.


    Once the crew was ready, they began filming the first scene for the day.


    The scene continued from yesterday¡¯s shooting, where Jason¡¯s character, Bailey, kicked the thug away.


    Then, the police rushed in and arrested the thug. Meanwhile, Arielle¡¯s character, Sophie,forted the


    child in her embrace.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. Look, the police have arrested the bad guy,¡± Sophie pointed at the handcuffed thug


    and told the child to look at him.


    ¡°Wow, he has been captured. Miss, you are brilliant. The policemen are amazing too.¡± The child ceased


    to be afraid and pped happily as the police pushed the thug into the police car.


    Sophie smiled in relief when she saw that the child was not traumatized and did not need counseling.


    Bailey felt his heart stir as he watched her. He approached Sophie and opened his arms to carry the


    child away from her.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want you. I want Miss to hug me.¡± The child burrowed into Sophie¡¯s embrace and refused to


    let go. Therefore, Sophie had no choice but to continue hugging the child.


    Bailey could not help smiling as he watched this scene while an unexinable feeling spread


    throughout his heart.

 Chapter 1320

    Chapter 1320


    Chapter 1320 Romantic Development


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°Cut!¡± Sam was pleased with the take. ¡°Nice job! You two really brought depth to the characters.¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡± chirped a bright voice. ¡°How did I do, Mr. Sleight?¡±


    The speaker was the child who was in Arielle¡¯s arms. Sam beamed down at him. ¡°You did well too! I¡¯m


    very happy with that take.¡±


    ¡°Be sure to give me a call if you have to cast a kid again!¡± said the boy as he handed Sam a piece of


    paper. ¡°Here is my number. Please keep it safe.¡± Sam was fond of the boy, and he epted the paper


    handed to him while assuring the boy that he would. Convinced that he had already secured some


    roles for the future, the boy ran to his mother¡¯s side and gave her a peck on the cheek to the delight of


    the adults in the vicinity.


    Filming of the next scene began twenty minutester.


    It involved the character Sophieing across the robbery of an old woman while on the way home


    from work. Upon apprehension of the thief, she would narrowly avoid being stabbed with Bailey¡¯s timely


    arrival.


    ¡°Help!¡± the old woman cried as soon as the cameras began rolling. ¡°Thief!¡±


    Sophie was about to walk home upon descending the bus when she heard the cry. Identifying the


    perpetrator a secondter, she gave chase immediately.


    ¡°Drop the bag!¡± Sophie shouted as she came within earshot of the thief.


    ¡°Mind your own business!¡± snarled the actor ying the thief with unnerving menace as he ducked


    around a corner.


    Sophie gritted her teeth, furious at how a man with perfectmand of his faculties would resort to


    petty acts of crime against a defenseless old woman.


    ¡°I¡¯m a cop!¡± Sophie shouted. ¡°Drop the bag and I¡¯ll go easy on you.¡±


    However, the thief ran even faster upon hearing that. Suddenly, in ordance with the script, he


    tripped and fell hard onto the ground. By the next instant, Sophie had caught up to him.


    As she pinned his arm behind his back, the thief unsheathed a dagger with his other arm. Flipping


    around without warning, he made to thrust the dagger into Sophie¡¯s stomach in such a way that she


    would not be able to avoid it. At that critical moment, the silhouette of a man appeared in a sh as it


    aimed a vicious kick at the thief. With thebined efforts of Sophie and the neer, the thief was


    subdued and sent to the police station.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Sophie said with a smile of gratitude while feeling surprised at Bailey¡¯s arrival.


    Despite the dimness of the lighting, Sophie¡¯s smile shone bright like the sun in Bailey¡¯s vision. He found


    his pulse quickening uncontrobly.


    Taking a deep breath, he met Sophie¡¯s gaze after recollecting himself. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. It¡¯s the right


    thing to do.¡± After a moment¡¯s pause, he went on, ¡°Please take care of yourself in situations like this in


    the future. No matter how good of a cop you are, you¡¯re still a woman.¡±


    ¡°Cut! Excellent work, Jason! The romantic feeling Bailey is starting to develop for Sophie has been


    perfectly captured!¡±


    Sam patted Jason on the shoulder in praise before turning to Arielle. ¡°And you,¡± he continued, ¡°The


    entire flow of your scene was smoothly executed. Well done, Arielle.¡±


    Upon conclusion of the scene, Arielle found the opening she needed to speak to ask Sam for a leave.


    ¡°How many days do you need?¡± Sam asked with an apprehensive frown as they were on a tight


    schedule.

 Chapter 1321

    Chapter 1321


    Chapter 1321 Are You Unwell


    Arielle shook her head as she did not know how long it would take to rescue her parents.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back as soon as I can, Mr. Sleight.¡± She was beginning to regret her participation in the movie as


    it had severely restricted her other obligations.


    Despite his reluctance to grant her leave, Sam eventually gave in upon seeing Arielle¡¯s desperation.


    ¡°We¡¯ll shoot your scenes toward the end. Take care of your personal matters quickly ande back


    soon, won¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Sleight.¡± After saying goodbye to Sam, Arielle left the studio with Sasha and Coco to


    the Nightshire residence. She exchanged contact information with Coco before having the chauffeur


    send thetter home. By the time she finally arrived home, Arielle did not have much of an appetite as


    a result of worrying about her parents. After a quick shower, she tucked herself into bed without having


    dinner.


    I wouldn¡¯t be here today if it weren¡¯t for the sacrifices they made. How could I sleep knowing that they¡¯d


    been kidnapped because of me? If only I didn¡¯t have to worry about Vinson tagging along, I would have


    gone by now instead of enduring the torture of waiting in vain.


    Vinson arrived home from the office at eight that night. Knowing that Arielle had gone to bed without


    dinner, he headed up to the bedroom with a frown, only to find it in pitch-ck darkness. He was about


    to turn on the lights when the click of the nightstandmp switch preceded a dazzling brightness that


    temporarily blinded him.


    ¡°You¡¯re back, Vin,¡± Arielle said as she poked her head out of the quilt.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you have dinner before going to bed? Are you unwell?¡± Vinson demanded as he strode


    swiftly toward her and felt her forehead before she could react. ¡°That¡¯s strange. You¡¯re not unusually


    warm.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just don¡¯t feel like eating,¡± Arielle replied as she pushed his hand aside. ¡°What about you? I


    could cook you something if you like.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had dinner beforeing home.¡± Vinson smiled, touched by her concern. ¡°You, on the other hand,


    need to eat. You must be tired and hungry from shooting all afternoon. Give me a few minutes, and I¡¯ll


    whip up some pasta for you.¡±


    ¡°You? Cook?¡± Surprised, Arielle gaped at Vinson, who appeared deeply offended. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with


    that?¡± he answered defensively.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± she said at once with a reconciliatory smile. ¡°I can¡¯t wait!¡± It¡¯s rare enough that he volunteers


    to cook. I must remember not to tease him about it.


    Vinson was aware that she was skeptical of his culinary skills. ¡°Just you wait,¡± he promised as he


    stroked the tip of her nose yfully before disappearing down the stairs.


    Twenty minutester, he returned with a te in his hands. Nudged into action by the smell, Arielle


    quickly got out of bed and sat down at the table.


    ¡°It looks delicious!¡± she remarked appreciatively before twirling some pasta with her fork without waiting


    for an invitation. Her eyes lit up the moment the pasta came into contact with her tongue. ¡°It¡¯s


    amazing,¡± she gushed with an enthusiastic thumbs-up.


    ¡°Told you so!¡±


    ¡°It really is. Well done, Vin!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Darling,¡± Vinson replied, his eyes twinkling with content at the improvement of her mood.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Arielle did not originally intend to have dinner. However, the smell of Vinson¡¯s cooking changed her


    mind. To her surprise, she suddenly found herself with a voracious appetite as she attacked the te


    with a fork with Vinson watching her indulgently.

 Chapter 1322

    Chapter 1322


    Chapter 1322 Right Back At You


    Vinson brought the bowl back downstairs when Arielle was done while she brushed her teeth. By the


    time he came back up, she was already slumped on the couch, browsing social media on her phone.


    ¡°Vinson, I¡¯m going to Lightspring tomorrow for filming.¡±


    Arielle had been gued for a long time toe up with a valid reason to go abroad without drawing


    attention to her true motives. When Vinson came out of the shower, the words tumbled out of her lips.


    She was afraid that she might not have the courage to utter them again if she did not grab hold of the


    opportunity.


    ¡°Lightspring?¡± Vinson repeated with a frown. Not keen to be apart from her for an extended period of


    time, he began expounding on the social unrest in the city and how he feared for her safety. As much


    as he would like to tell her not to go, it was not Vinson¡¯s ce to stop her from doing her job. After a


    moment¡¯s thought, he suggested, ¡°Let mee with you. Since there is nothing to do at work ofte, it


    can be a vacation for me.¡±


    Arielle was astounded by his ability to change tacts at the speed of light.


    The man explicitly said that I am not allowed to tell Vinson or anybody about this. How am I going to


    refuse hispany without arousing suspicion?


    ¡°It may be a vacation for you,¡± Arielle said huffily in mock outrage, ¡°but I take my job very seriously.


    How is it fair that you get to enjoy yourself while I work?¡±


    Vinson walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. ¡°I¡¯ll sit in the studio with you while you


    work. When you¡¯re done, we can tour the city beforeing back if you have time to spare.¡±


    ¡°Forget it,¡± Arielle said tly. ¡°I¡¯m not going to be able to concentrate when I know you¡¯re watching.


    Besides, what if something happens in thepany that requires your attention? I¡¯d better go myself.¡±


    Arielle was bing increasingly panicked at his insistence toe along. What if the man sees


    Vinson and kills them on the spot? I can¡¯t gamble with their lives.


    ¡°Are you keeping something from me, Sannie? Why can¡¯t Ie with you?¡± Vinson was under the


    impression that Arielle was only refusing to let him join her because she was worried that apany


    crisis that only he could solve would arise in his absence.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Arielle made a mental note to pace herself as she was dangerously close to arousing his suspicions.


    ¡°All right,¡± she relented atst. ¡°But on the condition that the two of us travel slightly apart from each


    other to avoid being photographed by the media.¡±


    Vinson agreed reluctantly. Since Arielle is now an artist, the media would definitely have a slew of


    nderous headlines ready if I am photographed next to her. As much as I¡¯d like to sit next to her on


    the ne, I would bring her nothing but trouble by doing so.


    As Arielle did not expect that Vinson would being with her, she had not packed his luggage.


    Disentangling herself from his strong arms, she proceeded to pack his things in a carry-on for him.


    Vinson watched Arielle adoringly as the corners of his lips curled with contentment. It used to be my


    assistant who did these things for me. Now I have a wife who does it out of love. This kind of happiness


    is what some people spend a lifetime searching for but never finding.


    Overwhelmed with gratitude, Vinson hugged her from behind and buried his face in the nape of her


    neck. ¡°I appreciate your existence in my life, Darling.¡±


    ¡°Right back at you.¡± Arielley thest folded shirt carefully into the suitcase. After zipping the suitcase


    up, she turned around and ced her hands around his neck, reciprocating his smile. I used to face


    everything on my own, but having Vinson in my life means that I never have to do that anymore. He is


    so worried for my safety, even when I¡¯m only shooting a scene, that he insists oning along. This


    must be what being in love feels like.


    Her smile made his heart skip a beat. Lifting her chin with a finger, he bent down and kissed her lips.

 Chapter 1323

    Chapter 1323


    Chapter 1323 Love And Be Loved


    Arielle tiptoed to reciprocate his passionate kiss.


    It feels good to love and be loved.


    Vinson made to unbutton her top, but she stopped him.


    ¡°We can¡¯t,¡± she gasped, recollecting herself with some difficulty from the sweet torment of his lips. ¡°I


    have to be up early tomorrow.¡± Despite the wave of desire nearly consuming her, Arielle remembered


    that she was supposed to go to Lightspring tomorrow.


    Vinson was at that point aroused beyond reason. ¡°Just this once.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Arielle asked meekly.


    He affirmed, ¡°Yes, I promise.¡±


    Without another word, he lifted her up, ced her on the bed, and imed the prize he had been


    denied.


    Soon, Arielle submitted herself to the gentle sway of his powerful hips. Thest thing she remembered


    before falling asleep was the indignant thought of how misleading his promise was for ¡°just this once¡± to


    last twice as long as he usually did.


    The room was still warm with the breath of the lovers when the first rays of sunlight streamed through


    the blinds the following morning.


    Vinson was the one who awoke first. Content to just watch her, he gazed at her with adoration and felt


    his heart swell with happiness.


    Meanwhile, Arielle smiled in her sleep. Unable to bear how lovely she looked, Vinson pressed his lips


    against hers and startled thetter awake with the threat of suffocation. With her eyes wide open, she


    found his handsome face so close to hers that their eyshes fluttered against each other.


    ¡°Vinson, what time is it?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°It¡¯s already eight o¡¯clock,¡± he answered with a chuckle. ¡°Our flight is at twenty past ten if you recall.


    We¡¯re going to miss our flight if you don¡¯t get a move on.¡±


    The news acted as a stimnt for Arielle. Jumping out of bed, she made a dash for the bathroom. By


    the time she had finished washing up, Vinson was already dressed smartly. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me


    up earlier? You know how anxious I get with flights.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to make it.¡± Vinson was charmed by her cheeks which were pink from exertion.


    ¡°We will if you hurry up! Remember, you have to stay away from me.¡± As Arielle reached for the


    suitcase, Vinson beat her to it. ¡°My wife shouldn¡¯t have to lift a finger,¡± he exined in response to her


    look of confusion.


    ¡°My husband is right.¡± Arielle grinned. ¡°Thedy of the house shouldn¡¯t have to exert herself.¡±


    For some reason, hearing Arielle call him her husband aroused Vinson to no end. With one arm toting


    the suitcase, he pushed Arielle against the wall with the other. ¡°Call me that again.¡±


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°What?¡± Arielle asked in feigned ignorance.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Vinson gritted his teeth in mock irritation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± Arielle kept up her charade. I shouldn¡¯t have said that! It¡¯s just going to


    sound awkward now.


    Vinson leaned in to exhale softly in her ear. ¡°If you don¡¯t, I will kiss you again.¡±


    He knows that the back of my ears is my weak spot!


    ¡°Scoundrel!¡±


    Vinson smirked at Arielle, who was breathless with anticipation. ¡°I respectfully disagree. If you don¡¯t do


    as I say, I can¡¯t guarantee what will happen after I kiss you.¡±


    He just wants to be called my husband, doesn¡¯t he? Let¡¯s just get this over with! Arielle cleared her


    throat and shouted continuously, ¡°Husband, husband, husband! You¡¯re my husband! Are you happy


    now?¡±


    Gazing up at Vinson, she looked pleased with herself. ¡°Don¡¯t hold your breath waiting for a chance to


    kiss me!¡±


    I won¡¯t be fooled that easily!

 Chapter 1324

    Chapter 1324


    Chapter 1324 The Mncholic nce


    ¡°Where are you guys headed?¡± Susanne got home quitetest night and had just gotten up not long


    ago.


    She was curious to see the young couple trotting downstairs with luggage in their hands. Are they going


    on a vacation?


    As that thought ran across her mind, her eyes lit up with anticipation.


    Wonderful! I¡¯m going to be a grandma soon! Susanne was over the moon at the thought of Arielle and


    Vinson making babies.


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m going to Lightspring for a shooting. Vinson¡¯s worried about me, so he has decided toe


    along,¡± Arielle exined the reason for their departure while watching her steps. As she got to where


    Susanne was standing, she looked into thetter¡¯s eyes and gently said, ¡°Mom, thanks a lot for helping


    us out withpany matters while we¡¯re away.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. You know what, have fun and enjoy yourselves after you¡¯re done with the shooting.


    There¡¯s no need to rush back since I¡¯m here.¡± Having said that, Susanne bade them goodbye.


    ¡°Bye, Mom!¡± Arielle then hopped into the car with Vinson, and off to the airport they went.


    ¡°You¡¯ll go first, and I¡¯ll keep a distance from you.¡± Once they got to the airport, Arielle put on a face mask


    and took a few big steps back from Vinson so hastily that one would assume that he was a walking virus.


    Vinson gave her an indignant stare before walking to the boarding gate while maintaining a distance of


    roughly eight feet from her.


    While the pilots were still doing their final checks before taking off, Vinson sent Arielle a text: What a


    heartless woman you¡¯re, Sannie. I can¡¯t believe that you¡¯re so consistent with keeping the distance


    between us.


    When Arielle saw the message, she started imagining Vinson pouting his mouth when he was typing it


    and giggled to herself. Haha, is it just me, or is he whining?


    At that thought, she almost burst outughing.


    Arielle texted him: Oh, my poor husband. It must¡¯ve been really tough for you. I¡¯ll treat you to something


    good when we get home, okay? Her mind was already cooking up recipes as she replied to him. She


    hadn¡¯t cooked much recently since she had been swamped with work.


    Vinson raised both his eyebrows and grinned mischievously. Of course, he wanted her to treat him


    something more than just good. Last night, he was concerned that she might be tired this morning,


    so he didn¡¯t go all out in bed.


    Vinson replied: Okay. It has to be out of this world. In his heart, he vowed to coerce her into sexually


    pleasuring him day and night after their return from Lightspring.


    Arielle texted back: I promise! She put her phone into her bag immediately after replying as the ne


    was about to take off.


    The flight time to Lightspring was about five hours, and Arielle spent the whole journey immersed in


    tormenting thoughts of whether the kidnapper had treated her parents kindly.


    Meanwhile, the Wilhems were under captivity in Lightspring.


    ¡°Why did you have to make Sanniee over?¡± they asked.


    The middle-aged couple wasn¡¯t allowed to have any electronic devices on them and was instructed to


    stay in the house.


    ¡°I have my reasons for that.¡± The man standing in front of them knew very well how important they were


    to Arielle and untied them after calling her.


    As Andrea looked at the man and then at her husband, she grew anxious. She was worried that the


    former would cause Arielle harm.


    Simrly, Hubert was out of his wits. There was no way for him to contact Arielle since all their devices


    were confiscated, and they were entrapped in a confined space.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t hurt you,¡± the man uttered. He was tickled by how Arielle and her adoptive parents


    cared so much about each other.


    ¡°Daddy, is San gonna be in trouble?¡± a youngd with a height of five-foot-six whispered to Hubert.


    He shook his head to indicate his uncertainty. However, he had a feeling that she would be safe after


    putting together everything that had happened in the past few days. After all, their kidnapper only held


    them captive and didn¡¯t hurt them.

 Chapter 1325

    Chapter 1325


    Chapter 1325 The Woman Of His Choice


    While they were concerned about Arielle¡¯s safety, she was worried sick about their well-being too. She


    did not know who kidnapped them and why the kidnapper insisted that shee.


    With her brows furrowed and smile lopsided, theynded in Lightspring.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the set? Are we going there straight, or are we going to the hotel first?¡± Vinson popped a


    question about their itinerary.


    Oh dear, what should I tell him? Arielle knew that Vinson would never let here to Lightspring on her


    own, and that was why she allowed him to travel with her. But now, she was stuck in a quandary!


    How she wished she was already by her parents¡¯ side, but she was with Vinson now, and there was no


    way he would willingly go on a separate path. That person forbade me to let Vin know about the matter.


    What should I do now? Arielle was like a cat on a hot tin roof.


    ¡°Right, the director just texted me, saying that there¡¯s a change in the schedule. Let¡¯s have our luggage


    sent to the hotel so we can go shopping first!¡± Arielle chirped. Hmm, they say men don¡¯t really like


    shopping with women. Vinson¡¯s a man, isn¡¯t he? Since he¡¯s gonna say no, I can use this chance to look


    for my parents!


    What an ingenious idea! Let¡¯s get ball rolling.


    ¡°Shopping?¡± Vinson raised an eyebrow and paused. ¡°Well, why not? We¡¯ve never shopped together,


    have we?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Arielle was startled by his response. It didn¡¯t go as she had nned.


    ¡°What¡¯s so surprising about that? Come on. We¡¯ll have our luggage delivered to the hotel, and I¡¯ll go


    shopping with you.¡± Vinson took her hand and looked for the service staff.


    After handing their luggage over and confirming their address, they went to Lightspring¡¯s most bustling


    streets.


    No¡­ This isn¡¯t supposed to happen. What should I do now?


    ¡°Is there anything you wanna buy?¡± It was Vinson¡¯s first time shopping with another person, so it was a


    whole new experience for him. He felt that he wouldn¡¯t mind doing this every day with Arielle, but he


    would definitely stomp off after a minute or two if that person were someone else.


    Arielle was already at her wits¡¯ end. After all, she was in no mood for shopping, to begin with. ¡°I have


    nothing particr in my mind, to be honest. I just wanna window-shop with you, you know, like what


    couples usually do.


    Vinson almost melted upon hearing herst sentence. Arielle always had a way of tickling his heart with


    her words.


    Holding her hand in his, he strutted forward. She, on the other hand, was racking her brain to ditch him.


    ¡°Vinson, let¡¯s check this boutique out!¡± She pointed firmly at the fashion boutique a few feet away from


    them.


    Women are pretty indecisive, and that¡¯s exactly the reason why men shudder at the thought of shopping


    with us! I¡¯m not sure if this is gonna work, but I¡¯ll have to keep trying on outfits till he gets tired of it.


    Arielle then used her glimmering puppy eyes on Vinson. Utterly defeated, he gave in immediately,


    leading her into the shop. They walked around the shop for a while, and by the time Arielle headed to the


    fitting room, the shop attendant had tens of garments in her hands.


    ¡°Vinson, wait for me here. I¡¯ll be quick.¡± Arielle hooked her arm through Vinson¡¯s and plopped him down


    onto a seat. After that, she executed her n.


    Vinson couldn¡¯t understand why she needed to try them on since they were all her size. Is it necessary to


    try all of them on? She can just buy them all if that¡¯s what she wants, and if she dislikes any of them


    afterward, she can just throw them away. Besides, she¡¯ll definitely look good in all of the clothes. But


    since she¡¯s willing to try them on, I¡¯m all for it.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Sure!¡± Vinson stroke her head gently.

 Chapter 1326

    Chapter 1326


    Chapter 1326 Raining Bullets


    Arielle gave him the sweetest smile before walking into the fitting room with a dress. Five minutester,


    Arielle came out, and Vinson was bewitched instantly by the slender figure in front of him.


    ¡°Nice dress,¡± he said.


    After that, Arielle strutted her way into the fitting room with another outfit. This time, she came out looking


    sharp in an all-white suit with a high ponytail, like a capable businesswoman. Vinson excitedly gave her a


    thumbs-up, and she went back into the room with another outfit.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    When the door opened again, ady with apletely different style stood there, effusing a disparate


    aura. Arielle had a leather jacket over a ck camisole paired with a hip-hugging leather skirt. The ck


    stilettos she wore elevated the whole look, and Vinson couldn¡¯t keep his eyes off her.


    He already knew how attractive Arielle was and that she could carry any look well. That didn¡¯t stop him


    from being impressed, though.


    Arielle could tell that Vinson loved that particr look, so she gave a coy smile and went back into the


    fitting room.


    She was almost at her twentieth fitting, yet every piece she wore managed to blow Vinson away.


    Argh! It¡¯s not working on him! This is driving me crazy! Why is he still so calm and patient after so many


    rounds of fitting? This is not right. It can¡¯t be! What else can I do? Do I continue with the n?


    Arielle was utterly disheartened.


    While she was still cracking her head to get to her parents¡¯ aid, Vinson bought everything she tried and


    requested to have them delivered to their hotel.


    ¡°Where else do you wanna go?¡± Vinson stood next to Arielle and wrapped his hand around her shoulder.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Let¡¯s just walk.¡± Feeling dispirited, she cocked her head to one side and asked Vinson


    curiously, ¡°Vinson, weren¡¯t you irritated when I was trying on the clothes?¡±


    ¡°Why would I be irritated?¡± With a raised brow, he looked back at her in puzzlement and added, ¡°You


    didn¡¯t know it was quite a performance, did you? I was looking forward to your every look!¡±


    He was so transfixed by every outfit Arielle wore that he wanted to keep her in his closet.


    Geez¡­ This n isn¡¯t working. Arielle was frustrated.


    After they were done shopping in that boutique, they wandered along the streets and were suddenly


    caught in amotion. Bang! Not long after the yells and bawls, a gunshot silenced the crowd for a


    second.


    ¡°Sannie, find cover! Hurry!¡± Vinson grabbed Arielle¡¯s hand and tried to look for cover among the sea of


    people who were, too, panicking. Their entangled fingers were unraveled amid the bem.


    ¡°Sannie, Sannie!¡± Vinson¡¯s eyes darted from face to face as he shouted anxiously for Arielle.


    However, Arielle was shoved away from Vinson by the crowd and was caught in a heart-rending


    moment. Despite that, she decided to head to where her parents were using this opportunity. Bang!


    Bang! Bang! Gunshots peppered the air. She turned her head around to look for the source, but what


    she saw next shattered her heart.


    She saw a young boy curled up in Vinson¡¯s embrace, and Vinson took a bullet for him.


    ¡°Vinson!¡± Arielle shrieked in agony and jostled as fast as she could through the crowd. Everything but


    Vinson was a blur to her.


    ¡°S-S-Sannie¡­¡± Arielle might not have heard him say her name, but she clearly saw him mouthing it with


    his trembling lips.

 Chapter 1327

    Chapter 1327


    Chapter 1327 Shot In The Chest


    ¡°Vinson, hang in there. Hang in there! I¡¯m here, and you¡¯ll be all right. We¡¯ll get through this together!¡±


    Tears smeared her face as she cupped his head in her hands. ¡°Vinson, I don¡¯t know what to do. I don¡¯t


    have a first aid kid with me.¡±


    ¡°Miss, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll get my father to save him,¡± the young boy offered his help in fluent Ustranasion.


    After he finished his sentence, the raining bullets came to a stop. A troop of soldiers moved toward them,


    and a man got off a military car. ¡°My apologies, Young Master. You must have been frightened,¡± the man


    bowed and spoke respectfully to the young boy.


    ¡°This man was shot when he was saving me. Quick, send him to the hospital,¡± the young boy briefly


    exined what had happened. Wasting no time, the butler got the soldiers to carry Vinson into the car,


    after which Arielle and the young boy followed them to the hospital.


    ¡°Sir Casper, he¡¯s in a critical situation and requires surgery immediately.¡± The surgeon was scurrying into


    the operation room, wanting to start the surgery as soon as possible.


    ¡°Please, let me help with the operation.¡± Arielle was so concerned about Vinson that she wanted to


    participate in the operation.


    ¡°Miss, please stop this folly. We are trying to save a life here. Stop wasting our time with your impractical


    suggestion.¡± The surgeon furrowed his brows and scanned Arielle. What does this woman think she¡¯s


    doing? Such balderdash!


    Arielle understood the doctor¡¯s concern, but she had to do it. Luckily, an assistant recognized her as the


    Wilhelms¡¯ adoptive daughter and agreed to her request. Without further ado, Arielle put on a surgical


    gown and followed the assistant into the operation room.


    Her heart wrenched in pain when she saw Vinson lying unconsciously on the operation table, but she


    had no time to wallow in misery. Determined to save his life, she snapped herself out of her troubled


    emotions.


    ¡°The bullet¡¯s in a tricky spot. It¡¯s quite hard to remove it,¡± the surgeon concluded.


    ¡°What would you advise then? If we don¡¯t remove it, the patient would die.¡±


    Like what the surgeon had said, it was a high-risk operation. The slightest miscalction would cause


    Vinson¡¯s heart to malfunction. Casper¡¯s father wasn¡¯t going to give up on Vinson since thetter had


    risked his life for Casper, so he made a call and had the best surgeons in town working on this


    impossible mission.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Arielle calmly suggested as she squeezed her way into the room.


    ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll take full responsibility for it.¡± Having said that, she walked toward the position of the lead


    surgeon.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°The man¡¯s life is hanging on a thread now. Stop this nonsense!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my husband, and I would never fool around with his life!¡± she retorted. Her mind was already on the


    operation that was about tomence.


    Impressed by her sangfroid, the group of surgeons let her take the helm. None of them were confident to


    save Vinson, anyway. Moreover, her confidence proved that she clearly knew what she was doing.


    Meanwhile, news of the gunfight in Lightspring spread like wildfire on the inte. The media outlets, be


    it local or international, were all reporting the news, and Arielle became the trending topic.


    Sann Group¡¯s Chairman Caught in a Gunfight.


    The Lady Boss of Maureen¡¯s Kitchen Was Trapped in an Artillery Chaos.


    The New Head of the Mills Was Hedged in a Gunfight.


    Sann Group¡¯s Chairman Operating on a Patient at the Local Hospital.


    Every entertainment page posted about the gunfight in Lightspring, causing a stir amongizens.


    Oh my goodness! Is our goddess okay?


    Oh Lord, I¡¯ll go vegetarian if my goddess is safe and sound!


    Couldn¡¯t she just stay in the country? Why did she have to travel abroad and involve herself in such a


    mess?


    This is absolutely worrying. I wonder if she¡¯s hurt¡­


    This is too scary! It seems that staying in the country is the safest.


    Comments were blowing up on the inte.

 Chapter 1328

    Chapter 1328


    Chapter 1328 The Surgery


    Susanne was at the Nightshire Group.


    She had switched off her phone. Ever since news of Arielle¡¯s mishap broke, her phone had been ringing


    off the hook with questions about the validity of the news. She was exhausted from fielding calls and had


    no time to check on Arielle¡¯s situation herself.


    Her annoyance eventually peaked, and she switched off her phone in defiance. She used the phone on


    her office desk to contact Rayson and summon him to the office.


    When he arrived, a concerned Susanne instructed, ¡°Rayson, could you call Sannie or Vinson¡¯s phones?


    See if you can get in touch with either of them. We need to find out what¡¯s going on!¡± Videos of the


    incident which had been circting on the web had disappeared before Susanne had a chance to look at


    them.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been calling them since news of the incident broke, but I can¡¯t reach either of them,¡± Rayson


    responded with a frown.


    Susanne furrowed her brows in thought before suggesting, ¡°Contact the people in Lightspring. See if


    they have any information for us. Inform me of any developments immediately.¡± Her concern for Arielle


    and Vinson¡¯s safety was palpable.


    How are they unlucky enough to get caught in the crossfire of a gun battle?


    Likewise, Sam had seen the trending searches on the web regarding Arielle and Vinson¡¯s mishap. He


    had no idea why Arielle had taken leave to Lightspring, and he simrly failed to contact her.


    Jason, who had also seen the news, asked Sam concernedly, ¡°Has Arielle truly gone to Lightspring, Mr.


    Sleight?¡±


    While Jason had decided to let go of his pursuit of Arielle, his heart had yet to catch up with his mind.


    Naturally, he was deathly worried over the news of Arielle¡¯s trouble in Lightspring.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Sam stared at his anxiouspanion. Then, as though he suddenly remembered something, he


    exined, ¡°I don¡¯t know if she traveled to Lightspring, but she did take time off. We were supposed to


    shoot her scenes in the film after she returned from her leave.¡±


    ¡°Can you reach her?¡± Jason was almost a hundred percent certain that Arielle had gone to Lightspring.


    Shaking his head, Sam answered, ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to get in touch with her.¡±


    Jason expressed his wish of taking time off and traveling to Lightspring himself. Sam firmly refused his


    request and reprimanded, ¡°Arielle¡¯s gone. How will we make this film if you¡¯re taking time off too? You¡¯re


    the male lead, for God¡¯s sake!¡±


    Frankly, Jason knew that a trip to Lightspring was a long shot at locating Arielle. After all, he had no


    connections in the city who could help him with his search.


    The employees of Sann Group and Maureen¡¯s Kitchen were equally distraught over Arielle¡¯s reported


    mishap. Everyone tried to call Arielle but to no avail. Unbeknownst to them, Arielle had already switched


    her phone to silent mode before entering the surgical theater.


    Arielle was presently marking out an incision spot over Vinson¡¯s heart with a surgical skin marker. She


    took a few steps back to retrieve a scalpel. To her surprise, someone ced it in her outstretched hand


    before she could grab the instrument. Arielle looked up, realizing that the scalpel came from the doctor


    who had attempted to stop her from entering the surgical theater earlier.


    Their gazes met, and the doctor gave her an encouraging hand gesture to wish her luck.


    Arielle did not gratify his encouragement with a change in her expression. Instead, she turned to face


    Vinson, whoy on the surgical table. She encouraged herself silently.


    You can do this, Arielle Moore! Just hang on and wait for me, Vinson!


    She took a deep breath and cleared her mind. Then, she lowered her head and began operating on


    Vinson. The surgical theater fell into silence as the medical staff bustled about their separate duties.


    ¡°Forceps!¡± The same doctor who had wished her luck before the surgery handed the instrument to her


    before she had barely finished her words.


    The leading medical experts in the surgical theater were stunned to see the hospital¡¯s lead physician


    assisting Arielle in the surgery. Their eyes widenedically in surprise. Arielle was hardly bothered by


    their opinions. Her entire focus was onpleting the surgery.

 Chapter 1329

    Chapter 1329


    Chapter 1329 My Fault


    Six hourster, Arielle finallypleted the surgery on Vinson. She had single-handedly performed the


    operation.


    Her eyes welled with tears as she pleaded, ¡°You have to wake up, Vinson.¡±


    She dared not let down her guard or surrender to her emotions during the six-hour-long surgery. Now


    that the nerve-wracking operation was over, the tears she had been suppressing streamed uncontrobly


    down her face.


    After the surgery, Vinson was moved from the surgical theater to an intensive care unit. Arielle changed


    into her clothes after leaving the surgical theater. When she checked her phone, she saw a bunch of


    missed calls.


    She decided to call Susanne first.


    Once the line connected, Susanne asked worriedly, ¡°Sannie! Are you and Vinson all right? I saw the


    trending news on the web. I was so worried.¡±


    A fresh wave of tears assailed Arielle as she thought of Vinson lying in the intensive care unit. She


    pursed her lips, unsure of how to assuage Susanne¡¯s concerns. If I didn¡¯te to Lightspring, Vinson


    wouldn¡¯t be in this state right now. It¡¯s all my fault.


    Her prolonged silence merely fueled Susanne¡¯s concern, and the olderdy urged, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you


    saying anything, Sannie?¡±


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m fine. I didn¡¯t answer my phone earlier because it ran out of battery.¡± Arielle settled for a white


    lie to prevent Susanne from wringing her hands over Vinson¡¯s condition.


    Susanne was relieved after Arielle¡¯s assurances. She said, ¡°Do you have any idea how many articles on


    the web mentioned you getting caught in a gun battle? I was scared to death.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Mom. I didn¡¯t mean to worry you,¡± Arielle apologized.


    Her apology brought a smile to Susanne, who reassured her, ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry. I¡¯m happy as long as the


    two of you are safe. Well, now that that¡¯s over, I¡¯ve got to attend to other things now. So I¡¯ll hang up first.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    After ending her call with Susanne, Arielle hurriedly dialed Liza Sleight¡¯s number. She asked Liza to


    release an official statement on her behalf exining that she was safe.


    Liza carried out her orders immediately after their call.


    Arielle¡¯s phone began ringing with another call after her conversation with Liza ended. She immediately


    answered it when she saw her adoptive mother¡¯s caller ID.


    ¡°Hello!¡±


    A man¡¯s menacing voice drifted through the receiver. ¡°Time¡¯s almost up, Ms. Moore. Do you not wish to


    see your parents again?¡±


    Arielle froze in shock. She suddenly remembered that there was not much time left to her meeting with


    the kidnappers. Her gaze darted to the unconscious Vinson in the intensive care unit, and she realized


    she could not meet the kidnappers at the agreed-upon time.


    ¡°I¡¯m in a tight situation right now. Could I go thereter?¡± Arielle put on false airs of calmness and


    negotiated with the kidnappers. She wished to wait until Vinson was awake before leaving to meet them.N?velDrama.Org content.


    The kidnapper threatened, ¡°Time waits for no one, Ms. Moore. If you refuse toe here now, don¡¯t


    me me for what happens next.¡±


    Frightened that the kidnapper would make good on his threat and harm the Wilhelms, Arielle cried, ¡°I¡¯ll


    come! I¡¯lle over now! Don¡¯t hurt them!¡±


    ¡°Good girl! I¡¯m waiting for you. Don¡¯t forget toe alone.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s fingers turned white from how fiercely she clenched her hand around her phone.


    D*mn it! Once I find out who¡¯s behind the Wilhelms¡¯ kidnapping, they¡¯re dead meat!


    Just as Arielle stewed in distress and indecision, the little boy Vinson had saved earlier appeared. He


    asked, ¡°Miss, he¡¯ll be okay, right?¡±


    Arielle stared at the boy, her face a mask of conflicting emotions.


    Vinson wouldn¡¯t be injured if he didn¡¯t try to save this boy. Still, I can¡¯t me the little boy; it was entirely


    Vinson¡¯s choice. In any case, I¡¯m the only one to me here. I should¡¯ve rejected Vinson¡¯s offer to


    apany me. In fact, I shouldn¡¯t have tried to go on some impromptu sightseeing excursion to


    Lightspring. All of this is my fault.

 Chapter 1330

    Chapter 1330


    Chapter 1330 Kidnapping


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯ll be fine.¡± Right then, Arielle realized the boy must have had a unique identity. Regardless, her


    adoptive parents¡¯ matter was more urgent, and Vinson would be fine after he made it past tonight.


    With that thought in mind, she looked at the boy. ¡°Can I ask you for a favor?¡±


    Earlier, the boy followed her to the hospital and waited for a few hours when Vinson was in surgery.


    Knowing he was grateful for Vinson¡¯s help, Arielle decided to entrust Vinson to him.


    ¡°Please go ahead,¡± the boy answered as he stared at her with a serious look. She¡¯s pretty and speaks


    fluent Ustranasion.


    ¡°I need to attend to another matter, but I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be back. Can you please take care of Mr.


    Nightshire?¡±


    ¡°Is it dangerous? If it is, I can ask my father to assign someone to protect you,¡± the boy suggested as


    though he knew Arielle was going to a perilous ce.


    Arielle shook her head. If possible, she would bring her men along. s, her adoptive parents were in


    that man¡¯s hands, and she dared not take the risk. ¡°No need. I can head there myself.¡±


    A look of disappointment shed across the boy¡¯s face when he heard she didn¡¯t need his help. I really


    like her.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll take good care of him, so don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll be waiting for you here,¡± the boy looked up and


    promised solemnly.


    Arielle patted his head before turning to leave. She headed to the Wilhelms¡¯ house alone. There was no


    time to imagine what would happen there.


    ¡°Wait up!¡± Before she could leave the hospital, a clear voice rang out to stop her. Arielle turned at her


    shoulder to see the boy dashing toward her.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she demanded anxiously. ¡°Did something happen to him?¡±


    The boy shook his head hurriedly to dispel her anxiety. ¡°This is my contact. You can reach me at this


    number. My name is Casper.¡±


    He shoved a name card into Arielle¡¯s palm and ran away before she could react.


    Arielle nced at the name card and memorized the number swiftly. She then ripped it into pieces and


    tossed it into the bin.


    There was no telling what she would encounter at the Wilhelms¡¯ house. Hence, she couldn¡¯t allow the


    enemy to get the name card from her and do something unimaginable with horrible consequences.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Anyway, she had already memorized the content with her photographic memory.


    Outside, Arielle hailed a taxi to head to the Wilhelms¡¯ house.


    Throughout the journey, she was worried about Vinson and the Wilhelms. However, she knew that


    Vinson would be safe as long as he made it past that night.


    She could tell that the young boy wasn¡¯t heartless, so he would definitely take care of Vinson sincerely.


    For now, she was gued with dread over the Wilhelms¡¯ plight.


    I wonder who their kidnapper is and what his goal is.


    Meanwhile, at the Wilhelms¡¯ house, after knowing that Arielle would make her way here, the kidnapper


    tied the Wilhelms up before stuffing rags into their mouth to shut them up.


    ¡°Mm¡­ Mm¡­¡± The three of them struggled after learning that Arielle was about to arrive. They didn¡¯t


    want her to see them in this state.


    ¡°Stop moving around. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± Under their worried gazes, the man parted his lips to


    say, ¡°I won¡¯t hurt Arielle, too.¡±

 Chapter 1331

    Chapter 1331


    Chapter 1331 A Threat


    The man had kidnapped the Wilhelms to threaten Arielle but imed he wouldn¡¯ty a hand on her. The


    three of them refused to believe him, but they had no other choice. They couldn¡¯t contact Arielle to stop


    her froming here, either.


    They were weighed down by dread when Arielle finally arrived. She got off the taxi and nced at the


    brightly lit house. Taking a deep breath, she pressed the doorbell.


    ¡°Coming!¡± Hearing the doorbell, the man¡¯s eyes lit up. He immediately went to open the door. Once the


    door creaked open, Arielle strode in without fear.


    ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± She saw Aaron standing before her.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. Are you surprised?¡± Aaron raised a brow and shed a devilish grin.


    Refusing to waste time with him, Arielle asked coolly, ¡°Where are my parents and brother?¡±


    ¡°They are safe for now. Arielle, we haven¡¯t met in a while. Do you miss me?¡± He stepped forward and


    gazed at her intently. My little kitty is captivating even when she¡¯s mad. I have good taste indeed.


    ¡°Where are they? I want to see them now!¡± Arielle stated her request immediately. She would only rx


    after seeing them in person.


    Aaron knew how important her family was to her. He snapped his fingers, and someone brought the


    Wilhelms out. Arielle¡¯s eyes reddened in anguish at the sight of her adoptive parents and brother.


    ¡°Mom, Dad, Pat.¡± Tears welled up in Arielle¡¯s eyes as she hurried over to them.


    The famous psychologists were currently tied up with rags stuffed in their mouths. ring at Aaron, they


    seemed to be demanding an answer to his actions.


    Without hesitation, Arielle removed the gags and reached out to untie their hands. Before she could do


    so, a pair of strong hands stopped her.


    ¡°Let go!¡± Arielle hissed icily.


    ¡°San, don¡¯t act rashly!¡± Hubert reminded her anxiously.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Finally reuniting with his beloved sister, Pat promptlyined, ¡°San, he¡¯s a bad guy!¡±


    ¡°Pat!¡± Andrea hushed him, for she was afraid he would provoke Aaron.


    Pat shut up reluctantly and blinked rapidly. He gazed at Arielle as though he wanted to tell her how evil


    their kidnapper was.


    ¡°Let them go!¡± Arielle said, her voice frosty.


    Oh, my little kitty! Such fierceness! Aaron thought with a smile.


    ¡°Arielle, you¡¯re too impatient.¡± The more Arielle valued her family, the happier he was. I can carry out my


    n now.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Arielle shot him an arctic re. She had no idea what he wanted from her.


    The smile on Aaron¡¯s lips faded away as he stared at her intently. ¡°Arielle, I need you!¡±


    Arielle was utterly confused. He needs me? For what? What can I do for him?


    Sensing her confusion, Aaron exined, ¡°I need a medical expert, and you¡¯re my choice. I¡¯d like to bring


    you back to Turlen to teach the doctors there.¡±


    Turlen was advanced in technology but fell behind in the medical industry.


    Turlen! Hearing that, Arielle was both excited and delighted. Her heart started racing uncontrobly.


    Lady Luck is on my side!


    After realizing her biological father was from Turlen, she and Vinson had been trying to find a way to get


    into the country.

 Chapter 1332

    Chapter 1332


    Chapter 1332 Tolerance And Love


    s, Turlen waspletely closed to outsiders. Vinson had hired a private investigator to help him out


    but to no avail. Arielle had no idea the opportunity to head there would appear right on her doorstep.


    She was inwardly delighted and wanted to say yes, but her rationality stopped her from doing that.


    Putting on a puzzled look, she asked, ¡°Turlen? I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡±


    As Turlen was closed off to the outside world, Aaron wasn¡¯t surprised that Arielle had no idea of its


    existence.


    ¡°Our country is very advanced and closed to the outside world. It¡¯s natural that you¡¯ve never heard of it.¡±


    After a pause, he added, ¡°But we¡¯recking in the medical industry. Thus, we want the best doctor in the


    world to teach our doctors.¡±


    With that said, he nced at Arielle and shed a smile.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m a doctor whose responsibility is to save lives. I¡¯m willing to head to your country to share my


    knowledge with the doctors so they could save more lives. But¡­¡± she trailed off and turned to her family.


    ¡°Can you please release them?¡±


    Aaron¡¯s gazended on the family of three tied up. Beforeing here, he was informed that the


    Wilhelms were at the top of their field.


    He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    He needed the family of three to make sure Arielle was still under his control. If I release them, and she


    grabs the chance to escape, I¡¯ll have to waste my efforts looking for her again. Besides, Arielle can¡¯t


    teach that many people alone. If the Wilhelmse along, they can help her out.


    ¡°Why?¡± Arielle¡¯s brows snapped together in displeasure. ¡°I agreed to follow you to Turlen. Why won¡¯t you


    release my parents?¡±


    ¡°I can untie them, but they have toe to Turlen as well,¡± he said, and there was a finality to his tone


    that warned her not to continue testing his limits.


    Obviously, Aaron had made up his mind to bring them to Turlen. Since the negotiation fell through, Arielle


    had no choice but to agree to head to Turlen with her family.


    ¡°Let¡¯s depart in two days. I need to attend to some matters first,¡± she suggested carefully.


    She figured the trip might take a long time, so she had to settle everything at herpany, restaurant,


    and the filming that had already begun.


    Most importantly, she wanted to make sure Vinson was safe before leaving.


    ¡°No,¡± Aaron rejected instantly. As he didn¡¯t want any unforeseen circumstances to happen, he wanted to


    leave with them as soon as possible.


    ¡°Aaron!¡± Arielle snapped unhappily. I would¡¯ve stopped being courteous if I didn¡¯t need his help to enter


    Turlen!


    Aaron was looking at her upset expression. Strangely, he loved it whenever she flew into a fit of rage.


    Arielle looked lively and adorable to him when she was angry.


    ¡°Two days won¡¯t do. You have one day,¡± Aaron caved in and announced.


    He only caved in because he didn¡¯t want her to despise him.


    Realizing that was Aaron¡¯s limit, Arielle said nothing else. She turned and untied her family.


    ¡°Dad, Mom, I¡¯m really sorry. It was my fault you had to suffer,¡± she apologized to them profusely.


    ¡°San, this has nothing to do with you. It was the bad guy¡¯s fault for kidnapping us!¡± Pat adored Arielle, so


    he leaped into her arms and pointed an using finger in Aaron¡¯s direction after regaining freedom.

 Chapter 1333

    Chapter 1333


    Chapter 1333 Warmth


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Pat!¡± Hubert chided his son as he was worried Aaron would get mad. But, instead of getting mad, Aaron


    found their family interesting.


    ¡°Dad, Pat¡¯s right. He¡¯s evil!¡± Arielle chimed in as she nced at Aaron calmly. Aaron still needs our help,


    so he won¡¯t harm us.


    She continued, ¡°Dad, Mom, you¡¯ll have toe to Turlen with me. I don¡¯t know how long we¡¯ll have to be


    there, so you should make some arrangements for your work, too.¡±


    Arielle helped Pat up before helping her adoptive parents to the couch.


    The Wilhelms adored Arielle and doted on her like their own, so they knew she had been looking for her


    biological father.


    Previously, they heard there was a clue in Turlen, but the country was closed to outsiders, so she


    couldn¡¯t head there to check things out for herself.


    Now that Arielle finally had a chance to go to Turlen, they would definitely keep herpany.


    Even if Aaron agreed to release them, they would rather be kidnapped so they could follow Arielle to


    Turlen to take care of her.


    ¡°San, it¡¯s nothing. You¡¯re our daughter, and we¡¯re delighted to go on a trip with you,¡± Andrea said gently


    as she ruffled Arielle¡¯s hair. Despite being forced to head to Turlen, they were treating it as a family trip.


    Hearing her words, Arielle nearly burst out crying.


    ¡°Mom!¡± She buried herself into Andrea¡¯s embrace, taking in the warmth and love from her mother. Pat


    quickly flung his arms around Arielle and Andrea tightly. Seeing that, Andrea and Hubert shared a nce


    and smiled.


    Aaron¡¯s gaze tracked their movements, and he felt envious to see their interaction. This was how a family


    should be like¡ªto always be happy no matter what as long as they were together. On the contrary, his


    family was detached and cool. His parents had never acted this way.


    He longed for this kind of familial rtionship.


    ¡°Aaron, can you leave now? We¡¯ve agreed to go to Turlen, and we won¡¯t go back on our word. There¡¯s


    no need for you to stay and watch us.¡±


    Sensing Aaron¡¯s gaze, Arielle btedly remembered there were still outsiders in their house. She pulled


    herself away from Andrea¡¯s embrace and told the man to leave right away. Embarrassment crept up her


    heart when she realized outsiders had seen her acting coy in Andrea¡¯s arms.


    ¡°You won¡¯t get to go back on your word. I¡¯ve arranged for my men to keep an eye on you, so you can¡¯t


    escape. Since you don¡¯t want me here, I shall take my leave. Remember, you only have one day to settle


    your stuff. Tomorrow night at this hour, we shall leave Lightspring for Turlen.¡±


    Aaron was amused to see Arielle¡¯s embarrassment. I can¡¯t believe the little kitty is acting shy!


    ¡°I got it. So leave!¡± Arielle harrumphed. She wouldn¡¯t escape, for nothing was more important than


    getting to Turlen.


    Without a word, Aaron spun on his heels and strode away. He had bugged their electronic devices. If


    they tried to ask for help, he would find out about it right away. There was no harm in giving them another


    day.


    After his departure, the Wilhelms started questioning Arielle.


    ¡°Are you here alone? Or did youe with Vin?¡± Hubert asked.


    Arielle¡¯s expression changed at the mention of Vinson. ¡°Dad, Vinson came here with me. Aaron didn¡¯t


    want Vinson to find out about your kidnapping, so I kept it a secret from him. I was dying time and


    trying to shake him off when a shooting happened. Vinson was shot when he tried to save a child.¡±

 Chapter 1334

    Chapter 1334


    Chapter 1334 No Other Choice


    ¡°What?¡± Andrea grew flustered when she learned that Vinson had been shot. ¡°Was it serious? Where is


    he? Why aren¡¯t you with him now?¡±


    ¡°I operated on him for six hours. He¡¯ll be fine after making it through the night,¡± Arielle revealed.


    Naturally, she wanted nothing more than to be with Vinson.


    s, Aaron was too impatient, and she had no other choice.


    She was in a dilemma. It wasn¡¯t easy to choose between her adoptive parents who brought her up and


    her beloved man.


    In the end, she could only attend to the most urgent matter first.


    ¡°San, since we¡¯re going to depart tomorrow, what about Vin?¡±


    They knew how capable Arielle was. Since she said that, it meant that she was confident that Vinson


    would recover.


    We¡¯re going to Turlen tomorrow with no confirmation of our return date. What if Vinson fails to contact


    me?


    As that thought popped up in her mind, Arielle felt extremely conflicted. However, the chance to enter


    Turlen was rare, so she had to leave Vinson for the time being. She would leave Turlen and return to the


    country after finding her father.


    ¡°I have no other choice,¡± Arielle replied helplessly as she ran a hand through her hair in exasperation.


    Fortunately, Aaron gave her a day to settle her stuff. She would try to contact Casper tomorrow. If she


    managed to contact the little boy, she would ask for his help to ry her message to Vinson so he


    wouldn¡¯t worry about her.


    For the past few days, the Wilhelms didn¡¯t get to rest well out of fear. After dinner, Arielle told them to go


    to bed. She only returned to her room after they went upstairs.


    ¡°Vinson, please stay safe,¡± Arielle mumbled as she buried herself in the covers. Her strong facade had


    faded away. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a stab of pain in her heart whenever she thought of Vinson.


    She yearned to text Vinson to inform him of her situation, but Aaron had bugged her phone. Besides


    dealing with work, she dared not mention anything regarding her private affairs on her phone.


    After all, she had experienced firsthand just how vicious Aaron could be. Previously, she dared not reveal


    her adoptive parents¡¯ kidnapping to Vinson for fear of their safety, but now, she still couldn¡¯t pluck her


    courage to reveal their plight as Vinson was still unconscious, and they were no match for Aaron.


    As Arielle had expected, Aaron was indeed keeping an eye on the Wilhelms. He was pleased to learn


    that Arielle only dealt with her work. ¡°She¡¯s quite obedient, huh?¡±


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    He couldn¡¯t wait for the day Arielle would join him in Turlen, for life would definitely be interesting with


    her.


    The next day, Arielle tried giving Casper a call early in the morning. s, the call failed. Arielle cut the


    call angrily. Aaron must¡¯ve limited ourmunication. I can¡¯t call him, so I¡¯ll just send an email.


    With that thought in mind, she used her phone and typed out an email to inform Vinson of her current


    situation. After she clicked on the send button, a red notification popped up on her phone¡¯s screen a few


    secondster with the text ¡°Unable to send the email.¡±


    Assuming the line was bad, she was about to resend the email when her phone rang. It was an unknown


    number. She didn¡¯t want to answer it but was afraid she might miss something. Thus, she ended up


    answering the call.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, that¡¯s a bad move. If you keep doing that, I¡¯ll be forced to break my promise.¡± Aaron¡¯s voice


    rang out from the other end of the line.

 Chapter 1335

    Chapter 1335


    Chapter 1335 Spoiled


    Comprehension dawned on Arielle. So it isn¡¯t the Wi-Fi. Aaron has intercepted that email! Furious, she


    cursed, ¡°D*mn it!¡±


    On the other end of the line, Aaron could imagine how infuriated she was. His lips curved into a pleased


    and gleeful smile.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, please keep your word.¡± With that said, he cut the line cheerfully.


    Arielle red at her phone before tossing it to the bed angrily. She flung her arms around the covers and


    stopped trying to push her luck. All she wanted was for Vinson to be safe and sound.


    Aaron promised to give them a day, but technically, it was less than that. Because the weather wasn¡¯t


    good, Aaron decided to take them back earlier than nned as there was a chance of the flight getting


    dyed anytime.


    Arielle and her family packed up before following Aaron to the airport. They were taking a private ne,


    so there was no need to buy flight tickets or go through the gate. It was a rtively easy process.


    On the ne, Aaron took the front seat, while Arielle and her family sat behind him. Pat seemed sullen


    despite having his family with him. Perhaps he felt that way because they were leaving for a foreign


    country. He actually preferred to stay in Lightspring.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sad. When we arrive at our destination, I¡¯ll cook something delicious for you,¡± Arielle coaxed as


    she pinched his cheek in an affectionate manner. Pat loved Arielle¡¯s cooking, including western cuisine,


    Ustranasion cuisine, and all sorts of snacks she prepared. Hearing her words, he lit up in delight, his


    initial displeasure all gone.


    ¡°San, you must keep your word!¡± Pat blinked earnestly, making him look endearing and adorable.


    ¡°Have I ever lied to you?¡± Arielle responded cheerfully.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°San, don¡¯t spoil him. You¡¯re going to turn him into a spoiled brat,¡± Andrea remarked as she gazed at


    them, her eyes crinkling up inughter.


    ¡°He¡¯s still young, so it¡¯s fine.¡± Arielle chuckled. In truth, she needed someone to talk to her right now to


    divert her attention. Because the moment she had free time, she couldn¡¯t help but think about Vinson.


    And the more she thought about it, the more upset she became.


    I wonder if he¡¯s awake. He¡¯ll probably go crazy after realizing I went missing. But I had no other choice


    since Aaron used my adoptive parents to threaten me. I¡¯ve been wanting to go to Turlen as well. This is


    my only choice.


    ¡°San, Vin will be all right. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Andrea took her hand and offeredforting words. Having once


    been a young woman in love, she knew her daughter¡¯s feelings well.


    ¡°I know he¡¯ll be fine.¡± Arielle had operated on him personally, and the surgery had a ny percent


    sess rate, but she couldn¡¯t stop herself from missing him dearly. After all, there was no telling when


    they would get to reunite again.


    Five hourster, the nended steadily. Arielle assumed they were at their destination, but to her


    surprise, they had to take a cruise ship before they could actually reach their destination. Her brows


    scrunched up. I had no idea Turlen is that far away.


    That evening, Arielle came out of her cabin. Wanting to give Vinson a call, she pulled her phone out only


    to realize that there was no signal there.


    ¡°Don¡¯t waste your efforts. There is no signal around, and only satellite phones work here.¡± Aaron had


    been watching her all the while and came to her when he noticed she was trying to make a call.


    ¡°Aaron, I¡¯m already on the cruise ship with you. I need to inform my husband about my whereabouts so


    he wouldn¡¯t worry about me,¡± Arielle told him icily.


    She understood why he refused to let Vinson know that she was with the Wilhelms earlier, for he wanted


    to bring her back to Turlen. However, now that they were about to arrive, it made no sense for her to not


    contact Vinson.

 Chapter 1336

    Chapter 1336


    Chapter 1336 Wake Up


    Aaron hated to hear another man¡¯s name from Arielle¡¯s lips, especially when the man was Vinson.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Give me your phone!¡± He stretched his hand out.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± A wary look shed across Arielle¡¯s face.


    Without a word, Aaron stepped forward and grabbed her phone. Before she could react, he tossed it


    away forcefully.


    The phone disappeared into the ocean with a ssh.


    ¡°What was that for? Are you crazy? How could you throw my phone away?¡± Arielle grew breathless with


    anger and shot him a furious re.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention another man¡¯s name before me, especially Vinson Nightshire,¡± Aaron stated with a frown.


    He didn¡¯t bother hiding his displeasure before her.


    ¡°Do you have a long nose?¡± she demanded crossly.


    ¡°What?¡± Aaron asked. He looked genuinely baffled, for he had no idea what she was referring to.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re sticking your nose where it doesn¡¯t belong?¡± Arielle chided before leaving in a


    huff. Why can¡¯t I mention Vinson? So what if I mention his name? He¡¯s my husband! I can mention his


    name whenever I want! There was no way I would have allowed Aaron to keep me under a leash if I


    wasn¡¯t trying to find my biological father. Does he seriously think I¡¯m out of ways to go against him? I¡¯m


    no pushover!


    Arielle was infuriated, but Aaron found that side of her adorable. The more time he spent with her, the


    more sides of her were revealed to him. I did the right decision by bringing Arielle back to Turlen. Once


    we¡¯re in the country, I¡¯ll make her my woman. No matter who her husband used to be, she¡¯ll be mine in


    my territory. I¡¯ll make sure that happens.


    His eyes narrowed at the thought of his grandmother and mother. I¡¯ll figure out a way to convince them to


    ept her.


    ¡°Why are you upset? What happened?¡± Hubert asked in concern when Arielle marched back. She was


    obviously in a foul mood.


    ¡°Aaron threw my phone into the sea and told me not to mention Vinson¡¯s name. Why does he like to stick


    his nose where it doesn¡¯t belong?¡± Arielle grumbled glumly. She was usually pleasant, but clearly, Aaron


    had sessfully provoked her with his unreasonable demands.


    ¡°San, we didn¡¯t head to Turlen just because he threatened us; we¡¯re going there to look for your


    biological father. Since Aaron¡¯s authorized to bring us there, he must be an influential figure in the


    country. So calm down, and be courteous to him. If you want to find your father, you can also sound him


    out,¡± Hubert advised her and gave her aforting pat on the shoulder.


    His words made sense to Arielle. I know no one in Turlen. Aaron is the only person I know. Finding my


    father would be as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack. Perhaps Aaron can be of help.


    ¡°I got it, Dad. Thanks for the advice.¡± After thinking it through, Arielle stopped worrying about her phone.


    I¡¯ll contact Vinson in Turlen. Even a tiger needs to sleep. The moment Aaron takes his eyes off me, it¡¯ll be


    the chance for me to contact Vinson.


    Meanwhile, Vinson slowly opened his eyes when the sun went down the horizon.


    ¡°Sannie¡­¡±


    The first person he wanted to see was Arielle.


    ¡°Sir? What was that?¡± The doctor couldn¡¯t understand Chanaean.


    Vinson nced at his surroundings and realized he was in the hospital. He remembered everything that


    happened before he was admitted to the hospital. There was a shooting, and I got shot when I was trying


    to save a kid. But where is Sannie? Is she all right? Vinson grew increasingly anxious.

 Chapter 1337

    Chapter 1337


    Chapter 1337 Savior


    ¡°Do you know who sent me to the hospital?¡± Vinson asked in fluent Ustranasion. As he had just regained


    consciousness, his voice was weak. Fortunately, the doctor was young and heard his question clearly.


    ¡°Oh, it was Sir Casper,¡± came the doctor¡¯s reply.


    Sir Casper? Who¡¯s that? Vinson furrowed his brows at the unexpected answer.


    ¡°Was there a pretty and adorabledy around?¡± Vinson described Arielle¡¯s features. The doctor


    immediately knew he was referring to thedy who operated on him.


    ¡°Yes, she came along with you and operated on you personally! The surgerysted for six hours. She


    was indeed capable!¡± the doctor praised as his eyes lit up. Thedy seemed young, but she¡¯s an


    experienced and skilled doctor judging from her swift but precise actions.


    Relief filled Vinson so instantly that he felt about ten pounds lighter. Since she could operate on me, that


    must mean she¡¯s safe.


    ¡°Can you inform her that I¡¯m awake? I¡¯d like to meet her.¡± Despite learning that Arielle was safe, he would


    only rx entirely after seeing her with his own eyes.


    Remembering Casper¡¯s instructions, the doctor shook his head. ¡°It isn¡¯t visiting hours yet. She¡¯ll be here


    when visitors are allowed in.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Vinson knew the hospital had its own rules, so he didn¡¯t question further.


    After examining Vinson thoroughly, the doctor left his ward. Vinson was still weak and soon fell into a


    deep sleep.


    The doctor then gave Casper¡¯s butler a call to inform him that Vinson was awake and wanted to see


    Arielle.


    Casper was having dinner with his parents when he was informed that Vinson had regained


    consciousness. He immediately ced his utensils down.


    ¡°Father, Mother, I¡¯d like to visit Mr. Nightshire now that he has regained consciousness,¡± he requested


    politely.


    ¡°We shalle with you. He¡¯s your savior, and our family owes him one,¡± Casper¡¯s father said.


    Casper is my only son. If the Chanaean man hadn¡¯t saved him, my son would¡¯ve been dead by now. As


    he went to great lengths before getting a son at an old age, he would dly sacrifice himself to protect


    his son.


    Casper wanted to introduce Vinson to his parents, so he agreed to that readily.


    ¡°Father, Mother, please don¡¯t mention Ms. Moore before Mr. Nightshire. She said she had something


    urgent to attend to, but didn¡¯te back after a day. I don¡¯t want Mr. Nightshire to get anxious and


    disrupt his recuperation,¡± Casper said. Even though he was only nine years old, he seemed mature for


    his age.


    His parents nodded in agreement. Soon, they boarded their car and headed toward the hospital. A few


    cars tagged behind to protect them.


    When they arrived, the hospital director came out to greet them personally.


    ¡°Sir.¡±


    Bryan Brooks nodded and strode into the hospital. Along the way, he didn¡¯t forget to ask about Vinson¡¯s


    condition.


    His wife, Letitia, held Casper¡¯s hand and walked beside him on his left.


    ¡°He¡¯s doing well. He has been transferred to the ordinary ward from the intensive care unit,¡± the hospital


    director reported politely.


    As Casper was the one who brought Vinson here, the hospital assigned him to a VIP ward with doctors


    and nurses to keep him safe.


    Bryan was pleased with the arrangements that his family¡¯s savior received.


    ¡°He¡¯s still weak, so he fell asleep a few minutes after regaining consciousness,¡± the hospital director


    informed them outside Vinson¡¯s ward.

 Chapter 1338

    Chapter 1338


    Chapter 1338 Finding Arielle


    ¡°Can I go in and have a look at him?¡± Casper raised his gaze toward the hospital¡¯s director. He was very


    grateful and eager to see the man who had saved him. Other than his parents and his sister, that was the


    first time someone unrted to him had cared for him.


    The director nodded. ¡°Of course, you can. But, please be quiet, okay? Otherwise, you¡¯ll disturb his rest.¡±


    Casper nodded and pushed open the door to the ward gently. He then walked toward the bed without


    making a sound. To his surprise, he saw Vinson¡¯s pair of dark eyes staring back at him.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake, Mr. Nightshire? Do you want some water?¡± Casper went up to him and asked shyly.


    ¡°You are?¡± Vinson stared at him as he tried to recall his memory. I don¡¯t know him.


    ¡°I¡¯m Casper, Mr. Nightshire. You saved me during the gun battle. You wouldn¡¯t have gotten hurt if you


    didn¡¯t save me.¡± As Casper was talking, his voice went softer toward the end of the sentence. He felt


    extremely guilty that he was the cause of Vinson¡¯s injuries.


    Vinson recalled that when he saved the person, he paid no attention to the gender or the appearance of


    the person. All I can remember is Sannie rushing toward me anxiously.


    Upon seeing the guilt on Casper¡¯s face, heforted the boy, ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel bad for me. It was


    my pleasure to help you.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire, are you hungry? Are you thirsty? I can get someone to send in food and drinks for you.¡±


    Casper was very courteous toward his life savior. In fact, he was very fond of Vinson.


    At the moment, Vinson wasn¡¯t in the mood for food and beverages. Instead, all he cared about was


    Arielle. Since Casper cane in and see me, why isn¡¯t Arielle here yet?


    Before he could ask Casper about Arielle, the door to the ward was pushed open again. Bryan and his


    wife walked in alongside the director and two doctors.


    They realized Vinson had woken up again when they heard Casper talking.


    Upon walking in, the doctor checked on Vinson again and found that he was recovering very well.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°You¡¯re strong, and you¡¯re recovering extremely well!¡± The doctor shot him a thumbs up.


    Bryan then walked up to Vinson¡¯s bed and said gratefully, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, I¡¯m Bryan, and this is my wife.


    Thank you so much for saving Casper¡¯s life. He¡¯s everything to us. From now on, please don¡¯t hesitate to


    look for us if you ever need anything.¡±


    Vinson took a nce at Bryan, and he knew instantly that thetter wasn¡¯t an ordinary man. Since saving


    Casper was the right thing to do, he wouldn¡¯t ask for anything in return. However, he didn¡¯t turn Bryan


    down upon seeing how sincere he was. It¡¯s never wrong to make another friend.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Vinson answered.


    After thanking Bryan, Vinson looked at the doctor and asked, ¡°Doctor, it¡¯s visiting hour now, right? Why is


    my beloved not here to see me?¡±


    The doctors looked at each other, not knowing what to tell Vinson. Ultimately, the director stepped


    forward and said, ¡°You were still unconscious when Ms. Moore came to see you. She said she has


    something important to attend to, and she¡¯lle over againter.¡±


    Vinson wasn¡¯t convinced. Something must¡¯ve happened. Otherwise, Arielle wouldn¡¯t leave me at the


    hospital alone. With that thought in mind, he grew anxious.


    ¡°Could you hand me my phone?¡± He wanted to give Arielle a call.


    Since he was unconscious for the past couple of days, the nurses were tasked to change him. They had


    kept his phone away.


    Upon seeing the anxious look on Vinson¡¯s face, Casper quickly uttered, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, Ms. Moore said


    she has something to do. She told us to wait for her.¡±

 Chapter 1339

    Chapter 1339


    Chapter 1339 Wait


    After hearing Casper¡¯s words, Vinson had gotten even more worried. Why would Arielle leave me here


    after I¡¯ve been shot? Surely something has happened.


    ¡°Give me my phone. I need to call her now.¡± He was determined to get ahold of Arielle. If something


    really had happened to her, he could at least send her help.


    Casper hastily got the doctor to bring over Vinson¡¯s phone. His phone had been ringing nonstop for the


    past couple of days. In order to avoid the phone dying, they had gone to buy a charger to charge his


    phone.


    Soon, they brought Vinson¡¯s phone over to him. He was so anxious that he didn¡¯t even bother to thank


    them. Instead, he unlocked his phone the moment he got it. Although he saw a lot of missed calls on his


    phone, he ignored all of them and rang Arielle.


    ¡°Sorry, the number you have dialed is unavable. Please try againter,¡± an automated voice informed.


    No matter how many times Vinson tried to call Arielle, he was informed repeatedly that her phone was


    out of service. Right then, his sixth sense told him Arielle had surely gotten into trouble.


    Vinson turned toward Bryan and said, ¡°Sir, would you mind getting me aptop? My beloved¡¯s in trouble.


    I need to find her.¡±


    Although Vinson was incredibly concerned, his expression was calm and collected. Bryan was


    impressed. Not bad¡­ He¡¯s still so calm in such a situation.


    Bryan immediately got someone to send aptop over. After that, he and his wife helped Vinson up.


    Vinson took theptop and started typing with his long and slender fingers. A line of code appeared on


    the screen and revealed the location of Arielle¡¯s phone soon after.


    When Vinson saw the location, he immediately lost his usual calmness. He ced theptop on the side


    and yanked the nket aside to get out of bed.


    Seeing that, Bryan abruptly held him and urged, ¡°Calm down, Mr. Nightshire!¡±


    Obviously, Vinson couldn¡¯t keep calm anymore. That was because ording to the location shown on


    the screen, Arielle¡¯s phone was located in the middle of the ocean. He shoved Bryan¡¯s hand away and


    said with his bloodshot eyes, ¡°My beloved is in trouble. I have to save her.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Upon hearing that his son¡¯s savior¡¯s wife was in trouble, Bryan hastily uttered, ¡°But you¡¯re injured. How


    are you going to save her in this condition? How about this? Tell me what happened to her. I can send


    my men to save her.¡±


    ¡°Her phone is in the middle of the ocean. She¡¯s undoubtedly in trouble.¡± Vinson¡¯s eyes were reddened.


    Right then, he started ming himself. If I didn¡¯t get hurt while trying to save someone, Arielle wouldn¡¯t


    have gotten in danger.


    ¡°Calm down. Although her phone might be in the ocean, that doesn¡¯t necessarily mean she¡¯s in danger,¡±


    Bryan said.


    ¡°I have to go find her!¡± Vinson knew Bryan had a point. However, he was determined to leave the


    hospital. He couldn¡¯t just sit idly by and wait for updates.


    Without a choice, Bryan helped him take care of the discharge procedure.


    After leaving the hospital, Vinson went straight to the hotel he booked. There, he called Rayson to ask


    for Sam¡¯s contact.


    Rayson was so emotionally overwhelmed that he was on the verge of crying when he received the call


    from Vinson. Finally, after so long, he called! After hanging up the phone, Rayson immediately looked for


    Sam¡¯s contact before sending it to Vinson.


    Once he received the contact, Vinson called Sam straightaway. At that time, Sam had just gotten home


    after attending a gathering. He hadn¡¯t even had the time to wash up yet.


    ¡°Hello, who is it?¡± Sam asked when he picked up the phone.

 Chapter 1340

    Chapter 1340


    Chapter 1340 Taken


    ¡°I¡¯m Vinson Nightshire,¡± Vinson immediately introduced himself. Before Sam could even answer, he


    added, ¡°Where is Arielle shooting in Lightspring? And what time will she be done?¡±


    ¡°Shooting?¡± Sam was bewildered. ¡°We didn¡¯t go to Lightspring for any shootings. Our shoots are all


    within the country.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. Sorry for disturbing you. Perhaps I¡¯ve heard it wrongly.¡± With that, Vinson hung up the phone.


    Right then, Sam was instantly sobered up.


    Vinson furrowed his brows when he found out that Arielle didn¡¯te to Lightspring to film. Come to


    think of it, something¡¯s wrong here. Judging by how she reacted when I told her I was following her to


    Lightspring, and her behaviors after she¡¯d arrived, it seems like she¡¯s hiding something from me. What


    exactly happened? Why won¡¯t she tell me anything?


    With those questions in his mind, Vinson decided to keep her disappearance a secret. He then rang the


    person in charge of the subsidiary and told him to check Arielle¡¯s whereabouts. After that, Vinson


    decided to visit the Wilhelms personally. After all, Arielle is their daughter. Maybe she¡¯s told them


    something.


    With that assumption in mind, Vinson took a taxi to the Wilhelms residence. Since he didn¡¯t have the key


    to their house, he could only ring the doorbell. However, no one answered the door after quite a while.


    Apart from that, all their phones were out of reach.


    At that moment, Vinson frowned as he nced at the empty house. Who could it be? Who took Arielle


    away?


    ¡°Could it be him?¡± he muttered to himself.


    Right then, a person crossed his mind. The mysterious man who sent Arielle those photos and tried to


    break us up. Why did he need to send those scandalous photos to Arielle? Why does he want to break


    us up, and why did he bring Arielle away?


    Vinson was utterly perplexed. Without an answer to those questions, he tossed and turned in bed, and


    had a hard time falling asleep.


    Meanwhile, on the cruise ship, Aaron was dreaming about the wonderful time he would have with Arielle


    in the future. Right then, he was interrupted by his bodyguard. ¡°Mr. Aaron, the cruise ship has broken


    down. We can¡¯t move for now.¡±


    ¡°Broken down? What are you doing standing there, then? Get someone to fix it!¡± Aaron uttered coldly. If


    he has time toe and moan to me about it, why can¡¯t he just get someone to fix it?


    The bodyguard was just there to inform Aaron. He didn¡¯t know he would end up angering Aaron instead.


    He quickly backed away in fear of getting scolded again.


    Aaron was annoyed because he wanted to bring Arielle back to Turlen earlier. He never expected that


    the cruise ship would break down. He turned around and walked out.


    ¡°San, I don¡¯t want to eat bread anymore. Can you make me some Chanaean dishes?¡± With misery


    written all over his face, Pat gazed at Arielle.


    Arielle was yearning for Chanaean dishes as well. She was getting sick of having bread and milk all day


    long.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to make you some Chanaean dishes as well, Pat. But, I have no idea if they have the


    ingredients here.¡± Arielle smiled and pinched Pat¡¯s chubby cheeks yfully.


    The moment Aaron walked out, he overheard the conversation. He instantly raised his brows when he


    heard Arielle wanted to make Chanaean dishes. Oh? Does little kitty know how to cook Chanaean


    dishes? Seems like I¡¯m in luck!


    ¡°What ingredients do you need? I can get someone to send them over.¡± Aaron walked toward Arielle and


    Pat.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Pat was displeased when he saw Aaron. ¡°What are you doing eavesdropping on our conversation?¡±


    ¡°Eavesdrop? I didn¡¯t. After all, I wasn¡¯t even hiding.¡± Aaron gazed at the angry little boy. He¡¯s just as


    interesting as Arielle!


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Pat turned away and ignored him.


    ¡°Oh? All right, then. And here I thought someone was craving Chanaean dishes. I even n to get


    someone to send ingredients over. But since I¡¯m being ignored, I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± With that, Aaron


    turned around and acted like he was about to leave.

 Chapter 1341

    Chapter 1341


    Chapter 1341 Pinch Me


    Pat was caught in a dilemma upon seeing that. He was craving Chanaean dishes, but he didn¡¯t want to


    entertain his kidnapper. He then looked at Arielle helplessly, hoping that she would help him figure


    something out. In response, Arielle shrugged while looking back at him. She was trying to tell him that


    there was nothing she could do about it.


    Naturally, Arielle knew Aaron was just messing around with Pat. If I want to build a rapport with him, I


    better start now.


    ¡°I¡¯m not ignoring you!¡± Eventually, Pat gave in to his cravings. He¡¯d rather entertain Aaron in the


    meantime than not get the food he wanted. He had it all figured out. I¡¯m going to ignore him once he gets


    me all the Chanaean ingredients.


    As expected, Aaron was just messing with him. When he heard Pat¡¯s words, he turned around and


    walked toward him. He then copied what Arielle did, and he pinched Pat¡¯s cheeks. ¡°What do you want to


    eat? Tell me. I¡¯ll get someone to send it over immediately.¡± Well, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re getting anywhere now


    that the cruise ship has broken down. While we¡¯re stuck here, we might as well enjoy the peaceful


    serenity we have here.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pinch me.¡± Pat smacked Aaron¡¯s hands away in annoyance before taking a step back toward


    Arielle.


    ¡°What would you like to eat, San?¡± Pat asked sweetly. I like to eat whatever San likes to eat.


    Arielle smiled and demanded the dishes she wanted. ¡°I want grilled salmon, braised pork, spicy beef


    stew¡­¡±


    Every time she mentioned a dish, Pat gulped. I¡¯ve never had any of these dishes before! They must taste


    heavenly. I can¡¯t wait!


    ¡°San, that¡¯s enough,¡± Pat said. The more she makes, the longer she¡¯s going to take to prepare. I want to


    be able to eat those dishes as soon as possible.


    ¡°Aaron, do you have all the ingredients needed?¡± Arielle smiled and asked.


    ¡°The kitchen should have everything you need. You can go over and pick the ingredients yourself.


    Besides, every room has its own simple kitchen. If you want to make those dishes yourself, you can do


    so after buying the ingredients,¡± Aaron answered.


    Since the cruise ship was often used for trips, the kitchen was packed with various ingredients.


    ¡°Do you mind leading the way, then?¡± she asked.


    Initially, Aaron thought Arielle would hate him for dumping her phone into the sea. The moment he heard


    her talking to him nicely, he was overjoyed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Aaron led the way with a grin on his face. Little kitty is talking to me nicely? What a happy


    surprise.


    The cruise ship was so big that it took them twenty minutes to get to their destination.


    Arielle picked out all the ingredients needed for the dishes. It looks like the ingredients they have are all


    very fresh. They¡¯d probably stock up every time they dock.


    ¡°You pay for the ingredients.¡± Arielle carried the bags of ingredients and told Aaron to pay. She had no


    cash on her, and her phone had been dumped into the ocean. There was no way she could pay for the


    ingredients.


    ¡°Everything here belongs to me. You don¡¯t have to pay for anything.¡± With that, Aaron reached out his


    hand and helped Arielle with the ingredients.


    Pat was eager to help them carry as well. In order to raise Pat to be a gentleman in the future,


    Arielle picked out a smaller bag and let him help.


    Pat then purposefully ran past Aaron and gazed at him after turning around. He was trying to show


    Aaron that he was capable of helping as well.

 Chapter 1342

    Chapter 1342


    Chapter 1342 Be Nice


    Instead of getting annoyed, Aaron found Pat¡¯s behavior adorable.


    Once they¡¯d gotten back, Arielle went ahead and prepared the ingredients. Pat was helping her rinse the


    vegetables at the same time. While the Wilhelms were reading newspapers, they would go into the


    kitchen to check up on them from time to time. It was a heart-warming scene.


    When Aaron saw that, he was filled with envy. I want to have a warm and blissful family as well.


    After an hour, the exquisite dishes were served at the dining table. Aaron couldn¡¯t help but drool when he


    got a whiff of the delicious food.


    Between keeping his pride and enjoying the food, he ended up choosing thetter. Hence, he acted


    casual as he made his way toward the table before taking a seat. In fact, he was quite nervous. What if


    little kitty chases me away? Wait, even if she does, I¡¯m going to stay.


    ¡°Hey! San made these for me. You¡¯re not allowed to eat.¡± Pat stared at Aaron warily when he sat down


    next to him. Pat was extremely protective of the food served. He was worried that Aaron might finish


    them all up.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Pat, be nice,¡± Andrea instructed gently. Surprisingly, it worked. Upon hearing that, Pat immediately toned


    down and behaved himself.


    Aaron realized Arielle didn¡¯t mind having him around for the meal because she had put five sets of


    utensils on the table. With his confidence renewed, he turned and taunted Pat, ¡°Hey! Did you forget


    where those ingredientse from?¡± At the same time, he was trying to divert the attention away from


    himself.


    Although he heard Aaron loud and clear, Pat kept mum. All the ingredients are provided by this bad man.


    If I say anything further, he might chase me away and keep all the dishes to himself. I better not say


    another word.


    Despite thinking so, Pat wasn¡¯t willing to back down just like that. After pondering for a while, he decided


    to scoff and roll his eyes at Aaron. Aaron found the boy¡¯s actions amusing and burst intoughter.


    Frustrated, Pat rolled his eyes at him again.


    As Arielle was serving up thest dish, she raised her brows when she saw Aaron sitting at the table.


    That¡¯s quite self-conscious of him. After spending a day with him, he doesn¡¯t seem like a bad person at


    all. Although he¡¯d kidnapped the Wilhems to ckmail me, he hasn¡¯t done anything to harm them.


    Actually, she had her reason for letting Aaron have a meal with them. She wanted to get on his good side


    so that she could use him to find her biological father once they had arrived at Turlen. Since I don¡¯t speak


    Turlenese, and I don¡¯t know anything about the ce, I have to build a rapport with him.


    ¡°San, take a seat. You¡¯ve already done so much,¡± Andrea said with a smile on her face.


    Hubert took a piece of the braised pork and put it into his mouth. Instantly, he widened his eyes in


    amazement. He nced at Arielle and praised, ¡°San, your cooking skills have improved again! This is


    amazing!¡±


    ¡°San, the meat is so tender and delicious!¡± Pat eximed after having some spicy beef stew. He was


    very impressed with the food, and he quickly took some more.


    When Andrea saw how much Pat and Hubert were enjoying the food, she picked up her utensils and


    started digging in. Aaron, on the other hand, was skeptical. These three must be overreacting. I¡¯ve eaten


    quite a lot of Chanaean dishes myself, and Maureen¡¯s Kitchen has the best food. How is it possible that


    little kitty can cook better than them?


    However, he immediately changed his mind after having a taste of the spicy beef stew, which he had


    also eaten at Maureen¡¯s Kitchen. Wow! Not only is this spicy beef stewparable to Maureen¡¯s


    Kitchen¡¯s, but I think it¡¯s even better!

 Chapter 1343

    Chapter 1343


    Chapter 1343 First Friend


    Indeed, Aaron¡¯s taste buds were on point. The spicy beef stew Arielle cooked was definitely better than


    the one served at Maureen¡¯s Kitchen. It was mainly due to the ingredients avable, as they were all


    premium goods. Hence, the oue would always be better whenpared to Maureen¡¯s Kitchen.


    However, Maureen¡¯s Kitchen still had the best foodpared to the other restaurants.


    Arielle noticed that although Aaron was eating hastily, he still seemed very elegant. He must be someone


    of status. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be so conscious about dining etiquette. In that case, it¡¯s even better for


    me. If he¡¯s an influential person, he can help me find my biological father with ease.


    When they were done with the meal, Andrea helped Arielle clean up. Aaron had already left because


    someone came looking for him prior to that. By the time Arielle and the others were done cleaning up,


    the cruise ship was still stopped at the same spot.


    ¡°Dad, does your phone have reception yet?¡± Arielle was eager to get ahold of Vinson. She was anxious


    because she didn¡¯t see him waking up personally.


    Hubert knew Arielle was trying to contact Vinson. He shook his head and answered, ¡°No. There¡¯s no


    reception, and I still can¡¯t make a call.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s heart sank when she heard that. However, she tried to cheer herself up. Since I was the one


    who did the surgery on him, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be fine. Despite what she thought, she was still worried about


    him.


    Meanwhile, at Turlen, a man in a id shirt and a white suit was walking down the street with a


    suitcase. That man was none other than the detective Vinson spent hundreds of millions to employ¡ª


    Xavier. At that point, Xavier had already spent more than half a month learning Turlenese. Atst, he¡¯d


    gotten into the country along with a friend of his.


    ¡°Dillon, I¡¯m going to find a hotel to stay in. Do contact me if there¡¯s anything, okay?¡± Xavier said to a


    gentle-looking man that was on the short side. Dillon was a friend he made at the border.


    As a detective, Xavier¡¯s capabilities were unquestionable. Not only did he have incredible deduction


    abilities, but he was also very observant. He met Dillon when he was approaching the border.


    When Xavier saw him, he looked disheveled while sitting by the roadside. At first nce, Xavier could tell


    that he wasn¡¯t just an average Joe. With the idea of how convenient it would be if he had a friend around,


    Xavier went up to him and inquired about his situation. What Xavier found out was that Dillon was


    mugged, and he had lost his wallet. Not only did he lose his identification documents, but he also had no


    money on him. Upon hearing that, Xavier whipped out a stack of cash and handed it to him.


    Dillon was like a naive twenty-year-old man, and it seemed like that was the first time he had ventured


    out on his own. Hence, he was incredibly grateful for the help Xavier had given him. He told Xavier


    everything that had happened to him and became friends with him.


    ¡°Eric, don¡¯t stay at the hotel here. Come and stay at my house, okay? My house is huge, so it¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Dillon invited Xavier to stay over at his house enthusiastically. After all, Xavier was the first friend he


    made abroad.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Xavier was tempted, but after thinking it through, he turned Dillon down. Although he looks innocent, the


    same might not apply to his family members. Things will get tricky if my cover ispromised.


    ¡°I appreciate your kindness, but I could never get used to staying over at somebody else¡¯s home. I hope


    you don¡¯t take it the wrong way.¡± Xavier smiled.


    ¡°Oh, okay, then. Anyway, my house is located in the most prosperous part of this street. If you need


    anything, just ring me up,¡± Dillon scratched his head and uttered.


    ¡°Sure! Thank you!¡± Xavier answered with a smile.


    After parting ways with Dillon, Xavier dragged his suitcase along and went to look for a hotel. He


    eventually found one that looked seemingly pleasant on the outside and walked in.

 Chapter 1344

    Chapter 1344


    Chapter 1344 Undercover


    ¡°This hotel seems nice, but I can tell that it¡¯s not going to be cheap,¡± Xavier sized the hotel up and


    muttered to himself. He was worried that the hotel might cost him a lot of money.


    Since he had to work hard to make his money, he was always conscious of his spending.


    ¡°Receptionist, I¡¯d like to book a room,¡± Xavier spoke in Turlenese which he had spent half a month


    learning. If I can use it tomunicate with Dillon, I guess it¡¯s safe to assume no one¡¯s going to notice


    that I¡¯m not local.


    ¡°May I know how long you n on staying here? And may I have your ID card?¡± Since the hotel was only


    frequented by the rich and famous, the receptionist was rather hospitable.


    Seeing how friendly the receptionist was toward him, Xavier heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I¡¯ll be staying for


    half a month.¡±


    He was certain that he could finish the job Vinson gave him within half a month.


    As he was answering the receptionist, he gave her his ID card.


    Dillon was the one who had helped him get the ID card when they met. When Xavier was told that Dillon


    had lost his identification documents, he then realized he needed an ID card as well. Hence, he got


    Dillon to help him apply for an ID card when Dillon was applying for his own.


    In regards to how Dillon managed to help him without knowing his full personal details, Xavier decided to


    not ask about it.


    When the receptionist was entering his details based on his ID card, a clear voice was heard saying,


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    The moment the voice was heard, a fine-lookingdy came forward from behind a corner. She took the


    document from the receptionist and scrutinized it.


    Xavier got anxious, and his heart started pounding wildly when he saw thedy checking his ID card


    endlessly. He acted calm and collected when he asked thedy, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Instead of saying anything, thedy waved the receptionist away. After throwing another nce at the ID


    card in her hand, she raised her gaze toward Xavier. ¡°Are you a foreigner?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Xavier questioned. Is my cover blown? So soon? Am I really that bad at this?


    Thedy then stared sternly at him before uttering, ¡°You¡¯re a foreigner!¡±


    Thedy¡¯s name was Lana, and she was the owner of the hotel. She was twenty-six-year-old that year.


    After she graduated from university, her father gave her the hotel, and she was very much a hands-on


    owner.


    ¡°How could you tell I¡¯m a foreigner?¡± Xavier stared at her calmly. That was the first time he had blown his


    cover so quickly.


    Lana shed a faint smile and raised her brow. ¡°You don¡¯t have to know that. All you need to know is that


    I can tell just by looking at you.¡±


    Xavier chuckled. ¡°Really? You¡¯re that good?¡±


    ¡°Of course! I¡¯ve seen people from all walks of life with my eyes. I could tell you¡¯re a foreigner with just a


    nce,¡± Lana boasted with confidence.


    She was a girl from a well-off family. Hence, her father used to send her all over the world in order for her


    to broaden her perspective. Indeed, she had been to countless countries, and she had seen it all.


    Xavier wasn¡¯t convinced. Heughed it off and said, ¡°Well, you¡¯re wrong this time around, for I¡¯m born


    and raised locally.¡±


    Lana immediately withdrew her smile when she heard that. She frowned and retorted, ¡°That can¡¯t


    be.¡± How could I be wrong? I¡¯ve busted so many foreigners trying to sneak into the country. There¡¯s no


    way I¡¯d be wrong about this.


    Seeing that, Xavierposed himself before leaning on the counterzily and staring at Lana frivolously.


    He moved his lips slightly and asked with a charming smile, ¡°Tell me, then. How am I a foreigner in your


    eyes?¡±


    He was perfect at camouging. Prior to going over, he had already purchased some solution at the


    hospital to change the color of his eyes. I¡¯m certain she can¡¯t pinpoint a characteristic of me that says I¡¯m


    a foreigner.


    Lana furrowed her brows and scrutinized him closely.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    A grin appeared on Xavier¡¯s face. She looks adorable when she has a serious look on her face.

 Chapter 1345

    Chapter 1345


    Chapter 1345 Motive


    ¡°You really think I wouldn¡¯t notice? In fact, I was deliberately trying to confuse you.¡± Lana smiled smugly


    and pointed at Xavier. ¡°You¡¯ve missed out on something. Even though you¡¯ve already tried your best to


    dress up as a Turlenese, you¡¯ve forgotten something.¡±


    ¡°And pray tell what I forgot?¡± Xavier was intrigued.


    ¡°You have a tattoo there.¡± Lana pointed at a spot below Xavier¡¯s neck. Although he tried to cover it with


    his shirt, she still spotted it.


    ¡°What¡¯s so weird about having a tattoo? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m the only one here with a tattoo,¡± Xavier said


    nonchntly. Throughout the half a month he had spent with Dillon, he had also seen a tattoo on him.


    Hence, he wasn¡¯t fazed by the fact that Lana had seen it.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite a stubborn bloke, aren¡¯t you? Must you force me to say it out loud?¡± Lana was getting


    pissed at Xavier¡¯s continuous denial. She scoffed and said, ¡°Your tattoo is something different. It¡¯s an


    eagle. That¡¯s the symbol of the international detective ranking system.¡±


    Xavier¡¯s eyes flickered when he heard that. He didn¡¯t expect someone to recognize it. So what? As long


    as I keep denying it, there¡¯s nothing she can do. He scoffed and answered, ¡°You¡¯re quite good at talking


    crap, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking crap!¡± Lana continued pridefully, ¡°I¡¯ve been to countless countries and seen all sorts of


    people. I¡¯ve been told by a friend of mine about that tattoo of yours. He¡¯s a detective as well, but he


    couldn¡¯t make it into the ranking system. His lifelong wish is to make it there and have a tattoo like


    yours.¡±


    In truth, Lana was a huge admirer of detectives. She was very fond of them because detectives were


    capable of solving all sorts of problems. She was getting upset because Xavier didn¡¯t want to admit it.


    Despite how she felt, a glint appeared in her eyes. She leaned toward Xavier¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t


    deny it. You do know that the more you try to exin yourself, the more it¡¯s incriminating you, right? No


    matter what you say, you can¡¯t deny the fact that you¡¯re a foreigner. Do you know what happened to all


    those foreigners that I¡¯ve exposed in the past?¡±


    That was the first time Xavier had been so near to someone of the opposite sex, and he wasn¡¯t used to


    it. He took a step back and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Since you¡¯re unwilling to let me


    stay here, I¡¯ll go somewhere else then.¡± With that, he took the ID card off of Lana¡¯s hand and turned


    around to leave.


    When Lana saw that Xavier was about to leave the hotel, she shouted, ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t leave. Let me finish!¡±


    She hurried out of the front desk and said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you something. In this country, being a foreigner is


    against thew. If you¡¯re exposed, no one¡¯s going to help you.¡±


    Lana¡¯s words got Xavier thinking about his options. If she doesn¡¯t report me to the authorities, no one¡¯s


    going to find out I¡¯m not from Turlen. After all, I doubt there¡¯s anyone else in Turlen like her, who has


    been to so many ces and knows so much.


    With that thought in mind, Xavier said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± He wanted to leave right after he said


    that. However, Lana stopped him again and uttered, ¡°Stay here. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t report you.¡±


    Xavier looked at her skeptically. If you¡¯re not going to report me, why did you say so much just now then?


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I promise you that I won¡¯t report you. Really. So, just stay here,¡± Lana urged. Deny all you want, but I¡¯m


    certain you¡¯re not from Turlen.


    Xavier raised his brows and questioned, ¡°What¡¯s your motive?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but think she had her


    motives for wanting him to stay so badly.


    Lana snorted angrily in response. Motive? Why would I have one? Obviously, I just want to learn some


    skills from him as a detective. Since she had never had a chance to learn any of that, she was rather


    fascinated.


    Wait, doesn¡¯t that mean I do have a motive for getting him to stay? Guilt shed across Lana¡¯s face


    instantly.


    Under Xavier¡¯s skeptical eyes, Lana answered guiltily, ¡°I just want to learn your skills as a detective.¡±

 Chapter 1346

    Chapter 1346


    Chapter 1346 Searching For Someone


    ¡°You want to learn detective skills?¡± Xavier frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to teach you that.¡±


    After all, that was his innate talent.


    Hearing that, Lana thought Xavier was unwilling to teach her. She felt deeply disappointed and sighed


    inwardly.


    Somehow, when Xavier saw the disappointment on her face, he felt a little ufortable on the inside.


    After giving it some thought, he said, ¡°I¡¯m not saying you can¡¯t learn it, but you¡¯ve got to rely on yourself.


    If you encounter anything you¡¯d like to investigate about during the next two weeks, I can help you out.


    After all, I¡¯ve never learned this intentionally, nor have I taught anyone. The only reason I¡¯m in this field is


    my talent.¡±


    Lana¡¯s eyes sparkled when she heard his offer. That works too. I¡¯ll just learn however much I can from


    him.


    At that thought, a delighted smile formed on her face. ¡°Okay. Thank you, mentor!¡±


    Upon seeing the smile on her face, Xavier¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡°I can¡¯t be your mentor since I¡¯m not even


    teaching you anything. You can just call me Eric.¡±


    ¡°You can call me Lana, then. Come on, I¡¯ll take you to your room.¡± Lana was extremely hospitable and


    wanted to take Xavier to his room personally. Xavier did not reject her kind intentions and followed after


    her.


    ¡°This is your room. It¡¯s fully equipped with all kinds of facilities here. If you want to order your meals


    without going downstairs, you can give the front desk a call. If you feel like going down to have your


    meal, there¡¯s a restaurant for you to try. Feel free to go in there and order anything you want to eat.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Got it. Thanks!¡± Xavier¡¯s lovely almond eyes looked as though they were smiling as he stared at


    the enthusiastic Lana.


    For some reason, Lana blushed when she saw the smile on his face.


    ¡°Well, you should get some rest. I¡¯ll get back to work now.¡± With that, she scurried out, looking as though


    she was running away.


    As Xavier watched her leave, a smile tugged at his lips. He then shook his head and put down his


    luggage.


    The sun shone brightly the next day.


    After washing up, he went downstairs in a rush. There wasn¡¯t much time left. Hence, he had toplete


    the task assigned by Vinson as soon as possible.


    ¡°Eric!¡±


    The moment he arrived downstairs, he heard someone calling out to him. As he turned around, he saw


    Lana. Curious, he raised his brows and shed her a smile. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Have you had breakfast? If you haven¡¯t, let me treat you then.¡± Lana beamed.


    Originally, Xavier had no ns to have breakfast. However, he changed his mind and looked at Lana. ¡°I


    haven¡¯t, but shouldn¡¯t the guy be the one treating others to a meal? So here, let me treat you to a meal.


    What would you like to eat?¡±


    Turlenians were generally tall people, including females. Although Lana was about one hundred and


    eighty meters tall, she was still a head shorter than Xavier when she stood before him. She tilted her


    head and scrutinized the man, praising him inwardly for being such a gentleman. Naturally, she would


    not reject his offer. After all, she needed to get closer and build a rtionship with him. That way, it would


    be easier for her to learn from him.


    Xavier, being the international top detective that he was, was well aware of her intentions. Despite so, he


    did not dislike it as he had his own motives, too.


    Feeling curious, Lana asked after the meal, ¡°Eric, why did youe here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone,¡± Xavier answered inly.


    Looking for someone? Lana¡¯s eyes lit up, her interest piqued.


    ¡°Who are you looking for? Perhaps I could be of some help.¡± Lana propped her head up and blinked her


    attractive, wide eyes while staring at Xavier.


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    ¡°My boss is looking for her father. Her father fell in love with a woman in the past, causing thetter to be


    pregnant. After that, he disappeared. My boss carried out all kinds of investigations which led her to


    believe that her father is a local here. That¡¯s why I took the risk ofing here.¡±


    His ultimate goal was to look for someone, and he thought that Lana might be able to help him out.


    Thus, Xavier did not bother to conceal any details and told her truthfully about his motive for traveling to


    Turlen.

 Chapter 1347

    Chapter 1347


    Chapter 1347 Return The Power To The King


    ¡°That¡¯s how Turlen is. Truth is, that¡¯s not a good thing. There¡¯s actually nothing wrong with the locals


    getting married to a foreigner. I just don¡¯t understand why the government doesn¡¯t promote this.¡±


    At the mention of that topic, Lana became furious. In actual fact, her youngest aunt had fallen in love with


    a foreigner when she traveled to another country. Unfortunately, due to the conditions of the country that


    did not approve of intermarriages, Lana¡¯s grandparents married her aunt off to another man.


    Regardless, her aunt was unwilling to marry since she loved another man. Lana¡¯s grandfather would not


    allow it. So, without any warning, her aunt was forced into a marriage, which led her to death in less than


    three years.


    ¡°We¡¯re living in modern times. How can the country still have suchws? Why aren¡¯t they changing it?¡±


    Xavier was rather curious about the issue.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because of¡ª¡± Lana suddenly stopped herself before she finished her sentence.


    Raising his brows, Xavier asked, ¡°Why did you stop?¡±


    Lana had stopped out of fear. She was worried her words might spread, leading her to be convicted for


    commenting on the country¡¯s affairs and bringing trouble to her family.


    ¡°Are you afraid?¡± Xavier¡¯s words had hit the nail on the head, making her grunt briefly in response.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you tell me about it? Don¡¯t you already know my identity? Why should you be afraid when I¡¯m


    not even worried about you exposing me?¡± Xavier asked on purpose since he really wanted to know the


    details of the matter.


    Lana gave him a nce. After thinking about it, she realized he was right. After all, she knew about his


    secret, which made her the one with the upper hand. She figured he would not dare to reveal the


    information to anyone. At that thought, she scanned her surroundings, making sure there was no one


    around before saying, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because of the queen mother and the queen herself.¡±


    The queen mother? And the queen?


    Xavier arched a brow. Why is this ce still so conservative? They even have such titles.


    ¡°They¡¯re just women. Isn¡¯t the king supposed to be the one deciding for the country?¡± he questioned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare underestimate women!¡± Seeing the look in Xavier¡¯s eyes, Lana snorted. ¡°The queen


    mother and the queen are cunning people. Otherwise, how do you think they can be in power for so


    many years?¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ This ce is quite modern, after all,¡± Xavier muttered under his breath, with his brow still raised.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite incredible,¡± he responded half-heartedly.


    ¡°Sure, they¡¯re incredible, but it¡¯s too dictatorial. It¡¯s not a wise move at all,¡± said Lana, resting her chin on


    her hand. ¡°They should return the ruling power to the king.¡±


    ¡°But that can only happen if they¡¯re willing to do so,¡± Xavier replied, rising to his feet. It was time for him


    to leave, as he still had many matters to deal with.


    ¡°They¡¯ll never agree to that. They would¡¯ve done so long ago instead of being in power for so long if


    they¡¯re willing to return the power to the king,¡± said Lana, getting to her feet as well.


    Seeing Xavier was about to walk out the door, she asked curiously, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Xavier turned around and nced at her. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you earlier? I¡¯ve got to look into some matters.


    Would you like to help me out?¡±


    Lana really wanted to help him, but after much consideration, she decided not to. Anyone who could


    travel abroad was either wealthy or influential people. Moreover, she feared she might bring trouble to


    her family. She did not care much about her well-being, but she could not afford to get her family


    involved.


    ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t have the guts to be involved in this mess,¡± Lana replied, embarrassed.


    She was not alone in the country. Thus, there were some things that she could not do.


    ¡°That being said, what I can do is lend you a car. With a car, it¡¯ll make traveling convenient for you. You


    can even save on getting a car,¡± she offered. He¡¯s only here for half a month, anyway. There¡¯s no need to


    buy a car if he¡¯s only staying here for half a month.


    Meanwhile, on the cruise ship, Aaron¡¯s assistant, Todd, knocked anxiously on Arielle¡¯s room door. ¡°Ms.


    Moore, Mr. Aaron is sick. Can you go over to take a look?¡±

 Chapter 1348

    Chapter 1348


    Chapter 1348 Sick


    ¡°He¡¯s sick?¡± Arielle opened her room door and stepped out. Seeing the worried expression on Todd¡¯s


    face, she demanded, ¡°What happened to him? How sick is he?¡±


    Recalling the scene from a while ago, Todd immediately replied, ¡°He¡¯s having a stomachache!¡±


    ¡°Take me there!¡± Arielle was hoping to use Aaron to find her biological father. Hence, she could not sit


    idly by and do nothing.


    ¡°San? What¡¯s happened?¡± The Wilhelms hurried over after hearing the relentless knocks.


    Arielle turned to her adoptive parents and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s Aaron. He¡¯s having a stomachache. I¡¯m


    going over to take a look. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Do you need our help?¡± They, too, were doctors. Hence, they could not bear to leave a patient in


    suffering.


    Arielle stared at the couple and thought about it. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe with me, Dad? Mom, you can stay


    back to take care of Pat.¡±


    ¡°San, I want to go too!¡± Pat did not want to be separated from his sister.


    ¡°Be good, Pat. I¡¯ll be back in a while.¡± Arielle pinched Pat¡¯s cheeks and promised, ¡°I¡¯ll bring you


    something delicious when Ie back.¡±


    It was only when Pat heard there would be good food that he agree to not go along with Arielle.


    Soon, they arrived at Aaron¡¯s room. The first thing they saw was him clutching his stomach with his body


    curled in a ball. On top of that, he looked extremely pale.


    Arielle and Hubert rushed forward. Looking at Aaron, the former asked, ¡°Does this part hurt?¡±


    As she spoke, she pressed the lower right area of his abdomen.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Aaron replied while enduring the pain.


    In reality, he really did not want Arielle to see him in such a humiliating state. Sadly, she was the only one


    with the best medical skills on the ship.


    Arielle turned to Hubert and said, ¡°It¡¯s acute appendicitis. He needs surgery.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Moore, is Mr. Aaron¡¯s condition serious?¡± Todd looked so worried that he was on the verge of tears.


    Aaron was the remaining heir in the country. Thus, it would be a big issue if something happened to him.


    Arielle looked at Todd and assured him, ¡°He¡¯ll be fine after the surgery.¡±


    ¡°Then, please do it. We can¡¯t let anything happen to Mr. Aaron.¡± The assistant gazed hopefully at Arielle,


    hoping that she could operate on Aaron as soon as possible.


    ¡°I can do the surgery. But first, give me your phone. I need to make a call,¡± Arielle said to Todd.


    She had no choice but to act in a despicable manner in order to contact Vinson.


    The moment Aaron heard Arielle¡¯s request, he was so infuriated that he kicked his legs in the air while


    enduring the pain. He red at his assistant and hissed, ¡°No! Don¡¯t give it to her!¡±


    ¡°Aaron, I just want to inform my husband of my whereabouts.¡± Arielle looked at Aaron, frowning. ¡°He and


    I are a couple. He¡¯ll be worried if he can¡¯t find me, and I don¡¯t want him to worry.¡±


    ¡°No! I don¡¯t want you to operate on me!¡± Aaron huffed in anger. He had finally managed to take Arielle


    away with much difficulty. Hence, he would never agree to let Vinson know about her whereabouts, noN?velDrama.Org content.


    matter what she said.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to do the surgery?¡± Arielle eyed Aaron. ¡°Do you know your life will be in


    danger if you dy the surgery?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Aaron¡ª¡± Before Todd could say anything, Aaron interrupted, ¡°No. I don¡¯t need you to worry about


    me. Get out!¡± He closed his eyes, breaking into a cold sweat.


    No matter what anyone said, he would not let Arielle contact Vinson. Arielle was downright infuriated by


    his behavior.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to give you my phone. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s useless even if you have it.


    The signal light on the cruise ship has broken. That means there¡¯s no signal on the entire ship. So, even


    if I give you the phone, you won¡¯t be able to make any calls.¡±


    Arielle knitted her brows, unable to believe Todd¡¯s words.


    ¡°You can give it a try if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Noticing the look of disbelief on Arielle¡¯s face, Todd quickly


    handed her the phone.


    Arielle took the phone and started dialing Vinson¡¯s number. To her dismay, her calls could not get


    through.

 Chapter 1349

    Chapter 1349


    Chapter 1349 The Surgery


    ¡°D*mn it!¡± Arielle cursed angrily and returned the phone to Todd.


    ¡°Is the signal device really broken?¡± Arielle shot Todd a suspicious nce. Isn¡¯t it too much of a


    coincidence? How could the signal light be broken at this very moment?


    Todd nodded. ¡°It¡¯s true. I found out it was broken when I woke up in the morning. I just didn¡¯t have the


    time to report it to Mr. Aaron yet.¡±


    Seeing him exining in a hurried manner, Arielle decided to believe him.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, can you operate on Mr. Aaron now?¡± Todd asked cautiously. The doctor who was on


    standby on the cruise ship had already examined Aaron, but the doctor said there was no cure for the


    latter. Thus, Todd had no choice but to seek help from Arielle.


    Hearing that, Aaron turned his head to look at Arielle. He wanted to know what she would do.


    Arielle, too, stared at Aaron. In truth, she did not understand what he had in mind. He needed someone


    to teach his country about medicine, which she had agreed to and was willing to teach. However, she


    just could not understand why he would not allow her to contact Vinson.


    Could it be that their country has some secrets, and they¡¯re afraid I might leak them?


    With that thought in mind, she queried straightforwardly, ¡°Aaron, I¡¯ve already agreed to teach your


    citizens about medicine. So why won¡¯t you let me contact my beloved? Do you people have some


    secrets or something? Are you afraid I might leak them? If that¡¯s the case, you can rest assured. I¡¯m not


    interested in that kind of matter.¡±


    Aaron said nothing. This little kitty is quite honest.


    ¡°Well? Don¡¯t just stay silent! You¡¯ve got to tell me something!¡± When Arielle saw he had no intentions of


    replying, anger surged in her heart. How is he still unwilling to speak at a time like this?


    ¡°Ms. Moore¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt me! I¡¯m talking to your boss right now!¡± Arielle cut Todd off furiously. She then turned to


    re at Aaron. ¡°Are you really not going to answer me?¡±


    Aaron was in so much pain that he was sweating more intensely. Yet, he remained silent.


    ¡°You¡­ Just l-leave. I don¡¯t w-want you to operate on me.¡± If the consequence of him getting the surgery


    was to let Vinson know her whereabouts, Aaron would rather refuse the surgery.


    In the past, he was interested in Arielle. He felt as though her presence would make his boring life more


    interesting. However, now, he reckoned he had actually fallen for her.


    As such, he did not want Arielle to return to Vinson¡¯s side. He believed he could give her the kind of


    happiness she wanted.


    ¡°Please, Ms. Moore. I¡¯m begging you. Please save Mr. Aaron.¡± Todd had be more frightened when


    he saw Aaron¡¯s face bing paler by the second. He stared at Arielle with a pleading look in his eyes,


    hoping she could help him out.


    Arielle red at Aaron. The sight of him unwilling to exin his actions for not allowing her to contact


    Vinson when he was in such a state made her livid.


    ¡°Is there an operation theatre here? My dad and I will give him the surgery.¡± In the end, she relented and


    agreed to operate on Aaron.


    Still ring at Aaron, she muttered under her breath, ¡°I¡¯m only using you to find my biological father. I¡¯m


    not giving you medical treatment because I¡¯m giving in.¡±


    ¡°Yes. We have all the facilities on the cruise ship.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Send someone to take him into the operating theatre,¡± Arielle instructed.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Todd followed her instructions and had Aaron sent to the operating theatre. After two hours of surgery,


    Aaron¡¯s inmed appendix was removed, and he was sent back to his room. Since he was given an IV


    drip, Arielle instructed Todd to stay there and watch over him.


    Three hourster, Arielle went to Aaron¡¯s room.


    ¡°Hello, Ms. Moore,¡± Todd greeted respectfully upon seeing Arielle.


    She nced at Aaron, who was on the bed, and asked softly, ¡°Is he awake?¡±


    Todd whispered, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Hearing that, Arielle walked over. Right then, she saw Aaron¡¯s eyes drifting toward her.

 Chapter 1350

    Chapter 1350


    Chapter 1350 Feeling Shy


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Arielle asked ording to standard practices. It was every doctor¡¯s duty to ask


    about the patient¡¯s condition regardless of how she felt about him.


    Aaron stared at her for quite some time before opening his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m okay¡±


    At the moment, he was feeling extremely displeased. He never expected Arielle would actually choose to


    ckmail him when he was unwell. The entire incident made him rather upset.


    Could she really have zero feelings for me? Doesn¡¯t she like me even the slightest bit?


    ¡°Do you feel any pain or bloating in your abdomen now?¡± Arielle continued questioning.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Were you able to pass gas and empty your bowels normally?¡±


    When Aaron heard that question, a hint of redness crept onto his fair face. Why is this woman not


    ashamed of her words? Why would she ask me such a question?


    His skin was originally quite fair. With Arielle staring at him for such a long time, his face blushed


    incredibly. Seeing that, Arielle immediately knew he was embarrassed. She almost burst out


    laughing. Are my questions that embarrassing? It¡¯s just a normal inquiry from a doctor to a patient.


    ¡°What are you so shy about? It¡¯s just a normal inquiry. It¡¯s nothing embarrassing to talk about,¡± Arielle


    said inly.


    ¡°Who are you calling shy? I¡¯m not!¡± Aaron rebuked upon hearing her words, looking like an angry cat that


    was about to hiss at her.


    Arielle suppressed her urge tough and continued, ¡°Okay. You¡¯re not shy then. So, tell me. Were you


    able to pass gas and empty your bowels normally?¡±


    Aaron turned his head away and answered softly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What did you say? I didn¡¯t quite catch that. Can you repeat it again please?¡± Arielle asked deliberately.


    ¡°Arielle, are you doing this on purpose?¡± Aaron clenched his jaw and red at her.


    ¡°Doing it on purpose? What do you mean? If you answered me as loud as you spoke earlier, would I


    have missed what you said? Would I even need to ask you to repeat yourself?¡± Arielle said before


    clicking her tongue, annoyed.


    Serves him right for not letting me call Vinson. Yes, I¡¯m doing this on purpose. But so what? What¡¯s he


    going to do about it?


    ¡°Yes. I was able to pass gas and empty my bowels normally. Are you satisfied now?¡± Aaron scoffed. I¡¯d


    be an idiot if I can¡¯t tell that she¡¯s doing it on purpose.


    ¡°What am I supposed to be satisfied with?¡± Arielle rolled her eyes at him. ¡°I¡¯m just doing a normal inquiry.


    Don¡¯t make it sound like I¡¯m doing it on purpose.¡± With that, she turned around and walked out of the


    room. Only Todd saw the smile on her face, but he did not dare to say anything about it.


    Seeing Arielle was about to leave, Aaron whined pitifully, ¡°Arielle, I¡¯m hungry!¡±


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    Unbelievable! Of all the questions she asked, she didn¡¯t ask if I¡¯m hungry, if I wanted to eat, and what I


    wanted to eat.


    Arielle turned around to look at him. ¡°If you¡¯re hungry, you can get your assistant to bring you some food.


    Just remember to eat in food. You can start eating other things after a few days.¡±


    ¡°But I want you to cook for me!¡± Aaron demanded, his eyes fixed on her.


    ¡°Why should I cook for you? You won¡¯t even let me contact my husband, and now I¡¯ve got to cook for


    you? The audacity of you to even ask me that! You should be more than grateful that I was willing to


    operate on you!¡± Arielle snapped.


    Upon hearing those words, Aaron felt even more displeased. All she talks about is Vinson. Hmph! I¡¯m


    never going to let you contact him!


    ¡°But I want to have your cooking. I¡¯m not going to eat if it¡¯s not made by you!¡±


    ¡°Sure, don¡¯t eat then. What does that have to do with me? You can just starve to death!¡± Arielle


    snorted. Don¡¯t you dare think those words will make me give in. You want me to cook for you? Hah,


    dream on! I¡¯ll never lift a finger.


    ¡°You¡¯re so heartless. I¡¯m sick, and yet, you don¡¯t even have an ounce of empathy in you,¡± Aaron


    comined, putting on a woeful look.


    ¡°Empathy is something I can give anyone except you!¡±

 Chapter 1351

    Chapter 1351


    Chapter 1351 I Have No Idea


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me? Why can¡¯t you empathize with me?¡±


    ¡°Why? Are you sure you don¡¯t know the reason?¡± Arielle rolled her eyes in frustration.


    Aaron snorted. ¡°I have no idea.¡±


    ¡°Well, you should think about it then. I don¡¯t have the time to keep talking to you. I should be using the


    time to make some desserts for Pat.¡± With that, she turned around and stormed away.


    ¡°Arielle, I¡¯m really not going to eat if it¡¯s not your cooking!¡± Aaron said hurriedly when he saw her


    leaving. Sadly, when he finished his sentence, Arielle did not even turn around to nce at him, let


    alone reply to him.


    Aaron was so mad that he punched the bed furiously, giving Todd a shock. Thetter quickly stepped


    forward, saying, ¡°Mr. Aaron.¡±


    ¡°You may leave. And don¡¯t disturb me if there aren¡¯t any important matters,¡± Aaron said in annoyance.


    Hearing that, Todd answered briefly before scurrying away.


    I thought Mr. Aaron¡¯s temper had be better recently. Who would¡¯ve known that he¡¯s still as scary


    as before? Todd pressed a hand against his chest and let out a long sigh.


    The moment Arielle returned to her room, Andrea approached her and asked, ¡°San, Aaron is awake,


    right? Is he okay?¡±


    Arielle snorted. ¡°What else can happen to him? Guess what? He¡¯s so energetic that he can even


    threaten others.¡±


    Hearing that Aaron had threatened Arielle again, Andrea panicked. Her gentle expression vanished,


    reced by a look of anxiousness. ¡°Threaten others? Did he threaten you again? What does he want


    now?¡±


    Seeing her reaction, Arielle quickly assured, ¡°It¡¯s not exactly a threat. He just said he¡¯s hungry and


    wants to eat my cooking. I told him to let his assistant bring him food from the kitchen, but he said he


    won¡¯t eat unless it was my cooking. He thinks he can threaten me with those words. Hah! He can


    dream on. He wouldn¡¯t even let me contact Vinson. On what basis should I cook for that rascal?¡±


    Andrea heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing that. She thought he was going to threaten Arielle to do


    something else.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to look for your biological father? From what I can see, Aaron¡¯s identity isn¡¯t that


    simple. I believe he¡¯s your best bet in finding your father. Maybe you shouldn¡¯t argue with him so much


    and make things sour between the two of you,¡± she said, cing Arielle¡¯s hand in hers.


    ¡°You have no idea what happened before the surgery. I said if he won¡¯t let me contact Vinson, I won¡¯t


    operate on him. And guess what? He actually refused to have me do his surgery. He¡¯d rather die than


    let me contact Vinson. What on earth is he up to?¡± Arielle¡¯s head hurt from anger as she recalled the


    entire incident that happened in Aaron¡¯s room earlier.


    It had not been easy to get a chance to threaten him and make him let her contact Vinson. Never did


    she expect Aaron to refuse. On top of that, the signal lights were even broken.


    ¡°But we¡¯ve managed toe so far. If you anger him, wouldn¡¯t all our efforts be wasted? San, don¡¯t let


    your feelings destroy the grand n. Don¡¯t forget what our end goal is,¡± Andrea advised.


    Arielle was well aware of everything Andrea said. However, she simply could not swallow her


    frustration.


    ¡°I got it, Mom. I¡¯ll go make him some food now.¡± Arielle sighed. She had no choice but to give in, as she


    was in the enemy¡¯s territory.


    After all, she still wanted to look for her biological father.


    Forget it. Since he¡¯s given me the opportunity to enter Turlen, I¡¯ll endure this. I¡¯ll have no choice but to


    ept this!


    Andrea¡¯s eyes twinkled when she saw Arielle¡¯s dejected looks.


    Shortly after, Arielle went to the kitchen and epted her fate to cook for Aaron. As he had just


    completed surgery, he had to eat light and soft food. Thus, she started preparing some pumpkin soup


    for him.


    First, she brought over some pumpkins, onions, garlic, and other ingredients. After washing them, she


    diced them and ced them in a pot. She then added some chicken broth and started the fire to let it


    boil until everything was soft.N?velDrama.Org content.

 Chapter 1352

    Chapter 1352


    Chapter 1352 Feed Me


    Once the ingredients had softened, Arielle blended everything that was in the pot until it was smooth.


    She then added some cream and seasoned the soup before giving it a final stir.


    ¡°San, what yummy food are you making again? It smells so good.¡± The aroma of the pumpkin soup


    wafted out of the kitchen, attracting Pat to hurry into the kitchen.


    ¡°You little glutton. Your nose is so sensitive!¡± Arielle grinned brightly and pinched Pat¡¯s cheeks. Ah¡­


    This boy¡¯s cheeks are so chubby!


    ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. Your cooking is so good that it turned me into a little glutton,¡± Pat said, blinking his


    eyes. It was true that he was not like that in the past.


    ¡°Oh? So it¡¯s my fault, huh?¡± Arielle massaged her chin and teased, ¡°Maybe I should cook less in the


    future then. I don¡¯t want to turn my dear Pat into a greedy little kitten.¡±


    Pat was shocked when he heard that. He quickly tugged at Arielle¡¯s arm and said sweetly, ¡°San¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. I was just teasing you,¡± Arielle said, taking out a big, clean bowl and filling it up before


    cing it on the table. ¡°Here, this is yours. Wait for it to cool before eating it, okay? I don¡¯t want you to


    burn yourself.¡±


    Pat followed her to the table and nodded firmly in response to her words, never allowing his gaze to


    leave the bowl of pumpkin soup in front of him.


    Seeing that, Arielle chuckled and shook her head. She then took another bowl, poured the remaining


    soup into it, and walked out with it.


    When she arrived at Aaron¡¯s room, she realized Todd was not around. Hence, she had no choice but to


    push the door open and entered the room by herself.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to disturb me if there aren¡¯t any important matters?¡± Aaron said in an annoyed tone,


    thinking it was Todd when he heard the sound of the door being opened.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll leave then,¡± Arielle responded, preparing to leave.


    Aaron was slightly surprised to hear Arielle¡¯s voice. Seeing she was about to leave, he called out


    immediately, ¡°Hey, sorry. I-I wasn¡¯t talking to you. I didn¡¯t know you¡¯de.¡±


    Hearing that, Arielle finally turned around and walked over to his bed with the bowl of soup in her


    hands. ¡°Here you go. Now eat.¡±


    I¡¯ve already made it, anyway. There¡¯s just enough for his portion. Besides, if something happens to him,


    how am I supposed to find out the truth behind my mother¡¯s urgency in looking for Henrick to get


    married back then?


    Seeing that, Aaron¡¯s eyes lit up. He thought she had gotten angry since he did not allow her to contact


    Vinson. Never did he expect her to give in and even bring him a bowl of pumpkin soup she made.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± It was the first time Aaron thanked her.


    Arielle arched a brow at him. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. When are you going to let me contact Vinson?


    I¡¯ll thank you if you let me do that.¡±


    Aaron fell silent immediately.


    Seeing him remaining silent again, she set the bowl of pumpkin soup on the table and said sulkily, ¡°Just


    eat it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve justpleted a surgery, and I don¡¯t have any energy in me. Can you feed me?¡± Aaron said in a


    sullen tone.


    ¡°Feed you?¡± Arielle was so stunned that she was at a loss for words.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t have any energy,¡± Aaron repeated, gazing at Arielle with a pitiful gaze as if telling her he


    was the patient and was still weak.


    Arielle eyed him doubtfully. ¡°You? Don¡¯t have any energy?¡±


    Aaron nodded.


    Arielle¡¯s lips twitched in response. ¡°No energy, eh? Well, I can just ask your assistant toe over and


    feed you personally then.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want him to feed me!¡± Aaron protested childishly. ¡°Can¡¯t you feed me? I¡¯m a patient. Aren¡¯t you


    a doctor? Isn¡¯t it normal for doctors to feed their patients?¡±


    Arielle almostughed in exasperation. I¡¯ve got to feed the patients because I¡¯m a doctor?


    Of course, she could choose to feed the patients. However, he was a different case. He was perfectly


    capable of doing things on his own. Clearly, he had feelings for her.


    Since she was already a married woman, she did not want to get into any trouble. Otherwise, Vinson


    would be mad when he found out about it.

 Chapter 1353

    Chapter 1353


    Chapter 1353 Give In To Persuasion


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you whether you want to eat it or not.¡± Arielle was furious. She was already being nice by


    delivering the food to Aaron. She couldn¡¯t believe that he even wanted her to feed him. He¡¯s really


    pushing his luck!


    ¡°Arielle¡­ Ari¡­¡± Aaron pleaded pitifully.


    Arielle was infuriated by his behavior. Immediately, she turned around, picked up the bowl, and made a


    gesture as if she was going to throw it into the trash can.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to eat it, right? If you don¡¯t want to eat it, then I¡¯ll just get rid of it. It¡¯s annoying for me to


    bring it here and there.¡±


    Aaron¡¯s expression fell immediately. When he saw that Arielle was serious about dumping out the


    soup, he quickly stopped her. ¡°No, don¡¯t! I¡¯ll eat. I¡¯ll eat it on my own.¡±


    With that, he snatched the bowl from her and started digging in.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    However, after taking one mouthful, his actions came to a stop.


    ¡°Ari, it¡¯s a little hot,¡± Aaron said pitifully.


    Arielle rolled her eyes in annoyance. ¡°Are you an idiot? Don¡¯t you know how to blow on it?¡±


    Aaron stared at her without saying anything. In the end, he had no choice but to blow on it on his own.


    Despite that, he purposely dawdled just to make Arielle stay in his room for a little longer.


    It took him about twenty minutes to finish that bowl of pumpkin soup.


    Massaging the arm that was sore from cooking the soup, Arielle stood up and said, ¡°Get some rest.


    Call out for your assistant if you need anything.¡±


    Aaron was feeling satisfied after having Arielle keep himpany while he drank his soup. Thus, he


    responded happily. Seeing his behavior, Arielle turned around and rolled her eyes exasperatedly.


    Aaron took about a week to recover from the surgery. Meanwhile, the cruise ship had been repaired on


    the second day of his recovery. Despite that, he gave out the orders, saying it was not done repairing,


    and asked everyone on the ship to keep their lips sealed.


    Since he was the one with the most authority there, everyone could only obey his words.


    During that week, he did his best to torture Arielle, demanding all kinds of food and making her so


    angry that she had the urge to harden her heart and not cook for him.


    On the day that he waspletely recovered, he immediately went looking for Arielle, who felt a


    sudden headache at the sight of him.


    ¡°Ari, I¡¯ve recovered. I¡¯m craving spicy fish stew, braised pork, spicy soup, and¡ª¡±


    Hearing him order all kinds of dishes excitedly, Arielle rolled her eyes and cut him off. ¡°Aaron, now that


    you¡¯ve recovered, you should go to the cafeteria to order whatever you want to eat. I¡¯m not the chef you


    hired. By the way, address me as Arielle or Ms. Moore. Who gave you the right to call me Ari? What


    rtionship do we have that allows you to use that name?¡±


    ¡°I just really want to have your cooking. Ari, I haven¡¯t eaten good food in ages,¡± Aaron said, pouting.


    Ever since he could get off his bed and walk around, he had always been hanging out with Arielle and


    the Wilhems. Whenever it was mealtime, he could only have in soup while watching them indulge in


    all kinds of delicious cuisines with envy.


    ¡°Sure, if you want me to cook, then you need to give me something in exchange,¡± Arielle said slyly.


    Aaron eyed her, getting the feeling she was up to no good. However, he still wanted to find out what


    she wanted. ¡°What do you want in exchange?¡±


    ¡°I can cook for you, but you must not stop me from contacting Vinson,¡± Arielle answered, gazing at him


    expectantly.


    She had not contacted Vinson in a long time. Only heaven knew how much she was missing him. If I


    knew this was going to happen, I would¡¯ve worked with Vinson to rescue my adoptive parents, take this


    rascal hostage, and go to Turlen with him. I¡¯ve miscalcted. There are too many miscalctions.


    ¡°No!¡± Aaron rejected her right away after hearing her words. I knew she was up to no good.


    ¡°Then, leave. There¡¯s nothing for you to eat here.¡± Arielle crossed her arms and snorted. Fine. If he


    wants to end the discussion, so be it. Where there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way, I¡¯ll contact Vinson on my own.


    I don¡¯t need his permission for that.


    Aaron felt a little upset when he realized Arielle really had no intentions of letting him stay for a meal.


    He could not help but wonder what was so great about Vinson.


    ¡°Will you settle for something else?¡± He put on a pitiful expression.


    After spending time with her for the past few days, he realized his little kitty was someone who would


    give in to persuasion. No matter what, she would always give in.

 Chapter 1354

    Chapter 1354


    Chapter 1354 Falling For Her


    Settle for something else?


    Instinctively, Arielle wanted to reject him. After all, at that moment, nothing would make her happier


    than being able to contact Vinson.


    Then again, Aaron was a rigid person who never gave in to that request of hers. No matter what she


    said, he never allowed her to get in touch with Vinson. If that¡¯s the case, maybe I can exchange it for


    something advantageous for me?


    ¡°Then, teach me Turlenese,¡± she said inly. ¡°I can¡¯t possibly go there without having the ability to


    understand a single word. What if someone is dissatisfied with me or if someone doesn¡¯t understand


    when I¡¯m exchanging medical thoughts with them? It¡¯ll be troublesome.¡±


    ¡°Ournguage is very difficult to learn. Are you sure you want to learn it?¡± Aaron was not the slightest


    bit upset about teaching Arielle his country¡¯snguage. Conversely, he was quite happy about the


    suggestion.


    If Grandma and Mother agree to let me marry her, she won¡¯t feel awkward and unhappy about living


    there if she can speak thenguage. Not to mention she won¡¯t have any issues talking to Grandma and


    Mother.


    The more he thought about it, the happier he was. Immediately, a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.


    ¡°Deal,¡± he said.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go and get the ingredients.¡± Arielle was happy to learn Turlenese as well. That way, it would


    make digging for information easier. If she could not make Aaron talk there, she could still fish for


    information from the others.


    The moment Pat heard they were going to pick the ingredients, he got excited and said hurriedly, ¡°I


    want to go too!¡±


    If I go along, I¡¯ll get to pick some of my favorite ingredients. Otherwise, that evil man will only pick his


    favorites. If that happens, I won¡¯t get to enjoy anything. Pat loved Arielle¡¯s cooking, especially when it


    was his favorite dish.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle never wanted to go with Aaron alone in the first ce. Seeing Pat wanted to tag along, she


    happily agreed, ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go together.¡±


    On the other hand, Aaron red at the little kid in front of him. He originally wanted to spend some


    alone time with his little kitty and cultivate some feelings. But now, all his ns were destroyed by that


    boy.


    Regardless, no matter how displeased he was, the three of them still went to pick the ingredients


    together.


    ¡°Hubert, do you think Aaron likes San?¡± Andrea asked while staring at the trio that just left.


    Hubert was stunned, and disbelief filled his eyes. ¡°He likes San?¡±


    ¡°I noticed he looks at San differently.¡± Andrea paused briefly before continuing, ¡°The more I think about


    it, the more it makes sense. If he doesn¡¯t like San, why won¡¯t he let her contact Vin then? Besides, his


    expression changes whenever Vin is mentioned.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Hubert was still slightly doubtful.


    ¡°I think so. If he doesn¡¯t like San, what¡¯s there for him to worry about when San is already on her way to


    Turlen? San enjoys being involved in the medical field and is willing to teach others about it, especially


    in a ce where they¡¯re weak in medicine. She¡¯s willing to teach them and is more than willing to go to


    Turlen to do so. If Vin knows she¡¯s heading to Turlen, he¡¯ll definitely support her decision. So, what¡¯s


    there for Aaron to worry about? There¡¯s only one exnation for his worry¡ªhe¡¯s fallen for San. That¡¯s


    why he doesn¡¯t want her to contact Vin.¡±


    Hubert was shocked by Andrea¡¯s analysis. However, there was absolutely no reason for him to not


    believe his wife. Feeling worried, he asked, ¡°Should we tell San about this? If Aaron doesn¡¯t allow her


    to contact Vin and detain her here, what should we do then?¡±


    Andrea fell silent. She, too, did not know if she should tell Arielle about it at the moment.


    After giving it some thought, she finally said, ¡°Let¡¯s not tell San about it for now. If we tell her now, she


    might get into another dispute with Aaron. His men are all over the ce. If his love isn¡¯t reciprocated,


    he might do something terrible again. We won¡¯t be able to handle it if that happens. Let¡¯s just wait until


    we arrive at Turlen. We¡¯ll observe the situation and decide if we should tell San about it then.¡±

 Chapter 1355

    Chapter 1355


    Chapter 1355 Stole A Bite


    The Wilhems had decided that if they still could not get the chance to contact Vinson upon arriving at


    Turlen, they would tell Arielle about Aaron¡¯s intentions to let her be on her guard.


    ¡°We¡¯ll go with your idea, then.¡± Hubert¡¯s heart felt a little heavy at the moment. Never in his wildest


    dreams did he expect Aaron to have such intentions toward Arielle.


    Seeing the helpless look on her husband¡¯s face, Andrea reminded, ¡°Don¡¯t look so worried. San will


    notice it.¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m trying to adjust,¡± Hubert replied, taking deep breaths to calm his mind.


    Seeing that, Andrea broke into a smile.


    Meanwhile, Arielle and the others arrived at their destination.


    Although the cruise ship had stopped at the location for a few days, the ingredients that the kitchen had


    were still quite fresh. However, it cost a lot to maintain its freshness.


    Arielle proceeded to pick the Wilhelms¡¯ favorite ingredients, while Pat and Aaron chose theirs. He did


    not choose Arielle¡¯s favorite ingredients, for he realized that he and Arielle had simr tastes.


    When the trio was done choosing the ingredients, they returned to the room.


    ¡°Aaron, I need you to help me prepare the ingredients,¡± Arielle instructed Aaron


    If he wants to eat something yummy, then he¡¯ll have to put in the effort. If he only depend on me, I


    would be constantly busy.


    ¡°What about me, San?¡± Pat wanted to help as well.


    ¡°You can help me by peeling the garlic. After that, I¡¯ll need you to choose some onions and leeks,¡±


    Arielle said, handing him the items.


    Pat took the items and went to a corner happily. Aaron, on the other hand, had a stiff expression as he


    stared at the ingredients Arielle handed him. He had never entered the kitchen before. Thus, he did


    not know how to prepare them.


    After some time, he finally called out to Arielle and said embarrassedly, ¡°Ari, I-I don¡¯t know what to do


    with this.¡±


    Arielle was dumbfounded. However, she came to an understanding right away. The man in front of her


    was a son of a rich family. It was only natural that he would not know what to do with the ingredients. At


    that moment, she realized she had asked the wrong person for help.


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with them, and you can wash themter,¡± Arielle said. She then asked, ¡°You do know how to


    wash the vegetables, right?¡± I don¡¯t know what to think of him if he doesn¡¯t even know how to do this.


    ¡°I do! Of course, I know how to do that!¡± Aaron replied hurriedly. Arielle was staring at him in such a


    way that even if he did not know how to do it, he would have still said yes. If I told her another no, she


    might just see me as a useless idiot¡­


    ¡°Great!¡± Arielle said. Immediately, she started preparing the ingredients in an efficient manner. Once


    she was done with each ingredient, she handed it to Aaron. The poor, respectable prince of Turlen


    never had to do such chores in his life. He struggled with his responsibility, causing Arielle to secretly


    laugh at him.


    Finally, when they were done washing and preparing the ingredients, Arielle started cooking. She


    started by making Pat¡¯s favorite dish¡ªzed pork tenderloin. She had chosen the best cut for the dish.


    First, she ced the pieces of meat that had been cut into a bowl. Then, she added some ck


    pepper, cooking wine, and egg yolk before stirring it well. After that, she added two spoonfuls of


    cornstarch and made sure each piece of meat was coated evenly. She then poured some oil into the


    pot and waited until it was hot enough before cing the meat in it. Once they were golden brown, she


    fished them out.


    The temperature of the oil was increased again and the meat cubes were ced back into the oil for


    the second round of frying. She waited until the outsides were crispy before removing them from the oil.


    After pouring out some of the oil, she poured the sauce she had prepared into the oil. She waited until it


    started boiling before adding the fried chunks of meat. Then, a few peas were added and everything


    was stirred evenly under high heat. Finally, the dish was served on a te.


    The fragrance of the zed pork tenderloin filled the entire kitchen, causing Pat to drool. Even Aaron


    could not help but swallow his saliva. This little kitty¡¯s cooking is so fragrant. I really want to sneak a


    bite.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1356

    Chapter 1356


    Chapter 1356 Stay Here


    Seemingly sensing Aaron¡¯s thoughts, Pat took the te and left. But before he did so, he smirked and


    said, ¡°This is mine.¡±


    Aaron couldn¡¯t help but smile upon seeing that. What a rascal! I just wanted to have a taste. What is he


    so afraid of?


    Arielle didn¡¯t see the interaction between Aaron and Pat. After serving the zed pork tenderloin, she


    washed the pan and started cooking the Wilhelms¡¯ favorite dish, shredded pork. Although it was an


    easy dish to make, it was delicious nheless.


    First, she put the marinated shredded pork into a pan with oil. She then added garlic, onion, and the


    sauce she had prepared for the dish. Once she could smell the fragrance after stir-frying, she added


    various types of vegetables. After cooking the ingredients, she added corn starch to increase the


    thickness of the sauce. With that, the dish was ready to be served.


    At that moment, Aaron felt like he was being tortured in the kitchen. Wow! That aroma is too


    tempting. He was eager to taste the dish.


    Aaron couldn¡¯t help but look at Arielle with his puppy eyes and uttered, ¡°Ari¡­¡±


    Arielle turned toward him in puzzlement. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Can I have a taste? Just a bit?¡± As he was saying that, he gestured to show how small of a bite he


    wanted. Am I not the prince of Turlen? When have I be such a glutton? What happened to my


    manners?


    ¡°Go ahead!¡± Arielle gave him a fork. It¡¯s a small bite, so why not?


    Aaron took the fork and quickly shoved the food into his mouth.


    ¡°Wow, this is really delicious!¡± Aaron praised her earnestly. ¡°Ari, this is so good that it¡¯s on par with the


    cooking of professional chefs! Heck, your dishes are even tastier than the food served at Maureen¡¯s


    Kitchen!¡±


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    When Arielle heard the restaurant¡¯s name, she nced at him and asked, ¡°Have you eaten there


    before?¡±


    Aaron nodded. ¡°Yes, I have. To me, that¡¯s the best restaurant in Chanaea. I even wanted to buy it over.


    However, the owner refused to sell it to me. What a pity!¡±


    Arielle was stunned momentarily upon hearing that before she let out a smirk. Oh? So he was the one


    who wanted to buy the restaurant? Did he want to buy the restaurant off of my hands? Dream on! The


    restaurant means a lot to me. No matter the offer, I¡¯ll never sell it off.


    ¡°What do you mean, it¡¯s a pity? If the owner doesn¡¯t want to sell it, you can always go there and dine,


    no? You can¡¯t possibly buy someone¡¯s restaurant just because you think their dishes are delicious.¡±


    Arielle shifted her gaze back to the pot as she said that.


    She had already started making the dish Aaron wanted¡ªbraised pork belly. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m making


    spicy fish and spicy soup for him. Since he has just recovered, he shouldn¡¯t eat anything spicy.


    Besides, it¡¯s good enough that I¡¯m making him two dishes. It¡¯s not like he can finish all the food anyway.


    He¡¯s just going to throw them out in the end. It¡¯s bad to waste food!


    ¡°Well, you have a point,¡± Aaron uttered after pondering for a while. Initially, he just wanted to buy the


    restaurant so that he could go over anytime and eat whatever he wanted.


    Arielle remained silent and put some pork belly into the pot for nching.


    After putting the lid on the pot, she said, ¡°Why do you have to wait here? Just wait outside, will you? If


    you¡¯re so free, why don¡¯t you go check on the cruise ship and see when we will arrive in your country?¡±


    She then started preparing the ingredients needed for the braised pork belly.


    Aaron nced at Arielle and pondered. Since it¡¯s so rare to be able to spend time with her alone, why


    would I head outside? Once we¡¯ve gotten to Turlen, I might not be able to spend time alone with her


    anymore. I don¡¯t want to waste my opportunity now.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to stay here,¡± Aaron said.


    Arielle merely threw him a nce and ignored him. She then took out the pork belly from the pot the


    moment the water inside started simmering.

 Chapter 1357

    Chapter 1357


    Chapter 1357 Craving


    Arielle used a clean container to rinse the pork belly with running water. After that, she started


    caramelizing some sugar.


    The temperature was key to a perfect caramel. If the sugar was burnt, the braised pork belly would


    taste rather bitter.


    After melting the sugar with medium heat, she lowered the temperature to caramelize the sugar.


    Once she was done with the caramel, she added the pork belly. After a quick stir, she coated the pork


    belly with the caramel. I should turn the heat to the lowest now. Otherwise, the caramel might turn


    bitter.


    After that, it was time to add the other ingredients. I¡¯ll use the oil from the pork belly to stir-fry my


    ingredients. Then, I¡¯ll add some alcohol and soy sauce before pouring boiling water in.


    After letting it cook for a while, she skimmed off the foam on the surface before adding some green


    onion. Then, she transferred everything into a smaller pot and closed the lid to let it simmer for forty


    minutes.


    Afterward, she removed the vor-enhancing side ingredients and simmered the pork belly for another


    twenty minutes. Twenty minutester, she turned up the heat to vaporize the remaining sauce. Once


    that was done, the braised pork belly was ready to be served.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    While she was waiting for the braised pork belly to simmer, Arielle had also prepared other dishes such


    as stir-fried chicken, fish stew, omelet, and braised eggnt. It took her almost two hours to prepare all


    the dishes. Luckily I have insted containers here. Otherwise, everything would be cold by the time


    I¡¯m done.


    Meanwhile, Pat had been waiting at the table the whole time. I have to prevent that bad guy from eating


    my favorite dish, zed pork tenderloin.


    ¡°Dad, Mom, food is ready,¡± Arielle called out while setting up the table.When the Wilhelms came out,


    the dining table was already filled with dishes. ¡°Why did you cook so much? Can we even finish


    everything?¡± they asked in bafflement.


    ¡°Since I¡¯m here, I¡¯m sure we can. In fact, I¡¯m famished,¡± Aaron immediately answered.


    He had been only having pumpkin soup for the past couple of days. What¡¯s life with only pumpkin


    soup? I¡¯m going to enjoy all these dishes!


    Not wanting to be left out, Pat added, ¡°Hey, I¡¯m here too! I¡¯m also starving!¡±


    ¡°Pat, I think it¡¯s time you go on a diet. You¡¯re fat!¡± Andrea pinched Pat¡¯s chubby cheeks and grinned


    mischievously.


    ¡°What? I am? I don¡¯t think so, though.¡± Pat then looked at Arielle and asked, ¡°San, do you think I¡¯m


    fat?¡±


    Seated opposite him, Arielle narrowed her eyes and rubbed her chin. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve never noticed it before


    this. Now that you asked, I do think you¡¯re a bit plump. Maybe you should start losing weight, Pat. Don¡¯t


    worry. I¡¯ll help you!¡±


    Pat pouted in response. Ha! They¡¯re all so mean. They¡¯re just saying that to stop me from eating all the


    delicious dishes. I¡¯m not fat. I¡¯m just chubby and cute!


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong, San. I¡¯ve seen an online article saying that kids like me are just naturally chubby. I don¡¯t


    need to lose weight, okay?¡± Pat sneered. Lose weight and miss out on delicious food? No way!


    ¡°Okay, okay. You¡¯re just chubby.¡± Arielle was amused. Smiling, she continued, ¡°You don¡¯t have to lose


    weight, all right? Eat up!¡±


    ted, Pat lowered his head and started eating.


    Aaron, on the other hand, had to suppress his craving and wait for the Wilhelms to start eating before


    digging in. Although he was a prince, he waited for the Wilhelms to eat first because they were Arielle¡¯s


    adoptive parents. Since she cares about them so much, I should treat them with respect as well.

 Chapter 1358

    Chapter 1358


    Chapter 1358 Lover


    Since he had not had nice food for a long while, Aaron¡¯s appetite was huge. In fact, he ate most of the


    food served. What a sumptuous meal!


    ¡°The cruise ship has been fixed, so we¡¯ll continue with our journey in a while. We should arrive at our


    destinationter at night,¡± Aaron said to Arielle after dinner.


    Although Aaron wanted to spend more time with Arielle on the cruise ship, he knew the importance of


    the mission his father gave him. Hence, he had to bring her back as soon as possible.


    Everything in Turlen was fine except for its medical care. Every year, its people would lose their lives


    due to various diseases. As the country¡¯s future ruler, Aaron knew he had the responsibility to develop


    his country and provide its people with better medical care.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Arielle answered. She then looked at him and continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll do my best to teach


    the doctors there everything I¡¯ve learned.¡± Now that I know how precious human lives are, I have the


    responsibility to share my knowledge and contribute to the society there.


    Aaron stared at her with admiration and uttered, ¡°You¡¯re so kind, Ari.¡±


    Arielle harrumphed slightly before saying, ¡°Since you know that, perhaps you should stop preventing


    me from contacting my lover.¡±


    Lover? Vinson again? Aaron was displeased and got up before walking out with a grim expression.


    ¡°What a horrible temper!¡± Arielle rolled her eyes in frustration.


    Meanwhile, Andrea shook her head upon seeing that. Aaron has good taste in women. Since San is so


    impressive, it¡¯s only natural that men can¡¯t help falling in love with her. That¡¯s in the past, though. Now


    that San is in love with Vinson, what Aaron is doing will only displease her. If she knows what his


    intentions are, I bet she wouldn¡¯t even want to spend a minute alone with him, let alone cook him a


    meal.


    After Aaron left, he went back to his room immediately. With a solemn expression, he told his assistant


    to resume their journey. The assistant noticed how annoyed Aaron was, and he couldn¡¯t help but smile


    amusedly. Ms. Moore must¡¯ve bullied him! Only she could get him so worked up.


    When they were about to arrive at their destination, Aaron gave his father a call.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Dn Anderson Holt asked coldly.


    Aaron was saddened when he heard Dn¡¯s indifferent tone. Although Dn had provided him with a


    lavish lifestyle and a good education, the former had always been cold toward Aaron. In fact, Aaron


    had never felt warmth and paternal love from his father.


    ¡°The head of the Mills is here. We¡¯ll arrive at around nine tonight,¡± Aaron said solemnly.


    Dn could not discern the displeasure in his son¡¯s tone. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll send someone to wait for you guys


    there.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    The rtionship between them was very businesslike. Without saying another word, they ended the


    call.


    The cruise ship docked around nine o¡¯clock that night. Considering how important Arielle and the


    others were to the country, Dn had already sent someone there to wee them.


    ¡°Mr. Aaron,¡± the person waiting for them greeted him respectfully.


    The man was none other than Morrison Quillen, Sybil¡¯s son. When Aaron saw him, he asked, ¡°Did my


    father say where they will be staying?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Holt arranged for them to stay at Paelsford Manor,¡± Morrison answered respectfully.


    When Aaron heard that Arielle and the rest were going to stay at Paelsford Manor, he nodded in


    satisfaction. Not bad. The scenery is nice there, and it has numerous amenities. That¡¯s where we


    usually host our important guests.

 Chapter 1359

    Chapter 1359


    Chapter 1359 Stay With You


    ¡°They¡¯re Father¡¯s important guests, so you ought to treat them nicely,¡± Aaron said before introducing


    Arielle and the others to Morrison.


    Following Aaron¡¯s line of sight, Morrison turned and nced at the four people standing in front of him.


    He then looked at Hubert and said, ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Mill. Wee to Turlen. We thank you for


    your willingness to share your medical knowledge with us.¡±


    However, Aaron pointed at Arielle and said, ¡°Morrison, he¡¯s the father of the Mill family¡¯s matriarch. The


    head of the Mills is thedy standing beside him.¡±


    The new leader of the Mills is such a youngdy? Morrison was stunned when he saw the woman


    Aaron was pointing at. He then turned to Arielle and apologized hurriedly, ¡°How ignorant of me! I¡¯m so


    sorry. I didn¡¯t expect the head of the Mills to be such a beautiful youngdy.¡±


    Since Morrison had studied overseas before, he was fluent in foreignnguages. Hence, he had no


    problemmunicating with Arielle.


    ¡°You¡¯re ttering me.¡± Arielle shed him a faint smile.


    Aaron turned toward Morrison and instructed, ¡°Morrison, it¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s send them over to


    Paelsford Manor to rest first. We¡¯ll talk tomorrow.¡± After being stuck on the cruise ship for a few days,


    they were all worn out.


    ¡°Sure, Mr. Aaron.¡± Morrison brought them to the car and opened the doors for them. After that, he


    drove them to Paelsford Manor.


    An hourter, they arrived at Paelsford Manor, and Morrison brought Arielle and the others to the ce


    they were supposed to stay.


    ¡°This is where you guys will be staying in the future. We have all sorts of facilities here, so it¡¯s rather


    convenient.¡± Morrison led them toward a mansion and added enthusiastically, ¡°There are six


    housekeepers, two chefs, and two chauffeurs here. Please don¡¯t hesitate to order them around as you


    guys wish.¡±


    Aaron spared Arielle a nce. Now that our rtionship is going somewhere, I don¡¯t want to get


    separated from my little kitty. What if we grow apart again due to the distance between us? What am I


    going to do then?


    With that thought in mind, Aaron said, ¡°Morrison, when you get back, tell Father I¡¯m staying here as


    well.¡±


    The mansion had seven to eight rooms, so technically, Aaron could definitely crash there. Besides, he


    could see his little kitty every day if he were to do that.


    However, before Morrison could say anything, Arielle had opposed Aaron¡¯s idea. ¡°Aaron, I think you


    should head back to your own ce. It¡¯d be inconvenient if you were to stay here.¡± Is he for real? I¡¯m a


    married woman. How could I stay with a single young man under the same roof? Vinson is a man who


    gets jealous easily. If he were to find out that I¡¯m staying with Aaron, he would be so mad!


    Aaron was utterly embarrassed because he didn¡¯t expect Arielle to reject him. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll cause you


    guys any inconvenience,¡± he grumbled softly.


    ¡°Still, no!¡± Arielle was adamant about her decision.


    Aaron had no choice but to back down as he didn¡¯t want to offend Arielle. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll stay in the mansion


    next door, then.¡±


    Unfazed, Arielle said, ¡°You can stay wherever you want as long as you don¡¯t stay with us.¡±


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yes, I heard you!¡± Aaron replied in a sulky manner.


    Morrison was stumped as he witnessed the interaction between Aaron and Arielle. When did he


    be so submissive to others? Not only did he notsh out when he was humiliated, but he also


    gave in. This is unbelievable.


    ¡°You guys have a good rest, then. I¡¯lle over tomorrow.¡± Not wanting to get on Arielle¡¯s bad side,


    Aaron tactfully left of his own ord.


    Morrison followed suit as he had to go back and report the situation to Dn.

 Chapter 1360

    Chapter 1360


    Chapter 1360 Blocked


    After Aaron left reluctantly along with Morrison, only Arielle, the Wilhelms, and the housekeepers were


    left in the mansion. Arielle then anxiously said to Hubert, ¡°Dad, pass me the phone. I need to call


    Vinson.¡±


    Besides preventing Vinson from getting jealous, the other reason she didn¡¯t want Aaron staying there


    was so that she could contact Vinson.


    Hubert hurriedly passed the phone to Arielle, and she rang Vinson immediately, but it only took her two


    seconds to give the phone back to Hubert with a solemn expression.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You couldn¡¯t get to him?¡± Hubert asked curiously.


    Arielle nodded with a scowl on her face. ¡°There¡¯s no signal here.¡±


    She didn¡¯t expect them to block the signals in the mansion. What are they so afraid of? Can we not


    even make a call?


    Arielle was in utter despair as it had been a long time since shest contacted Vinson. How is he


    doing? Is he healing well? Is he taken good care of?


    With those thoughts in her mind, she grew even more anxious.


    Upon seeing how worried Arielle was, Andrea went up to her and hugged her. ¡°San, calm down. Once


    we get settled down, we¡¯ll borrow someone¡¯s phone and see if we can contact Vin.¡±


    Sniffling, Arielle uttered helplessly, ¡°I know. I¡¯m just worried about him, that¡¯s all.¡± She had always been


    an independent person since she was little, and she was used to taking care of things on her own.


    Although she might look tough on the surface, she was just like any other woman when it came to


    rtionships. Why am I so vulnerable when ites to Vinson?


    Andrea patted Arielle¡¯s shoulder gently andforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, San. Your dad, Pat, and I are


    all here with you. Vin should be fine, too.¡± Andrea was heartbroken when she saw how sad Arielle was.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle remained silent and hugged Andrea tighter.


    Seeing that, Pat wanted to approach Arielle and hug her as well. However, he was stopped by Hubert.


    Pat immediately understood what his father meant when he saw Hubert shaking his head slightly, so he


    leaned into Hubert¡¯s embrace instead.


    Arielle only allowed herself to vent her emotions for a short while before regaining herposure.


    Awkwardly, she pulled away from Andrea.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t been sleeping well for the past few days, and we don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen


    tomorrow. Perhaps we should get ready for bed.¡± Andrea patted Arielle¡¯s shoulder again.


    ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s get some sleep.¡± Arielle held Andrea¡¯s hand and went upstairs. She gave the master


    bedroom to the Wilhelm couple while she slept in one of the guest rooms. Pat, on the other hand, slept


    in the bedroom next to his parents.


    By the time they had washed up, it was already half-past eleven.


    Meanwhile, Morrison only arrived at the pce at ten-thirty that night. He thought he could just report


    back to Dn the next day, considering howte it was. However, Sybil told him that Dn was still


    awake and was waiting for his report. Hearing that, Morrison rushed to the pce right away.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Morrison greeted and bowed respectfully.


    ¡°Is everything settled?¡± Dn asked.


    Morrison nodded. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve also blocked all the signals.¡± Usually, we¡¯d only block themunication


    signals when we suspect that our guests are spies. We¡¯d then unblock the signals after they¡¯d been


    checked out. However, aren¡¯t they here to share their knowledge with us? So why did we have to do


    that to them?


    As Morrison was answering, a hint of hesitation could be seen in his eyes.

 Chapter 1361

    Chapter 1361


    Chapter 1361 Speak Your Mind


    Seeing that, Dn said, ¡°You can just speak your mind.¡±


    Since he was Sybil¡¯s son, Dn had the utmost trust in him, and he was allowed to speak freely.


    ¡°The head of the Mills that Prince Aaron brought back is ady in her twenties,¡± Morrison said.


    ¡°Twenties? So young?¡± Dn was surprised.


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    ¡°Yes. On the way back, Prince Aaron told me that she learned her skills from the Wilhelms. She then


    ended up being even better than her mentors. She also brought three members of the Wilhelms along


    with her on this trip.¡±


    Did he say she learned from the Wilhelms? Dn was stunned upon hearing that. Abruptly, he sprung


    up from his chair in a daze. Isn¡¯t that¡­ Doesn¡¯t that mean¡­


    For the first time in twenty years, Dn felt a wave of inexplicable emotions in his heart.


    Dn thenposed himself as he instructed, ¡°Make sure everyone treats her well.¡±


    That was the first time Morrison had seen Dn so emotional. Why is he so flustered? However,


    Morrison didn¡¯t dwell on the matter. Instead, he answered respectfully, ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve already informed the


    housekeepers.¡±


    Dn waved his hand and dismissed him, ¡°You may leave now.¡±


    After Morrison left, Dn walked toward the window and stared at the moon with teary eyes.


    ¡°Maureen, our daughter has returned. She¡¯s with me now,¡± Dn muttered to himself. Afterposing


    himself, he continued, ¡°I¡¯ll take good care of her and protect her. I won¡¯t let anybody harm her. In fact,


    I¡¯ll love her twice as much on your behalf and make her the happiest girl in the world.¡±


    When Dn thought about how he lost the love of his life and his daughter twenty years ago, his heart


    wrenched in pain.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the queen and the queen mother to find out about the people Aaron had brought


    back with him. The queen mother¡¯s eyes flickered when she heard that he had brought back a young


    girl. ¡°Go and find out more about this girl,¡± she instructed.


    The next day, Arielle woke up at the break of dawn.


    She didn¡¯t sleep well as not only was she staying in an unfamiliar ce, but she also had a lot on her


    mind. In order to not wake the Wilhelms up, she washed up silently and headed downstairs.


    By then, the housekeepers were already busy with their chores, and some were making breakfast.


    They all greeted Arielle when they saw her making her way down the stairs.


    For some reason, the housekeepers were all female. Could it be that they¡¯re trying to make us feel


    comfortable? What about our chauffeurs? Arielle thought to herself as she was walking past them.


    Since they were all speaking Turlenese, Arielle didn¡¯t understand a word. When she saw them bowing


    to her, she just assumed they were greeting her


    Arielle was worried that they wouldn¡¯t understand her, so she smiled at them brightly in response. She


    then gestured with her hands, trying to tell them she was going to take a stroll outside the mansion. But


    she had no idea if the housekeepers knew what she meant and only saw them nodding at her before


    they went back to work.


    Arielle left the mansion and strolled along thekeshore. Taking in the fresh air and the green scenery,


    her mood was lifted.


    After freshening up, Aaron drove over to see Arielle. Although he was staying at the mansion next to


    Arielle¡¯s, it was still quite a distance away. If he were to walk, it would take him half an hour to reach


    while only ten-odd minutes if he were to drive. Since he was eager to see Arielle, the drive only took


    him seven to eight minutes.

 Chapter 1362

    Chapter 1362


    Chapter 1362 Unwee


    Upon arriving, the housekeepers told Aaron that Arielle had gone out for a stroll. He didn¡¯t expect her to


    be out so early in the morning, and he was worried that she might get lost. Hence, Aaron decided to


    head out and look for her. To his surprise, he bumped into her the moment he stepped out of the


    entrance.


    Seeing her wearing a white dress and ts. Aaron couldn¡¯t help but feel mesmerized when she was


    walking toward him. With her long hair cascading down her back and her innocent face, Arielle was a


    sight to behold.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Arielle frowned and asked when she saw Aaron blocking the entrance. Why is he


    here so early?


    Aaron sighed inwardly when he noticed how annoyed she was. I¡¯m the prince of Turlen. Since when


    have I be an unwee guest?


    ¡°I was worried about you because you¡¯re unfamiliar with this ce. Now that I¡¯m here, you know you¡¯re


    going to be safe.¡± Aaron grinned.


    Arielle was rendered speechless upon hearing that. He¡¯s worried because I¡¯m unfamiliar with this


    ce? If he really cared, he wouldn¡¯t have brought me here in the first ce.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a tad toote for you to get worried about me?¡± Arielle turned aside and walked


    through the entrance. She had no idea if the Wilhelms had woken up by then.


    ¡°San, why did you go out so early in the morning?¡± Andrea noticed Arielleing in and asked as she


    was walking down the stairs.


    Arielle immediately shed a smile when she saw Andrea. ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep, so I got out of bed to take a


    stroll. Are Dad and Pat awake yet?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they are. They¡¯ll be down in a while,¡± Andrea answered. Right after that, Hubert was seening


    downstairs with Pat.


    ¡°Good morning, San! Did you sleep wellst night?¡± Pat ran toward Arielle and asked. In the next


    second, he noticed Aaron¡¯s presence. ¡°Why are you here again?¡± he asked thetter.


    They¡¯re siblings, all right. They even said the same words! Aaron was amused.


    ¡°Pat, mind your manners,¡± Andrea chided her son.


    ¡°Well, I missed you! That¡¯s why I came.¡± Aaron went up to Pat and pinched his chubby cheeks. They¡¯re


    so soft! No wonder little kitty likes to do that too.


    However, Pat only liked it when Arielle did that to him. He smacked Aaron¡¯s hands away and uttered,


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that. Only San can pinch my cheeks.¡±


    The housekeeps were stunned when they saw Pat hitting Aaron, but all Aaron did was give a smile in


    response. They were puzzled as to why their prince reacted in such a benevolent way even after being


    treated disrespectfully.


    Seeing that, the housekeepers got even warier of Arielle and the others.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    ¡°Your Royal Highness, have you had your breakfast? Would you like to eat here?¡± an eighteen-year-old


    housekeeper asked Aaron.


    Aaron nodded in response. The only reason I came here so early is so that I can eat with my little kitty.


    Upon getting his response, the housekeeper turned around and went back to the kitchen. A whileter,


    breakfast was served.


    Aaron then invited Arielle and the rest to eat together.


    After they washed their hands, they sat down at the dining table. The breakfast served was identical to


    what they had at Lightspring. Among the food served were bacon, sausages, bread, and milk.


    Deep down, Arielle preferred the breakfasts served in Chanaea. There were all sorts of delicacies such


    as buns, soy milk, and soup.


    She was so used to the breakfasts in Chanaea that she only had an egg, a sausage, and a ss of


    milk that morning.

 Chapter 1363

    Chapter 1363


    Chapter 1363 Her Return


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    ¡°Have you lost your appetite? Why did you eat so little?¡± Andrea asked concernedly.


    ¡°I can¡¯t eat much as I¡¯m usually not hungry in the morning.¡± Arielle smiled at her and shifted her gaze


    toward Aaron. ¡°Do I start teaching today?¡± Since I¡¯m here to share my medical knowledge with them, I


    better ask him earlier so that he can prepare all the materials I need.


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. I have to head back first and ask my father what their ns are,¡± Aaron answered.


    After all, Dn was the one who instructed Aaron to bring back the head of the Mills. Naturally, Aaron


    had to find out what the ns were going forward.


    ¡°Go back and find out after you¡¯ve eaten, then. Since we didn¡¯t bring any medical journals along, please


    prepare some if you guys have them,¡± Arielle said.


    Without any medical knowledge, Aaron gazed at Arielle and asked eagerly, ¡°Okay. Is there anything


    else you need?¡± He was going to get his men to gather everything she needed.


    Arielle pondered for a while before saying, ¡°There¡¯s a difference between traditional Chanaean


    medicine and modern medicine. I don¡¯t know if you guys want to learn traditional Chanaean medicine,


    modern medicine, or both. If you guys want to learn both, you should prepare all the rted materials.¡±


    She was well educated in both traditional Chanaean medicine and modern medicine, so she had no


    problem sharing her knowledge with them.


    Aaron knew how important medical care was to Turlen. Hence, he left immediately after he was done


    with breakfast.


    Meanwhile, at the pce, Dn had no appetite for breakfast at all. All he could think about at that


    moment was Arielle. He would even go straight to Paelsford Manor if he could.


    Indeed, he badly missed the daughter he had with Maureen.


    Sybil had no idea that Arielle had arrived in Turlen. When he saw Dn¡¯s loss of appetite, he urged,


    ¡°Your Majesty, no matter how bad your mood is, you ought to eat something to avoid falling sick.¡±


    Dn shook his head and nced at Sybil. ¡°She¡¯s here.¡±


    Puzzled, Sybil asked him, ¡°Who¡¯s here?¡±


    Dn could hardly contain his emotions when he stared at Sybil and revealed, ¡°The daughter I had


    with Maureen.¡±


    ¡°Princess is back? How did shee back?¡±


    Turlen was a country that was closed to the outside world, so it would be impossible for foreigners to


    enter on their own. Hence, Sybil was curious as to how Arielle had made her way there.


    Not only was Sybil puzzled and shocked, but he was also rather worried. He was afraid that the queen


    and the queen mother would do something to harm Arielle. I bet only I know how important Princess is


    in His Majesty¡¯s heart. What if something happens to Princess? His Majesty would be devastated.


    Dn couldn¡¯t help but feel proud when he thought about Arielle. Unlike his usual indifferent self, he


    suddenly smiled boastfully and said, ¡°She¡¯s the new head of the Mills.¡±


    ¡°What? Princess is the new head of the Mills?¡± Sybil widened his eyes in astonishment. Princess is still


    so young, yet she has already beaten so many people to be the new head of the Mills? She¡¯s


    incredible!


    ¡°Are you surprised as well?¡± Dn looked at Sybil smugly. Indeed, my daughter is amazing. She¡¯s even


    smarter than Maureen and me!


    ¡°This is so unexpected! Who would¡¯ve thought that Princess could be an expert in the medical field


    despite her young age?¡± Sybil breathed a sigh of relief. At first, he was worried that the queen and the


    queen mother would harm Arielle, but he was relieved after finding out that she was an invited guest.

 Chapter 1364

    Chapter 1364


    Chapter 1364 See Arielle


    ¡°Sybil, how do you think she¡¯ll react if I were to go over and tell her I¡¯m her biological father?¡± Dn


    asked anxiously. He was afraid that Arielle wouldn¡¯t acknowledge him as her father. After all, he had


    already missed out on twenty years of her life.


    Sybil grew anxious when he heard that Dn wanted to reunite with Arielle. That¡¯s definitely not going


    to work out well. If they reunite, Her Majesty is surely going to have a go at Princess.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you can¡¯t reunite with Princess no matter what. If Her Majesty finds out about Princess,


    she will plot against her. Also, Queen Mother never approved of your rtionship with Ms. Moore. If


    she finds out that you had a daughter with her, she will get rid of Princess for good! So you have to


    think on behalf of Princess, Your Majesty,¡± Sybil advised anxiously.


    He knew how much Dn missed Arielle, and since she was in Turlen, he would surely want to reunite


    with his daughter. Nevertheless, it wasn¡¯t the right time to do that.


    Dn heaved a sigh upon hearing that. Even he knew the timing was off. After all, he hadn¡¯t had full


    control over the queen and the queen mother. Still, I miss my darling daughter dearly. How I wish I can


    hear her addressing me as her dad.


    ¡°Even if the idea of reuniting with her is off the table, I can still pay her a visit, right?¡± Dn asked


    mncholically.


    After a moment of contemtion, Sybil nodded. ¡°A visit to see her should be fine. After all, she¡¯s an


    important guest visiting Turlen. It¡¯s normal for you to see her personally, Your Majesty. But¡­¡±


    ¡°But what? Don¡¯t beat around the bush. Just speak your mind,¡± Dn said impatiently as he frowned.


    Sybil threw him a nce before lowering his head and continued, ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that you might not be


    able to contain your emotions when you see her, Your Majesty. Things will get dicey if the truth is


    exposed.¡±


    Dn went silent upon hearing that. Indeed, he has a point. However, I still need to see her.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    After keeping mum momentarily, Dn gazed at Sybil and said, ¡°But if I get emotional when I see her,


    that¡¯s only because I¡¯m excited to see the head of the Mills! Considering how important they are to


    improving the quality of this country¡¯s medical care, I suppose it¡¯s only right if I¡¯m excited and grateful,


    no?¡±


    Well, it seems like His Majesty is determined to see Princess. In that case, I guess it¡¯s all right. After all,


    she¡¯s the daughter he had with the lover of his life, and they¡¯ve been separated for twenty years.


    ¡°All right, then. I¡¯ll arrange for them toe over,¡± Sybil said.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t. I¡¯ll go see her personally,¡± Dn answered. I don¡¯t want my daughter¡¯s first memory of me to


    be someone else bringing her to see me when she eventually finds out about my identity.


    ¡°That¡¯ll do! I¡¯ll apany you, Your Majesty.¡± Sybil was eager to meet Arielle as well.


    After deciding on meeting Arielle, Dn couldn¡¯t help but lower his head to check out his own


    attire. Isn¡¯t what I¡¯m wearing a bit too casual?


    ¡°Wait for me. I need to get changed,¡± Dn said. Before Sybil could even answer him, he had gone into


    his room to change his attire.


    After entering his room, he went through his wardrobe and found a suit. Then, he held it up against his


    body. No. This won¡¯t do. It¡¯s too formal. I¡¯d look like I¡¯m going to a formal meeting.


    He then held up a casual outfit and did the same thing. No. This is too casual. What if Arielle doesn¡¯t


    take me seriously? At that thought, he decided against the casual outfit.

 Chapter 1365

    Chapter 1365


    Chapter 1365 Ready To Go


    What should I wear? Dn picked out a few sets of clothes, but none was to his liking.


    While Dn was still contemting what to wear, Sybil knocked on his door and told him that Aaron


    wanted to see him.


    Dn furrowed his brows when he heard that Aaron was looking for him. Immediately, he put down the


    clothes in his hands and went out.


    ¡°Father,¡± Aaron bowed and greeted when he saw Dning out of his room.


    Dn nodded ever so slightly and asked, ¡°Why are you here so early to see me? What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to know what your ns are for the head of the Mills, Father,¡± Aaron answered.


    Dn¡¯s expression softened the moment he heard about Arielle. ¡°Did she get you toe here and


    ask me?¡±


    Aaron nodded. ¡°Yes. She¡¯d like to know if the lessons are starting today. Also, she¡¯s looking for some


    medical journals. She also wants to know if the people from our side are learning traditional Chanaean


    medicine or modern medicine. If they¡¯re learning both, she wants us to help her gather all the teaching


    materials needed.¡±


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    Dn nodded and answered tly, ¡°Lessons will start in three days¡¯ time. Please make an


    announcement to the public saying that anyone who wishes to learn medical skills should register with


    Morrison. After that, they must show up at the medical school in three days¡¯ time. We won¡¯t tolerate any


    laters.¡±


    ¡°Okay. What about the journals and teaching materials?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Everything can be found at the medical school. You should hurry up and start


    the registration process now. Remember, everyone is wee toe and learn from the head of the


    Mills. The lessons are free of charge.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Aaron couldn¡¯t help but admire his father. He¡¯s doing so much for the benefit of the


    country and its people.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll get on with it.¡± With that, Aaron left.


    After Aaron left, Dn went back to his room again and picked out a white shirt and customized


    trousers and shoes. He even shaved his beard and did his hair. When he eventually got out of the room


    again, Sybil was stunned to see the man¡¯s new look. His Majesty looks ten years younger! He seems


    so much more youthful.


    ¡°Can I go and see her looking like this?¡± Dn asked timorously.


    Sybil nodded and gave him a thumbs-up. ¡°Your Majesty, you look great! In fact, you seem ten years


    younger and fresh-faced! Surely you¡¯re going to leave a good impression on Princess.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Dn thought Sybil was exaggerating.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Sybil reassured. Throughout all these years, I¡¯ve never seen His Majesty care so much


    about someone.


    Upon getting Sybil¡¯s reassurance, Dn smiled furtively and left with confidence.


    An hourter, they arrived at Paelsford Manor. When their car came to a halt, Dn got out of the car


    and took a deep breath nervously when he saw the mansion Arielle and the others were staying in.


    Sybil couldn¡¯t help but smile when he saw how Dn was acting. His Majesty looks so energized! ¡±Your


    Majesty, are you ready?¡±


    Dn nodded and walked toward the aforementioned mansion. Right when he was about to knock,


    someone opened the door from the inside.


    Dn¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw a young and beautifuldy standing by the door. Thedy was


    undoubtedly his daughter, whom he hadn¡¯t seen for twenty years; the daughter he had with the love of


    his life.


    Finally, I¡¯ve waited for twenty years. She looks so much like Maureen. In fact, she looks exactly like


    Maureen from twenty years before. Dn couldn¡¯t get himself to look away from her.


    Arielle was stunned as well when she saw Dn because she wasn¡¯t expecting anyone to show up at


    the door.

 Chapter 1366

    Chapter 1366


    Chapter 1366 Be Her Guide


    ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± Arielle asked the strangers in Ustranasion. We are the only residents here.


    Did theye looking for us?


    At that moment, Dn was so touched that he could barely speak in coherent sentences. The sound of


    his daughter¡¯s voice rendered him speechless. Dn¡¯s silence prompted Sybil to step forward and


    snap Dn out of his daze.


    ¡°I-I came here to look for you. Thank you for traveling all the way here to teach us your medicinal


    skills,¡± Dn stuttered as he tampered down his excitement.


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure.¡± Dn¡¯s Ustranasion reply and understanding caught Arielle by surprise. Deep down,


    she couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly guilty. After all, searching for her father was the true reason she came


    here. Instead, she used teaching as an excuse to cover up the truth.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    Nevertheless, Arielle was determined to make the most of her time here and teach them to the best of


    her abilities. It¡¯d be up to them to learn as much as they could from her.


    Suddenly, Dn thought of how Arielle had opened the door before he knocked and asked, ¡°Were you


    nning to head out?¡±


    ¡°Turlen is sealed off from the outside world. Now that I¡¯m here, I n on immersing myself in its culture.


    This way, I won¡¯t have any lingering regrets when I leave.¡± Arielle nced at Dn as she spoke.


    Somehow, she found him strangely familiar. It felt as if they¡¯d met before.


    Upon hearing Arielle¡¯s exnation, Dn couldn¡¯t help but rejoice in his decision toe looking for


    her.


    ¡°May I have the honor of being your guide?¡± he asked her with a hopeful look.


    Dn was dying to spend more time with Arielle. Since such an opportunity had presented itself to him,


    he seized it without a second thought.


    Sybil panicked when he overheard Dn¡¯s offer. It will spell trouble for His Majesty and Princess if the


    queen mother and Her Majesty find out.


    But when Sybil caught sight of Dn¡¯s hopeful and eager gaze, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to quash the


    latter¡¯s hopes. Oh well, I¡¯ll let His Majesty be.


    On the other hand, Arielle was taken aback by Dn¡¯s offer. He wants to be my guide?


    For a few moments, Arielle mulled over her thoughts. Wait a minute; it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have a guide


    with me. After all, I¡¯m not too familiar with this ce. It¡¯d be great to have a trantor by my side in the


    event that I don¡¯t understand Ustranasion. Yet, he looks like someone from a high ranking. Wouldn¡¯t it


    be a waste of his time if he became my guide?


    ¡°If you have nothing else upying you at the moment, it¡¯d be great to have you as my guide,¡± Arielle


    replied with a warm smile.


    When Dn first suggested the idea of being Arielle¡¯s guide, he couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious. To her, I


    must be nothing but a random stranger. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she rejected me.


    Unexpectedly, Arielle agreed. Her simple reply sent Dn over the moon. The happiness he first


    experienced when he gained power in Turlen paled inparison to the giddiness that Dn was


    feeling right then.


    ¡°Are you heading out alone? Or will you be apanied by your parents?¡± Truthfully, Dn wanted to


    spend some alone time with Arielle. This way, he could strengthen their bond as father and daughter. In


    the future, Arielle would be less likely to shun him if their rtionship came to light.


    Despite Dn¡¯s wishes, he was afraid that the queen mother and Her Majesty might find out about their


    exchange. My own desires are not worth the risk of having our rtionship exposed. It¡¯d be best if her


    parents tagged along. Their presence would dispel any suspicion that people might have towards us.


    The corners of Arielle¡¯s lips upturned into a smile. How could I possibly have fun alone and abandon


    my parents, who apanied me here to Turlen?

 Chapter 1367

    Chapter 1367


    Chapter 1367 Wife Of Vinson


    ¡°Of course, my parents will be tagging along. It is a rare opportunity to be in Turlen; we have to tour


    together.¡±


    Dn felt his heart wrench painfully. She¡¯s my daughter¡­ She¡¯s supposed to share these moments


    with me. It¡¯s all my mother¡¯s fault for tricking me back here. Not only did I lose the person I love the


    most, I even missed out on twenty years of my daughter¡¯s life.


    Dn gave Arielle a wistful gaze. After meeting her, his desperation for power grew even further. Once


    I wield Turlen¡¯s power in my own hands, I will change thew and the nation¡¯s conditions to dere


    Arielle as my daughter!


    Before Dn could wallow any longer in his misery, the Wilhelms exited the room.


    Dn was particrly grateful for the Wilhelms. They were the ones who adopted Arielle and raised


    her as their own. Arielle¡¯s talent and outstanding ability stemmed from the Wilhelms¡¯ education.


    Quickly, Arielle introduced Dn and the Wilhelms to each other. After informing them of Dn¡¯s role


    as their guide of the day, the group set off to their destination.


    ¡°Eric, what information do you expect to gain from here?¡± Lana asked Xavier.


    Earlier this morning, she decided to tag along after Xavier borrowed her car for a trip to Celestial Lake.


    Xavier shot her a brief nce. ¡°Who told you that I¡¯m here to look into something?¡±


    His reply caused Lana¡¯s eyes to widen in shock. ¡°Then why are you here? Are you here for leisure?¡±


    She could hardly believe her ears. Earlier, Xavier informed her that he¡¯d be staying here for half a


    month. Why would he waste so much time here just to fool around?


    ¡°I¡¯m here to meet a friend. He picked this ce as our meet-up spot,¡± Xavier exined.


    Oh, he¡¯s here to meet a friend. Lana red at him petntly. Curse me and my hastiness. I should


    have asked him the reason behind this trip before I followed him here.


    Xavier nced at Lana¡¯s face. All he could think of was how cute she looked. ¡°Do you want to meet


    him as well?¡± he asked with a chuckle.


    Lana shook her head. I¡¯m not going. It¡¯s not like I know this person anyway. My presence will just serve


    to make things awkward. ¡±It¡¯s all right. I¡¯ll just stroll around while you have your meeting. You can pick


    me up after you¡¯re done.¡± She didn¡¯t want to disturb Xavier too.


    Xavier bobbed his head in acknowledgment as he stopped the car. Once they alighted the car, Xavier


    scanned his surroundings. Promptly, his eyes widened when he caught sight of something that took


    him by surprise.


    ¡°Is that Vinson¡¯s wife? What is she doing here?¡± Xavier mumbled in disbelief.


    Although he had only encountered Arielle once, the memory of her breathtaking beauty continued to


    linger on his mind. Furthermore, her identity as Vinson¡¯s wife left Xavier with asting impression.


    ¡°What did you just say?¡± Lana asked curiously.


    ¡°Nothing. Why don¡¯t you look around? I¡¯ll call you when I¡¯m done.¡± With that, Xavier took off toward


    Arielle¡¯s direction, afraid he¡¯d lose her if he lingered any longer.


    ¡°Eric!¡± Although Lana was dying for an exnation, Xavier had already disappeared amongst the


    crowd, leaving her in the dust.


    Simrly, Dn brought Arielle and the Wilhelms to Celestial Lake. It was one of Turlen¡¯s famous spots,


    and many locals frequented theke.


    Enthusiastically, Dnunched into a lengthy exnation about theke¡¯s history and current


    condition.


    Not too far off, Xavier continued to trail after them. Though he wanted a chance to talk to Arielle, the


    large group of bodyguards around them deterred him and anyone else from getting closer. Hence,


    Xavier could only watch helplessly from a distance away.


    Just as he was in the midst of brainstorming, his train of thought was interrupted by his phone¡¯s


    ringtone.


    ¡°Eric, where are you? I can¡¯t find you.¡± Dillon¡¯s worried voice echoed across the call. He was worried


    that he¡¯d miss the chance to talk to Xavier.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1368

    Chapter 1368


    Chapter 1368 Found Her


    F*ck, I forgot about my meeting with Dillon. Xavier pped a hand over his face in exasperation. ¡°I¡¯m


    so sorry. Something cropped up. Can we meet some other time?¡± he asked apologetically


    Upon hearing Xavier¡¯s urgent exnation, Dillon agreed to meet the former on another day.


    Xavier hung up and nced at Arielle again. After mulling it over, he decided to give Vinson a call.


    Back in Chanaea, Sasha ryed the findings of her investigation to Vinson.


    ¡°Boss, there¡¯s still no news about Ms. Moore.¡± There was a hint of urgency in Sasha¡¯s voice. On the


    second day that Vinson regained consciousness, she had rushed to Lightspring from Chanaea and


    spent this entire time searching for Arielle.


    Vinson¡¯s brows knitted together. With a tired voice, he instructed, ¡°Get more men involved in the


    search.¡±


    Sasha nced at Vinson, who was still heavily bandaged. ¡°All right. Please take a good rest.¡± Without


    another word, Sasha spun on her heel and left. I need to find Arielle as soon as possible.


    ¡°Arielle, where on earth are you?¡± Vinson mumbled under his breath as he nced at his phone. On


    the screen, there was a picture of him and Arielle together. Judging from his bloodshot eyes, it was


    clear that it had been a long time since he had a good night¡¯s sleep.


    A tear rolled down his cheek and dripped onto the screen, blurring Vinson¡¯s vision. Hastily, he rubbed at


    the screen with his fingers, but to no avail. Immediately, Vinson used his sleeve to clean the screen. A


    small smile broke out across his face when Arielle¡¯s picture greeted his sights again.


    Suddenly, Vinson received a phone call with an unknown caller ID. Nevertheless, he picked it up


    without a second thought. Given his current situation, Vinson would¡¯ve picked up any iing calls as


    he didn¡¯t want to miss out on any potential lead regarding Arielle. I would never forgive myself if I


    missed out on any news about her.


    ¡°Vin!¡±


    Vinson felt a stab of disappointment when he heard Xavier¡¯s voice. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you done


    with your task?¡±


    ¡°Vinson, how could you do this to me? Why didn¡¯t you tell me that your wife was visiting Turlen?¡± Xavier


    huffed. How long will it take for me to finish this task all alone?


    ¡°What?¡± Xavier¡¯s words prompted Vinson to scramble to his feet.


    ¡°F-Forget what I just said!¡± Over the phone, Xavier mistook Vinson¡¯s shock for anger.


    ¡°Xavier, who did you see in Turlen?¡± Vinson asked. He could hardly believe his own ears and needed


    confirmation.


    ¡°I saw your wife,¡± Xavier replied. He paused for a moment before he continued, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?


    Are you not aware of her visit to Turlen?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s her?¡± Vinson demanded.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m sure. Why would I call you if it wasn¡¯t her? Have you forgotten about my profession? I


    recognized her face from the very first time we met,¡± Xavier dered proudly.


    Xavier¡¯s confident reply filled Vinson with gratitude. Finally, I have a lead on Arielle¡¯s whereabouts.


    ¡°Where did you see her? Is she all right? Who is she with?¡± Vinson pestered.


    Xavier nced in Arielle¡¯s direction as he replied, ¡°She¡¯s visiting one of Turlen¡¯s famous scenic spots.


    There are about six people with her, but I don¡¯t know their rtion to her.¡±


    ¡°Can you contact her? I can¡¯t reach her.¡± Vinson ced all of his hopes on Xavier¡¯s shoulders.


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    Helplessly, Xavier shook his head. ¡°That will be difficult. There are two groups of bodyguards following


    her and keeping the crowd at bay. I can¡¯t even get close to her.¡±

 Chapter 1369

    Chapter 1369


    Chapter 1369 Father


    ¡°Got it. Follow her for the time being and see where she lives. Find a chance to speak to her. If you


    manage to speak with her, tell her to think of a way to contact me,¡± said Vinson unhesitatingly.


    At that moment, he thought that it was an amazing decision to have spent one billion sending Xavier to


    Turlen. Otherwise, he would not have gotten news about Arielle.


    ¡°Fine. Considering the one billion you have spent, I¡¯ll help you,¡± agreed Xavier firmly.


    When Dn was happily introducing the scenery to Arielle, Sybil came over and said that the former


    needed to deal with some critical matters in the pce. Immediately, Dn felt disappointed as he had


    not spent enough time with his precious daughter.


    ¡°If you¡¯re busy, you can leave first. We¡¯ll walk around for a bit more before going back,¡± said Arielle


    when she heard that Dn had matters to attend to.


    If I leave, Sybil would definitely leave with me too. Since none of the bodyguards speaks Ustranasion,


    no one would be able tomunicate with Arielle. After thinking about it for a while, Dn called


    Aaron, telling him to leave his work to Morrison ande to Celestial Lake.


    Aaron did not know that he was going there to be Arielle¡¯s guide. Initially, he nned to look for her


    after settling his work. Although he was upset that his n had been disrupted, he still went.


    When he reached, he was shocked to find out that his father and Sybil were with Arielle¡¯s family.


    ¡°Dad!¡± He walked forward briskly in surprise.


    ¡°I have some matters to attend to. Apany Mr. Wilhelm for a while before sending them back,¡± said


    Dn with a smile when he spotted Aaron.


    When Aaron saw his father smiling when talking to him, he felt a bitter feeling rise within him. Dad is


    finally smiling at me. Although it¡¯s very brief, I feel very happy.


    ¡°Sure, dad,¡± replied Aaron.


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    Both of them were speaking in Turlenese. Although Arielle¡¯s family could not understand it, they could


    guess that Dn wanted Aaron to bring them around.


    After giving his instructions to Aaron, Dn bade Arielle farewell. He was reluctant to leave, but he did


    not show it as Aaron was there.


    ¡°Ari, where do you want to go?¡± As it was a rare opportunity for Aaron to apany Arielle and the


    rest, Aaron was overjoyed. After all, this was a good opportunity for them to get closer. It¡¯ll be better if


    the Wilhelms aren¡¯t here.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired, Arielle. I want to go back,¡± said Pat as he walked forward and held Arielle¡¯s hand.


    Pat was still young. After walking with them for so long, he was definitely tired. Hence, Arielle and the


    rest decided to go back. This made Aaron gloomy. I¡¯ve just arrived! This is the best time for me to


    be closer to little kitty. But this little brat just said that he¡¯s tired. He¡¯s such a party pooper!


    But since he could not express that out loud, he had no choice but to bring them back dejectedly.


    Xavier had been following them all along. When he saw that they were about to leave in a car, he


    quickly called Lana and asked her to drive over. When the car stopped, Xavier sat beside the driver¡¯s


    seat. He pointed at the car Arielle was in and instructed anxiously, ¡°Follow them!¡±


    When Lana saw how anxious Xavier was, she followed them swiftly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too close to them in case we get exposed. Let¡¯s see where the car stops,¡± ordered Xavier.


    ¡°Why are you following them?¡± asked Lana curiously.

 Chapter 1370

    Chapter 1370


    Chapter 1370 Betrayal


    ¡°For some matters.¡±


    Since Xavier could not say it, Lana took the hint and stopped asking. An hourter, Arielle¡¯s car


    stopped at Paelsford Manor. Lana parked the car at the side and nced at Xavier.


    ¡°We can¡¯t go in. That¡¯s for VIPs, so only those with a permit can enter.¡±


    Xavier was very puzzled. Since when did Vinson¡¯s woman be Turlen¡¯s VIP? Also, why doesn¡¯t he


    know that she¡¯s here? Why can¡¯t he contact her?


    Xavier was filled with questions.


    When Lana noticed Xavier¡¯s silence, she asked, ¡°Since we can¡¯t enter, what are you nning to do


    now?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Anyway, he had already found out Arielle¡¯s location. He could always find another chance to contact


    her.


    Meanwhile, after Vinson hung up the call, he wondered who had brought Arielle to Turlen.


    He was worried when he thought about Arielle being in Turlen. Their investigation had revealed that


    someone from Turlen had most likely poisoned her mother. Hence, he was afraid that Arielle would


    expose her identity and put herself in danger.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Since Vinson already knew where Arielle was, he called Sasha and asked her to recall the men. Before


    he could dial the number, his phone rang again.


    He picked up the call. It was ke on the line, saying that he had found the ce where the


    mysterious man had locked Geoffrey¡¯s family. Upon receiving ke¡¯s call, Vinson immediately bought a


    ticket from Lightspring to where ke was.


    He returned to Chanaea early next morning. On his way back to the Nightshire residence, he instructed


    ke to bring Geoffrey¡¯s family back to the residence. He wanted to interrogate them personally.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Mr. Nightshire?¡± When Geoffrey saw Vinson being bandaged, he rushed


    forward worriedly. ¡°Why are you injured? Where¡¯s Mrs. Nightshire? Why didn¡¯t youe back with


    her?¡±


    Mr and Mrs. Nightshire went overseas together, but why is he the only one back?


    Vinson stared at the butler silently. The butler¡¯s heart beat faster.


    ¡°M-Mr. Nightshire?¡± Geoffrey stuttered as he gazed at Vinson. ¡°W-Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    ¡°Did you betray me?¡± asked Vinson as he continued staring at Geoffrey.


    When Geoffrey heard that, he was so scared that his heart skipped a beat. He gulped and replied


    nervously, ¡°N-No. How can I ever betray you?¡±


    Vinson felt upset when Geoffrey refused to admit it. After all, Geoffrey had been working for the


    Nightshires for decades. Now that he hadmitted a mistake, he chose to deny it.


    ¡°ke,¡± Vinson called out softly. ke immediately entered from outside, apanied with a man and


    two women.


    ¡°Dad!¡± a teenage girl beside ke called out.


    Upon hearing that familiar voice, Geoffrey immediately turned around. His eyes turned red in surprise


    and excitement when he saw those three people behind him.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire, I¡­¡± Geoffrey realized that Vinson had found out about him being a spy.


    ¡°Dad, how can you do something to betray Mr. Nightshire? Since when have Mr. and Mrs. Nightshire


    done anything bad to us?¡± The person who spoke was Geoffrey¡¯s neen-year-old son. He was an


    honest and righteous boy.


    ¡°Geoffrey, you¡¯ve really let Mr. and Mrs. Nightshire down. Don¡¯t you, of all people, know about


    everything they¡¯ve done for us?¡± said Geoffrey¡¯s wife in disappointment as she stared at him. It¡¯s a


    good thing that he wants us to survive, but how can he betray Mr. Nightshire?

 Chapter 1371

    Chapter 1371


    Chapter 1371 Admitting To It


    On the way, the three of them were embarrassed to hear ke¡¯s words.


    Geoffrey had worked for the Nightshires for a few decades, so Vinson knew his wife and kid. He was


    pleased that they seemed honest. Looking at Geoffrey, he said, ¡°Tell me everything you know.¡±


    He wanted to know why the culprit arranged for Geoffrey to be a spy. What does the culprit want from


    Geoffrey?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Vinson,¡± Geoffrey apologized sincerely. He was both ted and guilty after being


    reunited with his wife and kid.


    ¡°No need to apologize. Just tell me everything,¡± Vinson told him.


    Geoffrey was stumped, for there was nothing much he could say.


    ¡°A while ago, I went back home to realize my wife wasn¡¯t there. I assumed she went out and didn¡¯t think


    much about it. Soon, someone sent me a video.¡± Geoffrey proceeded to reveal everything with his eyes


    shut. In the end, he concluded, ¡°Mr. Vinson, I didn¡¯t touch the thirty million. I never wanted the money in


    the first ce.¡±


    ¡°Take the money. You can spend it however you like.¡± That would be Geoffrey¡¯spensation. Vinson


    gazed at him and said in a serious manner, ¡°You should¡¯ve informed me about this in the first ce. Do


    you think they will release your wife and child after you told them what they wanted?¡±


    Geoffrey knew his decision was wrong, but he was utterly flustered when his wife and child were


    kidnapped. The kidnapper imed they would be in danger if he refused to listen to their instructions.


    Thus, Geoffrey had no choice but to do as told.


    ¡°Mr. Vinson, from now on, I will let you know immediately no matter what happens in the future,¡±


    Geoffrey promised. He felt so guilty that he couldn¡¯t bring himself to look up.


    The next day, Susanne came home when Vinson was about to leave. She found out that Vinson had


    questioned Geoffrey. Before that, she had no idea her son flew back home from Lightspring. Her


    instincts told her something was wrong, for Vinson went to question Geoffrey upon arrival. Thus, she


    rushed back home instantly.


    ¡°Why are you hurt?¡± Susanne gaped in disbelief at the sight of Vinson¡¯s bandage. She scurried forward,


    concern evident in her eyes.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Under her concerned gaze, Vinson said in a low voice, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m fine. This is just a minor wound, so


    don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Susanne knew her son well, so it didn¡¯t escape her notice that he didn¡¯t want her to worry about him.


    She huffed, ¡°This isn¡¯t a minor wound!¡± After saying that, she urged him to undergo a checkup at the


    hospital.


    Knowing she was worried about him, Vinson had no choice but to agree to her request reluctantly.


    ¡°Where is Sannie? Didn¡¯t shee back with you? Why did you question Geoffrey upon arrival? What


    did he do wrong?¡±


    Vinson¡¯s expression turned dark when he heard Arielle¡¯s name. ¡°Mom, Sannie has been kidnapped.¡±


    ¡°What? By who? How dare they kidnap one of the Nightshires? Does the kidnapper have a death


    wish?¡± Susanne dered heatedly.


    Vinson¡¯s voice was icy as he said, ¡°It might be someone from Turlen.¡±


    Susanne was stunned. ¡°What? I-It¡¯s someone from Turlen? That country I told you about previously?¡±


    Vinson gave a curt nod. ¡°They kidnapped Geoffrey¡¯s family and forced him to provide them information


    about our family. I questioned him, but he didn¡¯t know much about the culprit and couldn¡¯t provide any


    useful information.¡±

 Chapter 1372

    Chapter 1372


    Chapter 1372 Confession


    ¡°How did you find out those who kidnapped Geoffrey¡¯s family are Turlenians?¡±


    ¡°Geoffrey described the person¡¯s face. We ran a search but didn¡¯t find this person in the global face


    database. Turlen is the only country not in the database,¡± Vinson revealed calmly. After a pause, he


    added, ¡°Besides, someone saw Sannie in Turlen.¡±


    ¡°Someone saw Sannie?¡± Susanne was confused. ¡°But isn¡¯t Turlen closed to outsiders? How did you


    know someone spotted her there?¡±


    ¡°Previously, I hired an investigator and told him to sneak into Turlen to find out something. I didn¡¯t know


    he¡¯ll see Sannie there,¡± Vinson exined patiently.


    Susanne was at a loss for words.


    Seeing her reaction, Vinson btedly recalled she used to be against their rtionship because of


    Turlen. He massaged his temples and assured her, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry about Turlen. I¡¯ll bring Sannie


    back safely.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going there personally?¡± Susanne was concerned.


    ¡°Mm. You know how difficult it is for outsiders to enter Turlen. I can¡¯t leave this to someone else. Our


    efforts will go down the drain if we alert the enemies.¡±


    He¡¯s right. But as a mother, I can¡¯t watch my son risking his life to save Arielle. He¡¯s already wounded!


    ¡°You should rest and head there after you recover.¡± She tried to persuade him to dy his departure.


    Vinson shook his head. He refused to wait any longer. In fact, he wanted to bring Arielle back right that


    instant.


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine. Sannie¡¯s more important now,¡± Vinson told her. He got to his feet to head


    out.


    Suddenly, Susanne¡¯s eyes widened. She ran to the door and yelled, ¡°Vinson¡­¡±


    At that moment, back in Turlen.


    Aaron arrived at Paelsford Manor with a bouquet of lush roses.


    ¡°Arielle, this is for you!¡± He shed a devilishly handsome smile and offered the bouquet to


    Arielle. From today onward, I shall court Arielle and make her forget about Vinson.


    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Arielle rolled her eyes irritatedly.


    Hearing that, Aaron brightened up. ¡°How do you know I¡¯m crazy? Yes, I miss you like crazy!¡± he


    dered.


    ¡°You¡¯re a lunatic!¡±


    ¡°Ms. Moore, I¡¯ve decided to court you. No matter what you say, I won¡¯t take it to heart,¡± Aaron


    announced cheerfully, ignoring herment.


    ¡°Thanks for that, but I won¡¯t ept it. I¡¯m already married to the man I love,¡± Arielle snorted.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Aaron was upset to hear that Vinson was the man Arielle loved from her lips. ¡°So what if you¡¯re


    married? You can get a divorce anytime.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I can get a divorce.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you shall get a divorce then!¡± A triumphant smile hung on Aaron¡¯s lips.


    Arielle gazed at him as though he had gone mad. ¡°Why would I divorce him? We love each other


    deeply. There¡¯s no way we¡¯ll get a divorce.¡±


    Aaron was speechless.


    ¡°I¡¯m better than Vinson,¡± he argued.


    ¡°But I only love Vinson,¡± Arielle replied calmly.


    Aaron felt his heart break into a million pieces. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you fall in love with me.¡±


    Arielle shot him a look and shook her head. ¡°Perhaps the next lifetime. You don¡¯t stand a chance this


    lifetime.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Aaron managed between gritted teeth.


    ¡°Because Vinson is the only man I love in this lifetime,¡± Arielle repeated. Is he a fool? Haven¡¯t I made


    myself clear?

 Chapter 1373

    Chapter 1373


    Chapter 1373 Worried


    Aaron was about to burst from rage. How is Vinson better than me? She keeps talking about him. I¡¯m


    the Prince of Turlen!


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you know I¡¯m a thousand times better than Vinson!¡± Aaron tossed the bouquet of roses into her


    lap angrily and plopped into the couch.


    Arielle grabbed the bouquet subconsciously. Finding his furious expression adorable, she went up to


    him and ruffled his hair. ¡°All right. Don¡¯t be angry. I should be the one getting angry.¡±


    ¡°What? No one¡¯s angry. I¡¯m not angry,¡± Aaron insisted stubbornly.


    Hey! How could she touch my head? Doesn¡¯t she know how much I hate others touching my head? His


    eyes darted around. Arielle might¡¯ve touched his head, but he didn¡¯t find it repulsive. In fact, it gave him


    an affectionate feeling.


    ¡°All right, you¡¯re not mad.¡± Arielle threw the roses back to him. ¡°I¡¯m going to the medical school the day


    after tomorrow. When are you going to teach me Turlenese? It¡¯s hard tomunicate with my students


    if I don¡¯t know how to speak Turlenese.¡±


    Aaron straightened his back and handed the roses to the housekeeper. He told the housekeeper to


    deal with the roses before turning back to Arielle.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start teaching you now.¡±


    Aaron spent the entire afternoon teaching Arielle Turlenese in Paelsford Manor. He was usually


    snobbish, but right then, he was a serious and strict teacher.


    ¡°I know you have photographic memory, but I had no idea you¡¯re a genius innguage,¡± Aaron


    commented in surprise.


    Arielle snorted and shot him a smirk. ¡°Young man, I¡¯m amazing, right?


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to thank me for being a good teacher,¡± Aaron huffed. She might be older than me, but


    there¡¯s no reason for her to call me ¡°young man.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Arielle rested her chin on her palm and gazed at him. She then reached out to pinch his


    cheek. ¡°Thanks! You¡¯re a great teacher. Keep it up!¡±


    Aaron had seen her pinch Pat countless times, but he didn¡¯t know she¡¯d also pinch him. His ears turned


    red as he said hastily, ¡°I need to go. I just remembered that I have something else to do.¡± With that, he


    fled the scene.


    The next day, in a hospital in Chanaea.


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    ¡°How are you? Do you feel unwell?¡± Susanne asked the minute Vinson opened his eyes.


    Vinson shook his head weakly and took in the antiseptic smell wafting in the air. Frowning, he asked,


    ¡°Mom, why are you here? When did youe to Lightspring?¡±


    Lightspring?


    Susanne was instantly overwhelmed with anxiety. Is my son ill?


    She gazed at Vinson and told him, ¡°You¡¯re in a hospital in Chanaea.¡±


    Hospital? Why am I in a hospital?


    Susanne shot him a worried look. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember anything?¡±


    Vinson shook his head helplessly, for he seemed to have forgotten what happened.


    ¡°You received ke¡¯s call and flew back from Lightspring. After questioning Geoffrey, you wanted to


    head to Turlen to look for Sannie,¡± Susanne reminded him.


    Hearing that, Vinson finally regained snippets of his memory.


    Susanne was worried sick when she recalled how he fainted at the door. ¡°Vinson, are you really all


    right?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I guess I didn¡¯t get enough rest after the surgery and got muddled. Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s nothing


    serious,¡± Vinsonforted her while massaging his temples.


    Despite hearing him say so, Susanne didn¡¯t rx. His memory is muddled up. How could I not worry


    about him? Not wanting Vinson to worry about her, she didn¡¯t show her concern on her face.


    ¡°Mm. I¡¯m d you¡¯re fine. If you feel unwell, remember to tell me or the doctor,¡± Susanne reminded him.

 Chapter 1374

    Chapter 1374


    Chapter 1374 Climbing A Tree


    Her concern was obvious, so Vinson nodded to assure her.


    ¡°Mom, you should go home and get some rest.¡± Susanne had dark eye circles and looked weary after


    staying up the entire night.


    Initially, Susanne wanted to stay and keep himpany. However, he had just woken up and needed


    more rest. Thus, she decided to head back and prepare some nutritious food for him.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll go home now. Have a good rest. If you need anything, just ring the bell and summon the


    nurse.¡± After reminding Vinson to get some rest, Susanne called Rayson and asked him to keep Vinson


    company.


    As Vinson wasn¡¯t in thepany, Rayson had to deal with work. Vinson rejected Susanne¡¯s offer to


    summon Rayson so thetter could work in peace. s, Susanne refused to listen to him.


    ¡°All right. Let hime, then.¡± I need to talk to him, anyway.


    Right after Susanne left his ward, Vinson immediately gave Xavier a call. He couldn¡¯t bear to be apart


    from Arielle and wanted to see her right that minute.


    ¡°Vin?¡± Xavier was surprised to receive his call. Why did he call me at this hour?


    ¡°Did you manage to contact her?¡± Vinson asked.


    Xavier knew who he was referring to. ¡°No. If I manage to contact her, I¡¯ll let you know right away.¡±


    Vinson was disappointed to learn that he didn¡¯t manage to contact Arielle. ¡°I¡¯m going over. Do you have


    a way for me to get in?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but you¡¯ll have toe a bitter,¡± came Xavier¡¯s answer.


    It was Dillon who helped him get into Turlen. After spending some time here, he discovered how to


    sneak someone across the borders.


    Vinson heaved a sigh of relief after learning he could get into Turlen. I don¡¯t mind waiting a few more


    days as long as I can get into the country.


    ¡°All right. Give me a call when you¡¯re prepared. I can head there anytime,¡± Vinson said.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Vinson wouldn¡¯t be going to Turlen until a few dayster, so he grabbed the chance to rest and


    recuperate so he could meet Arielle as a healthy man.


    Meanwhile, outside Paelsford Manor in Turlen.


    Xavier asked Lana to send him to Paelsford Manor early in the morning. To prevent others from


    spotting them, Lana left immediately after he got out of the car. Xavier nced around and hid in the


    landscape forest not far away. He decided to wait here until Arielle showed up. I believe Vinson¡¯s wife


    will show up sooner orter.


    After Arielle washed up, she put on a tracksuit and came out of the mansion for her morning run.


    There was a stadium beside the mansion, so Arielle jogged around the track inside. Xavier studied his


    surroundings using his binocrs and suddenly saw Arielle on her jog. The very sight got his heart


    racing tedly.


    He wanted to yell out loud to get Arielle toe over to him, but was afraid that his yell would attract


    the bodyguard¡¯s attention instead. After pondering briefly, he went over to the stadium silently.


    The stadium was surrounded by trees, so he could conceal himself. s, the walls blocked his view,


    and he couldn¡¯t see Arielle¡¯s location.


    Do I have to climb a tree? Xavier was stumped as he studied the wall which was two meters tall.


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    Dogs scare me the most, and the only thing I can¡¯t do is climb trees. How should I climb up a tree?


    He stroke his chin and walked around the tree several times before making up his mind. Taking off his


    leather shoes, he ced them aside. He then shrugged out of his jacket and left it above his shoes. His


    binocrs was also left on top of his jacket. He spat on his palms before proceeding to climb up the


    tree.

 Chapter 1375

    Chapter 1375


    Chapter 1375 Got In Touch


    Halfway up the tree, Xavier was about to get to see the inside of the stadium when his phone suddenly


    rang. With his right arm wrapped around the tree, he used his left arm to get his phone out. His left


    pocket was empty, so he quickly wrapped his left arm around the tree and used his right arm to dig for


    his phone. To his surprise, his right pocket was empty, too.


    It was then he realized he had left his phone on his jacket on the ground. Looking down, he was on the


    verge of tears.


    ¡°D*mn it! Who could it be?¡± Xavier swore under his breath as his eyes turned red. I forgot to switch it to


    silent mode. There are plenty of bodyguards around. If they heard it and found me¡­


    As that thought urred to him, he released his grip on the tree and slid down hastily. Whipping out his


    phone, he rejected the call and set it to silent mode.


    ¡°Vinson, I¡¯ll make sure you pay me a hundred grand or more to make it up to me,¡± he cursed under his


    breath after ncing at his palms, which had turned red after he slid down the tree in his haste to reject


    the call.


    After tossing his phone onto his jacket, he turned to stare at the tree miserably. With his earlier


    experience, he climbed up without much difficulty. This time, he reached the spot where he could peek


    into the stadium faster than before.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± Xavier blurted out in confusion at the sight of the empty stadium.


    I finally managed to climb up the tree. Where has she gone? He wanted to use his binocrs, but it


    was beneath the tree. Don¡¯t tell me I have to go down and climb up again?


    Xavier was stuck. I don¡¯t know if I can climb back up after heading down. I¡¯ve exhausted my energy and


    courage.


    He was about to get to talk to Arielle, so there was no way he¡¯d let the chance slip. After a brief


    hesitation, he decided to head down and get his binocrs. Suddenly, a stick materialized out of thin


    air and poked at him.


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    ¡°F*ck, what is this?¡± As the stick nearly pieced his eye, Xavier immediately dodged out of its way.


    Chanaean?


    Arielle was delighted to hear a familiarnguage in a foreign country.


    When she was jogging earlier, she noticed someone had climbed a tree to peek into the stadium.


    Assuming it was a pervert, she avoided the bodyguards and came to him. She also found herself a


    stick and poked up the tree.


    ¡°Who are you? Why are you here?¡± Arielle asked softly after retracting the stick.


    ¡°You¡¯re Vinson¡¯s wife, right? I¡¯m the private investigator he hired. We met previously in the bar,¡± Xavier


    introduced himself swiftly.


    Oh, it¡¯s him! Arielle was ted. He¡¯s already in Turlen? That¡¯s fast. It means he¡¯s a capable person.


    ¡°Are you in contact with Vinson? If you are, can you ask about his injuries? Tell him I¡¯m doing well.


    There¡¯s no need for him to worry.¡± After reuniting with a fellow Chanaean, Arielle wanted to know how


    Vinson was doing.


    ¡°Yes, we are in contact. He wants toe here, but I can only bring him in a few dayster. I have to


    wait for an opportunity to sneak him in,¡± Xavier exined. He then asked, ¡°What about you? How did


    you get here? Vinson was worried sick about you.¡±


    ¡°Turlen¡¯scking behind in the medical industry, so they forced me toe here to teach them. My


    adoptive parents and Pat are here. They blocked the signal here, so we don¡¯t have any means to


    contact him. If you manage to contact him, tell him there¡¯s no need for him to worry about me. I¡¯m doing


    we¡¯ll here.¡±


    Arielle knew Vinson would panic after she disappeared, so she quickly exined her situation to Xavier


    so he¡¯d ry her message to Vinson. That way, Vinson wouldn¡¯t worry about her.


    Xavier had no idea Arielle was doing this badly here. She was here to teach them, but couldn¡¯t even


    contact anyone else.


    He looked at Arielle within the walls and sighed.

 Chapter 1376

    Chapter 1376


    Chapter 1376 Mr Quillen


    ¡°Got it. How should I contact you next time?¡± Xavier asked.


    Arielle pondered over the matter, for he couldn¡¯t climb trees every time he wanted to contact her, could


    he? Suddenly, her eyes lit up. ¡°From tomorrow onwards, I¡¯ll be teaching at the medical school. You


    should find a way to contact me.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go home and figure a way.¡± I don¡¯t want to climb trees every time Ie here.


    ¡°Ms. Moore? Ms. Moore!¡± Suddenly, someone¡¯s voice rang out. Both Arielle and Xavier jumped in fright.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s looking for you, so I should leave. I¡¯ll contact you soon.¡± With that said, Xavier slid down


    the tree.


    ¡°F*ck, it hurts!¡± he cursed after getting to the ground. His palm was grazed from the friction against the


    tree bark, and blood trickled out of the wound.


    On the other side of the wall, Arielle had run toward the stadium after Xavier disappeared out of sight


    as she was afraid someone would notice him.


    ¡°Ms. Moore!¡± The servant ran up to her.


    Arielle came to a stop and inquired, ¡°How can I help you?¡±


    After learning Turlenese, she couldmunicate with the people here.


    ¡°Mr. Quillen is here. He wants to meet you,¡± the servant reported politely.


    Mr. Quillen? Arielle¡¯s brows snapped together. Who is that?


    Puzzled, Arielle headed back to the mansion.


    ¡°Ms. Moore!¡± Sybil Quillen stepped forward to wee her warmly.


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    After their return, Dn had been wanting to meet her, but Sybil managed to deter Dn from doing


    so. Times are turbulent now. If His Majesty shows up here, he¡¯ll merely bring trouble to the princess.


    The queen mother and Her Majesty have been keeping an eye on him.


    Arielle recognized the man at once. Isn¡¯t he the one who became my tour guidest time? She shed


    a smile and went to him. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. Hello. Is something up?¡±


    Back in the pce.


    ¡°Aaron, did you hear my words?¡± The queen gave her son a sharp stare.


    ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t even like her. Why are you forcing me to be with her?¡± Aaron gazed at his mother


    irritatedly.


    She summoned me here early in the morning. I thought it was an urgent matter and hurried over


    immediately, but turns out she wants me to attend a blind date.


    ¡°Who do you like?¡± The queen stared at him. ¡°Sonia? Emmy? Or Lucy?¡±


    Aaron stared at her in exasperation. ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t like either of them. Stop making arrangements.¡±


    These youngdies were from influential families in Turlen, and Aaron didn¡¯t want his marriage to end


    up as a deal.


    ¡°What is your type? Aaron, you don¡¯t have a choice. You can only pick one among them,¡± the queen


    told him coolly.


    Aaron was displeased by how authoritative she was. ¡°Stop it. I am in love with someone else. She¡¯s the


    only person I¡¯ll marry.¡±


    ¡°Who do you like?¡± The queen gazed at him and asked, ¡°Is it the girl you brought back earlier?¡±


    ¡°Are you spying on me?¡± Aaron¡¯s voice turned icy when the queen mentioned Arielle.


    It really is the Chanaean woman. The queen was infuriated. Back then, Dn went to Chanaea


    secretly and met that woman there. He refused toe back and marry me. I can¡¯t believe my son fell


    in love with a Chanaean woman after heading there twice!


    ¡°Spy on you? Do I even have to do that? Everyone knows you brought a Chanaean woman back to


    teach the doctors here,¡± the queen responded calmly. Her voice turned authoritative as she said,


    ¡°Aaron, I¡¯ll have to remind you that Turlenians aren¡¯t allowed to marry foreigners. I don¡¯t care what you


    feel for that woman; you¡¯ll have to give up on her.¡±

 Chapter 1377

    Chapter 1377


    Chapter 1377 Spend Time Together


    There was no way the queen would allow her son to marry a Chanaean woman.


    ¡°Mother, we¡¯re in the twenty-first century! Why aren¡¯t we allowed to marry a foreigner? It¡¯s time to


    amend thew,¡± Aaron retorted unhappily.


    He loved being with Arielle. Initially, he thought he could persuade his mother and grandmother to


    change their minds gradually. s, the queen realized his intentions swiftly and refused to budge.


    It¡¯s time to amend thisw. Countries out there are advancing at a swift speed. There¡¯s no need to keep


    our country inessible to everyone. We should allow foreigners to enter so we can learn from other


    countries and marry anyone we like


    ¡°Amend thew? Do you think it¡¯s an easy feat?¡± The queen red at him. ¡°Stop imagining things. After


    this meal, bring Sonia out for the day. You both should spend time together. I¡¯ll call her familyter, so


    just head to her house.¡± There was a finality to her tone that warned him not to refute her order.


    ¡°You can spend time with her if you want. I won¡¯t do that!¡± Aaron knew he couldn¡¯t make her change


    her mind. Furious, he spun on his heels and marched out.


    ¡°Stand right there!¡± the queen barked out angrily when she realized he was going to leave.


    Aaron halted in his tracks momentarily, but he ignored her order and strode away.


    ¡°Oh, what an ungrateful brat! I¡¯m doing this for his sake!¡± The queen heaved furiously.


    ¡°Your Majesty, His Royal Highness is still young and doesn¡¯t know your intentions. You should talk to


    him patiently instead of getting upset,¡± her trusted aide, Miranda, came forward andforted her.


    ¡°Send someone to keep an eye on that Chanaean girl!¡± How dare she seduces my son? No matter who


    she is, I won¡¯t let her off the hook.


    After exiting the pce, Aaron was about to head to Paelsford Manor when his aide, Barock, stopped


    him from leaving.


    ¡°Mr. Aaron, Mr. Bernd was involved in a car ident. The doctor said he needs to amputate his leg, so


    his father called and asked for Ms. Moore¡¯s help to get a second opinion.¡±


    Aaron panicked when he learned that Bernd Kirkwood, his best friend, was involved in a car crash and


    was at risk of being amputated. Without further dy, he rushed to Paelsford Manor.


    ¡°Arielle,e with me!¡± After running into the mansion, he spotted Arielle watching TV on the couch


    and dragged her out hastily.


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    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Arielle shook him off. ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°This is a life and death matter. I¡¯ll exin to you in the car.¡±


    Arielle immediately told him to lead the way.


    On the way to the hospital, Aaron exined the matter briefly.


    ¡°Arielle, are you confident of sparing him the pain of amputating his leg?¡± Aaron asked. Afraid of


    increasing her pressure, he said softly, ¡°If you can¡¯t do that, he has no choice but to ept his fate.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know his situation, so I can¡¯t give you an answer. We¡¯ll see after I check him out at the hospital.¡±


    Arielle knew the patient was his best friend, so she promised, ¡°As long as there is a ray of hope, I¡¯ll do


    my best to save his leg.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Aaron was grateful.


    Half an hourter, the car rolled to a stop before the hospital. They alighted from the car and dashed to


    the operation room.


    ¡°How¡¯s the situation?¡± Arielle demanded.


    No one knew the Chanaean doctor was fluent in Turlenese. The doctor and family were momentarily


    stunned.


    As they stared at her without saying anything, Arielle¡¯s voice turned icy. ¡°I¡¯m asking a question. Why


    aren¡¯t you answering me?¡±


    The doctor was the first to regain hisposure. He was Bernd¡¯s attending doctor and wanted to


    amputate Bernd¡¯s leg, but Bernd¡¯s father refused to let him do so. Thus, they were currently in a


    deadlock.

 Chapter 1378

    Chapter 1378


    Chapter 1378 ss


    ¡°This is the patient¡¯s file.¡± The attending doctor handed Bernd¡¯s file to Arielle.


    After reading the file quickly, Arielle told them to prepare the green scrubs for her.


    She changed and headed into the operation room. The attending doctor went in right after her.


    Inside the operation room, Bernd was unconscious. Arielle strode in and removed the covers to check


    his leg. She examined him thoroughly. He was seriously injured, but there was no need to amputate his


    leg yet.


    Arielle had just arrived, but the doctors and nurses cooperated with her willingly. Everyone knew the


    royal family had invited her to the country so she could teach them medical skills.


    Despite being a great country, Turlen wascking in its medical field.


    Thanks to Bernd, the medical staff could observe the surgery from a close proximity. They could barely


    hide their excitement.


    The operating room was silent save for Arielle¡¯s asional curt but professional orders.


    ¡°Forceps.¡±


    ¡°Scalpel.¡±


    ¡°Electric drill.¡±


    The operation went on for four hours. Arielle¡¯s assistant kept wiping her sweat away attentively, but she


    kept her eyes fixated on the operating table. She was focused on the operation. Her face might be


    hidden underneath the mask, but everyone present couldn¡¯t help but admire her for her tenacity. There


    was a unique charm about her when she was operating on the patient in a serious manner, and they


    couldn¡¯t keep their eyes off her.


    ¡°Stitch this up,¡± Arielle finally dered.


    The assistant immediately stepped forward to do as told. Arielle then stepped out of the operating


    room.


    ¡°How did the operation go? Did you save his leg?¡± Bernd¡¯s mother, Sna, came up eagerly after


    spotting Arielleing out of the operating room.


    Before Arielle could reply, Aaron stepped forward. ¡°You must be exhausted. Are you starving? Let¡¯s go


    grab a bite.¡±


    As he spoke in Ustranasion, the Turlenians couldn¡¯t understand him and gazed at them in


    bewilderment.


    Arielle spotted the concern in his gaze. She shook her head and turned to the patient¡¯s family. ¡°Don¡¯t


    worry, for the operation was a sess. His leg is safe. He¡¯ll just have to take more rest and undergo


    physiotherapyter on.¡±


    Bernd¡¯s mother burst into happy tears when she learned that her son¡¯s leg had been spared. She


    rushed forward to grab Arielle¡¯s hand. ¡°Thank you! Thank you so much,¡± she thanked Arielle in a


    trembling voice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I¡¯m just doing my job.¡± Arielle was a doctor whose responsibility was to save her


    patients.


    ¡°Mrs. Kirkwood, she has been operating on Bernd for hours. I shall bring her back so she could get


    some rest.¡± Aaron then turned to Arielle and said, ¡°Change your clothes. We¡¯ll go grab something to


    eat.¡±


    Sna released her grip on Arielle. After Arielle left to change her clothes, Sna went to Aaron. ¡°Your


    Royal Highness, after Bernd gets discharged from the hospital, remember to bring her to our home for


    a meal.¡±


    The Turlenians would only invite distinguished guests to a meal at their house. They would prepare


    everything thoroughly so their guests would have a great time.


    Aaron nodded. Arielle doesn¡¯t know anyone here. It would be great if she gets to befriend Sna and


    the rest.


    After Arielle changed out of the scrubs and came out, Aaron brought her to a restaurant.


    They then headed back to Paelsford Manor. Arielle was going to teach at the medical school the next


    day, and she had yet to learn how to speak many medical terms in Turlenese. Thus, she had to burn


    the midnight oil that night.


    Arielle was busy learning Turlenese. Back in Chanaea, the Inte had erupted into a frenzy.


    It all started from yesterday.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    Sam had no idea that Arielle was in Turlen. After a brief deliberation, Vinson decided to inform him


    about it.

 Chapter 1379

    Chapter 1379


    Chapter 1379 Trouble


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Sam didn¡¯t save Vinson¡¯s number and answered the call impatiently. That day, the actor


    wasn¡¯t acting well and kept having bad takes, so he was on the verge of cursing out loud.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Vinson Nightshire,¡± Vinson answered in a low voice, ignoring Sam¡¯s impatient tone.


    Vinson Nightshire!


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    Sam sat up at once.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire, what¡¯s the matter?¡± he asked carefully.


    ¡°Arielle can¡¯t film the movie for now. You can get another actress to take over her role or wait for her to


    return.¡± Vinson didn¡¯t bother beating around the bush.


    Sam was speechless


    ¡°Where is she? When will she be back?¡± He felt an iing headache at the surprising piece of news.


    ¡°She has been kidnapped and is currently in Turlen¡ªa country that is off limits to foreigners. I¡¯m not


    sure when I can bring her back.¡± Vinson trusted Sam, so he revealed the truth to thetter honestly.


    Sam had no idea Arielle had been kidnapped. His voice grew serious as he promised, ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll keep it


    a secret.¡±


    There was no news about Arielle in the Inte, so it was obvious that Vinson had kept a lid on the


    news.


    Vinson thanked Sam and cut the line.


    The next day, Sam informed everyone that Arielle was going to take a long break and wouldn¡¯t be


    filming for now. Her scenes would be pushed back till the end of the schedule.


    ¡°Rich people like her have the privilege to stop filming whenever she likes, huh? What a diva,¡± the


    supporting female charactermented enviously.


    ¡°There are many people involved in the movie. She¡¯s the female lead, but decided not to show up just


    like that,¡± another female side character chimed in unhappily.


    If we¡¯re wealthy enough, we could ask for a long break just like Arielle if we don¡¯t feel like filming the


    movie.


    As the film crew didn¡¯t know the truth, theyshed out at Arielle on social media, and it ended up as


    one of the trending topics.


    Sann Group¡¯s Chairman, Now An Arrogant Actress


    Onement read: Ah, the perks of being a wealthy person. She could take a break if she doesn¡¯t feel


    like filming. What a b*tch!


    Anotherment read: She took off just like that. She acted like a diva and affected the others¡¯


    progress. Why did she get to enter the entertainment industry in the first ce?


    Tons of derogatoryments spread online.


    Someizens went to Arielle¡¯s restaurant previously and had talked to her, so they knew she was a


    kind and pretty youngdy. They proceeded to defend Arielle online.


    Onement read: I went to Ms. Moore¡¯s restaurant once. She¡¯s a gentle and kind youngdy!


    The followingment read: I agree! Ms. Moore is pretty, kind, and gentle. There¡¯s no way she¡¯s a


    diva. Her rival must¡¯ve spread a rumor to defame her.


    Anotherment read: Sigh, the haters are really annoying. Ms. Moore took a break and ended up


    being cursed.


    A celebrity tweeted: I¡¯ve met Arielle before, and she¡¯s a kind youngdy. There¡¯s no way she¡¯s a diva.


    Someone replied under her tweet: I¡¯ve been to her restaurant a few times and bumped into her. Despite


    being a big shot, she¡¯s humble.


    At the same time, Jason tweeted using his official ount: Arielle is a professional actress. She took a


    break as something cropped up. Please stop spreading rumors.


    After the post went up, many unknownizens proceeded to expose him.


    One reply read: I know you like Arielle and often talked to her on the set. However, please stop fooling


    the public. She¡¯s a diva, and that¡¯s a fact.


    Another reply read: I agree!


    Jason¡¯s fans proceeded to reply to him. Onement read: Mr. Jason, please focus on your work.


    Arielle isn¡¯t worthy of you.


    Another read: Mr. Jason, good luck with filming!


    Another agreed: Yes, there¡¯s no way Mr. Jason likes Arielle. She¡¯s a married woman!


    Jason was trying to help Arielle out, but he ended up getting into trouble.

 Chapter 1380

    Chapter 1380


    Chapter 1380 Too Free


    His manager, Gracie, grew flustered.


    ¡°What do you want to achieve? Don¡¯t you know how smart theizens are?¡±


    ¡°I know, so stop chiding me,¡± Jason retorted. He was about to use his alternate ount to pay for fake


    ounts to turn the tide on Arielle¡¯s behalf, but Gracie immediately stopped him from doing so.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t do that. Mr. Nightshire will take care of it,¡± Gracie advised.


    Upon recalling who Arielle¡¯s husband was, Jason ced his phone down weakly.


    Gracie¡¯s right. I¡¯m in no position to interfere in Arielle¡¯s matter. The man wille up with a n.


    The rumors spread like wildfire, and theizens kept posting derogatoryments about Arielle.


    After finding out about it, Rayson promptly gave Vinson a call.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire, you need to go online. Everyone¡¯sshing out at Ms. Moore,¡± he reported hastily after


    the call was connected.


    Everyone¡¯sshing out at Sannie?


    Vinson cut the line and went online to find out what had happened.


    The more he read, the more furious he got.


    Don¡¯t they have anything better to do?


    Tamping down his frustration, Vinson called Joan to ask, ¡°Can you stop the topic from trending?¡±


    Joan had also seen the trending news, so she was at a loss of what to do. She couldn¡¯t even get in


    touch with Arielle.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire, where is Ms. Moore? I can¡¯t reach her,¡± Joan demanded unhappily. She wanted to rest


    for two months before taking on another celebrity, but Vinson persuaded her to change her mind and


    take Arielle on.


    This is outrageous. I¡¯ve only taken over for two days before she went missing. Now, I can¡¯t even reach


    her.


    ¡°Sannie¡¯s been kidnapped. She¡¯s currently in Turlen, so no one can reach her,¡± Vinson revealed grimly.


    ¡°What?¡± Joan could barely hide her surprise.


    I can¡¯t believe the kidnapper was bold enough to kidnap the Chairman of Sann Group, also thedy


    boss of Nightshire Group! Does he or she have a death wish?


    She fell silent for one whole minute before saying, ¡°It¡¯s useless to remove the trending topic now.


    Everyone knows about it, and there¡¯s nothing we can do to keep the situation under control.¡±


    ¡°What should we do now?¡± Vinson¡¯s expression was dark. I can¡¯t just do nothing and watch as the


    netizens insult Sannie, can I?


    Joan thought about it and suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s reveal her kidnapping online.¡±


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Vinson initially wanted to keep Arielle¡¯s kidnapping from the public, but the situation was no longer


    under control. He had no choice but to agree to Joan¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°All right. You can announce it on your end.¡± Only a few people knew that they were married, so he


    couldn¡¯t make the announcement personally.


    After hanging up, Joan registered for a Twitter ount.


    Five minutester, she posted a tweet: I¡¯m Arielle Moore¡¯s manager, Joan Fraser. Arielle has been


    kidnapped a few days ago, and I can¡¯t reach her temporarily. I have no choice but to ask for a leave on


    her behalf. I can¡¯t believe she was used of being a diva and ended up on the trending topics. I


    apologize for wasting everyone¡¯s time.


    One reply read: What the f*ck? Arielle¡¯s manager is the famous Joan Fraser? The moment theizen


    posted that reply, others promptly agreed with him.


    Anotherizen replied: Hahaha! This is funny. Did Joan¡¯s ount get hacked?


    Joan had been keeping an eye on her tweet, so she immediately responded: Hello, I¡¯m Joan Fraser,


    and this is my official ount. If you don¡¯t believe me, I can post a video to prove myself.


    Not expecting her to reply, theizen replied hastily: No need for that. I trust you. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re


    Arielle¡¯s manager!

 Chapter 1381

    Chapter 1381


    Chapter 1381 A Different Kind Of Kidnapping


    That is not the point, dude. Isn¡¯t the fact that Arielle was kidnapped more shocking?


    Oh yeah. Thanks for pointing that out. I totally missed the point.


    Oh my gosh, I can¡¯t believe she was kidnapped. This is so saddening. It¡¯s been so long, and they still


    haven¡¯t rescued her. Have the kidnappers killed her? I think I¡¯m going to cry.


    Wait, isn¡¯t she married? Where is her husband? Why hasn¡¯t he gone to rescue her?


    Oh, our sweet little thing leads such a difficult life. No one even realized that she was kidnapped, and


    the public called her a diva just because she asked for some time off.


    Are the police made aware of the kidnapping? If not, let¡¯s get them involved right away. The longer she


    is missing, the more dangerous things are for her. The most incredible bit about thatstment on


    the inte was theizen tagged the police station¡¯s ount to get them involved.


    The public¡¯s opinion changed drastically, and Joan, who had previously called Arielle a diva, became


    the target of everybody¡¯s hatred.


    Once theizens realized Arielle had been kidnapped, every single one of them felt bad for her and


    worried about her wellbeing.


    ¡°The police are here,¡± informed the butler while knocking on Vinson¡¯s door.


    Huh? The police officers are here? Why? Vinson frowned and left the study to meet the guests.


    By then, the housekeeper had already invited the police officers to take a seat and had served them


    tea.


    Geoffrey discreetly led the housekeeper away. After that, the former sent a message.


    ¡°What brings you here, officers?¡± The two police officers stood up as soon as they saw Vinson. He


    asked them about the situation before they even said anything.


    ¡°The thing is, Mr. Nightshire, we learned about Ms. Moore¡¯s kidnapping via the Inte. We realized


    she is married to you so we came to find out more about the situation,¡± answered one officer right


    away.


    Only then did Vinson know that a kindizen had lodged a report on his behalf.


    The other police officer, ady, saw how Vinson was staying quiet. She hurriedly added, ¡°Mr.


    Nightshire, we will do our best to help you, regardless of how difficult the situation is.¡±


    Vinson massaged his forehead. He wasn¡¯t against the idea of calling the authorities and having the


    police help him look for Arielle. The police couldn¡¯t help. That particr country had closed its doors to


    every other country and had never participated in any international events. Hence, the police couldn¡¯t


    do anything about issues within that country.


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    ¡°Thank you for dropping by. Unfortunately, it seemed you guys can¡¯t help.¡±


    As soon as Vinson finished speaking, the first police officer replied, ¡°What is that supposed to mean?


    We¡¯re the police, so we will surely help bring her back to you. Tell us everything you know and share


    her schedule from before she was kidnapped. We¡¯ll file a report and figure out a n to rescue her.¡±


    Vinson wasn¡¯t upset with the police officer¡¯s tone because he knew thetter meant well.


    Hence, he looked right at the two police officers and replied, ¡°Some things are beyond what the police


    can do. This is not an ordinary kidnapping, and the local authorities can¡¯t rescue her.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± asked the second police officer while frowning.


    ¡°She was kidnapped by Turlenians,¡± replied Vinson in an exasperated tone. He didn¡¯t want to share that


    information, but it seemed the police wouldn¡¯t back down until they learned the truth.


    Both police officers were dumbstruck when they heard the word ¡°Turlenians¡±. He¡¯s right. This is beyond


    our reach.


    Most countries had foreign ministers tomunicate with others should anything happen.


    Unfortunately, Turlen was an exception.

 Chapter 1382

    Chapter 1382


    Chapter 1382 A Treat


    The country waspletely cut off from the world. No foreigner could enter, and that meant the police


    couldn¡¯tmunicate with the officials from Turlen. That, in turn, meant they couldn¡¯t help Arielle.


    Both police officers felt awkward.


    If the police were to sneak into Turlen, a simple kidnapping would escte into an international political


    war. Those with malicious intentions could take advantage of the situation.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about her. I will find some way to bring her home,¡± replied Vinson calmly. He


    saw how troubled the police officers were, so he spoke up to help them out.


    ¡°Okay, then. If you need any help at all, please call us,¡± offered a police officer before leaving the


    house.


    The police hadn¡¯t gone for long when Susanne showed up. She looked worried when she turned to


    Vinson, who was sitting on the couch at the time. ¡°Geoffrey said the police were here. Is that true?


    What brought them over?¡±


    ¡°I leaked the news of Sannie¡¯s abduction to the media, so they dropped by to learn more about the


    situation.¡±


    ¡°Well, are they going to help us?¡± asked Susanne. She wanted to know more about Vinson¡¯s ns


    because she didn¡¯t want him to go on a rescue mission on his own.


    At Turlen.


    Inside the bar, Xavier grinned as he watched Dillon approach. It had been days since the former had


    canceled on thetter, and he had been thinking about making up for it for days. Unfortunately, too


    many things happened afterward, so he kept forgetting about it. The second he was free, however, he


    picked up the phone and asked Dillon out for a drink.


    ¡°Eric, my man! It¡¯s so difficult to get you to show up these days,¡± teased Dillon as he tapped lightly on


    his friend¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been busytely.¡±


    As soon as the two men sat down, Xavier waved to get the server over. ¡°What would you like to drink?


    I¡¯ll treat you.¡±


    After they ced their orders, Dillon said seriously, ¡°Let me pay for everything the next time we hang


    out together. I live here, so let me be a good host to you.¡±


    He treasured their friendship since Xavier had helped him when he was in trouble.


    ¡°Okay, if you say so,¡± replied Xavier while smiling. If paying for my drinks makes him feel better, then I¡¯ll


    just sit back and let him pick up the tab. At worst, I¡¯ll just buy him some gifts before I leave.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    Dillon was as nice as he had ever been. ¡°Eric, you should stay at my ce. My parents would wee


    you as our guest.¡±


    ¡°Oh, maybe I¡¯ll do that when I¡¯m free.¡± Xavier didn¡¯t want to risk getting Dillon into trouble. Besides, it


    was more convenient to stay in a hotel.


    ¡°What are you here for, Eric? You can talk to me if you need any help at all. I will do everything I can to


    help you,¡± promised Dillon in a sincere tone as he looked right at Xavier.


    The Turlenian wouldn¡¯t sit idly if his benefactor¡ªwho was practically family¡ªneeded help.


    Xavier said nothing because the server showed up at that moment.


    In the past, Xavier had always thought that Dillon was a kind person. He¡¯s more than just a nice guy.


    He¡¯s also observant and smart. Good. I don¡¯t have to worry about him getting bullied.


    ¡°Thank you for asking. I promise I will turn to you if I need help.¡± He had always seen Dillon as a


    younger brother, so he refused to put the guy in danger.


    ¡°My family is rather influential, so just tell me if you need any help at all. You don¡¯t need to feel bad or


    worry about getting us in trouble,¡± offered Dillon once more.

 Chapter 1383

    Chapter 1383


    Chapter 1383 Not Possible


    Xavier thought about it. It¡¯d be difficult to look for a person on my own. I might have a better shot with


    help from Dillon¡¯s family since they are rather powerful here.


    ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡±


    Dillon was delighted and made a joke out of it by replyingically. ¡°¡¯Tis my honor to help you, o¡¯ great


    lord.¡±


    The two men smiled at each other before clinking their mugs and downing their drinks.


    After that, Xavier told Dillon he was a private detective and how he was tasked with finding his client¡¯s


    biological father.


    ¡°His father? Did that man leave any clue behind?¡±


    Xavier shook his head. ¡°Things would be much simpler if the guy had done that. I¡¯ve been here for


    days, but I still can¡¯t figure anything out.¡±


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    Oh dear, that makes things so much more challenging.


    Dillon thought some more about it before he pointed out, ¡°Your client must¡¯ve given you something to


    go on when he hired you. Maybe you can share that with me and I can have my men investigate the


    matter for you.¡±


    Xavier thought about the clue Vinson had provided and frowned deeply. ¡°All I have is a first name.¡±


    ¡°A first name?¡± Dillon was bbergasted. How the hell are we supposed to locate the guy with so little


    to go on? We¡¯d have a better shot at locating an actual needle in a haystack!


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s all I have,¡± answered Xavier. If the pay wasn¡¯t ridiculously good, he would never have


    epted the case. It was virtually impossible to get everything done within the month.


    ¡°What is that name? Maybe I can look into it for you,¡± suggested Dillon in a somewhat defeated tone.


    ¡°Dn.¡±


    ¡°Dn?¡± repeated Dillon as he straightened his back. He had a serious expression when he asked,


    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s the name?¡±


    Xavier became alert when he saw Dillon reacting this way. ¡°Yes, I am sure. Why are you asking that?


    Do you know something?¡±


    Dillon shook his head, then nodded, which was confusing to the detective.


    ¡°Do you know our king¡¯s name?¡± He looked around and made sure that no one was paying any


    attention to them before he inched closer to Xavier and whispered, ¡°His name is Dn, and he is the


    only one with that first name.¡±


    Xavier¡¯s eyes bulged in surprise. What the hell? Is Vinson¡¯s wife the princess of this country?


    ¡°That being said, there is no way he is your client¡¯s biological father. My dad told me that the king has


    always been in the country and had never left Turlen territory before,¡± said Dillon softly.


    He would never have secretly divulged the king¡¯s personal information if the person sitting in front of


    him hadn¡¯t helped him in the past.


    Xavier became quiet after he heard what Dillon said. Could it be that someone snuck out of the country


    and assumed the king¡¯s identity to do something illegal? Perhaps the culprit did that to discourage


    anyone from further investigating the issue. Maybe it¡¯s a security measure put in ce in case


    someone actually manages toe this far.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Eric. There is no way the king is involved,¡± insisted Dillon. After that, he continued


    speaking in an annoyed tone. ¡°I bet someone stole the king¡¯s identity and left the country to con some


    lady into sleeping with him.¡±


    ¡°Gah, f*ck. That means this investigation just got a dozen times more difficult.¡± Xavier ran his hand


    through his hair in exasperation.


    He had cussed in Chanaean, so Dillon simply watched in confusion.


    ¡°Thank you for sharing all that with me. I¡¯ll try to find some other way to investigate the matter.¡±Dillon


    immediately offered,


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll help you look into the matter as well.¡±


    Xavier returned to his motel room after they parted ways. All he could think about was what he had


    learned earlier that day. Suddenly, he sprung up.


    ¡°Shoot, I forgot to update that stupid Vinson Nightshire.¡± He picked up the phone and called his client


    immediately.


    ¡°Vinson, I got in touch with your wife,¡± Xavier blurted as soon as the line was established.

 Chapter 1384

    Chapter 1384


    Chapter 1384 Is She Okay


    Vinson was in the study working. When he received the call, he jumped excitedly. ¡°How is she? Is she


    okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she is fine. The issue is that Turlen doesn¡¯t have any medical experts. Illnesses that are


    considered mild in Chanaea are deadly here, so the culprit brought her over to train their citizens to be


    doctors. They brought the Wilhelms here too.¡±


    Before Vinson could say anything, Xavier continued reporting, ¡°Your wife is worried about your injuries


    and told me to ask you about it. She also wants me to tell you not to worry about her. She simply


    couldn¡¯t contact you becausemunication devices are banned here.¡±


    Vinson, who had been worried the entire time, finally calmed down after he heard what Xavier said.


    That means I don¡¯t have to worry about her safety anymore.


    After saying all that, Xavier told Vinson about what he learned that night. ¡°Is there any way you can


    provide me with some other clue or information?¡±


    Vinson was a little troubled as well. It was difficult enough when they only had a first name to go on.


    The fact that it might be a fake name made the investigation that much more difficult.


    ¡°I have a photo with me, but I can¡¯t send it to you just yet. I¡¯ll bring it along with me when I travel there.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then,¡± said Xavier. That was when he recalled how he got his hands bleeding just to get in touch


    with Arielle, so he harrumphed and added, ¡°Oy, Vinson. You don¡¯t know this, but I had to climb a tree


    just to talk to your wife. I demandpensation.¡±


    ¡°Just tell me how much you want.¡±


    All it took was one short sentence to stop Xavier fromining. ¡°One¨C¡±


    He never got to finish the sentence with ¡°¡­ or better yet, ten thousand¡± because Vinson interrupted the


    guy. In a stoic tone, thetter replied, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll transfer the money right away. When you talk to Arielle


    again, tell her I have already recovered, and she doesn¡¯t need to worry about my injury at all. Tell her to


    take care of herself and wait for me to go get her.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try toe up with a way to do that. Maybe I can sneak into that medical school. If I get hired


    as a security guard there, I will be able to talk to her every day. I might even be in a position to set up


    somemunication device so the two of you can talk directly.¡±


    Vinson loved the new information shared. Hence, he transferred the money as soon as the call ended.


    Vinson was going to transfer a hundred thousand over. However, Xavier ended the conversation with a


    promise that he would sneak into the school by working undercover as a bodyguard. The mere thought


    of being able to talk to Arielle prompted Vinson to add a couple more zeroes at the end of that number.


    Xavier ended the call and received a text message within the minute. His eyes bulged in surprise when


    he opened the message and read the content. ¡°What the hell? How many zeroes are there? My gosh,


    how rich is that dude?¡±


    Before he knew it, he was already counting the zeroes behind the first number. ¡°1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6¡­¡±


    The longer Xavier counted, the happier he was.


    Oh my gosh, I was going to ask for ten thousand as a bonus. I can¡¯t believe that guy sent me one


    hundred million just like that.


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    Xavier giggled like a lunatic while hugging his phone.


    D*mn. It sure is nice to be a rich dude¡¯s friend.


    ¡°Well, since you¡¯re being this nice, Vinson, I will start working right now toe up with a way to sneak


    into your wife¡¯s school and be a bodyguard there.¡±


    After muttering to himself while smiling like an idiot, Xavier walked down the stairs to go to Lana. The


    receptionist, however, told him she had left.


    Xavier had already received the money from Vinson, so he feltpelled to do something. That was


    why he called Lana.


    She was extremely excited to learn that someone had called her.


    That day was the annual gathering with her family. She hadn¡¯t even finished eating, but her family was


    already urging her to get married soon. Holy moly. I am too young, and I have not had enough fun.


    There¡¯s no way I¡¯m getting married anytime soon.


    At that point, it didn¡¯t matter who the call was from. The person still inadvertently rescued her from her


    nosy family members.

 Chapter 1385

    Chapter 1385


    Chapter 1385 Annoyed


    ¡°Lana, can you drop by the hotel? I¡¯d like to ask a favor.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you need me there right away? Okay, I¡¯ll head over now. Calm down, calm down. I¡¯m going now,¡±


    replied Lana as she tilted her head to keep her phone between her ear and her shoulder. While doing


    that, she reached for her purse and coat.


    ¡°Mom, Dad. There is an urgent matter I have to attend to, so I won¡¯t be staying here tonight.¡± She


    grabbed her purse and shoved her arm into her coat while gesturing at her phone. After shouting that


    to her parents, she fled the ce as though there was no tomorrow.


    ¡°Lana, remember toe home tomorrow. We have a blind date set up for you,¡± shouted Lana¡¯s


    mother. Her words made it into the phone and Xavier couldn¡¯t help snickering when he overheard that.


    ¡°Was that a snicker? What the hell is so funny about that?¡± Lana was so annoyed that she mmed


    the door to her car shut before howling into the phone a little.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Awh, are you annoyed?¡± asked Xavier. He was deliberately pushing Lana¡¯s buttons, and she was so


    annoyed that she rolled her eyes at him.


    ¡°Quit yapping and tell me what you want.¡± Earlier, she was thankful to the guy for calling at the right


    time and rescuing her from her parents. That appreciation dissipated after she heard how amused he


    was at her horrible situation.


    Xavier behaved more professionally once he heard that. ¡°Let¡¯s talk in person. It¡¯ll be difficult to exin


    the situation over the phone.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± replied Lana. She hung up, put her phone away, then started driving.


    The second she entered the lobby, she saw Xavier sitting on the couch and ying on his phone. A


    mischievous glint shed past her eyes and a devious idea crawled into her mind. She circled around


    to his back¡­


    ¡°Eric!¡±


    ¡°What the f*ck? Damn, you scared me,¡± yelped Xavier. He was so surprised that he cussed in Chanaea


    and dropped his phone.


    Huh¡­ I didn¡¯t know that he was such a scaredy-cat. He even dropped his phone! Now that I think


    about it, Eric sometimes acts as though he were a kid who was caught doing something bad. In fact,


    he¡¯s fumbling right now.


    ¡°Oops. Sorry, Eric. I was just angry about you snickering at my misfortune earlier, so I thought I¡¯d pull a


    small prank on you. I didn¡¯t realize you are such a scaredy-cat.¡±


    Just apologize nicely, will ya? Why did you have to include thatst sentence and call me a coward?


    Lana worried that Xavier would get angry, so she changed the topic and asked, ¡°Why were you looking


    for me, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Changing the topic, are we?¡± He red at Lana a little before asking, ¡°You know your way around the


    new medical school, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do. Why are you asking that?¡±


    ¡°I want to work as a bodyguard in that ce. Can you help me out?¡±


    Curious, Lana asked, ¡°Why would you want to be a bodyguard there? Do you already know what you¡¯re


    looking for?¡±


    Xavier shook his head. ¡°No, not yet. I just think my investigation would go much smoother if I work


    there and build a rapport with the others.¡±


    Lana nodded. The prince made an announcement that he had hired a foreigner to teach the citizens on


    how to be a medical practitioner. Anyone who was willing to learn could enroll because the royal family


    would pay for everything. As a result, many had already applied for a spot there.


    The countrycked medical practitioners, so royalties and descendants of noble families were to learn


    how to be a doctor. That idea was etched into their brains ever since they were a kid.


    It was a rather smart move to go work as a bodyguard there.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make some calls and update you on the matter tomorrow,¡± replied Lana.


    I knew it. She can help me get in! Xavier¡¯s lips curved into a smile. ¡°Thanks, Lana.¡±


    At the same time, in Paelsford Manor.


    ¡°San, what did that man from yesterday want from you?¡±


    After having a meal together, the family gathered around. Mrs. Wilhelm suddenly remembered the


    incident that happened at the Celestial Lake.


    ¡°He came to give me an ATM card,¡± replied Arielle while munching on some apple.

 Chapter 1386

    Chapter 1386


    Chapter 1386 Pretty Face


    Andrea was surprised. ¡°Why did he give you an ATM card?¡±


    Arielle replied, ¡°He said it was to thank me foring here to teach him.¡± With a sigh, she continued, ¡°I


    told him I¡¯m not taking the money and have him keep it, but he insisted I take it.¡±


    Hubert chuckled. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then take it. With your name, it doesn¡¯t matter where you teach.


    They can¡¯t employ you if they don¡¯t offer you at least a five-figure sry.¡±


    The sry Hubert was referring to was on a monthly basis.


    Arielle nodded with agreement. ¡°That¡¯s true. I¡¯ll take it then.¡±


    She epted the money with a good conscience on that note.


    ¡°Mom, I have something to tell you,¡± she recalled meeting the detective the other day and whispered


    something into Andrea¡¯s ear.


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    ¡°Is that true?¡±


    Arielle nodded her head with a wide smile.


    She was waiting for the detective to knock on her door. Maybe then I¡¯ll have a chance to reach Vinson


    via the phone. She couldn¡¯t help feeling excited at the thought.


    ¡°What are you two whispering excitedly over there? It must be good news with that happy look on your


    faces.¡± Hubert questioned, catching the two women whispering.


    Arielle leaned against Andrea and winked at him yfully. ¡°I¡¯ll have Mom tell youter at night.¡±


    ¡°Cheeky!¡± Hubertughed as he shook his head. He returned his attention to the medical book in his


    hands. With no ess to the inte, there was nothing better to do.


    ¡°San, do you want me and your dad to apany you tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Do you guys want to go?¡± Arielle couldn¡¯t selfishly decide on their behalf.


    Before Andrea could reply, Hubert said, ¡°Of course we¡¯re going. It¡¯s so boring to stay here.¡±


    He badly missed his patients, the operating table, and the podium.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go then. It¡¯s the school¡¯s honor to have you as their professor,¡± Arielle said proudly.


    Morrison arrived at seven in the morning the next day to pick up Arielle and the Wilhelms.


    He knew about the Wilhelms¡¯ reputation overseas, so he was particrly respectful toward them.


    One and a half-hourter, the car stopped at the medical school¡¯s entrance. By then, the students were


    grouped into their majors.


    The principal had been waiting for quite some time. When he saw Arielle and the Wilhelms getting out


    of the car with Morrison¡¯s help, he immediately went up to them.


    ¡°Kristoff, this is Arielle Morre. Ms. Moore is the lecturer we invited, and these two are her parents, the


    Wilhelms. They are also lecturers we invited,¡± Morrison introduced Arielle and the Wilhelms to Kristoff.


    ¡°I¡¯m the school¡¯s principal. You have my utmost gratitude foring to our school as lecturers.¡±


    There was ack of lecturers in medical schools, so Kristoff was very respectful toward invited


    lecturers.


    After the exchange, Morrison excused himself while Kristoff led the trio to the Medical Research


    Center.


    There were a few domains in the facility. The Wilhelms were the top academics in psychology. Kristoff


    dropped them off at the Psychology Department, then asked Arielle which field she was interested in


    teaching.


    She contemted briefly before deciding on three¡ªorthopedics, neurology, and traditional Chanaean


    medicine.


    ¡°She¡¯s our future lecturer? Isn¡¯t she too young?¡± After Kristoff and Arielle left for the lecturers¡¯ office, the


    students began to discuss her discreetly.


    It wasn¡¯t strange for them to be doubtful. After all, those that could teach at medical school weren¡¯t


    ordinary people.


    Most with high academic achievements in the medical field were mostly in their middle age. A beautiful


    young lecturer like Arielle was a rare sight.


    ¡°Can she teach? She¡¯s so young.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, more like an airhead.¡±

 Chapter 1387

    Chapter 1387


    Chapter 1387 Honor The Bet


    There were all kinds of discussions about Arielle. Many were skeptical of her capability.


    Ever since she walked into the lecture hall, Arielle noticed the students weren¡¯t all that weing of


    her.


    She simply keeping a smile on her face as Kristoff made the introduction. ¡°Students, this is Ms. Arielle


    Moore, a lecturer specifically invited by the school. She will teach orthopedics, neurology, and


    traditional Chanaean medicine.¡±


    Before he finished, amotion stirred among the students.


    Those were three separate fields. They wondered how good she was to possess such extensive


    knowledge.


    Most of the students in that lecture hall were orthopedic students, except Sonia Wynter, whom


    everyone considered a medical genius.


    Other than orthopedics, she had also chosen to major in traditional Chanaean medicine.


    The minute Arielle walked into the hall, Sonia¡¯s dubious gaze glued on her.


    After Kristoff¡¯s brief introduction ended, he let Arielle take the podium.


    Looking into the eyes sitting in front of her, Arielle firstly introduced herself. ¡°From today onward, I¡¯m


    your lecturer. I will be your guide in the medical field. We¡¯re students and teachers during ss and


    friends after lessons.¡±


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Even though Arielle was a lecturer, she wasn¡¯t arrogant. Instead, she was humble and polite.


    Like a legitimate lecturer, she began her lesson after her introduction.


    ¡°Let¡¯s understand the basics of orthopedics. There are many types of fractures and different shapes of


    breaks. There are transverse fractures, oblique fractures, spiral fractures¡­¡±


    Arielle was studious in her teaching, but none of the students was paying attention. They were tantly


    disrespecting her.


    Some were whispering, some were sleeping, and some were even ying Truth or Dare.


    Arielle¡¯s heart chilled.


    I didn¡¯t expect students my age to be so difficult to teach. Maybe there aren¡¯t many young lecturers in


    the medical school, so they are probably dubious about my capabilities.


    She didn¡¯t want to be too strict on her first day, but their disrespect had crossed a line.


    She paused her lesson suddenly and stood at the podium with her arms crossed, staring at the three


    students immersed in their game.


    ¡°You lost! So you have to go up to Ms. Moore and tell her she¡¯s pretty.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Honor the bet. You¡¯re the one who chose dare.¡±


    Their voices weren¡¯t loud, but Arielle was standing close enough to hear every single word.


    The rest of the students started to lob balled-up paper at the trio to warn them of their imminent danger.


    However, they still didn¡¯t notice the change in the atmosphere despite the paper balls hitting them.


    ¡°Done ying?¡± Arielle asked with a chilling voice.


    The entire hall fell into a dead silence.


    The three students finally sensed the tense atmosphere. They snapped their heads toward the podium


    to see their lecturer staring right at them.


    ¡°I see you three were having fun.¡± A smile tugged the corners of Arielle¡¯s lips, cracking her mask of cold


    indifference.


    Even though she was smiling, the tension in the air didn¡¯t ease. Instead, it thickened.


    After a prolonged silence from the three men, the smile on her face slowly disappeared as she crossed


    the hall toward them.


    ¡°Stand up, the three of you.¡±


    The three stood up casually and stopped conversing in Ustranasion. They switched to Turlenese as


    they whispered among themselves.


    Arielle didn¡¯t understand, she but knew it wasn¡¯t anything good.


    Among the men, one of them was tall, while the other two were shorter in stature. With a nce, she


    knew right away the tall guy was the cheeky one.

 Chapter 1388

    Chapter 1388


    Chapter 1388 Dream On


    Students like him are often the hardest to teach. I know they¡¯re doubtful of my skills.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing that the three of you yed during ss, tantly ignoring the lecturer¡¯s feelings. Come


    out, you three. Follow me to the office.¡±


    Once they heard Arielle was bringing them to the lecturer¡¯s office, the three exchanged a nce. A


    tingling sense of dread started snaking up their spine.


    They knew going to the lecturer¡¯s office wouldn¡¯t end up as simple as being reprimanded. The worst-


    case scenario was their parents freezing their bank card.


    ¡°We¡¯re sorry, Ms. Moore. Please forgive us.¡±


    Arielle arched a brow. ¡°Asking for my forgiveness? Sure, but you need to promise me something.¡±


    Three sets of eyes immediatelynded on her, wondering what she was nning to do.


    The tall guy had dragged the other two to join him, disrupting ss. So Arielle used him as an example


    toy down thew.


    She inched closer to the tall guy and twisted his arm.


    He let out a loud yelp that resounded in the lecture hall walls.


    Arielle had dislocated his shoulder in front of the entire ss.


    From an outsider¡¯s perspective, it might seem cruel, but she had used a trick to do it, She didn¡¯t cause


    him too much pain because she just wanted to teach him a lesson.


    Arielle then pointed at the shorter guy beside him and asked, ¡°Exin the term ¡®dislocation¡¯.¡±


    It was the basic knowledge of orthopedics. Even non-medical students could answer.


    However, her earlier action had frightened the short guy.


    ¡°A dislocation is a separation between two bones where they meet at a joint, disrupting normal


    movement.¡±


    Arielle nodded.


    ¡°Excellent! Since you¡¯ve studied well, help this fellow pop his arm back into his shoulder.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The entire hall of students was stunned by the request.


    The short guy had no choice but toply.


    As he reached for the tall guy¡¯s arm, the tall guy immediately shrank back. ¡°Don¡¯t! I¡¯ll probably die from


    the pain if you¡¯re the one doing it. Your skills are terrible.¡±


    The short guy was only good in theory andcking in practice.


    Seeing the disgust on his friend¡¯s face, the short guy turned to Arielle.


    She still had a smile stered on her face, but her smile was like a grim reaper¡¯s smile in the students¡¯


    eyes.


    They thought Arielle was gentle, hence their boldness to be disrespectful. She turned out to be a wolf in


    sheep¡¯s clothing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. If you don¡¯t follow my instruction, we¡¯ll go to the office.¡±


    The short guy resignedly obeyed her.


    Another pained yelp resounded in the hall, but the tall guy¡¯s arm still wasn¡¯t in ce.


    Finally, the tall guy trained his eyes on Arielle. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Moore. Please don¡¯t ask him to help me.


    I¡¯ll die from the pain.¡±


    I guess he¡¯s truly in pain. I can see tears at the corners of his eyes.


    Seeing him admitting his mistake, Arielle nodded.


    ¡°Then I want you to promise me in front of everyone that you won¡¯t break any more rules in my ss.


    Also, you have to maintain your results at A in all of my tests.¡±


    The tall guy was baffled at Arielle¡¯s request.


    A few giggles came from the students.


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    Everyone knew he was a cheeky b*stard.


    Anthony Crosworth entered medical school because he came from a wealthy family. His father was the


    school¡¯s sponsor, so naturally, he got into the school¡¯s best major.


    Arielle was asking for the impossible.

 Chapter 1389

    Chapter 1389


    Chapter 1389 Lightly


    Anthony didn¡¯t respond to her request.


    Seeing himcking confidence in himself, Arielle said, ¡°No? Then live with the pain.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    ¡°Okay! Okay, I promise you.¡±


    Seeing him finally relenting, she nodded her head with a smile.


    ¡°Students, this is my first day as your lecturer. So I¡¯ll be teaching you the most essential skill in


    orthopedics¡ªrepositioning. Of course, this is the most basic skill that I¡¯m sure many of you already


    know.¡±


    She pointed at Anthony¡¯s arm and gestured for the short guy to continue.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Miller? You¡¯ll do the repositioning, and I¡¯ll guide you through it.¡±


    Hearing that Arielle was still asking Miller to help him, Anthony was pissed. ¡°Ms. Moore, didn¡¯t you say


    you¡¯ll spare me from the pain once I promised you? I don¡¯t want him to reposition my arm back.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I did say that, but I only promised to spare you from the pain, not changing the person


    helping you. If you trust your friend and me, then let him help you. I¡¯ll teach him a special method to


    reposition your arm back.¡±


    Anthony was hesitant. He wasn¡¯t sure whether he should trust Arielle.


    But since she¡¯s qualified enough to be a medical school lecturer, she must have her strengths.


    Even though she¡¯s young, her means are very much different from the other lecturers. I guess I can


    trust her.


    After mulling over it briefly, Anthony finally agreed.


    ¡°Okay, please do it gently.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Arielle huffed.


    She turned to Miller. ¡°Follow my instructionster. If you follow it, then your friend won¡¯t feel the pain.


    However, if you insist on doing it your way, he¡¯ll continue to be in pain.¡±


    Arielle had disciplined both students enough that they would obey her words instantly without refuting.


    ¡°I¡¯ll follow your every word, Ms. Moore. Let¡¯s start.¡±


    Arielle resumed her lesson. ¡°First, we don¡¯t need to tug the affected arm harshly to reposition it back.


    Pulling it straight will only cause severe damage.


    ¡°Grab the patient¡¯s elbow with one hand. Make sure to do it gently, don¡¯t use too much strength.


    Otherwise, it¡¯ll cause pain for the patient.¡±


    Following Arielle¡¯s instructions, Miller started to reposition Anthony¡¯s arm.


    Arielle continued to exin, ¡°Bend the affected arm at ny degrees to the elbow. Slowly and gently


    rotate the arm a couple of times as your thumb presses it lightly. Try to distract your patient¡¯s attention


    from his arm.¡±


    Thest instruction was difficult for Miller.


    My hands are busy with repositioning, yet at the same time, I have to distract Anthony¡¯s attention. How


    am I supposed to do both at once?


    Arielle looked over her shoulder, ncing at the door. ¡°Morrison, when did you arrive?¡±


    Morrison? Her calling Morrison¡¯s name caught all the students¡¯ attention. All of them turned toward the


    door, including Anthony.


    At that moment, Arielle poked at Miller, then tipped her chin at Anthony.


    Miller braced himself and pushed the arm upward, causing a loud pop. Anthony¡¯s arm was back in his


    shoulder.


    By then, the students finally realized Morrison wasn¡¯t there, and it was Arielle¡¯s distraction.


    I didn¡¯t expect to feel fine so quickly.


    Anthony gently moved his arm and noticed he was able to move it with ease like before, with no pain.


    ¡°That¡¯s weird. When did you push it back? Howe I didn¡¯t feel anything?¡±


    Arielle chuckled. ¡°Of course, you didn¡¯t feel anything since you were distracted. When you snapped


    back, Miller was already done with your arm. The main point of repositioning is using the correct


    method gently and learning to distract the patient¡¯s attention. That way is the least painful for the


    patient. In conclusion, you need to be fast, urate, and steady to easily and sessfully reposition a


    dislocated joint.¡±

 Chapter 1390

    Chapter 1390


    Chapter 1390 Cheeky Man


    Interesting! It¡¯s truly interesting!


    Anthony suddenly gained an interest in medicine.


    Same for Miller. He used to only focus on theory and didn¡¯t apply them to practice.


    Turlen was sorelycking in talented medical staff. They were good in theory butcked practice.


    After the nation had closed its borders, even fewer practitioners could put their theories into practice.


    However, the medical staff needed clinical practice and experience the most.


    They werecking in that sense, but Arielle was different.


    Anthonymented over his earlier actions after experiencing firsthand the method of repositioning.


    It looks like I¡¯ve underestimated her. She¡¯s young, but her teaching skills are excellent. She can punish


    the cheeky students and teach the rest how to apply theory to practice.


    Anthony was impressed. So was Miller.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, have you forgiven us? We were trying our best to make it up to you.¡± Worried about having


    their parents called and having their card frozen, the trio turned to Arielle expectantly.


    ¡°I can let you off from sending you to the office, but¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, Anthony asked softly, ¡°Do you want us to write a letter of denunciation?¡±


    Arielle scoffed and returned to the podium. She picked up a book about orthopedics.


    ¡°It¡¯s too simple a punishment to write a letter of denunciation. You guys might not mean it. I think asking


    you to copy a few chapters in a book is more beneficial. I want you to copy the first thirty pages of this


    book in a week.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The three students were bewildered.


    That¡¯s too cruel!


    ¡°Ms. Moore, can the punishment be lighter? Thirty pages are too many. Can you empathize with us?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see you empathizing with me when you breached the rules earlier.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s words rendered them speechless.


    She¡¯s right. We were the ones who were at fault.


    The trio simply hung their heads in silence.


    Despite the tiny interlude in her first ss, she managed to dissipate it smoothly.


    She skillfully punished the cheeky students as a warning to the rest.


    As a result, the rest of the lesson passed by smoothly. No one dared to challenge her again.


    After finishing her first lecture, Arielle was preparing to head to her next lesson on brain tumors.


    As she finished packing up and was about to leave, suddenly someone called her from behind.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, please wait.¡±


    She halted her steps and looked over her shoulder.


    ¡°Is there something you need?¡±


    ¡°You were amazing earlier to have taught the cheeky b*stard a lesson.¡±


    Confused at the student¡¯s insinuation, Arielle looked at her with a puzzled gaze.


    ¡°I suppose you know Aaron, right?¡±


    Arielle got a feeling the girl didn¡¯t mean well.


    A smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she cast a knowing look at her lecturer.


    It gave Arielle a sense of being mocked and taunted.


    It was her first day at medical school, so Arielle had no idea about her background. However, her sixth


    sense was telling her that the girl was not just an average student.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I know Aaron. Do you know him too?¡±


    The girl chuckled. ¡°More than knowing him. He and I are close. Since you¡¯ll be teaching all of my


    sses, we¡¯ll be seeing each other frequently. I¡¯ll be in your care.¡±


    She put a lot of emphasis on thest sentence.


    Not sure what she meant, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing good.


    Arielle returned a smile. ¡°Good.¡±


    After the girl left, Arielle called for Anthony.

 Chapter 1391

    Chapter 1391


    Chapter 1391 Horrifying Gaze


    ¡°Do you know that girl?¡±


    Not knowing Arielle¡¯s reason for mentioning the girl, Anthony looked into the distance and spotted


    Sonia. ¡°Oh, her? That¡¯s Sonia Wynter, a legendary genius of the medical school. She¡¯s a top student


    majoring in orthopedics and traditional Chanaean medicine.¡±


    A top student?


    Arielle could tell the girl was no ordinary student. Thetter had an air of haughtiness about her.


    Usually, only people who had the right to be arrogant would cultivate such a demeanor.


    Sonia had piqued Arielle¡¯s interest.


    The girl knew Aaron showed she was a wealthy or an influential person. I wonder if I can get the


    information I want from her.


    At the same time, the neon lights strobed and shed in a bar in Chanaea.


    The smell of tobo and alcohol permeated the space. On the dance floor, men and women were


    twisting their waists and shaking their butts vigorously to the booming music.


    As the dim flickering lights illuminated the liquid in the sses with various colors, the ambiguous hues


    eroded the hearts of the people that were numbed with alcohol.


    Meanwhile, sitting in one of the booths, Harvey was hugging two sexy and mesmerizing women in each


    arm. Now and then, they would take turns to serve him snacks or alcohol. He looked as though he was


    having the time of his life.


    ¡°Pour me a drink,¡± Harvey called out, pointing at the bottle.


    Upon hearing that, the woman who had been serving him quickly poured him another ss. She then


    pressed her body against him and said coyly, ¡°Mr. Jupiter, here you go.¡±


    Harvey gulped down the content, staring at the center of the dance floor in a daze.


    ¡°The chairwoman of Sann Group is kidnapped, yet thepany is operating as usual. Looks like that


    woman is quite the capable one.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I heard she is also the boss of Maureen¡¯s Kitchen.¡±


    ¡°What a pity. Now that she¡¯s kidnapped, I wonder who¡¯ll own the restaurant and thepany in the


    end.¡±


    The men from the booth behind him sighed while they drank and admired the sexydies on the dance


    floor.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Harvey froze when he heard that. A few secondster, he snapped out of his senses and pushed the


    women out of his arms.


    He got up, strode over to the booth behind him, and stared at the few men who spoke earlier. ¡°Who did


    you say got kidnapped?¡± he questioned hoarsely.


    ¡°S-Sann Group¡¯s chairwoman,¡± the man stuttered with fright, as he did not expect Harvey to have such


    a major reaction.


    At first, Harvey thought he misheard things. When he heard the man¡¯s answer, he panicked, as he did


    not expect thetter to be actually talking about Arielle. His eyes glinted dangerously as he red at


    the man in front of him. ¡°When was she kidnapped? How did you guys know about this?¡±


    The man gulped and answered, ¡°Apparently, she¡¯s been kidnapped for a few days. We saw it on the


    inte. Her manager posted a notice there.¡±


    Oh my goodness, Harvey¡¯s gaze is so scary!


    They were merely talking about it casually. Never did they expect to trigger such a major reaction from


    Harvey.


    She¡¯s been kidnapped for a few days?


    Ever since Harvey discovered Arielle and Vinson were together, he forced himself to not look into any


    news rted to them. Recently, he had been wasting his life away in clubs. Hence, he knew nothing


    about such a major matter.


    In a split second, Harvey sobered up immensely. He wiped his face frantically and prepared to return to


    find out more about the situation. To his surprise, before he could take another step, he was stopped by


    the woman who served him beer earlier. She pressed herself so tightly against his body, whining,


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mr. Jupiter? Why don¡¯t you stay here a little longer to y with us?¡±


    ¡°Get lost!¡± He shoved her away instantly.


    What the hell? I don¡¯t have the time to have fun now.

 Chapter 1392

    Chapter 1392


    Chapter 1392 Drown Himself With Alcohol


    The woman was not expecting such a dramatic reaction from Harvey. She felt upset immediately, but


    she did not dare to express her feelings. After all, she had been observing him for some time, and she


    knew he was rich. If she could make him fall for her, she would be able to enjoy endless glory and


    wealth for the rest of her life.


    ¡°Mr. Jupiter, I want to get lost in your embrace.¡± The woman¡¯s voice was sickeningly sweet. At the same


    time, she grabbed his hand and shook it gently, causing the two melons on her chest to wobble as well.


    ¡°Stay away from me!¡± Harvey gave her a kick and marched out of the bar.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    His actions gave the other woman a fright. Originally, she was unhappy about her partner going forward


    to seduce him. After witnessing the incident, her jealousy vanished.


    When Harvey stepped out of the bar, a gust of wind blew past, making him less groggy in an instant.


    He whipped out his phone and gave Jared a call.


    ¡°Harvey?¡± His brother was surprised to hear from him.


    ¡°You know about Arielle¡¯s kidnapping, right?¡±


    ¡°You said you don¡¯t want to hear any news rted to them. Why are you asking me this now?¡± Jared


    asked, disgruntled.


    Arielle and Vinson are together, that¡¯s all. Does he really need to drown himself with alcohol and flirt


    with girls every day just because of this matter? He has no idea how much Grandpa and I have been


    worrying about him.


    Not wanting to hear Jared¡¯s nagging words, Harvey asked point-nk, ¡°What¡¯s Arielle¡¯s situation now?¡±


    ¡°I just saw the news online, too. I¡¯m not sure about the details. If you want to know more, I can go over


    to the Nightshires to find out.¡±


    Realizing Jared knew nothing about the incident as well, Harvey hung up the call right away. He


    massaged his temples and called a cab to take him to the Nightshire residence.


    ¡°Hello? Harvey? Hello?¡± Jared nced at his phone screen at a loss for words.


    He could not help but think that his brother was a realistic man. When Harvey needed someone¡¯s help,


    he would not hesitate to call them. If he did not get the information he wanted, he would hang up


    without even saying goodbye.


    ¡°Mr. Jupiter? What brings you here at such ate hour?¡± Geoffrey asked.


    He thought it was Susanne who had returned from the dinner. Never in his wildest dreams did he


    expect Harvey to show up at the door. In fact, thetter had not been visiting the Nightshires for quite


    some time.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got some matters to talk to Vinson about.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Please wait here for a while. I¡¯ll inform Mr. Nightshire right away.¡± With that, Geoffrey made


    Harvey a cup of tea and ced it in front of thetter before leaving to inform Vinson about his arrival.


    Needless to say, Vinson was surprised to hear that Harvey hade looking for him. The moment he


    stepped out of the study, he saw Harvey sitting on the sofa. As he approached thetter, the stench of


    alcohol and perfume filled his nasal cavity. Vinson frowned instinctively and quietly took a seat that was


    a little farther from Harvey.


    Despite that, Harvey did not notice the disgust on his good friend¡¯s face. Instead, he had a dark


    expression on his face.


    ¡°Vinson Nightshire, how did you take care of Arielle? How did she get kidnapped?¡± he asked anxiously.


    When he was finished, he nced at Vinson with displeasure and added, ¡°Why are you still waiting at


    home? Why aren¡¯t you doing anything to rescue her?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I didn¡¯t take good care of her.¡±


    ¡°Who are her kidnappers? Have they contacted you?¡± As Vinson¡¯s good friend, Harvey naturally saw


    the pain in his eyes.


    Arielle was Vinson¡¯s wife. Thus, he did not have the right to criticize his friend. Vinson would probably


    be a million times more heartbroken about his wife¡¯s kidnapping ifpared to Harvey being


    kidnapped.


    ¡°The Turlenians took her¡­¡± Vinson told him everything about Arielle. He also told Harvey he would


    soon have a way of going over there to look for her.


    ¡°Vinson, count me in.¡±

 Chapter 1393

    Chapter 1393


    Chapter 1393 Disappointment


    Though Harvey knew Turlen was a country closed from to the outside world, he still volunteered


    without any hesitation.


    ¡°No way. Having one more person makes it more dangerous,¡± Vinson rejected immediately.


    Harrison valued Harvey the most. If thetter were to go along, Vinson would have a hard time


    exining the situation to the old man if something happened along the way.


    Vinson¡¯s instant rejection made Harvey upset. He pulled a long face and scoffed, ¡°I¡¯m not discussing it


    with you. I¡¯m informing you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll never bring you along.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go there on my own.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Go there on your own, then!¡± Vinson snapped coldly.


    An infuriated Harvey red at Vinson, neither of them willing to yield.


    After a long silence, Vinson realized Harvey was determined to join. Thus, he had no choice but to


    agree to bring him along.


    ¡°Fine. You can go, but you¡¯ve got to get permission from your grandfather. If you don¡¯t get his consent, I


    won¡¯t take you along, no matter what you say.¡± Vinson gave his final concession.


    ¡°All right.¡± Harvey turned around and left once he said that.


    So, does this mean we¡¯ve made up?


    Vinson knitted his brows, feeling conflicted. Ever since Harvey found out Vinson married Arielle, he


    never wanted to meet the couple. Perhaps the incident was a chance for them to reconcile.


    At that moment, all Vinson was waiting for was Xavier¡¯s word on when they could go over to Turlen.


    Meanwhile, at the medical school in Turlen, a girl whispered, ¡°Sonia, aren¡¯t you afraid of offending her?


    She¡¯s a lecturer whom His Royal Highness invited here personally.¡±


    Sonia snorted coldly. That was precisely the reason she acted that way. When she thought about the


    things her mother said, her eyes glinted coldly.


    Her identity was actually a match for Aaron¡¯s status. Unfortunately, he was attracted to a woman from


    another country and treated her well, which was something Sonia could notprehend. Thus, she


    wanted to find out how capable Arielle was.


    ¡°I know the limits,¡± Sonia replied curtly. With that, she headed off to the traditional Chanaean medicine


    department.


    ¡°Okay. As long as you know it,¡± the girl responded awkwardly.


    Her name was Be Wilkins¡ªSonia¡¯sckey. Her family relied on the Wynters in many ways. Thus,


    Be had been brainwashed since young to please Sonia. No matter what thetter learned, Be had


    to follow in her footsteps. It was as if she could not do things ording to her own interests.


    Sonia was her family¡¯s only daughter, which meant she was the favorite in the family. Only by pleasing


    Sonia would Be¡¯s family be able to have a smooth sailing future, which would also make Be¡¯s life


    much better.


    Suddenly, Sonia stopped in her tracks and nced at Be, saying coldly, ¡°I want to go to the


    traditional Chanaean medicine department. I know you¡¯re not interested in it. So, go ahead and learn


    whatever you want in the future. There¡¯s no need to follow in my footsteps.¡±


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Be stood there nkly, stunned by what she heard. Truth was, she really wanted to do what Sonia


    said. However, it was something that would never happen.


    She shook her head and concealed the desire in her heart. Gazing at Sonia, Be shed her a smile


    and insisted, ¡°I might not be interested in traditional Chanaean medicine, but my grandpa enjoys


    studying it. I think it¡¯ll be great for me to go there and take a look. When I go home, I can tell him


    everything I¡¯ve learned there. Perhaps it could give the old man some inspiration.¡±


    ¡°Do as you wish, then.¡±


    When the girls arrived at the traditional Chanaean medicine department, they realized there were many


    students who came to listen to the lecture. The lecture hall was almost full. Seeing that, they quickly


    looked for their seats and sat in them.


    The moment they sat down, Sonia¡¯s gazended on Aaron, who was in the front section.


    Doesn¡¯t he hate traditional Chanaean medicine? Why is he here for the ss? Could he be here


    because the Chanaean woman is the one teaching us?


    That thought made her frown deeply.

 Chapter 1394

    Chapter 1394


    Chapter 1394 The Prince Is Looking At You


    Not long after, Arielle entered the ssroom, and the first person she saw was Aaron. When he


    beamed at her, she feigned ignorance and scanned the people in the ssroom. A few secondster,


    she raised her brow as she spotted many familiar faces.


    There were a few students from the orthopedics department whom Arielle never expected to take


    traditional Chanaean medicine. It was at that moment that her impression of them finally improved a


    little.


    Especially when she spotted Sonia who sat at the back. Arielle¡¯s lips curled into a smile, pleased to see


    Sonia in her ss.


    On the other hand, Sonia¡¯s gaze darkened when she caught Aaron grinning brightly at Arielle. Mother¡¯s


    right. I¡¯ve got to hasten my pace. Otherwise, Aaron¡¯s going to be snatched away by someone else.


    ¡°Hello, everyone. I¡¯m your lecturer for traditional Chanaean medicine, Arielle Moore.¡± As usual, Arielle


    began by introducing herself. The students were much older, so she went straight into the topic for that


    day after the introductions. ¡°Traditional Chanaean medicine focuses on four things¡ªobserving,


    listening, questioning, and feeling. In other words, they mean observing the patients¡¯plexion,


    listening to their breathing, asking about their symptoms, and feeling their pulse.¡±


    As soon as Arielle finished, a girl scoffed, ¡°That¡¯s the basics. Everyone knows them. Why would we


    need you to talk about such basic knowledge here? Can¡¯t you teach us something more useful?¡±


    Aaron instantly shed the girl a hostile re. He could hardly believe someone was questioning the


    lecturer whom he had put so much effort into bringing over.


    ¡°Emmy, His Royal Highness is looking at you.¡±


    When the girl who spoke up earlier, Emmy, heard her best friend¡¯s words, she nced at Aaron


    instinctively. She noticed the coldness in his re, and she lowered her head guiltily. ¡°It¡¯s the truth.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s so simple, why don¡¯t you examine your friend? Find out if she¡¯s feeling unwell anywhere,¡± Arielle


    suggested coolly, ignoring Emmy¡¯s displeasure.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Examine me?¡± Emmy¡¯s friend pointed at herself doubtfully.


    ¡°Yes, you.¡± Arielle nodded.


    Emmy chuckled. ¡°Linda¡¯s fine. There¡¯s nothing wrong with her.¡±


    They always hung out with each other. Therefore, she would have known if her friend Linda was feeling


    unwell.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, Emmy is right. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m not feeling unwell,¡± Linda piped up right after Emmy finished


    talking.


    She was telling the truth. She was very healthy and did not feel unwell anywhere.


    ¡°Emmy, examine her. Remember to observe, listen, question, and feel. Be serious about it.¡±


    Emmy could not help but feel Arielle was crazy. I¡¯ve already told her Linda¡¯s fine, yet she still wants me


    to examine her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely be serious about it,¡± she scoffed, unwilling to believe she would find any problems with


    Linda.


    Putting those thoughts aside, Emmy studied thetter intently. She judged Linda¡¯s condition by


    observing her eyes,plexion, and even the color of her tongue.


    At that, her expression turned grim. She then listened to Linda¡¯s breathing.


    Seeing Emmy¡¯s expression, Linda frowned.


    ¡°Linda, have you been eating well? Do you have regr meals on time? What about your sleep?¡±


    Emmy asked softly.


    At that moment, Linda felt slightly anxious and flustered. ¡°I guess my meals are okay. It¡¯s just my sleep.


    I have slight trouble falling asleep, and I wake up very early in the mornings.¡±


    Emmy then instructed Linda to stretch out her arm to feel thetter¡¯s pulse. She frowned constantly,


    which made Linda¡¯s heart beat wildly with anxiety.


    When Emmy was done examining Linda, she looked at Arielle with full confidence and dered,


    ¡°Linda¡¯s fine. She¡¯s just not having enough sleep.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure there aren¡¯t any problems?¡±

 Chapter 1395

    Chapter 1395


    Chapter 1395 A Show


    ¡°Of course.¡± Emmy nodded. After all, she had examined Linda carefully.


    ¡°Your friend has mild depression,¡± Arielle announced firmly.


    ¡°Depression? No way!¡± Emmy denied it right away.


    Linda has depression? She must be joking. Linda usually ys around and often chats with others.


    She doesn¡¯t look the slightest bit depressed. How could she say Linda has depression?


    Simrly, everyone in the ss was not convinced by Arielle¡¯s diagnosis.


    All of them knew what depression was, and they did not feel Linda was the slightest bit depressed. Still,


    Arielle said Linda was depressed. Oh, my goodness. How did she be a teacher with such poor


    medical skills?


    The students in the room exploded into a silent discussion. ¡°That¡¯s just a baseless diagnosis. Only


    heaven knows how she came up with that diagnosis.¡±


    ¡°His Royal Highness even came here just to listen to her lecture. He thinks too highly of her. I don¡¯t she


    has any capabilities.¡±


    There were all kinds of discussions that questioned Arielle¡¯s capability.


    Sonia knew her opportunity had arrived.


    I¡¯m going to make Aaron see her true color.


    She suddenly rose to her feet. ¡°Ms. Moore, what are the signs that made you determine Linda has


    depression?¡±


    Sonia lifted her head proudly while staring at Arielle.


    With her arrogant looks, she looked like she was challenging thetter instead.


    In reality, that was the same question the rest of the students had in mind. However, none of them


    dared to speak up.


    Now that Sonia had suddenly voiced the question, the other students broke into an uproar.


    ¡°Exactly, Ms. Moore, we heard you¡¯re invited to be our lecturer because of your great medical skills.


    We¡¯ve put our trust in you. How are we supposed to carry on with the ss if you don¡¯t exin your


    diagnosis properly?¡±


    Some added fuel to the fire, while some enjoyed the good show as it brewed.


    Seeing the students questioning herself, Arielle smiled.


    Aaron, on the other hand, had an icy expression. Clearly, he was extremely upset.


    We¡¯ve put painstaking effort into making Arielle our lecturer. How dare these people act so rudely? How


    dare they talk back to their own teacher? This is too much!


    Just as Aaron was about to stand up and stop themotion, Arielle went forward and shot him a look.


    Just like that, she forcefully suppressed his anger.


    Thus, Aaron returned to his seat reluctantly and turned around to look at Sonia.


    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    As far as he could remember, Sonia was not that kind of person. Yet, she seemed quite aggressive that


    day.


    Could her usual gentle and obedient character be all an act?


    With that thought in mind, he shot Sonia a warning look.


    She avoided his gaze, not daring to look him in the eye.


    ¡°That¡¯s a great question you have there. Well, can you tell us what kind of special insights you have on


    depression?¡± Arielle purposely threw the question back at her.


    Then again, Sonia was the top student in the medical school. Thus, she had some knowledge about it.


    She spoke in an eloquent and calm manner. ¡°Depression is a kind of an episodic mood of mania. The


    main symptoms are feeling depressed, slower thought processes, and reduced speech and actions.¡±


    Arielle nodded in agreement. ¡°You¡¯ve got a strong foundation in theoretical knowledge. That¡¯s exactly


    how depression is.¡±


    ¡°But these symptoms weren¡¯t observed on Linda.¡±


    ¡°What does traditional Chanaean medicine focus on? Observe, listen, ask, and feel, right? Are you sure


    you practiced all of them?¡±


    Sonia was rendered speechless, and she turned to look at Linda.


    However, after briefly exchanging gazes with her, Linda lowered her head as if she did not dare to look


    at Sonia.


    Sonia pondered about it and answered confidently, ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure Linda doesn¡¯t have depression.¡±

 Chapter 1396

    Chapter 1396


    Chapter 1396 Show No Mercy


    The corner of Arielle¡¯s lips lifted into a faint smile that seemed to have a hidden meaning behind it.


    The surrounding students¡¯ whispers became louder. More people were siding with Sonia and were


    questioning her capabilities.


    Arielle knew it would be difficult for her to continue teaching here if she did not refute Sonia¡¯s im that


    day.


    Looks like these students aren¡¯t that simple.


    She was not in a hurry to refute. Instead, she chose to observe the students in the ssroom quietly.


    She wanted to find out what doubts they had.


    After giving them some time to discuss privately, she finally voiced, ¡°Since everyone is doubtful of my


    skills and thinks my im is wrong, why don¡¯t we make a bet?¡±


    With that, she walked to Sonia.


    I¡¯ve been sensing something odd about this girl ever since I first set eyes on her. I wonder what I did to


    offend her that made her so overbearing.


    ¡°Since you doubt my medical skills and think your reasoning is logical, shall we make a bet?¡± she


    suggested.


    With her chin still lifted haughtily, Sonia asked, ¡°What are we betting on?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s bet on whether Linda has depression or not. Coincidentally, Aaron¡¯s here as well. He can be our


    witness.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    At the mention of Aaron, Sonia turned around to look at him.


    To Sonia, it was actually a great opportunity to get rid of Arielle. As long as she could prove Arielle¡¯s


    views and theories wrong, thetter¡¯s reputation would be in tatters, and she would not be qualified to


    continue teaching at the medical school.


    On top of that, Aaron would change his view of Arielle and would not be attracted to thetter anymore.


    At that thought, Sonia clenched her fists tightly.


    She had to participate in the bet, no matter what. Most importantly, she had to win it.


    Once she made up her mind, Sonia braced herself for the challenge. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll bet. What are the


    stakes?¡±


    ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± Arielle asked in return.


    Sonia boldly voiced her innermost thoughts, ¡°If you lose, then you¡¯re not qualified to be our lecturer.


    You¡¯ll have to leave this ce.¡±


    The crowd flew into an uproar.


    They were baffled by her boldness in making such a request.


    Hearing that, Arielle smiled. She finally understood Sonia¡¯s reason for targeting her.


    Looks like she wants to kick me out of the school. But I¡¯ve just arrived at Turlen, and it¡¯s our first time


    seeing each other. What¡¯s the reason for her to do that repeatedly?


    No matter what the reason was, Arielle was going to ept the challenge.


    ¡°Okay. I ept your terms. If I lose, I¡¯ll leave the medical school right away and never teach again. But


    what if you lose?¡±


    Her question left Sonia at a loss for words.


    She had not thought of what she would do if she lost.


    Does she have to leave the medical school too?


    Everyone in the room believed Arielle would also request Sonia to leave the school since thetter


    made such a demanding request.


    Even so, Arielle did not do such a thing. ¡°If you lose, you shall ept defeat and be my ss


    representative.¡±


    Sonia was perplexed.


    She did not expect Arielle to make such a simple request. The price of losing the bet seemed a little too


    small.


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± she asked doubtfully.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s all.¡±


    Sonia nodded. ¡°Okay. I ept it.¡±


    Meanwhile, Aaron¡¯s mouth arched into a smile as he listened to their agreement. He thought it suited


    his little kitty¡¯s character well, and he looked forward to seeing Arielle winning over the people who


    doubted her.


    When Arielle returned to the front of the ssroom, he pulled her over and smiled, saying, ¡°There¡¯s no


    need to show mercy. Do whatever you have to do. Let them witness your abilities.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I wasn¡¯t nning on showing mercy even if you didn¡¯t tell me that.¡± Arielle gave Aaron a


    nce and started her bet with Sonia.

 Chapter 1397

    Chapter 1397


    Chapter 1397 Humming And Hawing


    Arielle stepped onto the podium and picked up the textbook from the desk.


    ¡°You know a lot theoretically, but youck practical experience. Do you think you have a grasp of


    depression from the descriptions in the books? You must think a person who has depression tends to


    look unhappy and down in the dumps. But do you know there are patients who behave like Linda?¡± she


    pointed out, flipping open the teaching materials she had prepared earlier for her lesson on the day


    itself. Nheless, Sonia was already questioning her before she started giving any exnation.


    It never came to her mind that she would have to deliver her lesson of the day in such a way.


    ¡°Symptoms of depression may include sadness, slowed thinking, trouble thinking and concentrating,


    and poor cognitive abilities. Apart from that, patients might sustain physical diforts such as sleep


    disturbances, fatigue, and reduced appetite. But remember, everyone¡¯s condition is different.


    For instance, Linda doesn¡¯t look like one with depression. In fact, she seems to lead a rtively normal


    lifestyle and even chats jovially with everyone. Do you know she¡¯s just like a minority of depression


    patients bottling their emotions in front of everyone? Having a sense of humor in the others¡¯ eyes, she


    shed tears by herself discreetly.


    The probability of someone having depression is closely linked to a few factors. In general, it¡¯s ten


    percent of gic risk factors, twenty-five percent of biological factors, and another twenty-five percent


    of social factors. If I¡¯m not wrong, Linda¡¯s depression is because of emotional stress,¡±


    Arielle¡¯s words caught Sonia off guard.


    At the same time, she was impressed with the former¡¯s eloquence. She was undoubtedly good at


    everything, be it theoretical knowledge or capability of exnation.


    After expressing her point of view, Sonia queried further, ¡°Ms. Moore, what makes you think Linda has


    depression?¡±


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle had a hunch earlier that the girl would ask her about that. She advanced toward Linda,


    requesting her to step onto the podium. ¡°Linda,e up now.¡±


    Hearing that, Linda waved hastily. ¡°I-I¡¯m not going up.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Moore, I don¡¯t feel like going up. If you have questions, can you ask me here?¡±


    Since Linda was reluctant, Arielle could not force her. However, she caught sight of her student¡¯s


    mannerism and asked inquisitively, ¡°Have you been having a headachetely?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ I-I¡¯m fine,¡± Linda stuttered.


    ¡°What do you mean by that? Just say it out loud, yes or no!¡± Arielle raised her voice unknowingly.


    Linda had no choice but to reply softly, ¡°Sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Look at the dark circles under your eyes. Evidently, you don¡¯t have enough sleep. You must have


    headaches often.¡±


    Linda was rendered speechless.


    Arielle pointed at her hands and uttered solemnly, ¡°Everyone, do you notice how she¡¯s tugging at the


    hem of her blouse with her fingers? Apparently, she is nervous and terrified.


    On top of that, she¡¯s reluctant to step onto the podium to face everyone. That implies she¡¯s feeling


    inferior and sensitive about how others look at her.


    In other words, she¡¯s not confident in herself. She¡¯s obviously bottling up her emotions while chattering


    happily with you, so nobody will sense her sensitiveness and inner vulnerability. I wonder if you¡¯ve


    noticed she¡¯s always dawdling and seems to be deliberately falling behind the team during the PE


    lesson?¡±


    Her words enlightened Emmy. ¡°Ms. Moore, I think you¡¯ve got a point. I always tend to grumble that


    Linda is always humming and hawing!¡±

 Chapter 1398

    Chapter 1398


    Chapter 1398 Do Not Cry


    Arielle echoed, ¡°Yeah, I saw that. Coincidentally, I was standing by the window during your PE lesson


    before this. She was thest on the team all the time, being low profile and hardlymunicating with


    the others. It shows she¡¯s sensitive, inferior, and has lost her passion for daily life.¡±


    No doubt, she has made aprehensive analysis. However, there is no concrete evidence to prove


    that Linda has depression! At the thought of that, Sonia retorted again, ¡°That¡¯s just your assumption.


    Linda¡¯s usually not like that.¡±


    Obviously, she would go against everything Arielle mentioned. Thus, Arielle was well aware that she


    could only prove to them that Linda had depression when thetter disyed certain symptoms.


    ¡°Linda, stop pretending. You¡¯re fragile, sensitive, and inferior, yet you¡¯re pretending to be cheerful and


    confident. You don¡¯t feel like smiling, but you still force a smile at the others. How long do you n to


    go on like this? Don¡¯t you feel exhausted?¡± Arielle deliberately provoked her student.


    Thetter tugged at her blouse apprehensively. Right that instant, she looked even more tensed up. It


    was as though Arielle had stripped herst shred of dignity.


    To her, life was meaningless. However, she kept restraining herself from revealing her feelings so the


    others would sense nothing awry.


    Now that Arielle had exposed what she had been hiding all the while, Linda could not hold herself back


    any longer. The next second, she burst into tears.


    What makes her cry all of a sudden? She still looked fine a while ago. Sonia reprimanded Arielle


    inwardly for triggering Linda, resulting in her emotional breakdown.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, as an educator, how could you be so mean? How could you have the heart to trigger her


    emotions to prove you are right?¡±


    Arielle shot her a mocking nce. ¡°Ha! You¡¯re good at twisting words. By the way, how¡¯s it possible for


    her to be easily triggered and break into tears if she doesn¡¯t have depression?¡±


    ¡°I-It¡¯s because she¡¯s timid. I bet she must have gotten through something unhappy today. That¡¯s why


    she lost control when you triggered her emotion with your words!¡±


    Sonia tried her best to speak up for herself. Even so, it sounded as if she was giving excuses.


    Unequivocally, Linda was behaving weirdly moments ago. Not to mention, she was unusually anxious,


    and her slow movement was utterly noticeable during the PE lesson. It was proven that her emotion


    fluctuated when she broke into tears moments ago.


    Even if Linda did not have depression, she was having an issue with her emotions.


    Arielle did not wish to hurt Linda¡¯s feelings to win the bet. Since thetter was sensitive and inferior, she


    did not intend to trigger her emotion further, fearing that it would exacerbate the situation. What if she


    gets all worked up and loses touch with reality?


    Sympathized with the girl, she walked over to wrap her arms around Linda to appease her.


    ¡°Linda, it¡¯s okay to cry your heart out! Don¡¯t hold yourself back any longer. You¡¯ll feel better after crying


    out. You must have endured a lot while trying to suppress your emotions from the others. Why bother


    about how the others look at you? Live your life to the fullest for yourself and not for the others,¡± Arielle


    consoled her.


    Unexpectedly, Linda¡¯s emotions were triggered by her words of constion again. Burying her head on


    Arielle¡¯s shoulder, she started crying her head out.


    She could not fathom why she suddenly felt pessimistic and could not hold back her tears. It seemed


    waves of inexplicit emotions surging from within her were driving her insane.


    All her ssmates were stupefied as they had never seen her in such a state before.


    Needless to say, Arielle won the bet against Sonia. Undeniably, there was something not right about


    Linda.


    Meanwhile, Sonia was utterly speechless at the scene. It never urred to her that Linda would be in


    such a pathetic state. So did I make a mistake? Does it mean that she has depression?


    ¡°Linda, don¡¯t cry¡­¡± Arielle coaxed her, but thetter cried even harder.


    Fearing that Linda would be out of control and have an emotional breakdown, Arielle whipped out a


    mini bottle.


    She took out a capsule, gesturing to Linda to calm herself down and swallow it.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1399

    Chapter 1399


    Chapter 1399 On Pins And Needles


    After swallowing the medicine, Linda¡¯s condition stabilized, and she managed to cool down moments


    later. Sonia suddenly became the anxious one.


    On pins and needles, she could scarcely wait to flee the ssroom. At that very moment, no words


    could describe how regretful she was for suggesting the bet.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    After the lesson, Arielle headed straight to look for the Wilhelms, but they seemed to be upied.


    Thus, she decided to leave for home first. However, Arron emerged and stood in her way even before


    she reached the campus entrance.


    ¡°Ari, I¡¯ll walk you!¡± he stated excitedly with smiling eyes. Impressed by Arielle¡¯s eloquence during the


    lesson a while ago, he could barely hold himself back from apuding on the spot.


    Deep down, Arielle could notprehend why she did not feel the slightest bit of hatred toward him


    even after he abducted the Wilhelms to force her into going over to Turlen.


    ¡°Why¡¯re you thinking of going back together with me? Do you intend to spy on me so I can¡¯t get in touch


    with Vinson?¡± she scoffed.


    ¡°Hmph! Did I ever say that I wanted to spy on you?¡± Arron snorted.


    He could not help feeling numb to Vinson¡¯s name after she mentioned it numerously. The next second,


    heughed to himself triumphantly when something came to his mind. Pfft! Why should I be irked by it?


    Regardless of how often she mentions Vinson Nightshire, he¡¯ll never be able to show up in front of her!


    ¡°Then why are you tagging me along? Don¡¯t you have other lessons after this?¡± Arielle snapped.


    In the meantime, students had started to step out of their ssrooms after their sses were


    dismissed. Many turned to look in their direction inquisitively. Sensing their prative gazes, Arielle


    remained unfazed as she made her way toward the campus entrance.


    ¡°No, that was myst lesson of the day,¡± Arron replied gleefully as he trailed behind Arielle. No doubt,


    he would lie to her even if he had other lessons after that. He was sure as h*ll that she would not let


    him tag along if she found out that he still had other lessons.


    ¡°You¡¯d better don¡¯t lie to me. If I know you skip sses, you¡¯ll be doomed!¡± Arielle turned and warned


    him by waving her fist.


    Arron was momentarily stunned before his lips contorted into a bright smile. It had been almost twenty


    years since hest felt touched by a person who cared about him. Ah! It feels great when someone


    cares about me!


    At the sight of his blissfulness, Arielle snorted as she walked toward the campus entrance. Suddenly,


    she turned to look at him with widened eyes. Putting on a grimace, she wailed deliberately, ¡°Ouch! I


    have a stomachache and need to use the washroom now. Why don¡¯t you go back first or wait for me at


    the coffee shop nearby?¡±


    Sheplimented herself inwardly. Ha! What a brilliant idea for me to slip away! He can¡¯t follow me to


    the washroom. Am I right?


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you at the nearby coffee shop. Take your time.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Arielle responded nonchntly and pretended to head toward the washroom. Momentster,


    she turned back to scrutinize a security guard before asking in disbelief, ¡°How did you get in here?¡±


    Arielle was in awe. Good gracious! I can¡¯t believe he manages to infiltrate the campus security


    department and even disguises himself as a guard! Ah! It¡¯ll be a lot more convenient for us to get in


    touch from now onwards!


    ¡°Haha! Are you impressed? I find myself impressive too! I¡¯m a man of an amazing wit!¡± Xavier


    complimented himself arrogantly. After that, he pointed at the spot near to them, hinting at Arielle to go


    over.


    Next, they moved discreetly toward the secluded corner.


    He whipped out a new phone and handed it to her. ¡°This is the new phone I bought for you. With this,


    you¡¯ll be able to contact Vinson when nobody is spying on you.¡±


    It was indeed a great surprise for Arielle. She had been nning to grab an opportunity to buy a phone


    after familiarizing herself with things there. Hence, she thanked Xavier earnestly for buying her one.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it!¡± He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.


    In fact, he bought the phone with the money given by Vinson. To pay back thetter¡¯s generosity, he


    applied for a SIM card, saved Vinson¡¯s phone number on the phone, and even arranged for a limitless


    prepaid card.

 Chapter 1400

    Chapter 1400


    Chapter 1400 Someone Is Jealous


    In Arielle¡¯s eyes, detectives were quick-witted, highly capable, and tactful with words. Xavier, however,


    was simple and honest.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to get moving now. Seize time to give Vinson a call, okay?¡± he reminded before striding off.


    Arielle called Vinson right after he left.


    It was past midnight in Chanaea. Vinson had just settled his work matter in the study room of the


    Nightshire residence.


    A while ago, Harvey had texted that he had Harrison¡¯s permission to look for Arielle in Turlen with


    Vinson. Hence, the former requested Vinson to notify him before they were supposed to set off.


    Nheless, Vinson was well aware of how Harrison doted on Harvey. Furrowing his brows, he


    wondered why the elderly would allow Harvey to take the risk of following him there.


    He nned to give Harrison a call to have a grasp of the situation when it rang abruptly.


    ¡°Hello!¡± He answered the phone, his voice low and deep.


    It seemed like ages since Arielle hadst heard his voice. The moment she heard the familiar voice she


    had been longing for, she was on the brink of tears instantaneously. Secondster, tears started to


    trickle down her cheeks. Holding her phone, she could not even utter any words.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Vinson knitted his brows, suspecting that it could be a prank call. He was about to hang up, but


    caught his breath the next second.


    ¡°Darling, it¡¯s me!¡± A familiar voice sounded from the other end of the line.


    Astounded, Vinson got to his feet instantly. ¡°Sannie, is that you? Am I hearing things?¡±


    ¡°Darling, it¡¯s me! Oh, my¡­ I miss you so much!¡± Arielle yelled. Tears started flowing down her cheeks


    like streams.


    Before that, she would not have the courage to call Vinson repeatedly with the endearment, feeling


    awkward about expressing her affection toward him.


    Nevertheless, no words could describe how much she missed him at the moment. They had neither


    met nor contacted each other for quite a long time. Thus, she could no longer restrain herself from


    calling him that way. It was as though she was reciting a magic word that could transmit her affection


    toward him over the phone.


    Vinson¡¯s heart wrenched when he heard her sobbing. He could barely wait to be by her side to console


    her with an embrace and loving kisses.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry. I¡¯ll be able to meet you soon.¡±


    ¡°I heard from Xavier that you¡¯ll be able to travel here illegally on a cargo ship sometimeter.¡± Arielle


    sniffled and queried in great concern, ¡°How¡¯s your wound? Are the stitches removed? Have you had


    your follow-up checkup?¡±


    Her concern really warmed his heart. Stifling his sheer longing for her, Vinson replied gently, ¡±I¡¯m fine


    now. The stitches have been removed as well. Don¡¯t worry about me. Take great care of yourself and


    your parents over there, okay? I¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    His words, too, sent ripples of warmth into Arielle¡¯s heart. She mumbled, ¡°Okay! Be careful while on


    your way here.¡±


    ¡°I know. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± After a pause, he uttered hesitantly, ¡°Sannie, how about


    the brat Aaron?¡±


    She realized her husband was green with envy. In an instant, her red-rimmed eyes glittered with


    sparkles of smiles as she teased, ¡°Are you jealous?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m jealous!¡± he admitted right away. How could I be unperturbed when my woman is with that


    brat now? Gosh! They must be getting more closely acquainted with each other all this while!


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He got all riled up whenever he recalled how Aaron had taken Arielle to Turlen with his underhand


    tactic. Even though he and Arielle had been attempting to set foot in the country, it never came across


    his mind that he would one day smuggle himself there to reunite with her.


    Arielle could not help feeling amused at Vinson¡¯s jealousy and chuckled despite their current


    circumstance.


    ¡°Sannie¡­¡± There was a hint of unmissable affection in his tone.

 Chapter 1401

    Chapter 1401


    Chapter 1401 I Am Your


    Arielle blushed to Vinson¡¯s whiny purrs. She didn¡¯t want Vinson to be sad and green in envy because of


    someone unimportant. ¡°Vinson, listen to me,¡± Arielle said to him. ¡°I, Arielle Moore, am yours till the end


    of time, and I won¡¯t let anyonee close to me.¡±


    She meant what she said, and as long as Vinson was true to her, she would devote herself wholly to


    him. No one would have the chance to get close to her and vice versa.


    Her sincere vow astounded Vinson to the core. ¡°Sannie, I, Vinson Nightshire, promise to do the same.¡±


    Vinson reciprocated resolutely.


    The two lovebirds then chattered on. Although Vinson was more of a listener and didn¡¯t speak much,


    Arielle could sense his worries. To soothe his troubled mind, she tried to convince him of her well-


    being. ¡°I¡¯m doing pretty good here, so don¡¯t fret too much about me. The detective you¡¯ve hired knows


    what he¡¯s doing and even got me a phone. I¡¯ll be able to contact you, furtively, though, every time I


    come to the school.¡±


    Vinson was a tad jealous of Xavier when Arielleplimented thetter, but he was ever grateful to


    him and decided to transfer him more money after the call.


    ¡°You know I¡¯m just a call away.¡± Vinson¡¯s gaze into space softened.


    ¡°Vinson, I¡¯d love to stay on the line, but I have to go now, or they might find out about this.¡± Arielle didn¡¯t


    want to hang up but she had no choice.


    Like how his heart contracted, Vinson¡¯s clutch on his phone tightened. Yet, he feigned indifference. ¡°Ok,


    I understand. Take care and wait for me.¡±


    Beep¡ªThey hung up the phone.


    ¡°Ari, Ari¡­¡±


    After hanging up, Arielle could hear Aaron calling her name persistently. Without wasting a second, she


    shoved her phone into her bag, took a few deep breaths, and walked out of the restroom.


    ¡°What now? Am I not allowed to use the restroom in peace?¡± Arielle growled at Aaron to mask any


    trace of foulness.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about you!¡± Aaron felt wronged.


    Seeing him looking upset, Arielle thought that she had overdone it. Yeah, I shouldn¡¯t have shouted at


    him. He was genuinely worried about me.


    ¡°Okay, okay. I didn¡¯t say you did anything wrong.¡± She held herposure.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°But you growled at me.¡±


    Arielle popped her eyes wide at him. What a rascal! So what if I did? He was the one who interrupted


    my call with Vinson.


    Just as she thought she ought to be nicer to Aaron, the image of Vinson in her head changed her mind.


    ¡°So what if I growled at you? You deserve more than that.¡±


    Aaron couldn¡¯t understand what ticked Arielle off. All I did was check on her. What did I do wrong? He


    was more confused than ever.


    ¡°Come on, chill. As long as it makes you happy, you may shout or snarl at me as you wish.¡± Aaron gave


    her permission to throw a fit.


    There was no way Arielle could snarl at those puppy eyes. Aaron¡¯s pitiful posture softened her hard


    stance.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just go home.¡± Arielle gave him a nce and walked toward the school gate, where her chauffeur


    had been waiting there for a while.


    Home. What a warm and fuzzy word.


    Aaron had never felt at home in the longest time. His parents live in different households. Although his


    father was the nicest to him, the void in him was constantly there.


    As for his mother, she was the ideal parent when he was a child. She carried him, rocked him to sleep,


    told him bedtime stories, made him all sorts of tasty treats, and yed with him. However, things took a


    turnter on.


    Aaron wallowed in dejection as he walked down the memoryne.


    ¡°Hey, hurry up! Are youing home with me or not? I¡¯m gonna go now if you dallied any further!¡±


    Arielle was losing her patience as she was already in the car while Aaron was still trudging his way to


    the vehicle.

 Chapter 1402

    Chapter 1402


    Chapter 1402 Do Not Let Anyone Come Close To You


    Arielle¡¯s voice was music to Aaron¡¯s ears, and it drew a smile across his face. The heaviness in his


    steps vanished.


    Back then, Aaron brought her here with the intention of marrying her because he thought she was an


    interestingdy. Now, he was attracted to her because of the warmth she exuded unknowingly, and that


    soothed his taut nerves.


    ¡°Ari, can I stay with you? I feel so lonely staying on my own.¡± Aaron tried to get a hold of this newly


    found warmth by exposing his vulnerability.


    ¡°No.¡± Without hesitation, Arielle rejected him.


    She wasn¡¯t going to let anyonee near her.


    ¡°But Ari, please.¡± He imitated Pat¡¯s purrs, hoping for a yes.


    ¡°Stop it. Stop behaving like Pat. You¡¯re so childish.¡± Arielle gave him a soft p on his head.


    ¡°Ari, please, I beg you. Let me stay with you. You can imagine how lonely it feels to live alone in a huge


    mansion like mine, can¡¯t you?¡± Aaron whined.


    ¡°You? Lonely? Where are your parents?¡± Arielle lifted her brow.


    ¡°They don¡¯t live together, and I don¡¯t know with whom I should live.¡± Aaron¡¯s head drooped when Arielle


    mentioned his parents.


    Oh, poor thing. From that, Arielle thought that Aaron¡¯s parents had divorced and showed him sympathy.


    ¡°You¡¯re never gonna stay at my ce, but you¡¯re allowed toe and have a meal once in a while.¡±


    That was the most Arielle would allow.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Aaron was overjoyed but acted like he was disheartened still. He wasn¡¯t nning to go to


    Arielle¡¯s asionally. He was determined to visit her every day as he loved the way her family


    interacted. To him, that¡¯s what home should be like.


    Arielle thought the best thing that had happened to her today was being able to talk to Vinson over the


    phone. Little did she know that another pleasant surprise was waiting for her at Paelsford Manor.


    ¡°Morrison? What are you doing here?¡± Aaron asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to give Ms. Moore her phone.¡± Morrison took out a box and handed it to Arielle. ¡°Ms. Moore,


    the restrictions in the manor had been removed. You may contact anyone you like from now on.¡±


    Morrison then passed her aptop that was ced on the table. ¡°Also, thisptop is for you.¡±


    Arielle took the phone and theptop excitedly as that meant she could finally talk to Vinson without the


    need to be discreet, and she fell into a spur moment of bliss.


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    Opposed to Arielle, Aaron couldn¡¯t feel worse at the good news and pulled a long face.


    Why did they remove the restrictions and gave her aptop and a phone? That means she could call


    and chat with Vinson regrly, no?


    ¡°Young man, I¡¯ll smack you in the face if you insisted on stopping me from contacting Vinson!¡± Arielle


    felt that Aaron might be up to something malicious and threatened him.


    ¡°Do whatever you like. Hmph!¡± Aaron spoke coldly. No matter how often you two call each other, he


    wouldn¡¯t be able to get here, anyway. I¡¯m content with just driving Vinson up the wall every time he


    remembers that I¡¯m the one by Arielle¡¯s side now, he thought.


    ¡°What a sweet youngd you are!¡± Arielle grinned at Aaron. However, she turned toward Morrison with


    a frown on her face the very next second. ¡°Don¡¯t ever set restrictions on my devices again. You guys


    tricked me here and contorted my life-saving intentions into devious ambitions every time I tried to


    stand up for myself.¡±


    Arielle was a doctor and would never put anyone¡¯s life in jeopardy. She respected life and putting a


    wager on it was thest thing she would do.


    Morrison didn¡¯t know how Aaron got Arielle back to the country and felt sorry for her. ¡°My apologies for


    any inconvenience caused. I was just doing my job.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not putting the me on you anyway, but since I was invited here to share my medical knowledge,


    you should trust me a hundred percent and not cut me off from the outside world. Do you understand


    how worried my family would be if I¡¯m nowhere to be found all of a sudden?¡±

 Chapter 1403

    Chapter 1403


    Chapter 1403 She Is An Honorable Guest


    ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry!¡± Morrison didn¡¯t know how to respond except apologizing.


    Aaron smirked at the sight of Arielle finding fault in Morrison. If she knew that the man in front of her is


    actually her half-brother, she¡¯d be hopping mad.


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    ¡°Never mind. I know you have nothing to do with this.¡± Arielle dismissed Morrison with a swift wave of


    the hand.


    She knew perfectly that Morrison was just following orders. Her rants were just to vent her


    dissatisfaction at how she was treated.


    Morrison left after giving her the phone and theptop. After returning home, Dn asked him about


    Arielle¡¯s response.


    ¡°Ms. Moore was thoroughly upset regarding the telmunication restrictions imposed, saying that


    her family would be worried sick as they couldn¡¯t contact her. She alsoined about how we


    tricked her intoing here.¡± Morrison thought that Dn was concerned about Arielle because she


    was their honorable guest.


    Dn furrowed his brows when he heard the word ¡°tricked.¡±


    He was deeply concerned about Arielle because she was his biological daughter, but he had forgotten


    through what means Aaron sessfully brought her here. Family? Isn¡¯t the family she was talking


    about the Wilhelms? Are there still others whom we missed out?


    The next thing Dn was going to do was to have another investigation on Arielle¡¯s background.


    After returning to Paelsford Manor, Arielle went up to her room with the phone and theptop after


    Morrison had left. She couldn¡¯t wait to tell Vinson about this good news.


    Her childlike eagerness irked Aaron.


    ¡°Hey, are you gonna dump me here?¡± He affixed his eyes to Arielle who was running upstairs.


    ¡°Why are you still here?¡± Arielle turned around and was surprised to see him there as she thought he


    had left.


    What? Why am I still here? Aaron almost blew his top off! He had been standing there since they


    arrived at the manor, and there she was, oblivious to his existence. Is Vinson that important? Aaron


    thought.


    Arielle would surely roll her eyes if she could read minds. Without question, Vinson was the most


    important man in her life.


    ¡°Go back to your house as I have something to do,¡± Arielle said with conviction.


    Knowing that Arielle was trying to get rid of him and contact Vinson, Aaron walked up the stairs too.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going back yet. I believe I will be of great help to you with any task you have on hand.


    Arielle stared unbelievably at Aaron who was two steps down from her and knuckled his forehead.


    ¡°Who needs your help? Just go home.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Aaron covered his forehead with his palm.


    ¡°It¡¯s not up to you, young man. Leave now as I¡¯m busy and I don¡¯t have time for you.¡± Arielle gave him a


    soft push off the stairs.


    For some reason, Aaron let her win and left, which was pretty unusual. Giving in wasn¡¯t something


    Aaron was known to do, though.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave, but you have to promise me one thing.¡±


    ¡°And what is that?¡± Arielle was getting impatient with the youngd.


    She might sympathize with him asionally, but that didn¡¯t meant she would agree to all his requests.


    Why is she looking at me like that? Do I look like I¡¯m going to ask for the moon? Aaron didn¡¯t know


    what to make of the face Arielle made.


    ¡°All I want is to eat some of your homemade cooking.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Arielle shoved him out the door. She deeply suspected that Aaron was trying to stop her


    from contacting Vinson by waiting around at her ce.


    After sessfully shooing him away, Arielle went back to her room and gave the phone andptop a


    thorough screening. When she was certain that there were no surveince devices on them, she let out


    a breath of relief.

 Chapter 1404

    Chapter 1404


    Chapter 1404 Miss You


    Arielle didn¡¯t use the phone that Morrison gave her, for she had to be wary of the possibility that he had


    installed a spying device on it.


    Instead, Arielle took out the phone that Xavier gave her and installed software to send a video call


    request to Vinson.


    Since Arielle hadn¡¯t seen Vinson for quite some time, she missed him dearly. While holding the phone,


    she imagined how surprised Vinson would beter.


    Vinson was in Chanaea when he received Xavier¡¯s text, stating that a cargo ship would arrive at Turlen


    three dayster. As such, Xavier asked Vinson to be there in advance. Immediately, Vinson called


    Harvey to make necessary arrangements. Later, Vinson was excited when he saw Arielle¡¯s video call


    request.


    Vinson¡¯s lips curled up when he answered the video call and saw that Arielle was giggling. He missed


    her very much, for they hadn¡¯t seen each other for more than half a month. Besides, his heart seemed


    to have melted once he saw her sweet smile.


    ¡°Why are you giggling?¡± Vinson said smilingly as he unblinkingly stared at Arielle.


    Meanwhile, Arielle came to her senses upon hearing Vinson¡¯s voice. When she saw his face, her eyes


    turned bloodshot, and tears began to well up in her eyes.


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    ¡°Vinson!¡± Arielle said chokingly.


    In the past, Arielle never thought she would behave in such a way.


    All the more so, she never thought she would giggle and feel like crying just because she missed


    someone dearly.


    ¡°I¡¯m here. Don¡¯t cry.¡± Meanwhile, Vinson felt like taking her into his arms right away when he heard her


    choking voice and bloodshot eyes. At that moment, his longing for her was written all over his eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, for I¡¯ll feel heartbroken.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not crying!¡± Arielle wiped away her tears and continued stubbornly, ¡°It was eye strain.¡±


    ¡°Sannie, I miss you.¡± Vinson¡¯s gaze on Arielle, who pretended to be strong at that time, was gentle and


    loving. Deep down, he wished to hug and kiss her now.


    Arielle coughed lightly and pretended to be calm, albeit blushing, ¡°I know.¡±


    Deep in Arielle¡¯s heart, she missed Vinson very much. If Arielle and Vinson were on a phone call, she


    would reveal her feelings to him without reservation.


    Now that they had a video call, she felt embarrassed to tell Vinson she missed him.


    Knowing that Arielle was shy, Vinson couldn¡¯t help but tease, ¡°Do you miss me?¡±


    ¡°I gave you an answerst time.¡± Arielle¡¯s gaze darted around.


    ¡°As you said, the answer was to your questionst time. I¡¯m asking about now.¡± Vinson deliberately


    dwelled on it with a grin.


    ¡°Yes, I miss you. I miss you a lot. Are you satisfied?¡± Arielle pursed her lips while gazing at the man


    who had just obtained the answer he coveted.


    Humph! He always likes to tease me.


    After chatting for a while, Arielle told Vinson that themunication devices had been restored. He


    was delighted and could put his mind at ease because he could contact her from now on.


    Although Vinson knew that Arielle was safe all the while, he still couldn¡¯t stop himself from worrying


    about her.


    ¡°Vinson, can you send my father¡¯s photo to me? I¡¯ll ask around to see if someone knows him.¡±


    After working for over half a day as a substitute lecturer at the university, Arielle realized that many


    children in her ss came from prominent families.


    Hence, she nned to get to know them to get some information in the future.


    Since Arielle brought up her biological father, Vinson recalled that Xavier had reported some findings.


    He said, ¡°Xavier told me yesterday that only the king in Turlen is called Dn. Based on Xavier¡¯s


    investigation, the king has never left Turlen. Therefore, we suspect that your father had used the king¡¯s


    name when he dated Andrea.¡±

 Chapter 1405

    Chapter 1405


    Chapter 1405 Coming To Look For You


    ¡°What?¡± Arielle was visibly shocked. ¡°I¡¯ll send the photo to you and Xavierter. You two can investigate


    the matter together,¡± Vinson suggested.


    When Xavier told Vinson earlier that Arielle¡¯s father could have used the king¡¯s name, Vinson forgot to


    send the photo to him so that he could continue the investigation.


    Moreover, Vinson wouldn¡¯t remember any of it if Arielle didn¡¯t bring it up. ¡°Why did he use the king¡¯s


    name when he dated my mom?¡± Arielle murmured.


    Vinson fell silent, for he couldn¡¯t figure out a usible answer. Perhaps they would only know the truth


    after Arielle¡¯s father was found.


    ¡°Now, all we can do is investigate it based on the photo,¡± Arielle said and heaved a sigh, hoping that


    the photo could give her some clues.


    Nevertheless, Arielle also understood that it was difficult. The handsome man took the picture when he


    was young, yet he could have looked different after many years.


    For instance, a handsome young man could already have be a man with a potbelly as time


    passed.


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    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be too hasty in this matter. Since I¡¯ll return to see you in a few days, we can


    investigate it together.¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s great!¡± Arielle was overjoyed, for she didn¡¯t expect that Vinson could return to her side


    soon.


    However, she couldn¡¯t help but feel worried the next moment.


    ¡°Would you be in danger if youe to see me? I think you shouldn¡¯te. Xavier and I can


    investigate the matter here. Moreover, now that I¡¯m a lecturer invited by the university, they dare noty


    a finger on me.¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t think that I¡¯m that useless.¡±


    ¡°You have a point. After all, you¡¯re none other than the invincible Vinson.¡± Arielle let out a sweet grin as


    she gazed at Vinson over the phone. Well, Vinson is strong and steady.


    As they continued chatting, someone suddenly knocked on Arielle¡¯s door. She asked Vinson to wait for


    a moment and opened the door.


    ¡°Pat, you¡¯re back! How was school today?¡± Arielle pinched Pat¡¯s face gently and grabbed his hand to


    bring him inside.


    Pat would feel bored if he had to stay at home alone when Arielle went to the university. After


    discussing with Aaron yesterday, Arielle agreed to find a suitable school for Pat.


    That morning, Aaron told Arielle that he had made the arrangement, and thus someone would drive Pat


    to school. Hence Arielle could put her mind at ease and go to the university.


    After Arielle asked the question, Pat heaved a sigh like an adult. ¡°It¡¯s not fun at school because the kids


    don¡¯t speak Ustranasion. Hence, they didn¡¯t understand a word I said.¡± Pat felt rather frustrated


    because they spoke in two differentnguages.


    ¡°In that case, you have to learn Turlenese with me tomorrow. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to engage in a


    simple conversation with your friends soon,¡± Arielle proposed with a grin.


    Apart from the gift of tongues, Arielle had an impressive memory.


    After learning Turlenese with Aaron for a day and a half, Arielle continued to practice it for two to three


    hours every night. By now, her Turlenese was almost as fluent as the native speakers.


    Even though Arielle didn¡¯t know much about the dialects, she could engage in simple conversations


    and used medical terms. Therefore, teaching Pat to speak Turlenese was just a piece of cake for her.


    ¡°Why tomorrow? Can¡¯t we do it now?¡± Pat enquired in curiosity.


    Since Pat knew he wasn¡¯t as talented as Arielle innguages, he was ready to spend more time in


    learning Turlenese.


    Besides, Arielle always said that dedication and hard work could make up for theck of talent. Hence,


    Pat wanted to start the lesson right now.


    ¡°We can¡¯t do it now because I¡¯m on a video call with Vinson.¡± With that, Arielle showed her phone to


    Pat. Once Pat saw Vinson, he put on a bright smile and shouted excitedly, ¡°Vin!¡±

 Chapter 1406

    Chapter 1406


    Chapter 1406 Can You Forgive Me


    Since Arielle and Vinson had told the Wilhelms that they were married, Pat knew Vinson was his


    brother-inw. Besides, he was really fond of Vinson.


    Before Vinson could reply, Pat whispered to Arielle. ¡°What kind of an app are you using to contact Vin?


    Have you removed the spying device?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve removed it. Now, we can get in touch with anyone we want,¡± Arielle exined while her lips


    curled up.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s good news!¡± Pat jumped up and down as soon as Arielle finished.


    Ever since Pat was here, he felt that he was muzzled. Now, he could finally contact his best friends.


    After gazing at Arielle and Vinson over the phone, Pat smirked and said, ¡°You two must have a lot to


    talk about since you haven¡¯t met each other for a long time. I don¡¯t want to be a bother.¡±


    With that, he rushed out of the room and politely closed the door.


    ¡°What a rascal.¡± Arielle shook her head, beaming.


    Meanwhile, Vinson also chuckled and said, ¡°This shrewd little thing!¡±


    The next day, Arielle had to give her first lecture on brain tumors.


    After ncing around the ssroom, she was curious and frowned upon seeing a few students in their


    mid-forties.


    What is going on? Are they lecturers sent by the university to spy on me? At the same time, other


    students in the same ss also felt curious and thought they were new lecturers.


    The students in their mid-forties appeared to have sensed Arielle¡¯s suspicion. After a while, ady


    stood up and introduced herself. ¡°Ms. Moore, nice to meet you. I¡¯m Jennifer from the Tumor Prevention


    Center. The center has rmended us to attend the lecture.¡±


    Thedy and her colleagues had known that Arielle was an exceptional doctor invited by the university


    to give a lecture.


    Thepetition within the center was intense, and every doctor wished to attend the lecture. Hence,


    they worked very hard to earn the opportunity ofing to the university.


    Meanwhile, Arielle was surprised that her lecture was popr even among professional doctors.


    Nheless, she was confident about her medical skills and delighted about the overwhelming


    response.


    ¡°Thank you for believing in my medical expertise and choosing my lecture. I won¡¯t let you down.¡± With


    that, Arielle took out her lesson n and began the lecture.


    Sonia began to feel a sense of admiration for Arielle. Hence, she listened to the lecture attentively and


    proactively asked and answered questions. Arielle was very satisfied with Sonia¡¯s performance in


    ss.


    While Sonia asked elementary questions, Jennifer and her colleagues, being doctors with over twenty


    years¡¯ experience, brought up challenging problems they faced in clinical treatment. After Arielle


    patiently and eloquently answered the questions, they felt they had learned a lot from the lecture.


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    Jennifer had nned to specialize in tumor studies from the beginning. After ss, Jennifer became


    Arielle¡¯s fan and decided to attend all of her uing lectures.


    In the meantime, Arielle was bewildered at a misty-eyed Sonia who came to seek her out. Staring at


    Sonia, Arielle queried, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± She had no idea why Sonia began to weep all of a sudden.


    Sonia gazed at Arielle with her bloodshot eyes and begged, ¡°Ms. Moore, I sincerely apologize for my


    previous actions. Would you forgive me?¡±

 Chapter 1407

    Chapter 1407


    Chapter 1407 A Pretty Influential Figure


    Never had Arielle expected that Sonia actually sought her out to speak about that matter.


    Hmm? Could it be that someone is ckmailing her? But then, she doesn¡¯t seem the kind of person


    who¡¯d cry just because of that. What exactly happened that an arrogant girl like her would shed tears


    before me, a teacher she disliked? Anyhow, I can¡¯t think of any other possibility besides that.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never taken that matter to heart in the first ce.¡± After saying that, she inquired, ¡°Is someone


    ckmailing you? If so, just tell me boldly without any reservations. I¡¯ll go and seek the other party out.¡±


    However, Sonia shook her head. ¡°No, no one is ckmailing me.¡±


    ¡°Then, why are you doing this?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Moore, my grandpa is critically ill. I just received news that the doctors allowed him to be brought


    home, for there¡¯s no more hope for him.¡± When Sonia had finished saying that in a choked voice, she


    gazed at Arielle hopefully. ¡°Could you please go and check on him? I¡¯ll give up if there¡¯s really no hope


    for him.¡±


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    Although she was the little princess in her family, her parents were busy with their work and careers. As


    such, she grew up with her grandparents since young and had an exceedingly close rtionship with


    them. Verily, she couldn¡¯t ept the fact that her grandfather was going to depart this life.


    The instant Arielle heard that, she didn¡¯t bother ying the waiting game. Time waited for no one, and


    a dy of a few minutes could mean missing the golden hour of treatment, causing someone who


    could initially be saved to lose his life.


    ¡°After you,¡± she uttered solemnly.


    Knowing that she had agreed to go and save her grandfather, Sonia immediately took Arielle to the


    hospital without even wiping off her tears. On the way there, Arielle sent Kristoff a text to inform him of


    the situation on her side. That aside, she also told Sonia to inform her family to talk with the doctor as


    she wanted to have a look at the patient as soon as she arrived to have a better understanding of the


    patient¡¯s condition.


    Sonia didn¡¯t dare to tarry for a single heartbeat, promptly giving her father a call and telling him about


    Arielle¡¯s request. Naturally, her father didn¡¯t agree at first. He found it incredulous to have a random


    person treat his father.


    Therefore, she told him about Arielle being the teacher from Chanaea whom Aaron invited over. No


    sooner had her father heard that than he agreed to talk to the doctor without even thinking about it. In


    his opinion, someone whom the prince himself invited over must have exceptional medical skills.


    Opportunity seldom knocked twice, so he couldn¡¯t possibly pass up the opportunity to save his father¡¯s


    life.


    Upon arriving at the hospital, Arielle changed into a surgical gown. She swiftly scanned through Sonia¡¯s


    grandfather¡¯s medical report with her head lowered before going to the hospital room to have a look at


    the patient¡¯s condition.


    ¡°Prepare for an operation,¡± she ordered the attending doctor beside her in a somber voice.


    Sonia¡¯s grandfather had a cerebral hemorrhage. It had just been two hours since he was taken to the


    hospital, so it was fortunately still within the golden hour for an operation. After undergoing the


    operation, he could still be saved.


    No wonder both my father and Aaron chose medicine when they went to Chanaea to study. Honestly


    speaking, Turlen¡¯s medical treatment standard is really quite dismal. Despite having advanced


    technology and equipment, their medical skills in rendering treatment are truly bbergasting.


    In truth, the attending doctor was rather disdainful.


    There¡¯s no hope for this patient. Even if one wants to treat him, one must have top-notch medical skills.


    As far as our country¡¯s medical treatment standard is concerned, having such a condition is equivalent


    to a death sentence unless the patient goes abroad for treatment. However, that requires the king¡¯s


    stamp of approval andyer uponyer of special approval. Thus, it¡¯s extremely difficult to obtain that


    opportunity.


    Nheless, he didn¡¯t dare voice that. This patient is a pretty influential figure, so if this Chanaean


    woman fails to save him, she¡¯ll be in hot water!


    Despite the contempt within him, he still gave it his all while preparing for the operation. After the


    patient was wheeled into the operating theater, Arielle started performing the operation.


    The attending doctor was scornful toward her in the beginning, but following a brief observation, his


    eyes lit up and grew increasingly brighter. His previous derision toward her turned into respect and


    admiration.

 Chapter 1408

    Chapter 1408


    Chapter 1408 Will Not Stand Idly B


    The attending doctor had never expected a Chanaean woman to have such exquisite medical skills. He


    stared at Arielle¡¯s every move fervently, not daring to take his eyes away for even a second. Right then,


    he was exceedingly grateful that he was the attending doctor of the patient before him. Otherwise, he


    wouldn¡¯t have the chance to observe the operation.


    ¡°How¡¯s my grandfather, Ms. Moore?¡± Sonia instantly asked with a hopeful look when Arielle walked out


    of the operating theater. After all, the patient¡¯s family was the one who would be most worried.


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    Arielle was rather tired after conducting a four-hour-plus high-precision operation, but she still shed


    her a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, for he¡¯s fine now.¡±


    Only after Sonia heard that did her heart that had been lodged in her throat settle back into her chest.


    Actually, she was only trying her luck when she invited Arielle over to treat her grandfather. Ultimately,


    Arielle merely chose to teach orthopedics, oncology, and traditional Chanaean medicine. Her


    grandfather¡¯s illness, on the other hand, had nothing to do with all that.


    To her surprise, the result was as good as she anticipated, and her grandfather was then out of the


    woods.


    ¡°Thank you, Ms. Moore! Thank you so much!¡± She stepped forward in jubnce and hugged Arielle


    tightly. At that very moment, she really respected thetter from the depths of her heart.


    Verily, her arrogance and haughtiness at school was nowhere to be seen anymore.


    Aaron had some official business to attend to that day, so he only went to the school after he had


    finished handling everything. When he arrived at the school, he learned that Arielle had gone to the


    hospital with Sonia.


    Without a moment¡¯s dy, he went straight to the hospital. Unexpectedly, he was greeted by the sight


    of Sonia hugging Arielle when he reached the doors of the operating theatre.


    In a sh, his expression darkened. He marched over to Arielle with huge strides and glowered at her


    with a grim expression on his face.


    When Sonia¡¯s father spotted Aaron, he thought that thetter was there to visit his father, never once


    expecting the man to be there to look for Arielle. He promptly halted in his tracks.


    Arielle had no idea why Aaron came over and was regarding her with a dour expression for no reason.


    At that moment, she merely felt uneasy all over at Sonia¡¯s hug.


    She wasn¡¯t used to hugging people she wasn¡¯t close with, so she surreptitiously pushed Sonia away.


    ¡°Although he¡¯s fine now, you must take good care of him henceforth and make sure that he does the


    rehabilitation exercises,¡± she reminded.


    People who had a cerebral hemorrhage could never recoverpletely with just an operation. Instead,


    most of such patients and survivors would be saddled with motor, cognitive, and speed impairments as


    well as other long-term seque of various degrees.


    She couldn¡¯t tell for sure the kind of long-term sequ Sonia¡¯s grandfather would have, for that was


    only discernible after some observation when he regained consciousness.


    ¡°I know. My grandmother and I will supervise him to do his rehabilitation exercises every day,¡± Sonia


    asserted in all seriousness.


    ¡°Great! Then, I¡¯ll make a copy of the dos and don¡¯ts as well as the rehabilitation exercises for you. If


    you follow them to the letter, your grandfather will certainly be able to keep youpany for a few


    more years.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ms. Moore. Also, thank you for your benevolence and magnanimity by not holding a


    grudge against me.¡± In all honesty, Sonia was deeply regretful about her past actions.


    She realized that it was wrong of her to have negative feelings toward Arielle and even make things


    difficult for her in ss because Aaron was good toward thetter.


    Sonia¡¯s father, Lawrence Wynter, had also learned about the conflict between Sonia and Arielle when


    thetter was performing the operation. He likewise walked over and bowed to Arielle in apology. ¡°Ms.


    Moore, my daughter was ignorant previously and made things difficult for you. Thank you for not taking


    offense at her and foring to the hospital to save my father.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t do anything that would make things difficult for me, so you don¡¯t need to take it to heart. As


    for saving your father, that¡¯s my responsibility as a doctor. No matter who the patient is, I won¡¯t stand


    idly by when a person¡¯s life is at risk,¡± Arielle replied with a faint smile.

 Chapter 1409

    Chapter 1409


    Chapter 1409 I Was Indeed Too Shallow


    That remark of Arielle¡¯s shocked Lawrence greatly. He thought that she was only willing to save his


    father because of Sonia¡¯s remarkable identity. I never expected her to actually have such kindness.


    Admittedly, I was indeed too shallow.


    On the contrary, Aaron detested Arielle¡¯s attitude toward Sonia and Lawrence. He felt that she was too


    good to thempared to him, so he was secretly sulking.


    ¡°She performed an operation for several hours, so she undoubtedly hasn¡¯t eaten. I¡¯ll-¡± Before he had


    even finished speaking, Sonia happily said to Arielle, ¡°Ms. Moore, I know of a restaurant near this


    hospital with plenty of delicious food. I¡¯ll bring you there for a meal!¡±


    It so happened that Arielle wanted to build a close rtionship with Sonia, for she wanted to look for


    her biological father through thetter. As such, she didn¡¯t turn her down.


    ¡°Sure!¡± Having said that with a smile, she went to change out of the surgical gown.


    Sonia eagerly trailed after her. When Arielle came out after changing, Sonia took her arm with a bright


    smile on her face.


    While Arielle was perturbed by it, she didn¡¯t push her away.


    Meanwhile, Aaron¡¯s cold eyes narrowed into slits. Isn¡¯t she simply too ignorant? Can¡¯t she tell that I


    want to take Arielle out for a meal alone? What right does she have to snatch her away?


    ¡°Sonia, you¡¯ve still got to take care of your grandfather, so I¡¯ll bring her out for a bite instead,¡± he offered


    with a dark expression on his face.


    If it were in the past, Sonia would definitely be chagrined at Arielle if the man said that.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After such an incident that day, however, she felt that his words couldn¡¯t affect her in the slightest.


    She, too, had presently grown to like Arielle.


    Besides, there were many people taking care of her grandfather in the hospital, so her presence at that


    time made no difference. All she wanted was to have a meal with Arielle and get to know her better.


    ¡°Grandpa is still unconscious now, and it¡¯s uncertain when he¡¯ll regain consciousness. I¡¯m not needed


    here, with my parents and the team of doctors and nurses keeping an eye on him. I¡¯ll treat Ms. Moore


    to a meal first before returning to the hospital after driving Ms. Moore back after the meal.¡±


    Disregarding Aaron¡¯s mood, she sashayed over to the elevator doors with a hand on Arielle¡¯s arm.


    Damn her!


    Aaron stared at the backs of them both with a gloomy look in his eyes. Not only did she intercept me


    from treating Arielle to a meal, but she even headed off my offer to drive her back. This is just too


    much!


    Snorting, he made a phone call. Shortly after, Sonia received a call from a teacher that he had finished


    reading the thesis she wrote earlier and had something to discuss with her.


    As it was a rare opportunity for her to treat Arielle to a meal, Sonia couldn¡¯t be bothered about her


    thesis. She murmured an acknowledgment before hanging up the phone.


    When Aaron went downstairs and saw that she hadn¡¯t left yet, he couldn¡¯t help frowning. Didn¡¯t that


    teacher say that she has agreed to go back to school to look for him? Why is she still here?


    ¡°Aaron, I want to treat Ms. Moore to a meal. You may leave first if you¡¯ve got something to do,¡± Sonia


    asserted warily, afraid that he would steal Arielle away. She had forgotten all about her having targeted


    thetter in hopes of marrying him.


    Hearing that, Aaron was entirely dumbfounded.


    Why am I the one to leave?


    ¡°You don¡¯t have the time to treat her to a meal! Didn¡¯t your teacher ask you to go and see him for


    something?¡± Aaron retorted with a harrumph, failing to hold himself back.


    Sonia was momentarily startled before she red at him in displeasure. Ugh! How utterly despicable!


    He actually colluded with my teacher to dupe me just to prevent me from treating Ms. Moore to a meal.


    I¡¯ve really misjudged him. I never expected him to be a person who¡¯d sabotage others behind the


    scenes!


    Since even Sonia could discern that, Arielle naturally surmised that as well.


    She heard Sonia answering the call herself just now, and Aaron was still upstairs at that time.


    Hence, it made no sense that he would know about Sonia¡¯s teacher seeking her out unless he covertly


    sought her teacher out.

 Chapter 1410

    Chapter 1410


    Chapter 1410 Keep Your Distance From He


    Noticing the look in Sonia and Arielle¡¯s eyes as they stared at him, Aaron knew that the fact that he


    conspired with the former¡¯s teacher hade to light. At that, he turned a tad embarrassed despite


    being thick-skinned usually.


    ¡°I¡¯ve still got something to do, so please excuse me.¡± As soon as he had finished saying that, he hurried


    away, leaving a thin and lonely back in his wake.


    When Sonia saw that, a sliver of anguish crept into her.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re here anyway, why don¡¯t you stay? We can all eat together,¡± she suggested instinctively.


    tion promptly inundated Aaron. I¡¯ve been waiting for that proposition for ages!


    He reflexively cast his gaze at Arielle, putting on a pitiful expression to garner her agreement.


    Arielle was quite hungry after having performed an operation. She didn¡¯t mind whomever she dined


    with as long as she could fill her stomach, so she neither agreed nor objected.


    Seeing that she didn¡¯t decline, Aaron was instantly over the moon.


    Doesn¡¯t she hate me pestering her? Why did she agree to eat with me? Could it be that she had


    discovered how great I am?


    At that line of thought, he smirked at her with joy dancing in his eyes and drawled, ¡°Since the two of


    you have invited me warmly, it¡¯ll be embarrassing to you if I don¡¯t go.¡±


    In response, Arielle rolled her eyes at him.


    Good Lord! He¡¯s really taking a mile when he¡¯s given an inch. When did I extend an invitation to him


    warmly? I merely didn¡¯t rebuff him, okay?


    At that, she huffed, ¡°Suit yourself! You can leave if you don¡¯t want to join us. You don¡¯t need to be so


    concerned about embarrassing me.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to embarrass you.¡± After saying that, Aaron hastily opened the car door and gestured


    for the twodies to get in before she could say anything further.


    It was the first time Sonia had ever seen that side of him. She felt that he was somewhat different from


    the man she knew before that. In fact, the difference was so vast that it was as though they were two


    different people.


    Perhaps this is the real Prince Aaron. But even though he¡¯s a prince, he can¡¯t deprive me of my right to


    dine alone with Ms. Moore. Oh well, my ns got derailed this time, but there¡¯s always the next time.


    Anyway, I¡¯m never going to forget how he conspired with my teacher to dupe me.


    She lowered her eyes, deciding to seize all opportunities timely. I¡¯m going to invite Ms. Moore out for


    lunch and shopping whenever I¡¯m free. I want to be the most important person to her!


    Happy moments were often short-lived. After the meal, Arielle asked Aaron to drop Sonia off at the


    hospital before driving her back to Paelsford Manor. When they arrived at the manor, Aaron nned to


    go in and have a cup of tea, but he received a phone call. Hurriedly taking his leave from Arielle, he


    then left.


    After leaving Paelsford Manor, he headed to the pce straight away.


    The moment Sybil caught sight of Aaron, he instantly murmured respectfully, ¡°His Majesty is waiting for


    you inside, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    Aaron was initially going to walk right in, but he retracted his steps after taking two steps forward. He


    went over to Sybil and scrutinized him for a long while. A sh of curiosity flittered across Sybil¡¯s eyes


    at his action. What is His Royal Highness doing?


    A few dayster, Sonia¡¯s mother, Kelly, called her into a room after Arielle and Aaron had left.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me so seriously, Mother?¡± Sonia inquired with a frown, her eyes pinned on


    Kelly.


    As Kelly regarded her daughter, a trace of chagrin showed on her usually gracious and gentle face.


    ¡°Sonia, is Prince Aaron in love with that Dr. Moore?¡±


    ¡°I suppose so. Why?¡± Sonia asked nonchntly.


    ¡°You¡¯re asking me why? Don¡¯t you realize that your future husband is mere moments from being stolen


    away?¡± Kelly¡¯s temper spiked at the sight of her daughter¡¯s insouciance.


    Upon seeing that her mother was livid, Sonia lowered her eyes. ¡°What do you want me to do, then?¡±


    Kelly¡¯s eyes darkened a shade. ¡°Naturally, I want you to win Prince Aaron¡¯s heart back.¡± Having said


    that, she paused for a moment before adding, ¡°As for that Ms. Moore, she¡¯s your rival, so keep your


    distance from her in the future. Don¡¯t bring her home anymore.¡±

 Chapter 1411

    Chapter 1411


    Chapter 1411 How Heartless


    Looking Kelly in the eye, Sonia solemnly maintained, ¡°Since we¡¯re rivals, we¡¯llpete fairly. Keeping


    my distance from Ms. Moore is impossible because she¡¯s teaching all the courses I¡¯m taking.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice the look in Prince Aaron¡¯s eyes at the sight of Ms. Moore? You have no hope in a fair


    competition,¡± Kelly snapped.


    ¡°So be it. Don¡¯t tell me I must marry him?¡± Sonia replied after a momentary silence.


    ¡°Yes, you must marry him. Don¡¯t forget what I told you,¡± Kelly enunciated tersely.


    Hearing that, Sonia lowered her eyes and went silent.


    When Kelly saw that, distress flooded her.


    Sonia was her only daughter, so she had been pampering her ever since young. She wanted her


    daughter to marry someone she loved and loved her in return, but Prince Aaron was her best choice in


    the current circumstances.


    ¡°Sonia, you¡¯re the princess in our family. All I do is for your good.¡± Taking Sonia¡¯s hand, Kelly earnestly


    exined, ¡°Considering the situation right now, the queen mother and the queen are both eyeing


    Prince Aaron¡¯s marriage at present. The queen has her sights set on you, so I believe that Her Majesty


    will treat you well after you marry into the royal family.¡±


    Both her sons were currently working for the queen¡¯s nephew. Therefore, if Sonia married Prince


    Aaron, it would be equivalent to their entire family standing on the queen¡¯s side.


    ¡°Mother, is this also Father¡¯s wish?¡± Sonia queried after a moment of silence.N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    Kelly stilled for a while before she answered, ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Please excuse me.¡± After saying that, Sonia retracted her hand from her mother¡¯s grasp.


    Getting to her feet, she strode out, leaving Kelly to gaze at her back with eyes that darkened a shade


    further.


    After leaving the gates of Sonia¡¯s house, Aaron enthusiastically invited Arielle out for a movie, but she


    ruthlessly turned him down.


    When it came to watching a movie, she would only do so with Vinson.


    Aaron was a touch disappointed at her rejection.


    Ah, what a pity! This is a golden opportunity without anyone here to intrude on us. Since she¡¯s unwilling


    to watch a movie with me, I¡¯ll ask her out for a meal. She won¡¯t say no to that, right? Isn¡¯t this the


    common practice in pursuing a girl?


    Truth be told, he was actually only using that method for the very first time.


    Conversely, Arielle¡¯s brows creased deeply. Do I look as though I¡¯ve got nothing better to do? I¡¯ve still


    got tons of work to do, okay? I don¡¯t have the time to dine with him!


    ¡°No, thanks,¡± she declined coldly.


    Aaron gazed at her with ebony eyes tinged with a hint of grievance. She was pretty amicable to me a


    few days ago. Why did she suddenly turn so callous?


    Since she wasn¡¯t willing to dine with him, he didn¡¯t want to force her to do so either. Thus, he had no


    choice but to drive her back.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to object to me going in for a cup of tea, are you?¡± he asked cautiously.


    A frown marred Arielle¡¯s countenance. All of a sudden, she couldn¡¯t quite bring herself to give him the


    boot, but then, she didn¡¯t want to be the target of unsavory gossip either. In the end, she replied,


    ¡°Another time.¡± After saying that, she swung open the door and walked in.


    If she allowed him entry, and Vinson learned about that, he would unquestionably be angry and


    jealous.


    Although both Aaron and Pat were of the same significance to her¡ªa brother¡ªshe could understand


    Vinson¡¯s jealousy. After all, if the man were to allow a girl into his house and treat her well, she would


    definitely be upset and jealous as well.


    Therefore, she decided to keep a distance from Aaron henceforth instead of doing as she did the


    previous two times since their rtionship could be easily misconstrued.


    ¡°How heartless of her!¡± Aaron then left with regret written all over his face.


    A short while after Arielle went into the house, Morrison came knocking on her door. She eyed him with


    a frown.


    Morrison calmly handed the gift bag in his hand to her. ¡°This is for you.¡±


    With her brows knitted together, Arielle looked at him in puzzlement.

 Chapter 1412

    Chapter 1412


    Chapter 1412 Backfire


    ¡°Who is this from?¡± Arielle didn¡¯t take the gift bag from him. Throughout the time she had been there,


    she hadn¡¯t asked around about Morrison, so she had no idea where his allegiancey.


    ¡°His Majesty.¡± Clocking the refusal on her face, Morrison expounded, ¡°His Majesty is grateful that you


    came here from afar to teach us medical skills.¡±


    Arielle nodded in acknowledgement but had no choice but to turn down the gift bag.


    At a single nce, she could tell that the gift bag contained something luxurious. She had already


    epted the ATM card Sybil delivered, so she didn¡¯t want to take that as well. Considering her


    insistence, Morrison could only make his way back with the gift bag in hand.


    Dn took out the box in the gift bag and opened it. When he saw the diamond ne lying inside,


    helplessness showed in his expression.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The first time heid eyes on that ne, he felt that it matched Arielle very well, so he bought with


    without any hesitation. After getting his hands on it, he initially wanted to give it to her personally. But


    on second thought, he sent Morrison over instead. Unexpectedly, she rejected it.


    ¡°Say, Sybil, when can I reconcile with my daughter?¡± hemented with a sigh. Verily, he wanted to go


    and see Arielle. Thus far, he could only quench his longing for her through the videos the bodyguards


    sent over.


    ¡°Be patient and wait a little longer, Your Majesty.¡± They hadn¡¯t remained idle all this time and had been


    busy regaining the power in the queen mother and the queen¡¯s hands. In fact, they had already secretly


    contacted a few ministers.


    ¡°I¡¯ve also bought a few sets of clothes. Later, send them over to the princess. I¡¯m worried that she won¡¯t


    ept them if Morrison delivers them.¡± While saying that, Dn took out several bags from the side


    and handed them to Sybil.


    ¡°Understood, Your Majesty. I¡¯ll tell her that they¡¯re from you.¡±


    When Sybil arrived at Paelsford Manor, he gaped at Arielle, who was busy cooking with an apron


    around her waist. If His Majesty were to witness this scene, he¡¯d be downright devastated! After all, she


    should¡¯ve been a pampered princess who didn¡¯t have to lift a finger in her entire life!


    Meanwhile, Arielle never expected him to visit at that hour. After putting everything away, she stepped


    out of the kitchen.


    At the sight of hering out, Sybil pointed at the bags on the table and stated, ¡°I¡¯m here to deliver


    those clothes to you.¡±


    Deliver clothes to me? What clothes? Arielle was at a total loss. Seemingly perceiving her


    bemusement, Sybil rified, ¡°His Majesty had these clothes custom-made for you.¡±


    ¡°Please tell your king that he doesn¡¯t need to buy me any gifts,¡± Arielle remarked cidly with her eyes


    pinned on the man.


    He had already paid her for teaching his citizens medical skills thest time, so there was no need for


    him to further gift her with exorbitant items or clothes. They were mere strangers, so the fact that he


    was sending her gifts had her feeling uneasy.


    Upon seeing that, Sybil knew that Dn had been too impatient, causing things to backfire instead. He


    pondered for a moment before exining, ¡°His Majesty is extremely thankful that you came here to


    teach us medical skills. Besides, he likes you a lot. He feels sorry about his dereliction of duty while


    acting as a tour guide back then, failing to bring you to all the scenic spots.¡±


    When Arielle heard that, her eyes went wide in surprise. She had never expected that the tour guide


    who took her around on her second day there turned out to be the king of Turlen. Well, it looks like the


    king attaches great importance to meing over to impart my medical skills.


    After turning it over in her mind, she epted the clothes Sybil brought over. The king prizes medical


    skills and painstakingly sent gifts over to me, so it¡¯ll probably bug him if I don¡¯t ept them.


    Having delivered the clothes, Sybil returned to the pce and conveyed Arielle¡¯s words to Dn. Dn


    then frowned, not quite sure how else he should make it up to her and treat her well.

 Chapter 1413

    Chapter 1413


    Chapter 1413 Busted


    ¡°What¡¯s the progress with the investigation on the queen?¡±


    Dn was currently nning to recoup his power as quickly as possible, change thew and


    acknowledging his rtionship with Arielle. He wanted to be able to treat her well in public and make


    up for everything shecked.


    ¡°I also found out that a nephew of hers took a bribe of a million,¡± Sybil answered.


    The moment Dn heard that, his brows furrowed. Their family¡¯s businesses are making tons of


    money, so why are they still taking bribes? Don¡¯t tell me the money isn¡¯t enough for them?


    ¡°What were they requested to do?¡± he questioned tersely.


    Consequently, Sybil rted the results of the investigation to him. Evidently, a contractor cut corners


    while constructing a house. His superiors were conducting an inspection, and he was afraid that the


    matter woulde to light, so he asked the queen¡¯s nephew to utilize some connections so that he


    could pass without any issues.


    Dn was furious after hearing that. If the house isn¡¯t up to standard, it¡¯s no joke if something happens


    one day!


    ¡°Collect evidence of him taking bribes. Then, investigate the other forces that are working for the


    queen. I want everything in detail.¡±


    He wanted to seize that opportunity to disintegrate the queen¡¯s power and snatch it away from her


    cronies.


    Having received his orders, Sybil was fired up and acknowledged them fervently with his head held


    high. His Majesty should have done this from the very beginning!


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    When the man had left, Dn took out a book from his drawer as he sat at his desk alone. He flipped it


    open, baring a picture to his sight. With trembling hands, he touched the girl in the picture, tears


    shimmering in his eyes.


    ¡°Maureen, I¡¯ll be reconciling with our daughter soon.¡±


    Twenty to thirty people were crammed into the constricted space of the ship. They were all illegal


    immigrants, someing over to find a job and make money while others entered other countries


    illegally before returning. In short, there were all sorts of people and a myriad of smells.


    Although Vinson and Harvey were both outstanding men, they could still persevere in the face of such


    a space.


    After several hours had passed, the cargo ship finally docked in the evening. By then, those receiving


    the cargo were already waiting at the harbor. It was then that the illegal immigrants alighted from the


    ship in the cover of darkness. Vinson and Harvey exchanged a nce before they, too, walked out


    cautiously. They then pretended to beborers and helped to transfer the cargo.


    Without warning, amotion broke out at the dock. Vinson nced at the dock surreptitiously. Under


    the dim light, he recognized that the person who was approaching with a full entourage was none other


    than Aaron at a single nce, the man who stole Arielle from him. When he saw that, his eyes


    darkened. He must have some formidable identity.


    Recalling how the man used underhanded means to bring Arielle over, he was gripped by the urge to


    kill him outright. Beside him, Harvey noticed his emotional state and immediately tugged at him. Vinson


    instantly retracted his gaze and moved the cargo with the others, heading toward the dock.


    On the surface, Aaron was there to check on the cargo. But in truth, he was actually there to check


    whether there were any illegal immigrants.


    He was just about to leave after sweeping a few nces over the crowd when he abruptly frowned. He


    felt as though he had seen someone familiar.


    ¡°You there, turn around so I can take a look at you.¡±


    Crap! I¡¯m busted! Vinson promptly stiffened.


    While he was racking his brain for a way to beat a hasty retreat, a boy walked away from him and


    headed toward Aaron.


    ¡°Aaron!¡±


    ¡°Are you about to sneak out, or have you just returned?¡± The corners of Aaron¡¯s mouth twitched as he


    eyed his brother, whose face was stained by ayer of dust.


    ¡°I¡¯m just about to sneak out, but you found me out.¡± The boy scratched his head in embarrassment.


    With a dark expression on his face, Aaron ordered, ¡°Go back with me.¡± After saying that, he spun on


    his heels and left.


    Despite having no idea what they were both talking about, Vinson breathed a sigh of relief. Phew! It


    was really a close call! I almost thought I¡¯d been busted!

 Chapter 1414

    Chapter 1414


    Chapter 1414 He Is Here


    After moving the cargo to the dock, Vinson and Harvey looked at each other before covertly creeping to


    the side.


    ¡°Phew! I was scared to death earlier, thinking that you were going to get busted,¡± Xavier eximed in


    the car, casting a nce at Vinson in disguise even as he breathed a long sigh of relief.


    Xavier wasn¡¯t the only one, for even Vinson himself was worried that he would be busted. Fortunately, it


    was just a false rm.


    Taking out his phone, he send Arielle a text message, informing her of his arrival so that she wouldn¡¯t


    worry.


    When Arielle received his text message, the corners of her lips turned up.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He¡¯s here. How wonderful!


    She immediately called him. ¡°Have you found a ce to live? I¡¯d like to go and pay you a visit.¡±


    Vinson likewise wanted to see her and couldn¡¯t wait to meet her again. No sooner had her words fallen


    that he asked Xavier whether he had prepared the amodation.


    Nodding, Xavier told him the address of the ce he would be staying henceforth. After jotting it down,


    Arielle hung up the phone and got the car key from the driver. She instructed the bodyguards not to


    follow her before speeding off.


    When Vinson and the others arrived at the house, the first thing they did was take a shower. When they


    were done and had changed into a set of clean clothes, Xavier had already bought dinner back for


    them both. They ate as they waited for Arielle.


    Arielle lived near the condominium Xavier found for Vinson, so she arrived in just half an hour. Finding


    the condominium Vinson mentioned, she depressed the doorbell.


    Vinson had been waiting for her, so he promptly sprang to his feet and hastened over to open the door


    when he heard the doorbell.


    ¡°Vinson!¡± Arielle¡¯s voice carried a faint trace of excitement.


    At the sight of the woman who was beaming from ear to ear right in front of him, Vinson could no longer


    hold back. He pulled her into his arms right away.


    He hugged her tightly, so much so that it was as though he was hugging a one-of-a-kind priceless


    treasure in this whole world.


    Arielle also reached out and hugged him back tightly, inhaling the fragrance unique to him.


    Seeing the scene unfolding before them, Harvey and Xavier, who were keeping Vinsonpany in the


    living room as thetter waited for Arielle, exchanged a nce. They then returned to their rooms,


    leaving the space to the young couple who hadn¡¯t seen each other in a long time.


    After hugging each other for about a minute, Vinson dropped his hold on Arielle as he remembered that


    there were still other people in the living room. He took her hand and walked into the house, closing the


    door behind them. When they reached the living room, he saw that there was no one left in the living


    room. His lips curved upward at once. Well, they¡¯re pretty perceptive!


    ¡°Which room is yours? And have you unpacked?¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Vinson answered, leading her into his room by the hand. The instant he closed the room door,


    he pinned her against the door with a massive hand cradling the back of her head and captured her


    alluring lips forcefully. His kiss then deepened and grew all the more passionate.


    Their breaths intertwined, their lips and tongue tangling together. The temperature in the room climbed


    steadily.


    On that silent night, Arielle could only hear their heartbeats. She closed her eyes and hooked her arms


    around his neck as she responded to his longing and passion. At that very moment, all she wanted to


    do was giving free rein to her heart and feelings.


    As the two of them kissed at the door and progressed to the bed, clothes were scattered all over the


    ground. Only when both their bodies were stered together did they really sense that the other was


    by their side.


    An indeterminate time passed before a fully satiated Vinson carried a tired and drowsy Arielle to the


    bathroom for a shower. Later, he ced her on the bed and hurriedly pulled the covers over her before


    snagging a hairdryer and blowing her hair dry. She had no clothes there, so he washed her clothes


    personally and put them into the dryer.

 Chapter 1415

    Chapter 1415


    Chapter 1415 Heartbreak


    In half an hour or so, Vinson took the dry clothes out of the dryer and was about to help Arielle get


    changed. However, she suddenly opened her eyes when he was about to change her. She stared at


    him and asked, ¡°What time is it now?¡±


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Upon hearing howzy she sounded, Vinson¡¯s heart instantly melted. He gave her forehead a kiss and


    answered, ¡°It¡¯s almost eleven.¡±


    Eleven? Oh crap! I¡¯ve already been out for more than three hours! Arielle flipped the nket aside


    before abruptly covering herself up with it again.


    Why is she still so shy? It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve never seen her naked before. Vinson¡¯s lips lifted into a smirk.


    Seeing that, Arielle harrumphed.


    Vinson then smiled and ced the clothes next to her. ¡°You can wear these. I¡¯ve already washed


    them.¡±


    Arielle pointed at the door and indicated that she¡¯d like him to turn his head around. Vinson understood


    it right away and turned around with a smile on his face. Arielle only got changed after he¡¯d looked


    away.


    After she was done, she walked toward Vinson and said, ¡°I have to head back now, Vinson.¡±


    If she were to stay out for the night, Aaron would definitely find out about what she¡¯d done. In order to


    be able to keep seeing Vinson, she nned not to stay with Vinson that night.


    Vinson nodded. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll send you back.¡±


    Arielle didn¡¯t oppose the idea. Since they hadn¡¯t seen each other in quite a while, they weren¡¯t satisfied


    with the mere three hours they had with each other. Vinson held her hand before opening the door and


    heading out toward the living room. There, Harvey instinctively turned around when he heard the


    noises of theming out of the room, and he was heartbroken when he saw them holding hands.


    He pretended to be nonchnt and queried, ¡°Are you guys leaving?¡±


    Arielle didn¡¯t know Harvey was there as well. She was shocked and grateful at the same time when she


    saw him there. He must be worried about me. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t risk his life bying here.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m heading back. I¡¯ll get caught if I stay too long.¡± Arielle shed a faint smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m sending her back. You can drive Xavier¡¯s car and follow us from behind. After that, you can drive


    me back,¡± Vinson said to Harvey.


    Prior to seeing Harvey there, Vinson wanted to look for Xavier. If I disregard him and look for Xavier,


    things might get awkward. I might as well just get Harvey to help instead.


    Upon hearing that, Harvey was stumped momentarily before agreeing to it.


    After getting out of the apartment, Arielle and Vinson drove off first, and Harvey was following them


    from behind.


    Arielle frowned and asked softly, ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit awkward?¡±


    Vinson knew what she meant. ¡°It¡¯d be even more awkward if I don¡¯t ask him toe along.¡±


    Arielle couldn¡¯t help but agree after giving it some thought. Things have already been weird between us


    ever since the marriage. If we were to disregard him and look for Xavier, it¡¯s only going to make matters


    worse. By then, the rtionship between us would be beyond repair.


    ¡°Did Old Mr. Jupiter agree to himing here?¡± Arielle asked curiously.


    Vinson nodded. ¡°Yes. I have no idea what Harvey said to convince him.¡± In fact, Vinson was very


    surprised by the fact that Harrison had allowed Harvey to look for Arielle because, after all, Turlen was


    known for its mysteriousness and dangers. With one wrong move, one could lose his life there.


    Deep down, Vinson was touched when he found out that Harvey was willing to help look for Arielle.


    ¡°Vinson, I don¡¯t know when I can locate my biological father.¡± Arielle was troubled because she thought


    she¡¯d disrupt Vinson and the others if she were to stay for too long.

 Chapter 1416

    Chapter 1416


    Chapter 1416 Missing You


    Vinson knew what Arielle was worried about. Hence, he told her about how he¡¯d left thepany in the


    hands of his assistant and Susanne.


    ¡°Since my mom is holding the fort at thepany, you have nothing to worry about.¡± Vinson paused


    and continued, ¡°As for Harvey, I¡¯ll get him to go back first if we can¡¯t find any leads on your biological


    father within a month.¡±


    After all, Harvey was meant to lead the Jupiters as he was the future head of the family. Although


    Harrison was able to keep things in ce in the meantime, everyone knew Jared wouldn¡¯t be able to do


    much if something were to happen.


    In the midst of chitchatting, they¡¯d arrived and parked at a spot a distance away from Paelsford Manor.


    ¡°You should get off now because there are surveince cameras up ahead.¡± Although Arielle could


    easily hack into the surveince system, she¡¯d rather not do so to avoid causing any suspicions.


    Vinson gazed at her deeply before pulling her in and kissing her passionately. He only let go of her


    when she was almost out of breath.


    As he nced at her alluring lips, he darkened his gaze and said in with a hoarse voice, ¡°I¡¯ll do what I


    can to stay here.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Arielle pretended to be calm, albeit blushing uncontrobly.


    Vinson couldn¡¯t help but give her another smooch before getting out of the car. Worried about getting


    caught, Arielle quickly drove toward the manor. Vinson only turned around and got into the car with


    Harvey after watching her leave.


    Harvey parked the car further away from them so that he wouldn¡¯t cause them any disturbance.


    Upon arriving at the manor, Arielle left the car keys on the coffee table in the living room before making


    her way up the stairs. The Wilhelms were still awake because they were waiting for Arielle¡¯s return.


    They immediately opened their room door when they heard her walking up the stairs.


    Arielle was frustrated when she saw both of them. I¡¯ve already tried my best to keep quiet so that I


    wouldn¡¯t wake them up!


    ¡°Dad, Mom, I¡¯m sorry for waking you guys up,¡± Arielle apologized.


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    To which Andrea responded with a smile. ¡°No, you didn¡¯t. We were waiting for your return before going


    to sleep.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Arielle was incredibly touched. They really love me like I¡¯m their own child.


    She then hurried toward Andrea and whispered something into her ear.


    Andrea¡¯s eyes lit up immediately, and she asked, ¡°Really?¡±


    In response, Arielle smiled and nodded.


    While dragging Hubert back into the room when he was about to question Arielle, Andrea urged, ¡°It¡¯s


    late. Go to bed, okay?¡± Since they were young once, they knew exactly what Arielle was doing being


    out sote.


    The next day, Arielle received a video call from Vinson right after washing up. Without hesitation, she


    answered the call. Instantly, she smiled blissfully when Vinson¡¯s handsome face showed up on the


    screen. ¡°You¡¯ve woken up so early!¡±


    Vinson nodded and said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep because I miss you.¡±


    Arielle was rendered speechless. Why is he flirting with me so early in the morning?


    ¡°Will you be busy today?¡± Vinson queried with a smile.


    Arielle nodded. Indeed, it was a busy day ahead. She had three sses in the morning, and in the


    afternoon, she was going to visit Bernd. Ever since she saved his leg during the surgery, his mother,


    Sna, had been trying to invite her over through Aaron.


    Since she¡¯d been busy prior to that day, she hadn¡¯t been able to go over. She ended up epting the


    invitation and bailing a few days ago because she didn¡¯t know Vinson had arrived. If she were to bail


    again, she¡¯d seem rather inconsiderate.

 Chapter 1417

    Chapter 1417


    Chapter 1417 Do Not Get Angry


    ¡°I have a few sses in the morning. As for in the afternoon¡­¡± Arielle hesitated and frowned because


    she didn¡¯t know how to tell him without him getting mad.


    Seeing that, Vinson uttered, ¡°You can keep it to yourself if you don¡¯t feelfortable saying it.¡± Arielle


    shook her head as she was looking at Vinson. Her eyes flickered, and she said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, but don¡¯t


    get angry, okay?¡±


    Vinson chuckled lightly. Why would I be angry? It¡¯s not like she¡¯s going out on a date with some other


    guy.


    ¡°Okay. Go on,¡± Vinson answered helplessly. Do I look like someone who gets angry easily?


    Arielle went on and told him about her schedule for the day. Unsurprisingly, Vinson was pissed when he


    heard her saying that Aaron was bringing her to visit someone. Why should I let Aaron, whom I hate,


    bring my woman around to visit someone else?


    Arielle noticed the change in his emotion, so she hurriedly said, ¡°If you¡¯re unhappy with it, I can turn


    them down.¡±


    Since those people meant nothing to her, it¡¯d be foolish of her to sacrifice her lover¡¯s happiness just so


    that she could visit them. Indeed, Vinson¡¯s feelings were far more important to her than the people who


    invited her.


    Vinson was grouchy at first, but upon hearing that, his mood improved significantly. I can¡¯t stop her


    from socializing just because I don¡¯t like it. Since someone is willing to help her while she¡¯s stuck in this


    unfamiliar territory, I should let her make use of this golden opportunity.


    ¡°No. You should go ahead with it. This is a good opportunity for you to find some leads on your


    biological father. Since we shouldn¡¯t put all our eggs in one basket, you should try to get close to the


    others as well,¡± Vinson said casually.


    A smile appeared on Arielle¡¯s face when she heard that. I knew it! Although he gets jealous easily, he¡¯s


    not one to stop me from socializing.


    After ending the video call, Vinson went to look for Xavier and Harvey. He had to figure out a way to


    stay by Arielle¡¯s side.


    When Arielle got down the stairs, the Wilhelms were already sitting on the couch. Normally, they


    would¡¯ve already gone to the school by this time, no? Since they¡¯re still here, I bet they¡¯re going to ask


    me about Vinson.


    As she expected, Hubert asked her right away when she sat down, ¡°San, what are you and Vin


    nning to do? Are you guys going to keep seeing each other secretly?¡±


    ¡°He must have a n in mind.¡± Arielle furrowed her brows.


    Hubert gave it some thought as well. That¡¯s right. Vinson isn¡¯t one to go into something blindly. Since


    he¡¯s here, he must have something in mind. In that case, I shouldn¡¯t be worried about it anymore.


    After breakfast, the three of them went to the school together. The chauffeur would then have to head


    back to send Pat to school as well.


    In ss, Arielle noticed something was wrong with Sonia¡¯s mood. Not only was Sonia avoiding eye


    contact with her, but she was also reluctant to voice her questions in ss. Why is she acting like she¡¯s


    done something wrong against me? After some thought, Arie decided to get Sonia to see her in the


    office after their lesson.


    Since she had an office all to herself, no one else could hear what was being said in her office.


    When Sonia arrived outside her office, she took a deep breath before knocking on the door. Arielle


    knew it was Sonia, so she let her in right away.


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    ¡°Ms. Moore, may I know why you want to see me?¡± Sonia wasn¡¯t arrogant when she spoke with Arielle.


    Arielle pointed at the chair to get her to sit down before asking, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Sonia shook her head in response. What am I supposed to tell her? Do I just tell her I want to be her


    love rival? Do I tell her that I want a fairpetition with her to fight for Aaron? I can¡¯t possibly say that,


    right?


    Seeing how conflicted Sonia was, Arielle decided to stop questioning her. I shouldn¡¯t interfere in others¡¯


    private matters.


    ¡°I¡¯ve asked you here because I wanted to know if something¡¯s up with you. Since you¡¯re not willing to


    share, I¡¯m not going to pressure you into doing otherwise.¡± With that, Arielle told Sonia to head back to


    the ssroom.

 Chapter 1418

    Chapter 1418


    Chapter 1418 Married


    After taking a few steps away, Sonia turned around and stared sternly at Arielle. ¡°Ms. Moore, I want to


    have a fairpetition with you.¡±


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    Arielle was utterly stumped. She raised her brows and asked, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Sonia pursed her lips and hesitated for quite a while before uttering, ¡°I know Aaron likes you. Hence, I-


    I¡¯d like topete fairly with you for him.¡±


    Was she bothered by that all morning? Arielle then raised her brows again and said tly, ¡°Go for him if


    you like him. I have nothing to do with him.¡±


    ¡°He likes you, though,¡± Sonia replied in a deep voice.


    ¡°How does that have anything to do with me?¡± Arielle retorted.


    Sonia was stunned upon hearing that. Well, that¡¯s true. Although Aaron likes Ms. Moore, there¡¯s


    nothing she can do about it.


    Before Sonia could say anything, Arielle added nonchntly, ¡°Sonia, I¡¯m a married woman.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Sonia stared at Arielle in shock, and her mouth was agape.


    ¡°Hence, nothing¡¯s ever going to happen between Aaron and me,¡± Arielle added.


    Sonia was utterly puzzled. Married? How could that be?


    Arielle saw the puzzled look on Sonia¡¯s face, so she asked, ¡°Since I¡¯m already twenty-five, is it that


    weird that I¡¯m married?¡±


    Since Arielle had already revealed that much, Sonia was finally convinced.


    ¡°Actually, Aaron isn¡¯t my only option, Ms. Moore. It¡¯s just that my mom¡­¡± Sonia couldn¡¯t bring herself to


    complete her sentence.


    ¡°I understand.¡± Arielle raised her brows and added, ¡°However, you should have your own say in your


    personal rtionships.¡±


    Aftering out of the office, Sonia couldn¡¯t help but keep thinking about what Arielle had told her. She


    understood what Arielle meant, but she was also confused at the same time.


    Once Arielle was done with her sses, she went back to Paelsford Manor and headed upstairs to


    wash up. She blushed slightly when she saw the hickeys left scattered around her body.


    After washing up, she put on a cored shirt and got ready for Aaron to pick her up.


    In the meantime, in the pce, Dn had just received a mind-boggling piece of news. He widened his


    eyes in disbelief and said, ¡°What did you just say? Repeat yourself!¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, Princess is a m-married woman,¡± Sybil repeated.


    Even Sybil was bbergasted when he was told about it. Who would¡¯ve thought Princess is a married


    woman?


    Dn fell back onto his chair and remained confused for quite a while. My daughter is a married


    woman? I haven¡¯t even reunited with her yet! Also, what was Aaron doing all this while? How did he not


    find out about it beforehand?


    With those thoughts in his mind, Dn was angered.


    After calming himself down, he was interested in learning more about his son-inw. ¡°Have you found


    out about who her husband is? Is he a capable man?¡± Dn was eager to know exactly what kind of


    man had married his daughter.


    ¡°Yes, we did.¡± Sybil quickly put some documents on Dn¡¯s desk.


    Sybil had already made a copy of it upon receiving the report from his subordinates so that he could


    show it to Dn.


    Dn read through the documents carefully and nodded. Not bad! My daughter has found herself a


    good man.


    After reading through the documents, Dn instructed, ¡°Inform the people at the pier to not be as strict


    as usual. In the meantime, tell them to let those illegal immigrants through.¡±


    The documents showed that Vinson had traveled overseas two days prior. Dn thought there was a


    possibility that he might¡¯ve tried to find Arielle. In order to please his daughter, he was willing to make


    things easier for Vinson.

 Chapter 1419

    Chapter 1419


    Chapter 1419 Robbed


    Meanwhile, Aaron was bringing Arielle along to visit Bernd. On the way there, Aaron told Arielle that


    Bernd¡¯s father was a minister of Turlen¡¯s internal affairs. In other words, he was the highest-ranked


    government official.


    Her eyes lit up when Aaron told her that. Vinson was right about not putting all our eggs in one basket!


    Since I¡¯m presented with such a golden opportunity, I shouldn¡¯t let it slip.


    When the car rolled to a halt, Arielle immediately saw Bernd¡¯s mother waiting for them at the entrance


    of the house. As soon as Arielle got out of the car, the mother went up to Arielle and hugged her after


    shing her a smile.


    Arielle wasn¡¯t used to her warm wee, but she managed to keep her emotions to herself. After


    exchanging pleasantries, Sna brought Arielle to the living room while Aaron had gone to see Bernd.


    After chatting for a while, Arielle had finally learned about Sna¡¯s name. Why do I know so many


    people with simr names? First, it was Nightshire Group¡¯s Serena. After that, there was the vice


    president named Selena, and now, I¡¯m acquainted with Sna. What a coincidence!


    Sna held her hand and said enthusiastically, ¡°Dr. Moore, your medical skills are incredible! Bernd¡¯s


    leg is healing rapidly, and he¡¯s going to go through physiotherapy soon.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s done his part as well in the healing process,¡± Arielle answered. If it wasn¡¯t for Bernd¡¯s healing


    ability, her medical skills alone wouldn¡¯t be enough to get him ready for physiotherapy so soon.


    Normally, people with simr injuries like his would need at least two to three months to heal before


    they could proceed with physiotherapy.


    ¡°The important thing is that you¡¯ve managed to save his leg!¡± Sna looked at Arielle and added


    sincerely, ¡°Dr. Moore, Bernd is our only son. Since you¡¯ve saved him, you¡¯ve also saved our whole


    family at the same time. From now on, please let us know if there¡¯s anything you need help with. We¡¯ll


    assist you the best we can.¡±


    Arielle was delighted upon hearing that. Who would¡¯ve thought Sna would give me such an


    assurance? This is exactly why I¡¯vee!


    ¡°Sure.¡± Arielle smiled.


    In the pce, the queen was infuriated when she found out that Aaron had brought Arielle to Bernd¡¯s


    house. ¡°What is he trying to do?¡±


    Since Bernd¡¯s father is Turlen¡¯s highest-ranked government official, what is he nning to do by


    bringing that woman there? Is he trying to pave the way for her and marry her in the future? With those


    thoughts in her mind, the queen clenched her fists angrily. Even though thew wouldn¡¯t allow Aaron to


    marry outsiders, she knew she had to stop Aaron at all costs.


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    ¡°Your Majesty, perhaps His Royal Highness is just fooling around like he always does. Don¡¯t worry,


    okay?¡± Miranda quickly urged.


    ¡°I doubt that¡¯s the case this time around. He¡¯s serious!¡± Indeed, the news she¡¯d received in the past few


    days had kept her on edge.


    Hearing that, Miranda dared not to say another word.


    The queen remained grouchy for a while before she waved Miranda over and whispered something


    into her ear. Shortly after, Miranda was seen leaving the premises with a grim expression.


    ¡°How dare she seduce my son? Is she sick of living?¡± the queen grumbled to herself as she stared into


    the distance.


    The next day, Arielle was ready to head home when she got out of her office after a busy day at work.


    When she was walking down the stairs with her colleague, a figure appeared in a dark corner and


    mped a hand over her mouth.


    At that instant, she thought she was getting robbed.

 Chapter 1420

    Chapter 1420


    Chapter 1420 I Want You


    Arielle¡¯s heart sank when she realized what was happening to her. When an opportunity presented


    itself, she tried tond a punch on the perpetrator. However, it seemed like the perpetrator had


    anticipated it and subdued her.


    Before she could react, the perpetrator kicked a nearby door open and brought her into the room. After


    locking the door, the perpetrator tried to kiss her, but she managed to dodge it.


    Who is this? He¡¯s asking for death! In a rage, she tried to kick him, but the man was too fast. He


    grabbed her leg and wrapped it around his waist before forcing his lips onto hers.


    There, the man forcefully kissed her.


    Arielle was utterly embarrassed and humiliated. She suddenly widened her mouth and bit the man¡¯s lip.


    ¡°Sannie, are you trying to kill your husband?¡± the man asked.


    Arielle was stunned when she heard the familiar voice. ¡°Vinson? You scared me!¡±


    ¡°Did you miss me?¡±


    Arielle blushed upon hearing that.


    Although she didn¡¯t answer, Vinson took her silence as admission.


    He then reached out his long arms and hugged Arielle.


    Since Vinson had a unique scent, Arielle instantly felt safe after taking a whiff of it.


    She hugged him back and embraced his warmth.


    After a few seconds, Arielle suddenly came to her senses and shoved Vinson aside. ¡°What are you


    doing here?¡±


    ¡°I snuck in to see you. Are you surprised?¡±


    Arielle was rendered speechless. Surprised? More like a shock!


    Vinson then held her hand and queried, ¡°Don¡¯t you miss me? Don¡¯t you want to be with me?¡±


    Right then, Arielle was at a loss for words.


    If she were to speak her mind, she¡¯d missed him dearly.


    However, she knew there were bodyguards around her, and she was in unfamiliar territory. Hence, it


    was rather inconvenient to have Vinson around.


    ¡°Silly! Why didn¡¯t you tell me you wereing? Don¡¯t you know I have bodyguards around me? What if


    we get caught?¡±


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll let them catch us?¡±


    Right then, Arielle nced at her surroundings worriedly. Seeing that, Vinson couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    Since it¡¯s nighttime and the lights are off, what could she possibly see in this dark infirmary?


    Arielle realized she was overly nervous when she heard him chuckling.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Arielle raised her brows and snorted.


    ¡°No. Nothing¡¯s funny,¡± Vinson answered in a serious tone.


    Hearing that, Arielle¡¯s lips curved into a smile.


    Vinson then pulled her in and lowered his head to kiss her passionately.


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    As for Arielle, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. In an instant, the


    atmosphere in the room got rather steamy.


    Right then, Vinson was losing control of his desires. He pinned Arielle to the wall and started taking off


    her clothes while still kissing her.


    ¡°V-Vinson, not here.¡± Arielle abruptly returned to her senses and gave him a light push as she gasped


    for air.


    ¡°Sannie, I want it badly,¡± Vinson uttered with a hoarse voice and hugged her.


    Arielle was blushing uncontrobly at that point.


    ¡°I want you, Sannie,¡± Vinson whispered seductively into her ear. As he was saying that, he was nibbling


    her ear at the same time, to which Arielle responded with a shiver.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to my office upstairs.¡± Arielle pretended to be calm, albeit blushing uncontrobly in the dark.


    Since she had an entire office all to her herself, they had everything they needed there.


    Surprised, Vinson answered with a hoarse voice, ¡°Sure!¡±

 Chapter 1421

    Chapter 1421


    Chapter 1421 Privacy


    Arielle pushed the door open and left the infirmary. At that time, the school was quiet because most of


    the students were already asleep. After checking her surroundings, she rushed up the stairs with


    Vinson following closely behind. Arielle then quickly opened the door to her office and went inside with


    Vinson.


    ¡°I¡ª¡± Before Arielle could finish her sentence, Vinson went up to her and kissed her overbearingly.


    Arielle eventually gave in and went along with the intense and passionate moment.


    The lights in the school shone into the office through the window. Right then, Vinson¡¯s desires


    intensified when he saw the expression Arielle had on her face.


    He then bent down and carried her up onto the bed before unbuckling his leather belt. As he leaned his


    bulky body toward her, his eyes were filled with the love he had for her. With his head lowered, he


    gently kissed her forehead, nose, and extremely seductive lips.


    Two hourster, Arielle was leaning tiredly in Vinson¡¯s embrace. After giving her a kiss or two, he


    carried her into the bathroom. By the time they got out of the bathroom, another hour or so had passed.


    After a few hours of steamy interaction, Arielle was lyingzily in Vinson¡¯s arms under the nket.


    Where did he get his energy from? How is he still capable of nailing me for more than an hour in the


    bathroom after two hours in bed?


    Vinson kissed her forehead and asked in a deep voice, ¡°Are you heading home tonight?¡±


    ¡°Since it¡¯s sote already, no.¡± Arielle had already informed the chauffeur that she¡¯d be staying over at


    the school that night.


    Vinson¡¯s eyes flickered when he heard that. He then immediately turned over and pinned her down.


    Arielle widened her eyes in puzzlement and asked, ¡°You want more?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not satisfied.¡± Vinson kissed her again.


    Since she wasn¡¯t heading back, they got to spend the entire night together.


    When Arielle woke up the next day, Vinson had already left the room.


    She then whipped out her phone and listened to a voicemail Vinson sent her. He told her to stay at the


    school from then on, and he¡¯d sneak in whenever possible.


    Arielle curled her lips into a smile. Doesn¡¯t he get exhausted?


    Arielle was in a great mood throughout the day. Although she tried to suppress her joy, Aaron had


    noticed it right away. Since he was paying attention to her every move, he could more or less judge her


    mood.


    ¡°What are you so happy about? Did something good happen?¡± Aaron smiled and asked.


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    In response, Arielle scoffed and retorted, ¡°What does it have to do with you?¡± She realized she was


    showing too much of her emotions after a blissful night with Vinson. I have to conceal my emotions


    better.


    Upon getting shut down by Arielle, Aaron could only smile wryly in response.


    In fact, it was meant to be a casual question without any ulterior motive.


    Aaron disregarded her wariness against himself and asked with a smile, ¡°Hey, it¡¯s Saturday tomorrow.


    Since you don¡¯t have any sses tomorrow, is there anywhere you¡¯d like to go? I can bring you out.¡±


    Arielle shook her head because she wanted to spend the day with Vinson. ¡°I have something going on


    tomorrow.¡±


    Aaron¡¯s eyes flickered. Since she¡¯s unfamiliar with the ce and its people, what could she have


    nned for herself?


    He pretended to be nonchnt and queried, ¡°What is it? May I go with you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a private matter!¡± Arielle answered and gazed at him intently. ¡°Why do you need to ask so many


    questions? So that you could send your men to stalk me and keep an eye on me?¡± With that, she


    turned around and left.


    Aaron was rendered speechless. Does she think I¡¯m that kind of person?


    Arielle went back to her office after leaving the ssroom. That morning, she¡¯d already told the


    chauffeur that she¡¯d be staying over at the school from time to time, and she didn¡¯t need him to drive


    her around anymore.

 Chapter 1422

    Chapter 1422


    Chapter 1422 Fight


    Arielle left the lesson n on her desk before bringing a set of clothes with her to the bathroom. By the


    time she got out of the bathroom, she saw Vinson sitting at her desk and using herputer.


    ¡°Why are you here so early?¡± The sky had just turned dark, and she was worried about him getting


    caught.


    Vinson moved his chair toward her and pulled her in by her waist. While sitting on hisp, she


    instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. Vinson kissed her on her lips and said, ¡°I came


    because I miss you.¡±


    After getting separated, Vinson finally realized how much he loved Arielle. He loved her so much that


    he wished to be with her at all times.


    Blushing, Arielle acted calm and urged, ¡°You have to be careful.¡±


    Indeed, since they weren¡¯t in Chanaea, they¡¯d be in deep trouble if they got caught.


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    ¡°Okay. I know,¡± Vinson answered before looking at her and asking, ¡°Do you have a hairdryer here?¡±


    Arielle nodded and pointed at the bedside table. Vinson acknowledged it and carried her toward the


    dressing table. There, he took off her shower cap and blew dry her hair attentively.


    Arielle checked her phone and saw that Sonia had sent her a text asking if she wanted to hang out with


    her the next day. Obviously, she rejected her because she wanted to spend time with Vinson.


    A few minutester, Vinson startedbing her hair after he was done blow-drying it.


    Arielle couldn¡¯t help but smile when she saw Vinson in the mirror. She could see the love he had for her


    by looking at how attentive he was.


    ¡°Have you had your dinner?¡± Vinson asked afterbing her hair. He¡¯d even kept away the hairdryer


    andb for her.


    Arielle shook her head in response. She went to shower right after she was done with her work, so she


    hadn¡¯t had the time to have a bite yet.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you out for dinner, then. I¡¯ll wait for you across from the school.¡± With that, Vinson kissed her


    and left.


    Arielle smiled and took her keys and her purse before heading down the stairs. Since the sky had


    turned dark, she was walking toward the entrance of the school under the moonlight. After spotting


    Vinson¡¯s car from across the road, she ran her fingers through her hair, which had been ruffled by the


    breeze, before walking toward him.


    Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks when she saw four burly men walking toward her. Right when she


    was about to defend herself, two of her bodyguards appeared out of nowhere.


    There, two of them were fighting the men off and protecting Arielle at the same time. They weren¡¯t


    going to let those four men get near to her.


    Since Arielle wasn¡¯t one to back down from a fight, she clenched her fists and started throwing punches


    as well. Indeed, she wasn¡¯t a weak and defenseless woman.


    Vinson immediately darkened his gaze upon seeing that. He got out of the car right away and joined


    the fight.


    Initially, those four men thought they could get rid of Arielle easily. Not only did they not expect her to


    fight, but they also didn¡¯t know she had bodyguards around her. The four of them suddenly whipped out


    their weapons after exchanging nces with each other.


    One of Arielle¡¯s bodyguards got careless and suffered a sh to his arm. Despite getting injured, he


    was still protecting her bravely, and as a result, he got stabbed a few more times. As for the other one,


    he was stabbed in his abdomen, thigh, and back. Just like that, both of her bodyguards were defeated.


    One of the armed men then approached Arielle. Before he could get to her, Vinson managed to send


    him flying with a kick. Right then, one of them dashed toward Arielle.

 Chapter 1423

    Chapter 1423


    Chapter 1423 Injured


    Seeing that, the bodyguards rushed forward to shield Arielle. However, one of the other men aimed a


    hard kick at them and sent them flying through the air. Arielle saw the de moving swiftly toward her,


    but it was too close, and there was not enough time for her to dodge the attack.


    A secondter, she felt the de sh her arm, and crimson blood flowed from the wound.


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    Watching Arielle getting injured made Vinson see red. He grabbed the knife from the man¡¯s hand and


    stabbed thetter repeatedly. I¡¯ll make sure that whoever dares to harm Arielle will suffer in kind tenfold


    or even twentyfold.


    Vinson was out for blood, and three out of the four men wound up with severe injuries. Realizing that


    there was no way for him toplete his mission, the man who was not seriously injured shot Vinson a


    nce before fleeing.


    Suppressing the pang in his heart, Vinson turned to Arielle and asked calmly, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Arielle noticed the worry and pain in his eyes. She shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s nothing


    serious.¡±


    The two bodyguards turned to her, their gazes brimming with guilt as they had failed to protect her.


    ¡°We¡¯re sorry, Ms. Moore. It was our fault you got injured.¡±


    Arielle shook her head again and replied, ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault.¡±


    Vinson hid the pain he felt as he gazed at her wound and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the hospital.¡±


    Knowing that he was worried about her, she nodded in agreement.


    Vinson did not speak Turlenese, so Arielle was the one who spoke to the doctor at the hospital.


    The bodyguards took the opportunity to contact Morrison and informed him about the assassins.


    Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Morrison reported it to Dn immediately.


    Dn paced in circles anxiously after learning about the news of Arielle¡¯s injury.


    ¡°Sybil, I want to go and see her.¡± It would be impossible for any father to calm down after finding out


    that their child was hurt.


    Sybil understood Dn¡¯s worries and did not attempt to dissuade thetter. Even if the king rushes out


    in the dead of night to see the princess, everyone would merely think it was because he thought highly


    of the doctor he just invited here. They wouldn¡¯t think anything more of it.


    Over at the pce, the queen looked grim as she gazed at Miranda.


    ¡°What did you say? She only suffered a minor injury?¡±


    Miranda nodded. I had no idea Arielle was skilled in fighting either. We knew two bodyguards followed


    her everywhere, but no one knew she could fight.


    ¡°The assassins we sent reported that a man skilled inbat suddenly joined Arielle. Otherwise, they


    wouldn¡¯t have suffered such a crushing defeat.¡±


    The queen¡¯s gaze darkened. There are no excuses for a defeat. I spent so much money to get the best


    fighters, yet they still failed just like that. They¡¯re nothing but a bunch of good-for-nothings!


    Her face clouded over as she muttered in frustration, ¡°After what happened today, she¡¯ll surely be on


    high alert. It won¡¯t be that easy to attack her in the future.¡±


    Even with her bodyguards, I thought that sending four men would be enough to take Arielle down. The


    four men were highly-ranked fighters, and any one of them should¡¯ve been able to take her life. I never


    imagined they¡¯d turn out to be so useless and incapable of doing anything.


    Meanwhile, Miranda hung her head without daring to make a sound. She had personally handpicked


    those four assassins. Now that the mission had failed, she was fearful it would mean trouble for her.


    After pondering for some time, the queen finally said in a grave tone, ¡°Let¡¯s set this matter aside for the


    time being. We can¡¯t let anyone find out it was us.¡±


    Miranda breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that. She had been terrified of incurring the queen¡¯s


    wrath.


    Looking up at the queen, she said in an ingratiating tone, ¡°Your Majesty, I heard that His Majesty has


    gone to the hospital.¡±


    ¡°Did you make sure you didn¡¯t leave any traces? He cares so much about that doctor from Chanaea


    that it wouldn¡¯t do to let him know that I was behind it.¡±

 Chapter 1424

    Chapter 1424


    Chapter 1424 I Want To Feed You


    The queen stared at Miranda intently, and she sounded nervous. She could not help feeling a little


    anxious after learning that Dn had gone to the hospital.


    Miranda had served the queen for many years, so she was well aware of everything that went on


    between the royal couple.


    Seeing how distressed the queen was, Miranda hurriedly assured her that there was no way the king


    would not be able to pin the incident on her.


    Her words put the queen at ease.


    Although I don¡¯t have any love for him, I don¡¯t want to ruin the image he has of me in his heart.


    Over at the hospital, Arielle was finally admitted into the hospital¡¯s ward after Vinson¡¯s repeated


    requests. I¡¯m a doctor myself, so no one knows my body better than I do. But he was so concerned that


    he kept urging me to get admitted. He insisted that I get an intravenous drip to reduce the inmmation.


    I knew resisting would be futile, so I had no choice but to give in.


    Her bodyguards had also sustained serious injuries and were admitted into the ward next door. Since


    there was temporarily no one standing guard inside Arielle¡¯s ward, the couple did not have to worry and


    could be much more rxed.


    Vinson had nned to pick up Arielle and take her out for a meal, but they wound up encountering the


    assassins. After making sure Arielle wasfortable, Vinson went downstairs to buy some food. Since


    he could neither read nor understand Turlenese, he could only mime at the sellers, then hold out his


    wallet so that they could take the money on their own.


    Twenty minutester, Vinson returned to the ward with the pasta he had just bought.


    He picked up a forkful of pasta and held it up to Arielle¡¯s mouth, ¡°Eat up.¡±


    ¡°I only hurt my left arm, Vinson. I can eat by myself,¡± she said rather exasperatedly.


    Smiling, Vinson replied, ¡°I want to feed you. Can¡¯t I?¡±


    Can I even refuse? Obviously not. He¡¯s already holding the fork up to my mouth. Being waited on hand


    and foot like a child made Arielle feel both helpless and contented at the same time.


    After feeding her a few mouthfuls of pasta, he held out some sd to her. ¡°Have some of this too.¡±


    Arielle took a few bites, then smiled at Vinson. ¡°It¡¯s just a minor injury, but why do I feel like I¡¯ve be


    a cripple?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be a good thing. I could lock you up and take care of you for the rest of your life,¡± said Vinson.


    That way, no one would ever be able to harm you.


    Arielle stared at him wordlessly.


    Vinson¡¯s lips curved into a smile when he saw that she was at a loss for words. After discarding the


    food containers into the trash can, he was about to cut up some fruits for Arielle when he heard the


    sound of footsteps from outside the ward.


    It was very noisy, and it sounded like there were many people.


    Sensing something amiss, Vinson quickly set aside the grapes and strawberries he was holding.


    Arielle had also realized there were people approaching. Just like Vinson, her guard went up.


    Knock! Knock!


    Hearing the knock on the door, Vinson got up to open it. Since whoever it is was able to knock on the


    door, that shows it¡¯s someone who knows Arielle.


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    Fraught with worry over Arielle, Dn rushed inside the room as soon as the door opened.


    Arielle was somewhat surprised to see who it was. Why is His Majesty here?


    ¡°Your Majesty, what brings you here?¡± she asked, moving to get down from the bed. However, Dn


    waved his hand to stop her.


    It pained him to see her getting down from the bed even though she was injured, and he quickly


    prevented her from doing so by saying, ¡°You¡¯re injured, so you shouldn¡¯t get down. Just sit there.¡±


    I¡¯m here to make sure she¡¯s all right, not to make her suffer even more.


    Arielle nodded calmly. Even though he¡¯s the king of this country, I don¡¯t feel nervous when I see him. I


    wonder if that¡¯s because he acted as my tour guide before this. Instead, I feel a sense of familiarity. But


    why is he here? Why would the kinge all the way to see me? Even if I died, there are countless


    other doctors in Chanaea. Is it necessary for him to hold me in such high regard?

 Chapter 1425

    Chapter 1425


    Chapter 1425 Someone Wants Me Dead


    Dn did not know what was running through Arielle¡¯s mind. Spotting the white bandage around her


    arm, he asked with a pained look in his eyes, ¡°How did you get hurt?¡±


    Recalling how the four assassins had attacked her, Arielle answered coldly, ¡°Someone wants me


    dead.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Dn widened his eyes in astonishment. She¡¯s here as an esteemed guest at my invitation.


    Who would dare to target her?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who wants to kill me, but if it weren¡¯t for the bodyguards and this passerby, I¡¯d probably be


    dead by now.¡± Arielle nced toward Vinson as she spoke. He was the passerby she was referring to.


    Just moments earlier, Arielle had thought of a n that would allow Vinson to stay by her side.


    Dn¡¯s expression darkened. I don¡¯t care who it was. I won¡¯t let anyone who dares toy a hand on her


    get away with it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Moore. I¡¯ll find the culprits as soon as possible,¡± he dered solemnly, concealing


    how upset he felt.


    There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll spare the lives of those responsible for this.


    Arielle gazed at him and said, ¡°It¡¯s important to capture the culprits, but it¡¯s even more important to find


    out who was the mastermind behind the incident.¡±


    She was curious to know who she had angered to the point that the person actually sent assassins to


    kill her.


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Dn replied with a nod.


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    Even if she hadn¡¯t mentioned it, I would¡¯ve made sure to investigate the matter. The woman I loved the


    most gave birth to her. She¡¯s my daughter and my most beloved little princess. How dare someone try


    to assassinate her under my watch? Whatever it is, I have to give her an exnation.


    Meanwhile, Vinson had been quietly observing Dn ever since Arielle greeted thetter with ¡°Your


    Majesty.¡± Xavier said there¡¯s only one person named Dn, and that¡¯s the king. Arielle also enquired


    about the man in the photo and learned that he looked nothing like the king when he was twenty years


    younger. We suspected that Arielle¡¯s father went under the alias Dn to date Maureen. That was our


    guess at the time. But I¡¯ve just realized that the king seems overly concerned about Arielle.


    After hearing Arielle mention that a passerby had saved her, Dn¡¯s gaze fell upon Vinson as Arielle


    pointed toward him. He gazed Vinson up and down, studying him carefully.


    He looks like an average person on the surface, but he has a unique air about him that contradicts that


    impression. Nheless, I¡¯m truly grateful to this passerby for saving her. If he hadn¡¯t stepped in to


    help, the consequences would¡¯ve been disastrous.


    He walked over to Vinson and patted thetter¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Young man, you¡¯ve done a heroic deed


    today. Tell me, what is it that your heart desires? As long as it¡¯s within my power, I¡¯ll grant you anything


    you ask.¡±


    When speaking to Dn, Arielle would subconsciously use Ustranasion because that was what she


    had used during their very first encounter.


    And since Dn also spoke to Arielle in Ustranasion, he used the samenguage when speaking to


    Vinson without even thinking about it.


    Quietly withdrawing his scrutinizing gaze toward Dn, Vinson looked at thetter and answered


    calmly, ¡°It was no big deal, Your Majesty. There¡¯s no need to reward me.¡±


    A hint of a smile appeared on Dn¡¯s stern face when he saw how humble Vinson was. ¡°It isn¡¯t no big


    deal. Ms. Moore is someone extremely important to me. Saving her life is just like saving mine. Just go


    ahead and tell me what you want.¡±


    Although Dn emphasized the word ¡°extremely,¡± Vinson¡¯s attention was caught by another sentence.


    Saving Arielle¡¯s life is just like saving His Majesty¡¯s life? He shot a discreet nce at Dn.


    He looks different from that man in the photo indeed. Even if his appearance were to change over


    twenty, thirty, or even forty years, there would still be some resemnce.

 Chapter 1426

    Chapter 1426


    Chapter 1426 He Has Guts


    Vinson¡¯s gaze darkened. It looks like he¡¯s really not my father-inw. I need to switch up my strategy to


    locate him.


    As the thought crossed Vinson¡¯s mind, he saw Dn was about to speak when Arielle¡¯s voice rang out.


    ¡°Your Majesty, he¡¯s quite skilled inbat. Do you think he could stay to protect me?¡±


    Dn had not expected to hear that suggestion from her. But it does make sense. After all, her life is


    under threat. Now that she has met someone who can protect her in critical situations, it¡¯s


    understandable that she¡¯d want to hire him as a bodyguard.


    Moreover, he had already heard of what happened to the bodyguards, and he was rmed to hear


    how badly injured they were. I probably wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to see my precious daughter


    again if it weren¡¯t for this young man¡¯s help. I¡¯m worried for her safety. We haven¡¯t caught the culprits


    yet, and they failed in their mission. Hence, it¡¯s likely that there¡¯ll be another attempt on her life. I won¡¯t


    let anyone harm her again, not even a single hair on her head. It seems that it¡¯s indeed time to get her


    a better bodyguard.


    Dn¡¯s gaze shifted to Vinson subconsciously, and he asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°My surname is Knightley,¡± Vinson replied, changing it from ¡®Nightshire¡¯ to ¡®Knightley.¡¯


    ¡°What do you work as? How did you be so skilled?¡±


    Arielle furrowed her brows as she nced toward Vinson. She hade up with the n of letting


    Vinson be her bodyguard at thest minute. Hence, they had not discussed anything beforehand,


    and she did not know how Vinson would handle Dn¡¯s questions.


    Vinson looked at Dn and replied in an apologetic tone, ¡°My apologies, but I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t answer


    that.¡±


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    I haven¡¯t gotten everything in order yet. If I make up an answer recklessly, what¡¯ll happen if the king


    sends someone to look into it? The best solution is to reveal nothing. That way, he won¡¯t have any


    clues to help him dig up any information about me.


    Dn was stunned. I¡¯m the king, yet he dares to talk to me in that manner.


    Pretending to be enraged, he fixed Vinson with a stern re and said, ¡°You know who I am, but you still


    dare to talk to me like that?¡±


    Vinson raised his eyebrows. ¡°Everyone has their secrets. Moreover, you¡¯re not a tyrant. Why wouldn¡¯t I


    dare to talk to you like that?¡±


    Dn was secretly a little pleased when he heard that. Not bad. He has guts!


    Gazing at Vinson, he said in a sincere tone, ¡°I¡¯m truly grateful to you for saving Ms. Moore from such a


    dangerous situation. Unfortunately, the danger hasn¡¯t passed. Since you¡¯re a skilled fighter, I wonder if I


    could hire you as Ms. Moore¡¯s bodyguard for the time being.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Vinson turned to nce at Arielle, a torn look on his face. ¡°I still have some business to


    attend to, so I¡¯m temporarily ¡ª¡±


    Without waiting for Vinson to finish his sentence, Dn cut in and said, ¡°I¡¯m willing to hire you at three


    times your current sry.¡±


    Arielle also looked up at Vinson. Well, well¡­ He puts on quite a convincing act. Even though he


    desperately wants to be my bodyguard, he¡¯s acting as if it¡¯s an imposition.


    ¡°Mr. Knightley, I¡¯m sure you know I¡¯m a doctor and that your king specially invited me here. Turlencks


    medical practitioners, so I¡¯m here to impart my knowledge. But you can see for yourself the


    predicament I¡¯m in. I¡¯d feel much more at ease with you by my side to protect me,¡± said Arielle while


    looking at Vinson with an earnest expression.


    Vinson¡¯s eyes flitted to Arielle imperceptibly. I wouldn¡¯t have expected anything less from my wife.


    She¡¯s on the same page as me and has a tacit understanding of my actions. If I agree too quickly, I


    might arouse the king¡¯s suspicions. After all, I¡¯m only a stranger in his eyes. But if I pretend to hesitate


    and the king is serious about hiring me, it¡¯d work more to my advantage.

 Chapter 1427

    Chapter 1427


    Chapter 1427 nned


    And once Arielle persuaded him to stay, the n would be a sess. As though he had made a tough


    decision, Vinson turned to Dn and Arielle and nodded. ¡°Since Ms. Moore has said so, I guess I have


    no other choice but to agree.¡±


    Arielle curled her lips into a smirk. What a waste that he isn¡¯t an actor! On the other hand, Dn was


    delighted upon hearing his words.


    After all, it was the first request Arielle had asked of him. If he failed to do it, it would be embarrassing


    for him. He did not want Arielle to recall this matter in the future when they acknowledged each other


    and thought that he was an incapable father who could not even hire a bodyguard.


    Therefore, he was ted to learn that Vinson had agreed to be Arielle¡¯s bodyguard. That would only


    not provide ample protection for Arielle but also save his pride.


    Nheless, he believed that one bodyguard was not enough. I still have no idea who the mastermind


    is. I should enlist more bodyguards. At that thought, he turned to Arielle and said, ¡°For your safety, I¡¯ve


    decided to send more men to follow you.¡±


    She furrowed her brows. ¡°Thank you for the offer, Your Majesty. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t like too many


    people following me around.¡±


    She did not see the need to have more bodyguards with Vinson¡¯s presence.


    Dn waved his hand dismissively, gesturing to Arielle that there was no need to persuade him. She¡¯s


    my daughter; how can I allow anything to happen to her again?


    ¡°Ms. Moore, I know you don¡¯t like many people following you, but this is an entirely different situation.


    No one will be able to imagine the consequences if someone attacks you again.¡±


    Yet, his kind intention had put Arielle in a difficult spot.


    Watching Dn¡¯s behavior from one side, Vinson instinctively scrunched his brows tightly. He thought


    the former was giving off a strange vibe. Though Arielle is the doctor the country invited over, isn¡¯t his


    concern a little too excessive?


    I finally escaped being spied on and made Vinson my bodyguard. Yet now, he wants to add more


    bodyguards around me. That¡¯s going to get in the way. Arielle¡¯s eyes glowed as she thought.


    Suddenly, an idea came into her mind. Looking at Dn, she remarked, ¡°If that is so, I shall thank you


    in advance then, Your Majesty. It¡¯s just that¡­¡±


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    Arielle pretended to look as if a little hesitant to speak. Seeing her unconvinced look, Dn said, ¡°Go


    ahead and say anything on your mind. I¡¯ll try my best to fulfill them as long as they¡¯re within my


    capabilities.¡±


    That was what she had been waiting to hear from him!


    Averting her gazes to Dn, she frowned as she exined, ¡°Having so many people protect me will


    surely attract attention and cause suspicions.¡±


    Convinced that Arielle made a lot of sense, Dn fell into deep pondering.


    Since someone has tried to assassinate Arielle, who knows whenes the next ambush? I¡¯ve only


    thought of increasing security personnel but failed to consider how too many people around her will


    attract even more attention. By doing that, it¡¯s equivalent to telling everyone that she¡¯s an important


    person the country highly protects. It seems like there¡¯s a need to think of a perfect countermeasure.


    Guessing what was going through Dn¡¯s mind, Vinson suggested, ¡°It¡¯s fine to add more bodyguards


    to safeguard Ms. Moore¡¯s safety. If you¡¯re afraid it¡¯s too eye-catching, a good option will be for them to


    follow in the dark.¡±


    Dn was instantly enlightened by Vinson¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°That¡¯s a fair point. We shall do that, then. Fortify protection in the dark. Avoid affecting Ms. Moore¡¯s


    daily life and arousing the attention of others.¡±


    Dn was a fast learner. Vinson only proposed a viable idea, and he would follow quickly.


    As much as it seemed like a suggestion from Vinson, it was, in truth, pre-nned by the man.


    Luckily His Majesty isn¡¯t suspicious at all and follows whatever I say.

 Chapter 1428

    Chapter 1428


    Chapter 1428 A Search


    ¡°All right! We shall proceed with yourmands. Since you¡¯re now Ms. Moore¡¯s personal bodyguard,


    you¡¯ll be fully in charge of the rest of the matters. As for the other bodyguards, Morrison will bring you


    to select them after Ms. Moore¡¯s discharge from the hospital.¡±


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    ¡°Sure.¡± Vinson nodded in acknowledgment. Of course, he had to put in extra hard work at the selection


    of bodyguards for Arielle.


    After, Dn sat down and engaged in a small talk with Arielle for a while longer.


    He was like a father as he asked her if she needed anything, wished to eat anything or do anything,


    and what interests she had.


    In any case, he had thrown a lot of questions for a really long time.


    Arielle could not get used to Dn¡¯s enthusiasm. However, at the thought that he was the leader of the


    nation yet had once lowered his status to be her tour guide, she reckoned it was not a good idea to


    brush him off, so she eventually shared with him her interests truthfully. When Dn received the


    answers he wanted, he left joyfully.


    He had made such a hasty visit this round mainly because he wanted to check on Arielle himself.


    Having verified that she had sustained only minor injuries and was not in a life-threatening condition, he


    could finally be at ease.


    About half an hourter, various types and sizes of fruit baskets filled the entire ward. Someone


    iming to be Dn¡¯s personal chef also paid his visit, exining that he would be entirely in charge of


    Arielle¡¯s meals during her stay in the hospital.


    Arielle and Vinson exchanged nces. What does that supposed to mean?


    The man picked up a tropical fruit in his hand, with puzzlement written across his face. ¡°Don¡¯t you think


    His Majesty behaves rather odd toward you?¡±


    Arielle nodded firmly. ¡°Yes, indeed!¡±


    She shared the same sentiments¡ªthat Dn had viewed her with high importance.


    ¡°Do you think he knows something about your father?¡± Vinson finally popped the question after staying


    silent for a long moment.


    Arielle cocked an eyebrow and looked at him. ¡°Why would you say that?¡±


    She could not even bear to think of that!


    ¡°It¡¯s none other than his attitude toward you that raises my suspicions,¡± Vinson solemnly said as he


    gazed into her eyes. ¡°The fact that he can use His Majesty¡¯s name to study abroad at Chanaea implies


    that this person has a good rtionship with His Majesty. Even if he gets exposed that he¡¯s not the real


    Dn, he won¡¯t be held ountable for the consequences.¡±


    The more he analyzed, the more he thought he made sense.


    Arielle was dumbstruck by Vinson¡¯s words. Could it be like what Vinson says?


    However, on second thought, she reckoned that scenario was impossible. If His Majesty is acquainted


    with my father, why didn¡¯t he tell me anything while I¡¯m here for so long?


    ¡°Vinson, your analysis sounds so logical I almost believe you. But I don¡¯t think that¡¯s truly the case. If he


    has news about my father, why didn¡¯t he tell me about it despite my time here?¡± Arielle raised a brow


    and stared at the man as she spoke. That inevitably made him doubtful of whether he had indeed


    analyzed it wrongly.


    Standing up, Vinson peeled an apple and passed it to Arielle. ¡°Well, that makes sense too. Let¡¯s


    change our direction and continue searching, then.¡±


    Arielle bobbed her head since she had coincidentally thought the same way.


    ¡°Following my original n, I¡¯m thinking of investigating in secret. But I don¡¯t think this method works


    anymore since his name is fake. Our only lead is his photo.¡± She paused slightly before adding, ¡°Let¡¯s


    do a high-profile search. Print copies of his photos and paste them along the streets. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll


    contact us if he sees it.¡±


    She believed that was the only way out at that point.


    Conversely, Vinson frowned, an obvious sign that he was against her idea.

 Chapter 1429

    Chapter 1429


    Chapter 1429 Putting Her In Danger


    Maureen¡¯s death was rted to the people of Turlen. The fact that those people have grudges against


    her and killed her must have something to do with Arielle¡¯s father. If we search for him so openly, that


    will undoubtedly attract the attention of those culprits who killed Maureen. Wouldn¡¯t that put Arielle in an


    even risky position? No way. I can¡¯t put her in danger.


    ¡°Sannie, that¡¯s not a good idea. It¡¯ll only expose your identity.¡± Vinson was very serious as he rejected


    Arielle¡¯s suggestion.


    She knew he was worried that those people woulde after her. Despite so, she believed there was


    no better way to do it than the method she proposed.


    ¡°Tell me what I should do then. His name is fake. What else can I do other than pasting his photo


    everywhere so that he knows we¡¯re looking for him?¡± Frustration was building up within Arielle so much


    that it became apparent on her face. She could not wrap her head around why her father had used


    someone else¡¯s name, which resulted in the great difficulty for her looking for him.


    Unable toe up with a good idea in such a short time, Vinsonforted, ¡°Let me think of something


    else. If we really can¡¯t think of anything, it¡¯s not entirely a no to using this method. It¡¯s just that we can¡¯t


    let Harvey return for the time being.¡±


    While Arielle and Vinson were brainstorming for ideas to find her father, on the other side of things,


    Dn had made a surprising revtion. He had his brows knitted into one line as he recalled how he


    had conversed in Ustranasion with the young man who saved Arielle earlier at the hospital.


    How did he know Ustranasion? Could it be that he has once gone abroad too?


    Dn presumed he was absolutely precise with his conjecture. Howbeit, he had no intention of


    pursuing the matter of the young man sneaking overseas. After all, he had always yearned for the


    world outside. If not for thews restraining him, his rtionship with Maureen would not have suffered


    such a fate.


    But it¡¯s good that the man knows Ustranasion. At least it¡¯s easier for us tomunicate. Besides, if


    someone overhears our conversation, they won¡¯t know what we¡¯re talking about either. Great!


    Back at the hospital, Arielle was on the brink of falling asleep after the drip. Vinson carried and shifted


    her slightly inward, making space for himself to lie beside her so that he could hug her. In the man¡¯s


    warm embrace, she felt an insurmountable sense of security.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of getting noticed?¡± she deliberately asked.


    Tightening his arms, Vinson whispered in a deep voice beside her ears, ¡°Is your husband that useless?


    Do you think I¡¯ll get caught that easily?¡±


    Arielle shed a slight smirk and proceeded to close her eyes. Shortly after, Vinson could hear light and


    steady breathinging from her. Gently lifting his body, he stole a peek at her, and upon seeing that


    she was sound asleep, he tenderly left a peck on her cheek before closing his eyes.


    The next day, news of Arielle running into thugs and being hospitalized spread throughout the school.


    Unbothered about attending his sses, Aaron instead reached for his phone to call Arielle to ask for


    the hospital¡¯s address.


    Arielle had turned on the speaker mode then, and upon learning that he was asking for the address,


    she rejected it without hesitation.


    ¡°It¡¯s merely a minor injury. You don¡¯t have to make your way here.¡± Since she had decided to keep a


    distance from him, she did not see the point in allowing him to visit her. Furthermore, Vinson was


    around. I have to give this jealous man ample security.


    Hearing that, Aaron turned grim and immediately hung up the phone. Does she think I won¡¯t be able to


    find her if she refuses to give me the address?


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Without hesitation, he made a phone call to Sybil to ask for the hospital¡¯s address, intending to head


    over after that. Little did he expect that someone would stop him before he could do so.

 Chapter 1430

    Chapter 1430


    Chapter 1430 He Will Get Jealous


    Staring straight into the person¡¯s eyes right before him, he wrinkled his brows in displeasure. Why is


    she here? ¡°Aaron, let¡¯s visit Ms. Moore together,¡± Sonia said with her gazes fixed on him.


    She had wanted to visit Arielle since learning about thetter¡¯s situation. But she happened to see


    Aaron making a call with a scowl at the school¡¯s main gate. Vaguely, she overheard him mentioning


    Arielle¡¯s name. The quick-witted her could instantly surmise what that man was up to, and hence, she


    decided to hurry over to him and say those words.


    The truth was, she could have gone on her own. But recalling Arielle¡¯s tip about seizing one¡¯s own


    happiness, she thought it was the perfect opportunity to ask Aaron along for the hospital visit. Well, I


    shall give it a try now. At least I won¡¯t live in regret even if we don¡¯t end up together since I¡¯ve given my


    all.


    Unfortunately, Aaron¡¯s gazes were full of hostility. He did not like anyone to have a good rtionship


    with Arielle¡ªboth male and female. But thinking about it further, he figured that it was not a bad idea


    for Sonia to tag along. If Arielle sees Sonia around, she can¡¯t possibly throw all of us out.


    With that thought in mind, he showed his rare gentleness as he muttered, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    In truth, Sonia had mentally prepared herself for rejections. Hence, when she heard Aaron¡¯s answer,


    she was initially stumped before she regained her senses and quickly followed behind the man.


    At the hospital, Vinson shed an ambiguous smile at Arielle.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me this way?¡± she said crankily. Didn¡¯t I already reject Aaron from visiting?


    Blessed with an excellent memory, Vinson knew the caller¡¯s identity based on his voice alone. And


    unquestionably, he was irked and upset about that.


    Indeed. He was pretty sure no man could tolerate and pretend to be happy to hear the voice of their


    beloved woman¡¯s suitor.


    ¡°He called you Ari,¡± Vinson uttered as he stared hard at Arielle. His voice had an undetectable tinge of


    grievance in it.


    I knew he¡¯ll get jealous!


    Narrowing her eyes, she nted a sloppy kiss on his lips.


    She tried to pull aposed look despite her slightly blushing red face. ¡°Are you happy now?¡± That


    was exclusive to Vinson, and no one else could get the same treatment.


    Needless to say, Arielle¡¯s method worked wonders. Vinson felt so much better at once.


    ¡°Nope!¡± he eximed. And in the next second, he raised his hand, pulled Arielle¡¯s head toward him,


    and kissed her passionately.


    ¡°Um¡­ Uh¡­¡±


    Vinson did not let her go until the intense kiss had gotten her breathless. Looking at her slightly red and


    swollen lip, he lifted his lips into a satisfied grin.


    At the sight of his appearance, Arielle purposely imed, ¡°At that look of yours, it somehow makes me


    feel like I¡¯m having an affair.¡±


    Hearing those words, Vinson ran his fingers over his face and turned to Arielle with a somber


    expression. ¡°So what do you think I should do? Should I throw this face away and use my own face


    instead?¡±


    In fact, he felt rather ufortable even without Arielle mentioning it. After all, he was making out with


    his wife while using someone else¡¯s appearance. How could he not find it strange?


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Arielle raised her chin slightly and firmly dered her stance.


    Does he not care that others might think he¡¯s an illegal migrant with his Chanaean face here?


    Vinson chuckled at her reaction. I can¡¯t believe she takes it so seriously when I¡¯m just joking with her.


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m just teasing you.¡± His grin grew wider than before.


    Rendered speechless by the man¡¯s reply, disgruntlement shed in her beautiful eyes as she gawked


    at him.


    Is this that fun to y a prank on me?


    Just as she was about to speak, she heard a knock on the ward door. Vinson stood up and walked over


    to open the door.

 Chapter 1431

    Chapter 1431


    Chapter 1431 Fatal Moves


    Appearing within Vinson¡¯s line of vision as soon as he opened the door was none other than Aaron. At


    once, the former¡¯s gazes took a drastic change. Simrly, Aaron frowned as he shifted his gazes to the


    man before him. Who is this man? Why did I not see him before?


    ¡°Hello, we¡¯re here to visit Ms. Moore.¡±


    Sonia broke the silence while the two men were still ring and trying to sound each other out through


    their gazes. Her voice pulled Vinson back to reality, and upon recalling that he was merely a bodyguard


    now, he hastily staggered a few steps backward to make way for the two visitors.


    When Arielle heard Sonia¡¯s voice, she tried to get off the bed. Nevertheless, thetter, who caught sight


    of her action, quickly stopped her from doing so.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, you¡¯re injured. Why are you still getting off the bed? Lie down on the bed and have more


    rest.¡± Sonia strode toward Arielle and expressed her concerns.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing major.¡±


    ¡°How did you get hurt? Don¡¯t you have bodyguards with you?¡± Following behind Sonia, Aaron felt his


    heart ached when he caught a glimpse of Arielle¡¯s bandaged arm.


    Even though he had learned about Arielle¡¯s injury, he did not know how shended herself in that


    predicament.


    Upon hearing Aaron¡¯s voice, Arielle averted her gazes to Vinson. Her brows unwittingly drew together


    when she saw the man¡¯s stoic expression. This guy must be jealous again. How am I supposed to coax


    him againter?


    Aaron had his eyes glued to Arielle since his arrival. When he spotted her red and swollen lips, his


    gaze gleamed. Why does it look so much like she just got kissed? But Vinson isn¡¯t around; who dares


    to kiss her?


    While he could not get his head around the sight in front of his eyes, Sonia seemed to have noticed


    Arielle¡¯s lips. Being the innocent and naivedy she was, she did not overthink the situation and


    advised, ¡°You need to have more light and healthy food for the next couple of days, Ms. Moore.


    Judging from your swollen lips, you¡¯ll get ill if you don¡¯t do that.¡±


    At that, Arielle answered with a nod, ¡°You¡¯re right. I should have something light from now on.¡±


    She had deliberately emphasized the word ¡°light¡± as she spoke. But since Vinson could not understand


    Turlenese, her words were nothing but a wasted effort. On the other hand, her words immediately


    dispelled Aaron of his suspicions. Arielle only has Vinson in her mind. Since that guy isn¡¯t here, I guess


    Sonia is correct.


    Staring intently at Arielle, he once again questioned, ¡°Don¡¯t you have bodyguards following you? Why


    did you still get hurt?¡± Are those bodyguards a bunch of good-for-nothings? They can¡¯t even protect a


    woman well!


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°It seems like someone wants me dead. The moves they served were acutely fatal. Even the


    bodyguards have sustained severe injuries, and they¡¯re recuperating in the wards next to mine,¡± Arielle


    exined while looking at Aaron.


    ¡°What?¡± He widened his eyes in shock upon hearing those words. ¡°Do you have any idea who did


    that?¡±


    Arielle stared at him as though she was looking at an idiot. If I have an idea who the culprit is, wouldn¡¯t I


    have long sent that person to hell?


    Judging from her expression, Aaron knew his questions were a little pointless.


    ¡°What about your injuries? Are they serious?¡± Concern filled his gaze. It had never crossed his mind


    that trouble would befall Arielle while she was in his territory.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just a minor injury and will recover in a few days,¡± Arielle assured, then turned to Sonia


    and asked, ¡±Don¡¯t you have sses? Why did you tag along?¡±


    ¡°After learning that you¡¯re injured, I immediately applied for a leave of absence since I was so worried. I


    happened to run into Aaron along my way, so we came together,¡± Sonia quickly answered.


    At this point, the temptation to learn the foreignnguage grew within her. She was overwhelmed with


    an awful feeling while listening to Aaron and Arielle converse, yet she understood nothing. It almost felt


    like she was a fool who got left out by the others.

 Chapter 1432

    Chapter 1432


    Chapter 1432 Please Forgive Me


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Fret not. These are merely minor injuries; I¡¯ll recuperate in no time. You guys better hurry


    back for sses.¡± Arielle was trying to use words to chase the two of them away.


    Aaron was reluctant to go and wanted to stay by Arielle¡¯s side. As much as he wished for it to happen,


    she firmly objected and imed that she would immediately work on the discharge procedures if he


    insisted on staying. Left with no other options, he could only take his leave.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    With Sonia and Aaron gone, Vinson sat back beside Arielle and looked at her with a subtle smile.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask him over. He wanted to do that himself.¡± Arielle felt an insufferable headache as she


    rubbed her forehead.


    She knew she could not afford to offend a jealous man!


    ¡°I know that!¡± If you¡¯re the one who asked him over, how is it possible that you¡¯re still sitting so


    comfortably here right now?


    Arielle was dumbstruck by that reply.


    This guy is so annoying! How can he look at me like that when he knows what¡¯s going on?


    Arielle harrumphed and turned her body away as she did not feel like dealing with the man anymore.


    Seeing her reaction, Vinson lifted the corners of his lips. He stood up and pulled Arielle into his


    embrace, with her chin on his shoulder. She could feel his warm breath on her ears as he whispered,


    ¡°Are you angry?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not!¡± Arielle turned around, unwilling to sit on his thighs.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Vinson hurriedly apologized. How is this not angry? She¡¯s obviously mad!


    Arielle nced away as she was toozy to be bothered by him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, Sannie. It¡¯s my fault. Forgive me, will you?¡± Vinson¡¯s words offort rang in Arielle¡¯s


    ear.


    His hot breath brushing against her skin made her body tremble uncontrobly. Her ears were extra


    sensitive to the surroundings, and hence speaking near them would make her feel ticklish.


    She squirmed herself and attempted to stand up, but before long, her body froze on the spot.


    And that was because Vinson nted a kiss on her earlobes.


    An inexplicable romantic tension rose in the atmosphere, and soon, a zing fire red to life¡­


    Simultaneously, on the other side.


    ¡°Sybil, have you found out the identity of the culprit who attacked Princess?¡± Dn shifted his gazes to


    Sybil as he asked.


    Thetter cast his remorse-filled eyes at the former. ¡°No. I¡¯ve started investigating since my return from


    the hospital that night, but it seems like I was still a step toote. Those four men failed to escape the


    fate of getting silenced. At the moment, I¡¯ve yet toy hands on other leads.¡±


    They¡¯ve been silenced!


    Dn mmed the table ferociously. ¡°Damn it!¡±


    How merciless the mastermind is! That person doesn¡¯t care about lives and kills without batting an


    eyelid?


    ¡°Continue the search. We have to find out the mastermind no matter what it takes!¡± Dn dered


    furiously.


    Sybil nodded and strode out to inform Morrison to continue with the search.


    At Khurleigh Pce, the queen mothery on the soft and cuddly couch with her eyes closed. She had


    one housekeeper going down on one knee massaging her legs while another stood behind her,


    kneading her shoulders and rubbing her back. She was living her life very leisurely.


    ¡°Have you found out who did that to Dr. Moore?¡± she queried casually with her eyes shut.


    Monisha bobbed her head and disclosed the information she had found.


    ¡°Miranda hired those men. I believed she was acting under Her Majesty¡¯smands. I¡¯ve ordered


    people to silence the four of them.¡±


    The queen mother acknowledged with a nod. Her Majesty strikes an attack as she wishes, but she


    doesn¡¯t deal with it properly, huh? Narrowing her eyes, she turned to Monisha andplimented,


    ¡°Good job. You did well.¡±


    Hearing the queen mother¡¯s recognition, Monisha smiled and poured her a ss of water.


    Taking a sip of the water, the former passed the ss back and asked, ¡°Any idea why Her Majesty took


    action against Dr. Moore?¡±


    With the ss in her hand, Monisha answered, ¡°Miranda casually mentioned that His Royal Highness


    seems to treat Dr. Moore very well. Her Majesty fears that he¡¯ll fall in love with a Chanaean woman as


    well.¡±

 Chapter 1433

    Chapter 1433


    Chapter 1433 His Thought


    That was when the realization hit the queen mother. She remembered how Dn refused to marry the


    queen because he fell head over heels for a Chanaean woman.


    That experience left a scar in the queen¡¯s heart, and that was why the queen loathed Chanaean


    women.


    But why is Dn so obsessed with Arielle?


    The queen mother could not help but knit her brows when she thought of how Dn had cared for


    Arielle. Did he treat her well because he has high regard for her medical skills? I don¡¯t think so. Besides


    Arielle, there are still many other medical experts in Chanaea.


    But why Arielle? Why? I don¡¯t get it.


    She frowned and looked at Monisha. ¡°Get someone to continue keeping an eye on Arielle.¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll see to it,¡± Monisha responded and left.


    The queen mother then massaged her temples to relieve her headache.


    What¡¯s wrong with Aaron? Nico is such a great girl, yet he¡¯s not interested in her. Why must he fall for a


    Chanaean woman like his father?


    Frustration kicked in, and she took out her phone and called Aaron.


    Meanwhile, Aaron was pacing around agitatedly in his room while trying to figure out the culprit who


    wanted to hurt Arielle.


    When his phone rang, he took a nce at the screen, and his expression instantly turned grim.


    ¡°Grandma.¡±


    ¡°Where are you now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in college. Gonna return soon,¡± Aaron answered. ¡°Is there something you need from me¡±


    ¡°Yes. Come and meet me right now.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    After ending the call, Aaron ordered his chauffeur to drive him to the pce.


    Forty minutester, the car pulled to a halt in front of the pce.


    Aaron carried a sling bag and walked into the pce. Ten minutester, he arrived at the queen


    mother¡¯s residential building. Monisha greeted him at the entrance, ¡°Wee. The queen mother is


    waiting for you in the study. Be careful, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s in a good mood today.¡±


    Aaron nodded and entered the building with a grim expression.


    The queen mother¡¯s study was arge space that housed an assortment of books and collectibles.


    Upon walking in, he noticed that the queen mother was staring at a book. He greeted her, ¡°Grandma.¡±


    The queen mother lifted her head, took down her sses, and looked at her only grandson. Then she


    pointed at the chair next to her and said, ¡°Sit.¡±


    Aaron walked over and sat on the chair.


    He had always thought of his grandma as a strict woman who seldom smiled. That was why meeting


    her was stressful for him.


    ¡°How can I help you, Grandma?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re quite close with Dr. Moore,¡± the queen mother asked in a serious tone.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Upon hearing that question, Aaron¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Who on earth told Grandma about it?


    Though he was nervous, he tried maintaining hisposure and gave the queen mother a puzzled


    look. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    A vortex of anger swirled inside the queen mother when Aaron refused toe clean before her. But


    she contained her emotions and stated, ¡°I want you to get rid of the feelings you have for Dr. Moore.


    You should know thew of our country.¡±


    Aaron could not help but feel annoyed. He thought he could be with Arielle after getting rid of Vinson,


    but he did not expect his mother and grandmother to get in the way of his rtionship matters.


    It¡¯s just aw, isn¡¯t it? Are we still living in the Stone Age? Why can¡¯t we amend it?


    ¡°Grandma, I think we should do something about thew. It¡¯s time to amend it,¡± Aaron suggested while


    staring at the queen mother.


    Instantly, the queen mother¡¯s eyes widened, and she shot a sullen re at him. How dare he propose


    to amend thew?

 Chapter 1434

    Chapter 1434


    Chapter 1434 Captivated


    It looks like he¡¯s captivated by that Chanaean woman. No wonder the queen wanted to finish her off


    once and for all. Even I feel like getting rid of that woman!


    ¡°Thew has been enforced for generations. You can¡¯t just change thew as you please.¡± The queen


    mother was hopping mad but tried to stay calm.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Aaron was a tactful person. When he noticed that the queen mother did not throw a fit, he pressed on,


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not going to be easy, but I hope you could support me. Will you, Grandma?¡±


    ¡°Why should I? Stop thinking about that Chanaean woman. Your mother and I will never approve of


    your rtionship with her,¡± the queen mother said with a stern expression. ¡°Go and spend some time


    with Nico since you have no ss tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°You would find that Dr. Moore is a lovely girl if you got to know her. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll like her very much.¡±


    Aaron got flustered when he learned that his mother and grandma opposed his decision to be with


    Arielle and wanted him to spend time with Nico instead.


    Arielle had not been as easy-going as before in thest couple of days, and her aloof attitude had


    driven Aaron mad. If only I could ground her and keep her by my side for eternity.


    Even he himself was not aware that he had developed such a twisted mentality. Aaron could not help


    but get jealous whenever he saw any man or woman trying to get close to Arielle. However, no one


    knew what was on his mind because he managed to put on a facade in public.


    Despite that, the queen mother noticed how his eyes sparkled when he talked about Arielle. His


    reaction was the same as Dn¡¯s whenever thetter mentioned Maureen¡¯s name some twenty years


    ago.


    At that thought, she clenched her fists. What¡¯s with all the men in our family and their obsession with


    Chanaean women?


    Why are they all in love with women from that country?


    ¡°I don¡¯t care how nice or amazing she is. I¡¯ll never approve of her as long as she¡¯s a Chanaean


    woman.¡± Just when the queen mother noticed Aaron was about the retaliate, she interrupted him and


    said, ¡°Don¡¯t ask me why. I just detest them.¡±


    Staring at the queen mother, Aaron was overwhelmed with despair. Why is she doing this to me? I just


    want to be with Arielle.


    ¡°You¡¯re being unreasonable, Grandma!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m onlyplying with thew,¡± the queen mother looked at him and said. ¡°Here. Take this card, and


    go out and have some fun with Nico. You better do as I say if you don¡¯t want anything bad to happen to


    Dr. Moore.¡±


    That threat sent chills down Aaron¡¯s spine. He began to wonder if the queen mother had a hand in the


    attack on Arielle.


    Aaron looked at her in disbelief. ¡°Grandma, do you have anything to do with the attack on Dr. Moore?¡±


    To his surprise, the queen mother took a sidelong nce at him and answered, ¡°You might as well


    assume that I did.¡±


    What do you mean by that? You could have answered me yes or no. How can I assume that you were


    the one who did it?


    ¡°Grandma, I care deeply for Arielle. I¡¯m afraid I might do something crazy if bad things happened to


    her.¡± Aaron shot daggers at the queen mother.


    Yet, the queen mother ignored his threat. What crazy things can he do? He¡¯s just ad with no power.


    No one would care about what he says anyway.


    Nevertheless, the queen mother thought Aaron¡¯s obsession with Arielle was not to be taken lightly.

 Chapter 1435

    Chapter 1435


    Chapter 1435 Could Not Believe What She Had Done


    ¡°You¡¯re not in power to do anything, Aaron. So don¡¯t bother threatening me.¡± The queen mother looked


    at his grim expression and chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll not harm Arielle as long as you promise to stay


    away from her.¡±


    She then waved her hand dismissively and instructed, ¡°Go home now. Get ready to go on a date with


    Nico tomorrow.¡± Aaron¡¯s expression darkened when he left the study. He finally realized he would not


    be able to protect his loved one as long as he was powerless. I wish I can have the power to protect


    the people I care about and do anything I desire. I¡¯m sick of sumbing to threats.


    After leaving the pce, he went straight home. But he did not heed the queen mother¡¯s warning. So


    what if I¡¯m powerless now? I¡¯ll eventually be wealthy and powerful sooner orter. You just watch.


    At that moment, Aaron was a changed person. He was no longer thed who merely wanted to polish


    his medical skills and save lives.


    Meanwhile, Arielle was enjoying the time of her life with Vinson at the hospital. Though the ce was a


    little boring, she was relieved that no one was monitoring them.


    ¡°Open up.¡± Vinson peeled an orange and plopped a piece into Arielle¡¯s mouth.


    The orange came just in time as she needed to quench her thirst after sharing a passionate kiss with


    Vinson earlier.


    Vinson had been feeding Arielle fruits and meals in thest few days as if she was incapable of doing it


    herself.


    Even when Arielle wanted to eat on her own, Vinson would express his dismay.


    ¡°Is it sweet?¡± Vinson asked with a smile.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Arielle responded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± Vinson said while gazing into her eyes. ¡°I want to taste it.¡±


    ¡°The orange is in your hand, and I¡¯m not stopping you,¡± Arielle said.


    In the blink of an eye, Vinson leaned forward, cupped the back of her head with his hand, and pressed


    his lips against hers. He then gradually sucked the juice out of Arielle¡¯s mouth.


    The man had no intention of stopping what he was doing. He gently pinned Arielle to the bed and


    started kissing her passionately before he stuck his hands into her shirt. The moment she felt a


    reaction in Vinson¡¯s lower body, she blushed and pushed him aside.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Kissing in the hospital was already pushing the boundary of her limits.


    After some time, he eventually let her off. Her rosy cheeks and sensuous lips were so desirable that he


    wished he could savor every inch of her body.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a tease. Do you know that?¡± Vinson said before nting another deep kiss on Arielle¡¯s


    lips. He then took his clothes and went to the bathroom to cool himself down.


    A yful idea popped up in Arielle¡¯s mind when she watched him walk into the bathroom. She bounced


    up from the bed, opened the door to the bathroom, and went right in.


    ¡°Sannie¡­¡± the man moaned in a hoarse voice.


    A few minutester, Arielle ran out of the bathroom with a blushed face and a tight shoulder.


    Like a bunny running for its life, she dashed toward the bed and hid under the nket.


    ¡°Oh, my God. What have I done¡­¡±


    Arielle could not believe what she had done to Vinson in the bathroom. She would never be able to


    look at her hand in the same way again.

 Chapter 1436

    Chapter 1436


    Chapter 1436 Why Is He Here Again


    Vinson found Arielle as a bundle beneath the quilt she had thrown over herself after he exited the


    bathroom. Upon realizing that she was embarrassed, he walked over gingerly to the hospital bed.


    ¡°Stick out your head, Sannie,¡± Vinson said as he made to tug on Arielle¡¯s quilt. ¡°You must be


    suffocating.¡± ¡°Leave me alone! I¡¯m nevering out.¡±


    Far from being irritated at her stubbornness, Vinson thought the muffled voice that came from the quilt


    was adorable. ¡°We are husband and wife, Sannie,¡± he said gently as he felt for her hand underneath


    the quilt. ¡°It¡¯spletely normal.¡±


    ¡°Stop talking!¡± Arielle cried as she felt the familiar sear on her cheeks. ¡°I won¡¯t if you don¡¯t want me to,¡±


    Vinson coaxed obligingly. ¡°Come out, please?¡±


    He had actually not expected Arielle to do such a thing for him, which was why he felt surprised and


    touched when Arielle walked into the bathroom earlier.


    Arielle, on the other hand, was beginning to realize that her n of hiding under the covers was a bad


    idea. ¡°I will onlye out if you stopughing at me,¡± she muttered again.


    ¡°Why would Iugh at you, Sannie?¡± Vinson asked helplessly. ¡°I love you even more for what you did!¡±


    If a woman can put aside her disgust to help her man like that, he should feel moved and happy.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle felt conflicted. It would be embarrassing to face Vinson if she came out from underneath the


    quilt. On the other hand, the heat was bing unbearable.


    ¡°Go take a walk,¡± Arielle said sullenly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you for the time being.¡± I need a time-out to


    recover from that embarrassing moment.


    ¡°Fine,¡± responded Vinson reluctantly. ¡°Only if you¡¯lle out too.¡±


    He was getting up as he spoke. Upon opening the door of the ward, his cheerful mood instantly


    vanished when he saw the person standing at the door.


    Why is he here again?


    The person at the door was none other than Aaron, who had dropped by the hospital on his way home


    from the pce.


    Aaron regarded Vinson with a simrly hostile expression. Why is he in Arielle¡¯s ward? Despite already


    finding out about Vinson¡¯s frequent appearances during hisst visit, Aaron did not manage to ask


    Arielle about it back then as he was in a hurry. He intended on rifying the matter this time.


    ¡°Who are you? Why are you here?¡± Aaron asked Vinson in a deep voice.


    Vinson did not understand the questions posited in Turlenese and was unwilling to expose himself by


    answering in Ustranasion. With an insolent re, he simply turned around and returned to the ward he


    had exited seconds ago.


    I¡¯m not going to allow Aaron the chance to be alone with my wife.


    Having already thrown the covers off her the moment Vinson exited the ward, Arielle whimpered in


    despair at the sound of Aaron¡¯s voice. Why is he here again?


    Sliding out of bed cautiously, she watched as Vinson positioned himself by the door like a sentry sworn


    to duty with an impassive look on his face. All of a sudden, her head began throbbing again.


    ¡°Who is he, Ari, and why is he in your ward?¡± Aaron demanded as he strode in. ¡°Who is he to you?¡±


    Furious at Vinson for ignoring him, Aaron barely managed to suppress the anger in his voice as he


    rounded on Arielle.


    Upset by Vinson¡¯s calm and expressionless demeanor, Arielle answered Aaron in Ustranasion with as


    much contempt as she could muster, ¡°What does that have to do with you?¡±

 Chapter 1437

    Chapter 1437


    Chapter 1437 Death Sentence


    As Vinson did not speak Turlenese, Arielle was reluctant to converse with Aaron in hisnguage for


    fear of making Vinson feel excluded. Though Vinson did not care, Arielle did not want him to hang onto


    every word of theirs in confusion.


    ¡°I¡¯m only concerned about you,¡± Aaron replied dully.


    Though Arielle knew from the time they had spent together that he meant well, she decided to tell


    Aaron a version of the truth seeing as Vinson and Aaron were destined to run into each other


    frequently for the foreseeable future.


    ¡°He¡¯s a bodyguard under my employ for my personal protection,¡± Arielle lied casually as she met his


    gaze. Aaron¡¯s eyes dimmed at the news. No wonder he¡¯s always by Arielle¡¯s side.


    ¡°Fire him,¡± Aaron suggested as his gaze darkened. ¡°I¡¯ll protect you instead.¡± He found himself going


    mad with jealousy at the thought of another man being in close proximity to her.


    Vinson seemed to have read Aaron¡¯s mind from the way his dark eyes flicked toward thetter fiercely.


    Feeling Vinson¡¯s eyes upon him, the prince¡¯s temper rose instantly at the insolent way he was being


    regarded.


    ¡°Get out!¡± he barked at Vinson.


    However, Vinson stood his ground to Aaron¡¯s chagrin. ¡°Can¡¯t you understand a simple instruction?¡± he


    bellowed again. Incensed at the former¡¯s unresponsiveness, Aaron opened the door to summon his


    bodyguard to expel Vinson.


    Arielle was visibly upset to see Vinson being mistreated. Gritting her teeth in consternation, she stood


    before Vinson to shield him with her petite body before turning her cold gaze to Aaron. ¡°He is with me.


    Who do you think you are to expel my guest?¡±


    What cheek to suggest I rece Vinson with him!


    Aaron¡¯s eyes zed with jealousy. Unable to control his emotions any longer, he dragged Arielle to his


    side and shook her arm roughly. ¡°He¡¯s just a bodyguard, isn¡¯t he? Why do you care so much about


    him?¡±


    Vinson did not expect Aaron to lose hisposure. However, the blob of crimson staining through her


    white gauze was the final straw for him. He stepped forward and stared at Aaron with a look of cold


    fury. ¡°Let her go.¡±


    Aaron was bbergasted. Nobody else has ever spoken to me in such a tone in this country other than


    my parents and grandmother!


    Aaron did not lower his re. ¡°I refuse. What are you going to do about it? Who are you to speak to me


    with such an insolent attitude?¡±


    ¡°How could you say such things, Aaron?¡± Arielle yelled at him, aghast.


    Despite his arrogance, Vinson came to Turlen anonymously for me and is forced to endure Aaron¡¯s


    insults. How is fair to him?


    ¡°He¡¯s just a bodyguard, Ari. Why are you protecting him?¡± Aaron tightened his grip around her arm, his


    heart aching with jealousy.


    Seeing Arielle wincing in pain was too much for Vinson. Losing all control, he grabbed Aaron¡¯s arm and


    mmed him onto the floor while thetter was taken aback.


    Hurting my woman in front of me is asking for death!


    Fueled by the jealous rage simmering within him, Aaron leaped to his feet. By the next second, he had


    arrived before Vinson and swung a fist at his face.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1438

    Chapter 1438


    Chapter 1438 Opportunity Awaits


    Since their first encounter in Chanaea, Vinson had been itching to hit Aaron but refrained from doing so


    for Arielle¡¯s sake. This time, he was not going to relinquish the opportunity so readily provided to him.


    Vinson leaned back out of reach when the iing fist was inches from his jaw. At the same time, he


    dragged Aaron up by the cor and took a few swings of his own at the prince¡¯s face before dropping


    him like a sack of bricks.


    Aaron wiped the blood from his cracked lips with his thumb and stared at Vinson with murderous


    hatred. Clenching his hands into fists, he made another lunge at Vinson.


    Vinson continued to tilt his head to dodge the onught. Aaron turned around tounch a renewed


    barrage against Vinson when thetter¡¯s foot kicked at his stomach and found its mark with a sickening


    thud. As he crumpled to the ground, Vinson capitalized on his advantage by aiming a few more kicks at


    the same spot.


    The bodyguard summoned by Aaron yelled for backup at the sight of their liege¡¯s defeat. As he hurried


    forward to help Aaron to his feet, the rest dashed toward Vinson in a swarm.


    ¡°Stop! Stop fighting!¡± Arielle cried.


    Though she knew that Vinson was skilled enough to avoid sustaining injuries, she could not help


    fearing for his safety.


    Unfortunately, her voice was drowned in themotion of the fight. Losing her temper atst, she


    joined in the brawl by pummeling the bodyguards with all the might her tiny fists could muster.


    Having learned of their assignment at the hospital on the way there, the bodyguards were conflicted


    when Arielle got herself involved.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Aaron was both jealous and worried for her safety when he saw her dive in to assist Vinson in staving


    off his own men.


    ¡°Stop!¡± The brawl ceased abruptly at his order.


    ¡°Your wound is bleeding, Ari,¡± he continued. ¡°I¡¯ll have the nurse change the dressing for you.¡± Aaron¡¯s


    eyes were filled with distress.


    Arielle could hardly spare a nce at her wound as she was fussing over the bruises on Vinson¡¯s face.


    ¡°If you¡¯vee here to make me angry,¡± she said to Aaron without looking at him, ¡°Congrattions.


    Mission aplished.¡±


    If I knew this was going to happen, I wouldn¡¯t have cooked for him and fed him on the ship.


    ¡°Ari¡­¡± Aaron did not expect his n to backfire. To his frustration, his original intention of assigning a


    bodyguard to her had proved to be his undoing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me again,¡± Arielle said coldly as she pointed to the door of the ward. ¡°Please leave. I¡¯m


    afraid we can¡¯t afford to be graced by your presence.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave right now. Just don¡¯t get too worked up. Remember to have your dressing changed and re-


    bandaged.¡±


    Aaron felt extremely insulted being subjected to such treatment by somebody beneath his station, even


    more so in his own country. With a deep, meaningful gaze at Arielle, he gestured at his bodyguards in


    the wake of his departure.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not protecting you well enough, Vinson,¡± Arielle whispered as she stroked Vinson¡¯s


    bruises tenderly.


    Though she knew that Vinson was a formidable fighter, her heart still ached for the bruises he had


    endured for her.


    A warm feeling surged in Vinson¡¯s chest when she said those words. This silly girl has an injury on her


    arm, and she talks of protecting me.


    His eyes were filled with distress at the sight of her arm. ¡°Come, let¡¯s get your dressing changed.¡±


    Arielle nodded, and the couple went to the surgical department to get her soiled dressing changed


    before having it firmly rebandaged.


    Vinson had a gloomy expression on his face after returning to the ward, fretting about how he should


    have beaten Aaron harder. Arielle was supposed to have her stitches removed two dayster before


    being discharged from the hospital, but her wound had split open and swelled up to an rming degree


    when Aaron grabbed it earlier.

 Chapter 1439

    Chapter 1439


    Chapter 1439 He Is The prince


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. The swelling will subside in two days.¡± Arielle reached for Vinson¡¯s hand reassuringly at the


    sight of his mutinous expression.


    ¡°You shouldy down and get some rest.¡± Without another word, Vinson carried her to the bed and


    covered her with a quilt before tidying up the ward. Just as he was done, another knock came from the


    door of the ward, to his displeasure. Who is it at this time?


    Walking over and opening the door, he was greeted by a woman in an off-white suit nked by a dozen


    men in ck suits standing at the door of the ward. All of them regarded him with hostility.


    ¡°Are you the bodyguard who injured Prince Aaron?¡± The woman who spoke was none other than the


    queen¡¯s confidant, Miranda


    The queen had not seen Aaron for several days. When she heard that the queen mother had


    summoned him, she gave him a call. However, Aaron did not pick up, so the queen told Miranda to


    contact his bodyguard.


    To their surprise, they found out that Arielle¡¯s bodyguard had beaten up Aaron. Furious at her son being


    treated like that by a peasant, the queen sent for Miranda to bring Vinson back to the pce at once to


    face her wrath.


    Upon hearing Miranda interrogate Vinson, Arielle leaped off the bed, slipped on her shoes, and walked


    to the door to confront her. She pulled Vinson behind her as she stared defiantly at the group of


    servants, who did not regard her with any more kindness than they did Vinson.


    ¡°Who are you? Why are you here?¡± Arielle red at the tall woman before her.


    The servants could tell at a nce that she was the shot caller of the duo.


    ¡°I am a confidante of the queen¡¯s,¡± Miranda proimed regally. ¡°We are here to bring this man, who has


    been used ofying his hands on Prince Aaron, back to the pce.¡±


    After letting her promation ring out impressively into the silence, Miranda studied Arielle impassively.


    No wonder the prince is obsessed with her. She really is a beautiful girl. Those eyes are to die for.


    Prince Aaron!


    Arielle was stunned. Despite always knowing that he was somebody special, never in her wildest


    dreams would she have expected him to be the prince of Turlen.


    However, it¡¯s still up to me whether or not Vinson is taken away!


    ¡°Please tell your queen that he is with me. In fact, Aaron was struck under my orders. If he wants


    trouble, he shoulde to me instead of my man. After all, I call the shots.¡± Arielle stared at Miranda


    with a steely re that made it clear that there was no room forpromise.


    Even if Vinson understood Turlenese, I wouldn¡¯t allow him to be taken away from me either. Since he¡¯s


    stuck with me, I shall have to do my best to protect him, although he may not need me to.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, please do not put us in a difficult position,¡± Miranda said.


    How dare she try to take me away with the knowledge that I am a guest of the king and the prince?


    ¡°You are the one making things difficult for me,¡± Arielle replied coldly.


    With that, Miranda had no choice but to step away from Arielle to call the queen, who was furious upon


    hearing Miranda recount her confrontation with Arielle.


    ¡°If she wants to do this the hard way,¡± she seethed before hanging up, ¡°bring them both back.¡± Just as


    well. I want to meet the woman my son is smitten with.


    ¡°Very well, Your Majesty.¡±


    While Miranda stepped outside to the corridor, Vinson turned to Arielle.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Who are they and what are they doing?¡±


    ¡°The queen sent them,¡± she said frankly. ¡°They¡¯re here because you beat Aaron up. Apparently, he¡¯s


    the prince of this country. Now that the queen has learned that he was beaten by you, she¡¯ll most likely


    have you taken to the pce.¡±

 Chapter 1440

    Chapter 1440


    Chapter 1440 I Gave The Order


    Arielle was still reeling from the realization that Aaron was the king¡¯s son. Though she had guessed


    that his identity was unusual, a prince was one of thest things that crossed her mind.


    ¡°What did you tell her?¡± ¡°I told her that you are my guest,¡± Arielle exined casually, ¡°that I was the one


    who gave the order to assault Aaron and that they¡¯d have to get through me to reach you. After all, all


    this started because of me.¡± In actual fact, she was not concerned about what might happen within the


    pce walls at all.


    Proficient in both medicine and poison, even the royal family would find it unwise toplicate things


    for her.


    Gazing at the woman before him, Vinson found himself at a loss for words. If the circumstances were


    not dire, he would have scooped her up in his arms and given her a fierce kiss.


    How lucky I am to meet a woman who is so sincere. For a long while, he gazed deeply into Arielle¡¯s


    eyes with boundless affection in his before they were interrupted again


    Miranda slipped her phone into her bag before resuming her position at the door of the ward. ¡°The


    queen has spoken, Ms. Moore. If you are responsible for the prince¡¯s humiliation and injury, you are to


    come to the pce with me.¡±


    Arielle nodded her assent. Why not? I would like to see what they¡¯ll do to me. Having expected a lot


    more persuasion on her part, Miranda was surprised at how little effort it took to get Arielle to agree.


    Along the way, Arielle studied the flowers and nts in the pce as she smiled knowingly to herself.


    Yes, these are lovely ingredients that can be used to brew some fresh and potent concoctions that


    could either be an antidote or a poison. Let¡¯s see what the queen is willing to risk. Either way, I will give


    her an unforgettable experience.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Meanwhile, Dn was inquiring about the investigation of the person behind Arielle¡¯s assassination


    attempt in his study when Sybil¡¯s phone rang. Despite being in the presence of his country¡¯s monarch,


    who was still speaking, he answered the call immediately when he saw the caller ID.


    ¡°What did you say? When did this happen?¡± Sybil¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    ¡°I see!¡± After Sybil hung up the phone, he turned an apologetic and anxious gaze to Dn. ¡°Your


    Majesty, the chef just informed me that the princess and her bodyguard had been taken away by


    Miranda ording to the queen¡¯s orders.¡±


    Dn leaped to his feet, staring at Sybil anxiously. ¡°When and why were they taken away?¡±


    Worried sick at that moment, he dreaded what the queen would do if she found out that Arielle was his


    daughter.


    Dn found his anxietypounding the more he fretted over the problem. Without even bothering to


    take his phone with him, the king was about to exit the room when he was stopped by Sybil.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the princess must still be in transit. Please be patient and let me make some inquiries


    about the situation.¡± He was concerned that the king might expose himself in his worry over the


    princess¡¯ safety.


    Dn paused in his tracks before turning to Sybil. ¡°You do that, and quickly. Update me at once no


    matter what you find. No information is too trivial.¡±


    ¡°At once, Your Majesty.¡± Sybil bowed before departing swiftly.


    Dn whittled away the agonizing wait by pacing around the study. He could not for the life of him


    figure out what the queen wanted with Arielle.


    Sybil happened to catch sight of Arielle and Vinson being led by Miranda on his way to the queen¡¯s


    quarters. After hesitating for a fraction of a second, Sybil halted Miranda in her tracks.


    ¡°Thisdy is an honored guest of His Majesty, Miranda,¡± he said sternly. ¡°What are you bringing her


    here for? She is in need of medical attention.¡±


    Although Sybil was the king¡¯s confidante, Miranda was not afraid of him.

 Chapter 1441

    Chapter 1441


    Chapter 1441 Provocation


    Undeterred by his authoritative voice as she outranked him in terms of power weld and was a favorite


    of the queen¡¯s, Miranda merely sneered at Sybil down the length of her nose.


    ¡°So what if she is a distinguished guest invited by the king?¡± she asked with arrogant provocation. ¡°The


    bodyguard under her employ beat the prince up. You know as well as I do that it is a crime to assault a


    member of the royal family.¡±


    Only then did Sybil discover the true reason for Arielle¡¯s summon.


    ¡°Be that as it may, Ms. Moore is Chanaean and an honored guest of the king¡¯s. Turlenesews and


    regtions have no jurisdiction over her.¡±


    It is indeed a crime for amoner toy a finger on the prince. However, Ms. Moore is the eldest


    princess of Turlen. Isn¡¯t it normal for an older sister to hit her younger brother?


    Nevertheless, Sybil did not dare voice his thoughts out loud as it was not yet time to expose Arielle¡¯s


    true identity.


    Miranda raised an eyebrow. ¡°Though she can¡¯t be punished, her bodyguard is a citizen of ours who


    does happen to fall under our jurisdiction. We only intended to take him with us, but Ms. Moore insisted


    that shee along. That puts me in a tough spot, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I was the one who ordered the bodyguard to strike, Sybil,¡± Arielle corroborated, aware that he must


    have been sent by Dn. ¡°If the queen is going to punish him for following orders, it¡¯s only fair to hold


    me ountable too.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Moore,¡± Sybil said cryptically before departing. ¡°Things will turn out well.¡±


    Arielle stared doubtfully at Sybil¡¯s departing silhouette as she recalled Vinson¡¯s analysis of him several


    days ago. It seems that I need to find out why the king cares about me so much.


    Miranda¡¯s eyes narrowed as she studied the exchange between Sybil and Arielle. What does the king


    see in this Chanaean doctor? What sorcery could she possibly possess to cause both men of the royal


    family to be this infatuated with her?


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Sybil reported his encounter with Arielle to Dn the moment he returned to thetter¡¯s study.


    Dn was relieved to learn that it was another matter altogether that had invoked the queen¡¯s summon


    rather than the exposure of Arielle¡¯s identity.


    Although he wanted more than anything else to reconcile with his daughter, he was not in the optimum


    position to do so at the moment. If the queen mother and the queen find out about Arielle¡¯s identity,


    who knows what they will do to her? I must not take this risk and put Arielle in danger.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the prince and the princess seem to be on excellent terms,¡± Sybil said after a short


    pause. ¡°If I may, you could give the prince a call and have him speak to his mother.¡±


    Dn frowned as he considered the matter before eventually agreeing. At this juncture, it¡¯s the only


    viable method left to resolve the matter peacefully.


    However, the unfairness to his son if he did so gnawed at him. Although the boy was not born to his


    expectations, Aaron was his son nheless. It would be unfit for him to demand that the person who


    assaulted his son be rescued and spared.


    Ultimately, he chose to side with his daughter as he felt guilty for being absent from her life for over


    twenty years. Although he did not give the boy too much fatherly love, he did fulfill all of the paternal


    responsibilities expected of him. He felt awful for not standing up for his daughter who had grown up


    without a fatherly figure to depend on.

 Chapter 1442

    Chapter 1442


    Chapter 1442 He Is With Me


    Dn looked up at Sybil and was about to have him call Aaron when he decided to make the call


    himself on second thought. If I have to even ask Sybil to carry out such a simple task on my behalf,


    how is it different from running away from my own problems?


    As he dialed Aaron¡¯s number, Sybil left the study tactfully and waited outside.


    Aaron had just had his bruises tended to when his phone rang. The bodyguard beside him immediately


    picked up the phone and handed it to him. He nced at the caller ID and answered the call


    immediately.


    ¡°Yes, Father?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Moore was taken to the pce by your mother¡¯s orders,¡± Dn said solemnly. ¡°I¡¯m entrusting you


    with her safe return.¡±


    Aaron became anxious upon hearing that Arielle had been taken away by his mother as he knew very


    well what she was capable of. ¡°Why would she do that?¡± he asked, panicking.


    Could she be angry at Arielle because I rejected the marriage prospects she had lined up for me?


    Aaron¡¯s eyes darkened at that thought.


    ¡°She learned that Ms. Moore¡¯s bodyguard beat you and had them taken away,¡± Dn replied


    impatiently. ¡°Enough questions, Aaron. Save them from your mother¡¯s wrath.¡±


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yes, Father.¡± Aaron hung up and rushed to the pce.


    Despite still feeling hurt at Arielle prioritizing her bodyguard over him, Aaron could not bear for her to


    suffer any harm or grievance if he could help it.


    Gloom apanied him all the way to the pce. As soon as Aaron arrived outside the queen¡¯s


    quarters, he spotted Sybil, who was pacing with visible anxiety.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sybil.¡± Aaron offered a reassuring smile before entering. ¡°I¡¯ll bring her back safely.¡±


    Though he did not know why Sybil had not dared to meet Arielle until recently, Aaron felt obligated to


    be on friendlier terms with Sybil to gain his support if he ever needed it to marry Arielle in the future.


    After all, I can¡¯t use my authority to force Arielle into marrying me.


    Sybil frowned at Aaron¡¯s departing silhouette. The way the prince had spoken to him gave him a funny


    feeling, though he quickly dismissed it as Arielle¡¯s safety consumed his thoughts once more. The king


    must be out of his mind with worry.


    Meanwhile, Miranda led Arielle and Vinson through the main hall of the queen¡¯s quarters. Atop her


    throne at the very end, the queen sat on a chair and surveyed Arielle and Vinson imperiously.


    Her gaze darkened when she turned to Arielle. This must be the woman who has my son¡¯s heart on a


    string. Because of her, he has forsaken better and worthier girls.


    Initially fuming over the impossibility of punishing her, the queen was delighted when Arielle


    volunteered toe over herself. Since she showed up expecting me to show no mercy, I won¡¯t be


    doing so.


    ¡°Put that one in jail,¡± she said to one of the guards as she pointed to Vinson.


    Immediately, the guard in question stepped out smartly.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to watch you try!¡± Arielle stepped out and met the queen¡¯s haughty stare with her own.


    You¡¯ll be needing my permission toy a finger on him!


    ¡°He is with me, Your Majesty. Nobody can touch him without my say-so, including you and your royal


    husband.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s nonchnt tone made the queen tremble in spite of herself. It was the first time she was met


    with a regal presence that rivaled even her own.

 Chapter 1443

    Chapter 1443


    Chapter 1443 Insolence


    However, her insecurity was fleeting.


    This is the first time anybody has dared speak to me like this. How presumptuous! The queen was


    about to explode with fury as she pointed a shaking finger at Arielle. ¡°You arrogant little b*tch. Who do


    you think you are to speak to me like that?¡±


    Arielle sneered at the sight of the queen¡¯s austere features that contorted from her anger. ¡°Is my gruff


    manner of speaking too much for your delicate pte? Let me return to Chanaea, then. I don¡¯t care


    much for your country.¡±


    Her impertinence took the queen¡¯s breath away.


    ¡°What are you still standing there for?¡± the queen shrieked at her men. ¡°Take him away!¡±


    The guards started at once for Vinson, who caught Arielle¡¯s eye and nodded grimly as an unspoken


    understanding passed between them. Just as the guards were about to lunge, Aaron burst through the


    doors.


    ¡°Stop!¡± he roared. The guards froze at the sound of his voice. Aaron nced at Arielle before walking


    to the queen¡¯s side. ¡°Mother,¡± he asked sullenly, ¡°what are you trying to do?¡±


    ¡°This peasant dared raise a finger against you,¡± the queen snapped at her son for his gantry. ¡°As a


    punishment befitting the crime under ourws, I¡¯m having him arrested and put in jail.¡±


    Aaron agreed with his mother. ¡°It¡¯s indeed a crime to beat the prince in his own country, Ari,¡± he said as


    he turned to look at Arielle. ¡°Nobody in Turlen is above thew.¡±


    In truth, Aaron had an ulterior motive. Having intensely disliked the bodyguard from the moment he saw


    him, Aaron had nned to rece him just so that he could not remain by Arielle¡¯s side.


    Arielle saw through his charade at once.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that he has immunity,¡± Arielle began tentatively. Aaron¡¯s eyes lit up. Is she going to obey


    thews of Turlen andply? Before he could celebrate, her condition plummeted his hopes. ¡°I¡¯ll


    apany him throughout his imprisonment, and I will onlye out upon his release.¡±


    Instantly, his heart sank. Aaron suppressed the aching pain in his heart with great difficulty as his eyes


    fell on Arielle.


    Why is this bodyguard so important to her? Is it worth keeping himpany even at the cost of going


    to jail? Who is he?


    As if he had known it all along, a name appeared in his mind.


    Aaron¡¯s vicious gaze became fixed on Vinson at that thought, but he quickly became certain that


    Vinson was clearly not the person he had in mind.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°Ari, you are putting me in a tight spot here,¡± Aaron said with a scowl.


    She knows that I would never have the heart to put her in jail. She¡¯s saying these things just to hurt me


    further.


    ¡°It feels as though you are putting the screws on me instead. You want your mother to put him in jail


    despite knowing that he acted on my orders. If you are dissatisfied with my presence, you can send me


    back to Chanaea. I¡¯ve had enough of Turlen.¡±


    Arielle took a small pause before continuing, ¡°If you¡¯re going to arrest him by force, I promise you that


    not a single one of you will leave this pce alive. Don¡¯t test me.¡±


    If it were not due to the fact that she was looking for her biological father, Arielle would have attacked


    Aaron back when he kidnapped her adoptive parents in Lightspring.


    Disregarding most of what Arielle said, the only part that had caused a stab-like pain in his heart was


    her disdain for remaining in Turlen. Has nothing in Turlen captured her heart at all?

 Chapter 1444

    Chapter 1444


    Chapter 1444 Please Leave


    ¡°Let them go, Mother,¡± Aaron said resignedly after tearing his gaze away from Arielle.


    ¡°Let them go?¡± the queen repeated as she mmed the table with a fist. ¡°Why would I do that? Leaving


    here unscathed after beating the crown prince, what next?¡±


    Nobody, not even the king of the neighboring country, is allowed toy a finger on my son except me.


    ¡°I was sparring with him, Mother,¡± Aaron exined as he met her eyes. ¡°I threw in quite a bit of


    punches myself, you know.¡±


    Aware that his mother was only indignant on his behalf, he did not feel it prudent to incur Arielle¡¯s wrath


    and risk the lives of everybody in the pce though he wanted more than anything to have the


    bodyguard locked up.


    As the head of the Mill family. Arielle hadmitted the content of the medical manuscripts to memory


    before setting them on fire.


    As he had heard of the potency of medicine and poison created following the manuscript¡¯s instructions,


    Aaron was certain that Arielle had mastered the forme to a high enough degree for daring to make


    such a bold im. In addition, he knew Arielle well enough to know that she did not make empty


    threats. If her bodyguard were to be locked up, the entire pce would sumb to her rage.


    Aaron studied Arielle closely. Why was she willing to follow me to Turlen if she had such destructive


    powers at her fingertips?


    For the first time, he began to harbor doubts regarding her purpose ining to Turlen with him.


    ¡°I have already interrogated the bodyguards, Aaron,¡± the queen said with irritation at the sight of her


    son fawning over Arielle. ¡°They insisted that it waspletely one-sided..¡±


    She¡¯s obviously done something to him to make him willingly defend her bodyguard. What does he see


    in her? Look at what she¡¯s turned him into! The crown prince lying to defend amon rat!


    Aaron knew that his mother was not going to let Arielle and herpanion go that easily. After another


    nce at Arielle, he walked over to his mother and whispered a few words in her ear.


    The queen¡¯s mood did not improve after hearing Aaron¡¯s words. On the contrary, she looked even more


    uneasy.


    Having never been willing to go on a blind date with the prospects of her choice before, he was


    leveraging it into a condition for Arielle and her bodyguard to leave unscathed.


    Half intending to reject Aaron¡¯s offer out of spite, the queen thought the better of it, and her relief that


    he had finally agreed to her request trumped her pettiness. If she did not seize the opportunity, she


    might never have the chance again. Upon mulling it over, the queen nodded stiffly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to your promise, son,¡± she said grimly.


    Aaron heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother. I intend to keep it.¡±


    After nodding at his mother, he turned around and walked to Arielle¡¯s side. He reached for her hand,


    but she squirmed away. Arielle hated more than anything to owe favors, least of all favors done under


    the conditions of ckmail.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    I can leave the pce perfectly fine on my own. Why does Aaron think he¡¯s doing me a favor by


    making a deal with his mother?


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do a d*mn thing for me,¡± Arielle said nonchntly. ¡°I can leave the pce whenever


    I want.¡±


    Her purpose in making that trip to the pce was to resolve the matter once and for all as well as tie up


    the loose ends.


    ¡°I know. That¡¯s not what I did.¡±


    Aaron gazed into her eyes deeply. Ufortable with the way she was subjected to his scrutiny,


    Arielle took several steps back. Her less-than-subtle withdrawal made Aaron¡¯s heart wrench painfully.


    Tired of waiting for him to tell the truth, Arielle stepped forward to address the queen. ¡°I don¡¯t know


    what it was that Aaron said to you to let us leave, but I assure you I do not need his help. Please, go


    back on whatever he has promised you.¡±

 Chapter 1445

    Chapter 1445


    Chapter 1445 Unappreciated Gestures


    The queen was irritated by how disdainfully Arielle behaved toward her son¡¯s gestures. I would like to


    see just how you manage.


    She cast a cold re at Arielle. ¡°Sure, if you want to stay so badly.¡± Arielle was not afraid of her at all.


    Instead, her lips curled into a smirk. ¡°Your Majesty, do you feel a tightness in your chest like you¡¯re


    having trouble breathing?¡±


    Like a trigger, her words startled the queen who clutched at her chest with one hand and pointed an


    usatory finger at Arielle with the other. ¡°What have you done to me?¡±


    ¡°Ari¡­¡± Aaron stared at her, horrorstruck. ¡°I¡¯d warned you not to test me.¡± Ignoring Aaron, she stared at


    the queen coldly. ¡°In half an hour from now, even the antidote wouldn¡¯t save you.¡±


    Though Vinson had been looking in confusion at one speaker after another throughout their time at the


    queen¡¯s quarters, he could tell that she was powerless against Arielle. Unnoticed by any of the others


    jabbering away in Turlenese, he smirked with amusement as he observed the proceedings silently.


    By then, the queen was bing thoroughly frightened. She did not expect Arielle to be capable of


    poisoning her without a trace.


    Even Miranda was cowering with terror in the corner of the room as she clutched her chest.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± the queen asked through gritted teeth.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Cancel your deal with Aaron, let us leave peacefully, and never use this matter to trouble my


    bodyguard again.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not getting out of here alive if you kill me,¡± the queen said viciously, unwilling to back down from


    Arielle¡¯s threat.


    Arielle sneered. How na?ve.


    ¡°With all due respect, Your Majesty, you really are a stupid woman. I¡¯ll just tell everyone that you have


    sumbed to an illness for which you¡¯ve contracted my services. Unfortunately, I found out that there


    is no cure for your terminal illness.¡± Arielle shook her head with mock sadness before adding, ¡°What


    exactly did the king see in you, I wonder? Definitely not your brains, Your Majesty.¡±


    Her words struck a chord.


    The queen had only managed to marry Dn due to the efforts of the queen mother. If it weren¡¯t for


    her, Dn would have been unwilling to fulfill their marriage contract. Aaron might never have been


    born if it had not been for the act of his grandmother against his father on the night of our wedding.


    ¡°Insolence!¡± she shouted at Arielle. ¡°Treason!¡±


    The queen was so furious that she wanted to sentence them to imprisonment on the spot. Before she


    could open her mouth, Arielle spoke again while smiling at the queen¡¯s outburst, ¡°Twenty-five minutes


    to go!¡±


    ¡°She really is capable of doing this, Mother,¡± Aaron pleaded. ¡°Just give in, will you?¡± Knowing his


    mother well, he could tell that she was just being stubborn. By speaking up, he was saving her ego.


    Although he knew that Arielle wouldn¡¯t kill his mother, he was familiar with his mother¡¯s temper. He was


    aware of how ugly things would get if she got infuriated and refused to allow Arielle and her bodyguard


    to leave.


    Though unwilling to let Arielle and herpanion go unpunished, the queen knew that survival was


    much more important. If she lost her life just for the momentary satisfaction of her ego, it would all have


    been in vain.

 Chapter 1446

    Chapter 1446


    Chapter 1446 The Antidote


    The queen stared at Arielle for a long moment. Then, she reluctantly said to Aaron, ¡°Leave the antidote


    behind. You can bring them away.¡±


    It was Aaron¡¯s turn to look at Arielle, who dered coolly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As long as I leave the pce


    safely, your poison will be cured.¡±


    The queen was vexed that her fatey in someone else¡¯s hands. Eventually, she waved for Aaron to


    lead Arielle¡¯s group away.


    Aaron tried to hold Arielle¡¯s hand as they left, but she would not allow him to do so. She hastily dodged


    him and eyed Vinson meaningfully before leaving the room.


    Vinson side-eyed Aaron before following Arielle out.


    The queen realized then the extent of her son¡¯s one-sided crush on Arielle. Exasperated, she advised,


    ¡°Aaron, that woman doesn¡¯t like you at all.¡± She looked at him and added, ¡°Nico has a great personality.


    She¡¯s beautiful, kind, and generous, and she¡¯s a perfect candidate for your consort. Your grandmother


    and I like her very much. You¡¯d better drop any feelings you have for that woman and spend some time


    with Nico. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll fall in love with her eventually.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Aaron replied dismissively before leaving to follow Arielle.


    Meanwhile, Arielle and Vinson had just left the queen¡¯s pce when they saw Sybil pacing anxiously


    outside. After some thought, Arielle walked toward him.


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    Sybil lifted his head then and spotted Arielle approaching him. He immediately broke into a smile.


    Before he could say a word, Arielle¡¯s cold voice drifted over. ¡°Tell His Majesty that I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Her instruction stunned Sybil. How does she know that I¡¯m here under His Majesty¡¯s orders?


    He did not have much time to dwell over her knowledge, however, as he remembered how anxious


    Dn was. Concerned that Arielle would immediately rush home, Sybil said, ¡°Ms. Moore, His Majesty


    was extremely worried for you. Now that you¡¯re fine, could you pay him a short visit?¡±


    Throughout this time, Dn had been concerned over the princess¡¯ injuries. He remained worried


    despite sending a chef to prepare her daily meals, and he longed to leave the pce to visit her.


    Unfortunately, Sybil prevented him from doing so. However, now was the perfect opportunity to arrange


    for the princess to visit Dn instead.


    Arielle had nned to sound out Dn anyway, so she promptly agreed to Sybil¡¯s suggestion.


    She said, ¡°You can lead the way. I¡¯ve been meaning to thank His Majesty for his care.¡±


    Sybil smiled and walked ahead. Vinson and Arielle exchanged a nce before following behind him.


    Aaron, who had just exited the queen¡¯s pce, saw the three of them together and was stunned by


    how much they looked like a family. He shook his head to clear his mind of those thoughts. Instead, he


    directed a menacing re in Vinson¡¯s direction. A family? Hmph! Even if there¡¯s a family here to speak


    of, it should be Arielle and me! Someone as lowly as a bodyguard doesn¡¯t deserve to be with her!


    ¡°Ari!¡± he shouted to catch her attention.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to meet His Majesty. You can head back if you¡¯re busy,¡± Arielle replied coldly. She did not


    wish to be involved with him further.


    Aaron insisted, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    He knew Arielle was upset because of his mother¡¯s actions.


    Arielle merely shook her head and refused. She had her reasons for meeting Dn, and Aaron¡¯s


    presence would onlyplicate her agenda.


    She warned, ¡°Aaron, if you don¡¯t want me to hate you, please don¡¯t appear in front of me for the time


    being.¡±


    Aaron was heartbroken at that. He lowered his eyes and suppressed the crazed look that threatened to


    appear in his gaze. I can¡¯t do anything that¡¯ll scare her away.


    ¡°I suddenly remembered that I have some things to attend to, so I¡¯ll get going. You can meet my father


    with Sybil. When you¡¯re leaving the pce, have Sybil arrange for a chauffeur to send you home.¡± After


    a hasty farewell, Aaron turned and left without waiting for Arielle¡¯s response.

 Chapter 1447

    Chapter 1447


    Chapter 1447 Covering Things Up


    Arielle stared at Aaron¡¯s departing figure for a long time before retracting her gaze. Then, she followed


    Sybil to meet Dn. Her actions did not escape Vinson¡¯s notice. He nced at the faraway Aaron with


    an inexplicable expression in his eyes.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Soon, the three of them arrived at Dn¡¯s pce. The king was waiting in his study at that time.


    Instead of informing Dn of his surprise visitor, Sybil led them straight to the study¡¯s door.


    He knocked twice on the door.


    Dn was looking at a photograph of him and Maureen when someone knocked on the study¡¯s door.


    He hastily shoved the photo into a book on his table and asked, ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, I have Ms. Moore with me.¡±


    Sybil¡¯s words had barely left his mouth when they heard a loud noiseing from within the study. A


    few secondster, the door opened from the inside.


    Dn¡¯s eyes were glued to Arielle the moment he opened the door. After appraising her carefully, he


    heaved a sigh of relief and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re not hurt.¡±


    Arielle had noticed that the king was unusually concerned over her wellbeing, and she began to think


    that Vinson¡¯s hypothesis was correct.


    Before she could utter a word, Dn invited her into his study.


    The study was a space of privacy. As such, the king did not entertain guests in the room. Anyone


    allowed into the room was highly regarded and trusted by the king.


    Arielle entered the study with nary a hint of hesitation. Vinson was about to go in with her when Sybil


    stopped him and pointed downstairs. Vinson immediately caught his meaning and followed the man


    away.


    A smile cut through Dn¡¯s stern expression when he saw Arielle walking into his study.


    He pointed at the couch beside his desk and gestured for Arielle to sit. ¡°Have a seat.¡±


    Arielle nodded and took a seat on the couch.


    ¡°Would you like to drink anything?¡± He was a bit nervous now that he was alone with Arielle.


    She was about to reject his offer when she remembered her motives for visiting him. She changed her


    mind and smiled at him before requesting, ¡°A cup of coffee, please.¡±


    Dn was about to call Sybil and instruct his subordinate to prepare the beverage. However, the


    moment his hand touched his phone, he thought of doing something else. He smiled at Arielle and


    said, ¡°Wait here for a while. I¡¯ll prepare it for you.¡±


    Then, he left the room before Arielle could say a word.


    He was smiling the entire time. My princess can enjoy a cup of coffee that I brewed for her.


    Meanwhile, a dumbfounded Arielle stared at Dn¡¯s merry gait as he left the study beaming. She


    thought that the king would relegate a task as menial as brewing a cup of coffee to his servants, and


    she was surprised that he had offered to do it himself.


    Is it really him? Could it be?


    Her suspicions prompted Arielle to get up and scrutinize the study. She wanted to find any clues about


    his identity, yet after surveying the room, she came up empty-handed. Are my guesses wrong?


    She was questioning her assumptions when Dn returned. He seemed shocked to see her lingering


    around his desk. Arielle reacted as though she was caught red-handed, and she pointed at a book on


    the table, asking, ¡°Could I borrow this book?¡±


    Dn was naturally delighted that Arielle wanted to borrow a book from him. He happily agreed to her


    request, only to regret his decision immediately when Arielle picked up the book. In his haste earlier, he


    had stuffed the photograph of him and Maureen in that very same book.


    How can I talk my way out of this if Arielle discovers the photograph? Could I cover the truth up? After


    all, I disguised myself back then. Even if she sees it, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll only wonder why I have Maureen¡¯s


    photograph.

 Chapter 1448

    Chapter 1448


    Chapter 1448 Only Her


    Although Dn believed he could hide the fact that he was the man in the incriminating photograph, he


    felt safest if the book was in his hands. With that thought in mind, he approached Arielle, nning to


    take the book away from her while he handed her the cup of coffee. s, Arielle ced the book on


    the couch where she sat. Dn could only watch the book as though it was a ticking time bomb.


    Arielle received the coffee from him and took a sip. Her eyes lit up in delight. She did not know that the


    king could brew a mean cup of coffee. The body of this coffee is excellent!


    Dn¡¯s eyes appeared to brighten in joy when he noticed her delight. He looked at her and asked, ¡°Is


    the wound on your arm almost healed?¡±


    Little did he know that Arielle¡¯s wound had opened up again thanks to Aaron. Arielle shook her head


    and said, ¡°I identally knocked into something, and the wound reopened. I guess it¡¯ll take a few more


    days for it to healpletely.¡±


    She had barely finished her sentence when Dn rushed to her and fretted over her. ¡°Why are you so


    careless? Did you cover it with a fresh dressing?¡±


    ¡°Why do you care so much about me?¡± Arielle finally voiced the question brewing in her heart when she


    saw the worried look in his gaze.


    Her sudden query shocked Dn to no end. His heart skipped a beat, and he gently let go of Arielle¡¯s


    arm before retreating backward.


    He stared at Arielle¡¯s questioning gaze and pondered a suitable response. He eventually exined, ¡°I


    invited you here to share your medical expertise. That makes you an esteemed guest of my pce.


    Caring about my guest is part of my duties, is it not?¡±


    Arielle did not believe his words one bit. If he¡¯s telling the truth, there are plenty of better doctors in


    Chanaea. Even if I¡¯m not here, he can easily find a better expert in the country. Why does it have to be


    me?


    ¡°I suppose you know Maureen Moore,¡± Arielle said nonchntly as she stared at him. She phrased it


    as a statement instead of a question.


    The mention of Maureen¡¯s name caused something inexplicable to sh through Dn¡¯s eyes. She¡¯s


    mine and Maureen¡¯s daughter. Why do I feel such a strong urge to acknowledge our rtionship once


    she mentions her mother¡¯s name?


    Still, in consideration of his current situation, Dn shook his head gently in denial.


    He asked, ¡°I don¡¯t know who she is. Why would I know her?¡±


    After that, he stared at Arielle with his heart in his throat. Our daughter is too intelligent. I was just a bit


    kinder to her, and she almost discovered our rtionship. Thank God I reacted quickly, or I would¡¯ve


    fallen for her trap.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t know her?¡± Arielle challenged, shooting him a dark stare. She did not know why he


    denied any knowledge of her mother.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know who she is.¡± Dn pretended as though he was utterly clueless about Maureen. He


    looked at Arielle and added, ¡°Who is she? And I assume she¡¯s a woman? Where is she now?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t know her, then it¡¯s fine.¡± Arielle got to her feet and hugged the book to her chest. She


    continued, ¡°Anyway, I have other matters on hand, so I won¡¯t continue to take up your time.¡±


    Since Arielle imed to be busy, Dn could hardly keep her in the pce. He apanied her


    downstairs and instructed Sybil to arrange for a chauffeur to send her to the hospital.


    Arielle furrowed her brows and piped up, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to the hospital. I want to return to Paelsford


    Manor.¡±


    Her words immediately brought a frown to Dn¡¯s face. He argued, ¡°You can¡¯t. You haven¡¯t recovered


    from your injuries, so you should stay in the hospital for a few more days. You can return to the manor


    once they¡¯ve taken out the stitches.¡±


    Arielle shook her head and replied, ¡°I¡¯m a doctor myself. This injury hardly necessitates a stay in the


    hospital. I don¡¯t want to waste their resources. If I don¡¯t feel well, I can treat myself at home.¡±


    She had not been to medical school or Paelsford Manor for many days. The Wilhelms¡¯ prolonged


    silence was worrying, and she wondered if they were in trouble.

 Chapter 1449

    Chapter 1449


    Chapter 1449 Jealousy


    Faced with Arielle¡¯s insistence, Dn stopped pressuring her to go to the hospital. Still, he cautioned,


    ¡°Then, monitor yourself carefully when you¡¯re resting at home. Apart from that, you shouldn¡¯t go to


    medical school for the time being.


    When your wound eventually recovers, get it checked onest time at the hospital. There is plenty of


    staff in Paelsford Manor. Feel free to instruct them to help you around the manor. Don¡¯t try to do


    everything alone and risk injuring yourself further.¡±


    His incessant nagging caused Arielle¡¯s gaze to darken. She replied lightly, ¡°I know. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    The chauffeur had brought the car over in the meantime. He got out and opened the front passenger


    door for Arielle. She exchanged a nce with Vinson before settling in the backseat with him. After


    bidding Dn farewell, she ordered the chauffeur to drive off.


    Having noticed Arielle sitting with her alleged bodyguard in the backseat, Dn frowned and asked,


    ¡°Sybil, don¡¯t you think the princess is exceptionally kind to her bodyguard?¡±


    His words piqued Sybil¡¯s suspicions as well.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. She even argued with Her Majesty so that he could enter the pce,¡± Sybil muttered.


    Dn¡¯s eyes dimmed in response.


    Meanwhile, out of the chauffeur¡¯s sight, Vinson reached beside him and held Arielle¡¯s hand tightly.


    Arielle shot him a nce and drew circles in his palm. The ghost of a smile appeared on his face, and


    he tightened his grip on her hand.


    Forty minutester, the car pulled into Paelsford Manor. Arielle led Vinson into the manor.


    During her stay, she maintained a good rtionship with the help. When they saw her return with a new


    bandage around her arm, all of them rushed forward to fawn over her.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just a minor injury,¡± Arielle reassured them with a smile.


    The chef piped up, ¡°Would you like to eat anything? I¡¯ll prepare it for you right away. Go upstairs and


    get some rest in the meantime.¡±


    ¡°I miss your fish chowder.¡±


    ¡°One fish chowder,ing right up.¡±


    The chef happily strolled into the kitchen to prepare Arielle¡¯s requested dish, while the rest of the help


    dispersed to perform their own tasks.


    Arielle led Vinson upstairs and pointed at a nearby room, exining, ¡°This is my bedroom. The other


    one is my parents¡¯, and Pat stays in his own room over there.¡±


    At the mention of Pat, Arielle raised her brows meaningfully and added, ¡°He seems to like you a lot.¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? Don¡¯t you like me a lot too?¡± Vinson whispered beside her ear. He had


    wrapped his arms around her from behind and tucked his chin on her shoulder.


    His sudden hug came as a surprise. Arielle elbowed his stomach and hissed, ¡°There are many


    housekeepers here. I don¡¯t want to give our secret away.¡±


    In response, Vinson lifted her and turned around. He opened her room door and walked inside.


    ¡°Sannie, I didn¡¯t like the way you looked at Aaron.¡± With Arielle in his arms, Vinson recalled how she


    had looked at the prince, and displeasure brimmed in his gaze.


    ¡°Vinson, I¡ª¡±


    Before Arielle could say anything more, Vinson had covered her lips with his. He only released her just


    as she thought she was about to pass out fromck of oxygen. He stared at her swollen, red lips as a


    subtle hint of darkness shed through his gaze.


    Arielle lifted her eyes and stared at Vinson. She muttered, ¡°Vinson, Aaron could be my younger


    brother.¡±


    ¡°What did you discover?¡± Vinson asked as he stared intently at her.


    Arielle exined her discovery in the study and how it tied in with Vinson¡¯s earlier theory.


    ¡°But when I asked the king if he knew my mother, he said he didn¡¯t,¡± Arielle said with a frown.


    Vinson could tell from her words that she already had a new n in mind. He asked, ¡°What¡¯s your next


    step?¡±

 Chapter 1450

    Chapter 1450


    Chapter 1450 Paternity Test


    Arielle¡¯s brows were tightly furrowed in displeasure as she replied to Vinson, ¡°I was nning on doing a


    paternity test with him, but it could be challenging to get a sample.¡±


    There were several methods of conducting paternity tests, though each was difficult to carry out under


    Arielle¡¯s circumstances. Vinson suggested, ¡°If you can¡¯t get anything from the king, what about Aaron?¡±


    Now that he knew Aaron was possibly Arielle¡¯s younger brother, his animosity toward the man had


    reduced significantly.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you unhappy about my interactions with him?¡± Arielle looked at her husband and continued,


    ¡°You got jealous when I spare him even a single nce.¡± Subconsciously, Arielle¡¯s hand traced her


    swollen lips.


    Vinson smirked. Well, things are different now. He did not know that Aaron was potentially her younger


    brother. Now that their familial rtionship was a distinct possibility, Vinson was open to the idea of


    changing his jealous behavior toward the man. I mean, I still don¡¯t like him, but I¡¯m no longer as averse


    to him as before.


    ¡°So, will you follow my suggestion?¡± ¡°Vinson, if the king is truly my biological father¡­¡± Arielle trailed off


    hesitantly. She lowered her eyes in indecision.


    Sensing her turmoil, Vinson wrapped her in a hug and advised tenderly, ¡°Let¡¯s not worry so far ahead.


    We should confirm if he¡¯s truly your birth father first. We can think about the restter.¡±


    She leaned into his embrace and nodded.


    Arielle felt as though she was bing more dependent on Vinson. In the past, she would have dealt


    with every problem that came her way alone, regardless of itsplexity. However, ever since she met


    Vinson and started a rtionship with him, she was always a little reliant on him when she ran into


    trouble.


    She could not tell if her dependence on him was a bad thing. After all, having someone trustworthy to


    rely on was a happy and fortunate thing in life.


    While Arielle and Vinson happily embraced each other at Paelsford Manor, Aaron was stewing in


    jealousy in the corner of a bar.


    ¡°Would you like a drink, mister?¡± A woman that was dressed revealingly came over with a drink in hand


    when she saw Aaron brooding silently in a corner. His cold and haughty demeanor intrigued her.


    She bent down and practically put her assets in full view of Aaron. Then, she looked at him with her


    large, doe eyes and enchanting gaze. Her voice was soft and seductive.


    Aaron looked at her and spat, ¡°Get lost!¡±


    She had not expected him to be this hostile, yet it only boosted her interest in him. No man had ever


    escaped her charms alive.


    ¡°ying hard to get, I see.¡± The woman arched a brow and teased, ¡°I like that!¡±


    After that, she moved to face Aaron directly and ced a hand on his seat, intending to lean into him.


    To her dismay, Aaron pushed her away and red daggers at her. He threatened, ¡°Get lost. Don¡¯t


    make me repeat myself.¡±


    His frosty tone left no room for misinterpretation. The woman finally realized what was going on. He¡¯s


    not ying hard to get. He just doesn¡¯t like women!


    She dared not test her luck further and scrambled off in search of her next target.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Isn¡¯t she totally your type?¡± Bernd wheeled himself over to Aaron, stunned after


    witnessing his friend¡¯s fierce dismissal of the woman.


    Aaron vehemently downed the remaining pint of his beer and said, ¡°That was in the past!¡±


    ¡°Bad mood?¡± Bernd arched a brow questioningly.


    Aaron ced his empty mug on the table and looked at his friend. He asked, ¡°Bernd, how would you


    make a woman fall in love with you?¡±


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    At the moment, he looked as lost as a child.


    Bernd returned his stare and deadpanned, ¡°You¡¯re the prince, for God¡¯s sake! Which woman wouldn¡¯t


    be dying to marry you? Why waste your mind on such a useless concern?¡±

 Chapter 1451

    Chapter 1451


    Chapter 1451 Obsessed


    Aaron refilled his pint and took a gulp. He replied to Bernd, ¡°Well, someone doesn¡¯t like me. In fact, I


    think she hates me.¡±


    As he spoke, an image of Arielle came to mind, and his heart twisted with pain. I like her so much. So


    why doesn¡¯t she return my feelings one bit? I wish I could lock her up and keep her by my side forever.


    After some thought, Bernd uttered, ¡°Maybe her heart already belongs to another. If she¡¯s single, she¡¯s


    hardly going to refuse you.¡±


    Bernd had never liked a girl in his life, and he could not begin to imagine what that would feel like.


    When he saw the typically unruffled prince brooding over a woman, he became frightened that he


    would end up the same in the future. The thought was almost too scary to fathom.


    A murderous glint shed through Aaron¡¯s eyes then.


    If Vinson¡¯s dead, does that mean Arielle will like me? Adrenaline suddenly began to course through his


    veins.


    ¡°Bernd, I have to head out for something. Are you going back, or will you be staying here a little


    longer?¡±


    Bernd had barely warmed his seat when Aaron mentioned that he was leaving. Resignedly, he


    mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m going back.¡±


    His leg had not recovered, and he could not drink alcohol for the time being. He was only there to


    apany Aaron. Now that Aaron was leaving, Bernd did not see a point in staying behind.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you home then,¡± Aaron offered. He knew that his sudden departure was rather impolite to his


    friend, yet he could not tamper down the urgency in his heart when he thought of his brilliant idea to win


    Arielle¡¯s affections. He had to leave and set his ns into motion right away.


    Aaron¡¯s anxiety spoke volumes about the urgency of his business. Bernd tactfully waved off his friend


    and said, ¡°My chauffeur¡¯s waiting for me outside. You can head off first.¡±


    Aaron got up and pped his friend on the shoulder, saying, ¡°You¡¯re a good friend. Once your leg¡¯s all


    better, I¡¯ll send you a nice gift.¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    As he strode out of the bar, he remembered the limited-edition sportscar that Bernd had always wanted


    but could never get his hands on. Aaron was determined to get the car for his friend no matter the


    price.


    Meanwhile, Bernd scratched his head in confusion, clueless to what Aaron nned to do. He slowly


    wheeled himself out of the bar.


    After leaving the bar, Aaron immediately returned to his mansion. He had four visas prepared before


    summoning the four men who had apanied him to Chanaea in the past.


    ¡°Mr. Aaron, do you have an assignment for us?¡±


    Aaron¡¯s sharp gaze roved over the men as he announced, ¡°These are your visas. Travel to Chanaea


    immediately and track Vinson Nightshire down. Do anything it takes to end his life.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± They received Aaron¡¯s proffered visas and disappeared into the night.


    Aaron¡¯s eyes had begun to take on a crazed look as he muttered, ¡°You¡¯ll belong to me eventually, Ari.¡±


    At the medical school, the students fretted over Arielle¡¯s prolonged absence.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t had Dr. Moore¡¯s sses in days. I wonder if she has recovered from her injuries.¡±


    ¡°Her lectures are really thorough. As long as I pay attention in ss, I can fully understand the content.¡±


    The Wilhelms came out of theboratory and overheard the students¡¯ conversation. The couple


    exchanged a nce between themselves, and Andrea hurriedly whipped out her phone to call Arielle.


    They had been busy with experiments over the past few days and practically lived in theboratory. As


    such, they were unaware of Arielle¡¯s injury.


    Thankfully, they had picked up some Turlenese while they were here, or they would not have learned


    about Arielle¡¯s injury.

 Chapter 1452

    Chapter 1452


    Chapter 1452 A Sweet Morning


    The Wilhelms had nned on taking a quick shower before returning to theboratory. After


    overhearing the students¡¯ conversation about Arielle¡¯s injury, they decided to rush home to check on


    their adopted daughter instead.


    Back at Paelsford Manor, Arielle had just finished building a Lego structure with Pat when her phone


    started to ring.


    She checked the caller ID, and her eyes crinkled with a smile. ¡°Hey, Mom.¡±


    ¡°San, I heard that you were injured. What happened? Is it serious? Where are you now?¡±


    Andrea¡¯s barrage of questions caused Arielle¡¯s lips to curve with a smile. The older woman¡¯s concern


    warmed her heart.


    Arielle assured her, ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s a minor injury to my arm. It¡¯ll recover in a couple of days. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Are you really okay?¡± Andrea barreled on without awaiting Arielle¡¯s reply, ¡°Never mind. Let us know


    where you are. Your dad and I wille and check on you. Only that¡¯ll soothe our nerves.¡±


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m at home. Pat says you haven¡¯te home in a few days, and he¡¯s upset that you didn¡¯t call him


    about it.¡± Arielle smiled as she looked at the pouting Pat beside her.


    Andrea pped her forehead in response. She eximed, ¡°Oh dear! We were so busy that we forgot


    all about Pat.¡±


    The next day, Arielle woke up in Vinson¡¯s arms. She had arranged for him to sleep in the neighboring


    room, yet he had snuck over to her bedroom while the help was sound asleep.


    She groggily fumbled for her phone on the nightstand. When she saw the time, she elbowed Vinson


    lightly in the stomach and whispered, ¡°Vinson, it¡¯s almost five. You should go back to your room before


    anyone sees you.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s voice was tender and thick with sleep.


    Vinson was already awake before Arielle got up. He tightened his arms around his wife and pressed his


    chin below her ear. With his rich, maic baritone, he muttered, ¡°But I don¡¯t want to leave.¡±


    He was toofortable on the bed with Arielle in his arms, and he did not wish to leave. Stretching his


    arm, he took her hand and ced it on his body. Arielle was instantly wide awake, and she retracted


    her hand as though scalded. Her face flushed as red as a tomato.


    ¡°Vinson!¡± she called out abashedly.


    Vinson flipped around and pressed her body beneath his. His dark eyes were brimming with


    tenderness, and Arielle blushed even more fiercely as she met his gaze.


    Her blush was like catnip to him. Vinson could not resist bending down to capture her lips in a


    voracious kiss.


    Arielle moaned involuntarily, which only served to heighten his desire. Deftly, Vinson began to undress


    her.


    Over an hourter, Vinson carried Arielle out of the bathroom and helped her to change. Then, he


    carefully dried her hair.


    Arielle¡¯s repeated yawning led Vinson to coax, ¡°You should sleep a little longer.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Arielle¡¯s reply was muffled as she covered her mouth to yawn.


    Vinson smirked and carried her to the bed. After tucking her in, he kissed her lightly on the forehead


    and left the room.


    Thankfully, the housekeepers were bustling around downstairs, so no one paid attention to the


    bedrooms above.


    Once Vinson returned to his room, he took out his phone and called Harvey, instructing thetter to


    return to Chanaea. Harvey frowned when he received Vinson¡¯s call.


    He replied, ¡°I think it¡¯s better if I wait for you guys here.¡±


    Harvey was worried about leaving Arielle and Vinson alone in Turlen. After all, they had not uncovered


    the identity of Arielle¡¯s assant, and he was worried that they would run into more trouble without any


    help in sight.


    Things would be different if Harvey stayed behind. He had learned Turlenese from Xavier and met his


    friend Dillon. The three of them hung out frequently and had established an extensivework in the


    area. Should Arielle and Vinson run into trouble, Harvey could easily leverage his contacts to save


    them.

 Chapter 1453

    Chapter 1453


    Chapter 1453 Keep Her Happy


    Harvey shared his concerns and thoughts with Vinson, who fell silent in thought.


    Vinson could not deny the logic in Harvey¡¯s words, but he thought it was selfish to keep Harvey in


    Turlen for their safety.


    ¡°But Old Mr. Jupiter¡ª¡± Vinson barely mentioned the Jupiter family patriarch when Harvey cut in, ¡°Don¡¯t


    worry about Grandpa. He already knew that I wouldn¡¯t be home so soon when I set off to Turlen. You¡¯re


    as close as a brother to me, so don¡¯t feel bad about me staying. We came here together, and we¡¯re


    leaving together.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Harvey.¡± Vinson was immensely grateful.


    They continued chatting for a while longer before ending the call.


    When Harvey found out that Vinson was already staying with Arielle, his heart churned with a mix of


    emotions. He took a can of beer from the fridge and opened it, downing a few gulps at one go.


    Xavier came out of his room to the sight of Harvey¡¯s day drinking. Shocked, he asked, ¡°Why are you


    drinking in the morning?¡±


    ¡°You want some?¡± Harvey shook the can in his hands. Xavier shook his head; he disliked having


    alcohol in the morning.


    At Paelsford Manor, Arielle eventually got out of bed at ten. A chauffeur had already sent Pat to school


    by the time she awoke. Vinson was handling somepany matters on herptop when he heard her


    opening her door. He closed theptop before leaving his room.


    He arched a brow and looked at her, asking, ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s stomach rumbled in response. A faint blush tinged her cheeks, and she pretended to be calm


    as she replied, ¡°I suppose your guess is correct.¡±


    Vinson smirked, enjoying the sight of his wife¡¯s bashful look. He stared at her lovingly and said, ¡°The


    kitchen kept some breakfast for you.¡±


    ¡°But I want to eat your homemade tomato carbonara,¡± Arielle muttered, shooting him a pleading gaze.


    She did not know why, but she felt a sudden urge to eat his homecooked meals.


    Vinson raised his brow at that. Not a problem! As long as my wife wants it, I¡¯ll do everything I can to


    satisfy her cravings.


    ¡°All right. Wait for a bit. I¡¯ll make some for you right now.¡± With that, he ruffled her hair fondly and went


    downstairs.


    Arielle stared at his back and smiled. She followed him downstairs and settled into the couch to reply to


    Sam¡¯s text.


    Sam had texted her earlier, asking when she would return to Chanaea. They were wrapping up filming


    in half a month, and the only scenes left to shoot were hers. Arielle scrunched her brows in frustration.


    It might be toote if I ask him to find a recement.


    After some thought, she texted him back: I¡¯ll give you an answer in a week.


    On the other hand, Vinson headed straight for the kitchen once he was downstairs. With his dark


    expression, cold demeanor, and imposing aura, the staff in the kitchen immediately froze in fear upon


    his arrival.


    Their reaction brought a frown to Vinson¡¯s face. He wanted to tell them that they could leave the


    kitchen, yet he could not speak a word of Turlenese. Eventually, he silently focused on cooking for


    Arielle.


    He took two tomatoes and eggs out of the fridge. After dicing the former, he cracked the eggs into a


    bowl and beat them evenly. Then, he sliced some scallions and switched on the stove before heating


    some oil in a pan. Once the oil was sufficiently heated, he added the diced tomatoes and scallions and


    stir-fried them.


    The sess of his tomato carbonara depended on this step. It was vital for the tomatoes to release


    their juices and bring the sauce together. He added a bit of salt to encourage the tomatoes to soften.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Once the tomatoes had fully released their juices, he added a bit of water, ketchup, and soy sauce. In a


    separate pot, he boiled some water and cooked a handful of spaghetti. He then added the eggs to the


    tomato mixture in the pan and finished the sauce. Finally, Vinson poured the sauce over the cooked


    spaghetti and served up a steaming, delicious te of tomato carbonara.

 Chapter 1454

    Chapter 1454


    Chapter 1454 You Are Too Good


    Arielle was still frowning in the living room, but after Vinson brought the bowl of pasta to her, her face lit


    up immediately. Setting down the pasta on the table, he asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Sam texted me to ask when I will go back and finish my parts. He said there¡¯s still half a month left


    until the movie ispleted. I told him I will give him an answer in one week,¡± Arielle replied.


    Then, she bent down to sniff at the pasta. Instantly, the aroma of the tomato carbonara triggered her


    appetite. Vinson watched her adoringly as she took the cutlery and started enjoying the savory food.


    Seeing that Vinson was looking at Arielle affectionately, the housekeeper widened her eyes in surprise.


    Suddenly, she felt an icy re on her. Shuddering, she hurriedly slipped out of the living room.


    After the meal, Arielle went out to take a stroll with Vinson following behind. They had been together for


    a long time, but it was the first time that they had such peaceful days.


    Throughout the walk, Vinson¡¯s gentle gaze was fixed on his wife, who was in front of him.


    Five days soon went by in the blink of an eye. Vinson and Pat learned Turlenese from Arielle. As


    Vinson was a fast learner, he quickly mastered thenguage in five days and was able to converse in


    Turlenese with Arielle. On the other hand, Pat was very envious of Vinson because he was still


    struggling with it.


    ¡°You¡¯re too good, bro.¡± Pat looked at Vinson admiringly.


    Vinson touched his head gently and smiled. ¡°You will be like me when you grow older. Who knows, you


    might even be better than me.¡±


    Pat widened his eyes in disbelief. ¡°You really think so?¡±


    Vinson nodded. ¡°I never lie, Pat.¡±


    Vinson¡¯s words left Pat in an excited mood as he marveled at the possibility of him being as good as


    Vinson or even exceeding him.


    Arielle shook her head as she watched the two of them. Guys seemed to be able to befriend each other


    easily. Two days ago, Pat was still addressing Vinson as ¡°Vin¡±, and now he¡¯s calling him ¡°bro¡±.


    ¡°Can you keep himpany? I¡¯m going to take a nap,¡± Arielle said. She didn¡¯t have enough sleepst


    night because of Vinson, and since Pat didn¡¯t have to go to school that day, he woke her up early in the


    morning to talk to her. Even if it was barely noon time, she was already too tired to keep her eyes open.


    Seeing that Arielle was really tired, Vinson nodded. ¡°Go and get some rest. I¡¯ll keep him apanied.¡±


    Arielle went back to her bedroom and fell into a deep sleep the moment shey down on her bed.


    When she woke up, it was two hourster.


    ¡°San, do you want some fruits?¡± Pat called out from downstairs when he heard Arielle opening the


    door.


    ¡°Yes, save some for me,¡± Arielle replied as she walked down the stairs.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    After she sat down between Pat and Vinson, Pat immediately picked up a slice of apple with his fork


    and gave it to her. Unwilling to be outdone by Pat, Vinson also picked up a strawberry and fed it to


    Arielle. After she took a bite of the strawberry, Vinson finished the rest of it.


    Sybil, who was there to send Arielle fruits on Dn¡¯s orders, happened to see the bodyguard and the


    princess together intimately. Feeling awkward, he was unsure whether to greet Arielle or leave when


    the woman noticed him standing in the doorway.


    ¡°You¡¯re here!¡± Arielle stood up and walked to the door to wee Sybil in.


    ¡°Here are some freshly imported fruits. His Majesty would like you to try them,¡± Sybil said as he handed


    the basket of fruits to Arielle.


    As Arielle epted the basket of fruits, she thought of how well Dn had treated her. For the past few


    days, he had sent her lots of delicacies and rare items.

 Chapter 1455

    Chapter 1455


    Chapter 1455 Heart Aching For Her


    ¡°Help me thank His Majesty,¡± Arielle said. After Sybil went back, he reported to Dn about Arielle and


    Vinson¡¯s interaction. Dn was silent for a while before he broke into a smile.


    ¡°That rascal. He managed to sneak in and stay by Arielle¡¯s side.¡± Sybil widened his eyes in surprise.


    ¡°What do you mean, Your Majesty? Are you saying that the bodyguard is the Princess¡¯ husband?¡± he


    asked.


    Dn nodded. Arielle won¡¯t be so close to anyone other than Vinson. He has done a good job of


    concealing his identity.


    Meanwhile, Arielle had no idea that Dn had already discovered Vinson¡¯s identity. Frowning, she


    looked at Vinson and said, ¡°You¡¯ve seen how concerned he is about me. I think¡­¡±


    Arielle stopped halfway when she recalled that Dn said he didn¡¯t know who Maureen was. His words


    had upset her a lot.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to the medical school tomorrow? Let¡¯s get some samples from Aaron. Once the


    paternity test results are out, you can show His Majesty and he will have nothing to say,¡± Vinson said.


    Arielle nodded. It was the only course of action they could take now.


    At around five in the afternoon, the Wilhelms came back from the medical school that they had been


    staying at for the past two weeks. As they knew that Vinson was under disguise, they weren¡¯t too


    surprised to see him.


    When Vinson saw them, a smile appeared on his usually stern face. ¡°Is the experiment over?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been almost two weeks,¡± Andrea replied. Turning to Arielle, she asked, ¡°How is your injury?


    Have you recovered fully?¡±


    Arielle took Andrea¡¯s arm gently and replied, ¡°The doctors have removed my stitches. I can go back to


    the school tomorrow.¡±


    Despite Arielle saying that she was fine, Andrea was still worried about her. When she rolled up


    Arielle¡¯s sleeve and saw the scar on her arm, her heart ached for her.


    ¡°The scar is nothing, Mom. I¡¯ll cover it up tomorrow so that you won¡¯t see it,¡± Arielle said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about the scar! My heart aches to see that you¡¯re hurt.¡± Andrea poked Arielle gently on


    the forehead as she spoke.


    Arielle smiled as she continued hugging Andrea¡¯s arm. How wonderful it is to be cared for! If my


    biological mother is still alive, I think she will love me as much as Mrs. Wilhelm does. But it¡¯s all right. I


    still have the Wilhelms as my adoptive parents who love me and care for me as their own.


    Arielle had grown into an exceptional youngdy not only because of her own talent but also the


    Wilhelms¡¯ efforts in educating her.


    ¡°I¡¯m so lucky to have you in my life,¡± Arielle whispered.


    Andrea¡¯s eyes reddened with tears when she heard what Arielle said. Since young, Arielle had been a


    sensible and sensitive child. Although she looked as if she was close to her and Hubert, she was in fact


    slightly distant from them. Despite Arielle¡¯s efforts to mask it, she couldn¡¯t hide it from Andrea and


    Hubert.


    They tried taking her to therapy sessions but it ended up worse. In the end, they had no choice but to


    approach her with patience until she warmed up to them. Now that they were a family, Andrea feltText ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    contented. Patting Arielle gently on the shoulder, she exchanged grateful nces with Hubert.


    With the Wilhelms back, the dinner that night was more sumptuous than usual. After dinner, Arielle


    asked Hubert and Andrea to rest early in their room.


    It must be hard to fall asleep in theb every night.


    The next day, Arielle woke up early to go to medical school. After breakfast, she took her bag and


    prepared to leave when a book suddenly dropped out of it.

 Chapter 1456

    Chapter 1456


    Chapter 1456 Denial


    When Arielle bent down to pick up the book, she saw the photo that fell out of the book. It was exactly


    the same photo as the one she had, except this one was much older.


    Coldness surged within her as she looked at the photo. Hah! And he had the audacity to say he didn¡¯t


    know Maureen when he has a photo of her in his book?


    Why would he deny that? Vinson was waiting for Arielle outside but went back in to get her when she


    didn¡¯te out. Upon entering the room, he saw her staring at a photo glumly.


    Walking toward Arielle, he asked, ¡°Whose photo is this?¡± He was surprised when he saw the photo.


    ¡°Where is this from?¡±


    It was the same photo that he had, only this one looked older. He reckoned the owner must have taken


    out the photo frequently.


    ¡°It fell out from one of Dn¡¯s books,¡± Arielle said while frowning. Frustrated with the king¡¯s denial, she


    put the photo back into the book and kept it in her bag.


    ¡°What are you going to do about it?¡± Vinson asked.


    Arielle¡¯s hands froze midair as she thought about it. Finally, she sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯m not going to do


    anything.¡±


    She didn¡¯t expect Dn to be her biological father. Now that she knew the truth, she hated her father


    because he didn¡¯t marry her mother despite her being pregnant with his child. Instead, he married


    another woman and led an easy life while her mother had to suffer.


    ¡°You must hate him, right, Sannie?¡± Vinson pointed out directly.


    When Arielle merely pursed her lips and said nothing, Vinson continued, ¡°But you¡¯ve seen how much


    he cares about you. Besides, isn¡¯t it apparent that the photo has been taken out frequently? I think he


    genuinely cares about you and Maureen. If you hold any grudges against him, you should go to him


    and ask him about it.¡±


    Arielle looked down and thought about it. After a while, she epted Vinson¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll ask him about it.¡± Once I¡¯ve settled everything, I can finally go back.


    Since she didn¡¯t notify the principal that she was going back to the school, she could use the


    opportunity to settle the situation with Dn.


    Holding the book firmly, she decided that the photo was enough for her to prove Dn¡¯s rtionship


    with Maureen. She no longer had to get samples from Aaron so that she could do a DNA test.


    However, she still needed to ask Aaron for Sybil¡¯s phone number. After all, she needed someone to


    bring her into the pce since she couldn¡¯t enter the pce directly.


    At that thought, Arielle immediately messaged Aaron for Sybil¡¯s phone number.


    Not long after, Aaron called.


    ¡°Ari? Why do you need Sybil¡¯s phone number for?¡± Aaron was delighted to see Arielle¡¯s message


    because he thought that she would never speak to him again.


    ¡°I need to talk to him about something,¡± Arielle said tly.


    Guessing that Arielle already found out that Sybil was her father, Aaron said, ¡°All right, I¡¯ll send it to you


    right away.¡± After pausing for a while, he continued, ¡°No matter what happens, I¡¯ll be on your side.¡±


    Arielle hung up without replying him.


    The thought of Dn leaving her mother for Aaron¡¯s mother made Arielle angry at Aaron.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Aaron stared at his phone nkly after Arielle hung up without saying a word. Looking hurt, it took him


    a while to suppress his emotions before sending Sybil¡¯s phone number to her.

 Chapter 1457

    Chapter 1457


    Chapter 1457 One Day You Will Be Mine


    ¡°One day, you will be mine, Ari.¡± There was a crazed look in Aaron¡¯s eyes.


    After receiving Aaron¡¯s text, Arielle and Vinson set off to the pce. The moment they reached the


    pce, Arielle took out her phone and dialed Sybil¡¯s phone number.


    When Sybil received the call and knew that Arielle was at the entrance of the pce, he didn¡¯t have


    enough time to inform Dn. Rushing over to the entrance, he greeted, ¡°His Majesty will be delighted


    to see you here.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± Arielle replied coldly. Being the observant man that he was, Sybil shut up and said nothing


    more because he realized that Arielle was unhappy.


    After a few minutes, Sybil led Arielle and Vinson to Dn¡¯s pce. Dn wasing down the stairs


    and his face lit up with joy the moment he saw Arielle.


    ¡°What brings you here? Does your arm still hurt?¡± Dn walked toward Arielle and asked.


    Arielle could tell that Dn genuinely cared about her from the way he looked at her. However, the


    thought of him having another wife and a son caused her gaze to darken.


    ¡°I have something to ask you,¡± she blurted.


    Still immersed in the happiness of Arielle visiting him, Dn didn¡¯t notice the shift in her mood. Smiling,


    he replied, ¡°You can ask me whatever you want. I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡±


    Dn watched as Arielle opened her bag and took out the book. Before she even took out the photo,


    his face paled because he recognized the book.


    She hasn¡¯t found the photo, has she? A plethora of scenarios on how to make a usible excuse for


    himself shed across his mind.


    In the next moment, Arielle took out the photo right under his nervous gaze.


    ¡°You told me that you didn¡¯t know Maureen. If that¡¯s the truth, why have you been looking at her photo


    frequently?¡± Arielle stared at Dn coldly.


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to make up any excuses,¡± Arielle interrupted Dn before he could say anything. ¡°If you don¡¯t


    tell me the truth, I will leave this ce and never see you again.¡±


    At this point, she was certain that Dn was her biological father. After all, if he wasn¡¯t, he wouldn¡¯t


    have looked so happy the moment he saw her or cared about her injury.


    Taken aback by Arielle¡¯s resolute gaze, Dn took a deep breath and looked at her guiltily. ¡°Maureen is


    the only woman I have ever loved in this life, and you are my beloved princess.¡±


    Arielle wasn¡¯t touched when she heard that. She scoffed, ¡°The only woman you have ever loved? Are


    you really asking me to believe that?¡±


    If you really loved my mother, you wouldn¡¯t have abandoned her!


    ¡°I know you must find it hard to believe me, but it¡¯s the truth.¡± Dn¡¯s heart throbbed with pain when


    Arielle acted coldly toward him.


    ¡°Wow. You must have loved her so much then!¡± Arielle said mockingly. ¡°In fact, you loved her so much


    that you abandoned her while she was pregnant out of wedlock. In thest moments of her life, she


    was still tortured by the thought of losing you. Is that how you treat someone you love?¡±


    Feeling remorseful, Dn took a step back.


    If I knew that that would be thest time we saw each other, I would have never let myself be tricked by


    my mother and gone back.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°His Majesty has his reasons, Princess,¡± Sybil interrupted and tried to exin on behalf of Dn.

 Chapter 1458

    Chapter 1458


    Chapter 1458 I Do Not me You


    ¡°His Majesty didn¡¯t leave Ms. Moore on purpose back then. His Majesty only left because His Majesty¡¯s


    queen mother wrote a letter saying that she was terribly ill. His Majesty never expected that the queen


    mother would control His Majesty for years until recently when His Majesty finally have some say of his


    own.¡±


    When Sybil told Arielle what had happened, she was stunned. She didn¡¯t expect Dn to have such


    reasons. ¡°Arielle, I have wronged you and Maureen. I understand if you hate me and me me for it.¡±


    Dn looked at Arielle remorsefully.


    If I have never left that day, will Maureen still be alive? Will we be together as a happy family?


    At that thought, Dn felt like a knife had pierced through his heart. Arielle nced at his expression


    and looked down again. After what seemed like a century, she finally looked at him and said, ¡°I don¡¯t


    me you.¡±


    It was indeed not Dn¡¯s fault. After all, he was tricked and trapped by his mother.


    After leaving the pce, Vinson noticed that Arielle was still emotional. He muttered something to the


    chauffeur and took over the car keys. Before he could walk toward the driver¡¯s seat, Arielle snatched


    the car keys from him and sat in the driver¡¯s seat. Vinson said nothing and got in the car beside her.


    After fastening their seat belts, Arielle drove away at top speed.


    She continued speeding up until the car reached its maximum speed. Despite her recklessness, Vinson


    wasn¡¯t too worried about it because he knew it was her method of venting her emotions. All he did was


    apany her silently.


    One hourter, the car stopped at an empty field.


    Vinson opened a bottle of water and passed it to Arielle. ¡°Are you feeling better now?¡±


    Arielle didn¡¯t say a word. Taking the bottle of water, she gulped it down and quenched her thirst. After a


    long while, she finally said, ¡°Life is just like a y.¡±


    Who would have thought that a short farewell would turn into separation by death forever?


    Vinson wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder as he


    whispered, ¡°Your father might have married someone else and gave birth to another son, but you heard


    what Sybil said. It was part of the queen mother¡¯s n. After that night, your father left that woman and


    didn¡¯t maintain a rtionship with her. If you look at it this way, he remained faithful to your mother.¡±


    Arielle leaned backward onto Vinson¡¯s chest as she looked into the horizon. ¡°I know.¡±


    It was because she knew the truth that it made her heart ached even more.


    She felt sorry for her father, who was tricked by his own mother and was controlled by her for years;


    she felt sorry for her mother, who was pregnant out of wedlock and died early; she felt sorry for herself


    too, who was showered with love by her adoptive parents but was too saddened by her past to open up


    to them sooner.


    Back at the pce, Dn was sitting on the couch with his hands covering his face as he tried to mask


    his pain.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m sure that the Princess will understand,¡± Sybilforted Dn when he saw how


    sorrowful the king was.


    Dn was silent for quite a while before he finally said, ¡°I¡¯m going to reveal her identity.¡±


    I want everyone in the country to know that Arielle is my daughter. That she¡¯s my princess.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not a good idea, Your Majesty!¡± Sybil advised anxiously.


    The country had been stuck in an unstable situation. If Arielle¡¯s identity as the princess was revealed, it


    could trigger unimaginable consequences.


    ¡°I have already decided. Nothing you say will change my mind,¡± Dn announced determinedly.


    He didn¡¯t want to wait any longer.


    Knowing that Dn wouldn¡¯t heed any of his advice, Sybil sighed and decided not to interfere with the


    king¡¯s decision.

 Chapter 1459

    Chapter 1459


    Chapter 1459 Revealing Her Identity


    While Dn was thinking of how to reveal Arielle¡¯s identity, Vinson took Arielle on a trip in an attempt to


    cheer her up.


    Once the Wilhelms came home at night, Arielle told them about how she found her biological father.


    The Wilhelms were very surprised to find out that her biological father was the king of the country. They


    also found it outrageous that the king was controlled by his mother for years.


    ¡°Your father must have had a hard time, San. So don¡¯t be mad at him.¡± Andrea took Arielle¡¯s hand in


    hers gently.


    Arielle nodded while grunting in acknowledgment.


    The next day, Arielle was preparing to go to the medical school when Sybil arrived. Upon seeing


    Arielle, Sybil greeted her respectfully, ¡°Princess.¡± Back when Dn and Arielle hadn¡¯t acknowledged


    each other, Sybil always addressed her as ¡°Ms. Moore.¡± Now that they were reunited as father and


    daughter, he could finally address her as ¡°Princess.¡±


    Arielle was at a loss for words when she heard that.


    ¡°Please call me Sannie,¡± Arielle told Sybil about her nickname. ¡°I¡¯m not used to people calling me


    ¡®Princess.¡¯ Besides, my identity has not been revealed yet.¡±


    Sybil opened his mouth to speak but hesitated when Arielle mentioned the revtion of her identity.


    Arielle noticed his hesitation and asked him to tell her what was on his mind.


    ¡°Princess, His Majesty wanted to reveal your identity. However, ording to the country¡¯s current


    situation, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not a good idea to do so. Most of the power is still with the queen mother. If His


    Majesty insists on revealing your identity, the two of you might be in danger,¡± he said anxiously.


    To him, it seemed like it wasn¡¯t the best time to reveal Arielle¡¯s identity. Even if Dn wanted to reveal


    her identity, he should wait until he acquired enough power to ensure that Arielle would not be harmed.


    However, at the moment, Dn¡¯s mind was filled with how guilty he felt toward Arielle and how he


    wanted to make up to her by revealing her identity to the public.


    Seeing that he could not change Dn¡¯s mind, Sybil had to go to Arielle in hopes that she would advise


    him against it. He believed that Dn would listen to her.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Arielle did not expect Dn¡¯s intention to publicize her identity.


    ¡°All right. Please tell His Majesty that I will visit him in the afternoon.¡±


    Sybil felt a weight off his chest after Arielle gave her promise.


    ¡°Your father really cares about you,¡± Vinson said to Arielle.


    Arielle smiled. She could tell too.


    The shred of anger she had left toward Dn dissipated instantly. Just like what Vinson and Andrea


    said, Dn had had a hard time. When he could finally go to Maureen, he received the news of her


    death. Since then, he became pessimistic and uninterested in power.


    If not for the fact that he found out about Arielle¡¯s existence by chance and doing a paternity test with


    her, Dn would have lived his life aimlessly. For Arielle¡¯s sake, he would do anything to fight for power


    from his queen mother. Arielle was happy that Dn cared so much about her.


    ¡°I am happy and contented, Vinson,¡± Arielle said. Then, she walked out into the open with a smile on


    her face.


    The sky was bright blue. As she took a deep breath of the fresh air, she felt full of hope for the first time


    in her life.


    Vinson smiled as he watched his wife treading lightly on the grass and enjoying the moment.


    While Vinson and Arielle drove to school, Aaron was talking on his phone with a serious look on his


    face in a mansion not far away from them. ¡°Have you found out where he is?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s impossible since he has erased every trail.¡±


    Aaron mmed his hand on the table angrily.


    ¡°Continue investigating! There¡¯s no way he can stay off the grid for long!¡± Aaron spat.

 Chapter 1460

    Chapter 1460


    Chapter 1460 epted Her Father


    If Vinson is not in Chanaea, where could he be? Suddenly, Aaron widened his eyes as he realized


    something. Speaking in an icy tone, he muttered, ¡°Stop the investigation ande back.¡±


    Having underestimated Vinson, it took him quite a while to realize that the man was posing as Arielle¡¯s


    bodyguard to be with her. Aaron¡¯s expression darkened.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    I gave you an easy way out. Yet, you choose to cross me. Now that you¡¯re in my territory, I¡¯ll make sure


    you¡¯ll leave this ce in pieces.


    A murderous glint shed in his eyes.


    At the moment, Vinson still had no idea of the danger that was approaching him. He was in the middle


    of driving Arielle to school because he was her bodyguard and chauffeur. That way, they would have


    more time together alone.


    When they almost arrived, Arielle asked Vinson about his n. ¡°Are you going to meet Harvey or are


    you going to wait at my office while I¡¯m at ss?¡±


    After considering their current situation, Vinson decided to meet Harvey so that they could meet with


    some dignitaries. It would be beneficial if they wanted to gain more power in the future.


    Arielle thought his n made sense and agreed with him.


    ¡°Help me pass this card to Harvey. It¡¯s¡­¡± Arielle took out a card and handed it to Vinson. Hesitating,


    she continued, ¡°Dad gave this to me to thank me, but we need money to form alliances with powerful


    people. This is a Turlen ATM card so it¡¯ll be convenient for them to use.¡±


    As Vinson took the ATM card, he nced at Arielle with a smile because he noticed that she started


    addressing Dn as ¡°Dad.¡± She must have epted him fully.


    As if guessing what Vinson was thinking, Arielle leaned back and said calmly, ¡°He has suffered a great


    deal for the past few decades. Even though he has lived afortable life, he doesn¡¯t have the


    freedom to do what he wants.¡±


    Although Dn was absent from her life for more than twenty years, he made it up to her by caring for


    her after knowing her existence. Arielle thought it was only right to call him ¡°Dad.¡±


    ¡°If your father hears that, I¡¯m sure he will be moved to tears.¡±


    Arielle didn¡¯t reply to that because she didn¡¯t know if she would still have the courage to call Dn


    ¡°Dad¡± when facing him.


    Soon, Vinson parked the car in front of the school. As teachers and students walked through the


    entrance to the schoolpound, Arielle unbuckled her seatbelt and prepared to get off the car when


    Vinson suddenly held her left arm.


    Arielle turned toward him in puzzlement.


    Before she could react, she felt his warm lips on hers. He only let go of her after they were both panting


    from the passionate kiss. Looking at her blushing cheeks and dazed gaze, he had the urge to keep her


    away for himself.


    ¡°Call me when you¡¯re in yourst period of ss. I¡¯lle to pick you up,¡± Vinson said gently, eyes still


    fixed on Arielle¡¯s face.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Arielle hurriedly got off the car and left. No matter how hard she tried to convince herself that


    nobody could see through the car window, her heart still pounded from the thought of kissing in front of


    the school. Finally, she patted her cheeks and pretended to be calm as she walked into the school.


    Unbeknownst to Arielle, Vinson noticed what she was doing and thought she was really cute.


    He only set off to meet Harvey after Arielle¡¯s figure disappeared from his sight.


    Since Xavier canceled the hotel reservation, he went back to the apartment that he used to rent to


    Vinson. Both Xavier and Harvey were staying together as it was easier for the two Chanaeans to


    communicate.

 Chapter 1461

    Chapter 1461


    Chapter 1461 The Substitute


    When Vinson reached the apartment, Harvey was still asleep. It was Xavier who opened the door for


    him and invited him in. After Vinson and Xavier chatted for more than twenty minutes, Harvey finally


    came out of his room. He looked surprised when he saw Vinson.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you be Arielle¡¯s bodyguard? Why do you have the time to drop by here?¡± Harvey asked


    while heading for the refrigerator. He then took out three cans of beer and distributed them to Xavier


    and Vinson before sitting down on the couch opposite them.


    Vinson opened the can of beer and drank a few sips. ¡°She went to the school just now. I¡¯ll pick her up


    when she calls meter.¡±


    Xavier yed with the can in his hands and smirked at Vinson. ¡°I know you must be here for


    something. So go ahead and tell us why you are here.¡±


    Vinson narrowed his eyes. Xavier is indeed observant.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to ask you to make some powerful friends here. Friends that will help you through hard


    times,¡± Vinson began.


    Harvey stared at Vinson nkly. ¡°What happened?¡±


    He reckoned that something must have happened because it was unusual for Vinson to suddenly


    mention something that he never said before.


    ¡°We¡¯ve found Sannie¡¯s father. He¡¯s the king of Turlen¡­¡± Vinson told Xavier and Harvey about Arielle


    finding her biological father because he knew they could be trusted.


    Xavier couldn¡¯t believe his ears. Arielle¡¯s biological father is the king? Looking at Vinson curiously, he


    asked, ¡°But I¡¯ve heard that the king never leaves Turlen.¡±


    Vinson gave him a pointed look. ¡°Can¡¯t he have a substitute?¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    That is simply amazing! The king even has a substitute!


    But it¡¯s a pity he didn¡¯t seize the opportunity and break free of the queen mother¡¯s control. If I were him,


    I would havein low and made sure that my substitute can imitate me perfectly. After that, I will sneak


    out of the country and never return.


    ¡°Are you saying that you want to help the king regain his power?¡± Harvey asked. After Vinson nodded,


    he thought about it for a while. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll befriend those dignitaries as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± As Vinson thanked Harvey, he took out the card that Arielle gave him and threw it onto


    Harvey¡¯sp. When Harvey looked at him with a confused expression, he exined, ¡°Sannie wants you


    to have this. It¡¯s a Turlen ATM card so that it¡¯ll be convenient for you to use.¡±


    Initially, Harvey didn¡¯t want to ept the card because they had money. However, after Vinson insisted


    that it was hard to exchange currencies in the country, he epted the card.


    ¡°Vin, now that your wife has be the princess, doesn¡¯t that mean that you will be the prince of


    Turlen?¡± Xavier smirked as he said.


    Vinson raised a brow at him. I have to say, being a prince does sound good.


    ¡°I guess so!¡±


    ¡°Since the king dotes on your wife so much, he must have no objection toward you. In that case¡­¡±


    Xavier had a sly look on his face as he continued, ¡°When the king finally takes over, can you ask him to


    change thew to allow intermarrying?¡±


    ¡°What does this have to do with¡­¡± Halfway through the sentence, Vinson realized what Xavier was up


    to. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re interested in one of the women here?¡±

 Chapter 1462

    Chapter 1462


    Chapter 1462 Someone I Like


    When Harvey heard that, he widened his eyes and looked at Xavier. All the while, the two of them had


    technically been spending time together, but somehow, he did not realize that the other man had


    someone he liked.


    Although Xavier felt a little embarrassed after getting his mind read, he still said, ¡°Yes, I fell for a


    woman here, and I want to marry her. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡±


    After all, love is unpredictable.


    I never thought that I would find the love of my life in this ce. Xavier figured that he would never


    marry for the rest of his life, but he ended up falling for a woman who could not marry him.


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong with that. Nothing at all.¡± Vinson casually leaned back on the couch as he slowly said,


    ¡°Once my father-inw bes the one in charge, I¡¯ll suggest this to him.¡±


    He was certain that Dn would agree to it. After all, that was what happened to him as well; he could


    not marry the woman he liked.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Xavier leaped to his feet excitedly before patting Vinson¡¯s shoulders. He had the urge to


    call that woman and tell her the good news, but after a moment of contemtion, he held himself back.


    No, I can¡¯t call her yet. If the king takes back his power but doesn¡¯t agree to change thew, doesn¡¯t


    that mean that I¡¯ll be making her sorely disappointed? It¡¯s best that I wait until everything¡¯s confirmed.


    By then, I¡¯ll be able to visit her parents and reassure them that their daughter will be in good hands.


    At the school, Aaron was staring intently at Arielle. When he thought about how she had helped Vinson


    fight against his bodyguard and even ignored his injuries, his heart ached to the point it hurt to breathe.


    His stare made Arielle ufortable. Although she knew that he was her younger brother and that


    they shared a father, she could not bring herself to ept him despite knowing that his mother


    received no love from her father.


    After shooting him a cold re, she returned her focus to the ss.


    However, Aaron grinned when he noticed that. Even being on the receiving end of her re was better


    than her ignoring him.


    After ss, Aaron quickly packed his things away and went after Arielle. When Sonia noticed that, she


    lowered her eyes.


    ¡°Why are you following me?¡± Arielle turned around to give him an unfriendly look.


    ¡°Ari, you said that I cane for meals,¡± Aaron whispered in an upset tone as he looked at Arielle. It


    had been a long time since he had a meal with her.


    ¡°I¡¯m not nning to cook.¡± And I never thought about eating with you.


    She no longer wanted to have any meals with him.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine even if the housekeeper cooked it. I just want to have a meal with you,¡± Aaron hastily said.


    She just recovered. How can I possibly ask her to cook?


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to have any meals with you,¡± Arielle said, staring at him coldly. ¡°Aaron, I hope that


    you¡¯ll stop pestering me after ss from now on.¡±


    ¡°Ari¡­¡±


    ¡°Please refer to me as Ms. Moore. I don¡¯t wish to hear the word ¡®Ari¡¯ from you anymore.¡± As Arielle


    looked at him, a frown formed on her face.


    Left without a choice, Aaron could only look at Arielle with reddened eyes and whisper, ¡°Do I make you


    hate me that much?¡±


    Even though Arielle was a little ufortable to see the expression on his face, she still nodded.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Since she had made up her mind to help her biological father gain power, she figured she would be


    pitted against Aaron eventually. If they were going to end up as rivals, she would rather stop being


    friends with him from then on.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1463

    Chapter 1463


    Chapter 1463 Unable To Afford Angering Him


    ¡°Ari, it seems like I¡¯ve been too nice to you that you¡¯ve forgotten I¡¯m someone you can¡¯t afford to anger.¡±


    As Aaron spoke, he pulled Arielle into his arms. After leaning closer to her ear, he muttered, ¡°Arielle,


    don¡¯t force me. If you keep this up, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll do to you.¡±


    Him pulling her into his arms was something Arielle did not expect. She tried to struggle out of his


    embrace, but he was too strong for her to escape. Immediately, her expression darkened.


    ¡°Let go of me. Don¡¯t make yourself be someone I despise,¡± Arielle warned.


    Hearing that, Aaron¡¯s determination wavered. However, in the next second, he thought, What¡¯s the


    difference between her acting this way and hating me? With that thought in mind, he decided not to let


    go of her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care whether you like me or hate me.¡± As long as she¡¯s by my side, nothing else mattered.


    Once he said those words, he took out a pair of handcuffs from his pocket and tried to cuff her, smiling.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    When Arielle saw the handcuffs, she scowled. Has he lost his mind? Initially, she did not want to do


    anything harsh to him, but she did not expect him to have the audacity to cuff her. That was something


    she could not stand, so just as he was about to put the handcuffs on, Arielle mmed her elbow


    against his stomach. Then, she spun around and kicked him away. The handcuffs fell to the ground.


    ¡°Aaron, this is the first and thest time. If you do this again, I won¡¯t let you off the hook this easily.¡± At


    that, she turned away from him and strode toward the outside of the school. Aaron continued to stare at


    her departing figure as he remained in the same spot with a dark look.


    In the meantime, Vinson was casually leaning against the hood of the car as he gazed at the entrance


    of the school. When he saw Arielle¡¯s figure appearing in his line of sight, his lips curled into a smile. Yet,


    that smile dropped when he spotted the look on her face. After striding toward her, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s


    the matter?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± was all Arielle said to him as she frowned.


    Vinson did not probe her further when he heard her reluctant tone. After all, even if they were in a


    rtionship, he figured it was normal for her to have some private space. Since she did not wish to


    speak about it, he was going to respect her wishes.


    ¡°Do you want to get a change of clothes first, or do you want to go see your father right away?¡± he


    asked after getting into the car.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to him right away.¡±


    Vinson nodded, and he drove the car to the pce. By the time they arrived, Sybil had been waiting at


    the entrance of the pce for a while. Once Vinson stopped the car, and the two of them alighted from


    it, Sybil walked over to greet them.


    ¡°Princess!¡± he greeted.


    ¡°The walls have ears. So please, just call me Sannie.¡± Arielle had much respect for the man who had


    been working for her father all this while.


    In response, Sybil waved his hands dismissively.


    ¡°Please allow me to address you as Ms. Moore.¡±


    Knowing that she would not be able to convince him otherwise, Arielle agreed to it.


    ¡°His Majesty knows that you¡¯reing, so he has been waiting for you for a while in the pce. The


    kitchen has also prepared many dishes that you like. His Majesty hopes to have you stay for dinner, but


    he¡¯s afraid that you¡¯ll say no, so he¡¯s been practicing how to convince you to stay,¡± Sybil revealed all the


    things the king had been doing after finding out that Arielle was going to visit him.


    Although Arielle¡¯s expression remained neutral, she could feel something warm seeping into her heart


    upon hearing Sybil¡¯s words.


    She never thought that her father would fret over things like these, and his actions moved her.


    ¡°Please head to the kitchenter to tell them to serve the dishes,¡± Arielle said in a nonchnt tone. Yet,


    those words of hers made Sybil grin like a fool. Does that mean the princess is going to stay for a meal


    with His Majesty?

 Chapter 1464

    Chapter 1464


    Chapter 1464 Dad


    Soon, Arielle entered the pce. It was her and Dn¡¯s first time meeting each other after ascertaining


    that they were family. The king was nervously rubbing his hands together as he looked at his daughter.


    Seeing that, tears welled up in Arielle¡¯s eyes. ¡°Dad¡­¡±


    Dn never thought that Arielle would call him ¡°Dad,¡± and he immediately froze.


    ¡°Dad,¡± Arielle called him again.


    Dn swiftly replied, ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    He then turned around to wipe the tears away from his eyes before turning back to her. ¡°My eyes have


    been a little unwell recently. I¡¯ve been tearing up a lot.¡± With that said, he pointed at the couch at the


    side and continued, ¡°Let¡¯s sit here and talk.¡±


    Arielle knew that the difort in his eyes was just an excuse. He was clearly crying after hearing her


    calling him Dad. However, she was not going to call him out on that.


    ¡°If your eyes are unwell, you should let a doctor have a look at them.¡± As she spoke, she sat down on


    the couch. Once Dn saw that she was on the couch, he took a seat opposite her.


    When Arielle saw that Vinson had walked to the back of her couch to stand, she furrowed her brows


    and asked, ¡°You should sit down too. Why are you standing there?¡±


    Hearing that, Dn¡¯s eyes flitted toward Vinson.


    This is the son-inw I heard of. Even though Arielle and I have already epted each other as family,


    he still won¡¯t reveal his true identity. In that case, I¡¯ll just pretend not to know about it. That way, the two


    of them won¡¯t be as clingy with each other around me. That will be a sight that¡¯ll break my heart.


    Nevertheless, the reality was cruel, for the next moment, Arielle uttered, ¡°Dad, to be honest with you,


    he¡¯s not my bodyguard; he¡¯s my husband.¡±


    Hearing that, Dn clutched at his chest as he looked at Arielle. My dear little princess¡­


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    He then nced at Vinson and huffed, ¡°I¡¯ve already guessed as much a few days ago.¡±


    Vinson never thought that Arielle would tell Dn his identity that quickly, let alone Dn having figured


    out who he was that swiftly. Still, he smiled and walked over to Dn before solemnly saying, ¡°Dad, I¡¯m


    Vinson Nightshire, Sannie¡¯s husband.¡±


    Dn was both happy and disappointed to hear Vinson call him Dad.


    Frankly, he was satisfied to have Vinson as his son-inw, but when he thought about how Arielle was


    already part of another family just as he found out that they were rted, he felt dejected. Still, when he


    thought about how she had yet another person to love and protect her, he felt that it was good that


    Arielle was married to Vinson.


    ¡°Mm.¡± Dn looked at Vinson with a solemn look and said, ¡°You have to be nice to her. If I ever find out


    that you¡¯ve mistreated her, I¡¯ll never let you off the hook.¡±


    Dn¡¯s threat meant nothing to Vinson because Vinson would never mistreat Arielle.


    ¡°Rest assured, Dad. I¡¯ll only be good to her and her only.¡±


    At that, Vinson let his gazend on Arielle, and thetter shed him a smile. At that moment, it was as


    if the two of them were in a world where only they existed. Dn, who was by their side, felt


    exasperated and happy at the same time.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯ll remember what you¡¯ve said,¡± he uttered before pointing at the spot beside his. ¡°Come. Sit


    here.¡±


    For now, he had no desire to see the couple sitting beside each other.


    Men knew men best. As such, Vinson immediately understood what his father-inw meant. After


    ncing at Arielle, he lifted his foot to walk toward Dn and take a seat beside him. However, he only


    managed to take a step before Arielle tugged the corner of his sleeve.


    Immediately, he turned around to cast her a confused gaze.


    ¡°Sit here,¡± she said as her eyes drifted to the spot beside hers.

 Chapter 1465

    Chapter 1465


    Chapter 1465 Protective


    At Arielle¡¯s protective demeanor, Dn¡¯s heart ached even more. I didn¡¯t even do anything to Vinson.


    Does she really need to do that? Ah¡­ My heart aches. Despite what he thought, he dared not say


    anything about it. After all, they had just reunited.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can chat with Dad better if I were to sit there.¡± Vinson smirked, and he ruffled Arielle¡¯s hair.


    Unbeknownst to him, his action only made Dn even more agitated.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Forget it. I can see that they¡¯re very in love with each other, so I should stop trying to pick a bone with


    him.


    With that thought in mind, Dn muttered, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just sit with Sannie.¡±


    Thus, Vinson sat down beside Arielle without saying anything else.


    Once Vinson was seated, Arielle turned to look at Dn and said, ¡°Dad, I¡¯m here because I have


    something to tell you.¡±


    Dn stiffened. He thought that Arielle was there to visit him, but as it turned out, it was because she


    had something to tell him.


    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I heard from Sybil that you¡¯re thinking of revealing my identity to the public.¡± Arielle was looking at


    Dn with a frown. ¡°He told me that the queen mother and queen currently hold all the power. If you


    publicize who I am, we¡¯ll both be in danger.¡±


    Dn¡¯s expression darkened at that. He never thought that Sybil would talk to Arielle behind his back.


    He then said to his daughter gravely, ¡°I¡¯ll protect you.¡±


    Arielle was his only child with Maureen. He was going to keep her safe even if he were to die in the


    process.


    ¡°I know that you¡¯ll protect me, and I¡¯ll protect myself as well. Moreover, Vinson will be here protecting


    me too, but¡­¡± She then looked at him before saying weakly, ¡°I have my adoptive parents and Pat. I


    don¡¯t want them to be in any danger.¡±


    Things would have been fine if they were at Chanaea. She and Vinson were powerful there, and no


    matter what happened, they could guarantee the safety of the people around them. However, here at


    Turlen, even Dn, who was the king of the country, had little power while Vinson and she had no


    foundation in the ce. As such, it was nigh impossible for them to protect the people around them.


    Dn stiffened at his daughter¡¯s words.


    She¡¯s right. How could I have forgotten about the Wilhelms? But I really want to publicize her identity. I


    want everyone to know that she¡¯s my dear princess!


    ¡°Dad, Sybil also told me about the current situation and about how you¡¯re nning to take back the


    power. Vinson and I will help you out with that. So, isn¡¯t it better if you announce my identity after


    getting back your power?¡± Arielle suggested after noticing his dejected look.


    Dn lowered his head as hundreds of thoughts shed past his mind. He had to admit that Arielle¡¯s


    words made sense.


    The current situation was indeed not the right time for him to publicize her identity.


    However, this also meant that he would have to push back his n indefinitely, for he did not know


    when he would be able to get his power back. Dn was never obsessed with having power, but he


    wanted to be strong enough to protect the ones he loved.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s go with your n then,¡± Dn said as he looked at Arielle.


    Just then, Sybil entered.


    ¡°Your Majesty, dinner is ready. Should I tell the kitchen to serve them?¡±


    Hearing that, Dn turned to look at Arielle and Vinson eagerly. ¡°Are you able to stay for dinner


    tonight?¡±


    He was anxious to ask the question as he was scared that Arielle would reject him.


    Arielle¡¯s heart sank when she saw the excited yet nervous look on his face. If they had been by each


    other¡¯s sides all along, her father would not have needed to be so cautious around her.


    ¡°Do you not wish for me to stay, Dad? If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯ll¡ª¡± Before she could suggest leaving,


    Dn cut her off, blurting, ¡°Why would I wish for you to leave? I¡¯ve always wanted to have a chance to


    have a meal with you, but s, the chance never came.¡±

 Chapter 1466

    Chapter 1466


    Chapter 1466 Drunk


    At the end of Dn¡¯s sentence, he looked slightly aggrieved, making him look exactly like Aaron. At the


    thought of Aaron, Arielle¡¯s smile faded. She did not know how to interact with the man anymore.


    Soon, the help served the dishes. It was Dn¡¯s first meal with his daughter and son-inw, so he was


    exceptionally delighted. He asked Sybil to bring a bottle of wine over. After all, he was in a good mood,


    and he wanted to have a drink.


    Sybil hurried away to bring the bottle of wine and the sses before cing them on the table. After


    opening the bottle, Dn filled a ss for Vinson. ¡°Come, Vinson, drink with me.¡±


    Vinson immediately took the ss of wine with both hands and uttered, ¡°Of course.¡±


    I¡¯ll ask Arielle to drive tonight. I¡¯ll drink a few sses with Dn. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s been leading a miserable


    life all these years. At the sight of the two men¡¯s interaction, Arielle smiled and took a sip of her drink.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    The whole scene was blissful and harmonious. By the time the meal ended, Dn was feeling rather


    tipsy.


    He patted Vinson¡¯s shoulders and slurred, ¡°Brat, you have to be nice to my¡­ princess. She¡¯s¡­ my


    everything. If you dare to¡­ dare to mistreat her¡­ I¡¯m telling you now¡­ I¡¯m going¡­ going to destroy


    you.¡±


    Even though Dn was drunk, Vinson earnestly replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad. Sannie¡¯s my everything.¡±


    Hearing that, Dn patted him on the shoulder and mumbled ¡°good¡± a few times before falling silent.


    The way Dn was concerned about Arielle despite his drunk state made her purse her lips as mixed


    emotions surged within her.


    Although her adoptive parents were nice to her and treated her like their own, she still thought about


    how nice it would be if her biological mother was still alive. Unfortunately, that was something she could


    only dream about.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my father¡¯s room? It¡¯s best for him to retreat to his room to rest now,¡± Arielle said to Sybil after


    rposing herself.


    ¡°His room is the one beside the study upstairs,¡± Sybil responded as he stepped forward to support


    Dn. Vinson went over to help out as well. By the time they settled the king down, an hour had gone


    by.


    ¡°Prepare a hangover remedy for himter,¡± Arielle told Sybil.


    At her expression of concern for the king, Sybil delightfully nodded and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take


    care of His Majesty well.¡±


    Dn was not good at holding his drink. He did not hold himself back this time because he was too


    happy about finally having a meal with his princess.


    Arielle nodded, and she left with Vinson.


    Perhaps it was because of her good mood, but the night scenery seemed particrly picturesque that


    night. The sky was dark, and the stars were countless. The moon was hanging high above their heads,


    lighting up the path for them.


    Vinson held Arielle¡¯s hands as they walked slowly down the road.


    ¡°Vinson, once this is over, let¡¯s have a child,¡± Arielle said to him calmly, staring at the car parked a


    distance away.


    She did not want to have a child in the past. More specifically, she was not prepared to be a


    mother. However, at that moment, she suddenly wanted to have a child with Vinson.


    When he heard her, he tightened his grip on her hand. He wanted to say something in response, but


    the words were stuck in his throat. After a long while, he squeezed out hoarsely, ¡°Okay.¡±


    No one wanted a child as badly as him. In fact, all he ever wished for was to have a child with Arielle.


    He was so excited over her words that he was already starting to wonder what his child with her would


    look like.


    When they returned home, the Wilhelms were already there. They were happy to hear that Arielle and


    Vinson had gone to visit Dn.

 Chapter 1467

    Chapter 1467


    Chapter 1467 Wanting A Child


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°San, it¡¯s time for you and Vin to have a child,¡± Andrea said to Arielle when Vinson went upstairs to


    wash up.


    Arielle was at the best age to have a child, and Andrea wanted to be a grandmother. Both her daughter


    and her son-inw were attractive people, so she was sure that their baby would have good looks as


    well.


    Arielle never thought that she and her mother were such like-minded people. She had just talked to


    Vinson about having a baby, and her mother was already urging her to have one right as they came


    home.


    She smiled and answered, ¡°I¡¯ve told him about it. Once everything is settled, we¡¯ll have a baby.¡±


    Her words reminded Andrea about Dn¡¯s matter, and the older woman mulled over it for a bit. Indeed,


    Arielle¡¯s not in a safe situation at the moment, so it¡¯s not the right time for her to have a child.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, it¡¯s better for you to have a baby after all this ends,¡± Andrea agreed. ¡°Does the king know


    about Vin¡¯s identity yet?¡±


    Thinking back to what happened at the pce, a smile appeared on Arielle¡¯s face, and she nodded.


    She then told Andrea what happened earlier. Andrea was taken aback after hearing her tale. She never


    thought that the king would figure out Vinson¡¯s identity so quickly. She was certain that no one would be


    able to figure it out as long as they said nothing. After all, Vinson was wearing a hyper-realistic mask.


    After chatting with Andrea for a while, the two then went upstairs. Once Arielle was in the room, she put


    her bag down and took a clean bathrobe before heading to the bathroom. She had spent the whole day


    outside, and she was starting to feel the need to clean up.


    When she came back out of the bathroom, she saw Vinson sitting on the couch. The moment the man


    saw her, he stood up and took the towel from her before drying her hair. Then, he brought her to the


    dressing table and began blowdrying her hair.


    That was how caring he was toward her, and Arielle¡¯s heart melted at the thought. After he turned off


    the hairdryer, she suddenly reached out to hug his waist.


    ¡°Vinson, you¡¯re too nice to me.¡± Arielle felt that although she was an excellent person, Vinson was


    much better than her. She wondered how such a perfect man had fallen for her and even treated her so


    nicely.


    Vinson bent over to lift her into his arms before carrying her over to the bed. He then pinned her under


    hisrge frame and stared into her eyes with a gentle gaze. ¡°Am I? I still think that I¡¯m not treating you


    nice enough.¡±


    Arielle looked back into his eyes, and the urge to kiss him washed over her. She did just that. She


    reached out to press Vinson¡¯s head down, and as she continued staring into his eyes, she kissed him.


    There was no way Vinson was going to let her off. Just as she was about to let go of him, he lowered


    his head to press his lips against hers. He had wanted to do that ever since she said she wanted a


    baby. However, they were at the pce back then, so he resisted the urge. Now, he no longer needed


    to do so.


    The kiss was so much more intense than all the others in the past.


    In the meantime, at Aaron¡¯s mansion, Aaron was looking at the few men in ck in front of him with a


    sullen look.


    ¡°Find an opportunity to kidnap her and bring her here,¡± he said as he handed a photo of Arielle to one


    of the men before telling them about her information.


    ¡°Understood,¡± the men in ck replied before turning to leave.


    Once they were gone, Aaron stared into the distance and muttered grimly, ¡°Ari, don¡¯t me me for this.


    You forced me to do this.¡±


    He was nning to kidnap her and lock her in his mansion. That way, she would stay by his side


    forever. It was the only thing he could think of doing to make her stay with him. As for Vinson, Aaron


    was going to wait for an opportunity to cripple him and imprison him. He would then make Vinson


    watch him and Arielle spend time together. Aaron was going to let Vinson feel what it was like to not be


    able to be with the one he loved.

 Chapter 1468

    Chapter 1468


    Chapter 1468 His Sister


    For the past few days, Arielle noticed that Aaron seemed to have heeded her words. When they were


    in ss, he did not ask her any questions. Even when they were done with ss, he no longer tried to


    strike up a conversation with her.


    Even though that was what she wanted, she still felt somewhat ufortable with how distant Aaron


    was. After all, he was his younger brother. Subtly, she nced at him before looking away.


    Although she felt guilty toward him, Arielle could not bring herself to ept him. Perhaps I¡¯d be able to


    ept him as time passed. Maybe, soon, I¡¯ll be able to stand in front of him and tell him that I¡¯m his


    sister.


    Aaron had no idea what Arielle was thinking about. At the moment, he was intentionally stopping


    himself from looking at her and thinking about her. It was as though he was only able to keep her in the


    recesses of his mind if he did that.


    Sonia noticed the odd tension between the two of them, so when sses were over, she stopped


    Arielle before thetter could leave.


    ¡°Is there something you¡¯re confused about?¡± Arielle thought that Sonia hade to her because she


    needed help with her studies.


    Sonia shook her head and squeezed out, ¡°Ms. Moore, what happened between you and Aaron?¡± Right


    as those words were out of her mouth, she realized that it seemed inappropriate of her to ask that. It


    was as if she was trying to sound out the rtionship between Arielle and Aaron. Hence, she quickly


    added, ¡°I¡¯m just curious. If it¡¯s not something you want to talk about, you can ignore that question. It¡¯s


    fine.¡±


    Arielle narrowed her eyes and enunciated, ¡°There¡¯s nothing between us. There¡¯s no need for you to


    overthink things.¡±


    After a pause, she turned to look at Sonia and asked, ¡°Do you still like him?¡±


    Sonia was dumbfounded at that. She did not know whether or not she liked Aaron.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, what is it like to fall for someone?¡± she asked as she looked at Arielle in confusion. Sonia


    had never fallen in love before. She only wanted to marry Aaron because of the way she was brought


    up. Since young, her mother had constantly told her to marry Aaron. As a result, Sonia only had eyes


    for the man.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Arielle frowned. She did not know how to exin it to Sonia. However, she figured she could tell


    Sonia how she felt toward Vinson. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like for others to fall in love with someone


    else, but I can tell you what it¡¯s like for me.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Sonia nodded fervently.


    ¡°Well, if you like someone, you¡¯ll keep wanting to meet that person. When you think about him, a


    genuine smile will appear on your face. When you hear news about him, you¡¯ll find yourself excited and


    keen to hear more. If he spends time with other girls, you¡¯ll feel upset¡­¡± Arielle muttered. Those were


    the things she had experienced herself. She did not know if others felt the same way as she did.


    The more Sonia heard, the more she frowned.


    The things Arielle told her were things she never felt for Aaron.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Could it be that I don¡¯t like him that way?


    With that thought in mind, Sonia turned a little gloomy. Even if she did not like him, she had to heed her


    mother¡¯s words and try to get together with Aaron, for she had no other choice.


    After Arielle exined her experience to Sonia, she noticed Sonia¡¯s rapid expression changes. Thus,


    she said, ¡°Sonia, we need to grasp our happiness by ourselves. If you want to get married, you should


    marry someone you love and will love you too. Even if you can¡¯t have a rtionship of mutual love, you


    should still look for someone who¡¯s wholly yours. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be the one suffering in the future.¡±


    Everything that Arielle had just said went against everything Sonia had learned since young.


    Her mother only told her that she had to marry someone that would benefit their family, and that she


    would have a good future only if the family was doing well.


    In the past, she thought her mother was right. However, now, she was having her doubts. Was she


    really right?

 Chapter 1469

    Chapter 1469


    Chapter 1469 Not The Right Person


    As the two women chatted away, they soon arrived at the school entrance. When Arielle spotted


    Vinson leaning against the hood of his car, she smiled and walked toward him after bidding Sonia


    goodbye.


    At that moment, a gust of wind blew over and made her hair messy. Vinson reached out and gently


    tidied her hair. When Arielle lifted her head to look at him, their eyes met, and they smiled.


    ¡°Is that Ms. Moore¡¯s husband?¡±


    Jealousy crept into Sonia¡¯s eyes when she saw the two interacting. She, too, wanted to have someone


    who view her as his entire world.


    As for Aaron¡­ Sonia bit her lip, thinking about how she was going to tell her mother that Aaron was not


    the one for her.


    ¡°Are we going back, or are we going to visit your father at the pce?¡± Vinson asked as he drove.


    Arielle mulled over it for a while. ¡°It¡¯s been a few days since we¡¯ve gone to the pce, so let¡¯s pay Dad


    a visit. Sybil has been sending me messages, saying that he misses me but is too shy to ask me to


    come.¡±


    Her heart ached every time she talked about Dn. She had clearly forgiven him, but he was still being


    careful around her, and that always brought a frown to her face.


    Vinson nodded and drove toward the pce.


    Upon thinking about the issue of regaining power, Arielle was reminded of Harvey and the others.


    Hence, she asked, ¡°How are things on Harvey¡¯s side? Any progress?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t contacted him in a while. I¡¯ll ask him about it when we¡¯re home.¡± It was then Vinson recalled


    that he had not contacted Harvey for a while now.


    Arielle fell silent.


    ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll ask him instead.¡± With that said, she lowered her head to fish out her phone from her bag.


    However, Vinson stopped her. He grabbed her hand and said, ¡°Sannie, let me contact him instead.¡±


    Arielle froze, but soon, she looked at him, amused. ¡°Are you jealous?¡±


    Indeed, it was jealousy, and Vinson saw no reason to hide it.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Therefore, he agreed, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m jealous.¡±


    It would have been fine if it were someone else. But Harvey was his friend who had a thing for her. It


    would be impossible for him to not be jealous.


    His honest response made Arielle at a loss for words. In that case, I¡¯ll let Vinson contact him then. After


    Penelope¡¯s incident, I¡¯vee to know what it feels like to be jealous, and I don¡¯t want to cause him to


    be anxious.


    When they were about to reach the pce, she called Sybil and told him that they were about to arrive.


    Immediately, Sybil rushed to the entrance to wait for them. Twenty minutester, the car came to a stop


    outside the pce. The two then got down from the car and followed Sybil in.


    ¡°When the king heard that you wereing, he immediately informed the chef to prepare your favorite


    dishes,¡± Sybil said with a chuckle.


    The corners of Arielle¡¯s lips turned upward at that.


    I have to say, the old man¡¯s quite smart. He knows how to keep me around with good food.


    When they were about to reach the living room, they saw Dn standing by the doorway. Upon seeing


    them, a smile appeared on his usually solemn face.


    After they took their seats in the living room, Dn looked at Arielle and said with a smile, ¡°Why didn¡¯t


    you tell me earlier that you wereing over? I just heard about it, and the kitchen just started


    preparing the food. We¡¯re going to have dinner a littleter.¡±


    Arielle returned the smile as Vinson said, ¡°It¡¯s good to have dinner a littleter. That way, we¡¯ll be able


    to have more time chatting with you.¡±


    Hearing that, Dn realized that Vinson was right. He had been preupied with feeling guilty for


    causing his daughter to have ate dinner that he never thought that the two of them would be able to


    spend more time together this way.


    ¡°Dad, how goes your n of regaining power?¡±

 Chapter 1470

    Chapter 1470


    Chapter 1470 Power Struggle


    Arielle drank a sip of the coffee that Sybil served and turned to look at her father. She only knew that


    her father had ns to seize power, but she did not know anything about the progress. She also


    wanted to know if he needed her help.


    Talks of seizing power were a no-brainer, but Dn knew that the execution of the n would be rife


    with difficulties. At the moment, he had only managed to swap out a few servants by the queen¡¯s side,


    and that move alone would not suffice. The key to making his n a sessy with his mother. He


    still could note up with a n to earn the support or swap out those who sided with his mother.


    Naturally, Dn did not wish to burden his daughter with his troubles. He only wished that she would


    be happy and free from the problems guing him. As such, he wanted to deal with the problems on


    his own.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about what¡¯s happening on my side. Just focus on dealing with your own


    matters,¡± Dn smiled as he said to Arielle.


    Arielle narrowed her eyes at him. She knew that her father had only said that so that she would not be


    worried about him. She let out a soft chuckle and said, ¡°Dad, I believe that you should know what I¡¯m


    capable of after reading up on me.¡±


    ¡°Dad, Sannie is right. No matter what problems you encounter here, you can always let us know. We


    will try our best to help you,¡± Vinson chimed in.


    Dn was d that his daughter and son-inw were willing to offer help. However, he had not


    forgotten the fact that their influences were abroad, and that they have little to no knowledge about


    Turlen.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your help. Just take good care of yourselves.¡± He was already beyond grateful that they


    were willing to help him out.


    Arielle and Vinson exchanged nces when they saw that Dn was adamant in refusing their help.


    They decided then and there to help him out secretly.


    Cutting the topic short, Dn then asked about Arielle giving out sses, and she exined everything


    to him.


    ¡°Dad, actually Vinson and I have a lot to deal with back in Chanaea. Even though I came here because


    of Aaron¡¯s threats, I did actually intend toe here too. I knew that you were here and just went along


    with him. Now that I¡¯ve found you, I¡¯ve decided to head back to Chanaea for some time,¡± Arielle said


    after giving it some thought.


    A power struggle was challenging, and she nned to head back and work on expanding her influence


    in Turlen so that she could be of help to her father.


    Even though she had never discussed the n with Vinson, Arielle did not think that he would be


    against the idea.


    ¡°I see. So you¡¯re going back to Chanaea.¡± Dn was reluctant to part with her. After all, he had only


    been reunited with his little princess for such a short time. However, he did not wish to be in her way


    and said, ¡°All right, then. Don¡¯t worry about your sses. I will offer a handsome pay to recruit talents


    from Chanaea.¡±


    Arielle agreed wholeheartedly with Dn¡¯s suggestion. Turlen¡¯s medical field was far behind Chanaea.


    It was really tiring for her alone to conduct training on her own. Hence, it would be great to recruit talent


    from Chanaea to help ease her burden. Noticing Dn¡¯s reluctance to part with her, she felt a lump in


    her throat.


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯m only going back to deal with some matters. It¡¯ll only take a week or so.¡± She would never


    leave her father all alone, especially when the power struggle was about to begin.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Dn beamed when Arielle mentioned that she was only going to be away for about a week. ¡°I know.


    It¡¯s fine even if you stay for a few more days. Your friends are still there after all.¡±


    Arielle pursed her lips and eyed him helplessly. Dn was obviously reluctant to part with her, but he


    was still putting up a tough front and even asked her to extend her stay in Chanaea.

 Chapter 1471

    Chapter 1471


    Chapter 1471 Birthday


    Dn¡¯s reaction left Arielle nonplussed.


    Sybil, who had juste out of the kitchen, overheard their conversation and said, ¡°Princess, could


    you wait until after His Majesty¡¯s birthday party to return to Chanaea?¡±


    Arielle had no idea about her father¡¯s birthday celebration and was surprised to hear about it. She


    looked at Sybil and immediately said, ¡°Of course. When is he celebrating it? Why didn¡¯t you let me


    know beforehand? I can¡¯t believe I almost missed it!¡±


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Dn actually wanted to tell Arielle about it, but she told him about her intention of heading back to


    Chanaea before he could bring it up. He did not think it was appropriate to talk about it since he had not


    celebrated Arielle¡¯s birthday together with her before. Hence, he did not mention it to Arielle.


    He had not expected that Sybil would bring up the topic and was nervous to see how Arielle would


    respond. Nheless, his anxietysted only a fraction of a second as Arielle dly agreed to stay


    and celebrate his birthday with him. His lips curled into a smile as he felt a warm feeling coursing


    through his heart.


    ¡°His Majesty¡¯s birthday is on next Thursday,¡± Sybil said and smiled at Arielle. ¡°He was nning to tell


    you himself, but His Majesty had not expected that you would tell him about wanting to head back to


    Chanaea first¡­¡±


    Sybil trailed off, but Arielle had gotten the gist of it.


    She reckoned her father must have felt awkward to bring it up.


    Oh, my silly father, what ever shall I do with him?


    ¡°Dad, please don¡¯t do this anymore.¡± Arielle narrowed her eyes and fixed her gaze on Dn as she


    exined herself, ¡°You can tell me anything. That being said, I can¡¯t promise that I¡¯ll go along with you


    every time, though. My decision will have to depend on the situation then.¡±


    Dn nodded in response.


    ¡°All right, I will tell you everything next time,¡± he said with a megawatt smile.


    At that moment, he deemed himself the luckiest man to have fallen in love with Maureen and had the


    most thoughtful little princess like Arielle together with her. He was especially grateful that Maureen


    was willing to keep the fruit of their love even when she could not get hold of any news on him back


    then.


    Satisfied with Dn¡¯s response, Arielle smiled.


    Sybil¡¯s eyes crinkled into a smile as he said, ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready. Just wash up and we can start.¡±


    The help served the dishes afterward. Dn ushered Arielle to wash up as he was afraid that she


    might be hungry.


    Dn kept serving Arielle throughout the meal in Vinson¡¯s stead.


    Arielle looked at her te which was full to its brim and turned to look at Vinson¡¯s te. She thought for


    a moment and gave her husband some of the food on her te. ¡°Eat up,¡± she said.


    Vinson¡¯s lips curled into a smile. Even though she¡¯s acting all cold and distant sometimes, she¡¯s a very


    considerate woman.


    He was happy all right, but Dn appeared to be quite dejected. After all, he was just thinking that she


    was his most considerate little princess, only to witness her showing favor and concern for Vinson.


    Just when he was picking on the food on his te and was about to put down his utensils, Dn


    realized that an extra piece of meat had appeared on his te. He lifted his head in surprise and


    noticed that Arielle was putting more food onto his te. Delight filled him almost immediately at his


    daughter¡¯s action.


    ¡°Hurry up and eat, Arielle. It¡¯s not going to taste as good when it¡¯s cold. I can get the food on my own,¡±


    Dn said. However, it was clear as day that he was in a much better mood than before.

 Chapter 1472

    Chapter 1472


    Chapter 1472 Beaten Up


    Arielle lowered her eyes, amused by her father¡¯s response.


    While they were enjoying a happy time, Sonia was just pped across her face by her mother.


    ¡°Sonia, I don¡¯t care if you like it or not. You¡¯re going to marry Prince Aaron, one way or another,¡± Kelly


    snapped as she red at her daughter.


    It was Sonia¡¯s first time getting pped across the face, and she was truly disappointed in Kelly.


    ¡°Mother, am I really your daughter?¡±


    Kelly was infuriated by her question and bellowed, ¡°Whose daughter are you if not mine?¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m truly your daughter, why would you ignore my wishes and insist on me marrying Prince Aaron?


    You know full well that he feels nothing toward me, and he will not marry me either. Why must you force


    me to butter him up and charm him?¡± Sonia said bitterly. ¡°Mother, I am not a robot without feelings, nor


    am I your puppet that can do every single one of your biddings.¡±


    With that said, she covered her face in dismay and ran outside, bumping right into Lawrence who just


    came back.


    ¡°Why are you so careless?¡± Lawrence steadied his daughter and saw her covering her tear-stricken


    face. His heart ached at the sight as he wondered who made his precious daughter suffer such


    indignance.


    ¡°Who made you unhappy? Let me know. I¡¯ll teach them a lesson!¡± Lawrence said.


    Kelly came out of the room immediately after hearing Lawrence¡¯s voice. She looked at him and said


    helplessly, ¡°Who dares to offend her? She¡¯s just upset that she didn¡¯t understand a thing from her ss


    at school today.¡±


    ¡°Father, I¡¯ll head back first.¡± Sonia could not stand to listen to her mother¡¯s lies and headed out at a


    brisk pace.


    Lawrence did not notice the red marks on Sonia¡¯s face and said aloud, ¡°It¡¯s okay if you can¡¯t


    understand your sses. Just ask Ms. Moore about it. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s more than willing to teach you.


    Don¡¯t get all upset on your own, you hear?¡±


    Sonia paused in her tracks momentarily before leaving.


    Kelly¡¯s face darkened as she listened to what Lawrence said. She could not wrap her head around the


    way both Lawrence and Sonia admired Arielle. Kelly did not think that the woman had anything else to


    show for other than her medical skills.


    At the thought that Aaron was ignoring Sonia who was skilled in everything for a foreign woman like


    Arielle, Kelly¡¯s lips curled with a vicious smile. So what if he likes her?


    Turlen¡¯sw clearly prohibits marriage with a foreigner. Hence, it did not matter even if Aaron thought


    Arielle is the love of his life.


    Kelly was feeling frustrated over Sonia¡¯s rebellious manners. Seems like I would have to get an


    audience with the queen at the pce. This way, I¡¯ll be able to set a date for Sonia and Aaron¡¯s


    wedding as soon as possible. She was worried that their marriage would be called off if they continued


    to dy the wedding.


    Turning to look at Kelly, Lawrence said, ¡°You¡¯d better talk to Sonia and tell her to ask for help from her


    teachers if she¡¯s facing difficulties with her studies.¡±


    He then removed his coat and Kelly immediately hung it up on a rack aside. She replied with an


    undertone, ¡°She¡¯ll figure it out on her own. Just let her be.¡±


    Lawrence did not understand what was truly going on and merely nodded before heading to his study.


    He had a lot of pending work to be done.


    Three dayster, before Aaron¡¯s men managed to get hold of Arielle, he already summoned them back


    to the pce.


    In the grand living hall, he looked at the man dressed immactely in a ck suit with a darkened


    expression.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You can¡¯t evenplete such a simple mission?¡±

 Chapter 1473

    Chapter 1473


    Chapter 1473 Crazy


    ¡°Mr. Aaron, she¡¯s always surrounded by people. I can¡¯t find a way to get to her,¡± the man in ck


    reported.


    ¡°Useless trash!¡± Aaron kicked the man standing before him to the floor and red at him. ¡°Find a way


    to get to her then, dumb*ss!¡±


    The man in ck seemingly felt no pain as he stood up quickly after getting kicked to the ground. He


    nodded as he listened to Aaron and said, ¡°Yes, Mr. Aaron. We will find a way.¡±


    ¡°Go. Seize her in the shortest time possible,¡± Aaron ordered coldly. Before the men in ck left, he


    called out to them, ¡°Just seize her. Do not harm her under any circumstances. All of you will be


    punished severely if she so much as loses a strand of hair.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    After everyone left, Aaron opened up his phone to look at Arielle¡¯s photo. His dark eyes burned with


    passion at the sight of it. He had taken the photo secretly, and he would stare at it before he slept every


    day.


    ¡°Ari, you will be mine soon¡­ very soon.¡± He looked at the photo with a crazed look in his eyes.


    Right then, Arielle was oblivious to the fact that her attitude toward Aaron was the reason why he came


    up with the crazy n of abducting her to imprison her at his mansion. Arielle was blissfully leaning in


    Vinson¡¯s embrace as she contemted the birthday gift for her father.


    ¡°Sannie, just gift Dad whatever you like, but I think you should cook a meal for him in private,¡± Vinson


    said in his baritone voice as he toyed with her silky hair.


    Arielle¡¯s eyes glinted as she liked the idea that Vinson came up with. Her father had never tasted her


    cooking before. She reckoned the old man would be pleased if she were to cook for him.


    ¡°Vinson, that¡¯s a great idea. You really do know your father-inw well, after all.¡± She reached out her


    hand and brought the man¡¯s face close before pecking him on his lips.


    Vinson was not about to let the opportunity slide, especially when it was Arielle who initiated the kiss.


    Just when their lips parted, he turned around and pressed his wife down underneath him as he suckled


    on her juicy lips.


    His hands slid underneath her clothes to caress her all over.


    Arielle trembled but held on tighter around his neck. Her fair cheeks were tinged pink with passion,


    making her seem all the more alluring.


    Vinson kissed her hard and just when he was about to advance further, the phone on their nightstand


    rang.


    ¡°Let¡¯s answer the phone first¡­¡± Arielle snapped back into her senses and pushed against Vinson¡¯s


    chest.


    ¡°No,¡± Vinson refused adamantly.


    He did not want to answer the call that came at such ungodly hours.


    The phone stopped ringing after some time. Vinson lowered his head to kiss Arielle. However, just


    when his lips touched hers, the phone rang again.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°Just answer it.¡± Arielle¡¯s face was beet red when she nudged Vinson to take the call. He turned around


    exasperatedly and answered the call before taking a look at the caller ID.


    ¡°What is it?¡± he snapped.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the tone? Am I interrupting your happy hour or something?¡± Xavier smirked.


    Harvey, who was beside Xavier, heaved an exasperated sigh.


    Vinson was not in the mood to joke around as he snarled, ¡°Just get to the point.¡±

 Chapter 1474

    Chapter 1474


    Chapter 1474 Cannot Lie


    Xavier immediately became serious. ¡°We¡¯ve bribed the mistress of the queen mother¡¯s secretary. If


    there¡¯s something we want to know in the future, we can just ask her about it.¡±


    Bribed the mistress of the queen mother¡¯s secretary? Vinson raised his eyebrow. I didn¡¯t think they


    would get it done so quickly.


    ¡°Got it,¡± he said inly. ¡°Keep an eye on her, and don¡¯t be fooled.¡±


    Xavier smirked at that. Do I look like someone that will get fooled that easily?


    ¡°Rx, we have some dirt on her.¡± He then teased, ¡°All right, I called you just to tell you this good


    news. I¡¯m not going to bother you having your happy time any longer.¡±


    With that, he hung up swiftly before Vinson had a chance to say anything. Then, he hung his arm


    around Harvey¡¯s neck and invited, ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll treat you to a drink.¡±


    Harvey, who wasn¡¯t in a good mood, to begin with, agreed readily upon hearing that.


    At the bar, the ce was awash with neon lights from all directions.


    Harvey twirled the wine ss in his hand as he stared at the men and women dancing on the dance


    floor.


    ¡°Do you want to dance?¡± Xavier asked with a raised brow. Harvey shook his head.


    Seeing that, Xavier leaned back in his chair and sipped his alcohol. His eyes were fixed on the dance


    floor as well. Suddenly, his eyes widened before he ce his ss on the table and turned to Harvey.


    ¡°I have something I need to do. I¡¯ll treat you to a drink some other time.¡±


    When he finished, he strode toward the dance floor, leaving a confused Harvey watching him leave.


    When Xavier arrived at the center of the dance floor, he grabbed a woman¡¯s hand and said something


    to her. The woman left in a huff and he followed her out.


    Harvey grinned a little when he saw that. He must have seen the person he fancied.


    After Xavier left, he stayed at the bar for another hour. There were plenty of empty wine bottles on the


    table by the end of his stay. He paid the bills in a drunken daze and stumbled out of the building.


    Suddenly, he lost his bnce and tipped forward, bumping into a woman with a hat. She


    subconsciously held him up and steadied him.


    ¡°You should watch where you¡¯re going, mister!¡± The woman spoke in a small voice as she furrowed her


    brows.


    Still in a drunken stupor, Harvey leaned his full weight on the woman.


    ¡°Hey, stand properly!¡± The woman was getting impatient. She quickly pushed him away and released


    her grip. However, the moment she did so, he fell toward her again.


    Anger surged within her, but she couldn¡¯t shake him off. Without any choice, she used all her strength


    to drag him toward the side of the road before hailing a taxi. With the taxi driver¡¯s help, they stuffed


    Harvey into the back of the car.


    By the time they were done, she was already covered in sweat. She slicked her hair back while


    panting. The moment that she did, however, she recalled something and flicked her hair back to its


    original position.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± the driver tilted his head and asked.


    When she heard the question, she was a little stunned. She thought about how she didn¡¯t ask Harvey


    where he lived, so she leaned into the car and poked him. ¡°Hey, where¡¯s your home?¡±


    Harvey pulled her hand and held it tightly. Then, he rested his head on the window and stopped


    moving.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°Hey, let go of me! Why are you pulling me? Tell me where you live!¡± If he didn¡¯t tell her, the driver


    would not know where to send him. However, it seemed like Harvey could not hear her as hey there


    motionless.


    ¡°Miss, are you going somewhere or not? If you¡¯re not, please leave and don¡¯t disturb my business!¡±

 Chapter 1475

    Chapter 1475


    Chapter 1475 Pestered By Him


    Seeing how they still couldn¡¯t depart, the driver was getting impatient.


    The woman pouted when she heard the driver¡¯s urging and stared at the unmoving man in the car.


    Why am I so unlucky? This is my first time going to a bar to lighten my mood, and this stranger just


    clung to me before I could even walk through the door!


    ¡°Hey, if you¡¯re not going to tell me where you live, I¡¯m going to throw you out of the car,¡± she


    threatened, but it didn¡¯t work, because Harvey was still unresponsive.


    Her face darkened as she red at him. She wanted to pull her hand out of his, but no matter how hard


    she tried, she couldn¡¯t loosen his grip. Harvey was holding her hand very tightly like a vice.


    ¡°Are you going to tell me where you¡¯re going or not, miss?¡± The driver was feeling rather annoyed


    because he could¡¯ve driven two customers to their destinations in the time he had wasted waiting.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± the woman said as she pressed her hat down.


    ¡°Where to?¡±


    She pulled her cap down and nced around before saying, ¡°To the nearest hotel.¡±


    All she wanted was to settle Harvey down somewhere quickly. If I knew I was going to meet this guy, I


    wouldn¡¯t havee out. This is just great. If I ignore him, it¡¯ll be too cruel. If I don¡¯t, he¡¯s just going to


    cause me even more trouble.


    While she was feeling caught in a dilemma, the driver had already stopped in front of the entrance of


    the nearest hotel.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Seeing how she had wasted much of the driver¡¯s time, the woman pulled out a stack of cash from her


    purse and handed it to the driver. The driver was shocked by how generous the woman was because


    the amount she gave him was the equivalent of him driving non-stop for seven days and seven nights


    straight.


    He kept the amount he deserved and returned the rest. ¡°This will be enough.¡±


    The woman furrowed her eyebrows. Huh¡­ This is the first time someone doesn¡¯t take the money I


    give.


    ¡°Consider the extra as a service fee. So help me carry him upstairs, won¡¯t you?¡± she said.


    Before he could retort, she cut him off and continued, ¡°All right, it¡¯s settled then.¡±


    The driver kept the money away, got off the car, and opened the door to the back passenger seat. He


    wanted to carry Harvey up, but thetter was holding the woman¡¯s hand very tightly. Nothing the driver


    did was able to make Harvey let go.


    By then, the woman was getting impatient and embarrassed.


    In the end, the driver could only get Harvey off the car with the woman in tow. Harvey never once let go


    of her hand as they went into the hotel and brought him into a room.


    The driver left after putting Harvey on the bed. The woman sat in front of Harvey with her forehead


    drenched in sweat.


    Now that there was only her and the unconscious drunkard in the room, only then did she throw her hat


    away and slicked her hair that was covering her face back.


    With her face in full view, it turned out that the woman was none other than Sonia, who was pped by


    her mother earlier.


    The reason she confronted her mother was that she decided to give up on Aaron. She realized she had


    no love for him after listening to what Arielle said.


    Since that was the case, she decided to let him go and find true happiness. Unexpectedly, her mother,


    who had always doted on her, gave her a p.


    The more Sonia thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. Feeling dejected, she decided to go to


    the bar to have a drink and lighten her mood.


    She didn¡¯t expect she would encounter a drunk Harvey just as she arrived at the entrance of the bar.


    When she thought about the drunkard who wouldn¡¯t let her hand go, she turned toward him. Hmm¡­ I


    have to admit that he does look quite handsome. It¡¯s a shame that he¡¯s an alcoholic.


    She pursed her lips and wanted to pull her hand out of his. Just as she used some force, the man


    pulled her into his embrace.

 Chapter 1476

    Chapter 1476


    Chapter 1476 Inexperience


    ¡°Stop messing around!¡± Harvey pressed Sonia¡¯s head on his chest as he spoke in his baritone voice.


    Sadly, she couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying.


    ¡°Are you awake? If you are, then let me go. I¡¯m going home.¡± She struggled to stand up, but he hugged


    her even tighter. Frightened, she froze and didn¡¯t have the guts to move anymore.


    After sensing that he stopped moving, she let out a long sigh.


    ¡°Hey, I need to go home. Can you let me go now?¡± She pursed her lips andined in a small


    voice, ¡°If I knew you were going to act like this, I would¡¯ve ditched you and let you sleep at the side of


    the road.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so noisy!¡± When Harvey heard her nagging at him, he turned around, lowered his head, and


    shut Sonia¡¯s mouth with his.


    That was Sonia¡¯s first kiss.


    She widened her eyes in shock and struggled frantically to get up.


    Harvey was just going to shut her up so she wouldn¡¯t talk anymore, but her unceasing struggle to leave


    had caused a change to ur in his body. If this had happened in the past, he would have been able to


    control himself. But that day, he no longer wanted to.


    Pinning her hands down with his, he continued to press his lips against hers, and suckle on them.


    ¡°Mm¡­¡± Sonia was almost out of breath due to his kiss. Just when she thought she was going to


    suffocate from it, he let go of her.


    ¡°S-Stop it¡­¡± she eximed angrily.


    However, her voice sounded soft and seductive in his ears after the kiss, so he did it again.


    Sonia¡¯s rationality was dissolving as he kept on kissing her. Since I can¡¯t resist him, why don¡¯t I just let


    myself go and¡­ It¡¯s only going to be one night, and neither of us knows each other anyway.


    At that moment, she no longer had the desire to push the man on top of her away. Ever since she was


    a child, she had been doing everything her mother asked. Since she couldn¡¯t even dictate who she


    wanted to marry, she felt she might as well just do whatever she wanted to just once. At the very least,


    the man in front of her wasn¡¯t making her feel disgusted.


    With that thought in mind, she took the initiative to wrap her arm around his neck and kissed him back


    rather awkwardly.


    Her inexperienced movements were making it even harder for him to resist the temptation. He slowly


    unbuttoned her clothes and reached his warm hand inside.


    The next day, Harvey rubbed his aching head. When he opened his eyes and saw the unfamiliar room,


    he realized he had no recollection of what happened yesterday. I was drinking at the barst night,


    right? What happened afterward?


    He rubbed his brows when he suddenly recalled something and widened his eyes. Upon quickly pulling


    his nket away and seeing a dark red stain on the bed, he could feel his head start throbbing Why did


    I have sex after drinking? I even took the virginity of a woman I didn¡¯t know!


    As he stared at the empty room, he realized the woman had left before he woke up. He fixed his gaze


    on the red stain on the bed and swore to find her so he could take responsibility.


    With that thought in mind, he walked into the bathroom and cleaned himself up. After changing intost


    night¡¯s clothing, he pulled the bedsheet off, folded it, and stuffed it into a bag.


    Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly saw a ne lying on the ground. He picked it up and


    took a closer look at it. It was then he realized there was a picture in the ne. As he stared at it, he


    smiled and recalled the alluring voice he heardst night.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Asst night¡¯s encounter reyed in his mind, his body started to heat up again. After he took a couple


    of deep breaths to calm himself down, he put the ne into his pocket, opened the door, and left.


    He arrived at the front desk and paid for the bedsheet before leaving.

 Chapter 1477

    Chapter 1477


    Chapter 1477 Love Like Crazy


    Sonia arrived back at her home at six in the morning. When she walked in, she saw Kelly, who was


    preparing breakfast for Lawrence. When Kelly saw her daughtering in from outside, she furrowed


    her brows. ¡°Where did you go so early in the morning?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ went to exercise.¡± Sonia was afraid that her mother would figure out something, so she made up


    an excuse and rushed back to her room. Her first experience with a manst night was way too


    intense. As such, she could feel soreness shooting up her body with every step she took.


    Kelly stared at her daughter¡¯s departing figure and her frown deepened. She said she went to exercise,


    yet she didn¡¯t change into her sports attire.


    Unbeknownst to her, the exercise she had in mind and the exercise Sonia mentioned was very


    different.


    When Sonia arrived back in her room, she threw her bag aside, grabbed her clothes, and walked into


    the bathroom. As she bathed, she couldn¡¯t help but think about what had happenedst night. She


    covered her face in embarrassment. I was so wild¡­ too wild. I can¡¯t believe I actually slept with a


    stranger. This is the first time I¡¯ve acted so crazy in my life.


    When Harvey returned to his ce, he noticed Xavier wasn¡¯t there. He returned to his room and stuffed


    the bedsheet he brought from the hotel into a suitcase. Then, he took out the ne from his pocket


    and stared at the picture. The photo was probably ced inside the ne not too long ago because


    it looked pretty clear. The woman in the photo looked beautiful and had a sweet smile. How can I find


    her with just this ne?


    With that thought in mind, he pulled out his phone and dialed Xavier¡¯s number.


    At the moment, Xavier was having an intimate moment with a beautiful woman. He had turned his


    phone to silent mode, so, being as busy as he was, he didn¡¯t pay attention to the shing screen.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a seductress! You¡¯re going to be the death of me!¡± He forcefully kissed the woman¡¯s red


    lips and spoke in a hoarse voice.


    ¡°Then, do you like a seductress like me?¡± The woman¡¯s alluring voice rang next to his ear.


    Xavier gritted his teeth. ¡°I like you so much that I¡¯m going crazy.¡±


    If he didn¡¯t like her, he wouldn¡¯t have pulled her away from the dance floor.


    When Lana heard that, she wrapped her arms around his neck and stared at him with a seductive look.


    She then pressed his head toward her and kissed him.


    Her soft hands roamed across his body wantonly. Every part she touched felt like it had been ignited on


    fire and Xavier continued to suckle on her soft, red lips forcefully.


    Dn¡¯s highly anticipated birthday had arrived. It was the first time in years that he looked forward to


    his birthday. It was because Vinson told him that Arielle was going to prepare him a present that she


    would show him after the birthday banquet was over.


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    For the first time in his life, he was looking forward to his birthday while at the same time hoping that his


    birthday banquet would be over soon so he could see what his dear little princess had prepared for


    him.


    ¡°What do you think about my outfit, Sybil? Does it make me look energetic? Does it look good if I stand


    next to her? I won¡¯t embarrass her, will I?¡± Dn stared at himself in the mirror and asked Sybil.


    Sybil smiled somewhat tiredly because Dn had been picking his outfit and dressing up since an hour


    ago.


    Upon hearing that, he spoke resignedly. ¡°It fits with your demeanor very well, Your Majesty. You¡¯ll look


    absolutely dashing standing next to the princess. You definitely won¡¯t embarrass her.¡±

 Chapter 1478

    Chapter 1478


    Chapter 1478 A Fine Couple


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Dn asked. He looked at his clothing in the mirror for a long while before furrowing his


    brows. ¡°But why do I still feel like this outfit doesn¡¯t work? I should try out another one.¡±


    Sybil immediately stopped him because it was already five o¡¯clock and the birthday party was about to


    start. If Dn changed into another outfit, they would bete.


    ¡°This outfit really does look good, Your Majesty. If the princess sees you in it, she¡¯ll definitely be


    impressed. You¡¯re the most handsome father in history.¡±


    Seeing how sincere Sybil sounded, Dn decided to trust him for once. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll go with this outfit


    then.¡±


    Sybil immediately let out a sigh of relief. He was afraid that Dn was going to ignore him and change


    into another outfit again.


    ¡°Has the clothing meant for the princess been sent out?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it has been sent to the princess. I¡¯ve specifically reminded her to wear that one for the party,¡±


    Sybil answered resignedly.


    Dn had asked the same question multiple times, though not without reason.


    The outfit sent to Arielle was designed by the most famous designer in the world. Dn had spent a


    huge amount of moneymissioning it. Because time was short, the designer had to rush to meet the


    deadline. It was finallypleted during the morning and was delivered by ne. Upon receiving it,


    Dn immediately sent it to Paelsford Manor.


    ¡°What about the Wilhelms? Have their outfits been sent to them?¡± They were his daughter¡¯s closest


    family members, after all. As such, it was only natural that the Wilhelms had the same kind of treatment


    as Arielle. While Dn was jealous that he couldn¡¯t bepared to the Wilhems in Arielle¡¯s eyes, he


    was very grateful that they took her in and provided her with the best life she deserved.


    He felt nothing but gratitude toward them both.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. Their outfits were made ording to their sizes. The materials used are the best of


    the best.¡± Sybil was well aware that Dn cared very much about the Wilhelms.


    Dn sat on the couch and let out a relieved sigh. Now that everything¡¯s prepared, I can now rx and


    wait for my daughter and her husband to arrive. Wait¡­ her husband¡­


    He suddenly opened his eyes. D*mn it! I can¡¯t believe I forgot about my son-inw!


    That thought prompted him to ask slowly, ¡°What about Vinson?¡±


    Sybil could tell there was a stark difference between how Dn treated Arielle and the Wilhelms, and


    how he treated Vinson, based on thetter¡¯s tone.


    shing a helpless smile, he handed Dn a cup of water. ¡°Yes, it has been sent to him. He and the


    princess will look like a match made in heaven when they stand together.¡±


    While Vinson¡¯s outfit wasn¡¯t specially designed by a prestigious designer, it was still custom made and


    it looked absolutely stunning.


    Even though there was still half an hour before the banquet started, Arielle and the others had arrived


    at the pce¡¯s entrance. Seeing that her father had been waiting for her there, she smiled and walked


    toward him. Just as she was about to greet him, Dn walked past her and greeted the Wilhelms


    instead.


    She was instantly left speechless.


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    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to meet the two of you, but you two have been too busy for us to meet each other.


    If it wasn¡¯t for my birthday banquet, I would have no idea when I can meet you two.¡± Dn smiled


    brightly at the Wilhelms and thanked them enthusiastically, ¡°Thank you for taking care of Sannie and


    providing her with such excellent education. I can¡¯t tell you how grateful I am. Without you two, I don¡¯t


    know how much pain Sannie would¡¯ve gone through.¡±


    When he uttered thest sentence, he turned to look at Arielle. He truly believed in what he said.


    Without the Wilhelms, he really couldn¡¯t imagine how his little girl could¡¯ve survived in the world.


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Your Majesty.¡± Hubert gazed at Dn¡¯s grateful expression and smiled. ¡°San had


    brought us much joy. Without her, I think our lives would¡¯ve been pretty dull.¡±

 Chapter 1479

    Chapter 1479


    Chapter 1479 Who Is She


    Even though Arielle currently had a distant and indifferent personality, in the past, she was very


    outgoing. It was hard to tell when exactly her personality changed.


    Dn invited the couple inside as he continued to talk. Arielle approached Sybil and mentioned


    changing outfits. He immediately brought her upstairs and pointed at the room next to Dn¡¯s chamber.


    The moment she opened the door and walked in, she was stunned. A flurry of expressions shed past


    her face, so much so that even Sybil was at a loss.


    Does the princess not like the room? But I thought a princess¡¯s room should look like this. I even


    conducted a special investigation to figure out how to decorate her room. He studied her expression for


    a few more moments.


    ¡°Do you not like this room, Princess?¡± he asked carefully. Then, he rubbed his hands and continued,


    ¡°His Majesty decorated the room himself after he learned that you¡¯reing. The entire room was


    decorated based on what he thought you¡¯d like. Everything here was meticulously picked by His


    Majesty too.¡±


    When Arielle heard that, she was touched. Even though Dn wasn¡¯t sure if she would acknowledge


    him as her father, he had already prepared a room for her. He really loves me!


    Once again, she felt Dn¡¯s paternal love.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    However, when she saw how the entire room was filled with pink, she furrowed her brows. Should I say


    I like it or don¡¯t like it? If I say I do, I¡¯ll be lying through my teeth. And what if he wants me to stay for a


    night one day? Do I stay or not? But, if I say I don¡¯t like it, won¡¯t he be sad? He did decorate the room


    himself, after all. Ugh, forget it. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to live here permanently. I¡¯ll only stay for two or


    three nights at most. It¡¯s not that annoying. I¡¯ll just consider this as training for withstanding things I


    don¡¯t like.


    ¡°How can I not appreciate and like my father¡¯s efforts?¡± She smiled and walked into the room. Sybil


    closed the door thoughtfully and headed downstairs.


    Half an hourter, Arielle held Dn¡¯s hand and headed into the banquet hall slowly.


    All the people who attended the birthday banquet were dignitaries. When they saw Arielle holding


    Dn¡¯s arm as the two walked toward his seat, their eyes widened.


    What situation is this? Why is a random woman holding on to His Majesty¡¯s arm instead of Her


    Majesty? Who is she? The crowd stared at them with confusion.


    At the same time, the queen was shocked and furious by the scene. She wanted to stand up, but the


    queen mother pulled her down.


    ¡°Mother!¡± The queen sounded aggrieved. The queen mother stared at Arielle and said, ¡°Just bear with


    it for now.¡± Hearing that, the queen had no choice but to shut up and watch as Dn headed their way


    with Arielle.


    Concurrently, the high-ranking officials in the banquet were staring at the young and beautiful Arielle.


    They were also shocked by her luxurious gown and how it was made perfectly for her figure.


    ¡°Who is this woman? She must be someone impressive if she can hold His Majesty¡¯s arm.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God, she¡¯s not going to be the future consort, is she?¡± When someone saw how Aaron was


    staring at Arielle, they couldn¡¯t help but ask in a whisper.


    ¡°But I heard Sonia¡¯s the future consort.¡± The crowd chattered away.


    Meanwhile, Arielle held Dn¡¯s arm until he arrived at his seat. He pointed at the chair closest to him,


    gesturing for her to sit there. When everyone saw that, including Aaron, they all widened their eyes in


    shock.

 Chapter 1480

    Chapter 1480


    Chapter 1480 His Woman


    Isn¡¯t Father treating Ari a little too well? Aaron stared at Dn and Arielle with a gloomy, sullen look.


    Isn¡¯t she Sybil¡¯s illegitimate daughter? So why is Father treating her better than he treats me?


    When he saw how his father helped raised the hem of the gown of the woman he loved, the look in his


    eyes darkened. Arielle is my woman! No one can take her away from me, not even Father.


    When the queen saw that, she was so pissed off that she almost spat out blood. She thought she didn¡¯t


    have any feelings for Dn anymore, but when she saw how nice he was treating Arielle, envy filled


    her heart. She couldn¡¯t take it and instantly red at Arielle sharply.


    Arielle had always been pretty sensitive. When she detected a malicious look directed at her, she


    turned toward the direction it wasing from and saw the queen. The queen couldn¡¯t withdraw her


    look back fast enough, and their eyes met.


    She didn¡¯t expect Arielle to be that sharp, especially when she only shot a re in her direction. When


    she was found out, she recalled the threat Arielle gave her before. Just as she was subconsciously


    withdrawing her gaze, she managed to catch a glimpse of Arielle smiling at her.


    It enraged her because Arielle¡¯s look and behavior were clearly meant to provoke her.


    She couldn¡¯t hold back her emotions any longer and stood up.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What are you doing? Sit down!¡± The queen mother¡¯s sharp voice immediately entered her ear.


    ¡°But Mother!¡± The queen turned toward the queen mother. However, when she saw the look in the


    latter¡¯s eyes, she had no choice but to sit back down.


    As for Arielle, she had already looked away. She sat close to Dn as she stared at Vinson, who came


    in with the Wilhelms.


    The man was wearing a ck suit with a white shirt. His tall, slim figure made him look absolutely


    dashing. Even though he was wearing a hyper-realistic mask, he was still handsome enough to get her


    heart racing and make her unable to look away from him. She smiled. At that moment, there was only


    him in her eyes.


    At the same time, another person other than Arielle was staring at Vinson.


    That person was Nico, the woman who asked Vinson for help when he got off the ne arriving at


    Turlen. Because he didn¡¯t help to cover her, she was captured by her family members and was brought


    back home.


    At first, she was still very angry because her parents forbade her from studying overseas. However, at


    that moment, she was grateful for them, because she finally met a man she loved.


    Ever since she was captured by her father¡¯s men, she had been trying to get any info about the man


    she saw at the airport. Unfortunately, no one had any idea who he was. Thus, she could only keep her


    love for him to herself. She didn¡¯t expect to meet him at the birthday banquet.


    It was a pleasant surprise for her.


    Her heart began to race uncontrobly when she saw the person she liked entering the venue. She


    was usually pretty bold and carefree, but at that moment, she blushed.


    Vinson had no idea he had attracted the love of another maiden. Even if he did, he wouldn¡¯t care,


    because there was only ever Arielle in his heart. No one could rece her.


    Aaron¡¯s gaze was still fixed on Arielle. When he saw her smiling in a direction, he followed her line of


    sight and saw who it was. His expression darkened almost immediately.


    I had a feeling it was Vinson. This time, I definitely won¡¯t let him go. No one can stop me from being


    together with Arielle. No one.


    The birthday banquet went on without a hitch. It had been the happiest birthday Dn ever had. A


    blissful smile was etched on his face as he stared at his beautiful daughter.

 Chapter 1481

    Chapter 1481


    Chapter 1481 Self Aware


    When the crowd saw that, they got even more curious about Arielle¡¯s identity. ¡°Dad, she¡¯s our medical


    professor,¡± a few young people said.


    ¡°Remember to foster a good rtionship with her.¡± When the parents learned about Arielle¡¯s identity


    from their children, they didn¡¯t ask their children to distance themselves from Arielle because she was


    from Chanaea.


    On the contrary, they reckoned she was someone incredible because she was able to hold Dn¡¯s arm


    as they walked into the hall and even made him lift her gown as she sat.


    The young people nodded in agreement upon hearing their parents¡¯ request. They were more than


    happy to build a rapport with Arielle because of her incredible medical skills, not for her identity.


    So, after a while, the students who were brought to the banquet by their parents went over to exchange


    pleasantries with Arielle. That scene made the look in Vinson¡¯s eyes darken slightly.


    ¡°Can I invite you to a dance?¡± Just as Vinson was staring at Arielle, the charming voice of a woman


    entered his ear.


    He turned around, furrowed his brows at the smiling woman, and rejected, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t know


    how to dance.¡±


    When Nico heard that, she didn¡¯t give up. In fact, she thought it was perfect that he couldn¡¯t dance


    because she would be able to use that opportunity to teach him and improve his impression of her.


    Thus, she continued to speak with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s all right if you don¡¯t. I can teach you.¡±


    When she finished, she stared at the man in front of her with hopeful eyes. He¡¯s indeed the type of man


    that I would fall for. That cool personality and sexy voice of his are so alluring.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to dance.¡± He furrowed his brows.


    He was pretty annoyed that an unfamiliar woman was abruptly asking him for a dance.


    After being rejected twice, Nico was starting to feel a little ufortable despite the fact that she


    usually had a big heart. Still, the more he acted that way, the more she wanted to conquer his heart.


    ¡°Can we be friends then? I¡¯m Nico,¡± she said as she stretched her hand out with the intention of


    shaking his hand. However, he ignored her. It was as if he didn¡¯t hear her at all.


    It was the first time she was rejected like that again and again. However, the more she was treated that


    way, the more she tried to cling on to him. She had decided that she was going to make the man before


    her hers, no matter the cost.


    Upon retracting her hand, she asked, ¡°Do you dislike me that much?¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Vinson furrowed his brows and found her to be like an annoying fly that wouldn¡¯t stop buzzing around


    him.


    ¡°Congrattions, it seems like you have a shred of self-awareness,¡± he spat before turning away to


    look for Arielle.


    Even though it was only two minutes, Arielle was already gone without a trace when he turned to look


    at her again. His frown deepened as he swept his gaze around his surroundings.


    Nico didn¡¯t expect he would reply to her like that. She snorted as she stared at his back. Interesting!


    Very interesting! Hah, there¡¯s no way I can¡¯t make this man mine. I¡¯ll definitely make him submit to me!


    With that thought in mind, she smiled and went to sit on a nearby chair. As she continued staring at


    Vinson, countless strategies were already starting to form inside her mind.


    ¡°Behave yourself, Nico. It¡¯d be bad if Her Majesty and the queen mother see you acting like this.¡± An


    elegant voice rang out from behind her. Nico turned around and smiled. ¡°So what if they did, Mother?


    What does it have to do with me?¡±


    ¡°You know, your father had already negotiated a marriage between you and Prince Aaron with them.¡±


    Nico¡¯s mother tapped at Nico¡¯s forehead with her forefinger. Her voice was filled with love.


    Nico was shocked and instantly widened her eyes. ¡°But I thought Sonia is supposed to be Aaron¡¯s


    future consort.¡±

 Chapter 1482

    Chapter 1482


    Chapter 1482 I Like This Man


    ¡°That was just an excuse for the public to hear. In reality, they had alreadye to an agreement.


    Once you and Aaron graduate, both of you will get married,¡± Nico¡¯s mother informed.


    That piece of news was like a bomb exploding in Nico¡¯s mind. She was so devastated that she didn¡¯t


    know what to say.


    After a while, she said, ¡°I¡¯m not going to marry Aaron, Mother. Tell Father to get that idea out of his


    mind. There¡¯s still time for him to cancel the marriage since it¡¯s not announced to the public yet.¡±


    ¡°Prince Aaron has a noble status. He¡¯s a capable, strong, and handsome man. What¡¯s not to like about


    him?¡± her mother questioned, displeasure evident in her tone.


    She believed her daughter¡¯s marriage to the prince was a good idea since both of them would be a


    good match.


    ¡°He may be good, but he¡¯s not my type.¡± Nico grabbed her mother¡¯s arm. ¡°Please convince Father to


    change his mind, Mother.¡±


    ¡°You can tell him yourself.¡± Nico¡¯s mother shook off her daughter¡¯s hand and left. She wasn¡¯t going to


    mess up the marriage because Aaron was the son-inw she had set her eyes on.


    Nico shrugged resignedly. Seems like I¡¯ll have to deal with this myself. She looked around for Vinson


    and stubbornly approached him when she saw him. I¡¯ll definitely make him fall for me!


    Meanwhile, Vinson eventually found Arielle holding a ss of wine and was prepared to take a sip. He


    stepped toward her swiftly.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Then, he snatched her wine ss away with a frown and reminded her, ¡°Have you forgotten that you¡¯re


    having your period now? You can¡¯t drink alcohol.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I almost forgot!¡± Arielle widened her eyes.


    He knew she would forget about that. ¡°Here, drink this.¡± He pulled out a small thermos from his pocket


    and handed it to her. ¡°It¡¯s brown sugar water.¡±


    She grabbed the thermos as her lips curved upward uncontrobly. She joked, ¡°You¡¯re such a steward!¡±


    Vinson smiled as well, though with a tinge of resignation. He stared at her with a deep look. Who do


    you think I¡¯m doing this for, you heartless woman? Still, for you, I¡¯m willing to be a steward.


    That scene was witnessed by Nico, who was looking for Vinson, and Sonia, who was standing next to


    Arielle. Both of them had very different reactions to it.


    While Sonia wished she could have a caring husband like Arielle, Nico, on the other hand, was very


    displeased that the man she liked was treating another woman nicely.


    ¡°What is your rtionship with her?¡± Nico arrived at Vinson¡¯s side and stared at Arielle unkindly before


    turning her line of sight back to him.


    When she talked to him earlier, he acted dismissively toward her. That made her think he was that kind


    of person. However, when she saw the heartwarming scene he shared with Arielle, she couldn¡¯t hold


    back her emotions any longer. What part of me is inferiorpared to her? He treats me so coldly, yet


    he takes such good care of this woman. He even knows when¡¯s her period and prepared brown sugar


    water for her! I¡¯ll admit that I¡¯m really jealous right now!


    When Vinson heard her interrogative tone, he swept his gaze past her coldly. Is this woman insane?


    Arielle raised her brow and looked at him. I didn¡¯t expect he¡¯ll still attract another woman¡¯s attention


    while wearing a fake face.


    She stared at the two of them with interest while sitting on her chair casually. asionally, she would


    take a sip of the brown sugar water from the thermos. While she didn¡¯t really like sweet stuff, at that


    moment, it tasted pretty good to her.


    Nico wasn¡¯t intimidated by Vinson¡¯s scary look. In fact, it only reinforced her desire to conquer him.


    She walked past Vinson and stopped in front of Arielle. After staring at Arielle for nearly two minutes,


    she announced resolutely, ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but I¡¯m telling you, this man is mine!¡±

 Chapter 1483

    Chapter 1483


    Chapter 1483 Burning Bridges


    Oh, my. Did she actually just announce that she¡¯s going to snatch my man away from me? Well, it¡¯s a


    shame that I¡¯m very petty. No one can snatch away anything that is mine if I don¡¯t want to let it go.


    Arielle smirked.


    ¡°So, you like him, huh?¡± She stared at Nico with a smile. ¡°I have to say, you got good taste. Sadly,


    however, he belongs to me.¡±


    With that said, she hooked her finger and beckoned Vinson over to her side.


    ¡°My hand¡¯s feeling pretty cold,¡± Arielle drawled. In response, Vinson smiled and ced her hand in his


    palm. He then lowered his head and warmed her hand with his breath. ¡°There. Now you won¡¯t feel


    cold.¡±


    Nico red at Arielle. She¡¯s doing it on purpose! Well, don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to make me give up on


    him that easily. I¡¯ve gotten everything I wanted since I¡¯m a kid, and that¡¯s certainly not going to change


    now! I¡¯ll do whatever it takes for me to have this man!


    ¡°Hmph!¡± She turned around and left as she didn¡¯t want to watch that enraging scene any further. I¡¯m


    going to have toe up with a n to snatch him away from that woman!


    After Nico left, Arielle removed her hand from Vinson¡¯s palm.


    Vinson smiled at her in response. My, my, she¡¯s throwing me away the moment I served my purpose.


    She felt strangely guilty when he stared at her like that.


    ¡°Can you apany my parents? I have something I need to talk to Sonia about,¡± she requested with


    a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯m not in a hurry.¡± Sonia quickly waved her hands when she heard that Arielle was going


    to shoo her husband away just so they could talk. She didn¡¯t want to be insensitive and break the


    couple up.


    ¡°Have a good chat then.¡± Vinson patted Arielle¡¯s head lovingly before leaving.


    Envy sparkled in Sonia¡¯s eyes when she saw that. It¡¯s so nice to see two people who are in love with


    each other.


    After he left, Arielle narrowed her eyes and asked in a low voice, ¡°So, what is it that¡¯s making you


    hesitate to talk to me? You can tell me whatever that¡¯s on your mind. There¡¯s no need to hold back.¡±


    Sonia looked around and noticed no one was near them. So, she leaned closer to Arielle and


    whispered her secret.


    ¡°Sonia, I did tell you to find your own happiness, but that isn¡¯t what I meant¡­¡± Arielle stared at Sonia


    and wondered about the woman¡¯s thought process.


    She didn¡¯t expect that her word of advice would prompt Sonia to sleep with a stranger.


    ¡°I was really angered by my mother that day, and when he kept clinging on to me, I¡­ I thought I should


    go along with it,¡± Sonia uttered in a small voice as she tugged at the edge of her outfit.


    She had been staying silent about the matter and keeping it to herself. It was her intention to tell Arielle


    about it the next day, but the woman was so busy that she couldn¡¯t find a chance to do so. Since there


    was a chance for her to do it that night, she decided toe clean about it.


    Aside from Arielle, no one else knew about this, not even Be.


    While Be could tell that something was going on, she knew she shouldn¡¯t ask about it.


    ¡°Did you use protections?¡± Arielle asked.


    Sonia shook her head.


    ¡°What about emergency contraceptive pills?¡±


    Sonia widened her eyes. Contraceptive pills! I can¡¯t believe I had totally forgotten about this. What


    should I do now?


    She stared at Arielle with a pitiful look.


    However, there wasn¡¯t much Arielle could do. In the end, she said with a frown, ¡°Come find me a month


    later.¡±


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    If she really is pregnant, then she needs to abort the baby as soon as possible so her body won¡¯t be


    severely damaged. Since she has no idea who the man is, I don¡¯t want her to keep the child. If she


    keeps the child, she¡¯ll have to raise the child by herself. Sure, motherhood makes a woman stronger,


    but people rarely understand just how difficult it is.

 Chapter 1484

    Chapter 1484


    Chapter 1484 Uproar


    Besides, with her identity, it¡¯ll cause an uproar if news about her being pregnant out of wedlock


    spreads. Sonia nodded absent-mindedly at Arielle¡¯s words. How can I forget to take birth control pills?


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    She hit her head at her clumsiness. I¡¯m so stupid! How can I forget when I¡¯m a medical student myself.


    Where has mymon sense gone?


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Maybe it¡¯ll be fine.¡± Arielle frowned upon seeing how upset and regretful Sonia looked.


    ¡°But I¡¯m scared!¡± I¡¯m scared that there¡¯s a baby growing in my belly. I¡¯m not ready to be a mother yet.


    Arielle patted Sonia¡¯s shoulder tofort her when she noticed the horrified look on the woman¡¯s face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. You still have me.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Moore, you¡¯re so nice.¡± Feeling touched, Sonia wrapped her arms around Arielle. Her cold,


    haughty attitude from when they first met was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°You should really learn to be more careful.¡± Arielle sighed.


    Sonia simply nodded her head listlessly at Arielle¡¯s advice.


    While Dn was full of anticipation of what his daughter had prepared for him, the banquet finally


    ended. Sybil first ordered the chauffeur to send the Wilhelms back before heading back to the kitchen.


    Arielle joined him there after changing out of her formal attire.


    A birthday cake was necessary for a Chanaean birthday.


    As such, she had prepared a simple birthday cake for Dn that night.


    Whisking sugar and butter together, she then added eggs. In another bowl, she whisked flour, baking


    powder, and salt. Once that was done, she added the flour mixture and buttermilk into the butter


    mixture. After the batter was prepared, she poured it into the baking pan and baked it in the oven. After


    the cake had cooled down, she spread the frosting between the cakeyers and around the whole


    cake. Next, she sprinkled candy sprinkles onto the cake. Finally, she stuck candles onto the finished


    cake, adding up to Dn¡¯s age with one extra to signify the hope of another full year lived. She didn¡¯t


    care nor expect others to love her father, all she knew was that she would always love him.


    Once the candles on the birthday cake were lit, she carefully carried it to the dining table. Sybil had led


    Dn to the table just in time.


    ¡°Your Majesty, this is the birthday cake that the princess had made for you.¡±


    As Sybil spoke, Dn had already taken a seat and forked a piece of cake into his mouth with


    reddened eyes.


    This is a unique Chanaean birthday cake. Twenty-five years ago, Maureen had made one for me. I


    can¡¯t believe that twenty-five yearster, I get to eat one that my daughter made.


    ¡°Happy Birthday, Dad,¡± Arielle wished as she looked at Dn. Noticing the tears welling in his eyes,


    she paused briefly before continuing, ¡°I¡¯ll celebrate every birthday with you from now on.¡±


    Dn nodded his head silently, too choked up for words. He didn¡¯t want to talk then, for he was worried


    that the tears that were on the verge of falling would stream down his face once he opened his mouth.


    The birthday cake was the most precious birthday present he had ever received.


    He didn¡¯t expect Arielle to make one for him.


    While Dn was eating the birthday cake that Arielle made with teary eyes, the queen, on the other


    hand, was so furious that her eyes were bloodshot as she stood before the queen mother.


    ¡°Mother, Dn has crossed a line! How could he attend the banquet with that Chanaean doctor?¡±


    Recalling Arielle¡¯s challenging look back at the banquet earlier had the queen infuriated. She had


    wanted to go up to Arielle then and give her a few ps.


    The queen mother cast a nonchnt nce at the queen, feeling fed up with thetter¡¯s antics.


    ¡°How many times have I told you to care for Dn? I have said the same thing all these years, but did


    you listen to me?¡± The queen mother lifted her gaze to stare at the queen.

 Chapter 1485

    Chapter 1485


    Chapter 1485 Marriage Upon Graduation


    The queen felt a knot in her throat at the queen mother¡¯s admonishment. I would love to care for him,


    but he had denied me time and again. No matter what I sent to him, he would always reject them.


    What else am I supposed to do? He has no idea that I had been the butt of the joke of the people for all


    the things I did for him. It¡¯s not my fault that the distance between us is growing further by the day.


    ¡°Mother, you know how it is between Dn and me,¡± the queen grumbled.


    The queen mother frowned. I can¡¯t help the queen improve her rtionship with Dn. Even though


    I¡¯m Dn¡¯s biological mother, we had been estranged ever since the day I lied to get him to return from


    Chanaea to marry the queen and drugged him on his wedding night.


    ¡°He¡¯s very protective of that woman, so think twice before you make a move against her. Moreover, you


    still have Aaron.¡± She nced at the queen at the mention of her grandson. ¡°You should stop trying to


    get Dn to like you and start focusing on Aaron instead.¡±


    ¡°Mother, should we have Aaron engaged to Nico? They can get married right after they graduate.¡±


    Nico and Sonia were both the type of daughters-inw she wanted for Aaron, but since Nico could


    support Aaron more, she decided to set her sights on Nico. As a mother, she wanted Aaron¡¯s marriage


    partner to be able to support him. It was exactly how the queen mother had chosen her as Dn¡¯s wife.


    The queen mother nodded, agreeing with the queen¡¯s suggestion. It¡¯s better to decide now to prevent


    any mishaps.


    The next day, the queen requested Aaron toe to the castle. She immediately told him about his


    engagement to Nico the moment he came into view.


    ¡°Aaron, your grandma and I have discussed that you and Nico would be engaged on your birthday, and


    we would hold your wedding after you graduated.¡±


    ¡°How could you decide on my marriage without asking for my opinion first?¡± Sadness and


    disappointment shed across Aaron¡¯s eyes as his expression darkened at his mother¡¯s words.


    Her marriage wasn¡¯t a happy one. So why would she want her only son to follow in her footsteps? Does


    she not care about my happiness at all?


    I remember she would coax me to sleep with a luby, bake desserts for me, and even sew my clothes


    when I was younger. Even though everything changed soon after, I still believed that she loved me


    dearly. Yet now, I¡¯m starting to think otherwise. I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯s treating me as her son or a pawn.


    ¡°Aaron, I¡¯m your mother. I have the right to determine your marriage. I called you here today not


    because I wanted to discuss it with you. I¡¯m just informing you.¡± Hearing Aaron¡¯s questioning tone, her


    expression turned dour.


    ¡°You¡¯re disrespecting me by doing this.¡± Aaron stared at his mother and said, ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s an


    engagement or wedding, but I won¡¯t be attending it. So do whatever you like.¡±


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    With that said, he spun on his heels and left. He didn¡¯t want to stay there another minute, for he was


    worried that he would lose his temper and say something hurtful to his mother if he did.


    ¡°Aaron! Aaron!¡±


    The queen¡¯s expression darkened further at Aaron¡¯s hasty departure. The more she yelled at him, the


    faster his pace was. The sight of that angered her to no end, leading her to fling her arm across the


    coffee table, sweeping the precious china onto the floor.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Watching from the side, Miranda quickly came up to reassure the queen. ¡°His Royal


    Highness still has his heart set on that Chanaean doctor. Forcing him will only make him distance


    himself further.¡±


    The queen sank into the couch angrily and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to force him, but if we don¡¯t settle his


    engagement¡­¡±

 Chapter 1486

    Chapter 1486


    Chapter 1486 Strike First


    The thought of both father and son fighting for the same woman had the queen infuriated. Still, she


    would rather Dn focus his attention on that Chanaean woman than have his son marry her.


    ¡°Your Majesty should talk to His Royal Highness properly. He¡¯ll understand where you¡¯reing from


    eventually,¡± Miranda cautiously advised.


    The employees were the ones who would suffer if the employer was in a bad mood. Even though she


    knew the queen wouldn¡¯t do anything to her, Miranda was still wary.


    Without another word, the queen simply waved her hand, dismissing Miranda. She wanted some time


    to think.


    After Aaron left the queen¡¯s wing, he wandered into Dn¡¯s wing mindlessly and coincidentally saw


    Sybiling out of the front door.


    He halted in his steps. After pondering about it briefly, he approached Sybil. Before he could say


    anything, Sybil spoke first.


    ¡°Your Royal Highness, are you here for His Majesty? His Majesty is currently in his study. You will find


    him there,¡± Sybil informed Aaron with a smile.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Aaron muttered absent-mindedly. He had wanted to ask Sybil what kind of guy Arielle likes but


    recalled Sybil didn¡¯t even know her. So, he quickly changed his words before he could voice them out.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sending some shrimp over to Ms. Moore. We just received it this morning. His Majesty wanted to


    send some to Ms. Moore,¡± Sybil answered with a chuckle.


    Aaron¡¯s expression turned sullen at Sybil¡¯s words.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Father treating her a bit too well?¡± He pretended to ask Sybil innocently. His intention was to warn


    Sybil that his father was treating Arielle differently and wanted Sybil to take note of it.


    Sybil caught Aaron¡¯s insinuation but didn¡¯t think of it in the way Aaron wanted. He simply thought that


    Aaron had noticed Dn¡¯s differential treatment of Arielle and had begun to suspect Arielle¡¯s and


    Dn¡¯s rtionship.


    Sybil swiftly added, ¡°Ms. Moore is a doctor His Majesty has specifically invited for you. It¡¯s normal for


    him to treat her well.¡±


    ¡°All right. Continue with your duties then.¡± Seeing how Sybil didn¡¯t catch on to his meaning, Aaron


    decided to drop the matter.


    With that, Sybil carried the shrimps and headed toward Paelsford Manor. Aaron¡¯s words kept reying


    in his mind. The more he thought about it, the more he suspected Aaron had found out about Dn¡¯s


    and Arielle¡¯s rtionship. He quickly sent Dn a text, informing him about his suspicion and asked if


    Dn wanted to reveal Arielle¡¯s identity to Aaron.


    After sending that text, he waited for Dn¡¯s reply patiently.


    Upon reading Sybil¡¯s text, Dn rubbed the spot between his brow, feeling troubled. He decided not to


    reveal Arielle¡¯s identity to Aaron after much consideration. He was worried that Aaron couldn¡¯t ept


    he had a sister. After making his decision, he informed Sybil of it.


    The first thing Aaron did upon returning home was to bring Arielle over. He couldn¡¯t wait any longer. If


    it¡¯s just Vinson or anybody else, I could easily snatch her away. But now that my father had gotten intoThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    the mix¡­ I could never snatch anything away from Father. Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll just make my move


    first.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you three more days to bring her here. If you can¡¯t do that, you¡¯ll receive your punishments


    automatically. I don¡¯t keep useless people by my side,¡± Aaron ordered with a stony expression.


    If possible, I would love to bring Arielle to my side personally. The thought of Father treating her well is


    making me crazy.

 Chapter 1487

    Chapter 1487


    Chapter 1487 Single


    For the past two days, Xavier was glued to Lana. Ever since they got together that night, they didn¡¯t


    want to separate from each other, so they had been living together all this while,pletely forgetting


    about everything else other than each other.


    Meanwhile, Harvey had run to a couple of jewelers, yet he still couldn¡¯t find any information on the


    ne. Left without a choice, he called Xavier. Xavier had been in the city longer and knew more


    people than he did, so Harvey figured he could get some information from Xavier.


    At the same time, Xavier had Lana pinned beneath him as he stared at her with gentleness in his eyes.


    He leaned in closer to her, lowering his head and nting a kiss on her lips. Suddenly, his ringtone cut


    through the sweet atmosphere.


    F*ck! I forgot to put my phone on silent! Who would be so insensible to call me at this time?


    He continued to kiss Lana, unwilling to let her go. However, his phone rang persistently. Noting the


    urgency, Lana urged him to take the call. Resignedly, he got up and went to grab his phone.


    He raked his fingers through his hair with annoyance after a nce at the caller.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked through clenched teeth.


    This must be karma. I interrupted Vinson a few days ago, and now his best friend is calling me. This


    must be Harvey taking revenge on his behalf.


    ¡°Have I interrupted you?¡± Harvey asked btedly.


    Xavier rolled his eyes at the question. ¡°You only caught that now?¡±


    Harvey¡¯s lips tugged into a smile. He shot a nce at his watch and saw that it was only eight in the


    evening. Does his night start so early? Isn¡¯t he in too much of a hurry?


    ¡°You¡¯re the one being hasty. Don¡¯t you know what time is it? Isn¡¯t it a bit too early for your happy time?¡±


    Harvey teased.


    Xavier arched his brow in question. ¡°How would a single man like you understand the feelings of


    someone who¡¯s in a rtionship like me?¡±


    Harvey couldn¡¯t retort at that quip.


    What did he mean by that? Is he mocking all the single people? Is he looking down on me for not


    having a wife?


    Harvey raised his brow at the biting remark. Once I find the person I¡¯m looking for, I¡¯ll have a wife too.


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll stop teasing you. So, tell me. Why are you calling me?¡± Xavier gave in, knowing his


    remarks had given Harvey a huge blow.


    Harvey told him the reason he called. Xavier narrowed his eyes as he listened to the man¡¯s request.


    He¡¯s looking for the owner of a ne? Is the owner a woman?


    Xavier asked, ¡°Is the owner a woman?¡±


    Harvey admitted, ¡°Yes, the owner is a woman.¡±


    And she¡¯s not just any woman. She¡¯s my future wife.


    ¡°Why are you searching for her? What is your rtionship with her?¡± Xavier asked excitedly, knowing


    there was more to Harvey¡¯s answer than thetter told him. At that moment, he hadpletely


    forgotten how Harvey had disrupted his evening.


    ¡°She¡¯s my future wife,¡± Harvey said proudly with a happy smile.


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll help you ask around.¡±


    D*mn! I just said he didn¡¯t have a wife a minute ago. And now he has one?


    Xavier ended the call after agreeing to help Harvey. Learning his lesson, he switched his phone to


    silent, not wanting anyone else to interrupt him again. Luckily, it was just forey earlier. Or I would


    have been shocked to death if the phone had rung at the crucial moment.


    He shook his head at that thought and instantly threw his phone to the side. With a smooth turn of his


    body, he plopped himself onto the bed and got on top of Lana again, resuming his passionate kiss.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Lana circled her arms around his neck, responding to his kisses. Her slender arms slowly trailed down


    his back and continued into his pants.


    ¡°You little minx!¡± Xavier was panting from her seductive actions.

 Chapter 1488

    Chapter 1488


    Chapter 1488 Do You Like It


    Lana leaned into Xavier¡¯s ear and whispered coquettishly. ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    She was inherently a forward woman. Given that she had nned to spend the rest of her life with the


    man on top of her, she was willing to show him every side of her.


    ¡°I do! In fact, I love it!¡± Xavier replied before hugging her and giving her a passionate kiss.


    At that moment, passion filled the air. After their clothes were thrown from the bed to the ground one by


    one, amorous moans ensued.


    Two dayster, Ariellepleted the arrangements for her lessons as she prepared to return to


    Chanaea within the next few days. After she informed Sybil about it, she informed Dn of the same.


    Even though he was reluctant to see his daughter go, he still provided her a visa for her departure.


    This time, the Wilhelms and Pat would be going back together. Not knowing what the future had


    installed for them, Arielle decided to send them back, never to return to Turlen. As for Arielle, she


    would only return and reunite with them once she helped her father seize power.


    Due to them taking a different route back, the Wilhelms would leave a few days ahead of Arielle.


    At the airport, the Wilhelms gave their daughter a concerned look, for they were reluctant to leave her


    behind.


    ¡°San¡ª¡±


    Before Andrea could say anything, Arielle hugged her and whispered softly into her ear, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t


    worry about me. Vinson is here, and so is my birth father. Both of them will protect me.¡±


    She was well aware of Andrea¡¯s concern for her.


    Realizing that Arielle was cognizant of her worries, Andrea patted her on the shoulder.


    ¡°Take care of yourself.¡±


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Meanwhile, Hubert looked at Vinson and remarked with a heavy heart, ¡°I¡¯ll be handing San over to you.


    Given theplex situation, our presence will only be a burden to her. You must protect her, you


    hear?¡±


    Vinson nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll protect her with my life.¡±


    Hubert patted Vinson on his shoulder.


    Just when they were about to board the ne, Pat struggled free from the Wilhelms¡¯ hands and ran up


    to Arielle to give her a hug.


    ¡°San, I¡¯ll be missing you. Come back as soon as you can.¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll definitely do so. Remember to listen to Mom and Dad, and don¡¯t get into trouble, all right?¡±


    Arielle reminded with a smile as she pinched his cheeks.


    Pat nodded with conviction. ¡°I¡¯ll be good.¡±


    After that, he turned to Vinson and instructed as if he was an adult, ¡°Vinson, take good care of San. I


    don¡¯t want to see her hurt.¡±


    When he recently learned of Arielle¡¯s arm injury, he hugged her with an aching heart and told her that


    he would take up martial arts to protect her in the future. Arielle was beyond touched by his words.


    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely protect her. Also, don¡¯t forget our promise.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. You¡¯re not allowed to forget it too.¡± Just as Pat spoke, Hubert carried him away, for thest


    boarding call was already being made.


    After watching the ne take off, Vinson and Arielle left the airport.


    ¡°What sort of promise did you make with Pat? Why don¡¯t I know about it?¡± Arielle was curious, but


    Vinson kept her in suspense. ¡°Take a guess.¡± However, Arielle snorted in exasperation. Since you don¡¯t


    want to tell me, I don¡¯t want to know either.


    Ever since the banquet, Nico had fallen head over heels for Vinson. Hence, she sent her men to find


    out who Vinson and Arielle was and finally learned their identity.

 Chapter 1489

    Chapter 1489


    Chapter 1489 Suddenly Married


    Lying on thewn at home with a frustrated look on her face, Nico chewed on a green foxtail grass in


    her mouth.


    What should I do? She had given Vinson¡¯s identity a lot of thought but never expected him to be a mere


    bodyguard. Even though she didn¡¯t mind his station, her parents would definitely object to them being


    together.


    Of course, she could always sleep with him to make their protests moot.


    With the n in mind, Nico spat out the stalk of foxtail grass excitedly and decided to go and see


    Vinson.


    She had Arielle¡¯s identity investigated and learned that thetter was a teacher hired by Aaron, while


    Vinson was nothing more than Arielle¡¯s bodyguard. No wonder she said that he was her man. If I had


    known about their rtionship then, I wouldn¡¯t have left in a huff.


    Nico was aware that Vinson would be waiting at the school entrance every day for Arielle to finish her


    ss. Therefore, she headed to the medical school dressed to the nines with the intention of making an


    impressive entrance.


    However, Vinson didn¡¯t arrive at the school ahead of time that day, for he had heard from Xavier that


    Harvey had gotten himself a wife. Shocked by the news, he wanted to find out more about it instead.


    It¡¯s good to know that he has finally found a wife, as that¡¯s a sign of him having gotten over Arielle. It


    was a weed development for both Arielle and Vinson, for they didn¡¯t want to lose him as a friend.


    Now that Harvey had begun a blissful life of his own, Arielle and Vinson could offer him their sincere


    blessings.


    Upon reaching the apartment, Vinson pressed the doorbell. Surprised to see Vinson, Harvey wondered


    what the purpose of the visit was.


    Considering how close they were, Vinson naturally knew what was on Harvey¡¯s mind.


    After taking two sips from the drink Harvey served him, he exined, ¡°Xavier mentioned that you got


    yourself a wife. So, I thought I¡¯d drop by to find out about it.¡±


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Harvey felt a little awkward. He didn¡¯t expect Xavier to spread the news so quickly. In truth, he had


    come over to Turlen due to his concern for Arielle and the urge to help Vinson. However, before he


    could do anything, he somehow ended up with a potential partner, which was kind of embarrassing for


    him.


    Nevertheless, the awkwardness onlysted for a fleeting moment. After all, there were no secrets


    between the best of friends.


    After downing a few gulps of beer, Harvey rted what happened to Vinson.


    Vinson was stumped upon knowing everything.


    How could she be your wife if you don¡¯t even know what she looks like?


    Even though Vinson didn¡¯t express his thoughts verbally, Harvey gave him a knowing look and curled


    his lips. ¡°I¡¯m certain that she is the woman that I will spend the rest of my life with.¡± Just as he spoke,


    he nced at Vinson and took out the ne he always had on him. He then added, ¡°Please take a


    photo of it and get Arielle to help ask around.¡±


    Given that Arielle was a teacher at the medical school, she obviously knew a lot more people than


    either Vinson or Xavier. More importantly, the students at the school mostly belonged to the nobility.


    Therefore, there was no one more suitable for the task than her.


    At the mention of Arielle, Harvey realized that he no longer felt as sad as before.


    While Vinson was taking the photo, his mind was upied by Harvey¡¯s action and didn¡¯t notice the


    picture contained within the ne. After he was done, he locked his phone and put it back into his


    pocket.


    ¡°Thanks for the trouble.¡± Harvey patted Vinson on his shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all.¡± In reality, it was he and Arielle who had given Harvey trouble.

 Chapter 1490

    Chapter 1490


    Chapter 1490 A Couple


    When Vinson checked his watch and realized that it was time to pick Arielle up, he left Harvey¡¯s ce


    and headed to the medical school.


    Meanwhile, when Nico, who had already arrived, saw him leaning against his car, her heart began to


    flutter. Somehow, she felt the man before him was not who he imed he was. Even though he was


    just a bodyguard, the aura he emitted was more distinguished than that of Aaron, who was already a


    prince.


    After tidying up her hair that was messed up by the wind, she swaggered up to Vinson with a smile. ¡°Hi,


    what a coincidence to see you again.¡±


    Upon hearing her voice, Vinson looked up and shot her a nce before retracting his gaze.


    After all, he wasn¡¯t bothered about anyone he deemed irrelevant.


    When Nico saw how he tantly ignored her, she broke into a smirk.


    Do you think I would give up that easily? Never! Whatever I want, regardless of someone or something,


    I¡¯ll definitely have them.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You must be waiting to pick Arielle up. I already found out that she¡¯s nothing but your employer.¡±


    Smiling slightly at Vinson, Nico added generously, ¡°If you¡¯re willing to be my bodyguard, I¡¯ll pay you five


    times what your current sry is.¡±


    Even though Vinson continued to ignore her, Nico wasn¡¯t disheartened at all. In fact, the more he


    disregarded her, the more intense her interest in him became.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not willing to be my bodyguard, why don¡¯t we be friends instead?¡± she asked while


    maintaining her vibrant smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re being annoying.¡±


    Initially, Vinson had no intention of talking to her. However, her incessant badgering caused him to lose


    his patience.


    Nico blushed in response, for this was the first time in her life someone hadined that she was


    being too noisy.


    Oh, my God! He¡¯s so cool when he does that. This is too much for me!


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s be friends and I won¡¯t bother you.¡± Nico stared at him with admiration as her interest


    in him kept growing with every passing moment.


    After giving her the side-eye, Vinson retracted his gaze.


    Other than Arielle, he would not befriend any other woman.


    ¡°Shall we exchange contacts?¡± Just as she spoke, Nico handed her phone over, hoping that he would


    input his number into it. In response, Vinson continued to ignore her.


    Despite putting her phone away, she continued to gawk at him.


    Just then, Arielle walked out of the school and raised her brow upon the scene that greeted her. Has


    her pursuit of Vinson brought her here?


    Monitoring the school¡¯s entrance the entire time, Vinson hurried over to her side the moment he spotted


    Arielle. After taking her bag from her, he escorted her to the car.


    Watching Vinson throughout, Nico was filled with indignance when she saw him go beyond his duties


    as a bodyguard to carry Arielle¡¯s bag for her. Consequently, she walked up to Arielle and admonished


    her, ¡°He¡¯s your bodyguard, not your nanny. Carrying your bag for you isn¡¯t within his job scope. Next


    time, you should hold your own bag and not get him to do it.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my man, so I can get him to do whatever I want. Besides, how is this any of your business?¡±


    Arielle asked with a raised brow while trying to hold back a smile.


    Nico was infuriated. What does she mean that he¡¯s her man? He¡¯s nothing but her bodyguard. Why is


    she making their rtionship sound so intimate? In fact, someone not in the know would assume both


    of them are a couple!


    ¡°What you¡¯re doing vites theborws!¡± Nico snapped, directing a hostile re at Arielle.


    ¡°So what?¡± Arielle raised her brows. ¡°Does he look like he¡¯s being forced to do it?¡±


    Stung by the words, Nico turned her attention toward Vinson and noticed the affection in his eyes.

 Chapter 1491

    Chapter 1491


    Chapter 1491 No Escape


    When Nico saw that Vinson was clearly in love with Arielle, she felt a sudden squeeze in her heart. She


    had assumed that she was only interested in Vinson. But when she saw how he was looking at Arielle,


    an uncontroble pain seized her heart.


    It was then that she realized it was love at first sight for her. In fact, she didn¡¯t even notice how deeply


    in love she was with him. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Vinson opened the car door to let Arielle in.


    Before she did, Arielle turned around to give Nico a look before casually adding, ¡°He isn¡¯t someone you


    can dream of having. So, you¡¯d better quell that desire of yours. Or else, the one to get hurt in the end


    will be you.¡±


    The moment she finished, she got into the car without hesitation. Subsequently, she gave Vinson a


    knowing snort when he was buckling her seatbelt for her.


    ¡°I ignored her,¡± Vinson replied defensively.


    Cracking a smile, Arielle threw the question back at him, ¡°Did I say anything?¡±


    Vinson was speechless.


    It¡¯s true you didn¡¯t say a word, but your actions and expressions couldn¡¯t be any more obvious.


    Curling his lips helplessly, he handed her a warm sk.


    After drinking a few mouthfuls, she returned it to Vinson. Just when he was about to put it away, there


    was a sudden knock on the car window. When Arielle and Vinson looked in the direction of the sound,


    all they saw was Aaron, who had sweat beading off his forehead.


    Upon winding down the window, Arielle stared at him with her glistening eyes and asked coldly, ¡°What


    is it?¡±


    At that moment, she didn¡¯t know how to face the only brother she had.


    ¡°I heard that you¡¯re returning to Chanaea. Is that true?¡± Aaron¡¯s voice was trembling as he looked at


    her with a grim expression.


    He had just gone to see the president and learned from thetter that Arielle had handed over her


    curriculum and was nning to return to Chanaea within the next few days. As a result, he hurried over


    to ask her in person whether it was true. Is she really going to leave?


    After ring at him for a while, Arielle replied, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s true.¡±


    However, she didn¡¯t tell him that she was only going back for a while to deal with matters back home


    and would being back still.


    Upon hearing her firm answer, Aaron felt an irrepressible pain in his heart.


    ¡°All right then. I bid you a safe journey home.¡± Having said farewell, he turned to leave. Nevertheless,


    his lowered gaze was hiding the burning rage in his eyes.


    When Vinson noticed how calm Aaron was, he furrowed his brows, for he didn¡¯t expect Aaron to react


    in such a reserved manner.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Holding that thought, he looked in Arielle¡¯s direction. When he noticed how intensely she was staring at


    Aaron¡¯s silhouette, he swallowed his words. Given how long she knew Aaron, Vinson was sure she had


    a much better understanding of thetter than he did.


    Meanwhile, Nico¡¯s eyes sparkled when she saw what had unfolded before her.


    Upon realizing that Aaron fancied Arielle, she heaved a sudden sigh of relief. With such a scenario, she


    reckoned her parents would not force her to marry him anymore. More importantly, she could


    coborate with Aaron to achieve their objectives.


    With that thought in mind, she looked in Vinson¡¯s direction only to see him continue to give her the cold


    shoulder. As he drove away with an indifferent expression, she watched them leave until they were out


    of sight before retracting her gaze.


    ¡°You¡¯re fated to be mine! I¡¯ll never let you go!¡± Just as she spoke, she returned to her car and gave her


    mother a call, asking for Aaron¡¯s number. Thinking that Nico had seen the light and decided to go out


    with Aaron, her mother sent Aaron¡¯s number to her excitedly.


    Once she received Aaron¡¯s number, Nico gave him a call with her eyebrow raised.

 Chapter 1492

    Chapter 1492


    Chapter 1492 Taking Advantage


    Meanwhile, Aaron was speeding in his car when the phone in his pocket suddenly rang. With one hand


    on the steering wheel, he reached for his phone with the other.


    When he saw that it was from an anonymous number, he decided to not ept the call. However, after


    the call was automatically rejected due to him not answering, the caller called a second time. Left


    without a choice, he stopped the car abruptly and finally answered in an exasperated tone, ¡°Who is


    this?¡±


    Nico didn¡¯t mind him being rude. In fact, she was delighted by it. The more upset he was, the stronger


    his feelings for Arielle were. That way, there was a higher chance of them working together.


    ¡°I¡¯m Nico,¡± she replied candidly. Aaron furrowed his brows. Nico? I don¡¯t know her at all. Holding that


    thought, his tone worsened. ¡°I don¡¯t know you!¡±


    Just when he was about to end the call, Nico read his mind and remarked, ¡°I¡¯m the daughter of the


    general, Nico. The one you¡¯re supposed to marry.¡± Worried that he would hang up on her, she quickly


    added, ¡°I know you like Arielle. So, I have a deal for you.¡±


    Upon hearing her proposal, Aaron asked in a grim tone, ¡°What kind of deal?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it face to


    face. It¡¯s hard to discuss over the phone,¡± Nico answered with a raised voice.


    Curious to know what she had in mind, Aaron took down the venue of their meeting before ending the


    call. Having heard the voice over the phone, Nico curled her lips. He¡¯s definitely something. If I hadn¡¯t


    already fallen for someone, there might be a chance I¡¯ll have a crush on him.


    After putting her earpiece away, she drove to their meeting venue. By the time she arrived, Aaron was


    already there waiting for her. With a slight grin, she gradually walked up to him.


    Before Nico could say a word, Aaron asked, ¡°Are you Nico?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I am.¡± Pointing at a seat, Aaron gestured for her to sit. After she settled down, he went


    straight to the point. ¡°What kind of a deal are you talking about?¡±


    Since this was the first time someone ever dared to make a deal with him, he was curious to find out


    what it was. ¡°Your Royal Highness, you fancy Arielle, while I feel the same way about her bodyguard. In


    that case, why don¡¯t we work together?¡±


    At that moment, Aaron didn¡¯t know whether he should be happy that the woman his mother and


    grandmother approved of wasn¡¯t into him or feel angry that she preferred Vinson over him.


    Whatever it was, he was filled with mixed emotions.


    He looked at her with a raised brow. ¡°What do you propose?¡±


    He was interested to hear her out. If it was feasible, he would go along with her n and hold back his


    men from kidnapping Arielle since it was an extremely drastic measure.


    Having spent time with Arielle recently, he had a good grasp of her character. He was aware that once


    he had indeed kidnapped her, there was no going back from it.


    He was fearful that Arielle would hate him for it.


    ¡°You want Arielle, while I want the bodyguard. All we need to do is to make a move on our respective


    targets.¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Aaron was stumped.


    If he had been able to do that, Vinson would have long been gone.


    Nevertheless, he scrutinized Nico for a moment as he cycled through the avenues of how they could


    cooperate. If she was able to capture Vinson¡¯s heart, Arielle would definitely feel disappointed in the


    latter. Subsequently, he could take advantage of her moment of weakness. The more he thought about


    it, the more brilliant the n sounded to him. In the end, both of them would get what they want.


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s do it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure working with you.¡± As Nico extended her hand, Aaron gave it a shake.


    At that moment, the silence between them was telling.

 Chapter 1493

    Chapter 1493


    Chapter 1493 Regret For Life


    When they parted ways, Aaron warned Nico, ¡°If you want that bodyguard, you¡¯d better be quick. Or


    else, you will regret it for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Nico¡¯s expression changed slightly as she looked at him for rification.


    ¡°They are going back to Chanaea and won¡¯t being back.¡± Hearing that, Nico¡¯s expression fell while


    Aaron stormed off without even saying goodbye.


    Meanwhile, Sonia had heard that Arielle was going back to Chanaea after her lessons were over.


    Reluctant to see them leave, she invited Arielle to meet up and waited for her at their agreed venue.


    After Arielle was done packing, she headed out with Vinson to see Sonia.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take too long,¡± Vinson instructed before they entered.


    Pausing abruptly upon hearing his words, Arielle gave him a look of resignation. ¡°I know, you jealous


    baby!¡± She added the next moment, ¡°I¡¯ll be quick.¡±


    Curling his lips into a smile, Vinson stroked her hair and remarked, ¡°Go on.¡±


    As Arielle entered with her arms waving, Sonia spotted her at once and waved back. The moment


    Arielle sat down, she grabbed Arielle by her arms.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you¡¯re going back to Chanaea? If I hadn¡¯t heard the teachers and president


    talk about it, I would have missed thest chance to see you.¡±


    Arielle knitted her brows in response.


    Last chance? Why does it sound so ominous?This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°I¡¯m just going back for a few days to deal with some matters. I¡¯ll being back after that,¡± Arielle


    exined.


    As a result, Sonia was embarrassed for rushing over without getting a proper picture of what was going


    on. She had assumed that Arielle was never going toe back. In the end, my own misunderstanding


    caused me to worry unnecessarily.


    ¡°In that case, let me know when you¡¯re leaving. I¡¯ll go send you off,¡± she suggested with glistening


    eyes. Arielle epted it gracefully. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll call you once I have the date.¡±


    Sonia grunted in delightful acknowledgment. She was truly reluctant to see Arielle go, and was equally


    worried that she was pregnant. Hence, she would only feel secure with Arielle around.


    Now that Arielle was about to leave for Chanaea, she decided to take her father out for a walk.


    Therefore, Vinson and she arrived in front of the pce to pick him up.


    ¡°Dad, while I¡¯m away, you have to take good care of yourself. Sybil told me that you have not been


    disciplined with your diet,¡± Arielle advised as she held Dn¡¯s hand by theke.


    Warmed by Arielle¡¯s concern, Dn patted her hand and reassured her, ¡°I know, so don¡¯t worry. If you


    find that I¡¯ve lost weight when you¡¯re back, you can punish me however you want.¡±


    ¡°Punish you however I want?¡± She raised her brows. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll onlye back to see you when


    you put on weight.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Dn gaped. Isn¡¯t that too much? He beamed at his daughter and retorted, ¡°You can¡¯t be


    serious, can you?¡±


    ¡°I always keep my word. If you really lose weight, I won¡¯te back and see you,¡± Arielle remarked


    nonchntly while giving him the side-eye.


    Dn¡¯s smile froze abruptly before he replied through gritted teeth, ¡°Fine. I promise you that I¡¯ll have


    three regr meals every day, and not lose any weight until you return.¡±


    Deep down, he endeavored to maintain a proper diet so that Arielle would visit him the moment she


    returned from Chanaea.


    He didn¡¯t care about his own health when he was unaware of Arielle¡¯s existence. But now that he knew,


    he had a reason to take better care of himself.


    When she caught a glimpse of his expression, Arielle averted her gaze while curling her lips into a grin.


    Meanwhile, Vinson beamed at the warm scene between the father and daughter. Ever since both of


    them were reunited, Arielle smiled a lot more frequently.


    Nheless, thinking about the current situation caused his expression to darken, for there was just


    too much power concentrated within the queen mother¡¯s hands. As for his father-inw, he was nothing


    but a puppet despite being a king. Thus, Vinson decided that he needed a proper strategy.


    Meanwhile, a woman¡¯s eyes widened in shock when she saw Arielle and Dn standing toge

 Chapter 1494

    Chapter 1494


    Chapter 1494 Mad Woman


    ¡°Ahhh! No, don¡¯t send me to prison. I don¡¯t want to go there¡­ No¡­¡± thedy shrieked as she ran away.


    ¡°Sannie, no¡ª¡± Before Dn could finish, Arielle let go of his arm and dashed toward the mad woman.


    When Vinson realized what was going on, he stopped Dn. ¡°Dad, Sannie saw someone she knows.


    Please wait here for a while. We¡¯ll be back right away.¡±


    The moment he finished, he ran after Arielle. By then, Arielle had grabbed hold of the woman. ¡°Don¡¯t


    take me back¡­ You viin!¡± As the woman screamed, she tried to find an opportunity to bite Arielle.


    ¡°Sannie¡­¡± Before Vinson could ask what was going on, Arielle preempted him, ¡°Vinson, this woman is


    Cindy Moore.¡± Cindy Moore?


    Only then did Vinson turn his attention to the woman Arielle was restraining. She had disheveled hair


    and was in a tattered outfit. Not only did she look dirty all over, she even emitted a strange stench.


    ¡°Don¡¯t seize me, don¡¯t seize me!¡± the woman wailed hysterically. It really is her!


    Even though this was one of the ces that they spected about, they still didn¡¯t expect to find her


    here. But, wasn¡¯t she just pretending to be crazy? Why does she look as if she has really lost her


    mind?


    ¡°Sannie, why did you capture her?¡± Dn had ignored Vinson¡¯s instructions to stay put and approached


    them instead. Furrowing his brows, he was curious as to why Arielle was holding down a dirty-looking


    woman.


    ¡°Dad, it¡¯s a long story. We¡¯ll talk when we¡¯re back.¡± With that, Arielle instructed her bodyguards to take


    Cindy back to Paelsford Manor.


    In truth, Arielle didn¡¯t expect to run into Cindy at all. Pleasantly surprised by the haul, she was d that


    she made the decision to take her father out for a walk.


    Consequently, she nned to take Cindy back to Chanaea with her. Despite bing a lunatic, Cindy


    still had to face the full force of thew as long as she was alive. There was no way Arielle was going to


    let the person who was responsible for her mother¡¯s death go.


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯m sorry I have to leave now.¡± Arielle looked at Dn apologetically. She wanted to go back and


    ascertain for herself if Cindy had truly gone mad or was just pretending to be.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I don¡¯t feel like walking anymore anyway. I¡¯ll just go back with you to Paelsford


    Manor,¡± Dn replied with a smile.


    He couldn¡¯t bring himself to return to the pce, as Arielle was going back to Chanaea soon. Not


    knowing when she would return, he just wanted to spend more time with her even if it meant sitting


    around doing nothing.


    On their way back, Arielle told Dn everything about Cindy. Given that he was her father, and


    Maureen¡¯s husband, he naturally had the right to know the truth.


    ¡°She isn¡¯t worthy to be your mom¡¯s sister, let alone your aunt.¡± The thought that Maureen had died at


    the hands of her sister and ex-husband caused Dn to feel a stinging pain in his heart.


    ¡°Dad, it mustn¡¯t have been easy for her to get here. So, someone must be helping her.¡± Arielle spoke


    her mind with a grim expression.


    Vinson agreed, ¡°We were close to apprehending her back then, but she managed to disappear. Despite


    searching all over, we didn¡¯t expect her to turn up here looking like that.¡±


    ¡°Regardless of where she is, she still has to pay for her crimes.¡± Dn looked at Arielle as he said,


    ¡°Lock her up when you return.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Arielle objected at once, causing Dn to give her a confused look.

 Chapter 1495

    Chapter 1495


    Chapter 1495 Just A Matter Of Time


    ¡°Why?¡± Dn asked curiously. Isn¡¯t locking her up the best thing to do?


    Arielle exined that it wasn¡¯t a coincidence for Cindy toe to Turlen, as someone had to bring her


    here. However, they had no idea who did it and what that person¡¯s agenda was.


    Until they got to the bottom of the matter, she didn¡¯t want to alert the perpetrator by sending Cindy to


    prison. Instead, she wanted to observe the situation for the time being. With Cindy now in her custody,


    the person who brought Cindy into the country would begin to panic. Subsequently, Arielle would use


    the opportunity to find out who the perpetrator was.


    Impressed by how much moreprehensive Arielle¡¯s thought process waspared to his own,


    Dn looked at his daughter in admiration.


    All these years, he had be dejected from his mother¡¯s control and the knowledge of Maureen¡¯s


    death. Despite being embroiled in a power struggle with his mother, he stillcked the mental


    shrewdness Arielle had disyed.


    It¡¯s clear that I have plenty of room for improvement. As her father, I can¡¯t be outdone by my own


    daughter. Or else, how am I going to protect her?


    ¡°Sannie, do you think I¡¯m useless?¡± Dn began to doubt his own abilities.


    Cocking an eyebrow, Arielle gave him a baffled look. ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°Well, look at how thoroughly you have thought through the issue. As your father, I couldn¡¯t¡­¡± Dn


    stopped abruptly.


    Arielle responded in a helpless tone, ¡°Dad, you have already done very well.¡±


    Very few are still capable of demonstrating their strength after being manipted for so many years.


    Even though his power isn¡¯t enough currently, isn¡¯t it just a matter of time?


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Not only was Dn reassured by her confidence in him, but his conviction was also strengthened


    alongside it.


    Upon their return to Paelsford Manor, Arielle inquired about the location Cindy was held. Once she was


    told that it was the backyard, the three of them made their way there together.


    At the moment, both of Cindy¡¯s legs were bound by chains. Arielle was satisfied with the restraints, for


    that was what her mother¡¯s murderer deserved. In fact, she even considered the treatment to be


    lenient.


    ¡°Ahh!¡±


    The moment she saw Arielle, Cindy began to scream in horror.


    ¡°If you continue to yell, I¡¯ll sew your lips shut!¡±


    After threatening her, Arielle entered the room to be greeted by an unpleasant stench.


    Didn¡¯t we just lock her up? Why does she smell like pee already?


    ¡°Get someone to clean this ce up and give her a bath.¡±


    After she came out, Arielle stopped Dn and Vinson from going in.


    ¡°We¡¯ll visit her again once she¡¯s more presentable,¡± she exined with a frown.


    Given Cindy¡¯s filthy condition, Arielle simply couldn¡¯t treat the woman at all.


    Meanwhile, within a smallpound, a woman ran into a beautifully renovated house anxiously.


    ¡°Aunt Celia, that woman has gone missing. What should we do?¡±


    ¡°That woman has gone missing?¡± An elderly woman named Celia threw the question back at her


    impatiently. Before the young woman could reply, Celia sprang to her feet. ¡°Are you talking about that


    particr woman?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The youngdy nodded with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°How can she be missing? Isn¡¯t she all locked up?¡± Celia questioned in an angry tone.


    She had been instructed by her husband¡¯s younger sister, Monisha, to keep an eye on the woman.


    Having lost her in such a short time, what am I going to tell her?

 Chapter 1496

    Chapter 1496


    Chapter 1496 Escape


    ¡°When I was delivering food to her and noticed that there was no one in there, I opened the door to


    check. Before I knew it, she knocked me out. She was already gone by the time I came to,¡± thedy


    exined in an aggrieved manner. Worried that Celia wouldn¡¯t believe her, she even rubbed the


    location where she was struck.


    ¡°Fine, fine. I have no time to look at your head.¡± Celia rubbed the same spot and ordered anxiously,


    ¡°Check the security feeds to see which direction she went and send men after her. But I have to warn


    you, if you can¡¯t find her, your days are numbered.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll look for her at once.¡± Panicking at her aunt¡¯s words, thedy had someone check the


    feeds immediately.


    ¡°Once I get my hands on you, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson.¡± Just thinking about the escape infuriated the


    youngdy.


    By the time she left, Celia packed her things and headed out too.


    She hurried to inform Monisha of the escape. In the event they couldn¡¯t find the escapee, thetter


    would need time to make preparations.


    Half an hourter, she arrived at the pce entrance. The moment she saw Monisha, she approached


    quickly and pulled thetter aside.


    ¡°What is so important that you can¡¯t tell me over the phone and need to speak to me in person?¡±


    Monisha asked Celia the moment she saw her.


    Even though Celia was Monisha¡¯s sister-inw, she still treated her with respect. After all, Monisha was


    a close aide of the queen mother. Therefore, she was the reason their family was enjoying a good life.


    After scanning her surroundings, Celia whispered, ¡°Monisha, that woman has gone missing.¡±


    Monisha¡¯s expression changed drastically. ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you to keep an eye on her? How did you lose


    her?¡±


    Celia rted the escape to Monisha.


    As the sullen expression on Monisha¡¯s face grew more intense, she stared at Celia. ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you to


    spike her food? How did she manage to escape by knocking your niece out?¡±


    Celia, too, was baffled by it, for she had spiked the food just as she was told.


    Could it be that she didn¡¯t consume the food we sent her? But that doesn¡¯t make sense since the te


    was always empty when brought back. Besides, wouldn¡¯t she die of hunger if she hadn¡¯t eaten for such


    a long time?


    ¡°Keep this under wraps and investigate the matter discreetly,¡± Monisha ordered before hurrying back


    into the pce because she had to report the matter to the queen mother.


    The first thing she did when she arrived was to drop to her knees, causing the queen mother to feel


    surprised.


    ¡°Monisha, what are you doing?¡± Putting down her teacup, the queen mother looked at Monisha.


    ¡°Your Majesty, that woman has escaped.¡±


    The queen mother gave her a baffled look. Woman? What woman?


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Who are you talking about?¡±


    Cognizant that the queen mother was a busy person, Monisha wasn¡¯t surprised that she had forgotten.


    ¡°The mad woman from Chanaea.¡±


    Even though the matter had slipped the queen mother¡¯s mind with time, she quickly recalled who it


    was.


    ¡°She¡¯s escaped? In that case, go find her.¡± She inly added, ¡°Is there even the need to bother me


    over something so trivial?¡±


    She¡¯s nothing but a nobody, and she can run all she wants. It doesn¡¯t even matter if we find her or not.


    Expecting to be punished over the news, Monisha was surprised by the queen mother¡¯s nonchnt


    response. Consequently, she staggered back up to her feet with a surreal feeling in her mind.

 Chapter 1497

    Chapter 1497


    Chapter 1497 Bliss


    By the time the help cleaned Cindy up, Dn had returned to the pce. In her attempt to avoid


    triggering Cindy¡¯s hysterical response, Arielle put on a summer hat that covered her entire face except


    for her eyes.


    This time, she brought a sedative with her as a precaution. In the event Cindy went on a rampage, she


    would be able to put it to use.


    Since it was the first time Vinson saw her dressed that way, he smiled in amusement at how good she


    looked.


    Upon arriving at the hut Cindy was living in, they found the stench had dissipated significantly after the


    room had been cleaned.


    Inside, Cindy was already asleep with her body curled up by the wall. She was evidently exhausted


    from the long struggle earlier.


    Arielle casually walked up to her and knelt down to take her pulse. Frowning to herself, she realized her


    spection was spot on, and that Cindy¡¯s madness was the result of her being drugged.


    Who did this to her? Is it the same person who brought her here? But why continue to do it when she¡¯s


    already here?


    Questions abound in Arielle¡¯s mind as she narrowed her gaze.


    Retracting her hands, she turned and walked out. When Vinson, who was waiting at the door, saw her


    emerge, he asked softly, ¡°How is she?¡±


    As both of them walked back to the house, Arielle revealed her thoughts, ¡°She¡¯s been drugged, just like


    we suspected.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait for her captors to start their search. By then, we¡¯ll have more clues.¡± Just as he


    spoke, Vinson added, ¡°Are you going to treat Cindy?¡±


    Treat her?


    Arielle shook her head.


    ¡°Not for the time being.¡±


    Vinson cocked his brow. ¡°Why?¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°She¡¯s my mom¡¯s murderer, for goodness sake! She should be d that I didn¡¯t kill her. There¡¯s no way


    in hell that I¡¯m treating her. What are you even thinking?¡± Ariellemented in surprise.


    Even if she wanted to treat Cindy, it would be a decision forter.


    Naturally, Vinson agreed with her stance, for all that mattered to him was that she was happy.


    ¡°What is the situation with Harvey and Xavier? Are there any developments on the queen mother¡¯s


    end?¡±


    At the moment, her father¡¯s power struggle was the center of her attention. Since that was what he


    wanted, she endeavored to get it for him.


    ¡°There are no updates for the time being.¡± After all, neither Harvey nor Xavier contacted him recently.


    If they had any news, they would definitely have done so.


    Underneath the moonlight, Vinson held Arielle¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll definitely help your dad take back his authority.¡±


    Arielle nodded while grunting in acknowledgment.


    Upon returning to the house, they each went to shower. By the time Arielle came out, she saw Vinson


    with only a towel wrapped around his waist. In front of him was aptop on which his fingers were


    furiously typing away.


    The moment he saw her, he dropped what he was doing and walked toward her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I¡¯ll manage on my own. You should go back to your work.¡± Considering that he


    hadn¡¯t turned on hisptop for quite a few days, Arielle knew that he likely needed to workte. Hence,


    she felt it better not to take up his time.


    Nheless, Vinson ignored her words. How can work ever get in the way of spending time with my


    wife?


    Taking Arielle¡¯s towel from her hands, he dried her hair with it before blowing them dry with a hairdryer.


    At that moment, Arielle was overwhelmed by bliss.


    Just when she was lost in her own thoughts, Vinson put down the hairdryer and carried her over to the


    bed. Before she could react, he had already leaned in to bite her lip.

 Chapter 1498

    Chapter 1498


    Chapter 1498 Resistance


    As the moonlight illuminated the room through the full-length windows, Arielle was bathed in warm


    kisses from her lips down to her neck. Even then, Vinson didn¡¯t stop and continued downwards. The


    next day, she opened her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±


    Vinson¡¯s maic voice rang out from behind her. Having just woken up, there was a tinge of


    raspiness in his tone that stirred her heart. After mumbling a response, Arielle turned aside


    lethargically, intending to sleep longer. However, her eyes opened wide all of a sudden.


    ¡°Vinson!¡± she barked softly. There was no way she could sleep with something hard poking into her


    from behind. ¡°Darling, we haven¡¯t done it for quite a few days now.¡±


    With that, he got up and climbed on top of her. Arielle was stumped. It was no more than just a few


    days ago! Besides, didn¡¯t we just fool around tilltest night? Isn¡¯t that enough?


    ¡°But I still want¡ª¡± To sleep a little longer. Before she could finish, her lips were sealed with a kiss,


    causing her to swallow her words.


    Back in the pce, the queen mother¡¯s secretary was giving her a report. ¡°Queen mother, His Majesty


    seems to be unusually active recently¡­¡±


    The secretary had wanted to recruit more allies and im credit for it. Unexpectedly, Dn was one


    step ahead of him, foiling his attempt.


    After hearing her secretary¡¯s report, a grim expression descended on the queen mother¡¯s face as she


    shot him a piercing re.


    ¡°Why are you only telling me this now?¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Obviously, the secretary wasn¡¯t going to admit his mistake. He quickly added, ¡°Recently, there are


    many among the popce moring for His Majesty to rule. As I was busy dealing with the problem, I


    ended up neglecting what he was doing.¡±


    moring for Dn to rule? Isn¡¯t he already ruling now?


    The queen mother¡¯s expression darkened. Even though Dn was her own son, she still enjoyed the


    trappings of power.


    Therefore, she wasn¡¯t going to allow her authority to be taken from her without her permission.


    ¡°What is he up to now?¡± she asked with a sullen expression.


    ¡°His Majesty has been visiting the General of the Right and the Earl frequently.¡±


    There were two generals in Turlen, the General of the Right and the General of the Left. Both of them


    were in charge of Turlen¡¯s army. As for the Earl, his position was inherited over the generations. Given


    that he was someone influential, the fact that Dn went to see him wasn¡¯t weed news at all.


    The thoughts that crossed the secretary¡¯s mind naturally didn¡¯t escape the queen mother. With a


    darkened expression, she didn¡¯t expect Dn to still harbor such ambitions. After all, she had been


    ruling for more than twenty years.


    Even though he had inherited the crown from his father, Dn still had to seek her consent for the


    majority of his decisions. Without it, he wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything at all.


    Does he finally n to rebel after being suppressed for such a long time? In that case, let¡¯s see what


    he can do. I would like to know who dares to stand alongside him to challenge me!


    ¡°Just let him be. I¡¯m interested to find out who intends to betray me!¡± Just as the queen mother spoke,


    the secretary nodded in acknowledgment.


    Amidst the power struggle, subordinates such as them could only follow whoever was more powerful.


    After all, it was every man for himself.


    Meanwhile, Dn wasn¡¯t aware that his mother was on to him. But even if he was, he wouldn¡¯t have


    cared.


    Given that he was the king, he was responsible for the country anyway. As for his mother, she was


    supposed to be enjoying her retirement. However, since she refused to relinquish power, both of them


    had no choice but to face each other in a showdown to settle the matter once and for all.


    ¡°Your Majesty, it seems that there¡¯s no hope in getting the Earl to side with us.¡±

 Chapter 1499

    Chapter 1499


    Chapter 1499 Not Me


    Sybil was heartbroken when he recalled the way the Earl had reacted just now. Back then, the previous


    king had defended their lineage with all his might. He did not expect the Earl to be so heartless and


    refused to lend Dn a hand now.


    ¡°He may be the Earl, but he possesses no power at all. His refusal to get into this matter is the right


    decision.¡± Dn did not mind the Earl¡¯s decision at all.


    Everyone had the right to choose for themselves. He would not force them. However, deep down, he


    felt that it was a pity. After all, they were childhood friends.


    When Sybil heard that, he remained quiet. He wanted nothing more than to unite those group of old


    men. He knew that during a power struggle like this, if they refused to show their presence, their future


    would be very bleak.


    ¡°Get someone to keep an eye on the queen mother. If anything goes wrong, report to me immediately.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get it done right away, Your Majesty,¡± said Sybil before he turned to leave. Just as he was about to


    open the door, Dn stopped him. Sybil turned around only to hear him say, ¡°Keep an eye on Her


    Majesty as well.¡±


    Sybil nodded and left.


    Dn stood in front of the window and clenched his fists. What a lousy king I am.


    For the next few days, Cindy was still nowhere to be found. Celia was getting very worried and phoned


    Monisha again.


    ¡°If you haven¡¯t found her, keep looking!¡± whispered Monisha. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you do. Just find her.¡±


    Although the queen mother could not be bothered with the issue, she could not take it lightly either. If


    anything unexpected happened, it would be toote for regrets. It would be better if they could locate


    Cindy as soon as possible.


    Celia had no choice but to do as she was told. After all, they were the ones who lost Cindy in the first


    ce.


    At the same time, Arielle had also been sending someone to look out for anyone searching for Cindy


    but to no avail. She was quite troubled about it.


    Did I make the wrong guess?


    At that thought, she decided to go and pay Cindy a visit.


    This time, she had gone alone since Vinson had gone out by himself to look for Xavier and Harvey. The


    men decided to meet up as they had received new information from the lover of the queen mother¡¯s


    secretary.


    ¡°Ahh! Don¡¯t catch me! Don¡¯t catch me! Maureen, I know I¡¯m wrong. But I wasn¡¯t the one who wanted to


    kill you. It wasn¡¯t me¡­ It wasn¡¯t me¡­¡±


    The moment Cindy saw Arielle, she became very agitated.


    Arielle¡¯s heart sank. What¡¯s going on?


    Could it be¡­


    An idea popped up in her mind, and she immediately said, ¡°You are the one who killed me! Why do you


    want to kill me? I¡¯m your own sister, for goodness sake!¡±


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s not me¡­ It¡¯s her¡­ She¡¯s the one who wants me to kill you¡­ It¡¯s her¡­ It¡¯s her¡­¡±


    ¡°Who is she? Who¡¯s that person?¡± asked Arielle as she stared at Cindy.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s¡­¡± Just as Arielle was waiting for her answer, she screamed, ¡°Don¡¯t kill me! I won¡¯t say


    anything. I¡¯ll keep it a secret¡­¡±


    Cindy seemed to have lost her mind and did not seem to hear Arielle¡¯s questions at all. Arielle began to


    panic.


    ¡°Tell me. Who¡¯s the mastermind?¡± she asked viciously as she grabbed onto Cindy¡¯s cor.


    However, her fierceness meant nothing to Cindy who had gone insane.


    ¡°You baddie! Baddie, let go of me! Let go!¡± Cindy red at Arielle and started throwing punches and


    kicks at her. However, Arielle managed to subdue her by stabbing a silver-ted needle into her. With


    that, Cindy copsed to the ground.


    Arielle had thought that Cindy and Henrick were the ones who had murdered her mother. She did not


    expect that there was someone else involved as well.


    Who could that person be? And why did she want my mother dead?


    Perhaps¡­

 Chapter 1500

    Chapter 1500


    Chapter 1500 To The Rescue


    Arielle¡¯s eyes darkened when she thought of that person. Fury surged within her and she had a hard


    time rposing herself.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    She knew that if it turned out to be that woman, she would want her to be punished regardless of her


    status or who her children were.


    Arielle looked at Cindy who was lying on the floor. She then inserted a few more silver-ted needles


    into her head before leaving. On the way out, she instructed the housekeeper to look after Cindy and


    remove the needles after half an hour.


    Arielle also handed the housekeeper a bag of medicine for Cindy. ¡°Give it to her three times a day.¡±


    The housekeeper took it immediately. Arielle nced at Cindy onest time before leaving.


    When Vinson got back, Arielle told him about the treatment she had given Cindy. Vinson nodded and


    said nothing.


    Seeing ack of response from Vinson, she raised her brows and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious why I


    have decided to treat her?¡±


    Vinson chuckled and put his arms around her. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have your reasons for doing that.¡±


    ¡°Vinson, I suspect that there¡¯s someone else behind my mom¡¯s death,¡± said Arielle in a sullen voice.


    She had thought that after bringing Cindy and Henrick to justice, she would have avenged her mom.


    Little did she know that they were not the main culprit. Instead, there was someone else.


    ¡°I went to see Cindy earlier today. She ims she isn¡¯t the one who killed my mom. She keeps


    repeating that it¡¯s her¡­¡± Arielle paused before continuing with a grim face, ¡°But I have no idea who


    Cindy is referring to. Judging by the way she looked just now, she seems to be very afraid of the ¡®her¡¯


    she mentioned and even says that she will keep it a secret.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I think you¡¯d better cure her fast,¡± said Vinson with a frown.


    In Cindy¡¯s current insane state, there was no way for them to elicit any information from her.


    Arielle acknowledged what Vinson had said before looking at the night sky. It was a depressing


    situation for her.


    Vinson patted her hands. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll find out the truth eventually.¡±


    If I ever find out who¡¯s the one who hurt my mother-inw, I would not let the person off even if Turlen


    is not my turf.


    Meanwhile, chaos had erupted in the residence of General Matthew. The General¡¯s mother, Lisa, had


    gotten ill all of a sudden and passed out.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the family doctor?¡± screamed Melissa. She was usually very elegant and well-mannered.


    However, at the moment, she had thrown all formalities out the window. Looking at her mother-inw


    who was lying on the bed, her tears were about to burst out any second.


    Since the second day after she got married into the family, Lisa had treated her as if she was her own


    daughter.


    ¡°Mrs. Melissa, the family doctor has taken a day¡¯s leave and gone home,¡± replied the housekeeper


    worriedly.


    When Melissa heard that the family doctor was not around, she immediately sent Lisa to the hospital.


    By the time General Matthew got to the hospital, more than an hour had gone by.


    ¡°How¡¯s Mother?¡± Matthew asked his wife anxiously.


    ¡°The doctor is still trying to save her,¡± answered Melissa with reddened eyes. The moment she saw her


    husband, she felt a sliver of relief creeping into her as her pir of support had arrived.


    Just then, the door to the emergency room opened. Before Matthew could console his wife, he rushed


    forth and asked the doctor, ¡°Doctor, how¡¯s the patient? Is she in any danger?¡±


    ¡°At the moment, we have managed to keep her alive, but she isn¡¯t out of danger yet. If you want to


    save her, you¡¯ll have to look for this person,¡± said the doctor in a serious manner.

 Chapter 1501

    Chapter 1501


    Chapter 1501 Get Her Here


    As the healthcare industry in the country was not very developed yet, the best that the doctor could do


    was just to get Lisa out of immediate danger. However, that person would definitely be able to keep the


    woman¡¯s condition under control.


    ¡®¡®Who is that person?¡¯¡® Matthew asked at once. He was willing to go to the ends of the earth to save his


    mother¡¯s life and was determined to find the person no matter what it took.


    ¡®¡®It¡¯s the doctor from Chanaea whom Prince Aaron had hired.¡¯¡®


    The man who was speaking was none other than the doctor who had treated Sonia¡¯s grandpa


    previously. Initially, he was rather skeptical of that person¡¯s abilities. However, he ended up being


    astonished by her exceptional medical skills.


    When Matthew heard that, a crease appeared between his brows. He had heard of that doctor from


    Chanaea previously. However, he realized that she was no ordinary person when he saw her entering


    the banquet hall linking arms with Dn.


    ¡®¡®Darling, would she be willing toe over?¡¯¡® Melissa asked softly, fixing her gaze on Matthew, who


    seemed to be deep in thought.


    ¡®¡®Yup. She¡¯lle,¡¯¡® the general replied before taking out his phone to call Colton, his butler, asking him


    to prepare avish gift for Arielle.


    Everyone knew that Arielle was currently staying at Paelsford Manor. As such, after the call with


    Matthew ended, Colton quickly prepared a gift before heading to Paelsford Manor.


    As not everyone was allowed to enter the manor freely, the man was stopped at the entrance.


    ¡®¡®I¡¯m General Matthew¡¯s butler. Old Mrs. Nighy is critically ill. I¡¯m here to seek Dr. Moore¡¯s help,¡¯¡® Colton


    exined anxiously.


    ¡®¡®What illness does she have?¡¯¡® Arielle, who happened to be getting out of the car, asked with a frown


    when she heard that.


    The butler was slightly annoyed with the woman who had suddenly appeared from nowhere. Can¡¯t she


    see that I¡¯m panicking now?


    ¡®¡®What are you waiting for? She¡¯s Ms. Moore, the doctor you¡¯re looking for!¡¯¡® the security guard said at


    once, noticing that Colton did not seem to be aware of what was going on.


    Since he¡¯s General Matthew¡¯s butler, I should try and establish a good rtionship with him. Who


    knows, maybe I¡¯ll need his help one day¡­ The security guard thought to himself.


    Colton did not expect that Dr. Moore, whom he was looking for, was such a young woman and was


    d that he did not behave in an overly rude manner toward her earlier on.


    ¡®¡®Ms. Moore, I¡¯m not sure what illness Old Mrs. Nighy has. I¡¯m only aware that she¡¯s in the hospital right


    now fighting for her life. General Matthew only instructed me to seek your help and request that you


    make a trip to the hospital,¡¯¡® the butler said respectfully.


    ¡®¡®Are you going?¡¯¡® Vinson gave Arielle a side nce and asked.


    After a brief moment of contemtion, the woman nodded.


    She had decided to go to the hospital because of her dad. After all, she needed Matthew, who had


    control of Turlen¡¯s army, to be indebted to her.


    ¡®¡®Please lead the way,¡¯¡® Arielle said, looking at Colton. When he heard that, the butler understood at


    once that the woman had agreed to treat Lisa and got into the car immediately. He was so happy that


    he had even forgotten to give Arielle the present that he had prepared for her.


    Soon after, Arielle arrived at the hospital with Colton.


    ¡®¡®General Matthew, Ms. Moore is here,¡¯¡® the butler said before turning toward Arielle and continuing,


    ¡®¡®Ms. Moore, this is General Matthew.¡¯¡®


    Matthew had met Arielle at the king¡¯s birthday banquet previously and had a deep impression of her. As


    such, when he saw her, he stepped forward at once and said, ¡®¡®Ms. Moore, my mother suddenly fainted


    and lost consciousness¡­¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®All right,¡¯¡® Arielle acknowledged briefly and went to change into scrubs. As she had been to that


    hospital before, she was very familiar with the ce and procedures.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    After getting changed, she opened the door of the emergency room and walked straight inside.


    ¡®¡®Who are you? Who gave you the permission toe in?¡¯¡® a nurse asked in a reprimanding tone when


    she saw the woman.

 Chapter 1502

    Chapter 1502


    Chapter 1502 Take Him Down


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Arielle merely gave the nurse the side-eye.


    ¡®¡®Just mind your own business.¡¯¡® A voice rang out before the woman could reply, interrupting the nurse.


    ¡®¡®You¡¯re here,¡¯¡® the person turned to look at Arielle and said.


    ¡®¡®Yup,¡¯¡® Arielle gave a brief response as an acknowledgment.


    The man speaking was the doctor who had rmended Arielle to Matthew, who was also the doctor


    in charge of Sonia¡¯s grandpa.


    ¡®¡®How is Old Mrs. Nighy¡¯s condition? Do you have her medical records?¡¯¡® Arielle asked.


    The doctor passed Lisa¡¯s file to the woman at once. After taking a look at the patient¡¯s medical records,


    Arielle put the file down. Then, she checked the olddy¡¯s eyes before examining the rest of her body


    and said, ¡®¡®Prepare for surgery immediately.¡¯¡®


    it turned out that Lisa was suffering from a brain hemorrhage, the same condition as Sonia¡¯s grandpa.


    It was amon condition among the elderly.


    Nico had rushed straight to the hospital after returning when she heard that her grandma, who had


    always doted on her, had suddenly fainted and was sent to the hospital.


    Outside the operating theater, she asked anxiously, ¡®¡®Mother, how¡¯s Grandma?¡¯¡®


    When Melissa saw the worried expression on Nico¡¯s face, the general¡¯s wife patted her daughter¡¯s arm


    gently and replied, ¡®¡®Your father has gotten Dr. Moore to treat her. The surgery is currently ongoing.¡¯¡®


    Dr. Moore?


    Could it be her?


    A figure surfaced in the woman¡¯s mind at once. If she¡¯s here, that person is probably here as well¡­


    At that thought, Nico turned around to take a look. Indeed, straight away, she spotted Vinson leaning


    against the wallzily.


    It only took one nce for her to be overwhelmed by her feelings for the man once again.


    The woman was about to go over and greet him, but as she thought about her grandma, who was still


    fighting for her life in the operating theater, she dropped the idea as it was not an appropriate time for


    her to be concerned with matters of the heart.


    At that thought, Nico held her mother¡¯s hand while they waited patiently for the operation to be over.


    Two and a half hourster, Arielle finally emerged from the operating theater.


    ¡®¡®Dr. Moore, how¡¯s my mother-inw?¡¯¡® Melissa asked the moment she saw Arielle.


    ¡®¡®She¡¯s fine now,¡¯¡® Arielle replied coldly.


    When Melissa heard that, she grabbed Arielle¡¯s hand excitedly and said gratefully, ¡®¡®Thank you so


    much, Dr. Moore. If not for you, my mother-inw might not have made it.¡¯¡®


    Matthew heaved a sigh of relief as well.


    Before that, he was extremely worried that his mother would not be able to survive. As such, when he


    heard Arielle¡¯s words, a heavy weight was lifted off his chest.


    ¡®¡®Dr. Moore, how long does my grandma need to be hospitalized? Would you be able to stay here and


    take care of her while she¡¯s in the hospital?¡¯¡®


    Arielle nced over as Nico spoke and felt somewhat frustrated when she saw that it was her. What a


    small world!


    ¡®¡®I¡¯m a doctor, not a caretaker,¡¯¡® Arielle replied nonchntly while looking at Nico.


    Is she really thinking of ordering me around like a helper?


    ¡®¡®I can pay you ten times the market rate,¡¯¡® Nico offered.


    As long as she¡¯s willing to stay, her departure will be dyed. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll have a chance to


    make her bodyguard mine¡­


    To the woman, that was a perfect idea. Not only would Lisa have apetent doctor to look after her,


    but Nico would also have a chance to win over the heart of the man of her dreams.


    ¡®¡®Do I look like someone who¡¯s in need of money?¡¯¡® Arielle did not know what Nico¡¯s intentions were.


    ¡®¡®Dr. Moore, my daughter is just worried about her grandma. She didn¡¯t mean anything else,¡¯¡® Matthew


    exined in a deep voice.


    He was not afraid that Arielle would harm Nico, but rather, he did not want to risk offending doctors.


    After all, everyone would fall sick at some point and require a doctor¡¯s assistance.


    While she fixed her gaze on Matthew, a glint shed past Arielle¡¯s eyes as she wondered how she


    could get the man to help her dad.

 Chapter 1503

    Chapter 1503


    Chapter 1503 Look For Me If You Need Help


    ¡®¡®I know that she didn¡¯t mean anything else.¡¯¡®


    The general was an important person to her. Narrowing her eyes, Arielle slid a nce at Nico. She was


    not about to give up such a good opportunity to get closer to Matthew just because of a woman who


    was unrequitedly in love with her man.


    ¡®¡®Old Mrs. Nighy had a brain hemorrhage. Even though we have managed to stabilize her condition,


    you have to continue monitoring her health and take good care of her. She would also be required to


    undergo some physiotherapy,¡¯¡® Arielle exined calmly.


    Back in Chanaea, even though that was what she had always told her patients¡¯ family members, most


    of them were not able to do as they were told. That was because most of the children of her elderly


    patients were working adults and had children of their own as well. As such, very few of them actually


    had the time to apany their parents to physiotherapy.


    ¡®¡®Don¡¯t worry. We will definitely do that,¡¯¡® Matthew replied.


    Arielle nodded and proceeded to state the variousplications that Lisa would possibly encounter in


    the future, as patients who had suffered from brain hemorrhage would not recoverpletely just after


    one surgery. Hence, it was essential for her family members to be aware of the situations they might


    have to tackle next time.


    The general was stunned for a moment when he heard that. He had never imagined that his mother,


    who had always been a proud woman, would have to deal with all thoseplicated after-effects of the


    illness one day.


    ¡®¡®Dr. Moore, is there really no way for my mother to be curedpletely?¡¯¡® Matthew asked, fixing his


    intense gaze on Arielle. If she dared to lie to him, he would not let her leave the hospital alive.


    Arielle nodded and replied, ¡®¡®I have never encountered any patients with the same condition who had


    made aplete recovery.¡¯¡® Taking a pause, she continued, ¡®¡®However, perhaps your mother would be


    the exception.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Thank you, Dr. Moore,¡¯¡® Matthew said and took out his name card from his pocket before passing it to


    the woman. ¡®¡®If you need any help, feel free to look for me.¡¯¡®


    To his surprise, Arielle took over the name card and put it in her pocket casually.


    Matthew could not help but feel puzzled at the doctor¡¯s actions as almost everyone in the country


    yearned to have his name card. However, the woman in front of him had merely put it in her pocket


    without even looking at it. That clearly showed that she was very confident in her own abilities and


    couldn¡¯t care less about his offer to help.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡®¡®Dr. Moore, I heard that you will be leaving Chanaea soon. Are you sure that my grandma¡¯s condition is


    already stabilized?¡¯¡® Nico asked, raising her brows at Arielle.


    Arielle shot a nce at the woman before replying cidly, ¡®¡®Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be staying in Turlen until


    your grandma recovers.¡¯¡®


    Nico¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard her reply as it meant that she still had time to pursue the man of her


    dreams.


    Feeling secretly delighted, she asked, ¡®¡®Can we call you if my grandma isn¡¯t feeling well?¡¯¡®


    After a brief moment of contemtion, Arielle nodded. That would give her more opportunities to


    interact with the general, which would make it easier for her to discuss matters with him further.


    ¡®¡®Ms. Moore, we should get going,¡¯¡® Vinson suggested as his heart ached.


    He had been observing Arielle from the side ever since she got out of the operating theater and noticed


    that she was looking rather fatigued, having to deal with the patient¡¯s family.


    Nico¡¯s attention was entirely focused on the man as he walked over. However, Vinson seemed to be


    oblivious to it as he fixed his gentle gaze on Arielle.


    When Arielle heard Vinson¡¯s voice, she replied at once, ¡®¡®Give me a second!¡¯¡®


    After saying that, she turned around and headed toward the changing room. Meanwhile, Lisa had been


    wheeled out of the operating theatre and transferred to the VIP ward.


    Even though Matthew and his wife had also gone to the VIP ward, Nico did not follow as she did not


    want to give up the opportunity to spend time alone with Vinson, even if it was just for a short while.

 Chapter 1504

    Chapter 1504


    Chapter 1504 Stay Away From Me


    The moment she moved closer to Vinson, the man frowned and shifted toward the side.


    Noticing that, Nico tried to inch toward Vinson again.


    ¡®¡®Stay away from me!¡¯¡® Vinson said coldly. Annoyed by the woman¡¯s actions, he furrowed his brows.


    However, a smile appeared on Nico¡¯s face. In fact, she was not bothered by the man¡¯s attitude toward


    her at all. Instead, she was happy that he had finally spoken to her.


    She had faith that, given a little more time, she would definitely be able to make Vinson fall in love with


    her.


    ¡®¡®We¡¯ve known each other for quite some time. Why are you still so cold?¡¯¡® Nico gazed at Vinson with


    glistening eyes and continued, ¡®¡®You¡¯ll have no future being Arielle¡¯s bodyguard. Why don¡¯t you be my


    boyfriend instead? My father is a general, and he controls the Turlen army. If you be his son-in-


    law, you can have anything you want.¡¯¡®


    The woman was serious about what she said. If Vinson agreed to be her boyfriend, she was confident


    that her father would ept him and arrange a suitable position for him in the military, which would be


    much better than being someone else¡¯s bodyguard.


    ¡®¡®I¡¯m not interested,¡¯¡® Vinson replied with a frown before turning around to look for Arielle.


    However, he was stopped by Nico.


    Looking at the aloof man in front of her, the woman could not help but feel her heart pounding


    uncontrobly. He¡¯s so cool!


    Nico found herself liking him more and more. With a smile on her face, she said, ¡®¡®Then what are you


    interested in? Just tell me, and I¡¯ll help you with it!¡¯¡®


    Her father, as well as her uncles, held important posts in the country. Nico was willing to do anything for


    Vinson, as long as it was within her means.


    ¡®¡®I¡¯m interested in you leaving me alone.¡¯¡®


    After saying that, Vinson walked away to look for Arielle.


    Nico did not expect Vinson to say that and gaped in disbelief when she heard his reply. At the thought


    of how stubborn the man was, the corners of Nico¡¯s lips curled up into a smile. Does he really think that


    I would give up so easily?


    Ha!


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Dream on!


    Just wait and see! You¡¯ll definitely be mine.


    Nico fixed her gaze on Vinson¡¯s departing figure for quite a while before heading to the VIP ward. After


    all, her grandma¡¯s health was still her priority.


    When Arielle walked out of the changing room, she saw Vinson leaning against the wall with a grumpy


    expression on his face. Nudging him with her elbow, she asked, ¡®¡®What¡¯s with that expression?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®It¡¯s nothing!¡¯¡®


    It was just an insignificant person spouting nonsense to him, and Vinson did not want to bother Arielle


    with that.


    ¡®¡®Did Nico approach you again?¡¯¡®


    Arielle could guess it even though the man refused to tell her anything.


    In fact, she found Nico¡¯s persistence rather admirable. If the woman could put that quality to proper


    use, Arielle was sure that she would be able to achieve great sess. However, it was a hopeless


    situation with Vinson. Arielle knew that she was the only woman for the man.


    ¡®¡®Why do you look so happy?¡¯¡® Vinson looked at Arielle, cocking his brows.


    ¡®¡®Do I look happy to you?¡¯¡® Arielle snorted before saying, ¡®¡®My husband is going to be snatched away by


    another woman. How could I be happy?¡¯¡®


    A smile of satisfaction crept up on Vinson¡¯s face when he heard the woman referring to him as her


    husband. The next moment, he pulled Arielle toward a blind spot of the surveince cameras and


    kissed her lips.


    Arielle was speechless and shocked at how bold the man was, doing that to her at the hospital.


    Noticing her expression, Vinson smirked in delight and said, ¡®¡®Let¡¯s go.¡¯¡®


    Arielle merely threw him a nce and started walking while Vinson followed behind her.


    When the two of them returned to Paelsford Manor, it was already an hourter.


    Once they stepped into the house, the maid who was in charge of looking after Cindy hurried over.


    ¡®¡®Ms. Moore, that woman suddenly went berserk and kept screaming! I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.¡¯¡®


    Cindy has suddenly gone crazy?


    Arielle could not help but frown as she followed the maid to see the woman.

 Chapter 1505

    Chapter 1505


    Chapter 1505 Suddenly Gone Crazy


    Why would Cindy suddenly go crazy?


    That shouldn¡¯t be happening!


    Hasn¡¯t she been taking her medicine for the past few days? It¡¯s not possible for her to lose her mind out


    of the blue¡­


    With a crease between her brows, Arielle walked toward Cindy¡¯s room. Suddenly, she halted in her


    tracks, catching Vinson by surprise. Isn¡¯t she going to see Cindy? Why did she suddenly stop?


    Noticing the man¡¯s puzzled expression, Arielle let out a chuckle before saying, ¡®¡®She almost fooled us!¡¯¡®


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Vinson understood what was going on at once when he heard that.


    What Arielle meant was that Cindy had not gone crazy at all. It was just her ploy to trick Arielle into


    seeing her.


    Judging by that, it was apparent that the treatment Cindy was undergoing was working.


    ¡®¡®Are you still going then?¡¯¡® Vinson asked softly.


    Arielle looked in the direction of Cindy¡¯s room, and with a confident smile on her face, she said, ¡®¡®Of


    course. If we don¡¯t go, how are we supposed to find out her objective of luring us there?¡¯¡®


    After saying that, the woman continued walking toward Cindy¡¯s room. Vinson¡¯s lips curled into a smirk


    before he followed closely behind. Before they reached Cindy¡¯s room, they could already hear her


    piercing screams from a distance away.


    With a frown, Arielle entered the room. Vinson had originally intended to wait outside. However, he


    could not help but worry about Arielle. As such, he went into the room as well.


    Cindy stopped shrieking immediately when she saw Arielle.


    ¡®¡®Why did you go through so much hassle just to get us here?¡¯¡® Arielle asked nonchntly.


    When Cindy saw Arielle and Vinson, her eyes widened in disbelief. She had thought that her


    encounters during the past few days were just her hallucination. She did not expect that it was really


    Arielle who had taken her away.


    ring at Arielle angrily, Cindy wondered why she had to suffer so much. She had barely managed to


    escape from the queen mother beforending herself in Arielle¡¯s hands!


    The woman felt extremely aggrieved, unwilling to ept the fact that misfortune had befallen her once


    again when she thought that she could finally have a fresh start. God, why are you so unfair!


    ¡®¡®If you¡¯re not speaking, I¡¯m leaving now.¡¯¡® Arielle was not in the mood to confront Cindy. As such, she


    turned to leave after saying that.


    Seeing that Arielle was really going to leave, Cindy started panicking as she did not want to be locked


    up again.


    She was not in the right mind when she was drugged, and because of that, she was not able to feel


    much then. However, now that she had recovered and waspletely sane, being stuck in the small


    room was no different from being in jail, and it was driving her crazy.


    ¡®¡®Send! Me! Back! To! Chanaea!¡¯¡® Cindy gritted every word through her teeth with much difficulty.


    She had yelled her lungs out during the first two weeks when she was locked up. However, after


    realizing that no one was going to let her out, no matter how hard she yelled, she stopped talking. After


    that, she was drugged and, naturally, was not able to say anything.


    As such, it took her a lot of effort to utter those few words to Arielle.


    However, Arielle was not aware of Cindy¡¯s thoughts. If she were, she would probably be amused by the


    absurdity of the situation. When Cindy had lost her mind previously, she was still very eloquent, cussing


    at Arielle and begging not to be captured and killed.


    ¡®¡®You want to go back?¡¯¡® Arielle asked, arching her brows at Cindy, who nodded in affirmation.


    Before she found Cindy, it was indeed Arielle¡¯s intention to send her back to Chanaea to receive her


    punishment. However, after meeting the woman in Turlen, Arielle changed her mind.


    Like what her father said, she suspected that it was not merely a coincidence that Cindy was there, and


    there had to be someone else helping her. However, she was not able to figure out who that person


    was and what their objectives were.

 Chapter 1506

    Chapter 1506


    Chapter 1506 The Mystery


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Arielle was determined to solve the mystery, for she knew she would regret it for the rest of her life if


    she left it unsolved. Hence, the woman decided to stay a little longer to find out more.


    The terrified Cindy quickly nodded in response because she would rather be locked away in a prison


    cell in Chanaea than stay at that godforsaken ce, fearing that she might lose her life at any moment.


    ¡®¡®No problem. That can be arranged,¡¯¡® promised Arielle.


    When Cindy heard that, her lips immediately cracked into a smile. However, it onlysted until Arielle


    added, ¡®¡®But you¡¯ll have to tell me who got you into Turlen and why. Only then will I let you go.¡¯¡®


    The second Arielle stated her condition, her aunt¡¯s smile vanished like the wind.


    No, I can¡¯t tell her! I just can¡¯t!


    Cindy shuddered when she imagined what would happen to her if she did what Arielle wanted. Hence,


    she shut her mouth tight and shook her head frantically.


    Arielle furrowed her eyebrows tightly when she saw how her aunt reacted. That person must be very


    influential if she¡¯s this afraid to talk. But who could it be?


    ¡®¡®So you don¡¯t want to talk, huh? Fine. I guess I¡¯ll just leave then.¡¯¡® Arielle knew that Cindy would not


    give her what she wanted if she did not pressure the woman to do so, and the fearful look on Cindy¡¯s


    face only served to confirm that.


    However, Cindy did not seem to budge even after Arielle had taken a few steps away.


    ¡®¡®Are you sure you don¡¯t want to tell me? If I walk away now, you won¡¯t be getting another chance, you


    know?¡¯¡® inquired Arielle on purpose, somewhat irritated by Cindy¡¯s stubbornness.


    Still, Cindy remained as silent as the grave.


    ¡®¡®I don¡¯t see any point in talking with her. Let¡¯s just shoot her in the head and get it over with!¡¯¡®


    suggested Vinson intentionally before turning to re at Cindy, who widened her eyes in fear but


    remained quiet.


    Unable to change her aunt¡¯s mind, Arielle had no choice but to give up.


    ¡®¡®I know shooting her will tie up any loose ends we have, but I¡¯d rather have her tell me what I want to


    hear. My patience has its limits, though. Once it¡¯s exhausted, I won¡¯t give a d*mn whether she lives or


    dies,¡¯¡® uttered Arielle before turning around to walk away. Vinson, too, left after giving Cindy onest


    look.


    Cindy¡¯s eyes were filled with nothing but dread when she watched the door close.


    ¡®¡®What do you n to do if she refuses to talk until the end?¡¯¡® inquired Vinson on the way.


    ¡®¡®Easy. We¡¯ll announce that we have Cindy and see who breaks a sweat,¡¯¡® replied Arielle nonchntly.


    She had her reasons for keeping the matter a secret at the moment. However, if Cindy continued to


    resist her, she would have no choice but to leave the woman to fate. Arielle saw no point in saving


    Cindy any longer.


    In response to that, Vinson smirked. As expected, Arielle doesn¡¯t disappoint.


    Meanwhile, Aaron was getting impatient, waiting for Nico to make her move on Vinson as he was


    determined to make Arielle his. If I waste any more time, Arielle could leave for Chanaea, and I¡¯d lose


    my chance. I can¡¯t let that happen!


    With that thought in mind, the man took out his phone and called Nico to find out what was going on on


    her side. If she refuses to make a move, I¡¯m going to have to carry on without her.


    As soon as the call went through, Nico answered, ¡®¡®Aaron?¡¯¡®


    She was surprised that the man reached out to her but tried to keep her voice down after turning to


    check on the person lying on a hospital bed beside her.

 Chapter 1507

    Chapter 1507


    Chapter 1507 Ipetence And Regret


    ¡®¡®When exactly are you nning to start?¡¯¡® questioned Aaron sullenly while tightening his grip on the


    phone. Nico was with her mother, so after hearing Aaron, she quickly went outside the room.


    ¡®¡®I still need a few more days,¡¯¡® replied the woman only after ensuring she was far away enough. Since


    Arielle said she would not leave Turlen until Grandma got better, I¡¯m sure I still have some time on


    hand. Even though I, too, wish that Grandma can recover soon, I know it¡¯s not that easy.


    ¡®¡®A few more days?¡¯¡® Aaron snorted at his phone before continuing, ¡®¡®The deal¡¯s off. I¡¯m doing this on my


    own.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®What? But why? I thought we¡¯re doing this together!¡¯¡® eximed Nico, shocked by Aaron¡¯s words.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡®¡®Did you forget that they¡¯ll be heading back to Chanaea soon?¡¯¡® Aaron got so irritated that he was


    gritting his teeth.


    Immediately after listening to the man, Nico smacked herself on the forehead for forgetting to tell Aaron


    that Arielle had decided to stay a little longer. ¡®¡®Arielle said she¡¯s not going to leave Turlen yet, so we


    still have time. Just wait for the good news.¡¯¡®


    Arielle¡¯s not leaving Turlen just yet? Aaron wondered what convinced the woman to stay.


    As if she could read Aaron¡¯s mind, Nico quickly exined Lisa¡¯s condition to the man and informed him


    that Arielle would be performing surgery on her grandmother.


    ¡®¡®I¡¯ll pay Old Mrs. Nighy a visit personally after she¡¯s discharged,¡¯¡® promised Aaron, whose lips curved


    into a smile after listening to Nico. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s nobody Arielle can¡¯t cure, but this is going to buy us


    just enough time.


    ¡®¡®Ari, I just need a little more time. Just give me a little more time, and we¡¯ll finally be together,¡¯¡®


    muttered Aaron, who missed Arielle dearly after having not seen her for quite some time.


    Meanwhile, inside avish-looking house, Celia rubbed her forehead troubledly on a chair. Her sister-


    inw, Monisha, just called her asking if she had found the woman. Celia knew she could not lie and


    had toe clean.


    It did not matter to her that the woman was nowhere to be found, but her sister-inw insisted that she


    keep looking. How the heck am I supposed to find her? I don¡¯t even know where to start.


    ¡®¡®Aunt Celia! Aunt Celia!¡¯¡®


    Celia rubbed her forehead even harder as her headache worsened, convinced that her niece would not


    stop tormenting her until she responded.


    ¡®¡®What the heck is it? If you have the time to pester me, then you should be out there continuing the


    search. Don¡¯te back here until you have what I want!¡¯¡® roared Celia after turning to look at her


    niece, who had just entered the house.


    The young woman knew why her aunt was upset, so she smiled before reporting, ¡®¡®Aunt Celia, I found


    her. I know where she is.¡¯¡®


    Immediately after hearing that, Celia could feel her headache leaving her miraculously. ¡®¡®You found her?


    Where is she, and why isn¡¯t she with you?¡¯¡® questioned Celia with a straightened back.


    ¡®¡®I know which direction we have to go, but I don¡¯t have an exact location yet,¡¯¡® replied the young woman


    somewhat embarrassedly to her anxious aunt.


    ¡®¡®Then why the heck are you here and not out there searching?¡¯¡® Celia could not believe how


    ipetent her niece was. What was I thinking? I should never have entrusted this task to her. It¡¯s a<pplete disaster!

 Chapter 1508

    Chapter 1508


    Chapter 1508 To Go Or Not To Go


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    A week had passed in the blink of an eye, and Lisa was ready to be discharged from the hospital since


    she had mostly recovered. Except for theck of mobility in her left arm, the rest of her body felt fine.


    Matthew was pleased to see how much better his mother was doing. ¡®¡®This is all thanks to that


    Chanaean doctor, Mother,¡¯¡® exined Matthew gently as he held Lisa¡¯s hands.


    Lisa was a much more stubborn woman when she was younger. After time had gotten the better of her,


    she became meeker. ¡®¡®We should invite her over so that I can thank her properly,¡¯¡® suggested Lisa with


    a nod.


    ¡®¡®Sure. I¡¯ll make the necessary arrangements and have her over soon.¡¯¡® Smiling, Matthew agreed with


    the elderly woman.


    Nico, who was standing just beside the two, immediately got excited when she heard the man. If


    Arielle¡¯sing over, that means her bodyguard will be here too. Finally, the moment I¡¯ve been waiting


    for has arrived! I must get ready.


    Two dayster, Matthew cordially invited Arielle to his residence. Frowning, Arielle wondered if she


    should turn down the invitation since she knew the general¡¯s daughter had a thing for Vinson.


    ¡®¡®Why are you so troubled? If you don¡¯t want to go, just don¡¯t.¡¯¡® Vinson pinched Arielle¡¯s nose yfully,


    amused by her reaction to the invitation.


    In response to that, Arielle rolled her eyes at Vinson. I wouldn¡¯t be in this predicament if he didn¡¯t attract


    so much attention.


    ¡®¡®I want to go, but you know the man¡¯s daughter has fallen for you, right? I don¡¯t want her drooling over


    you,¡¯¡® said Arielle with eyebrows tightly furrowed.


    Even though Arielle wished to get close to Matthew, she could not ignore the fact his daughter had


    fallen head over heels for her man. I¡¯m so conflicted. I just can¡¯t seem to make up my mind!


    ¡®¡®Just go and ignore his daughter. She¡¯s nothing to me,¡¯¡® stated Vinson nonchntly, for he was aware


    that Arielle wanted to get on Matthew¡¯s good side, and Nico did not bother him at all.


    In the end, Arielle decided to stop being indecisive and epted the invitation.


    Turlenian banquets were usually held in the evening, so Arielle stayed in the pce until dusk before


    returning to Paelsford Manor to wash up and get changed. Only after that did she set off for Matthew¡¯s


    residence.


    Vinson did not drive that day. Instead, he and Arielle had a chauffeur at Paelsford Manor drive them to


    their destination. Sitting in the back of the car, the two secretly held hands.


    Melissa was waiting at the door when they arrived, showing how important their presence was to her


    and her family.


    ¡®¡®What are you doing out here? You should¡¯ve just let the butler wait for us instead,¡¯¡® voiced Arielle with


    her usual cold smile after getting out of the car.


    That was the second time Melissa saw Arielle in person; the first was at Dn¡¯s birthday celebration.


    Arielle left many mouths agape when she walked into the hall holding the man¡¯s hand, and one of them


    belonged to Melissa.


    Back then, Melissa thought Dn had fallen for Arielle but realized she was mistaken when she heard


    nothing about the rtionship since.


    Dn simply wanted to introduce Arielle to the public and have them know that the woman was under


    his protection even though she was a foreigner.


    ¡®¡®It¡¯s nothing. We invited you over because Old Mrs. Nighy wishes to thank you in person,¡¯¡® exined


    Melissa enthusiastically.

 Chapter 1509

    Chapter 1509


    Chapter 1509 As Beautiful As An Angel


    ¡®¡®Ms. Nico, Dr. Moore is here. Mrs. Nighy¡¯s greeting her at the door as we speak.¡¯¡®


    The second Nico heard the housekeeper, she hurried out of her room. However, halfway down the


    stairs, Nico turned back to look at the servant. ¡®¡®Do I look good?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®You look beautiful!¡¯¡® ¡®¡®As beautiful as an angel?¡¯¡® continued Nico. ¡®¡®Of course, Ms. Nico. I doubt anyone


    will look more stunning than you do.¡¯¡® Nico was all smiles after listening to the housekeeper.


    As the woman continued to hurry downstairs, the housekeeper raised an eyebrow curiously and


    wondered what that was about. Isn¡¯t our guest a woman? So why does Ms. Nico act like she¡¯s going to


    meet her crush? Maybe she prefers women over men.


    With that thought in mind, the housekeeper widened her eyes in shock.


    Still, Nico was in such a good mood that it did not matter what others thought of her.


    As soon as she reached the end of the stairs, Nico noticed her mother and Arielle walking toward her,


    and following closely behind them was the supposed bodyguard she had missed dearly.


    Nico could feel her cheeks burning when she saw the man once again, and the confident woman


    immediately became shy.


    ¡®¡®What are you doing standing there like a statue, Nico? Can¡¯t you see that our guests have arrived?


    Come say hello,¡¯¡® instructed Melissa when she noticed the distracted Nico.


    ¡®¡®I¡¯m so d to see you again,¡¯¡® Nico quickly greeted Arielle after returning to her senses.


    ¡®¡®Me too,¡¯¡® responded Arielle courteously with a half-smile, even though she did not mean what she


    said.


    Since she was well aware of how Nico felt about her man, she would rather not see the woman again if


    possible. I wouldn¡¯t even be here if it weren¡¯t for her father.


    ¡®¡®This is my daughter, Nico. I regrettably admit that her father and I have spoiled her,¡¯¡® uttered Melissa


    half-jokingly.


    Despite what she said, Melissa was actually proud of her daughter, and Arielle could tell from the way


    she talked.


    ¡®¡®I¡¯m sure you have every reason to do so.¡¯¡® Having seen brats much worse than Nico, Arielle was sure


    that the woman was doing just fine.


    ¡®¡®Mother, you know Ms. Moore and I are of simr age, right? You¡¯re making me look like a child in front


    of our guests,¡¯¡®ined Nico somewhat embarrassedly while holding Melissa¡¯s arm after secretly


    ncing at Vinson.


    To that, Melissa simply responded with a chuckle.


    The woman was used to talking about Nico like that to others, but she had forgotten the fact that her


    guest that evening was only as old as her daughter.


    ¡®¡®I promise I¡¯ll stop doing that. Now, make sure our guests feel at home while I go get your


    grandmother,¡¯¡® Melissa instructed Nico.


    Even though Lisa had mostly recovered, Matthew still insisted that she stay in a wheelchair a while


    longer. After all, a woman her age would suffer dire consequences if she were to fall.


    Lisa never thought that someone as tough as her would end up in a wheelchair, so she was reluctant at


    first. However, after much persuasion, she eventually agreed to it on the condition that she would only


    use the wheelchair until she was strong enough to walk on her own again.


    Her family was well aware of the kind of person she was and thought that was a reasonable


    compromise.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

 Chapter 1510

    Chapter 1510


    Chapter 1510 The Confidence


    ¡®¡®Wait!¡¯¡® Arielle quickly stopped Melissa before continuing, ¡®¡®Maybe you should just bring us to Old Mrs.


    Nighy. I know it¡¯s not easy for her to get around, so I don¡¯t want to trouble her.¡¯¡®


    Melissa¡¯s smile grew even wider when she realized how considerate Arielle was, so she dly agreed


    to the request. ¡®¡®I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be more than happy to see you again. Ever since she found out that it


    was you who saved her, she¡¯s been nagging us to invite you over so that she can thank you in person.¡¯¡®


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    The smile on Arielle¡¯s face, too, widened, for she was convinced that it would not be difficult to gain


    Matthew¡¯s favor at that point. ¡®¡®It¡¯s nothing, really. Treating the ill and the injured is my job. I was just


    fulfilling my duty.¡¯¡®


    As the two conversed, Nico let go of her mother¡¯s arm and intentionally slowed down.


    ¡®¡®Hey, what¡¯s your name?¡¯¡® Nico turned to ask Vinson. ¡®¡®I still don¡¯t know what to call you.¡¯¡®


    Vinson would not have bothered to answer the question had they been in a different situation.


    However, considering what Arielle was trying to achieve then, it would be rude for him to ignore Nico.


    ¡®¡®Knightley. That¡¯s myst name.¡¯¡®


    Nico was thrilled when she heard Vinson, for she never expected that the man would reply to her.


    ¡®¡®What¡¯s your first name then?¡¯¡®


    In response, Vinson only nced at Nico, refusing to answer any more questions.


    Still, Nico was happy with what she had gotten so far. I guess it¡¯s better than nothing. At least I have his


    last name now. Why did he decide to answer me, though? Could he have changed his mind because


    he saw how grand our house is? Maybe he¡¯s decided to be my boyfriend!


    Nico had always been a straightforward person, so naturally, she jumped straight to the point.


    ¡®¡®Hey, Knightley. Have you decided to be my boyfriend?¡¯¡® inquired Nico as she stared expectantly at


    Vinson.


    The woman was ready to give Vinson all the resources he would need to be the most powerful


    man in Turlen should he agree to date her.


    ¡®¡®No,¡¯¡® answered Vinson with a frown. All I did was give her a fakest name, so why would she


    suddenly think I wanted to be her boyfriend?


    After some thought, Vinson was convinced that it would be best for him to just stay silent.


    Even though Arielle was conversing with Melissa, she was aware that Nico deliberately slowed down to


    talk to Vinson. After giving the man an ambiguous smile, Arielle shifted her attention back to Melissa.


    Because of Vinson¡¯s answer, the smile on Nico instantly vanished.


    However, it did not take long before the woman recollected herself. Nico told herself that it was okay


    and that she just had to keep trying to win the man¡¯s heart. With enough time and effort, I¡¯m sure that


    he¡¯lle around one day. There¡¯s nothing he can do about Ms. Moore since he¡¯s just her bodyguard.


    Prince Aaron always gets what he wants.


    ¡®¡®That¡¯s because you don¡¯t know what you¡¯re missing just yet. But don¡¯t worry. I can wait.¡¯¡® With that,


    Nico hurried back to Melissa¡¯s side, afraid that her mother would notice her absence. After all, Melissa


    had already warned her back at Dn¡¯s birthday celebration.


    Baffled, Vinson raised an eyebrow at the young woman. What gave her such confidence? I don¡¯t think


    anybody in their right mind would want to be her boyfriend.

 Chapter 1511

    Chapter 1511


    Chapter 1511 Ancient Chanaean Medicine


    ncing at Nico, Arielle was annoyed that the woman flirted with her man.


    ¡®¡®That¡¯s her room right there,¡¯¡® informed Melissa with a smile,pletely unaware of what was going


    through Arielle¡¯s mind. ¡®¡®With her age, she prefers being alone in a quiet ce.¡¯¡®


    Arielle nodded in agreement, for most of her elderly patients back in Chanaea had the same


    preference. They would rather spend most of their time on their own.


    Nico was the first to step inside when Arielle and the others reached Lisa¡¯s room.


    ¡®¡®Grandma, Dr. Moore is here to see you. She¡¯s the one who treated you,¡¯¡® announced Nico before she


    even entered the ce.


    ¡®¡®Nico¡¯s always been rash like that. I have no idea who she got it from.¡¯¡® Melissa shook her head while


    chuckling.


    Since Arielle would rather just ignore Nico, she decided not toment on that.


    Even though Arielle nned to curry favor with Matthew, she intended to be on an equal footing with


    the man.


    ¡®¡®Come push me now!¡¯¡® ordered Lisa, whose voice remained clear despite her age.


    Nico knew that Lisa could not wait to see Arielle, so she hurriedly got behind her grandmother¡¯s


    wheelchair.


    ¡®¡®You must be Dr. Moore,¡¯¡® voiced Lisa with a big smile as she held Arielle¡¯s hand at the entrance of the


    living room. ¡®¡®My, my! What a beauty you are! Are you seeing anyone at the moment?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Mother, Dr. Moore¡¯s a Chanaean. You know she can¡¯t marry into our country, right?¡¯¡® reminded Melissa


    helplessly.


    Lisa had reached an age where she enjoyed ying matchmaker.


    ¡®¡®Oh, right!¡¯¡® eximed Lisa as she smacked herself on the forehead. ¡®¡®My memory is getting worse


    every day. I forgot that you¡¯re a Chanaean.¡¯¡®


    Then, the elderly woman looked apologetically at Arielle. ¡®¡®Please excuse my terrible manners, Dr.


    Moore.¡¯¡®


    Since Arielle was dressed like a Turlenian, one could be forgiven for making such a mistake.


    ¡®¡®It¡¯s fine,¡¯¡® responded Arielle understandingly before checking Lisa¡¯s pulse and scrutinizing her. ¡®¡®You¡¯re


    doing well.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Is this Chanaean medicine?¡¯¡® inquired Lisa curiously.


    ¡®¡®It¡¯s ancient Chanaean medicine. Many Chanaeans are well-versed in it,¡¯¡® replied Arielle with a nod.


    It was a norm for Chanaeans to be patriots. As such, the woman was filled with pride when she


    mentioned her home country.


    Not only did she feel fortunate to be born a Chanaean, but she was also d to be one.


    ¡®¡®I¡¯d love to see the country that produced such a fine youngdy like you,¡¯¡® uttered Lisa with a chuckle.


    Even though she had lived over half of her life, Lisa had never left Turlen.


    Since she spent most of her life caring for her family and contributing to her country, she longed to see


    the world someday.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡®¡®If you want, you can ask for His Majesty¡¯s permission.¡¯¡® If nothing else, Arielle was confident that she


    could get Lisa the visa to travel.


    A glint of hope shed across Lisa¡¯s eyes before it quickly disappeared. ¡®¡®Forget about it. Just look at


    how old I am now.¡¯¡®


    Upon hearing that, Arielle dared not continue with the topic.


    ¡®¡®Come on. Why don¡¯t we go inside first?¡¯¡® suggested Melissa as she pushed Lisa inside and gestured


    for the others to follow her. All of a sudden, Melissa widened her eyes in shock.

 Chapter 1512

    Chapter 1512


    Chapter 1512 Find Fault With Him


    Melissa was surprised to see Vinson there. ¡®¡®What are you doing here?¡¯¡® Melissa raised her voice in


    dismay but tried to stayposed.


    Frustration kicked in when she thought about how her daughter nned to turn Aaron down because of


    him. She gave the man a sullen re despite the presence of her guest, Arielle.


    Vinson looked at Melissa, who tried to find fault with him, and scrunched his brows tightly. Did she not


    know how I came here?


    Meanwhile, Arielle, who initially had a good impression of Melissa, could not help but frown upon


    seeing how she treated Vinson.


    How could she treat Vinson like this?


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    But before Arielle could say something, Nico turned to Melissa and gave her an annoyed look. ¡®¡®He¡¯s


    Dr. Moore¡¯s bodyguard. Did you not see himing out of the car with Dr. Moore?¡¯¡®


    She knew why Melissa was trying to be nitpicky, but after seeing how her mother treated Vinson, she


    could not help but step in and express her dissatisfaction.


    How could she simply take it out on Vinson since I¡¯m the one who fell for him?


    Vinson probably detests me now because of her. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll never agree to be my boyfriend


    anymore. The more she thought about it, the more upset she became.


    Melissa was dumbfounded. The minute she turned her attention to the grim-faced Arielle, she knew


    she had made the wrong move. it turned out that she was so focused on talking to Arielle that she had


    not noticed that thetter came with a bodyguard.


    However, what surprised her the most was that her daughter was in love with Arielle¡¯s bodyguard.


    How could my daughter, a woman from an influential family, take an interest in a bodyguard? What a


    joke!


    ¡®¡®I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Moore. I didn¡¯t know he¡¯s your bodyguard,¡¯¡® Melissa apologized.


    ¡®¡®Why are you so mad at my bodyguard, madam?¡¯¡® Arielle felt bad for Vinson. She stared at Melissa


    and asked, ¡®¡®I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve met him before this, right?¡¯¡®


    Melissa felt a little embarrassed as she did not know how to exin it.


    I can¡¯t be telling her that my daughter is fond of her bodyguard, can I? No way. I can¡¯t bring myself to


    say that.


    Lisa, too, froze for a moment as she did not expect this to happen. Everything went so well just a


    moment ago. How did this meeting spiral out of control all of a sudden?


    ¡®¡®Well, since this gentleman is Dr. Moore¡¯s bodyguard, I¡¯ll get my men to bring him to his room,¡¯¡® Lisa


    proposed to defuse the tension.


    However, Arielle rejected the arrangement right away.


    ¡®¡®I¡¯m sorry, madam, but I¡¯m afraid he has to stay by my side twenty-four-seven to protect me since he¡¯s


    my bodyguard,¡¯¡® Arielle said apologetically.


    With that, Lisa had no choice but to give up the idea.


    Awkwardness was written all over Melissa¡¯s face after she found out about their rtionship. She


    forced a smile and said, ¡®¡®I¡¯m really, really sorry. I was so busy talking to you that I didn¡¯t realize that you


    came with this gentleman.¡¯¡®


    Arielle did not want to burn bridges with them since she still wanted to get into Matthew¡¯s good books.


    ¡®¡®It¡¯s all right. No worries!¡¯¡®


    Suddenly, they heard a strong and deep voice sounding from behind. ¡®¡®Why are you guys standing


    here?¡¯¡®


    As Arielle tilted her head to trace the source of the man¡¯s voice, she saw Matthew walking in their


    direction. The moment she spotted the man behind Matthew, she could not help but frown. What is he


    doing here?

 Chapter 1513

    Chapter 1513


    Chapter 1513 Is She Qualified


    ¡®¡®Come,e. Let¡¯s go in, shall we?¡¯¡® Melissa responded with a smile. When she saw the man behind


    her husband, she greeted him with respect, ¡®¡®Nice to meet you again, Your Royal Highness.¡¯¡®


    Aaron could not keep his eyes away from Arielle the moment he saw her standing next to Melissa. He


    was so fixated on Arielle that it was as though he was trying to make up for the lost time by looking at


    her as much as he could.


    On the other hand, Vinson frowned when he noticed how Aaron was gazing at his woman. I need to


    have a talk with Arielleter. It¡¯s time to tell Aaron that she¡¯s his sister and put an end to this obsession


    of his.


    At that point, Aaron had no idea they were about to drop a bomb on him. He finally came to his senses


    when he heard Melissa and nodded in response. ¡®¡®Yeah, I came to visit Old Mrs. Nighy because I heard


    she was discharged from the hospital.¡¯¡®


    Having said that, he looked at the wheelchair-bound elderly woman and expressed his concern, ¡®¡®Are


    you feeling better?¡¯¡®


    Lisa was overjoyed when she realized Aaron hade to visit her. ¡®¡®I¡¯m feeling much better, all thanks


    to Dr. Moore.¡¯¡®


    Most of her friends, who had a brain hemorrhage, ended up in their graves after lying in bed for years.


    Luck was on her side when Arielle came to her rescue at the right time.


    That was why Lisa was so grateful to her. After all, living a long and healthy life was everyone¡¯s dream.


    Aaron nodded at her words in agreement. The man had no doubts about Arielle¡¯s medical skills.


    Otherwise, he would not have brought her there.


    ¡®¡®All right! Since all the guests have arrived, let¡¯s move to the dining area, shall we? I¡¯m sure all of you


    are famished,¡¯¡® Melissa said. Now that Matthew had returned, it was time for dinner.


    Matthew nodded. With that, all the guests wheeled Lisa to the dining room.


    After dinner, Melissa and Nico brought Lisa back to her room as she needed to take a rest.


    ¡®¡®General Matthew, I wish to speak to you in private,¡¯¡® Arielle reached out to Matthew, whom she had


    only met once.


    Matthew froze for a moment, for he did not know what Arielle had on her mind, but he nodded and


    brought her to the study anyway.


    ¡®¡®What is it?¡¯¡® Matthew looked at Arielle and asked in a serious tone.


    He was curious to know what the woman wanted to ask.


    ¡®¡®Are you aware of the situation in the country?¡¯¡®


    Matthew was taken aback by the question. He did not expect that a Chanaean doctor would have the


    courage to ask a general about the political situation in Turlen.


    He asked in a deep, authoritative voice, ¡®¡®Why do you want to know?¡¯¡®


    Arielle knew Matthew might take offense to the question, but she had to help her father regain his


    influence and make aeback since she could not stay in Turlen for long.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡®¡®I¡¯ve only been here for a short while, but I understand that the queen mother is in power, and His


    Majesty is merely a puppet monarch. A country¡¯s prosperity relies greatly on its leader. Do you think the


    queen mother is qualified to rule Turlen?¡¯¡®


    Matthew¡¯s eyes flickered withplex emotions the moment Arielle mentioned the queen mother.


    Pausing for a moment, he looked into Arielle¡¯s eyes. ¡®¡®You¡¯re just a doctor, Dr. Moore. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s


    appropriate for you to discuss this matter with me!¡¯¡®


    At that moment, he could not help but suspect Arielle¡¯s identity. He even thought that Dn and Aaron


    had fallen into her trap. For all we know, she could be a spy for the Chanaean government, even


    though she entered Turlen as a doctor!


    On the other hand, Arielle had no idea her impulsive act had aroused Matthew¡¯s suspicion. Instead of


    answering him, she threw out another question, ¡®¡®How much do you know about His Majesty¡¯s


    capabilities?¡¯¡®

 Chapter 1514

    Chapter 1514


    Chapter 1514 Having A Talk With A Woman


    Meanwhile, Vinson and Aaron sat on the couch in the living hall alongside a few housekeepers. Aaron


    kept shooting the former hostile nces. I wouldn¡¯t have let him off had he not helped me get rid of the


    fianc¨¦e Grandma and Mother arranged for me.


    Yet, Vinson seemed overwhelmed by an indescribable emotion when he looked at Aaron. I want to


    reciprocate that hostile look he¡¯s giving me, but I can¡¯t bring myself to do it since he¡¯s Arielle¡¯s brother. If


    only he knew the woman he¡¯s obsessed with is his sister. Yet, at the same time, the way he treats me


    makes me want to beat him up.


    While the two men were still engaged in an intense stare-down, Nico came to the living hall after


    sending Lisa back to her room. She had told Melissa she wanted to keep Ariellepany since she


    was the only woman there, so Melissa had no choice but to agree to her request. Before letting her go,


    Melissa warned Nico, ¡®¡®Stay away from Dr. Moore¡¯s bodyguard. His Royal Highness mustn¡¯t know


    you¡¯re in love with that man. You hear me?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®All right!¡¯¡® Nico gave a mindless response and hurried to the living hall. When she found out that Arielle


    was having a talk with her father in the study, her eyes brightened up.


    She gestured to Aaron, who then stole a nce at Vinson and tactfully walked away, giving Nico and


    the man some private space.


    Nico then instructed the housekeepers to go somewhere else.


    Now that she had dismissed all the people from the living hall, she could finally spend some time with


    Vinson. After a moment of contemtion, she went to sit next to him.


    ¡®¡®Hey!¡¯¡® She tried to get his attention. ¡®¡®Are you sure you don¡¯t want to be my boyfriend? It¡¯s an


    opportunity of a lifetime! If you be my boyfriend, I¡¯ll get my father to give you ess to all the


    resources you need. And you¡¯ll be the most powerful man in Turlen.¡¯¡®


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡®¡®No, thank you,¡¯¡® Vinson replied indifferently with a frown.


    How can this woman be so persistent? What else can I do to make her give up?


    Nico felt a little down as she did not expect Vinson to reject her so bluntly. I¡¯m only this adamant


    because I¡¯m really into him. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have tried so hard.


    Despite feeling disheartened, she pulled herself together and said in a crisp, clear voice, ¡®¡®Don¡¯t turn me


    down just yet! I¡¯ll give you some time to think about my offer!¡¯¡®


    After ncing at the woman with an aloof expression, Vinson stood up and was about to walk away


    when Melissa and Aaron came in. Immediately, he returned to his seat and sat quietly. When Nico saw


    her mothering over, she quickly distanced herself from Vinson, not wanting her crush to leave a


    negative impression on Melissa.


    Melissa shot her daughter a stare before sitting next to Vinson, whereas Nico looked away as if nothing


    had happened.


    Meanwhile, Matthew looked steadily into Arielle¡¯s eyes while holding a cup of tea.


    Seeing that, Arielle knew her n had backfired. She stood up and said, ¡®¡®Thanks for the dinner,


    General Matthew.¡¯¡®


    She turned around and got ready to leave. However, before stepping out of the study, she whipped


    around and added, ¡®¡®Men have always been in power. Besides, the queen mother is getting old.


    Perhaps it¡¯s best to make hay while the sun shines, General Matthew.¡¯¡®


    Arielle then opened the door and walked out of the study. She could not help but sigh when she was


    walking downstairs. I screwed up. I shouldn¡¯t have asked those questions on the spur of the moment.


    The people in the living room craned their necks toward Arielle when they heard footstepsing


    downstairs.


    ¡®¡®Hey, Ms. Moore, did you talk with my dad? What did you guys talk about?¡¯¡® Nico asked out of curiosity.


    She had nevere across a woman who wanted to have a chat with her father.

 Chapter 1515

    Chapter 1515


    Chapter 1515 I Have Screwed Up


    ¡®¡®Ask your father if you wish to know what the discussion was about,¡¯¡® Arielle replied casually. She then


    turned to Melissa and uttered, ¡®¡®Thank you for the dinner. It¡¯ste now, and I¡¯m sure Old Mrs. Nighy is


    asleep. I¡¯lle and visit her next time.¡¯¡®


    Melissa stood up and responded with a grin, ¡®¡®All right.¡¯¡®


    Meanwhile, Matthew was alsoing downstairs. When he heard that she was leaving, he wanted to


    send Arielle off. After all, he still viewed Arielle as the family¡¯s benefactor as she had saved his


    mother¡¯s life.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    While the lot walked to the door, Aaron still could not look away from Arielle, and no one else noticed


    that except Vinson and Arielle.


    When Vinson saw Arielle knitting her brows, he walked up and stood before her to block Aaron¡¯s view.


    Irritated by what he did, Aaron instantly clenched his fists and gave Vinson a murderous re. If only I


    could kill that man with my stare!


    As they were traveling home, Vinson told Arielle what he had in mind. Arielle kept quiet for a moment


    after hearing his suggestion because she felt it was not the appropriate time to reveal her identity to


    Aaron just yet.


    ¡®¡®It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to tell him now. We¡¯ll find the right time to tell him the truth,¡¯¡® Vinson said


    while holding her hand.


    Arielle frowned. ¡®¡®We¡¯ll do it some timeter.¡¯¡®


    Somehow, she could not ept the fact that she had a half-sibling, especially when Aaron¡¯s mother


    was a homewrecker. How can I acknowledge the son of a homewrecker as my brother?


    ¡®¡®How was the talk with General Matthew?¡¯¡®


    Arielle massaged her temples and sighed. ¡®¡®I screwed up!¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®There¡¯s no need to rush,¡¯¡® Vinsonforted her.


    Arielle nodded in agreement. She knew she should not have been so impulsive, but she just wanted to


    solve the matter once and for all to prevent more problems from urring in the future.


    Her biological father might be in Turlen, but she was eager to return to Chanaea¡ªher home country.


    But before returning to Chanaea, she had to solve all the problems in Turlen first.


    Arielle had to rub her temples to ease the throbbing pain around her head.


    Upon noticing that, Vinson wrapped his hands around Arielle¡¯s waist, made her lie on hisp, and


    gently massaged her temples.


    Minutester, he heard a soft rhythmic breathing.


    Vinson was surprised that Arielle had fallen asleep so soon. As he looked at the woman, he could not


    help but feel sorry for what she had to go through.


    After arriving at Paelsford Manor, Arielle was still in deep slumber. Vinson looked at the chauffeur and


    shook his head before he gently carried her in his arms and brought her back to the room.


    Instead of waking her up, he decided to let her continue sleeping.


    Vinson then brought hisptop to his own room and worked, as he did not want to disturb Arielle.


    When Arielle woke up, she took a nce at her watch and realized she had slept for an hour. She


    immediately got out of bed and changed the bedsheet before grabbing her pajamas and going to the


    bathroom. After taking a shower, she blew her hair dry andy on the bed. Suddenly, Vinson came in,


    locked the door, and walked toward her.


    The man only had a towel wrapped around his waist, exposing his chiseled eight-pack abs.


    Vinson smirked and whispered into her ears, ¡®¡®What are you thinking about? Why are you blushing?¡¯¡®

 Chapter 1516

    Chapter 1516


    Chapter 1516 Stay Away From Her


    ¡®¡®Nothing!¡¯¡® Arielle tried to act nonchnt. A corner of Vinson¡¯s lips quirked when he saw how the


    woman pretended to be calm. ¡®¡®Really? Then why are you blushing?¡¯¡®


    Arielle snorted. ¡®¡®Because the weather is hot!¡¯¡® She then shoved him away. ¡®¡®Just don¡¯te near me,


    okay?¡¯¡® Her heart started thumping every time the man inched closer.


    Arielle¡¯s rosy cheeks made her look even more alluring, especially when the room was aglow with the


    yellowish lighting. Mesmerized by her beauty, Vinson stood stoic and remained silent. As Arielle looked


    in his direction, she realized he was staring at her. His intense gaze caused her face to turn even more


    brick-red.


    ¡®¡®Why are you staring at me like this? It¡¯s not like you¡¯ve not seen me before.¡¯¡® Arielle cleared her throat.


    Vinson came to his senses and chuckled softly. ¡®¡®I can see you every day but still go gaga over you.¡¯¡®


    Crawling into the bed, he pinned the woman beneath him and kissed her lips gently.


    Meanwhile, at the Nighy residence, Melissa leaned on Matthew¡¯s chest and asked about his


    conversation with Arielle in the study.


    Matthew¡¯s expression turned grim when he recalled the things Arielle had said. Even Melissa could feel


    the intimidating aura he exuded.


    She cautiously pulled herself from his chest and observed him from a distance. ¡®¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Nothing!¡¯¡® Matthew took a deep breath. He did not want to discuss politics with his wife, but he did


    remind her, ¡®¡®From now on, we should stay away from Dr. Moore.¡¯¡®


    We should stay away from her since we have different interests in mind!


    Melissa did not understand why Matthew made that remark, but his demand had put her in a tough


    spot.


    After all, Lisa was very fond of Arielle and could not stop praising the doctor. Before she went to bed,


    she even told Melissa to invite Arielle over because she liked having her around. Above all, they still


    needed Arielle to look after Lisa since thetter had yet to recoverpletely.


    Moreover, she had agreed to Lisa¡¯s request earlier because she, too, was grateful to Arielle. Yet, two


    hourster, her husband warned her to stay away from Arielle. What if his mother wants me to invite


    Arielle over again? What should I do?


    Matthew gave her an icy gaze and wondered why she kept mum. ¡®¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯¡®


    Melissa looked him in the eye and exined, ¡®¡®Mom is still sick, so we need to rely on Dr. Moore¡¯s


    medical expertise. Besides, she seems to like Dr. Moore very much. Before she went to bed, she even


    told me to invite Arielle over again.¡¯¡®


    Matthew held his breath upon hearing that.


    But¡­


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    He then let out a sigh, and his gaze darkened. Has Dr. Moore nned this all along?


    ¡®¡®But why would you want me to stay away from Dr. Moore? What¡¯s wrong with her?¡¯¡® Melissa could not


    help but ask.


    She thought Arielle was a down-to-earthdy and a capable doctor. To her, Arielle mighte across


    as faintly aloof, but Melissa could tell that she was not someone arrogant. Though the fact that Nico


    had fallen for Arielle¡¯s bodyguard did put Melissa off a little, she still had a pretty good impression of


    her.


    Matthew felt a jolt of frustration upon hearing that. He rolled to the other side of the bed and raised his


    voice, ¡®¡®Forget it!¡¯¡®


    His reaction upset Melissa, but she decided to remain silent and turned off the lights. As shey down


    in bed, tears started welling up in her eyes.


    In the meantime, something was happening in the tiny house where Cindy was locked in.

 Chapter 1517

    Chapter 1517


    Chapter 1517 Karma Bites


    ¡®¡®Tell the queen mother to send me to Manchernius in exchange for a secret,¡¯¡® Cindy said under her


    breath in the dark while suppressing her fear and anxiety. Worried that the man would not ry the


    message on her behalf because he did not believe her, she quickly added, ¡®¡®If she refuses to listen, she


    will regret it forever.¡¯¡®


    The man was a representative sent by the queen mother to get rid of Cindy. He was also the same


    person who picked Cindy up in Chanaea. Upon hearing her words, he mulled it over for about two


    minutes before quietly taking her away.


    When Arielle and the others got up the following morning, they heard a wave of relentless knocks on


    the door. Putting the towel in her hand down, Arielle strode toward the door and answered it. A fretting


    housekeeper showed up and reported, ¡®¡®Ms. Moore, that woman is gone.¡¯¡®


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Gone?


    Arielle frowned. ¡®¡®When did she go missing?¡¯¡®


    The housekeeper shook her head. ¡®¡®I¡¯m not sure. I went to bring her breakfast, only to realize that her


    bedroom door was open, and the chain that bound her was broken.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Okay, I know what to do. Carry on with your work.¡¯¡® Seeing that the housekeeper did not intend to


    leave, Arielle urged again, ¡®¡®Don¡¯t worry. We will find her sooner orter.¡¯¡®


    The housekeeper felt uneasy, thinking that she would surely get into trouble for losing Cindy during her


    watch. Unexpectedly, Arielle did not reprimand her. Instead, sheforted the housekeeper. With that,


    thetter grew fonder of Arielle.


    ¡®¡®Thank you, Ms. Moore. I¡¯ll get back to work now.¡¯¡® After being assured by Arielle, a great sense of


    relief and gratitude flooded the housekeeper, and she went downstairs afterward.


    As soon as Arielle shut the door, her expression instantly darkened.


    There are so many bodyguards in Paelsford Manor. Yet, a mere woman like Cindy managed to escape


    under everyone¡¯s noses? Who is the capable person who got her out of here discreetly?


    ¡®¡®Any prime suspect?¡¯¡® Vinson walked out of a dark corner and asked Arielle upon hearing her


    conversation with the housekeeper.


    Arielle knitted her brows and shook her head. Initially, she wanted to ignore Cindy for a period of time


    before interrogating her. Never in a million years would she have thought that Cindy would go missing


    even before she had a chance to find out who brought her here.


    She had no idea if the other party had any ulterior motive, either.


    They had been probing into this matter for quite some time, trying to see who was looking for Cindy, but


    to no avail. s, they even lost her. What a bummer!


    ¡®¡®Do you n to go look for her?¡¯¡® Vinson pursued.


    Arielle thought about it for a while and shook her head. ¡®¡®Forget it. I¡¯m not going to search high and low


    for her anymore. After all, my reason for keeping her was to find out who brought her here. Since she¡¯s


    been taken away, I¡¯ll just let it be. I doubt the person who kidnapped her is a kind soul. If that¡¯s the


    case, she will reap what she sows.¡¯¡®


    Now that Arielle had decided not to continue searching for Cindy, they had no reason to stay in Turlen. I


    think it¡¯s time we head back and settle the rest of the matters. Then, we shall just wait and see.


    She shared her thoughts with Vinson, who agreed almost immediately. He also told Arielle that he


    nned to bring Harvey along because Harrison had been so worried about him.


    ¡®¡®Sure, let me go to the pce and ask Father for a visa.¡¯¡®


    Meanwhile, at the pce.


    A horror-stricken Cindy was staring at an unknown woman.


    ¡®¡®You¡¯re the one who drugged me, right?¡¯¡® she asked in a quavering voice while her eyes were still


    fixated on the elegantly dressed woman.


    The woman took a nce at her nonchntly. Then, she asked in a stern voice, ¡®¡®What secret do you


    want to tell me?¡¯¡®

 Chapter 1518

    Chapter 1518


    Chapter 1518 Fearful


    It was Cindy¡¯s first time being so frightened of a woman, to the extent that her entire body was


    trembling uncontrobly.


    She looked at the woman before her and tried to get a grip. ¡®¡®I¡¯ll tell you what it is, as long as you


    promise to send me to Manchernius safely and grant me a lucrative sum.¡¯¡®


    Far from being angered by Cindy¡¯s threat, the woman merelyughed at her brazen act.


    She looked straight into Cindy¡¯s eyes and kept chuckling. The more sheughed, the more fearful


    Cindy got.


    ¡®¡®You¡¯ve got some guts, haven¡¯t you? To threaten me and even attempt to negotiate with me?¡¯¡® After a


    hearty guffaw, the woman cast a disdainful look at Cindy. ¡®¡®Do you know that you¡¯re the first person


    who¡¯s bold enough to say that to my face?¡¯¡®


    She gave Cindy the heebie-jeebies, almost making her heart leap out of her chest. Cindy opened her


    mouth, but no words came out.


    At that moment, instant regrets washed all over her. I should have told Arielle what I know and then


    gotten her to send me back home. I don¡¯t mind even if I have to go behind bars. Unfortunately, I had


    other motives back then¡­


    Left with no choice, she steeled herself and responded, ¡®¡®This secret is extremely important to you. If I


    die, you won¡¯t know anything. In fact, you won¡¯t be able to imagine what might happen next.¡¯¡®


    Upon hearing her words, the woman narrowed her eyes and threw a sharp gaze at Cindy. ¡®¡®Say it,¡¯¡® she


    bellowed.


    ¡®¡®Are you agreeable to the conditions I¡¯veid out for you?¡¯¡® Cindy asked cautiously.


    The woman nodded grimly, and Cindy breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness she said yes!


    Suddenly, the incident where she was drugged dawned on her. Filled with curiosity, Cindy questioned,


    ¡®¡®I hope you aren¡¯t scheming to drug me again right after I let the cat out of the bag.¡¯¡® Then, Cindy gave


    the woman a dubious look. ¡®¡®Let me remind you that it¡¯s the end of you if I die. Your secret will be


    exposed, and people wille after you.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®I¡¯ll send you to h*ll right away should you dy any further!¡¯¡® Her fierce rebuke scared the living


    daylights out of Cindy.


    ¡®¡®I shall believe you just once.¡¯¡® Cindy looked at her and added, ¡®¡®Your subordinate kidnapped me from


    Arielle, right? Although I don¡¯t know how she got here, I can certainly tell you that Arielle is the child


    that my sister bore. She¡¯s the Princess of Turlen.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®What are you talking about?¡¯¡® Disbelief was written all over the woman¡¯s face. How is that possible?


    ¡®¡®Indeed, Arielle is that child that my sister bore. She¡¯s the Princess of Turlen,¡¯¡® repeated Cindy.


    Wasn¡¯t the child dead back then? How could this have happened?


    She gazed at Cindy and threatened her with an icy cold voice, ¡®¡®If you ever lie to me, I¡¯ll make sure you


    die a horrible death!¡¯¡®


    Cindy trembled and stammered in trepidation, ¡®¡®M-My life is in your hands. I¡¯d never have the guts to do


    so.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Take her away and keep a watchful eye on her,¡¯¡® instructed the woman in a low voice.


    Immediately, someone came forward and took Cindy away.


    ¡®¡®Arielle¡­ Arielle¡­¡¯¡® the woman muttered Arielle¡¯s name umpteen times as a glint of malice shed


    across her eyes.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    What princess? She isn¡¯t fit to be the Princess of Turlen, for she¡¯s merely an offspring of a woman from


    Chanaea. She doesn¡¯t deserve the grand title of a princess. The Princess of Turlen must be like Aaron,


    the epitome of distinguished elegance and nobleness; a pure Turlenian by blood. Who does Arielle


    think she is?


    ¡®¡®Somebodye at once!¡¯¡® she shouted, and a subordinate came over. Right away, she gave thetter


    a few instructions with a vicious look in her eyes.

 Chapter 1519

    Chapter 1519


    Chapter 1519 Going Back Home


    Since the decision had been made, Arielle intended to fly back home as soon as possible after dying


    the n for approximately a month. Upon finishing her meal, she made her way to the pce with


    Vinson. She wanted her father to grant her several visas in order to bring a couple more individuals


    from Chanaea. Without a visa, traveling would be inconvenient for them.


    Lately, Dn had been busy with some national affairs and had very little time to visit Arielle. When he


    heard from Sybil that she came, he stopped working at once, left his study, and greeted Arielle with a


    bright grin.


    ¡®¡®What have you been up to recently that you had no time for your father?¡¯¡® Ever since Arielle


    acknowledged and epted him as her biological father, he became more casual and less cautious


    around her.


    Arielle was delighted to see that change in him though she did notment about it. She weed


    their newfound method of interaction as father and daughter as it made her feel morefortable.


    Conversely, she would not have liked it if he continued to be courteous and faintly aloof just because


    he felt sorry for being absent for over two decades of her life.


    ¡®¡®I¡¯m sorry. I should have visited you more often.¡¯¡® Though Arielle answered in an indifferent tone, she


    could not contain the smile in her eyes.


    ¡®¡®It¡¯s quite troublesome for me to make a trip, so pleasee see me every now and then.¡¯¡®


    Dn did not make an obvious request for her toe more frequently, knowing that she might be


    busy with her life too.


    As much as Arielle wanted to say yes, she paused for a moment and changed her reply. ¡®¡®Dad, I¡¯m here


    to inform you that I n to go back to Chanaea these two days.¡¯¡®


    All of a sudden, Dn¡¯s smile stiffened, but he pretended as though nothing had happened. ¡®¡®This is


    nothing new, isn¡¯t it? We¡¯ve talked about it for quite some time now. Go ahead. You can always return


    after a while.¡¯¡®


    His words carried an intense reluctance to let her go.


    After all, the father and daughter duo had only reconciled not too long ago, so he did not want to see


    her leave so soon.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    What can I say or do as a father? My child is all grown up now, and she has a life of her own. How can


    I be a stumbling block to her?


    Seeing that his heart grew heavy, Arielle felt rather sorry for him. Nevertheless, she could not stay any


    longer because she had something urgent to deal with. Anyway, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m noting back


    anymore. I¡¯m only leaving for a short while.


    She uttered, ¡®¡®Dad, can you give me a few more visas? Otherwise, it¡¯ll be so hard to get into the country


    when Ie back.¡¯¡®


    Immediately, Dn approved the documents and passed them to Sybil. Thetter then brought the


    visas to the noble who was in charge of foreign affairs to get a stamp.


    Since Arielle was leaving soon, Dn decided to take a break from work and spend some time with


    her.


    ¡®¡®Dad, you don¡¯t need to keep mepany if you¡¯re busy. It¡¯s okay.¡¯¡® Arielle was cool about it because


    she knew that it was just a temporary farewell, and they would surely meet again.


    ¡®¡®It¡¯s all right. There¡¯s nothing much for me to do as a king anyway. It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know that,¡¯¡®


    Dn insisted with a smile.


    With that, Arielle let him be.


    She had always been interested in the history of Turlen. Since Dn wanted to spend time with her,


    she thought of getting him to share with her great tales from Turlenian history. In the end, Arielle did


    nothing the entire day besides eating, going to the bathroom, and listening attentively to Dn telling


    her stories from the past. He even engaged her with multiple reference books and historical records.


    During their journey home, Arielle told Vinson, ¡®¡®I never imagined Turlen as a magical country in the


    past because it has barred all types of diplomatic rtions with other nations. As a result, its medical


    field is extremely outdated. Anyhow, Dad is in charge now. With him around, I¡¯m sure Turlen will only


    get better by the day.¡¯¡®


    Vinson nodded in agreement. Right when he was about to say something, he noticed something


    unusual, and his facial expression changed drastically.

 Chapter 1520

    Chapter 1520


    Chapter 1520 Determined To Stay Alive


    ¡®¡®Sit tight, Sannie!¡¯¡® After advising her abruptly, Vinson sped off at full speed and made a sharp turning.


    Meanwhile, a bullet scraped past the car window.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Arielle kept her guard up instantly. Who¡¯s attacking us?


    At that moment, the assassiny in ambush along the highway. He narrowed his eyes and waited


    patiently for his prey.


    When Arielle¡¯s car passed him by, the assassin aimed his weapons at her and pulled the trigger without


    any hesitation.


    Sensing the danger around her, Arielle quickly lowered her head. Fortunately, she managed to dodge


    another bullet. It prated the side window and shot a hole through the windscreen. The ruthlessness


    in Vinson¡¯s eyes deepened. He red at the road ahead, not wanting to make the slightest mistake.


    Arielle curled her body up and reached for her phone to make a call.


    Meanwhile, Dn was in his bedroom when the name appearing on the phone screen put a wide smile


    on his face. He picked it up at once and was shocked by an anxious voice. ¡®¡®Dad, we¡¯re being targeted


    by an assassin¡­¡¯¡®


    Arielle exined her situation to Dn as fast as she could. Upon hearing that there were many armed


    killers attacking them, his face drained of all colors. ¡®¡®Got it. I¡¯ll send someone to your rescue now,¡¯¡® he


    said solemnly.


    After hanging up, Dn assigned two troupes of soldiers to protect Arielle and Vinson. Subsequently,


    he also contacted his former subordinates to provide assistance to Arielle.


    Feeling unsettled and worried, Dn called Aaron.


    ¡®¡®Ensure their safety at all costs,¡¯¡® hemanded gravely.


    When Aaron heard about the attack, he was quite flustered. However, when he realized how concerned


    his father was about Vinson, he was displeased. Vinson is just a bodyguard. So what if he¡¯s shot by the


    assassin for protecting Arielle? That¡¯s his duty. Why must I guarantee his safety too?


    ¡®¡®Dad, I can only watch out for Arielle and make sure that she¡¯s safe and sound. As for that


    bodyguard¡­ His life and death are none of my business,¡¯¡® Aaron stated firmly.


    ¡®¡®Aaron!¡¯¡® Dn called out.


    Throughout their days in Turlen, Dn could tell that Arielle and Vinson shared a very strong bond


    despite them trying very hard to hide it.


    If anything untoward happens to Vinson, wouldn¡¯t my daughter be a widow at such a young age?


    This won¡¯t do. Vinson must be kept alive by all means!


    ¡®¡®This is an order, Aaron. You must obey me and do as I say.¡¯¡® Dn left no room for negotiation.


    Upon hanging up the phone, Aaron undid his necktie and cursed out loud, ¡®¡®D*mn it!¡¯¡®


    In the blink of an eye, Aaron had made all necessary arrangements for his people to rescue Arielle.


    Overwhelmed with worries, he then dashed to the garage and drove a car out.


    Within moments, Arielle¡¯s car had been riddled with bullet holes. The oue would have been totally


    different had luck not been on their side. They would probably have been shot umpteen times. At that


    critical juncture, both of them had no time to think about anything else apart from how to secure their


    own lives.


    ¡®¡®Southeast direction. Dodge!¡¯¡® Arielle reminded Vinson when she saw a gun aiming at them from afar.


    She had to be alert enough to notice what the bandits were up to and get ahead of them. Following her


    cue, Vinson steered the wheel in the opposite direction.


    The assassin saw that they went a different way and elerated his car to trail behind Arielle and


    Vinson. He grimaced at the leftover bullets, knowing that he could not afford to make any more


    mistakes.


    Soon, the assassin managed to catch up with Vinson¡¯s car side by side. The former aimed his weapon


    and fired several times at the front passenger seat.


    ¡®¡®Sannie!¡¯¡® Vinson¡¯s eyes reddened as he cried out for Arielle.

 Chapter 1521

    Chapter 1521


    Chapter 1521 A Misunderstanding


    Shortly after, Dn¡¯s men arrived and intimidated the assassin. As thetter was scurrying away, he


    bumped into Aaron, who rushed to the scene. Unfortunately, Aaron did not know that the man he ran


    into was the killer and missed the golden opportunity to get rid of him. In the end, the assassin escaped


    unscathed.


    ¡®¡®Mission aplished.¡¯¡® Upon leaving the crime scene for a distance, he dialed a number and hung up


    secondster. In no time, a message popped up on his phone screen stating that arge sum had been


    credited into his ount. With that, the assassin chucked his phone aside and sped off.


    ¡®¡®Sannie¡­¡¯¡® Cold sweat broke out from Vinson¡¯s palms as he gazed at the pool of blood on the


    passenger seat and said in a trembling voice, ¡®¡®Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m taking you to the hospital now¡­¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Don¡¯t worry.¡¯¡® Seeing that Vinson¡¯s eyes glistened with tears, Arielle stroked his face andforted


    him, ¡®¡®I¡¯m all right.¡¯¡®


    He grabbed her hands and tried his best to stayposed. ¡®¡®Say no more¡­ Reserve your energy.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Mr. Knightley, pleasee into our car. It can reach the hospital faster,¡¯¡® a man of Dn¡¯s age


    approached Vinson and suggested.


    Vinson knew that the man was sent by his father-inw. Hence, he nodded in agreement before he


    carried Arielle and ced her in the backseat. At that moment, Aaron caught a glimpse of the scene


    when he got out of his car.


    He hurried over and was shocked to see the crimson stain covering Arielle. At that instant, he felt like


    his heart was torn apart. He widened his eyes in disbelief and red at Vinson angrily. ¡®¡®Did you even


    protect her?¡¯¡®


    When Arielle saw how distressed Aaron was, she stammered with difficulty, ¡®¡®Don¡¯t¡­ get mad¡­ at¡­


    him. He¡¯s¡­¡¯¡® He¡¯s your brother-inw. However, she could not bring herself to finish the sentence.


    How can she still cover up for him at this time? Aaron dropped the topic despite feeling displeased and


    downright furious.


    ¡®¡®Prince Aaron, we¡¯ve got to hurry to the hospital.¡¯¡® In other words, the middle-aged man was urging him


    not to waste any more time.


    Aaron hurriedly retreated, and the car zoomed past him. Thereafter, he went to get his car and followed


    behind them.


    Arielle had already gone into aa when the people from the army were rushing her to the military


    hospital. Upon arrival, she was wheeled into the operation theater at once.


    When Dn got the news, he hesitated for a while before instructing his chauffeur to drive him to the


    hospital.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    The moment he got to the military hospital, he saw Vinson sitting alone, devastated. His body was


    drenched in blood.


    ¡®¡®Father, why are you here?¡¯¡® Aaron walked up to him and asked.


    Without warning, Dn pped his son hard on the face.


    ¡®¡®Didn¡¯t I ask you to protect her? Why did she get injured? If anything bad happens to her, I¡¯ll cut off all


    ties with you,¡¯¡® he spat the words out through his gritted teeth as he glowered at Aaron.


    Aaron gaped in tremendous shock.


    He could not believe a single word his father had just spoken to him, and neither could he ept the


    latter¡¯s radical reaction.


    No matter how fond he is of Arielle, it¡¯s still absurd for him to break his rtionship with me, his son,


    because of her!


    ¡®¡®Father, she¡¯s just a doctor. Is this outrageous response necessary?¡¯¡® Disappointed, Aaron looked at


    his father with a pair of reddened eyes.


    Why does he value Arielle so much? Does he have feelings for her?


    As Dn stared at the frustrated Aaron whose eyes had reddened, he fell silent.


    What can I say?


    ¡®¡®Father, you have fallen for Arielle, haven¡¯t you?¡¯¡® Aaron blurted. He could not stand the long silence


    anymore.


    ¡®¡®What nonsense!¡¯¡® Dn was fuming when he heard the spection his son uttered. However, Aaron


    pressed on, ¡®¡®Then, what is it? Why must you sever rtions with me because of one woman?¡¯¡®

 Chapter 1522

    Chapter 1522


    Chapter 1522 Brother And Sister


    While Aaron aggressively demanded an answer, Dn shut his eyes, unsure how he should respond to


    his son¡¯s relentless bombardment of difficult questions.


    ¡®¡®Say it! Why¡ª¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®That¡¯s because she¡¯s your stepsister! Your sister from another mother!¡¯¡®


    Aaron¡¯s unfinished question died on his lips when he heard the answer.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Stunned, he stared nkly at his father. ¡®¡®What¡­ What did you say?¡¯¡®


    He waspletely baffled. This is preposterous. How is that possible?


    ¡®¡®Aaron, Arielle is your sister from a different mother. She¡¯s the child born to me by my beloved woman,¡¯¡®


    Dn exined again with a frown, but his eyes never left Aaron¡¯s.


    Actually, he had long wanted to tell Aaron about it but was deterred by the fact that his son might not be


    able to ept it. Hence, he was hoping to dy it until his rtionship with Arielle improved. It had


    never once crossed his mind that the secret woulde to light under such circumstances.


    ¡®¡®No way! This is impossible!¡¯¡® Aaron paled at his words. He felt his world turned upside down as though


    he had fallen into a dark abyss, and his life wasing to an end soon. Utter despair and dejection


    washed over him, making his head throb continuously.


    An instant heartache overcame Aaron.


    The reality that was just ryed to him was far worse than discovering his own father developing


    feelings for Arielle.


    How could Arielle be my sister? How ridiculous!


    ¡®¡®This is true,¡¯¡® Dn emphasized it once more, knowing that Aaron did not believe him the first time.


    ¡®¡®They are all lies! I don¡¯t believe you. Don¡¯t you try to fool me!¡¯¡® Aaron responded dismissively before he


    went berserk and ran away.


    Watching his back as he left, Dn could notprehend Aaron¡¯s huge reaction. Isn¡¯t it a wonderful


    thing to have an elder sister? There¡¯s an additional person to love him henceforth. Why can¡¯t he ept


    the fact that he has a sister?


    Aaron felt so hopeless at that moment, like a stranded beast having no way to escape the grim truth of


    life. It had never once urred to him that the only woman whom he wanted to pursue so badly was


    his stepsister. This is a joke. Why did this have to happen to me?


    He sat in his car and buried his face in his palms, crying profusely. Tears kept streaming down from his


    eyes before they seeped between his fingers and flowed down to the floor.


    ¡®¡®No way. This can¡¯t be so. You¡¯re definitely not my sister¡­¡¯¡® he bellowed as he drove out of the hospital


    at full speed.


    He kept elerating as if that was the only way to relieve his dissatisfaction, fury, and heart-wrenching


    despair that surged from the bottom of his heart.


    Meanwhile, Dn withdrew his gaze and walked toward Vinson, only to realize that Vinson¡¯s arm was


    wounded. He tapped thetter¡¯s shoulder and said in a low voice, ¡®¡®You¡¯ve been shot on your arm. Let


    the doctor perform surgery and take the bullet out for you.¡¯¡®


    After all, there were other operating theaters and emergency rooms avable at the military hospital.


    Upon hearing Dn¡¯s words of concern, Vinson teared up again. ¡®¡®I¡¯m sorry, Dad, for not taking good


    care of Sannie.¡¯¡®


    Although Dn was mad at him for failing his husband duties, he could not reproach Vinson when he


    saw the gunshot wounds on thetter¡¯s arm.


    Instead, he said, ¡®¡®You¡¯ve done very well.¡¯¡®


    Judging from their injuries, Dn could roughly imagine how dangerous the situation was at that time.


    Vinson had to drive and protect Arielle while dodging the bullets for her. Dn could notin,


    considering that Vinson had reduced the possible damage to its minimum.


    Then, he beckoned a doctor to take Vinson to the operating theater. However, thetter was adamant


    that he was not going to move an inch until Arielle¡¯s surgery waspleted sessfully.


    Dn had no choice but to let him be.


    He gazed at the door, fretting and wondering how Arielle¡¯s condition was.


    Suddenly, the piercing ringing of his phone broke the silence. Dn scanned the screen and answered


    the call. ¡®¡®What? What¡­ did you just say?¡¯¡® He staggered a few steps back.

 Chapter 1523

    Chapter 1523


    Chapter 1523 Falling Off A Cliff


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡®¡®Your Majesty, we¡¯ve just received a call from the traffic police reporting that Prince Aaron lost control


    of his car while speeding and fell off a cliff. We¡¯re unsure if he survived,¡¯¡® Sybil said in between sobs


    over the phone.


    ¡®¡®Send more people to search for him. I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s alive or dead; I want him back,¡¯¡® instructed


    Dn as he tried to hold himself together.


    The torrent of grief overwhelmed him,ying him to waste. He had never expected that something so


    tragic would happen.


    Fallen off a cliff? Is there even hope for him toe out alive? Had I known that he would not be able


    to ept Arielle as his stepsister, I would have sealed my lips forever and brought the secret with me


    to my grave.


    ¡®¡®Dad, what¡¯s going on?¡¯¡® Vinson overheard his conversation and approached him at once.


    Dn¡¯s face looked so weary that it seemed like he had aged several years in an instant. With a heavy


    heart, he uttered, ¡®¡®Aaron fell off a cliff. We¡¯re not sure whether he¡¯s alive or dead¡­¡¯¡®


    Vinson was dumbfounded as he did not know that the hurtful truth would impact Aaron so severely.


    ¡®¡®Please stay here for Sannie. I¡¯ll go help look for him,¡¯¡® Vinson said without a second thought.


    Regardless of all the unhappy incidents that had happened between them, Aaron remained his brother-


    inw, the biological brother of Arielle. As his closest kin, Vinson could not sit and wait, doing nothing.


    However, Dn stretched out his arm and blocked him. How can I let him go on a search for Aaron


    when Arielle is still battling her fate in the operating theater? Moreover, he still carries a bullet in his


    arm!


    ¡®¡®No need.¡¯¡® Dn waved dismissively. ¡®¡®I¡¯ve sent my people to do so. You should stay here and watch


    over Sannie.¡¯¡®


    Since Vinson was not able to persuade Dn, he suggested Dn go home instead and leave Arielle


    to him. He did that so that Dn could wait for news about Aaron in thefort of his own home.


    Additionally, he also promised to update Dn by phone as soon as Arielle¡¯s surgery ended.


    Dn was in a tight spot, worrying about both his son and daughter.


    ¡®¡®Dad, I¡¯ll be here for Sannie.¡¯¡®


    Hearing that, Dn acquiesced to Vinson¡¯s decision, for he was extremely distressed about what had


    befallen Aaron.


    Meanwhile, the queen mother and Celeste, the Queen of Turlen, received the sad news about Aaron.


    Celeste fainted upon hearing that Aaron was possibly dead. Seeing that, Miranda quickly pinched her


    philtrum. Shortly after, Celeste returned to consciousness.


    ¡®¡®Miranda, did I hear it wrongly? Aaron is fine, right?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Your Majesty¡­¡¯¡® Miranda was unable to continue, choking on her tears.


    ¡®¡®How could it be? How could this happen to him?¡¯¡® Celeste wept.


    At that moment, all of the past memories flooded her mind. Celeste was very regretful of the way she


    had treated Aaron over the years.


    I shouldn¡¯t have channeled my hatred and anger toward Dn to Aaron. My son was still so young, and


    he was such a well-mannered and thoughtful boy, but I¡­ Celeste broke down in tears when she


    recalled the past.


    Miranda consoled her, ¡®¡®Your Majesty, it¡¯s all in the past now. I¡¯m sure His Royal Highness didn¡¯t take it


    to heart. You¡¯ve got to be strong, Your Majesty. There¡¯s still hope that His Royal Highness is alive. What


    we ought to do now is to be hopeful and send more help to search for him.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Is that so?¡¯¡® Celeste¡¯s mind was nk.


    ¡®¡®Yes!¡¯¡® Miranda affirmed confidently, ¡®¡®I strongly believe that His Royal Highness is somewhere waiting


    for us to rescue him. Please stay strong, Your Majesty.¡¯¡®


    Celeste wiped the tears off her face. ¡®¡®Yes, you¡¯re right. My son is surely waiting for me to save him. I


    must go and save him.¡¯¡®


    Subsequently, she whipped out her phone and made a call.


    Right then, the queen mother was rather disturbed. Arielle was sent for treatment at the military


    hospital? The doctors there are a league above those in other hospitals. At this rate, the chances of her


    recovering are quite high. Why didn¡¯t the person inform me about this?

 Chapter 1524

    Chapter 1524


    Chapter 1524 Falling In Love With His Sister


    Though the queen mother was upset that the person did not update her about Arielle being sent to the


    military hospital, she did not call him up to ask for an exnation. At that time, what mattered to her the


    most was Aaron¡¯s safety. Upon investigating, she found out that Aaron was met with a mishap after


    speeding off from the military hospital.


    Why was he driving so fast?


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Suddenly, she recalled Dn making a trip to the hospital too. Then, a thought shed across her


    mind. Did a fight break out between the father and son duo because of Arielle? And Dn won?


    The queen mother became furious at her own assumption.


    This is uneptable! The father fell for his own daughter, whereas the younger brother developed


    feelings for his sister!


    She was dying to expose Arielle as Dn¡¯s daughter, but she could not afford the possible


    consequences.


    After all, Maureen¡¯s death was¡­ Hmm. It seems to me that there¡¯s only one way to end this mess


    completely, which is to¡­ She narrowed her eyes as malicious intent brewed in her head.


    Meanwhile, at the pce, Dn hit the ceiling whenever he thought of Arielle¡¯s assassination attempt.


    Enraged by it, he called his subordinates to probe into the matter.


    This isn¡¯t the first time she¡¯s been attacked. Who on earth wants her dead? Her identity here in Turlen


    is a doctor, who educates and shares her medical knowledge with others. I doubt she has stepped on


    anybody¡¯s toes. Why is someone targeting her? Could it be that they don¡¯t want her to teach in Turlen?


    But why wouldn¡¯t they want her to do that here? Her presence here in this country is a blessing to the


    medical industry. She¡¯s helping to improve the local medical standards. Why would people want to get


    rid of her?


    A confused look crept up on Dn¡¯s face.


    Back at the military hospital, Arielle was finally out of the operating theater and sent into the ICU ward.


    Vinson¡¯s expression clouded over while he was in deep thought. They are cing her in the ICU ward.


    Does it mean that she¡¯s not out of the woods yet? Is she so severely injured that she¡¯s still battling


    immediate danger?


    ¡®¡®Doctor, may I know where Dr. Moore¡¯s wounds are?¡¯¡® Vinson consulted Arielle¡¯s attending doctor. He


    realized that he was worried about her injury all this while without knowing exactly where she was shot.


    The doctor got all worked up when he found out that the patient he was attending to was the famous


    Dr. Moore, who came to Turlen to teach medicine. Instantly, his expression turned serious.


    Judging from how disheveled Vinson looked after staying up the entire night, the doctor assumed that


    he was someone close to Arielle. ¡®¡®The patient was shot twice; one bullet hit her lungs, whereas the


    other one scraped past her heart. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t go through her heart. Although we¡¯ve retrieved


    the bullets, she still needs to be observed further at the ICU.¡¯¡®


    Vinson was in a turmoil of emotions when he heard Arielle¡¯s condition being exined to him, and his


    heart ached with unbearable guilt and deep remorse.


    Why didn¡¯t I take good care of her? She was shot right next to me. How can I ever forgive myself for


    letting her go through such a life-threatening episode?


    Seeing how devastated he was, the doctor tapped his shoulder and offered a word offort, ¡®¡®Don¡¯t


    worry too much. I¡¯m sure Dr. Moore will recover in no time.¡¯¡®


    Arielle was a morepetent doctorpared to him, and he had been dreaming of exhausting all of


    his contacts to get a chance to attend Arielle¡¯s lecture. Unfortunately, he missed the opportunity due to


    a patient¡¯s appointment. Finally, they met despite it happening under a less-than-ideal circumstance.


    After saying so, the doctor furrowed his brows as the gunshot wound on Vinson¡¯s arm caught his


    attention.


    He asked in puzzlement, ¡®¡®You were shot too? Why didn¡¯t you admit yourself for surgery to get the bullet


    out since you¡¯ve been here at the hospital the entire time?¡¯¡® Feeling rather upset, he continued, ¡®¡®If you


    don¡¯t know how to appreciate your own body, can you imagine how infuriated Dr. Moore will get when


    she wakes up to see you in such a bad shape?¡¯¡®

 Chapter 1525

    Chapter 1525


    Chapter 1525 Must Not Stay Alive


    Vinson, who initially refused to get his wounds treated, changed his mind upon hearing the doctor¡¯s


    words. Immediately, he proactively requested surgery to retrieve the bullet.


    Before getting himself admitted, he called Dn and asked him to send more people to guard Arielle.


    Otherwise, he would not be able to rest easy.


    After getting the updates about Arielle being transferred to the ICU ward, and Vinson undergoing


    surgery, Dn immediately gave an order to his men at the military base.


    An army soon arrived at the hospital to protect Arielle. Seeing so, Vinson heaved a sigh of relief and


    followed the doctor into the operating room.


    The doctor examined him carefully and discovered that the bullet had gone straight into his bone. He


    sucked in a sharp breath, extremely impressed by Vinson¡¯s level of tolerance. How did he manage to


    keep a poker face and endure the pain like nothing had happened for so long?


    Upon injecting the anesthesia in one smooth motion, the doctor proceeded to perform the surgery.


    The process was not as long as the one Arielle went through. It waspleted in just two hours.


    Thereafter, Vinson rejected the idea of resting in the ward assigned by the doctor. He insisted that the


    nurse prepare a bed for him outside of the ICU, for he wanted to be nearer to Arielle.


    He was resolute and unswerving, leaving the nurse with no choice but to do as he had requested. With


    that, the nurse set up a folded bed outside of the ICU ward and also gave him a new set of pillow and


    nket.


    As Vinsony down with his eyes wide open, he kept thinking about Arielle and could not fall asleep at


    all.


    Two dayster, Arielle got transferred from the ICU ward to a regr room. In view of her positive


    recovery, Vinson¡¯s anxious heart was finally at ease. He quickly called and shared the great news with


    Dn, who had been checking in on Arielle multiple times a day.


    Dn was instantly relieved when he heard the news.


    He had been mentally exhausted in the recent two days.


    With his daughter staying in the intensive care unit and his son yet to be found, Dn¡¯s hair had turned


    gray at a rate that was visible to the naked eye.


    ¡®¡®Sannie is still in aa. You must take good care of yourself so that you¡¯re able to care for her needs


    better,¡¯¡® advised Dn.


    He was well aware of how much the couple loved each other. Hence, he was worried that Vinson would


    focus too much on Arielle and neglect his own well-being.


    Vinson knew his good intentions, so he acknowledged Dn¡¯s advice with aconic reply.


    Right when he was about to hang up, he recalled something. ¡®¡®Dad, have you been investigating


    Arielle¡¯s assassination attempt?¡¯¡®


    After Dn recalled all of the information he had gotten in the past few days, his gaze dimmed.


    ¡®¡®Nothing much was found. Many of my men are looking into it but to no avail. It seems like all the


    evidence has been wiped clean, making it ultra difficult to find any clue.¡¯¡®Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Vinson fell silent as a vicious glint shed across his eyes. If I knew who did it, I¡¯d make the person pay


    for it a hundredfold.


    ¡®¡®Aaron is still missing. I¡¯ll visit Sannie when she¡¯s awake.¡¯¡® Dn¡¯s voice sounded distinctively different


    as if he had aged a decade.


    Vinson¡¯s heart sank at his words. It¡¯s been two days since the ident. Yet, Aaron¡¯s body is still


    nowhere to be seen. Is there still hope for him?


    ¡®¡®Leave Sannie to me. Aaron is the priority now.¡¯¡® After a brief pause, Vinson added, ¡®¡®Please take good


    care of yourself. You don¡¯t want Sannie to worry about you when she wakes up.¡¯¡®


    Meanwhile, at the pce, the queen mother made a phone call when she found out that Arielle had


    been transferred to the regr ward.


    ¡®¡®After all these years, this is the first time I¡¯m looking for you. I only have one request, and all you need


    to do is to help me aplish just one thing.¡¯¡® Ayer of gentlenessced the queen mother¡¯s voice.


    After hearing the other party speak over the phone, the queen mother¡¯s expression changed. She


    uttered, ¡®¡®Arielle shall not live to see another day.¡¯¡®

 Chapter 1526

    Chapter 1526


    Chapter 1526 Unimaginable


    Not many knew about the assassination attempt on Arielle, for the king had made sure the news did


    not spread. Despite that, Xavier managed to find out about that incident from Lana. When he caught


    wind of it, he immediately called Harvey. When he realized that Harvey did not know what happened


    either, they both called Vinson to question him.


    ¡®¡®Why didn¡¯t you tell me that there was an assassination attempt on Arielle?¡¯¡® Harvey angrily asked.


    Even though they¡¯re married, I¡¯m still their best friend, right? How could they keep this from me? Do


    they still think of me as their friend?


    Vinson massaged his temples when he heard Harvey¡¯s questions. He had been too preupied with


    his worries about Arielle that he had forgotten to inform Harvey about the matter.


    ¡®¡®I was too worried about Sannie, and that¡¯s why I forgot to tell you about it. Sannie¡¯s been shot twice,


    and she was transferred to the ICU after her surgery. She was only transferred out to a normal ward


    today.¡¯¡®


    Harvey fell silent for a while after hearing his exnation. Then, he asked, ¡®¡®What about you? Are you


    hurt?¡¯¡®


    Vinson hummed softly in response to his friend¡¯s concern. ¡®¡®I was shot once, but the bullet didn¡¯t pierce


    my bone. It was stuck in it. I¡¯ve already undergone surgery to remove it, so don¡¯t worry.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Do you need me to do anything for you?¡¯¡®


    The power they had was elsewhere. Even if Vinson needed their help, they would not be able to do


    much for him. Upon thinking about Arielle¡¯s constant close calls, Vinson clenched his fists.


    ¡®¡®For now, no.¡¯¡® Vinson turned quiet for a beat after that. Then he continued, ¡®¡®The king is already looking


    into her assassination attempt, but the traces of the assassin have been thoroughly removed. We can¡¯t


    even begin finding who the one behind this is.¡¯¡®


    A wave of helplessness washed over Harvey. The power they had was useless where Arielle was at.


    Even if he wanted to help them out, there was nothing he could do.


    ¡®¡®Vin, this isn¡¯t the first time Arielle has gone through this. We can¡¯t pin all our hopes on the king


    because even he himself is¡­¡¯¡® Harvey trailed off. ¡®¡®We have to find a way to extend our power to this


    ce. That¡¯s the only way we can stop feeling helpless when we encounter issues like these.¡¯¡®


    Vinson nodded in agreement. Harvey was on the same page as him, for he once had the same idea as


    well. Initially, he nned to bring men over after returning to Chanaea with Arielle. However, he never


    expected to encounter assassins and have Arielle hurt again.


    ¡®¡®I¡¯ll get you some visas in a few days. Bring a few people over. Smuggle them if you can and try to


    bring as many as possible,¡¯¡® Vinson told him in a low voice. He could sense that there would be no


    peace in theing days.


    ¡®¡®Of course.¡¯¡®


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    After ending the call, Harvey took out his ne and nced at it. The girl in the picture looked as


    sweet as ever. He wanted to look for the girl and take care of her, but no matter how hard he searched


    for her, his efforts were futile. Hence, over time, those thoughts of finding her faded.


    It was up to fate whether or not he was going to cross paths with her again.


    Meanwhile, the queen cried day and night in the pce. Two days before, she had asked her elder


    brother, Einbert, to search for Aaron. However, there was nothing but the wrecked car and the shocking


    bloodstains under the cliff.


    Below the cliff was a raging river, and her brother had found a shoe on the riverbank. After checking


    things through, they confirmed that the shoe indeed belonged to Aaron. At that, the queen¡¯s heart sank


    into the abyss. What were the chances of her son still living?


    She dared not imagine the answer.


    For the past two nights, she had not had any shut-eye. Even a brief moment of closing her eyes would


    result in dreams of Aaron shouting for help, bloodied and miserable.

 Chapter 1527

    Chapter 1527


    Chapter 1527 Missing Arielle Much


    Einbert told her that he had found out from his investigation that Aaron was only caught up in the


    ident after speeding off from the military hospital.


    The queen shed even more tears when she thought of her brother¡¯s words. Her eyes dimmed as she


    wondered what had happened in the military hospital.


    Why did Aaron go to the military hospital? What happened there? Why did he speed off from that


    ce? The questions kept swirling in her mind, begging for her attention at all times.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Finally, unable toe up with an answer to those questions, the queen went to the queen mother.


    Even though she had not heeded to worldly matters for the past few days, Miranda had been paying


    attention to the moves of various people, and she knew that the queen mother was looking for Aaron


    as well.


    Hence, she went to the queen mother in hopes of gaining new insight. After all, the queen mother was


    the one managing the country.


    Before they arrived at their destination, someone informed the queen mother about the queen¡¯s arrival.


    The queen mother then asked Monisha to lead the queen in. The moment the queen appeared,


    Monisha hurried over to greet her.


    ¡®¡®Is Mother busy?¡¯¡® the queen asked Monisha. As thetter looked at the queen¡¯s red-rimmed eyes, she


    replied, ¡®¡®She¡¯s not. She knew that you wereing, and she has been waiting for you.¡¯¡®


    The queen nodded and headed inward.


    ¡®¡®Mother,¡¯¡® the queen greeted upon seeing the queen mother.


    Immediately, tears sprang to her eyes again.


    ¡®¡®Don¡¯t cry!¡¯¡® The queen mother held her hand and guided her to the couch by the side. As she looked at


    the younger woman with her profound and bright eyes, sheforted her, ¡®¡®Aaron will be fine. He¡¯ll


    come back safe and sound.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Mother, I heard from Einbert that this only happened after Aaron sped off from the military hospital. Do


    you know why he went to the military hospital?¡¯¡®


    Dn had deliberately kept the news of Arielle¡¯s injury a secret. Naturally, the queen did not know


    about it. After a long look at the woman, the queen mother sighed.


    ¡®¡®There was an assassination attempt on Arielle, so she was hurt and was sent to the military hospital.


    Aaron probably went there to visit her.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®What? He went to meet Arielle again?¡¯¡® A wave of dizziness hit the queen in her fury. ¡®¡®Why did he


    speed off from there then?¡¯¡®


    The queen mother figured out that the queen would find out about the matter even if she was not the


    one to break the news, so she revealed, ¡®¡®Dn was there too.¡¯¡®


    At that very moment, the queen wished she could just pass out there and then.


    She did not even need to think to decipher what had happened back then.


    They must have fallen in love with the Chanaean woman, Arielle. Without a doubt, Aaron lost to his


    father. Unable to ept the blow to his ego, he then sped off from the hospital.


    The queen gritted her teeth in rage. Ever since those few people failed their mission, she had not dared


    to make another move against Arielle for fear of exposing herself.


    Yet, the halt in her n ended up with her son going missing, and she truly regretted her hesitation. I


    should have continued to go after her. I should have killed her when she was still recovering back then.


    This wouldn¡¯t have happened then.


    ¡®¡®Mother, I want Arielle dead!¡¯¡® the queen gritted out through clenched teeth. No matter what, she was


    not going to let Arielle off anymore.


    ¡®¡®Just do it. Regardless of what happens, you have my support,¡¯¡® the queen mother told her with


    determination, not at all surprised by the queen¡¯s decision.


    No woman would be able to tolerate something like that. That was why the queen mother was going to


    let the queen do anything she pleased.


    The queen then rose to her feet and bowed to the queen mother in gratitude before leaving.


    ¡®¡®Arielle, you were the one who forced me to do this!¡¯¡® the queen whispered under her breath as she


    looked intently into a distance.


    Meanwhile, the military hospital was in chaos.


    Half an hourter, the doctor came out and said to the anxious Vinson in a grim tone, ¡®¡®Sorry for your


    loss.¡¯¡®

 Chapter 1528

    Chapter 1528


    Chapter 1528 Death


    News of Arielle¡¯s death traveled fast. The students in the school were in disbelief when they heard it.


    How can this be? Wasn¡¯t she about to go back to Chanaea? Why did she suddenly pass away?


    ¡®¡®Sonia, do you know why Ms. Moore passed away?¡¯¡® Be asked. Sonia was still in shock over Arielle¡¯s


    death as she wondered, How can this be true? She even asked me to meet her a monthter. We were


    about to see each other again, so how she could just¡­ No, this can¡¯t be right. How can Arielle be


    dead?


    Immediately, Sonia called her father. ¡®¡®Father, have you heard the news about Dr. Moore¡¯s demise?¡¯¡®


    Sonia quietly asked as she bit her lip. At the same time, she prayed that Arielle would be fine.


    Unfortunately, the answer from her father was a disappointing one.


    ¡®¡®Sonia,¡¯¡® Lawrence started in a low tone. ¡®¡®Dr. Moore has indeed passed away. I just came back from


    the hospital.¡¯¡®


    Upon hearing her father¡¯s words, Sonia¡¯s eyes reddened, and tears rolled down her cheeks.


    ¡®¡®Be, Ms. Moore is¡­¡¯¡® Sonia trailed off.


    Be knew that Sonia and Arielle had been in frequent contact ever since Arielle performed surgery on


    Sonia¡¯s grandfather. She knew that the two women were on very good terms, but she never felt jealous


    about their friendship, for Sonia had never distanced herself from Be even after getting close to


    Arielle.


    After ruminating about the matter, Be hugged her gently to give her a silent constion.


    In Be¡¯s arms, Sonia began bawling.


    It was Be¡¯s first time seeing Sonia lose control of her emotions. Her heart ached, but she did not


    know how to console her friend other than softly pat her back.


    ¡®¡®W-What did you say?¡¯¡® Dn stammered out as he looked at Sybil. ¡®¡®S-Say it again. Say it one more


    time.¡¯¡®


    Sybil stared at Dn with reddened eyes, not knowing how else to break the news to the king.


    ¡®¡®Your Majesty, I¡¯ve just received a call from Mr. Nightshire about the Princess. She¡­¡¯¡® Sybil choked out.


    ¡®¡®The Princess suddenly lost her heartbeat¡­ The doctor tried resuscitating her for over half an hour,


    but¡­ but they couldn¡¯t save her¡­¡¯¡®


    The moment those words left Sybil¡¯s mouth, Dn slumped onto the couch.


    ¡®¡®No, that can¡¯t be!¡¯¡® Dn bellowed as pangs of pain wrenched his heart. ¡®¡®Send me to the hospital. I


    have to see her with my own two eyes.¡¯¡®


    How could my daughter leave me behind like this? I refuse to believe that my dear daughter is gone


    just like that.


    Naturally, he had to see his daughter onest time no matter how heartbreaking it was for him.


    Hence, Sybil quickly asked his men to prepare the car and brought Dn to the military hospital. Once


    they arrived, everyone¡ªother than those still busy with their tasks¡ªappeared when they heard that the


    king hade.


    ¡®¡®Your Majesty!¡¯¡®


    They all bowed to Dn, and Dn gave a wave to dismiss them as he only wanted to see his


    precious daughter.


    Arielle was no civilian, so her body was kept in the ward she had been in previously.


    The doctor led Dn to Arielle¡¯s ward. When Dn saw Vinson looking at him with bloodshot eyes, the


    last trace of hope in Dn¡¯s heart dissipated.


    He shakily walked over to Arielle¡¯s bed and looked at his daughter, who was covered with a white


    sheet. Then, he reached out to pull it away. He wanted to see his daughter one more time¡ªonest


    time.


    However, his hands kept trembling, and he did not manage to pull the sheet away even after a few


    tries.


    At that, Vinson reached out to tug the sheet a little lower. In the next second, Arielle¡¯s face appeared.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

 Chapter 1529

    Chapter 1529


    Chapter 1529 A p


    When Dn saw Arielle¡¯s face, he could not hold himself back anymore. All of a sudden, he staggered


    backward, but Vinson managed to catch him in time. After Dn regained his bnce, he turned to


    Vinson and pped him.


    ¡®¡®W-Why¡­ Why didn¡¯t you take care of¡­ take care of her?¡¯¡® Dn roared in sorrow as he clutched his


    chest and red at Vinson.


    He had trusted Vinson so much and had believed that thetter would protect Arielle with his life, but in


    the end, what happened? Why didn¡¯t he protect her? Oh, my dear daughter¡­


    At that thought, Dn¡¯s tears kept streaming down his face. He was utterly devastated by the loss of


    his daughter.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Meanwhile, Vinson could only watch him sob in silence. He did not know what he could do to lessen


    the pain the old king was feeling.


    ¡®¡®Please don¡¯t cry. She¡¯ll definitely be upset if she sees you in this state.¡¯¡® Vinson¡¯s cheek had turned red


    right after the p, but he said no words ofint about it. He knew that Dn only did that


    because he loved Arielle wholeheartedly. If Arielle had meant nothing to him, he would not have cared


    whether she lived or died.


    However, Dn did not respond to him. He turned away to fix his gaze on Arielle instead. The longer


    he looked at her, the thinner the air around him seemed.


    It had taken eons before they finally found each other, but it seemed like just the blink of an eye before


    they were separated by the line between life and death.


    ¡®¡®What happened to her? Why did she suddenly¡ª¡¯¡® Dn choked out but could not even finish his


    sentence in the throes of his sorrow.


    Sybil quietly wiped away his tears as he watched the scene. He, too, could not believe that the princess


    was gone just like that. The king had not even gotten the chance to announce her existence to the


    people before they lost her.


    Sybil could only imagine how anguished the king must be.


    Vinson¡¯s eyes dimmed when he heard the king asking about the details of Arielle¡¯s death. In a barely


    audible voice, he began, ¡®¡®The doctor said that it was due toplications of her gunshot wound.¡¯¡®


    Dn turned even more resentful upon hearing that.


    I have to find out who the ones behind this are to avenge Arielle. I can¡¯t let her just die in vain like this.


    In the meantime, the queen mother and the queen, who were both in the pce, received news about


    Arielle¡¯s death.


    The queen mother was in the study when the news traveled into her ears. Immediately, she put down


    the document she was reading and furrowed her brows.


    The queen had just left the pce. Even if the queen wanted to end Arielle¡¯s life, she would still need


    time to make arrangements. Yet, Arielle had suddenly passed away. Moreover, the queen mother had


    yet to make any move.


    Her expression darkened while she was in deep thought. The queen mother still remained wary and


    suspicious of the news. After all, she was a woman who had gone through ups and downs in life.


    ¡®¡®Send someone to look into this and find out if she¡¯s really dead,¡¯¡® the queen mother told Monisha, who


    instantly began working on it.


    After Monisha exited the room, the queen mother turned to look into the distance. Everything would be


    fine if Arielle is really dead, but if the news is fake, I¡¯m going to make sure it bes true.


    Matthew, who had gone to the ward with Dn, narrowed his eyes when he saw the scene.


    Why is His Majesty so upset about Arielle¡¯s death? Who is she to him?


    When he thought about how Arielle had held the king¡¯s arm and entered the venue during the king¡¯s


    birthday celebration, he furrowed his brows.


    Could it be that those rumors were true? Is he that upset about Arielle¡¯s death because he has fallen


    for her? No, that¡¯s not right. Arielle¡¯s a capable girl. Even if the king were to fall in love with her, she


    would not reciprocate his feelings. But if she wasn¡¯t in love with him, why would she say those things to


    persuade me previously?

 Chapter 1530

    Chapter 1530


    Chapter 1530 She Is Dead


    Harvey, too, was in absolute disbelief after hearing about the news of Arielle¡¯s death.


    He had only called Vinson not too long ago and found out that Arielle had been transferred from the


    ICU into a normal ward. Hence, he could not wrap his mind around why she suddenly died.


    He took out his phone and dialed Vinson¡¯s number. However, Vinson was upied at that moment.


    Since he did not have the time to pick up calls, Vinson switched off his phone. As a result, Harvey


    failed to reach him, and his expression grew solemn,


    Not only is Vinson not picking up the call, but he has even switched off his phone. Could it be that the


    news about Arielle is true? Has she really left us?


    The possibility of that made tears well up in Harvey¡¯s eyes.


    His love for Arielle was genuine. Although she ended up with his good friend, which broke his heart and


    made him go through a period of depression, he still went to her after hearing that she had been


    brought to Turlen.


    Harvey simply could not ept the fact that Arielle was dead.


    Nevertheless, there was nothing he could do but wait since Vinson did not answer his call.


    Nico¡¯s first reaction to her rival¡¯s death was not joy but regret. After all, Arielle was an excellent doctor.


    Although Nico liked Arielle¡¯s bodyguard and wanted him for herself, she never wished for Arielle to die.


    Therefore, she, like the others, was baffled by the news of Arielle¡¯s death. In an instant, she called her


    friends who were studying medicine under Arielle to authenticate the news. Subsequently, she found


    out that it was true¡ªArielle was dead.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    As she sat on the chair in a daze, Nico found feelings of mncholy seeping into her chest.


    ¡®¡®Nico, why are you sitting here?¡¯¡® Melissa asked her when she saw her daughter daydreaming. As she


    saw the tears in Nico¡¯s eyes, she worriedly asked, ¡®¡®What¡¯s the matter? Why are you crying?¡¯¡®


    Melissa¡¯s heart was breaking while she looked at her daughter in concern. Her daughter was a carefree


    and suave young woman; she had never acted this way before. Therefore, Melissa was shocked to find


    her daughter in a moment of fragility.


    On the other hand, Nico only realized that she was crying for her love rival after hearing her mother¡¯s


    words.


    Although she did not intend to cry, she simply could not hold her tears back. Indeed, she was in low


    spirits because of Arielle.


    ¡®¡®Mother, Dr. Moore¡¯s dead,¡¯¡® Nico told Melissa as she sniffled.


    ¡®¡®What?¡¯¡® Melissa widened her eyes in shock. ¡®¡®Who did you hear that from? This is no trivial matter, so


    don¡¯t joke around like that!¡¯¡®


    Despite her words, Melissa knew that her daughter was probably speaking the truth, for thetter had


    always been a straightforward and honest person.


    ¡®¡®Everyone knows about it now. I¡¯ve asked my friends from medical school, and they¡¯ve confirmed the


    news with the elders in their families,¡¯¡® Nico told her in a sad tone.


    Melissa felt that Arielle¡¯s death was a pity.


    She truly liked the young woman, for she was wise and sophisticated beyond her age. Moreover,


    Arielle was experienced in the medical field. As such, Melissa could not believe that Arielle had passed


    on at such a young age.


    Unlike Melissa, Sonia¡¯s mother was delighted when she heard that Arielle had died. After all, Arielle


    was the only one in Aaron¡¯s heart, and Sonia stood no chance with him.


    She had told Sonia to snatch Aaron from Arielle, but Sonia had insisted on a fairpetition with


    Arielle.


    A fairpetition with Arielle means giving up all her chances with Aaron! Now that Arielle¡¯s dead,


    Aaron will surely be with Sonia. Even though he¡¯s now missing, I¡¯m sure he¡¯lle back in one piece.

 Chapter 1531

    Chapter 1531


    Chapter 1531 Sorry For Your Loss


    Dn stayed in the hospital until the sun went down. It was only then that Vinson managed to convince


    him to head home.


    Arielle¡¯s identity had not been announced to the public, so it was inappropriate for the king to stay by


    her side for too long.


    Initially, Dn wanted to announce Arielle¡¯s identity to the public since she was dead, but Vinson


    stopped him from doing so. They had not found the culprit behind Arielle¡¯s murder, so even if Dn


    wanted to reveal Arielle¡¯s identity, he should wait until everything was settled.


    Dn found his words logical, so he patted Vinson¡¯s shoulders and told him that he would definitely


    find the mastermind to avenge Arielle.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Hearing his words, Vinson remained silent. He barely has any power, so who knows when he¡¯ll be able


    to find the culprit?


    After Dn dered that he was heading home, Matthew and the group of high-ranking officials


    escorted him back. Once the others were gone, Vinson became the only one left staying by Arielle¡¯s


    side.


    Vinson rubbed the bridge of his nose as he stared at Arielle¡¯s body for a while. Then, he took out his


    phone and sent Harvey a text message. Forty minutester, a ck van stopped at the back entrance


    of the military hospital. After observing his surroundings, a man brought out the stretcher covered by a


    piece of white sheet and brought it into the van. Then, the van disappeared into the night.


    The next day, Dn came to the hospital again. Matthew and the others tried to tag along, but Dn


    sent them away. Since the king was there to visit his daughter, he could not openly show his emotions


    if those men were toe with him.


    ¡®¡®How are we going to go about Sannie¡¯s funeral?¡¯¡® Dn asked Vinson after chasing his subordinates


    away.


    Although he was Arielle¡¯s father, Vinson was her husband, so thetter would be the one to deal with


    everything after her death.


    Staring at the body on the bed, Vinson suggested, ¡®¡®Let¡¯s wait another two days before cremating her.


    We¡¯ll be scattering her ashes into the sea.¡¯¡® A pauseter, he continued, ¡®¡®We¡¯ll skip the ceremonies.¡¯¡®


    Dn widened his eyes when he heard that Vinson was going to scatter her ashes into the sea.


    How can he do that? She¡¯s my daughter, and more importantly, she¡¯s the Princess. How can he scatter


    her ashes into the sea? No, I have to find a good ce to keep her ashes.


    ¡®¡®We can¡¯t scatter her ashes into the sea,¡¯¡® Dn grimly said to Vinson. ¡®¡®I¡¯ll find a good ce to bury it.¡¯¡®


    Vinson froze upon hearing that.


    He then parted his lips to say something, but a thought crossed his mind, and he closed his mouth.


    Forget it. I¡¯ll do as he says for now.


    Besides Dn, Sonia and Be came over as well. Both were dressed in appropriate ck clothes.


    The nurse then led the two women to Arielle¡¯s ward.


    The moment Be¡¯s eyesnded on the white sheet, they reddened. She then spun around to wipe her


    tears away. Aware that Vinson was Arielle¡¯s husband, Be walked over to him and said, ¡®¡®I¡¯m sorry for


    your loss.¡¯¡®


    Vinson took a nce at her as she was the only one aside from the doctor to say those words to him.


    After all, to the others, he was only Arielle¡¯s bodyguard.


    However, the moment she said that, he understood that the young woman in front of him knew who he


    was. He nodded and replied, ¡®¡®Thank you.¡¯¡®


    The two of them had specially taken time out to see Arielle, and they would need to head to sster,


    so they did not stay for long.


    Vinson remained in the ward for the entire day. Once the sun set, he stepped out of the ward. Not long


    after he left, the lights in the building went out. A figure then took the opportunity to slip into Arielle¡¯s


    ward.


    In the dark, a smile grew on Vinson¡¯s lips. Finally, they¡¯re here.

 Chapter 1532

    Chapter 1532


    Chapter 1532 Who Sent You Here


    Right then, Vinson¡¯s eyes narrowed as he made his move and went after the mysterious figure like a


    ghost.


    When the mysterious figure was about to leave the ward, a towering man blocked his way. That man


    was none other than Vinson.


    With a cial look on his face, Vinson slowly posed his question, ¡®¡®Speak. Who sent you here?¡¯¡®


    The mysterious figure never expected that someone would intercept him. At that moment, he realized


    that he had stepped right into a trap.


    Steeling himself, the mysterious figure beganunching attacks at Vinson in hopes of fleeing from the


    ward.


    Nevertheless, Vinson was not someone to mess with. With a swift kick, he then felled the figure. Before


    the other man could rpose himself, Vinson gave the mysterious person a few more vicious kicks.


    Unable to defend himself, the other man soon admitted defeat.


    ¡®¡®Spit it out. Who sent you here?¡¯¡® Vinson tied the man up and even shoved a piece of rag into his


    mouth.


    Right then, the lights in the hospital building flickered back to life.


    The tied-up man red at Vinson with resentment when he heard Vinson¡¯s interrogating question.


    I¡¯ve been training since young. How could this man defeat me before I could even make a move? This


    is impossible!


    Vinson looked at him coldly and threatened, ¡®¡®Are you not going to say anything? In that case, be ready


    to face hell.¡¯¡®


    Vinson had never failed to get the answers he wanted through interrogation.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    However, the other man did not know about that. He continued to re at Vinson as he dismissed


    Vinson¡¯s words. Men like him were used to difficult times. To them, interrogations were merely child¡¯s


    y.


    However, he was breaking down half an hourter.


    The man sobbed as he looked at Vinson in fear.


    Vinson curled his lips and asked, ¡®¡®Are you willing to spill the beans yet?¡¯¡®


    The man nodded fervently as he simply could not tolerate it any longer. Vinson¡¯s interrogation was


    inhumane, and he would rather have Vinson end his life right away.


    ¡®¡®Speak. Who is it?¡¯¡® Vinson fixed his bloodthirsty gaze on him. ¡®¡®If I find out that you¡¯re lying to me, I¡¯ll


    make sure you¡¯ll be in a living hell from now on.¡¯¡®


    The man, who was initially thinking of fooling Vinson, immediately dismissed his n.


    He then nodded in acknowledgment.


    ¡®¡®If you dare try to end your life, I¡¯ll whip your body and hang it out in the open for three days straight.


    Then, I¡¯ll feed your body to the dogs and make sure that you won¡¯t be in one piece even after death,¡¯¡®


    Vinson nonchntly said to the other man.


    The fear in the other man¡¯s eyes intensified.


    ording to the beliefs in his country, if the body of the dead was treated in that way, not only would


    they go to hell after death, but they would also have no chance to enter the cycle of reincarnation.


    By then, the man no longer dared to bear any thoughts of lying to Vinson as he quickly nodded.


    Vinson then took out the rag from his mouth to let him speak. ¡®¡®The queen mother sent me here.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Why did she send you here?¡¯¡® Vinson questioned.


    ¡®¡®She sent me here to find out whether or not the woman in the ward is really dead. If she¡¯s dead, I will


    just let her be. But if she¡¯s not, I¡¯ll have to make sure she dies.¡¯¡®


    Right as those words came out of his mouth, the look in Vinson¡¯s eyes turned even more menacing. He


    could not believe that the one who was targeting Arielle was Arielle¡¯s own grandmother.


    Why does she want Arielle dead?


    ¡®¡®Do you know why she has given you that order?¡¯¡®

 Chapter 1533

    Chapter 1533


    Chapter 1533 Found The Mastermind


    The other man shook his head fervently. The only thing he knew was that he had toplete his task.


    Vinson was aware that he would not be able to get any other information from him, so he shoved the


    rag back into his mouth. Then, he called Harvey and asked him to take the man away.


    After all, that man was a witness, so they had to keep a close eye on him.


    ¡®¡®Mm!¡¯¡® When the other man realized that Vinson had stuffed his mouth again, he anxiously shook his


    head and groaned.


    Vinson merely shot him a cold look. ¡®¡®If you don¡¯t cooperate with us, you¡¯ll be begging for death.¡¯¡®


    After all, Vinson was no virtuous man, and he had no mercy on someone who tried to kill Arielle.


    Frightened out of his wits, the tied-up man widened his eyes and fell silent immediately.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Soon, Harvey came in a car and avoided the crowd before he took the tied-up man away through the


    back entrance.


    Just then, Vinson made a call and spoke into the phone in a gentle voice, ¡®¡®How are you feeling? Are


    you feeling better yet?¡¯¡®


    Lying on the bed, the woman who was on the other end of the line smiled at the man¡¯s words. ¡®¡®I¡¯m the


    one who made the prescription, so of course my injuries would heal fast.¡¯¡®


    Hearing that, Vinson let out a sigh of relief. He had been staying in the hospital, not daring to leave the


    ce for the past two days. When he heard that her injuries were healing quickly, a wave of relief


    crashed into him as his heart finally lowered back into his chest.


    ¡®¡®I want to see you,¡¯¡® Vinson softly said to her.


    Ever since she woke up, Arielle had decided to take the initiative and look for the mastermind behind


    the incident. After a discussion, both Vinson and Arielle began making preparations for their n.


    The one they felt most grateful for was the doctor who had operated on Arielle. After Arielle woke up,


    he went to visit her, and it was then that they realized he was a fan of Arielle. His enthusiasm made an


    idea pop into Arielle¡¯s head.


    After sharing a look with Vinson, Arielle asked the doctor to cooperate with them on their n. Even


    though the doctor admired Arielle greatly, her request stumped him.


    Nevertheless, Arielle tried her best to convince him, and eventually, she seeded.


    After agreeing to their request, the doctor even said that they should put on their best show. He then


    took the corpse of a woman who had just passed away in the hospital and reced Arielle with it on


    the bed.


    His idea was a pleasant surprise for Arielle and Vinson.


    Arielle then asked the doctor to prepare some medicine and tools so that she could make a mask of


    her face to put on that dead woman. After that, the doctor sneakily transferred her to his dorm. It was


    only the night before then did Harvey take her away to Xavier¡¯s rental house so that he could take care


    of her.


    ¡®¡®You¡¯ll expose the n if you visit me. Just wait a few more days. Come and visit me once we find out


    who the one targeting me is,¡¯¡® Arielle said after a moment of rumination.


    Arielle was beyond frustrated at that point. They had been trying to kill her many times, so she had to


    find out the mastermind behind the assassination attempts.


    Truth be told, she had her own suspicions about the identity of the mastermind. After all, it was


    because of her identity that she could not officially reunite with Aaron as family.


    Upon hearing that, Vinson recalled that he had something to tell her.


    ¡®¡®Sannie, I¡¯ve found out who the culprit is,¡¯¡® he then said.


    Arielle¡¯s eyes darkened instantly. ¡®¡®Who is it?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®The queen mother,¡¯¡® Vinson told her.


    Arielle had never thought that her own grandmother would be the one trying to kill her.


    Never in her wildest dreams had she ever expected that.


    But why does she want me dead? Could it be that she found out about me garnering support from


    General Matthew? Is that why she¡¯s doing this to me?


    Arielle could not think of any other reasons the queen mother would want her dead.

 Chapter 1534

    Chapter 1534


    Chapter 1534 Will He Wake


    ¡®¡®I understand,¡¯¡® Arielle answered. ¡®¡®I¡¯ll make her pay the price for this.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®What are you nning to do?¡¯¡® Vinson asked.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Arielle narrowed her eyes and dered, ¡®¡®I¡¯ll find the evidence and punish her for her acts.¡¯¡®


    She was not going to let the queen mother off.


    Regardless of who she was, as long as she hadmitted a crime, Arielle was going to make her bear


    the consequences.


    ¡®¡®Okay,¡¯¡® Vinson replied. After a pause, he continued, ¡®¡®What do we do with the body? Dad said he wants


    to find a good ce to bury her.¡¯¡®


    Arielle was touched when she found out what Dn was nning for her funeral.


    ¡®¡®He must be upset, isn¡¯t he?¡¯¡® Arielle muttered.


    She had not dared to let her father in on the n, fearing that he would not put on a good enough show


    and hence ruin the n.


    When Vinson thought about the way Dn reacted, he affirmed, ¡®¡®Yes, he was very upset. It was as


    though he aged a few years in seconds.¡¯¡®


    Arielle grew silent for a moment.


    For the time being, she could not reveal the fact that she was still alive. If she did, her prior efforts


    would go to waste.


    ¡®¡®Try to talk to him more often. Tell him that he still has Aaron and get him to focus on finding Aaron


    instead.¡¯¡® Arielle had already found out about Aaron falling off the cliff. All she hoped at that moment


    was for her father to prioritize the search for Aaron. That way, Dn would not be too upset about her


    death.


    ¡®¡®Okay. It isn¡¯t convenient for me to investigate the queen mother¡­¡¯¡® Right as Vinson said those words,


    Arielle replied, ¡®¡®Leave it to me.¡¯¡®


    With their newfound clues, it was much easier for her to investigate the matter.


    Once the call ended, Arielle opened theptop that Harvey had bought for her and began looking into


    the queen mother¡¯s background information.


    The next day, in a wooden house on a small ind¡­


    ¡®¡®Grandpa, say, will he wake up?¡¯¡® An eighteen-year-old girl was curiously asking her grandfather as she


    looked at the man on the bed.


    ¡®¡®It¡¯ll depend on his fate,¡¯¡® said the old man who looked like he was in his sixties.


    The old man had done his best by treating the young man¡¯s wounds and feeding him medicine. It was


    up to fate whether or not he was going to make it.


    ¡®¡®I wonder what happened to him. Why does he have so many wounds?¡¯¡® the girl said, feeling sorry for


    the injured man.


    ¡®¡®Why would you care about that? Head back if you have nothing to do. Why are you still sticking


    around at an old man¡¯s ce.¡¯¡® Although the old man was saying harsh words to drive his


    granddaughter away, he was frankly reluctant to watch her leave.


    ¡®¡®Grandpa,e back with me,¡¯¡® the girl quickly persuaded as she grabbed his arm. ¡®¡®I won¡¯t be at ease


    if you¡¯re here alone.¡¯¡®


    The girl was only able toe to the old man¡¯s ce for a visit during her holidays, so she wanted him


    to leave with her. It was fine even if he did not like the other house as she could rent a ce near her


    school. That way, she would be able to keep himpany whenever she was done with sses or


    when she had off days.


    ¡®¡®What¡¯s there to worry about? Your grandma and I have stayed here all our lives. We¡¯re used to it.¡¯¡®


    As he spoke, he turned and left the room. Then, he ced the herbs in his hands on the wooden board


    at the side before spreading them out for drying.


    ¡®¡®But you¡¯re on your own now,¡¯¡® the girl pointed out as she stepped out of the room and stood by his


    side. As she helped spread out the herbs, she mumbled, ¡®¡®If Grandma¡¯s still alive, I wouldn¡¯t say


    anything about this. At the very least, you¡¯ll have each other, but you¡¯re all alone now. How can I


    possibly not worry?¡¯¡®


    Before the old man could say anything to that, loud coughing sounds could be heard from behind them.


    Both the old man and the girl¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at once.

 Chapter 1535

    Chapter 1535


    Chapter 1535 Who Are You


    After exchanging nces, the girl and the old man hurried into the wooden house. They were greeted


    by the sight of the previously unconscious man coughing non-stop. She then quickly ced her hand


    on his neck before brushing it in a downward motion to help him breathe better. It was only when he


    stopped coughing did she stop the soothing action.


    Right then, the man on the bed slowly opened his eyes. In his blurry sight, he could vaguely make out


    the girl in front of him.


    Immediately, he frowned. Who is she? Why is she so close to me?


    ¡®¡®You¡¯re awake. Are you hungry? Are you thirsty? Do you feel unwell anywhere?¡¯¡® the girl urgently


    asked.


    Her voice was as clear as a bird¡¯s chirp, and when it traveled into his ears, he could not help but


    change his impression of her for the better.


    After forcing his eyes open, he finally got a good look at the girl¡¯s appearance.


    The girl in front of him looked like she was around eighteen or neen. Her eyes were big, and she


    had brown wavy hair. If not for the cheap-looking clothes she was wearing, she would have looked like


    a princess.


    ¡®¡®Water¡­¡¯¡® The man only managed to squeeze out one word before his throat felt as if it had been set


    on fire. Despite himself, he furrowed his brows.


    Once the girl heard his words, she quickly walked over to the wooden table and filled a ss of water


    for him.


    When she realized that he could not drink from the ss because he was lying down, she put the ss


    on the side stool and helped him up. As the man had just woken up and was still feeling weak, the girl


    bit down on her lip and let the man lie on her as support while she sat on the bed. Then, she took the


    ss and held it to his lips.


    The two were so physically close that the man could smell the girl¡¯s pleasant scent.


    In the next second, he stared at the ss and froze. It was the first time someone had treated him like


    that.


    ¡®¡®Aren¡¯t you thirsty? Hurry up and drink this,¡¯¡® the girl urged in a soft voice.


    Returning to his senses, the man finished the water.


    ¡®¡®Do you want more?¡¯¡® the girl asked when she realized he had downed the ss in no time.


    However, the man shook his head. The girl then put the ss away and helped him back down on the


    bed.


    Right then, the old man came in from outside. When he saw that the injured man was awake, he


    sighed in relief inwardly.


    He¡¯s lucky.


    On the other hand, when the injured man saw the old man, feelings of confusion rose in his chest. Only


    then did he begin studying his surroundings. Upon noticing that he was in a small wooden house, he


    widened his eyes in astonishment.


    Why am I here?


    ¡®¡®Where am I?¡¯¡® he asked, perplexed.


    ¡®¡®We¡¯re on an ind,¡¯¡® the girl exined before the old man could speak. She then asked the man


    curiously, ¡®¡®Who are you? Why did you end up injured in the waters?¡¯¡®


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Looking at the girl¡¯s inquisitive gaze, he merely shook his head. His car had collided with something


    before he fell off the cliff, so he had passed out in his car.


    By the time he regained his consciousness, he was already in the wooden house.


    ¡®¡®How long have I been here?¡¯¡® he asked.


    ¡®¡®Four or five days,¡¯¡® the girl replied as she tilted her head to the side.


    Four or five days?


    The man¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    ¡®¡®That long? Has anyone been looking for me?¡¯¡®


    The girl shook her head. ¡®¡®I don¡¯t know. There are few people who cane to this ce.¡¯¡®


    Instantly, the man fell silent. He wondered how Arielle¡¯s condition was after so many days.


    The very thought of Arielle was like a rock that crushed his chest. He could barely breathe under its


    weight.


    Meanwhile, the queen mother, who was at the pce, was downright livid and threw the documents in


    her hands onto the ground.


    ¡®¡®What did you say? How did they crack the message? Why didn¡¯t anyone intercept it?¡¯¡®

 Chapter 1536

    Chapter 1536


    Chapter 1536 Panic


    ¡®¡®Your Majesty, I did try to stop him, but the hacker is more skillful than me, and I failed to stop him,¡¯¡® a


    weak male voice belonging to the hacker she hired, Ollie, sounded from the other end of the line.


    That was the first time he had ever run into a hacker that was morepetent than him. The hacker¡¯s


    firewall was also stronger than his.


    ¡®¡®Find someone who¡¯s better than you! We must stop him!¡¯¡® the queen mother hissed furiously.


    ¡®¡®I¡¯ll have to ask my senior, Gaston, for help, then,¡¯¡® Ollie answered after a brief deliberation.


    Ollie was the second-best hacker in the country. Apart from this hacker who was currently hacking into


    their security system, the most skillful hacker around would be his senior, Gaston.


    Without hesitation, the queen mother ordered, ¡®¡®Get him to do it, then!¡¯¡®


    The man fell silent at once as it wasn¡¯t easy to get his senior to agree to help them out.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    The more outstanding a hacker was, the less willing he was to work for others. Gaston was a prime


    example, for he would only ept cases that caught his interest.


    ¡®¡®Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡¯¡® the queen mother snapped impatiently.


    ¡®¡®Gaston doesn¡¯t ept cases easily,¡¯¡® Ollie answered hesitantly.


    The queen mother snorted. He doesn¡¯t ept cases easily? He will if the payment is enough.


    Arrogantly, she announced, ¡®¡®Tell him I¡¯ll pay him five billion if he sessfully stops the hacker.¡¯¡®


    Indeed, getting paid five billion for one case was an inviting offer.


    ¡®¡®I shall try to contact him. Don¡¯t put the me on me if he refuses to ept the case,¡¯¡® Ollie said.


    Hearing that, the queen mother grunted in acknowledgment.


    After cutting the line, Ollie contacted Gaston. Thetter was about to reject the offer when he heard


    that the hacker was morepetent than Ollie. At once, his interest was piqued.


    Switching on hisputer, Gaston started typing on his keyboard furiously. Soon, he hacked into


    Ollie¡¯sputer and saw that Ollie¡¯swork had been intercepted. A devilish smile flitted across his


    lips.


    Interesting. Since when did such a hacker exist in our country?


    His fingers flew over the keyboard as he typed furiously.


    Meanwhile, Arielle was still at herputer when she realized someone was trying to hack into it. Her


    gaze narrowed as she typed on the keyboard furiously. Instantly, she managed to track the hacker


    down. She pressed a fewmands, and the hacker¡¯sputer screen went nk. A smile nudged


    her lips. Trying to hack my firewall? Dream on!


    Gaston chuckled. ¡®¡®Interesting. This is interesting!¡¯¡® With that said, he tossed hisputer aside and got


    up to get anotherptop he kept aside. Once again, he tried to hack into Arielle¡¯sputer. s, her


    firewall was too strong, and he couldn¡¯t bypass it.


    Hmm, this is getting more challenging!


    Gaston loved challenges. As he typed on his keyboard, the codes shed on the screen. Suddenly, a


    few words appeared on his screen.


    If you don¡¯t stop, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless!


    The warning did nothing to deter Gaston. On the contrary, he grew increasingly excited. After all, this


    was the first time someone had dared to threaten him. Naturally, he refused to stop, for a strong rival


    could motivate him to get stronger!


    The moment he typed something, hisptop leaped into action. Gaston could only watch as the other


    hacker copied all his data. He tried to switch off hisptop but to no avail. Hisptop remained on no


    matter what he pressed.


    At once, he began to panic. Grabbing hisptop, he tossed it to the ground forcefully.


    D*mn it!


    Despite knowing that his action wouldn¡¯t stop the hacker from getting his data, he couldn¡¯t help


    breaking hisptop in fury.

 Chapter 1537

    Chapter 1537


    Chapter 1537 Hacker


    Right then, his phone rang with a call from Ollie. Ollie wanted to know if he had blocked the attack and


    sessfully hacked into the hacker¡¯s system. Hearing that, Gaston roared at him angrily.


    ¡®¡®Gaston, what¡¯s wrong?¡¯¡® Ollie asked cautiously.


    Gaston might be hot-tempered and unpredictable, but this was the first time he had evershed out at


    Ollie. Thus, Ollie couldn¡¯t stop fear from creeping up on him.


    ¡®¡®What happened?¡¯¡® Gastonughed in anger. ¡®¡®The hacker ended up copying the data on myptop!¡¯¡®


    Hearing that, Ollie gasped in shock. He had never expected that Gaston wouldn¡¯t be a match for the


    hacker.


    ¡®¡®T-The data shouldn¡¯t be important, right?¡¯¡® Ollie kept his voice low. ¡®¡®Normally, we save important data


    on our sh drives.¡¯¡®


    Usually, people would save important data on a sh drive instead of theirputer. After all, they


    might run into a hacker who could hack theirputer anytime.


    Gaston fell silent at his words.


    Indeed, most people would usually save a copy of their important data on a sh drive and delete the


    original copy on theptop. However, Gaston was the top hacker in Turlen. It had never crossed his


    mind that someone would hack into hisptop and copy his data one day.


    ¡®¡®I had no idea someone could actually hack into myptop!¡¯¡® he barked. With that said, he hung up and


    kicked a chair beside him to vent his frustration.


    When Ollie told the queen mother about Gaston¡¯s failed attempt, she got so furious that her eyes


    turned red.


    ¡®¡®Is there no better hacker avable?¡¯¡® she asked.


    Ollie remained silent, although a thought shed across his mind. The best hacker around is the one


    who is currently hacking our system.


    ¡®¡®For now, this hacker is the best,¡¯¡® Ollie responded calmly.


    The queen mother cut the line, utterly enraged. She didn¡¯t know if the hacker hacked into herwork


    deliberately or was only doing that for fun.


    Meanwhile, after Arielle copied Gaston¡¯s data, she hacked into the queen mother¡¯s banking system.


    Her eyes narrowed when she saw a huge sum of money being transferred out on the day she got shot.


    When Harvey came in and saw her grim expression, he asked, ¡®¡®Do you need my help? I knocked, but


    you didn¡¯t answer. I was afraid something had happened to you, so I came in without getting your


    approval.¡¯¡®


    Arielle didn¡¯t me him foring in. Shaking her head, she said, ¡®¡®I don¡¯t need your help. I can do this


    myself.¡¯¡®


    Harvey nodded and gave her a ss of water.


    ¡®¡®Thanks!¡¯¡® Arielle epted the ss of water and thanked him.


    ¡®¡®There is no need to thank me, so you may drop the formalities,¡¯¡® came Harvey¡¯s answer before he


    turned to leave the room. The door clicked shut behind him.


    He had decided to forget about Arielle. It might seem easy, but it was difficult to aplish in real life.


    Back then, he had purposely told Xavier that the youngdy he slept with was his future wife. He was


    actually trying to ry the message to Arielle and Vinson.


    Perhaps they won¡¯t feel guilty if I fall in love with someone else.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Arielle turned and nced at the door. Squinting her eyes, she started reflecting on whether she was


    being too formal with him.


    After pondering briefly, she decided to treat him like a friend. Since they were friends, there was no


    need to make things awkward.


    She sipped on the water Harvey offered her and ced the ss aside. Staring at herputer, she


    started typing furiously again. Five minutester, her lips curled up into a smile.

 Chapter 1538

    Chapter 1538


    Chapter 1538 Send Away


    Arielle had hacked the queen mother¡¯sputer and phone. That way, she would know every move


    the queen mother makes.


    After that, she switched off herputer. The medicine worked well, but it wasn¡¯t effective enough for


    her to recoverpletely in just a few days. Besides, she had just survived a gunshot. It would take at


    least weeks for her to healpletely.


    Back in the pce, the queen mother was infuriated by the hacking of herwork. She had no idea


    what the hacker wanted and what else the hacker hacked into besides her security system. The very


    thought made her extremely apprehensive.


    After calming down, she dialed a number. ¡®¡®Can you find a powerful hacker for me?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Hacker? Did you get into trouble?¡¯¡® A man¡¯s voice rang out, seemingly anxious.


    Warmth spread across the queen mother¡¯s heart. He¡¯s still the same. He cares about me no matter


    what.


    ¡®¡®A hacker hacked into my security system. I don¡¯t know whether he¡¯s hacked into something else too.


    That¡¯s frustrating,¡¯¡® the queen mother revealed with a sigh.


    Hearing that, the man fell silent.


    ¡®¡®Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll ask around and let you knowter.¡¯¡®


    The man promptly regretted that he agreed to let his son major in economics instead of hacking skills.


    If his son knew how to hack, he could be of help to the queen mother.


    ¡®¡®Mm.¡¯¡® The queen mother heaved a sigh of relief. She then thanked the man and hung up.


    After the call ended, she rested her head on one arm and massaged her temples.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡®¡®Your Majesty, should we send that woman away?¡¯¡® Monisha came in and asked in a low voice. Her


    gaze was directed at the queen mother.


    The queen mother¡¯s headache intensified when Monisha reminded her of Cindy.


    ¡®¡®What about her?¡¯¡®


    Frowning, Monisha revealed, ¡®¡®She wants you to keep your word by sending her to Manchernius.¡¯¡®


    She has dirt on me but wants to go to Manchernius? Seriously?


    ¡®¡®If she wants to leave, grant her wish. What does she think Manchernius is? Even if she has money, it


    isn¡¯t a ce where she can do whatever she likes. She¡¯ll regret it when she gets there,¡¯¡® the queen


    mother said calmly. Clearly, she didn¡¯t take Cindy as a threat.


    In truth, the queen mother couldn¡¯t care less about Cindy, but Monisha didn¡¯t share her sentiments.


    ¡®¡®Your Majesty, you prompted her and Henrick to take action on Maureen. What if she reveals that to


    someone else?¡¯¡® Monisha asked worriedly.


    She didn¡¯t want Cindy to leave. In fact, she felt that it was best to keep Cindy in the pce for the rest


    of her life. After all, the pce was huge, and it would be easy for them to lock Cindy up in a spacious


    area anywhere as long as it was in the pce.


    ¡®¡®What do you think I should do?¡¯¡® the queen mother asked impatiently.


    She wasn¡¯t in the mood to deal with Cindy now.


    ¡®¡®Cindy might have her own ulterior motive, but she did get rid of your enemy.¡¯¡® Monisha thought about it


    and suggested, ¡®¡®There are many empty rooms in the pce. Why don¡¯t we lock her up in a secluded


    area? That way, she can live without any worries for the rest of her life.¡¯¡®


    The queen mother nodded approvingly. ¡®¡®That works. All right, then. You¡¯ll be in charge of the matter.


    Since we¡¯re not going to release her, you¡¯ll have to keep an eye on her. Don¡¯t let her escape again.¡¯¡®


    Monisha nodded. This time, she would keep a close eye on Cindy.


    Taking a break, Arielle pulled out her phone. A lot of data was sent to her phone, so she opened them.


    When she heard the content, fury shed in her eyes.

 Chapter 1539

    Chapter 1539


    Chapter 1539 Vicious


    A wave of fury washed over her, and her eyes turned red. Clenching her jaw, she sent a punch onto the


    desk angrily. One could even see the veins popping up on her fair arms.


    Arielle knew that Cindy and Henrick were the ones who caused her mother¡¯s death, but she had no


    idea that the mastermind was none other than the queen mother, who was also her grandmother.


    She clenched her fists with all her might as mes of anger and hatred engulfed her.


    How could she be this vicious? Never mind if she didn¡¯t want my parents to be together. She had


    already forced my father to marry the current queen, and they had a child together. Why did she kill my


    mother? Why? My mother didn¡¯t even know where my father was. She couldn¡¯t find him anywhere.


    Was there a need to wipe her out? Did she do anything wrong?


    The thought of her mother dying at a young age caused her heart to break into a million pieces. The


    pain turned her inside out.


    Pressing her chest, she said nothing as tears streamed down her cheeks.


    ¡®¡®Mother, I shall avenge you!¡¯¡® Arielle promised solemnly as she wiped the tears off her face. Her voice


    was icy, and her gaze shone with determination.


    Grabbing her phone, she sent a text to Vinson.


    Vinson realized his phone was buzzing and found an opportunity to see what it was. His heart skipped


    a beat when he realized it was a text from Arielle saying: I miss you. He immediately gave her a call.


    ¡®¡®Vinson,¡¯¡® Arielle answered his call with a soft voice.


    Vinson grunted in acknowledgment. His brows furrowed together as he asked, ¡®¡®What¡¯s wrong? Did


    something happen?¡¯¡®


    Arielle had only spoken briefly, but he immediately knew something was off with her.


    ¡®¡®I¡¯ve always thought that Cindy and Henrick were the ones who killed my mom. However, the


    mastermind was, in fact, the queen mother, who is also my grandmother.¡¯¡® Her voice was deste.


    ¡®¡®Isn¡¯t that funny? She has my dad under control, and yet she still forced Henrick and Cindy to kill my


    mom. How could she be that vicious?¡¯¡®


    The malicious hatred in herst sentence was evident.


    If the queen mother appeared before Arielle right now, she would definitely kill the former without


    hesitation to avenge her mother.


    On the other hand, Vinson wasn¡¯t surprised, for he had seen more horrible and vicious things before.


    ¡®¡®How did you find out it was her?¡¯¡® he asked.


    ¡®¡®I monitored her phone andputer,¡¯¡® Arielle exined icily as a sh of hostility appeared in her


    gaze. I will never forgive the queen mother. That will never happen. Even though she gave birth to my


    father and is my grandmother, I will make sure she pays for what she¡¯s done.


    ¡®¡®Don¡¯t be sad. I¡¯ll support you no matter what your decision is. I¡¯ll always be by your side,¡¯¡® Vinson


    comforted her. His heart ached when he heard her voice. How I wish I could give her a hug right now!


    ¡®¡®I want to take revenge for my mom. If she didn¡¯t force Cindy and Henrick to take action, I don¡¯t think


    they would have been capable enough of harming my mom.¡¯¡®


    Arielle¡¯s eyes reddened when she mentioned her mother. Maureen¡¯s death would remain a thorn in her


    heart forever. Although Andrea adored Arielle and showered her with affection, she wasn¡¯t Arielle¡¯s


    biological mother. Arielle had wanted nothing more than Maureen¡¯s love, adoration, andpany when


    she was growing up.


    If the queen mother wasn¡¯t that heartless, Maureen would still be alive and well.


    Vinson¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡®¡®Yes. Let¡¯s take revenge for Maureen together.¡¯¡®


    There was no need for them to show any respect for the evil elderlydy.


    Right then, the queen mother had no idea her deepest, darkest secret had been revealed, and she was


    staring at herputer in fear.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 1540

    Chapter 1540


    Chapter 1540 Will You ept This Job


    She shut herputer down hastily as her entire body trembled. What was that? Why did it suddenly


    appear out of nowhere? Who could it be? Was it that hacker? Why did he show me that?


    The usually calm queen mother was currently flustered. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead. If this


    is leaked out, my reputation will be destroyed!


    Shaking profusely, she grabbed her phone and made a call. ¡®¡®Can you get me a hacker soon? It¡¯s


    urgent.¡¯¡®


    She tried hard to tamp her emotions down, but the person on the other end of the line could sense that


    something was wrong.


    ¡®¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯¡® the person asked, concern evident in his voice. There wasn¡¯t time for them to chat, so


    the queen mother said hurriedly, ¡®¡®I¡¯m fine. I need a hacker immediately. Can you find me one as soon


    as possible?¡¯¡®


    I¡¯ve built my reputation painstakingly for sixty years. I can¡¯t let it get destroyed in the blink of an eye!


    ¡®¡®Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve asked around. I haven¡¯t received any replies, though.¡¯¡® The person sounded worried.


    ¡®¡®Why can¡¯t you share your worries with me? What happened? Perhaps I can be of help.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®It¡¯s fine. I can deal with that myself. All you have to do is get me a hacker.¡¯¡® There was no way she


    would reveal her misdeeds to the person.


    I can¡¯t tell him about it. He mustn¡¯t know about it.


    With that said, she cut the line. Recalling the content she saw on herputer earlier, she took a deep


    breath and made another call.


    ¡®¡®Is Gaston still avable for work?¡¯¡® she asked earnestly after the call was connected.


    Herputer had been hacked, and she wanted Gaston to upgrade her firewall so that the hacker


    couldn¡¯t hack into herputer again. Most importantly, she wanted Gaston to negotiate with the


    hacker and buy the content so that the hacker wouldn¡¯t send it to anyone else.


    ¡®¡®Uh, I¡¯m not sure,¡¯¡® Ollie answered. Previously, Gaston failed to block the hacker¡¯s attack and even lost


    his own data in the process. He wasn¡¯t sure if Gaston would ept the queen mother¡¯s job this time.


    ¡®¡®Ask him about it. I¡¯ll offer him the same pay as long as he can do it,¡¯¡® the queen mother urged.


    ¡®¡®All right. Let me ask him.¡¯¡®


    While the queen mother was his employer, Gaston was his senior. Thus, he would definitely side with


    Gaston.


    The queen mother knew she couldn¡¯t force Gaston against his own wishes despite her status.


    Hence, she added, ¡®¡®Do your best to convince him to take up the task. If you seed, I¡¯ll double your


    annual sry.¡¯¡®


    Hearing that, Ollie gaped in disbelief. No one would say no to money, so he promptly agreed. ¡®¡®I¡¯ll do


    my best to convince him,¡¯¡® he promised earnestly.


    After the call ended, he contacted Gaston and told him about the queen mother¡¯s request.


    ¡®¡®Gaston, will you ept the job?¡¯¡® Ollie asked cautiously.


    Despite asking that, he knew that Gaston would take up the job. The harder the challenge was, the


    more motivated Gaston would be.


    Without hesitation, Gaston agreed readily as he wanted nothing more than to avenge himself.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    With that, he got himself a newptop with the most advanced firewall avable. He couldn¡¯t wait to see


    if the hacker could still bypass his new firewall.


    Of course, he had toplete his mission first. He hacked into the queen mother¡¯sputer and


    discovered the content that the hacker had sent to her earlier. At once, he stopped in his tracks.

 Chapter 1541

    Chapter 1541


    Chapter 1541 Again


    Pretending he didn¡¯t see anything, he deleted everything and upgraded the queen mother¡¯s firewall to


    the same one he had. He then proceeded to track the hacker¡¯s IP address. ¡®¡®He¡¯s at it again?¡¯¡®


    Arielle noticed that herputer screen was shing again. A frosty smile flitted across her lips. Looks


    like he didn¡¯t learn from the previous lesson, huh? Let¡¯s see if he can track me down.


    Arielle¡¯s firewall was imprable. Despite trying his very best, Gaston failed to track her down. In the


    end, he had no choice but to give up.


    Turns out there is someone who is more capable than me in the world.


    Gaston might have given up on tracking Arielle down, but he decided to work on his skills, especially


    his tracking skills.


    After he stopped, Arielle averted her gaze nonchntly.


    She knew no one would be able to bypass her firewall or track her down.


    That woman must be shaking in fear now.


    A sarcastic grin yed on her lips at the thought of the content she sent the queen mother earlier. If it


    wasn¡¯t for Dad, I would¡¯ve revealed the content to the public. Her reputation would be destroyed


    completely.


    Gaston gave Ollie a call. ¡®¡®Tell your employer not to contact me from now onwards. The hacker is too


    strong, and I¡¯m not his match. I¡¯ve reinstalled a firewall on herputer, but I¡¯m not sure if the hacker


    can bypass it. I can¡¯t help it if the hacker bypasses her security system again. I did my best!¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Gaston, is the hacker thatpetent?¡¯¡® Ollie was surprised.


    After a long silence, Gaston responded, ¡®¡®He is no ordinary hacker. You should avoid offending him.¡¯¡®


    Even Gaston can¡¯t stop the hacker, huh? At that thought, Ollie decided to stay away from the hacker.


    No matter how much the queen mother offered him, it was pointless if he wasn¡¯t the hacker¡¯s match.


    After the call ended, Ollie ryed Gaston¡¯s message to the queen mother.


    Despite being enraged, the queen mother dared notsh out at Ollie. After all, she had offered Ollie a


    handsome reward to work for her. However, she had never expected that Ollie would run into another


    hacker who was more skillful than him.


    What should I do? Where can I find a hacker who can defeat this one?


    The queen mother held her head and massaged her temples to relieve her headache.


    Right then, Celeste was gazing at her elder brother, Einbert, earnestly. ¡®¡®Are you serious? Did you find


    out where Aaron is?¡¯¡®


    Einbert shed a smile at the sight of her ted expression. ¡®¡®Yes, we found out where Aaron is. Stay


    here, and I¡¯ll bring him back tomorrow.¡¯¡®


    His efforts eventually paid off, for his men had finally discovered Aaron¡¯s whereabouts. He came all the


    way to the pce to tell Celeste the good news before leaving to take his nephew home.


    Celeste nodded excitedly. ¡®¡®Thank you, Einbert.¡¯¡®


    Einbert reached out to pat her head affectionately. He then spun on his heels to leave. Celeste has had


    a hard life, huh?


    ¡®¡®Aaron, please be safe and sound. If you return safely, I won¡¯t force you to go against your wishes


    anymore.¡¯¡® After this incident, Celeste finally realized how important Aaron was to her.


    While Einbert had just discovered Aaron¡¯s whereabouts, Dn had already rescued Aaron. In fact, the


    youngdy and the old man were also brought along ording to Aaron¡¯s wishes.


    At that moment, they were all on the way back.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Meanwhile, the queen mother stared at the words that appeared on herputer screen in fear: Are


    you afraid? This is just the beginning. There is more toe.

 Chapter 1542

    Chapter 1542


    Chapter 1542 Who Are You


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡®¡®Who are you? Why are you doing this to me?¡¯¡® Her voice was shrill with terror as fear trickled down her


    spine. A sh of malice appeared in her eyes. If I find out who it is, I shall teach him a lesson!


    It was Dn¡¯s subordinate, Carlos, who came to pick Aaron up. Aaron hesitated for some time before


    plucking his courage to ask, ¡®¡®Has Dr. Moore recovered from her injury?¡¯¡®


    Carlos didn¡¯t know how Aaron and Arielle were rted. However, he saw how Aaron was concerned


    about her when he sent her to the military hospital previously and let out a sigh.


    ¡®¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯¡® A strong sense of foreboding nagged at Aaron.


    ¡®¡®Dr. Moore left three days after the surgery,¡¯¡® Carlos told him honestly.


    ¡®¡®What?¡¯¡® Aaron¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡®¡®Where did she go? Will shee back?¡¯¡®


    She¡¯s dead. How will shee back? Carlos stared at the unshaven Aaron and shook his head sadly.


    ¡®¡®She won¡¯t being back ever again.¡¯¡®


    She won¡¯t being back ever again?


    Aaron couldn¡¯t tell what it felt like to hear that. He lowered his gaze so that no one could see the turmoil


    in his eyes.


    At the same time, Sonia invited Be out for lunch after school.


    Be had been staying by her side after Arielle¡¯s death, offering her a lot of support. As such, Sonia


    treated Be as her true friend instead of ackey.


    ¡®¡®What would you like for lunch?¡¯¡® Be asked happily.


    She was delighted that Sonia finally thought of her as a close friend.


    Sonia pondered briefly and responded, ¡®¡®Anything will do. We still have sses this afternoon.¡¯¡®


    Be nodded in agreement. They then went to a restaurant nearby their campus for lunch.


    Right when lunch was served, Sonia retched without warning. She covered her mouth and ran to the


    restroom quickly. Worried about her, Be went to the restroom after her. The moment she realized


    Sonia¡¯s puking resembled her sister-inw¡¯s when thetter was pregnant with her nephew, her heart


    plunged to her stomach.


    I-It can¡¯t be. Sonia doesn¡¯t even have a boyfriend. How could she get pregnant? But it really looks like


    Sonia is carrying a baby!


    Her gaze lowered, she took one step forward and ced her hand on Sonia¡¯s wrist to take her pulse


    discreetly. She asked worriedly, ¡®¡®Are you all right?¡¯¡®


    Sonia shook her head. ¡®¡®I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve been retching these few days. Perhaps it¡¯s food poisoning.¡¯¡®


    Right then, Be¡¯s hand dropped weakly as her expression turned grim.


    Sonia¡¯s not suffering from food poisoning. She¡¯s indeed pregnant. However, she doesn¡¯t seem to know


    about it. Should I tell her the truth?


    Feeling conflicted, she hung her head low and fidgeted with the corner of her top. If I reveal the truth,


    will Sonia get upset? Will she keep a distance from me and stop being friends with me?


    Sonia promptly realized that something was amiss about Be, for thetter would always act this way


    when she was in a dilemma. What happened to Be? She seemed fine a while ago. Why is she


    looking so troubled?


    ¡®¡®What¡¯s wrong? Did you run into trouble?¡¯¡® Sonia asked gently. ¡®¡®No matter what it is, I will be by your


    side. I¡¯ll do my best to help you solve it,¡¯¡® she offered.


    Be stared at Sonia as warmth spread across her heart. Silly girl. You¡¯re the trouble. Hmm, how


    should I say that out loud?


    ¡®¡®Sonia, y-you are not suffering from food poisoning,¡¯¡® she said after hesitating briefly.

 Chapter 1543

    Chapter 1543


    Chapter 1543 A Brilliant n


    ¡®¡®Huh? It¡¯s not food poisoning? Then why am I¡­¡¯¡® Sonia trailed off as something urred to her. At


    once, she grew flustered.


    ¡®¡®Sonia, you¡­¡¯¡® Be bit her lip as she didn¡¯t know how to ask the question directly.


    Gazing at her, Sonia replied, ¡®¡®I might be pregnant.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®I¡¯ll keep it a secret,¡¯¡® Be offered. She nced at Sonia¡¯s belly and asked softly, ¡®¡®But what are you


    going to do about the baby? Are you going to give birth to it? Will you inform the baby¡¯s dad?¡¯¡®


    Sonia was rendered speechless by Be¡¯s continuous questions as she was truly at a loss now.


    Back when Arielle was alive, she was told to pay her a visit a monthter so that she could abort the


    child. However, now that Arielle was no longer around, she had no idea where she could undergo the


    surgery. After all, she didn¡¯t want everyone to find out about her pregnancy.


    Moreover, the child¡¯s father was a stranger, so there was no way to let him know about it.


    ¡®¡®Think about it. It¡¯s still early, so you still have time. But you¡¯ll have to make a decision as soon as


    possible. The sooner you perform the abortion, the faster your body will recover,¡¯¡® Be told her in a low


    voice.


    Be might seem experienced, but she had actually read everything from the books. In truth, she didn¡¯t


    have any experience in real life.


    Sonia nodded. ¡®¡®Mm. I¡¯ll think about it.¡¯¡®


    As Sonia couldn¡¯t get used to the smell in the restaurant, they paid for the meal and left. Sonia wanted


    some sour food to get rid of the nauseous feeling, so Be went and bought her some oranges and


    sour candy.


    ¡®¡®If you feel unwell, take some sour candy,¡¯¡® Be advised.


    ¡®¡®Thanks, Be. You¡¯re the best,¡¯¡® Sonia said gratefully as she rested her head on Be¡¯s shoulder.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Be¡¯s lips curved into a grin. The reason she treated Sonia well was that thetter was nice to her.


    After all, it takes two to form a friendship.


    Recalling her pregnancy, Sonia whipped out her phone to text Arielle about it. Although Arielle was no


    longer around, she still wanted to inform her about it, even if Arielle could never read any of her texts


    anymore.


    Arielle had just finished eating lunch that Harvey bought for her and was sipping on some water when


    her phone beeped, indicating that a message had been received. She drank her water and clicked on


    the notification. When she realized what it was about, she gulped her water hastily and nearly choked.


    I told her toe a monthter, but she didn¡¯t show up. I thought she had her period and wasn¡¯t


    pregnant, so I didn¡¯t bother contacting her. It turns out that she¡¯s ditzy enough to only find out that she¡¯s


    pregnant two monthster!


    After reading the text, she felt conflicted. It wasn¡¯t time to reveal that she was still alive, but she knew


    Sonia would be utterly flustered.


    What should I do? Sonia must be panicking right now. I need to figure out a brilliant n!


    After cing her ss down in frustration, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from sending Vinson a text to tell


    him all about Sonia¡¯s condition.


    Arielle: What should I do? If Sonia goes to the hospital, her family will definitely find out about her


    pregnancy. But if she goes to those unregistered clinics, I¡¯m afraid she might end up in danger.


    Vinson¡¯s brows furrowed together after reading her text. He pondered for a moment before typing out a


    reply.


    Arielle beamed happily when she read Vinson¡¯s text. My man is brilliant indeed! With that thought in


    mind, she summoned Harvey.

 Chapter 1544

    Chapter 1544


    Chapter 1544 Under Control


    Harvey stared at Arielle helplessly as he had no idea she would ask him to buy some equipment and


    medication to perform an abortion surgery. She also asked him to bring a youngdy from the medical


    school to her.


    It was obvious why she wanted the youngdy to be there.


    ¡®¡®Who is she? Is she that important to you? Is there a need to expose yourself to save her?¡¯¡® Knowing


    Arielle¡¯s situation, Harvey frowned disapprovingly.


    Arielle knew Harvey was concerned about her, but Sonia was the first friend she met here, and she


    couldn¡¯t well ignore Sonia¡¯s plight. Besides, even if Sonia ended up exposing that she was still alive, it


    was okay. Things would be easier for her if she could remain in the shadows., but she was confident


    enough to face the consequences should people find out that she was alive.


    ¡®¡®She won¡¯t say anything. I believe she¡¯ll keep it a secret,¡¯¡® Arielle responded in resignation.


    She had trust in Sonia. She would never tell anyone that I¡¯m still alive.


    However, Harvey remained doubtful. ¡®¡®Even if she can keep it a secret, others might still find out about


    it.¡¯¡®


    He was suggesting that he could bring Sonia to the hospital to perform the abortion surgery instead.


    There was no need to bring Sonia all the way to Arielle.


    ¡®¡®Never mind if someone else finds out that I¡¯m alive. I might attract some danger, but I¡¯ve already found


    out who the mastermind is. I won¡¯t let her seed,¡¯¡® Arielle said sternly with narrowed eyes.


    Now that she had the queen mother¡¯s phone,puter, andwork monitored twenty-four-seven, she


    would receive every order and word that the queen mother uttered.


    If the queen mother was bold enough to try to harm her again, she wouldn¡¯t show her any mercy.


    Harvey¡¯s frown deepened when he realized Arielle wasn¡¯t about to give in. Vinson told me to take care


    of her. If news of Arielle being alive is leaked when she is with me, how will I exin it to Vinson?


    Gazing at Arielle, he used Vinson to try to persuade her to change her mind. ¡®¡®Does Vinson know about


    this? You need to tell him¡ª¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®He knows about it. He was the one who gave me the idea, actually,¡¯¡® Arielle interjected before Harvey


    could finish his sentence.


    Harvey stared at her incredulously. What? Vinson was the one who came up with this idea? What the


    heck? Isn¡¯t he afraid of leaking Arielle¡¯s whereabouts?


    Suddenly, he couldn¡¯t figure out what had gotten into them. To him, nothing was more important than


    Arielle¡¯s safety.


    As Harvey was frowning and showed no signs of leaving, Arielle assured him, ¡®¡®She won¡¯t leak my


    whereabouts, I promise. All you have to do is to avoid everyone¡¯s attention and bring her back here.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Got it. Should I get the stuff first? Or should I pick her up first?¡¯¡® Harvey asked. There was a hint of


    resignation in his voice.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Arielle gave it some thought before answering, ¡®¡®Pick her up first. I¡¯ll ask her to meet you opposite the


    entrance of the school.¡¯¡®


    Harvey gave a curt nod and turned to leave. After shutting Arielle¡¯s door, he grabbed his car key and


    jacket before heading to his car in the garage.


    He came to a stop before his car. After unlocking the car, he got in and pulled his phone out to give


    Vinson a call.


    ¡®¡®Vin, how could you agree to let Arielle bring the girl back here?¡¯¡® Harvey demanded the moment the


    call connected.


    Vinson knew Harvey meant well. A grin flitted across his lips as he replied, ¡®¡®That¡¯s her best friend. It will


    be fine. Just pay attention when you pick her up.¡¯¡®


    Back in medical school, Sonia¡¯s phone buzzed suddenly. After pulling it out of her bag, she nced at


    the screen. At once, she covered her mouth in shock as she couldn¡¯t believe her eyes.

 Chapter 1545

    Chapter 1545


    Chapter 1545 Are You Still Alive


    ¡®¡®Is that you, Ms. Moore? Are you really still alive?¡¯¡® Sonia tremblingly typed out the message. Arielle


    saw the message and replied: ¡®¡®Yes, it¡¯s me. Please keep this a secret.¡¯¡®


    Sonia nodded. She knew someone had been attempting to take her teacher¡¯s life again and again, so


    she would definitely keep that news a secret. It was then she realized her nodding wouldn¡¯t be seen by


    Arielle, so she quickly replied: ¡®¡®Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll protect your secret. Where are you? I want to meet


    you.¡¯¡®


    Even though it had only been a few short days, what happened recently made her feel like a few years


    had passed.


    Soon after she sent that message, she received a message from Arielle saying that someone had been


    sent to the campus to pick her up. Therefore, she should apply for a few days¡¯ leave.


    Sonia was practically jumping with joy when she saw that message. She immediately applied for a


    leave of absence after sses ended. Once she got the approval, she sent a message to Be,


    informing her that she wouldn¡¯t be going to sses for the next few days.


    Be immediately thought about the child in Sonia¡¯s belly and wanted to say something about it but


    was unsure of what to say. After an internal debate, she still sent a message.


    Sonia smiled upon reading the message that wrote: ¡®¡®Take care of your body and quickly make up your


    mind. If you don¡¯t want the baby, abort it as soon as possible.¡¯¡®


    It made her happy to have a friend that cared about her.


    Upon packing her things, she left the dorm. She then called the phone number of the person Arielle


    said would be picking her up.


    When Harvey saw Vinson being that rxed, he decided to say nothing. After all, no one worried more


    about Arielle¡¯s safety than Vinson. If Vinson agreed to that, it meant he was certain the matter wouldn¡¯t


    pose a threat to her. And so, Harvey resignedly hung up the phone and headed to the medical school.


    When Sonia arrived at the entrance, she called the number Arielle gave her. Upon suddenly noticing


    the man she had had a one-night stand with, she was shocked.


    She lowered her head and ended the call in a panic before attempting to return to the campus.


    ¡®¡®Hey, you!¡¯¡® Someone tapped her shoulder just as she was going to leave.


    ¡®¡®What¡¯s the matter?¡¯¡® Her head was still lowered as she was afraid her one-night stand would recognize


    her. She wasn¡¯t sure if he had seen her appearance clearly that night, but she wasn¡¯t going to take that


    risk.


    Harvey stared at the woman who appeared to be attempting to curl into a ball and found that


    humorous. Am I really that scary looking?


    ¡®¡®You¡¯re the one who called me, right?¡¯¡® He snorted. ¡®¡®Come on, Arielle¡¯s waiting for you.¡¯¡®


    She didn¡¯t expect him to know Arielle, so she quickly retorted, ¡®¡®No, I didn¡¯t call you. You¡¯ve got the


    wrong person.¡¯¡®


    Just as she tried to flee, her phone rang, and the number on the screen was the one Arielle had given


    her.


    It made her want to cry. What is the deal with this guy? I said he got the wrong person, so why does he


    feel the need to call and check?All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡®¡®Why are you denying it?¡¯¡® Harvey asked in a deep voice. He was a little pissed off because Arielle was


    risking a lot for this woman, yet she didn¡¯t seem to care.


    ¡®¡®I suddenly remembered I have something important to attend to, so I¡¯m not going to disturb her.¡¯¡®


    Sonia tried to leave, but he pulled her back.


    His eyes widened when he saw her face. ¡®¡®You¡­¡¯¡®

 Chapter 1546

    Chapter 1546


    Chapter 1546 Keep The Baby


    Sonia could tell he had recognized who she was, so she tried to escape immediately. However, there


    was no way Harvey was going to let her go that easily.


    ¡®¡®The child inside you is mine, right?¡¯¡® He pulled her into his embrace and asked in a deep voice next to


    her ear. It was a rhetorical question.


    He didn¡¯t at all expect that the person he had been trying his best to find was Arielle¡¯s friend. It made


    him feel silly for looking around everywhere.


    Still, he was d he came to pick her up. Otherwise, his search would have continued to be a fruitless


    endeavor.


    ¡®¡®What child? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡¯¡® When she heard him mentioning the baby, her


    expression changed as she attempted to free herself from his grip. Sadly, the difference in strength


    between a man and a woman was too great. Additionally, she was already pretty weak, so she had no


    chance of escape.


    Seeing that she refused to admit it, he abruptly softened his tone. ¡®¡®I know I did wrong by you that night.


    Can we talk about it? Please?¡¯¡®


    To be honest, he never expected Sonia to get pregnant.


    However, when he thought about the child, he wasn¡¯t at all repulsed. In fact, he was a little excited.


    Sonia wasn¡¯t sure what to do. He already recognizes me, so not admitting it seems pointless. But if I


    admit it, it¡¯ll be awkward. Besides, I didn¡¯t really reject what happened that night¡­


    ¡®¡®How about we meet up with Arielle first?¡¯¡® Seeing that she wasn¡¯t making a sound, Harvey narrowed


    his eyes and suggested.


    In reality, he wanted to convince her to keep the child. It was his first, after all. He didn¡¯t want to lose it


    just like that.


    If she wasn¡¯t willing to keep the child, he would feel sad and remorseful, but he would still respect her


    decision.


    She hesitated for a second before nodding after hearing Arielle¡¯s name. I¡¯m going to ask Arielle what I


    should do about this!


    He let out a sigh of relief. Thank god I was quick-witted enough toe up with that. This¡¯ll make her


    stay by my side for the moment.


    Then he tried to grab her hand, but she flung his away.


    Noticing his slightly perplexed look, she blushed. ¡®¡®I can walk by myself.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Then feel free to walk slower.¡¯¡® Harvey led the way as he spoke.


    Sonia followed behind him slowly as she stared at his wide back. When she thought about how softly


    he was talking to her earlier, her face flushed even redder. She gently pped her cheeks in frustration.


    What am I thinking?


    ¡®¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯¡® He turned and saw her pping herself.


    She didn¡¯t expect him to see that, so she quickly replied, ¡®¡®It¡¯s nothing. My face was just feeling a little


    ufortable.¡¯¡®


    Upon hearing that, he turned and approached her. Before she could react, his hands lifted her face as


    he examined her seriously. ¡®¡®I don¡¯t see any problem with your face. You can let Arielle give you a


    check-upter.¡¯¡®


    With Arielle around, there was no need to go to a hospital.


    Sonia stared at Harvey dumbfoundedly. She didn¡¯t expect her casual remark would cause him to take


    such an action.


    Seeing that she wasn¡¯t showing any reaction after he finished speaking, Harvey lowered his head and


    gazed into her eyes. Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat.


    Both of them stared at each other until a phone call interrupted them and returned them to their senses.


    He quickly let her face go while she pulled out her phone from her bag. Her face darkened when she


    saw who was calling her.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

 Chapter 1547

    Chapter 1547


    Chapter 1547 Do Not Want The Child


    Sonia rejected the call and shoved her phone back into her bag. She even intentionally turned the


    device off as she did.


    Harvey was worried about her when he saw that but was thoughtful enough to not ask about it. He


    opened the door to his car silently and let her go in.


    During the ride, he asionally nced at her. Her head was leaning against the car window. She


    looked as though something was weighing on her mind. His lips parted, but he ultimately didn¡¯t say


    what he was thinking.


    Even though they had already done the deed, and she was carrying his child, they weren¡¯t at all familiar


    with each other. Therefore, he didn¡¯t feel it appropriate to ask her about her personal matters.


    If he asked, he might identally scare her away.


    Upon reaching the apartment, Harvey knew Sonia really wanted to meet Arielle, so he immediately


    brought her to Arielle¡¯s room and knocked on the door.


    It wasn¡¯t until Arielle allowed them toe in verbally that he opened the door to let Sonia in.


    ¡®¡®You really are still alive, Ms. Moore!¡¯¡® Sonia got so emotional that her eyes were turning red when she


    saw Arielle alive and well. She speedily gave Arielle a hug and choked out, ¡®¡®I really thought you were


    dead. You have no idea how sad I was. I¡¯m so d you¡¯re still alive.¡¯¡®


    Arielle knew Sonia was truly worried about her. The edges of her lips curved upward.


    ¡®¡®Why are you crying? I¡¯m fine, aren¡¯t I? It¡¯s just that my situation has forced me to hide.¡¯¡® She patted


    Sonia¡¯s head.


    Sonia let her go and stared at her with concern. ¡®¡®Where are you hurt? Have you recovered?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®I¡¯ll recover soon enough,¡¯¡® Arielle replied as her line of sight shifted to Sonia¡¯s abdomen. ¡®¡®What do you


    n to do with the child?¡¯¡®


    Harvey, who had been on his way back with a cup of water, instantly paused in his tracks when he


    heard that question. He stopped right outside the room door, wanting to hear the answer as well.


    Sonia lowered her head as she thought about how to answer that sensitive question.


    Her fingers were holding onto the edges of her shirt while there was a lost look in her eyes. ¡®¡®I-I don¡¯t


    know.¡¯¡®


    Back when she first found out that she was pregnant, she had been scared and worried. However, that


    night, as she caressed her belly, a magical feeling washed over her as she realized her body was


    nurturing and growing a new life. If no idents urred, it would only take eight more months before


    she could meet with that new life.


    However, she was unsure if she could handle the responsibility of raising a child.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Currently, the father of her child had learned she was pregnant. She didn¡¯t know what his opinion of the


    child was¡ªwhether he wanted to raise the child together with her or ask her to abort it.


    ¡®¡®You better think through this carefully, Sonia. If you don¡¯t want the child, you should abort it as soon as


    possible. It¡¯ll be better for your body, and you¡¯ll recover sooner,¡¯¡® Arielle advised.


    She didn¡¯t want Sonia to give birth to the child because the life of a single mother was too difficult.


    Additionally, due to Sonia¡¯s identity, her parents and grandparents wouldn¡¯t be able to ept the fact


    that she got pregnant before marriage as she would be a single mother.


    ¡®¡®I did think about keeping the child, but that was just a fleeting thought,¡¯¡® Sonia uttered as she raised


    her head to meet Arielle¡¯s eyes and smiled bitterly. ¡®¡®However, I don¡¯t have the courage to keep it. I


    don¡¯t know if I can endure the consequences of giving birth to this baby. Not only will I be going through


    hardship as a single mother, but I also don¡¯t know if I can even provide it with afortable life. If I


    can¡¯t, then why should I give birth to it and let it suffer with me?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Then abort it!¡¯¡® Arielle narrowed her eyes.


    Harvey couldn¡¯t hold back anymore when he heard that.

 Chapter 1548

    Chapter 1548


    Chapter 1548 Father


    Harvey rushed into the room, stared at both women, and announced seriously, ¡®¡®Let¡¯s get married,


    Sonia.¡¯¡®


    Sonia stared at him, bbergasted. What did he just say? Did he say he wants to marry me?


    Arielle narrowed her eyes and nced back and forth between the two. Suddenly, she realized what


    was going on. It seems like fate isn¡¯t something that can be avoided. Who would¡¯ve thought the person


    Sonia had a one-night stand with was Harvey? So this is who he meant.


    A faint smile appeared on her face. It seems like Sonia¡¯s definitely going to keep the baby. It¡¯s quite a


    good arrangement. Harvey is a good man, and Sonia¡¯s a good woman. If both of them married each


    other, it would be a happily ever after.


    ¡®¡®M-Marriage?¡¯¡® Sonia stared at Harvey with shock. We only had a one-night stand! We don¡¯t know


    anything about each other at all, nor do we have feelings for each other. Isn¡¯t it too hasty to suggest


    marriage right now? Arielle told me before that I have to marry someone who likes me and who I also


    like. If not, I should marry a man loyal only to me. Otherwise, my future will be a miserable one.


    ¡®¡®Yes, marriage.¡¯¡® He stared at her and uttered seriously, ¡®¡®I won¡¯t let you regret marrying me.¡¯¡®


    A n was alreadyid out in his mind. If Sonia agreed to marry him, he would devote himself to her.


    He would give her all the love and care he could muster, thus making sure she would never regret


    marrying him.


    Sonia gazed at his serious expression. To be honest, if Arielle can be friends with him, that means he


    must be a good person. However, his suggestion of marriage is too hasty.


    ¡®¡®Arielle told me before that if I¡¯m to marry someone, I should do it with someone I like and who likes


    me. That person should also bepletely loyal to me. Otherwise, my future will be a miserable one.¡¯¡®


    She paused. ¡®¡®This is technically the first time we formally meet. We don¡¯t understand each other, and


    we certainly don¡¯t know if we even like each other. It¡¯s too hasty bringing up marriage now.¡¯¡®


    Arielle, who was currently being ignored by the couple, nodded subconsciously when she heard that.


    That¡¯s exactly what I told her. I¡¯m d she understood it.


    Harvey thought about it and found that line of reasoning to be logical.


    Sure, he kind of liked her, but he didn¡¯t really love her.


    ¡®¡®Then how about we try going out with each other first? If we end up liking each other, we¡¯ll get


    married. What do you think?¡¯¡® He stared at her deeply as he suggested in a soft tone.


    Sonia remained silent for a second before replying, ¡®¡®One month. We¡¯ll date for one month. If we still


    don¡¯t love each other and have no intention of taking our rtionship to the next stage by then, I¡¯ll abort


    the child.¡¯¡®


    By the end of that month, the child would be three months old. If they couldn¡¯t ept each other by


    then, she would abort the child because she believed she had no ability to raise the baby alone, even


    though it would make her feel quite remorseful.


    Harvey nodded. That¡¯s not a bad suggestion. As long as she¡¯s willing to give me a chance, I¡¯m good


    with it.


    Once the matter was dealt with, Arielle asked him to send Sonia back. On the way back, he learned


    Sonia was experiencing morning sickness. Thus, he intentionally bought a bunch of dried fruits for her.


    Just as she arrived at the campus and took two steps forward, someone grabbed her arm.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Her expression darkened when she saw who it was.

 Chapter 1549

    Chapter 1549


    Chapter 1549 Obstinance


    ¡®¡®Why didn¡¯t you pick up your phone? You even turned it off!¡¯¡® Kelly stared at her daughter with rage.


    Sonia stared at her mother and took a deep breath. ¡®¡®When I was about to answer the call, the phone


    ran out of power and turned off by itself. If you have anything to say, just say it to me here.¡¯¡®


    It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to answer her mother¡¯s call. It was just that she couldn¡¯t ept what her


    mother was saying.


    Her mother was telling her to go to the pce andfort the queen since Aaron was still missing. If


    she did that, the queen would definitely make her Aaron¡¯s wife in the future.


    However, she had no interest in gaining the queen¡¯s favor or being Aaron¡¯s wife.


    When she had a conversation about that with Arielle back then, she already knew she didn¡¯t like Aaron


    at all. She had no feelings for him.


    That was why she had been avoiding her mother¡¯s calls.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡®¡®Prince Aaron is back. After your sses end, pack your things and move into the pce to take care


    of him,¡¯¡® Kelly demanded. ¡®¡®He¡¯s weak right now. If you treat him well, he¡¯ll treat you well, and you¡¯ll be


    his consort in no time.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®I already said I don¡¯t like Prince Aaron, Mother. Why do you insist on making me stay by his side?¡¯¡®


    Sonia stared at her mother, upset. ¡®¡®He doesn¡¯t like me. Even if I serve him for the rest of my life, he still


    won¡¯t like me.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®So what if you have to serve him forever or that he doesn¡¯t love you? As long as you¡¯re his consort,


    that¡¯s enough. Is love really that important?¡¯¡® Kelly was infuriated by her daughter¡¯s rejection, but she


    still suppressed her rage as she spoke. Everything that I¡¯m doing is for this stupid brat, yet she keeps


    getting in her own way. Aaron¡¯s the most distinguished young man in Turlen! As long as Sonia marries


    him, with his status, she¡¯ll live a worry-free life for the rest of her days. Should Aaron be king in


    the future, her brothers may get a pretty good boost in their careers if he¡¯s feeling generous. I don¡¯t


    understand why she doesn¡¯t see how much good it¡¯ll bring her and the family.


    ¡®¡®There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll get together with Prince Aaron, Mother. Please just forget about it already.¡¯¡® Sonia


    was so mad that her fingers were trembling.


    Besides, she was pregnant at the moment. Even if she wasn¡¯t, she still wouldn¡¯t be willing to marry


    Aaron and live a life of misery.


    What she truly wanted was a happy, fulfilling life, much like Arielle and Vinson had. Every time she


    looked at them, she could see joy pouring out of their eyes.


    Seeing how obstinate Sonia was, Kelly was livid. ¡®¡®Sonia!¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®I still have sses to attend, Mother. I¡¯m leaving now.¡¯¡® Sonia then quickly tried to return to the


    campus. However, Kelly wasn¡¯t going to let her daughter go before she obtained the answer she


    wanted. Her grip on Sonia was so strong that Sonia couldn¡¯t escape.


    It rendered Sonia speechless.


    Her eyes were turning red as she asked in a desperate tone, ¡®¡®What do you want from me?¡¯¡®


    Kelly ordered coldly, ¡®¡®You¡¯reing back with me. I¡¯ll help you apply for leave.¡¯¡®


    Sonia was on the verge ofughing out loud from anger. She really isn¡¯t going to give up until I agree to


    marry Prince Aaron, huh?


    ¡®¡®Does Father know about your visit, Mother?¡¯¡® Before Kelly could reply, she continued, ¡®¡®Does he really


    know?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®So what if he doesn¡¯t or does? I gave birth to you! You will do whatever the hell I want you to do!¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®I won¡¯t leave with you! If you want to go there, do it yourself!¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®You will return with me today!¡¯¡® Kelly tried to pull her daughter again, but then a loud yell rang out next


    to her. ¡®¡®Let her go!¡¯¡®

 Chapter 1550

    Chapter 1550


    Chapter 1550 Crossing The Line


    After Harvey sent Sonia to the campus, he didn¡¯t return to the apartment immediately. Instead, he


    called Arielle to ask her what a pregnant woman could eat to get energy if she was unable to tolerate


    eating normal food due to nausea.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    He listed down the food Arielle told him and went to the supermarket to buy them. When he left the


    building, he was holding two bags of food. Just as he returned to Sonia, he saw an older woman pulling


    her, which made him angry.


    ¡®¡®Who are you?¡¯¡® Kelly red at the man who had appeared out of nowhere. ¡®¡®This is my daughter. What


    I¡¯m doing to her doesn¡¯t concern you!¡¯¡®


    Harvey was stunned. He didn¡¯t expect the older woman to be Sonia¡¯s mother and his future mother-in-


    law. Why am I so unlucky? I¡¯ve already offended my future mother-inw on the first day I met her!


    However, when he saw the pain in Sonia¡¯s eyes, his heart ached. So what if she¡¯s Sonia¡¯s mother? A


    mother shouldn¡¯t be treating her daughter like that!


    ¡®¡®I¡¯m her friend!¡¯¡® He calmed down and spoke seriously. ¡®¡®Sonia may be your daughter, but she¡¯s also her


    own person with her own thoughts. Can¡¯t you see the way you¡¯re treating her is hurting her and making


    the gap between the two of you wider?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Friend? What friend? Why don¡¯t I know she has a friend like you?¡¯¡® Kelly stared at him unkindly.


    Clearly, she didn¡¯t buy his lie.


    Slowly, she became certain he was one of Sonia¡¯s admirers. After all, her daughter was elegant and


    graceful, so of course, there were a bunch of men who wanted to court her. Upon determining him as


    one of them, she coldly ordered, ¡®¡®I don¡¯t care what kind of friend you are. You better stay away from my


    daughter. She¡¯s not someone you can be together with.¡¯¡®


    Harvey didn¡¯t expect his intentions to be that obvious. However, upon analyzing the look in her eyes


    and her facial expression, he let out a sigh of relief in his mind. She¡¯s just saying it willy-nilly.


    And so, he continued in a sincere tone, ¡®¡®I really am her friend.¡¯¡® Pausing, he added, ¡®¡®You¡¯re treating her


    a bit too harshly.¡¯¡® There was no way he was going to give up on Sonia.


    He had made up his mind to take care of her for the rest of her life if she wanted him by her side.


    However, seeing how violent his mother-inw was acting, he decided to not bring up the news just yet


    to prevent making things worse.


    Kelly was already experiencing a mild headache from the anger Sonia caused her. Hence, when she


    heard what Harvey said, she didn¡¯t mince her words at all. ¡®¡®This is a matter between me and my


    daughter. This has nothing to do with you, so stop butting into our business.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®You¡¯re going too far, Mother.¡¯¡® Sonia didn¡¯t expect her mother to still treat him that harshly when he had


    already said he was a friend. It made her angry and embarrassed.


    Seeing how her daughter was close to tears, Kelly suddenly experienced a bout of motherly love and


    said, ¡®¡®Don¡¯t forget what I told you. Come back tonight.¡¯¡®


    With that, she left. Sonia¡¯s eyes had turned red as she was thoroughly pissed off by her mother.


    At that moment, she kind of looked like a rabbit in Harvey¡¯s eyes. His heart ached as he gently pulled


    Sonia into his embrace and patted her head. ¡®¡®No need to be sad. I¡¯ll be there to support you if you


    need help.¡¯¡®


    She suddenly felt peaceful as she listened to his strong and steady heartbeats while in his embrace.


    However, they were at the campus entrance. Therefore, it was rather embarrassing for her to hug him


    in front of so many people. She immediately escaped from his embrace and suggested, ¡®¡®You should


    head back. I still need to attend my sses.¡¯¡®

 Chapter 1551

    Chapter 1551


    Chapter 1551 Who Is Worried About That


    Harvey abruptly felt as if something was missing when Sonia vanished from his arms.


    He stared at her intently as a strange feeling filled his heart.


    ¡®¡®I¡¯ve bought some food for you. You should bring this with you, just in case you don¡¯t have the appetite


    to eat your regr meals,¡¯¡® he stated as he opened the door and gave her the food he bought. She


    refused, which made him think she was worried about the food affecting the baby¡¯s health. Thus, he


    assured her, ¡®¡®Don¡¯t worry; I bought these after asking Arielle for advice. These are all safe for pregnant


    women to eat.¡¯¡®


    Sonia blushed. W-Who¡¯s worried about that? Fine, I guess I was a little worried about it. The important


    part is that all my ssmates are doctors-to-be! If they see me eating these, they¡¯ll suspect or know I¡¯m


    pregnant!


    However, seeing how earnest he appeared to be, she felt it would be bad to reject his kindness. She


    thought about how to respond and said, ¡®¡®I can only bring two back with me.¡¯¡® Then, feeling like that was


    still trampling on his kindness, she added in a small voice, ¡®¡®I need to keep my pregnancy a secret, after


    all. They¡¯re all medical students, so I¡¯m concerned they¡¯ll figure it out.¡¯¡®


    In truth, Harvey wasn¡¯t that bothered by her refusal. For some reason, though, her exnation made


    him feel quite happy. The edges of his lips curved upward.


    ¡®¡®All right then.¡¯¡® He then reminded her sincerely, ¡®¡®If you need anything, just call me. I¡¯ll be there, no


    matter what time it is. Just call me and let me know what you want to eat. I¡¯ll bring it to you.¡¯¡®


    Sonia widened her eyes in shock. Is that really necessary?


    He chuckled faintly upon seeing her surprised look. Did she forget about what we discussed?


    ¡®¡®Don¡¯t forget that we¡¯re in a romantic rtionship right now. Besides, you¡¯re carrying my child. It¡¯s only


    natural that I¡¯m treating you nicely. There¡¯s no need for you to feel bad. Just call me whenever you


    need me,¡¯¡® he informed softly.


    She didn¡¯t expect him to take the matter so seriously. However, it did make her curious if he really was


    willing to go that far. ¡®¡®Got it. If I need your help, I¡¯ll call you.¡¯¡®


    After she returned, the edges of her lips were still quirked up.


    Be stared at her in shock when she walked out.


    ¡®¡®I thought you applied for leave? Why did youe back?¡¯¡® She was also a little surprised that Sonia


    appeared to be in a good mood, which was unlike her usual self.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    It wasn¡¯t until Sonia heard her friend¡¯s voice that she realized Be was standing in front of her. She


    had been so focused on thinking about Harvey that she didn¡¯t notice a person was in front of her. It


    made her p her head in annoyance.


    ¡®¡®Why are you hitting yourself?¡¯¡® Be grabbed her hand and smiled. ¡®¡®I¡¯m not going to take care of you if


    you p your brain out.¡¯¡®


    Before Sonia could reply, Be repeated her question.


    Although she did view Be as a good friend, she still wasn¡¯t certain if she should let her secret out.


    After thinking for a while, she revealed what she could.


    ¡®¡®So you met your child¡¯s father, and now he¡¯s asking for your hand in marriage?¡¯¡® Be widened her


    eyes in astonishment. She realized her voice was getting too loud, so she quickly covered her mouth.


    After looking around, she let out a sigh of relief upon seeing no one near them.


    ¡®¡®Mm-hm!¡¯¡® Both of them chatted as they headed to the dorm.


    Meanwhile, in Paelsford Manor, Aaron¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief when he received a certain piece of


    news from his subordinates.

 Chapter 1552

    Chapter 1552


    Chapter 1552 No Way She Is Dead


    Aaron immediately pulled out his phone to call Arielle. I don¡¯t believe it! There¡¯s no way she¡¯s dead. I


    won¡¯t believe she¡¯s dead. She¡­


    The phone kept ringing, but no one picked up.


    Vinson saw the name on the phone and called for Arielle.


    When Arielle saw that, she suppressed her sudden acid reflux and endured the difort. She raised


    her head and met Vinson¡¯s eyes, which had a worried look in them.


    ¡®¡®Are you feeling unwell, Sannie?¡¯¡® he asked worriedly.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Arielle¡¯s lips twitched slightly. She wanted tough, but she couldn¡¯t. When she saw Aaron¡¯s name, she


    thought about what the queen mother did and felt awful.


    ¡®¡®I¡¯m fine.¡¯¡® She lowered her head. ¡®¡®I can¡¯t ept his call for now. I don¡¯t want too many people to find


    out my secret.¡¯¡®


    He held her and asked, ¡®¡®What do you n to do?¡¯¡®


    Pondering the question for a while, she finally replied, ¡®¡®I don¡¯t know. But¡­ he definitely can¡¯t know.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Arielle¡­ Arielle¡­¡¯¡® Aaron muttered as the phone kept on ringing.


    After he hung up, hey back down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. A momentter, his eyes


    slipped shut. I hope this is all a dream.


    It wasn¡¯t until the sun set that he got up and opened the door. He stood alone outside the manor as a


    gust of cold wind brushed by him.


    With his back to the manor¡¯s flower wall, the sparkler in his hand emitted starry light, interspersed with


    a cloud of smoke. It fluttered and disappeared in an instant.


    Soon, a car speedily approached and came to a screeching halt behind him. Then, the car door


    opened before a man exited with a respectful expression instead of his usual cold one.


    ¡®¡®Your Highness.¡¯¡® He approached Aaron and greeted him in a low voice.


    ¡®¡®Is it true about what happened to Arielle?¡¯¡® Aaron asked hoarsely.


    ¡®¡®Yes.¡¯¡® The man lowered his head as panic touched his expression. The king had already given the


    order. How did His Royal Highness still find out?


    ¡®¡®I want to know who did it. You have three days.¡¯¡®


    The man was stunned as a frown formed on his face. ¡®¡®Three days is¡­¡¯¡®


    Aaron turned around. The dark corner he was standing in had pretty bad lighting, but even then, his


    pale face was clear to behold. ¡®¡®At most five days.¡¯¡®


    The man¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed as he gulped. He wanted to say something, but he pushed it down.


    Since he had already received a simr time limit anyway, he had no choice but to ept.


    ¡®¡®Understood.¡¯¡®


    Aaron closed his eyes after the man left.


    Then, a cold smile appeared on his face. I don¡¯t care who it is. The person who killed her will pay the


    ultimate price!


    Meanwhile, Sonia had returned home. When she thought about her mother¡¯s attitude, she stood at the


    entrance, feeling hesitant.


    ¡®¡®What are you standing there for? If you want toe in, thene in.¡¯¡® Kelly had heard someone


    approaching the door, and after a peek through the peephole, saw her daughter standing outside. She


    couldn¡¯t help but open the door when her daughter just stood there.


    Sonia was still in a daze as her mother¡¯s piercing voice reached her ears.


    Kelly raised her eyebrow. ¡®¡®What are you looking at? You don¡¯t like what I¡¯m saying?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®No¡­ I¡­¡¯¡® Kelly¡¯s fierce look was making Sonia ufortable.


    ¡®¡®Kids these days¡­ They¡¯re getting more and more unruly! Why are you standing in front of the house


    instead of walking in?¡¯¡® Kelly didn¡¯t even bother to listen to her daughter¡¯s exnation and shot out


    questions like a machine gun.


    Just as Sonia was about to speak, her phone rang. Upon seeing the name on the screen, she carefully


    pressed the answer button and ran upstairs. Then she closed the door and said, ¡®¡®Hello?¡¯¡®

 Chapter 1553

    Chapter 1553


    Chapter 1553 Something Important


    ¡®¡®Have you returned home?¡¯¡® Harvey asked gently.


    ¡®¡®Yeah. I have to hang up for now. It¡¯s not a good time to talk to you,¡¯¡® Sonia answered in a lowered


    voice.


    ¡®¡®Okay.¡¯¡® He sounded sad.


    Upon hearing that, her heart softened. Before she realized what was happening, she heard herself


    suggesting, ¡®¡®How about we meet up?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Sure!¡¯¡® The joy in his voice was apparent.


    She gleefully left the bed and opened her wardrobe. It took a while for her to pick what she wanted to


    wear. After that, she gave an excuse to Kelly before leaving the house.


    Just as she did, someone suddenly appeared and pressed a towel with a weird smell on her face.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    She struggled for a few seconds before passing out.


    After an unknown amount of time had passed, she gradually returned to her senses, though she still


    felt groggy.


    It was then someone touched her face. That woke her uppletely.


    She nced at her surrounding, which was the interior of a luxurious private room. Nothing told her


    where she was. Still, she straightened her back as she stared warily at the woman in high heels


    casually approaching her under the dim light.


    Sonia noticed she was tied up by ropes and asked anxiously, ¡®¡®What are you doing? This is a


    kidnapping! Let me go!¡¯¡®


    The womanforted, ¡®¡®Don¡¯t get so worked up. I won¡¯t hurt you. Return my bag to me, and I¡¯ll let you


    go.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Bag? What bag? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, and I don¡¯t know you. You¡¯ve got the wrong


    person! Let me go,¡¯¡® Sonia pleaded.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if anyone would find her here.


    As for what the woman was saying, she had no idea what it was. Thus, she didn¡¯t know how to answer.


    The woman smiled when she heard that. ¡®¡®It happened in the bar two nights ago. It was a new Coach


    bag. Does that ring any bells? That bag means a lot to me. I hope you¡¯ll cooperate.¡¯¡®


    It was then Sonia realized what the woman was talking about. The bag had onlye out this season


    and was a limited edition.


    Since it wasn¡¯t that expensive, she had thrown it into her wardrobe after she finished her meal that day.


    From what she could tell, the people standing in front of her looked like stowaways. They were


    probably involved in some illegal dealings.


    Still, she had no idea what she had gotten herself into. She wanted to say she was innocent, but she


    wasn¡¯t sure if that was the best idea.


    Seeing that Sonia was still pretending to not know anything, the woman gestured for her subordinate to


    point a gun at Sonia.


    That made Sonia freak out so much that she was sweating bullets. Her body froze, and no words could


    escape her mouth. All she could do was stare at her own feet.


    ¡®¡®Since you don¡¯t know what bag I¡¯m talking about, I have nothing more to say to you. However, now


    that you¡¯ve been here, I¡¯ll have to leave a souvenir before I let you go.¡¯¡® The woman then gestured for


    another subordinate to pull out a knife.


    The burly henchman slowly stepped toward Sonia and ced the de next to her cheek before


    moving it across her delicate face.


    ¡®¡®Stop!¡¯¡® Sonia shouted in terror. ¡®¡®Who are you people? What do you all think you¡¯re doing? Don¡¯t you


    know who I am?¡¯¡®


    Her captors exchanged nces with each other. They had found her through the surveince camera¡¯s


    footage, so they truly did have no idea who she was.

 Chapter 1554

    Chapter 1554


    Chapter 1554 No Tricks


    The woman thought for a second and exined in a cajoling tone, ¡®¡®My bag was switched with


    someone else¡¯s. After my investigation, I found out that you have the same brand of bag. Since you


    don¡¯t know anything about what happened, I won¡¯t make things difficult for you. I simply want to retrieve


    the bag that belongs to me. Please recall where you put it. I¡¯ll immediately send someone to grab it and


    let you go once it¡¯s returned to me.¡¯¡®


    The henchman moved the dagger from Sonia¡¯s face to her throat when the woman finished.


    The coldness of the de gave her goosebumps.


    She calmed down and uttered, ¡®¡®The bag¡¯s at my house. Let me go, and I¡¯ll give it to you.¡¯¡®


    The burly henchmen around the woman turned to her, awaiting her orders.


    Sonia continued to convince them, ¡®¡®Look, it¡¯s quite clear that I identally got myself involved in


    whatever is going on. My wardrobe is full of bags like that. I just picked that one on that day because it


    matched my clothes and mood. I¡¯m sorry if I unknowingly took yours.¡¯¡®


    Lorraine lowered her head, thought about it, and nodded. At that, the burly henchmen untied Sonia.


    ¡®¡®Write your family member¡¯s phone number down. I¡¯ll make a call and tell them to send the bag over.


    Only then will we let you go,¡¯¡® Lorraine ordered as she threw a crumpled-up paper to Sonia.


    It was the first time in Sonia¡¯s life that she had to endure such humiliation. When the ropes around her


    limbs were loosened, her first instinct was to free her wrists. However, the henchman nearby didn¡¯t


    understand what courtesy meant and violently shoved a pencil into her palm, shouting, ¡®¡®Write!¡¯¡®


    His voice was as loud as thunder as it reverberated in the room.


    Sonia¡¯s head ached as his voice rang in her ears. She subconsciously covered them and, in order to


    prevent herself from bing deaf, she quickly wrote down the information they wanted.


    Lorraine felt that Sonia probably wasn¡¯t lying because thetter provided the requested information


    immediately and nicely. However, the bag contained something very important, so Lorraine felt


    compelled to verify the info herself to feel at ease. She gestured for one of her henchmen to stay and


    keep an eye on Sonia before leaving with the rest.


    The room became eerily quiet after the woman left with her henchmen.


    The remaining henchman thought Sonia didn¡¯t understand hisnguage, so he started chatting about


    her with his friends on the phone.


    Sonia pursed her lips. She was worried she wasn¡¯t going to be set free after all.


    Therefore, she started thinking about how to contact the outside world.


    She recalled she hadn¡¯t brought anything with her when she was kidnapped and began to panic.


    At that moment, the henchman locked the door, paused, and approached her. She was staring into


    space nkly, and he could not tell what was going through her mind. He narrowed his eyes at her and


    questioned warily, ¡®¡®What are you thinking?¡¯¡®


    She quickly thought of an excuse and smiled. ¡®¡®Can I go to the toilet? I really need to relieve myself.¡¯¡®


    Once I¡¯m in the restroom, I can finally rx since I won¡¯t need to see this man anymore.


    The henchman tilted his head and studied her. ¡®¡®You better not try anything funny.¡¯¡®


    Then he opened the door to the restroom in the private room.


    Sonia¡¯s initial n was to escape by asking him to bring her to a restroom outside the private room.


    However, she didn¡¯t expect the private room to have its own tiny restroom. Thus, that idea was busted.


    Head hung low, she entered the restroom with disappointment. Once she observed the interior, she


    became even more dismayed.


    There was only an air vent and a window inside.


    She tried opening the air vent, but shecked the strength to do so.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    It might be possible for her to go for the window, though.

 Chapter 1555

    Chapter 1555


    Chapter 1555 You Still Have Me


    After some forceful pushing, Sonia found out that she could crack the window open. However, the gap


    was still pretty small.


    It wasrge enough for half her body to go through. Upon looking down, she realized she was on quite


    a high floor. Additionally, because the window was facing the darkest part of the building, even if she


    shouted at the top of her lungs, no one would hear her.


    She was starting to panic. I wonder if I can squeeze my way out of this window. If I can, I can slip out


    along the pipe and escape.


    Just as she stretched her leg out, her body became stuck. She couldn¡¯t move in or out.


    More importantly, her stomach had begun to hurt.


    Meanwhile, Harvey was standing in front of the bar with a bouquet of flowers.


    The atmosphere inside the bar was very lively, but none of them was the person he was waiting for.


    He sent another message to Sonia and stared at the many other messages he had sent. She had


    replied to none of them. It was starting to make him suspect something was afoot. Thus, he tried calling


    her instead.


    The phone rang for a long time, but no one picked up.


    It was then he realized something was really wrong. He thought about what to do and decided to call


    Arielle.


    Arielle was currently lying on the bed, caressing her mother¡¯s picture. She cursed the queen mother


    again and again in her mind for being cruel.


    Not knowing how to get rid of the pain in her heart, she put on her clothes and went upstairs.


    It was silent upstairs.


    ¡®¡®Vinson¡­¡¯¡® she carefully called out, but no one responded.


    Her curious gaze swept across the space before she heard the water running in the bathroom. I guess


    he¡¯s taking a shower now?


    ¡®¡®Why are you here?¡¯¡® Vinson opened the bathroom door with but a towel covering his body.


    Her face suddenly flushed with embarrassment as she lowered her head silently.


    ¡®¡®Why are you up?¡¯¡® he asked as he walked past her and grabbed his pajamas from a nearby wardrobe.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    It wasn¡¯t until he put on his clothes that she said something. ¡®¡®I¡­ brought you some milk!¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®I thought you said we shouldn¡¯t drink milk before sleeping?¡¯¡® He chuckled.


    ¡®¡®You¡­ Were you taking a cold shower?¡¯¡® Arielle changed the topic. ¡®¡®I know you¡¯re used to it, but I don¡¯t


    think you should do that right now. It harms your body¡ª¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®The temperature¡¯s just right.¡¯¡® Vinson cut her off and picked up the cup to drink.


    Then, he approached her and whispered next to her ear, ¡®¡®What¡¯s going on with you, Arielle? If you


    came up here without a clear reason, I might suspect that you¡¯re intentionally seducing me.¡¯¡®


    What is he saying! She raised her head and met his eyes. ¡¯¡®Vinson!¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Hmm?¡¯¡® He was getting closer. She smells so nice. I guess I do miss that scent after not smelling it for


    a long time. It¡¯s making me want to smell more of it. He forced her to sit on the bed before he buried his


    head into her neck.


    The pleasant scent emanating from his freshly-washed hair entered her nose. However, the coldness


    of it caused her to shudder. Her body still hadn¡¯t fully recovered.


    ¡®¡®Vinson.¡¯¡® Arielle hugged him.


    His body temperature expelled the darkness in her heart.


    Caressing her face, he then gathered her into his embrace tightly. ¡®¡®There¡¯s no need to be sad. You¡¯ve


    still got me and Dad.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Arielle.¡¯¡® Upon kissing her face, it was as though he had found the source of sweet spring water. He


    could no longer hold himself back.


    Their body temperature rose and rose, and just as they were getting into the mood, her phone rang.

 Chapter 1556

    Chapter 1556


    Chapter 1556 Police Report


    Vinson was not too pleased. He took a nce at his phone and noticed that it was a call from Harvey.


    In an impatient tone, Vinson answered the call, ¡®¡®Hello?¡¯¡®


    Then, he raised an octave as he said, ¡®¡®What?¡¯¡®


    He immediately got up from his chair and hung up the phone. ¡®¡®Something happened to Sonia.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®What¡¯s the matter?¡¯¡® Arielle asked anxiously. ¡®¡®Wasn¡¯t she all right just now?¡¯¡®


    Vinson got up to fetch his car keys immediately. ¡®¡®Harvey did not tell me the details over the phone.


    Let¡¯s go over there first.¡¯¡®


    Then, he hurriedly rushed out to find Harvey.


    After he arrived at his destination, Vinson noticed there were a few police cars parked by the entrance


    of the house.


    He went inside the house and was greeted by the sight of a few policemen busy taking notes. An elder


    policeman eyed the two men who rushed inside the ce and asked, ¡®¡®Which one of you is Harvey


    Jupiter?¡¯¡®


    Harvey was slightly stumped before he answered, ¡®¡®I-I am. Might I ask¡ª¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®I¡¯m Darren Fox. This is my police ID.¡¯¡® Darren showed his pass to the two men and said, ¡®¡®Were you


    the one who reported that Ms. Sonia Wynter had been abducted? When was thest time you saw Ms.


    Wynter?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Tonight,¡¯¡® Harvey replied in a heartbeat.


    Darren furrowed his brows slightly. ¡®¡®That¡¯s very recent. I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t file the report for a missing


    person so soon, sir.¡¯¡®


    Right then, Harvey thought there was nothing to hide anymore, as long as it concerned the case.


    Hence, he came clean with Darren, ¡®¡®We agreed to meet tonight, and she just went missing in action. I


    could not get her on the phone either. I went to her house before I tried filing a report, and her family


    told me that she¡¯s left.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®All right. Let me check the surveince camera footage. We will have more information on the matter


    after we¡¯ve done a more thorough investigation.¡¯¡® Then, Darren turned to his fellow policeman and


    instructed, ¡®¡®Bring all the rted evidence and footage to the police station.¡¯¡®


    The policemen hurriedly moved the items out of the house after receiving the instruction.


    ¡®¡®Please get into the car,¡¯¡® Darren said rather courteously.


    ¡®¡®Do you guys think Sonia might be in danger?¡¯¡® Harvey asked anxiously.


    ¡®¡®I think she¡¯s going to be all right.¡¯¡® Even though Vinson felt uneasy about the situation, he was quick to


    come to his senses. After all, he was the only one who could console Harvey right then.


    ¡®¡®Should we call Sonia¡¯s parents?¡¯¡® Arielle asked in a low voice.


    ¡®¡®Let¡¯s just wait until we¡¯re at the police station.¡¯¡® Harvey did not think it was appropriate for him to go to


    Sonia¡¯s father for everything. Hence, he hesitated for a moment and decided not to call her father in the


    end.


    The three of them got into the police car and went to the police station. In the end, they were brought to


    the criminal investigation unit, and all of them, including the film crew members that followed along,


    were brought to separate offices to record their statements.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    It was apparent from the crowded police station after working hours that the policemen¡¯s hours were


    not fixed. Almost all of them were still very busy with their tasks. It was not very peaceful as ofte, and


    there was a surge in the number of criminal cases. Most of them were big cases that required their


    immediate attention. Hence, the criminal investigation unit was overwhelmed.


    A female police officer greeted Harvey. She then followed the standard operating procedure and asked


    some questions about Sonia and him, such as their names and ages. After that, she finally asked the


    most important question of all, ¡®¡®Has Sonia offended anyone?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®I guess not?¡¯¡® Harvey felt uneasy as he recalled the dream that Sonia had recounted to him in the


    morning. ¡®¡®Did she already know what was going to happen?¡¯¡® he wondered.


    ¡®¡®Are you and Sonia in a rtionship?¡¯¡® the female officer asked.


    Harvey nodded.


    ¡®¡®Before the two of you separated, did Sonia tell you anything in particr?¡¯¡® The female officer¡¯s voice


    was rather calm.


    ¡®¡®No,¡¯¡® Harvey replied honestly. ¡®¡®Our nned meetup was also decided on a whim.¡¯¡®

 Chapter 1557

    Chapter 1557


    Chapter 1557 Shameless


    Right then, a police officer came along and told them that the surveince camera footage was ready. It


    was confirmed from the footage that Sonia had been abducted. The culprits were dressed like


    electricians and donned baseball caps


    However, they could not clearly discern their appearances from the footage.


    As the police officer reversed the footage, they noticed the car te number of the MPV they left in and


    used that as a lead for further investigation.


    Meanwhile, Sonia was preparing toe down from the window. However, the door was kicked down


    with a loud bang.


    Shocked, Sonia stared at the person who entered. The man noticed that she was about to run away,


    and his lips quirked into a wicked smile. ¡®¡®You¡¯re thinking of running away? That¡¯s not really a good


    idea.¡¯¡®


    Sonia had wanted to look prettier for her date with Harvey, so she wore a long dress.


    At that moment, her dress was rolled up so that it was easier for her to climb out of the window,


    revealing her porcin fair skin, which glistened under the neon lights.


    The man immediately felt blood rush to his head and approached Sonia step by step.


    Seeing that, Sonia wanted to jump off the window right then, and she cried out, ¡®¡®Don¡¯te near me!¡¯¡®


    As she spoke, the man was already mere inches away from her. He pulled at her ankle and made her


    fall down from the window sill.


    As a result, Sonia fell from the window sill and scratched her other leg that was hanging from the other


    side of the window. The excruciating pain almost derailed her.


    However, the man swooped her up from the floor and dragged her into apartment roughly. Sonia


    struggled hard to break herself free.


    ¡®¡®What are you doing? I¡¯m a general¡¯s daughter. He will have millions of ways to torture you if he finds


    out it was you who did this to me, and you¡¯re going to wish for death.¡¯¡®


    The man dragged her along and said, ¡®¡®I won¡¯t let them find out about this. Hehe¡­ A general¡¯s


    daughter, are you? Let me have a taste of how nobles feel like¡­¡¯¡®


    Just when Sonia was regainingposure from the pain, the man¡¯s lewd words almost made her


    vomit.


    However, she had already experienced multiple bouts of morning sickness that day. Hence, she did not


    manage to vomit anything despite her bending her upper body.


    ¡®¡®Shameless!¡¯¡® Sonia refused to hear another word from the man¡¯s mouth. Since she could not seem to


    vomit anything, she spat to vent her frustration.


    After that, she wiped the corners of her mouth with the back of her hand. The next moment, the lewd


    man reached out to caress her face. Sonia turned her head to one side, but the man turned it forcefully


    so that she had no choice but to look at him.


    Then, Sonia pleaded, ¡®¡®What if we make a deal? Don¡¯t hurt me. Name a price, and I will fulfill it. What


    are you after? You guys must have a reason to enter the country illegally.¡¯¡®


    The man paused and thought for a moment after listening to her.


    Sonia was overjoyed that the man was actually contemting her words. Then, she immediately


    removed the diamond ne and gold earrings on her andid them all on the table.


    She continued, ¡®¡®Give me your phone, and I can immediately wire you some money. After you call my


    friends to notify them, and I get back safe and sound, I will write a check for the bnce of the amount


    that we agree on.¡¯¡®


    However, the man snapped out of his thoughts after hearing the word ¡®¡®phone¡¯¡® and said, ¡®¡®No. If your


    father finds out about this, he¡¯s not going to let me off the hook. I might not have the life to enjoy the


    money if we do it your way. I¡¯d be better off enjoying your body right now.¡¯¡®


    Then, he inched closer to Sonia.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    p! Sonia red at the man and pped him across the face. The sound of the p was especially


    loud and clear in the empty room.

 Chapter 1558

    Chapter 1558


    Chapter 1558 A Close Call


    The burly man grinned even as he rubbed his cheek, which stung from Sonia¡¯s vicious p. He


    muttered tellingly, ¡®¡®You¡¯re a fierce one, huh. Just wait until I teach you a lesson.¡¯¡®


    Sonia gulped nervously, immediately regretting her earlier decision to strike him. Infuriating him merely


    worsened the situation.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    As the man slowly approached Sonia, she instinctively shuffled backward.


    To her surprise, she backed into a couch. The man grabbed Sonia¡¯s shoulder and elicited a horrified


    shriek from her, yet she could not break away from his grasp.


    s, she had nowhere to turn. To Sonia¡¯s horror, the man used his free hand to cover her mouth and


    shove her onto the couch. He then mercilessly pinned her down with his body before she could sit up.


    Sonia screamed and iled her limbs. Her actions initially addled her kidnapper, but he slowly gained


    the upper hand. He held both her wrists in one hand while his legs pinned her body down, and his other


    hand reached downwards to tug at Sonia¡¯s dress.


    Sonia immediately panicked and screamed, ¡®¡®Hel¡ª¡¯¡®


    The word had barely left her mouth when the man lunged forward and covered her mouth. She


    struggled to break free from him and tried to scratch his face with her nails, but he easily caught her


    hand and twisted it, pressing Sonia harder against the couch.


    ¡®¡®Keep quiet, or you¡¯ll only suffer even more,¡¯¡® he threatened while shooting Sonia a menacing re.


    He squeezed her arm so hard that cold sweat beaded on her forehead. Suddenly, he raised his hand


    and pped her across the cheek.


    A red handprint instantly appeared on Sonia¡¯s face. Blood even trickled out of the corner of her split lip.


    Her cheek and lips swelled painfully, and Sonia shot her kidnapper a furious re.


    The man smiled smugly at her wretched state. ¡®¡®Haha! This is payback for your p earlier!¡¯¡®


    He pped her again, and the impact sent Sonia¡¯s face whipping around to the other side. She tasted


    blood in her mouth while half of her face suffered from numbing pain. Still, she closed her eyes and


    took a deep breath before taunting, ¡®¡®I guess you¡¯re not afraid of dying at all!¡¯¡®


    The man gritted his teeth and hissed, ¡®¡®Shut up.¡¯¡®


    He did not expect her to be a general¡¯s daughter instead of just some wealthy heiress.


    As such, losing their lives was a distinct possibility.


    As the thought crossed his mind, the kidnapper suddenly froze in shock. I forgot to tell my boss about


    her identity!


    He hastily mmed Sonia¡¯s head into the wall.


    Right before Sonia cked out, she eked out hoarsely, ¡®¡®Harvey¡­¡¯¡®


    When the kidnapper noticed that she had gone silent, he immediately released Sonia for fear of killing


    her. Then, he took out his phone and made a call.


    Meanwhile, a troubled Lorraine rubbed her temples while sitting in the backseat of a moving car. She


    asked her subordinate in the front passenger seat, ¡®¡®Do you think Sonia was telling the truth?¡¯¡®


    She remained uneasy because the bag was far too important to her. Although she initially thought of


    having the chauffeur and her subordinate retrieve the bag, she eventually decided to do things herself,


    lest there were more mishaps.


    Her subordinate replied, ¡®¡®I¡¯m not trying to be pessimistic here, Ms. Lorraine, but it¡¯s hard to tell. They¡¯re


    wealthy, but your bag is really expensive too. How could she simply dump it at home?¡¯¡®


    His expression grew serious as he added, ¡®¡®But don¡¯t worry, Ms. Lorraine. If she tricked us, we¡¯ll teach


    her a lesson so harsh she¡¯d wish to die instead.¡¯¡®


    After all, illegal immigration was a severe crime too.

 Chapter 1559

    Chapter 1559


    Chapter 1559 The Beautiful Sonia


    Lorraine¡¯s expression shifted slightly, and she no longer appeared as calm as before.


    Leaning heavily against the backseat, she was so still that the only giveaway to her wakefulness was


    the persistent massaging of her temples.


    Lorraine mumbled, ¡®¡®She¡¯d better not be lying to me, or she¡¯ll be in hot water.¡¯¡®


    As she spoke, the woman exuded a cold, ominous aura, causing the chauffeur and her subordinate to


    stiffen in fear. Instantly, the car plunged into silence.


    The chauffeur no longer dared to peek at the temperamental woman in the backseat and turned his full


    attention to the road.


    On the other hand, Lorraine¡¯s subordinate in the front passenger seatposed himself quickly after a


    brief change in his expression.


    He piped up, ¡®¡®That was just an offhandedment. She might be telling the truth. There¡¯s no need to


    be so tense.¡¯¡®


    However, his words did not raise Lorraine out of her funk. Instead, she looked out the window and


    murmured, ¡®¡®What do you all think of Sonia?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®She¡¯s beautiful!¡¯¡® answered the chauffeur unthinkingly.


    His answer drew augh out of Lorraine. She chortled and said, ¡®¡®You¡¯re right! She¡¯s beautiful!¡¯¡®


    Her reaction befuddled the chauffeur, who settled for a few awkwardughs in response. Lorraine did


    not say anything more and fell back into contemtive silence.


    Her hotel was not that far from Sonia¡¯s house, and they arrived in no time, especially since the


    chauffeur deliberately drove faster.


    Immediately, Lorraine spotted the police from afar.


    ¡®¡®Ms. Lorraine, this appears rather troublesome. Why are there policemen in front of her house?¡¯¡® The


    chauffeur shot Lorraine a cautious look.


    ¡®¡®Can¡¯t you see? Sonia lives in General Lawrence¡¯s house! You two, stay in the car.¡¯¡®


    When they heard that Lorraine nned to retrieve the bag herself, both men piped up, ¡®¡®You can¡¯t! Are


    you sure you can get in alone, Ms. Lorraine? What if you get into danger? We can help you if we


    apany you inside.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®What danger can possibly befall me? I¡¯m just here to get something. I¡¯ll attract too much attention if


    you two follow me. Just wait here.¡¯¡® Without giving them a chance to argue, Lorraine hastily scribbled


    something on a piece of paper and stuffed it in her pocket.


    Then, she alighted from the car and smoothed out her clothes. She instantly rid herself of her cold aura


    and assumed a new persona. The woman was nothing short of a chameleon.


    Although Lorraine did not share Sonia¡¯s incredible beauty, she had a natural penchant for garnering the


    affection of the opposite sex.


    Her red heels click-cked across the ground as she sauntered through the gate of Sonia¡¯s house.


    She was about to walk in as if it were her own home.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    When the security guard stopped her, she said, ¡®¡®Don¡¯t you remember me? I still remember you. I¡¯m


    Sonia¡¯s friend and here to help her get something.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Are you?¡¯¡® The security guard shot her a suspicious look.


    Nheless, he was merely asking out of formality as he already believed her words.


    Lorraine observed his expression before dering peevishly, ¡®¡®I¡¯vee here before. You just don¡¯t


    remember!¡¯¡®


    Then, before the guard could stop her, she turned and entered thepound.


    Soon enough, Lorraine snuck into the house and made her way to Sonia¡¯s room.


    She immediately darted into the room and rummaged for her bag.


    Her bag was indeed stored in the wardrobe just as Sonia had imed. Without dy, Lorraine lunged


    toward the bag and opened it.


    She heaved a sigh of relief when she confirmed that no one had touched her things.

 Chapter 1560

    Chapter 1560


    Chapter 1560 Lorraine Finds Her Bag


    Lorraine was in an excellent mood after locating her bag.


    She carefully checked its contents and confirmed that no one had tampered with the temte in her


    bag. Out of habit, she made secret markings on her bags so that she could tell if someone messed with


    them.


    Thankfully, the secret marking remained intact, and Lorraine felt as though a weight had been lifted off


    her chest.


    The temte was extremely important to her. She took it out of her bag and examined it under the


    sunlight, caressing it like a mother would her child.


    ¡®¡®Thank God you didn¡¯t lie to me, Sonia!¡¯¡®


    Lorraine was in no rush to leave Sonia¡¯s room now that she had found her bag. Instead, she wanted to


    soothe her fraught nerves.


    To that end, Lorraine walked toward a chair on the balcony and gingerly sat down on it.


    Lorraine snapped out of her reverie when she felt her phone vibrating. She checked the screen and


    realized that her chauffeur was calling.


    As she smacked her forehead, a bitter smile formed on her face while she mumbled, ¡®¡®I forgot the two


    of them are still waiting for me. They¡¯ll probably storm the house if I don¡¯t go down soon.¡¯¡®


    At that thought, Lorraine hurriedly left the room. She seemed so at ease that the two housekeepers she


    ran into on her way out did not suspect her at all.


    She even waved goodbye to the security guard before darting into the waiting car.


    mming the door quickly, Lorraine dered sternly, ¡®¡®Call the boys. Ask them to take good care of


    Lorraine.¡¯¡®


    They could obviously tell from her expression that she had found what she came for. She also


    appeared to be in a good mood.


    The chauffeur looked at her through the rearview mirror and asked, ¡®¡®How did it go, Ms. Lorraine?


    Must¡¯ve gone well, huh? You seem to be in a good mood. I guess that chick Sonia didn¡¯t trick you after


    all. I trust your possessions are untouched?¡¯¡® At the same time, he started the car engine.


    ¡®¡®Yes.¡¯¡® Lorraine no longer seemed as frosty as before.


    Meanwhile, her subordinate asked, ¡®¡®Are you really nning to let Sonia go? We may have gotten the


    temte back, and yes, she hasn¡¯t seen it at all, but isn¡¯t it dangerous to let her go? She¡¯s Lawrence¡¯s


    daughter. If she tells them what we¡¯ve done, won¡¯t they¡­¡¯¡® He trailed off and drew his finger across his


    throat.


    Additionally, he knew that Lorraine was far from a kind person. Thus, he was curious about her reasons


    for releasing Lorraine.


    Lorraine chuckled when she saw her subordinate¡¯s hand gesture. ¡®¡®Am I truly that cruel? In any case,


    we¡¯re dead meat if we harm General Lawrence¡¯s darling girl.¡¯¡®


    Her reply caused the two men in the car to shudder silently in fear.


    The same thought probably ran through their minds. She¡¯s already harmed, though.


    Oblivious to their worries, Lorraine continued, ¡®¡®We didn¡¯t mistreat Sonia anyway. She looks like a kind


    girl. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be fine once we offer a nice apology.¡¯¡®


    She paused and rubbed her temples before falling silent.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Meanwhile, the chauffeur piped up, ¡®¡®Her family might not trace this to us. It¡¯s a shame to let her go like


    this.¡¯¡® He was too enamored by Sonia¡¯s beauty and felt reluctant about setting her free.


    Hisment caused Lorraine to cast a meaningful nce his way. She ignored him and asked her


    subordinate, ¡®¡®No one¡¯s picking up?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®No. Did something happen?¡¯¡® He had called the kidnappers four times.


    Lorraine¡¯s expression darkened at that.


    Those people I hired are a bunch of ouws! Sonia¡¯s status is too important. If something happens to


    her, we¡¯re in hot soup!

 Chapter 1561

    Chapter 1561


    Chapter 1561 A Bloody Sign


    Lorraine barked, ¡®¡®Drive faster! We need to get back to the hotel.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Lorraine. I¡¯ll get you there in ten minutes.¡¯¡® The chauffeur stomped on the gas pedal


    and sped toward the hotel.


    As he promised, the car pulled into the hotel driveway in under ten minutes.


    Lorraine was filled with inexplicable dread as she walked along the corridor. She shot her subordinate a


    look, and he slowly sped her hand to offer her support.


    It¡¯s silent. Far too silent. She suddenly realized what was off about the whole situation. The ce was


    unusually quiet. When she left, she had arranged two men to guard Sonia, and it was too odd for the


    room to bepletely noiseless.


    She turned around and whispered to her subordinate, ¡®¡®Go in and check out the situation. I think


    something happened. It¡¯s far too quiet. Be careful.¡¯¡®


    He nodded in acknowledgment before cautiously ascending the stairs. Then, he gently opened the


    door to the room which held Sonia captive.


    He froze on the spot as his gaze roved over the mess in the room. It appeared as though a fight had


    taken ce. More worryingly, no one was in the room.


    ¡®¡®Ms. Lorraine! There¡¯s an emergency! Come up here right away!¡¯¡® he yelled toward his boss


    downstairs.


    D*mn it! Something bad really happened. Lorraine¡¯s heart sank when she heard her subordinate¡¯s


    yells. Immediately, she rushed upstairs and entered the room.


    ¡®¡®What on earth happened? Where did everyone go?¡¯¡® Lorraine shrieked at the man beside her.


    He hastily lowered his head as though he had done something wrong and mumbled, ¡®¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯¡®


    Though he had little to do with their disappearance, he was the one who chose the two guards in the


    first ce.


    Right then, he hated those two ouws with a vengeance and wished for nothing more than to capture


    them immediately.


    ¡®¡®I don¡¯t care about the guards. Where the heck is Sonia?¡¯¡® Lorraine struggled to suppress her rage and


    paced the room agitatedly.


    She looked like a volcano that was about to explode.


    Sonia was no ordinary figure, and her subordinate knew they had to tread with caution. To that end, he


    had chosen the two most trustworthy-looking fellows to guard her, yet things still went wrong.


    ¡®¡®Maybe her family came to save her and took the guards away? What do you think, Ms. Lorraine?¡¯¡® he


    reminded Lorraine when she continued to pace the room.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    However, she did not answer him and appeared to be searching the room for something. Finally, she


    discarded the cigarette in her hand and slowly knelt as though she had discovered something, staring


    intently at the floor.


    ¡®¡®What did you find, Ms. Lorraine?¡¯¡® Her subordinate quickly followed her line of gaze and stared at the


    floor, but he did not notice anything amid the mess.


    Lorraine got to her feet and exined, ¡®¡®Bloodstains! Send some men to track the two guards down


    immediately. I fear that Sonia was injured, not rescued.¡¯¡®


    At the same time, the two guards who had fled the room covered their faces with caps and were


    muttering anxiously among themselves.


    The shorter of the two grumbled, ¡®¡®Why did you hit her so hard? How could you kill her when you just


    wanted to knock her out cold?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®All you know is toin about me. If you didn¡¯t try to take advantage of her, she wouldn¡¯t have


    struggled so much. There wouldn¡¯t have been a need to hit her then!¡¯¡® His fellow guard sighed in


    exasperation.


    After they had knocked Sonia out cold, they thought of giving Lorraine a call. s, before they dialed


    her number, they noticed that Sonia¡¯s head was bleeding profusely and that her breathing had be


    dangerously shallow.


    Fearful of potential retributions owing to Sonia¡¯s background, they opted to abandon the injured Sonia


    and escape.


    They believed they were safe as long as they returned to their home country before anyone found out


    about Sonia¡¯s kidnapping.

 Chapter 1562

    Chapter 1562


    Chapter 1562 Things Have Gotten Out Of Hand


    The sky gradually became darker, and the wind got stronger. It soon started to drizzle.


    Out of nowhere, stray dogs appeared and surrounded Sonia, who was lying on the grass. They sniffed


    her and seemed to be deciding if they wanted to bite her.


    However, the instinct of dogs was sharper than that of humans. They sensed that she was still alive


    and were afraid that she might get up.


    All of a sudden, Sonia¡¯s eyelids twitched, and she slowly opened her eyes. Her head hurt so much as if


    it was going to explode.


    When she touched her head, she saw traces of blood on her hand.


    Suddenly, she realized that there was a stray dog next to her. It looked like it was about to bite her.


    ¡®¡®Ah!¡¯¡® Her scream gave the dog a fright, and it ran off immediately.


    I need a phone to contact my family¡­


    Sonia was in a daze when she thought of that.


    ¡®¡®Do you think Ms. Lorraine and the others have gone back? They won¡¯te looking here, will they?¡¯¡®


    one of the men asked the other one as they waited by the river for their boat.


    ¡®¡®It should be fine. Let¡¯s just do our best and leave everything else to fate.¡¯¡®


    The moment he finished talking, the two of them heard a din. They froze instantly as they knew they


    were doomed.


    Very soon, Lorraine appeared with her men.


    Looking at her, the two men dropped to their knees.


    Lorraine stared coldly at them before circling the men in silence.


    The silence was so overwhelming that no one dared to make a single sound. All everyone could hear


    was the rapid breathing of the two men.


    ¡®¡®Afraid?¡¯¡® Her icy voice broke the silence all of a sudden.


    ¡®¡®We are sorry, Ms. Lorraine. Please spare us,¡¯¡® begged the two men as they kept kowtowing until blood


    flowed from their foreheads.


    Lorraine walked up to the two of them and squatted down before she asked softly, ¡®¡®Where is Sonia?¡¯¡®


    The two men started perspiring profusely.


    ¡®¡®I-I don¡¯t know¡­¡¯¡®


    Lorraine lifted her leg and gave the man who answered a kick in the face. Instantaneously, blood


    sttered on her white high heels.


    ¡®¡®Not telling me the truth, huh?¡¯¡® said Lorraine to the man who had copsed to the ground.


    Having said that, Lorraine turned around, picked up a baseball bat, and swung it at his mouth.


    Blood began gushing out of the man¡¯s mouth.


    At that moment, the man looked like he wanted to say something, but Lorraine did not give him the


    chance.


    When the other man saw his partner suffer such a terrible fate, he began to spill the beans. He told


    Lorraine everything from the moment they wanted to take advantage of Sonia till the time they chucked


    her into the wilderness.


    As he recounted the entire story, Lorraine¡¯s face became increasingly pale. In the end, she raised her


    arms and flipped the table.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    These two are not only daring, but they are idiots as well.


    If someone discovers the body in the wilderness, things will get tricky.


    It looks like we have no choice but to return to our country! What a pity. We havee all the way here


    and aplished nothing.


    Of course, that isn¡¯t the scariest part.


    To avenge his precious daughter, General Lawrence will certainly issue a warrant for all of us in every


    country.


    If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s a possibility of us getting caught no matter which country we go to in the


    future.


    Fortunately for them, the boat was already there. Without taking anything with them, the few of them


    boarded the boat and left. As for the two men, they were dumped into the river to feed the fish.

 Chapter 1563

    Chapter 1563


    Chapter 1563 Who Exactly Are You


    Meanwhile, Harvey and the rest of them could not eat or sleep in peace while trying to look for Sonia.


    Arielle phoned Vinson and asked, ¡®¡®Is there any news from Harvey?¡¯¡®


    Although Arielle knew what the answer would be, she was still full of hope. When she heard Vinson¡¯s


    reply, her heart sank. After all, Sonia was her friend too.


    Sonia! Sonia, where exactly are you? Do you know everyone is almost going insane from looking for


    you?


    Arielle did not say anything in response. Instead, she was deep in thought while gazing at the scenery


    outside the window.


    ¡®¡®What¡¯s your n now? I have been spending a lot of time looking for Sonia. If this goes on, won¡¯t your


    dad be suspicious?¡¯¡® said Vinson.


    ¡®¡®Sonia is more important.¡¯¡® Although her n had been dyed, finding Sonia was her priority for the


    time being.


    Arielle was a person who cherished her friends very much.


    As for Harvey, he had not slept a wink since he found out that Sonia had gone missing. Despite asking


    around with the connections he had, there was still no news.


    Buzz, buzz. Just as Harvey was about to go out, his phone vibrated. It was a call from an unfamiliar


    number, and he quickly answered it.


    The very next instant, he heard Sonia¡¯s voice.


    The moment he hung up the phone, Harvey picked up his coat and was about to dash out when he


    recalled something and shouted at Vinson, ¡®¡®I¡¯ve found Sonia! She¡¯s hurt. We have to go and pick her


    up now.¡¯¡®


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    The instant Vinson heard that, he jumped up and followed Harvey out.


    When they reached the underground parking, the two of them got into the car and sped toward where


    Sonia was.


    During the drive, Vinson phoned Arielle to inform her that Sonia was fine. Upon hearing that, Arielle


    could finally heave a sigh of relief.


    Not long after they hung up the phone, Vinson arrived home in the dark.


    Arielle was still up when he came back. The moment she saw him, her first words were, ¡®¡®How is


    Sonia?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®She¡¯s fine. We have already sent her to the hospital. She¡¯s a little anemic, but the baby is all right.


    Don¡¯t worry about it. Her parents are on the way to the hospital now.¡¯¡® Vinson sounded exhausted. Even


    though Sonia had only disappeared for a few hours, it still took a toll on all of them.


    ¡®¡®That¡¯s good to know.¡¯¡® Arielle could finally be at ease.


    Since Sonia was all right, Arielle could atst focus on her affairs.


    ¡®¡®Vinson, could you please phone my dad and tell him to deal with the body tomorrow? Tell him to have


    ¡®me¡¯ cremated.¡¯¡® Leaving the body there was fine, but it meant that Vinson had to be there too, and he


    would not be able to do his own things.


    Vinson nodded before walking out to make the call. Even if Arielle had not mentioned it, he would have


    done so too.


    In the meantime, Harvey was at the hospital with Sonia. There was a look of anguish in his eyes as he


    held her hands. I was so close to losing her.


    Initially, he thought all he felt for Sonia was only responsibility. After all, he had taken away her virginity,


    impregnating her with his child. After almost losing her, he realized his feelings for Sonia were more


    than just responsibility. In fact, he had no idea when he started to develop feelings for her.


    It was my fault for failing to protect her. At that thought, he looked at her guiltily. She would not have


    been hurt if he had found her sooner.


    ¡®¡®Who exactly are you?¡¯¡®

 Chapter 1564

    Chapter 1564


    Chapter 1564 How Can She Be Pregnant


    A furious roar came from the door. Harvey turned around to see Sonia¡¯s mother, Kelly, yelling at him.


    He immediately let go of Sonia¡¯s hands and stood up to greet Kelly, ¡®¡®Mrs. Wynter.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Who exactly are you? How are you rted to Sonia? Are you the father of the child that she¡¯s


    carrying?¡¯¡® Kelly shot out a barrage of questions in anger.


    She did not expect to find out that her daughter had gotten into trouble after shest saw her two hours


    ago. However, that was not the worst part. The moment the nurse saw Kelly, she reassured thetter


    that both Sonia and the baby were fine, startling her.


    What baby?


    She suppressed her anger and allowed the nurse to exin everything. Only then did she find out that


    Sonia was pregnant. But she doesn¡¯t even have a male friend. How can she be pregnant?


    Then, Kelly told the nurse they had made a mistake and that Sonia was not pregnant. However, the


    nurse was very adamant and even mentioned that Sonia¡¯s boyfriend was with her.


    In a fit of anger, Kelly walked away from the nurse and went to the ward. The moment she walked in,


    she could not believe her eyes when she saw Harvey holding Sonia¡¯s hands to his lips. Kelly was so


    enraged that her hands were trembling.


    After all, she had spent so much effort grooming her daughter so that she could marry Aaron as his


    consort. Who gave him permission to touch Sonia?


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    When Harvey saw the enraged woman, he knew he had to tell the truth to avoid any future issues.


    With that thought in mind, he looked at Kelly and exined, ¡®¡®Mrs. Wynter, my name is Harvey. It¡¯s true


    that we are seeing each other. I¡¯m also the father of the child.¡¯¡®


    I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s actually Sonia¡¯s boyfriend.


    ¡®¡®Leave now. I don¡¯t approve of your rtionship with my daughter,¡¯¡® snapped Kelly as she stared


    daggers at Harvey.


    Aaron was the only son-inw she wanted. No one else would be worthy of her daughter!


    Hearing that, Harvey¡¯s face fell as he did not expect to be rejected by someone.


    In Chanaea, many of the prominent families were more than willing to marry their daughters off to him.


    ¡®¡®Mrs. Wynter, Sonia and I¡ª¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Just state your price!¡¯¡® Kelly cut him off impatiently. ¡®¡®How much do I have to give you before you are


    willing to leave Sonia?¡¯¡®


    Harvey was stunned to hear that.


    Did she just offer me money to leave Sonia?


    Do I look like someone who is short of money?


    Even if he were, he would never ever exchange his wife and child for money.


    ¡®¡®Just say it. How much do you want so that you will stop meddling with our rtionship?¡¯¡® asked


    Harvey in return.


    Even though she was Sonia¡¯s mother, he could not care less. To Kelly, her interests were more


    important than Sonia¡¯s. Sonia was the love of his life, so there was no way he would allow Kelly to


    disrespect Sonia and use her in exchange for any benefit.


    Kelly stared dumbfoundedly at Harvey, obviously stumped by his question.


    ¡®¡®What did you say? Are you offering me money to stay out of your affair with Sonia?¡¯¡® She looked at


    Harvey in disbelief and mocked him, ¡®¡®How much money do you even have? Do you have any idea who


    Sonia is supposed to get married to in the future? What makes you think you are fit to be with her?


    Stop dreaming and get lost!¡¯¡®


    Just then, Sonia was awoken by her mother¡¯s shrill voice. With a frown, she struggled to open her eyes


    only to hear that¡­

 Chapter 1565

    Chapter 1565


    Chapter 1565 I Am Keeping Him


    ¡®¡®I wouldn¡¯t let Sonia marry you even if you were to give me ten billion!¡¯¡® Kelly remarked frostily. ¡®¡®As for


    the child inside her, I¡¯ll arrange to have a doctor remove it, so leave. You¡¯re not wee here. If you


    truly care about her, I hope you¡¯ll stop bothering her from now on.¡¯¡®


    The position of princess and queen fazed her more than a ten-billion sum did. As long as we get rid of


    the child inside Sonia and restore her hymen before marrying her off to Aaron, there¡¯s no way Aaron


    will notice anything.


    Of course, that is provided that everyone who knows about Sonia¡¯s pregnancy keeps their mouths shut.


    And the best way to ensure that is¡­ The woman¡¯s gaze darkened at the thought. She didn¡¯t want to


    have to resort to that.


    Harvey¡¯s expression turned grim at the mention of Kelly wanting to remove the child inside Sonia¡¯s


    womb. He could understand if Sonia herself didn¡¯t want the child, but he couldn¡¯t ept her parents


    making the choice for her.


    But before he could respond, Sonia¡¯s weak but adamant voice rang out. ¡®¡®The child belongs to me,


    Mother. I¡¯m keeping him.¡¯¡®


    Never had she expected her mother to find out about her pregnancy this quickly.


    Perhaps, she would¡¯ve aborted the child had she not crossed paths with Harvey again. There was no


    guarantee that she could give the child a bright future, after all, and despite having once looked forward


    to its arrival, she ultimately chose to think rationally.


    But now that the child¡¯s father was here and cared about the child as much as she did, she wanted to


    keep it.


    ¡®¡®Well, that¡¯s not your decision to make!¡¯¡® Kelly exploded, not feeling the slightest bit relieved that her


    daughter had woken up. ¡®¡®Listen to me, Sonia, you will not keep the child. You¡¯re getting an abortion


    tomorrow.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®The child is mine. I have every right to choose whether he stays or goes!¡¯¡® Sonia refuted before losing


    consciousness, and a panic-stricken Harvey summoned the doctor immediately.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡®¡®She just woke up. It¡¯s best to refrain from saying things that may upset her. Anything more stressful


    and she might lose the child,¡¯¡® the doctor advised before leaving.


    ¡®¡®Mrs. Wynter¡ª¡¯¡®


    Harvey was just about to speak to Kelly when he was off again.


    ¡®¡®How is Sonia?¡¯¡® a man asked while rushing over after a seemingly tiresome journey.


    It was none other than Sonia¡¯s father, Lawrence.


    ¡®¡®She¡¯s fine,¡¯¡® Kelly answered hastily, worried that he would find out about their daughter¡¯s pregnancy.


    ¡®¡®What are you doing here, anyway? Didn¡¯t I say I could manage on my own?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®I couldn¡¯t stop worrying, so I decided to drop by and see her personally,¡¯¡® Lawrence replied while


    walking over, and he fumed the moment he saw Sonia¡¯s swollen cheeks. ¡®¡®Who the hell did this to her?


    I¡¯m going to kill them!¡¯¡® Then, he turned to Kelly. ¡®¡®And you said she¡¯s fine?¡¯¡®


    Kelly grew sheepish upon being put on the spot like that. She was so upset back then that she hadn¡¯t


    noticed what had happened to Sonia¡¯s face. But now that she finally took a closer look, her heart ached


    for her daughter. Please let her face be okay. She has to look perfect if she¡¯s going to marry the prince.


    ¡®¡®Dad¡­ I don¡¯t want to lose the child¡­¡¯¡® Upon hearing that, Lawrence¡¯s eyes widened.

 Chapter 1566

    Chapter 1566


    Chapter 1566 A Nobody


    ¡®¡®Child? What child?¡¯¡® Lawrence asked in bewilderment, notprehending his own daughter¡¯s words.


    ¡®¡®Maybe she¡¯s talking about a child who was with her when the incident happened,¡¯¡® Kelly quipped


    frantically before ring at Sonia, warning her not to say anything more.


    Harvey¡¯s gaze darkened as he heard that.


    Is my child that unwee?


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    However, Sonia knew that Kelly was a woman of her word. Aware that she would really lose her child if


    she didn¡¯t speak up now, the young woman forced herself up and gazed at Lawrence. ¡®¡®Dad, I¡¯m


    pregnant. I don¡¯t want to marry Prince Aaron. I want to marry him,¡¯¡® she dered while pointing at


    Harvey.


    Despite always being collected, Lawrence didn¡¯t know what to say at this point. It was only after turning


    in the direction of Sonia¡¯s finger that he noticed Harvey standing behind him, and his eyes narrowed.


    This guy doesn¡¯t look all that simple. Why did he get close to Sonia? What is he after?


    A mix of emotions swirled within Harvey, who had clearly never thought Sonia would tell her father who


    she wanted to marry. He turned to the woman, silently promising that he would make sure she never


    regretted her decision if she were to marry him.


    But as he prepared to be evaluated by his future father-inw, Kelly could no longer contain her rage.


    ¡®¡®What future do you have with someone like him? What do you not like about Prince Aaron? He¡¯s


    handsome, influential, and talented! Why won¡¯t you marry him?¡¯¡® she grilled, no longer caring that


    Lawrence was there too.


    ¡®¡®It doesn¡¯t matter how good he is if I¡¯m not interested in him!¡¯¡® Sonia¡¯s eyes reddened.


    All you care about is the benefits! That¡¯s the only reason you want me to marry Prince Aaron.


    ¡®¡®And what good is there in being interested in this man? Can he look after you for the rest of your life


    just because you like him? Can he make sure you get to live happily?¡¯¡® Kelly pped back furiously.


    ¡®¡®That¡¯s enough!¡¯¡® Lawrence roared at both women.


    Kelly had more to say, but she shut her mouth after ncing at her husband.


    ¡®¡®Do you want to marry Sonia?¡¯¡® Lawrence asked, gazing at Harvey sternly.


    Harvey nodded, returning an equally solemn look.


    ¡®¡®Yes. I want to take her as my wife,¡¯¡® he answered before turning to Sonia. ¡®¡®As long as she agrees to


    that, I¡¯ll make her happy for the rest of her life so she¡¯ll never regret marrying me.¡¯¡®


    Lawrence studied the young man before him. The look in Harvey¡¯s eyes reflected his seriousness, but


    there was no way the older man could hand his daughter over to him just like that.


    He didn¡¯t even know who this mysteriousd was.


    ¡®¡®I can tell how serious you are about my daughter, but I don¡¯t even know who you are. How can I hand


    my precious little girl over to you?¡¯¡® he scoffed.


    Harvey fell silent upon hearing that.


    He was a nobody in Turlen. More importantly, marriage to outsiders was forbidden in this country.


    He stared at Lawrence, not knowing how to disclose his identity to thetter.


    ¡®¡®You see that? He¡¯s just a nobody! You¡¯d be crazy if you let Sonia marry a guy like him!¡¯¡® Kelly couldn¡¯t


    help but yell at Lawrence.

 Chapter 1567

    Chapter 1567


    Chapter 1567 Something Difficult To Talk About


    Lawrence frowned at the sight of his usually-graceful wife behaving like a shrew.


    ¡®¡®Kelly!¡¯¡® he reminded harshly.


    Kelly reluctantly stopped talking.


    Then, Lawrence turned to Harvey once more. ¡®¡®Is it something difficult to talk about?¡¯¡®


    Harvey nodded.


    ¡®¡®Can we talk about it privately?¡¯¡®


    After pondering for a moment, Harvey nodded again.


    He figured there wasn¡¯t a need for him to continue hiding his identity now that he was already thinking


    of marrying Sonia.


    It was only by being transparent about his own character and origins that her father might feel safe


    letting him marry her, anyway.


    ¡®¡®Sonia is still unwell. Take good care of her, and don¡¯t say anything to aggravate her,¡¯¡® Lawrence


    instructed Kelly before turning to Sonia. ¡®¡®Be polite when talking to your mother. I have some matters to


    discuss with him. I¡¯ll be back shortly.¡¯¡®


    As Lawrence turned and headed for the door, Harvey caressed Sonia¡¯s head, disregarding Kelly in the


    process. ¡®¡®Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll see you again real soon.¡¯¡®


    Sonia didn¡¯t expect him to be this affectionate with her in front of her parents. But truthfully, she liked it,


    and a blush crept across her cheeks as she nodded and watched Harvey leave with her father.


    Rather than sit down at a coffee shop, the two men hopped into Lawrence¡¯s car before the man himself


    began driving. This was perhaps the safest ce to talk in detail.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡®¡®So, tell me, who are you? Why did you approach Sonia?¡¯¡®


    Acting like apletely different person the moment he entered the vehicle, Lawrence shot a


    forbidding nce at Harvey, who was now in the passenger seat.


    The older, the wiser indeed.


    Harvey smiled bitterly. He had thought that Lawrence genuinely wanted to ask about his true origin


    before handing Sonia over to him, and yet it seemed it was not the case.


    ¡®¡®I never approached Sonia deliberately, Mr. Wynter. We met byplete chance,¡¯¡® Harvey answered


    gravely. ¡®¡®My name is Harvey Jupiter. I¡¯m from Chanaea. You can get someone to look into my


    background if you wish.¡¯¡®


    Lawrence¡¯s expression turned gloomy instantly. He had been wondering which tribe Harvey could have


    been from, only to learn that thetter was Chanaean.


    ¡®¡®You do know that marrying a foreigner warrants a death sentence here?¡¯¡®


    Harvey nodded. ¡®¡®I do.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Then why?¡¯¡® Lawrence was so exasperated that he didn¡¯t know how to continue.


    ¡®¡®Trust me, Mr. Wynter. Thews of Turlen will definitely change. When that happens, marriage to


    foreigners will be nothing out of the ordinary,¡¯¡® Harvey promised.


    The look in Lawrence¡¯s eyes changed as he heard that, and he stared into Harvey¡¯s eyes.


    ¡®¡®What do you mean by that?¡¯¡®


    How would a Chanaean know about Turlen¡¯s future state of affairs?


    Recalling Arielle¡¯s current efforts in aiding the king, Harvey responded calmly, ¡®¡®What changes do you


    think will happen in Turlen in the days toe? It¡¯s also about time someone else ruled the country.¡¯¡®


    Lawrence was instantly filled with shock and stared at Harvey in disbelief.


    ¡®¡®Y-You¡¯re affiliated with His Majesty!¡¯¡®


    There¡¯s no doubt about it! Seeing Harvey say nothing to refute that, Lawrence sent the former out with


    a wave of a hand. He needed time to think.


    The next day, Aaron stopped Vinson with tears in his eyes.

 Chapter 1568

    Chapter 1568


    Chapter 1568 Cremation


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Vinson gazed at Aaron sombrely.


    ¡®¡®Let me see her onest time.¡¯¡®


    Aaron didn¡¯t want to start a fight with Vinson, lest Arielle couldn¡¯t rest in peace. Hence, he was much


    gentler with his wordspared to before, although his demeanor still seemed a little aggressive from


    an outsider¡¯s point of view.


    Eventually, Vinson nodded.


    Aaron walked toward the bed, his chest tightening as he peered at the woman covered in white cloth.


    Putting aside the fact that she was his sister, he did want to change the country¡¯sws so he could


    marry her and live happily ever after with her.


    His hands quivered involuntarily, and he simply didn¡¯t have the courage to uncover the white cloth


    covering the woman¡¯s face.


    Vinson felt sorry for the man, but a deep voice resonated in the room before he could say anything.


    ¡®¡®Don¡¯t look at her anymore, Aaron. Let the most beautiful version of her stay in your memories.¡¯¡®


    Dn had arrived at the crematorium. There was nothing but sorrow in his eyes, and his head was now


    full of gray hair in just a matter of days. His appearance tugged at Vinson¡¯s heartstrings. Thetter


    yearned to ease Dn¡¯s pain by telling him that Arielle was fine, but he could only suppress those


    thoughts for the sake of their n.


    Aaron nced at Dn after hearing thetter¡¯s voice, and emotion swept through him as he noticed


    all the gray hair his father now had. Then, he retracted his arm, heeding the older man¡¯s advice.


    After all the documents were ready, Vinson instructed the workers to cremate the body.


    With a nod, the workers began pushing the bed.


    Dn¡¯s eyes began to water as he watched the woman on the bed leave him further. That was his


    daughter¡ªthe only child whom the woman he loved had given him.


    Why didn¡¯t I protect her? How could I have let her¡­ Unable to control his emotions any longer, Dn


    stepped forward, only to be swiftly held back by Vinson, who shook his head at him.


    With that, he closed his eyes in anguish, swearing to himself that he would find his daughter¡¯s killer no


    matter what it took.


    Aaron¡¯s heart grew increasingly empty as he watched ¡®¡®Arielle¡¯¡® approaching the cremator. I never


    would¡¯ve brought her back if I knew she¡¯d end up like this.


    s, it was toote. A tear trickled down the young man¡¯s cheek as he shut his eyes.


    Meanwhile, in the pce, the queen mother put down her papers upon hearing the news. ¡®¡®Are you


    sure Arielle¡¯s dead? She¡¯s been cremated?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Yes, Your Majesty,¡¯¡® replied Monisha as she poured the woman a ss of water. ¡®¡®Both His Majesty


    and His Royal Highness attended the cremation. His Royal Highness even shed a tear.¡¯¡®


    The queen mother¡¯s brows furrowed. Aaron shed a tear? Does he like Arielle that much? Chanaean


    women are good at nothing but seducing men!


    She put her ss down as her eyes glinted coldly. Even if Arielle weren¡¯t her granddaughter, she would


    never let her grandson marry a Chanaean woman.


    ¡®¡®Inform the queen about this, and have her arrange Aaron¡¯s marriage with Nico as soon as possible,¡¯¡®


    the old woman ordered.


    ¡®¡®Yes, Your Majesty.¡¯¡® Monisha swiftly withdrew and ryed the queen mother¡¯s instructions to the


    queen.


    The queen mother received a phone call as soon as Monisha left.


    ¡®¡®What? Really?¡¯¡® she asked animatedly, rising from her chair.

 Chapter 1569

    Chapter 1569


    Chapter 1569 ying Dead


    The queen mother had not anticipated that person to find her a hacking expert so quickly. She had


    been told that this man was the eighth best hacker in the world, and his services couldn¡¯t be bought


    with just money.


    Suppressing her excitement, she hurriedly contacted the number given to her. ording to the


    instructions of the person who had just called her, she was to onlymunicate with the hacker via


    text message.


    Queen Mother: Is this Mr. Simon?


    Simon: Yes.


    Despite only receiving a one-word response, the queen mother was greatly relieved. But as soon as


    she stated her request, the hacker responded, informing her that her phone andputer were being


    monitored.


    That meant that anything she had said recently on both devices was being recorded.


    After hearing about this, the queen mother¡¯s gaze turned insidious as she gripped the arms of her chair


    tightly.


    Who on earth could it be? Is infiltrating my inte not enough? Why are they even after my phone and


    computer now?


    She felt a chill down her spine at the thought of this. Does this mean they know all the things I¡¯ve been


    up to the past few days?


    That means they¡¯d know that I¡¯ve been looking for a hacker myself. Why haven¡¯t they done anything to


    stop me, then?


    With so many unanswered questions, the old woman could only rely on Simon to install a firewall for


    her¡ªone so powerful that no one could break into her devices.


    She made her request immediately.


    In fact, Simon had begun trying to remove the surveince software right after receiving the queen


    mother¡¯s message, but to no avail.


    And just like what happened to Gaston before, this evoked hispetitive spirit.


    He wasn¡¯t going to rest until he had aplished his task.


    With that, Simon replied to the queen mother¡¯s message briefly before getting to work.


    Lines of codes appeared on his screen as his fingers glided across his keyboard.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Minutes and seconds passed, and beads of sweat soon gathered on his forehead.


    At the same time, Arielle had also been notified that someone was trying to break her surveince on


    the queen mother¡¯s phone andputer, and she smirked.


    Looks like the hacker this time around is better than the one from before. At least he knows what I¡¯ve


    done to the queen mother¡¯s devices. But whether or not he can crack it depends on his skills. I look


    forward to his challenge.


    Vinson couldn¡¯t help but ask her what was going on upon walking in and seeing her smile like that, and


    he immediately had a feeling that the other party was going to fail.


    At the same time, Arielle asked him about that day¡¯s events, and her smile vanished as soon as she


    learned about Dn and Aaron¡¯s grief.


    ¡®¡®Vinson, do you think I¡¯m going too far by ying dead?¡¯¡® Arielle began to question her own decisions.


    Vinson walked over and held her. ¡®¡®It¡¯s heart-wrenching for those who love you, but at least the queen


    mother has her guard down now.¡¯¡®


    Knowing the queen mother, she definitely got someone to drop by the crematorium. Even if she initially


    had some doubts about my death, surely she¡¯d be a hundred percent convinced now after hearing


    about how devastated Dad and Aaron are.


    ¡®¡®I¡¯ll expose all the queen mother¡¯s horrible deeds as soon as I can, so justice can be served.¡¯¡® Once


    she falls, the power to rule will automatically go to Dad.


    And when that happens, there won¡¯t be a need to try and win those guys over anymore.


    Suddenly, Arielle¡¯s phone vibrated, and her eyes widened in astoundment as she nced down at the


    screen.

 Chapter 1570

    Chapter 1570


    Chapter 1570 A Different Feeling


    ¡®¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯¡® As soon as Vinson asked, Arielle showed him her phone, where the screen indicated


    that her surveince software had been broken into.


    ¡®¡®Someone actually cracked your software?¡¯¡® Even the man was astonished.


    That caused Arielle to burst intoughter. Isn¡¯t that normal? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m the best hacker in the world!


    Besides, this is the most basic surveince software one can get their hands on. It¡¯s only natural a


    hacker managed to remove it.


    ¡®¡®This is the easiest software to crack. The fun¡¯s only about to begin,¡¯¡® Arielle remarked before setting up


    her mini desk, taking herptop out, and tapping away on the keyboard.


    It wasn¡¯t long before she nted another surveince software into the queen mother¡¯s phone and


    computer, which caught Simon off guard.


    The man stared at his screen in a daze.


    I just broke into her surveince software. How did she make another one so quickly?


    That¡¯s interesting, though. My interest is piqued and I¡¯m more than ready for a showdown now.


    Once again, he immersed himself in his task.


    Arielle put herptop aside after setting up the next software.


    Then, remembering Sonia, she got Vinson to give Harvey a call.


    At the hospital, a usually-serious Harvey was now gazing at Sonia with a hint of yfulness.


    ¡®¡®W-Why are you looking at me like that?¡¯¡® she huffed, her face turning red.


    Harvey smiled mischievously. ¡®¡®Because I like you.¡¯¡®


    Because I like you.


    Those simple words were enough to send Sonia¡¯s heart racing frantically.


    She felt at a loss.


    He likes me? What does he even like about me?


    We¡¯ve only met a few times!


    ¡®¡®Do you really like me, Harvey?¡¯¡® she asked, tilting her head in confusion. ¡®¡®What is it that you like about


    me?¡¯¡®


    Noting how perplexed Sonia looked, Harvey knew that she didn¡¯t believe he would catch feelings for


    her so quickly.


    In truth, even he was puzzled by how he felt.


    The man had thought he would only love Arielle, but suddenly, Sonia came along without any warning


    and slowly reced Arielle in his heart.


    We¡¯ve only known each other for a few days, but I can already confirm what I¡¯m feeling after what


    we¡¯ve gone through.


    Yes, I do like her, but I don¡¯t know why.


    ¡®¡®I¡¯m certain that I like you, Sonia, though I¡¯m not sure what I like about you,¡¯¡® he answered. ¡®¡®What about


    you? Do you like me? Or do you feel anything different about me?¡¯¡®


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Sonia fell quiet as she heard that, but the memories from the day before began to rey in her head.


    She recalled the way he looked at her before she passed out, the way he held her in his arms like she


    was the most precious gem in the world, and the way his voice shook as he told her not to be afraid for


    he was there with her.


    Then, she wondered why he was the first person she had thought of at that crucial moment, and why


    did she call him instead of her parents.


    She had not managed to figure it out before losing consciousness, but now, she had found her answer.

 Chapter 1571

    Chapter 1571


    Chapter 1571 Fallen For You


    Sonia gazed at Harvey sweetly.


    ¡®¡®I think I¡¯ve fallen for you too, Harvey.¡¯¡®


    Right after saying that, she felt her cheeks flush, and she hastily buried her face underneath the


    nket.


    Harvey¡¯s heart fluttered the same way hers did, but he couldn¡¯t refrain fromughing after seeing her


    reaction.


    With a smirk, he gently lifted the nket and met Sonia¡¯s gaze.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Upon seeing her doe eyes and pink cheeks, he leaned over and ced his warm lips against hers,


    taking her byplete surprise.


    W-Why is he suddenly kissing me? I wasn¡¯t prepared for this at all!


    ¡®¡®Close your eyes,¡¯¡® instructed Harvey while gazing at her deeply after seeing her eyes wide open.


    Sonia then shut her eyes tightly, but before she could even wonder why he had asked her to do so, she


    felt his lips crashing into hers again.


    This time, it wasn¡¯t just a light peck.


    He kissed her so deeply and only let go after she was nearly out of breath.


    His gaze darkened at the sight of her flushed cheeks and tantalizing lips. Unfortunately, now wasn¡¯t the


    right time to take this any further.


    ¡®¡®Will you marry me, Sonia?¡¯¡® he asked in his deep voice, staring at her intently.


    Sonia didn¡¯t think he would bring this up again. Would I seem too desperate if I said yes right away?


    ¡®¡®Are you proposing to me? You don¡¯t even have a ring!¡¯¡®


    Only then did Harvey notice he had asked her to marry him without even preparing a ring for her.


    ¡®¡®I¡­¡¯¡®


    However, before he could say that this wasn¡¯t an official proposal, Sonia responded, ¡®¡®Yes, I will!¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Huh?¡¯¡® Harvey couldn¡¯t believe his ears.


    ¡®¡®I said yes, I will marry you,¡¯¡® Sonia enunciated, gazing straight into his eyes.


    Harvey pulled her into his arms upon hearing that.


    This silly girl.


    She¡¯s agreed to marry me even without a ring. She didn¡¯t even ask about my background, my family¡ª


    nothing. She said yes just because I asked!


    How could such a silly yet adorable girl exist?


    His heart suddenly felt full as he held her in his embrace.


    It¡¯s her. She¡¯s the one for me. I¡¯ll love and cherish her for the rest of my life, and I¡¯ll make sure she


    never regrets choosing me.


    Sonia initially wanted to push him away, but instead, she returned the hug while spacing out.


    That filled Harvey¡¯s eyes with tenderness.


    Suddenly, his phone rang. Sonia swiftly broke free from his arms,y back in bed, and tucked herself


    in. Harvey chuckled in response and kissed her cheek before getting up while holding his phone.


    The woman beamed after receiving the kiss.


    So this is what it feels like to love and be loved by someone.


    Upon realizing it was Vinson calling, Harvey quickly answered the phone.


    Meanwhile, Lawrence stood by a window in his study, his brows remaining knitted.


    Despite looking out at the scenery ahead, his expression was glum as he remembered his


    conversation with Harvey from the night before.

 Chapter 1572

    Chapter 1572


    Chapter 1572 Refuse To Live In Shame


    Lawrence walked toward his desk, took a lighter and a pack of cigarettes out of the drawer, and lit a


    cigarette only after returning to the window. Not a man who would smoke regrly, he would only do so


    when he felt troubled.


    Half a packter, he finally sat down and gazed at the family photo on his desk, seemingly having


    made up his mind.


    Knock, knock.


    A knock came on the door all of a sudden.


    ¡®¡®Come in.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Ms. Sonia¡¯s kidnappers have died, General Lawrence,¡¯¡® a man reported as he entered.


    Lawrence frowned immediately.


    ¡®¡®How did they die?¡¯¡®


    I haven¡¯t even fought back yet. Who could¡¯ve done this?


    ¡®¡®We¡¯re not sure yet. All we know is that it was a woman who did it. She had them thrown into a river,¡¯¡®


    the man answered respectfully.


    Lawrence looked grim. And who could this woman be? Why did she feed Sonia¡¯s kidnappers to the fish


    like that?


    His mind brimmed with confusion and suspicion.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Back at the hospital, Harvey was just as muddled.


    ¡®¡®You mean it was a woman who instigated the kidnapping?¡¯¡®


    Sonia nodded. ¡®¡®She said we swapped purses by ident. I don¡¯t know what was inside hers, but it


    seemed really important to her.¡¯¡®


    She was still rattled by the incident. Her father was a general but nothing more than that, and she had


    disclosed his status despite being unsure if her kidnappers would be wary of him.


    Thankfully, they did fear her father and dared not vite her. Had they touched her, she would rather


    die than live in shame¡ªeven if Harvey still wanted her.


    Harvey pondered deeply. What could¡¯ve made that woman take such a huge risk by kidnapping Sonia?


    ¡®¡®Don¡¯t be afraid. It¡¯s all over now. I¡¯ll protect you from now on.¡¯¡® He looked up in time to see Sonia¡¯s


    petrified expression, and he pulled her into his arms immediately.


    She calmed down right after hearing hisforting words.


    Still, her fears were real, given that it was her first time encountering such an ordeal after all her years


    of living.


    ¡®¡®Didn¡¯t you say she¡¯s visited your house? Do you have surveince cameras at home? Get your


    parents to watch the footage and find out if that woman¡¯s face can be seen. Anyone who daresy a


    finger on my woman is going to feel my wrath.¡¯¡® Harvey¡¯s heart ached when he saw how terrified Sonia


    looked.


    I don¡¯t care who that woman is. Once I find her, I¡¯m going to make her pay dearly!


    With a nod, Sonia used Harvey¡¯s phone to dial her father¡¯s number as she didn¡¯t have her own device


    with her.


    As a general, Lawrence didn¡¯t usually pick up calls from strangers. But this time, for some reason, he


    answered his phone right after ncing at his screen.


    ¡®¡®Father, this is Sonia. I¡¯m using Harvey¡¯s phone.¡¯¡® Sonia understood her father¡¯s habit of not answering


    calls from unsaved numbers, so she immediately identified herself.


    ¡®¡®Are you feeling better?¡¯¡® Lawrence asked, feeling d that he didn¡¯t reject the call.


    Sonia answered with a brief ¡®¡®yes¡¯¡® before repeating what Harvey had said to her.


    Lawrence couldn¡¯t help but gain a better impression of Harvey. He hadn¡¯t expected thetter to be


    investigating this matter too.


    ¡®¡®All right. I¡¯ll forward any footage I find to this phone.¡¯¡®


    Meanwhile, another woman felt apprehensive as she spoke into her phone, unaware that she was now


    being looked into.

 Chapter 1573

    Chapter 1573


    Chapter 1573 Rejection


    ¡®¡®I refuse to take on this mission,¡¯¡® Lorraine said grimly.


    She knew her own life would be at risk if she continued to take the job. After all, it had not been easy


    for her to leave the godforsaken ce in the first ce. Hence, she refused to fall down the same path


    because of a mission.


    ¡®¡®You refuse to take the mission?¡¯¡® A cold cackle rang from the other end of the phone. ¡®¡®You¡¯d better


    think this through. I don¡¯t think you have what it takes topensate for breaching the contract,


    Lorraine. Ah, I suppose I should call you Lorraine Steinar now.¡¯¡®


    Lorraine¡¯s face darkened. She had forgotten the fact that she signed a contract.


    The man was right. She could not bear the consequences of breaching the contract.


    Her name, Lorraine, meant ¡®¡®famous army.¡¯¡® This meant that her parents had wished for her to have the


    strength to weather through her journey in life, and they were spot on. Lorraine had experienced a


    multitude of hardships in her life since young as she was abducted by human traffickers to the


    organization. She had only made a name for herself by being ruthless in her ways.


    ¡®¡®So, are you going to take the job or not?¡¯¡® the man asked nonchntly.


    Lorraine gritted her teeth. Breaching the contract will cost me one billion. How am I going to raise that


    amount of money?


    ¡®¡®Yes!¡¯¡® Lorraine almost spat the word out of her mouth and hung up the call immediately.


    She felt indignant about having to head back to Turlen when she tried so hard to escape that hellhole.


    However, she had to walk her talk and fulfill her contract. After all, it was what she should do as a


    mercenary. Most importantly, she did not have the money to breach the contract.


    She stared at the view outside the window for a full minute before she started packing her clothes. This


    time, she nned to go alone. If the partner assigned to her was a newbie, that person would be a


    huge liability to her instead.


    She called a cab to the port and exchanged a few words with the person in charge. Then, she passed


    an ATM card to the man before walking onto the ship. It was her second time stealing into the country.


    Hence, she was already familiar with the procedure.


    Lorraine picked out a seat and sat down as she waited quietly for the ship to set sail for Turlen.


    She gritted her teeth as she looked around the dark surrounding, and she swore that it would be her


    last mission in Turlen. After all, she had just abducted a general¡¯s daughter. She could be convicted


    with a death sentence.


    Lorraine wondered if the general had issued a worldwide arrest order for her. If that were the case, it


    would make her mission all the more difficult.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Not only am I going to end up penniless, but my life is at stake as well!


    Nheless, she had no other choice since she did not have the money to pay for thepensation


    for the breach of contract.


    Meanwhile, Lawrence was looking at the surveince camera footage. At the sight of a woman


    brazenly walking into their house and entering Sonia¡¯s bedroom, he fumed with fury.


    He immediately fired the person on duty that day as that person had let the woman enter their house


    without asking for more details. If I let the man off the hook just like that, he¡¯ll probably let a murderer in


    next time.


    After Lawrence was done dealing with everything, he made a copy of the footage and sent it to


    Harvey¡¯s phone.


    After watching the video, Harvey cast a nce at Sonia, speechless.


    Sonia had not expected that the woman simply walked right into her house.


    ¡®¡®The security person on duty is going to get fired.¡¯¡® Sonia¡¯s decision coincided with Lawrence¡¯s.


    Even though she was innocent and kind, she was no fool.


    It was an undeniable fact that the security personnel on duty was negligent. Luckily, the woman was


    only after her bag. Sonia shuddered to think if the intruder had wanted more. What if she wanted to


    take my life?


    A chill ran down her spine right then. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m keeping such irresponsible security personnel


    around.


    Harvey sent the screenshot of the woman who barged into the Wynter residence to the Jupiters¡¯


    residence. He then ordered to issue a worldwide search order for the woman.


    Harrison eyed the picture that his grandson sent him with a puzzled look on his face. A momentter,


    he suddenly thought of something and his eyes glinted.

 Chapter 1574

    Chapter 1574


    Chapter 1574 Blunder In Matchmaking


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Harrison put on his reading sses, typed a few words into his phone, and sent the message out.


    Harvey almost spat the tea in his mouth when he saw the text from his grandfather.


    What the hell is Grandpa thinking? Why would I be interested in that woman?


    Harvey immediately replied to Harrison¡¯s text. Then, he circled his arm around Sonia¡¯s waist, took a few


    selfies, and sent out the pictures.


    ¡®¡®Who are you sending those photos to?¡¯¡® Sonia felt rather uneasy and asked Harvey.


    Harvey knew that Sonia was feeling shy. He smiled and said, ¡®¡®I sent it to my grandpa. He¡¯s always


    urging me to get married. So I have to introduce his future granddaughter-inw to him, lest he keeps


    trying to matchmake me with another woman!¡¯¡®


    Sonia flushed bright pink at the word ¡®¡®granddaughter-inw.¡¯¡®


    She was willing to marry him all right, but it was difficult to get her parents¡¯ blessing in the matter,


    especially her mother¡¯s. After all, her mother had her eyes set on Prince Aaron of Turlen. Hence, Sonia


    felt quite apprehensive about the matter.


    If Father had not dragged Mother awayst night, She would have already forced me to abort my baby.


    Sonia furrowed her brows at the thought of her mother. What time is it? Why hasn¡¯t she made an


    appearance yet?


    She was taken care of by her grandparents since young. Hence, Sonia could not help but wonder if her


    mother no longer wanted to take care of her at the hospital just because she refused to marry Aaron.


    Sonia felt quite dejected at the thought of that.


    ¡®¡®What¡¯s the matter?¡¯¡® Harvey could not help but ask when he sensed Sonia¡¯s sorrow.


    She nced at him and pondered briefly before expressing the doubt in her mind.


    After saying that, she looked at Harvey and added softly, ¡®¡®Do you think my mother will agree to our


    marriage?¡¯¡®


    Harvey was stumped. He was aware that he was not the ideal son-inw Kelly had in mind. Therefore,


    it would be difficult for her to agree to his marriage with Sonia.


    However, when he met Sonia¡¯s hopeful gaze, he did not have the heart to bepletely honest with


    her.


    He thought for a moment and said, ¡®¡®She will. Your father is on our side, and he will convince your


    mother to do the same.¡¯¡®


    Judging from the conversation from the night before, Harvey was confident that Lawrence would agree


    to him marrying Sonia. As for his future mother-inw, Harvey knew that he would need all the help he


    could get from his future father-inw.


    Sonia nodded after listening to Harvey and thought that he had a point.


    Kelly was stubborn enough to not listen to what others had to say. But Sonia knew that her mother


    would listen to her husband no matter how reluctant she was.


    ¡®¡®Harvey, I¡¯d like to visit your home after I¡¯m discharged from the hospital.¡¯¡®


    Meanwhile, at the Jupiters¡¯ residence across the vast ocean, Harrison was beaming with joy as he


    looked at his phone in the ssy-looking courtyard.


    He had not expected that his grandson already found him a granddaughter-inw after going on a trip


    with Vinson. He beamed delightfully at the thought of the birth of his great-grandchild in just a few


    months¡¯ time.


    ¡®¡®Benny!¡¯¡® Harrison summoned his butler loudly.


    ¡®¡®Old Mr. Jupiter.¡¯¡® A middle-aged man whom Harrison addressed as Benny hurriedly headed inside and


    greeted the former. ¡®¡®You¡¯re looking for me, Old Mr. Jupiter?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Come, follow me to the storeroom for a moment.¡¯¡® Harrison wanted to pick out some exquisite gifts for


    his future granddaughter-inw and great-grandchild.


    Benny did not understand the old man¡¯s intention of going to the storeroom. Nheless, he trailed


    behind Harrison closely. After all, Harrison was already old, and he needed close care and supervision.


    In contrast with the cheery ambiance in the Jupiters¡¯ residence, the hospital was shrouded in a frigid


    atmosphere.


    Sonia had her back against Harvey as her eyes brimmed with tears.

 Chapter 1575

    Chapter 1575


    Chapter 1575 Ignorant Woman


    I¡¯ve only asked him to bring me home to meet his parents. Why is he pulling a long face? What does he


    mean by that? He said he wants to marry me, but he doesn¡¯t want me to meet his parents? Whatever!


    As if I care about meeting his parents. I don¡¯t even care if we¡¯re not getting married now.


    Sonia felt waves of indignance wash over her the more she thought about it as beads of tears rolled


    down her face.


    Noticing that her voice was off, Harvey realized that she must have misunderstood his hesitance for


    displeasure.


    He bent down and made Sonia face him, disregarding her struggles to free herself. At the sight of her


    tear-stricken face, he felt his heart wrench. D*mn it, I promised to make her happy, but I¡¯ve made her


    cry instead.


    He wiped away her tears using his thumb and said in a low voice, ¡®¡®It¡¯s not that I¡¯m not willing to let you


    meet my parents. It¡¯s just that they¡¯ve lost their lives in the line of duty.¡¯¡®


    His parents were both in the army, and they had given their lives during a mission.


    Sonia was stumped. Died in the line of duty?


    She eyed Harvey with tears still brimming in her eyes. Only then did she notice the sorrow on his face.


    She felt a pang of guilt right then. I shouldn¡¯t have mentioned meeting his parents. He wouldn¡¯t be this


    upset then.


    ¡®¡®I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know¡­¡¯¡® Sonia held Harvey¡¯s hand and said apologetically.


    Harvey took her hand in his and tried not to think about how much he missed his parents. ¡®¡®Why are


    you saying sorry? You have no idea about this. Besides, it¡¯s only normal for you to want to meet them.


    After all, they¡¯re going to be your parents-inw. Even though you won¡¯t be able to meet them, you will


    be able to meet my grandpa and my younger brother.¡¯¡®


    Nevertheless, Sonia looked at Harvey apprehensively and asked, ¡®¡®What are your grandpa and brother


    like? Will it be easy to get along with them? Will they like me?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯ll support my choice.¡¯¡®


    Meanwhile in Lightspring, in an upscale mansion that could rival a pce, a beautiful woman stood


    behind a man who had his back against her and reported respectfully, ¡®¡®Sir, I¡¯ve found out where he is.¡¯¡®


    The man was intrigued upon hearing that. He turned his chair around to face the woman, showing his


    face. If Arielle was there, she would surely be taken aback, as the man bore a striking resemnce to


    Vinson.


    The corner of his lips curled into a smirk. ¡®¡®Where is he?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Turlen.¡¯¡®


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    The man raised a brow at the mention of Turlen. Is he trying to surrender himself?


    ¡®¡®Start executing the n then.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Yes, sir,¡¯¡® the woman replied. However, she did not leave afterward.


    She stared at the man with affection in her gaze as she walked over to his side. Then, she crouched


    down and undid the man¡¯s pants before lowering her head.


    The man¡¯s breathing became morebored as time passed before finally, he pushed the woman away.


    Before she could even react, he pressed her down on the desk. Soon, repressed moans of a woman


    could be hearding out of the office.


    After an hour, the man was satiated. He went into the restroom while the woman put on her clothes and


    cleaned up the mess that they made in the office. Then, she sat quietly in a corner and waited for the


    man to return. After he was done cleaning himself up, the man furrowed his brows when he noticed


    that the woman was still around.


    ¡®¡®Sir, can I stay here with you for a few days before I leave to execute the mission?¡¯¡® the woman asked


    coyly. The man¡¯s furrowed brows deepened after listening to her.


    ¡®¡®I don¡¯t like women who don¡¯t know their ce.¡¯¡®


    The woman¡¯s face paled upon hearing that.


    The man made his way to the window after the woman went out. He stared out into the distance and


    smiled wickedly. ¡®¡®My dear brother, I do wish that you¡¯re as lucky as before!¡¯¡®


    After all, isn¡¯t it going to be more fun this way?

 Chapter 1576

    Chapter 1576


    Chapter 1576 Help


    At the moment, Simon was staring at theputer screen as his eyes widened in disbelief. How is it


    possible that I can¡¯t hack into their surveince system even after trying for hours?


    ¡®¡®Good luck. I¡¯m rooting for you!¡¯¡® Just then, a sentence in red popped up and was stered all over his


    screen. Simon¡¯s blue eyes widened as he could not believe that hisputer was hacked instead.


    Despite so, he was not furious. He had always been the kind of man who admired people who were


    stronger than him.


    ¡®¡®Who are you? You are so good at this. Can we be friends?¡¯¡® He was so impressed by the other person


    as it was his first time encountering a surveince system that he could not hack into.


    In the apartment, Arielle did not know whether tough or cry when she saw the message. He¡¯s


    someone whom the queen mother has employed to help. Why is he asking if we can be friends now?


    That being said, it would be quite a good move since it would definitely give the queen mother a blow.


    With that thought in mind, she typed another line on herputer.


    Simon frowned at the sight of her reply. Pfft¡­ that¡¯s such a minor matter. Then, he immediately took


    out his phone and sent a text to Arielle in an attempt to brag.


    The text read: I¡¯ve told the other party that I won¡¯t be taking this job. Can we be friends now, Boss?


    Arielle pondered for a moment when she saw the message popping up on herputer and replied:


    Yes


    ¡®¡®Oh, yeah!¡¯¡® Simon almost leaped in joy after he saw Arielle¡¯s reply. The two of them then exchanged


    contact with each other.


    Meanwhile, the queen mother hurled the documents in her hand away when she saw Simon¡¯s


    message, livid. D*mn it! Who the hell is the other party? Why are they going against me like this?


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    At the same time, in the pce, Dn looked as if he had aged ten years overnight.


    ¡®¡®Sybil, what did General Lawrence say? Can he help me out?¡¯¡® Dn put down the document in his


    hand and turned to look at Sybil who just walked in.


    Sybil shook his head in response and muttered, ¡®¡®He¡¯s on the fence right now.¡¯¡®


    Dn mmed the table after listening to Sybil¡¯s report.


    ¡®¡®Your Majesty, you cannot me General Lawrence for his hesitance. After all, the queen mother is not


    someone to be trifled with,¡¯¡® Sybil hurriedly advised when he saw that Dn was infuriated. Dn¡¯s


    face sank. ¡®¡®Where is Vinson right now?¡¯¡®


    Ever since Arielle was cremated and buried, he had not seen Vinson since. Has he gone back to his


    country? That can¡¯t be right. There¡¯s no way he will just up and leave like that without even telling me.


    At the mention of Vinson, Sybil hurriedly added, ¡®¡®Mr. Nightshire has said that he wants to investigate


    the person who assassinated the Princess in secret.¡¯¡®


    Dn nodded. He was also investigating the matter as well. However, there had not been any viable


    lead thus far.


    He grew dejected at the thought. After all, he was a king and a father. Hence, he felt defeated for not


    being able to investigate the matter properly. I¡¯m so useless! How am I going to avenge my daughter


    this way?


    ¡®¡®Sybil, am I a failure? As a father, I can¡¯t protect my daughter. I can¡¯t even find out who¡¯s the person


    behind the murder of my daughter. As a king, my power is entirely in the queen mother¡¯s hand. I don¡¯t


    have any true power to do anything.¡¯¡®


    Sybil felt his heart ache for the king. After all, he had been a devout follower of Dn since a long time


    ago.


    ¡®¡®Your Majesty, don¡¯t say that.¡¯¡® Sybil looked at him and added, ¡®¡®Even though General Lawrence is


    hesitating, I think he will take your side with just a little persuasion.¡¯¡®


    As soon as he said that, his phone pinged with a message. He opened his phone to read the text, and


    his eyes widened in disbelief.

 Chapter 1577

    Chapter 1577


    Chapter 1577 Revenge


    ¡®¡®Your Majesty, there¡¯s good news!¡¯¡® Sybil said animatedly as he looked at Dn.


    A glimmer of hope shed across Dn¡¯s eyes when he saw how excited Sybil was. ¡®¡®Did you find out


    who murdered the Princess?¡¯¡®


    To him, the only good news would be finding out who was behind Arielle¡¯s murder as he desperately


    wanted to do his daughter justice.


    Sybil shook his head, and the glint in Dn¡¯s eyes dimmed.


    ¡®¡®Your Majesty, General Lawrence has decided to be on our side. He¡¯s agreed to help us out in taking


    over the queen mother¡¯s power.¡¯¡® Sybil did not dy further and conveyed the good news.


    Dn¡¯s dimmed eyes glinted once again.


    He looked at Sybil and eximed, ¡®¡®Is that true?¡¯¡®


    It¡¯s great if Lawrence truly decides to be on my side. After all, he actually holds more power than I do.


    His loyalty will only make my ns go even smoother.


    Sybil nodded his head excitedly.


    ¡®¡®Yes, Your Majesty. This is General Lawrence¡¯s number. He¡¯s asked for a meeting to have a further


    discussion,¡¯¡® Sybil said.


    Dn nodded. ¡®¡®Be careful when you go. Ask him how he knew about my intention to take over the


    queen mother¡¯s power, and the reason he is taking my side now.¡¯¡®


    Sybil nodded.


    Dn was overjoyed, for, at that moment, he was finally able to see a glimmer of hope in his attempt to


    overthrow the queen mother.


    In the luxurious pce, Celeste was looking adoringly at Aaron.


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    ¡®¡®Aaron, your grandma has asked to set a date for your marriage with Nico. What do you think?¡¯¡®


    Celeste was especially attentive to Aaron after having been separated from her son.


    She did not once let Aaron out of her sight since.


    In fact, she had suggested to Aaron to stay in the pce aftering back so that it would be easy for


    her to take care of him. However, he adamantly refused her suggestion. Hence, she decided to move


    to his mansion to take care of him. But Aaron rejected her outright and told her that she would be


    affecting his recovery instead. Celeste was furious by her son¡¯s rejection but dared not go over, lest she


    truly affected his recovery.


    Now that he was getting better, however, Celeste saw no harm in going along with the queen mother¡¯s


    intention and summoned him to the pce to discuss his marriage.


    Since that Chanaean woman, Arielle Moore, has died, I think Aaron is going to agree to get married to


    Nico now. Celeste¡¯s eyes crinkled into a smile at the thought.


    Nico was an active and outgoing girl, and Celeste thought the woman had a likable personality. Hence,


    she figured it would be best if Nico could be her daughter-inw as her personality would


    perfectlyplement Aaron¡¯s. Celeste truly looked favorably upon the union of the two.


    Aaron felt frustrated that his mother had brought up his marriage matter again. However, he did not


    have the heart to refuse her, especially after witnessing how worried his mother was over himtely.


    Besides, his mother was already pitiable enough since she was never loved by his father and Aaron did


    not want to add insult to injury.


    Nheless, it was impossible for him to be engaged with Nico. He would not agree to it no matter


    what.


    ¡®¡®Mother, can you stop bringing this up? If I truly like Nico, I won¡¯t need you pestering me about it. I will


    definitely take the initiative to make it happen.¡¯¡® In the end, Aaron could no longer hold it in and


    grumbled to Celeste.


    ¡®¡®But¡ª¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Mother, can¡¯t you just stop forcing me?¡¯¡® Aaron cut Celeste off mid-sentence.


    Celeste could only swallow her words as she stared at her son, and her hatred for Arielle snowballed


    further. If it wasn¡¯t for Arielle, my son wouldn¡¯t have be like this.

 Chapter 1578

    Chapter 1578


    Chapter 1578 Getting Drunk


    After Aaron left the pce, he gave Bernd a call before heading to the bar. As it was less than three


    months since Berndpleted his surgery, he couldn¡¯t drink and could only watch Aaron do so.


    At one in the morning, he wanted to send Aaron home when he saw that thetter had enough.


    However, Aaron insisted on driving home alone and urged Bernd and his bodyguards to head home


    instead.


    Failing to dissuade him, Bernd and his men went home first.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Once they were gone, Aaron found his car and got in. Instead of going home, he drove straight to


    where Alicia¡¯s school was.


    Thest time Carlos picked him up, he had decided to bring Alicia and her grandfather, Clement, back


    and settled thetter in a ce close to the school.


    Alicia was neen that year and an economics major.


    When Aaron arrived at the school, he took out his phone and dialed her number.


    ¡®¡®Who is it?¡¯¡® Alicia answered her phone groggily as she had already fallen asleep.


    ¡®¡®It¡¯s me.¡¯¡® When Aaron¡¯s deep voice rang out from the phone, Alicia was jolted awake. ¡®¡®Aaron!¡¯¡®


    Upon hearing her suppressed yet delighted voice, he added, ¡®¡®Come out here.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Are you at the school entrance?¡¯¡® Alicia asked softly. After Aaron let out a soft grunt, she quickly


    climbed out of bed and sneaked out quietly.


    A delightful smile was stered on her face as she made her way to the school entrance.


    She had not expected him to call or remember the name of her school, for she had written them down


    in a hurry. Thus, she wasn¡¯t certain if he had remembered it from the note she wrote.


    The moment she emerged from the school entrance, she saw Aaron leaningnguidly against the car.


    The dim yellow light above him entuated the allure of his exquisite features. However, the loneliness


    he exuded suddenly elicited her sympathy for him.


    As their school was located in a secluded area, there was no one around since it was two in the


    morning. Running up to him, Alicia broke into a sweet smile. ¡®¡®I¡¯m surprised that you¡¯re here.¡¯¡®


    Regaining his senses, Aaron¡¯s heart warmed at the sight of her mesmerizing smile.


    ¡®¡®Come with me. Let¡¯s go for a drive,¡¯¡® Aaron suggested before getting back into the car.


    As she stared at the car, Alicia struggled to decide whether she should be sitting in the front passenger


    seat or the back seat. After weighing her options for a while, she felt that the back seat was the more


    appropriate choice.


    Noticing her hesitation, Aaron couldn¡¯t help but look at her. The moment he saw her reaching for the


    back seat door, he furrowed his brows and shouted, ¡®¡®Sit here.¡¯¡®


    Responding to his instructions, Alicia circled around the car and got in the front passenger seat.


    After she settled down, Aaron leaned closer so that his hand could reach over her. At that moment,


    they were in such close proximity that they could hear each other breathing.


    Subsequently, his abyss-like eyes met with Alicia¡¯s.


    Enamored by his gaze, Alicia¡¯s heart began to pound so furiously that she felt as if it was going to


    explode.


    ¡®¡®W-Why are you looking at me like that?¡¯¡® Just as she spoke, she knitted her brows. ¡®¡®Have you been


    drinking? Why did you drink so much? Your wounds have not¡ª¡¯¡®


    When he saw her lips mouthing incessantly, he lowered his head with a frown.

 Chapter 1579

    Chapter 1579


    Chapter 1579 A Crush On Her


    Alicia¡¯s eyes widened in shock as she didn¡¯t expect Aaron to kiss her all of a sudden. Upon regaining


    her senses, she gradually closed her eyes and reciprocated, for she had developed a crush on him


    over the few days they had spent together.


    Aaron¡¯s initial intention was to shut her up. But after tasting that plump and sweet lips of hers, he no


    longer wanted to stop. Nevertheless, he was still rational enough to realize they were at the school¡¯s


    entrance.


    After releasing her, he helped her put on her seatbelt. In the meantime, the kiss had caused Alicia to


    feel so shy that she didn¡¯t dare to face him. Sensing her awkwardness, Aaron changed his mind about


    the leisurely drive and decided to head toward a nearby hotel instead.


    When they arrived, he opened the car door and carried her out. Even though he had a lot to drink, he


    wasn¡¯t drunk and could still carry her steadily inside.


    ¡®¡®Aaron¡­¡¯¡® Shocked by his actions, Alicia put her arms around his neck by reflex.


    Aaron found her reaction both adorable and demure.


    When he carried her to the room, he kicked open the door and entered. Subsequently, he kicked the


    door close before cing her on the bed and climbing on top of her. Facing each other, he gazed


    deeply into her eyes.


    In spite of her innocence, Alicia was cognizant of what was about to happen. Nheless, she showed


    no fear nor regret, for she had already fallen hopelessly in love with the man in front of her.


    While Aaron was staring at her, she threaded both her hands around his neck. Lifting her head gently,


    she nted her soft and warm lips on his.


    After kissing for a while, Aaron finally released her. He looked at her and remarked, ¡®¡®If you have any


    regrets, it¡¯s still not toote.¡¯¡®


    Instead of responding with words, she expressed her decision with actions. She pulled Aaron¡¯s head


    closer and nted her lips on his.


    The passionate kiss caused Aaron to lose all restraint. He then showered her with kisses from her lips


    down to her porcin-like neck. After unbuttoning her top, he pressed into her.


    Soon, the room was filled with her sensual moans.


    When Alicia opened her eyes the next day and saw him lying beside her, she broke into a blissful


    smile. Luckily, what happened the night before wasn¡¯t a dream. Aaron and I have slept together.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    When she noticed that he was still asleep after sneaking a nce at him, she leaned closer to his lips.


    Closing her eyes, she gave him a gentle peck. That was all she was looking to do. However, just when


    she backed up, he suddenly turned her over and pressed his body against hers. Finally, he sealed her


    lips with a kiss before she could even say a word.


    By the time they were done, it was already midday.


    Snuggling up in his arms, Alicia asked softly, ¡®¡®So, are we considered a couple now?¡¯¡® Stunned by her


    question, Aaron remained silent.


    When Alicia sensed his apprehension, her heart sank a little. Nheless, she quickly rationalized the


    situation. He¡¯s the future King of Turlen. So there¡¯s no way he will fancy a poor girl like me. I was just


    carried away by my fantasies.


    ¡®¡®I understand. I¡¯ll forget what happened today and I won¡¯t reveal it to anyone else.¡¯¡® The moment she


    finished, she collected her clothes that were strewn all over the floor and left the room after getting


    dressed.


    Just when Aaron was about to stop her, his phone suddenly rang. When he saw who was on the line,


    his expression drastically changed.

 Chapter 1580

    Chapter 1580


    Chapter 1580 Why Must She Be Killed


    After ending the call, he got dressed at once. His gaze darkened upon noticing the red stain on the bed


    right before he left.


    Upon leaving the room, Alicia took the elevator downstairs. As she walked toward the exit, she did so


    slowly and would turn around intermittently to look, wondering if Aaron woulde after her.


    Much to her surprise, she actually saw him pursue her. Before she could even break into a smile, she


    watched him stride past her before driving off in his car.


    With a frozen smile on her face, a wave of disappointment washed over her.


    Finally, she dragged herself back to her dorm by taking a taxi.


    Fortunately, there were no sses that day, so she could lie down for the whole day and rest.


    As what happened between her and Aaron yed through her mind, Alicia¡¯s lips curled slightly. As long


    as she had feelings for him, it didn¡¯t matter if he didn¡¯t feel the same way. Hence, she was willing to


    satisfy him every time he felt the urge to do so, for he was the light in her life, just like the sun. Even


    though she might get burnt by being too close, she still wanted to stay by his side and hug him.


    After leaving the hotel, Aaron headed straight to his mansion in Paelsford Manor.


    ¡®¡®Hand me the information you have found.¡¯¡® He looked at the man in front of him with a grim


    expression.


    The manplied by giving him what he asked for.


    After going through the contents, his heart skipped a beat.


    So, she¡¯s responsible for Arielle¡¯s death! But why did she want to kill her? Is it because of my feelings


    for Arielle? Or has she found out that Arielle is my sister?


    Aaron clenched his fist so hard that his veins bulged.


    Despite the urge to question her with the information, Aaron realized that it was useless, for he had no


    proof at all.


    With that thought in mind, he slumped on the couch dejectedly.


    After a long while, he looked at the man in front of him and instructed with a deep voice, ¡®¡®Go and


    collect the evidence.¡¯¡®


    The man grunted in acknowledgment before leaving.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Subsequently, Aaron lit a cigarette and began puffing away.


    ¡®¡®Ari¡­ Ari¡­¡¯¡®


    As he gently closed his eyes, a tear streaked down the side of his cheek.


    At that moment, he was confused about Arielle¡¯s ce in his heart.


    He had feelings for her, but she was his elder sister. To deny those feelings would be to ignore how


    much he thought of her.


    Just the thought of how abruptly she left the world and him caused an irrepressible pain to swell from


    within.


    ¡®¡®I will seek justice for you!¡¯¡® His eyes sparkled with conviction the moment he opened them. As long as


    he could get his hands on the evidence, he would avenge Arielle regardless of how powerful the


    perpetrator was.


    Meanwhile, in Jadeborough, Chanaea, ady¡¯s frosty voice rang out from over the phone, ¡®¡®Have the


    preparations been made?¡¯¡®


    After hearing the reply, thedy knitted her brows. ¡®¡®Isn¡¯t she just a woman? What use are you if you


    can¡¯t evenplete such a simple task?¡¯¡®


    She added, ¡®¡®I¡¯ll give you three more days. I want to see her in front of me by then!¡¯¡® The moment she


    finished, thedy smashed her phone on the table.


    She had wanted to resolve the matter as soon as possible so that she could return to the Duke¡¯s side.


    If she were to be gone for too long, someone would likely take her ce. Unlike other women who


    were good at ttery, the only advantage she had was her body. Other than that, she had no idea as to


    how to keep herself in his favor.


    Having been with the Duke for five years, she had seen him go through tons of women during that


    period. Even though he kept her by his side, she never dared take it for granted, for she was worried


    that a single mistake would cost her her ce.

 Chapter 1581

    Chapter 1581


    Chapter 1581 Outraged


    ¡®¡®Argh!¡¯¡® The queen mother smashed theputer in a fit of fury.


    The moment she turned it on, she saw the contents that were sent to her.


    Who did this? Why? Why do they have that information? Why are they sending it to me? What is their


    goal? Are they trying to extort me? Or, do they want something else?


    The queen mother was seized by panic as she pondered what her next course of action should be.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Should I contact that person? No, I can¡¯t. I definitely mustn¡¯t!


    Gritting her teeth, the queen mother picked up her phone from the table with her trembling hands. She


    then sent Simon a short message, instructing him to find out what the other party¡¯s objective was.


    Regardless of whether they wanted money or something else, she was willing to negotiate. Her only


    condition was that they had to delete the content in their hands.


    Upon sending the message, she anxiously waited for a reply.


    Back in Moranta, Simon furrowed his brows when he received the queen mother¡¯s message. D*mn. I


    must have forgotten to block her.


    Cognizant that he hadn¡¯tpleted the task that was due, he sent out a message from his phone.


    After Arielle sent the contents to the queen mother¡¯sputer, she received a report from one of the


    directors of Moore Group back in the country. Pleased with how thepany¡¯s progress was going


    ording to her n, Arielle broke into a satisfied smile.


    She had nned to reward all the employees of Moore Group once she had put her affairs in order.


    After all, they deserved to be recognized for holding the fort in her absence.


    As for Sann Group, they were even more deserving of a reward. Even though she had founded the


    company, she delegated everything to her loyal subordinates after she began to focus on Chanaea as


    part of her efforts to uncover the truth behind her mother¡¯s death.


    After giving the matter some thought, she sent an email to herself.


    Once she was done, she noticed an unread message on her phone. The moment she read it, a frosty


    smile descended upon her face.


    So that¡¯s all it takes to scare her? Why didn¡¯t she show the same fear when she got Henrick and Cindy


    to harm my mother then? Why wasn¡¯t she afraid when she hired killers to dispose of me? But now,


    she¡¯s terrified of a couple of pictures and videos to the extent of willing to pay a bribe for them to be


    deleted? She must be dreaming still! Given that I¡¯m in possession of even more controversial content,


    there¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to let her off that easily!


    After replying to Simon¡¯s message, she turned off her phone.


    Reading her reply, Simon¡¯s hands trembled. That¡¯s the tone expected of a boss. Even though I have


    never seen the other party nor heard their voice before, the way the message isposed


    demonstrates just how domineering they are.


    After receiving the message, Simonposed another one and sent it out. Just as he did, he stared at


    his phone thoughtfully before feeling satisfied enough to put it away.


    In the meantime, the queen mother was waiting anxiously for Simon¡¯s reply. The moment she heard the


    notification sound on her phone, she frantically grabbed it to check. Finishing its contents caused her


    face to lose all color.


    After hastilyposing another message, she sent it out to Simon. Unfortunately, the message


    bounced back, for he had already blocked her number.


    The queen mother was naturally outraged that someone actually dared to do so. Nevertheless, she


    didn¡¯t dare to openly express her anger still. Since the message failed to send, she had no choice but


    to give the number a call.


    However, her face ashened the very next moment.

 Chapter 1582

    Chapter 1582


    Chapter 1582 The Only Hope


    The reason was that the number the queen mother had wanted to call had mysteriously disappeared


    from her phone. That¡¯s my only hope. Why can¡¯t I find it?


    Subsequently, she made another call and rted the situation to the other party. ¡®¡®Calm down. Let me


    ask around.¡¯¡®


    After ending the call, a sullen expression emerged on the queen mother¡¯s face. Just the thought of the


    contents in herputer triggered a vicious glint in her eye.


    If she were to find out who the sender was, she would make sure thetter was severely punished.


    Nevertheless, despite the rage and hatred she felt, there was nothing she could do. After all, she had


    no inkling of who the sender was nor what the sender wanted to achieve. A short whileter, her phone


    rang again and she promptly answered it.


    ¡®¡®Simon said that he would not ept any jobs from you anymore since the target is someone he


    cannot afford to offend.¡¯¡® The man¡¯s deep voice sounded worried. ¡®¡®What happened to you? Whatever it


    is, you can tell me, and I¡¯ll share the burden with you.¡¯¡®


    When the queen mother heard the man express his concern, she was moved by it. After all these


    years, only he stayed the same. What a shame¡­


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡®¡®It¡¯s nothing. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡¯¡® The queen mother ended the call when she finished.


    Staring at the number on the phone, she closed her eyes. There¡¯s no way I can share my affairs with


    him.


    Meanwhile, at Matthew¡¯s residence, Nico was lying on the couch in her ssically designed room.


    Thoughts of Vinson upied her mind. Now that Arielle was dead, there was no way she could win


    him from her. After all, there was simply nopeting with the deceased.


    If Arielle was still alive, she would still have the confidence to wrest Vinson from the former.


    Unfortunately, Arielle¡¯s death had allowed her to etch herself forever in his heart.


    Despite the obstacles, Nico wasn¡¯t going to give up on Vinson yet.


    Since Arielle is now gone, the living should move on. There¡¯s no way Vinson can stay true to a dead


    person for the rest of his life, can he?


    Holding that thought, she felt reinvigorated and got herself changed. She wanted to go out and see


    Vinson so that she could convey to him that it was fine for him to still keep Arielle close to his heart.


    What mattered was that he saved a spot for her in there too.


    Nico had faith that with time, he would develop feelings for her as long as she stayed by his side.


    ¡®¡®Nico, it¡¯s alreadyte. Why are you going out?¡¯¡® Melissa called out to her daughter with a frown. She


    had just returned from Lisa¡¯s ce when she saw Nico heading out.


    Not expecting to run into her mother, Nico approached her and held her hand. ¡®¡®Mother, I¡¯m going out to


    see Mr. Nightshire. I¡¯ll be back after a short chat.¡¯¡® Mr. Nightshire? Which Mr. Nightshire?


    Knitting her brows, Melissa racked her brains but failed to identify who Nico was talking about. ¡®¡®Which


    Mr. Nightshire? What do you want to talk to him about?¡¯¡® Melissa asked with a baffled expression.


    ¡®¡®Arielle¡¯s bodyguard.¡¯¡® Nico exined in earnest, ¡®¡®Mother, I truly like him and want to be together with


    him.¡¯¡®


    The moment she finished, she stared at her mother. Even though she was cognizant of her mother¡¯s


    disapproval of Vinson, she couldn¡¯t deny her feelings nor bring herself to choose Aaron. After all, she


    was just too hopelessly in love with him.


    Just as expected, Melissa¡¯s expression drastically changed upon hearing Nico¡¯s deration.

 Chapter 1583

    Chapter 1583


    Chapter 1583 Feelings Can Be Developed


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡®¡®No!¡¯¡® Melissa objected outright. How can she reject Prince Aaron for a bodyguard? What¡¯s wrong with


    her?


    ¡®¡®Mother¡­¡¯¡® Nico threw Melissa a pleading look.


    Under normal circumstances, Melissa would have relented whenever Nico gave her that look. But this


    time, she steeled her resolve and refused to budge.


    ¡®¡®You and Aaron will soon be engaged. So you have to stop this nonsense!¡¯¡® What¡¯s she thinking by


    falling for a bodyguard?


    Regardless of how exceptional Arielle was, that was to her own credit. Mr. Nightshire is nothing more


    than a bodyguard. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to allow my daughter to marry someone of his station.


    ¡®¡®Mother, I¡¯m being serious.¡¯¡® Nico¡¯s heart skipped a beat when her soft-spoken mother responded so


    harshly. Staring at Melissa, she borated, ¡®¡®Let me be honest with you, Aaron doesn¡¯t like me. Both of


    us have discussed it and agreed to find our own happiness. So can you stop insisting that both of us


    get together?¡¯¡®


    Melissa was filled with disbelief as she looked at Nico.


    ¡®¡®What did you say? You met him and even agreed to go your own separate ways?¡¯¡®


    Nico nodded.


    Holding her chest, Melissa felt her knees go weak. In response, Nico quickly helped her mother to a


    chair before pouring a ss of water for her.


    After drinking some water and calming down, Melissa stared at Nico and was at a loss for words.


    It was one thing if Nico¡¯s marriage to Aaron was something she alone looked forward to. Unfortunately,


    the matter was equally important to the queen mother and Celeste. Failure of the marriage would


    cause major repercussions that she had no idea how to manage.


    After deliberating on it for a long time, Melissa concluded, ¡®¡®You should talk to your father about this. I¡¯m


    washing my hands clean of this matter!¡¯¡®


    Hearing Melissa deferring the decision to Matthew, Nico tucked her head in reflex. Even though she


    saw herself as someone who feared nothing, her father still terrified her.


    ¡®¡®Mother, I¡¯ll find an opportunity to talk to Father separately. For now, can I go and see Mr. Nightshire?¡¯¡®


    Her eyes sparkled as she made her request.


    Despite the dilemma she felt, Melissa still rejected her daughter. ¡®¡®It¡¯s alreadyte. You should go


    tomorrow if you insist.¡¯¡®


    Face with her unwavering mother, Nico had no choice but to return to her room.


    As for Melissa, she sat in the living room for a long while before she, too, went back to her bedroom.


    After taking a shower, she wore a silk nightgown andy beside Matthew, who subconsciously pulled


    her into his arms.


    ¡®¡®Darling, when will Nico and Aaron¡¯s marriage be decided?¡¯¡® Melissa asked.


    Although the two of them had agreed to find their own happiness, Melissa was of the opinion that they


    could still develop feelings after getting married, just like how she and Matthew did it. Both of them only


    started to grow on each other after their marriage.


    ¡®¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯¡® Matthew asked.


    He knew his wife like the back of his hand and was aware that she wouldn¡¯t pose such a question


    unless something had happened.


    ¡®¡®Aaron doesn¡¯t like Nico. So they might not be happy if they get married.¡¯¡® After a brief hesitation,


    Melissa finally probed on behalf of Nico.


    ¡®¡®They will develop feelings for each other once they¡¯re married. Everything will be fine after that.¡¯¡® While


    speaking, Matthew looked down at his wife. At the sight of her gentle expression, he gave his nket a


    tug and lowered his head underneath it.


    Meanwhile, Kelly had justid herself in Lawrence¡¯s arms when his phone suddenly rang. After pushing


    her aside to answer, he felt a chill down his spine the moment he heard the contents of the call.

 Chapter 1584

    Chapter 1584


    Chapter 1584 The Appearance


    After Lawrence ended the call, Kelly asked, ¡®¡®What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®The woman who abducted Sonia has appeared,¡¯¡® he replied grimly.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Thinking that it was something worse, Kelly heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡®¡®In that case, why don¡¯t you apprehend her?¡¯¡®


    In truth, Kelly didn¡¯t me the woman who kidnapped Sonia and was instead grateful to her. If she


    hadn¡¯t done so and almost hurt Sonia, Kelly would never have known about her daughter¡¯s rtionship


    with Harvey and the fact that she was pregnant.


    Just the thought of Sonia choosing an ordinary man over the future King of Turlen infuriated Kelly.


    ¡®¡®That sly woman has escaped.¡¯¡® That was the reason why he was angry.


    ¡®¡®We¡¯ll just capture her again. I¡¯m sure she has a motive to reappear. Otherwise, she would have fled a


    long time ago,¡¯¡® Kelly remarked after giving it some thought.


    Lawrence nodded. Putting his phone away, he hugged Kelly and prepared to sleep.


    ¡®¡®What do you think of Sonia and Harvey?¡¯¡® Dwelling upon the matter, Kelly couldn¡¯t sleep.


    Unaware of what was in her mind, Lawrence replied, ¡®¡®Since Sonia is already pregnant, what else is


    there to think? We will naturally have to let her marry him.¡¯¡®


    He already had someone investigate Harvey. If thetter turned out to be someone worthy of Sonia, he,


    as a father, would not stand in their way.


    Regardless of whether the nation¡¯sws would change, he would make sure that Sonia would get


    married. If she couldn¡¯t do so officially, he would help her fake her death and let her leave the country


    with Harvey.


    In his mind, Sonia¡¯s happiness was all that mattered.


    Upon hearing Lawrence¡¯s words, Kelly¡¯s expression changed drastically.


    How can we do that? How can that nobody be worthy of my daughter?


    ¡®¡®Lawrence, I don¡¯t agree with letting Sonia marry Harvey,¡¯¡® Kelly snapped.


    To her, only Aaron was deserving of Sonia. And only he can make her daughter happy and elevate


    their family¡¯s status to the next level.


    What does Harvey have that can bring my daughter happiness?


    Lawrence frowned at Kelly. ¡®¡®How can you still object when Sonia¡¯s already pregnant? If you don¡¯t


    approve of Harvey, who else do you want her to marry?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Prince Aaron of course!¡¯¡® Kelly¡¯s face lit up at the mere mention of the name. ¡®¡®He¡¯s the heir to the


    throne. If Sonia marries him, she will be the most distinguished woman in Turlen, while both of us


    will be Aaron¡¯s parents-inw. When the timees, our family¡¯s status will be elevated.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Enough!¡¯¡® Lawrence snapped at her vainglorious words.


    Shocked by his response, Kelly stammered, ¡®¡®W-What¡¯s wrong?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Kelly, let me repeat myself, Sonia is going to marry Harvey. So you should stop trying to matchmake


    her with Prince Aaron. If I hear you bring up that idea again, I¡¯ll definitely make you regret it!¡¯¡® With that,


    Lawrence grabbed his pillow and stormed off to the study.


    Ever since they got married, he knew how much Kelly craved fame, but it didn¡¯t bother him due to his


    love for her. In fact, he was willing to satisfy her vanity all the time. However, he couldn¡¯t believe she


    was willing to sacrifice her own daughter just to achieve it.


    That was a line he would never cross, for his daughter was everything to him. Even though he was


    busy with work all the time, and she was raised by his parents, she was still the apple of his eye and


    the most precious gift God had bestowed upon him.

 Chapter 1585

    Chapter 1585


    Chapter 1585 Not Leaving You Behind


    That was the first time Lawrence ever red his temper at Kelly. In the midst of her anger and


    frustration, a sense of fear crept into her.


    Despite her vanity, her love for Lawrence was true. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have agreed to marry him


    when he proposed to her in their younger days. After all, he was just a lowly clerk back then.


    As she flung her pillow angrily to the floor, she hugged her nket with tears gushing down her cheeks.


    yearning for the door to open, she grew increasingly worried when there was no movement at all.


    In the midst of wiping away her tears, she got out of bed and headed to the study where she hesitate


    briefly before entering.


    Lawrence didn¡¯t bother turning on the light even though he heard a sound.


    ¡®¡®What are you doing here?¡¯¡®


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Even though she didn¡¯t say a word, he was aware that it was Kelly.


    As Lawrence¡¯s snarky tone triggered more tears from Kelly, she continued to quietly watch him lying on


    the couch.


    Underneath the dim moonlight, Kelly¡¯s pitiful look melted Lawrence¡¯s heart, for, at the end of the day,


    she was still the woman he loved.


    Getting up to approach her, he bent down to carry her upon noticing that she hade in barefooted.


    ¡®¡®Aren¡¯t you worried about falling sick by not putting on your slippers?¡¯¡®


    Even though Kelly was in her forties, she looked like a woman in her thirties due to how well she cared


    for herself. Hugging Lawrence¡¯s neck tightly, she purred, ¡®¡®In that case, why did you leave me just like


    that?¡¯¡®


    Kelly felt as if she had been unfairly med. Despite her attempt at using Sonia to elevate their family¡¯s


    status, she did it entirely for Lawrence¡¯s sake. Why doesn¡¯t he understand my intentions? Besides,


    marrying Aaron is good for Sonia, since he¡¯s someone strong and powerful. No matter how one looks


    at it, he surpasses Harvey in every department.


    After taking a few steps to the couch with Kelly in his arms, Lawrence gently put her down. However,


    she refused to let go of his neck, worried that he would abandon her again. If it came to that, she


    couldn¡¯t bring herself to cast aside her pride a second time.


    As this was the first time Lawrence saw Kelly clinging onto him desperately, his heart wavered further.


    The pitiful look on her face elicited from him a sympathetic peck on her forehead. ¡®¡®It¡¯s my fault. I


    shouldn¡¯t have left you like that.¡¯¡®


    Upon hearing his apology, Kelly¡¯s mind was put at ease, as her greatest fear was that he would


    abandon her in anger.


    ¡®¡®Next time, don¡¯t leave me no matter what happens.¡¯¡® Staring into Lawrence¡¯s eyes, Kelly murmured, ¡®¡®It


    scares me.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®All right. I promise never to do that again.¡¯¡® Lawrence felt bad over what he had done.


    Having obtained his promise, Kelly hugged his neck and nted a kiss on his lips. Soon after, their


    clothes dropped to the floor followed by feminine moans echoing throughout the room.


    Three dayster, Vinson¡¯s phone rang just when he came out of his room. As he casually took out his


    phone, he settled down on the couch before answering.


    ¡®¡®What did you say? When did this happen?¡¯¡® Vinson sprang to his feet with a grim expression and


    barked, ¡®¡®Search the city at once, including the airports, harbors, cars. As long as it moves, I want it


    checked.¡¯¡®

 Chapter 1586

    Chapter 1586


    Chapter 1586 Disappearance


    After ending the call, Vinson returned to his room with a sullen look. When Arielle, who had juste


    out of the shower, noticed how gloomy he was, she asked anxiously, ¡®¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Sannie, I have to return to Chanaea at once,¡¯¡® Vinson remarked as he began to pack.


    The fact that he had to return to Chanaea was a testament to how grave the situation was. Otherwise,


    he would never go back without her. Hurrying up to his side to help him pack, she asked, ¡®¡®What


    happened?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Mom has disappeared,¡¯¡® Vinson answered solemnly.


    ¡®¡®What?¡¯¡® Arielle had assumed something major had urred at Nightshire Group and didn¡¯t expect


    Susanne to have vanished. She instantly offered, ¡®¡®I¡¯ll go with you.¡¯¡®


    Just as she spoke, she began to pack her belongings.


    However, Vinson stopped her.


    ¡®¡®You shouldn¡¯t. This is a crucial time for Dad, after all. How is he going to manage without you?¡¯¡®


    Vinson advised as he gazed into her eyes with both his hands ced on her shoulders.


    Arielle¡¯s expression darkened immediately.


    Is he stopping me? There¡¯s no way I¡¯m staying here.


    Previously, Susanne had objected to Vinson¡¯s rtionship with her. But after the former approved of


    her, she treated Arielle very well. As a result, Arielle couldn¡¯t sit idly by and insist on going back with


    Vinson.


    ¡®¡®Vinson, I¡¯m your wife. So your mom is my mom too. Now that she¡¯s disappeared, do you think I can


    stay here in peace?¡¯¡® With her eyebrows furrowed, Arielle gave Vinson a disapproving look.


    Since the power struggle was aplex matter, going back to their country wasn¡¯t going to make much


    of a difference. After all, she could still return to Turlen once Susanne was found. Besides, Harvey


    would be around to monitor the situation, keeping her informed of everything that was going on.


    When Vinson saw how adamant Arielle was, he finally gave in.


    ¡®¡®In that case, let¡¯s give Harvey a call and tell him to hold the fort. If anything happens, he must let us


    know right away.¡¯¡®


    Vinson shared Arielle¡¯s opinion of what to do. After nodding in agreement, Arielle continued packing


    their stuff while Vinson walked to the window to give Harvey a call.¡¯¡®


    Meanwhile, Harvey¡¯s gaze fell upon Sonia as he instructed, ¡®¡®You have to be more careful.¡¯¡®


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    He had justpleted the formalities for her to be discharged and was taking her back to his


    apartment.


    Worried that her mother would force her to get an abortion, Sonia wanted to stay in Harvey¡¯s apartment


    together with Arielle. Her decision was music to Harvey¡¯s ears and he readily agreed to it.


    Sonia¡¯s heart warmed when she saw how concerned Harvey was. After giving him an affectionate look,


    she grunted yfully. ¡®¡®I know.¡¯¡®


    After spending a lot of time together over thest few days, her bond with Harvey had deepened


    significantly, causing her to grow increasingly cheerful in front of him.


    Beaming at the cheeky look on her face, Harvey held her hands gently and pulled her into his embrace.


    A vibrant smile subsequently emerged on her face as she leaned blissfully in his arms.


    All of a sudden, Harvey¡¯s phone rang. He answered at once when he saw the caller ID.


    ¡®¡®Vin!¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Harvey, Sannie and I have to return to Chanaea urgently. So please monitor the situation in our


    absence,¡¯¡® Vinson instructed.

 Chapter 1587

    Chapter 1587


    Chapter 1587 The Most Terrifying Thing


    Sensing something amiss, Harvey asked in a concerned tone, ¡®¡®You¡¯re going back to Chanaea? What


    happened?¡¯¡®


    As both of them were closer than brothers, there was no reason for Vinson to hide the matter from


    Harvey. As such, he revealed Susanne¡¯s disappearance to thetter.


    Harvey¡¯s expression darkened upon hearing the news. Vinson¡¯s enemies must have taken the


    opportunity of his absence in the country to make their moves.


    ¡®¡®I¡¯ll hold the fort here. You should watch yourself,¡¯¡® Harvey responded with a frown.


    He, too, was concerned about Susanne¡¯s safety and had no idea who would kidnap her.


    Once the call ended, Vinson left for the airport with Arielle who was wearing a disguise. Fortunately,


    they had gotten Dn to issue them a visa beforehand, so they had no problems flying out of the


    country.


    Due to the great distance between Turlen and Chanaea, their flight had to make a transit in Lightspring


    before returning to Chanaea.


    By the time they arrived, it was already midnight.


    Both of them had removed their disguises along the journey home.


    Upon reaching Nightshire Manor, Geoffrey and Rayson were already waiting in the living room. Both of


    them looked emotional and were filled with guilt over failing to protect Susanne.


    ¡®¡®Mr. Vinson, I¡¯m so sorry.¡¯¡® Geoffrey looked at Vinson with reddened eyes. Mr. Vinson left Mrs.


    Nightshire in my care and I ended up losing her.


    Rayson, too, gave Vinson an apologetic look. ¡®¡®Mr. Nightshire, I¡ª¡¯¡®


    Vinson waved his hand to stop him. ¡®¡®What¡¯s the situation now? Have all checkpoints been searched?¡¯¡®


    Rayson nodded. ¡®¡®We have beefed up our presence everywhere and will be notified the moment


    something suspicious pops up.¡¯¡®


    Vinson took a deep breath. Having made plenty of enemies over the years, he had no idea who had


    pierced his defenses to kidnap Susanne, causing him to fear for her safety.


    In fact, he wasn¡¯t afraid of them making demands. What terrified him was the possibility that they had


    none to be made.


    ¡®¡®I appreciate what you have done. You should go get some rest as there¡¯s still a lot to do,¡¯¡® Vinson


    suggested to Geoffrey and Rayson.


    After exchanging nces, both of them felt Vinson was right and retired for the evening.


    Once they were gone, Vinson slumped onto the couch and rubbed his forehead with his fingers.


    Cognizant of his frustration, Arielle held his right hand and reassured him, ¡®¡®Don¡¯t worry. Mom will


    definitely be all right.¡¯¡®


    Vinson held her hand in return andy his head on her shoulder, feeling emotionally fragile.


    Because his father passed on early, he and his mother relied on each other for more than ten years.


    Therefore, he couldn¡¯t ept it if anything happened to her. In fact, he wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive


    himself for the rest of his life.


    ¡®¡®Sannie¡­¡¯¡®


    Given that it was her first time seeing him so fragile, she pulled his head into her arms andforted


    him softly, ¡®¡®Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯ll definitely be fine.¡¯¡®


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    While speaking, a vicious glint shed in her eye. If I find out who was behind Susanne¡¯s kidnap, I


    would definitely let the perpetrator feel my wrath.


    Meanwhile, inside an abandoned factory, a group of armed men was guarding its entrance while ady


    was making a call with her phone.


    After hearing what the opposing party said, she nodded with a wicked smile. Her gaze then fell upon a


    woman in the corner who had her limbs bound and her mouth stuffed.

 Chapter 1588

    Chapter 1588


    Chapter 1588 Deluding Oneself


    Squinting her eyes, Susanne tried to use the moonlight outside to see who the woman approaching her


    was. Despite the panic she felt, she still managed to put on a strong front.


    Over the years, her son had made plenty of enemies in the course of hispany¡¯s expansion. Thus,


    she had no idea which one of them the woman was. She wasn¡¯t afraid of dying. Instead, her real


    concern was that she was used as bait to lure Vinson into a trap.


    The woman walked up to Susanne and stared at her for a minute before circling behind her and


    knocking her out with a karate chop.


    ¡®¡®Take her away!¡¯¡® As the woman¡¯s piercing voice echoed through the factory, two burly men entered


    immediately and carried Susanne outside.


    Over thest few days in school, Alicia was constantly distracted in ss, causing her best friend,


    Marianna, to worry.


    When both of them were having lunch one day, Marianna couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡®¡®Alicia, what¡¯s wrong


    with you? Why do you look out of sorts recently?¡¯¡®


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡®¡®No, I¡¯m not. Haven¡¯t I always been this way?¡¯¡® In spite of the panic triggered by Marianna¡¯s words,


    Alicia kept herposure.


    What happened between Aaron and her could never be shared with Marianna, even if thetter was


    her best friend. The reason was that she had sworn herself to secrecy in front of Aaron, vowing to


    pretend as if nothing had happened.


    After staring briefly at Alicia, Marianna lowered her gaze in resignation. Given that both of them grew


    up together, she could tell right away whether Alicia was lying. Since thetter wasn¡¯t willing to share,


    she decided to give her friend the privacy she needed.


    ¡®¡®Perhaps I was just overthinking it.¡¯¡® Just as Marianna spoke, Alicia added immediately, ¡®¡®Precisely. You


    are overthinking it.¡¯¡®


    Throwing her another nce, Marianna didn¡¯t expose her lie.


    In the evening, Alicia nned to visit Clement since she didn¡¯t have any sses. Initially, she had


    intended to rent a ce for him right next to her school but didn¡¯t expect Aaron to have thought of it.


    When thetter sent them home the other day, he had already made the arrangements by presenting


    Clement with a house in return for saving his life.


    Clement declined the gift initially but relented in the end after Aaron¡¯s insistence.


    The moment she came out of school, she saw Aaron leaning against the car with a cigarette between


    his fingers, smoking it intermittently. Underneath the dim streetmp, his towering figure exuded a


    lonely vibe.


    Unsure of whether he was there to see her, she didn¡¯t dare approach him. After all, he didn¡¯t contact


    her ever since theirst meeting. Standing still, she stared admiringly at his figure while her eyes were


    brimming with affection.


    Given the intensity of her gaze, Aaron turned his attention toward her, causing her to lower her head in


    reflex and walk in a different direction. Suddenly, she felt someone grab her hand. Turning around by


    reflex, her eyes peered into his abyss-like gaze.


    ¡®¡®Why did you leave after seeing me?¡¯¡® Aaron asked with a frown as he maintained his grip on her hand.


    Alicia looked toward the ground. ¡®¡®I was afraid that you didn¡¯t want to see me.¡¯¡®


    Considering that I heard nothing from you for the past few days, how would I know if you were here for


    me?


    She didn¡¯t want to make assumptions about his feelings for fear of annoying him.


    Shoving her hand aside, Aaron barked, ¡®¡®Follow me.¡¯¡®

 Chapter 1589

    Chapter 1589


    Chapter 1589 Falling In Love


    When he returned to his car, Alicia, who had wised up this time around, got right into the front


    passenger seat. After giving her a nce, Aaron leaned over to put on her safety belt for her.


    With both of them in close proximity again, to the extent of being able to hear each other¡¯s breath,


    Alicia was surprised when she thought Aaron wanted to get right into it by kissing her. As the tip of her


    ears reddened, she closed her eyes in anticipation of his kiss.


    Letting out a chuckle, Aaron buckled her properly before returning to his seat. When it dawned upon


    Alicia that Aaron was just helping her put on her seatbelt instead of kissing her, she felt so


    embarrassed that she didn¡¯t know where to hide her face.


    Along the entire journey, she didn¡¯t dare make eye contact and kept looking out the window instead,


    leading Aaron to curl his lips.


    After driving for an hour, they finally came to a stop. When Alicia alighted together with him and saw


    that they were at the foot of a hill, she gave Aaron an inquisitive look as to why he brought her there.


    Noticing her puzzled expression, Aaron exined, ¡®¡®We¡¯re here to gaze at the stars.¡¯¡®


    With that, he brought out a tent and backpack from the trunk before leading Alicia up the hill. Along the


    way, she offered to carry the backpack for him but Aaron declined.


    I¡¯m a man, how can I let a girl carry my stuff?


    Once they arrived at the summit, both of them pitched the tent before sitting down on the mat theyid.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    This was the first time Alicia went stargazing. She felt as if observing the stars from a high vantage


    point was an entirely different experience. As she stared at the glistening stars in the night sky, a


    blissful smile emerged on her face.


    When his eyes fell upon that smile of hers, Aaron was mesmerized for a fleeting moment. Just as he


    recovered his gaze andy down, Alicia turned toward him when she sensed his movement. The


    instant she did, their eyes locked, causing her to avert her gaze by reflex and look back up at the stars.


    Despite appearing to be stargazing, her mind was being flooded by images of Aaron.


    She had not expected him to take her stargazing, for this was what couples do. Aaron and I¡­


    Just the thought of their rtionship caused her gaze to dim.


    No longer serious about observing the stars, she snuck a nce to her side and saw Aaron with his


    eyes closed. I¡¯m surprised he can sleep in such conditions. How long has it been since hest slept?


    At that moment, she felt sorry for him.


    Worried that he would catch a cold, she took out a small nket from the tent and gently covered him


    with it. Subsequently, shey down on her side with her hand supporting her head. With the help of the


    moonlight and the glimmering stars, she quietly observed his face.


    With his porcin-white skin, high nose bridge, and exquisite features, he was the epitome of the


    perfect man. There was no way she could resist him. In the neen years of her life, this was the first


    time she had fallen in love with someone.


    When she saw how soundly he was sleeping, she couldn¡¯t help but lean closer. Staring at him, her


    heart began to pound uncontrobly as she closed her eyes and nted her lips on his.


    All she wanted was to give him a peck. Much to her surprise, Aaron turned her around and pinned her


    below him before showering her with a barrage of kisses. Having his lust triggered, he carried her into


    the tent where amorous moans would soon be heard.


    Back in Chanaea, Vinson was sitting on the couch gloomily. Despite all the checkpoints he had set up,


    none of them returned any clues about his mother¡¯s whereabouts. Filled with frustration, he got to his


    feet, only to pitch backward suddenly.

 Chapter 1590

    Chapter 1590


    Chapter 1590 Passing Out


    ¡®¡®Vinson!¡¯¡® Arielle eximed when she saw Vinson fall backward while she was walking down the stairs.


    Just as she hurried to his side, Geoffrey, too, did the same when he heard her shout.


    ¡®¡®Oh no! Mr. Vinson had also fainted previously. Is there something wrong with him?¡¯¡® Geoffrey


    remarked anxiously.


    Since she wasn¡¯t aware of his first fainting episode, Arielle inquired, ¡®¡®When was that?¡¯¡®


    Her gut told her that both asions were somehow linked.


    Geoffrey quickly rted what happened thest time.


    Subsequently, Arielle ordered him to prepare the car so that they could rush Vinson to the hospital.


    En route, Arielle was filled with anxiety, as thest time Vinson fainted was when he didn¡¯t fully recover


    from his gunshot wound. Hence, she was certain that something was wrong with him.


    At that moment, she was angry at herself for not telling him about her trip to Lightspring to save the


    Wilhelms. If both of them had discussed the matter, she wouldn¡¯t have encountered a firefight while


    trying to lose him, while he wouldn¡¯t have been wounded while trying to save her.


    Recalling the matter caused her to lose herposure. If something were to happen to him, I¡­ No, he


    will definitely be all right. As long as I¡¯m around, he will be fine!


    In the midst of her anxiety, their car arrived at the hospital, which was owned by Nightshire Group.


    There, Vinson was taken in to be examined right away. When the medical staff first saw Arielle, all of


    them were surprised, as news of her kidnapping had spread like wildfire.


    Nevertheless, their astonishmentsted for a few seconds before they quickly returned their attention to


    Vinson, with whom their prioritiesy.


    Cognizant of who Arielle was, they had no objections to her tagging along.


    Soon, the results of the tests were out. Holding the CT scan in her hand, Arielle had a niggling feeling


    that something was amiss even though the results showed that there was nothing wrong with Vinson,


    including his head.


    How is this possible? If everything is fine, how can he have fainted twice?


    Arielle fell into deep thought.


    ¡®¡®Sannie¡­¡¯¡®


    At that moment, Vinson gradually awoke and called out to Arielle when he saw her silhouette. After


    scanning his surroundings, he asked, ¡®¡®Why am I in the hospital?¡¯¡®


    As he attempted to get up, Arielle rushed to his side to help.


    Her anxiousness ended up eliciting a chuckle from him.


    ¡®¡®I¡¯m not made of ss. There¡¯s no need to worry.¡¯¡®


    Arielle gave him the side-eye. ¡®¡®It¡¯s all because you gave me a fright by fainting.¡¯¡® The next instant, she


    reprimanded him sternly, ¡®¡®Vinson, why did you lie to me? Am I your wife or not?¡¯¡®


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Taken aback by her words, Vinson was baffled as to what she was using him of.


    ¡®¡®Since when did I lie to you?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Why did you hide your first fainting spell from me?¡¯¡® Arielle borated when she saw the baffled look


    on his face.


    Vinson was initially terrified, thinking that it was something serious, but was subsequently relieved to


    find out that it was no more than a trivial matter.


    He pulled Arielle into his embrace and kissed her on the forehead. ¡®¡®I was given a clean bill of health


    after the examination, so I didn¡¯t see the need to tell you.¡¯¡® With that, he inquired, ¡®¡®Now that I have


    fainted again, what do the results show?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Nothing at all,¡¯¡® Arielle replied with a heavy heart. She simply couldn¡¯t shake the sense of dread eating


    at her.

 Chapter 1591

    Chapter 1591


    Chapter 1591 I Will Grant You Your Death


    Since there was nothing wrong with him, Vinson got himself discharged. Nevertheless, he began to feel


    increasingly worried, as there was still no news on Susanne.


    Given the number of enemies he had, he was unable to figure out who it was that took his mother.


    After returning to Nightshire Manor, he went to his study and call up all his contacts, hoping to find a


    lead from them.


    Well aware of how busy he was, Arielle returned to her room and studied the CT scan results in greater


    detail. For some strange reason, a niggling sense of dread continued to bother her despite the test


    results showing that he was fine.


    After being holed up in her room for the entire afternoon, she still didn¡¯te out for dinner until


    Geoffrey informed Vinson about it.


    Once he came out of his study, Vinson headed upstairs to the bedroom where he saw Arielle so


    engrossed with the CT scan that she didn¡¯t even notice himing in.


    ¡®¡®Didn¡¯t the doctor give me a clean bill of health? Why are you still fixated on it?¡¯¡®


    Vinson walked up to Arielle¡¯s side as he spoke. It was only when she heard his voice that she regained


    her senses.


    In front of Vinson, she held none of her suspicions back. ¡®¡®Even though the results of your examination


    showed nothing, I still feel that something isn¡¯t right since this is your second fainting episode.¡¯¡® Looking


    at him, Arielle suggested, ¡®¡®Let¡¯s go for another more detailed checkup tomorrow.¡¯¡®


    Vinson felt that Arielle was overreacting due to her excessive concern for him. He then pulled her into


    his arms and gave her a light peck on the forehead. ¡®¡®I know my body very well, and there are no issues


    at all. Your imagination is just running wild from being over-worried about me.¡¯¡®


    If Susanne hadn¡¯t disappeared, he would definitely get a detailed checkup so that she could have


    peace of mind. But now, his mother took priority over everything else.


    When Arielle remained silent and put on a gloomy expression, Vinson pondered for a moment before


    adding, ¡®¡®If you¡¯re still concerned, I¡¯ll go for the checkup once we find my mom, all right?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Okay.¡¯¡® She, too, was cognizant that the search for Susanne was more important, and could


    understand why he was dying the checkup.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Back in Turlen, Lawrence had switched sides, causing a huge change in the bnce of power. As a


    result, the power struggle between the queen mother and Dn spilled out from the shadows and into


    the open.


    That day, the queen mother led her men to confront Dn but was blocked by Sybil instead.


    ¡®¡®Get out of my way!¡¯¡® the queen mother snapped while shooting him a piercing gaze.


    As one of Dn¡¯s men, Sybil had long felt indignant over the queen mother seizing power.


    Furthermore, Dn had ordered him to stop the queen mother from entering. As a result, he would


    refuse to let her pass even if she shot him to death.


    Bowing slightly, Sybil informed her in a respectful tone, ¡®¡®Your Majesty, the king is busy and won¡¯t be


    able to see you.¡¯¡®


    The queen mother stared coldly at Sybil. If looks could kill at that moment, he would have died


    thousand times over.


    ¡®¡®Sybil, I¡¯m the king¡¯s mother and also the queen mother of Turlen. Aren¡¯t you worried that I¡¯d punish


    you for getting in my way?¡¯¡® She stared daggers at Sybil.


    Nevertheless, thetter shook his head. ¡®¡®Even so, the old king has ordered me to only obey the current


    king for the rest of my life.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Since death is what you want, I shall grant it to you!¡¯¡® The moment she finished, the queen mother


    pointed a gun at Sybil¡¯s head.

 Chapter 1592

    Chapter 1592


    Chapter 1592 The Queen Mother Panicked


    Dn¡¯s voice sounded at this critical moment. ¡®¡®Stop right there!¡¯¡®


    The queen mother stared at Dn as he approached her.


    Although they were mother and son, they had not met since Dn¡¯s birthday party.


    If not for this matter concerning authority, the queen mother would never initiate a meeting with Dn.


    After all, she was his mother. Since her son refused to see her, she figured there was no reason for her


    to take the initiative to see him.


    ¡®¡®He is my subordinate. No one is allowed to hurt him!¡¯¡® Dn said sternly.


    The queen mother noticed that Dn had not even spared her a nce from the moment he arrived


    and instantly burst into fury.


    ¡®¡®Dn, where are your manners?¡¯¡® The queen mother looked at him, rage zing in her gaze. ¡®¡®How


    can you not bow and greet your mother?¡¯¡®


    Dn looked at the queen mother solemnly. He no longer knew how he should feel about her.


    The queen mother was a devoted mother before he went to Chanaea and before his father passed


    away. It did not matter what he wanted or what he wished to do, for she would always do everything


    within her power to help him.


    Soon, however, everything changed. Not only did the queen mother faked an illness to trick him into


    returning and marrying someone, but she also used shocking means to gain control of Turlen after his


    father¡¯s passing


    Dn had only recently regained some of the power from the queen mother¡¯s hand, and that angered


    her so much that she came to look for him.


    ¡®¡®Mother.¡¯¡® Dn bowed and asked, ¡®¡®Why did you barge in here? What¡¯s the purpose of your visit?¡¯¡®


    The queen mother turned sullen as she regarded the son she had raised. She did not believe he was


    clueless about the reason she came here.


    ¡®¡®Do you really not know why I¡¯m here?¡¯¡® the queen mother asked grimly.


    Naturally, Dn knew why she was here, but he pretended not to. He wanted her to voice out the


    reason herself.


    ¡®¡®I can¡¯t read your mind, Mother. How would I know why you¡¯re here?¡¯¡® Dn narrowed his eyes and


    said unhurriedly.


    Dn¡¯s response angered the queen mother, prompting her to re at him viciously.


    ¡®¡®Are you rebelling against me?¡¯¡® She looked at him and said coldly, ¡®¡®What are you up to?¡¯¡®


    Even though Dn was her biological son, she could not allow him to snatch her authority. She would


    not let anyone who dared to oppose her off.


    ¡®¡®Mother, who are you using of rebelling?¡¯¡® Dn¡¯s expression turned solemn as he looked at the


    queen mother. ¡®¡®Don¡¯t forget. I am the king, and you are the queen mother. Since ancient times, it was


    the king who held power. You should be content that you get to enjoy the years of authority you had,¡¯¡®


    Dn said.


    The queen mother did not expect Dn to dare to speak to her this way. It infuriated her so much that


    she staggered a step backward.


    ¡®¡®Since you insist on opposing me, let¡¯s see who among us shall win then!¡¯¡® The queen mother left


    furiously after saying that.


    Dn finally breathed a sigh of relief after she left. It was his first time speaking to his mother in such a


    harsh tone. His back was already drenched in cold sweat.


    Sybil watched as the queen mother walked away. Then, he turned to Dn and asked, ¡®¡®Your Majesty,


    did what happened these few days cause the queen mother to panic?¡¯¡®


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Dn nodded. If she is not panicking, why would shee here on her own initiative?


    The queen mother immediately returned to her ce. Monisha saw her fuming and quickly poured her


    a ss of water.


    The queen mother epted the ss of water and took a sip. Then, she ced it on the table and


    looked ahead impassively. Since you want to do this, I will no longer care that you are my son. There


    shall be no mercy for you.

 Chapter 1593

    Chapter 1593


    Chapter 1593 Jealousy


    Being the prince, it was impossible for Aaron not to know about the fight between his father and


    grandmother. However, he was undecided and did not know who he should support. Although his


    grandmother had always favored him since he was little, he was still his father¡¯s son and shared his


    surname. If he sided with the queen mother, it would feel like he had betrayed his family.


    However, if he sided with his father, he would feel guilty as the queen mother had doted on him all


    these years. Although he now found out that she might have something to do with Arielle¡¯s death, he


    did not have any evidence. As such, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do anything damaging to her.


    Meanwhile, Harvey knew about the royal conflict through Lawrence and told Arielle what was


    happening.


    Arielle frowned. She did not expect her father and the queen mother to begin warring so soon after she


    returned to Chanaea.


    Should I expose all the dirty deeds of the queen mother in my hands? Arielle narrowed her eyes and


    thought for a while. In the end, she decided not to expose them yet. After all, the queen mother was her


    father¡¯s biological mother. There was a chance that after the public saw the queen mother for who she


    really was, the queen mother might not suffer any consequences. Instead, it would drag her father into


    trouble.


    Forget it, I¡¯ll just wait to see how the situation unfolds first.


    After informing Arielle about the situation in Turlen, Harvey nned to bring Sonia out for a meal. Sonia


    had morning sickness for some time, so it was hard for her to keep much food down. Harvey¡¯s heart


    ached to see her bing thinner.


    They were about to head out when Xavier suddenly appeared. Xavier had note home for a long


    time, so Harvey was surprised to see him.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡®¡®Are you heading out?¡¯¡® It was Xavier¡¯s first time seeing Sonia. He only knew Harvey had found the


    person he had been searching for.


    Harvey nodded and told Xavier that they were heading out for a meal. He also asked Xavier if he would


    like to join them.


    Xavier rejected the invitation immediately. He could see they were a couple and did not want to intrude


    on their alone time. However, he did feel a little envious as he watched Harvey supporting the pregnant


    Sonia.


    ¡®¡®You two go on without me. I¡¯m not hungry.¡¯¡® After saying that, Xavier turned around and headed into


    his room.


    ¡®¡®He seems a little down,¡¯¡® Sonia said to Harvey after getting into the car.


    Although it was her first time meeting Xavier, she could instantly tell he was unhappy.


    Harvey could also see that Xavier¡¯s mood was down in the dumps. However, hearing Sonia talking


    about another man made him feel ufortable. It did not matter that the man she mentioned was his


    friend.


    ¡®¡®Sonia, you must never mention another man before me again.¡¯¡® Harvey was a blunt and


    straightforward man. Thus, he would always say what was on his mind.


    Sonia looked at Harvey with a surprised expression before curving her lips into a smile. ¡®¡®Are you


    jealous?¡¯¡®


    Harvey was stunned for a moment. He thought he would only feel jealous when it came to matters


    concerning Arielle and did not expect it would be the same for Sonia, too.


    Still, it was a good sign. It meant that he had really fallen in love with Sonia. That was why he felt


    jealous hearing her mention another man.


    ¡®¡®Yes, I¡¯m jealous,¡¯¡® Harvey nodded and said solemnly.


    Sonia was surprised to hear Harvey admitting his jealousy, but she was delighted. That must mean that


    Harvey has fallen for me. Otherwise, why would he be jealous?


    With that in mind, Sonia turned Harvey¡¯s face toward her and nted a quick kiss on his lips.


    Since Sonia initiated the kiss, Harvey refused to let it stop there. He ced his hand behind Sonia¡¯s


    neck and deepened the kiss.


    Xavier was smoking by the window upstairs when he saw the scene in the car. His gaze turned grim as


    he remembered the matter between him and Lana.

 Chapter 1594

    Chapter 1594


    Chapter 1594 I Hate You


    It had been a few months since Xavier and Lana began their rtionship and lived together. They got


    along well in these few months and stuck close to each other most of the time. It all went well until she


    went to a gathering the day before. He could not go with her as he was a foreigner. Thus, he had no


    choice but to wait at home for her to return.


    Unexpectedly, he happened to see her getting out of a man¡¯s car as he was smoking by the window. It


    would have been fine if it had stopped at that. After all, most women had male rtives or friends.


    However, what happened next filled him with fury.


    As Lana turned around to leave, the man suddenly hugged her from behind for nearly a minute. Lana


    even turned toward him and said something. Then, the man suddenly kissed her.


    Rage surged within Xavier and he threw his cigarette into an ashtray before rushing downstairs. Lana


    came in when he arrived at the lobby, while the man was long gone.


    Lana behaved as if nothing happened and held onto Xavier¡¯s arm affectionately when she saw him. At


    first, he wanted to wrench his arm from her and question her about what he saw. However, his


    rationality prevailed in the end. After all, there were many people in the lobby. It was not a suitable


    ce to discuss their rtionship matters.


    He remained sullen as they walked toward their unit. Lana, being the observant person that she was,


    noticed it, but she waited until they entered their home before questioning him.


    ¡®¡®What¡¯s wrong with you? What happened? Why do you look so sullen?¡¯¡® Lana thought Xavier was


    troubled by some matter. She did not suspect that she was the cause.


    Xavier had lived for more than thirty years before he fell in love with Lana. She was the first woman he


    ever loved. Thus, she had an irreceable ce in his heart. Since they became official, he had never


    considered breaking up with her. However, what he witnessed was too much of a blow, and he could


    not ept it.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    He answered Lana immediately, ¡®¡®Lana, let¡¯s break up.¡¯¡®


    Since she stopped loving me anymore, we should break up.


    Xavier managed to think things through in the short distance they traveled upstairs. Since Lana had


    fallen for another man, he believed they should break up. It was useless clinging to her.


    ¡®¡®Break up? Why are we breaking up?¡¯¡® Lana instantly turned pale. She looked at Xavier and for the first


    time ever, a furious expression descended upon her face. ¡®¡®Are you in love with another woman?¡¯¡®


    Looking at how livid she was, Xavier felt a stab in his heart. I didn¡¯t fall in love with another woman. It is


    you who have fallen for another man.


    However, he did not want to embarrass her by revealing what he saw earlier. Thus, he said, ¡®¡®You can


    think whatever you like. Let¡¯s just break up and go our separate ways.¡¯¡® After saying that, he turned


    around, walked out of their home, and closed the door.


    ¡®¡®You a*shole! I hate you!¡¯¡® Lana shouted.


    Standing at the door, Xavier could hear Lana throwing a tantrum as she hurled items at the door and


    cursed at him furiously. Still, he only paused there for a while and left soon after. He then spent the


    whole night at a bar before leaving and going back to Harvey¡¯s ce.


    Unexpectedly, he bumped into Harvey and his future wife. He felt envious upon seeing the baby bump


    on the woman¡¯s belly, for he wished to have a child with Lana as well. Unfortunately, their rtionship


    had toe to an end. He could not help but shed a tear as the thought of Lana belonging to another


    man shed through his mind.


    Meanwhile, a phone suddenly rang in the quiet living room in Nightshire Manor in Chanaea.

 Chapter 1595

    Chapter 1595


    Chapter 1595 Kneel


    Geoffrey rushed out of his room to answer the call. ¡®¡®Tell Vinson that if he wants Susanne to stay alive,


    he must make an international live broadcast where he kneels and apologize to me.¡¯¡® A deep voice


    sounded from the phone. Geoffrey panicked and asked, ¡®¡®Who are you? Where have you taken Mrs.


    Nightshire?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Remember what I said. You only have three days. If Vinson fails to do this, I can¡¯t guarantee whether


    Susanne will remain alive after three days.¡¯¡® The man gave a bone-chillingugh and hung up before


    Geoffrey could say anything.


    ¡®¡®Hello? Hello?¡¯¡® Geoffrey could only hear static from the other end. He put down the phone and rushed


    to find Vinson. At the moment, Vinson was in the study. Geoffrey knocked on the door and rushed in.


    ¡®¡®Mr. Vinson, I-I received a call¡­¡¯¡® Geoffrey panted as he spoke. Vinson¡¯s eyes brightened instantly. ¡®¡®Is


    it news about my mother?¡¯¡®


    Geoffrey nodded. He caught his breath and said, ¡®¡®The person said you must make an international live


    broadcast of you kneeling in apology within three days if you want Mrs. Nightshire to live. Otherwise, he


    won¡¯t be able to guarantee that Mrs. Nightshire would still be alive after three days¡­¡¯¡®


    Vinson¡¯s expression darkened as he listened to Geoffrey. He looked so intimidating that Geoffrey¡¯s


    voice grew softer as he spoke.


    ¡®¡®I understand. You can go and have your rest,¡¯¡® Vinson replied.


    Geoffrey knew Vinson was frustrated and furious. As such, he responded in the affirmative and left the


    study.


    After the butler left, Vinson immediately called Rayson on his phone and instructed him to use all


    means to trace the phone number from just now.


    For the past few days, Rayson had been so busy searching for Susanne that he did not even have the


    time to rest. He had only slept for two hours when Vinson called him. Although he was tired, he forced


    himself to get out of bed.


    The mysterious caller was cunning and deleted the call log after hanging up. Therefore, it took Rayson


    a lot of effort to search for the number. He finally found it around seven o¡¯clock and sent it to Vinson


    immediately.


    At the same time, Arielle had woken up from sleep. After finding out that someone had called the


    manor, she quickly traced the caller through the number from Rayson.


    Her frown grew deeper as she tried to track down the caller.


    ¡®¡®Why? Is the caller untraceable?¡¯¡® Vinson asked as he looked at the lines of codes on Arielle¡¯s


    computer screen.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡®¡®The number indicates that it came from Lightspring. But the sim card has been terminated,¡¯¡® Arielle


    exined solemnly.


    Their enemy was devious and seemed to know Vinson and his people would trace them. Thus, they


    had swiftly covered their tracks.


    Vinson¡¯s expression turned cold. The veins on his arm bulged as he turned around and mmed his


    fist on a nearby table. ¡®¡®D*mn it!¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡®Vinson, we need to remain calm.¡¯¡® Arielle held Vinson¡¯s arm worriedly and checked for injuries. She


    breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that there was none. Then, she narrowed her eyes and said,


    ¡®¡®Let¡¯s analyze the situation and see if we can find where they¡¯re keeping Mother. I have a feeling she


    never left Chanaea.¡¯¡®


    From the moment they lost contact with Susanne, Vinson had deployed everyone on hand to search for


    her. Thus, the people who abducted Susanne were most likely still trapped in Chanaea. It was just that


    Vinson and the others did not know where they had hidden Susanne.


    Vinson took a deep breath and sat down. He rubbed his temple and felt a wave of headache crashing


    onto him.


    Seeing that, Arielle got up and helped him to massage his head. Once the pain dissipated, Vinson


    pulled Arielle onto hisp.


    ¡®¡®We¡¯re guarding every possible exit point. So, it¡¯s going to be difficult for them to leave. Unless¡­¡¯¡®


    Vinson said.

 Chapter 1596

    Chapter 1596


    Chapter 1596 Let Her Go


    Arielle and Vinson looked at each other. ¡®¡®Unless they know how to disguise themselves. What if they


    disguised Susanne and brought her out of the country?¡¯¡®


    Vinson looked at Arielle and said confidently, ¡®¡®Disguise is not something one could learn overnight. I


    have a feeling Mom is still in Chanaea.¡¯¡®


    Sometimes, the bond between a mother and son was not something others could understand.


    ¡®¡®In that case, we should continue searching. Since they had to take her with them, they would not dare


    to stay in hotels. After all, hotels have surveince cameras.¡¯¡® Arielle¡¯s eyes brightened with an idea as


    she spoke. ¡®¡®We should search in ces without surveince cameras. They are probably still hiding in


    Jadeborough.¡¯¡®


    Hearing Arielle¡¯s words, Vinson suddenly understood that they had been searching the wrong ces all


    this while.


    Meanwhile, in a house in the suburb, a woman nced at the knocked-out Susanne and walked to the


    neighboring room to make a phone call.


    ¡®¡®Sir, we still can¡¯t find a way to leave. They have set up many checkpoints with guards at every stage.¡¯¡®


    The woman sounded anxious.


    She had left the Duke for a few days. They had never parted for such a long time. Thus, she wanted to


    return to Lightspring as soon as possible.


    ¡®¡®Stay in Chanaea for the time being.¡¯¡® The Duke¡¯s deep and masculine voice sounded.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    The woman bit her lower lip but did not say anything.


    ¡®¡®Once you¡¯re back, you can stay by my side for three months without going on a mission,¡¯¡® the man


    coaxed when he noticed that the woman did not speak.


    The woman¡¯s eyes brightened instantly. ¡®¡®Thank you, sir.¡¯¡®


    After hanging up, the woman looked at the Duke¡¯s photo on her phone screen. Then, she closed her


    eyes and kissed the screen. She desperately wished to fly back to his side.


    Meanwhile, Arielle and Vinson realized the direction they should search and began investigating.


    Now that they had an idea of where to search, they were able to progress quickly.


    An hourter, a subordinate brought news, saying someone saw a foreign woman leading two burly


    men carrying an unconscious woman into a slum.


    A slum? Arielle and Vinson exchanged nces. It was not a ce they expected.


    Then, they brought some men with them and rushed toward the address provided.


    There was always someone standing guard in the slum area. The guard sensed that something was


    wrong and immediately informed the foreign woman.


    The woman did not expect to be found so soon and immediately called the Duke.


    At the same time, a blonde woman was kneeling under a desk in Lightspring.


    The Duke sat on a chair and closed his eyes from the pleasure.


    Suddenly, his phone rang. The Duke looked at the phone screen before answering it.


    ¡®¡®Linda,¡¯¡® he called out the name into the phone. The eyes of the woman beneath the desk gleamed


    upon hearing that name, and she began to quicken her pace. The Duke growled and turned on the


    speaker mode before he pulled the woman up and pressed her down on the table.


    Linda, the woman in the slum, heard the noises on the other end of the call and clenched her fist tightly.


    ¡®¡®Well? Speak up, Linda,¡¯¡® the Duke ordered in a deep voice.


    He became impatient when Linda remained silent and was going to hang up.


    ¡®¡®Duke, I have been found out. What should I do about that woman?¡¯¡® Linda asked. She resisted her


    heartache as she listened to the noises from the other end.


    The Duke¡¯s expression darkened at that. He took a tissue and wiped himself off. Then, he put on his


    pants and said, ¡®¡®In that case, you shoulde back. As for Susanne, you can let her go for now.¡¯¡®

 Chapter 1597

    Chapter 1597


    Chapter 1597 The Operation Went Well


    If Linda had not heard those noisesing from the phone, she would have been very happy to hear


    that she was going back, but now, it felt ironic to her. Here she was working hard for him, but he was


    there fooling around with another woman.


    Although she was unhappy, she had no right to control him. After all, she was only one of his many


    women. However, she had been the only one to serve him in the office, but obviously, that was not the


    case anymore.


    ¡®¡®Did you hear me?¡¯¡® The Duke frowned impatiently when he heard no reply from her.


    ¡®¡®Yes, I did. I¡¯m going back right away.¡¯¡®


    Feeling down in the dumps, she replied to him and hung up the call. Then, she walked to the room


    where Susanne was confined. As she looked at Susanne, she recalled the harshness of his voice


    whenever he mentioned Susanne and Vinson. She took out a gun from her pocket and was about to


    shoot Susanne when the door was suddenly pushed open.


    ¡®¡®Let¡¯s escape through the window. They¡¯ll be here any moment.¡¯¡® As a burly man spoke, he picked her


    up and ced her on the window sill. Before she jumped out of the window, Linda pointed the gun at


    Susanne and pulled the trigger once. Then, she jumped out together with the man.


    The moment Vinson and Arielle alighted the car, they heard the sound of a gunshot. Anxious, they ran


    inside. The surrounding residents heard that too and they came out of their houses, looking around


    curiously.


    With bloodshot eyes, Vinson asked them which unit Linda was staying at.


    As Linda was the only foreigner living there, her ce was not difficult to find. Before long, a young


    man led them to her house.


    Vinson and Arielle hurriedly went inside, searching for Susanne. When they saw her with a bullet


    wound to her chest, they quickly carried her and ran outside. At this point, they had to get help for her


    as time was crucial.


    However, because they were in a slum, the cars had difficulties entering the ce. As such, Vinson


    had to carry his mother and ran for three minutes to reach where their car was parked.


    ¡®¡®Go after my mother¡¯s kidnappers.¡¯¡® After giving the instruction to Rayson, Vinson and Arielle brought


    Susanne to the hospital, where she was sent into the emergency room straight away. Arielle changed


    and went inside as she was the one going to perform the surgery.


    Under normal circumstances, rtives were not encouraged to perform surgery on a patient. However,


    Arielle did not want anyone but herself to do it, for she was confident that she could save Susanne.


    She took a deep breath and started the surgical procedure. Her calm andposed voice filled the


    operating room, while all the other doctors and nurses worked together with her during the operation.


    Three hourster, the operation waspleted, and even the final stitches were done by her own


    hands. After all, the patient undergoing surgery was her mother-inw, and she had to do her best.


    With tearful eyes, she looked at Susanne who was lying on the operating table. The bullet had just


    narrowly missed her heart. Otherwise, not even the gods could save her.


    Luckily, the shooter missed their shot.


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    Soon, the door of the operating theatre was opened, and Susanne was pushed into the observation


    room nearby where family members were not allowed in.


    ¡®¡®Sannie, how is Mom doing?¡¯¡® Seeing Arielleing out from the operation theatre, Vinson quickly


    stepped forward and asked.


    Even though he may appear calm, he was actually on the verge of going crazy with worry. He knew


    that should anything untoward happen to Susanne, he would never be able to forgive himself.


    ¡®¡®Her surgery went well,¡¯¡® Arielle replied and continued after some hesitation. ¡®¡®The bullet just missed her


    heart. She will be kept under observation for a day. If all goes well, she will be transferred to a normal


    ward.¡¯¡®


    A shiver ran down Vinson¡¯s spine when he heard how his mother had narrowly escaped death.

 Chapter 1598

    Chapter 1598


    Chapter 1598 Having Her By His Side


    If the bullet had hit Susanne¡¯s heart, no one, not even the best surgeons, would be able to save her.


    Luckily, the bullet had missed.


    As for Linda and the burly man, after they made their escape, they took a cab and headed for the


    airport where the Duke had a private jet parked there.


    As soon as they arrived, they saw people searching for them. In the spur of the moment, the burly man


    pushed Linda against the wall and lowered his head, covering her mouth with his.


    Linda was furious at his action. That was her first kiss, after all. In retaliation, she bit down on his lips


    harshly.


    ¡®¡®Are you out of your mind, Mark?¡¯¡®


    Seeing Linda¡¯s reaction, Mark hurriedly exined in a soft voice, ¡®¡®Desperate time calls for desperate


    measures.¡¯¡®


    After that, they saw a few peopleing toward them. Mark immediately nted his lips on Linda¡¯s


    again. Initially, he was only doing so to avoid getting noticed by their pursuers, but after having a taste


    of Linda¡¯s sweet lips, he could not help wanting more. As such, he kissed Linda forcefully, suckling at


    her sweet lips. This was the first time Linda had been kissed, and he was kissing her very passionately.


    Nheless, reason prevailed, and after seeing that their pursuers had left, she pushed Mark away


    and went to the private jet sullenly.


    Knowing that Linda was angry, Mark followed behind her in silence.


    In truth, he had fallen in love with Linda a long time ago. However, she had always been distant and


    aloof. Thus, he could only admire her from a distance, not daring to profess his love. One could only


    imagine how overjoyed he felt when the Duke sent him to Chanaea to back up Linda on a mission.


    Earlier, he could have avoided their pursuers in some other way, but for some reason, the first thing he


    could think of was to lean forward and kiss her. Looking at Linda who was walking in front of him now,


    he smiled. He had no regrets about what happened just now and was d he took the opportunity to


    kiss her.


    The two showed the necessary documents to the pilot, and the three soon boarded the ne.


    In the cabin, because Linda did not want to sit with Mark, the two could only sit separately with one in


    the front and one in the back. After the ne took off, Mark would look at Linda from time to time, and


    when he thought of the disgust in her eyes, sadness welled up within him.


    Linda took out her phone and looked at the man on the screensaver. Her heart was full of sorrow. Will


    he still be mine when I get back? Who is the woman who has reced me in his office?


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    As these thoughts went through her mind, her countenance turned colder and colder.


    No matter who it was, she would definitely take the Duke back. She wanted him to know that she was


    the woman who fitted him best.


    Five hourster, the two got off the ne. Mark wanted to go with her to thepany to meet the


    Duke, but Linda refused. Mark took a long gaze at her seated inside the cab before he turned around


    and got into another one.


    On the way, Linda¡¯s lips curved slightly into a smile. She could not wait to tell him how much she


    missed him and be together with him again.


    She recalled Mark¡¯s kiss at the airport. She had discovered how good a kiss felt and she wished that


    the Duke would treat her the way Mark had treated her.


    Back at thepany, Linda and Mark entered the Duke¡¯s office together. When he was done reporting


    the incident, Mark left. Then, Linda walked up to the man.


    ¡®¡®Duke¡­¡¯¡® Linda looked at the man in front of her with a love-struck expression and crouched down.


    Seeing that he did not stop her, she got up and straddled hisp.


    After Mark left, he remembered something and went to the office again. However, when he reached the


    door, he saw a scene that broke his heart, and he was instantly rendered motionless on the spot.

 Chapter 1599

    Chapter 1599


    Chapter 1599 Fired At


    It was nearly midnight. He had never imagined that such an elegant and aloof woman would let herself


    loose like that.


    Nor had he imagined that the woman he loved was already taken by the Duke. It was no wonder she


    had reacted the way she did when he kissed her.


    Mark was so brokenhearted that he left the ce in despair, not willing to watch the scene anymore.


    Linda¡¯s actions became bolder and the man became more and more aroused. He carried Linda and


    ced her on the sofa. As Linda stared at his sexy lips, she recalled the pleasure of kissing. She then


    hugged his neck before pulling his face downward and nting her red lips on his.


    The Duke had not expected her to be so bold. He shook off her hands, stood up angrily, and looked


    down at her before uttering in disgust, ¡®¡®Get out!¡¯¡®


    Linda did not expect him to be so annoyed over a mere kiss. Immediately, she knelt down before him.


    ¡®¡®Please don¡¯t send me away.¡¯¡®


    For the sake of the five years she had served him, he relented. His tone was filled with anger as he


    said, ¡®¡®Leave for Turlen tomorrow and do not return without my orders.¡¯¡®


    Linda knew that he would not change his mind, so she put on her clothes and left.


    After reaching the ground floor, Mark did not leave immediately. He sat in his car, puffing on one


    cigarette after another.


    Thinking of the woman he loved in the arms of another man, he could not calm down. Just as he was


    about to open the car door and go out for a breath of air, he saw Lindaing out looking forlorn.


    Isn¡¯t she¡­


    Why is sheing out with such an expression on her face?


    For a moment, Mark¡¯s heart ached for her. Instantly, he got down from his car and went toward her.


    Seeing Mark, Linda looked away ufortably. ¡®¡®Why are you here?¡¯¡®


    Then, a thought seem to sh through her mind as she looked at him. ¡®¡®You know everything?¡¯¡®


    Seeing how he remained silent, she took it as acquiescence.


    ¡®¡®Leave. I want to be alone.¡¯¡®


    This was not a safe ce for a woman to be alone at this time of the night. As such, Mark opened the


    car door and forced her inside.


    Just when he was about to release her from his hold, however, Linda put her arms around his neck


    suddenly. ¡®¡®Kiss me.¡¯¡®


    She had just been rejected by the man she loved and she knew then that she had lost any chance she


    had with the Duke. So, she decided to settle for a recement.


    Mark looked at her and did not budge. In the end, it was Linda who pulled his head toward herself and


    raised her lips to kiss him. As she was the woman he wanted and loved, he could not hold back


    anymore. Mark grasped her head and kissed her. From time to time, the two of them would break off to


    breathe.


    Mark closed the car door and lowered the seat. Then, he ced himself on top of Linda¡¯s body.


    In Turlen, Aaron had just returned from a visit to the queen mother.


    He did not expect that she was nning of abolishing his father and support him as the new king.


    Although he knew that he was the future king, he had not expected that he would seed his father in


    this way.


    Unable to ept her n, he immediately rejected the queen mother¡¯s proposal.


    Although his father never loved him, Dn had never denied him his needs. As such, there was no way


    Aaron would take away the king¡¯s position in this manner.


    How could Grandma treat Father this way?


    Feeling depressed, Aaron opened the wine cab, took out a few bottles of wine, and drank alone.


    Suddenly, his phone lit up, and a message came into view.


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    It read: The mother of the Chairman of Nightshire Group, Mr. Nightshire, was kidnapped and shot.


    He tapped on the message to follow the link. Soon, he stood up abruptly.

 Chapter 1600

    Chapter 1600


    Chapter 1600 She Survived


    Isn¡¯t that Arielle?


    Isn¡¯t she dead?


    How could she be in Chanaea?


    Unless¡­


    Suddenly, a thought shed through Aaron¡¯s mind and his eyes turned red.


    Arielle, you are so cruel to deceive me this way!


    At this point, Aaron saw red. As he stared at the photograph of Vinson and Arielle, he clenched his


    hands, and veins appeared on his fair-skinned arms.


    ¡®¡®What an amazing act from the two of you!¡¯¡® Aaron started tough maniacally.


    He felt like aplete fool. I can¡¯t believe Arielle faked her death and I fell for itpletely! I mourned


    for her, wept for her, and was even ready to avenge her. Hah! What a joke!


    As for Father¡­ he must have known how sad I was over Arielle¡¯s death. Yet, he simply watched as I


    make a fool of myself, all for the sake of his precious daughter.


    Aaron was utterly disappointed with Dn and Arielle, feeling that they had treated him as a stranger,


    excluding him from all their ns.


    Grasping the wine bottle, he sat on the ground and drank in huge gulps, feeling that only alcohol could


    numb his feelings.


    He did not dare to ponder why his father and Arielle would treat him this way.


    Suddenly, his phone rang. He staggered up, fumbled around for his phone, and answered the call.


    ¡®¡®Who is this?¡¯¡®


    His tone was miserable.


    ¡®¡®It¡¯s Alicia. Aaron, what¡¯s wrong?¡¯¡® She could detect something was amiss from his voice and she


    asked with concern.


    Hearing that it was Alicia, Aaron narrowed his eyes and replied, ¡®¡®Come and keep mepany.¡¯¡®


    When she heard Aaron asking her to apany him, Alicia was naturally happy, but she did not know


    where he was and how to get there.


    Just as she was pondering over this, he said he would get his chauffeur to pick her up. She hummed in


    acknowledgment, hung up the call, and started to dress up. When she was done, she hurried to the


    door to wait.


    Half an hourter, Aaron¡¯s car stopped outside her door. She had gotten in Aaron¡¯s car several times


    before and recognized his license te. Smoothening her hair, she walked over, and the chauffeur got


    out and opened the door for her. Huh¡­ this is the first time that Prince Aaron is inviting a girl to his


    apartment.


    Half an hourter, Alicia arrived at the destination. This was the first time she visited Aaron¡¯s residence,


    but she was simply worried about Aaron and couldn¡¯t be bothered about the environment where he


    lived. Under the guidance of the chauffeur, she opened the door and went in.


    In the hall, under the dim light, Aaron was holding a wine bottle and pouring the contents into his


    mouth.


    ¡®¡®How much have you drunk?¡¯¡® Hurriedly, Alicia walked over to Aaron¡¯s side, squatted down, and took


    the wine bottle from his hand. Seeing that there were wine bottles all around him on the floor, she


    frowned and put them away before approaching Aaron.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    On that night, Alicia wore an off-white long dress, and with her golden wavy curls draped behind her,


    she was as alluring as a fairy.


    As she approached him, he staggered to his feet.


    ¡®¡®You¡¯ve drunk so much. Are you having a headache?¡¯¡® Alicia gazed at him, her eyes full of concern.


    Aaron looked at her and was touched. She¡¯s the only one who cares about me without reservation.


    With that thought in mind, he pulled her over and pushed her against the wall before covering her with


    kisses. Alicia put her arms around his neck and responded to his passionate kiss.


    Aaron could not hold back any longer. He picked her up and carried her upstairs. Once inside the room,


    he ced her on the bed and pinned her underneath him. In a few moments, their clothes were


    scattered all over the floor.

 Chapter 1601

    Chapter 1601


    Chapter 1601 Let Her Go


    Meanwhile, in Lightspring, Linda wanted to get down from the car and go home after the passionate


    session with Mark, but he just refused to let her go.


    In his opinion, she was his woman since they had slept together, and he did not mind that she had


    been with another man before. From that moment on, he wanted to keep her by his side and wished to


    treat her well for the rest of their lives.


    ¡°Mark, don¡¯t tter yourself,¡± Linda said and left.


    Mark was much more passionate than Duke, and it was the first time she enjoyed lovemaking so much.


    She felt wild and extremely satisfied. Since Duke did not want her anymore, she thought that she had


    the right to indulge in pleasure with his subordinate right below his office.


    As Mark listened to Linda¡¯s heartless words, his heart ached. He knew that if she had not done


    something that annoyed Duke, he would not have had the opportunity to do what they had just done.


    It did not matter, though. Since they had already had a sexual rtionship, she was his, and he did not


    mind anything that had happened previously between Duke and her. All he wanted was to watch over


    her.


    With those thoughts on his mind, he followed her home in his car. It was only after the light in her room


    inside her home came on that he turned off his car engine, leaned back in his seat, and closed his


    eyes.


    The next day, as soon as Mark opened his eyes, he saw Lindaing downstairs, carrying an attach¨¦


    case. Immediately, he got out of the car and stopped her.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Linda frowned when she saw Mark suddenly appear in front of her.


    ¡°What is it to you where I am going?¡±


    We have only slept together once. That does not give him the right to control me. With that, Linda


    snorted and continued on her way, carrying the case.


    Mark thought that she wanted to run away from him, so he grabbed her case and held on tight to it.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


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    Linda frowned. If I do not answer his question, will he hold on to my case and keep me here?


    ¡°I¡¯m headed for Turlen, where Duke has sent me on a mission. Do you have any objections to that?¡±


    she asked coldly.


    Having ascertained that she was not avoiding him on purpose, he released the case, and she left in a


    car.


    Mark looked in her direction and then gave Duke a call, telling his boss that he would like to go to


    Turlen with her. Duke was agreeable to it. After all, Linda had partnered with Mark for many years, and


    they were well-coordinated, which would result in the early sessfulpletion of the task should


    they head to Turlen together.


    Thus, Duke asked Mark to head for the airport straightaway while he sent his secretary to bring the visa


    to thetter.


    For the past few days in Turlen, Xavier had watched the lovey-dovey interactions between Harvey and


    Sonia and found them unbearable. Finding it impossible to stay there anymore, he picked up his phone


    and wallet and headed straight for the bar.


    Inside the bar¡¯s dimly-lit and bustling atmosphere, he phoned Dillon toe over and have a drink with


    him.


    Dillon was d to receive his call. He knew Xavier hade over there for work, so he dared not take


    the initiative to contact him. Rather, he waited for thetter to reach out to him at his own convenience.


    After arriving at the bar, they took seats and drank while watching the men and women dancing in the


    center of the dance floor.


    ¡°Dude, what have you been doing recently?¡± Xavier asked as he looked at Dillon.


    Dillon replied with a smile, ¡°My father got a job for me, so I¡¯ve been working.¡±


    Xavier nodded and continued watching the dance floor absentmindedly. Suddenly, he frowned and got


    up to head in that direction, but Dillon stopped him.


    ¡°Eric, what are you doing?¡± It looks like his eyes are shooting out mes.


    ¡°Dillon, I can¡¯t drink with you tonight. Let¡¯s drink together another time.¡± As Xavier spoke, he took out a


    stack of money and ced them onto Dillon¡¯s palm before he walked toward the center of the dance


    floor, where he looked at a man who was tugging on a woman¡¯s arms. ¡°Let her go!¡± he demanded


    sternly.

 Chapter 1602

    Chapter 1602


    Chapter 1602 I Have Misunderstood Her


    Hearing the familiar voice, Lana whipped around. When she realized the person standing before her


    was the man who had been on her mind constantly, she was so excited that she wanted to leap into his


    arms immediately. However, the thought of how he had heartlessly broken up with her had her stop


    dead in her tracks.


    Watching the mes of fury in Xavier¡¯s eyes, she suddenly refused to struggle any longer. Instead, she


    leaned against the other man¡¯s chest and said to Xavier, ¡°Who do you think you are? What right do you


    have to bother us?¡±


    When the other man heard what Lana had said, he thought Xavier was just another stranger who


    wanted to hit on her. With a hostile gaze, he looked at Xavier. ¡°Bro, you¡¯rete. I saw her first. If you


    want to pick up a chick, you have to move fast!¡± After saying that, he prepared to leave with his arm


    around Lana.


    At that sight, Xavier hastily held Lana¡¯s hand. ¡°Are you sure you want to leave with him?¡±


    Aggrieved, she looked at him and replied, ¡°It¡¯s not my wish to leave with him. It¡¯s all because you don¡¯t


    want me anymore. You want to dump me!¡±


    ¡°Did you hear that? She¡¯s my girlfriend!¡± Xavier stared at the other man with his prating eyes.


    Thetter had not anticipated that Lana had a boyfriend. He was in no position to get entangled with


    that sort of woman. At that thought, he left while grumbling under his breath.


    Dillon was watching Xavier all the while. The moment he saw Xavier grabbing Lana¡¯s hand, he realized


    something was going on between the two, so he tactfully stayed away and did not bother them.


    Xavier took Lana¡¯s hand and brought her outside, where they were met by a chilly gust of wind. The


    cold caused her to shrink back instinctively. Upon noticing that, he took off his coat and draped it over


    her.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your fake concern!¡± Lana had dignity too. She tossed the coat back to him and stared at


    him with her beautiful eyes as she raged. ¡°Haven¡¯t you broken up with me? Haven¡¯t you already


    discarded me? Why do you care what I do now?¡±


    As Xavier listened to Lana¡¯sints, he felt distressed, but more than that, he felt puzzled.


    Shouldn¡¯t she be happy that I asked to break up? After all, she already has some other man that she


    likes.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried your boyfriend will get jealous and angry if he learns that you¡¯re drinking in the bar


    like this?¡±


    Lana already had a headache from the liquor, and Xavier¡¯s words made it worse.


    ¡°You already broke up with me! How on earth do I still have a boyfriend?¡±


    Xavier was surprised by her reply and instantly pondered what she meant.


    ¡°Did you date another man after we¡¯ve broken up?¡± he asked, staring at her with expectancy brimming


    in his heart.


    Angered by his query, Lana red at him fiercely with reddened eyes. ¡°What do you mean by that? In


    your eyes, am I the kind of woman who changes boyfriend like changing clothes? Do you think I would


    find another man immediately after we broke up?¡±


    Hearing her words, Xavier stared deeply into her eyes and asked, ¡°Then who was the man who sent


    you back the night we broke up? Why did he kiss you?¡±


    When Lana heard that, she instantly sobered up a little. So he saw everything that day. No wonder he


    wanted to break up with me!


    ¡°So, you saw it all!¡± Lana looked at the quiet Xavier and smiled wryly. ¡°Then did you see what


    happened after that?¡±


    Needless to say, he had not. If he had, he would not have broken up with her.


    ¡°Eric, after he kissed me, I pped him and chased him off. You didn¡¯t see it, did you?¡±


    Xavier was shocked by her words. I¡¯ve misunderstood her!


    ¡°Lana, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know¡­¡± He immediately apologized to her. ¡°I thought you had a new lover¡­¡±


    Then, he looked at her. ¡°Can you forgive me?¡±

 Chapter 1603

    Chapter 1603


    Chapter 1603 Part On Good Terms


    Eyeing him, Lana shook her head. ¡°Without the most basic trust in each other, our rtionship will not


    last.¡± All of a sudden, she seemed to have a clear understanding of the situation. ¡°Let¡¯s part on good


    terms!¡± she said, looking at Xavier.


    With that, she turned and left. At that same instant, huge drops of tears slid down from the corner of her


    eyes, and she wept in silence.


    She really loved Xavier. Since they broke up, she was miserable every day and could not figure out


    why he ended their rtionship. When the truth finally dawned upon her, the pain she felt in her heart


    was not any lesser. Why didn¡¯t he ask to rify things when a problem arose in our rtionship? We


    lack trust in each other, the most fundamental thing in a rtionship. Without it, how can we stay


    together forever?


    When Xavier heard Lana¡¯s words, his heart ached fiercely as he watched her departing figure.


    Immediately, he rushed forward and hugged her tightly from behind.


    He rested his chin on her shoulder and said in a deep voice, ¡°Lana, I was wrong, I was really wrong. I


    swear, no matter what happens in the future, I will trust you. Please forgive me.¡±


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    ¡°We¡¯re not suitable for each other,¡± Lana said. Warm tears fell on the back of his hands that were


    embracing her, and the tears seemed to burn his heart too.


    She¡¯s crying!


    At that realization, he walked around Lana to face her. Wiping the tears from her face with his thumb,


    he said in distress, ¡°Don¡¯t cry. It¡¯s all my fault. My heart breaks when you cry.¡±


    When she heard those words, she cried even harder.


    It was painful for him to see her cry. Cupping her face, he wiped the tears away gently.


    ¡°Darling, I made a mistake. I shouldn¡¯t have misunderstood you and broken up with you. You can scold


    me and beat me, but stop crying. You know that I can¡¯t bear to see you cry.¡±


    Listening to his warm and gentle voice, she could not help throwing herself into his arms and pounding


    on his chest with her dainty hands.


    ¡°How could you do this to me? How could you break up with me without asking me anything? Do you


    know how sad I was? You know I love you deeply, yet you chose to break up with me. You are such a


    jerk.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes, I¡¯m bad. I¡¯m a jerk.¡± As he cooed, he lowered his head to kiss her on the lips. Lana


    turned her head away but was caught by him. He hugged her tightly, leaned over, and kissed her lips.


    Lana wanted to refuse his kiss but gradually surrendered herself to him. Their lips only parted when


    they were both short of breath.


    ¡°We¡¯ve reconciled, right?¡± Xavier said as he kissed her forehead.


    Even though she said that she wanted to leave him, deep inside, her feelings told a different story. After


    hearing his words, she hummed quietly in reply.


    Excited, Xavier picked her up and twirled at the same spot a few times.


    ¡°Put me down¡­¡±


    Lana had not expected him to be so ted. They were at the entrance to the bar, where many people


    were going in and out. It would be embarrassing if her friends saw them.


    After the two had reconciled, Xavier followed Lana back to her hotel. As soon as they entered the


    room, he kissed her eagerly. Their clothes were soon scattered all over the ce, followed by heavy


    breathing sounds and soft moans.


    In the pce, those things appeared again on the screen of theputer which the queen mother had


    just bought. She stared at them with a grim expression and dialed a number after a moment of


    hesitation.


    ¡°Nancy!¡±


    Listening to that low, gentle voice, Nancy, the queen mother, felt as though her heart was about to leap


    out of her chest from how fast it was beating.

 Chapter 1604

    Chapter 1604


    Chapter 1604 Did You Miss Me


    ¡°I have some problems over here. Some unknown person has stolen our photos and keeps sending


    them to me.¡± Nancy spoke in a soft voice, which was uncharacteristic of her.


    She could never speak in amanding tone before that man. ¡°What? When did this happen?¡± The


    man¡¯s voice became solemn. ¡°It¡¯s been some time, but I didn¡¯t dare to contact you.¡±


    She was afraid of the dire consequences that would ensue should that incident blow out of proportion.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to look into it,¡± the man answered. ¡°Will you be able toe out? I¡¯ve missed you!¡± he


    then asked.


    At that, Nancy crimsoned. Even though she was sixty years old, she could not stop her heartbeat from


    quickening whenever she heard her beloved speak such words.


    ¡°Wait for me at the back entrance.¡±


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    After hanging up the phone, Nancy began to dress up. Half an hour had passed by the time she was


    ready. Presuming that the man had arrived, she sneaked out of the pce by the back entrance.


    The moment she stepped outside, someone pulled her into a tight embrace.


    ¡°You gave me a fright!¡± Nancy hit the man¡¯s chest softly.


    Under the moonlight, the man looked at her. Even though she was in her sixties, she was well


    preserved, making her look like someone in her forties. The woman was as beautiful as she had been


    before and as attractive to him as when she was young.


    ¡°Did you miss me?¡± the man asked, nibbling at her earlobe.


    Nancy¡¯s body trembled slightly, and she nodded.


    Upon receiving her response, the man picked her up and put her in the car seat that had been lowered.


    Then, he closed the car door and pressed onto her, sealing her lips with his.


    They were both ready and passionate, and so they acted upon their desires immediately. Deftly, he


    removed her clothing and explored her body with his callused hands.


    When their passion was spent, Nancyy contentedly in the man¡¯s arms.


    They had been lovers before Dn¡¯s father passed away. The opportunities to rendezvous were not


    easy toe by, so they treasured every moment together, taking photos and videos during each of


    their meetings.


    However, the photos and videos were unexpectedly stolen despite their caution. When those thoughts


    came back to her, she asked the man, ¡°What should we do about the stolen photographs and videos?


    In the other party¡¯s hands, they¡¯re a time bomb.¡±


    The man¡¯s hands had been roaming her body greedily. When he heard her question, he narrowed his


    eyes and answered, ¡°Leave it to me. Don¡¯t you worry about it.¡± With that, he pressed onto her again.


    In Chanaea, Susanne regained consciousness two dayster.


    A smile appeared on her pale face when she saw Vinson and Arielle.


    ¡°Finally, you two have returned,¡± she said weakly as she looked at them.


    They have no idea how worried I was for them when they were in Turlen.


    ¡°Mom, are you feeling better?¡± Arielle looked at Susanne with concern in her eyes. ¡°You have to let us


    know if you feel unwell.¡±


    As the former gazed at thetter, she was filled with guilt. If she had not gone to Turlen, followed by


    Vinson, Susanne would not have encountered that incident.


    Susanne seemed to know what she was thinking. Smiling, she said, ¡°Sannie, it¡¯s not your fault. Vinson


    has made too many enemies.¡±


    ¡°I know, Mom. You should rest more and not talk too much.¡± Arielle could tell that Susanne was tired,


    so she quickly urged her to rest.


    Susanne nodded. Indeed, she felt a little tired but did not want to close her eyes as she wanted to see


    more of her son and daughter-inw. Nheless, she was weak from having just awoken, so she


    closed her eyes.


    Both Vinson and Arielle knew she would want to see them when she woke up again. Hence, they


    stayed in the ward to watch over her.

 Chapter 1605

    Chapter 1605


    Chapter 1605 Danger


    While looking after Susanne in the ward, Arielle told Vinson about the photos she sent to Nancy. ¡°She


    must be hopping mad right now since she can¡¯t reach you even though she wants to,¡± Vinson said


    while narrowing his eyes.


    Arielle chuckled and said, ¡°She probably has exploded.¡± At that point, she looked at him. ¡°Once Mom


    feels better, I¡¯ll recruit a few doctors and bring them to Turlen.¡±


    Her words reminded Vinson of the fact that he had to bring some of his men to Turlen. Once his mother


    was discharged from the hospital, he had to make the necessary arrangements. Before that, they had


    decided to return to the country and stay for some time because the situation in Turlen had stabilized.


    However, the issue of Dn and Nancy wrestling for power had be heated, so Vinson and Arielle


    could not stay in Chanaea any longer.


    Dn might have his supporters, but Nancy must have had even more loyal followers. After all, she


    had been in power for years. Vinson was worried about Dn as he had no clue what might happen to


    thetter had he failed in the revolt.


    Susanne was discharged from the hospital a weekter. Arielle conducted a thorough body checkup for


    her personally and was confident that her mother-inw had almost recovered. The older woman only


    needed to recuperate for some time, and she would be fit as a fiddle then.


    Throughout Susanne¡¯s stay in the hospital, Arielle cooked all her meals and did everything that was


    rted to her. Susanne was pleased with everything her daughter-inw had done for her, even though


    she was not vocal about it.


    Not many daughters-inw could look after their husbands¡¯ mothers like Arielle did. Susanne felt that


    she could have Arielle as her daughter-inw because her son had good taste, not because of her


    luck. Had he not insisted on marrying Arielle, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to find a daughter-inw who¡¯s half


    as good as Arielle.


    When Susanne saw Arielle was about to enter the kitchen, she beckoned her over. ¡°Sannie, why don¡¯t


    you take a rest? Just get the housekeeper to cook tonight¡¯s dinner,¡± she said, motioning thetter to sit


    beside her.


    At that, Arielle walked over and sat next to Susanne with a smile stered to her face. They felt a little


    awkward as they had never been that close before. Nheless, there was a vague hint of blissfulness


    in the air.


    ¡°Sannie, does your father know you¡¯ve returned?¡± Susanne tried to initiate small talk with Arielle as she


    did not know what else to say.


    Arielle shook her head. Her reaction took her mother-inw by surprise. ¡°Howe? Didn¡¯t you tell


    him?¡±


    ¡°Mom, I faced two assassination attempts when I was in Turlen. To find out the mastermind, I even had


    to fake my death and hide the truth from my dad in thest assassination attempt.¡±


    Susanne almost broke into a cold sweat from terror even though Arielle narrated the dangers she had


    faced in the calmest tone.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous over there!¡± Overwhelmed with worry, she looked at the younger woman and asked


    in concern, ¡°Do you two still need to return to that country?¡±


    I¡¯m not trying to be selfish, but Vinson is my only son. I fear that something terrible may happen to him.


    Upon hearing that question, Arielle fell silent.


    She must get to Turlen because her biological father was there and needed her help. She could not


    just stay in Chanaea and do nothing.


    Based on Arielle¡¯s reaction, Susanne could deduce her stance on that matter.


    She had no intention of stubbornly stopping them from leaving. It was just that she was worried about


    their safety as a mother since Turlen was too unsafe. However, if they insisted on going, she would still


    give them her blessing.

 Chapter 1606

    Chapter 1606


    Chapter 1606 Not In Favor Of The King


    ¡°Sannie, I¡¯m just worried about you and Vinson, but if duty calls, I¡¯ll not stop you two from leaving.¡±


    Susanne looked at her and continued, ¡°But I want you and Vinson to take good care of yourselves, and


    please watch out for your safety. You two are my children. I¡¯d be devastated if something bad happens


    to any of you.¡±


    Arielle was touched by her words. ¡°Thank you, Mom. Don¡¯t worry. Vinson and I will return in one piece.


    I promise,¡± she replied, her heart and voice brimming with gratitude.


    Susanne said nothing in return and merely stroked her daughter-inw¡¯s hair gently. A corner of


    Vinson¡¯s lips quirked up when he came downstairs and saw their interaction.


    ¡°Vinson, Sannie said she faced two assassination attempts in Turlen. Make sure you protect her since


    you¡¯re going to be with her,¡± Susanne exhorted her son as soon as she saw himing downstairs.


    The man responded with a smile of resignation. Come on, Mom. That goes without saying.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom!¡± he reassured.


    While the three were having small talk, Susanne suddenly asked about the political situation in Turlen.


    She then learned that Arielle¡¯s father was fighting for power against her grandmother. Upon finding out


    that Dn was at a disadvantage at the moment, she began to worry.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t he be helpless now that you two are away?¡± Susanne became even more anxious the more


    she thought about the matter. ¡°Since my injuries have mostly recovered and Vinson has deployed


    people to protect me, you two should head back to Turlen as soon as possible!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, Mom. There¡¯s no need to leave in a hurry. I wish to bring a few doctors along as there¡¯s a


    shortage of medical support in Turlen. It¡¯s my dad¡¯s wish to hire a few Chanaean doctors and bring


    them over,¡± Arielle said while holding Susanne¡¯s hands.


    ¡°I need to bring some men over as well. It¡¯s difficult for us to do anything when we don¡¯t have our


    people to mobilize,¡± Vinson chimed in.


    Susanne decided not to voice her opinion anymore since the couple had ns in their minds. Despite


    having urged Vinson and Arielle to get back to Turlen to support Dn, deep in her heart, she still


    wished they could spend a few more days with her. Once they leave, I know I won¡¯t be able to see


    them in the next few months.


    Meanwhile, at the pce in Turlen, Sybil stood before Dn¡¯s desk with a grim expression.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Your Majesty, we do not have the upper hand in the current situation. General Matthew and the others


    have decided to support the queen mother.¡±


    Dn¡¯s expression was dark. Though he had gradually regained some power in thest two years, no


    one dared to side with him, afraid of offending Nancy as she had always been Turlen¡¯s ultimate


    decision maker.


    This country belongs to my family. Those who continuously pledge their support for the queen mother


    must be blind!


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard you!¡± Dn massaged his temples as he was experiencing a migraine.


    At the same time, Lawrence invited Harvey over to the Wynter residence to analyze the political


    situation in the country.


    Harvey¡¯s eyes were dark as he exined, ¡°The current development is not in favor of His Majesty!¡±


    The young man was bewildered by the limited power and resources that the king of Turlen had at hand.


    In other words, the king was nothing but a puppet monarch.


    Lawrence bobbed his head in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted to discuss this with you. Are there ways


    for us to build up Dn¡¯s support so that he could rival the queen mother?¡±


    Harvey narrowed his eyes when he heard the question. That¡¯s a tough row to hoe.


    ¡°Since General Matthew belongs to the queen mother¡¯s camp, let¡¯s convince him to support His


    Majesty,¡± he proposed.


    Lawrence instantly shook his head.

 Chapter 1607

    Chapter 1607


    Chapter 1607 Canceling The Coboration


    ¡°Sybil said His Majesty did try approaching General Matthew, but he¡¯s still on the fence. It seems that


    he intends to adopt a neutral stance.¡± Seeing the puzzlement on Harvey¡¯s face, Lawrence exined to


    him to give him a clearer picture of Matthew¡¯s standpoint.


    Yet, Harvey still thought it was worth a shot. ¡°Take me to General Matthew. I¡¯ll have a chat with him. If


    I¡¯m able to change his mind, His Majesty will benefit greatly from his support,¡± he said while staring at


    Lawrence.


    Lawrence paused for a moment and went deep in thought. I suppose we can give it a shot. There¡¯s


    nothing to lose even if the discussion falls through. But if everything goes well, His Majesty will gain a


    strong ally.


    Since they had made up their mind, he immediately brought Harvey to visit Matthew. While they were


    about to leave the living room, they bumped into Kelly and Sonia.


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    ¡°Father, where are you going?¡± Sonia could not help but ask Lawrence when she saw he was about to


    leave the house with Harvey.


    Kelly, too, looked at the two men and frowned.


    To that day, she still had yet to develop a positive impression of that young man. s, she could only


    keep her thoughts to herself since her husband and daughter were fond of him.


    ¡°There¡¯s something we need to attend to right now. You should stay at home and apany your


    grandparents. You¡¯ve been away for quite some time, and they missed you dearly,¡± Lawrence said to


    Sonia.


    He knew his daughter would sneak out of the house had he told her to apany her mother. That


    was because Kelly had yet to ept Harvey as her future son-inw.


    Sonia immediately agreed to stay back upon hearing that her grandparents missed her. Still, she was


    worried about Harvey when she recalled that he was a Chanaean and was unfamiliar with Turlen.


    Hence, she smiled at Lawrence and said, ¡°Father, Harvey doesn¡¯t know much about our country, so


    please take good of him.¡±


    At that, Lawrence looked at his daughter. She¡¯s not even married to him, yet her world seems to


    revolve around thisd.


    ¡°I will!¡± he responded and then left the house with Harvey.


    After the two men left, Sonia nced at the grim-faced Kelly. She could not help but feel ufortable


    when she remembered how her mother insisted on having her abort her child back then. Nevertheless,


    she could not simply ignore Kelly since thetter was her mother who birthed and raised her.


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯m going to keep Grandpa and Grandmapany now,¡± Sonia said and left without waiting


    for her mother¡¯s reply.


    Kelly knew Sonia was dissatisfied with her because of their argument over the abortion and how she


    had tried to matchmake her with Aaron. Wordlessly, she nced at her daughter and returned to her


    room.


    Meanwhile, Nico sat on the swing at the Nighy residence with a downhearted expression.


    She had been trying to track Vinson¡¯s whereabouts but to no avail.


    All of a sudden, she seemed to recall something and immediately made a call.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Aaron, who was at Paelsford Manor, answered her call icily.


    Nico was not bothered by his attitude.


    ¡°Your Royal Highness, do you have Mr. Knightley¡¯s contact details? I¡¯ve been looking for him in thest


    couple of days, but I couldn¡¯t find him no matter how hard I tried,¡± she said and sighed. Her tone was


    filled with disappointment.


    Aaron¡¯s face darkened at the mention of Vinson.


    ¡°Our coboration is canceled from today onward,¡± he said indifferently.


    Upon hearing that, Nico knitted her brows. He¡¯s canceling our coboration? Why?


    She promptly asked, ¡°What do you mean, Aaron? Why are you canceling our coboration out of


    nowhere?¡±


    Before Aaron could respond, Nico covered her mouth as though she seemed to have recalled


    something.

 Chapter 1608

    Chapter 1608


    Chapter 1608 Regret Marrying Him


    How did I forget about the fact that Arielle had passed away? Nico smacked her own forehead in


    annoyance.


    Before Aaron could answer her, she quickly said, ¡°Call it off, then!¡±


    Aaron hung up without replying to her.


    When Nico realized Aaron had already hung up the phone, she sighed. Where else can I get


    information on Vinson?


    After hanging up the phone, Aaron sat on the couch with a long face. Suddenly, he seemed to have


    remembered something, so he got up and went to the pce. After staying over at Nancy¡¯s for around


    two hours, he left.


    He then went to see Celeste.


    Ever since he left, it had been a few days since he hadst seen her.


    Hence, Celeste was over the moon when she saw Aaron visiting her.


    She had returned to her senses after what had happened to Aaron, and she had been prioritizing him


    over herself.


    ¡°Have you not been looking after yourself? Why have you be skinny?¡± Celeste asked worriedly.


    Upon hearing those caring words, Aaron¡¯s long face turned into a smile. ¡°I haven¡¯t be skinny!¡±


    Despite his words, Celeste could tell Aaron hadn¡¯t been eating well, and he looked skinnier than the


    last she saw him.


    ¡°Would you like to stay and have dinner with me?¡± Celeste added, ¡°If you¡¯re busy, you don¡¯t have to.¡±


    Aaron nodded when he realized he hadn¡¯t had a meal with Celeste in a long while.


    Celeste was ted when she saw his response.


    ¡°Have a stroll around the pce, okay? I¡¯ll make some of your favorite dishes.¡± Celeste got up and


    went to the kitchen. Aaron wanted to stop her, but he didn¡¯t.


    Delighted, Celeste went to the kitchen. Aaron, on the other hand, got bored and went out for a walk.


    Without realizing it, he arrived at Dn¡¯s pce. He then halted in his tracks and was about to leave.


    Right then, he saw Sybil sending a man out. That man was the Earl in charge of immigration.


    Aaron¡¯s gaze darkened. Has Father garnered support from the Earl?


    With his narrowed eyes, he stared at Dn¡¯s pce for quite a while before returning to Celeste¡¯s


    pce. As he sat on the couch, he kept thinking about Dn. He was so deep in thought that he


    couldn¡¯t even hear Celeste calling out to him.


    ¡°Aaron?¡± Celeste waved her hand in front of Aaron, and he snapped out of his daze and asked, ¡°What


    is it?¡±


    Celeste frowned and said, ¡°What were you thinking about? I have been calling out to you, and you


    didn¡¯t even react.¡±


    Aaron knew exactly what was on his mind when he didn¡¯t hear Celeste¡¯s callings. However, he simply


    answered, ¡°I¡¯m graduating soon, so I was just thinking about what to do after that.¡±


    ¡°What else but politics? That¡¯lle in handy when you be the king,¡± Celeste answered


    unhesitatingly before urging, ¡°Wash your hands before going to the dining room for dinner.¡±


    Aaron thought her suggestion was sound. With a smile, he went to wash his hands. During dinner,


    Celeste kept piling his te up with food.


    ¡°Eat more, okay? You ought to gain back the weight you¡¯ve lost,¡± she said.


    Aaron nced at the dishes and noticed that those were all his favorite dishes when he was little.


    However, his preference had changed over the years. Regardless, he kept mum and finished the food.


    Since Celeste had made them for him, he didn¡¯t want them to go to waste.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°Mother, over the years, have you ever regretted your decision to marry Father?¡± Aaron asked.

 Chapter 1609

    Chapter 1609


    Chapter 1609 Sleep At Home


    Celeste was stunned because she didn¡¯t expect that question from Aaron. If he were to ask her back


    then, she would say yes because, after all, she had been unable to get Dn to love her back, and she


    was on her own over the years.


    However, ever since she was told that Aaron¡¯s fate was unclear when he was in trouble, she had


    already let go of everything else and focused on Aaron.


    Despite not being loved by Dn, she was grateful that he had given her a son. Although her son¡¯s


    background wasn¡¯t great, she was still grateful for his existence.


    She shook her head gently while looking at Aaron. ¡°Aaron, I don¡¯t regret marrying your father.¡± When


    she saw the curious look in his eyes, she smiled and continued, ¡°That¡¯s because, without him, I


    wouldn¡¯t have you.¡±


    Celeste¡¯s short and simple sentence was enough to turn Aaron¡¯s eyes watery. Who knew I was that


    important in Mother¡¯s heart?


    With that thought in mind, he went up to her and hugged her. ¡°Mother, thank you for bringing me into


    this world.¡±


    Celeste patted his back lightly and tenderly. She never thought she would be that close to her son.


    Meanwhile, Sonia was keeping her grandparentspany at the Wynter residence, and she had told


    them about her and Harvey. Upon hearing that, they were happy that they had gotten a grandson-in-


    law, and they couldn¡¯t wait to meet him.


    Hence, when Lawrence returned with Harvey that afternoon, they invited Harvey over.


    A bright smile appeared on Sonia¡¯s face when she saw him. She dashed toward Harvey and held his


    arm before introducing her grandparents to him. ¡°These are my grandparents.¡±


    Harvey instantly smiled and greeted them.


    After having a chat with Harvey, her grandparents were very pleased with their grandson-inw. Her


    grandmother had even whispered to her discreetly, saying that she had picked a good partner.


    Sonia smiled upon hearing that.


    After their dinner, Harvey wanted to bring Sonia back to the apartment, but they were stopped by Kelly.


    ¡°Sonia, you guys aren¡¯t officially married yet, so you shouldn¡¯t stay with him. Since you¡¯re back, stay at


    home instead of spending your nights elsewhere,¡± Kelly uttered.


    In truth, a conservative practice like that wasn¡¯tmon in Turlen, and many unmarried couples lived


    together. However, Kelly wasn¡¯t happy with Harvey, so she didn¡¯t want Sonia to stay with him.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Suddenly, Harvey¡¯s grip on Sonia¡¯s hand tightened. He didn¡¯t expect Kelly to get Sonia to stay behind.


    I¡¯ve onlye here to have a discussion with Lawrence. How is this happening?


    Lawrence, who was right beside them, heard Kelly¡¯s demand. His gaze darkened when he saw the


    couple holding each other¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind your mother. Go home, okay? Visit your grandparents when you guys are free,¡± Lawrence


    said to Sonia and Harvey.


    He knew what was Sonia afraid of, so he didn¡¯t want her to constantly be on her guard the entire time


    she was staying with them. Besides, she was pregnant. If she were to be moody, it would affect the


    health of his future grandchild.


    That was why he unhesitatingly told the young couple to leave.


    Kelly was angered, and she left because she didn¡¯t expect Lawrence to embarrass her in front of Sonia


    and an outsider. Lawrence could only let out a helpless sigh as he watched her leave.


    ¡°Father¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Go home.¡± Lawrence waved them away.

 Chapter 1610

    Chapter 1610


    Chapter 1610 Snack


    Harvey and Sonia merely exchanged nces before leaving. After watching them leave, Lawrence


    went to the room and saw Kelly sobbing. He shook his head helplessly and approached her.


    ¡°Are you angry?¡± he asked before trying to put his arms around her. She avoided him, but he wasn¡¯t


    going to give up. Again, he tried to put his arms around her, and she gave in. Lawrence smiled, hugged


    her, and kissed her forehead. ¡°So, are you angry?¡±


    ¡°I already said I wanted Sonia to stay here with us. Why did you overrule my decision in front of that


    kid?¡± Kelly looked at Lawrence aggrievedly.


    ¡°Kelly, I think it¡¯s toote for that now. We should just give them our blessings.¡± Lawrence wiped her


    tears off of her cheeks.


    Upon hearing that, Kelly stared at him and asked, ¡°Do you think he¡¯s worthy of Sonia?¡±


    Lawrence smiled in response. Prior to that, he had already looked into Harvey, and his status alone


    was enough to prove himself worthy of Sonia. However, Lawrence couldn¡¯t bear to tell Kelly about


    Harvey¡¯s identity. After all, he was from Chanaea. Before thews were revised, he didn¡¯t dare to tell


    her about it because that would give her another reason to split the couple.


    ¡°All that matters is that they¡¯re happy, no?¡± he asked.


    Kelly remained silent.


    ¡°Kelly, I hope Sonia could be as happy as we are.¡±


    Kelly¡¯s heart melted when she heard that. Fine. As long as they¡¯re happy together.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll listen to you, and I won¡¯t object to their rtionship.¡± After a short pause, Kelly added,


    ¡°Since they¡¯re keeping the child, perhaps they should move in with us. After all, it¡¯ll be their first time


    being parents, so they¡¯ll be inexperienced. If they¡¯re here, I can at least help them.¡±


    Lawrence was overjoyed when he heard that. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll get them to move in tomorrow.¡±


    Kelly then scoffed and said, ¡°In the future, don¡¯t undermine me in front of the kids, okay? When you do


    that, you make me look bad.¡±


    ¡°Got it. I was wrong, and it won¡¯t happen again,¡± Lawrence coaxed and wrapped his arms around Kelly


    when he saw her sulking.


    Kelly couldn¡¯t help butugh when Lawrence coaxed her.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Lawrence immediately fell for that smile of hers and pinned her against the bed.


    Back in Chanaea, Arielle had just gotten under the nket when she saw Vinson walking out of the


    bathroom. At that moment, he was drying his hair with a towel.


    He¡¯s a total snack! No matter how many times she had seen him like that, her heart would still race


    frantically. Indeed, no one could resist a handsome man.


    Her gaze was so intense that Vinson noticed it right away. He abruptly turned toward her and saw her


    staring right back at him. In response, he chuckled.


    Arielle immediately returned to her senses when she heard him chuckling. After realizing that he was


    looking right back at her, she scoffed and hid under the nket.


    Seeing that, Vinson smirked and tossed the towel to the side before walking toward the bed. He flipped


    the nket aside.


    Arielle huffed and held onto the nket tightly. ¡°Let go of it!¡±


    Vinson took off his bathrobe and got under the nket as well. He then hugged her and asked, ¡°Are


    you mad at me?¡±


    In response, Arielle¡¯s lips curled into a smile. Do I get angry that easily? I was just teasing him.


    Vinson rolled over and appeared in front of her. He knew she was teasing him when he saw the smile


    on her face. Instead of getting angry, he smiled and pinned her down.

 Chapter 1611

    Chapter 1611


    Chapter 1611 Missing You


    When Arielle woke up the next day, Vinson was nowhere to be seen. She went to wash up before


    going downstairs. At that moment, Susanne was sitting on the couch and reading the newspapers.


    When Susanne saw Arielle walking down the stairs, she quickly told the housekeepers to bring


    breakfast over.


    Arielle sat down and asked, ¡°Mom, how¡¯s your recovery? Do you feel any difort?¡±


    ¡°I feel fine. No difort whatsoever,¡± Susanne answered with a smile.


    Arielle felt relieved upon hearing that. After breakfast, she went to Maureen¡¯s Kitchen. As usual,


    business was booming. She then went through the bnce sheets and found out that the business was


    doing well over the months. In order to motivate and reward the employees, she gave everyone a


    bonus.


    After leaving Maureen¡¯s Kitchen, she went to Moore Group to learn about the recent developments.


    Once she was done, she handed over the operation to the person in charge before going home. When


    she arrived home, Susanne was resting in her room, so she let her be.


    She then went to her bedroom and turned on theputer to publish a notice about recruiting doctors.


    This time around, she was offering high wages and good incentives. However, she only wanted the top


    doctors.


    Besides that, she highlighted that doctors with families could bring their family members with them, and


    she would arrange jobs and schools for them.


    Within half an hour after she published her notice, she received more than a hundred applications. She


    screened and went through them one by one before selecting the top ten applicants. She then got them


    to sign their contracts and wait for her further instructions.


    With that out of the way, Arielle whipped out her phone and opened the messages that were


    transferred to her from Nancy¡¯s side. Arielle was caught up with Susanne¡¯s matters, so she hadn¡¯t had


    the time to check those messages.


    Arielle proceeded to click into the unopened voice messages and listened to them one by one.


    ¡°Nancy!¡±


    ¡°I have some problems over here. Some unknown person has stolen our photos and keeps sending


    them to me.¡± Nancy sounded gentle and soft.


    However, the man on the other end raised his voice and asked, ¡°What? When did this happen?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been some time, but I didn¡¯t dare to contact you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to look into it,¡± the man answered before asking, ¡°Will you be able toe out? I¡¯ve


    missed you!¡±


    Nancy sounded like she was shy when she answered, ¡°Wait for me at the back entrance.¡±


    Arielle felt disgusted after she heard the conversation. What in the world is this?


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    She closed all the other unopened messages and contacted Harvey to ask about the situation there.


    Harvey told her Lawrence had brought him to see the General of the Right, and the General of the


    Right had agreed to support her father.


    When Arielle heard that, her eyes lit up. This is all thanks to Harvey. Who knew he would work so hard


    toward it?


    She then immediately informed Vinson about it. By the time he was done looking for people, both of


    them had a discussion and decided to visit Turlen the next day.


    The next day, Arielle apanied Susanne to her medical appointment and got Vinson to go to the


    hospital for a full check-up. The results he got from the check-up were the same as the ones he got the


    last time around. Arielle was relieved when the results indicated everything was fine with him.


    When she remembered that her father would have an ally, Arielle wanted to know how Nancy reacted


    to it. Hence, she listened to the voice messages once again. Suddenly, her expression turned grim.

 Chapter 1612

    Chapter 1612


    Chapter 1612 Heartache


    Her initial n was to visit Turlen in a couple of days¡¯ time. However, she decided to go over the next


    morning because Dn¡¯s condition was deteriorating. I have to head over there as soon as possible.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    With that in mind, she contacted Vinson and told him they were going to Turlen the next morning. She


    asked for the details of the men he was bringing so that she could book their flight tickets.


    Although Vinson didn¡¯t know why Arielle wanted to leave the next day, he knew something was up.


    Hence, he told her not to book flight tickets because they could use his private ne instead. After all,


    the doctors Arielle was bringing had their family members with them. It would be a hassle to make the


    arrangements for so many people.


    Arielle agreed because she wouldn¡¯t need to book flight tickets for so many people anymore. She told


    him to inform the men he was bringing to gather at the airport at nine the next morning. After that, she


    informed the doctors she had just employed.


    With everything done, she went downstairs and looked for Susanne to tell her about the ns for the


    trip to Turlen.


    Susanne had seen iting, but she still felt reluctant when she found out about their trip.


    Nheless, she knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to convince them otherwise because they were going


    there for serious matters.


    ¡°I know things are different therepared to Chanaea. Hence, you guys ought to be careful and


    vignt.¡± Susanne smiled.


    ¡°Mom, once we¡¯re done with the matters there, we¡¯lle back right away.¡± After saying that, Arielle


    nced at Susanne and whispered, ¡°When we return, we¡¯ll try for a baby. Next year, you¡¯ll have a


    grandchild. I promise.¡±


    Susanne¡¯s reluctance was washed away when she heard those words. In fact, she couldn¡¯t wait to


    send them to Turlen so that they could be back earlier and give her a grandchild.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll wait for you guys to return,¡± Susanne uttered joyfully before urging her to quickly pack up her


    belongings for the trip.


    By the time Vinson got back that night, Arielle was already done with all the preparations, and she was


    in bed while texting Sam. She wanted him to get a substitute to film the rest of the movie. She then


    transferred him money topensate for her breaching the contract.


    Obviously, Sam was unwilling to ept it. Yet, Arielle told him to treat it as an investment. Hearing that,


    Sam had no choice but to ept the money.


    The next morning, Arielle and Vinson apanied Susanne for breakfast before going to the airport.


    This time around, Vinson had arranged for a huge team of bodyguards to keep Susanne safe. At the


    same time, Sasha was appointed as her personal bodyguard. Susanne wasn¡¯tfortable with the


    arrangement at first because Sasha would have to stay with her. Be that as it may, she caved in so that


    Vinson wouldn¡¯t need to worry about her.


    While they were on their way to Turlen, both Vinson and Arielle had put on their disguises. Vinson was


    made to look like how he looked before, while Arielle lookedpletely different. She was disguised as


    Vinson¡¯s younger sister.


    When they arrived at Turlen, Vinson rang Dn and told him that he had brought ten doctors over. He


    consulted Dn on the arrangement because all the doctors were there with their family members.


    Dn hadn¡¯t seen Vinson in a while. Thinking that Arielle had passed on, he was eager to see Vinson.


    Hence, he told Vinson to bring everyone over to the pce.


    Arielle tagged along because she hadn¡¯t seen Dn for a long time, and she had missed him dearly.


    Arielle was heartbroken when she saw how skinny Dn had be. Even his hair is all white now.


    Aaron found out Vinson was seeing Dn, so he went over as well. However, he was stunned when he


    saw thedy standing next to Vinson.

 Chapter 1613

    Chapter 1613


    Chapter 1613 Exposed


    Instead of Arielle, he saw aplete stranger. He thought Vinson would bring Arielle along, and that


    was why he was shocked to see him there without her. Could it be that he didn¡¯t want to bring her here


    because she had been in danger so many times?


    At that thought, Aaron narrowed his eyes and was overwhelmed by an inexplicable emotion. On the


    other hand, there was aplicated look in Arielle¡¯s eyes when she saw Aaron. Why would he¡­ This


    is rather disappointing.


    Aaron didn¡¯t know what Arielle was thinking. When he saw her staring at him, he thought she was into


    him. In response, he merely scoffed, turned around, and left.


    Arielle thought his response was uncalled for, but she didn¡¯t mind it too much. ¡°Who might this be,


    Vinson?¡± Dn saw thedy standing next to Vinson. She looks familiar. However, it¡¯s not like we¡¯ve


    met each other before.


    Vinson told Dn Arielle¡¯s current identity.


    Upon hearing that, Dn frowned. When I investigated him, I didn¡¯t see anything about him having a


    sister. Oh, well. Maybe she¡¯s his cousin or something. It¡¯s better not to ask too much.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°Dn, regarding the families¡ª¡±


    Dn interrupted by patting Vinson¡¯s shoulder and saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Sybil will arrange them


    ording to their skill sets.¡± At that moment, he was very happy to have Vinson as his son-inw.


    Although my daughter is gone, he still cares enough to find doctors for me.


    Vinson nodded. He then remembered that he hadn¡¯t attended to the men he had brought along, so he


    thought of leaving. However, he saw how Arielle was looking at Dn, and his heart melted. It¡¯s all


    right. Those men can wait until after dinner.


    At that thought, Vinson nced at Dn and uttered, ¡°Dad, we haven¡¯t had dinner in a while. I¡¯ll stay to


    have dinner with you, is that okay?¡±


    Those words brought a smile to Dn¡¯s face instantly. My princess knew how to pick her man, all right.


    What a son-inw this is. Too bad she isn¡¯t lucky enough to enjoy what he has to offer.


    Dn was devastated when Arielle came into his mind. Vinson and Arielle saw the devastation in his


    eyes, and she wanted to tell him so badly that she was all right. Nheless, she knew how dangerous


    that could be, so she had to suppress her emotions. I¡¯ll have to tell him in due time.


    Little did she know, her identity would be exposed that very night.


    After dinner, Arielle followed Vinson to their apartment. When they arrived, those ten men he brought


    along were waiting for them at the apartment. They were only brought away after Vinson had returned.


    These men were all elites. Vinson gave them some Turlenese bills and arranged for them to stay at a


    hotel. After that, he brought Arielle back to their apartment.


    Once they had parked the car, Vinson unfastened Arielle¡¯s seatbelt for her, and that was when he


    identally brushed her breasts. In response, she let out a soft moan. Vinson lost hisposure


    almost instantaneously, and he wrapped his hand behind the back of her head before kissing her.


    That caught Arielle by surprise, and she was stunned momentarily before kissing him back. Someone


    who had been following their car watched the scene unfold before his eyes.


    The man was staring at them with his piercing gaze. The moment Vinson and Arielle got out of the car,


    he approached them and called out in a deep voice, ¡°Arielle!¡±


    Arielle could only stare at the man nkly because she was bbergasted. Who would¡¯ve thought that


    he would be the first person to see through my disguise?

 Chapter 1614

    Chapter 1614


    Chapter 1614 Devour


    However, she didn¡¯t give in that easily. She stared at Aaron with an oblivious face. ¡°Who are you?


    Who¡¯s Arielle?¡±


    When he noticed that she was still pretending, Aaron snorted. ¡°Arielle, you don¡¯t have to pretend. I


    know you¡¯re not dead.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± Arielle turned around, grabbed


    Vinson¡¯s arm, and walked into the apartment.


    ¡°I will make youe clean!¡± As he spoke, Aaron turned around and walked away. Soon, they heard


    the sound of a car starting and driving away.


    When Arielle heard Aaron¡¯s words at the entrance to the apartment, she turned around and stared in


    the direction he left before retracting her gaze. Vinson, beside her, became jealous because Aaron


    could recognize Arielle immediately. He pulled Arielle into his arms, lowered his head, and kissed her.


    Vinson violently intertwined his tongue with hers and quickly weakened Arielle¡¯s knees. By then, Vinson


    was already aroused, and he carried her into the apartment.


    At this time, Harvey had long since returned to his home with Sonia.


    A few days ago, Lawrence met them and told them what Kelly said. When they learned that she was no


    longer against them being together, they were both delighted. Although her objection didn¡¯t affect their


    rtionship, it affected their feelings. At that moment, they could finally be together with peace of mind.


    Lawrence also told them about Kelly¡¯s suggestion for them to live back home. However, when he saw


    the two in silence, he told them they didn¡¯t have to force themselves. After all, Kelly wanted them to


    return home because Sonia was pregnant and was worried they couldn¡¯t handle taking care of her.


    Sonia didn¡¯t want to go back. However, Harvey was concerned about Kelly¡¯s words and immediately


    decided to return. He realized his future mother-inw had a point. If she could look after Sonia, he


    would be relieved.


    When Harvey agreed to return, Sonia naturally agreed. After parting with Lawrence, they went back to


    pack up to return to the Wynter residence.


    Meanwhile, Vinson carried Arielle into the room and pressed her on the bed.


    ¡°B-Bath!¡± Arielle stopped Vinson¡¯s alluring lips with her hands. She had been on a long flight and also


    went to many ces. Her body had long been drenched in sweat.


    ¡°I¡¯ll prepare the bath water for you!¡± Vinson pulled Arielle¡¯s hand away and kissed her fiercely on the


    lips before turning around toward the bathroom.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    While preparing the bath water for Arielle, he went to another bathroom to shower. After washing up,


    the water in the bathtub was almost filled. Then, he wrapped a towel around him and carried Arielle into


    the bathroom. He wanted to bathe her and inevitably devour her.


    On the other side, when Aaron left, all he could imagine was the image of Arielle and Vinson kissing.


    He knew that Arielle was his elder sister, but seeing her intimate with Vinson drove him insane.


    He drove straight toward Alicia¡¯s school, parked under a tree in a dark corner, and called Alicia to ask


    her toe out.


    After receiving the phone call, Alicia quickly put on a dress and hurried down. When she came out, she


    couldn¡¯t see the car. All she saw was a red dot blinking in the dark, not far away.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Come here!¡±


    Hearing the familiar voice, she scampered over immediately. She was about to ask why Aaron had


    parked the car in the dark corner, which made her unable to see him. Before she could speak, Aaron


    grabbed her and pressed her onto the vehicle.

 Chapter 1615

    Chapter 1615


    Chapter 1615 Crazy


    ¡°Mmph¡ª¡± Aaron kissed her forcefully and sucked on her tongue. Alicia couldn¡¯t help but let out a


    whimper. Her voice stimted Aaron. He felt as if he had been walking in the desert without water for


    three days, crazily looking for water to quench his thirst.


    Aaron let go of her lips and bent her over. He seemed to not care about anything as he couldn¡¯t wait for


    even a second longer. ¡°It hurts!¡± Due to theck of forey, Alicia burst into tears when he went all the


    way.


    Before this, he would stop whenever she felt pain. Yet, that night, he was riled up by Arielle and Vinson.


    Not only did he not stop, but he also became even more relentless.


    After everything was over, Alicia¡¯s eyes were swollen red from the crying. At this moment, Aaron


    carried her into the backseat of the car. She bit her lip and stole a nce at him, not knowing what


    drove Aaron insane to the point where he didn¡¯t feel sorry for her.


    Aaron noticed her gaze and thought of what he had done to her. He felt pity for her, hugged her in his


    arms, and kissed her forehead. ¡°Do you have any ss tomorrow?¡±


    His voice was a little hoarse and sounded surprisingly pleasant to the ears.


    Alicia shook her head. She hadn¡¯t had any ss for two days now. She lived in the dorms because it


    would be convenient for her toe out whenever he came looking for her. That wouldn¡¯t be the case


    if she stayed with her grandfather.


    ¡°Come sleep at my house. I¡¯ll send you back here when you have ss.¡± Aaron let go of her as he


    finished and stepped out of the car to the driver¡¯s seat.


    After they arrived, Aaron carried Alicia into his house for her to bathe and sleep. Then, he went


    downstairs, took a few bottles of wine from the wine cab, and sat down to drink.


    After taking a shower, Alicia realized that there weren¡¯t any clothes for her to change into. Hence, she


    wrapped a bath towel around her, walked to Aaron¡¯s room, and grabbed a pair of Aaron¡¯s boxers and a


    shirt.


    After drying her hair, she realized that Aaron hadn¡¯te upstairs yet. Enduring the pain in her body,


    she went downstairs only to see a table of wine bottles and Aaron drowning himself in wine.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Alicia thought of his violent behavior toward her before. After seeing him drinking a considerable


    amount of wine aftering home, she thought he must have been in a bad mood.


    She couldn¡¯t stand him being unhappy and wanted to cheer him up.


    At that thought, she walked toward him.


    ¡°Aaron.¡±


    She called out his name softly, and Aaron turned toward her voice as soon as he heard.


    She was tall and elegant, and he could see her stunning curves through the white shirt.


    Aaron narrowed his eyes, pulled her into his arms, and whispered in her ear, ¡°Are you trying to seduce


    me by wearing that?¡±


    ¡°N-No.¡± Alicia trembled. She only put on his shirt because there weren¡¯t any spare clothes for her.


    Aaron ignored her exnation and concluded that she was trying to seduce him. He picked her up and


    walked toward the couch. When he put her down, Alicia wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed


    him.


    She wanted him to be happy and thought she could only cheer him up this way.


    Aaron kissed her lip and reached into her clothes with his hand.


    ¡°Ari¡­ Ari¡­¡±


    In the end, Aaron called out Arielle¡¯s name. After going all the way, hey on Alicia¡¯s body and closed


    his eyes.


    As she listened to his faint breathing, she couldn¡¯t believe that Aaron would call out someone else¡¯s


    name while doing that to her. At that moment, she couldn¡¯t help but feel her heart squirming in pain.

 Chapter 1616

    Chapter 1616


    Chapter 1616 Desperate Love


    Ari¡­ Ari is a really nice name. Is that the name of the girl he likes?


    Heartbroken, Alicia looked at him and gently pushed him off. She got up, put her clothes back on, and


    went upstairs to get a nket to cover Aaron with. Then, shey down, nestling in his embrace. She


    ced his arms around her waist and gently closed her eyes.


    She couldn¡¯t win his heart, but she was satisfied with having his body, even though she was just a


    substitute.


    The next day, Aaron opened his eyes only to see Alicia clinging to his body like an octopus. Her shirt


    had a few buttons open, catching him off guard. He rolled over and pressed her under him.


    After getting freaky, Alicia snuggled in Aaron¡¯s arms and whispered, ¡°Aaron, I like you. Can I stay by


    your side forever?¡±


    Alicia knew she didn¡¯t stand a chance because Aaron had a girl he liked. However, she didn¡¯t want to


    let go of Aaron. She wanted to stay by his side. As long as she could be with him, she didn¡¯t care, even


    if it meant being his mistress and having to remain his secret.


    Her love for him was simply desperate.


    Aaron¡¯s eyes darkened as he lowered them to look at her in his arms. Then, he let go of her and went


    upstairs.


    Alicia looked at him as he walked away, feeling a little dejected. Nevertheless, she refused to give up.


    She was afraid Aaron would leave her after getting together with the girl he liked.


    She didn¡¯t want to lose him.


    ¡°Aaron¡­¡± She stopped him by calling out his name. Then, she said in a low voice, ¡°Can¡¯t I be your


    mistress? I will be obedient. As long as you keep mepany from time to time, I will never disrupt


    your life.¡±


    Aaron remained silent and went straight upstairs.


    Alicia hugged her legs and wept silently. Can¡¯t you even ept such a small request? I promise I won¡¯t


    be a bother to you.


    Aaron called someone to bring a few sets of women¡¯s clothes as soon as he got upstairs and went to


    wash up.


    Fifteen minutester, he came downstairs in casual sportswear.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Hearing his footstepsing down the stairs, Alicia turned around to look. When Aaron saw her wet


    red eyes, he felt a bizarre feeling. Does she want to be with me that much?


    He walked over to her, took out a key from his pocket, and handed it to her.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Alicia looked at him and didn¡¯t reach out to take it. She was afraid it was Aaron¡¯s


    compensation for her.


    ¡°I take back what I said. I won¡¯t be by your side forever. Just please don¡¯t leave me now, okay?¡± Before


    Aaron could speak, Alicia spoke while holding back her tears.


    At that moment, she looked pitiful, and a strange feeling befell Aaron¡¯s heart.


    ¡°This is the key to the apartment next to your school. From now on, I will go there every day,¡± Aaron


    said.


    Alicia widened her swollen eyes and looked at him in confusion. Is this what I think it is? Is he letting


    me stay by his side?


    With a narrowed gaze, Aaron looked at Alicia and said in a firm tone, ¡°Alicia, I can¡¯t love you, and I


    won¡¯t. If that¡¯s what you want, then¡ª¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Before Aaron could finish, Alicia got up from the couch and hugged him tightly. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want


    anything else. Just let me stay by your side!¡±


    Aaron slowly narrowed his eyes. If it wasn¡¯t for her alluring body¡­

 Chapter 1617

    Chapter 1617


    Chapter 1617 Identity Exposed


    When Arielle opened her eyes, she found herself alone in the room at the apartment, and Vinson was


    nowhere to be seen. She washed up and got out of the room.


    Hearing her footsteps, Vinson, with an apron on, came out of the kitchen with a spat in his hand.


    ¡°You must be hungry. Breakfast will be ready soon,¡± he said, gazing lovingly at her.


    Arielle thought he had gone out to buy breakfast and did not expect he would personally cook for her.


    She could not help but smile as she walked into the kitchen, hugged him from behind, and pressed her


    cheek against his back.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What have I done in my past life to deserve such a perfect husband in this lifetime? Did I save the


    universe?¡± she cooed dreamily, a blissful look on her face.


    Vinson felt the same way too. He took her hand in his and nted a kiss on it, feeling really blessed to


    have met the woman of his dreams.


    Breakfast was ready a few minutester. Looking at the hearty meal he had prepared, she yfully put


    on a sad look and asked, ¡°Are you trying to fatten me up, so you have an excuse to go for a younger


    woman?¡±


    Vinson gently knocked her on the head and chided, ¡°What nonsense is that? Just dig in!¡±


    They were nning on trying for a baby once they got home, so he wanted to improve her health. He


    hoped that with better health, she would be better equipped to cope with the challenges of pregnancy


    and have an easier time.


    Arielle yfully made a face, then obligingly started eating.


    Some people might have preferred to eat in silence, but Arielle thought that was an awkward practice,


    so the two formed a habit of making small talks during mealtimes.


    ¡°What are you doingter?¡± Arielle asked.


    Vinson took a sip from his ss of milk and told her his ns. He intended to look Harvey up to


    discuss their next move.


    However, he had some concerns though, as Aaron had recognized Arielle the night before.


    ¡°Sannie, Aaron is aware of your identity. What is going to happen now?¡± he asked with concern.


    Arielle put down her cutlery, wiped her mouth with a tissue, and said, ¡°That is not an issue.¡±


    She nned to watch Aaron¡¯s next move and react ordingly.


    ¡°Since now you know who is the mastermind behind the plot against you and your mom, I think you


    don¡¯t need to keep up with your fake death anymore and can resume your true identity.¡± Vinson felt


    sorry for Dn, knowing the news of Arielle¡¯s death was a devastating blow to him.


    Arielle closed her eyes and fell into deep thoughts.


    If she were to tell Dn about her faking her death, she would have to tell him what Nancy did to her


    and her mother as well. She was not sure if that news would be an even greater blow to him.


    Vinson could see the hesitation in her eyes. He assured her by reasoning, ¡°As you can see, your death


    was a great blow to your father. Since Aaron already knows who you are, your father will find out soon


    too. What is the harm of letting him know personally? I am sure that will make his day!¡±


    Arielle thought he was right, so she nodded in agreement. ¡°Sure, let¡¯s tell him about it, but only him!¡±


    She nned to keep it from Nancy for a bit longer, as she wanted to keep her in suspense and watch


    her live in constant fear.


    ¡°Great! Let¡¯s go to the pce and give him the good news. I am sure he will only believe it when he


    sees you personally!¡± Vinson smilingly said.


    ¡°I thought you already made ns to meet up with Harvey?¡± Arielle was surprised he offered to go with


    her.


    Vinson shook his head and said he would postpone his meeting with Harvey and go with her to the


    pce instead.


    After agreeing on their n for the day, Vinson gave Harvey a call to postpone their meeting. Then he


    and Arielle started their journey to the pce. Arielle was enjoying the scenic drive when suddenly, her


    face fell, and she shouted out for Vinson to stop the car immediately.

 Chapter 1618

    Chapter 1618


    Chapter 1618 Impossible To Capture


    ¡°What¡ª¡± Before Vinson could blurt out a word, Arielle had already opened the door and rushed out of


    the car. Vinson hurriedly ran after her, but just a short distance away, he saw her sullenly making her


    way back, her brows tightly knitted.


    ¡°What is wrong? What did you see?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I saw a woman who resembles Sonia¡¯s kidnapper. Too bad I could not catch up with her.¡± Arielle was


    visibly upset and in disbelief. No one had managed to escape from her before, and she had finally met


    her match.


    ¡°I thought she escaped. Why is she back?¡± Vinson¡¯s eyes narrowed, confused as well.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you send Sonia a message to forewarn her? Her father is the powerful General of the Right,


    so he will be able to capture that woman in no time,¡± he added as they walked back to the car.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    As soon as Arielle got back into their car, she immediately took out her phone and sent Sonia a


    message.


    Upon receiving that news, Sonia immediately informed Lawrence. She did not bother to trouble Harvey


    as he was a foreigner and did not have as many resources or support locally to hunt for that woman.


    Lawrence had been hunting for that kidnapper in the past few days but to no avail. He was grateful that


    Arielle bumped into her and provided him with such a useful lead. He immediately sent his men to that


    area to conduct a search, confident he would find the kidnapper soon.


    Sonia thanked Arielle for her help and informed her that her father¡¯s men were already on their way to


    that area.


    Lorraine, on the run from Lawrence¡¯s men, had been staying in the slum areas in Turlen. She did not


    dare to step into any hotels for fear that Lawrence¡¯s men were keeping a close watch on those ces.


    She deeply regretted her rash decision to kidnap Sonia and sneak into the Wynter residence to steal


    the bag. In hindsight, if she had been honest with Sonia and requested an exchange of the bags, Sonia


    would likely have agreed. However, it was toote, and she had already made the terrible mistake.


    With Lawrence¡¯s men hot on her heels, it was doubly hard for her to aplish the mission she was


    assigned.


    She broke out in a cold sweat as she recalled her narrow escape from Arielle. She was about to go on


    her mission after evading Lawrence¡¯s men when she was discovered by Arielle. If not for her alertness


    and superb speed, she would have ended up in jail already.


    She took in a deep breath to calm her nerves and decided it would be wiser for her to lie low for a


    while. She reasoned it would be safer for her to remain in hiding for the time being. With that in mind,


    she hurriedly made her way back to her hiding ce.


    However, soon she sensed something was amiss and became uneasy, as the ce suddenly became


    unusually crowded. Although the people around were in in clothes, she could not help but fear that


    Lawrence¡¯s men were amongst them.


    She ducked into a nearby public toilet, opened her backpack, and started changing into her disguise.


    Examining herself in the mirror, she was satisfied with her new disguise as a man in his mid-twenties,


    confident no one would recognize her anymore.


    She quickly packed up her things, looked around carefully, and hurried out of the toilet after making


    sure no one was around. Disguised as a man, she had to be careful not to be mistaken as a pervert


    lurking in the women¡¯s toilet.


    Arielle and Vinson reached the pce and met up with Dn. When Dn got to know who she really


    was and that her earlier rumored death was staged, he was overwhelmed by emotions.


    That made Arielle a little hesitant to continue her story, worried he would not be able to handle the


    truth.

 Chapter 1619

    Chapter 1619


    Chapter 1619 Calm Down


    ¡°Do you know why I decided to stage my death, Dad?¡± Arielle looked up at Dn and asked. ¡°You


    wanted to find out who the mastermind is, right?¡± Dn was no fool, and he immediately got her point.


    ¡°So did you manage to find out?¡± he anxiously asked.


    He was, after all, a leader of a country and was quick to piece the puzzle together. Arielle nodded in


    response but pleaded for him to stay calm after hearing what she was about to reveal. ¡°Who? Who did


    that to you?¡± Dn asked, a menacing look fleeted in his eyes.


    He was a protective man who would do his best to shield those around him from harm. He cared for


    even a doctor working under him, let alone his beloved family. Anyone wishing harm upon Arielle, his


    flesh and blood, would be setting themselves up as his foe, and he could not think of anyone who had


    the audacity to do that.


    ¡°Dad, how¡¯re things between you and queen mother?¡± Arielle asked him instead. Dn did not fault


    Arielle for calling her grandma queen mother instead. He immediately got the hint and understood why


    she asked about their rtionship.


    Instantly, his face fell, and he looked her solemnly in the eye and asked, ¡°She was the one after you?¡±


    Since he already made the connection, she nodded to confirm his suspicion. ¡°Yes! And my mom! She


    caused Mom¡¯s death too!¡± Arielle¡¯s eyes reddened as she gazed at Dn, and there was anger in her


    voice.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°What?¡± Dn stood up in shock, unable to believe his own mother was the one behind Maureen¡¯s


    death. He looked deeply into Arielle¡¯s eyes and asked, ¡°Is¡­ Is that the truth? Are you sure?¡±


    He emphasized thest question, still reeling with disbelief.


    The man was torn, still trying to make sense of what he heard from Arielle. On the one hand, he knew


    his mother had always been based in Turlen, so he found it hard to believe she could have caused


    Maureen¡¯s death in a foreignnd. On the other hand, he believed his daughter would not lie to him.


    ¡°I am positive, Dad!¡± Arielle started recounting how she investigated Maureen¡¯s death and what led her


    to conclude Nancy was the one responsible.


    By the end of her story, Dn¡¯s hands were so tightly clenched into fists that his veins were popping.


    He found it hard to believe how cold-blooded his mother was. After causing Maureen¡¯s death, she even


    went after Arielle, despite knowing that Arielle was her own granddaughter! Dn could not suppress


    the anger in him anymore.


    Right away, he headed out and broke into a run.


    Oh no!


    Arielle had not expected her dad would lose hisposure and decide to confront Nancy immediately.


    She sprinted after him and shouted, ¡°Dad! Dad! Calm down!¡±


    Dn¡¯s mind was fixated on confronting his mother and asking her why she did all those horrible


    deeds. He wanted to know why she decided to kill the woman he loved most and even went after his


    daughter. He was so blinded by anger that he was not aware of Arielle¡¯s chase and her pleas for him to


    stop.


    Thankfully, Arielle was well-trained and effortlessly caught up with Dn. She pulled him back, and he


    shot her a puzzled but furious look for getting in his way. ¡°Dad, you will not be doing any good by


    confronting her now! You will only put her on high alert, and we will have more difficulty defending


    ourselves against her in the future!¡± she reasoned.


    Although Dn was still burning with rage, he was convinced by his daughter¡¯s logical reasoning and


    finally managed to calm down.


    ¡°We need to produce solid evidence and throw it in her face, Dad. That is the only way to nail her!¡±


    Arielle wanted to gather irrefutable evidence so she could bring Nancy to legal justice. She would not


    want to risk giving her grandmother any chance to wriggle out of her punishment via legal loopholes.


    Arielle had always been alert, but at that moment, she did not notice that in a dark corner, a figure was


    backing off and sneaking away from them.

 Chapter 1620

    Chapter 1620


    Chapter 1620 Who Is That Woman


    Arielle was desperately trying to calm Dn down. She was worried he would act rashly and confront


    Nancy without sufficient evidence. That would only put him in grave danger. Dn took a deep breath,


    calmed down, and asked, ¡°How much evidence have you gotten?¡±


    Arielle looked around cautiously and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back and discuss thister, Dad.¡± They were out in


    the open, and she was worried someone would overhear them.


    Dn took a hard look in the direction of his mother¡¯s pce and begrudgingly turned to head back


    with Arielle, causing her to heave a sigh of relief.


    In the meantime, the person who had sneaked away after eavesdropping on Dn and Arielle was


    running back to Celeste¡¯s pce. ¡°Your Majesty! Your Majesty¡­¡±


    Celeste frowned when she saw Miranda rushing toward her, panting heavily. ¡°Have you forgotten your


    age? Why are you still so rash?¡± There was no hint of anger in her voice as she nagged at Miranda.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I-I¡­ m-made¡­ a major discovery!¡± Miranda stammered while she was trying to catch


    her breath.


    ¡°What is the matter?¡± Celeste got up and poured her a drink, then added, ¡°Take a drink and catch your


    breath first. You can take your time to tell me what happened.¡±


    Although Miranda was in a hurry to tell Celeste what she overheard, she was too breathless to even


    finish a proper sentence. She gratefully took the ss of water from Celeste and finished it in a gulp.


    After regaining her breath, she spilled out what she saw and heard earlier to Celeste.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I heard a girl call His Majesty Dad! And she said they should produce evidence, throw it


    in her face so that she couldn¡¯t talk her way out!¡±


    Arielle had been very cautious and was conversely with Dn in Turlenese, unaware that it had


    backfired on her. ¡°What did you say?¡± Celeste sprang up in surprise upon hearing Miranda¡¯s tale.


    A girl calling Dn Dad? How is that possible? Did Dn betray me and have an affair with someone?


    Who is that woman?


    Celeste felt aggrieved, and her eyes reddened with despair as Miranda repeated word for word what


    she overheard. She wanted to rush over to question Dn but rationally held herself back.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go pay a visit to queen mother!¡± she said to Miranda, who instantly understood her intention and


    followed her. She knew Celeste wanted to find out if Nancy knew about the girl.


    Monisha hurried over to greet Celeste when she saw her walking in.


    ¡°What is Her Majesty doing now? Is she free?¡± Celeste suppressed her anxiety and asked.


    Although Monisha was the favored aide to Nancy, she knew her ce and was acting the part of a


    loyal servant to Celeste.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Her Majesty had just finished her work and is taking her rest now,¡± she respectfully replied to Celeste


    before leading her to Nancy.


    Nancy was surprised to see Celeste. ¡°What brought you here?¡± she asked, her eyes narrowed as she


    evaluated Celeste carefully.


    ¡°I have something to ask you, Mother!¡± Celeste took a seat next to her mother-inw and earnestly


    asked.


    ¡°And what is that?¡± Nancy was curious.


    ¡°Do you know that Dn has a daughter?¡± Celeste did not beat around the bush as she was desperate


    for the answer.


    ¡°Who did you hear that from?¡± Celeste¡¯s question made her mother-inw lose herposure


    instantly. Nancy stared sternly at Celeste and repeated her question. ¡°Who did you hear that from?¡±

 Chapter 1621

    Chapter 1621


    Chapter 1621 Remorseful


    Celeste was taken aback by her mother-inw¡¯s reaction, wondering why she reacted so strongly to


    her question. So she knew about Dn and his other daughter but kept that from me?


    Celeste was upset and aggrieved that Nancy was helping Dn to cover up about his illegitimate


    daughter. She thought they were fighting for power and were on opposing sides. Little did she expect


    her mother-inw would shield her son over that matter.


    ¡°Who is that woman, Mother? When did she hook up with Dn?¡± Celeste did not answer Nancy¡¯s


    question. She only looked at her pitifully and asked about the other woman.


    As a daughter-inw, she had treated Nancy with respect and thought that was reciprocated. She


    always felt her mother-inw favored her more whenpared to Dn. It was a shocking discovery


    for her to find out that her mother-inw had kept her in the dark about such a major act of betrayal.


    She felt all the love and respect she showered on Nancy had gone down the drain.


    ¡°How did you know about Dn¡¯s illegitimate child?¡± Nancy did not bother to ask how Celeste felt about


    the matter. She was more concerned about who leaked that information. After all, she thought it was a


    secret, and even Dn did not know about the matter.


    ¡°Miranda heard a girl call Dn Dad when she was in the garden earlier. She told me about it.


    Otherwise, I would still be in the dark.¡± Celeste was disgruntled. She could notprehend why her


    mother-inw was more concerned about how she found out about the matter.


    Nancy¡¯s face turned white upon hearing Celeste¡¯s reply. She jumped up from the couch and stared


    intently at Celeste, asking, ¡°What did you say? Repeat what you just said!¡±


    While Nancy was losing her mind over the discovery that Arielle had met up with Dn, her son was


    sullenly slouched on the couch, listening to the audio Arielle was ying back for him. When he heard


    his mother admitting to killing Maureen, his heart bled, and it pained him so much that he thought he


    would die from the heartache.


    Knowing that his most beloved woman was killed by his mother, he was overwhelmed with guilt. He


    knew he was too ashamed and would not be able to face Maureen in the other world.


    ¡°Sannie, I have let your mom down. And I have let you down too¡­¡±


    He could not forgive himself, thinking he was the cause of all those tragedies. If he had not fallen for


    Maureen, she would not have suffered such a tragic fate.


    He med himself, and he was extremely remorseful.


    ¡°It is not your fault, Dad! Mom felt very blessed and grateful to have fallen in love with you and bore you


    a child.¡± Arielle held on to Dn¡¯s huge, warm hand andforted him softly.


    Although Maureen had never shared her innermost feelings with her, Arielle could not remember a


    single time her mom had said anything bad about her dad.


    His daughter¡¯sforting words only made him more sorrowful, and Dn¡¯s tears rolled down his


    cheeks uncontrobly.


    He was devastated and med himself for the sufferings Maureen and Arielle went through. They had


    lived such a sad life because he failed to protect them.


    It pained Arielle to see her dad drown in sorrow and self-reproach.


    Back at Nancy¡¯s pce, Celeste was stunned by her mother-inw¡¯s dramatic reaction. She quickly


    obliged her by repeating what she had just said.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Impossible! How is that possible?¡± The woman muttered to herself, then turned to Miranda, who was


    standing behind Celeste. ¡°Miranda, did you really hear that? Are you sure?¡± she questioned brashly.


    Miranda definitely would not dare to utter a single word of untruth to Nancy. She hurriedly swore on her


    life that she was telling the truth and that she did hear the girl call Dn Dad.


    Nancy¡¯s heart sank as she heard that. Arielle is supposed to be dead, so if a girl called Dn Dad, it


    could only mean¡­

 Chapter 1622

    Chapter 1622


    Chapter 1622 She Is Not Dead


    The expression on Nancy¡¯s face turned menacing as she thought about how Arielle had slyly faked her


    own death to deceive her.


    No! Something is not right!


    She immediately turned to Monisha and whispered, ¡°We sent someone to investigate Arielle¡¯s death.


    Did that persone back with a report?¡±


    Monisha searched her mind and recalled that that investigator did note back to them with a report,


    and she stood rooted to the ground in bewilderment.


    Nancy could already tell what had happened by Monisha¡¯s change in expression, and she sunk into


    great despair.


    She realized Arielle had faked her own death to find the mastermind, and she had foolishly fallen for


    her trick.


    Her hands clutched together tightly at that horrifying thought.


    ¡°What has that got to do with Arielle, Mother?¡± Celeste was utterly confused, wondering why her


    mother-inw was harping on what happened to Arielle when they were talking about Dn¡¯s


    illegitimate child.


    Moreover, Arielle was already dead, and Celeste superstitiously felt it was unlucky to talk about a


    deceased person.


    Looking at the clueless Celeste, Nancy knew there was no point in covering up anymore. She was only


    shocked that Arielle would actually put on a disguise and take a risk toe into the pce to meet


    Dn.


    A father and a daughter¡¯s rtionship sure are stronger!


    Suddenly, her expression turned dark as she made more bted realizations.


    So the father and daughter knew of each other¡¯s identity? When? Was it before Dn¡¯s birthday party?


    No wonder he made an entrance with Arielle by his side!


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Mother! Who is Dn¡¯s illegitimate child? And who is the woman who seduced Dn?¡± The thought


    that Dn had betrayed her and bore a child with another woman was unbearable, and Celeste was


    burning with rage.


    ¡°Arielle!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Celeste looked at her mother-inw, puzzled why she kept talking about Arielle.


    ¡°Arielle is Dn¡¯s secret child!¡± Nancy sted out the truth, annoyed that Celeste was too dense to get


    the idea herself.


    Celeste looked at her in disbelief and asked, ¡°Did you just say Arielle is Dn¡¯s secret child?¡±


    Her mother-inw nodded and added, ¡°I kept it from you as I wanted to silently finish her off instead. I


    did not expect you to find out Dn has an illegitimate child. There is no point in hiding that from you


    now.¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t Arielle dead?¡± Celeste stared at her and mumbled, ¡°If she is, then how is it possible for her to


    be with Dn and call him Dad? So she is not dead, after all?¡±


    The other woman sullenly nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. She is not dead!¡±


    The news that Arielle was Dn¡¯s illegitimate child and that she was still alive was too much for


    Celeste to handle. She stood there dumbfounded as the past shed by in her mind.


    Arielle was a Chanaean, and Dn had married Celeste only a year after he returned from Chanaea.


    After their marriage, he had not left the country. That meant Dn had another woman before he met


    her, and Arielle was born before they got married.


    She had no idea Dn was in love with another woman before they met. If she had known, she would


    not have chosen to marry him.


    It was with mixed emotions that she finally realized why her husband had refused to share a space with


    her all those years that they were married.


    ¡°You had always known that Dn has a person he loves in Chanaea, didn¡¯t you, Mother?¡± It was more


    of a statement than a question.


    When Nancy nodded in affirmation, Celeste broke out in tears.


    ¡°Since you knew he was in love with another woman, why did you arrange for me to marry him?¡± she


    shouted hysterically at her mother-inw, tears flowing copiously from her sad-looking eyes.


    All those times, she thought Dn did not like her and the idea of arranged marriage. She was hoping


    that, with time, she could touch him with her love. s, the fact was that his heart was already taken by


    another woman, and there was nothing left for her.


    Nancy was enraged by Celeste¡¯s usation and shouting, as she had never been treated with such


    disrespect in her entire life.

 Chapter 1623

    Chapter 1623


    Chapter 1623 Go Back If You Want To Act Crazy


    ¡°Celeste!¡± Nancy looked at Celeste coldly. ¡°Go back if you want to act like a crazy woman. This ce


    isn¡¯t for you to do whatever you want.¡±


    At that very moment, Celeste was so overwhelmed with hatred that she stared daggers at her before


    turning around to storm out.


    Nancy felt so furious her chest hurt upon seeing that expression of hers.


    But thinking of how Celeste had lived like a widow for many years left her feeling a pang of guilt that


    she eventually suppressed the fury raging in her.


    ¡°Your Majesty, what should we do now?¡± Monisha looked at Nancy worriedly. ¡°That person knows


    you¡¯re the one behind it. If you get ratted out¡­¡±


    Thetter shot Monisha a nce, then walked toward the windows and stared outside intently.


    The fact that Arielle is alive means they¡¯ve already caught those people I¡¯ve sent over. There are only


    two possibilities for there to be no news for so long. Either that person hasn¡¯t revealed the mastermind


    behind him, or Arielle has other ns in mind. No matter which it is, I can¡¯t let my guard down. But of


    course, the critical thing now is to resolve the inte matter first.


    At the thought of how the opposite party could find out what she was doing and saying at all times, she


    could not contain her anger and displeasure.


    Meanwhile, Celeste intended to look for Dn after returning to her pce. She wanted to divorce him,


    but before she could, Miranda stopped her.


    ¡°Your Majesty, aren¡¯t you giving in to that illegitimate child if you get a divorce at this point?¡± Celeste did


    not understand what Miranda was trying to say. Why does my divorce mean that I¡¯m giving in to


    Arielle?


    Noticing that pair of befuddled eyes, Miranda quickly added, ¡°If you get a divorce now, Prince Aaron will


    be the one to suffer. His Majesty already doesn¡¯t have a good impression of him; if you get a divorce,


    aren¡¯t you just granting His Majesty¡¯s wish?¡±


    Granting Dn¡¯s wish? Celeste¡¯s eyes were full of puzzlement. What does she mean?


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid Arielle¡¯s mother will take your position after your divorce and bear another son for His


    Majesty. If that happens, Prince Aaron¡¯s position will be at stake.¡±


    Celeste was stumped. That¡¯s right; how can I get a divorce and ruin my son¡¯s future just because I¡¯m


    not living blissfully? I mustn¡¯t divorce him. I must hold onto my position as the Queen of Turlen. Only


    that way can my son seed to the throne and be the king in due course.


    ¡°Miranda, it¡¯s good you reminded me in time. Otherwise, I¡¯d have put Aaron¡¯s position at risk,¡± Celeste


    expressed while looking at Miranda sincerely.


    Miranda shook her head lightly. In truth, her suggestion was not only for Celeste and Aaron but also for


    herself and her family. After all, she had raised Aaron and watched him grow up. His entitlement to the


    throne would surely do her family good.


    ¡°Your Majesty, do you think Her Majesty the Queen will find fault with His Majesty after she returns?¡±


    Monisha could not help but feel worried when she thought of how Celeste left in a huff.


    Nancy shook her head. ¡°If she¡¯s smart enough, she won¡¯t do that.¡±


    Once she finished speaking, she sat back down on the couch. She had one hand propped against her


    head and the other rubbing her temples. Catching a glimpse of that, Monisha went up behind her and


    helped give her a massage. About half an hourter, just after she closed her eyes for a rest, the


    secretary came in and called her in a low voice.


    At that, she narrowed her eyes as she looked in his direction.


    ¡°Your Majesty, we¡¯ve received a call from that person, asking us to be prepared as someone will send


    over the stuff within the next few days.¡± The secretary nced at her and put forth his purpose of


    coming.


    As she did not expect that the parcel would arrive so soon, Nancy was a little shocked at first. But other


    than being shocked, she was even more surprised about it. Well, Lady Luck is indeed on my side!


    Waving her hand to dismiss her secretary, she pulled out her phone and dialed a number.

 Chapter 1624

    Chapter 1624


    Chapter 1624 Just Leave It To Me


    Nancy seemed to be in anticipation as the call went through after a few rings.


    ¡°Why do you have time to call me, Your Majesty? How rare this is!¡± A man¡¯s deep voice rang from the


    other end of the call.


    As soon as Nancy heard the man¡¯s voice, her lips curled into a grin.


    ¡°I shan¡¯t beat around the bush. I called this time because I have a favor to ask of you. I wonder if you


    will agree to it.¡±


    Although looking ratherposed, she was, in fact, a little uneasy on the inside. Despite having


    several interactions with him for the past few years, she could not fully grasp his character even at this


    point.


    The Duke left his desk and walked to the window. Looking at the night view outside, he let out a few


    laughs. ¡°How am I supposed to agree if Your Majesty doesn¡¯t tell me what it is?¡±


    Nancy immediately figured there was a glimpse of hope that the opposite party would agree. Without


    hesitation, she told him about her request.


    He thought she had asked for his help because there was something important. However, it turned out


    that it was such an easy matter. As such, he agreed without giving it further consideration.


    ¡°I shall thank you for troubling you regarding the matter.¡± She heaved a deep sigh of relief after learning


    that he agreed so readily.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just leave it to me!¡± Finishing his words, he hung up the phone before making another


    call. Shortly after, a woman came in.


    ¡°Thework of the owner of this number has been bugged. Get it cracked immediately.¡± As he spoke,


    he leaned back on his chair with his eyes shut for a short rest.


    The woman looked at the number on the man¡¯s phone and strode out right after.


    In the apartment, Arielle furrowed her brows after reading the message on her phone.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Vinson asked as he walked over, with his gaze narrowed.


    ¡°Someone is trying to crack the system I¡¯m using to spy on the queen mother.¡± With that, she walked


    away and went to the room. Inside, she grabbed theptop from the desk, headed to the couch, and


    switched on the device.


    While theptop was starting up, she received a notification on her phone informing her that the


    surveince software had been cracked. The corners of Arielle¡¯s lips curled into a mocking smirk.


    Someone actually managed to hack into the system in such a short time. It seems like the queen


    mother has found some help.


    With her eyes narrowed, she ran her fingers across the keyboard unhurriedly. It did not take her too


    much effort to track down the culprit¡¯s location.


    When Arielle saw that it was a familiar ce, she lifted her lips into a smirk. The queen mother is really


    something, huh? Letting out a cold snort, she cleared all of her traces online. Then, she knocked her


    fingers lightly against several numerical keys on the keyboard to crack the defense installed on Nancy¡¯s


    phone andputer. Following that, her fingers danced across the keyboard again, and before long,


    she nted another surveince software into Nancy¡¯s devices.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Walking into the room to the sight of Arielle closing herptop and putting it on the desk with a smirk on


    her face, Vinson knew the matter hade to an end at once. He went up to her, stretched his arms,


    and pulled her into his embrace.


    ¡°What are you intending to do with the queen mother?¡± Vinson left a light peck on her forehead as he


    asked in a deep voice.


    At the mention of the queen mother, Arielle¡¯s gaze darkened.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pull out the evidence and make her bear the consequences after my dad snatches back the power


    from her hands.¡± She had been gathering evidence for the past few days.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go look for Harvey tomorrow.¡± Vinson hugged her tightly. ¡°Let¡¯s get some rest now.¡±


    Without another word, he carried her up, ced her on the bed, and nted his lips directly onto hers.


    Meanwhile, the woman working for the Duke still had no idea that Arielle had already tracked down her


    location, much less that thetter had also nted a more advanced surveince software into Nancy¡¯s


    phone andputer. Conversely, she was heading toward the Duke¡¯s office, attempting to brag about


    her achievements.

 Chapter 1625

    Chapter 1625


    Chapter 1625 Hacked Into The Surveince Software


    ¡°Duke, I¡¯ve hacked into the surveince software.¡± Stepping on her high heels, the woman sashayed


    her way over to the Duke and reported the situation to him with a soft voice.


    ¡°Mmm,¡± he grunted a reply.


    Seeing his reaction, she figured that matter was nothing but a small and insignificant one to him.


    ¡°Why are you still here?¡± The Duke¡¯snguid voice drifted out leisurely as he shut his eyes.


    The woman gawked at the Duke in a lovestruck manner. I wonder what Linda did the other time that


    would cause her to get kicked overseas the next day. But at least that creates an opportunity for me.


    After all, Linda has been following the Duke for the past five years. But what about me? Only when


    Linda went to Chanaea can I¡­


    At that thought, she inched closer to him and pulled his shirt. ¡°Duke¡­¡± Her voice was gentle yet


    seductive.


    Opening his eyes, the Duke shot her an icy stare as he lifted his hand to hold her chin. ¡°You want it?¡±


    The woman was a little uneasy when she noticed the Duke¡¯s expression. However, she figured she had


    to take the opportunity of this moment while Linda was not around to boost her importance in the


    Duke¡¯s heart.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t touched me for a few days¡­¡± Her soft and alluring voice had a tinge of resentment and


    bitterness.


    He let go of his grip on her chin and shut his eyes. ¡°You want it? Do it yourself!¡±


    Hearing that, her eyes instantly lit up. She turned the Duke¡¯s chair to face her, knelt before him, and


    unbuckled his belt.


    About a weekter, Nico was immensely thrilled about her findings. Yes! I¡¯ve finally found Mr.


    Knightley¡¯s address. I must go and look for him!


    After making that decision, she put on some makeup and dressed nicely. Then, she quickly drove


    toward Vinson¡¯s apartment.


    Along her way, she thought about the things to say to Vinson upon her arrival. She smacked her head


    in frustration as she could not think of anything that she reckoned was a great conversation starter. I


    guess the best way is for me to adapt to the situation.


    Upon arriving at Vinson¡¯s amodation, she strode right up to the door and pressed the doorbell.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    In the room, Arielle snuggledfortably in Vinson¡¯s arms while asleep. Her brows instinctively


    scrunched into a line when she heard the doorbell ring.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go open the door. Get on with your sleep.¡± Vinson lightly kissed Arielle on her lips and walked out


    after putting on his clothes.


    When Arielle opened her eyes to check the time, she realized it was already ten in the morning. She


    slept in because Vinson had given her a tough time the entire night, and she had only managed to


    close her eyes for some rest when the sun was about to rise.


    Yawning loudly, she grabbed her clothes and headed into the bathroom.


    The moment Vinson opened the door, he furrowed his brows. It was Nico standing at the door, with a


    bright smile on her face.


    ¡°Knightley, so you¡¯re really staying here?¡± Nico did not seem to take notice of the impatient look on


    Vinson¡¯s face. Instead, she looked at him and joyfully said, ¡°I rushed over immediately after finding out


    about your address.¡±


    A tinge of annoyance shed in Vinson¡¯s eyes as he asked in a frosty voice, ¡°What made youe


    here?¡±


    He might have forced himself to entertain Nico a little if he had wanted to curry favor with Matthew like


    before. But after knowing it was impossible to do that, he could no longer be bothered about her.


    ¡°Mr. Knightley, I know you only have Dr. Moore in your mind. But she¡¯s no longer around. You should


    set your sight into the future. As long as you can forget her one day, I don¡¯t mind if she still lives in your


    heart for the time being. You¡ª¡±


    Before Nico could finish her sentence, she saw a woman walking out from inside. At once, she widened


    her eyes and stared at Vinson in shock.

 Chapter 1626

    Chapter 1626


    Chapter 1626 She Is My Wife


    ¡°Mr. Knightley, who is this woman?¡± Nico directed a hostile re at Arielle.


    Turning back, Vinson wrapped his arms around Arielle and kissed her forehead before averting his


    gaze back to Nico. ¡°She is my wife.¡±


    Nico looked at him in disbelief. How is that possible? Doesn¡¯t he only have Arielle in his mind? Since


    when did he get married to another woman?


    ¡°Mr. Knightley, there¡¯s no need to find a random woman and tell me she¡¯s your wife even if you want to


    make me give up on you.¡± Nico did not believe that Vinson was married. Instead, she thought he was


    merely using another woman as an excuse to stop her from clinging to him.


    It was out of Arielle¡¯s expectations that Nico woulde looking for Vinson again. Lifting her gaze, she


    said in a crisp yet chilly voice, ¡°I am his wife indeed.¡± With that said, she grabbed Vinson¡¯s face and


    kissed his lips before turning back to look at Nico with an eyebrow raised, almost as if she was openly


    staking her im on Vinson.


    At the sight of how Vinson looked at the woman before him adoringly, Nico felt even more terrible.


    Not only did he not push that woman away, he even allowed her to kiss him. Don¡¯t tell me they¡¯re really


    married? But doesn¡¯t he love Dr. Moore? Why is he married so suddenly?


    Puzzlement and resentment filled Nico.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t love you at all. He has given all his love to Dr. Moore.¡± Nico red at Arielle and uttered


    grimly, ¡°Do you know Dr. Moore? She¡¯s dead, but she will stay in his heart forever. You will never be


    able to rece the important ce she holds in his heart.¡±


    Arielle found those words rather amusing. I can¡¯t believe she actually knows how important I am in


    Vinson¡¯s heart. Well, I guess one understands their love rival the most, huh?


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°So what?¡± Arielle fixed her gaze on Nico and let out a scoff. ¡°Regardless of how important she is, she¡¯s


    already dead. Even if I can¡¯t rece her, I¡¯ll still stay by his side for the rest of my life. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be


    touched by me one day and fall in love with me.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s cid tone only made Nico swamped with jealousy.


    It was because those were her personal ns too.


    Unfortunately, before she could execute it, someone else had done it.


    Indignance zed within Nico. I¡¯ve already lost to Arielle. Yet, now, someone else jumped in before I


    could!


    She stared at Vinson in distraught. Am I not good enough? Why would he marry another woman when


    Arielle only died not too long ago?


    ¡°Miss, we still have matters to do. Please excuse us.¡± Not wanting to see Nico bothering Vinson any


    longer, Arielle closed the door and walked out with her hand wrapped around Vinson¡¯s arm.


    Initially, she wanted to stay in the apartment for a while longer while Vinson made his way over to meet


    Harvey. Unexpectedly, Nico made her way over to their apartment. Thetter¡¯s presence made her


    change her mind, and she decided to follow Vinson along to the Wynter residence. She thought while


    Vinson was discussing matters with Harvey, she could spend some time with Sonia since they have yet


    to have a good chat after their arrival this round.


    Their retreating figures pierced through Nico¡¯s heart like a knife.


    ¡°Knightley, you¡¯re the one who gave me up. You will regret it. You¡¯ll definitely regret your choice!¡± Nico


    yelled as she saw them getting into the car.


    At that, Vinson and Arielle shared a look before opening the car doors and settling into the seats.


    ¡°It¡¯s all your fault for stirring such love troubles!¡± Arielle protested.


    Exasperation surged within Vinson. I, too, have no idea how this love trouble came about!


    Theirck of response only made Nico clutch her hands viciously.


    ¡°Knightley, I will make you agree to marry me!¡± A merciless look shed across her eyes.

 Chapter 1627

    Chapter 1627


    Chapter 1627 There Is No Point


    About half an hourter, Vinson¡¯s car rolled to a stop outside Lawrence¡¯s house. Harvey and Sonia had


    been waiting by the entrance for quite a while.


    Sonia had already seen Arielle¡¯s appearance after the disguise when they visited previously. Upon


    seeing thetter again at that point, she could not contain her emotions and immediately went up to


    give thetter a big hug. Harvey, who was at one side, looked at her concernedly and reminded, ¡°Be


    careful.¡±


    Since Sonia¡¯s baby bump became more visible to the others, Kelly had made her way to the school to


    help the former apply for leave. Her original n was for Sonia and Harvey to hold a wedding


    ceremony, but Lawrence was against the idea. Instead, he requested for the ceremony and registration


    to wait for ater date.


    In truth, Kelly could not wrap her head around the situation. He obviously has high regard for Harvey.


    Why did he forbid them to hold a wedding ceremony? However, when she tried to probe, he was


    reluctant to share his reason and only asked her not to worry as he knew what he ought to do.


    Since Kelly could not gain any clues from him, she decided to change her target to Harvey.


    Nheless, thetter brushed her off by saying that he could not do anything since Lawrence was


    against it.


    Because of that, Kelly had been putting on a stoic face all day long. In contrast, Sonia seemed like she


    did not care about anything and even came up with many jokes to cheer the former up after seeing her


    displeased look. Having lived under the same roof for some time, they gradually forged a closer


    rtionship.


    ¡°Fret not. It¡¯s nothing. I know what to do.¡± Sonia lifted her lips into a bright smile as she reassured the


    worried Harvey.


    Deep down, Arielle was d to see the two getting along well. As much as she could not reciprocate


    Harvey¡¯s feelings for her, she was genuinely happy that he could now focus all his attention on another


    lady.


    ¡°Go ahead with your discussion, guys. I¡¯ll stay with Sonia and have a good chat with her,¡± Arielle said to


    the two men.


    ¡°Sonia, take your time. Don¡¯t rush while you¡¯re walking,¡± Harvey hurriedly instructed Sonia when he


    saw her pull Arielle and tread away.


    ¡°I got it. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Sonia replied without whipping her head around.


    Tilting her head to Sonia and noticing the blissful look on her face, Arielle felt joy gushing through her


    veins.


    ¡°Sonia, I¡¯m really delighted to see you living in bliss.¡± Arielle smiled.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    A warm smile crept up on Sonia¡¯s face as she pursed her lips in response.


    If truth be told, she did not expect to find a good man after one night of indulging and letting herself go


    unrestrained. Thinking of how thoughtful and caring Harvey was toward her, the smile on her face


    widened.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, Harvey treats me especially well. Even my mom is impressed with him.¡±


    It was hard to tell if it was because she was bing a mother, but the smile on Sonia¡¯s face was


    extra warm and gentle.


    ¡°It¡¯s great to know that he treats you well. That¡¯s what everyone yearns for in their lives.¡±


    After watching the twodies leave, Vinson and Harvey exchanged smiling nces and proceeded to


    the study to discuss some matters.


    Back at the pce, Dn called Aaron over.


    At the sight of his father, thetter felt his heart wrenched.


    He had a burning question in his head¡ªwhether Dn had chosen to watch himself act like a fool


    because he hated a son like him.


    However, those words remained at the tip of his tongue, refusing to go past his lips.


    I¡¯m merely someone who they¡¯ve abandoned. What¡¯s the point of asking that? Even if I asked, he¡¯d


    probably brush me off half-heartedly. There¡¯s no point in doing that!


    ¡°Is anything the matter?¡± Aaron gazed at Dn and asked in a cold voice.


    With his eyes on him, Dn asked, ¡°How much do you know about the matter between your grandma


    and me?¡±


    Aaron felt his heart skip a beat. ¡°Why did you ask that?¡±


    Could it be¡­

 Chapter 1628

    Chapter 1628


    Chapter 1628 Insolence


    ¡°The crown will eventually be yours, Aaron.¡± Dn studied his son for a while before divulging the


    matter between him and Nancy. ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked at the end, observing Aaron as he did


    so. ¡°Will you take my side or your grandmother¡¯s?¡±


    Having assumed that his father had found out that he was taking his grandmother¡¯s side, Aaron was


    surprised to find out his father telling him instead of the power struggle between him and his


    grandmother before asking him whose side he took.


    I might have remained neutral before, seeing as I would be next in line for the throne regardless of who


    it is who wins. Now, however¡­


    He returned Dn¡¯s gaze with a frown. ¡°Do I have to choose between you and Grandma?¡±


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Dn gazed at his only son and shook his head. ¡°You can remain neutral. It wouldn¡¯t affect our


    rtionship no matter whose side you choose.¡±


    His main reason for contesting power against his mother had been to amend thews and reconcile


    with Arielle. Currently, however, he also intended for his only son to inherit the throne.


    Dn did not want to name Arielle his heir because she had her own family and was unwilling to


    remain in Turlen. The throne shouldn¡¯t be an encumbrance to her. As a girl, she should be loved and


    spoiled.


    Aaron was amused by his father¡¯s promation.


    ¡°I am your son. Of course, I would take your side.¡± He gazed at his father, hiding how he truly felt. ¡°Tell


    me your ns. I will do my best to amodate you.¡±


    Aaron¡¯s words pleased Dn. Many things are already halfway done with my boy by my side. However,


    the n must not yet be revealed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any ns yet,¡± Dn said as he looked at him. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know once I¡¯ve narrowed down


    my options.¡±


    He was reluctant to share his ns because he knew his mother¡¯s capacity for scheming very well. It


    would be easy for her to trick Aaron into spilling the beans. She has been fond of Aaron since his birth,


    and it would be dangerous if he let something slip.


    Aaron narrowed his eyes at his father¡¯s response. He must be unwilling to tell me to prevent me from


    bbing. He would be more willing to speak if Arielle was the one standing before him, wouldn¡¯t he?


    Aaron felt awful at that thought. He did not care about any of those; what stung the most was how his


    father and sister lied to him. Though they knew how hard Arielle¡¯s death had hit him, they ganged up to


    maintain the deception toward him.


    They find me that despicable and untrustworthy, don¡¯t they? Very well.


    ¡°Let me know when you have decided,¡± Aaron said. ¡°Perhaps we can even brainstorm together.¡±


    Dn was content with his son¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°I will keep it under advisement. Leave me, my son.¡± At the dismissal, Aaron bowed before turning to


    leave and ran into Morrison, Dn¡¯s right-hand man, as soon as he stepped out the door. Morrison


    sank into a low bow when he saw Aaron, who nodded before proceeding forward.


    Morrison nced at him before entering Dn¡¯s study.


    Aaron turned a corner before stopping and looking back toward the study with narrowed eyes. He then


    crept over.


    At that moment, the study was so quiet that even the sound of a pin dropping would be deafening.


    Suddenly, Dn¡¯s angry voice exploded forth. ¡°Insolence! How dare they!¡±

 Chapter 1629

    Chapter 1629


    Chapter 1629 Power Struggle


    ¡°What do we do now, Your Majesty?¡± Morrison asked quietly.


    Aaron held his breath on the other side of the door and leaned closer.


    ¡°How dare they engage in corruption!¡± came Dn¡¯s livid outburst from within the study. ¡°You are to


    gather evidence on them immediately, and we will nab them all the first chance we get.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± Morrison replied. ¡°Consider it done.¡±


    Aaron heard the footsteps from outside the door and hid at once, departing stealthily after Morrison left.


    Corruption? Who did he mean? Could it be one of Grandma¡¯s men?


    Aaron narrowed his eyes in contempt for their behavior. At the thought of what his father and Arielle did


    to him, however, he headed toward his grandmother¡¯s quarters with a grim smile.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Grandma,¡± Aaron greeted Nancy softly. She was seated at her desk, dealing with some official


    business, when Monisha waved him in.


    She was delighted by his arrival.


    It made her especially happy and relieved that Aaron had renounced his father to join his


    grandmother¡¯s cause.


    ¡°What are you doing here? Don¡¯t you have ss today?¡± the woman asked, smiling so broadly that her


    eyes were slits.


    Aaron did not know how to feel about how little his grandmother had smiled at him in the past


    compared to how she was acting now.


    He inclined his head at her question. ¡°I have no sses today. Father spoke to me earlier, and I came


    to you after leaving him.¡±


    Nancy¡¯s piercing gaze fell upon him at the news. ¡°What did your father want with you?¡±


    Her voice carried a sliver of threat, but Aaron was no longer afraid of her. He felt like a prize that the


    two of them were fighting over.


    ¡°Father has told me about you and him and wants me to pick a side,¡± he said coolly as he narrowed his


    eyes.


    Nancy¡¯s heart sank at those words. Aaron had pledged himself to me!


    ¡°It¡¯s time you learned to handle some official business,¡± she dered as she returned Aaron¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°You cannot remain wholly ignorant as the future king.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it after my graduation. I do not wish to concern myself with those matters right now.¡±


    Nancy¡¯s smile widened at his words.


    Aaron is not interested in power. Just as well. If he ever dares to express any interest¡­ Her eyes


    narrowed dangerously.


    ¡°I ran into Morrison as I was leaving Father¡¯s study, Grandma,¡± Aaron added as he stared at his


    grandmother¡¯s narrowed eyes. ¡°I overheard them talking about corruption and that they¡¯ll nab them all


    once they gathered enough evidence. You need to take care of business quickly. Don¡¯t let your men get


    caught red-handed.¡±


    Nancy¡¯s face drained of color.


    Aaron left her quarters ten minutester and headed to the queen¡¯s.


    Celeste was overjoyed to see him.


    Though she resented Nancy for forcing Dn on her, Celeste did not regret having Aaron. He was her


    only son and the sole reason for her continued desire for life in the pce.


    ¡°Are you aware of the power struggle between your father and grandmother?¡±


    Celeste brought the matter up during an idle conversation after lunch with her son.


    Aaron gazed at her and nodded lightly.


    ¡°Whose side are you on?¡±


    Aaron narrowed his eyes and gazed at Celeste. ¡°Whose side do you want me to be on, Mother?¡± he


    asked softly.


    Though he had already made up his mind, he still wanted to hear his mother¡¯s opinion.

 Chapter 1630

    Chapter 1630


    Chapter 1630 The Matter Of Marriage


    Celeste naturally wanted him to take the queen mother¡¯s side. As evil as she is to force upon me a man


    in love with another woman, I am sure that the queen mother is unhappy about the other woman, or


    she would not have Dn marry me by drugging him to sleep with me.


    She did not dare let Aaron take Dn¡¯s side as thetter might bring the woman back to the country


    and legitimize her as his wife if he obtained power. What if he has another son with her?


    By then, her son would be cast aside. Being the prince did not guarantee entitlement to the throne; she


    felt the need to make her son¡¯s ns for him.


    ¡°Though your father has been good to you over the years, Aaron,¡± Celeste said in a low voice with her


    eyes fixed on him, ¡°I hope you will take your grandmother¡¯s side.¡±


    Aaron was taken aback by that. He thought that his mother, being deeply in love with his father, would


    have him take his father¡¯s side. To his astonishment, she would rather have him side with his


    grandmother.


    Why is that?


    He expressed that doubt out loud.


    Celeste gazed at him uncertainly, unable to find the right words to tell him that his father had a


    daughter with another woman.


    ¡°Because your grandmother has been in power for over twenty years. Your father knows nothing, and


    you¡¯ll suffer if you choose to take his side.¡±


    Aaron chuckled as he did not foresee that reply. However, he nodded all the same.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll do as you say.¡±


    Celeste was pleased to hear that.


    She gazed at Aaron and found him different after experiencing death. He became more docile.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t like hearing it, but it¡¯s something we must discuss. You¡¯reing of age soon, and


    your grandmother and I are worried about your marriage. Do you have somebody in mind?¡±


    As with all parents, Celeste was predisposed to fret over her child¡¯s marriage. She was particrly


    afraid that Aaron would seek Arielle if he found out she was still alive. However, Arielle was his father¡¯s


    daughter. As much as Celeste did not like to admit it, she could not deny the fact that Arielle was


    Dn¡¯s daughter and Aaron¡¯s elder half-sister.


    She wanted to quickly secure his agreement on the matter of his marriage while her son was still


    unaware that Arielle had survived.


    Aaron felt exasperated at the repeated mention of his wedding.


    ¡°I have matters to attend to, Mother. I must go.¡± Without another word, he got up and left as if escaping


    from herpany.


    Miranda appeared just then with a bowl of fruit. She gazed helplessly at Celeste at the sight of Aaron¡¯s


    flight. ¡°What¡¯s going on? His Royal Highness looked as if he was running for his life.¡±


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It was because I brought up the matter of his marriage.¡± Celeste sounded defeated.


    Seated in the Wynter residence, Harvey and Vinson appeared grim.


    ¡°Though His Majesty managed to sway some to our cause, he does not have many powerful people on


    his side. We must look for the opportunity to undermine the queen mother¡¯s people and put ours in their


    ce.¡± Vinson frowned as he spoke.


    ¡°I second that notion,¡± Harvey said, recounting his conversations with Lawrence and drawing his


    inferences. ¡°Over theing days, my future father-inw would lobby for support from the shadows.


    We know many are dissatisfied with the queen mother¡¯s people but are afraid to show it. Plenty will


    support His Majesty¡¯s intention of snatching power back.¡±


    Vinson felt incredibly grateful to Harvey and Lawrence. If it weren¡¯t for them, we wouldn¡¯t have been


    able to lobby the support we got through Dn¡¯s efforts alone.

 Chapter 1631

    Chapter 1631


    Chapter 1631 Fifty Billion


    Vinson told Arielle about his conversation on their way home. Arielle was grateful to Lawrence as,


    without his appearance, there would not be many who would follow a king who had nothing.


    ¡°I forgot to ask Harvey if he had finished spending the money in the card I gave him thest time.¡±


    Arielle smacked her forehead ruefully. ¡°We¡¯ll give him another if he has. Lobbying requires expenditure


    regardless of who he¡¯s trying to bribe.¡±


    I¡¯ve been so busytely that I hadpletely forgotten about that.


    ¡°It¡¯s not toote to ask.¡± Vinson grinned at her self-inflicted punishment. ¡°You can give him a call now.¡±


    Before the words were out of Vinson¡¯s mouth, Arielle had dug her phone out and was already making


    the call.


    As Harvey was still in the shower in the Wynter residence, Sonia picked up Harvey¡¯s ringing phone and


    froze when she saw the name on the screen.


    Sannie? Who is that?


    Harvey emerged from the bathroom and saw Sonia standing motionless with his phone in her hand.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you picking up?¡±


    He walked over to her as he spoke and took the phone from her hand. His heart clenched when he saw


    the name. Oh, cr*p!


    After not speaking to her on the phone for so long, he had forgotten the nickname he secretly assigned


    to Arielle¡¯s number. As if his luck could not get any worse, Sonia saw it the first time Arielle called.


    With the phone ringing incessantly, he could not yet exin matters to Sonia. Instead, he opted to


    answer the call first. ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Have you finished using the money in the ATM card we gave you, Harvey?¡± Arielle¡¯s voice came from


    the other end. ¡°Let me know if you have, and I¡¯ll give you another. It¡¯s been a busy period; I¡¯d forgotten


    to ask you.¡± Sonia was so surprised to hear the voice that her lips parted as she sank onto the side of


    the bed without a word. With her head bowed, she kept her gaze on her feet.


    Harvey froze at Arielle¡¯s mention of the card that Vinson had given him. How could I possibly finish


    spending what¡¯s on that card?


    ¡°Are you joking, Arielle?¡± Harvey said incredulously. ¡°I won¡¯t even be able to finish spending it over two


    years.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    It was Arielle¡¯s turn to be dumbfounded.


    Two years?


    ¡°Is there a lot in there?¡± Arielle asked tentatively.


    A lot? What I meant by spending it over the next two years is squandering it away, as opposed to how


    I¡¯ve been spending purposefully.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how much is in there?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Arielle answered in confusion.


    Does she trust me so much that she would hand it to me without even knowing the amount inside?


    Harvey was at a loss for words at that moment.


    ¡°There¡¯s fifty billion in there,¡± he said hoarsely after some time. ¡°I¡¯d spent close to about a billion thus


    far.¡±


    Fifty billion.


    Her father had given her the card before even reconciling with her. Suddenly, Arielle felt the corners of


    her eyes getting wet.


    ¡°I know now. You hold on to it and carry on using the money to curry favor.¡± At that, Arielle hung up.


    ¡°Do you think my father was na?ve, Vinson? He gave me such arge amount of money before I even


    called him ¡®Dad.¡±¡®


    As the conversation had been on loudspeaker, Vinson understood her concern. ¡°Dn thinks he owes


    you and is trying to make it up to you,¡± he said gently as he held Arielle¡¯s hand.


    Arielle nodded as she gazed out the car window, a warm, fuzzy feeling creeping up her heart. It¡¯s


    wonderful to experience a father¡¯s love.


    ¡°Stop the car!¡± Arielle screamed all of a sudden, her expression turning into a panicked one.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1632

    Chapter 1632


    Chapter 1632 A Robbery


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Back at the Wynter residence, Harvey stared at his phone after being hung up on before quickly


    changing the nickname of ¡°Sannie¡± on his phone to ¡°Arielle.¡± Then, he walked over to Sonia, who was


    still staring at her feet. He then sat beside her.


    ¡°I can exin, Sonia,¡± he said at once after sitting down.


    Over the time they had spent together, he taught Sonia Chanaean while Sonia taught him Turlenese.


    That was why he felt a sense of panic when Sonia saw the contact name.


    Sonia shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no need to exin. I understand.¡±


    Arielle is a fantastic girl. It¡¯s natural for Harvey to fall for her, though it makes me slightly uneasy. I just


    wish I had met Harvey a little earlier. That way, he wouldn¡¯t have fallen for Arielle and experienced


    unrequited love. I do not envy Arielle. If I were a man, I would also fall in love with her. It¡¯s just a shame


    that I could never live up to Arielle in his eyes.


    ¡°I admit that I used to like Arielle. Now, however, you are the only one I want. Only you.¡± Harvey turned


    Sonia¡¯s face toward his and gazed deep into her eyes. ¡°I love you, Sonia.¡±


    Sonia did not even me him. At his words, her heart swelled with happiness.


    ¡°I know,¡± she murmured, her voice soft and meek as she gazed at Harvey. ¡°I love you too.¡±


    Harvey had been good to her during their time together. She could tell there was nothing but love in his


    eyes when he looked at her.


    Though Sonia had felt obligated to work things out with Harvey for the child in her belly, she found that


    she was falling for him as they spent more time together.


    An indescribable feeling welled up in Harvey¡¯s chest at Sonia¡¯s response. He held the woman before


    him tightly in his arms and felt her happiness warm his heart.


    At that moment, Vinson pulled over to the sidewalk at Arielle¡¯s request.


    Before he could ask her what was going on, Arielle was already running forward.


    When he caught up to Arielle, Vinson saw five to six imposing-looking men lying in heaps on the


    ground. Behind her stood a man slightly shorter than them.


    He knew what happened upon a nce at their bruised and battered faces.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± the man crouching behind Arielle squeaked.


    He did not expect to run into a Chanaean girl who was that skilled inbat.


    Arielle nced at him without speaking before her gaze flicked back to the men she had beaten. ¡°Get


    lost!¡±


    The men exchanged nces at her voice, surprised that they were so easily let off the hook. In an


    instant, they scrambled to their feet and bolted.


    Arielle turned to the man behind her only after they left. ¡°Why did they ambush you?¡±


    The man slumped his shoulders. ¡°They might have wanted this,¡± he said softly as he wiggled the bag


    he hugged tightly to his chest.


    Arielle frowned. ¡°They were trying to rob you?¡±


    The man nodded.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I wouldn¡¯t have bothered if he wasn¡¯t Chanaean. Mind your own business,


    as they say.


    ¡°Earning a living!¡±


    A month¡¯s wages in Turlen was equivalent to three in Chanaea. Arielle nodded empathetically and was


    about to depart when her eyes narrowed as they fixated on him.

 Chapter 1633

    Chapter 1633


    Chapter 1633 Afraid She Will Fall For You


    ¡°What is it?¡± He started to panic when he saw her staring at him like that.


    Did she notice anything? That can¡¯t be, can it? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve exposed myself or anything, so why is


    she looking at me funny?


    He even checked his appearance and saw that his disguise was just fine.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Did you manage to get yourself a job?¡± Arielle asked.


    He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve only been here for a few days, so I haven¡¯t found a job yet.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s lips curled into a smile. ¡°Can you drive?¡±


    The man nodded excitedly. ¡°Yes, I can!¡±


    Arielle exchanged nces with Vinson before telling the man, ¡°Then you can be my chauffeur from


    now on. As for your wage¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take whatever you offer! I have been wandering the streets for a few days trying to look for a job, so


    you offering me a job and a ce to stay is all I could ask for!¡± the man replied while awkwardly


    scratching the back of his head.


    Arielle nodded and brought him back to his current ce to collect his luggage before arranging for him


    to stay in the room that Xavier had stayed in before.


    ¡°Did you notice something?¡± Vinson asked with his arm wrapped around Arielle in bed after they


    bathed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what tricks that person has up their sleeve. Haven¡¯t you realized that that person¡¯s the one


    behind everything that happened today?¡± Arielle said with a smile.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want another guy staying here. Let¡¯s send him to a hotel tomorrow,¡± Vinson suggested.


    He didn¡¯t want any other guys being around Arielle, even if they were nothingpared to him.


    Arielle chuckled and looked up at him as she asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you jealous?¡±


    Vinson gave her a quick peck on the lips and whispered, ¡°Yeah, I am. I want to keep you all to myself


    so that no men can get anywhere near you.¡±


    He knew that such thoughts were a little extreme, but he wasn¡¯t afraid to bepletely honest with her


    about his true feelings.


    Wow, I didn¡¯t know he felt that way! Arielle caressed his cheek and whispered back, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter


    how many men are around me. You¡¯re the only one that I love, Vinson.¡±


    Those words had barely left her mouth when Vinson grabbed the back of her head and pulled her in for


    a kiss.


    As his kiss was a lot more passionate and intense than usual, it wasn¡¯t long before their clothes ended


    up on the floor.


    After they were done making love to each other, Arielle buried her face in his chest and whispered,


    ¡°That person is actually a girl, by the way.¡±


    ¡°A girl?¡± Vinson eximed in shock.


    What the¡­ I couldn¡¯t tell at all! Her disguise sure is a good one if it managed to fool me! Still, why


    would she want to keep a girl around? That¡¯s just asking for trouble! We still haven¡¯t taken care of that


    issue with Nico¡­


    ¡°Why would you let her stay with us if you knew she¡¯s a girl?¡± he asked with a stressful frown.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you afraid she¡¯ll fall for you? Don¡¯t worry; I won¡¯t even let her get close to you!¡±


    Arielle replied with a confident snort.


    I won¡¯t let another womany a finger on my man!


    Vinson chuckled at how adorable she looked and pulled her into his embrace.


    Two weekster, in the pce, the look on Nancy¡¯s face turned gloomy after getting a phone call.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1634

    Chapter 1634


    Chapter 1634 Compensation


    ¡°Since when did this happen?¡± she asked solemnly. It was unclear what the other person said on the


    phone, but Nancy¡¯s expression only seemed to worsen even more after hearing it.


    ¡°Understood. Use whatever means necessary to keep them on my side!¡± she said before hanging up.


    The woman had been keeping an eye out ever since Aaron told her that the king was investigating the


    corruption and bribery. She wasn¡¯t expecting Dn to seize that opportunity and win her people over.


    What on Earth are you trying to do, Dn? Do you desire power that badly?


    As Dn was her only son whom she had raised herself, the thought of him forsaking their rtionship


    made her rather ufortable.


    Of course, Dn waspletely oblivious to her feelings as he was in a great mood after hearing the


    news from Sybil. Wow, Lawrence sure is impressive! I can¡¯t believe he managed to get about half of


    them over to my side in just two weeks!


    ¡°Give Lawrence this card and have him bribe as many of them as possible,¡± Dn said while handing


    Sybil a bank card. Sybil headed over to the Wynter residence immediately after receiving the bank


    card.


    As he had been serving Dn since he started with nothing and stayed by his side until he achieved


    sess, Sybil felt d that he didn¡¯t let the old king down.


    Upon arrival at the Wynter residence, Sybil met up with Lawrence and exined his reasons for


    coming over.


    ¡°I have no use for this bank card at the moment. Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll be sure to ask His Majesty for it when I


    need more money.¡± Lawrence refused the offer because Harvey already had a bank card from Dn,


    and it was enough tost them a few years.


    Thinking Lawrence had refused the card because he wanted to contribute to Dn on his own, Sybil


    put it away. The two chatted for a bit before Sybil headed back to the pce and returned the card to


    Dn.


    ¡°I think General Lawrence wants to do his part, Your Majesty. I think you shouldn¡¯t stop him, or he might


    think you no longer need him,¡± Sybil said as he handed Dn the card.


    Is this really for the better? I don¡¯t feelfortable using my subordinates¡¯ money to do my bidding¡­


    Dn frowned at the thought of that.


    ¡°If you feel bad for General Lawrence, you couldpensate him after you¡¯ve gained control. I¡¯m sure


    he¡¯d be happy with that arrangement too, Your Majesty,¡± Sybil said.


    Dn leaned against his chair as he pondered Sybil¡¯s suggestion.


    After giving it some thought, he agreed with Sybil¡¯s statement and put the bank card away. ¡°All right,


    then. I¡¯llpensate him in the future.¡±


    Feeling happy that Dn had agreed with his point, Sybil smiled as he said, ¡°Your Majesty, Morrison


    has gathered some evidence on those who epted bribes. When shall we produce the evidence?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Dn broke into a smile upon hearing that. ¡°That will have to wait. We don¡¯t want to alert anyone


    unnecessarily.¡± The evidence is most useful when presented at the most critical moment!


    Sybil nodded and left the room shortly after.


    Meanwhile, Alicia asionally stayed over at that house ever since Aaron provided her with the keys


    and address. She even redecorated the dark and gloomy-looking room.

 Chapter 1636

    Chapter 1636


    Chapter 1636 Stealing nces


    ¡°They¡¯ll be making a move three dayster to undermine you,¡± Aaron said with an emotionless look on


    his face.


    Nancy¡¯s expression turned gloomy when she found out about Dn¡¯s n.


    ¡°I understand. Continue to keep a close eye on him and keep me updated if anything happens,¡± she


    instructed.


    ¡°Will do.¡±


    Aaron then hung up the phone and sped toward the university so he could see Alicia.


    He made a beeline for the apartment right after parking the car. For some reason, the sight of her


    shoes at the door filled his heart with a warm sensation.


    ¡°Wee home!¡±


    Alicia, who was busy cooking in the kitchen, quickly put the stove on low heat when she heard the door


    open. She then ran out of the kitchen and smiled happily when she saw that it was Aaron.


    Aaron froze when he saw her greeting him happily with a spat in hand. For a brief moment, he felt


    like she was a housewife weing her husband home from work.


    Alicia wasn¡¯t sure what he was thinking about, but she felt happy being able to see him every day. She


    walked up to him and helped take his coat as she said, ¡°What are you doing just standing there? Hurry


    up and go wash your hands! The food will be ready soon!¡±


    Recalling that she was still cooking something on the stove, she then ran back into the kitchen. For


    some reason, Aaron¡¯s lips curled into a smile when he saw her like that.


    With a grin on his face, he then made his way into the kitchen and stood there watching her cook.


    Well¡­ I suppose a calm and peaceful life like this is pretty nice too.


    Alicia smiled when she saw him in the kitchen. She ted the final dish and served it up while Aaron


    washed his hands at the sink. The two of them looked just like a newly-married couple, much to Alicia¡¯s


    delight, as this was exactly the kind of life she was looking forward to.


    After dinner, they were snuggled up on the couch to watch some television. Alicia had been stealing


    nces at him from time to time but would always retract her gaze whenever he looked her way. She


    thought he didn¡¯t notice her staring, but he proved her wrong when he said, ¡°You know, you could just


    stare at me all you want. There¡¯s no need for you to sneak peeks like that.¡±


    Alicia burned bright red after being exposed like that.


    ¡°W-Who said I was sneaking peeks at you?¡± she stammered while blushing like crazy. Deep down


    inside, she was actually overjoyed as him being aware of her sneaking peeks meant he was paying


    attention to her.


    ¡°Right, of course you weren¡¯t!¡± Aaron said with a chuckle.


    Whoa¡­ This is the first time I¡¯ve seen him smile! I never knew he would look so good when he smiles!


    Alicia was so captivated that she froze and stared dreamily at him.


    Noticing her reaction, Aaron leaned in close and gave her a kiss on the lips.


    That caught Alicia off guard, but she soon went along with it and wrapped her arms around his neck.


    The two of them were making out rather passionately when Aaron¡¯s phone started ringing on the


    couch. Not wanting to be interrupted, he declined the call without any hesitation. However, the phone


    started ringing again when he was about to take things a step further.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    He let go of Alicia and frowned deeply as he reached for his phone, but the look of frustration soon


    turned gloomy when he saw the caller ID.

 Chapter 1637

    Chapter 1637


    Chapter 1637 Betrayal


    Alicia adjusted her clothes that were almost falling off when she saw him staring at his phone with a


    gloomy expression.


    ¡°You go on and take that call. I¡¯ll wait for you in the room,¡± she said while making her way to the


    bedroom. Aaron stared at the phone as it continued to ring and answered the call at the veryst


    second.


    ¡°I told you I¡¯d make you reveal your identity sooner orter, Ari. Who would¡¯ve thought you¡¯d call me


    before that?¡± Aaron said coldly with a slight grin.


    Alicia, who had just entered the room, felt her heart ache when she heard that name. She then closed


    the door,y down on the bed, and silently processed her thoughts.


    Meanwhile, Aaron lit a cigarette and made his way toward the window. He looked rather lonely as he


    stood there staring at the night sky outside.


    Arielle felt her heart sink a little when she heard his tone. He seems to really hate me¡­


    ¡°Aaron, let¡¯s put our differences aside for the time being. I need to talk to you about Father,¡± she said


    coldly.


    ¡°Father?¡± A devilish smile formed on Aaron¡¯s face as he continued, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Father? He


    seems fine to me!¡±


    Arielle felt her anger burning up after hearing that and recalling the information she had received.


    ¡°Aaron, you can just voice out any dissatisfaction you have toward Father. Why did you have to betray


    him like that?¡±


    She already knew about him taking Nancy¡¯s side before she came, but she had assumed he wouldn¡¯t


    actually betray his own father. Unfortunately, Arielle was wrong about him.


    I can¡¯t believe Aaron would go and tell her about Dn¡¯s n to undermine her! How could he betray


    his own father like it¡¯s the most natural thing in the world?


    The light in Aaron¡¯s eyes dimmed slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡±


    Why does she know about me betraying Father? It¡¯s unlikely for Grandma to leak that information, so


    how did Arielle find out about it?


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to y dumb with me, Aaron. You know exactly what I¡¯m talking about! The queen


    mother has Father under her control for over twenty years now. Life has been incredibly rough for him,


    so how could you stab him in the back like this? You¡¯re his only son, remember?¡± Arielle said while


    pacing back and forth in her room.


    She couldn¡¯t figure out why Aaron would do such a thing, but she didn¡¯t want him to go down the wrong


    path. On top of that, she didn¡¯t want Dn¡¯s only son to betray him.


    Aaron felt his anger rising after hearing her lecture him. I wouldn¡¯t have done this if it weren¡¯t for them


    deceiving me together! Anyone else can criticize me all they want, but those two have no right to do so!


    ¡°Are you done? I¡¯ll be hanging up now!¡± he said coldly before ending the call.


    I¡¯ve already made my choice, so I¡¯m not going to regret it now! They¡¯re the ones who deceived me first,


    so I have nothing to regret anyway!


    With that in mind, Aaron put out his cigarette and made his way toward the bedroom.


    Alicia quickly wiped her tears dry and pretended to be asleep when she heard his footsteps


    approaching.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Upon entering the bedroom, Aaron trod lightly when he heard the faint sound of her steady breathing.


    After washing up in the bathroom, he gently climbed into bed and held her in his arms as he drifted off


    to sleep.


    ¡°Should we tell your father about Aaron?¡± Vinson asked when he saw the helpless look on Arielle¡¯s


    face.

 Chapter 1638

    Chapter 1638


    Chapter 1638 Imprisoned


    Arielle shook her head. ¡°Let¡¯s not tell my dad about it yet.¡± She had hoped to talk Aaron out of it if


    possible and would only tell her father if he refused to listen.


    Her main reason for doing so was because she believed Aaron was not inherently evil, so she wanted


    to give him a chance. The second reason was that she didn¡¯t want her father to feel upset about his


    only son betraying him.


    Regardless, her main priority at the moment was to help Dn change his ns to avoid Nancy¡¯s


    counterattack. The problem, however, was how she should warn Dn without arousing his suspicion,


    as she didn¡¯t want him alerting Aaron.


    A day soon went by, but Arielle had yet to figure out a solution to said problem. Right as she was


    racking her brain trying toe up with something, news about Aaron being imprisoned reached her


    ears.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why did he get locked up?¡± Arielle mumbled to herself with a confused frown.


    I haven¡¯t even told Dn anything, so why is Aaron imprisoned? Who was it that locked him up? Was it


    Dn? Could it be that he somehow found out about Aaron¡¯s betrayal and locked him up out of anger?


    I should give Sybil a call to confirm the situation! If that really is the case, then I might be able to beg


    Dn to let him go! He is my brother, after all!


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    With that in mind, Arielle whipped out her phone and punched in Sybil¡¯s number.


    However, she couldn¡¯t get through to Sybil no matter how many times she tried. With no other choice,


    Arielle tried calling Dn instead, only to realize that Dn was unreachable as well.


    Oh, no¡­ Could something terrible have happened to them?


    ¡°Calm down. We¡¯ll head over to the pce and find out what happened, okay?¡± Vinson suggested


    when he saw how worried she looked.


    Arielle nodded and quickly packed her stuff before heading out with him.


    The one driving the car was the girl that Arielle had rescued the other day. Because they wanted to


    know what her motives were for getting close to them, they decided to not expose her true gender just


    yet. As such, she still didn¡¯t know that they were already aware of her being female.


    Plenty of guards could be seen standing at the entrance of the pce when they arrived outside its


    gates.


    Both Vinson and Arielle frowned when the guards refused to let them in, even though Arielle produced


    the pass she had obtained from Dn. What? Even the pass doesn¡¯t work? Could it be that something


    bad really has happened?


    After exchanging nces with Vinson, Arielle walked up to the guard closest to them and asked, ¡°What


    happened? Why won¡¯t you let me in?¡±


    As the guard had just been transferred over, he had no idea who Arielle and Vinson were. ¡°What


    happened is none of your concern! You should leave if you don¡¯t have any official business here! Stop


    causing a scene here, or I¡¯ll have you both arrested!¡±


    Arielle narrowed her eyes and red coldly at the guard in response.


    ¡°W-What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± the guard stammered in fear. It was the first time he had been


    intimidated by a woman¡¯s gaze.


    The tension only dissipated when Vinson grabbed her by the arm and snapped her out of it. Arielle then


    retracted her gaze and followed him back to the car.


    Surprised that the two of them had returned so soon, the cross-dressing girl quickly returned to her


    seat and breathed a sigh of relief. Phew! Thank goodness I didn¡¯t go far, or they would¡¯ve caught me


    for sure!


    Still worried about her father, Arielle pulled out her phone to spy on Nancy. A few minutester, she


    bolted upright and shouted with tears flowing down her face, ¡°Take us back to the pce entrance!


    Turn the car around now!¡±

 Chapter 1639

    Chapter 1639


    Chapter 1639 Kill In Cold Blood


    The girl was about to do as instructed, but Vinson stopped her by grabbing the steering wheel.


    ¡°Stop the car! Stop the car, d*mn it! I need to get off now!¡±


    Seeing as Vinson wasn¡¯t going to let the girl pull over, Arielle reached for the door handle and prepared


    to jump out of the car.


    Vinson quickly pulled her into his arms and asked worriedly, ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you, Sannie? Tell me


    what the problem is, and we¡¯ll solve it together.¡±


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Vinson, my dad is gone¡­ I have no father now¡­¡± Arielle sobbed while pounding against his chest. His


    shirt was soon wet from her tears that refused to stop.


    ¡°W-What do you mean?¡± Vinson asked.


    ¡°My dad is dead¡­ He¡¯s dead, you hear me? I have no father anymore¡­¡± Arielle sobbed in despair.


    I just reunited with my dad a while back, so why is he¡­


    ¡°Vinson, I need to go to the pce and find out how my dad died!¡± she muttered angrily while wiping


    her tears dry.


    Despite being caught off guard by Dn¡¯s death, Vinson managed to remain calm and stopped Arielle


    when he heard what she said.


    ¡°Calm down, Sannie! I know Dn¡¯s death is incredibly suspicious, but the pce entrance is


    swarming with guards right now. There¡¯s nothing we can do even if we head there now.¡±


    Arielle, on the other hand, was so shaken up by the news of Dn¡¯s death that she couldn¡¯t possibly


    remain calm.


    ¡°That¡¯s my dad, Vinson! He¡¯s my biological father! Would you be able to remain calm if it were your


    mom that died instead?¡± sheshed out at him without even thinking about how hurtful that was.


    Vinson didn¡¯t hold it against her as he knew she wasn¡¯t thinking straight at the time. ¡°Even if that day


    doese, I¡¯d still remain calm. It¡¯s the only way I¡¯d be able to find out who the murderer is.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Vinson. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°I understand, so there¡¯s no need to apologize.¡± Vinson gently patted her on the back while she bawled


    her eyes out in his embrace.


    Feeling a lot better after crying, Arielle nced at him with reddened eyes as she said, ¡°You heard it


    too. The queen mother said she locked Aaron up because he killed my dad, but I don¡¯t believe her!


    Aaron may have betrayed my dad by taking her side, but he¡¯d never kill him!¡±


    I¡¯ve known Aaron for a really long time, so I know he¡¯s not the one who killed my dad. But, why would


    the queen mother imprison Aaron if he didn¡¯t do it? Who could¡¯ve possibly killed my dad? Could the


    killer be the queen mother herself? No, that can¡¯t be right! As cruel as she may be, there¡¯s no way


    she¡¯d actually murder her only son! Who could¡¯ve done it?


    All sorts of questions raced through Arielle¡¯s mind as she tried to make sense of the situation.


    Meanwhile, the look on Nancy¡¯s face changed the moment she heard her secretary¡¯s report.


    ¡°She¡¯s a spy from an enemy country! I want her taken care of immediately!¡± she ordered coldly with her


    fists tightly clenched.

 Chapter 1640

    Chapter 1640


    Chapter 1640 Murder Decree


    The only person with a visa who hade looking for Dn is Arielle. Now that she is here, there is no


    reason not to act.


    ¡°A spy?¡± The secretary straightened up immediately. To think there was a spy in their country! ¡°What


    should we do?¡± he asked, gazing at Nancy.


    Thetter shot him a stern nce before answering coldly, ¡°Take her down on the spot.¡±


    In other words, they were to kill their target without going through an interrogation process.


    Although the secretary didn¡¯t understand why Nancy had decided on such, he still did as ordered. As


    soon as she left, he went to the pce entrance to retrieve its surveince footage and sent Arielle¡¯s


    images to various groups, thusunching a murder decree.


    Arielle wasn¡¯t aware that Nancy had already framed her as a national spy and ordered a hunt.


    Suppressing her despair temporarily, she headed to the Wynter residence with Vinson.


    Sonia and Harvey were thrilled to hear that the two wereing, and they stood at the door to


    wee them. But upon noticing Arielle¡¯s swollen eyes, Harvey nced at Vinson with a frown. What


    happened? What¡¯s with her eyes?


    The man said nothing despite feeling doubtful, although he was certain that it wasn¡¯t Vinson¡¯s fault. He


    understood thetter well enough to know that.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Arielle? What happened?¡± Sonia¡¯s chest tightened as she saw the way Arielle looked


    after crying and went up to hold her hand.


    Arielle patted the former¡¯s hand in response while staring at the floor in destion. ¡°My dad¡¯s passed


    away, Sonia. I don¡¯t have a father anymore.¡±


    Harvey was stupefied to hear that.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°What did you say? Your dad¡­ He¡¯s gone? When did this happen? How did he die? And why hasn¡¯t


    there been any news about this?¡± he questioned, gazing straight into her eyes.


    ¡°Did the news not get out?¡± Arielle asked in return, but before waiting for Harvey¡¯s response, she hastily


    removed her arm from Sonia¡¯s grasp, took out her phone, and began to search for any news regarding


    Dn. However, as Harvey had mentioned, there was not a single piece of news about the man who


    had just died.


    What is the queen mother thinking? Why didn¡¯t she announce his death?


    At this point, Arielle wasn¡¯t just upset anymore, and she felt an entire mix of different emotions


    overwhelm her.


    ¡°Why is she keeping my dad¡¯s death a secret, Vinson? What is she up to?¡± she asked, turning to


    Vinson with reddened eyes. Yet, the man shook his head lightly. He, too, had no idea what Nancy was


    thinking.


    As they spoke, Lawrence walked toward them with a grim expression and felt extremely conflicted


    upon seeing Harvey.


    He had decided to let Harvey marry Sonia because of what the younger man had said to him about


    helping Dn reim his power, only to be caught off guardpletely after receiving the news about


    Dn¡¯s sudden death.


    ¡°Harvey, the n has failed. His Majesty¡­ is gone.¡± Thest four words came out of Lawrence¡¯s mouth


    with much struggle.


    ¡°The pce has been trying so hard to keep the king¡¯s death a secret. How did you find out about it,


    General Lawrence?¡± Arielle jumped in, not waiting for Harvey to speak.


    She wanted to know how Lawrence had received the news so she could obtain more information.


    Lawrence pinned his gaze on her, feeling suspicious about her identity.

 Chapter 1641

    Chapter 1641


    ¡°Who on earth are you, Dr. Moore? How did you know that word about His Majesty¡¯s death is being


    covered up?¡±


    Even though Arielle had once saved his father, Lawrence couldn¡¯t help but feel doubtful of her.


    Then, he remembered the news he had received early that day.


    Could she really be a spy from Chanaea, just like what the secretary had said?


    Thinking that, the man¡¯s gaze darkened as he stared at Arielle.


    ¡°I¡¯m his daughter,¡± Arielle dered under his suspicious nce.


    Those words sent Lawrence into a state of utter shock. Sonia was no different, she had known Arielle


    for so long, but never did thetter reveal her status as the king¡¯s daughter.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re saying you¡¯re His Majesty¡¯s daughter?¡± Lawrence asked, still astonished.


    Arielle nodded. Had she known she would lose her father so soon, she wouldn¡®t have heeded Sybil¡¯s


    advice on quashing her father¡¯s thoughts about announcing her true identity.


    At the thought of her father having worked so hard just so he could im his throne and tell the world


    about her, the woman¡¯s heart ached so much that she nearly couldn¡¯t breathe.


    She was filled with nothing but regret at this moment.


    Lawrence turned to Harvey, who nodded to confirm Arielle¡¯s identity.


    ¡°You call yourself His Majesty¡¯s daughter, but what proof do you have? Why didn¡¯t His Majesty ever


    disclose your identity?¡±


    Despite receiving confirmation from Harvey, Lawrence was still skeptical. After all, Arielle was


    Chanaean, but Dn had never left Turlen while he was alive.


    How, then, could Arielle be the king¡¯s daughter?


    Aware of Lawrence¡¯s doubts, Arielle proceeded to tell him how the king had recognized her after she


    came to this country. While speaking, the memories of her time with Dn surfaced in her mind, and it


    wasn¡¯t long until her eyes brimmed with tears.


    ¡°Oh, poor child!¡±


    Kelly had left her room after learning that Lawrence had returned and overheard the five of them talking


    at the entrance of the house from afar. Upon hearing Arielle reminisce about her time with Dn, the


    older woman felt a pang in her heart and walked up to Arielle to give her a hug.


    Having lost her usual toughness and feeling Kelly¡®s kindness, Arielle returned the embrace, her heart


    feeling warmer.


    Lawrence took a deep breath after hearing the woman¡¯s exnation.


    It¡®s no wonder Harvey had said all those things back then. It¡¯s all because Dr. Moore is His Majesty¡¯s


    daughter. With her, it was no wonder His Majesty had ns to change thews of the country.


    ¡°I had only managed to find out about His Majesty through a gardener who works at the pce,¡± he


    revealed.


    The gardener was someone he had helped in the past, and the former was so worried about a coup


    that he had secretly informed Lawrence about the pce¡¯s recent affairs, hoping thetter could be


    more prepared for any potential crisis.


    ¡°Are you still able to reach him?¡± Arielle asked, letting go of Kelly.


    Lawrence shook his head, looking worried. ¡°I tried to call and text him after receiving the news, but


    there hasn¡¯t been a response so far.¡±


    I hope he hasn¡¯t been caught. Please let him be okay.


    Arielle remained silent after leaving the Wynter residence, her mind inplete disarray. She couldn¡¯t


    ept the fact that her father, who had been doing fine all this while, was now gone.


    Seeing the woman in such a state, Vinson pulled her into his arms, consoling her silently.


    Suddenly, a piercing light shed in their direction.

 Chapter 1642

    Chapter 1642


    The woman driving their car covered her eyes briefly as a car came speeding their way.


    ¡°Look out!¡± Vinson yelled while holding Arielle tightly.


    Hearing that, the woman spun the wheel, but it was no use. The car had lost control. Even so, she


    remained calm.


    ¡°The car¡¯s gone out of control. We have to get out!¡±


    With that, the three of them unbuckled their seatbelts, opened the car doors, and hopped out of the


    vehicle,nding harshly on the ground.


    Vinson had shielded Arielle with his arms the whole time, even as his back collided against the floor.


    With a grunt, he helped Arielle up, and a loud explosion sounded nearby as the two rose to their feet.


    They turned toward the direction of the noise, only to see that the car headed their way before had now


    crashed into theirs.


    ¡°We have to get out of here now,¡± Vinson remarked frostily, gazing at the fire.


    There was no way this was purely an ident.


    Suddenly, the man tackled Arielle to the ground, and a bullet flew above their heads after the sound of


    a gunshot.


    ¡°I¡¯m their target. I¡¯ve been exposed!¡± Arielle cried.


    The queen mother must be behind this. She¡¯s the only one who¡¯d try to kill me now. I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d


    see through my disguise, though.


    By the time she whipped out a gun from her pocket, Vinson had already aimed his at their assant


    and pulled the trigger.


    He and Arielle both used silencers, and with one shot, their enemy fell to the ground with a thud.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Vinson asked in concern, remembering the way he had just pushed Arielle to the


    ground.


    It was now that the woman realized how her back felt as though it were on fire.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. You protected me well.¡± She had noticed how he had gone the extra mile to guard her with his


    arm.


    ¡°Enough chitchat, you two! We have to take cover somewhere. It¡¯s not safe here.¡±


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle and Vinson turned to the woman who had just spoken.


    Funny. She lookspletely fine, apart from that little scrape on her face. Any regr human being


    who jumps out of a moving vehicle would normally sustain injuries far worse than that.


    ¡°Who are you, Ira? What do you do?¡± Arielle peered at the woman solemnly.


    Cr*p! They¡¯re growing suspicious of me.


    Despite feeling frantic deep down, Ira nced at the two, looking perplexed. ¡°Why, I¡¯m Ira. I¡¯m just a


    poor, regr employee.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re an Ira or Ida, but ifyou try anything funny with us, we¡¯ll make you regret it for the


    rest of your life,¡± Vinson warned sternly before observing his surroundings and quickly moving forward


    with Arielle.


    Ira watched the two walk in front of her and followed them, but they never looked back.


    ***


    Three dayster, Nancy announced Dn¡¯s death, sending the entire country into an uproar.


    His Majesty was always in good health. How could he have passed away so suddenly?


    Those on Dn¡®s side requested that a forensic scientist conducted an autopsy, but Nancy refused.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to alert the forensics,¡± thetter stated with a pained expression during a meeting on


    this day. ¡°I know how Dn died. He was¡­¡±

 Chapter 1643

    Chapter 1643


    ¡°He was what?¡± Lawrence prompted.


    The queen mother shut her eyes tightly before opening them once again.


    ¡°He was poisoned!¡± she announced, looking extremely deste.


    There were tear stains on her cheeks as she uttered those three words.


    ¡°What? He was poisoned?¡± the General of the Right asked skeptically. ¡°Who¡¯s the culprit? Has he been


    caught?¡±


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    The queen mother appeared visibly troubled. ¡°The culprit is¡­ Forget it. Let¡®s not pursue this matter any


    further,¡± she concluded after a long pause.


    Lawrence was displeased to hear that.


    Our king was murdered, for goodness ¡® sake! How are we supposed to just let this go?


    A doubtful expression formed on his face as he cast a sharp gaze at Nancy.


    ¡°Who did it, Your Majesty? You sound hesitant. Are you trying to defend the culprit?¡± questioned


    Lawrence.


    ¡°No!¡± Nancy refuted, raising her voice. ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m doing!¡±


    In spite of her objections, Lawrence noticed a hint of guilt in the way she spoke.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I know you¡¯re aware of who the culprit is. Please tell us who it is,¡± said the earl with


    knitted brows. ¡°His Majesty was your only son. He won¡¯t be able to rest in peace if you don¡®t apprehend


    his killer!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right, Your Majesty. You shouldn¡®t protect the culprit¡­¡±


    With everyone agreeing with the earl, Nancy could only nce at everyone and relent.


    ¡°The person who killed Dn¡­ Was none other than his own son, Aaron,¡± she dered before closing


    her eyes in anguish.


    ¡°He didn¡®t mean it¡­¡±


    Lawrence certainly hadn¡¯t expected the perpetrator to be Aaron.


    Was it really him? What if it were actually¡­ He eyed Nancy suspiciously.


    If it were really her, that would just be pure vicious. To think she¡¯d poison her only son just to stay in


    power!


    ¡°What? You¡¯re saying it was Prince Aaron who killed His Majesty?¡± The earl shook his head in disbelief.


    ¡°No. That can¡¯t be! Why would he do that? What would he gain out of it?¡±


    ¡°You¡®re right. There¡¯s no reason for Aaron to murder the king. He¡¯d be next in line to the throne,


    anyway. He has no need tomit such an act against the king!¡±


    Nancy¡¯s heart sank as everyone vouched for Aaron while questioning her announcement, but she


    maintained her demeanor.


    ¡°It was him. I saw it happen with my own eyes,¡± she asserted with grief and frustration. ¡°That¡¯s why I


    decided to lock him up.¡±


    It was now that the crowd remembered that Aaron was being held captive.


    Everyone had been so perturbed by the king¡¯s death that they had all forgotten about the prince.


    At this moment, they didn¡¯t know what to do.


    His Majesty only has one son. If we seized him, we would lose our next king. But if we released him, it


    would be a dishonor against His Majesty.


    ¡°Aaron is still a child. Don¡¯t me him for this. He must¡¯ve done it in the spur of a moment, and I¡¯m sure


    he¡¯s filled with extreme regret from his actions,¡± Nancy continued, seemingly having grasped the


    crowd¡¯s thoughts. ¡°He¡¯s Dn¡¯s only son and the next king of Turlen, so we¡¯ll incarcerate him for a


    period of time and release him after that. The country needs its king, after all.¡±


    ¡°Can we please see Prince Aaron, Your Majesty?¡± Lawrence requested, still feeling doubtful.


    He wanted to speak to Aaron personally.


    Hearing that, Nancy narrowed her eyes at him briefly.

 Chapter 1644

    Chapter 1644


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to let you see him. He doesn¡¯t wish to see anyone now,¡± Nancy remarked


    hopelessly, retracting her gaze.


    ¡°He¡¯s so ashamed of what he¡¯s done that he doesn¡®t want to face anyone. He would¡¯ve already joined


    Dn if his mother and I hadn¡¯t stopped him.¡±


    By saying that, she made everyone feel bad about wanting to see Aaron. But Lawrence kept his gaze


    on her, his suspicions growing every second.


    After returning home, he ryed everything that had happened to Harvey, who then contacted Vinson


    in front of him to describe the current situation.


    Vinson had answered the call on speakerphone, allowing Arielle to listen in too. The woman shook her


    head in disbelief upon hearing that Nancy had pinned Dn¡¯s death on Aaron.


    How is that possible?


    ¡°No, Harvey, there¡¯s no way it could¡¯ve been Aaron. He¡¯d never do such a thing to my father!¡± Arielle


    objected. ¡°Someone else has to be behind it.¡±


    ¡°The queen mother said she witnessed it with her own eyes, Princess.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s gaze darkened as she heard Lawrence¡¯s voice. ¡°Did you pay attention to Nancy during the


    meeting, General Lawrence?¡±


    Lawrence was slightly taken aback. ¡°What do you mean by that, Princess?¡±


    Arielle knew she was being malicious for thinking this way, but after days of pondering, she felt that the


    culprit could only be none other than Nancy.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    She wants full control, and the only way for her to achieve that is by killing Dad, so no one else will be


    able to steal her throne.


    ¡°I have my suspicions that it was the queen mother who killed my father, not Aaron. She¡®s the only one


    who isn¡®t willing to relinquish her power, after all.¡±


    Lawrence didn¡¯t expect Arielle to hold the same opinion as he did, and that made him more eager to


    see Aaron.


    I¡¯ll only know the truth if I talk to him¡­


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll think of a way to meet Prince Aaron and find out the truth.¡±


    ***


    Back in the pce, Celeste requested to see Aaron once more, only for Nancy to turn her down.


    ¡°Seeing him is equivalent to hurting him, Celeste,¡± the older woman stated pitilessly.


    ¡°But Mother, Aaron¡¯s always looked up to his father,¡± Celeste insisted, tears streaming down her face


    as she knelt before Nancy.


    ¡°He¡¯d never do such a thing to Dn. There has to be a misunderstanding.¡±


    There was just no way the young man could have murdered Dn.


    He may be a little spoilt, but he has a good heart. He¡¯d never try to poison his own father! I¡¯m his


    mother, and I understand him best. This must all be a mistake.


    ¡°I told you I saw him kill Dn with my own eyes! Are you implying that I was lying?¡± Nancy snapped,


    ring at Celeste icily.


    Thetter froze on the spot. No. It can¡¯t be.


    ¡°Please, Mother. Let me see him just once. I¡¯ll never believe he killed Dn,¡± she choked while looking


    up at the older woman with reddened eyes.


    Yet, Nancy had had enough and turned to Miranda. ¡°What are you waiting for? Take her back to her


    chambers.¡±


    I have far too much to worry about. Do I look like I have the time to hear her whine?


    She was on the verge of losing it. It had been days, but her subordinates still hadn¡¯t gotten rid of Arielle,


    and that really ticked her off.


    ¡°Hurry it up. I want her life taken no matter what!¡±

 Chapter 1645

    Chapter 1645


    The woman still felt uneasy even after initiating a murder decree on Arielle, so she turned to her


    secretary. ¡°Print Arielle¡¯s photos and stick them on every street of the country. On these flyers, brand


    her as a foreign spy, and whoever spots her or provides any information about her will be given five


    hundred million as a reward.¡±


    It took only an hour for the secretary to do as instructed, and Arielle was now listed as a wanted


    criminal everywhere, including on the inte.


    Sonia had secretly used her phone and hastily gave Arielle a call after seeing the news online.


    In truth, Arielle had alreadye across the news, but she was still grateful to Sonia for informing her


    right away.


    After a few exchanges and ending the call, she yed an audio recording of Nancy¡¯s edict. Coldness


    filled her eyes as she listened to it.


    ¡°The queen mother¡¯s out to get you, Sannie. How about you return to Chanaea for now?¡± Vinson, who


    had alsoe across the widespread order, advised Arielle to return home.


    They were now in Nancy¡¯s territory, after all.


    Arielle understood Vinson¡¯s intentions, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to leave this ce without learning


    the true reason behind her father¡¯s death.


    I have to find out how he died and make the murderer pay no matter What it takes. This is the only way


    l can bring Dad the justice he deserves.


    ¡°You know I won¡¯t go, Vinson.¡±


    Vinson was well aware that he couldn¡¯t convince Arielle otherwise either. He was just trying his luck.


    The woman¡¯s gaze remained frigid as she browsed through the edict across every phone application.


    She then opened up herptop and hacked into the country¡¯s inte system, and tapped away on her


    keyboard.


    Soon, a series of explicit photos surfaced one by one on every major online tform before a video


    begin airing on its own.


    ***


    ¡°Turn it off! Shut it down now!¡± Nancy screamed as the video recording of her with a man yed on the


    big screen.


    A subordinate had been trying to turn the screen off ever since he noticed something amiss but to no


    avail.


    ¡°It¡­It can¡¯t be turned off, Your Majesty¡­¡±


    Shaking with rage, Nancy grabbed her chair and flung it at the screen. The video stopped ying as


    soon as the screen broke.


    ¡°You all had better forget everything you just saw,¡± she spat out before turning to leave, clearly not in


    the mood to carry on with the meeting after such a blunder.


    Then, as though having remembered something, she stopped at the door and turned around. ¡°If this


    gets out, you¡¯re all dead. You should know me well enough to know what I¡¯m capable of.¡±


    With that, she left in a huff. The remaining people inside the conference room nced at each other


    awkwardly before leaving too.


    Nancy had thought only those inside the conference room had seen the video, until she returned to the


    pce, and Monisha came rushing over immediately, crying while informing the former about all those


    pictures now being all over the inte.


    Hearing that, the older woman nced at her phone briefly before passing out in exasperation,


    resulting in a panic-stricken Monisha calling the doctor.


    ***


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    At the same time, Arielle finally managed to contact Sybil. ¡°Where are you now? Are you okay?¡±


    Sybil¡¯s heart felt warm as he heard the woman¡¯s concerned voice.


    ¡°Princess, His Majesty is¡­¡± Tears flowed down his ashen cheeks as he found himself unable to


    continue.


    Arielle¡¯s eyes also reddened as she thought of Dn.


    ¡°What happened to my dad? How did he suddenly die?¡±

 Chapter 1646

    Chapter 1646


    ¡°That day¡­¡± Sybil recounted Dn¡¯s sudden death over the phone.


    Arielle stilled momentarily after hearing the whole story.


    She didn¡¯t think it was Aaron who had personally given her dad the herbal concoction. She had


    assumed it was all a lie spun by Nancy.


    ¡°Do you think Aaron would do such a thing?¡± the woman asked after a long moment of silence.


    She didn¡¯t initially believe so, but now that Sybil had mentioned the way Dn had looked at Aaron


    before breathing hisst, she wasn¡¯t sure whether she could trust her own instincts now.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare think it was Prince Aaron, but it looks to be the case. In fact, he didn¡¯t try to defend


    himself when Her Majesty locked him up¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you safe now? Can you arrange for me to meet Aaron? I want to find out what happened from


    him,¡± Arielle requested after another pause.


    Sybil¡¯s current situation wasn¡¯t ideal, but he couldn¡¯t say no to Arielle as he, too, didn¡¯t believe that


    Aaron was behind the king¡¯s murder. The man had even tried to talk to Aaron once, but thetter


    refused to utter a word.


    Maybe she¡¯d be able to get the truth out of him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get back to you when the opportunity arises, Princess.¡±


    Meanwhile, chaos ensued after Nancy had copsed, and it waster in the afternoon by the time she


    regained consciousness.


    ¡°Are those things gone, Monisha?¡± the woman asked.


    Thinking back to what had transpired before she passed out made her boil with rage.


    Having busied herself with taking care of Nancy all day, Monisha couldn¡¯t answer. She really hadn¡¯t had


    the time to check what was on the inte.


    Fortunately, Nancy didn¡¯t me her, knowing how worried and caught up thetter must have been.


    ¡°Give me my phone. I¡¯ll have a look¡­¡±


    Strong-minded as always, the woman took her phone. By now, the inte was now void of all her


    scandalous photos, and it was as though nothing had ever happened. Yet, Nancy knew it wasn¡¯t but a


    dream.


    She gripped her fists tightly.


    Who the h*ll did it? How dare they put all those things out in public?


    The thought of everyone inside the conference room having seen that video made her body tremble


    with wrath. She then made a phone call.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the photos and video, Nancy?¡±


    The queen mother was instantly livid. She had thought of asking for help, only to be questioned like


    that as soon as the person on the other end picked up.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before? Someone keeps hacking into myputer to get their hands on those things!¡±


    she yelled.


    You said you¡¯d take care of this, but that hacker you hired couldn¡¯t even find out who¡¯s behind all this!


    And now, you¡¯re questioning me?!This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    The man over the phone was just as infuriated, for he had never expected to be disgraced like this at


    his old age. Just thinking of the way his wife, children, and grandchildren looked at him filled him with


    utter humiliation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not contact each other from now on¡­¡± With that, he hung up, removed his phone card from his


    device, and threw it away at once.


    Nancy froze in shock, but by the time she returned to her senses and tried calling again, the number


    was no longer reachable.


    She threw her phone to the ground in fury.


    ***


    Meanwhile, the man who had just hung up knelt on the ground inside his study as he gazed at a


    photograph in his hands, feeling as though his heart had been stabbed.

 Chapter 1647

    Chapter 1647


    Never had he thought that the woman he adored most turned out to be such a vile human being. He


    now felt like a joke after thinking about all the sacrifices he had made for her all these years.


    ¡°How could you do this to me, Nancy?¡± he mumbled as tears threatened to spill from the sides of his


    eyes.


    You didn¡¯t even let me hold your hand when we were young. You said you didn¡¯t want anyone catching


    us. But it turns out you were sleeping with another man.


    Suddenly, a knock came on the door.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± he asked with a hoarse voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Darling. Open up¡­¡± Melissa had rushed over after seeing Nancy¡¯s photos on the inte,


    disregarding her family¡¯s attempts to make her stay put.


    Hearing his wife¡¯s voice, Matthew fell silent briefly before answering, ¡°I have things to take care of.¡±


    In response, the woman opened the door with a spare key, and her heart sank at the sight of her


    husband looking like that.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t figure things out, why don¡¯t you talk to her?¡± she asked gently while kneeling down next to


    him.


    With a shudder, Matthew nced up at the woman. ¡°Y-You knew all along?¡±


    Melissa nodded. She had known ever since the day they got married, but she loved him so much that


    she had chosen to keep everything to herself. Moreover, he had always been kind to her, and although


    she didn¡¯t have a ce in his heart, she was still happy to know that he belonged to her.


    At the revtion that his wife knew everything, Matthew suddenly found himself unable to face her.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ I know everything¡­¡± Melissa ced a finger over his lips. ¡°If you want an answer, go ask


    for one. I don¡¯t want you to be sad¡±


    ¡°Were you sad¡­ All these years?¡± Matthew couldn¡®t resist asking his wife.


    ¡°I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t¡­¡± The woman lowered her gaze.


    ¡°But then again, you¡¯re my husband, and you¡¯ve always treated me well. That¡¯s why I kept telling myself


    not to be sad.¡±


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Those words finally broke down his walls, and he pulled her into his arms.


    Melissa, you fool!


    ¡°From now on, you¡¯re the only woman for me.¡±


    Tears welled up in Melissa¡¯s eyes as she heard that. This was the day she had been waiting for all her


    life.


    ***


    Two dayster, Arielle received a call from Sybil telling her she could meet Aaron at night.


    After putting on a disguise, the woman followed Sybil to where Aaron was being imprisoned. Then, with


    Sybil standing on guard outside, she snuck in.


    Arielle¡®s eyes turned red the moment she saw Aaron. She couldn¡¯t believe that the person in front of


    her now was the same vigorous man who had brought her to Turlen. Compared to before, Aaron now


    sported an unkempt beard and looked like he was in a permanent daze.


    ¡°Aaron!¡± the woman called out softly.


    Aaron snapped back to reality and turned to her slowly, but he was instantly filled with hatred and


    disappointment as soon as he recognized her. ¡°Get out! Get out of my sight!¡±


    Arielle was stunned by his response, and she certainly couldn¡¯t believe the way he looked at her.


    What could have happened that made him the way he is now?

 Chapter 1648

    Chapter 1648


    Aaron thought about kicking Arielle out of here upon seeing her.


    How dare she show up here!


    At the same time, he pinned his gaze filled with hatred on her.


    ¡°Aaron, do you know what happened on the day Dad passed away?¡± Due to time constraints, Arielle


    could only ask the most urgent question.


    She thought about asking Aaron why he was so hostile toward her only after settling everything.


    ¡°Get out of here!¡±


    Aaron didn¡¯t respond to Arielle¡¯s question but kept staring at her with his bloodshot eyes.


    Meanwhile, Arielle was mad and really wanted to beat him upon hearing his rude remark.


    Why can ¡®t he tell me the problem so we can solve it together? Is it the right time to vent his spleen?


    Suppressing her disappointment, she nced at Aaron and said, ¡°Aaron, it was not easy for me to


    come here today. The queen mother used me of being a foreign spy and even issued an arrest


    warrant. I¡¯m taking the risk to be here to figure out the cause of Dad¡¯s death. All I want is for him to rest


    in peace!¡±


    ¡°He was poisoned and killed by me! I did it with my own hands! Are you satisfied now?! Hmm?!¡±


    After Arielle brought up Dn¡¯s death a few times, Aaron finally lost his temper and shouted at her.


    Would I support the queen mother if Father and Arielle didn¡¯t hide the truth about Arielle¡¯s fake death


    from me?


    None of this would have happened if I didn¡¯t side with her.


    Deep down, Aaron wished he was the one who died instead whenever he recalled the moment he gave


    Dn the bowl of herbal concoction.


    Although Arielle was furious upon hearing his answer, she remained calm and asked, ¡°Where did you


    get the concoction from?¡±


    ¡°The queen mother gave it to me!¡± When Aaron closed his eyes, tears dropped from his cheek and fell


    onto the ground.


    ¡°She imed that Dad was her son even though they fought over power. Since Dad wasn¡¯t feeling well,


    she asked Monisha to prepare the herbal concoction. She then asked me to give him the concoction,


    iming he wouldn¡¯t drink it if he knew she prepared it. I didn¡¯t suspect her and thus poisoned him to


    death. I should have died instead¡­¡±


    Aaron felt heartbroken every time he recalled that he handed over the bowl of poison that caused


    Dn¡¯s death.


    He clenched his fists and fiercely punched his chest.


    Arielle stopped andforted him, ¡°Aaron, it wasn¡¯t your fault. Instead, the queen mother was too


    malicious. She was willing to murder her son for the sake of power!¡±


    Holding Aaron¡¯s fists and looking at him, she added, ¡°It had nothing to do with you. Moreover, Dad


    wouldn¡¯t me you because of it. So please don¡¯t feel guilty about it.¡±


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Ever since Dn died in front of him, Aaron had stopped talking and immersed himself in guilt and


    hatred. Although Aaron hated Dn, Arielle, and Nancy, he hated himself even more.


    He couldn¡¯t forgive himself for trusting Nancy too much, which led to Dn¡¯s death.


    ¡°Arielle, I hate you to the core. Get out of here! I don¡¯t want to see you!¡± Aaron shouted in anger and


    brushed her hands off.


    Arielle didn¡¯t understand why Aaron held such a deep hatred against her.


    Did he hate me after knowing I¡¯m his sister? Or could it be because I didn¡¯t reveal my identity when I


    disguised myself?


    Feeling bewildered, Arielle gazed at him and said, ¡°I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t want Dad to die for nothing


    after knowing what the queen mother did. I¡¯ll wait for you toe out and avenge him!¡±

 Chapter 1649

    Chapter 1649


    Staring out the window as Arielle left, Aaron¡¯s gaze darkened.


    She¡¯s right¡­ I must avenge Father!


    Although he did give Dn the herbal concoction, the one who prepared it was Nancy. He had to wait


    patiently to discover evidence to throw her in jail.


    ***


    Alicia¡¯s eyes went watery as she held her nket on the bed. Ever since the news about Aaron¡¯s


    imprisonment spread on the inte, she wasn¡¯t in the mood to study.


    She was worried because he did not answer her calls and reply to her messages. She asked for a


    month¡¯s break from the lecturers to ask around about Aaron. She went to different ces like a


    headless chicken, yet there was no news about him.


    ¡°Alicia,e out and eat something¡­¡± Clement knocked on her door.


    Since she hadn¡¯t had any food or water the whole day, he made some of her favorite food.


    ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m not hungry¡­¡± Alicia sniffled.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Clement felt heartbroken when he heard the reply.


    What happened to Alicia? She has been like this ever since she returned from university a few days


    ago. Did someone bully her there?


    ¡°Your body wouldn¡¯t be able to take it if you don¡¯t eat anything. Pleasee out and at least get


    something to eat,¡± he said with a raised voice.


    One could tell that he was deeply worried about Alicia.


    ¡°Grandpa, I don¡¯t want to eat anything!¡±


    Noticing that Alicia choked on her words, Clement was a little anxious.


    Have I guessed it right? Did someone bully her in university?


    He knocked on the door again and asked nervously, ¡°Alicia, are you crying? Did someone bully you in


    school?¡±


    Alicia knew Clement was worried once she heard his voice.


    ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m fine. No one bullied me. Don¡¯t worry about me. Anyway, you should go to bed early.


    Everything is all right,¡± Alicia got out of bed, opened the door, and spoke to him face to face.


    ¡°Eat this. I made it for you¡­¡± Clement nced at her for a while before giving her a te of food.


    Knowing that Clement would be more worried if she refused to eat, Alicia decided to take it.


    ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯ll eat itter. Go and get some rest.¡±


    Clement turned around after Alicia said so.


    Momentster, he gazed at her again and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to finish it if you don¡®t have the


    appetite.¡±


    Alicia nodded in response and only closed the door after he left. Then, she gazed at the food for a


    while before eating a little.


    ¡°Aaron, what happened to you? Are you all right?¡±


    The more she thought about it, the more upset she became as shey on the bed.


    ***


    Miles away, Arielle told Sybil the truth about Dn¡¯s death aftering out ofthe pce. Sybil¡¯s eyes


    turned bloodshot once he heard it.


    ¡°What a wicked woman!¡±


    How vicious! How could she sacrifice her son for the sake of power¡­


    Sybil was so mad that he almost couldn¡¯t help but rush into the pce and shoot her with a gun.


    Nheless, he knew that he couldn¡¯t act on impulse.


    ¡°Please take care. I¡¯ll avenge my dad¡­¡± With that, Arielle left and disappeared into the darkness.


    Sybil thought about stopping her from taking any reckless actions, yet he found himself tongue-tied.


    When Arielle came home, she told Vinson the truth about Dn¡¯s death and Aaron¡®s attitude.


    ¡°I will never let the queen mother off the hook,¡± With a glint of anger in her eyes, Arielle narrowed them


    and looked out the window.

 Chapter 1650

    Chapter 1650


    Two dayster, Nancy chaired a meeting to set Dn¡¯s funeral for one weekter. The day between his


    death and funeral would be dered the national period of mourning.


    On the night of his death, Dn¡¯s body had been brought to the church by the royal undertaker, Alberto


    Hudson.


    ¡°Mother, as Dn¡¯s funeral is next week, can we release Aaron first?¡±


    Celeste hurried to Nancy¡¯s side once she heard that the funeral date had been settled upon.


    ¡°He will be released the day before the funeral,¡± Nancy inly replied, looking at her.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Before Celeste could finish, Monisha entered to report that a few nobles and generals had something


    to discuss with the queen mother.


    After being interrupted, Celeste had no choice but to leave. Unexpectedly, they stopped her by the


    door, informing her that she should stay, as what they were about to discuss was rted to her too.


    When she re-entered, Nancy gave her the side-eye before returning her attention to the group that


    consisted of more than ten men.


    ¡°What is it that you want to talk about?¡± Nancy inquired after inviting them to take their seats.


    ¡°Your Majesty, we¡¯re here to discuss the matter of appointing a new king, as the country cannot go a


    day without one. Now that one week has passed since the king¡¯s death, you have yet to dere Prince


    Aaron as the new king.¡±


    Nancy was cognizant that Aaron would inherit the crown. She just didn¡¯t expect it to happen so soon.


    And currently, the one who brought it up was actually¡­


    Filled with disbelief, she gave Matthew a disappointed look, for he had blindsided her with the request.


    When Matthew caught the look in her eye, he averted his eyes by reflex but quickly regained his


    composure and held her gaze with conviction.


    Nancy¡¯s expression darkened, as it wasn¡¯t lost upon her that he must be angry over the pictures and


    videos from a few days ago. Hiding her displeasure, she faced the men in front of her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure all of you are aware that it was Aaron who poisoned Dn. That¡¯s the reason why the naming


    of the king has been dyed. Under normal circumstances, the prince is still subject to thews of the


    common man.¡±


    ¡°Nheless, due to him being Dn¡¯s only son and the fact that the nation cannot go without a king,


    locking him up serves as a form of punishment. But since you have raised the matter, I¡¯ll take the


    opportunity to inform you that the king¡¯s coronation day will be held after the funeral.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    The men exchanged nces as they found her reply to be reasonable.


    ¡°The king¡¯s funeral will be next week. Hence, the prince should be given his freedom before then. After


    all, he needs to be present to ept the condolences from the public,¡± Lawrence demanded, staring


    intently at Nancy.


    Even though she was Turlen¡¯s queen mother and had power concentrated in her hands, she still


    couldn¡¯t ignore the sentiments ofthe nation¡¯s officials.


    Since her initial n was to release Aaron the day before the funeral, she decided to bring it forward


    upon Lawrence¡¯s request and to satisfy the officials¡¯ demands.


    ¡°Monisha, release Prince Aaron and bring him to Paelsford Manor to wash up before sending him to


    the church where he¡¯ll keep vigil.¡±


    Monisha set off at once to get it done.


    With the matter settled, the crowd didn¡¯t linger any further and went off to deal with the royal funeral.


    Just as Celeste left with the others, Nancy called out to Matthew, who had no choice but to stay.

 Chapter 1651

    Chapter 1651


    At that moment, the royal guards and attendants were all dismissed by Nancy. She then looked at the


    towering figure of Matthew with a hint of mncholy in her eyes.


    ¡°Matthew, the stuff that you saw¡­ It isn¡¯t like that¡­¡± Nancy exined, but Matthew was having none of


    it.


    He interrupted her with a grim voice, ¡°Your Majesty, those matters have nothing to do with me. If that¡¯s


    what you want to talk about, you can save it. My wife has recently fallen ill, so I need to return to her


    side.¡±


    No sooner had he spoken than he turned around to leave. However, Nancy suddenly hugged him from


    behind.


    ¡°Matthew, haven¡¯t you always wanted me to be yours? I¡¯ll give myself to you. All of it as long you don¡¯t


    stay angry at me, all right?¡±


    Despite her age, Nancy had managed to maintain a stunning figure. Even when she was speaking, she


    would rub herself against Matthew¡¯s back on purpose.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    If it was any time before, Matthew would have easily sumbed to her seduction, as he had loved her


    since he was young. But the thought of what she had done filled him with so much rage that


    overwhelmed any lust he harbored.


    ¡°Please mind yourself!¡± He had hardly finished before he pried her hands open and stormed out.


    ¡°Matthew, it¡®s me, Nancy. Your Nancy¡­¡±


    When Matthew stopped in his tracks abruptly, Nancy wrapped her arms around his waist again.


    Nuzzling her face in his back, she purred, ¡°Do you really want to abandon me? Didn¡¯t you swear that


    you would always love me and do whatever I saye what may?¡±


    Her words suddenly brought them back to forty years ago. Back then, he was just a fifteen-year-old boy


    going on sixteen, while Nancy was already twenty. Nevertheless, he had already developed feelings for


    her and wanted her to wait for him to grow older so that he could marry her.


    However, she didn¡¯t take his words seriously and chose to obey her parents by marrying the prince


    back then.


    News of her marriage filled him with despair and made him lose hope in life.


    When she returned to her parents¡¯ home one day, he, filled with the idealism of youth, pushed her


    against a corner and looked at her teary-eyed. It was then that he dered his eternal love for her and


    willingness to fulfill any of her wishes regardless of whether she had gotten married and however much


    time had passed.


    After leaving those words with her, he fled.


    Contrary to his expectation, she hadn¡¯t forgotten what he said all those years ago.


    Do l still mean something to her?


    Sensing Matthew¡¯s wavering emotions, Nancy circled to his front and threw herself into his arms,


    hugging him tightly.


    ¡°Matthew¡­¡± Her voice tugged at his heartstrings the exact same way it did back then.


    ¡°Nan¡­¡± Just when he wanted to push her away, Nancy wrapped her hand behind his head and lifted


    her heels to seal his mouth with a kiss.


    When the long desired sensation struck him suddenly, Matthew¡®s unwavering steadfastness was


    thrown into disarray.


    Kissing her back passionately, he tore off her clothes before pinning her down on the couch.


    That particr scene was caught by someone who had returned to see Nancy.


    ¡°You did this to yourselves!¡± After taking a picture, the person kept the phone and left without any


    hesitation.

 Chapter 1652

    Chapter 1652


    ¡°Matthew¡­¡± Nancy called out as Matthew was getting dressed.


    Matthew regretted his inability to restrain himself.


    ¡°Matthew¡­¡± Nancy circled her hands around the man¡¯s waist.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go. Could you stay and apany me for the night?¡±


    Matthew¡¯s body stiffened in response. He wanted to reject her and told her that it had all been a terrible


    mistake. However, he thought it was too cruel to say that to her right after bedding her.


    ¡°I have something on,¡± Matthew said and shrugged Nancy off.


    He put on his clothes in silence and hurried out of the room.


    Nancy narrowed her eyes as she looked at the man. Monisha came back right then and noticed the


    look on the queen mother¡¯s face. She immediately recalled the cold, hard look on Matthew¡¯s face just


    now and started to put two and two together.


    Monisha said nothing and served Nancy as thetter took a bath. After the queen mother came out of


    the shower, Monisha looked at her and said in a small voice, ¡°General Matthew looked really cold and


    distant when he left.¡±


    Nancy narrowed her eyes slightly after listening to her.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Is he regretting that we slept together?


    Her lips curled into a cold snicker. ¡°Don¡¯t he dare dream about cutting ties with me after having bedded


    me!¡±


    Then, she remembered Matthew¡¯s reaction when the photos went public. Her eyes shed with a cold


    glint.


    Since he has decided to be so heartless, don¡¯t me me for doing the same.


    Then, she whispered into Monisha¡¯s ears. Thetter¡¯s expression was visibly taken aback before she


    nodded and headed out of the room.


    ***


    Meanwhile, Monisha has returned Aaron¡¯s phone after releasing him.


    Aaron turned on his phone and noticed the multiple missed calls and text messages from Alicia.


    Alicia: Aaron, what¡¯s the matter with you? Why are you grounded?


    Alicia: His Majesty has passed away. You must be really upset. I Wish I could be by your side right now.


    Alicia: I miss you¡­ I miss you so much.


    Alicia: I can¡¯t get hold of any news on you. How are you doing? Are you hurt?


    There were over hundreds of missed calls and text messages. Aaron did not know how to describe his


    feelings, except that he really wanted to protect the naive and innocent girl who was worried sick about


    him.


    After texting her, Aaron called his chauffeur and ordered him to fetch Alicia from his grandpa¡¯s ce to


    Paelsford Manor. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to see her.


    The chauffeur was quick. Alicia was already in his room when Aaron came out of the shower.


    She has lost weight¡­


    It was the first thought that came into his mind when he saw Alicia. He furrowed his brows slightly,


    baffled by the sheer amount of weight that she had lost in just a few days¡¯ time.


    ¡°Aaron¡­¡± Alicia dashed into his embrace before he could say anything.


    He felt her tears against his chest.


    Aaron lifted his hand and hesitated for a moment. Then, he gently patted her on her back and said, ¡°I¡¯m


    all right¡­¡±


    Alicia removed herself from his embrace and caressed his face.


    Her eyes were misty and red as she looked at him, ¡°You look so weary, and you¡¯ve be thinner.¡±


    Tears streamed down her face. Alicia felt her heart wrench at the sight. She could not bear to see him


    hurt.


    ¡°I would say the same for you,¡± Aaron said as he wiped the tears streaming down her cheeks. ¡°Did you


    not eat well? You have to eat to your heart¡¯s content now. I don¡¯t want to hug skeleton to sleep!¡±


    Alicia panicked for a moment when she heard him. For a split second, she really thought that Aaron did


    not like her as she was all thin and bony.


    She clutched tightly to Aaron¡¯s hand in anxiousness.

 Chapter 1653

    Chapter 1653


    ¡°I¡¯m going to eat and gain some weight,¡± Alicia mumbled, tears brimming in her eyes.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    She realized that she had been quick to shed a tear recently. It was as if her body was trying to rid itself


    of the decades of tears that she never shed.


    ¡°I shall wait as you put on weight and be all chubby,¡± Aaron said indulgingly as he pinched her


    chin. ¡°I¡¯m going to the church. Are you going to stay here or are you heading back to the apartment?¡±


    He had actually asked his chauffeur to bring Alicia here because he wanted to see her. Now that Aaron


    had seen her, it was time for him to leave.


    ¡°I¡¯ll head back to the apartment to wait for you,¡± Alicia eyed Aaron with her reddened eyes and said,


    ¡°Condolences to you and your family.¡±


    The chauffeur was waiting right outside the door.


    Alicia turned around to leave right after. She had not seen Aaron for a long time, and she wished she


    could stay and be in hispany for a little while more. Hence, she kept looking back on her shoulders


    with every couple of steps she took.


    Aaron waspletely disarmed by her adorable little gestures. He strode forward as he eyed her


    poignant manner. Unable to restrain himself further, he reached out to grab her arm and nted a kiss


    on her lips.


    Alicia was initially taken aback, but she soon closed her eyes and reciprocated his kiss.


    Aaron had been confined for one whole week, a week that had felt like a miserable year. She


    desperately wanted to surrender herself to him, feeling his warmth wrapped around her body. Only then


    would she be sure that the man was indeed right in front of her, and that she was not dreaming.


    Her hands glided over his body, fueling the desire that was burning in him.


    ¡°Alicia!¡± Aaron parted from her lips and eyed her with his deep-set eyes as he said in a hoarse voice,


    ¡°Quit ying around.¡±


    The chauffeur was still waiting for her right outside the door, and he had to go to the church to mourn


    the kingter.


    ¡°Aaron, I want it,¡± she said as she wrapped her hands around his arm and tipped her toes as she


    nted another kiss on his lips.


    Their culture did not refrain junior members of the family to refrain from engaging in intimacy upon the


    passing of senior members of the family. Hence, Aaron did not restrain himself and carried the


    seductive little minx off into his room without hesitation.


    After the passionate exchange, Alicia still found it difficult to part with Aaron. However, she understood


    that the man had to leave right then.


    She turned around and climbed on top of him as she kissed him on the lips. ¡°I¡¯m going to wait for you at


    the apartment.¡±


    Then, she put on her clothes and left.


    When Aaron was all dressed up and went out the door, the chauffeur had already left with her. He went


    to the church in a car that the queen mother had arranged.


    Celeste had arrived at the church at the same time. Her eyes turned red at the sight of Aaron.


    ¡°You¡®ve grown thinner¡­¡± Celeste sobbed as she eyed her son.


    Aaron noticed that a white strand of hair had appeared on Celeste¡¯s hair and felt a sharp sting in his


    heart.


    Mother must have been worried sick when I was confined.


    ¡°I have worried you, Mother,¡± he said.


    Celeste caressed Aaron¡¯s cheeks and said nothing. It was only natural for a mother to be worried about


    her child.


    ¡°Go and take a look at your father,¡± she merely said.


    Aaron nodded and headed toward the casket.


    Upon spotting his father lying motionless in the casket, Aaron felt a great sense of despair and guilt


    wash over him.


    If I had not been hasty and listened to Grandma, Father would not have¡­


    Aaron felt nothing but burning wrath for the queen mother right then. That wretched woman had made


    me an unfilial and disloyal son.


    Father, I will avenge you¡­


    Aaron eyed Dn and swore a vow right then.


    Celeste went back to the pce after seeing Aaron. There were a lot of things that required her


    attention following Dn¡¯s death.


    A dark shadow swished past the heavily guarded church right after she left. Aaron¡¯s eyes darkened


    when he registered the face of the intruder.

 Chapter 1654

    Chapter 1654


    ¡°Who asked you toe here? Do you have a death wish?¡± Aaron snapped at the intruder.


    Doesn¡¯t she know that she¡¯s a wanted criminal? Does she wish to die?


    Arielle was visibly taken aback. Just a few days ago, Aaron was just looking at her with pure hatred.


    Why does he sound like he cares about me now?


    She looked at Aaron and asked, ¡°Are you worried about me, Aaron?¡±


    Aaron grimaced. ¡°Who cares about you?¡±


    He just did not wish to see his father¡¯s favorite daughter harmed as he did not give a dime about


    Arielle.


    ¡°Aaron, it doesn¡¯t matter whether you care to admit it or not, but you are always my little brother and


    that remains forever,¡± Arielle said before heading toward the casket.


    Tears brimmed in Arielle¡¯s eyes as soon as she spotted Dn lying to rest in the casket. Her heart


    wrenched at the sight. Dn was forever gone before she could spend more time with him.


    ¡°Dad, I will avenge you. I will not let those who have harmed you go unounted,¡± Arielle said as she


    wept.


    Meanwhile, Aaron was still reeling in from the shock after hearing the words by Arielle.


    She said that l am always her little brother and that remains forever whether I care to admit it or not.


    What could she possibly mean by that? Does she mean that she is willing to recognize me as her


    brother?


    He eyed Arielle who was standing before him as bitterness swelled in his heart.


    But, all I ever wanted was¡­


    ¡°Aaron, I know you wish to avenge Dad. However, you don¡¯t have any real power in your hands.


    Hence, you should act with caution, and do not confront her hastily,¡± Arielle said.


    Needless to say, Aaron knew exactly who Arielle was referring to.


    ¡°That is my business. You need not meddle in them. Get lost! I don¡¯t want to see you!¡± Aaron shot


    daggers at Arielle and warned her in a low voice.


    Arielle was baffled by his sudden temper and wished that she could punch him in the face.


    ¡°Listen to me. Do not lose the war while trying to win a mere battle,¡± Arielle said before she left the


    church.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Aaron stared nkly in the direction in which her shadow disappeared into the darkness for a moment


    before turning to look at the casket in front of him.


    ¡°Father, I will protect her on your behalf.¡±


    Meanwhile, Melissa rushed back home from Lisa¡¯s ce after knowing that Matthew had gone home.


    When she was back in their room, she noticed that Matthew was already in the shower. It was the first


    time that he headed right for the shower after getting home. She chuckled and sat by the bedside as


    she clutched a book in her hand to pass the time as she waited for Matthew to get out of the shower.


    Matthew was afraid that Nancy¡¯s scent would linger on his clothing. Hence, he chucked his clothes right


    into the washing machine right after taking them off. He wrapped himself in a towel and came out of the


    shower after he was done.


    Melissa lifted her head when she heard the sound of the door creaking open. She was her usual poise


    and elegant self.


    Matthew felt a crippling sense of guilt at the sight of her calm and gentle face.


    How could I cheat on her?


    ¡°Hurry up and get dressed. Otherwise, you¡¯re going to catch a cold,¡± Melissa said as she got up to fetch


    some pajamas for her husband.


    Melissa headed to the bathroom right after. She wanted to put his soiled clothes into the washing


    machine.


    Matthew reached out to take her hand before she could head into the bathroom.


    She turned around and looked at her husband and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve put the clothes in the washing machine,¡± Matthew exined. Then, he led her to the bed and


    asked, ¡°How are you feeling? Any better?¡±


    Melissa felt her heart skip a beat.

 Chapter 1655

    Chapter 1655


    ¡°Why did you put the clothes in the washing machine today?¡± Melissa asked.


    She had always hand-washed Matthew¡¯sundry.


    The general knew he had roused Melissa¡®s suspicion. However, he did not see any other way out of the


    situation.


    If he had not put the clothes into the washing machine and his wife found out about his affair, it would


    only serve toplicate the matter.


    ¡°Just put the clothes into the washing machine in the future,¡± Matthew said.


    Then, he circled her into his embrace and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m worried about your health. I mean for you to


    apany me for the decades toe.¡±


    Melissa burrowed herself in his embrace and was moved by his sweet talk. Even if they had been


    married for years, Melissa felt like the love between them was just blooming.


    ¡°I will take care of myself so that I may continue to be by your side forever,¡± Melissa said.


    Matthew embraced her and said nothing. However, he made a vow to never betray her ever again.


    ***


    After a week, Dn¡¯s funeral procession began as scheduled.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Dn¡®s subjects who could make it to his funeral procession came to send the king off for onest time


    from all over the nation. Those who did not manage toe mourned the king in their homes.


    On the day of the funeral, Arielle and Vinson disguised themselves and followed Lawrence to send


    Dn off.


    They could only watch the funeral procession from afar. There were fresh flowers ced on Dn¡¯s


    casket that was carried by over twenty men.


    Arielle was disheartened as her father¡®s casket was finallyid to rest in the royal mausoleum. It hit her


    that she would never get to see him ever again. Even though she was terribly upset by the notion and


    wanted to cry, there were no tears in her eyes.


    She had shed all of them in the past few days.


    After they headed back home, Vinson noticed that Arielle was standing by the window with folded


    arms, painting a forlorn figure.


    He approached her and hugged her from behind as he said, ¡°Just cry if you want to¡­¡±


    Arielle leaned back and shook her head gently. There were no tears left to cry. Even if she was really


    upset, she could not find it in her to shed another tear.


    ¡°Sannie, leave Dn¡¯s matters to me. You¡¯d better head back to the country first¡­¡± At the thought of


    the queen mother¡¯s national arrest order, Vinson¡¯s eyes darkened.


    He was afraid that they would somehow make a blunder.


    Even if they had been disguising themselves when they went out these few days, they still encountered


    a couple of dangerous situations. Needless to say, it was all orders by the queen mother.


    ¡°I want to avenge my parents!¡± Arielle said.


    She knew that Vinson was worried about her safety.


    She turned around and looked at him. ¡°We can¡¯t run forever. I want her to personally clear the


    usation of me being a spy and for her to guarantee my safety.¡±


    Vinson knew that she already had a n in her mind after listening to Arielle. However, he still felt the


    need to remind her that her safety should alwayse first. After all, the queen mother was so vicious


    that she could even sacrifice her own son to achieve her goals.


    ***


    The day after Dn¡¯s funeral ceremony, Aaron¡¯s coronation was announced by the royal family. From


    then on, he was no longer the Prince Aaron of Turlen. Aaron would be crowned the King of Turlen. The


    future of Turlen nowy on the shoulders of the young king.


    ¡°Your Majesty, since Prince Aaron has been crowned as the king, is it not time you renounce your


    powers to the new king, so that he may lead the country from now on?¡± Lawrence asked Nancy.


    Aaron was surprised that Lawrence was being so direct. He shot a look at Nancy, curious to hear what


    his grandma had to say.


    Would she treat him the same as she had treated his father?


    The queen mother¡¯s face darkened when she heard Lawrence.


    She turned to look at Aaron and asked, ¡°Aaron, is this what you think too?¡±

 Chapter 1656

    Chapter 1656


    She hadpletely underestimated Aaron.


    Given that he had not confronted her since the news of him killing his father broke, Nancy had


    assumed that the boy had epted reality and pledged his loyalty to her.


    She did not expect him to be waiting for her there. He had even gotten the politicians to be on his side.


    When did he be so close to them? How could I not have realized that?


    Her heart sank as thoughts ran through her mind.


    Havel helped a vicious ingrate?


    Aaron shook his head in reply to the queen mother¡®s question.


    When Nancy saw that, she thought that Aaron was not after power and felt slightly guilty for her wild


    guesses earlier on.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    She smiled and was about to say something when Aaron spoke first. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m not after power,


    but I¡¯m the king after all, right?¡±


    When he saw the queen mother¡¯s expression darkening, a sense of excitement arose in him.


    However, he tried to suppress his feelings and put on a calm front while saying cidly, ¡°As a king, if l


    don¡¯t possess power and control, how am I going to lead my country to prosperity and improve my


    citizens¡¯ lives?¡±


    Taking a pause, he continued, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t wish to see me bing a useless king


    who failed to do anything for his people, right?¡±


    After Aaron finished speaking, he fixed his gaze on Nancy. Even though his initial n was to lie low for


    a period of time before pitting himself against Nancy, he had decided to go with the flow since there


    was someone lending him a helping hand.


    I have underestimated him instead!


    Nancy looked at Aaron with a darkened expression and said, ¡°I would like to hand over the reins to you,


    but you¡¯re too young and inexperienced. I¡¯m worried that you wouldn¡¯t make good decisions for the


    country.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, even though His Majesty is still young, we will be guiding and supporting him. If there¡¯s


    something that he¡¯s doing incorrectly, we would let him know at once,¡± Lawrence replied immediately.


    Nancy stared at Lawrence somberly, and it suddenly dawned on her that the man had been siding with


    Dn.


    After Dn died, he started leaning toward Aaron.


    Since when has he started taking sides? Hasn¡¯t he always been neutral?


    Shepletely regretted not getting Lawrence to work for her when she had the chance to.


    Seeing that everyone was speaking up for Aaron, Nancy looked toward Matthew, hoping that he would


    speak a few words in her favor. She was sure that he would understand what she meant. However, the


    queen mother was soon disappointed.


    The moment Matthew caught her eye, he lowered his head at once. When she saw that, anger welled


    up in her chest.


    ¡°Her Majesty did not say that she wouldn¡¯t hand over the power to His Majesty. Her only concern is that


    the king is still young. Since all of you are willing to support him, I am sure Her Majesty would be open


    to handing over the reins to him.¡±


    Just then, a follower of the queen mother spoke.


    His family had only prospered after he started serving Nancy, as such, he had to ensure that she


    continued to hold power and authority.


    The man knew that he had toe up with a solution quickly under current circumstances.


    He paused and looked toward Nancy before suggesting, ¡°Your Majesty, maybe you could get His


    Majesty to do something that¡¯s beneficial to the citizens. You can assess his capabilities through the


    task, and if he manages toplete it sessfully, you can then hand over the reins to him gradually.¡±


    The rest of Nancy¡®s followers agreed immediately. ¡°That¡¯s right. After all, His Majesty had just ascended


    the throne, and there would be no going back if he does something that harms the country. It¡¯s a good


    idea to test him with a task first and hand over the reins to him after he proves himself.¡±


    ¡°Yup! That should be the way to go.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. For the sake of our country, you can¡¯t just give him the power all at once¡­¡±


    After hearing thements of her followers, Nancy said with a grim expression, ¡°I will think about it


    and give my reply tomorrow.¡±

 Chapter 1657

    Chapter 1657


    After the meeting, Nancy headed back to the pce.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    She could feel herself marinating in resentment when she thought about what happened earlier and


    hurled her ss on the ground furiously.


    Monisha, who seemed to have gotten used to that, instructed the servants to clean up the ss shards


    at once.


    Meanwhile, she stepped forward and started massaging Nancy¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Your Majesty, there¡¯s no need for you to be so angry. This could be an opportunity instead. His Majesty


    is still young, impulsive and conceited. Therefore, he must be quite eager to achieve something. Since


    that¡¯s the case, you should just let him do whatever he wants¡­¡±


    ¡°If he fails, that would give you a perfect excuse to take back the reins. Don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Initially, Nancy wasn¡¯t intending to hand the power over to Aaron. After all, she had been in charge for


    so long, and Dn¡¯s passing was a perfect opportunity for her to take over his power. However, she did


    not expect that someone would suggest that she hand over the reins to Aaron after just a few days.


    That would defeat the purpose of her murdering her own son.


    However, Monisha had a point too. With that, Nancy decided to hand some tasks to Aaron and see


    what he was able to achieve.


    ***


    While Celeste was still staying at her original wing in the pce, Aaron would have to move from


    Paelsford Manor to the grand hall where Dn stayed previously as he had seeded the throne.


    However, Dn¡¯s room had to be renovated before Aaron could move in. Hence, Aaron would continue


    to stay at Paelsford Manor during the renovation.


    After he returned to Paelsford Manor, he lit a cigarette and stood by the window. He recalled the day


    when he knew that he had been deceived by Nancy. He was so furious that he almost wanted to


    expose her true colors on the spot. However, Dn kept shaking his head at him.


    Aaron understood that his father wanted him to stay calm and lie low. That was the reason why he had


    been tolerating Nancy all those while.


    Now, since someone was offering him a golden ticket, he wanted to take it. Even if it was just an


    insignificant responsibility, he was determined to perform well.


    The boy was set on building his influence and avenging his father.


    ***


    Soon, Aaron¡¯s session to the throne was reported all over the news and the entire country knew


    that Prince Aaron would be the new king of Turlen.


    The citizens were excited to have a new king and were looking forward to him leading the country to


    prosperity and giving all of them better lives.


    Alicia, who was in school, had also seen the news of Aaron¡¯s session. She was happy and sad for


    him at the same time as he had only be king due to his father¡¯s passing.


    She knew that if Aaron had a choice, he would rather have his father by his side and remain a prince


    forever. However, it was still an event that was worth celebrating.


    After school ended that day, Alicia took out her phone and rang Aaron.


    Aaron stared at the caller ID while the phone rang. After a moment of contemtion, he put out his


    cigarette and answered.


    ¡°Congrattions, Aaron!¡± Alicia¡¯s chirpy voice sounded from the other end of the line.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Aaron briefly acknowledged it with a slight smile on his face.


    ¡°Do you want toe over to the apartmentter? We should celebrate,¡± Alicia asked excitedly.


    Aaron thought about it for a few seconds before agreeing.


    After hanging up, he opened an unread message on his phone. When he saw the message, his


    expression darkened.


    ***


    Meanwhile, Alicia headed to the grocery store immediately after speaking to Aaron. She had just


    finished preparing the final dish when Aaron arrivedter that evening.

 Chapter 1658

    Chapter 1658


    The moment Alicia saw him, she beamed sweetly as she stepped forward to take his jacket from him


    and hang it on the hanger. Next, she took out a pair of slippers and ced them by his feet.


    At that very moment, she looked like a loving wife weing her husband back from work.


    Under the soft glow from the dim light, Aaron started thinking.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    The youngdy is busy serving me, delicious homecooked dishes¡­ Unequivocally, these are what


    others define as infinite happiness, aren¡¯t they?


    After their meal, Alicia snuggled into Aaron¡¯s arms. There was blissfulness amid satisfaction in the


    smile on her face.


    Grabbing Aaron¡¯s warm palms, her lips curled up when she murmured, ¡°Aaron, it¡¯s a blessing to have


    you by my side! How nice if I could have meals with you and lie in your arms every day. My happiness


    at these moments is beyond description.¡±


    Aaron cast his head down to look at her and heaved a silent sigh.


    l might be able to grant her wish before this, but it¡¯s impossible now.


    He could only grab the opportunity to apany her for a few nights by staying over while the grand


    hall was still under renovation. After everything was ready, the pce would be his permanent


    residence.


    Nheless, he did not mention a single word about that while gazing at the youngdy in his arms,


    listening attentively to her as she described her ideal life.


    Fine, I would rather keep mum from her for the time being. At least, she can stay cheerful for a few


    more days.


    After quite a while, there was still no response from Aaron.


    Thus, Alicia turned to lie on top of him before querying, ¡°Aaron, do you feel happy when you¡¯re together


    with me?¡±


    Narrowing his eyes, Aaron gazed at the youngdy leaning close to him.


    She¡¯s getting more and more daring now and will snuggle up to me so intimately. Well, she treats me


    like her boyfriend now.


    ¡°Come on. Tell me. Do you feel happy by my side?¡± Alicia asked coquettishly, wrapping her arms


    around his waist.


    Pressing one side of her cheeks on his chest, she mumbled, ¡°I want to make you happy, so there¡¯ll at


    least be a spot for me in your heart¡­¡±


    Even though she was in Aaron¡¯s arms at the moment, she could not help feeling a sense of


    indecipherable uncertainty. It was as though he might leave at any moment and would not appear in


    her life again. She was seized by fear and could not fathom why she had such a feeling.


    Snippets of those moments they spent together shed across his mind as he sensed the sheer


    anticipation in her muffled voice. Hence, he responded briefly with a soft hum.


    The next second, he emphasized earnestly in case she did not hear him, ¡°Of course! I am happy!¡±


    In actuality, Alicia only asked the question spontaneously without anticipating a reply from Aaron. After


    all, they were not an official couple. Never had she expected that he would give her a reassuring reply.


    In an instant, tears trickled down from the sides of her eyes. Shortly after, the front part of his shirt was


    dampened by her tears.


    Sensing that, Aaron stretched out his hands to scoop her up. Inevitably, his heart ached a bit as he


    caught sight of tears all over her face.


    He stretched out his hand to wipe off her tears as he asked in a low, charismatic voice, ¡°Why¡¯re you


    crying?¡±


    ¡°Aaron, I love you so much. Don¡¯t leave me, okay? I promise that I¡¯ll never go against your wishes¡­¡±


    Alicia pleaded with Aaron, wrapping her hand around his neck tightly.


    When her tears dropped on his neck, he could feel the burning sensation scorching his frigid heart.


    Oh my! It never crosses my mind that she loves me so deeply. However, what¡¯s so good about me?


    How do I deserve her love?


    He felt like pushing her away, but he could not resist the warmth and homely feeling that she brought


    him.


    ¡°Okay!¡± he replied softly.


    Whipped up by his response, Alicia embraced him instantly, kissing him fervently. As her passion


    turned him on, he turned swiftly, cing her beneath him¡­

 Chapter 1659

    Chapter 1659


    Initially, Arielle thought Nancy would stall for time to hinder Aaron¡¯s session to the throne.


    Surprisingly, thetter made an official announcement about that the following day after her father¡¯s


    funeral.


    Even though Aaron¡¯s session to the throne was built on the tragic fate of her father, she still


    intended to congratte him.


    Recalling Aaron¡¯s aloofness toward her, she changed her mind about calling him and sent him a


    congrattory message instead.


    Soon, half an hour passed, but she did not receive any reply from him. Knowing that he paid no heed to


    her, she let out a sigh before putting her phone down.


    Since he disregards me, I¡¯d better stop bothering him.


    At the moment, the arrest warrant was bugging her. She knew that she had to gear up so that Nancy


    would retract the nationwide arrest warrant. Without hesitation, she took out herptop to send a few


    emails and waited patiently for a reply.


    ***


    In the meantime, Linda glowered coldly at the man in front of her in a hotel. ¡°How did you manage to


    know my whereabouts?¡±


    To prevent him from clinging to her, she stayed in Lightspring for a few days intentionally before


    heading toward Turlen. Nobody else knew about her current location, not even the Duke. Furthermore,


    she was only in the country for barely one month.


    It never urred to her that he would be able to locate her whereabouts so soon.


    Mark looked at her with a grin. His effort finally paid off after trying to track her down for more than one


    month.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been dropping by hotels and inns every day, trying my luck by asking around if anyone had seen


    you.¡±


    Too bad the hotels were particr with their guests¡¯ confidentiality, and he failed to bribe any staff for


    information. He even regretted that he had never learned to hack. Otherwise, it would be easy as


    snapping fingers for him to track her down.


    Catching sight of his gleeful smile, Linda asked coldly, ¡°How long have you been looking for me?¡±


    ¡°Not long either,¡± Mark replied candidly.


    At the sight of the somberness on her face, he touched the back of his head and added, ¡°I¡¯ve been


    tracking you down since the first day I reached this country.¡±


    It never crossed Lina¡¯s mind that he would spend such a long time looking for her.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Right that instant, she felt a surge of indescribable feelings from within her.


    ¡°What a fool!¡± she mocked.


    On the heels of that, she headed back toward her room. Mark followed closely behind her, worrying


    that she would be gone again.


    Meanwhile, Linda, who was ahead of him, twitched her lips slightly before she was suddenly out of


    sight the next second.


    Seeing that Linda had entered her room, Mark turned and went downstairs. He was there to double


    confirm her room number before checking into the one next to hers.


    Linda stepped out of the room upon hearing Mark¡¯s footsteps.


    When she noticed he was nowhere to be seen, she snorted and mmed the door before turning and


    making her way toward the bathroom.


    Little did Linda realize that Mark headed to the front counter right away to book a room next to hers.


    As something popped into his mind, he went to the supermarket and bought a lot of her favorite


    snacks. Momentster, he dropped by the hotel he checked in previously to retrieve his luggage and


    check out before returning to the one Linda was staying in again.


    He thought of sending the things to Linda at once but changed his mind after realizing that he had been


    to various ces the whole day.


    He took a shower to get rid of his sweat odor and get changed before knocking on Linda¡¯s door with the


    snacks.


    Linda had just taken her shower when she heard someone knocking on the door. Therefore, she


    answered it with a towel wrapped around her body.


    Astounded, Mark could only look away hastily and dared not spare her any nce.


    ¡°T-These are for you¡­¡± he stammered as he handed the snacks to her before walking back to his room


    hurriedly and closing the door.


    Linda could not help feeling amused at his hastiness.


    As a smile broke out on her face, her usual indifference faded away.


    ***


    Meanwhile, Ira tiptoed into her room after noticing the light in Arielle and Vinson¡¯s room was turned off.


    She opened the window and jumped out of it swiftly.

 Chapter 1660

    Chapter 1660


    Underneath the moonlight, Arielle and Vinson exchanged looks before piping up in unison, ¡°Follow


    her!¡±


    With that, they followed behind her silently.


    When they saw her heading toward the pce, there was a hint of sternness in their eyes.


    Nheless, they continued trailing behind her quietly.


    Oblivious to the duo following behind her closely, Ira fell into deep thought.


    She told herself it would be herst mission, and she had decided to focus on being Arielle¡¯s chauffeur


    after that. Even though Arielle was suspicious of Ira¡¯s identity previously, she gave her enough space.


    Although they were her employers, she and Vinson had never treated Ira differently. In other words,


    they were willing to share what they had with her.


    Consequently, thetter could finally feel a sense of security after risking her life throughout the years.


    In fact, she liked the peaceful life so much!


    Shortly after, Ira stood somewhere not far away from the main entrance of the pce. After much


    hesitation, she finally advanced toward it, tightening her grip on the sh drive. Nevertheless, she had


    only moved a pace before someone grabbed her arm.


    In a split second, there was a flicker of ferocity in her eyes.


    When she was about to retaliate, a familiar voice sounded. ¡°Ira, who the h*ll are you? What¡¯s your


    ulterior motive for approaching us?¡±


    Ira was dumbstruck.


    Just as she was about to say something, the grip on her arm loosened. She turned around, only to find


    Arielle and Vinson looking intently at her.


    Ira could not help feeling a sense of guilt.


    She had seemingly approached Arielle and Vinson after knowing they were closely acquainted with


    Lawrence. Hence, she was convinced he would not sense anything amiss and capture her when she


    was by their side.


    If so, she would be able to aplish the mission assigned to her.


    After giving herself away, Ira cast her eyes down and murmured in embarrassment, ¡°I didn¡¯t betray


    you.¡±


    Deep down, Arielle heaved a sigh.


    If she had done so, didn¡¯t she know she wouldn¡¯t be standing right in front of us again?


    Throwing a nce at the pce somewhere in front of them, Arielle asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Ira cast her eyes down. She did not n to hand over the thing in her hand to them. As someone of her


    word, she vowed she would not leak anything on the mission assigned to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t tell you,¡± Ira responded resolutely.


    shing her a meaningful look, Arielle cut the crap. ¡°Leave now. You don¡®t have to go back to the


    condominium either.¡±


    With that, she turned and left with Vinson.


    Gazing at their retreating figures, Ira dismissed her initial idea to head for the pce and meet the


    person in charge. She trailed behind them silently instead.


    Nobody uttered any words along the way.


    ***


    Back in the condominium, Arielle and Vinson were about to head back to their room. Even so, Ira, to be


    precise, Lorraine, stood in their way.


    Next, she removed her wig and makeup right in front of Arielle.


    The moment her original looks came into view, there was a change in Arielle¡¯s countenance.


    ¡°Who are you? Why did you abduct Sonia?¡± She stared at the woman right in front of her coldly.


    My goodness! How could I let someone who abducted Sonia stay by my side?


    Right after Arielle mentioned Sonia, Lorraine revealed her true identity to the former and elucidated, ¡°I


    never intended to abduct her. It was merely an ident. My main aim was to retrieve the bag that she


    had wrongly taken¡­¡±


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s never my intention to inflict any harm on her, but those foolish men we assigned had the gall to


    think of forcing themselves on her. Anyway, I¡¯d thrown them into the sea to feed the shark.¡±


    Arielle trusted her more when she recalled the findings from their previous investigation.


    ¡°The item in your hand now is very important to the queen mother, isn¡®t it?¡± she asked.


    Lorraine¡®s eyes widened in an instant.

 Chapter 1661

    Chapter 1661


    Lorraine gazed at Arielle in shock.


    How does she know that this is something important to the queen mother?


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be the contact person tomorrow,¡± Arielle said to Lorraine after ascertaining that the item in her


    hand was important to Nancy.


    Lorraine was clever enough to understand her intention at once. ¡°Now you know why I came back with


    you,¡± she said, feeling relieved when Arielle nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet the contact person tomorrow night at ten. You just need to wait there¡­¡± At that, Lorraine took


    her tools and returned to her room happily.


    Arielle nced at her, somewhat dumbstruck.


    Sonia¡¯s matter is still not resolved. How am I going to tell them?


    Massaging her aching head, she returned to her room.


    ***


    The next morning, Arielle¡¯s phone rang, and she picked it up.


    ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s me. Yes, I only have one request. Yes, all right. I¡¯ll await your word, then.¡±


    Despite the phone conversationsting almost half an hour, those words were the extent of Arielle¡¯s


    participation.


    After she hung up, her head began throbbing again when she thought of Lorraine¡¯s problem.


    ¡°Vinson, I¡¯m going to Sonia¡¯s,¡± As soon as Arielle finished, Vinson asked, ¡°It¡®s about Lorraine?¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°Lorraine owes Sonia an exnation.¡± After all, Sonia has endured plenty of harm.


    She had considered going alone and exining the matter properly to avoid Lorraine¡¯s sudden


    appearance from incurring their anger. Lorraine could not face their rage again. However, Arielle


    dismissed the idea the moment it flitted across her mind.


    Lawrence once helped my father, and he is now helping Aaron. Though Sonia is my friend, I cannot do


    something like that.


    By the time she arrived at that thought, Arielle had arrived at her destination and was knocking on


    Lorraine¡¯s door.


    Lorraine had put away all of her wigs and male attire that day.


    Upon seeing her actual face, even Arielle, a woman, through and through, was mesmerized.


    ¡°What can I do for you, Boss?¡± Lorraine leaned against the door and looked at Arielle with raised


    eyebrows.


    ¡°You have toe with me to Sonia¡¯s,¡± Arielle said, meeting the other¡¯s gaze. ¡°Only after resolving this


    matter can you be free from all this hiding.¡±


    Aware that Arielle meant her well, Lorraine quickly agreed.


    There was no reason she should not go. The worst that could happen was enduring the general¡¯s


    punishment. After all, she was responsible for bringing somebody with a penchant for theft. It was


    Lorraine¡¯s mistake to which she was ready to own up.


    Arielle smiled and heaved a small sigh of relief at Lorraine¡¯s readiness to see Lawrence and Sonia.


    She called Sonia after breakfast to inform her that she had had her breakfast and would being


    over. If Lawrence had nothing to do, Arielle added, he could stay a little longer as she had matters to


    discuss with him.


    Sonia did not know what Arielle wanted to talk to her father about, but she passed the message to


    Lawrence anyway.


    Lawrence decided to wait at home for Arielle since he remembered his meeting that day would start at


    half past ten.


    Sonia was already waiting at the door when the trio stopped outside the Wynter residence by nine. She


    stepped forward to grasp Arielle¡¯s arm affectionately when she saw her friend.


    Although the royal family had yet to recognize Arielle, she was the princess that Dn himself


    recognized. Not intending to affront the princess, Lawrence came out personally to receive her.


    ¡°Sonia, General Lawrence, I am here today to¡­¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, Arielle saw Sonia and Lawrence ring ahead.

 Chapter 1662

    Chapter 1662


    Following their gaze, Arielle turned around and rubbed her brow wearily when she located the object of


    their consternation.


    Didn¡¯t we agree to let me speak to them beforehand before she showed herself?


    Why can¡¯t she hold it in? I was about to open my mouth.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you found her, Ari. You¡¯re really good,¡± Sonia eximed, turning to look at Arielle after


    shooting daggers at Lorraine.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    She had developed a vehement hatred for her kidnapper at the memory of how the few men had


    almost vited her.


    Lawrence was also gazing admiringly at Arielle. He was delighted that Arielle had seeded where he


    had failed.


    ¡°Men, take her in!¡± Lawrence ordered as he redirected his gaze toward Lorraine.


    She must be sick of living to abduct my daughter!


    ¡°Hang on!¡± Arielle said hastily when the sentry took a step toward Lorraine.


    Lawrence and Sonia looked at her in puzzlement.


    ¡°This is between me and them, Boss. You don¡¯t have to intervene,¡± Lorraine did not wish to put Arielle


    in a difficult position.


    She then turned to Sonia and Lawrence. ¡°Sonia is aware of my reason for kidnapping her. I just wanted


    to take back what was mine, but I went about it the wrong way.¡±


    Lorraine looked Sonia in the eye and continued, ¡°I have never intended to hurt you. I was going to set


    you free after taking back what belonged to me, but I did not expect the men to be bold enough toy


    their hands on you. I threw them to the sharks after I found out about it.¡±


    Stunned upon hearing the word ¡°Boss¡±, Lawrence and Sonia did not register her words after that.


    Sonia gaped at Arielle.


    Am I hearing things? How is Arielle her boss?


    Arielle knew she owed the two people before her an exnation, so she recounted the tale of how


    Lorraine became one of hers.


    ¡°I am willing to pay for the things I have done,¡± Lorraine said, gazing steadily at Lawrence and Sonia.


    Upon hearing Arielle¡¯s exnation, Sonia became more at ease about the prior matter of Lorraine


    kidnapping her. It was also fortunate that she did not sustain any actual injuries.


    Despite his daughter¡¯s relief, Lawrence was not as forgiving. He had initially intended to arrest Lorraine


    to pay whatever harm that had befallen his daughter back tenfold.


    Now that she had inadvertently be one of Arielle¡¯s people, he did not quite know what to do.


    Lawrence felt conflicted. The punishment would not be able to appease his resentment if it were too


    light. However, he thought it would be disrespectful toward Arielle if the sentence was too severe.


    Lorraine could sense Lawrence¡¯s dilemma. Fortunately, she had expected this scenario ande


    prepared. She produced a de from her bosom while gazing at Sonia and Lawrence.


    ¡°I will cut off my hand in apology to Sonia!¡± Lorraine dered, raising the de to hack her left wrist off


    before bringing it down.


    Fortunately, Lawrence threw a kick when the de was about to fall on her palm. His gesture was so


    abrupt that it flung the knife out of Lorraine¡¯s hand.


    Lorraine gazed at Lawrence, confused.


    Sonia did not expect that Lorraine would offer a hand as penance. Her heart was in her throat during


    that harrowing moment. Just when she thought all was lost, she heaved a sigh of relief when her father


    kicked the de away.


    ¡°Offering your hand isn¡¯t the only way to make amends,¡± Sonia said as she looked at Lorraine.

 Chapter 1663

    Chapter 1663


    In answer to Lorraine¡¯s confused expression, Sonia continued, ¡°Since I was pped across the face,


    how about I p you back, and we¡¯ll call it even?¡±


    Lorraine looked at Sonia in disbelief.


    That¡¯s it?


    ¡°What¡®s the matter? You don¡®t like the idea?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± Lorraine answered helplessly. ¡°I just think it¡¯s too light a punishment.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll make it ten ps, then,¡± Sonia said before turning toward Lawrence. ¡°Father, I was pped a


    few times. Let her p herself ten times as her punishment.¡±


    Although Lawrence agreed that a sentence of that nature was too light, he was unwilling to overrule his


    daughter¡¯s decision. Upon obtaining Lawrence¡¯s assent, Sonia had Lorraine begin her sentence.


    ¡°Do it yourself. You can go easy,¡± Sonia muttered when she was close enough to Lorraine.


    Sonia¡¯s kindness touched Lorraine. Feeling incredibly guilty about the pain she had subjected the


    former to during the kidnapping, thetter gave herself ten tight ps.


    Sonia frowned at the sight of the red palm prints on Lorraine¡¯s fair skin.


    Is she stupid? I told her to go easy. Why did she hit herself so hard?


    ¡°Enough!¡± Lawrence looked at her swollen cheeks. ¡°Let¡¯s consider this matter resolved. We won¡¯t


    pursue it anymore.¡±


    Lorraine sighed in relief. She knew they had only let her go as easily as that out of respect for Arielle.


    Because of that, she found her appreciation of Arielle rising.


    I would still be on the run if it were not for her.


    Harvey, who was standing beside Sonia, thought that the woman had gotten away with it too easily.


    By her hand, Sonia was almost¡­


    However, he did not say a word. Only his eyes darkened as he looked at Lorraine.


    After Arielle¡¯s departure, Lawrence got in his car for his meeting. It was the day Nancy gave her


    answer, and he was looking forward to seeing if she would concede her power to the new king for the


    sake of his growth.


    ***


    The queen mother was thest one to arrive at the conference room. Only upon her arrival did the


    meeting officially begin.


    ¡°Upon consideration, I think your words have merit. Aaron needs to be trained.¡± Nancy swept his gaze


    across the few people at the meeting table before fixating them on Aaron.


    ¡°When he was alive, your father was most passionate about our medical industry and had employed


    many practitioners. You are hereby tasked with the research of medicine. Come up with something and


    contribute to the people.¡±


    Nancy grew at ease the more she spoke.


    The medical industry was Turlen¡¯s weak point. Despite the workforce Dn had engaged, she felt that


    nothing much hade of it.


    Aaron¡¯s gaze darkened.


    Does Grandma not want me to inherit even a sliver of power by letting me handle medicine?


    Would I have the time and the authority to handle other matters?


    However, it suited him just as well. Aaron nned to oblige her for the time being and take things one


    step at a time. Eventually, he would take control of all the power.


    Aaron raised his voice and said, ¡°I am thrilled and honored to continue Father¡¯s legacy. I pledge to


    improve the quality of medical care in Turlen so that our people will no longer fear any diseases again.¡±


    Lawrence initially intended to refute Nancy¡¯s words but decided to remain silent after hearing Aaron¡¯s.


    It is good for the king to have his own opinions.


    ***


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Night descended quickly.


    Illuminated by the moonlight, Lorraine handed the sh drive in her hand to the contact person before


    turning around to leave.


    Just as the contact person was about to enter the pce, somebody pped a hand over her mouth


    from behind.

 Chapter 1664

    Chapter 1664


    Once Lorraine had aplished her mission, she breathed a sigh of relief and quickly found a ce to


    make a phone call.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already handed the item to the other party. My mission isplete. Please settle the rest of the


    payment as soon as possible,¡± Lorraine quickly said as soon as the call connected, not waiting for the


    person on the other end of the line to speak.


    Upon hearing that, the Duke narrowed his eyes and hung up. A few secondster, he transferred the


    rest of the payment to Lorraine.


    Seeing the moneye in, Lorraine slipped her phone into her pocket and began walking toward the


    apartment.


    From now on, I will just be Arielle¡¯s chauffeur¡­


    Her lips curved into a smile, and her eyes crinkled as that thought crossed her mind.


    Meanwhile, Arielle raised the sh drive in her hand and asked, ¡°What do you think is inside?¡±


    Vinson shook his head.


    I can¡¯t guess what it is. All I know is that it can¡¯t be anything good¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back and take a look.¡± As he spoke, he put an arm around Arielle¡¯s shoulders and walked


    forward.


    She put the sh drive into her pocket, then started walking while snuggling close to him.


    After they returned to the apartment and washed up, Arielle took out the sh drive and plugged it into


    theptop. Vinson leaned closer so they could see what was inside together.


    It turned out that the sh drive contained technology from Moranta!


    They exchanged nces, starting to doubt the identity of Lorraine¡¯s employer.


    Who is he? Why did he give something so important to the queen mother? What deal did they strike


    between them?


    Arielle¡®s first thought was to go and ask Lorraine about her employer. But when she considered that


    those in that line of work would surely keep their employer¡¯s identity under wraps, she gave up on that


    thought.


    They would have to investigate her employer¡¯s identity by themselves.


    ***


    The person who had contacted Lorraine was Monisha. As the queen mother¡¯s right-hand woman, she


    was in charge of handling many of the royal affairs.


    When Monisha finally stirred in front of the pce gates, she immediately went looking for Lorraine to


    pass her the sh drive. But no matter how hard she searched, she could not find the sh drive.


    Instantly knowing something was wrong, she rushed back to report Nancy, not even having time to


    clean herself up.


    ¡°Your Majesty, this is all because of my carelessness. I should¡¯ve gotten more people to go with me,¡±


    Monisha kneeled on the floor, ovee with remorse.


    She could not believe someone had the audacity to rob her right before the pce gates.


    Nancy looked grim. That sh drive was very important.


    ¡°Check the surveince footage and see which direction they went!¡± Nancy instructed grimly.


    With all the surveince cameras around, I don¡¯t believe they can destroy every single one of them.


    While Nancy sent someone to check the surveince cameras, Arielle was also thinking the same thing


    over at the apartment.


    The contents of the sh drive are not just important to the queen mother but also Chanaea. Without a


    doubt, the queen mother will check the surveince footage.


    With that thought in mind, she removed the sh drive. Then she hacked into the surveince cameras


    along the route they had taken and deleted the section of footage that had caught them on camera.


    After that, she put away theptop, and she and Vinson began talking about Aaron.


    Leaning into his arms, Arielle murmured, ¡°I struggled before, wondering whether to acknowledge who


    he is. But now, both of us have no father. And because he fell for the queen mother¡¯s trap, it means


    that he murdered his own father¡­¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    ¡°He¡¯s suffering more than me, and my heart can¡¯t help but suddenly ache for him. Regardless of


    whether I acknowledge him, he¡¯s my younger brother. The only brother I have rted by blood.¡±


    Now that my father is gone, it¡¯s up to me, his older sister, to protect him. Even if the queen mother


    wants to push him around, she¡¯ll have to go through me.

 Chapter 1665

    Chapter 1665


    Vinson held Arielle gently in his arms. He understood the conflict within her and her change of heart.


    nting a kiss on her forehead, he dered in a low voice, ¡°We¡¯ll protect him together and defeat the


    queen mother!¡±


    Arielle nodded. The only reason she had stayed was to dethrone Nancy. She wanted her to rot in jail


    for the rest of her life.


    ***


    Although Nancy had instructed someone to check the surveince footage, the footage from that


    timeframe appeared to have gotten damaged, as there was nothing to be found.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible! Someone must¡¯ve deleted it. Hurry up and restore the footage,¡± Monisha told the


    man.


    He was Ollie, the hacker they had hired. The queen mother had sought his help previously, but he had


    failed to resolve the issue. After that, they had gone looking for his senior, Gaston.


    s, no matter how good one was, there was always someone better, and even Gaston could not do


    anything.


    Upon hearing her urging him to hasten, Ollie nced at her. It was only for a brief moment, but she


    immediately froze.


    Hackers were hard toe by. Hence, even Nancy dared not provoke them, let alone Monisha.


    Monisha hurriedly apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was just too anxious, so my tone was a little¡­¡±


    Ollie was also well aware of the gravity of the situation, so he did not dwell on it.


    As his fingers tapped away on the keyboard, his gaze darkened. There was no way of restoring the


    surveince footage. All it disyed was that there was no footage avable, and no records existed to


    indicate that anything had been deleted.


    When he told Monisha that, naturally, she did not believe it.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible! Somebody really did knock me unconscious at that time. No matter who it was, that


    person would have to pass by these few roads. If there¡¯s no surveince footage, that must mean it¡¯s


    been deleted,¡± she insisted.


    Ollie knew that Monisha would not lie. If he could not restore the footage, that would mean the other


    party was even more skilled than him.


    He frowned.


    What has been going on recently? Why have so many hackers popped up?


    Turning to Monisha, he said, ¡°I¡¯m very sorry. The other hacker¡¯s skills are too advanced. I¡®ve no way of


    essing the surveince footage¡­¡±


    Inwardly, Monisha seethed with rage as she gazed at him.


    He hasn¡¯t been able toplete a single task the queen mother has asked him to do recently. Are his


    skills deteriorating?


    ¡°I¡¯m going back to report to Her Majesty.¡± With that, she hurried away.


    When Nancy heard there was no way of getting the surveince footage, she was thoroughly


    disappointed at the hacker she had spent so much money to hire.


    Seriously, what¡¯s the point of keeping him around?


    Now that the sh drive is missing, I¡¯ve got to hurry up and contact that person. We struck a deal, so


    he¡¯ll probably offer his help.


    Thinking of that, she made a phone call.


    Over in Lightspring, a man¡¯s expression darkened after he answered Nancy¡¯s call.


    How can they be so ipetent as to lose something that important?


    ¡°The hacker I have here can¡¯t ess the surveince footage from tonight. Would you be able to find


    someone on your end to help retrieve the footage?¡± Nancy asked, her expression solemn.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get her to contact youter,¡± After saying that, the man ended the call, then he sent Nancy a phone


    number.


    After receiving the contact information, Nancy had Monisha get in touch with the person.


    Monisha approached the pce gates half an hourter, apanied by her attendants.


    ***


    At that very moment, Arielle was in the apartment when her phone rang.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, we¡¯ve decided to agree to your request after some discussion. The document will arrive at


    the Turlen pce in the morning the day after tomorrow. Someone will be in touch with you then.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

 Chapter 1666

    Chapter 1666


    Despite knowing it was a yes from them, she was surprised at how efficient they were.


    ¡°Got it. Thank you!¡±


    ¡°We should be thanking you instead.¡±


    Confused, Vinson asked her what happened after the call ended.


    Arielle proceeded to tell him what she had done for the past few days. Vinson had no idea she would


    aplish this feat. He couldn¡¯t help but admire her decisiveness.


    ¡°Do you not regret it?¡± he asked.


    After all, she had given up eighty percent of her patent to officially gain the diplomatic right to stay here.


    ¡°Regret? Of course not,¡± came Arielle¡¯s calm answer.


    She had made up her mind, so there was no point regretting it. Besides, the stuff could benefit the


    country. Why would she feel bitter over that?


    Vinson pulled Arielle into his arms.


    How lucky am I to have such an understanding wife?


    ***


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    The next day, Nancy summoned Aaron to her study. She stared at her grandson without any remorse.


    ¡°Is anything the matter?¡± Aaron asked, looking at Nancy.


    ¡°Aaron, are you ming me for what happened?¡± Nancy asked as she took in his face that was devoid


    of expression.


    Aaron snorted. ¡°me you? What for? Should I me you for using your own grandson to kill your


    son, or me you for refusing to relinquish your power?¡±


    ¡°Aaron, is that how you should talk to me?¡± Nancy demanded icily, her gaze fixed on him.


    ¡°Is there something you need from me?¡± Aaron didn¡¯t want to waste any more time with her.


    He¡¯s ready to spread his wings now, huh?


    Nancy seethed inwardly.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to inform you that you¡¯re going to get engaged to Nico next Tuesday.¡±


    Hearing that, Aaron gazed at Nancy intently.


    The word ¡°engaged¡± reminded him of Alicia. He might agree to the engagement if he was getting


    engaged to Alicia. However, he refused to get engaged to Nico.


    ¡°I disagree. I won¡¯t get engaged to her.¡±


    ¡°Aaron, I¡®m informing you, not asking for your suggestion. You don¡¯t have the right to say no!¡± Nancy


    snapped.


    Aaron fell silent at her outburst.


    He wanted to retort, but he knew he wasn¡¯t capable enough to go against her. Hence, he decided to


    agree to the engagement and y along with her. He wasn¡¯t getting married to Nico yet, which would


    give him more time.


    With that thought in mind, he lifted his head to look at Nancy and stated, ¡°I agree to the engagement,


    but on one condition, I get to decide the wedding date.¡±


    Seeing that he epted the engagement, Nancy agreed to his condition readily.


    His fianc¨¦e was the daughter of Matthew, so he would be digging his own grave and destroying his


    future if he had the guts to change his mind and back out of the wedding.


    Upon learning that Nancy had requested to meet Aaron, Celeste told Miranda to wait outside Nancy¡¯s


    pce. Miranda led Aaron to Celeste¡¯s pce after he stepped out of Nancy¡¯s study.


    ¡°Mother!¡± Aaron greeted her warmly.


    They weren¡¯t as distant from each other as they used to be in the past.


    A smile nudged at Celeste¡¯s lips when she saw him.


    My son has finally grown up to be an independent man.


    ¡°Aaron, why did Her Majesty summon you?¡±


    Celeste was afraid Nancy would harm Aaron for the sake of her power.


    Knowing what she was worried about, Aaron proceeded to tell her why Nancy had summoned him.


    Celeste¡¯s expression changed slightly when she learned that Nancy wanted Aaron to get engaged to


    Nico.

 Chapter 1667

    Chapter 1667


    If it was before, Celeste would have raised both hands in favor of Aaron and Nico¡¯s engagement. After


    all, Nico¡¯s father was Matthew Nighy, General of the Left.


    Matthew would definitely help Aaron if they became family. However, a wave of disgust washed over


    her when she thought about what had happened that day.


    If Aaron marries Nico, will General Matthew help his son-inw or the woman he slept with?


    If the queen mother and Aaron go against each other one day, who will General Matthew side with?


    The queen mother has already slept with General Matthew. Why did she insist on asking Aaron to get


    married to Nico? What is she up to?


    Celeste dared not delve into the matter and stopped her train of thought.


    ¡°Mother, this is just an expedient measure. When the timees, I¡¯ll call off the engagement,¡± Aaron


    exined.


    Fortunately, Nico didn¡¯t want to marry him as well. Otherwise, he would feel guilty for using an innocent


    youngdy to achieve his goals.


    Both he and Nico were incapable of doing anything and could only be sitting ducks.


    As Aaron had his n, Celeste rxed slightly. She narrowed her eyes and fell into deep thought.


    If the queen mother dares toy a hand on Aaron, I shall¡­


    A menacing glint appeared in her eyes.


    Aaron is the most important person in my life. l can do anything for him. I don¡¯t mind breaking thew!


    ¡°I¡¯m d you know what to do.¡±


    After Aaron left her study, Nancy told Monisha to announce the engagement to the public.


    ***


    At the Nighy residence, Melissa was delighted to hear the news of the engagement. Finally, her


    daughter was going to get married. A weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She was initially worried


    that Nico was still hung up over Arielle¡¯s bodyguard, but there was no need to worry about that


    anymore.


    Matthew narrowed his eyes when he learned of the news. In the past, he wouldn¡¯t have been against


    Nico getting married to Aaron.


    In fact, he would have been in favor of it. However, after he lost control that day, he started suspecting


    that Nancy had an ulterior motive to order Aaron and Nico to get married.


    I should find a chance to ask her about her n. I need to know Why she didn¡¯t inform me about her


    decision for them to get married.


    Nico immediately rushed home after hearing the news of her engagement. The first thing she did at


    home was to find her mother. ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t want to get engaged to Aaron!¡±


    I want to marry Mr. Knightley. There¡¯s no way l can marry Aaron!


    He may be the king now, but I refuse to marry him. I want to marry the man I love.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Nico, stop kicking up a fuss. He¡¯s the king! He¡¯s a great match for you!¡± Melissa furrowed her brows


    and stared at her daughter in exasperation.


    His Majesty is a great choice. Why is she this stubborn? Why can¡¯t she fall in love with him?


    Nico¡¯s mouth thinned into a stubborn line as a deep line appeared in the middle of her brows. ¡°Mother,


    His Majesty is a great man. But no matter how amazing he is, I don¡¯t like him!¡±


    ¡°Nico, you and His Majesty are going to get married. The queen mother has already made the


    announcement, so no one can call off the wedding!¡± Melissa held Nico¡¯s hand. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t like


    him now, you can grow to love him after you get married. Love can be developed with time.¡±


    Nico lowered her head despondently.


    The only man I want to marry is Mr. Knightley. Can¡¯t my wishe true?


    ***


    Soon, the news of Aaron and Nico¡¯s engagement spread all overthe country.


    Alicia was about to go to lunch at the campus when she heard about it. Without warning, she cked


    out instantly. Fortunately, Marianna was right beside her. She caught her before she fell to the ground


    and brought her to the infirmary on campus.


    ¡°Alicia, you¡­¡± Marianna seemed hesitant after Alicia regained consciousness.

 Chapter 1668

    Chapter 1668


    ¡°What happened to me?¡± Alicia asked as she massaged her temples.


    Marianna nced at her before leaning forward to whisper something in her ear.


    At once, Alicia¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as her hand flew to her belly.


    I¡¯m pregnant with Aaron¡¯s child? How can that be?


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    She recalled how she had fainted a while ago.


    ¡°Marianna, is His Majesty going to get engaged soon?¡± Alicia asked softly.


    Marianna knew nothing about her rtionship with Aaron, so she nodded.


    ¡°Yes. The pce has already released an announcement,¡± Marianna arched a brow. ¡°The king is


    getting a fianc¨¦e at a young age. They might be getting married soon. He and the daughter of General


    Matthew look like the perfect couple. They are a match made in heaven since they have simr


    backgrounds.¡±


    The more Marianna spoke, the paler Alicia¡¯s face became. She bit her lip and felt her heart ached as


    though it had been pricked with needles.


    A match made in heaven, huh? Everyone must think the same way.


    The more she thought about them, the more upset she got, and tears began to stream down her


    cheeks endlessly.


    Shocked, Marianna asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you not feeling well?¡±


    Shaking her head, Alicia sat up from the bed. ¡°Please help excuse me from ss. I want to head back


    home to get some rest.¡±


    Marianna nodded, for it didn¡¯t seem that Alicia could continue attending sses for the day.


    Instead of returning to her grandfather¡¯s house, Alicia went to the apartment she shared with Aaron.


    She nced at the apartment she had painstakingly decorated and felt as if someone had stabbed her


    heart with a knife.


    Brushing her hand across the little decors bought to decorate the apartment, she was reminded of the


    time she had spent with Aaron here.


    ¡°Aaron, I used to think that I won¡¯t leave you even after you get married as long as you allow me to stay


    by your side. s, I can¡¯t even take it anymore when you¡¯re only getting engaged,¡± she muttered under


    her breath as tears rolled down her cheeks.


    She had thought she could share Aaron with another woman, but it was the opposite.


    Sobbing quietly, she entered their bedroom and buried herself under the covers. Hugging the covers,


    she took in the scent unique to Aaron.


    ***


    After having lunch with Celeste, Aaron busied himself with work. It was muchter when he learned


    that the news of his engagement with Nico had spread throughout Turlen.


    His brows knitted together as he wondered if Alicia had seen it, too.


    He grabbed his phone and drove to the apartment to wait for Alicia¡¯s return. To his surprise, he opened


    the door and saw her shoes at the entrance.


    He nced at his watch and frowned.


    She¡¯s back this early¡­


    Then he took his shoes and coat off before hanging his coat on the rack. After taking one look at the


    empty house, he headed to the bedroom, opened the door, and saw Alicia sleeping with the covers in


    her arms.


    He halted in his tracks, then tiptoed into the bedroom and shut the door softly. He went to the bed and


    bent down to get a good look at Alicia. Noticing that the corners of her eyes were wet, he patted her


    cheek tenderly.


    Alicia¡¯s eyes snapped open when his palmnded on her cheek. Tears escaped her eyes when she


    saw the man standing before the bed.


    ¡°Aaron!¡± she called out and sat up in bed.


    Throwing herself into his arms, she took a sniff of his familiar scent.


    Aaron had no idea how to console her. He patted her head and said gruffly, ¡°Don¡¯t cry¡­¡±

 Chapter 1669

    Chapter 1669


    Alicia wept without a word and clung to him in desperation as she inhaled his fragrance greedily.


    Soon, this man will no longer be mine¡­


    ¡°lf you want to break up with me, I¡¯ll give you some money¡­¡±


    As Alicia was crying, Aaron knew she had found out about the engagement. Even if Aaron didn¡¯t get


    engaged or married to someone else, he couldn¡¯t give her what she wanted. Thus, he thought it was


    the perfect chance to let her go.


    Her voice hoarse, Alicia said, ¡°I don¡¯t want your money!¡±


    Alicia didn¡¯t get together with him to get his money. She worked hard to pay for her school fees and


    living expenses, so she didn¡¯t need his money.


    ¡°Then what do you want? I¡¯ll do my best to fulfill your wishes¡­¡±


    l want you. All I want is you!


    Alicia screamed silently. However, she didn¡¯t say it out loud, as she knew what the consequences


    would be. Thus, she remained silent.


    Releasing her grip on Aaron, she looked at him and threaded her arms around his neck.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    ¡°Take me!¡± She then proffered her lips to him.


    This time, she was more enthusiastic than before.


    Her arms roamed around Aaron¡¯s body, igniting his desire. Lust soon fogged Aaron¡¯s mind. He pressed


    his lips to hers almost forcefully and pinned her beneath him. His warm hands slipped underneath her


    clothes, leaving her breathless with his touches.


    The intimate session only ended past nine at night.


    Alicia took a quick shower and fell into a deep sleep.


    The following day, she woke up to discover Aaron was gone. There was a nk check on the bedside


    table that Aaron had left so she could fill in the amount herself.


    shing a slight smile, Alicia ced the check underneath a book.


    Alicia took onest nce around the tastefully decorated bedroom before she packed up her stuff.


    She then ced the key on the table and left without looking back.


    ***


    In the pce, Nancy mmed the table angrily after receiving the file from her secretary.


    Nancy had issued a warrant for Arielle, but thetter had made herself a diplomatic technology


    ambassador to stay in Turlen rightfully. As a result, she had to protect Arielle and ensure she stayed


    safe in Turlen.


    She¡¯s quitepetent, huh?


    Despite her fury, Nancy had to do as the file said. This was aw of the country, and she had to abide


    by it.


    She ordered her secretary to retract the warrant and imed she had made a mistake. Arielle wasn¡¯t a


    spy but was, in fact, a diplomatic technology ambassador.


    The secretary did as told and quickly retracted the warrant against Arielle.


    Nancy nced at the name on the file, and her expression darkened.


    In usual circumstances, the country¡¯s leader should meet someone like Arielle.


    She didn¡¯t want to meet Arielle. However, Arielle¡¯s new identity had been announced to the public. The


    government officials would express their displeasure if she refused to meet Arielle.


    After pondering briefly, she told her secretary to contact Arielle to invite her to dinner at the pce.


    Arielle agreed to attend dinner when she received the call.


    Worried, Vinson offered to tag along with her as her husband.


    They wouldn¡¯t be putting up any disguises this time. Of course, many important government officials


    and their family members were invited as well.


    ***


    At seven in the evening, Arielle and Vinson stepped into the pce once again.


    Everyone was dumbfounded when Arielle showed up holding Vinson¡¯s hand.


    Isn¡¯t this Dr. Moore? Isn¡¯t she dead?

 Chapter 1670

    Chapter 1670


    Students from the medical school came to her to ask her about it, and she exined she had faked her


    death to find out the culprit who wanted her dead.


    They were delighted to see Arielle alive and well. Some even asked if she would return to the medical


    school to teach them again.


    Arielle answered that Turlen had invited over ten doctors from Chanaea who would teach them after


    they learned the Turlenesenguage. She told them to be patient.


    It was obvious that Arielle wasn¡¯t nning on teaching them at the medical school anymore. Despite


    their disappointment, they felt lucky that new teachers would be teaching them soon.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, he is¡­¡± A bold student asked about Vinson.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Arielle admitted frankly, ¡°He¡¯s my husband.¡±


    Everyone was surprised to learn that Arielle was married at such a young age. They offered her their


    best wishes.


    Holding Vinson¡®s arm, Arielle entered the venue under the server¡¯s lead.


    The dinner was held for Arielle, so Nancy, Celeste, Arielle, Vinson, and Aaron were seated at the main


    table together.


    Nancy and Celeste had to smile at Arielle, as she now had a new identity. However, their smiles were


    forced.


    Arielle couldn¡¯t be bothered. She had agreed toe so she could get to know more people using her


    identity and be of help to Aaron one day.


    Aaron nced at Arielle and Vinson without a word. He was no longer hostile to Vinson, but his heart


    clenched in agony when he looked at Arielle.


    The woman he loved was, in fact, his biological sister. That was an ironic fact.


    Despite his anguish, he remained expressionless.


    Arielle narrowed her eyes and stared at Nancy. She wanted to take a good look at the woman who was


    cruel enough to use her grandson to kill her son.


    Perhaps her gaze was too sharp, for Nancy¡¯s gaze alsonded on her almost immediately.


    Arielle didn¡¯t look away. The only person who would feel guilty was Nancy. Arielle did nothing against


    her conscience, so she wasn¡¯t about to look away.


    Arielle met Nancy¡¯s eyes boldly. Nancy was momentarily flustered when she realized how sharp


    Arielle¡¯s gaze was.


    Why is she staring at me as though she wants to gobble me alive?


    Nancy was gued with various spections when Arielle slowly looked away. She picked up a ss


    on the table calmly and sipped the red wine.


    Celeste had been at odds with Arielle. After learning that Arielle was Dn¡¯s daughter, she was filled


    with resentment toward Arielle and her mother.


    She assumed they had stolen Dn¡¯s heart and were the reason he refused to love her all these years.


    However, her hatred faded into thin air when she discovered Arielle¡¯s mother had known Dn back in


    Chanaea.


    She was, in fact, the one who had stolen Dn away from Arielle¡¯s mother. Still, she couldn¡¯t bring


    herself to like Arielle. Aaron used to love Arielle romantically, and she had seen Aaron gazing at Arielle


    just mere moments ago with grief-filled eyes.


    It wasn¡¯t Arielle¡¯s fault, but Celeste med her for it.


    Arielle had thought Nancy would do something during this dinner. However, to her surprise, the dinner


    ended on a pleasant note.


    Stepping out of the pce, Arielle and Vinson were about to leave when someone stopped them.


    ¡°Dr. Moore¡­¡±

 Chapter 1671

    Chapter 1671


    Arielle was peeved when she realized who it was.


    Why is it her again?


    ¡°Dr. Moore, aren¡¯t you married to Mr. Knightley? Who is this man?¡± Nico demanded as she red at


    Arielle.


    After Nancy¡¯s secretary released the announcement, she knew that the woman who married Knightley


    was Arielle in disguise.


    Never in her wildest dreams did she expect that Arielle would show up with another man today. This


    man was better and more charming than Knightley. She would¡¯ve fallen for this man if she wasn¡¯t in


    love with Knightley.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°My husband, of course,¡± came Arielle¡¯s answer.


    Feeling outrageous, Nico snapped, ¡°Dr. Moore, how could you be this shameless? You¡®re married to


    Mr. Knightley but got involved with another man. You¡¯re really¡­¡±


    ¡°Who gave you the right to talk to my wife like that?¡± Vinson growled as he directed a hostile re at


    Nico.


    Nico was shocked when she heard his voice.


    This voice¡­ This voice belongs to¡­


    ¡°You¡®re Mr. Knightley!¡± Her surprise quickly turned to disappointment.


    They are both Chanaeans. Are they married for real?


    Is there no more hope for me? Do I really have to marry Aaron?


    ¡°Nico, you¡¯re Aaron¡¯s fianc¨¦e, so please mind your attitude and stay away from my husband.¡± Having


    said that, Arielle left with Vinson.


    Nico hated being addressed as Aaron¡¯s fianc¨¦e, but she couldn¡¯t get rid of it.


    She stood rooted to the spot and balled up her fists as she stared at their retreating figures. A while


    later, she scowled and strode away.


    ***


    Time flew by quickly, and it was soon the day of Aaron and Nico¡¯s engagement.


    Aaron was the king, and Nico was the daughter of a general. Theirvish engagement party created an


    uproar all over the country. Many guests were invited to the party, and countless luxury cars could be


    seen entering the hotel.


    Arielle arrived at the hotel to attend Aaron¡¯s engagement party with Vinson as she had been sent an


    invitation card.


    She wasn¡®t optimistic about their rtionship, for Nico was obviously in love with Vinson.


    She had texted Aaron and asked him if he loved Nico a while ago. If he didn¡¯t like her, she would try her


    best to stop them from getting engaged. However, he had told her to stay out of his business.


    As he had his n, Arielle couldn¡¯t well butt into his business.


    This time, she wanted to see Aaron getting engaged on behalf of her father. No matter what he would


    do, she wanted to witness it on behalf of their father. However, her confusion heightened when she saw


    Aaron scowling through the whole process.


    Why did he agree to this when he didn¡¯t want to get engaged to Nico? Did the queen mother threaten


    him?


    Arielle¡¯s expression darkened.


    If the queen mother did threaten him, I will do whatever I can to call off their engagement. I only have


    one little brother, and I want him to be happy.


    At the engagement party, Nico narrowed her eyes when she spotted Arielle and Vinson showing up


    together.


    ¡°Aaron, I need to touch up my makeup. I¡¯ll be right back,¡± she said.


    Without waiting for a reply, she spun on her heels and left.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    The sudden voice caused Nico¡¯s hands to tremble, and some of the white powder fell onto the table.


    Turning over her shoulder, she rxed when she spotted Aaron standing behind her.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Who is this drink for?¡± Aaron pinned her with a withering stare.

 Chapter 1672

    Chapter 1672


    Nico nced at him and replied nonchntly, ¡°It¡¯s not for you!¡±


    Aaron scowled. ¡°Nico, if you dare toy a hand on her and her husband, I¡¯ll make sure you pay for your


    actions!¡±


    Nico¡¯s expression changed.


    She never mind if he didn¡¯t want her to harm Arielle. He loved Arielle, so she could understand his


    feelings. However, there was no reason for him to ask her not to harm Knightley.


    ¡°Aaron, don¡¯t you want Arielle for yourself?¡± Nico met his gaze.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you love her? Why don¡¯t we work together to¡­¡±


    ¡°Nico, that¡¯s all in the past. Don¡¯t forget that it¡¯s our engagement party today. lf you act recklessly today,


    I won¡¯t be able to protect you, let alone your father,¡± Aaron warned.


    Nico scowled indignantly. ¡°Aaron, what do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say no to our marriage. Do you think you can handle the consequences of messing things up?¡±


    Nico¡¯s heart sank. She didn¡¯t mind being punished, but she couldn¡¯t risk affecting her father. As Aaron


    watched, she poured the spiked drink into the dustbin and marched toward the hall.


    Only then did Aaron feel more at ease.


    He was afraid he couldn¡¯t convince Nico to change her mind or that she would try to harm Arielle and


    Vinson behind his back.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    No matter who she tries to hurt, Arielle will be the one suffering in the end. I can¡¯t let Arielle get hurt. I


    need to protect her on behalf of Father.


    Back in the hall, Nico spotted Arielle holding Vinson¡¯s arms as everyone praised them for being a


    match made in heaven. Frustrated, she put on a sullen look.


    Melissa, who had been watching her the entire time, felt her head throb at how unhappy her daughter


    looked.


    She gave her a little tug and whispered in her ear, ¡°Nico, smile¡­ If the queen and the queen mother


    saw you, they might think you¡¯re upset at the royal family.¡±


    Smile? How can I smile when Arielle and Mr. Knightley look so happy?


    Nico had wanted to drug Knightley so she could end up in bed with him. That way, she wouldn¡¯t have to


    marry Aaron. s, Aaron had caught her in the act. His warning had made her back off.


    ¡°All right,¡± she grumbled.


    Despite her anguish, Nico knew her family had toe first.


    ¡°Mother, you should keep Fatherpany. Aaron and I shall toast the guests,¡± Nico said and forced a


    smile.


    Seeing that, Melissa finally left her alone. She hade over to remind Nico, as she was afraid Nico


    didn¡¯t want to get engaged to Aaron and would end up causing a stir.


    The engagement party ended at ten at night. Instead of heading back to Paelsford Manor, Aaron went


    to the apartment near the campus. He had been busy and hadn¡¯t seen Alicia for the past few days.


    He got engaged to Nico today. Afraid that Alicia would be upset, he decided to stop by and pay her a


    visit.


    Opening the door, he noticed ayer of dust inside the bedroom. It had been vacant for some time. His


    face changed abruptly as he whipped out his phone to call Alicia. However, a robotic sound told him


    that the number he dialed wasn¡¯t in service.


    How could her number not be in service?

 Chapter 1673

    Chapter 1673


    He immediately dialed Clement¡¯s number but got the same notification. Realizing something had gone


    horribly wrong, he strode toward the bedroom.


    He opened the bedroom door and flung the doors to the closet open. Alicia¡¯s clothes were gone, but


    the check he had left behind that day was still in its original spot. He gripped the check so hard that his


    veins bulged.


    Taking a deep breath, he fished out his phone and made a call. ¡°Find out where Alicia is now.¡±


    He then hung up and sat on the edge of the bed with his brows furrowed.


    Aaron had no idea he woulde home one day to see all traces of Alicia wiped out of the apartment.


    He thought she would always be there whenever he returned.


    His subordinate was quick. Less than twenty minutester, Alicia¡¯s information was sent to him.


    Alicia majored in economics. She had a grandfather, father, stepmother, and two half-siblings. Last


    Wednesday, she took a two-year leave of absence from the university.


    Aaron¡¯s expression was as dark as thunder. He didn¡¯t expect to hear that at all. At once, he ordered his


    subordinate to find out where Alicia had gone to.


    After hanging up, he stared out the window nkly. He had no idea Alicia would leave him without even


    leaving any letter behind.


    ¡°Alicia, have you ever loved me?¡± Aaron mumbled as he shut his eyes.


    Images of Alicia smiling adorably, acting sensibly, crying sadly, and being like a virtuous wife popped up


    in his mind.


    How did I lose her? Why does my heart hurt?


    He got up, walked to the window, and stood there silently. Then, pulling out his lighter, he lit a cigarette


    and stared at the city lights, his heart cold.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ***


    Alicia was staring at the stars in the sky outside her wooden shed on an ind. ¡°Aaron, do you know


    I¡¯ve left the apartment? Do you know I¡¯ve canceled my phone number? And that I¡¯ve asked for a two-


    year leave of absence from university? You¡¯re getting engaged today. I wish you all happiness!¡±


    The thought of a woman eating with him, sleeping with him on the same bed, and giving birth to his


    child went through Alicia¡¯s heart like an iron shard.


    I wish I could ignore everything else and stay with him, but I can¡¯t be this selfish. Aaron has just


    eded to the throne. He needs support and help from the rich and powerful.


    The future queen¡¯s father is a powerful general. I can¡¯t get in Aaron¡¯s way. I need to stay away from him


    and watch him be happy.


    She touched her belly and whispered, ¡°Aaron, I¡¯ll give birth to our child and bring him up¡­¡±


    But this poor child is going to be fatherless¡­


    Aaron had no idea of her n, let alone know that she was pregnant with his child. If he had known, he


    would¡¯ve protected her and agreed to let her give birth to the child.


    In fact, he wished to have a blissful family with his own children. Right now, he was infuriated by Alicia¡¯s


    disappearance.


    ¡°You can¡¯t find her? Not even from any transportation information?¡± Aaron¡¯s expression turned grim.


    ¡°You must find her no matter what!¡±

 Chapter 1674

    Chapter 1674


    Two dayster, Monisha came to Nancy with a smile on her lips.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the surveince footage has been recovered.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Nancy had lost all hope, so she brightened up at the news.


    ¡°When was it recovered? Did you see who the culprit was?¡±


    ¡°Just a while ago. I came here straight away to report the good news to you and didn¡¯t get to see it yet,¡±


    Monisha replied.


    Nancy immediately urged, ¡°Come, let¡¯s go together.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t wait to find out who was bold enough to rob her right before the pce gates and even


    hack into the inte to delete the surveince footage of the incident. Together with Monisha and the


    servant, Nancy went to the control room to check the surveince footage.


    There, Monisha introduced Linda to Nancy.


    Even the Duke had to show Nancy respect, let alone Linda.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Linda greeted Nancy with a bow.


    ¡°Mm¡­¡± Nancy gazed at her regally. ¡°I heard that the surveince footage has been restored.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it has been restored,¡± Linda confirmed coolly.


    She had assumed that restoring the surveince footage wouldn¡¯t take long. To her surprise, she had to


    work for several days to fix it. Most importantly, the people inside the footage were the same people the


    Duke wanted to kill.


    She would¡¯ve reported the matter to the Duke if she wasn¡¯t in the pce.


    ¡°Show them to me!¡± Nancy ordered.


    Linda clicked on theputer, and the surveince footage showing various angles appeared on the


    screen.


    ¡°Do you know who they are?¡± Linda asked as she zoomed in.


    Nancy inched nearer and frowned when she realized who it was.


    So Arielle and Vinson were the ones who took the sh drive away from Monisha. They must be the


    ones who wiped out the surveince footage, too!


    She recalled how she had failed to restore the surveince footage even after spending tons of money


    hiring the best hackers and frowned in displeasure.


    How are they so capable?


    Does that mean they were the ones who sent the photos to myputer? Were they also the ones


    who make the images viral online previously?


    Nancy¡¯s scowl deepened, and the surrounding temperature dropped.


    ¡°D*mn it!¡± Nancy mmed the table with her fist when she recalled how humiliated she was when the


    photos were leaked.


    Monisha had no idea Nancy would blow her top in front of someone else.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± she reminded urgently.


    ¡°Thanks for this,¡± Nancy thanked Linda gratefully.


    If not for Linda, it would have taken ages for her to find out the culprit behind this.


    Linda shook her head calmly. It was her job, so she didn¡¯t deserve Nancy¡¯s gratitude.


    ¡°If that¡¯s all, I shall take my leave now.¡± She didn¡®t get to rest well for the past few days as she had


    been busy restoring the surveince footage.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Nancy nodded and ordered Monisha to arrange for the chauffeur to give Linda a ride home.


    Monisha ensured Linda got into the car before returning to the control room. Nancy was gone, so she


    hurried back to Nancy¡¯s ce.


    ¡°D*mn it! I will never let them off the hook!¡± Nancy huffed when she was back in her room.


    Arielle was a Chanaean diplomat under their protection, but she refused to let Arielle off the hook.


    I must arrest and torture her so that she knows the consequences of angering me.

 Chapter 1675

    Chapter 1675


    When Monisha returned, Nancy shot her an icy re.


    ¡°Monisha, get someone to seize Arielle. I want to make her life a living hell!¡±


    I can¡¯t believe a young girl fooled me easily! I¡¯ve never been this aggrieved!


    The more Nancy thought about it, the angrier she got. She wanted nothing more than to kill Arielle right


    then and there.


    ¡°Your Majesty, please calm down,¡± Monisha said hastily. ¡°It won¡¯t be appropriate for you toy a finger


    on her with her current identity.¡±


    Nancy knew she was right, but she couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    Arielle humiliated me. It¡¯s all her fault. I want her dead!


    ¡°I can¡¯t take this in silence!¡± Nancy snapped irritably. ¡°Then get someone to teach her a lesson. I won¡¯t


    be able to sleep until she has been taught a lesson!¡±


    Monisha knew Nancy had relented, so she didn¡¯t have another choice other than to nod in agreement.


    Back in her room, she made the call.


    A whileter, she came out and told Nancy that her order had been ryed. It would take a few days to


    carry out her mandate.


    They needed time to find out Arielle¡¯s address and usual routes.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Nancy wanted to teach Arielle a lesson immediately, but she knew it was impossible. Thus, she tamped


    down her frustration.


    I¡¯ll be patient for a few more days if Arielle gets what she deserves.


    ¡°Your Majesty, they¡¯ve failed again. This time, they want smaller subjects,¡± Monisha whispered in


    Nancy¡®s ear.


    Nancy¡¯s expression changed slightly.


    I¡¯ve given them so many subjects to experiment on. Why did they fail yet again?


    ¡°Hurry up and send someone to get a few more before sending them over. Tell them to use the subjects


    slowly,¡± Nancymanded sternly.


    Monisha nodded and returned to her room to carry out Nancy¡¯s order.


    ***


    Three dayster, news of the kidnapping of an eight-month old baby boy caused an uproar online. The


    netizens in Turlen were shocked to learn about that and flooded the inte withments.


    Oh, dear. What is going on? This is the first news I¡¯ve read today.


    I hope the baby will be safe!


    Poor baby. Please be safe! I¡¯m scared.


    My baby is around his age, too. Who kidnapped this little boy?


    Hopefully, he¡¯ll be home safe and sound soon. Please let him be safe.


    His parents must be anxious! The kidnapper who kidnapped him must be arrested and sent to jail!


    That¡¯s too light a punishment. He must be sentenced to death immediately!


    In the pce, Monisha reported the news to Nancy when she read it online.


    ¡°Ask someone to put a lid on the news,¡± Nancy ordered icily.


    She feared the dire consequences that would ensue should that incident blow out of proportion.


    ¡°Your Majesty, they said one subject isn¡¯t enough. They want five more,¡± Monisha said, looking


    troubled.


    Nancy snarled, ¡°Tell them to wait!¡±


    ¡°They want the subjects in two days,¡± Monisha added.


    They are forcing me into a corner! How can I find five more subjects in two days?


    Everyone is talking about the kidnapping. How can I do this right now?


    Narrowing her eyes, she summoned Monisha and whispered something in her ear.


    Comprehension dawned on Monisha as she shed a smile and exited the room.

 Chapter 1676

    Chapter 1676


    ¡°Ari, have you seen the news on the inte?¡± Sonia called and choked up as she spoke.


    Sensing something was wrong after hearing Sonia¡¯s voice, Arielle hurriedly asked, ¡°I just saw it. What


    happened?¡±


    ¡°That child is from Be¡¯s family. I attended the boy¡¯s baby shower previously. Unexpectedly, he was


    kidnapped.¡±


    Sonia was about to give birth to her child, so she especially shared that sentiment at that moment.


    She felt agonized to the extent of having the urge to cry at the thought of her child being kidnapped by


    a criminal and going missing with an unknown fate.


    Be? Isn¡¯t she Sonia ¡®s follower, who tagged along with Sonia and attended my ss previously?


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Leave that matter to me. I¡¯ll carry out an investigation.¡±


    Sonia was stunned briefly after listening to Arielle¡®s words.


    ¡°Carry out an investigation? How will you investigate that matter?¡±


    Sonia contacted Arielle because she needed to talk to someone to vent the difort she felt.


    However, when Arielle mentioned she would look for the little boy, Sonia was a little surprised.


    How is she going to do that?


    After all, Arielle was just a doctor not a police.


    ¡°Ari, you are a doctor, not the police. How helpful can you be in searching for someone?¡± Sonia sniffled.


    ¡°Harvey and my father are already pursuing that matter. I hope we can find the kid.¡±


    Only very few people knew of Arielle¡¯s identity as a hacker. Even Harvey did not know about her


    capabilities.


    ¡°Okay. I got it,¡± Arielle replied while taking out herptop and beginning her search.


    On the other end of the line, Sonia heard the sound of Arielle typing on the keyboard. She immediately


    realized thetter was busy, so she quickly found an excuse to hang up the phone.


    After ending the call, Arielleunched the web browser to search for news about the missing boy.


    However, not a piece of information was avable.


    She frowned.


    What¡¯s going on? Why has this piece of news disappeared?


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Amidst her contemtion, Arielle¡¯s phone rang again. Noticing Sonia contacting her again, she picked


    up the call.


    ¡°Ari, did you see it? The news has vanished from the inte. I reconfirmed this issue with Be


    through the phone earlier, and she told me the boy is still missing. However, all the videos on the


    inte are gone,¡± Sonia uttered anxiously.


    ¡°Sonia, I¡¯m aware of this problem now. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll look into this.¡±


    With that, she hung up the call and refocused her attention on theptop screen. Her fingers flew


    across the keyboard, typing rapidly to try to dig out any useful information avable.


    ¡°Hello? Hello? Hello?¡±


    Sonia was dumbfounded as she stared at her phone after the call was cut off, but she hastily paid


    attention to the disappeared news again.


    Sonia dialed her father¡¯s number to inquire about that matter. However, Lawrence had been upied


    with his search for clues, so he was ignorant of that matter.


    ¡°Sonia, I¡¯m hanging up now. I have some matters to attend to.¡±


    Lawrence ended the call after saying that. Then, he contacted someone else and was informed that


    Nancy suppressed the spread of the news over the inte.


    ¡°Why did she do that? We can only locate the boy more quickly and efficiently if this issue garners


    public attention. Without any news circting, how are we going to find him?¡± Lawrence sounded a


    little displeased.


    The golden time to find the boy is very limited. Yet, she¡¯s subduing the dissemination of necessary


    information. Can she handle the consequences of doing so?


    After Aaron knew of that matter, he immediately asked his men to continue spreading the news.


    Upon learning his action, Nancy smashed her phone on the ground angrily. ¡°How dare he defy me!¡±

 Chapter 1677

    Chapter 1677


    ¡°Your Majesty, what should we do?¡± Monisha was a little worried.


    There was always strength in numbers. Thebined influence ofizens was unimaginable.


    Sometimes, help fromizens was essential to resolve a crime.


    Nancy uttered coldly, ¡°Have you deleted all the footage from the surveince cameras along the way?¡±


    Monisha nodded. ¡°Ms. Linda deserves the credit this time. If it wasn¡®t for her, the footage could have


    be evidence to locate the boy.¡±


    ¡°Give this card to her and tell her this is the reward!¡± Nancy took out a card from within a drawer and


    handed it to Monisha as she spoke.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Ever since she became a consort inside the pce, Nancy acquired the skill to let others do her


    bidding by using the power of money.


    Monisha received the ATM card and ced it in her pocket, nning to send the card to Lindater.


    ¡°Aaron is bing more rebellious. Does he think he can do as he pleases and go against me now


    that he is the king?¡± Nancy said grimly.


    If she knew Aaron would behave in such an unruly manner, Nancy might not have harmed Dn.


    ¡°Your Majesty, His Majesty is still young. He will acknowledge your prowess in ruling after some time.¡±


    Monisha shed a grin at Nancy.


    ¡°His Majesty was personally brought up by Your Majesty, so there¡¯s no way he would defy you. His


    Majesty is probably misguided by some bad people at the moment, causing him to act in this


    disobedient manner.¡±


    Nancy narrowed her eyes while listening to Monisha¡¯s words. She wondered if things were true as the


    latter described.


    Is there really someone whispering ill advice in Aaron¡¯s ear?


    Nancy¡¯s face darkened. Regardless of the culprit, she would make sure they suffered a fate worse than


    death for their attempt to mislead Aaron if she discovered who they were.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. You may leave and attend to your duties now.¡±


    ***


    Sonia had been paying attention to the reports on the inte. She became excited when information


    about the little boy was circting on the web again. His news had swiftly be a sensation.


    One of theizensmented: Oh my. What happened just now? Why were all the news articles


    gone without a trace?


    Another wrote: That¡¯s right. I was about to post ament but realized every rted article had


    disappeared.


    Someone typed: Luckily, the articles are back. Otherwise, we will never know What happens to the


    child afterward.


    Anotherizen mentioned: Hopefully, the officials can keep us updated on this matter, so we can know


    when the little boy is found.


    Noticing the majority ofizens taking that little boy¡¯s kidnap seriously, Sonia could finally rx. They


    would only be able to locate the missing child quicker with more people being aware of the news.


    With that thought in her mind, she hurriedly dialed Be¡¯s number.


    ¡°Sonia¡­¡±


    Sonia felt unsettled when she heard Be¡¯s quivering voice.


    ¡°Be, don¡¯t worry. My father and the others have already begun their investigation. I believe we will


    locate that child very soon.¡±


    Despite how upset Sonia was, she knew Be and her sister were feeling more wretched.


    ¡°Thank you, Sonia,¡± Be expressed her heartfelt gratitude.


    Ever since that incident urred, Be¡¯s family members had not taken any action, rendering her


    crestfallen.


    ***


    Arielle had been checking every surveince footage inside the condominium to figure out where the


    little boy had disappeared and gone.


    She stared at theputer screen for nearly an hour, but her effort had been unfruitful. Therefore, she


    could not help feeling a little perturbed. After all, the missing boy was too young. If anything terrible


    befell the child, his parents would never be able toe to terms with such an oue.


    Baby, you must hang in there until I locate your whereabouts¡­


    Arielle continued boring her eyes into the screen while praying inwardly. Suddenly, she fixated her gaze


    on one particr spot.

 Chapter 1678

    Chapter 1678


    There was a man who had covered himself up well and was carrying a child at the intersection ahead.


    He was in a ck sweater with a mask and a cap, but his child was swaddled in thick clothes without a


    hat.


    How can a parent stand to let their kid¡¯s head freeze while their wear thick clothes themselves?


    This doesn¡¯t seem like his kid at all. Could it be that the kid in his arms is that kid?


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    With that thought in mind, Arielle fixed her gaze on him.


    Her fingers danced across the keyboard rapidly as the arrow moved along with that man.


    All of a sudden, the arrow stopped, and the man vanished from her surveince.


    Arielle shot up to her feet.


    Vinson entered the room to see Arielle standing up, so he asked in concern, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Arielle swiftly told him about the matter.


    ¡°That guy disappeared from the surveince cameras. l have to go to that spot to check the


    surroundings.¡± With that said, Arielle shoved her phone into her bag and turned to leave.


    She wanted to find that child as soon as possible.


    She did not know if that man was a human trafficker or something else. Things would be easier if he


    was just a human trafficker, for the most he would do was sell the child.


    She did not know if that man was a human trafficker or something else.


    Things would be easier if he was just a human trafficker, for the most he would do was sell the child.


    However, if he were involved in the illegal trade of selling organs on the ck market, things would be


    dangerous. Even a god would have trouble saving the child if the child¡¯s organs were harvested.


    ¡°I¡¯lle with you,¡± Vinson said. Arielle nodded and called along Lorraine before heading to her


    destination.


    The trio soon arrived at the man¡¯sst seen location on the surveince camera. The moment they


    reached, Arielle saw several fork roads.


    Arielle stood in the middle of the road in the wind and tucked her ruffled hair away from her face. With a


    frown, she studied the fork roads.


    ¡°Vinson, say, which direction do you think he¡¯ll head to?¡±


    Vinson looked at the fork roads with an equally solemn expression. All the roads either led to mountain


    ranges or viges, no matter which path he took, it would be no easy feat to find him.


    ¡°If there¡¯s only the three of us, we won¡¯t be able to find him,¡± Vinson said, his brows drawn together.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to inform Aaron about this so that he can send the police and the army troops to search this


    entire ce.¡±


    Arielle found reason in Vinson¡¯s words, so she took out her phone to call Aaron.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    Despite his steady voice, Aaron sounded cold, which was a stark contrast to the tone he used to have


    when he spoke to her. However, Arielle did not mind that, for she too, did not want to ept that he


    was her brother in the past. Therefore, it was nothing unusual for him to act in that way since he did not


    want to ept the fact that she was his sister.


    ¡°I¡¯ve found clues about the person who took the child away. In the footage where hest appeared¡­¡±


    Arielle told him everything about the situation, including how she fixed the surveince footage and


    tracked down the man.


    ¡°Now we¡®re at the fork roads that either lead to mountain ranges or viges. Vinson and I don¡¯t have


    enough connections to scour for him, so will you send the police and the army toe and search for


    the man?¡±


    Aaron looked more alert after hearing Arielle¡¯s words.


    ¡°I got it. I¡®ll send men to work on it right now,¡± he told her.


    Then, he called the cops and told them to head to Arielle¡¯s side. After a moment of contemtion, he


    called Carlos and instructed thetter to find the man regardless of everything.


    Carlos was initially one of Dn¡¯s men. After Dn¡¯s death, Nancy tried to get him to join her side.


    However, he rejected her. His loyalty was pledged to the king, so he would only obey the new king¡¯s


    orders.


    Although Nancy was furious about that, there was nothing she could do.

 Chapter 1679

    Chapter 1679


    After Carlos received the order, he led the army troops to the location Aaron told him about. In the


    meantime, Celeste, the queen, was astounded when she heard Aaron¡¯s n.


    ¡°How did he find out so quickly that person was there?¡± Nancy¡¯s expression turned gloomy.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    As she looked at Monisha, she uttered, ¡°Hurry and call them. Tell them to move right away. Even I


    won¡¯t be able to save them if they were found.¡±


    At that, Monisha hastily went to call the men and told them that the police and the army were on their


    way to find them. She told them to retreat quickly.


    ***


    In a cave within the deeper parts of the mountains was a man around his fifties in a whiteb coat. He


    was looking at the baby with a sly glint in his eyes.


    This is such a fantasticb rat. The body is healthy, and all the vital signs are perfect. How shall I start


    my experiment?


    The man continued to stare at the baby in front of him with a burning gaze, excited.


    All of a sudden, an urgent voice pulled him out of his thoughts.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    He is so noisy, and he has disrupted my thoughts.


    ¡°Professor Hoffmeister, our higher-ups have informed us to leave this ce immediately. The police


    and the army are on their way to us. lf we don¡¯t leave now, we won¡¯t make it in time,¡± the skinny man


    urgently said to the man in theb coat.


    ¡°She said that even she won¡¯t be able to protect us if we get caught, so let¡¯s leave now.¡±


    However, the man in theb coat seemed unfazed by his words.


    The ce they were at was a perilous spot with trees everywhere. Furthermore, they were in the


    innermost part of the mountains, and no one had ever seen them. Even if the police and the army


    came, he was not afraid, for he was sure that they would never be able to find them.


    ¡°Must you start shouting just for something trivial like this? Do you think that they¡¯ll be able to find us


    here?¡± Torsten Hoffmeister, the man who was referred to as Professor Hoffmeister, questioned as he


    looked at the skinny man.


    ¡°Tell them to hide their tracks well and do their jobs as usual. There¡¯s no need to panic.¡±


    Even though the skinny man was still a little worried, he saw reason in Torsten¡¯s words. Hence, his


    spirits lifted, and he went to convey his message to the other doctors and assistants.


    ¡°Hasse, where did you get this kid from? The kid has attracted the police and the army to us!¡± cried out


    a woman who was around the same age as Torsten as she looked at the man opposite her.


    Hasse never thought that a random child he took would lure the police and the army to them. If he


    knew that, he would not have taken the child. After all, it would be bad if he were to bring trouble to the


    research team.


    Nevertheless, nothing he said would change the situation.


    ¡°Ms. Norma, I¡¯m really sorry. This is all my fault,¡± Hasse sincerely apologized to Norma Ulrich.


    ¡°Norma, Hasse didn¡¯t mean it. He didn¡¯t even know about this, so don¡®t chide him so much.¡±


    ***


    Aaron¡¯s men soon reached the fork roads and most split up to head down the different paths.


    At the same time, Arielle, Vinson, and Lorraine followed the police into the deeper parts of the


    mountains. They scavenged through the ce until the sun went down, but their efforts were for


    naught.


    When Nancy found out that the people never left their spot, her heart leaped into her throat. Then,


    when she found out that Aaron¡¯s men¡¯s search yielded no results, she deliberately lose her temper with


    him.


    ¡°Why did you search the ce without finding out which direction he actually went in?! Did you want


    others tough at you after spending so much time and effort on this?! Hurry up and order your men to


    return!¡± Nancy berated the moment she saw Aaron.

 Chapter 1680

    Chapter 1680


    Aaron stared at Nancy glumly.


    ¡°Grandma, although you have the power to rule the country, don¡¯t forget that I¡®m the true ruler of this


    ce.¡± Then, as he gazed right into his grandmother¡¯s shocked eyes, he uttered, ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell


    the men toe back.¡±


    With that, he left.


    He had faith in Arielle¡¯s words and he believed that those people were hidden there. As long as time


    was on his side, he was going to find them.


    ¡°Y-You¡­¡± Nancy was livid. She could barely stammer out a word as she held her chest and heaved.


    When Monisha noticed that, she quickly run her hand down Nancy¡¯s back to calm her down.


    After Nancy recovered a little, she immediately sent her men to lock Aaron up in the pce before


    confiscating his phone andputer. Then, she ordered the police and the army to retreat without


    dy.


    Deep in the mountains, Vinson and Arielle were still walking down the path with the aid of the dim


    moonlight. Just as they were about to move further into the mountains, they saw Carlosing toward


    them.


    ¡°Her Majesty has ordered us to leave this ce right away.¡±


    Arielle drew her brows together.


    Why is she ordering us to leave before we find the kid?


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that the kid is in this ce. If we leave now¡­¡±


    Before Arielle could finish her sentence, Carlos cut her off, ¡°That is what I think as well, but we can¡¯t go


    against Her Majesty¡¯s orders.¡± Then, a pauseter, he added, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened in the


    pce, but we¡¯re unable to contact His Majesty right now.¡±


    Arielle never expected anything to happen to Aaron. When she thought about Dn, she panicked. As


    she turned to look at the mountains, she gritted out, ¡°Let¡¯s retreat then.¡±


    All of them had to obey Nancy¡¯smand. Even if Arielle and Vinson were to stay, they would not be


    able to find the child.


    The ce was huge and it was nighttime, therefore, the three of them would not have the capability to


    find the child at all. Thus, they slowly left the mountains.


    Nancy had been keeping a close eye on the case, so when she heard that they had retreated, she let


    out a sigh of relief. After that, she hastily told Monisha to tell the group of people to leave the mountains


    as quickly as possible.


    A lucky escape like that might not happen twice. However, Torsten did not heed Monisha¡¯s words at all.


    ¡°Tell her that nothing happened here and have them be at ease. Their constant calls are disrupting my


    train of thoughts,¡± Torsten hissed, annoyed.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    The skinny man conveyed Torsten¡¯s message with difficulty to Monisha, and she conveyed it to Nancy,


    who became enraged.


    She knew that Torsten was obsessed with those kinds of research, but they were not under normal


    circumstances right now. She could not understand why Torsten simply would not leave first.


    I won¡¯t be able to save them if the cops get to them. How can he not realize which action is more


    important?


    ¡°They have to leave!¡±


    The skinny man conveyed the message to Torsten again.


    When Torsten found out that he had no choice, rage welled up in his chest. He could almost find the


    answer, but he was forced to stop at the most crucial moment.


    ¡°Tell her we¡¯re leaving now!¡±


    After ending the call, Torsten told the group to retreat.


    They had been living there for over a decade, so they were familiar with all the paths in the forest.


    After packing up their things, Torsten left the ce with his experiment subject in his arms.


    To ensure that the child would not cry and attract attention, they covered the child¡¯s mouth. Afraid that


    the child would starve, they stopped midway to buy milk powder for him.


    Torsten watched the boy down the milk and whispered, ¡°My good boy, I¡¯m going to let you live for a few


    days longer.¡±

 Chapter 1681

    Chapter 1681


    After Arielle and the others went back, she began calling him. Upon realizing that she really could not


    contact him, she paled.


    Promptly, she called Sonia and asked for Lawrence¡¯s number.


    When Sonia found out that Arielle had something serious to talk about, she quickly told Arielle that


    Lawrence was right beside her and to not hang up. Then, she handed her phone to her father, telling


    him that Arielle was looking for him.


    ¡°Princess, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Although Dn did not reveal Arielle¡¯s identity to the public before his death, Sybil had admitted that


    she was Dn¡¯s daughter. Therefore, she would be the princess of Turlen.


    ¡°Can you contact Aaron? Her Majesty has retracted the order for the police and the army to look for the


    kid, so we¡¯re on our way back,¡± Arielle told him.


    ¡°Contact His Majesty?¡± Once he reeled in from the shock of her statement, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll call him right


    away.¡±


    As he spoke, he fished out his phone and made the call. However, no one picked up the call.


    He tried several more times, but the results were all the same. It was then he realized something was


    amiss.


    ¡°Princess, you¡¯re right. The king cannot be contacted,¡± Lawrencemented with a frown. ¡°Could it be


    that Her Majesty has locked him up again?¡±


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Nancy was the only one in Turlen who would lock someone up without any legit reason.


    Arielle scowled. ¡°It must be her then¡­¡±


    The more she thought about it, the stranger the incident seemed to be, it was a very peculiar move to


    withdraw the police force and the army troops.


    Shouldn¡¯t they be in a hurry to find the kid? it has only been hours since they went to the mountains,


    but she has already told them to withdraw. This doesn¡¯t make sense!


    ¡°General Lawrence, do you think that Her Majesty has something to do with the disappearance of that


    child?¡± Arielle asked in a low voice.


    The moment she said that, Lawrence¡¯s hand shook.


    The princess is really daring to think of that!


    What is the reason for Her Majesty to take that child away? She doesn¡¯t need money. It can¡¯t be that


    she¡¯s looking to train someone to serve her, right?


    That doesn¡¯t make sense. After all, everyone, from the noble to the impoverished citizens, would be


    more than willing to let their child train under Her Majesty.


    Arielle was grim. She knew that what Lawrence said made sense, but a voice in her head was telling


    her that Nancy definitely had something to do with the child missing.


    Otherwise, why would she have ordered them to withdraw from the mountains so quickly?


    It simply did not seem right. The leader of a country would be eager to catch the culprit after something


    like that happened. Instead, she had been more eager to withdraw the forces from the mountains.


    Furthermore, Aaron was unreachable. Arielle could guess that Nancy must have locked him up.


    What is she trying to do?


    ¡°General Lawrence, please see if you cane into contact with Aaron. I¡®m a little worried about him,¡±


    Arielle creased her forehead, wishing that she could enter the pce any time she wanted.


    Lawrence dared not swear that he would do that, but he still agreed to her request by saying that he


    would give it a try.


    He also told her that, if he managed to contact Aaron, he would tell Arielle about it.


    After ending the call, Lawrence left Sonia¡¯s ce. He had gone to Sonia¡¯s ce because he wanted to


    discuss with Harvey about finding the child. Nevertheless, now that Arielle wanted to contact Aaron, he


    was going to prioritize that.


    As for the child, Lawrence could only leave everything to fate.


    After washing up, Arielle found herself unable to sleep. She kept thinking about Lawrence¡¯s analyses


    and her spections.


    All of a sudden, she recalled that it had been a while since she listened to Nancy¡¯s surveince


    recording. Hence, she switched on her phone. The longer she listened to the recording, the more


    obvious her grimace became.

 Chapter 1682

    Chapter 1682


    Right then, the voices of Nancy and Monisha sounded out in the room.


    ¡°Monisha, get someone to seize Arielle. I want to make her life a living hell!¡± Nancy gritted out, the


    resentment in her voice audible.


    ¡°Your Majesty, please calm down. It won¡¯t be appropriate for you toy a finger on her with her current


    identity.¡±


    ¡°I can¡®t take this in silence!¡± Nancy snapped. ¡°Then get someone to teach her a lesson. I won¡¯t be able


    to sleep until she has been taught a lesson!¡±


    Arielle frowned.


    What did I do to make Nancy despise me so much?


    Before she could wrap her mind around it, Monisha spoke again.


    ¡°Your Majesty, they¡¯ve failed again. This time, they want smaller subjects.¡±


    ¡°Hurry up and send someone to get a few more before sending them over. Tell them to go slow on the


    subjects.¡±


    Smaller subjects? What smaller subjects? Could it be that it¡¯s¡­


    Arielle¡¯s expression darkened, and a cold look crept into her eyes. If her spections were right, Nancy


    was downright ruthless. Moreover, Arielle had to find that child. She was afraid that, if she were too


    late, the child would be¡­


    The moment she thought about that child¡¯s possible end, her heart sank.


    No¡­ No, no, no! I can¡¯t waste any more time!


    With that thought in mind, Arielle called Lawrence and told him her spections.


    ¡°Princess, are you sure Her Majesty is doing experiments on humans?¡± Lawrence could barely


    squeeze out thest two words.


    ¡°General Lawrence, I¡¯m sure!¡± Although Arielle was panicking, she still did everything rationally.


    ¡°General Lawrence, do you have any men with you? If you do, please send them to look for the kid.¡±


    At that, she paused for a moment before whispering, ¡°If things drag on longer, I¡¯m scared that he


    might¡­¡±


    Even though Arielle did not finish her sentence, Lawrence got her hint. His heart sank as well.


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll contact some people to work on this.¡±


    After ending the call, Lawrence began making calls to his friends to borrow men from them. When they


    found out that he was going to look for the eight-month-old boy, they made calls to their friends as well.


    In the end, they all went to the address that Lawrence sent them.


    Arielle continued to listen to the recording.


    It was then she heard Nancy asking someone to wipe out the surveince footage. Then, she heard


    Nancy hastily instruct Monisha to tell the culprits to move the moment she heard that Aaron¡¯s men had


    gone to the mountains.


    In the end, she heard Nancy berating Aaron before locking him up in the pce and confiscating his


    phone andptop.


    Arielle scowled. She instantly called Lawrence and told him that the people had changed locations. She


    asked him to station his men at the exits and check those ces for suspicious people.


    Upon hearing that, Lawrence, who was about to reach his original destination, quickly changed his


    n. Like Arielle asked, he stationed his men at checkpoints to seize those culprits.


    However, Arielle did not have much hope. She felt that she had gotten the news toote and did not


    know if she would still be able to intercept those people even if Lawrence stationed his men at the exits


    now.


    If she could not do that, then what they were doing now would alert Nancy and her people to Arielle¡¯s


    knowledge.


    Arielle narrowed her eyes, thinking.


    No¡­ I have to make preparations earlier.


    ***


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    In the meantime, Nancy was taken aback when she found out that Lawrence was stationing his men at


    the checkpoints.


    She drew her brows together and wondered.


    Could it be that I have a mole by myside?

 Chapter 1683

    Chapter 1683


    At that, she whipped her head to the side to look at Monisha.


    Monisha is the only one I¡¯ve assigned this to, so it shouldn¡¯t be an issue from my side. But if it¡¯s from


    Torsten¡®s side, they would have been caught a long time ago. Then, what¡¯s going on?


    Suddenly, Nancy¡¯s eyes grew wide in realization.


    Arielle¡­ It must be Arielle!


    Arielle was the one who sent me the photos, so she must have been spying on me. How else did she


    find out about this so quickly?


    With that thought in mind, she wrote a note to Monisha and told thetter to throw her phone and her


    laptop at the uninhabited room at the side. After that, she instructed Monisha to purchase a new phone


    with a new number under Monisha¡¯s name.


    However, she did not ask Monisha to get her anotherptop, for aptop needed an inte


    connection, she was afraid that Arielle would be able to spy on her after connecting to the inte.


    After Monisha ced Nancy¡¯s phone andptop in the next room, she hurried to Nancy¡¯s side and


    whispered, ¡°Your Majesty, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Nancy narrowed her eyes and replied, ¡°That d*mn girl, Arielle, is spying on me through my phone and


    laptop!¡±


    When Nancy thought about how Arielle must have overheard her conversation with Monisha, her heart


    sank.


    Doesn¡¯t that mean she has found much information to ckmail me by now?


    This d*mn girl. I really have to kill her. Who cares about her identity?


    ¡°Monisha, l¡¯m sure she has plenty of materials to ckmail me now. No, l mustn¡¯t let her go so easily.


    She has to die!¡± Nancy told Monisha in a very cold tone.


    Like Nancy, Monisha never expected Arielle to spy on Nancy, let alone have ckmail-worthy


    information in her hands.


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll get someone to work on this.¡±


    Once Monisha was gone, Nancy¡¯s expression darkened, and she turned to stare out of the window.


    There was a pressure on her chest that she was certain would be gone only after Arielle was dead.


    Time ticked away, and Arielle¡¯s heart was in her throat. It was almost twelve, but she was still hearing


    no news.


    Could it be that they¡¯ve gotten away?


    When Vinson noticed how anxious she was, he hugged her and said, ¡°Calm down, Sannie. They¡¯ll


    surely tell you right away if there¡¯s news.¡±


    He felt a little useless being there at that moment. It was because he was not Turlenian, so he could


    not even establish awork of his own there. He could not do anything for those matters other than


    apany her to confront them.


    ¡°I know,¡± Arielle leaned into Vinson¡¯s arms.


    She whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve already done what I should do, and even if bad news return, I¡¯ve still done my best


    already.¡±


    Arielle was no longer worried about Aaron after finding out that he was in no danger. In contrast, she


    was worried about the boy, and she wondered how he was now.


    ***


    ¡°What do we do? Can we put on a disguise and get through them?¡± Norma asked Torsten in a worried


    tone.


    Everyone else had gone past the checkpoints. Norma and Torsten were the only two left at the rest


    area, and they did not know if they could get out sessfully.


    ¡°We can give it a try. Remember the words I¡¯ve taught you,¡± Torsten somberly said to Norma, who


    nodded.


    Torsten then drove forward. When he reached the checkpoint, he took in a deep breath.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    ¡°Is this your child?¡± came Lawrence¡¯s voice from outside the car.


    Norma¡¯s heart skipped a beat.

 Chapter 1684

    Chapter 1684


    ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡± Norma was nervous, but still, she tried to keep it together. ¡°He¡¯s our grandson. His parents


    miss him, so we¡¯re taking him home to see his parents.¡±


    Lawrence felt that he could not let any car with children leave so easily, so he asked, ¡°What work do


    you do? What work do his parents do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Professor Hoffmeister of Turlen School of Medicine. This is my pass. You can take a look at it,¡±


    Torsten then took out his pass to hand it to Lawrence.


    Lawrence nced at the pass and verified it before he said apologetically, ¡°l¡¯m sorry. There is a missing


    child, so we have to question everyone who has a child with them.¡±


    With that, he quickly gestured to his men to let Torsten¡¯s car pass.


    After all, that man was Turlen School of Medicine¡¯s old professor. Although they were not as advanced


    in the medical field as the other countries, that man had done a lot for the medical school.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°Losing a kid is no small deal. You really have to put your all into finding the kid. After all, all children


    are their parents¡¯ precious. I can imagine how devastated the parents are after losing the child.¡±


    Torsten squeezed out with difficulty as if he could empathize with him. That made Lawrence impressed.


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll find the kid as soon as possible!¡± As he said that, he took several steps back and let


    Torsten¡¯s car go by.


    Norma¡¯s heartbeat finally slowed down when they left the area.


    ¡°Old man, you¡®re not at all nervous,¡± Norma said to Torsten, still holding onto the boy.


    Torsten gave her a smug grin. If he had been nervous, they would not have gone through the


    checkpoint.


    ¡°The kid¡¯s quite a good boy. He sleeps quietly after drinking his fill,¡± Normamented as she pinched


    the boy¡®s cheek.


    If not for them wanting to do experiments on live subjects, she would have raised the boy as her own.


    Even though he was only several months old, she could already see how obedient he was. She liked


    him, but sadly, she could not keep him.


    Torsten gave the boy a side-eye.


    This is a precious that I¡¯ve got to keep well. Still, just this one isn¡¯t enough. I need a few more. If i fail, I


    need at least two more backups.


    Time went by in the blink of an eye. Lawrence and the others did not sleep a wink, but their efforts were


    for naught. There were no signs of the kidnappers. That made them wonder if they had been looking in


    the wrong direction.


    Lawrence then called Arielle and told her about his worries.


    Arielle grimaced, for she did not know what was going on either.


    Are we really going to check every single household? If we do that, won¡¯t we make those people


    anxious?


    They might put the boy in danger.


    Arielle was stumped for she did not know what was her best course of action.


    ¡°General Lawrence, did you not encounter anyone with a kid at all?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Just as those words were out of Lawrence¡®s mouth, he recalled the professor and his wife carrying a


    child.


    Hence, he told her, ¡°Wait, no. There was a couple with a kid, but that kid was their grandchild.¡±


    Hearing that, Arielle was alert. ¡°How do you know that the kid is their grandchild? Who are they? Where


    are they heading to? Did you ask them all that?¡±


    Lawrence was taken aback by Arielle¡¯s questions.


    There¡¯s no way someone would lie about their grandkid, right? Moreover, he¡¯s a professor! He can¡¯t lie


    to me, right?


    With those thoughts in mind, he said, ¡°I¡¯ve verified his identity. He¡®s a retired professor at Turlen School


    of Medicine. The kid they were carrying was his grandkid, and the couple was sending the kid to visit


    his parents.¡±


    Sirens rang out in Arielle¡¯s head when she heard that.


    Instantly, she asked, ¡°Lawrence, do you still remember which direction they went in?¡±

 Chapter 1685

    Chapter 1685


    ¡°W-What¡¯s the matter?¡± Lawrence was stunned by Arielle¡¯s anxious voice.


    Could it be that¡­


    A thought popped into his mind, and he instantly regretted it.


    ¡°Princess, it¡¯ll be a little tough to look for them now,¡± Lawrence said in a low voice. ¡°It has been a few


    hours since they¡¯ve left the checkpoint, so he must have gone far by now.¡±


    Arielle inhaled sharply.


    What should I do to rescue that boy?


    ¡°I understand. Withdraw your men.¡± Arielle massaged the spot between her brows. ¡°Contact the local


    police of all the other areas and tell them to set up checkpoints for each road. We¡¯ll upload the kid¡¯s


    photo to the inteter. Download it so that you can use it for verification.¡±


    At that, Arielle paused for a moment before grimly saying, ¡°You have to verify every single person with


    a kid thoroughly, you can¡¯t let them go so quickly.¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll work on it right away!¡±


    ***


    Meanwhile, theizens were all talking about the case.


    It¡¯s been over twenty hours. Can the kid still be found? I¡¯m so worried about the kid. I hope he¡¯ll be


    rescued as soon as possible! saw lots of police and army troops yesterday.


    I guess that they¡¯re all there to look for the kid. There¡¯s still no news about the kid.


    I¡¯m really worried about his safety! pray for the kid to be alive and to be saved soon.


    As Arielle read the concerns of the people online, she sent a message to Sonia and asked her to get


    some photos of the boy from Be.


    Once Sonia sent her the photo, Arielle uploaded it to the inte. Soon, the front page of websites and


    phone applications was filled with photos and information about the boy.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    At the same time, she wrote a letter to seek the help of theizens. That letter was soon trending, and


    many liked andmented on it.


    The bad people will surely be caught!


    I have no idea how his parents watched him. How are they going to find an eight-month old child now?


    Won¡¯t the massive search operation make the kidnappers anxious?


    Will they hurt the kid?


    But how long will it take for them to find the kid if they don¡¯t find him this way?


    Theizens had many things to say, but Arielle too, did not know how she could search for the kid


    without putting him in any harm.


    All of a sudden, her phone rang. When Arielle lifted it, she realized it was from Sonia. She answered it.


    ¡°Sonia,¡± came Arielle¡¯s tired voice.


    ¡°Ari, Be¡®s family saw the photo and the letter online. They¡¯re asking if we can take them down.


    They¡®ve seen theizens¡¯ments, and they¡¯re scared that the boy will be in danger if we do a


    large-scale search.¡±


    Arielle narrowed her eyes.


    Truth be told, she had kinds of worries as well, but every single n she came up with had its own


    risks and challenges.


    ¡°Sonia, ask them again if they really want to take this down. If they do, I won¡¯t have the energy to


    intervene in the matter anymore. You know my situation, and l have many other important things to do,¡±


    Arielle muttered.


    Arielle was not actually nning to do that. After all, Nancy was involved in the case, and she was not


    going to give up so easily. However, she was not pleased with the parents¡¯ attitude, for she was


    working so hard to help find their child.


    Selfishly speaking, that matter had nothing to do with her at all, and she could close an eye to it.


    Looking into Nancy from a different direction would still allow her to find something to ckmail the


    woman with.

 Chapter 1686

    Chapter 1686


    Sonia was stunned, not expecting Arielle to say that.


    ¡°Ari, are you angry?¡± Sonia asked hesitantly.


    I like having Arielle as a friend, and I don¡¯t want this to ruin things between us.


    A hint of a smile appeared on Arielle¡®s lips when she heard the hesitation in Sonia¡¯s voice. ¡°Why would


    I be angry? Of course, I¡¯m not! It¡¯s just that I think no matter how you go about this matter, there¡¯ll still


    be potential dangers.¡±


    If we¡¯re toote, they will have already conducted experiments with the boy. However, it might prompt


    the other party to resort to desperate measures if we raise such amotion while searching for the


    boy. in truth, there are dangers to both methods.


    I¡¯m only human, not a god. We no way of predicting what the other party is thinking about or will do.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Sonia was also well aware that it was a tricky situation. Hence, she said, ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll tell them


    what you said.¡±


    Later, Sonia exined everything to Be and told thetter to ry it to her elder sister.


    Worried that the child would be in danger, Be¡¯s sister said to let the police help with the search.


    On the surface, it appeared as though Arielle did not involve herself in the matter.


    Nheless, she continued following the updates on the matter in private, even making an anonymous


    post online to remind everyone to keep a close eye on their children.


    In truth, it would not have mattered if she had not posted that. Parents were rmed after what


    happened to the boy and were very vignt. There was no way they would let anyone with malicious


    intentions get their hands on their children.


    Just then, Vinson came over and informed her that the people she brought in had almost finished


    learning Turlenese. Hence, she could start getting them to build a rtionshipwork to help with the


    search.


    When he mentioned that, she suddenly remembered the doctors she had recruited. Having a sh of


    inspiration, she contacted the unmarried young man immediately.


    He¡¯s the youngest among the doctors, his family is poor, and his parents are ill. The reason he¡¯s here is


    to earn money to pay for his parents¡¯ treatment back home.


    ¡°Vinson, those who took the boy want to conduct experiments on him. Hence, they must require


    doctors. I¡¯ll go onto the dark webter and check whether they¡¯re hiring doctors. If they are, I¡¯m


    nning to send in my resume along with that of the youngest doctor among the bunch to apply for the


    job,¡± Arielle told him after getting in touch with the doctor in question.


    When he heard that, he immediately became worried.


    Only a ruthless person would conduct experiments on a child, so he was not agreeable to her putting


    herself in danger.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯ve memorized the Mill family¡¯s medical manuscripts,¡± she reassured him.


    With that in hand, why should I fear those people? I could probably wipe them out in seconds.


    However, that¡¯s only for emergencies. The priority is to find evidence of their crime and send them to


    prison.


    Vinson was still concerned despite her reassurances, but he knew he had no way of deterring her.


    Hugging her, he said, ¡°You must be careful!¡±


    Arielle looked at him somewhat helplessly.


    We haven¡¯t even applied for the job yet, but he¡¯s already acting like this. If we get the job, he¡¯ll probably


    worry himself sick! Nheless, it still makes me happy to know he¡¯s concerned about me.


    The feeling of being cared for and missed by someone warmed the cockles of her heart.


    She ced her arms around his neck and said, ¡°If I do get the job, I promise I¡¯lle back safely, even


    if it¡¯s for your sake.¡±


    Meanwhile, someonemanded, ¡°Linda, keep a close eye on them and report to me no matter what


    happens!¡±

 Chapter 1687

    Chapter 1687


    After thinking it over for a few days, Linda reported the situation at Arielle¡¯s and Vinson¡¯s to Duke.


    She had not intended to do so initially. After all, Duke had abandoned her. However, she had been by


    his side for five years, and in the end, she could not help but tell him everything.


    In truth, she harbored hopes that he would ask her to return. She had been with him for five years, and


    during that period, she had been the only one by his side. However, the call ended up dealing her a


    more terrible blow than she had ever imagined.


    After he spoke, she heard the sound of lustful cries and panting on the other end of the line before she


    could respond.


    ¡°Got it!¡± she cried out.


    There was a pang of pain in the depths of her heart as she ended the call. Then, she slid down into a


    crouching position and hugged her knees.


    At that moment, Mark opened the door and came in carrying a big bag of snacks. When he saw her


    crouched on the floor, he hurried forward immediately.


    Anxious yet afraid she would find him annoying, he asked cautiously, ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong? Are you


    feeling unwell?¡±


    She slowly raised her head when she heard his voice, and his heart ached when he saw her tear-


    stained face.


    Reaching out a hand, he clumsily tucked her hair behind her ears, then gently wiped away her tears.


    ¡°Linda, no matter what happens, I¡¯m here for you.¡±


    After uttering those words uncertainly, he thought she would be disgusted by them. But to his surprise,


    she threw herself into his arms. He could not help feeling somewhat nervous, not knowing whether to


    hug her or not.


    ¡°Do you love me?¡± Linda asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck.


    Mark nodded. He had fallen head over heels in love with her the moment heid eyes on her that day.


    When Linda saw him nod, she tightened her arms around his neck and raised her lips to his. That


    action caused him to lose all control.


    Heaven knows how often I¡¯ve thought about this feeling since that time in the car.


    Mark picked her up in his arms in one swift motion. They kissed as they undressed, then he ced her


    on the bed and pinned her down with his body.


    Looking into her eyes, he murmured, ¡°It¡¯s not toote to change your mind.¡±


    He did not want her to regret it afterward.


    Linda did not say anything. Instead, she ced her hands behind his head and pressed her lips against


    his.


    That meant she would not regret it!


    Having gotten her answer, Mark lowered his head and kissed her hungrily¡­


    After indulging in their carnal desires to their hearts¡¯ content,


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    Mark gazed at the woman next to him and asked in a low voice, ¡°Linda, will you be my girlfriend?¡±


    He did not mind that she used to be with Duke. All he cared about was whether she would end up as


    his woman.


    She remained silent. Getting up, she lit a cigarette and stood by the window, gazing out at the moon.


    His heart sank a little when he saw that. Picking up a bathrobe, he got up and went over to Linda.


    Then, he draped the bathrobe over her and hugged her from behind.


    ¡°I¡¯ll treat you well,¡± he murmured softly.


    Linda turned to look at him. ¡°Mark, you should find someone who can make you happy¡­¡±


    ¡°Linda, I only want you!¡± he cut in before she could finish her sentence.


    If it¡¯s not with her, I don¡¯t n to date anyone.


    ¡°Are you serious? You don¡¯t mind that l was with Duke for five years?¡±


    Seeing him nod, she stubbed out her cigarette and looked at him. ¡°All right. From now on, you¡¯re my


    boyfriend.¡±


    ***


    Over at a base somewhere, Torsten gazed down at the child with a slight frown.

 Chapter 1688

    Chapter 1688


    ¡°Norma! How did this child get a fever while under your care?¡± Torsten questioned in a displeased tone


    while turning around with furrowed brows.


    Hearing that the child was unwell, Norma immediately put her phone down and reached for his


    forehead.


    He does have a fever, a pretty high one at that.


    Yet, she nced at the boy. ¡°Is he intellectually challenged? Why is he still sitting here and ying


    when he¡¯s got such a high fever? He never even cried,¡± shemented with a frown.


    The professor¡®s face clouded over as he heard that.


    Intellectually challenged? The kid¡¯s just fine! I ran tests on him myself He¡¯s healthy and will be the


    perfect experimental subject, but I¡¯m going to get skewed results if I conduct the experiments on him


    now.


    ¡°He¡¯s perfectly normal,¡± Torsten huffed. ¡°Quick, go get some medication that will lower his fever.¡±


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The child¡¯s fever was so high that there were no other suitable methods to reduce his body


    temperature. Moreover, since they didn¡¯t have any medication for children here, they would have to buy


    some at a pharmacy.


    Norma looked visibly upset.


    How dare he talk to me like that?


    Am I not a professor too?


    Despite her indignation, the woman did as told. Nothing else could be done, given that they were the


    only ones here.


    After returning from the pharmacy and giving the boy his medication, she turned to Torsten and


    suggested, ¡°There¡¯s only the two of us here. We can¡¯t manage everything on our own. How about we


    hire a few more doctors?¡±


    ¡°Hire more doctors?¡± The man frowned. ¡°That won¡¯t do. What if¡­¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯re going to need more subjects. How will we cope when we bring in more kids?¡± Norma


    emphasized.


    Sure, I can conduct the experiments, but looking after children?


    No way. Besides, not every kid is as quiet and obedient as this one here. We don¡¯t just need more


    doctors. We need young doctors who have the energy to deal with children. An olddy like me just


    isn¡¯t fit for the job.


    Yet, the professor remained firm on his decision.


    These experiments are supposed to be top-secret. What if someone we hire ends up exposing our


    ns?


    If that happens, not even Turlen¡¯swyers will be able to save us.


    ¡°We can¡¯t hire more help, Norma,¡± he reiterated. ¡°We¡¯re screwed if word about what we¡®re doing gets


    out. Don¡¯t forget that people are still out there looking for this kid¡­¡±


    ¡°We can just hire those who are willing to take part in these experiments. I¡¯m sure those who¡¯d do it are


    just as interested. If they try anything funny, we¡¯ll make them our next test subjects.¡±


    With that, Torsten had nothing to say in objection.


    ¡°Do what you want,¡± he snapped before leaving to continue working on his experiments.


    Seeing that, Norma gleefully took out herptop, opened the dark web, and began posting somejob


    openings.


    ***


    Back in her apartment, Arielle had been keeping a close eye on all the job postings avable on the


    dark web. Aftering across thetest one, she spent some time looking into it before confirming her


    target.


    Then, she submitted her own specially-made resume and got William Heaton, a young doctor she had


    recruited, to do the same. After William was done, the two of them began awaiting a response.


    However, Arielle soon grew anxious after not receiving any feedback in the following two days.

 Chapter 1689

    Chapter 1689


    Did we not get the job? Are they that stringent?


    Just as the woman contemted what else she could do, her phone rang briefly. She then hastily


    checked the e-mail she had just received.


    ¡°Vinson! I got the job!¡± Arielle squealed with delight.


    Thinking he hadn¡¯t heard her, she dashed into the kitchen where he was. ¡°I got the job, Vinson! Now I


    can save that kid!¡±


    While she was thrilled, the man remained silent as he made dinner.


    Although he had decided to give Arielle his support, he couldn¡¯t help but worry about her safety,


    especially since he couldn¡¯t be with her.


    Noticing Vinson¡¯s dismay, the woman wrapped her arms around his waist from behind and pressed her


    face against his back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Vinson. Think of this as a way to build good karma for our future child.¡±


    Vinson turned off the stove, removed Arielle¡¯s hands on his waist, and turned around to look at her. ¡°I


    don¡¯t need you to build karma for anyone. No one matters to me more than you do.¡±


    He didn¡¯t care if it was their child or someone else¡¯s, no one was more important to him than Arielle. In


    fact, he would willingly take her ce in anything she wanted to do.


    Hearing that, Arielle threw herself into his arms. This man always caught her by surprise with his


    sudden promations of love.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re worried about me, but I¡¯ll take good care of myself.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know what else to say to him.


    I have to go no matter what since I¡¯ll be killing two birds with one stone. I can save the children and


    gather more evidence to bring the queen mother down.


    ¡°Remember to contact me every day.¡± Aware that he could do nothing to change her mind, Vinson


    pulled her closer. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s going on no matter what it is. I can help you whenever you need me.¡±


    It was about time he made use of the people he had brought oven


    As Arielle prepared to leave, she grew anxious at the thought of Aaron still being imprisoned and gave


    Lawrence a call.


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to look for the kids, General Lawrence. I¡¯ll be handling that. What matters right now is


    Aaron. The queen mother¡¯s holding him captive inside the pce. Could you find a way to get her to


    release him?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll figure something out.¡±


    After hanging up, Lawrence walked around his study in circles while deep in thought. Then, someone


    crossed his mind.


    Matthew¡¯s going to be King Aaron¡¯s father-inw. It¡¯s perfectly reasonable to get him to talk to the


    queen mother.


    At the thought of that, he quickly dialed Matthew¡¯s number and exined the situation.


    Thetter was shocked to learn that Nancy had imprisoned Aaron, and he narrowed his eyes.


    What on earth is she up to?


    Is she doing this because she still wants to be the queen?


    Matthew spoke to his wife briefly before heading for the pce.


    Nancy was ted to see him and sent all her servants away.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    ¡°Matthew! What are you doing here? Have you had lunch?¡± she eximed while reaching for his hand,


    only for him to avoid her.


    He couldn¡¯t do anything to hurt his wife again.


    ¡°Did you imprison the king, Your Majesty?¡± the man asked after stepping back and maintaining a one-


    meter distance from her.


    Nancy stared at him with a grim expression.


    I made sure everyone kept this a secret. How did he find out?

 Chapter 1690

    Chapter 1690


    ¡°Nico and His Majesty have been engaged for a while now, so l thought of letting them go on a trip


    together to spend more time with each other, but Nico told me she couldn¡¯t reach him. That¡¯s how I


    came to this assumption,¡± Matthew exined candidly, aware that the woman was wary of him from


    how she looked at him.


    Upon hearing that, Nancy kept her doubts away. Still, this was but a small matter not even worth


    mentioning.


    While gazing at Matthew, she recalled how he had refused to be near her again, and that made her feel


    especially discontented.


    Seeing how well he treated Melissa filled her with jealousy.


    I¡¯m supposed to be the one he loves, not some other woman!


    ¡°We¡®ll talk about their trip another time,¡± the woman stated coldly, refusing to let Aaron out.


    Matthew fell silent as he remembered Lawrence¡¯s words.


    ¡°You¡¯ll lose the public¡¯s support if you keep him locked up like that. He¡¯s our king.¡±


    Nancy¡¯s eyes lit up as she heard his response.


    ¡°Are you worried about me, Matthew?¡± she asked, walking toward him.


    Not waiting for a reply, she leaped into the man¡¯s arms. ¡°I knew it. You still care about me.¡±


    There was no way a man who only had eyes for her all these years would simply fall out of love like


    that.


    It¡¯s all Arielle¡¯s fault. Those photos she released made him jealous, but I¡¯m in the wrong too. He


    wouldn¡¯t have been upset with me if I ¡®d given him just a bit of what he wanted.


    A familiar scent wafted into Matthew¡¯s nostrils. The woman still smelled the same after all these years,


    although he was no longer as easily roused as he used to be.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do this, Your Majesty,¡± he warned while pushing her away gently. ¡°It¡¯d be trouble if anyone were


    to see us.¡±


    She might not care, but the man didn¡¯t want his wife at home to be heartbroken anymore.


    Whatever had happened previously was the first time, and thest. He couldn¡®t cross the line again.


    ¡°I¡¯ve sent every single one of them away. Nobody will see us.¡±


    Nancy assumed that he had pushed her aside just because he didn¡¯t want to get caught, so she threw


    herself into his arms again.


    ¡°Why do you keep pushing me away these days, Matthew?¡± she asked, grabbing onto the hands that


    tried to shove her and cing one of them over her heart. ¡°It hurts over here. It hurts so much because


    of you.¡±


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Tears trickled down her face onto Matthew¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡±


    ¡°Call me Nancy, Matthew. I like it when you call me that,¡± the woman muttered, kissing him on the neck.


    The man immediately tensed up before pushing her and stepping back again.


    ¡°Do you really have to push me away like this, Matthew?¡± Nancy gazed at him with her eyes full of


    tears, looking fragile yet headstrong at the same time, just like how she was in her younger days.


    ¡°It¡¯s best if we stay away from each other, Your Majesty,¡± Matthew asserted despite feeling his heart


    soften.


    I only came here to tell her to release the king, not to do this!


    How could he not feel anything toward her when seeing her like this?


    She was the woman he had loved for decades, after all.


    ¡°Do you enjoy seeing me upset? I love you, Matthew. I¡¯ve fallen for you,¡± Nancy dered, turning away


    from him in despair.


    Matthew was instantly heartbroken to see that, and he walked up to pull her into a soft embrace.


    ¡°Nancy¡­¡±

 Chapter 1691

    Chapter 1691


    Unbeknown to him, a smirk yed on Nancy¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Matthew¡­¡± Turning around, she leaned against his chest, her tears dampening his clothes.


    The man then let go of her and gently wiped the tears tricking down her face as he saw nothing but his


    own reflection in her eyes.


    Tiptoeing, Nancy snaked her hands around his neck and kissed him on the lips.


    Matthew tried to shove her again, but instead of letting go, the woman began to kiss him harder. It


    wasn¡¯t long until he returned the gesture, cing a hand on the back of her head. Then, with their


    clothes scattered all over the floor and just as Matthew had pinned her to the couch to take the final


    step, his phone rang.


    The man returned to his senses as soon as he nced at the screen, and he rejected the call before


    shifting himself away from Nancy.


    ¡°I have to go,¡± he dered before picking his clothes up and putting them on, only for the woman to


    cling to him. ¡°Stay with me longer.¡±


    Matthew wanted to do as she asked, but he knew he had to leave.


    He couldn¡¯t do such things with her anymore, given how his wife at home had continued to love him,


    stay by his side, and bear his children without a second thought, all the while knowing his heart


    belonged to another woman.


    He couldn¡¯t hurt her this time.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°No¡­¡± Yet, before the man could finish, Nancy stopped in front of him and knelt down, sending him into


    a wave of shock.


    His wife had never done this for him, and yet someone as prideful as the queen mother was doing it.


    While relishing in the moment, Matthew couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for her.


    How badly did she want him that she was willing to go so far as to keep him?


    With that, he stopped the woman and carried her to the couch.


    Elsewhere, Melissa nced at her phone in slight helplessness.


    He doesn¡¯t pick up once he gets busy at work¡­


    ¡°Mother, are we still going to Grandmother¡¯s ce?¡± Nico asked, not forgetting to tease her mother.


    ¡°But if you feel bad about leaving Father alone, I can always go see Grandmother on my own.¡±


    Melissa felt her cheeks burn. Given that she and Matthew were getting along better these days, it was


    true that she missed him. Still, she knew she couldn¡¯t be with him at all times.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just get ready.¡± Melissa¡¯s mother was unwell and lived a fair distance away from them, so they


    would have to pack a few days¡¯ worth of clothes before heading over to look after her.


    As the two were about to leave forty minutester, Melissa dialed her husband¡¯s number again, hoping


    to tell him that they were going over to her mother¡¯s ce. This time, he picked up.


    ¡°Be safe on the road. Buy your mother whatever she needs,¡± Matthew reminded kindly.


    Then, his breathing grew erratic as Nancy¡¯s hands wandered over his body, and he hung up abruptly.


    ***


    Back at the apartment, Arielle and Vinson were at a mall shopping for clothes for Sonia¡¯s soon, to-be


    newborn. The former woman was unsure when she would return from her uing mission, so she


    had decided to buy some gifts earlier.


    ¡°This one¡¯s so pretty! Oh, this one looks so cool!¡± Arielle eximed animatedly while gazing at the


    children¡¯s clothes.


    ¡°Vinson, let¡®s have two kids someday.¡±


    ***


    Not too far off, a dainty voice rang out from the dark. ¡°The target has appeared. Get ready.¡±

 Chapter 1692

    Chapter 1692


    ¡°Two?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Why? You don¡¯t want that?¡±


    Vinson pulled her into his arms. ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to be in pain.¡±


    Having children wasn¡¯t an easy feat, considering how much a woman had to go through during


    pregnancy. He figured that having one child was enough, but if she wanted two, he wouldn¡¯t stop her as


    long as she remained in good health and spirits.


    ¡°Like I¡¯d be afraid of a little pain!¡± the woman insisted while holding up a tiny dress. ¡°Look at how cute


    this dress is! If we ever have a daughter, I¡¯d let her wear this.¡±


    Daddy!


    An image of a mini version of Arielle in that pretty dress calling out to Vinson surfaced in his head, and


    his lips couldn¡¯t help but curl slightly into a smile.


    ¡°Look, Vinson!¡± Arielle spotted another set of clothing for boys and beamed. ¡°This is such a cool


    design! Imagine how many girls would swoon over our son if he wore this.¡±


    The man¡¯s smile widened. They hade to shop for someone else¡¯s gifts, and yet, all this woman


    could think about was their future children. Still, that made him look forward to this dream bing a


    reality.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have kids after we return to Chanaea, Sannie,¡± he murmured into her ear while holding her hand.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to be a father.¡±


    ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s do that once we¡¯re home,¡± the woman replied joyously.


    In fact, she would have already wanted to start having children if Nancy weren¡¯t still around. Truthfully,


    she even felt a little envious seeing Sonia¡¯srge belly.


    After window-shopping for a while longer, Arielle walked to the infants¡¯ clothing section and started


    picking some outfits.


    The clothes were for a newborn, so every item she had chosen was made of pure cotton so as to not


    irritate the baby¡¯s skin. The woman grabbed a dozen sets of clothes before buying a bunch of little


    shoes and hats too.


    ¡°Wait for me here, Vinson. I¡¯ll go get Sonia some postpartum care products,¡± Then, she walked into


    another store filled with an array of goods to buy Sonia some pajamas, a postpartum belt, and arge


    box of other gifts.


    ¡°All set!¡±


    Arielle returned to Vinson after paying, and the two left the mall with their hands full of shopping bags.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of shopping you did!¡± Lorraine remarked as she trotted over to them and took the bags


    from Arielle.


    Then, they headed to the car, put everything inside the trunk, and hopped into the car.


    While ncing at the woman driving in front, Arielle suddenly recalled that she hadn¡¯t told the former


    about her ns.


    ¡°Lorraine, I¡¯ll soon be away for a mission. As for you¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go watch over Ms. Sonia,¡± Lorraine responded meekly before letting Arielle finish. ¡°Consider it my


    way of making up for what I did in the past.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Arielle nodded in approval.


    She was worried that Lorraine would feel uneasy staying at the apartment with just Vinson.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    At least she can take care of Sonia and help look after the baby too.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave Sonia and her baby to you.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. Don¡¯t you worry about a single¡­¡± Suddenly, Lorraine¡®s eyes narrowed as she gripped the


    wheel and made a sharp turn. ¡°Hold on tight!¡±

 Chapter 1693

    Chapter 1693


    Arielle and Vinson exchanged nces before swiftly taking their guns out of their pockets.


    Ever since what had happened thest time, they both carried guns wherever they went to prevent the


    same incident from happening again. Yet, before they could sigh with relief after having just evaded a


    large van speeding in their direction, another vehicle appeared from behind and began to tail them.


    From the way Lorraine floored the gas pedal, it was clear that someone was out to kill them.


    ¡°Lorraine! Make a left, and we¡¯ll jump out!¡± instructed Arielle.


    As Lorraine heeded the order, the three then leaped out of the car andnded on a grass field.


    ¡°There¡¯s an alley up ahead! Let¡®s hide there!¡±


    They made a beeline for the alley in front.


    ¡°Help!¡±


    Yet, a woman emerged from the alley out of the blue, and three furious-looking men could be seen


    chasing after her.


    ¡°Stop running, b*tch!¡± the men called out while running.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Unable to stand the sight of a woman getting picked on, Lorraine reached out and shielded her before


    ring at the three burly men who had alsoe their way.


    ¡°What have we here? Another beauty! It¡¯s our lucky day!¡± one of the menmented with a smirk.


    Lorraine despised guys like them the most. ¡°P*ss off!¡±


    As soon as she responded, she swung her leg in the man¡¯s direction, kicking him effectively.


    ¡°You b*tch! How dare you kick me?¡± he roared before turning to hisrades. ¡°Get them!¡±


    Then, the three of them charged toward Lorraine.


    Arielle knew how skilled of a fighter Lorraine was, but she didn¡¯t expect thetter to be unable to keep


    up. With a narrow of her eyes, she then drew two daggers from her waist and walked out of the


    shadows, joining the fight.


    ¡°Wow! Yet another beauty!¡± With a malicious chuckle, the man headed her way.


    It didn¡¯t take Arielle long to pierce his arm with one of her knives, although that certainly infuriated him.


    His movements became more aggressive as he took out his own dagger and swung it at her, creating a


    slit on her arm.


    Arielle began to counterattack as blood trailed down her arm. This time, she was going to beat him up


    to the point that he could no longer fight back.


    ¡°Look out!¡± the woman hiding behind Lorraine screamed all of a sudden.


    Arielle hastily turned around to see Lorraine being kicked to the ground by another man. Seething, she


    did the same to him before stabbing his thigh with her dagger. Beads of sweat rolled down the man¡¯s


    forehead as he groaned in pain.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± The unknown woman rushed over to Lorraine¡®s side.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± thetter replied frigidly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid. No one can take you away while we¡¯re


    here.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much!¡± the woman eximed and looked ahead.


    Seeing theirrade injured, the two remaining men lunged toward Arielle. Vinson wanted to emerge


    from the dark to help, but Arielle stopped him and began retaliating at her opponents.


    The two men were quickly taken care of.


    ¡°Are you¡­¡± Just as the woman was about to show her concern, she felt a dagger right over her throat.


    ¡°Who sent you?¡±

 Chapter 1694

    Chapter 1694


    ¡°W-What are you talking about?¡± the woman asked in fear.


    Arielle continued to re at her, the knife nearly breaking thetter¡¯s skin. ¡°You know exactly what I¡¯m


    talking about.¡±


    Lorraine stilled briefly upon hearing Arielle¡®s words.


    ¡°Wait, did I just get tricked?¡± she asked, walking toward them and staring at the unnamed woman.


    ¡°You¡¯re working with these guys?¡±


    ¡°N-No, I¡¯m not.¡± Tears rolled down the woman¡¯s ashen cheeks as she gazed at Arielle. ¡°I¡®m not with


    these guys! I don¡¯t even know them.¡±


    Lorraine¡¯s expression softened at that.


    Is this some kind of misunderstanding?


    ¡°Could we have gotten things wrong here, Boss?¡± she asked, turning to Arielle in puzzlement.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°These guys and all the carsing after us before, they¡¯re all with her,¡± thetter expressed frostily.


    After ncing at the woman being held at knifepoint, Lorraine felt anger rising within her.


    ¡°I even tried to save you, but it turns out you¡¯re the one behind the whole disaster?¡±


    While speaking, she wanted to p this woman so badly but could only suppress her urges to not get


    in Arielle¡®s way. Still, if looks could kill, who knows how many times this woman would have died by


    now.


    ¡°I¡¯m not. I swear it¡¯s not me¡­¡± The woman began to weep over the suspicions. ¡°Please let me go. I¡¯m


    really not working with them.¡±


    ¡°There are handcuffs inside the car. Bring them over,¡± Arielle demanded while shooting Lorraine a


    nce.


    Thetter understood that look and quickly left the alley.


    As soon as the sound of Lorraine¡¯s footsteps fadedpletely, the unknown woman¡®s eyes shed as


    she grabbed Arielle by the arm and caught the falling dagger.


    She then peered at Arielle while fiddling with the weapon.


    ¡°When did you find out I¡¯m with these guys?¡± she asked, her initial frightened expression reced with


    confidence and haughtiness.


    ¡°No one came chasing after us the moment we came into this alley, and then you happened to show up


    at that very moment. That¡¯s when I began to wonder if you were part of the ploy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite the observant one, huh?¡± The woman couldn¡®t help but frown.


    It was her first mission, but she had already blown it.


    I have much to learn!


    ¡°So, who sent you?¡±


    Seeing the unnamed individual refuse to answer, Arielle surmised it had to do with the code of practice.


    ¡°My mission is to kill you, so I¡¯ll answer your question only when you¡®re about to die!¡± Holding the


    dagger, the woman began her attack.


    Arielle swung a foot at her in response, only for her opponent to grab her by the leg and fling her aside.


    She then picked up a wooden club after barelynding on her feet. Yet, before she could bnce


    herself, the unknown woman leaped toward her again.


    This time, Lorraine appeared and kicked the opponent to the ground. It then became a two-against-one


    battle.


    The woman was especially skilled at fighting, thus quickly gaining the upper hand against Arielle and


    Lorraine. But just as she thought she was finally about toplete her mission, she was suddenly sent


    flying backward like a ragdoll before crashing to the floor.

 Chapter 1695

    Chapter 1695


    The woman spewed a mouthful of blood. Before Arielle and the others could get hold of her, a man


    emerged from the dark, carried her on his back, and ran away.


    Vinson ran after them and saw the man put her on a motorcycle. They then rode the motorcycle and


    left the alley. There was no way anyone could outrun them.


    Vinson had no choice but to turn around and head back. When Arielle saw him walk in her direction


    and heard the sound of the bike, she knew they had escaped.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Vinson held Arielle¡¯s hand and walked out of the alley while Lorraine followed right behind them. They


    noticed all the other cars were gone when they got to the main road. The woman was indeed one of


    them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital. You need to get your arm bandaged.¡±


    It broke Vinson¡¯s heart when he realized Arielle was injured again. Yet, Arielle did not want to make


    another trip to the hospital.


    She outright rejected him, ¡°What for? Don¡¯t forget I¡¯m a doctor.¡±


    Arielle swung her arm as if the wound did not bother her. ¡°It¡¯s just a minor injury. Don¡¯t waste time going


    to the hospital.¡±


    Vinson was aware that Arielle had made several trips to the hospital, even though she had only been in


    Turlen for a couple of days. He decided not to force her since he understood she was tired of going to


    the hospital.


    When they got home, Vinson immediately retrieved the medical kit. He then cleaned Arielle¡¯s wound,


    applied medicine to the injury, and bandaged it.


    Vinson expressed his dismay because he did not want Arielle to work for the professor. ¡°You¡¯re just


    putting yourself at risk if you work there. What if things go south?¡±


    He was scared that no one could be there to protect her should she encounter any life-threatening


    emergencies.


    ¡°I will carry some drugs with me and use them on anyone trying to take advantage of me. They¡¯ll


    copse in no time. How about that?¡± Arielle tried to convince Vinson that she would use the poisons


    from the Mill family¡¯s medical manuscripts.


    She had to do this because she did not want Vinson to stop her.


    Vinson arched his brows and looked into her eyes. ¡°Are you sure about this?¡±


    Deep in his heart, he did not believe Arielle would concoct such a fatal substance. After all, she was not


    a ruthless person. The poison from the medical manuscripts could take an adult down in seconds.


    ¡°I wouldn¡®t resort to this if they did not mess with me. Since those people want to kill me, why should I


    show them mercy?¡± Arielle narrowed her eyes and said steadily.


    Vinson supported Arielle¡¯s decision. ¡°Tell me what you need. I¡¯ll buy the ingredients for you. Let¡¯s do it


    now.¡±


    Vinson would do things in two shakes of amb¡¯s tail when Arielle needed his help. He told Arielle to


    list the ingredients out so that he could purchase them.


    ¡°You want to go out to get these ingredients at this hour? Can¡®t you do it tomorrow?¡± Arielle nced at


    her watch and realized it was nine at night.


    Vinson shook his head. ¡°I have to do it now. What if they want you to go tomorrow? It¡¯s safer to prepare


    in advance.¡±


    Looking at the man who insisted on her giving him the ingredients list so he could buy them that night,


    Arielle lowered her head and thought of the drugs and poisons she could use to defend herself. She


    then mentioned all the ingredients she needed for the concoction.


    Vinson carefully jotted down all the names.


    ¡°You just stay at home and wait. Call Lorrie if you need help,¡± Vinson said to Arielle after noting down


    all the ingredients.


    He then grabbed his coat and wallet and left the house.


    It was almost midnight by the time he reached home. With Vinson and Lorraine¡¯s help, Arielle had


    sessfully concocted the poison. However, something Vinson uttered hade true the next day.

 Chapter 1696

    Chapter 1696


    ¡°Vinson, they sent me an email. l have to leave soon.¡±


    Arielle got up the next day and scrolled through the email. She would need to get to the bank by ten in


    the morning, and there would be someone who would lead them to the research center.


    She slept at three in the morning because she was busy making the poison. It was almost seven in the


    morning, so she had less than three hours to prepare.


    Upon hearing that, Vinson instantly woke up from a daze. What he utteredst night hade true.


    D*mn it, me and my big mouth!


    ¡°Sannie¡­¡± Vinson hugged her tightly as he was reluctant to let her go.


    He had no idea what kind of danger she would encounter and when she would be able to return.


    Arielle did not want to part with Vinson either but had no choice. She turned over, sat on top of the


    man, and gazed into his eyes. She then lowered her head and kissed his lips while running her hands


    all over his body.


    Her sensuous move had utterly aroused Vinson. He flipped the woman over and pinned her to the bed.


    Arielle moaned and trembled in pleasure as the man exerted pressure on her body. ¡°I love you, Vinson.


    I love you very much¡­¡±


    Her deration of love got Vinson even more pumped up. He tried his best to give Arielle his all during


    the intimate exchange.


    ***


    One and a half hourster, Vinson sent Arielle off.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Before leaving, Arielle looked at Lorraine and said, ¡°Lorraine, I need you to send Sonia the things we


    boughtst night. She can give them to the baby once she has dried them under the sun.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± Lorraine answered.


    ¡°Tell her I¡¯ll be away for some time. I might not return in time for her delivery.¡±


    Lorraine hummed in acknowledgment.


    After giving all the instructions, Arielle left the house with Vinson. When they were about to reach the


    meeting point, Arielle told Vinson to drop her off.


    ¡°l¡¯ve to leave now, Vinson. Take good care of yourself.¡±


    When Arielle was about to get out of the car, Vinson grabbed her arm, cupped the back of her head


    with his palm, and nted a deep kiss on her lips.


    The long, passionate kisssted for a while as they did not know how long they would be separated


    and had no idea when they would reunite again. Vinson eventually released Arielle.


    He stared at her swollen lips and stroked her cheeks. ¡°Take good care of yourself!¡±


    Arielle bobbed her head gently. After stepping out of the car and taking a few steps forward, she turned


    around and walked up to Vinson again. She locked her arms around his neck and gave him another


    peck on the lips before leaving.


    Vinson could only respond with a wry smile as he watched her walk away. Even though Arielle had


    disappeared from his sight, he stood still and chose not to leave.


    Meanwhile, Arielle stopped walking when she arrived at the bank.


    ¡°Are you Ms. Moore? Arielle Moore?¡±


    Arielle turned around and responded with a nod when she saw the man. ¡°Yup. I¡¯m Arielle.¡±


    ¡°My name is Morse, and I¡¯ll take you to the ce!¡±


    After a brief introduction, Morse took Arielle to his car.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need you to cover your eyes with this mask during the journey, Ms. Moore,¡± the man said.


    Arielle, who initially thought of memorizing the route, instantly put her guard up as she did not expect


    them to be so well-prepared. Nevertheless, she tried to stay calm and put on the mask.


    After a ten-hour drive, the car finally stopped. Morse opened the door and helped her get out of the


    vehicle. He then held her hand and walked for about ten minutes before removing the mask over her


    eyes.


    ¡°Please hand over your phone, Ms. Moore.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He wants me to hand over my phone?

 Chapter 1697

    Chapter 1697


    ¡°Why must I hand over my phone? I¡¯m here to work, how do you expect my family to contact me if I


    give my phone to you?¡± Arielle still decided to question her doubt even though she knew the reason.


    After all, no employers would take the workers¡¯ phones away from them during work. That was why she


    saw the need to ask. Otherwise, it would easily arouse the other party¡¯s suspicions.


    ¡°This is a standard procedure. We¡¯ll return it to you after checking it.¡±


    ¡°You still have to check our phones?¡± Arielle arched an eyebrow.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a routine inspection.¡±


    Morse had a good impression of her and thus answered all of the questions she asked.


    After purposely throwing him several questions, Arielle handed her phone over to him before he took


    her to a room they had tidied the past few days.


    ¡°This is the dorm. Work will start at eight in the morning and end at eight at night starting tomorrow.¡±


    After articting the details, Morse left to deliver the phone to Torsten.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t there two of them? Why is there only one phone?¡±


    Norma picked up Arielle¡¯s phone and passed it to a young man beside her to check. Fiddling with the


    phone for a short while, thetter shook his head and handed it back to Norma.


    ¡°Having an additional person means additional risk,¡± muttered Torsten as he bent over and fixed his


    gaze on the data before him. ¡°Recruiting onedy will do. She can help take care of the children too.¡±


    Finishing that, he stood up and looked at Norma with his brows furrowed. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say I wanted five


    more experimental subjects? Have you contacted that side? Why haven¡¯t they sent the subjects over?¡±


    ¡°I heard they¡¯ll be delivered within the next two days.¡±


    Norma felt her head throbbing when she heard the n to keep Arielle only.


    Doesn¡¯t that mean there are only the two of us to take care of the children when they arrive hereter?


    ¡°Call them to remind them again,¡± Torsten sounded displeased.


    He had a lot of ideas in his mind, and he was eagerly waiting to implement them.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it right away once I return to my room!¡± Norma looked at him. ¡°It¡¯ste. Have an early rest!¡±


    With that, she turned and left.


    At her age, she could no longer afford to go without sleep. Even though she had a good skincare


    routine, staying upte into the night too often would still elerate the aging process.


    The following day, Arielle was about to head out after washing up. But just as she opened the door, she


    spotted Norma standing outside with her hand raised, seemingly about to knock on her door.


    A hint of jealousy shed across Norma¡¯s eyes when she saw Arielle.


    How young she is. Just look at herplexion, it¡¯s so fair and smooth. It¡¯ll be perfect if that face


    belongs to me.


    She fixed her burning and sweltering gaze at Arielle so intently it freaked thetter out a little. ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m one of the professors here,¡± Norma smilingly handed over a bag. ¡°This is your breakfast.¡±


    Arielle hurriedly grabbed the bag over. ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Norma shook her head and reached out to touch Arielle¡¯s face. ¡°You have a goodplexion.¡±


    Uh¡­


    Arielle ran her fingers across her artificial face.


    A sudden thought surfaced in her mind, and she averted her gaze to Norma with a smile. ¡°My grandma


    practices traditional Chanaean medicine. She loves researching skincare products. The beauty


    products we use are all handmade by her. She¡¯s already in her mid-sixties, yet she looks as though


    she¡®s only forty. If you¡¯re interested, I can send you the products she made.¡±


    Norma, who had intended to slice Arielle¡®s face off and put it on hers, had a change of mind in that


    instant. After all, she reckoned it was more natural looking if it was her own face.


    Nheless, she shook her head at the thought of the matter they had at hand.


    This isn¡¯t the most important matter right now!


    Just as Arielle wanted to continue persuading, she heard a series of rapid footsteps approaching her


    direction.


    ¡°Bad news, Professor Norma¡­¡±

 Chapter 1698

    Chapter 1698


    ¡°What happened?¡± Norma¡¯s brows knitted together as she gazed at the anxious-looking Morse.


    The man, unbothered about Arielle¡¯s presence, went straight to the point. ¡°Something doesn¡¯t look right


    about that child. He¡®s vomiting all of a sudden¡­¡±


    Before Morse could finish his sentence, Norma hurried off.


    Child? Could it be that child?


    A line deepened between Arielle¡¯s brows, and she quickly followed behind them.


    ¡°Norma, how did the child get sick again while under your care?¡± Torsten probed in dissatisfaction upon


    catching sight of her.


    Faced with his interrogation, Norma flew into a rage at once.


    I¡¯m here to conduct experiments, not to take care of the children. Never mind that he put those children


    under my care, but I¡¯m also a woman who hasn¡¯t gotten married and never gave birth to kids before!


    How can he possibly find fault with me now that something has gone wrong?


    ¡°Like you, I¡¯m also here for research and experiments. It isn¡¯t my responsibility to take care of the


    children. Can you not push the me on me whenever something happens?¡± Norma¡¯s expression


    darkened drastically. ¡°I¡¯m not the cause of his sickness.¡±


    Watching the two bicker, Arielle felt a pang of fury surge within her.


    Isn¡¯t the child the most important thing right now?


    Why are they quarreling here instead of saving that child?


    Regardless, Arielle dared not speak up. After all, she had just managed to get in there and had yetid


    her hands on any evidence. It was little wonder why she would be worried about exposing herself.


    ¡°How¡¯s the child doing now?¡± Arielle asked softly. ¡°Have you guys found out the problem?¡±


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Her words instantly cut the two off their argument.


    ¡°You¡¯re the doctor who came yesterday?¡± Torsten turned to look at Arielle.


    She politely nodded. ¡°Yes, I am¡­¡±


    He paused his gaze on Arielle for a moment before turning to Norma and uttered, ¡°Let¡¯s go check on


    the child.¡±


    As he finished his sentence, he proceeded forward into the room ahead.


    In truth, Norma was also worried about that child, not only because she liked him, but more importantly,


    his vital signs were a right fit for their experiment, and they could not afford any mistakes.


    Without hesitation, Arielle followed behind. As she got closer to the door, she heard the hysterical cries


    of a child fill the air.


    Anxiousness overwhelmed her, but she tried her best to suppress her emotions.


    Entering the room, Torsten felt a little rattled as the sight of the obedient and adorable child bing


    sickly came within his vision. He was in disbelief that the experimental subject he had high regard for


    was sick again.


    Initially, he wanted to give the child an examination personally. But after some deliberation, he directed


    his attention to Arielle.


    Thisdy got in during the recruitment Norma held. I should have a look at how capable she is.


    This isn¡¯t a ce where anybody can stay as they wish.


    ¡°Dr. Moore, examine that child and see what¡¯s wrong with him,¡± Torsten cidly instructed.


    Arielle figured that he was trying to test out her medical skills.


    Of course, she was more than d to be able to give that child an examination. After nodding her head


    to acknowledge, she strode straight to the crib and lowered her head to observe the child¡¯s symptoms.


    The sight of the child¡¯s pale face and his asional vomiting made her feel a dull pain in her chest.


    ¡°Did you feed him milk this morning?¡± Arielle queried while observing the child.


    Norma was usually the one taking care of the children, including him. However, he had not had a good


    appetite since his fever two days ago. As such, he had only drank a few sips of milk that morning.


    After learning the details, Arielle extended her hand to touch that child¡¯s abdomen. But the moment she


    did that, he began to bawl his eyes out. Despite feeling torn to see him that way, Arielle insisted on


    touching his belly with her hand.


    In the next second, her expression grew grim and an ugly scowl formed on her face.

 Chapter 1699

    Chapter 1699


    While Arielle was busy examining the child, Sonia, on the other hand, was gaping in astonishment over


    the pile of baby products Lorraine had sent over.


    ¡°Ms. Moore bought these and asked me to deliver them to you before she left,¡± Lorraine wore a faint


    smile on her cold expression after seeing Sonia with her big belly.


    ¡°She says she has some matters to tend to and isn¡¯t sure if she can return before you give birth.


    That¡¯s why she decided to buy and gift them to you first. This way, you can get them prepped so that


    it¡¯ll be handy when the baby is born.¡±


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°What is Ari busy with?¡± Upon learning that Arielle might not be able to turn up for her delivery, Sonia


    began to worry about the former¡¯s safety.


    ¡°Is she going to get herself in a risky position? When did she leave? Why didn¡¯t she tell me


    beforehand?¡±


    Lorraine gave a few words of constion and exined that she would stay at Sonia¡¯s ce for the


    time being to take care of her.


    Sonia initially wanted to reject the kind offer but eventually changed her mind on second thought.


    Hold on¡­ Since Ari isn¡¯t around, there¡¯ll only be Vinson and this woman alone at their amodation.


    No way! I must help Ari watch Vinson.


    I can¡¯t deny Vinson has a handsome face. What if this woman tries to seduce Vinson while Ari is away?


    ¡°I¡¯ll thank you for your trouble, then!¡± Sonia dly acknowledged.


    ***


    Meanwhile, a series of ambiguous panting and gasping noises sounded from Nancy¡¯s bedroom in the


    pce.


    It was after some time that those noises faded away.


    Matthew, looking reinvigorated, held Nancy tightly in his embrace and kissed her forehead endearingly.


    As Nancy was well-versed with many bed positions and tricks, she could always satisfy his needs and


    demands.


    It was an experience that he could not get from Melissa. That left him falling head over heels for Nancy.


    Despite the fact that Nancy was not young anymore, she was that dream woman in his heart. To him,


    she was still as mesmerizing and enchanting as she was in the past.


    ¡°Matthew, I¡¯m so happy to be with you!¡± Nancy snuggled in Matthew¡¯s arms and kept a smile on her


    face.


    Those were words that came from the bottom of her heart.


    I can¡¯t believe Matthew has such good stamina. He¡¯s so much better than that person.


    I expect nothing less from a soldier, his physique is so different. He really leaves me so satisfied every


    single time.


    Instead of responding to her exmations, Matthew lightly caressed her tresses, which had several


    gray strandsyered within.


    ¡°Nancy, has His Majesty been released? How about letting him go and look for Nico so that he can


    bond with her better? We¡¯ve missed our chance, but I hope they won¡¯t miss theirs.¡±


    Nancy¡¯s brows scrunched up when she heard Matthew asking about Aaron¡¯s situation.


    She was even beginning to suspect his motive of staying by her side.


    Nevertheless, she felt her heart soften after hearing thest sentence.


    If I didn¡¯t marry Dn¡¯s father¡­ No¡­ Even if I had a second chance, I would still choose to marry him.


    The reason was simple, she loved power. Only by marrying that man would she be able to gain power


    and authority.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get Monisha to get him outter!¡±


    Matthew felt a weight lifted off his shoulders when he heard that.


    Even though Nancy held a special spot, the country and kingdom still upied a more important ce


    in his heart.


    He knew he ought to do something since her desire for power was growing.


    ***


    While Matthew was racking his brain trying to help Aaron gain some authority back, Arielle¡¯s expression


    turned solemn and stem on the other side.


    All of the symptoms this child is disying show that it¡®s intussusception.


    He must be sent to the hospital as soon as possible for an ultrasound scan and timely treatment.


    Arielle hesitated no further in divulging her findings to Torsten.


    Upon learning the situation from her, he ran another check to affirm that her diagnosis was urate.


    Only then did he furrow his brows.

 Chapter 1700

    Chapter 1700


    We don¡¯t have any equipment for treating children. That means we¡¯ll have to send this child to the


    hospital in order to treat him.


    But if the hospital¡­


    At the thought of how that child¡¯s photos had probably spread across the inte, Torsten¡¯s brows


    knitted together tightly.


    It¡¯s easy for anyone to recognize the child if we send him to the hospital.


    While his mind was in turmoil, he abruptly directed his deadly gaze toward Arielle.


    Photos of this child are all over the inte. But why does Dr. Moore not seem to have any reaction


    when she sees him?


    Does she really have no idea, or does she actually knows everything deep inside?


    ¡°Do you know this child, Dr. Moore?¡± Torsten locked his blue eyes on Arielle intently.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the child who went missing?¡± Arielle looked at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Is she questioning me instead? Isn¡¯t she curious why a missing child would appear here?


    Puzzlement filled Torsten as he stared at Arielle.


    Who in the right mind wouldn¡¯t find it puzzling after seeing the missing child here?


    Why is she not showing any emotions at all?


    ¡°Dr. Moore, aren¡®t you curious why this child would be here?¡± Norma, who was at one corner, could not


    hold back her curiosity and threw a question even before Torsten managed to.


    What¡¯s wrong with this youngdy? Why is she reacting so calmly after seeing a missing child here?


    ¡°Why should I be curious about why he¡¯s here? Isn¡¯t he merely an experimental subject?¡± Upon noticing


    the two gaping at her, Arielle shot them a look of puzzlement. ¡°Is he not?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right!¡±


    The two turned to look at each other after answering in unison.


    So, it turns out thisdy we ¡¯ve recruited is so experienced in this aspect, huh?


    ¡°Dr. Moore, we don¡¯t have any equipment from the pediatrics. Now that this experimental subject is


    sick, how are we going to send him to the hospital if everyone there will recognize him?¡±


    It was Torsten¡¯s true intention to find a solution, but at the same time, he was also trying to sound


    Arielle out.


    Well aware of what was in their minds, Arielle remained very calm in that situation. She did not mind


    showing her skills and letting them know how capable she was so that they could ce their trust in


    her.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it easy?¡± With that said, she turned and left the ce.


    When she returned, she had a small bag in her hand. She pulled out the tools from inside, and about


    ten minutester, the child in the crib had a change of face.


    Since Norma and Torsten were knowledgeable and well-informed persons, their faith and confidence in


    Arielle¡¯s capabilities increased significantly after watching her perform the task.


    ¡°You can send him to the hospital now!¡± Arielle then packed the tools back into the bag.


    At that moment, that child was still crying terribly in the crib. When Arielle put her hand over his


    forehead, she realized he was running a fever.


    ¡°Bring him to the hospital now. No one will be able to recognize him,¡± Arielle said to the two as she was


    worried the fever would trigger other problems if he stayed there any longen


    Since there were only two females, Arielle and Norma, in the entire facility, and they could not trust the


    neer to send the child to the hospital, Norma ultimately had to apany the child to seek


    treatment, with Morse in charge of driving the car and sending them to the pediatrics.


    When everyone left, Torsten looked at Arielle and said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me this isn¡¯t your real face either?¡±


    Suspicions were beginning to grow within him, unfortunately, he had no evidence to support his ims.


    ¡°It¡¯s my real face. I don¡®t give a d*mn about using an artificial face,¡± Arielle stated while staring into his


    eyes.


    ¡°Let me ask you a question, Ms. Moore. You have to answer me truthfully,¡± asked Torsten with his eyes


    on her.


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Why did youe here? Your medical skills are amazing. You could¡¯ve earned a good sry at any


    one ofthe hospitals, whye here?¡± Torsten spoke in an icy tone as he nced at Arielle grimly.


    In truth, it was difficult for him to trust a stranger that easily.

 Chapter 1701

    Chapter 1701


    Arielle knew they would not easily believe her, especially since she had deliberately revealed many


    talents. However, it was their suspicion she required as that was the only way she could convince them


    and be one of them.


    ¡°The sry is attractive, but I don¡¯t like the work,¡± Arielle said in a level voice as she gazed at the


    professor. ¡°I prefer something more challenging. That is why I submitted my resum¨¦ without a second


    thought when I saw that you were hiring. I am especially interested in your research and would like to


    join you in taking up this challenge.¡±


    ¡°You enjoy research?¡± Torsten asked, gaping at Arielle.


    If she really is an innocent researcher enamored with our work, I might even be able to recruit an


    apprentice.


    ¡°Yes, I especially enjoy research,¡± Arielle said with a smile. ¡°I have always wanted to know if dogs could


    survive if their heads were swapped, so I bought two dogs to conduct this experiment at home. To my


    surprise, both dogs died.¡±


    As she spoke, Arielle recalled herpetition with Abraham, in which she had forfeited the match as


    she could not bear to raise a hand in cruelty.


    ¡°Do you know what our research is about?¡± Torsten asked.


    Arielle shook her head. It was not because she was unclear. But, even if she knew, she could not say it


    aloud.


    ¡°You will know soon¡­¡±


    Torsten picked up the phone on the table and handed it to her. ¡°By the way, you are not allowed to


    bring your phone when youe to work. There is nothing more to be discussed with you for now. You


    may retire to your dorm.¡±


    Arielle knew it would not be easy to gain admission into their inner circle. She took the phone and


    returned to her room. The first thing she did upon returning was sending Vinson a text telling him she


    was safe.


    ***


    Vinson had not slept the entire night as he missed Arielle. He unlocked his phone at once at the sound


    of the alert tone and read the message.


    Arielle told him everything via text that had urred to her without a single omission ever since arriving


    there. As she had gone into great detail, he was not as worried about her as he should have been.


    Vinson wrote, ¡°What about the kid? When shall we rescue him?¡±


    He wanted to wait until the rest of the children were brought together to rescue all of them at once and


    catch the people conducting experiments on the children in one fell swoop.


    He shared his idea with Arielle, whose lips curled into a smile when she finished reading his text.He is


    indeed my man to be thinking along the same lines as I am.


    She, too, had had the same idea.


    I¡¯m going to think of a way to make the already healthy child appear the opposite. It is only through this


    way that I could buy some time.


    Arielle texted back, ¡°Tell Lawrence to speak to Aaron and put the people on their guard regarding their


    children. Have the police and the military take precautions. ording to her n, they would stop


    Nancy and the others from abducting the children if they could. If they could not, the children would be


    sent where she was, and she would think of another way to buy them time to await rescue.¡±


    At the mention of Aaron, Arielle¡¯s head ached with frustration when she recalled that Nancy had not


    released him from his imprisonment.


    She hurriedly sent another text, ¡°Ask Lawrence when Nancy will release Aaron. We¡¯ll gather the


    ministers to pressure her if he isn¡¯t released in two days.¡±


    ***


    At that moment, Aaron, who Monisha had released, returned to the chambers upied by Dn when


    he was alive, which had been renovated to Aaron¡¯s taste.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Upon entry, a subordinate came forth to make a report. The king¡¯s expression grew grim as he listened.


    ¡°D*mn it!¡± he cursed as the veins on his arm bulged.

 Chapter 1702

    Chapter 1702


    When did this happen?¡± Aaron asked sternly as he shut his eyes forcefully before opening them.


    ¡°Two to three days ago, Your Majesty.¡±


    Aaron lowered his voice. ¡°Keep this to yourself. Do not tell a soul.¡±


    The servant knew the severity of the matter very well and did not dare reveal it even under the threat of


    death.


    After dismissing his servant, Aaron stood before the window with his hands clenched around the


    windowsill. He was, at that moment, broiling with rage.


    How dare she do something like this before she even got the chance to conceal the photographs that


    had been previously exposed!


    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, I can¡¯t believe she would make a move on my future father-inw.


    How despicable! She is not fit to be my grandmother and not worthy of the right to rule Turlen. I vow to


    drag Nancy down by whatever means necessary.


    At that thought, the king ced an outgoing phone call.


    ¡°Bernd, it¡¯s me.¡± Aaron then told Bernd his n.


    Bernd paused for a moment after the other finished speaking. ¡°Will that work? Will it bring you any


    danger?¡±


    He thought Aaron¡¯s decision was too risky.


    What would happen if he faced danger upon being found out?N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    ¡°It¡¯s the only way, Bernd!¡± Aaron was aware that his way would harm himself almost as much as the


    enemy, but he had no other choice.


    He did not know how else he would be able to snatch power back from Nancy.


    ¡°Let¡¯s think of another way, Aaron. We¡¯ll mobilize your ns as ast resort¡­¡±


    Bernd was not supportive of Aaron bearing such a considerable risk, and he thought they should think


    of another n before using Aaron¡¯s if there was no other way.


    Bernd advised Aaron for a long time before thetter agreed to Bernd¡¯s suggestion, though Aaron


    privately felt they would resort to the method he supplied one way or another.


    ***


    Arielle, on the other hand, was still unaware that Aaron had wanted to use his method against Nancy


    because she was, at that moment, staring with shock at the children before her.


    ¡°Morse, Professor Hoffmeister, are these the newest experimental subjects?¡± Arielle did not expect


    them to sessfully procure another three children within two days.


    How heinous of them to neglect the lives of children for their experiments.


    Despite the anger in her heart, it did not even express itself on her face. Instead, she regarded the


    children before her with a delighted expression.


    Torsten had specially asked Morse to bring Arielle over as he wanted to see her reaction when she saw


    the children with his own eyes.


    She did not disappoint me!


    He was instantly relieved upon seeing herjoy. It was somebody like her he required to be his


    apprentice.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. These are the new experimental subjects. Do you like them?¡± He smiled at Arielle.


    Arielle hated him and wanted nothing more than to cause his demise, but her face portrayed nothing


    but tion.


    ¡°Of course I do! I am thrilled by the thought of being able to use them for all sorts of experiments.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s gaze on the children as she expressed immense interest caused Torsten to nod with


    satisfaction.


    Regardless, if she were to show the merest disy of sympathy or tenderness toward the children, she


    would not be able to participate in his experiment; worse yet, she would not be able to leave. After all,


    only dead men tell no secrets.

 Chapter 1703

    Chapter 1703


    These children have been examined, Dr. Moore, and some are malnourished. You will care for them for


    a couple of days. We¡¯ll begin the experiment when all indicators meet the requirements,¡± Torsten


    dered to Arielle.


    Arielle had been worried that Torsten would immediately begin the experiment upon the arrival of the


    children and heaved a sigh of relief upon being told to wait until the subjects¡¯ indicators met the


    requirements.


    This would also buy them time. However, this also indicates how important they are to the experiment.


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Arielle replied as she gazed at the children before her with interest before turning to


    look at Torsten. ¡°Did you buy them supplements to restore their health?¡±


    Her words jolted Torsten, who suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to have Morse buy the


    supplements as he was busy delegating the care for those children to Arielle earlier.


    ¡°Morse will buy someter. Take them to your dorm first¡­¡±


    ounting for the time, the children would be awake by now. They must get well acquainted with Dr.


    Moore.


    Arielle had no way of bringing all three children to her dorm at once on her own, so she enlisted


    Morse¡¯s help to bring the children to her dorm.


    Arielle studied the three sleeping children after Morse left.


    They looked slightly older than Be¡¯s child but were malnourished.


    Could they be children from poor families?


    Arielle snapped a picture of the three children and sent it to Vinson while informing him that they were


    the three children sent over this time so he could keep an eye out for anybody who lost their children,


    then investigate further. She deleted the text immediately after sending it.


    No matter who they are, they would have no way of recovering the message.


    Half an hourter, the three children awoke one at a time. They began wailing when they saw Arielle,


    who instantly felt like crying herself.


    Are they hungry or are they thirsty?


    Arielle was flustered. She had nothing edible in her dorm. Thankfully, Morse arrived at that moment


    with some supplements, milk powder, and diapers.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    ¡°Help me watch them. I¡¯ll make them some milk,¡± Arielle delegated the task to Morse before bringing


    the milk bottles to the kitchen.


    After sterilizing the three bottles, she boiled some water and, when it reached a suitable temperature,


    mixed in the milk powder and handed it to the three children.


    Visibly starving, the three children cradled the bottles and gulped down their contents. In a matter of


    minutes, they finished three hundred milliliters of powdered milk.


    Morse gazed in slight bewilderment at the fluidity of her sequence of actions.


    ¡°How are you so good at caring for kids?¡±


    ¡°I have a younger brother. I cared for him when my parents were at work,¡± Arielle smiled as she spoke.


    Being busy with their careers, the Wilhelms had no time to raise Pat. It was then she began to care for


    him often. Arielle bathed and dressed him, prepared his milk, and took him to y. She would have


    been at a loss with the three children if she had not had the experience of caring for him.


    Arielle¡¯s smiled, making Morse¡®s heart skip a beat involuntarily. He hurriedly turned away when she


    looked at him.


    Despite finishing their meal, the three children were unappeased.


    ¡°Mama! Mama!¡±


    Arielle¡¯s heart ached with sorrow at their despair as they cried for their mother, yet she could not show


    Morse.


    Who could work here and be soft of heart?


    ¡°Give them some sleeping pills, Dr. Moore. That would stop their crying,¡± Morse frowned at the crying


    children.

 Chapter 1704

    Chapter 1704


    The children are so young, and you want to feed them sleeping pills just because they are crying?


    As Arielle was forced to hide her anger, she could not dissipate it.


    Instead, she gazed at Morse. ¡°Is there any ce around here we could take them to y? They


    wouldn¡¯t cry after tiring themselves out. On the other hand, sleeping pills will harm their health and


    make proceeding with the experiment impossible.¡±


    Morse scratched his head before giving it a shake.


    There aren¡¯t any ces for y around here.


    ¡°None?¡± Arielle was slightly disappointed.


    This dorm is not big enough. Three children wouldn¡¯t be able to stretch out properly.


    Morse noticed Arielle¡¯s disappointment. His eyes shed with sudden inspiration as he recalled


    somewhere possible.


    ¡°There¡¯s a ce which might be suitable. Hang on. Let me ask Professor Hoffmeister.¡±


    He left without giving Arielle a chance to respond.


    Several minutester, he returned with a smile and dered that the professor had granted her leave


    to go there before leading Arielle and the three children to the ce.


    To her surprise, Arielle was brought to a smallboratory. Though it was smaller than the other rooms,


    it was at least a littlerger than her dorms. However, the equipment within had been stowed away,


    making it appear like an abandonedboratory.


    She knew better than to ask.


    With a suitable location for the children to y in atst, Arielle spared no expense in amusing them.


    They were all around two years of age, and though their energy seemed limitless, they, too, would fall


    prey to fatigue. The children began to show tiredness at noon, so Arielle and Morse brought them back


    to the dorm.


    She bathed them, and after another meal of powdered milk, they began yawning and whining for bed.


    The two boys were obedient. As soon as they were tucked in, they fell asleep with a yawn.


    Despite being very sleepy, the girl, on the other hand, rubbed her eyes and spread her arms, asking to


    fall asleep in Arielle¡¯s embrace.


    Her demeanor triggered Arielle¡®s maternal instincts.


    There were no surveince cameras in the dorm, and Morse had left long ago after she had bathed the


    children.


    In addition, Arielle was not worried that her gesture would make them suspicious. She held the little girl


    against her bosom and pinched her cheek as she hummed a nursery rhyme to coax her to sleep.


    Feeling secure in Arielle¡¯s embrace, the little girl soon closed her eyes and fell asleep.


    Afraid that the child would wake up upon being set down, Arielle held her for another ten minutes


    before tucking her in. Her eyes narrowed as she gazed at the three sleeping children.


    I must protect them and not allow Professor Hoffmeister and the others to take advantage of them.


    Morse brought lunch not long after.


    Arielle ate and rested a little before taking a shower. She had been drenched in sweat after ying with


    the children and felt sticky and ufortable.


    Arielle heard a faint knock when she emerged from the bathroom. While toweling her wet hair, she


    walked over to open the door.


    Morse was standing on the other side with a bag of fruit. The tips of his ears grew red instantly when he


    saw Arielle drying her hair with one hand.


    ¡°H-Here are some fruits for you¡­¡± Morse ced the fruits on the floor and turned to leave as if eager to


    escape.


    Arielle narrowed her eyes. She sensed a difference in how Morse treated her.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Is this another way of testing me?


    Her gaze darkened as she picked up the bag of fruits and shut the door. Despite initially nning to


    take a nap, she no longer felt drowsy. Instead, she began thinking of countermeasures.


    Two dayster, Norma returned with Be¡®s child and informed Torsten that the child was in good


    health. Arielle¡¯s heart thumped with fear as she heard the news.


    Does that mean the experiment willmence? How will I stop it?

 Chapter 1705

    Chapter 1705


    Despite having used Morse to scout out the surroundings, Arielle still could not guarantee her sess


    in taking away four children in one go.


    What should I do?


    She did not even know her actual location, as her imprisonment in the basement did not afford her the


    opportunity to get outside.


    She did try to use Morse to bring her outside, but Morse would ask her what she needed and went out


    by himself whenever she brought up the matter of going out to shop for the children.


    Worried about drawing his notice if she asked too often, Arielle did not dare bring up the matter of


    going out again. Her helplessness over her predicament plunged her into a stalemate.


    What should I do? Should I resort to that?


    However, she did not dare guarantee that that n would work.


    What if something went wrong?


    Before she could think of something more fool proof, Norma¡¯s arrival with Be¡¯s sister¡¯s son in her


    arms intensified Arielle¡®s anxiety when she saw how demure the boy looked. However, her face


    disyed only joy.


    ¡°This child is a fine specimen. Are we ready to begin the experiment? Can I join in by then?¡± she asked


    Norma excitedly, who heaved a sigh of relief at the happiness and interest on Arielle¡¯s expression and


    decided that it looked genuine.


    As Dr. Moore is here under my rmendation, I would be the one to me if she harbored any


    ulterior motives. It relieves me that she seems pretty interested in the research. I can use her without


    worry.


    ¡°All in good time,¡± Norma replied with a smile.


    ¡°Why? I¡¯m not here to babysit children, Professor Norma. I¡¯m here for research.¡±


    Various doubts arose in Arielle at Norma¡¯s cryptic response.


    Did she mean there is no rush for my participation or that the use of children in research is temporarily


    halted?


    She could not decipher the meaning behind Norma¡¯s words, so she decided to feign anger.


    Arielle¡¯s look of impatience made Norma very happy as she enjoyed meeting people capable of drastic


    means for science.


    ¡°Professor Hoffmeister said this child has been ill for days. Though his immune system is strong and


    his condition has taken a turn for the better, he¡¯s been on the drip and has residual drugs in his


    system¡­¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be toote to begin the research when he¡¯spletely healed, as the drugs in his body


    would have beenpletely absorbed by then. Since this child is the best specimen out of all this


    batch of children, we have to maximize his potential.¡±


    Arielle was relieved at those words. As she gazed at the adorable and obedient child, another idea


    urred surreptitiously to her.


    ¡°I thought I would have been able tojoin in on the research as soon as possible. How disappointing!¡±


    Arielle huffed with dissatisfaction.


    ¡°I¡¯m sick of caring for kids over the past few days. One child isn¡¯t a problem, but I can¡¯t handle three.


    I¡¯m tired all the time. Look at what my skin has be.¡±


    Norma was overjoyed by the grievance in her voice, though she did not show it.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s only a couple of days of work, which will pass very soon. We have waited many years for a test


    subject,¡± She patted Arielle¡¯s armfortingly.


    Arielle nodded helplessly and stretched out a hand to poke the child in her arms.


    ¡°Though he¡¯s the smallest, he¡¯s the most well behaved,¡± she said through pursed lips.


    Norma gazed at the child in her arms and nodded in agreement.


    The two women exchanged a few more words, with Norma showing no signs of wanting to leave.


    Arielle sensed that Norma had an ulterior motive, but she could not figure out what it was.


    Just as she was considering different possibilities, Norma spoke.

 Chapter 1706

    Chapter 1706


    ¡°Dr. Moore, a-about the skincare products you mentionedst time¡­¡± Norma stuttered.


    She was feeling both difficult and awkward. After all, she declined the offerst time, only to return a


    few dayster, asking for them.


    In fact, she was not quick to change her mind. She only changed her mind because of the tiring


    babysitting. In just a few days, she had already aged so much, and she did not want that to happen


    because she was still in her fifties.


    Meanwhile, Arielle was still trying to figure out what Norma wanted. She did not expect Norma to be so


    direct about what she wanted. It would not be much of a problem if it were just about the skincare


    products, but Arielle frowned and put up a worried expression regardless.


    ¡°Professor, I¡¯d love to give you some, but¡­¡±


    Initially, Norma thought all she had to do was ask, and she would receive the products from Arielle.


    With her half-lidded eyes, Norma locked her vision on Arielle.


    Her vision then shifted toward Arielle¡¯s silky smooth face.


    If she so much even dared to turn me down with a random excuse, I wouldn¡¯t mind using this face that


    did not belong to me.


    As for Arielle, she had no idea what Norma was brewing in her mind. She merely felt a slight cold


    seeping into her bones when Norma looked at her like that. On the outside, however, Arielle remained


    unflinching.


    Arielle frowned a little. ¡°I don¡¯t know the address of this ce. My grandmother can¡¯t courier the


    products to us without an address¡­¡±


    Hearing this, Norma let out a relieved breath.


    She did not see thising. She thought that Arielle was nning to go back against her words by


    turning her down for a random reason.


    ¡°That¡¯s easy. Just have your grandma ready the products and courier them to me. I¡¯ll give you the


    addresster,¡± Norma replied casually, which caught Arielle off guard.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    She had never expected Norma to give her the address easily.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Arielle then leaned closer toward Norma.


    She stared at Norma and pretentiously examined Norma¡¯s face before backing off after a minute.


    She looked at Norma. ¡°Now that I remember your skin condition in my mind clearly, I¡¯ll let my


    grandmother know about it. She will customize the products ordingly. The effect of the products will


    be so mind-boggling that you wouldn¡®t believe it!¡±


    Thest sentence from Arielle was spoken so proudly and confidently that Norma was all hyped up to


    receiving her products.


    ¡°So, how long do I have to wait?¡± Norma asked.


    After all, Arielle once mentioned that after her grandmother applied her skincare products, her looks


    changed a lot. She looked just like she was in her forties when, in fact, she was in her sixties.


    Hence, Norma was looking forward to using the products right now. She even started imagining herself


    looking in her thirties after using the products.


    ¡°I can¡¯t give you an exact timing, but I will tell her to produce the products as quickly as she can,¡± Arielle


    answered before she narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll also ask my grand mother to prepare some body lotion for you. The body lotion will help your body


    return to its smooth and snowy white state from before.¡±


    Norma was overwhelmed by happiness upon Arielle¡¯s words.


    Not a single woman in this world would not like to see themselves in their peak state. She was anxious


    about the aging of her body that even Torsten stopped having any erotic feelings for her now. She had


    never expected such a great surprise from Arielle at all.


    ¡°Dr. Moore, I¡¯ll take you on a shopping spree once the products are here. I reckon it¡¯s boring over here.


    Youngsters prefer to see how the world outside looks, right?¡± Norma hid the happiness she felt while


    she patted Arielle¡¯s arm.


    As for Arielle, she only wanted to obtain the address from Norma by using the products as an excuse.


    She did not expect any other surprises, so it felt like someone delivered a pillow to her just when she


    was sleepy.


    ***


    Meanwhile, just as Arielle saw some progress in her matters, Vinson found himself stagnant at this


    moment.


    There was a monitor in front of him, and he was staring at the content disyed on the website with a


    frown.

 Chapter 1707

    Chapter 1707


    There are no movements at all!


    How could there be not a single word about the lost kid? He¡¯s been lost for several days already!


    Vinson frowned.


    Could he be a child left to live in a rural ce?


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    It can¡¯t be. Even if he were a left-behind child, the adults in the household would inform the parents as


    soon as the child went missing. How is there nothing at all? That¡¯s strange¡­


    Harvey called just as Vinson was trying to obtain more information about the case. Through the call,


    Harvey told Vinson that Aaron¡¯s men had arrested the queen mother¡¯s secretary and thrown him in jail.


    ¡°What? For what reason? What about the queen mother?¡±


    Vinson was shocked, but Aaron¡¯s action had also won his approval. Throwing the queen mother¡¯s


    secretary in jail was the first thing Aaron did after getting out, and that was quite a move.


    If Aaron continued to let Nancy have her ways against him, Aaron would be unfit as the king of Turlen.


    Unlike Vinson¡¯s father-inw, Dn, Aaron was very different. Dn¡¯s imprisonment by the queen


    mother and Maureen¡¯s death dashed all of Dn¡¯s hopes, allowing Nancy to erode his authority slowly.


    It was only until he learned the news from Arielle did Dn start to fight back.


    On the other hand, Aaron was the little prince of Turlen since he was young, which was also why he


    had a certain amount of men he trusted by his side. If Aaron did not do anything, Vinson would need to


    lower his evaluation of Aaron.


    ¡°Aaron arrested him for drug abuse and drug trafficking,¡± Harvey smiled as he spoke.


    Some time ago, they had bribed the secretary¡¯s mistress to have the goods on Nancy, but the secretary


    was very alert and careful.


    He kept his mistress in the dark regarding any essential matters, which led to them thinking that this


    was a dead-end, but Aaron managed to pull it off with some bold actions. He figured it out in just a


    short period and executed his ns.


    With the secretary imprisoned and interrogated by the men left behind by Dn, Aaron was bound to


    gain something.


    Vinson, too, raised a brow after learning about this, for Aaron¡®s moves had earned the approval from


    Vinson.


    ¡°If he keeps this up, Sannie would finally be able to leave in peace.¡±


    Though Arielle did not say anything, Vinson knew that only by throwing Nancy off the throne and


    returning all the power to Aaron would thedy leave this ce peacefully.


    Speaking of which, Harvey recalled the things mentioned by Sonia, which led to him asking about


    Arielle.


    ¡°I heard that Arielle is no longer around here from Sonia. Where did she go?¡±


    As for Vinson, he did not intend to hide anything about Arielle from Harvey. After all, Vinson and Harvey


    were tightly connected and closely associated.


    Apart from not being biological, they were like real brothers. Hence, Vinson was not worried when he


    told Harvey what Arielle was up to.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop her? That ce is dangerous!¡± Harvey did not expect any of these.


    Not only did he not anticipate that she would leave alone, but he also did not think Vinson would let her


    have her way by letting her go alone. At this point, he had no idea what toment.


    ¡°If she wants to do something, she will have my support. Besides, I believe in her.¡±


    There was no way he would have let her go alone if not for the circumstances at hand. Vinson only


    agreed to this decision because they had to rescue the child and get a hold of the evidence of Nancy¡¯s


    criminal acts. Because of that, Vinson quickly gave in because he knew what she had in mind very


    well.


    ***


    At the same time, in the pce, the queen mother also learned that Aaron had arrested her secretary.


    Upon learning the news, she immediately ordered Monisha to call Aaron to tell him she wanted him to


    come over. Aaron, however, turned her down immediately by saying that he had matters to attend to.


    At the same time, Carlos was busy interrogating the secretary in prison.


    ¡°I want to see the queen mother!¡± Gerrard, who endured a series of torture, stared right at Carlos with


    bloodshot eyes as he shouted.


    Then came a deep and charming voice, saying, ¡°You wish to see the queen mother? How unfortunate.


    I don¡¯t think you can¡­¡±

 Chapter 1708

    Chapter 1708


    ¡°Y-Your Majesty¡­¡± Gerrard stuttered upon Aaron¡¯s appearance.


    He was Nancy¡¯s secretary, and given the intense conflict of power between the king and the queen


    mother, there was no way he would be saved. At least not when he was now within the king¡¯s control.


    Gerrard was overwhelmed by panic immediately.


    ¡°I can see that you¡¯re pretty smart. I mean, abusing and trafficking drugs? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re very well


    aware that your actions are against thew¡­¡± With his eyes narrowed, and a smirk on his face, he


    locked his vision on Gerrard.


    As soon as this was mentioned, Gerrard¡¯s heart tightened for a split second, for he knew that the king


    would not let it pass easily this time.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been framed!¡± Gerrard stared at Aaron angrily.


    He did not take any drugs, and he definitely would not sell drugs. These were all made up by them.


    None of them were the truth. Yet, he had no ways and means to prove his innocence.


    Where¡¯s Her Majesty? Why is she not here? Did she give up on me?


    No, no! The queen mother will never give up on me. Maybe word has yet to reach her. She would


    immediately try to set me free if she received the news.


    The thought had Gerrard¡¯s worried heart calmed down.


    As the queen mother¡¯s subordinate and without the involvement in actual drug abuse and drug


    trafficking, they would not be brave enough to punish him without solid evidence.


    ¡°Do you expect us to believe you were set up just because you said so?¡±


    With his eyes narrowed, Aaron grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about being saved by someone because no


    one will be able to save you. You¡¯re the only one who can save yourself.¡±


    Gerrard, however, believed not a single word from Aaron. He was confident that Nancy woulde to


    his rescue.


    ¡°Grandma has already received word about your arrest, and she did nothing. You may want to ask


    yourself, what does this represent?¡± Aaron red at him and asked.


    It means that she gave up on me¡­


    That was what came to Gerrard¡¯s mind. But he did not believe it, he believed not even a single word


    from Aaron.


    ¡°All right. Let me show you something.¡± Aaron then retrieved a piece of paper from his pocket and


    handed it to Gerrard.


    After looking at the content, Gerrard¡¯s eyes immediately turned red.


    He red at Aaron. ¡°This is a set up! You framed me!¡±


    ¡°Set up? Oh, no, no, no. These are all evidence,¡± Aaron smiled and continued talking while the


    secretary watched with horror in his eyes. ¡°Apart from your mistress¡¯ house, we also found some in


    your own house.¡±


    ¡°These are all nothing but your evil schemes! You framed me!¡±


    Gerrard was on the verge of breaking down but could not do so. Though greedy and perverted, he


    dared not get involved in any forms of drug abuse and drug trafficking. Not even for a single time.


    His father alone was a drug addict. For this reason, Gerrard grew up hating any person who did drugs.


    Hence, he never wanted to be involved in anything rted to drugs.


    He had never thought that one day, that one thing he hated the most would be the one that destroyed


    his life.


    ¡°Your Majesty, as the king of Turlen, you must act ordingly to the truth and facts¡­¡±


    ¡°But what I¡¯m saying is the truth. You were caught red-handed by the police in the bar. Is this not true?


    The drugs were all dug out from your mistress and your wife¡¯s ce. Is this not true?¡±


    Aaron narrowed his eyes as he red at Gerrard, but his tone was calm and rxed. ¡°Chances are for


    those who are prepared. Now, it¡¯s up to you to decide.¡±


    With that said, Aaron walked away while Carlos followed behind him.


    ¡°Keep an eye on him. None is allowed to see him, including the queen mother,¡± Aaron said as he


    locked his eyes on Carlos.


    ¡°Can you do that?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Carlos replied seriously.


    He decided that he would be on guard for twenty-four hours personally.


    ***


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    In the study, the queen mother mmed her hand onto the table angrily after hearing Monisha¡¯s reply.


    ¡°How dare he talk to me like that? Is he trying to usurp me? He thinks he can disobey my order


    because he is now the king of Turlen? How dare he!¡±

 Chapter 1709

    Chapter 1709


    Monisha, too, did not see thising.


    Aaron spoke to her rudely, and he hung up on her without giving her the chance to speak. She was left


    dumbfounded on the spot, but she could not redial his number right before the queen mother. Hence,


    the only choice given to her was to tell the queen mother the truth.


    ¡°Your Majesty, what do we do now? Gerrard knows too much¡­¡± Monisha narrowed her eyes


    frustratedly.


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t dare to say anything,¡± Nancy replied in a chilling tone.


    She was confident that Gerrard would not rat them out as he knew what he should and shouldn¡¯t do.


    She decided she would still try to set Gerrard free as she spoke. He was her right-hand man, after all. lf


    she did nothing after the king captured him, people would no longer feel safe when serving her.


    Upon this thought, she hurriedly sent Monisha to obtain more news regarding the secretary.


    About half an hourter, Monisha returned with the information she had acquired.


    Upon receiving the report, Nancy immediately headed to the prison with Monisha. As a leader, she


    could not do anything that would break the heart of her followers. Therefore, she had to rescue Gerrard


    at any cost.


    Upon arriving at the prison and acquiring Gerrard¡¯s cell location, Nancy immediately headed to her


    destination, only to find Carlos safeguarding the cell.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Carlos greeted as he bowed.


    ¡°Release Gerrard immediately!¡± Nancy ordered sternly upon seeing Carlos.


    Carlos, however, shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Nancy had never expected Carlos to disobey her order, and that angered her greatly.


    ¡°Who do you think you are? Obey the order you received and release that man!¡± Monisha sneered as


    she pointed her finger at Carlos.


    Carlos, however, stared right back into Monisha¡¯s eyes. He wondered who gave a mere servant with no


    official position the guts to talk to him, an official high-ranked military officer, in such a disrespectful


    manner.


    ¡°Don¡¯t me me for being cold-hearted if you dare to point your finger at me again!¡± Carlos threatened


    her coldly, and the intimidated Monisha quickly retracted her hand.


    Her heart thumped fast as well as she finally learned that this man was no ordinary person she could


    bully.


    ¡°Carlos, she¡¯s my subordinate, you¡­¡±


    Before the queen mother could finish talking, she was immediately interrupted by Carlos, who said, ¡°If


    she¡¯s your servant, then Your Majesty should educate her properly. She must be educated that pointing


    at someone is very rude¡­¡±


    Nancy was furious that someone talked to her like that.


    As much as she wanted to storm off, she still forced herself to calm down upon thinking of Gerrard.


    ¡°Carlos, I¡¯d like to talk to Gerrard.¡±


    Carlos, however, turned her down and replied seriously, ¡°His Majesty said none is allowed to see him.¡±


    Angered by what Carlos said, Nancy sternly reprimanded, ¡°Carlos, I¡¯m the queen mother.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but this is His Majesty¡¯s order. I am told that no one is allowed to see him, including you,


    Your Majesty. Please don¡¯t make it difficult for me.¡±


    The queen mother red at him and left right after that. Instead of meeting with Gerrard, she left with


    anger burning strong in her.


    For this reason, Carlos had attracted her attention. She swore that if she had the chance, she would


    remove Carlos from his position, for he was the one that offended her by using the king¡¯s order as an


    excuse. After all, no one in Turlen was brave enough to offend her. The only exceptions were Carlos


    and Aaron.


    The more she thought of it, the angrier she got.


    As a result, instead of heading back, she decided to head to Dn¡¯s residence to visit Aaron. Yet, as if


    he had anticipated this, Aaron was already long gone from the pce, turning Nancy¡¯s trip to his ce


    in vain.


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    This incident had her tremble in immense anger. This was also the first time she felt so angry after so


    many years.

 Chapter 1710

    Chapter 1710


    Outside the pce, Aaron¡®s lips curled into a smirk when he heard the report by the pce servant.


    He had done it on purpose. He had intentionally made her mad so he could see the lengths she was


    willing to go to.


    ¡°Aaron, getting on her nerves like that¡­¡± Bernd nced over at Aaron, concerned.


    Nancy was no goody-two-shoes. No one could predict what tricks would pull if she was enraged.


    Aaron narrowed his eyes and shook his head. ¡°I got on her nerves on purpose. I want to see what her


    next move will be.¡±


    His eyes turned cold when he thought about his father¡¯s fate. He could not sit idly and do nothing. He


    had to take the initiative to strike.


    He still had to protect his mother and take care of Arielle on behalf of his father. Furthermore, he had to


    lead the people of Turlen into a brighter and more glorious age.


    Seeing that Aaron had a n, Bernd let out a breath of relief.


    ¡°How are your legs?¡± Aaron turned his gaze to Bernd¡¯s legs.


    At the mention of his legs, Bernd grinned. ¡°I can walk on my own now.¡±


    As his words fell, he tossed Aaron a grateful look. ¡°I want to thank you for all of this. If it weren¡¯t for


    you¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me,¡± Aaron cut Bernd off in mid-sentence. ¡°We¡¯re friends. Also, keep a close


    eye on your side.¡±


    Acknowledging the change of topic, Bernd nodded with a serious expression.


    Truth be told, Aaron was feeling a little guilty that he did not make a couple of good friends in the past.


    In times of need, like at that moment, there was no one else he could reach out to for help.


    Without another choice, he could only entrust the things he could not keep his eyes on to Bernd, even


    though thetter¡¯s legs were only beginning to heal.


    Perhaps Bernd could hear his thoughts. Just as Aaronmented in secret, Bernd opened his mouth


    and began telling Aaron that he would introduce a few people whom he believed could be of some


    help. Bernd¡¯s mention of the topic took Aaron aback.


    ¡°Let them help you with your tasks. Perhaps in the future¡­¡±


    Before Aaron could finish his sentence, Bernd nodded understandingly, knowing what Aaron was


    talking about.


    ***


    In the meantime, Nancy dialed Matthew¡¯s number the moment she returned to the study.


    By the time Matthew entered the study, Monisha had long sent the pce servants away.


    When Nancy saw Matthew, her tears began rolling down her cheeks before she could even speak,


    which caused his heart to ache.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    He quickly strode forward and held her in his arms. ¡°Why are you crying? Who made you angry?¡±


    ¡°Matthew, Aaron thinks he¡¯s all grown up. He dares disobey me now,¡± Nancy whined pitifully.


    Ah¡­ Someone got into a fight with His Majesty¡­


    ¡°Only a few will still be fully obedient when they¡¯ve grown up. Plus, he has been crowned king now¡­¡±


    ¡°So what if he has been crowned king? Does that give him the right to not listen to me?¡± Nancy


    interrupted.


    If it weren¡¯t for me, who knows how long it¡¯d take for him to take his ce on the throne?


    Yet, now that he is king, he has the audacity to treat me like this. D*mn it!


    ¡°Nancy, he is the king. You must know that with each new ruleres a new age. Why do you need to


    go against him?¡±


    Matthew was actually quite impressed by Aaron¡¯s character and skills. Before he had gone to the study,


    he had already learned that Aaron had arrested Nancy¡¯s secretary.


    From his perspective, Matthew was quite d that Aaron had the brains and the skills to be a good


    king. However, at the sight of the weeping woman in his arms, he could not help but frown.


    She seems to care a bit too much about power and authority.


    ¡°Nancy, from now on, you should just be a good queen mother and enjoy your retirement. Leave the


    matters of the kingdom to His Majesty,¡± Matthew advised in a deep voice while patting her hand gently.


    When Nancy heard what he said, her expression darkened immediately.


    Why did I put so much effort into pulling him onto my side?


    How dare he ask me to retire to be a queen mother and leave Aaron with all the power? Is his future


    son-inw more important to him than me?


    Nancy clenched her fists.


    What if¡­ Don¡¯t say that I¡¯m cruel!

 Chapter 1711

    Chapter 1711


    ¡°Matthew¡­ I¡¯m not going to give up my power. Between Aaron and me, you¡¯re going to have to choose


    who to be loyal to.¡±


    Biting her lip, Nancy got out of Matthew¡¯s embrace.


    A forlorn look appeared in Matthew¡¯s eyes at Nancy¡¯s ultimatum. He did like Nancy, but Aaron was


    going to be Nico¡¯s future husband and his future son-inw. Picking either side would seem like the


    wrong choice.


    ¡°Nancy¡­¡± Matthew looked at her. ¡°Your grandson is not young anymore. Is it so bad to lie back and


    enjoy your days as the queen mother?¡±


    Upon hearing his answer, Nancy turned away and walked straight toward the window. ¡°Leave. From


    now on, we shall go our separate ways.¡±


    Nancy had summoned Matthew to the study because she wanted him to choose between her and


    Aaron. Since he had picked Aaron, the two of them could only be enemies from then on. However, she


    was undoubtedly indignant about the oue.


    To get Matthew onto her side, she had even entrusted her body to him. Yet, in the end, he had chosen


    Aaron.


    Regardless, there was no one Nancy could me except herself. She was reaping what she had sown.


    If she had not insisted on Nico¡¯s and Aaron¡¯s engagement to win Matthew¡¯s favor, perhaps Matthew


    would stand on her side full-heartedly. Unfortunately, she had miscalcted. Her actions had only


    pushed him furtherfrom her.


    ¡°Nancy¡­¡±


    There was a shift in Matthew¡¯s expression.


    He had not expected Nancy to be this ruthless as to ask him to leave without hesitation-both physically


    and in her life. Matthew could not ept such an oue.


    If it were in the past-when they had not spent so much time with each other, perhaps Matthew would


    not mind. However, the two of them had spent a few days like husband and wife. Even though it had


    only been a few days, Matthew was troubled by the thought of Nancy kicking him out.


    ¡°Are you sure you want me to leave and for us to go our separate ways?¡± With that said, Matthew


    turned to leave without waiting for a response from Nancy.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    Nancy had originally nned to guilt-trip Matthew. Seeing that he was really about to leave, she was


    filled with rage.


    With a few huge strides, Nancy caught up to him and hugged him from behind. ¡°You¡¯re bullying me!¡±


    Nancy had taken care of her figure very well. Even though she was almost sixty, she looked like a forty-


    year-old. Her actions made Matthew¡¯s heart melt instantly.


    He was a fool for liking her!


    ¡°How can I be willing to bully you? I can¡¯t even love you enough,¡± Matthew dered seriously as he


    held her hand.


    Seeing that Matthew was serious, Nancy told him seriously, ¡°Matthew, I¡¯m not joking. If you pick Aaron


    out of the two of us, we¡¯ll have no other choice but to split up.¡±


    A faint scowl appeared on Matthew¡¯s face. He was hesitant to lose either of them.


    He really did like Nancy, but he also wanted his future son-inw to secure the throne and his role as


    king.


    Since Nancy asks me to choose, I guess I¡¯ll just choose. As long as she¡¯s happy.


    Matthew whispered something in Nancy¡¯s ear.


    Immediately, Nancy¡¯s face lit up as she broke into a huge smile. The years had been kind to her. Age


    did not leave many of its marks on her face.


    Soon, the study echoed sounds that would make one blush. Afterward, while being snuggled up in his


    arms, Nancy told Matthew what Aaron had done to her.


    ¡°Find a way to get Gerrard.¡± Even though she trusted Matthew, she was worried that he might cave and


    reveal everything.


    ¡°Okay. Wait for my message.¡±


    After agreeing, Matthew got up and went to the bathroom to take a shower. When he got out, he


    nted a kiss on Nancy¡¯s head before leaving.


    As Nancy fixed her gaze on Matthew¡¯s diminishing silhouette, her eyes flickered.


    ¡°You better not disappoint me, Matthew!¡±


    If he had other intentions, it would not matter who he was. She would not hesitate to kill anyone who


    dared to stand in her way.


    Nancy then asked for Monisha and gave her an order in a deep voice. ¡°Monisha, get someone to follow


    him!¡±

 Chapter 1712

    Chapter 1712


    ¡°Follow General Matthew?¡± Monisha asked, puzzled.


    Nancy nodded.


    ¡°He hesitated when choosing between Aaron and me. Even though he has promised to help me now,


    who knows if he has actually chosen Aaron instead?¡± She paused for a moment before continuing,


    ¡°Besides, words of men cannot be trusted!¡±


    With that, Monisha did what she was told.


    The news of Matthew exiting the study quickly reached Aaron¡¯s ears. A cold aura surrounded his body


    as his gaze turned icy.


    ¡°How long was he inside?¡±


    ¡°Over two hours. When he came out, General Matthew¡¯s hair was wet. It seemed as though he had


    taken a shower.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Continue keeping your eyes on them!¡±


    About half an hour after he hung up, Matthew called and asked for him.


    Without wasting a second, Aaron went to Matthew¡¯s office.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Matthew greeted at the sight of Aaron, bowing respectfully.


    Even though the man standing in front of him was his future son-inw, he was also Turlen¡¯s king.


    Hence, Matthew should still treat Aaron ordingly, even as his future father-inw.


    ¡°You wanted to see me?¡± Aaron asked casually.


    ¡°About Gerrard¡­ If you have enough proof, make your move as soon as possible,¡± said Matthew while


    lowering his voice.


    ¡°Nothing might happen even if you give it time.¡±


    Aaron immediately sat up straight and scrutinized Matthew with a sharp gaze.


    What does he mean by this?


    ¡°The queen mother is extremely unpleased by your decision to rebel against her. If you want to defeat


    her and take away the power she wields, I would advise you to stop wasting time.¡±


    Aaron could not describe what he was feeling at that moment. He had thought that Matthew would be


    on Nancy¡¯s side. Never would he expect Matthew to treat Nancy like a stranger once he had had his


    time with her and asked to see him so that he could deal with Gerrard as soon as possible.


    ¡°If you do not wish Nico and her mother to be upset, I would advise you to break off that rtionship.¡±


    In view that Matthew had given him a warning, Aaron left after saying that.


    Matthew¡®s body went stiff. He had thought that no one knew about him and Nancy. As it turned out,


    Aaron knew.


    In that instant, Matthew felt immense shame and guilt.


    How will Aaron view me now? His future father-inw and his grandfather¡­


    After he spent another half an hour in the office, Matthew began dragging his feet to the Nighy


    residence.


    Ever since Nico and Melissa had gone to Melissa¡¯s hometown, he had never gone back to the Nighy


    residence once. Every day without fail, Melissa would call him out of care, yet he had been cutting


    those calls short because he was with Nancy.


    At that thought, Matthew called for a chauffeur. After changing his clothes and packing a few days¡¯


    worth of clothing, he went to see Melissa.


    In the pce, Monisha reported Matthew¡¯s actions to Nancy, causing thetter to smash a few cups out


    of fury.


    ¡°What is this? Has he regretted it? Is he feeling guilty? Or is he finally feeling sorry for that woman?¡±


    Nancy balled her two hands into tight fists.


    Despite the fact that she did not love Matthew, she still did not want a man whose eyes were on her


    only to go and tter another woman.


    You want to dump me, Matthew? It¡¯s not that easy!


    Nancy¡¯s eyes darkened.


    On the other side, Melissa could not believe her eyes when she saw Matthew.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Melissa was beyond overjoyed at Matthew¡¯s surprise visit.


    ¡°It¡¯s obviously because he misses his wife¡­¡± Nico winked at Matthew. ¡°Right, Father?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Matthew¡¯s heart ached when he saw that Melissa had lost some weight.


    Completely ignoring his daughter¡¯s presence, he stepped forward and held Melissa¡¯s hand before


    asking endless questions about her well-being, causing Melissa to blush furiously.


    ***


    Meanwhile, at the research center, Arielle was beginning to get anxious upon seeing Morse bringing


    Be¡¯s sister¡¯s son into theboratory.

 Chapter 1713

    Chapter 1713


    Why is he bringing the kid away so soon? Didn¡¯t the kid just recover?


    Arielle was extremely worried. She wanted to follow them, but that would mean leaving the three


    children in her dorm unattended.


    As she stared at the children asleep on the bed, her eyes darkened slightly. Her priority at that moment


    was to make sure Be¡¯s sister¡¯s son was all right. She would have topromise.


    From her pouch, Arielle took out a set of silver-ted needles and pricked an acupuncture point on the


    children. Immediately, the already sleeping children fell into a deeper sleep. She had tapped into the


    sleep acupuncture point, it would bring no harm to the children.


    After covering up the three children, Arielle hid the silver-ted needles on her body and hurried to the


    laboratory.


    ¡°Dr. Moore¡­¡±


    Morse had just sent the child to Torsten when he saw Arielle, and his eyes lit up in surprise. ¡°What are


    you doing here? Where are those three experimental subjects?¡±


    Upon hearing the children being referred to as experimental subjects by Morse, Arielle felt a sense of


    difort in her heart, but she remained silent. She knew that the three children really were mere


    experimental subjects in their eyes.


    ¡°Did Professor Hoffmeister ask you to bring the kid over because they¡¯re preparing to run the


    experiment?¡±


    Even though Arielle was panicking, she forced herself to maintain a calm expression.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to give the kid a physical check-up first to see if he fulfills the criteria of the experiment,¡±


    Morse mistakenly thought that Arielle wanted to participate in the experiment.


    ¡°If he fulfills the criteria, the experiment willmence. If you want to participate, you can go ask


    Professor Hoffmeister now to see if he agrees for you to be a part of it.¡±


    Upon hearing that the kid would have to go through a physical examination first, Arielle secretly


    breathed out a sigh of relief.


    She then shed Morse a smile. ¡°Thank you for telling me this¡­¡±


    After a pause, she continued, ¡°I¡¯ll go ask Professor Hoffmeister about it now. Can you help me take


    care of the three kids for a while?¡±


    Morse nodded fervently, d to be able to help Arielle.


    Seeing that Morse had agreed to it, Arielle headed straight for theboratory to look for Torsten.


    Just as she reached the door, she bumped into Norma.


    ¡°Dr. Moore, when are the skincare products arriving?¡± Norma was beginning to feel anxious.


    For the past few days, she had been overwhelmed with work. She was beginning to feel the condition


    of her skin worsening.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Arielle had left Norma hanging on purpose. lf she handed Norma the products so soon, it would seem


    as though the products were not worth a lot. She wanted Norma to know that quality took time.


    ¡°The products are customized ording to your skin type. They are not going to be done in such a


    short time,¡± Arielle frowned slightly.


    With a troubled expression, she offered, ¡°If you¡¯re concerned, why don¡¯t you buy a set of skincare


    products on the market first? I¡¯ll try to ask Grandma to speed up the process for you.¡±


    Norma felt a little dejected upon hearing Arielle¡¯s words. She had already gotten skincare products from


    the market. However, she still thought that the skincare products made by Arielle¡¯s grandmother had a


    better effect.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to pressure her,¡± Norma said as she ran her hand through her hair.


    I¡¯ll be using those products on my face. If the process is sped up, the effects might not be as good. I ¡®ll


    just have to be patient.


    Quality takes time. Maybe the effects of the products will be better on my skin because of the longer


    time taken to prepare the products.


    With that being said, she looked at Arielle again. ¡°Aren¡¯t you looking after the three experimental


    subjects? What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I heard from Morse that Professor Hoffmeister wanted to run a physical examination on that


    experimental subject. If he fulfills the criteria, the experiment willmence. I¡¯m here to ask Professor


    Hoffmeister if I can be a part of the experiment,¡± Arielle exined her intentions inly.


    With a nod, Norma brought Arielle to theboratory.


    If Torsten disagreed, Norma decided to help Arielle to win a little favor byplimenting her for the


    sake of the skincare products.


    As they approached theboratory, the worry in Arielle¡¯s heart began to grow.


    What if the child fulfills all the criteria of the experiment?

 Chapter 1714

    Chapter 1714


    As she followed Norma into theboratory, Arielle was greeted by the sight of Torsten frowning at the


    kid.


    Does that mean¡­


    Before she could allow herself to rx, Torsten began to speak. ¡°Even though there are still two criteria


    that he hasn¡¯t fulfilled, it¡¯s not impossible to run the experiment on him now if we want to.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s heart immediately sank to the bottom of the ocean.


    What is he saying? Does that mean that he¡¯s preparing to do the experiment now?


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that this is the most perfect experimental subject? Why are you in such a hurry to carry


    out the experiment? The kid is in our hands. He¡¯s not going anywhere. Why can¡¯t we wait till he fulfills


    all the criteria before we conduct the experiment?¡±


    Norma immediately bombarded Torsten with questions. In her point of view, an experiment was


    extremely important. Everything must be perfect before an experiment was conducted.


    What if the conclusion of the experiment deviates from our inference because of the unmet criteria?


    Norma would not allow any mistakes to ur.


    As the two of them had been partners for a while, Torsten was fully aware of Norma¡¯s character. He


    knew that she would always strive for perfection. Hence, he was not angered by her questions.


    ¡°I just said that the experiment can be conducted. I didn¡¯t say that we have to do it now¡­¡±


    Torsten tossed Norma an exasperated look. He was also someone who would settle for nothing less


    than perfection when it came to medical skills.


    The corners of Norma¡¯s lips lifted as she heard what he had said.


    At the sight of Arielle standing beside her, Norma quickly recalled the reason they had gone to the


    laboratory and asked Torsten on Arielle¡¯s behalf, ¡°Dr. Moore thought you would be starting the


    experiment today and wanted to join. What do you think?¡±


    Upon hearing that, Torsten tossed a nce at Arielle. He had yet to figure Arielle out in those few days.


    No one knows Arielle¡¯s background.


    It feels a bit too early for her to join in the experiment¡­


    Naturally, Torsten did not voice out his thoughts in front of Arielle. After all, they had announced that


    they were looking for people to participate in the experiment when they were hiring.


    With a sunken expression, Torsten remained silent, which made Arielle¡¯s heart sink. She knew what his


    silence indicated.


    If this is the case, I won¡¯t be able to understand their experiment.


    Norma knew Torsten was a cautious person. However, ording to her observations, she believed


    Arielle to be a trustworthy person. She could tell that Arielle was extremely interested in their


    experiment, as she had always been reading books rted to the experiment.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°She¡¯s very interested in the experiment. Whenever she has time, she will always read books rted to


    the subject. If you don¡¯t want her to participate in the experiment, that¡¯s fine too. Just let her stand and


    watch at the side. The experiment can be an eye-opener for her. How about that?¡± Norma raised an


    eyebrow at Torsten.


    Norma was looking forward to receiving the skincare products customized for her by Arielle¡¯s


    grandmother, so she had to curry favor with Arielle. Even though it was not necessary for her to do so


    to obtain the products, Norma believed that Arielle would be immensely grateful for her help.


    That way, Arielle would always remember her whenever there was something good to share.


    Staring at Norma for a while, Torsten finally nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll let her stay here and watch the experiment as an eye-opener.¡±


    Norma was overjoyed when Torsten agreed, while Arielle was relieved. She could finally enter the


    laboratory whenever she pleased.


    All of a sudden, the child in the cradle burst into tears.


    Norma had been taking care of that child during that time.


    Upon hearing the child cry, she instinctively walked forward and picked him up. ¡°He might be hungry. I¡¯ll


    get him some milk.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± With that said, Arielle followed Norma back to Norma¡¯s ce. That was the first time


    Arielle had gone to where Norma was staying, and thetter¡¯s room was slightly bigger than her own.


    After gently cing the child down, Norma began to wash the baby bottle and got out the milk form.


    As Norma was preparing the milk, Arielle took advantage of the few minutes to take out her hidden


    silver-ted needles and swiftly pricked a few on the child¡¯s body.

 Chapter 1715

    Chapter 1715


    As the needle pricked his tender skin, the child immediately cried in pain.


    Upon hearing his cries, Norma thought he was hungry and could not wait to drink milk any longer.


    Hence, she quickly sped up the process of sanitizing the baby bottle and prepared the form.


    On the other end, Arielle gently stroked the child¡¯s head as she watched him cry. With that few needles,


    she had altered his physical condition so that he could not be experimented on for the time being.


    When the milk was ready, Norma headed over immediately. Hearing her footsteps, Arielle swiftly


    plucked out the silver-ted needles from the child¡¯s body and hid them away.


    ¡°He must be starving¡­¡±


    Once Norma handed the baby bottle to the child, he immediately cradled the bottle and downed the


    bottle in huge gulps. He looked incredibly innocent and adorable.


    Mixed emotions swelled up in Arielle¡¯s heart as she watched the child.


    How could they find it in their hearts to conduct experiments on such an adorable child?


    ¡°Adorable¡­¡± Arielle pinched the child¡¯s cheek gently before turning to look at Norma.


    When she saw the smile on Norma¡¯s face, Arielle felt her heart flutter. ¡°You look like you love kids, too.¡±


    Norma shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t like kids, but I like this one. Adorable and obedient.¡±


    ¡°Looks like he has won over your heart at such a young age. Can you still bring yourself to experiment


    on him?¡± Arielle stated in a feigned light-heartedness.


    Upon hearing her question, however, Norma felt her smile going stiff.


    She truly was starting to think that she could not bring herself to conduct experiments on that kid.


    Norma rubbed her temples.


    I might have spent too much time and effort on this kid.


    Just as that thought appeared in her head, the child suddenly leaned into her embrace, melting her


    heart instantly.


    Seeing that, Arielle narrowed her eyes slightly. ¡°Looks like the kid has gotten attached to you as well.


    He seems to like you¡­¡±


    Norma remained silent. Secretly, she agreed with what Arielle had said. Staring at the child in her arms,


    Norma could not help but think about the consequences of the experiment.


    If it fails, then this child will be gone¡­


    Her heart began to ache as she considered the possibility. She did not want that child to lose his life.


    ¡°We have to be very careful in this experiment. Sess is the only option. It must not fail,¡± she


    muttered in a deep voice.


    Arielle¡¯s heart sank. She had already tried to sway Norma, but in the end, she still could not spark


    Norma¡¯s sympathy.


    Norma still wanted to conduct an experiment on the kid.


    Arielle had to work faster and give Norma the skincare products. That way, Norma would lower her


    guard around Arielle and might reveal more information to her. Even before she had gone there, Arielle


    had already uncovered the location through the hiring advertisement they had posted. However, she


    could not act recklessly.


    She needed to dig up all the evidence of the crimes Nancy hadmitted so that justice would be


    served.


    After leaving Norma¡¯s ce, Arielle returned to the dorm.


    At that moment, Morse was reading a book. When he saw Arielle opening the door, he quickly put the


    book down.


    ¡°You¡¯re back!¡± Morse was feeling a little panicked and shy.


    That was the first time he had stayed in Arielle¡¯s dorm for this long. Herundry was hanging on the


    balcony. Morse did not even dare to turn his gaze in that direction.


    Arielle¡¯s figure kept appearing in his mind when he sat there in her dorm. Thus, Morse tried to find


    something to distract him.


    At the sight of the book on medicine on the table, he picked it up and sat down to read it. As expected,


    the moment he started reading, he stopped thinking about Arielle.


    ¡°Thanks for your help. Did the children wake up?¡± Arielle smiled.


    Morse shook his head in response.


    The children had been asleep ever since he entered the room and had not woken up since. From the


    looks of it, they were most likely in a deep sleep.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Arielle wanted to solve the problem as soon as possible. However, she still had not been able to get to


    the core of the experiment.


    As a thought emerged in her mind, she quickly turned her attention to Morse.


    ¡°Morse¡­¡± she called.

 Chapter 1716

    Chapter 1716


    As the needle pricked his tender skin, the child immediately cried in pain.


    Upon hearing his cries, Norma thought he was hungry and could not wait to drink milk any longer.


    Hence, she quickly sped up the process of sanitizing the baby bottle and prepared the form.


    On the other end, Arielle gently stroked the child¡¯s head as she watched him cry. With that few needles,


    she had altered his physical condition so that he could not be experimented on for the time being.


    When the milk was ready, Norma headed over immediately. Hearing her footsteps, Arielle swiftly


    plucked out the silver-ted needles from the child¡¯s body and hid them away.


    ¡°He must be starving¡­¡±


    Once Norma handed the baby bottle to the child, he immediately cradled the bottle and downed the


    bottle in huge gulps. He looked incredibly innocent and adorable.


    Mixed emotions swelled up in Arielle¡¯s heart as she watched the child.


    How could they find it in their hearts to conduct experiments on such an adorable child?


    ¡°Adorable¡­¡± Arielle pinched the child¡¯s cheek gently before turning to look at Norma.


    When she saw the smile on Norma¡¯s face, Arielle felt her heart flutter. ¡°You look like you love kids, too.¡±


    Norma shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t like kids, but I like this one. Adorable and obedient.¡±


    ¡°Looks like he has won over your heart at such a young age. Can you still bring yourself to experiment


    on him?¡± Arielle stated in a feigned light-heartedness.


    Upon hearing her question, however, Norma felt her smile going stiff.


    She truly was starting to think that she could not bring herself to conduct experiments on that kid.


    Norma rubbed her temples.


    I might have spent too much time and effort on this kid.


    Just as that thought appeared in her head, the child suddenly leaned into her embrace, melting her


    heart instantly.


    Seeing that, Arielle narrowed her eyes slightly. ¡°Looks like the kid has gotten attached to you as well.


    He seems to like you¡­¡±


    Norma remained silent. Secretly, she agreed with what Arielle had said. Staring at the child in her arms,


    Norma could not help but think about the consequences of the experiment.


    If it fails, then this child will be gone¡­


    Her heart began to ache as she considered the possibility. She did not want that child to lose his life.


    ¡°We have to be very careful in this experiment. Sess is the only option. It must not fail,¡± she


    muttered in a deep voice.


    Arielle¡¯s heart sank. She had already tried to sway Norma, but in the end, she still could not spark


    Norma¡¯s sympathy.


    Norma still wanted to conduct an experiment on the kid.


    Arielle had to work faster and give Norma the skincare products. That way, Norma would lower her


    guard around Arielle and might reveal more information to her. Even before she had gone there, Arielle


    had already uncovered the location through the hiring advertisement they had posted. However, she


    could not act recklessly.


    She needed to dig up all the evidence of the crimes Nancy hadmitted so that justice would be


    served.


    After leaving Norma¡¯s ce, Arielle returned to the dorm.


    At that moment, Morse was reading a book. When he saw Arielle opening the door, he quickly put the


    book down.


    ¡°You¡¯re back!¡± Morse was feeling a little panicked and shy.


    That was the first time he had stayed in Arielle¡¯s dorm for this long. Herundry was hanging on the


    balcony. Morse did not even dare to turn his gaze in that direction.


    Arielle¡¯s figure kept appearing in his mind when he sat there in her dorm. Thus, Morse tried to find


    something to distract him.


    At the sight of the book on medicine on the table, he picked it up and sat down to read it. As expected,


    the moment he started reading, he stopped thinking about Arielle.


    ¡°Thanks for your help. Did the children wake up?¡± Arielle smiled.


    Morse shook his head in response.


    The children had been asleep ever since he entered the room and had not woken up since. From the


    looks of it, they were most likely in a deep sleep.


    Arielle wanted to solve the problem as soon as possible. However, she still had not been able to get to


    the core of the experiment.


    As a thought emerged in her mind, she quickly turned her attention to Morse.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Morse¡­¡± she called.

 Chapter 1717

    Chapter 1717


    The next day, Torsten suddenly left the research center for an unknown reason.


    To Arielle, that was excellent news. That way, the lives and safety of the four children could be


    guaranteed for a day. At that moment, she would try her best to postpone the experiment as long as


    she could, even if it meant only a day.


    In the afternoon, Norma carried Be¡¯s son to Arielle¡¯s dorm, saying that she had some errands to run.


    Why is everyone going out today? What is happening?


    Even though Arielle was curious, she did not show it as she quickly took the child from Norma¡¯s hand.


    With a sunken expression, Norma turned to leave. As she kept her eyes on Norma¡¯s back, Arielle¡¯s


    eyes darkened.


    Without the ability to take care of the four children on her own, she requested Morse to help her take


    care of them. Needless to say, Morse was overjoyed at her request.


    By nighttime, the children were exhausted from ying the entire day. It took them no time at all to fall


    asleep. Arielle drafted a text for Vinson to inform him of everything that was happening, asking him to


    send some reinforcements just in case.


    Before she could send out the text, a knock came on her door. She was greeted by Morse when she


    opened the door. There was a blue file in his hands.


    ¡°Here. For you¡­ Try to finish reading it by tonight,¡± Morse whispered.


    Staring at the file in his hands, Arielle widened her eyes in pleasant surprise. ¡°Is this¡­¡±


    Morse nodded and shoved the file into her hands.


    ¡°Try to finish reading it as soon as possible,¡± he reminded before turning around and hurrying away.


    His heartbeat felt abnormal whenever he saw her. Hence, he decided it was best not to see her.


    Staring at Morse as he left, Arielle quickly closed the door and took the file to her table. The moment


    she sat down, she opened up the file and began going through the data.


    The more she read, the darker her gaze got. The audacity they have¡­


    After two hours, Arielle whipped out her phone once again and added to the message she had drafted


    for Vinson. At that moment, Arielle was livid.


    They had been experimenting on a gic drug that could alter the physique of a person. However,


    from the recorded data that Morse had sent her, Arielle discovered that they had always been using live


    humans as subjects. Once again, she thought about the ten young women.


    At the thought of them being treated asb rats and subjected to a painful fate, Arielle was consumed


    by wrath.


    I have to stop them! They cannot continue with the experiments!


    Bearing that thought in mind, Arielle took out herptop and hacked into thework of the research


    center to switch off all the security cameras. Afterward, she took out the silver-ted needles and


    tapped the sleep acupuncture point of all four children before taking out a packet of form from her


    bag.


    Quietly, she opened her door and sneaked out. Even though the security cameras had been switched


    off, there were still people guarding the area. Making sure she was hidden from those people, she crept


    into theboratory like a ghost in the night.


    There were more than ten security cameras that covered every inch of theboratory. Because of that,


    theboratory door was never locked.


    With a gentle pull, the door opened immediately. Before she arrived at theboratory, Arielle had


    already known the position of the safe.


    Once the door opened, she headed straight for the safe. With a few swift movements of her fingers, the


    door of the safe opened.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Inside the safe were only two leather envelopes.


    Arielle took out the first envelope and opened it up. Inside the envelope, she found a signed contract


    between Nancy and Torsten, documents on the data of the experiment, and a sh drive. Clearly stated


    on the contract was Nancy being the sponsor of the money and resources that they needed for the


    experiment, while Professor Hoffmeister had to let her subordinates use the gic drug


    unconditionally once the drug was sessfully created.


    Arielle¡¯s gaze darkened as she stared at the evidence in her hands. She then opened the second


    envelope.


    Upon reading the contents of the envelope, Arielle was beyond shocked. It was a document on


    trafficking human organs!


    Are they crazy? They sell organs too?


    All of a sudden, a series of footsteps sounded from outside the door. Cursing softly to herself, she


    quickly tucked the two documents and the sh drive into her arms before locking the safe.

 Chapter 1718

    Chapter 1718


    Where should I hide?


    Arielle searched through the dark for a hiding spot.


    ¡°Why did the surveince cameras malfunction all of a sudden? It had been years since thest


    incident.¡±


    The footsteps were approaching closer and closer to theboratory, which caused Arielle to clench her


    fists.


    At the veryst minute before they stepped into theboratory, Arielle dashed for cover underneath a


    piece of machinery. The white sheet draped over the machinery conveniently hid her body as she held


    still with bated breath.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we inspect it tomorrow? Professor Hoffmeister is way too cautious. All personnel here are our


    people. No thief could¡¯ve snuck in,¡± the manined as he hit the light switch.


    When the lights flickered on, he crossed the room and stopped in front of the machinery. Lifting his


    head, he looked at the surveince camera hanging from above.


    ¡°Stand on the machinery to get a closer look. What can you even see from here?¡±


    Arielle was familiar with that voice, it was Morse.


    At Morse¡¯s advice, the grumbling man had no choice but to climb on top of the machinery to inspect the


    surveince camera.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem damaged. What¡¯s the problem then?¡± the man mumbled after a round of inspection.


    ¡°Let¡¯s check the rest of the cameras,¡± Morse suggested.


    Something feels weird. Why did all the surveince cameras malfunction all of a sudden?


    It¡¯s best to remain vignt.


    Morse was Torsten¡¯s right-hand man, so he dared not to offend Morse. Naturally, he obeyed Morse¡¯s


    demand to check the other surveince cameras. However, his grip slipped when he climbed down


    from the machinery, and he toppled to the floor.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡± Morse asked with a frown upon seeing the man falling from the machinery.


    The man was about to reply that he was fine when he met Arielle¡¯s gaze. His jaw dropped from shock.


    Before he could inform Morse, he fainted. Following that, Morse also slumped to the ground


    unconscious with a loud thud.


    Just then, Arielle crawled out from underneath the machinery. She slid a nce at the two men lying


    t on the ground.


    Initially, she wanted to kill them. However, after giving it some thought, she whirled around and left the


    room.


    Though they have hurt the lives of innocents, I¡¯ll leave it to thew to punish them for their


    wrongdoings.


    Returning to her room, she took off her clothes, shoes, cap, and face mask. After getting rid of them,


    she changed into a new set of clothing before she sneaked out again. The next time she came back,


    she got rid of the shoes again before crashing onto the bed and closing her eyes.


    I have to rest well, so I can deal with whatever ising my way.


    As dawn arrived the next day, the two men in theboratory slowly opened their eyes.


    ¡°Why am I sleeping here?¡± the man mumbled.


    Suddenly remembering the event of the day before, he urgently looked over at Morse. ¡°Morse, I saw


    someone hiding underneath the machine. That person¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t see that person¡¯s face. I don¡¯t even know their gender¡­


    Morse got up from the ground with a darkened expression.


    It looks like the surveince cameras malfunctioning isn¡¯t idental.


    Reaching for his phone in his pocket, he dialed a number.


    ¡°Professor Hoffmeister, I suspect the malfunctioning of surveince cameras isn¡¯t idental¡­¡± Morse


    told Torsten about his suspicion.


    Anxiety red in Torsten at the news.


    ¡°Check theboratory. See if the intruder had taken anything.¡±


    Heeding Torsten¡¯s words, Morse walked around the room and checked around.


    ¡°Nothing is missing. Everything is in its rightful position.¡±


    Morse frequently came to theboratory, so he knew the cement of every item there like the back of


    his hand. Despite Morse¡®s reassurance, Torsten was still worried.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Go and investigate who had entered theboratory. I¡¯ll head over once I¡¯m finished with my work here.¡±


    With that, Torsten hung up the call.


    Meanwhile, Norma caught the frown on Torsten¡¯s face and reached for his hand. ¡°Did something


    happen?¡±


    Torsten told Norma about the surveince cameras¡¯ malfunction and an intruder sneaking into the


    laboratory. Norma was his partner and lover. She knew everything about him and his problem.


    ¡°What? Then¡­¡±

 Chapter 1719

    Chapter 1719


    Norma was worried and nervous.


    ¡°Should I head back first?¡± She was worried about the items in the safe going missing.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Everything in the safe was life-threatening. However, Torsten stopped her.


    I need her to deal with the matters here. If she goes back first, what about the problem here?


    ¡°Don¡¯t go back for now. Finish your work here before you return,¡± Torsten said with a dark expression.


    Who the hell sneaked into theboratory?


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°No buts! We¡¯ll leave it at that,¡± replied the man in annoyance.


    With that, Torsten spun around and left the room. Norma inhaled a deep breath before trailing after him.


    We have to deal with the matters at hand first.


    When night fell, Norma and Torsten went to meet with the buyer


    After a few sses of alcohol down their throats, Norma gazed at the woman sitting in front of her with


    a sincere look. ¡°It¡¯s our mistake for the mixed up this time. We¡¯ll send the finest goods as soon as


    possible.¡±


    The woman had received a call from her boss before the meeting with Norma and Torsten, so she


    knew now was not the time to cause a fallout with them. After all, they still needed the stock from


    Norma and Torsten. Hence, the woman readily epted Norma¡¯s apologies.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let the mistake slide for this time, but if the same mishap happens again, don¡¯t me me for cutting


    off ties and turning against you,¡± the woman warned chillingly.


    Even though Norma was not pleased with the woman¡¯s warning, she kept her displeasure in check, for


    the woman in front of her was their biggest client. Norma could not offend her.


    ¡°I assure you there won¡¯t be a next time,¡± Norma promised sincerely, despite the displeasure simmering


    beneath.


    Several more apologies from Norma and Torstenter, their blunder was water under the bridge. They


    sent the woman off after reaching an agreement.


    ¡°Are we going back now?¡± Norma asked after the woman left.


    ¡°Let¡®s go back tomorrow. I have to return home for a while,¡± Catching the change in Norma¡¯s


    expression at his statement, Torsten wrapped his arm around her waist. ¡°Felix is back. He wants me to


    go back for dinner. I promise you we¡¯ll go back tomorrow morning, all right?¡±


    Even though Norma was not happy with his decision, she knew she could not stop him from meeting


    his family. She hated she could not have her own child and could only watch others have a family of


    their own in this lifetime.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you at the hotel.¡±


    Norma then turned on her heels and went back into the hotel. However, the minute she turned her back


    to Torsten, tears filled her eyes and slid down her cheeks onto the ground as the wind blew.


    Torsten was oblivious to Norma¡¯s feelings. He took a cab and went back home to his wife and child.


    ¡°Grandpa!¡± Seeing Torsten¡¯s return, a boy around five to six years old came running toward Torsten.


    Opening his arms, Torsten carried the boy. ¡°Frank, did you miss me?¡±


    ¡°I missed you!¡± Frank shouted before kissing Torsten¡¯s cheek.


    Torsten¡¯s wife smiled gently as she watched the heartwarming scene.


    ¡°I just finished work, Frank. Let me catch a breath.¡± Torsten set Frank on the ground.


    Torsten had a heartwarming dinner with his family. When he slept on the bed that night, he circled his


    arms around his wife.


    With a kiss on her forehead, he said, ¡°Thank you for taking care of the family.¡±


    Torsten¡¯s wife buried her face in his chest with a satisfied smile. She did not feel tired of taking care of


    her husband and children at all.


    ***


    Meanwhile, back at theboratory, Arielle jolted upright after receiving a text message from Vinson.


    He¡¯s here! He¡¯s here to find me!


    Quickly changing her clothes, she took the items she stole from Torsten and stealthily snuck out of the


    center.


    ¡°Dr. Moore, where are you going?¡± A voice came from behind Arielle, which caused the woman to


    stiffen. I¡¯ve been caught!

 Chapter 1720

    Chapter 1720


    Arielle looked back and met Morse¡¯s intent gaze.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°The children are asleep. I¡¯ll just take a walk around the base,¡± she said calmly. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, by


    the way?¡±


    ¡°Are you really just taking a walk around the base?¡± Morse looked at her suspiciously.


    This only happened after she came. It has never urred before. I wonder if she has anything to do


    with it.


    ¡°Yeah. Where else can I go? I can¡¯t go out of the base,¡± Arielle replied gloomily. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t havee


    no matter what if I¡¯d known the ce is so heavily guarded. I can¡¯t believe they don¡¯t even allow us


    out.¡±


    Morse suddenly felt uneasy when he saw how remorseful Arielle was. He did not want her to regret


    coming to the base.


    ¡°Well, you can still go out if you want. But you¡¯ll have to sneak out with me,¡± Morse said, narrowing his


    eyes at her.


    They would be severely penalized if someone found out they had left that ce, so Morse could not


    bring her out openly.


    I think I can stand the physical punishment, but I doubt Ms. Moore can. Her skin is so delicate¡­


    Intrigued, Arielle blinked when she heard Morse¡¯s proposal.


    He¡¯s willing to bring me out? That¡¯s great. Well, when that timees, I just need to¡­


    Her lips quirked up. ¡°Why, thank you, then. You must show me around when I¡¯m bored.¡±


    Morse¡¯s heart raced when the woman smiled at him, but he quickly suppressed the feeling he had


    never felt before.


    ¡°It¡¯ste. You should get some rest,¡± he said shortly before leaving in a hurry.


    The following evening, Norma and Torsten returned to the base, and thetter rushed to theb upon


    arrival. Morse and the rest wanted to follow him in, but Norma stopped them.


    ¡°We don¡¯t need any help at theb now. You guys can work on something else,¡± Norma closed the door


    and walked over to Torsten. But before she reached his side, the professor had already slumped to the


    ground.


    ¡°Gone¡­ They¡¯re all gone¡­¡±


    Norma panicked when she heard that.


    How did it even go missing? It was in the safe! We¡¯re dead if we lose it!


    The woman raced to the safe to check if it was intact. The safe and its lock were all undamaged.


    There¡¯s no sign of a break-in, only Professor Hoffmeister and l have the key, so how did it happen?


    Norma turned and asked Torsten about his key.


    ¡°What do you mean?!¡± The man barked defensively.


    Norma felt wronged when he shouted back at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m just asking. There are only two keys to the safe, so there¡¯s no way the thing will go missing,¡±


    Norma said, taking out her key. ¡°This is mine. Where is yours?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s with me, of course!¡±


    Torsten had always carried his key. He dug his hand into his pocket to retrieve it. Yet, to his horror, it


    was nowhere to be found.


    ¡°Where is it? I clearly brought it with me! Why can¡®t I find it?¡± Torsten got up to take off his clothes to


    double-check, but Norma stopped him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to look for the key anymore. Since you¡¯ve taken it, there¡¯s no point in finding the key.


    You¡®re the person I trust the most in this world, so it doesn¡¯t make a difference if the item is in the safe


    or with you. I¡¯m fine as long as it¡¯s not in the hands of an outsider.¡±


    I mean, I don¡¯tmind you taking it, but why do you have to pretend you didn¡¯t take it?


    This makes me feel ufortable. Who do you even take me for?


    Torsten was exasperated when he realized what Norma was thinking.


    What does she mean by since you¡¯ve taken it, there¡¯s no point in finding the key?


    Did she just say that? I didn¡¯t take it!


    ¡°Norma, it¡¯s not me!¡± Torsten roared.


    Norma was horrified. ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s not you?¡±

 Chapter 1721

    Chapter 1721


    ¡°I said it¡¯s not me!¡±


    ¡°Look for it. Quick!¡± Norma ordered anxiously.


    We¡®ll be good as dead if this leaks!


    Torsten called for Morse immediately and questioned the man about what had happened that night,


    and Morse reported everything ordingly.


    ¡°So, you¡®re saying someone knocked you out?¡± Torsten asked.


    Morse nodded. ¡°Yes. The drug was very potent. We didn¡¯t wake up until the next morning.¡±


    ¡°This person must be an expert in drugs,¡± Norma chimed in with her head low.


    She had a few suspects in her mind.


    ¡°Search the ce right now and see who owns such a drug. Anyone can be a potential suspect now,


    so check everyone. Leave no stone unturned,¡± Torsten instructed.


    Morse started rummaging through the dorms.


    ¡°What are you doing, Morse?¡± other researchers cried out and went over to stop Morse when the man


    barged in.


    Among them was a tall and thin researcher who disliked Morse because Torsten favored Morse. He


    was jealous of Morse because the professor would always bring him along for experiments.


    Why is he always getting special treatment when all of us were hired at the same time?


    ¡°This is Professor Hoffmeister¡¯s order. You can talk to him if you¡¯re unhappy. Now, get out of the way!¡±


    Morse grabbed the tall man and pushed him aside to continue his search.


    Knowing that it was Torsten¡¯s instructions and that he could not defy his order, the man who challenged


    Morse sulked at a corner and red at Morse.


    Don¡¯t let me get dirt on you, Morse, or I¡¯II have the professor kick you out.


    The four men in the dormplied with the search when they saw how Morse treated the tall man.


    When Morse finally left, they started gossiping among themselves about him.


    It went without saying that Morse had no clue what they said about him. Even if he did, he did not care.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After finishing the first dorm, he went on to the second one, where the two chefs stayed. Since no one


    at the base knew how to cook, they had invited a couple over to prepare meals for them.


    The husband and wife had taken up the offer since they were promised handsomepensation and


    attractive benefits. Given these perks, they had stayed at the base for more than a decade despite


    being barred from visiting their family and children.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± the wife asked when she saw Morseing in with a straight face.


    Before Morse could reply, the husband said, ¡°Something serious must¡¯ve happened. We should just


    cooperate.¡±


    The woman hushed instantly when her husband said so.


    As for Morse, he continued looking for the drug on the premise and left for the next ce when he was


    done. His search was futile.


    ¡°Is there any ce that you left out?¡± Norma asked when she learned that Morse did not manage to


    find anything.


    ¡°I searched every¡­¡± Morse suddenly stopped.


    ¡°Which ce did you leave out?¡± Norma inquired urgently.


    ¡°Dr. Moore¡¯s ce¡­¡±


    Norma waved her hand dismissively when she heard that, but Torsten was skeptical. ¡°Check her ce


    as well. Thoroughly.¡±


    The professor felt something fishy because nothing of the sort had happened before Arielle came to the


    base. Neither had the surveince camera broken down prior to that. Yet all those happened after


    Arielle arrived, and that aroused his suspicion.


    Norma did not say otherwise since Torsten insisted.


    When Arielle saw Morse at her door, she let him in readily, knowing the reason for his visit.


    ¡°What is this, Dr. Moore?¡±


    Looking at the packet of the powder in his hand, Arielle frowned.


    How did I miss that?

 Chapter 1722

    Chapter 1722


    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep well in new ces. I¡¯m a light sleeper. My grandma gave me this to help me sleep before I


    came. She said I could just put them under my pillow when I went to bed, and I¡¯d fall asleep in five


    minutes. There are no side effects. Do you want some? I can give you half,¡± Arielle exined slowly


    and calmly.


    ¡°Can I really have half of it? Will it be less effective?¡± Morse was moved by the offer because he had


    never received anything from Arielle.


    In fact, he would be more than happy to receive just anything from her.


    Arielle nodded with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay. The effect might be diminished, but I can put up with that. I don¡¯t


    mind giving you half.¡±


    She took the packet from him and started looking for a container.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t have trouble sleeping. You can keep it,¡± Morse said, grabbing her hand.


    Arielle furrowed her brows as she stared at Morse¡¯s hand. The man trailed her gaze and became


    conscious of the warmthing from Arielle¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± He retracted his hand and fled from her room.


    Arielle¡¯s eyes darkened as she watched him leave.


    It seems that Professor Hoffmeister has realized that the document is missing and is looking into the


    matter¡­


    Arielle smirked coldly.


    There¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting all of you off the hook.


    Outside, Morse clutched his chest as he rushed out of Arielle¡¯s room. He took a few deep breaths to


    calm down, and after a few minutes, he went back to Torsten to inform him that he did not find the drug.


    Torsten was not surprised at the oue. He had expected the thief to destroy any form of evidence,


    and searching Arielle¡¯s room was just to try his luck.


    ¡°What should we do next?¡± Norma asked in vexation. ¡°Where should we begin our search?¡±


    ¡°Let me think about it,¡± Torsten replied, gesturing for them to leave him alone.


    Meanwhile, since Arielle had already gotten her hands on the criminal evidence, she figured it was time


    for her to leave.


    She texted Vinson and asked him to pick her up at six in the evening the following day.


    Arielle set to action during dinner time when the next day arrived. While the cooks were making stew


    for the children, she sneaked to a remote corner and sprinkled some drugs into the dishes.


    When the clock struck five thirty, everyone gathered at the cafeteria for dinner. Arielle was alerted when


    Torsten and Norma did not show up.


    Just as she was devising a n to dope them, the two appeared, and she could finally rest easy.


    It only took half an hour for the drug effect to kick in, and everyone in the cafeteria dropped. Arielle


    phoned Vinson, and thetter arrived in ten minutes.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡± Vinson asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m good. Can we bring everyone here with us except for the two cocks?¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Vinson nodded and instructed the ten men he brought with him to tie everyone up before putting them


    in the car while he and Arielle went to fetch the four children. Each of the children went into different


    cars, along with the professor and his team bound up.


    On the way, Arielle looked at Vinson and said, ¡°Now that things have finally ended, we¡¯ll just have to


    wait for the queen mother to fall into our.¡±


    Arielle was relieved that she could finally avenge her parents and that they could go home atst. She


    felt that so much had happened over the year. She had reconnected with her biological father and lost


    him within that period.


    Reading Arielle¡®s mind, Vinson squeezed her hand tight. He understood that things had been difficult


    for Arielle.


    ***


    Back at the pce, Aaron was ted when he heard the news from Arielle.

 Chapter 1723

    Chapter 1723


    ¡°Aaron! We can finally avenge our father!¡± Arielle said, her voice rather shaky.


    Aaron¡¯s grip tightened around his phone in disbelief.


    ¡°Do you mean you found evidence of the queen mother murdering Father?¡± he asked in a thick nasal


    voice as if he was about to break into tears.


    ¡°No, but I found other evidence of her crime. You¡®ll be appalled to find out what she has done,¡± Arielle


    replied, her voice cold as she thought about what Nancy had done.


    Hearing her voice, Aaron felt a chill going down his spine.


    ¡°Come over when you¡¯re avable. I¡¯ll pass you the evidence,¡± Arielle continued.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go over now.¡±


    After hanging up, Aaron drove to Arielle¡®s apartment.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    Arielle ushered him in when he arrived and asked Vinson to pass Aaron the document.


    As someone who knew medicine, Aaron did not take much time to understand the data. Detestation


    clouded his eyes when he saw the contract between Nancy and Torsten.


    He did not expect the grandmother he respected to be capable of such a selfish and atrocious act that


    completely disregarded life.


    She is not worthy of her position as the queen mother.


    ¡°There are also video recordings of the research. You can take a look,¡± Arielle said, handing Aaron the


    sh drive.


    ¡°We¡¯re entrusting everything to you. Hopefully, she will be held legally responsible for her crime, and


    we can avenge the deaths of the innocent, including Father.¡±


    Looking at the documents, Aaron suddenly felt a weight on his shoulders.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will ensure she gets what she deserves,¡± he said solemnly, clenching his fists.


    Once Aaron arrived at Paelsford Manor after leaving Arielle¡®s ce, he inserted the sh drive into his


    laptop and opened the video recording files.


    ¡°Please¡­ Let me go¡­¡±


    ¡°Just kill me¡­ I can¡¯t take it anymore¡­¡±


    ¡°Help¡­ Somebody¡­¡±


    The girls in the video were tied to the operating table. Their anguish cries made Aaron¡¯s heart churn.


    They are suffering because of Grandma!


    Aaron balled his fists even more tightly as he red at the screen.


    I will put you behind bars with this evidence.


    With that thought, he picked up his phone and called Carlos to send men to surround Nancy¡¯s pce.


    l shall apprehend her myself!


    Carlos was shocked when he received Aaron¡¯s order. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Just do as I say, Carlos,¡± Aaron said in a low voice.


    The man obliged and carried out the order right away. Since the king had spoken, it was his duty as the


    subordinate to do as he was told.


    After hanging up, Carlos immediately led two armies to Nancy¡¯s pce.


    ***


    When Nancy heard themotion downstairs, she asked Monisha to check out what was happening.


    The aide was flustered when she saw that the men had already surrounded the wholepound.


    Frightened, she dashed upstairs to inform Nancy.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Carlos and his men have surrounded the area!¡± she cried out as she pushed the door


    open.


    Nancy was incensed when she heard that.


    Who do they think they are? Are they sick of living?


    She shot to her feet and hurried downstairs.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing, Carlos?¡± Nancy barked.


    ¡°Excuse me, Your Majesty. I¡¯m simply carrying out orders,¡± Carlos answered coldly.


    Carrying out orders? Did Aaron do this?


    Who does he think he is?


    Nancy¡¯s chest tightened.


    I¡®m his grandma! How can he disrespect me like this? It¡¯s time for Turlen to have a new king!


    ¡°Get out!¡± she bellowed in fury.

 Chapter 1724

    Chapter 1724


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who should get out!¡± A voiceced with anger sounded before Carlos could even say a


    word.


    Hearing that, Nancy smoldered with rage.


    ¡°Did you just ask me to get lost? Is that how you talk to your grandma? What an impertinent brat!¡±


    ¡°Do you have any idea what you¡¯re doing, Aaron?¡±


    Is this how he shows his respect to his grandma?


    I shouldn¡¯t have made him king. I should ¡®ve just let Dn live. He, at least, did not dare to talk to me


    like this.


    ¡°Carlos, put her in the dungeon. No one is allowed to visit her without my permission,¡± Aaron


    announced, totally disregarding Nancy¡¯s protest.


    Carlos was stunned, but he quickly recollected himself and asked his men to capture the queen


    mother.


    ¡°How dare you! Don¡®t touch me!¡± Nancy screamed at the soldiers.


    She red at Aaron and continued, ¡°What are you doing, Aaron?!¡±


    ¡°What am I doing?¡± Aaron sneered. ¡°You¡¯ll know when you reach your cell!¡±


    With that, he waved his hand at the soldiers, and Carlos dragged the woman away.


    ¡°Aaron! I¡¯m your grandma! I¡¯m the queen mother of Turlen! You can¡®t¡­¡±


    Aaron took out a handkerchief and stuffed it into her mouth before she could continue her diatribe.


    Monisha was dumbstruck at the sight. She did not expect Aaron to have the audacity to apprehend


    Nancy.


    What should I do now?


    ¡°Monisha, you should go with her,¡± Aaronmanded coldly as the woman stood there helplessly.


    Having heard the order, the aide quickly ran over to Nancy, who was caught in a miserable state, with


    the soldiers clenching each of her arms and dragging her away.


    When Nancy saw Monisha following her, she mumbled something unintelligible through the


    handkerchief.


    ¡°Hang in there, Your Majesty. His Majesty is not the weak king anymore. We¡¯re not his rivals now,¡±


    Monisha whispered.


    She was afraid that Nancy would suffer if she refused to cooperate. Having served Nancy her whole


    life, Monisha did not wish to see any cmity befalling her master.


    Nancy¡¯s heart sank when she heard Monisha¡¯s words.


    What should I do? He had his guards drag me away even before I could do anything.


    The news about Nancy being incarcerated spread far and wide in no time. Celeste called Aaron over


    the moment she found out about what had happened.


    ¡°Mother,¡± Aaron greeted as he went near to hold her shoulder. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. I know what


    I¡¯m doing.¡±


    ¡°Why did you imprison your grandma, Aaron? She is the queen mother of Turlen and has many


    followers. You know what will happen to you if you¡­¡±


    ¡°Mother, I considered the consequences when I gave the order,¡± Aaron assured.


    Afterforting the anxious queen, he left to attend to work.


    Shadow overcast Celeste¡¯s face as she watched her son leave.


    I will not let those people do anything to Aaron!


    Many ministers on Nancy¡¯s side requested an audience after she was put away. They were all Nancy¡¯s


    valuable pawns in her power y, but Aaron showed no sign of fear in the face of those people.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°Your Majesty, what was it that Her Majesty did that you confined her?¡± a minister, also Nancy¡¯s brother,


    asked.


    ¡°Do you want to know what she did?¡± Aaron asked with a smirk.


    He threw a stack of paper on the table and added, ¡°Take a look yourself!¡±

 Chapter 1725

    Chapter 1725


    Many of them were dissatisfied with Aaron, but because he was the king who ruled over them, they had


    no choice but to put up with him.


    They suppressed their anger in Aaron¡¯s presence and picked up the papers. Their eyes widened in


    horror when they learned the truth.


    This cannot be! This is not the queen mother we pledged our allegiance to! She will never do such a


    thing!


    ¡°Y-Your Majesty, there must be a mistake!¡± one of them remarked warily. ¡°Her Majesty will never do


    this.¡±


    Ha! It seems that you guys still have faith in her. You all refuse to believe it despite seeing proof of her


    cruelty.


    Aaron snorted. ¡°But the evidence says otherwise. It¡¯s up to you all to choose what to believe. The


    queen mother hasmitted an unforgivable crime, and I will disclose her actions to the public. By


    then, she¡¯s going to pay for what she¡¯s done.¡±


    Nancy¡¯s brother was vexed. To him, Nancy was Turlen¡®s queen mother, the most powerful woman in


    the nation. It would be uneptable if she was held and convicted without trial.


    ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t you think we should investigate this before issuing a sentence?¡±


    ¡°Rest assured that relevant interrogation and verification will be carried out. For those of you who still


    have doubts, just wait at home and I¡¯ll send you all the evidence soon.¡±


    They exchanged hesitant nces but finally figured there was no point in further protest, so they


    returned home.


    After they were gone, Aaron went to the dungeon to visit Nancy and Monisha.


    Bound to the cold hard chair, Nancy was fuming with anger when Aaron arrived, for she had never


    been so badly treated her whole life.


    Her re pierced through his body like a sharp sword the moment she saw her. ¡°How dare you do this


    to me, Aaron? I¡¯m the queen mother, the most powerful person in the country! Are you tired of being


    king?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are. You¡¯re my prisoner now,¡± Aaron replied without hurry.


    Nancy flushed with rage at his answer.


    What an ungrateful brat! I really shouldn¡¯t have gotten rid of Dn!


    But it was toote for Nancy to regret her choice.


    ¡°I bet the ministers won¡¯t let you lock me up without a concrete reason, so you¡¯d better let me out right


    now.¡±


    Aaron nced at her with his cold blue eyes. There¡¯s no way I¡®m letting you free after what you have


    done! I can¡¯t believe you just said that, Grandma. Just so you know, you¡¯re noting out for the rest


    of your life, so enjoy your old age in prison.¡±


    Nancy was staggered.


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    ¡°What do you mean? Are you saying you¡¯ll keep me here forever?¡± she snarled. ¡°Who gave you the


    permission to do this to me?¡±


    ¡°You, of course! You¡¯re the one who brought this on yourself,¡± Aaron replied with a wry smile.


    Without waiting for an answer, he continued, ¡°You¡¯d better not end your life here. Father surely doesn¡¯t


    want to see a wicked woman who killed her own son in another world.¡±


    Having said that, Aaron turned and left.


    ¡°Aaron! Aaron!¡± Nancy yelled over and over again. ¡°Let me go, Aaron!¡±


    Despite her plea, Aaron walked away without turning back. It was at that moment that Nancy realized


    the finality of her fate.


    Aaron was indeed going to intern her for her whole life.


    After he got out, Aaron went to Arielle¡¯s ce again to express his gratitude.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said the moment he saw Arielle and Vinson.


    He had thought that it would be hard for him to ry his thanks to the couple, but the words came to


    him naturally when he saw them.


    ¡°You¡¯re my brother. There¡¯s no need for that,¡± Arielle said.


    Aaron¡¯s heart felt warm after he heard her words.

 Chapter 1726

    Chapter 1726


    Back in the prison, Nancy struggled toe to terms with the state of things.


    Aaron is getting too bold for his own good. He¡¯s a ticking bomb. I really shouldn¡¯t have helped him


    ede to the throne. I don¡¯t even know why he is keeping me here.


    ¡°What should we do now, Your Majesty?¡± Monisha asked anxiously.


    Nancy narrowed her eyes in determination.


    I can¡¯t just sit here and resign to fate.


    She took out her phone and dialed Matthew¡®s number.


    Matthew was walking with Melissa in the garden when his phone rang. His face changed when he saw


    who the caller was.


    ¡°Go ahead and pick it up. I¡®ll sit over there for a while,¡± Melissa said kindly when she saw Matthew¡¯s


    face.


    Then she walked over to the shade to give him some privacy.


    Matthew contemted if he should pick up, but he eventually did.


    ¡°Matthew, I¡¯m in the dungeon now. Aaron is holding me here. Could you get me out?¡± Nancy cut to the


    chase in anger.


    Matthew was stunned, for he had only suggested to Aaron to deal with Gerrard as soon as possible.


    He did not expect the king to imprison his grandmother.


    ¡°Are you okay? Why did he do that?¡± Considering how Nancy had grown up being pampered in a


    sheltered environment, Matthew could not help but worry about her.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Nancy disregarded his concern and said with a frown, ¡°I have no idea. Just get me out of here.¡±


    Nancy could not bear to spend another second in that filthy and shabby ce.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll see what I can do. Don¡¯t get too worked up.¡±


    Matthew fell into deep thought after he hung up the call.


    What did she do? Why did Aaron lock her up?


    I have to go find out myself I can¡¯t just leave her be.


    ¡°Who was it? We can go back if you have something urgent. Mother¡¯s getting better, anyway,¡± Melissa


    said tenderly when Matthew went over, circling her arms around his.


    Matthew felt guilty looking at his wife, but he could not disregard Nancy¡¯s predicament either.


    Pulling her into his arm, he told himself that that would be thest time he did something for Nancy.


    After getting her out of prison, he would cut off all ties with her and dedicate his life to loving only


    Melissa.


    ¡°Something came up. I¡¯ll go back briefly ande back to both of you soon.¡±


    ¡°Is it urgent? I can help you pack your things. You should leave after saying goodbye to Mother,¡±


    Melissa said.


    She pulled herself out of his embrace to get things ready, but Matthew did not let her go.


    ¡°I¡¯m not in a hurry. I¡¯ll leave after having lunch with you guys.¡±


    Melissa felt blissful. She buried her head in his chest and enjoyed their few moments together before


    he left.


    After a meal with Melissa¡®s mother, the couple went to get prepared for Matthew¡¯s trip.


    Since Matthew was going back, Melissa asked Nico to tag along so she could spend some time with


    Aaron. When Nico heard that, she instantly turned down the idea and insisted on staying with her


    mother for a few more days. To her, there was no point in spending time with Aaron since the two did


    not get along well.


    The general and his wife had no choice but to let her be.


    Arriving at the Nighy residence, Matthew left for the pce immediately. He was revolted by what


    Nancy did when Aaron disclosed everything. Upon leaving the pce, he called Nancy to reveal the


    reason for her apprehension.


    Knowing that her crimes were already exposed and the general could not save her, Nancy closed her


    eyes in desperation and made another call.


    This is myst hope¡­

 Chapter 1727

    Chapter 1727


    She took a deep breath before pressing the button.


    ¡°I¡¯m locked up in prison. I need you to get me out.¡±


    There was no telling what the other person on the end of the line said, but Nancy¡¯s face was scrunched


    up.


    You¡¯re fishing in troubled waters!


    Although she knew that the other party was taking advantage of her situation, Nancy did not have


    another alternative. She had to agree to the terms.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll give you what you want, but only after you get me out,¡± Nancy uttered coldly, holding back her


    anger.


    ¡°Deal. You¡¯ll be out in no time. I¡¯ll go get you myself.¡±


    Nancy¡¯s eyes darkened after she hung up.


    ¡°What did you just agree to, Your Majesty?¡± Monisha inquired softly when she spotted that the queen


    mother looked upset.


    ¡°Half of my military weapons,¡± Nancy answered through gritted teeth.


    I wouldn¡¯t have to give up on my military power if it were not for that ingrate!


    Half of what I have! That¡¯s just too high a price to pay!


    Monisha¡¯s eyes widened like saucers.


    That is outrageous! No wonder Her Majesty looks so furious.


    ¡°Well, freedom is priceless, Your Majesty,¡± Monishaforted.


    ¡°I know you are willing to give up all the military arms you have just to regain freedom, no?¡±


    She¡¯s right. Given my circumstance, I will agree to whatever terms as long as I can get out.


    Since this is inevitable, I might as well do it happily. I can¡¯t show any sign of unwillingness when dealing


    with that man.


    ***


    Meanwhile, the man on the phone asked his secretary to book a flight ticket to Turlen immediately.


    Considering the few visas of entry he had to the country, the man thought it was finally time to put them


    to use.


    ¡°May I go with you to Turlen, Your Grace?¡± a woman asked when she heard that the Duke had asked


    the secretary to book a ticket.


    She had put aside her work and went to his office to see him, but the Duke nced at her coldly


    without answering her.


    The woman instantly understood his silence.


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    He doesn¡¯t want me to go. But Linda¡¯s there. He might fall for her again when I¡¯m not by his side.


    Before she could say another word, the Duke had asked her to leave his office. The woman had no


    choice but to go out. Then, the mysterious man took a cigarette from his drawer and went to the


    window for a smoke.


    ¡°Congrattions, my dear brother. You¡¯ll see me very soon,¡± he said with an evil smile.


    ***


    At about midnight the following day, a group of men sessfully undermined the prison¡¯s security and


    set a fire. The fire spread all the way to Nancy¡¯s cell, and Matthew called the fire brigade right away for


    help.


    Nancy and Monisha coughed non-stop as they covered their noses with their hands while banging the


    cell door.


    ¡°What should we do, Your Majesty? How are we supposed to get out?¡±


    Nancy¡¯s expression turned grave.


    Do they want to burn me to death? No! I will live! I will remove Aaron from the throne and be


    queen myself!


    The fire got bigger, and smoke billows soon covered the dungeon. Nancy felt her skin cracking up, and


    in desperation, she ran to the door. The scorching heat of the iron railing made her shriek in agony.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Monisha cried out when she heard Nancy yelling.


    Nancy did not answer. She had already given up all hope at that point.


    Am I going to die here? Why is he still not here?


    I thought he wanted half of my military arms. How can the prison catch fire? Did Aaron do this?


    Nancy fell into utter dejection as her thoughts ran wild.


    Suddenly, she heard a series of rapid footstepsing closer.

 Chapter 1728

    Chapter 1728


    Nancy held her breath in terror.


    Are they here to kill me or save me?


    Fear overtook her as she thought of Aaron¡¯s men ending her life.


    That brat is far crueler than his father. He¡¯s only assumed the throne for months, yet he dares to lock


    me up and even wants to kill me!


    Even Monisha dared not breathe. She knew that would only make Nancy even more scared.


    Just as they were caught in distress, the iron door was suddenly pushed open.


    ¡°Your Majesty?¡± someone whispered. ¡°We¡¯re here to save you!¡±


    Only then was Nancy relieved. ¡°I¡¯m here¡­¡±


    ***


    Back at the pce, Aaron was informed of the fire in a timely fashion, but by the time he arrived, the


    fire had already been extinguished, and the whole ce was covered with burnt marks.


    ¡°How¡¯s the queen mother, Carlos?¡± Aaron asked.


    Aaron actually did not care if Nancy was still alive. He would still abide by thew if she survived and


    keep her in prison. If she died, it would be a lucky escape from punishment for her.


    Since Carlos had been upied putting out the fire, he did not have the time to check on Nancy. When


    he heard Aaron¡¯s question, he hurried over with the keys and opened the door.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­ Her Majesty¡­ Has passed on,¡± Carlos reported in a shaky voice when he saw the two


    unrecognizable and burnt bodies.


    She¡®s dead?


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    Just like that? No way!


    Aaron went into the cell to confirm his doubt. When he saw the clothes and essories on the bodies,


    he was sure that those two were Nancy and Monisha.


    The king felt appeased¡­


    She must have had a painful death. Good for her. She finally had a taste of what it was like for those


    innocent people she sent to Webb.


    ¡°Check and see if there are other casualties other than the two,¡± Aaron instructed.


    Carlos nodded and went out.


    After that, Aaron assigned Morrison to find a temporary chapel to ce Nancy¡¯s body. As for Monisha,


    her body was sent back home.


    Having settled these, Aaron went back to the pce. When Arielle found out that a fire had broken out


    in the dungeon, killing both Nancy and Monisha, she rushed over with Vinson to confirm their doubts.


    They felt something odd about the incident. She refused to believe that Nancy had died just like that


    unless she saw her body with her own eyes.


    They were denied entry when they arrived, so Arielle called Aaron to exin the purpose of her visit,


    and Aaron hurried over.


    ¡°Why do you want to see her body? Do you think there¡¯s something wrong with it?¡±


    Arielle nodded frankly. ¡°I feel there¡¯s something strange about this fire, and the queen mother¡¯s death


    only increased my suspicion.¡±


    When Aaron heard that, he brought her to another cell unaffected by the fire. They had moved Nancy¡¯s


    body to another cell since she was just a heartless criminal who did not deserve to be the queen


    mother nor have a state burial at the royal cathedral.


    If it were not for other unfinished business about the case, Aaron would have asked the men to dig a


    hole and bury her instead of wasting more space to keep her body.


    ¡°It¡¯s clearly her from the clothes and essories,¡± Aaron observed, pointing at the body.


    Arielle walked over to take a closer look.


    Aaron frowned, looking at her. Is she not afraid? The body smells¡­


    Just as he was about to pull Arielle back, the woman said, ¡°Aaron, this is not her body¡­¡±

 Chapter 1729

    Chapter 1729


    ¡°It¡¯s not her?¡± Aaron frowned as he walked toward her. ¡°Then where did this corpsee from?¡±


    ¡°I believe the queen mother has been rescued. This body here is merely used as a masquerade,¡±


    Arielle shared her suspicion boldly.


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    The infuriated Aaron clenched his fists.


    I¡¯ve underestimated the queen mother!


    I can¡¯t believe someone woulde to her rescue in the nick of time and even switch her body! If it


    weren¡¯t for Arielle, I¡¯d have mistaken this unknown person for the queen mother.


    His brows snapped together at that thought.


    Who took her away? Could it be General Matthew? No, that¡¯s impossible!


    I doubt he would do such a thing. If it wasn¡¯t him, then who?


    Immediately, he called for Carlos and Lawrence to update them about the queen mother¡¯s escape and


    issued a code red alert in the city.


    ¡°Search every nook and cranny thoroughly. Do not let go of any suspicious person!¡± Aaron instructed.


    When the duo were about to leave, Arielle stopped them.


    ¡°Take special notice in hospitals and pharmacies. Henceforth, send more people to guard all the


    hospitals and clinics. Make sure that you personally check on each and every visitor to these


    healthcare centers, be it a patient consulting a doctor or someone purchasing medicine to treat a burn.¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s anyone who doesn¡¯t take this verification process seriously, that will be the end of him.¡±


    Arielle was resolute, leaving no room for discussion.


    The two then gazed at Aaron, their king, seemingly waiting for a confirmation.


    ¡°Why are you staring at me? From now on, whatever Ms. Moore says, goes,¡± Aaron announced.


    Carlos and Lawrence were very surprised to learn that Arielle meant so much to Aaron, to the extent


    that her words carried as much weight as the king¡¯s. They nodded and left obediently.


    Since the body did not belong to the queen mother, Aaron ordered his men to simply bury it


    somewhere.


    Upon knowing that Aaron had to deal with other matters, Arielle and Vinson excused themselves. On


    the way home, Vinson asked about the four children.


    Currently, he only knew that the eight-month old baby was Be¡¯s sister¡¯s son. Other than that, he was


    clueless about the other three.


    ¡°Let Harvey send the kid home and have someone bring him back to Be¡¯s sister. As for the other


    three, we can publish a notice online about missing children and see if anyonees forward to im


    them¡­¡±


    ¡°We can ask the parents to perform a paternity test to verify their biological rtionships before


    releasing the children. For now, let¡¯s keep them with us.¡±


    Having interacted with the kids for several days, Arielle had developed a special feeling toward them.


    She would surely miss them a lot once it was time for them to leave with their parents. Anyhow, she


    totally understood how important they were to their biological parents, who were probably fretting like


    crazy when their precious kids went missing.


    When Harvey received a phone call from Vinson, he rushed over at once. Upon his arrival, he finally


    realized what Arielle had been up to all this while.


    ¡°You should stop doing such dangerous things. Although Vinson didn¡¯t say anything, he¡®s very worried


    about you,¡± Harvey reminded her.


    Thetter took a sip of water and smiled at Vinson.


    I certainly know that he¡¯s worried sick about me, but I had no better option. Otherwise, these children


    wouldn¡®t have survived.


    ¡°This child is the son of Be¡®s sister. Please bring him back home, but don¡®t tell them we found him,¡±


    Vinson went to the room and carried the baby out in order to pass him to Harvey.


    ¡°Ask Lorraine toe back. Sannie and l have our hands full, as we have three other children to take


    care of.¡±


    Harvey stretched out his arms and received the baby.


    His eyes widened in disbelief when he heard what Vinson said. ¡°Three more kids?¡±


    Vinson nodded. ¡°They wanted to use the children for experiments. If Sannie didn¡¯t sneak into theb,


    these kids would have lost their lives then and there.¡±


    Harvey was from the military. He had faced many life and death experiences and especially loathed


    such cruel acts. Never in a million years had he imagined the queen mother of Turlen to be involved in


    one. To him, it was simply uneptable!


    Thankfully, Aaron now reigns as king. Otherwise, God knows how many more innocent lives will be


    sacrificed at the researchb!

 Chapter 1730

    Chapter 1730


    ¡°What about these three? Aren¡¯t you sending them home too?¡± Harvey was puzzled.


    ¡°We can only do that once we know who their parents are. Meanwhile, we¡¯ve decided to keep them


    with us since they¡¯ve grown closer to Sannie. If we change their guardian now, I¡¯m afraid it will take


    time for the kids to familiarize themselves with the new person,¡± Vinson replied.


    The Nightshire couple loved children. Although those kids were not their own, they did not mind


    fostering them for a short period of time. Moreover, they thought of doing a good deed to build good


    karma for their future child.


    Harvey knew that Be¡¯s sister and her family were utterly dejected and devastated due to what


    happened to their son. Hence, he bid the Nightshire couple farewell and quickly asked Sonia to contact


    Be.


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    Sonia did not know that it was Arielle who found the baby. When she saw Harvey carrying the child


    home, she got so worked up. In less than half an hour, Be arrived with her sister and brother-inw.


    When the couple saw that their baby did not lose any weight but gained some, on the contrary, they


    heaved a sigh of relief and knelt down before Harvey.


    Having their most precious asset back in their arms, they were rendered speechless and did not know


    how to express their gratitude to Harvey.


    Harvey swiftly turned and got them up on their feet again.


    ¡°Nothing else matters more than having the child found safe and sound. Please look after him properly


    in the future.¡±


    The couple was overwhelmed by the joy of getting their son back. Be¡¯s sister lowered her head and


    kept kissing her baby from his cheeks to his forehead.


    Be did not expect that her nephew would be found so quickly, especially when there had been no


    news about him. She had thought that it would cost her family an eternity of struggle to locate the child.


    Her sister¡¯s inws had given up searching for the boy and had been channeling their focus into


    pressuring the couple to give birth to a second baby.


    Be¡¯s sister had been so enraged by that that she had almost requested a divorce. Now that her


    nephew was found, Be was d that her sister did not need to go through emotional turmoil or a


    divorce anymore.


    After Be and her family left, Sonia asked Harvey where he found the baby, to which Harvey came


    clean with her and told her all about the researchb.


    Sonia was extremely shocked to learn that Arielle would undergo tremendous danger to save a child


    who had no rtion to her.


    No wonder she bought so many baby products! She has already nned to infiltrate the dangerous


    ce on her own.


    When Sonia heard that Arielle had also saved three other children, she was so impressed by her


    bravery and respected her even more. It was obvious that Sonia now viewed Arielle as her idol.


    ¡°Harvey, I want to go see Ari. It¡¯s been a while since Ist saw her,¡± Sonia pleaded in a child-like


    manner, wrapping her arms around Harvey¡¯s.


    Since Harvey had initially nned to send Lorraine back to Arielle, she brought Sonia along and


    fulfilled her wish.


    Lorraine had longed to return to Arielle the moment she heard that thetter was back. However, she


    could not bring herself to request so because of the history of her kidnapping Sonia. Moreover, Arielle


    wanted her to stay with Sonia and protect her.


    She waspletely taken aback when Harvey broke the good news to her, but she tried her best not


    to show the delighted expression on her face. However, Lorraine felt rather awkward traveling together


    with Sonia.


    Her brows snapped together when she nced at Sonia¡¯s baby bump.


    She¡¯s going to deliver soon¡­ Oh well, I¡¯d better keep my mouth shut. After all, Harvey has agreed to


    bring her along.


    Without further ado, Lorraine went back to her room to pack her things before leaving with the rest for


    Arielle¡®s.


    Halfway through their journey, Lorraine noticed that something was off about Sonia. Lo and behold,


    Sonia¡¯s expression changed drastically.


    Oh no, did I jinx it? Please don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s going to deliver a baby soon!


    Before Lorraine could pose a question to confirm her doubt, Sonia broke the silence. ¡°H-Harvey, I-I


    think¡­ I¡¯m inbor¡­¡±

 Chapter 1731

    Chapter 1731


    When Harvey heard that his wife was going to give birth anytime soon, he tried hard to suppress his


    anxiety and consoled her instead. ¡°Hang in there, Darling. Don¡¯t be scared. I¡¯ll drive you to the hospital


    now.¡±


    If one were to listen carefully, they would be able to notice a quaver in his voice.


    ¡°I know¡­ I-I¡¯m not scared¡­¡± Sonia was sweating profusely when she said that.


    Meanwhile, Lorraine whipped out her phone to call Arielle and informed her that they would not be able


    to go to her ce because of the emergency.


    Arielle was so happy for Sonia that she could greet her baby soon after nine months of pregnancy.


    ¡°Ask Harvey which hospital is he headed to and then send me the location. I¡¯ll be right there after


    making arrangements for the children,¡± said Arielle.


    Lorraine had the speaker turned on. Hence, Harvey heard exactly what Arielle said, and he responded


    immediately with the name of the hospital. It was located quite a distance away, but it was the best


    hospital.


    Upon hanging up the phone, Arielle called up the doctor she had hired to request more hands to help


    babysit the children. She offered a lucrative package at five hundred a day, which fetched her many


    good responses.


    Soon, she managed to shortlist and hire three individuals for the job. Two of them were responsible for


    babysitting the children, whereas the third one was in charge of preparing daily meals. After assigning


    the tasks ordingly, Arielle and Vinson left for the hospital.


    Meanwhile, Harvey had justpleted the admission procedures for Sonia. Lawrence and Kelly


    rushed to the hospital as soon as Lorraine informed them about the news.


    ¡°Keep walking during activebor, Sonia. It helps to speed up the delivery,¡± Kelly held Sonia as they


    walked around the ward for a few rounds.


    However, Sonia could not bear the pain and refused to move a muscle.


    With an arm on her waist, she furrowed her brows and grumbled, ¡°I can¡¯t take this anymore.¡±


    As much as Kelly felt sorry for Sonia, she had to stay rational and encourage Sonia to do what was


    beneficial.


    ¡°Come on, Sonia, you can do it. If you stop taking walks now, the intensity duringbor will increase


    even more. Let¡¯s walk a bit more so that you will have a smooth delivery that is less painful,¡± Kelly tried


    her best to convince Sonia, but thetter turned a deaf ear.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you that I¡¯m in great pain. Why are you forcing me to walk? I knew it. You don¡¯t love me at


    all¡­¡±


    Instantly, Sonia bawled her eyes out. Harvey, who was watching her, felt so helpless.


    ¡°Mom, just let her be if she doesn¡¯t want to walk anymore. Alternatively, we can opt for a cesarean,¡±


    uttered Harvey while gently wiping the tears off Sonia¡¯s face.


    Sonia became upset. She rejected the idea, for it would leave a scar on her belly.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want a cesarean. I want a natural birth!¡± Sonia told Harvey.


    Subsequently, she dug her fingers into Harvey¡¯s arm and endured the pain. ¡°l¡®ll just keep walking¡­¡±


    Arielle, who was standing at the door, witnessed the scene and shed a faint smile. As a doctor, she


    had heard that the benefits of talking walks during pregnancy were plentiful.


    Two hourster, Sonia was sent into thebor room, leaving the rest waiting outside. Harvey paced


    back and forth anxiously. When he heard Sonia¡¯s screams, he wished that he could give birth on her


    behalf.


    Another two hours had passed, and the doors to thebor room finally opened. A nurse came out with


    a baby cot, announcing, ¡°Congrattions, it¡¯s a boy!¡±


    ¡°Nurse, where¡¯s my wife? How is she?¡±


    Harvey could not care less about the baby. All he could think of was Sonia.


    ¡°She¡¯s doing well. She will be out after two hours of observation.¡±


    Harvey was relieved upon hearing that. Then, he gazed at the baby in the cot, and his heart softened at


    that instant.


    This is my own flesh and blood, my son¡­


    Kelly, on the other hand, was worried that it would be bad for the baby if he stayed in the corridor for


    too long. Thus, she pushed the cot to the ward, leaving the Nightshire couple and Harvey outside of the


    labor room.


    Right when Sonia was about to exit thebor room, a voice could be heard shouting frantically, ¡°Oh no!¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

 Chapter 1732

    Chapter 1732


    Knowing that Sonia was the only patient inside, Harvey became worried. Suddenly, he saw another


    group of doctors rushing into the room.


    ¡°May I know what happened to thedy? I¡¯m Dr. Moore, a doctor invited by His Majesty to give lectures


    in your country. I can lend a hand if there¡¯s an emergency,¡± Arielle stopped one of the nurses and made


    her intention clear.


    The nurse¡¯s eyes glittered with hope when she heard that.


    ¡°She¡¯s bleeding extensively. Let me lead you to the changing room to get ready,¡± the nurse replied as


    she ushered Arielle to get changed.


    Two minutester, they returned.


    ¡°Ari, I beg you to save her, please¡­¡± Harvey pleaded with a pair of red-rimmed eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡±


    After leaving him with that assurance, Arielle entered thebor room, only to realize that Sonia¡¯s


    situation was rather critical. She had fallen unconscious because of losing too much blood, and her


    blood system did not seem to function well.


    ¡°Help me perform an arterial blood gas test. Her pulse is exceptionally weak. What¡®s her blood count


    now? And thectic acid?¡±


    ¡°Her blood count is seven point four, whereas thectic acid value has hit four!¡±


    Arielle knew that Sonia¡¯s situation was extremely critical.


    She walked toward her and looked her in the eyes. ¡°I¡¯m here. Don¡¯t be afraid. Don¡®t worry too much.¡±


    Sonia responded to herforting words with a nod.


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling a bit dizzy¡­¡± Sonia said in a feeble voice.


    She was so weak at that time.


    Arielle held her hands tightly and whispered in her ears, ¡°It¡¯s normal to feel dizzy because you lost


    some blood. Don¡¯t overthink things. Everything will be just fine.¡±


    The medical knowledge of the healthcare providers in Turlen was quite poor. They did not handle


    Sonia¡¯s case well. In fact, all of their actions were guided by Arielle step-by-step.


    Finally, they managed to stabilize Sonia¡¯s pulse and blood pressure.


    Five hourster, Arielle exited thebor room.


    Harvey darted over as soon as he saw the sight of her.


    ¡°Sonia¡­ How is she?¡± he asked in a hoarse voice.


    He was terribly afraid to hear any bad news. Arielle knew how worried he was. Hence, she updated him


    right away.


    ¡°She¡¯s okay now. Afterward, she will be transferred to the ICU for another two to three days of further


    observation until her vital signs bepletely normal. By then, she can return to the regr


    ward.¡±


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    Harvey could not help but feel perturbed by the fact that Sonia had to stay in the ICU.


    Arielle assured him that it was the regr procedure and that Sonia would recover in no time.


    Half an hourter, the nurse sent Sonia to the ICU. Harvey only got to see her during the short journey


    when they pushed her out of thebor room until she arrived at the ward. Seeing the exhausted and


    asleep Sonia, Harvey wished he could bear the pain for her in any way possible.


    ¡°Go and apany your son in the ward. Sonia doesn¡¯t need you here,¡± urged Arielle.


    While Harvey was fretting outside thebor room, Kelly and Lawrence were waiting for Sonia¡¯s return to


    the ward.


    After two to three hours, their patience ran out, and they became anxious. They called Harvey, only to


    learn that Sonia was in a medical emergency, suffering from significant blood loss.


    At that moment, Kelly¡¯s legs turned to jelly. She wanted to dash toward thebor room, but Lawrence


    stopped her.


    He thought that it was better for Kelly to remain in the ward and take care of their grandson as there


    was nothing she could do in thebor room.


    With Sonia in the ICU for further observation, Harvey felt he ought to break the news to her parents and


    ease their concerns.


    He agreed with Arielle and decided not to hang around the ICU. Subsequently, he met up with his in-


    laws and updated them about Sonia¡¯s condition. Her parents were relieved when they heard that Sonia


    could be discharged from the ICU once she recovered in several days.


    Arielle then got herself changed. When she got out of thebor room, Vinson walked arm in arm with


    her to visit Harvey¡¯s newborn.


    Suddenly, Vinson made a statement. ¡°Sannie, I think it¡®s best we don¡¯t have any children¡­¡±

 Chapter 1733

    Chapter 1733


    Arielle came to an abrupt halt when she heard that. She then gave Vinson a sidelong nce.


    ¡°Can I take it that you were quite shocked by what happened today?¡± Without awaiting an answer, she


    went on to remark cheerfully, ¡°Actually, Sonia¡¯s experience isn¡¯t ubiquitous across every pregnancy.


    There are some¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t allow anything bad to happen to you, Sannie,¡± Before Arielle could finish, Vinson suddenly


    pulled her into his arms and held her fast. ¡°I have you, and that¡¯s enough for me.¡±


    Given a choice between her and a child, he would choose her without question every single time. He


    did not wish for anything untoward to befall her, nor would he venture to risk the prospect of that


    happening.


    Arielle had not expected the events of the day to bring out such a visceral reaction from Vinson,


    especially not to the extent that he would not even want to have children anymore.


    That did not sit right with her, for she still wanted to experience parenthood even if he did not share in


    her enthusiasm for it. She decided against forcing the issue when she saw how traumatized he was,


    and it also urred to her that it might be more prudent to counsel him at ater time.


    The thought of that prompted her to pat Vinson reassuringly on the back. ¡°I know that.¡±


    As they were inside the hospital, they only hugged briefly before separating.


    Vinson held her hand while they entered the ward. When the couple stepped inside, they spotted


    Harvey with his head bowed. He was peering at the infant inside the crib.


    A usually stoic man, his eyes, at that moment in time, evoked an indescribable tenderness. That was


    probably the sensitive side that belied his hard-man persona.


    ¡°I have myself a son now, Vinson¡­¡± When he saw the husband and wife pair make their way in,


    Harvey lifted his head to regard Vinson with sheer exhration.


    The Jupiters¡¯ lineage would be set to continue now that he had gotten himself a son. Reminded of the


    photo that had just been sent to Harrison, the bratty Jared immediately took one on his end and sent it


    back the other way. Inside that photo, Harrison was shown wiping his own eyes.


    That informed Harvey that his own grandfather was so overwhelmed that he was shedding tears of joy.


    ¡°Congrattions on bing a father,¡± said Vinson, patting Harvey on the shoulder.


    Being the first among the four to get hitched, he was initially convinced that he could very well be the


    first to have a child of his own as well. Hence, it came to him as a bit of a surprise that Harvey


    managed to get in ahead of him when it came to embracing fatherhood.


    After what transpired on the day, however, he had dismissed all notions of having Arielle conceive.


    He no longer had the desire to conceive a child and especially not through a process that would subject


    his own wife to undue risk. He simply could not bear living in a world without her in it.


    ¡°Thank you for today, Princess. If not for you, Sonia would have¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It was fortunate that you were around, Arielle. Without you, I dread to imagine¡­¡±


    Soon after Harvey arrived in the ward, he rted what had happened prior to Sonia¡¯s parents. When


    they learned that Arielle had gone in to save her, they were both filled with a profound sense of


    gratitude. That was why the two of them were taking turns to thank Arielle when they saw thetter.


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    ¡°This isn¡¯t necessary. Sonia is my friend. I just did what I could for her,¡± Smiling subtly as soon as she


    was done talking, Arielle then went on to check on the baby inside the crib next to her.


    The sight of the tiny infant inside the crib melted her heart. Though the child was still very young, she


    could already tell that he was an amalgamation of Harvey and Sonia¡¯s best qualities.


    She found the little round mound who puckered his lips every once in a while to be exceedingly lovable.


    Thus, she could not resist extending her index finger to tease his cheeks.


    Basking under the warm glow of the light, the genial woman with her head lowered impressed herself


    as being particrly kindly, and the motherly vibe she exuded instantly made Vinson¡¯s heart sink.


    She likes children so much. Would I be robbing her of her right to be a mother by not wanting us


    to conceive?


    No¡­ Whatever the case, I will not allow myself to waver!


    As much as he did not want to expose her to danger, watching her y with the baby and seeing how


    much she loved children only served topound his own apprehension.


    The thought of that caused him to nod discreetly. He felt he had juste up with the perfect


    alternative which would enable Arielle to experience motherhood while also avoiding the agony of child-


    bearing.

 Chapter 1734

    Chapter 1734


    A series of heart-rending shrieks were hearding from an apartment at an unspecified location.


    ¡°Hang in there, Your Majesty. They should be returning with the medication in a bit¡­¡±


    Though she had suffered burns of her own, Monisha endured her own physical pain to offer Nancy


    comfort.


    Being the first time Nancy had ever been that aggrieved, her hatred for Aaron had thus reached boiling


    point. She would not have been made to suffer so much if not for him.


    What made it worse was that he had actually instructed the hospital to turn away bum victims, and


    clinics to decline selling medication for the treatment of burns. To her, he was obviously trying to push


    her to the brink.


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    Outside, in the living room, Linda looked toward the Duke and shook her head. ¡°We can¡¯t purchase any


    medication for treating burns anywhere.¡±


    The Duke¡¯s dour mood was palpable on his face.


    It is truly unexpected that this king would be so devious as to use such means to force the queen


    mother to reveal herself.


    Scoffing, he then knocked on Nancy¡¯s door. ¡°That grandson of yours seems to have inherited your


    ruthlessness. I think you may have to endure it, as it looks likely that we won¡¯t be able to acquire


    treatment options no matter where we look.¡±


    Nancy¡¯s fingers tightened against themselves when she heard his words from where she was inside


    the room.


    ¡°Do you still have my phone?¡± she asked through gritted teeth.


    The Duke motioned to Linda with his eyes, and thetter picked up Nancy¡®s phone. Opening the door,


    she passed that along to Nancy before she backed out and closed off ess to thetter¡¯s room


    behind herself.


    ***


    Over at the Nighy residence, Matthew had been seated inside his study ever since he learned that


    Nancy had been burned to death. He was unable to wrap his head around how the woman he had


    made love to just a few days ago could have abruptly met such a fiery end.


    How did the prison catch fire?


    There hasn¡¯t been an instance of such a disaster in decades, so how could one have suddenly gone off


    less than two days into Nancy¡¯s incarceration?


    He had his doubts about how the whole affair came about, with Arron, in particr, being his prime


    suspect.


    Can he really not tolerate Nancy¡¯s existence?


    He was already nning to approach her in a couple of days with the aim of convincing her to


    relinquish the power she wielded in view of enjoying her own retirement.


    So what¡¯s the rush? At the end of the day, she¡¯s still his own grandmother. Isn¡¯t there any room at all


    left in his heart for her?


    Melissa felt terrible seeing how her husband had shut himself away inside his study after learning of


    Nancy¡¯s passing,


    She had been in the belief that she had managed to touch his heart and move him, only to realize that


    she had moved only herself, for he had only demonstrated himself to be that much more attached to


    the other woman.


    Silently, Melissa stood before the door to the study while a tear rolled off the corner of her closed eyes.


    ¡°From this day on, I am no longer in love with you, Matthew¡­¡±


    Melissa turned around and headed downstairs. This time, she had well and truly given up on him.


    Less than a few minutes after her departure, Matthew¡¯s phone started ringing. That ruckus did enough


    to bring him back to his senses. When he picked up the phone to have a closer look at the disy,


    what he saw made him shoot up to his feet.


    Isn¡¯t she dead? How is she still able to call me?


    Bereft of the courage to answer, he clutched the phone in his hands until the caller hung up.


    Just as he was contemting, whoever was in possession of Nancy¡¯s phone called in again. He


    lowered his head and still dared not answer it when he saw that it was made from that same number.


    It was a rey of the same scenario over and over between him and the caller until a text message


    came ining up to the fifth or sixth time he failed to pick up. What he saw of its contents


    immediately caused his eyes to widen in astonishment.


    Scarcely believing what he was seeing, he rubbed his own eyes before he read on. A thorough


    examination of the contents of the message then left him inexplicably overwhelmed.


    Suddenly, the phone went off again, and this time, he picked it up and responded without hesitation.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer any of my calls, Matthew?¡± Nancy was a little miffed at failing to reach him


    repeatedly.


    It was only upon hearing Nancy¡¯s own voice that Matthew was duly convinced that she indeed still


    lived.


    Before he could seek an exnation for how that came to be, he heard Nancy say, ¡°Matthew, I need


    your help with something¡­¡±

 Chapter 1735

    Chapter 1735


    For reasons unknown, Matthew reflexively wanted to turn Nancy down when he heard that she wanted


    a favor from him, but ultimately, he held himself back from uttering whatever he was on the cusp of


    saying.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Matthew¡¯s response was rather muted. He might be inclined to help if it was a modest request but


    reckoned that he might not be able to handle anything beyond that.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been badly burned in the fire. That little bastard Aaron has stationed men at all the hospitals and


    clinics demanding to screen every personing in to purchase medication for burns or receive


    treatment for it. So I¡­¡±


    Matthew caught the gist of what she was trying to convey even before she was done talking.


    Aaron¡¯s maneuvers are intended to flush out her whereabouts. It would seem that that fire was set by


    her rescuers, who did not expect things to get so out of hand that Nancy herself had gotten hurt in the


    process.


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll try to get you those meds.¡±


    After he hung up, Matthew then wracked his brains trying to figure out how he might be able to get his


    hands on what she needed.


    Must l burn myself in order to get that medication to send to her?


    ***


    Two dayster, Sonia was discharged from the ICU. She immediately burst into tears the second she


    caught sight of Harvey.


    While she was bleeding out and close to death, the one person she could not bear to leave behind was


    neither her aged parents nor her newborn child, but that man whom she had dated for barely a few


    months prior.


    ¡°Why are you crying? Are you hurting somewhere?¡± Upon seeing her sniveling, Harvey used his fingers


    to brush away her tears before kissing her gently on her face.


    ¡°Where is the baby? How is he doing?¡± Sonia asked softly.


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    ¡°He¡¯s doing great. Eating well and sleeping soundly too.¡±


    Harvey regarded her with affection in his eyes. ¡°Thank you, Darling, for everything you had to go


    through to bear me a child.¡±


    Following that, he ced a bouquet of fresh roses in her hands. Those roses she was presented with,


    coupled with hearing Harvey¡¯s words, left Sonia profoundly moved.


    What is he even saying? That I bore him a child?


    It¡¯s not as though the baby belongs to him and only him. I¡¯m the baby¡¯s mother too¡­


    Nevertheless, his words made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside.


    ¡°Have you sent a photo of the baby to Grandpa yet?¡± a frail Sonia asked. ¡°I¡¯m sure that he would be


    delighted to know that the baby was born.¡±


    The thought of Harrison back home in Chanaea put a smile on Sonia¡¯s face.


    ¡°Yeah, I did that yesterday. Grandpa was very concerned and was extremely upset to learn that you


    had bled a lot. He insisted that you video call him after you have been discharged.¡±


    His lips reflexively lifted up when he was reminded that Harrison had Sonia in his thoughts.


    Harvey wished to be able to take Sonia and his baby home after the dust had settled and hoped that


    Aaron would be able to quickly implement some change in legition so that he could bewfully


    married to Sonia and also host a grand wedding for her.


    Owing to legal restrictions, he and Sonia were yet to be able to collect their marriage certificate and


    remained in a state of cohabitation. Despite the numerous applications they had submitted, Kelly¡¯s


    attempts to help them in this regard had been repeatedly thwarted by Lawrence.


    While they chatted, he wheeled Sonia into the hospital confinement center. That was an arrangement


    that had been made prior to Sonia giving birth.


    The moment they passed through the door, they could straightaway spot Kelly, who was in the midst of


    feeding bottled milk to the baby.


    ¡°How are you holding up? Do you feel unwell in any way?¡± asked Kelly promptly when she saw Harvey


    pushing Sonia in.


    Had the baby in her arms not needed her attention, she would have gone to pick Sonia up alongside


    Harvey.


    Sonia shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine, actually. Just feeling a little weak, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°How can you not be after losing so much blood?¡± Kelly was looking quite distressed. ¡°Over the next


    couple of months, you should try to ignore everything else and focus on nursing your own body back to


    health first.¡±


    ***


    It was not known how Matthew did it, but he managed to secure the medication for treating burns,


    which he subsequently dropped off at the location Nancy designated.


    While Nancy looked at the medicine that had been delivered, her eyes narrowed, for another idea


    sparked within her.

 Chapter 1736

    Chapter 1736


    One month passed in the blink of an eye. Over that stretch, Aaron had not been able to find any traces


    of Nancy no matter what he tried.


    Although he could not locate her, he had beenrgely sessful at reiming the power that Nancy


    once wielded.


    His intention in tracking her down was solely for the purpose of seeing her brought to justice in the


    letter of thew.


    In that month¡¯s time, Aaron had sent out the word everywhere to have the family of the three children


    found. His concerted efforts had ultimately proven fruitful in the end, and he only just had someone


    send over to take those three children off Arielle¡¯s hands.


    ¡°I did find it quite tiring when the three of them were around, Vinson, but right now, I really could not


    bear to have them returned to their family so suddenly,¡± Arielle leaned against Vinson, appearing to be


    quite despondent.


    Vinson held her. She was by no means the only one who felt the emptiness that apanied this


    sense of loss.


    Though Arielle had requested help from that handful of rtives in the care of those children, she could


    only ask them to do so over a few days, as thetter, after all, also had families of their own to contend


    with.


    The rest of the time was split between the trio of Arielle, Lorraine, and himself, who had ta ken turns to


    look after those three wee ones.


    As such, that unexpectedly swift separation would certainly require some adjustments to be made on


    their own part.


    ¡°We could ask Aaron for their address if you really miss them. We could visit them when we are able


    to,¡± said Vinson as he caught her hand and brought it closer to his own lips for a kiss.


    ¡°I think we should let it go. We¡¯ll be headed back after things are settled here. So should we ever grow


    too attached to them¡­¡±


    Even though Arielle had yet to finish, Vinson could understand what she meant.


    Unwilling to see her sad, Vinson gave it some thought before he said, ¡°Let¡¯s adopt a kid from the


    orphanage after we are home.¡±


    Arielle looked up at him in surprise.


    He really doesn¡¯t want me to conceive!


    Having spent considerable time with those three children, she was under the impression that he had


    already grown fond of them and moved on from not wanting her to be pregnant. Unexpectedly, he


    still remained steadfast toward that line of thinking.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk, Vinson.¡± Removing herself from his embrace, Arielle sat up straight to regard him in earnest.


    Regarding her in confusion, Vinson wondered what she wanted to say.


    Seems kind of serious?


    ¡°What would you like to talk about?¡± Vinson looked at her warmly with unreserved affection.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to adopt any children, Vinson, and only wish for us to have one of our own.¡±


    When she noticed the shift in his expression, Arielle reached out to hold his hands reassuringly.


    ¡°I know that you¡¯re worried that whatever happened to Sonia could happen to me as well, but it¡¯s


    different for everyone. You can¡¯t let your undue worries and suppositions deny me the right to be a


    mother and your own right to be a father.¡±


    ¡°Sannie¡­ I¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be fine. Even if there should beplications, don¡¯t you have faith in the ability of the


    medical expertise we have back home to deal with them?¡±


    The earnest look on Arielle¡¯s face made it hard for Vinson to reply in the negative. He could only pull


    her in and hold her tightly.


    ¡°Give me some time to think this over¡­¡±


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    Seeing his stance soften put a smile on Arielle¡¯s face. She was determined to make him see things her


    way.


    ***


    Time flew by and another two weeks went by without news of Nancy.


    Aaron was rapidly losing patience in the pce. He was almost too eager to recapture her and to make


    her face the full brunt of thew in order to avenge his father and to deliver justice for those innocents


    whose deaths she had caused.


    ¡°She¡¯s done a pretty good job of hiding herself so far,¡± Arielle narrowed her eyes, and her lips curled up


    into a frosty smirk.


    ¡°I¡¯d really like to see how long she canst. Perhaps a month or two is tolerable, but I don¡¯t think she


    can take any more of it if this situation persists indefinitely.¡±


    In response, Vinson¡¯s lips curled up as well.


    He pulled her into his arms and whispered into her ears, ¡°Don¡¯t just keep fussing over her, Sannie. Why


    don¡¯t you think about me more often instead?¡±


    ¡°Think about you? Why?¡± Arielle was baffled.

 Chapter 1737

    Chapter 1737


    Vinson held her hand and kept mum. Right away, Arielle knew what was going on, so she blushed and


    pulled her hand back. While blushing uncontrobly, she kept staring at Vinson.


    This man is so naughty!


    Vinson pulled Arielle in and whispered in her ear, ¡°Can you feel my passion, Sannie? I¡¯ve missed you


    so badly.¡±


    As he spoke, she could feel a tingling sensation when his breath brushed against her earlobe.


    ¡°Vin¡­¡± The moment Arielle tried to talk, Vinson was already on top of her and was kissing her


    passionately.


    ***


    Meanwhile, the situation was rather grim for the Duke.


    ¡°What did you say? Someone took the batch of goods away? Who did it?¡± the Duke asked coldly.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t figured that out yet,¡± Mark lowered his head.


    He didn¡¯t expect someone to snatch the goods away as well. The Duke¡¯s expression turned gloomy


    when he heard that.


    ¡°Investigate the matter immediately! I want to know what happened in a week¡¯s time.¡±


    Mark knew it was his fault someone had taken the goods away, so he immediately turned around and


    left after receiving the Duke¡¯s order.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Before he left, he gazed deeply at Linda. In response, Linda shed him a subtle smile. He only left


    after seeing that smile of hers.


    ¡°Your Grace, I need to get something for Her Majesty,¡± With that, Linda was about to leave.


    Mark must be waiting for me outside. Ever since His Grace came, we haven¡¯t been together much.


    Unfortunately for her, the Duke called out to her before she could leave. Linda halted in her tracks and


    turned around to cast the Duke a confused gaze.


    ¡°Come here! Do you want me to repeat myself?¡± the Duke uttered, raising his brows.


    Seeing that, Linda quickly walked up to him.


    Suddenly, the Duke came around from the desk and bent her over the desk. He took off her skirt and


    started taking off his pants.


    Linda was stunned by his actions, and she only regained her senses when he had already prated


    her.


    ¡°Y-Your Grace¡­¡± Linda didn¡¯t expect him to force himself on her. ¡°Please¡­ Don¡¯t do this¡­ I-I¡¯m now


    Mark¡¯s girlfriend¡­¡±


    Upon hearing that, the Duke paused and asked, ¡°Have you had sex with him?¡±


    Linda nodded. She thought the Duke would let her go after being told that she had already had sex with


    Mark. However, the Duke couldn¡¯t be bothered.


    ¡°Y-Your Grace¡­¡± She wanted him to stop, but she ended up moaning every time she opened her


    mouth.


    Mark waited for her outside for half an hour. When he didn¡¯t see hering out, he thought the Duke


    was talking to her about something important. Therefore, he just drove away.


    The Duke kept Linda upied until eight that night.


    After getting out of there, Linda went back to the hotel and showered. When Mark got back, she was


    already in bed.


    Since it had been a long time since they had sex, Mark went to shower after along day at work. After he


    showered, he got into bed and cuddled with Linda. Before she knew it, he was already kissing her.


    However, the pain had Linda letting out a wail.


    Worried, Mark asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Linda noticed how concerned Mark looked, and she had no idea how to tell him about the sexual


    encounters she had had with the Duke.


    ¡°I¡­¡±

 Chapter 1738

    Chapter 1738


    She thought the Duke had given up on her and dumped her. That was why she got into a rtionship


    with Mark.


    Ever sinceing here, I noticed everything that Mark has done for me. That¡¯s why I agreed to be his


    girlfriend.


    However, she didn¡¯t expect the Duke to have sex with her again after he got there.


    I¡¯m sorry, Mark¡­


    ¡°Mark, I¡­¡± She couldn¡®t bring herself to say it.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t feel like having sex tonight, it¡¯s okay. I can wait.¡±


    With that, Mark pulled her into his arms. He was truly in love with Linda, and he didn¡®t mind the fact that


    she was once his boss¡¯ woman.


    While in his arms, Linda felt extremely conflicted. She gently wrapped her arms around his waist and


    pressed her face against his body. Despite her usual calmness, she started crying.


    Since then, she had given up on the Duke. She enjoyed Mark¡¯s kindness to her every day and the little


    surprises he brought her. In fact, Mark had unknowingly upied her heart.


    I¡¯ve betrayed Mark today and had sex with His Grace. Although I didn¡¯t initiate it, there were so many


    reasons I couldn¡¯t say no to him. I don¡¯t deserve Mark¡¯s love!


    ¡°Linda, why are you crying?¡± Upon feeling the tears on Linda¡¯s cheeks, Mark grew worried instantly.


    He let go of her and switched on the bedsidemp. ¡°What happened? Don¡¯t be scared, okay? I¡¯ll be


    here no matter what.¡±


    Linda got up and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mark. Let¡¯s break up!¡±


    Mark clenched his fists, and he was overwhelmed with sadness.


    After a long while, he asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Is it because he¡¯s here? Is that why you don¡¯t want me


    anymore?¡±


    In actuality, he had been bracing himself ever since the Duke got there. However, he didn¡¯t know it


    would happen so quickly. He still couldn¡¯t bear to let Linda go.


    ¡°Linda, please don¡¯t dump me¡­¡± Mark was a man who would rather bleed than cry.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    That night, however, he teared up.


    ¡°Mark, I¡¯m not worth it,¡± Linda said. ¡°Find yourself a good woman after this, okay?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone else but you,¡± Mark replied and kissed her on her lips.


    All he wanted to do was to tell her that she was the only woman in his heart, and he was eager to get


    intimate.


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Gradually, Linda was immersed in his passionate kiss.


    She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Mark was thrilled by her reaction.


    She actually doesn¡¯t want me to leave, does she?


    ¡°Ouch!¡± The pain Linda felt brought her back to her senses.


    Mark switched on the room lights and wanted to spread her legs to see what was wrong.


    ¡°M-Mark¡­¡± She tried her best to close her legs, but Mark had already seen it.


    He quietly helped her get dressed and got dressed before lying down next to her to hug her. Linda felt


    terrible when Mark kept mum.


    ¡°Mark, let¡¯s just break up!¡± she repeated.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if the Duke would ever have sex with her again, but she knew she couldn¡¯t face Mark


    anymore.


    His intentions toward me are pure¡­


    ¡°Go to sleep, okay? Don¡¯t overthink it,¡± Mark kissed her forehead.


    At the same time, his eyes were filled with raging emotions.


    I would definitely not do that¡­

 Chapter 1739

    Chapter 1739


    The next day, Mark was sent on a mission. The mission was supposed tost for five days, but he


    completed it in three days¡¯ time. He just couldn¡¯t wait to get home.


    ¡°Mark, let¡¯s break up, okay? I¡¯m not worthy of your love¡­¡± Linda was saddened when she saw the


    scars on Mark¡¯s body.


    I¡¯m just His Grace¡¯s toy. I¡¯m not worthy of anyone¡¯s love.


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    ¡°Linda, I¡®m never leaving you.¡±


    The mission he hadpleted was extremely dangerous, and he almost died while carrying out the


    mission.


    His Grace must¡¯ve known about my rtionship with Linda, and the mission was my punishment.


    Still, he was unfazed.


    I¡¯m going toplete whatever mission he gives me ande back alive to see the woman I love the


    most.


    ¡°Linda, I love you. No matter what happens, I¡¯m still going to love you. You¡¯re the apple of my eye.¡±


    Linda was touched by Mark¡¯s words. Right then, she wanted to have sex with him because she thought


    that was the only way she could repay his love for her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, stood


    on tiptoes, and kissed him.


    That time around, they had a wild night together, and they only fell asleep in each other¡¯s arms at


    dawn.


    When Linda woke up, she was alone in the room. After stretching her body, she went to take a shower


    in the bathroom.


    Shortly after she went to the bathroom, two men arrived outside her room.


    ¡°Your Grace, this is her room.¡±


    The Duke acknowledged it and said, ¡°Wait for me downstairs.¡±


    With that, he was about to knock on the door. However, he realized that the room was unlocked, so he


    just walked in. After getting into the room, he heard the sound of rushing watering from the


    bathroom, and he went inside.


    Linda was showering, so she didn¡¯t hear his footsteps approaching. When she heard the door open,


    she thought Mark had returned.


    With a smile, she turned around. Her expression changed immediately when she saw the Duke.


    That was the first time the Duke had seen Linda¡¯s naked body, and he was having an erection. His


    eyes were filled with rage when he saw the bite marks on her body.


    This b*tch! How dare she let Mark touch her?


    Infuriated, the Duke walked toward her and held her chin forcefully. ¡°You¡¯ve got balls, Linda.¡±


    He was holding her so tight that Linda felt the pain in her chin right away.


    Nheless, she said, ¡°Ever since the night you chased me away, I¡¯ve been sleeping with him. Since


    you don¡¯t want me around, why don¡¯t you just let us be?¡±


    Upon hearing her courageous words, the Duke gave a chuckle from the overwhelming fury.


    So she has been sleeping with Mark since that day¡­


    ¡°Very well, Linda. Even if I don¡¯t want you, I¡¯m still not letting any man near you,¡± he fumed.


    He then let go of her chin, grabbed her hair, and pressed her down toward the ground. ¡°Please me.¡±


    Linda refused to do as he said.


    I¡¯ve already said my piece, and l don¡¯t want to have anything to do with him anymore. I want to be with


    Mark. Why must he force me?


    ¡°Did you see the scars and injuries on Mark¡¯s body? If you don¡¯t want him to die, do as I say!¡± the Duke


    ordered.


    She¡¯s my toy. Even if l don¡¯t want her, no one¡¯s allowed to have her!


    The Duke was willing to forgive Mark the previous time. However, his eyes were filled with malignancy


    that day.


    That guy is worthless to me.


    Linda didn¡¯t know the man she had loved for the past five years was so despicable.


    How could he threaten me with Mark¡¯s life?


    ***


    Meanwhile, in the Nighy residence, Matthew¡¯s expression changed dramatically when he received a


    call from Nancy once again.

 Chapter 1740

    Chapter 1740


    In the bathroom, while kneeling in front of the Duke, Linda slowly reached out to unbuckle his belt.


    ¡°You know what to do. Just do it like how you did it all this while,¡± the Duke ordered.


    Although Linda was unwilling to please him, she couldn¡¯t bear to put Mark¡¯s life at risk.


    I¡¯m sorry, Mark¡­


    Linda grabbed the Duke¡¯s thighs and froze.


    Seeing that she had stopped doing what she was supposed to do, the Duke asked, ¡°Do you want Mark


    to die?¡±


    Left without a choice, Linda pleased him.


    Mark had just bought dinner for Linda. He was walking into the room with a smile on his face. When he


    heard the sound of moving water in the bathroom, he tiptoed toward the bathroom, thinking about


    scaring her. However, when he arrived at the entrance of the bathroom, he saw Linda kneeling on the


    floor.


    His glistening eyes widened with fury, and he clenched his fists. At that moment, he wanted to take the


    Duke down with him.


    Perhaps it was his intense gaze because Linda noticed his presence. She froze on the spot the


    moment she saw him.


    The Duke was enjoying the moment with his eyes closed. After sensing that Linda had stopped, he


    opened his eyes and saw her staring at the entrance. He turned to look in the same direction and saw


    Mark staring at the two of them.


    ¡°Buzz off!¡± the Duke bellowed.


    Instead of leaving, Mark dropped to his knees and begged, ¡°Your Grace, please give Linda to me. In


    return, I¡¯m willing to serve you till I die.¡±


    The Duke was infuriated.


    Since he doesn¡¯t want to leave. I shall just let him watch the woman he likes pleasuring another man.


    With that in mind, he barked at Linda, ¡°Remember what I said.¡±


    Linda knew what he was talking about. However, she didn¡¯t want Mark to see her in that state. ¡°Mark,


    leave. Even if His Grace is willing to let you have me, I won¡¯t leave with you. Who do you think you are?


    Do you think I would ever fall for you?¡±


    Mark was utterly heartbroken when he heard those harsh words. Still, he stayed on his knees.


    Linda had no choice but to stand up and mmed the door shut.


    Since he¡¯s not willing to leave, I¡¯ll just let him listen from the outside. Once he has thought things


    through, he¡®ll leave on his own.


    The Duke was furious at her action, and he immediately pulled her in. She tried her best not to let out a


    moan, but the more she did that, the rougher the Duke got.


    Mark was clenching his fists as he listened to Linda¡¯s moans. He was dying to rush in and kill the Duke.


    Yet, he didn¡¯t dare to do so because his younger siblings were at the Duke¡¯s mercy. If he failed to kill


    the Duke then and there, he wouldn¡¯t be able to bear the consequences.


    Meanwhile, the Duke wasn¡¯t keen on letting Mark listen to the sound of them having sex. He whipped


    out his phone and made a call. Within minutes, some men came and brought Mark away.


    After a while, the Duke put on his pants and nced at the worn-out woman on the floor. ¡°Treat this as


    a lesson. If something simr happens again in the future, you know what I can do.¡±


    With that, he left. Linda, on the other hand, just knelt there and stared nkly into thin air.


    I shouldn¡¯t have gotten close to Mark!


    When the Duke arrived downstairs, he told his men to let go of Mark.


    While staring at Mark with his emotionless eyes, the Duke said, ¡°You¡¯re the first person who dares to


    lay hands on a woman I¡¯ve slept with!¡±


    After saying that, the Duke whipped out a gun with a silencer and fired once directly at Mark¡¯s leg.


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    ¡°Treat this as a lesson. Remember this, no one¡¯s allowed to touch what¡¯s mine.¡±


    Mark fell to his knees, and blood was spilling out of his calf. The Duke merely nced at him before


    getting into his car and leaving the scene.


    Mark forced himself to stand up and limped back into the hotel. After taking the elevator upstairs, he


    nced at his room and Linda¡¯s room before walking into Linda¡¯s room without hesitation.

 Chapter 1741

    Chapter 1741


    ¡°Linda¡­¡±


    Upon entering the room, Mark, unable to endure it any longer, copsed onto the ground with a thud.


    The sound jolted Linda back to her senses. With no time to wear her slippers, she dashed out of the


    bathroom. When she saw Mark lying on the ground holding his leg, she felt as if someone had stabbed


    her in her heart. At the same time, it cemented her resolve to break up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call for an ambnce so that you¡¯ll be taken to the hospital¡­¡±


    Suppressing her urge to go to his side, she picked up the phone by the bed and made the call.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Mark didn¡¯t stop Linda, for he knew that only by recovering could he be stronger.


    ¡°Linda¡­¡±


    ¡°Mark, let¡¯s break up. We really are ipatible with each other,¡± Linda interrupted him as she came


    up to his side after putting on her clothes.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you know I got together with you because the Duke kicked me out. Back then, I assumed he


    had abandoned me, but little did I expect that wasn¡¯t the case at all. Mark, I loved the Duke for five


    years. During those five years, incidents like what happened in the bathroom happened plenty of


    times¡­¡±


    While Linda was speaking, she swept her hair to the side before looking out the window.


    ¡°You¡¯re just a tool to keep mepany while I¡¯m lonely. The Duke is the man I truly love.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­ I agree to the breakup,¡± Mark looked at her. ¡°Can I kiss you onest time? From today


    onward, we will go our separate ways and I¡®ll definitely¡­¡±


    Before he could say ¡°not bother you anymore,¡± Linda wrapped her hands around his neck and sealed


    his lips with a kiss. In response, he held her tightly in his embrace and kissed her passionately, as if he


    was condensing the kisses for the rest of eternity into a single moment.


    It wasn¡¯t until the paramedics knocked on the door that Mark finally let her go.


    Staring at her swollen lips, he dered in a raspy voice, ¡°From now on, we are strangers to each


    other¡­¡±


    No sooner had Mark spoken than he got to his feet and limped out the door. Before closing the door


    behind him, he gave Linda onest reluctant look.


    Back inside the room, Linda leaned against the door and covered her face, sobbing.


    She had thought that her feelings for the Duke were love. However, she now realized that Mark was the


    one she truly desired and he, too, loved her back.


    Outside, Mark walked out of the shadows and re-approached the door. Despite hearing the sobs from


    inside, he suppressed the urge to go back in and turned to leave instead.


    ¡°Linda, I¡®ll make sure that you are by my side for eternity,¡± Mark murmured under his breath before the


    paramedics carried him downstairs.


    That night, someone was fated to be sleepless.


    The next day, the Duke ordered Linda to move to his ce. With regard to the women whom he had


    slept with before, he wouldn¡¯t allow any other man to touch them even if they had fallen out of favor


    with him.


    If they were in Lightspring, she would have been ted by his invitation to move into his house.


    However, after tasting what true love was, she had no desire to stay there, and all she could think of


    was being together with her one true love. Unfortunately, she knew that it was nothing but wishful


    thinking.


    One weekter, Mark was discharged from the hospital. The first thing he did was to see the Duke.


    Upon learning of Mark¡¯s arrival, the Duke called Linda out and held her in his embrace in front of Mark.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± the Duke asked tly while lying on the couch with Linda by his side.


    Desperately restraining his urge to look at Linda and to avoid the gut-wrenching scene, Mark lowered


    his head and apologized, ¡°I admit my mistake. I shouldn¡¯t have coveted Linda and am willing to make


    amends.¡±


    Having heard his words, the Duke looked up at Mark.


    If he hadn¡¯tid a finger on Linda, I would definitely have put him to good use, taking his abilities into


    consideration. Nheless, now that he has apologized and is willing to redeem himself I¡¯ll give him


    this opportunity.


    ¡°You should go here¡­¡±


    Before he left, Mark gave the Duke an intense look before turning to leave.

 Chapter 1742

    Chapter 1742


    One weekter, Lorraine woke up in her apartment and prepared to go for a jog. The moment she


    opened the door, a white piece of paper fell by her feet, eliciting a curious frown from her.


    What¡¯s this? Who put it here?


    Leaning against the door, she scanned the surroundings outside but didn¡¯t notice anything. She picked


    up the paper, and upon reading its contents, she hurried back into her house.


    ¡°Boss, there¡¯s news about the queen mother,¡± Lorraine shouted as she strode to Arielle¡¯s door.


    Arielle, who had just woken up, came out upon hearing the words.


    ¡°News about the queen mother? From whom?¡± Arielle asked with narrowed eyes.


    Lorraine showed her the paper.


    After going through the contents, she asked with a frown, ¡°Where did this piece of papere from?¡±


    Lorraine pointed at the door. ¡°It was sandwiched by the door. I saw it fell down when I opened the door


    to go for my morning jog.¡±


    Clenching the piece of paper, Arielle narrowed her eyes at it.


    Who sent this? What is their purpose for telling me the queen mother¡¯s location?


    How do they know that the queen mother isn¡¯t dead and where she¡¯s hiding?


    Arielle¡¯s mind was filled with questions.


    ¡°Boss, should we head to the location to verify it?¡± Lorraine gave Arielle an eager look.


    ¡°Do you intend to go?¡± Arielle asked with raised brows.


    Lorraine nodded, for she was already bored to death there. Given that there was an opportunity to go


    out and get some air, she naturally wanted to seize it.


    ¡°Go ahead, then,¡± When she saw Lorraine turn around and return to her room right away, Arielle shook


    her head.


    She really is excited¡­


    Walking to the door, Arielle looked at Lorraine, who was in the midst of changing.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    She instructed, ¡°All you need to do is to confirm her presence there. Don¡¯t do anything hasty and


    always ensure your own safety.¡±


    Lorraine acknowledged Arielle¡¯s concern entirely.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be careful.¡± With that, she headed out.


    At the same moment, Vinson emerged from the room.


    ¡°Sannie, what do you n to do now that we have found the location of the market for the organ


    trade?¡±


    Torsten was still in their hands instead of being handed to Aaron. After the recent interrogation, they


    managed to force the location out of him. As a result, Vinson had sent his men to verify the location at


    once and had just received confirmation of its authenticity.


    ¡°We can let Aaron handle it. After all, it will be an achievement for him if he sessfully deals with it.¡±


    After giving it some thought, Arielle decided Aaron should step in. After all, he was the king, and that


    was his duty.


    If she were to take on the task, the most she could do was destroy the market and shattered their


    network. However, given how massive the web of rtionships was, Aaron was in a better position to


    resolve the matter for good.


    Upon hearing her suggestion, Vinson concurred with a nod.


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s go back to our home country,¡± Vinson suggested as he pulled her into his arms.


    Even though he didn¡®t voice it out, he was cognizant that she was worried about them and missing


    them too. After what happened to Dn, he knew that life was unpredictable and wanted to go home


    and spend time with her.


    Arielle fell into a dilemma at the mention of going home, as she had just received news about Nancy.


    Until Nancy was thrown into prison, there was no way her mind would be put at ease even if she went


    home.


    ¡°Vinson, why don¡®t we leave after the queen mother is caught? I want to see her facejustice with my


    own eyes.¡± Arielle would only feel that her revenge for her father wasplete once Nancy was


    punished by thew.


    Before Vinson could reply, the phone in their room rang. Dashing to pick up the phone, Arielle felt a


    sense of dread when she saw who was calling.


    She slid to answer immediately. ¡°Save me!¡±

 Chapter 1743

    Chapter 1743


    What¡¯s wrong? Where are you now?¡± Arielle had hardly spoken when the call ended abruptly.


    When she tried calling back, she couldn¡¯t get through at all.


    ¡°Vinson, we¡¯ll talk about going home when we¡®re free, all right?¡± Arielle put her phone in her pocket.


    ¡°Someone has brought us news about the queen mother. Hence, Lorraine went to check it out. She just


    called me for help, and I need to go save her now.¡±


    Just when she was preparing to leave, Vinson stopped her. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    With that, both of them loaded a gun each and set off in their car.


    Arielle had alreadymitted the location revealed by the paper to memory. Nevertheless, she wasn¡¯t


    sure if Lorraine was still there. Hence, while Vinson was driving, she took out her phone to hack


    Lorraine¡¯s phone so as to determine her location.


    ¡°Vinson, this is the location of her phone. Let¡¯s search for her there,¡± Arielle informed Vinson while


    staring at the information she had obtained.


    After giving her a nod, Vinson spun the car around and changed directions.


    As the road ended in an alley, both of them exchanged nces before stopping their car. With their


    backs against each other, they walked in carefully.


    ¡°Lorraine?¡±


    ¡°Lorraine?!¡± Arielle shouted a few times, but no one answered.


    ¡°Sannie, I think that¡¯s her phone!¡± All of a sudden, Vinson saw a blood-stained phone in the bushes by


    the wall.


    Arielle hurried over to retrieve the phone before giving Vinson a nod.


    With a stern expression, she replied, ¡°It is her phone!¡±


    The blood on her phone caused her heart to sink, as she had reached a dead end with regard to


    Lorraine¡¯s tracks.


    ¡°Vinson, I should have stopped her and personally came to verify the information.¡±


    It was the first time in her life that Arielle had felt a sense of remorse. If anything were to happen to


    Lorraine, she wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive herself for the rest of her life.


    When he saw how Arielle was ming herself, Vinson reassured her, ¡°No news might be good news


    now. Let¡¯s go and check the queen mother¡®s location to see if she¡¯s there. Perhaps the queen mother


    noticed Lorraine and took action against her.¡±


    Arielle nodded as a vicious glint shed across her piercing eyes.


    Once I get my hands on her, I¡¯ll make sure that she suffers a fate worse than death.


    Both of them then returned to the car with Lorraine¡¯s phone. While Vinson was driving, Arielle wiped the


    phone clean in absolute silence.


    Truth be told, Lorraine was just a driver she hired and not their subordinate. In spite of that, the former


    was willing to put herself in danger for Arielle¡¯s sake. As a result, the doubts Arielle harbored about


    Lorraine¡¯s loyalty were no more.


    When both ofthem arrived at the address ofthe apartment, they saw the entire ce crawling with


    armed guards. It was as if there was someone especially important inside.


    After exchanging a quick nce, both of them split up.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As the agile Arielle moved rapidly, her figure quickly disappeared. A few minutester, she emerged


    outside a room, with her body hanging off the wall and hidden by the surrounding greenery.


    ¡°Monisha, are you still not able to get in touch with them?¡± Nancy¡¯s hoarse voice rang out from the


    room.


    ¡°Ever since you disappeared, the king holds absolute authority. Their power has significantly been


    curtailed by the king hampering their attempts to help you despite their desire to do so,¡± Monisha


    answered.


    ¡°Aaron, he truly deserves to die! I shouldn¡¯t have spared him and made him king. He should have died


    together with Dn,¡± Nancy hissed upon hearing Monisha¡¯s report.


    Infuriated by the exchange, Arielle took out her silver-ted needles and attempted to shoot them at


    Nancy¡¯s body.


    ¡°Who goes there?¡±


    Arielle¡¯s hand froze momentarily before she put away her needles.

 Chapter 1744

    Chapter 1744


    Upon hearing the sound from outside, Nancy ordered Monisha, ¡°Go and check it out!¡±


    Soon, Monisha returned and reported that the guards saw a figure sh past. Suspecting that someone


    had infiltrated thepound, they had begun a search. The moment she heard the news, Arielle left in


    a sh. Having avoided the heavy patrols, she finally hid in the forest behind thepound.


    All of a sudden, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Her expression tensed up as she whipped out her silver-


    ted needles to attack.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sannie, it¡¯s me¡­¡± Only when Vinson¡¯s voice rang out did she pull back.


    If he hadn¡¯t said something in the nick of time, he would have been at the receiving end of her needles.


    ¡°I thought I was discovered,¡± Arielle whispered.


    Looking at him from the corner of her eye, she asked in a concerned tone, ¡°Did you manage to locate


    Lorraine?¡±


    Vinson shook his head. ¡°No.¡± He paused briefly. ¡°But I did find something else.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Vinson whispered the answer into her ear, causing her eyes to widen in shock.


    ¡°Drugs?¡±


    Vinson nodded with a grim expression.


    Arielle¡¯s expression drastically darkened, for drugs were something she utterly detested. Every year,


    there were plenty of police officers who lost their lives in the war against drugs.


    ¡°The information is correct. The queen mother is indeed inside.¡±


    After sharing their discoveries, both of them prepared to leave. They had to think of another n since


    Lorraine was nowhere to be found.


    ***


    Meanwhile, in a basement somewhere, Lorraine¡¯s blood-covered body was being strung up. With her


    hair strewn all over, she looked pathetically messy.


    Nearby, the Duke was sitting on a chair with his legs crossed.


    Staring at Lorraine, he questioned in an indifferent tone, ¡°Who sent you here?¡±


    If it wasn¡¯t because he had contraband stored there, he wouldn¡¯t have gotten his men to capture


    Lorraine. After all, he felt sentimental over the fact that she had worked for him before. Unfortunately,


    she had seen something that she shouldn¡¯t have.


    Staring at the Duke, Lorraine said inly, ¡°No one sent me. I just came here by mistake. It¡¯s up to you


    whether you believe it or not.¡±


    ¡°I would advise you not to be so stubborn. I¡¯m sure you¡®re aware of my methods once I find out that


    you¡¯re spying for someone.¡±


    The Duke¡¯s emotionless tone sent a shiver down Lorraine¡¯s spine.


    ¡°No one sent me, really,¡± Lorraine repeated, staring at him. ¡°I came here entirely by ident.¡±


    Faced with her refusal to confess, the Duke got to his feet.


    He nced at her and said, ¡°Since you¡®re unwilling to talk, I¡¯ll investigate it myself.¡±


    With that, he turned and left.


    Watching his leaving silhouette, Lorraine took a deep breath. She did not expect Nancy to be there, let


    alone encounter the contraband storage. If it wasn¡¯t because of her curiosity to find out more after


    discovering the clues, she wouldn¡¯t have been caught in the first ce.


    ¡°Your Grace, what should we do with her?¡± Linda, who was following the Duke out, asked.


    ¡°Keep her like that for the time being. We¡¯ll deal with her once the investigations are concluded,¡± the


    Duke replied.


    In truth, his intention was to recruit Lorraine because of her exceptional capabilities.


    After grunting softly in acknowledgment, Linda looked up instinctively when she heard the sound of


    footsteps. The sight of the approaching figure sparked a glint in her eyes and her heart began to pound


    furiously.


    Mark snuck a greedy nce at Linda before turning his attention to the Duke and reported, ¡°Your


    Grace, I have sent out a batch of goods and the payment for it has also been received.¡±


    ***


    Meanwhile, Arielle, going back where she came from, suddenly pointed in front and asked, ¡°Vinson,


    look, what do you think that is?¡±

 Chapter 1745

    Chapter 1745


    Trailing the trajectory of Arielle¡¯s vision, Vinson narrowed his eyes when he saw the traces of blood on


    the floor.


    There¡¯s blood on Lorraine¡¯s phone, and there¡¯s blood here. It can only mean¡­


    As he exchanged nces with Arielle, the same thought popped into both their minds.


    Is this a clue that Lorraine left behind for us?


    ¡°Vinson, Lorraine might be trying to tell us something,¡± Arielle suggested.


    Vinson nodded to indicate his agreement.


    ¡°Let¡¯s follow the trail,¡± Arielle suggested amidst her concern for Lorraine.


    ¡°Sannie, security here is really tight, and there¡¯s no ce to hide in broad daylight. I think we should


    make our move at night instead,¡± Vinson held her back.


    Arielle could see the logic behind Vinson¡¯s words. Despite that, she was worried that by beingte, she


    would put Lorraine in danger.


    After Arielle voiced her concerns, Vinson fell silent. Even though the situation was unpredictable, he


    couldn¡¯t allow all three to have their safety threatened.


    ¡°You should head back to the car. I¡¯ll take a look around. If her life isn¡¯t in danger, we¡¯ll return at night to


    rescue her,¡± Vinson proposed.


    Although both of them were formidable fighters, it was still risky to go against such heavy security. A


    single mistake mightnd all three of them in trouble.


    Cognizant that Vinson was worried about her safety and of the fact that this was the only way, Arielle


    nodded. ¡°All right. Be careful¡­¡±


    Vinson gave her hair a tousle before disappearing from the site.


    After he was gone, Arielle narrowed her eyes in thought. Instead of going back to the car, she returned


    to her previous position to see if she could find out anything more from Nancy.


    ***


    Meanwhile, the Duke was impressed with Mark¡¯s capabilities. If thetter hadn¡¯t coveted someone he


    shouldn¡¯t have, his future prospects would¡¯ve been significantly brighter.


    Nevertheless, the Duke still needed Mark this time because he hadn¡¯t brought enough men over, it


    made no sense to deny an extra pair of hands. By the time the matter was settled, he would then give


    Mark¡¯s fate some proper thought.


    ¡°I still need you to deliver another batch of goods. This batch is of extreme importance, and any


    mistakes will not be tolerated,¡± the Duke instructed with a stern expression.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take extra precautions and deliver the goods safely to their destination,¡± Mark replied at once.


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. You can send them two dayster. For now, go and investigate what Vinson and


    Arielle are up to.¡±


    The mention of the two elicited a bloodthirsty smile from the Duke¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Is that all you need? Am I to check anything else?¡± Mark asked.


    ¡°Just do as you see fit.¡±


    With that, the Duke walked ahead with Linda following closely behind. After just taking a few steps, she


    turned around to look. When her eyes were met by Mark¡¯s passionate gaze, she quickly turned her


    head away.


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    As Mark watched their leaving silhouettes, his eyes were filled with longing and desire for Linda. His


    fists were so tightly clenched that throbbing veins surfaced on the back of his palm.


    Linda, wait for me!


    Mark dered in his mind as he followed them at a steady pace. It wasn¡¯t until both of them entered the


    study that he stopped in his tracks and left the apartment. Once they were in the study, the Duke gave


    Linda some instructions before heading off to Nancy¡¯s room.


    ¡°Your Majesty, isn¡¯t it time for you to fulfill your end of our bargain?¡± the Duke asked while leaning


    against the door.


    Nancy¡¯s heart sank at the words. It was just a matter of time before she had toe to terms with it.


    Regardless of how unwilling she was, there was no way for her to reject him. After all, her life was at


    stake.


    ¡°I¡¯ll hand it to you as soon as possible,¡± Nancy replied in a solemn tone.


    Whatever the Duke wanted was currently under the custody of Nancy¡¯s die-hard followers. Without her


    permission, no one was going to get their hands on it.


    Who is the man speaking? What sort of deal does he have with the queen mother?

 Chapter 1746

    Chapter 1746


    Sticking close to the wall, Arielle narrowed her eyes as the curiosity within her began to grow.


    ¡°You had better not try anything funny. Otherwise¡­¡±


    Although he didn¡¯t finish his sentence, Nancy was well aware of what he was trying to convey. She was


    taken aback by how sensitive the Duke was, and her expression drastically changed, for she indeed


    had other ns in mind. Unfortunately, he had seen through her before she could set them in motion.


    Suppressing the discontent within her, Nancy reassured the Duke in an obsequious tone, ¡°You¡¯re just


    overthinking it. Why would I renege on our deal, especially when I¡®m being hunted by the current king?


    I¡¯m not in a position to do such a thing at all. Don¡¯t let your imagination run wild. I¡¯m not going to try


    anything funny.¡±


    The Duke simply responded by giving her the side-eye. ¡°Good that you know.¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    With that, the Duke left her room.


    After he closed the door behind him, Nancy was so enraged that she would¡®ve swept the ss of water


    in front of her away if Monisha hadn¡¯t stopped her.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I understand that you¡¯re angry, but you have to bear with it for the sake of the bigger


    picture.¡± Holding Nancy¡¯s hand, Monisha continued, ¡°We still have to rely on the Duke now. If he hears


    you breaking the ss, the consequences aren¡¯t something we can afford to bear right now.¡±


    Monisha¡¯s words snapped Nancy out of her rage. Nheless, she couldn¡¯t deny the anger she felt.


    How can I, the queen mother of Turlen, fall into such dire circumstances?


    Closing her eyes, she felt hatred eating away at her heart.


    ¡°Aaron, if you hadn¡¯t locked me up, none of this would have happened. I¡¯m definitely not going to let


    you get away with it,¡± Nancy muttered through her gritted teeth.


    At that moment, she hated Aaron¡®s guts. If he hadn¡¯t thrown her into prison, she wouldn¡¯t have needed


    to ask the Duke for help, let alone lose half of her firearms.


    Setting aside their mary worth, the firearms could have helped her make aeback. However,


    they were now¡­


    Consequently, she had all the reasons to despise Aaron. Monisha, well aware of Nancy¡¯s resentment of


    Aaron, also felt that he had gone overboard.


    At the end of the day, she¡¯s still his grandmother and the person who raised him. How could he have


    done this to her?


    ¡°Monisha, take this item as a symbol of my authority to them tonight and tell them to prepare half of the


    firearms for the Duke to collect two dayster,¡± Nancy instructed as she took out a key-shaped jewel


    and handed it over. ¡°Don¡¯t go alone. Get the Duke to escort you with his men.¡±


    ¡°Firearms? The Duke?¡±


    Arielle never expected Nancy to be in possession of firearms. Furthermore, thetter was intent on


    giving out half of them in return for her rescue.


    Isn¡¯t she worried that the Duke would use the firearms to threaten Turlen? No, I can¡¯t let this happen.


    Arielle¡¯s eyes narrowed as her lips curled into a smirk. She would definitely not allow the firearms to fall


    into the Duke¡¯s hands nor let Aaron be threatened.


    With that thought in mind, she quickly sneaked back to the car and waited for Vinson to return.


    Soon, Vinson came back and quickly reported his findings to her, well aware that she was anxious


    about Lorraine¡¯s situation.


    ¡°She¡¯s here but is imprisoned in the basement. She¡¯s not in any imminent danger, so we cane


    back at night for her,¡± Vinson rted while driving back.


    It wasn¡¯t until she heard that Lorraine was safe for the time being that Arielle¡¯s mind was put at ease.


    She, too, shared with Vinson what she had learned.


    ¡°I need to inform Aaron about this so that he can confiscate the weapons,¡± Arielle said in a grim tone.


    Vinson nodded before asking curiously, ¡°Does Turlen have a duke?¡±


    Arielle blinked, as she wasn¡¯t sure about it.


    ¡°Let me ask Sonia,¡± Arielle fired off a message at once.


    After she read the reply, a grave expression descended upon her face.

 Chapter 1747

    Chapter 1747


    If there are no dukes here, who then is that duke? Can he be from another country?


    If my guess is correct, the queen mother would bemitting treason! In order to save her own skin,


    she put Turlen in danger by handing its firearms to a foreign duke.


    What if thetter uses the weapons against Turlen? What then should we do? How can she be so


    selfish?


    Arielle was incensed.


    ¡°She truly deserves to die!¡±


    If I had killed her back then, this business about handing firearms to the enemy wouldn¡¯t have


    happened.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Vinson asked with a cocked brow when he heard Arielle speaking through her gritted


    teeth.


    After Arielle rted the matter to him, Vinson felt that it was consistent with the queen mother¡¯s


    character.


    Considering that she¡¯s capable of killing her own son, why would she concern herself with the life of


    others?


    All she cares about is her own life and selfish interest.


    ¡°Luckily, you have stumbled upon their n. Now that we have an opportunity to salvage the situation,


    there¡¯s no need for you to be so worked up,¡± Vinson reassured her.


    Even though Arielle knew that her fury was unnecessary, she still couldn¡®t control her anger when she


    thought about the consequences of the firearms falling into the Duke¡¯s hands without their knowledge.


    ¡°Since Monisha is going to get the men to prepare the firearms tonight, should we raid them tonight or


    wait to do so two dayster when the Duke collects them?¡± Arielle asked Vinson.


    ¡°Let¡¯s seize the weapons when the Duke collects them,¡± Vinson replied after giving it some thought.


    That way, the Duke would think that Nancy was responsible for the raid because of her unwillingness to


    hand the weapons over.


    Once distrust had been sowed between them, their dissatisfaction with each other would break up their


    partnership, ending one of Nancy¡¯s escape routes.


    After he shared his thoughts with Arielle, thetter calmed down and felt that his proposal was an


    excellent one.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    Consequently, their initial n of capturing Nancy that night was also changed. Arielle now wanted to


    take Nancy into custody after thetter had broken ties with the Duke. By doing so, the Duke would no


    longer rescue her again.


    It was only then that she would spend the rest of her life in prison.


    For someone who was obsessed with power, being locked up was a fate worse than death itself.


    On top of that, the best revenge wasn¡¯t to take Nancy¡¯s life but to torment her till she broke down


    mentally from her failure to achieve her dreams. Thus, instead of heading back to the apartment, they


    traveled directly to the pce.


    Ever since Aaron took power, he had proimed that Arielle and Vinson could enter the pce freely.


    However, Celeste objected to the decision. Even though Arielle was his elder sister, she still resented


    her.


    ¡°Mother, do you think I alone have the power to take the queen mother down?¡± Looking at Celeste,


    Aaron added in a deep voice, ¡°We owe Arielle for all of this. It was she who treated me as her own


    brother and helped me discreetly. That¡¯s the reason I¡¯m the reigning monarch today.¡±


    Realizing how indebted they were to Arielle, Celeste withdrew her protests.


    Upon her arrival, Arielle rted everything that had happened to Aaron, who, in turn, was infuriated to


    learn of what Nancy had done.


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll send men to recover the firearms.¡±


    ¡°Monisha will be going over tonight to get them to prepare the weapons. You should have someone


    follow her. Tomorrow, have your men monitor the ce and seize the weapons when they attempt to


    move them.¡±


    Aaron¡¯s heart suddenly warmed when he saw how concerned Arielle was for him.


    ¡°I got it. I¡®ll do as you say,¡± Then he stared at the both of them and asked softly, ¡°Do you have time for


    lunch?¡±

 Chapter 1748

    Chapter 1748


    ¡°If you don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Arielle replied before Aaron could finish.


    Upon hearing her answer, Aaron looked at her in disbelief.


    ¡°Why are you staring at me?¡± Arielle¡¯s lips curled slightly when she saw the look on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t tell


    me you weren¡¯t serious?¡±


    Aaron immediately waved his hands in denial. ¡°Why would I do that? I¡¯m¡­¡±


    Before he finished his sentence, he, too, broke into a smile when he saw Arielle beaming.


    She¡¯s teasing me on purpose!


    Bursting intoughter all of a sudden, he felt that they hadn¡¯t interacted that way in a very long time. In


    fact, he missed the time they had spent on the ship when he first threatened her intoing.


    Lunch was quickly prepared, as the chef was still the same one who had served Dn. Since Arielle


    and Vinson had dined with Dn quite a number of times, he was naturally aware of their preferences.


    As a result, he meticulously prepared a feast consisting of their favorite food.


    During lunch, Ariellemented Dn¡¯s absence in her heart.


    Isn¡¯t this what he had always wanted to see?


    Aaron too had the same thought.


    If I had epted the fact that Arielle was my sister back then, would we be dining together with Father


    right now?


    The thoughts in their minds caused a sense of bitterness to descend upon them.


    After lunch, Arielle brought up the matter of the illegal organ trade.


    ¡°Once you have dealt with the queen mother, you have to take care of this. Given how massive the


    organ tradework is, you¡¯re in a much better position to deal with it.¡±


    Aaron nodded.


    ¡°As for the professors and doctors at the research facility, all of them are in my custody. You can just


    send your men to take them awayter.¡±


    Aaron continued to nod.


    As they had plenty to do still, Arielle and Vinson didn¡¯t stay any longer.


    Watching the two leaving silhouettes and thinking about how much both of them had done for him,


    Aaron couldn¡¯t resist calling out, ¡°Sannie, Vin!¡±


    Even though his voice was soft, it was still audible enough for both of them to hear.


    Vinson was still calm, but Arielle¡¯s eyes began to moisten. Turning around, she let go of Vinson¡¯s hand


    as she walked up to Aaron step by step.


    No sooner had she reached out her hand to gently pound him on the chest than she threw herself into


    his arms and hugged him tightly.


    Aaron, under the assumption that she was reluctant to acknowledge him as her brother, was surprised


    that she was already looking forward to it.


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    Stretching out his hands to return her hug, he yelled out beside her ear, ¡°Sannie, my dearest sister¡­¡±


    As both siblings finally acknowledged each other¡¯s existence, it made for a tear-jerking sight.


    Unfortunately, all Vinson felt was jealousy as he hurried up to their side.


    He scooped Arielle out of Aaron¡¯s embrace and remarked in a jealous tone, ¡°That¡¯s enough. You only


    get to hug her for a moment, so don¡¯t push your luck. If you still want to hug someone, go hug your wife


    instead.¡±


    Faced with Vinson¡¯s jealousy, Arielle felt helpless.


    He¡¯s a perfect man, other than being easily jealous.


    Setting aside the fact that they were once romantic rivals, Aaron actually admired Vinson a lot.


    Therefore, he didn¡¯t think Vinson was overreacting in any way. If their roles were reversed, he would


    likely respond to the situation in an even more dramatic manner.


    ¡°Vinson, I now hand my sister over to you, and you have to cherish her for the rest of her life,¡± Aaron


    dered earnestly while looking at Vinson.


    Vinson cocked a brow at him.


    Why is he stating the obvious? Of course I¡¯ll cherish my own wife.

 Chapter 1749

    Chapter 1749


    In the afternoon, both of them had an early dinner.


    As darkness began to fall, they drove to the apartment where Lorraine was being held. While they were


    still some distance away, they found a parking lot to stop their car.


    Under the cover of darkness, both of them, dressed in ck, disappeared into the night. Although it


    was alreadyte, the apartment was still brightly lit.


    Amidst the blurry scene, rows of guards patrolled the area vigntly. It was as if any movement would


    be easily picked up by them.


    As a patrol marched past, two shadowy figures scaled the walls in the southeast section of the


    compound before crossing the courtyard in a sh.


    When they arrived at the basement entrance, they swiftly picked the door lock before slipping into the


    room one after the other. In front of them was a moss-covered staircase that spiraled downward, and


    the lights on the walls would constantly flicker in the darkness.


    As Vinson hade in once in the morning, he smoothly led Arielle down the steps into the basement.


    Despite the dim lighting, Arielle quickly caught sight of Lorraine, who was strung up by her hands.


    Without wasting a second, Arielle, together with Vinson, rushed forward to free her.


    Lorraine¡®s body, having been strung up for a day, was covered with whipping wounds. Moreover,


    dehydration caused her to lose consciousness.


    Drawing out her silver-ted needles, Arielle inserted a few of them into Lorraine to wake her up.


    ¡°B-Boss¡­¡± The moment Lorraine opened her eyes and saw Arielle, she gave a weak smile. ¡°The


    queen mother¡­ S-She¡¯s really here¡­¡±


    ¡°I know. Don¡¯t speak. You need to save your strength.¡±


    Just as Arielle spoke, she was stopped by Vinson when she attempted to carry Lorraine on her back.


    ¡°Let me carry her. You should lead the way.¡±


    With that, he pulled Lorraine up and put her on his back. Having no time to waste, both of them hurried


    out.


    As Arielle charged forward, there were no guards in sight, just like how it was when they arrived earlier.


    Hence, she wondered if their enemies were being overconfident. When they were about to leave,


    Arielle even locked the door on purpose.


    ¡°Linda, I can¡¯t stand this any longer. Missing you is driving me crazy!¡± All of a sudden, a suppressed


    voice rang out, causing Arielle and Vinson to hide at once.


    ¡°Mark, you should leave quickly. If he finds you here¡­¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t bear it anymore. I just can¡¯t stop thinking about you¡­¡± Mark¡¯s voice was tinged with pain.


    ¡°Mark, a woman like me isn¡¯t worthy of¡­¡± Before she could finish, her lips were sealed by Mark¡¯s.


    Overwhelmed by his longing for her, he parted her lips with a passionate kiss.


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    At the same time, his hands began fondling her body.


    Meanwhile, the trio in hiding didn¡¯t expect to run into such an awkward situation in a ce like that.


    Nheless, they had gone through so much that a matter like that didn¡¯t surprise them at all. Instead,


    their biggest concern was whether they could escape safely with Lorraine.


    ¡°M-Mark¡­ Don¡¯t do this¡­¡±


    Struck by a sudden breeze, the lust-filled Linda was quickly brought back to her senses. ¡°Mark, even if


    you have no desire to live, I do. Can you stop this now?¡±


    Linda was fearful that their rendezvous would be discovered by the Duke. If it came to that, both of their


    lives would be in danger.


    Mark fell silent.


    ¡°You should go. I¡®ll have to take this food to the prisoner,¡± Linda said while straightening her clothes.


    She then looked at him and warned, ¡°Be careful and don¡¯t let him see you.¡±


    Knowing her concern for him, Mark gave her an intense look before disappearing into the night.


    As for Linda, she watched Mark¡®s silhouette disappear before turning around to go down the basement.


    All of a sudden, her eyes sharpened.


    ¡°Who goes there?¡±

 Chapter 1750

    Chapter 1750


    Holding their breath, Vinson and Arielle grew wary at once.


    ¡°Whoever you are,e out now. I¡¯ve seen you,¡± Linda asserted in a cold voice as she scanned the


    surroundings while treading carefully.


    Nevertheless, both of them knew there was no way Linda could¡¯ve seen them. All she was trying to do


    was to bait them out.


    ¡°Linda, I¡®ve already checked. There¡¯s no one around,¡± Mark said, emerging out of nowhere.


    When she saw that he had returned, Linda couldn¡¯t help but knit her brows.


    ¡°Why did youe back? Leave quickly before you¡¯re discovered,¡± Linda pestered him in a serious


    tone.


    Does he have a death wish? It¡¯s not like he isn¡¯t aware of the Duke¡¯s methods.


    ¡°Calm down. I¡¯m leaving now. You should deliver the food quickly. Or else, he might suspect something


    if you take too long.¡±


    Mark¡¯s heart warmed when he saw the concern in Linda¡¯s eyes. After leaving her with the advice, he


    turned around and disappeared into the night.


    Linda nced at the darkness before entering the basement and unlocking it with a key. At the same


    time, Vinson and Arielle seized the opportunity to slip out.


    Outside, the tree leaves billowing in the gentle breeze made for a terrifying scene in the darkness of the


    night. Vinson and Arielle, having sessfully avoided the guards, prepared to scale the walls back out.


    Suddenly, all the lights were turned on.


    ¡°Everyone, stay frosty. We have an intruder!¡± a man shouted at the top of his voice.


    At that moment, every single person in the apartment, other than the queen mother and Monisha, came


    out.


    ¡°Your Grace, the woman is gone,¡± Linda reported to the grim-looking Duke.


    ¡°Did you not notice anything strange while you were there?¡± the Duke questioned angrily.


    Linda¡®s heart sank. She had sensed someone¡¯s presence, but Mark had told her he had checked and


    there wasn¡¯t anyone around.


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    I know how capable he is. Did he really not see anyone, or did he let them escape on purpose?


    With her mind overflowing with questions, Linda averted the Duke¡¯s gaze and snuck a nce in Mark¡¯s


    direction.


    When their eyes met, all she could see in Mark¡¯s eyes was the deep and gentle affection he had for


    her, causing her to retract her gaze.


    How can I doubt him? Just like me, he¡®s a faithful servant of the Duke¡­


    ¡°Your Grace, when I was delivering food, I heard something. But after going around to check, I didn¡¯t


    find anything. The basement door was also locked,¡± Linda said with furrowed brows.


    I have been holding the key the entire time, so how could the door have been opened?


    Narrowing his eyes, the Duke curled his lips into an insidious smile.


    ¡°Since you just heard them, it means that they haven¡¯t left. They are definitely still here. Search for


    them even if you have to turn this ce upside down.¡±


    The Duke sniggered in exasperation.


    Despite the heavy presence of the guards, they still failed to prevent the prisoner from being taken


    away.


    Upon giving out his orders, the Duke returned to his room in a huff.


    This time, Linda didn¡¯t follow him in. Instead, she joined the rest in the search of the intruders. She was


    angry at herself for allowing them to escape despite noticing their presence.


    Vinson and Arielle were hiding in the forest. As long as they could move forward by one more meter,


    they would be able to escape safely.


    Upon receiving the Duke¡¯s orders, the guards began to search the apartmentpound with guns in


    their hands.


    ¡°They¡¯re probably not here. You should look for them over there. Make sure you find them,¡± Mark


    instructed a group that was looking around.


    Now that they were familiar with him after spending some time together, they agreed with his


    suggestion and went off in the direction he pointed them in.


    When they disappeared, Mark walked up to a nearby spot where Vinson and Arielle were hiding.


    As Arielle drew her gun amidst their growing alertness, she was suddenly stunned.

 Chapter 1751

    Chapter 1751


    ¡°Hurry up and leave. You guys still have one minute.¡± With that, Mark left in a hurry.


    Arielle and Vinson did not know why Mark had let them go, but they were running out of time. Since


    Mark had distracted those who wanted to capture them, the duo seized the opportunity and fled the


    apartment.


    When they arrived at the parking lot, Arielle swung open the car door while Vinson ced Lorraine,


    who was on his back, into the backseat. Arielle, too, sat in the backseat to take care of Lorraine.


    ¡°Vinson, take us to the hospital,¡± she said.


    While Arielle and Vinson were busy handling Lorraine, Aaron and his team followed Monisha to carry


    out some investigations.


    When he saw the warehouse packed with military arms, his heart fell further deeper into despair.


    The queen mother has so many military arms!


    Did Father not know about this?


    Aaron narrowed his eyes. He could not figure out what Nancy was up to.


    She¡¯s already Turlen¡¯s queen mother, the second most powerful person in Turlen apart from the king.


    What else does she want? What else does she want to do?


    She¡¯d been controlling Father and even ruling Turlen alone for so many years. Is that still not enough?


    Why does she still need so many military arms?


    If Arielle hadn¡¯t found out about this by chance, half of these would¡¯ve been seized by someone else.


    The thought of how Nancy¡¯s actions could bring permanent harm to Turlen made him lose control over


    his emotions.


    ¡°Stay here and watch over them. If anyonees to move them, snatch it away from them,¡± Aaron


    instructed in a low voice and walked off.


    He feared he would lose control over himself and kill Nancy if he continued looking at the military arms.


    Meanwhile, the doctor examined Lorraine at the hospital. Her wound was inmed since it was not


    dealt with in time and she was locked up in a dark and damp ce. On top of that, she was having a


    fever. Hence, the doctor bandaged her wound and gave her an IV drip.


    Since she had no friends or family there, so Arielle offered to stay back and look after her even though


    the doctor told Arielle that Lorraine would only wake up on the second day.


    Arielle did not want to leave Lorraine alone at the hospital even if thetter was only going to wake up


    on the second day.


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    Vinson¡¯s cold gaze had a trace of warmth as he looked at his wife.


    She¡¯s always so kind. That¡¯s why I keep falling for her.


    ¡°Vinson, why do you think Mark let us go? Is he not afraid the Duke will find out about his doings?¡±


    Arielle could not grasp the situation.


    ¡°You silly woman.¡± Vinson tapped her head gently, causing her to turn around and re at him


    unhappily.


    She snorted and said, ¡°The fact that you still fell for such a silly woman makes you sillier.¡±


    Vinson was stumped.


    Seeing his reaction, Arielle smirked.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear? Mark and Linda were having an affair. The Duke is the only person they fear.¡± Vinson


    paused briefly and told her about his spection.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking Linda might be Duke¡¯s woman, and she and Mark love each other¡­¡±


    Although Vinson did not finish his sentence, Arielle felt that his suspicion was pretty close.


    It¡¯s likely that Mark is doing this to get our help to defeat the Duke. That way, he can be with Linda.


    Then again, regardless of if their suspicion was correct, they were fine with anything, as long as Mark¡¯s


    actions were beneficial to them.


    ***


    Meanwhile, a cold voice rang out from the dark corner of the apartment. ¡°Why did you do that? Why did


    you let them go?¡±

 Chapter 1752

    Chapter 1752


    Mark felt dejected when he saw Linda¡¯s indifferent expression.


    Does she care so much about the Duke?


    Her attitude toward me changed when all I did was let a few people go.


    ¡°Linda, I have my own reasons for doing this.¡± Mark was quite heartbroken.


    He did all that for the sake of their future.


    ¡°Your own reasons? What reasons? Don¡¯t you know that you¡¯re betraying His Grace by doing that?¡±


    Linda yelled with a suppressed voice.


    ¡°Linda, we already betrayed him the moment we slept together¡­¡± Mark looked at her intently.


    Linda staggered a few steps back in a daze upon hearing his words.


    Have I already betrayed His Grace?


    ¡°Linda, I love you, and I cannot live without you. Do you know how heartbroken I am to see you with


    him?¡±


    Mark stepped forward and held her tightly in his arms, his scorching tears falling on her neck.


    His Grace clearly doesn¡¯t love her. He just uses her as a tool to satisfy his desires.


    Why can¡¯t he allow us to be together?


    When Linda felt his hot tears, her heart clenched, and she slowly hugged him back.


    It¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯m the one who took the first step.


    ¡°Mark, I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have raised my voice at you. I¡¯m just too worried about you. If the Duke


    finds out¡­¡± said Linda softly, nestling in his arms.


    She just did not want Mark to betray the Duke. After all, they were both groomed by the Duke, and they


    both knew the Duke¡¯s way of doing things. If he found out, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    Upon listening to her words, Mark let go of her, cupped her face, and kissed her passionately. He


    pushed her against the wall and sped the back of her head. Subsequently, he unbuttoned her shirt


    and lowered his head to peck at her seductive lips.


    Linda was afraid they would be discovered. Hence, she restrained herself from making any noise and


    reached to clutch Mark¡¯s hair, yearning for more.


    ¡°Mark¡­ Mark¡­¡±


    After a few intimate moments, Mark wrapped Linda in his embrace and kissed her lips. ¡°You should just


    pretend that you don¡¯t know anything about me letting them go.¡±


    ¡°Mark, what are you trying to do? Please don¡¯t do something that can¡¯t be undone.¡± Linda pulled away


    from his arms.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what I¡¯m doing. Be careful on your way back,¡± said Mark while helping her to


    straighten her clothes.


    Linda nced at him and left.


    Mark¡¯s expression turned grim amidst the darkness. Ever since the Duke forced himself on Linda right


    in front of Mark, he had lost all loyalty and respect toward the Duke.


    ***


    Two dayster, Monisha led a group of men to the warehouse to move the firearms. When the guards


    stationed at the warehouse spotted them, they immediately surrounded them. After a fierce and intense


    battle, the firearms were all taken away.


    Back in the apartment, Nancy was livid when she learned that all the firearms had been looted.


    ¡°Monisha, didn¡¯t you go with the Duke¡¯s people? Why would the firearms be taken away by someone


    else?¡±


    Monisha didn¡¯t expect something like that to happen as well. After all, no one knew about it apart from


    them and the Duke¡¯s subordinates.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I have no idea how that happened either,¡± replied Monisha.


    ¡°You¡¯re involved with this, right? You put up an act on purpose, right?¡± questioned the Duke, who


    immediately came to Nancy¡¯s room after knowing that the firearms had been stolen.


    Why would I put up such an act?


    Nancy was annoyed by his question. At the mention of putting up an act, Nancy gave the Duke a


    doubtful look.


    Is all this part of his scheme?


    Perhaps he is the one who self-directed this show. He did this as a cover-up for the sake of the


    firearms.


    Why is he so cruel?


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    I have promised to give him half of the firearms. Why did he still take away the rest that belong to me?

 Chapter 1753

    Chapter 1753


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? Do you think I¡¯m the one who stole the firearms?¡± asked the Duke


    when he noticed Nancy¡¯s suspicious gaze.


    His sharp gaze was focused on the woman.


    Taking note of Nancy¡¯s silence, the Duke¡¯s expression turned gloomy. ¡°I¡¯m not that shameless. I¡¯ve


    promised you that I¡¯ll only take half of the portion. I¡¯ll never go back on my words.¡±


    ¡°Then who do you think took the firearms? No one knows about this other than the two of us and our


    subordinates,¡± said Nancy with a grim look on her face.


    At that moment, she wasn¡¯t worried about falling out with the Duke. Since the firearms were gone, so


    were her confidence and power.


    The Duke regarded her silently as well.


    If it wasn¡¯t either of us, then who took them? Which one of us leaked the information?


    At that moment, both of them suspected each other and did not believe the statements of the other


    party at all.


    ¡°Your Majesty, this happened in your territory, and those firearms are yours. I have sufficient reason to


    believe it is you who self-directed this show. No one dares to pull dirty tricks on me, and you¡¯re the first


    to do so!¡± The Duke stared intently at Nancy.


    Nancy was so angered by his usation that her chest hurt.


    Why would I put on such a show?


    I still need him to help me in returning to the pce to be the queen of Turlen.


    Why would I be so stupid to put on such an act to steal his firearms?


    I did think about pulling some dirty tricks, but he ended up discovering my intentions before I could


    even do it!


    In the end, I still decided to give him the firearms. Now that the firearms are gone, I¡¯m as angry as he


    is. How can he suspect me?


    Nancy was infuriated by his suspicion. ¡°You¡¯re right. This is my territory. But I can¡¯t even move freely


    now, and I don¡¯t have many people under me. Why do you think I have the capability to n such a


    show? Since neither of us took the firearms, then you should go and investigate who took the firearms.¡±


    She paused for a moment and continued, ¡°I believe that with your ability, you can definitely find out the


    truth.¡±


    The Duke gazed at her before turning around and walking out.


    ¡°Your Majesty, do you think the Duke will believe that the firearms were really stolen by someone?¡±


    asked Monisha after the Duke left while wearing a darkened expression.


    ¡°Where do you think the firearms could have gone?¡± asked Nancy with a sullen face. ¡°They must have


    been stolen by him. He purposely came here to falsely use me.¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°Why does he want to use you?¡± As soon as Monisha asked that question, her eyes widened. ¡°Is it


    to dissuade you from doubting him?¡±


    As Nancy nodded, Monisha grew even more terrified of the man.


    The firearms are already in his hands, yet he still came over to use Her Majesty and acted as


    though he did not get any benefits out of it.


    This man is frightening!


    Meanwhile, at the pce, Aaron could not help but smile triumphantly after learning that the firearms


    had been stolen.


    Celeste, who came to send him supper, asked him why he was so happy when she saw him beaming.


    After learning that Aaron had stolen Nancy¡¯s firearms, Celeste was d for him as well.


    She asked, ¡°How did you know that Her Majesty had firearms?¡±


    Complex feelings surged within her heart when her son told her where he got the information.


    Back then, when she first knew that Aaron had a crush on Arielle, she even sent someone to deal with


    Arielle. Though she didn¡¯t endanger Arielle¡®s life, she caused thetter to get hurt.


    ¡°Aaron, since you are the king now, I think it¡®s time to announce her identity as the princess!¡±

 Chapter 1754

    Chapter 1754


    Arron was stunned upon hearing what she said.


    ¡°What did you say? You wanted to announce her identity as the princess?¡± Aaron looked at Celeste in


    disbelief.


    Celeste looked at him and nodded.


    ¡°She has really helped you a lot, and I don¡¯t know what can we do to thank her. I believe when your


    father was alive, he wanted to reveal her identity too. However, he was not able to do that due to some


    reasons. Now that you¡¯re in power, you can announce her identity and also fulfill your father¡¯s wish


    when he was alive.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mother!¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Overjoyed, Aaron walked up to hug Celeste. He had actually wanted to announce Arielle¡¯s identity


    since a long time ago. However, he did not make the move as he had been thinking about how to


    convince Celeste.


    He did not expect that she would take the initiative to bring this up. This was indeed good news to him.


    Celeste patted her son¡¯s back gently. Everything she did was because of him. She was willing to


    acknowledge Arielle¡¯s identity because thetter treated her son well.


    The next day, Aaron went to Arielle¡¯s ce early in the morning. Arielle quickly weed him in when


    she saw him outside the door.


    She then poured him a ss of water and asked him curiously, ¡°Why are you here so early in the


    morning? Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Last night, Mother suggested that I announce your identity as the princess. So, I¡¯m here to ask for your


    opinion. What do you think? Do you want to reveal your identity?¡± Aaron took a sip of water and looked


    at her.


    Then, he added, ¡°Mother told me that it was also Father¡¯s wish to announce your identity when he was


    alive, but he didn¡¯t get to do so due to various reasons. Now that I¡¯m in power, nothing can stop me


    from publicizing your identity.¡±


    Arielle did not expect Celeste to suggest making her identity public.


    A strange feeling emerged in her heart as they used to fight against each other, and Celeste even tried


    to harm her. However, she did not object to the announcement of her identity. After all, it was a


    recognition of her mother¡¯s identity and a fulfillment of herte father¡¯s wish.


    ¡°Let¡®s announce it then!¡± Arielle said, narrowing her eyes.


    Hearing that Arielle was willing to announce her identity, Aaron¡¯s lips curled into a smile.


    Since it was impossible for them to be a couple, they could still be siblings for a lifetime. He would


    treat her well and protect her on behalf of their father for the rest of his life.


    ¡°Then, I shall go back and have them choose a suitable date to make the announcement.¡± Aaron spoke


    with a grin.


    Arielle nodded. She had noments on that and decided to leave it to Aaron to make the decision.


    ¡°Have you gotten the firearms?¡± She remembered thatst night was the date that Nancy and the


    others mentioned.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve gotten themst night.¡± Aaron beamed at the thought of that.


    Arielle nodded. The queen mother must be so mad right now.


    ¡°Where is the organ trading market? Did you send someone there?¡± She could not wait to destroy that


    ce.


    All the misfortunes would only stop when there was no more trading going on.


    As Arielle brought this topic up, the smile on Aaron¡¯s face gradually disappeared. The matter was a


    little tricky and not easy to deal with.


    Noticing his reaction, Arielle asked, ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little difficult, but I can handle it. You don¡¯t have to worry about that,¡± reassured Aaron, looking at


    her.


    The next moment, he suddenly frowned and asked, ¡°The two of you haven¡¯t had a wedding ceremony,


    right?¡±


    She nodded. They only registered for their marriage, but they had not held a wedding ceremony yet.


    ¡°Then you¡­¡±


    Before Aaron could finish his words, Vinson came out of the room while wearing an anxious look.


    ¡°Sannie, something happened¡­¡±

 Chapter 1755

    Chapter 1755


    It all started from the day before.


    After the Duke came out of Nancy¡¯s room, he sent someone to investigate the stolen firearms.


    If it was Nancy who schemed against him because she didn¡¯t want him to have the firearms, he would


    make sure that she paid the price for it. However, if it was someone else, he wouldn¡¯t show mercy.


    The Duke narrowed his eyes.


    Half of the firearms are mine. I can¡¯t believe someone has the audacity to take my things. The person is


    simply asking for death¡­


    As soon as the person who went to investigate the firearms left, the Duke¡®s phone rang. He saw the


    caller ID and frowned.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Hey¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a busy man. You must have something really important to tell me since you¡¯ve called me


    personally?¡± asked the Duke, smiling.


    ¡°I have a big business dealing for you. I wonder if you are interested in it.¡± The man on the other end of


    the line chuckled.


    The Dukeughed in response. There was no reason for him to turn down a profitable business deal.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m interested! Tell me! What is it about?¡±


    ¡°I need arge batch of stock this time. Do you have it?¡± said the man on the other end


    straightforwardly.


    At the mention of business, the look on the Duke¡¯s face instantly turned solemn.


    ¡°How many do you need?¡±


    ¡°Five thousand¡­¡±


    The Duke frowned.


    Five thousand? I¡¯ve just sent a few batches, and! don ¡¯t have that many in my hands at the moment.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you have it?¡± the man asked again as the Duke remained silent.


    He had to get it from someone else if the Duke didn¡¯t have sufficient stock. There was no way the Duke


    would say no to such a profit-making opportunity.


    Hence, he said, ¡°Yes. When do you need them?¡±


    ¡°In one week.¡±


    The Duke knitted his brows again. The duration was a little tight for him.


    ¡°Can you extend the deadline for a few more days? I¡®ve just sent out a few batches, and I don¡¯t have


    that much in my hands right now. Two weeks will be enough for me,¡± the Duke replied, putting on a


    smile.


    ¡°Okay, I¡®ll give you two weeks at most! This is on the ount of our friendship.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for thinking of me when you have a business deal. You¡¯re even willing to extend the time for


    me. I will personally deliver this batch of stock to you. If you have time, please allow me to treat you to


    a meal by then!¡± The Duke chuckled.


    ¡°You want to deliver the stock personally? That¡¯s great!¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    After making brief small talk, the two ended the call.


    As soon as he hung up the phone, the Duke immediately instructed his men to prepare the stock. The


    ready stock in his hands was not enough, and he was still one-third short. The remaining one-third


    portion was semi-finished, which would be ready in around ten days.


    In the afternoon, the person who was sent to investigate Lorraine returned.


    In the meantime, the Duke no longer cared about Lorraine¡¯s matter, as his full attention was on the


    firearms. He had to find out who took his firearms away.


    ¡°Who does she work for?¡± the Duke asked casually.


    ¡°She works for Arielle.¡±


    Hearing that, the Duke immediately straightened his back.


    It¡¯s her! That means the person who rescued Lorraine was also her!


    The Duke knew exactly how capable Arielle was. She must have seeded in rescuing Lorraine


    because she was working together with Vinson.


    At that thought, his face immediately darkened as he thought of the firearms that were stolen. He


    believed that must have been Arielle and Vinson¡¯s doing.


    ¡°D*mn it!¡± he cursed.


    I haven¡¯t done anything to the two of them yet, and they actually dared to steal my firearms!


    Narrowing his eyes, he made a phone call before striding toward Nancy¡¯s room.


    Nancy was annoyed at the sight of his arrival. However, it was impossible for her to avoid him all the


    time since they were living under the same roof.


    The Duke noticed her expression, but he could not be bothered about that at this moment.


    ¡°I¡¯ve found out who stole the firearms,¡± said the Duke.


    ¡°Who?¡± Nancy immediately locked her gaze on the man.


    ¡°Arielle!¡± The Duke turned and left after mentioning Arielle¡¯s name.


    When Nancy heard Arielle¡¯s name, her face contorted with rage.


    D*mn it! It was her who stole my firearms! I will never let her off the hook!


    She narrowed her eyes, and a hint of Viciousness flittered across her eyes.

 Chapter 1756

    Chapter 1756


    Vinson looked at Arielle and uttered in a low voice, ¡°Something has happened to thepany, so I


    have to go back to settle it.¡±


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    A pauseter, he added, ¡°Do you want toe back with me?¡±


    Without a hint of hesitation, Arielle replied, ¡°Why would I stay here if you¡¯re going back? Of course I¡®m


    going to go back with you.¡±


    They were a married couple, and they should be facing any issues together. Arielle no longer wanted to


    be separated from him anymore. Even if Nancy had yet to be held ountable by thew, Arielle was


    sure that Aaron would be able to deal with the matter himself. Hence, there was actually nothing for her


    to be worried about if she were to leave.


    Upon hearing that the two of them were returning to their country, Aaron lowered his gaze, feeling


    slightly upset.


    He did not want them to leave, especially not Arielle. After all, she was the closest person he had other


    than his mother.


    A moment of hesitationter, he lifted his head and looked at Arielle. ¡°Sannie, can you¡­ Not go back


    there?¡±


    His words took Arielle and Vinson aback. Arielle never thought that he would try to keep her around.


    ¡°Aaron, is there something you can¡¯t decide on, or¡­¡±


    Frankly, Aaron regretted his words the moment he uttered them.


    Vinson had already said that something had happened to thepany and that his presence was


    needed there. Furthermore, Arielle was unwilling to part with him, so it was not unusual for her to want


    to go back with him.


    ¡°Nothing. I was just asking.¡± Aaron curled his lips and turned to Vinson. ¡°When are you nning to go


    back?¡±


    Vinson nced at Arielle before replying, ¡°The earlier the better.¡±


    It seems like it¡¯s a tricky case for him to deal with.


    With that thought in mind, Aaron schooled his features to a serious expression and said, ¡°I¡¯ll prep the


    visas for you right away.¡±


    ¡°Aaron!¡± Just as he turned to leave, Arielle called out to him.


    He wheeled around, and Arielle stepped forward to hug him before whispering into his ear, ¡°Vinson and


    I will be back. We¡¯re still waiting for you to find a time to announce my identity.¡±


    Aaron smiled, for she understood what he was thinking.


    After Arielle let him go, she heard him say, ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to change thews and make the freedom


    for marriage and travel a dreame true as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°Good man!¡± Arielle patted his shoulders in approval.


    She was just thinking about how she should ask him to change thew, but it seemed like that was


    already something he was ruminating about.


    Upon gaining Arielle¡¯s approval, Aaron returned to the pce in a good mood. Soon, he received a few


    visas, which he then told Morrison to send to Arielle¡¯s ce.


    As they were about to return, Arielle and Vinson both went to visit Lawrence before bidding Harvey and


    Sonia farewell.


    ¡°Take care. Just look for Old Mr. Jupiter right away if you need any help,¡± Harvey said as he patted


    Vinson¡¯s shoulder.


    Vinson, too, reached out to pat his hand in silent response.


    In contrast, when Sonia found out that Arielle was going back without a set date to return, she burst


    into tears.


    ¡°There are plenty of opportunities for us to spend time together next time. You should take this


    opportunity to spend more time with your parents. When Ie back here and leave next time, you¡¯ll


    being back to Chanaea with us,¡± Arielle said as she pinched Sonia¡¯s cheeks.


    Hearing that, Sonia was delighted. She had never left Turlen before, and she was eager to see the


    outside world.


    ¡°Come back quickly, then. I¡¯ll go back with you next time.¡±


    Arielle nodded and said her goodbyes. After that, she went to whisper a prayer to Dn.


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll be going back to the country with Vinson. Once everything¡¯s over, I¡¯lle back to see you


    again. Aaron¡¯s now Turlen¡¯s king. He¡¯s quite independent now, and he¡¯s stronger than you.¡± Tears


    welled up in Arielle¡¯s eyes as she stared at Dn¡¯s photo on the gravestone.


    ¡°Dad, I miss you. If you see Mom, tell her that I¡¯m fine and don¡®t be worried about me¡­¡±


    ***


    Upon hearing that Arielle and the others were returning to the country, the Duke came to Nancy again.


    ¡°They¡¯ll be going back to the country tomorrow, and they might never set foot in this country ever


    again,¡± the Duke said, narrowing his eyes.


    Nancy¡¯s expression darkened when she heard that.


    No, I can¡¯t let them escape!

 Chapter 1757

    Chapter 1757


    However, the Duke did not care what thoughts Nancy had, he only cared that he had conveyed his


    message.


    After he left, Monisha turned to Nancy and asked, ¡°Your Majesty, what do we do now?¡±


    Instead of answering her, Nancy took the phone and made a call.


    ***


    In the Nighy residence, Matthew hesitated when he saw Nancy¡¯s call, but in the end, he still answered


    it.


    ¡°Matthew, I heard that Arielle and Vinson will be going back today. Find out what transportation they¡¯ll


    be taking. I want no one to ever find their bodies!¡± Nancy snarled.


    Matthew froze when he heard that.


    But¡­ Arielle¡¯s my mother¡¯s savior. How can I do something like this?


    How can I do something ungrateful like this?


    Promptly, he rejected her, ¡°Your Majesty, that won¡¯t do. I can¡¯t do this, I can¡¯t.¡±


    If he did, he would be gued with guilt for the rest of his life.


    ¡°Matthew, you have to think this through carefully.¡± Nancy clenched her fists when she realized that


    Matthew was not going to do as she asked.


    She then enunciated, ¡°If you want your wife to find out that you cheated on her with me, then feel free


    to ignore what I just said.¡±


    Matthew froze upon hearing that.


    ¡°Nancy, w-what do you mean?¡±


    Nancy softened her tone again when she heard Matthew call out her name. ¡°Matthew, I don¡¯t mean to


    put you in a difficult spot. As long as you make sure Arielle and Vinson are dead and never to be found,


    your wife will never find out about what happened between the two of us either.¡±


    Matthew paled as he tightened his grip on the phone.


    ¡°Think about it properly, Matthew. Is your wife more important, or is someone who has nothing to do


    with you more important?¡± Nancy asked in a slow manner, her eyes narrowing. ¡°Time waits for no one.


    If you miss the opportunity, then what happens between the two of us will¡­¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡­¡± Matthew was livid and anxious. he never thought she would use that to threaten him.


    ¡°She¡¯ll never believe you, and I¡¯ll never admit that I¡¯ve been with you,¡± he said through gritted teeth.


    ¡°But I have photos and videos of it,¡± Nancy calmly said when she heard his anxious tone. ¡°She will


    have to believe me.¡±


    The veins on Matthew¡¯s hand popped. He genuinely never expected Nancy to record something like


    that.


    Anger flooded his veins, but there was nothing he could do about it. He could not risk it, he could not let


    his wife find out about his rtionship with Nancy.


    ¡°How could you¡­ How could you have filmed something like that?¡± Matthew hissed as he tried his best


    to tamp down his anger.


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    ¡°Were you only with me to film something like that to exploit me?¡±


    As Matthew said that, he finally realized that Nancy was just using him. The reality was that he never


    had a spot in her heart. All the love confessions she made had been fake. The only aim she had was to


    manipte him and make him serve her.


    ¡°Exploit you?¡± A chuckle escaped Nancy. ¡°Did I not make you feel good?¡±


    Matthew was speechless at that.


    Indeed, he felt good when he was in bed with her. That was because she knew all kinds of tricks, and


    that was something he had never experienced with his wife before. However, he couldn¡¯t bring himself


    to do what she told him to.


    He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.


    ¡°Can we change a¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, Nancy cut him off. ¡°Matthew, you don¡¯t have a choice.¡±


    It was at that moment the feelings of regret crashed into Matthew.


    Why didn¡¯t I hold myself back from getting intimate with her?


    If I had controlled myself she wouldn¡¯t be able to ckmail me now¡­


    ¡°Matthew, don¡¯t let me down.¡± Nancy sighed. ¡°After all, I wouldn¡¯t want to see your family ruined.¡±


    Matthew was almost shaking with rage.


    You don¡¯t want to see my family ruined? If you don¡¯t, you wouldn¡¯t have used this to ckmail me.


    What am I going to do? Am I really going to do this to Dr. Moore?¡±


    As Matthew stared at his hands, a dark gleam shed past his eyes.

 Chapter 1758

    Chapter 1758


    They were going to go back to Chanaea, but as they were going toe back here in the future,


    Vinson did not ask the men he brought along with him to return to Chanaea as well. Instead, he


    assigned them to heed Harvey¡¯s instructions for the time being.


    The people they had brought back from the base had already been taken away to be imprisoned by the


    men Aaron hired. Once Nancy was caught, they would be able to charge those people guilty of their


    crimes.


    However, they were bringing Cindy, who had been captured by Nancy¡¯s men earlier, along with them.


    At the start, Cindy nned to use Arielle¡¯s identity to ckmail Nancy to send her to Manchernius, but


    after Nancy caught wind of her ns, Cindy was locked up in the house behind the pce by Monisha.


    Now that Arielle and Vinson were heading back to Chanaea, they decided to take Cindy along so that


    thew could sentence her to life imprisonment for her crimes.


    To ensure that Cindy would not cause any ruckus, Arielle fed her a special kind of drug.


    ¡°Sannie, we¡¯ll be taking a cruise ship back this time. The flights have been halted for three days, and


    we¡¯re taking the ship because the matters in thepany need urgent attention. After reaching


    Lightspring by ship, we¡¯ll then take a flight back to Chanaea.¡± Vinson had wanted to take a flight back,


    but unexpectedly, all flights had been paused. Hence, he decided to take a cruise to another city first.


    Arielle had no objections to that as long as they reached their destination in the end.


    Their original n was only for the two of them to return, but Lorraine insisted on tagging along.


    ¡°You¡¯re not fully recovered yet. Once you¡®ve healed up, go to Sonia¡¯s ce to stay,¡± Arielle said, trying


    to convince her otherwise.


    However, Lorraine shook her head. ¡°This is nothing but a scratch. I¡¯ve been hurt more badly than this in


    the past, so I¡¯m going to go back with you.¡±


    If anything were to happen, she would be able to protect Arielle if she was beside her.


    Arielle had no choice but to agree to it at Lorraine¡¯s insistence. Thus, she asked Vinson to buy


    Lorraine¡¯s ticket as well.


    When they were about to leave, Harvey, Sonia, Aaron, and Xavier came to send them off.


    ¡°Ari¡­¡± Sonia tea red up as she hugged Arielle, refusing to let her go.


    She seemed like an entirely different person inparison to when Arielle first met her.


    ¡°You¡¯re already a mother, but you¡¯re still a crybaby?¡± Arielle patted her back in constion. ¡°I¡¯ll be


    coming back not long after.¡±


    Sonia finally let go of Arielle in embarrassment. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to call me after you go back.¡±


    Arielle nodded. She would certainly do that.


    Xavier temporarily could not return because of Lana¡¯s matters. Furthermore, he was the only member


    of his family, and Lana¡¯s family all resided there. He had made up his mind about staying here with


    Lana once thews changed.


    Vinson and Arielle gave him their blessings.


    ¡°Aaron, he¡¯s my friend. He¡¯s a detective, so you can contact him if you ever need his services,¡± Vinson


    said to Aaron.


    Since Xavier seemed to have ns of staying there long-term, Vinson felt that it would be good to


    introduce him to Aaron.


    Xavier never expected that Vinson would introduce him to the current king. Still, that was good news for


    him.


    Lana¡¯s family had known yet to learn about his rtionship with Lana. With Aaron as an associate,


    perhaps Lana¡¯s parents would object less to their rtionship.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Xavier, a detective. Please feel free to contact me any time if you need my help.¡± As Xavier


    spoke, he took out a business card and handed it to Aaron.


    Aaron did not expect to meet a detective around, but he was pleasantly surprised.


    As he took the card, he said, ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll contact you if I need your services.¡±


    Soon, it was time for them to part ways. After Arielle and Vinson said their farewells, they boarded the


    ship with Lorraine and Cindy.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to go back.¡± Arielle waved.


    The ship began moving. In the blink of an eye, the people on thend turned into small ck dots until


    they vanished from the horizon.


    Meanwhile, in a car, someone was watching the departing ship with hatred in their eyes.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1759

    Chapter 1759


    On the deck, Arielle leaned against Vinson¡¯s chest, enjoying the sea breeze blowing against her face


    as they watched the sunset.


    A few seagulls would asionally fly over andnd on the deck. More daring ones would evennd on


    Arielle¡¯s arm.


    A small smile manifested on Arielle¡¯s lips as she watched the seagull take off from her arm. She could


    taste the saltiness in the air, and she could feel the warmth from the setting sun enveloping her body.


    The quiet, peaceful look Arielle was wearing made Vinson wish he could hide her away and keep her


    for himself.


    ¡°Sannie, I love you,¡± he whispered into her ear.


    Even though that was not the first time she had heard Vinson¡¯s confession, her heart still skipped a


    beat.


    ¡°I love you too,¡± she whispered back with a blush on her face.


    Her shyness made Vinson fall for her even more. At that moment, he felt like kissing her. With that


    thought in mind, he lowered his head to peck a kiss on her lips.


    Arielle¡¯s heart lurched at his sudden action, for she could see that they were not the only ones on the


    deck.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Arielle gently hammered his chest. ¡°There are so many people around¡­¡±


    Vinson curled his lips as he gazed at her reddened face.


    As he pressed a soft kiss on her head, he murmured, ¡°It¡¯s fine. No one saw it.¡±


    Arielle huffed. Even if no one did see it, people could guess what had happened. Vinson could not help


    but smile, and he tightened his hold around her.


    ¡°What happened in thepany? Can Mom not sort it out herself?¡± Arielle asked.


    Vinson¡¯s expression turned solemn the moment he heard her raise the topic.


    ¡°There are a few shareholders making a ruckus. Those are people who used to be on Dad¡¯s side, so


    Mom can¡¯t deal with them that easily,¡± Vinson exined, his eyes half-lidded.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He had only left thepany for a year, but there were already people ready to start a revolution.


    I might as well get rid of them. Their hearts are no longer with thepany, so what¡¯s the point of


    keeping them around?


    Arielle furrowed her brows slightly.


    They used to be on Vinson¡¯s father¡¯s side, but they¡¯re still making a fuss. Can¡¯t they see that Nightshire


    Group is getting better under Vinson¡¯s lead?


    Well, since they¡¯re already causing chaos, they might as well continue. We¡¯ll take the opportunity to


    remove these people.


    As it turned out, the two of them shared the same sentiment.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to deal with them, then Mom, she¡­¡±


    ¡°What kinds of scenario has Mom never seen before? She¡¯s only having trouble dealing with them


    because she doesn¡¯t know how to do it without embarrassing them. That¡¯s why she asked me to go


    back,¡± Vinson told her as he reached out to tuck the stray strand of hair behind Arielle¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Mom won¡¯t say anything about how I deal with people who aren¡¯t loyal to thepany anymore.¡±


    With that, Arielle stopped worrying about the matter. She was only afraid that Susanne would be too


    cautious about keeping the seniors¡¯ egos intact and thus leave them be.


    When Susanne was younger, she, too, was a ruthless character. Those who were still in Nightshire


    Group used to strive to reach the skies with her. Yet, Vinson had only been away for a year, and they


    were already unable to stay collected. That made Susanne upset.


    She could not help but think about how they used to be her friends and business partners all these


    years if she wanted to deal with them.


    However, if she left them be, they would only make things worse in thepany. Therefore, she


    decided to call Vinson and have him return to deal with it himself. After all, he was the one who owned


    Nightshire Group.


    All of a sudden, Arielle pulled away from Vinson¡¯s arms and took a few steps forward. She then stared


    at the waters gloomily. Seeing the look on her face, Vinson walked over as well.


    When Arielle turned around, he saw the rare glint of panic in her eyes. ¡°Vinson, something bad is going


    to happen!¡±

 Chapter 1760

    Chapter 1760


    Vinson had noticed something amiss as well. Nevertheless, he calmly looked at Arielle and said, ¡°Go to


    Lorraine and the others. I¡¯ll go to the front to look for the captain.¡±


    With that said, Vinson spun around to leave, but Arielle stopped him.


    She shook her head. ¡°Vinson, we won¡¯t make it in time.¡±


    The ship was huge, and Arielle was almost certain that the ship was going to blow up before Vinson


    could even find the captain.


    ¡°Call Aaron and tell him to contact the captain to get everyone on board tojump into the sea with


    lifejackets on. Then, tell him to send his men over to start a rescue mission,¡± Vinson responded


    immediately.


    Arielle nodded and fished out her phone to call Aaron and brief him about their situation.


    Aaron¡¯s worry rose to its maximum the moment he learned that Arielle and the others were in danger.


    ¡°Sannie, I¡¯ll call the captain right away. Hurry up and prepare the lifejackets. I¡¯ll send someone to


    rescue you all.¡±


    With that, Aaron ended the call and ordered his men to contact the ship¡¯s captain. Then, he sent


    maritime police to rescue the passengers.


    Once he made all the arrangements, he called Arielle again.


    ¡°Sannie, I¡¯ve arranged everything. Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll be fine!¡± Aaron¡¯s hand was shaking badly, but he


    was still trying to reassure Arielle.


    ¡°I know!¡± Arielle was moved to hear Aaron¡¯s concern for her.


    ¡°Nancy is sly, and you really have to arrest her as quickly as possible without giving her any room to


    think.¡±


    Before Arielle could finish her sentence, Vinson came over with two lifejackets, and the two quickly put


    them on. By then, the captain had noticed something amiss, for the engines were exceptionally hot.


    However, he never thought that the situation was that grave until he received the call from the king¡¯s


    men.


    Promptly, he made an announcement and told all passengers to put on their lifejackets and jump into


    the sea.


    The passengers panicked. They swiftly grabbed the nearest life jackets before leaping into the waters.


    ¡°Boss¡­¡± Lorraine was used to life-and-death situations, so she was mostly unfazed.


    The only thing she was worried about was Arielle¡¯s safety.


    ¡°Jump. If you don¡¯t jump, it¡¯ll be toote.¡±


    With that said, she shoved Cindy, who had already put on her lifejacket, into the sea. Whether or not


    Cindy lived would be up to luck.


    Vinson held Arielle¡¯s hand tightly as the three of them leaped off the ship.


    Right as they jumped down, the humongous ship blew up with the thunderous sound of the explosion.


    mes licked the surface of the waters, and the shockwave created gigantic waves that swept over


    everyone, swallowing them into the sea.


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    At the same time, the nearest maritime police were rushing toward the location of the ship.


    The closer they got to it, the more their hearts sank. The ship was sinking at record-brea king speed,


    and soon, the entire ship was gone.


    ¡°Hurry up and start the rescue operation!¡±


    Aaron arrived at the scene of the explosion, and all the colors drained from his face as he stared at the


    surface of the sea.


    ¡°Did you find anyone?¡± Aaron asked, his heart thumping loudly against his rib cage.


    He was terrified for Arielle and Vinson-afraid that something horrible would happen to them.


    ¡°Your Majesty, we¡¯ve found ten bodies,¡± the captain of the rescue operation somberly said.


    Ten bodies¡­


    Aaron grimaced, and the temperature around him plummeted.


    ¡°Keep looking!¡± Aaron tightened his fists. ¡°I¡®ll get someone to verify the total number of passengers.


    Regardless of whether they¡¯re alive or dead, I want them all found!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± the captain of the rescue operation replied before returning to his work.


    Aaron remained standing on the deck as he made a call to summon over a thousand navy soldiers


    over. Then, he looked at the sea with a pair of binocrs, hoping that he would be able to spot the


    familiar figures somewhere.

 Chapter 1761

    Chapter 1761


    The difficulty of the rescue operation increased when the sun set and darkness encroached. Despite


    that, the search and rescue team continued searching for the victims.


    By the time it was the early hours of the next day, they had fished out fifty-two bodies. Along with the


    ten bodies from earlier, the current deceased count was sixty-three.


    There were still two hundred and eighty-nine people missing, for there were a total of three hundred


    and twenty passengers and thirty-two crew members.


    During that period, every time someone fished out a body, Aaron would check it himself. When he saw


    that it was neither Arielle nor Vinson, he would let out a sigh of relief.


    Although that was impolite to the deceased, no one could stop themselves from being selfish at a time


    like that, including the king. Some of the deceased were his people, and yet, he still could not help but


    feel d that they were not Arielle and Vinson.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯ll be watching here. You should go back and rest for a while. There are many things to


    work on tomorrow,¡± Morrison murmured after walking over to Aaron.


    However, Aaron waved his hands dismissively. He would rather stay there because even if he were to


    go back, he would still be too worried to rest properly.


    At the very least, he would be able to receive news about Arielle and Vinson right away if he stayed


    here.


    There was nothing Morrison could do when he saw that Aaron refused to rest. Thus, he waited beside


    him.


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    In the meantime, when the gloomy Nancy found out that the ship Arielle was on had exploded, she


    finally broke out into a smile.


    ¡°Arielle, this is the price you pay for going up against me!¡± Nancy muttered as she sneered.


    ¡°You¡¯re rather fast,¡± said the Duke who heard the news as well.


    He was wearing a simr wicked grin too. ¡°My dear little brother, good luck¡­¡±


    With that said, he summoned another person into the room and instructed, ¡°Go there and keep an eye


    on the people. If they¡¯re found alive, do me a favor and help them to the afterlife. I don¡¯t want to see


    them in this world anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± the person answered before turning to leave.


    Once Nancy and the Duke were the only ones left, thetter summoned Linda. ¡°Convey the news of


    Arielle and Vinson¡¯s death to Chanaea. Tell them to move quicker.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see to it now,¡± Linda replied before leaving.


    The news of the explosion of Arielle and Vinson¡¯s ship soon traveled across Chanaea.


    Thepany directors¡¯ mess had tired Susanne out, so she decided to stay in the mansion to rest


    instead of going to the office that day.


    All of a sudden, her phone rang, and she picked it up to look at the screen. When she realized that it


    was a call from one of the directors, she muted the phone and closed her eyes again. She frankly did


    not know what to say to the directors, so she was going to leave it all to Vinson upon his return.


    Right as she closed her eyes and was about to take a nap, someone knocked on the door.


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, Mrs. Nightshire,¡± Geoffrey the butler urgently called out as he knocked on the door.


    Susanne came down from the bed and opened the door.


    When she saw the anxious look on Geoffrey¡¯s face, she frowned and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Bad news, Mrs. Nightshire,¡± Geoffrey started.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Susanne arched a brow and asked. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me the directors are right


    outside the house.¡±


    The butler shook his head fervently. ¡°No, no.¡±


    ¡°What is it then?¡± Susanne let out a relieved sigh when she heard that the directors were not actually


    by the door. ¡°My head¡¯s hurting a little, so hurry up and say it. I¡¯m going to take a nap once you¡¯re


    done.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire¡­¡± Geoffrey mumbled, unsure how he should break the news to her.


    He did not even know if she could take it or not.


    Noticing his reaction, Susanne¡¯s heart lurched. Did something horrible happen?


    ¡°Tell me what it is. You¡¯re only making me more nervous like this.¡±

 Chapter 1762

    Chapter 1762


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, this is about Mr. Vinson and Ms. Arielle¡­¡± The butler remembered the news he saw,


    and he didn¡¯t know how to deliver the news to Susanne.


    ¡°What happened to them?¡± Hearing that it was about Vinson and Arielle, Susanne immediately got


    anxious. ¡°Stop hesitating and spill everything at once! What happened to them?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, the cruise ship that Mr. Vinson and Ms. Arielle were on had exploded. So far, they had


    already found more than eighty corpses.¡±


    As soon as Geoffrey finished talking, Susanne closed her eyes and fell backward.


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire!¡± The butler quickly reached out his hand to support her, lightly pping her face to


    wake her up.


    After a while, Susanne opened her eyes again.


    ¡°Did you say the cruise ship they were on had exploded?¡± Susanne grabbed Geoffrey¡¯s cor with her


    trembling hands.


    At that moment, herplexion had turned pale.


    Geoffrey nodded solemnly. After getting confirmation, Susanne fainted again, and Geoffrey woke her


    up once again.


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, we don¡¯t know what happened to Mr. Vinson and Ms. Arielle yet, so you must hang in


    there. We have to quickly arrange for men to go search for them. If you break down, who¡®s going to do


    that?¡± Geoffrey asked.


    Susanne was utterly heartbroken to the extent that she was having trouble breathing.


    My son! My only son! Please be alive!


    She then asked Geoffrey to fetch her the phone. Susanne unlocked the screen with her trembling


    hands and dialed Vinson¡®s number. To her dismay, her calls couldn¡¯t get through. She tried Arielle¡¯s


    number, but that didn¡¯t work either.


    Right then, Susanne¡¯s heart sank.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Did they really get into trouble?


    She then quickly looked for Harrison¡¯s contact because she wanted him to give her Harvey¡¯s contact so


    that she could ask Harvey about what had happened.


    ¡°Susanne, I called Harvey right away when I heard about what happened to Vinson. He told me that


    Vinson was indeed on that cruise ship, and that cruise ship had exploded. They had already sent


    people there to help with the search¡­¡± Harrison uttered.


    Upon hearing that, Susanne dropped her phone and froze on the spot. Her heart lurched, and she


    suddenly found itborious to breathe, as if a huge rock was weighing on her heart.


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, Mr. Vinson and Ms. Arielle need you! You must hang in there!¡± Geoffrey urged when


    he saw Susanne¡¯s face turning pale, seeming like she was about to copse anytime.


    On the other end of the line, Harrison heard what Geoffrey said, so he hung up silently. After hanging


    up the phone, he sent his men over to search for Vinson and Arielle.


    Susanne knew she had topose herself when she heard what Geoffrey said.


    I need to save my son and my daughter-inw!


    She supported herself to sit up and looked at Geoffrey. ¡°Get Rayson toe here. I have orders for


    him.¡±


    Seeing that Susanne had pulled herself together, Geoffrey hurriedly picked her phone up from the floor


    and gave it to her before whipping out his own phone to call Rayson.


    Susanne took her phone from Geoffrey and wanted to thank Harrison. When she saw that the call had


    ended, she didn¡¯t try calling him back. At that point, all she could think about was Vinson and Arielle.


    Meanwhile, Rayson was at the office, and the entrance to the office was surrounded by the directors of


    thepany.


    Early that morning, the news of Vinson¡¯s ident had caused quite a stir. Besides, it was widely


    reported by the media.


    The directors tried calling Susanne, but they couldn¡¯t get through to her. Coincidentally, they all ended


    up going to Rayson¡¯s office to look for him.


    At the same time, Rayson also tried calling Vinson, but he couldn¡¯t get through to him as well.


    Consequently, he was getting more and more worried by the second.


    Is it true? Did the cruise ship really explode?

 Chapter 1763

    Chapter 1763


    As he was about to call Vinson again, his phone rang. When he saw that it was Geoffrey calling him, he


    quickly answered the phone.


    Before Geoffrey could say a word, Rayson asked worriedly, ¡°Geoffrey, does Mrs. Nightshire know about


    what happened to Mr. Nightshire yet?¡±


    Rayson was worried that Susanne couldn¡¯t handle the news.


    ¡°Mr. Seet, Mrs. Nightshire already knows about the ident, and she wants you toe over. She


    said she has things for you to do,¡± Geoffrey answered.


    Rayson¡¯s gaze darkened when he saw the directors gathering outside his office.


    What a bunch of ungrateful b*stards! They were able to lead a wealthy life because of Mr. Nightshire,


    and now, when something happens to Mr. Nightshire, these people are so eager to take over. How


    despicable!


    ¡°Tell Mrs. Nightshire I¡¯m on my way.¡± With that, Rayson hung up the phone and kept it in his pocket.


    He then stood up and walked out of the office.


    ¡°Are we having a board of directors meeting today? Why is everyone here?¡± Rayson asked and acted


    like he didn¡¯t know why they were there.


    ¡°Mr. Seet, do you know anything about Mr. Nightshire¡¯s ident?¡±


    The man who asked that question was Oswald Waysea, a director of thepany. He was also


    Vinson¡¯s father¡¯s close friend when Vinson¡¯s father was alive.


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°How could I not know? It¡¯s being reported by all the news outlets.¡±


    Rayson looked at Oswald and raised his brow. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Seet, don¡¯t you know our share prices are dropping drastically?¡± Oswald shot Rayson a cold look


    and said, ¡°If this goes on, thepany is going to go bankrupt.¡±


    Rayson responded with a cold re. ¡°What do you want to do about it?¡±


    Oswald kept silent and put on a stern look.


    What do I want to do about it? I want to take over Nightshire Group, of course!


    However, can I just say that out loud? I can¡¯t!


    If l say it out loud, it means that I have a malicious ambition! I need someone else to say it on my


    behalf.


    He then shot a discreet nce at the man next to him, signaling him to speak up.


    Heeding the message, the man began, ¡°Mr. Seet, it¡¯s not that we¡¯re trying to force things through. We


    just can¡¯t bear to watch thepany go bankrupt. After all, thepany doesn¡¯t belong to the


    Nightshire Group alone. We¡¯ve all worked hard to build thispany.¡±


    The person who Oswald had signaled to speak up was Dayver Young. He was also a friend of Vinson¡¯s


    father before his death. However, he didn¡¯t have much knowledge of business finance either.


    Back then, he managed to be a director of Nightshire Group because he forked out a portion of


    money when Nightshire Group needed help. In order to express his gratitude, Vinson¡¯s father gave him


    some shares.


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Rayson looked at him and asked.


    ¡°Well, Vinson had gotten into an ident, right? Thepany needs a leader. I¡¯m rmending Mr.


    Waysea to be Nightshire Group¡¯s chairman,¡± Dayver answered.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do anything about it, can I? I¡¯m just an assistant,¡± Rayson replied with a grim expression.


    The directors knew there was nothing Rayson could do about it. However, they couldn¡¯t reach


    Susanne.


    Since Rayson was Vinson¡¯s assistant, they assumed that he would surely be able to contact Susanne.


    That was why they had gone up to him and told him what they had in mind. They just wanted him to


    ry the message to Susanne.


    Rayson nced at the other directors and raised his brows when he asked, ¡°How about the others? Do


    you guys feel the same way? Do you guys want Mr. Waysea to be the chairman?¡±


    The other directors looked at Oswald before turning their attention back toward Rayson. In fact, they


    felt that it didn¡¯t matter who was the chairman of thepany.


    They just wanted thepany to do well so that they could make a fortune. However, they saw Oswald


    staring at them solemnly, and they all thought that Vinson was most probably dead.


    Hence, they answered, ¡°Well, we guess so.¡±

 Chapter 1764

    Chapter 1764


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll inform Mrs. Nightshire,¡± Rayson said while looking at them.


    He then made a sarcastic remark. ¡°We have no idea if Mr. Nightshire is dead or alive, yet, none of you


    seniors in thepany and business partners showed him any concern. And it seems fighting over the


    chairman¡¯s position is more important than anything else at this point. You should be proud of


    yourselves.¡±


    Rayson walked out of the room after ending his sentence. The expression on all the directors¡¯ faces


    turned grim when they heard what he said.


    Oswald nearly wanted to respond with a cold snort and storm out of the room, but since there were still


    other directors around, he steadied himself.


    After stering a cursory smile on his face, he looked at the directors and asked, ¡°Let¡¯s have some


    breakfast, shall we?¡±


    One of the directors replied, ¡°Forget it. There are other things I have to attend to!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me too. I have to take my mom to the hospital as she¡¯s not feeling well,¡± another echoed.


    The directors all left the room.


    The grim expression on Oswald¡¯s face gave Dayver a shudder. After a short pause, he bade Oswald


    farewell and left in a hurry as well. Even a gullible fool like Dayver chose not to stay. Infuriated, Oswald


    threw a punch at the wall.


    Meanwhile, Rayson drove to Nightshire Manor. After parking his car in the garage, she went straight to


    look for Susanne.


    His heart sank when he saw how ashen-faced Susanne was. Things would have been different if Mr.


    Nightshire was still all right.


    Oh, goodness. The heavens have already taken her husband away, so let¡¯s hope the heavens don¡¯t


    take her only son and daughter-inw away, too.


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire.¡±


    ¡°Hi, Rayson. You must have heard about Vinson, right? Send people to rescue them right now,¡±


    Susanne pulled herself together and said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make the arrangement right now,¡± Rayson said. He took out his phone and spent half an hour


    instructing his men to look for Vinson and Arielle.


    Susanne heaved a sigh of relief when Rayson was done making all the arrangements.


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, Mr. Waysea brought all the directors to corner me in my office today.¡± Initially, Rayson


    did not want to disturb Susanne with this update, but on second thought, he felt he was obliged to keep


    her informed.


    Should anything dreadful happen to Vinson, Susanne would have to take over Nightshire Group.


    Rayson would not allow thepany to fall into the hands of opportunists.


    Upon hearing that, Susanne looked upward to nce at him. ¡°Cornered you in your office? Why would


    he do that?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Waysea wants to be the chairman of Nightshire Group!¡±


    Rayson adjusted his sses as his gaze darkened. ¡°Thepany¡¯s share price has plunged because


    of Mr. Nightshire¡¯s ident. Since no one is leading Nightshire Group, they were worried that the


    Susanne started trembling in agitation when she heard what Rayson said.


    These are the so-called friends whom we had been through thick and thin with!


    She could not believe these people would insist on taking over Nightshire Group when something had


    just happened to her son.


    I¡¯ll not allow Nightshire Group to fall into their hands. I¡¯ll defend it with my life while waiting for my son to


    return. I¡¯m sure he¡¯lle back alive!


    ¡°Tell everyone in Nightshire Group that I¡¯ll be overseeing thepany temporarily. Also, I want you to


    warn anyone who spread rumors about Vinson. We will file awsuit against those who disseminate


    false information about my son.¡±


    Rayson was relieved to see the determined look on Susanne¡¯s face. He was worried she might be


    disheartened after receiving the unsettling news about Vinson.


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll see to it. Make sure you get enough rest, Mrs. Nightshire. Thepany needs you.¡±

 Chapter 1765

    Chapter 1765


    Another week went by, and the rescue team had fished more than a hundred bodies out from the sea.


    Yet, there was no sign of Vinson and Arielle.


    Aaron was overwhelmed with despair. He had not been able to sleep well as he was busy handling


    national affairs and keeping a watchful eye on the rescue operation.


    Celeste was so worried about her son that she decided to leave the pce to meet him. Her heart sank


    when she saw how frail and skinny Aaron had be.


    ¡°It has been a week, Aaron. Arielle and Vinson might have¡­¡±


    Before Celeste could finish her sentence, she noticed Aaron had turned around and red at her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t utter those inauspicious words, Mother. Don¡¯t make wild guesses.¡±


    He gritted his teeth and emphasized thosest four words, as he refused to believe Arielle and Vinson


    were dead.


    Celeste did not want to think they had perished in the incident either, but she did not believe the couple


    could survive in the ocean for a week, no matter how capable they were.


    Upon seeing how determined Aaron was, she decided not to say anything that would make him feel


    awful. Nheless, Celeste was still worried about his health since he had not had enough rest during


    this period.


    ¡°I understand you¡¯re worried about them, Aaron, but you have to take care of yourself too. What if you


    fall ill, and they¡¯re still not found? Who else canmand the search operation?¡± Celeste said while


    looking at him.


    At first, Aaron wanted to continue monitoring the rescue operation, but he had to agree with Celeste.


    When he decided to return to the pce with her to take a rest, Celeste was overjoyed.


    ***


    In the meantime, a man leaned against the chair with his legs crossed while tapping on his phone.


    He asked with a wicked smirk, ¡°How did the share acquisition go?¡±


    The man standing opposite cautiously answered, ¡°Mr. Rhaylie, though the price has plunged, no one


    has sold off their shares yet.¡±


    The man¡¯s expression turned grim instantly.


    Useless!


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Then think of a way to force them to sell their shares.¡± A corner of his lips quirked up. ¡°I¡®m sure you


    know what to do.¡±


    The person standing in front of him started sweating buckets. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best, Mr. Rhaylie¡­¡±


    The man narrowed his eyes and responded with a deep grunt. After putting his phone aside, he tapped


    his index finger on the table repeatedly.


    I have to do something about it to speed things up.


    He picked up his phone once again and dialed a number.


    Meanwhile, at Chanaea, the media still reported on Vinson¡¯s disappearance even though Rayson had


    warned them not to spread the rumors.


    The press release did not mention Vinson¡¯s death but insinuated it to a certain extent. Anyone who


    came across the news would know who the person was.


    The news today even reported that the rescue team had discovered another thirty-eight bodies and


    implied that Vinson might have died in the incident.


    Nightshire Group was argepany. The fact that the chairman had met with a tragic mishap meant


    that thepany had lost its pir. Though Susanne had stepped in to take charge of Nightshire


    Group, there were still people who doubted her capability.


    As the share price continued to dip, all the directors and employers were like cats on hot bricks as they


    were scared that thepany would go bankrupt and they might lose their jobs.


    Rayson¡¯s face darkened as he issued another warning. Susanne¡¯s heart sank even deeper as another


    week went by without any news about Vinson and Arielle.


    Nevertheless, she had no choice but to pull herself together.


    When she took out her phone and was ready to call Sasha, she received a text from Sasha instead.


    After reading the text message, her eyes widened in shock.

 Chapter 1766

    Chapter 1766


    Sasha sent her a photo of a luggage bag with Vinson¡¯s and Arielle¡¯s ID photos beside it.


    Upon seeing the photo, Susanne¡¯s hand could not stop trembling. She could not stop her hands from


    shaking as the fear of the unknown overwhelmed her. Subsequently, she immediately looked for


    Sasha¡¯s number and called her.


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    She had to muster up all her courage to ask this short question, ¡°S-Sasha, any news about them?¡±


    Upon hearing Susanne¡¯s broken voice, even Sasha, who was usually indifferent, couldn¡¯t help but feel


    sad.


    She suppressed her emotions and responded with bloodshot eyes, ¡°We haven¡¯t found them yet, Mrs.


    Nightshire¡­¡±


    Susanne tried to console herself.


    Ah! No news is good news.


    ¡°Sasha, continue with the search operation. Let me know if you need more money. I¡¯ll get Rayson to


    make the necessary arrangements,¡± Susanne said after steeling herself.


    Sasha nodded. ¡°All right, Mrs. Nightshire. I¡¯ll call Rayson if l need help.¡±


    After ending the call, Sasha started looking for the couple again.


    Meanwhile, Susanne packed her things and made a trip to Nightshire Group.


    The moment she stepped into thepany, more than ten journalists caught up with her with cameras


    and asked her questions incessantly, ¡°Hi, Mrs. Nightshire. Now that thepany¡¯s share price had


    dipped, and Mr. Nightshire is still missing, would you allow someone capable to take over the


    chairman¡¯s position?¡±


    Another journalist asked, ¡°Another week has passed, yet, there¡¯s still no news about Mr. Nightshire. In


    your opinion, what are the chances of him surviving the tragedy?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, who will be the next chairman of Nightshire Group if Mr. Nightshire is dered


    dead? Do you have any candidate in mind?¡± Another question emerged from the crowd.


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire¡­¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire¡­ Could we have an answer please¡­¡±


    While bombarding Susanne with hurtful questions, the journalists kept on snapping her photos.


    ¡°Get out of the way!¡± Rayson immediately came to Susanne¡¯s rescue after seeing what the journalists


    were doing to her.


    Susanne knew this would happen. She kept herselfposed, not allowing those burning questions to


    get the better of her.


    I¡¯ll continue to safeguard thepany while awaiting Vinson and Arielle¡¯s return.


    ¡°Please ask them to quiet down. I¡®ll answer a few questions,¡± Susanne whispered into Rayson¡¯s ear.


    She knew she had to address the matter to appease the journalists and shut their mouths.


    ¡°Are you sure you can do this, Mrs. Nightshire?¡± Rayson was worried.


    Susanne gently patted his hand and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can handle this. I can¡¯t copse before


    they return.¡±


    Rayson¡¯s heart wrenched when she made the remark. He then helped Susanne up the stairs.


    When the journalists were about to walk up the stairs, he instructed the security guards to stop them


    from advancing. He then red at the journalists, asking them to remain silent.


    ¡°Feel free to ask Mrs. Nightshire any questions, but she¡¯ll decide what to answer.¡±


    The journalists were overjoyed. They had gathered at Nightshire Group today merely to try their luck


    since Susanne refused to speak to the media in thest couple of days.


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, if Mr. Nightshire isn¡¯t around anymore, which candidate do you think is qualified to


    take over the chairman¡¯s position?¡± A young male journalist started the session with a sharp question.


    ¡°We don¡¯t want bad things to happen to Mr. Nightshire either, but we have yet to receive any news


    about him for a week now. What are the odds of him surviving the ordeal? Have you not thought of a


    session n at all?¡±

 Chapter 1767

    Chapter 1767


    Hearing the crowd iming that Vinson was no longer around, Susanne felt a pang of anger ze


    within her. Nevertheless, she did not let her emotions get the better of her.


    I can¡¯t get mad at these reporters. Who knows what kind of story they¡¯ll try to fabricate?


    I mustn¡¯t let my actions affect Nightshire Group in any way.


    ¡°I firmly believe that my son wille back alive. So, I will not be making any useless ns right now.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire¡­¡±


    Noticing how Susanne tried to hold herself together to answer the reporters¡¯ questions despite her pale


    complexion, Rayson interrupted, ¡°We¡¯ll stop here for today. Please be merciful and note up with


    untrue stories for your articles.¡±


    With that, he held Susanne by the arm and led her into the building.


    Of course, those reporters were unsatisfied as Susanne had only answered two questions throughout


    the session. Unwilling to let her leave just like that, they swarmed toward her. Yet, before they could get


    anywhere near her, the security at the entrance stopped them.


    Since those reporters could not get more answers, they could only leave with their cameras and head


    back to work on their press releases.


    Meanwhile, Rayson helped Susanne into the elevator. After heading to her office with her, Rayson


    instructed the secretary to bring her a ss of warm water. Her raging emotions finally eased after she


    took a few sips of water.


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What are they up to recently?¡± Susanne rposed herself and asked.


    As the series of recent events crossed Rayson¡¯s mind, a ruthless glint shed across his sharp eyes.


    ¡°They¡¯re scrambling around to buy shares.¡±


    ¡°Buying shares?¡± Susanne¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Did anyone sell their shares?¡±


    Rayson shook his head. ¡°Not at the moment. Those small shareholders might be observing the


    situation by the sidelines too.¡±


    Mr. Nightshire¡¯s capabilities are evident. The decisions he made all these years have always helped


    those shareholders earn hefty profits.


    Learning that no one had sold their shares yet, Susanne heaved a sigh of relief.


    Nheless, she still reminded Rayson, ¡°If anyone can¡®t take it anymore and decides to sell their


    shares, you have to buy it back at once.¡±


    Rayson nodded. In truth, he thought the same way too.


    Given thepany¡¯s current situation, we cannot afford to lose any shares to the other shareholders


    anymore.


    Thepany was facing a ripple effect after experiencing a massive drop in stocks. Manypanies


    would rather breach the contract than continue the coboration with them.


    When he shared the news with Susanne, she scowled at once.


    They¡¯re obviously making things more difficult for us now. But what can I do?


    After all, everyone has the right to make a choice.


    ¡°Get back to work¡­¡± Susanne rubbed her forehead.


    With a nod, Rayson returned to his office.


    Just as he entered his room, the phone on his desk rang. Without hesitation, he answered the call.


    In the next second, his face darkened tremendously after hearing the news from the other end of the


    call.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to withdraw the investment? You better think twice. If you withdraw now, Mr.


    Nightshire will never agree to you joining in again when he returnster,¡± Rayson grimly uttered.


    Previously, they had gone to great lengths and established many connections to fund the capital


    investment for thepany. Sadly, the investor had decided to pull out in less than a week.


    Thepany¡¯s in a difficult situation right now. How can he decide to withdraw investment so easily?


    Isn¡¯t he adding fuel to the fire?


    ¡°Mr. Seet, I know it¡®s not a good idea to withdraw my investment now. But please understand that I


    have my difficulties too.¡±


    As the other party was adamant about withdrawing his investment, Rayson had no choice but to


    divulge the news to Susanne. Well aware that there was no way to persuade someone who had his


    mind made up, she agreed to his investment withdrawal without hesitation.


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, our cash flow will be affected if he withdraws now¡­¡±


    Rayson tried to dissuade Susanne, yet she stopped him from finishing his sentence. ¡°I still have some


    savings. You can make use of it.¡±


    In actuality, Susanne had already made ns beforehand. She then pulled out a card from her bag and


    passed it to him.

 Chapter 1768

    Chapter 1768


    Holding onto the card, Rayson felt as if it weighed a ton.


    Deep down, there was a burning urge in him to ask if Susanne wanted to save the money for the rainy


    days ahead. But at the same time, he thought it was not a very appropriate question.


    That¡¯ll sound like I¡¯m cursing Mr. Nightshire.


    ¡°I¡¯ll save this sum of money as ourst resort.¡±


    ***


    Meanwhile, on an ind on the other side of the ocean, a fifteen-year-old youth and an almost thirty-


    year-old woman were making their way back after getting off a boat.


    The youth stared at the burly woman before him as he asked softly, ¡°Aunt Sophia, can I return to school


    after this batch of goods gets delivered?¡±


    Everything here is pretty good, but I love the world outside even more. I don¡¯t want to stay here any


    longer.


    Hearing his words, Sophia stopped in her tracks and whipped her head around to look at him. ¡°Do you


    really wish to go out and study so much?¡±


    At the sight of the youth bobbing his head, Sophia frowned. ¡°Isn¡¯t it nice here? From food and drinks to


    daily necessities, we have the best of everything here.¡±


    ¡°Aunt Sophia, it is nice here, but I prefer the world outside.¡± The youth raised his head and directed his


    sparkly gaze toward her. ¡°I want to be with my ssmates and make friends with like-minded people.


    Also, I want to be able to do whatever I want to do.¡±


    Seeing the glimmer in his eyes, Sophia furrowed her brows. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it again.¡±


    Having said that, she turned and continued forward.


    ¡°All right,¡± the youth responded before following behind soullessly.


    ¡°Ow!¡± Suddenly, he twisted his ankle and fell to the ground.


    Sophia hurriedly turned around and asked, ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, he widened his eyes in shock. ¡°Aunt Sophia, there¡¯s a


    woman here.¡±


    At that, Sophia reversed her tracks to where he was, only to spot a woman lying on the ground


    motionlessly. Her brows squeezed together at once.


    ¡°Don¡®t mind her,¡± she casually answered and shifted her attention back to him. ¡°How are you? Are you


    all right?¡±


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    The youth got back on his feet and lightly moved his ankle before shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said.


    ¡°Let¡®s get moving then.¡± While Sophia strode forward, the youth bent down and ced his fingers near


    the woman¡¯s nose.


    Realizing that she was still breathing, his eyes lit up. He raised his voice and shouted, ¡°Aunt Sophia,


    she¡¯s still alive. Can we bring her back?¡±


    When she heard those words, she immediately stopped him. ¡°Clyde, don¡¯t be nosyl¡±


    God knows who that woman is! What if we stir troubles for ourselves after bringing her back?


    ¡°I want to help her, Aunt Sophia. Let¡®s bring her back.¡±


    Thanks to Sophia¡¯s great upbringing, the fifteen-year old Clyde had a kind heart. The determination in


    his eyes was so intense that Sophia eventually gave in.


    At that point, the sky gradually turned dark. Walking up to the woman, Sophia, after taking a few


    nces, noticed that the woman¡¯s body had swelled up, making her face beyond recognition.


    Since Clyde wants to save her, I shall be kind and save her this time then.


    With that thought in mind, she agreed to the youth¡¯s request to take the woman back with them. ted,


    he quickly bent over and carried her on his back.


    After their return, he instructed the servant to help the woman wash up and change into clean clothes.


    Under his request, they also called a doctor over to examine her.


    Three dayster, the woman still showed no signs of regaining consciousness. Thus, Clyde whispered,


    ¡°Miss, wake up. Aunt Sophia is going to throw you out if you don¡¯t.¡±


    Just as he was about to leave, he noticed the woman open her eyes.

 Chapter 1769

    Chapter 1769


    Upon opening her eyes, Arielle saw a brown-haired youth gazing at her in surprise.


    Without waiting for her to say anything, Clyde joyfully broke the silence. ¡°You¡¯ve finally regained your


    consciousness. Did you perhaps wake up because you heard what I said earlier? You woke up just in


    time. Aunt Sophia is really about to throw you out had you not wake up.¡±


    He lowered his voice as he said thest sentence, almost as if he was worried someone might


    overhear his words.


    ¡°W-Where¡­¡±


    Cough! Cough!


    Arielle wanted to ask where she was after having listened to his rambling. However, her throat was too


    dry that she began coughing the moment she spoke.


    Clyde immediately poured her a ss of water.


    Arielle took the ss from him and gulped down the water in a few mouthfuls.


    ¡°Who are you? What is this ce? Are you the one who saved me?¡± Arielle threw Clyde a barrage of


    questions.


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    It was fortunate she had learned manynguages before. Otherwise, she would not have understood


    what Clyde was saying.


    Little did the youth expect that Arielle would understand thenguage he spoke. Of course, he was


    overjoyed.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Clyde. We¡®re on an ind in Irushea. My aunt and I saved you. You¡¯ve been lying here for


    the past three days. Aunt Sophia says she will kick you out if you aren¡¯t waking up.¡± As he said that, he


    scratched his head. ¡°Aunt Sophia is just kidding. With me around, she won¡¯t do that to you.¡±


    Hearing those words, Arielle curled the corners of her lips into a faint smile.


    This kid really doesn¡¯t have his guard up, isn¡¯t he?


    ¡°It¡¯s been a few days since you stayed in bed. Are you hungry?¡± Clyde thoughtfully queried.


    At the mention of that, she realized she was indeed famished. Regardless, she could not care less


    about her hunger pangs.


    ¡°Clyde, am I the only one you guys saved? What¡¯s the date today?¡± Arielle anxiously asked.


    ¡°Aunt Sophia and I only saw you, so you¡¯re indeed the only one we saved,¡± the youth exined and


    walked up to the wall to check the calendar. ¡°Today is the third of May.¡±


    Third of May¡­


    Arielle¡¯s heart sank at once.


    It has been a week since we jumped off the cruise ship. How is Vinson right now? Did he get saved by


    anyone?


    Overwhelmed by anxiety, she looked at Clyde and asked, ¡°Do you have a phone? Can you lend me for


    a moment?¡±


    She had wanted to call Susanne and Aaron. Nevertheless, the youth shook his head.


    ¡°Miss, I don¡¯t have a phone,¡± Clyde whispered. ¡°Aunt Sophia always takes my phone away from me


    when we enter the ind.¡±


    That was also why he had never gotten in touch with his ssmates for almost a month since his return


    to the ind.


    At this point, Arielle¡¯s heart sank further.


    Where exactly is this ce? Why must they confiscate his phone upon entry?


    A frown formed between her brows. Deep down, she was overwhelmed by her worry for Vinson and


    Lorraine, but she still tried to keep her emotions hidden.


    ¡°Miss, if you want to make a call, I can help you ask Aunt Sophia when she¡¯s back,¡± Clyde suggested


    after noticing Arielle bing solemn and silent.


    ¡°All right. Thank you!¡±


    ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll get someone to cook you some pumpkin soup. You¡¯ll need something to eat since you


    just woke up.¡± Right after he spoke, he stood up and headed out.


    About half an hourter, Clyde brought over a bowl of piping hot pumpkin soup. The delicious smell


    instantly made Arielle¡¯s stomach growl in hunger. Looking at the smiling youth, she could not help but


    curse inwardly.

 Chapter 1770

    Chapter 1770


    ¡°Be patient. The pumpkin soup is still steaming hot. Wait till it cools down before you eat.¡± said Clyde


    as he ced the bowl of soup on the nightstand.


    Nevertheless, Arielle, who was famished, could not wait any further. As Clyde watched with an


    astonished expression, she struggled to sit up on the bed, grabbed the bowl of pumpkin soup, and


    started shoving spoonfuls of soup into her mouth while blowing on it.


    Only after downing the entire bowl of soup did Arielle feel a lot better though she was still quite weak


    and feeble.


    ¡°Miss, did you manage to eat your fill? There¡¯s still more in the pot,¡± Clyde attentively asked while


    staring at her.


    Arielle shook her head.


    I can¡®t overeat in one go since I just woke up, but small meals throughout the day sound like a good


    idea.


    I wonder if they¡¯ll allow me to cook. Oh well, I shouldn¡¯t say anything even if they don¡¯t. I¡¯m thankful


    enough that they saved me.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°Clyde, did you hear anything regarding the explosion of a cruise ship a few days ago?¡± Arielle was


    trying to pry information out of Clyde.


    In response, he bobbed his head. Despite not heading out for the past few days, he had learned about


    the ident through the news since there was a television on the ind.


    He initially wanted to ask Arielle why she would ask him that question. Yet, before he did, he recalled


    how her body was swollen when they saved her.


    Now that I think of it, she did look like she was soaked in water for a long time.


    Lifting his gaze at Arielle, he asked, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you were on board that cruise ship?¡±


    She nodded in acknowledgment.


    Anticipation filled her as she fixed her eyes on Clyde. ¡°Since you know about the explosion, do you


    know if they¡¯ve managed to rescue anyone alive?¡±


    The youth shook his head. ¡°Miss, there are only dead bodies so far. No one¡¯s alive.¡±


    Upon receiving that piece of news, Arielle¡¯s expression turned grim. A turmoil of emotions zed within


    her.


    Her worry for Vinson and Lorraine¡¯s safety only grew stronger.


    Are they as lucky as me and got rescued by someone?


    While she was worrying about them, Vinson and Lorraine, after being rescued by ackey of the ve


    market, were put up for sale like goods. Before long, someone bought them.


    The one who bought them was the daughter of the ruler of the ind, named Anna. In actuality, she


    only had eyes for Vinson, but when she was about to take him away, Vinson told her that Lorraine was


    his sworn sister and that if she wanted to buy him, she would also have to buy Lorraine. Otherwise, it


    would be pointless to bring him back alone.


    Anna had chosen Vinson simply because of his looks, but it turned out that she loved his character


    even more. As such, she hastily decided to fork money to buy Lorraine too.


    After taking the two of them back, Anna separated them. Then, she brought Vinson to her mansion and


    got someone to prepare a few sets of men¡¯s clothing before ordering him to shower in the servants¡¯


    room.


    When he returned, Anna¡¯s eyes lit up at once.


    This man is really handsome! He¡¯s totally my taste. Oh my gosh!


    Just one nce at him makes my heart pound wildly.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name? Why would you be sold to the ve market?¡± Anna rested her chin on her hands


    as she stared at him curiously while suppressing her raging emotions.


    Vinson had yet to have aplete grasp of Anna¡¯s identity and the location he was at, and thus, to


    answer her question, he readily built a response.


    ¡°I¡¯m Maddox. The force from the turbulent waves sent me here after the cruise ship exploded. Those


    people who saved me then sold me to the ve market for trade,¡± Vinson exined in a deep voice.


    I can¡®t believe I¡¯d get sold as a ve one day¡­


    Confoundment struck Anna as she did not expect Vinson to be a passenger on the exploded cruise


    ship.


    Well, I have to thank that explosion. Otherwise, I won¡¯t get to meet this man.

 Chapter 1771

    Chapter 1771


    ¡°Maddox, you¡¯re mine from today onward.¡± Anna arched an eyebrow at Vinson. ¡°You have to do


    whatever I tell you to do. No rejections are allowed.¡±


    The man scrunched his brows as he averted his deep gazes toward her.


    ¡°Ms. Anna, thank you for saving me from those people¡¯s clutches. But I can¡¯t be your ve forever. I


    have a family. I need to go home and protect them,¡± he expressed unhurriedly.


    Hearing that, a scowl appeared on Anna¡¯s face. Since birth, no one had ever dared to rebut her words.


    ¡°You will never be able to leave this ce. How are you still going to protect your family?¡± Anna coldly


    scoffed.


    Vinson glued his sharp eyes on her.


    What does she mean by that?


    When he first saw her, he thought Anna exuded an exceptional temperament. That was why he


    decided to make use of her to get Lorraine and himself out of the ve market. Unexpectedly, she was


    not the kind of person he thought she was.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Vinson solemnly questioned.


    ¡°On this ind, no one can leave without my dad¡¯smands,¡± Anna uttered. ¡°You better dismiss the


    idea of getting out of this ce.¡±


    Vinson threw her a puzzled look.


    Why can¡¯t anyone leave without her father¡¯smands? What kind of ce is this?


    ¡°Look, Ms. Anna. If you¡¯re willing to let me go, I¡®ll try my best to satisfy whatever request you have,¡±


    Vinson said as he looked at her.


    All he wanted was to leave as soon as possible so that he could go and look for Arielle. Being clueless


    about Arielle¡¯s predicament had undoubtedly rendered him extremely worried and concerned.


    ¡°Let you go?¡± Anna broke into a frostyugh. ¡°Why should I let you go?¡±


    He¡¯s the man I have my eyes on! How can I just let him leave?


    This is the first time I ¡¯m interested in a man. I will never let him run away from me!


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I disagree with you leaving. But even if I agree, my dad won¡¯t allow you.¡±


    The truth was, no one had ever been able to exit after setting foot on the ind.


    Anna¡¯s words made Vinson¡¯s heart sink to rock bottom.


    ¡°What ce is this? Why can¡¯t I leave?¡± Vinson narrowed his eyes. ¡°I know nothing about this ce.


    Why can¡¯t you guys let me get out of here?¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°No means no. There¡¯s no need for any exnation,¡± Anna pouted as she walked up to the man.


    With a brow raised, she continued, ¡°As long as you stay here and be my man, I¡¯ll make sure you can


    spend the rest of your life in luxury.¡±


    Indeed, that was what she wanted, for the man before her eyes to be hers.


    It was beyond Vinson¡¯s imagination that Anna would have such intentions.


    Gosh! If l knew she had such ns, I wouldn¡¯t have allowed her to fork out money to buy Lorraine and


    me from the ve market.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Anna. I¡¯m married and have a woman I dearly love.¡± Vinson¡¯s eyes dimmed as he


    rified, attempting to talk her into agreeing to his departure.


    At the knowledge that he was already married to the woman he loved, Anna felt a bolt of rage.


    Nheless, she did not allow her emotions to show on her face.


    ¡°So what if you¡¯re married? So what if you already have a woman you love? Now that you¡¯re here,


    everyone will think that you¡¯re dead. I¡¯m not bothered about that as long as you¡¯re willing to be


    mine from now on.¡± Anna snorted.


    ¡°Ms. Anna, I¡¯ll never betray my wife,¡± Vinson replied icily.


    The edges of Anna¡¯s lips curled into a mocking smirk.


    No man can escape my charms. I¡¯ll make sure he climbs onto my bed voluntarily. Tonight, I will turn him


    into mine!

 Chapter 1772

    Chapter 1772


    ¡°I¡¯ll make it so that you¡¯ll climb into my bed willingly and beg me to sleep with you, Maddox.¡±


    After saying that, Anna strode into her bedroom in high heels. She wanted to tell her best friend about


    her havinge across a top-notch man.


    Vinson watched as she left, plunging into silent contemtion for some time. He then whirled around


    and headed out to explore the ce. But just when he reached the door, he was greeted by the sight of


    two rows of armed guards standing sentry. The moment they saw himing out, they all swung their


    guns at him in unison.


    Without the slightest hesitation, he pivoted and went back into the house. He couldn¡¯t act rashly, for he


    hadn¡¯t yet located Arielle.


    That entire scene was clearly witnessed by Anna in the bedroom. Her lips curved into a smirk.


    Even if you want to leave, it hinges on whether you¡¯ve got the guts to do so!


    Having returned to the living room, Vinson sat on the couch quietly, his eyes narrowed a fraction.


    In the bedroom, Anna had already told her best friend, Jenny, about her attraction toward Vinson.


    That aside, she told her about Vinson¡¯s im that he was married and would never betray his wife, but


    his insistence only intensified her desire to subjugate him.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it easy if you want to subjugate him, Anna?¡± A wicked smile yed on Jenny¡¯s lips, and she


    murmured a few words to Anna.


    In a sh, Anna¡¯s eyes lit up. In truth, she had the same idea.


    Since Jenny has said the same now, it looks like my idea is feasible.


    She chatted a while longer with Jenny before hanging up the phone. cing the phone on the bed, she


    got up and sauntered over to the mirror. As she gazed at herself in the mirror, she grinned from ear to


    ear.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    The woman in the mirror had a slender and exquisite figure, her curves alluring.


    What man wouldn¡¯t be tempted by me?


    Only Maddox is blind and can¡¯t see how wonderful I am. But it¡¯s okay because I¡¯ll show him.


    ***


    ¡°Sannie, Peter Pan is truly incredible! Did he manage to defeat the pirates and rescue everyone in the


    end? Then, there¡¯s Tinker Bell. Can she really not be with Peter Pan?¡±


    Just as Sophia returned from outside, she heard Clyde¡¯s barrage of questions. Before she could figure


    out the person he was speaking to, a voice tinged withughter drifted out, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the


    answers to those questions next time. My throat is a bit parched after talking for the entire afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Have some water to soothe your throat, Sannie!¡± Clyde hurriedly poured a ss of water before


    handing it to Arielle.


    Gosh, I was too absorbed in the story that I actually forgot to pour her some water!


    Outside the door, Sophia entered the room in casual attire. Only when she saw the person Clyde was


    talking to did she know that the woman they saved the other day had regained consciousness.


    ¡°When did you wake up? Are you feeling better now?¡± she inquired, strolling over to Arielle.


    ¡°This is my aunt, Sannie. Her name is Sophia,¡± said Clyde before turning to Sophia.


    ¡°Aunt Sophia, her name is San. She¡¯s a teacher.¡± He introduced them to each other with a bright smile


    on his face.


    The two women looked at each other, both sensing that there was more to the other than met the eye.


    ¡°Nice to meet you!¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you, too!¡±


    As they both shook hands and greeted each other, undisguised delight showed in Clyde¡¯s eyes at the


    side.


    When it was time for dinner, Sophia had the housekeeper deliver some food for Arielle. Clyde initially


    wanted to eat with thetter, but he immediately changed his mind after glimpsing the look in Sophia¡¯s


    gaze. He ended up having dinner with his aunt instead.


    Although Arielle was a touch tired after dinner, she remained vignt, for she could sense that Clyde¡¯s


    aunt, Sophia, was no ordinary person.


    On the other hand, a housekeeper entered Sophia¡¯s room after dinner.


    ¡°Ms. Sophia, Mr. Clyde is getting attached to that woman. What are your ns?¡±


    Sophia¡¯s eyes narrowed into slits. In the next second, an idea popped into her mind. Not only would it


    be able to distance Arielle from Clyde, but it would also advance her career significantly.

 Chapter 1773

    Chapter 1773


    Turning time back to an hour ago, Anna¡¯s housekeeper knocked on the door and informed her that


    dinner was ready just after she had her fill of looking at herself in the mirror.


    Anna had her housekeeper, Amy, enter the room. She then whispered a few words into thetter¡¯s ear.


    Amy had been serving Anna since young and had never dared to go against her orders. This time,


    however, she was rather hesitant after listening to Anna.


    ¡°Ms. Anna, if your father were to learn about this¡­¡±


    ¡°I believe you¡¯ll make it so that he wouldn¡¯t learn about it!¡± Anna snapped, shooting her a re.


    Don¡¯t think I¡¯m ignorant to your capabilities!


    Amy¡¯s heart lurched. Subsequently, she relented in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll go and do it right away.¡±


    Ten minutester, Anna came out of her room. Right then, Vinson was sitting on the couch. When he


    saw hering out, he merely nced at her impassively.


    Unfortunately, that only amplified Anna¡®s interest toward him.


    Ever since young, I¡¯ve always gotten what I want.


    ¡°Come and dine with me if you don¡®t want to starve. No matter what, filling your stomach is the most


    important thing,¡± Anna remarked with her eyes trained on him.


    Thatment of hers resonated with Vinson¡¯s thoughts.


    While he wanted nothing more to do with her, he was in her territory at that moment. He could skip a


    meal, but he couldn¡¯t do so indefinitely. After all, he still needed to keep his strength up to look for


    Arielle.


    For that reason, he stood up and went to the room at the side to wash his hands when her words rang


    out. Then, he returned to the dining table and sat down across from her.


    At that, Anna smiled.


    This is exactly the type of man I like, handsome and smart!


    By then, the food had already been served. When Anna started eating, Vinson picked up the fork and


    did the same.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Halfway through the meal, Amy came over with two sses of red wine, cing a ss each in front of


    them.


    ¡°Congrattions on surviving that explosion, Maddox.¡± Anna lifted her wine ss.


    Eyeing her, Vinson followed suit and clinked sses with her. Both of them took a sip at the same time.


    The smile on Anna¡¯s lips widened as she watched him down the red wine.


    She drank while enjoying her steak. Before she realized it, she had finished a ss of red wine.


    Likewise, Vinson had also polished off the wine as she clinked sses with him incessantly.


    ¡°Your room is right next door. I can¡¯t allow you to go out and roam around yet for the time being.


    There¡¯s a television in the room, so you can watch television if you¡¯re bored.¡±


    After saying that, Anna went back to her room.


    As soon as she picked up her phone, she spotted a message from Jenny.


    It read, Well? Did you do as I suggested?


    Anna swiftly texted back, Of course! I¡¯ve already returned to my room now, waiting.


    She was waiting for the drug to take effect in Vinson and for him to seek her out when he could no


    longer control himself.


    At that time, I¡¯ll have him beg me to have a roll in the hay with him!


    Another message then came from Jenny, Did you change into sexy clothes? Let me tell you, no man


    could withstand such temptation.


    Sexy clothes?


    With her phone in hand, Anna ambled over to her closet and swept a gaze over her clothes. All of a


    sudden, her eyes lit up. She reached out and took out a ck dress that was as thin as gossamer,


    rendering her assets indistinctly visible.


    Putting down her phone, she changed into the dress and scrutinized herself in the mirror. Her curves


    were vividly on disy, rendering her enticing and tititing.


    Grinning in satisfaction, she snapped a selfie and sent it to Jenny.


    Jenny promptly texted, Oh my God, this dress is too seductive! You¡¯ll definitely be able to bag him


    tonight!

 Chapter 1774

    Chapter 1774


    Anna then replied, Just wait for my good news!


    After sending that text message, she ced her phone on the bedside table and walked out


    barefooted.


    Right then, Vinson was tense, his entire body burning up. At that moment, an intense desire to vent the


    passion within him seized him. The increasingly uncontroble desire coursing through him had the


    realization that he had been drugged dawning upon him.


    Meanwhile, the person who could have drugged him was none other than Anna.


    Never had I expected her to resort to such a despicable method. How repulsive!


    He turned on the lights and looked around, only to discover that there was no bathroom in the room.


    If he wanted to take a cold shower, he could only go to the room where he had taken a shower earlier


    that day. However, no sooner had he gone to the door and opened it than Anna in a ck dress


    entered his line of sight.


    She was giving off a sense of hazy enticement.


    Vinson took two steps back and regarded her with a frown.


    Don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s nning to seduce me by dressing like that.


    At that thought, a glimmer of iciness shed across his eyes.


    Even if I¡¯m drugged, I¡¯ll never do anything to betray Arielle!


    ¡°Are you in pain, Maddox? Do you need me to help you out?¡± Anna gazed at him sweetly, her soft voice


    tinged with a hint of allure.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Regretfully, Vinson merely stared at her expressionlessly.


    ¡°Thank you for your kind intentions, Ms. Anna. But I¡¯ll pass.¡± Having said that, he forcibly held himself


    together and headed to the bathroom ahead.


    The look in Anna¡¯s eyes darkened when she saw that he was still unwilling to touch her despite having


    been drugged.


    He¡¯s got quite the self-control. But I¡¯m determined to shatter it. A man I¡¯ve taken an interest in will never


    be able to escape from the palm of my hand!


    Turning around, she moved to hug him from behind. Just when she was about to make contact with


    him, Vinson seemingly sensed it. He quickly darted to the side and turned back to stare at her coldly.


    ¡°Please have some self-respect, Ms. Anna!¡±


    ¡°Self-respect?¡± Anna echoed.


    She didn¡¯t understand what it meant, but she felt that it was a refusal.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you hurting, Maddox? Do you not want me to help you? If you allow me to help you, you don¡¯t


    need to hurt anymore.¡±


    While saying that, she took a step forward and reached out to touch the man¡¯s body.


    Seeing that, Vinson spun around and strode to the bathroom ahead with his face devoid of expression.


    Right then, he only wanted to take a cold shower to ease his difort.


    ¡°Taking a cold shower won¡¯t help, Maddox. This drug is exceedingly strong. Ifyou don¡¯t relieve yourself,


    you¡¯d be impotent in the future even if you manage to withstand the effects of it forcibly,¡± Anna


    threatened, her eyes fixated on the man who had reached the bathroom door.


    She didn¡¯t believe that he wouldn¡¯t turn back and seek her out when she had said as much.


    To her disappointment and fury, Vinson turned a deaf ear to her warning. He opened the bathroom door


    and stalked in before mming the door shut.


    Indeed, that drug was exceedingly strong. If it hadn¡¯t been for his strong self-control, he would¡¯ve


    probably snapped and pounced on Anna when she seduced him.


    After entering the bathroom, he turned on the shower. As icy cold water poured down on him, he felt


    much better.


    Outside the door, Anna was instantly livid to see that Vinson didn¡¯t fall for her seduction. She was so


    furious that she summoned the guards outside the door.


    Pointing at the bathroom where the sound of running water came from, she snarled, ¡°Take him out and


    throw him into the ve camp!¡±

 Chapter 1775

    Chapter 1775


    When the guards came in and saw Anna¡¯s attire, they abruptly didn¡¯t quite know where to look


    anymore. Some of them even started burning up with a single nce.


    I¡¯ve long since known that Ms. Anna is a beauty, yet I never thought that not only is she stunning, but


    she also has a great figure. If I even get to bed her once¡­


    At that line of thought, the guard hastily mped his legs together, afraid that someone would notice


    his awkward condition.


    ¡°Why are you all standing around? Hurry up and do as I instructed!¡±


    Hearing her orders, the guards snapped back to their senses at once. They marched over to the


    bathroom and broke the door. Vinson pinned a sharp gaze on the guards who appeared without


    warning.


    As the guards studied the man who had just taken a cold shower and cast their minds back to Anna¡¯s


    attire, it suddenly dawned upon them that Anna wanted to seduce Vinson but failed.


    Anna, on the other hand, saw red at the sight of Vinson all aloof.


    She pointed a finger at him. ¡°Take him away and have him do all the dirty and tiring chores henceforth!¡±


    After saying that, she stared at him fixedly. Her eyes inexorably turned red-rimmed when he continued


    turning a blind eye to her and ignoring herpletely.


    Biting her lip, she added resentfully, ¡°B-Beg me now. As long as you do so, I won¡®t have you lift a single


    finger!¡±


    Vinson didn¡¯t reply to that. Instead, he turned to the guards and urged, ¡°Aren¡¯t you to take me to the


    ve camp? Make it quick!¡±


    He didn¡¯t want to stay there at all, for it was practically impossible to keep his guard up at all times. He


    was really fearful that she would drug him at every turn, and he wasn¡¯t immortal to remain alive without


    eating and drinking.


    His words had Anna going off the deep end.


    I¡¯ve already taken a step back, yet he¡¯s still unwilling to yield!


    She roared at the guards, ¡°Take him away! Send him to the ve camp immediately! Have him do all


    the dirty and tiring chores! I want him to do the filthiest and most exhausting chores!¡±


    The guards looked at Vinson as though he was an idiot.


    It¡¯d be great to be with Ms. Anna, having abundant food and living in a mansion. On top of that, he¡¯d


    even have such a beauty like her to keep himpany.


    How wonderful! Verily, he¡¯s a fool!


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    As they criticized him inwardly, they took him out of the mansion.


    Anna stood at the door, trembling in fury as she watched them escort Vinson away.


    Am I really that unappealing to him that he¡¯d rather go and stay at the ve camp instead of begging


    me and submitting to me?


    Snorting, she spun on her heel and went back to her room.


    I shall see how long he can persevere!


    ***


    Meanwhile, Arielle couldn¡¯t hold out when she went to bed at night due to her physical condition. She


    slumbered deeply despite her increased vignce since she had just awakened from aa that day.


    Several days passed without Sophia making a move against her.


    Clyde came over to keep herpany daily, listening to her narration of ¡°Peter and Wendy¡±. Even the


    meals delivered by the housekeeper were ones that facilitated her recovery. Consequently, her


    condition improved.


    In the past two days, she got out of bed and went on strolls in the courtyard every day to stretch her


    muscles.


    In fact, Arielle felt that she would be back to normal in another two days. At that time, she would be


    able to talk with Sophia. In the past few days, she learned from Clyde that one must have a visa issued


    by the general if one wanted to leave the ind.


    She felt that she could negotiate with Sophia to send her out of the ind. In return, she would do her


    best to fulfill whatever thetter demanded.


    s, the bestid ns of mice and men often go awry. She was already in the jaws of danger before


    she could execute her n.

 Chapter 1776

    Chapter 1776


    ¡°Dennis, do you think the general will be into her?¡± asked Sophia softly as she looked at the man


    before her, who was constantly checking Arielle out.


    The general hadn¡¯t been assigning her as many taskstely, so Sophia needed to find some ways to


    get on his good side. Only then would he assign more tasks to her. Without those tasks, her family


    would slowly fall out of the general¡¯s favors, and that wasn¡¯t good.


    ¡°Judging by her looks, I think he¡®ll like her,¡± replied Dennis.


    He smiled at her and asked, ¡°Where did you find such a pretty woman? I¡¯m sure the general will reward


    you handsomely if he¡®s happy with her.¡±


    Sophia smiled deviously after hearing what Dennis said.


    She had already decided how she would deal with Arielle the second thetter opened her eyes and


    regained consciousness.


    ¡°I found her on the streets,¡± answered Sophia while narrowing her eyes before turning her gaze to


    Dennis and asking, ¡°When will the general be back?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t wait to see how happy the general would get.


    ¡°He went shopping for clothes with his wife. My guess is that he won¡¯t be back until this evening,¡±


    answered Dennis.


    ¡°Then I will leave her in your care.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll send someone to inform you if the general is happy with the woman,¡± replied Dennis, looking


    at Sophia.


    She nodded. Before she left, she nced at Arielle once more.


    The general is the king around here, so you¡¯ll be in luck if he¡¯s in to you and you get to serve him.


    After Sophia left, Dennis took another nce at Arielle, who was lying on the bed.


    The general will surely be happy with such a fine specimen. She is younger than the general¡¯s wife, so


    I¡¯m sure she will be able to give birth to a son for him.


    Oh, that would be wonderful. If she is able to give him a son, my and Sophia¡¯s future would be bright!


    The general and his wife had been married for over a decade, but they only had a daughter. There was


    no news of another pregnancy since.


    Over the years, the general had hired a number of doctors to treat his wife so that she could get


    pregnant again, but nothing ever happened. The general was so desperate for an heir that he slept with


    countless other women. Unfortunately, none of them bore him any son.


    The woman before Dennis was not only pretty but also had an alluring figure. She was definitely one of


    a kind.


    Dennis was certain that the general would be attached to her and would sleep with her more than


    once. That meant that sooner orter, she would be pregnant with his child.


    ¡°Keep an eye on her,¡± ordered Dennis after summoning two housekeepers over. ¡°This is the general¡¯s


    woman, so you will both lose your lives if you fail to keep an eye on her.¡±


    The housekeepers nodded right away after hearing what he said. After that, they stood on both sides of


    Arielle¡¯s bed and guarded her as though they were her warden.


    ¡°The general¡¯s wife will probably be devastated if she learns that the general will be sleeping with such


    a beautiful woman.¡±


    ¡°So what if she¡¯s devastated? It¡®s her fault she failed to give him a son. If the general has a son, he


    would not have slept with all those other women.¡±


    Arielle heard the housekeepers gossiping quietly before she even opened her eyes.


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    She was going to continue feigning being unconscious so that she could gain more information from


    them, but unfortunately, that was also when she heard one of them saying, ¡°Stop talking. We¡¯ll both be


    in danger if anyone overhears us.¡±


    Right after that, the other housekeeper agreed with her friend, and silence ensued.


    Seeing that they had stopped discussing, Arielle thought it was pointless to continue feigning


    unconsciousness. Thus, she opened her eyes and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Clyde?¡±


    As soon as she finished asking that question, her gaze darkened. She recalled what happened that


    morning.


    I¡¯ve fallen into a trap! My breakfast was drugged!


    ¡°Where am I? Who brought me here?¡±

 Chapter 1777

    Chapter 1777


    One of the housekeepers was surprised to learn that Arielle was familiar with theirnguage.


    She was quick to answer the woman¡¯s question, ¡°This is the general¡¯s mansion, but we don¡¯t know who


    sent you here, either.¡±


    Dennis had already made it clear that the woman in front of them belonged to the general. Thus, the


    housekeeper thought she should treat Arielle better so that thetter would consider her a trusted


    lackey. That way, her position in the household would also elevate along with Arielle.


    The general¡¯s mansion? Why did Sophia take me here?


    Arielle didn¡¯t need to be a genius to know that Sophia was the one who kidnapped her. After all, Clyde,


    who was kind and innocent, would never do something like that to her.


    Sophia, on the other hand, made Arielle feel ufortable from the very beginning. She sensed a


    malicious aura from Sophia from the moment they met, but she didn¡¯t expect thetter to do something


    as cruel as this.


    ¡°Do you guys know why I¡¯m here?¡± asked Arielle while smiling at the housekeepers.


    Though it looks like she has some ulterior schemes of her own, she doesn¡¯t seem smart. Maybe I can


    get some information from her.


    ¡°Of course I do,¡± replied the housekeeper right away after she heard Arielle¡¯s question. ¡°You are sent


    here to be the general¡¯s wife.¡±


    ¡°Miss, the general is a bit older, but he doesn¡¯t look his age at all. More importantly, he doesn¡¯t have a


    son. If you were to bear him a boy, the baby will be the future heir, and your position in the household


    will only be second to the general.¡±


    The housekeeper became increasingly excited as she spoke.


    Toward the end of her sentence, her tone was filled with reverence, as if she was already treating


    Arielle like her boss.


    Arielle, however, felt her heart sinking after she heard all that. She was about to ask some more


    questions when a young girl suddenly barged in.


    The girl ran toward Arielle right away and shouted at her, ¡°You evil woman. You are not allowed to take


    my daddy away from me!¡±


    ¡°Lena, it¡®s rude to shout like that.¡±


    Before Arielle even had the opportunity to talk, a deep male voice sounded outside. When she turned


    to look in the direction of the voice, she saw a man entering.


    The guy had a muscr figure. His defined features made him seem gentle, and when he looked at


    Arielle, he broke into a warm and amicable smile.


    ¡°Lena is just a kid. Please don¡¯t take her words to heart.¡±


    Arielle shook her head to show that she didn¡¯t mind it.


    She¡¯s just a little girl, so why would I hold it against her?


    ¡°Both of you, take Lena to her mother,¡± ordered the man, turning to the housekeepers beside Arielle.


    He said ¡°both of you¡±, which meant he was asking both of them to leave.


    Arielle had her guard up.


    He¡¯s deliberately sending them away so that we could be alone.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    The two housekeepers held Lena¡¯s hand and coaxed the little girl to leave the room, leaving the


    general and Arielle alone.


    The man, which was the general, Micah Watson, took a seat across from Arielle after everyone had


    left. His deep, abyss-like eyes were locked on the woman as his heart stirred with emotions and


    desires.


    After shopping, his wife imed that she was tired, so she went back to her room to rest. He then took


    Lena out for a walk in the ntation and ran into Dennis, who informed him that Sophia had sent a


    young woman to him.


    At first, he didn¡®t care much about it. Many of his subordinates had sent women his way, but none of


    them managed to catch his eye. He never let them stay for long.


    However, Dennis imed that the woman in question was much more beautiful than the rest and


    promised that Micah would love her. Dennis also said that the woman was already sent to his mansion,


    he asked Micah to drop by when he was free and check her out.


    Lena was upset when she heard what Dennis said.


    She let go of her father¡¯s hand and ran into the mansion right away. That was when the drama ensued.


    ¡°I will allow you to be my woman.¡±

 Chapter 1778

    Chapter 1778


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want that!¡±


    Arielle didn¡¯t expect the general before her to be that straightforward. That was the first time they met,


    and he already asked her to be his woman.


    What the heck? He might be okay with this, but I am not!


    ¡°What did you just say?¡± asked Micah as he stared at Arielle in shock.


    It was as though he couldn¡¯t believe what he just heard.


    ¡°I said I don¡¯t want to be your woman,¡± repeated Arielle.


    The warm smile on Micah¡¯s face turned upside down instantly. He didn¡¯t expect the woman in front of


    him to be that difficult. As far as he was concerned, she was lucky that he was into her.


    How dare she turn me down?


    ¡°Do you know who I am? How dare you turn me down like this?¡± said Micah, shooting daggers at


    Arielle while wearing a stoic expression on his face.


    He was exuding a natural intimidating aura without having to put up a front.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are. My answer remains the same,¡± Arielle replied calmly while looking right into


    his eyes.


    Micah stared at her for quite some time before he suddenly grinned. ¡°You sure are bold.¡±


    It had been a while since he met a woman as defiant as Arielle. However, the more she behaved like


    that, the more he became intrigued by her.


    Arielle scoffed.


    Bold? This has nothing to do with courage. I¡¯m just confident, that¡¯s all.


    ¡°Have you been feeling dizzy recently? Do your ears ring? Does your skin feel numb, and sometimes


    your thinking is slow?¡±


    As soon as Arielle said that, the expression on Micah¡®s face changed drastically. He strode over and


    sped her neck.


    ¡°How did you know all that? Who sent you here?¡± demanded Micah in a frosty tone.


    Actually, Arielle saw thating and could¡¯ve dodged Micah¡¯s grasp, but she could only bear with it in


    order to not expose her own identity.


    Micah¡¯s powerful grip made her cough a little, but she managed to answer his question. ¡°I-I am a


    doctor.¡±


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    A doctor?


    Micah loosened his grip and looked at her suspiciously. ¡°You figured all that out just by looking at me?¡±


    Arielle nodded, knowing that Micah was beginning to believe her.


    ¡°I knew it the instant I saw you. My guess is that you have consulted many doctors over the years to


    treat your condition. They couldn¡¯t cure you, right?¡±


    Micah remained silent.


    It was true. He had secretly consulted many doctors and had practically visited every hospital and clinic


    out there. However, they couldn¡¯t cure him, even though they were able to diagnose him.


    He wanted an heir, so over the past few years, he had been taking medications to condition his bodily


    functions.


    ¡°Let me guess. You haven¡®t had a kid since you had Lena. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± asked Arielle, her tone


    cid but firm. ¡°I¡¯ll help you get your body ready for another child and boost your fertility. You¡¯ll have


    kids again. But, my only condition is that you don¡¯t touch me.¡±


    Arielle didn¡¯t know if what she said would end up persuading Micah, but it didn¡¯t matter even if she


    failed. After all, she still had her silver-ted needles with her, so if he dared to touch her, she would


    not hesitate to strike.


    She would make it so that he would never be a real man again.


    Micah wavered upon hearing her offer.


    Women were a dime a dozen to him. However, doctors who could cure him were extremely rare. Most


    importantly, he was impressed that she was able to diagnose him just by looking at him.


    ¡°Are you sure you can cure me?¡± asked Micah, staring intently at her. ¡°If you lie to me¡­¡±


    ¡°I never make any promises I can¡¯t fulfill.¡±


    That indifferent statement from Arielle was all it took to elicit some trust from Micah.


    ¡°Fine. I will agree to your terms. I won¡¯t touch you, but you must cure me,¡± replied Micah. His gaze was


    filled with hostility as he threatened, ¡°But if you fail¡­¡±

 Chapter 1779

    Chapter 1779


    Clyde became anxious when he noticed that Arielle was gone after he returned from the ntation.


    Worried sick, he quickly went to ask Sophia, ¡°Aunt Sophia, where did you take Sannie?¡±


    Sophia¡¯s face darkened as she took note of Clyde¡¯s behavior.


    ¡°Really, Clyde? Is that how you talk to your aunt?¡±


    Clyde realized that his attitude is inappropriate, and he immediately apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aunt


    Sophia. I didn¡¯t mean it. I¡¯m just too worried about Sannie, that¡¯s all¡­¡±


    Sophia was rather upset to see how much he cared about Arielle.


    She was the one who raised him, but he had always behaved respectfully and fearfully around her,


    unlike when he was around Arielle. The boy warmed up to Arielle and was at ease with her.


    ¡°You should forget all about her. She¡¯s nothing but a stranger,¡± replied Sophia calmly.


    Clyde was heartbroken to hear that.


    Sannie is not a stranger!


    Clyde stared at Sophia with distress in his eyes. ¡°Aunt Sophia, please tell me where you took her. Don¡¯t


    bother lying to me. I¡¯ve already heard what the others said. They said you sent her away. Where did


    you send her off to?¡±


    Sophia nced at him and said indifferently, ¡°She went somewhere she¡¯s supposed to go. Go do your


    work. I¡®ll take out of the ind for a trip after a few days.¡±


    In the past, Clyde would be ecstatic to hear that he got to leave the ind. However, he wasn¡¯t at all


    happy this time. All he could think about was Arielle.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    He understood that his aunt would not tell him about Arielle¡¯s whereabouts, so he murmured a reply in


    disappointment before turning around to leave.


    Well, if Aunt Sophia won¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll go ask the others. I¡¯m sure I can find her.


    Sophia¡¯s gaze dimmed as she watched Clyde leave. She didn¡¯t expect Clyde to be so attached to


    Arielle in just a few days¡¯ time.


    Thank goodness I sent that woman away. If she were to stay even longer, Clyde would be even


    more attached to her.


    After Clyde left the house, he went around asking about Arielle. His investigation bore no fruits, though.


    Sophia had already told everyone to keep quiet and say nothing about Arielle¡¯s whereabouts when


    Clyde asked.


    Disappointed, the boy returned to his room. Sophia grinned happily when she saw that he had


    seemingly given up.


    ***


    ¡°Are you really here to treat my daddy?¡± asked Lena curiously.


    The little girl¡¯s huge eyes narrowed into a curve as she smiled.


    Arielle pinched Lena¡¯s chubby cheeks and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right. Once I treat your daddy, your mommy


    will be able to give you a baby brother.¡±


    Ah, this kid is so adorable! She became friendly after she knew I¡¯m here to cure the general. She went


    from hating me to bing friends with me.


    Lena was ecstatic to hear that her mommy would be giving her a baby brother. She hated to have


    another woman give birth to a baby brother for her, as her mother would be devastated.


    Her mother would hug her and cry whenever her father was spending time with other women. Hence,


    she hated those women, who came to steal her father away from her.


    Lena said sadly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for shouting at you the other day. I was just afraid that you¡¯re here to steal


    my daddy. Daddy is nice to Mommy, but Mommy would still secretly cry sometimes.¡±


    A strange glint shed across Arielle¡®s eyes when she heard that.


    Could it be¡­?

 Chapter 1780

    Chapter 1780


    While negotiating with the general the other day, I actually did name another term. And that¡¯s for him to


    send me back after he recovers and his wife conceives.


    s, he gave me an outright refusal right there and then. He told me he could let me stay and I¡¯d want


    for nothing, but he couldn¡¯t let me leave. Then, he walked away after uttering those words.


    Maybe I can try to talk to Lena¡®s mother instead. However, I¡¯ll need to think carefully about how to cross


    paths with her.


    Arielle ruffled Lena¡¯s curly hair and said with a smile, ¡°After I cure your father and your mother gives


    you a baby brother, she won¡¯t cry anymore.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Lena nodded happily, then looked at Arielle and added, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to go and meet Mommy.


    She¡¯s very gentle and kind, and you¡¯ll definitely like her after meeting her.¡±


    Since Arielle had decided to approach Lena¡¯s mother, the proposal fit right into what the former had in


    mind.


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll go with you to meet your mommy, then.¡±


    Seeing that Arielle agreed, Lena led her back home cheerfully.


    ¡°I don¡¯t drink coffee. Who told you to pour me some?¡± After they heard those words, a loud crash rang


    out.


    The expression on Lena¡¯s face shifted. Then, she let go of Arielle¡¯s hand and hurried into the living


    room. Although Arielle knew it was not really the right time for her to go in, she still decided to do so


    after pondering for a while.


    She reasoned that under such extreme circumstances, she could not pass up on any opportunity to


    glean information.


    At that moment, Lena was bristling with anger as she stood protectively before a woman with reddened


    eyes. The woman was Abigail, Lena¡¯s mother.


    Lena¡¯s eyes were wide as she red at Anna, who was standing opposite her.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to drink the coffee, but why did you have to throw the cup? Why do you have


    to yell at Mommy?¡± she demanded, shooting daggers at Anna.


    I hate her the most! Every time shees over, she yells at Mommy and makes Mommy cry.


    ¡°This is my house, so I can do whatever I want. What does it have to do with you?¡± Anna retorted,


    gazing at Lena gloomily.


    Still fixing her eyes on thetter, she continued, ¡°Remember this well. From now on, I¡¯m not your sister,


    and you¡¯re not allowed to refer to me as such.¡±


    Just the mere sight of these two makes my stomach turn. If not for them, my mother wouldn¡¯t have


    died. I¡¯ll never be able to forget how she died with so much hatred.


    ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t! Do you think I want to refer to you as my sister? I¡¯m just as unwilling!¡± Lena shouted


    furiously


    Those words instantly made Anna feel ufortable.


    It¡¯s one thing for me to forbid her from referring to me as her sister, but it¡¯s another if she says she¡¯s


    unwilling to do so!


    Just as Anna was about to reprimand Lena, Abigail stepped forward from behind Lena.


    She turned to the younger girl angrily and chided, ¡°How can you talk to Anna like that? Apologize to her


    at once.¡±


    ¡°No way. Why should I apologize to her? She¡¯s clearly the one at fault. Mommy, she did something


    wrong first. Why am I always the one who has to apologize?¡± Lena asked, looking at Abigail sadly.


    ¡°Because she¡¯s your elder sister!¡±


    ¡°So what if she is? What¡¯s so great about that? Does being an elder sister mean she can do whatever


    she wants? I don¡¯t want to apologize. She¡¯s no elder sister. I certainly don¡¯t want her as my sister,¡±


    Lena said stubbornly, gazing at Abigail with red-rimmed eyes.


    The moment she said that, a pnded on her cheek.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1781

    Chapter 1781


    Lena cradled her cheek that had gotten struck as she stared at Abigail with disbelief.


    ¡°Mommy, I hate you!¡± she shouted before dashing outside.


    Worried that something would happen to the little girl, Arielle quickly hurried after her.


    Abigail gazed at her hand in disbelief.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    How could I¡­ How could I have struck Lena? I risked my life to give birth to her¡­


    Her heart ached as though it were getting pricked by needles when she recalled how Lena said she


    hated her.


    As for Anna, she merely snorted with disdain after taking in the scene.


    ¡°Are you trying to gain my sympathy by putting on a pitiful act? Hah! I¡¯m not falling for that.¡± With that,


    she got up and left.


    Abigail gazed at Anna¡¯s retreating figure, a pained look shing across her eyes.


    I know she hates me because her mother wouldn¡¯t have died if I hadn¡¯t been in the picture. I was unfair


    to her and her mother.


    Lena and I are the ones who wronged them. That¡¯s why ever since Lena could understand, I taught her


    to be nice to Anna and listen to her.


    I don¡¯t know when it happened, but Lena suddenly changed. She doesn¡¯t listen to Anna anymore and is


    no longer Anna¡¯s obedient little sister. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t control myself when I heard Lena talking to


    Anna like that and ended up pping her.


    B-But it wasn¡¯t on purpose¡­ I was only angry because Lena was disobedient and refused to apologize


    to Anna. I didn¡¯t mean to p her¡­


    At that thought, Abigail quickly hurried outside after them.


    Meanwhile, Lena hugged her knees as she sat on thewn in the mansion¡¯s back garden. She had her


    head bowed low, bawling her eyes out.


    Arielle sat next to her and gently pulled theter into her embrace.


    ¡°Ms. Moore¡­¡± Lena clung to Arielle and sobbed inconsbly.


    It¡¯s not just because she¡¯s young. Even someone the same age as me would still feel aggrieved after


    getting pped by their mother.


    Arielle could not help feeling distressed as she watched Lena crying bitterly.


    She gently patted the girl¡®s back and said tenderly, ¡°There, there. Don¡®t cry. I know how you feel.¡±


    ¡°Tell me, Ms. Moore. Why do you think Mommy treats Anna so well? Anna doesn¡¯t respect Mommy and


    always makes her cry. I hate Mommy. I never want to like her again,¡± said Lena, feeling terribly upset.


    I¡¯ve always stood on Mommy¡¯s side, so why must she treat me like this?


    It was clear to Arielle that Anna and Lena were half-sisters who shared the same father but different


    mothers.


    Based on Lena¡¯s mother¡¯s attitude toward Anna, the former must have done something to hurt Anna or


    Anna¡¯s mother.


    From how Lena¡¯s mother tolerates Anna, she¡¯s probably trying to make up for what she did.


    ¡°Lena, I know you feel aggrieved. However, don¡¯t say things like you hate or dislike your mother.¡±


    ¡°Why not? She¡¯s already gone as far as to p me because of that evil sister of mine,¡± Lena responded


    angrily through tears.


    Arielle tilted Lena¡¯s head upward, took a tissue from her pocket, and wiped thetter¡¯s tears.


    Only then did she gaze at the girl and say, ¡°Because your mother risked her life to give birth to you,


    that¡¯s why. Your mother raised you all these years, from when you were a tiny baby until now. She has


    given you her love and her time. It¡¯d crush her if she heard you say you¡¯ll never like her again.¡±


    Lena pursed her lips. She was also aware she had gone a little too far with what she said.


    ¡°Then what should I do? Back there in the living room, I already said I hated her.¡±

 Chapter 1782

    Chapter 1782


    Arielle stroked Lena¡¯s head and replied gently, ¡°It¡¯s okay. She knows you didn¡¯t mean it.¡±


    Lena nodded. She wanted to look for Abigail and apologize to her. As that thought crossed her mind,


    she sprang to her feet.


    Then, she turned to Arielle and said, ¡°Mommy must be crying. I have to go andfort her. Why don¡¯t


    youe with me?¡±


    In truth, Arielle felt that it wasn¡¯t a suitable time for her to meet Abigail. However, she could not bring


    herself to turn Lena down.


    Who could ever say no to such an adorable little girl?


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Having said that, she got up from thewn and walked back toward the


    house while holding Lena¡¯s hand.


    They were just about to approach the corner when they saw Abigail heading toward them.


    Noticing Abigail¡®s reddened eyes, Lena released Arielle¡¯s hand at once and dashed toward her mother.


    She nestled her head against her mother¡¯s chest and murmured, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mommy. I shouldn¡¯t have


    said I hated you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry too. I shouldn¡¯t have pped you.¡± Abigail reached out and gently lifted the head pressed


    against her chest, fixing her eyes on Lena¡¯s cheek.


    When she saw the handprint on the girl¡¯s face, she felt as though a dagger had stabbed her through


    her heart, and her tears started flowing.


    Abigail ced a hand gently against Lena¡¯s face and gazed at thetter with a pained expression. ¡°It


    must hurt, right?¡±


    Considerate of her mother¡®s feelings, Lena shook her head and responded, ¡°Nope.¡±


    Regret washed over Abigail as she gazed at her thoughtful daughter and drew thetter gently into her


    arms.


    Not wanting to make Abigail feel sad again, Lena sensibly changed the subject. She moved away from


    Abigail¡¯s embrace, then pointed at Arielle while introducing her to her mother.


    ¡°Mommy, this is thedy helping Daddy to get better. She said that after Daddy recovers, you will be


    able to give me a baby brother.¡±


    Abigail had actually noticed Arielle when thetter entered the living room earlier. However, she could


    not get more information at the time due to the circumstances. Now, after listening to Lena¡¯s words, her


    heart suddenly sank.


    Can Micah truly get better? And what will happen if he does?


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    With my body¡¯s condition, I¡¯m unable to conceive anymore.


    Don¡¯t tell me I¡¯m supposed to let another woman give him a son. Whenever I think about another


    woman having Micah¡¯s children again, my heart invariably aches. Even though he loves me dearly and


    my position is unshakeable, I still don¡¯t want that to happen¡­


    I only tolerated him fooling around with others previously because I knew there was no way they¡¯d have


    his children. But now, I¡¯m a little scared.


    Turning to Arielle, she asked, ¡°Will Micah really be able to recover?¡±


    Arielle nodded. ¡°Yes. You¡¯ll be able to see a difference after half a month.¡±


    After saying that, Arielle studied Abigail carefully. Noticing that thetter did not look happy but worried


    instead, realization dawned on her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry either. I can help you get better too, and you¡¯ll surely get pregnant again,¡±


    Arielle said as she looked at Abigail.


    A light flickered in Abigail¡¯s eyes when she heard that.


    She gazed at Arielle with a hint of incredulity, wondering how thetter knew about her body¡®s condition


    and that she could not conceive again.


    As those questions ran through her mind, she voiced them aloud to Arielle.


    ¡°I¡¯m a doctor. I can tell with just a nce,¡± Arielle responded with a faint smile.


    ***


    Over in Chanaea, Rayson¡¯s heart lurched as he stared at the message on his phone.

 Chapter 1783

    Chapter 1783


    Rayson looked grim.


    The share prices keep tumbling, and many minority shareholders are selling off their shares because


    they can¡¯t hold out any longer.


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Initially, they agreed that if they were going to sell their shares, they¡¯d sell them to my minority


    shareholders. But now, they¡¯re selling them to Oswald at a high price.


    Their prices are way higher than I expected, and even if I wanted to buy their shares, I wouldn¡¯t be able


    to buy much. Nheless, I¡¯m determined to get my hands on as many of those shares as possible.


    He ryed all the information to Susanne, who narrowed her eyes after learning that Oswald had


    purchased many shares at a high price.


    I have a rough figure in my mind of the assets he has on hand, so where is he getting the money to buy


    these stocks at such steep prices?


    While Susanne was puzzling over the matter, elsewhere, Oswald was dialing a number excitedly.


    ¡°Mr. Rhaylie, I¡¯ve bought the shares as you instructed. There¡¯s only a little more to go before my shares


    equal Vinson¡¯s.¡± Excitement bubbled within him as he spoke.


    Mr. Rhaylie said before that if he¡¯s satisfied with how I handle this matter, the position of Nightshire


    Group¡¯s chairman will be mine. For the sake of getting that position, I have to go all out to do as he


    instructed.


    ¡°Not bad. Continue to acquire more shares. Once you hold slightly more shares than Vinson, I can


    make Nightshire Group change its owner.¡± There was a hint of an ominous tone in the man¡®s voice.


    Oswald was so excited that his heartbeat raced, and he nodded and agreed at once.


    I have to figure out a way to purchase Dayver¡¯s shares. If I acquire what he owns, I¡¯ll have fifteen


    percent more than Vinson. Then, even if Susanne gives Vinson all the shares she holds, he¡¯ll still have


    five percent less than me.


    Five percent may appear insignificant, but it¡¯s worth quite a lot.


    After hanging up, Oswald told his chauffeur to get the car ready. I¡®m going to pay Dayver a visit and see


    ifl can persuade him to sell me his shares.


    ***


    ¡°Are you truly confident that you¡¯ll be able to cure me so that I can conceive again?¡± After hearing what


    Arielle told her, Abigail did not believe it right off the bat.


    After all, due to the damage to my body after giving birth to Lena, many doctors said the chances I¡¯d


    get pregnant again were very slim. In order to try and conceive again, I¡¯ve gone to many countries and


    consulted with many doctors over the year¡¯s.


    s, I always went with high hopes but returned bitterly disappointed.


    Hence, she dared not believe what Arielle said.


    Noticing the distrust in Abigail¡®s eyes, Arielle narrowed her eyes, then answered confidently, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t


    have said so if l wasn¡®t. If I can¡¯t cure you, you¡¯ll never meet another person who can.¡±


    Abigail had been skeptical of Arielle at first. But after hearing thetter¡¯s response, she gazed at her


    intently for some time.


    ¡°What is it that you want?¡± Abigail asked, fixing her gaze on Arielle.


    I may be naive, but I know she must have an ulterior motive. It¡¯s just that l don ¡®t know whether I''ll be


    able to give her what she wants.


    Arielle¡¯s lips curved into a smile. She liked negotiating with smart people.


    Walking forward until she stood next to Abigail, she whispered in thetter¡¯s ear, ¡°I want¡­¡±


    However, when Abigail heard her request, she looked troubled.

 Chapter 1784

    Chapter 1784


    ¡°Can I have two days to think about it?¡±


    Arielle nodded. Given how much the woman wanted to have another baby, Arielle was sure that she


    would agree to it. However, there was something more urgent that she needed her help with at that


    moment.


    ¡°Mrs. Watson, may I borrow your phone?¡±


    When Abigail heard Arielle¡¯s request, she shook her head and replied, ¡°We don¡¯t have phones. If you


    need to use the phone, you would have to ask Micah.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s interest in that ce was piqued even more when she heard that the woman did not even own


    a phone. It was a technological era, and it was extremely strange for anyone not to have a phone.


    ¡°Mrs. Watson, why don¡¯t you have a phone?¡± Arielle asked, narrowing her eyes.


    Abigail fixed her gaze on Arielle and answered cidly, ¡°Some questions shouldn¡¯t be asked. It


    wouldn¡¯t do you any good to know too much.¡±


    Arielle¡¯s attempt to find out more was futile. She did not expect the woman to be so tight-lipped.She


    nodded and turned to look at Lena, who was standing next to her mother quietly.


    Bending down slightly, Arielle patted the girl¡¯s head and said with a smile, ¡°Lena, I¡¯m making a move


    first. I¡¯lle back and visit you again when I¡¯m free.¡±


    Lena nodded obediently when she heard that.


    Just as Arielle was about to turn around and leave, the girl called out to her suddenly, ¡°Ms. Moore, don¡¯t


    forget to treat my mommy, okay? I want Mommy to give me a little brother.¡±


    ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll be back in two days to treat your mommy.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ms. Moore. Bye, Ms. Moore.¡±


    ¡°See you!¡± Arielle waved at the girl smilingly before walking away.


    After Arielle left, Abigail held Lena¡¯s hand and headed back to the house. Lena tried to talk to her


    mother on the way back but the woman was distracted.


    She did not expect that Arielle would request to leave the ind. However, that would be extremely


    difficult to aplish as it was almost impossible for anyone who had arrived on the ind to leave. In


    fact, only those who had missions to carry out were allowed to do that.


    Even though Abigail could leave the ind freely, taking Arielle along with her would put her in a


    difficult spot. That was because Micah would be with her whenever she traveled out of the ind, and


    Micah would never agree to bring Arielle along.


    However, Abigail really wanted Arielle to treat her so that she could give Micah a son.


    What should I do?


    Should I tell Micah about it and let him threaten her?


    That would probably work! Anyway, my future is not really in my hands. But¡­


    The woman narrowed her eyes as she fell deep in thought.


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    ***


    Meanwhile, Anna was in an extremely bad mood after leaving the mansion. Truth be told, every time


    she went there, she would feel extremely gloomy. If not for the fact that she wanted to provoke Abigail,


    she would never step foot in there.


    When she did that, she would always end up with a sickening feeling in her stomach.


    Feeling depressed, Anna bought a bouquet of flowers and headed toward a ce with exceptionally


    beautiful scenery. When she arrived at her destination, she stopped and looked at the tombstone in


    front of her.


    She bent down and ced the flowers in front of the tombstone before staring at the photo that was


    etched on the tombstone. With a sorrowful expression, she said, ¡°Mom, why did youmit suicide?


    Why did you leave me?¡±


    Anna stayed at her mother¡¯s grave for a while before standing up to leave.


    Before she left, she turned to look at the woman, who was smiling brightly in the photo, and said


    solemnly, ¡°Mom, I will avenge you and make the shameless couple pay for what they did¡­¡±

 Chapter 1785

    Chapter 1785


    After leaving her mother¡¯s grave, Anna walked aimlessly on the streets. She felt immense emptiness


    within that it was as though her soul had been sucked out of her body.


    Suddenly, she thought of Vinson, who was thrown into the ve camp, and her interest was piqued. As


    such, she headed toward the ve camp.


    ¡°Ms. Anna!¡± When Dennis saw Anna approaching, he walked toward her with a big smile on his face.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the ve whom I have sent here?¡± Anna asked the man coldly.


    Dennis was her father¡¯sckey who had also indirectly caused her mother¡¯s death. As such, he was


    also someone she was nning to deal with.


    ¡°He¡¯s working at the ntation.¡±


    As Anna had given instructions for Vinson to be given the mostborious and dirty work, the man was


    tasked to work at the ntation.


    ¡°Bring me there!¡± Anna ordered in a frosty voice.


    Dennis nodded before leading Anna to the ntation. Upon reaching the destination, Dennis inquired


    with the ntation manager about Vinson¡¯s whereabouts before taking Anna to where the man was.


    When Anna saw Vinson, she could feel her heart skip a beat. Even though he had dirt all over him and


    was sweating buckets, Vinson was still breathtakingly handsome.


    Suppressing her inner frustration, the woman walked toward Vinson and stopped next to him.


    Meanwhile, Vinson merely shot Anna a cold nce and carried on working.


    ¡°Maddox, are you regretting it now? If you are¡­¡±


    Are you regretting it, I don¡¯t mind bringing you back.


    However, before Anna could finish speaking, Vinson interrupted her, ¡°I don¡¯t regret it, and I won¡¯t regret


    it.¡±


    ¡°Sure! You can continue staying here then.¡± Seeing that the man hadpletely no remorse and no


    intention to relent, anger welled up in Anna¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you canst!¡± she said in annoyance.


    The woman stormed off after saying that. Meanwhile, Dennis looked at Vinson thoughtfully before


    following behind Anna.


    ¡°You made a huge mistake by offending Ms. Anna.¡±


    After Anna and Dennis left, a man, who was a distance away from Vinson, moved closer to him and


    said softly, ¡°Her father is General Micah. The only way for you to leave this ind is to yield to her.¡±


    If not for the fact that Vinson had helped him out in a few chores those few days, the man wouldn¡¯t


    have told him that.


    Even though Vinson knew that the man meant well, he replied, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go against my heart.¡±


    There was no way he could put on a pretense.


    The other man shook his head after hearing Vinson¡¯s reply, thinking that that would be the easiest way


    for him to leave the ind.


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    In fact, for a moment, Vinson did think of pretending to submit to Anna and tell her that he could not be


    intimate with her because he was still unable to forget his wife.


    He would also tell her that she would have to give him some time to get over his wife and ept her if


    she wanted a rtionship with him. That was because Vinson had a feeling that Arielle was still alive,


    and he wanted to leave so that he could look for her. However, thinking that his temporary submission


    would be a form of betrayal to Arielle, the man decided not to do that.


    All he could do was pin his hopes on Aaron, hoping that the king would do everything in his power to


    find and rescue Arielle.


    Vinson looked at the greenery in front of him with an unfathomable gaze in his eyes. He knew exactly


    why no one on the ind owned a phone and was allowed to leave the ind freely.


    The man was determined to find a way to escape from the ind.


    After leaving the ntation, Anna nced at Dennis and said, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure Maddox regrets going


    against me!¡±

 Chapter 1786

    Chapter 1786


    Dennis knew that the Maddox Anna spoke of was the man from earlier. When Vinson was brought


    over, Dennis already knew the reason for it. Thus, Anna¡¯s words elicited a silent nod from him.


    Upon receiving his agreement, Anna turned to leave.


    I¡¯ll make Maddox regret his decision ande crawling back to me.


    No sooner had Anna begun to walk away than the anxious Dennis grabbed her arm.


    Turning around, Anna shot him a cold re. Dennis reacted by swiftly releasing his grip.


    Gathering his courage, he looked at her and asked, ¡°Do you want to see a movie together tonight?


    There¡¯s a new one¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m busy!¡± Anna cut him off before turning around to leave.


    Dennis, standing still, watched her leaving silhouette as a sense of conviction formed underneath his


    expressionless face.


    The truth was that he loved Anna. Without realizing it, he would subconsciously focus all his attention


    on her.


    In spite of her cold and haughty attitude toward him, he actually liked the brazen way she behaved.


    Therefore, in order to make her happy over the past few years, he would always send some beautiful


    woman Micah¡¯s way to distract thetter from his love for Abigail. Nheless, she still hated him and


    would scowl at him every time they met.


    Whenever she spoke to him, her tone would never fail to sound frosty.


    It wasn¡¯t until Anna had disappeared from sight that he returned to the ntation to see Vinson.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to suffer anymore, you should submit to Ms. Anna. I¡¯m sure she¡®ll forgive you,¡±


    Dennis suggested with a grim voice as he stared at the sweat-drenched Vinson.


    However, Vinson furrowed his brows at Dennis.


    Is he an idiot? Isn¡¯t he in love with Anna?


    Why would he ask me to submit when he knows her designs upon me?


    ¡°Considering that you have the honor of Ms. Anna¡¯s affection, it would be better for you to ept it


    willingly than having your hand forced,¡± Dennis responded coldly when he saw how Vinson was


    frowning at him.


    If it wasn¡¯t for trying to make Anna happy, he definitely wouldn¡¯t havee to see Vinson. After all, no


    man could bear to see the woman he loved get intimate with another man, let alone ept that it was


    inevitable.


    Narrowing his eyes at Dennis, Vinson calmly remarked, ¡°If you like her, you should fight for her instead


    of offering her up to another man.¡±


    The look in Dennis¡¯ eyes drastically changed when he was stunned by the fact that Vinson had seen


    through him.


    ¡°H-How did you know?¡±


    All this while, he had hidden his feelings for Anna carefully. No one ever noticed it.


    How did he find out?


    ¡°Because that¡¯s how I look at my lover,¡± Vinson inly replied before staring at Dennis. ¡°Can you really


    ept pushing her into the arms of another man?¡±


    Dennis shot Vinson a nce.


    Of course I can¡¯t, but what choice do I have?


    Anna hates me! My status doesn¡¯t make me worthy enough for her. All I can do is love and care for her


    behind the scenes.


    As long as she¡¯s happy, I¡¯m willing to do anything.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand! All that matters is that she¡¯s happy.¡± ring at Vinson, he added, ¡°Also, how


    dare you reject her? You should instead feel honored that she fancies you.¡±


    I don¡¯t need such an honor!


    Vinson was filled with exasperation.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°You should be the one bringing her happiness. No other man can love her the way you do.¡±

 Chapter 1787

    Chapter 1787


    The concept was obviously not lost on Dennis. However, with a human life standing between him and


    Anna, he was incapable of bridging the gap and bringing Anna happiness.


    ¡°Whatever that¡¯s going on between us is none of your business. All I need you to do is to submit and


    obey whatever she says,¡± Dennis asserted with a sharp glint in his eyes.


    Vinson was stumped, for he, despite all his persuasion, had not expected Dennis to insist on pushing


    Anna over to him.


    Vinson responded defiantly, ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to give in to her. I have a wife and my entire


    being belongs to her. Hence, no one is going to sully my devotion to her. Not even one bit.¡±


    In truth, Vinson¡¯s words elicited a sigh of relief from Dennis. Despite his efforts in persuading Vinson to


    give in to Anna¡¯s demands, he didn¡¯t know how he would react if Vinson ended up submitting himself to


    Anna.


    ¡°You should reconsider your stance and the consequences of refusing her.¡± Even though he hade


    to convince Vinson on behalf of Anna, Dennis hurriedly left after leaving thetter some food for


    thought.


    After all, he was still reluctant to give Anna up to Vinson even if he had no future with her.


    ***


    Meanwhile, Micah headed to the mansion Arielle was staying after finishing his work.


    At the sight of his arrival, Arielle¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    She was dressed in a long light-blue dress with her wavy hair draped over her shoulder. Her elegant


    and distinguished look had managed to briefly mesmerize Micah. Nevertheless, he wasn¡¯t there to


    admire her beauty.


    ¡°What brings you here, General Micah?¡± Arielle inquired tly.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, didn¡®t you offer to help me with my health? Why haven¡¯t I heard from you?¡± Micah asked in


    a deep voice.


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    He had waited for Arielle toe forward over the past few days but lost his patience when she didn¡¯t


    show up. The reason he was desperate to improve his health was so that he could have an heir.


    ¡°I have yet to gather all the herbs I need. When it¡®s all ready, I¡¯ll send someone to inform you,¡± Arielle


    inly replied.


    In order to gain a better understanding of the ind and to find a way to contact the outside world, she


    had personally shopped for the herbs around the ind. Unfortunately, her search bore no fruit, for


    there were no phones orputers on the ind at all.


    That aside, treating Micah¡¯s health problem was also aplex matter.


    She had to first prepare the herbs required for a medicinal bath for him. Subsequently, she would then


    treat him by using acupuncture.


    Just that alone was enough to upy her for the past few days.


    ¡°What other herbs do you need? I¡¯ll get someone to deliver them to you,¡± Micah suggested with a


    darkening gaze.


    Cognizant that he had run out of patience, Arielle nodded and listed everything she needed on a note


    which she subsequently handed to Micah.


    In the midst of taking it from her, Micah suddenly grabbed Arielle¡¯s hand and stared at her passionately.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, will you not consider being mine? If you¡¯re willing to do so, I¡¯ll bestow upon you the highest


    authority on this ind.¡±


    Caught by surprise, Arielle retracted her hand immediately and shot him a re. ¡°If you still want me to


    help improve your health so that you can have an heir, you had better stop having designs on me.¡±

 Chapter 1788

    Chapter 1788


    If Micah dared toy a finger on her, she was willing to die to preserve her sanctity.


    As for Micah, it was the first time he had encountered a woman like her. Although she was of simr


    age to his daughter, he felt the urge to bed her the first time heid eyes on her.


    Over the past few days, he was fantasizing about Arielle during his idle time instead of his own wife.


    Nevertheless, his health remained the priority still.


    By the time she cures me, I will make her mine regardless of her protests. Both of us will go on to have


    an exceptional son who will be my heir.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t touch you again. In fact, I was just testing you.¡± Micah gave Arielle a gentle and


    down-to-earth look.


    ¡°There are just too many women on this ind who desire to be mine. Thus, I wanted to check if you


    were just ying hard to get.¡±


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Although Arielle had no idea what Micah¡®s true intention was, the incident had increased her vignce


    toward him.


    Previously, she had assumed that he would stop coveting her for the sake of his own health.


    Unfortunately, she now realized how wrong she was and that she had underestimated human nature.


    ¡°I sure hope it¡¯s just a test. If you darey a finger on me, you can forget about walking out of this


    mansion in one piece.¡±


    Throwing Micah a threatening re, Arielle gradually warned, ¡°I¡¯m not the kind of woman who can¡¯t


    defend myself.¡±


    Her words caused Micah¡¯s heart to skip a bit.


    Obviously, I underestimated her. However, so what if she¡¯s someone capable? She¡¯s still all alone here


    on my territory. Moreover, every woman I set my sights on will eventually be mine.


    Nheless, Micah dropped the idea for the time being and decided to continue pursuing the matter


    after his body had been cured.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t bother you. Just let me know once you have received all the herbs you need,¡±


    Micah reassured her before turning to leave.


    At the same time, Arielle watched his leaving silhouette with a frosty glint in her eyes. Truth be told, the


    herbs she had asked for could be used for other purposes other than treating his body. In fact, she was


    capable of turning them into something lethal.


    I hope my words are enough to warn him off¡­ Otherwise, I have no qualms about taking his life.


    ¡°I heard Ms. Anna bought a ve and wants him to be her man. However, when he refused, she


    sent him to the ve camp where he has tobor at the ntation.¡±


    ¡°He should be grateful that Ms. Anna has taken an interest in him. For having the gall to reject her, he


    truly deserves to be sent to do hardbor at the ntation.¡±


    ¡°I heard that the ve is exceptionally handsome.¡±


    ¡°I heard the same too. Also, rumor has it that he was heading home on a cruise ship when an explosion


    urred, causing him to be shipwrecked on the ind. Upon being rescued, he ended up being sold


    instead. It¡¯s a real shame that he, considering how distinguished he looks, is stuck on this ind for the


    rest of his life.¡±


    Arielle had barely stepped out when she overheard the housekeepers¡¯ conversation which caused her


    heart to race.


    Can the handsome man they¡®re talking about be Vinson?


    I must head over to the ntation to take a look.


    Holding that thought, she returned to the mansion and had the scheming housekeeper lead her to the


    ntation.


    Upon her arrival, Arielle scanned the surroundings in hope of finding Vinson. All of a sudden, she was


    stunned.

 Chapter 1789

    Chapter 1789


    Isn¡¯t that Lorraine who¡¯s toiling on thend?


    Just as she was about to rush forward in excitement, she stopped in her tracks when a slightly familiar


    voice suddenly rang out.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it tiring? If you don¡®t want to ve out here anymore, get your godbrother to beg me for your


    freedom. Once he does so, I¡¯ll let you return to your mansion and even have servants attend to you.¡±


    ¡°You should give up. He would definitely note over here and do that!¡± Without even looking up,


    Lorraine continued, ¡°There are plenty of men in the world, so why do you insist on choosing him? He


    has a wife and is deeply in love with her. There¡¯s no more space in his heart left for another woman.¡±


    Lorraine¡®s words triggered a drastic change in Anna¡¯s expression.


    So what if he has a wife or if their bonds are strong? I¡¯ll definitely make him mine no matter what.


    ¡°Since you refuse to persuade him, you should continue to stay here. In the meantime, I¡¯ll be waiting for


    all of you toe begging me in tears.¡± Anna had hardly finished when she turned around and stormed


    off.


    At the sight of Anna, Arielle pulled the housekeeper¡®s hand and ducked together. It wasn¡¯t until Anna


    was out of sight that Arielle gradually got back on her feet.


    As for the housekeeper, she assumed that Arielle was avoiding Anna because thetter was Micah¡¯s


    daughter.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, you¡¯re now General Micah¡®s lover, while Ms. Anna is just his daughter. When you bear him


    a son, you will definitely be his favorite. Hence, there¡¯s no need to fear Ms. Anna at all,¡± the


    housekeeper suggested upon standing up.


    In response to the housekeeper¡¯sment, Arielle knitted her brows and corrected the former in an icy


    tone, ¡°I¡¯m not the general¡®s lover. Instead, I¡¯m just his doctor. The only reason I¡¯m here is to treat him,


    so don¡¯t ever spew that nonsense again.¡±


    The housekeeper was stunned.


    What? She¡¯s not General Micah ¡®s lover?


    But didn¡¯t General Dennis mention that she belongs to General Micah and we were supposed to take


    good care of her?


    ¡°Do you understand?¡± Arielle questioned with a grim look on her face.


    After sneaking a nce at Arielle, the housekeeper nodded. ¡°I do¡­¡±


    No sooner had she replied than she let out a sigh. The reason why she was trying her best to serve


    Arielle was so that she could elevate her status once Arielle gave birth to an heir for Micah. After all, a


    rising tide lifted all boats.


    Thus, she was surprised to learn that Arielle was Micah¡¯s doctor instead of his lover. All of a sudden,


    she felt lost and didn¡¯t know what to do.


    Meanwhile, Arielle, who wanted to speak to Lorraine in private, looked at the housekeeper and


    instructed, ¡°I would like to walk around here alone. Thus, you should head back and prepare some food


    for me.¡±


    Wallowing in her disappointment, the housekeeper weakly grunted in acknowledgment before returning


    to the mansion.


    Once the housekeeper was gone, Arielle approached Lorraine after making sure no one else was


    around.


    ¡°I already told you that I won¡¯t beg him. You should stoping here,¡± Lorraine repeated in an


    exasperated tone without looking, thinking that Anna had returned.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    I have never seen a woman like that. Despite being aware that Vinson is married, she still insists on


    being together with him.


    Breaking a smile at Lorraine¡¯s words, Arielle looked at her and murmured, ¡°Do you really not want me


    toe back?¡±

 Chapter 1790

    Chapter 1790


    Lorraine raised her head immediately when she heard the familiar voice. The moment she was greeted


    by the sight of Arielle, she felt the urge to go up and hug thetter. However, being conscious of her


    situation, she held back the desire to do so.


    It wasn¡¯t until she scanned the area and was certain both of them were alone that her mind was put at


    ease.


    ¡°Boss, thank God you¡¯re alive! I was worried sick about you,¡± she remarked softly, her voice trembling.


    All of a sudden, the usually cold and aloof Lorraine reached out to hug Arielle.


    Ever since Vinson and she were rescued, both of them were concerned for Arielle, for they didn¡¯t know


    where she was and had no idea whether she even managed to survive.


    Consequently, she was overwhelmed by emotions when she found out that Arielle was alive and was


    on the same ind as them.


    ¡°Lorraine, is Vinson also here?¡± Arielle asked when she recalled her spection.


    Lorraine responded with a nod before exining Vinson¡¯s situation to her.


    As Arielle had already learned of Anna¡¯s interest in Vinson, she let out a snort.


    Girls everywhere just love to throw themselves at him. There¡¯s Nico in Turlen, and here, we have Anna.


    Why are women so attracted to married men? They know he¡¯s married, yet they¡¯re still after him.


    Arielle felt as if her view of the world had changed.


    ¡°I heard that he¡¯s at the ntation too. Do you know where is he now?¡± Arielle inquired.


    Lorraine nodded before pointing to where Vinson was working.


    ¡°Lorraine, I¡¯m going over to see Vinson. We need to discuss how to leave this ce.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until she arrived at the ntation did she understand why they were forbidden from leaving or


    using anymunication devices.


    The reason was that the ntation was filled with cannabis nts. Considering that they were on an


    ind that farmed drug crops, the rigid rules now totally made sense.


    ¡°Mmm-hmm, be careful.¡± Lorraine watched Arielle leave with reluctance.


    From there, Arielle headed in the direction that Lorraine had pointed. Not wanting to reveal that she


    was searching for someone, Arielle pretended to stroll around, admiring the scenery. As a result, the


    manager at the ntation couldn¡¯t care less about her presence.


    General Micah has just taken in a beautiful wife. Considering how stunning this new face is, she must


    definitely be General Micah¡¯s new wife.


    The general has always been possessive about his women. Hence, I had better stay out of her way.


    With that thought in mind, he inadvertently provided Arielle and Vinson with a lot of time to interact with


    each other. However, Arielle hadn¡¯t managed to locate Vinson yet and was looking everywhere with a


    frown.


    Suddenly, her gaze froze in a particr direction when she saw a familiar silhouette. Without realizing


    it, her eyes were already moist. Even though Lorraine had informed her that Vinson was all right, she


    still couldn¡®t hold her emotions back.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    As if he could sense her presence, Vinson, who was busy toiling away, looked up at the same instant.


    At the sight of the person whom he longed for every waking moment, his eyes lit up while his heart


    pounded furiously.


    ***


    Meanwhile, inside the pce back at Turlen, Aaron¡¯s heart sank after hearing Morrison¡®s report. He


    lowered his voice and ordered Morrison to do something.


    His instructions caused thetter to hesitate. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡±

 Chapter 1791

    Chapter 1791


    ¡°Go on now. Just do as I say!¡± Aaron asserted in a grim voice.


    Cognizant that there was no stopping Aaron, Morrison had no choice but to obey.


    Once Morrison had left, Aaron got to his feet and headed toward Celeste¡¯s pce.


    When Miranda saw him arrive, she received him with a smile. ¡°Her Majesty was just talking about


    you¡­¡±


    ¡°How is she?¡± Aaron asked.


    Upon hearing Aaron¡¯s concern, Miranda¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°Her Majesty is fine. She just misses you.¡±


    Amidst their conversation, both of them entered the pce.


    Celeste was delighted by the sight of Aaron. ¡°What brings you here at this hour?¡±


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯m nning to travel to Chanaea.¡±


    ¡°Why? Aren¡¯t you still searching for Arielle and the others?¡± the puzzled Celeste inquired.


    Truth be told, she wasn¡¯t keen on him going to Chanaea.


    Now that he¡¯s the king of Turlen, what¡¯s going to happen to the country in his absence?


    Who¡¯s going to be in charge?


    ¡°Vin¡¯spany is in trouble. Hence, I need to hurry over to resolve it.¡± Aaron looked at Celeste as he


    spoke. ¡°I¡®ll be back as soon as possible.¡±


    When Celeste recalled how much Arielle and Vinson had helped Aaron, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to


    object.


    ¡°Watch yourself on your way there. In the meantime, you can leave Lawrence and your uncle jointly in


    charge,¡± said Celeste.


    Aaron nodded at her suggestion, for that was exactly what he nned to do.


    After exchanging a few more words with Celeste, Aaron left the pce. He, before heading for


    Chanaea, nned to arrest Nancy and publicly expose all her crimes. Thus, the moment he returned to


    the office, he instructed Carlos to lead a troop of soldiers to apprehend Nancy at the apartment she


    was staying and imprison her.


    Subsequently, Carlos, who was well aware of Nancy¡¯s misdeeds, executed Aaron¡¯s orders to the letter.


    ***


    Back at Irushea, Vinson was so emotionally overwhelmed by the sight of Arielle that he was at a loss


    for words.


    ¡°Sannie¡­¡± His lips gently moved as he whispered her name.


    Unable to control her excitement, Arielle dashed toward Vinson and threw herself into his arms. At that


    moment, the man in front of her was all she could think of.


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Vinson!¡± Arielle hugged him tightly.


    With her head buried in his chest, she curled her lips slightly upon hearing the thumping of his


    heartbeat. ¡°Thank goodness you¡¯re fine. I was worried sick about you.¡±


    Vinson naturally shared her sentiments.


    Thank goodness she¡¯s fine and in one piece¡­


    As he hugged her tightly in his embrace, the familiar fragrance of her hair caused his eyes to brim with


    warmth and longing.


    The next second, he pulled away from her and gazed deeply into her eyes before lowering his head


    and sealing her lips with a passionate kiss.


    It wasn¡¯t until Arielle was gasping for breath that he finally released her.


    Naturally, both of them were filled with ecstatic relief to be able to see and hug each other again.


    Considering that they were among the few survivors of the crowdden cruise ship, they felt truly


    blessed to have been rescued.


    Regardless of the intentions of their rescuers, all that mattered to them was that they were alive.


    Furthermore, having been brought to the same ind upon their rescue was a surprise against all


    odds.


    Nevertheless, being at the ntation still gave them little time to interact.


    Looking at Vinson, Arielle exined, ¡°Vinson, this ce is used to farm drug crops and has extremely


    tight security. I tried to contact the outside world but no one uses a phone orputer here.¡±

 Chapter 1792

    Chapter 1792


    However, when she recalled the condition she proposed to Abigail, her expression drastically


    darkened, for she wasn¡¯t sure if thetter would agree.


    If Abigail epted it, Arielle would use the opportunity to suggest bringing two more persons along with


    her. Otherwise, she would stop treating her. After all, that was the deal struck by the two of them.


    ¡°You have to protect yourself. In the meantime, I¡¯ll figure out how to get us out of here,¡± Vinson


    remarked while tousling her hair.


    ¡°You be careful too.¡±


    Anna looks to be more difficult to deal with than Nico.


    ¡°I¡¯m living in one of Anna¡¯s father¡®s mansions and giving him treatment. If there¡¯s a need, you can find


    me there,¡± Arielle informed before she left.


    ¡°Anna¡¯s father¡¯s mansion?¡± Pulling her into his embrace, Vinson-in a jealous tone-asked, ¡°Are you the


    general¡®s new wife everyone is talking about?¡±


    ¡°The person who saved me presented me as a gift to him.¡± Arielle furrowed her brows. ¡°The first time


    we met, we made a deal. In return for me treating him, he won¡¯ty a finger on me.¡±


    Despite her calm exnation, Vinson couldn¡¯t be any more worried.


    If only we weren¡¯t trapped here¡­


    Suddenly, he hugged Arielle. ¡°Sannie¡­¡±


    Turning around, Arielle lifted her heels off the ground and kissed him on the cheek. ¡°Vinson, I know


    how to take care of myself, so don¡¯t you worry.¡±


    Just as Vinson stroked her hair and was about to say something, he suddenly saw someoneing


    over.


    He instantly released her and whispered, ¡°Someone¡¯s here. You should leave before you¡¯re


    discovered.¡±


    Alerted by Vinson¡¯s warning, Arielle swiftly slipped away, for she had to keep her rtionship with


    Vinson a secret for the time being.


    ***


    Back in Turlen, Linda notified the Duke that the goods had been prepared and it was about time to


    have them delivered. Subsequently, the Duke, together with them, left Turlen in a ship.


    The moment they left the apartment, Carlos arrived with his soldiers and surrounded it.


    Monisha, who quickly noticed the raid, hurriedly informed Nancy about it. When thetter rushed to the


    window and saw the soldiers outside, panic began to descend upon her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and see the Duke,¡± she instructed Monisha, who rushed off in search of him.


    Unfortunately, she soon realized that the two of them were the only ones left in the apartment. The fact


    that the Duke had cleared out all his things left her stupefied.


    Upon regaining her senses, she quickly rted the Duke¡¯s departure to Nancy, who was flustered by


    the news.


    When did they leave?


    Why didn¡¯t they tell me before doing so? What should I do now?


    She nced at the soldiers downstairs and quickly took out her phone to give Matthew a call.


    Ever since Nancy threatened him thest time, whatever residual feelings he felt for her had long


    vanished. As a result, he ignored her call and allowed the phone to ring continuously.


    ¡°Answer the phone, d*mn it!¡± Nancy was so enraged that she felt like smashing her phone when


    Matthew didn¡¯t pick up her call.


    After failing to get through, Nancy ended the call and dialed someone else¡¯s number, her brother.


    Unless it was an emergency, she would never want to drag him into the matter. Unfortunately, he was


    herst hope now.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Meanwhile, her brother was staring at his ringing phone. Despite his urge to answer, he decided


    against it in the end after recalling the information he had just received.


    ¡°Nancy, please don¡¯t me me¡­¡±


    I can¡¯t jeopardize the entire family¡¯s safety just because of you¡­

 Chapter 1793

    Chapter 1793


    Before she managed to get her calls answered, Carlos had arrived with his men to arrest her.


    The moment Carlos entered, he search the ce room by room.


    It wasn¡¯t until he saw Nancy that he said in a grim tone, ¡°Your Majesty, pleasee with us¡­¡±


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    After everything that happened, Nancy was cognizant that Aaron would never forgive her. Therefore,


    Carlos had be thest person she could pin her hopes on.


    ¡°Carlos, get them to back down. There¡¯s something I want to discuss with you,¡± Nancy suggested.


    ¡°Whatever you have to say, you can do so in front of them.¡±


    Carlos couldn¡®t care less about what Nancy had to say. Consequently, Nancy¡¯s face turned red in


    anger.


    ¡°If you want me to leave, order them to back down.¡±


    Nheless, Carlos ignored her. With a wave of his hand, he directed his men to apprehend Nancy


    and Monisha. Also, he had their phones confiscated to prevent them from contacting the outside world.


    ¡°Carlos, why don¡¯t we make a deal?¡± Nancy quickly suggested when she was caught off guard by


    Carlos¡¯ decisiveness in taking her away.


    In response, Carlos stared coldly at her.


    That¡¯s thest thing I would do.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not interested.¡± Carlos added, ¡°I think you had better shut up for your own good.


    Otherwise, I¡¯m going to stuff a rag into your mouth.¡±


    Despite being enraged by his words, Nancy refused to give up.


    If I don¡¯t cut a deal with him now, there would be no chance to do so in prison.


    ¡°If you let me go, I will pay you a huge reward. Also¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, Carlos proceeded to stuff a rag into her mouth.


    Insolence!


    He had no interest with whatever she had to say.


    Infuriated by his actions, Nancy stared daggers at him while letting out muffled curses.


    With that, Carlos ordered for both of them to be led away.


    As Aaron had instructed for them to be taken directly to prison instead of the pce, that was exactly


    where Nancy and Monisha ended up. This time, many guards were stationed there to keep an eye on


    them.


    With that, Carlos gave Aaron a call to report thepletion of his task. After learning that Nancy was


    finally in prison, Aaron¡¯s eyes lit up in delight for the very first time in a long time.


    The next day, Aaron publicly announced Nancy¡¯s incarceration along with all the evidence of her


    crimes.


    Having been exposed, Nancy was now a hated figure throughout the nation. Everyone from high-


    ranking officials to the everyman hated her to the bones.


    It never crossed their minds that the highly-revered queen mother was such a wicked and despicable


    person.


    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, Aaron even revealed how Nancy used him and poisoned Dn just so that


    she could maintain her grip on power. The revtion sparked further anger against Nancy within the


    popce.


    How can such an evil person exist in this world?


    To have killed her own son just for power?


    She¡¯s truly beyond redemption.


    With the popce now calling for blood, many of them appealed to Aaron to sentence Nancy to death.


    Even though Aaron concurred with their desires, he felt as if Nancy would have gotten off too lightly


    with a death sentence. After giving the matter more thought, he finally decided to imprison her for life.


    To someone who was power crazy, spending the rest of her life in prison was more torturous than


    death.

 Chapter 1794

    Chapter 1794


    Once the sentence had been passed, Nancy¡¯s anger drove her into hysteria. She would scream all day


    in prison that she was still in charge.


    ***


    Meanwhile, oblivious to the developments in Turlen, Arielle was focused on Micah¡¯s acupuncture


    treatment back in Irushea.


    After an hour, she removed all the needles from his body and sterilized them before putting them back


    into a box, which Micah had obtained for her.


    ¡°As for this packet of herbs, mix it with water at sixty degrees Celsius and let him soak in it every day


    for a week. Once he has done that, stop for three days before repeating the process for another week.


    Three dayster, I¡¯ll treat him with another session of acupuncture,¡± Arielle instructed as she pointed to


    the packet on the table.


    ¡°When will General Micah wake up?¡± Abigail inquired.


    After ncing at the sleeping Micah, Arielle informed Abigail that the former would regain his senses in


    about half an hour.


    In truth, there was no need for him to be asleep during the acupuncture session. However, since Arielle


    wanted to avoid any unnecessary interaction with him, she simply inserted an additional needle to


    knock him out of consciousness.


    ¡°Mrs. Watson, I¡¯ll be taking my leave now. Once General Micah wakes up, all you need to do is follow


    the instructions I have given you.¡±


    Just when Arielle was about to leave, Abigail stopped her.


    In response to Arielle¡¯s frown, she gave the former a look of embarrassment. ¡°Dr. Moore, when will you


    be able to help treat me?¡±


    ¡°Does this mean you¡¯ve agreed to my proposal?¡± Arielle asked with a cocked brow.


    Abigail nodded. Initially, she wasn¡¯t keen on doing so, as bringing someone out of the ind wasjust


    too troublesome. However, after she saw the way Micah looked at Arielle, she was stricken by panic,


    for that was the same look Micah gave her back in the day.


    As a result, she decided to agree to Arielle¡¯s demands. As long as thetter could sessfully treat


    her, she would help Arielle leave the ind.


    Upon receiving Abigail¡¯s agreement, Arielle breathed a discreet sigh of relief beneath her


    expressionless face.


    ¡°I¡¯lle over to treat you three dayster,¡± Arielle replied.


    With her mind put at ease by the appointment, Abigail escorted Arielle out with a smile.


    Initially, Arielle nned to treat Abigail before stating her additional demands of taking Vinson and


    Lorraine along.


    Little did she expect Vinson to have found another way to escape before her n came to fruition.


    That night, just as shey down on bed, Vinson came to see her.


    ¡°Why did youe?¡± Vinson¡¯s sudden appearance filled her eyes with tion.


    When he caught the look in her eye, Vinson pulled her into his embrace and replied in a raspy voice, ¡°I


    missed you.¡±


    She had barely spoken when he nted his warm lips on hers. Wrapping her arms around his neck,


    Arielle stood on tiptoes to reciprocate his kiss. With his lust ignited by her gesture, Vinson bent over


    and carried her onto the bed. Soon, their clothes were strewn all over the floor.


    ¡°Sannie, I¡¯m leaving the ind tomorrow. Once I have the opportunity to get help, I¡¯lle back to


    rescue you,¡± Vinson remarked two hourster with Arielle in his embrace.


    Even though he was worried about leaving Arielle alone on the ind, he knew he had to escape first.


    Otherwise, there was no way he could bring Arielle and Lorraine out.


    ¡°Leave the ind?¡± The delighted Arielle looked at him. ¡°How are you going to manage it?¡±


    Vinson then rted the circumstances surrounding the opportunity. It turned out that the local


    interpreter had died from an overdose of drugs, and a new interpreter was urgently needed for a


    business negotiation.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Thus, when Vinson overheard Dennis¡® conversation with the person in charge, he came up with a


    scheme for thetter to nominate him as an interpreter.

 Chapter 1795

    Chapter 1795


    ¡°They¡¯re dealing with drugs, so you must be extra cautious,¡± Arielle reminded him grimly as she leaned


    against his chest.


    This trip is extremely risky.


    Cognizant of Arielle¡¯s concern, Vinson lowered his head to kiss her on the cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be


    fine.¡±


    No sooner had he spoken than he looked out the window. Noticing that it was gettingte, he knew it


    was time for him to go.


    He let Arielle go, stood up, and got himself dressed. Right before he left, he turned around abruptly and


    cupped her head with his hands before sealing her lips with a passionate kiss.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°Take care. I need to go now.¡±


    ¡°Watch yourself out there,¡± Arielle reminded, reluctant to see him go.


    With a wave of his hand, Vinson turned and left. Despite watching his leaving silhouette with concern,


    Arielle was also filled with hope.


    As long as Vinson could leave the ind, he would be able to find an opportunity to escape ande


    back to rescue her and Lorraine.


    Although Abigail has agreed to take me off this ind, who knows if she¡¯ll keep her word. Thus, it¡¯s


    better to have two ns running concurrently.


    The next morning, Vinson set off with the delegation at dawn. As for Arielle, she gave her sheets a


    wash before heading out to shop for the herbs. She had wanted to purchase some herbs for Abigail¡¯s


    treatment.


    Due to his confidence in Arielle¡¯s inability to leave the ind, Micah, in extreme generosity, gave her a


    card with two hundred million inside.


    As it was impossible to do anything without money, Arielle epted the card for practical reasons.


    Meanwhile, just as she was leaving the shop selling herbs, she suddenly noticed a green potted nt


    at the corner of the entrance. The discovery caused her eyes to light up.


    This is something really useful. I must ask the boss whether he¡¯s willing to sell it to me.


    Although Arielle had just arrived for a few days, everyone on the ind knew that she was Micah¡¯s


    lover. As a result, the vendor, without hesitation, gifted her the potted nt.


    Not wanting to get anything for free, Arielle swiped her card and paid the vendor the nt¡¯s actual


    worth. After buying a few more herbs, she returned to the mansion with the nt and everything else


    she had purchased.


    Upon her return, the housekeeper hurried forward to take the nt off her hands.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you were going out? I could¡¯vee with you and helped you carry your


    stuff.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine doing so myself.¡± Just as she spoke, Arielle went off to concoct a medication for Abigail.


    Once she was done, she had the housekeeper deliver it over.


    ¡°Tell her to take this three times a day with warm water. On the day after tomorrow, I¡¯ll head over and


    treat her with acupuncture.¡±


    Under the impression that Arielle was trying to curry favor with Abigail, the housekeeper joyfully headed


    to Abigail¡¯s apartment with the medication.


    Once she was gone, Arielle carried the nt and the rest of the herbs she bought back into her room.


    Half an hourter, she had turned them into a sachet of medicinal powder.


    Staring at it, she mumbled, ¡°I hope I¡¯ll never have to use you.¡±


    The sachet was only to be used under desperate circumstances.


    The next evening, Arielle headed out for a stroll after dinner. The housekeeper wanted to apany


    her but was rejected, for Arielle felt as if she was being watched if there was someone by her side.


    As she walked alone underneath the setting sun, she tossed her hair in the air when a gentle breeze


    blew across her face. She stared in the direction of the harbor, and her eyes were filled with concern for


    Vinson.


    Just as she was thinking of him, Vinson was staring in a particr direction with a darkened gaze.

 Chapter 1796

    Chapter 1796


    He had not expected to run into Carlos there. After discreetly scanning the surroundings, he fell into


    deep thought as to how to contact thetter.


    Dennis walked up to Vinson and reminded, ¡°Get ready. We¡®ll be dealing with them very soon.¡±


    ¡°Mmm-hmm,¡± Vinson hummed in acknowledgment.


    After a brief pause, he added, ¡°I need to go to the gents first.¡±


    After throwing him a nce, Dennis ordered someone to escort Vinson. After all, thetter had just


    arrived on the ind and harbored hopes of escaping. Hence, Dennis didn¡¯t trust Vinson to be left


    unsupervised.


    In response to Dennis¡¯ actions, Vinson didn¡¯t mind it at all as he headed to the gents with the man


    Dennis sent.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Hey man, can you buy me some toilet paper? I think I¡¯m suffering from food poisoning,¡± Vinson


    suggested with a grimacing expression after stopping abruptly.


    The escort hesitated as he stared at Vinson. After all, Dennis had reminded him not to leave thetter


    alone no matter what.


    ¡°Hey man, I¡®m really desperate here.¡±


    Finally, the man gave in to Vinson¡¯s pleas and left. Seizing upon the window of opportunity, Vinson


    dashed in the opposite direction toward Carlos and grabbed thetter from behind.


    Thinking that he was being jumped on, Carlos instinctively reached for his gun but quickly heard


    Vinson¡¯s voice ring out beside his ear. ¡°It¡¯s me!¡±


    Following that, Carlos was overwhelmed with emotion when he saw who it was. ¡°Mr. Nightshire, why


    didn¡¯t you call us? His Majesty is extremely worried about you.¡±


    ¡°Hush!¡± Vinson interrupted him and speedily updated him on the situation.


    Just as he finished, he caught a glimpse of the guard who went off to buy toilet paper. Thus, he slipped


    back into the toilet in the blink of an eye.


    When the guard returned and realized Vinson was still there, he heaved a sigh of relief. After all, his


    greatest fear was that thetter would use the opportunity to escape, causing him to be punished by


    Dennis.


    Thinking about Dennis¡¯ punishment alone was enough to send a chill down his spine.


    After receiving the toilet paper, Vinson headed into the gents and was out in two minutes. He


    subsequently patted the man on the shoulder and expressed his gratitude. ¡°Thank you¡­¡±


    Scratching the back of his head, the man then followed Vinson back to where Dennis was.


    Soon, it was time for the deal. Even though it was a long-time customer, they still adhered to the


    principle of cash on delivery.


    While the customer was busy validating the goods, Dennis counted the money. Once the deal was


    completed, the customer swiftly left. As for Dennis, he prepared to lead his delegation back to their


    ship. However, the moment he opened the door, a group of gun-toting ck-d men stormed into the


    room and surrounded them.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Dennis red at the intruders as he wondered when their movements had been


    exposed.


    ¡°Follow my instructions if you value your life,¡± Carlos barked upon entering the room. ¡°Throw down all


    your weapons.¡±


    As Carlos was speaking in Turlenese, Dennis and his men were naturally clueless. It was then that


    Vinson tranted Carlos¡¯ words.


    Upon hearing Vinson¡®s trantion, Dennis¡¯ expression drastically changed.


    Does he think we¡¯re pushovers?


    At Dennis¡¯ cue, his men pulled out their guns and began shooting at Carlos. However, as Carlos¡¯ men


    were all soldiers, they made quick work of their enemies. Subsequently, they confiscated their enemies¡¯


    weapons and herded them into prison.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire, where¡¯s Dr. Moore? How is she? Is she safe?¡± Carlos anxiously asked Vinson, for


    Arielle¡¯s safety was paramount among Aaron¡¯s concerns.

 Chapter 1797

    Chapter 1797


    ¡°She¡¯s fine at the moment,¡± Vinson told Carlos about Arielle¡¯s condition.


    Then, he looked at Carlos and asked, ¡°Why are you here? Did you manage to find anyone else who is


    alive on the cruise ship that exploded?¡±


    ¡°Over ten people are still alive, but they are not doing very well. After the cruise ship exploded, His


    Majesty searched for a few days and nights without getting any sleep. He finally rested for a while after


    Her Majesty, the queen, convinced him. After he thought he had gotten sufficient rest, he continued to


    join in the search until two days ago, when he was informed of the dire state of yourpany as it


    faces the likelihood of bankruptcy¡­


    ¡°He took a flight to Chanaea after he detained the queen mother. Before he left, he instructed us to


    continue locating your whereabouts,¡± Carlos recounted everything Aaron had done for Vinson and


    Arielle.


    Vinson did not expect Aaron to go to Chanaea to assist Nightshire Group. At that instant, he genuinely


    epted thetter as his brother-inw.


    Concerned about Arielle, Vinson said to Carlos, ¡°There are a lot of cannabis nts on the ind, and


    almost everyone on the ind carries a gun. The harbor is also constantly guarded, so it¡¯s very difficult


    to enter and exit that ce. Please arrange fifty elite soldiers for us to depart to the ind now to bring


    Arielle back.¡±


    Carlos nodded. Arielle¡¯s safety took priority over any other matter.


    After Carlos brought Vinson back to the army camp, he selected fifty soldiers and ordered them to


    change into casual clothes, collect their guns, and gather at the clock. The party boarded Aaron¡¯s


    private cruise ship upon everyone¡¯s arrival and began their journey to Irushea.


    Meanwhile, Arielle was still unaware that Vinson had established contact with Carlos and that both men


    were headed her way to rescue her from that ind.


    At that moment, she had just left Micah¡¯s ce and was returning to the mansion. On her way back,


    Arielle sensed many people approaching, so she instinctively hid and observed the surroundings with


    her eyes narrowed.


    Suddenly, Arielle widened her eyes.


    ¡°Vinson?¡± Staring at that face which was identical to Vinson¡¯s, she shook her head. ¡°No, this can¡¯t be


    right. He¡¯s not Vinson!¡±


    Arielle¡¯s heart sank.


    Who is he? Why does he look so simr to Vinson?


    Could he be Vinson¡¯s brother?


    Arielle¡¯s face darkened after she came up with the conclusion. Instantaneously, she felt she had figured


    out the truth because Vinson had previously encountered a few perilous circumstances and had failed


    to find out who the mastermind was.


    Upon seeing that man, Arielle realized the mastermind was him. She knew it was him.


    Returning to the mansion with a heavy heart, she could not stop ruminating on that man¡¯s goal of


    coming to the ind.


    Did hee here because he knows Vinson is here or is there any other reason?


    After considering multiple scenarios, an answer suddenly surfaced in her mind.


    If he¡¯s not here to look for Vinson, he must havee here to do business. After all, this ce is a


    cannabis ntation, and Micah is a drug dealer, so this must be why this man is here.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Arielle narrowed her eyes. She felt slightly miserable at the thought of her final guess. Although that


    man had harmed her and Vinson, when she contemted the possibility that he might be Vinson¡¯s


    rtive, she hoped that man did note to the ind for drug-rted dealings because if so, he


    would bemitting a crime.


    Still, that was not the time for her to be worried about that issue. She should be concerned about her


    own safety at that moment.


    That man harbored enmity toward Vinson and her, not to mention she was alone and without help on


    that ind. If they met with one another, she would no doubt be at a disadvantage.


    What should I do?


    Amidst her ponderation, a housekeeper entered and informed her that Micah had invited her to attend


    a banquet to wee an important guest¡®s advent that day.


    Arielle¡¯s heart sank.


    s, the very thing I fear has happened.

 Chapter 1798

    Chapter 1798


    ¡°Please let General Micah know that I¡¯m not feeling well, so l won¡¯t be attending the banquet today,¡±


    Arielle said to the female housekeeper after contemting briefly.


    The housekeeper was caught in a difficult position. She was merely a messenger.


    If Micah decided to ce the me on someone for Arielle¡¯s reluctance to attend the banquet, he


    would certainly find fault with the housekeeper, so she was afraid to pass on Arielle¡¯s reply.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, I¡¯m afraid General Micah will be mad and hold me ountable for telling him this,¡± the


    female housekeeper uttered while gazing downward.


    Arielle was slightly stunned.


    That¡¯s right. How can I allow her to shoulder this me?


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°I got it. I will head overter. You may leave first.¡±


    Hearing Arielle¡¯s eptance to attend the banquet, the female housekeeper responded delightfully,


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Arielle¡¯s face turned somber after the housekeeper left.


    She got up, walked to the dressing table, and took out the medicinal powder. Then, she separated the


    powder into two handfuls and kept it in her pocket before taking the silver-ted needles Micah had


    custom-made for her. Only then did she go downstairs.


    However, instead of going to the banquet, Arielle carefully dodged the housekeepers and went to the


    ve camp.


    ¡°Boss!¡± Lorraine had a sense of foreboding when she saw Arielle visiting at that time.


    ¡°This is a medicinal powder l made. You can consume this powder half an hour after I leave.¡± Lorraine


    nodded without hesitation after Arielle handed her the medicinal powder.


    Arielle could not help but curl her lips into a smile at the sight of Lorraine¡¯s absolute trust in her.


    It feels good to be trusted by someone else.


    As Arielle could not stay long at the ve camp, she informed Lorraine about a few things and hastily


    left.


    Meanwhile, Anna snorted while staring at the man in front of her.


    He¡¯s quite capable. He became Daddy¡¯s VIP after going out with Dennis. Still, the more he proves his


    worth, the more I want him to be mine. I will never let him go this time.


    At that thought, Anna whispered beside Amy¡¯s ear. Thetter grunted in response before retreating.


    ¡°Gaspar, did you prepare all the goods beforeing here this time?¡± Micah asked while grinning at


    that man named Gaspar Rhaylie.


    Gaspar nodded and chirped, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to meet you if I didn¡¯te prepared.¡±


    Micah was thrilled to hear that all the goods were ready. He had recently struck a huge deal but did not


    have sufficient stock on hand. Therefore, Micah contacted Gaspar to borrow some of thetter¡¯s stock.


    ¡°All right. We¡¯ll celebrate your arrival today and check the goods tomorrow,¡± Micah raised his wine ss


    and clinked it with Gaspar¡¯s as he spoke.


    After cing down his ss, Micah nced around the lobby.


    He could not help but frown when he sensed Arielle¡¯s absence. Abigail, who had been paying attention


    to Micah, noticed the change in his facial expression. She strode over, sat in front of him, and asked


    him if anything was wrong.


    ¡°Why is Dr. Moore not here? I sent someone to invite her over, right?¡± His voice sounded a little hoarse.


    At that moment, Micah yearned to meet with Arielle after drinking some alcohol.


    Abigail¡¯s heart sank after knowing Micah had invited Arielle.


    It seems like I made the right decision by agreeing to help Arielle leave this ind. Otherwise, with her


    looks and medical skills, there will be no room left for me in Micah¡¯s heart.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask the servant to check on Dr. Moore.¡± Abigail patted Micah¡¯s hand before getting to her feet.


    When she sensed Gaspar looking in her direction, she nodded courteously before turning around


    gracefully and leaving.


    After stepping out of the lobby, she instructed the maid beside her to invite Arielle over from the


    mansion.


    Twenty minutester, the maid assigned to invite Arielle returned to the banquet hall in a panic.


    Considering the presence of the other guests, she did not dare to make a scene, so she merely


    whispered beside Abigail¡®s ear.


    Abigail narrowed her eyes. After thinking for a few seconds, she uttered coldly to the maid, ¡°Throw


    them into the sea!¡±

 Chapter 1799

    Chapter 1799


    ¡°Throw¡­¡±


    Before the maid could finish her sentence, Abigail¡¯s frightening gaze caused her to swallow the rest of


    her words. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for someone to do it at once.¡±


    With that, the maid hurriedly left. She was fearful because that was her first time seeing Abigail, who


    had always been gentle and kind, regard her with that menacing look.


    Micah was delighted to meet with Gaspar. They chatted happily and boasted about their achievements


    as they drank alcohol continuously.


    Meanwhile, a cunning and smug look shed across Anna¡¯s eyes as she watched them drink the


    alcohol that was adulterated.


    Micah and Gaspar became very drunk after some time. Abigail brought Micah back to his room while


    Anna instructed her subordinate to bring Gaspar back to her mansion.


    Anna went to take a shower after asking the servants to help Gaspar wash up and ce him on her


    bed. Then, when she entered the room, she reached out to switch off the lights, took off her towel, and


    threw herself onto Gaspar.


    Gaspar, who was already aroused, rolled over and pinned Anna under him. As he kissed her


    passionately, a single thought surfaced within Anna¡¯s mind.


    Ultimately, you¡¯ve be mine, Maddox¡­


    At that moment, the two people who were thrown into the sea were focusing on swimming toward the


    shore.


    As she swam, Arielle suddenly realized there was no sshing sound behind her. She turned around


    and noticed Lorraine was already sinking. Arielle hastily swam toward Lorraine and grabbed thetter


    with one arm before she continued swimming toward the shore.


    ¡°Boss, you don¡¯t have to bother saving me,¡± Lorraine uttered weakly.


    During the past period, Lorraine had been forced to do various hardbor and was fed with a minimal


    amount of food. As a result, she did not have the energy to swim back ashore after being thrown into


    the sea.


    ¡°Stop talking. Conserve your strength,¡± Arielle said sternly as she swam while dragging Lorraine along.


    However, her own energy was quickly depleting too.


    Sensing Arielle¡¯s decreasing speed, Lorraine knew Arielle was reaching her limit, and sheughed.


    ¡°Boss, I¡¯m so d I met you in this lifetime!¡±


    With that, she tried to pry Arielle¡®s hand away from hers, not wanting to burden her further. She was


    contented, knowing that Arielle was willing to save her despite the life-threatening risk.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Stop messing around, Lorraine. Look! There¡¯s a cruise ship approaching us. There¡¯s a chance for us


    to survive now,¡± Arielle said while panting heavily.


    Lorraine shifted her gaze, following Arielle¡¯s line of vision, and indeed saw a cruise ship moving in their


    direction. However, she wondered if they could hang in there until the ship arrived.


    I don¡¯t have any energy left, and I can tell Boss is getting exhausted too. I must not be a burden to


    Boss¡­


    At that thought, she struggled mightily to unsp Arielle¡¯s hand and allowed her body to sink.


    Just as Lorraine thought she was dying, someone suddenly pulled her up again.


    ¡°Lorraine, if you dare to give up again, I will never forgive you!¡± Arielle used up all her strength to haul


    Lorraine up from underwater and swam toward the shore.


    Her arms were sore, and she could feel her stamina seeping away.


    ¡°There seems to be someone there!¡± Carlos surveyed his surroundings using a pair of binocrs out of


    habit.


    All of a sudden, he saw two people floating on the surface of the sea. He swiftly ordered his men to


    speed up ahead, and upon reaching their location, Carlos instructed his crew to pull those people up to


    the deck.


    Carlos was stunned when he saw the faces of those people he had just rescued because he did not


    expect one ofthem to be Arielle.


    They hurriedly performed emergency first aid on Arielle and Lorraine.


    Naturally, the suddenmotion attracted the attention of Vinson, who had just exited the restroom.


    Colors drained from his face when he approached the scene and saw Arielle, who was lying on the


    floor and being resuscitated.

 Chapter 1800

    Chapter 1800


    ¡°Sannie¡­¡±


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Vinson knelt beside Arielle and gazed at her worryingly. His voice trembled when he called out her


    name. Little did he expect they would reunite under such circumstances after not seeing one another


    for a few days.


    At that moment, Arielle coughed a few times, spit out a few mouthfuls of water, and opened her eyes.


    She smiled when she saw Vinson¡¯s concerned facial expression. ¡°Don¡®t worry. I¡¯m fine¡­¡±


    Right after Arielle said that, Lorraine, who was being resuscitated, regained consciousness as well.


    Hearing Arielle¡¯s reassurance, Vinson gently helped her up and held her tightly in his arms.


    If we had not arrived here in time, would they have¡­


    He did not dare to think further.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire, their clothes arepletely soaked. We should let them change into a pair of fresh


    clothes to prevent them from getting sick,¡± Carlos reminded Vinson after he chased everyone else off


    the deck.


    Only then did Vinson recall Arielle¡¯s clothes were wet. He brought her to the room to get changed. As


    for Lorraine, she did not have the strength to go to the room and change her clothes, so Carlos


    instructed the soldier who had performed first aid on her earlier to carry her into the room.


    That soldier did not overthink the situation. He heeded themand and carried Lorraine to the room.


    However, after cing her on the bed inside the room, he identally saw her exposed chest because


    two buttons on her shirt were unfastened. The soldier was dumbfounded at that instant, and his face


    immediately turned red.


    He turned around and took out a set of clothes from the wardrobe before tossing the garments to her.


    Then, he uttered while blushing, ¡°Y-You should get changed¡­¡±


    With that, the soldier hastily left.


    Lorraine was not in the mood to tease the innocent young soldier. At that moment, her whole body was


    drenched, and she was drained of all strength. She propped herself up with difficulty, changed into a


    pair of fresh clothes, and theny entirely still on the bed.


    As someone in a rtionship, Arielle had received much better treatment than Lorraine, a single


    woman.


    After she was carried back to the room, Vinson even helped her change her clothes. After that, they


    cuddled under the nket together so that he could warm her up with his body.


    ¡°How did you fall into the sea? Weren¡¯t you treating Anna¡¯s father¡¯s illness?¡±


    Vinson dared to leave the ind to seek help without worry because he knew Arielle was providing


    treatment for Micah¡¯s condition. Unexpectedly, something terrible had happened anyway.


    Vinson had almost lost Arielle and was so close to being unable to meet with her again. He wrapped


    his arms tighter around her at that thought.


    At the mention of that, she recounted her meeting with Gaspar to him.


    ¡°He shares very simr facial features with you. Anyone who is not close to you will not be able to


    differentiate you two. I suspect the two of you to be brothers and that he is somehow rted to all our


    previous predicaments¡­¡±


    Vinson was stunned after listening to her.


    Brothers? Do l have a brother? Why am I not aware of this?


    ¡°I need to ask my mom about this. Perhaps she might know something.¡± As he spoke, Vinson suddenly


    remembered that he had not contacted Susanne since he escaped the ind, so the old woman must


    still be uninformed ofthe news of their survival.


    With that thought in his mind, Vinson let go of Arielle and got down from the bed.


    He tucked her in and said to her, ¡°I¡¯m going to borrow a phone to call my mom. She still doesn¡¯t know


    that we¡¯re alive.¡±


    Arielle nodded. She was too exhausted to talk.


    After that, Vinson left the room and borrowed a phone from Carlos to contact Susanne.

 Chapter 1801

    Chapter 1801


    In Chanaea, Susanne stared at her ringing phone and the foreign number on its screen.


    After some contemtion, she eventually answered the call. ¡°Hello. Who is this?¡±


    Vinson felt pained by how mncholic Susanne sounded over the phone.


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s me!¡±


    Susanne instantly jumped to her feet when she recognized her son¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Vinson? Is that you?¡± Agitatedly, she rambled, ¡°Am I dreaming? Are you really calling me right now?!¡±


    She could hardly believe that her son, who had been missing for such a long time, would call her out of


    the blue.


    Vinson replied, ¡°It¡¯s me, Mom. You¡¯re not dreaming!¡±


    After hearing his confirmation, Susanne hurriedly asked about Arielle, ¡°What about Sannie? How is


    she? Is she okay?¡±


    Arielle and Vinson had been on the same cruise ship, and Susanne¡¯s concern only grew with the


    shocking number of casualties from the shipwreck.


    ¡°Mom, she¡¯s okay too. We¡¯ll be back in two days.¡± As he reassured his mother, Vinson suddenly


    recalled an earlier conversation with Arielle and asked, ¡°Mom, do I have a brother?¡±


    Susanne was shell-shocked.


    How did he find out?


    She sputtered, ¡°W-Why are you asking about this?¡±


    Her tone was proof enough that Arielle¡¯s suspicions were correct. Vinson immediately knew the man


    they were discussing was likely his brother.


    Vinson shared his and Arielle¡¯s hypothesis with his mother. ¡°He probably orchestrated the idents


    that had befallen Arielle and me.¡±


    Though he could not see it, Susanne shook her head and muttered, ¡°What? That¡¯s impossible! Why


    would he harm you?¡±


    She simply could not believe that child would harm Vinson. After all, the child¡¯s biological mother was a


    proud woman, and it seemed unimaginable that she would raise a cold-blooded mastermind.


    ¡°Vinson, could you be mistaken? Your older brother would never harm you.¡± Susanne stubbornly


    refused to ept that possibility.


    Meanwhile, Vinson¡¯s gaze darkened in response.


    ¡°Mom, is he really my older brother?¡±


    Susanne realized it was impossible to hide the man¡¯s true parentage now that he had appeared. s,


    she could only confess the truth.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°He¡¯s your older brother from a different mother.¡± She continued hastily, ¡°But I don¡¯t think he would ever


    harm you. His mother is a proud woman, and she would never raise a son like that. Vinson, are you


    sure you haven¡¯t misunderstood the situation?¡±


    Vinson fired back, ¡°Are you sure you haven¡¯t misunderstood the situation?¡±


    Susanne froze in surprise.


    He must have evidence if he¡¯s so sure about this. Perhaps I¡¯m the one struggling to ept the truth.


    Suddenly, Vinson piped up, ¡°Mom, I borrowed this phone from someone else. I¡®ll call you again once I


    get a new phone.¡±


    Susanne mumbled an acknowledgment and hung up. Then, she took out the Nightshires¡¯ family photo


    from a drawer and gazed at Vinson¡¯s father.


    As she stared at the photograph, she mumbled, ¡°I offered to raise the child as ours back then, but she


    refused. I never imagined she would raise her son into a monster who would harm Vinson. What


    should I do?¡±


    In truth, Susanne had been the innocent party in the rtionship. She and Vinson¡®s father were in an


    arranged marriage, and she had no idea that he already had a girlfriend, let alone a child.


    They had fallen deeply in love with each other by the time she learned about his old me. She had


    even given birth to Vinson just over a month before the revtion. Susanne had told him to make a


    choice, promising to respect his decision even if he left her.


    Atst, he chose to be with her andpensated his old me handsomely. Susanne had suggested


    raising the woman¡¯s child as their own, thinking it would improve his ex¡¯s marriage options in the future,


    but she had disagreed.


    Now, l can¡¯t allow her son to harm my son!

 Chapter 1802

    Chapter 1802


    Susanne was racked with worry and at a loss for what to do.


    ***


    Meanwhile, Vinson returned the phone to Carlos after hanging up and went back into the room.


    Arielley on the bed with her eyes closed, resting. However, since she was also curious to know


    whether that person was Vinson¡®s biological brother, she opened her eyes as soon as Vinson opened


    the door and walked in.


    ¡°Did you manage to ask your mother? What did she say?¡± she asked, fixing her gaze on him.


    Vinson nodded as he walked over to the bed and shrugged off his coat. Then, he climbed under the


    covers and hugged Arielle.


    In a low voice, he said, ¡°She admitted that I have an older half-brother¡­¡±


    Just as I thought, my hunch was correct. That person is Vinsons¡¯s older half-brother.


    Nestled in his arms, she muttered, ¡°For him to try and harm you repeatedly shows how deep his


    resentment is toward you. Now, he has even been in contact with Micah. He must also be smuggling


    drugs.¡±


    Vinson narrowed his eyes, his expression impassive.


    It doesn¡¯t matter who that guy is. Just based on the fact he has tried to kill me several times, there¡¯s no


    way I can have anything to do with him.


    He lowered his head and kissed the top of Arielle¡¯s head, then murmured in a low voice, ¡°Don¡®t think


    about this matter anymore. Close your eyes and rest.¡±


    She was indeed a little tired and drifted into a deep sleep in Vinson¡¯s arms.


    By the time she awoke again, they were already back in Chanaea. Arielle could not help feeling slightly


    overwhelmed with emotions as she gazed around the familiar room.


    I¡¯m finally back¡­


    She went downstairs after washing up. Upon hearing footsteps, Susanne quickly nced toward the


    stairs.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake! Are you hungry? The kitchen staff has prepared breakfast for you.¡±


    Arielle did not feel hungry, but as soon as Susanne brought it up, the former instantly felt a pang of


    hunger.


    ¡°Actually, I do feel a little hungry.¡± As soon as Arielle said that, Susanne quickly instructed a helper to


    bring over the food.


    ¡°Vinson has gone to the office to deal with a few things.¡±


    Arielle nodded and enquired about how thepany was doing.


    Susanne¡¯s expression immediately turned grim at that question, then proceeded to fill Arielle in on the


    company¡¯s current situation.


    ¡°I¡¯ve no idea what Oswald said, but he seeded in acquiring all of Dayver¡¯s shares. Although I¡¯d


    already given Vinson all of the shares in my possession, he still had five percent lesser than Oswald¡­¡±


    ¡°A few days ago, Oswald held a meeting to have the chairman reced. Just as I was at my wit¡¯s end,


    a young foreign man suddenly arrived. To our surprise, he owned twenty percent of the shares. He


    transferred those shares to Vinson, which was how Vinson retained his position as chairman.¡±This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Unaware that Aaron was the person who hade to Nightshire Group¡¯s rescue, Arielle thought it was


    just one of Vinson¡®s friends. Hence, she silently decided to purchase those shares with her own money.


    I can¡¯t possibly let his friend offer assistance without giving anything in return.


    Susanne continued, ¡°It¡¯s just that severalpanies have withdrawn their investments, thus causing


    some difficulties in Nightshire Group¡¯s operations. However, now that Vinson is back, there must be a


    way to turn things around.¡±


    After setting down her fork, Arielle said to Susanne, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about thepany¡¯s affairs. If they


    want to withdraw their investments, so be it. I have enough money to make sure thepany


    continues to run. I¡¯m going to make a trip to the office.¡±


    Arielle had decided to use whatever money she had left to help fund Nightshire Group¡¯s operations.


    Before she left, Susanne gave Arielle a phone. She had already put in a SIM card and saved her own


    and Vinson¡¯s phone numbers in the phone.


    After leaving the house, Arielle instructed the chauffeur to take her to Nightshire Group. Unexpectedly,


    someone stopped her as soon as she got out of the car. She furrowed her brows as she gazed at the


    person.

 Chapter 1803

    Chapter 1803


    Over on the ind, the dazzling rays of sunlight filtered through the screened window into a room.


    The man lying on the bed massaged his slightly throbbing head, then slowly opened his eyes.


    Suddenly, his gaze darkened, and his entire body radiated a chilling aura.


    D*mn it! I can¡¯t believe I got tricked! In all my years doing what I do, no one has ever managed to put


    one over on me.


    It never urred to me that I¡¯d fall for Micah ¡®s scheme on my first day on the ind.


    Indeed, Gaspar thought his sexual encounter with Anna was by Micah¡¯s design.


    He knows I live on the edge, yet he still sent his daughter into my bed. What¡¯s his purpose in doing so?


    Before he could make any sense of it, Anna¡¯s eyes fluttered open. When she saw him staring at her


    with a gaze as dark as thunder, she shot him a seductive smile. Then, she quickly flung her arms


    around his neck and gazed at him.


    ¡°See. No matter how stubborn you are, you still became mine.¡± After saying that, she released one arm


    around him and hooked a finger under his chin. ¡°Maddox, who satisfies you better between the sheets?


    Me or your wife?¡±


    One of Gaspar¡®s hands moved to grab Anna¡¯s, and he stared at her coldly. ¡°Maddox?¡±


    I can¡®t believe she slept with me because she mistook me for someone else!


    That thought annoyed him to no end.


    ¡°Maddox, don¡¯t think you can forget your ce just because you went on that drug deal with Dennis


    and were my father¡¯s honored guest after your return. You¡¯re the ve I bought. If you don¡¯t please me,


    you¡¯ll just be a ve anyone can bully on this ind for the rest of your life,¡± Anna said with a snort.


    Gaspar looked solemn after he heard those words.


    Maddox, Vinson, Arielle¡­


    She thinks I¡¯m Vinson. I can¡¯t believe Vinson would be so lucky and survive the cruise ship¡¯s explosion.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve got the wrong person. My name is Gaspar, not Maddox!¡± With that, Gaspar let go


    ofAnna¡¯s hand, threw back the covers, and got out of bed to get dressed.


    Although she had spent the night with him after taking him for someone else, as a man, it did not


    matter to him much that he got tricked into sleeping with her. His eyes flicked toward the red stain on


    the bedsheet.


    After all, I have nothing to lose.


    His response left Anna dumbfounded.


    What does he mean by that?


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Does he mean to say I slept with the wrong person? No, he has to be lying to me. That¡¯s his n!


    She immediately turned to him and said, ¡°Gaspar, you say? You¡¯re Maddox. Do you think I¡¯m going to


    fall for your nonsense? Let me tell you this. We¡¯ve already slept together, and you¡¯re mine. You¡¯re not


    allowed to think about your wife anymore. I¡¯ll tell my father to let us get married.¡±


    Married?


    Gaspar frowned. He had no intention of ever getting married.


    However, it¡¯s not impossible to letAnna be my lover. After all, Micah has no sessor here. He


    might hand over his business to her in the future. Then¡­


    With that thought in mind, he strode to the side ofthe bed. He reached out and pinched Anna¡®s chin


    between his fingers.


    ¡°Forget about marriage. I¡¯ve no ns to tie the knot in my lifetime. However, if you¡¯re interested in


    bing my lover, I wouldn¡¯t mind taking you in.¡±


    After all, she¡¯s the daughter of a wealthy family. She¡¯s nothing like the other women under my control


    who say nothing no matter what I do.


    However, what¡¯s most important is Vinson in the whole matter. Judging by what she said, he has left


    the ind. Doesn¡¯t that mean he can flee if he gets the opportunity?


    Narrowing his eyes as the thought crossed his mind, he made up his mind to have people closely


    monitor the situation outside.


    Once they find Vinson, they¡¯ll have to send him to his death.

 Chapter 1804

    Chapter 1804


    Upon hearing Gaspar dere he would never get married and ask her to be his lover, Anna was


    furious.


    Never in my life will I only be someone¡¯s lover!


    She smacked aside his hand that gripped her chin and spat out, ¡°In your dreams! I¡¯ll only be Maddox


    Nightshire¡¯s wife, not just some lover!¡±


    His lips curled with a hint of a withering smile when he heard her mention Vinson again.


    He stretched out a hand and gripped her chin tightly. ¡°Don¡®t speak that name in front of me anymore.


    I¡¯m telling you, you¡¯ve got the wrong person. I¡¯m Gaspar Rhaylie!¡±


    Anna was so startled by his behavior that her eyes brimmed with tears.


    She blinked at him and asked pitifully, ¡°Then why do you look just like Madd¡­¡±


    She was about to ask why he resembled Maddox, but when she recalled what he had just told her, she


    forced herself to bite back her words.


    ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m his older brother.¡± Although Gaspar was reluctant to admit it, he could not deny


    that the same blood ran through their veins.


    His words prompted her to think of her situation, and she could not help thinking how simr it seemed.


    Her initial obsession with Vinson dissipated in the blink of an eye. At that moment, she somewhat pitied


    the man before her.


    ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to get married, I won¡¯t force you. However, you can¡¯t be with any other woman


    except me,¡± Anna responded with a snort.


    Gaspar nodded.


    As long as she keeps me satisfied in bed, there won¡¯t be any other women.


    Anna¡¯s face was wreathed in smiles when she saw him nod in agreement. She moved his hand away,


    then swiftly nted a kiss on his lips.


    ¡°Sealed with a kiss. If you deceive me, you¡¯re nothing but a sc*mbag.¡±


    He was initially somewhat annoyed that she had kissed him without his permission. However, after


    hearing what she said, the corners of his lips could not help turning upward into a smile.


    Forget it. Getting kissed by her isn¡¯t such a big deal anyway.


    ¡°I won¡¯t do that.¡±


    ***


    Over at Nightshire Group in Chanaea, Jason eximed, ¡°Arielle? Is that really you?¡±


    He was pleasantly surprised to see her. After witnessing how Arielle¡¯s and Vinson¡®s rtionship was


    just how she had described it, he had given up on pursuing her and wished her happiness from the


    bottom of his heart.


    However, I heard she got kidnappedter. And with that cruise ship explosion, Ireally thoughtshe and


    Vinson were¡­ I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d see her here. I¡¯m genuinely so happy!


    Arielle could not help recalling the memory of Jason confessing his feelings a year ago.


    However, a year has passed, so he probably has his eye on some otherdy already, right?


    As that thought crossed her mind, she nodded. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me.¡±


    Then, she cocked a brow as she gazed at him. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    This is the headquarters of Nightshire Group. Why would a big celebrity like hime here? Isn¡¯t he


    afraid of getting mobbed by fans?


    ¡°There a few things I had toe over and take care of¡­¡± he exined.


    I just never expected to bump into her as soon as I arrived.


    Since Arielle had other business to attend to, she did not have time to catch up with him.


    Hence, she said to him, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have something to do. You¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure. Please go ahead. I¡¯m waiting for my manager to arrive before heading up,¡± Jason responded


    immediately.


    Arielle nodded, then strode into the building.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    When the two receptionists saw Arielle approaching, they rose to their feet at once.


    ¡°May I know who you¡¯re looking for?¡±


    Only the people closest to Arielle and Vinson knew about their rtionship.


    Hence, she shot the two receptionists a faint smile and exined, ¡°I¡¯m here to see your chairman,


    Vinson Nightshire.¡±


    They exchanged surprised looks.


    She¡¯s here to see Mr. Nightshire? He only just returned, so how does she already know about that?


    One of them turned to Arielle politely and enquired, ¡°Do you have an appointment?¡±


    Arielle shook her head.


    I seem to have forgotten to call Vinson to let him know.

 Chapter 1805

    Chapter 1805


    Arielle was about to take out her phone and call Vinson when Rayson, who had just exited the elevator


    and was preparing to leave, spotted her.


    He walked up to her with a surprised expression. ¡°Ms. Moore, why are you here?¡±


    She beamed when she saw Rayson. ¡°I¡¯m here to see Vinson but I forgot to tell him in advance.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Rayson immediately turned to the two receptionists and said, ¡°When you see Ms.


    Moore in the future, just let her in.¡±


    The two receptionists did not know what was the reason behind that instruction. Nheless, they


    nodded in response.


    Rayson had been on his way to take care of some other matters. However, since Arielle had arrived, he


    decided to take her to Vinson¡¯s office personally.


    ¡°This way, Ms. Moore. I¡®ll take you to him.¡± Having said that, he began leading the way.


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    Worried about dying him from attending to his work, she smiled and replied, ¡°Please don¡¯t mind me


    if you have work to do. I can go there myself.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing important,¡± he answered. ¡°Now that the boss is back, I only need to listen to his


    instructions. It¡¯s not like before when I had to consider everything thoroughly, then make a decision.¡±


    After leading Arielle to Vinson¡¯s office, Rayson turned and left.


    She reached out and knocked on the door, then heard Vinson¡¯s voice telling her to enter. Arielle turned


    the doorknob, opened the door, and walked in. However, when she saw Vinson focused intently on his


    work, she did not say anything after entering.


    Vinson raised his head. When he saw Arielle, he got up and walked toward her.


    ¡°Why have youe, Sannie? Do you still feel unwell?¡±


    He was worried she would fall sick after being in the sea for so long the previous day.


    ¡°I¡¯m not that frail,¡± she answered with a smile.


    After uttering those words, she suddenly saw a man gazing at her with a grin, and her mouth fell open


    in shock.


    ¡°Aaron? What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°While it was unsure whether we were dead or alive, Aaron heard that thepany was in trouble and


    specially came here to help.¡± Before Aaron could respond, Vinson had already piped up while looking


    at Arielle with a wide smile.


    Vinson was incredibly grateful for what Aaron did.


    It never urred to me that he¡¯d decide to do such a thing.


    Hearing that, Arielle finally realized the young foreign man Susanne had mentioned was actually


    referring to Aaron. She walked up to him and gently ruffled his hair.


    ¡°How fortunate I am to have a brother like you.¡±


    It was wrong of me to hesitate to acknowledge him as my brother previously. It does feel pretty good to


    have a family member.


    I now have someone to rely on if I encounter any difficulties.


    Aaron was pleased by her affectionate gesture.


    He snorted lightly and said, ¡°Have you only just realized how amazing I am?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault for not realizing sooner,¡± Arielle answered with a grin.


    Vinson watched the two of them chatting happily, then reached out and drew Arielle into his embrace.


    ¡°Did you have a reason foring here?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Your mother said a young foreign man transferred twenty percent of the shares to you for


    free. It didn¡¯t seem right to me to take something from another just like that. That¡¯s why I came here to


    talk to you about giving that person the money for acquiring the shares.¡±


    After saying that, she looked at Aaron and continued, ¡°It¡®s just that thest thing I expected was that the


    young foreign man your mother told me about would turn out to be Aaron.¡±


    ¡°Aaron, we can¡¯t take your shares without giving anything in return. Here¡¯s a card. Take it. There¡¯s not


    enough here to pay for that twenty percent of the shares, but I¡¯ll make sure Vinson makes it up to you


    after hispany regains its footing.¡±


    As Arielle spoke, she took a bank card from her bag and handed it to Aaron.


    However, Aaron shook his head and did not take the card.


    He looked at her and said, ¡°Just think of the shares as your wedding gift.¡±

 Chapter 1806

    Chapter 1806


    He decided to present them with another gift on their wedding day as he deemed the twenty percent


    shares not enough.


    ¡°If you insist, I will ept it,¡± Arielle said.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    She knew how stubborn Aaron was. He would be furious if she did not ept the gift. Hence, she


    decided to just give him a big wedding gift in the future.


    Aaron was pleased when Arielle finally relented.


    ¡°Since Aaron does not wish to ept this card, then throw the money into thepany. cklist those


    who retracted their capital and never coborate with them again,¡± Arielle said.


    She could understand them not helping her out in her time of need, but she would not tolerate those


    who tried to add insult to injury.


    Vinson¡®spany needed the money. Hence, he did not decline and epted it readily. However, he


    also made a mental note to transfer his assets to Arielle after resolving the crisis as his betrothal gift to


    her.


    As the two of them were back safely, Aaron did not wish to overstay his wee. After all, there was


    so much work to be done in Turlen.


    With that, Aaron got up and bade goodbye to them both. ¡°Sannie, Vin, since the two of you are back, I


    don¡®t think it¡¯s necessary for me to stay here anymore. I¡¯ve decided to head back home. Even though


    the queen mother is remanded, I have yet to deal with her remaining forces¡­¡±


    ¡°Besides, there is the matter of human organ trafficking too. I¡¯m going to deal with all of them when I go


    back to Turlen this time.¡±


    Vinson tried to persuade him to stay and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay for a meal first?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Eat with us before you leave,¡± Arielle added.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you like my cooking? Follow us back home and I¡¯ll make something for you. I don¡¯t know when


    am I going to see you again once you head back to Turlen,¡± Arielle said wryly.


    As the supreme head of state, Aaron was a busy man. Arielle had a lot on her te as well. She had


    not finished filming the previous movie.


    Initially, she thought of asking Sam to look for another actress in her stead. However, he put the filming


    on hold indefinitely and insisted on waiting for her to return to the set to resume the filming. Sam even


    intended to get the Wilhelms back and open up a traditional Chanaean medicine shop.


    Hence, she would not have the time to go visit Aaron in Turlen, not at least until after she was done


    dealing with the matters at hand anyway.


    Aaron agreed to join them for dinner after listening to what she said. In theing year, it was


    usible that they would not be able to meet each other. Hence, he had better seize the chance to


    spend more time with his sister.


    Though Aaron was fond of Arielle¡¯s cooking, he did not wish to trouble her. After all, he reckoned she


    needed more rest after being submerged in seawater for many hours the day before.


    ¡°We can just have a meal together at a restaurant. I¡®m also in a hurry as well. It¡¯s going to take a long


    time for you to prepare the meal anyway,¡± Aaron said with a smile.


    Arielle agreed with him. Even with the housekeeper¡¯s help, she would still take a longer time to prepare


    the food. It would be wiser to take Aaron to Maureen¡¯s Kitchen instead.


    ¡°All right. We¡¯re going there right after Vin is done with his work. I¡¯m going to call the restaurant to make


    a reservation,¡± Arielle said, then, she proceeded to order Aaron¡¯s favorite dishes.


    Aaron nodded and sat on the sofa. He took out his phone and texted his subordinates to ask them to


    continue looking for Alicia.


    Aaron was starting to get worried as they had been looking for her for quite some time, and still, there


    were no signs of her.


    ***


    Meanwhile, Alicia¡®s belly was already starting to show.


    Her grandfather, Clement, was infuriated when he first knew about her pregnancy. He was so furious


    that he wanted to hit her with a stick. However, he could not bring himself to do it in the end.

 Chapter 1807

    Chapter 1807


    Clement hurled the stick at the floor and pped himself out of guilt. Alicia felt her heart wrench at the


    sight and kneeled before her grandfather, begging him to stop hurting himself.


    No matter how Clement pressed on, Alicia just would not tell him who the father of the child was. Alicia


    then told Clement that she would keep the child when he asked about her ns.


    Clement disagreed with her decision but relented when she kneeled before him and cried. He would


    not let her do any household chores and asked her to take a good rest in the meantime.


    ¡°Grandpa, why are you making stew again?¡±


    Alicia smiled at the sight of the stew that Clement served.


    Her grandfather hade up with various recipes to make her good food every day. As a result, she


    had grown plumper. She reckoned that even Aaron would have trouble recognizing her right then.


    Her mood took a downturn at the thought of Aaron. Alicia ced her hand gently on her belly as she


    missed the man dearly.


    Aaron, I will give birth to the child and raise him properly. Don¡¯t worry about us and be a good king.


    Alicia talked to herself as she looked out the window.


    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant, child. You have to take some good food, of course,¡± Clement said.


    He was upset that his granddaughter had gotten pregnant out of the blue and refused to tell him who


    the father was. Not only that, Alicia even insisted on keeping the child.


    Clement was worried about Alicia¡¯s future if she decided to keep the baby.


    Huh¡­ What will be of her?


    If he were still alive then, Clement knew he could somehow help her out. However, he could not help


    but wonder how Alicia would get by when he was gone.


    How does a young and unmarried girl with a child survive on her own?


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    Clement would get dejected whenever he was overwhelmed by those thoughts. How he wished he


    could live longer so that he could help shoulder her burden.


    ¡°Thank you, Grandpa!¡± Alicia smiled. ¡°You¡¯re the best!¡±


    Clement eyed his granddaughter with a wry smile.


    You¡¯re my granddaughter, child.


    After all, Clement was the closest kin that Alicia had in the whole world. As for Alicia¡¯s father, Clement


    would rather think that he was already dead.


    ***


    On the other end, Vinson was finally done dealing with the matters at hand.


    The retraction of capital by thosepanies had plunged hispany into a crisis. Even though he


    directed capital from his other assets, he was still obviously short. With Arielle¡¯s card, Vinson could


    finally take a breather from his troubles.


    Arielle and Aaron were both engrossed in toying with their phones.


    Vinson got up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and eat.¡±


    So soon?


    I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯ve done much at all?


    Arielle then looked at the time and realized that it was already half past eleven.


    She hurriedly said to Aaron, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m going to treat you to a good meal.¡±


    Then, she took her bag and headed right out of the office while the two men behind smiled as they


    watched her rush out of the door.


    When they were heading to the restaurant, they gave Susanne a call and told her about Aaron.


    Initially, Susanne did not wish to impose on Arielle and Vinson¡¯s date. However, when she heard that


    Arielle¡¯s younger brother would be there too, she immediately agreed to join them. After all, it was her


    first time meeting Arielle¡¯s rtive.


    After reaching the restaurant, Susanne realized that Arielle¡¯s younger brother was the foreigner who


    agreed to transfer ownership of his shares unconditionally to Vinson and grew even more fond of


    Aaron.


    Susanne chatted animatedly with Aaron throughout the whole time and inadvertently left out Arielle and


    Vinson. She even tagged along as they sent Aaron to the airport.


    The three of them had only left the airport after Aaron¡¯s ne took off.


    Susanne headed back home to take a rest while Arielle went to Moore Group. As for Vinson, there was


    a dark look on his face when he got back to the office.

 Chapter 1808

    Chapter 1808


    Vinson¡¯s gaze turned cold when he realized the investors who had pulled out their investments were


    now in the waiting room.


    Upon seeing his icy expression, the receptionist hurriedly exined, ¡°Mr. Nightshire, I¡¯ve already told


    them you weren¡¯t around, but they¡­¡±


    To her surprise, Vinson merely nodded and strode toward the elevator while pretending not to have


    noticed the men.


    One of them, however, had already spotted him and hastily stood up.


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire¡­¡±


    The four other men quickly followed suit, and the sight of Vinson sent them making a beeline for him.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire!¡± they shouted in unison.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Vinson replied, narrowing his eyes as he stared at the men.


    For a moment, the group could only exchange sheepish nces. They knew they had gone overboard


    with their actions, but no matter how embarrassing it was, they needed to stand up and face the music.


    Of course, if they had known Vinson could make aeback, they wouldn¡¯t have withdrawn their


    investments in the first ce.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire, we truly had no choice back then but to pull out ourfunds. We¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see the need to bring up the past, and neither will I act against you people. However, there¡¯s no


    way we can work together again,¡± Vinson replied as he coolly surveyed the five men in front of him.


    ¡°Anyway, I still have a lot of work to do. Have a good day.¡±


    With that, he stepped into the elevator, leaving the few men looking at one another dejectedly before


    dragging themselves out of Nightshire Group.


    They had to give up any hopes of having a business partnership with Nightshire Group again, but as


    long as Vinson promised not to seek revenge, that was good enough for them.


    Nightshire Group might not be as impressive as before, but it still had significant influence and power in


    the business world. If Vinson wanted to, he could always take them down in the blink of an eye.


    Therefore, as much as the men were disheartened at Vinson¡¯s words, they also felt relieved that he


    had chosen to let the matter slide.


    Not long after Vinson returned to his office, he ordered Rayson to gather theirpany¡¯s shareholders


    for a meeting.


    As a matter of fact, thepany directors had been on tenterhooks ever since Vinson¡¯s return. After


    all, they were the ones who had pressured Susanne into relieving thetter of his position.


    Even though the sudden turn of events let Vinson end up with twenty percent more of thepany


    shares and foiled their n, the truth remained that they had coerced Susanne, and no one knew if


    Vinson would punish them for it. Hence, when the directors learned about the meeting, they quickly


    started a discussion in their chat group.


    What should we do now?


    Does Vinson want to settle the score with us?


    At the rate my heart is racing, I can¡¯t help but have a bad feeling about this.


    Oh, how I wish we hadn¡¯t been so forceful with Susanne. It feels like everything¡¯s beyond our control


    now. Even my son thinks we ¡®ve gone overboard. He said we shouldn¡¯t have forced Susanne in


    Vinson¡¯s absence.


    Before long, everyone in the chat group was airing their grievances and bemoaning their actions.


    Having read the entire conversation, Oswald whipped out his phone and immediately dialed a number.


    I have to report our situation to that person and hear what suggestions he has for us¡­


    As soon as the call went through, Oswald spoke up. ¡°During thest meeting to rece Nightshire


    Group¡¯s chairman, someone suddenly transferred twenty percent of thepany shares to Vinson,


    which ruined our n. Now that Vinson is back, he¡¯s calling for a meeting with all of us. I have no idea


    what he¡¯s up to, and that worries me.¡±


    Upon hearing him, Gaspar narrowed his eyes and began drumming his fingers on the table. ¡°In that


    case¡­¡±

 Chapter 1809

    Chapter 1809


    After hanging up the phone, Gaspar left to bid Micah goodbye.


    He had had enough of ying games with Vinson and wanted nothing more than to seize Nightshire


    Group back.


    At that moment, however, Micah was fuming and ring at Abigail. It was time for his acupuncture


    session, yet Arielle hadn¡¯t taken the initiative to go to him.


    Since he had to leave in a couple of days, he ordered his subordinates to fetch her, only to find out


    Abigail had thrown her into the sea.


    ¡°Tell me. Why did you throw Arielle into the sea?¡± Micah scolded.


    I honestly don¡¯t want to lose my temper at Abigail, but how could I not when her actions have put my


    health at stake?


    ¡°She diagnosed herself with viral hemorrhagic fever, one of the most infectious and fatal diseases, so


    how can I risk exposing you to it? What if you contracted it from her and died? What would the kids and


    I do without you?¡± Abigail said while choking back tears.


    Despite being almost forty, she was still irresistibly alluring, to the point where Micah¡¯s heart ached at


    the sight of her tearing up.


    ¡°Even so, you didn¡¯t have to throw her into the sea. She¡¯s a doctor, and I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll find a way to


    cure herself. I still need her to nurse me back to health, for goodness¡¯ sake. You¡¯re too impatient!¡±


    Micah replied as he gently wiped away Abigail¡¯s tears.


    Under normal circumstances, I wouldn¡¯t care about what happens to Arielle or any other woman.


    Unfortunately, my health is now an issue.


    Micah gazed at Abigail, not knowing what to say.


    I¡¯ve traveled to so many ces, but Dr. Moore was the only one who could diagnose me with just one


    look and cure me within a month.


    s, the current situation has dashed my hopes for a full recovery.


    ¡°She¡¯s Chanaean, isn¡¯t she? If worsees to worst, we¡¯ll go there. I¡¯m sure she isn¡¯t the only one in


    Chanaea who¡¯s gifted in medicine,¡± Abigail reasoned.


    Micah isn¡¯t the only one who needs medical treatment. I need it too!


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    I want to give him another baby! If he hadn¡¯t developed ulterior motives toward Arielle, I¡¯d have fought


    to keep her around despite her illness. It¡¯s all Micah¡¯s fault for revealing his feelings and making me


    scared of losing him!


    Micah¡¯s eyes instantly lit up at Abigail¡¯s suggestion.


    Oh, that¡¯s a brilliant idea! Once my work is all settled, I can head to Chanaea for a short break and get


    a doctor to examine me.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s do as you say!¡± he eximed before being informed by his subordinates that Gaspar had


    arrived.


    With that, Micah immediately instructed them to send the young man in.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two to it, then. I¡¯ll get the housekeepers to prepare dinner,¡± Abigail said as she made her


    way to the kitchen like the gentle, loving wife she was.


    Micah couldn¡¯t help but break into a smile.


    Oh, wouldn¡¯t it be nice if we had another son?


    Abigail had just stepped into the kitchen when Gaspar showed up, sayingthe goods had been delivered


    and it was time to take his leave.


    Having known each other for almost a decade, Micah knew how busy Gaspar was and merely handed


    a card to him with a nod.


    ¡°Here, this is the payment for the goods. What time are you leaving?¡±


    Gaspar¡¯s original n was to leave that very day, but in the end, he changed his mind at thest


    minute. ¡°I¡®ll set off tomorrow morning!¡±


    ¡°Good. Stay for dinner and take it as a farewell meal from us. Abigail has already told our


    housekeepers to start cooking,¡± Micah replied with a chuckle.


    Of course, Gaspar was only too happy toply.


    Anna joined them for dinnerter that night, and it wasn¡¯t long before she learned about Gaspar leaving


    the ind.


    She turned to him immediately and blurted out, ¡°I want to go with you.¡±

 Chapter 1810

    Chapter 1810


    Before Gaspar could say anything, a deep frown had already crossed Micah¡¯s brow. ¡°Anna, what


    nonsense are you talking about?¡±


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    How can she tag along with Gaspar?


    Does she even know what he ns on doing? It¡¯s not that I¡¯m being unreasonable, but after ten years, I


    can confidently say I know Gaspar like the back of my hand.


    He may look all friendly and jolly, but deep down, he¡¯s a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing!


    Anyone who crosses him won¡¯t live to see another day. More importantly, he hates having women


    follow him around. The only exceptions he makes are for his female subordinates, so I¡¯m sure Gaspar


    won¡¯t agree to Anna¡¯s request!


    ¡°I¡¯m not spouting nonsense, Daddy,¡± Anna retorted as she turned to Gaspar. ¡°Are you okay with me


    following you?¡±


    If he says no, there¡¯s nothing else I can do, is there?


    I¡¯ve already fished for as much information as I can from Daddy and learned quite a bit about Gaspar.


    Gosh, have I fallen for him because he¡¯s my first man? One thing¡¯s for sure, if we went our separate


    ways now, it¡¯d be the end of our rtionship. That¡¯s all the more reason I want to be with him. I want to


    win him over!


    As soon as they heard Anna¡¯s question, Micah and Abigail promptly turned to Gaspar.


    ¡°Sure. You¡¯re free toe along if you like,¡± thetter answered smilingly.


    Oh, what good timing! I had already nned on taking her away from this ind, but she has saved me


    the trouble of asking Micah for permission!


    Micah, however, couldn¡¯t hide the shock on his face as he stared at Gaspar.


    He had been so sure that the young man would turn Anna down, so when the rejection didn¡¯t happen,


    warning bells instantly went off in his head.


    Why did Gaspar agree to take Anna along so readily? What are his intentions?


    ¡°G-Gaspar, how are you okay with that?¡± Micah queried.


    Gaspar knew Micah¡¯s mind must be swirling with questions, but if Anna didn¡¯t want to say anything


    more, it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for him to step in now.


    In the end, he looked at Micah andughed. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t mind. She can do whatever she likes. Besides,


    given our friendship, you can rest assured that I¡¯ll keep her safe.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Micah nodded.


    Hmm, that¡¯s true. After all, I¡¯ve known Gaspar for ten years. With him around, I¡¯m confident she¡¯ll be in


    safe hands.


    ¡°Since you want to follow Gaspar, remember not to cause any trouble for him,¡± Micah warned as he


    gazed at his daughter. ¡°If you do, I¡¯ll send someone to haul you back immediately.¡±


    Having gotten her father¡¯s approval, Anna smiled even brighter. However, she quickly collected herself


    before turning to Micah.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t give you any reason to bring me back here.¡±


    How could I?


    I¡¯ve already decided to follow Gaspar for the rest of my life. Our fates seem to be intertwined, and I¡¯m


    sure we¡¯ll be able to live happily together.


    Abigail, on the other hand, was silently observing the youngdy.


    Something told her that Anna was looking at Gaspar with love in her eyes, but she knew she could also


    be wrong. After all, the two of them had only been together for a few days and barely interacted with


    each other.


    How, then, could they have developed romantic feelings in such a short period?


    Even though Abigail chose to keep the questions to herself, she had to admit she was against letting


    Anna leave with Gaspar. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she felt like things were going


    out of her control.


    I want to keep Anna on the ind, but what else can I say when even Micah has given his approval?


    I guess the only thing I can do now is to find out what¡¯s going on between Anna and Gaspar.

 Chapter 1811

    Chapter 1811


    With that thought in mind, Abigail quickly had a subordinate sneak into Anna¡¯s mansion before dinner


    ended. Of course, she couldn¡¯t do the same to Gaspar, especially since she knew how vignt he was.


    Sending someone to tail him would only risk exposing her sooner rather thanter.


    ¡°Gaspar!¡± Anna shouted when she saw the man walking back to his room.


    As it turned out, Gaspar had already anticipated that and instantly stopped in his tracks with a smirk.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t insisted on following you, would you have left me here?¡±


    Seeing how Anna was pouting her lips in annoyance, Gaspar knew it¡¯d be fun to tease her.


    ¡°This is your home, though. Isn¡¯t it normal for you to stay here?¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Anna said before her words trailed off.


    No matter how open-minded people in her country were, what she wanted to say was still a little


    embarrassing.


    Gaspar inched closer, his gaze never once leaving her. ¡°But what?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already your woman. How could you ditch me?¡± Anna mumbled before another thought crossed


    her mind and made her frown.


    ¡°Hmph! What if I¡¯m pregnant? Wouldn¡¯t you be leaving your child behind too?¡±


    Gaspar¡¯s smirk immediately faded as he stared intently at Anna. ¡°Are you really pregnant with my


    child?¡±


    Although I¡¯ve slept with many women, none of them are qualified to carry my child.


    Anna, however, is an exception. I¡¯ll dly marry her if she¡¯s pregnant and wants to keep the baby. That


    way, we¡¯ll be able to raise our child together.


    Anna hurriedly shook her head when she felt the man¡®s intense gaze. ¡°How would I know? It¡¯s only


    been a few days!¡±


    It¡¯d take at least a month before I know if I¡¯m pregnant, wouldn¡¯t it?


    Then again, why is he staring at me like that? Does he not like kids?


    The next second, she stared back into Gaspar¡¯s eyes. ¡°Do you not like kids?¡±


    Anna¡¯s question came so suddenly that for a moment, Gaspar was tongue-tied.


    Do I like kids?


    After recalling everything he had experienced as a child, he wanted to nod and say he didn¡¯t like


    children. However, when he saw how hopeful Anna was, he decided to shake his head instead.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like other people¡®s children, but that won¡¯t apply to my own,¡± he replied.


    When he saw Anna¡¯s eyes lighting up, he smiled and lightly pinched her chin. ¡°So, will you give me a


    child?¡±


    To his surprise, Anna harrumphed and pped his hand away. After taking a few steps, she suddenly


    turned around and stuck her tongue out at Gaspar.


    ¡°Do you think you can impregnate me in just one try? Are you even that capable?¡±


    With that, she hightailed it back to her mansion, knowing her words would undoubtedly bruise any


    man¡¯s ego.


    As expected, Gaspar was stunned momentarily before giving chase and pinning Anna against her


    room door.


    ¡°Oh, I¡®ll let you know just how capable I am,¡± he said as he swiftly picked her up and threw her onto the


    bed.


    ***


    Meanwhile, an hour ago in Chanaea, Oswald had ended his call with Gaspar and promptly sent a text


    to his chat group.


    Let¡¯s attend the meeting at Nightshire Group. Don¡¯t worry. Just stay alert and act ordingly¡­


    Later, Oswald arrived at the office and went straight to the conference room. s, when he saw the


    documents that Rayson had given out, his face instantly turned ashen.

 Chapter 1812

    Chapter 1812


    Isn¡¯t this¡­ I thought I told my men to destroy them?


    Why do they still exist?


    The others¡¯ faces turned ashen just like Oswald.


    As Vinson wasn¡¯t in the country for a year, they used their power to gain some benefits for themselves.


    Prior to this, they had destroyed all evidence. s, none of them knew Vinson was so capable that he


    managed to dig out everything they did.


    ¡°Rayson!¡± one director immediately called out before Rayson could leave the room.


    Rayson halted in his tracks and turned to look at the director then said, ¡°You can talk to Mr. Nightshire.


    He¡¯ll be here soon¡­¡±


    Having said that, Rayson opened the door of the conference room and strode out. The director who


    spoke earlier watched as he left and turned to look at another director, whose face was as pale as his.


    ¡°Did he also have something on you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me we¡¯re on the same boat¡­¡±


    Both men stared at each other silently when they realized Vinson had something on both of them.


    Oswald gripped the file in his hands as a scowl marred his face. He then sent a text to someone.


    Soon, his phone beeped, signaling an iing text message.


    He was about to check who it was when the door was pushed open. Vinson marched in swiftly with


    Rayson behind him. Thetter closed the door after stepping into the conference room.


    As Vinson was already there, Oswald didn¡¯t have a chance to check the text he had just received.


    After stepping into the conference room, Vinson nced at the directors with his deep, dark eyes and


    let out a derisive snort. ¡°Did you see what Rayson show you earlier?¡±


    Hearing that, everyone else wore grim expressions.


    Taking in their reactions, Vinson narrowed his eyes.


    Oh? Are they scared over some trivial matters?


    If they are such cowards, why bother going to such extremes to do that?


    ¡°You¡¯ve caught us. What do you want?¡± Oswald feigned nonchnce and looked straight at Vinson.


    I nearly take over Vinson¡¯s position. What a pity!


    Vinson¡®s gazended on Oswald after he spoke.


    Rayson told me he was the one who messed around after news of my disappearance got out.


    In fact, Vinson knew what Oswald was up to. As Oswald and the rest were loyal to his father, he didn¡¯t


    reveal his misdeeds. After all, the minor gains Oswald took were nothing to him. However, Vinson


    never knew that Oswald was greedy enough to yearn to be the chairman of thepany.


    It looks like he wants control of an entirepany. Why don¡¯t I fulfill his wish?


    ¡°Mr. Waysea, you want to be the chairman of Nightshire Group, right?¡± Vinson squinted his eyes.


    ¡°That will never happen. You can, however, be the chairman of your ownpany.¡±


    Oswald¡¯s heart sank as he stared at Vinson. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Waysea, if you want to be a chairman, why did you hire someone else to be the chairman of your


    company?¡± Vinson responded.


    He then nced at Rayson, who ced a file before Oswald.


    Oswald flipped the file open instinctively. After going through the contents, he raised his head


    incredulously and stared at a calm Vinson.


    I can¡¯t believe he found this!


    I underestimated him. Indeed, he is a capable man to have brought thepany to such heights.


    What should I do?


    He gripped the file tightly as his knuckles turned white.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1813

    Chapter 1813


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve discovered everything, I have nothing else to say. What will you do?¡± Oswald asked after


    he shut the file.


    I might have done many things behind his back, but he won¡¯t get rid of me for his father¡¯s sake.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be dismissed from your position and Nightshire Group won¡¯t pay you for your services anymore.


    If you¡®re willing to sell your shares, I will buy them from you. If you¡¯re not willing to sell them, you will


    receive dividends ording to the percentage of your shares every year¡­ However, you no longer


    need to attend the annual general meeting,¡± Vinson revealed as he stared Oswald in the eye.


    Oswald¡¯s eyes turned as wide as saucers. He worked hard his entire life for Nightshire Group but


    ended up getting kicked out of thepany.


    ¡°You are wee to state your disagreement,¡± Vinson added nonchntly when he realized Oswald


    was staring at him incredulously.


    Resentment brewed deep within Oswald.


    All I did was use my position to gain profits for mypany. So what if I took a few million from the


    company?


    Is there a need to fire me?


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Oswald wanted to say that he disagreed with Vinson¡¯s decision, but he dared not voice his objection


    out loud. He was afraid that Vinson would abide by thew and send him to jail.


    That was something he never wanted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any objections¡­¡±


    With that said, Oswald mmed the file onto the table and stomped out of the room.


    Vinson¡¯s face remained devoid of expression even after Oswald left the conference room in a fit of fury.


    He then turned to look at the other directors.


    ¡°Vinson, I know I was wrong for being corrupted. I shall repay the money I embezzled from the


    company, so please don¡¯t dismiss me,¡± one of the directors, Patrick Chance, immediately pleaded.


    I wouldn¡¯t have done that if my wife wasn¡¯t ill and in need of money for treatment. One wrong move and


    Inded in the darkest pit.


    My reputation is destroyed. I¡¯ve wronged thepany and Vinson. Most importantly, I¡¯ve let Vinson


    down for be trusted me.


    ¡°Mr. Chance, you don¡¯t have to repay the money¡­¡±


    Before Vinson could finish, Patrick cut in, ¡°Are you insisting on firing me?¡± He then lowered his head


    despondently.


    It was my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have gotten greedy. I thought giving back the moneyter would suffice.


    ¡°I deserve to be punished for what I did. Getting dismissed from my position is punishment.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Chance, listen to me. Take it that thepany has paid for Mrs. Chance¡¯s treatment. Don¡¯t you


    think of resigning from your job,¡± Vinson uttered.


    Patrick gazed at him in disbelief. He promptly heaved a sigh of relief when Vinson smiled and nodded


    at him.


    ¡°Vinson, I¡¯m an idiot¡­¡±


    Vinson instantly interjected, ¡°We didn¡¯t do a good job. Mrs. Chance was seriously ill, but we didn¡¯t give


    you the necessary help.¡±


    Patrick and his wife only had a son, but thetter passed away in a car ident not long after he


    graduated from university. Thus, they only had each other.


    Mrs. Chance was ill, but my mom and Rayson didn¡¯t know anything. It was our fault Mr. Chance had to


    resort to corruption.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. After my wife gets better, you can deduct the money from my sry. Just leave us some


    money for our daily expenses,¡± Patrick told him.


    They weren¡¯t in need of that much money anyway.


    ¡°Sure!¡± Vinson knew that Patrick wouldn¡®t rx until he agreed to his suggestion, so he nodded with a


    grin.


    After that, he turned to another man as his expression turned icy.

 Chapter 1814

    Chapter 1814


    ¡°Vinson, I¡­¡±


    ¡°You will be dismissed from your position just like Mr. Waysea. You are free to sell your shares or keep


    them for yourself. There is no need for you to join the subsequent annual general meetings.¡±


    The man knew that his fate was sealed.


    After Vinson disappeared, he sold thepany information in secret, causing the price of the shares to


    drop drastically.


    ¡°I understand¡­¡±


    With that said, he slumped his shoulders in dejection and trudged out of the room.


    After that, Vinson decisively dealt with the remaining directors before adjourning the meeting.


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    After Vinson returned, Nightshire Group¡¯s share price increased bit by bit. The minority shareholders


    were delighted. Previously, they refused to sell their shares despite Oswald¡¯s constant persuasion.


    Right now, their shares would be worth more.


    Arielle stayed in Moore Group for a while and was informed about thepany¡¯s current situation. She


    then headed to Maureen¡¯s Kitchen.


    Maureen¡¯s Kitchen was packed at that hour. The people in the restaurant were all excited when they


    saw Arielle.


    Oh, our goddess is back!


    They snapped photos of her secretly and posted them on social media.


    Arielle was sharp enough to realize they were taking photos of her. As they were her fans, she didn¡¯t


    mind their actions.


    ¡°When did shee back? Why did no one hear about her return?¡±


    ¡°Yes. West met her over a year ago. Look how gorgeous she is now!¡±


    Everyone loved receiving praises, including Arielle.


    After hearing their praises, she decided to be generous that day.


    ¡°To thank you for your patronage for the past one year, your food and drinks will be on the house. You


    are free to order anything you want. However, remember not to waste food,¡± she announced.


    Her fans were ted to hear that. They couldn¡®t believe that they were getting a treat from their


    goddess on their first encounter.


    After Arielle made the announcement, she went to the kitchen to help out. It was ten at night when she


    finally got off work and returned to Nightshire Manor.


    Susanne was already asleep by the time she came home. The former wasn¡¯t feeling well and slept


    earlier than usual. Vinson was still on the way back.


    Arielle had already had dinner in Maureen¡¯s Kitchen. She was exhausted after working the whole night,


    and her shoulders were stiff.


    After taking a hot shower, shey in bed and unlocked her phone.


    Aaron had sent her a text to inform her that he had returned home safely.


    Arielle texted him back a curt acknowledgment and clicked into her social media. She wanted to stay


    up to date on all thetest gossip and news. She immediately noticed that she was trending the


    moment she checked thements.


    Netizen A: Our goddess is back! She is still as gorgeous as ever.


    Netizen B: My goddess gave me a treat during our first encounter this year. Thank you for your


    generosity! The food was delicious!


    Netizen C: Oh, I envy those who went to Maureens¡¯s Kitchen today. I¡¯m sad as I missed out on that.


    Netizen D: Sobs. I had to work overtime tonight and missed the opportunity!


    Arielle¡¯s eyes crinkled up inughter after she read everyone¡¯sments. Finding theizens¡¯


    reaction adorable, she clicked into Netizen D¡¯sment and replied: Dinner is on me tomorrow.


    After that, she was about to check her WhatsApp messages when someone replied to her.


    It was Netizen D, who asked, ¡°Are you my goddess?¡±


    She responded, ¡°If I ¡¯m not mistaken, I should be your so-called goddess.¡±


    Her reply received so many likes that it ended up as the hottest reply in the thread. Everyone started


    leaving messages on Netizen D¡¯sment.


    Arielle had already exited her social media and was about to check her WhatsApp messages when her


    phone rang.

 Chapter 1815

    Chapter 1815


    She was still using her old phone number on a new phone, so none of her contacts were saved on her


    new phone. However, only those who knew her in person would call her.


    Without hesitation, Arielle answered the call. ¡°Hello? Who is this?¡±


    ¡°Boss, when are youing back? If l hadn¡¯t seen your photo on social media, I wouldn¡®t have known


    you were back!¡±


    Recognizing Jared¡¯s voice, Arielle chuckled lightly and replied, ¡°I just came back and didn¡¯t get to tell


    you guys yet.¡±


    After a pause, she asked, ¡°How is life at Maxwell University? Can you keep up?¡±


    Jared turned solemn the moment she mentioned their studies. They had Arielle to thank for being


    epted into the university. If she hadn¡¯t tutored them, they wouldn¡¯t have made it and studied there.


    ¡°We¡¯re doing well, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Good. When youe back, I shall treat you to a meal.¡± Arielle¡¯s lips curved when she heard how


    confident Jared sounded.


    Jared actually wanted to ask about his sister-inw, but he had no idea how to start the topic.


    He only parted his lips hesitantly after a while to ask, ¡°Boss, what kind of person is my sister-inw? Is


    she nice?¡±


    ¡°Why? Are you afraid Harvey¡¯s wife is hard to get along with?¡± Arielle joked.


    On the other end of the line, Jared ran a hand through his hair meekly. Indeed, that was his very


    concern.


    Jared, Harvey, and their grandfather were the only ones left in their family. The three of them lived


    together over the years.


    If Harvey gets a difficult spouse, I can move out and live by myself but Grandpa¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your sister-inw is a graceful, generous, and adorable woman. She will certainly get


    along with you. You should trust Harvey,¡± Arielle assured him after realizing that he was truly worried.


    Jared finally heaved a sigh of relief.


    A few days ago, he contacted Harvey and was told that his brother would be back a few dayster. As


    it coincided with his holiday, he could take the chance to head back home to meet his sister-inw and


    nephew.


    After they chatted for some time, Arielle asked about Trisha.


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    Jared stuttered when Trisha¡¯s name was mentioned, so Arielle immediately realized something was


    wrong.


    She asked, ¡°Did you get into a fight with her?¡±


    Jared massaged his brows.


    I wish we got into a fight.


    ¡°No!¡± Jared sounded frustrated as he exined, ¡°One day, our friends joked that Trisha was my


    girlfriend, and I refuted them firmly. She happened to overhear our exchange and stopped talking to me


    ever since. I went to her, but she refused to see me. She has also ignored my calls and texts¡­¡±


    Arielle couldn¡¯t hide her surprise.


    It looks like Trisha has fallen in love with Jared.


    When did that happen? I don¡¯t even have an inkling.


    ¡°Jared, be honest with me. How do you feel about Trisha?¡± she asked.


    Jared was taken aback by the sudden question.


    Feelings? Aren¡¯t we just friends?


    What else should I feel? What does she mean by that?


    Does she think that Trisha is in love with me just like my friends? That¡¯s impossible. I didn¡¯t even sense


    anything!


    ¡°Boss, do you think that Trisha is in love with me?¡± Jared asked carefully.


    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, yes,¡± came Arielle¡¯s answer.


    Jared felt helpless to hear her answer.


    What should I do?


    I don¡¯t want to get into a rtionship for the time being.

 Chapter 1816

    Chapter 1816


    ¡°Boss, I just want to be her friend,¡± Jared revealed after a brief hesitation.


    Arielle arched a brow. This is a tricky situation.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like Trisha?¡± she asked with her eyes narrowed.


    Jared shook his head. ¡°Yes, but I like her as a friend.¡±


    Arielle was of the opinion that Jared and Trisha looked like a perfect couple. They could lead a happy


    life together.


    ¡°What if Trisha doesn¡¯t like you? What if she fell in love with another man and marry him? How will you


    feel?¡± Arielle questioned.


    Hearing that, Jared felt conflicted.


    I don¡¯t think I like the feeling of Trisha falling in love with another man.


    Could it be that I¡®m in love with her too?


    He couldn¡¯t figure out what his feelings were.


    ¡°Jared, it is rare for one to fall in love with a person. If she holds an important ce in your heart, don¡¯t


    you ever let her go,¡± Arielle advised him.


    ¡°Boss, I¡¯m confused. Let me think over this,¡± came Jared¡¯s answer.


    ¡°Mmm. I think you should think over this carefully.¡±


    After the call ended, Vinson opened the door and came in. His brows furrowed up when he realized


    she was still awake.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you in bed yet?¡±


    Arielle waved her phone and shot him a smile. ¡°Jared called me, so I talked to him briefly. Why are you


    back thiste? Have you had dinner?¡±


    ¡°There was some work piled up in the office, so Ipleted everything beforeing home. I have


    had dinner. Rayson ordered takeaway for me,¡± Vinson exined.


    He then went into the bathroom to take a shower. It was twenty minutester when he finally stepped


    out of the bathroom.


    When Vinson emerged from the bathroom, freshly showered, Arielle was already asleep, hugging her


    phone.


    He took the hairdryer and went to the adjoining room to dry his hair. After drying his hair, he came back


    to their bedroom. He joined Arielle in bed, pulled her into his arms, and closed his eyes, taking in the


    scent of her hair.


    The following morning, Arielle woke up to find herself curled up in Vinson¡¯s arms.


    Vinson must be tired after working hard for the past two days¡­


    With that thought in mind, she decided to get up and cook something delicious for him downstairs. She


    had barely moved when the man held her waist and pinned her down with his strong arms. Caught off


    guard, she toppled onto his body.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move. Close your eyes for a bit. I shall head downstairs and cook something nourishing for you,¡±


    Arielle exined as she pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth.


    Before she could get up, their positions were changed abruptly.


    ¡°I want to devour you,¡± Vinson dered as he gazed at Arielle passionately.


    Without waiting for her reply, he lowered his head and sealed her lips with a kiss.


    His kiss was ardent and fervent. Arielle closed her eyes and responded to his kiss eagerly. When


    Vinson reached out to take a contraceptive sheath from the bedside drawer, Arielle stopped him from


    doing so.


    ¡°Vinson, let¡¯s have a child¡­¡±


    She wanted a child of their own.


    Hearing that, Vinson hesitated briefly. He was traumatized after what happened to Sonia.


    ¡°Sannie, should we keep that forter?¡± Vinson asked.


    He knew Arielle loved kids, but the trauma still haunted him. Hence, he didn¡¯t want her to get pregnant.


    ¡°If you can hold back from having sex with me, I will agree to not have kids.¡±


    Arielle knew Vinson wouldn¡®t be able to tamp his desire and waited for him to cave in. To her surprise,


    the man got up obediently.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1817

    Chapter 1817


    ¡°Vinson, you¡­¡± Arielle huffed angrily at the sight of Vinson walking into the bathroom and tossed a


    pillow in his direction.


    Vinson understood why Arielle wanted a child, but he dared not bear the consequences that might


    come with her childbirth. Without a word, he picked up the pillow and ced it aside before heading


    into the bathroom.


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    Right after he walked away, Arielle put on her clothes and went downstairs furiously.


    He doesn¡¯t want to have sex with me, huh?


    Let¡¯s see how long he can persist. I don¡¯t believe he can hold back his desire or vent it out using


    alternative ways!


    In the living room, Susanne was reading the newspapers as she had woken up a while ago. She


    spotted Arielle stomping down the stairs angrily and arched a brow.


    Did they get into a fight?


    With that thought in mind, she waved for Arielle toe over to her.


    Arielle immediatelyposed her emotions when she saw Susanne. Joining her in the living room, she


    asked, ¡°Mom, why did you wake up this early?¡±


    Susanne chuckled and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m old, so I don¡¯t sleep that much now.¡±


    She gazed at Arielle and asked in concern, ¡°Did you have a fight with Vinson?¡±


    Arielle cast a surprised look in Susanne¡¯s direction.


    When did Vinson and I get into a fight?


    Confused, she shook her head. ¡°No. Why?¡±


    ¡°You seemed to be in a foul mood, so I thought both of you had a fight.¡± Susanne was relieved to learn


    that they were fine.


    However, she still promised, ¡°If my son makes you angry, let me know. I¡¯ll make sure he learns his


    lesson.¡±


    Hearing that, Arielle realized that Susanne assumed they had fought when she showed up looking all


    angry a while ago. Nevertheless, she wasn¡¯t about to tell Susanne about their disagreement. After all,


    Susanne yearned for a grandchild and would fly into a rage if she discovered Vinson didn¡¯t want Arielle


    to get pregnant.


    ¡°Thanks, Mom. I¡¯ll surely let you know if he bullies me,¡± Arielle promised with her lips curled up as she


    slung her arm around Susanne¡¯s.


    ¡°Mom, what do you want for breakfast? I¡¯ll cook today¡±


    I took Vinson to Turlen for over a year and have not been a filial daughter-inw to her. This time, I


    must take good care of her and make it up for the lost time.


    Susanne held Arielle¡¯s slender hands. Her hands should be used to treat patients instead of cooking at


    home.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you think that way. I know you want to be a filial daughter-inw. Helma is preparing


    breakfast, so stay here and talk to me.¡±


    Arielle bobbed her head. They weren¡¯t with her for over a year, so Susanne must¡¯ve felt lonely all the


    time. Thus, she decided to stay and chat with Susanne.


    As they chatted, Susanne seemed fatigued. Arielle grabbed the chance and ced her other hand on


    Susanne¡¯s pulse nonchntly.


    Then, her brows knitted together for a brief moment. Afraid that Susanne would realize something, she


    pretended that everything was all right.


    ¡°Mom, how were you when we weren¡¯t home? Were you well?¡± Arielle asked nonchntly.


    ¡°Vinson and l are back now, so please be honest with us.¡±

 Chapter 1818

    Chapter 1818


    Knowing that Arielle was worried about her health gave Susanne great satisfaction and made her think


    that her former desire for Wendy and Vinson to get together was incredibly silly.


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Just look at how thoughtful Arielle is. Even more so than my son.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m good. I asionally get headaches, but after a nap, I¡®m fine,¡± Susanne replied as she


    patted the younger woman¡¯s hand.


    Hearing this, Arielle hurriedly suggested, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll take you to the hospital for a checkup


    today to see why your head hurts.¡±


    Upon hearing that Arielle wanted to take her to the hospital, Susanne promptly refused, ¡°Nothing


    happened to me, nor do I have any illness, so why should I go to the hospital? My head only hurts


    asionally, and it must be because I didn¡®t rest well, so there¡¯s no need to go to the hospital and


    upy medical resources.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re merely going for a checkup, Mom. Just treat it as a physical examination. We¡¯ll go together.¡±


    Arielle quickly added when she noticed that her mother-inw still wanted to decline, ¡°Aren¡¯t you still


    eager to get a grandchild? Let¡¯s go to the hospital together. I¡¯ll do a pre-pregnancy checkup while you


    get a full-body checkup. Only when you¡¯re healthy can you take care of your future grandchildren¡­¡±


    ¡°After all, Vinson and I are very busy and have no time to look after the kids, so wouldn¡¯t this heavy


    responsibility fall onto you?¡±


    Susanne, who did not wish to go to the hospital at first, immediately changed her mind upon hearing


    thest part of Arielle¡¯s speech.


    Arielle is right. They¡¯re both very busy and will need me to look after the baby. If I¡¯m not in good health,


    how can I take good care of the child?


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll go to the hospital with you after our meal.¡± Susanne gave Arielle a serious look as she


    spoke.


    Only after Susanne agreed to her request did Arielle breathe a sigh of relief.


    She was afraid that the former would stubbornly refuse to go to the hospital as it would be troublesome.


    ¡°Sannie, how many children are you nning to have?¡± Susanne asked her daughter-inw curiously.


    The present day isn¡¯t like the old days when every family had several children. If my health hadn¡¯t gone


    awry when I gave birth to Vinson, he would ¡®ve had several younger siblings.


    Young people nowadays generally have one child, no matter whether it¡¯s a boy or a girl. Although I


    respect their decision, I still think that it¡®s best to have two kids regardless of their gender, as this


    ensures that the children have a ymate and won¡¯t feel lonely¡­


    As soon as the subject of having children was brought up, Arielle immediately perked up and stretched


    out three fingers.


    Susanne widened her eyes in surprise.


    ¡°You want to have three kids?¡±


    Arielle nodded at her with the corners of her lips slightly curled. ¡°I adore children, so I want to have


    several so that when we¡¯re no longer with them, they¡¯ll still have each other and won¡¯t be lonely.¡±


    The knowledge of her daughter-inw having the same thoughts as her caused Susanne to beam from


    ear to ear.


    ¡°From now on, you mustn¡¯t eat food that is harmful to your body. You must give birth to a healthy baby.


    You can tell me whatever you wish to eat, and I¡¯ll make it for you.¡±


    Although she also came from a wealthy family, she began to learn cooking after marrying Vinson¡¯s


    father. No matter how busy her husband was, he would always make time toe home and eat with


    her as he loved her cooking.


    This ritual continued up until the ident, and after his father¡¯s passing, Vinson never allowed her back


    inside the kitchen out of concern that her sadness would be triggered by past memories. However, for


    the sake of her grandchildren, she decided to step into the kitchen again.

 Chapter 1819

    Chapter 1819


    Arielle was aware that Susanne was looking forward to her having children but did not realize how


    much thetter was anticipating it. I guess I ¡®ll have to talk Vinson into letting me conceive no matter


    what.


    ¡°Thank you, Mom!¡± she said with a bright smile.


    Vinson happened to hear Arielle thanking his mother as he wasing downstairs, and he


    immediately raised his eyebrow.


    ¡°What are you thanking Mom for?¡±


    When Arielle heard his question, she wanted to disregard him because of what had happened earlier


    but found it inappropriate to express her displeasure because Susanne was there.


    However, that did not stop her from shifting her gaze to look at him slyly as she replied, ¡°For her


    willingness to help raise our children, of course. Mom said that we should have as many kids as we can


    and that more than five is ideal. She¡¯ll assist us in raising them.¡±


    When Susanne heard Arielle¡¯s words, she thought thetter was deliberately teasing her son, so she


    yed along and said with a nod, ¡°That¡¯s right. When the timees, you both can go to work and


    leave the children to me.¡±


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    Vinson was aware of how much Arielle and his mother desired children, but he genuinely could not


    handle the consequences of childbirth. Sonia¡¯s incident had affected him too much.


    She only had a chance of surviving because Arielle was there to save her at that very moment, but


    what will happen when it¡¯s Arielle¡¯s turn?


    If she faces the same situation, who cane to save her?


    He dared not think about Arielle giving birth as he could not stand the thought of losing her. However,


    with Susanne around, he could not reveal his anxieties.


    ¡°Thank you in advance, Mom.¡± As Vinson spoke, he nced at the watch on his wrist.


    ¡°I have a meeting at thepanyter, Mom, so I¡¯ll head there first.¡±


    When Arielle, who was still angry with him, heard that he was leaving for thepany without eating,


    she promptly stopped him. ¡°Breakfast is ready. Can¡¯t you leave after that?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s not enough time for that. You need not worry. I¡¯ll get Rayson to order a takeaway after the


    meeting.¡±


    After saying that, right before Susanne¡¯s eyes, he walked up to Arielle, bent down, and kissed her


    forehead before turning around and heading out.


    Vinson¡¯s actions caused Arielle to blush. Susanne could tell right away that her daughter-inw was


    embarrassed andmented with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re so easily embarrassed. I¡®m a very open-minded


    person, so there¡¯s no need to feel shy because I¡¯m here.¡±


    Despite Susanne¡¯s words, Arielle still felt very embarrassed and scolded Vinson inwardly.


    Helma soon finished preparing breakfast and brought it to the table. Remembering that Susanne was


    going to do a full body checkup, Arielle suggested that she refrain from eating because some of the


    tests might require her to fast.


    Susanne did not object, and after Arielle had taken a few bites, she brought her mother-inw to the


    hospital.


    Arielle refused when Susanne asked her to go for her checkup first and told the older woman that she


    wanted to apany her mother-inw for the checkup.


    Susanne could not convince her otherwise, so she had no choice but to allow it.


    The hospital they went to belonged to Nightshire Group, and the director immediately provided them


    direct ess when informed that the two hade for a checkup.


    ¡°Give my mother-inw a full body checkup, and pay special attention to her head. She asionally


    suffers from headaches,¡± Arielle instructed with a frown.


    In actuality, she was very worried about Susanne¡¯s health.


    It¡¯s not too bad if I can heal whatever ailment she has, but if even I am powerless¡­


    She did not dare to think further and could only hope that the results were good.

 Chapter 1820

    Chapter 1820


    After Susanne hadpleted her checkup, she urged Arielle to do hers.


    The earliest they could get their results was the next day, so after they were both done with their


    checkups, Susanne took Arielle shopping, something they had never done before.


    ¡°Try this dress on, Sannie. You¡¯ll look beautiful in it.¡± Susanne took a dress and handed it to her


    daughter-inw beside her, asking her to try it on.


    Arielle did not care what she wore, but seeing Susanne¡®s enthusiasm made her reluctant to ruin her


    mood.


    After all, Susanne didn¡¯t have a daughter of her own, and Vinson, who is a grown up now, is so busy


    every day that he doesn¡¯t have time to let his mom help him match his outfits. Since she wishes to


    dress me up now, I¡¯ll let her do whatever makes her happy.


    With that thought in mind, Arielle took the dress and went to the fitting room to try it on while Susanne


    made use of the opportunity to select a variety of clothing and set them aside for Arielle to try onter.


    If they look good on her, I¡¯ll buy them all for her.


    Arielle opened the door and walked out of the fitting room after changing into the dress.


    ¡°Does it look good on me?¡± Arielle curled her lips into a smile, saying softly while looking at Susanne,


    who was staring back at her.


    ¡°Of course it looks good on my daughter-inw. The dress may be pretty, but you¡¯re prettier. You truly


    look lovely wearing it,¡± Susanne immediately praised.


    After saying that, she pointed to the clothes on the couch beside her. ¡°Sannie, I think that you can pull


    off these styles beautifully. Why don¡¯t you try them all on?¡±


    Arielle followed Susanne¡¯s finger and nced at the couch.


    She was immediately astounded to see that there were around twenty to thirty outfits.


    With this many clothes, when will I finish trying them on?


    Moreover, my closet has more than enough clothes, and even if I were to pull them out now and wear


    them, they wouldn¡¯t be out of fashion.


    She quickly walked up to Susanne and whispered in her ear, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m in the middle of


    preparing for pregnancy, Mom. If I get pregnant next month, these clothes will be left unused.¡±


    Susanne initially thought that Arielle had a point, but from her point of view, there were only around


    twenty to thirty garments in the pile.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    If she wears one outfit per day, even if she bes pregnant the following month, wouldn¡¯t she have


    worn everything?


    What¡¯s there to be left unused?


    However, at the thought that Arielle might be feeling tired after apanying her for a long time


    throughout the checkup, she waved her hand and bought all the clothes ording to the former¡¯s size,


    instructing the store to have them sent straight to Nightshire Manor.


    Arielle originally intended to stop her, but upon seeing the joy on her mother-inw¡¯s face, she


    abandoned the thought and chose to ept her gift.


    The two proceeded to Maureen¡¯s Kitchen for lunch after buying the clothes. When they got home,


    Susanne felt a little worn out and went to rest, while Arielle requested a needle from Helma before


    heading back to her room.


    After she returned to the bedroom, she took out all the contraceptives from the drawer and poked


    multiple tiny holes all over each one.


    ¡°Want to challenge me? You¡¯re a little inexperienced for that.¡±


    Arielle stared at the contraceptives with holes all over them and chuckled before cing them back into


    the drawer.


    She was aware of Vinson¡¯s fear, but she knew that practically all women had to experience it.


    Besides, how is impossible for me to have such awful luck that horrible things continuously happen to


    me?


    Even if I ¡®m that unlucky, I¡¯m not afraid since I n to locate a store in the next two days and bring Pat


    and my adoptive parents over once the ce has been renovated.


    I can feel at ease getting ready for pregnancy with my adoptive parents running a clinic, and many risks


    can be avoided with them around when I¡¯m giving birth, but¡­

 Chapter 1821

    Chapter 1821


    I still have to rewire Vinson¡¯s beliefs¡­


    I can¡¯t let him develop a fear over the matter of childbirth, but how should I go about doing that?


    Arielle massaged her temples. Let me think about it.


    ***


    Meanwhile, on the cruise ship, Abigail was staring at Anna, who was standing on the deck. As the


    thought of the news delivered by the person sent to spy on Annast night came into her mind, her


    gaze darkened.


    She never expected that Anna would be sleeping with Gaspar.


    When did they get together?


    She cast a look at Micah, who was beside her. I know that he¡¯s oblivious to this, but will he agree to let


    Anna marry Gaspar?


    In actuality, she was against it, knowing that Gaspar was living on a knife edge like Micah.


    Although she was Anna¡¯s stepmother, she was nheless concerned for the girl¡¯s wellbeing. Unlike


    her, who had a good life but was terrified every time Micah left the house, she wanted her stepdaughter


    to live blissfully for the rest of her days.


    ¡°Micah, don¡¯t you think the two of them make a good match? They look great together and have simr


    social statuses.¡± As she spoke, Abigail turned her attention to Gaspar and Anna, who were taking in the


    sea breeze on the deck.


    She wanted to hear Micah¡¯s thoughts about it.


    Micah was stunned when he heard Abigail¡¯s words.


    He had known Gaspar for ten years and had never once considered marrying his daughter to him.


    ¡°What do you mean they look great together and have simr social statuses?¡± Micah immediately


    silenced Abigail sharply, ¡°Don¡®t have such twisted thoughts. Gaspar can¡¯t give Anna a stable life.¡±


    He only wanted his daughter to live a happy life.


    Only after hearing Micah¡¯s disapproval did Abigail feel relieved.


    As long as Micah objected to it, Anna will ultimately have to listen to him no matter how reluctant she is.


    However, when she heard the tone in his voice and the attitude he showed her, she immediately felt


    aggrieved. Her eyes instantly turned red, and tears welled up within them.


    Seeing that, Micah could not help feeling a little distressed.


    He quickly reached out and drew Abigail into his arms before tenderly wiping away her tears. ¡°Why are


    you crying?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to you anymore. I can¡¯t believe you snapped at me.¡± Abigail tried to push Micah¡¯s


    arm away as she spoke, but he held her tightly in his embrace.


    He lowered his head and kissed her forehead.


    ¡°I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have done that,¡± he said softly.


    Micah continued coaxing her. Although he had many women, Abigail was the only one he truly loved.


    He merely had a familial fondness for even Anna¡¯s mother.


    ¡°Actually, I said it deliberately to find out what you thought of the two of them together.¡±


    Abigail¡¯s anger vanished as soon as Micah humbled himself to console her. She leaned into his arms


    while looking at Anna and Gaspar in front of her.


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think they¡¯re being a little too intimate with one another?¡± she whispered.


    As her words fell, Micah happened to look toward them, just in time to see Gaspar giving Anna an


    affectionate look as he helped her brush her hair away from her forehead.


    He tightened his hold on Abigail and said in a low voice, ¡°They do seem a little too intimate¡­¡±


    He stared at the two people before him before escorting Abigail back to the cabin with his arm around


    her. While doing so, he discreetly decided to find an opportunity to ask them what they thought of one


    another.


    If they¡¯re attracted to one another, I must break it off as soon as possible.


    Anna was unaware of her father¡¯s thoughts. At that moment, she was looking at Gaspar, smiling


    sweetly.

 Chapter 1822

    Chapter 1822


    ¡°Will we be separated after we go back to Chanaea, Gaspar?¡±


    Anna was experiencing a mild headache as she stared at Gaspar. She didn¡¯t expect that her father and


    Abigail would want to travel to Chanaea too.


    What a coincidence!


    ¡°I¡¯m only going to stay in Chanaea for a few days. You can leave with me when the timees.¡± After


    spending time with her for a few days, he felt that she was too pure and too cute.


    It made him want to protect her under his figurative wings.


    When she heard that, her eyes sparkled. She thought they would be forced to separate after arriving at


    Chanaea and didn¡¯t expect that he would only be staying for a few days.


    In that case, once he leaves, I¡¯ll be able to follow him. I won¡¯t need to live under Daddy¡¯s watchful eyes


    anymore!


    ¡°You¡¯re so cool, Gaspar!¡± Anna said as she hugged Gaspar¡¯s neck with both her arms and kissed his


    lips.


    Following along with her moves, he held the back of her head and kissed back. It wasn¡¯t until she


    almost had trouble breathing that he let her go.


    He stared at her red cheeks and swollen lips before pulling her into his embrace and gazing at the


    scenery in the distance.


    Before he met her, he hated kissing a lot. That was why he would avoid kissing women whenever he


    bedded them. However, ever since he met Anna, he realized that not only did he not hate her kisses,


    he even looked forward to kissing her somehow.


    ***


    At night, when Vinson returned home, Susanne was already sleeping as usual.


    When Arielle heard the footsteps from upstairs, she knew he had returned. Immediately, she covered


    her body with the nket, leaving only her head outside of it, and stared at her phone.


    After Vinson entered the bedroom, he spoke to her briefly before going into the bathroom. When he


    emerged from the bathroom, he saw her drinking water by the table. His body promptly experienced


    changes.


    ¡°Sannie¡­¡± There was a touch of resignation in his voice.


    It would¡¯ve been fine if she was just drinking water, yet she was wearing a ck erotic outfit that made


    it difficult for him to hold back his urges.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Arielle pretended as if she didn¡¯t know anything as she turned to face him.


    While she appeared calm, she was panicking inside.


    That outfit was something she bought after she read a response to an online post. Her purpose for


    doing so was quite obvious.


    Hmm, Vinson¡¯s already looking excited!


    Staring at Arielle, who was still ying dumb, he strode toward her. Then he pressed her against the


    table before holding her waist with both of his hands. Sexual desire filled his eyes as he stared at her


    deeply.


    ¡°Are you seducing me?¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± She put the empty cup on the table. ¡°Who¡¯s seducing you? I wear this outfit because it makes


    me feel cool.¡±


    Then her eyes narrowed at him. ¡°I only changed my nightie. Why did you¡­¡±


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    Vinson was on the verge ofughing from anger.


    What does she mean by only changing her outfit?


    Does she think I don¡¯t know the purpose of that nightie?


    Instead of listening to her nonsense, he lowered his head and kissed her lips. His hands swiftly


    removed her clothes before he further lowered his head and kissed her corbone. Then he kept going


    downward¡­


    After Arielle was showered with Vinson¡¯s kiss, he carried her to the bed and grabbed a condom.


    However, much likest time, she stopped him.

 Chapter 1823

    Chapter 1823


    While Arielle had already sabotaged Vinson¡¯s condoms, which sort of ensured that she would get


    pregnant, she still wanted to force him to do it willingly.


    ¡°Sannie¡­¡± He felt like he was about to explode.


    Why is she¡­


    Holding his neck with her arms, she whispered sensually, ¡°Give me a child, Darling. I want a child that


    belongs to us.¡±


    ¡°Can we talk about this matterter, Arielle?¡±


    While Vinson really wanted to have sex with Arielle, his rationality still triumphed over his lust. He didn¡¯t


    dare to act rashly and agree to her request.


    Hearing his words, she was pissed off. Suddenly, she turned around and pressed Vinson down on the


    bed.


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Vinson didn¡¯t expect her to do that, though it did make him even more excited. Without warning, he did


    the same, too, and pressed her onto the bed. In the end, he didn¡¯t let her have her way and that


    infuriated her.


    Angrily, she went to the bathroom. Once she came out, she covered herself with the nket on the bed


    and went to sleep. She ignored everything he said and dozed off.


    When Arielle woke up the next day, Vinson was already gone.


    There was only a note left by him on the table that read, I¡¯m sorry, Darling. Who wants your apology.


    She crumbled the note into a ball and threw it into a trashcan lividly. Then she washed up and turned


    on her phone.


    Last night, the doctor told her she would receive the examination report on her phone. Yet, it was


    almost ten in the morning, and she still hadn¡¯t received it.


    Maybe the result hasn¡¯te out yet.


    She wondered as she put her phone into her pocket before going downstairs.


    ¡°Mom, why don¡¯t you go and have fun with your friends?¡± she asked when she saw Susanne reading


    the newspaper on the couch.


    The older woman responded by waving her hand.


    I don¡¯t want to go. How many of my friends are true friends?


    Back when Vinson was in trouble, every one of them wished they could stay as far away from me as


    possible. Now that he¡¯s back, all of them want to suck up to me again.


    It¡¯s toote for that now! I rather improve my rtionship with my future daughter-inw than spend


    time with them. We can talk about the gender of her future child, their life, and even n their future.


    It¡¯s so much better to stay at home than spend time doing a bunch of stuff I¡¯m not interested in with


    those people!


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to join them. I much prefer thefort of my home,¡± she said as she looked at Arielle.


    ¡°I left your breakfast in the oven to keep it warm. You should go and grab it.¡±


    Arielle wasn¡¯t sure why Susanne didn¡¯t want to go out, considering how much thetter used to do that.


    However, she didn¡¯t ask the older woman that.


    Well, that¡¯s her privacy. I won¡¯t ask if she doesn¡¯t bring it up.


    After she finished her meal, she sat next to Susanne and chatted with her while waiting for the report to


    come out.


    As they conversed, she suddenly recalled Susanne mentioning that she wanted to have a birthday


    party.


    Two years ago, the older woman said she wanted to hold a birthday party the following year. However,


    Arielle and Vinson weren¡¯t aroundst year, so Susanne¡¯s birthday party was further dyed.


    When Arielle¡¯s train of thought ended there, she decided it was time to organize that birthday party.

 Chapter 1824

    Chapter 1824


    ¡°Mom, remember two years ago you said you wanted to hold a birthday partyst year? But we didn¡¯t


    do it because we weren¡¯t around then. How about we do it this year?¡± said Arielle as she looked at


    Susanne with a twinkle in her eyes.


    When Susanne heard that, she was stunned for a moment!


    I didn¡¯t expect her to remember something I mentioned in passing¡­


    The fact that Arielle cared that much about her made her feel touched.


    ¡°Actually, it doesn¡®t really matter to me whether I have a birthday party or not.¡± Her birthday was two


    months away.


    If Arielle prepared herself to get conceived in this period of time, she might get pregnant in the following


    month.


    The older woman was simply worried that her daughter-inw would tire herself too much in organizing


    her birthday party. That was why she was fine with not having a birthday party.


    Nothing was more important to her than Arielle.


    ¡°What do you mean it doesn¡®t matter? Not only am I going to throw you a birthday party, but I¡¯m also


    going to make it a big one.¡± Holding Susanne¡¯s arm, Arielle narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°I am definitely going to have that party. When Vinson was in trouble, a lot of peopleughed as they


    stood there and gawked. We can use your birthday party to show them that we are doing fine and the


    company is still in Vinson¡¯s control even though it almost changed hands. It¡¯ll make them think twice


    before they act wisely in the future.¡±


    When she finished speaking herst sentence, she felt like her words came out wrong.


    Why do I feel like I¡¯m cursing Nightshire Group?


    Ah, l should forget about it as it is not important. What¡¯s important is that I will throw a birthday party for


    Susanne and fulfill the wish she previously had.


    Susanne still didn¡¯t really agree with the n. After all, the birthday party didn¡¯t matter to her that much


    at that point. She was happy as long as Vinson and Arielle lived happy lives and Nightshire Group


    continued to prosper.


    If holding her birthday party would tire Arielle, then she didn¡¯t want it. In her opinion, it wasn¡¯t worth it.


    What she was looking forward to the most was having a grandchild.


    ¡°I know what you mean, Sannie. However, I don¡¯t want to exhaust you. Aren¡¯t you nning to have a


    baby right now? My birthday is in two months. What if you sessfully get pregnant this month? You¡®ll


    get very tired when you try to organize my birthday party next month. I think we can hold the birthday


    party a few yearster.¡±


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    When Arielle heard that, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly.


    She also wanted to conceive this month sessfully and be a happy pregnant mother in theing


    month. However, Vinson wasn¡¯t cooperating with her. He even pulled out right before he ejacted. It


    made her want to swear.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. If I get pregnant near the date of the birthday party, I¡¯ll just let professionals handle it while I


    supervise them,¡± she proposed.


    Seeing how Arielle still insisted on holding a birthday party for her, Susanne couldn¡¯t say no any longer.


    In fact, it made her love the younger woman even more.


    The saying that having a good daughter-inw is better than having a good son really is true. My


    daughter-inw is so thoughtful and considerate.


    ¡°Very well, then. Do what you want. However, if you really do get pregnant, you must let the


    professionals handle the party,¡± Susanne reminded again.


    Arielle agreed. Then she took out her phone with the intention of telling Vinson that she was going to


    hold a birthday party for Susanne.


    Just as she unlocked her phone, the device buzzed. She pressed the text message and saw it was


    their examination report. The first report she checked was Susanne¡¯s.


    When she saw the content of the report, her eyes immediately darkened.

 Chapter 1825

    Chapter 1825


    ¡°Mom, I suddenly remember that there¡¯s a matter I need to discuss with Vinson. Do you want to join


    me?¡±


    When Arielle turned to face Susanne, she had already buried the emotions she was experiencing


    moments ago deep inside her heart.


    In response, the older woman shook her hand. She didn¡®t want to bother the couple.


    ¡°You go. I¡¯m just going to read the newspaper here and water the nts. Juste back during the


    evening and join me for dinner.¡±


    Truthfully, Arielle intentionally asked her about it. When she heard her mother-inw didn¡¯t want to go


    with her, she let out a sigh of relief.


    It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to let Susanne follow her. It was because she wanted to keep what she


    nned to discuss with Vinson a secret for the time being, Susanne¡¯s condition.


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll have dinner with youter.¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Susanne replied softly.


    After grabbing her bag, Arielle went to the garage and drove to Nightshire Group. As a result of what


    happenedst time, the receptionist allowed Arielle to go upstairs directly.


    When she arrived at Vinson¡¯s office, she noticed he wasn¡¯t inside. Thus, she waited on a couch for him.


    As she waited, she sent a text message to Andrea about Susanne¡¯s condition.


    Just as she was engrossed in her chat with Andrea, the door to the office opened. She turned to the


    door and saw Vinson entering the room with a frown.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Arielle stood and approached him.


    It surprised him to see her in the office since she was so angryst night that she just ignored him. He


    was still wondering how he should cheer her up when she actually came to visit him.


    Does this mean she¡¯s not angry at me anymore?


    When he heard her question, he said, ¡°He is here!¡±


    ¡°Who is here?¡± Arielle was confused.


    As Vinson wasn¡¯t willing to call Gaspar his brother, he lowered his voice and uttered, ¡°The man you met


    on the ind.¡±


    When she heard that, her expression darkened. ¡°Why is he here and for what?¡±


    ¡°He has forty-two percent of the shares, more than me, and he wants to use that share to be the


    chairman of Nightshire Group.¡±


    When Vinson thought about Gaspar¡¯s arrogant attitude and tone, a glint shed past his eyes.


    In reality, he didn¡¯t mind whether he or Gaspar was the chairman. After all, thepany did partially


    belong to Gaspar. However, when he thought about how Gaspar kept trying to harm him and his loved


    ones, he just didn¡¯t want to hand over the position of chairman to Gaspar.


    Arielle furrowed her eyebrows.


    Gaspar has more shares than Vinson? Where did he get them?


    Just as she was confused, he exined, ¡°The directors I fired a few days ago sold their shares to him.¡±


    The moment she heard that her eyes darkened.


    It seems like Gaspar¡¯s determined to became chairman.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about thepany when I¡®m around.¡± Vinson nced at her. ¡°So, why are


    you here?¡±


    The matters in thepany are already a huge headache for him¡­


    If he learns about Susanne¡¯s condition, I¡¯m worried it¡¯ll trouble him even more. However, Susanne is his


    mother. He deserves to know that she¡®s sick because it¡¯s his responsibility to take care of her as a son.


    I¡¯ll share this burden with him. He¡¯ll take care of thepany¡¯s matters while I handle Susanne¡¯s


    treatment.


    When her train of thought ended there, Arielle pulled out her phone and showed Vinson the text


    message the hospital had sent her.


    Just as he was about to take her phone, his phone suddenly rang. When he turned it on, there was a


    hint of hesitation in his eyes.

 Chapter 1826

    Chapter 1826


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Upon seeing his frown, Arielle ced her hand on his.


    Instead of replying verbally, Vinson handed the phone to her. The instant she read the content of the


    text, she understood why he had that expression.


    The situation was just like the one between her and Aaron. While she really didn¡¯t want to regard Aaron


    as her little brother, she still did it in the end because it felt pretty good to have an additional family


    member.


    Time and time again, Gaspar tried to kill Vinson. That was totally uneptable to her.


    ¡°What¡¯s your n? Are you going to do as this message instructed?¡± Staring at Vinson, Arielle assured,


    ¡°I¡¯ll support whatever you decide to do.¡±


    ¡°I need to go back and ask Mom what¡®s the problem with him before I decide how to deal with this


    matter.¡± He sighed.


    Susanne didn¡¯t give a clear exnation on the phonest time. If he wanted to understand the details


    of the situation, he had to go back and ask her about it.


    Then he turned to Arielle. ¡°What did you want me to see?¡±


    She turned on her phone again and handed it to him.


    He had no medical background, so he didn¡¯t understand what he was reading.


    ¡°What does this mean? Is she feeling unwell somewhere?¡±


    After staring at Vinson for a while, Arielle uttered with a dark expression, ¡°It¡¯s likely that Mom has a


    brain tumor¡­¡±


    ¡°B-Brain tumor?¡± Vinson, who was usually calm, couldn¡¯t maintain hisposure when he heard that.


    ¡°Yesterday, Mom mentioned she gets mild headaches asionally. So, I took her to the hospital for a


    checkup.¡±


    Holding his hand, she continued in a serious tone, ¡°Let me handle Mom. I¡¯ll do my best to treat her.¡±


    In any case, she still had toe up with a n to take Susanne to aprehensive checkup.


    ¡°Do you think we should tell Mom about her condition?¡± Arielle asked.


    She really had no idea what excuse she could use to bring Susanne for a checkup. After all, once the


    checkup was done, Susanne would need to receive treatment.


    Arielle didn¡®t actually like the idea of hiding the matter from her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we can hide it from her since she¡¯ll need to receive treatment. She has a strong mental


    strength, so I think she can handle it.¡±


    In the first few years after Vinson¡¯s father¡¯s passing, Vinson was still young, so Susanne was the one


    who carried the burden of managing Nightshire Group on her shoulder. That was why he believed his


    mother could handle it.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°So¡­ I should break the news to Mom?¡±


    ¡°We¡®ll do it together.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk inside the house, Mom. There are some things Vinson wants to ask you about.¡± Arielle


    approached the older woman before grabbing the watering can in Susanne¡¯s hand and putting it on the


    side.


    Then, she held her mother-inw¡¯s hand and entered the house together.


    ¡°What do you want to ask me about?¡± Susanne had a very strong feeling that something was going on,


    considering the couple had returned together.

 Chapter 1827

    Chapter 1827


    On the way back, the couple discussed what they should do first.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a small matter,¡± Arielle uttered as her lips curved upward.


    However, Susanne didn¡¯t believe her. There¡¯s no way it¡¯s a small matter since both of them return


    together.


    What¡¯s going on? Why am I feeling flustered?


    Vinson realized the approach he and Arielle used on his mother seemed a bit too much for her to


    handle. Thus, hezed on the couch and said inly.


    ¡°Mom, I just want to ask you about my half-brother. What¡¯s the deal with him?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing you want to ask me about?¡± Susanne asked as she stared at her son.


    He nodded, which made her angry.


    pping his thigh, she eximed, ¡°You almost gave me a heart attack! I thought something bad has


    happened. Anyway, why are you asking about him again? Did he do something?¡±


    ¡°He challenged me at the office in the morning because he wanted to be Nightshire Group¡¯s chairman.¡±


    With a neutral tone, he exined, ¡°Truthfully, it doesn¡¯t matter to me who¡¯s the chairman. After all,


    we¡¯re both my father¡¯s sons. There¡¯s no difference in who gets the position. However, he¡¯s a cruel man


    who had attempted to harm me multiple times. If I weren¡¯t as capable as I was, I probably would¡¯ve


    died in his hand by now.¡±


    When Susanne heard the things Gaspar did to Vinson, the look in her eyes changed.


    ¡°His mother was your father¡¯s girlfriend. Back then, your grandfather opposed their rtionship and


    introduced me to your father. I didn¡¯t know about that initially¡­¡±


    ¡°After our marriage, he treated me very well, and we soon had you. After you were born, his ex-


    girlfriend showed up. When I learned his story, I let him choose to stay with whoever he wanted without


    comints. In the end, he chose me and gave her lots of money¡­¡±


    ¡°Back then, I thought it wasn¡¯t easy for her to raise her child alone, so I offered to let her child stay with


    us. I promised her I¡¯ll raise him as my own, but she refused. After that, she vanished from your father¡¯s


    life with her child. Your father¡¯s ex-girlfriend was a very prideful woman. I never thought she would raise


    her child to be a man like that.¡±


    She then turned to Vinson. ¡°Maybe you can invite him to a discussion? If he really wants thepany,


    just give it to him. It¡¯s what we owe him.¡±


    ¡°What if he still tries to get rid of me after he obtained thepany?¡± Vinson asked as he sat straight.


    For a moment, Susanne didn¡¯t know what to say. She always felt that she owed Gaspar and his mother


    even though she didn¡¯t know they existed when she married Vinson¡¯s father.


    ¡°How should we resolve this matter?¡± Feeling torn, she stared at her son.


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    She didn¡¯t want her son or Gaspar to be hurt. Frankly, Vinson really wanted toply with the text


    message¡¯s request. After giving it some thought, he felt he should take his mother¡¯s advice and have a


    chat with Gaspar.


    However, the most important thing at the moment was Susanne¡¯s brain tumor. He could deal with


    Gasparter.


    ¡°Mom, there¡¯s one more thing I need to talk to you about¡­¡±

 Chapter 1828

    Chapter 1828


    ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± Susanne replied casually as she stared at Arielle¡¯s belly.


    I wonder when I can hold my grandchild¡­


    ¡°After you went through a checkup at the hospital yesterday, the doctor sent us a report saying that


    there¡¯s a tumor in your brain, Mom.¡± Knowing that he couldn¡¯t hide the matter at all, Vinson went


    straight to the point.


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh, okay. Got it.¡±


    Seeing how calm his mother appeared to be, he quickly added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. With Sannie around, you¡¯ll


    be fine.¡±


    ¡°Worry? Why would I need to worry?¡± A confused expression was visible on Susanne¡¯s face as she


    turned to Vinson.


    ¡°Yes, there¡¯s nothing for you to worry about.¡± Vinson let out a sigh of relief inwardly when he saw how


    composed his mother was.


    ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll head to the hospitalter and do another CT or MRI scan. This way, we¡¯ll know if


    your tumor is benign or malignant.¡± Arielle held Susanne¡¯s hand.


    ¡°What do you mean by that, Arielle? What¡¯s benign or malignant?¡± The older woman stared at the


    younger woman, stunned. ¡°Are you saying there¡¯s a t-tumor in my head?¡±


    ¡°Mom, you¡­¡± Seeing Susanne¡¯s response, Arielle spoke hesitantly. ¡°Didn¡¯t Vinson just tell you that you


    have a brain tumor?¡±


    I got a brain tumor?!


    Will I be able to live long enough to see my grandchild? See them walk and go to school?


    The instant Arielle saw her mother-inw acting like that, she knew the older woman didn¡¯t hear what


    Vinson said clearly.


    Quickly, she grabbed Susanne¡¯s hand and said in a serious tone, ¡°Don¡¯t you trust my medical skills,


    Mom? With me around, you¡¯ll definitely be fine. Right now, we just need to rx and focus on the


    treatment. You¡¯ll surely recover.¡±


    ¡°Death no longer scares me, Sannie. It¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t seen you and Vinson¡¯s children yet. If I die


    before I meet them, I¡¯ll have regrets, and I won¡¯t know how to face Vinson¡¯s father when I go to the


    afterlife.¡±


    ¡°With me around, there is no doubt that you¡¯ll be able to live a long life, Mom,¡± Arielle said resolutely.


    I need to find a chance to have a proper talk with Vinson. Regardless of what kind of tumor is growing


    in Susanne¡¯s head, I must make Vinson cooperate with me and conceive a child.


    It¡¯s not just my idea. It¡¯s Susanne¡¯s too. She¡¯s getting pretty old now, so I don¡¯t want her to keep waiting


    for the chance to spend time with a grandchild.


    ¡°You must believe in Sannie¡¯s medical skills, Mom¡­¡± It was apparent to Vinson that his mother didn¡¯t


    hear him correctly the first time around.


    Since Susanne was still staying silent, Arielle spoke up. ¡°If you¡¯re still worried, I can ask my foster


    parents toe over. Will that put you at ease?¡±


    ¡°Your foster parents?¡± The older woman shook her hand.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that big a deal. I¡¯ve already asked them to open a clinic here. It¡¯s being dyed for the moment


    because they still haven¡¯t found a good spot yet. If I ask them toe, it¡¯ll just advance the n ahead


    of schedule.¡±

 Chapter 1829

    Chapter 1829


    That afternoon, Susanne was apanied by Vinson and Arielle to do an MRI scan.


    ¡°Mom, Vinson had already arranged for you to be admitted. If nothing goes wrong, I¡¯ll operate on you


    and remove that tumor tomorrow,¡± Arielle informed in a gentle voice as she held Susanne¡¯s arm.


    ¡°I know. I trust you.¡± With a smile, Susanne patted Arielle¡¯s hand.


    During the examination, the doctor said that if the tumor weren¡¯t discovered in time, it would¡¯ve turned


    into a malignant one in the future. When that happened, even an operation wouldn¡¯t be able to save


    Susanne. At most, she would only be able to live a couple more months.


    That was why she was very grateful for what Arielle did. If the younger woman hadn¡¯t insisted that she


    went for a checkup, she wouldn¡¯t have found out about the tumor.


    As the women spoke, Vinson returned and brought his mother into the VIP ward upstairs. After


    Susanne changed into a patient¡¯s garb, Arielle brought dinner for her. It was the same dish she had


    asked Maureen¡¯s Kitchen to prepare for Susanne in the past.


    After Susanne finished her dinner, she chased the couple away.


    ¡°You two should head back quickly. I may be in the hospital right now, but nothing¡¯s happening to me.


    You two can stay and apany me after my operation is over.¡±


    After all, the hospital had plenty of doctors and nurses taking care of her. Thus, she didn¡¯t need the


    couple to stick around.


    Since Arielle had something to talk to Vinson about, she decided to listen to Susanne and returned


    home with Vinson.


    Before they left, she told her mother-inw a bunch of things and reminded her to call for a nurse if she


    felt any difort.


    Susanneined about their nagging and sent them away. As the couple hadn¡¯t eaten dinner yet,


    Arielle went straight into the kitchen after they returned to Nightshire Manor.


    She put some bread in the oven before preparing other dishes. Since she didn¡¯t feel like eating meat,


    she prepared two vegetarian dishes. One was a dish with eggs and green peppers, while the other was


    a spicy vegetable stew.


    Half an hourter, the dishes werepleted. She served the food on the dining table before going to


    the study and telling Vinson that dinner was ready.


    After they finished their meals, he took the initiative to do the dishes, which made Arielle happy.


    She smiled and went upstairs for a bath. Once she was done, she noticed he hadn¡¯t returned to the


    bedroom. Hence, she quickly dried her hair and went to the study. As expected, he was inside.


    Seeing how she came visiting him while her hair was still wet, Vinson frowned and led her back to the


    bedroom. Then he made her sit in front of the dressing table and dried her hair with a hair dryer, and


    that made her feel loved.


    Once Arielle¡¯s hair was no longer wet, he put the hair dryer down. Then she grabbed his hand and


    pulled him to the couch.


    They sat down before she stared at him with a serious look.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he couldn¡¯t help but ask upon seeing how serious she looked.


    ¡°We need to talk, Vinson.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡± Vinson stared at her, amused.


    ¡°About children.¡±


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    ¡°If it¡¯s about that, then there¡¯s no need for us to talk anymore.¡± His eyes narrowed at her as he held her


    hand.


    Hearing that instantly put Arielle in a bad mood.


    Why shouldn¡¯t we talk about that?


    ¡°Whether we want kids or not is not something you decide alone. Can¡®t you also respect my decision? I


    want a child of our own¡­¡± She pulled her hand away from his and turned her back against him.

 Chapter 1830

    Chapter 1830


    Don¡¯t touch me!


    ¡°Don¡®t get angry. I said there¡¯s no need to talk about it because I agree to have children now.¡±


    When Arielle heard that, she removed herself from Vinson¡¯s embrace and faced him. ¡°Really?¡±


    Seeing the disbelief in her eyes, he replied resignedly, ¡°When did I ever lie to you?¡±


    It¡¯s true that he never lied to me. Mmm¡­ Why did he suddenly agree to have children?


    He was still against the idea just two days ago.


    As she thought about it, she asked, ¡°Why did you suddenly change your mind? You disliked the idea


    not too long ago.¡±


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    ¡°Well, seeing how much you love children, I spent my recent free time watching videos and finding


    information about pregnancy on the inte. Once I made sure not every pregnant woman would


    experienceplications, I came to that decision.¡±


    He had it all nned out.


    Once Arielle was pregnant, he would let Rayson handle thepany and spend a year taking good


    care of her until she gave birth to their child safely.


    The fact that Vinson had done so much homework on the matter beforehand really made her happy.


    Sitting on hisp, she hugged his neck and stared at him affectionately.


    ¡°You¡¯re so nice, Darling!¡± Then she kissed him on the lips.


    She knew that he watched those videos and did the research to ovee many of his fears. It made


    her feel warm and fuzzy to learn that.


    ¡°Now you know just how nice I am. Who was the one angry at me earlier, hmm?¡± Vinson scratched the


    tip of her nose.


    That¡¯s because I thought he didn¡¯t want children and that he didn¡¯t want to discuss the possibility of


    having them with me!


    That was the reason I was angry.


    With a pout, she replied, ¡°That¡¯s your fault. If you¡¯d told me you wanted children earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have


    gotten angry with you.¡±


    Being angry is really tiring, okay?


    Arielle felt like she was no longer the cool woman she used to be.


    In fact, she never thought she would change into a soft woman under Vinson¡®s love and protection.


    However, she was pretty happy with how she turned out at the moment. It meant she was living a good


    life.


    Staring affectionately at her, he pressed the tip of his nose against hers and spoke with a seductive


    voice.


    ¡°Yes, yes, it¡¯s my fault. In that case, let¡¯s start making some babies.¡±


    His passionate look made her heart skip several beats as she eximed, ¡°What are you waiting for?


    Go take a bath now!¡±


    After she finished her sentence, she let go of his neck and went to the bed. Seeing that, Vinson grinned


    and entered the bathroom.


    When he came out, he was only covered in a towel. Before he could dry his hair, he saw Arielle, who


    was dressed like a nurse, staring at him with an alluring look.


    ¡°Sannie¡­¡± His eyes turned dark and his voice became a little hoarse.

 Chapter 1831

    Chapter 1831


    When Arielle saw that, she knew she had picked the right outfit. Although, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder


    why men loved to see women in that outfit. After all, she still had to take off her clothes in the end.


    But, that wasn¡¯t the best time for her to ponder about that.


    She recalled what she saw on the inte and followed its instruction. Holding back her


    embarrassment, she undid the buttons on her outfit. However, she was suddenly stuck after going


    through two buttons.


    The way Arielle panicked drew Vinson in further and made him gulp subconsciously.


    Where did she learn to do that? This is making me feel so¡­ Satisfied!


    Throwing the towel to the side, he turned off the light and went straight to the bed. When he arrived at


    the bed, the towel covering his body was already gone.


    With the help of the moonlight, Arielle could feel the rising temperature on Vinson¡¯s body. Embarrassed,


    she dove under the nket.


    Upon seeing that, he smiled.


    You were the one trying to seduce me. It¡¯s toote for you to hide from me now!


    After he walked near the bed, he also went under the nket and pushed her down.


    Even though Arielle felt embarrassed, she still said, ¡°It¡¯ll depend on you whether I can get pregnant with


    your child¡­¡±


    Vinson chucked lightly. ¡°I¡¯ll show you!¡±


    Then he kissed her on the lips. Both of them went buck wild during the night.


    ***


    When Arielle woke up, the sun was already hanging high in the sky.


    She pulled out her phone and realized it was almost noon. After swiftly washing up, she had a few


    mouthfuls of the food Helma prepared before grabbing Susanne¡¯s meal, which was kept inside a


    thermos sk.


    Then she hurried to the hospital with the sk.


    Once Arielle speedily ced Susanne¡¯s lunch in front of thetter, she apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte


    today, Mom¡­¡±


    Originally, she wanted to check out when she would be operating on Susanne. She didn¡¯t expect the


    raunchy session to drain her so much that she woke up at almost noon.


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Susanne¡®s lips curved upward when she saw the marks on Arielle¡¯s neck as she prepared her meal.


    She knew what that was as she had gone through simr experiences before.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. The doctor stopped by to check up on my condition again. He said the operation will take


    ce at ten in the morning tomorrow.¡± With a smile, the older woman started eating.


    ¡°You should eat first, Mom. I¡¯ll go and chat with the doctor.¡± Arielle replied that before leaving the room


    as she wanted to be the one to operate on Susanne.


    However, she still needed to discuss the matter with the doctor who was supposed to perform the


    surgery.


    After she found the doctor, she told him her request. Initially, she was worried he would get angry since


    doctors were usually dissuaded from operating on their family members.


    To her surprise, the doctor immediately agreed to her suggestion because he had heard stories of her


    excellent medical skills before. lf she were the one operating on Susanne, then she would be able to


    ensure zero error in the procedure.


    After the discussion concluded, Arielle returned to Susanne¡¯s ward and told her mother-inw that she


    would lead the operation tomorrow.

 Chapter 1832

    Chapter 1832


    Learning that Arielle would be the one operating on her made Susanne happy, especially since she


    knew how good her daughter-inw was.


    Arielle stayed by Susanne¡¯s side until nighttime. During the day, she taught thetter how to y poker


    with her phone as she was afraid that the older woman would get bored. Susanne had a wonderful time


    ying the game for the whole afternoon.


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    ¡°Look at this guy, Sannie. Is he a robot? How can he y the cards so randomly? It¡¯s making me


    angry¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible that a child who doesn¡¯t know the rules is ying with you right now.¡±


    Just as Vinson arrived at the ward¡¯s entrance, he heard voicesing from inside.


    With a smile, he opened the door and saw the two women staring at a phone close to each other. It


    was a heartwarming sight.


    ¡°You¡¯re here, Vinson?¡± Susanne felt her neck getting sore after looking at the phone for too long.


    So, she gently hit the back of her neck with her hand as she raised her head. Then she saw him


    standing at the entrance with a silly smile.


    ¡°Why are you standing there with a silly smile? Come in¡­¡±


    His smile froze.


    This is a silly smile? I ¡®m clearly smiling because I¡¯m feeling happy and content.


    Is she blind?


    After the rambling in his mind ended, he closed the door and put the fruits in his hand on the table next


    to the bed.


    ¡°What fruit do you want to eat, Mom?¡±


    Upon hearing that, Susanne pointed at strawberries and grapes. ¡°I want these two. Wash more of


    them.¡±


    Once the fruits were cleaned, Vinson served them to his mother. She immediately grabbed the fruit


    te and asionally fed Arielle with a berry. Arielle would then smile at her sweetly.


    The longer he stared, the more he felt something wasn¡¯t right.


    Err¡­ Shouldn¡¯t I be the one doing the feeding?


    ¡°Mom, you should rest¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by Susanne.


    She was gazing at Arielle with a gentle look as she uttered softly, ¡°You should go home with Vinson and


    rest, Sannie. You cane back tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°But Vinson¡¯s not here yet¡­¡± Arielle stopped speaking when she noticed him staring at her with a look


    of resentment.


    Her eyes widened as she asked, ¡°When did you arrive? Why didn¡¯t I know about it?¡±


    Vinson was there for almost half an hour by that point.


    She¡¯s even eating the fruit I bought and washed! Yet she doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m here?


    Vinson was rather speechless.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have an additional bed here, Mom? You can let Vinson sleep there. It¡¯s better for me to


    sleep with you tonight instead of going back and forth between the hospital and our house since the


    operation is tomorrow.¡±


    After exining her n to Susanne, Arielle turned to Vinson. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    He nodded in agreement. ¡°Sure. Whatever you say.¡±


    Susanne didn¡¯t feel like refusing the couple¡¯s kindness, so she went along with it.


    After Arielle washed up, shey down on Susanne¡®s bed. Subconsciously, the older woman hugged the


    younger one.


    ¡°So this is what it feels to be loved by a mother¡­¡± Arielle couldn¡¯t help but mutter as she was in


    Susanne¡¯s embrace.


    Unbeknownst to her, that made Susanne emotional.


    Even though Arielle was adopted after she lost her mother at such a young age, she probably still felt


    somewhat distant¡­


    Patting Arielle¡¯s hair gently, Susanne swore in her heart to treat her daughter-inw even better in the


    future.


    I¡¯m going to shower her with all the motherly love Maureen failed to give her¡­


    Vinson, who was sleeping on the other side, felt a warm, fuzzy feeling in his heart when he saw what


    his mother did.


    This is the happy life I want¡­

 Chapter 1833

    Chapter 1833


    The next morning, Arielle woke up in Susanne¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Mom, why did you let me use your arm as a pillow the entire night?¡± Arielle had barely spoken when


    she scrambled to sit up.


    Subsequently, she stroked Susanne¡¯s arm andmented sympathetically, ¡°It must be numb by now.¡±


    With that said, she quickly gave it a few squeezes and a subsequent massage.


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Susanne¡¯s arm was indeed numb, but the difort was soon eased by Arielle¡¯s efforts.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. I feel a lot better already.¡± The smiling Susanne stretched her arm beforementing,


    ¡°I¡¯m just getting old. In my younger days, I wouldn¡¯t feel anything even if you slept on it the entire night.¡±


    ¡°Mom, you¡¯re not old at all!¡± Arielle got out of bed and helped Susanne down.


    Due to thetter¡¯s uing surgery, she still needed to fast. As a result, Arielle and Vinson had


    breakfast at a nearby restaurant.


    After the meal, the pair returned to the hospital. Since Susanne was due for surgery that day, Vinson


    took a day off.


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s just a minor surgery, so don¡¯t worry. There¡®s no need to feel nervous either.¡± Worried about


    Susanne¡¯s nerves, Arielle mentally prepared the older woman.


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m not worried or nervous at all,¡± Susanne replied with a smile.


    She was, after all, confident in Arielle¡¯s medical skills.


    As time passed quickly, Arielle and Susanne got dressed in their respective outfits. Subsequently, they


    were escorted by the nurse and Vinson to the operating theater.


    Inside, Susanne was first injected with an anesthetic. Once its effects began to kick in, the surgery


    swiftly began.


    This time, the hospital¡¯s neurology professor was present, along with the attending physician. Under


    normal circumstances, it was rare for someone of his station to be in the operating theatre. However,


    this professor was interested in watching Arielle in action.


    The duration of the surgery was two and a half hours.


    Throughout the surgery, Arielle was fully focused and didn¡¯t dare make any mistakes. The professor


    was naturally in awe of her revolutionary methods. As he intently observed how she moved her hands,


    he, cognizant of what she nned to do whenever her hands stopped, responded ordingly to what


    was needed.


    During the previous surgery, Arielle would delegate the stitching to other doctors. However, she made


    an exception for this one bypleting everything herself.


    By the time she emerged from the operating theatre, her clothes, alongside her hair tucked underneath


    the scrub cap, were already drenched in sweat.


    ¡°The surgery is a sess,¡± Arielle dered with a smile when she saw the approaching Vinson the


    moment she opened the door.


    ¡°You should wash up in the ward. I¡¯ve already instructed Helma to bring you a change of clothes,¡±


    Vinson replied.


    Nevertheless, Arielle shook her head as she wanted to ensure Susanne was sent to the ICU for


    observation first.


    Soon, the nurse pushed Susanne out and moved her to the ICU.


    ¡°The nurses will watch over her, so there¡¯s nothing for us to do. You had better go back to the office,¡±


    Arielle suggested, aware that Vinson had a backlog piling up at Nightshire Group.


    On top of that, he still had to deal with his troublesome half-brother.


    Well aware that family members weren¡¯t allowed in the ICU, Vinson gave Arielle a nod before heading


    back to the office.


    ¡°Mr. Nightshire, the man who looks like you is here again,¡± the frowning Rayson reported the moment


    Vinson returned to the office.

 Chapter 1834

    Chapter 1834


    ¡°Let him in,¡± Vinson replied after pondering a moment.


    Coincidentally, I would like to speak to him too. I¡¯ll start by ying nice first.


    Ushered into the office by Rayson, Gaspar didn¡¯t bother to even give Vinson a look. Instead, he walked


    right up to the window and stared at the scenery outside.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you must have been happy growing up in a well-off family.¡± Leaning against the window,


    Gaspar turned around with his arms folded while ring at Vinson.


    ¡°I wonder if you¡¯ll still feel as blissful when the ownership of Nightshire Group changes hands.¡±


    Upon hearing Gaspar¡¯s words, Vinson narrowed his eyes at the former. ¡°Why don¡¯t we talk after you sit


    down?¡±


    Curling his lips into a smirk, Gaspar walked up to Vinson and pulled out a chair opposite thetter.


    ¡°My dear brother, what is it that you would like to discuss?¡± Gaspar was sure Vinson knew of their


    rtionship ever since they first met, especially with how much they resembled each other.


    Ignoring Gaspar¡¯s snarky tone, Vinson gave him an indifferent look. ¡°If l hand Nightshire Group over to


    you, can you take it to greater heights?¡±


    Taken aback by Vinson¡¯s question, Gaspar thought his brother a fool.


    Given our rtionship, does he actually expect thepany to do well in my hands?


    ¡°Vinson, are you an idiot? Do you really think that I would help thepany grow?¡±


    What is he thinking? Why would I take thepany to greater heights when I can¡¯t wait to see it go


    bankrupt?


    Upon learning of Gaspar¡¯s intentions, Vinson¡¯s heart sank.


    Initially, he was willing to hand over Nightshire Group as long as the former promised to run it well.


    After all, as the eldest son of the Nightshire family, inheriting thepany was something to be


    expected.


    ¡°In that case, why do you want to be Nightshire Group¡¯s Chairman?¡± Vinson stared at him grimly,


    unable to figure out Gaspar¡¯s true motive.


    ¡°To destroy it, of course,¡± Gaspar-wearing a devilish smile, replied sinctly as he leaned back into the


    chair. ¡°My ownpany is making more money than I can ever spend. Thus, what do I even need


    Nightshire Group for other than to wipe it off the face of the earth?¡±


    If it wasn¡¯t for Nightshire Group, they wouldn¡¯t have stopped my mom from being together with my so-


    called dad.


    Recalling the pain he suffered as a child when his mother lost her mind and was subsequently killed in


    a car ident, Gaspar clenched his fists tightly. He was filled with the urge to ensure Nightshire


    Group¡¯s ruin.


    ¡°Other than this, don¡®t you have other ns?¡± Vinson probed further.


    Gaspar¡¯s smirk froze.


    Other ns? Of course, I do!


    I can¡¯t wait to see Vinson and Susanne disappear from this world. If both of them had never existed,


    that man would¡¯ve chosen to return to Mom¡¯s side, and my childhood wouldn¡¯t have been so


    insufferable.


    Also, she wouldn¡¯t have gone mad, let alone die in a car crash. Therefore, I hate that disloyal man,


    Susanne, and Vinson! I hate all of them!


    ¡°Yes, I want all of you dead!¡± Gaspar stared at Vinson, his eyes brimming with murderous intent.


    With a drastic change in expression, Vinson returned his re.


    ¡°Is there no room for reconciliation?¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

 Chapter 1835

    Chapter 1835


    ¡°No!¡± Gaspar snapped as he got to his feet. ¡°Prepare yourself. Nightshire Group will be mine!¡±


    With that, he turned around and stormed off.


    Once thepany is mine, I will wipe its existence out of this world. After that, I¡¯ll find an opportunity to


    send Susanne and Vinson to hell, where all three of them can have a family reunion.


    After watching the leaving silhouette with a grim look in his eyes, Vinson sent out a text.


    ***


    Meanwhile, the moment he stepped out of Nightshire Group, Gaspar saw Anna waiting for him by the


    street, which was a feeling that he relished in.


    ¡°What would you like to have? I¡¯ll take you there.¡±


    Anna had done her research the past few days and knew that Maureen¡¯s Kitchen was nearby. She


    wanted to give it a try.


    Gaspar, who had learned from his investigations that Maureen¡¯s Kitchen belonged to Arielle, was


    initially reluctant to do so. However, unable to turn Anna down after seeing the hopeful look in her eyes,


    he finally nodded in agreement before taking her there.


    As for the staff at Maureen¡®s Kitchen, they were well aware of Arielle¡¯s rtionship with Vinson.


    Therefore, the sight of Gaspar and Anna turning up as customers dumbfounded them.


    What¡¯s going on?


    Those with Arielle¡¯s contact number quickly took a discreet photo and sent it to her.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    At that moment, Arielle was lying on the hospital bed while chatting with the Wilhelms. She was in the


    midst of persuading them to start a clinic in Chanaea when she received the pictures, to which she


    responded by narrowing her eyes.


    What is Anna doing here in Chanaea? And how did she get involved with Gaspar?


    Before she could figure out what was going on, she received a flurry of messages asking what had


    happened between her and Vinson.


    Cognizant that it was a case of mistaken identity, Arielle rified that it wasn¡®t Vinson and instructed


    them to treat the pair as ordinary customers.


    Meanwhile, inside the hotel, Mark¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw the text on his phone.


    ¡°Linda, we¡¯ll be reunited real soon,¡± he mumbled to himself as he replied to the message.


    Since they were still under the Duke¡¯smand, he had to make the necessary arrangements for both


    him and Linda to escape.


    After giving it serious thought, he sent Linda another message. In less than a few minutes, his door


    opened, and in came Linda.


    The moment he saw her, Mark, driven to the brink of insanity by his longing for her, pulled her into his


    arms and gave her lips a peck.


    Even though the Duke had been spending time with Anna recently, Mark still didn¡¯t dare act rashly, for


    Linda would certainly be at the receiving end of any repercussions from his displeasure.


    However, on that day, he had shed his fear and was no longer worried about the Duke finding out about


    their rtionship.


    Embracing Linda, he gave her a kiss so passionate that he only released her when she was gasping


    for air.


    ¡°M-Mark¡­¡± At the sight of Linda¡¯s usually pale face blushing intensely, Mark felt his heart skip a beat.


    When he pulled her into his arms and whispered into her ear, she, with disbelief written all over her


    face, pushed him away abruptly.


    ¡°H-How could you?¡±


    ¡°Linda, if I don¡¯t do this, we¡¯ll never have the chance to be together,¡± Markmented while looking at


    her.


    If the Duke had given him Linda, he would¡¯ve dlyid his life down for the former. However, his


    hatred for the Duke was cemented after watching what the Duke did to Linda in his presence.


    Nheless, Linda shook her head in response to Mark¡¯s words.


    During the lowest point in her life, the Duke had provided her with shelter, food, and education. As he


    had given her the opportunity to lead her current lifestyle, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to betray him.


    ¡°Linda¡­ It¡¯s already toote¡­¡±

 Chapter 1836

    Chapter 1836


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She looked at Mark.


    Mark, upon throwing her a nce, circled to her back and gave her neck a karate-chop. Caught off


    guard, the unconscious Linda slumped into Mark¡¯s ready arms.


    ¡°Linda, I know you can¡¯t bear to go through with it. Therefore, I¡¯ll take care of this alone,¡± Mark


    murmured as he carried her up onto the bed. After that, he avoided any prying eyes and slipped into


    Linda¡¯s room to collect her personal documents.


    Subsequently, he returned to his room and carried her downstairs to a waiting taxi.


    Not long after they were gone, Gaspar returned with Anna.


    Worried that Micah would find out about them, Anna stole a kiss from Gaspar before attempting to


    return to her room. However, thetter wasn¡¯t going to let her off easily. Reaching out to grab her, he


    pulled her into his room before pinning her to the door and leaning in for a smooch.


    Just when both of them were locked in a passionate kiss and preparing to get in bed, a flurry of


    footsteps was heard followed by the door being kicked open with a loud bang.


    Gaspar, after pushing Anna behind him in reflex, stood in front to shield her. As for Anna, she frantically


    straightened her clothes before giving the group of intruders a shocked look.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Staring down the gun barrels aimed at them by a group of policemen, Gaspar felt his heart sink.


    He had barely spoken a word when he was instantly cut off.


    The stern-looking policeman heading the group dered, ¡°We have received a report that there are


    drugs hidden here.¡±


    ¡°Have you made a mistake? How can there be any drugs here?¡± Gaspar asked while giving the


    policeman an indifferent look.


    After all, he was sure there weren¡¯t any drugs present.


    ¡°We¡®ll know whether it¡¯s a misunderstanding after we conduct a search.¡± With that, the policeman


    ordered his subordinates tob the room.


    Watching them with an icy expression, Gaspar was a sea of calm as he hadn¡¯t brought any drugs to


    Chanaea this time.


    ¡°Sir, we found it!¡± One of the policemen discovered a packet of drugs that weighed around ten pounds.


    The shock almost caused Gaspar¡¯s eyes to pop out of their sockets.


    Since when do I have drugs here? Why wasn¡¯t I aware of it?


    ¡°This isn¡¯t mine!¡± he protested with a solemn expression.


    After all, he, well aware of how strict Chanaea¡¯s drugws were, wouldn¡¯t dare bring any in.


    ¡°Take him away!¡± The officer ignored Gaspar¡¯s denial since the drugs were clearly found in his room.


    Cognizant that he would be imprisoned for life, Gaspar kept calm until the officer approached him. In


    one swift motion, he wrestled away the officer¡¯s gun and swiftly held him hostage.


    ¡°All of you, back off!¡± Pointing the gun at the officer¡¯s head, Gaspar stared at the rest of the group and


    barked, ¡°Prepare a car and a hundred thousand in cash. Otherwise, I¡¯ll blow his brains out!¡±


    The police, watching him closely, answered, ¡°As long as you let him go and turn yourself in, we¡¯ll be


    more lenient when dealing with your case.¡±


    However, Gaspar was unmoved, for he knew that once his identity was exposed, there was no way he


    was escaping prison.


    Thus, he asserted coldly, ¡°Stop wasting time and do as I say!¡±


    No sooner had he spoken than he tightened his grip around his hostage¡¯s neck. Left without a choice,


    the other officers made preparations based on his demands.


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    In the meantime, Gaspar threw the anxious Anna a nce and shook his head at her.

 Chapter 1837

    Chapter 1837


    As the police were extremely efficient, the car and money were prepared in no time.


    Subsequently, Gaspar held the officer at gunpoint as he headed downstairs.


    Just when Gaspar was about to shove him into the car and escape, the hostage lowered his head and


    bit down ferociously on Gaspar¡¯s hand.


    When the pain forced Gaspar to loosen his grip, the officer tackled him to the side. Seizing upon the


    opportunity, the rest of the officers fired at Gaspar¡¯s hand, causing him to drop the gun. Amid the


    chaos, the freed hostage scrambled for the gun and put a bullet in Gaspar¡¯s leg. Only then did his


    subordinates surge forward to capture thetter.


    Meanwhile, the gunshots naturally alerted Micah.


    The sight of Gaspar being led away by the police caused him to decide at once to return to the ind


    with Abigail. However, the moment he opened the door, he was staring down the barrels of more than


    ten guns.


    The police had received a report that a drug lord was hiding there. Hence, when they did find one, they


    immediately arrested Micah and Abigail.


    As for Anna, little did she expect that her father, Abigail, and Gaspar would all be arrested on their trip


    to Chanaea. Out of the four of them, she was the only one left. Alone, there was no way she could save


    them even if she wanted to.


    Initially, the police assumed that they had arrested one drug lord in Micah and were pleasantly


    surprised that Gaspar, too, was another one. Even though they were foreigners, Chanaea¡¯sws could


    still be enforced upon them.


    Half a monthter, both of them were sentenced to death.


    Upon learning of Gaspar¡¯s fate, Susanne, in spite of her recent brain surgery, insisted on seeing him in


    prison. Having failed to dissuade her, Vinson and Arielle had no choice but to give in to her request.


    In truth, no visits were allowed, but Vinson pulled some strings for the rules to be bent.


    When Susanne saw how much Gaspar resembled Vinson, the guilt she felt further intensified. If only he


    had grown up by Vinson¡¯s father¡¯s side, Gaspar wouldn¡¯t have walked down the path of crime.


    Prior to the visit, Gaspar was reluctant to meet them. However, he finally relented at the thought that it


    would be their final meeting.


    When he saw how guilty and heartbroken Susanne was, the hatred that consumed him instantly faded


    away.


    Susanne then picked up the prison phone to indicate her desire to speak to him. After a brief hesitation,


    Gaspar put the phone to his ear.


    ¡°My child, your father and I have let you down¡­¡±


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    In truth, Gaspar had found out through his investigations that Susanne was unaware of what went on


    with his mother and father. Nheless, it didn¡¯t stop him from channeling the hatred he harbored


    toward his father over abandoning his mother and him onto Susanne and Vinson.


    Now that he was going to meet his parents soon, his animosity toward Susanne and Vinson naturally


    dissipated.


    What have they done wrong, really?


    ¡°You didn¡¯t let me down,¡± Gaspar answered in a hoarse voice.


    No sooner had he answered than Susanne broke down in tears. ¡°Can we still get you out? Even if we


    sell Nightshire Group, can we do it? Perhaps we can change it to life imprisonment¡­¡±


    With life imprisonment, there might still be hope.


    Susanne¡¯s sincere words triggered a flood of emotions within Gaspar. With reddened eyes, he knew he


    had passed the point of no return.

 Chapter 1838

    Chapter 1838


    On the way home, Vinson was mired in a solemn mood, for it was he who had gotten the police to


    arrest Gaspar.


    Little did he expect that, in the end, thetter would offer to return thepany shares to him.


    Gaspar even told him that the money used to purchase thepany was clean and had nothing to do


    with his illicit gains. Thus, even if the police investigated its source, they would have no right to


    confiscate it.


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    After hearing Gaspar¡¯s words, Vinson revealed that it was he who had called the cops.


    While Gaspar didn¡¯tment on Vinson¡¯s confession, Susanne gave thetter a p, demanding to


    know how he could¡¯ve done something like that. Nheless, although Vinson didn¡®t exin himself,


    Gaspar wasn¡¯t oblivious to the reason.


    He told Vinson that he didn¡¯t hold a grudge for thetter¡¯s actions since he was the one who forced


    Vinson into a corner and even spurned Vinson¡¯s attempt to negotiate a peaceful settlement previously.


    In the end, he instructed Vinson to bury him in Lightspring after his death, right beside his mother¡¯s


    grave so that he could keep watch over her. It was only then that Susanne and the others learned


    Gaspar¡¯s mother had passed away ten years ago.


    The moment he reached home, Vinson locked himself in his study while Susanne, who was still fuming


    over her son¡¯s actions, headed straight to her room.


    Sensing the tension, Arielle hurried over to speak to thetter.


    ¡°Mom, you shouldn¡¯t have hit Vinson today.¡± Arielle stared at Susanne with a grave expression.


    ¡°You might feel bad over Gaspar being imprisoned and sentenced to death by firing squad, but have


    you ever thought about your own son? If Vinson hadn¡¯t called the cops, the hatred Gaspar harbored


    toward Vinson and you would have driven him to kill the three of us¡±


    With that, Arielle rted everything that happened with Gaspar to Susanne.


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t because we were lucky, you would already be crying over your son¡®s grave. What you did


    really hurt Vinson, for he, too, is mired in guilt. Not only did you notfort him, but you also¡­¡±


    In no mood to continue, Arielle decided to return to Vinson¡¯s side.


    ¡°Just think about what I said.¡± With that, Arielle turned around and headed upstairs.


    ¡°Dad, have I made a mistake?¡± Vinson mumbled to himself.


    Inside the study, he was staring at the picture of his father on his desk. Truth be told, he had no doubt


    what he did was right. However, he just couldn¡¯t shake the niggling sense of guilt.


    When Arielle didn¡¯t find Vinson in their bedroom, she automatically knew that he was in his study. Thus,


    without even knocking, she headed straight in.


    Cough! Cough!


    No sooner had she opened the door athan she choked upon the thick smoke. Realizing it was Arielle,


    the smoking Vinson stubbed out his cigarette and swiftly led her out.


    Arielle looked at him with her sparkling eyes as she held his arm. ¡°Vinson, you didn¡¯t do anything


    wrong, so there¡¯s no need to feel guilty. Even if you didn¡¯t call the police, he would still have been


    arrested.¡±


    While speaking, Arielle showed him the warrant. ¡°Look, I found this after hacking into the police


    station¡¯s systems. There¡¯s no way he was going to escape.¡±


    It turned out that the police were already tracking Gaspar¡¯s movements and had nned to move in to


    arrest him. Vinson¡¯s report simply hastened the inevitable.


    The truth naturally eased the guilt he felt.


    ¡°Sannie, let¡¯s buy over his shares and donate the money to charity in his name.¡±

 Chapter 1839

    Chapter 1839


    One weekter, Vinson did as he promised. Then, he reported his actions to Gaspar at thetter¡¯s


    grave.


    Arielle, who hade to Lightspring along with Vinson, went to see the Wilhelms once they were done


    with Gaspar. She then brought the three of them back to Chanaea.


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    ¡°Dad, Mom, this is the clinic I bought for you. There¡¯s a kitchen and dining room at the back. It also has


    a yard where you can nt flowers and grapes. On top of that, the bedroom and study are upstairs.¡±


    Arielle was showing the Wilhelms their future home.


    The thought of being able to stay in the same ce as Arielle filled Pat with tion. As he was the first


    one to rush upstairs excitedly, he jumped for joy when he saw that the renovations for his room were


    done ording to his tastes.


    ¡°San, I love this room so much that I want to stay here forever!¡± Pat could now speak Chanaean


    fluently.


    ¡°Sure!¡± Upon pinching his bony cheeks, Ariellemented to herself over how much weight he had lost.


    As Hubert and Vinson looked around the clinic, Arielle led Andrea upstairs to see thetter¡¯s room.


    ¡°San, how much did you spend on the house? Let me pay you back for it,¡± Andrea suggested as she


    gave Arielle a warm look.


    However, her words annoyed Arielle. ¡°Mom, I bought this ce for you. Why are you even talking about


    money? This is my way of showing how much I care about you.¡±


    All this while, Andrea always felt that Arielle had it tough as a girl and was reluctant for her to spend so


    much money. However, thetter¡¯s exnation seeded in changing her perspective.


    ¡°In that case, we dly ept this gift of yours,¡± Andrea replied with a smile.


    When it was time for dinner, Arielle invited Susanne to join all of them at Maureen¡¯s Kitchen. Given how


    the Wilhelms¡® fame extended throughout the world, Susanne was filled with admiration for them.


    After dinner, Vinson sent the Wilhelms back to their clinic before driving home together with Arielle and


    Susanne.


    Right before Vinson and Arielle headed upstairs to their room, Susanne stopped her son and


    apologized, causing him to be stunned.


    Why is Mom saying sorry all of a sudden?


    Susanne had initially thought that saying the words would be hard, but the moment she did, a sense of


    relief descended upon her.


    However, faced with Vinson¡¯s baffled expression, she exined, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have pped you at the


    prison back then¡­¡±


    If Arielle hadn¡¯t made the effort to clear the air that night, she would still be ming her son for what


    happened. Thus, she was thankful to Arielle for thetter¡¯s actions.


    Upon learning the reason for her apology, Vinson came back downstairs and gave Susanne a hug.


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve never med you.¡± He understood how her guilt over Gaspar drove her to strike him.


    Susanne, eyes reddened, patted him gently on the back.


    ¡°Both of you should rest. I¡¯m tired too.¡±


    After releasing Vinson, she turned and headed for her room. As for Arielle, she came back down and


    held Vinson¡¯s hand before slowly ascending the staircase.


    Truth be told, she was grateful for Susanne¡¯s apology as she knew that Vinson was unable to look past


    the matter, even though he never showed it. With that, the p Susanne had given him was now a


    thing of the past.

 Chapter 1840

    Chapter 1840


    In the blink of an eye, a month flew by.


    As Susanne¡®s birthday party wasing up in a few days, Arielle brought a tailored gown to the older


    woman.


    ¡°Mom, I designed this myself and had someone sew it. Why don¡¯t you give it a try? If it fits, you can


    wear it for your birthday party,¡± Arielle exined with a smile as she pulled the gown out of a bag.


    It never crossed Susanne¡¯s mind that Arielle knew how to design clothes.


    Receiving it in surprise, she beamed at thetter. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have. I¡¯m fine with just getting one off


    the rack.¡±


    Despite her words, Susanne felt very much appreciated and blessed to have such a wonderful


    daughter-inw.


    In fact, she had more than oncemented at how blind she had been to miss a gem like Arielle.


    Fortunately, her son-who had the better eye-insisted on marrying thetter. Otherwise, there was no


    way she could ever find someone so caring and filial.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go try it on right now.¡± Upon returning to her room, Susanne was stunned the moment she retrieved


    the gown from the bag.


    It was made from a luxurious fabric, and its silky smooth texture was evident when she ran her fingers


    over it. The intricate motifs embroidered on the gown entuated its already distinguished air. Just a


    touch and she already couldn¡¯t bring herself to put it on.


    Twenty minutester, Susanne emerged wearing the gown. The sight of her sparked a look of


    amazement in Arielle¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Mom, you look perfect in it!¡±


    ¡°Sannie, I can¡¯t bring myself to wear this gown out,¡± Susannemented with a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. If you like it, I¡¯ll have them tailor a few more for you. You can then wear them as often as you


    please,¡± the beaming Arielle replied.


    ¡°In that case, I can¡¯t thank you enough.¡±


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    ***


    Soon, the day of Susanne¡¯s birthday party arrived. It was held in one of Nightshire Group¡¯srgest


    hotels. Even when Arielle was preparing for it, news of the event had already spread like wildfire.


    As a result, many guests from all over attended the party. With the hotel¡¯s parking lot filled to the brim,


    they had to find paid parking elsewhere.


    When Arielle entertained the guests by Susanne¡¯s side, many guests were surprised to see her doing


    so as they were cognizant of who she was.


    Those who brought their daughters, in particr,ined softly amongst themselves, for they had


    intended to matchmake their daughter with Vinson.


    As for those few who were close to Susanne, they, upon seeing Arielle walk away, hurried up to the


    latter¡¯s side and inquired,


    ¡°Mrs. Nightshire, why is the Chairman of Moore Group entertaining your guests with you? How are both


    of you rted?¡±


    That woman was looking to find a suitable partner for her son. Hence, she intended to solicit Susanne¡¯s


    help to do so.


    Her son was already twenty-eight that year but constantly refused to marry. Thus, when she saw how


    pretty and capable Arielle was, she figured that her son would change his mind. Once they were


    together, Arielle would take care of the family while he focused on his career. Both of them would then


    live out their days in a simple yet fulfilling manner.


    Obviously, her scheme didn¡¯t escape Susanne¡¯s sharp eye.


    With an indifferent yet proud tone, Susanne replied, ¡°Her? She¡¯s my daughter-inw, whose wedding


    will be held soon. Why do you ask?¡±

 Chapter 1841

    Chapter 1841


    ¡°What? Arielle¡¯s your daughter-inw?¡± The woman¡¯s jaw hung in astonishment.


    Susanne chuckled inwardly when she registered the expression on the other woman¡®s face. ¡°That¡¯s


    right. Isn¡¯t she a match made in heaven with my son?¡±


    My¡­ I was thinking of getting my daughter to marry Vinson before asking Susanne to help out with


    Arielle marrying my son¡­


    Yet, Susanne¡¯s own son had gotten to her first. I¡¯ve lost a son-inw and a daughter-inw!


    The woman was immensely remorseful.


    I should have seen how unique Arielle was so that l could tell my son to marry Arielle. Ah, but it¡¯s too


    late now¡­


    The woman then nodded and said, ¡°Yes, she¡¯s great with Mr. Nightshire¡­¡±


    Despite her words, the woman¡¯s heart was aching. Not only was Arielle a match with Vinson, but she


    was also a match with her son.


    What a pity¡­ A fantastic woman like her already has someone.


    When she thought about how many people had brought along their children to Susanne¡¯s birthday


    party and how most were not truly here to celebrate the asion, she leaned closer to Susanne and


    whispered, ¡°Then you¡®d better keep a close eye on your son and daughter-inw. There are many


    bachelors and bachelorettes around¡­¡±


    Just as she said that, Arielle appeared.


    After a quick smile at Arielle, the woman hastily moved to the side.


    At that, Arielle gave Susanne a confused look. ¡°Mom, what were you talking about? Why did she leave


    right as I came?¡±


    ¡°She might have seen a familiar face around.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much for taking the time out to attend Ms. Susanne Stone¡¯s birthday party today. We


    wanted to hold this birthday partyst year, but due to several reasons, we ended up postponing it until


    now¡­¡±


    ¡°Today, we¡¯ve gathered here with smiles on our faces and congrattory greetings on the tip of our


    tongues to celebrate this unforgettable birthday with Ms. Susanne Stone.¡±


    Arielle then looked at Susanne. ¡°Happy birthday to the beautiful, kind, and gentle Ms. Susanne. I hope


    you have a great day today, and I hope the year ahead will be full of many blessings.¡±


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    Nheless, Susanne did not speak as she walked over to Arielle and beamed at the audience below.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone¡¯s curious about why Moore Group¡¯s chairman is greeting guests with me and


    ying as the host on my birthday.¡±


    Susanne¡¯s gazended on Arielle as she tidied the younger woman¡¯s hair.


    Beaming, she continued, ¡°It¡¯s because Arielle Moore is my daughter-inw, and they¡®ll be holding a


    wedding soon. Let me extend the wedding invitation to all of you.¡±

 Chapter 1842

    Chapter 1842


    At Turlen, after much effort, Aaron finally received news about Alicia.


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    Immediately after handing over what was on hand to Lawrence, he went with Morrison to the ind to


    look for her.


    Just as he arrived outside the wooden house, he found his courage fleeing him, for he spotted the


    visibly pregnant Alicia hunching over and keeping the herbs away.


    She¡¯s pregnant? She¡¯s pregnant but she ran off?


    At that very moment, the desperate urge to capture the woman and hit her buttocks surged into Aaron¡¯s


    mind.


    How could she be so ruthless to leave no words behind before vanishing from my world?


    I had to look for her for months!


    Perhaps it was because his gaze was too intense, for Alicia could not help but turn around. Right as


    she saw the familiar face, her eyes reddened. Her basket fell noisily, and the herbs scattered all over


    the ground.


    In the next second, she bent over to pick the basket up, but Aaron was quicker than her. His eyes had


    been fixed on Alicia, so upon seeing her basket fall, he hastily walked toward her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move! I¡¯ll do it!¡±


    With that said, Aaron picked the herbs up from the ground to put them back into the basket before


    putting the basket on the rack. Once he was done, he looked back at Alicia.


    ¡°Why did you leave without saying anything?¡± he hoarsely asked.


    Alicia kept her gaze lowered as she pursed her lips in silence. However, tears welled up in her eyes


    and fell.


    How dare you cry? Do you think that I¡®ll be upset to see you cry?


    Yet, when he lifted her jaw and looked at her bunny-like eyes, his heart softened.


    He wanted to pull her into his arms, but herrge stomach dismissed that n of his; he was afraid that


    he would push too hard on her stomach. Thus, he let go of her jaw and crouched down.


    As he gently put his hand on her stomach, he lifted his head and said, ¡°It must be tough for you to be


    pregnant.¡±


    Alicia, whose eyes were still red, shook her head. Whenever she thought about how the baby was her


    child with Aaron, the challenges she had to face would suddenly seem trivial. Instead, bliss was what


    she would feel.


    Aaron stood up and lowered his head to look at her. ¡°Come back with me¡­¡±


    Alicia shook her head. Even though she missed him a lot, she could not return with him.


    At the sight of her shaking head, at her refusing to return with him, Aaron narrowed his eyes. ¡°Why


    won¡¯t youe back with me?¡±


    ¡°Why are you being so annoying? I¡¯ve already decided to leave your world, so why did you stille?¡±

 Chapter 1843

    Chapter 1843


    I¡®ve already decided to live the rest of my life here. Why is he still here?


    Why is he insisting on barging into my life?


    ¡°Aaron, I¡­ I¡¯m greedy. l just want you to have me and me alone,¡± Alicia squeezed out.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you be greedy.¡± Aaron reached out to wipe her tears away.


    ¡°Alicia, I¡¯ll let you have thoughts like these, and I¡¯ll make those thoughts of yours the truth.¡±


    Alicia gazed at Aaron through her blurry eyes.


    Why do I find myself unable to understand him?


    ¡°What¡­ What are you talking about?¡±


    As Aaron looked at her solemnly, he said, ¡°I said, I¡¯ll let you be greedy, and I¡¯ll make all your thoughts a


    reality. Do you understand me now?¡±


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    Alicia nodded. She could understand his words, but she could not understand why he said them.


    ¡°W-Why are you going to make my thoughts a reality?¡± she stammered out.


    She was unlike Nico, who was a socialite. She was just an ordinary girl.


    ¡°It¡¯s because¡­¡± When Aaron saw her straightening to listen to him, he curled his lips and leaned his


    lips by her ear, whispering, ¡°It¡¯s because I love you.¡±


    He fell in love with her, which was why he was willing to let her have his body and heart.


    Alicia was stunned by Aaron¡¯s words, she could not believe what she had heard.


    Did Aaron just say that he loves me? Did he really fall in love with me?


    ¡°Ever since you left my world, I realized that you were something different to me. I sent my men to look


    for you, but they couldn¡¯t find you anywhere¡­¡±


    ¡°The longer I couldn¡¯t find you, the more I missed you. It was onlyter did I realize I fell in love with you


    a long time ago, but I just didn¡¯t know.¡± Aaron pinched her hand. ¡°You were ruthless to hide so far away.


    It took me so long to find you.¡±


    As Alicia listened to him, her tears rolled down her cheeks. She did not know Aaron liked her too. If she


    did, she would have stayed by his side.


    ¡°Aaron¡­¡± she whispered and stared at him with teary eyes.


    The sight of her broke Aaron¡¯s heart, and he lifted his hand to gently wipe her tears away.


    He asked, ¡°Are these tears of joy?¡±


    Alicia nodded, and Aaron leaned down to kiss her still, flowing tears away.


    ¡°From now on, every day of yours will be a blissful one, but you¡¯re not allowed to cry.¡± His voice was


    soft as he caressed her face. ¡°You¡¯ll make me sad, you know?¡±


    Alicia bobbed her head. She was not going to cry anymore.


    Aaron beamed at her response and nted a kiss on her lips.

 Chapter 1844

    Chapter 1844


    ¡°Sannie, let me take you to the hospital,¡± Vinson uttered, wanting to bring her there the moment he saw


    her like that.


    However, Susanne, who had shared a delighted look with Andrea, stopped him. She then walked over


    to Arielle and whispered something in her ear.


    Almost immediately, Arielle¡¯s eyes widened, and she put her hand on her wrist to take her own pulse.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    ¡°Sannie, am I going to be a grandmother?¡± Susanne asked as she stared at the excited Arielle.


    Exhrated to the point she could not speak, Arielle nodded, and her nod made Susanne even more


    ecstatic.


    Susanne then turned to her son and patted him. ¡°Why are you still standing there? Didn¡¯t you hear that


    Sannie¡¯s pregnant? Why aren¡¯t you sending her home yet?¡±


    The truth was that Vinson was stunned by the news of him bing a father.


    Although he had long prepared himself for that possibility, the news still came too suddenly for him.


    After Susanne¡®s pat brought him back to his senses, he whipped his head to face Arielle, about to send


    her home.


    ¡°It¡¯s Mom¡¯s birthday party today. It won¡®t look too good if I were to leave early,¡± Arielle said, thinking of


    leaving with the rest when the party was over.


    Nevertheless, Susanne rejected her.


    ¡°What¡¯s bad about that? You won¡¯t eat or rest well here. Hurry up and let Vinson send you back. Tell


    Helma to make whatever you want to eat. If there¡¯s anything Helma doesn¡¯t know how to make, get


    Vinson to buy it for you. Don¡¯t ever let yourself starve.¡±


    Indeed, Arielle had been busying away for a few hours, she had only drunk some water and did not


    even have the time to eat anything.


    ¡°Sannie, your mother-inw is right. Go back with Vin and rest first,¡± Andrea persuaded as she ruffled


    Arielle¡¯s hair.


    Her daughter was about to be a mother after all.


    Arielle found herself unable to reject the others at their insistence, so she went home with Vinson.


    When Susanne returned to the hall, the curious people asked her what had happened to Arielle.


    With a smile on her face, Susanne told them that she was going to be a grandmother.


    The moment she said that, the congrattory wishes came. Everyone said that she was favored by


    fortune to hear the news of her grandchild on her birthday.


    Naturally, Susanne was ted as well. It was the best birthday gift she had ever received.


    ***


    Meanwhile, on Arielle¡¯s way back, Vinson kept a grim look on his face.


    That confused Arielle, but she waited until they were home before coldly asking, ¡°Vinson, do you not


    want the baby?¡±


    Vinson was baffled by her question.


    What do you mean by I don¡¯t want the baby?


    Hence, he voiced his thought out loud. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°You looked so grim the entire way home, you didn¡¯t even look happy. Why else would you have that


    look on your face unless you don¡¯t want the baby?¡± Arielle huffed.


    A resigned chuckle escaped Vinson.


    As he pulled her into his arms, he exined, ¡°I was driving. Now that you have a baby in you, I have to


    be extra careful when I drive. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t dare to chat on our way back. The only thought in my


    head was to send you back safely.¡±Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1845

    Chapter 1845


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I may have been overthinking it a little bit,¡± she said while giving him a kiss on the lips.


    That was not just a little bit, but it was my actions that made her feel that way, so I can¡¯t me her for


    it¡­


    Vinson hugged her tightly as he said, ¡°I¡¯m really happy that we¡¯re going to have a baby soon, Darling.


    From now on, I¡¯ll work even harder to make more money so I can treat you and the baby better.¡±


    Arielle shed him a smile in response as she knew he would surely take good care of them.


    With Arielle being pregnant, it was only natural that they moved the date of their wedding forward.


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Vinson had actually been making the preparations for their wedding even beforeing to Turlen.


    Since Arielle¡¯s tummy would get bigger, he needed to make some changes to the measurements of her


    wedding gown to ensure it would fit her.


    In order to provide Arielle with the best wedding possible, Vinson worked on the wedding preparations


    immediately afterpleting his work each day.


    As for Arielle, she went to help Sam out with his film even though she was pregnant. After all, he had


    been waiting for her to return from Turlen just so he could have her star in the film.


    Sam called her about the movie the moment he saw the news about her return on the inte.


    However, Arielle had him wait another two months as she was busy with a lot of things at the time.


    Since she no longer had anything to do after bing pregnant, Arielle decided to get the shooting


    over with as soon as possible. Otherwise, Sam would have to wait another year for her.


    Since Susanne was doing it for her own good, Arielle couldn¡¯t possibly say no to her request.


    Although the other members of the cast were a little dissatisfied at having to wait a year because of


    Arielle, her professionalism and hard work amazed them so much that they dropped all their negative


    feelings toward her.


    Even so, she booked a private room at Maureen¡¯s Kitchen and had Sam take the film crew there for


    dinner.


    Not only did her actions win the hearts of the film crew, but they also made Maureen¡¯s Kitchen their


    new favorite restaurant after tasting the delicious food there.

 Chapter 1846

    Chapter 1846


    He then got down on one knee and proposed to her with a ring in his hand, ¡°Sannie, will you marry


    me?¡±


    ¡°Marry him! Marry him!¡±


    ¡°Aaron¡­¡±


    ¡°Marry him, Sannie,¡± Aaron said with a smile.


    Arielle then shifted her gaze back toward Vinson, who was still kneeling on the ground, and nodded at


    him. ¡°I will marry you, Vinson Nightshire¡­¡±


    Those words had barely left her mouth when Vinson pulled the ring out of the box and put it on her


    finger.


    Having gotten the proposal out of the way, Vinson had Rayson take them to Maureen¡¯s Kitchen for a


    meal. It wasn¡¯t until the guests had left that Arielle noticed a pregnant girl standing next to Aaron.


    Who is this girl?


    She looks at least a few months pregnant!


    When Aaron noticed the curious look on Arielle¡¯s face, he led Alicia over to her side and said, ¡°Sannie,


    this is my fianc¨¦e, Alicia. We¡¯re going to get married after she gives birth to the baby.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you!¡± Alicia greeted her with a smile.


    ¡°Nice to meet you too!¡± Arielle then ced her hand on Alicia¡¯s tummy and asked, ¡°How far along are


    you?¡±


    ¡°Seven months,¡± Alicia replied.


    She felt somewhat awkward as she had gotten jealous of Arielle in the past, only to find out that Arielle


    was Aaron¡¯s biological sister.


    ¡°Aaron, why don¡¯t you let Alicia stay over at my ce? She can head back after she recovers from


    childbirth,¡± Arielle suggested.


    ***


    The days went by, and it was soon time for Vinson and Arielle¡¯s wedding.


    Dressed in a white wedding gown, Arielle wrapped her arm around Hubert¡¯s as she slowly made her


    way toward Vinson.


    Memories of the moments they had shared shed past her mind as she looked at him with the


    brightest smile possible.


    Vinson, too, was having a shback of their moments together while staring affectionately at her.


    This is my woman. She¡¯s the one who went through life-and-death situations with me, who will give


    birth to my children, and who I love till my veryst breath.


    Sannie, starting today, you will be my wife. I will treat you like my princess and love and cherish you for


    the rest of our lives¡­


    Aaron¡¯s eyes teared up a little when he saw Arielle walk toward Vinson with her arm around Hubert¡¯s.


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    If Father were still around, then it would be his arm she¡¯s holding¡­

 Chapter 1847

    Chapter 1847


    ¡°Sannie is getting married today, Father¡­ She¡¯ll live a very happy life from now on, so you can rest in


    peace¡­¡± Aaron muttered under his breath as he smiled at the newlyweds up front.


    Alicia and I will live happily ever after too, Father.


    Being the host of the wedding, Rayson looked at Vinson and asked, ¡°Mr. Vinson Nightshire, do you


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


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


    Vinson gazed deeply into Arielle¡¯s eyes as he replied firmly, ¡°I do.¡±


    Rayson then turned toward Arielle and asked, ¡°Ms. Arielle Moore, do you take Mr. Vinson Nightshire for


    yourwful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for


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


    Arielle shed the man before her a loving nce as she said, ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Congrattions on your marriage. The wedding ring is symbolic of your never-endingmitment,


    love, and devotion to each other. With that in mind, you may now proceed with the ring exchange.¡±


    ¡°Let¡®s get married too when we get back, Lana,¡± Xavier said when he saw Arielle and Vinson get


    married on stage.


    Lana rested her head on his shoulder and nodded gently in response.


    Thanks to that, Lana would also be able to marry Xavier like she wanted.


    ¡°Let¡®s pick out a wedding date too, Sonia,¡± Harvey whispered affectionately into Sonia¡®s ear.


    ¡°Are you tired?¡± Vinson asked as he sat down on the bed and massaged Arielle¡¯s legs.


    Arielle smiled when she saw how gentle and loving Vinson was.


    She shook her head as she replied, ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re not tired, how about we do a little exercise? This is our wedding night, after all,¡± he whispered


    in her ear while gazing passionately at her.


    Those words had barely left Vinson¡¯s mouth when Arielle wrapped her arms around his neck and gave


    him a kiss on the lips.


    Turned on by her actions, Vinson gave her a deep and forceful kiss while swiftly removing her


    nightgown.


    ¡°Be gentle, Vinson!¡± Arielle eximed coquettishly for fear of him going too rough.


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Vinson mumbled.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the room was filled with inappropriate noises.


    That wedding night was the beginning of Arielle and Vinson¡¯s happy life together.

 Chapter 1848

    Chapter 1848


    Susanne went to visit Arielle a week after the wedding when she saw neither of them making ns for


    a honeymoon.


    ¡°Sannie, why haven¡¯t you and Vinson gone on your honeymoon yet?¡±


    Don¡¯t young couples love going on honeymoons? Why haven¡¯t they even made ns for it?


    Arielle was a little surprised when she found out Susanne hade to see her because of that.


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    She shook her head and said with a chuckle, ¡°We¡¯d just be sleeping in a different bedroom if we go on


    a honeymoon. I might as well stay home where it¡¯s a lot morefortable.¡±


    For some reason, Arielle felt extremely tired after getting pregnant and would spend almost the entire


    day sleeping. She even started yawning as she spoke to Susanne about it.


    ¡°I¡¯m really tired, Mom. I¡¯m going to bed, okay?¡±


    Even after scribbling down a long list of names and their respective meanings, she was unable to


    decide on which one to use and kept looking for more names.


    Vinson knew Arielle was asleep when he came home and saw that her bedroom lights were off.


    He then made his way over to Susanne¡¯s room and asked, ¡°Hey, Mom. Has Sannie taken her dinner


    yet?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she went to sleep immediately after having dinner,¡± Susanne replied with a nod.


    ¡°All right. You should get some sleep too, Mom,¡± Vinson said as he went upstairs to take a shower.


    After blowing his hair dry, he headed back into his bedroom downstairs.


    Without even switching on the lights, Vinson made his way over to the bed and climbed under the


    covers.


    Arielle instinctively nuzzled against his chest in response. Vinson gave her an affectionate kiss on the


    forehead and rested his hands on her tummy.


    As Vinson had always been going to work on time and would often clock in a few hours of overtime,


    Arielle got a little curious when she woke up the next day and saw that Vinson was still in bed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have work today?¡± Arielle asked curiously.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be going to work until you deliver the baby andplete your postpartum recovery. I¡¯ve put


    Rayson in charge of things at the office. He¡¯ll inform me if there¡¯s anything that requires my presence.¡±


    Vinson reached out and pulled her into his arms as he continued, ¡°I¡¯ll be keeping youpany at


    home, Darling.¡±


    Arielle was overjoyed when she heard that. Although she spent most of her time sleeping, she would


    very much prefer to have Vinson by her side as she slept.


    Snuggling up against Vinson, Arielle was smiling like the happiest person in the world.


    ***


    On the fourteenth of February, Vinson and Arielle were watching a movie at the theater when Arielle


    suddenly gave his hand a tight squeeze. ¡°Darling, I think I¡¯m going intobor¡­¡±

 Chapter 1849

    Chapter 1849


    Three yearster, in the garden of a mansion, a little girl in a pretty dress was prodding at some ants


    with a stick as she mumbled, ¡°Hey there, little fes. Did your parents abandon you too? I know mine


    has. Isn¡¯t my life just sad?¡±


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    The little girl then turned to look at the swing in the distance and pouted when she saw the lovely


    couple feeding each other.


    Tossing her stick aside, she ran up to them and shouted, ¡°I want some too, Daddy!¡±


    Vinson shot his daughter a nce.


    ¡°There¡¯s more in the kitchen. Go ask Helma to get you some. These are for your mommy,¡± he said


    while feeding Arielle another strawberry.


    Arielle swallowed that strawberry and fed Vinson one before telling her daughter, ¡°Your daddy is right.


    There¡¯s some more in the kitchen, so just ask Helma to bring you some.¡±


    ¡°Mommy, Daddy, that¡¯s not fair!¡± the little girl protested angrily and stormed back into the living room.


    She threw herself into Susanne¡¯s arms the moment she saw her. ¡°Grandma! Daddy and Mommy only


    have eyes for each other! Nobody likes me!¡±


    Susanne¡¯s lips curled into a smile when she heard Jasmine Nightshire¡¯s words.


    Ah, Arielle and Vinson must¡¯ve been teasing her again!


    ¡°You silly girl! Your mommy worked really hard to give birth to you, so how could she possibly not like


    you? Your mommy and daddy were just teasing you!¡± Susanne said while hugging her.


    Realizing that Susanne was also taking her parents¡¯ side, Jasmine ran into her bedroom, grabbed her


    phone, and gave Aaron a video call.


    ¡°My mommy and daddy don¡¯t love me at all, Uncle Aaron! The two of them are always together!


    They¡¯re kissing all day and all night! They even feed each other fruits! I wanted to have some earlier,


    but they told me to go away! They wouldn¡¯t let me have any!¡± Jasmineined with tears in her


    eyes as soon as Aaron answered the call.


    Aaron¡¯s heart melted when he saw how pitiful she looked.


    ¡°What would you like me to do, Jasmine? How about I sneak you over to my ce? We¡¯ll see if your


    mommy and daddy panic when they realize you¡¯re missing!¡±


    Noticing that Jasmine was starting to be tempted, Aaron added, ¡°Sebastian is here, remember? Don¡¯t


    you miss him? Don¡¯t you want toe y with him?¡±


    Sebastian!


    Jasmine¡¯s eyes instantly lit up with excitement as she really missed ying with Sebastian.


    ¡°When will youe sneak me away, Uncle Aaron?¡±


    She had only seen Sebastian in video calls, so the thought of seeing him in person got her really


    excited.


    Sebastian Moore, who was beside his father, took Aaron¡¯s phone over and said in his most mature


    voice possible, ¡°Hey, Jasmine. Father and I will go pick you up with our private jetter. Just get your


    phone ready and wait for our call. We¡¯ll contact you as soon as we get there.¡±


    Sebastian was the son Aaron and Alicia. They decided to let him have Arielle¡¯sst name since Aaron


    was her sibling.


    ¡°Okay, Sebastian! I¡¯ll be waiting for you guys at home!¡± Jasmine replied.


    Oblivious to the fact that Aaron wasing to take Jasmine away, Vinson and Arielle grabbed their


    phones and left the house.


    The two of them were watching a movie at the theater when Arielle asked, ¡°Darling, are you sure it¡¯s


    okay to leave Jaz at home like this?¡±

 Chapter 1850

    Chapter 1850


    Vinson shot her a nce in response.


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s appropriate for her to see this?¡± he asked while pointing at the screen.


    Arielle shifted her gaze toward the screen and saw a kissing scene between her and the male lead in


    the new film.


    ¡°Are you jealous? Come on, you know we didn¡¯t actually kiss! This is all just camera angles!¡±


    Both he and Susanne were present on set when this scene was shot, and he didn¡¯t say a word about it


    then!


    Isn¡¯t it a little toote to get jealous now?


    Little did she know, Vinson¡®s jealousy knew no bounds. Pulling her into his arms, he kissed her so


    aggressively that she could barely breathe. He then released his grip on her and whispered something


    suggestive into her ear.


    ¡°Just watch the film!¡± Arielle eximed with her face red.


    Honestly, this guy is getting more and more out of hand!


    Turned on by her blush, Vinson hugged her and said softly, ¡°Hey, Sannie¡­ I¡®m feeling horny¡­¡±


    Arielle¡¯s ears turned beet red instantly.


    ¡°Cut it out, Vinson! I want to watch the movie!¡± she protested while struggling to break free from his


    embrace.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Vinson¡®s lips curled into a smile as he hugged her even tighter than before. Even after having a child,


    the two of them were still as intimate as couples madly in love with each other.


    Suddenly, Arielle noticed Vinson¡¯s body getting hotter and hotter with each passing second. It became


    so hot that she quickly pushed him off and put some distance between them.


    ¡°Vinson!¡± she shouted shyly while looking away from him.


    Even after three years, she still gets shy and flustered so easily.


    Man, I love this part about her so much!


    With that in mind, Vinson let out a chuckle and scooped her into his arms. He then sat her on hisp so


    that they were facing each other. As their bodies were pressed tightly against one another, they could


    feel the other¡¯s heartbeat and warmth.


    Arielle tried to squirm her way out of his embrace, but Vinson held her in a vice-like grip.


    ¡°Vinn¡­¡±


    Three hourster, Arielle¡¯s body had gone limp as shey in Vinson¡¯s arms while he put her clothes


    back on.


    ¡°You mustn¡¯t do this again, Vinson. We came here to enjoy the movie, so that¡¯s what we should be


    doing¡­¡± she mumbled softly in a hoarse voice.


    Vinson arched an eyebrow at her in response, obviously disagreeing with her statement.


    ¡°But I find you a lot more attractive than the movies. You know what? We should have another child.


    We¡¯ll keep the baby if you get pregnant again, okay? That way, Jasmine will have a younger sibling to


    keep herpany.¡±


    He narrowed his eyes and looked at her as he continued, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Arielle nodded blindly in response when she recalled how adorable Jasmine was. ¡°Okay!¡±

 Chapter 1851

    Chapter 1851


    It¡¯d be even better if we can get a boy this time! I can then spoil my precious daughter all I want while


    my son inherits thepany!


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    ¡°Vinson, Jasmine has gone missing!¡± Susanne shouted anxiously.


    The look on Vinson¡¯s face changed instantly. ¡°What? Jasmine has gone missing? When did this


    happen?¡±


    Arielle, too, began to panic when she heard that.


    How did Jasmine go missing?


    ¡°Got it! We¡¯re heading back right now!¡± Vinson hung up the phone after saying that and drove Arielle


    home as quickly as possible.


    ¡°Jasmine is fine, Mom. Her uncle came by and took her with him.¡±


    Susanne, who was close to tears from anxiety, calmed down a little when she heard that.


    ¡°Which uncle? Pat or Aaron? Honestly, why would this child just leave without telling us? I was worried


    sick!¡±


    ¡°It was Aaron.¡±


    ¡°Why did he take her away without informing us?¡± Susanne was a little mad at him even though he was


    Arielle¡¯s brother.


    ¡°Jasmine gave him a video call and asked him to take her away.¡± Arielle had seen a text message from


    Aaron when she wasing down the stairs just now.


    Susanne shot the two a re when she heard what Jasmine did. ¡°Jasmine got mad because you two


    wouldn¡¯t stop acting all lovey-dovey! Go bring her back right now!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s reallyte, Mom. Sannie and I will head over to Turlen tomorrow. You¡¯ll have to take charge of


    things at work while we¡¯re gone, okay?¡± Vinson said.


    Susanne was about to say no to having to deal withpany matters but held her tongue as she knew


    they were going to bring Jasmine home.


    ***


    The next day, the two of them took the earliest avable flight to Turlen.


    Jasmine, who had just woken up, walked up to Sebastian and Alicia with her hair all messy.


    ¡°Sebastian, do you think my parents know I¡¯m gone? Will theye looking for me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they will. You¡¯re their precious little princess, after all.¡± Sebastian turned toward Alicia as he


    continued, ¡°Mother, could you bathe her and get her a change of clothes? She must be hungry.¡±


    ¡°Okay. You wait right here,¡± Alicia replied as she led Jasmine over to the bathroom.


    When they came out again, Jasmine was wearing a dress that Alicia had prepared for her.


    The two kids then walked hand in hand to the dining table and had lunch.


    After they were done eating, the adults left the house with Jasmine and Sebastian.


    ¡°Uncle Vinson, Aunt Arielle, Grandmother, you guys had better hurry¡­¡±

 Chapter 1852

    Chapter 1852


    Right then, Arielle and Vinson arrived.


    ¡°You¡¯re incredible, Jasmine!¡± Arielle squatted down and picked up Jasmine.


    When Arielle stood up once again, Vinson immediately took the girl away from her mother¡¯s embrace.


    He just didn¡¯t want Arielle to get too exhausted.


    ¡°Daddy, did you panic when I left with Uncle Aaron?¡± Jasmine wrapped her arms around Vinson¡¯s neck


    and looked at him innocently.


    Vinson hummed in response, but he then noticed how dissatisfied Jasmine was with his answer.


    Hence, he added, ¡°I did! That¡¯s why I came here right away.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Jasmine was thrilled, and she nted a kiss on Vinson¡¯s cheek.


    After that, she uttered proudly, ¡°That¡¯s your reward!¡±


    Vinson couldn¡¯t help but chuckle when he heard that.


    What a silly girl!


    Celeste, the Queen Mother, was standing awkwardly nearby. She had missed Jasmine, someone she


    considered her granddaughter, dearly.


    ¡°Arielle, I¡­¡± Celeste wanted to tell Arielle that she wasn¡¯t the one who asked Jasmine to address her


    as ¡°Grandmother¡±.


    However, Arielle interrupted her by saying, ¡°She¡¯s supposed to address you so.¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    After all, Celeste was her father¡¯s wife. Moreover, she was Aaron¡¯s mother. In other words, Celeste was


    Jasmine¡¯s grandmother. Also, Arielle knew how sad and depressing Celeste¡¯s life was.


    Even though she was Dad¡¯s wife, he had never shown her warmth and affection¡­


    Celeste was touched when she heard what Arielle said.


    ¡°Arielle, I would like to apologize for the things I did to you in the past,¡± Celeste apologized sincerely


    while looking at her.


    Arielle recalled the time when she was there and how they fought against each other.


    With a smile, she shook her head and replied, ¡°That¡¯s all in the past now, and I¡¯ve forgotten all about it.


    You should also let go of the past.¡±


    ¡°I came to see you again, Dad. I¡¯m leaving tomorrow. When I¡¯m done with this fictional film, I¡¯ll bring


    Vinson and Jasmine here to visit you again,¡± Arielle uttered.


    ¡°Granddad, although you¡¯ve never met me before, Mommy told me you love me as much as myte


    grandmother did. Granddad, I love both of you very much. I¡¯lle to visit you again,¡± Jasmine said.


    While holding Jasmine in one arm and the dispirited Arielle in the other, Vinson gazed at the photo on


    the tombstone and uttered in a deep voice, ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll make sure Sannie will forever be happy. You and


    Mom shouldn¡®t worry about them. I¡¯ll take good care of our little family.¡±


    When they arrived, Rayson was there to fetch them.


    ¡°Ugh!¡± Arielle couldn¡¯t help but gag the moment she got into the car.


    Vinson heard it, and he immediately looked at her worriedly.


    That was when he saw Arielle saying with a pale face, ¡°Congrattions! You¡¯re going to be a father


    again¡­¡±


    Vinson was stunned for a moment, but in the next second, his handsome face filled with delight.


    ¡°Sannie!¡±


    While hugging Arielle tightly, he was filled with indescribable joy and excitement.

 Chapter 1853

    Chapter 1853


    ¡°Don¡¯t hit him, Grandpa. I fell for him first, and I was the one who wanted a rtionship with him¡­¡±


    Alicia didn¡¯t expect Clement to have such a big reaction.


    When she saw Clement was about to hit Aaron, she ignored the fact that she was pregnant and


    immediately rushed toward Aaron to shield him from the stick.


    ¡°Alicia!¡± Clement was enraged when he saw Alicia protecting Aaron.


    ¡°Aaron¡­¡± Alicia¡¯s eyes reddened immediately.


    ¡°I¡¯m at fault, Grandpa. I didn¡¯t take good care of Alicia, and I¡¯ve disappointed her.¡± Aaron turned around


    and knelt before Clement.


    ¡°Give me a chance to redeem myself, Grandpa. If you let Alicia marry me, I promise I¡¯ll treat her right


    for the rest of my life. I¡¯ll make sure she¡¯ll live a happy life.¡±


    Seeing that Aaron was saying all the right words while he was on his knees, Clement snorted.


    Does he really think I¡¯m going to believe what he says? I ¡®m not as foolish as Alicia! She believed


    everything he said!


    ¡°Leave. I¡¯ll take care of Alicia myself. We don¡¯t need you.¡± Clement red at Aaron and warned, ¡°Leave


    at once before I get even angrier.¡±


    No one could imagine how angry Clement was when he returned to see Aaron hugging Alicia.


    Who would¡¯ve thought that the person who impregnated Alicia would turn out to be the person I


    rescued?


    Did I bring this upon myself?


    At that moment, he was so angry that he was trembling all over. How he wished he could just kill Aaron


    there and then.


    Alicia noticed how furious Clement was, so she hurriedly walked up to him and grabbed his hand.


    ¡°Grandpa, Aaron never said he didn¡¯t want me. I left him because I thought I would never be good


    enough for him. After I left, he spent months tracking me down. Don¡¯t be angry anymore, okay?¡±


    In response, Clement pointed at Alicia and scolded, ¡°What makes you think that? You¡¯re pretty, well-


    behaved, and smart! Why would you think you don¡¯t deserve him?¡±


    ¡°Grandpa, he¡¯s the king, and I¡¯m just amoner. What makes you think I¡¯m deserving of him?¡± Alicia


    had tears welling up in her eyes.


    Those words silenced Clement instantaneously.


    Who would¡¯ve known that the person I rescued back then would end up being a king?


    He then nced at Aaron, who was still on his knees, and sighed inwardly.


    Alicia¡¯s right. She¡¯s not good enough for him.


    ¡°Get up and don¡®t evere here again.¡± Despite not being a busybody, Clement knew Aaron was


    supposed to marry the country¡¯s general¡¯s daughter.


    Now that¡¯s a good match.


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    ¡°Since I¡¯vee all the way here, Grandpa, I don¡®t intend to leave here alone. I came here to bring


    Alicia back and marry her. I want her to be my wife and Turlen¡¯s queen.¡± As Aaron was finishing his


    sentence, he threw a gentle nce at Alicia.

 Chapter 1854

    Chapter 1854


    Upon hearing that, Alicia and Clement looked at Aaron in bewilderment.


    Did we hear him wrong? Doesn¡¯t he have a fianc¨¦e?


    Indeed, they were wondering how Aaron could marry Alicia and make her the queen.


    ¡°Kid, stop fooling around, will you? Don¡¯t try to trick me. I know you already have a fianc¨¦e.¡± With that,


    Clement dragged Alicia into the house because he was sick of listening to Aaron¡¯s lies.


    Alicia didn¡¯t want to leave, but she didn¡¯t want to hurt Clement by fighting him off. She ended up


    throwing a nce at Aaron before walking into the house with Clement.


    Seeing that they were leaving, Aaron instantly stood up and ran in front of them. ¡°Grandpa, that¡¯s what


    my grandma wants, not me. I¡®ll bring Alicia back and cancel the marriage arrangement I have with my


    fianc¨¦e.¡±


    Aaron then said to Clement with a straight face, ¡°I love Alicia, and I want to marry her. I want her to be


    my wife and queen.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to marry Alicia so badly?¡± Clement asked, and Aaron nodded in response.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll agree with it. However, I have one condition,¡± Clement added.


    Upon getting Clement¡®s approval, a smile finally appeared on Aaron¡¯s face. ¡°Name it, Grandpa. As long


    as I get to marry Alicia, I¡¯ll ept whatever conditions you have.¡±


    ¡°You can be with Alicia. My condition is that you must go back and break off the engagement first. Once


    that¡¯s done, you cane over to fetch Alicia,¡± Clement uttered.


    Aaron didn¡¯t dare to ept the condition. He was worried that once he left, Clement and Alicia would


    go into hiding.


    ¡°Grandpa, can I¡­¡±


    Before Aaron could finish his sentence, Clement cut him off by saying, ¡°No!¡±


    Clement knew what was on Aaron¡¯s mind, so he said, ¡°Neither I nor Alicia will leave this ce. We¡¯ll


    wait for you here. All you need to do is cancel the marriage arrangement and announce it to the public.¡±


    Alicia looked at Aaron and nodded slightly. At that, Aaron had no choice but to agree to it.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go back and call off the engagement now. You guys must wait for me.¡± Aaron decided to go


    home and pull out of the marriage arrangement he had with Nico.


    Once I¡¯ve done that, I¡¯lle with more people to bring Alicia home. I haven¡¯t seen Alicia in such along


    time, and I can¡¯t wait to be with her.


    When Aaron was leaving, Clement allowed Alicia to send him off. Before they parted ways, Aaron


    pulled Alicia into his embrace, grabbed her chin, and kissed her passionately.


    ¡°Wait for my return,¡± he said.


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Aaron then went home to tell Celeste he wanted to break off the engagement he had with Nico.


    Although Celeste was bothered by what happened between Nancy and Matthew, Celeste liked Nico


    because she thought thetter was the perfect daughter-inw.


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Celeste looked at Aaron and said, ¡°I think Nico is a nice girl. She treats others well, and


    she¡¯s going to be a good queen¡±


    Aaron knew Celeste was fond of Nico, so he told Celeste about Alicia.


    ¡°Who is she? What¡¯s her status in society?¡± Celeste was very mindful of a person¡¯s family background.


    In her opinion, having simr status was more important than a couple¡®s feelings for each other.


    Although Dn and she were from simr backgrounds, she was never happy after their marriage.


    Despite that, her thoughts on the matter remained the same.

 Chapter 1855

    Chapter 1855


    ¡°She¡¯s just amoner, and she lives with her grandpa.¡± Aaron nced at Celeste and uttered in a


    serious tone, ¡°Regardless of her status, I still like her. Whenever she¡¯s with me, I feel warm and happy.


    I feelfortable being around her.¡±


    Celeste noticed Aaron¡¯s bodynguage when he was talking about Alicia.


    After giving it some thought, Celeste agreed to let him cancel the marriage arrangement.


    ¡°Aaron, you ought to call off the engagement yourself so that there won¡®t be bad blood between you


    and General Matthew. He has control over the military, so no matter what, you need to be careful,¡±


    Celeste said earnestly.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Aaron knew what Celeste said was for his own good.


    He then nodded and wanted to go and look for Matthew to talk about the matter. Before he left, he


    turned around and smiled at Celeste. ¡°Mom, you¡®ll have a grandchild in five months¡¯ time.¡±


    With that, Aaron left cheerfully.


    The only obstacle to breaking off the marriage arrangement wasn¡¯t Matthew or Nico. In fact, it was


    actually Celeste.


    Hence, he was on cloud nine after getting his mother¡¯s approval. Although her approval wouldn¡¯t


    change the oue, it meant the world to him.


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    ¡°Did you hear that, Miranda? Aaron said I¡¯m going to have a grandchild soon. That means I¡¯m going to


    be a grandma!¡±


    Celeste was thrilled. She didn¡¯t expect to have a grandchild so soon.


    Miranda was just as happy for Celeste. ¡°Congrattions, Your Majesty! Congrattions!¡±


    ¡°He said the child will be born in five months¡¯ time. Miranda, quick! Send someone to buy clothes and


    toys for the baby! We also need cribs and baby walkers!¡±


    Before Miranda could utter a word in response, Celeste quickly added, ¡°Never mind. Forget about it. I


    should be the one buying these things.¡±


    With that, she told Miranda to get the car ready.


    ***


    Meanwhile, Aaron had gone straight to the Nighy residence.


    Melissa weed him with open arms and led him to Matthew¡¯s study.


    ¡°You¡¯re here, Your Majesty,¡± Matthew greeted.


    ¡°General Matthew, I came to tell you something.¡± Aaron didn¡¯t want to beat around the bush, so he said


    directly, ¡°I want to call off the engagement I have with Nico. In the future, we shall marry whoever we


    like.¡±


    Truth be told, Matthew knew something was up when he saw Aaron. However, he didn¡¯t expect Aaron


    to revoke the marriage engagement.


    His expression turned gloomy the moment he heard that. ¡°Your Majesty, about the marriage¡­¡±


    ¡°General Matthew, the engagement has always been my grandma¡¯s idea. Furthermore, Nico and I don¡¯t


    have feelings for each other. Since that¡¯s the case, breaking off the engagement is beneficial to both of


    us. You may ask Nico about it because she¡¯ll surely agree to it.¡±


    ¡°Please allow me some time to think about it, Your Majesty.¡±


    Aaron knew how sudden it was, so Matthew would definitely have a hard time epting it. Hence, he


    nodded in response and left.


    Before he left, Melissa cordially invited him to stay for a meal because she thought he was going to be


    her son-inw. However, Aaron said he had matters to attend to and left.


    Matthew then called Nico to ask if she liked Aaron and whether she was okay with breaking off the


    engagement.


    Nico was ted when she heard that. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m okay with it. After all, we don¡¯t have feelings for each


    other. If we were to force it, we wouldn¡¯t have a happy marriage.¡±

 Chapter 1856

    Chapter 1856


    After hanging up, Matthew gave Aaron a call to tell him he agreed to revoke the marriage engagement.


    Hearing that, Aaron immediately announced the news to the public.


    ***


    Meanwhile, Melissa, who was in the Nighy residence, almost passed out from anger the moment she


    heard the news.


    Not understanding why the event she had been looking forward to was suddenly canceled, she


    immediately went looking for Matthew to find out if Aaron was the one who suggested it during his


    previous visit.


    As soon as Matthew nodded, Melissa gave him a tight p on the face.


    ¡°Did he find out about your matter? Is that why he wants to revoke the engagement?¡± Melissa


    questioned with bloodshot eyes.


    The p from her left Matthew in a daze. ¡°What do you mean he found out about my matter? What


    matter?¡±


    Melissa scoffed, ¡°What matter? What else? Of course, it¡¯s the humiliating matter between you and the


    Queen Mother!¡±


    With that, she added, ¡°Let¡¯s get divorced, Matthew.¡±


    She did not want to live with him anymore.


    At first, Melissa thought of putting up with it for Nico¡¯s sake since thetter was getting married to


    Aaron. Now that the engagement was revoked, there was no point in her staying with Matthew. After


    saying those words, Melissa packed her things and returned to her parent¡¯s home.


    Matthew, on the other hand, never expected his matter with Nancy to be discovered. As he watched


    Melissa leave, he moved his lips to say something, but nothing came out of his mouth.


    The moment the news was announced to the public, Aaron led a team to the ind to pick Alicia and


    Clement up.


    In the meantime, Clement, who was on the ind, had heard about the news.


    He nced at Alicia and said with a sigh, ¡°The pce is not the same as your home. Make sure you


    treat Aaron¡¯s mother with respect and help him like a perfect partner should when you¡¯re there, okay?¡±


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    Alicia nodded. Of course, she knew all that.


    I¡¯ll do my best to be a good wife and daughter-inw.


    ¡°Pack your things. He¡¯ll be here any minute now.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Alicia nodded and went to her room to pack her things.


    Aaron traveled so quickly that he arrived at the ind in just two hours. The moment he saw Alicia, he


    jogged over and hugged her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get married once we return,¡± he said softly into her ear.


    ¡°Thank you, Aaron.¡± Alicia wrapped her arms around his neck as hot tears streamed down her cheeks


    and fell onto his skin.


    She never expected such a day toe. In fact, she thought she would never be a part of his world. All


    she could imagine was bringing up the child alone and living a peaceful and blissful life with Clement.


    Letting go of her, Aaron wiped her tears. He then led her to Clement and said with a smile, ¡°Grandpa,


    I¡¯m here to bring both of you back.¡±


    Clement gazed at the duo, his eyes filled with merriment. Relief washed over him as he realized Alicia


    had found a reliable partner.


    At least I won ¡®t feel guilty if l meet her mother in heaven when I die.


    ¡°You can bring Alicia back. As for me¡­¡± Clement¡¯s voice trailed off as he gazed at the tiny hut and


    everything else on the ind.


    A smile crept up on his lips, and he said, ¡°I can just stay here. I like the environment here. Living in the


    city is too boring and stifling. I feel morefortable and at ease here.¡±


    Alicia was dumbfounded by his words.

 Chapter 1857

    Chapter 1857


    ¡°Grandpa, are you really noting back with me?¡± Alicia tore her arm from Aaron¡¯s and approached


    Clement to grab his.


    With reddened eyes, she choked, ¡°I don¡¯t want to part with you¡­¡±


    She could not help but worry about the idea of Clement living alone, especially when he was quite old.


    ¡°Pleasee with me. It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to live in the pce or the city, I¡¯ll find a house for you


    in the suburbs. As long as it¡¯s a ce where I can go to anytime when I want to see you,¡± she said.


    Clement studied Alicia, whose eyes were brimming with tears.


    I¡¯m her only rtive left. I guess it¡¯ll be hard for her to adapt now that she¡¯s suddenly getting married


    into the royal family.


    After pondering for a while, he agreed and went back with her.


    Upon returning, Aaron helped Clement to settle down and hired a housekeeper to take care of the


    latter. When that was done, Aaron took Alicia to register their marriage. After getting the long-awaited


    marriage certificate, they ended the registration with a passionate kiss.


    Aaron then brought her back to the pce and crowned her queen while Celeste took Nancy¡¯s ce as


    the queen¡¯s mother. Even so, Celeste still stayed in her own pce because the one Nancy stayed in


    had been sealed long ago.


    Next, Aaron brought Alicia to meet Celeste.


    Along the way, Alicia could not help but feel worried that his mother would not like her.


    Noting her unease, Aaron informed her that Celeste liked her very much. Only then did Alicia rx a


    little.


    When they arrived at Celeste¡¯s residence, Miranda hurriedly weed them in.


    The smile on Celeste¡¯s face never faded the moment she saw Aaron helping Alicia in.


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    ¡°How far along is the baby? Has the baby been bothering you?¡± Celeste asked with a bright smile,


    which caused Alicia to be relieved.


    ¡°Five months¡­ The baby¡¯s all right. It hasn¡¯t been bothering me much.¡± There was a motherly glow on


    Alicia¡¯s face when she talked about her child, and it made Celeste even more pleased with her.


    Though Alicia and Aaron were of different backgrounds, Celeste did not mind it as long as the former


    loved Aaron. After all, Alicia was pregnant with her grandchild.


    ¡°Come¡­ I¡¯d like to show you something.¡± Celeste got out of the main seat, walked over to Alicia, and


    led thetter to another room.


    While walking off, Alicia turned around to look at Aaron for help because she did not know how to


    interact with Celeste on her own. However, Aaron merely shrugged helplessly and gestured for Alicia to


    follow his mother.


    Of course, all that happened in silence.


    Soon, Miranda opened the door to another room. The moment Celeste brought Alicia in, thetter was


    stunned by what she saw.


    One half of the room was filled with clothing for baby boys and girls in various colors. On the other side


    were several strollers, a baby cot, and a mountain oftoys. Alicia gawked at the things, too touched to


    utter a single word.


    Seeing Alicia frozen by the door, Aaron made his way over, only to be shocked by the mountain


    ofthings in the room. He never expected Celeste to have prepared everything for the baby so soon.


    ¡°Thank you, Mother!¡± Aaron hugged Celeste, who was grinning widely.


    Right then, she removed the rosary bead ne on her neck and helped Alicia to put it on.


    Alicia wanted to refuse it but was stopped by Celeste.


    ¡°This was my wedding gift and a blessing from your grandmother. It¡¯s yours now. I¡¯m giving it to you as


    a blessing for both of you. I hope you and Aaron can live happily for the rest of your lives.¡±

 Chapter 1858

    Chapter 1858


    Alicia turned to nce at Aaron, who smiled and indicated she ept it.


    Unable to turn down the thoughtful offer, Alicia could only look at Celeste and say, ¡°Thank you, Mother!¡±


    ¡°When Aaron gets busy at work in the future, you can alwayse to me to have a chat if you¡¯re


    bored. There¡¯s so much we can talk about, the baby¡¯s gender, the name, and even what you n to do


    after childbirth.¡±


    Alicia nodded obediently.


    Not long after, they left Celeste¡¯s residence, and Aaron took Alicia home to get some rest.


    Alicia wanted to take a shower before sleeping, so Aaron decided to wait in there for her, worried she


    would identally fall in the washroom. Nheless, he was chased out by her.


    As soon as Alicia was done showering, he quickly helped her to wipe her hair and blow dry it. His


    gestures filled Alicia¡¯s heart with warmth. If Aaron had not gone looking for her, she would have lost him


    for the rest of her life.


    At that thought, she turned around and hugged Aaron.


    Realizing she was being a little emotional, Aaron put down the hairdryer and ruffled her dry hair, asking


    gently, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I almost lost you, Aaron,¡± Alicia mumbled.


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    Aaron took a step back and pinched her cheeks. ¡°Tsk¡­ Did you only realize that now? You¡¯re right. You


    would¡¯ve lost me if I didn¡¯t set my heart on searching for you.¡±


    Alicia could only nod in response.


    Thank goodness he came looking for me¡­


    With that, she got up, stood on her toes, and wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡°Thank you, my dear


    husband, for putting in so much effort to look for me.¡±


    Hearing her call him ¡°husband¡± triggered a strange feeling in Aaron¡¯s heart. He gazed at her and finally


    kissed her gently on the lips. Ever since Alicia left, Aaron had never touched another woman.


    Now that he was aroused, he whispered into her ear, ¡°Can I?¡±


    Alicia nodded shyly. At that, he picked her up and ced her on the bed.


    ¡°Be gentle, Darling¡­¡±


    Aaron hummed a response and kissed her.


    Truth was, Alicia was tired after all the exciting events that day. Hence, it did not take long for her to


    drift off to sleep. Aaron peered at her and kissed her gently on the lips before shutting his eyes.


    ***


    Two monthster, Vinson sent Aaron a text that read: I¡¯m going to propose to Arielle. I hope you can


    come and witness this important event.


    Without any hesitation, Aaron epted the invitation and broke the news to Celeste and Alicia.


    Celeste said nothing, for she knew how close Aaron was with Arielle. However, Alicia could not help but


    feel uneasy because Aaron had called out Arielle¡¯s name before.


    Realizing Alicia was feeling jealous, Aaron smiled and pulled her into his embrace, saying softly, ¡°Alicia,


    Arielle¡¯s my sister¡­ She¡¯s my biological sister from another mother.¡±


    It was only then that Alicia realized she had misunderstood Aaron¡¯s rtionship with Arielle. Even so,


    she wanted to tag along with him to witness Arielle¡¯s important moment.


    To Alicia¡¯s surprise, Arielle took a liking to the former, despite it being their first encounter. Arielle even


    let Alicia stay in Chanaea to deliver her baby. In fact, she even promised to help thetter with the


    delivery.

 Chapter 1859

    Chapter 1859


    You know what? Your mommy and I got to know each other through a beautiful surprise.¡± Harvey lifted


    his daughter, his mind reying memories of the past.


    He never expected the second encounter with the girl he had sex with that night would turn out that


    way.


    That day, he followed Arielle¡¯s instructions to pick up a girl who wanted to have an abortion. He did not


    want to go at first, for he did not want Arielle to reveal her identity because of a nobody. That was why


    he strongly disagreed with Arielle¡¯s decision.


    However, she told Harvey that Vinson knew about the matter, which was why Harvey had no choice but


    to obey her orders.


    When he arrived at the location, his phone suddenly rang, but it hung up before he could even answer


    it. As he scanned the surroundings, he immediately noticed a girl in the distance. With that, he marched


    over and tapped her on the shoulder.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Harvey was amused to see the girl shrink back like a frightened animal.


    Am I that scary?


    Chuckling softly, he asked, ¡°You gave me a call just now, didn¡¯t you? Let¡¯s go. Arielle is still waiting for


    you.¡±


    At first, he thought the girl would follow him obediently.


    Surprisingly, the girl denied, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t call you. You¡¯ve mistaken me for someone else.¡±


    Seeing the girl was about to run away, he dialed the unknown number earlier, which immediately


    caused the girl¡¯s phone to ring. He red at her, feeling utterly displeased.


    Arielle¡¯s identity is about to be exposed, and this girl¡¯s still dawdling as if she doesn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Why are you denying it?¡±


    ¡°I suddenly remembered I have something to do, so I don¡¯t want to disturb her,¡± the girl blurted and


    attempted to flee.


    Unfortunately, Harvey caught her, but his eyes widened in shock when he saw her face clearly.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Isn¡¯t she the girl I had sex with that night after getting drunk?


    I¡¯ve been sending people out to look for her, but she was never found. I can¡¯t believe I actually met her


    here.


    Wait a minute! She¡¯s here for an abortion?


    Harvey pulled her into his arms and muttered into her ear, ¡°The child in your belly is mine, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    He was not asking a question but dering a fact. He had never imagined the girl he had searched


    high and low for was actually Arielle¡¯s friend. It seemed as if Lady Luck was on his side.


    At that moment, he felt thankful that he still came even though he was upset about how Arielle was


    willing to risk being exposed to pick up her friend. Otherwise, he would not have found the girl.


    The second the girl heard his words, her expression changed, and she denied immediately, ¡°What


    child? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    She even wanted to free herself from his arms. Seeing that, Harvey knew the girl was not ready.


    He softened his tone, saying, ¡°I know it was my fault that night. Can we please talk about it?¡±


    Truth be told, he never expected the girl to be pregnant with his child after that one night. Regardless,


    the idea of her carrying his child in her belly did not disgust him. Instead, he even looked forward to it.


    Could I have developed feelings for her after staring at her picture in the pendant every day?


    Since she did not reply, Harvey narrowed his eyes and said after some thought, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go and


    see Arielle first?¡±


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    In truth, he hoped that Arielle would convince the girl to keep the child. After all, it was his first child-a


    life he cherished and did not want to give up on.

 Chapter 1860

    Chapter 1860


    Even so, he would respect the girl¡¯s wishes to abort the child, albeit sadly and reluctantly.


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    The girl thought for a moment before nodding at him.


    Harvey was relieved to see her nod andplimented himself foring up with an idea to make her


    stay. With that in mind, he reached out to hold her hand, but she flung it away.


    Puzzled, he nced at her only to find her cheeks flushed.


    ¡°I can walk on my own,¡± she said.


    It was at that moment he realized his actions made her feel shy. ¡°All right. Be careful then.¡±


    With that said, he went to the front to lead the way. At the same time, he could not help but smile


    whenever he thought of how the girl was pregnant with his child. He did not know if he would feel the


    same if he had slept with a different girl that night, but he would be very excited if this girl would give


    birth to his child.


    At that thought, he could not help but turn around to look at her.


    To his surprise, the girl immediately patted her face, which made him ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I felt some weird sensation on my face.¡±


    Hearing that, Harvey quickly went over and tilted her face up to study it before she could even react.


    ¡°There seems to be nothing wrong with your face. We can get Arielle to check it when we¡¯re back.¡±


    With Arielle around, there was no need to go to a hospital.


    When Harvey did not hear any reply from the girl, he lowered his gaze and met her eyes, which were


    fixated on him. It made his heart skip a beat. He badly wanted to kiss her, but he feared it would


    frighten her.


    Unwilling to tear his eyes away from her, they continued gazing at each other until a ringtone sounded,


    which snapped them back into reality. Harvey hurriedly released her hand, and she fumbled through


    her bag for her phone.


    Her face fell as soon as she saw the caller¡¯s name. Noticing that, Harvey narrowed his eyes, but she


    quickly hung up and ced the phone in her bag before he could guess who the caller was.


    Though he was worried for her, he did not ask about it. Along the way, he stole nces at the


    passenger seat to find her leaning her head against the car window, looking as though something was


    bugging her. He parted his lips to say something but remained silent nheless because he did not


    know what to say.


    Even though they had once slept together, and she was pregnant with his child, they were not on close


    terms. Thus, he felt it was inappropriate for him to ask about her private matters. In fact, asking her


    such questions might only scare her off.


    Upon arriving at the apartment, he sent the girl to Arielle¡¯s room and headed out.


    When he returned with a ss of water, he suddenly heard Arielle asking the girl, ¡°What¡¯s your n?


    Do you want to deliver this child?¡±


    Immediately, he stopped in his tracks because he wanted to find out what the girl¡¯s answer was.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know, either.¡±


    Her answer was a relief to Harvey. The fact that she did not insist on aborting the child proved that she


    had thought of keeping it.


    ¡°Sonia, please think carefully. If you don¡¯t want it, then you should abort it as soon as possible. It¡¯s


    better for your body that way as you¡¯ll recover faster.¡±


    Harvey¡¯s heart sank when he heard Arielle¡¯s words. He was truly worried that Sonia would go with the


    abortion.


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought of keeping the baby before, but that was just a fleeting thought,¡± Sonia mumbled.


    Pausing momentarily, she continued, ¡°But I don¡¯t have the courage to keep the baby. I don¡¯t know if I


    can bear the consequences after giving birth to the child. Not only is it tough being a single mother, but


    I¡¯m also not sure ifl can provide the child with afortable life. Why should I take the risk if I can¡¯t do


    so? I don¡¯t want the child to suffer with me.¡±

 Chapter 1861

    Chapter 1861


    Hearing that instantly had Harvey making up his mind.


    However, before he could even voice his thoughts, he heard Arielle saying, ¡°Then you should abort it.¡±


    At that, he pushed the door open and entered the room, unable to hold himself back anymore. ¡°Sonia,


    let¡¯s get married¡­¡±


    He had heard Arielle mention Sonia¡¯s name before, and he thought it was a nice name.


    Sonia gaped at him, unable to speak properly. ¡°G-Get married?¡±


    Gazing at her, he promised seriously, ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s get married. I won¡¯t let you regret marrying me.¡±


    I won¡¯t let her regret her decision if she agrees to marry me.


    When he finished his sentence, he stared at Sonia patiently while waiting for her response.


    Atst, Sonia finally spoke, ¡°Arielle once told me I should marry someone I like. Likewise, the man has


    to love me wholeheartedly. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be the one suffering in the future. This is the first time we¡¯re


    meeting each other officially. Not only do we not know each other well, but we hardly have any feelings


    for each other. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too hasty for us to get married now?¡±


    After listening to her, he realized her words made sense.


    Though he had a good impression of her, he did not really have feelings for her.


    Nheless, he did not think it was right for him to give up just like that.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we try dating each other for some time? We can get married if we actually develop feelings


    for each other. Is that okay?¡± Harvey suggested softly while gazing into Sonia¡¯s eyes, worried she


    would reject his suggestion.


    After a moment of silence, Sonia said, ¡°One month. Let¡¯s try it for a month. If we still don¡¯t have feelings


    for each other and have no intention to proceed to the next step by then, I¡¯ll abort the child¡­¡±


    Sonia did not want to marry Harvey straightaway, but epting the suggestion was a good sign.


    As long as she was willing to give him a chance, he would do his best to make her fall in love with him.


    With that, they decided to put the abortion on hold. Arielle let Harvey send Sonia back to her ss, a


    task which he dly epted.


    Along the way, he found out Sonia had morning sickness, so he purposely bought some dried fruits to


    help her cope with it.


    Though she said nothing, he could tell that she was pleased with his gesture.


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    Not long after, he dropped her off at the campus, and they parted ways. He then called Arielle to ask


    what a pregnant woman could eat if she was experiencing morning sickness.


    Hearing that, Arielle could not help but tease him and let him wait. Eventually, though, she sent him a


    list of food suitable for pregnant women. Harvey went straight to the supermarket and bought tworge


    bags of food.


    However, as soon as he arrived at the campus entrance, he saw a woman tugging at Sonia, which


    infuriated him.


    He stormed over and red at the woman pulling on Sonia.


    Sternly, he ordered, ¡°Let her go!¡±


    ¡°Who are you? This is my daughter. Surely how I treat her has nothing to do with you?¡±


    Harvey was bbergasted. It never urred to him that the woman in front of him could be Sonia¡¯s


    mother, his future mother-inw.


    Ugh! Why am I so unlucky?


    I can¡¯t believe I offended my future mother-inw on the first day we met!


    Nevertheless, his heart ached when he saw the pained look in Sonia¡¯s eyes.


    So what if she¡¯s Sonia¡¯s mother? That doesn¡¯t mean she can treat Sonia so roughly.

 Chapter 1862

    Chapter 1862


    ¡°I¡¯m her friend!¡± Harvey tamped down his emotions and stared at Kelly seriously.


    ¡°Mrs. Wynter, Sonia might be your daughter, but she is a separate entity with the ability to make her


    own decisions. You¡¯re making her upset with your actions. Do you want her to grow apart from you?¡±


    ¡°Friend? What friend? I never knew she had a friend like you.¡± Kelly stared at him icily. ¡°No matter what


    kind of friend you are, stay away from my daughter. She is not someone that you should have designs


    on.¡±


    Huh? Is my intention that obvious?


    Harvey stole a look at Kelly¡¯s gaze and facial expression. After ensuring that she only said that


    spontaneously, he heaved a sigh of relief inwardly.


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    He then looked at Kelly and emphasized sincerely, ¡°I¡®m really her friend. l have to say that the way you


    treat her is a bit too harsh.¡±


    Harvey could never not have designs on Sonia. Deep down, he had made up his mind. As long as


    Sonia was willing to ept him, he would never part with her.


    Nevertheless, he took note of his future mother-inw¡¯s demeanor and reminded himself not to


    aggravate the situation by provoking her.


    ¡°This is between me and Sonia. It¡¯s none of your business, so stop meddling in our affairs!¡± Kelly


    snapped impatiently.


    ¡°Mother, please don¡¯t be mean,¡± Sonia dered in an angry and ashamed tone before Harvey could


    say anything.


    ¡°Remember what I said. Come home tonight.¡±


    Having said that, Kelly left. Harvey gazed at Kelly¡¯s back, not knowing what her final words meant.


    Turning around, he felt his heart ache at the sight of Sonia¡¯s reddened eyes.


    Pulling her into his arms, he patted her head andforted her, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I got your back no matter


    what happens¡­¡±


    ¡°You should go. I¡¯ll go to school now.¡±


    Harvey felt a little lost suddenly when she stepped out of his embrace. He gazed at her intently as an


    inexplicable feeling rose in his heart.


    ¡°I bought some food for you. Bring them with you so you can fill your tummy when you don¡¯t have an


    appetite.¡± He opened his car door and offered the stuff he bought to Sonia.


    As Sonia refused to ept them, he thought she was worried that the food wasn¡¯t good for her child


    and added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I got a list of food that can be safely consumed by pregnant women from


    Arielle.¡±


    ¡°I can only take two. I need to keep my pregnancy a secret. They are medical students, so I¡¯m afraid


    they will discover the truth,¡± Sonia exined.


    Harvey wasn¡¯t overthinking, but he was strangely pleased to hear Sonia¡¯s exnation.


    His lips curled as he said, ¡°Mm, take two, then. You have my phone number. If you have a craving for


    something, just give me a call anytime. I¡¯ll buy the food and deliver it to you.¡±


    Seeing Sonia¡¯s surprised reaction, he chuckled lightly.


    Did she forget about what we agreed upon earlier?


    shing a grin, he told her softly, ¡°Did you forget we are friends? We¡¯re currently in a rtionship.


    Moreover, you¡¯re pregnant with my child. It¡¯s normal for me to treat you well. Don¡¯t feel stressed out and


    just summon me whenever you want.¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll contact you if the need arises.¡±


    Harvey watched as Sonia entered the campus. When her figure disappeared from sight, he drove


    away. Throughout the journey back, he couldn¡¯t stop a smile from ying on his lips.


    That night, he called Sonia. After a brief chat, Sonia said she had to hang up as it wasn¡®t a good time


    for them to chat. Left with no choice, Harvey had to agree.


    He was about to hang up when she asked, ¡°Do you want to meet up?¡±

 Chapter 1863

    Chapter 1863


    Naturally, Harvey agreed ecstatically.


    He bought a bouquet and waited for her at the spot they agreed to meet, but she didn¡¯t show up even a


    long timeter. He then sent Sonia a text.


    A whileter, Sonia still hadn¡¯t replied to any of his texts, so he started wondering if something had


    happened. After pondering briefly, he called Sonia¡¯s phone, but it rang for a long while without getting


    answered. Realizing something was wrong, he knew it was time to get Arielle¡¯s help.


    Vinson was the one who answered Arielle¡¯s phone, so he told Vinson that Sonia was missing. After the


    call ended, Vinson immediately went over to his house. Harvey had already called the police, so the


    police officer was asking him questions.


    He was fretting ever since he realized Sonia had gone missing. Despite using his connections, he still


    failed to locate her.


    Worried sick, he decided to head out to search for Sonia himself. Nevertheless, his phone rang as he


    was about to step out of the door. It was an unknown number, but he answered it nheless.


    Sonia¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°Harvey¡­¡±


    Hearing Sonia¡¯s weak voice, Harvey felt his heart sink to the bottom of his stomach.


    He quickly asked, ¡°Sonia, where are you?!¡±


    After Sonia told him her location, he grabbed his jacket and ran out.


    Right before he left the house, he remembered Vinson and rushed back to say, ¡°Vin, I found Sonia.


    She¡¯s hurt, so I need to pick her up immediately.¡±


    They soon arrived at the location where Sonia was.


    Harvey¡¯s heart clenched in pain when he saw Sonia lying on the ground. He squatted down and


    carefully picked her up before checking if she was hurt.


    ¡°Harvey, we need to send her to the hospital now,¡± Vinson reminded him.


    Snapping back to reality, Harvey brought Sonia to the car and put his jacket over her body. He then


    hugged her tightly. When they arrived at the hospital, he arranged for her to get checked without further


    dy.


    When the examination ended, he led her to the ward so she could rest. He didn¡¯t forget to tell Vinson to


    head back as Arielle was still in the apartment.


    After Vinson left, Harvey remained in the ward and watched Sonia in bed. Holding Sonia¡¯s hand tightly,


    he gazed at her without a word. His heart felt as if it had been stabbed by a dagger when he realized


    he had been that close to losing her.


    Harvey initially assumed his feelings for Sonia were just a sense of responsibility. After all, he took her


    virginity and got her pregnant.


    After what happened, he finally discovered that he was truly, deeply in love with her. Responsibility


    aside, he had no idea when he fell in love with her.


    He gave her an apologetic look.


    It was all my fault. I didn¡¯t find you soon enough, so you got hurt.


    ¡°Who exactly are you?¡± A roar suddenly sounded at the door.


    Turning at his shoulder, Harvey saw Kelly jabbing an using finger in his direction angrily.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    He quickly tucked Sonia in and got to his feet to greet Kelly politely, ¡°Mrs. Wynter.¡±


    ¡°Who the h*ll are you? How are you rted to Sonia? Are you the father of the child she is pregnant


    with?¡± Kelly demanded furiously.


    Harvey took a look at her reaction and knew It was impossible to hide the truth from her anymore. She


    would be against their marriage in the future, so he decided it was time to be honest with her now.


    With that thought in mind, he introduced himself, ¡°Mrs. Wynter, my name is Harvey Jupiter. I¡¯m Sonia¡¯s


    boyfriend and the father of the child she¡¯s pregnant with.¡±

 Chapter 1864

    Chapter 1864


    Harvey thought Kelly would agree to their rtionship as Sonia was pregnant with his child, but to his


    surprise, Kelly stated her disapproval vehemently. She even offered to pay him to leave Sonia.


    He immediately asked her how much money was enough to make her acknowledge their rtionship.


    Since Kelly mentioned money, it was obvious that money was important to her. Harvey was willing to


    give up everything he owned as long as she allowed him to be with Sonia.


    s, Kelly wasn¡¯t tempted at all. She imed she would never allow them to be together even if he


    offered her ten billion. She also said she would abort Sonia¡¯s baby so he wouldn¡¯t pester her anymore.


    Harvey was fine with Sonia not wanting the child, but he refused to ept the fact that her parents


    were making decisions on her behalf by forcing her to abort the baby.


    Before he could say anything, Sonia¡¯s weak but determined voice rang out. ¡°Mother, the child is mine. I


    will keep him!¡±


    Harvey¡¯s determination grew when he heard her firm voice.


    Sonia¡¯s father showed up a whileter. After learning about Sonia¡¯s pregnancy and the identity of the


    child¡¯s father, he asked to talk to Harvey. They chatted briefly, and he promptly agreed to their


    rtionship.


    Kelly was still against their rtionship, but after some time, she slowly caved in. She even brought


    them back to the Wynter residence so they could stay with her.


    It was soon time for Sonia to give birth to her child. Harvey got a huge fright as Sonia had an ident


    during her childbirth and decided to have protected sex with her after that.


    Vinson and Arielle were getting engaged, so he brought Sonia and their son back from Turlen to attend


    their engagement party.


    A few monthster, they themselves got married. Sonia was soon pregnant again.


    Harvey could barely hide his shock, for he had made sure they had protected sex every time. He


    wondered what went wrong.


    Amidst his confusion, he received news from Vinson that Sonia had poked holes in the condoms.


    Naturally, she got pregnant.


    Despite his fear, he didn¡¯t stop Sonia from getting pregnant as that was what she wanted. When she


    gave birth, he invited Arielle over to deliver Sonia¡¯s child.


    This time, Sonia¡¯s wish finally came true, and she gave birth to a daughter.


    Harvey was grateful that he first fell in love with Arielle and followed Vinson to Turlen. He was also


    thankful that he slept with Sonia after getting drunk.


    ¡°And that¡¯s why you two must love and protect Mommy like me, okay? I spent a lot of effort to get


    Mommy for you,¡± he said.


    Sonia¡¯s gazended on Harvey as the warm sunshine shone on their little family of four. She was


    blessed to be Harvey¡¯s wife. He kept his promise and made sure she didn¡¯t regret marrying him.


    ¡°Daddy, Mommy, we will love and protect Mommy forever!¡± The kids stood up from Harvey¡¯sp and


    went to Sonia to kiss her cheeks.


    Harrison teared up when he saw the heartwarming scene.


    Oh, this is great! I¡¯m d to see their family happy together. Half of my wish hase true, and the


    other half depends on the brat who is holding me now.


    ¡°Brat, when will you get me a granddaughter-inw?¡± Harrison demanded as he used his cane to


    whack Jared¡¯s leg.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.

 Chapter 1865

    Chapter 1865


    Jared felt helpless.


    Why is he urging me all of a sudden?


    ¡°Grandpa, I need to get back to work. Goodbye!¡± he answered hastily and released his grip on Harrison


    to flee the scene.


    Seeing that, Harrison felt a jolt of anger.


    He roared, ¡°Brat, you always escape when I ask you to get married. If you¡®re capable enough, don¡¯t


    come back home for five years straight!¡±


    Hearing his grandfather¡¯s energetic bellow, Jared responded from afar, ¡°No problem!¡±


    ¡°Hey! You!¡±


    ¡°Grandpa, you shouldn¡®t force Jared against his wishes. He¡¯ll take action when he finds the love of his


    life without needing you to remind him,¡± Harvey said.


    He went to Harrison and helped thetter to a rocking chair nearby.


    That Harrison knew. However, he was old and might not live for long. Hence, he wanted to see his


    youngest grandson getting married when he could still walk. That way, he would be able to reunite with


    his wife and children proudly in the afterworld.


    Jared was driving when he received a call from Henry.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Jared asked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s meet up. I¡¯ve been busy with work all day and want to rx,¡± Henry invited. It wasn¡¯t easy to be


    an heir.


    Jared was free, so he agreed and drove straight to the bar.


    After parking his car, he entered the bar.


    ¡°Hey, over here!¡± Henry stood up and waved when he spotted Jared.


    Jared waved back and walked over to his table.


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    ¡°You¡¯re a busy man, right? Why do you have time tonight?¡± Jared punched Henry lightly and sat down


    beside him.


    He then got a bottle of beer and took a few sips.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go crazy if I continue to stay indoors,¡± Henryined.


    Suddenly, something shed across his eyes as he rested his arm on Jared¡¯s shoulder.


    Arching a brow, hemented, ¡°I can¡¯t believe Trisha looks so stunning when she dresses up. lf she


    had dressed this way back in Maxwell University, a handsome student would¡¯ve snapped her up


    quickly¡­¡±


    Hearing that, Jared shot a discreet nce in the direction Henry was looking and spotted Trisha d in


    a sexy ck minidress with her long hair cascading down her shoulders. She was swaying along to the


    music on the dance floor. The sight caused his brows to snap together.


    Why is she here? She shouldn¡¯t be here!


    With that thought in mind, he was about to get up to drag her out of the bar when something urred


    to him.


    What right do I have to bring her away? We aren¡¯t even friends anymore.


    A few years ago, after he heard Arielle''s analysis and learned that Trisha was in love with him, he had


    no idea what to do. After all, he wasn''t nning to be in a romantic rtionship at the time.


    He did feel ufortable when Arielle told him to imagine Trisha getting a boyfriend, but in the end, he


    decided to only be good friends with her, nothing else. He didn''t have any intention to date and wanted


    to focus on his studies.


    Later, he stopped Trisha and told her about his thoughts. Her eyes turned red after hearing his


    exnation, and she ran away.


    They never talked again after that. Even when they bumped into each otherter on, she acted as


    though he was a stranger to her.


    Back then, he assumed Trisha didn''t want to talk to him for the time being as his words had been too


    harsh.


    He wanted to apologize to her, but whenever he tried to offer his apology, a male student woulde


    and cut their conversation short. Heter discovered that the student was one of Trisha''s admirers.

 Chapter 1866

    Chapter 1866


    Jared was a little ufortable after learning the news and stopped contacting Trisha.


    They both returned to Chanaea after graduating from Maxwell University. To his surprise, Trisha


    applied for and was hired to be Harvey¡¯s assistant in Jupiter Group.


    Thereafter, the two crossed paths several times in thepany, yet they never discussed anything


    outside of work.


    Jared had never seen Trisha in anything else but her work attire, and he could not exin the odd


    feeling in his chest when he saw her less uptight self in public.


    Beside him, Henry arched a brow and teased, ¡°Look¡­ Someone¡¯s hitting on her, and he¡¯s a looker. I


    guess Trisha¡¯s not going to be single for too much longer.¡±


    He was genuinely happy that Trisha could potentially find her true love. Even without Henry''s reminder,


    Jared clearly noticed the stranger flirting with Trisha. He was certain that she would reject his


    advances, her self-discipline would not allow her to entertain a random man''s flirting.


    s, he was instantly proven wrong when Trisha joined the man in a nearby booth. She clinked her


    flute ss against the man''s and took a light sip.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    The man sat opposite her and said something which brought a faint smile to Trisha¡¯s lips.


    While Jared pondered the meaning of her expression, Trisha''s mysterious suitor gantly invited her for


    a dance.


    Trisha only hesitated for a fraction of a second before cing her hand in the man''s outstretched palm.


    They walked to the dance floor, and when it seemed as though their bodies were almost stered


    together, Jared suddenly stood up.


    Henry, who had leaned most of his weight on Jared while beaming at Trisha, immediately lost his


    bnce and almost fell t on his face.


    Confused, Henry asked, ¡°Jared, what are you¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, Jared stalked toward the dance floor and mped his hand around


    Trisha¡¯s wrist, ready to drag her out of there.


    Trisha spotted his approach and instinctively lowered her gaze. The ghost of a smirk curved her lips,


    though she controlled her expression carefully, considering the circumstances.


    ¡°Let go!¡± Her suitor grabbed her arm before Trisha could utter a word, demanding Jared to let go.


    Men knew their fellow peers¡¯ intentions the best, and Jared instantly knew that the stranger before him


    was dead set on pursuing Trisha.


    He did not even consider the ramifications of his statement as he dered, ¡°You¡¯re the one who should


    let go. She¡¯s my wife.¡±


    ¡°Your wife?¡± The man immediately whirled toward Trisha and asked, ¡°You¡¯re his wife?¡±


    Trisha certainly wished she could corroborate Jared¡¯s im, yet he clearly did not have romantic


    feelings for her.


    She pursed her lips thoughtfully before muttering, ¡°He¡­¡±


    ¡°Darling, I know I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have lied to you about working overtime at thepany. Still,


    you can¡®t just deny the fact that I¡¯m your husband, right?¡± As Jared spoke, he shot Trisha a loving gaze


    that positively struck her dumb.


    His act was convincing enough to ward off Trisha¡¯s suitor, who loosened his grasp on her hand.


    However, that did not stop him from saying to Trisha, ¡°If your husband doesn¡¯t want you anymore, I¡¯ll be


    waiting. I don¡¯t even care if you¡¯re a divorc¨¦e. Here¡®s my name card¡­¡±


    He was too infatuated with her looks. Then, the man produced a name card from his pocket and stuffed


    it in Trisha¡¯s hand before leaving.


    Jared immediately swiped the name card from her. Tossing it on the floor, he practically dragged Trisha


    outside.


    Back at the booth, Henry watched the situation unfold, mouth agape with shock.


    I thought that brat Jared didn¡¯t like Trisha?


    Why is he suddenly so anxious when another man¡¯s interested in her?

 Chapter 1867

    Chapter 1867


    ¡°Jared, what the heck are you doing?¡± Trisha demanded in mock anger from the man who had just


    dragged her out of the bar and into his car.


    She had not deliberately nned a visit to the bar to test Jared, but everything that happened after


    running into him was well within her expectations.


    Trisha was already twenty-eight years old, and everyone in her family was constantly pushing her to


    settle down.


    After getting yet another ¡°well-meaning¡± phone call from her mother, she had had enough. She


    changed out of her work attire and rushed to the bar.


    Luckily for her, Jared and Henry were there, and she even got a seat near them. She would hardly give


    up on the opportunity to dance with a handsome stranger and gauge Jared''s interest.


    The stranger¡¯s flirtatious advances were a total coincidence, and she exploited his attention.


    Well, it worked. Jared practically ran over to tear us apart.


    Sensing the anger in Trisha¡¯s tone, Jared hastily exined, ¡°It¡¯s sote, and it can¡¯t be safe for a


    woman to be alone in the bar with a stranger. You might have been in real danger if I didn¡¯t step in. It¡¯s


    hard to get a cab here, so I¡¯ll give you a lift home.¡±


    Trisha¡¯s heart sank.


    She retorted, ¡°I appreciate your deluded concern, but I have no need for it.¡±


    As she spoke, she opened the car door and stomped out.


    Jared alighted from his car and ran after her. Grabbing her wrist, he stopped her from leaving.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Pray tell, what does that have to do with you? Are we rted in any way?¡± Trisha viciously flung his


    hand away and turned, heading back toward the bar.


    Jared saw red as he recalled what had happened in the bar earlier. Jealousy clouded his judgment,


    and he pulled Trisha into his arms, nting his lips over hers before she could raise her temper at him.


    Neither of them had kissed anyone before this, and they relied more on their feelings than any true


    experience for guidance.


    Jared soon took the lead and deepened the kiss. At one point, they became embarrassingly loud as


    they gave in to the pleasure of their passionate kiss.


    Trisha struggled to catch her breath, and only then did Jared reluctantly release her from his arms. He


    smirked when he noticed how swollen her lips had be.


    He turned serious as he stared at Trisha and said, ¡°Please be my girlfriend, Trisha!¡±


    Atst, he could not be more certain of his feelings, especially considering his intense desire to keep


    any man away from her.


    Trisha¡¯s heart pounded like a runaway horse, yet she put on a calm front as she returned Jared¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Be your girlfriend? I thought you didn¡¯t like me.¡±


    Jared hugged her in response and whispered, ¡°You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Trisha stiffened instantly.


    She was about to push him away, but Jared loosened his hold first and gazed at her earnestly. ¡°I love


    you, Trisha. Will you please be my girlfriend?¡±


    Her heart was somersaulting in her chest. Her emotions ping-ponged from delight to despair andter


    tion as Jared spoke. It was almost too much to bear.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    She stared at Jared and felt his sincerity. At that moment, she no longer wished to repress her feelings.


    Trisha had liked him for a long time, but his rejection had frightened her into years of avoidance. She


    thought it would weaken her feelings for him, yet she only spiraled deeper into an emotional void of no


    return. That was the reason she returned to Chanaea upon graduation.


    In fact, the assistant position at Jupiter Group was the only role she had applied for. After she was hired


    as Harvey''s assistant, she ran into Jared almost daily, yet their interactions were stilted and seemed


    strictly limited to work.

 Chapter 1868

    Chapter 1868


    She was both deeply shocked and incredibly d about what happened today.


    ¡°Okay!¡± she said with a faint smile.


    Still haunted by memories of what happened a few years ago, Jared felt so nervous that he didn¡¯t dare


    believe his ears when he heard her answer.


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re really going to be my girlfriend? Did I hear that right?¡± he asked while staring at Trisha.


    Amused by his response, Trisha replied with a smirk, ¡°What, are you regretting your decision already? I


    can take that back if you want.¡±


    Jared grabbed Trisha by the hand as he stammered, ¡°N-No, I¡¯m not! I¡­ I just needed to make sure of


    your answer, t-that¡¯s all!¡±


    Trisha let out a soft chuckle when she saw his reaction. Jared then leaned in close and kissed her on


    the lips. This time, Trisha wrapped her arms tightly around Jared¡¯s neck. As the two of them made out


    passionately in the car, Jared felt a stirring in his loins.


    ¡°How about we head over to my ce?¡± Jared whispered in Trisha¡®s ear.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Trisha whispered back at him.


    Jared then set her down on the passenger seat and drove home as fast as he could. Their hearts were


    racing with excitement and anticipation on the way back.


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    After parking his car outside, Jared quickly led Trisha into his house. Because he enjoyed living alone,


    he had to keep the ce clean and tidy all by himself.


    Eager to continue where they left off, Jared pinned her against the front door immediately after locking


    it. The next thing she knew, he had sealed her lips with his.


    As they engaged in a deep and passionate kiss, Trisha gave in to her pent-up sexual desires and ran


    her hands all over his body.


    Turned on by her touch, Jared grabbed Trisha''s dress and ripped it off in one swift motion. He then


    leaned down to suck on one of her breasts. Trisha let out a nervous yet excited moan in response.


    Jared looked up at her and saw that she was burning bright red. He then scooped her into his arms and


    carried her into his bedroom.


    After cing her down on the bed, he looked at her with lust-filled eyes as he asked, ¡°Are you ready,


    Trisha?¡±


    Trisha stared into the eyes of the man she had loved for years. Not wanting to wait any longer, she


    wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss.


    Naturally, Jared understood her intentions and responded by switching off themp next to the bed.


    Before she knew it, he had bombarded her body with a barrage of kisses.


    ¡°Jared¡­¡± Trisha moaned softly when she felt his warmth on her body.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­ I¡¯ll be gentle,¡± Jared whispered as he continued kissing her gently and passionately.


    After going at it until the wee hours of the morning, Jared carried Trisha into the bathroom to get


    cleaned up. She was so tired that she fell asleep by the time they were done showering.


    Jared was woken upter in the morning by the sound of Trisha¡¯s phone ringing.


    ¡°The meeting starts in half an hour, Ms. Hughes. Do you have all the documents ready?¡± Harvey asked


    the moment the call got through.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re going to have to figure that out on your own, Harvey. Ms. Hughes is too tired to go to


    work today, so she¡¯ll be taking the day off,¡± Jared answered.


    Harvey paused in surprise when he heard Jared¡¯s voice on the phone.


    After taking a moment to process what was going on, he let out a chuckle and asked, ¡°Is Ms. Hughes


    going to be my sister-inw?¡±


    Jared nced at Trisha, who was sleeping soundly in bed, and gave her a quick peck on the lips.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Harvey. Get ready to begin the preparations for my wedding.

 Chapter 1869

    Chapter 1869


    Harvey was genuinely surprised when he heard Jared¡®s reply.


    I remember Grandpa urging Jared to find himself a wifest night.


    Now the little rascal has slept with Ms. Hughes and wants me to n the wedding? Talk about


    efficiency!


    Naturally, Harvey was more than happy to help his brother out.


    ¡°Just leave it to me! I¡¯ll have Sonia prepare the betrothal gift in a bit. We¡¯ll head over to the Hughes


    residence tomorrow to discuss it with her family.¡±


    Feeling satisfied with Harvey¡¯s efficiency at getting things done, Jared nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Thanks, Harvey. I¡¯ll leave you to it, then.¡± He hung up the phone after saying that and hugged Trisha


    as he went back to sleep.


    Harvey shook his head helplessly as he postponed the meeting to the next week. As he would be very


    busy nning the wedding, he had no choice but to put the vice president in charge of work-rted


    matters in the meantime.


    After taking care of things at work, Harvey drove straight home.


    Sonia was a little worried when she saw Harveye home all of a sudden, especially since he had


    only left for work a while ago. It wasn¡¯t until she found out about Jared getting married that she broke


    into a relieved smile.


    Harvey and his grandpa have always been worried that Jared would have issues finding himself a wife.


    Now that Jared is finally going to get married, it¡¯s only natural that we help with the wedding


    preparations!


    ¡°Harvey? Why are you still home? Shouldn¡¯t you be at work by now?¡± Harrison asked in confusion


    when he woke up and saw Harvey and Sonia at home.


    After hearing Harvey¡¯s exnation regarding Jared getting married, Harrison broke into a wide grin and


    said, ¡°Go fetch my two finest bottles of wine! We brought two with us when we went to meet Sonia¡¯s


    parents back then, so we have two bottles left. We¡¯ll bring them when we visit Trisha¡¯s parents


    tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°Sure thing. I already noted that down. We¡¯ll have them ready by tomorrow morning,¡± Harvey replied


    with a smile when he saw his grandfather getting excited like a child.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    While the three of them continued working on the betrothal gift, Jared was so excited about marrying


    Trisha that he couldn¡¯t go back to sleep.


    His eyes were filled with regret as he thought about the years he had wasted by refusing to date her.


    Determined to make it up to her, Harvey leaned in close and kissed Trisha repeatedly on the lips.


    However, he felt it wasn¡¯t enough to make up for what he had missed out on throughout the past few


    years.


    He then pulled Trisha¡¯s nightgown down and kissed her all over.


    The temperature in the room seemed to increase as he continued to undress her while kissing her.


    Trisha opened her eyes when she felt what he was doing.


    ¡°Jared¡­¡± she moaned, only to have Jared seal her lips with a deep and passionate kiss.


    My goodness! I didn¡¯t know Jared had such great stamina!


    Oh, well¡­ I don¡¯t want to refuse him, so¡­


    As Trisha wrapped her arms around Jared¡¯s neck, he took that as her permission to proceed and


    increased the intensity of his thrusts.


    The temperature in the room continued to rise as her moans of pleasure echoed off its walls. It was


    almost noon by the time they were done making love to each other.


    As Trishay weakly in bed, she suddenly recalled the meeting she was supposed to attend earlier that


    morning.


    Oh, no! Mr. Jupiter told me to prepare the documents for the meeting today!


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I missed the meeting, Jared! What do I do?¡± Trisha eximed anxiously while tugging at


    her hair.


    This was the first mistake she made throughout her two years of working in thatpany.

 Chapter 1870

    Chapter 1870


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I already told Harvey that he would have to take care of the meeting on his own,¡± Jared


    replied while pulling her in for a kiss.


    Trisha froze when she heard what he said.


    Wait a minute¡­ Does that mean he told Harvey about our rtionship as well?


    ¡°Jared, why did you tell your brother about our rtionship?¡± she asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? He¡¯s going to take care of our wedding preparation, so he needs to know


    about our rtionship.¡± Jared then looked her in the eye as he continued, ¡°Do you not want to marry


    me?¡±


    Trisha was dumbfounded.


    Huh? Wedding preparation? What¡¯s he talking about?


    Are we getting married this soon? We only just became an official couplest night!


    It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t want to marry him, but I ¡¯m worried that he might end up regretting it¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to marry you. I¡¯m just worried you might regret your decision¡­¡±


    Trisha buried her face in his chest and listened to the strong beat of his heart as she continued, ¡°I¡¯ve


    had feelings for you since we were still in school, but you never liked me back. I know we only became


    an official couplest night, but I already know you¡®re the one I want to marry. Even so, I can¡¯t help but


    worry that you might regret itter on. After all, you¡¯ve never reciprocated my feelings throughout all


    those years.¡±


    If there was one thing Jared truly regretted, it was not realizing his feelings for her sooner.


    Had he known he would fall for her someday, he would¡¯ve dated her long ago.


    ¡°Trisha, I will show you just how much I love you and wish to marry you,¡± Jared whispered in her ear.


    Trisha¡®s parents were overjoyed when Jared and his family visited them the next day to discuss the


    wedding ns.


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    They were d their daughter had found herself a decent man with a great family background. It wasn''t


    long before Jared won their hearts over with his sweet-talking skills.


    Trisha¡®s parents kept reminding her to be a virtuous wife and to treat Jared''s family members with the


    utmost respect. Of course, Trisha was going to do exactly that even if they didn''t tell her to.


    Their wedding was originally going to be held on the first of October. However, due to the amount of


    unprotected sex the two had been having, it was moved up to the twentieth of May when they found out


    Trisha was pregnant.


    In order to show Trisha how much he loved her, Jared took it upon himself to decorate the venue and


    decide on the dishes for the wedding reception.


    Not only did their wedding turn out as grand as Arielle and Vinson''s, but it also cost twice as much as


    Harvey and Sonia''s.


    Jared had rose petals scattered all over the venue to make it look all the more romantic. He even


    designed Trisha''s wedding gown himself and had a world-renowned tailor produce it.


    On the night of the wedding, Trisha let Jared haveplete control over her in the bedroom and gave


    in to all of his desires.


    Eight months soon went by, and Trisha gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. They decided to give their


    children names with the same initials as Harvey¡¯s kids.


    As Harvey had a son named Hendrick and a daughter named Jordine, Jared named his son Hector


    and his daughter Jocelyn.


    On Harrison¡¯s eightieth birthday, Harvey and Jared showed up with their respective wives and kids to


    celebrate it with him. Arielle and Vinson were there as well.


    Seeing as the entire family was present, Harrison suggested they take a family photo.


    Arielle and Vinson were nning on sneaking out, but Jared and Trisha dragged them back and made


    sure they stayed.


    A bright sh then came from the camera, capturing that beautiful moment forever.


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